Puka had his coming out party on Thursday Night Football. Sure, we know him and fantasy football geeks know him, but did the wider Football fan base know of him? He is 140 ish yards from breaking the all time receiving record for a rookie withe two games left. CJ Stroud has been the presumptive leader for OROY, but he has been out for December with a concussion and availability matters. Remember Carson Wentz was a shoe-in for the award before he was injured at the LA Coliseum near the end of the season?

Puka : OROY!!!

Welp, been a while since I've done one of these, hasn't it? Oh, well, time to get back in the game (This mock is assuming we win the Super Bowl.):

Coaching Moves:

Raheem Morris is hired by the Atlanta Falcons.

(It just makes sense because Arthur Smith is a dead coach walking (as evidenced by his refusal to use Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts), and Atlanta has familiarity with Morris. In exchange, we get a third-round pick for the next two years.)

Eric Henderson PROMOTED to DC.

(I love Aubrey Pleasant. I'm assuming he goes over to Atlanta. But Coach Henderson deserves a shot to run a defense.)

Practice Squad Signings:

Tyler Johnson
Tanner Ingle
Zachary Thomas
Logan Bruss
A.J. Arcuri
Mike McAllister
Xavier Smith
Cameron McCutcheon

(Johnson should be re-signed, no ifs ands or buts. Ingle, Smith, and McCutcheon showed a bit in preseason. Thomas, Bruss, Arcuri, and McAllister are O-line depth.)

Re-sign:

Alaric Jackson - RFA (1st round tender)
Michael Hoecht (RFA (2nd round tender)
Jonah Williams (RFA (original round tender)
Christian Rozeboom (RFA (original round tender)
Kier Thomas (ERFA)
Ronnie Rivers (ERFA)

(Jackson gets a huge raise as a right of refusal first round tender (which could happen, but I doubt it). Hoecht gets a second round tender; if he's given an original round, someone will get him for free. Williams and Rozeboom are solid pieces who should be retained. Thomas and Rivers are ERFAs.)

Release:

Kevin Dotson
Demarcus Robinson
Akhello Witherspoon
John Johnson III
Jordan Fuller
Coleman Shelton
Royce Freeman
Larrell Murchison
Tremayne Anchrum
Duke Shelley
Carson Wentz
Earnest Brown IV
Carson Tinker
Austin Trammell
Troy Reeder
Brycen Hopkins

(It'll suck to lose Dotson, but he'll cost a lot of money that I'd use for an edge rusher and cornerback. It will suck to lose Robinson, Witherspoon, and JJ3 as well, but they'll likely garner us fantastic compensatory picks. I doubt Carson Wentz re-ups with us, given that he'll try to be a starter somewhere else. Fuller, Freeman, and Shelton are solid players, but not irreplaceable. Murchison, Anchrum, Shelley, EB4, and Tinker are depth pieces. Trammell, Reeder, and Hopkins can go far, far away.)

Free Agents (what I really mean is two big free agent signings and wait until after the signings to get players like we did this year):

Chase Young - five years, 20 million per year.

(Yeah, I'm thinking of Chase Young's potential with this, along with him being only twenty-five, and since I bet Burns and Allen will be franchised, I think he's one of the best out there. I don't think the 69ers use a franchise tag on him, so I believe he could be in play for us. Imagine the two Youngs on the edge. Beautiful.)

Jeff Okudah - five years, 19.5 million per year.

(You wanted a cornerback upgrade? Here's one. Okudah is big, physical, has solid speed and coverage skills, and he's only twenty-five. He'd be perfect for our system.)

Trades:

Rob Havenstein to the Chicago Bears for 2024 third round pick.

(Yes, I'm dealing Havenstein. I'm sorry, but he's our best true trade chip (since Stafford, AD, and Kupp are all basically unmovable with their contracts). Anyway, the Bears could use a right tackle, and Havenstein is one of the best in the league. Third round pick makes sense.)

Tyler Higbee to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2024 fourth round pick.

(The Chargers have lacked a good tight end for fate knows how long (Antonio Gates?. Higbee is older, but he can still produce, and I feel that Davis Allen is more than ready to take the reins...along with a draft pick or two.)

