Rams expected to get two third-round compensatory picks
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 7, 2019
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...ed-to-get-two-third-round-compensatory-picks/
The Rams and Patriots were two of the top teams in the NFL this season, but they didn’t mortgage the future to build for the present.In fact, one good measure of how well a team plans for the future is how well it does at getting compensatory picks. And the Rams and Patriots are expected to get the best compensatory pick compensation in the NFL in 2019.

Although the NFL hasn’t yet released the full list of compensatory picks for the 2019 draft, Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com typically projects the picks accurately, and his projections for this year’s draft say that the Rams and Patriots will each get two third-round compensatory picks.

The NFL awards compensatory picks to players who lose free agents and don’t sign other free agents to replace them, and the more expensive the free agents you lose, the better the picks you get. The Patriots two third-round picks will be for losing Nate Solder and Malcolm Butler, while the Rams’ two third-round picks will be for losing Trumaine Johnson and Sammy Watkins.

The 2019 Compensatory Picks
Posted on January 7, 2019 by Nick
https://overthecap.com/projecting-the-2019-compensatory-picks/
The Projection
Team / Round/ Compensated Free Agent APY
WAS 3rd Kirk Cousins $28. mil
NE 3rd Nate Solder $15.4 mil
LAR 3rd Trumaine Johnson $14.5 million
CAR 3rd Andrew Norwell $13.3 mil
LAR 3 rd Sammy Watkins $15.9 mil
NE 3rd Malcolm Butler $12.2 mil
BAL 3rd Ryan Jensen $10,5mil
IND 4th Donte Moncrief $9,6 mil
DAL 4th Anthony Hitchens $8,838 mil
NYG 4th Justin Pugh $9 mil
ATL 4th Dontari Poe $8,5
PHI 4th Trey Burton $7,mil
WAS 5th Trent Murphy $7,4
ATL 5th Taylor Gabriel $6,5
NYG 5th Devon Kennard $5,65
NE 5 Danny Amendola $5,95
WAS 6 Ryan Grant $5
ARI 6 Kareem Martin $4
PHI 6 Beau Allen $5
MIN 6 Teddy Bridgewater $5,5
PHI 6 Patrick Robinson $4,925
CIN 6 Andre Smith $4
SF 6 Aaron Lynch $3,95
CIN 6 Chris Smith $3,9
KC 6 Bennie Logan $4
CIN 6 AJ McCarron $3,950
MIN 7 Tramaine Brock $3
ARI 7 Drew Stanton $3,056,250
ARI 7 Jaron Brown $2,750,000
NE 7 Cameron Fleming $2,500,000
LAR 7 Cody Davis $2.5 million

I've never understood how badly fans react to their team, in whatever sport, loses a big game. I don't go past disappointment myself, and can't grasp the hatred aimed at a player or coach for not winning a game. It's just a sport and I am not attached to it at that low of a level and it's not part of my identity.

I understand how it feels to watch my Rams lose a Super Bowl, and a playoff game and have the worst 5 year stretch in the history of the NFL. But I never hated anyone for it.

So I think the people flinging this type of shit towards a player is horrible.

ESPECIALLY sine we knew right after the game that the kick was tipped which altered the path of the ball.

Not a peep about the guy who didn't do a good enough job blocking to keep another player from getting his fingertips on the ball, it's all about the kicker who needs to die.

This must be something among certain fanbases because I don't remember this type of reaction when the Rams lost the SB to the Patriots, or when Az Hakim fumbled away the game in the playoffs against the Saints, or when Martz went fetal against the Panthers.

I wonder if there is any kind of study done on fans like this.

Excerpts only. To read the whole mess click the link below.
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https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...card-weekend-fmia-eagles-chargers-peter-king/

By Peter King

Dallas (11-6, NFC 4th seed) at Los Angeles Rams (13-3, NFC 2nd seed), L.A. Coliseum, 8:15 p.m. ET, FOX.

Let’s step back for a minute and think how interesting it is that two years ago, the two teams now in southern California, the Rams and Chargers, were a woebegone 9-23, and league owners were rolling their eyes at the possibility of two lousy teams in Los Angeles. Now they’re 26-7, and they’re legit members of the NFL’s elite eight. Nothing is forever in the NFL.

Other than Jerry Jones getting to take his entourage to Nobu in Malibu, the best thing for Dallas about this weekend is this matchup. In 2018, the Rams gave up 5.1 yards per rush, which is beyond an Achilles’ heel. It’s preposterous, and it’s the biggest reason why the Rams could be an endangered species when Ezekiel Elliott rolls into the Coliseum.

Elsewhere in this column I write about how impressive a football player (not just a great back; I mean a complete player) Elliott is. And the more the Cowboys are able to ride Elliott, the less of a factor Aaron Donald will be in making Dak Prescott’s life miserable.

