Don't over-think it, It's time to start rookie QB Jared Goff

http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...ink-it-Its-time-to-start-rookie-QB-Jared-Goff

October 10, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

Alright Jeff Fisher, you have made every one of us sit through five Rams games with a team ready to make the playoffs led by a 28-year-old veteran journeyman QB in Case Keenum who has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. It's officially time to someone else a shot.

Keenum has been cringe-worthy at times but the Rams kept on winning with their three game winning streak. You can't switch QB's when the team is winning right? Well, actually it's worth mentioning that the owner of the Cowboys Jerry Jones said that Tony Romo will be the starter when he comes back from his injury despite how well the young rookie QB Dak Prescott has played. Hmmm...so what about Fisher? After the loss to the Bills he said this on Keenum "He made some good decisions today. Quick decisions and good throws."

Oh boy. First off he made some horrible decisions, he's not quick at making decisions at all and his throws were putrid. This should worry the latter the fact Fisher is talking up Keenum after he just played a bad game and was one of the big reasons the Rams lost. Well, it shouldn't normally have to when you have the back-ups the Rams have at QB. The thing that should scare you is the fact Fisher has stayed committed to a player who is average at best and is either the worst starter on the Rams or the second-worst behind Greg Robinson.

It's time to start Jared Goff. You drafted the kid out of California no.1 overall and sacrificed the majority of the 2016 draft and more to pick him. Yes, he is 21-years old and the history with 21-year old QB's has been very unsuccessful. However, Goff is not sitting behind some transcendent player. He's sitting behind Case Keenum who he might already be a better QB then. Goff and L.A. fans have been forced to sit and watch the likes of rookie sensation Carson Wentz (the QB the Rams passed on) look like a future franchise QB, Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick look like one as well and that's not all. Rookie quarterbacks Paxton Lynch, Jacoby Brissett and Cody Kessler have all made their starting debuts.

Goff struggled in preseason but everyone seems to forget Wentz did too. Goff threw touchdown passes and Wentz threw one interception then broke his ribs but, who started week one and continues to look like a top flight QB? Wentz. Anyone who knows me, knows I have been all for Wentz as the no.1 QB in this class however, I liked Goff and I think the Rams are just flat out making the wrong decision in not letting him play. Goff only had one drive in preseason with the first-team and led them down the field for a touchdown. That was also not the entire first-team either as WR Tavon Austin, RB's Todd Gurley and Benny Cunningham were absent.

Goff is not a perfect prospect by any means and looks like he could have a fumbling issue early on but here's the deal. Overall I think Goff can make all the throws to put the Rams in position to win a game like yesterday. I think Goff hits Brian Quick in stride on that throw that Keenum missed. I think Goff would be more respected by the defense and open up the running game even more with Gurley. Lastly I think Goff, struggled getting rid of the ball and "living to play another down" might be bad at that but Keenum is just as bad and maybe worse.

When fully healthy this defense proved three weeks in a row they can carry Case Keenum to the finish line. Imagine what could happen if Goff came in and just played average. Right now the jury is out Keenum has more interceptions than touchdowns so he has proven that the one thing to keep Goff on the bench for (ball security) Keenum can't even do himself. I orginally predicted Goff to start after the bye week nine and I stand by that happening but what I think is that Goff should start this Sunday and Mannion should get a chance to be the backup.

All I know is this, Fisher said he wasn't going 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 or even 10-6 but if Keenum stays the go-to-guy at QB they are destined to go 8-8 especially with CB Trumaine Johnson's ankle injury and the three defensive lineman battling injuries. Keenum can win when everything is going according to plan and there are no injuries on the defense but the fact of the matter is that injuries are part of the game and it's not realistic to assume you aren't going to get them. Playing a below-average starter in Keenum when you have a first-round and third-round pick is not a real choice.

Is it time to start a complete shuffle of the Rams O-line?

http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...o-start-a-complete-shuffle-of-the-Rams-O-line

October 11, 2016 | By:Jake Ellenbogen




The Rams are 3-2 but that's with no offensive line and a quarterback that is average at best. Well, things aren't working for the o-line. However, there has only been a minimal shuffle and it has taken place at right guard. I think it's time to make some changes up front. How bad has this unit been?Our new writer Ed Henderson wrote about the offensive line coach here Check it out below according to Pro Football Focus.

LT Greg Robinson 36.1 (76 overall OT)
LG Rodger Saffold 66.4(47th overall OG)
C Tim Barnes 49.6(32nd overall C)
RG Jamon Brown 67.0(44th overall OG)
RG Cody Wichmann 50.4(57th overall OG
RT Rob Havenstein 70.0(43 overall OT)

Here's also what Pro Football Focus had to say in their"Ranking all 32 NFL offensive lines entering week 5" article

31.) Los Angeles Rams

"The Rams are winning games, but it’s certainly not thanks to their offensive line, which has been playing poorly. LT Greg Robinson can probably safely be labeled a bust at this point, and has allowed 14 total pressures this season. He is currently the75th-ranked OT at PFF, with a grade of 35.4. Rob Havenstein may be the best of the group this season, and his overall grade is just 72.1, with three of the five Rams’ O-line members grading lower than 53.0. RB Todd Gurley has gained just 2.6 yards per carry, and 193 of his 217 rushing yards have come after contact, meaning, on average, the blocking has gained him 0.3 yards before being hit, or just under a foot per rush."

This is exactly why it's time to mix things up. Clearly this personnel isn't working and it's not magically going to start working. Lets just start by saying the worst graded offensive lineman is the former no.2 overall pick in 2014 and happens to be playing the second most important position on offense. It's been time for the Rams to move Greg Robinson back inside at guard. He clearly has no clue what he is doing because his technique is an absolute mess and consistently causes him to get beat inside forcing him to hold his man which ends up being a penalty.

The second lowest offensive lineman grade is the center Tim Barnes who in no way has earned the right to start. He has been a train-wreck from the word go and the Rams refuse to admit it. Of course, during the off-season the Rams had a potential stud at center in Eric Kush. They oddly enough decided to let him go and the fact of the matter is he was probably better than Barnes. As shoddy as Demetrius Rhaney's career has played out you can't get much worse than worst starter in the league and that's Barnes.

So what's next then? Well I think you need to give the backups a shot. Throw in Pace Murphy at Left tackle and move Robinson in at Left guard. Murphy was shocking to see make the 53-man roster. I think it's time for us to see what they have in this guy. Saffold has spent plenty of time in the past at Right guard and Robinson was a Left guard back in his rookie year. As far as Right tackle goes Rob Havenstein is our best offensive lineman so it would be foolish to bench him and obviously it's time to bench Barnes. What would that leave the Rams with?

LT Pace Murphy
LG Greg Robinson
C Demetrius Rhaney
RG Rodger Saffold
RT Rob Havenstein

These kinds of mass shuffles either pay huge dividends or completely cripple the offense however, the Rams are 3-2 with an offensive line that seriously couldn't be any worse. Nothing is working in the pass blocking or run blocking game and it's time to retool and get ready for when Jared Goff takes over. This may not be the sexiest looking line but that you can blame the Rams front office for. Regardless the Rams need to work with what they have and this is their best option without trading assets to acquire someone.

http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...t-the-Rams-found-a-gem-in-S-Maurice-Alexander

October 13, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

It's time to give Head coach Jeff Fisher and General manager Les Snead some props or rather Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. They absolutely aced the pick of Maurice Alexander. Yes, it took him a bit to finally grab hold of the starting job but right now he's among the best at the Free safety position and for anyone wondering why there was no signing of Dashon Goldson or Donte Whitner? He is the pure reason why. Whitner and Goldson would want some serious money and some serious playing time but, with Alexander looking as great as he has been this year the Rams decided to bet against themselves and go all-in on Alexander and it's paying huge dividends.


Alexander for many that don't know him or where he came from started at Arizona Western college. He started off as a Defensive end believe or not until he transferred to Utah State when he switched to Linebacker. Shortly after Alexander got into a fight at a party with a teammate and ended up putting him in the hospital requiring multiple surgeries.


It's not a totally horrible story however, clearly this man made work of his second chance. After the fight he obviously faced assault charges and was kicked off the team. During his time away from Utah State he worked as a janitor in St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome. Crazy enough that's where the Rams used to play and when he came back from his dismissal and suspension from the team he made enough noise (on the field) to catch the Rams attention as a Safety.


And by the Rams attention it's more geared at the aforementioned Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams attention who by all accounts went nuts in the war room over picking the young, raw and risky prospect. Williams has explained to everyone that Alexander is going to have a hard time learning the NFL game but when he does he sees him being a player like the late great Sean Taylor.


The Rams chose him in the fourth-round of the 2014 NFL draft off of Williams endorsement. He originally started off as a Special teams contributor but now he's starting for the Los Angeles Rams at Free safety, a position that was manned by former undrafted-free agent out of Virginia and now a Philadelphia Eagle, Rodney McLeod.


