(Top photo of Brandin Cooks: Ric Tapia / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By Rich Hammond | The Athletic

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Brandin Cooks has started 28 NFL games since the beginning of February 2018. Four of them ended with Cooks being diagnosed with a concussion.

That’s a staggering percentage. Serious questions would be asked if a player suffered ankle injuries that frequently. Or back, or shoulder or knee. That many injuries, in that short of a time period, to one body part is not normal. Cooks’ issue involves his brain, and isn’t that supposed to be cause for more caution?

There’s something a little uncomfortable about Rams practice this week. Cooks, a four-time 1,000-yard receiver, apparently has sufficiently recovered from the concussion he suffered in the Oct. 27 game against Cincinnati and is on track to play in a huge Monday night game against the Baltimore Ravens.

But should Cooks play? Is he risking his long-term health? Shouldn’t everyone who watches the Rams be concerned that Cooks is going to take another big hit and miss more time, or worse?

“It’s one of those things that I’m taking game by game but no, I don’t think you should be concerned, because I’m not,” Cooks said after Thursday’s practice.

Cooks was assertive — even politely defiant — when he spoke for the first time since his latest concussion. No, he isn’t worried. No, he’s not thinking about the possibility of another one. No, he didn’t have anyone — family, friends, teammates — in his ear, urging him to step away.

Cooks recently visited with a specialist in Pittsburgh, and while he understandably declined to go into specifics regarding his health, he said he was encouraged by what he and his wife heard. In so many words, Cooks indicated he had been told that he isn’t at any great risk and that he shouldn’t be worried about the frequency of his concussions.

“To be very honest with you, it was not really concerning at all,” Cooks said. “I understand it’s one of the things that is a part of the game, but at the end of the day, what’s going through my mind is, ‘OK, let’s get some answers and figure out what’s going on.’ It’s a blessing that I don’t ever have symptoms afterward, but it’s one of those things that’s a case-by-case thing. Mine is very unique. I’m grateful to be able to go get answers.”

Credit Cooks for taking an extra step by consulting with a specialist. And to be clear, nobody is doing anything wrong here. Cooks and the Rams have followed established protocol for dealing with concussions. He has been cleared and by all accounts is asymptomatic. Cooks is, as far as everyone knows, no more likely to suffer a concussion this week (or next week or next month) than any other football player in the country. Everyone seems to agree that Cooks can play, and he wants nothing more than to return. So he will.

But even independent from Cooks’ issue, there’s something of a helpless feeling when it comes to NFL players and concussions. With every new report about long-term health implications, fans cringe and some turn away from the sport. A few conscientious players retire early. The league takes steps, seemingly every year, to make games safer.

Yet in the micro, the cycle continues. A player suffers a concussion, goes through protocol, is medically cleared by an independent doctor and expresses his desire to get back on the field. The player returns and, too often, suffers another concussion weeks or months later. This has been Cooks’ life for the past 21 months.

Who is to blame? Anyone? The league has a protocol that it believes keeps players off the field until they are healthy. The Rams aren’t pressuring Cooks to return. They have no real say in the matter. They wait until Cooks is fully evaluated by, and consults with, an independent doctor, and when they’re told he can return, he returns. Imagine the fit that would be thrown by the players’ association if the Rams told Cooks he couldn’t (or shouldn’t) play.



Brandin Cooks has 27 catches for 402 yards and one touchdown this season. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports)

So unless something goes wrong when the Rams return Saturday for their final practice, Cooks will play Monday, 29 days after the fifth documented concussion of his career. That’s a long break for Cooks, given his history.

• Dec. 9, 2015: Cooks sustained his first NFL-documented concussion with New Orleans. He was cleared and did not miss a game.
• Feb. 4, 2018: Cooks’ second concussion came during the second quarter of the Super Bowl with New England. He did not return to that game and was traded to the Rams two months later, with no apparent concerns.
• Oct. 7, 2018: Cooks’ third concussion came in a Week 5 game against Seattle. Soon after, coach Sean McVay declared Cooks to be “symptom-free quickly after the game.” Cooks did not miss a game.
• Oct. 3, 2019: Cooks’ fourth concussion came in a Week 5 game against Seattle. The next day, McVay said Cooks was “asymptomatic,” and Cooks did not miss a game.
• Oct. 27, 2019: Just two weeks after his return, Cooks suffered his fifth concussion in a Week 8 game against Cincinnati. This time, he did not make a quick return, and after the ensuing bye week, he flew to Pittsburgh to consult with a specialist. Cooks returned to limited practice action shortly thereafter.

By no means is Cooks under any obligation to share what he learned from the specialist in Pittsburgh, but some details might be reassuring. He spoke in general terms on Thursday, about training his brain like a muscle, about “gray area” and “case-by-case basis” and his situation being “an anomaly.”

Cooks was definitive about one thing. Asked whether he considered stepping away from the game after last month’s second concussion, he didn’t wait for the question to reach a conclusion.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “No doubt about it. When it happened, that never went through my mind. Even now, it’s not going through my mind. I’m just grateful for a great team around me and for me being comfortable to come out here and play.”

Again, there’s no evidence that Cooks is doing anything wrong, and surely doctors know more than reporters or fans. Might Cooks suffer another concussion this week? It’s possible. Might he go weeks (or months or even years) without another concussion? That’s also possible. Perhaps one day, medical advancements will allow doctors to better analyze or predict such things, but that day has not arrived.

Also, Cooks is an adult. He’s able to make decisions for himself, even some that might be risky. He’s not alone. Other people choose to race cars and skydive. If Cooks is making informed decisions about his life and isn’t being coerced into anything, it’s really not anyone’s place to tell him what to do. These are choices to be made by Cooks and his wife.

“That’s who I go home to,” Cooks said. “Seeing her comfortable during those meetings with me (in Pittsburgh) and being at ease, it’s such a blessing. When you go home, that’s who you’re dealing with the most, as far as questions asked. To see her comfortable and see her not as concerned is definitely helpful.”

On a basic level, it’s just difficult to ignore that Cooks is only 26 and just got married last year. He’s in the prime of his life and in the prime of his career, which should continue at a high level for no fewer than five more seasons. Should he be concerned about his long-term health?

“I don’t think he would go back out on the field if he was worried about that,” McVay said. “Football is a physical game and sometimes those collisions are inevitable. You hate that. You never want to see it. That’s the worst part about this game, is seeing any player get injured. You hate that, because of the work these guys put in, but I do think it’s really important that you go out there with a clear mind and just be able to compete to the best of your ability and not have to worry about those types of things.

“I don’t think he would go back out there if he felt like that was on his mind, and I think he’s really champing at the bit, excited to go.”

One problem is that Cooks isn’t a quarterback who can slide at the end of a scramble or throw the ball away to avoid a crushing sack. He’s not a running back who can skip out of bounds after a 12-yard gain. He’s not a defensive player who, for the most part, can determine the point of contact on a big hit.

As a receiver, Cooks is a target in every sense of the word. He has little say in when the ball is coming to him, or where, or the force with which he’s going to be taken to the ground.

All everyone can do is hope for the best. Cooks is confident and ready to play, he is under contract through the 2023 season and the Rams clearly see him as a huge part of their future. Right now, the best-case scenario isn’t a Rams victory over the Ravens.

It’s Cooks on the field, healthy, at the end of the game — win or lose.

THE SKELETON OF a stadium sits at the center of a construction site three times the size of Disneyland. It is a futuristic mass of steel and concrete that appears to have both risen from the earth and descended from space. SoFi Stadium -- the name sounds from the ether -- will house a football field 100 feet below ground level and is surrounded by mammoth mounds of excavated Inglewood, California, soil piled like peaks in a range around the development. When it opens next summer, its backers hope SoFi will mark the end of one NFL era in Los Angeles -- defined by rotting venues and teams that have drifted in and out over 73 years -- and the beginning of another. The $5 billion-plus project will feature a translucent roof that appears to hover above the stadium, as if allowing it to breathe, and will be home to 298 acres of retail space, including a theater, a concert venue and a new NFL Media headquarters. Now, though, seven days a week, it is surrounded by cranes and trucks and an army of hustling workers in white construction helmets bearing the logos of two home teams: the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, an arranged marriage of clubs whose high-level executives barely speak with one another.

SEPARATED BY MINUTES, Dean Spanos and Stan Kroenke walk into a Ritz-Carlton ballroom in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It's the final day of the NFL's fall owners meeting in mid-October. Spanos, in khakis and a navy blazer, arrives first, with commissioner Roger Goodell. Spanos is a conservative, risk-averse man whose Chargers are still trying to get on the radar in L.A. Kroenke, tall and thin with a thick mustache, follows shortly after in a black suit, black dress shirt and black sunglasses. The Rams' owner is a shrewd real estate mogul who has found changing the Los Angeles sports landscape more challenging and expensive than he'd imagined. Both L.A. teams suffered losses the previous weekend. The Rams drew an announced crowd of 75,695 to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but it was half-empty at kickoff and contained so many San Francisco 49ers fans that the Rams' offense was forced to use a silent snap count. The Chargers, on national television against the Pittsburgh Steelersat the 25,300-seat Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, 16 miles south of downtown L.A., felt as if they were playing on the road -- again. Steelers fans either outnumbered Chargers fans or came close, as did Denver Broncos fans at the prior home game, as did Houston Texansfans at the home game before that, as did Indianapolis Colts fans in the season opener. In the fourth quarter against the Steelers, the opening of the Styx song "Renegade," a Steelers anthem, blared from the stadium's sound system, the setup to a failed Chargers joke that got the visiting fans even rowdier. Overhead, as with most Chargers home games, a plane dragged a banner that read: "Impeach Dean Spanos."

L.A. has always been a Lakers town. On a cool September evening in Chavez Ravine, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a Dodgers town. When Wayne Gretzky arrived in 1988, the Kings joined the mix, and when USC was hot under Pete Carroll more than a decade ago, the city became a college football capital. Was it ever an NFL town? If so, can it still be? Something strange happened in the 21 seasons between when the Rams and Raiders left after the 1994 season, and when the Rams returned in 2016. Angelenos, burned by a league that seemed to view the city more as a focus-grouped market than a layered and complicated region, showed little desire for a team of their own.

Jerry Jones thought he could win them over. Now 77, the Dallas Cowboys' owner and Hall of Famer is the NFL's most powerful person and maybe the most influential power broker in American sports. He has been the most passionate evangelist for the NFL to make a splashy return to Los Angeles, the city where he was born, envisioning a near-future with more money in it for everybody. In 2015, the Rams' Inglewood project, then estimated to cost $1.86 billion, was competing against a Chargers-Raiders $1.8 billion option in Carson. Few outside the NFL knew it, but Jones positioned himself to profit from either proposal. Concessions for either project -- and the construction, in the case of Inglewood -- would be managed by Legends, the company co-owned by Jones and the Steinbrenner family. The competition between the proposals was bloody and toxic given the high stakes, pitting owners against one another. Ultimately, Jones sided with Kroenke because his stadium and project proposal had what Jones called the wow factor. "We had good insight on its vision," Jacksonville Jaguarsowner Shad Khan says. "It was spectacular."