The tale of two backs in this game—which will be the ratings bonanza of the postseason—has one big mystery: How healthy is Todd Gurley, and how productive can he be? Gurley hasn’t been himself since he saved the Rams with a 155-yard performance (rushing and receiving) at Detroit, and regardless whether he practices this week or is listed on the injury report, I won’t trust him till I see if he can dominate a game the way he did in the first half of this season. This game’s going to be closer than it looks.
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The Award Section

Ezekiel Elliott, running back, Dallas. After watching his 169-total-yard night in the 24-22 win over Seattle, I thought, This guy could have played in Jim Brown’s era and been really good. He’s the kind of smart, physical back Vince Lombardi and Paul Brown would have loved. My favorite play from Elliott: Dallas, up 17-14 with 3:41 left, was trying to run down the clock in Seattle territory.

Elliott ran around right end, stiff-armed Shaquill Griffin at the Seahawk 32, sprinted up the sideline, looked like he’d get pushed out around the 15, but ducked physically back into the field and dove down at the 13. Gain of 17. But here’s the big part of it: He took the snap with 3:41 left, and the next play was snapped at 2:51. The whole thing there is to bleed the clock AND get yards, both of which are vital. Elliott did both.

He has a sense of where he is. “He just kept coming and kept coming,” coach Jason Garrett said. “Physical toughness, mental toughness—he embodies that. He wants it at the critical moments. Boy, he was something else tonight.” Rushing: 26 carries, 137 yards, one TD. Receiving: four catches, 32 yards. A good night’s work.

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Intelligent Football

How good was Aaron Donald this year? By one measure, the Rams defensive tackle—and certain Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year—had the best season at any position since 2006, when Pro Football Focus began measuring every player’s performance in every game.

Donald’s season grade of 123.9 is the highest PFF has given in its 13 years of ranking players. This season, it is 55.7 points ahead of second-place Fletcher Cox of the Eagles, a dominant player in his own right.

The most impressive thing about Donald’s season, to me, is that, usually playing from the defensive interior, he had 106 quarterback disruptions (sacks, hits, hurries). So imagine this: On about one of every five snaps Donald played when the opposition was going to pass, he sacked/hit/pressured the quarterback. Amazing for an interior player.

J.J. Watt is the only dominant comparable, in my opinion, in the PFF era to Donald. Watt won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times in four seasons between 2012 and 2015. Watt’s PFF grades in those years: 89.0, 94.1, 93.6, 93.9.

Donald’s greatness is beyond dispute. He’s 27. He’s healthy, with no history of significant injury. He’s five years into what should be an historic career.

https://247sports.com/nfl/dallas-co...s/Tale-of-the-Tape-Cowboys-vs-Rams-127446147/

Tale of the Tape: Cowboys vs. Rams

Rams Offense

Ranked 2nd w/32.9 points per game
Ranked 2nd w/421.1 yards per game
Ranked 5th w/281.7 passing yards per game
Ranked 3rd w/139.4 rushing yards per game

Cowboys Offense

Ranked 22nd w/21.9 points per game
Ranked 22nd w/343.8 yards per game
Ranked 23rd w/221.1 passing yards per game
Ranked 10th w/122.7 rushing yards per game

Rams Defense

Ranked 20th w/24 points per game allowed
Ranked 19th w/358.6 yards per game allowed
Ranked 14th w/236.2 passing yards per game allowed
Ranked 23rd w/122.3 rushing yards per game allowed

Cowboys Defense

Ranked 6th w/20.2 points per game allowed
Ranked 7th w/329.2 yards per game allowed
Ranked 13th w/234.7 passing yards per game allowed
Ranked 5th w/94.6 rushing yards per game allowed

The Rams have 2 WR's with over 1,200 yards receiving (Woods and Cook) and a HB (Gurley) that is one of the best in the league. Their defense is led by DT Donald and his 20+ sacks.

For Dallas to have any chance of winning this game, they will have to once again rely on the defense to get pressure on the QB (Goff) with their front 4 and have the DB's disrupt the Rams WR's at the line of scrimmage while having LB's LVE and Smith shadowing Gurley. If they can successfully do that and have Dak avoid any turnovers or missed throws, Dallas could shock the Rams.
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Just play them like we played the saints
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Stop Gurley.
Stop Donald.
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Call me blind or too optimistic, but I refuse to look at this game with a view like "For Dallas to have any chance..." Screw that. NO TEAM is unbeatable. Rams are really good, but guess what? So the fuck is Dallas.

This defense has given reason to believe they can keep us in any game. Saints looked unstoppable too until we played them.

Im in no way making thinking we walk through them but to go into it with a view of us hardly having a chance is ridiculous. Every game is tough at this point with strengths and weaknesses that we have all seen.

If the Rams happen to be the better team on that day then so be it, but until the whistle is blown and we go out and give it our best shot? You wont hear me jumping on the wagon of doubters or fear of the other team.
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If you double Donald he has shown to be ineffective. Why more teams don't I have no idea
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https://247sports.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/Board/103087/Contents/Well-LA-here-we-come-127431256/

Well LA here we come

So we beat LA. Philly beat New Orleans. We get Philly at home to get us to a SB!! Sounds like a grand plan to me
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The Coliseum will be packed to the rafters with boys fans...What a sight it’ll be
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I thought Dallas would get blown out against NO, but against LA, Dallas has a chance. The offense has to show up and not for just one quarter, we need four quarters.