How good has Alexander looked though? Well, for starters he is rated the fourth-overall Free safety in the league per Pro Football Focus grades with a total grade of 84.1. He has shown the ability to use his size and speed to his advantage as he is 6-foot-2 and runs a 4.5 40-yard dash. The crazy thing with Alexander is that he is just 26-years-old, he is just learning how to be a Free safety since in reality he is more at home as a Strong safety (but it's currently manned by T.J. McDonald). Alexander is improving in coverage and while he has the obvious ability to be the hard-hitting turnover forcing player. He also has shown his ability to blitz in Williams extremely aggressive defensive scheme.


Alexander has played a total of 365 snaps which is the second-highest of any Safety in the NFL. That shows how impressive he has been and why his grade is a legitimate reason to think highly of him. Of those 365 snaps, 213 (eighth most among Safeties) are coverage based in which he ranks 13th in the league in coverage (not bad for a true Strong safety), 124 (18th most among Safeties) are run based in which he ranks 34th against the run and finally the rest of the snaps 28 (3rd most among Safeties) are pass rush based in which he ranks 1st in the league in rushing the passer. That's ahead of his teammate T.J. McDonald who leads the league in pass rushing snaps with 39 but is ranked 17th overall in those situations.


Previously it was McDonald who looked like the rising-star at Safety but while everyone was praising McDonald's return they forgot that Alexander was doing the same things at a more efficient pace. Alexander has maintained position in the top 10 among all Safeties graded by PFF all year. McDonald however, has fallen over the last two weeks down to 32nd which isn't horrible considering the fact it's all Safeties and not just his lone position but still Alexander is absolutely seizing his opportunity in L.A. and running away with it.

FIsher/Snead have gotten us Tru Jo, Jenks (good draft gamble), Troy HIll, EJ Gaines, McCloud, TJ Mac and Barron without using high end draft choices.

Our secondary is pretty good considering we haven't invested any #1's in them. Somehow we do OK on Defense with a LB playing FS (Mo), and his backup is a lifetime journeyman (will be--Cody). Fisher/GW Williams have done some pretty cool things with the D.

Also, when you watch all the games you see a lot of teams with awful-bad #2 corners (who can't compare to EJ).....and I think Troy Hill is better down the field than many starting corners in the league, too. It is hard to have a complete roster top to bottom when you have $20 mill QBs and $12 mill WRs/DEs. But, the Rams have a mostly complete roster (ok, we thought the O line was good in preseason, so we have to redraft 2-3 players, now)

Additionally, after we beat AZ, which we easily could have lost that without Tavon's return, we saw what kind of team we really are.....and now after 1 loss we have all this negativity.....what reality are we living in that we miss that we have the worst O line, worst QB and mediocre at best WRs...really, come on....we are going to win with that.

The Buffalo game showed me on many, many downs the Pass Pro was not NFL calibler, YET Case got 8 yards an attempt, that is amazing....ya he missed 2 long passes, and so does every QB. Ya, Case is #31 of 32 QBs, or #34 .....Every key 3rd down he has so much pressure he look can't downfield.

Without a QB who can throw, this is our reality....and yet we are 3-2 with our O line.....that blows me away....I think the Rams have a good future. AND, if we beat the Lions and Giants we can be 5-2...I wonder how many "we suck" articles we will have then. IF we beat those 2 mediocre teams we will still be the same Rams......with a 5-2 record.

I think there is a 80% probability we go 4-3 and 60% prob that we go 5-2. I think Fish and the staff will find a way to get this team to 5-2. However, even at 5-2, I still think 9-7 is the tops we will go with Case at QB.

Fisher is the SAME GUY he was with the Titans, if you don't know that you are a fool. The only difference was Steve McNair. Watch some 1999-2003 TItan games and you will see the EXACT same type of offense and gambling defense. Fisher has no desire for an offense, never has....just 5-8 yard patterns with a mad dash scramble throw for 30+....he earned his way doing that, nothing will ever change that as long as he chooses the O coordinator.

When we accept these "seen" realities we don't have to write "Fish sucks" we can say 'we know he sucks and laugh and feel sorry for Gurley' and the world will be a better place.

Ok, I feel better now

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In the fourth episode of Between the Horns, Rams insider Myles Simmons and Super Bowl Champion DT D'Marco Farr discuss the Rams' 30-19 loss to the Bills, what they can improve against the Lions in Week 6, what makes an elite quarterback, and how the upcoming trip to London will look.

S Glover Quin discusses the Rams' offense as well as Darius Slay's contributions on defense.

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Lions Head Coach Jim Caldwell – Conference Call – October 12, 2016


(On the progress QB Matthew Stafford has made since Caldwell has been with the Lions)
“Matthew has improved steadily I think, the entire time since we’ve arrived. And that’s because of the fact that he has great work habits, he’s a smart guy, he loves the game and gives it everything he’s got, now, I don’t want you take that as a fact that he’s only improved since we’ve gotten here, he was playing really good football before we got here. He, certainly, had some great outings, did a tremendous job, had some outstanding years and things of that nature during that time, so he’s been steadily improving since our tenure here.”

(On if he has seen improvement in the mental aspect of the game from Stafford)
“Certainly, it’s kind of a natural progression for guys. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been around a few quarterbacks during my coaching days. And oftentimes, in their fifth, sixth, seventh year, eighth year, around that time, you really begin seeing a bit of an evolution as they’ve gone through, because of the fact that they’ve seen everything. Not many things will surprise them. They have a really good feel for concepts. They’ve probably seen a little bit of almost every coordinator in the league – or at least different styles of defenses and things of that nature. They’re able to do a few more of the nuances now because those things they recognize rather quickly. He’s making that kind of progress.”

(On how Lions WR Marvin Jones has fit into things in the offense right away and how he’s done this season)
“They’ve put in a lot of work during the offseason since he signed with us and we’ve acquired his services. He’s one of those guys that has a natural knack for the position. I think he’s a very fine route-runner, but he’s also a guy that’s really a stickler for details. He and Matt worked intensely for quite a while during the spring and that is still carrying over even today. I don’t think you ever really get a real good feel for one another until you’ve kind of been through it all together. But I think they’re working in that direction.”

(On if there is anything that Jones has done that’s surprised him)
“Not surprised, no. We certainly had an opportunity to do our due diligence prior to the free agency and all those kinds of things. He’s been exactly what we thought he’d be.”

(On the Rams defense)
“Obviously it’s a very good football team in every single phase. The defensive front is very, very talented, very disruptive, they do a good job of mixing things up with them. Their core group, in terms of linebackers, et cetera; (LB Alec) Ogletree in the middle there is doing a tremendous job. And they have a secondary that can run with you and also give you some problems in terms of changing up coverages and stunts as well. It’s a very good group, but you could say the same thing about the offense – that, I think is a quick-strike offense that has a quarterback that certainly is very well-schooled at that position and can move the ball. Along with, perhaps maybe the best young running back in the league in Todd Gurley, who is really a dangerous guy. But I also noticed they’ve moved him outside some. He’s caught a few passes on the flanks. Then (WR) Kenny Britt is having an outstanding year. I had a chance to see him a few times when they were down at Tennessee, he’s playing well. They have a lot of guys on the outside playing well. And then, obviously, (WR) Tavon Austin, who is a guy that just gives you all kinds of problems because he gets the ball so many different ways – (WR) Brian Quick as well. It’s a heck of a group, a good line, a very, very good football team. And then the special teams is challenging for anybody that ever plays them. They do a lot of different things, they give you a lot of different problems.”

(On what he took away from the last matchup he had with the Rams late in 2015)
“The teams are different. The team changes probably about 30 percent or so each and every year, and you add a few injuries to that and it’s almost a completely different group that you’re working with. Other than the familiarity with scheme and things of that nature, maybe there’s some crossover there, but it’s a different year. We know it’s going to be tough, they play well, they play smart football. They’re going to be hard to handle.”


Lions QB Matthew Stafford – Conference Call – October 12, 2016

(On if he has stayed in contact with Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, and if he got the chance to see him pitch last night)
“Yeah, I try to stay in contact with him. He and I both have busy schedules, but we try to shoot each other a text every once in a while. And yeah, I did watch last night. I try to catch most of the games that I can when he’s throwing.”

(On his thoughts regarding Clayton Kershaw’s performance last night)
“I thought he pitched really well, gutted it out. Obviously, unfortunate what happened in the seventh there. Glad they got a win. I know he’s happy they got the win. I thought he pitched a great game; really tough and gritty like he always is.”

(On what has been the key to a good start of the season)
“Just trying to take what is there. Our offense is based on just trying to throw it to the open guy. There’s been a couple times where I’ve been able to recognize coverage, and get out there and run a little bit. Not something I’m trying to make a living doing, but it’s helping our team. Get a first down here or there in a game, I’m more than happy to do it.”

(On his thoughts about his second season working with Offensive Coordinator Jim Bob Cooter)
“They’ve been going well. We haven’t played perfect by any means. There’s always room for improvement. We’ve had challenges along the way, but we’re just trying to continue to get better week after week, and hone in on the details.”

