We win and we play Detroit in the WC round (in most conceivable Wk 18 scenarios).

We lose and we play Dallas or Philly (in most conc38vable wk 18 scenarios).

I think we want to play in Detroit. Do we want it enought to risk starters?

Thank you Steelers!!

3rd time ive seen this happen this year.

when you score a TD and have a 7 point lead go for 2....

if you get it you are up two scores. it you don't you are still touchdown and exp up.

Yeah, I hope Les and Sean have learned that when you have another kicker like Gay you fucking pay the man and keep him. PKs win and lose games. IMO PKers are worth 2 maybe 3 wins or losses a year. Use a fucking mid-round pick if you have to, but get a quality guy.

Time to call Robbie Gould the guy I thought they would consider. Sure he's not going to make 50+ yd FGs anymore, but extra points and kicks under 45 yds should be money for him. This would have been a different game with just a decent, not even great kicker. McVay is too hung up on 50+ yd FGs. Just get a guy that will be money from 45 yards in. They could live with that. Besides he would love to win a game against the Niners!

I know that nobody expected the Rams to make the playoffs, but the Rams choice not to value kickers or inside linebackers almost bit them in the ass versus the Giants.

They need a second MLB that has some speed along with a real kicker. (along with many other needs this offseason.

They changed the philosophy on not valuing guards. I hope this season has them reconsidering how they view those other two positions.

Curious what you guys think rat boy is going to do next week since #1 seed is wrapped up for them now?

Yeesh

Week 17 - Sunday, December 31, 2023

Los Angeles Rams vs. New York Giants: 1:00 p.m., Fox

———

Game Day Thread

The GDT is a live thread tradition here at ROD.

While we all get fired up watching the game, please remember our core principles; we always show respect for our team and each other.

Despite the emotional highs and lows watching a game, we will moderate this thread with that in mind, however please refrain from name calling. This applies to players, the Rams organization, and each other.

This is the core rule of the GDT. Moderators are tasked to issue thread bans, at a minimum, to maintain this standard.

This is our team. Win or lose. Good days and bad. We are here for FUN, not to be dragged down.

A more loosely moderated atmosphere can be found in the chat room.

Go Rams!

———

ROD Chat Room;

Game Day Room

.

Sunday Night Football - Sunday, December 31, 2023

Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

RamsOnDemand Sportsbook

Week 17 - Sunday, December 31, 2023

THE LATE GAMES
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks: 4:05 p.m., Fox
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos: 4:25 p.m., CBS
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 4:25 p.m., CBS

THE EARLY GAMES
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Indianapolis Colts: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Los Angeles Rams vs. New York Giants: 1:00 p.m., Fox
Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 1:00 p.m., Fox
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1:00 p.m., Fox
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Commodes: 1:00 p.m., Fox
Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans: 1:00 p.m., Fox

SNF
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

———

ALREADY PLAYED

Thursday, December 28
New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns: 8:15 p.m., Prime Video

Saturday, December 30
Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys: 8:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC, WatchESPN

Week 17 - Sunday, December 31, 2023

THE EARLY GAMES
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Indianapolis Colts: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Los Angeles Rams vs. New York Giants: 1:00 p.m., Fox
Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 1:00 p.m., Fox
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1:00 p.m., Fox
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Commodes: 1:00 p.m., Fox
Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens: 1:00 p.m., CBS
Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans: 1:00 p.m., Fox

THE LATE GAMES
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks: 4:05 p.m., Fox
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos: 4:25 p.m., CBS
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 4:25 p.m., CBS

SNF
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

———

ALREADY PLAYED

Thursday, December 28
New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns: 8:15 p.m., Prime Video

Saturday, December 30
Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys: 8:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC, WatchESPN

Going into an essential late season game against a clearly inferior opponent, I believe it's disingenuous to recognize it as anything otherwise. This idea that anything can happen is obviously true, but rarely motivating which is why upsets occur all the time.

To me, the more transparent mindset would be that we expect to be better, but that's broken down to a more granular approach. If we are a better team, we should win every rep. As a player, I should win every rep. I only care about the next rep. That rep only wins if I'm more mentally focused on this play than my opponent. I've already visualized this play and it's possibilities...I'm ready....go!

What differentiates this team from previous iterations, in my opinion, is an improved consistency in execution. Other players and teams get their wins too, and coaches as well as players make bone-headed decisions which are inevitable. Sean started it by morphing his system into one that has more effective solutions to the problems defenses can present. Raheem took Staley's defensive base and outperformed its creator in developing other layers that incorporate the principles of other defensive concepts. Stafford, Shelton, Williams, Kupp, Donald, Jones, and Lake were prepared to implement the plan before the season started and it filtered to the others as well as the season progressed. I celebrated the fun of this team and though I believe it's important and something they should lean on in the playoffs, for this one game alone...I don't want celebrations. I would want focus on the next play.

Nobody on the team knows me so I'm just a fan hundreds of miles away. But I'm still looking for this focus and consistency to grow.

