I love you all, and I love the Rams. Fuck every other team. Merry Christmas*

*Yes I've been boozing

Is he going to be able to play? Anyone seen any updates?

Mike Shanahan Open to Advisor Role if Kyle Shanahan Gets Rams Job
by Michael Moraitis

Mike Shanahan expressed a potential interest in being an advisor for the Los Angeles Rams if his son Kyle Shanahan were to get the head coach job.

Former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan sounds like he’d be open to taking an advisory role if his son, Kyle Shanahan, gets the head coaching gig with the Los Angeles Rams.

Shanahan, who currently serves as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator, is one of the names being floated as a potential candidate for Rams head coach.

However, a report by Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reveals that Kyle might want to bring his dad along with him wherever he goes. So, the Shanahans are essentially a packaged deal.

While being interviewed on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Mike certainly sounded open to being some sort of an advisor to the Rams:

Cowherd: If your son Kyle and you were called by the Rams, would you not at least listen?

Mike Shanahan: First of all, when you take a look at people, you gotta take a look at exactly what you do want. I think it would be a lot smarter to take Kyle than it would me. I think I would give an organization maybe a lot more input from top to bottom. It’s the little things that are the difference in the structure of the organization.

Very similar to when I was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers. It’s such a learning experience. I’m not looking for a head coaching job to be honest with you. I think maybe I could help an organization in some way, what it takes to win Super Bowls. I think, really, this game is for younger guys. Guys that are really fired up to run a team, put a good team together, but that head coach has to have a good supporting cast to win a Super Bowl.

The Shanahans Coming to L.A.?

Take that for what it’s worth. If the Rams really want Kyle Shanahan that badly, I’m sure they’d be open to letting Mike have some input, and it certainly couldn’t hurt to have an experienced NFL mind in the mix.

Unfortunately for the younger Shanahan, it’s likely the Rams have a few names ahead of him on their list. The organization will aim really high and work its way down. We’d guess, at best, Shanahan is below New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the desired coaches pecking order.

http://ramblinfan.com/2016/12/21/mike-shanahan-advisor-kyle-shanahan-rams-job/

Rams' coaching search likely to focus on up-and-coming assistants such as Kyle Shanahan, Josh McDaniels

By VINCENT BONSIGNORE / STAFF COLUMNIST

It was bound to happen, of course. The Rams have a head coach opening and a need to make a big splash considering the sizable stage provided by the second-biggest market in the country.

With season tickets to sell and PSLs to pitch and a new fan base to entice and plenty of eyeballs standing on the sidelines just waiting for a reason to be turned, it made sense to assume the Rams would reach for the stars to grab everyone’s attention with a big-splash hire.

And so the narrative and rumors immediately began churning upon the Rams cutting ties with Jeff Fisher.

Jim Harbaugh was simply a phone call and a sizable chunk of Stan Kroenke’s billions away from leaving Michigan for Los Angeles.

Pete Carroll was a primary focus. Jon Gruden was interested. Asshole Face was on the short list.

Never mind all the above “candidates” already have great coaching jobs or, in Gruden's case, a cushy, high-paying TV gig he’d have to have his head examined to want to leave for the grind and rigors and headaches of coaching in the NFL.

Big names equal plenty of clicks, don’t forget. And if pushing your client’s name out there means getting a raise or a couple of years tacked on to the current contract, hey, all the better.

So let the rumors begin.

Or, as a high-ranking NFL official who’s been down this road before sighed this week, “Next week it will be Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.”

In other words, nonsense.

Look, history has shown coaching searches sometimes take wild turns on a dime. So it behooves everyone to hold off eliminating anyone just yet.

But there is a world of difference between possible and probable, so best not to get caught up in the big stars residing in far away galaxies.

Back here on earth, some compelling evidence is emerging to suggest the Rams have begun focusing on current NFL assistants standing one rung away from a coveted head coaching job. With the two most prominent targets Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Which makes sense, considering the soft push they’ve applied to the gas pedal since showing Fisher the door lines up with the rules they must adhere to in talking to assistant coaches.

