Monday Night Football: Miami Dolphins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

"Monday Night Football" features the Steelers hosting the Dolphins in a game that, let's be honest, the NFL probably would have flexed out if it had the option. These two teams played in an AFC Wild Card game in 2017 that the Steelers easily won, 30-12, but most key players are gone. Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown accounted for nearly 300 yards of offense and three touchdowns in the victory, and neither left Pittsburgh on good terms. Miami's quarterback was Matt Moore, and he's now in Kansas City, while Ben Roethlisberger currently patrols the Steelers' sideline after suffering a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2.

The Dolphins are 0-6 already this season and have given up 30 points or more in all but one game against fellow bottom-dweller Washington. The storylines write themselves with this team, as they continue to tank... err try really, really hard to win this season. Ryan Fitzpatrick is back under center after Josh Rosen failed to produce. Miami's defense has only one interception, courtesy of Bobby McCain, and seven sacks from five different players. Their one bright spot has been former first-rounder Taco Charlton, who was claimed off of waivers after being released by Dallas.

The Steelers are 2-4 and are coming off their bye week and begin a stretch of three straight at home. They have used three quarterbacks this season but it looks like Mason Rudolph will be back under center after missing Week 6 against the Chargers. This is a very good defense that should be able to put pressure on Miami from every level. First-rounder Devin Bush leads Pittsburg with 52 tackles and has added a sack and two interceptions. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick also is making an impact after being traded by the Dolphins to the Steelers in mid-September.

Miami at Pittsburgh

Kickoff: Monday, Oct. 28 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Pittsburgh -14

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

As mentioned above, Pittsburgh is coming off a bye week with two wins in their last three contests. The Steelers have to be feeling good about themselves and should be about as fresh as possible for this one. If this game gets out of hand, head coach Mike Tomlin may try and give some guys a breather as they get ready for a tough stretch of games (vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Browns). For Miami, everyone is well aware of what the team is trying to accomplish even if the Dolphins have a "winnable" game up next at home against the Jets. This also is Miami's third straight road game since its Week 5 bye.

2. Taking care of business

Miami has trailed at halftime by the following scores: 42-10, 13-0, 10-6, 17-10 and 7-3. Only once have the Dolphins led at the half, last week when they were up 14-9 at Buffalo (went on to lose 31-21). This shows that the team tries hard out of the gate before letting down in the second half. It's a fascinating study to see this team pull off what they are doing. The Steelers need to use this game to get James Conner going since he has yet to run for more than 60 yards in a game this season. They also need to get Mason Rudolph going and build chemistry with JuJu Smith-Schuster. If top Miami cornerback Xavien Howard is out once again, then that should happen.

3. Trade deadline auditions

If I were a member of the Dolphins, I'd be playing hard so I could join a contender as the team continues to sell off assets. Running back Kenyan Drake was a name being thrown around quite a bit, but he's averaging 3.7 yards per carry with two fumbles and no rushing touchdowns. Ryan Fitzpatrick should be garnering more interest as a backup somewhere or potentially a starter. He's completed 59 percent of his passes but has three touchdowns to five interceptions. The FitzMagic version can help teams win games, but the FitzTragic version will make sure you have no shot. There are some decent veterans on defense who could be on the move too. Play hard and a reward could be a trade to a playoff contender.

Final Analysis

I mean, the Steelers are going to win. I could write a flowery paragraph here about the advantages and edges they have, but let's be honest, you've got one team trying and one not trying. It may be close early since Miami has shown the propensity to keep things competitive, but the lack of talent will catch up to them in the end. Pittsburgh gets this one in the win column as they make the push for a playoff berth.

Prediction: Steelers 27, Dolphins 10

Five Takeaways: Another complete effort has Rams feeling good entering bye week

LONDON – Complementary football is what helped the Rams snap their three-game losing streak in their victory over the Falcons. That proved to be the case once again against the Bengals on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, with all three phases contributing to a 24-10 win.

Here are five instant takeaways from the matchup:

1) GURLEY, HENDERSON BOTH EFFECTIVE

Rams running backs Todd Gurley and Darrell Henderson Jr. both got the chance to contribute on Sunday.
Henderson led the back field with 11 carries for 49 yards, adding two receptions for 20 yards. Todd Gurley chipped in 10 for 44 plus one touchdown.

