Anyone heard if the Rams are arranging one?

Ndamukong Suh gets first-ever playoff win with the L.A. Rams, now one win away from a trip to Super Bowl 53
By Geoffrey C. Arnold | The Oregonian

https://www.oregonlive.com/nfl/2019...ne-win-away-from-a-trip-to-super-bowl-53.html
Ndamukong Suh probably envisioned the moment when he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Rams back in March. The vision of playing in a conference championship game and a chance to play in a Super Bowl.
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The former Grant High School Generals star defensive lineman finds himself exactly where he wants to be after he helped the Rams defeat the Dallas Cowboys 30-22 in a Divisional Round playoff game on Saturday. Suh and the Rams will face the New Orleans Saints Sunday the NFC Championship game, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl 53.

“I came here for a reason,” Suh told reporters following the game. “It’s the playoffs. You either bring it all or you go home. I’m not trying to go home anytime soon.”

The win over the Cowboys earned Suh the first playoff win of his nine-year career. Suh had reached the playoffs three previous times during his career, but suffered losses in each game.

Suh and the Detroit Lions lost 45-28 to the Saints in a 2012 Wild Card game. Suh and the Lions were defeated 24-20 by the Cowboys in a 2015 Wild Card game. Suh was a member of the Miami Dolphins team that lost 30-12 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 2017 Wild Card game.

Suh and the Rams aren’t going home for at least another week in 2019 after the win over the Cowboys. Suh played a key role in helping shut down Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott, the league’s leading rusher during the regular season, had gained 137 yards in the Cowboys win over the Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card game.

The Rams held Elliott to 47 yards on 20 carries, average of 2.3 yards a carry. Dallas ran for a season-low 50 yards as a team against the Rams, coming one week after they piled up 164 yards against the Seahawks.

“It was a goal for us. We understood that teams felt they could run the ball on us, a big emphasis for them. I watched a previous playoff game against Seattle,” Suh told reporters after the game. “He was obviously dominant and probably one of the reasons why they won that game. Our focus was to shut him down.”

Suh may have earned his $14 million base salary by coming up big on one key play.

The Cowboys, trailing 23-15 early in the fourth quarter, faced a fourth-and-1 from the Rams 35. Elliott tried to go up the middle but was stuffed for no gain. Suh blew up the play by pushing Cowboys left guard Joe Looney into the backfield and into Elliott’s path. Elliott tried to spin away by was smothered by the Rams.

Great push by Suh up the middle on fourth down. He’s earning his money tonight. pic.twitter.com/E3oxl2TL01

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) January 13, 2019
“It was just a bang-bang play,” Suh told reporters after the game. "I saw what they wanted to do, played off the center and tried to close up the gap. My hands were tied, so I guess I went head first.”

Suh didn’t want to go home Saturday and now he’s playing for the chance to appear in his first Super Bowl.

http://www.footballzebras.com/2019/...he-referees-for-the-conference-championships/

Bill Vinovich will ref the NFC game between the Rams and Saints.

Well these last 4 teams are very offensively driven by some high power QBs
My opinion is that the team with the defense that makes the least amount of mistakes should win.
My reason for this post is that the Rams secondary ( Marcus Peters) really concerns me with his coverage.
I have a feeling that the Saints are going to match up Thomas with him and hes going to mis read or not be in the spot he needs to be.
Brees as we all know is a top tier QB compared to Prescott.

I was Really impressed with the run game against Elliott, very, very well done, it was my biggest concern going into the Cowboys game.
If the Rams can do the same this weekend it would be great.

crapping himself thinking about a Ram/Patriot Super Bowl rematch. Can you imagine all the Spygate stuff that will be brought up during those 2 weeks before the game? I’ll bet he disappears for a while.

Wrote to my brother----thought I would share:

The 2018 Divisional Round had the most rushing yards in NFL history.....all 4 winners had a huge advantage in rushing.....wow, the Super Bowl will have some of the best 'marketing' possibilitites in NFL history. Brady, Brees and Mahommes or McVay are huge draws for the league.

Gurlrey is still hurt; didn't look like himself. Like I said, CJ Anderson looks A LOT better...and he proved it against Dallas.

Rams have a chance to have 'balance' because the Saints great DT (Rankins) tore his achilles--_Rams couldn't handle him in the first meeting. Brees will dominate Goff's play most likely.....how can Brees not lose.....I can't see him falling. McVay 'orchestrated' one of THE finest Ram game plans I have ever seen. Dallas knew what would happen, and could never stop it. It was like the Dickerson days----but even better.

Man oh man, Luck surprised me....still don't get it....KC's defense didn't have one good game all year.....Colts are going to be top 4 team next year
year.

