Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/KevinMassare/status/912102208170283008

#9

Saw he's got two sacks, thought some people on the board had mentioned his name a few times. How's his run defense?

Records: Raiders 2-0, Redskins 1-1



TV/radio: Ch. 3 (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya), 1140

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

HIGH-OCTANE OFFENSE

The Raiders’ offense, led by quarterback Derek Carr, receiver Michael Crabtree and running back Marshawn Lynch, is ranked fourth in the league. In two games, Carr has thrown for 492 yards and five touchdowns – three to Crabtree – and Lynch has rushed for 121 yards and a score. And the Raiders are converting more than 54 percent of their third downs. “There’s nothing they’re not doing well,” Washington coach Jay Gruden said. “They can throw it, they can run it. They have a big, powerful offensive line. They have a couple tight ends that can come in and maul you. They have great play actions and their receivers can get down the field. And Derek does an unbelievable job at giving them opportunity balls and they come down with the majority of them.”

REUNION GAME

Raiders cornerback David Amerson returns to Washington for the first time since being waived by the Redskins early in 2015. Amerson was a second-round pick by Washington in 2013 and had a rough second season, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 73.6 percent of passes at him with 10 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus. He was cut early the next season and revived his career with the Raiders, earning a $38 million, four-year contract extension in 2016.

BLITZING SAFETY

Raiders safety Karl Joseph spent plenty of time in the offensive backfield last week. He blitzed six times against the Jets, forcing Josh McCown into one sack and getting one of his own when he also forced a turnover. That was a rare play for the Raiders, who hadn’t had a sack from a defensive back since D.J. Hayden had one on Nov. 1, 2015.

The Associated Press

INJURY REPORT

RAIDERS

Questionable: CB Sean Smith (neck/shoulder)

REDSKINS

Questionable: LB Mason Foster (shoulder), RB Robert Kelley (rib), S Montae Nicholson (shoulder), CB Joshua Norman (shoulder), TE Jordan Reed (rib)
Login to view embedded media http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/oakland-raiders/article175065501.html
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sport...-to-watch-for-washington-redskins-vs-raiders/

Hanging on a Sunday with,as @Angry Ram put it.
"That amazing feeling when you're watching football
And you realize your team already won."
I decided to do some searches and find some of the more hilarious predictions and
"Jared Goof" slights from the preseason.I seem to get some sort of perverted satisfaction out of reading
these assclowns saying our QB is a bigger bust than Jamarcus Russell.
I'm curious to see any funny Goff,Ram preseason predictions or Goff is a bust type media
that you guys may have come across.
So if you got'em post'em.We can enjoy laughing at these bobbleheads together.Thanks



Article,compliments of Walter(assclown central) football

2017 Los Angeles Rams Offense:
The Rams traded the farm for Jared Goff, so it was shocking that he didn't even suit up in the season opener, as Jeff Fisher believed Sean Mannion should've been higher on the depth chart. Goff eventually got his chance, but was unbelievably atrocious. He completed just 54.6 percent of his passes on a 5.3 YPA, throwing seven interceptions compared to five touchdowns in the process. Goff looked perplexed in the pocket, appearing completely unprepared to play in the NFL. Making matters worse, Goff was seen partying at the Super Bowl even though he didn't win (or cover) a single game as a rookie. At this rate, Goff could end up being the greatest draft bust in NFL history, as he would beat JaMarcus Russell because of all the Rams had to surrender to obtain him.

If Los Angeles wants to feel optimistic, it's that it has quarterbacks coach Greg Olson to tutor Goff. Olson has done incredible work over the years, getting Josh Freeman to the Pro Bowl and developing Derek Carr. However, great coaching can only go so far, and there have been some signal-callers, like Blaine Gabbert, who were so utterly awful that they couldn't even improve under Olson's guidance. It's appearing as though Goff is closer to Gabbert than the other two quarterbacks, as he doesn't seem to have that all-important "it" factor.

