Only Rams/Eagles related comments posted. To read the whole mess click the link below.
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https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/17/nick-foles-eagles-rams-fmia-nfl-week-15-peter-king/

By Peter King

After those eight drives, behind the steady hand of Foles and the unsteady hands and feet of the Rams, the Eagles led 30-13. When it was over, the Eagles, 13-point dogs had a 30-23 victory over the stumbling Rams(Read below), losers of two straight for the first time in the 31-game Sean McVay Era of good fun.
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It’s probably too soon to panic (Narrator voice: That’s not true. It’s never too soon to panic).

But there’s something amiss with quarterback Jared Goff lately, something that all the clever play-calls in the world can’t fix.

He was 35-of-54 for 339 yards with two interceptions. That’s after a clean 37-of-77 for 387 yards, a touchdown and five picks in his two previous games, against the Lions and the Bears.

His third-quarter fumble/interception/Garo Yepremian combo platter was one of the worst individual plays you’ll see made this year, the kind of breakdown that will be talked about for years (just ask Mark Sanchez). That can work on a players’ confidence, and Goff has gone from beating the Chiefs in a 54-51 shootout to inconsistent in a hurry, with no reasonable explanation.

There were open receivers in the fourth quarter he simply missed, the kind of passes you can’t pin on injuries to Cooper Kupp or the weather in Chicago. He’s simply not playing well right now. With Todd Gurley in and out of the game with a knee issue, and other injuries thinning the Rams out, they can’t afford for Goff to be anything but his best. And over the last three weeks, he hasn’t been.
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If you saw McVay at his post-game presser, you saw a worried man, a man with legitimate concerns about an offense, and a team, that’s lost its mojo. Completely. “We’ve got to be able to figure this out and figure it out fast, because we’re doing things these last couple of weeks that are totally uncharacteristic of what good football teams do, of what we’ve done,” McVay said. “ …

It’s guys making mistakes we typically haven’t seen.” Like plummeting Jared Goff, making a ridiculous stumble, fumble and nervous-looking interception with 17 minutes left that led to a crucial Eagles touchdown. Like receivers staying in bounds with the clock running and no timeouts in the last 90 seconds of a seven-point game. Man, some dumb stuff by a team that should be much smarter.
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Goat of the Week

Jared Goff, quarterback, Los Angeles Rams. This says it all.

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With all the talk about McVay being a genius and so on I get to thinking if the pressure is getting to him and the team. They’ve been so excellent all season but all of a sudden adversity is derailing them. I believe McVay is outsmarting himself and the team is too focused to play ‘perfect’ instead of playing loose and with confidence.

Whatever it is they need to regain their form and start playing like champions.

Have to wonder if he misses next couple of weeks.

:giveup: I decided to join the Rams fans Facebook page. Within one day some jack off starts arguing with me and calling me names such as idiot and moron.

I refrained from calling him names but he continued. So, I left the group. It took me all of one day.

Supposedly that type of behavior is monitored. Apparently not.

Pretty good video IMO. It shows that Goff really just had a bad game.
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Just looking over the standings and noticed that if the Bears win out, which they could probably do, and the Saints drop 2 games it flips them in the seeding. They would have identical records but the Bears have the tiebreaker on their side!!!

That would mean the Saints would be without a bye week and would likely get the Cowboys at home. After that, which is no guaranteed win, they may end up having to travel to Chicago. This would be a really excellent thing for the Rams because the Saints, if they survived that gauntlet, would then have to play a second road game on the Rams home turf. Winning back to back road games in the playoffs is rare.

If the Saints lose out and the Cowboys win out then the Cowboys have the tiebreaker and the Saints drop to the 4th seed. The odds of this happening are REALLY small of course.

The only team I think that has a chance on the road against the Rams is the Saints because of the match up of their offense versus our defense. I think the Rams would be slightly favored, but it's a game that the Saints could take if they had a good day. I don't want to see them in the playoffs on the road or at home!

I'm not sure how the rest of the seeding could play out, an awful lot can happen in three games and it's pretty tight for the last WC spot, Seattle has one virtually locked up considering how well they have been playing of late.

This could be the rare season we see a team with a .500 or losing record get into the playoffs. In fact we could see both WC teams at 8-8 or 7-9.

Anyone else having problems with the "full scree" button, (as in it doesn't work", with vids on the Rams website?

