I was just watching the replay of the RAMS saints game and was shocked to see the very same ref and crew that have done our two Sunday night games in Chicago and against the Eagles.

Someone please remind me of this smirking clowns name. Can't we play a big game without this jerk being around. I would hope McVay would make sure we never see his crew again this season. So many challenges his crew has screwed us on.

https://larrybrownsports.com/football/10-nfl-coaches-fired-black-monday/477822

10 NFL coaches who could be fired on Black Monday
by Dan Benton

This year, as many as 10 coaches could be sent on their way, joining two who have already been sent packing in Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns) and Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers). Here’s a look at the 10 head coaches or coordinators who could be given the boot only days after Christmas.

10. Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars

This space could have just as easily gone to Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, but early indications are that he’ll return to the team in 2019. That leaves Doug Marrone, who is also likely to return in 2019, but he may be on shakier ground than Rivera. The Jaguars opened the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but have completely fallen apart.

They’ve gone 2-9 over the last 11 games, falling out of contention and once again looking like bottom of the NFL barrel. And with Tom Coughlin still calling most of the shots, that sort of futility will not stand for very long. If Marrone is brought back in 2019, it could be his last hurrah unless he manages to win 10 games and return to the playoffs.

9. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins

It wasn’t all that long ago the Washington Redskins were leading the NFC East and looked like a shoo-in for the playoffs. Three quarterbacks later, the Redskins are losers of five of their last six games, have lost their stranglehold on the NFC East, have been eliminated from the playoffs and will barely hold off the New York Giants to avoid a basement finish.

And following their latest crushing loss, safety D.J. Swearinger ripped defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and the coaching staff, leading to his release. But the veteran’s outburst and subsequent release shouldn’t be swept under the rug as it raises a huge red flag — a fractured locker-room and the beginning of a revolt against those in charge. Things are toxic in DC, and Gruden may pay the ultimate consequences as a result.

8. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins

Tempers were already beginning to boil in Miami even prior to a Week 16 loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, but that embarrassing display just pushed things over the edge. After starting the season off hot, the Dolphins have since collapsed save for a last-second fluke upset victory over the New England Patriots, and as a result, vice president Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Adam Gase may suffer the consequences.

After finishing at 10-6 as a rookie head coach in 2016, Gase’s Dolphins have gone 13-18 since, dropping his coaching record below .500. That may cost him his job in a win-now league. Whether or not Gase gets another shot elsewhere remains to be seen, but his first head coaching stint could be ending after Week 17.

7. Steve Sarkisian, Atlanta Falcons

No, Steve Sarkisian is not a head coach. He’s the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, but the reality is that Dan Quinn will not be fired and someone may need to take the fall for an ugly season in Atlanta. That will likely be Sarkisian, whose offense, despite being stocked with incredible talent, will finish near the middle of the pack when the season ends and has managed over 20 points just twice since Week 9.

The fall from grace has been dramatic and swift, both on the road and at home, which not only cost the Falcons a chance at the playoffs, but really calls into question their overall direction entering 2019. Quinn will likely survive this go-around, but Sarkisian may not.

6. Ron Zook, Green Bay Packers

If you think fans only clamor for head coaches to be replaced, you’d be wrong. Those in Green Bay cannot wait for Zook to be fired as the Packers’ special teams coach. He’s in his fifth season with the Packers and fourth as their special teams coordinator. Last week’s overtime win over the Jets wouldn’t have been as close if not for all the mistakes by Zook’s units, which included terrible kick and punt coverage, and fumbles.

The Packers are allowing 25.6 yards per kick return (4th worst in the league), one of only five teams to allow a kick return for a TD, and they’re in the bottom part of the league for yards gained per punt and kickoff return. He deserves to be fired.

5. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

Marvin Lewis is always an interesting name when the Black Monday rolls around because he always seems like a coach who could be cut loose, but never is. 2018 will be no different as the Bengals have once again faded into mediocrity, this time even finding themselves in the AFC North basement behind the Cleveland Browns.

The decision to bring on Hue Jackson seems like a poor one, as they’ve gone 1-6 since his arrival, and that doesn’t even take into account Lewis’ playoff record. For reference, the Bengals have won a grand total of zero playoff games (0-7) during his 16 years as head coach. There is speculation that Lewis could walk away from the team after the season.

4. Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dirk Koetter could have very well topped this list, but the Buccaneers aren’t exactly keen on further shakeups. Additionally, quarterback Jameis Winston and other players have spoken out publicly in favor of Koetter, saying they’d like to have their coach back in 2019. Tampa Bay may very well oblige, but that decision has not yet been made.

In the meantime, Koetter remains on the hot seat and could find himself on the chopping block if the Buccaneers are blown out in Week 17 and sent home for the season with a 5-11 for the second consecutive year. Either way, Koetter represents a true 50/50 coin flip come Black Monday — he could get one final opportunity or the Bucs could move on.

3. Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos

Vance Joseph will likely be fired at the conclusion of the season, with an ugly loss on Monday night perhaps cementing his fate. Quarterback issues have plagued Joseph’s two short seasons in Denver, and it very nearly cost him his job a year ago before the franchise gave him a second shot.

Reports suggest that John Elway & Co. already have their sights set on John Harbaugh, should he become available, but either way, Joseph is not the future. Instead, he’ll probably hit the market and could end up serving as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals or another team.

2. Steve Wilks, Arizona Cardinals

Leading up to Week 16, expectations for Steve Wilks’ future were somewhat mixed. He is a first-year head coach after all, but his rookie campaign not only failed to live up to the hype, but has been a complete disaster from top to bottom. And following the team’s 12th loss of the season, it was reported that the Cardinals will part ways with Wilks at the conclusion of the season.

