Step on no pets.

A man. A plan. A canal; Panama

Stack cats

By: Cameron DaSilva | 2 hours ago



With four meetings in the last three seasons, the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints have grown to become bitter rivals. It doesn’t help that the Rams knocked the Saints out of the playoffs due to a controversial no-call in the NFC championship game last postseason, adding to the fierce competition between the two teams.
They’ve split the last four meetings, with the Rams winning the most important one in January. And on Sunday, they’ll meet again, this time at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Aaron Donald has grown accustomed to facing the Saints and he knows exactly what to expect from Sean McVay’s squad: “A dog fight.”
Donald is excited about taking on the defending NFC South champions this weekend and knows it’s bound to be a close game.

“We’ve been playing them every season. We know what type of game it’s going to be. It’s usually a physical game. It’s a game with a lot of back-and-forth – usually a good game, a close game. That’s what we expect, we expect a dog fight,” Donald told Rams Wire in an interview on behalf of Pizza Hut. “We’re excited about playing a good team like that. We kind of know what to expect from teams that we saw last year. We played them twice and they gave us different looks and tried to find ways to slow us down and do certain things. But that’s what we’ve got great coaches for, to watch that and for us as a team, put that together and go out there and execute it.”

The Saints did a good job keeping Donald in check last season, holding him to zero sacks in both games. As he always does, he impacted the game in other ways.
He hit Drew Brees three times in the NFC championship game and another four times in Week 9, despite never bringing him down for a sack. He generated pressure consistently in both games and also had three combined tackles for loss.
Brees gets the ball out of his hands so quickly that it’s difficult for even the best pass rushers to sack him. It’s exactly why he was taken down just 17 times last season and once against the Texans on Monday night.
Donald will have to be on top of his game in Week 2 because he knows more double teams are coming.
“It’s expected,” he said.


Donald recently joined the Pizza Hut family and was featured in a new ad, showing off his skills on the ping pong table.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Pizza Hut family as one of the new brand ambassadors. … As a kid, grew up loving Pizza Hut, eating it like every kid. I remember my grandma taking me and my brother and my sister to Pizza Hut and us sitting down and eating pizza and I’m excited to be a part of the team.”

By: Cameron DaSilva | 30 minutes ago


The Los Angeles Rams made a few roster moves on Tuesday, waiving three players with injury settlements. They parted ways with Aaron Neary, Dominique Hatfield and Trevon Young.

Hatfield and Young were waived with injury designations when final cuts were made, and after passing through waivers, they reverted to IR. Neary was placed on the reserve/suspended list before Week 1 due to the four-game suspension he was handed this offseason.

Neary had suffered a significant ankle injury anyway and was deemed out indefinitely. So even after his suspension ended, he wasn’t likely to contribute any time soon, if at all. Young and Hatfield were already out for the season after landing on IR.

smh. So glad he's no longer in horns.

This is something that I think is fun to do as we go forward in years 3+ and we see what guys really become. Thinking about Littleton's development while in the other thread got me thinkin about it, so here's a quick set of grades given production vs draft spot:

1. Goff: A+. His stats in his first 3 years are on par with the greatest QBs in this game's history. Super Bowl challenger in year three. Anything less than an A+ is MFing wrong.

4. Higbee: B+. He gets this grade due to the round 4 selection and the fact that he's started for us since. Not an impact player, but more a blue collar type starter that you can't have enough of on a team. As a TE he's a stout blocker and can make some plays for you in the passing game.

4. Cooper: C-. Started off looking like a core teams guy who could play a bit in the slot. Ended up with a broken psyche after the 2017 playoff meltdown on returns. Gets this grade due to his teams contributions before the talent squeezed him off the roster.

6. Hemingway: F. Typical Fisher type selection, which I am fine with by the way in round 6. But in spite of his size/length/athleticism he never became a core teams guy and never developed as a TE.

6. Forrest: F. Same as above. This guy should have been a teams demon.

6. Thomas: B-. Core teams player since his drafting, demonstrated ability as a plus gunner. Made McVay's roster in his final year of team control. Might be a starter down the road but it probably won't be for the Rams.

UDFA Littleton: A+. Core teams player early. Has grown into a Pro Bowl level starting ILB, good vs the run and pass. Remarkable find.

