Like @cvramsfan commented in the pickem thread.. Who the hell picked the whiners to win tonight? !

• 
  
  
  - 92%

• 
  
  
  - 8%
  
  I'm wondering my damn self who are the guilty persons of such a crime?
  
  Was it you @-X-? was it @LACHAMP46? was it you @BonifayRam? was it @Tron? was it you @Mojo Ram? was it you @Roman Snow? was it @Ramatik? was it @Selassie I? was it you @Dodgersrf ? was it @flv?
  
  
  

It's Week One against the Niners! As always there are a few match-ups that I'm interested to see:

1.

This is the most interesting one to me. These two are going to come together more than once and it should be a great battle. Bowman is one of the best MLB in the league and lead the NFL in tackles a year ago. Gurley beat him hands down last year and I'm hoping to see the same. If the O-line can give Gurley enough creases it's going to be a long day for the 49ers.

2. Quinn vs Staley

Everyone knows who Joe Staley is at this point and he's still a damn good tackle. This one is very interesting because it's Quinn's first true test after coming back from injury. If he has returned to his old self I think he definitely wins this matchup. However, it may take some time for him to get back into the swing of things. I think both Staley and Quinn will have their moments. Perhaps more important than anything is if 94 can set the edge enough in the run game.

3. Donald vs. 49ers interior line

I've read a lot of articles saying that the Niners O-line is playing a lot better this year. Some are saying it might be a strength for their offense. Well that's going to get put to the test tonight. Donald is the best D-lineman in the NFL and he is a matchup problem against every single team. He needs to be consistently disruptive because Carlos Hyde is tough to handle when he has room to move. There isn't a whole lot Donald can vastly improve on but maintaining his gaps and being consistent in run defense needs to be his #1 priority.

What other match-ups are y'all going to be paying extra attention to tonight?

As all of us sit on the cusp of the first game of the season the one quandary that could gnaw at me all season is the Coty Sensabaugh signing and on every play that he comes up a day late and a dollar short am I going to just shake my head in great disdain?

As we look back when Janoris Jenkins passed on an offer and changed agents (which behooved him greatly) it was obvious the Rams had made a decision that they would keep Trumaine Johnson over Jenkins based on size and the ability to sign Johnson long term although now I am concerned about the viability of that plan as well, so after Jenkins signed his mega deal with the NY Giants the Rams had a need at Corner Back.

I thought they would take their time bring in several free agents and then sign the best one, however, in Jamie Duncan like fashion the Rams quickly came to terms with another former Titan (shocking) a corner back that did not exactly set the world on fire while he was there in Coty Sensabaugh.

Now Sensabaugh’s measurables seemed fine, 5’11 and a fast 40 time, however, when the Rams signed him many Tennessee Titan fans breathed a sigh of relieve and basically game him Craig Dahl like treatment and bided him a fond adieu. All of us remember the social media fan reaction, can’t cover one on one, the best evaluation I read from a fan was that Sensabaugh was miscast last season and was more of a slot corner.

I’m not a big fan of the word “slot.” IMO, if you can cover as a CB, you ought to be able to cover anywhere on the field, now granted Joyner is shorter as example, so the slot might be better for him, but Sensabaugh at 5’11 should be able to cover anywhere and not just the slot. So my feeling was to trust Gregg Williams who coached him in Tennessee and apparently got the most out of him combined with the return of E.J. Gaines I was not overly concerned because I had not seen Sensabaugh play.

Well, now I am concerned. Gaines coming off of Lisfranc injury has not been healthy at all and the season starts tonight. Rams gave Gaines some added time during OTA’s and Training Camp to get healthy and he had a hamstring injury and is now nursing a quad, so who knows if he’ll be healthy at all or to the point they can depend on him week in and week out.

Now, the Rams have Troy Hill, who showed me more in preseason then Sensabaugh albeit against less competition, but he seemed to be in better position than Sensabaugh, however, to this point does not seems like Hill will start, the Rams added another CB to the mix in Steve Williams, but again his best position? The damn slot!