At an owners meeting in a posh Houston hotel in January 2016, Jones helped to resolve the L.A. relocation scrum by persuading fellow owners to endorse a compromise that he had sold as a blueprint for success. Two teams would return to Los Angeles: the Rams -- and, if they chose, the Chargers. The red flags that are obvious now were visible then. League research indicated neither the Rams nor the Chargers had an overwhelming reservoir of support in the L.A. region, with fewer local fans than the Patriots, Steelers, Packers, Cowboys and even the Raiders, according to some team and league studies. What's more, the accommodation wouldn't make the Rams and Chargers equal partners, like the Jets and Giants at MetLife Stadium, which the teams jointly built with private funds. Kroenke -- one of the NFL's wealthiest team owners, worth an estimated $9.7 billion -- would pay to build the stadium, perhaps the only option in California, whose legislators and voters rarely approve a single public dollar for new stadiums. Spanos, a long-respected owner with a reputation for putting the league first, would be given the first option to be Kroenke's tenant, for $1 a year, and if the Chargers decided to remain in San Diego, the Raiders could join the Rams in L.A. -- an outcome nobody around the league wanted, owing to Al Davis' burned bridges and the co-opting of team apparel by gangs.

Almost all owners believed Jones' resolution to be the best business decision among the available options, and most supported it under the cover of a secret ballot, which allowed them to vote for Inglewood without Spanos knowing who had turned on him.

Spanos felt burned and betrayed by the vote and the entire L.A. decision process, and therefore few expected him to exercise the tenancy option. But he did, and now these unequal partners are locked in a bitter fight, stoked by Kroenke's fury over cost overruns exceeding $3 billion, questions over the Chargers' long-term viability in the market, a lawsuit seeking billions over Kroenke's departure from St. Louis that has engulfed the entire league, and an increasingly fractious and sometimes petty civil war between Rams and Chargers officials, according to documents and nearly two dozen interviews with owners, league and team executives, and lawyers.

SoFi Stadium has become a vessel for each figure's motivations and goals, and a repository for the hopes and vanities of the NFL. Spanos wants to secure once and for all his family's fortunes and establish his team as more than an NFL version of the second-rate Clippers, embarrassment and awkwardness over being Kroenke's tenant be damned. Kroenke is driven by the chance to build a monumental legacy for both himself and the NFL, despite the huge bill. Jones wants what he always wants: for the league to flex, show off and "grow the pie" of annual league revenues now edging toward $17 billion a year -- and to walk away with a healthy cut. But SoFi Stadium is also a bet -- a multibillion-dollar wager that in a market of 22 million, the world's most spectacular stadium will inspire 70,000 people to show up every Sunday and cheer. For two teams.

A PHONE CALL between Kroenke and Goodell in the autumn of 2015 was a harbinger for the current impasse. On Nov. 4, Kroenke was on his cellphone on the small patio of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the heart of Beverly Hills. The secret ballot in Houston was still two months away, and the Carson project seemed to be gaining traction with owners, mostly out of loyalty to Spanos, who believed at the time he was close to the votes he needed. Kroenke was willing to do whatever it took to return the Rams to L.A. -- including partnering with Spanos. "I want you in L.A. with Stan," Jones had told Spanos. Normally quiet and reserved, Kroenke was hot.

"No. No! No, Roger!" Kroenke said. "I've been out there, spending millions, and everybody else is piggybacking on everything I've done, not spending a dime, letting me take all the heat, and then they think they're going to get to step in? I don't think so."

The call continued for 10 minutes, until Kroenke realized people were staring at him. He stood up and said, "Roger, we're going to have to continue this conversation in a few seconds. I need to get somewhere a bit more private to discuss some of the things I need to say to you next."

The following month in San Francisco, Spanos dined with a small group of owners who were convinced his project would prevail. "We got you," said Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers' then-owner who had tried to bully owners to vote for Carson. They raised a glass, and Richardson spent the rest of the dinner trashing Kroenke. But Richardson had overestimated his power of intimidation -- and underestimated Jones' persistent charm. Twenty-four hours before the vote in Houston, Spanos walked into a conference room where a clutch of owners had been deliberating. On a whiteboard, the two options that had been on the table for a year -- "STAN/LA" and "CHARGERS-RAIDERS/CARSON" -- were crossed out. A new option, a Jones-driven last-minute compromise, had appeared: "STAN-DEAN/LA." Spanos knew he had lost.

Before the secret ballots were counted, Colts owner Jim Irsay pulled Spanos aside and said, "This is for the best."

Chargers owner Dean Spanos believed his proposal to build a stadium in Carson would prevail just 24 hours before a secret ballot went against him.AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
FEW IN THE league felt that way a year later, especially Spanos. In December 2016, he stood before a room of owners and league executives at the Four Seasons in Irving, Texas, looking like a man who had lost much more than a vote. He was 66 and at the low point of his 22 years running the Chargers. After losing to Kroenke, he had returned to San Diego and lost again, blowing $15 million on a long-shot ballot initiative for a new stadium, destroying any remaining goodwill and trust with a loyal fan base. A broken man, Spanos was out of options.

"I don't want to go to L.A.," Spanos said. "I want to stay."

Many owners sympathized with Spanos, but some were also frustrated by him. The league's $550 million relocation fee that Spanos would need to spend to move to L.A. might have been better invested in a new stadium in San Diego, where the Chargers would collect most of the revenue. Why move to a city that showed little interest in them? "It wasn't rational," a high-level league source says.

But Spanos had his own rationale, frustrated by years of wars with San Diego officials over public financing for a new stadium. The league-first guy was gone. He was determined to do what was best for his club and for his family, several of whom worked for the team, and in L.A. he saw "a favorable, low-risk deal," a Spanos confidant says. In L.A., the value of Spanos' team might increase by $1 billion from the Forbes-estimated $2.08 billion value it had in San Diego in 2016. He'd play in a glistening new park, with no stadium debt. His biggest expense would be the $550 million relocation fee, and Spanos intended to borrow to pay it.

After the Irving league meeting, brass from the Chargers and Rams met with league executives and lawyers for a series of negotiations to finalize the term sheet, whose broad stipulations were set by owners and league executives the night before the secret relocation vote. Spanos and Kroenke, both of whom declined to comment for this story, had enjoyed a strange relationship, both cool and occasionally friendly, once playing gin rummy together on a private jet a decade ago. But the term-sheet sessions were awkward and "the body language horrible," according to one attendee. Spanos and his executives surprised Rams officials by drawing a hard line, demanding a cut of all revenue streams, input over design elements, and approval over all decisions made by Legends and by StadCo L.A. LLC, the stadium company controlled by Kroenke. Rams officials tried to be cordial, but they seethed. The way they saw it, Spanos had the entire Southern California market to himself for 21 seasons with little to show for it, but now he felt entitled to a chunk of revenue on a project to which he would contribute one dollar a year. Says one high-level executive involved in the negotiations: "The Rams felt like Stan was taking all this risk and would appreciate it if Dean would recognize what he was bringing to the table."

Spanos was keenly aware of the imbalance, but he also knew the league, a trade association at heart, would ensure him a share of stadium cashflow enjoyed by other teams. The Chargers ended up with a sizable 15% share of all revenue streams, including joint luxury suite sales, sponsorships and SoFi Stadium's naming rights, which is estimated at more than $600 million over 20 years.

Spanos also won a major concession on the most divisive issue: stadium seat licenses, the tens of thousands of dollars NFL teams often charge for the right to buy season tickets. All the revenue from both teams' sale of SSLs would go to Kroenke to help defray the cost of the stadium. But per the term sheet, the Chargers neither had to meet a revenue target nor even sell a single SSL. All the Chargers had to do was try to sell the SSLs, at whatever cost they determined, until one year after the stadium opened, after which they wouldn't even have to try to sell any.

The NFL sets SSL targets for all teams, often forcing owners to open escrow accounts through the league as part of a complicated process to ensure that no owner defaults on stadium debt. League research had predicted that the Chargers and Rams could each sell $400 million in SSLs, but because Kroenke was paying for the stadium himself, neither the Chargers nor the Rams were required by the league to meet those sales targets. While there were no penalties if the teams failed to hit the goal -- all involved were careful not to violate antitrust laws -- the Rams expected the Chargers to reach the $400 million mark as a way to contribute to their new home. The terms were favorable to Spanos, and Kroenke had little choice but to accept them. League executives wanted the Chargers to have a friendly deal -- and also knew that in the long run the Inglewood stadium and project would probably appreciate by billions, making Kroenke's investment more than worthwhile. Kroenke took Spanos at his word that the Chargers would be a full partner, while aware that Spanos had no financial incentive or obligation to help. It was a fragile trust forged by two teams suspicious of each other.

On Jan. 18, 2017, the Chargers held a fan rally at the Forum in Inglewood to officially announce the move to L.A. Only a small section of the arena was open, and it was nowhere close to full. On a huge screen, Chargers highlights played, accompanied by the soundtrack from "Top Gun," which was set in San Diego. Superstar quarterback Philip Riverslooked dour on stage, like a child who had been dragged to a party by his parents, and would later proudly refuse to move his family to L.A. Twice, Goodell praised Kroenke, who was not in attendance, and his vision for the palatial new stadium before mentioning Spanos, who was seated nearest to the commissioner. When it was Spanos' turn to speak, he surveyed the scarce and scattered Chargers fans. "This is surreal!" he said. A group of fans flipped him off.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, shown with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Rams owner Stan Kroenke before an NFC divisional playoff game last January, has always believed in the transformative power of a stadium.Ric Tapia via AP Photo
JERRY JONES HAS always believed in the transformative power of a new home, having witnessed it firsthand when he went big on AT&T Stadium. In 2009, Jerry World opened in Arlington, Texas, and a decade later it still shines with a modern, fresh-paint gleam. Jones even believes in the transformative power of a practice facility. He turned The Star, the Cowboys' training center, into an entire football ecosystem, with high-rise apartments, restaurants and a high-end club. How big can the NFL become? Jones loves to test his own "tolerance for ambiguity," as he often says. But L.A. is not North Texas in its hunger for the NFL and he knew it. To get L.A. fans off their phones and into a stadium, Jones told everyone that the league had to build something unforgettable. At an August 2015 owners meeting, Jones said Kroenke was the only one who had the "big balls" requisite to reintroduce the league after two decades away. This year, at least half a dozen owners and team executives have toured the new stadium. "It's going to be a phenomenal building," 49ers CEO Jed York says. "It's going to be a place that you need to see a game."

Problem was, the Rams couldn't move right into their new stadium after the relocation vote, forcing them into a holding pattern until it opened. They tried to market their homecoming after 21 years in St. Louis by dusting off throwback uniforms and the team's classic "Whose house? Rams house!" chant. A crowd of 91,046 showed up in September 2016 for the first regular-season home game, a win over the Seattle Seahawks. But the Rams learned that just because fans show up doesn't mean they root for the home team, especially if it's a loser. They finished 4-12. After less than a year in L.A., the reboot required a reboot. The team fired longtime head coach Jeff Fisher, and in January 2017, Kroenke signed Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay as head coach, a perfect West L.A. combination of precocious and attractive. Still, league executives were worried. McVay was only 30, the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. If he failed, the entire return to L.A. might too.