Rams only offer a glimpse of their 2018 rookie class
Lindsey ThiryESPN
http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcwest/po...ly-offer-a-glimpse-of-their-2018-rookie-class

The Los Angeles Rams' rookie class: We hardly got to know you. The Rams built their 2018 roster to win this season, and develop their rookies for later. Rams rookies played only 573 snaps on offense and defense, the fewest in the NFL -- by far. For comparison's sake, the Indianapolis Colts rookies played almost 5,000 snaps.

Despite a small sample size, it was evident that the Rams made a few promising selections, even without a first-round pick. Here's a look at the Rams' 2018 draft class:

Round/Pick Name Pos College
3/89 Joe Noteboom OT TCU
4/111 Brian Allen C MICHIGAN STATE
4/135 John Franklin-Myers DE STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
5/147 Micah Kiser ILB VIRGINIA
5/160 Obo Okoronkwo OLB OKLAHOMA
6/176 John Kelly RB TENNESSEE
6/192 Jamil Demby OT MAINE
6/195 Sebastian Joseph DT RUTGERS
6/205 Trevon Young DE LOUISVILLE
7/231 Travin Howard OLB TCU
7/244 Justin Lawler DE

Grade: Average

Best rookie: Defensive end John Franklin-Myers, a fourth-round pick from Stephen F. Austin, appeared in all 16 games and played 283 snaps, the most by any Rams rookie.

Franklin-Myers was utilized in four-man rush packages, third downs and some two-minute situations. "You could always see the raw athleticism, the talent, he's got great length, got just a natural feel for how to work edges on people," Rams coach Sean McVay said

Franklin-Myers made a game-changing play in a Week 4 win over the Minnesota Vikings, when he forced Kirk Cousins to fumble late in the game, helping to secure a Rams victory.

"There's still a lot of room for growth," McVay said.

Most improved rookie: Offensive lineman Joseph Noteboom, a third-round pick from TCU, played his most meaningful minutes of the season in Week 17, when he was inserted at left tackle for Andrew Whitworth, who was sidelined in the second quarter.

"He protected really well," McVay said. "He had a good understanding of what we're trying to get done in the run game."

Noteboom played only 77 snaps on offense (More than 60 percent of those in the regular-season finale), but demonstrated an ability to play guard and tackle. His continued development will be critical to an aging line.

Jury is still out on ...: The majority of the draft class. The rookies, outside of Franklin-Myers and Noteboom, did not play a large enough role to evaluate who can be relied on as a significant contributor going forward.

On offense, Noteboom could be needed to start next season because of the expiring contract of left guard Rodger Saffold, and it's possible center/guard Brian Allen also will need to contribute as Whitworth and center John Sullivan age. Running back John Kelly gained meaningful experience in the final three games but must demonstrate an improved ability in pass protection if he wants to back up Todd Gurley.

On defense, a permanent solution must be found at outside linebacker with Dante Fowler's contract expiring. Ogbo Okoronkwo, considered a nice pickup in the fifth round from Oklahoma, never worked his way into the lineup after he underwent offseason foot surgery. The development of tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, a sixth-round pick from Rutgers, will also be interesting to monitor since Ndamukong Suh played on a one-year deal.

Undrafted rookie evaluation: The receiving corps was hit by injuries early in the season when backups Pharoh Cooper and Michael Thomas were put on injured reserve, providing an opportunity for KhaDarel Hodge to be activated from the practice squad. Hodge, from Prairie View A&M, played in 14 games, with his primary role on special teams. He did, however, play 84 snaps on offense and caught two passes for 17 yards.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...whitworth-enjoying-first-playoff-win-nfl-2018

• Tim KeownESPN Senior Writer

Andrew Whitworth looks like he'd be employee of the month -- every month -- at the feed store. Everyone would just stand around and marvel as he heaved bales and emptied pallets, and they'd tell stories about him years after he moved on. Remember that time Andrew carried four 50-pound bags of chicken feed with one arm? They'd probably frame his picture and hang it on the wall.

Whitworth is an enormous man amid enormous men, a refrigerator sitting atop relatively skinny legs and quick feet. He is 6-foot-7 and 335 pounds, and somehow seems bigger. Football has a weird way of making the small guys seem smaller in person and the large guys even larger.

Until Los Angeles' 30-22 divisional playoff win Saturday night over the Dallas Cowboys, Whitworth, 37, hadn't been on a team that won a playoff game in his 13 years in the NFL. He was the only player in NFL history to have lost all seven of his playoff games (though it's probably unfair to blame them all on him, given that six of them came when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals). After Saturday's victory, Whitworth did a couple of interviews on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum field and immediately jogged off to find his two young sons, Michael and Drew, who bounded toward their dad, hugged his shins and followed him up the tunnel to the Rams' locker room.