Overall grade: A. Rams ended years of futility by manning up and going and getting their franchise QB, which is a successful draft in any year. But they also managed to find a Pro Bowl LB and a solid TE starter. Not amazing or record breaking, but the kind of draft that you build a team around nice job Les Snead and company, and I include Jeff Fisher in that as well.

By: Cameron DaSilva | 3 hours ago


After parting ways with John Sullivan and Rodger Saffold left in free agency, the Los Angeles Rams were left with gaping holes at center and left guard. They knew who would replace those two veterans, but no one truly knew how Brian Allen and Joseph Noteboom would do as starters.
They hardly played last season as rookies, and Sean McVay opted to rest both players in the preseason. As a result, Sunday was their first real test in the NFL.

This was no small test, either. They had to face the likes of Kawann Short, Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe up front. None of those three players recorded a single sack, however, and they didn’t get close to Jared Goff very often.
Suffice to say, McVay came away impressed with the way both young linemen played.

“I thought they were really productive,” McVay said. “I think, for the most part, when you look at it, it took us a little bit to get going offensively. But, once we settled in, I thought the removal that we got in the run game, I thought the way they protected, for the most part, was really a great job by those guys. It’s a formidable front. You look at the guys all across the board, they’ve got some really good players. For the guys to play the way that they did in both phases, we were very pleased with that. Looking forward to see if we can carry it on against another great front coming up against the Saints.”
As a center, Allen has more responsibility than Noteboom – or any other lineman, for that matter. He has to make calls at the line, identify blitzers, help set the protections and, well, snap the ball.
Those are aspects of the game that first-year starters sometimes struggle with early in their careers. It was an aspect of Sullivan’s game that really benefited the Rams, and Allen is hoping to make that transition seamless.
After one week, he’s on the right track.
“I thought he did a great job. For us to not have any pre-snap issues, on the road, in a hostile environment with us being able to mix up the cadence, we got a couple things where we got them to jump offsides on a big third-and-7, that got us to a third down-and-2. I thought he did a really nice job,” McVay said of Allen. “He and Jared, their rapport continues to grow. To be able to do it in a game that actually counts and being able to evaluate him, especially against caliber of players and structure of defenses that coach (Ron) Rivera was activating, we were really pleased with Brian. I would say we are proud of the performance, excited about it, but not surprised.”

Next up, Allen and the entire offensive line will have to deal with the Saints’ solid front, which is another tough matchup.

By: Cameron DaSilva | 2 hours ago


The Los Angeles Rams took care of business in Week 1, beating the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on the road Sunday. The Panthers put up a fight and nearly knocked off the defending NFC champions, but Jared Goff’s late touchdown pass helped seal the deal.
As is expected in Week 1, there was some noticeable rust and it took the Rams a little while to get into a rhythm. However, they got things going in the second half, especially on the ground.

Here’s how we graded every position group in the game on Sunday, beginning with Jared Goff at QB.


Quarterback: C+
Jared Goff was not his best on Sunday. He missed open receivers, threw behind targets and…




Running back: A-
Malcolm Brown and Todd Gurley looked like an unstoppable two-headed monster on Sunday, gaining 150 yards…





Wide receiver: B
Robert Woods dropped a catchable pass along the sideline and Brandin Cooks had just two catches…




Tight end: B
Gerald Everett was targeted once, making a good juggling catch for a first down. Tyler Higbee…




Offensive line: A-
Goff was only sacked once on a cornerback blitz and got hit five other times. He…




Defensive line: C+
Aaron Donald had one tackle and one quarterback hit but was shut out of the sack…





Inside linebacker: A
Cory Littleton was the only inside linebacker who played significant snaps and he shined. He’s tied…




Outside linebacker: B+
Dante Fowler Jr. led all NFL players in pass rush win rate Sunday, according to Next…



Cornerback: B
It was an uneventful day for the cornerbacks with Aqib Talib being the only player to…



Safety: B+
Taylor Rapp was all over the field, as was John Johnson, who had 11 total tackles.…





Special teams: C-
Johnny Hekker had a 7-yard punt and one of his other punts blocked in what was…

By: Cameron DaSilva | 23 hours ago


The Los Angeles Rams didn’t light up the scoreboard or put together the cleanest offensive performance against the Panthers, but they still escaped Charlotte with a 30-27 victory.
They outgained the Panthers 349 to 343 total yards and had 22 first downs – one more than Carolina – en route to the victory, as the Rams’ three takeaways proved to be pivotal.

