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Schein’s 9 Fact or Fiction


Packers are NFC's best team; Bears doomed by Mitch Trubisky

In the wake of every NFL Sunday, takes fly across this football-crazy country, from sea to shining sea. And the seventh Sunday of the 2019 season -- a day that saw more road teams win than lose, a day that featured a number of surprising blowouts and a day that produced some monster individual performances -- certainly provoked strong sentiments, both positive and negative.

So, this feels like a perfect time to dust off a semi-regular segment in Schein Nine programming: FACT OR FICTION?

1) The Green Bay Packers are the best team in the NFC.

This is indeed factual. And that's no disrespect to the conference's last remaining undefeated team, the 6-0 San Francisco 49ers. I appreciate these Niners and love that the great Kyle Shanahan gave his dad, Mike, the game ballafter he went into Washington and beat the Redskins 9-0 in a weather-waylaid contest. Yes, the Niners have played the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL entering Monday night's contest, but you can only play the games on your slate, all of which San Fran has won. And how about Asshole Face's Saints, who have now prevailed in five straight games without the injured Drew Brees? Simply remarkable.

But it's Aaron Rodgers' world, and we are all just living in it.

Rodgers has been playing well all season, despite how his fantasy owners felt about the 35-year-old QB over his first six games. It was all building to a vintage performance from the two-time MVP -- and on Sunday, we got it. In Green Bay's 42-24 win over the Raiders, Rodgers completed 80.6 percent of his passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns, while also running for an additional score. And for the first time in the storied history of the Packers franchise, Green Bay's quarterback finished a game with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Did I mention Rodgers accomplished this without Davante Adams, working with hobbled and no-name wideouts? Sunday's showing by No. 12 was, as my on-the-scene colleague Jeffri Chadiha put it, a frightening statement to the rest of the NFL.

The Packers have a great defense that currently ranks ninth in points allowed. They're clearly starting to come into their own offensively. And most importantly, you don't hear any more foolish chatter about Rodgers' relationship with first-year head coach Matt LaFleur. Green Bay was my preseason pick to represent the amazing NFC in Super Bowl LIV, and seven Sundays into the season, I have no reason to think otherwise.

2) The Chicago Bears cannot succeed with Mitch Trubisky.

This is an absolute fact. And the fact is, I predicted the Saints, even without Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara, would march into Chicago and win this game because they have the better coach and the better quarterback. Trubisky was terrible yet again in Chicago's 36-25 loss, a game that wasn't even as close as the final score might indicate. The third-year quarterback consistently misses makeable throws. Forget about comparing Mitch to 2017 draft classmates Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, both of whom were selected after Trubisky. Teddy Bridgewater was the best quarterback on the field Sunday. And honestly, Chase Daniel looks like the best Bears gunslinger at the moment.

For good measure, Bears coach Matt Nagy and Trubisky completely botched the game management at the end of the second quarter. Nagy's play-calling leaves a lot to be desired -- and I thought this last year, when he was named Coach of the Year.

I no longer hear from Bears fans who got on me for not picking Chicago to make the playoffs back in August. They know the truth: The Bears are going to waste this immensely talented defense.

3) The Philadelphia Eagles have major problems.

This is fiction. Yes, they need help at corner. But Sunday night's 37-10 resultwas more about the tried-and-true formula of the Cowboys. Ezekiel Elliott was excellent behind a healthy offensive line. Zeke makes Dak Prescott, but the quarterback definitely rocked steady in his own right. Dallas' pass rush was excellent, flummoxing Carson Wentz, who had no help from his targets in the passing attack.

Philly is an unacceptable 3-4. But the story on Sunday night was Dallas. And this is what should be expected of these loaded 'Boys every single week. At the end of the day, though, the Eagles are still just one game out of first place.

4) The Indianapolis Colts had the biggest win of the weekend.

I love what Indy did to the Texans. That's a big-time win. But I wasn't surprised, so the above statement's fiction.

Who had the biggest win of the weekend? The Baltimore Ravens, who went on the road and knocked off a hot Seahawks team in their hostile stadium.

Baltimore's defense has been maligned much of this season. Sunday, though, the unit stifled a red-hot Russell Wilson. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta made a really smart trade getting Marcus Peters from the Rams in a classic change-of-scenery move, and the ballhawking cornerback immediately provided a 67-yard pick-six. Lamar Jackson outplayed Wilson and made a statement on the MVP race.

The Ravens entered the game in control of the AFC North, but I wasn't quite a believer. Sunday changed that for me. And with a great coaching staff and general manager, Baltimore's heading in the right direction as we move toward the second half of the season.

5) The NFC West is the best division in football.

An obvious fact. San Fran is for real, with a sensational defense leading the way. Seattle is still strong, despite Sunday's setback against the Ravens. The Rams needed a get-right game, and everyone gets right against these defunct Falcons. Not to mention, I loved L.A.'s aggressive trade for Jalen Ramsey. Lastly, don't look now, but Kyler Murray, Kliff Kingsbury and the Cardinals have won three straight! Great effort and win by Patrick Peterson, Chandler Jones, Chase Edmonds and Murray.

I trust the totality of the teams in the West over that of the NFC North.

6) Kirk Cousins is BACK.

Was I impressed by his performance (24 of 34, 337 yards, four TDs, 0 INTs) in a big 42-30 win at Detroit? Obviously. Is he back? Well, I am going to need to see a little more. Honestly, what does Cousins being back even mean? So I'll say fiction, for now.