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"It's great to get the win, but you know what?" Whitworth said. "I think this team has the potential for more than that. I'm happy to have it, but I didn't try to get to the playoffs to win a playoff game, but to win a Super Bowl."

Asked what it meant to see Whitworth finally win in the postseason, Rams guard Rodger Saffold, who plays next to Whitworth, said, "Name a guy who deserves it more." His tone indicated he was not expecting an answer.

There's more to it than just friendship, pity or a bunch of guys -- Whitworth primary among them -- tired of being asked the same question. Whitworth is the team's conscience, regularly injecting a dose of maturity and perspective. He organized the team's responses, both in charity and compassion, to the Los Angeles-area tragedies that were the Borderline Bar and Grill mass shooting and the Woolsey and Malibu fires. He is the oldest offensive lineman in the NFL -- and he's five years older than Rams head coach Sean McVay, which means Whitworth's commitment to the program can be persuasive in the locker room.

Even more rare: In the NFL postseason, when the hyperfocus on quarterbacks threatens to become pathological, Whitworth became the most-heralded player on the field.

On Saturday, the Rams repeatedly clobbered the Cowboys with running plays that began on the Whitworth-Saffold side of the line. They ran for 273 yards, including 123 from C.J. Anderson and 115 from Todd Gurley II. The holes were so big, even the running backs seemed surprised. On several occasions, Anderson headed toward the line with both hands wrapped around the ball, expecting to be hit, only to discover he had 8 or 9 yards to run before he had to worry about a Cowboy impeding his path.

"You see Whitworth taking over his blocks and you anticipate nice holes, but you don't see them until after," Saffold said. "The hole Gurley ran through on the [35-yard] touchdown? I didn't see that until the replay, and I was like, 'You've got to be kidding.'"

Every drive had three or four examples. On an 18-yard run by Gurley early in the third quarter, Whitworth took out three Cowboys, the last being Leighton Vander Esch, who got turned around and couldn't find his way back. It looked like the rookie linebacker got tumbled by a wave and couldn't tell which way was up.

It wasn't just Vander Esch. Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory was engulfed by Whitworth on nearly every play. Gregory is a 6-foot-5, 242-pound man -- light for a defensive end, but still a large human -- and yet he looked like he was trying to push a car out of a ditch all night. Gregory's speed advantage, no doubt obvious in a straight footrace, didn't help him shake Whitworth, who squared him up and moved him around on pass plays as if Gregory was blindfolded.

Whitworth handled Gregory so thoroughly, the lineman often found himself with enough spare time -- and body -- to take another Cowboy with him. There were times when Whitworth seemed to get bored dominating one man, so he slid off the block to dominate one or two more.

The Rams were motivated in part by injudicious comments made all week by the Cowboys. There were threats of harm and even existential damage -- "I go in every week wanting to take a quarterback's soul," Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said.

Lawrence's goal went woefully unfulfilled. Jared Goff was not sacked and was hit just once -- and if any souls were removed over the course of the game, they didn't belong to the Rams.

"I don't care what the league evolves into, running at people just seems to be demoralizing," Whitworth said. "It's the one thing that takes the sail out of teams. It got their heads down."

It's a game of speed: Quarterbacks who see the entire field in a glance, receivers who cut across the field like lines on a screen, all of them working to realize the visions that flit through the computer-quick brains of their coaches. But there are times when everybody needs to slow down a bit, take a deep breath and put the game in the hands of an enormous guy with gray in his beard, just to let him teach one more lesson.

MOD EDIT

———

Hi Folks!

We’re moving on!

We can keep talking and sharing any thoughts, or media, about the bad call... but in an effort to FOCUS ON OUR SUPERBOWL let’s put all the crap in one place.

So, this is the massive catch-all thread.

We might not be perfect in our merging, may choose a few topics to stand alone, so please understand we’re just trying to keep things clean with a primary focus looking forward.

Cheers!

https://saintsreport.com/threads/rams-new-2-headed-beast.401172/

Rams' new "2-headed beast"

They ran it down Dallas' throat. We have the No. 2 run defense. Do we have what it takes to kill their "beast"?
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Games rarely mirror the previous week.

They won't be at home on Sunday. We will also have tape to see now on how to combat what they were doing.
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They only play the game with one football. We just need to stop the run whoever is in there.
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The NFL's best run defense isn't going to suddenly become Pee Wee Herman.

