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I am generally a positive person. Like you, I love football...
But... these playoffs haven't really been the most competitive. I've watched the games, but I've also ocuppied my time with something else.
Steelers 30
Dolphins 12
Packers 38
Giants 13
Texans 27
Raiders 14
Seahawks 26
Lions 3
Falcons 36
Seahawks 20
Patriots 34
Texans 16
Usually the Wild Card round is very exciting. The divisional round usually favours the home teams with byes... but usually these are competitive weekends. This year? Not so much.
Injuries to the Raiders and Dolphins really changed these playoffs.
Leading up to the 2016 draft Goff was most often compared to Matt Ryan.
Some questioned if a Matt Ryan type was worth the first overall pick. Brady, Rodgers or Manning type would definitely be worth it, but Matt Ryan?
Ryan completed the 2015 season with an 89.0 QB rating with 26 TD and 16 int. Not too impressive. Not worthy of a #1 overall pick.
Well look at him now. Playing in the NFC championship game. Possible NFL MVP. But look at his stats 38 TD to 7 int for a 117.1 QB rating!!! And that's before his 3 TD 0 int win vs Seattle!
So how did Ryan go from mediocre to MVP?
Free agency. Solidified oline with 3 time pro bowl center Mack and nabbed WR Sanu. They also found a way to keep the entire Oline healthy for the entire season.
Something similar happened to David Carr in Oakland until an injury ended his miraculous season and rise to stardom. Free agent Olineman signing.
The Seattle Seahawks’ All-Pro safety broke his leg this season, leaving him helpless to join his teammates in Saturday’s playoff game at Atlanta.
Then he had to watch his replacement, Steven Terrell, play a terrible game as the Seahawks’ season ended.
Then he had to watch Tom Brady and the New England Patriots ease past Brock Osweiler and the Houston Texans to reach a sixth straight AFC championship game.
Then, it was just too much to bear.
******************************************************************************************************************
Jealousy is a ugly mutha.LOL.
In the first quarter of a scoreless 2016 AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos faced third-and-6 from their own 44-yard line. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas ran a 15-yard out, breaking toward the Broncos’ sideline.
He did not catch Manning’s wobbly throw, but there was contact on the play, and Denver’s players and coaching staff appealed to the official for a pass interference call on Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan. They got one, and the Broncos got a first down, scoring the game’s opening touchdown four plays later.
On the ensuing drive, the Patriots faced third-and-3 at their own 27-yard line. Rob Gronkowski ran a wheel route up the Broncos’ sideline with T.J. Ward in coverage. As the Patriots tight end turned to look back for the ball, the defender made contact and shoved him, preventing a catch. Both Gronk and Tom Brady yelled for a penalty. The flag did not come, and the Patriots were forced to punt.
Similar plays led to different outcomes that benefited the team on the sideline closest to the on-field action. Most NFL refs would likely say they are immune any sideline bias. “If I make a call because a coach is screaming at me on one side of the field and it’s wrong, that’s a bad day for me,” former NFL official Scott Green told us. (The NFL declined to comment.)
But as it turns out, a sideline bias in the NFL is real, and it’s spectacular. To prove it, we looked at the rates at which refs call the NFL’s most severe penalties, including defensive pass interference, aggressive infractions like personal fouls and unnecessary roughness, and offensive holding calls, based on where the offensive team ran its play.
For three common penalties, the direction of the play — that is, whether it’s run toward the offensive or defensive team’s sideline — makes a significant difference. In other words, refs make more defensive pass interference calls on the offensive team’s sideline but more offensive holding calls on the defensive team’s sideline.
What’s more, these differences aren’t uniform across the field — the effect only shows up on plays run, roughly, between the 32-yard lines, the same space where coaches and players are allowed to stand during play.
The following graphs show the penalty rates per 1,000 plays for defensive pass interference and aggressive defensive penalties, which include unnecessary roughness, personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct, and horse-collar tackles.
Refs throw flags for defensive infractions at significantly higher rates when plays are run in the direction of the offensive team’s sideline; near midfield, defensive penalties are called about 50 percent more often on the offensive team’s sideline than the defensive team’s. Close to the end zone, where the sidelines are supposed to be free of coaches and players, these differences are negligible.
For offensive flags, that association is reversed, at least on holding penalties. Here’s the rate of holding calls made on outside run plays, which shows how the defensive team’s sideline can help draw flags on the offense. Around midfield, offensive holding gets called about 35 percent more often on plays run at the defensive team’s sideline.