Chatarius Atwell and Ben Skowronek to the Atlanta Falcons for 2024 fifth round pick and 2024 sixth round pick (Browns).

(The Falcons literally have nothing outside of Drake London and Kyle Pitts at receiver. Morris gets two old friends to help the rebuild, while Atlanta gives up a fifth and sixth.)

Derion Kendrick to the Indianapolis Colts for 2024 fifth round pick.

(Kendrick has his faults, but he is still very young. That's the only reason why Indy takes a chance on him, as well as them having one of the worst secondaries in the NFL; they really are struggling there with very few names. A cheap contract like Kendrick with what he can do is well worth a fifth.)

Joseph Noteboom to the New York Jets for 2026 seventh round pick.

(Yeah, we're selling on Noteboom, but the Jets have zero good left tackle options; they're literally starting a thirty-eight-year-old Duane Brown at left tackle. Noteboom gives them an option for next year to protect Rodgers, while we escape his salary.)

Brian Allen to the Los Angeles Chargers for 2026 seventh round pick.

(Shelton may be leaving in this mock, but there's no way I'm keeping Allen either; he hasn't been the player we thought we'd have with his contract. I'd rather move on. The Chargers center position just got thrown for a loop with Linsley having a heart condition; they obviously can't risk it next year with Herbert.)

2024 1st round pick (ours) and 2025 sixth round pick to the Green Bay Packers for 2024 second (Jets), 2024 second (Packers), and 2024 third (Packers)

(Yes, McVay trades out of the first round! Shocking, I know! Definitely going to be a draft based on quantity again, but I trust Snead to find the right players. Green Bay trades up for a receiver (thinking Johnny Wilson). Why are we not taking a receiver after losing Atwell, Robinson, Skowronek, and Trammell? Well...reasons.)

2024 third round pick (Packers) and 2024 5th round pick (Steelers) to the Houston Texans for 2024 third (Eagles), 2024 fourth (Browns), and 2024 fourth (Texans).

(Getting more picks to play with. Houston jumps up for an D-lineman.)

DRAFT:

2nd (Jets) - Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas. (6'2", 195 lbs.)

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(Yes, I'm still taking a quarterback as the first pick, and yes, it's Quinn Ewers (whom is in limbo, but I'll believe he's not going when I see it)! Ewers may be slight of frame, but he has an absolute big-time arm, is a smart processor, accurate, able to maneuver through the pocket, oh, and did I mention that he can outrun a lot of linebackers as well? I know that Stafford's going to play until his arm falls off, but we'll be prepared if or when it does with Ewers, and there won't be a drop-off.)

2nd (Packers) - Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State. (6'4", 335 lbs.)

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(Quite frankly, if we get Beebe here, it would be an absolute steal in the mold of another Steve Avila, only for right guard. Simply put, Beebe is a beast in the running game. He may not dominate with athleticism or length, but he moves people out of the fucking way with power, technique, and a mean streak the length of Mother Russia. But what impresses me most about him is not the running game. He is a wall, plain and simple. You will not go through him, you will not go around him, you will not do anything when he's in pass-protection. Mizzou almost learned that the hard way twice.)

2nd (Rams) - Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri. (5'11", 178 lbs.)

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(Ignore the measurables for a moment. KAD plays three inches taller and thirty pounds heavier than his size; I would know this, as I've watched him since he was a young cornerback just fresh from being a wide receiver. And speaking of receiver, he has the best ball skills of any defensive back in this class, being a former receiver; he will make plays on the ball with closing speed, active - yet not grabby - hands, and long arms. Right now, he's more of a zone/off-man corner, but he's shown promise in press-man coverage. Honestly, I'd be very happy if he's the pick here.)

3rd (Bears) - Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo. (6'0", 196 lbs.)

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(Mitchell seemingly came out of nowhere to be an amazing ballhawk and a solid, if unspectacular, run support stuffer, but he's been steadily improving since he started as a true freshman. Toledo's had some interesting defensive players come through, including our own Desjuan Johnson, but Mitchell may be the best of the lot. Quarterbacks throwing in his direction have a 32.4 rating. 32.4. Miniscule. He had nineteen PBUs, including five picks, two of them for six in his junior year, and while he didn't have the interceptions for this year (only one), he had a solid eighteen PBUs. Just a solid ballhawk of a cover corner.)

