Wow, didn't see this coming. Bummer, he's been solid this year.


Rams Place Cody Davis on IR
Posted 21 minutes ago

VIEW GALLERY | 58 Photos
PHOTOS: Rams vs. Giants Through the Years


The Rams will be without safety Cody Davis for at least the next eight weeks, as the club placed him on injured reserve Friday morning.

Davis suffered a thigh injury during the Week 6 victory over the Jaguars, and has not practiced since.

In his fifth year out of Texas Tech, Davis has played well in the Rams’ new defensive scheme, recording an interception, a pair of pass breakups, and 22 total tackles in 2017.

With the new IR rules implemented this year, teams can activate two players from injured reserve, but only after they have spent eight weeks on the list. Teams also do not have to designate a player to return when he is placed on injured reserve. In theory, Davis would be eliglbe to return just before the end of Los Angeles' season.

Aside from Davis, the Rams have four players currently on IR: defensive lineman Dominique Easley, tight end Temarrick Hemingway, wide receiver Bradley Marquez, and running back Leonard Tillery.

With the move, Los Angeles currently has 52 players on its active roster. Head coach Sean McVay will likely address Davis’ situation — and who may take the 53rd roster spot — at his media session following Friday’s practice.

Sorry if a repost....

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-goff-eli-manning-20171101-story.html

Jared Goff's career as a Ram has started a lot like Eli Manning's when he broke in with the Giants
Gary KleinContact Reporter


The quarterback was taken No. 1 in the NFL draft, and then sat for nine games before he got his first start.

He struggled mightily as a rookie — drawing criticism from fans who questioned whether the team mortgaged its future to acquire him — before finding his footing during his second season and putting his team on track for the playoffs.

Jared Goff?

No, that was Eli Manning.

The two-time Super Bowl champion went 1-6 as a starter in his first season with the New York Giants in 2004, and then led them to an 11-5 record and playoff appearance in Year 2.

Goff, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, appears to be on a similar second-year trajectory.

He was 0-7 as a starter last season, but has helped lead the Rams to a 5-2 start heading into Sunday’s game against Manning and the 1-6 Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Goff said Wednesday that he was a “big fan” of the 36-year-old Manning, who has passed for 330 touchdowns and nearly 50,000 yards during 13-plus NFL seasons, winning two Super Bowls.

Arizona Cardinals in London.

“He seems to be gaining confidence,” Giants coach Ben McAdoo said of Goff, adding, “The system seems to fit his skill set.”

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and this week upon cornerback Janoris Jenkins.

“It happens, you know,” Manning told New York reporters Wednesday, adding, “We got to, obviously, go about our business and then when guys come back, you don’t think about it and you keep going.”

Manning demonstrated perseverance early in his career after making a declaration before he was drafted.
Manning played in college at Mississippi and had said before the 2004 draft that he would not sign with the then-San Diego Chargers if they selected him with the first pick.

But the Chargers did so anyway after working out a trade with the Giants. The Chargers sent Manning to New York for quarterback Philip Rivers and three draft picks, including a No. 1 pick in 2005.

Kevin Gilbride was Manning’s position coach during the quarterback’s first three NFL seasons and then became offensive coordinator for Giants teams that won Super Bowls in the 2007 and 2011 seasons.

Future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner was the Giants’ starting quarterback in 2004 before the Giants made the switch to Manning and lost six games in a row.

“For a while there now, it was tough to watch,” Gilbride said during a phone interview.

But Manning finished the season by leading the Giants to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

“What you see is the poise, the equanimity, the composure,” Gilbride said, “because he’s getting torn at 100 different ways and you just see whether or not he can deal with that.

“Because you have veteran teammates looking askance at you like, ‘What the freak is he in here for?’ Or the fans. ‘We wasted a draft pick on this guy?’ and so on and so forth. I just watched the way he handled it.”

Gilbride also coached Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, Drew Bledsoe and Mark Brunell, among others.

“All the great ones, there’s a calmness about them,” he said. “They just don’t get frazzled very easily, and Eli’s definitely of that ilk as well.”

McVay has made similar comments about Goff. How he keeps his composure after setbacks. How he does not get rattled.

Asked how Goff compares to Manning, McVay noted that “Eli’s a Hall of Fame-caliber player.

“If we’re talking about that, then things are going really well for us, and for Jared moving forward into the future.”

Etc.

Safety Cody Davis (thigh) did not practice and receiver Josh Reynolds (concussion protocol) was limited. Linebackers Mark Barron and Connor Barwin and offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan did not practice because of scheduled rest. … McVay said he had discussions with general manager Les Snead before Tuesday’s trade deadline, but the Rams stood pat. “We both agreed that where we’re at right now, and the players that we have that we’re counting on, and that are playing for us, we feel really good about moving forward,” McVay said. “And let’s continue on with that and not feel like you’ve got to do anything because of an injury or things like that that some of the teams you might have seen make a move.”

Rams coach Sean McVay not afraid to exchange tips with former mentor


Rams coach Sean McVay hinted in September that he and former boss Jay Gruden might compare notes about common opponents this season, and that relationship could benefit both parties this weekend. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

By RICH HAMMOND | rhammond@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: November 2, 2017 at 5:43 pm | UPDATED: November 2, 2017 at 5:45 pm


THOUSAND OAKS — They close practices to the public. They avoid talking about injuries. They cover their mouths on the sidelines. NFL coaches, in general, display a rather high level of paranoia.

Sometimes, though, the shield is lifted. Rams coach Sean McVay remains close with his former boss, Washington coach Jay Gruden, and as the Rams prepare for another game against an NFC East team – the New York Giants on the road Sunday – McVay might be leaning on his former mentor a bit.

McVay hinted in September that he and Gruden might compare notes about common opponents, and after Thursday’s practice at Cal Lutheran, McVay indicated it happened. The Rams play the Giants, Washington’s division rival, while Washington plays Seattle, a division foe of the Rams.

“Obviously I have a lot of respect for Jay,” McVay said. “He’s a close friend of mine. Now that we start to have some common opponents, (it helps) just being able to share with someone else that maybe has a different perspective, as opposed to maybe just inside the building.

“He’s such a great resource, to be able to have a close friend like that, most importantly, but also somebody you can confide in that might be outside the building.”

In a coincidence of NFL scheduling, the Rams hired McVay in the same year that they were slated to face all four NFC East teams: Philadelphia and Washington at home, and Dallas and the Giants on the road.

The Rams lost to Washington in the second week, but that left plenty of time, if desired, to share information. Of the Rams’ final 14 games, 11 are against teams that also play Washington this season.

McVay didn’t exactly mask this. On the Monday before the Washington game, McVay was asked about his upcoming communication with Gruden and said he was “looking forward to getting past this game.”

“Then,” McVay added, “we can kind of try to be able to help each other as we move forward into the regular season, getting deeper into it, especially playing the NFC East and some of the familiar opponents and some of the things that will cross over with them.”

So, has it worked? Perhaps. Washington beat San Francisco on Oct. 15, one month after the Rams beat the 49ers, and the Rams beat Dallas on the road on Oct. 1.

“It’s not like we’re sharing every secret or anything like that,” McVay said. “It’s just that you feel like you can talk football and not give anything away from a competitive-advantage standpoint. We still talked, even leading up to our game. It’s just that you don’t talk football.”

Then again, McVay doesn’t need to rely upon anyone for advice about NFC East teams. He spent seven seasons (2010-16) in that division as an assistant coach in Washington, and was the team’s primary play-caller in his last two seasons.

Last season, McVay’s offense scored 29 points against the Giants in a September victory, but then was held under 300 yards in a season-ending 19-10 loss.

“They’re doing some different things,” McVay said of the Giants’ defense, “but there still is a similar foundation, in terms of how they want to operate. But any time you have a history against a specific team or a specific coordinator, you want to draw from those experiences and make sure you’re aware of them. But you also want to realize that good coaches evolve and adapt in each year.”

FAMILIAR FOE
Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who has coached in the NFL since 1976, reminded reporters that he was on the New Orleans staff when Archie Manning played for the Saints in 1981 and 1982, and that he also was the defensive coordinator in Denver when Archie’s son, Peyton, ended his career.

“And Eli was with us in San Diego for about two minutes,” Phillips deadpanned.

Phillips was coordinator with the Chargers when they drafted Eli Manning but quickly traded his rights to the Giants, and since then, Manning has won two Super Bowls.

The Giants have struggled to a 1-6 record this season and are without two of their top receiver targets in Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, but Phillips said he still has strong respect for the New York offense, in large part because of Manning.

