Here we are, 6 games into the season and sporting a .500 win/loss ratio. Completely frikken unacceptable I tell yah what. Goff is a bust, Gurley is finished, McVay is figured out, Wade needs to be put out to pasture. Rome is burning, folks...

/s

Talk about a bunch of fair weather fans, good grief. The amount of negativity and total pessimism on this board blows my mind. It wasn't this bad even during the Fisher era. You guys (and gals) need to wake up and realize all the good things we have going for us. This isnt like the dark days of yesteryear where there is no proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. We have a very good coaching staff that holds themselves accountable. Remember that even though we have a great coaching staff, they are still human. No one is perfect. Even Bill Bellicheck is not infallible....and he is a living football God. We have a core group of very talented players that will still be here for several seasons. We are 1 or 2 o-linemen from being an elite team again...but peeps, please remember, just because we are not elite does not mean that we are all of a sudden bottom of the barrel. I am not Paul Revere and the British are not coming. Stop acting like a bunch of snobbish spoiled brats and start acting like adults worthy of being called Rams Fans.

This is a call to arms.

• ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Aqib Talib (ribs) is expected to be placed on the injured reserve list.
  Talib could return later this season after spending at least eight weeks on the injured reserve. The 33 year old hasn't played 16 games in any season since entering the league in 2008. Talib was just PFF's No. 99 highest-graded CB through six weeks among 117 qualified corners.
  SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter.
  Oct 14, 2019, 5:28 PM ET
  
  

FUUUUUCK. Well David Long time to step up. Talib has been bad so maybe not much of a drop-off??

These are the 3 guys who most need to look in the mirror, in their hearts, wherever they have to, and right this ship on offense.
It's not about the things they can't control, it's the things they can do better, but haven't, that are hurting our offense the most. Not Gurleys attitude or his knee or Goffs passer rating or Marcus Peters mistakes.

No More Pillow Talk: Phones In Bed Taking A Toll On Relationships, Sex Lives
by Ben Renner
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• Survey reveals that nearly three in four adults bring their phone to bed with them.
• More than a third of Americans say their sex life has suffered as a result of smartphones in the bedroom.
• A quarter of respondents admit the last thing they see before closing their eyes at night is their phone, not their partner.

NEW YORK — The bedroom is traditionally used for two primary purposes for adults: sleeping and romance. However, the advent of smartphones has seemingly changed that, with nearly three quarters of surveyed Americans admitting they bring their phone to bed with them. Unsurprisingly, all of that between the sheet screen time is having an adverse effect on many people’s relationships.
The survey, commissioned by global tech solutions company Asurion, polled 2,000 Americans on their phone habits, and found that people who regularly bring their phone to bed are two times more likely to use their device than engage in romantic activity with their partner during the hour before they fall asleep.
In fact, among respondents, phone time was the number one activity listed for their last hour spent awake each night. Another 25% of respondents say the last thing they see each night before closing their eyes is their phone, not their spouse or loved one.
All of that phone time is undoubtedly impacting couples’ communication patterns. Respondents spend an average of three nights per week watching separate screenswhile in bed. Interestingly, 55% of respondents say they realize that the are missing out on quality time with their loved ones by staring at their phone so often, and 35% even admit that their sex life has suffered.
On a positive note, one third of surveyed couples say they have at least discussed and acknowledged the need to get off their phones more often while in bed.
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“The survey reveals that phones aren’t just changing how we socialize and stay connected, they’re influencing how we relate to each other in our closest relationships,” says Bettie Colombo, Asurion spokesperson, in a statement.
The survey also revealed that the average adult living with a significant other brings their phone to bed four nights per week, and spends about 40 minutes on the device each night before falling asleep.
Even when it is time to go to sleep, 93% of American sleep with their phone within arm’s reach, and almost 10% sleep with their phone under the pillow! Much of this behavior seems to be due to people’s need to be connected at all times, with 73% of respondents saying they feel inclined to be on their phone at all hours of the day and night.
In all, 51% of respondents say they are interested in developing a better phone-life balance in their day-to-day routines.
A few tips for getting off your phone at night:

• Put your phone on its charger 30 minutes before bedtime after setting alarms
• Customize your Do Not Disturb settings to only allow important or urgent calls and notifications during the evenings and at bedtime.
• Initiate ‘good-bye’ messages when texting or messaging others earlier to avoid staying up too late.

The survey was conducted by OnePoll.

Eric Weddle and Robert Woods know what it takes for Rams to get out of current skid

LOS ANGELES – While the Rams' current three-game losing streak is new in the Sean McVay, it isn't to some of the most experienced players in their locker room.

Safety Eric Weddle, a 13-year veteran, has seen the skid the Rams are currently on, and after Sunday's loss to the 49ers, he knows what it will take for them to snap out of it.

"I can only go back to what I've been through in my career, and rightfully so," Weddle said. "The outside is going to pummel us, and rightfully so, we haven't played good. But it takes just one game, getting back to the basics."

At this exact same point last year, Weddle was on a Ravens team that reached 4-2 by Week 6, only to suffer a three-game losing streak of their own. Two of those three defeats were decided by seven or fewer points.

It likely helped that Baltimore's bye week followed the that series of misfortune, giving it extra time to assess what was working and what wasn't over their previous three contests. It also likely helped that knowing exactly what they needed to do to reach their goal created a sense of urgency to get them there.

