I mean... seriously. I was at the game, and at the Anthem, I could see Quinn was in street clothes. Looking deeper, I could not see Brockers or Hayes.

At the end of the day... It was a SHOCKING development. THREE!!!! out of our FOUR!!! Starting defensive linemen were OUT!!!!!! Even though they were all on the Injury Report, we didn't expect ALL 3 to actually be out!!!!!

As soon as I realized this I stated to my friends and Fam surrounding me that we were....ummm...FUCKED!!!!

We were screwed from the get go guys. Our Strongest unit hamstringed by 75%.

Really trying for the last few years for an answer.

Jeff Fisher's offense?

JF and GW have made a living, for years, on forcing the opponent to have 10 to 15 play drives to score. They believe, and rightfully so, that it's difficult for 31 other teams to be patient and disciplined for that long to score. They don't mind 4-6 yard receptions or 3-5 yard runs between the twenty's due to the extra opportunities their defense will have to make a play.

Jeff Fisher's offense, however, is based on ball control and TOP which leads to 10 to 15 play drives for points. Giving opponents defense multiple opportunities for the same game changing plays?

I've tried to reconcile this for a while, and I can't.

If anyone can help me with this, I'm all ears.

This has probably been answered before, but I haven't seen it or remembered when it was.

Any insight to this philosophy would be welcomed.

For a team that just relocated , the Rams have only 2 home games in the first 7 weeks . Not that home field meant much today , but 2 home games in 2 months is a bad idea .

Anyone have any news on the injury? Read this a moment ago from Dr. David J. Chao (the SIRIUSXM NFL doctor):
Agree. Worry by video is high ankle type fracture with broken fibula.
Best case is significant high ankle sprain.
I hope he's wrong.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/10/09/jeff-fisher-on-fake-punt-i-liked-the-look/

Jeff Fisher on fake punt: I liked the look
Posted by Josh Alper on October 9, 2016, 8:59 PM EDT
Getty Images
The Rams faced a couple of fourth down decisions on offense late in their game against the Bills on Sunday and coach Jeff Fisher faced questions about both of them after the 30-19 loss.

The first decision came on fourth-and-goal from the four-yard-line with just under six minutes to play in the game. The Rams trailed 23-16 at the end of a drive spanning more than eight minutes and Fisher opted to kick a field goal rather than try for a touchdown. A failure to score a touchdown would have left the Rams in need of driving for a touchdown to have a chance to tie the game while kicking the field goal meant having to score a touchdown to win it.

“The reason for [taking] the points is I was playing to win,” Fisher said in his postgame press conference.

Decision No. 2 came a couple of minutes later when the Rams faced a fourth-and-five from their own 23-yard-line. Fisher sent out the punt, but called a fake that had the ball snapped to wide receiver Bradley Marquez. Marquez was swarmed by Bills and a touchdown a few plays later put the game out of reach for Los Angeles. Fisher said he “liked the look” they got from Buffalo, but a good look wasn’t enough.

“I wouldn’t have called it if I didn’t think it would work,” Fisher said. “That’s how those things are. We practiced it all week, we had the look and it didn’t work. I’ll take that. They executed it in practice, they didn’t execute it there. If that thing works, it’s good stuff. It’s really good stuff. It didn’t and they don’t always work. That type of approach in special teams has taken us a long way.”

There’s no doubt that catching the Bills sleeping in that situation could turn into a huge gain, but it’s not a great look when you prefer a fake punt to your regular offense when you absolutely have to get a first down. That offense will need to build more confidence to build on a 3-2 start to the season and upping their touchdown rate — six in five games — would be a good place to start.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
How do you like" the look" when they had 3 defenders lined up in the hole we were trying to run through?
Fisher should have called a time out when he saw that.
"They executed it in practice, they didn’t execute it there."
Love how our head coach accepts responsibility for his Dumb blunders.

While we're making changes, let's get rid of fucking fisher as well.

It's time to bring that golden arm.

At game Greg Z looks great. CRUSHED A 62 YARDER. GO RAMS!