Something else Goff doesn't have is a quality offensive line. The Rams couldn't block whatsoever last year, though the situation is better now because of two additions. Andrew Whitworth is an upgrade over Greg Robinson at left tackle, if only by default. Robinson was atrocious, so anything Whitworth can give the Rams will be a bonus. However, Whitworth turns 36 during the season, and it's awfully suspicious that he took the money to leave a better team to a horribly run franchise that hasn't been to the playoffs in more than a decade. It's almost as if he went to California to retire early. That's not to say that Whitworth will definitely slack off, but it's fair to question his passion at this stage of his career.

The other addition the Rams made was signing John Sullivan. The former Viking and Redskin played well in the past, but was only mediocre in spot duty last year. Still, he'll be an upgrade over Tim Barnes at center. Sullivan will be flanked by guards Rodger Saffold and Rob Havenstein. Saffold has been the Rams' top blocker when healthy, but he's had trouble staying on the field throughout his career. Havenstein, meanwhile, is transitioning inside from right tackle. Greg Robinson was slated to play that position instead, but he was traded to the Lions after he was beaten out by pedestrian talent Jamon Brown.

The Rams' blocking will be better by default in 2017, but it still won't be very good. That's obviously bad news for Todd Gurley, who struggled last year. He saw his yards-per-carry average drop from 4.8 as a rookie to 3.2 this past season. Gurley could average something close to the median of those two figures.

Goff will need Gurley to rebound because he has no offensive weapons at his disposal. In fact, it could be argued that his receiving corps will be worse in 2017. Kenny Britt had slacked off for years, but he tried hard last year, and he's now gone. Replacing him is the horribly overpaid Robert Woods, a pedestrian No. 2 receiver who will be asked to function like a top wideout. Tavon Austin and rookie Cooper Kupp round out the worst receiving corps in the entire NFL. Second-round rookie tight end Gerald Everett is likely too raw to help out this season, though the Rams should feel optimistic about his future.




2017 Los Angeles Rams Analysis: The Rams are in complete transition. Not only are they in their second year in a new city, but most of their defensive players are moving around to new positions; the offensive line has been shuffled around; and Jared Goff is learning a completely new offense. It's highly unlikely the Rams will be competitive in 2017, and it could be possible that they'll obtain the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The question then will be, do they take Sam Darnold?

Projection: 3-13 (4th in NFC West)

2016 Projection: 3-13. 2016 Actual Result: 4-12.

25/33 for 369 yards and 3 TDs 0 ints.

Game Ball.

Still looking for a home.

Any interest? Our secondary looks banged up and seems like one of our weak spots so far.

Who knows if at this point he could be an upgrade. Just putting it out there

The Rams last victory against the Cowboys in the regular season was on October 19th, 2008. We have not won at Dallas since January 1st, 2006. The Rams have lost 3 straight against the Cowboys; two blowouts and a heartbreaking 34-31 Dallas comeback. L.A. beat Dallas in preseason play earlier this year, but what is the difference between then and now? What do we know?

Well, to begin, this isn't preseason anymore.

The Rams offense has exploded under the new regime. Todd Gurley is running like his rookie year. The offensive line is opening holes and blocking well. From pitiful to dangerous, the additions of Watkins, Woods, Kupp, and Everett lead a lethal pass catching group. But above all, Goff is performing like a number 1 pick. He's finally got time, weapons, and coaches around him to play like a true pro.:yess:

On the other hand, our defense appears to have regressed.

After obliterating the Luck-less Colts in week one, the Mob Squad has surrendered 66 points the past two games. Washington rushed for 229 yards on 39 carries. That's almost 6 yards per attempt. The 49ers went into Thursday's game without a touchdown. They finished with 5 on the night. Brian Hoyer threw for 332 yards. BRIAN HOYER.

Now perhaps the injuries to Kayvon Webster and Lamarcus Joyner have thinned the Ram defensive backs. Maybe switching from a 4-3 to 3-4 front is more difficult than what we thought. Whatever the issue is, we need the defense to step it up next Sunday. We know what to expect from Aaron Donald. Brockers has been pretty good thus far. When healthy TruJo can hold his own against receivers. Other than that, it's going to take all 11 defenders to slow the Dallas attack.

The good news is that the Rams have an extra long week to prepare for Dallas while the Cowboys are coming off a Monday night game at Arizona.