The Ravens proceeded to win six of their next seven games – the lone loss by three points to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime – to win the division and qualify for the playoffs.

"We had to basically win 7 of 8, but it couldn't happen if we didn't win one," Weddle said. "You win one, get some confidence, things start bouncing your way, and boom, you win 6 out of 7, you win the division."

While the Rams' bye week won't arrive for another two weeks following a London matchup with the Bengals, having each of their next three games on the road could be exactly what they need to correct what hasn't been working.

"I think that might be better for the team," said WR Robert Woods, who accounted for the Rams' only touchdown on Sunday. "Isolation - stay connected, just worry about ourselves. Go into some hostile environments and all we have is ourselves, our brothers who we’ve been working with in the weight room all season. Just play together, stay connected, play connected. Really just no outside factors should be an impact. It’s all Rams, all brothers and it’ll all come together."

That introspection is what McVay pointed to as one of the first steps toward moving on from Sunday's loss.

"Was it a humbling day for us? Absolutely, but it’s something that we’re going to learn from," McVay said. "We’re not going to let it demoralize us. That’s a good football team, they did a nice job, we didn’t do enough collectively. We’ll all look inwardly and we’ll figure out how to be better moving forward.”

Weddle has been on teams that have won as many as 11 games in a row and lost as many six in a row. From his perspective, there's no specific type of game or play that causes a team to move past the latter or spark the former – it can come in several different ways.

There's plenty of season left to be played and plenty of opportunities to create those moments as a result. However, Weddle also recognizes it won't happen if the Rams don't fix what has ailed them so far.

"I've been on some long (winning) streaks, I've been on some losing streaks, but it just takes one play, one game, couple of events, right?" Weddle said. "Defense makes a stop, offense goes down and scores, special teams makes a turnover – just little things that aren't happening for us right now, they'll start happening.

(We're) 3-3 right now, no one's crowned a Super Bowl champ after six games, but we're 3-3 for a reason and we just haven't been good enough, so we've got to get better."

I thought Henderson, minus the fumble, looked pretty good in his limited role...
I thought Ebukam looked pretty good...

Absolutely sucks. The changes to email alone have me hating Apple even more than before. I’m a Samsung user but I have two apple devices for work including this one I usually post from.

39 inches of rain in 48hrs. Wow. Tragic.

Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/ewcuroPXOt4

We have Atlanta, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore and Arizona.

The two games before the bye week should be wins considering both the Bengals and Falcons stink and are a combined 1-11 with defenses that are porous. This should help the Rams get to 5-3 heading into the bye week. So essentially they have three weeks to get to work on things before facing the 2-4 Steelers who are falling apart at the seams.

The Bears are 3-2 but like the Rams are flawed, or at least have warts. Then the Ravens who have gotten fat on lousy teams. Then the Cardinals.

Quite possibly all of these games could be wins which would place the Rams at 9-3 heading into the home stretch..........and you guessed it..........they play the 49ers and Seahawks. A chance to reclaim the division is possible and it will depend on the next 6 games which are all very winnable.

The Rams have to take advantage of this soft spot in the schedule and I'm sure if I know this they know it too.

I sure do MISS those guys!!!

By Gary KleinStaff Writer

Oct. 13, 2019

8:55 PM

The Coliseum has not been a venue for success for Rams quarterback Jared Goff as of late.
Two weeks ago, Goff passed for a career-high 517 yards, but he had three passes intercepted and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On Sunday, Goff passed for a career-low 78 yards in a 20-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“I’ve had bad games before, and try to limit them, but it happens,” said Goff, who before the season signed a four-year extension that included $110 million in guarantees. “Just going to keep building, keep getting better and look inwardly and just keep getting better.”

Goff completed 13 of 24 passes against the 49ers. His longest completion, to tight end Gerald Everett, covered 12 yards.
Receiver Robert Woods had two carries, including one for a touchdown, but did not catch a pass. Cooper Kupp had four receptions, Brandin Cooks three.

Goff’s previous low for passing yards also was against the 49ers, but that was during his rookie season in 2016, before coach Sean McVay installed an offense that ranked among the NFL’s best in 2017 and 2018.
On Dec. 24, 2016, Goff completed 11 of 20 passes for 90 yards in a 22-21 loss to the 49ers.
More injuries
The Rams, already playing without injured running back Todd Gurley, linebacker Clay Matthewsand cornerback Aqib Talib, might have lost another starter.