3rd (Eagles) - Brenden Rice, WR, Southern California. (6'3", 215 lbs.)

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(The more I look at Brenden Rice, the more I'm impressed. Yes, this is the son of Jerry. No, I don't care that Jerry was an archrival; his son is worth the price of admission as a deep threat who can and will win with excellent route running. He's blazing fast. Like, 4.3 flat fast. Sticky hands. Silky-smooth routes. He may not even be here. He may even end up as a surprise first round pick, in which case, I'll have to go back to the drawing board. But I hope we get him. He's my favorite Day 2 receiver.)

3rd (Rams) - Jackson Powers-Johnson, OC, Oregon. (6'3", 320 lbs.)

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(JPJ is definitely on my radar, considering that the Eagles are most likely going to take Sedrick Van Pran Granger in the first round to replace Jason Kelce. Them or someone. But JPJ far from a consolation prize; he's a huge center with a strong base, perfect for our new gap-power scheme. He will climb to the second level with ease, bury the linebackers, double-team the defensive tackles, snap the ball without miscues, and if SVPG and Graham Barton aren't there, I'd gladly take him, see our center problem disappear.)

3rd (Rams, Raheem Morris comp) - Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale. (6'5", 318 lbs.)

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(First off, this guy earned his scholarship to Yale; he's finishing up a B.A. of Economics and had to decline two internships for football. But the main thing is that this guy is a physical specimen when it comes to being an offensive tackle. 36-inch arms. Power. Quick feet. Honestly, the only reason I think he falls this far is because this offensive line - and tackle class, in particular - is insanely skilled. This kid could be our left tackle of the future, and I mean absolutely no offense to A-Jax when I say this; he could be that elite.)

4th (Chargers) - Jonah Elliss, OLB, Utah. (6'2", 246 lbs.)

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(Elliss, like Quinyon Mitchell, came on rather late in his career and decided to jump to the NFL after a great junior year. He used to be a 210 lbs. linebacker when he was first recruited, and he's still got the coverage skills of one. He has the best spin move in this class, a few other moves, but given that he's just so raw in the technical regard, he's been relying on that spin move and speed off the edge (which he has, but it's about it). He really struggles with the run defense part of the edge rusher place as well, which adds to why he won't go too highly right now; you can tell that he's underweight and definitely not a 4-3 end. But twelve sacks are twelve sacks, and that's pretty good for college, let alone the NFL.)

4th (Texans) - Marist Liufau, ILB, Notre Dame. (6'2", 229 lbs.)

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(Liufau hasn't made a lot of statisticians happy about his tackles, but he just creates splash play after splash play. He has a checkered injury history, possibly due to the style he plays (full-throttle all the time), and while you worry about that, much like you'd worry about Nacua, Liufau makes it work for him. He's smart, diagnoses plays quickly, and shoots into the gap to get the running back, spy on the quarterback as a rover, come on a blitz, or drop into perfect coverage. Basically, he's what you'd get if you took Reeder, Rozeboom, and Hummel's best qualities and made them better.)

4th (Browns) - Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa (6'6", 253 lbs.)

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(Lachey (and Erick All, for that matter; don't be surprised if he gets drafted as well) helped with Iowa's legacy as Tight End-U. He had an amazing year last year, and was coming on strong this year...until he had a gruesome and brutal ankle injury that kept him on IR the entire season. I don't know if he'll declare. If he does, you have to look at his 2022 tape and think that you're getting the second-best tight end in the class. He has it all: blocking, size, hands, even underrated wheels.)

5th (Falcons) - Jordan Burch, DE, Oregon. (6'6", 290 lbs.)

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(I urge you to check out this video. Burch - a former five-star prospect - is going up against a potential first round pick in Taliese Fuaga on some of those snaps , and for a man his size to move this quickly while retaining strength...there's a lot to work with here, even if he happens to be sushi-raw with his technique. He goes hard on every snap, gets pressure, but just hasn't gotten home. A year under Coach Henderson and learning from AD could do wonders for this kid.)

5th (Colts) -Malik Mustapha, SAF, Wake Forest. (5'11", 207 lbs.)