Dallas is a monster on offense. Zeke will most likely play next Sunday. They have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. If your name isn't Janoris Jenkins, you're going to have a difficult time stopping Dez. Witten is still getting it done. Dak is practically Russell Wilson with an actual offense around him.

Defensively, the Cowboys are a bit of an enigma. They shut down Eli, Odell, Brandon Marshall, and the rest of the Giants. Last week, the Broncos at them alive. C.J. Anderson went over the century mark and Siemian threw 4 touchdowns. If we can get Todd going, their defenders will bite on play action. Pivot routes were there all day against Dallas. Demarcus Lawrence is a guy who can consistently force pressure. Sean Lee is the leader of the defense and is a darn good LB. CB Nolan Carroll had a rough game against Denver, missing on multiple tackles. I'm not sure how consistent he is. Other than that I can't really give much more insight; I don't follow the Cowboys.

These are just observations from what I've seen. Perhaps @Rynie could give us his thoughts on next Sunday's game if he isn't busy. We'll know more about the Dallas after tomorrow night's game, but for now that's my quick take on our next match-up. Is there anything I missed? Please comment with your thoughts on LA vs DAL!

the 2000 Rams. You've got a potent offense, a weak defense, and a punt returner who can't hold onto the football. Shades of the year 2000 indeed. Hopefully the current team can turn around the defense, reduce the turnovers, and be more like the 2001 team.

As we all sit at the Rams new banquet of offensive feasting, it sure is fun looking around the table;

There is coach McVay at the head of the table (using his vast playbook as a booster seat) smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

Glance to the other end of the table and coaches Lefluer, Kromer and Olson hold up their Chalices in toast to their new found success.

Skip Peete is invited as well, but has excused himself to the men's room for a second time to try to wash off a certain lingering stench from last year. "Smells fishy".

The players all laugh and cautiously enjoy their early success in the 2017 season. "Lots of work to do," says young Jared Goff, eating his pizza. "Gotta correct these mistakes," says Robert Woods, glancing over at long time teammate Sammy Watkins as they smile, and hold up their Buffalo wings.

Todd Gurley, sitting on one side of coach McVay, has his bag of Carl's Jr. takeout, (contractual. You know) and has a relaxed grin for the first time since his rookie year. He's having fun again.

On the other side of the table, Wentworth, Saffold, Sullivan, Blythe, Brown and Havenstein are being tossed raw meat. Devouring it ravenously.

The new receivers, Gerald, Cooper and Josh hold up their Kupps in a private toast, "It's a good thing we weren't drafted by the worst offense in the NFL this year. Cheers!" As they laugh at the irony.

Pharaoh Cooper, Tyler Higbee and Derek Carrier all populate the table, enjoying their meals. (Pharaoh is wearing oven mitts as punishment for Thursday.)

But something is missing. No. Not Sean Mannion. He's there. Malcom, and even Skip Peete is back from the washroom. Look. Over there. At the kids table. Is that Tavon Austin?

There sits Tavon. (Also wearing the coach ordered oven mitts) with his End Around Chicken Strips, and Mac and Cheese. But why isn't he at the big table?

It seems many of us, here at ROD are ready to write off Tavon, with all our new found offensive success. Oh, I know. The inflated salary increase, given by the previous regime. He hasn't lived up to the top ten pick status from 2013. He doesn't have the best hands on the team. His route tree seems limited. But consider a few things:

1. Tavon is actually an important part of this new offense.
2. Tavon with his end around fakes, cleared the way for Gurley on several runs this year, including Todds longest run Thursday. He sucks the defense over just enough to keep them honest, and open running lanes.
3. He is effective running with the ball, and doesn't fumble much in the running game. (Ever?)
4. He would have scored Thursday night if not for a horrible horse collar tackle by the moron, Ray Ray. It seems like a crime. The penalty, ultimately of one foot, or half the distance to the goal- didn't seem to fit the crime.
5. I think Tavon, despite recent dropsies on punt returns, is a perfect fit for that role. I believe he will settle down, play well, and break a few big plays.
6. Tavon is still one of the most exciting players in the league in open space. TRUST this staff to put him in these positions as the season wears on. We will worry about next year, next year.

"Hey. Tavon. Dessert is here. Come sit with us at the big table." Says Coach McVay, knowingly.