I'm watching Houston at Minnesota.

Not a lot of great matchups in the early games.

Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is eligible to play for the first time this season after wrapping up his season-opening four-game suspension and the Bills added him to the 53-man roster on Friday.

Dareus’ 2016 debut may have to wait for at least another week, however. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Dareus is unlikely to play against the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Dareus hurt his hamstring in Friday’s practice, leading the team to list him as questionable to play on their final injury report of the week. Coach Rex Ryan said that the team would see how things progressed over the weekend before making a determination on Dareus’ status for Sunday.

Running back LeSean McCoy was also a late addition to the injury report with a Friday hand injury, but is expected to be in the lineup.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/10/09/report-marcell-dareus-not-expected-to-play/

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...e-picks-broncos-rock-falcons-vikes-top-texans

20 16


Perhaps the toughest game to call on Sunday. The Rams' front four should get plenty of movement -- backward -- on the Bills' offensive line. Or will they? Buffalo is averaging 4.6 yards per rush ( fifth in the NFL). However, with Tyrod Taylor getting a robust 6.7 on his scampers, the Bills' overall ground numbers are skewed. Meanwhile, the Rams allow a scant 3.7 per tote, which means Taylor will need to win this through the air -- not likely, given the passing game's performance thus far -- or Buffalo must force turnovers. Don't see the latter thing happening, as Case Keenum simply isn't forcing many throws downfield. If the Rams wear their old-school blues (please) against the Bills' road whites, we will be treated to a gorgeous uni matchup. #unimatchups #BUFvsLA

http://www.todayspigskin.com/nfc/lo...-holes-but-are-headed-in-the-right-direction/

When we last left the Los Angeles Rams, co-leaders of the NFC West at the quarter pole, we made a solemn vow to take them seriously if they came out victorious for the third time on the trot, this time at Arizona. They beat the Cardinals 17-13, with Case Keenum connecting with Brian Quick from four yards out for the go-ahead score with 2:36 remaining, capping off a 19-yard touchdown drive set up by Tavon Austin’s 47-yard punt return.

That Tavon Austin. What else can you say about him as a receiver other than he’s a hell of a punt returner?

Okay, okay, no more of that. We promised to be nice. In all fairness, Keenum enjoyed his best game of the young season, hooking up with new favorite receiver Quick not once but twice for touchdowns and looking, by a considerable margin, the best of the three quarterbacks who graced the field at “Not Worth The Paper It’s Printed On Stadium”, an alarming reality for Cardinals fans since Carson Palmer was one of the three before having to leave with a concussion.

The Rams winning three in a row at this stage is surprising enough, but they’re doing it despite getting virtually nothing from their two most dynamic play-makers in Austin and workhorse back Todd Gurley, who continues to be enveloped at every turn by eight or nine defenders stacked up to do him harm.

Gurley, the 22nd-ranked halfback in football according to the game trackers at Pro Football Focus, is averaging just 2.6 yards-per-carry and 193 of his 217 rushing yards have come after contact, which sounds sub-optimal. Even though only ten quarterbacks have been sacked fewer times than the eight occasions that Keenum’s found himself eating the ball, and even though only five passers have suffered fewer hits than the 16 Keenum’s taken, the PFF crew still have the Rams as the 31st-ranked offensive line in the league, just ahead of the Seattle Seahawks, who they happen to be tied with atop the division. That’s how poor their run blocking has been and how predictable their offensive tendencies continue to be.

Only one of the Rams’ starting five up front is grading out to even “average,” with right tackle Rob Havenstein the 41st-rated tackle in the league per PFF’s metrics. They’ve got the 30th-ranked center in Tim Barnes, the 69th and 76th ranked guards, respectively, in Cody Wichmann and Rodger Saffold, and Havenstein’s bookend Greg Robinson is the 73rd ranked tackle. Robinson is the weak link here, having allowed 14 pressures in addition to his woeful run blocking. The others have at least been acceptable pass blockers.

