Celebration Thread: Rams@Seahawks

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/12/18/rams-unleashed-years-of-frustration-on-the-seahawks/

Rams unleashed years of frustration on the Seahawks
Posted by Darin Gantt on December 18, 2017

Getty Images

Long before the Rams moved to Los Angeles, the were the stepchildren of the NFC West.

It’s been 14 years since they put together so much as a winning season, and lately they’ve been the victim of what amounts to bullying by their division rivals.

Sunday, with a stunning 42-7 beating of the Seahawks, all that went away for the moment, and they were able to savor what they had done through 14 games of this season, turning into one of the favorites in the NFC.

“These guys have been kicking our ass the last 10, 15 years,” Rams running back Todd Gurley said, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News. “You gotta enjoy it. You gotta take advantage of a situation like this.”

They did that, settling the score in an unmistakeable way, doing to the Seahawks what has so long been done to them.

“I think there was a lot of anger between us because we really felt very disappointed in ourselves in how we played the first time,” said Andrew Whitworth said of the 16-10 loss on Oct. 8. “We really had a lot of opportunities to win that game and just didn’t. That meant a lot to us, to have that opportunity and go get it. I think guys felt that all week. There was an emotion behind that all week, and it showed today.”

As a team just getting used to being relevant, it will be interesting to see if they’re able to sustain this level over the course of the next two weeks and the playoffs. But as they showed Sunday, they’re capable of overpowering anyone, even (or especially) the people who have been doing it to them.
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Coaches like Sean McVay don’t come around too often. You would think the veteran coach would have the advantage in the rematch. Not so.
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I get the sentiment but the Rams have actually fared really well against the Seahawks over the past few seasons. They’d won 4 out of 6 coming into this season over Seattle.
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It’s great to hear Whitworth’s comment on how the Rams were motivated to better by their shortcomings in the previous meeting. This game became more of a thrashing than a contest as a result. It’s a real credit to how McVay has everyone pulling in the same direction. Now they need to sustain the wave and play their best football heading into the playoffs.
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From laughingstock to powerhouse
#GoRams

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ging-of-the-guard-and-other-week-15-thoughts/

Rams’ win was a changing of the guard
Posted by Michael David Smith on December 18, 2017

Seattle has been so dominant at home in recent years that when you looked up in the second quarter yesterday and saw the score was 34-0, it almost looked like a mistake.

The Seahawks are losing 34-0 at CenturyLink Field?

But that’s what happened. The Rams blew out the Seahawks in Seattle and we witnessed a changing of the guard in the NFC West.

That game wasn’t just a good day for the Rams and a bad day for the Seahawks. That was a demonstration of the fact that the Rams are better than the Seahawks in all three phases of the game.

And the Rams are also younger than the Seahawks, and in much better salary cap shape than the Seahawks heading into 2018. While the Seahawks’ best players are getting older and more expensive, the Rams’ best players are just entering their primes.

You could argue that the Seahawks will be better next year because Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor will be back from injuries — except that Sherman and Chancellor are both turning 30 next offseason, and will cost a combined $23 million against the salary cap next season. The Seahawks are aging and expensive. That’s not a recipe for a quick turnaround.

The Rams have a young head coach, a young quarterback, the best young defensive player in the league in Aaron Donald. The Rams are the team of the future. The Seahawks are the team of the past. There’s a new king of the NFC West.
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The changing of the guard is exactly what I was thinking as I was watching Sean McVay on the sidelines. I think we have a new greatest coach, and he’s only 31 years old. I was waiting for this game to see how Pete Carroll and McVay would do on this rematch.
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Hear that loud “thud”? It was Seattle’s Super Bowl window being slammed shut……. Back to the “Seachickens”
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By definition that is not a changing of the guard if they have won 2 out of the last 3 years. That means that the division is up for grabs year after year, and if AR were healthy all season that outcome could be very different in 2017.

In the NFC West, that win was so dominating and the differences between the teams’ long term futures because of roster and cap strength suggest that division will not be up for grabs for a while, it will be the Rams’ to lose. That is the definition of the changing of the guard.
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It will be hilarious if they keep raising the 12th flag at home and the fans then keep booing the home team off the field because of their awful performances.

 

[shovelpass]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000895088/article/sean-mcvay-guides-focused-rams-to-cusp-of-division-title

Sean McVay guides focused Rams to cusp of division title

Michael Silver
NFL.com columnist

SEATTLE -- A little more than an hour before the biggest game of his very young life, Sean McVay bounced across the CenturyLink Field turf like an old-school hype man on a hip-hop stage. "Let's go!" McVay kept repeating to various people in his line of vision, pumping his right fist with abandon, his eyes ablaze with energy.