In the end you want to trust the coaching staff and I do trust Gregg Williams and Jeff Fisher when it comes to defense, but like Lovie Smith did with Jamie Duncan years ago I fear the Rams got caught up in a player that would understand the system more than the ability to actually make the plays.

Now I hope I am wrong, I hope Sensabaugh plays tonight and we hardly notice then Gaines comes back week two and all is forgotten, but I can’t help but have trepidations and wonder if the Rams panicked after the Jenkins departure and signed the first guy that said yes to their offer?

Well maybe not the worst but it's up there, is having to stay up until 9:30 in the ****ing evening on a Monday to watch the first game of the season. Why do they even do that for any game? People have to work in the morning damnt.

These are excerpts from this article. To read the whole thing click the link below. PK has a new man-crush, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jim-MEE! Jim-MEE! Jim-MEE! and is giddy like a school girl over his Patriots.


******************************************************************************
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/09/12/jimmy-garoppolo-patriots-jack-del-rio-raiders-nfl-week-1

Jimmy G. and the Young QBs
New names stepped into the spotlight in Week 1, and none performed better than the Patriots backup quarterback. Plus a very Raider thing to do, a coach needs a heart, a new cause to get behind and much more
By Peter King

GLENDALE, Ariz. — “Jim-MEE! Jim-MEE! Jim-MEE!”

The players in New England’s locker room surrounded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and gave him the kind of moment he won’t forget if he lives to be 103, chanting his name like this was some high school post-game locker room and not the most outwardly blasé and act-like-you’ve-been-there-before group of players in sports.

Of all the Week 1 NFL stories—Trevor Siemian besting Cam Newton, Jack Del Rio burning the coaching rule book in New Orleans (and winning because of it), the precocious play of somany kid quarterbacks—the Patriots winning in the desert without Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski and their two tackles, with a quarterback who’d never played, has to be the winner.

Look at the New England schedule. What game would be tougher this year? At Pittsburgh in October? Maybe. At Denver in December? Could be. But the first game of the season, the first game of the Brady ban, the first start of Jim-MEE’s career, against the top offense in football last year, with the cast intact … I never saw this coming. America didn’t either. At least the 44 states outside New England didn’t.

We’ll get to everything else from a jam-packed weekend in a bit, and news of Sam Wyche awaiting a heart transplant, and a cause I hope you’ll consider helping, and a lot more. This is the beginning of the 20th season that I’ve written this column. It was made for weekends like this.

So on with the show.

* * *

“Oh man,” Garoppolo’s friend and backup, rookie Jacoby Brissett, said to him at his locker Sunday night. “What a game.”

What a weekend. One of the first 14 games decided by 10 points or more. Five one-point games. Look around the league in Week 1. What was noticeable in so many games? Young quarterbacks, some playing for the first time, playing with such poise and maturity.

Garoppolo was so unaffected by the hype and the buildup Sunday night, the same way you saw Siemian make the little sidearm-flipped completion on his first snap Thursday, the same way Carson Wentz lofted a beautiful arcing strike to Jordan Matthews for a touchdown on the first series of his post-North Dakota State career, the same way Dak Prescott dueled Eli Manning on even terms before losing Sunday in Texas.

You see those players and you know the league’s got some good arms coming along to replace the older quarterbacks now—Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer and the recently retired Peyton Manning.


Peter King's not returning my calls.

The other reason this outcome was so significant: Brady has such a command of this team and this locker room, and then he was gone, his four-game ban for the Deflategate sanction separating him from the team nine days ago. It was left to Belichick and the coaches and the remaining veterans to convey the sense of normalcy, even with Brady in limbo.

How’d they do it?

“We all just did our jobs,” said veteran receiver Julian Edelman.

“It’s all about tuning everything out and just doing your job,” said defensive end Chris Long, in his first year in New England.