That said, his October play has been nothing short of spectacular. In wins over the Giants, Eagles and Lions, Cousins has completed 75.6 percent of his passes for 976 yards with a 10:1 TD-to-INT ratio and a mind-bending 142.6 passer rating.

Now, as everyone knows, Cousins has a knack for coming up small in prime-time games. And there's a rather large one for him this Thursday against the Redskins, who refused to truly make him their guy. Cousins deserves so much credit for what he's done over the past three weeks, but I need to see it for a little longer -- and see if his heartbeat is racing on "Thursday Night Football."

7) Sunday was a bad day for the Buffalo Bills.

Oh, stop. Total fiction. I don't care that the ebb and flow of Buffalo's win over the winless Dolphins was more competitive than everyone anticipated, with the Bills actually trailing at the start of the fourth quarter. Josh Allen played winning football. Sean McDermott's defense is among the elite units in the league. Buffalo took care of business. The Bills are going to live up to my hype and make the playoffs.

In fact, if Allen keeps improving and establishing those great connections with John Brown and Cole Beasley, I might raise the bar. Buffalo has a formula to win a playoff game this year in the AFC.

8) Pat Shurmur is overmatched.

FACT.

The third-and-forever draw by Saquon Barkley with 3:11 left? Going for it on the next play? And after the game, Shurmur says he "wanted to keep Saquon involved." OK ...

The Giants were inexplicably as flat as a pancake at home, despite having nine days to prepare for this winnable game against the Cardinals. While Big Blue has a series of problems right now, they begin with a head coach who has yet to show us he knows what he's doing in the big chair. Shurmur, who owns a career head-coaching record of 17-39, just has no in-game feel. How much trust do you have in Shurmur fostering rookie QB Daniel Jones' growth?

9) The Los Angeles Chargers are the biggest disappointment in the NFL.

Only the Chargers can lose the way they did -- with the most mind-numbing end-of-game sequence of the year -- in Sunday's 23-20 defeat at Tennessee. The Bolts lead the league in moments where you think they won ... only to lose. They reinvent ways to lose. Always. And I thought they would be strong this year, even with all the injuries.

Yet, I still have to call that statement fiction, because the NFL's biggest disappointment is 1-6 Atlanta. The Falcons have no clue. No pulse. No life. They rank 31st in scoring defense -- and despite all the talent on offense, they rank just 19th in scoring. How is Dan Quinn still employed? Really.

Fecal Transplants to treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome

  • Fecal transplants involve transferring a healthy donor's stool sample to a patient struggling with gastrointestinal issues
  • Some scientists believe irritable bowel syndrome, an intestinal disorder, is caused by abnormal gut bacteria
  • Researchers transferred fecal samples from very healthy people - so-called 'super donors' into over 100 IBS patients
  • 77% who received one dose from 'super donors' and 89% who received two doses reported less symptoms compared to nearly 24% of the placebo group
  • Symptoms completely went away for 35% of the low dose group and 47% of the high dose group compared to 5% of the placebo group
Fecal transplants from 'super donors' could help ease symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a new study finds.
Researchers found that transferring fecal samples from these very healthy donors into IBS patients improved symptoms in more than 80 percent.
What's more, nearly half of patients went into symptom remission - meaning they no longer experienced cramping, stomach pain or bloating.
The team, from the University of Bergen in Norway, says fecal transplants could be used in combination with medications to help improve the lives of IBS sufferers, whose days are often interrupted with debilitating symptoms.

Fecal transplants, which have become popular in recent years, are not approved in the US and, in fact, the Food and Drug Administration has warned against the, saying they carry potential risks of serious infections.

IBS is an intestinal disorder that causes abdominal pain, bloating, cramping, and diarrhea or constipation.
It affects between 10 and 15 percent of the US adult population, but only around five to seven percent have been diagnosed, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.
The cause isn't known, but some scientists believed it may be associated with abnormal gut bacteria.
This is why researchers wanted to test if fecal transplantation, which transfers stool from a healthy donor into the gastrointestinal tract of a patient, could ease symptoms of IBS.
The stool contains roughly 1,000 different species of bacteria that act as probiotics and replenish the digestive tract with bacteria.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the fecal donation is made within six hours of the transplant.
Once doctors determine the sample is safe, they add saline to dissolve it and run it through a coffee filter to eliminate particles.
The transfer is then made via an enema, a tube inserted through the mouth or a pill containing freeze-dried material.
Some doctors say if the fecal stools are not screened well enough, the stool could pass on a serious infection from donor to recipient.

For the study, whose results were presented on Sunday at the annual United European Gastroenterology Week in Spain, the team recruited 164 diagnosed patients who had moderate or severe symptoms.

They were then randomly assigned to receive either a placebo, which was 30 grams of a solution containing their own feces, or solution from a so-called 'super-donor' at either 30 grams or 60 grams.
'We had a carefully selected donor from several candidates who had traits known to affect intestinal microbiota positively,' lead author Dr Magdy El-Salhy, a professor in the department of clinical medicine at the University of Bergen, told NBC News.
'Overall, the donor was healthy, had been breast fed, consumed a nutritious diet, took no regular medications, was a nonsmoker and had taken antibiotics only a few times.'
Patients were given the doses through a tube that was into the mouth and down the throat to the small intestine.
Researchers asked the patients three months later about their symptoms. After treatment, 23.6 percent of those who had the placebo reported an improvement in symptoms.
In the super-donor group, 76.9 percent that received 30 grams felt an improvement as did 89.1 percent of those who received 60 grams.
They also found that, in some cases, symptoms went away entirely for 35.2 percent of the 30 gram super-donor group and 47.3 percent of the 60 gram group.
Meanwhile, just 5.5 percent of those who received placebos reported that they had no more symptoms.
Dr El-Salhy told NBC News that the effects are still noticeable one year later.
'The preliminary results [suggest] most, 90 to 95 percent, of the responded patients are still well and about 50 percent are still "cured",' he said.