Add it all up, and it makes for an offense that once again is dead last in yardage (and by a considerable margin), tied-for-26th in converting third downs (33 percent) and 30th in scoring, despite putting up 37 at Tampa Bay a couple weeks back. Keenum-to-Quick is literally the only thing they’ve got going for them through four games.

So it’s fallen to the defense to save them once again. Aaron Donald has been sensational, the best interior lineman in the league per PFF, and he’s been aided by Michael Brockers, corner LaMarcus Joyner and safeties T.J. McDonald and Maurice Alexander, all of them playing at a Pro Bowl level or close to it, while Robert Quinn, Alec Ogletree, Trumaine Johnson and Dominique Easley have been productive as well.

That’s nine defenders who rank in the top 40 or better at their respective positions, and it’s a feather in general manager Les Snead’s cap after losing or cutting several popular names on that side of the ball during the off-season.

The Rams are sort of the less sexy version of the Vikings, most notably because 3-1 is not 4-0, and their defense hasn’t been quite as dominating as Minnesota’s. Also, the Vikes didn’t lose 28-0 to the lowly 49ers to open the season, though they did go down to them 20-3 to start last season and wound up finishing 11-5. So maybe that’s the new formula for success: Volunteer to be San Francisco’s opponent on the first “Monday Night Football” of the season, lay down like dogs so nobody takes you seriously, and then get the jump on everyone.

It seemed inconceivable a few weeks ago, but suddenly Sunday’s match-up at the Memorial Coliseum between the Rams and Buffalo Bills will pit two of the hottest teams in the league, as Rex Ryan’s charges have gotten off the mat themselves after an 0-2 start and are coming off a 16-0 shutout of the Patriots. Sure, New England was forced to play their third quarterback, and even he had a bum thumb, but there are no asterisks in the standings.

The Bills have a pop-gun offense themselves, but they’re similar to the Rams in that they have the potential to make what few passes they complete count for something. Tyrod Taylor loves the long ball and unlike Keenum he’s got the mobility to keep plays alive and move the chains on his own every now and again.

Like the Rams, Buffalo has quality people at all three levels of their defense, especially linebackers Zach Brown and Preston Brown and good safeties in Corey Graham and Aaron Williams. They’ve missed the suspended Marcell Dareus up front though and they don’t have the same kind of pass rush or corners that the Rams do. The edge they do have over Los Angeles is on their offensive line, and that group has allowed LeSean McCoy to thrive, especially the past couple of games.

One would think that being at home would favor the Rams, but at the same time it’s hard to be overly confident in a one-dimensional offense when that dimension is Keenum. They’ll be in there to the very end as long as turnovers, special teams and the field position game doesn’t work against them, but at some point not being able to block for Gurley has to hurt them, no?

So no, we’re not jumping aboard the Rams bandwagon just yet. But we’ve gone from outright dismissal and derision to concern trolling, which is a step in the right direction.

At 1-3... this is potentially a HUGE blow to Carolina.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/p...ewton-for-monday-night-football-against-bucs/

It's official. Cam Newton will not play against the Buccaneers on "Monday Night Football," the Panthers announced on Saturday.

For the 1-3 Panthers, who are in desperate need of a win to stay within striking distance of the 3-1 Falcons, that's the worst possible news. Newtonsuffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of his team's loss to the Falcons a week ago.

So, that leaves Derek Anderson as the Panthers' quarterback this week. In relief of Newton on Sunday, Anderson completed 17 of 23 passes for 172 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. At 33, he brings plenty of experience to the table, but he hasn't seen meaningful minutes since the 2014 season, when he started two games for the Panthers, winning both of them.

Of course, those two starts came against the Buccaneers, so he has some good history with his opponent on Monday night. He also has some not-so-great history with Monday nights.

As Anderson himself noted, the last time he found himself starting on Monday night, his night ended with a classic postgame rant after he was questioned for laughing on the sidelines during a Cardinals loss.

With Anderson under center, the Panthers' offense won't radically change -- at least according to coach Ron Rivera.

