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Rams put Brandon Allen on IR, sign Kasim Edebali
Posted by Josh Alper on December 20, 2017
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The Rams have carried three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster all season, but that will change this week.
The team announced that Brandon Allen has been placed on injured reserve due to a back injury. Linebacker Kasim Edebali was signed to the active roster in a corresponding move.
Allen was claimed off of waivers from the Jaguars after Jacksonville dropped him from the roster during September’s roster cutdown. The 2016 sixth-round pick has not appeared in any regular season games and his departure leaves Sean Mannion as the only quarterback behind Jared Goff.
Edebali spent the last three seasons with the Saints and appeared in every game they played over that span. He moved on to the Broncos in March and played in nine games for Denver before being placed on waivers in November. He landed with the Lions and saw action in four games before being waived last week.
Rams now look like the clear best team in the division and well positioned for long term success. Great coaches, great talent evaluators, lots of great players, youth, plenty of cap room and a full complement of draft picks, for a change.
Niners might now have a decent QB, a good HC and tons of premium picks and oodles of cap space for quick fix FA’s.
What if Arizona signs Cousins? Once again they’re right back in the mix, right?
Meanwhile, back at the Seahawk ranch...
Carroll is getting old, players are getting long in the tooth, they are close to their cap limit, and they don’t have a full complement of draft picks next year. Gulp...
You tell me. Could Seattle possibly finish 4th in the division next year? Wouldn’t shock me, tbh.
Rams Robert Quinn and Tavon Austin continue to help families transitioning from homelessness inRead invented by Teads
For the second year in a row, the two players worked with the Rams and the nonprofit LA Family Housing to help a family transitioning from homelessness.
Austin and Quinn paid for new beds, a sofa, televisions, a dining room set, wall hangings, kitchen items, furnishings and everything else in the four-bedroom apartment to make Cox and her six children feel at home. The one thing that could help you save big on your mortgage
(Photo credit: Shutterstock.com) Buying a home is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming, with so much to learn and do and decide. Some of the biggest decisions, of course, surround financing and mortgages, especially in the Southern...
They also purchased gifts that were wrapped and sitting beneath a small tree, ready to be opened.
“I just feel at peace,” Cox said through tears, “and thank them for everything.”
Cox and her children had struggled with homelessness and had been on the move the last few weeks because of the Southland fires.
LA Family Housing, which works to help families and individuals transition out of homelessness and poverty, had placed Cox and her children in interim housing in the northeast San Fernando Valley. But the Creek Fire forced them to move to a northeast Los Angeles apartment. Less than a day later, another fire forced them to move again.
For the second year in a row, the two players worked with the Rams and the non-profit LA Family Housing to help a family transitioning from homelessness.
Nearly two dozen LA Family Housing volunteers and Rams employees spent Tuesday afternoon doing everything from assembling furniture, hanging shower curtains and wrapping gifts as they prepared the apartment for the family’s return from an excursion to the zoo.
After Cox and her children arrived, Austin and Quinn smiled broadly as they watched the family go from room to room, the kids — ages 2 to 15 — excitedly claiming bedrooms.
Before the surprise reveal, the players said they were just trying to help others.
“When you’re blessed as tremendously as we are as athletes, and what we get paid to do and all that, and you have an opportunity to give back and bless people that have come up through some hard times, you give back and try to make their lives a little bit easier,” Quinn said. “Like I always say, if together we as a people work together, we can bring heaven on earth. So this is just my start of trying to put heaven here. “
Said Austin: “I always want to do something to help a person. You can’t help everybody in the world but at least you can get to one, and that’s where my heart has always been, so that’s what is to me. I just feel good they have a place to rest their head and call a place home.”
Molly Higgins, the Rams’ vice president of community affairs and engagement, said Quinn and Austin approached the Rams separately last year expressing a desire to help families in need.
The Rams partnered with United Way, which connected the team and LA Family Housing. The players paid to furnish an apartment for a mother and her children in Sun Valley.
Tavon Austin and Robert Quinn purchased gifts that were wrapped and sitting beneath a small tree, ready to be opened. (Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
“We checked in on them and they are doing outstanding,” Higgins said. “It really was kind of that fresh start, that new beginning, and they were able to really turn their life around.”