The Rams aren’t allowed to contact current assistants until after the season ends, and with most of the hot candidates coaching playoffs teams the wait is even longer in some cases.

If a potential target is coaching a team that earns a bye through the first round, the Rams can talk to him during the off week. After the wild-card round, they can talk to assistants from winning teams but only with the permission from their current teams.

After the conference championship round, they can interview for a second time a candidate from a Super Bowl participant they interviewed earlier.

Which brings us back to Shanahan and McDaniels.

With the Patriots having already earned a first-round bye, the Rams can talk to McDaniels as early as Jan. 2, or a day after the Patriots finish the regular season against the Miami Dolphins.

As for Shanahan, there is still an outside chance the Falcons finish with the second-best record in the NFC and a first-round bye. If so, the Rams can talk to him at the end of the regular season. If not, they have to wait one week.

Of all the names being bandied about, these two make the most sense.

Shanahan, though, might check off a few more boxes.

While McDaniels is associated exclusively with the Bill Belichick coaching tree, Shanahan was groomed under his celebrated father, Mike, and Super Bowl-winning coaches Jon Gruden and Gary Kubiak.

And while most of McDaniels’ success has been tied into working with Belichick and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady – not that there is anything wrong with that – Shanahan’s body of work is much more well-rounded.

He has turned Matt Ryan and the Falcons into an offensive juggernaut this year, with the Falcons leading the NFL in scoring and trailing only the New Orleans Saints in yards per game.

In previous years, Shanahan helped get 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns out of Washington rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III and 1,613 yards out of rookie running back Alfred Morris in 2012.

In the process he proved his flexibility by constructing an offense that fit the skill set of RG3 rather than the other way around.

And as the offensive coordinator with the Houston Texans from 2008-09 he helped construct an offense that produced the third-most yards in the NFL in 2008 and a top-5 yardage offense and 10th-best scoring offense in 2009. His quarterback, Matt Schaub, threw for 4,770 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2009, Andre Johnson eclipsed 1,500 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons and Steve Slaton ran for 1,282 yards in 2008.

If you want to pin RG3’s demise on Shanahan rather than injuries, do so at your own risk. But keep in mind Shanahan has all but dispelled that narrative by pushing Ryan and the Falcons as high as they’ve ever been this year.

Keep in mind as well: RG3 and Schaub both had their best years with Shanahan as their coordinator, and Ryan is on pace to have his best season.

If you’re the Rams, that’s an attractive resume considering the need for an established track record of offensive success. With so much riding on the development and success of rookie quarterback Jared Goff, Shanahan makes a lot of sense.

That doesn’t mean he gets the job.

But if you’re wise, the focus should be in his direction rather than the Grudens or Harbaughs of the galaxy.

[www.ocregister.com]

For those of us that are okay with Kyle Shanahan possibly becoming the next Rams HC,

I thought it would be interesting to look at the kind of staff Adam Gase assembled to help the young lad get his feet under him.

We all know that if K.Shanahan is indeed hired, he will need to surround himself with a coaching staff that allows him to best succeed as a rookie HC.

I didnt have time this evening to research (and post in depth information) on all of Adam Gase's staff selections or the 2015 Dolphins holdovers that were retained but they seem to all work well together in AG's remarkable first year as an NFL head coach.

This article gives some good basic info on the majority of AG's staff ....


January 25, 2016

Dolphins announced numerous additions to coach Adam Gase's staff on Monday, perhaps the biggest being they're retaining Lou Anarumo, who finished last season as interim defensive coordinator.

Anarumo and special teams coach Darren Rizzi are among eight holdovers from former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin's staff.

Defensive line coach Terrell Williams, who joined the team in 2015, will again serve in that role. Williams was previously the defensive line coach for Oakland for three seasons (2012-14).

Danny Barrett, who ended last season as the University of Central Florida interim head coach, will be the Dolphins running backs coach. Barrett, a former head coach of Saskatchewan (2000-06) in the Canadian Football League, also served as UCF's running backs coach (2011-14) and quarterbacks coach (2015).

