Hi guys, I do a lot of work for an addictions recovery drop in centre / charity. They've just started a campaign trying to raise the profile of Excessive Gambling & Gambling Addiction called Flutter-Free February, (http://www.flutterfree.com) where people are urged to not gamble throughout February, keep a record of their potential spend to see how much they actually spend on slot machines, lotto, sports bets etc...

It would be great if you guys could do me a favour, I'm trying to hit Social Media and spread the word thats all I ask of you is, lease do a Twitter 'Selfie' showing your thumbs up in support using the #flutterfreefeb and #selfiesupport @flutterfreefeb

Feel free to sign up to the website too and do the challenge

Gambling addiction is one of the key challenges of our age, with the consequences leading to serious debt and suicide. We can't afford to stay silent any more. You never know your Tweet may reach someone, or someone's partner who may need that little nudge towards seeking help.

So please, I (and the charity) would be appreciative of your support.

Thanks guys

Whenever a team hires new coaches, those coaches makeover their teams with players that fit their systems. Frequently, they acquire players from their former teams. For this thread, my question to my Ram brethren is this, who will we pluck from the Redskins and Broncos?

LA put out their 2024 Olympic Bid video and it shows some new footage of the Inglewood stadium. Not configured for football obviously, but man is it pretty.

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[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]

Rams will turn attention to possible front-office improvements

Posted by Mike Florio on January 16, 2017, 5:55 AM EST

Now that the Rams have a new head coach, other changes could be coming to the organization.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Rams will now look at ways to improve their front office. While searching for their latest coach, the Rams obtained feedback from various persons. They will study how to implement the changes.

Don’t be surprised if they add to the front office, supplementing G.M. Les Snead, possibly with someone who would occupy a higher position on the organizational chart.

Making an addition to the front office more likely is that COO Kevin Demoff will now be focusing more on getting the stadium built on time and within budget, and less time working on football matters.

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/353566/'Good-chance'-Chip-Kelly-becomes-Jags'-OC



NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports there's a "good chance" Chip Kelly is named the Jaguars' offensive coordinator.


Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitte

Love these breakdown segments with Samuel Gold


Guide to beating Rams starts with Jared Goff


http://nflbreakdowns.com/jared-goff-la-rams-film-room-breakdown-highlights-falcons-guide-seahawks/




After the horrendous Sunday beatdown in which the Green Bay Packers absolutely dismantled the Seattle Seahawks 38-10, I wanted to turn my efforts towards Week 15 instead of reliving the painful past; the Seahawks look to rebound against rookie Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams.

A few weeks ago, I took a deeper dive into Jared Goff’s debut performance versus the Miami Dolphins. During that game, Goff was inaccurate, his offensive line was horrendous in pass protection, and his receivers did nothing to help their rookie quarterback. Well this week was very similar to Week 11 and his second interception with 9:04 remaining in the second quarter is a great example of that.

The Rams run a slant-flat concept on the right side of the field while they run a curl-flat concept on the left side of the field. The Falcons defense actually runs Cover 3 Sky with one deep safety and the outside defensive backs dropping into their deep one-third zones. LA should be in good shape, but Goff misreads the coverage and throws a pick-six.




How did Goff misread the play?

First, both of the offensive concepts that the Rams are running are designed to beat Cover 1 or to beat Cover 3. Judging pre-snap with the single high safety and the cornerbacks playing with outside technique, Goff has to immediately guess Cover 3. If he did that, he might have made the correct read.

Why is this an incorrect read?

The actual key for this quarterback on this play is the flat defender or in this case cornerback (34) Brian Poole. Notice how he takes the flat responsibility. Based on this, Goff is actually supposed to throw to the slant, however, this ignores the other defenders.

Pre-snap, the slant-flat concept is on the boundary side. With a linebacker sitting just inside the right hash marks, this is a very tight window for Goff, so he needs to adjust and read the opposite side of the field. If he did this, then he would have targeted (89) Tyler Higbee on the flat route for a five yard gain or more.

Maybe Goff thought the running back would draw the linebacker away from the play?

The slant-flat concept is run off a quick three-step drop. There is not enough time for the running back to get past his offensive line to pull the linebackers since the throw is made off his Goff’s third step.

While (44) Vic Beasley pushed right tackle (79) Rob Havenstein with a speed-to-power conversion, the pass was already thrown before any pressure arrived so that was not a factor. Simply put, Goff failed to read the coverage correctly and threw an avoidable pick-six to (45) Deion Jones.

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In addition to poor play by Goff, his receivers were beyond awful. Combined they dropped five catchable passes. One of those dropped passes turned into Goff’s first interception of the game which ended a really good opening drive down the field.

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Before the snap, Goff motions (83) Brian Quick across the formation. Atlanta slides their linebacker protection over, but no man follows indicating zone coverage to Goff. After the snap, the inside linebacker drops into the middle third zone creating their Tampa 2 coverage.

Goff looks to his right, sees that (18) Kenny Britt has inside leverage on Robert Alford. He then fires the pass accurately into his receivers’ chest. Instead of a quick completion, the pass deflects off of Britt’s arms for (37) Ricardo Allen to make an easy interception. With Britt’s size and positioning, he needs to do a better job of boxing out Alford to prevent this from happening.

I mentioned this in my Dolphins film breakdown earlier in the season, but the Rams offense needs a new left tackle and it desperately needs a wide receiver that does not have a history of making drops.

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On the season Tavon Austin has eight drops, while Kenny Britt and Lance Kendricks both have five, respectively.

While the offensive line generally did a poor job in this game, especially versus Vic Beasley, Goff’s pocket awareness is not always the best. He slides away from the pressure laterally but he needs to step up into the pocket to help his lineman seal out edge rushers more easily. I definitely blame Havenstein for the majority of the sack since he did not set deep enough for Beasley’s speed rush, but Goff is not 100% innocent in this play either.

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In general, the offensive was an issue for a lot of these plays, but what was particularly interesting is that Goff is actually used to pressure that he typically does a good job of finding the underneath checkdown receiver to not allow the pressure to affect him. As evidenced in this table below, Goff actually performed his best whenever the Falcons blitzed.



In aggregate, this game should give the Seahawks defense a basic guide to defeating Goff and the LA offense.

As many know, Dan Quinn was Seattle’s ex-defensive coordinator and runs the same defense as his old team. This is useful since the Seahawks can study what exactly Atlanta did that was so successful and they can also look at what wasn’t.

Something that was successful was their use of tackle-end stunts (below) or by lining up their edge rushers in Wide 9 technique (above).

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Finally, as we saw in the table above, Goff performed his best while blitzed. In my opinion, Seattle should sit back in zone coverage and force Goff to read the defense. It might seem counter-intuitive, but since Goff had such a porous offensive line at Cal, you might consider attacking him by playing more conservatively. I’d consider rarely blitzing and dropping seven into coverage while sometimes dropping eight.

For Thursday night, a lot hinges on how well Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense will respond to their performance versus the Packers. While I didn’t touch on that here, the entire offense needs to execute better fundamentally. Drops, penalties, interceptions, and poor pass protection were all issues on Sunday.

If Seattle can shut down the Rams offense like they did in the first match-up, and Wilson finds some resemblance of rhythm, the Seahawks have a good shot in this match. If they don’t, it’s going to be another low scoring game.



NFL Breakdowns Ep 30: Bobby Wagner as Mike LB in Seahawks' Defense vs Rams

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Enjoy Ramily

I'm sure McVay will add his own touches to the Offense.
I think he will start with something like this and then it will evolve as he adapts it
to our team.

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I don't think they keep both of these guys next season and I can't make up my mind over who I would rather have back. They possess similar skills and size , both are fast and can stretch the field but they also both can disappear in games and tend to drop easy catches . What are your thoughts? Right now I'm leaning towards Britt because he had a great year and made alot of big plays , but don't forget Quick started off the season playing very well also.

These are excerpts. To read the whole article click the link below.
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http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/01/16/nfl-divisional-playoffs-aaron-rodgers-packers-peter-king

Final Four Looks Fantastic
New England. Pittsburgh. Atlanta. Green Bay. How did they get here? Let’s start with the best throw of Aaron Rodgers’ life, and also get into five new head coaches, one messy franchise relocation and the birth of a new King
by Peter King

An assistant coach for one of the NFL’s final four teams summed up Sunday night why the four teams made it … and why the also-rans in the league remain also-rans.

“Look at the four quarterbacks playing next week,” Coach X said. “Aaron Rodgers. Tom Brady. Matt Ryan. Ben Roethlisberger. What does that tell you about this game?”

Two things:

1. You have to have a very good quarterback to be playing deep into January.

2. Championship Sunday—Green Bay at Atlanta, Pittsburgh at New England—could be epic.

Passer ratings of the Fine Four, regular season: Ryan, 117.1, Brady, 112.2, Rodgers, 104.2, Roethlisberger, 95.4. Combined touchdown passes: 135. Picks: 29.

* * *


Mason Crosby hit the game-winning field goal after Aaron Rodgers’ miraculous throw helped put the Packers in position.
Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

What a week. Five teams name coaches. The Jags name a czar. The Chargers abandon San Diego; a Los Angeles debacle awaits. The Year of the Playoff Rout continues with two Saturday snoozers … and then comes one of the best Sundays of playoff football in a while, with the best throw of Aaron Rodgers’ life—and I don’t care that he says, “No, no, I’ve made better ones.” No, no, you haven’t.

Just as Eli Manning will never make a better throw than the perfect 38-yard rainbow down the left sideline to Mario Manningham five years ago to set up the Giants’ Super Bowl win over New England, Rodgers will one day realize this 38-yard line drive (he threw it 38 yards in the air) is his personal best, for many reasons.

One: Running left and pausing and then running some more, Rodgers flicked the ball across his body ridiculously accurately, tracing the left sideline to Jared Cook, who got a couple of toenails in while falling out of bounds to make the catch count. Two: It happened with three seconds left in a 31-31 game. Three: Green Bay had blown a 15-point lead in the last 12 minutes.