More than 40 Rams players and their families are involved in charitable holiday initiatives independently and through the team, Higgins said.
“It’s a tremendous testament to the character of our locker room and the guys that we have,” she said.
After taking a photo with the Quinn and Austin and her children, Cox expressed optimism about the future.
She is working for a firm that provides security services for USC’s housing and dorms.
The constant moving the last few weeks, she said, had made her feel “very displaced.” Then she opened the apartment door.
And found home.
“I want to make this permanent,” she said, “and I want take every step to make this permanent, and my kids stable, and we have a good future.”
It's a bit of a quickly drawn conclusion after just three wins on their part, but it seems Garoppolo is a really good QB, he is a calm and composed pocket passer who turned the team around (another proof of the fact that you cannot win in the NFL without a good QB), and they have Shanahan at the helm, who did what he could with that dumpster fire of a team he had, but I am convinced he will bring them somewhere, at least offensively.
Meanwhile, Pete Carroll has no solutions against young offense minded head coach (look that piece from Cowherd about the similarity of this situation and how things ended for him at USC), and this week-ends game showed that the Seahawks window might shutting down for real, because they are a team of old overpayed players and will need a full rebuild pretty soon. The Cardinals are now a very average team, Fitz will retire soon and Palmer is done, I think they will finish last in the division next year, as they have posed absolutely no threat to us in the two times we played them, none of them in LA.
I expect a full changing of the guard in the NFC West next year.
What an amazing job of making a blowout loss and a complete team meltdown look like it wasn't a beatdown. I mean, they really did a good job of editing this. I'm shocked they were able to find over five minutes of usable, Seahawk friendly content. Yeah, some of it was a stretch, but they really tried hard to make the team look competent, well adjusted, and most importantly, seem like they were actually in the game. The Luke Willson touchdown actually felt like it almost mattered! Hats off to those working on these videos! The team could stand to learn a lot from you guys!
Also, the comments for this video are disabled. I wonder why they did that...
I live here in Nashville and im wondering how you guys feel about the game Sunday? My brother and I are long time die hard Ram fans and will be at the game on sunday. The Rams have only played here a handful of times but have never won here and this years Titans are good at home. I know the Rams are the better team but the Titans are wounded and desperate at this point in the season and I admit that im somewhat nervous. My bro is in the military and only comes home for Christmas and it just so happens that the Rams play here on Christmas eve, what an awesome Christmas present it would be for the Rams to clinch right here in Nashville. Any chances of a letdown after the the HUGE win in Seattle? Let me hear ya...
McVay is a full on obvious keeper. He's very important to us winning now and in the future. Extremely glad to have him as the Rams coach. So here's a hilarious question to help us digest just how important it is to have a great head coach.
Would you let Jeff Fisher come back as our head coach next year (McVay goes elsewhere) if included was that we literally got to take the first 10 picks in the 2018 draft? Picks 1-10 just for the Rams, and the other teams had to wait until pick 11 to get started.
First 10 picks all become Ram players, all you have to do is re-hire Jeff Fisher as our head coach. Cannot fire Jeff for at least 3 years.
Imagine the extreme talent having all of the first 10 picks would be. What say you?
One thing I noticed in the Seattle game no one has talked about were the successful challenges by Mcvay. I guess the 'process' he's put in place to decide when to challenge is working well. He had to throw the flag quickly after the incomplete pass on the sidelines as the Seahawks were lining up to snap the ball quickly (no review on TV before the challenge, I don't believe) like they often do when the refs gift them a BS incorrect call. It was not even that close but I couldn't tell before replay if it was a good call. It looked like the receivers hand may have got down inbounds.
Dec 17, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) breaks a tackle by Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Rams went to CenturyLink Field and dominated the Seattle Seahawks, winning the game 42-7.
QB Jared Goff was not asked to do much, and he was 14-of-21 for 120 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. He also fumbled once but the Seahawks couldn’t take advantage of the loose ball. RB Todd Gurley shouldered most of the load in this game, carrying the ball 21 times, rushing for 152 yards, and scoring three touchdowns. He also added three catches for 28 yards and a receiving touchdown for good measure.
QB Russell Wilson and the entire offense struggled. Wilson went 14-of-30 for 142 yards with one touchdown. He had an interception and fumbled twice, losing one of them. Wilson was also the team’s leading rusher with 39 yards, nearly double the yardage of the next closest Seahawks runner.