Here are five interesting stats to know from the game, including a bit of history made by Cory Littleton.

Littleton makes history with huge game
Littleton was a big reason the Rams beat Carolina on Sunday thanks to his wildly productive day. He had 14 tackles, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, which is a stat line no other Rams defender has ever posted, according to Pro Football Reference.
Additionally, only one other player in NFL history has had at least 14 tackles, an interception and a fumble forced and recovered. That player is DeMeco Ryans, who did it in 2006 with the Texans.
Forced fumbles have only been a stat since 1993, but that doesn’t take away from the game Littleton had.

Malcolm Brown doubled his career TD total
Entering this game, Brown had one career rushing touchdown and one touchdown catch. On Sunday, he doubled that total with two touchdowns on the ground. It was his first multi-touchdown game in the NFL, bringing his career touchdown total to four (three rushing, one receiving).
He finished the day with 53 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Robert Woods set career-high for Week 1 receptions
Woods has become a star since coming to Hollywood, emerging as one of the more reliable receivers in the NFL. He was once again Mr. Consistent on Sunday, catching eight passes for 70 yards. His eight receptions are the most he’s ever had in Week 1.
Woods did drop a very catchable pass, so his numbers could’ve been even better. Jared Goff was also off-target throughout the game (Woods had 13 targets), but even still, Woods’ performance was solid.

Third straight year Rams had three takeaways in Week 1
With Sean McVay and Wade Phillips at the helm, the Rams defense has showed up in Week 1 each year. For the third straight season, the Rams forced three takeaways in the season opener.
They’re unsurprisingly 3-0 in those games, winning the turnover battle each time.
On Sunday, Littleton recovered a fumble (which he forced) and also picked off a pass. Samson Ebukam recovered another fumble on a backwards pass by Cam Newton, giving the Rams three total takeaways on the day.
Last season, they finished third in the NFL with 30 turnovers forced, so they picked up right where they left off.

Johnny Hekker’s bizarre day
It was an uncharacteristic day for Hekker. His first punt of the season went for a measly 7 yards despite the ball not being tipped. He was hurried on the kick as Brian Burns was bearing down on him, but the punt just went dead-left.
His next punt was a 68-yard boomer, which was among the longest in his career.
Later in the game, he had a punt blocked by the Panthers, which is just the third time he’s ever had one of his punts blocked.
Still, he left the game with an average of 46 yards per punt.

This was bothering me too!



Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/DubDotDUBBY/status/1171223197322285056?s=20

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2. Los Angeles Rams (1-0, LW: 2)
There weren’t a lot of big plays in the Rams’ passing attack. Jared Goff averaged less than 5 yards per attempt. L.A. had some issues passing late last season, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.


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About how to stop Kamara, he looks twice as good as McCaffety.

DAN GREENSPAN,Associated Press 2 hours 21 minutes ago


Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (89) spikes the football following his touchdown against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — For an offense that values continuity, the Los Angeles Rams had no problems bringing two inexperienced linemen into the fold.
Coach Sean McVay was pleased by center Brian Allen and left guard Joe Noteboom during the Rams' 30-27 win at the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The second-year pros opened the way for 166 yards rushing with an average of 5.2 yards per carry.

Allen and Noteboom both made their first career starts after the Rams did not re-sign veterans John Sullivan and Rodger Saffold.
"I thought they were really productive," McVay said Monday night. "Took us a little bit to get going offensively, but once we settled in I thought the removal that we got in the run game, the way they protected for the most part, was really a great job by those guys."
Allen was just as effective in handling the mechanics of his position, such as calling out protections. The Rams were not flagged for any false start or delay of game penalties, and Allen was even able to help quarterback Jared Goff get Panthers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to jump offside on a key third down in the third quarter.
"He and Jared, their rapport continues to grow, and to be able to do it in a game that actually counts and be able to evaluate him, especially against the caliber of players and the structure of defenses that coach (Ron) Rivera was activating, we were really pleased with Brian," McVay said. "I would say we're proud of the performance, excited about it, but not surprised."

WHAT'S WORKING
For all the concern about Todd Gurley's knee, the Rams showed they can still run the ball with their star back leading the way. Gurley had 64 yards rushing on 10 carries in the fourth quarter, finishing with 97 yards on 14 attempts. But it will be more of a committee effort this season to keep Gurley healthy. Malcolm Brown added 53 yards rushing and two short touchdowns as the main back near the goal line.