McVay didn't fail. He led the Rams to the playoffs in 2017 against the Atlanta Falcons, a game at the Coliseum that sold out in less than a week. In November 2018, the Rams appeared to break through for good at the Coliseum on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. Jay Z, Robin Thicke and Goodell were in attendance. The Coliseum was packed and electric. Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes combined for 891 total yards and 10 touchdown passes. The Rams' 54-51 win felt like something real, a connection between a city and a team after years of stops and starts with various clubs that used Los Angeles as leverage to build new stadiums in their home markets. The Rams shot up 9% in local TV ratings after that Monday night, a bump that continued as they reached the Super Bowl. But there was no second bump. This year, the Rams are less exciting and less dominant, with uneven fan support. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 29, a photo went viral of a mostly empty Coliseum at kickoff. It was ugly, and it served as a reminder to Chargers executives that no matter how embarrassing their team's own crowds are, L.A. is still up for grabs.

Chargers home games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, have often seemed like road games for the L.A. team.Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
OF COURSE, JUST because L.A. is up for grabs doesn't mean the Chargers are well positioned to grab it. In 2017, the Chargers also tried to reinvent themselves upon returning to the city where they last played in 1960. They went small. For a temporary home, they chose a soccer stadium in the middle of the California State University, Dominguez Hills campus, shaving its 27,000 seats to 25,300. The idea was to start fresh by offering a premium experience and, not incidentally, premium ticket prices. League executives loved the idea: an entirely new experience of fans climbing fences to get in. Spanos hosted pregame parties for family and friends not in a walled-off suite but under a low-key tent next to the stadium. Want to boo him? Shake his hand? Spanos was accessible.

But few fans tried to get access to him. The Chargers struggled to fill the tiny venue with home-team supporters, a fact first obvious against Philadelphia in Week 4 of 2017, when the Eagles recovered a Rivers fumble on the first drive and the crowd roared as if at the old Vet. Still, new head coach Anthony Lynn, a budding star who was hired one day after Spanos announced the move, led the Chargers to a 9-7 record. After wasting much of 2017 with relocation logistics, the Chargers made some modest marketing strides. They partnered with KABC, the top-rated TV station in L.A., announced a deal with iHeartRadio to reach 10 million listeners, and cooperated on a show in the style of HBO's "Hard Knocks" with Spectrum SportsNet. The team sold all 11,000 season tickets in 2018, but the stadium still felt more like a neutral-site college bowl game than the NFL.

In March 2018, the Rams and Chargers launched their SSL programs for the new stadium. It was harder than expected for the Rams and couldn't have gone worse for the Chargers. Most teams hire at least a dozen staffers to handle SSL sales for a new stadium, in addition to hiring a company like Legends. The Chargers, which outsourced most of the work to Legends, were flying blind in L.A., with no analytics department or sophisticated method of reaching fans. The Rams had a huge head start; they had sold 70,000 season tickets for the 2016 season in the Coliseum in six hours. All the Chargers had was "a couple of email addresses" of potential ticket holders, in the words of a team executive, and a slogan -- "Fight for L.A.!" -- that sounded less like a rallying cry and more like a schoolyard challenge to their future landlord, which did not go unnoticed by Rams executives, who mocked the slogan. The Chargers spent $3 million marketing "Fight for L.A.!" -- including $2.3 million on Facebook ads that didn't move the needle.

That fall, Chargers executives reviewed a bracing study that was available only to a handful of teams, league and Legends executives. It confirmed what some around the league had predicted all along: There was practically no market for Chargers season tickets, no matter the price. Legends officials later told league executives and those from other teams that it was the worst feasibility forecast they'd ever seen. In 2018, the Chargers were in the middle of a season in which they would finish 12-4 but rank 30th in revenue, one spot down from their final year in San Diego, owing largely to the small stadium. The team had sold only $60 million worth of SSLs, far behind the league's $400 million goal. "The projections were made before anyone had a clue," one Chargers executive says. "They were completely unrealistic."

Spanos and Chargers COO Jeanne Bonk then made a controversial decision. They slashed prices for 26,000 upper deck seats, lowering tickets to the $50 to $90 range, and dropped the SSL rate to $100 -- up to 15 times less than the Rams were charging for the same seats. The Chargers' reduced prices were higher than options suggested by Legends, which included the idea of abandoning the SSLs altogether. But for a bottom-line league, it was an unmissable flare that L.A. might never be a two-team NFL town.

The Rams got a heads-up one day before the Chargers' fire sale was announced.

Empty seats at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum have served as a reminder that L.A. is still up for grabs for the Rams and Chargers.Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
THE RAMS WERE furious. Spanos had potentially cost Kroenke hundreds of millions. In the Chargers' news release, president of business operations A.G. Spanos, one of Dean's sons, wrote, "A family of four should be able to buy season tickets for the entire family and not need a second mortgage to do so." It felt like a subtle shot at the Rams.

Other owners and executives were stunned by the Chargers' deep discount and asked the league to intervene. The NFL had considered asking its senior vice president Brian Lafemina, trusted and respected by both the Rams and Chargers, to move to L.A. and serve as peacemaker. But before the league could officially offer the job, Lafemina left to run business operations for the Washington Redskins, and instead a host of league executives were assigned to help manage L.A. Kroenke and Spanos remained cordial with each other -- both are nonconfrontational -- but relationships between their staffs collapsed, becoming petty and personal, with both teams' executives ripping each other to confidants. "The Chargers were trying to save themselves," a high-level source involved in relations between the two teams says. "They want to be seen as a full partner, yet they did something that hit their partner hardest."

Spanos insisted the price drop wasn't a spiteful move but a reflection of weak demand, indicative not only of the larger problem of selling the Chargers in L.A. but also of the concept of SSLs in Southern California. There was no tradition of SSLs in L.A. No Lakers fan had to pay extra for the right to buy season tickets to watch LeBron James at Staples Center. It sounded to some fans like a racket, making an already tough sell even tougher. Everyone started pointing fingers, with owners mad at the league office for allowing a toxic relocation process and the league reminding owners that most of them voted for two teams in L.A. In the end, most owners rooted for the Chargers to not piggyback off Kroenke but try to duplicate the success of the soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders, who have sold nearly $400 million in SSLs, double their projected number, for their new stadium opening in September 2020 off the Vegas Strip. What's more, a "fair amount" of the Raiders SSL buyers live in L.A. and will hop on I-15 on weekends, an executive with knowledge of the sales says. It has left a few owners and team officials worried and irritated that the Raiders have siphoned off part of an already wary L.A. fan base.

Chargers executives were convinced the Rams were lashing out because stadium construction was billions over budget. In the eyes of Chargers brass, the Rams had every right to be angry. But blowing up at Legends was tricky for the Rams because Jones had delivered the L.A. vote -- and Kroenke and Jones have become pals, a power clique of two. Still, Legends had never managed a project so massive -- and it had "gone off the rails," a source close to Legends says. It began in 2016, when the Rams realized that both initial estimates -- $1.86 billion in early 2015, which rose to $2.4 billion by late 2015 -- had been poorly calculated. Vendor costs ballooned because of competition with LAX's $14 billion renovation. The infrastructure was unexpectedly pricey, with a massive retaining wall required 100 feet below grade for the field. A record amount of rain in early 2017 complicated matters even more, filling the hole of the field with up to 15 feet of water that needed to be drained and costing the Rams 40 work days. And so the Rams announced in May of that year that completion would be delayed until 2020. In March 2018, the project had hit a cost of $5 billion, but the price continues to go up. StadCo officials now refer to it to owners and executives around the league as "our $6 billion stadium," although some executives insist it won't be that high. All the construction complexities have turned SoFi Stadium into "the eighth wonder of the world," Khan says. "It's amazing how much earth has been moved."

Kroenke was livid when his legacy project veered so badly off course, with no guarantee that SoFi will be filled once the novelty wears off. The Rams have joked to owners and confidants they'd happily accept extra financial donations from the league, but they haven't submitted a formal proposal and don't plan to. Kroenke is intent on delivering on his promise and not cutting corners. But Kroenke didn't become one of the richest men in America by spending cash without any limits, and unfortunately for him, a lawsuit has no hard cap.

AT A HOTEL bar last spring in Key Biscayne, a few owners and executives discussed a lawsuit that had not only failed to fade away, like most inevitable litigation following a team's relocation, but had mushroomed into a leaguewide headache, shoving the L.A. mess into each owner's email server and threatening everyone's bottom line. A group that included the city of St. Louis, the surrounding county and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority were suing the NFL, claiming in a 52-page state court complaint that Rams officials and league executives violated the league's own relocation bylaws by failing to negotiate with the city in good faith, among other issues. The suit argued that the Rams induced the city to spend more than $17 million on plans for a new stadium that the team never intended to consider because Kroenke had planned long earlier to move to L.A. The complaint alleged breach of contract, unjust enrichment, fraudulent misrepresentation and business interference. The city is seeking billions in damages.

The NFL publicly dismissed the case as baseless and privately saw it as retribution from a city angry at Kroenke, whose departure forever destroyed his relationship with his home state. In his 2016 relocation application, Kroenke had written a scathing indictment of St. Louis both as a football city and as an economic engine, ignoring the loud and loyal crowds during the Greatest Show on Turf. But so far, the St. Louis plaintiffs have quietly won every court motion and decision, including a devastating defeat in the Eastern District of the Missouri State Court of Appeals, in a St. Louis courthouse, on June 12, 2018. The Rams' lawyer, Andrew Kassof, argued for the lawsuit to be sent to arbitration, corporate America's venue of choice. Kassof's argument hinged on what he saw as a clear and simple technicality: The NFL relocation policy was moot because the Rams had the right to relocate whenever they wanted, due to their year-to-year lease in St. Louis' then-Edward Jones Dome. The lease had expired in 2016, Kassof argued, so the Rams were free to leave.

Judge Philip Hess sounded suspicious. "Do the Rams have the ability to move without the NFL's approval?" he said.

"No," Kassof said. "They need the NFL's approval, and ..."

Hess cut him off. "Isn't that what this is about? The relocation policy of the NFL?"

It was a stunning moment in a nearly empty courtroom. Hess' question had forced Kassof to undermine his own case. Christopher Bauman, representing the plaintiffs, seized on it, winning the argument and keeping the case out of arbitration. Last month, the Rams petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a stay, and the high court denied it. Teams have been forced to provide eight years of phone records and emails for discovery -- and had to hire legal teams and data experts to sift through them. Kroenke has had to foot all the legal bills for the teams and league, part of an indemnification agreement the league presented to the Rams, Chargers and Raiders on the morning of the L.A. vote. The legal bills have reached eight figures for some teams.

St. Louis is now seeking each owner's cut of the Rams' and Chargers' $550 million relocation fees -- about $35.5 million per -- as restitution, infuriating owners. Over the past year, the league has dedicated a full hour at owners meetings to debating the merits of "Hard Knocks" but hasn't formally addressed the St. Louis case in depth, irritating some owners even more. The lawsuit has even reopened old wounds from the relocation process. Discovery turned up a damning email from a Carson project official outlining to St. Louis authorities all the ways the Rams seemed to be in violation of the league's relocation policy, providing a blueprint for the city of St. Louis' lawsuit. The email enraged league and Rams executives and undermined Spanos' reputation as the consummate company man, even though he didn't write it. "The perception was that Dean always put the league first and Stan was only out for himself," a team executive says. "Neither was ever completely true."