“The talent is there, and plus he’s more experienced now,” Phillips said. “He knows what coverage you’re in, even if you disguise things. He knows when you’re blitzing. He’s a complete quarterback. He wouldn’t have the rings and championships he’s had without being a great player.”

INJURY REPORT
The Rams had only one injured player on their daily report, as safety Cody Davis continues to be out with a thigh injury. Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold also missed practice, but apparently just for a rest day.

Rookie receiver Josh Reynolds, who had been out because of concussion symptoms, made a full return to practice, as did linebackers Mark Barron and Connor Barwin and offensive linemen John Sullivan and Andrew Whitworth, who received rest days on Wednesday.

HIGH HONOR
Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein was named the NFC’s special teams player of the month for October, when he set a franchise record with 14 field goals (with only one missed attempt.)

[www.ocregister.com]

Got this from Facebook and thought I'd share this here...

J Goff: My good friend Joey Mahalic teamed up with @redbull to put me on the hot seat in this Rapid Fire Q&A. Learn the burning answers to questions like: Katy Perry or Taylor Swift, Selfies or Animal Photos, Draymond Green or Steph Curry!

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.facebook.com/JaredGoffQB/videos/1981426988747214/

Yes, Jared Goff was 0-7 after last year, and has gone 5-2 so far this year. Rams could go 7-2 the rest of the way if we are being the most optimistic. What would the haters say going into the 2017 Playoffs if the proclaimed "BUST" Jared Goff is Quarterbacking the Rams in the off-season, being 12-11 all-time? lol

He certainly has a much higher opinion of Tyler Higbee than most fans here do.

Login to view embedded media View: http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Sean-McVay-Press-Conference-11-2/36078ba5-c688-490e-ae63-c73149158bae

Login to view embedded media View: http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Wade-Phillips-Press-Conference-11-2/d2724657-4750-48c7-a8f4-261117335b7a



“I’ve had a long relationship, I guess you’d say, with the Manning family,” Phillips said. “Archie was with us at New Orleans. I know him — that’s a great family. Peyton, obviously, was with us at Denver.

“And then Eli was with us at San Diego — for about two minutes,” Phillips added with a laugh.


LOL Love the coach!

http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/...wentz_dak_prescott_de.html#incart_river_index

UPDATED NFL QB Power Rankings
By Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

PHILADELPHIA --

No QB has been hotter than Texans rookie Deshaun Watson, who has 19 touchdown passes and a QB rating of 103.0 after seven games. However his 2017 season is over after tearing an ACL in practice Thursday.

Carson Wentz has the Eagles atop the NFC East standings.

Meanwhile, Jared Goff has the Rams tied for the NFC West lead, and is dispelling any notion that he was a first-round bust.

Here's a look at this week's NFL quarterback power rankings:

PREMIER QUARTERBACKS
These quarterbacks are the elite passers in this league, who are capable of carrying their current team to a Super Bowl this season and would be type of player who would theoretically regardless of which team they played for immediately elevate that franchise to become a playoff contender.

1. Tom Brady - New England Patriots
2017 Stats: 206-of-309 passing for 2,541 yards with 16 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, sacked 21 times.

Week 8 Stats: 32-of-47 passing for 333 yards with 1 touchdown, sacked 3 times.

Previous Ranking No. 1

Why Brady is No. 1: Brady remains the most dominant and clutch quarterback in the league, and the Patriots have won four straight games. New England is so confident that Brady is showing no signs of slowing up, that they traded Jimmy Garappolo to the San Francisco 49ers.
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2. Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints

2017 Stats: 175-of-248 passing for 1,951 yards with 11 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, sacked seven times.

Week 8 Stats: 23-of-28 passing for 299 yards, sacked twice.

Previous Ranking: No. 4

Why Brees is No. 2: Don't look now, but the Saints have won five straight behind a typically high-powered offense, and Trees' postseason pedigree makes the Saints a legitimate threat to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
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3. Alex Smith - Kansas City Chiefs

2017 Stats: 179-of-259 passing for 2,181 yards with 16 touchdowns, sacked 22 times, 32 rushes for 154 yards and 1 touchdown.

Week 8 Stats:: 14-of-31 passing for 202 yards with 1 touchdown, sacked once, 4 rushes for 33 yards.

Previous Ranking: No. 3

Why Smith is No. 3: A significant case can be made that Alex Smith is the best quarterback in the NFL this season. That case: Smith has played eight games and has yet to throw an interception, he's passed for 16 touchdowns over that span, while posting a passer rating of above 100 in six games, and the Chiefs are 6-2.
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4. Carson Wentz - Eagles

2017 Stats: 161-of-264 passing for 2,063 yards with 19 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, sacked 22 times, 42 rushes for 203 yards.

Week 8 Stats: 18-of-32 passing for 211 yards with 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, sacked 3 times.

Previous Ranking: No. 2

Why Wentz is No. 4: Sunday against the San Fransisco 49ers, with an offense that was overwhelmed by blitzes and defensive line stunts amid nearly constant monsoon-conditions, Carson Wentz had one of his more inconsistent performances of the season. However, despite a barrage of pressure, Wentz hit Zach Ertz for a touchdown and orchestrated his signature connection thus far with Alshon Jeffery on a 52-yard touchdown. Wentz is bound to be tested in coming weeks without All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters, but he remains a frontrunner in the MVP race.
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5. Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys

2017 Stats: 142-of-226 passing for 1,569 yards with 14 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, sacked nine times, 23 rushes for 168 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Week 8 Stats: 14-of-22 passing for 143 yards, sacked twice, 3 rushes for 16 yards.

Previous Ranking: No. 5

Why Prescott is No. 5: The road is about to get a lot tougher for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense as running back Ezekiel Elliott begins serving his six-game suspension. However, Prescott has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 14-to-4, and hasn't turned the ball over since Week 5 against the Packers, and was a catalyst for Sunday's victory over Washington.
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6. Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons

2017 Stats: 153-of-232 passing for 1,844 yards with 9 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, sacked 12 times.

Week 8 Stats: 18-of-29 passing for 254 yards with 2 touchdowns, sacked once, 6 rushes for 17 yards.

Previous Ranking: No. 8

Why Ryan is No. 6: Even amid monsoon conditions at MetLife Stadium, Ryan turned in a vintage performance against the Jets, finishing with a passer rating of 113.3. If this version of Ryan shows up for the second half of the season, the Falcons could be poised to make a run in a rather wide-open NFC South.
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7. Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers

2017 Stats: 168-of-275 passing for 2,062 yards with 10 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, sacked 10 times.

Week 8 Stats: 17-of-31 passing for 317 yards with 1 touchdown, 1 interception.

Previous Ranking: No. 14

Why Roethlisberger is No. 7: The Steelers have won three consecutive games after dispatching the Lions on Sunday Night Football, and are also winners of four of five, thanks in part to Roethlisberger playing some of his best football of the season. Rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster as a deep-threat, unlocks an intriguing element both for Roethlisberger and the Steelers' offense.
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8. Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions

2017 Stats: 163-of-270 passing for 1,851 yards with 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, sacked 25 times.

Week 8 Stats: 27-of-45 passing for 423 yards, sacked twice.

Previous Ranking: No. 7

Why Stafford is No. 8: The Lions essentially asked Matthew Stafford to singlehandedly beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he very nearly did. Finishing with a passer rating of 91.2, and 423 yards, the only flaw in Stafford's performance were struggles inside the red zone.
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9. Derek Carr - Oakland Raiders

2018 Stats: 155-of-240 passing for 1,654 yards with 12 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, sacked nine times.

Week 8 Stats: 31-of-49 passing for 313 yards with 1 touchdowns, 2 interceptions.

Previous Ranking: No. 10

Why Carr is No. 9: Raiders offense struggled to move the ball, particularly in the red zone against the Bills on Sunday in Buffalo. Carr's third game back from injury was one of his most inefficient of the season.
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Kirby Lee | USA TODAY Sports

10. Jared Goff - Los Angeles Rams

2017 Stats: 133-of-222 passing for 1,719 yards with nine touchdowns, four interceptions, sacked once.

Week 8 Stats: BYE WEEK

Previous Ranking: No. 13

Why Goff is No. 10: Goff's game and skill-set continues to improve, and in London it was his ability to make plays on the run that added a new wrinkle thanks to two scrambles. New head coach Sean McVay's play-calling and Goff's week-to-week consistently has the Rams in the thick of the playoff race.
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11. Marcus Mariota - Tennessee Titans

2017 Stats: 110-of-176 passing for 1,301 yards with four touchdowns, four interceptions, sacked five times.

Week 8 Stats: BYE WEEK

Previous Ranking: No. 17

Why Mariota is No. 11: Against the punchless Browns defense two weeks ago, Mariota failed to find the end zone. But, he also finished with a turnover-free game and a Titans' victory. However, Mariota's future and the Titans' prospects this season are both bright.
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SECOND-TIER QUARTERBACKS
The second-tier grouping of quarterbacks is comprised of players who are either ascending to the level of being able to carry their current team to the playoffs, or who have regressed from the premier level.

