Rams to rest Goff, Gurley, Donald, Whitworth, Sullivan and others against 49ers

[-X-]

Rams bounced back from every single loss this season.

Losing a key player means your season is over. Rams are already on the edge, IMO, in losing GZ. If they lost any of those four players their postseason would be a formality; no way they'd get to the big dance.

EDIT: plus, think how bad it's going to mindf*ck the 9ers to lose to the Rams second stringers and then wait all offseason for camp.

Yeah, I understand the rationale behind it. I just don't like it. It's obviously smarter to eliminate the chance of injury to your star players, but I kinda think it would be a good springboard into the playoffs to run roughshod over the 49ers too. Not a big deal though. I'm not upset about it or anything.

 

[Loyal]

Yeah, I understand the rationale behind it. I just don't like it. It's obviously smarter to eliminate the chance of injury to your star players, but I kinda think it would be a good springboard into the playoffs to run roughshod over the 49ers too. Not a big deal though. I'm not upset about it or anything.

Yur not upset at letting the 49ers come in and dance on the Horns at midfield after the win?wtf!

 

[LesBaker]

I'm not sure what to think . Win and they get the Hags or Falcons and the Vikings in round 2 . Lose and the road is tougher IMO with either the Panthers or the Saints followed by what could be a frigid snow storm game in Philadelphia.
I'm not sure resting a few players is worth scenario two .

I'll take a game in Philly under bad weather conditions with the Rams OL and Gurley and Donald.

Proof goff is a bust he has been benched

Second time this year!!!

EDIT: plus, think how bad it's going to mindf*ck the 9ers to lose to the Rams second stringers and then wait all offseason for camp.

To me this is possibly part of the gambit.

Home against a division rival with decades of dislike. They are out of contention and playing for pride and contracts while you are playing for not much and resting the most key players. And then you beat them. It's a huge confidence booster for the Rams and sends a message to the 49ers "maybe next year, wait no, sorry. No not next year. But enjoy playing in your half empty stadium named after pants".

 

[Alaskan Ram]

I guess we'll see, but if the Saints knock off the Vikings then the NFC Championship game would be in NO ........

Rams/Saints championship game in N'awlins wouldn't suck.
The Rams are 8-1 away from LA this year.

The Rams likely will not have a true home field advantage until they are lacing them up at Hollywood park. No knock on LA Rams fans, I just think The Coliseum experience is what it is for fans, and the folks in la la land are over it.
But, LA sports fans do love championships. I'm likely dead wrong about how raucous and insane a NFC championship game in LA would be. Would it be 12th man bat shit crazy? Would it be "I need some fucking earplugs" crazy? Would it be "dilly dilly" crazy? I don't know.

I do know: going into the Post season with a guaranteed full health meter on our elite players and tuned up backups sounds pretty smart to me.

 

[yrba1]

We will rally around Sean Mannion, and we will play good football.

 

[DaveFan'51]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...y-aaron-donald-among-rams-to-sit-out-week-17/

Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald among Rams to sit out Week 17
Posted by Josh Alper on December 27, 2017

Getty Images

First-year Rams head coach Sean McVay is making his first decision about whether to rest players ahead of the playoffs and he hinted that he’d land on the side of sitting key starters with the Rams unable to move into one of the top two seeds with a victory.

On Wednesday, he confirmed that the Rams will be holding back many of their most important players.

Running back Todd Gurley won’t get a chance to add a final polish to his MVP case as the Rams will go with Malcolm Brown, Justin Davis and Lance Dunbar at running back. Whoever is running the ball will be taking handoffs from Sean Mannion as he’ll be quarterbacking in place of Jared Goff. Goff will dress as the backup.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivanwill also be inactive. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp and linebacker Mark Barron are both dealing with injuries and could help round out that inactive list against the 49ers.

We can still step on the 9ers in this game, even with these players resting!! Mannion will have a Full week of practice with, the rest of the O-Line-Woods-Watkins-Kupp and the entire "D" except for Donald and Barron!!
We can Field a good team and " will play good Football!!" GO RAMS!

{ I have made a lot of ROD$$$$ this Season Betting on the Rams, I Fully expect to Break the "Million Dollar" mark on the 40Winner's Back!}

 

[Legatron4]

We scored 51 points the last time we played after the bye week. I think we will be ok. As great as a Super Bowl sounds, lets temper our expectations a bit. Winning the wild card would be great. This team is just starting. Next season is when the fun really begins.