Good watch and shows how difficult this offense is to stop. It also reaffirms my faith in Mcvay's ability to evolve his scheme. Why did I ever let any doubts creep in.... Shame on me.


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Saturday Night Football- December 30, 2023

Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys: 8:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC

RamsOnDemand Sportsbook:

This is an interesting stats that illustrate a big disparity on the defense.

How easy is this tendency to bite on play action to fix?


Sharp points out a key vulnerability in the Rams’ defense: “The LA Rams have been a great story down the close of the season. However, this defense is the most sensitive to play action in the NFL.” The Rams have struggled against play action since Week 10, ranking dead last in EPA per attempt allowed, success rate allowed, and yards per attempt, allowing a staggering 11.9 yards per attempt. Conversely, they excel when facing non-play action passes, allowing only 4.4 yards per attempt, the best in the NFL, and ranking number two in success rate and nine in EPA per attempt.

Article about Lamar in the Athletic as the current leader in the mvp race but they say there’s a dark horses contender that no one’s talking about. Matt Stafford? Dak, Purdy, Mahomes, Allen, they’ve all had clunkers over the last part of the season and it seems like they bounce in and out of the role of favorite, but I guess if you think about it Stafford has been on a tear for the last 6 games. I was surprised when I read his name and I definitely think he’s a long shot. I think he’s as talented as anyone but I think the perception is that he’s a 2nd tier guy.
I heard a guy on the radio giving all the credit for the Rams surge to McVay cuz Stafford is just a guy, of course I spent the next 5 minutes yelling at the radio about the SB run Stafford had but I don’t think they’d give it to Stafford over all the young guns.

They've beaten the 9ers and Ravens and cruised into the playoffs and we beat them with ease.

The Ravens close loss was an impressive marker but so was the Browns win.

Going all the way on the road as a wild card team is fucking hard and I'm not saying we will. do it, but no NFC team has been as consistently good since our bye week.

I know it's been said ad infinitum, but I bet every NFC team is worried about meeting us in a way they aren't Seattle or Green Bay.

When you first see Puka Nacua on national TV, there's a high probability the man is smiling. You keep watching and notice the next time you see him, he's smiling again. You don't even notice yourself smiling along. But you do notice the other people laughing around him. Finally, you get to watch an interview he knows is being recorded and broadcast worldwide and he's being asked uncomfortable questions and guess what....yeah, he's freaking smiling again with a chuckle after most answers. Forget that he's breaking all time rookie receiving records in a notoriously complicated scheme. Don't even notice there are some calling him the most effective blocking receiver in the game already. Few would go deeply enough to know that with the better stats, Mr Nacua could never think of Cooper Kupp as anything less than his mentor, friend, and beloved teammate. But you can't possibly ignore when he gets blasted after a catch, grimaces to the locker room, and comes back to improve his performance...with a smile. Most people don't mind seeing repeats of him bounding like a kangaroo to get his gameball. Heck, I wanna see that again.

Wait! Isn't that soon to be retired Aaron Donald skipping arm in arm with Kobie Turner down the sideline? Woah!!!! Will you look at that? Sean McVay is flashing celebratory smiles on a regular basis. My lasting memory of last season was a Rams player nearly running the coach over during what was clearly a season that wore on him like no other. Last year he didn't look like the youngest coach in the league. He looked like a young Dick Vermeil.

Please be clear, I'm not suggesting that Puka will extend AD's career or that Sean's rejuvenation came from anything as much as his internal responsibility to become his authentic self. What I am suggesting is that the PERSONALITIES of players like Puka, Kyren, and Kobi are infectious and transformative.

But don't take my word for it. The next time you watch the Rams, just check to see how many times they are smiling.

Makea Nacua is not always in the endzone but Puka Nacua IS always in the Fun Zone. It makes a difference, I swear.

I've loved this team for nearly sixty years and I've NEVER enjoyed it so much as I do now. I truly hope they win it all, but not for the usual reasons. The Chip of 99 was more relief than elation for me. I was never allowed to be comfortable watching the Rams win in 21. If this year results in a trophy, maybe...just maybe, Snead will have proven a new draft factor. Find players like Puka who just find the whole thing to be a fun game.

Fun Those Picks Les...Fun Those Picks

this is bome's wife

bome is in hospital with sepsis again.....his heart is functioning at 25%, his kidneys are failing, his liver is congested and failing. the hospital has done all they can to help him but nothing is working. even the antibiotics are no longer able to work well with his body shutting down.

they've placed him on hospice care and trying to stabilize him to come home and continue hospice until the end.

sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings......but i thought you all should know since i know he'd at least would like everyone here to know why he suddenly disappeared.....i'll make one last post when he passes. keep him in your thoughts and prayers please.

take care all.