Yeah, we'll certainly miss Rankins, but... we'll bring it! Ryan Nielsen and Mike Nolan will have them game-ready!
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https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/...cowboys-tipping-plays-cj-anderson-todd-gurley

There's a reason why the Rams were so successful running the ball against the Cowboys. We don't have that issue
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There hasn't been a run game this year that this defense couldn't step up to. I doubt we let butterball run it down our throat.
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CJ was beast. He's a load and he's fresh. Not having Rankins isn't ideal. Our offense has to be effective, it will help keep a full dose of CJ out of their play selection if they're playing from behind or trying to keep up.
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No doubt they have talented backs. But, it also helped tremendously in that Dallas pretty much tipped LA off on what they were going to do defensively by lining up in certain positions along the line. Dallas was telegraphing their stunts and all without knowing that the Rams identified this in film study.

LA pretty much knew what Dallas would do in 90% of their plays. This obviously helps a ton when they’re able to know what’s coming and block it to allow for massive runs to happen.
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I'm gonna need some help this week. I said last week I was done worrying for the year....I got that out of my system weeks 6 thru 8. Truth be told though this game really worries me. Their run game not so much....we're pretty good against the run. I worry about us not being able to score enough points on offense to get it done.

The identity of our team has changed since the first match up. We need a low scoring game to stay in it I'm afraid. I'm gonna need help from you guys keeping the worry bug at bay. I can list reasons we should win this game but I keep coming back to our offensive production as of late. It worries me.
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CJ gonna be gassed by all the NOLA Food before the game even starts.
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1. Saints offense HAS to start quicker than they did against the Eagles
2. We need to execute our big plays:

If we hit on out 3-5 big plays we will win.
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https://saintsreport.com/threads/rams-have-the-saints-superbowl-oline-and-dline-coaches.401068/

Rams have the Saints Superbowl OLine and DLine coaches

Aaron Kromer (OLine)
2008 - 2012 Saints
2017 - 2018 Rams

Bill Johnson (DLine)
2009 - 2016 Saints
2017 - 2018 Rams

Both units playing well for the Rams. I knew about Johnson for a while but Kromer was a surprise. He’s definitely put together some great units for us in his tenure.
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Now that you mention it, they are using our old coaches with their new team while we're using new coaches on our old team.
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They've also got the wrong Sean.
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https://saintsreport.com/threads/rankins-believed-to-have-torn-achilles.400926/

Rankins believed to have torn achilles

This will hurt against the Rams.
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Hopefully the Saints can find the CJ Anderson version of 3-tech DT as a FA this week!
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This is a serious blow to our run defense. It's a shame and the Rams will benefit next week with inside runs.
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Regardless, the rams will NOT run all over the saints like they did to the cowboys. Losing Rankins still hurts, no getting around it. But the saints can survive it.
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I briefly perused a Rams board and their fans are mostly thinking we will get smoked by them. Talib being back and such.

I do hope we have a plan in place for Fowler he actually gave us fits last game....not stats wise but always making Drew uncomfortable. Idk tho, we did get 45 on em.?.?

Where's the Rams players after the play is over to give CJ a hand getting up? The ref was helping him up some of the time. It happened enough I noticed.

These are excerpts. For all the Patriots/Brady slobbering and the rest, click the link below.
**************************************************************************************
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-saints-patriots-rams-chiefs-fmia-peter-king/

By Peter King

NFC Championship

Los Angeles Rams (14-3, 2nd seed) at New Orleans (14-3, 1st seed), Superdome, Sunday, 3:05 p.m. ET, FOX. The first time these teams met, 10 weeks ago in New Orleans, the Saints started the game by taking the Rams to the woodshed. By late in the first half, it was 35-14 Saints. The Rams came back to tie it at 35, and Drew Brees capped it with a 72-yard TD to Michael Thomas. Wild game.

For the encore, the Rams have two big changes. Cooper Kupp, who had 89 of Jared Goff’s 391 receiving yards in the first game, is gone for the year with a knee injury. And street free-agent pickup C.J. Anderson has become a force to be reckoned with behind a very good offensive line over the past month. It’s fair to wonder if Todd Gurley—at least for however long this season lasts—is in a real job-share with Anderson.

The Saints, meanwhile, are probably not the explosive offensive team the Rams saw in early November. A good part of that is an inconsistent offensive line. Left guard Andrus Peat was awful Sunday, and center Max Unger was shaky, and now, with shoo-in Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and fellow tackle Ndamukong Suh on tape to disrupt the defensive middle for the Rams, it could be a long day for Brees avoiding traffic.

As usual, that means the impact of Alvin Kamara is paramount. As you’ve seen, Brees uses him as a physical receiver out of the backfield, and as a speed threat on short routes. Because Brees isn’t likely to have a lot of time to throw Sunday, the Kamara factor is vital.