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(Mustapha has a Richrmond connection with Kobie Turner, even transferring to Wake a year before Turner did. I guarantee this guy is on our draftlist. But Mustapha's more than a fellow beneficiary of The Conductor. Despite only having one pick this season, he's been a solid box safety for Wake for a good amount of time. At the very least, he'll be solid on teams.)

5th (Rams) - Cody Schrader, RB, Missouri. (5'9", 214 lbs.)

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(The 2023 Doak Walker finalist. The best - maybe not the most talented, but certainly the best - running back Mizzou's had in some time. And Schrader's very playstyle reminds me so much of Kyren Williams; his vision, just getting through any hole, no matter how small, breaking tackles in the backfield, underrated quickness, but maybe not the fastest. Is it any wonder why I want this kid in horns?)

6th (Broncos) - Moose Muhammad III, WR, Texas A&M. (6'1", 205 lbs.)

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(Yes, this is Muhsin Muhammad's son, and he has the biggest vice grips for hands I've seen out of a receiver in some time. He makes one-handed catches look easy when they aren't. He has decent speed, good play strength, and probably fits this system as a possession receiver when Robinson leaves for free agency. But he's not his father. His father could've hacked it as a poor man's number one, and Moose just isn't that; he's always had someone better: Achane, Ainias Smith this year, and his stats show it. But he's still a decent possession receiver who can move the chains, and for a sixth round pick, that's all you can expect.)

6th (Browns) - Zakhari Franklin, WR, Ole Miss. (6'1" 185 lbs.)

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(Franklin was one of my favorite late round receivers for the 2023 Draft; he's able to big-boy people (despite an admittedly thin frame), is physical, fast, a fantastic route runner, and solid hands to boot. Imagine my disappointment when I heard he transferred to Ole Miss, and my greater disappointment that he barely played. Apparently, he had an injury, and he decided not to play through it. Huge disappointment. But that shouldn't be the end of him as a prospect. He could still be a solid punt returner who can get you yards on returns, and at least look decent on offense.)

6th (Matt Gay comp) - Dragan Kesich, K, Minnesota (6'4", 240 lbs.)

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(A big lefty leg? Hasn't missed a single extra point this year? Almost 85 percent making his field goals? Am I looking at Dragan Kesich or Sebastian Janikowski? Anyway, want him on the team, and I think it's the height of irony with selecting him with the same comp pick we got for Gay, which means...well, yeah, I did it on purpose. Sue me.)

6th (Baker Mayfield comp) - Dallin Holker, TE, Colorado State (6'5", 235 lbs.)

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(Holker is a Brigham Young transfer to Colorado State, and what was lost in the Colorado/CSU/PrimeTime game was that he actually had a really good game against Colorado: six receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns. He has solid hands, able to pluck passes out of the air, and threaten the seam. As expected from a tight end with his weight, he struggles with the physical aspects of the position (i.e., blocking), but unlike most of the smaller tight ends, he has room on his frame to pack on fifteen more pounds without losing his speed. Definitely a pick worth thinking about.)

6th (Nick Scott comp) - Jonah Monheim, OT/OG/OC, Southern California. (6'5", 300 lbs.)

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(Monheim is a moldable piece of clay in the right hands, able to switch between guard and tackle easily, and I think he's smart enough to learn center as well. PFF really likes him, graded him with 83 and 82 in pass and run blocking respectively, he goes through every snap with a mean streak, and he's got solid athletic traits that bely his size (in my opinion, he could back up anywhere on the line with enough experience. With a late sixth...why not?)

7th (A'Shawn Robinson comp) - Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall. (6'0" 209 lbs.)

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(Ali had a season to remember in 2021. Almost 300 total touches (250 carries, 46 receptions), 1,743 total yards (1,401 rushing, 24 total touchdowns, and - best of all - not a single fumble. In fact, he's never fumbled in his college career. Unfortunately, he took a medical redshirt for thus far unknown reasons (all I can get is that it was "addressing physical, mental, and emotional health"), and just wasn't the same. He improved a bit in this year, but clearly, his freshman year set high standards. The sheer amount of mileage worries me, as does his injury history. But he's a dynamic back who can turn on the jets at any time he wants, bust tackles at any time he pleases, and has a nose for the endzone.)