Are you hearing me Prescott?
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"The Cowboys made a major in-season pickup this year in receiver Amari Cooper, who had seven catches for 106 yards on Saturday against Seattle, but Dallas’ season-long success has started with a run defense that allowed opponents an average of only 3.8 yards per carry.

Demarcus Lawrence led the Cowboys with 10.5 sacks this season, but the player to watch is high-volume tackling linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who had 140 tackles and two interceptions this season as an undrafted rookie out of Boise State."

https://www.ocregister.com/2019/01/...-they-will-play-dallas-cowboys-next-saturday/
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Defense hasn't played as well on the road. So it'll probably be on Dak and the offense.
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For Dallas to beat the Rams the defense needs to go up another level. Seems Byron is satisfied of making the pro bowl. I haven't loved the way he's played the last few games or the 2ndary as a whole at times. The pass rush also needs to get going. It's been Woods and Maliek. Versus Tank and Gregory.

We need all four to show up. But nobody and I mean nobody plays with the passion and energy Jaylon Smith does. Give me 10 more guys with that same energy and passion. We'd have a truly dominate defense.

Offense we need the Oline to step it up also. Dak needs to get better at reads and his throws. Garrett and Linehan need to get "way" better at game preparations especially on the road!! Let Austin return kickoffs. And the WR's also need to step up. In all EVERYBODY dressing and coaching have to get better from this point on. But I'm definitely counting on "my" defense getting much better. And they can and they will.

Let's get it done... Dallas Cowboys!!

First time going to a home game. Any good spots to tailgate or pregame before the game? Any suggestions help.

Go Rams!!

I'm pretty damn excited about out new addition at RB. We now have a human horse and bowling ball to use in our arsenal. Im already thinking of the many ways and tricks both can be used to beat anyone we go up against, and im sure im not the only one. I hope McVay is thinking the same thing. Remember when the Ravens demolished the Pats and Flacco only threw 10 times back in the 2011 playoffs? That's the kind of game I want to see with us.

I see every Cowboy game. The Key to beating the Cowboys is stopping the Cowboy's Offense. The Cowboys win when they score more than 20 points!

After the trade, Amari Cooper made the Cowboys a better team whether he shows up or not. 3 TD's in a game and 9 yards receiving the next game. Amari takes pressure off of Ezekiel Elliott and the other Cowboy receivers. Cole Beasley is the Cooper Kupp of the Cowboys. The young Cowboy TE's are slowly improving but the WR's are a bit beaten up. Even so Beasley limps his way into open space. Beasley is sneaky.

Ezekiel Elliott constantly looks like he's gonna get busted at the line of scrimmage and suddenly he ends up with a 5 yard gain. Defenders take the wrong angle on Elliott as he turns the corner on sweeps. Elliott is faster than he looks. Elliott is an excellent receiver! Elliott is by far the best player on the Cowboys.

The key to stopping the Cowboy offense is forcing the Dak Prescott into bad decisions. Rams defense must pressure Prescott. The 2018 Cowboy offensive line isn't as good as the 2016 version. So our Rams need to apply heavy pressure on Prescott because Dak makes bad decisions when he's hurried. You don't need to sack Dak. Just hurry him and he will short out Cowboy drives. The Cowboys offensive line HOLDS more these days then in the past but will the refs call it? One more thing- Because of the offensive line woes the Cowboy Red Zone offense pales compared to the Boy's offense between the 20's. Dak hasn't settled on a favorite Red Zone receiver.

I could nick pick but I won't. The Cowboys don't have an obvious Defensive Achilles heel. They really don't. The entire defense Over Achieves. You could argue that Eight of the Cowboys defensive players surprised to the upside. Perhaps the Ram's coaches will spot weaknesses on game tape that the rest of the NFL hasn't exploited yet. After all many of the Cowboy's defensive players are so young that maybe their flaws haven't been exposed yet?

The front seven are tough to run against. The Backside are solid. The front seven are adept at pressuring the QB. And the Cowboy defensive backs break up bunches of passes but ironically don't intercept many. That said, I'm sure the Ram's receivers will get open and if the Ram offensive line can provide time for Goff, the Cowboy defense can beaten through the air and on the ground. But it isn't easy. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cowboys use linebacker Jalen Ramsey to shadow Gurley. Ramsey is very fast from sideline to sideline.

Early in the year the Cowboy defense didn't generate turnovers. However that's changed a bit in the last several games. Although obvious, it's imperative that the Rams Not Turn the Ball over!

The Rams have the better special teams. The Tavon Austin curse continues as his punt returns for TD's are usually called back because of penalty. The Cowboy kicker isn't as accurate as Greg the Leg but that Cowboy kicker can kick a 65 yard field goal if he kicks strait. I look for the Rams Special Teams to outperform the Cowboys. I predict that Prescott will turn the ball over several times. I predict the Rams win 35- 24 boosted by one or two defensive and special team touchdowns!

