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Looking to improve an already stellar offense, nice.

I can't, and won't comment on lions game:


10-1...for me, this is the best (post 1973) regular season team by far! NOw, for the playoffs, nothing would surprise: 0-1,1-1,2-1 or 3-0.

I kinda expect 3-0.....but Bears, Seattle or Dallas could pull some wierd stuff on us in the first half, and then put our D on its heels....which it plays worse and worse, until the 4th quarter.

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/sunday...-vs-pittsburgh-steelers-prediction-picks-2018

Sunday Night Football: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

It's a matchup of AFC contenders on "Sunday Night Football" as the Steelers host the Chargers. These two teams last met in San Diego back in 2015 with the Steelers picking up a 24-20 victory. Pittsburgh has actually won nine of the last 11 meetings in this series. The Chargers are coming off a solid win over the Cardinals, while the Steelers lost a tough one in Denver against the Broncos.

Los Angeles (8-3) bounced back nicely after a head-scratching loss to the Broncos, beating Arizona 45-10. It was a costly win for the Chargers, though, as Melvin Gordon left with a knee injury that may keep him out a few weeks. That puts even more pressure on Philip Rivers, who had only one incompletion in last week's victory. The defense has held six of the last seven opponents to 20 points or fewer, and Joey Bosa is getting better and better on an improving defensive front. The Chargers' kicking game hasn't been much of an issue as of late, either.

Pittsburgh (7-3-1) saw its six-game winning streak snapped last time out, and the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger had some glossy numbers passing the ball against Denver, but the turnover issue reared its ugly head in the form of an end zone interception along with a fumble by James Conner. There's no doubting how good this defense is, though. The 24 points allowed to the Broncos were the most for the Steelers since Week 4, when they gave up 26 to the Ravens. This is a unit on a mission to help hold serve at home in Pittsburgh.

Los Angeles at Pittsburgh

Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 2 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Steelers -3

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

I like to look and see if there are any situational plays or angles for these NFL matchups. Los Angeles is on the road for the first time in a few weeks, but the Chargers had a stretch in late October of four straight away from home. The Chargers are hosting the Bengals next week, so there won't be any looking ahead here. They alternate road and home contests the rest of the season. I'd be more concerned about Pittsburgh if their home tilt against the Patriots were next, but the Steelers have a road trip to Oakland next week, so all the focus will be here. They've been home twice over the past month or so. It looks like there are no real edges either way here.

2. Re-charging the backfield

Melvin Gordon doesn't figure to play in this one, and that's a big loss for Los Angeles. Gordon has accounted for more than 1,200 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns. The number one benefactor is Austin Ekeler, who has been solid in relief. Ekeler is averaging almost six yards per carry with one touchdown and 18 first downs on the season. He's even been a factor catching passes with 32 receptions on 39 targets with 354 yards and three touchdowns. The other player who comes into focus in the backfield is Justin Jackson. Jackson is a rookie out of Northwestern who was drafted in the seventh round. He had 57 yards on seven carries in garbage time last week against the Cardinals.

The Steelers' run defense has sprung a few leaks the last two weeks after a solid stretch of seven straight games allowing 100 yards or fewer on the ground. The Jaguars picked up 179 rushing yards, while Denver ran for a little more than five yards per carry. It'll be interesting to see if the Chargers continue to run the ball as much as they normally do, or if they turn Rivers loose a bit more.

3. Keep the turnovers in check

Turnovers have become a bit of an issue the past two weeks with the Steelers, who have coughed it up seven times while picking up just one on defense. There is way too much firepower on Pittsburgh's side for the Steelers to be loose with the football. Ben Roethlisberger has 12 interceptions and an interception percentage of 2.5 per pass attempt. James Conner has just two fumbles lost on the season, but they happened to come at the worst possible times. Before this recent stretch of bad luck, the team had just two turnovers over a four-week span. On the other side, you have the Chargers, who have just five turnovers over their last seven games. Over that span, they've also forced mistakes in all of the games but one, so you know they'll be hungry to extend the Steelers' recent run of bad luck.

Final Analysis

Both of these teams are playing some really good football and will be huge factors in the AFC playoffs. I think a matchup like this will come down to field position and who makes the biggest mistake. As of late, it's been Pittsburgh making mistakes, but now the Steelers are home, where they will play a whole lot better. The loss of Melvin Gordon will be felt on the Los Angeles side. Austin Ekeler is not Gordon, and I think that is the difference. Give me the home team by a slim margin as the Steelers get back on track.

Prediction: Steelers 21, Chargers 17

By Rich Hammond
https://www.pe.com/2018/12/01/rams-see-te-gerald-everett-as-a-new-weapon-on-offense/

DETROIT – He went from basketball to track to football, and from what Rams tight end Gerald Everett showed in his most recent game, he probably would fare well at competitive ballroom dancing.

In seven seconds of astounding skill, Everett made an over-the-shoulder catch in stride, slipped an attempted leg tackle and tip-toed 10 yards along the sideline to complete a 40-yard touchdown. It was the final blow late in the fourth quarter of the Rams’ exhausting 54-51 victory over Kansas City.

It was kind of crazy to actually watch it after the game,” Everett said. “(It was) probably one of my best plays. But it was pretty surreal to see it in the air in a moment like that. But just glad I could be there.”

Everett will get another chance to shine Sunday, when the Rams play at Detroit with a chance to clinch the NFC West. At the risk of canonizing a young player because of one catch, it showed everything that could make Everett a star, or at least a major contributor on a Rams offense that sometimes seems unstoppable.

The speed to get separation from a safety. The hands and vision to pull in a tough catch. The footwork to dance once, then twice, and stay in bounds. Everett essentially is a big receiver with a tight-end designation, and now he’s developing the consistency and skill to be a primary target for Jared Goff.

Everett’s emergence is one of the major storylines of the second half of this Rams season. Goff is looking to Everett and Tyler Higbee more often and is being rewarded for that trust. Against the Chiefs, Everett and Higbee combined to catch 112 of Goff’s 413 passing yards and two touchdowns.

In their past three games, Everett and Higbee have combined for 25 pass targets, 19 receptions and 240 yards. In their first eight games, they combined for 26 targets, 16 receptions and 168 yards.

“I think it’s something that evolves,” Everett said. “But us as a tight end position, we were waiting for our time to break out. But I mean, you have guys like Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, Todd Gurley, Josh Reynolds. We want to see those guys thrive as well. But everybody wants the ball, in this offense specifically.”

Higbee has received slightly more attention from Goff over the past month, and that’s no surprise. He’s more experienced (by a year) and consistent, and because of his all-around skills, he gets more playing time. The Rams almost always line up in sets with one tight end, and in the past three games, Higbee has played approximately 75 percent of the snaps, with Everett at 25 percent.

Yet that’s the thing. In limited time, Everett is flashing. Higbee remains a superior blocker and a better traditional red-zone tight-end target, but nobody can match Everett’s combination of size and athleticism.

On the big touchdown against the Chiefs, Everett was lined up wide right, outside of all three Rams receivers, and safety Daniel Sorensen had no chance in coverage.

“It’s been exciting,” Coach Sean McVay said. “I wouldn’t say surprising, just because of the confidence and I just think it’s great to be able to see him be healthy and maximize the opportunities. Certainly, Jared and the line is doing a great job protecting that enabled Jared to be able to get those throws off to him.”

With receiver Cooper Kupp out for the season with a torn ACL, Everett should play an increasingly larger role in the Rams’ offense, although Josh Reynolds has done exceedingly well since rejoining the starting lineup. Everett’s ability to thrive outside might even lead to a few more sets with two tight ends.