Gurley's score put the Rams up by two touchdowns early in the third quarter in what ended up being the final points of the contest. In relief of Gurley, Henderson broke off runs of 14 and 15 yards.

The Bengals entered the game allowing the most rushing yards per game in the NFL, so there was bound to be opportunities for Gurley and Henderson to get involved. They were able to make the most of them.

2) OFFENSE MAKES UP FOR MISSED REDZONE OPPORTUNITY

Los Angeles' first drive started at their own 10 and ended at the Cincinnati 5 with a missed field goal.
That would not be the case the second time L.A. got inside the Cincinnati 5, it turned out differently, punctuated by Gurley's touchdown run.

However, with the number of big plays made in the passing game – see the 65-yard catch by WR Cooper Kupp, among others – distance ended up not being much of a factor anyway.

3) PASS RUSH PRESENT AGAIN

One of the biggest bright spots going into the bye week will be the Rams' pass rush.

L.A. managed five sacks for the second consecutive week, which means it matched its season high.

LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo got his first career sack, finishing with 1.5. DT Aaron Donald got one to reach five on the season. LB Dante Fowler picked up where he left off against the Falcons, finishing with 1.5. DE Michael Brockers and LB Cory Littleton recorded half of a sack each to round out the total.

Is it the Jalen Ramsey effect? Perhaps, but the Rams front seven rightfully deserves credit for creating and maximizing their opportunities too.

4) SPECIAL TEAMS CONTRIBUTES

The punting and kickoff units get recognition here.

Winning the field position battle often dictates the outcome of a game. It's safe to say that held true for the Rams on Sunday. The Bengals never began an offensive possession past their own 25, whether it was off of a Rams kickoff or punt.

Furthermore, thanks to the offense's execution, Zuerlein was able to convert on his lone field goal attempt – a 23-yarder – and made all three of his extra point attempts.

5) ROAD TRIP REVITALIZATION

After the Rams lost their third straight game earlier this month, QB Jared Goff said time together on extended road trips like this can galvanize a team.

He turned out to be right.

Two weeks later, the Rams are 5-3 overall and riding a two-game win streak into the bye week.

By: Cameron DaSilva | 3 hours ago

Hiring Sean McVay is one of the best decisions the Rams have ever made, quickly turning around the franchise after coming aboard in 2017. He’s led them to the playoffs twice and made it all the way to the Super Bowl in his second season, also helping develop Jared Goff into a better quarterback.

This season hasn’t been as impressive as last year was for the Rams, but after Sunday’s win over the Bengals, McVay managed to make yet another piece of NFL history. By beating the Bengals, McVay is now 10-0 against AFC opponents in the regular season.

He’s the first coach in league history to start his career 10-0 against the other conference, according to Andrew Siciliano.

McVay is now 29-11 in the regular season to start his career, including a 5-3 record this season. The Rams are still in third place in the division and looking up at both the 49ers and Cardinals. They’ll need a strong second half of the season to catch their division rivals, but the playoffs are hardly out of reach.

By: Cameron DaSilva | 1 hour ago


The Los Angeles Rams won their second straight game on Sunday afternoon against the Cincinnati Bengals, beating Zac Taylor’s squad 24-10 in London. It wasn’t the huge blowout some were expecting, but that was partly because the Rams took their foot off the gas pedal in the fourth quarter.
It was still an impressive performance by both the offense and the defense, however, limiting Cincinnati to just 10 points. Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s win.

Studs

Cooper Kupp


Kupp had the best game of his career on Sunday, catching seven passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals had no answer for the third-year receiver in this one, running loose all over the field for big play after big play. The highlight of the game was a 65-yard score by Kupp on a trick play, but he also had several other big gains where he did most of the work himself after the catch. He made life easy for Jared Goff, running crisp routes and getting wide open on numerous occasions.

Dante Fowler Jr.
Fowler has been on a tear of late, recording 4.5 sacks in his last two games. He had 1.5 in this one, adding two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss, as well. He finished with four tackles, too, and won a good number of his pass-rush reps on the edge. His play the last couple of weeks has taken some pressure off of Aaron Donald inside and forced opponents to respect him as a pass rusher.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Don’t look now, but Okoronkwo has quickly turned into one of the Rams’ better edge rushers in recent weeks. He had 1.5 sacks on Sunday and nearly had another one, too, but he was unable to wrap up Dalton. Okoronkwo finished with two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss to go along with two total tackles. He’s coming into his own as the third pass rusher at outside linebacker behind Fowler and Samson Ebukam.