With NFC West supremacy -- and potentially much, much more -- on the line, the Los Angeles Rams' 31-year-old rookie coach could barely contain his enthusiasm. Soon, he would make a pregame speech, and there was so much to say about this mid-December rematch against the Seattle Seahawks, a team which had narrowly defeated the Rams two months earlier, but which suddenly seemed more vulnerable than at any time since rising to prominence in the Pete Carroll era.

Yet when he jogged back to the visitors' locker room and considered the demeanor of his players, McVay abruptly called an audible.

"I could feel it before the game -- these guys were so ready for this moment," McVay said long after the game as he changed into a custom three-piece suit in his small dressing room in the visitors' locker area. "It was the same feeling I got before we played the Arizona Cardinals in London (a 33-0 Rams victory), and I loved what I saw: they were locked in, focused, determined and pumped. And that's when I knew I didn't really have to say anything at all."

According to a witness, McVay kept it short and sweet, telling his players, "Nothing needs to be said. We're ready. Let's (expletive) go!"

Then the Rams (10-4) went out and rolled the Seahawks (8-6) in shocking fashion, cruising to a 42-7 victory that all but locked up a division title -- and which may well have marked the end of an era.

Led by a pair of young stars, defensive tackle Aaron Donald (three sacks, two tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and approximately three hours of residence in the Seahawks' backfield) and running back Todd Gurley(21 carries, 152 yards, three touchdowns; three catches for 28 yards and a receiving TD), L.A. raced to a 34-0 halftime lead and continued a dramatic one-year turnaround under the guidance of McVay, who when hired last January became the youngest coach in modern NFL history.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, looked like a shell of their former selves. With four Pro Bowl defenders sidelined by injuries and a fifth, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, hobbled noticeably by a sore hamstring, Seattle forced second-year quarterback Jared Goff into a turnover but otherwise offered little resistance. They were outplayed on special teams as well, as Rams punt returner Pharaoh Cooper set up one touchdown with a 53-yard runback and had 128 yards overall. And Donald and friends kept Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (14 of 30, 142 yards, one touchdown; five rushes, 39 yards) from inflicting any meaningful damage.


It was a miserable Sunday for the 69,077 fans at CenturyLink, especially given how accustomed they have become to seeing the Seahawks summon heroic efforts in such circumstances. Since Carroll arrived in 2010, Seattle has made the playoffs in six of seven seasons, won four NFC West titles (including three of the previous four), captured one Super Bowl in dominant fashion and, painfully, fallen less than a yard short of winning another.

Two weeks earlier in the same stadium, the Seahawkshad shown their mettle once more, ending the Philadelphia Eagles' nine-game winning streak with a resounding, 24-10 victory. But the Rams, who lost at home to the Eagles last Sunday, sucked the air out of the heart of a champion storyline from the outset, leaving the Seahawks to ponder the approach of what may turn out to be a jarring offseason.

While the Seahawks, who have a road game against the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday before playing host to the Cardinals on Dec. 31, technically have a chance to extend their current streaks of five consecutive playoff appearances and double-digit seasons, the mood following Sunday's game was decidedly bleak.

"You've gotta think about who we were missing on defense -- given all the injuries, it was gonna be tough," said one of those players, star cornerback Richard Sherman, as he hobbled off the field on crutches after the game. "It was a game where we had to make very few mistakes, and we made a lot of them, and it turned out to be one of those days. Eventually we'll get our people back, and it'll look a lot different with a full cast of characters."

Sherman's hopeful tone was inspiring, but reality bites -- and next year, in all likelihood, the Seahawks will look very, very different. It's something the front office has refrained from referring to as a rebuild, instead preferring the word transition. Yet given the Seahawks' salary-cap situation (the team is currently pressed up against the spending limit) and the wear and tear on so many of their defensive stalwarts, big changes could indeed be coming, including a death blow to the Legion of Boom.

Most of the expected turnover is on the defensive side of the ball, with one notable exception: Former Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, acquired in a trade before the 2015 season, will be a free agent this March and would likely be re-signed only if he takes a significant cut from his current $10 million annual salary.


Of the four Pro Bowl defenders who missed Sunday's game, only outside linebacker K.J. Wright is likely to return in 2018. Safety Kam Chancellor's season-ending neck injury, suffered last month, could be career-threatening; if he does try to keep playing, it likely wouldn't be in Seattle. Chancellor, who signed a three-year, $36-million contract extension in August, could save the Seahawks significant cap dollars if he decides to retire, rather than force his likely release.