That means he’ll be handed his walking papers immediately after the team’s Week 17 game or will be among the first fired on the morning of Black Monday. Either way, his Cardinals tenure will end much sooner than anticipated. If they finish the season with a 3-13 record, it will match the team’s worst record since moving from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988.

1. Todd Bowles, New York Jets

Todd Bowles insists he’s not worried about his future with the Jets, but the reality is, he should be. Expectations were that he’d be fired weeks ago, but owner Woody Johnson has held off for now. That said, the writing is on the wall and Bowles’ exit from East Rutherford appears inevitable.

Already there have been rumors about potential interest in Jim Harbaugh — something the Jets have publicly denied — and that’s likely just the beginning. And while they will appear true to Bowles for at least another week, his name is one of many that will appear in the headlines come Black Monday, fair or unfair.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/12/27/nfl-coaching-rumors-2019-browns-jets-buccaneers-dolphins-ravens

A Quick Spin on the Coaching Carousel: 10 Nuggets as Black Monday Looms
By ALBERT BREER

Let’s do some math.

Since the year the current CBA was agreed to—a CBA that led to new TV deals, which showered owners in disposable cash with which to pay plenty of fired coaches—there have been 57 head-coaching changes (not including interim coaching switches) over eight hiring cycles. Only six clubs (New England, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Seattle) haven’t hired coaches over that span.

That adds up to 26 teams accounting for more than two coaching changes per team since 2011. Take that, and you may be able to guess the affect on the candidate pool.

It’s been sapped dry.

The effect has forced teams in recent years to take chances on younger or less experienced candidates. It’s worked out in some cases, as with Sean McVay in Los Angeles. It hasn’t in others, as seems to be the case with Vance Joseph in Denver. And this is looking like the year that the destabilization of the NFL coaching ranks approaches its nadir.

One prominent agent said he regards the 2019 crop of prospective head coaches the weakest he’s seen in decades. That situation, I’m told, was part of the reason Baltimore slammed the brakes on the persistent buzz that it would part ways with John Harbaugh after the season. Why make a change, after all, when the most attractive candidate for an opening is already on your payroll?

So this is the backdrop to all the movement coming over the next week. Some teams may look at the landscape and decide to give their coach a stay of execution. Others will get creative with their coaching searches. And teams will take chances, like the Rams and Broncos did two years ago, or like the Titans and Cardinals did in 2018 on one-year defensive coordinators who’ve since gone in divergent directions.

But we’re starting with the 2019 NFL hiring cycle, one arriving to more uncertainty and unusual twists than any I can remember in the past. There’s no obvious belle-of-the-ball candidate. The closest thing is probably a guy who’s coaching in college (Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley). What you do have is a number of candidates the casual fan isn’t aware of, and others they might not be too inspired by.

That said, hope exists. Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll weren’t the most popular hires in 2000 or 2010, respectively, and both of them have been OK. Asshole Face, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh weren’t exactly brand-name candidates ahead of landing their jobs, which all three have held for more than a decade. Each of those five coaches, in case you didn’t pick up on it, has won Super Bowls. And their teams, as a result, have been spared taking part in the explosion of New CBA coaching tumult.

OK, so if you’re not so lucky, and your team is out there looking? Or you just want to know what’s happening? Here’s the word around the NFL campfire:

• The Harbaugh announcement reset the plans of several teams, including the Jets and Broncos (with the Dolphins having lurked as a potential suitor for the Ravens’ coach). So do the teams that coveted Harbaugh take their ball and go home?

I’d say … not until Harbaugh actually signs his extension. As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has pointed out, it’s not hard to see a scenario in which someone goes to Baltimore with draft picks. Which would make good sense, given that Harbaugh is still regarded as a top-tier head coach in NFL circle.

• Another one to watch in that regard could be Miami’s Adam Gase. If EVP Mike Tannenbaum takes the fall (we told you Monday, it’d be a shocker if both Gase and Tannenbaum survive), Gase and GM Chris Grier could remain. So do the Dolphins just elevate Grier in responsibility or find someone to replace Tannenbaum? If they take latter route, would they dig into Gase’s power (i.e. control over the 53-man roster) to lure that someone—a move that would require adjusting Gase’s contract and open the door for him to look at other jobs?

I’m told other clubs are monitoring this one. It’s not crazy to think a team like Cleveland, which tried to interview Gase on the recommendation of Jimmy Haslam’s buddy Peyton Manning in 2014, then did interview him in ‘16, could lie in the weeds, with Baker Mayfield as bait. Again, if it’s Gase and Grier’s show, this is status quo. But some change could bring more change.

• As for the Browns and what I believe, again, is a wide-open search, remember that Jimmy and Dee Haslam have kicked the tires on a lot of coaches over the last few years. Gase was one they liked. Another: Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The big question on McDaniels would be more about how he’d mesh with GM John Dorsey.

• The ouster of Bucs coach Dirk Koetter has been considered a forgone conclusion since September, but there’s been chatter over the last couple weeks that this one isn’t quite over yet. I’ve heard Tampa wants to make a splashy hire, if they are going to go get a new coach, which contextualizes Mike McCarthy’s name being connected to the job.

If that’s not there for them? Maybe Koetter survives. A big issue, though, is that the vast majority of Koetter’s assistants are on expiring contracts, so Tampa would need to commit to those guys for another two years, and all of them would have the chance to leave on their own volition if they saw Koetter as a lame duck going into 2019.

• Speaking of McCarthy, the Jets are another team to watch there. They’ve done their research on ex-Packers coach. And even though there might some question about fit in the New York market, my expectation is that McCarthy will be under consideration there next week.

He and ex-Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, both of whom have coached in the Super Bowl, are examples of coaches on the other end of the spectrum—given the lack of hot young names on the market, some teams will value experience and the ability to assemble a staff over the chance to catch lightning in a bottle. In the case of McCarthy and Caldwell, there’s also the benefit of both having background coaching the quarterback position, and having done so with all-time greats.