This is some of what the Rams envisioned when they used a second-round pick – No. 44 overall – on Everett in the 2017 draft. Everett was raw, having only played one year of high school football, in 2011, after stints on the basketball and track teams. He bounced from a community college to Alabama-Birmingham to South Alabama, where he scored 12 touchdowns in 24 games.

Injuries and inconsistency stunted Everett’s growth over his first season and a half with the Rams, but now he seems to be gaining the trust of Goff and McVay, a former tight ends coach who made a name for himself in part because of his work with Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis in Washington.

“He’s really talented,” McVay said. “I think he’s certainly maximized his opportunities that he’s gotten, especially over the last couple weeks.”

I know that Aaron Donald is the BEST player on the Rams Defense (Probably, The Best Player in the NFL) but who is the Emotional Leader of the Defense that gets the rest of the Defense Psyched up during the game? Is it Donald, Littleton, Talib when he returns (TOMORROW!!!), etc?

I was.

I found the game enjoyable because of the defense played by both teams while granting that I was quietly rooting for Dallas to beat the Saints.

But the execution of the game did make me realize that the sort of excellence displayed by the defenders is something that I’ve missed from the NFL and to a much greater extent, college football.

Wondering what you guys thought...

This takes nothing away from the Thriller in LA.

The truth is...Rams DL Aaron Donald is the MVP of the NFL
December 1, 2018
| By:
Jake Ellenbogen

It's been quite the season for the Los Angeles Rams under second-year Head coach Sean McVay. The team arguably has the most complete roster in football, three MVP candidates in their stead and of course the ever-growing home field-advantage that could turn into the league's best over the next half decade. It's all going right for the Rams, but why is it that a 10-1 team that has a QB on pace for over 5,000 yards, 38 TD's, a RB that is flirting with having maybe the greatest year ever for a RB and a defensive lineman that is on pace to threaten Michael Strahan's single-season sack record are somehow not being given the respect they deserve?


Sure, many around the landscape have caught up to the idea the Rams are an elite team but after one bad game from Todd Gurley where he was arguably injured during the beginning of the game on an awkward sideline tackle by Chiefs LB Dorian O'Daniel, Gurley is now out of the conversation for MVP. Patrick Mahomes is firmly in the discussion and while he had 6 touchdowns against the Rams, he lost the game and to make a further point he had seven combined turnovers in his two biggest games versus the Rams and the Patriots. Mahomes is phenomenal and this is not to take away from him but it seems as though maybe Gurley is getting the short end of the rod here? How about Saints QB Drew Brees? He's arguably the greatest QB never talked about but Brees just had his worst game in the Saints second loss of the season that could have officially relinquished the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That's a big-time stinker on Thursday Night Football. The problem is that Gurley is a RB, he's not throwing the football and that was explained to me by Czar of the Playbook and Founder of Football Gameplan, Emory Hunt. It's simple, Gurley should have won the coveted award last year, but Tom Brady was 40 and so that took precedence. The MVP award has a new meaning and a new definition when the shoe fits, if it's just a QB award now, can't we just call it a QB award?


You may think that this whole thing is an argument for Todd Gurley, quite frankly, Gurley in my eyes was the top candidate along with Mahomes but recently I have changed my tune. Jared Goff deserves some serious consideration but the real MVP of the National Football League is really Aaron Donald. Donald is the best player by all accounts in the league regardless of position and we are easily laying eyes on a top 3 defensive player all-time when it is all said and done. The former Pittsburgh star that fell in the draft due to height and overall size concerns has clearly gotten the last laugh. This year he became the highest paid defensive player (only until the next day the Bears changed that and made Khalil Mack the highest paid defensive player) but Donald has lived up to the hype and then some. You do realize Donald is a bio-weapon for the defense right? You do realize everything he has done has been with a porous secondary right? You do realize that Donald has been double-teamed and sometimes even triple-teamed and still produces right? It's not just because it sounds cool or backs up my statement, Donald puts the stats up on the board for you to practically laugh it. It's not normal what Donald has been able to do over his career but this year is beyond all doubts one of the scariest campaigns for a defensive player and the season isn't over..


Let's just take a look: Aaron Donald is graded as the best defensive interior lineman by Pro Football Focus which is pretty much the 3rd or 4th straight year that has been the case. Donald leads all players at his position with 77 total pressures on the QB which is asinine because the next guy is Fletcher Cox with 61 and then after him you have Geno Atkins with 48. Donald has 14.5 sacks with five games left to play, the next guy has nine sacks. Donald also proves he's not just a sack artist, he wins in the run defensive game and he shows you that with his league-leading 32 defensive stops. That's just for his position but when you put him and compare him to the edge defenders this is where it gets beyond silly. Donald has 77 pressures like previously mentioned, the top edge defender has 59 and that's Dee Ford. Danielle Hunter has 12 sacks along with TJ Watt and Von Miller but none of which have more than interior monster Aaron Donald. Remember back in 2014 when JJ Watt received 13 MVP votes and came in second place to Aaron Rodgers? It was the first time this century that a defensive player had more than three votes. That is certainly telling, and while Watt's season historic...Let's compare Donald's 2018 campaign versus Watt's 2014 campaign.


Full 2018 Season JJ Watt: 1,057 Snaps, 20.5 Sacks, 119 Total Pressures, 50 Tackles, 61 Defensive Stops, 4 Forced Fumbles


Projected 2018 Season Aaron Donald: 896 snaps, 22 Sacks, 112 Total Pressures, 36 Tackles, 46 Defensive Stops, 4 Forced Fumbles


Pretty close... Now let's compare the two as of right now Donald has only played 11 games and now let's throw those next to Watt through his first 11 games:


Watt Through 11 Games in 2014: 746 Snaps, 9.5 Sacks, 70 Total Pressures, 34 Solo Tackles, 38 Defensive Stops, 15 TFLs, 30 QB Hits, 2 Forced Fumbles, 4 Fumble Recoveries


Donald Through 11 Games in 2018: 616 Snaps, 14.5 Sacks, 77 Total Pressures, 25 Solo Tackles, 32 Defensive Stops, 16 TFLs, 28 QB Hits, 3 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumble Recoveries


Now, let's compare Donald to the single-season sack record-holder Michael Strahan...


Full 2001 Season Michael Strahan: 22.5 Sacks, 60 Solo Tackles, 24 TFLs, 18 QB Hits, 6 Forced Fumbles, Fumble Recovery


Projected 2018 Season Aaron Donald: 22 Sacks, 36 Solo Tackles, 23 TFLs, 41 QB Hits, 4 Forced Fumbles, 3 Fumbles Recoveries


Close, considering Michael Strahan played as a 4-3 defensive end. Now let's take a look at the two through 11 games:


Strahan Through 11 Games in 2001: 15.5 Sacks, 43 Solo Tackles, 11 QB hits, 6 Forced Fumbles


Donald Through 11 Games in 2018: 14.5 Sacks, 25 Solo Tackles, 28 QB Hits, 3 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumbles Recoveries


Unfortunately with Strahan you cannot find the snap count or things like pressures but you have to imagine Donald would be right there with him in that regard. The point being, Donald is having a historic year, he's right with JJ Watt despite Watt having already played 130 more snaps than Donald to this point in the season. It's not just about what Donald has done compared to other defensive players though, because you have to make the argument for a defensive player over the the rest of the league. This is the tricky part but as of right now here's what we have for Donald vs. the other MVP candidates.


9-2 QB Patrick Mahomes: 3,628 YDs, 37 TDs, 10 INTs, 10 YPA, 67.5 COMP%


Argument for: He's practically a rookie, he's leading the charge in Kansas City with one of the top high-powered offense in the league. He's not dinking-and-dunking his way to fame either, Mahomes averages 10 yards per attempt which proves he's throwing deep and winning more often than not.