‘This is what we can do’ — Jalen Ramsey’s arrival has removed the handcuffs from the Rams’ defense

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By Vincent Bonsignore | Oct 20, 2019

ATLANTA — In its debut week, The Jalen Ramsey Experience hit Atlanta in such a game-changing way that the Rams’ defensive operation already needs to be divided into segments: before his arrival, and after.

The Rams picked themselves up after three straight losses and sent negative feelings crashing to the canvass with a commanding 37-10 win over the Falcons on Sunday. It left them confident, giddy and eager to get back to work and keep the momentum rolling, and much of the excitement came from the newly acquired All-Pro cornerback who stole the show.

“Today is a great example of why he is the player he is,” Rams quarterback Jared Goff said of Ramsey.

“You felt Jalen Ramsey’s presence today” is how coach Sean McVay put it, adding, “He’s a physical, complete player.”

It’s not just that Ramsey, after only two days of practice and approximately a 30 percent digestion of the Rams’ defensive playbook, turned in a dominating performance that made a Pro Bowl receiver practically disappear. During the plays when Ramsey was checking, bodying and trailing pretty much his every move, Falcons star Julio Jones managed four catches for 74 yards.

And Jones didn’t have a catch in the third quarter, when the Falcons still had some life and the game was still up in the air.
That was impressive enough. Especially when you consider how little prep time Ramsey had after Tuesday’s trade, plus the fact that he hadn’t practiced or played with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the three previous weeks.

Ramsey, acquired from the Jaguars for first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 and a fourth-rounder in 2021, got a crash course in the Rams’ defense. That included what McVay described as an “immaculate” tip sheet drawn up by Rams defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, one McVay said was so impressive that “I felt like I could play corner after looking at that thing.”

Nevertheless, Ramsey still has plenty of room to grow within this Rams defense.
“I want to get into a groove with knowing my safeties a little better and knowing the guys I’m out there with a little better,” Ramsey said. “This game, I really trusted in them a lot (in) the way I played certain techniques. But I want to get into a grove a little bit more of how I do things with this secondary.”
Impressive, to say the least.

But what really stood out is how much of an impact Ramsey’s presence had on the Rams’ defense, even down to coordinator Wade Phillips, who felt confident dialing up various blitz packages to create pressure from the first and second levels of the defense.
Ramsey’s ability to pretty much wipe out the opponent’s best receiver frees Phillips to send multiple defenders flying at the quarterback, from the edge and through the middle.

The Rams sacked Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan five times — Dante Fowler got three — and were in his face countless other times before Ryan finally left the game with an ankle injury. Ryan and the Falcons came in averaging 317 passing yards per game, but the Rams’ pass-rush heat and tight coverage limited them to just 186 passing yards on Sunday.

Ryan, who threw for at least 300 yards in each of his first six games this season, finished with 159 yards (and no touchdowns) before getting knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter when Aaron Donald sacked him and forced a fumble.

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Dante Fowler recorded three sacks of Matt Ryan as part of a team-high seven tackles. (Dale Zanine / USA Today)

Football is a team game, and it takes all 11 defensive players to do what the Rams did to the Falcons on Sunday.

But make no mistake, the unique skill set that Ramsey brings as an elite man-to-man shutdown corner changes the whole dynamic of the Rams’ defensive game plan.

“This is what we can do. We just haven’t been able to do it, for whatever reason,” Rams safety Eric Weddle said.

That wasn’t necessarily a knock on Marcus Peters, the cornerback the Rams traded to Baltimore to make room for Ramsey. But it did illustrate the dramatic difference in the styles of Ramsey and Peters. Ramsey is a big, physical, athletic defender who can crawl up into a receiver’s face and use his strength, footwork, intelligence and cover skills to stick with him all over the field. That’s what happened over and over Sunday, as Ramsey closely followed Jones from one end of Mercedes-Benz Stadium to the other.

Peters is a zone defender who typically needs a cushion in front of him and help behind him in order to sit back and read the quarterback and the play in front of him, then react to what is happening.

In Peters, the Rams had a cornerback who needed help. In Ramsey, they have a cornerback who says, “I got this.”

And that frees up other defenders to be utilized in help coverage or on blitzes. That fits perfectly with a revamped Rams secondary, which includes Troy Hill (another man corner) starting opposite Ramsey, plus a solid man-slot corner in Nickell Robey-Coleman and a young man-to-man corner in Darious Williams. And in rookie David Long Jr., in uniform for the first time on Sunday, the Rams have yet another cornerback with press-cover skills.

The handcuffs are now off. The Rams are free to be what Phillips always envisioned: a confident, multiple 3-4 scheme able to send cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers on blitzes.

Much to Ryan’s chagrin, all of that happened quite a bit on Sunday. He was under siege all day.

That dominance helped the Rams’ offense to find itself in a way it hasn’t been able to do this season, especially in the last three games. Jared Goff threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns with a 99.8 passer rating. Rookie David Edwards brought athletic ability and power to his new role as the starting left guard, and the offensive line in general provided its best pass protection of the season. Goff did not take a sack, and with time to scan the field and throw, he connected with seven different receivers.