WHAT NEEDS HELP
The usually solid Rams special teams had an off day, with Greg Zuerlein missing a late field goal and return specialist JoJo Natson fielding a punt inside his own 5. Punter Johnny Hekker could have done more for the brand, as his first boot of the season traveled 7 yards. Hekker also had a punt blocked to set up a touchdown run by Christian McCaffrey.

STOCK UP
Outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. sacked Cam Newton twice, matching his seven-game total with the Rams last year after being acquired from Jacksonville in a midseason trade. Fowler said having a whole offseason to understand the nuances of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' system helped him to get off to a fast start. "It's a big, huge difference just being in the system," Fowler said Monday. "When I first came in, it was like I had four days to get ready, learn a whole new playbook."

STOCK DOWN
Fresh off signing his record-setting contract extension, Goff wasn't particularly sharp against the Panthers. Goff threw for 186 yards and one touchdown with one interception, and just five of his 23 completions gained at least 10 yards.

INJURED
Safety Eric Weddle is in the concussion protocol after sustaining a cut to his head caused by an errant knee from McCaffrey. McVay said Weddle did not have any symptoms of a concussion Monday and that the 13-year veteran would prepare this week as if he will play Sunday.

KEY NUMBER
.824 — The Rams are 14-3 on the road in the regular season since McVay took over as coach in 2017, the best winning percentage in the NFL during that span.

NEXT STEPS
A rematch of the controversial NFC championship game against New Orleans (1-0) is on deck in the Rams' home opener on Sunday. Fowler said he would be watching the Saints on Monday night, and the Rams will need plenty of pressure from him, Clay Matthews III and Aaron Donald to keep quarterback Drew Brees in check.

Breaking it down in a short amount of time.


Thanks for listening!

First as a long time and often long-suffering Rams fan, it's a good time to be a fan. But after watching a lot of qbs this weekend and thinking a lot about the end of the season and the Super Bowl last year, Goff's play concerns me, and not just for this one game. I really am starting to wonder what his ceiling is. Part of it is just the inconsistency, not just game to game, but even series to series. Sometimes he can be deadly accurate and put the ball in the perfect spot (like that on the run strike to Kupp against the Vikings - right over the defenders, perfect spot).

But then there are some other games = quite a few, where the accuracy goes, especially on the deep ball or where he just misses open receivers, check downs or 2nd read. There's the tendency to lock on a receiver, and worse, the difficulty with pressure (see Chicago, SB, etc). Granted every qb struggles some under pressure, but the best - Brees, Brady (ugh), Rodgers - seem to rise above it. Goff has shown flashes, too, though, like the KC game and NO playoff victory. Maybe the SB was just too big for a young qb, and losing Kupp + whatever was going on with Gurley + McVay frankly getting outcoached - he wasn't the sole issue. But the Patriots clearly knew they could rattle him by switching looks and by applying pressure.

The Rams will go as far as he can take them. It usually takes either a great qb (lots of examples) or a truly awesome defense (Ravens, Bucs, Giants, come to mind) to win a SB. Our defense is going to be Ok, but not close to elite, in my opinion anyway ( we were, what. like 19th in yards per game last year). In week one - some of it was rust, hopefully, but Goff's rating was below Darnold, Allen, even Garopollo. I just wonder at what point does an elite, or let's say even a very good to great, qb show more consistency, more of the dominant play that you see with the top tier qbs? Other young qbs seem to flash it (Mahones, Wason, etc). I don't know if Goff has a Brady/Brees/Rodgers ceiling ( I have doubts), a Ryan/Rivers level (which wouldn't be terrible), or more a Stafford/Flacco sort of trajectory.

Just really curious what other fans think, especially after we made a long-term commitment to Goff.

I've asked before and I searched for the thread but came up short.

My wife and I will be flying into LAX for the game Sunday.

We decided to rent a car rather than Uber it all.

I am wondering about where we should park?

Tail gating?

Cost?

I'm so pumped!

Please bring a Whistle

That is all.

Monday Night Football: Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders Prediction and Preview

What a week it has been for the Oakland Raiders as they prepare to face the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football" to close out Week 1.

Just months after acquiring Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a third- and a fifth-round pick, the Raiders released Brown on Saturday afternoon, just days before their season opener. This happened after the Raiders took away Brown's guaranteed money and fined him more than $200,000 after an altercation between him and general manager Mike Mayock.