Argument against: While Mahomes has been great, he still has turned the ball over 12 times and has fumbled five times that have been recovered. To say Mahomes is careless with the ball really isn't fair but against the Rams and Patriots, Mahomes turned the ball over 7 combined times. MVP candidate Aaron Donald forced two fumbles on Mahomes and logged 10 pressures on the talented QB which led to a head-to-head loss. Does that give Aaron Donald a tie-breaker over Mahomes? It might. It's definitely fair to use that against him since Donald changed the game in the Rams 54-51 win over Mahomes' 6 touchdown performance. You definitely can look at Drew Brees and see what he is doing is just as good and likely more efficient.


10-2 QB Drew Brees: 3.262 YDs, 30 TDs, 3 INTs, 9.7 YPA, 75.5 COMP%


Argument for: He's arguably the best QB in football and maybe ever. He's leading the 10-2 Saints that have the top statistically scoring offense in the NFL. Brees isn't dinking-and-dunking either, he averages almost 10 yards per attempt and has had to work with receivers Keith Kirkwood, Tre'Quan Smith, no Tight end anywhere near the level of Travis Kelce and without his Left tackle for a few games. Regardless, Brees still does have a ton of weapons but the point is that Brees can do it with anyone. He went head-to-head with Donald in a 45-35 shootout, while Donald didn't destroy the game the way he did to Mahomes he did force seven pressures on the 39-year-old QB and got four hits on Brees. Brees did beat the Rams and has a win over Donald head-to-head which should count for something.


Argument against: At the same time Brees, as great as he's been somehow managed to lose to the Buccaneers earlier in the year and then absolutely threw up a dud on Thursday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys to potentially relinquish home-field advantage to the Rams. Donald's arguable worst game was the game he had just one sack against the Seahawks, Brees just had his worst game where he threw one touchdown but threw a costly interception to lose the Saints the game and didn't even log 200 yards. Patrick Mahomes worst game of the season was against Jacksonville where he threw two interceptions and no touchdowns but his team went onto win 30-14.


6-5 QB Andrew Luck: 3,112 YDs, 32 TDs, 11 INTs, 7.1 YPA, 68.4 COMP%


Argument for: Luck is one of the best QB's and a great story coming off of two years of not playing football. He's had to play with a roster that was decimated early on with injuries and now has led the healthy Colts to a 6-5 record after starting off 1-5. Luck has had to lead his team back and hasn't had quite the defense you would like to see him have. Luck is carrying the Colts into the playoffs, they have won five-straight and now that he, himself, is fully healthy he has a chance to be the MVP if he indeed leads the Colts to the playoffs. He's their entire offense, you talk about the Most VALUABLE to their team, it might be Luck since as good as Jacoby Brissett can be, he's no Andrew Luck.


Argument against: He's lost five games, whether it's his fault or not if there is even a tie-breaker to be made it's going to Brees or Mahomes just off of that. He hasn't thrown nearly as deep as the other QB candidates and as great as he's been, it's still no guarantee the Colts make the playoffs like it is with the Saints and Chiefs. While Luck is starting to turn it on, Brees, Donald, Mahomes and others have been dominant much longer.


10-1 QB Jared Goff: 3,547 YDs, 26 TDs, 6 INTs, 9.3 YPA, 67.7 COMP%


Argument for: Before you even bring up 0-7 or small hands or god forbid "system QB" you need to first give Jared Goff loads of credit. Goff leads the league in fourth-quarter comebacks, he's having an unbelievable season and really, he's left a lot of opportunities out on the field. A 67.6 completions percentage puts him right at the top, he lost one of his top weapons Cooper Kupp, his star RB aforementioned Todd Gurley was banged up in the Chiefs game and Goff in the bright lights of Los Angeles pulled off a comeback win in the final minutes against the best team in the AFC. Goff has led the 10-1 Rams over the likes of Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Phil Rivers, Kirk Cousins and Patrick Mahomes. He's played three primetime games thus far and in those primetime games he's had 12 total touchdowns and 0 interceptions. When the pressure is on Goff looks like one of the top QB's in the league and is a key reason why the Rams are 10-1 and potentially going to be the #1 seed in the NFC. A loss to Brees on the road hurts but a head-to-head win over Mahomes should help. Goff has had at least a 100 passer rating in eight out of his first 11 games.


Argument against: Goff isn't even the best MVP candidate on his side of the ball, that might have to go to Gurley and then you have Donald who is likely more valuable than both. Goff did lose head-to-head against Brees and has shown to be a little fumble-prone thus far after fumbling away the ball six times. The constant brilliance from Goff has been evident but even when the stats look good, Goff has missed some huge throws that make you scratch your head. Is he an MVP candidate? Yes, and he might honestly be ahead of Mahomes but it's hard to put him over Donald, or Gurley or Brees. He has a chance to take over the race but as of right now he's third or fourth on the list.


10-1 RB Todd Gurley: 1.043 Rushing YDs, 13 Rushing TDs, 5.0 YPA, 43 REC, 441 YDs, 4 Receiving TDs, 10.3 YPC


Argument for: Gurley was robbed last year in the MVP race and to be entirely honest he's having a much better season and has meant even more to his team that is even better this season than last. Gurley is just two touchdowns away from last year's impressive clip and that is with five games left to play. He's running and receiving has set up the Rams offense to beat anyone at any time. Goff can really lean on Gurley in a tight situation and Gurley isn't going to let him down. Gurley's not just a receiving back or a running back but he can do it all and that is mentioning pass protection which he continues to get better with. The Rams star RB is clearly in the mix for the MVP award and he should likely be in it until the end with the way he's playing this season for the NFC's current #1 seed. Gurley is a key "closer" for the Rams because you know he's a player that the Rams can turn to to close out the game and put it away with his superb running ability in between the tackles or outside the tackles. Gurley in this way makes him one of the most valuable players in the league and when you look at games in which he scores three touchdowns or any game in which he scores you can see his explosion and how a drive that looks bleak can turn into a touchdown in a blink of an eye. He's an elite athlete, knowledgable, he's been a leader for this team and he's one of the few game-breakers in the NFL that change the way you call a game. The Chiefs were so focused on Todd Gurley in their game that they basically begged the Rams to throw it on them by stacking the box. That's how valuable he is.


Argument against: Whether it's fair or not the Rams offensive line is one of the best in football and it has led to Gurley actually seeing a lot more opportunities and wide open holes to his advantage. That's not to say Gurley isn't making things happen but when you watch Malcolm Brown come in and run through wide open holes as well it's easy to see why people will penalize Gurley. Samuel Gold, an analyst for the Athletic broke this all down by separating yards per carry averages into RB carry percentage and OL carry percentage. The point here is that Gurley and Brown both had the same yards per carry when this stat was quantified but with Brown his offensive line help amounted to 3.9 yards per carry which means Brown was doing the 1.1 other yards on his own while Gurley was doing 1.8 on his own. Clearly Gurley is better than Brown but when you put Gurley next to others this is where it gets interesting. Rookie Giants RB Saquon Barkley has been behind a pitiful offensive line and so he average .3 less yards per carry than Gurley but with Saquon he accounts for 2.7 yards of his carries which is a much higher output than Gurley. Chris Carson of the Seahawks accumulates for 1.9 yards of his yards per carry average which is also higher than Gurley and Nick Chubb of the Browns accumulates 3.7 of his yards per carry average and the offensive line is only 2.5 of that. It's not to say Gurley isn't an MVP but you can see the arguments against it and these are good metrics to show you what a RB is doing when he is faced with immediate blockage in the running game. Gurley's last argument to be made against him is that even though he's been dominant this season, he barely showed up against the Chiefs and the Rams had Jared Goff and Aaron Donald help lead their team to a 54-51 point win over the Chiefs. Whether it's fair or not that took a hit to Todd's MVP resume.