Troy Hill
Hill did get beat by Auden Tate on an inside route for a 19-yard gain, but that was really his only lapse all day. He broke up a pass on the goal line to prevent a touchdown and on the following play, he was in coverage on another pass into the end zone. Hill has stepped up nicely in Aqib Talib’s absence and is likely a reason the Rams are reportedly open to trading the veteran corner.

Darrell Henderson Jr.
He may not be the starter, but Henderson has looked like the Rams’ best running back lately. He was shifty and elusive on Sunday, making defenders miss in the open field and turning what would’ve been short gains into longer runs. He finished with 11 carries for 49 yards, and three catches for another 20 yards.


Duds

Nickell Robey-Coleman
Robey-Coleman has had better games than this one. Tyler Boyd beat Robey-Coleman several times in the slot, catching six passes for 65 yards – most of which came with Robey-Coleman in coverage. He nearly gave up a touchdown reception on the Bengals’ final drive, too, but the pass was ruled incomplete after review.

Eric Weddle
This also wasn’t Weddle’s best performance. He missed one key tackle on Joe Mixon and didn’t have any impact plays in coverage, and in run support, he struggled a bit, too. Marqui Christian was arguably the best safety on the field Sunday, while Taylor Rapp also had a solid performance.

Rob Havenstein
Havenstein continues to have a disappointing season. His unnecessary roughness penalty was questionable and likely shouldn’t have been called, but he also had issues in pass protection against the Bengals’ edge rushers. Although Goff wasn’t sacked in the game, he was pressured a few times by rushers off the left side of the defensive line where Havenstein was blocking.

17-6-1 against non-NFC West teams, and only Carolina loss by Cards is against non-Division Leader.

Saints and Ravens only teams having any success at all really.

Stats to be confirmed since I am in line...

Posted a few pics in a couple of different threads but here is a selection of a few more from the weekend.

Once again we have been forced to witness the total ineptness of these crappy NFL officials who are doing their very best to ruin the game we all love. Some of those calls in the Ram game that went against the Rams were totally BS. Then I saw a play late in the Seahawks game where an Atlanta Player went down at the Seahawks 2 yard line; his knee hit the ground then his hip, then his elbow when the ball came out. the officials ruled it a fumble which the Seahawks recovered, they then reviewed it and still got it wrong. This call very well changed the outcome of the game. I know officials seem to be bad in all professional sports but the NFL seems to be the worst. Plainly put, They suck!

Moving the ball at will against Cleveland in 2q.



#CupcakeCity

Not the greatest cut up, but credit the speed it was put together.

Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/s6tDIG33uRE

Goff had a great first half, but then really played poorly in the 2nd half. We are lucky a couple of his passes weren't picked. Some real head scratchers.

Anyways, here's Goffs comp. % the last 4 games...
54.8
59.5
54.2
59.2

That's not nearly good enough. Its weird that he can thread the needle on some throws then he puts up some passes where you say, wtf was that?

are starting to worry me. That is something like 4 in the last year and a half, right? Man I hope he is OK. I hate to say it, but he should take a few weeks off. These last 2 have been rapid fire.

It was a little strange seeing Goff trying to get a lot of completions to Everett last week. Later finding out that Everett was playing in his home town. Over the last four weeks, the Rams have been getting Everett more involved in the offense. It took a while to click after a few almost big gainers Everett got a long catch of 33 yards that lead to his TD short smoke screen TD benefitting from some great blocking. It was a perfect game to try to get the Goff to Everett connection clicking. Goff had time to throw and the Rams easily beat the Falcons. Even though they only connected on 4 of 10 attempts they were close on many others which would have been for big yards.

Everett has a bad habit of slowing down on many routes he has to run hard every time he is in the game. Goff may need to adjust just a little as Everett doesn't have the extra gear that Cooks or Woods has. If they can get it
together they could a deadly combination.