Gase's staff includes the previously announced additions of Clyde Christensen (offensive coordinator),

Vance Joseph (defensive coordinator), Chris Foerster (offensive line),

Bo Hardegree (quarterbacks), Shawn Jefferson (wide receivers), Shane Day (tight ends),

Matt Burke (linebackers), and Jeremiah Washburn (assistant offensive line).

Gase's staff is almost complete., There are a few more assistant position coaches to be named.

"I am excited about this group of talented and experienced coaches," Gase said in a statement. "I have high regard for their collective experience, knowledge and passion for the game.

We will tirelessly work together to build schemes around our players' strengths and are looking forward to getting to work and preparing for the upcoming offseason program."

The Dolphins also announced several other coaching staff changes and additions.

Charlie Bullen, who served as assistant defensive line coach the previous four seasons, will serve as assistant linebackers coach.

Rusty McKinney, a coaching intern in Cleveland the previous two seasons, will serve as defensive quality control coach.

Ben Johnson, who was tight ends coach for the final 12 games last season and will enter his fifth season with the organization, will serve as assistant wide receivers coach.

Chris Kuper, a Pro Bowl offensive lineman for Denver in 2013, will be the offensive quality control coach.

Dave Puloka, who served as assistant strength and conditioning coach the previous eight seasons, has been promoted to head strength and conditioning coach.

Jim Arthur, who spent the previous 11 seasons with Chicago, and Ted Rath, who spent the previous seven seasons with Detroit, are assistant strength and conditioning coaches.

Ken O'Keefe, who has been with the Dolphins the previous five years as wide receivers coach and, after being promoted late last season, senior offensive assistant,] will serve as senior football research analyst.

Blue Adams, the Dolphins' assistant defensive backs coach the previous four seasons, will serve as football research analyst.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dolphins-0126-20160125-story.html

_____________________

Hey fellas been a while. I'm officially on leave for the holidays nearly finished with basic training and I just got my phone back about 10 minutes ago and have been completely cut off from the outside world and anything rams related. Obviously I see we're not doing well but I'd like some first hand input on a few things.

1) How has Jared Goff looked

2) what's the deal with Gurley? How has he looked? What's holding him back ? Regression ? Blocking ?

3) what about our defense ?

About a month ago (before our defense fell apart), PFF came out with their top 25 CBs of 2016 (to that point). There was one Rams CB on it. Prepare to be surprised:
https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-top-25-nfl-cornerbacks-this-season/

21. Lamarcus Joyner, Los Angeles Rams, 82.1
The first CB to play primarily in the slot to make the list, Lamarcus Joyner has been excellent for the Rams when on the field this season. After his Hard Knocks drama, Joyner’s season has seen him allow just one touchdown catch, and he has been beaten for only 8.5 yards per reception. Joyner doesn’t have an interception on his stat sheet, but he has broken up four passes and hasn’t been beaten for a catch longer than 29 yards all year.

Click to expand...

Personally, I don't put a ton of stock in PFF's grades. I think Gregg Williams has used Joyner perfectly this year. Joyner plays a hybrid slot CB/in the box SS type role in our scheme. It keeps Joyner from having his back to the QB often, which is his big weakness imo.

It's nice to see positive press for Joyner. My opinion still is that his best position in the NFL is at FS. I'd love to get Captain Munnerlyn this off-season at SLCB to replace Joyner, move Joyner to FS, and move Alexander to SS to replace T.J. Then, we can use the money we don't have to use extending T.J. on the offense. But that's just my opinion.

My preference for this setup is because Joyner played FS in college and looked great there. He showed off range as a center-fielder and hit very hard. We all know he can tackle. We all know he'll hit. We all know he can come downhill and stop the run. The biggest advantage of him at FS is it keeps him from having his back to the QB often. Instead, he's usually playing face-to-face with the QB and reading the QB and pass routes in front of him. I think that makes great use of his stellar instincts and good range.

Just asking is all. NHL wise I would wager on the Blues and a few other teams. NCAA more so national games, but like tonight, would wager on Illini/Mizzou braggin rights game if odds were decent. Just asking is all. I know this is work and you don't get paid for it. Much appreciated.