• Regarding assistants, there could be some interesting offensive coordinator movement, and a name at the top of that list is right off Koetter’s staff. Per sources, Bucs OC Todd Monken’s contract is up. And I believe he’ll be a hot candidate for coordinator openings, and even could get an interview or two at the head-coaching level. His creativity and blending of college and pro concepts have more than a couple teams intrigued.

• Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter is another coordinator on an expiring contract who could look around—and will garner interest. The marriage with Matt Patricia hasn’t been perfect, and other teams seem willing to chalk up the Detroit offense’s decline in production to that reality. If Cooter bolts, Patricia does have a QBs coach with coordinator experience on staff, in George Godsey, if he doesn’t turn to a vet he has a background with, like ex-Patriots OC Charlie Weis.

• There’s a persistent drumbeat out there on potential changes coming in Atlanta at some level. Yes, Dan Quinn is safe. But changes on his staff seem inevitable at this point.

• College coaches will be in the mix, even though that interest is usually kept quiet (with recruiting concerns a reason why). Lincoln Riley, as we said, will have opportunity—and past just this year, which should enable him to pick his spot. (And he’s already got one of the best jobs in the sport, so there’s no need to rush.) I’d expect Iowa State’s Matt Campbell’s name to surface in more than one place—a couple people on the scouting trail brought his name to me in September, and I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback on him since.

He’s a Northeast Ohio native (he’s actually from the same town as Paul Brown), so Cleveland would certainly be interesting, and he’s the type of hire that may allow the Browns to make a run at holding on to Freddie Kitchens. Other college coaches to watch who have an interest in the NFL are Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Baylor’s Matt Rhule. And I wouldn’t be stunned to see Florida’s Dan Mullen, who is said to have NFL aspirations, start to pop up somewhere along the line.

• Two college names that I’ve learned to group together, while we’re there—Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Stanford’s David Shaw. Both have won in places that have unique challenges. Both are coaching at their alma mater. Both are well compensated, loved and happy in regions where they have deep roots in. Both can win eight or nine games a year with their college teams and be celebrated for it.

And both have garnered more than a little interest from the NFL. That’s a long way of saying a lot of NFL teams love those guys, but it’d take a lot to lure them to leave what they’ve got now. Maybe the presence of ex-Northwestern AD Mark Murphy in Green Bay—Murphy hired Fitzgerald as head coach at NU—will be enough to coax Fitzgerald to the NFL. I just wouldn’t count on it.

This much we know: There aren’t easy answers for teams that are looking.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/12/24/n...agles-coaching-rumors-2019-draft-mmqb-week-16

AS THE CAROUSEL SPINS …

• Panthers GM Marty Hurney has built a good rapport with new owner David Tepper, I’m told, and so he and coach Ron Rivera are very likely to get at least another year. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that someone could be added to football ops. Tepper’s shown a keen awareness in the area of football analytics, so maybe that’s where a hire is made.

• At the very least, with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich not quite ready for the role he was thrust into in October, the Cardinals will make major changes to its offensive staff. And there’s a pretty decent chance that owner Michael Bidwill goes beyond just that. First-year coach Steve Wilks is in peril. It remains to be seen whether or not GM Steve Keim is, too.

• If Keim is out in Arizona, word is that he’ll be a top candidate for the GM job with the Raiders, who would prefer to bring in an experienced personnel man.

• The Buccaneers are a little like Arizona in that word has held that the coach, Dirk Koettter, is likely to be gone, particularly with a staff full of assistants on expiring deals, but the situation of GM Jason Licht seems to be murkier. This job is the one that ex-Packers coach Mike McCarthyhas been connected most to.

• The Dolphins will almost certainly have change at some level. I’d be surprised if both EVP Mike Tannenbaum and coach Adam Gase are back, and a total blowup is not out of the question. If Gase survives, it’s a decent bet that GM Chris Grier would too, with perhaps added authority.

• The Packers’ search is underway, and the one name that multiple folks brought up over the last week was Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was hired into that job by Green Bay president/ex-NU AD Mark Murphy. Murphy’s running the show here, with half-dozen execs, including GM Brian Gutekunst, working with him.

• I’m told the Browns’ process will be absolutely wide open.

• Vance Joseph is all but done in Denver. As we’ve mentioned at a few points over the last few months, Broncos GM John Elway dove deep into offensive trends in the college game during the fall. So an outside-the-box hire wouldn’t be out of the question, assuming the scenario of John Harbaugh coming over, with Gary Kubiak as OC, is now dead.

• As for the Bengals, there’s been talk that owner Mike Brown could take one more run at it with Marvin Lewis in charge in 2019, before Brown cedes more control of the team than he already has to his children after next season. Brown is 83. Joseph’s name has popped up in recent weeks as a potential heir to Lewis, since the Brown family has coveted familiarity in their hires (Joseph was DBs coach in Cincinnati in 2014-15).

They will go into the playoffs with the worst record against playoff teams among teams in the playoffs?

The Vikings are 0-5 vs playoff bound teams
The Chiefs are 2-4
Rams are 5-2
Saints are 3-1
Cowboys are 1-3
Bears are 3-1
Seahawks are 3-4
Patriots are 6-1
Texans are 2-2
Ravens are 2-3
Chargers are 3-3
Colts are 2-1

Odd question for a newbie I'm sure, but I'm doing some research on NFL retired uniform numbers, and wanted to know the years the following numbers were retired: No sources (Wiki, Rams' Media Guide, etc) seem to give me the exact years for:

#29 Eric Dickerson
#74 Merlin Olsen
#78 Jackie Slater
#85 Jack Youngblood

And a side question, why did it take until 2009 to properly retire Deacon Jones’ number?

Hi guys, I will not be able to make this Sunday’s game anymore and want to make sure they go to a rams fan.