For the first time in nearly a month, the Rams could smile and feel good about themselves after their most complete performance of the season.

“It’s fun when it’s going that way and you feel the momentum shifting and the defense is making plays and the offense is making plays and we’re moving the ball down the field,” Goff said. “That’s what we’re used to and we want to keep that feeling going.”

By no means was Ramsey the only reason for all that, but there is no doubt that his presence changes the whole dynamic of the Rams’ defense.

“Whether it’s safeties blitzing or bringing a corner blitz,” explained Weddle, “me covering, over-shadow and overlapping, cutting defense, those are the things that we can do. We just haven’t been able to, for whatever reasons. You bring a guy like Jalen, and Troy who plays press man, and Robey can play man … Darious is a man corner. Your defense kind of changes of philosophy now.

“We’re going to be man-based now, get up in their face, mix in some zones, whether it’s dropping in zone or bringing man pressure with zone behind it. It’s just a more aggressive type defense than we have been to start the season.”

The scary thing is, it represented only a fraction of what the Rams have in their defensive playbook.

“Honestly, the defense was a little bit dumbed down for me,” Ramsey said, a bit sheepishly. “Just because I only had a couple days to prepare. I really appreciate the guys going with that game plan because, probably, it wasn’t … I’m not gonna say it wasn’t the best for them, because they went out there and strapped, too. I just appreciate everybody’s help the last couple days.”

The feeling was mutual, to be sure.

(Top photo of Jalen Ramsey and Julio Jones: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Rams seem just 2 OL players away from returning to SB worthy status...

I think that the D is now gonna be fine. Well, actually more than fine as Ramsey settles in and Wade tinkers more and more with his blitz packages. This now has the earmarks of a really good scoring D.

I also think that the O is close.

Same QB, RB, 3 WR’s, and 2 TE’s from last year’s 13-3 team. No problems with those players, especially with the addition of the exciting Henderson. Gurley seems more than adequate if given some decent holes and if not required to stay in for pass pro.

But that OL? Still not fixed, and I’m not sure that it can be for this season.

Big Whit is still good enough. He’s slipping and this will surely be his last year, but he’s still good enough. I like Boom as our LOT next year, btw.

Edwards looked okay at LG yesterday and he’s only gonna get better and better.

I believe that Hav should be okay at RT if all he had to do was play RT and not help out Blythe. Maybe give him a TE chip block help now and then if he’s facing an elite edge player.

So, I think we’re okay at LOT, LG, and RT for this season and beyond. Playoff worthy.

But C and RG? I just dunno if Allen is the guy and 6 games is such a small sample group, but I’m not terribly optimistic.

My biggest concern is Blythe. I think I’m done with him and please don’t suggest Demby. Blythe has gotta go, IMO. Just not good enough.

What’s the solution(s)? Well, either Kromer must work his magic on the fly with our bench players, some of which are new to the team, OR Snead has to somehow acquire a journeyman type to play RG. Don’t need a star player there, a journeyman would be a big upgrade.

One solution or the other needs to be implemented. Only then can our running game and passing game return to playoff status. Our current one dimensional status is not gonna get the job done.

C’mon, Les. The future is now. We are a RG and maybe a C away from the playoffs and a legit SB run.

A Peek Behind The Curtain Of The TV Broadcast Crew From ATL

I have a funny to share about the TV broadcast crew from yesterday's game. I've been a little reluctant to share it, but I really don't think it matters because if this reflects poorly on anyone... it's me and nobody else.

My twins were both home this weekend from FSU, which means we all got to watch the Ram game together. One of them is extremely close friends with Charles Davis' son. Charles was one of the guys in the booth broadcasting the game for TV yesterday. We don't miss a second of any Ram game... including the pregame hype stuff.

So the pregame stuff is on. Admittedly, I've already pounded a few down at this point. I'm watching as the broadcast shows the TV crew in the booth together. Charles and Sam are going over things about the game. Let this be a lesson to any of you with millennial children btw... I see who is doing the game together and I proceed to share some of my very colorful thoughts on Sam. It's not important to know exactly what I said... just know that it was over the top and I was basically ranting and laughing very loud. How was I supposed to know that my son was videoing my ass while I spewed all this out of my mouth so that he could share it on snapchat with his bois.

Well guess what. Charles' son thought it would be hilarious to send his Pops this snapchat too. We didn't know this until halftime though. That's when Charles called his son and told him that he almost lost it completely several times during the broadcast when he looked over at Sam after having seen that video of me. He was apparently able to keep it together enough that nobody hearing them on air could tell, but I guess there were a couple of times on commercial breaks were Sam was trying to get him to share what in the hell he was cracking up about. He never did of course (Thank God). I guess it got better in the second half... but during the 1st half Charles was having a hard time looking at Sam without losing it on-air.

So remember guys... if you have millennials in your house beware! They could be videoing some of your most embarrassing moments to share with people at any time. LOLOLOLOL. We are still laughing about this one.

That Ramsey trade now looking like a turning point for the Rams D...

I’m guilty of really underestimating the impact of the Ramsey acquisition while somewhat worrying about the loss of future picks and cap costs.

But my eyes were opened by what I saw in his first game as a Ram. Our D, minus Matthews, Talib, and JJ, was transformed.