Still, without the reigning MVP, the odds of the Panthers keeping pace with Buccaneers just got significantly worse. And the game very well might turn into a shootout, especially considering the Panthers just let the Falcons hang 48 points on them.

Sorry for the fast post but just wanted to start off everybody's morning tomorrow with a nice video to get you pumped!

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I'm been debating with myself for a while and seem to find I see the bills winning this game somewhere around 24-17. I bet on us in sportsbook and hope I'm wrong!

What's your score predictions?

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/b...ly-make-first-career-start-with-siemian-hurt/

Paxton Lynch won't have to wait any longer to start his first ever NFL game for the Broncos.

According to 9News' Mike Klis, Lynch will start over Trevor Siemian when the Broncos host the 3-1 Falcons on Sunday. Siemian is still dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered a week ago, which is why he won't get the nod. He's officially listed as questionable.

Here's what Klis reported on Siemian's injury:

The large lump and deep bruises that were visible on Siemian's left shoulder this week, though, were signs he needed more time to mend. Siemian was clearly favoring his left shoulder during the individual practice periods that are open to the media for viewing on Thursday and Friday. Siemian kept his left elbow tucked close to his body as he tossed the ball with his right arm.
Klis added that Siemian could be ready in time for the Broncos' Week 6 game against the Chargers on "Thursday Night Football."

So, Lynch's tenure as the Broncos' starter might be short lived. Unless, of course, he lights up the Falcons. If that happens, it might be difficult for the unbeaten Broncos to ride with Siemian over Lynch, the 26th overall pick in this year's draft.

The good news for Lynch is that he absolutely has a chance to shine Sunday. The Falcons might boast the league's most explosive offense, but they also feature one of the league's worst defenses. Their unit is ranked 30th in yards allowed per game, 29th in points allowed per game, and 31st in DVOA.

In Lynch's first regular season appearance a week ago, when he took over for an injured Siemian, he wound up completing 14 of 24 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. Those aren't flashy numbers, but he took care of the football. And the team scored points. As Klis noted, the Broncos pieced together three scoring drives against the Buccaneers with Lynch under center.

The key for the Broncos, though, is to stop the Falcons' top-ranked offense. Because if the game turns into a shootout, Lynch will be forced to take more chances to keep pace with the Falcons. Luckily for the Broncos, their defense remains one of the game's best, ranking fifth in DVOA.

The Broncos might've been fine riding with Siemian and allowing Lynch to sit a while longer, but I can't think of a much better situation for Lynch.

In 26 starts for the Rams, Jason Smith gave up 8.5 sacks and committed two holding penalties.
In same amount of games Greg Robinson gave up 10 sacks committed 21 penalties (13 holds)
These stats do not include this year.So far this year after four games
he has allowed 2 sacks and flagged for 3 holding calls.His rating in P.F.F. is worse this year than at any point
of his career.2014: 41.3 .............2015: 35.9............2016: 35.4


Why do we continue to start one of the worst Olineman in the league?Would much rather start Saffold at LT and let Brown or who ever is the next best guard line up at left guard.Also think that with the amount of
actual practice allowed under CBA the Rams may have benefited from following their own lead.If you're
going to bring in Singletary to mentor Ogletree,why not bring in LeCharles Bentley to do the same for Robinson.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-waive-former-cardinals-guard-jonathan-cooper

For four weeks, Jonathan Cooper's foot injury kept him off the field. Now, he's off the Patriots' roster.

The guard was released by New England on Saturday, NFL Network's Courtney Fallon reported, per a source with knowledge of the move. Cooper arrived in Foxborough via an offseason trade with the Cardinals that sent defensive end Chandler Jones to the desert. While Cooper is on the waiver wire, Jones has compiled four sacks, 15 tackles and is on pace for a career high in both statistics.

Arizona selected Cooper as the seventh-overall pick in 2013. However, he started just 11 games over two seasons and was the league's 50th-ranked guard in 2015, as ranked by Pro Football Focus.