12. Philip Rivers - Los Angeles Chargers

2017 Stats: 173-of-286 passing for 2,028 yards with 13 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, sacked 11 times.

Week 8 Stats: 17-of-30 passing for 212 yards with 1 touchdown, 1 interception, sacked once.

Previous Ranking: No. 11

Why Rivers is No. 12: Winning on the road against the Giants is one thing, slaying the patriots in Foxboro is a different kind of difficult, and Rivers proved that task is simply too daunting at this stage of his career on Sunday.
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13. Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks

2017 Stats: 164-of-258 passing for 2,008 yards with 15 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, sacked 16 times, 36 rushes for 194 yards.

Week 8 Stats: 26-of-41 passing for 452 yards with 4 touchdowns, 1 interception, sacked twice.

Previous Ranking: No. 15

Why Wilson is No. 13: Wilson and the Seahawks offense led a frenetic fourth quarter comeback to hold off the Houston Texans Sunday. Seattle just added veteran left tackle Duane Brown to solidify the offensive line, which could prove to be a difference maker for Wilson the rest of the season.
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14. Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers

2017 Stats: 166-of-263 passing for 1,841 yards with 10 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, sacked 22 times, 60 rushes for 255. yards and 3 touchdowns.

Week 8 Stats: 18-of-32 passing for 154 yards with 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 11 rushes for 44 yards.

Previous Ranking: No. 12

Why Newton is No. 14: Newton and the Panthers handled the Buccaneers rather easily, but the win had little to do with strong quarterback play. Newton hasn't surpassed a passer rating of 100 since posting a 141.8 back in Week 5.
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15. Kirk Cousins - Washington

2017 Stats: 161-of-237 passing for 1,900 yards with 13 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, sacked 16 times.

Week 8 Stats: 26-of-39 passing for 263 yards with 1 touchdown, 1 interception, sacked 4 times.

Previous Ranking: No. 9

Why Cousins is No. 15: NFC East games have not been kind of Cousins. Over the past two games against the Eagles and Cowboys, with the Redskins very much in the thick of the playoff chase, Cousins has thrown four touchdowns, been intercepted twice, sacked eight times and lost both games.
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16. Andy Dalton - Cincinnati Bengals

2017 Stats: 138-of-218 passing for 1,603 yards with 11 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, sacked 22 times.

Week 8 Stats: 17-of-29 passing for 243 yards with 2 touchdowns, sacked three times.

Previous Ranking: No. 19

Why Dalton is No. 16: The Bengals of won three of their last four games, largely because of Andy Dalton's improved play over the past month. Five of Dalton's 11 touchdowns have come in the last three games, and he finally appears to be getting on the same page with the rest of the offense and receiving corps.
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17. Josh McCown - Jets

2017 Stats: 179-of-254 passing for 1,840 yards with 12 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, sacked 25 times.

Week 8 Stats: 26-of-33 passing for 257 yards with 2 touchdowns, sacked 3 times.

Previous Ranking: No. 18

Why McCown is No. 17: The Jets very nearly pulled off an upset for the Falcons and torpedoed Atlanta's season in the process, largely because of the strong play from McCown. McCown's passer rating of 119.3 is his highest since a 126.3 rating back in Week 3, and has exceeded 100 in 3 of his last 4 outings. He might not be the long-term answer at quarterback, but McCown is making it feel less and less urgent that the Jets land a top signal caller next April.
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THIRD-TIER QUARTERBACKS
This group of passers includes quarterbacks who in the right situation with circumstances breaking their way can bring their time to the precipice of postseason contention as well as of quarterbacks who are ascending towards Tier 2.

18. Tyrod Taylor - Buffalo Bills

2017 Stats: 125-of-196 passing for 1,343 yards with 8 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, sacked 19 times with 44 rushing attempts for 175 yards and one touchdown.

Week 8 Stats: 20-of-27 passing for 165 yards and 1 touchdown, 6 rushes for 1 yard, 1 touchdown.

Previous Ranking: No. 20

Why Taylor is No. 18: The Bills have won two straight, and Sunday's win at home over the Oakland Raiders was Taylor's most consistent of the season. Finishing with a passer rating of 101.6 in Week 8, Taylor has now gone two games without a turnover and even added a rushing touchdown Sunday.
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19. Jameis Winston - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2017 Stats: 152-of-246 passing for 1,853 yards yards with 10 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, sacked 11 times.

Week 8 Stats: 21-of-38 passing for 210 yards with 2 interceptions, sacked 3 times.

Previous Ranking: No. 16

Why Winston is No. 19: Despite an arsenal of talent around him that includes Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Doug Martin, and Chris Godwin, Jameis Winston seems to have regressed this season. Winston's rollercoaster of a season continued Sunday when he posted a passer rating of just 49.2 in a 17-3 division loss to the Carolina Panthers. At home.
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20. Case Keenum - Minnesota Vikings

2017 Stats: 149-of-233 passing for 1,610 yards with 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, sacked five times.

Week 8 Stats: 27-of-43 passing for 288 yards with 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, sacked once.

Previous Ranking: No. 24

Why Keenum is No. 20: Even in London, the Vikings keep on winning, and Keenum keeps playing at a high level. Keenum did just enough to lead Minnesota past the Browns, and enough to not rush Teddy Bridgewater back, who reportedly is nearing a return from a 2016 leg injury.
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21. Jacoby Brissett - Indianapolis Colts

2017 Stats: 145-of-240 passing for 1,642 yards with 5 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, sacked 29 times.

Week 8 Stats: 25-of-39 passing for 233 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, sacked 4 times.

Previous Ranking: N0. 25

Why Brissett is No. 21: Andrew Luck does not appear to be getting any healthier or returning anytime soon, leaving the Colts with Brissett under center. These snaps will be meaningful for Brissett as he's likely the stopgap option until either Luck returns or the organization opts to turn the page and draft a quarterback ... Sometime in the future.
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22. Brett Hundley - Green Bay Packers

2017 Stats: 31-of-59 passing for 244 yards with 1 touchdown, four interceptions, sacked five times.

Week 8 Stats: BYE WEEK

Previous Ranking: No. 22

Why Hundley is No. 22: Hundley faces the rather Herculean task of keeping the Packers in the NFC North race after the loss of Aaron Rodgers to a broken clavicle.
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23. Mitchell Trubisky - Chicago Bears

2017 Stats: 36-of-80 passing for 512 yards with 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, sacked 11 times.

Week 8 Stats: 14-of-32 passing for 164 yards with 1 interception, sacked twice.

Previous Ranking: No. 21

Why Trubisky is No. 23: Trubsky was inconsistent on the road against a Saints team that appears to be mounting a charge towards a first-round bye in the NFC Playoffs, and threw a costly interception. So it goes, the growing pains of developing a first-round rookie quarterback.
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FOURTH-TIER QUARTERBACKS
Making up the fourth tier of quarterbacks are players who either have uncertain futures in their current situation or rookie signal callers who have plenty to prove.

24. Eli Manning - Giants

2017 Stats: 167-of-260 passing for 1,600 yards with 10 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, sacked 17 times.

Week 8 Stats: BYE WEEK

Previous Ranking: No. 26

Why Manning is No. 24: The Giants season is essentially over, and the locker room is in a bit of disarray following suspensions over the last three weeks of cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins. In all likelihood, the Giants will be picking in the top-five picks of April's 2018 NFL Draft, meaning the time has come for Davis Webb to get an audition for the starting job in the future.
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25. Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens

2017 Stats: 153-of-239 passing for 1,290 yards with 6 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, sacked 17 times.

Week 8 Stats: 10-of-15 passing for 101 yards with 1 touchdown.

Previous Ranking: No. No. 28

Why Flacco is No. 25: Flacco spent the week in the concussion protocol after being drilled by Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso while sliding short of the first-down markers. Prior to the injury, Thursday night's game was Flacco's strongest and most consistent performance of the season. Could it be a harbinger of things to come?
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26. Jay Cutler - Miami Dolphins

2017 Stats: 113-of-180 passing for 995 yards with 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, sacked 12 times.