Three of the top five offenses got first round byes and are still alive. Zero of the top five defenses are still alive. Yesterday was like watching paint dry for most of the day. The Ravens offense was unwatchable and the Bears wasn't much better. I like our chances going forward with our offense. Hoping our defense can keep playing better like they have in recent weeks.

He just wins.

Good running game and they are playing good D. Tough matchup for us.

But we are going to crush them.

http://www.nfl.com/player/ryangroy/2550569/profile

Tried to get him before and he is listed as a FA this year. I like his size, 6'-5" 320, and he is a Wisconsin guy.... would be a perfect fit to deal with guys like Hicks and Cox.

I am itching to wear my number 30 blue and gold “Kevin Payne” authentic game worn jersey again.

I am wondering if any of you guys/gals don Rams jerseys/gear whilst enjoying a brisk winter non-Rams playoff game while watching from the comforts at home? My daughter just laughs at me whenever I don the jersey at home, but she doesn’t understand true Ram fandom, does she? What say you? Faux Pas or Hell Yeah!

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/nfc-wi...cks-philadelphia-eagles-vs-chicago-bears-2019

NFC Wild Card: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles took very different paths to Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game. But they share one common thread that binds them together: Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

It’s two Reid disciples — Matt Nagy and Doug Pederson — who square off this Sunday in a game that features two of the conference’s hottest teams. As a first-year head coach, Nagy produced a worst-to-first turnaround for the Bears in the NFC North. The former Chiefs offensive coordinator did it with defense, his team allowing a league-best 17.7 points per game while winning nine of their last 10 contests. A 12-4 record earned them their first division title (and playoff berth) in eight years.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles, led by Pederson, Reid's former assistant in both Philadelphia and later Kansas City, enter the postseason scorching hot. They’ve won five of six and three in a row behind the steady play of backup quarterback Nick Foles, seeking a second straight season of magic. The Super Bowl LII MVP has led an offensive surge since the team’s only loss in this stretch, to the Cowboys left them at 6-7 and put an NFC East division title out of reach. But Foles came in and has helped the team produced 28.7 points per game in matchups that included two playoff teams (Rams and Texans) to get the Eagles’ season turned around.

Both coaches know each other well, the type of relationship in which you might say Nagy was almost a Pederson disciple himself. When Pederson was the offensive coordinator for Andy Reid’s Chiefs, Nagy was the Quality Control coach. The duo followed that pattern from the beginning of their careers, Nagy always sliding into the role Pederson left behind in Reid’s system.

“He got that Super Bowl,” Nagy said earlier this week. “I’m trying to follow his lead here.”

Can the Bears, a trendy Super Bowl pick, ride the exact same wave the Eagles did last year to an NFL championship? Or will Pederson still hold the upper hand in this coaching connection?

NFC Wild Card Playoff: Philadelphia at Chicago

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 6 at 4:40 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Bears -6

Three Things To Watch

1. Nick Foles' health

Foles left the Washington Redskins game early last Sunday with pain in his ribs. At the time, the game was well in hand, leaving Nate Sudfeld to throw his first career NFL touchdown pass in a 24-0 shutout win. But Sudfeld against the Bears, in any capacity? It’s hard to see the Eagles coming out on top.

The diagnosis for Foles was bruised ribs, not a break, leaving him in position to play Sunday. But pressure now mounts for the Eagles’ offensive line, a group that suffered through a season of inconsistency. Despite Sunday’s dominant performance by the team they still allowed three sacks to a Redskins defense with little to play for.

The Bears, whose defense produced an NFC-leading 50 sacks this year present a more serious challenge. Pro Bowl linebacker Khalil Mack is perhaps the best outside edge rusher in the NFL, leading the team in sacks (12.5), QB Hits (18) and forced fumbles (six).

“One on one, you’re not going to slow him down,” Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson said earlier this week. “It’s going to [force] you to do different things with tight ends, do different things with running backs. It can force you to change your thinking.”

Two tackles, 36-year-old Pro Bowler Jason Peters and Lane Johnson, will be tasked with keeping Mack at bay. Peters is one of the all-time greats but has shown his age at times this season, battling a myriad of injuries. Johnson has had a weird year, a yo-yo between a 9 out of 10 and a 2 on the performance scale depending on the week.

He’ll need to be a 10 for the Eagles to pull this one out. Foles can’t produce another miracle playoff run if he’s not capable of making it through four quarters of play. But if the Eagles protect, opportunities exist. The Bears ranked eighth in the NFL pass defense, a slight weakness (if you could call it that) and Foles has thrown for an average of 320 yards the past three weeks. The Eagles will drive down the field and score points.

2. The Bears' run vs. the Eagles' rush

The Eagles’ run defense took a hit in the second half of the season. Last year’s top-ranked unit slipped to seventh this season and struggled against marquee running backs. Division rivals Saquon Barkley (Giants), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys) and Adrian Peterson (Redskins) all had big games against their front line.