Highlights from what Chip Kelly said of Goff

“You’ve seen him get better as the more snaps he’s played,” Kelly said Wednesday. “He throws a nice ball. It’s catchable. He’s very accurate when he has a chance to get his feet set.”

“Obviously we need to disrupt the timing of the routes and try to get some pressure on him,” Kelly said. “When you give him time to throw, he’s a very accurate thrower.”

Source:http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2016/12...witter&utm_term=Autofeed#link_time=1482352261

Rams can become the 1st team to lose on 4 different days of the week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Thursday) and on another continent all in the same season. Not quite sure if any other team has completed that task (didn't look it up, Don't even know if that is something anyone tracks) .....................good grief.......................................With things sort of settled down now, I feel this is a game the Rams let all your frustration out and stomp on the 49ers from the kickoff all the way to the "W"

http://www.footballzebras.com/2016/12/20/week-16-referee-assignments-2016/

49ers at Rams — Walt Anderson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Anderson_(American_football)

Anderson's 2016 NFL officiating crew consists of umpire Butch Hannah, head linesman Jerrod Phillips, line judge Byron Boston, field judge John Jenkins, side judge Laird Hayes, and back judge Greg Wilson.

By: Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Star defensive tackle Aaron Donald has another Pro Bowl on his resume, but it's been another trying season for one of the game's fiercest competitors.

"It’s been tough," said Donald, his Los Angeles Rams sitting at 4-10. "It’s definitely been tough this year. I had high expectations for this year, thinking we were going to do some big things, and a lot of things just didn’t go the way we expected. But the only thing we can do is finish these last two games strong and try to build on what we have. Next year it’s going to be a totally different team."

A lot will change about the Rams in 2017 as the team marks its second season back in L.A. The head coach will certainly be different, as Jeff Fisher was fired Dec. 12. Soon the entire coaching staff will be overhauled, and the front office might be, too, if general manager Les Snead does not stay. Then the roster will change. The Rams need depth at linebacker, cornerback and safety. They need to inject talent at receiver, overhaul the offensive line and make decisions about several key free agents, most notably Trumaine Johnson, Kenny Britt, T.J. McDonald, Benny Cunningham, Greg Zuerlein and Case Keenum.

Simply put: They need to figure out ways surround Donald with the type of talent that will maximize his strength as the game's best interior pass-rusher.

Donald and standout punter Johnny Hekker were each named to their third Pro Bowl Tuesday night.

J.J. Watt injured, but he doesn't much care for it.

"It ain’t about individual success," Donald said. "It’s a team game."

And Donald is part of a team that has lost nine of its last 10 games and off four consecutive blowout losses. His Rams have never been better than 7-9.

"It’s frustrating," Donald said. "You train, and you put so much time into this game to try to win, to get your body in top shape, to get you physically ready. And then you go through such a grind, where you wear your body down and you do so much, to go play a game, and you lose week in and week out, you’re going to be frustrated."

That frustration has seemingly spilled over a couple of times already this season. Late in a season-opening, 28-0 blowout loss against the San Francisco 49ers -- the Rams' next opponent -- Donald was ejected for unnecessary roughness and for making contact with an official, then slammed his helmet to the turf as he walked off the field. Late in a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday, Donald received 30 yards' worth of penalties on one play, first for grabbing a facemask and then for flinging the official's flag.

The Rams' roster might get an overhaul this offseason, but Donald still sees promise within it.

It's part of what has made this season so trying.

"I think there’s a lot of talent on this team," Donald said. "I think we have a lot of big-time players that can be stars in this league. That’s the thing that makes you frustrated, because you have so much talent on this team and then you go out and play week in and week out and you’re not winning games, and you just don’t know why. It’s definitely tough, man. I couldn’t even put it in words. Just have to try to bottle that anger in and not do certain things that hurt the team."