Week 8 Stats: INJURED

Previous Ranking: N/A

Why Cutler is No. 26: Cutler returns from an injury to the helm of an offense that traded away it's best running back. Things should go swimmingly for the Dolphins this week.
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27. Drew Stanton - Arizona Cardinals

2017 Stats: 5-of-14 passing for 62 yards with one interception, sacked twice.

Week 8 Stats: BYE WEEK

Previous Ranking: No. 28

Why Stanton is No. 27: There is little indication that Stanton is the Cardinals' quarterback of the future, but he'll have a chance to audition for the job of Palmer's successor.
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28. DeShone Kizer - Cleveland Browns

2017 Stats: 111-of-213 passing for 1,144 yards with 3 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, sacked 15 times.

Week 8 Stats: 18-of-34 passing for 179 yards, sacked 3 times, 5 rushes for 18 yards and 1 rushing touchdown.

Previous Ranking: No. 31

Why Kizer is No. 28: Different continent, same results for Kizer and the Browns, who struggled their way to a 33-16 loss to the Vikings in London. Kizer's 68.1 passer rating was his highest since Week 1, but the rookie was only able to find the end zone by rushing for a touchdown.
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29. Trevor Siemian - Denver Broncos

2017 Stats: 152-of-247 passing for 1,669 yards with 9 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, sacked 25 times.

Week 8 Stats: 19-of-36 passing for 198 yards with 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, sacked 3 times.

Previous Ranking: No. 29

Why Siemian is No. 29: The Broncos appear to have seen enough of Siemian and have benched him in favor of playing Brock Osweiler.
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30. Tom Savage - Houston Texans

2017 Stats: 7-of-13 passing for 62 yards, sacked six times

Why Savage is No. 30: Savage was benched in Week 1 after an ineffective showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After Deshaun Watson tore his ACL in practice Thursday, save returns to the helm (for now) of a suddenly high-powered Texans offense.
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31. Blake Bortles - Jacksonville Jaguars

2017 Stats: 115-of-196 passing for 1,398 yards with 9 touchdowns, 5 interceptions.

Week 8 Stats: BYE WEEK

Previous Ranking: No. 23

Why Bortles is No. 31: The Jaguars are 4-3, but largely in spite of Bortles, not because of him.
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32. C.J. Beathard - San Francisco 49ers

2017 Stats: 58-of-110 passing for 647 yards with 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, sacked 11 times.

Week 8 Stats: 17-of-36 passing for 167 yards with 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, sacked 4 times.

Previous Ranking: 32

Why Beathard is No. 32: Beathard's performance against the Eagles (passer rating of 46.9) was so impressive, the 49ers traded a second-round pick to the New England Patriots for Jimmy Garoppolo, who will presumably start as early as Week 9 against the Cardinals.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/02/nfl-picks-week-9-jets-bills-thursday-night-football

Thursday Night Football Preview: Will Bills Keep Up Surprising Start vs. Jets?
By Andy Benoit

Previewing Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network) on Week 9 Thursday Night Football...

UPDATE: Bills wideout Kelvin Benjamin has been ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Jets.

Yes, the Bills certainly needed a boost at wide receiver. Second-round rookie Zay Jones’s development has been slow, and “slow” is a good word to describe the rest of Buffalo’s receiving corps. Benjamin, far from a speedster, doesn’t change that—he’s a big-bodied possession target, effective on slant patterns but not quick enough in his throttle-down and direction-changing to beat defenders with a full route tree.

Also, he’s the type of receiver a quarterback must be willing to target when he’s covered, but Tyrod Taylor is not a tight-window anticipation thrower. What the Bills really need is a wide receiver who can win on crossing routes. That’s where almost all of Buffalo’s aerial success has come this year.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles knows that Buffalo is dangerous on play-action crossing routes, so he’ll likely have the defense play straight zone coverages Thursday night, just like he did last year against Taylor. In return, that will force Taylor to decipher through more bodies when reading the field, plus it ensures that more defenders have eyes on him. Taylor can burn defenses with his legs.

The question is, what type of zone will Bowles play? Single-high zone (aka Cover 3) can be especially vulnerable against play-action crossing routes. But playing two-high, which the Jets did often last week against Atlanta (Cover 4, not Cover 2), can be dicey against a running game as strong as Buffalo’s. New York’s imposing front seven has been better in run defense the last three weeks, but it hasn’t faced a team whose quarterback is part of the rushing attack.

Looking at the Bills’ defense, no safety in football is playing better than Buffalo’s Micah Hyde. He has five interceptions, mostly off deflections, which is more a sign of “good” than “lucky” in a run-to-the-ball scheme like head coach Sean McDermott’s. Hyde can also win in matchup coverage, though that’ll be less of a factor Thursday, given that New York’s passing attack is thin on talent and reliant on play designs.

Bold Prediction: The Bills will force at least three turnovers, mostly by generating pressure against a mediocre Jets O-line.

SCORE PREDICTION: BILLS 24, JETS 16

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...treaming-tv-why-the-bills-will-beat-the-jets/

'Thursday Night Football' tonight: Streaming, TV, why the Bills will beat the Jets
The Jets remain on their elusive search for a franchise quarterback
by Ryan Wilson

Perhaps it's not the Jets' biggest issue, at least right at this moment, but it's still high on the list and will definitely be a priority this offseason: The team is in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. Josh McCown, 38 years young and now on his eighth NFL team, hasn't even been replacement-level through the first half of the season; he does have 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions and a passer rating of 95.3, but he also ranks 25th among all quarterbacks, according to Football Outsiders, just ahead of Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer and Trevor Siemian.

McCown played a starring role in the Jets' loss to the Dolphins two weeks ago, throwing an interception deep in New York territory with less than a minute to go that set up Miami's game-winning field goal.

These things happen, of course, and McCown probably has more to do with the team's three wins than their five losses, but the reality is that he's a bridge to whomever the Jets find to be their next franchise quarterback. Christian Hackenberg, the embattled 2016 second-round pick, couldn't win the job in training camp, forcing coach Todd Bowles to try to make the best of a bad situation.

"I would say that he's learning the offense and he didn't have enough playing time yet," Bowles said at the time of Hackenberg. "We got him some significant playing time. It has nothing to do with his development. He's 22 years old, he has time to grow and he'll grow from it."

But it's not like Hackenberg had to beat out Tom Brady or Drew Brees. This is McCown we're talking about -- the same guy with the lowest winning percentage for a starting quarterback over the last three seasons.

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Halfway through the season and McCown remains entrenched as the starter.

Whether Bowles will be around to see the next candidate to take a spin as the Jets' starting quarterback remains up for debate but it's not like the previous regime didn't make an effort. Rex Ryan, who had the ignominious distinction of being fired by both the Jets and Bills, admitted recently that he desperately wanted Tyrod Taylor in New York when he was the coach there.

ESPN.com's Rich Cimini explains:

"I wanted Tyrod Taylor when I was with the Jets," Ryan said in a recent phone interview. At the time, Taylor was a seldom-used backup for the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan said Cam Cameron, the Ravens' offensive coordinator and a close friend, was "the guy that turned me onto him." The way Ryan tells it, he approached the front office about trading for Taylor, but it apparently gained little to no traction.

Instead of making a move for Taylor, the Jets drafted Geno Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. After Mark Sanchez suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason, Smith was forced into the starting job as a rookie. The team won two more games than they had the year before and finished 8-8, but Smith was one of the league's worst quarterbacks.

He completed just 55.9 percent of his throws and had 12 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and four lost fumbles. According to Football Outsiders' metrics, Smith ranked 45th in total value among all eligible quarterbacks, ahead of only Terrelle Pryor and Brandon Weeden.

Ryan believed that then-general manager John Idzik did not do enough to surround Smith with talented players.

"I don't think we helped Geno by any stretch of the imagination," Ryan said. "We never added anything that could help him. And he didn't help himself, either. It was that combination."

So yeah.

Meanwhile, Ryan called McCown "good" for the current team though conceded that "He knows he's not the long-range answer."

But what about Hackenberg?

"None of those guys are," Ryan continued, "certainly not [Christian] Hackenberg."

Two months into the season and the Jets remain competitive, which is something no one would've expected as recently as early September. In fact, we joked that if the Jets won six games in 2017 Bowles should win Coach of the Year honors. But after having the easiest schedule over the first eight games, the Jets now have the third-toughest.

You know what would really help them down the stretch? A legit franchise quarterback. But that will have to wait until next year (again).