Left guard Joe Noteboom suffered an apparent right knee injury in the second quarter on a play when Goff was sacked. Noteboom was assisted off the field and did not return. McVay said after the game that he had no update. Noteboom was replaced by Jamil Demby.
Safety John Johnson left the game because of a right shoulder injury, but returned before he was ruled out.
Easy picking
Rams cornerback Marcus Peters intercepted a pass by 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the second quarter on a third-and-goal play from the one-yard line.
It was Peters’ second interception this season, and the 24th of his career. Peters returned an interception for a touchdown a few weeks ago against the Buccaneers.
RamsFarmer: Unbeaten 49ers soundly show the Rams they are real power in NFC West RamsFarmer: Unbeaten 49ers soundly show the Rams they are real power in NFC WestAfter wins over sub-.500 Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, many wondered if unbeaten 49ers were for real, until their 20-7 win over Rams.
Oct. 13, 2019
More CoverageRams searching for answers after falling to 49ers in third consecutive lossJared Goff’s erratic passing leads Rams to throws of defeat against 49ers
Garoppolo completed 24 of 33 passes for 243 yards.
“Jimmy is a dog out there,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We love Jimmy. I would wear his jersey on the sideline if I could.
“I love his mentality, I love watching him play. He’s had some unfortunate things with just not being able to stay healthy, but when he is healthy, he’s one of the better players.”
Tight end George Kittle caught eight passes for 103 yards for the 49ers.
Heating up

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald had two sacks, increasing his season total to three.
Donald sacked Garoppolo during the first series, and again in the fourth quarter when he forced a fumble that linebacker Cory Littleton scooped and ran with before lateraling to cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.
Donald, who had 20½ sacks last season, has 62½ career sacks.
Stepping in
Linebacker Samson Ebukamstarted in place of Matthews , who had a team-best six sacks before he suffered a broken jaw in the previous game against the Seattle Seahawks. Ebukam made five tackles but was unsatisfied.
“Missed a couple tackles so I’m not very proud of my performance,” he said. “Definitely some plays I left out there.”
RamsRams’ loss to 49ers by the numbers RamsRams’ loss to 49ers by the numbersA look at the big numbers from the Rams’ 20-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 of the NFL season.
Oct. 13, 2019
Rookie Troy Reeder started again at inside linebacker and made 10 tackles. Linebacker Bryce Hager returned from a shoulder injury that forced him to sit out against the Seahawks but did not make a tackle.
Safety Taylor Rapp returned from an ankle injury and made five tackles.
Linebacker Obo Okoronkwo, a fifth-round draft pick in 2018, played in a regular-season game for the first time. He did not make a tackle.

There won't be much of a birthday party celebration this year.

You will have better birthdays and games.

O-Line help isn't coming until the off-season so battle with what you have the last 10 games.

Monday Night Football: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

The NFL's "Black and Blue" division takes center stage in the Week 6 edition of "Monday Night Football." The Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field with first-place implications in the NFC North Division at stake. A win for the Packers (4-1) gives them a stranglehold on the division, while a win for the Lions (2-1-1) would put them ahead by percentage points. The Lions have swept the Packers in each of the last two seasons.

Getting their first win in this series since 2016 won't be easy for the Packers. But they are eager to prove that the loss to Philadelphia last week was just a blip on the radar. As for the Lions, this is a must-win game for them as they are looking to return to the postseason. Both teams, however, come into this game with injury concerns.

Detroit at Green Bay

Kickoff: Monday, Oct. 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Packers -3.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Injury concerns on offense

Both teams are banged up on this side of the ball. The Packers are expecting to be without wide receiver Davante Adams (turf toe) again, which will be a huge blow to this offense. He is the team's leading pass catcher with 25 catches for 378 yards, and he's averaging 15 yards per reception. The team's second-leading receiver, Marquez Valdes-Scantling (17 receptions, 235 yards, 1 TD), is questionable with calf and hamstring injuries.

If both men are unable to go, then look for Aaron Rodgers to give more looks to tight end Jimmy Graham (12, 132, 2), and the team's No. 3 receiver, Geronimo Allison (10, 104, 2). They may also have to lean more on running back Aaron Jones (78 carries, 302 yards, 8 TDs). Rodgers continues to be lights out from the pocket, as he's completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,307 yards and six touchdowns. The Packers are averaging close to 25 points per game.

For the Lions, it's rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson (concussion) and wide receiver Danny Amendola (chest) who are listed as questionable. If both men are unable to go, then the Lions will lose a combined 22 receptions for 307 yards and three scores. If that's the case, then Matthew Stafford (62.4 completion percentage, 1,122 yards, 9 TDs) will throw extra passes to receivers Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr., who have combined for 37 catches for 520 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Kerryon Johnson (74 carries, 251 yards, 1 TD) had his first 100-yard game of the season last week against Kansas City. If the Lions are shorthanded in the passing game, then they may need Johnson to reach the century mark again.

2. Defense could decide the game

The Packers are eighth in the league in points allowed per game (18.6), they're tied for sixth in sacks (15), and they're second in interceptions (7). And while the Lions are giving up over 400 yards per game, they have been able to generate a pass rush at times (9 sacks), and they're able to occasionally force turnovers (8 takeaways). This game may come down to a big stop in the end.

3. By the numbers

The Lions may currently own a four-game winning streak over the Packers, but since 2010 the Packers own a 10-8 series lead, with five of those wins coming at home. Before this current streak, the Lions hadn't swept the Packers since 1988.

Final Analysis

Even with the injuries, the Packers still have more firepower than the Lions do, and they have a better defense. It'll be a close game, but Green Bay will find a way to break this losing streak against Detroit.

Prediction: Packers 27, Lions 24

Vikings are a good example of what a couple of wins does to reset outlook.

NFL Week 6 insider notes: Vikings a new team since airing grievances, time to worry about Chiefs and more

Sometimes you just need to get something off your chest.