(On how long it took him to get used to not having WR Calvin Johnson, and his impressions of WR Marvin Jones, Jr. this season)
“It didn’t take me too long. You get out there on the field, and you throw to the guys you have, and whoever is open gets the ball. That’s kind of how I’ve always been. Obviously, losing a Hall of Fame talent affects some things, but our guys have stepped up and have done a really nice job of getting open and making plays. (WR) Marvin (Jones, Jr.) has been no different than any of the other guys. He’s done a great job. When he’s been given opportunities to make plays, he’s made them.”

(On his experience becoming a starting quarterback, after being the number one overall pick in the draft)
“As a competitive person, I always wanted to play. I wanted to come in and try to win the job as soon as I could, and was able to early on. We were battling that year. The Lions were coming off a year that wasn’t one to remember, the year before that. We were just trying to find who was going to be a part of our team, and make us try to win games any way we could. It was a tough situation. Being a rookie in this league playing quarterback is not an easy thing, and I was just happy to get some experience early under my belt.”

(On if it’s better to play right away, rather than sitting out and learning for a year)
“I think every situation is different. Every team is different that the player comes to, what those expectations of that team are, all that kind of stuff. It’s all different. What the player is showing in practice, all that. That all goes into it. In the end, it’s coach’s decision. I think it’s worked well both ways for certain types of guys.”

(On how his physical and mental skills have developed throughout his NFL career)
“Every time you go out there and play, you learn something new. This game is humbling in that way. The second you think you know everything, something else comes along and makes you realize you don’t. I’m just trying to learn as much as I possibly can, talk to as many people as I can, and continue to get better in the mental aspect.”

(On what has helped him the most in the mental aspect of the game)
“I don’t know. I think with experience comes knowledge of certain coordinators and players in the league. When you’re young in this league, you’re playing coordinators for the first time; you’re playing against players for the first time. Just like anything else, the more repetitions you get at playing certain coordinators and playing against certain players, the better you understand them.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – October 11, 2016


(Opening Remarks)
“The good thing about the way our schedule works, is when you get to Tuesday, everything’s behind you and you move forward. We had a good day today. Got some guys healing up, got some guys on the walk-thru, so it’s encouraging. We had to spend some time this morning, with logistics with traveling and everything. But I think we’re in good shape right now. We like the plan, we got a good opponent – every week you’re playing a good opponent. But (Lions QB) Matt’s (Stafford) playing really well for them. They’re running the ball a little bit, so we got to get that fixed defensively. Then, like we said yesterday, it’s about scoring points. It will be a big challenge for us.”

(On why he thinks they’re struggling to get the ball in the end zone this season)
“It’s avoiding the third and longs inside the 20-yard-line – those are hard. The best way to do that is to stay balanced. You stay balance run, pass and make some big plays, take some shots – avoid the penalties.”

(On the injury CB Trumaine Johnson sustained during Sunday night’s game)
“Nothing. He’s probably not going to go this week. It’ll be week-to-week.”

(On WR Brian Quick getting back to form after the 2014 injury to his shoulder)
“Yeah, I would say he’s back. Yeah he really was. He was really productive for us. It was a near career-ending injury. It was a serious shoulder injury. He and the medical staff, training staff did a great job getting him back. It’s taken time, plus the offense has changed. But he’s comfortable now, he’s making his plays.”

(On what the plan will be if Trumaine Johnson doesn’t play on Sunday)
“(CB) Troy (Hill) steps up like he did in the game. I can sleep at night knowing that (CB) E.J. (Gaines) is back and playing good.”

(On what he’s seen in Troy Hill’s development)
“He understands what we’re doing and he can really run and he has got ball skills. Even though he’s a little slight, he’s a run-support guy. The good thing about both of them is that they can elevate at the ball. They might be 5-10, 5-11, but they can play taller because they can elevate and get the ball.”

(On the NFL transaction wire saying the team acquired Jaguars CB Dwayne Gratz today)
“Yes we did. We were really surprised, we were doing our homework with the potential with Trumaine’s injury and the lack of depth there, so we did our research. We kind of got wind that they were going to make a choice there – they did, they let Dwayne go, we submitted the claim and we were awarded the claim, he’ll be there in the morning.”

(On the particular reasons for choosing Gratz)
“Yeah, I liked him coming out of Connecticut. Great, great young man, really smart, a team guy. I think he was a little caught off guard by the release. Yeah, he’ll be here in the morning and we’re get him coached up as quick as we can to play special teams – he played predominately inside for them the last year and a half, but has the skills to play outside. We were really excited about being awarded the claim. He’s familiar with London, that’s the last place he played, so he’s going back. I didn’t have to ask him if he had a passport or not.”

(On if it’s an ever-evolving process to try to find ways to get WR Tavon Austin the ball)
“It is. You just have got to move him around, everybody knows where he’s at. You watch defenses against us and they’re pointing here and they’re pointing across the field to the corner to alert this, alert that. It’s ongoing. By design, there’s things that we stay with, there’s thing that we check to and there’s things that we check out of based on defenses.”

(On if Austin has lined up in the backfield before)
“Yes we did, he’s been a ball carrier for us over the past couple of years, and obviously very productive.”

(On if close margins in the game magnifies the importance of special teams)
“It does, there’s three equal phases. That’s the way we look at it. Special teams can be the difference-maker in a game. We overcame the penalty last week, and fortunately we had really good field position on the return. We’re dictating; we’re just hopeful. Two things, one on kickoff return, that we get some kicks that are returnable, (RB) Benny (Cunningham) should be back this week, and he can do that. Secondly, it’s another way to get the ball in Tavon’s hands. Buffalo’s plan was similar to most team’s plan, and that’s to put it out of bounds, or kick it high, and not allow them returner.”

(On his support system in regards to game planning and scouting)
“We have a whole process. Our process is on-going. We have an advance scout. The coaches do all the work. For example, on Thursday, the coaches will be working ahead on the Giants. There’s familiarity now with Detroit. We played them last year, and have great respect for what they’re doing. It’s the game plan process. The challenge, the task, rather is to get the game plan together, but get the players to become familiar with an uncommon opponent.”

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450 strong!
It takes 14 buses and a semi to get these kids around!
I'll be broke by the time she graduates!

Man, there is some dirty laundry getting slung around this week! How accurate is this stuff? I hear there has never been any WikiLeaks proven false but I don't know what to believe. Wow!

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0577932562303817659-4

Uh oh

Rams Film Room Review: Week 5 vs Buffalo Bills

The universe is beginning to correct itself.
by QBKlass @QBKlass Oct 12, 2016

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
The only thing more bitter than dropping what could have been a fourth win in a row is the fashion in which it happened. For three and a half quarters, the game appeared as if it could have gone either way. Then Jeff Fisher smote the city of Los Angeles with his inept coaching decisions.

First, Fisher called for a field goal while inside the ten yard line down 23-16 with six minutes left in the game. Greg Zuerlin nailed the kick, but the Rams still needed to score a touchdown to get themselves a lead. Fisher opted for the conservative play call and it came back to haunt him when his offense desperately needed to stay on the field later in the game.

The Rams faked a punt on their next possession from their own 23 yard line with three and a half minutes left to go in the game. Due in part to the play’s transparency, ball carrier Bradley Marquez was not able to convert the first down, granting the Bills the ball on the Rams 25 yard line.

Buffalo quickly scored a touchdown, then intercepted Case Keenum for a second time on the ensuing drive. Despite 50 or so minutes of competitive football, Fisher swindled himself out of the opportunity for a win.

Rams Offense vs Bills Defense
If this game confirmed anything about the Rams offense, it is that Case Keenum’s explosive play potential is nonexistent. His inability to throw accurate passes down the field and extend plays in the pocket was as evident as ever on Sunday. The Rams offense is severely capped with Keenum at the helm.


The structure of the offense is quietly expanding, though. There have been more plays that look like one another to the defense until it is too late for the defense to realize it is, in fact, not the play they thought it was. Those minor additions have mostly been on play action plays and run-pass options.

In addition to minor wrinkles in the play action and run-pass option game, offensive coordinator Rob Boras made it a point to get Tavon Austin more involved this week. Austin’s seven receptions and three carries (ten total touches) were both season highs. He did not bust off any ridiculous plays, but he made the most of his rushing attempts and it was nice to see the staff do their part to get Austin the ball.

Games Notes:

• The OL had a few bright plays early on, but many of the Rams four-plus yard runs were a product of the Bills going to a true 3-4 “odd” front (both guards uncovered), leaving the gut of their defense a little exposed. The OL was still largely abysmal.
• Case Keenum left so many yards on the field. Even on the deep shot to Tavon Austin on the sideline, Austin had a touchdown if Keenum threw the ball somewhat in stride... Keenum forced Austin to the boundary and he trailed out of bounds shortly after the catch.
• Rodger Saffold loses to every defender that doesn’t play him straight up. Stunts, shaded players, players aligned in gaps, moving targets at the second level; Saffold can’t block any of them. He’s not who he once was.
• Todd Gurley’s peaks and valleys were magnified this week. He had some miserable moments in terms of vision and patience, while he shined in other instances with his raw power and burst.