Well, I'm happy to say that I am just as crazy as I normally am on the offseason, if not crazier. Here's what I would do in my own offseason:

Re-sign:

Jalen Ramsey - 5 years, 84 million overall.
Cooper Kupp - 5 years, 45 million overall.
John Johnson III - 4 years, 32 million overall.
Cory Littleton - 4 years, 28 million overall.
John Kelly - ERFA
Johnny Mundt - ERFA
Jake Gervase - ERFA
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Josh Carraway - ERFA
Jachai Polite - Practice Squad
John Wolford - Practice Squad
Kendall Blanton - Practice Squad
Chandler Brewer - Practice Squad
Landis Durham - Practice Squad
Nsimba Webster - Practice Squad
Marquise Copeland - Practice Squad

(I know it sounds like a lot...but I want to extend the key players to our team. That unfortunately means trades and cuts, but that's how we're going to survive for the future anyway: by trading players for picks and cutting the ones we can't deal. The ERFAs and practice squad are obvious candidates.)

Release:

Andrew Whitworth
Dante Fowler
Michael Brockers
Aqib Talib
Austin Blythe
Greg Zuerlein
Blake Bortles
Clay Matthews
Bryce Hager
Jojo Natson
Marqui Christian
Mike Thomas
Morgan Fox
Jamil Demby

(Whitworth is likely to retire after this year, and if he doesn't, he'll likely be on another team. Fowler has played his way into an extension, but I'm not comfortable paying him 10 million+ a year with our stable of outside rushers. Brockers and Talib, as much as I like them - or in Talib's case, grown to like him - cost too much to pay. Blythe may not get a starting job, but he'll be a useful backup for someone. Bortles will likely try to get paid, and Matthews is a likely cut. You may be shocked and outraged that Zuerlein is on the list, but he gets paid a ton as a kicker already. Someone's going to give him a mega contract...which I don't want to give him when he's been missing a fair bit of kicks, and aside from that, could garner yet another compensatory pick. Hager, Natson, Christian, Thomas, Fox, and Demby are probably going to be special teams players at best, so we don't need to pay them.)

Free Agency:

None.

(I do have a plan.)

Trades (a.k.a., The Plan):

Brandin Cooks to the Denver Broncos for 2020 second round pick and 2021 fifth round pick.)

(Denver is in the weird position of both winning now (with a coach on the hot seat and a veteran roster) and rebuilding (with the trade of Emmanuel Sanders). Cooks is both young enough to stick around and old enough to help immediately.)

Nickell Robey-Coleman to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 2020 fourth round pick.

(Tampa has quite a few good young outside corners. However, they lack experience and a nickelback. NRC fills that void.

Troy Hill to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2021 fourth round pick.

(Philly needs solid corners. Darby is likely departing in free agency, and their other corners are lacking in overall talent. Troy Hill nets us a future pick.)

Malcolm Brown to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2020 fifth round pick.

(I don't know about you, but Austin Ekeler inspires no confidence as a starting running back, and Gordon is likely gone. Insert Malcolm Brown.)

Rob Havenstein to the New York Jets for a 2020 third round pick.

(New York literally has no offensive tackles except for Chuma Edoga and Conor McDermott next year. Havenstein may cost a lot in dead cap, but the Jets could really use him.)

Josh Reynolds to the Cincinnati Bengals for a 2020 fourth round pick and a 2020 sixth.

(Cincy will need a good young receiver after A.J. Green leaves, and Reynolds has familiarity with Taylor. I don't think he gets higher than a fourth, but stranger things have happened, right?)

Tyler Higbee to the Washington Redskins for a 2020 fifth and 2021 fourth.

(Washington's top tight end this year is Jeremy Sprinkle, who has less than 200 yards. Reed will likely never play at a high level again, and will be cut after this year. Higbee is a good tight end who is getting phased out by Everett.)

Draft:

2nd (Broncos) - Marvin Wilson, DE, Florida State.

(A powerful five-star five-technique defensive end, Wilson is huge at 6'5", 315 lbs., and has powerful hands and easy movement for a man as big as he is. He needs practice with his pass-rushing technique, but otherwise, Wilson's an easy pick at this spot.)

2nd (Rams) - Trey Adams, OT, Washington.

(Adams will fall because of durability concerns; he's had an ACL tear and back surgery in his college career. But when healthy, he's a top ten prospect who reminds me of a high-character Taylor Lewan, and Adams has the pass protection and nastiness necessary for left tackle.)

3rd (Jets) - Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri.