Now Oakland will have to find a way to put the distraction behind them as they will try to pick up their first win of the new campaign.

As for the Broncos, things have been a lot quieter this summer for them as they have a new head coach in Vic Fangio. He is taking over for Vance Joesph, who was fired after Denver went 6-10 last season. The Broncos already have a game-changing defense led by seven-time Pro Bowler Von Miller. The key is can the offense improve enough to get them in contention in a difficult AFC West?

Monday night will be the Raiders' final home opener in Oakland as the team is set to move to Las Vegas in 2020. This also will be their 118th meeting all-time against Denver with the Raiders holding a 63-52-2 advantage. The teams split their two meetings last year with the home team winning each game.

Denver at Oakland

Kickoff: Monday, Sept. 9, 10:20 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Broncos -2

Three Things to Watch

1. How will Brown saga affect Raiders offense?

For months, the Raiders have been preparing to have Antonio Brown part of their offense against the Broncos. Now that the team released him days before their opener, Oakland head coach Jon Gruden and his staff will have their hands full coming up with a new gameplan to use against the Broncos. An area the Raiders could focus on is their running game.

Oakland selected Josh Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Gruden hasn't unlashed Jacobs as of yet since he played limited snaps during the preseason, but he could be the secret weapon the Raiders have been missing. Jacobs' versatility will be a bonus to the as he can not only be productive as a runner in the backfield but as a receiver out of the backfield as well.

With pass rushers like Von Miller and Bradley Chubb lined up on the other side, expect Derek Carr to get the ball out of his hands quickly, which could mean Jacobs should see a lot of targets.

2. Joe Flacco

Since Peyton Manning retired after Denver's victory in Super Bowl 50, the Broncos have been searching for stability at the quarterback position. The team hopes they have that in Flacco, who is a former Super Bowl MVP himself.

The Baltimore Ravens shipped Flacco off to the Broncos back in March. Flacco became expendable after the Ravens benched him midway through last season as first-round pick Lamar Jackson helped lead the team to an AFC North title. Judging by his stats over the years, Flacco's numbers have never been impressive. However, Flacco has gotten the job done in the playoffs (10-5 record, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions).

Denver just needs Flacco to take care of the ball and help them drive down the field. The Broncos can rely on Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman on the ground, which will take pressure off of their passing game. If he can do that, maybe Flacco and the Broncos could be a surprise in the AFC.

3. Raiders defense

After the 2018 season, Oakland desperately needed to improve its defense. So the team went out and used two of their three first-round picks on that side of that ball.

At No. 4 overall, the Raiders selected Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. They also drafted safety Jonathan Abram out of Mississippi State with the 27 pick (acquired in the Amari Cooper trade with Dallas). Both players should see a tremendous amount of playing time on a young Raiders defense. They also need each to come up big on Monday night.

Oakland also signed veteran Lamarcus Joyner to a four-year, $42 million deal. Joyner played last season for a Rams team that won the NFC championship and lost in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots. Joyner will play both at safety and at a slot nickel position for the Raiders, which has become more common among NFL defenses.

Final Analysis

Both the Broncos and Raiders come into Monday night's game with a ton of questions. This game will likely come down to which team can stop the other from running the ball effectively.

Oakland was one of the worst teams in the league at stopping the run a season ago. That doesn't bode well considering the Broncos will likely feature Phillip Lindsay a lot, mixed in with a dose of Royce Freeman. However, this is a different Raiders defense that should improve in that area.

If the Raiders can get pressure on Joe Flacco, that will limit the Broncos offense and keep their defense fresh throughout the game. Oakland has had a ton of distractions during the last week, but expect Jon Gruden and Derek Carr to overcome that and win a division game in front of their home fans.

Prediction: Raiders 23, Broncos 20

I'm worried that he may possibly be the guy who gets a big contract and his performance declines.

He's been up and down as a Ram and I don't want to see big money go to a guy like that. CB's are getting 10-15 MIL these days. Handing him that kind of money makes me nervous.

The penalty yesterday was boneheaded and he has a long history of doing dumb stuff.

That late in a VERY tight is extra dumb.

The Rams, specifically Snead have done a great job finding DB talent in the draft and from street free agents. I'd rather see them use that approach versus giving Peters a huge contract.

I would only change my mind if he straightened up and flat out killed it this season.