Sometimes a little venting goes a long way. Sometimes, an airing of grievances can be a good thing, and bring out the best in a team. In the case of the Minnesota Vikings, the aerial results since their skill players went public with their displeasure about the offense have been beyond reproach. This looks like a totally different downfield attack the past two weeks, and all of a sudden it is smiles all around in Minnesota.

Remember when receiver Adam Thielen was calling out quarterback Kirk Cousins after another dreadful outing in Week 4 against Chicago, and then Cousins was apologizing to him on his radio show, all while receiver Stefon Diggs was airing passive-aggressive trade demands? Yeah, all of that happened, and since then the Vikings have appeared much more loose on offense, chucking the ball around with greater zeal and confidence. It's been a tale of two seasons, already, and on Sunday they picked apart the Eaglesfor the better part of four quarters, with Diggs serving as the superstar one week after Thielen did.

After starting the year with an ugly 10-pass-attempt game and then winning the following week with just 13 completions, Cousins appeared to be having a crisis of confidence and execution. Throwback head coach Mike Zimmer – he of the run early, run often, run always mentality – seemed to have sapped this unit of its will to put the ball in the air, but conflict may not have been the worst thing for this bunch.

Cousins, the last two weeks, has completed 44 of 56 passes (79 percent!) for 639 yards (11.4 yards per attempt!) with seven touchdowns and just one interception. Sure, he lacks signature wins against quality teams, but while the Eagles are not playing like Super Bowl contenders lately, they certainly had that billing in the preseason. Perhaps, Cousins has got himself back together.

And after being glorified spectators the first month of the season, Thielen now has 13 catches for 187 yards and three touchdowns the past weeks, while Diggs has 10 catches for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Not too shabby. With Dalvin Cook running the ball as well as anyone on the planet, that is as balanced as you can hope. On the whole, the Vikings' defense has been as good as it gets in 2019. Throw in the fact they are mauling people at home (3-0 with a scoring differential of 100-44) and I suspect the Vikings are a factor in the NFC North.

Concern about Mahomes, Chiefs grows

It's time to start to worry about the Chiefs. This ankle thing with Patrick Mahomes is a thing. It's been going on for about a month now and at various points each week he seems suddenly ordinary due to the limitations of that ankle, and given all of the other injuries at play, and the general ineptitude of the Chiefs defense, and you have ample reason for concern.

As each game goes on, Mahomes' ankle invariably gets rolled up on or stepped on or simply flares up, and he has been unable to move normally. He becomes tethered to a spot and he can't follow throw on his attempts properly and it becomes all arms, which limits his accuracy. He was a different QB after suffering another shot to the ankle on Sunday, and with this offense under duress, it's fair to wonder if this becomes an ongoing theme.

And if the Chiefs are not going to be able to play with a big lead, and thus be able to hide their lack of any semblance of a rushing defense, then the margins for victory become significantly more slim for them. Like, losing twice in a row at home is un-Arrowhead like, and, frankly, they were lucky as hell to beat the Lions the week before.

They could get away with some of this stuff last year when they could at least muster a big-time pass rush … but they haven't replaced Justin Houston or Dee Ford and the secondary is as bad as ever and the QB isn't on record-shattering pace anymore and the games are closer … and did I mention they can't even pretend to stop the run?

Here are the time of possession and rushing totals for Chiefs opponents the last four weeks:

Baltimore – 32:44, 203 yards
Detroit – 33:55, 186 yards
Indianapolis – 37:15, 180 yards
Houston – 39:48, 192 yards

Good luck fixing that, before or after the trade deadline. If Mahomes is super human, then we gloss over a lot of this. But with him not able to transcend, and with that ankle flaring up on a regular basis, and with the Chiefs playing at Denver on a very short week, and then the Packers and Vikings defenses looming after that, things could really open up in the AFC West.

More insider notes from Week 6

• If the Bengals don't unload their bevy of over-30 trade chips in the next two weeks there should be a federal inquiry. There is no counter argument. Zero. Zilch. Yeah, the score looked kinda close Sunday, as they fell to 0-6, but they gave up 324 yards in the first half alone, they were only in it early because of a TD off the opening kickoff, and they don't have a discernible strength on either side of the ball. Keeping A.J. Green and Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap would be ridiculous. Sorry. …
• People are freaking out in Cleveland. They shouldn't. And guess what, when the Browns lose to New England coming out of their bye and drop to 3-5, don't freak out, either. They can beat bad teams and aren't ready to beat elite teams yet. But Baltimore is in the same boat, and the Ravens have the Seahawks and Pats looming, and 8-8 could win that flawed division. Baker Mayfieldwon't lead the league in turnovers all season – though he does now with 12 – and the schedule will ease up soon enough. Let it breath and remember where you were a year ago when Hue Jackson was campaigning to take back play-calling duties. …
• Jalen Ramsey pulled the ultimate power move on Sunday, sitting again with his "back" problem after owner Shad Khan went on TV last week to say that he expected him to play. Like I've been reporting, this was only going to keep getting more and more ugly and this player sees no future for himself in Jacksonville and will do whatever he can to force a trade. At 2-4, and at another crossroads, and with the ability to land a massive haul of picks, the Jags need to move on. Having this hanging over them every week does them no good and the player won't be re-signing there, anyway. …
• I'd put the over/under on Eagles trades at two, with at least one being of some significance. GM Howie Roseman has been working it for weeks and that team needs help. Injuries have been a killer and the frustration was boiling over for QB Carson Wentzon Sunday. …
• Russell Wilson is the NFL front-runner for MVP right now. Has to be. Of course, some of us had him No. 2 on the best players in the league top 100 this summer (and I think my guy Prisco had him around 50) … And Deshaun Watson would probably be my No. 2 in the MVP race. When they give him even a little bit of protection he is special. …
• Lamar Jackson absolutely shredded the Bengals Sunday and already has 460 yards on 69 carries this season (6.7 per carry). He is on pace for 1,230 rushing yards (and that despite running just three times for six yards in a Week 1 blowout of the Dolphins). …
• With Dan Quinn's firing in Atlanta becoming a matter of when and not if, I would imagine Raheem Morris would be the best candidate for the interim title.