So we had a loss in the family a fee weeks ago, our bully Jax lost his battle to lymphoma and our other dog Tyson has been depressed ever since. He just lies in Jax's bed all day unless he goes for walks, which is the only time he seems to come to life. So we went this week to fond him a buddy to keep his mind off Jax. I spent 4 hours at the local animal shelter interacting with some ones we liked. Found one that looks identical to Tyson and was the best behaved dog. Adopted and took him home the next day.

So i met my fiance with my other dog at a neutral place to introduce them. Everything went good, he was good with my son, etc. I took tyson home and my fiance took the new dog home later. Came home from work a couple hours after to introduce them again, this time in the home. Well we found out the new dog does not do well with other dogs in the same household. I had to pull him off Tyson multiple times. Tried to walk them side by side to limit the aggression, but the new dog will not let Ty get ahead of him and constantly tries to attack him. Basically, we need a home for this new dog. I really do not want to return him to the shelter so im reaching out to all avenues to try and ring him a home.

Hes great with people and my 4 yr old son. Basic obedience training (knows simple commands and listens when being told "no"), neutered and house broken. Hes a great dog, we just had no idea he was extremely territorial. So if anyone near the central florida area or lower Georgia who wants a free dog, i have medical records, leash, water and food bowl, amd a small bag of food that he will come with. I just want him to have a good home.

What's Behind the Rams Increase in Takeaways?
https://www.therams.com/news/what-s-behind-the-rams-increase-in-takeaways
by Myles Simmons
By now, you’ve likely heard the stat — the Rams have generated 10 takeaways in their last three games.Los Angeles has six interceptions and four fumble recoveries in that span.“I think we've got an aggressive group and I think it's coming out in that,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said on Thursday. “I think takeaways overall throughout the year is pretty good overall. Yeah, it's picked up in the last couple games, which is a good sign.”

“We always say we want to to play our best football in December, January, February,” safety John Johnson said. “So that’s what we’re working towards — correcting mistakes, learning from our past games, and growing.”

Cornerback Aqib Talib recently said that after Thanksgiving, Phillips gets “in his bag” with defensive schemes — essentially meaning that this is when Phillips has traditionally turned things up to another level in preparation for the playoffs. In practice, Phillips admitted this week that L.A. has been playing more zone coverage, and that is likely a factor in generating more takeaways.

“[W]e’ve been playing a little more zone and guys are seeing the ball better,” Phillips said. “If you play a lot of man-to-man, you don't get as many interceptions, but they don't get as many completions. The other side of it, if you play more zone, they're probably going to get more completions, but hopefully you get the tips and overthrows and interceptions. Now, you can do good in both, but overall, that's the way it works. Both of them are good in certain ways.”

Cornerback Marcus Peters has two picks in the last three games, bringing his season total to three. He said this week he’s fine with any scheme Phillips wants to call, but did note how he’s seen the unit be more effective as of late.

“I’m a ballplayer, man, so it’s whatever coach’s gonna call, I’m gonna go out there and play it, you feel me? I’m good in both of them,” Peters said of playing man vs. zone. “[O]ur motto is ‘See ball, get ball’ now. You can see how our whole mentality has changed. We’ve been getting a lot more turnovers. With our pass rush that we’ve got, with Dante [Fowler] turning up, and then ‘AD’ [Aaron Donald], and then you’ve got [Ndamukong] Suh and ‘Brock’ [Michael Brockers], and then you’ve got Samson [Ebukam] over there — you’ve just got all those pieces that’s allowing them to make plays. So that’s going to help us out.”

But when it comes to takeaways, head coach Sean McVay said the Rams must improve at fully capitalizing on the opportunities. That means offensively, Los Angeles needs to score points when given short fields. Last week, for instance the Rams scored only three points off of three takeaways.

“We've got to do a great job of making sure that we use those takeaways as a chance to be able to create points and prefer to come away with touchdowns in those instances,” McVay said earlier this week. “They did an excellent job of being able to create those turnovers and that's something that, really, over the last few weeks you can't say enough about how instrumental that's been to them playing good football and giving us a chance to win and being able to win two of those three.”