Spicing Up the Offense
The offense has slowly been adding plays and wrinkles week by week, but this week’s offense was especially interesting. Not only was it the biggest jump the Rams have seen in terms of creativity, but it was probably the team’s best performance in terms of the skill players being put into (somewhat) optimal operating conditions and executing. Of course, the capitalization on those opportunities was stifled by Keenum, but the offense showed potential.


This is a power run play tagged with a one-man pass option. Run-pass options are not foreign to the NFL, especially after coaches like Chip Kelly and Hue Jackson stepped into major roles, but the wrinkle of the pulling guard is interesting. The Atlanta Falcons are notorious for a one-man pass option like this, but I can not recall - and I certainly could be wrong - the Falcons pulling a guard on the run play tagged with their pass option.


The Falcons tend to fake an outside zone play away from the pass option to grant space to the lone receiver. On this play, the Rams still pull the defense away from the receiver with the direction of the run concept, but the pulling guard is an interesting addition to this tight, under center run-pass option.

Linebackers are often taught to key the guards, so adding a pulling guard to clear people away from the lone receiver is brilliant. It is little plays like this that give hope to the future of the Rams offense.

Todd Gurley’s Vision Problem Reared Its Ugly Head
I almost went with a segment on Keenum’s pocket ineptitude, but that is a tired endeavor. Instead, Gurley’s vision dilemma is the subject of this segment.

It needs to be made clear on the front end that Gurley is not a bad player or a “bust” draft pick. That is not the case. Rather, the offensive line has taken a step back from an already porous state from last season. Gurley has become increasingly frustrated and his vision has suffered as a result of that frustration.


Gurley simply does not trust the system on this play. In fairness to him, the offensive line and rushing game plan has desperately failed him to this point. Gurley has to his this hole, though. It’s clear as day.

This play more than likely would not have resulted in a 30 yard gain. Realistically, the linebacker gets a piece of Gurley if he goes left or forces Gurley to the right, allowing the safety time to help make a tackle regardless of Gurley’s direction. It was not setting up to be a special play, but there was an avenue for Gurley to pick up an easy 4, 5, 6 yards on this play. He failed to do so.

Instead of trusting what was in front of him, Gurley veered off wide to the left, running directly into trouble. Gurley got bailed out by a facemask call, but he made a mistake on this play. The most troubling aspect of this is not necessarily the egregious mistake, but the fact that Gurley has been much better than this in the past.

The early stages of Gurley as a Ram were exciting. He powered through rushing lanes, ran forward without hesitation and asserted himself. He’s not doing much of that this year. A good chunk of the blame falls on the offensive line not giving him any reason to have faith in them, but it is still on Gurley to identify the rare cases where they do a good job and to take advantage of this situations. He is too often struggling to do that this season.

Rams Defense vs Bills Offense
As was expected, the Bills ran all over the Rams defense. The Rams cleaned up their act a bit in the second half, but Buffalo still toted the rock well. LeSean McCoy and friends ran for 193 yards on 27 attempts against the Rams defense, good for 7.1 yards per carry. Surprisingly, only one of Buffalo’s three offensive touchdowns were scored on the ground, but it was their rushing attack that put them in position to score.

The Rams defense was bailed out some by a poor Tyrod Taylor performance. Taylor averaged 5.4 yards per pass on 23 attempts, plus he was sacked twice. Taylor did protect the ball well, but he missed plenty of open reads and deep shots down the field. In more ways than one, Taylor looked like if Case Keenum had Russell Wilson’s legs attached to his body.

Ultimately, the Bills offense was playing Fisherball. They ran the ball aggressively, limited turnovers and played great defense to help keep the offense comfortable. That is what Fisherball is supposed to be and Rex Ryan did it better than Jeff Fisher did.

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TurfShowTimes @TurfShowTimes
Credit Rex Ryan for out-Fisherballing Fisher.
Games Notes:

• Alec Ogletree was the worst player on the field in the first half. Missed multiple tackles on the first drive and nearly gave up a touchdown pass in the red zone (of course, Taylor eventually scored anyway). Ogletree sorted himself out a bit in the second half, but he had another rough outing.
• The Bills botched a snap to put themselves at 2nd-and-28... and still picked up a first down two plays later. Do with that what you will.
• Buffalo’s WRs got great separation down the field a number of times and Taylor missed them, which is odd considering how good of a deep passer Taylor was a year ago. Game could have been out of hand.
• LeSean McCoy was better than everyone else on the football field. He was impossible to tackle and his stop/start ability was surreal. Shady’s back.
• It goes without saying, but losing Trumaine Johnson for any stretch of time is detrimental. EJ Gaines looks okay this year, but only in shallow zones. Troy Hill is not good in coverage. Problems are on the horizon.

Getting Punched in the Mouth to Open the Game
Defending Buffalo’s rushing attack is like getting punched in the mouth and then gutted by a butterfly knife. The Bills offensive linemen, primarily their guards, are a bunch of street fighters. They’ll punch you repeatedly, put you on the ground, then pick you up just to pummel you again. Their offensive line - and even their fullback - is a force to be reckoned with.


This was the first play of the game. From the looks of it, it is an “iso” type of play with the fullback leading the way through the weak side cut back lane, if necessary (and it was here). Right off the snap, linebacker Alec Ogletree gets sucked into the strong side of the play and Buffalo’s left tackle Cordy Glenn keeps defensive end Eugene Sims outside.

Linebacker/safety Mark Barron is then left 1-on-1 in the alley with Buffalo’s fullback. Without much trouble, Buffalo’s fullback Jerome Felton blows Barron completely out of the play, granting McCoy plenty of room to run.

Plays like the one above were common all throughout the game. Buffalo ran right at the Rams and had a lot of success in doing so. Their offensive line and man power was overwhelming for the Rams depleted defensive line and weak linebacking corps. Los Angeles struggled to pin down the perimeter, too, though.


The Rams lost this play by alignment. There is no reason for the single-high safety and the strong side linebacker to be on the weak side of the formation by the time the ball is snapped. It’s tough to know for certain what the adjustment should have been because I do not know the call, but it’s more than likely that the safety should have rotated to the other side of the formation to become an alley player or the linebackers should have shifted over.

Regardless, the Rams looked unprepared to handle a simple motion adjustment on this play, allowing Mike Gillislee to waltz into the end zone after a pitch from Taylor.

Dominique Easley Stepped Up When Called Upon
Los Angeles was missing a number of defensive linemen on Sunday, most notably Michael Brockers and Robert Quinn. In the absence of Brockers, Dominique Easley had to step up.

Cam Thomas took a good deal of Brockers’s snaps at 1-tech (between guard and center), but Easley played some snaps there, too, in addition to his normal 3-tech alignment (between guard and tackle). Easley played everywhere and played well.


(Buffalo went with an unbalanced look to the left on this play, so for the sake of simplicity, each OL will be referred to as their number instead of position)

Easley did the most to keep this play to a minimum gain. Lined up at 3-tech, Easley fires off into the #79 and #64 combo block. Granted, #64 did not do much to combat Easley, but that is due in part to how quickly Easley was in #79’s face and forcing him backwards.

With #79 in “retreat and recover” mode, #76, the pulling player, had his path disrupted. #76 had to step wide of #79, making #76 late to his spot. With the timing of the play disrupted by Easley’s immediate destruction, the Bills blocking scheme was too slow to develop and could not create the space that McCoy needed to pick up a decent gain.

Conclusions
Regression caught up to the Rams this week. After a number of close victories, the Rams squandered their chance at victory over the Buffalo Bills in the last six minutes of the game.

The Rams had been outplayed, at least to some degree, throughout the course of the game, but they still had a chance to win in the final minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the situation called for Jeff Fisher to step up as a calculated decision maker and he failed miserably to handle that task.

Close games are going to be a problem for the Rams. If they find themselves in manageable deficit situations in the future this season, it’s tough to imagine the Rams winning those games considering the lack of explosiveness from a Case Keenum lead offense and the stubbornness of Jeff Fisher’s coaching decisions.

Of course, a number of injuries on defense helped put the Rams in the close game situation that they were in this weekend, but good teams overcome injury.

With the loss of Trumaine Johnson for at least a couple of weeks, the Rams defensive front will be pressed to be special and ease the pain of an inept secondary. How well the defensive front can recover and perform will be make or break for the Rams over the course of the next few weeks.

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/10/12/13253834/rams-film-room-review-week-5-buffalo-bills

You ever wonder how there is not 32 people in the whole world that can be successful at playing QB in the NFL? Its truly mind boggling, There is more 7 footers in the NBA than there is capable QB's in the NFL. It just doesn't make sense, I know its hard and all of the coverage's have changed the game but come one now ! I think sometimes team over complicate the situation and don't let these guys just play the game! Let me know if you have any comments on this because its just the weirdest thing in sports for me.