But the Rams’ offense is a question mark too. After a high-impact first three months of the season, quarterback Jared Goff has struggled since Dec. 1. He played well and with fire Saturday night in beating Dallas, but he’s been a sub-60-percent passer in four of his last six starts. So Goff is a question, and the Saints offensive line is one too. They could cancel each other out.


Getty Images

I was really impressed with the Rams’ run defense against Dallas—but more impressed with the Saints overall. New Orleans held the Eagles scoreless in the last 49 minutes Sunday. Marshon Lattimore takes some chances he shouldn’t, but he usually is in the right place and plays with the kind of physicality that a game like this will require. Tough break for the Saints, who lost one of their top front-seven players, Sheldon Rankins, with a lower leg injury and is likely lost for the season. That hurts.

I think the winner of this game is the team that gets more production out of the quarterback. Normally, you’d say that would be Brees, and it well may be. But Goff played some great football in October and November, and if that guy shows up in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, the Rams have a heck of a chance to make the Super Bowl.

The Award Section

Offensive Players of the Week

C.J. Anderson, running back, Los Angeles Rams. “Your dreams don’t die till you give up on them,” Anderson said after his third eye-opening performance (out of three games) as a Ram. Cut by the Broncos in April, cut by the Panthers in November, cut by the Raiders in December, Anderson has the last laugh: He’ll be playing in the NFC Championship Game. Fairly amazing. In nine months, three teams that went 6-10, 7-9 and 4-12, respectively, fired Anderson, and he was on the street till the Rams signed him as Todd Gurley insurance 27 days ago.

Now Anderson is one of the redemptive stories of the NFL. Subbing for an injured Todd Gurley in the last two games of the season, Anderson had 167 and 132 yards, and then, in his first playoff game with his new team, rushed 23 times for 123 yards. Three games, three 120-yard-plus performances, 422 rushing yards in all, 6.4 yards per carry. “I guess it was a good thing I got hurt,” Gurley said.

Coach of the Week

Aaron Kromer, run game coordinator, Los Angeles Rams. After the Cowboys stuffed Seattle’s league-best rushing offense (24 rushes, 73 yards) in the wild-card win last week, it was logical to expect the Rams to struggle running the ball. And with the occasional struggles of Jared Goff over the last month or so, L.A. would need to run to win. Kromer trusted his veteran line, knowing that he could call power runs over the left side of the line with vets Andrew Whitworth and Rodger Saffold.

You could see how much coach Sean McVay trusted the game-planning of Kromer, because he kept going to the well with both Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson, often to the left side. McVay trusted the line on the biggest call of the night, fourth-and-goal midway through the fourth quarter, when he eschewed a field goal that would have put the Rams up two scores in favor of a try for the end zone. Excellent plan by Kromer, excellent execution by the line.

“Actually, McVay’s barista at Starbucks has had three head-coaching interviews.”

—Joe Buck, on FOX’s Rams-Cowboys game Saturday night, on how those with connections to Rams coach Sean McVay are such attractive head-coaching prospects.

How amazing is this: The Ram running back job might be turning into a job share, just 27 days after C.J. Anderson was signed as injury insurance for Todd Gurley. Gurley played 45 snaps Saturday night, Anderson 34. Gurley: 18 touches. Anderson: 23.

Might not have been a better stop by seven Rams on Ezekiel Elliott, fourth-and-one, Rams’ 35-yard-line, Rams holding on to a 23-15 lead. Elliott got swarmed. Play of the day for the L.A. defense.

I think I didn’t like the bold call by Sean McVay, even though it ultimately worked. The situation: Rams up 23-15, fourth-and-goal at the Dallas 1-yard line, 7:20 left in the game. No matter what the Rams do here, odds were better than 50-50 that the Cowboys would have one possession the rest of the game. I say that because of the very small chance of recovering an onside kick. If Dallas got the ball after this possession and scored, the Cowboys would either kick it deep, giving the potent Rams the ball in the final couple of minutes, or try an onside kick.

My point: If McVay kicks the field goal to go up 11, Dallas has to score a touchdown and one more score to have a chance to win. If the Rams go for it (previous three Ram runs: 0, 5, 0 yards) and get stopped, the Cowboys are 99 yards away from tying the game or going ahead, and with all three timeouts left. McVay said afterward, “We wanted to come out and play fearless tonight.” Then why not go for it on every fourth down?

I get the mentality part of it. But the Rams would have had, I’d wager, a 98-percent chance to win the game if they went up 11 with 7:15 left. Struggling to understand why the run was right call there, though it worked.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/rjochoa/status/1084296439738650625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1084296439738650625&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fprofootballtalk.nbcsports.com%2F2019%2F01%2F14%2Fnfl-divisional-playoffs-saints-patriots-rams-chiefs-fmia-peter-king%2F

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/...cowboys-tipping-plays-cj-anderson-todd-gurley

Interesting.

