http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...defensive-special-teams-coordinators-25-years

In Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams became the first team in NFL history to record two interception-return touchdowns and a safety in their season-opener. It was a big coming-out party for the new-look Rams and their 3-4 scheme, coordinated by one of the greatest assistant coaches in NFL history: Wade Phillips. Week 2 didn't go quite as swimmingly, but it's clear that Phillips has had a significant impact on the team -- and very quickly.

Phillips' record as a head coach is not as bad as you think: 82-64, with five playoff appearances. But it is as a defensive coordinator that he is legendary. His ferocious pass rushes were part of playoff teams from San Diego to Dallas to Houston. In the greatest years of his career, he ran one of the greatest defenses in history for the Denver Broncos and dragged a depleted Peyton Manning to a Super Bowl title.

We wanted to pay tribute to Phillips and the other great coordinators who move from team to team, building strong units wherever they go. So we looked at our DVOA ratings from the past 25 years to determine which coordinators had the best historical record. (DVOA, or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, is explained here.)

We set some ground rules to make sure we didn't end up with coordinators who were good only because of the players they had at one stop. Coordinators had to work for at least three franchises, and we removed those who ranked well solely because of one team. (Monte Kiffin is a good example; his Tampa defenses were legendary, but he had poor one-year stops with the 1995 Saints and 2013 Cowboys.)

Also, we're looking here only at coordinators when they served as coordinators. Sometimes head coaches also fill their own coordinator roles, but we left out years in which he filled only the head-coach job So no Dom Capers in Carolina or Josh McDaniels in Denver, though we do mention some of those performances in our commentary. Our rundown begins with defense instead of offense so we can start with the Son of Bum.

Defense
1. Wade Phillips
Tenure: 16 years, average rank 11.6
Teams coached: 1992 Broncos, 1995-97 Bills, 2002-03 Falcons, 2004-06 Chargers, 2009-10 Cowboys, 2011-13 Texans, 2015-16 Broncos, 2017 Rams

Nobody rebuilds a defense like Wade Phillips. His record is not just one of good defense, but of improved defense. He took the Falcons defense from 26th to 12th in 2001. He took the Chargers defense from 30th to 13th in 2003. And he took the Texans defense -- with some help from rookie J.J. Watt, of course -- from 31st to sixth in 2010. Then he took the Broncos to No. 1 in our defensive rankings in both 2015 and 2016.

And Phillips' record looks even better if we extend our analysis past just 25 years. From 1986-88 with the Eagles and 1989-91 with the Broncos, he coordinated five top-five defenses in six seasons.


Aaron SchatzSpecial to ESPN.com
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In Wade we trust

Rams starters that are guaranteed to lose their jobs by season's end


We are through three Rams games and plenty to take away from them, but how many of you find yourselves thinking that certain players shouldn't be starting? Take a look at my list I made to organize who I believe is a starter now, but will not be at the end of the year.


WR Tavon Austin



It's sad, but I officially have given up my hope for Tavon Austin. Yes, I fell for it, I fell for him and I backed him up constantly. Now, the fact of the matter is Austin will never be anything more than a gadget player. Right now he is the starting slot receiver, that shouldn't even be the case anymore. There is no reason why a player like Cooper Kupp should only be on the field for 60 percent of snaps. There should be no time sharing and the Rams should stop trying to get Austin involved. Three games into this season the Rams have 107 points and none of them have come from Austin. I liked Austin, but it's time to realize he is a liability as he is playing over young weapons like Kupp, Josh Reynolds and Pharoh Cooper who seriously need to start getting their reps.


Replacement: Cooper Kupp


TE Tyler Higbee



Unfortunately, Tyler Higbee, the Rams starting tight end and a former fourth-round pick still looks behind. The Rams might even have two tight ends that are ahead of him on the roster and that's not even including the injured reserved Temarrick Hemingway. Higbee continues to struggle with his drops that plagued him during training camp. Higbee is rated one of the lowest tight ends in the game according to Pro Football Focus picking up where he left off last season. Granted, Higbee is still young and only into the beginning of his second season with actual coaching, the Rams should be and will be starting Gerald Everett sooner than later. On top of that if Higbee is starting because of his blocking which isn't great by any means, then Derek Carrier might be the best option to start moving forward. We didn't think of it at the time, but Higbee's drop near the goal line could have been one of the plays that ultimately left points on the board and resulted in a loss. Luckily for him, the Rams came out of the game dodging disaster.