That bodes well for the Bears and their 1-2 punch of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. The duo ran roughshod over the Vikings in the season finale, piling up 133 yards between them on the ground in a game that ironically opened the door for the Eagles to make the playoffs. The Bears overall have rushed for 100-plus yards in five of the past six games.

But the last week against the Redskins was also the Eagles’ best defensive effort of the year. They allowed just 89 net yards of total offense and held the ‘Skins to 21 yards rushing, a measly 1.8 yards per carry. Peterson could never get going and finished with exactly zero yards on four carries, just one month after torching the Eagles with a 90-yard touchdown run.

This battle on the front lines will be crucial early on as the Bears hope to build a lead, limiting the pressure on young quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Defensive stalwarts Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Jordan Hicks have to come together and make big plays early and often.

3. Mitchell Trubisky's postseason debut

Trubisky, in just his second year in the league, will prepare to make his home playoff debut after an up-and-down regular season under center. Missing time with a shoulder injury in November, he’s had a history of struggling against top-tier opponents.

The Bears played three playoff teams this season: Seattle, New England and the Los Angeles Rams. Trubisky threw for 300-plus yards in just one of those games (New England) while throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Bears did hold on to win two of those games, utilizing their defense that produced a league-best 36 turnovers. But you’re less likely to have that type of margin of error in a playoff game, even with Foles averaging one turnover himself per contest.

Can Trubisky lead a game-winning drive when it matters? Your answer to that question should decide which way you swing in what’s bound to be the most competitive game on Wild Card Weekend.

X-Factor: Special Teams

Former Eagles kicker Cody Parkey was a bit shaky down the stretch with the Bears. He missed four of his last six kicks and never hit one longer than 50 yards this season. Jake Elliott, meanwhile, hit 14 of his final 15 after the Eagles’ bye week. He’s hit from 56 yards this season and has shown some range far beyond that, as evidenced by his franchise-record 61-yarder to win against the Giants last year.

That gives a slight edge to the Eagles on what’s supposed to be a cold, blustery day at Soldier Field. Winds are forecast out of the East at 10-15 miles an hour with stronger gusts. In a close game, particularly a defensive battle, Elliott could make a difference down the stretch.

Final Analysis

The Bears have the edge heading in with both momentum and talent. But the Eagles have what’s become this unshakable faith in Nick Foles. The backup Super Bowl MVP (how often has that sentence been written in NFL history) sits at 6-0 in must-win games with Carson Wentz on the sidelines. If he could beat the Rams on the road, a team the Bears also disposed of down the stretch, this one also feels winnable.

The key is for him to stay on the field for all four quarters. But if the Bears' defense can be kept at bay just enough, forcing Mitchell Trubisky to win the game for them the edge should go to the experience of last year’s Super Bowl champs.

Prediction: Eagles 20, Bears 17

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/afc-wi...los-angeles-chargers-vs-baltimore-ravens-2019

AFC Wild Card: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens

NFL playoff action will kick off on Sunday with the Los Angeles Chargers making the long trip east to face the Baltimore Ravens in the second AFC Wild Card game. A matchup that features two teams that should be very familiar with one another, considering their last meeting took place just a couple of weeks ago. Both teams entered that crucial Week 16 game in need of a win to stay alive in closely-contested division races. Baltimore left Los Angeles with a 22-10 victory over the Chargers, although it was closer than the score suggests.

The Ravens (10-6) would follow up with another crucial win last week, narrowly escaping disaster in a dramatic 26-24 affair against the Browns to close out the regular season with their first AFC North title since 2012 and the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. It also marked Baltimore’s third consecutive win and its sixth in the last seven games behind rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson and the league’s best defense. The Ravens now face yet another difficult challenge to keep its season alive — beating the Chargers for a second time. If successful, Baltimore would extend its record to 6-0 in Wild Card games under head coach John Harbaugh.

While the Chargers (12-4) ultimately fell short of winning the AFC West, thanks in part to that loss to the Ravens, the Bolts did manage to wrap up the regular season with a 23-9 victory over the Broncos to tie for the best record in the AFC. The win in Denver also gave the Chargers a 7-0 record in games played outside of the greater Los Angeles area (they lost to the Rams in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Week 3). That bodes well for the fifth seed although Baltimore is 6-2 at home thus far. Regardless of the record, Los Angeles will need to be at its very best to get past the red-hot Ravens on Sunday afternoon.

AFC Wild Card Playoff: Los Angeles at Baltimore

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 6 at 1:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Spread: Ravens -2.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Los Angeles' passing game vs. Baltimore's pass defense

Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers matched his career high for passer rating (105.5) during a standout regular season. That effort was aided by a trio of top-flight wide receivers in Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Tyrell Williams. The Los Angeles offensive line did its part as well, allowing a respectable 34 sacks in 16 games. All in all, it was a remarkable showing for one of the NFL’s most prolific passing attacks.