Aaron Rodgers is playing the position as well as it’s ever been played. You don’t need stats to know that. You need eyes. That’s one of the reasons why this weekend is so special. Is it far-fetched to think we’ll be watching three Hall-of-Famers and the 2016 NFL MVP quarterbacking their teams? That’s not to say Ryan won’t make the Hall of Fame.

It’s that his career doesn’t have the luster of the other three. Yet. Brady and Rodgers could be very, very high on the all-time list. Just ask Dallas coach Jason Garrett, who sounded like Jack Buck on the Kirk Gibson home run (“I don’t believe what I … just … saw!”) after the game.

"At the end of the day,” Garrett said, “they're gonna talk about [Rodgers] as one of the top three quarterbacks who ever laced them up.”

First, the upcoming playoff matchups:

NFC: Green Bay (12-6, fourth seed) at Atlanta (12-5, second seed), Georgia Dome, 3:05 p.m. ET. I’m not a gambler, and I don’t pay much attention to gambling things. But Aaron Rodgers at Matt Ryan is why several sports books in Las Vegas, as the clock moved close to midnight Sunday, had the over/under total for this game at 60.5 points—the highest ever for an NFL championship game or Super Bowl.

There’s a reason for that: Since Nov. 20, the Falcons and Packers (each of whom is 14-2 in that span) have combined to score an average of 33.6 points per game. But the most stunning note here is that since Nov. 20, in a total of 16 games, the two quarterbacks have combined for this touchdown-to-interception differential: 41-to-3. There’s also the fact that they’ll play under a dome on Sunday, so weather conditions will be no factor.

The key to this game, I believe will be the improving front seven of the Falcons. “We get better every week, because we’ve got young guys still learning our defense,” coach Dan Quinn told me Saturday night. Seven of Atlanta’s 12 defensive starters (sort of; I’m counting undrafted rookie Brian Poole, who has started nine games at corner and averages 51 snaps a game) are in their first or second seasons.

If Vic Beasley and Brooks Reed, who played off the edge in tandem against Seattle like their hair was on fire, can bug the elusive Rodgers enough, that’ll give Atlanta a chance to hold Rodgers out of the end zone or without a field goal on two or three possessions—which may be just enough to win a 38-33 type of game.

AFC: Pittsburgh (13-5, third seed) at New England (15-2, first seed), Gillette Stadium, 6:40 p.m. ET. The first playoff meeting of Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger in 12 years (since Roethlisberger’s rookie season) is a fitting battle of the heavyweights to decide the AFC representative in the Super Bowl. Because each quarterback likes to play almost entirely from the pocket, and because each defense has some backfield vulnerability, this could be a game decided by a Bud Dupree or a Rob Ninkovich, an edge rusher who can get free to harass the passer.

But this is also a game in which two surging backs could be determining factors. No one has stopped Le’Veon Bell in two months; he’s averaging 158 rushing yards in the past five games, when everyone knows he’s going to be fed over and over. But don’t think New England can’t run, just because its backs are a lot less famous. In the regular season New England rushed on 45.6 percent of its snaps, Pittsburgh 39.9 percent.

Sort of startling. But the streak Bell is on is one of the greatest by a runner the league has seen. Two weeks in a row he’s broken the Steelers’ playoff rushing record—the first time surpassing Franco Harris’ 42-year-old mark, and Sunday night surpassing his own seven-day-old record.

Defensive speed hurt the Patriots against Houston, with Brady struggling to escape Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney. But New England usually finds ways to make enough plays on offense when Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick and Brady put their heads together. This should be a memorable game.

* * *

On Sean McVay, 30

Sean McVay landed his first head-coaching job with less than a decade experience in the NFL.
Photo: Michael Owen Baker/AP

Being the youngest coach in NFL history. Dining at Spago in Hollywood with one of the richest men in America (and now his employer, Stan Kroenke). Seeing Fergy and Josh Duhamel and Wolfgang Puck there. Having this rich man say to him, after three or four meals and meetings, “What do you think? Do you want to do this?”

A decade ago, Sean McVay was a junior at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, watching the NFL playoffs on TV. Now the Los Angeles Rams have hired him, in large part to coach the first pick of the 2016 draft to greatness.

“It hasn’t even hit me,” McVay said Saturday afternoon from L.A. “I mean, how could it? If I think about it, of course I’m surprised. Who wouldn’t be, at this age? But I’m not intimidated, at all. When I was 24, I was coaching tight ends in Washington, and Chris Cooley was really good, and he was 29. What I found is this: If these players think you can help them win, they’ll listen. These are men, this is a job, and if you know what you’re doing, they’re with you.”

Case in point: McVay, like all coaches, had some moments with headstrong wideout DeSean Jackson. But when the Rams reached out to get Jackson’s opinion about McVay, Jackson raved and said he loved playing for McVay and would be happy to play for him again someday. McVay was Washington’s offensive coordinator and play-caller the past two seasons under Jay Gruden, and his first coaching job was on Jon Gruden’s last staff in Tampa Bay in 2008.

When the Rams interviewed him, they heard a mini-Gruden. In fact, when I spoke to him, he referred to Jon Gruden in an odd way. “When I met with [rookie quarterback] Jared Goff the other day, I did something I saw on the Coach Gruden Quarterback Camp,” McVay said. “I said, ‘This play right here, what would you call this in your offense?’ I was impressed with his quick recall and personality. You think of him as a laid-back California kid, but he’s actually fiery.”

In Washington, McVay was responsible for all play calls; though Jay Gruden retained power over the game plan, McVay filtered the input of every offensive staffer into the final plan, and Gruden got to trust his judgment doing it. “Jay and me would decide on the final list, but it was collaborative,” McVay said. “On game day, he got to trust me calling the plays. Jay was really great at delegating and empowering his staff.”

However … “There is not a chance I would let anyone call the plays, at least at first,” McVay said. “It’s something I really want to do and feel comfortable doing.”

He knows he’ll be judged by how he develops Goff, who had a few forgettable weeks commanding the league’s worst offense last year. He thinks it’s fair. And he also thinks he shouldn’t have a honeymoon period. “I expect to be respectable next year,” McVay said. “We gotta put our arms around this guy and coach him to be the best he can be. So much of our success is going to be predicated on quickly we can get Jared going.”

At least McVay knows the lay of the land. If his marriage with Goff works, he’ll be around for years, long after the next Rams stadium in Los Angeles opens in 2019. If not, he’ll join the long line of coaches who went somewhere with a bad or shaky quarterback situation, struggled to turn them around, and couldn’t survive. He might be a kid, but he knows the NFL drill about patience. If you don’t win, there isn’t any.


* * *

The Chargers Have to Know What’s Ahead

San Diego fans were quick to show their displeasure after the Chargers announced they were relocating to Los Angeles.
Photo: Denis Poroy/AP

Five points about the Chargers’ move up the I-5 to a 27,000-seat stadium they will struggle to fill for the next two years:

1. The owners in the NFL—aside from Dean Spanos of the Chargers—have to be waking up in the days following the decision of the Chargers to relocate to Los Angeles and saying, “What have we done?” Los Angeles doesn’t want a second NFL team. Los Angeles doesn’t need a second NFL team. There will be embarrassing days ahead for this franchise and this city regarding its NFL teams, but none that couldn’t have been predicted.

I have not heard a soul saying this is a good idea. Not one. We’ll see how smart the NFL’s market studies were three or four years down the road. But if this tanks, it will be the kind of pockmark on Roger Goodell’s commissionership that will be hard to erase.

2. I’ve had a couple of NFL officials scoff at this, but we’ll see in a few years. The Clippers, after years of ineptitude and second-fiddledom to the Lakers, were sold to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion. If a bad NBA franchise (albeit one turning the corner to competency) is worth $2 billion in Los Angeles, what must a bad NFL team be worth? Four billion? Even if this team performs badly at the box office, Dean Spanos should be able to make a killing on a sale if he chooses.

3. Los Angeles has a history of non-support for losing franchises. It doesn’t matter how many people live there; if the product is lousy, people don’t go. I’ll be surprised if the Chargers can fill the little place in Carson the next two years except for rivalry games.

4. If there’s one second-guess about San Diego’s move, it’s this: The Chargers shouldn’t have focused so heavily on the downtown San Diego site that was throttled at the polls last November. I believe had they focused inland (either near the current Qualcomm site or somewhere else, perhaps combining with San Diego State), they could have had a chance at passing a public vote for a more modest project in 2018.

Say it failed. Then move. But the Raiders are going to Las Vegas, in all likelihood. If the Chargers took one more swing, even if it was a long shot, at making a lesser project work, and it didn’t pass muster in November 2018, they could have relocated to Los Angeles then.

5. I can’t indict Spanos on this wholly. I do believe he tried hard to make a new stadium work in San Diego. I’m just not a fan of leaving a place where people love you for one where apathy reigns. I honestly do not recall a situation when an NFL team moved, and the market they moved to responded in such a bored, almost antagonistic way. I’m just still trying to figure out who thought this was a good idea.

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* * *

The Play That Deadened Dallas

Aaron Rodgers’ ability to hold onto the ball after this blindside sack by Jeff Heath set the stage for the next play.
Photo: Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Cowboys had just stormed back with 18 fourth-quarter points to tie the game, and the Packers were facing the real possibility of going to overtime when they huddled one last time. They had the ball at their own 32-yard line, facing a 3rd-and-20, with 12 seconds on the clock. Aaron Rodgers called the play and looked around the huddle. “Just get open,” he said.

That’s what Jared Cook, the Packers’ tight end, was thinking as he started running his route from the slot, dragging across the field from right to left. Just get open. The Cowboys were only rushing three linemen and had dropped into a deep zone. Rodgers spun away from the pressure and rolled to his left, trying to buy his receivers more time. Cook saw Rodgers roll that way and kept running with him, toward the sideline, trying to “find his eyes.”