Fellow Legion of Boom stalwart Sherman, who tore his Achilles tendon in November, will be 30 next spring and is due to make $11 million (with a $13.2-million salary-cap number). The Seahawks shopped him in trades a year ago and are expected to move forward without him in 2018.

Avril, who turns 32 in April, suffered a season-ending neck and spinal injury in early October which may end his career; either way, his time in Seattle is probably done. Improbable as it sounds, it's possible the Seahawks would also move on from another accomplished defensive end: 32-year-old Michael Bennett, a versatile player who signed a three-year, $31.5-million contract extension last Dec. 30.

Most daunting of all is the possibility that perennial All-Pro safety Earl Thomas, the team's biggest difference-maker -- and the last Legion of Boom stalwart standing -- could also be gone after this season. After breaking his leg last December, Thomas tweeted that he was considering retirement, though he came back for what has been a productive but frustrating 2017 season.

Thomas, who turns 29 in May, suffered a hamstring injury in a late-October victory over the Houston Texans and missed the next two games. His contract runs through the 2018 season, and sources familiar with the All-Pro safety's mindset believe he may seek a raise that will put him at or above the $13-million annual average commanded by Chiefs counterpart Eric Berry, who signed a six-year extension in February.

The Seahawks could sign Thomas to a long-term deal, but if they balk and anticipate a potential holdout, they conceivably might look to trade him after the season.

"We can only control what we control," Thomas said after the game. "The truth always shows. Guys just didn't play within the scheme today."

Earlier, Thomas told a group of reporters that he believed Wagner -- who was forced out of the previous Sunday's 30-24 road defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars after straining his hamstring -- shouldn't have played against the Rams "because the backups would have done just as good... He just couldn't do it today."

Wagner clapped back on Twitter, saying, "E keep my name out yo mouth. Stop being jealous of other people success." He deleted the tweet soon thereafter.

In fairness to Thomas, Wagner was largely ineffective. When healthy, however, Wagner is one of the NFL's best players, and he's clearly the defensive leader around whom the Seahawks intend to build during their transition.

Can they pull it off smoothly? With an elite quarterback in Wilson and a legitimate defensive leader in Wagner -- and given general manager John Schneider's strong record in identifying and acquiring talent -- it's at least plausible that Seattle could remain competitive as the roster is retooled.

However, it will be a significant challenge, and it begs a legitimate question: Will Carroll, 66 and blessed with a bulging bank account, be motivated to preside over such an ambitious home-improvement project?

If Carroll, the NFL's oldest coach, does stick it out, he'll have to contend with the red-hot rookie running the Rams who is three-and-a-half decades his junior. In turning around a franchise that went 4-12 in 2016 and hadn't had a winning season since 2003, McVay has energized L.A. with an innovative offensive scheme and a knack for pushing all the right motivational buttons at the most important times.

After each of the Rams' defeats, they've responded with impressive outings, scoring an average of 34 points in four victories, two of them over the playoff-bound Jaguars and NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints.


Last week, McVay reminded his players about one of those losses -- a 16-10 setback to the Seahawks on Oct. 8 at the L.A. Coliseum, which ended with rookie receiver Cooper Kupp nearly catching a crisp pass from Goff at the goal line. He convinced them they were capable of much more in the rematch, and they delivered in a huge way.

On Sunday, as he finished putting on his sharp suit and prepared to leave the stadium, McVay once again summoned his inner hype man while discussing his team, which can clinch the NFC West next Sunday with a victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, or (if the Seahawks beat the Cowboys) the following week at home against the San Francisco 49ers.

"We had come so close against them last time, and we have so much respect for the Seahawks," McVay said. "You look at their record, the way they beat Philly two weeks ago, and all the amazing things Russell Wilsonhas done, and we knew we had to be at our best today.

"And you know what? I thought our guys had their best performance of the season. It's a great demonstration of our team coming back after a tough loss (to the Eagles), gathering ourselves together and playing a complete game in our biggest game of the year."

As their coach correctly surmised while going through his pregame paces, the Rams were ready. Now, they're potentially on their way to bigger and better things, while Carroll and the Seahawks -- after a fruitful and inspirational run of excellence -- are staring at a far less certain future.

 

[OldSchool]

Quote from the Ringer.