Roster (starters in bold; rookies in italics):

QB - Matthew Stafford, Quinn Ewers.

(No, I don't think Stetson Bennett is ever going to throw a pass for us, even if we didn't draft Ewers, but we could easily bring his value up in preseason and deal him then.)

RB - Kyren Williams, Zach Evans, Cody Schrader, Rasheen Ali (KR)

(Evans gets first crack at the backup job, but I think Schrader easily outperforms him. Ali is your kick returner, and a solid goalline option. One thing's for sure; we won't be lacking for talent at running back..)

WR - Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Brenden Rice, Tyler Johnson, Moose Muhammad III, Zakhari Franklin (PR).

(Kupp and Nacua need no introduction. Rice is the deep threat, Johnson and Moose are your possession guys, and Franklin, if not being a deep threat himself, is your punt returner.)

TE - Davis Allen, Hunter Long, Dallin Holker (HB), Luke Lachey (IR).

(Allen and Long will get the first chance at this job. It's theirs to lose. Holker starts on teams, but could easily work his way into a halfback sub-package. Lachey will take a yera to recover from that ankle injury, but when he does, he'll definitely replace Long - and possibly even Davis, if the latter doesn't break out.)

OL - Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Cooper Beebe, Warren McClendon, Kiran Amegadjie (swing), Logan Bruss (G/RT), Zach Thomas (G/C), Jonah Monheim (T/G), Mike McAllister.

(The starting O-line will be young, but experienced with A-Jax and Avila on the left side. JPJ and Beebe are solid plug-and-play types. McClendon gets the first crack at the right tackle job, but don't be surprised to see Amegadjie win it. Also, don't be surprised with Bruss; I think with another year away from his injury, he's got as good a chance as ever to compete for a job - and if he fails then, I will gladly admit I was wrong. I think that Thomas is our potential swing guard/backup center; he's not strong enough for tackle, but at center, he could mitigate a lot of problems. Monheim will likely take a redshirt year, McAllister is for Thomas-insurance/backup center, and you potentially have Arcuri as Bruss insurance Either way, I see two cuts: one for the final roster, and one when Lachey gets back healthy.)

DL - Aaron Donald (DT), Kobie Turner (NT/DE), Michael Hoecht (DE), Bobby Brown III (NT), Desjuan Johnson (DT/DE), Jordan Burch (DE/DT

(AD is AD. This is his last year, so we better not fuck it up. The Conductor is going to put on a show at nose (with BB3 obviously switching in for running downs), while Hoecht will get back to his more natural position on the line. Johnson should be a solid option, while Burch takes a redshirt year hopefully; he really needs it.)

LB - Chase Young, Byron Young, Ernest Jones, Marist Liufau, Nick Hampton, Jonah Elliss, Kier Thomas, Christian Rozeboom, Jake Hummel.

(Yes, I think Liufau makes an immediate impact at inside linebacker. The Youngs obviously start but expect Hampton and Elliss to get snaps as well. Not a huge Mathis fan, but I guess he could make the practice squad or even surprise. Rozeboom and Hummel are core special teamers.)

DB - Jeff Okudah, Kris Abrams-Draine, Quinyon Mitchell, Quentin Lake, Russ Yeast, Cobie Durant, Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Jason Taylor II, Tanner Ingle, Malik Mustapha.

(Okudah, Mitchell, and KAD. Nobody's throwing on this defense. Add in Lake, Yeast, Durant in dime packages, JT2 in big nickel, and that's a solid, solid group. Ingle, THT, and Mustapha are key special teamers.)

ST - Dragan Kesich, Ethan Evans, Alex Ward.

(Kesich is the only new face. I still think Evans should be doing kickoffs, but Kesich could do them as well. Having Ward back will help.)

So, feel free to rip me a new asshole.

The WSJ delegates one page to sports. Only the most noteworthy sports topics are written about.

From this week. Good read.

LA Rams GM Les Snead made football fun again for the Rams organization​

By Bret Stuter | Dec 22, 2023​

When the LA Rams finished the 2022 NFl season with a record of 5-12, the LA Rams had more questions surrounding the team than simply how to return to winning football games. Rams Head Coach Sean McVay was emotionally exhausted, his competitive drive had been floored for far too long, and he wondered how long he could sustain that pace.