“With Aaron, you always have to improvise,” Cook would say later. “You always just have to keep working. You always have to make sure you’re in the right position to see him.”

As Cook kept running, he recognized a soft spot in the Cowboys zone. Dallas had safety Byron Jones a few yards in front of him, but no one behind him. If he could get open behind Jones, he figured, Rodgers would find him. Rodgers set his feet and cocked his arm, as if he were going to launch a pass to a receiver further downfield. Then he paused and pulled the ball down and kept moving, having apparently noticed Cook streaking open.

Still rolling and almost falling away, Rodgers fired the ball to Cook, who tapped his feet down, falling out of bounds. On replay, you could see that Cook kept his toes in-bounds by a matter of inches. For a 35-yard gain. “Unbelievable,” Joe Buck said on the broadcast, followed by Mason Crosby nailing a 51-yarder as time expired.

Afterward, Rodgers told Erin Andrews the play reminded him of something from the schoolyard. Cook gave Rodgers the credit. “The ball was thrown perfectly,” Cook said. “He put it maybe a half-foot in bounds, to where I could keep my feet in. He made it easy for me.”

* * *

The Old and the New

Quite a week for the hiring of coaches and revamping of front offices. We’ll pay particular attention to the 70-year-old football czar in Jacksonville and the 30-year-old head coach with the Rams in a moment, but check the highlights from a frenzied week:

Monday, 7:32 p.m. Jaguars announce hiring of Tom Coughlin as VP of football operations and Doug Marrone as head coach.

Wednesday, 4:05 p.m. Broncos announce hiring of Vance Joseph as head coach.

Wednesday, 9:15 p.m. Bills announce hiring of Sean McDermott as head coach.

Thursday, 11:21 a.m. Chargers announce move from San Diego to Los Angeles.

Thursday, 4:06 p.m. Rams announce hiring of Sean McVay as head coach.

Friday, 9:13 a.m. Rams announce hiring of Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator.

Friday, 8:05 p.m. Broncos announce hiring of new offensive braintrust: Mike McCoy as coordinator, Bill Musgrave as quarterbacks coach.

Friday, 8:16 p.m. Chargers announce hiring of Anthony Lynn as head coach.

Saturday, 4:02 p.m. Raiders announce hiring of Todd Downing as offensive coordinator.

Sunday. 49ers interview Seattle offensive line coach Tom Cable for head coaching job.

Quick thoughts:

• Niners in a good spot. It’s interesting that the musical chairs have stopped now (except maybe for Indianapolis, where the unpredictability of owner Jim Irsay could extend the status quo of coach Chuck Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson or lead to the dismissal of one or both), and still on San Francisco’s list are two men who were strongly considered the leading contenders for jobs two weeks ago: Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

San Francisco seems to be down to those two, plus Cable if he blew away the Jed York team in Sunday’s talk. After employing three coaches in the past 25 months, the only way the Niners will get a top candidate now is to start with a very long contract—five or six years—and the power to overhaul the culture. When this process started, I thought there wasn’t a team that could provide the 40-year-old McDaniels the strong opportunity to succeed in his second chance, and though I believe the 49ers understand how far they have to stretch to get a coach of this caliber, I’ll stick with my December opinion:

My gut feeling is that this job, like the others this year, isn’t solid in enough areas to be close to a sure thing. So I think it’s most likely that McDaniels stays attached to Tom Brady another year, and the job goes to Shanahan (likely) or Cable (less likely).

• Lynn is the big winner. For years, Anthony Lynn has been an impressive behind-the-scenes assistant, most notably for Bill Parcells and Rex Ryan. But he began to rise in 2016 after taking over for Greg Roman as Bills offensive coordinator and then in December as interim head coach when Rex Ryan was dropped. The men who coached with him and played for him talked about his organization, his presence in a room and his intelligence in putting a game plan together against all different kinds of defenses.

He goes to the team in the toughest division, the AFC West; and to the team in the biggest transition mode, moving to Los Angeles. It’s a no-win prospect, seemingly, for the next couple of years. But the best existing team out there with a vacancy was the Chargers.

The new L.A. team was the only opening with a top-tier quarterback (Philip Rivers), a potential 1,500-yard rusher (Melvin Gordon), a franchise receiver (Keenan Allen, albeit coming off a knee injury), two edge rushers (Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram) and even a potential top-10 corner (Casey Hayward). No other opening comes close to having six top-tier players of that caliber. Lynn’s going to have to make this team better as it emerges from chaos. That will be his biggest task.

• Why a defensive coach in offensively challenged Denver? At first glance, Denver’s hire of Vance Joseph looks odd. They hired a one-year coordinator who had Ndamukong Suh and Cam Wake on his defensive front and finished 29th in the league in total defense, and it wasn’t the defense that needed fixing here. What GM John Elway thought—and the public missed—was that he didn’t mind a major staff turnover, including defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, so the staff could get younger while keeping a few of the younger standout coaches on the defensive side.

Plus: Part of Joseph’s sales pitch to Elway was that he’d be able to bring as his offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, and Elway very much respects McCoy, who was Peyton Manning’s coach in 2012 in Denver. And two young Denver quarterbacks need hard coaching. Joseph left Miami highly respected by coaches and players, and one of his first jobs will be to make sure a locker room with some cracks that surfaced late in the Kubiak regime will get patched.

In the end, it appears Elway judged Joseph a better leader and manager with better staff vision than other candidates, including Kyle Shanahan—and better able to manage a locker room full of strong personalities.

* * *

On Tom Coughlin, 70

Tom Coughlin is now vice president of football operations in Jacksonville, where he served as coach from 1995-2002.
Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

When he first interviewed with owner Shad Khan in Florida 13 days ago, Coughlin was talking about the coaching job. Six days later—last Monday morning—the conversation shifted to an over-arching job in charge of all football operations, including personnel, the 53-man roster and scouting. That’s a big jump for Coughlin, 70, who hasn’t had that authority in 15 years, his last coaching/managing season with the Jaguars in his first go-round there. The natural question for Coughlin: You’ve really wanted to get one more shot at coaching, so isn’t it disappointing to not be on the sidelines, where your life in football has been?

“No,” Coughlin told me Friday. “No, no, no. As this thing developed, this is what I wanted to do, and this is where I wanted to be. I think I’ve been able to grow in football in my career. Remember, you’re always in personnel. Coaches are in personnel; there’s not a great divide there. You grade your team, you grade potential free-agents, you grade players before the draft, and the personnel side tells you their grades. But I think also I’ve grown in the last year, working for commissioner [Roger] Goodell [as an adviser to the NFL football operations staff].

I got to see things a little bit differently. I got to be in the officiating command center every Sunday and Monday, and I got to sit on the GM advisory committee. Seeing the game as a whole, instead of just from the coaching side, opened up some new interests for me. I sat with Commissioner Goodell, discussing a range of issues. I think the experience made me better for a job like this.”

The issue with Coughlin, of course, will be his age. Shad Khan just put a 70-year-old man, fired by the Giants a year ago, in charge of his young team, with a coach (Marrone) he hasn’t worked with, and a GM (Dave Caldwell) he hasn’t worked with. That’s got the potential to be incendiary.

But Coughlin won’t fail because of his age. Of the coaches and front-office people in the league, I’d put his memory and recall and organization pretty high. He reminded me of that Saturday. In 1994, while he was scouting and prepping for the Jaguars’ inaugural season of 1995, I spent a weekend with him for a Sports Illustratedstory, on the coach who wasn’t coaching. There were trailers outside the old stadium that was being refurbished for team offices and practice facilities, and Coughlin and I sat in one for a while, talking about the task.

He played coy about his plans for quarterback, but I noticed a stack of VCR scouting tapes on a TV stand, and they were labeled with quarterback names. One name was an intriguing one: Green Bay backup Mark Brunell. I found out the Packers would dangle Brunell in trade—and that’s eventually what happened, a deal from the Packers to the expansion Jags—and wrote about it.

On Friday, Coughlin said: “Coming back here for the second time, the memories rush back. Remember the trailers when we first got here? You remember. You came to write about it. You’re the one who picked up on our interest in Brunell. Remember?”

Of course. What’s impressive is a 70-year-old guy rebooting a team remembers something like that from 22 years ago. Now he’ll have to make an organization that’s seen nothing but failure get three disparate franchise leaders seeing the same vision.

“There’s no magic to it,” Coughlin said. “We gotta change the culture. That’s our job. Mediocrity has set in, and that’s got to change. The only way it changes is with hard work.”

* * *

Quotes of the Week

“These ass----- have a day-and-a-half head start on us.”

—Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, in his postgame speech to his team in Kansas City on Sunday night, referring to the homestanding Patriots getting an extra day to prepare for the AFC title game.

Tomlin was caught on tape saying this by wideout Antonio Brown, who was taping the postgame locker room and put it up on social media. This, despite Tomlin warning players to keep it “tight” during the week—in other words, don’t say anything disrespectful to the press that would get the Patriots riled up.

I doubt Tomlin is mad at the Patriots. Calling them ass----- is locker-room talk that I don't take as a slam. What I would surmise is that Tomlin is mad at the league for giving the top seed a huge advantage. The Patriots play at home on a Saturday and will host the AFC title game eight days later.

The Steelers will play on the road a day after New England plays, get home at 4 in the morning, then have to travel to play the Patriots six days later. Not saying there's anything that can be done about it—except mandating that the two AFC games be played one day, and the two NFC games the next so neither team has an extra day of rest and preparation. But I believe that's why Tomlin said that.
----------------------------
“Fans here in LA responded the same way we respond to opening a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon in the mail.”

—Late-night ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, on the Chargers relocating to Los Angeles.

Out of the mouths of comedians …
----------------------------
“Wolfgang kept asking, ‘Mr. Kroenke, have we found a coach?’ I wanted to say, ‘Hey man, I’m right here!’”