12 biggest dead money charges in 2019

Dead money is a salary cap charge for a player that is no longer on a team's roster. It exists because of how salary cap accounting rules operate.

Signing bonuses, option bonuses and certain roster bonuses are prorated or spread out evenly over the life of a contract for a maximum of five years. When a player is released, traded or retires, the remaining proration of these salary components immediately accelerate onto his team's current salary cap.

For example, the Giants had the largest amount of dead money related to an individual player in 2018 with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul at $15 million. Pierre-Paul's $20 million signing bonus counted toward the Giants' salary cap for each year of the four-year, $60 million contract he signed in 2017. Since he was traded to the Buccaneers in March 2018 after playing just one year under his contract, the $5 million of signing bonus proration from each of the last two years of the contract in 2019 and 2020 automatically accelerated onto New York's salary cap in 2018.

There are two major exceptions to this general rule of bonus proration accelerating. Only the current year's proration counts toward the cap with players released, traded or retiring after June 1. The bonus proration in future contract years is delayed until the following league year, which typically begins in early to mid-March.

A team can also release two players each league year prior to June 1 (known as a Post-June 1 designation) that will be treated under the cap as if released after June 1. With a post-June 1 designation, a team is required to carry the player's full cap number until June 2 even though he is no longer a part of the roster. The player's salary comes off the books at that time unless it is guaranteed.

This means dead money is typically a sunk cost where money isn't owed to a player. In Pierre-Paul's case, New York had a residual cap charge last year although his signing bonus was paid in 2017. A payment is associated with dead money when there are salary guarantees at the time of release or departure comes after the player has already begun receiving a portion of his compensation in that particular league year.

Excessive dead money can inhibit a team's ability to field a competitive team. The salary cap room needed to be active in free agency or give contract extensions to important players on the team shrinks.

Here's a look at the players responsible for the largest amounts of dead money this year. There are 12 players with at least $8 million in dead money.

Potential dead money subject to a grievance is not included in the calculations. Neither are potential expenses from termination pay since a player must submit paperwork during a small timeframe right after the regular season ends in order to collect even though there's cap charge for it when a qualifying player is released. The Collective Bargaining Agreement's $235 daily amount for participating in a team's voluntary offseason workout program is included in dead money when applicable.

Antonio Brown: $21.12 million (Steelers)
Brown signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension containing a $19 million signing bonus in February 2017, which made him the NFL's highest paid wide receiver. The Steelers didn't expect Brown to force a trade a year later when restructuring his contract in March 2018 by converting $12.96 million of his 2018 salary into signing bonus to create salary cap room. Brown had three years left on his contract when traded to the Raiders this past March. The $21.12 million comes from the signing bonus proration relating to the $19 million signing bonus originally in the extension and the $12.96 million signing bonus from last year's restructure.

Ryan Tannehill: $18,423,334 (Dolphins)
The Dolphins converting $16.685 million of Tannehill's $17.475 million 2018 base salary into signing bonus for salary cap purposes suggested that his roster spot in 2019 would be secure. Tannehill's inconsistency and head coach Adam Gase's firing led to his departure. The new regime dealing Tannehill to the Titans in March was the first of a series of moves in Miami's plan to tank this season. To help facilitate the trade, the Dolphins took on $5 million of Tannehill's 2019 salary. Since teams aren't allowed to include cash or cap room in trades under NFL rules, the Dolphins and Tannehill renegotiated his contract before the trade by converting the $5 million of salary into signing bonus with him also taking a pay cut where his 2020 contract year was deleted. The salary conversion operates essentially the same way as including cash or cap room because the acquiring team's cap hit for the player in the current league year is reduced.

Andrew Luck: $18,407,520 (Colts)
Luck stunned the NFL in late August by abruptly retiring because of the physical toll multiple injuries had taken on him. His 2019 contract year contained two different $6 million fifth day of the league year roster bonuses (March 17). The Colts reportedly waived rights to recoup up to $24.8 million from Luck because of his retirement. $12.8 million of the $32 million signing bonus from Luck's 2016 extension which made him the NFL's highest paid player and the $12 million in roster bonuses were recoverable.

Blake Bortles: $16.5 million (Jaguars)
The Jaguars went all-in on Blake Bortles after an unexpected playoff run to the AFC Championship Game during the 2017 season. Bortles was given a two-year, $34.497 million extension (worth up to another $12.5 million through salary escalators and incentives) with $26.5 million fully guaranteed instead of allowing him to play the 2018 season on his $19.053 million fifth year option. He took such a step backwards last season after being an effective game manager in 2017 that he was benched four games in early December for Cody Kessler, who didn't fare any better, until the regular season finale.