In the first half Donald registered a QB pressure in the form of a sack, hurry or hit on over one quarter of his pass rush snaps, an absurd amount for an interior lineman. Officially he ended the day with 3 sacks, 4 hits, 2 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. Unofficially he completely ruined Seattles offense.

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/12/18/16789364/aaron-donald-seahawks

 

[Ramlock]

I have watched that clip 10-12 times now and can't stop laughing, which must be the same thing Roger was doing when he ran to the sideline to high-five the closest coach or teammate.

I think this is the equivalent to the '99 49er game in St.Louis.

This Rams team destroyed the Seahawks.

They left no doubt.

 

[A55VA6]

View: https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/942550797388099584

 

[DaveFan'51]

Great New Ranking for the Rams!
The Jags may lead the League with 51 Sacks, But after the Rams added 7 against the Hag's the Rams are Ranked #2 in sacks with "47"!!
How great it would be to take the Lead in Sacks!!

 

[RamBall]

LOL, I was wondering if the safety made a difference in the over/under.

It did thankfully.

 

[RedRam]

I just watched the first half again before I head off to the dentist. I don't have the vocabulary to properly define my disdain for going to the dentist. Anyway...

I now have in my head a nickname for this offensive line of the Rams after watching them destroy Seattle. The Los Angeles Trucking Company. The delivered the goods!! And then some...

Yes, I want a piece of any t-shirt, bumper sticker, whatever sales...

 

[Prime Time]

I just watched the first half again before I head off to the dentist.

Ask for extra laughing gas. I'm thinking of having a cylinder installed next to my pc.
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https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/12/18/16789482/winners-and-losers-week-15

Loser: The Seahawks
Congrats to everybody with Todd Gurley on their fantasy teams; you’re probably in the finals of your league. Against the Seahawks, Gurley had 180 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns for 42 fantasy points in a standard league.

It’s the highest fantasy total of the season, and, considering the time of year, one of the greatest fantasy performances of all time. He’s 11th on the list of highest fantasy totals by a player Week 15 or later, and five of the 10 performances above him came before the widespread adoption of fantasy football.

But slightly more important than your fantasy playoffs are the NFL playoffs. And the Seahawks, who allowed that monster day, probably aren’t going to those anymore. Per FiveThirtyEight, they’re down to a 13 percent chance of making the playoffs.

They failed in every conceivable way. Russell Wilson was sacked seven times for a loss of 71 yards. He also attempted to throw a pass that turned into a fumble that lost 23 yards:


View: https://twitter.com/CorkGaines/status/942521674691416064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theringer.com%2Fnfl%2F2017%2F12%2F18%2F16789482%2Fwinners-and-losers-week-15

Somehow, this was only the second-most costly throw of his day. Seattle didn’t score a touchdown until it already trailed 40-0.

As for how six of those 40 Rams points happened: Seattle allowed a rushing touchdown to Gurley on third-and-20:


View: https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/942523557996834822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theringer.com%2Fnfl%2F2017%2F12%2F18%2F16789482%2Fwinners-and-losers-week-15

That’s a miracle. The only other person in the Pro Football Reference database to score a rushing touchdown on third-and-20 or longer is Tim Tebow, and, you know, water to wine, fish and loaves and all that stuff.

But it got worse after the game. Earl Thomas commented that Bobby Wagner, who played through a hamstring injury, should have sat out to make room for healthier backups on the field. In a now-deleted tweet, Wagner responded to Thomas: “Keep my name out yo mouth. Stop being jealous of other people success.”

The Seahawks sucked at every aspect of being a team Sunday—offense, defense, and not publicly fighting online. It’s a shame to see a team with such a talented quarterback and so many spectacular defenders miss the playoffs, but at least even their losses are extravagant.

 

[MrRiceGuyRJ]

 

[96GS#007]

Couple things I was impressed with...
- On Special Teams, the usual holding or block in the back calls have been virtually non-existent for the last several weeks. There were none yesterday if memory serves. Love the "block" by Hager where he got in front of one guy and then kept his hands up so it was obvious he wasn't holding or hitting the guy in front of him
- The D staying in their gaps and showing great discipline.

One comment....
- Our O-line...Brings a tear to my eye watching these guys work. Magnificent!

 

[LACHAMP46]

Wow! Opened a can yesterday.....

I was nervous....a bunch...but that Joyner hit...and FF so early, made the later butterflies manageable....never been so proud...yes, this was like SF....not the same...SF WAS REALLY dominant....shoulda beat these hawks at home....shoulda stomped them with Bradford in...2009? 2010??? Whatever

No 50 burger

Man! and I wanted a shutout too! Damn!!!!