So what could be causing this phenomenon?
Refs are faced with a near-impossible task. They make judgment calls in real time, relying on just their eyes and their experience. Deprived of the advantages, like instant replay, that we enjoy from the couch, refs have less information to help them resist the normal subconscious urge to draw on external cues for assistance in making borderline calls.
In psychology terms, this process is called cue learning. It’s why we laugh longer in the presence of other humans laughing, why we eat more in the presence of overweight company, and why our judgment of persuasive speeches is influenced by the audience’s reaction.
The most common cue in sports is crowd noise, and because crowd noise almost always supports the home team, the way the fans sway the referees is the No. 1 driver of home-field advantage in sports. And one notable experiment suggests that how loud a crowd is helps refs decide whether an interaction should be penalized.
A pair of German researchers showed actual referees old video clips of possible soccer infractions, with crowd noise played at high or low volume. Refs looking at the exact same interactions were more likely to hand out a yellow card when they heard a lot of crowd noise than when the volume was low.
It follows, then, thatscreaming and hat-throwing football personnel may also have an effect on referee choices. In football, this sideline bias even seems to supersede refs’ tendency to support the home team: The differences in the penalty rates from sideline to sideline are several times larger than the differences in penalty rates between the home and away teams.
That bias can affect the outcome even when officials have time to confer. In a 2015 playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford threw a third-and-1 pass to Brandon Pettigrew. Officials initially called defensive pass interference on the Cowboys’ Anthony Hitchens.
But the flag occurred right in front of the Cowboys sideline. This led to some confusion. It also led to a helmetless Dez Bryant yelling at the official.
After conferring with each other, the officials picked up the flag, a decision that Mike Pereira, Fox Sports’ rules analyst and the NFL’s former vice president of officiating, said was incorrect. Brian Burke of Advanced Football Analyticscalculates that when the official picked up the flag, the Lions’ chances of winning that game dropped by 12 percentage points.
Bo Jackson's startling hindsight: 'I would have never played football' Bob Nightengale , USA TODAY Sports
Bo Jackson, the world’s greatest living athlete, and the only man to be an All-Star in baseball and a Pro Bowler in football, now has a confession to make.
If Bo knew back in his playing days what he knows now:
Bo never would have won a Heisman Trophy at Auburn. Bo never would have been inducted into the college football Hall of Fame. Bo never would have worn a Los Angeles Raiders uniform. Bo never would have trampled Brian Bosworth on Monday Night Football.
And Bo never would have suffered the dislocated left hip that ended his football career.
“If I knew back then what I know now,’’ Jackson tells USA TODAY Sports, “I would have never played football. Never. I wish I had known about all of those head injuries, but no one knew that. And the people that did know that, they wouldn’t tell anybody.
“The game has gotten so violent, so rough. We’re so much more educated on this CTE stuff (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), there’s no way I would ever allow my kids to play football today.
“Even though I love the sport, I’d smack them in the mouth if they said they wanted to play football.
“I’d tell them, 'Play baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, just anything but football.’ ’’
Jackson was leery of the game's exploitative tendencies when he came out of Auburn - a suspicion that he says played a significant role in his shunning of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - and that, in concert with greater knowledge of head injuries and their effect on deceased stars such as Junior Seau, forced a greater re-examination of the sport.
And without football, there's no telling what Jackson might have accomplished in his other sport.
Jackson, 54, who will be honored Saturday evening with the Scouts Dream Award at the 14th annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation banquet in Beverly Hills, knows that football truncated his career, but he has no bitterness.
If he had just stuck to baseball, perhaps he and George Brett - who will present him with his award - would not only have been former Kansas City Royals’ teammates but also fellow Hall of Famers.
If he had played baseball only, perhaps every Mike Trout and Bryce Harper that comes along would be compared to Bo Jackson.
“You know what,’’ Jackson says, “I still wouldn’t change a thing. The man upstairs had a plan of the way of working things out, and they did.
This comes from a man who was just one week away from shocking the sports world and retiring from football, focusing on his baseball career.
Jackson revealed to USA TODAY Sports that he had plans to retire from the NFL after the 1990 season. He still had a contract with the Los Angeles Raiders, making the Pro Bowl that season, but planned to walk away and solely play baseball after the season ended.
Instead, a hit from Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Kevin Walker on Jan. 13, 1991, forced him into retirement. The hit fractured and dislocated his left hip in the third quarter of their playoff game.