(I've mentioned how Okwuegbunam is my favorite tight end prospect. He's slipped a bit in draft rankings because he's been inconsistent from game to game, needs to improve his blocking, and has been phased out of gameplans at times. No, he's there because he's a 6'5", 255 lbs. target for Jared Goff. He'll be a solid replacement for Higbee and, eventually, Everett.)

3rd (Rams) - Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville.

(Becton is a mountain of a man at 6'7", 340 lbs., but don't be fooled; he's nimble and quick for his size. Reminds me of Cordy Glenn, and he'll likely man the right tackle spot for the next four years. He's the Havenstein replacement.)

3rd (compensatory) - Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty.

(The Brandin Cooks replacement is as far from Cooks as you can get in terms of strengths, and he's the guy I want the most if we do take a wideout. AGG is a 6'4", 220 lbs. target in the mold of Kenny Golladay: big, physical, excellent catcher, average long speed and quickness, and subtle route-running nuances. Can he improve on the route running? I think so. Stick him with Kupp and Woods, and he'll learn in a hurry. The knock on him? He plays at Liberty, and has admittedly struggled against FBS teams doubling him. That could also be because of poor quarterback/o-line play, so we'll find out.)

3rd (compensatory) - Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State.

(Aiyuk is one of the most well-rounded wide receivers in this class. He's cat-quick when he gets the ball in his hands, shifty with stop-and-go acceleration and speed, runs routes extremely well, and is an excellent punt returner to boot. I watched a lot of him in 2019, and he seriously gives me faster Robert Woods vibes in his care in the craft of being an all-around receiver.)

4th (Bengals) - Luq Barcoo, CB, San Diego State.

(Barcoo is amongst the FBS leaders in interceptions with five, and has been named to the Thorpe semifinalists. The reason he falls here is because he's got a rail-thin frame at 6'1", 170 lbs. He seriously needs to bulk up and get stronger, and I don't know if he can. He's physical enough, but maybe not enough for the NFL But he's a sticky man corner who should be solid enough on the other side.)

4th (Buccaneers) - Deommodore Lenoir, CB/S, Oregon.

(Lenoir, on the other hand, is thickly built at 5'11", 207 lbs., which makes me think that maybe he can play dime safety. He's a sure tackler, has decent ball skills - though he doesn't have an interception this year - and he plays physical press coverage. @RamFan503 could probably tell you personal feelings about this pick.)

4th (Rams) - Calvin Throckmorton, OL, Oregon.

(Throckmorton is an incredibly versatile offensive lineman. He's more talented and healthy than Barrett Jones, so he'd make a good pick in the mid rounds. Not the most flexible athlete, but he's certainly good enough as a potential backup for all five spots.)

5th (Washington) -Tipa Galea'i, OLB, Utah State.

(Galea'i is one of the fastest edge rushers out there. He has amazing bend and speed. There are a few reasons why he's here, though. For one, he has character concerns after being caught assaulting two students at TCU, which led to his dismissal. For another, he lacks another plan aside from a speed rush. Finally, at 6'5", 230 lbs., he's not the biggest edge rusher. But we're lacking that one speed rusher, except for maybe Polite. So Galea'i is perfect for being a designated pass rusher.)

5th (Chargers) - Trey Ragas, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette.

(One of three draftable running backs for UL-L, Ragas led the FBS in yards after contact in 2018 with 852, according to PFF. He also currently leads the FBS in average yards after contact with 6.47, forces a missed tackle almost 60 percent of the time, is an excellent third down back who can receive and block. If not for injuries, level of competition, and lack of long-speed, he'd be much higher.)

5th (Ravens) - Kyle Dugger, S/ILB, Lenoir-Rhyne.

(Dugger is yet another physical freak and doesn't belong at the D2 level. He runs a legit 4.43 (in front of scouts), and he's just so fast and physical that you can't help but fall in love with him. He could also be a fit at inside linebacker, but I'm gonna give the kid a chance to play nickel safety if he wants to. He'll also be an amazing special teams player.)

6th (Bengals) - Rodrigo Blankenship, K, Georgia.

(The best kicker in the country by far. Told y'all I had a plan.)

6th (Rams) - McTelvin Agim, DE, Arkansas.

(Agim is a bit of a tweener, even though he's around 300 lbs. right now, as he used to be around 270 lbs. He's an excellent pass rusher, and pretty good against the run, but I don't know if he's a 3-4 linebacker or a 4-3 end. We'll probably find out more at the East/West Shrine/Senior Bowl. He'll still make an excellent rotation piece.)