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...s-dt-aaron-donald-beyond-frustrated-with-2016

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/1...ts-st-louis-rams-los-angeles-first-take-video



https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=QzOqAMk6Hqc

First of relevance for Rams fans was a question from Max Kellerman:

Kellerman: Coming into this when the Giants gave you that huge contract, I'm a Giants fan. A big Giants fan. And my thought was, "Boy, he's a good corner, but he's like a risky corner." Just watching, you know, the Rams as much as I did, "He'll gamble. I don't know if he's a shutdown. Whoa, that's a lot of money to give a guy" who I thought of as maybe a B+ kind of corner. Watching you this year, you're playing like an A+. Now is that me not paying close enough attention, or is there actually a qualitative difference in your game this year?

Jenkins: Aw man, I can say it's kind of both. You know, I was at St. Louis, and you know, good organization, but I felt like somebody always had to make a play over there. And, I wanted to be that guy, because we were always either down by 21 or in a close game where somebody needs to make a play. To where, you know, I'm here at the Giants, and I can just play within the scheme. You know, because I depend on my offense. I know we got a good offense, and I just play within the scheme and play to the best of my ability.

Kellerman: So playing with better players has made you a better player in other words.

Jenkins: It's not better players. It's just not playing from behind all the time or not playing in a close game or things like that. Not having to jump routes because somebody gotta make a play.

Kellerman: Is that coaching staff you're talking about or organizational differences between the Giants and the Rams?

Jenkins: It's just probably, I'll just say the coordinators. They're just different.

Jenkins also touched on his recent comments suggesting that players aren't allowed to talk to Stan Kroenke:

Kellerman: As a Giants fan I've noticed that in the NFL you have some very good ownership, especially in northeastern teams with family traditions like the Maras like the Rooneys in Pittsburgh...and you were quoted recently in the last day or so as saying that Kroenke on the Rams, you weren't even supposed to look at him if he was in camp. If he was walking through, you were supposed to not even talk to him or anything like that, and you contrasted that with the culture around the Giants. Can you speak to that a little bit?

Jenkins: It's just different, man. You know, St. Louis [was] a great organization. There's nothing that was bad over there, but it's just different. Here in New York, you know, it's winning. Everybody wanna win. Everybody wanna go out and make that play that can't nobody on the other team make. You know what I mean, it just makes me feel like I'm home.

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/187438-49ers-rams-week-pregame-thread/



49ers vs Rams: Week 16 - Pregame Thread

Rams have the worst offense in the league.

If we lose and allow 24+ points in the process, I don't know how you can justify O'Neil returning.
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I can't see how you can justify him returning even if we win 49-0. There is still the rest of the season to account for and it is, after all, only the Rams.
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I think we beat the rams no matter who is at QB for us. Our defense can play 8 or 9 in the box and not worry about the rams passing game. That's pretty much how we won our only game. They had opportunities but didn't convert.
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I don't think we have 8 or 9 guys healthy, that are left on D.
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Hopefully we have enough healthy players to field a borderline decent team, at this point I would see what the practice squad players can do, why not?
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Rams play a top 10 D against the Pass and top 12 overall. Plus they have A.Donald who I'm sure holds grudges. This game is going to be low scoring and I can see us losing again..
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We win
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Please, start Ponder.
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14 straight losses.

We only raise super bawl banners so who cares anyways.
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Goff getting his 1st win against the team he grew up rooting for
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Whats the deal with Goff?
I'll bet he doesn't want to destroy his hometown team.
He's a nice boy.
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Goff is going to have his coming out party against the 49ers.
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Goff will roast this defense. Watch and see. It will be Cal boy's coming out party. We can't stop anyone's passing game -- not even the Rams.
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Time to kickstart Goff's career. Increase that confidence.
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I hope your right, but Goff to me looks like a major bust.
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Goff is in the concussion protocol and might not even play. Meaning?

Keenum will roast this defense pretty much by just handing it off to Gurley.
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I hope he doesn't play, I have no confidence in him. At least Keenum is a gamer.
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Rams considering Mannion if Goff can't play https://t.co/mT810kkp7g

Our defense is gonna make him look like a star
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Mannion will beat us, Goff will not
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I hope Mannion Plays, I think we have a better shot losing if Mannion plays, I actually wanted Mannion when he came out, but we all know Blockhead dont listen to anyone but himself. He actually thinks he does a heck of a job drafting prospects.