It has all served as a reminder that before the shotgun marriage there was an ugly divorce, ensuring nobody gets out unscathed.

Chargers owner Dean Spanos' team has struggled to draw fans in Carson, but he says he's proud to be part of the effort to fight for the NFL in Los Angeles.Tom Hauck via AP Photo
THE FIGHT FOR L.A. has carried a cost. The needs of the Chargers and Rams are as different as the personalities of their owners. The Chargers still have to find a way to matter in L.A. Late in the summer of 2018, the team hired Fred Maas, a longtime Spanos adviser, as chief of staff. His mandate was clear: increase team revenues. His first order of business was to kill the useless "Fight For L.A.!" slogan, preferring instead small steps to seek out L.A. Chargers fans. The team has sharpened its social media feeds, held a dog rescue day, and hired a Hispanic outreach coordinator who, unlike a predecessor, actually speaks Spanish. On the first day of the 2019 draft, the Chargers held a ticketed fan rally at the Santa Monica Pier, drawing a beyond-capacity 6,000 fans. Still, even executives playing the long game knew getting traction was a big challenge. "We were the most successful 7-11 in San Diego," a high-ranking Chargers executive says. "Now we're just another Whole Foods in L.A."

The Rams, meanwhile, need the stadium to reshape Inglewood and southwest L.A., while luring fans to show up, not just watch on TV. The Rams' 2018 TV ratings in L.A. were higher than the Giants and Jets in New York, the only comparable market and situation. And a prime-time game against the Seattle Seahawks this year outdrew a Dodgers playoff game head-to-head on TV. The Rams ranked 11th in total home paid attendance in 2018, despite playing in the league's oldest stadium. But at any given game, roughly 40,000 fans are theirs, 30,000 root for the visiting team -- as was the case when the Chargers played the Rams at the Coliseum in 2018 -- and the rest seem to be wearing Tony Romo or Bo Jackson jerseys. It's a leaguewide problem in the age of the secondary ticket market but an acute problem in L.A. The Rams' goal is to be the top choice in the region, knowing full well that an entire generation of fans might have been lost in the past two decades. If that fails, their goal is to be every L.A. NFL fan's second-favorite team, and to be the top choice for the next generation. The Rams are leveraging everything, paying all of their star players, trading away future picks -- they sent two first-round picks to Jacksonville for cornerback Jalen Ramseyin October -- to not only win now but also ensure SoFi Stadium is full, preferably in blue and gold.

In the end, it'll fall to Legends -- and, by extension, Jones -- to nudge L.A. into embracing the Chargers and the Rams. Jones declined several requests to comment for this story; a Cowboys spokesman said "a lot is still happening and Jerry would prefer not to discuss it." A lot of what is happening involves the teams' staffs at war, mostly in a passive-aggressive manner via emails and texts. There have been spats over the types of golf carts the stadium will use and over the number of office spaces Chargers suite sales staff are entitled to, per the term sheet. "We are fighting over relatively penny ante things," one executive involved says. "It's unfathomable."

The disagreements inevitably return to the most divisive and, not coincidentally, most expensive issue: the Chargers' SSL prices. In October 2018, when the Chargers announced the price drop, the Rams felt burned, but Kroenke's StadCo -- to which Legends reports -- still pledged to the NFL that it would hire 20 new Chargers SSL sales staffers, along with administrators, bringing each team's SSL sales staff to 40. The Chargers believed staffing parity would give them a chance to succeed or, at least, have a fighting chance. But over the next four months, nobody was hired on the Chargers' side. In December and January, Legends presented a proposal with a Chargers sales staff number lower than 40, explaining that the Chargers didn't warrant as many staffers because there was so little SSL demand -- a low blow, in the minds of Chargers executives. So the Chargers invoked the nuclear option by appealing in writing to the league, forcing Goodell into the role of mediator. There was a conference call with Goodell, Kroenke and Spanos in mid-April, followed by a meeting of team executives in New York on June 20. The staffing issue, among others, was finally resolved -- the Chargers now have 35 SSL salespeople -- but it's still a sore spot with both teams, the Chargers feeling marginalized and the Rams resentful of carrying the financial burden of two teams, one billionaire indefinitely subsidizing another.

Jones has told associates he feels a deep responsibility to make sure Kroenke and Spanos are not only successful but feel taken care of. But the Chargers have sold a weak 25,000 season tickets to date, and the Rams have sold a nascent 40,000, with the hope from both clubs that sales will improve after the stadium opens. "People are not going to spend a fortune on something they haven't seen yet," a Chargers executive says. Sources from both teams insist there isn't any friction with Jones, which is either true or simply what they're saying to avoid getting on his bad side, hoping not to test strained relations. By all appearances, Kroenke and Jones are just fine, hanging out at the hotel bar at various owners meetings, sipping wine and Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch. In August in Chicago, Jones and Spanos had dinner together after a session of bargaining with the players' union. In negotiations with the union, Jones has raised the so-called LA Exemption, a proposal calling for owners and players to consider diverting tens of millions outside of the normal stadium credits to help Kroenke defray the cost of the stadium. NFL team owners move in self-selected packs and cliques, and Jones will always gravitate toward an owner who can keep revenues spiraling in the right direction.

Nobody in the NFL is spending more to make more than Stan Kroenke.

DEAN SPANOS HOLDS a microphone at the center of a crowded, well-appointed room. It's a late September evening, at a Chargers reception at Luxe, a membership-only office building and high-end restaurant in Beverly Hills. Clad in his usual attire -- blazer over polo shirt -- Spanos appears relaxed before suite holders, business partners, elected officials, team employees and media, despite facing another tough season. The Chargers have played hard but haven't won as much as in the past, the fatigue from playing without any home field advantage for virtually four years perhaps starting to take a toll. The rare high moments have been tough to enjoy. After a dominant home win over the Packers on Nov. 3, the Los Angeles Times published a long column imploring the Chargers to leave for a market that appreciates them.

By midseason, Spanos would seem exasperated over periodic rumors and reports that the team will be sold or relocate again, responding to a report from The Athletic that the Chargers had discussed moving to London as "total f---ing bulls---." At the reception, a flat-screen TV behind him flashes a Chargers logo. "Everything we do, we do as a family," Spanos says.

His family still loves San Diego. Spanos loves San Diego. His father, Alex, a legendary businessman who died at 95 in October 2018, loved San Diego. It still isn't easy to say Los Angeles Chargers -- Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman slipped up on a recent Thursday Night Football telecast -- and NFL executives believe the Chargers could have raised $250 million a year in SSL revenue if they'd stayed, a figure that team executives dismiss as preposterous. If Kroenke had lost the L.A. vote to the Chargers and Raiders, he might have petitioned to move the Rams to San Diego, a source close to him says. But Spanos has told associates that he cut a better financial deal with Kroenke than most had initially given him credit for -- and he insists privately that he really doesn't mind being a tenant. The Los Angeles Chargers are here to stay, whether the city's fans want them or not.

Spanos gives a stump speech of sorts about SoFi Stadium, offering to set up tours. The Chargers are trying to remain optimistic. Team executives are hopeful they can hit $320 million in SSL sales for Kroenke and climb from 31st in revenue to the middle of the pack in the next few years. But others wonder if there's any real opportunity for the Chargers. In the annual Forbes list of NFL franchise valuations -- an imperfect ranking that nonetheless tickles owners' egos -- the Rams were fourth, at $3.8 billion, for the second consecutive year. The Las Vegas-bound Raiders jumped six spots to 12th. The Chargers ticked up only one spot, from 22nd in 2018 to 21st in 2019, and their valuation has increased only $420 million, to $2.5 billion, from 2016 in San Diego to now. The team hasn't added the envisioned $1 billion in value -- at least not yet. The Chargers' lack of popularity and inability to monetize however many SSLs they sell will always give them a low ceiling in a high-ceiling league.

"The stadium is going to redefine Los Angeles in that area for the next century," Spanos tells the crowd. "It's going to be incredible and we're very proud to be a part of it."

SoFi Stadium, set to open next year at a cost of $5 billion-plus, will be home to the uneasy arranged marriage between the Rams and Chargers.DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images
Kroenke is very proud to deliver it, associates say, giving the league something to celebrate in 2020: a glistening venue that might start to heal the relationship between a city and league, not to mention the rift between the two teams. The strained relations with the Rams seem to be on Spanos' mind as he speaks at Luxe. He thanks his future landlord, calling the Rams "great partners." No matter their differences, Jones, Kroenke and Spanos are in this fight for L.A. together, bound by the mandate that a stadium with the wow factor will, in fact, wow enough people to fill it.

"If I could have one wish this year, I'd wish that we could play them in the Super Bowl," Spanos says of the Rams. "But if I can't play them, we'll play anybody."

JERRY JONES STANDS at the 50-yard line of AT&T Stadium, not far from the sideline, pacing in tight semicircles, ringing his hands and looking anxious. It's an hour before the Cowboys play the Eagles on Sunday Night Football in late October, and the stadium is buzzing and frenzied, its own football energy field -- exactly what he has promised to deliver to L.A. As always, Jones is at the center and absorbing it all, wearing his typical game-day attire of a navy suit and powder-blue shirt with a Cowboys star pinned to his left jacket lapel.

"I'm nervous but feel good," he says with a grin. "This one we really need."

A few days earlier, Jones had stood with Kroenke outside a ballroom at the league meetings in Florida. Other owners drifted in and out of the conversation, but it was mostly just the two of them, a pair of power brokers who will take the league on a journey next fall. The Cowboys will be one of the Rams' 2020 home opponents, and it's easy to imagine a prime-time season and stadium opener between them. There are venues more iconic and louder than AT&T, but until SoFi opens, it's the standard for the power and potential of a new big-ticket stadium, a destination not just for football but for the profit-churning celebration of football grandeur. Nobody in the modern NFL has understood showmanship better than Jones, and he has never failed when he has gone big on vision. Next year will clarify whether there's such a thing as too big.

Jones lingers on the field a few more minutes. He moves to his private suite, flanked by his two sons and surrounded by 91,213 screaming fans as the Cowboys rout the Eagles, an iconic American evening in an iconic American city that might or might not transfer to another next September, when two L.A. teams kick off from underground and into the domed air.

Getz-USA TODAY Sports
The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia has his top 50 free agents for 2020 out, and it includes just two Los Angeles Rams on the list and none in the “just missed.”

For reference, here are the Rams’ impending free agents next offseason:

2020 LA Rams Free Agents
So who from that group does Kapadia have?

14. Dante Fowler, EDGE, Rams (26)
He signed a one-year, $12 million deal last offseason to stay with the Rams and will now get to test free agency once again. Fowler is young, plays a premium position and is on pace to set career highs in sacks (currently has 6.5) and QB hits (currently has nine).

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And:

23. Cory Littleton, LB, Rams (26)
It’s tough to watch a Rams game and not notice Littleton. He has five interceptions, 21 passes defended, 12 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and seven QB hits over the past two seasons. Since the start of 2018, Littleton’s 207 tackles rank seventh. He is young and durable (has never missed a game) and will be one of the top off-ball linebackers available.

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So OL Austin Blythe, DT Michael Brockers, LT Andrew Whitworth and K Greg Zuerlein all didn’t make the cut.

A couple issues complicates the Rams’ decisions in 2020.