Rams ball out in those things! Can we do it? Oh and could we do blue pants with the yellow tops?

Let's dooo eeeeet!!!!

Ran into this over on the Cowboys board.

Login to view embedded media View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=ddKBSIeJ1TM

I am guessing 4.5 points

Let’s get ready to rumble.

Disaster struck the New Orleans Saints early against the Philadelphia Eagles. Starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins went down with a leg injury and medical trainers immediately brought out a cart to take him to the locker room for further evaluation.

This loss can’t be understated for the Saints. Rankins was the Saints’ second-best pass rusher, logging eight sacks in the regular season, and was a rock in run defense. He’s also been a pillar for team morale. Without Rankins, the Saints will lean on third-year backup David Onyemata.

Trainers were focused on examining Rankins’ left leg. It’s worth noting that his 2016 rookie season was derailed by a broken fibula in his left leg training camp, which required surgery. He hasn’t had issues since that incident but there’s a chance that this is related.

Update: FOX sideline reporter Pam Oliver reported that the Saints medical staff were performing X-rays on Rankins’ ankle, not his fibula. The Saints announced that he would not return with a leg injury.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/saints...ew-orleans-saints-sheldon-rankins-injury/amp/

1. Maintain that run game potency we've had since CJ came aboard. It compensates for Kupp's loss and makes us hard to defend in a different way. It also helps sustain drives which will be important as our defense will not hold up to the Saints if our offense is 3 'n outing.

2. Try to avoid instances of Joyner being on Thomas. Joyner is a liability and allowing him to line up on a top weapon is a recipe for big plays of the bad variety. That first TD he gave up vs Dallas was him, but it was also a schematic deal where Dallas got the look they wanted and it paid off. Coverages need to focus on him in third and long situations.

3. Pressure's gotta be consistent. Brees is an assassin but move him off his spot and his accuracy dips. This of course is a no-brainer but it's still a critical part of this matchup. In the midseason matchup they removed Donald and we didn't pressure him enough. This time around there has to be more hurries and instances where he's feeling the heat. Fowler, Ebu, you two dudes in particular gotta ball out.

4. Have the deep shots ready. Saints are going to sell out to stuff the run game. Goff has to be ready to make them pay once or twice when they start gambling. This might well be another epic milestone type game for him if they prep this right.

So now that the Conference championship games are set it got me thinking, when is the last time that the top 4 scoring offenses made up the final four teams?

Get your beads ready.

Time to put some voodoo on bourbon street!

Thanks to everyone for another fun year of Pick’em and Survivor! If you were unable to play this year... give it a try next time!

Recapping our 2018 winners:

ROD Official Pick’em
Our 2017 champion @nimite passes the torch to our new champion: @SierraRam (also our 2016 winner!)

ROD Official Survivor
Our 2017 champions @DR RAM and @Mojo Ram pass the torch to our new champion: @RamsFan47

Spread Pick’em
Our 2017 champions @Ramhusker and @RamsFan47 pass the torch to our new champion @12intheBox

19-Handicap
Our 2017 champion @OC--LeftCoast passes the torch to our new champion @Selassie I

Weakest Link Reverse Survivor
Our 2018 Champions; @flv, @Hannibal Ram, @nimite, @rdlkgliders, & @Young Ram

Congratulations to our winners! Your profile has been updated with our 2018 Champion Banners!

:cheers:

2018 17. Div Rams vs Dallas FULL.mp4 2.24 GB
https://1fichier.com/?k17qeubtzjew2ofa60qt

During Donald's press conferences has anyone else notice how often he says "just keep working hard". This guy leads by example and I'm delighted knowing that he will be a Ram for a while.

Great read


[theathletic.com]


Sent from my iPhone

LOS ANGELES — To truly appreciate the manner in which the Rams mauled their way to the brink of Super Bowl LIII, it’s necessary to revisit them at one of their darkest moments of the season.

Out of it emerged a team mentally and physically tough enough to body slam the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night at the Coliseum. In their 30-22 win, the Rams imposed their will in such a way that the NFL has no choice but to reassess everything it previously believed about Sean McVay’s team. And in the process, the Rams set themselves up beautifully to move one step closer to punching their ticket to Atlanta.

Using a cunning game plan borne out of necessity and then ruthlessly carried out, the Rams unleashed 273 rushing yards on a Cowboys defense many believed was too big, too fast and too tough for them to handle in such a way.

The Rams won’t say if they were aware of the misconception. But they clearly knew where, and how, this game would ultimately be won.

More importantly, they knew they could.