:cheers:

After watching three ram games, I think that the Rams offensive scheme should call for more play action formations rather than the sit in the pocket approach. Play action opens up the offense to more
creative plays and allows Goff to freeze the defense with his decision as to whether to pass or run. Another observation....what ever happened to the technique whereby the quarterback hides the ball as he fakes a handoff....I think it is an art lost

If you're watching football since we're done for the week chat it up! Injury reports already coming in.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/911869803018801152


Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/911866795711242245


Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/911866296484139008


Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/911866300854501376


OUCH
Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/911865792563634176

Man that was an intense game. I highly recommend what h ing it, especially if you want to see some amazing moves by a RB. Barkley was incredible. The MLB on Iowa was very impressive and I kept thinking he would look good in horns.

Iowa had a great game plan to neutralize PSU's passing attack. It worries me that better teams will copy Ferentz's tactics with more success.

And you realize your team already won.

Go check out my video and let me know! Every like and comment helps me get better
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tZfZaJMNxs

Dude has a bunch of them but this one had me LMAO:

Login to view embedded media

I just had a crazy thought. I know there's no chance it happens, but I thought it would be interesting to float. The Patriots are reportedly considering trading CB Malcolm Butler. They likely won't bring him back this off-season. They also need pass rushing help. We need help in our secondary. Here's my thought:
Rams Trade
OLB Robert Quinn
WR Tavon Austin
2018 Third Round Pick

Patriots Trade
CB Malcolm Butler
HB Dion Lewis
2018 Second Round Pick

Lewis replaces Lance Dunbar. Patriots get a talented gadget in Austin. Patriots get a talented pass rusher in Quinn. We get a talented cover CB in Butler. We swap picks and get the better pick because Quinn is under contract through 2019. Thoughts?

Login to view embedded media View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Snap-Count-Week-3-vs-49ers/2329dd16-85e5-463e-9446-cf7b02e83bd5


Rams Snap Count: Week 3 vs. 49ers
Posted Sep 22, 2017

Kristen LagoRams Writer/Reporter@kristennlago



The Rams held on in the fourth quarter to beat the 49ers 41-39 in a Thursday Night Football matchup at Levi’s Stadium. Below is a list of the reps taken for each player in Thursday’s game, broken down into offense, defense and special teams.

OFFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS



-For the second week in a row the Rams had significantly fewer offensive snaps than defensive snaps, at 67 and 82, respectively. On Thursday, however, the Rams were able to capitalize on their time of possession, putting together seven scoring drives.

-The majority of the starters on the offensive line — including left tackle Andrew Whitworth, left guard Rodger Saffold, right tackle Rob Havenstein, and right guard Jamon Brown — remained on the line for each of the Rams’ 67 offensive snaps. Starting center John Sullivan played 31 snaps before he went down with a groin injury. Backup Austin Blythe took over for the remaining 36 snaps and did a solid job of keeping the pocket clean.

-Quarterback Jared Goff, who played every snap, distributed the ball effectively throughout the game. Wide receivers Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins, who played in 63 and 44 snaps, respectively, led the team in receiving — as each recorded six completions for over 100 yards. Watkins also scored two of the team’s five touchdowns before exiting the game to be examined for a concussion.

-Running back Todd Gurley continued to increase his offensive production, taking 63 snaps in Thursday’s game. Not only did he showcase his abilities as a dynamic runner — rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts — but he was also effective as a receiver, catching five passes for 36 yards and one touchdown.

DEFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS



-The Rams played 21 defensive players in Thursday night’s game. Safety Maurice Alexander, linebacker Mark Barron, middle linebacker Alec Ogletree, and cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and Nickell Robey-Coleman led the defense with at least 78 snaps each. Robey-Coleman started for Kayvon Webster, who continues to recover from a shoulder injury, and accounted for two of the Rams takeaways with an interception and fumble recovery.

-Safety Lamarcus Joyner played 21 snaps before being ruled out with a hamstring injury. Cody Davis replaced Joyner, taking 63 snaps and recording three solo tackles.

-Defensive tackle Aaron Donald increased his playing time in Week 3, participating in 83 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps. The three-time Pro Bowler made his presence known in the final minutes of Thursday’s game, sacking quarterback Brian Hoyer for a turnover on downs. The change of possession would allow the Rams to drain the clock and take away the victory.