First, is the higher priority re-signings of WR Cooper Kupp and CB Jalen Ramsey. Both will be free agents in the 2021 offseason. Both need to be signed to contract extensions moreso than any other impending free agents in the next two seasons. While extending them won’t necessarily alter the salary cap situation in 2020, it will beyond next year. So those deals have to be factored in when considering signing any 2020 free agents if you’re doing so beyond a one-year deal.


The second major issue is position value and therefore cost. Next year alone, the Rams are currently vacating starting spots at left tackle and the edge. Those are extremely expensive positions to fill; in fact, the average left tackle salary is currently higher than the average quarterback salary. So there has to be a careful approach to spending as the Rams, once the Ramsey and Kupp deals are factored in, will be pretty tight in cap terms.

The final factor? The unknowability of market forces in the new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires after the 2020 season. Any free agency decisions beyond next year extend into the new CBA’s world where the salary cap might grow more or less annually than it did in this CBA. It might change the salary constraints for rookies. It might amend veteran salary spending. It might get rid of the franchise tag or the fifth-year option or any variety of changes it could make.

All that being said, we’re looking into free agency next year without a ton of money to use and some key needs looming. So parsing the list, I’m not sure the Rams will be active spenders for potential fits for our roster gaps like Washington Offensive Lineman Employers OL Brandon Scherff (#13) Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE Bud Dupree (#20) or Indianapolis Colts LT Anthony Castonzo (#21). They’ll need to figure who can be promoted from within (like various promotions this offseason) and what less expensive options can be gleaned from the market either by bringing in low-cost options with potential or end-of-career veterans who won’t cost a premium.

Big decisions ahead...

That the Rams give a great showing and thus become relevant again. Need a miracle to make the playoffs. So if tremendous lasting progress can be made with the O line and McVay's and Goff's approach to opponents then this season will be more fun to watch. 6-4 and it feels like 3-7. This spoiled Rams fan has his fingers crossed.

Thursday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

Rarely is "Thursday Night Football" must-see television, but this week's episode should be appointment viewing as the Indianapolis Colts head to Houston to take on the Houston Texans. The Colts and Texans, both 6-4, are tied for the top spot in the AFC South after Indy's thumping of Jacksonville and Houston's disastrous performance against the Ravens. Needless to say, the playoff implications on the line are of the utmost importance for both teams.

It was only a month ago that these two teams met in the Circle City and Jacoby Brissett had his best career outing. Brissett dissected the Texans' defense by throwing for 326 yards and four touchdowns in a 30-26 win, the Colts' fourth in the teams' last five meetings. Deshaun Watson and company will try to even the season series at a game apiece and take a full game lead over their division rival on short rest.

Indianapolis at Houston

Kickoff: Thursday, Nov. 21 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: FOX/NFL Network
Spread: Houston -3.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Missing Marlon Mack

Looking at last week's box score, you’d almost forget that Colts star receiver T.Y. Hilton was missing in action, thanks to Mack and the running game trampling the Jaguars for 264 yards at 7.3 per attempt. Mack finished the game with 109 yards and one heck of a 13-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter, but the feel-goodery was short-lived as Mack exited in the third quarter with a hand fracture.

Mack underwent surgery on Monday, and although the injury isn't expected to be season-ending, he will most definitely miss Thursday's contest against a Houston defense that allowed a near-franchise-record (the wrong kind) 263 rushing yards against Baltimore last week. Receiving the bulk of Mack's touches will likely be Jonathan Williams. Williams, a fourth-year back from Arkansas, entered last week's game with one yard to his name on the season but added 116 more by day's end on just 13 carries. He will likely split time with Nyheim Hines, who comes into Thursday night with just 25 carries for 77 yards, but has been a bigger presence in the passing game (30 rec., 242 yds.).

With no Mack and Hilton's status uncertain, look for head coach Frank Reich to get creative to pick up yards against the Texans' D.

2. Houston's O-line troubles back?

The Texans' offensive line is like a bad ex. Just when you think they've changed for the better, they can't hold their blocks and your heart gets broken all over again — except last week it was Deshaun Watson who needed a healing pint of ice cream and a good hug, not you. After a rough first two weeks, Houston's front line seemed to have fixed their oft-covered protection issues, as Watson was only sacked seven times in five games. It was no coincidence that the Texans won four of those five games and Watson threw his way into the MVP conversation.

Just when we were ready to welcome back our former significant other back into our hearts, the O-line allowed the Ravens' mediocre pass rush (23 sacks, 23rd in the NFL) sack Watson seven times with 10 total quarterback hits. Sunday's 41-7 thud was the seventh time in the last two seasons that defenses have gotten to Watson six or more times. Sure, we should have known better, and Watson held on to the ball too long at times, but the Texans' O-line promised they had changed!

With Laremy Tunsil still nursing an injured shoulder that caused him to miss two games this season already, look for Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to unleash on Houston's weary line.

3. The playoff picture

The following won’t have to do with Thursday night's X's and O's so much as it has to do with the implications of the game's outcome and the bigger playoff picture at hand in the AFC. There might not be a more impactful game to the greater playoff picture for the rest of the season than this game.

It’s simple. If the Colts win to sweep the season series against Houston, they'll lead the AFC South by a game over the Texans. An Indy win will also give the Colts the tiebreaker advantage against Houston, putting them in the driver's seat toward hosting a home playoff game and possibly setting up a rematch of last year's Wild Card Weekend game against the Texans as well... depending on how the AFC West shakes out between the Chiefs and Raiders.

Still with me?

Now, if the Texans win, things get a little more complicated. In that case, they would hold the tiebreaker advantage over Indy based on their two-game advantage against common opponents (Chargers, Raiders) and records against AFC opponents (6-2 vs. 5-5), despite both teams have the same record against divisional foes (3-1) and splitting the season series. A Houston win would also badly damage the Colts' chances of attaining a wild-card spot, as they would lose a different tiebreaker between the Raiders and Steelers.

Final Analysis

One team (Indianapolis) is riding high after a huge divisional win but remains short-handed offensively, while another (Houston) is feeling battered after taking a beating from the hottest team in the NFL. And both teams are on an obnoxiously short week. For me, Thursday night comes down to how Deshaun Watson rebounds from Sunday’s 169-yards-and-a-pick performance against a middling Baltimore defense. If we see the Watson that was playing at an MVP level a few weeks ago, Houston could take advantage of a limping Colts offense.

Prediction: Houston 22, Indianapolis 20

Rams Pro Football Focus tidbits heading into Week 12

Pro Football Focus (PFF) has a team of more than 300 staffers evaluating every NFL play from the Hall of Fame game to the Super Bowl. After each game, players, as well as each team's offensive, defensive and special teams units, are graded on a scale of 0 to 100; the closer a player or unit is to 100, the better. A full explanation of their evaluation process can be found here for additional context.

Here's a look at some of the noteworthy Rams-centric assessments leading into Week 12.

EVANS HAS POSITIVE FIRST START

With all the changes to the Rams' offensive line due to injuries, a good amount of attention was being paid toward rookie Bobby Evans at right tackle, where he was making his first career start. He more than held his own, based on what PFF saw.

Per PFF, the former Oklahoma standout allowed zero pressures in 21 pass-blocking snaps last night. His pass-blocking grade of 74.6 marked the second-best performance by a Los Angeles right tackle this season.
It's a small sample size, but the performance certainly gives him something to build off of. And with the Rams' regular starting RT Rob Havenstein doubtful to play Monday night, he'll likely get the opportunity to do so.

JOSEPH-DAY DELIVERS CAREER-BEST PERFORMANCE

Playing in front of his parents for the first time in his NFL career, NT Sebastian Joseph-Day authored a performance that would've made them proud.

The Rutgers product posted an overall defensive grade of 85.9 and a run defense grade of 85.2 against the Bears, both career bests. In the last five games, he's averaged 78.6 for his overall grade with a 69.1 or better.
Replicating that performance would go a long way in helping the Rams' defense try to contain the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense this week.

HILL HELPING THE SECONDARY

Since entering the starting lineup, CB Troy Hill has been in asset to the Rams' secondary in the eyes of PFF.
The scouting service says he's been targeted 34 times over the Rams' last six games, allowing just 16 receptions. In other words, opposing receivers are only catching passes from their quarterbacks 47.1 percent of the time.

Against the Bears, opposing receivers caught only three of their seven targets against Hill.

After the success of the Bengals v Rams (London) weekend thread I thought I would post this thread to help document the first unofficially official LA RAMS UK trip to Los Angeles to watch our Rams play.

A small group of half a dozen Rams fans from the UK will be departing Heathrow on Friday 22nd November on flights direct to LAX
On Saturday we will be attending the UCLA @ USC game at the Coliseum, going to be an early start as we have been advised the tailgating starts at 7am for the 1245 kick off game

No real plans yet for Sunday but might find a bar to watch the Seattle v Philly game

Monday will see us tailgating from midday

I'll update some pics from our visit here on a semi regular basis, hopefully not spamming your updates too much.

Don't forget we have a weekly podcast available across your usual platforms

#UKRAMS

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fucking awesome.

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Tell me brothers. How am I supposed to feel about this?

Right now, I'm conflicted to say the least.

SepticeyePoeRavens Ring of Honor

The biggest issue is the trip west, but we didn't have any issues against the Seahawks. Don't want to get cocky, but I think we've got this one.

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RL52TheGreatestPro Bowler

If we keep playing like we have been then the Rams don't stand a chance.

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allblackravenHall of Famer

I'm still scared of Donald.

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rossihunter2Staff MemberModerator

allblackraven said: ↑

I'm still scared of Donald.

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he has the ability to single-handedly wreck a game-plan

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Ravensnation5220Ravens Ring of Honor

The only thing that worries me is Donald and the west coast trip. Rams dont have a home field advantage tho so that's a plus for us. Only negative is going out west and having to fly back and having a short week to prepare for the 49ers.

Our online will be tested these next 2 weeks. Hope they're ready.

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The running game finally showed up in the first half against the bears, then they went to the 6 man front and that was the end of that. Nobody really thought the bear offense would do enough to win the game so I understand being conservative and not giving the bears defense a chance to score. That’s not the case with the Ravens, who have been lighting it up, will we see more of the old Todd ? Seeing what they did to the very mobile Deshaun Watson gives me concern for Goff.
The Rams have a better pass rush than Houston but sometimes that doesn’t matter with Jackson.
Having Cooks back could be huge, they were able to get deep several times against the bears, adding Cooks might make them think twice about playing zero coverage.

Link - https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...ek-11-nfc-defensive-player-of-the-week-honors

Los Angeles Rams’ DT Aaron Donald was his typical self last Sunday, wreaking havoc in the opposition’s backfield in the team’s 17-7 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. As a result, he’s been named the Week 11 NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Donald finished the night with four tackles (two for loss), a pair of sacks and four QB hits. It was just another day at the office for the NFL’s best defensive player. His Week 11 performance also earned him an “Elite” grade (93.3) from Pro Football Focus.
This marks the first time in 2019 that Donald has earned the NFC player of the week honors. He won it twice last season — a year in which he also earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors (for the second consecutive season) — and he’s now won the Player of the Week award for the sixth time in his career.