The Jaguars would have been able to walk away from Bortles without any cap consequences had he been under his fifth year option instead of releasing him in March. Bortles would have had an expiring contract. The $16.5 million in dead money stems from his $6.5 million salary guarantee in 2019, which has an offset, and $10 million of signing bonus proration from his 2019 and 2020 contract years. Because of the offset, the Jaguars are getting $1 million in cap relief from the one-year, $1 million fully guaranteed deal Bortles signed with the Rams days after his release.

Odell Beckham, Jr.: $16 million (Giants)
The Giants dealt Beckham to the Browns in March for a 2019 first round pick, 2019 third round pick and safety Jabrill Peppers despite signing him to a five-year, $90 million extension last preseason, which included a $20 million signing bonus. The deal, which contains additional $5 million in salary escalators, made Beckham the highest paid receiver in the NFL. Beckham isn't playing any of the five new contract years with the Giants thanks to the trade. Just like with Pierre-Paul in 2018, the Giants have a hefty residual cap charge relating to signing bonus.

Joe Flacco: $16 million (Ravens)
The Ravens put Flacco on notice by taking 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson with the last pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. Flacco's hip injury during the middle of last season gave Jackson an opportunity to start. The Super Bowl XLVII MVP never got back in the starting lineup because Jackson provided a spark, which helped the Ravens reach the playoffs. With Flacco expendable because of Jackson, he was traded to the Broncos in March. Flacco's 2016 extension running through the 2021 season contained a $40 million signing bonus, which was the largest ever in an NFL contract at that time. Flacco's $16 million is Baltimore's biggest cap charge this year.

Ndamukong Suh: $13.1 million (Dolphins)
Suh is responsible for Miami's third largest cap charge this year although he last played for the Dolphins in 2017. Miami's 2016 restructure for cap purposes helped hasten Suh's departure in March 2018. His $26.1 million 2018 cap number was unmanageable. The restructure made a post-June 1 designation the only way to pick up significant cap room with Suh's release. Miami didn't have the luxury of time because $8.5 million of Suh's $16.985 million 2018 base salary was set to become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year (March 18). The post-June 1 designation allowed the Dolphins to take Suh's cap hit over two years instead having him count $22.2 million in 2018.

Nick Perry: $11.1 million (Packers)
Green Bay would likely have a lot less dead money for Perry if their contracts were structured in a more conventional manner. With the exception of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the only guaranteed money in Packers veteran contracts is a signing bonus. The five-year, $60 million deal Perry signed in 2017 had an $18.5 million signing bonus. The bigger deals, like Perry's, contain a third or fifth day of the league year roster bonus in the second and third years. The roster bonuses are supposed to be substitutes for additional contract guarantees. That isn't necessarily the case because Perry was released in March before his $4.8 million third day of the league year roster bonus was due.

Kam Chancellor: $10.2 million (Seahawks)
The three-year, $36 million extension, which had a $10 million signing bonus, the Seahawks gave Chancellor in 2017 is one of the rare instances where significant injury guarantees come into play with an NFL contract. Chancellor suffered a serious neck injury during the middle of the 2017 season that ultimately ended his career. Chancellor's $6.8 million 2018 base salary and $5.2 million of his $10 million 2019 base salary were guaranteed for injury when he signed the deal. The severity of Chancellor's injury and his 2018 base salary becoming fully guaranteed a few days after Super Bowl LII in February 2018 didn't leave the Seahawks with any good options for his contract. Since it was too cost prohibitive to release Chancellor in 2018, he remained on the roster until this past May. The Seahawks are paying him $5.2 million this year because of the guarantee.

Aaron Colvin: $8,522,910 (Texans)
Colvin signed a four-year, $34 million contract with the Texans in 2018 as an unrestricted free agent. Houston released him after this season's first game despite his $7.5 million base salary being fully guaranteed. Colvin promptly signed with the Redskins for his $805,000 league minimum salary. The Texans will get to lessen their obligation to Colvin from the money he makes from the Redskins because their guarantee contains an offset.

Josh Rosen: $8,160,659 (Cardinals)
Trading a first round quarterback before his second season was unprecedented in the salary cap era, which dates back to 1994, until Rosen was dealt to Dolphins during the 2019 draft. Keeping Rosen didn't make sense for the Cardinals after selecting Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in this year's draft. The Cardinals gave 2018's 10th overall pick just under $11.36 million for one year, which is 64.5 percent of the total value of his rookie contract, by dealing him. Rosen's rookie contract with the Cardinals was worth just under $17.6 million, including a signing bonus of nearly $10.9 million.

Olivier Vernon: $8 million (Giants)
The Giants acquired offensive guard Kevin Zeitler from the Browns to help shore up a porous offensive line in exchange for Vernon. A couple of mid-round 2019 draft picks were also swapped in the process. Vernon had two years remaining on the five-year, $85 million contract he signed with the Giants in 2016 free agency. His deal contained a $20 million signing bonus, which has $4 million of annual proration.