I see a lot of posts wondering about Gurley still, I think he will be just fine guys ! Us that watch the games know he has had no where to run and finally had some holes open up last week. He has been very good in the passing game and has surprised me with some good catches. This dude is an all world athlete and sprinter, once this o line starts working better together, he will be the Gurley of last year. A lot of people I talk to say he's a bust ,Fishers running backs only have a good first year, he sucks now ! . Lets not be like those people, we are real fans and we watch the games and can obviously see the guy has no where to go. We are lucky to have Todd Gurley and he will continue the tradition of great rams running backs !!!

Now I will admit I do not watch a lot of college football, and get most of my information from television and forums like this...... this admittedly being my favorite place during the draft season. My question is, Is Goff really that bad. I mean why was he rated so high by everybody?? I can question whether or not Fisher and Snead know what they're doing, but it wasn't only them that rated him so high!! NFL Network, ESPN, Pro Football Weekly.... I mean everybody!! The kid didn't even dress for day one!! All these other rookies that were drafted behind him are doing great, and he can't even get on the field. What happened? I really expected to hear that Goff was gonna start this week, I guess he really is that bad. I'm trying to put the kid down, I'm just floored.

https://theringer.com/nfl-wide-rece...onio-brown-julio-jones-7b29c2ebb72#.fi3c83b3b

Dawn of the Planet of the Receivers
Sorry, QBs. It’s time to give some shine to the guys who really own today’s NFL: the pass catchers no one can seem to stop
By Kevin Clark

Every NFL position has changed dramatically over the past decade: Quarterbacks are more involved than ever; offensive linemen face a harder college-to-pro leap; middle linebackers may be phasing out of the game completely.

But no position has evolved more than wide receiver, which, thanks to a long list of converging forces, has become perhaps the most talent-stacked group in sports. That’s been palpable in this young NFL season, with dominant pass catchers buoying many top teams: Julio Jones delivered a 300-yard performance two weeks ago for the now 4–1 Falcons; Antonio Brown already has 447 yards and five touchdowns for the 4–1 Steelers; A.J. Green has been a rare bright spot for the flailing Bengals; and the list goes on.

Saying that we’re in a golden generation of wide receivers would be a gross understatement. We’re firmly in an era when, from the youth football level on up, nearly every trend in the past decade has favored receivers. And there’s no evidence that the talent gap between wideouts and other positions will close anytime soon.

Four receivers (Green, Jones, T.Y. Hilton, and Marvin Jones) are currently averaging at least 100 receiving yards per game. Among players who have logged at least 13 starts in a campaign, we’ve seen 23 100-yard receiving averages in NFL history, and nine of them have come since the 2011 season. The 1980s produced one 100-reception, 1,200-yard season; we’ve seen 21 since 2011.

The supply of productive pass catchers seems to be endless: Odell Beckham Jr., a first-round draft pick, delivered on his pedigree by becoming one of the league’s best players; Terrelle Pryor, a converted college quarterback, has defied the odds to become one of Cleveland’s lone exciting players. Elite receiver performances are no longer the exception; they’re a constant. And the talent is so undeniable that it’s altered play calling across the league.

And while this receiver dominance is a relatively new phenomenon in the NFL, it was a decade in the making.



There’s no doubt the game started changing in the early 2000s,” said Todd Watson, Julio Jones’s former coach at Alabama’s Foley High School and the current director of football operations at Troy University. “The game shifted from ground-and-pound to spread.” Every kid, Watson said, went from wanting to play running back in youth football to wanting to be involved in the passing game.

Watson, who arrived at Foley in 2005 after Jones’s freshman season, witnessed this firsthand: Jones was playing safety and running back when he started his high school career. Watson said that if Jones had played in an earlier era, he may have been instructed to bulk up and play defensive end. High school and youth football teams used to be based on the running game and defense, and a 6-foot-3, 220-pound athlete like Jones could excel at so many important positions that he rarely made it to the world of receiving, but that position gained importance due to schematic changes in the game.

The proliferation of the spread offense, which began in the 1990s and exploded in the next decade, created a world where, for the first time, most high school teams needed a dominant receiver — and opted to put their best athletes there.

The explosion of that offense coincided with a change in routine, Watson said: “Kids in a small towns in America were working all summer. But during Julio’s time, it became the norm to train year-round.”

Shortly after the spread took off, spring and summer leagues boomed at the high school level, with seven players facing off on each side of the ball. Watson said players were looking for more ways to compete in the off months, and these 7-on-7 camps filled a big need. Powerhouse high schools like Hoover High School in Alabama hosted tournaments. Players traveled their regions to find leagues, some of which are run by high schools, some by independent companies. All have one thing in common: Their reliance on passing helps receivers improve.

The 7-on-7 concept is fairly straightforward: a 40-yard field, no tackling, no pads, and very little live-football action. There’s no pressure on quarterbacks. Defenses can’t tackle, lay a hit to break up a pass, or shed blockers. Receiver is, by far, the position with the 7-on-7 skill set that most closely resembles what those players will eventually need to succeed in a game.

In a confined space, receivers aren’t able to rely as fully on their natural speed, forcing them to work on their ball skills, learn to adjust to the pass, and catch in dozens of different ways. The end result: Receivers get literally thousands more productive reps than players at any other position by the time they reach college football.

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JC Shurburtt, a recruiting guru who covered offseason tournaments in the mid-2000s, when this current wave began, said the 7-on-7 scene was a breeding ground for the ridiculous receptions we see today: He remembers Green extending his left arm “and just grabbing the ball on kids with great coverage, just circus catches.”

(The AAU rules of 7-on-7s state: “This is a non-contact game and any flagrant contact is cause for immediate ejection,” but DBs can still try to swat down passes or intercept them.) Shurburtt also recalls a Pennsylvania quarterback who ran about 15 plays per game at wide receiver during a tournament in Pittsburgh — a fellow named Pryor.

“It seemed like he was just messing around,” Shurburtt said of Pryor, who would go on to play quarterback at Ohio State. “Everyone thought, ‘This guy could be Vince Young,’ because in those days, everyone was looking for the next Vince Young. But you saw him and you said, ‘This guy could be an unbelievable receiver.’”

The impact these games had on the receiver position is not so different from the effect that futsal, a version of soccer played on a smaller field, had on soccer players (including Leo Messi), who were forced to be creative and athletic in tight spaces. The difference: In futsal, a handful of positions get better; in this brand of youth football, only one noticeably improved.



Catch radius” is the area in which a QB can throw the ball and confidently expect his receiver to snag it, and in recent years, the only thing that’s grown faster than the term’s buzzword status is receivers’ actual catch radius, which now seems to be the entire field.

The 7-on-7 generation entered the league with advanced pass-catching abilities, and now they’re using NFL training methods to enhance their already well-oiled skills and take their acrobatics to new heights. Nate Burleson, a 1,000-yard receiver in 2004 who played alongside Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson and is now an NFL Network analyst, said that in his day, everyone but the game’s elite was dissuaded by coaches from showing flair while catching, especially in practice.

Practicing for unusual situations like one-handed catches or catches from the ground was not part of the routine. Now, players are so advanced when they hit the pros that coaches expect, and encourage, the exceptional.

“Guys are practicing every scenario — catching the ball jumping up and down, laying on the ground and trying to catch it,” Burleson said. He mentioned that in practice, Pittsburgh’s Brown catches the ball while a trainer “aggressively yanks on his arm. He’s simulating the moment when you have to go up to catch when one of your arms is restricted. So that when it happens, you’ll be confident.

In the past, receivers would have walked away, and you’d tell the coach, ‘I didn’t have my other hand,’ and the coach would say, ‘All right, cool.’ Now, you do that to a wide receiver coach and he’ll say, ‘I don’t care, you should have caught it.’”

The expectation that receivers can catch a ball from any angle comes at a price, said former Browns GM Phil Savage, who’s now executive director of the Senior Bowl. He noted, anecdotally, that he’s seen more big drops than ever in the past few years as the trend toward more ambitious passing plays continues.

Offenses now show no hesitation in throwing a dozen or more bombs to a receiver over the course of a game, a tactic unheard of in more conservative eras. But, Savage said, teams will accept additional drops if the theatrics pay the dividends they have so far. “Big drops are tolerated in the same way strikeouts are now tolerated in baseball,” Savage said. “You tolerate it because at some point it turns into touchdowns.”

Catches like Beckham’s 2014 jaw-dropper against Dallas, considered one of the best grabs in NFL history, may have seemed fluky at the time, but by this past Sunday his back-of-the-end-zone grab, which would have been considered catch-of-the-year material in the past, looked positively pedestrian by his standards. “Nothing,” Burleson said, “is luck anymore with receivers.”

Receivers’ skill level has changed the very notion of what a catch should look like. And there’s a trickle-down effect that may or may not be a good one: For players like Beckham, Jones, and Brown, circus grabs are the end result of hours and hours of practice; for current high schoolers, attempting the circus catches comes first.