All of that and here's why the man below is my MVP in the league right now...


10-1 DL Aaron Donald: 14.5 Sacks, 77 Total Pressures, 25 Solo Tackles, 32 Defensive Stops, 16 TFLs, 28 QB Hits, 3 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumble Recoveries


Aaron Donald is the best player in the league. Notice how every year someone tries to argue that a different QB should be considered the best. We hear every year, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Wentz, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton and it just never stops. It never goes away, it's always a bunch of QB's and Aaron Donald. Donald has been consistently the best player for the last three years, he just played on a 4-12 Jeff Fisher-coached Rams team so you didn't pay any attention to it. The fact of the matter is this, now, even though Donald plays in the trenches, he's getting sacks. This is his best year as a pro which beats out the other amazing years he had as a pro. He was finally named DPOY last year and it took the Rams to be good for this to even be a thing.


Well, now the best player in the league is arguably leading the best team in the league on defense. Donald is doing this with a decimated secondary (albeit they did just get Aqib Talib back) but it hasn't mattered. Aaron Donald has been double-teamed on 72% of his snaps, let that just sink in, it's not an opinion it's a stone-cold fact that the ESPN crew highlighted during the Monday Night Football game. It literally does not matter who you put on Donald, he makes a play or does something to force a domino effect into another teammate making a play. Donald has had three games this season with 10 pressures on the QB or more. Donald has amounted 77 pressures on the season, you know why the Rams went out and traded for Dante Fowler? Because the team has 140 pressures when you don't factor in Donald. Donald has more than half of the Rams pressures on the QB. What about sacks? 14.5? That's half of the Rams sack total since they have 29 on the year. When you need play on defense, Donald is there to get it for you and he has continued to bail out what has been a lackluster season on defense all year. Here's the Rams defensive output this season if you don't believe me...


Rams Defensive Stats


Points Allowed: 21st (25.6)

Passing Yards Allowed: 19th (2,779)

Passing Yards Allowed per Attempt: 27th (8.1)

Passer Completion Percentage Allowed: 18th (65.8)

Passer Rating Against: 27th (101.6)

Passing Yards Per Game Allowed: 19th (253)

Passing TDs Allowed: T-31st (25)

Interceptions Forced: T-13th (10)

Interception TDs: T-2nd (2)

Pass breakups: T-18th (44)

Sacks Forced: T-14th (29)

Yards Taken Away From Sacks: 7th (238)

Forced Fumbles: T-8th (12)

Fumble Recoveries: 2nd (10)
Fumble Return TDs: T-5th (1)


How vital has Donald been to this one-loss team's effort? Extremely vital. It's crazy how this year with the coverage as bad as it's ever been for the Rams, Donald has been able to log 77 pressures and 14.5 sacks. This is just another reason why he is the MVP, when you look at how needed he is on defense when you look out how vital he was to win that game against the Chiefs. Everyone is going to forget how the Chiefs actually were outscoring the Rams, the offense was being halted, and if it wasn't for Donald forcing the only fumbles lost on the year for Patrick Mahomes, that game could have ended in a loss. The offense didn't help after starting off great and so Donald and company had to step up. According to Pro Football Focus, the Rams have the 16th highest coverage grade which ranks them as the team right in the middle of the pack but also according to PFF the Rams have the second highest pressure grade and when you look at the fact Donald has half the pressures this team has logged over the course of this season it's easy to see why they are so high and that is simply because of Aaron Donald.


Ndamukong Suh has only amassed four sacks and 35 pressures so before you use what is around Donald as the excuse not to vote him as MVP...stop. Donald is far and beyond what could be expected, the Rams will play the team tomorrow that made their dream of drafting him a reality after passing on him for now-Colts TE Eric Ebron. The Rams have their MVP and so does the league, if you are going to give Mahomes the MVP because of his youth you're wrong, if you're going to give the MVP to Drew Brees for the simple fact he's never won it before you are wrong, if you are going to give it to Andrew Luck because of his comeback season you are wrong and can simply vote for him as a the Comeback Player of the Year, if you are going to give it to Gurley over Donald well, it would mean that a QB didn't win the award but you still are wrong and even if you are going to give it to Jared Goff, as great as he's looked you are wrong again.


The only guy that can receive this award is the guy that year-after-year there's no debate, he continues to get better, he continues to be a bigger part of the team and now he's at the forefront leading a struggling defense on their way to a potential Super Bowl. It seems harsh to call people wrong for not voting for one of the many magnificent QB's in the NFL but once again just look around you. Jared Goff has Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, Gerald Everett, Josh Reynolds and Todd Gurley. Drew Brees has Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Tre'Quan Smith and Mark Ingram. Patrick Mahomes has Tyreke Hill, Sammy Watkins, Travis Kelce and had Kareem Hunt. Andrew Luck has five losses, Todd Gurley has Jared Goff and arguably the best offensive line in the league. Aaron Donald? He's a one-man army. He's received contributions out of John Johnson III, Cory Littleton, Ndamukong Suh but aside from that Donald doesn't turn to the team to bail him out on defense the defense and sometimes the offense with two MVP candidates turn to Donald. You can say it, it's okay...Aaron Donald is in fact the MVP of the NFL. As the weeks go by the picture just becomes more and more clear.

I haven't but I plan on it. I was born in 1961 so Queen was a part of my growing up and coming of age in my 20's. I've watched loads of interviews and clips and it looks like it's going to be one hell of a ride. There is a lot of Oscar talk about the film.

Oddly, while I am a fan of Queen's, that particular song isn't even close to my favorite and I have about 10 of their songs on my device. More than most of the artists I have. I've never understood how loved that song is because I don't think it's there best work at all.

Anyway if you saw it post your impressions.

IMO there are a very small number, maybe 5, frontmen in the history of modern music that you could build a case for being the best frontman of all time and Freddie Mercury is on that list. I'm curious what the overall list would be from everyone else.

Mine would be Prince, Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, David Lee Roth.....................and I'm not sure whom else to put in with that group. Freddie would take first place, after that I can't rank them. Lots of people just don't have all the facets to get on the list.

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/11/30/nfl-rams-reddit-mailbag-question-answer-jared-goff/

Rams Reddit mailbag: What happens after L.A. pays Jared Goff?
By: Cameron DaSilva



On Thursday, I was fortunate enough to host an AMA (ask me anything) on Rams Reddit, fielding questions from the most dedicated fans.

Below, I’ve highlighted some of the best questions and answers, but you can find the full AMA here.

What do you think happens to the team after we have to pay Goff what he is (deservedly) due a.k.a. his rookie deal expires? Think the front office will be able to keep scheming picks/trades to be competitive?

That’s the biggest hurdle for the Rams’ long-term success. The Seahawks underwent a facelift recently after paying Russ – albeit, injuries played a factor, too – which shows how hard it is to build a roster after paying a franchise QB. The core of Gurley, Donald, Cooks, Havenstein is already intact, but it could lead to guys like Peters, Joyner, Saffold and Barron leaving. Keeping Saffold around is a must.

How much do you think the return of Talib will improve our defense heading into the playoffs?

Immensely. He’s going to have a big impact on the secondary, allowing Marcus Peters to stay on the right side of the field rather than shadowing No. 1 receivers. When Talib was healthy, the Rams were allowing under 200 passing yards per game in the first three weeks.