Yeah, I know that it was Atlanta, but the Falcons had had a very respectable O through their first 6 games and the Rams really shut it down except for a handful of catches by Jones. Both the Falcon run and pass game was stymied. 5 sacks on Ryan. Huge top advantage for the Rams.

All this in Ramsey’s first game after meeting his new coaches and teammates merely 4 days previously then drawing Julio freaking Jones in a cross country away game!

Color me impressed. I now see why Wade wanted to run more man coverage. And I now understand why the Rams reportedly had decided to trade Peters away whether or not they could land Ramsey. It fundamentally changed his entire D giving him blitz options and turning loose his front 7 studs. Can you imagine what can be done after Ramsey gets fully assimilated, especially with the return of Mathews, Talib, and JJ?

Won’t help the OL, of course, but a team can go far with a strong D. Maybe overtake the 49ers and win the division even? We’ll see.

Rams Week 7 snap counts: Big shakeup on defense and more 2-TE sets

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By: Cameron DaSilva | 1 hour ago


In the last two weeks, the Los Angeles Rams have been forced to make several changes to their depth chart. Clay Matthews, John Johnson and Aqib Talib all suffered significant injuries, while Marcus Peters was traded to the Ravens.
As a result, several players are receiving more playing time against the Falcons than they’re used to. The biggest changes have come on defense with Jalen Ramsey, Samson Ebukam, Marqui Christian and Troy Hill being elevated to starting roles.

How exactly did the playing time shake out on Sunday in the first game with these big changes? We’ll take a look at the snap counts on defense, but first, let’s start with the offense.


Offense

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The Rams used a lot of 12 personnel in this game, frequently getting both Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett on the field together. They played 49 and 56 snaps, respectively, while Johnny Mundt also chipped in 16 snaps of his own. The game was a blowout, so the Rams were able to experiment a bit more in the second half.
Cooper Kupp’s playing time took a hit as a result of the greater tight end usage, as he played just 62% of the snaps. Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods played less than normal, too, with 59 and 58 snaps, respectively. Josh Reynolds got on the field for 19 snaps but didn’t catch his only target, which was a pass in the end zone.

David Edwards played every snap in his first NFL start, and he performed well in a big spot. Fellow rookies Bobby Evans and Coleman Shelton took over for Andrew Whitworth and Brian Allen on the final possession in garbage time when the backups came in.

Todd Gurley played just 61% of the snaps, but that’s partly because of the lopsided score. Yes, Darrell Henderson contributed even when the game was close, but Gurley didn’t play as much late and even John Kelly chipped in with four snaps.


Defense

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Sean McVay initially said Marqui Christian would replace John Johnson in the starting lineup if the safety missed extended time, but that wasn’t the approach on Sunday. Yes, Christian played a lot (80% of the snaps) and had a good game, but it was Taylor Rapp who saw his role grow more. He played nearly every snap, leading the defense at 98%. Christian played 80%, while Eric Weddle was out there for 84% of the plays – essentially every meaningful snap on defense.

Part of the reason Rapp and Christian played so much is because of the Rams’ usage of three-safety sets. Troy Reeder only played 19 snaps on Sunday, because Wade Phillips opted to use Christian and Rapp in the box as hybrid linebackers often. It was a great game plan as the Falcons only had three points until the Rams’ backups came in, but it’ll be interesting to see if this trend continues next week.

Many of the reserves came into the game late when the score was out of hand, as David Long finally got his first taste of NFL action. He played nine snaps and even had to cover Julio Jones, which was a good (albeit short) test for the rookie.

Jalen Ramsey made his debut with the Rams and he wasn’t expected to play every snap. With limited knowledge of the playbook and only two days of practice, the Rams managed his playing time, keeping him to just 65% of the snaps. He was impactful when he did play, but he wasn’t out there for every snap, understandably.

We must not be complacent with 8 days left to the trade deadline!

Yes we beat ATL soundly, but they are a 1-6 team. Same most likely will be said against Cincy.

I worry about our Oline still. ATL does not have a good dline. Still we couldn't rush the ball against them. It felt like we were keeping several extra guys into block on pass plays. When we play better teams like SF, Seattle, Bears, Ravens we need to have an oline that frees Goff up to do what he does so we'll throw the ball. We achieve that in two ways, a way better rushing attack and better pass blocking.

I don't want Snead to get lulled into thinking the ship has been righted because ATL is not a true test. Better safe than sorry.

Go out and get Glenn, Williams or possibly Osemele to strengthen the oline. Or someone else that helps the oline. I doubt Corbett is the answer. The report on him he was a bust and Dorsey thought so after the first day of practice. If he was so good why off load a player who was drafted 33rd and has only a year under his belt? They wouldn't if he was any good. No way. Especially because their oine isn't very strong.

Please Les/Sean don't let this win fool you make a trade.

Peter King: Football morning in America

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ATLANTA — It should be obvious now, as the Los Angeles Rams feel the slings and arrows from around the league for gorging on the present at the expense of the future, what the identity of this franchise is.

They completed three trades in an afternoon last week, for goodness sake, two involving Pro Bowl players. It’s not about the PSLs or filling the new stadium next year or knee-jerking a response to a three-game losing streak.

It’s about the personality of the people who lead the team.

And in a larger sense it’s about a sea change in how the new wave of GMs and team architects are approaching the sport.

Last Tuesday, when GM Les Snead had completed two deals from his California office—acquiring offensive lineman Austin Corbett from Cleveland and trading cornerback Marcus Peters to Baltimore—he was working on a third.