Jackson thought it was simply a hip pointer, allowing him to return the next week to play against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
Jackson, who suffered from hip necrosis that required surgery for an artificial hip, never put on a football uniform again.
“That week, three or four days before the playoff game,’’ Jackson says, “I sat down with Linda (his wife and mother of their three children) and told her that I was going to announce my retirement. When the season was over, we had made my mind up that I was going to do that. That was the plan.
“Well, the man upstairs changed that plan.
“I’m not a very religious guy, but I believe in God, and I believe God works things out for a reason. If I had retired before my contract was over, I would have probably been hated by Raiders fans forever.’’
Instead, Jackson is beloved wherever he goes, well, with the exception of Tampa.
'I'm going to screw you twice as hard'
Jackson, the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner, was selected by the Buccaneers with the first pick in the 1986 draft. He refused to sign. He was willing to play for any other team in the NFL, but not the Buccaneers, who were owned at the time by Hugh Culverhouse, who died in 1994.
Jackson believed the Bucs were responsible for him becoming ineligible to play baseball his senior season at Auburn. They sent a private plane to pick up Jackson for a physical in Tampa and allegedly reported the infraction to the NCAA.
It was nothing more than betrayal, Jackson says, and he never forgave them.
“Their people said they were looking out for me, and checked with the NCAA that it was OK for me to go on their plane for that physical,’’ Jackson says, “but nobody checked it out. Well, I put two and two together, and figured it out.
They knew I was a first-round pick in football, but they wanted to get me away from baseball, so they got me ruled ineligible. I’m 100% convinced of that. They thought that would make me forget baseball
“I told myself, 'All right, if you screw me, I’m going to screw you twice as hard.’ If anybody else had drafted me, I would have gone, but I wasn’t going to play for that man.
“People thought I was crazy, but it was just morals. If you screw me over like that, and I’m not part of a team yet, just think what they’d do to me under contract. I couldn’t do that. I needed the money. I was as poor as a Mississippi outhouse. I needed that money. But I couldn’t play for that man.
“I also observed the way they were treating people. The fact the owners kept calling the players, 'These are my boys.’ Their wives were doing the same thing. I couldn’t go there. I always believed that if you don’t believe in yourself, and stand for what you believe is right, who else is going to have faith in you?’’
A gem on the diamond
The NFL’s loss was baseball’s gain.
Royals scout Kenny Gonzales, who died in 1994 of a heart attack, subsequently persuaded the Royals to select Jackson in the 1986 draft - burning a mere fourth-round pick. He scouted every one of Jackson’s games and was in awe of Jackson’s speed, power and athletic prowess. He spent time talking with Jackson’s baseball coaches, sat down with his family and truly believed Jackson wanted to be a baseball player.
“He’s the reason I played baseball in Kansas City,’’ Jackson says. “He asked me if I was serious about playing baseball. I told him I was.
“The rest is history.’’
After just 53 games in the minor leagues, he was a September call-up. Jackson hit his first career home run in the seventh game, a 475-foot shot off Seattle Mariners pitcher Mike Moore, still the longest home run ever hit at Kauffman Stadium.
He became an everyday player in 1987, and two years later, was the MVP of the 1989 All-Star Game, hitting 32 homers with 105 RBI in a year marked by his iconic "Bo Knows" Nike ad campaign.
He might have been a perennial All-Star, but football never left his soul. In 1987, a year after he rejected the Bucs, Jackson was drafted by the Raiders in the seventh round. They offered him a five-year, $7.4 million deal. Just like that, Jackson had a new hobby.
“I always had it in my mind, even in college,’’ Jackson says, “I wanted to do both sports, even at the pro level. There were only a couple of other teams out there I would have played for at that time, the Raiders and 49ers. I would have loved to play for (Hall of Fame coach) Bill Walsh. But I’m thankful I got to experience Al Davis, the most charismatic owner in professional sports to this day. He was an icon.’’
Everything changed, of course, on that January afternoon in 1991. The fractured hip led to hip necrosis, which led to hip replacement surgery. Jackson played parts of three more seasons with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels, but never again was the same. His last game as an athlete was Aug. 10, 1994, getting a single in his final at-bat off Tom “Flash’’ Gordon in a 2-1 victory over the Royals.
The Major League Baseball Players Association went on strike the next day, and the World Series was cancelled a month later, quietly ending Jackson’s career.
“That’s all right, I’ve got no regrets,’’ Jackson says. “I know Bo Jackson was good for professional sports at one time. I know pro sports was great for Bo Jackson, then and now.’’