Justis Mosqueda is a NFL draftnik who spends countless hours evaluating college prospects every spring. He also coaches wide receivers and defensive backs at Hood River Valley High School in Oregon.

In the past year, he said, practicing insane catches has become the norm, thanks to Beckham. He admitted it can be “super frustrating” when kids are more focused on flash than fundamentals; even offensive linemen practice making hard catches, he said. But, Mosqueda added, it’s the reality in an era in which young players can pull up YouTube and watch the highlights that they want to emulate. “Odell and those guys have had so much influence on how these kids play,” Mosqueda said.

In some ways, it mirrors Steph Curry’s influence on all levels of basketball. Just as more high schoolers are pulling up from 3-point range to copy their favorite shooter, young football players are trying to catch the ball like Beckham.

his wave of talent has changed the way games are played. The fear that these receivers strike in defenses cannot be overstated, Burleson said. When he entered the league with the Vikings in 2003, he played in the slot next to outside receiver Moss. Before the snap, Burleson said, every defensive back would be so scared of Moss that they would literally be on their heels. “Randy would win every snap because the snap hasn’t happened and the cornerbacks are shook,” he said.

“When that happens now, with Julio, with Antonio, the defense is so scared they start forgetting football fundamentals. I’m talking football amnesia.” Moss was a singular talent in his era, with a 6-foot-4 frame, elite speed, and leaping ability. Now, there’s an entire generation of Moss-like receivers putting defenders on skates. This phenomenon is showing up on the field in nearly every game. Once, double coverage on a receiver was a universal sign to throw somewhere else. Now? Well:

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This is the major way play calling has changed. For four straight seasons, at least one player has been targeted more than 20 times in a game. There’s never been a cluster like that since 1992, as far back as Pro-Football-Reference’s data on targets goes. Last year, three players (Brown, Davante Adams, and DeAndre Hopkins) were all thrown to in a game more than 20 times.

Beckham accomplished the feat a year earlier. Teams now feel comfortable chucking the ball at their star receiver no matter the coverage, and, in most cases, no matter the situation, because the receiver can catch nearly everything. Burleson estimated that Brown can come down with eight out of 10 passes in double coverage.

Burleson predicts that because the athletes on one side of the ball have gotten so good, teams will have to start putting resources into developing equally talented players on the other side. But that kind of shift takes time to translate into results. Until then? Wide receivers will run free. And catch everything.

I've cut back on my posting lately because nobody wants to be around a Mr Gloom and Doom. Including me.

But I wanna get this off my chest in the hopes I might feel better.

So here goes...

Mr Mediocre remains as our HC and that will continue for the rest of the '16 season.

Keenum has managed 3 wins, each by 3 and 4 point margins when accompanied by terrific D and ST play. Otherwise, he's 0-2. This condition is not likely to improve.

Our #1 overall QB has yet to take an NFL snap. This is despite the success enjoyed by several other rookie QB's around the league AND Keenum's underwhelming performance so far. Let that soak in for a minute. We gave up 6 premium picks for Goff over 2 drafts and have yet to get a single snap as a return on investment through 5 games. Gulp...

What does that say about Fisher's judgement in picking his QB? Or about his staff's ability to develop his QB? Either way, it's kinda scary.

Our "elite" RB is struggling. At least he sure looked elite LAST year. Btw, anybody notice how many of Fisher's RB's have a good 1st year than a big drop off in their 2nd year? Look it up.

Don't know about you, but I sure expected bigger things from our OL this year. It's not as if they've been devastated with injuries, either. So, what gives?

Can we please utilize our TE's in this O a bit more? Kendricks can be a weapon, especially against stacked boxes. Is Higbee in witness protection? Boggles my mind how slowly he's developing. From "mini Gronk" in preseason to MIA once the season starts? C'mon...

Britt and Quick (to my great surprise, btw) have impressed, but is anybody happy with our $42 million Tavon as an O weapon? I'm not. Saw it coming, too. Fisher continues to try to force a square peg into a round hole with Tavon. Results speak for themselves, at least so far.

Is there any other team in the league that would continue to struggle facing 8-9 man boxes? Take what the D gives you, dammit! A steady dose of quick passes until either we're up by 21 points OR their D compensates. Geez...

No complaints with our D. Just frustration with the injuries to key starters.

ST's have been outstanding. Wouldn't trade our P or PK for anybody in the league. Coverages have been good, too. Fisher did get carried away with that fake punt, though. The final back-breaker, IMO.

Here's the thing that's really got me kinda down...

I'm afraid that nothing's gonna significantly improve this year. Offensive ineptitude seems to be baked into Fisher's DNA. Which means another year with some good to great talent will have been wasted.

Hope I'm wrong. I really do. But I'm just out of faith in Fisher these days.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-kaepernick-to-start-at-quarterback-for-49ers

Colin Kaepernick to start at quarterback for 49ers
By Conor Orr

Colin Kaepernick is back.

After a four-game losing streak with Blaine Gabbert at the helm -- a stretch where the former first-round pick threw for just four touchdowns and six interceptions and posted an average passer rating of 65.1 -- the team is making a change, Chip Kelly announced on Tuesday. Kelly and the staff met earlier in the day to discuss a potential quarterback swap.

Kelly said that the move had nothing to do with Kaepernick's soon-to-be altered contract status, which should negate some of the balky injury guarantees in his previous long-term deal. Kaepernick said Tuesday to reporters that his contract is still being worked on. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that he's expected to sign the new deal before he steps on the field.

When asked about reassuming the starting position in San Francisco, Kaepernick said, "I'm excited and ready to go."

Gabbert, on the other hand, was not as pleased: "It sucks. I don't like it."

Business maneuvering aside, this was an expected development for a team that started the season with a resounding win over the Rams but face-planted in subsequent weeks. Kelly took the job knowing that he would have to comb the NFL, and likely the 2017 draft class, for his future quarterback. First, he'll have to cycle through the ones remaining on his bench.

Despite the near certainty that Gabbert would not start 16 games this year, there were many perceived obstacles in the way of Kaepernick's eventual comeback.

The quarterback underwent multiple surgeries this offseason and didn't have much of a presence during offseason workouts. Kelly said as recently as a week ago that Kaepernick was not heavy enough to take the field again. Kaepernick asserted that he was fine.

The surgeries underlined multiple attempts by Kaepernick to part ways with the Niners and enter into an offseason quarterbacking carousel that saw Mark Sanchez head to Denver then Dallas, and Sam Bradford eventually head to Minnesota.

Instead, the 49ers held on to their one-time superstar in the hopes that they could potentially clear a path to the playing field, which is now much easier without the weight of salary cap crippling injury guarantees hanging over the organization.

A source told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport that Kaepernick was "just zipping the ball," signifying that his arm strength was close to normal even if his weight was not. However, Rapoport cautioned that Kaepernick has not been outplaying Gabbert in practice. The move is more about a potential spark than anything.

Kaepernick will make his debut against Bills head coach Rex Ryan, who said that while he understood Kaepernick's protest of the national anthem, he encouraged his players to stand as "a way of showing respect for the men and women who have served our country and are currently serving our country and that's kind of how I look at it."

Since Ryan's comments in late August, Kaepernick's protest against racial and social inequality has taken hold throughout the league, with players from many teams joining in their own intimate form of protest during the national anthem.

Kaepernick's last start came almost a year ago, back on Nov. 1, 2015, in a loss to the Rams. In 2015, he went 2-6 under center with a 59 percent completion rate, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Power-Rankings-Week-6/6e882794-0c58-48f7-b8c1-2fba38cc7e35



Rams Power Rankings: Week 6
Posted 1 hour ago

Nate Bain Digital Media Manager @natebain



Each week TheRams.com takes an aggregate look at where the Los Angeles Rams rank in different outlets across the sports media landscape.

NFL.com, Elliot Harrison Rank: 12
Last Week: 13
Change: +1

ESPN.com Rank: 19
Last Week: 16
Change: -3

CBSSports.com, Pete Prisco Rank: 15
Last Week: 14
Change: -1

FoxSports.com Rank: 18
Last Week: 14
Change: -4

ProFootballTalk, Mike Florio Rank: 17
Last Week: 15
Change: -2

SBNation.com Rank: 19
Last Week: 17
Change: -2

Yahoo! Shutdown Corner Rank: 19
Last Week: 17
Change: -2

USA Today Rank: 14
Last Week: 10
Change: -4

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT'S RANKS -- DETROIT LIONS

NFL.com — 19
ESPN.com — 20
CBSSports.com — 22
FoxSports.com — 23
ProFootballTalk — 23
SB Nation — 22
Yahoo Shutdown Corner — 20
USA Today — 21

[av]http://play.podtrac.com/espn-thejefffishershow/c.espnradio.com/s:5L8r1/audio/3115247/jefffisher_2016-10-10-234347.64k.mp3[/av]

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-...mes-in-altercation-over-inflatable/396670751/

Vikings reach out to fan stabbed in Wisconsin, invite him to practice and game
The rivalry between Vikings and Packers fans took an ugly turn when police say a man in Stoughton, Wis., was stabbed seven times after confronting another man who was trying to vandalize an inflatable Viking in his front yard.
By Michael Rand

What is normally a good-natured rivalry between the Vikings and Packers took an extremely ugly turn Sunday when police say a man in Stoughton, Wis., was stabbed seven times after confronting another man who was trying to vandalize an inflatable Viking outside his house.