But that was just the start of the uncertainty. Regardless of how they would react when asked by the media, Rams veteran players began to face their own limits. Veterans who had climbed to the top of the NFL with the Rams in 2021, had fallen far and long in 2022. Many players had to battle back from injuries. Others had to face the reality that the NFL is a young man's sport, and that they were getting older.

Finally, the Rams had to admit that the frantic pace of 2021 had carried over and forced shortcuts for the team's restocking a coaching staff and the 53-man roster. In short, the ability of the Rams to replace players and exiting coaches was overwhelmed after Super Bowl LVI.

Les make football fun again​

The Rams have enjoyed tremendous success since hiring head coach Sean McVay in 2017. But that success has arrived in a three-year cycle. The challenge is trying to remain positive despite the roller coaster ride that has fallen on the Rams over the past eight NFL seasons.

The answer was so simple that no NFL analyst was able to understand the new direction that Rams GM Les Snead would take to recharge the entire LA Rams organization. The Rams would no longer chase veteran free agents who were solely looking for Lombardi Trophies and big sacks of cash. Instead, the Rams had to immerse the entire team in a pool of rookies. After all, rookies play the game of football out of love for the game. There are no contract negotiations or leveraging over the course of the team. They simply love suiting up and competing in the NFL.

The Rams tried a brand new approach this season. The Rams not only drafted 14 rookies, but the Rams signed hungry NFL veterans who were desperate to compete once again. For the love of the game became more than a catch-phrase or a cliche. It became a mission for the Rams entire organization to play the game of football the way it was meant to be played.

The LA Rams had to make football fun again for everyone. And so, the Rams scouts and analysts vetted hundreds of rookie and veteran prospects with an added criteria. New players had to have a measurable enthusiasm for the game of football before the Rams would seriously consider adding them to the team.

That intangible factor, a love of the game, is evident across the Rams entire rookie class of 2023. But it's even more apparent in the veterans who were added as well. A team is constructed of individuals who are confident enough in themselves to praise the contributions of others. And a team is constructed of individuals who face adversity together.

But more than any other factor, a team is comprised of individuals who trust their teammates to have their backs. Rams GM Les Snead handpicked rookie and veteran additions to the Rams roster because he understood that those players would do whatever was needed to cover one another's backs.

And the resurging Rams are no longer a secret. Just check out the following 'observation' made public on social media:

The Rams are 8-7 with two games to go. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for this young team. Stay tuned.

[ramblinfan.com]

Let's hope it's not a Havrisik - Crosby shootout for our next game!

Saturday December 23, 2023

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC


Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 8:00 p.m. ET, Peacock

Hey guys. I haven't been active much on here the last couple years. Life has been too busy. I've always lurked though, and catch as many games as I can.

I saw a few uncharacteristic drops from Kupp last night. Stuff he always catches. While I certainly don't think he is "done" by any means, do any of of think it's an omen to come? I think he just had an off game. Hopefully I'm not wrong.

I’ m going to be offline for the most part in the next few days, so…

Hope everyone has a great Christmas with friends and family!

Our Rams did their part, giving us the early gift of a key win!

So with visions of playoff games dancing in our heads, I wish you all a Merry Christmas (and a happy, Giant-killing New Year)!

What if we finally put 4 qtrs together next week, what would the score be?

What if the Titans beat the Seahags this week?

What if Sean McVay held an open K tryouts in this semi-bye break?

What if..................

We need to really give credit where credit is due.

Our OL is balling out and driving our success

We need to resign Dotson and keep this OL intact as much as possible.

With all the talk about Puka and Kyren, Steve Avila seems to be missing from the conversation, but dang if he’s not a huge part of this OL’s resurgence.

Also; props to Aleric Jackson, our UDFA LT for really doing an outstanding job in nailing down that critical position

I'd like to see if we can have a conversation about our defense that does not involve the coaching. Try to keep this to personnel only. And the reason I think this is important is because we are on the cusp of making the playoffs but we're doing it with a lot of subpar parts and the question of how far we can go basically comes down to this unit. So this means here is the critical question right now:

"What adjustments can be made to make them better?"