I have 2 tickets in 19h row 16 that I’ll sell for $130 each (below face) if anyone is interested.

Pic below. Mods if this isn’t allowed I apologize and delete thread.

PM me for info, they’re my season seats so I can transfer securely on ticketmaster.

I’m not writing the Rams 2019 Super Bowl run off yet. I think we have a chance to win it all if Wade can make lemonade from a few lemons on our defensive roster.

But take a look into this coming offseason for a minute. If the Rams defense continues its struggles and is unable to hold up in the playofffs we could expect a key defensive signing or two along with heavy defensive minded drafting.

We are going to have some glaring holes at safety and MLB, among other spots.

I suspect both Earl Thomas and Sean Lee will be going full Dez Bryant and looking to get back at their old teams. I see a scenario where Thomas has interest in the Rams in order to get back at his old team. I also think Sean Lee would love to go to a team that could best his old squad. Lee is currently getting replaced by rising Superstars Vander Esch and Jaylen Smith.

Yes i know they both Thomas and Lee have injury concerns but if either could be ready to go come playoffs 2020 our defense could really look get over that hump.

Suh, Peters Joyner Barron and even Brockers may be gone freeing up a good amount of cap room.

If you could sign Lee or Thomas which one do you go after?

Hey guys I wanted to rewatch the Rams Cardinals game tomorrow. Does anyone know of a link I could use to do that?

Kromer starts at 12:22

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https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sport...hins-adam-gase-fires-back-mcvay-sits-on-bench

Miami Dolphins’ Adam Gase fires back: McVay sits on bench!
By Joe Schad


Phin Phanatic

Some Twitter heroes have criticized Dolphins coach Adam Gase for the alleged optics of sitting on the bench discussing offense while his defense is on the field.

It’s something some very successful coaches and play-callers have been seen doing in the past, including Andy Reid and Dana Holgorsen.

Gase noted he has something in common with the play-caller for the second-best offense in the NFL.

“I’m not the only one that does that,” Gase said Wednesday. “The guy in L.A. does it a lot (Sean McVay), and they’re all right.”

The Rams average 424 yards and 32 points per game, which admittedly is better than the Dolphins.

“Miami got their doors blown off by the jags but gase on the sideline looking like he prepping for the SATs,” ESPN associate editor Eddie Maisonet III tweeted.

“Adam Gase is on the bench. This game is over.” fan Brad Timmons tweeted.

WPLG sportscaster Will Manso had a different take.

“I don’t care that Adam Gase sits on the bench while his defense is on the field. I care that whatever he’s writing down doesn’t work,” Manso tweeted.

Gase argued he’s not disconnected from what’s going on in the game. Assistant coaches Darren Rizzi and Shawn Jefferson are there to help out, too.

“It just depends where we are in the game,” Gase said. “Just remember, it’s not hard to see that I’m on the headsets with the defense. I can hear everything. I can see what’s going on. There’s pretty big screens on the field. It’s not like I can’t see anything. I hear everything going on. A lot of times I’m trying to get the next series ready so I can tell those guys ‘Here’s what’s coming. Here’s what I’m thinking going into the next series.’”

Gase loves play-calling and it would be hard to ever envision him giving it up. He’s believes he does it well and it gives the team the best chance to win.

“I’m just trying to make sure I’m aware of what they’re doing on the other sideline,” he said. ”‘Here’s what they’re doing down-and-distance-wise. Here’s what they’re doing personnel-wise.’ You go through all of those pictures and you get a feel for how they’re calling a game. That’s important to play calling.”

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill noted most of his bench conversations are with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.

“Adam gets the pictures handed to him closer to the sideline,” Tannehill said. “Usually he is closer to the field so he can kind of keep an eye on what’s going on in the game and also look at the pictures. Then we’ll convene if we have anything that we need to adjust going forward.

Usually he is not over there on the bench with us. A couple of times throughout the game, he’ll pop over; but usually he’s up closer to the sideline. He gets the pictures on paper and we look at the (Microsoft Surface) and just try to get on the same page moving forward.”

congrats to @FaulkSF for winning last weeks contest with a prediction of 33-9


And that brings us to this weeks contest. The Rams have returned to their winning ways, rising out of the ashes in Phoenix ( I know, I know, the game wasnt in Phoenix, but rising from the ashes in Glendale just doesnt work) to defeat the Cardinals 31-9.

Next up is the team we all love to hate, the San Francisco 49'ers. The last time they came to visit the coliseum was week 17 of the 2017 season. Led by Jimmy G-string the 9er's left victorious over the Rams 2nd and 3rd stringers.

This year the Rams are fighting for home field in the playoffs. Will McVay rest some key personnel? Will Gurley play.

what will be the final score?

Here's a disclaimer for all those that feel the need to say :"Who cares what the media says? I don't know why anyone looks at that crap!"

Duly noted.

For everyone else...I was fascinated about the narrative about the new NFL. 5000 passing yards would be standard, and 40 points games would be common, because the defenses have been neutered. The Rams, Chiefs, and to a lesser extent, the Saints were representative of this change.

Chiefs @ Rams in LA was considered the best football game in MNF history, and maybe the best regular season NFL game in history. The media was breathless about this new NFL, but after the the height of this game, it was all downhill for the narrative. Reggie Bush started picking whoever the Rams played after that, to beat them. Kyle Brandt picked the Saints, "because I'm tired of the Rams." The whole media became tired of the Rams...

Then they lost, after almost coming back in the Super Dome. Few remember that when discussing the Saints ongoing coronation, about how close the Rams comeback came...after having played what was a regular season in the early 1960's (12 games) without a break, in a hostile environment and without Talib. Saints deserved the win, but not the present status as unbeatable, especially after the Buccs ownage of them. Rams stumbled against the Bears in Chicago and the Foles led Iggles at home. I have questions about our Oline, which will only be answered in the playoffs, but I really like the switch up by McVay with the 12 personnel offense. Anderson was fantastic and I can envision a ground and pound, 2 back attack with Gurley and him, with a crushing long ball to Woods or Cooks every once in a while.