“You know what, I feel like we think we can run the football on anybody,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We were confident coming into this game that we could do it. It took a team effort. Hats off to (run game coordinator) coach (Aaron) Kromer, (head coach) Sean, and all the offensive staff with the plan, and then guys going out and executing it.”

“It’s always going to be a competition each week to be the most physical and most mentally and physically tough (team),” right tackle Rob Havenstein said. “And as an O-line, you want to control the line of scrimmage.”

On the other side of the ball, the Rams’ defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage and stonewalled Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who stepped onto the Coliseum turf having rushed for 1,434 regular-season yards and 137 more in the playoffs, but was rendered obsolete by the Rams while gaining just 47 yards on 20 carries.

As a team, the Cowboys managed only 50 yards on the ground.

“That’s how you win in the playoffs,” Rams safety John Johnson told The Athletic. “You have to run the ball and play great defense. And that’s what we did tonight.”

The 223-yard swing in running yards changed the entire complexion of the game — or at least the pre-conceived one. The Rams were able to control the clock, wearing down the Dallas defense in the process and keeping the ball out of the hands of its offense.

It allowed Jared Goff to sit comfortably in the pocket and manage the game rather than shouldering too much of the burden. There might come a time this postseason when Goff has to carry the Rams, but when Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson are the kind of two-headed ground monster they were Saturday night — Anderson, the late-season revelation, had 123 yards rushing and Gurley, coming off a knee injury, added 115 — Goff merely needs to be a game manager.

The Rams pounded the rock 48 times. It had the desired effect on both themselves and the Cowboys.

“I thought we were able to really control the game for the most part by being so efficient running the football — getting consecutive runs off,” Goff said. “Any time that you have 48 carries, the clock’s going to run. Really, we were able to keep their offense off the field.”

Just as importantly, controlling Elliott forced the Dallas offense out of its comfort zone and made it far too one dimensional. The Rams, taking advantage, built a 23-7 lead that Dak Prescott and the Cowboys were incapable of closing.

“It was a goal for us,” defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “We understood that teams felt they could run the ball on us, a big emphasis for them. I watched a previous playoff game against Seattle. He (Elliott) was obviously dominant and probably one of the reasons why they won that game. Our focus was to shut him down and obviously get after the passer.”

With their confidence soaring, the Rams converted two huge fourth downs, including the fourth-and-goal touchdown run by Anderson with 7:16 remaining to go up 30-15. It essentially put the game away. They also held firm on a Cowboys fourth down play at their own 35-yard-line while clinging to a 23-15 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

It was a big-boy team making the kind of big-boy plays needed to win this time of year. There were some people questioning if the Rams had to fortitude to dig that deep in a moment of this magnitude.

They answered those questions convincingly on Saturday night.

“I think, really when you think about what our team is, we always talk about attacking success and never fearing failure,” McVay said. “I think that really just personifies our team mindset and mentality. We wanted to come out here and play fearless tonight.”


The Rams limited Ezekiel Elliott to just 47 yards rushing on 20 carries. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports)
As a result, it’s the Rams moving on to the NFC Championship Game next Sunday to play either the Philadelphia Eagles or New Orleans Saints. Either opponent would represent a rematch against one of the three teams to beat the Rams this season, although in many ways this Rams team is far different than the one the Eagles and Saints previously saw this season.

The Rams have been hardened by experiences and been altered to fit the changing times that dictate the manner in which football games are won at certain times of the year. Ironically, the Eagles played a role in the metamorphosis the Rams have gone through.

It was in the bleak hours after the Eagles rolled them at the Coliseum in early December that McVay thought long and hard about what kind of team the Rams needed to be to pull themselves from their funk and salvage the last two games of the regular season in order to secure at least the second seed in the NFC playoffs and the first-round bye that came with it.

With the playoffs beckoning. McVay knew it was time to recalibrate his teams’ mindset.

It wasn’t just that the Rams had lost in consecutive weeks that had the young coach contemplating a reset. NFL teams hit bumps in the road all the time, and after sprinting to their second straight division title by winning 11 of their first 12 games, no team was better cushioned than the Rams to absorb a couple of losses.

This was about how they lost.

The brute force with which the Eagles and Chicago Bears had their way with them. How McVay too easily got away from his principals at the first sign of trouble. And how the offensive line passively protected Goff and got pushed back in the run game.

It was uncharacteristic of the Rams who, for all the highlights and glitz and glamour of the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL, there has always been a callused substance about them that sometimes goes overlooked. Maybe it was all the winning. Or the ease with which they could seemingly drop 30 or more points on anyone at any time.

Whatever the case, their edge had been dulled a bit.