Replacement: Gerald Everett


RG Jamon Brown



The former 2015 third-round pick Jamon Brown is just not taking that next step. Yes, the Rams offense looks awesome thus far, but that doesn't mean there aren't some issues on the offensive line. Brown has looked outmatched most of the time this season and it's sad when you can say the best thing about Brown being at guard is that the Rams moved him from the tackle position. He is in no way built for a tackle and he has struggled mightily at guard. So who will replace him? The man coming back from an injury that looked like the best offensive lineman in relief last season.


Replacement: Andrew Donnal


OLB Connor Barwin



Connor Barwin started off his season being voted as a team captain, but he has since shown that he is past his prime, he's slow and isn't a starting caliber looking player at this point in his career anymore. I like Barwin however, the problem is he is arguably the only one in the starting lineup besides injured Kayvon Webster that has played in a 3-4. Barwin had a comeback game this week, but he still had some issues and he and Robert Quinn have had a seriously difficult time containing the edge. On the Brian Hoyer scramble touchdown in the red zone if you go back and watch the film Barwin practically gave him the touchdown by using his inside spin move that left himself with his back turned as he had to twist his body and accelerate after Hoyer. Barwin completely took himself (the only person in a position to make the play) out of the play. Barwin is a good player to have and he has that familiarity with Wade, but he is in no way shape or form a strength for this Rams team outside of his experience and leadership. With both him and Quinn struggling I think Matt Longacre's time could be coming as he is after all the top outside backer on the Rams according to Pro Football Focus.


Replacement: Matt Longacre


Who are your replacements? Let us know below!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndic...ndings-after-thursday-night-football.amp.html

We are rated behind the LA chargers who haven't won 1 game

Chargers at 0 and 2 are 16 and rams at 2 and 1 are 18? That makes perfect sense right?

it aint up to the chargers,
If any company out there is hoping to put its name on the Rams' new stadium in Los Angeles, they better run the plan by their accounting department first, because it's not going to be cheap.

As a matter of fact, if the Rams get their way, it will go down as the most expensive naming rights deal in NFL history.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the Rams are seeking a minimum of $30 million per year from any company that's willing to buy the naming rights at the team's new $2.7 billion palace in Inglewood, California.

Not only does the team want $30 million per year, but the Rams also want the deal to run for at least 20 years, which means any potential company looking to purchase the naming rights would have to commit a minimum of $600 million to the team.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...shing-naming-rights-deal-for-new-l-a-stadium/

I saw that Sammy, Tavon, Quinn, Sullivan and Lamarcus went out with injuries. Sammy is who I am most concerned about given he is in concussion protocol...has there been any update and is 10 days until the next game sufficient time for him to return.

giving them a short week going into the Rams game. They also play ariz, dont know how good their D is but playing an NFC west D, then a short week before facing the Rams could help. I think the Goffense will be ok at least, that means WP needs to teach the front 7 how to stop every imaginable run play.

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The dude has been nails only allowing 1 QB pressure in 3 games and helping turn the OL into a strength of this team. Any thoughts on the last free agent signing that turned out so well?

He y'all, hope everyone is enjoying victory Friday! I just wanted to share a video from my YouTube channel of my experience at the game last night (also my girlfriends first Rams game). It was a blast (even though we almost blew it) seeing the offense explode, especially in enemy territory. Also you can see at the end of the video when I got Marshall's auto, which I've been seeking for many years! Cheers!
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Wow he was very accurate. Not a lot of pressure. The first throw might be his best but the throw to Watkins was nice too. He fired that first one on a rope right at Woods. Nice to see WR make the catches.

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That's right. The Wade D...

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Where to start?

Allowed 39 points.