—New Rams coach Sean McVay, who, at 30, didn’t appear very head-coach-like when famed restaurateur Wolfgang Puck approached a dining-room table of Rams officials, including owner Stan Kroenke and McVay, the night before he was introduced as coach. This story was relayed by Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke.

* * *

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers. Rodgers completed 65 percent of his passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. He made a miraculous 35-yard pass to set up the winning field goal. But the second-best play he made might have come two plays before that, when Cowboys safety Jeff Heath completely blindsided him, and Rodgers somehow had the strength to hold onto the football and the awareness to pop up and call a timeout, preserving a few more precious seconds.

Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers. Bell’s first two playoff games: 167 yards last week, and then 170 yards this week against the Chiefs. Bell made headlines this past week when he made comments comparing himself to Steph Curry, the way he’s re-defining the running back position, the way he pauses at the line before taking off. It was revealed Sunday night on the NBC broadcast that Mike Tomlin poked fun at Bell during a team meeting this week, essentially saying, Okay, if you’re Steph Curry, lead us to a championship. Bell may very well do just that.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

James Harrison, LB, Steelers. Harrison is 38 years old and still may be the best player on the Steelers defense. This was his stat line Sunday: six tackles, three tackles for loss, one crucial third-down sack, and one holding penalty drawn that foiled the Chiefs’ two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter. Since the Steelers inserted Harrison in the starting lineup nine games ago, they haven’t lost.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Mason Crosby, K, Packers. Crosby made two 50-yard-plus field goals in the final 93 seconds of the game, both of which gave the Packers a lead. On the second one, the one that finally won the game, he even had to overcome having a kick waved off because the Cowboys called a timeout to ice him. Crosby stepped up and made it again. That’s clutch.

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers. He went 6-for-6 on field goals, accounted for all 18 Steelers points, and set the record for most field goals in a playoff game. The NFL issued Boswell a “random” drug test after he hit six field goals in a game in December. Maybe the league will want to check him again, just in case.

Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots. No other player in NFL playoff history ever accomplished what Lewis did Saturday night, scoring a touchdown on the ground, through the air, and on a kickoff return. And the return, a 98-yarder, was the first kickoff returned for a touchdown in the playoffs in franchise history. For all the Patriots’ playoff success the past 15 years, that’s mighty impressive. The return also gave the Pats a 14-3 lead and some breathing room, at a time when their offense wasn’t exactly clicking.

COACH OF THE WEEK

Dan Quinn, head coach, Falcons. Atlanta hired away Quinn from Seattle in 2015, hoping he’d remake their defense, which at the time was the worst in football allowing about 400 yards a game. Two years later, Quinn beat his old team Sunday with a masterful defensive performance. The Falcons sacked Russell Wilson three times, intercepted him twice, and held him and the Seahawks to just 220 yards over the final three quarters, as the Falcons pulled away with a 36-20 win. With that, the transformation of the Falcons defense was complete.

Todd Haley, offensive coordinator, Steelers. Haley coached against a former employer of his, too, this week. The Chiefs fired him midway through his third year coaching the team in 2011, and on Sunday, he got a bit of revenge. On the Steelers’ final drive, needing one first down to run out the clock and backed up deep in their own end, Haley called two gutsy pass plays: a five-yard pass to Eli Rogers and then a seven-yard crossing route to Antonio Brown for that crucial first down. The Steelers knelt out the clock from there.

GOAT OF THE WEEK

Eric Fisher, OT, Chiefs. Regardless of whether you, Travis Kelce or anyone else thought Fisher held James Harrison on the two-point conversion try, the refs did and the flag cost the Chiefs two points in what would have been a tie game. Even more, Fisher blamed himself. “With the game on the line, for me to let the team down, it’s going to be a hard one to let go,” he said afterward.

Jason Garrett, head coach, Cowboys. During the Cowboys’ final drive of the game, Garrett probably shouldn’t have called for Dak Prescott to spike the ball on first down from the Green Bay 40-yard line, with the score tied and the clock running under a minute. Garrett said afterward that they spiked it to preserve their final timeout. The Cowboys didn’t end up using it, though. They gained seven more yards, stalled on third down, and kicked the tying field goal. That left 35 seconds on the clock, which turned out to be too much time for Aaron Rodgers.

* * *

The number of minority head coaches in the NFL in this century:

Pre-Rooney Rule
2000: 3
2001: 3
2002: 2

Since Rooney Rule was adopted
2003: 3
2004: 5
2005: 6
2006: 7
2007: 6
2008: 6
2009: 6
2010: 6
2011: 8
2012: 6
2013: 4
2014: 5
2015: 6
2016: 6
2017: 8 (with San Francisco’s hire remaining)

* * *

Things I Think I Think

1. I think these are my quick thoughts of analysis from divisional weekend:

a. This is the essence of what’s wrong with Brock Osweiler: Second quarter in Foxboro, four minutes left, third-and-three, Texans down 14-13 and making what should have been a rout a real game, Osweiler back to pass at the Texans’ four, pats the ball staring over the middle, throws into three Patriots and one Texan, the ball bounces off Rob Ninkovich’s hands for what should have been an interception, and the Texans punt.

b. That play, with such flawed judgment, is why my gut feeling is it is more likely than not that the Texans cut ties with Osweiler in the off-season and take the massive cap hit (it would cost Houston $25 million to cut Osweiler after one season) that such a move would engender.

c. If you switched quarterbacks in the Houston-New England game, with Tom Brady playing for Houston and Brock Osweiler for New England, this would have been the final score: Texans 30, Patriots 9 ... and that is not an exaggeration, in the least.

d. There simply is no answer for a broiling-hot quarterback (Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan) in January.

e. How, in a playoff game of the magnitude of Green Bay-Dallas, can Aaron Rodgers go to the line and do the trademark of his game twice in the first 25 minutes of the game—quick-snapping to catch the Cowboys with too many men on the field?

f. How, in a playoff game of the magnitude of Green Bay-Dallas, can the officials twice in the first 25 minutes of the game miss clear jersey-grabs by the Cowboys against Packer wideout Davante Adams?

2. I think the moral of the story from game one of the playoff weekend was this: Two years ago, Seattle’s speed and athleticism and offensive-front power would have decimated Atlanta. I do not buy that the huge difference Saturday evening was the absence of Earl Thomas for Seattle. I buy that the Seahawks have a terrible offensive line, which makes it impossible for Russell Wilson to play any sort of patient football. Getting Wilson chased all over the field is worse than the absence of Earl Thomas to Seattle’s fortunes.

3. I think Mike Pereira broke a bit of news on the Green Bay-Dallas game: “I can pretty much, after seeing the assignments, say that it looks like Carl Cheffers, who has the game tonight in Kansas City, will be the referee that moves on to the Super Bowl.” That’d be Cheffers’ first Super Bowl refereeing assignment.

And yes, for those of you who remember the 2013 Week In the Life of the Officials series I did with the crew of referee Gene Steratore, Pereira’s news would seem to portend another bridesmaid year for Steratore, still looking for his first Super Bowl assignment.

4. I think one thing you should not forget in the incredible season-saving Aaron Rodgers throw and Jared Cook catch is the decisiveness of side judge Rob Vernatchi. Standing maybe 10 yards from the catch, but right near the white stripe, Vernatchi stared at the spot of Cook’s catch and sprinted to the spot, curving his arms in front of him and make the NFL signal for a good catch.

As replay showed, Vernatchi was as correct as he was decisive. For as much criticism as the officials take, here’s an example of a bold call made absolutely right.

5. I think these are a few thoughts on the Bills:

a. Terry and Kim Pegula, by all reports, are good and loyal people with a strong desire to build a winning organization. So far, they’ve been very good at cycling through coaches: Doug Marrone in 2014 (the Pegulas were approved as owners in Week 6 2014), Rex Ryan in 2015 and 2016, and now Sean McDermott for 2017. Three coaches in 28 months—same number of coaches the Steelers have had in 47 years. The owners will find out soon that changing coaches every couple of years guarantees one thing, and it’s not winning.

b. “I’ve done my research,” said McDermott. “In my opinion this was the best job on the market.” It very well could be—if there’s a winning quarterback on the roster now. Tyrod Taylor can be good enough, if McDermott and his staff can get the greatness he occasionally showed out him consistently.

c. The Bills should keep Taylor. Absolutely. Even at his overbearing cost. He’s Buffalo’s best chance at breaking the playoff schneid anytime soon.

d. I hope for Western New Yorkers’ sakes that the Bills didn’t blow it by letting Anthony Lynn walk.

e. The best thing McDermott can do? Be uber-organized, which Rex Ryan wasn’t, and be uber-consistent, which Rex Ryan wasn’t either. And don’t worry about winning the press conference. It sounds cute, but fans don’t care, and they actually get angry when the head coach does Seinfeld stuff and doesn’t win.

6. I think it’s 85-15 the Raiders move to Las Vegas.

7. I think this from Houston coach Bill O’Brien should put to bed what owner Bob McNair said last week about O’Brien certainly being back in 2017 as the Texans’ coach, despite some reports that the coach and team were on the rocks: O’Brien said after the 34-18 loss in Foxboro, “I’ll be back next season. I’ll be the Texans’ coach.”

8. I think I really wanted to hear a perspective from a boots-on-the-ground San Diegan, to get the emotion of what’s being felt in a city that loves its Chargers. So I asked veteran radio reporter and producer Marty Caswell, who also grew up in the city, for her perspective in the wake of the Chargers leaving. She wrote a stinging rebuke of Chargers owner Dean Spanos in return:

Caswell wrote: “Two days after Dean Spanos shocked the NFL and destroyed a 56-year fan base of San Diego Chargers fans, a gentleman stopped me on the Pacific Beach boardwalk in town to ask: Will we ever get another football team?