Sean Mannion FTW!!!
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If Goff plays we will win
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Gurley's breakout game.
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I got offered a free ticket to go to this game. I passed. Who wants to see this dumpster fire vs another dumpster fire at the Coliseum? I'd rather stay home on X-mas eve and eat Menudo.
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49ers somehow shut out this team week 1. That game honestly feels like it was 2 years ago.
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Imagine if the Rams were playing some other team that night. It would have been 70-0.
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Right,, Falcons were well on their way last week to blasting the by 60 or so, let off the gas once it was 42-0. haha
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The rams will be in full on give up let down tank mode. Just like last season. You'll never convince me that they didn't let Tomsula win that game. Let's just hope they have enough pride to try and seek some payback for that week 1 stomping they got n Santa Clara because if they even half ass try they should completely steam roll this sorry ass 49ers squad.
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Lambs 38
Niners 13


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This might be the most boring game in the history of football to watch.
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Sounds like a good time to go to LA....in 2019
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Honestly, this is the game I am terrified that the Niners might win. The Rams seem to play their worst games against us lately, and they're a bad team anyway. I do not want Jacksonville to leapfrog us for the #2 pick.
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Looks like Kap is getting the start on Saturday.


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Admist all the negative talk, I do think it's kinda cool that this will be the first 49er/Ram game in LA in 22 years....a real throwback NFC West game.

A shame so much controversy surrounds both teams.
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Hyde for 1000 yards rushing and Britt for 1000 yards receiving..!!!
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They should flex the game to Sunday night just for the nostalgia.
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Come on Rams. Beat us down hard. I want a 30-6 type score.
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i hope the rams win 42-10

Super Bowl XXXIV: "One Yard Short" | Rams vs. Titans | NFL Full Game

With backup quarterback Kurt Warner taking the reins as the full time starter, the Rams offense reached historically great levels and they surged to Super Bowl 34 where they faced a talented Titans team. The game would come to the final yard, literally, as the Rams' Mike Jones tackled Kevin Dyson on the one yard line to save the game.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflL0XATHAw

Elliott is averaging almost 111 yards per game, which works out to 1772 over a full season.
That would leave him 36 yards short of tying ED.
Detroit is up next who just got ran over by the Giants and Philly next
What say you, can Zeke get 257 to tie or 258 to break ED's record?

I'm guessing Donald and Hekker both get the nod, but I feel that Ogletree has earned a selection and even Tru. Maybe I'm just a homer.

It's Whiner's week and we need to get a win over these turds, with Kaepernick being king of the turds. I know Harbaugh isn't their coach, but give us your best caption anyway.

Where is the next Czar of Football?

Hire that guy and let him hire the coach.

Once again I'm impressed by #7.

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2016...-struggling-almost-as-much-as-niners-in-2016/


By Sam McPherson

Last season, the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49erscombined to win 12 games, but it’s been rougher going in 2016 for both NFC West teams. The Niners have lost 13 straight games this year, while the Rams have lost nine of 10 in addition to firing the head coach last week. At best, the two California franchises could win a combined eight games this fall, but don’t count on that happening.


However, one of them can win a game this Saturday as the 49ers travel to Los Angeles for a rematch of the Week 1 contest that San Francisco won, 28-0. That game seems like a long time ago, with two different starting quarterbacks and one different head coach. The two organizations are reeling right now and searching for answers on the field that will probably not be found at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Christmas Eve.




Rams Season Record

After Los Angeles lost the season opener at Levi’s Stadium, the team won three straight games to position itself as a contender in the NFC West. That success was short-lived, as the Rams have gone 1-9 since then to arrive at 4-10 right now. The team hit rock bottom after a Week 14 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons, as Jeff Fisher was fired after almost five seasons as the head coach. Last week, interim coach John Fassel guided Los Angeles in its loss to the Seattle Seahawks on the road.