Back to the media...Now, they only talk about the Rams when they have to. It's the Bears, Saints, and the Iggles...Rams? They were the of the old, disgraced narrative. The New NFL lasted only 12 weeks. Of course, the fickle media will resume it if either the Rams or the Chiefs win it all.

I will be ripping their collective asses for the fickle bastids they are, when 2nd year HC Sean McVay holds the Lombardi HIGH in Atlanta.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ley-again-for-regular-season-finale-vs-49ers/

Rams reportedly could rest Todd Gurley again for regular-season finale vs. 49ers

• By Jared Dubin
• 1h ago • 1 min read

The Los Angeles Rams are going to the playoffs. That much is for certain. They are incredibly likely to have a first-round bye, as all they need to do is either defeat the division rival 49ers or have the Bears lose or tie against the Vikings in order to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

So perhaps it is not surprising that the Rams are considering holding star running back Todd Gurley out of his second-consecutive game. Gurley missed last week's win over the Cardinals with a knee injury, and according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Rams are thinking about holding him out again, even though they thought he might've been healthy enough to play in Week 16.

"They thought he was healthy enough to go [against the Cardinals], but they were extremely cautious," Rapoport said. "Of course, nothing is more important than the playoffs and I'm told they could take the same approach this week, so he may, in fact, sit out as well."

If Gurley sits, that'll give him nearly a month of rest between the last time he played and the Rams' first playoff game, assuming they secure the No. 2 seed and a bye. He had been bothered by the knee injury prior to sitting out Week 16, so it's something he's been dealing with for a while now. Getting a long rest like that could allow him to be completely refreshed for an important playoff run.

With Gurley out, the Rams turned to recent free-agent signing C.J. Anderson as well as rookie John Kelly to carry the load on the ground. Anderson had a monster game with 20 carries for 167 yards and a score, and would presumably act as the lead back once again if Gurley sits the regular season finale.

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http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...s-seen-it-all-and-wants-to-come-back-for-more

Longest-tenured Ram, Rodger Saffold, has seen it all and wants to come back for more
Lindsey Thiry

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- There was commotion all around.

It was a Friday afternoon inside the Los Angeles Rams' locker room, practice had run long and a caravan of buses was scheduled to leave the practice facility in less than 90 minutes for Los Angeles International Airport, where the team would depart for Detroit.

As teammates scrambled to drive home to pack their belongings for the rare three-day road trip, Rodger Saffold milled about at a glacial pace. In a veteran move, he already had packed his suitcase and was ready to go. There was no need to rush to his Encino, California, home and back in time to avoid being left behind or risk a fine for tardiness.

So Saffold settled on a small stool at his locker.

“So, what’s it like to be the longest-tenured player here?” he was asked.

“Yes, my life sucked until this point ...” Saffold responded.

His tone was facetious, but the description had more truth than perhaps he would want you to believe.

In nine seasons with the Rams, Saffold, 30, has been on a two-win team and experienced enough mediocrity to last a career. But now, in Sean McVay’s second season as coach, the 12-3 Rams have clinched a second-consecutive division title and are poised to make a deep playoff run.

“He kind of sums up everything this franchise has been through to get to this point,” said D'Marco Farr, a longtime Rams radio broadcaster who played defensive tackle on the Rams’ 1999 Super Bowl team.

Saffold has started 30 games over the past two seasons and has proved himself as a reliable left guard for a team that boasts the second-leading rusher in the NFL in Todd Gurley II and has kept Jared Goff upright while allowing him to pass for 4,273 yards this season.

“What he enables us to do both in the run and the pass," McVay said, "the combination of his athleticism, his ability to get to the second level, play in space, but then also play with power, get removal at the line of scrimmage. You're not limited in any really scheme run-wise. He's a great matchup.”

The Rams selected the University of Indiana product in the second round of the 2010 draft to protect the blind side of quarterback Sam Bradford. In nine seasons, Saffold has had so many coaches that it’s difficult to remember who has come and gone. Head coaches Steve Spagnuolo and Jeff Fisher preceded McVay. Saffold has seen six changes at offensive coordinator and has been instructed by three offensive line coaches. Oh, and he moved across the country when the franchise relocated from St. Louis.

“It’s just been crazy,” Saffold said.

At some point, the 7-9-ish seasons ran together. But there always were a few that stood out.

As a rookie, Saffold started every game at left tackle. It was a resounding accomplishment for a former two-star recruit from the tiny town of Bedford, Ohio -- an eastern suburb of Cleveland.

But a season later, the reality of professional football hit. It was Spagnuolo’s third season as coach and the Rams were really bad. They lost six straight, then were 2-7 when Saffold suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the weight room and was placed on injured reserve.

“It almost was a godsend because it was such a struggle that entire year,” Saffold said. “It was just the epitome of depression.”

After a 2-14 season, the Rams fired Spagnuolo and Fisher was named coach.

Fisher’s teams never excelled, but they didn’t exactly fail. Mediocrity became the norm, even though with each new season Fisher vowed to bring a different result. Culture problems permeated everywhere with the Rams.

“It was tough,” Saffold said. “It was tough ... trying to get those wins and going through those frustrating seasons, a lot of locker room changes.”

In 2014, after four seasons and three position changes, Saffold reached free agency and signed a five-year, $42 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.

But the deal was so rich that the Raiders received considerable blowback. Over the previous three seasons, Saffold’s durability was tested. He suffered knee injuries, a neck injury, a dislocated shoulder and pectoral tear and had not played a complete schedule since his rookie season. He took a physical, but the Raiders failed him, citing his shoulder.