Jackson lends his name to a training facility in Illinois, Bo Jackson's Elite Sports, and maintains business relationships with Nike and Gatorade, but otherwise maintains a quiet profile. He rarely watches sporting events these days.
He missed the 2015 Royals’ World Series championship. He skipped the Raiders’ wild-card playoff game. He didn’t bother watching Clemson’s national championship victory against his old rivals, Alabama, although he does attend the occasional game at Auburn.
“I’m not a good spectator, I get bored watching,’’ Jackson says, “but I sure loved playing the game. I loved the competition. I loved being better than the next guy. I enjoyed watching people’s eyes jump out of their heads watching me do something that was normal to me.
“So there’s no reason for anyone to feel sorry for what happened to me, or what might have been. I didn’t play sports to make it to the Hall of Fame. I just played for the love of sport.
“I still don’t know what my stats were, but I know I’m still reaping the benefits, enjoying the accolades, and all of the awards that still come to me.
So it's obvious that there is a lot of optimism here right now and it's great to see. I think the last time there was this much excitement was after our 3-1 start to the season.
With that said, who should be the main targets in the FA period? Please refrain from the All Madden pickups and crazy cap situations. I think that it is obvious that we will need to pick up a few pieces in free agency due to the fact that we don't have many substantial draft picks.
For me, I'd like Garćon, Pryor (call me loony), and one of the guards that may hit the open market. Not sure which guard due to what coaching direction we go (zone blocking scheme, pass pro,.. etc?).
Overall I am just really interested to see what others are feeling at this point in time with McVay in charge.
just thinking. With McVay implementing his offense, and calling the plays on gameday, what role is really required of OC? Maybe this is one of those chances for McVay to teach and get that offensive coordinator tree planted...
Sean McVay brings passion of youth to new job with Rams
The Rams introduced Sean McVay as their new coach. Bill Plaschke, Gary Klein and Lindsey Thiry react to his first news conference.
Bill PlaschkeContact Reporter
Several Rams officials were interviewing a coaching candidate at Spago this week when owner and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck visited their table with a plea.
He wanted them to make the right hire. He wanted them to find the perfect guy.
He addressed his concerns to owner Stan Kroenke, executive vice president Kevin Demoff and former Rams star running back Marshall Faulk while completely ignoring the fourth member off the party, a barely bearded 30-year-old kid who was clearly either an intern or a nephew.
“Wolfgang kept asking, ‘Mr. Kroenke, have we found a coach?’’’ related Sean McVay. “I wanted to say, ‘Hey man, I’m right here!’’
He’s so young, it’s refreshing. It makes sense. His boyish aura actually fits in perfectly with a growing Rams team and a new Rams culture.
He talks fast. His sentences have sharp edges. His voice sounds like a quarterback’s cadence. His hand gestures look like he’s signaling plays. Yeah, that’s right, he is built in the mirror image of Jon Gruden, the former Super Bowl champion coach and current popular ESPN analyst, which is no accident because Gruden was the first head coach to hire McVay as an assistant out of Miami of Ohio.
“There was times when I close my eyes, you hear Jon Gruden,’’ Demoff said.
His animated presence is the opposite of the perpetually weary Jeff Fisher. His smart vision as the coordinator of the third-ranked Washington Redskins offense was the opposite of the Rams’ perpetually dreary attack.
“To me, the final check mark of age is not a factor here,’’ Demoff said. “This is really about Sean’s talents, his ability to lead and communicate.’’
He’s young, but so are most of the Rams and, most important, so is Jared Goff. The only important age distinction in this transaction is that the new head coach is about a decade older than the quarterback whose education is the biggest factor in the Rams’ future.
McVay might be a kid, but he’s old enough to make Goff listen, and widely respected enough to make the relationship work, and nothing else matters.
“It’s the most difficult position, the most important position,’’ McVay said of the quarterback spot. “I can’t wait … to get to work with him and start developing that relationship that’s going to be a key for us moving forward.’’
They’ve actually already started unofficially working together, as Goff watched a couple of hours of film with McVay as part of the interview process.
McVay said he was impressed: “Sitting down with Jared, you can feel his passion and the drive that he has to come back and respond in year two and be better.’’
Goff was also impressed: “We will have a totally different offense, different scheme, and a lot of different things go into place. It’s a new energy, it’s an exciting time.’’