Channel3000.com has many of the harrowing details, including the image used here and a video interview with the victim. The Vikings fan — Dave Moschel, a father of six — said he was sitting down to watch football Sunday night shortly after 7 p.m. when the 21-year-old suspect — who was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment and criminal damage to property — started trying to slice up the giant inflatable Viking in his yard shortly after Minnesota went to 5-0 on the season.

Moschel said he confronted the man, and in the ensuing scuffle he was sliced seven times with a box cutter. Perhaps the most harrowing part of the story is this:

Moschel said he’s lucky to be alive and so is the man who stabbed him. “Luckily, I didn’t have my concealed carry on me at the time,” Moschel said. “Ninety-nine percent of the time I leave the house, I never leave without it. And this is the one time I did. I’m kind of glad I did, because he would have been dead, and I would have had to live with that.“

Moschel also said he plans to patch up the inflatable and keep displaying it proudly on his lawn.

According to a Vikings spokesman, the team was made aware of the incident by a friend of Moschel. The Vikings have invited him to be their guest at a future practice and attend the Vikings’ game vs. the Cardinals on Nov. 20 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...urge-continues-isaiah-pead-latest-to-get-cut/

Dolphins purge continues, Isaiah Pead latest to get cut
Posted by Darin Gantt on October 11, 2016

Getty Images

The Dolphins are apparently settling all the family business today.

In addition to the earlier releases of offensive linemen Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner, the team is parting ways with some non-blockers as well.

According to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News, the Dolphins are also releasing running back Isaiah Pead.

After struggling with a hamstring injury early, Pead has just eight carries for 22 yards this season.

It seems clear at this point, the 1-4 Dolphins are making decisions about the organization’s direction, and discarding any veteran players with limited upside. At this point, they might as well look at the kids (either theirs or other people’s), especially at positions where they aren’t exactly deep or talented.

These are selected questions and answers only. To read the whole chat click the link below. Grab a cup of coffee and dive in. Good luck, you'll need it.


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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/NFL_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_31

Jim Thomas - NFL Chat

Afternoon Jim, what do you think of the ratings slump. Looks like St Louis no-longer-ram fans are single handedly taking down the NFL. You think it’s backlash for the kneeling during the anthem? I’m sure the owners are more worried than they let on.

I think there are a lot of factors at work. And I think one of the factors is a backlash for the kneeling during the National Anthem. The presidential election has been a contributing factor. Not having some marquee players available hurts as well. Manning retires. Romo is hurt. Brady is suspended. A lot of the games seem sloppy. And through its sheer greed, the league is alienating markets in Oakland, San Diego, and St. Louis by having teams leave or threatening to leave.

Ratings mean dollars. And if this trend continues, it will cost the owners dollars. Over the years, I've frequently been asked why the owners continue to back Roger Goodell, even though he has seemed to mishandle a lot of situations. My answer has always been that as long as people were still watching games, as long as the money was still rolling in, nothing would change. We'll see what happens if this decline in ratings continues.
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How do ratings work? How do the ratings agencies know what I am watching? I think years ago one agency had a box attached to several thousand TVs across the country that recorded and transmitted what channel it was on when the TV was on and the other agency use telephone polling to ask if the TV was on and if so what channel.

I was curious if this is still the case, in which they don't really know what I am watching, or if newer technology enables Big Brother to spy on my viewing habits?

Nielsen Media Research uses about 5,000 households then extrapolates those results for nationwide ratings. Those households are metered to provide info on what is being watched. Statistical sampling is used in deciding those households, similar to how pollsters go about making election projections.
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Scott Linehan obviously was not ready to be a head coach when he was with the Rams but do you think he gets a 2nd chance in the future?

I'm not sure Linehan wants a second chance. It's one thing to call plays, it's another to lead an organization I'm not sure Linehan can lead an organization.
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James Laurenitis looked about 2 steps slow on last weeks game and I did not catch this weeks game, but lack of D seems a big issue in NOLA. Whats up there ?

The Saints had a bye this past weekend. I watched the Monday night game against Atlanta in Week 3 and paid special attention to Laurnaitis. He started well, was very active early. But didn't do much the rest of the way. He did seem slow. Don't know if that was due to his injury or not.

He was on the pregame inactive list the following week with a quad injury, ending his streak of 115 consecutive starts. The Saints play this week at home against Carolina. We'll see if Laurinaitis starts of if he plays. Defense has been a big issue for several seasons in New Orleans.
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So how did the Rams lose to Charlie Whitehurst and the Seahawks with the playoff spot at stake? Did Whitehurst play the only competent game of his career or were the Rams just flat out awful for that game?

I think Seattle won the game because of its dominant defense.
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Over the years, I'm sure you've had opportunities to just sit down with a coach or two and just "talk football." Can you name a coach or two (assistant, head coach, position coach) who provided you with the most insight on the game?

There have been several coaches over the years who've helped. Mike Martz, Gregg Williams, and Rick Venturi come to mind. Martz occasionally would even sit down and watch film with me. I still lean on Coach Venturi even though he's been retired from coaching for several years. He does radio and TV work for the Colts in Indianapolis and still looks at a lot of tape. In fact, I talked to him this morning just before the chat started. Talking to a coach can make a beat writer look smart.
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UK Ram fan looking forward to game at Twickenham on 23rd. Supported Rams in LA in 80s/90s, in St Louis 90s/Noughties and now back in LA. Feel bad for fans in St Louis, that was a spectacular slap in the face - I have good friends in St Louis because of Rams.

This feels like another Fisher 7-9, 3 yards and a cloud of dust season so is the better option to start Goff now and season him or wait till next season as he might get killed in a losing season effort anyway?

Yes, it was a spectacular slap in the face to St. Louis. And trust me, for many in St. Louis it still hurts. I think the formula on when Goff plays is pretty simple. If the Rams keep winning, Keenum keeps playing. If they start to pile up losses, Goff will get his chance.

If the team meanders around the .500 mark _ the decision is tougher for Fisher.. I can tell you this, from watching Goff in the preseason games and also on the first weekend of training camp, he does not look ready
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Is the fact that goff is not ready a reflection on Goff or the coaches' inability to develop QB's? Certainly Bradford's success in Minn, as well as his stuggles with Rams, as well as Foles', reflect poorly on the coaching.

Probably some of both. I wrote months ago that Goff wasn't really surrounded by a lot of quarterback knowledge on the Rams coaching staff.




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The Jared Goff situation is mystify, What do you think is really wrong behind the scenes ? Do you think he will play this year ?

For one, I think you can start by questioning the presumption that he was a No. 1 overall talent to begin with. I've been told that Goff may not have much in the way of leadership skills. And three, there's always the adjustment to the pro-style game by QBs who played in the spread and the no-huddle in college. And the Rams don't have a bona fide quarterback whisperer on their staff.

Fisher has a defensive background. Boras' background is in line play and the running game. Weinke is relatively new to coaching, and coaching at the NFL level. I'm not saying they're not knowledgeable coaches, but there's not much expertise in this area.
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Given "Mad Mikes" record, are you surprised no team has offered him a HC position?




Yes, I am a little bit surprised. Mike has a reputation for being difficult to work with, but I think his resume speaks for itself. He's one of the game's most creative minds. I believe he's 65 now, but I think he'd like one more crack at calling plays.
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Thanks for the article on former Rams players this week. Good for Bradford and Chris Long. Remember when OJ Anderson demanded a trade, went to the Giants and became Super Bowl MVP? I'm still glad he got out of a bad organization and his talents were recognized on a national stage. Do you think any former Rams players have that opportunity?

Glad you liked it. Every week, we try to update readers online on either former St. Louis Rams or players with area ties. This week, we'll update the NFL players who are from St. Louis. Was working on that before the chat and should have it posted some time today. Certainly both Chris Long in New England and Sam Bradford in Minnesota have a chance to reach the Super Bowl. I think it's great that they'll both finally have a chance to appear in a playoff game.
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when is the Jeff Fisher extension coming through? You alluded that it could be already done just not announced?

It's just a guess on the contract extension being already done. But that's kind of what the indicators point to. Again, after 4 consecutive losing seasons, I don't know why you wouldn't wait and see how Year 5 plays out before agreeing on an extension.
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Does the NFL ever come back to STL?

If I had to bet, I'd say no. I think I'm safe in saying the current group of political and civic leaders are fed up with the NFL at this point after how the Rams relocation went down. Perhaps that changes if the league decides to expand, but that doesn't seem to be on the horizon at this point.
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Would the Rams offense be better if they brought back OL Mack, Scibelli, Cowan, Carollo and Iman?