With Cooper's release, the trade can now be evaluated as a minor bust for the Pats. In exchange for one of the league's emerging pass rushers, Bill Belichick and Co. acquired fourth-round wide receiverMalcolm Mitchell and third-round guard Joe Thuney, who, while they both look like franchise players in the making, are nowhere near Jones' caliber.

Fallon added that the hope is Cooper clears waivers and can return to the Patriots' active roster. In the meantime, the Pats are promoting defensive lineman Woodrow Hamilton.

Click to expand...

Wow Cooper and Chance Warmack were both very highly rated prospects and thought to be the next great thing at Guard. I'll admit to wanting both thinking they'd be great additions and both have busted pretty hard.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-s ... story.html

Rams, Coliseum seek to improve game conditions for fans in second home game of season

Mike DiGiovanna

Packing 91,000 fans into an antiquated 93-year-old stadium on a steamy 90-degree afternoon proved a volatile mix for the Rams and the Coliseum on Sept. 18, when the NFL returned to Los Angeles for the first time in 22 years.

About 160 people — 14 of whom were hospitalized — were treated for heat-related issues during the Rams-Seahawks game; there were long lines and wait times for food and beverages, and many concession stands ran out of water, prompting numerous complaints to the Rams and the stadium’s Facebook page.

Much like the home team, which rebounded from a season-opening 28-0 loss at San Francisco to win three straight games, the Rams and the Coliseum are looking for a bounce-back performance Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

“Some of our guests had an experience that was not acceptable to us, and we are well aware of that,” said Jake Bye, the Rams’ vice president of consumer sales. “We’ve been working for three weeks … to come up with what we think is a pretty impactful list of tangible changes that fans will see on Sunday.”

Heading that list is a new plan for the storage and distribution of concession products, the most important of which, with a 1:25 p.m. kickoff and temperatures expected to reach 88 degrees on Sunday, is water.

Eight portable auxiliary warehouses to store food and beverage — five outside the stadium and three on the concourse level inside the stadium — have been added, and the number of vendors hawking products inside the bowl will be more than doubled, from 125 in the home opener to about 300.

“It’s important to note that we never ran out of water,” Bye said. “It was the logistics and the process, the confluence of congestion on the concourses from people seeking shade, the overall demand for water and the inability to get it to the concession stands in a timely manner.”

Those concession stands, which were built in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, lack storage, so they are constantly restocked during events with product that previously was stored in one warehouse on the west end of the stadium.

With fans seeking shade on the narrow concourses and in the 56 tunnels leading into the bowl, the corridors for those moving product from the storage facility to the concession stands were clogged. And the low number of vendors inside the bowl forced fans to concession stands, creating longer lines.

“If you’re standing in line for water and you’re told, ‘I’m sorry, we’re out, but it’s coming in 10 minutes,’ you’re not gonna stand around for 10 minutes,” Coliseum General Manager Joe Furin said. “And you, unfortunately, have had a bad customer experience.”

With more vendors hawking water and food inside the bowl, there should be fewer trips to the concession stands. That should reduce lines and congestion on the concourse, making it easier for concession stands to be re-stocked.

With eight new satellite warehouses, “every corner of the building will be covered, everything will be within arm’s reach,” said Gian Rafaniello, a Legends general manager who oversees stadium hospitality. Legends Hospitality operates concessions and premium dining at the Coliseum. “It shouldn’t have to be moved through the crowd. It should be easily disbursed.”

Four portable misters will be set up on the concourse for Sunday’s game, and Furin said he hopes to triple that number for future games. An air-conditioned office on the south side of the stadium will be used as a cool-down space for fans.

Two large tents will be erected on the peristyle side of the Coliseum to provide more shade, and the game will be televised on large screens in the area.

Bye reiterated that fans can bring two factory-sealed bottles of water, as large as 17 ounces each, into the stadium in a clear plastic bag. Water stations will be added throughout the stadium so fans can refill those bottles.

“We know it’s gonna be a warm day, so we would also ask for fans’ help — wear light-colored clothing, wear a hat, bring sunscreen,” Furin said. “And if you show up in a dark blue Rams jersey, we can sell you a white one.”