The Rams defense had seven sacks in the game, three of them coming from DI Aaron Donald. With that, we give you our PFF-exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.
PERFORMANCES OF NOTE: QB JARED GOFF, 69.2 OVERALL GRADE
There won’t be many easier games for Goff, who had a simple task: let his defense win the game. In the end Goff threw just 21 passes and only three went further than 10 yards. The Seahawks defense looked confused by the tempo and variety of the LA offense. There are tougher tests to come for the sophomore signal caller this year.
RB TODD GURLEY, 81.6 OVERALL GRADE
It was an easy day at the office for Gurley as well. He had his way with a Seattle defense that gave him big holes to run through, but his decisiveness and sharp cuts were still a joy to watch. He ended up breaking five tackles (including three on one run) and found the end zone four times.
DI AARON DONALD, 92.9 OVERALL GRADE
Donald had a field day against a much maligned Seahawks offensive line. He finished with three sacks and ten total pressures and was stout against the run, recording five stops. After holding out of training camp and missing the opening game, Donald hasn’t missed a beat and has recorded a career high 12 sacks and 62 quarterback hurries.
CB TROY HILL, 87.6 OVERALL GRADE
It was a bit of a coming out party for the third-year pro, he was targeted four times, only surrendering one catch for four yardsand recording a pass break up. Hill usually doesn’t see many snaps for the Rams defense but has seen 119 over the past two weeks, with today’s performance being his best of the season. The entire Rams secondary graded very well, with all five who saw significant playing time recording a grade above 80.0.
PERFORMANCES OF NOTE: QB RUSSELL WILSON, 50.1 OVERALL GRADE
Not much went right for the Seahawks offense today, as they were over-matched in all facets by an impressive Rams defense. Wilson was sacked seven times and was under pressure on 16 of his 42 dropbacks, going 1-of-6 for negative yardage while also running three times. Wilson had a tough day, fumbling twice while only averaging 4.9 yards per attempt.
TE LUKE WILLSON, 73.6 OVERALL GRADE
Willson had only one target but accounted for the Seahawks lone touchdown, a seam route between two Rams defenders. Willson has seen only 33.6 percent of the teams offensive snaps this season, which would be a career low for him. With only 146 passing yards, Russell Wilson struggled to get the ball to his favorite playmaker, as Doug Baldwin caught only one pass on four targets for six yards.
DI SHELDON RICHARDSON, 83.7 OVERALL GRADE
Not many Seahawks defenders came out of this game with credit but Richardson looked amped for this game from the get go. He was able to get into the backfield for three quick pressures, while being one defender who wasn’t pushed about the line of scrimmage in the run game. After a slow start Richardson has really started to show his talent the past six weeks in Seattle.
EDGE MICHAEL BENNETT, 39.8 OVERALL GRADE
For those who felt Bennett was fortunate to avoid suspension and play in this game, there was a sense of karmic retribution as the defensive end was largely invisible for his 52 snaps on the field. Just one tackle and one hurry, Bennett is enduring something of a dip in form, which means we’re not seeing the same guy who was taking over games earlier in the year. His pass-rushing output of one combined sack, hit or hurry was only the third time since the 2015 season he has failed to record at least two pressures in the same game.
The Packers announced on Tuesday that they have placed Rodgers on injured reserve less than a week after he returned to the active roster from another stint on the list. Rodgers missed eight weeks after breaking his collarbone and was less than 100 percent recovered when he made the start against the Panthers last Sunday.
The Packers lost that game and their slim playoff hopes went to none when the Falcons beat the Buccaneers on Monday night, which left little reason to risk further injury to Rodgers.
Brett Hundley will return to the starting lineup and the team announced that Joe Callahanis back on the active roster to serve as his backup. Fullback Joe Kerridge was also dropped from the roster on Tuesday.
After the drubbing the Rams put on the Seahawks things feel completely different. Every week after the Rams game, win or lose I am in hopeful mode. Looking for more confirmation, watching and reading and trying to convince myself that the Rams can play with any team in the league.
After that beat down of an injured and mediocre team, that always seems to find ways to win I am convinced. The Rams made the Hawks look like they should...,,bad. And it was on the road.