I had no answers for him but told him I was putting together some thoughts for The MMQB. He said: Please tell them that the national perception of San Diego fans is wrong. Why would we support Dean Spanos after he didn’t care about us? Why would we vote for him? That sums up overwhelming sentiment from a fan base that grew disenfranchised with Spanos years ago.

“From the failures on the football field to an owner who was soundly rejected by his NFL peers in trying to move to Carson last year, then had to crawl back to San Diego declaring that was where he wanted to be all along … an owner that the mayor of San Diego and the president of San Diego State said “wasn't a good faith partner” and simply refused to negotiate.

When Spanos announced his decision to move to Los Angeles with an impersonal four-paragraph statement on his website, crushing devastation, anguish and disbelief from generations of San Diego Chargers fans came through with angry reaction on email, Twitter, and callers to my radio station, the Mighty 1090. Many choked back tears.

The icing on the cake may be the choreographed media tour Spanos did in Los Angeles, trying to ingratiate himself to his new “fan” base while the corpse of 56 years in San Diego was still warm. What type of difference would it have made on the stadium vote if Dean had sincerely campaigned in San Diego on a stadium plan that most now believe was a farce from the start? If he had put a quarter of the effort he put toward Los Angeles on good-faith negotiations with San Diego officials? We'll never know.

“At best, Dean was incompetent as an owner. At the worst, he was a calculated fraud. San Diego didn't vote against keeping the Chargers. They voted against Dean Spanos. Now, the city is left to mourn over the loss of their beloved Chargers. The revulsion San Diego now feels for the Chargers was conflicted when Philip Rivers called our station to discuss the move, choking back tears when discussing how much San Diego has meant to him.

Dan Fouts put it best the day the news broke: ‘For me, it's a gut shot. It's hard to imagine San Diego without the Chargers.’ Fouts and Rivers got it. Dean Spanos never did.”

9. I think The MMQBStaff Clairvoyant of the Week goes to Andy Benoit, for his story last summer saying Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay deserved to be an NFL head coach, even at the ripe old age of 30. “That was amazing when he wrote that,” McVay said Saturday. “And then it came true. Andy’s pretty good.”

Here's a fix to the NFL's tired policy of blocking coaches from interviews

• by Jason La Canfora
• @JasonLaCanfora

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/h...d-policy-of-blocking-coaches-from-interviews/

Stop me if you've heard me say this before, but the way the NFL polices the hiring of coaches, and assistant coaches in particular, requires a radical change. The rules are heavily prohibitive and make it too easy for a team to preclude its lower-tiered coaches from pursuing promotions elsewhere.


It's an archaic system. It suppresses the talent pool, and it does so at a time when fans and owners often are underwhelmed by options to replace coaches. It's especially not a good look when people are bemoaning the product on the field and the stalled player development on many staffs. The time for change is now, and I suggest altering the process to allow an individual assistant coach to be able to usurp his club's denied interview request at least once in his career to explore an outside coordinator opportunity.

As it stands, if Team A is conducting a search for a new coordinator and Team B has a young quarterback coach or offensive line coach, for instance, who Team A wants to hire as a primary play caller and leader of its offense or defense or special teams, Team B can block that process from ever taking place. Nip it in the bud. Never even let them speak.

Team B can decline the interview request out of hand, refuse the opportunity to even communicate with the other team, and move on as business as usual. It doesn't matter if that assistant coach has never had much leverage before, and might be on a one-or-two year deal with only one year remaining. It doesn't matter if Team B, in this case, already has an established coordinator in place and no short-terms plans to promote that position coach. It doesn't matter if he is among the lowest-paid coaches in the league at his current position, or one of the highest. They can bury the request and squat on the coach's rights for the length of his contract.

Now, in many instances, Team B will take note of the increasing allure of this (potentially) rising coach and reward him with a longer and more lucrative deal ... but there is no guarantee he will rise to that coordinator rank with this current team, and there is always the threat that 11 months later the entire coaching staff will be looking for work if the current head coach of Team B is fired. That's how it works.

It's difficult enough terrain for a young position coach and his family to navigate, constantly trying to gauge whether it's a better idea to gamble on himself -- and take a one-year deal or resist Team B's advances to lock-in now on a multi-year extension altogether and allow his current deal to expire at the end of the 2017 season. Then you have to weigh whether the coordinator job that Team A hired -- after you weren't allowed to interview -- is going to prosper sufficiently to keep the position, or if Team A might come after your services again the following year. Oh, and any decision to stay with Team B and let your deal expire in the process is complicated by the knowledge that if your quarterback tears his ACL in training camp (if you are, say, a QB coach), or your stud edge rusher shred his triceps in the firstpreseason game (if you are, say, a defensive line coach), that could have a deleterious impact on your degree of appeal to other potential employers at the end of the season.

Fortunes can turn in an instant in this league, teams can go from first to last after a few stars go down, and guys off 4-12 staffs generally aren't in high demand.

Just this year, the Eagles blocked multiple advances from other teams for quarterback coach John DeFilippo, 38, who was on his way to being a coordinator elsewhere. And, with Philadelphia so heavily invested in second-overall pick Carson Wentz as its franchise quarterback, giving up a bounty in trade to land him, I understand the reaction with the rules as constituted. Also, Adam Gase, off an exceptional rookie season as a head coach in Miami, has no intention of letting the Rams interview his offensive line coach, Chris Foerster. Foerster, of course, was a big part of constructing the dominant run game that helped transform Jay Ajayi from inactive obscurity to a Pro Bowl back. You can see why new Rams coach Sean McVay, who will be calling the plays in Los Angeles, would want to talk to Foerster. And under the current rules, I'd have done the same thing if I were the Eagles. I get it.



The Eagles have blocked multiple teams from interviewing QB coach John DeFilippo. USATSI
But when the Lions block quarterback coach Brian Callahan, 32, who just signed a year ago and is stuck behind a rising whiz coordinator in Jim Bob Cooter, from the chance to interview for a play-calling coordinator job, well, I think you'll agree we have a problem. This isn't a coach the Lions groomed and developed for years, nor someone with a deep ties to the organization. And Callahan isn't going to be calling plays for Matthew Stafford as long as Cooter is there -- and Cooter is not going anywhere unless someone gives him a head coaching job. The Lions are bullish on Cooter for good reason.

So, where do we go from here? How do we keep this bottle-necking of talent to continue year after year? How do we deepen the pool of head coaching candidates by getting more of these talented coaches to the coordinator level sooner? Is there an easy potential solution to this tricky problem? Well, perhaps my proposal could help. I had an idea the other day, and after running it by a few general managers and coaches and top coaching agents, I still think it makes sense.

"IT'S BECOME TOO HARD FOR GUYS TO GET PROMOTED AND TO GET SOME FRESH BLOOD INTO THE COORDINATING ROLES. TOO MANY RETREADS."-- an NFL coaching agent
What if every assistant coach, those who never have been a coordinator, is given one exemption, or veto, to use if asked to interview for a coordinator job his current team blocks? A request is made, your employer notifies you of the interview slip, and you have the option to use that one-time get-out-of-jail-free card to interview for the position even if they otherwise would reject the request.

Again, it would not apply for assistants with prior coordinating experience. And if multiple requests come in the same year for multiple coordinating gigs, well, you and your agent must do your due diligence and pick the one most suited to you and most inclined to hire you. But at least this is a starting point to put some of the decision-making in the process back in the coach's hands, at least on a muted level. It would continue to respect the NFL's contractual laws and its adherence to an anti-tampering policy that Park Avenue holds so dear.


The Lions are bullish on offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, for good reason. USATSI
But at least there is an out clause of sorts for a certain coach to pursue a potentially life-changing opportunity. It would request some strategy and skill for the coach, and I'm all for that. And perhaps over time the number can be expanded to two exemptions, or, gulp, maybe even three. But starting here makes sense.

"If that rule was in place we could have had our guy already," said one team exec currently involved in a coordinator search.

"I like it," said one NFL coach who is still trying to assemble a staff on his side of the ball. "Empower the coach to make that call when he absolutely feels like he has to."

One coaching agent said: "It might actually make my job more difficult in some respects, figuring out when to use that clause, but I love that idea. It's become too hard for guys to get promoted and to get some fresh blood into the coordinating roles. Too many retreads."

I ran it by my pal Amy Trask, former Raiders executive extraordinaire and someone who in many ways I feel like could be the conscience for the league and who is generally pretty brilliant. And she had but one complaint at first blush.

"Why only a one-time exemption?"

So maybe, just maybe, we're on to something here.

Perhaps I now have a new cause to champion after politicking the Competition Committee and NFL coaches and GMs and league office officials about the need for a developmental league for so many years. I'll certainly corner some bigwigs at the NFL's spring meeting, before the Competition Committee meets there, about my coaching exemption proposal. And I'll continue pushing for a roster designation for concussed players -- IR/Concussed -- similar to MLB which would allow players not to count against the active roster while in prolonged protocol, like Luke Kuechly, this season.

At a time like this, with the league ripe for new ideas and with a 30-year-old, Sean McVay, just hired by the Rams as the youngest head coach in NFL history, it seems particularly counterintuitive to have somewhat draconian rules in place restricting the upward flow of labor. It's time to rethink the status quo, and be open to suggestion.

Girdiron Outdoors with Mike Pawlawski from 2015

Jared's first ever hunt in the central valley hunting hogs.

Maybe he does know where the sun rises?

Todd Gurley needs to learn patience like Le'veon Bell.

McVay has the creativity our offense has missed since Martz, but he hasn't yet figured out how to be effective in the Red Zone. We will gain yards but struggle for TD's next year. Martz developed Trent Green from the Skins like McVay did Cousins, but that's where the comparison starts. It ends with the creativity being a double edged sword like McDaniels trying to make Bradford like Brady but with an inferior OLine and longer developing plays. We don't have Trent Williams at LT and the rest of the OLine is less than average when Saffold is injured as usual.

Phillips is much sounder than Williams as a coordinator but the scheme will similarly be boom or bust next year, we need at least three new players on defense.