I apologize if this has alredy been posted, but the rams Signed John Kelly to the practice squad.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/11/20/la-rams-roster-john-kelly-practice-squad/

Kickers making field goals at NFL’s worst rate since 2003

The Tennessee Titans have a very proud tradition of successful kickers over the past couple of decades ranging from Al Del Greco, Joe Nedney, the late Rob Bironas to now Ryan Succop.

That’s what makes this season so very surprising.

The Titans are on their third different kicker and already have missed eight field goals through 10 games to match the team’s most misses since 2004 when they missed eight, a dubious mark they also had in 2001. They currently rank dead last in the NFL, converting just 46.7 percent (7 of 15).

They’re not alone.

Kickers across the NFL are struggling to put the ball between the uprights this season. The 79.7 percent conversion rate through Week 11 is the league’s lowest number since 2003 when kickers hit 79.2 percent, missing 198 field goals, according to SportRadar.

“It’s probably just one of those years,” Titans special teams coach Craig Aukerman said. “Obviously, we’re not up to what we expect, but I just think it’s one of those years that it’s just been down. I mean it’s hard kicking (field goals) in the NFL. ... Now are they all professional athletes and they should make them? Yes, no doubt. But next year it’ll probably go back up.”

Kickers converted just 77.7 percent of field goals in 1999 — the season the NFL introduced the “K” ball to be used fresh out of the box to keep kickers and punters from softening them up. By 2004, kickers had gotten so used to the “K” ball, the conversion rate started climbing and reached 86.5 percent in 2013.

Even the sweet spot between 40 to 49 yards hasn’t been a guarantee this season with kickers converting only 136 of 196 for a 69.4 percent rate that kickers also matched in 2003.

Sometimes what went wrong is simple. Brandon McManus had a chance to pad Denver’s lead in the fourth quarter Sunday only to send a 43-yarder wide right in a 27-23 loss to Minnesota.

“All I know is I kicked the ground, and it wasn't even close,” McManus said.

Adam Vinatieri, the NFL's career scoring leader and all-time field goal leader at age 46, has struggled with his worst season since 2003. He's missed five field goals and six extra points this season, which had the Colts trying out kickers last week.

Injuries also have been an issue.

Succop made a franchise-record 86.6 percent of kicks through his first five seasons with Tennessee and set an NFL record making 56 consecutive field goals inside 50 yards between 2014 and 2017. Offseason surgery on his right, kicking leg put him on injured reserve to start this season. The Titans tried out Cairo Santos and Cody Parkey, signing Santos with five years’ experience kicking and with Tennessee his fifth team.

Santos wound up costing Tennessee two games.

He missed a 45-yard field goal wide left in the fourth quarter of a 19-17 loss to Indianapolis in Week 2 and missed three field goals with a fourth blocked in 14-7 loss to Buffalo on Oct. 6. The Titans cut Santos a day later and brought in Parkey, who had been Chicago’s kicker last season until he missed the potential winning field goal off the upright and crossbar in a wild-card loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field.

Succop returned Nov. 2 and missed his first three field-goal attempts in a 30-20 loss at Carolina a day later.

“Obviously, I have to do a better job, so that’s what I’m doing,” Succop said.

The Jets are on their fourth kicker. Chandler Catanzaro retired abruptly after missing two of three extra points in New York's preseason opener. Taylor Bertolet missed three field goals and two extra points before being cut. Kaare Vedvik was claimed off waivers from Minnesota only to miss a 45-yard field goal and extra point in the Jets' season-opening 17-16 loss to Buffalo.

Sam Ficken, a late cut by Green Bay, is 7 for 11 on field goals for the Jets. He missed from 49 yards in a win Sunday in Washington along with a missed extra point.

Spending lots of money hasn’t guaranteed success either.

The 49ers didn’t expect any problems after placing the franchise tag on Robbie Gould last offseason before signing him in July to a four-year, $19 million contract with $10.5 million guaranteed. Gould had made 72 of 75 field-goal attempts in his first two seasons with San Francisco for the NFL’s best mark in that span. Only Baltimore’s Justin Tucker has been more accurate than Gould in NFL history.

Gould missed kicks in his first two games and three field-goal attempts against Cleveland on Oct. 7. His seven misses in the first six games were the most in that span for San Francisco since 2000 when the 49ers shuffled through four different long snappers.

A quadriceps injury kept Gould out against Seattle, and rookie fill-in Chase McLaughlin yanked a 47-yard attempt way left against the Seahawks in overtime in a 27-24 loss.

"Just rushed it a little bit, hit it a little high and unfortunately missed it," said McLaughlin, who had been 6 of 9 in four games for the Chargers earlier this season.

Buffalo gave a two-year extension to Stephen Hauschka in August, and now the kicker who had the NFL's longest active streak with 17 straight field goals made last season is 11 of 16 this season with the Bills converting only 68.8 percent. He missed from 34 yards in a loss to Cleveland, his first miss inside 39 yards since 2016, and pulled a 53-yarder that would’ve forced overtime wide left.

Hauschka doesn’t have any answers on what’s causing all the misses across the league.

“I have noticed that there's been a lot,” Hauschka said.

49ers could be starting a historically difficult stretch

As the 9-1 49ers prepare to face the 8-2 Packers, 8-2 Ravens, and 8-2 Saints, they could be embarking on the most difficult three-game, late-season stretch that any modern NFL team has ever endured.

Via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, no team in the Super Bowl era has had a trio of consecutive games against teams that have won at least 80 percent of their games this late in the season.

For that to happen, the Ravens and Saints both must maintain their winning percentage of 80 percent or more. It requires the Ravens to beat the Rams on Monday night and the Saints to beat Carolina and Atlanta over the next eight days.

If those things happen, the 49ers will indeed be the first team to face a trio of teams with winning percentages of 80 percent or more at this stage of the campaign.

Even if they don’t, the stakes are high for the 49ers over the next three games. One or two losses could increase the chances that, despite their 8-0 start, the 49ers could end up losing the NFC West to Seattle.

Tom Brady Isn't Good Enough Right Now to Win a Super Bowl

Week 11 of the NFL is in the books and the vast majority of power rankings and Super Bowl odds are in agreement that the New England Patriots are the favorites. Yet, lost in all team's greatness, is how below-average the team is this season at a key position: quarterback.

If the Patriots plan on winning yet another Super Bowl, they are going to have to do so in spite of Tom Brady. Here is how Brady currently ranks this season:

Completion percentage: 19th

Passing touchdowns: 17th

Passer rating: 20th

QBR: 15th

Yards gained per pass attempt: 26th

Touchdown percentage: 26th

In several of these categories, Brady ranks behind quarterbacks such as Case Keenum, Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, and Jameis Winston. Not exactly the class many thought he would be in.

His lackluster season has mostly gone unnoticed due to the excellence of the Patriots defense, Josh McDaniels' innovative play-calling, and Bill Belichick having no equals. And all of that will be enough to defeat most of the teams standing in the way of a seventh Super Bowl. But with Brady's current play, it won't be enough to get past all of them.

The Patriots have had a breeze of a schedule, but the three times they've played teams worth watching, the dominance was absent. They beat the Bill and Eagles by six and seven, respectively. Against the Ravens, they were outplayed from kickoff and Lamar Jackson was clearly the best quarterback on the field.

The Ravens now hold the tie-breaker over the Patriots, and are only one game behind record-wise. Thus, they are in a position to get the likely AFC Championship matchup in Baltimore. New England gets the defensive advantage; however, that gap is much narrower than the one between Brady and Jackson. The Patriots cannot win this game unless Brady turns back the clock at least two years. And he will need to do that for more than just one game, because this version of Tom Brady isn't close to enough to defeat what is brewing in the NFC.

The Patriots' struggling passing offense would be put on blast against the 49ers defense. Brady is playing several notches too low to go head-to-head with Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, or Drew Brees. And the possibility of going up against Dak Prescott or Kirk Cousins -- both playing at an MVP level -- is certainly in play.

History has proven that doubting Tom Brady is a route to humiliation. It's different this time, though. This is not the same Brady and, quite frankly, even much of a resemblance of his former self.

First Look: Rams wrap up primetime stretch hosting Ravens on MNF

The Los Angeles Rams host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football at 5:15 pacific time in the second of back to back home games for L.A.

In advance of the matchup, here’s an early look at the Ravens, including notable additions, their top statistical performers in their most recent game, where they rank in certain statistical categories and key storylines.

Notable additions

• Signed RB Mark Ingram II as an unrestricted free agent in March. Though Gus Edwards filled in capably after taking the starting job from Alex Collins last season as a rookie, Baltimore chose to add Ingram on a three-year deal this spring. Ingram reportedly was open to returning to the Saints, where he shared carries with Alvin Kamara, but opted to join the Ravens instead. He's enjoyed a bigger role in his first season in Baltimore as its top back, currently two carries shy of matching his total carries last season and already surpassing his 645 rushing yards last year.
• Traded for CB Marcus Peters in October. A familiar name to Rams fans, Peters has a team-high four interceptions in as many games for the Ravens. Two of them have been returned for touchdowns.

Top performers in Week 11

QB Lamar Jackson completed 17 of 24 pass attempts for 222 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 win over the Texans. Jackson also added nine carries for 86 yards.

Edwards led the backfield in rushing yards with 112 on eight carries, plus one touchdown. Ingram had a team-high 13 carries, but for 48 yards.

However, Ingram was on the receiving end of two of Jackson's four touchdowns, finishing with three receptions for 37 yards. TE Mark Andrews led all Ravens receivers with four receptions for 75 yards, adding one touchdown.

Defensively, LB Matthew Judon contributed a team-high seven tackles and two sacks in the blowout victory.
On special teams, kicker Justin Tucker made 2 of 3 field goal attempts but converted all five extra point attempts.

Rankings

Offense

• Points Per Game: First (34.1)
• Yards Per Game: Second (428.6)
• Passing Yards Per Game: 20th (224.8)
• Rushing Yards Per Game: First (203.8)

Defense

• Points Allowed Per Game: Sixth (19.6)
• Yards Allowed Per Game: 14th (332.9)
• Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 18th (238.6)
• Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: Seventh (94.3)

Early storylines to watch, and what they mean for the Rams

A breakout second NFL season by Jackson has gotten the Ravens off to a fast and given opposing defensive coordinators one of the most challenging offenses to prepare for in 2019.

According to sharpfootballstats.com, Baltimore has generated a league-high 52 explosive run plays – defined as rush attempts of 10 or more yards. The same website says it averages explosive passes – defined as completions of 15 or more yards – on 10 percent of their passing plays, ninth-most in the NFL.

For the Rams' defense, limiting those game-changing plays and getting off the field quickly will be key to keeping this one competitive. Offensively, Los Angeles shouldn't hesitate to establish the run game, especially through Todd Gurley. Chicago also entered last Sunday's game with a top 10 run defense, but Gurley was still highly effective. Doing this will help with time of possession and keeping the ball out of Jackson's hands.

.... by winning 10 pregame coin flips in a row.

Odds are 1 in 1024, to be exact.
(Al Michaels mentioned this stat before the Bears game).

So can the Rams beat the odds and win it all this year? Sure, no prob!

Luke Easterling

9 hours ago


We’re halfway through November, which means while the NFL playoff picture is starting to come into clearer focus, so is the top of the board for next year’s NFL draft.
While the league’s worst teams are jockeying for position at the top of the first round, the nation’s top college prospects are trying to take advantage of key opportunities in big games down the stretch.