Our prediction: Bills 24 Jet 13

It's Color Rush Thursday (again), y'all!
Every Thursday is Color Rush Thursday in the NFL. You're welcome.

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When the GSOT was born, the Rams had suffered numerous years of bad luck. Rich Brooks started strong with special teams tricks and lots of turnovers that propped them to a good initial record in ‘95, but the remaining year and a half cemented them as pretenders. In came Dick Vermeil who instilled toughness to the team but the disaster that was Lawrence Phillips and the overall lack of imagination on offense diminished his accomplishments. He nearly lost the team by pushing so hard without winning season results.

But come 1999, Marshall Faulk became available for a song. Adam Timmerman became available through FA. Kurt Warner was an unexpected revelation. Special teams became explosive. The defense produced turnovers regularly. Ike’s hamstrings became reliable. The team suffered very few injuries. And the schedule by the end of the season was found to be one of the statistically easiest in the league. Ricky Proehl saved the day and the Titans ran out of time. It all went the Rams way that year. Yet as great as that team was...there was luck involved along the way.

Unfortunately, as the GSOT began to deteriorate, so did the luck factor disappear from the team. Injuries to OLinemen were amazingly persistent. Bradford was drafted the last year teams had to grossly overpay a rookie and his injuries never allowed him to develop. Penalties and turnovers destroyed many opportunities to succeed. They built themselves to compete with Seattle, SF, and AZ when each team rose to their pinnacles and though the Rams were generally competitive in the West, they sucked everywhere else.

Now comes 2017. Sean McVay flew under the radar due to his age. Wade Phillips was undervalued by the Broncos. Kroemer’s personal issues sent him looking for work. Aging OLinemen Whitworth and Sullivan didn’t suffer the same fates of Long and Wells. How many times has Rodger Saffold been healthy seven games in a row? How many picks has Jared thrown that were dropped by defenders? How often in this division’s history has the other three teams fielded the worst OLines in the league? We caught the Cowboys without their two best linebackers and their best CB. How would the Jags game have looked without everything going right on Special Teams? How many times in previous years did we not get a critical holding penalty like was called on Travis Frederick?

Good teams seem to make their own luck sometimes. This is a solid team that is growing in confidence and execution. But had this team seen the bad “breaks” (injuries, turnovers, running into good teams at their peaks), the confidence they have wouldn’t be nearly as pronounced. Buy-in and chemistry can be given by assent...but only sustained by success.

It can happen like 1999. The bad breaks of years passed heaped on this team by the football gods for a dozen years may have them smiling in the Rams favor all year long, we saw it before. Perchance to dream. The Giants have imploded at the perfect time. The Texans lost two of their best DLinemen and now maybe their offensive superstar Watson. Can the Eagles really replace an All Pro LT? The Vikings are blessed with our castoffs under center. The NFC West still sports the three worst OLines in football that our DLine can dominate.

But even if all the breaks don’t go the Ram’s way...there’s no denying one simple fact: this is an ascending team that will continue to improve because this start has instilled in these men a belief that they should win anyway...luck be damned.

My remodeling business has been nominated as best home improvement contractor in the area.

The local newpaper has a readers choice award for people to vote.

If you would be so kind as to vote for Kelsey's Exterior Services it would be greatly appreciated !!

Thanks in advance


http://westerlysun.secondstreetapp....Choice-Awards---2017/gallery?category=1233198

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Wow just terrible news if true.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/...WT.nav=top-news&referer=http://m.facebook.com

I would paste the article, but it’s really long.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...-for-all-32-teams-over-the-rest-of-the-season

NFL win predictions for all 32 teams over the rest of the season
BY SAM MONSON

With the midpoint of the season approaching, it’s time to run the PFF analytics on what the rest of the season will look like. Using our PFF data we are going to project wins for every NFL team with input from the grading as well as strength of schedule going forward.

These wins are rooted heavily in our data that produces the PFFELO rankings each week, and has proven to have a very strong indicator to win probability. So here is where we have every team projected by the end of the season.

NFC WEST



(5-2) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: 10.0 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 29th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 29th
Seattle’s strength of schedule isn’t going to change down the stretch, but the strength of their offensive line should with a massive potential upgrade coming at left tackle in the shape of former-Texan Duane Brown. Over the past two seasons the Seahawks have had the league’s worst left tackle, so if Brown is even average he should make life much easier for QB Russell Wilson.

(5-2) LOS ANGELES RAMS: 9.6 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 32nd
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 20th
No team has had an easier schedule through the first half of the season than the Rams, who have taken advantage of that to rack up five wins and are separated from the Seahawks at the top of the division only by tie breakers. Over the second half of the season that schedule does get tougher, but is still among the easier in the league, so getting to double-digit wins and playing January football is a very realistic target for this team.

(3-4) ARIZONA CARDINALS: 7.1 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 28th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 24th
Arizona’s season realistically went in the tank the second RB David Johnsonwent down, but they have still flirted with .500 over the first half of the season. Their schedule has been among the easiest in the league so far, and while it does get marginally harder over the second half of the season, it is still a very winnable group of games.

(0-8) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: 2.7 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 27th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 15th
The other winless team in the NFL so far, the good news for 49ers fans is that the analytics suggests that sooner or later they are going to get some return out of these close finishes they keep being a part of. Trading for Jimmy Garoppolo has the potential to really impact the bottom line, as he looks a significant upgrade over rookie C.J. Beathard.

NFC NORTH



(6-2) MINNESOTA VIKINGS: 9.9 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 4th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 11th
The Vikings have been able to get to 6-2, leading the NFC North, despite missing their starting quarterback Sam Bradford for most of the season and losing their star rookie Dalvin Cook to a knee injury earlier in the season too. They have also had the league’s fourth-toughest strength of schedule so far, and that eases off a little down the stretch. With one of the best defenses in football led by the league’s highest graded safety in Harrison Smith, this is a contending team, but quarterback is a huge question mark.

(4-3) GREEN BAY PACKERS: 8.8 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 2nd
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 8th
The Green Bay Packers have to contend without their star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but their schedule does at least get marginally easier over the second half of the season. They have had some impressive individual performances, but there is no replacing Rodgers for what impact he can have on games.

(3-5) CHICAGO BEARS: 7.0 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 1st
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 17th
The Bears could be one of the surprise teams over the second half of the season. They have made a switch at quarterback going to rookie Mitchell Trubisky, and they have one of the league’s toughest defenses. What may really help though is that to date they have had the league’s toughest schedule, but that becomes significantly easier from this point onwards.

(3-4) DETROIT LIONS: 6.2 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 5th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 7th
It seems to be a trend that the analytics just do not like the Detroit Lions at the moment. When they win, they eek it out and don’t do it convincingly enough to get much credit, but when the wheels fall off it looks ugly. They are a three-win team right now, and with one of the league’s tougher schedules again, it doesn’t look likely to improve dramatically over the second half.

NFC SOUTH

(5-3) CAROLINA PANTHERS: 10.7 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 8th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 1st
No team is staring into a tougher strength of schedule than the Carolina Panthers over the second half of the year. They have been up and down, largely with the performance of Cam Newton at quarterback, and they have the toughest run in of any team in the league, but the analytics is backing them to come through it and take the division.

(4-3) ATLANTA FALCONS: 9.6 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 7th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 6th
The Falcons have struggled so far this season, at least in the context of being a Super Bowl team a season ago, and one play away from being league champions. They still have a winning record, and they have done so with one of the league’s tougher schedules, which doesn’t get any easier down the stretch.

(5-2) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: 8.7 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 3rd
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 12th
The NFC South is a close and hard-fought division, with the top three teams all in contention to take it by the end of the year. The Saints currently lead the division with a 5-2 record, and their schedule does get easier down the stretch, but the analytics doesn’t quite buy into their current performances, and has them as a weaker team than both the PAnthers and Falcons with the division still to settle things amongst themselves. The Saints could drop a lot of games quickly if they prove to be weaker than those division rivals.

(2-5) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: 5.6 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 11th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 2nd
The Bucs have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams so far given what was expected from them, and their schedule is slated to become the second-toughest in the NFL down the stretch. The Bucs only have two wins so far, and it’s going to get tougher to find them over the second half of the year.

NFC EAST



(7-1) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: 11.9 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 31st
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 21st
The Eagles have been arguably the league’s best team over the first half of the season, and the analytics projects them to be right there at the end of the year too. The big question mark is that they have had one of the easiest schedules in the league to date, and that is going to get marginally harder over the second half of the season, but they have bolstered their weaponry with the addition of former Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi.