Monday Night Football: Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints Prediction and Preview

The opening act to Week 1's "Monday Night Football" doubleheader features a pair of division champions from last season facing off with the Houston Texans coming to the Big Easy to take on the New Orleans Saints.

The Texans took the AFC South with an 11-5 record. They finished a game ahead of division rival Indianapolis and hosted the Colts in the Wild Card Round. Indianapolis got the last laugh, as the visitors jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and went on to win 21-7.

The Saints enter this season with one unequivocal goal: the Super Bowl. The bitterness of the suspicious no-call of pass interference against the Rams in the eventual NFC Championship Game loss lingered for months. Most of the components from last season's squad have come back with the determination to go all the way. Is it an omen that Super Bowl LIV will be played at the same site (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida) of the Saints' only Super Bowl victory?

Houston at New Orleans

Kickoff: Monday, Sept. 9 at 7:10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Saints -7

Three Things to Watch

1. Can the Saints offense thrive without Mark Ingram?

After spending the first eight years of his NFL career in New Orleans, Ingram left for Baltimore in free agency. Last season, he had the second-most rushing yards (645) and rushing touchdowns (six) for the Saints. From 2014 -17, he led the team in both categories.

The first four games of last season provide a possible glimpse of how this offense might look without Ingram. In the first two games, the Saints managed only 43 and 62 yards on the ground. They were held under 65 rushing yards in just two other games after he returned in Week 5. For the season, New Orleans averaged 126.6 rushing yards per game, which was seventh in the NFL.

Scoring-wise, the Saints had three rushing touchdowns in their first four games. Ingram alone had two in his first game (Week 5) after serving the suspension. He will not be easily replaced but head coach Asshole Face still has Alvin Kamara as his top backfield option and the team signed former Vikings Latavius Murray in free agency.

Murray has averaged 4.1 yards per carry in his five NFL seasons and also has been effective as a receiver out of the backfield (128 career receptions, 6.9 ypr) as both a Viking (2017-18) and Raider (2014-16).

2. How much will the loss of Lamar Miller hurt the Texans' running attack?

Miller's 2019 season ended before it started as he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in the team's third preseason game. Miller's absence leaves a void in Houston's backfield. He led the team in both carries (210) and rushing yards (973) last season, and tied quarterback Deshaun Watson for the most rushing touchdowns (five). He also added 25 receptions for 163 yards and another score.

With Miller sidelined and backup Alfred Blue now in Jacksonville, the Texans' backfield will look completely different this season. There are five running backs on the active roster. Three of them — Taiwan Jones, Buddy Howell and Cullen Gillaspia (listed as a FB on roster) — did not record any offensive statistics in the NFL last season. The top two guys atop the depth chart are also newcomers.

Carlos Hyde, playing for his fourth different team in three seasons, accumulated 571 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 172 carries last week. Houston acquired him via a trade with Kansas City when final roster cuts were being made over Labor Day weekend. This was after the team got Duke Johnson in a trade with Cleveland on Aug. 9. Johnson is known more his pass-catching ability (47 rec., 429 yds., 3 TDs in 2018), but he has averaged 4.3 yards per carry over his four-year career.

How the carries will be distributed between Hyde and Johnson (and others) remains to be seen, but the Texans may be catching a break in that New Orleans might not have the same suffocating rushing defense it fielded last season. The Saints were missing multiple members of their front seven during mid-week practices.

Four linebackers (William Compton, Matthew Dayes, Colton Jumper and Josh Martin) have already been placed on injured reserve. Alex Anzalone and Craig Robertson, both of whom saw action in all 16 regular-season games in 2018, were limited in practices. Defensive end Mario Edwards sat out some practice sessions. Most of these guys were all part of the unit that gave up 80.2 rushing yards per game last season, second only to the Bears (80.0) in that department.

3. How will the new arrivals on defense in Houston be able to contribute in this game?

The offensive backfield will not have the only fresh faces for Houston. Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin have the unenviable duty of picking up the defensive slack left by the trade of Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil is Watson's new blindside protector after coming over from Miami. Can these players, who are still getting used to their new surroundings, teammates and playbooks, fit effectively in the Texans' game plans?