Good playoff teams have top QB's and solid OLines. Don't believe the pre-season hype. Next year will be filled with growing pains. 2018 will be the measuring stick.

Alex Mack makes Matty Ice look twice as good as he did last year. I pounded the table for DeCastro and though he got hurt early...I was right.

This administration likes Gaines but will seek a top corner this offseason opposite Johnson whom they will retain. God only know what Phillips will do with Joyner but the answer will determine how this defense will be structured.

McVay is waiting for his OCoordinator to uncover after the Super Bowl... his original plan was scrapped by the Fins. Still don't know his second choice. I'm praying for a top OLine coach.

Tavon will finally see his potential fulfilled. McVay likes Kendricks more than most of us do. Cook only catches for the Pack. McVay likes NONE of our receivers though I expect Spruce will finally get his chance. Expect a FA signing here.

Fisher lost his coaches and superiors somewhere along the way in the second half of the season. At least the brass was smart enough to do what it took to keep Bones. I believe the players quit on Boras because he was consistently out coached and that reflected on Fisher.

It took Vermeil three years to completely change the Ram culture. It took Jimmy Johnson two. Please give McVay a little more than a year. Next year will be ugly...inevitable...but necessary.

I HATE MCVAY'S SF ROOTS!!!! It's almost as bad as watching Ike Bruce and Hacksaw Reynolds in that hideous uniform. But what choice do I have? He's my Coach and I will pull for him like I did Spags, Brooks, and Linehan...but it's gonna be a struggle. Well...until he gets a Lombardi Trophy. Then I will conveniently forget what today I realize.

Los Angeles Rams have made the NFC West more competitive with their new hire

The Arizona Cardinals division just got better.
by Seth(loves) Cox@SCoxFB Jan 13, 2017, 10:30am MST TWEET
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to the new NFC West.

After years of Jeff Fisher at the helm, good drafts that led to really nothing, the Rams made the move to save their franchise and hopefully get out of the mediocrity they've been mired in since 2012.

They drafted Jared Goff, who didn't look good in his short time, but can that really be pinned on him?

Now, they have turned the page to a young, intelligent offensive mind in Sean McVay, the 30 year old wunderkind, who helped pull two quality seasons out of Kirk Cousins in Washington.

Maybe that assists them in developing Goff, maybe that was part of the requirements to getting the job in Los Angeles.


One thing they always had, one reason they consistently found ways to beat the Cardinals over those five Fisher seasons, the Cardinals only swept the Rams one time, 2014, in the Fisher era, was a physical defense with talented individual players.

Now, they have one of the best defensive minds in NFL history pairing with that fast and physical defense with their hiring of Wade Phillips.

While I don't see it having an impact on the Rams ranking within the division in 2017, they have been a thorn in the Arizona Cardinals side the last five seasons with mediocrity.


Hopefully this isn't the Rams getting it right, because that just makes the NFC West even more competitive moving forward. Of course, competition breeds success, so maybe this will keep the Arizona Cardinals on their toes moving forward and not resting on what they've accomplished recently.

Hopefully it takes McVay a few years to get up to HC speed
I wish the Chargers better luck in LA except when playing the Cards. From no NFL team the past 20+ years to 2 NFLteams in just 2 years. Only in La-La Land. Twitter really ripped the Chargers new logo. The LOL is the best.

Posted by JethroBodine on Jan 13, 2017 | 11:07 AM
Let's also hope Shanahan stays in Atlanta.

Posted by Redbird Thunder on Jan 13, 2017 | 11:14 AM
Yep
Aargh to bad this season turned out like it did. 2016 was a prime time to dominate the NFC West. Palmer’s got one more legit shot IMO.

Posted by JethroBodine on Jan 13, 2017 | 11:46 AM
And the Chargers are ending up in a stadium that only seats what 30 thousand fans?
And given the lack of excitement, I’m not even sure if they will sell that out

Posted by JoeCB1991 on Jan 13, 2017 | 1:32 PM
A soccer stadium?
I think this stadium is going to be the premiere stadium in the NFL and it’s a great opportunity for us for the next 25, 30 years. – Dean Spanos
I guess after SD tax payers said no to a new stadium Spanos wanted out of SD asap. Qualcomm was built in 1967 and the worst stadium in the NFL so I kinda get it.

Posted by JethroBodine on Jan 13, 2017 | 2:05 PM
The soccer stadium is temporary, for 2 years, until the new Rams stadium is built

Posted by Gungus on Jan 13, 2017 | 3:15 PM
Washington had so many weapons that it would be easy to put an average QB in there and get good numbers out of them
Not really the same situation with the Rams

But Wade Phillips is a really good hire, especially with all that defensive talent they already had

Posted by JoeCB1991 on Jan 13, 2017 | 1:30 PM
This draft and next is loaded with day 2 OL/WR talent
Also, it’s not as though they invested heavily in their OL to make it as good as it was in Wash. Williams and Scherff 1st Rd picks, but the rest were just schemed well.
I really like McVay, not now though.
I honestly think pieces wise they’re further away on D. Need 3-4 DBs/LBs. But of course Phillips could mitigate that.
I want Fisher back if we’re being honest.

Posted by Seth Cox on Jan 13, 2017 | 2:38 PM
I'd rather throw Fisher to Seattle so he can drag them down

Posted by JoeCB1991 on Jan 13, 2017 | 4:20 PM
Ha, ha. If only.

Posted by hadrarius on Jan 14, 2017 | 9:31 AM
Please let that happen.

Posted by LARams1968 on Jan 14, 2017 | 8:49 PM
They do have a former #2 or #3 overall pick on their line
Same draft as Aaron Donald if I remember correctly. He busted for sure, but I’m not sure who else is on the line and where they got them.

Posted by Timmy.D on Jan 13, 2017 | 8:42 PM
GRab
Greg Robinson but grab fits his play style better. I don’t think I have ever seen an OL see a DL with a wide open shot to the QB and supposedly not see him when the ball is snapped. If I thought he was smarter, I would think he was doing that on purpose to get our QB hurt.

Posted by LARams1968 on Jan 14, 2017 | 8:45 PM
With our aging team, I expect us to be the worst team in the west for a few years probably in the 2018-2021 span
All good. Football is cyclical unless you’re the patriots or Bama

Posted by Chelsea75 on Jan 13, 2017 | 2:11 PM
Unless we hit on a QB this year!
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!!

Posted by Timmy.D on Jan 13, 2017 | 8:39 PM
This is the year!!!

Posted by RedC on Jan 15, 2017 | 2:49 PM

Posted by Gungus on Jan 15, 2017 | 5:05 PM
Well chelsea75,that all depends on the...
…O-line…if they build it Dallas strong,then even If the rest of the team is in rocking chairs having toaster pizza,we will still be competitive…if not,then buckle up Sparky,its gonna be a bumpy ride…

Posted by hminus888 on Jan 13, 2017 | 4:24 PM
That same Dallas O Line managed a 4-12 record the season before
There is a lot more to it than just a good O Line.

Posted by Gungus on Jan 13, 2017 | 4:45 PM
Particularly a injure quarterback and bad defense

Posted by Monsterdemo on Jan 13, 2017 | 6:34 PM
And the backup QBs didn't get to play with Dez Bryant very much either IIRC

Posted by JoeCB1991 on Jan 13, 2017 | 9:34 PM
If the previous 30 years have taught us ANYTHING...
…its that your WHOLE TEAM can be promising,but if your O-line is weak…then "yaint goin no-wheers"…

Posted by hminus888 on Jan 13, 2017 | 4:28 PM

Posted by Redbird Thunder on Jan 13, 2017 | 6:25 PM
Meh
No sense fretting about things you can’t control.

Many ‘round these parts called for Greg Williams’ head. Well, you got what you wished for, he’s gone.

Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.

Posted by Gungus on Jan 13, 2017 | 8:47 PM
I was going to make a joke about having the Rams in our division is like having a willing slut in your junior-year of h.s. who is always ready dependable...
And then i remembered what a nightmare its been playing them recently and their d-line. Somebody always gets injured…

Posted by kredabull on Jan 13, 2017 | 9:30 PM
So it was good except for the inevitable std?

Posted by hadrarius on Jan 14, 2017 | 9:34 AM
Nice article Mr. Cox
Its good to see an article on a rival’s site that is positive about the Lambs. You are right about fish. He almost got us to mediocracy but failed to get us over that hump. He did well against the Cards and Seagulls but couldn’t beat a pop warner team outside the division. Its smart to build your team to be able to defeat divisional opponents but you can’t forget about the other 28 (or so) teams. Time to move on.



49ers
Rams hire Sean McVay as next head coach
379
The 49ers and Chargers are the last two teams left who need to hire a head coach.
by David Fucillo@davidfucillo Jan 12, 2017, 1:25pm PST TWEET
One more domino has fallen. The Los Angeles Rams announced on Thursday that Sean McVay has been hired as their next head coach. McVay is officially the youngest head coach in NFL history. He is 30, and turns 31 later this month.

McVay interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, and there was some fan excitement for the youngster nicknamed Baby Gruden. He is young, but is well-respected among players and coaches. It will be viewed as a risky hire given his age, but with the Rams looking for a fresh start as they prepare to move into a new stadium in Los Angeles in a couple years, it makes sense for this kind of huge change. Why hire a retread?

This leaves the 49ers and Chargers as the only teams who have not hired a head coach. The 49ers still have an interview with Tom Cable on Sunday, and at some point would conceivably bring in some of their recent candidates for a second round of interviews. The 49ers had no interviews today, and have an interview with GM candidate Terry McDonough on Friday. Hopefully we hear something about a planned second round of interviews soon. Even if it requires waiting for Kyle Shanahan and/or Josh McDaniels, so be it.

is goff still the QB?

Posted by save10 on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:26 PM
I was afraid that Goff will make the Rams attractive to the kid. Go get em Super Bowls McVay! Show Paraag why we named the War Room after your grandpa. Because you guys are WINNERS!