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...iveness-not-merely-a-product-of-stacked-boxes


THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Todd Gurley, the Los Angeles Rams' star running back, took a macro view when asked about not producing through the season's first quarter.

"I mean, you know, it’s life," Gurley said after Friday's practice. "Sometimes you kind of wonder what’s going on, but you have to look at the bigger picture."


Todd Gurley's lack of production is rather startling, particularly with the Rams' record sitting at 3-1. Richard Mackson/USA TODAY Sports
The bigger picture is that the Rams are 3-1 and in first place in the NFC West despite getting close to nothing from their best offensive player. There are two very distinct ways to look at that ...

1. Positively: They're 3-1 without much from Gurley, so when he inevitably gets going they're going to be even better!
   
   
2. Negatively: Their issues in the running game ultimately will catch up to them and send them spiraling.
   

For now, the Rams can only deal with what is in front of them. And here it is: Only Adrian Peterson, who suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during Week 2, ranks lower than Gurley in both rushing yards per carry and average yards before first contact. One season removed from finishing third in rushing yards as a rookie, Gurley has carried the ball 82 times for a mere 216 yards.

Nearly 66 percent of Gurley's rushing yards have come after first contact -- but defenses are not stacking the box as outlandishly as you might think.

Gurley has faced between eight and 11 defenders in the box on eight of his rushes. Twenty players have faced that more frequently, especially the New England Patriots' LeGarrette Blount (25 rushes against eight- to 11-man boxes), the Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliot (23) and the Atlanta Falcons' Devonta Freeman (19). A bigger issue may be Gurley's decision-making or, more prominently, the competency of those blocking for him.

None of the Rams' players have graded out very well in run blocking through the first four games, at least according to the metrics used by Pro Football Focus.

Rob Havenstein ranks 48th and Greg Robinson ranks 69th among the 73 qualified offensive tackles; Cody Wichmann ranks 47th and Rodger Saffold ranks 52nd among 65 guards; Tim Barnes is 29th among 33 centers; and with regards to the 62 qualified tight ends, Tyler Higbee ranks 39th and Lance Kendricks is 59th. Only Corey Harkey -- 14th among tight ends -- has performed adequately, according to Pro Football Focus.

Saffold said the Rams' run blocking "looks odd" on film.

"Just finishing blocks is the big thing," Saffold said. "Finish. We have to pick the right holes to run through and put us in the best position to get to the safety. That’s what we need to do -- we need to get Todd to the safety, and he’s going to have those big runs."

Gurley was tackled by a safety on four of his 19 carries in Sunday's 17-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Seven of the remaining 15 were handled by a defensive lineman. Gurley finished that game with 33 yards on the ground, though he made up for some of that by gaining 49 yards on five receptions.

“We've just got to do a better job," Gurley said. "Everybody from the linemen to me, tight ends -- everybody. Overall, just finishing blocks, making the right reads, hitting the hole -- everybody in one.”

Saffold agreed with Gurley, calling it "a group effort" and saying that "there hasn't been any blaming going on, which shows the maturity of this team."

The Rams have been outgained by an average of 110 yards per game, which is the worst yard differential in the NFL. It is a startling statistic that fuels those worried about the sustainability of the Rams' early-season success. In his first four career starts, Gurley averaged 6.4 yards per carry and rushed for 100 or more yards four times. Over his next 12 starts, he has averaged 3.4 yards and has broken 100 yards just once.

During those first four starts, which spanned from Oct. 4 to Nov. 1, Gurley compiled an NFL-leading 350 yards before first contact. In the 12 games that have followed, the total is merely 336.

That's right -- 14 fewer yards before first contact in eight more games.

"It’ll come," Saffold said. "But just with his aggressiveness, and the way that he plays, they’re going to put more people in the box. They’re going to have safeties try to spy him even when he does get through a hole, so it just takes time.

"Eventually it’s going to get to the point where he’s one-on-one with the safety and that’s going to put him in good yardage. And once he breaks free, he’s able to have the ability to get to that top speed and get to the end zone. So I’m not worried about Todd at all. I know he’s going to be fine."