What are your thoughts of some of our potential offseason moves coming up? I know a little early to think about it, but I’m a big draft guy and like to know what others think

I haven’t dived into the 2019 class much yet, but as for the Rams, their top needs are coming into focus. Here’s how I’d rank them:

• OLB
• Safety
• ILB
• CB
• NT

Those can (and will) change depending on what happens with Fowler, Suh, Joyner, Talib, etc., but I’d say those are some of the top needs. Expect the Rams to try to retain Fowler on a reasonable contract, but Talib isn’t guaranteed to return given his age and his contract situation. The Rams could move on in 2019.

What are some of the main differences you’ve seen/felt compared to 2017 Rams

I think Jared Goff has taken a huge step forward this season and is playing like a top-five quarterback. His comfort in the offense and confidence throwing downfield make a huge difference. Not to mention, he’s shown that “clutch” gene with four fourth-quarter comebacks. This team is oozing with confidence and knows it can win the Super Bowl. The biggest question is how the defense will perform in the playoffs.

How do you rank Goff, Gurley, and Donald in terms of MVP odds?

1. Gurley
2. Goff
3. Donald

It’s a QB’s award, but Gurley is having a special season and Goff can’t match Mahomes’ stats. Donald might be the best player in football, but he has (almost) no chance to win MVP.

Other than Malcolm Brown, who do you think we near 100% lose in the off season?

Malcolm isn’t 100 percent leaving. He’s a RFA and could easily be brought back.

I wouldn’t bank on Suh returning. Joyner has a decent chance at signing elsewhere. Barron isn’t a FA, but he could be cut to save money. Saffold and Fowler will probably be the Rams’ top FA priorities.

Others who may not return:

• Longacre
• Ramik
• Shields
• Mannion
• Easley

Which AFC team do you think the Rams will face in the super bowl? What do you think our chances are against each of those three? Personally I think highest vs Brady if Gordon stays healthy. Would love a Belichick vs McVay showdown

Chiefs. Or Chargers. Or Patriots. But definitely the Chiefs.

Chiefs pose the biggest threat to LA, but Chargers and Pats are both tough. I’d say the Rams’ best chance is against the Chargers, having beaten them already. but that was without Bosa, too. I don’t know that the Pats are explosive enough to keep up.

Who do you think is our biggest challenge the remainder of the normal season? And one more, do you think we can beat the Saints if we play them again?

Definitely the Bears next week. That’s their toughest remaining game.

As for the Saints, absolutely. It was a close game until the end and if the Rams get to face the Saints at home, it’ll be a much different story. These two teams could play a best-of-seven series and it’d almost always come down to Game 7. Very evenly matched.

https://t.co/TCAdMQSJNv?amp=1

Check it out!

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/...-three-quarter-mark-rams-chief-saints-cowboys

NFL Three-Quarter-Mark Power Rankings: How ’Bout Them Cowboys?
With a revitalized offense and a ferocious defense, Dallas suddenly looks like an NFC playoff threat. Plus, the Rams and Chiefs keep scoring, and the Texans simply won’t lose.
By Robert Mays

After ranking all 32 NFL teams before the season, we’ve periodically checked in to see where each club stands. From the preseason through the halfway point, the Rams sat atop the rankings, but entering this week it looked like there’d be someone new in the top spot. Then Thursday night happened. Here’s how all the franchises stack up at the three-quarter mark of the 2018 campaign.

PT: The Cowboys have a "revitalized offense?" Seriously,lol
----------------------------------------------------------------------
32. Oakland Raiders (2-9)
As a surrealist comedy act, the Jon Gruden era in Oakland has been a rousing success. As the start of an NFL regime, however, it’s been an unqualified disaster. The Raiders not only lack any discernible talent, they don’t even seem to give a shit anymore.

31. Arizona Cardinals (2-9)
The Cards have a lot of soul-searching and talent-searching to do this offseason. Arizona’s offense, led by a rotating cast of offensive coordinators, has been a trainwreck in head coach Steve Wilks’s first season. The Cardinals’ no. 1 priority this offseason should be finding a play-caller and a supporting cast that can further Josh Rosen’s development.

30. San Francisco 49ers (2-9)
San Francisco’s season was over the moment Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL in Week 3, but it shouldn’t have gotten this badly. Sure, injuries have ravaged the Niners entire offense, and Kyle Shanahan, one of the best play-callers in the league, was defanged as a result. But the other side of the ball has been just as ineffective, and that’s because of the poor personnel decisions John Lynch has made during in his tenure.

In 2017, Lynch selected linebacker Reuben Foster in the first round of the draft. Foster was largely ineffective in his second season, and he was released last week following his latest domestic violence arrest. Fellow 2017 first-rounder Solomon Thomas has failed to blossom in this system.

And the team has nothing resembling a reliable edge rusher. Outside of signing Richard Sherman, who’s enjoying a vintage season in San Francisco, it’s been nothing but swings and misses for coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense.

29. Detroit Lions (4-7)
In a shocking turn of events, hiring a defensive-minded head coach that was never really that good at coordinating defenses hasn’t improved the Lions on that side of the ball. Yet again, Detroit ranks near the bottom of the league in defensive DVOA (30th) and points allowed (24th), and much like the Niners, the Lions have failed to develop much in-house talent.

(Although rookie defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand has been a pleasant surprise.) Defensive end Ziggy Ansah may walk in free agency at the end of the season, and if he does, the Lions will be left without any real edge presence.

A struggling defense would be easier to stomach if the offense was tearing it up, but once again, Matthew Stafford’s unit has been a tantalizing letdown. A group that has this much invested in the offensive line (with first-round picks at left tackle and left guard, and expensive free agents, including the oft-injured T.J. Lang) and features playmakers like Marvin Jones Jr., Kerryon Johnson, and Kenny Golladay just shouldn’t be this mediocre.

28. New York Jets (3-8)
At this point, there’s nothing left for the Jets to do but move on from Todd Bowles. The organization should focus this offseason on doing everything in its power to surround Sam Darnold with an offensive-minded staff hell-bent on helping him improve. When you trade three second-round picks for the right to draft a QB, nothing else matters unless that quarterback succeeds.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)
Welcome to the least interesting, most interception-plagued quarterback controversy the NFL has ever seen. Watching the Bucs flip back and forth between a 36-year-old journeyman who can’t stop throwing the ball to the other team and a former no. 1 overall pick who can’t stop throwing the ball to the other team is like watching the staff of the Titanic rearrange the deck chairs as the iceberg approaches.

Tampa Bay needs to fully rebuild of this offense, and it seems more and more likely that that will include moving on from Jameis Winston.

26. Buffalo Bills (4-7)
The Bills defense is just good, full stop. The fact that head coach Sean McDermott has won four games with this offense is an absolute miracle, but that’s how good this defensive unit really is. Edge rushers Lorenzo Alexander and Jerry Hughes have been fantastic, and the secondary, led by cornerback TreDavious White, is an especially complete group.

The question for Buffalo is how quickly it can turn around one of the most talent-deficient offenses the league has ever seen. It’s not as if the Bills didn’t do this to themselves. They traded away Cordy Glenn and traded for Kelvin Benjamin. They let Robert Woods walk and dealt Sammy Watkins to the Chiefs. And the top-10 pick that they traded a king’s ransom for has struggled as a result.

25. New York Giants (3-8)
If the Giants bring back Eli Manning as their starting quarterback next season, it would be the funniest thing that’s ever happened in the history of sports. Let me channel my new Ringer colleague Vince Carter for a second: It’s over. It’s time for the Giants to move on and find a young quarterback. Until that happens, the organization’s toiling will never stop.

24. Washington Redskins (6-5)
The Redskins were playing an ugly brand of football with Alex Smith under center. Now, Smith will miss the rest of the season with a gruesome leg injury, and the team is saddled with backup Colt McCoy for the remainder of the year.