Oh, and about that age thing…
“I think it’s definitely cool,’’ Goff said. “We are a young team, we are a young offense in particular, and having a guy like that who can relate to us a little better could be beneficial.’’
He’s young, but he’s not Hollywood. Last summer was the first time he has been to Los Angeles. “The traffic’s an absolute nightmare,’’ he said.
He’s young, but he’s not a beach bum, and when he tries to sound like one, he ends up sounding like a football coach, as he said, “I’d give surfing a stab.’’ A stab?
Sean McVay is all leatherhead, all the time, traditional enough to bring in renowned assistant Wade Phillips to run the defense, but also young enough to be one of football’s only coaches who would recognize two other celebrities who approached his table that night at Spago.
“Only in L.A. we’re actually sitting there and Josh Duhamel and Fergie walk up and wish Mr. Kroenke good luck,’’ McVay said.
Did they recognize McVay?
“Absolutely not,’’ he said with a grin. “It was probably like Wolfgang. Who is this guy?’’
Hey man, he’s the new Rams head coach. All kid-ding aside.
A lot of questions have popped into my head I would love to ask new Rams HC Sean McVay that I haven't heard anyone ask him yet. Here's a few I'd like him to address.
What is your opinion of the OL and how do you plan to improve it?
What is your opinion of Sean Mannion and will he get a chance to compete for the starting job?
I'm sure you folks here at ROD have good questions you'd like to ask McVay, so post 'em up! I'd like to hear them.
Okay, here's a mock offseason that's sure to be stunning. Ready? Here we go:
Cut:
Rodger Saffold
Tre Mason
Tim Barnes
Eugene Sims
Lance Kendricks
(Obvious cuts.)
Re-sign:
Trumaine Johnson (franchise tag)
Greg Zuerlein
Dominique Easley
Ethan Westbrooks
(Tru gets a frachise tag for reasons I'll explain later. Longacre and Trinca-Pasat don't fit, so they're released.)
Extension:
Alec Ogletree - five years.
Release:
Benny Cunningham
Kenny Britt
Brian Quick
T.J. McDonald
Case Keenum
Cam Thomas
Chase Reynolds
(I'd love to keep Cunningham, but he's talented enough to start for a couple teams. McDonald is replaced by Mo. Britt and Quick are let go to put in some new young blood in the wide receiver position. Keenum is replaced by Mannion. Chase Reynolds is pure special teams and easily replaceable, and Thomas is JAG.)
Convert:
Mark Barron (LB - S)
(Barron is going to move back to safety, while Alexander and Joyner remain at their spots.)
Free Agency:
Larry Warford, RG
Andrew Whitworth, LT
Jared Odrick, DE.
Demarcus Ware - OLB
Jonathan Joseph, CB
Pierre Garcon, WR
Markus Wheaton, WR
(I admit that a lot is taken from @jrry32 's mock, but if it works, it works. Warford is someone I wanted for a very long time. Whitworth take a short term deal while our left tackle of the future gets ready. Odrick earns a two year deal, Ware is there for a year, Joseph is for two years, Garcon for three years, Wheaton for two years.)
Trades:
Robert Quinn to the Detroit Lions for their 2017 first round pick.
(I know that it might seem unrealistic, but the Lions desperately need an impact player aside Ziggy Ansah. Quinn gives them that, while we get a first.)
Tavon Austin to the Buffalo Bills for their 2017 2nd and 4th round picks.
(I figure that this is going to be unpopular, but it makes sense. Watkins is injury-prone and immature, while Robert Woods is a free agent. We shed a contract and get picks, while the Bills gain a multi-faceted weapon.)
William Hayes, Greg Robinson, and comp 4th to the Cleveland Browns for their 2017 3rd round pick.
((Hayes doesn't fit in a 3-4, and probably needs to be replaced, while Greg Robinson would help Cleveland's porous line. Add in a mid-round pick, and Cleveland will give their third to us.)
Draft:
1st (Lions) - Ryan Ramczyk, LT, Wisconsin.
2nd - Raekwon McMillan, ILB, Ohio State.
2nd (Bills) - T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin.
3rd (Browns) - Forrest Lamp, C, Western Kentucky.
3rd - Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado.
4th - Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova.
4th (Bills) - Amara Darboh, WR, Michigan.
5th - Akhello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado.
6th - Elijah McGuire, RB, UL Lafayette.
6th (Comp) - Josh Augusta, NT, Missouri.
7th - Psalm Wooching, OLB, Washington.