For starters I think our biggest problem of late is our speed outside the hashes. Durant had to play in that game vs New Orleans due to matchups. But going forward what is the best combination of players out there for us IF we get in as that wildcard. Do we have answers on that depth chart.

I can't for the life of me figure out why Tomlinson is buried on the depth chart. My expectation was that he'd own a job by midseason. I was wrong, clearly. So maybe there's some ego at play here but if his problem is knowing the scheme can't we simplify the calls for him or something to improve the quality of the actual player in the role? Maybe his problem is not the scheme though. Idk.

Re: Durant it felt good to see him out there. On the outside he adds pick six threat on those quick throws that try to isolate corners. So while he's weak as shit physically the guy does have some advantage to him. He's not going to suddenly get stronger in the remaining window here. But maybe he's ready to take a lead role and help this defense improve a little bit on that boundary.

Lake I have to say has impressed the hell out of me in that slot role. It's impressive. But in a way it's not a good thing because it keeps him from that pairing. Or maybe more accurately he may be able to help us in that pairing.

Spoon all I can say is I don't think we have anyone who can handle his responsibility. So regretfully we're gonna need to ride him the rest of the way.

So here's what I'd do fwiw:

First I'd move Lake back into that pairing. I'd start him there over Fuller. And look I respect Fuller's game but he had one top season with us and since that time the guy is hit and miss as hell. Lake is young, he's smart, he's physical. He might fuck it up on calls where he's got deep responsibility, but we already suffer that with Fuller. So let's give the kid a look. Worst case is more of the same. But best case is he elevates that pairing with JJ, who is better than Fuller in that regard. Also and lastly the extent of looks Lake would face can be adjusted in calls. Rams are capable of these things and have been doing them all season.

Secondly I'd put Tomlinson in the slot and just man him up on whoever the draw is. No bullshit. Try to keep his responsibilities as simple as possible. If the staff feels it is necessary to alternate him with Kendrick that is fine by me. Letting those two alternate possessions would tap into their competitive instincts. But I'd put a corner in that job and try to keep it simple to ensure I get good coverage snap to snap.

Third I'd have Jones coming on the blitz more frequently. This guy has a knack for affecting the QB. He's smart, he's strong, and his timing on the blitz is superb. The fact he affects A gaps so consistently is a weapon we need to take better advantage of. Now that said every QB is different. There are some who you can beat by dropping more guys to pick errant passes. And there are some who you are better off adding rushers to try to move their feet. In the games ahead if we get Goff for example you're better off with the extra rusher because he's one of those QBs who will repeatedly hit that open receiver. But I think Jones is a weapon that can improve our odds.

Not saying I have all the answers here. But I think for us to play up that darkhorse role we're going to need internal improvements in the defense, and in particular the secondary.

Amazing entertaining podcast, Marshall goes after Rich right away about cheating

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Offense


Defense


ST

This is going to be a fun week.

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1. HUGE WIN!!!!!

2. So many great performances. I'll start with Puka Nacua, my Offensive MVP for the week. 9 receptions, 164 yards, 2 carries for 16 yards, 1 TD. He's a beast, and a joy to watch. His 1,327 yards as a rookie ranks 5th all time. He needs 147 yards to break the all-time rookie record!

3. Matthew Stafford continues to roll with 328 yards passing, 2 TDs and no INTs. This is the best stretch we've seen from him since the Super Bowl run...

4. ...thanks, in large part, to Kyren "the Catalyst" Williams. His vision and jump cut ability continues to amaze, and I loved the TD celebration with Mom!

5. Set your DVRs for Round 5 of the draft in 2024. You don't want to miss the Rams drafting their next Pro Bowl player (yeah, I'm seeing Kyren and Puka making the squad)!

6. The Offensive Line is really doing a great job. Great to have Hav back.

7. On defense, I'm again going with Ernest "Everywhere" Jones as the MVP of the week. 7 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL and 2 PD. His interior blitzes have really made a difference in recent week.

8. You have to love the defense's performance on 3 big 4th down stops.

9. The performance was not without its flaws. I'd still like to see a bit more consistency in the Red Zone (man, Stafford really rushed a throw that should have been a TD to Puka), and Lucas Havrisik is still not instilling confidence, as he badly missed a FG under 50 yards.