However, there is one game that Rivers and company would like to forget. The Week 16 loss to the Ravens was the only game all season in which Rivers failed to throw a touchdown pass. He did, however, throw two interceptions en route to his lowest passer rating (51.7) of the season. The Chargers’ talented receiving corps didn’t fare much better, struggling to gain separation against an equally talented Baltimore secondary. And the Los Angeles offensive line was, for the most part, overwhelmed and outmatched against a stellar Baltimore pass rush — surrendering four sacks, eight QB hits and allowing consistent pressure on Rivers. The Chargers will need a much-improved effort to find success in Sunday’s rematch, particularly when it comes to pass protection. That won’t come easy against the NFL's No. 1 defense.

2. Lamar Jackson

The Ravens’ rookie will make NFL history this weekend, becoming the youngest quarterback to start a playoff game at age 21. Jackson was a major catalyst behind Baltimore’s successful run to the AFC North title, leading the Ravens to a 6-1 record down the stretch after replacing Joe Flacco as the starter. The dynamic playmaker will look to keep things rolling in his first-ever playoff start, but to do so he'll have to tackle another first — face the same defense for a second time.

Jackson threw for a season-high 204 yards and a touchdown in the Week 16 win over Los Angeles. However, a big chunk of that came on one play, a 68-yard touchdown strike to tight end Mark Andrews. Otherwise, the Chargers did an outstanding job of limiting the dual-threat quarterback where he shines brightest — running the football. Jackson managed just 39 rushing yards on 13 carries, by far his lowest total in his starts. He also was sacked three times. Jackson is sure to be the focal point of the Bolts’ defense again on Sunday. The question is, can the Chargers contain the elusive quarterback for a second time? Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and the rest of the defense have that exact goal in mind. It should make for a compelling matchup.

3. A potent Baltimore ground attack

The Chargers may have been successful in limiting Jackson as a runner, but the Ravens still finished with 159 rushing yards in that Week 16 win. Fellow rookie Gus Edwards led the way with 92 yards on 14 carries (6.6 ypc) as Baltimore showed it's more than just Jackson who can get the job done on the ground. In fact, the Ravens enter this game second in the NFL in rushing at 152.6 yards per game. But that number has ballooned to 229.5 over the last seven contests or all the games Jackson started. So while Los Angeles can take some solace in that it "limited" Baltimore's total damage on the ground in the first meeting that task will be just as difficult the second time, especially if Jackson is able to get loose a time or two. The Chargers will need to make sure their ninth-ranked rushing defense (105.8 ypg) plays up to its potential.

Final Analysis

It’s never easy to beat an NFL team twice in the same season, a task made more difficult for the Ravens against a Chargers squad that has thrived on the road. Los Angeles is also one of the most complete teams in the league, excelling on both sides of the football. And that is exactly what the Chargers will need to do on Sunday to pull off the upset — excel on both sides of the football. This is something they failed to do in the 22-10 home loss to Baltimore in Week 16. The Ravens held Los Angeles to a season-low 198 total yards, effectively shutting down both Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon, who was coming back from a three-game absence due to a knee injury. That game also marked the only time that the Chargers failed to score at least 20 points. Expect Los Angeles to put up more points this time around, but it won’t be enough to come away with the win. Baltimore's defense is simply too strong, particularly in the trenches, and the Ravens have the benefit of home-field advantage.

Prediction: Ravens 23, Chargers 20

I would have loved to see the Rams beat them again and send that little cheerleader coach home with his tail between his legs,

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...s-into-broncos-gm-elway/ar-BBROyOQ?li=BBnbfcL

Looks like Elway feels Von could have played better this past season, and now Von's mom has something to say. Denver is not going anywhere anytime soon without a QB, perhaps the Rams can take on Von for a draft pick. Thoughts?

I know... No Ram game this week .. so here's my contribution to fill the void..
So back to the topic. Not knocking the guy, but you need to ask that question for the fact his alma mater has been so succesful over the years with and without him.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401104373

What are your thoughts?

Seattle’s offense employed it heavily half-way through the season.

The Colts use it quite a bit.

I know I’ve seen the Bucs use it and read about the Raiders as well. I want to say I saw the Bears do it, but I’m not certain.

Aside from the obvious perspectives of needing some bigger LBers, and some beef and depth on the defense (two things we lack), what are some of your guys thoughts?

I don’t think it works all game long. And the teams that use it probably use it between 10%-35% of the time (Seahawks being the most).

But if you catch a team just right...late in the game, close game or with a lead, and you can bully the hell out of a defense. It can be a nice little tool.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...e-exum-fined-53482-for-unnecessary-roughness/

49ers’ Antone Exum fined $53,482 for unnecessary roughness
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 5, 2019

When 49ers defensive back Antone Exum was flagged for unnecessary roughness on Sunday for a hit on Rams wide receiver Robert Woods, he and his teammates insisted he had done nothing wrong. The NFL strongly disagreed.

The league confirmed today that Exum has been fined $53,482 for unnecessary roughness. That’s a huge fine, one that suggests that Exum is lucky he didn’t get suspended, from the league’s perspective.

But from the 49ers’ perspective, Exum did nothing more than make a good football play. Exum’s teammate Richard Sherman said after the game he thought it was ridiculous to throw a flag on the play.