Final Analysis

Houston is a decided underdog for logical reasons. The Texans will have several newly acquired players on the field. They will be missing their leading rusher from last season and a guy who contributed nine sacks. Houston has lost three of its four most recent season openers, including two that were at home. Heading into a notoriously raucous venue, in prime time, and filled with fans still smoldering from how the 2018 season ended for their team, that looks like a recipe for an ambush.

The Saints have stumbled out of the gate the past five seasons. They have dropped their season opener every year since 2014. They have lost their first home game in each of the last four seasons. In 2014 and '17, they started 0-2. In 2015 and '16, they lost their first three games. Can they break that string of struggles to start the campaign with a victory? It seems like this season, the Saints will start with a definitive bang.

Prediction: Saints 37, Texans 17

Monday Morning Optimist: The Panthers didn’t beat the Rams, but they did look like the better team
Cam Newton proved he was healthy enough to shoulder the Panthers load while the rest of the team proved he won’t have to.


Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
The first half of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams looked like a tired and familiar script to Carolina Panthers fans: with Carolina outplaying the other team only to find itself in a multiple possession hole. It was kind of that, but it was also a lot more. The second half ended with a three point loss at home to the reigning Super Bowl runners-up and the current darlings of the whole NFC. That is nothing to sneeze at for a team that ended its last season with an irrelevant win on top of a seven-game losing streak.

I’m not going to call this a statement loss, but it was a close loss that doesn’t leave me feeling desperate for answers. A few bounces or calls the other way and the Panthers are riding high. What I will call this loss, and what this game has been marked as for months, is a litmus test for Cam Newton’s arm. No matter how rusty Newton, or his offensive line, or his receivers, or his referees were in the season opener, the actual strength of his arm was going to be on display on Sunday. All the possible weirdness of a season opener wasn’t going to be able to hide that.

Week 1 is often cited as a time when anything can happen. Last season, the ultimate NFC South Champion New Orleans Saints lost in Week 1 to the hilarious clown show Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This season, the Jacksonville Jaguars scored 26 points in a loss. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes, matching his entire 2018 total, en route to 59 points over the Miami Dolphins. The Arizona Cardinals and the Detroit Lions tied, because that is still even a thing in professional football. Things get weird in Week 1 and then they calm down.

It might not be the preseason anymore, but it isn’t that far removed for a lot of these guys. Cam Newton threw six passes in the entire preseason. His rust, which was only one contributing factor to the team’s loss on Sunday, is understandable. That doesn’t mean it is excused; it means that it is expected to get better. His shoulder, on the other hand, looked just fine. Assuming Newton’s few issues were due to his not having played meaningful football since Week 15 of 2018—and healthy snaps since at least Week 10— then we can all get excited about what we saw against the Rams.

Newton still completed 65 percent of his passes in a game where he sailed multiple throws intended for Greg Olsen, telegraphed a few bad choices to the wrong coast, and had to deal with an offensive line that was just as new to this season as he was.That line, by the way, played remarkably well against a talented Rams defense. Aaron Donald only recorded one tackle. Dante Fowler was a terror, but he was so from every gap imaginable. No single Panthers lineman was exposed as a liability against one of the more talented pass rushing groups in the NFL.

The Panthers defense, in turn, was as advertised coming into the season. We saw a mix of three and four down linemen formations. They were faster off the snap and faster to the ball than I remember seeing in years. It’s not surprising that we saw them fade a little down the stretch as the heat sunk in and the absence of the injured Bruce Irvin and healthy scratch Vernon Butler exposed the limited depth of the Panthers front seven.

A loss is a loss and will suck no matter what, but the Panthers weren’t exactly beaten. The Rams did not best them at every turn. A few bounces here or there is how football works in a good game. The Panthers played a good game against the child-prodigy Sean McVay, two-time running Defensive MVP Aaron Donald, and the most-recently minted highest paid quarterback in the NFL in Jared Goff.

That those bounces all went the Rams way was mostly luck. The Panthers fumbles were the result of good plays by the Rams or questionable decision making by the refs. The Rams fumbles fell back into their own laps with minimal effort. Turnover luck is a huge part of most wins, and the Panthers fought back from that luck to make it a three point game. And we’re not even going to talk about those three points that sailed wide right with Joey Slye’s first career field goal attempt.
We’ll also bitch to our hearts’ content about the refs in this game later in the week. It isn’t healthy to keep those things bottled up inside, but they are representative of the weirdness of why the Panthers lost. They are basically irrelevant if you want to project the rest of the season.