Allowed 332 yards passing.

Allowed 113 yards rushing.

Allowed 25 first downs.

Allowed 9/18 (50%) 3rd down efficiency.

Allowed 2/3 ( 67%) 4th down efficiency.

Allowed 5/6 RZ efficiency (87%)

To the Niners led by Brian Hoyer? None of the above are misprints, btw.

I mean, WTF?

Our D was dead last in any list of things I thought I needed to worry about come September. But now? Gulp...

Let's all take a bow. A BIG one. Lol.

I would hate to have to defend this O right about now.

Man, I am listening to Colin Cowherd and he is reporting that Don Banks (longtime NFL reporter) is saying that his sources are saying the NFL is going to try and force the Chargers back to San Diego. It's a disaster so far for them, being the 2nd fiddle in LA and can't fill a soccer stadium.

This offensive line has gotten better every game and is looking like a blocking UNIT again. They were up against some tough, talented linemen yesterday and everyone held their own and then some. What's awesome is this could just be the tip of the iceberg!

Love this:

http://www.espn.com/blog/buffalo-bi...ccess-hard-to-watch-for-fans-bills-coach-says

Ok, so I said the Rams would need to "put up 35" to have a chance against the Saints....and that we thusly didn't have a chance.

Ok, I was wrong, we can put up 40 on the Saints....too....

But, just to make some other people mad--- we won't beat Dallas....lol, but I mean it.

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And Gurley's post-game interview (easily one of his best)
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It was both jarring and intriguing to see McVay huddled in the corner prepping o strategy and other duties on the water coolers.

Do you think this type of workload (head coach, OC, play caller) is sustainable or will our prized, young buck burn out?

Do you think this style is a form of coaching that this new generation will usher in? i.e "In the trenches"

What are some viable alternatives to this approach, do you think McVay will eventually assign more duties to his staff?




I personally think it may be too much for McVay -- he even commented on his exhaustion with the quick turnaround for Thursday in the post game presser.

I hope as the offense develops he'll be able to take a less hands on approach and become more managerial.

Getting sick of all sports media harping on the NFL product these days, and the league's impending demise.
Here in Seattle, even Brock Huard (one of the more reasoned commentators) is thinking due to OL play, worries surrounding concussions, blah, blah, blah, the league is in real trouble.

Solution: Put the Rams on TV more. This offense (Greatest Show on Surf, or whatever it may be called soon), will be putting butts in seats and eyes on screens.

Yes, I do overdose on Kool-Aid on occasion. Tastes gooooooooood!

Go RAMS!

No need to name poster names, but the following players or positions are not nearly the causes of concern that some thought during camp:

Goff. Yeah, he's gonna be a franchise QB under McVay. Little doubt about it anymore.

Gurley. He's now a beast as a RB and a pass receiving threat. A nightmare for opposing DC's. He'll have his 5th year option picked up at this rate.

Woods. This Niner game was Exhibit A why McVay wanted him. Nice reply to his disappointing Redskin game.

OL. This was maybe everybody's biggest concern. Mine, too. Well, it's still a work in progress, but there's been a HELLUVA lot of progress, so far. Kromer, take a bow, man.

Tavon. Ummmmm... I'm gonna take the high road here. But I still think that he's a man without a position.

After 3 games, maybe we can exhale about so many of our O pieces.

But that D? Dang!

Wade can only go so far on his reputation. Time to show us a much better D, Wade. We can't be scoring 41 damned points every week just to win by two.

Can we get some love for C Austin Blythe, who came in for John Sullivan and disappeared into the background of the game? There were no penalties on him, no sacks, no bad shotgun snaps, not a peep from him. His is exactly what you want to see from an offensive lineman and he did a phenomenal job in Sullivan's place.

I'll admit that I was worried about him because I saw him overthrow several shotgun snaps in training camp and preseason, but he must have worked hard to get those kinks out.

Fantastic job!

I have been a long time Ram fan since their first stint at the coliseum when Les Richter played linebacker. I am quite excited and a bit concerned about the current rams situation and I would like to share some of my thoughts with you forum veterans.

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