“It’s just terrible,” Sherman. “He did all he could. He played by the rules. He hit him in the strike zone. And he got penalized. At this point, you’ve got to let him catch it and don’t hit him hard. Or you’ve got to take guys knees out.”

Those comments and that fine show the NFL and its players continue to have a disconnect about what is and is not legal.

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Great clip of an NFL Network analyst (Schrager) talking about the Rams.

I like what he has to say and there would be no more storybook road to the Superbowl than by beating Chicago and New Orleans, two revenge games.

Go Rams!

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/05/nfl-rams-playoffs-mailbag-draft-gurley-anderson/

By: Cameron DaSilva

In one week, the Los Angeles Rams will host their second postseason game in as many years, taking on either the Seahawks, Cowboys or Bears. This weekend’s games will determine which team goes to the Coliseum on Saturday, all of which present difficult challenges for L.A.

With no Rams game this weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to answer some mailbag questions on Twitter. So without further ado…

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I’d go with the Seahawks. None of the three teams are particularly easy matchups – after all, this is the postseason – but the Seahawks seem like the most favorable opponent for L.A. Not only have the Rams already beaten them twice this season, but they’ve also knocked them off six of the last eight times and three of four times under Sean McVay.

McVay seems to get better when he has added familiarity with a team, as evidenced by his 6-0 record against the NFC West this season. The Seahawks’ defense isn’t as dominant as Dallas’ or the Bears’ and as long as you stop the running game, you have a great chance to win.

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I haven’t seen the Rams announce which uniforms they’ll wear, but there are a few indicators that it’ll be the throwbacks. They wore blue and yellow helmets in practice this week and considering the throwbacks are their primary home uniforms, all indications point toward those being the ones for next week.

Quite honestly, it’d be a huge mistake to wear anything but those beautiful threads at home in the playoffs.

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I see what you did there. As long as Todd Gurley plays, he’s going to score at least one touchdown per game. He had 21 in 14 regular-season games, which puts him on pace for 1.5 per start. Even if the Rams make the Super Bowl, though, I’d go with the under. There are too many mouths to feed and given the way they strike quickly in the passing game, at least a few will be long passes.

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I haven’t fully dived into the upcoming draft class, but a few positions I’m looking at for the Rams are outside linebacker, safety and nose tackle. Inside linebacker is another area of need with Mark Barron likely being a cap casualty. LSU linebacker Devin White would be an intriguing player if he’s still around when the Rams go on the clock, bringing rare speed and athleticism to the middle of the defense.

Deionte Thompson is a perfect center field safety for the Rams if Lamarcus Joyner leaves in free agency, but he may not last beyond the top 20. Dexter Lawrence could slide on draft day after his suspension, but he’d be a nice 1-technique to replace pending free agent Ndamukong Suh. At outside linebacker, Montez Sweat is an intriguing prospect out of Mississippi State with great explosiveness.

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As Sean McVay said this week, Gurley is their starting running back. That being said, if he comes out slow and doesn’t look like himself, don’t be surprised if McVay gives C.J. Anderson some run. After all, it’ll be four weeks since Gurley last played and he may not be in football shape. Anderson is like a bowling ball through the line, bouncing off defenders and wearing down linebackers.

Gurley is obviously more athletic and offers more as a receiver, but playing a guy who’s not fully healthy when you have a capable runner behind him would be irresponsible. The thing you have to hope doesn’t happen is McVay going away from the ground game quickly if Gurley can’t find running lanes.

https://apnews.com/bf418b707d16470d...lFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP_Sports

Ex-NFL Pro Bowl players try curling with 2022 Olympic goal
By JIMMY GOLEN

Defensive lineman Jared Allen retired from the NFL in 2015 and wasn’t ready to give up on the competition he’d come to enjoy as a five-time All-Pro.

His solution: The Olympics.

The problem: He didn’t compete in any Olympic sports.

Less than a year later, Allen and three other former NFL stars — none with any prior experience — are attempting to qualify for the U.S. national curling championships against players who have been throwing stones for most of their lives.

It would be the first step toward competing in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

“Every team in the NFL — whether you’re hot garbage or the defending Super Bowl champions — every coach come August says the same thing: ‘We’re trying to win the Super Bowl,’” Allen said. “We come from that mentality, where we set lofty goals.

“Our short term goals are continually to get better: Fundamentals, strategy, sweeping. We know if we master these little things, it will take us a long way.”

A 12-year NFL veteran who spent most of his career with the Chiefs and Vikings, Allen was lamenting the end of his playing days when a friend dared him to try an Olympic sport. Allen toyed with the idea of badminton but rejected it as too taxing.

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“We thought about curling. It was chill, and the winners have to buy the losers beer,” he said. “We thought it was a win-win.”

He rounded up former Rams quarterback Marc Bulger and Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck and tackle Michael Roos to form a team; all were Pro Bowl selections during their NFL career, and living near Nashville, Tennessee.

Adopting the name All-Pro Curling Team, they started from scratch in March and kept their plans under wraps until they felt like they had made enough progress.