For now, we know that both teams belonged on the same field. That isn’t something you would have said in the latter half of last season and isn’t something you would have said this offseason due to the looming specter of Newton’s health.The Panthers got trashed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in prime time last season before Newton’s shoulder had fully left the building. They won a lot of their games before that by the skin of their teeth. That team was old and washed and didn’t quite belong at the top of the NFL. This team is young and fast on defense. It is healthy on offense. Newton passed his test and his team has the talent to flip the script from last season. These Carolina Panthers belong.

Carolina might be one down in the win column for now, but they played well enough for us to expect that to change. It has been a long time since Panthers fans have seen that. I don’t care if they end up 14-1 or 8-7 heading into the last week of the season. If there is a playoff spot on the line and the team still looks this promising then I won’t count them out until the math unequivocally says otherwise.

Eric Weddle in concussion protocol

Posted by Darin Gantt on September 9, 2019, 8:07 AM EDT




Rams safety Eric Weddle left yesterday’s game in Carolina a bloody mess, and has something other than just a scalp cut.
Via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Weddle is in the concussion protocol after he was kneed in the head by a hurdling Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.

He was replaced in the lineup by Marqui Christian, and nothing against him, but the difference from Weddle is something the Rams will have to adjust to since he’s their defensive signal-caller.

“When you lose somebody like Eric with what he means to our team — the communication, some of those things— it can be deflating,” Rams coach McVay said. “But I thought our guys did a great job handling it.”Weddle indicated to reporters he was fine after the game, though they can’t know at the moment if he’ll be cleared to return next week against the Saints.

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/09/09/nfl-rams-week-1-snap-counts-panthers/




Rams snap counts: Rapp outplays Hager, Higbee and Everett split time

By: Cameron DaSilva | 42 minutes ago

The preseason was filled with backups getting just about all the playing time for the Los Angeles Rams, but the regular season was obviously a very different story. Sean McVay leaned heavily on his starters in Week 1 against the Panthers on Sunday, playing few backups on offense.
McVay and Wade Phillips dug deeper into the defensive depth chart, though, utilizing several more players on that side of the ball.

The snap counts from the season opener are below and we’ll analyze them here, beginning with the offense.

Offense

• The Rams went with a shared backfield, but the split between Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown wasn’t nearly as close as many thought it was. It just felt like Brown was in there more than he was because he scored two touchdowns and was heavily involved when he was on the field. He carried the ball 11 times on only 21 snaps compared to 14 carries on 54 snaps for Gurley.
• Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett both got their share of opportunities, playing 40 and 30 snaps, respectively. They split time at tight end with neither player getting more than 52 percent of the reps. Everett was only targeted once, while Higbee had five catches come his way.
• Cooper Kupp is fully back, playing 90 percent of the snaps on Sunday. That was third among the wide receivers, with Robert Woods playing 95 percent and Brandin Cooks 92 percent. Kupp wasn’t on any sort of snap counts, which is great news

Defense

• There was a lot of talk this offseason after Micah Kiser was ruled out for the year and the Rams were forced to slide Bryce Hager in at linebacker. Well, as many predicted, his role wasn’t that big. Hager played just 25 snaps, or 37 percent. The Rams utilized nickel packages often on Sunday, which put more defensive backs on the field.
• That’s where Taylor Rapp came into play. He was out there for 32 snaps, filling in as a dime linebacker and third safety. Wade Phillips said last week that Rapp would be more than just a backup, and he was. He had seven tackles in the game.
• Clay Matthews’ lower usage is somewhat surprising. He played just 69 percent of the snaps, which is only 20 percent more than Samson Ebukam. Matthews had a sack early in the game, but that came on a busted play. Other than that, he didn’t show up much as a pass rusher.
• The Rams probably won’t use any of their backup corners much. Outside of the three starters, not a single one took a snap on Sunday. The Rams preferred to put Rapp and Marqui Christian out there as extra defensive backs.
• Sebastian Joseph-Day was the only true nose tackle active on Sunday and he only played 54 percent of the snaps. The Rams rotated their defensive linemen and got Morgan Fox and Tanzel Smart out there for 29 total snaps.

In the past I would suggest 3. Re-watching today's game though, and I only see one so far and that is Littleton.. He had a hell of a game. Maybe I have missed some things, but I'd might give 1/2 to Gurley and Brown. Looking for your all thoughts. Cheers and peace.