Snead and GM Dave Caldwell of Jacksonville were close to doing a mega-trade for dissatisfied cornerback Jalen Ramsey of the Jaguars.

In a Ritz Carlton ballroom in Fort Lauderdale, during the NFL’s fall meeting, Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff awaited word on the deals.

Around 4:30 p.m. ET, Snead and football VP Tony Pastoors both pinged Demoff with details of the first two trades. Demoff showed Kroenke the news. Not a bad afternoon’s work for Snead and his staff.

Not enough.

Kroenke didn’t pump a fist; it’s not his way anyway. Instead, he asked Demoff about the unhappy Jaguar.

He wondered, Is the Ramsey deal still in play?

It was, and within an hour, that was done too—Ramsey for the Rams’ first-round pick in 2020 and first and fourth-round picks in 2021, even though L.A. is buying Ramsey for only the remaining 1.5 seasons of his rookie contract.

The Rams are optimistic about signing him long-term, but have no guarantee of employing Ramsey beyond the expiration of his contract in 14 months.

Three trades in five hours. Now it was Saturday, in the bar of the team’s Buckhead hotel, the day before Rams-Falcons, and Demoff and Snead dissected what the team had done, and what it meant.

“This is who we are,” Demoff said. “This is what we do. This is our belief as an organization. Stan isn’t fearful, Les isn’t fearful, and [coach] Sean [McVay] isn’t fearful. This league is so fast-moving.

It hasn’t been this way forever for us, but now, we’re going to value the great player over the potential of a draft choice.”

The Lead: Jalen Ramsey

For a guy who’d been on the team for four days, Ramsey didn’t seem like much of a newcomer in the 37-10 rout of the pathetic Falcons.

He didn’t give the full Jalen, but it was close. He didn’t start. He came in early in dime packages only, where he could match up against Julio Jones, mostly in bump coverage in the left slot or wide left or right.

He did play in the regular scheme later, and it appeared he played six or seven snaps in the Rams’ zone coverage. In all, after two practices, he played 36 of the Rams’ 53 defensive snaps.

Ramsey was not a shutdown corner Sunday. In coverage snaps against Jones, he allowed four catches for 69 yards. He used a jarring hit on Devonta Freeman to force a fumble that the Rams should have recovered but lost in a scrum.

Ramsey also demonstrated why he’s a cornerback so many receivers love to hate.

On six different occasions, he yapped full-throated at Jones; it’s a wonder with the blizzard of flags in the league now why Ramsey didn’t get one for taunting/berating.

Ramsey’s the classic case of a guy you hate when your team plays him, but you like his results when he’s on your team.

“I talk sh– every game,” said Ramsey, matter-of-factly and unapologetically, in a short madhouse locker-room scrum after the game.

In the upset of the week, his back seemed just fine.

When this was still a game in the second quarter, in an eight-play sequence, Jones beat Ramsey twice for significant plays.

First, a quick slant from right to left for 17 yards, when Jones got inside Ramsey and sprinted toward the middle with a full stride on him.

Then, a simple go route down the right sideline. Gain of 39. Jones simply out-raced Ramsey. So Jones didn’t torch Ramsey; overall, he got the better of him, but it was a good contest.

“If I was really in my groove, like on my sh–, it would really be scary out there,” he said.

Good for Ramsey in not bragging about his game, because it was a decent performance.

That’s it. But maybe that’s to be expected after three weeks off with an injury no one in Jacksonville believed was an injury.

“I feel like I played okay,” he said. “I’ve got to get in my groove a little bit more. There’s maybe one, maybe two plays I wanted to have back or play a little bit different.”

For a game at least, all was right with the Rams. After losing three straight, this was a good week for a star-jolt, and for a soft underbelly of the schedule.

The Rams stay in Atlanta to practice this week before over-nighting to London on Thursday evening, then playing the Bengals at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Combined Falcons/Bengals record: 1-13.

There’s enough in what the Rams are doing for a book about how modern football is changing. I don’t have time for a book, so let’s do Cliff’s Notes.

The Rams are not alone in bulking up on trades. Cleveland, Baltimore, Oakland, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh (!) are dipping their toes in the pool more than they used to, or more than their predecessors.

This could be an outlier season regarding trades, but I doubt it. With eight days to go before the trading deadline, see how times have changed in 10 years:

2009: 39 trades in the calendar year, involving 50 players. Seven traded players were Pro Bowlers at least once.

2019: 54 trades (with eight days left in the period), involving 69 players. Thirteen have been to at least one Pro Bowl.

That’s a snapshot, not a long-term study.

But it just feels like trading has picked up, and though the Rams may be at the head of the pack, they’re not alone.

One GM told me over the weekend when I relayed those trading stats: “I bet that numbers ends up at 65.”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” said Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian, “and I want to withhold final judgment, but there are a few factors. Miami’s getting rid of players.

The Rams are aggressive. And I think for players with leverage, they see this as being the NBA. I’ll go where I want to go. Ramsey, Antonio Brown—trade me, and the hell with the consequences.

But there’s also a little bit of the old [Dodgers GM] Branch Rickey in some of the newer GMs. Rickey said, ‘The only title you can win is the title you can win this year.’ “

Polian then made a fascinating point: He said he didn’t want to be a “curbstone psychologist.” But he said, “I think this generation of GMs might be a little more transactional. It used to be not many GMs thought about taking risks.

They were from a generation where their parents might have grown up in the Depression, or remembered the Depression. Life was hard enough without taking risks.