The Rams’ early-season wins over Seattle and Tampa Bay seem like a long time ago, though. Four losses since then have come by a touchdown or less, as Los Angeles has struggled to play well in fourth-quarter crunch time. A perfect example: In Week 11 against Miami at home, the Rams blew a 10-0 lead in the final five minutes of the game to lose, 14-10.

Rams On Offense

Los Angeles has the worst-scoring offense in the NFL, averaging just 14.1 points per game this season. The two primary issues have been the disappearance of running back Todd Gurley and inconsistent QB playfrom both former starter Case Keenum and new starter Jared Goff. Gurley was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015, but his sophomore slump has killed the Rams’ offense in 2016.

Without that balance, the under-talented Keenum and the inexperienced Goff have struggled to take advantage of the roster’s talented receiving corps, and Los Angeles has not been able to put together sustained TD drives this year with any regularity at all. The Rams are dead last in the league when it comes to making first downs and converting third downs.

Rams On Defense

The Los Angeles defense has been put under tremendous strain this year, due to the offense’s issues. The Rams actually ranked 11th in the NFL for yards allowed, demonstrating the talent on this side of the football. But when the offense can’t keep itself on the field, the L.A. defense gets tired in the second half of games, and that’s when it’s been needed the most, of course.

Linebackers Mark Barron and Alec Ogletree anchor the unit, while defensive tackle Aaron Donald always is capable of getting to the opposing QB. This Rams defense seems to lack the bite it used to, thanks to injuries in the front seven. DT Michael Brockers and defensive end Robert Quinn have half the total sacks they did last season, for example.

Rams Players To Watch

Stopping Gurley is the key to stifling the Los Angeles offense. The 49ers have the worst rushing defense in the NFL, which means they may find it hard to stop a talent like Gurley, especially this late in the season on the road. Last year at home against San Francisco, Gurley ran for 133 yards on 20 carries against the 49ers, and if he can do that again, it will be a long day for the San Francisco defense with Goff throwing the ball effectively.

Outlook

The Niners have been giving up chunks of yardage to opposing RBs all year, and even though Gurley is slumping, the Rams should be able to run the ball enough to give Goff a chance to throw the ball. Both teamsobviously aren’t playing well right now, and with Los Angeles and its home-field advantage here on a short week, look for the Rams to win a close one despite a 49er comeback attempt in the final quarter.
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Jimmy Johnson not so sure the Los Angeles Rams need an offense-minded coach
Sam FarmerContact Reporter
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-jimmy-johnson-rams-20161219-story.html

What should the Rams keep in mind when hiring their next coach? NFL legends Tony Dungy, Ron Wolf and Jimmy Johnsonweigh in with their first-person perspective in this three-part series on finding a coach who best fits a franchise. Saturday: Tony Dungy. Sunday: Ron Wolf. Monday: Jimmy Johnson.

Jimmy Johnson is in an elite club of football coaches. He was the first of three to win a college football national championship and a Super Bowl. After him came Barry Switzer and Pete Carroll.


Johnson, a former University of Miami coach, won two Super Bowls as coach of theDallas Cowboys from 1989-93, then replaced the legendary Don Shula as Miami Dolphins coach from 1996-99. Johnson is now a studio co-host on “Fox NFL Sunday.”

There’s been a lot of talk publicly about the Rams getting an offensive coach, and obviously they need to get that offense straightened out. But the main thing is to get the right head coach. The right head coach can always hire an outstanding offensive coordinator.


You look at some of the top coaches of all time, and the majority of them have been defensive coaches. But they’ve got their hand in the offense and they’ve had some outstanding offensive assistants. I don’t think it’s a given that the Rams are going to hire an offensive coach.

How you classify a coach can be a little misleading, anyway. You could say Bill Belichick is a defensive coach, but how long ago was that? He’s a close friend of mine, and I know he has a hand in everything.

The main thing is getting the right head coach, and the Rams don’t need to be in a hurry to do it. Some coaches are really good in interviews, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the right guy. So many of these people making these types of decisions around the league are truly not football people. Some of these owners want to get involved, and some of these owners have no clue about football. The No. 1 thing is to make sure that football people are making these decisions, and getting the right advice from the right people.