SATURDAY'S GAMES

Texans (9-4) at Jets (4-9): 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network

Point spread: HOU -6 | Matchup quality: 26.8 (of 100)

Sarah Barshop's pick: Even after the Texans fell short against the Colts in Week 14 and failed to continue a nine-game winning streak, it's hard to pick against them this week. Houston's running backs struggled against Indianapolis, but the Texans should be able to get back to the success they had during the streak against this 27th-ranked run defense, which is allowing an average of 132 rushing yards per game. Texans 24, Jets 13

Rich Cimini's pick: There is no compelling reason to pick the Jets. They're 0-4 against teams that entered the game with a winning record, the worst mark in the league. They've lost those games by an average of 15 points. Rookie QB Sam Darnold won't have his leading rusher (Isaiah Crowell) and his leading receiver (Quincy Enunwa), which means plenty of three-and-outs against J.J. Watt & Co. Texans 31, Jets

What's at stake: The Texans can clinch the AFC South with a win and losses by both the Colts and Titans. Short of that, there are eight scenarios in which the Texans can at least secure a playoff berth. The simplest: a win, and losses by either the Dolphins or Ravens. A win by the Jets could drop them out of the top five of the 2019 draft order. (FPI currently projects them at No. 4.) -- Seifert

FPI win projection: HOU, 69.2 percent. Houston is a big favorite on the road to take a step toward the postseason, projected to win 69 percent of the time by FPI. A major reason is that the Texans rank second in the NFL in defensive efficiency this season, while the Jets rank second worst in offensive efficiency.

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Browns (5-7-1) at Broncos (6-7): 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network

Point spread: DEN -3 | Matchup quality: 41.1 (of 100)

Pat McManamon's pick: The key to dealing with Denver is stopping the pass rush of defensive end Bradley Chubb and linebacker Von Miller. They have combined for 25.5 sacks. The Browns' offensive line, though, has given up just one sack in the past three games, in part because Baker Mayfield is so adept at feeling and avoiding the rush. Mayfield is playing at such a high level that it's hard to go against him. Browns 27, Broncos 20

Jeff Legwold's pick: The Broncos have had their share of struggles this season, but they have been a different team at home.This one is really about their mindset and how much vocational fuel they have left in the tank after a crushing loss to the 49ers last weekend. They have wafer-thin playoff hopes, but playing without cornerback Chris Harris Jr. against Mayfield will be an enormous challenge. If Chubb and Miller finish with at least four combined sacks in this one, however, things will have gone the Broncos' way. The Browns haven't won in Denver since 1990. Broncos 27, Browns 21

What's at stake: Incredibly, given the start to their season, the Browns have not yet been eliminated from playoff contention. But they have five teams to leapfrog if it's going to happen. The Broncos have "only" four. -- Seifert

FPI win projection: DEN, 77.1 percent. The Browns have been a top-five offense in terms of efficiency, according to FPI, since changing coaches after Week 8. But they face a tough test this week against a Broncos team that ranks second in opponent Total QBR this season (52.5).

If you could add any 1 former RAM in his prime to join this team through the playoffs, who do you get?

Personally I have a hard time with this because I cant picture the guys from the 70s or earlier playing in the modern NFL... I believe Deacon Jones could play in todays game but its hard for me to picture. The players I am most familiar with are from the STL era but I have tried to keep everyone in mind.

We have Whit and Havenstein but with Orlando Pace at LT, slide Whit in and swap Blythe for Saffold, that would be such a devastating line.

I think the injury to Malcolm Brown has consequences that are more severe than we initially understood.
Having a Faulk/Gurley backfield would def make us better, but like Pace, I dont know that this would strengthen us more than adding to a weak position.
We could mention Bruce or Holt or Ellard or even Crazy Legs Elroy Hirsch for you octogenarians out there but again, thats not exactly a unit that needs the most help.

Aeneas Williams at Safety would be a big-time boost and allow Phillips to use Joyner in reserve.

I think the biggest need is a hard-nosed badass Linebacker...
Jack Youngblood at OLB? Is that the best option?
I know Leonard Little isn't the Rams franchise favorite son, but his quick pass rush would be nice.
Stout toughness at MLB is a big need, who in our past fits that bill?
London Fletcher sure would be fun to watch behind Donald but getting smaller up the middle might not be the best choice.
If some of you think Goffs collapse isn't going to get better, I could understand going with Warner.. but..

I cant decide but I think I am leaning towards Jack Youngblood ... mostly just for the epic badassedness that would radiate off of him and be absorbed by his teammates...

So, who ya got?

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/12/14/nfl-los-angeles-rams-todd-gurley-top-5-rbs/

Todd Gurley names his top 5 RBs of all time, one Ram among them
By: Cameron DaSilva



Todd Gurley has risen up the ranks as one of the top running backs in the NFL today, if not the very best. Being an elite running back, it’s fair to assume Gurley knows a great tailback when he sees one.

He was asked to name his top five running backs of all time and his list is pretty interesting. There’s one Ram included and a surprise honoree who starred with the Titans thanks to his speed.