-Cornerback Troy Hill played in his first game of the season after serving a two game suspension. The third-year pro played in 35 snaps and recorded one tackle. He also contributed on special teams taking 17 snaps overall.

SPECIAL TEAMS SNAP COUNTS



-Tight end Derek Carrier, linebackers Samson Ebukam and Corey Littleton, safety John Johnson and cornerback Dominique Hatfield contributed the most on special teams with at least 19 snaps each.

-Kicker Greg Zuerlein, who played in 15 special teams snaps, continued to impress with two field goals. Zuerlein is currently 7-of-7 on field goal attempts this season and passed former wide receiver Isaac Bruce as the sixth All-Time leading scorer in Rams’ history on Thursday night.

MODS: if you need to take this down due to being repetitive I completely understand.

I know this topic has been posted several times but with some new services coming available I was hoping to gain some insight from those of you who have used them. I am not a tech geek, but literate. I have never used streaming services and am not interested in downloading several pop up blockers and/or getting viruses from unsafe sites. Help?

Specifically, has anyone tried Fubo?

Thanks guys!

Could Todd Gurley be on his way to claiming his status as the best RB in the NFL?

Overreaction Friday much? Todd Gurley? The best back in the league? Really? Look, I get it, it's not exactly the smartest thing to rave about a running back that doesn't average over four yards per carry for his career, however, he's on a ridiculous pace this season.

Think about this. LeVeon Bell is off to a slow start, David Johnson will miss more than half of the season and the only back that is looking more dominant than Todd Gurley is a rookie that no teams have tape on. Yes, I love Kareem Hunt, had him graded very highly but he's surely not going to continue his dominance like this once teams learn to game plan for him. It's early, but Gurley is on a pace to record 1,285 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 69 receptions, 747 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns.

Yeah, that is highly unlikely he finished with a total of 32 total touchdowns, but with the way the Rams are rolling it's hard to say it's impossible like last season. Gurley last season? Was unable to eclipse 100 yards once in any game and he didn't even get over the 1,000 yard mark. On top of that fans were calling him a bust and forgetting his magnificent rookie season. Quite the opposite of Melvin Gordon who is a fellow first-round running back from Gurley's 2015 draft. Gordon it seemed like many threw away his rookie season after an elite looking sophomore season. All these two did was have a flip-flopped bunch of two years. Now, Gurley has made a statement and with improvement on the offensive line, the sky is the limit.

You do realize it was the receiving plays that Head coach Sean McVay drew up that got Gurley going and ultimately built up his confidence. The resounding narrative has been that fans and analysts did not know Gurley could make plays catching balls out of the backfield like he has. It's hard to really blame them. If you go back to his time at Georgia, Gurley only caught 65 receptions for 615 yards and six touchdowns. Gurley has already eclipsed that in his NFL career not even three seasons in with 77 receptions, 655 yards, and two touchdowns. He certainly has not been the back Arizona Cardinal star David Johnson has been. Johnson in about the same amount of time has 122 receptions for 1,404 yards and eight touchdowns. Perhaps in what is a much more modern day NFL offense under McVay, Gurley will be used like Johnson is in Arizona. Don't get me wrong the Jeff Fisher coached Rams used Gurley a bit in the passing game, but what we are finding out with this season is that he clearly wasn't used enough.

Gurley's ability to receive out of the backfield and make impressive runs or rather hurdles after the catch has given young QB Jared Goff not only a safety blanket but a real dynamic and reliable weapon. Gurley before this season had never received for a touchdown, but now in only three games McVay has Gurley with two receiving touchdowns and his only two of his career. Let's be honest, Gurley probably didn't even know what he was supposed to do. He's a dynamic ground and pound back that can get to the second level with his elite speed and has the strength to run head on into linebackers and safeties alike, but what we have all learned is he is also really good once he makes that catch and is able to survey the field and telegraph his moves accordingly. The offensive line isn't great yet and might never be with a 35-year old Andrew Whitworth seemingly holding down the fort at left tackle, but you are at least showing that this improvement on the offensive line has been enough to give Gurley his confidence back.