Washington also faces the unfortunate reality of having to pay Smith every dollar of what remains from his $74 million guaranteed over the next two seasons; that’s a huge chunk of money to shell out for a “game-manager” quarterback who’s not all that great at game managing. This organization faces a murky and daunting future.

23. Miami Dolphins (5-6)
And while we’re on the subject of organizations in strange holding patterns, let’s chat about the Dolphins. They’re 5-6, have no discernible identity, possess a lame duck quarterback, and lack anything resembling a young star on offense.

Miami would be on the hook for more than $13 million in dead money next season if the team cuts Ryan Tannehill, but the Dolphins may still be in play for a rookie quarterback this offseason. Head coach Adam Gase is a fine play-caller who would be a hot commodity if Miami decided to move on this offseason, but this Dolphins regime has hit a dead end.

22. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)
Throw the Bengals into that same “teams that could move on from their coach and quarterback this offseason” category. Andy Dalton has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal after 2018, and Cincinnati could use the occasion of firing Marvin Lewis to also hit the reset button at quarterback.

Dalton is a perfectly fine passer who would get a new job within about two hours of being let go, but the Bengals are running in place right now. The defense has completely collapsed over the past month, and without A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert, the offense hasn’t been able to offset the damage.

21. Tennessee Titans (5-6)
In terms of week-to-week fluctuations, Tennessee might be the strangest team in the league. The Titans can route the Patriots one week only to be blown out by the Colts a week later. Their quarterback can complete his first 19 passes in a game yet still trail by 17 points.

The first year of head coach Mike Vrabel’s career has had its bright spots—especially on defense, where Tennessee has some exciting young building blocks (even if the small fortune it handed out in free agency to Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler hasn’t worked out like general manager Jon Robinson would have hoped).

The no. 1 priority this offseason is determining what the future may hold for Marcus Mariota. He’ll almost certainly get another crack at the starting job next fall in what will be his second season under coordinator Matt LaFleur, but the clock is ticking for Mariota to solidify his long-term opportunities with the franchise.

20. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
The Falcons were sabotaged by rash of injuries on defense this year, which was particularly disheartening since this was one of Atlanta’s last chances to take advantage of its dirt-cheap rookie contracts. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett will be a free agent this offseason, and the Falcons would do well to re-sign him.

Tevin Coleman will also hit the open market, but he’s almost sure to leave town given the money Atlanta has invested in Devonta Freeman’s contract. Next season will be the final year of linebacker Deion Jones’s rookie deal; after Atlanta’s defense fell apart without him this season, his value has never been higher.

Matt Ryan and the offense have quietly put together a phenomenal season, with Ryan putting up some of the best numbers of his career. The front office has sunk a ton of money into that side of the ball, and most of those players (outside of Coleman and guard Andy Levitre) are set to return next year. Now it’s a matter of finding some defensive line talent this offseason and hoping that the return of Jones and safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen can bolster the pass defense.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)
It’s been an all-time let-down year for Philly following its magical Super Bowl run. Everything about this Eagles’ season points to just how difficult it is to sustain success in the NFL. Crucial position groups like the team’s offensive line and secondary have taken steps back, in part due to injury.

The brain trust of coaching talent on offense was dismantled, as former coordinator Frank Reich and former quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo have gone on to elevated roles elsewhere. Even the most loaded NFL rosters can be fragile, and the Eagles have proven that this season.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8)
At least the Eagles won a Super Bowl before having their season from hell. For the Jags, a single fairy-tale appearance in the AFC Championship Game is all they have to show for their championship window. The decision to fully commit to Blake Bortles and tie the franchise to him financially through 2019 — without bringing in a single viable backup to challenge him — might have been the worst choice any team made this offseason.

Now, the Jags have league’s most expensive roster heading into next season, and they’re on the hook for $16.5 million in dead money if (or really, when) they move on from Bortles. It’s unclear where the team goes from here. A quarterback like Andy Dalton would be attractive if the Bengals do decide to let him go, but therein lies the problem:

Because Jacksonville will be on the hook to pay Bortles at least $10 million (up to $6.5 million of his dead money hit can be offset if he signs elsewhere), it would be difficult to pay the sticker price for a veteran quarterback — even a reasonably priced one like Dalton. The Jags’ best hope is that they wind up with a high-enough pick that they’re in range for a cheap rookie QB in the first round.

17. Cleveland Browns (4-6-1)
Don’t look now, but the Browns are fun! And all it took to get here was firing a head coach that never should have been brought back in the first place. Under new offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, Baker Mayfield has been on an absolute tear with seven touchdowns and no interceptions over his previous two games.

Cleveland has plenty of roster talent; the issue was whether the Browns would ever find a staff that could make the most of it. This two-game stretch has provided a glimpse of what this team could be in the coming years with Mayfield and a quality play-caller running the show.

16. Baltimore Ravens (6-5)
It’s tough to know what to make of the Ravens. They’re undeniably intriguing with Lamar Jackson at QB, but it’s unclear what the offense’s ceiling is with such an inexperienced — if thrilling — passer under center.

The Ravens might be the most entertaining no. 6 seed option in the AFC, and Jackson’s progress will be worth monitoring for the rest of the season. But this year is more about planning for the future than making any type of postseason run.

15. Green Bay Packers (4-6-1)
There’s not much left to say about this team that hasn’t already been said. This organization is in limbo right now as it (likely) prepares for the post–Mike McCarthy era. I’ll hold off on the “Aaron Rodgers is actually part of the problem” take that seems to be making the rounds right now.

Remember when Justin Verlander looked totally washed up in Detroit as he trudged through a series of miserable seasons, and then the moment he was traded to the Astros, he turned back into one of the best pitchers in baseball?

Rodgers has carried this franchise for most of the past decade, and it’s been clear since the start of this season that his patience is wearing thin. If Green Bay brings in an elite play-caller and reshapes the offense, I have little doubt that Rodgers will be just fine.

14. Denver Broncos (5-6)
Coming off back-to-back wins over the Chargers and Steelers, the Broncos look like they could actually make a push for the AFC’s final playoff spot. Case Keenum’s play has been significantly better over the past month, and, in a lot of ways, he’s started to resemble the quarterback he was in Minnesota last season — he’s extending plays in the pocket, launching some big-time throws, and generally avoiding the turnovers that haunted him early in the season.

With Emmanuel Sanders and rookie revelation Phillip Lindsay, the Broncos offense has some pop, and there are still enough key pieces on the defense to create headaches for opposing offenses. Denver has a relatively easy schedule down the stretch, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Broncos catch either the Ravens or Colts in the AFC wild-card race.

13. Carolina Panthers (6-5)
Over the first half of the season, the Panthers rejuvenated offense had this team looking like a true contender in the NFC. But after three straight losses, Carolina sits at 6-5 and is heading in the wrong direction. The offense is still capable of putting up points—as we saw last week in the team’s 30-27 loss to the Seahawks—but the Panthers’ biggest problem right now is that the defense just can’t stop anybody.

Injuries in the secondary have forced backups into elevated roles, and the front four have struggled to get pressure. Despite a drastically elevated blitz rate from previous defenses under Ron Rivera, the Panthers rank just 23rd in adjusted sack rate. Cam Newton and his collection of young talent make the Panthers dangerous in any given week, but their issues on defense will doom them in the end.

12. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
When Indy started 1-5, this season looked like another lost year as the team continued its rebuild under general manager Chris Ballard and first-year coach Frank Reich. But now, the Colts have collected five-straight wins and are absolutely rolling. Reich’s offense has unlocked Andrew Luck, who’s thrown at least three touchdown passes in a ridiculous eight-straight games.