“Everything fell through after everyone was giving me pretty much the red-carpet treatment,” Saffold said. “There probably was some buyers’ remorse and then used a loophole to kind of get me out of there.

“It was a s---ty feeling,” Saffold said. “To say the least.”

For all the concerns the Raiders had about Saffold’s shoulder, the Rams didn’t share in them. He returned to St. Louis on a five-year deal worth $31.7 million.

Saffold’s future was secure. The Rams’, however, was not. In 2016, after 21 seasons in St. Louis, the organization relocated to L.A., and Fisher vowed that he would not go 7-9 again.

“That was an emotional roller coaster,” Saffold said. “Just the chain of events that were going on, the problems that we were having just in the culture, coach Fisher trying to do everything he could to try to help us get wins. We couldn’t get it ... I mean it was just really tough.”

Even with an anemic offense, the Rams slogged their way to a 3-1 start before a free fall that resulted in a 4-12 finish. That season, Saffold said, was the lowest point of his career.

But when Saffold first met McVay, he knew things would just be different.

“He does a good job of painting a picture with his words,” Saffold said. “You can see what is going to happen.”

McVay overhauled the culture in his first season and added veteran linemen Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan to play alongside Saffold. The line was instrumental in Gurley winning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, and the Rams made a dramatic turnaround from the lowest-scoring team in the league to the highest. They finished 11-5 and clinched the NFC West for the first time since 2001.

“The culture and the accountability were raised extremely high,” Saffold said.

Defensive tackle Michael Brockers, in his seventh season with the Rams, said Saffold deserved credit for his role in the turnaround.

“This team was full of a lot of followers and not enough leaders,” Brockers said. “He stepped up as a leader for the O-line and put a lot of younger guys under his wing.”

Saffold is in the final season of his five-year contract, and Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the San Francisco 49ers could be his final regular-season game with the organization.

The Rams are interested in re-signing Saffold, who earned Pro Bowl recognition for the first time in his career as a first-alternate, and Saffold wants to remain with the team.

Where he once chased the most lucrative deal offered, Saffold said his experiences with the Rams -- the good and the bad -- have helped him understand where he wants to play and what that alone is worth.

So yes, a hometown discount is on the table.

“You want to be paid fairly,” Saffold said. “But I think the culture and the team that I’m around is worth just as much as the extra money that I could get from going somewhere else.

“That’s just with getting older and understanding what I’m around. I want to be successful for years to come, and I think in order to do that -- I’ve been with this team for so long already, it’s like why start changing now that it’s good.”

No work tomorrow so deciding to throw on a Netflix movie all of you, especially @-X- , mention all the time in here, The Big Lebowski, for first time!

Lol now I know I know, but don't lash me! Let's just say I was 8 years old when this came out so looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, RAMILY!!! Best fan board in the world.

http://www.footballzebras.com/2018/12/week-17-referee-assignments-2018/

49ers at Rams — Jerome Boger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Boger

Boger's 2018 NFL officiating crew consists of umpire Bill Schuster, down judge Mike Carr, line judge Rusty Baynes, field judge Dale Shaw, side judge Jonah Monroe, and back judge Tony Steratore.

What are your thoughts on Goff being left off this list?

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-pffs-2018-record-watch

PFF's 2018 Record Watch
BY PFF ANALYSIS TEAM

New names will enter Pro Football Focus’ record books at the conclusion of the regular season this weekend, so we’ve taken a dive into the numbers to pull some of the single-season records in contention to be broken in Week 17.

Highest Adjusted Completion Percentage (Min. 200 attempts)

Current Leader: Sam Bradford (MIN), 2016 – 80.9%

Drew Brees’ current pace – 82.2%

Most Catchable Targets without a Drop (Best Drop Rate)

Current Leader: Deandre Hopkins (2018) – 103 (0.0%)

Second best – Randall Cobb (2016) – 60 (0.0%)

Highest MT/Attempt by a Rookie Running Back (Min. 100 attempts)

Current Leader: LeGarrette Blount (2010) – 0.24

Nick Chubb’s current pace – 0.22

Highest YAC/Attempt by a Rookie Running Back (Min. 100 attempts)

Current Leader: Alvin Kamara (2017) – 3.8

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Nick Chubb’s current pace – 4.6

Highest YAC/Reception by a Rookie Wide Receiver (Min. 200 receiving snaps)

Current Leader: Hakeem Nicks (2009) – 9.23

D.J. Moore’s current pace – 8.20

Highest BTT% by a Rookie Quarterback (Min. 100 dropbacks)

Current Leader: Deshaun Watson (2017) – 8.3%

Baker Mayfield’s current pace – 7.4%

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Most Total Pressures by a Rookie Safety

Current Leader: Derwin James (2018) – 16

Derwin James’ current pace – 17.1

Most Deep Passing Yards

Current Leader: Eli Manning (2011) – 1490

Patrick Mahomes’ current pace – 1365.3

Highest Passer Rating from a Clean Pocket (min. 200 dropbacks)

Current Leader: Patrick Mahomes (2018) – 135.8

Next closest: Nick Foles (2013) – 134.6

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Most Deep Receiving Yards

Current Leader: Tyreek Hill (2018) – 687

Next closest: Allen Robinson (2015) – 672

OL Pass-Blocking Efficiency

Current Leader: Kraig Urbik (2011) – 99.7

Rodney Hudson’s pace – 99.6

Passer Rating when Targeted (Min. 300 receiving snaps)

Current Leader: Tyler Lockett (2018) – 158.3

Next closest: Robert Meachum (2009) – 152.7

Highest Pressure Percentage by a Defensive Interior (Min. 250 pass-rush snaps)

Current leader: Aaron Donald (2017) and JJ Watt (2014) – 18.8

Aaron Donald’s 2018 Pace – 19.1%

Highest Win Percentage by a Defensive Interior (Min. 250 pass-rush snaps)

Current leader: Aaron Donald (2017) – 22.7

Aaron Donald’s 2018 pace – 25.8

Yards per Route Run for Running Backs (Min. 200 receiving snaps)

Current Leader: Alvin Kamara (2017) – 2.84

Tarik Cohen’s current pace: 2.45

Non-Single-Season Records

Julio Jones needs approximately 168 receiving yards to top 3.00 yards per route run for the fourth consecutive season.