Here’s an updated look at how the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL draft could shake out, using the latest updated order after Week 11 games:

1. Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow | QB | LSU
For the longest time now, it’s seemed Tua Tagovailoa was written into this spot with permanent marker. But Burrow’s performance so far this season has launched him into the No. 1 overall conversation, while a hip injury has ended Tagovailoa’s season. Burrow looks like the real deal in every way.

2. Washington Redskins | Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State
Another franchise in disarray, Washington needs to add as much talent as possible, regardless of position. They already have their quarterback of the future in Dwayne Haskins, so they need impact players elsewhere on both sides of the ball. Young is a monster of a pass rusher with all size, athleticism and technique to be a dominant player at the next level.

3. New York Giants | Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama
Offensive tackle is a bigger need and a more premium position, but GM Dave Gettleman has proven he’s willing to go for the dynamic playmaker over the pick that seems to make more sense. Jeudy is an explosive pass-catcher and the most polished route-runner in college football.

4. Miami Dolphins | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama
After his season-ending hip injury, Tagovailoa is obviously the biggest wild-card in this year’s class. He’s since had successful surgery, and is expected to make a full recovery. That being the case, I’m leaving him in this spot for now. If his recovery has any setbacks that cause him to miss key workouts leading up to the draft, his stock could still take a hit.

5. New York Jets | Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia
If Sam Darnold is ever going to develop into the franchise quarterback the Jets drafted him to be, he’ll need a franchise left tackle to keep him upright. Thomas is the best of a deep class, and would be an immediate upgrade for New York.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa
Jameis Winston has the NFL’s best WR tandem, but a set of tackles that keeps getting him beat up. Demar Dotson is an aging vet with nagging injuries, and while Donovan Smith has started 74 straight games at left tackle for the Bucs, that’s mostly been by default. Wirfs would be an instant upgrade on either side.

7. Denver Broncos | Derrick Brown | DL | Auburn
Offensive tackle is the bigger need, but the talent is too good to pass up elsewhere. Brown is a rare athlete for his size, with the explosiveness and power to be a dominant force up front. He’d be a much better use of a top-10 pick than reaching for he next-best tackle.

8. Atlanta Falcons | Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State
In today’s NFL, you can never have too many quality corners. The Falcons may have more pressing needs elsewhere, but with this pick, they land one of the fastest-rising prospects in the country. Okudah is keeping up the trend of sending blue-chip defensive backs from Columbus to the pros.

9. Arizona Cardinals | A.J. Epenesa | EDGE | Iowa
The Cardinals have lots of young talent, but they need more difference-makers on defense. Epenesa is a disruptive force who can line up inside or on the edge, making him the kind of versatile prospect Arizona should be targeting.

10. Detroit Lions | Javon Kinlaw | DL | South Carolina
Matt Patricia’s defense needs more help across the board in the trenches, making this pick a choice between the best value at defensive tackle or on the edge. In this scenario, Kinlaw’s incredible athleticism and limitless upside give him the nod.

11. Los Angeles Chargers | Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon
Philip Rivers is at the end of a Hall of Fame career, and it’s time for the Bolts to find his long-term replacement. Herbert could have been a high draft pick last year, but he returned to school to polish his game. He’s done just that, and should be plenty worthy of a top-10 pick.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars | CeeDee Lamb | WR | Oklahoma
No matter who is playing quarterback for the Jags next year, that passer will need a blue-chip No. 1 receiver to make this offense reach its potential. Lamb has been a one-man highlight reel all season long, and has all the tools to be that player from Day 1.

13. Cleveland Browns | Grant Delpit | S | LSU
Another team that needs an offensive tackle, but the value is so much better elsewhere. The Browns just lost veteran Morgan Burnett for the season with an Achilles injury, and he’ll be 31 next season with just one year left on his contract. Delpit has underwhelmed for much of this season, but his talent and upside are still through the roof.

14. Oakland Raiders (from CHI) | Henry Ruggs III | WR | Alabama
The Antonio Brown debacle is in the rear-view mirror, but the Raiders still need a No. 1 receiver who can take over a game with size, athleticism and physicality. Current management takes a page out of the late, great Al Davis’ book, opting for Ruggs and his elite speed.

15. Philadelphia Eagles | Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU
Injuries continue to limit a secondary with tons of youth and potential, and the Eagles should continue to stock their cupboard with talented corners. Fulton is a big, physical cover man who could give them an immediate upgrade.


16. Miami Dolphins (from PIT) | Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson
This pick has to be about helping Tua, so the Dolphins need to balance value along the offensive line versus what’s available at receiver. That should lead them to Higgins, who has a rare combination of size, athleticism, length and body control.

17. Tennessee Titans | Tyler Biadasz | OL | Wisconsin
If there’s not a quarterback worth taking here, the Titans should set their sights on improving the interior of their offensive line instead. Biadasz is one of the most polished, experienced prospects in this entire class, and would anchor this unit for years to come.

18. Carolina Panthers | Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama
The Panthers are likely to lose a big, physical corner in James Bradberry to free agency, which makes Diggs the perfect replacement here. His size, length and ball skills would be a fantastic fit, giving the Panthers a cheaper alternative to re-signing Bradberry.

19. Oakland Raiders | Isaiah Simmons | LB | Clemson
This defense needs a difference-maker in the middle who can set the tone for the entire unit, and Simmons is the perfect fit. While some may view him as a ‘tweener, Simmons is an athletic playmaker who can transform an entire defense, no matter where you line him up.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR) | CJ Henderson | CB | Florida
After trading away arguably the league’s best corner in Jalen Ramsey, the Jags obviously have a gaping hole on the roster. Why not use one of the picks they got in return to fill that need? Henderson needs to improve as a tackler, but his size, length and ball skills make him a fantastic cover man.

21. Dallas Cowboys | Raekwon Davis | DL | Alabama
This defensive front needs more physicality, athleticism and versatility. That makes Davis the perfect fit, thanks to his massive frame, rare athletic ability, and experience lining up all over the defensive line. Depending on the severity of the injury Davis suffered against Mississippi State, he should be worthy of first-round consideration.

22. Indianapolis Colts | Laviska Shenault, Jr. | WR | Colorado
T.Y. Hilton is still one of the league’s better big-play receivers, but the Colts need a big-bodied pass-catcher to pair him with. Shenault has the size, physicality and after-the-catch ability to be the perfect match, giving Jacoby Brissett another dynamic weapon.

23. Miami Dolphins (from HOU) | Jedrick Wills | OT | Alabama
After getting their franchise passer and a top pass-catcher, it’s time for Miami to look to the trenches and protect their investments in the skill positions. Wills is one of the fastest-rising prospects in this class, and would be a solid replacement for Laremy Tunsil.

24. Minnesota Vikings | Alex Leatherwood | OL | Alabama
This offense has plenty of talent at the skill positions, and a capable quarterback in Kirk Cousins, but they need to upgrade the offensive line if all of those players want to reach their full potential. Leatherwood’s ability to play either guard or tackle, along with his experience against top competition, make him a perfect fit.

25. Kansas City Chiefs | D’Andre Swift | RB | Georgia
There are bigger needs on defense, but in this scenario, the Chiefs have the opportunity to give Patrick Mahomes and an already explosive offense the top running back in a loaded class. Swift is a complete prospect who would be a big-play machine in this situation.

26. Buffalo Bills | K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU
A defensive coach like Sean McDermott should love the opportunity to add athletic, high-ceiling players to that unit. Chaisson still needs plenty of polish and a few pounds of quality bulk, but his explosiveness, athleticism and technique are the makings of a dynamic pass rusher.

27. Green Bay Packers | Kenneth Murray | LB | Oklahoma
This defense is among the league’s most improved units in many ways, but they still need a three-down, sideline-to-sideline playmaker at the second level. Murray brings the athleticism, physicality and finishing ability that the team is lacking at this position.

28. Seattle Seahawks | Paulson Adebo | CB | Stanford
The Seahawks have a type when it comes to corners, and Adebo is the perfect fit with his combination of size, length and physicality. The “Legion of Boom” rebuild is still underway, and this pick would go a long way toward completing it.

29. Baltimore Ravens | Jonathan Taylor | RB | Wisconsin
This rushing attack is already dangerous, but Mark Ingram won’t be around forever, so the Ravens should be targeting a potential replacement sooner than later. Justice Hill is a promising change-of-pace back, but Taylor’s complete skill set and physical running style would be too perfect to pass up here.

30. New Orleans Saints | Dylan Moses | LB | Alabama
A quarterback is tempting here, but there’s too much value at other positions of more immediate need. Moses suffered a knee injury just before the 2019 season began, but if he’s back to full strength, he would be an immediate upgrade at the heart of one of the NFL’s most pleasantly surprising defenses.

31. New England Patriots | Hunter Bryant | TE | Washington
Since Rob Gronkowski is having a big Super Bowl party instead of announcing his return to the Patriots, the defending champs might actually have to look for his replacement next offseason. Bryant is a matchup nightmare who would be a perfect fit.

32. San Francisco 49ers | Travis Etienne | RB | Clemson
This just seems unfair. Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman are a fantastic 1-2 punch in this backfield, but their contracts are expiring soon. Etienne’s explosiveness and three-down skill set would be the perfect match with a creative offensive coach like Kyle Shanahan.

SECOND ROUND

33. Cincinnati Bengals | Trey Adams | OT | Washington

34. Indianapolis Colts (from WAS) | Neville Gallimore | DL | Oklahoma

35. Miami Dolphins | Creed Humphrey | OL | Oklahoma

36. New York Giants | Calvin Throckmorton | OT | Oregon

37. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Xavier McKinney | S | Alabama