The two areas where the Colts needed to improve the most in the post–Ryan Grigson era — the offensive line and the middle part of their defense — both got massive infusions of talent this offseason with Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard, respectively.

The Colts still have some work to do if they want to climb into the league’s upper echelon, and with a projected $124 million in cap space for 2019 and an extra second-round pick that figures to be in the mid-30s, they’ll have the resources to do it.

But it isn’t quite time to look ahead to next season in Indy. With Luck playing this well, the Colts could be a scary team to face in the playoffs if they manage to land the no. 6 seed.

11. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
The same can be said of Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. Football is just more fun when Luck and Wilson are firing missiles all over the field and leading high-powered offenses. Right now, due to some improvements to the offensive line, a revived running game, and a play-action-heavy deep-passing game, Seattle’s offense is playing at a level not seen since Wilson’s lights-out run to close the 2015 season. Similar to Luck and the Colts, Wilson would be a formidable opponent for any team in the wild-card round.

10. Minnesota Vikings (6-4-1)
The Vikings’ flaws are still glaring, especially along the offensive line, but even a reduced version of this Minnesota team is dangerous. After a puzzling start to the season, Mike Zimmer’s defense is back. The Vikings have stifled their previous three opponents, and they’re also the only team to actually give Drew Brees any problems this season.

Having Dalvin Cook back to create some big plays as a receiver out of the backfield will help this offense find its form, especially considering how little time Kirk Cousins has had to throw the ball for much of the season. Minnesota may not be the juggernaut some expected coming into the year, but this team firmly has the upper hand in the NFC’s wild-card hunt.

9. Dallas Cowboys (7-5)
Well, that was one hell of a win. The Cowboys defense deserves plenty of credit for Thursday’s 13-10 victory over the Saints. Its lockdown effort against Drew Brees and the Saints offense, which had looked borderline unstoppable before this week, was the best performance by any group on that side of the ball all season.

Dallas’s front four got after Brees in a way few pass rushers do, with DeMarcus Lawrence leading the way. First-round pick Leighton Vander Esch looks like the future centerpiece of this defense, and, paired with Jaylon Smith in the middle, the Cowboys could have the most athletic pair of off-ball linebackers in the league.

On offense, Dak Prescott and the passing game have taken a significant step forward with wide receiver Amari Cooper in the lineup. When analysts were evaluating the team’s trade for Cooper in October, many failed to account for the rule that necessitates that every player who leaves Jon Gruden’s Raiders suddenly becomes a dominant force.

Cooper lit up Washington’s defense on Thanksgiving, and that deal appears to have altered Dallas’s season. With a fearsome defense and a rejuvenated offense, the Cowboys could throw a wrench in the NFC playoff picture.

8. Houston Texans (8-3)
Houston seemed dead in the water following its 0-3 start, but after rattling off eight straight wins, the Texans look like a lock to win the AFC South. Outside of a routine outing in Washington, Deshaun Watson has been on fire as of late, and when he’s at his best, the Texans’ pass protection woes are easier to ignore.

Watson’s ability to dart around in the pocket, extend plays, and find big chunks of yardage downfield makes Houston’s offense frightening on every single drop back. Paired with a defense led by a healthy J.J. Watt and a stacked front four, the Texans have a notably high ceiling. The best version of this team could present real problems to just about any opponent in the AFC.

7. New England Patriots (8-3)
It’s tough to know exactly what to think about the Patriots. Yes, they’ve looked underwhelming as of late, but it still feels like they’ll inevitably find their way to another AFC title by the end of the season. Last week’s win over the Jets showed just how more firepower New England has when Rob Gronkowski is making plays down the field. If the Patriots can get more from Gronk down the stretch, this offense could easily find another gear.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1)
Goodness, are the Steelers frustrating. Pittsburgh followed up its blowout Week 10 win over the Panthers with a horrendous outing against the Jags (which the Steelers only won thanks to Jacksonville’s offensive incompetence) and a loss to the Broncos that featured plenty of big plays but just as many back-breaking mistakes.

The combination of the Steelers’ pass-catching talent and one of the league’s best offensive lines makes this offense intriguing every week. Their outlook is almost entirely dependent on which Ben Roethlisberger shows up over the final month of the season.

5. Chicago Bears (8-3)
It pains me to do this, but at a certain point, I have to acknowledge that the Bears are just good. Chicago’s defense is clearly the best unit in the league, and it’s the sort of group that can actually be relevant going up against high-flying, modern NFL offenses. The Bears feast on game-swinging plays, and they’re stacked with guys who can make them.

Eddie Jackson’s run of defensive touchdowns may seem fluky, but some players just have a knack for sniffing out the ball — Ed Reed, for example, returned seven interceptions for touchdowns over the course of his career. When you’re constantly around the ball and jumping routes from a mile away, it’s easier to fend off regression.

Khalil Mack also seems to be good for one monster play each game. If the Bears can stay healthy on defense, their fate in the NFC playoff race will be determined by how this offense fares when Mitchell Trubisky returns.

If Trubisky can avoid some of the maddening decision-making that plagued him early in the year, head coach Matt Nagy’s scheme and the Bears’ talented collection of pass catchers will be enough to make this group potent against the middling defenses at the top of the NFC.

4. Los Angeles Chargers (8-3)
This Chargers team is finally playing to its talent level. Philip Rivers has been fantastic all season, and this passing attack has torched defenses all year. Losing Melvin Gordon for a few weeks will be tough, especially with a game against the Steelers looming on Sunday, but Austin Ekeler should serve as a capable replacement.

The best news for L.A. is that Joey Bosa is back and has the Chargers defense rounding into form. This group currently ranks sixth in pass defense DVOA, and they should be even better with Bosa terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. The Chargers are for real, and they deserve mention alongside the best teams in the league.

3. New Orleans Saints (10-2)
One lackluster performance shouldn’t sour anyone on the Saints’ Super Bowl hopes. During a season when the Rams and Chiefs can score 28 points in their sleep, though, a 10-point clunker was enough to knock New Orleans from the top spot. Brees and this offense may have stalled against a solid Dallas defense, but he’s still assembling one of the best seasons a quarterback has ever had.

He’s completing 75.5 percent of his passes while averaging 9.7 adjusted yards per attempt. That shouldn’t even be possible, but here we are. Losing left tackle Terron Armstead to a pectoral injury allowed the Cowboys pass rush to put more heat on Brees than any other team has this season. Yet historically, no QB in the league is better at mitigating pressure. The Saints offense will be just fine, and their defense continues to excel after a brutal start to the season.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (9-2)
What’s left to say about the Chiefs offense, really? With Patrick Mahomes II at quarterback, this group looks like it was sent from the future. If you showed tape of the 2018 Chiefs to a team from the 1970s, they’d ask how aliens learned to play football. This offense is Andy Reid’s masterpiece, and it’s been years in the making.

The Chiefs leaky defense could still be their undoing in the end, but the pass rush — led by Dee Ford, Chris Jones, and a revitalized Justin Houston — gives this group a chance to affect the game at any moment. There have also been reports that the Chiefs will be getting Eric Berry back at some point the next couple weeks, which should bolster their struggling secondary.

1. Los Angeles Rams (10-1)
It’s amazing how similar the Chiefs’ and Rams’ profiles are at this stage. They both have world-destroying offenses led by great young quarterbacks and virtuoso play-callers. Both of their defenses depend on star pass rushers to make game-changing plays. And both teams are getting a huge boosts to their defensive backfields for the home stretch.

The Rams have sorely missed Aqib Talib since he went down with an ankle injury earlier this year, and his return will be a boon for a pass defense that’s been shredded for much of the year. If Talib can give this unit even a slight lift, it could go a long way in determining whether the Rams truly are the team to beat. Because Sean McVay’s offense isn’t going anywhere.