Three starting defensive linemen questionable for Rams
10:15 PM ET
http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...rting-defensive-linemen-questionable-for-rams


THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- This Sunday's matchup against Rex Ryan's Buffalo Bills may carry some extra motivation for Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald -- and that may be necessary.

The Rams could be severely shorthanded along their defensive line.

Injury Wire

Robert Quinn, Will Hayes and Michael Brockers all sat out practice on Friday and are all questionable for this Sunday's 1:25 p.m. PT kickoff from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Quinn and Hayes, the Rams' two defensive ends, didn't practice at all this week. Brockers, the defensive tackle who was given a three-year extension in the middle of September, was merely a limited participant on Wednesday.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher hinted that the team is simply being cautious.

"We have a tendency of healing up," Fisher said. "We still have some time. It's about being smart."

Hayes injured his ankle in Week 3 and only re-entered the game because Eugene Sims had been thrown out. That might have caused him to re-aggravate the injury, which forced him to miss the Week 4 game in Arizona and could prompt him to also sit out Week 5. Quinn is listed with a shoulder injury, one he suffered Sunday before re-entering the game. Brockers has a hip injury, according to the team's injury report.

The Rams' defensive line is especially deep and has served as the major reason they've gone on a three-game winning streak that has them 3-1 for the first time in 10 years.

But defensive coordinator Gregg Williams constantly rotates defensive linemen over the course of a game, and the absence of Quinn, Hayes or Brockers will lead to a heavier workload for the likes of Dominique Easley, Cam Thomas, Ethan Westbrooks, Matt Longacre and Sims. And it could create even more attention on Donald, who already faces an inordinate amount of double- and triple-teams.

The Rams sound hopeful that won't be an issue.

"If they could practice, they would," Fisher said of Quinn, Hayes and Brockers. "But we're concerned about Sunday."

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/p...s-vikings-patriots-ravens-rams-are-best-bets/


There's nothing like three turnovers in the final six minutes of a game to blow a 13-point lead and a sure win against the spread to sully a good weekend picking games.

Thanks, Chargers.

If San Diego holds onto the football -- and its lead -- I go 4-1 as part of Team Oddshark in the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook contest. That's after the 0-5 record the week before.

But, no, the Chargers gagged down the stretch, fumbled away a victory, and cost me a big-time, bounce-back week.

Terrible.

But that 3-2 week gives me hope moving forward. I come out of the first quarter of the season 8-12, which isn't good. But after 0-5 a week ago, I'll take it. Plus Nick Kostos, my colleague at CBS Sports, went 1-4. That makes 3-2 easier to take because it shuts his mouth for a week.

Now on to my Week 5 picks, which features five favorites.



Vikings minus 6.5: This isn't as much a pick with the Vikings as it is a pick against the Texans. The only other time they played on the road this season, the Patriots killed them. This won't be as bad, but I just don't like Brock Osweiler against that Minnesota defense. Vikings stay hot.

Patriots minus 10.5: Tom Brady's back. Did you hear? Tom Brady's back. Yes, that Tom Brady against that Cleveland Browns defense? Mismatch. Blowout.

Ravens minus 4: The Redskins have all kinds of issues on defense. And while Joe Flacco hasn't exactly lit things up, I think he will here. The Ravens are getting better on defense and they will get to Kirk Cousins. The Ravens win and cover in the Beltway Battle.

Rams minus 2: Let's see. We had a big high for the Bills last week in beating the Patriots on the road. With Rex Ryan as coach, that means a big low is coming. It doesn't help that it's a long road trip after a short division roadie last week. The Rams aren't great, but they are really good on defense. That plays here. Rams take it.

Packers minus 7.5: The schedule-maker was cruel to the Giants. They played a non-division road Monday night game and now must go on the road again for a non-division game against a team coming off a bye. Gross. The Packers will get that offense going here like they did in the first half against the Lions two weeks ago.

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