38. Denver Broncos | Prince Tega Wanogho | OT | Auburn

39. Atlanta Falcons | Marvin Wilson | DL | Florida State

40. New York Jets | Jaylon Johnson | CB | Utah

41. Arizona Cardinals | Alaric Jackson | OT | Iowa

42. Detroit Lions | Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn State

43. Los Angeles Chargers | Trey Smith | OL | Tennessee

44. Cleveland Browns | Mekhi Becton | OT | Louisville

45. Chicago Bears | Jalen Hurts | QB | Oklahoma

46. Jacksonville Jaguars | Shane Lemeiux | OL | Oregon

47. Pittsburgh Steelers | Terrell Lewis | EDGE | Alabama

48. Tennessee Titans | Jacob Eason | QB | Washington

49. Carolina Panthers | Marlon Davidson | DL | Auburn

50. Philadelphia Eagles | DeVonta Smith | WR | Alabama

51. Los Angeles Rams | Rashard Lawrence | DL | LSU

52. Chicago Bears (from OAK) | A.J. Terrell | CB | Clemson

53. Indianapolis Colts | Curtis Weaver | EDGE | Boise State

54. Houston Texans | J.K. Dobbins | RB | Ohio State

55. Dallas Cowboys | Albert Okwuegbunam | TE | Missouri

56. Minnesota Vikings | Antoine Winfield, Jr. | S | Minnesota

57. Kansas City Chiefs | Bryce Hall | CB | Virginia

58. Buffalo Bills | Tyler Johnson | WR | Minnesota

59. Seattle Seahawks | Nick Harris | OL | Washington

60. Green Bay Packers | K.J. Hamler | WR | Penn State

61. Miami Dolphins (from NO) | Jabari Zuniga | EDGE | Florida

62. Baltimore Ravens | Tommy Kraemer | OL | Notre Dame

63. Atlanta Falcons (from NE) | Malik Harrison | LB | Ohio State

64. Seattle Seahawks (from SF) | Scott Frantz | OT | Kansas State

THIRD ROUND

65. Cincinnati Bengals | Darryl Williams | OL | Mississippi State

66. Washington Redskins | Jalen Reagor | WR | TCU

67. New York Jets (from NYG) | Anfernee Jennings | EDGE | Alabama

68. Miami Dolphins | Najee’ Harris | RB | Alabama

69. Denver Broncos | Jacob Phillips | LB | LSU

70. Atlanta Falcons | Richard Lecounte | S | Georgia

71. New York Jets | Ben Bredeson | OL | Michigan

72. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU

73. Arizona Cardinals | Cameron Dantzler | CB | Mississippi State

74. Detroit Lions | Lavert Hill | CB | Michigan

75. Los Angeles Chargers | Shaquille Quarterman | LB | Miami (FL)

76. Oakland Raiders (from CHI) | Collin Johnson | WR | Texas

77. Jacksonville Jaguars | Nick Coe | DL | Auburn

78. Cleveland Browns | Solomon Kindley | OL | Georgia

79. Tennessee Titans | Alton Robinson | EDGE | Syracuse

80. Carolina Panthers | Jordan Love | QB | Utah State

81. Philadelphia Eagles | Brandon Jones | S | Texas

82. Denver Broncos (from PIT) | Donovan Peoples-Jones | WR | Michigan

83. Oakland Raiders | Kyle Dugger | S | Lenoir-Rhyne

84. Los Angeles Rams | Lucas Niang | OT | TCU

85. Cleveland Browns (from HOU) | Troy Dye | LB | Oregon

86. Dallas Cowboys | Shyheim Carter | DB | Alabama

87. Indianapolis Colts | Deommodore Lenoir | CB | Oregon

88. Minnesota Vikings | Leki Fotu | DL | Utah

89. Kansas City Chiefs | Julian Okwara | EDGE | Notre Dame

90. Buffalo Bills | Jeff Gladney | CB | TCU

91. Green Bay Packers | Jon Runyan | OL | Michigan

92. Oakland Raiders (from SEA) | Damon Arnette | CB | Ohio State

93. Baltimore Ravens | Kenny Willekes | EDGE | Michigan State

94. New Orleans Saints | Jake Fromm | QB | Georgia

95. New England Patriots | Ashtyn Davis | S | California

96. Denver Broncos (from SF) | Shaun Wade | CB | Ohio State

Cameron DaSilva

3 hours ago


Jalen Ramsey is not one to ever shy away from a challenge. On Sunday night against the Bears, he was tasked with covering Allen Robinson, who he was teammates with in Jacksonville for several years.
Ramsey put together one of his better performances of the season, helping limit Robinson to just 15 yards on four catches. Ramsey could be seen talking trash after several plays, and thanks to the Rams wiring him for sound, we’re able to hear some of the things he was saying.

Ramsey could be heard yelling to Robinson, “Big stop A-Rob! Just like we used to do in practice, boy!” On another double-move by Robinson, Ramsey threw shade by saying “that double-move was not it, A-Rob.”
He then told one of his teammates on the bench, “it was so weak.”


Later in the video, Ramsey was in coverage against Taylor Gabriel, who’s 5-foot-7. After the pass fell incomplete, Ramsey yelled to Gabriel, “Get your little [expletive] back over there.”
“We’re not playing with these kids,” Ramsey said to another Ram. “We’re not playing with nobody’s children today.”
The highlight of the video was Ramsey muttering to himself, “That would’ve been a pick. Can’t believe he looked this way.”

Neither the Bears nor a stomach bug could slow the Rams’ Cooper Kupp and Austin Blythe



By Rich Hammond | Nov 18, 2019

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The grim details are best left behind bathroom doors. Suffice to say, Thursday night was not pleasant for Austin Blythe and Cooper Kupp.

Both Rams players came down with stomach flu symptoms less than 72 hours before a big game against the Chicago Bears and neither practiced Friday. Given the circumstances, with other offensive linemen and receivers out of commission, the Rams could not afford to lose either Blythe or Kupp.

So they — pardon the expression — gutted it out and turned into two of the most valuable players in the Rams’ season-saving victory over the Bears on Sunday night at the Coliseum. Teammates raved about Blythe’s calmness and leadership in his first NFL start at center. Kupp, the Rams’ only available starting receiver, pulled in a 50-yard reception that set up the Rams’ first touchdown in a 17-7 victory.

“There was a little bug going around,” Kupp said after the game. “I wouldn’t say it wasn’t a fun 24 hours, but I was able to get back and get some fluids. I was fine.”

Relatively speaking, sure. But Kupp looked exhausted an hour after the game. Every movement looked a bit labored as he slowly dressed and worked his way toward the locker-room door. Even a 24-hour virus leaves lingering symptoms and doesn’t particularly lend itself to three hours of intense physical activity a couple of days later.

Kupp, though, played 54 of the Rams’ 55 offensive snaps. He chastised himself for a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes — a fumble and a false-start penalty — but given that the Rams were without receivers Brandin Cooks (concussion) and Robert Woods (personal issue), Kupp’s mere presence on the field was consoling, and his big catch essentially clinched the game before it was half over.

And who knew Kupp could be a fullback? Multiple times, Kupp essentially “pulled” as a receiver in motion and set a block on the edge for running back Todd Gurley. The Rams, with a new-look offensive line, ran plays almost exclusively out of 12 personnel, with tight ends Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt on the field together, and Kupp provided an extra layer of attention with some physical play when he didn’t touch the ball.

What a day. Kupp started it conspicuously early, a couple of hours before the game, as he went through a brief workout before teammates were on the field. Right around that time, the Rams learned Woods would not be available. Fortunately for them, Kupp could play.

“Any time you miss some time during the week,” Kupp said, “you just want to make sure you get back and feel good about your preparation stepping on the field. You want to come in prepared and know that you’re going to be comfortable. It just took me a little bit more time. I watched a little more film since I wasn’t able to be on the field for (practice). But the training staff did a great job of making sure I was good and hydrated and ready to go. Huge credit to them.”

Blythe expressed similar sentiments and his effort arguably was even more important.

The Rams knew, at the start of the week, that Blythe would take over at center for Brian Allen, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. Blythe played center in college but had never started an NFL game there, and he did so Sunday between left guard Austin Corbett, a second-year player who joined the Rams last month via trade, and right guard David Edwards, a 22-year-old rookie.

Blythe also fell ill Thursday night and immediately thought about the Rams’ already-shorthanded line.

“That was the first thing that ran through my mind. Why this week, of all weeks?” Blythe said. “Luckily I woke up after the last time of getting sick and I felt pretty good. Went and got some IVs and tried to refuel through Saturday and (Sunday) and I felt pretty good.”

Blythe did not miss a snap Sunday, even though he said he had expected to feel “really winded and low-energy.” Blythe instead had his strongest game of the season. Teammates credited Blythe’s steady play and communication and the Rams ran the ball with confidence.

“Austin Blythe has been a pro’s pro,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “He’s calm. He’s as good as anybody. Day 1, walkthrough (last week), I went, ‘Wow.’ Blythe is so smooth, direct and calm. That’s one of those things. If your center can be like that, it calms guys down.”

An in-depth look at the Rams’ defense is coming this week, and here are two other major offense-based takeaways from the Rams’ victory:


The Gurley game

One part of the Todd Gurley mystery has been solved. Yes, he is capable of 25 carries per game.

Nobody outside of Rams headquarters seemed certain. It’s been almost a full year since something happened to Gurley’s left knee and reduced his once-dominant role within the Rams’ dynamic offense. What would happen if the Rams featured Gurley in a game and gave him the ball more than 15 times? Would his knee blow like a bad tire and scatter shrapnel all over the field?

Fortunately, no.

The next question involves how Gurley’s body responds to the 25 carries (for 97 yards and one touchdown) and three catches (for 36 yards) he totaled against the Bears. Is he capable of bouncing back next Monday against Baltimore and shouldering another major load? Have the Rams really just been saving Gurley for these late-season games, or did they just go all-out in a game they had to win?

Coach Sean McVay said Monday, “Every indication I have is that he’s feeling good,” and added that if Gurley is feeling good and in a rhythm, “You don’t want to miss the opportunity” to feature him in the offense.

Asked after the game if Gurley’s performance would lead him to be featured more often in upcoming games, McVay said, “I think so. That’s an ideal situation, but we’ll continue to look at this film and we’ll see how we want to put together our next game plan. Any time you get Todd involved like that, it’s usually always a good thing for our offense.”



Todd Gurley had 25 carries, his most since Oct. 14, 2018, against Denver (28). (Robert Hanashiro / USA Today)

Gurley hasn’t had consecutive games with 20-plus carries since early October 2018. His production fell off Sunday, as he had 64 yards (and one touchdown) in 12 first-half carries, compared to 33 yards on 13 second-half carries, but that didn’t seem to be Gurley’s fault. The Bears, likely anticipating a run-heavy Rams attack in the second half, adjusted their front. Malcolm Brown, Gurley’s primary backup, gained only six yards on three second-half carries.

Next week’s game presents an interesting test. Baltimore’s defense has faced only 21.3 rushing attempts per game this season, the NFL’s third-lowest average, but teams have run for a decent average of 4.4 yards per carry against the Ravens. Will the Rams try to beat Baltimore on the ground, even though the Ravens are known for their physical play and have allowed fewer than 20 points per game this season?

“Them boys don’t play,” Gurley said. They’ve got a great defense right now, and they’re looking like one of the best teams in the league. We’ve just got to grind it out next week for sure.”


Thin at wide receiver

The Rams won Sunday even without two of their three top receivers, but the absences of Cooks and Woods were felt. Quarterback Jared Goff attempted only 18 passes, and while Kupp was limited to three targets, he pulled in all three for 53 yards.

Josh Reynolds and Mike Thomas, who essentially filled in for Cooks and Woods, combined for nine targets but only four catches and 64 yards.

The Rams could be in for some good news. McVay said Monday that Cooks, who missed the two previous games because of the concussion issues, is on track to play against the Ravens. Cooks was on the field hours before Sunday’s game, wearing warmup gear and a helmet and running routes.

McVay did not say when Woods, who is tending to a personal issue, might rejoin the team. The reason for Woods’ absence has not been disclosed but McVay said Woods personally is fine and not in any peril. The Rams are next scheduled to practice Wednesday.

“He’s a stud for us and we want him out there,” Goff said of Woods. “We are thinking about him right now, but I thought Josh and Cooper (performed well). We learned before the game what was going on and needed those guys to step up and they didn’t flinch. I can’t stress enough how proud I am of my teammates — specifically the guys that had to step up.”

(Top photo of Cooper Kupp: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images)

It’s that time again, ladies and gents.

I played out the last six weeks.

we got this.

So what's the news on him? McVay said he didn't have any updates at this time.

Anyone have any actual news?

Please no speculating

Good to see him here again. Go vote.