Today, the idea that you can make these decisions and change your team quickly is inculcated in this generation. I’m not sure of that, but it seems to be true.”

I love that theory. I think it is dead-on. Why wait to fix a problem when you might get fired after two years? When I told Demoff and Snead, they were fascinated.

“Bill makes a great point about our league now, and your trade data backs up the fact it’s not just us.

Bill Belichick is great at it too. When they have a hole, he doesn’t wait. He attacks. He trades. He takes chances too.”

Demoff pounced next: “The NBA is coming to the NFL. This [the Ramsey trade] is a similar case to those NBA deals.

“Prior team-building formulas, where you basically had guys for their careers, is pretty much over,” he said.

“Think of the guys who’ve moved in the past year. Khalil Mack. Marcus Peters. Jalen Ramsey. Jarvis Landry. Laremy Tunsil—”

“Odell!” Snead interjected.

“Beckham too—forgot him,” Demoff said. “But I think there’s one other important factor here.

Today, it’s easier to find ways to measure performance. There’s a rise of analytics, there’s better technology, better and more accurate data.

What we’ve found is you can find undervalued players easier than before. So I think football people are getting better at synthesizing data to find players.”

I had one more question: “All indications are that Ramsey pulled a power play to force his way out of Jacksonville.

They weren’t going to trade him until he basically just stopped playing. Do you have any fear that’ll happen here?”

“No,” Snead said. “I can honestly say I do not fear that. He’s coming to L.A., which is where players love to play. He’s got Sean, who is great at creating a culture players thrive in.”

The Rams are a destination place now. But in trading two first-rounders for Ramsey, they’ve basically gone all-in on paying him for the long term.

And already they are paying four players top-of-market deals: quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley, wideout Brandin Cooks and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Peters was jettisoned to Baltimore in part because L.A. knew it didn’t want to pay him in the $15-million-a-year range long-term after this season; Baltimore may not either, but they needed a playmaking cornerback for this season.

And though Ramsey could make more than Peters, that’s coming in 2021, not 2020. Getting Ramsey now gives the Rams two seasons—and, as importantly, two postseasons—to maximize their window.

One thing worries me, even with the cap rising $10/12 million a year. When players get quite good, will the Rams, as the Ravens have done regularly, be willing to let them go to get the compensatory third/fourth-round pick?

I present the case of wide receiver Cooper Kupp. He has become Jared Goff’s favorite target. (Targets in 2019: Kupp 78, Robert Woods 58, Brandin Cooks 44.) At $1.05 million and $1.2 million through the end of 2020, Kupp is incredible value.

You can’t pay ‘em all, and Kupp could be a casualty of Ramsey’s arrival—if the Rams pay to keep him. That’s an issue for 2021, but the Rams must have angst about it now.

“The Rams way is just not sustainable,” one veteran front-office man (not a GM) told me Friday. “You cannot pay all those guys in a cap era.” Maybe. But I’d have two rejoinders, neither of which is, It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.

One: The Rams have found some pretty good low-cost players in the process.

Two: It probably depends on the development of Jared Goff more than anything else, because no one wins everything without very good play out of the quarterback.

The Ramsey deal went over big in the locker room, as you’d figure it would. Don’t discount the importance of that.

“Players loved it,” Goff said. “Going out and seeing him at practice the other day—wow. That’s something players really like.”

“When your team is built for the now,” safety Eric Weddle told me in the locker room Sunday, “and you have a chance in the future to have two of the best players in this league to build around, Jalen and Aaron Donald, you can get role players to build around them.

In all honesty, a draft pick around 25 or 30 you’re probably going to trade anyway. When you have a chance to get one of the best players in the league for two ones, I mean, why not do it?”

The only reason is Ramsey might not be around forever.

But the Rams are comfortable with what I call The Newbie Risk/Reward Factor. Which means: When in doubt, go get the stud, and worry about everything else later.

Three little details in the trade discussions last week, down in the weeds, that I liked:

• The Rams, who’d been talking on and off to the Jags about Ramsey for a month, were worried that the Eagles might increase their offer if the defense continued to struggle.

(Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Philadelphia had offered first- and a second-round picks.)

Philly might have been wise to offer the two ones. In the last week, two offenses led by Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott have put up 38 and 37 points on the Eagles.

• The teams in trade discussions with Jacksonville were convinced the problem for Ramsey was with Tom Coughlin and no one else.

• The Rams would have done the Peters deal even if they couldn’t get Ramsey.

The rush on Peters came because Baltimore wanted a corner to play in Seattle on Sunday, and if they hadn’t gotten Peters on Tuesday, they’d have pivoted to one of two other prospective deals. Thus the Rams’ haste in dealing Peters.

Five Takeways: Rams resume winning with complimentary football vs. Falcons

Five Takeways: Rams resume winning with complimentary football vs. Falcons

ATLANTA – Complimentary football was the name of the game for the Rams on Sunday, authoring a complete performance in a 37-10 win over the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A victory likely doesn't come without contributions made on offense, defense and special teams.

Here are five instant takeaways from the matchup:

1) PASS RUSH HELPED BY RAMSEY'S PRESENCE

LB Dante Fowler must've felt really good about reuniting with one of his favorite teammates from his NFL career. DT Aaron Donald is likely thankful for both.

With new CB Jalen Ramsey mixed into the secondary, the Rams defense set a new season-high with five sacks against the Falcons. It was a credit not only to Los Angeles' front seven, but the efforts of Ramsey as well as Troy Hill, Darious Williams and Nickell Robey-Coleman against one of the NFL's top passing offenses entering Week 7.