10. The defense also had some bad moments. The first TD was a bad read by Kyle Fuller (he made up for it later with a key INT), leaving Ahkello isolated on a real burner on the back end. And, come on... a blocked punt?

11. I assign less blame on Cobie Durant getting beat on a long TD. Even long-time Rams Nemesis Richard Sherman acknowledged that the receiver got away with a tug of the jersey on that play.

12 Speaking of Durant, he really leap-frogged the much-maligned, passionately defended, Derion Kendrick. I suspect Kendrick will get another chance, but his demotion is not a shock.

13. As of this moment, Kobie Turner leads all rookies with 6.5 sacks (Byron Young moves to No. 2 with 6). Amazing (and, yes, the latest example of "the Aaron Donald effect").

14. Make no mistake, though... the late comeback, this was a domination. The Rams again outgained their opponent by over 100 yards, and had nearly a 10 minute advantage in time of possession.

15. The Rams have not trailed at any point in the last two games.

16. The run defense is really doing good things lately.

17. Demarcus Robinson had a monster first half.

18. If you were one of the reporters who ran with the "Stafford is having trouble connecting with his young teammates" story... how stupid do you feel now?

19. Some key games to watch this weekend. With a little help, we can get even closer to a playoff birth. Meanwhile, an amazingly healthy Rams team gets a mini-bye before the final games.

20. This has become such an enjoyable group to watch. Young, enthusiastic, hungry and unselfish. I'm proud to be a fan of this Rams team.

9-19
OVER

Winning record over swamp scum and it feels so good bitches.

Top 5 pick season???

It's expected that Florida State is set to begin process of leaving ACC

Florida State to the Big Ten is still a long way off , if at all ..............

you would think that Florida State to the SEC would make more sense , and it does , but the ACC media rights is with ESPN , same as the SEC

and Florida State is about to go to war with ESPN to get out of that media rights deal

so , will Florida State burn to many bridges with ESPN , most likely , if they were to get out of the ACC , and thats still a big IF , odds are , they would jump to the Big Ten

and the bigger question , what happens next , it's no secret that the Big Ten has had their eyes on North Carolina for some time now , will Clemson and Miami be next

Florida State , Miami , Clemson and North Carolina , over the next few months


it will be interesting to see what comes out of Florida States board of regents meeting tomorrow



the next step in to just being two super conferences

I live in Tennessee and want to listen to Rams pregame radio. Any suggestions on a good site?

Maybe it doesn’t matter to designate one #3 and play them both? TuTu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson have each contributed, but differently.

Atwell has 5 catches over 30yds, to Robinson’s 1 catch of 30yds.

Despite that, Robinson is averaging more yards per catch at 14.1 vs Atwell 12.9.

Atwell is 3rd on the team in reception yards.

They are tied with 3 TD’s apiece.

Robinson has averaged 50yds/gm the last 3 games and can go up for the ball, which is not Atwell’s game.

But… Atwell’s game (speed) can break one at any time.

I think with Atwell coming back from injury, Robinson has earned some of the 3rd WR snaps... Yet, Atwell’s speed can be a mismatch situationally for defenses… so do they spit snaps?

Thursday Night Football - December 21, 2023

New Orleans Saints (7-7) vs. Los Angeles Rams (7-7)

• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
• Stream: Prime

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Game Day Thread

The GDT is a live thread tradition here at ROD.

While we all get fired up watching the game, please remember our core principles; we always show respect for our team and each other.

Despite the emotional highs and lows watching a game, we will moderate this thread with that in mind, however please refrain from name calling. This applies to players, the Rams organization, and each other.

This is the core rule of the GDT. Moderators are tasked to issue thread bans, at a minimum, to maintain this standard.

This is our team. Win or lose. Good days and bad. We are here for FUN, not to be dragged down.

A more loosely moderated atmosphere can be found in the chat room.

Go Rams!

———

ROD Chat Room;

Game Day Room

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Great watch. Staffy going nuts these days.

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Ok what are you all making for the Saints game tomorrow night?

I was planning to make Gumbo but that has been requested for Christmas Eve.