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Gurley said Barry Sanders is “probably the G.O.A.T.” and was the first back mentioned on the list, which shows how highly the former Lion is thought of by Todd. Adrian Peterson is next on the list for his resiliency after returning from that devastating ACL injury. Gurley mentioned Chris Johnson after Peterson, followed by Walter Payton and Eric Dickerson.

Gurley said this list is in no particular order, but it’s pretty clear he thinks Sanders deserves to be at the top of the list.

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Rams safety John Johnson has fulfilled teammate’s preseason prophecy with stellar season
by Rich Hammond
https://www.pe.com/2018/12/14/rams-...mates-preseason-prophecy-with-stellar-season/


It’s a common name for a player with abnormal talent. John Johnson plays safety for the Rams, who also have used him at linebacker but haven’t yet utilized his skills as a college cornerback.

Johnson might well be a Pro Bowl selection soon, as teammate Marcus Peters predicted in training camp, only a few days after he lined up alongside Johnson for the first time. Johnson’s trajectory, in his first full season as a starter, has been steady, and now he is an underrated star on this Rams’ defense.

“He’s got a knack for the football,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “He’s made some big plays.”

Johnson spoke this week about improving when the calendar turns to December, but he didn’t wait that long this season. In the high-profile victory over Kansas City on Nov. 19, he tied his season high with 11 tackles, then topped it two weeks later against Detroit, with 12 tackles, second-most by a Rams player this season.

In last Sunday’s loss to Chicago, Johnson recorded only six tackles but had his team-best fourth interception of the season, on a team that includes former All-Pro cornerbacks Peters and Aqib Talib. Simplification, Johnson said, has been the key to his consistent improvement.

“When I try to do too much, that’s when I find myself in conflict,” Johnson said. “I’m just trying to do my job only, and focus in on that, and it is paying off.”

Phillips’ defensive mindset is curious. He widely is described as a players’ coach, one who communicates in firm but simple terms and gives every player a clear understanding of what is expected.

At the same time, it’s a lot. Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner do not specialize. Both can play free safety and strong safety and, at different times, both are asked to line up closer to the line of scrimmage, in roles that resemble linebacker.

They’re accustomed to being versatile. Joyner is a natural safety who converted to cornerback and played a nickel role until last season. Johnson started his college career at Boston College as a cornerback, then converted to safety, which perhaps is one reason why the Rams were able to pick him in the third round last year.

Johnson’s pre-draft scouting report from NFL.com included one main critique, that Johnson wasn’t aggressive enough going toward the ball and tackling. Less than two seasons later, that’s now a strength.

“He’s a tremendous tackler,” Phillips said. “In open-space tackling, I think he does a very good job. He doesn’t miss many tackles. If you see him around the ball, he’s going to make a tackle. He’s gotten a better and better feel for playing pro football and playing safety.”

A measuring-stick moment has arrived for Johnson. A year ago, in the Rams’ Dec. 10 loss to Philadelphia, Johnson had a season-high 11 tackles but the Eagles passed for 333 yards and four touchdowns. Plenty of blame could be spread around that afternoon, and Johnson accepted some of it.

“I was trying to do too much,” Johnson said. “I was all over the place. I was running on and off the field. The game plan had me on and off the field. Just looking back on it, I’m just focusing on my job and what I need to do. Those small mistakes I made last year, they won’t happen this year.”

Things seem to be trending in a positive direction for the secondary. The Rams have recorded seven interceptions in their last three games. They had a total of seven interceptions in their first 10 games.

The return of veteran cornerback Aqib Talib has helped, but the Rams also have been playing more zone defense, which presents opportunities for ball-hawking players such as Johnson to make plays.

“If you play a lot of man to man,” Phillips said, “you don’t get as many interceptions but they don’t get as many completions. The other side of it is, if you play more zone, you give up more completions but hopefully you get the tips and overthrows and interceptions. You can do good in both, but overall, that’s the way it works. Both of them are good in certain ways.”

Johnson seems to thrive in both. He recorded his fourth interception of the season last week at Chicago, which was a milestone. Johnson had one interception as a rookie last season and never had more than three interceptions in a single season at Boston College.

It might be a little early for Johnson, who turns 23 next week, to reach All-Pro status, but Peters said this week that his initial assessment of Johnson has proven to be spot on.