(Ramczyk falls to our first because of questions about his passion for the game. He's a stud left tackle. McMillan is a great compliment to Ogletree with his physicality. Watt starts at outside linebacker. Lamp starts at center for us. Kpassagnon will be a solid backup before taking over and becoming a star. Darboh starts immediately, and Awuzie and Witherspoon fight for a starting spot. They will both take over Tru's spot when he goes into free agency. McGuire takes Cunningham's place. Augusta fights for a backup nose tackle spot, and Wooching stars on special teams and might earn snaps later on.)
Thoughts, comments, and critiques are all welcome.
Some as low as $10 plus you get another 50% off in the cart. I just bought 5 shirts and my total with shipping was $35. That's usually the price of one shirt.
Special teams are often overlooked in the NFL, and frequently analysis of players on various special teams units boils down to which players have played almost exclusively on special teams the longest. Like offense and defense though, players often outperform or underperform their reputations. That’s why we track every player on every play on special teams too, allowing us to dig into the game in a way few others can, breaking down the true special teams aces in the NFL right now. With that in mind, here are the best special teams players, per unit, in the NFL right now.
Punt team
The goal of the punt team is to put the opposing offense in as tough a field position as possible, and there are several key components. The snap needs to be clean and the punter needs to get the ball off quickly. Generally, the accepted operation time by special teams coaches is 2.10 seconds and under, and across the NFL this year the average time from the snap by the long snapper to the punt leaving the foot of the punter was 1.99 seconds.
When it comes to the punt, it depends on where on the field the team are punting for in terms of what the goal is. This is why traditional stats aren’t a true reflection on a punter’s performance. Net yards are frequently touted as a key for punters, but it’s important to remember that if a punter is punting from his opponent’s side fo the field, he’s not looking to punt the ball over 50 yards, and instead is looking to hang the ball up and allow his coverage team to make a play to keep the opponent pinned inside their own 10-yard line. Our grading system, developed with the help of NFL punters, takes that into consideration.
From here it’s up to the punt coverage team. This is led by the gunners on either edge, who are responsible for keeping initial contain on a return, making tackles, and keeping the ball from bouncing into the end zone. The punt offensive line need to get enough on any rushers that the punter has the 2.1 seconds needed to get the ball away, and then they too need to hustle downfield, stay in their lanes to prevent big plays, and make tackles or down the ball where necessary. With that in mind, these are the best at each job in punt coverage this season:
Punter: Pat McAfee, Indianapolis Colts Stat to know: McAfee saw just 30.9 percent of his punts returned in 2016
Long snapper: Jonathan Weeks, Houston Texans Stat to know: Weeks had just two inaccurate snaps on punts all year.
Gunner: Don Carey, Detroit Lions Stat to know: Carey finished the year with nine tackles on special teams
Gunner: Johnny Holton, Oakland Raiders Stat to know: Made three tackles on 29 snaps as a gunner
Coverage: D.J. Alexander, Kansas City Chiefs Stat to know: Played 333 total special teams snaps, with 77 of them coming at the right guard spot on punts.
Coverage: Nate Ebner, New England Patriots Stat to know: Led the league with 14 total special teams tackles and played the punt protector role on punts.
Coverage: Joshua Perry, San Diego Chargers Stat to know: Lined up as the left wing on punts on 56 of his 334 special teams snaps.
Coverage: Terrence Brooks, Philadelphia Eagles Stat to know: Played on four key special teams units, but rotated between left and right wing on punts.
Coverage: Josh Martin, New York Jets Stat to know: Rotated between left and right guard, playing 69 total snaps on the punt team.
Coverage: Jeremy Cash, Carolina Panthers Stat to know: Played exclusively on special teams as a rookie, lining up at both left wing and left tackle on 42 punts.
Coverage: Kentrell Brothers, Minnesota Vikings Stat to know: Saw the field for the first time in Week 8, playing 43 snaps at left and right wing.
So I realise it's early days we are building our coaching staff and there free agency and the draft and a long way till the new season but what do you expect/want from the McVay's Rams ..
What record would be acceptable to you ?
What would you like to see ?
What gives you the chills
Do you have any concerns
Personally I'd take 8-8 even a 7-9 season as long as there is improvement on the offensive side of the ball ideally though a playoff birth would be nice
Every year I've been stoked for a new season hope springs eternal and all that (not so much for this season as fishers Rams had a way of breaking you down ) but now coach McVay is in town and wade freaking Phillips is coming to the party I am drooling for the new season
Nevermind.. I got it.. lolol