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therams.com is reporting that Aquib has been activated, WR Nick Williams waived.

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The tweet doesn't do it justice. Should be done for the season at least IMO. Also he lied about it and his friends stopped the girls from filming. Suspect all around.

Just figured I'd get this in before the frenzy of the weekend.

1) In the spirit of Dave, I'm just being super positive and really celebrating every moment of this very special season. I know Dave's looking down with immense joy. I miss Dave. Even Cynical Mack misses Dave.

2) If the Dallas game showed us anything, it's that we need better ILB play and it can come from a rookie. Don't get me wrong, I love our guys, but they're giving me heart palpitations every week! Littleton is good and I wouldn't look to replace him, but Barron's got to go. I dunno if it's injury or what, but he's struggling. I dunno if the answer is Ramik Wilson who played much better than Barron while Barron was injured or Micah Kiser or a draft pick or FA pickup, but something has got to change.

3) I just realized that if Goff plays 20 years like Brady and that's totally possible with his style of play and McVay's offense, he's going to obliterate a bunch of records. I always wondered what it would have looked like to have someone like Brady with that skill and longevity and I had hoped we had that with Warner although no QB could survive for long in Martz's scheme and even Troy Aikman noted how the QBs got clobbered in that offense during the game last night. Tomorrow is promised to no one. That said, if there is a tomorrow, it looks blindingly bright for Goff and this Rams offense.

4) I probably visit this site about 5-6 times a day and I'm just so thankful for you all. I try to be part of other communities, too, but as I do this mostly on my phone, it's super frustrating. Just wanted to give a shoutout to the Mods and also the community for making this such a fun place to socialize. I don't get out much and it means a lot to be a part of such a fun community of Rams fans.

I'll end with that. Short post for me...go figure.

Anyway, be well all and HORNS UP!

I remember with the Rams return to LA in 2016 after asking around wondering why the NFL while having the wisdom and smarts to schedule a Rams game against the 49ers their long time rival in that state so we could all reminence on those glory days of the past when they were always on monday night football squaring off against each other for so many years,while wisely putting them on a monday night game against them in SF,after asking around why they did not put the game in LA would have been the most smart move,that the reason they put the game in SF instead of LA is because the school board for USC college campus did not want its students staying out late on a weekday night was the answer given. Well if thats the case,then WHY did they schedule a thursday night game against the Vikings this year? was their no classes the next day at the university or something or did they change their minds about this? if the latter,then WHY? what made them change their minds?

After seeing the Cowboys shut down the Saints last night, thanks mainly to hard tackling linebackers with good range who consistently prevented big gains, is that what the Rams should try to get with their first after this season? Are there bigger needs, and if so, what?

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/11/30/nfl-coach-year-candidates-andy-reid-bill-obrien-matt-nagy

Frontrunners to Win NFL Coach of the Year
By CONOR ORR

On Thursday morning, I messaged editor Bette Marston and told her I was going to make today's Morning Huddle about handicapping the NFL’s coach of the year race. Then, I stepped away from the computer for a second and thought, How the hell am I going to do that? There’s a legit case to be made for almost one-third of the NFL’s coaches.

The fine folks at Touchdown Wire beat me to the punch with a post, but after taking in all the factors, I’ll give it a shot anyway. I’ve been criticized in the past for putting Bill Belichick too high on my list (or on my list at all) which is laughable considering the astounding consistency with which he operates. Would you put any money on the Saints, Chiefs or Rams winning 10 games three years from now without knowing what the team will look like? Would you do it with the Patriots?

Anyway, here goes nothing. Given that there’s still a good chunk of the regular season to go, separating them into tiers (with the frontrunners up top) makes a little more sense. Things can—and will—change.

TIER 1: Andy Reid, Bill O’Brien, Matt Nagy, Asshole Face

• Start by re-reading Jenny Vrentas’s profile of Reid from the future issue. To me, this best illustrates the traits we’re looking for in an NFL coach: Tactical genius, with a dialed-in understanding of people. He’s also gifting the NFL with one of the most high-octane offenses we’ve seen in decades with a quarterback in his first season as an NFL starter. His coaching tree is growing strong roots around the NFL, for the better.

• O’Brien might have my vote right now. The Texans have won eight straight after starting the season 0–3; just two percent of NFL teams who start the season 0–3 since 1980 make the playoffs, or five out of 173, according to the Chronicle. This is such a monumental lift to keep a locker room full of established stars together during an early-season stumble. Now, the Texans are playing smart, efficient football and could wind up as one of the top three seeds in the AFC.

• Nagy is this year’s rags-to-riches candidate; a coach who took a dead-in-the-water franchise from the year before and, with similar parts, molded it into a potential division winner. Khalil Mack helps, but Mitchell Trubisky is growing by leaps and bounds this year. That’s more than a year of maturation, that’s a coach who understands how to put his quarterback in the best spot.

• Payton continually reinvents his teams and, like Reid, should be applauded for the flexibility. Given Drew Brees’s seniority, I would give the edge slightly to Reid in terms of what is most impressive, though the Saints are more complete team. They are dominant in a way that makes it difficult to reason Payton out of the conversation.

TIER 2: Frank Reich, Anthony Lynn, Pete Carroll, Sean McVay

• This is the same offensive line that could not protect Andrew Luck and helped drive him to the brink of early retirement. Now with the addition of Quenton Nelson, he glides through games untouched. The Colts are winning games they shouldn’t. They’re making a star out of Eric Ebron. Reich was a hidden gem on Philly’s Super Bowl staff a year ago, and it’s not hard to see the hole he left behind and the massive boost he’s given the Colts.

• Lynn has the unfortunate distinction of coaching the NFL’s forgotten team, but the Chargers are playing some incredible football right now. This final stretch, which sees them get another crack at the Chiefs and also the first-place Steelers, surging Ravens and Broncos, could elevate his candidacy.

• While I’m hesitant to give Carroll a ton of credit for overcoming a roster overhaul that he himself helped orchestrate, it is impressive to see a coach revert back to a “competition” style roster-building philosophy with holdovers from a very different regime. Creating the Legion of Boom was not easy, and this surprising season is no light lift, either.

• What else can we say about McVay? His offense is spectacular. Les Snead is quick on the trigger when the roster looks soft in one place. The Rams are in an amazing position to win the Super Bowl this year. But … will voters who tend to get bored and follow the next story give him the nod twice in a row?

TIER 3: Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, Vance Joseph, Whoever wins the NFC East

• Tomlin is doing this in the middle of a personnel crisis that would have destroyed almost any other franchise.

• Belichick is doing this with, yes, a great quarterback, but one who is not 100% healthy. New coordinators (again), Josh Gordon as his most dependable wideout and a roster of parts that seem to be breaking down around Tom Brady.

• The Broncos have a chance to make the playoffs, which would represent an incredible turnaround. Vance Joseph has been getting heat from management all season and finds ways to respond. Their running game is special. If they sneak into the postseason, don’t rule it out.

• If Doug Pederson’s Eagles somehow make a run, I would find his candidacy to have merit. It is incredibly difficult to coach a team that just won the Super Bowl, especially without a ton of roster turnover. The Eagles have been mostly unlucky in 2018, with injuries ravaging an otherwise talented roster.

Does anyone think the Bears could end up with the #2 Seed (Of course the Rams will keep the #1 Seed!) the NFC? The Saints have a pretty tough remaining schedule so even though I think the chance is very minimal I do think it could happen. Would you rather play the Bears or the Saints?

Now lets do something with it. Brees and Co won't be so comfy outside of the dome !!!