Now, just factor in the way Goff has played through three games. He has a 70 completion percentage and is dynamic in the red zone, that is just allowing things to open up for Gurley. Think about this, all of last season, Gurley was stuffed sometimes right as he was getting the ball handed off to him. This season, however, teams started it off keeping eight or nine men in the box to stop Gurley and make that the top priority. The problem with that was that it opened up serious opportunities for a talented QB Goff to pick apart the defense. Now, with the way Goff threw the ball last night and with the way Gurley ran the ball, the Rams are not a one-dimensional offense anymore. There is no more lazy preparation. With McVay and LaFleur you are going to have to study the tape and really do your homework on this Rams team. Now, if Gurley continued to look off like last season that would be a different story and we might be talking about starting Justin Davis for god's sake. As of now, Gurley is a hot topic around the league and so are the Rams.

The confidence only has to be building moving forward for the Rams and especially Gurley. What you have to love about this player is the fact things got tough for him, you saw him battle back from a torn ACL and still end up being selected in the top 10 of the NFL draft. You saw him struggle to get onto the field until he was healthy in week three which ended up being a rough outing. You then saw Gurley bounce back and set the world on fire against an undefeated Arizona team. You have seen the good, you have seen the bad which was all of last year. No matter what has happened Gurley has continued to fight hard and he holds himself and everyone else accountable for what goes on. Gurley has not been shy in calling last year's offense a "high school offense" and he wasn't shy in saying how the Redskins game that resulted in a down-to-the-wire heartbreaking loss would have been a blowout last year. Gurley wants to win, he's a captain for the second straight season, he's bought into a new coach even though it's not the coach that drafted him and he's back to being the star the Rams and the city of Los Angeles have been waiting for and need.

Make no mistake about it, Gurley hasn't had Tom Brady under center, he hasn't had the offensive line Ezekiel Elliott has been lucky enough to run behind, but Gurley has continued to battle with what he has had and now there is a feeling that he is not only back into the elite category of backs, but he could be only just beginning his evolution and his ascension as the top overall running back in the NFL.

Login to view embedded media
Lol they need this on the nfl network. Also better then anything espn puts out

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...defensive-special-teams-coordinators-25-years

In Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams became the first team in NFL history to record two interception-return touchdowns and a safety in their season-opener. It was a big coming-out party for the new-look Rams and their 3-4 scheme, coordinated by one of the greatest assistant coaches in NFL history: Wade Phillips. Week 2 didn't go quite as swimmingly, but it's clear that Phillips has had a significant impact on the team -- and very quickly.

Phillips' record as a head coach is not as bad as you think: 82-64, with five playoff appearances. But it is as a defensive coordinator that he is legendary. His ferocious pass rushes were part of playoff teams from San Diego to Dallas to Houston. In the greatest years of his career, he ran one of the greatest defenses in history for the Denver Broncos and dragged a depleted Peyton Manning to a Super Bowl title.

We wanted to pay tribute to Phillips and the other great coordinators who move from team to team, building strong units wherever they go. So we looked at our DVOA ratings from the past 25 years to determine which coordinators had the best historical record. (DVOA, or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, is explained here.)

We set some ground rules to make sure we didn't end up with coordinators who were good only because of the players they had at one stop. Coordinators had to work for at least three franchises, and we removed those who ranked well solely because of one team. (Monte Kiffin is a good example; his Tampa defenses were legendary, but he had poor one-year stops with the 1995 Saints and 2013 Cowboys.)

Also, we're looking here only at coordinators when they served as coordinators. Sometimes head coaches also fill their own coordinator roles, but we left out years in which he filled only the head-coach job So no Dom Capers in Carolina or Josh McDaniels in Denver, though we do mention some of those performances in our commentary. Our rundown begins with defense instead of offense so we can start with the Son of Bum.

Defense
1. Wade Phillips
Tenure: 16 years, average rank 11.6
Teams coached: 1992 Broncos, 1995-97 Bills, 2002-03 Falcons, 2004-06 Chargers, 2009-10 Cowboys, 2011-13 Texans, 2015-16 Broncos, 2017 Rams

Nobody rebuilds a defense like Wade Phillips. His record is not just one of good defense, but of improved defense. He took the Falcons defense from 26th to 12th in 2001. He took the Chargers defense from 30th to 13th in 2003. And he took the Texans defense -- with some help from rookie J.J. Watt, of course -- from 31st to sixth in 2010. Then he took the Broncos to No. 1 in our defensive rankings in both 2015 and 2016.