Only once before has a running back with 120-plus attempts in a single season has a running back topped 4.00 YAC/Attempt. Chubb and Derrick Henry will likely both finish above 4.00 YAC/Attempt in 2018.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/gregg-williams-right-browns-coach-baker-mayfield-024313965.html

• 
  In 2011, when the Kansas City Chiefs were slugging it out after firing Todd Haley late in the season, an unexpected long-term candidate emerged. He was defensive-minded, understood the rhythms of the locker room and brought a mindset veteran leaders embraced. More importantly, he was winning, finishing the season 2-1 after Haley’s departure and breathing new life into the organization. So much so, he went from interim head coach to the chosen man when the season concluded.
  
  His name was Romeo Crennel. And in Chiefs coaching lore, he’s known as the right interim choice in 2011 who became the wrong permanent head coach in 2012. Six years later, his one-season tenure (2-14) is the forgotten blip in team history, having been succeeded by Andy Reid in 2013 with little regret and zero second-guessing.
  
  For the Cleveland Browns, this is a worthwhile piece of history to study. There is a Gregg Williams conundrum developing for the franchise. Once considered the unlikeliest of permanent hires when he was elevated to interim head coach in late October, he’s now sitting on a 5-2 record and riding a wave of Browns euphoria not seen since 2007. Cleveland fans can surely remember that last high point, when the team went 10-6 in (you guessed it) Romeo Crennel’s third season as head coach and appeared to be turning a corner. The Browns weren’t, of course. As it turns out, Crennel was the wrong head coaching hire in both Kansas City and Cleveland. That should be some food for thought for Browns fans, given that Crennel would later pull off a mini-rejuvenation with the Chiefs, convincing ownership he was the right man for the job when he actually wasn’t.
  At this critical juncture, falling into that kind of mistake is precisely what Cleveland doesn’t need. It’s why the Browns’ chief decision-makers – as unclear as they may be – have to look at Williams and remove the emotion lifting the organization right now. This comes down to one question, and it has nothing to do with a 5-2 spurt against mediocre teams.
  
  Is Gregg Williams the right coach to pair with Baker Mayfield for the next 10 years?
  
  The coach-player model the Browns seek
  I can say with full confidence that the Browns are approaching their coaching search with that question at the forefront. If the answer to that long-term chemistry question leads to any doubt, the candidate in question is a nonstarter. There will certainly be a laundry-list of attributes that are important for the next head coach, but his match with Mayfield will be paramount.
  
  This is what Cleveland is looking for:
  
  Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
  
  Asshole Face and Drew Brees.
  
  Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
  
  Sean McVay and Jared Goff.
  
  We can talk all we want about schemes, energy and leadership, but this search will begin with the viability of the next coach to fit with Mayfield for a decade or more. The kind of coach-quarterback relationship that can survive losing seasons, staff shuffling, coordinator departures, schematic tweaks, micro-rebuilds and any other stressful pitfalls. The Browns believe they have one-half of that equation for long-term success in Mayfield. Now the goal is finding the other half, without making a decision corrupted by emotion or familiarity.
  
  Is Williams that coach? There are two important beliefs about the Browns process.
  
  First, it’s unclear who is going to make the call on this one. Since Hue Jackson and Haley were fired, I’ve heard a few things about how the Browns are working internally right now. Initially, the word was that team owner Jimmy Haslam was going to make the final call on a head coach with general manager John Dorsey being the lone point man. But I’m not so sure about that anymore.
  
  Dorsey clearly didn’t get his chosen man as the interim coach. Regardless of what anyone says publicly, I’m absolutely certain that Haley was Dorsey’s preference as the interim coach. And I think Haley didn’t ascend to that position because someone else had significant influence in the process.
  
  Most people will read that and think, “Well, it must have been Haslam who made the call on Haley’s firing.” Initially, that’s what I was led to believe. But I’m not so sure of that anymore. After some conversations with those who know the Browns, I’m now more certain than ever that chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta has been more influential than anyone outside of the organization understands. I think everyone (including me) has been led astray about the current power structure in Cleveland. Especially where it concerns Dorsey.
  
  Here’s what is clear: Haley believed he was in line to step into the interim coaching job if Hue was fired, and he got that belief from Dorsey and some of Dorsey’s subordinates on the personnel side of the organization. And when that didn’t happen and Haley was fired, he was completely blindsided by it. Which means one of two things – either Dorsey and his subordinates stabbed Haley in the back (which they didn’t), or Dorsey was overruled in the process when it came to his chosen interim. I believe it was the latter, with DePodesta having a more significant hand in the process than anyone realized and Haslam giving the green light to fire Haley. Boiled down, I think DePodesta has more power than most people realize, while Dorsey has less.
  
  Second, it’s a fallacy to assume that Dorsey is making the call on the head coach. Certainly not unilaterally sending up a name to Haslam. If anything, Dorsey will have some sway, DePodesta will have some sway, and Haslam will make his call based on the information at hand. That doesn’t guarantee some Dorsey-inspired “get the Green Bay Packers band back together” scenario with Mike McCarthy.
  