7th (Rams) - Cale Garrett, ILB, Missouri.

(Garrett only falls here because of a pectoral injury that cost him the rest of the season but he's a fantastic ILB prospect who really played his best ball as a senior. The 6'3", 235 lbs. isn't the heaviest, but he tackles well, can cover, can occasionally rush the passer, and his football IQ is Laurinaitis-like. He'll be excellent on special teams, but not only that, he could easily find a role if someone goes down.)

I'm not gonna do the roster yet, but I do want to know the thoughts of everyone. So...thoughts?

From a Bengals reporter, on his twitter account...

Yes, I believe so.

Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs are defined by MVP-caliber quarterback play. But while Aaron Rodgers is coming off a season-best six-touchdown performance against the Oakland Raiders, Patrick Mahomes is lucky to be standing on both knees.

Indeed, it’s Mahomes’ dislocated kneecap that takes some of the luster off of this matchup. Even though Mahomes somewhat miraculously returned to practice this week, the Chiefs removed any suspicion regarding his status when they officially ruled him out Friday afternoon. That means veteran Matt Moore, who played admirably during the second half of a comfortable win last weekend against the lowly Denver Broncos, will get the start. Mahomes may be in just his second season as a starter in the NFL, but the drop-off in performance from him to Moore, who has just five starts in the last seven seasons, is pretty substantial. Moore has fewer career TD passes (46) in more than a decade of play than Mahomes racked up just last season (50).

The Packers also offer a much higher level of competition. Red hot under first-year head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers are 6-1, tied for the second-best record in the NFC behind the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. And it’s their defense, not Rodgers, that has propelled them, last week’s offensive explosion notwithstanding. A strong performance against the Chiefs on Sunday night sends a message that this revamped team is worth considering as a Super Bowl contender.

Can Rodgers hand the Chiefs an unthinkable third straight loss at Arrowhead Stadium, one of the strongest home-field advantages in the NFL? Or will the Chiefs feel the pain of their MIA quarterback and suffer a third loss in four games after sprinting out to a 4-0 start?

Green Bay at Kansas City

Kickoff: Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Packers -3.5

Three Things To Watch

1. Moving on without Mahomes

The fact that this was even up for debate prior to Mahomes being ruled out Friday afternoon is a testament to his impressive physical condition. The typical recovery timeframe for a dislocated kneecap, even under a best-case scenario, is three weeks. But there was Mahomes, practicing Wednesday as if he hadn't slumped to the ground in total agony six days earlier, the Chiefs’ season hanging in the balance with every painful step off the field.

Following that performance, Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter was among those adamant that Mahomes could make an unlikely start this Sunday. Was head coach Andy Reid really considering such a risky move just 10 days after a serious injury? Or were they simply trying to throw the Packers off the scent? The intrigue only deepened when Mahomes made another appearance in Thursday's practice, but early Friday afternoon, Reid put an end to all of the speculation announcing he would not play.

While this is disappointing to Chiefs fans, football fans in general, and certainly Mahomes' fantasy owners, the question for Reid all along was, why rush it? Moore threw a TD pass in the second half of last week's game, as the Chiefs easily shut out the Broncos after Mahomes’ goal-line injury. It was a crucial win that improved their record to 5-2 and gave them control of their own destiny in the AFC West.

Sure, a loss to the Packers would push them to 5-3 with another red-hot NFC North team, the Minnesota Vikings, in line after that. But even a 5-4 record won’t be enough to keep the Chiefs from winning the AFC West. Their main competition, the Los Angeles Chargers, sit at 2-5 and have been a mess in the fourth quarter of recent games. The Oakland Raiders sit at 3-3, but the Chiefs hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. (Mahomes will almost certainly be back for their next matchup in Week 13, which comes after the Kansas City's bye).

So with winning the Super Bowl the ultimate goal, it simply wasn't worth the risk to trot Mahomes out there, even for a prime-time matchup against one of the NFC's best (teams and quarterbacks). The Chiefs currently sit as the second seed in the AFC but already have fallen two games behind the Patriots and are unlikely to catch them. If they’re going to end up a division winner anyway, there was no reason to risk further injury to the face of the franchise.