(4-3) DALLAS COWBOYS: 9.1 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 30th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 13th
The Cowboys have had some impressive play, but they have just managed to stay above .500 thanks to their last week’s win over Washington. With a schedule that’s going to get tougher down the stretch, things are going to be harder over the final half of the season, and Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension is the great unknown in this projection.

(3-4) WASHINGTON REDSKINS: 7.2 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 23rd
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 18th
Washington has been struggling through the season and has a losing record thanks to dropping a game against the Cowboys this past week. They have had a relatively easy schedule, which gets marginally tougher down the stretch, but is still among the easier half of the league’s, so this is a team that needs to pull out some wins.

(1-6) NEW YORK GIANTS: 6.0 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 16th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 31st
The Giants have just one win through the first seven games of the season, but the analytics actually likes a lot of their play, from their powerful secondary to the improved play of QB Eli Manning. With one of the easiest schedules in the league over the final eight games, the projection is for the Giants to go on something of a run of wins.

AFC WEST



(6-2) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: 11.1 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 14th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 26th
The Chiefs were the NFL’s last undefeated team, but have wobbled since that point, with back-to-back defeats before righting the ship with a win this past week. They still look like one of the better teams in the league, and their strength of schedule gets significantly more beneficial to them over the remainder of the season. They’ll hope to get more performance out of TE Travis Kelce like they got on Monday night, as he is now the league’s highest graded tight end.

(3-4) DENVER BRONCOS: 7.1 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 22nd
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 27th
Denver’s defense has been as good as ever this season, and actually been dramatically better than it looked on paper heading into the season. Their quarterback situation though has fallen apart, with Trevor Siemian regressing badly from an already ugly start. Their schedule at least remains relatively easy for the remainder of the season.

(3-5) LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: 6.8 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 19th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 23rd
As always seems to be the case, the Chargers have been hammered by injuries this season which has put them behind the chains this season, and though their schedule has been manageable and is only getting better down the stretch, there are still too many flaws in this roster for them to be contending long-term.

(3-5) OAKLAND RAIDERS: 6.3 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 21st
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 19th
There may not be a more disappointing team in the league than the Oakland Raiders through the first half of the season. One of the preseason favorites currently sit at 3-5, and the projections don’t see them improving this much down the stretch. Khalil Mack continues to dominate, but there isn’t enough help around him.

AFC NORTH

(6-2) PITTSBURGH STEELERS: 11.3 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 6th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 25th
The Steelers haven’t been the unstoppable force on offense it looked like they would be before the season, but they are still 6-2, and were the first team to stop the Kansas City Chiefs. Pittsburgh’s schedule is slated to get a lot easier down the stretch so we may see them look a lot closer to that potential than they have so far, especially with the continued strong play of WR Antonio Brown.

(4-4) BALTIMORE RAVENS: 8.1 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 9th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 22nd
The Ravens, like the Steelers, are slated to see their schedule get a lot easier down the stretch, and they may need that to content for a wild card spot as the season wears on. QB Joe Flacco is currently the 29th-ranked QB in overall PFF grade with a mark of 69.5.

(3-4) CINCINNATI BENGALS: 7.5 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 20th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 4th
The Bengals are going to have to contend with one of the league’s toughest strengths of schedule going into the back end of the season, and they haven’t been able to top .500 with a far easier slate of games thus far. Cincinnati’s offense has been much improved after changes to the scheme earlier in the season, and they will need it to be in the second half of the year.

(0-8) CLEVELAND BROWNS: 2.4 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 17th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 3rd
The Browns are currently 1-of-2 winless teams, and they’ve achieved that despite a schedule that has been middle of the pack in terms of difficulty. In the second half of the season that schedule is looking significantly tougher, and is going to make it hard to find wins. Rookie QB DeShone Kizer is the lowest-graded QB at PFF, and has been a major problem for the offense.

AFC SOUTH

(4-3) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: 9.2 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 25th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 32nd
The Jaguars have a winning record so far, and the projection is for that to continue, with a punishing ground game and a defense that is only getting tougher with the addition of Marcel Dareus. The Jaguars defense has combined for 144 total pressures over the first half of the season, and the secondary boasts the league’s best cornerback tandem.

(4-3) TENNESSEE TITANS: 8.6 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 24th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 28th
The Titans are also benefitting from one of the league’s easier strength of schedules, and like Jacksonville, it only gets easier from this point on. Tennessee currently owns the tiebreaker with the Jaguars atop the AFC South, and the analytics projects the two to be very close at the top of the division by the end of the season.

(3-4) HOUSTON TEXANS: 7.6 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 15th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 30th
Houston could be a team to really surprise over the second half of the season, especially if rookie QB Deshaun Watson continues to excel. They have had the 15th-toughest strength of schedule so far, but that becomes 30th over the remainder of the season.

(2-6) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: 2.7 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 26th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 5th
While the rest of the AFC South benefits largely from their schedule getting easier down the stretch, the Colts see theirs get much tougher, and they only have two wins to date with one of the league’s easiest schedules. It may become a pretty tough back end of the season for Colts fans who may want to start checking out draft prospects.

AFC EAST



(6-2) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: 11.9 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 10th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 14th
In a shock to nobody, the PFF analytics still project the Patriots to comfortably claim the division and end the season right around their Belichick-Brady era baseline of 12 wins. The Patriots have begun to get a handle on some of their busted plays that cost them early this season and have been quietly racking up the wins even as they haven’t been convincing.

(5-2) BUFFALO BILLS: 9.9 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 18th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 16th
The Bills are 5-2 right now and 4-1 over their past five games, and while getting to 10 wins would be doubling their win total, it would see them lose twice the number of games down the stretch as they have lost to date. This is still a team in flux, as their multiple moves around the trade deadline shows.

(4-3) MIAMI DOLPHINS: 7.3 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 13th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 10th
The Dolphins season is an unusual one, as they just shipped out Jay Ajayi – by far their best offensive weapon – having already lost Jay Cutler to injury. The defense has been quietly effective, if flawed, and it will need to carry the team down the stretch as their strength of schedule only gets tougher.

(3-5) NEW YORK JETS: 5.9 WINS
Strength of Schedule to date: 12th
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 9th
Despite being the surprise of the season, the analytics projects the Jets to only match what they have done so far this season down the stretch and end the season 6-10, which might not do the season they have had justice if they continue to play unexpectedly well in the second half of the season and yet continue to lose close games.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/11/02/andrew-luck-to-ir-wont-play-in-2017/

Andrew Luck to IR, won’t play in 2017
Posted by Josh Alper on November 2, 2017


Getty Images

The Colts said Andrew Luck would be ready for the start of the 2017 season, but their only hope now is that they were just off by a year on a prediction that missed the mark by a wide margin.

Luck wasn’t ready for the start of the season after having surgery on his right shoulder this offseason, he wasn’t ready to play at any point in the first eight weeks of the season and he won’t be ready to play at any point in the final nine weeks.

The Colts announced on Thursday that Luck is going on injured reserve, which means he won’t be practicing or playing for the rest of the season. Now that the waiting game of many months has come to an end, the quarterback told the team’s website that he’s shifting his focus to 2018 and beyond.

“I wish I was better and 100 percent this season, but that’s not the case,” Luck said. “I know I’ll be better from this. I know I’ll be a better quarterback, teammate, person and player from this, and I’m excited for the future.”

This development seemed inevitable when Luck’s return to practice was put to an end after a few days because the quarterback was having discomfort in his shoulder. He’s since gone to see other doctors in an ultimately futile search of an answer that might get him on the field this year.

Jacoby Brissett has been starting since Week Two and will likely continue to hold down the job as long as he’s healthy.

Looks like this article has those Left Tackles going fast & hard in the first round projections.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...eek-8-1st-round-predictions-for-all-prospects

Week Eight Statistical Overall Power Rankings

32. New York Giants - 354 pts.
31. San Francisco 49errors - 321 pts.
30. Arizona Cardinals - 311 pts.
29. Cleveland Browns - 302 pts.
28. Indianapolis Colts - 297 pts.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 296 pts.
26. Miami Dolphins - 295 pts.
24. New York Jets - 289 pts.
24. Chicago Bears - 280 pts.
23. Oakland Raiders - 279 pts.
22. Cincinnati Bengals - 277 pts.
21. Los Angeles Chargers - 276 pts.
20. Washington Redskins - 246 pts.
19. Green Bay Packers - 242 pts.
18. Detroit Lions - 237 pts.
17. Denver Broncos - 220 pts.
16. Atlanta Falcons - 209 pts.
15. Tennessee Titans - 204 pts.
14. Buffalo Bills - 199 pts.
13. Houston Texans - 196 pts.
12. Baltimore Ravens - 187 pts.
11. Carolina Panthers - 183 pts.
10. New England Patriots - 182 pts.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars - 181 pts.
8. Seattle Seahawks - 175 pts.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers - 174 pts.
6. Dallas Cowboys - 174 pts.
5. New Orleans Saints - 169 pts.
4. Kansas City Chiefs - 165 pts.
2. Minnesota Vikings - 120 pts.
2. Los Angeles Rams - 120 pts.
1. Philadelphia Eagles - 115 pts.