A lot of people will ask me about a certain coach, and I’ll say, “I can only tell you what I’ve heard.” But unless I have personally worked with somebody, I can’t tell you how he is. … I don’t want some stranger calling me and saying, “Hey, can you recommend me for a job?” I’m going to tell him, “You seem like a nice guy and I’ve enjoyed visiting with you, but unless I’ve actually worked with you, it’s going to be hard for me to recommend you.”

If I’m assessing a coaching opening, I want to know: Do they have the right quarterback? Do they have some talent? Do I have a situation where I can go and get talent? As far as the newness of the Rams being back in Los Angeles, the stadium they’re building and all that stuff, those things don’t mean a whole lot.

I think the jury is still out with Jared Goff. I’ve seen some good things, but by the same token I’ve seen some things I wasn’t real impressed with.

As a coach, you need to know what kind of working situation you have with your personnel department. Being a GM and handing talent all those years, I wouldn’t go into a situation unless I was picking the talent. Some coaches might not want to mess with that, but every coach is going to want some kind of say in it.

As far as hiring a coach from college football, that’s a completely different world. If a college coach hasn’t had some pro experience, I would be leery of hiring him. In my last four or five years in college football, I visited pro camps and spent a lot of time with pro people, preparing for pro football.

College is a different game, it’s a different world, it’s a different length of season. There are different demands. If it’s a college coach who hasn’t had any exposure to pro football, you’re probably in for a rude awakening.

A lot of coaches in college can get away with mistakes because their players are so much more talented than their opponents. If you’re at one of the top 10 schools in college, you’re going to win eight or nine games just by showing up. The No. 1 thing for college coaches is recruiting. Get good players.

For the Rams, the biggest thing is getting the right guy to win games. It doesn’t have to be a celebrity coach. You don’t have to get a star, because if you get a star and he goes 4-12, he’s not a star anymore. If you get a no-name and he goes 12-4, all of a sudden he becomes a star.
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You don’t have to get a star, because if you get a star and he goes 4-12, he’s not a star anymore. If you get a no-name and he goes 12-4, all of a sudden he becomes a star.

when I watch Bones I find myself liking what I see. The energy he has on the sidelines the confidence he has on the sidelines is a welcome change. The guy had to prepare on a very short week against a very good team and without so calls going against us and some drops and bad throws that game was a lot closer then the score. One thing I saw was that our offense was a lot more vertical and I like that. I'm excited to see what he can do with a full week to prepare for a team and how this offense will look with him in control

Everybody is saying Jared Goff isn't ready to play.....
I don't understand this. What am I not seeing. I hear that "bad o-line, bad wide receivers not an excuse line"
I hear them say look at what Carson Wentz is doing over there in Philadelphia. He's top 25 under 25 in the media.. what a joke.. are you kidding me.. if that dude doesn't scream bust I don't know what is. (He's been the unofficial worst quarterback in the NFL since week 3 by a landslide, and he's been getting worse and worse every game since week 3). I don't want this to seem like I'm picking on Wentz but it what it is.

Everyone is saying we made the mistake of taking Goff when we could have had Wentz.


OK... Is it because Dak Prescott is so successful that it's making Jared Goff look terrible. They say that they see why he wasn't playing the first 9 games....

Have they been watching the games he is in? Or are they just looking at the box score. Yup 2 interceptions he was garbage. That Atlanta sack highlight, "OMG Jared Goff sacked with one hand" No mention of his feet getting tangled by his own offensive lineman. Or that throw to Tavon Austin where his arm was hit.. he doesn't have that good of an arm... he's not an accurate passer....

What about his throw to Cooper, it was a deep cross route in the middle against 3 and Jared Goff threw him into zone coverage(Where he was supposed to be) nope he is an inaccurate passer. This is for football junkies: He threw it like that because if he lead his receiver there was a good chance he would have gotten blown up by Kam Chancellor, or picked off.