That leaves the Chiefs in the capable hands of Moore, who showed with a 57-yard strike to Tyreek Hill that he was still capable of using the weapons at his disposal. This team may be led by Mahomes but still has a top-three receiver in the game in Hill, a high-end running back in LeSean McCoy, and an elite tight end in Travis Kelce. The offensive weaponry makes them difficult to cover on any down; Moore simply has to manage the game and wait for one of his options to get open.

The journeyman’s career record as a starter is 15-15, not terrible considering the awful teams he was a part of through seven years with the Miami Dolphins. After a week of reps with the first team, you have to expect he’ll be well prepared.

2. Can Aaron Rodgers follow up on his most recent performance?

Rodgers, believe it or not, had been a bit player through the Packers’ hot start. Through six games, he was on pace for just 21 touchdown passes, easily the lowest total of his career over a 16-game season. LaFleur’s offensive system, putting more of an emphasis on the rushing attack, had kept Rodgers’ numbers down, along with a long-term injury to star receiver Davante Adams (turf toe).

But you can’t keep a Hall of Fame quarterback down forever. Rodgers finally exploded against a hapless Raiders defense, slicing through the secondary and connecting with a hodgepodge group of pass-catchers (aging tight end Jimmy Graham doesn’t really count). Jake Kumerow? Jamaal Williams? Allen Lazard? These are the names of average players Rodgers’ arm is capable of turning into superstars.

The one top receiver who was healthy last week, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, burst onto the scene with two incredible deep catches. His season-high 133 yards receiving included a 74-yard touchdown that put the game away in the fourth quarter. Assuming Adams is able to work his way back —he remains questionable at press time — the Chiefs defense will be even more stretched, opening up the field for another Valdes-Scantling bomb.

Keep in mind that the Chiefs, while ranking 10th against the pass, are just 24th on defense in total yards. It’s a soft enough unit that Rodgers can carve it up at will if he’s hot. And, make no mistake — Rodgers is on top of his game right now.

3. Can the Packers defense keep up this pace?

Much of the early-season story regarding the Packers has been about their resurgent defense. A goal-line turnover against Derek Carr swung the game last week against the Raiders; the Packers remain second in the NFC behind Carolina with 13 takeaways. Given that Moore hasn’t started an NFL game since 2017, one would expect that total to rise.

That makes defensive line play increasingly important. A unit that started out firing on all cylinders didn’t sack Carr once last week. The Smiths (Preston and Za’Darius) need to add to their total of 13 sacks and put pressure on Moore to rush his throws.

Both the Packers and Chiefs average a little over one turnover per game. If the Packers defense can push that number up to two or three? They’ll win handily.

Final Analysis

Even with no Patrick Mahomes running the show, I think Matt Moore is plenty capable of helping Kansas City keep this game close. But to me, Sunday night becomes a referendum on Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers, and Green Bay's new-look attack. It’s a chance to show that this team is back in front of a national audience against a top-tier opponent who enters the game wounded.

I fully expect the Packers to show exactly that. LaFleur has done an outstanding job in his first year as head coach, and we’re about to see the fruits of that labor up close.

Prediction: Green Bay 34, Kansas City 17

For those fortunate to be at the game today how about letting us know what you had to eat at the stadium? I bet the fish and chips are spectacular. Yes, beer is food too but please give the brand name because cup, can, bottle, tap, body shot won't do. Well the last one should have pics unless it was off this.

Game Day Thread

The GDT is a live thread tradition here at ROD.

While we all get fired up watching the game, please remember our core principles; we always show respect for our team and each other.

Despite the emotional highs and lows watching a game, we will moderate this thread with that in mind, however please refrain from name calling. This applies to players, the Rams organization, and others.

This is the core rule of the GDT. Moderators are tasked to issue thread bans, at a minimum, to maintain this standard.

This is our team. Win or lose. Good days and bad.

A more loosely moderated atmosphere can be found in the chat room.

Go Rams!

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Game Day Chat Room:

GAME DAY CHAT

Probably a stupid question/observation...

How many times have the Rams deferred on the kickoff this year. Have we been the first to get the ball at all this year?

We all have things that we do. Follow sports teams, work out, play music. Each has a part in our lives. But each one of us has a "passion". That one thing that we love more than anything else. So, What's your passion?