How about Pharoh Cooper - totally set the tone today with big punt returns.

ST's really made a difference today.....I stand corrected. ST was huge!

Like Whit just said the Rams were ready

"I could feel it before the game -- these guys were so ready for this moment," McVay said long after the game as he changed into a custom three-piece suit in his small dressing room in the visitors' locker area. "It was the same feeling I got before we played the Arizona Cardinals in London (a 33-0 Rams victory), and I loved what I saw: they were locked in, focused, determined and pumped. And that's when I knew I didn't really have to say anything at all."

According to a witness, McVay kept it short and sweet, telling his players, "Nothing needs to be said. We're ready. Let's (expletive) go!"

DeMarco's on the radio before the game...he says he was walking around and the players looked ready.....Loose and having a ball pregame. Mirrors what McVay saw.

They KNEW we let them off the hook in the Coliseum....and responded accordingly.

I’ve seen some head scratching decisions in my day, but I have to say that if I see a HC with a 1-31 record get to come back for a 3rd year I have seen it all....

Hue wanted to draft Watson...and Wentz the year b4...Sashi didn't let him....

so he gets one more pass...just one....he better get the right QB....and I really like Rosen...reminds me of...wait for it....Goff...maybe a lil more athletic......but Sam Darnold....may be...special....ahhaahahahahahahahahahah! Also like that Allen kid from Wyoming too. Dude has a cannon!

 

[dieterbrock]

Hue wanted to draft Watson...and Wentz the year b4...Sashi didn't let him....

so he gets one more pass...just one....he better get the right QB....and I really like Rosen...reminds me of...wait for it....Goff...maybe a lil more athletic......but Sam Darnold....may be...special....ahhaahahahahahahahahahah! Also like that Allen kid from Wyoming too. Dude has a cannon!

I dont know what to believe, I have seen multiple reports that say Hue didnt want Wentz, only wanted Goff and that he passed on Watson.
That said, he has only 1 more win than you or I as HC of the Cleveland Browns. 1-31? Makes Spags look like Vince Lombardi.
He could go 7 straight years at 10-6, and still have a losing record as a coach...
I like Hue a lot, but blaming it all on the GM is crazy.
Only 1 win!!!

 

[Mackeyser]

@Realign

I'm fine with getting a "chill", but I'm curious. What about their past gives you any inclination that those picks won't be wasted?

Sure, you might have faith in the new guy, but then again, a lot of people had faith in Sashi Brown and?

So, and I ask this in all sincerity, what makes you think those picks won't be wasted?

 

[LACHAMP46]

That said, he has only 1 more win than you or I as HC of the Cleveland Browns. 1-31? Makes Spags look like Vince Lombardi.

I like Hue a lot, but blaming it all on the GM is crazy.
Only 1 win!!!

Somehow...some way....I kinda think the old GM...Mike Lombardi...has these guys thinking about tanking...getting picks...rebuilding the roster...

They have quite a bit of talent on that Browns team....check out that O-Line....and that defense.

 

[LACHAMP46]

So, and I ask this in all sincerity, what makes you think those picks won't be wasted?

Mac...I have a bunch of faith in Dorsey.

And Hue worked miracles in Oakland.

I think they are turning the corner....much like Philly....the 76ers I mean. LOL

 

[Realign]

@Realign

I'm fine with getting a "chill", but I'm curious. What about their past gives you any inclination that those picks won't be wasted?

Sure, you might have faith in the new guy, but then again, a lot of people had faith in Sashi Brown and?

So, and I ask this in all sincerity, what makes you think those picks won't be wasted?

I think you have me confused with one of the other much more frequent posters, maybe @dieterbrock or @LACHAMP46

 

[OldSchool]

Todd Gurley

256 carries for 1187 yards at 4.6 ypc 13 TD a long of 57 61 carries for a 1st down at a rate of 23.7% of his carries resulting in a first down 7 carries over 20 yards and 1 over 40 with 5 fumbles and 2 of those lost

All that while not playing the 4th quarter vs Indy, Arizona, @Giants, Houston and @Seattle. Giants game I think he played the 1st series of the second half and nothing else. So he has done that while sitting 6 quarters because we were up huge.

Comeback player of the year and Offensive player of the year!

 

[Mackeyser]

I think you have me confused with one of the other much more frequent posters, maybe @dieterbrock or @LACHAMP46

It says you clicked "chill" on one of my posts, but if that was in error, my apologies.

Normally, I don't respond as everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I was curious as to the motivation to click "chill".

 

[Tron]