  Will McCarthy be in consideration? Surely. But Williams will get a legitimate head coaching interview, too, with longer odds at landing the job. And not because Williams is a defensive coach and the Browns are looking for an offensive mind to pair with Mayfield. From what I can ascertain at this stage, the Browns are looking for the right coach … not the right offensive mind.
• The case against Gregg Williams
  So what does that mean? In a way, I’d liken it to what the Baltimore Ravens did when they hired John Harbaugh in 2008. Harbaugh had a coaching resume mixed between offense and defense, but he was actually a top-level special teams coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles when the Ravens came calling. I believe the Browns are willing to have a similar open mind in this search. One that will consider all types of coordinators or former head coaches for the job, as well as both NFL and college candidates. All in favor of finding the one guy who can handle the rigors of a top job while also dovetailing with the next decade of Mayfield.
  
  It’s worth considering that Williams is 60 and most NFL head coaches are in the winter of their careers at that stage. It certainly doesn’t eliminate Williams from the job, but most of the successful NFL head coaches in their 60s had already established their top-end reputations before hitting that plateau.
  
  The sour reality is that Williams represents a head coaching retread after going 17-31 with the Buffalo Bills from 2001-2003. And no coaching retread has experienced a second head coaching life and massive success after breaching 60.
  
  So yes, Williams’ age is an issue if you’re looking at pairing a guy with Mayfield for 10 years. It’s not the only sobering reality in play, either. The Browns have to recognize that the team wasn’t dead when Williams took over. In fact, Cleveland had already started playing very competitive football by the time Jackson and Haley began spiraling. So you can’t say Williams completely reshaped what was happening. It only looks that way because he has won some of the games that the Browns had been losing earlier in the season.
  
  And what of those five wins? Well, the Browns have managed that run of success against the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals (twice). Subtracting the losses to the Browns, that foursome is a collective 24-30 this season. And three of those four teams – the Panthers, Broncos and Bengals – all have head coaches who are currently on the hot seat. That’s not exactly a murderers’ row of competition. That’s perspective to consider when it comes to Williams’ candidacy. Not to mention his previous head coaching record and the bounty scandal in New Orleans as the Saints’ defensive coordinator.
  
  Then there is this reality: Since 1997, Williams has been a defensive coordinator with six different NFL teams. Seven if you count two different stints with the Rams. Yet he has been a head coach in the NFL only once, despite whatever he may say about all the head coaching jobs he has been offered. That’s a lot of tread laid down with a lot of different teams and coaches. And it becomes curious when you’ve been in and out of so many organizations at a coordinator level but never landed another head coaching job.
  
  
• Why not keep Williams and Freddie Kitchens?
  None of this means he hasn’t been a good interim for the Browns. Just from the standpoint of the record, he has been exactly what the franchise needed him to be, with a huge assist from offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens. But that’s a whole other part of this deal. If anything, Kitchens should be as high on the head coaching candidate list for the Browns as Williams. If only for the fact that the 44-year-old Kitchens has shown flashes of brilliance in limited time for Cleveland, while also appearing to fit well with Mayfield. It can be argued that Kitchens’ age, history with quarterbacks and relationship with Mayfield already make him a better candidate than Williams.
  
  That will lead some to suggest, “Why not hire Williams and keep Kitchens in the fold?”
  
  There’s a simple answer to that. You can’t rely on Kitchens sticking around. That’s how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended up firing Lovie Smith after only two seasons because they thought Dirk Koetter was the right fit for quarterback Jameis Winston and were afraid of losing him to another head coach opening. If the Browns like Kitchens that much, he should be above Williams when it comes to sorting candidates.
  
  That may be what ultimately happens. For now, Williams is the conundrum. It’s been a long time since the franchise felt this good about nearly two full months of the football schedule. Maybe not since Crennel’s breakout in 2007. But Cleveland knows how that ended. That alone should suggest a long, hard and sobering look at Williams.
  
  And after that, maybe a difficult admission when this season is over: that Gregg Williams has been what the Browns needed now, but not what they need next.

Got a nice little selection of Rams gear for Christmas.

Along with another Roland Cymbal and a bunch of other cool stuff.

Merry Christmas All!

Here they are, hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I did making them.

Was awesome to have the Rams in the top 5 all year.

https://ramsondemand.com/powerrankings/angry-ranks-week-17-final-edition.39/

Bears vs Vikings and 49ners vs Rams both at 3:25 cst

Doesn't allow us to rest our players if the bears lost earlier.

Thoughts?

I actually kind of like it... hated the game last year against the 49ners.


Am I wrong for feeling that way!?

I'm not here to try to change any Ram fan's (and other observers like Jim Nance) who saw what they thought was a blown call. And I'm not here to argue which is the better team. I just hope you have enough of an open mind to watch this(no, it isn't photoshopped or otherwise doctored) video and judge for yourself whether it was a blown call or not.

https://www.canalstreetchronicles.c...ss-interference-but-not-from-this-bulls-angle

Not much yet, but it's a start. THANK GOD we are out to destroy these punks for a 1st round bye....
_______________________________________________________________________


Rams looking to secure a bye so we probably have no chance. No injuries and good effort would make me happy.

__________

Only real thing to watch for is Kittle going for the TE yards record. He needs 100 yards to pass the current record BUT Kelce is 46 yards ahead of him right now. Record could be a moving target.

___________

Rams getting worse the longer the season goes on, niner win

___________

If Goff continues to play poorly we win this one. With our secondary and lack of pass rush atm though?

Rams gonna kick our butts- and pundits will go off about how Goff found his groove again- till they one and done themselves out of the playoffs.

That's my take at least

____________

Goff is garbage

____________

How SWEET would it be to knock the LAms outta the #2 seed and make 'em play a WC GAME!! That would be a a GREAT topper for a s**tty year!
Not gunna happen but I would LOVE IT! AND we still get a top 10 pick

____________

You're a great, but your tackling skills need work. Check out this punter doing the kick off (don't ask me why). Loved it...lol

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I really can't think of another player on any other team that is - and has been - so universally liked. Even when he was murdering the Rams, you just couldn't hate on the guy.