Mine. Airplanes and aviation. From a young age, I have been enamored with aviation and space travel. From the first air show my dad brought me to until today, most of my life I have always loved being around airplanes. Since we lived 25 miles from one of the greatest air shows in the world it was easy for me to feed this passion. The Oshkosh Air Show. Now called, "Airventure" is the Experimental Aircraft Associations annual meeting and Air show. If you have ever been to a local air show, think of that, only 10 times bigger. 500,000 people over the week. Hundreds of aircraft. Formations of 30 aircraft at one time. It's hard to describe. Fantastic to visit.

Anyway, that passion has been a driving force in my life. One of my reasons for going to college. Another reason for joining the Air Force, and yet another for moving to FL in 1995. It's been the one constant in my life. The one thing I never give up. Matter of fact, after my second divorce, my new rule was that my next wife had to love airplanes as much as I do. And I found her at flight school. And yes, I do fly. I passed my Private certificate,(They are not called a license) in the spring of 1984. Commercial multi-engine..........well I was 5 hours short when I ran out of money in 1996, so it's just private multi-engine at this time. But someday............just to say I have.

On Thursday there were massive wildfires in Mexico extending from TJ to Ensenada, primarily along the coastal zone. I've never seen wild fires spread so fast and I've seen a lot of them. But people in the US don't even know it happened. The fires burned all around the home I live in. It's a community 6 miles south of Rosarito Beach Hotel called Popotla. Most of the homes are upscale and it's not like the barrio's our current president likes people to think Mexicans live in. It's very quiet and very safe.

Anyway my neighbor came knocking at the door saying I needed to move my car from the street where I'm parked on the gravel shoulder. He said wild fires are approaching. I went outside to move my car to the concrete driveway and saw all the smoke. My landlord just shook his head and said stay indoors and close the sliders and windows. I did and then sat on my balcony and watched the fire arrive. It burned all up and down the hills and right up to the houses. It was too smokey so I went indoors. Six hours later it was over. What was interesting is that the scrub brush here is far more fire resistant than in CA. The fire never got particularly hot and simply burned off the dried grass and the foliage of the plants. But now the hillside is still covered with the blackened scrub, but I can tell that with a couple of rains it will simply grow the foliage back.

All the homes are made of concrete. Part of the reason is concrete is cheap, but it's also pest free in terms of termites, etc, better insulated during the summers but most of all fire resistant. All the roofing is Mexican tile which isn't really a ceramic as Americans think of tiles. It's more like light weight concrete, but completely fire resistant. The fires burned right up to the walls and left smoke smudges and ash on the roofs but that's about it.

Very few homes in the area suffered any damage at all. Those that did were made in the American style and fashion to attract Americans. Today I had lunch with one of my neighbors on my balcony and he's from Riverside, CA. We laughed at how Americans could learn a whole lot about how to build REAL homes not the tinder boxes they build and live in. American homes are not built to withstand the ravages of nature. Hell there was no FD intervention of any kind except for a pickup on the highway with FD markings parked on the highway observing. Because the houses are made the way they are and the foliage is what it is, They simply for the most part allowed the fire to burn itself out which it did in less than 48 hours.

Where I live in MX isn't that much different than in San Diego and most of Southern CA in reality. Californians could learn something from the Mexicans. It's about as warm as it gets here in Popotla at about 87 F. I have no AC and the living room is largely windows. So I'm sitting in my master bedroom in the back of the apartment and the thermometer I have reads 77 F so it's very comfortable.

American homes are too lightweight in their structures, not particularly disaster proof from wind, rain and fire. They aren't as pretty as CA homes but they are every bit as functional. If Calif hillsides were seeded with the kind of scrub here in Baja the fires wouldn't burn as hot, last as long and the plants being fire resistant would survive. Because the root system is intact the erosion issue after a fire wouldn't be such a huge problem like it's going to be in CA now. If all homes had tile roofs and fire resistant walls, i.e. like concrete, the structure losses wouldn't be so massive. Mexican are shaking there heads in disbelief at how stupid Americans are because they know Americans will simply rebuild their tinderbox houses and the cycle will continue.

By simply changing the type of foliage on the hillsides, including fire resistant trees and mandating a change in the materials used in construction, the cycle of the magnitude of these disasters could be broken.

BTW there is a lightweight, stronger form of concrete that has been created. But American's refuse to change.