Not quite as bad but in 2002 we started 0-5. But after our shocking SB loss to the Patriots the season before we went into the following season with an O-line playing very poorly. An injured star running back. Could not find balance on offense. A defense giving up too many 3rd downs. A scary/historic offense created by an offensive genius being found out by the rest of the league. The only thing is that our starting QB isnt injured (Warner was). We fell in a deep hole and finished 7-9 missed the playoffs. I guess SB hangovers are real. Can we rebound better than that 2002 team?

Jeff Eisenberg
,
Yahoo Sports•October 13, 2019


The 49ers defense hold the Rams offense in check

LOS ANGELES – At the end of a humbling 20-7 loss to San Francisco that seemed to signal a shift in the NFC West’s balance of power, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff stared out at a sea of reporters and raised an important question.
“It’s a gut check,” he admitted. “Are you who you say you are?”
For the past three weeks, the Rams have looked nothing like the Super Bowl contenders they were expected to be. The longest losing streak of Sean McVay’s previously sterling tenure as head coach has left the reigning NFC champs in distant third place in their division and in jeopardy of missing the playoffs if they can’t turn things around in a hurry.

It didn’t seem like too big a deal when the Rams dumped a home game against Tampa Bay two weeks ago after their defense no-showed. It was more concerning when Greg Zuerlein’s missed field goal doomed them to a narrow loss at division rival Seattle last week. Now it’s panic time after the Rams suffered a convincing home loss in a game pitting the NFC West’s preseason favorite against an undefeated upstart seeking to dethrone them.



Solomon Thomas wraps up Jared Goff for a sack in San Francisco's dominant 20-7 victory against Los Angeles. (USA TODAY Sports)


San Francisco further validated its 5-0 start with a stifling defensive effort, limiting the Rams to 0-for-13 on third and fourth down and to just 78 yards through the air. The final score might have been even more one-sided had the 49ers not thrown an end-zone interception and failed to convert another first-and-goal chance into a touchdown.

“Was it a humbling day for us? Absolutely, but it’s something that we’re going to learn from,” McVay said. “We’re not going to let it demoralize us. That’s a good football team, they did a nice job, we didn’t do enough collectively.”
The knee-jerk reaction to the Rams’ recent woes is to blame Goff or to say that McVay has been figured out. In truth, the biggest problem is a revamped offensive line that so far has not been nearly good enough.

Whereas the Rams have enjoyed continuity on the offensive line in recent years, this past offseason they cut loose a pair of interior linemen with a combined 236 starts. The Rams also did not go outside the organization to replace center John Sullivan and guard Rodger Saffold, opting to gamble that young guys already on the roster could emerge as capable replacements.
The result has been a line that hasn’t consistently opened holes in the run game and hasn’t kept Goff upright long enough to connect downfield. Goff entered Sunday’s game having attempted the lowest percentage of 20-plus-yard passes among NFL starting quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.

Aware that their line was unlikely to hold up against a relentless 49ers pass rush that has made life miserable for quarterbacks this season, the Rams altered their game plan to mask their flaws. They emphasized running the ball, even with Todd Gurley sidelined with a thigh contusion. When they passed, it was typically something underneath, a screen or a dump-off to a tight end or running back.
It worked, at first. All seven of the Rams’ plays were runs on a promising 56-yard opening drive that ended with a Robert Woods end-around for an 8-yard touchdown.
Eventually the 49ers adjusted and the Rams had no response, especially after left guard Joe Noteboom exited with a first-half leg injury. Once the 49ers stuffed both Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson at the goal line during the second quarter, the Rams did not penetrate the red zone the rest of the game.
Too often the Rams found themselves in third-and-long, and McVay seldom showed much faith in his offensive line. Goff threw second-quarter screen passes to Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp that went nowhere on third-and-13 and third-and-21. On third-and-18 early in the third quarter, Goff handed off to Henderson for a loss of two yards.

At one point early in the fourth quarter, Goff had 27 passing yards. At that time, his vaunted trio of elite wide receivers had more combined rushing yards than they had through the air.
When a two-score deficit forced the Rams to get more aggressive, it became obvious why the game plan had been so timid for three quarters. Solomon Thomas, Dee Ford and Arik Armstead each recorded second-half sacks as Goff struggled in the face of constant pressure and McVay failed to introduce a scheme that could help him.
“We’ve got some injury stuff and we’re not playing well enough,” veteran offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We’re in the hole trying to figure things out how to overcome those things. It’s something this team hasn’t done the past couple years. We’ve stayed really healthy. So it’s a new experience.”
While the Rams’ margin for error to stay in the NFC West race is diminishing rapidly, all hope is not lost for one of the NFL’s most talented teams.
One silver lining is that Sunday’s one-sided loss did not come against a mediocre opponent. The 49ers are the NFC’s lone unbeaten team for a reason and their front seven is going to make a lot of offensive lines look overmatched.
Another silver lining is the Rams’ upcoming schedule softens. They have a chance to get right against struggling Atlanta and winless Cincinnati before facing Pittsburgh.
A third silver lining for the Rams is that nobody in their locker room appears to be pointing fingers. Goff, Kupp and Woods each declined to place blame on any one unit and insisted they are confident a reversal of fortune is coming.

Are the Rams who we’ve said they are? Goff says they aren’t yet but they will be.
“We’ve got the players that we need and we’ve got the coaches that we need,” Goff said. “We just need to be better and haven’t been. Again, it’s myself included and everyone else on the offense. We will get it fixed and be better.”