Ramsey's impact was felt right away – just ask Fowler, who notched his first three-sack game of his NFL career, and Donald, who notched his fourth sack of the season.

2) BONES DIPS INTO BAG OF TRICKS

Special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel is no stranger to trick plays, and the successful execution on one against the Falcons only added to that reputation.

Facing a 4th and 3 from the Atlanta 46, L.A. chose to go for it. Punter Johnny Hekker took the snap, but dropped back to pass instead of kicking the ball, making a 23-yard completion to safety Nick Scott. The Rams not only got the conversion, they got inside the Falcons 25 yard line and eventually added three points on a 25-yard field goal by kicker Greg Zuerlein for a 13-3 lead with two minutes left.

More directly, Fassel's unit accounted for the final points of the game when CB Darious Williams recovered LB Troy Reeder's forced fumble on a punt return in the endzone.

Tally up the field goals, the touchdown and what the trick play led to, and special teams accounted for 16 of the Rams' 37 points Sunday afternoon.

3) OFFENSIVE LINE ADAPTS SEAMLESSLY AS EDWARDS EXCELS

On defense, Ramsey's involvement was going to be the major focus. On offense, it was rookie David Edwards making his first career start at left guard.

Edwards passed with flying colors.

The former Wisconsin standout, primarily a right tackle in college – and that was after converting over from tight end prior to the 2016 season – displayed poise, athleticism and plenty of signs that he's capable of holding down that starting job for the foreseeable future. He also seemed to have good chemistry with the rest of the starters.

It's remarkable, and a credit to Edwards' work ethic and development, when you consider he had never played the position until he got to Los Angeles and began learning it during OTAs.

4) TAKEWAYS FOR DAYS

Making Falcons QB Matt Ryan a spectactor was going to be a key to slowing down one of the NFL's most explosive passing offenses. It would either have to be done by controlling the lock with a steady rushing attack, or literally taking the ball away from Ryan or one of his offensive teammates.

The Rams defense and special teams rose to the challenge and achieved the latter.

With one interception and two fumble recoveries, L.A.'s defense matched it season high for takeaways with three, producing the same amount against the Panthers in the season-opener. Rams LB Cory Littleton's interception led to a touchdown scoring drive that began at the Falcons 16, while Donald recovering the fumble created by his own strip sack led to a 20-yard field goal by kicker Zuerlein that punctuated 30 consecutive points scored by L.A.'s offense. The second forced fumble came via special teams and was highlighted above.

All told, the Rams were able to produce 17 of their 37 points off of the three turnovers.

5) RAMS REWARDED FOR TRUSTING THE PROCESS

Goff's postgame comments about what this win means to Los Angeles were telling.

Despite beginning the week in uncharted territory due to the first-ever three-game losing streak of the Sean McVay era, the Rams didn't force any changes dramatic changes because of the skid, he explained. They simply just maintained their faith in each other and the coaching staff.

Their reward? Improving to 4-3 overall in the first of two games across a 10-day road trip and a confidence boost heading into next week's game against the Bengals in London.

Edwards-Allen-Blythe (E-A-B)

from antoher board:

He [edit: Edwards] did ok today, considering it was his first start and he is a rookie he did exceptional. I know a lot of guys on this board are going to disagree but if we get a quality replacement for Blythe who is having an uncharacteristically bad year our line will be ok, Allen is not the problem he is young and I see improvement every game. Allen is extremely quick and gets to the second level as fast as any center I have seen, he gets in trouble when defenses go into the 6-1 and disguise the stunts. If you give him two quality guards he will be a fan favorite.

with my comment:
I m clueless about centers... so if LA LEnny is right about Allen that would make the 2020 Rams offense good--because I think Edwards and Evans will be good at guard (though Edwards might be at LT??). IF Noteboom makes it back, we will have three college LTs on our our, and that will make for great pass blocking....plus Evans and Edwards are good in teh run game, and that leaves Noteboom as the weak run-block link....which he will be 'avg' as a LT, I believe.

I still hope the Rams draft a "LT", or, even just a tackle in the 2nd round in 2020...insurance.

Blythe has everything you want at guard, except for bulk and long arms. His ankle is probably still bothering him too (Whit injury comment--or that was about Hv?)

The Los Angeles Chargers are Trapped in Hell and the Gods Are Laughing at Them

OL Bobby Evans?

It is great reading that Rookie David Edwards had a pretty promising game today and hopefully he will continue to improve and end up a quality offensive lineman for the Rams! Just curious if there are any updates and/or opinions on the other Rookie Offensive Lineman Bobby Evans who I THINK was actually drafted before Edwards. It would be fantastic if both these Rookies could end up being starters (GOOD/TOUGH/QUALITY STARTERS!!!) for the Rams!

ESPN Reports Ramsey promised Rams he will not hold out for new deal

Mortensen reported on ESPN Gameday that Ramsey promised the Rams he will NOT hold out this season or NEXT Season and will honor his contract next yr.

Of course I would assume this is just a promise and if the Rams don't show any progress in negotiations on a long yerm deal next yr then who knows.

In any event that is still good to hear since we would expect the Rams to handle their end of this.

1500km batteries?



I can't get the text to paste, but this guy invented a battery that's cheap, ready to make, way to recycle, and and provides more power per pound than lithium-ion. British companies have been trying to get the government to expose him from various conferences and stuff for a decade, but he finally got in.

Had anything else heard of this?
What do we all think about it?

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