“We wanted the reaction when we got on the ice to be ’Oh, how long have you guys been doing this?” Allen said in a telephone interview after practicing on a converted hockey rink in Nashville. “We were serious. We didn’t want it to seem like it was just some media hype, or just trying to stay relevant.”

The first test was in November, when Allen and Bulger — with two “regular” curlers — competed in the Curl Mesabi Classic in Northern Minnesota. Their first opponent: The gold medal-winning team from Pyeongchang led by four-time Olympian John Shuster.

They lost 11-3, giving up five points in the sixth end.

“Honestly, they were a little better than I had expected,” said Matt Hamilton, the second on that team. “All in all, Jared was technically pretty sound. But at the end of the day, I’ve seen thousands of curling shots and situations and that is ultimately going to win us more games.”

Although curling matches are often conceded when they are out of reach, the Olympians kept playing through the eighth (of 10) ends, to help the football players gain the experience they’ll need if they are going to be more competitive. (If it’s any consolation for Allen’s crew, Shuster’s rink also scored a five-ender against Sweden in the gold-medal match.)

“We had one bad end, and we just kept playing with them. We just wanted to be a sponge,” Bulger said. “The key was they knew we were taking it seriously. It wasn’t just us saying ‘We’re going to take over curling,’ kind of as a gimmick.

“We hope to play them again,” he said, “when we’re better.”

The All-Pros are back at it at the USA Men’s Challenge Round this weekend in Blaine, Minnesota, where they are competing for one of four remaining spots in next month’s national championships. (Top teams like Shuster’s have already qualified.)

They got off to a rough start in their first match, falling 10-1 to Steve Birklid’s Seattle-based rink on Thursday night. But, by hopping into the sport early in the Olympic cycle, they have almost three more years before the team for the 2022 Games is chosen.

Hamilton confessed he was put off at first about newcomers thinking they could reach the Olympics in a sport he’d worked a lifetime to master. But he also realized the publicity will be good for curling, which has struggled to break out of its niche as an every-four-years curiosity.

“If I really think I’m that good, I should be like ‘Bring it on!’” Hamilton said in an email to The Associated Press from a competition in Japan. “How much they respected the game, though, is what made me realize they aren’t making a mockery. We just have some extremely athletic individuals who respect sport but have a need to compete in their blood. Can’t disrespect that!”

All four football players agreed the reception they’ve received from lifetime curlers is decidedly different from a curler trying to break into the hyper-competitive NFL.

“Oh, he’d get smashed,” Allen said. “We’d go out of our way to test his mettle, for sure.”

Instead, they found the tight-knit but friendly community of curlers was eager to accept them. In their match against the Olympians, there was trash-talking — or banter, depending on whom you ask — and Hamilton even gave them some of his old curling gear.

“I looked at their broom heads and I was disgusted. I was wondering why these former pro football players couldn’t afford new broom heads,” he said. “So I went into my curling bag and gave them some gently used ones before the game. That really surprised Jared, claiming nothing like that would ever fly in football.”

Like many of those who only experience curling every four years on TV, the football players saw the sweeping and the shouting and underestimated how hard it is. “We played football, but it’s a lot of muscles we didn’t use,” Bulger said.

Sliding on the ice was also an adjustment, but the biggest challenge has been the strategy.

When he first started watching, Bulger said, he would see curlers setting up protective stones called guards and thought they were missing their shots.

“We just assumed that you throw to the button every time, and we learned that is not the game,” he said. “It’s like a novice chess player going against” a grandmaster.

But their NFL experience did help in other ways, priming them with not just physical fitness but also good practice habits, making decisions on the fly and improving through film study and coaching.

“Like any other sport, you have to learn, try to figure out how to get better,” Bulluck said. “Playing football at a very high level, being one of the best at the position once upon a time, to get to that level in anything you do you have to be able to take coaching.”

And, of course, they’re competitive.

“The message is: We want to bring attention to it. We want to have fun with it,” Allen said. “But we’re dead serious about what we’re trying to accomplish.”

On Nov 12, 2018 Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was lost for the season when he tore his ACL during the Rams 36-31 win over the Seattle.

Kupp was considered by many to be Goff's favorite receiver.

His loss for the season was tragic and many fans including myself, thought the Rams might not be able to recover when we looked at the big picture going into the 2019 playoffs.

Josh Reynolds is a lanky, slithery WR that was drafted in the 4th round (selected 117)overall) of the 2017 draft from Texas A&M.

Josh was never viewed on the same level as Kupp but his college game tape showed him to be worthy of a 4th round pick.

He was was raw talented WR coming out of the 2017 draft that needed to polish his route running skills and learn to be a professional on the NFL level.

Reynolds showed a few flashes in 2017, but he never gave anyone the feeling he was going to be able to pick up the slack in 2018 when the Rams lost Cooper Kupp for the rest of the 2018 season.

After the Rams season finale vs the 49ers, Reynolds and Goff appear to have put the nay sayers in their place.


Josh Reynolds is becoming a baller and it appears that him and Goff have connected the dots for the 2019 Playoffs.