And now to hire losing retreads. Pair them with a losing EVP and CEO..

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:53 PM
I know you like the Better Rivals podcast
You should go listen to the one from last night, might change your mind on "losing retreads". Also it’s not like Washington made the playoffs this year or got past the wild card round last year, I like McVay but it’s not like they have been super winners.

Posted by Steve Montana on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:35 PM
I dropped my iPhone 6 Plus in the shower listening to the Podcast Today. My speakers are fine. Just put it next to the heater while I was getting dressed for work.

Above 500? I wonder what John McVay’s winning percentage was back in the days? He will rock it with the Rams. He has our coaching tree plus our GM’s genes running through him. He’s born a WINNER!

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:42 PM
Yes
that’s how it works…that NFL win gene.

Posted by CalBear949 on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:43 PM
It’s called life. Because you guys never got to meet those people with aura’s. That they just have it. You can tell in their presence that they’re somebody. Met many billionaires in sales and they have an aire about them. Shrugs..

It’s like royalty…

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:51 PM
Okay

Posted by CalBear949 on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:52 PM
Didn't you meet Tomsula? I think you're getting aura confused with flatulent.

Posted by riqv on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:01 PM
Tomsula didn’t have that aura. But he was a very humble guy.

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:42 PM
#RipMcVay
Good luck with Goff

Posted by Assyrianniners on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:26 PM
Would Gruden lose with Goff? Then baby Gruden won’t either. And he has my Gurley!


Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:56 PM
Your Girly wasn't a big help

Posted by WGXRT51 on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:02 PM
Because defenses were focusing on him because he has a bad passing offense. Football is not hard to analyze. Paraag just makes it complicated when it’s not. It’s pretty easy actually.

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:22 PM
It's TomTom Time!

Posted by Germinator on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:26 PM
Why do you call him tomtom?

Posted by Ron~Mexico on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:29 PM
Tom Gamble and Tom Cable
They are like Batman and Robin. Except everyone they try and help dies, then they steal the jewelry off their dead bodies and sell their organs on the black market.

Posted by Germinator on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:30 PM
It sounds better than GambleCable

Posted by kingmonkeydoo on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:30 PM
Gayble
or not? A little sophomoric i guess

Posted by Ron~Mexico on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:36 PM
Camble!

Posted by CalBear949 on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:42 PM
Things can't get any better!

Posted by ak4niner on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:30 PM
Well that's an interesting twist
You just might be onto something here

Posted by Germinator on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:32 PM
Who's got it better than us?
Most.

Posted by NYners on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:50 PM
Who here is really sad right now because they got enormed with McVay and now he's going to a division rival?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Posted by Mertons_merkin on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:26 PM
Seems like a good % of folks

Posted by AptosNinerFan on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:28 PM
I'm ok with it
I think he’s just too young. The problem we have is he has Kroenke as an owner. Even if they finish 2-14 for eight straight years, he’s not going to get fired. So he has a good chance to get better over time which sucks.

Posted by Germinator on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:29 PM
Gruden was young. And he’s a winner too. McDaniels is a loser and will lose with him over and over.

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:02 PM
Joe, can you stop?
You keep repeating your opinion on every comment. We get it, you liked mcvay.
I did too.
i also like Mcdaniels, and Shanahan.
Riddick im skeptical of because he is an analyst. Wolfe seems the obvious choice.
Feel free to contribute, but there is no need to comment the same opinion on every comment in the thread, you sound like the entire cowboys fanbase.

Posted by Szady on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:00 PM
And Mar

Posted by mikeymike4949 on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:01 PM
Too bad we can't give Joe an example of a loser that turned in to a winner.
If only there was a coach, who had a losing record with a team. Let’s say the Browns. Who then went on to win 4 superbowls with another. I’ll go with a random team off the top of my head…the Patriots. Too bad that has never happened or anything….

Posted by Domi2Duclair on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:09 PM
only if that guy wears hooded sweatshirts.

Posted by CalBear949 on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:12 PM
So McDaniels is Hoodie now. I see,

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:47 PM
That's definitely what I said
I clearly didn’t say someone can go to losing as a coach with one team to winning as a coach with another. I guess I should have said that, so I wouldn’t have looked some dumb…. am I doing this sarcasm thing right?

Posted by Domi2Duclair on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:51 PM
Whatever, enjoy losing with McDaniels.

Brady is the guy that makes that place tick and Hoodie.

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:44 PM
You can't spend as much time
with the Pats as McDaniels has without learning something. Plus, he’s the OC/QB coach. He had some input in developing your guy Jimmy G.

Posted by WGXRT51 on Jan 12, 2017 | 4:02 PM
Too young who is humble and knows he’s weakness. Something you can’t say about McD. Also, who made who better.

Did McVay make Cousins better? Or vise versa?

Does McD make Tom Brady better? Or vice versa?

Posted by ItsErikMan on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:10 PM
Awesome that he went to a division rival
Most 1st time HC fail

This means he gets his seasoning for his next hire at the expense of a rival

Win win!

Posted by McCoven on Jan 12, 2017 | 1:30 PM
John McVay
never lost. And he has 5 Super Bowls only.

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:03 PM
John McVay wasn't very good as HC of the Giants

Posted by baykid415 on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:21 PM
That tells you something, that’s why I grew up not liking Parcels and his Giants team. Uh, now I’m getting heated thinking about those hits they gave Montana.

Posted by In Joe we trust on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:45 PM
from 1976-1978 he was 14-23
which means he won an avg of just over 4 games per seasons in his 3 year run…

Posted by baykid415 on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:48 PM
Shhhh
That doesn’t fit his narrative, so it is allowed to be excluded.

Posted by Domi2Duclair on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:11 PM
So... grandpa was a good office guy so the kid will be a good HC?

Posted by Finger42 on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:23 PM
What you don't think that's flawless logic?

Posted by Steve Montana on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:36 PM
hahha thanks
Caught myself taking him too seriously

Posted by Finger42 on Jan 12, 2017 | 2:37 PM


The SeaBabys

Rams name Sean McVay (born same year as Jamaal Charles) as next head coach

by Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Jan 12, 2017, 3:03pm PST TWEET
BradMills-USA TODAY Sports
Over the last two years, Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay has played an instrumental role in getting Kirk Cousins paid. Since being promoted from tight ends coach to OC when Jay Gruden took over in 2014, McVay has steadily improved the passing game from 16th in yards to 11th, 11th, and then second this past season. (Not that yards is the best way to illustrate a point, but it was the best way for me to illustrate this point.)

With that, Cousins has gone from a middling backup to a player who over the last two seasons has completed 68.3% of his passes for 7.9 yards per attempt, 54 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and a passer rating of 99.3. Cousins was paid over $18 million on the franchise tag last season and could get more than $23 million next year, if not a long-term deal with perhaps triple that amount guaranteed. But he might have to continue his hot streak without McVay.

The LA Rams are known to be heavily interested in him to be the next head coach, having already interviewed him twice. (Update: The Rams indeed have named him as their next head coach.)

Los Angeles will get the Chargers and the NFL’s youngest head coach in history within 24 hours of each other.


Oh yeah, McVay was born in 1986.

If McVay was a player, he would have probably been drafted between 2007 and 2009, something like that. He may have been drafted the same year that the Rams took Chris Long second overall, or when they picked Sam Bradford first overall. That’s how old he is, a man preparing for his 31st birthday in 12 days.

While many have anticipated that the Rams would be targeting a coach similar to Jeff Fisher in experience, they are instead going with a guy who could be Fisher’s son. In fact, McVay might even be younger than his son, Brandon Fisher. Said Jon Gruden of McVay, who he hired to be an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008 when he was only 22: “He’s special.”

The move isn’t necessarily a good one or a bad one for the Rams, just an interesting one. Gruden was very successful for the Oakland Raiders and Buccaneers. It is certainly more exciting than Fisher and if he lands the defensive coordinator he’s said to be courting, Wade Phillips, LA may give the Seattle Seahawks even more trouble than they already do.

dear god
I just go used to being older than 99% of NFL players, now coaches???

Posted by Eric the Husky Hawk on Jan 12, 2017 | 12:06 PM
He has big shoes to fill
You don’t get to be one of the great losers overnight. This guy better start losing fast!

Posted by Eric the Husky Hawk on Jan 12, 2017 | 12:08 PM
Rookie mistake.
You don’t rack up those big losing numbers by just losing every game they put in front of you. You’ll end up blowing your load and ending your career with a record of 2-14 or something. You gotta pace yourself, win just enough to stay afloat, and most of all, convince your boss that it’s everyone else’s fault. It takes hard work and patience to be one of history’s greatest losers.

Posted by An Enemy Spy on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:27 PM
I think I figured it out:
Kroenke sounds like Wonky, which is a lot like Wonka, who wanted a child to run his chocolate factory instead of a grown up who would want to do things his own way.
Hopefully, Sean "Charlie Bucket" McVay can care for the Oompa Loompas.

Wish him the best of luck.

Posted by 1970GTOdroptop on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:17 PM
unfortunately
I think [and who cares about me and my opinions? really! but: it’s mine! and I gets to have a opionionionion in the u.s.a. of opinionionionions!] … uh… right! I think he’s probably the most intriguinging of the world of next-coaches [as opposed to previous-coaches that Kroenke probably have had enoughs of, right?]. Kroekkroenke is kind of stupid, but unfortunately a stopped opinion is right twice a day. Right? Right. Right? Right.

Posted by scraps on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:46 PM
I do like "intriguinging" as a new word, that's right up my alley
The ultimate bad scenario (for Hawks fans) is that Kroenke hits on a coach, or a quarterback, or both. Of course out of blind luck! Other inferior owners have gotten lucky before.

Fortunately, Goff looks overmatched, more so than your average rookie, so there’s not a ton McKay can do immediately.