I have a calm confidence in this team that I haven’t felt since 2001
The Titans fans are ticked off after their latest loss to the 49ers. At 8-6 they have no margin for error but must win out in order to get a sniff at the playoffs. The Rams will be facing a desperate team that has lost two in a row and is 5-1 in their house. They've beaten the Jaguars and Seahawks so this team is no push0ver.
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Six Hot Topics From Presser with Titans Coach Mike Mularkey Jim Wyatt
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Titans coach Mike Mularkey met with reporters on Monday at Saint Thomas Sports Park, one day after the team’s 25-23 loss to the 49ers.
This Sunday, the Titans will face the Los Angeles Rams at Nissan Stadium.
Here’s a look at six hot topics:
3rd and 2 play
Down 22-20 in the closing minutes, the Titans were faced with a third-and-2 from the San Francisco 32.
A handoff to running back DeMarco Murray was stuffed for no gain, and the Titans kicked a field goal with 1:07 left to take a 23-22 lead. The 49ers, of course, used the extra time to put together a quick drive, and win it with a kick of their own.
After the game, Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota said he wished he would’ve checked from a run to a pass to get the first down. On Monday, Mularkey said the same.
But he also said the play called should’ve worked.
“As I stand here (today), yeah I wish he would have,” Mularkey said. “But at the time, no, I thought the play was going to split them and get us a first down and not put us in a negative situation. … We felt like it was a quick hitter.
“The play does come with the ability to get out of it. He does have that right, and I trust his decision-making. He has put us in a lot of good plays.”
Mularkey said the 49ers simply won the play, but the defensive alignment was a favorable run situation for the Titans, he said.
More no-huddle?
Mariota completed 23-of-33 passes for 241 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 110.8 yards against the 49ers.
He looked especially comfortable working in the no-huddle.
So, will the Titans use more of it moving forward?
“I am into my first game watching the Rams,” Mularkey said. “We’ll know more once we get an idea of how we want to attack their scheme. But that is every week. It is in our discussions, we practice it. … It just depends on who we are playing, the defensive scheme, and if we feel it is a good way to attack, then it will be in.”
While working in the no-huddle, Mariota usually has a framework of plays he can choose from during the game.
Mularkey estimated the Titans ran the no-huddle ¾ of the contest on Sunday.
Communication issues
The Titans allowed 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to complete 31-of-43 passes for 381 yards on Sunday, including a late drive that produced a game-winning field goal.
In the locker room, players blamed communication issues.
Mularkey said the breakdowns came on coverages the team has been using all year.
“It was at the wrong time,” Mularkey said. “Since the Houston game, we have been really good about giving up explosive plays, and yesterday they hurt us.”
Turnovers
The Titans have done a great job generating pressure in recent weeks. The defense now has 40 sacks on the season, which is 10th in the NFL.
But turnovers have been tough to come by, especially of late. Safety Kevin Byard has six interceptions on the season, but the Titans have just 10 as a team. Fumble recoveries have been tough to come by. The Titans are a minus-7 in the takeaway/giveaway category.
“It’s the different between winning and losing every week,” Mularkey said. “It is a big emphasis. We talk about it, and it’s on the board every week. It is a huge emphasis, and we need to start doing it. You can talk all you want about it, put it all over the message board, but we need to start making the plays.”
Mularkey thought linebacker Erik Walden intercepted a pass that was ruled a 49ers catch on Sunday.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson let a catchable pass escape his grasp.
“Great coverage, he just needs to come down with the ball,” Mularkey said. “It was one he should have made.”
Mindset
The Titans have a big challenge coming up on Sunday against the Rams.
The Rams are 10-4, and ranked ninth in the NFL in total offense. The Rams are tied for second in the NFL in scoring.
Mularkey said the Titans need to focus, and play better. A lot is at stake, he said. The Titans control their own playoff destiny – win against the Rams and Jaguars, and they’re in.
“(The players) know where we are at,” he said. “They know we have a great opportunity sitting right in front of us that is very reachable if we come in here the way we’ve come in here, with the mindset of getting a good week’s work of preparation.
“… We need to put 60 minutes of good football together, one game at a time.”
Injuries
Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan (knee) is expected back this week vs. Rams.
Titans cornerback Logan Ryan (ankle) is day-to-day after suffering an injury vs. the 49ers. He’ll be revaluated on Wednesday, Mularkey said.