Not all that familiar with that group, but I know it'd be better off with Pace, Nutten, McCollum, Timmerman, and Tucker.
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Is the fact that goff is not ready a reflection on Goff or the coaches' inability to develop QB's? Certainly Bradford's success in Minn, as well as his stuggles with Rams, as well as Foles', reflect poorly on the coaching.

Probably some of both. I wrote months ago that Goff wasn't really surrounded by a lot of quarterback knowledge on the Rams coaching staff.
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Given how inept the offense is playing, do you think Goff should play now?

Actually, the offense played pretty decently against Buffalo. With a little better execution in the red zone, they would've scored a couple of more touchdowns.
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It appears the 49ers are trending down. Does Chip Kelly abandon ship and head back to the college ranks?

Of course, it always helps to have players. Especially at the quarterback position. We'll see what happens now that Colin Kaepernick is back as the starting QB. But if the losses keep piling up like they have in 49ers-land, Kelly may not have a choice.
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One thing that really irks me is the "incidental contact" between WR's and DB's that is allowed. This is a form of cheating and should not be allowed. Same thing with holding by offensive linemen. Sometimes they look like dancing bears but nothing is called. Why does the NFL allow this to go on?

As long as illegal contact isn't called, or not called very often, the players will keep doing it. It's interesting that you brought this up because in watching the games this year I think there's more WR-DB contact than usual. The league could try to combat it by calling more penalties, but nobody wants that. Some feel the length of games and the flow of games is already bad enough.
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The "locker room" talk that is big in the news - have you ever heard it in all your years?

(Another nonsensical question, so here's a gif of Wonder Woman to keep you busy until JT comes up with an answer).



Not much at all. I can remember Elizabethe Holland of our staff getting "mooned" by Tony Banks in the locker room. I can remember defensive lineman Alberto White telling reporters they were only in the locker room to look at (male genitals). White was subsequently cut for making those remarks, thanks to a column written by Bernie Miklasz. But such examples are few and far between.
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Can't decide if I was more impressed by Brady's lack of rust, or more astounded at just how talentless the Cleveland franchise remains. Are they a mortal lock for 0-16?

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhW6nSLSq6Y


I think Cleveland will scratch out a couple of wins.
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Maybe you'been over this before, but I'm wondering after Sunday's game how it is that Jeff Fisher could still be coaching the Rams? (And making, what, $7 mil a year?!) What is it that a franchise would see in him after all these years that he isn't even so much as sitting on a hot seat? I just don't get it. The NFL is the ultimate "what have you done for me lately?" league, but Fisher just rolls on from week to week to week to ...

Yes, we've been over this a couple three times. It is pretty astounding. And believe me, the rest of the league wonders about this as well.


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Where does the San Diego stadium situation stand? Any chance, any chance at all, that ownership there would at least take a look at St. Louis?

The big stadium financing vote comes in November. It isn't expected to pass. Then we'll see what happens. From all I can tell, Chargers ownership wants to stay in California and has no interest in moving to the Midwest.
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I didn't get to watch the Lambs Sunday. What happened? Dumb mistakes? Bad QB play? Porous D? All of the above?



The Rams were missing 3 starting defensive linemen due to injury _ Quinn, Hayes, and Brockers _ and got gouged in the running game. On offense, they committed three turnovers including a pick 6 of a sideline pass thrown by Keenum. The Rams moved the football fairly well, but went 1 for 4 in the red zone. And Fisher's decision to try a fake punt deep in his own territory down by four points in the fourth quarter was a bad, bad call.

It looked like Gurley was headed for a 100-yard game _ he had something like 71 yards on 13 carries early in the third quarter. But he was stopped cold down the stretch _ with just 1 yard total on his last 8 carries.
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I couldn't find the Rams on TV this week. Has the local media given up on televising their games? Some sales minded person at the local station should promote the heck of the Rams game and call it "Hate Watching" (quoting BenFred).

Game was not shown locally this week as Channel 4, which had the rights to the Rams-Bills game, decided to show Cincy-Dallas instead. This week's game in Detroit is scheduled to be shown by Channel 2. That'll make 4 of the first 6 Rams contests available on TV in St. Louis.
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What's the deal with Gurley's puny numbers? Is he hurt? O-line regressing? Opponents stacking the box to stop him because they know Keenum is awful?

Opponents are stacking the box, that's for sure. In general, the line isn't getting much push. The lack of a consistent threat in the passing game, particularly when it comes to downfield passing, is making it easier for defenses to compress the field _ in other words, play up closer to the line of scrimmage and aggressively defend the underneath passes. I'd like to see more stretch plays and outside plays called with Gurley. I'd also like to see the team use him more in the passing game. Don't think Gurley is hurt.
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4-1 seemed too good to be true.



And it was.
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What a fiasco last week! I gave the Rams props for their impressive win the weekend before. But today, I gotta go back to beating the same drum I've beat for the last several years.....the offensive line sucks. If the line can't move anyone and get the running game going, how can the Rams expect to do anything?

Given the struggles they've had running the football, it's kind of amazing they've scored the points they have this season.
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Rams lack of depth showed over the weekend. Expecting that to continue, as no team has everybody healthy from this point forward. Any word on Johnson?

If it's a regular ankle sprain, it could be a week or two. If it's a high ankle sprain it could be two to four weeks.
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Sam Bradford is playing an efficient game. Not a lot of yards, but decent yards-per-attempt, and zero interceptions. The Vikings offense seems to be more diversified without AP in the backfield. But it seems to me the defense is the big story in their 5-0 record.

There's no doubt that defense is the big story in Minnesota, but Bradford rightfully deserves a lot of the credit. He's made some big throws, led some key drives, when he's had to. And has done so without some key players on offense.
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If you could pick two historic teams from different eras to play against each other, which would you pick? (For example: '85 Bears vs. '99 ST LOUIS Rams)

That would be a great matchup _ the dominating defense of the '85 Bears vs. the Great Show of the '99 Rams. Would love to see those '99 Rams against the Steel Curtain Steelers of the '70s. Or how about the Lombardi Packers against the rock 'em, sock 'em Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl title team. It's a fun game to play.
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I assume teams charters private plans for away games, is that on the NFLs or the teams dime. Did you travel with the team or you have to book your own fare. I imagine there would be some lively flights and some somber ones depending on results.

Teams charter their own planes, and it's at the team's expense. Only once in all my years of covering the Rams did I fly on the team charter, and that was for the London game in 2012. Like all beat writers of the visiting team, you're writing for several hours after the afternoon game concludes _ long after the team plane has taken off for home.
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Looking back on it 10 years ago we wondered why Linehan & Spagnoulo got head coaching jobs with STL. The fix was already in back then for the team to move and ownership needed losing seasons to reinforce their claim about "lack of support." I've never seen a winning organization in any sport not supported. Only the losers can make that claim.



I do not think that Linehan and Spagnuolo were hired to lose football games. But I do think that the support in St. Louis was admirable considering the historically bad nature of the football for all those years.
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Jim what do you think needs to be done to get the offense working? New personnel, a couple of years.. Not going anywhere soon with the way it is.

For starters, strong quarterback play, and a true outside threat at wide receiver.

(Forgot to mention better O-line play which is the key to everything clicking. I'm hungry so here are some hot dogs).

(And some Count Chocula).

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Assuming that Keenum continues as he has started the year, would it be fair to conclude that whenever Goff enters the starting lineup it signals the point at which the Rams have officially written off 2016 (barring injury to Keenum)? My belief is that a rookie backup QB will not get better in practice and that Goff entered the season significantly worse than Keenum.

Coaches regularly play the guys who they think give the team the best chance to win. If the losses start to pile up, and the offense continues to have trouble scoring points, a change will be made. I do think a young quarterback can improve by watching and learning. But in the end, there's no substitute for experience.
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How do you rate Keenum overall so far, and do you think Goff starts this season at all?

He has good leadership skills. Brings a lot of energy to the huddle. Decent accuracy. Average at best arm strength. I think he's played just well enough to keep the job so far.
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Though we know Fisher will never be fired, if it were to happen would a new coach give strong consideration to keeping Williams and his staff?

You mean retaining Gregg Williams and the defensive staff? Not sure on that. Head coaches all have their own circle of friends and acquaintances that they know in the business. And with rare exception they like to hire those guys.
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Jim you have covered the Rams long enough to know that Sunday's game was a Jeff Fisher Special. Win against teams you shouldnt win against and lose against teams you should beat. You can set your watch by it huh?



Yep, we've seen that one before.
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Just trying to remember, what was Chip and Lucia's motivation for selling the team? Did they ever consider keeping it and hiring someone, like their mother did, to run it?

The estate taxes following their mother's death made it impossible for them to keep the team.
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Any chance Steadman Bailey makes it back into the league? He had the surest hands on the Rams.

It won't happen this year, but he has expressed that he'd like to get back in the league.But don't know at this point if he'd get medical clearance to do so.
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