Posted by John Fraley on Jan 12, 2017 | 11:10 PM
I cannot hear that last name and not think. . .the obvious.
That is extremely weird that there are players substantially older than him. He’s even younger than Raheem Morris was when he took over Tampa.

Posted by Felix Hernandez' Filthy Penguin Whore on Jan 12, 2017 | 3:56 PM
They have McVay, we have McEvoy...
I’m going with McEvoy.

Posted by Snow Hawk on Jan 12, 2017 | 4:05 PM
(Not that yards is the best way to illustrate a point, but it was the best way for me to illustrate this point.)
This is a classic. Nice work.

Posted by seahawksfan99 on Jan 12, 2017 | 4:22 PM
This Hire Reeks Of Last Year's #1 Pick
They need Goff to improve in his second season and seeing what McVay did with Cousins, they want him rescue Goff. I don’t think we have to worry about The Rams for the next year or two (unless we are playing them).

Posted by RayRickburn on Jan 12, 2017 | 5:02 PM
The Rams also just got Wade Phillips as DC because of this hire
Hire is looking better for them. I saw reports of this days ago but wasn’t sure if McVay could pull it off, might be a good hire after all.


Follow
Ian Rapoport

✔@RapSheet
And there it is: @sonofbum is the new #Rams defensive coordinator. He's agreed to terms.

9:49 PM - 12 Jan 2017



Posted by Steve Montana on Jan 12, 2017 | 8:01 PM
Darn.
How Elway allowed Wade to get away is puzzling.

Posted by Groundhog on Jan 12, 2017 | 9:03 PM
They got a defensive head coach
That might of automatically pushed him out…They are losing a lot of their coaching staff which is weird. I don’t know why the Broncos would want to blow everything up when they mainly just had issues with their offense.

Posted by Steve Montana on Jan 13, 2017 | 12:26 AM
Is it already too late to point out that we won't be able to judge this coaching hire for at least 7 - 9 months?
Is it? Because I really like doing that.

Posted by VegasHawkFan on Jan 13, 2017 | 2:22 AM
I dont know if headcoaches have their own intro songs
But they should, and Mcvoy’s should be 1986 by Big K.R.I.T

Posted by CreativeUsername on Jan 13, 2017 | 7:41 AM
Is he related to Timothy?
Kidding. Obviously the spelling of the last name isn’t the same. He was born a year before me, and I’m only 31! I’m more worried about Wade Philips in the division. He has pieces to work with.

Posted by clacrone on Jan 13, 2017 | 9:21 AM

System matters. Coaching matters. Instead of being head case that drops passes, he dominates and makes game winning circus catches now.

Goff, Gurley and Tavon have a chance now!

Maybe even Quick?

Dang. c'mon Pittsburgh!

Saffold - Robinson - Barnes - Brown - Havenstein

LT is obviously an issue. That being said - and I'm open to disagreement here - I think moving Saffold back to LT is our best bet unless we pick up a bandage vet or draft pick right now. Saffold is an average LT with huge durability concerns but even I think that places him above Greg Robinson right now. Robinson, due to contract and athletic ability should at least be tried at the guard spot. It would be criminal not to let him have a shot there in training camp.

Brown/Whichmann are JAGS and we could definitely use an upgrade there in FA or draft. I was happy with Havenstein's performance last year but really down on his play this year (some people mentioned the injury that basically kept him out of almost all of camp). I'd give him a pass right now.

Barnes - I'm too lazy to check, but didn't we sign him to only a one year contract. Please, I feel like a tackling dummy could replace him. He's serviceable when he plays "lights out" but who wants a guy who's only serviceable with his best play?

Thoughts?

Michael Bennett gets angry with reporter after loss
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett wasn't going to take a question about Seattle's pass rush lightly.

After Saturday's 36-20 Divisional Round playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Bennett reportedly stopped FOX Q13 reporter Bill Wixey in the middle of a question about getting pressure on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. According to USA Today, the question seemed to suggest that Seattle was not getting their typical amount of pressure.

The Seahawks finished with three sacks, five tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits; a pretty good performance given how fast Ryan releases the ball.

"We got a lot of pressure," Bennett said. "He threw the ball really fast and there was a bunch of stuff going on and obviously you don't know football.

"There's some (expletive) that happened. He threw the ball pretty fast. He did his thing, we rushed as good as we could."

He added: "Don't point (at us) and say we didn't do what we needed to do, OK? Don't do that, OK? Get out of my face now. Don't tell me I didn't do my job, (expletive). Get the (expletive) out of my face. Like I said, get out of my face.

"Don't play with me! I just put my heart on the (expletive) field! Don't play with me. Get the (expletive) out of my face! Try me again and see what happens. I ain't one of these (expletive). Don't tell me what I didn't do, (expletive).

"We lost the game! That's the NFL, you non-playing (expletive)! What you do with your life? What you do with your lifetime (expletive)? What injury you play through? What adversity you went through?"

Wixey, according to several printed articles about his battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, has been through quite a bit in his life for the record.

This is the second time in a few weeks that a Seahawks player has blown up at a reporter. Just before Christmas, cornerback Richard Sherman threatened to "ruin" the career of KIRO-AM reporter Jim Moore and said that he would get Moore's press credentials revoked.

These incidents can be spun a thousand different ways to fit whatever narrative the author so chooses, but it's always important to consider a few facts. Postgame situations are difficult for players, who sometimes don't handle the moment with the grace that has become unreasonably expected of them given the circumstances. Reporters, for the most part, are just there to do their job and glean information for the fans who depend on them for some type of breakdown or report. In a perfect world, there would be a better way to do this than in a tense, sweaty locker room just moments after a promising season comes to an end.

That doesn't mean Sherman or Bennett should be excused for threatening a person's job or suggesting something about a person they clearly don't know much about. Sherman later apologized and it wouldn't be surprising to see Bennett do the same.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...l-bennett-gets-angry-with-reporter-after-loss

Hard for me to root/pull for Dallas.. Go Green Bay!!!!

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One of the major reasons that the Los Angeles Rams hired Sean McVay was because of the way he interacted with Jared Goff. Goff again in an interview with Dani Klupenger on the hiring of McVay, kept utilizing his favorite adjective “excited.” Suffice it to post, McVay has his work cut out for him and he needs to ensure to hire a QB Coach that can be a Goff confident if the Rams truly have their Field General of the future.

No reason to put the draft choice under the microscope again, it is obvious to everyone that Carson Wentz was more pro ready then Goff. Many tried to inform me that coming from a shot gun offense to a pro-style offense transition was overrated, but that is the furthest from the truth because Goff had not taken snaps under center even in High School and it was obvious from day one he was not comfortable doing that and is the very reason why, it took him that long to make the transition and why he sat on the bench for several games.

Goff although being touted as bright (38 on the wonderlic) was a sociology major at Cal and IMO that is not an aggressive major add in the question of where the sun rises and sets and IMO, Goff is not sharp. There is a difference between smart and sharp and right now Goff to me does not come off sharp.

Now I understand he did not have the best set of circumstances last season, but moving forward there are going to be no more excuses. He has an offensive QB Whisperer that has been trained for this type of gig and there is no debating that he made Kirk Cousins better so now we get to see if in essence Goff has what it takes to be worthy of the ransom the Rams traded to move up to draft him.

It won’t take long because we will know on draft day if McVay truly believes that Goff has the makeup to be a quality quarterback in the NFL. If the Rams draft a QB in the 4th round for example somebody like a Chad Kelly and they spin it that you always draft a QB if you can, well, in that, we will be able to read between the lines.

Again IMO, the only game where Goff showed me anything was in the New Orleans game, every other game besides being able to take a hit, he showed me nothing and believe me, if he showed anything I would post about it because I want him to be great. Moving forward no more excuses, McVay will be tasked with improving the number one overall draft choice to where he can actually be the Quarterback of a winning team because at this moment Jared Goff’s overall record in the NFL is 0-7, that’s right 0-7.

Now again I don’t question Goff’s desire or toughness, but I want to see him not only in the film room, but also in the weight room because he does not have NFL body. Many have posted that McVay is the type of coach that can bring out the best in Goff because he’s more of a “Self-Discovery” type of guy then drilling and calling out the player. Well, we are about to see how this unfolds because to this point, IMHO, Goff has not showcased much and I’m anxious to see with McVay that indeed it was the cast and the coaching more than the player that might have been overhyped because of the California Connection.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/15/bills-hire-mike-waufle-as-defensive-line-coach/

The Bills have added another experienced piece to Sean McDermott’s coaching staff.

The team announced on Saturday that they have hired Mike Waufle to coach the defensive line. He joins linebackers coach Bob Babich on the staff under defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

Waufle spent the last five seasons coaching with the Rams, who had a strong defensive line against both the run and the pass over that period. Waufle has also had two stints with the Raiders and a six-year run with the Giants since moving into the professional ranks in 1998.

Waufle has experience in 4-3 defenses, which is where the Bills appear to be headed after hiring McDermott and Frazier. However the Bills line up, a big part of Waufle’s job will be trying to help defensive tackle Marcell Dareus return to disruptive form up front.

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/15/dre-kirkpatrick-isnt-impressed-with-rams/

Dre Kirkpatrick isn’t impressed with Rams
Posted by Mike Florio on January 15, 2017

Getty Images

It’s not clear how the Rams will react to the youngest coach in modern NFL history. It is clear how at least one potential free agent from another team is reacting.

Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick will, absent a new contract in Cincinnati, be available to sign with any team he wants in March. A Twitter user made a plea for Kirkpatrick to come to the Rams.

Kirkpatrick replied with three words: “I wanna win.”

Of course, desire to win often takes a back seat to financial considerations. If the Rams were to offer Kirkpatrick more money than anyone else, Kirkpatrick may quickly persuade himself that the new culture in L.A. will lead to victories.

The Rams will otherwise have plenty of chances to persuade everyone that their new culture will lead to victories, once the next regular season begins in less than eight months.