Being a fan for a very long time I live with the wins and losses. Some hirt more than others.
Today stung a lot. The game itself was hard to watch at times and seeing that stadium in a sea of red really stung.
The players have to be disheartened to not get a true home field advantage. The die hard fans that attend have to be pissed off at this point.
A rivalry game and the niners had home field advantage in our stadium.
Way too many tickets sold to opposing fans to think it is an accident.
People are buying them to sell period.
If they weren't they would give them to those that cannot attend otherwise.
There are plenty of kids that would love to attend games.
New Stadium next year if you are a fan and buy SSLs either show up or make sure someone who would like to attend but cannot afford to gets a chance if you cannot go.
Do not let today happen at the new digs.

Okay, patterns. Not in our favor and only getting worse. And this isn't comprehensive. Had some family agro and I'm just not up for comprehensive.

Anyway, I don't see that this is a question of effort, heart or desire. Guys are playing hard on offense and defense.

So... what do we do?

1) Letting Saffold go clearly was a mistake. If we could swap Saffold for Fowler (who I really like), we're in an entirely different situation.

2) Injuries are hammering us this year because they're at critical positions. Every year a team with tons of talent go 5-11 because of injuries at critical positions. That's us this year.

3) McVay is getting a year long clinic that scheme only works when you win in the trenches. If you're not dominating, you're getting dominated.

So, what happens?

1) Fowler is gone. We need his salary. This is unfortunate, but a) he's going to earn a big contract and b) we need that money for the OL

2) We can't dump any of our skill players and we shouldn't. Also, it would hurt the cap more than help, so that's not an option.

3) Gurley isn't the problem. When given the slightest space, he's run with power and confidence. When he's in pass pro 50 snaps, it's hard to get into a rhythm.

4) McVay will continue to iterate and may find sporadic success, but his system is going to need an overhaul or he's gonna be a 1 hit wonder. I think McVay can do it (I mean he came out and ran it down their throats to start the game, but didn't seem to be able to leverage that)

How do we accomplish this?

1) We're going to be HEAVY in the market for OGs. Noteboom will slide to LT, I like Edwards at RT and Havenstein at RG, but either way we need at LEAST a very strong LOG and probably both OG spots and that's gonna cost. At the very least, we need a very competent and strong ROG, be it Hav moving in or someone being brought in because that right side A gap is killing us every week. Every. Week.

2) We're in a huge pickle with our DB situation. I think we go after Ramsey at the end of the season (you think the Jags are sorry they didn't take our 1st rounder now?), let both Talib and Peters go and maybe find another man CB. This hybrid zone isn't working. It's making due. I dunno how much money we'll have, but if we let go both Brockers and Fowler, we should have the money to address this.

3) funny enough, our LB situation is pretty solid.

If Snead and Demoff can work out the OG and CB situation and McVay can adjust his system, we'll be fine in the future. Not this year, but the future.

If not, then yesterday's genius will be tomorrow's cautionary tale.

I love McVay, but this league is all about adaptation. Adapt or be swallowed up.

What does this mean for this year?



It's gonna feel like torture while they work it out. Every game is gonna be up and down with more down UNTIL at the very least, we address the schematic issues because defenses are ahead of us. Couple that with weak interior OL play and it's gonna get ugly.

I wanted the EP offense, but know that McVay can and has put tons of points up. That will only continue if we adjust. Adjustments of this magnitude take time.

In the mean time, we'll see more games like this one and the Seattle game. Our D will keep us in games and even give us multiple chances, but like this game, all the chances in the world won't mean anything if our offense is completely nullified.... and right now it is.

I still love this team and will root for them through thick and thin. It's frustrating that it got so thin so quickly, but it is what it is.

The truth is that based on what I see, we're a defensive score from being a 6-10 team. If the D wins a game, we'll be 6-10, otherwise, this is a 5-11 team... maybe one of the most talented in the history of the NFL, but styles make fights and if you got someone who's figured you out and they're committed, you got Buster Douglas KO'ing Mike Tyson.

I'll respond to any questions or posts, but I'll likely try to avoid commenting too much in the vent thread and then I'll take another sabbatical because I've learned that it sorta ruins it when you know the outcome in advance.

Sorry if I spoiled things for anyone.

Chicken Fajitas!

With a whipped vodka/cranberry.

I can't put my finger on exactly what is wrong with this team, one week it's one thing and the next week it's another. As much as I hate to admit it they are just not very good and a hard team to watch every week. To make matters worst my daughter got me tickets for next weeks game against the Falcons, for Christmas this past year. I remember how excited I was when I received this gift now I will have to try my best to fake having a good time.

I know I am since they don't change anything. Especially blood pressure. Time to start winning!

I would love to be a fly on the wall listening to the plan from the bosses on how to make next year's opening at the new stadium mean something. Right now we are looking at another few years of futility. Really bad timing. The o line? Oh my.

Did anybody hear anything? It looked bad. Never got an update during the game, that I heard.

Man, that broadcast crew is quite possibly my least favorite. And that is saying something. Schlereth and Stockton SUUUUUUUUCK. LOL.

Hopefully Noteboom's injury isn't as bad as it looked.