I've not seen anything in the press / online on the injury status of Rams players - I know that Dunbar has been practicing but that's about it - anyone know of any sources / info??

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/11/02/pfts-week-nine-picks-5/

PFT’s Week Nine picks
Posted by Mike Florio on November 2, 2017

I managed to go 10-3 in the picks last week. Unfortunately, MDS went 11-2 — and now he has a five-game lead.

The only saving grace is that nobody cares. Except him.

But with another 13 games on the docket, you care if your favorite team is playing, or if you’re simply gather as many opinions as possible before calling your bookie.

Before you make that call, make that scroll.

Rams at Giants

MDS’s take: The last time the Giants suspended a cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, they responded with a big upset win over the Broncos. This week the Giants suspended a cornerback again, Janoris Jenkins, but I don’t see another upset coming.

MDS’s pick: Rams 30, Giants 14.

Florio’s take: Cornerback Janoris Jenkins won’t be getting a chance to face his former team. Which is very good news for his former team, which is good enough to do at MetLife Stadium what the other team in L.A. did when the Giants had Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall.

Florio’s pick: Rams 27, Giants 17.
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Bills at Jets

MDS’s take: The Bills are a run-first team, but against a weak Jets pass defense I see Tyrod Taylor hitting some deep balls, and Buffalo putting a lot of points on the board.

MDS’s pick: Bills 31, Jets 21.

Florio’s take: Buffalo keeps finding ways to win, the Jets keep finding ways to lose. The Bills may be finding their way back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

Florio’s pick: Bills 24, Jets 20.
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Colts at Texans

MDS’s take: The Texans could be set for a letdown after such a hard-fought loss on Sunday in Seattle, but against the Colts they should take care of business easily.

MDS’s pick: Texans 35, Colts 20.

Florio’s take: The Texans are one of the best 3-4 teams in recent league history. The Colts are 2-6, and they should be worse than that.

Florio’s pick: Texans 42, Colts 17.
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Bengals at Jaguars

MDS’s take: Jacksonville has the best pass defense in the NFL, and they’re going to make Andy Dalton‘s life miserable on Sunday.

MDS’s pick: Jaguars 20, Bengals 7.

Florio’s take: The good-week, bad-week Jags had a bye week on what would have been a bad week. If they can play this week like they do when playing well, they should easily beat a Bengals team that simply can’t match Jacksonville’s talent.

Florio’s pick: Jaguars 30, Bengals 20.
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Buccaneers at Saints

MDS’s take: The Bucs may be the biggest disappointment in the NFL this year. Their pass defense has been a mess, and Drew Brees could easily go for 400 yards on Sunday.

MDS’s pick: Saints 31, Buccaneers 17.

Florio’s take: The Saints are surging, and the Bucs are falling apart. A banged-up Jameis Winston simply can’t will the team to wins, especially when the various pieces aren’t fitting together the way they should.

Florio’s pick: Saints 34, Buccaneers 23.
---------------------------------------------------
Falcons at Panthers

MDS’s take: This is a close call, as both of these teams have been inconsistent and unpredictable this season. When I can’t decide who to pick, I go with the home team.

MDS’s pick: Panthers 17, Falcons 16.

Florio’s take: The trade of receiver Kelvin Benjamin could actually diversify the offense, which will be helpful against a Falcons team that is still struggling to find consistency. Home team gets the edge in a game that could go either way.

Florio’s pick: Panthers 27, Falcons 23.
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Broncos at Eagles

MDS’s take: The Broncos are cratering and the Eagles are surging. Philadelphia should get a big win and maintain the league’s best record.

MDS’s pick: Eagles 28, Broncos 10.

Florio’s take: Brock Osweiler gets the start for the Broncos. Enough said.

Florio’s pick: Eagles 30, Broncos 17.
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Ravens at Titans

MDS’s take: Joe Flacco was playing as well as he’s played all season when he got knocked out of Thursday night’s game against Miami. Unfortunately, I think he’ll come back to earth against a Titans pass defense that’s better than Miami’s.

MDS’s pick: Titans 20, Ravens 10.

Florio’s take: Marcus Mariota has his mobility back, which is bad news for a Ravens defense that has a rough time against the run.

Florio’s pick: Titans 24, Ravens 16.
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Cardinals at 49ers

MDS’s take: The 49ers are going to get their first win eventually, and I say it’ll come here, against a reeling and injury-plagued Cardinals team.

MDS’s pick: 49ers 21, Cardinals 20.

Florio’s take: The good news is that the Cardinals won’t face Jimmy Garoppolo. The bad news is that the Cardinals will be playing Drew Stanton. The best news is that the 49ers remain the 49ers.

Florio’s pick: Cardinals 24, 49ers 20.
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Redskins at Seahawks

MDS’s take: The Redkins injury-plagued offensive line is going to struggle against the Seahawks’ defense, while Seattle’s offensive line gets a boost from the arrival of Duane Brown. That makes the difference.

MDS’s pick: Seahawks 17, Redskins 14.

Florio’s take: Seattle keeps getting better and better, and eventually they’ll be locking up the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Florio’s pick: Seahawks 28, Redskins 20.
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Chiefs at Cowboys

MDS’s take: With or without Ezekiel Elliott, I like Kansas City because I don’t see the Cowboys’ defense holding the Chiefs’ offense in check.

MDS’s pick: Chiefs 27, Cowboys 17.

Florio’s take: Dallas has blown double-digit leads in each of their last two home games. The Cowboys won’t have to worry about that this time, especially if they don’t have Ezekiel Elliott.

Florio’s pick: Chiefs 27, Cowboys 20.
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Raiders at Dolphins

MDS’s take: The Dolphins are 4-3, but they’re not as good as their record indicates, and the Jay Ajayi trade suggests that they know they’re building for the future, not winning this year. I like the Raiders to win in Miami.

MDS’s pick: Raiders 24, Dolphins 17.

Florio’s take: A couple of struggling offenses meet in what may be a de facto elimination game. With Jay Cutler back and the Dolphins getting a wake-up call from the elimination of Jay Ajayi, advantage Miami.

Florio’s pick: Dolphins 20, Raiders 14.
---------------------------------
Lions at Packers

MDS’s take: The Lions got very lucky this season as the only team in the NFC North that hasn’t had chaos at the quarterback position. If Aaron Rodgers were playing I’d pick the Packers, but with Brett Hundley at the helm I’ll take Detroit to get a rare road win in Green Bay.

MDS’s pick: Lions 21, Packers 20.

Florio’s take: If the Packers had gotten Brian Hoyer, maybe it would have gone differently. (It wouldn’t have.) Either way, Brett Hundley falls to 0-2.

Florio’s pick: Lions 27, Packers 21.

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...-goffs-5-2-rams-wentzs-7-1-eagles-meet-dec-10

Alden Gonzalez: Espn Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- It almost feels as if they're on a collision course, building toward that Dec. 10 meeting from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The Los Angeles Rams, led by 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, are 5-2, possessing the same record as the Seattle Seahawks at the top of the NFC West. The Philadelphia Eagles, led by 2016 No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz, are 7-1, sporting a 2½-game cushion in the NFC East. The Rams and Eagles meet in less than six weeks, and it might only be the preview to a matchup that also takes place in the playoffs. The Rams are allowing one to dream a little.

The Eagles lead the NFL with a plus-76 point margin.

Right behind them are the Rams at plus-74.

Rams outside linebacker Connor Barwin played for the Eagles from 2013 to 2016 and is not surprised by their success. "That's a really talented roster," he said. Barwin spent all of last year going against Wentz in practice and has spent a lot of this year watching his games, largely because they're playing a lot of the same teams.

"I knew, everybody knew, he's a talented guy," Barwin said. "There’s a reason he was the No. 2 overall pick, and he’s playing really well right now."