“We’ve got to get it figured out in a hurry,” McVay muttered, with his jaw clenched, after the Eagles game.

Determined to come up with a winning formula that could carry the Rams beyond just the first round of the playoffs, McVay and the Rams challenged themselves to be their truest selves. That meant re-claiming the line of scrimmage to allow Anderson — the late-season replacement for an injured Gurley — to utilize his eyes, footwork and cutting ability to continually break off positive yards.

With the run game established, Goff could do what he does best, standing tall in comfortable pockets — many times off play action — and spraying the ball around to the Rams’ playmakers.

“We run the ball to set up the play-action pass,” center John Sullivan said. “We get big chunks off that. It limits your drop backs and your exposure to known pass-rush scenarios. So it’s all complementary football.”

A new foundation set — or better yet, reset — the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers to finish up the regular season. To the naked eye, it was just two wins against outmatched opponents. But it was how they won. Anderson went off for more than 100 yards in both games thanks to big holes blown open by the offensive line. Goff had clean pockets to throw from.

It was the Rams dedicating themselves to their cornerstones. For all the flash and pizazz, they’ve always been much more hard hat than Hollywood. They were the third-best running team in the NFL for a reason.

“You want to be able to be a balanced offense and we were fortunate throughout the year to be able to have some success running it or throwing it,” McVay said.

It’s really never been about the opponent for these Rams, anyway. Quietly, they’ve always believed winning and losing is predicated on how they play.

They got away from that a bit in early December. It forced McVay to think long and hard about what kind of team he wanted his Rams to be in the playoffs.

The formula he came up with was a return to their roots. The Rams found themselves, just in the nick of time.

The Cowboys paid the price for that re-discovery. And as long as the Rams stay true to themselves, there could be a couple more victories.

That was an awesome 2 headed running game against a quality Dallas run D. I mean, jaw dropping, actually.

Didn’t I say that I expected a determined Ram team to surprise the Cowboys and many pundits? There was something about McVay’s carriage last week that clued me in. Obviously, that determination was absorbed by his asst coaches and players.

I don’t think it would have made a dimes worth of difference whether we had faced the Bears or the Cowboys. Neither team would have withstood this effort. Hope we can match this level against our next opponents.

What a blessing to have our OL and to have them healthy all season long.

Sully distinguished himself in the run blocking, didn’t he?

So happy to see Big Whit get his 1st playoff win. And a game ball. And a hug from one of his children afterwards.

Love and admire how Gurley is accepting and praising CJ’s contributions. Gurley just wants to win, dammit! Gotta admire that.

It would be wonderful if somehow CJ could be retained and extended affordably. This 2 headed run game would be beastly.

This Ram team currently enjoys an embarrassment of riches. Is there a single one of the following that you would replace, assuming that you could:

Kroenke as owner?
Demoff as President?
Snead as GM?
McVay as HC?

Me neither. Let that sink in for a minute. To have 4 such men in those 4 positions at the same time? Priceless.

We is loaded on O for next year, assuming Kupp comes back 100%, as expected. Goff, Cooks, Woods, Kupp, Gurley, CJ (I hope), Higbee, Everett, Reynolds. There will be quality O weapons that McVay can’t even get on the field. The pitiful O of 2016 is just a distant memory now.

Hey! We can stop the run after all. Had to almost sell out to do it, but it was sure nice to see, huh?

Suh showed up and it sure helped out. But give me a player for next year that shows up every snap of every game, not just against his former team Detroit and in the playoffs. Too little, too late from Suh to win me over. Hope he gets his ring with us, of course, but then it’s adios for me.

I’m liking Fowler more and more. Hope he’s affordable next year.

Ebu needs to be upgraded. Sorry.

Marcus Peters has worn out his welcome with me. I was a big advocate for acquiring him, but his play and his behavior have both disappointed me. Yeah, he’ll be here next year, and hopefully he might turn things around, but I’m not holding my breath. CB is looking like a high draft priority, don’t you think?

Why are we still having confusion and blown coverages in our secondary at this late date? C’mon...

Beating Dak was fun, but Brees is a whole different order of magnitude as a challenge, assuming the Saints handle the Eagles, as expected. Our 2 headed running attack should keep Brees on the sideline a great deal, true, but our pass D gameplan vs the Saints must be vastly different than it was for the Cowboys. Gonna be a huge challenge for Wade, that’s for sure.

Can we just stop with the stupid penalties? Hard enough to beat playoff teams without extending their danged TD drives twice a game.

Does McVay have a set, or what? And extreme confidence in his players? And don’t you think that the players appreciate and respond to it? I LOVE that in my HC!

Can’t wait to learn who we play next Sunday. We’re not done just yet. Not hardly. Lol.