Rishard Matthews wants predictable Titans to find more creativity
Posted by Charean Williams on December 18, 2017
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Titans receiver Rishard Matthews had 24 hours to consider his postgame comments critical of of the team’s offense. Instead of backing down, he doubled down.
Matthews said the Titans are too predictable at times.
“Yes, I believe so,” Matthews said, via Terry McCormick of titansinsider.com.
Matthews wants the Titans have to find more “creativity” in their offense.
“We’ve just got to have some more creativity, study going in to set up matchups week to week,” Matthews said. “We can’t be repetitive and doing the same thing over and over. The guys on the other side get paid too. We’ve just got to do a better job of creating matchups. That’s all it is.”
Matthews is campaigning for the Titans to use the no-huddle offense more often, repeating Monday what he said Sunday after the team’s loss to the 49ers.
“I feel more comfortable with Marcus [Mariota] calling the shots. That’s just what it is right now,” Matthews said “Because anything goes. Marcus is back there reading the defense. You don’t know what he’s going to call, and it’s shown over the time that when he’s doing that we’ve moved the ball pretty well and done it pretty easy. And I like doing it.”
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Less predictable? First start with being less boring. Watching the Titans play football is like watching a wet rock dry
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That smashmouth isn’t lookin so exotic these days
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Maybe they can’t get very creative because Rishard Matthews is their best WR.
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Dullest team in the NFL, bar none.
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I gave Mike the benefit off the doubt, but seeing what the Rams are doing with their new coach makes me sick (for my Titans, not for the Rams. Good on them!). I was willing to wait and see and not be like many Titans fans and call for Mike’s job before the season was out, but it’s getting pretty hard to defend him. The Titans are a game or two away from missing the playoffs after a very promising start. We certainly can’t blame everything on the coach, but if the players are starting to turn on him…
------------ http://www.tennessean.com/story/spo...iny-despite-two-game-losing-streak/960096001/
Why the Titans still control playoff destiny despite two-game losing streak Jason Wolf, USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee
The Titans still control whether they make the playoffs, despite consecutive road losses to the Cardinals and 49ers.
Win out, and they’re in.
Victories against the Rams (10-4) and Jaguars (10-4) in the final two regular season games at Nissan Stadium would give the Titans a 10-6 record, and ensure they qualify for at least a wild card berth, their first trip to the playoffs since 2008.
The Titans, Ravens and Bills all have 8-6 records and are vying for one of two wild card spots. But the Titans own the head-to-head tiebreaker against Baltimore, on account of their 23-20 victory against the Ravens on Nov. 5 in Nashville.
"We have a chance to still get in the playoffs," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "We have to win at home with two games that we have. We have to win the first one first, and that'll be all we talk about is winning that one at home, the next one."
Of course, beating the Rams and Jaguars is easier said than done, especially for a group that’s lost two consecutive games to teams with 10 victories combined.
But the Titans have been a far more formidable opponent at home.
They own a 9-1 record in their last 10 games in Nashville.
"We're really good at home," quarterback Marcus Mariota said, "and I know I'm looking forward to being back there."
Winning just one of the final two games would give the Titans a second consecutive winning season, but make their prospects of reaching the postseason far more difficult.
The AFC South title will belong to Jacksonville, should the Jags win a road game against the Niners next weekend, or the Titans lose to the Rams.
Should the Titans defeat the Rams and the Jaguars lose to the 49ers, the Titans and Jags will play for the division title in the regular season finale.
The Titans have a 12.4 percent chance of winning the division and a 69.5 percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to MakeNFLPlayoffs.com.
"The mentality, I hope, is to go out there and win these next two," wide receiver Rishard Matthews said. "Practice hard throughout the week and do what you got to do to help this team win. That's our mentality."
WEEK 16: RAMS (10-4) AT TITANS (8-6)
When: Noon, Sunday
TV/radio: FOX / 104.5-FM
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What I hate most about this losing streak is that the fans are not going to show up for either game, despite the importance. It's going to be a half empty stadium for the Rams, and might be even worse for the Jags if the Titans lose.
I will be there for both games, but Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are terrible days to host games when the fanbase has all but given up.
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They will lose the next two and be out...mediocrity, thou art the Titans!