Wentz is playing like a potential MVP, actually. He has only completed 61 percent of his passes, but he has thrown for 2,063 yards with 19 touchdown passes, tied with Houston Texans rookie Deshaun Watson for the NFL lead. Wentz is averaging 7.81 yards per attempt, sports a 3.80 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has registered a 70.8 Total QBR, ranked third in the NFL.

Goff's numbers aren't as spectacular -- 59.9-percent completion rate, 7.74 yards per attempt, 2.25 touchdown-to-interception ratio, 52.6 Total QBR -- but he's nearly two full years younger than Wentz and has shown tremendous growth as a second-year quarterback.

"They were both drafted high for a reason," Barwin said. "They’re both super talented."

Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. At one point, Wentz ducked out of a sack, stayed in the pocket and found Corey Clement up the sideline for a touchdown. Later, he looked as if he were about to take another sack, then somehow emerged from a pile of defensive linemen and ran for a big gain.

"Carson -- and people have said this -- he’s more like a Ben Roethlisberger-type guy. I see it that way," Barwin said. "Jared’s more of your pure pocket passer. He stands in there and slings the ball all over the field."

The Eagles made a major move before Tuesday's trade deadline, acquiring running back Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins. The Seahawks made a trade, too, adding former Texans left tackle Duane Brown to address one of their most obvious vulnerabilities.

Rams coach Sean McVay said general manager Les Snead "fielded a lot of calls" from other teams, but nothing came close to materializing. The two spoke before the deadline about whether they should pursue other players and agreed not to, largely because their uncommon health has allowed them to preserve their own depth.

"Where we're at right now," McVay said, "and the players that we have that we're counting on, that are playing for us, we feel really good moving forward."


McVay's good friend Kyle Shanahan picked up a quarterback on Tuesday when his San Francisco 49ers sent a 2018 second-round pick to the New England Patriots for Jimmy Garoppolo. McVay sees Garoppolo as "a pretty good player that has a lot of tools and traits" and believes Shanahan "will do an excellent job utilizing him in the right way." But the Rams are good there. Goff's growth has proven that.

With the midway point nearing, McVay simply wants to see Goff continue to evolve as a decision-maker. Goff took the bye week to rest, but he also self-scouted. He wants to "clean my footwork up" and "be as accurate as I can," but there's so much more.

"There's a million things," Goff said. "I don't know if there's one in particular."

Barwin will point out to one area where Goff does not need to improve.

"The more I’m around him," Barwin said, "the more I realize how confident he is in himself. If you’re an athlete, if you’re a quarterback, that’s the most important thing. You have to believe in yourself. And the more I’m around Jared, the more I see that he knows he’s going to be good in this league for a long time. He believes in himself."

http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-giants/post/_/id/54594/the-giants-big-whiff-andrew-whitworth

Jordan Raanan: Espn Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It is almost as if the pretty girl in school had a crush on the New York Giants. She happened to be a few years older, so they never had the courage to make a move, and never seriously looked into the possibility that it could potentially work out. Without the effort, there never was a chance.

This was the situation with offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth. He was a free agent this past offseason after 11 successful seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He's soon-to-be 36 years old and on the back nine of his NFL career, but still a top-notch lineman. Pro Football Focus ranks him seventh among 74 offensive tackles.

Scared by the age (or so they say), the Giants didn't express interest in the most attractive free-agent tackle this offseason. The Giants elected to stay put with the unproven Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart as their starters on the left and right sides, respectively.

It was, to be kind, a flawed plan.
The Los Angeles Rams had something else in mind. They decided to exile former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson and sign Whitworth to a three-year, $33.75 million deal this offseason. This was their a major part of their plan to fixed a broken offense.

The addition of Whitworth has been a game-changer.

"He's been outstanding. He's influenced and affecting his teammates in a positive way really from Day 1 and since he got in here," Rams coach Sean McVay said Wednesday on a conference call with Giants reporters. "He kind of did it at first by observing and doing things the right way every single day. And then he started to really be able to coach guys up. He's been a great example of what it looks like to be a pro. You can see why he's been so successful through the course of his career. He's also been a great resource for me to lean on as far as trusting the players and empowering them. Very thankful to have such a great leader, great person, great player like him on our team."

The Rams (5-2) have a top-10 offense and rushing attack after finishing near the bottom of the league (32nd and 31st) last season. Whitworth has been a key component to the turnaround.

Not expressing interest is a decision the Giants should regret. They desperately needed a veteran left tackle that could be trusted to protect quarterback Eli Manning's blindside, especially with the other edge a question mark.
Whitworth was available to be their answer, except the Giants inexplicably opted to ... do not much at all to upgrade their offensive line. They took a late flier on D.J. Fluker, who is now starting at right guard, and drafted Adam Bisnowaty in the sixth round. It wasn't enough to avoid the offense from being handicapped by the problems off the edges.

"Well, again, we want to be a younger football team and everybody has an opinion about who was available and who wasn't," general manager Jerry Reese said last week. "To us, it didn't make sense for us, and that's what we went with. We want to be a younger offensive line. Again, do you want to try to develop a 23-year-old guy, or do you want to bring in a 36-year-old guy? We chose to go with the young guy."

The Rams weren't all that worried about Whitworth's age. They saw through the number.


"When you look back at the history of the league and it's kind of a little bit different finding a tackle with his amount of experience, but it's important to consider: What does the tape look like? What does the production down-in and down-out? How does he take care of himself?" McVay said. "He's played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level the last couple years and been extremely efficient and extremely productive and takes great care of himself. So I think that is why you see him as the outlier for those tackles that you go pay him the amount of money that you do.

"But he's certainly making us right on that decision."

The Giants' line has hamstrung their passing attack. They've had weeks when Manning has been forced to get rid of the ball faster than any other quarterback in the league.

As for Whitworth, he's possibly the single-best offseason acquisition of any free agent this year. He has reshaped the Rams' offensive line.

Whitworth was selected to be a captain in his first year on a young team, a lead-by-example guy who immediately caught his teammates' attention.

"A lot of young people in today's society believe that leadership is the loudest person in the room, or the person who's always commanding people," Whitworth told ESPN several weeks back. "To me, that's not leadership. That's just a loud voice; just someone who's assertive. There's a difference. Leadership, to me, is about the ability to have people want to hear what you have to say. People want to be around you, people want to believe in what you tell them, and they feel good when they walk away from you about who they are and what they're doing."
years and been extremely efficient and extremely productive and takes great care of himself. So I think that is why you see him as the outlier for those tackles that you go pay him the amount of money that you do.

"But he's certainly making us right on that decision."

The Giants' line has hamstrung their passing attack. They've had weeks when Manning has been forced to get rid of the ball faster than any other quarterback in the league.
Whitworth's presence on a young Giants line, with four of its five original starters 27 or younger, would have been invaluable on and off the field. Flowers and Hart could use the positive influence. Nothing has worked so far with them.


The Giants' line has been a constant figure of uncertainty. They have started five different line combinations in seven games, and Justin Pugh has been asked to flip back and forth from left guard to right tackle with Hart injured and struggling badly.

The line is one of many reasons they are 30th in the NFL, having averaged 16.0 points per game this season. Whitworth might not have solved all their woes, but he certainly would've helped.

The Giants whiffed on their opportunity to court the best offensive tackle on the market. Flowers is ranked 53rd out of 74 offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus. He has allowed almost double the pressures and is among the worst run-blocking tackles (66th out of 71) in the league.

The Giants have suffered as a result of their decision to not try to sign Whitworth. There appears to be no doubt about that.

.

Is higbee still gonna be the main man at te or will Everett take over?

If higbee could catch the ball while a defender is touching him he could be very good. Still waiting for him to break out. May be a little early for Everett. Next year he could see the bulk of the looks if higbee doesn't become more sure handed.

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http://m.therams.com/news-and-event...l-Wishes/70b2025c-d95f-4527-882c-c6406287a703

Sounds like the bye week did the players some good. Players said that today's practice was one of the best of the year. Here's a piece from the article:

"I think today was one of our best practices of the year, really. Across the board - offensively, defensively, everyone was making plays," Goff said. "When you see that, you know that there was no drop off and there's probably even an increase with the bye week with getting healthy and getting fresh."

"Jared was hitting all of his receivers, making good decisions and we were running the ball and getting all of our right fits," left guard Rodger Saffold said. "Everybody was jelling and everything was super smooth - that's when you know that you're going to have a good week of practice [and] you know it's going to translate to the game.


Can't help but love the sound of that! Sounds like the running and passing game are rolling and meshing well together. This does not bode well for the Giants!