And Phillips' record looks even better if we extend our analysis past just 25 years. From 1986-88 with the Eagles and 1989-91 with the Broncos, he coordinated five top-five defenses in six seasons.


Aaron SchatzSpecial to ESPN.com
***********************************************************************************************************
In Wade we trust

Rams starters that are guaranteed to lose their jobs by season's end


We are through three Rams games and plenty to take away from them, but how many of you find yourselves thinking that certain players shouldn't be starting? Take a look at my list I made to organize who I believe is a starter now, but will not be at the end of the year.


WR Tavon Austin



It's sad, but I officially have given up my hope for Tavon Austin. Yes, I fell for it, I fell for him and I backed him up constantly. Now, the fact of the matter is Austin will never be anything more than a gadget player. Right now he is the starting slot receiver, that shouldn't even be the case anymore. There is no reason why a player like Cooper Kupp should only be on the field for 60 percent of snaps. There should be no time sharing and the Rams should stop trying to get Austin involved. Three games into this season the Rams have 107 points and none of them have come from Austin. I liked Austin, but it's time to realize he is a liability as he is playing over young weapons like Kupp, Josh Reynolds and Pharoh Cooper who seriously need to start getting their reps.


Replacement: Cooper Kupp


TE Tyler Higbee



Unfortunately, Tyler Higbee, the Rams starting tight end and a former fourth-round pick still looks behind. The Rams might even have two tight ends that are ahead of him on the roster and that's not even including the injured reserved Temarrick Hemingway. Higbee continues to struggle with his drops that plagued him during training camp. Higbee is rated one of the lowest tight ends in the game according to Pro Football Focus picking up where he left off last season. Granted, Higbee is still young and only into the beginning of his second season with actual coaching, the Rams should be and will be starting Gerald Everett sooner than later. On top of that if Higbee is starting because of his blocking which isn't great by any means, then Derek Carrier might be the best option to start moving forward. We didn't think of it at the time, but Higbee's drop near the goal line could have been one of the plays that ultimately left points on the board and resulted in a loss. Luckily for him, the Rams came out of the game dodging disaster.


Replacement: Gerald Everett


RG Jamon Brown



The former 2015 third-round pick Jamon Brown is just not taking that next step. Yes, the Rams offense looks awesome thus far, but that doesn't mean there aren't some issues on the offensive line. Brown has looked outmatched most of the time this season and it's sad when you can say the best thing about Brown being at guard is that the Rams moved him from the tackle position. He is in no way built for a tackle and he has struggled mightily at guard. So who will replace him? The man coming back from an injury that looked like the best offensive lineman in relief last season.


Replacement: Andrew Donnal


OLB Connor Barwin



Connor Barwin started off his season being voted as a team captain, but he has since shown that he is past his prime, he's slow and isn't a starting caliber looking player at this point in his career anymore. I like Barwin however, the problem is he is arguably the only one in the starting lineup besides injured Kayvon Webster that has played in a 3-4. Barwin had a comeback game this week, but he still had some issues and he and Robert Quinn have had a seriously difficult time containing the edge. On the Brian Hoyer scramble touchdown in the red zone if you go back and watch the film Barwin practically gave him the touchdown by using his inside spin move that left himself with his back turned as he had to twist his body and accelerate after Hoyer. Barwin completely took himself (the only person in a position to make the play) out of the play. Barwin is a good player to have and he has that familiarity with Wade, but he is in no way shape or form a strength for this Rams team outside of his experience and leadership. With both him and Quinn struggling I think Matt Longacre's time could be coming as he is after all the top outside backer on the Rams according to Pro Football Focus.


Replacement: Matt Longacre


Who are your replacements? Let us know below!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndic...ndings-after-thursday-night-football.amp.html

We are rated behind the LA chargers who haven't won 1 game

Chargers at 0 and 2 are 16 and rams at 2 and 1 are 18? That makes perfect sense right?