 

[den-the-coach]

Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff Writer
Some roster moves for the Rams: DB Marqui Christian is going on IR with a broken clavicle, joining OLB Matt Longacre, who will undergo back surgery. C/G Aaron Neary and OLB Garrett Sickels joined the active roster; CB Taurean Nixon and TE Henry Krieger-Coble joined the practice squad. Rams still have one open spot on their 53-man roster. Guess is it's occupied by S Cody Davis, who is eligible to come off IR.

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Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff Writer
DT Aaron Donald also will not play. Jared Goff and Todd Gurley not playing also means LT Andrew Whitworth and C John Sullivan will not play. Sean Mannion is Goff's backup; Malcolm Brown would be in line to get the bulk of the carries in Gurley's place.

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Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff Writer
Rams QB Jared Goff and RB Todd Gurley will not play Sunday, Sean McVay said.

 

[jacktheripper85]

I don’t think there is anything to gain playing our starters this weekend. At best you win a game everyone expects you to win. At worst, you lose the game outright and have some doubts heading into the playoffs. The ultimate worst is losing key guys to injuries on top of that. I say screw the 49’ers. We owe them nothing. Let them and their fans get pumped up over a meaningless game against back-ups while we get ready for the playoffs.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

We scored 51 points the last time we played after the bye week. I think we will be ok. As great as a Super Bowl sounds, lets temper our expectations a bit. Winning the wild card would be great. This team is just starting. Next season is when the fun really begins.

Dude, don't sell yourself short lol. With the injuries to Wentz and Rodgers, now is a good time capitalize!

 

[Legatron4]

Dude, don't sell yourself short lol. With the injuries to Wentz and Rodgers, now is a good time capitalize!

I’m not, but this is brand new to this team. The playoffs are a completely different ball game. And yes, that goes for Keenum and Foles too. I think they both struggle.

I would love to win the super bowl, but beating Carolina/New Orleans/Atlanta/Seattle is no easy tasks especially since they’ve all been to the big dance recently.

 

[Merlin]

I’m not, but this is brand new to this team. The playoffs are a completely different ball game. And yes, that goes for Keenum and Foles too. I think they both struggle.

I would love to win the super bowl, but beating Carolina/New Orleans/Atlanta/Seattle is no easy tasks especially since they’ve all been to the big dance recently.

Foles is gonna struggle, definitely. Keenum will if they get into a game where the opposing offense lights up the scoreboard; he's played well this year but has been insulated by that defense.

IMO the Rams might be able to do that to the Vikes' defense the second go round, if they get there. In that matchup it blows that we don't have GZ, but I think the offense is going to be ready like we saw with round two vs the Seahawks defense.

 

[Mikey Ram]

I hate losing to the Whiners, but it would STUPID, STUPID, STUPID to play the starters just to try to win a meaningless game..A loss won't impact the mindset of any of these guys...Double benefit in that it rests the starters but also gets some invaluable playing time for the backups...Win, win decision to me...If the 9ers win and crow like they just won the SB, good for them... Who cares...We'll see them next year...

 

[Ellard80]

I'm with X I don't really like it either. But hopefully its the smart move and we come out firing in the playoffs.

 

[jrry32]

 

[Psycho_X]

Maybe Mannion torches them and we get some nice trade bait or at least ease of mind in the qb depth. I was kinda hoping to curb stomp the Whiners though so that's disappointing. but valuable experience for the depth players and a nice look for Snead to evaluate some players going into the offseason. Hopefully it's a win win decision.

 

[Legatron4]

So let’s bresk this down. Our starting lineup may look like this:
Offense
QB- Mannion
RB- Brown/Tavon
WR- Woods, Watkins, Reynolds, Cooper, Thomas
TE- Higbee, Everett
LT- Lucas
LG- Saffold
C- Blythe
RG- Brown
RT- Havenstein

Defense
DT- Fox
NT- Westbrooks
DT- Walker
LB- Ebukam
LB- Littleton
LB- Hager
LB- Thompson
CB- Hill
CB- Johnson
FS- Joyner
SS- Johnson

I mean, we don’t have enough players to just put in all backups right?

 

[den-the-coach]

So let’s bresk this down. Our starting lineup may look like this:


I mean, we don’t have enough players to just put in all backups right?

Offense
QB- Mannion
RB- Brown/Tavon/Davis
WR- Woods, Watkins, Reynolds, Cooper, Thomas
TE- Carrier, Everett
LT- Williams
LG- Neary
C- Blythe
RG- Brown
RT- Havenstein/Lucas

Defense
DT- Fox
NT- Westbrooks/Smart
DT- Walker
LB- Ebukam
LB- Littleton
LB- Hager/Lynch
LB- Thompson
CB- Hill/NRC
CB- Johnson/Peterson
FS- Joyner/Countess
SS- Johnson/Isiah Johnson