“Exactly what I said,” Peters said, “that he’s going to be an excellent young player in this league for a long time, and he’s only going to get better. He’s going to be all those things I said: All-Pro, Pro Bowl, all those things. It’s his time. He’s playing wonderful this year and I appreciate it.”

Now don’t get me wrong. I love this time of year. Love me some lights. I’m not quite Clark Grizwald, but I do take pride in lighting up our house pretty good during the Christmas season.



So what about you guys? Let me see some of your creations! I’d love to know some of your traditions, hear some of your stories, and hear how high your December electric bill gets!

Me, I like to try to get them up just after Thanksgiving. I’ll pop a couple Sierra Nevada Celebration Ales put some Christmas music on my ear buds and go to work.

(I mean, drinking beer while climbing on the roof. What could possibly go wrong?!!)

Oh and I usually do it at night, and plug in the lights while I run them, so I can see it all come together, and catch any bad bulbs right away. That’s the only way to go.

Also, I like to route them all to one switch in our entryway, so my wife can just flip the switch as dusk approaches, in case I’m not home yet.

So, maybe I am a bit like Clark Griswald. Minus Cousin Eddie.

So there is the good. Again. I’d love to see some of your homes.

Next, I’m going to post, ...well let’s just say some of the efforts that didn’t quite meet the spirit of the season....

Didn't know where to post this so here you go.

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My first game at the Coliseum this year...

I will try to keep up on these. It may not be daily and I will also probably be posting some trivia from the NFL as a whole. Good luck and have fun.

Note: These questions will change almost daily. I will unsticky them as soon as I post the answer.

OK so here is the deal. Years ago I found an LA Rams Trivia Game in a Goodwill. I pretty much bought it as a piece of memorabilia. Now with the Rams moving back, I thought it might make for a fun game for some of us old timers. Odd thing is that about 70% of the questions have nothing to do with the Rams.

So here is what I will do. I will post the questions that are Rams related and let you guys answer. I will then post the answers the next day. These are not easy questions as far as I can tell but maybe the memory function of my brain has been compromised.
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There is only basically one rule. No search engines or internet sites to look up answers that you will post later. I realize some will still look up the answers. I know I would if I didn't have the cards. But I want to see how many out there actually know the answers. So if you do feel like looking them up on the internet, feel free.

And if you know the answer, don't post it. Comment all you want.

Now - keep in mind. I said the internet is off limits. But if you have books, magazines, football cards, etc... feel free to use them. That may seem hypocritical but it's about time some of us got some use out of all that stuff we've bought over the years.

Cheers.

Los Angeles Rams: ER/OLB Matt Longacre
By MauMoton/December 14,
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2809575-one-starter-every-nfl-team-must-replace-in-2019#slide7

1. 
   
   
   
   The Rams have pivoted from linebacker Matt Longacre to midseason acquisition Dante Fowler Jr., who joined the team via trade with the Jaguars.
   
   In five games with the Rams, Fowler has two sacks; he's also started the last two outings as a pass-rusher off the edge. In a short time span, the 24-year-old has racked up more sacks than Longacre, who doesn't have a tally in the category. Both linebackers can test the free-agent market in March.
   
   The Rams are more likely to re-sign and start Fowler because of his perceived upside as a 2015 first-round pick, immediate impact and the draft capital used to acquire him. General manager Les Snead sent a 2019 third-round pick and 2020 fifth-rounder to Jacksonville for the talented pass-rusher with 16 career sacks—half of them coming in the 2017 term.
   
   Longacre's 5.5 sacks in 2017 seem like the distant past, and he doesn't offer much as a run defender. He's also three years older than Fowler—another reason why Snead will probably allow the fourth-year linebacker to walk in free agency.

ESPN’s Todd McShay puts up first 2019 NFL mock draft that has Los Angeles Rams bolstering defense


Let the mock draft season begin.

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/...eles-la-rams-mississippi-state-jonathan-abram

Ultimately though, McShay has the Rams bolstering their secondary with the #30 pick:


#30.) Mississippi St. Bulldogs S Johnathan Abram

Free agency could hit the Rams’ defense pretty hard, so a lot of what Sean McVay does with his first-rounder will depend on how it all plays out. But Abram is a powerful finisher on the back end and would soften the potential loss of Lamarcus Joyner.


It’s early, so it’s hard to find much to quibble with here.


The path to the draft is on!

IMG_2291.HEIC

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McVay begins at 10:45

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http://ramstalk.net/rampage-radio-ep-23-its-philly-time-plus-easy-money/

Or..

Follow on iTunes!

Ya boy goin solo.

Let’s get it!