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N.Y. Jets at Cleveland Browns 8:15pm ET Prime

RamsOnDemand Sportsbook:

A bizarro year, to be sure. Come out and upset Seattle (which proved to not really be an upset at all). Fell to 3-6 over the next 5 games. Then climbed to 8-7. Now we're talking about the playoffs and the possibility we can actually win there (best matchup). Prior to the season, some of us compared the off season to the 2016 off season, as far as losing starters and bringing in new players. Even if we win out, we won't have the same record as 2017 but we will be in the postseason.

As far as the upcoming game in NJ, McVay's record on the East Coast is pretty good. His record against the Giants is really good (3-0 outscoring the G-men 106 to 37). Remember the middle of the 2017 season? The Rams played at Jacksonville (won 27-17), in London the next week (beat Arizona 33-0), came home for a bye week then flew to NJ to play the Giants which became the second highest score for McVay's Rams, a 51-17 win (only outdone by the 2018 Mexico City KC game played in SoCal right after the terrible Cali fires). In 2021 we beat the NYG 38-11 at their place which tied for #10 of McVay's Rams top scores. They played one other time but in L.A. (2020) and that one was a 17-9 win. Anyway, not predicting a blowout, just hoping for a win.

Here's the tale of the tape for McVay's Rams who have played 123 games (75-48) including the postseason.

Most Points:

54 vs KC (2018)
51 @ NYG (2017)
51 vs Denver (2022)
48 vs San Fran (2018)
46 vs Indy (2017....his very first game)
42 @ Seattle (2017)
41 @ SF (2017)
40 vs Tampa (2019...a loss)
39 @ SF (2018)
38 (4 times)

Worst Losses:

38 pts to Baltimore (2019)
23 pts @ Dallas (2019)
23 pts @ Dallas (2023)
21 pts vs San Fran (2017)
21 pts vs San Fran (2021)
21 pts vs Buffalo (2022)
21 pts @ LAC (2022)
17 pts (4 times)

Most points allowed in a win:

51 vs KC (2018)
39 @ SF (2017)
32 vs SF (2018)
31 vs Min (2018)
31 @ Sea (2018)
31 vs Sea (2018)
30 @ Dal (2017)

Most points scored in a loss:

40 vs Tampa (2019)
35 vs Philly (2017)
35 @ N.Orleans (2018)
32 @ Buffalo (2020)
31 @ San Fran (2019)
31 @ Baltmore (2023)

Fewest points scored in a win:

17 vs Chicago (2019)
17 vs NYG (2020)
17 vs Las Vegas (2022)
17 vs Seattle (2023)
18 vs Arizona (2020)

Fewest points allowed in a loss:

13 vs N.England (2018)*
15 @ Chicago (2018)
16 vs Seattle (2017)
16 @ Tampa (2022)
17 @ Pittsburgh (2019)
19 @ Seattle (2022) OT
19 @ Cincinnati (2023)

This year we put up 30 points in back to back to back weeks (@Arizona; v Cleveland; @ Baltimore) for the first time since the last 2 weeks of 2018 and the divisional game. We've scored 30 points or more 49 times in 123 games (39.8%; 43-6), 5 times this season (4-1) and 4 of them have come in the last 5 games. Keep it going!!!!!

30 points scored by season:

2017 - 9 (8-1)
2018 -13 (12-1)
2019 - 6 (4-2)
2020 - 5 (4-1)
2021 - 9 (9-0)
2022 - 2 (2-0)
2023 - 5 (4-1)

Total - 49 (43-6)

A comparison to Martz.
Mad Mike coached 92 games for the Rams and his teams scored 30 or more 37 times, 40.2%, 0.4 more than McVay's. But he only took them to 1 Super Bowl and lost. On the other hand, Martz coached for 5 1/3 seasons (5.3125) which equates to 6.96 thirty point games a year. McVay has coached 7 seasons with 49, 7.0. Not many teams can say they've had 2 offensive genius head coaches. The Rams fans can say they had 4....McVay, Martz, Gillman and Pool.

FWIW, the last time the Rams had a stretch of 5 games with 162 points (32.4 PPG) was weeks 7 to 12 (bye in week 11) of 2018......(Stafford was involved in both of them.)

@ San Fran 39-10
@ N. Orleans 35-45
vs Seattle 36-31
vs Kansas City 54-51
@ Detroit 30-16

194 pts (38.8 PPG)

Anyone got any "big boards" for us to watch as we look for #9's replacement?
Lots of names being tossed around, but wanted to see if any of you draftniks have a preferential ranking, maybe for who'd be best to back up #9 or eventually take over.
edit: This one literally compares Penix to Stafford. Plug n play?

NFC OPOTW Congrats! Puka is a god send for us!

I hear influencers and fan bases say this all the time about their teams where I want to roll my eyes a bit. It's sort of like when people who knowingly tell you how unpredictable their state's weather is, not knowing that most other state's residents say the same thing, "You never know about our weather so stick around and it'll change."

Our former 1st rounder Chris Long added a bit more reasoning as to why the Rams are really "that team"

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