That mantra is so pervasive in Belichickland that even the alumni use it. I was in Houston on Saturday night and listened to Bill O’Brien’s pre-game speech to his team, and he used some iteration of “Do your job” three times in 21 minutes.

Try as you might, you cannot get Patriots players to talk in real terms about what’s going on in this difficult period. Because they know you don’t do that; it can’t help the team win, and Belichick insists on eliminating all the crappola that affects his team’s chance to win.

“I don't think about who’s out there playing,” Edelman said. “That’s not my job. You know Belichick: ‘Ignore the noise. Don’t believe the hype.’” There’s little doubt he’s succeeded. Walking around the locker room Sunday night, you couldn’t find anyone giddy, or overly surprised, by what happened here. Train the mind, and the body will follow—as long as the body is good enough, and unselfish enough.

“That’s one of the differences here,” Long said. “Team-first guys. To gather all team-first guys, I’m telling you, it’s hard to do. But they do it here. It matters. Jimmy’s one of those. It’s a next man up thing, and he can handle it.”

Garoppolo isn’t demonstrative, nor particularly excitable. Two men in the offensive huddle on the game-winning drive had no memory of anything he said other than the play calls. He throws with good touch. He is accurate. Midway through the fourth quarter, New England trailing for the first time all day, Garoppolo faced a third-and-15. One of the options on offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ call was a fake screen that gave Garoppolo a couple options downfield. One was a deep throw up the left side to Danny Amendola; that’s the option Garoppolo took. His throw was perfect.

Garoppolo belongs. He just does. You saw his reaction to adversity—the two lost fumbles that kept Arizona in the game—which basically was no reaction. In the span of three hours, Garoppolo proved the Patriots aren’t going to be the vulnerable team everyone thought they’d be in the four games without Brady. The next three are home (Miami, Houston on a Thursday, Buffalo), and the prospects of running away with the division again are suddenly very real. “Everyone can shut up now and watch the guy get better and grow,” said safety Devin McCourty. Everyone can watch him do his job.

* * *

The risk manager

In some ways, Oakland coach Jack Del Rio didn't think his decision in the final minute of his game at New Orleans was very controversial. Drew Brees was having his usual track meet against the Raiders, putting up 34 points on Oakland and meeting very little resistance. So when the Raiders got the ball back down seven points in the waning minutes, this is what he thought: “I told the offense early on that drive that we’re going to go down, score and then make that two-point conversion. It felt really obvious to me.”

But coaches don’t do that. Coaches play for overtime. Del Rio did not. “We were pretty much trading blows with Drew,” Del Rio said. “I saw this as an opportunity to go win the game.”


Michael Crabtree made a difficult catch on a two-point conversion to help the Raiders beat the Saints in a thrilling game at the Superdome.
Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Derek Carr drove the Raiders down to score and Del Rio sure enough called for a two-point play. But I believe the smartest thing he did was to call timeout once he saw the New Orleans defensive formation. The Saints were in man coverage and the Raiders thought they might shade an extra man on star wideout Amari Cooper. So Del Rio instructed Carr to call a timeout. The Raiders saw the coverage, noted that Michael Crabtree would probably be single covered on the far left flank, and tried to take advantage. Sure enough, Carr threw a jump ball for Crabtree, and Crabtree won it.

The Oakland coach grew up a few miles from the Raiders home field, and was a huge fan of the team. I asked him if winning a game like this the Raider way, with guile and guts, made him feel more like a classic Raider of the 60s or 70s.

“I don't have to feel like a Raider,” he said. “I am a Raider. Did it feel like a Raider thing to do? Yes it did.”

* * *

The Award Section

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

With apologies to Jameis Winston (four TDs in a road win at Atlanta) and Andy Dalton (fourth-quarter-comeback win at the Jets despite missing 150 catches from departed/injured 2015 Bengals), and Victor Cruz (winning touchdown catch in his first game back after missing the last 26 for New York), I have two:

Carson Wentz, quarterback, Philadelphia. One of a number of precocious young quarterbacks who impressed this weekend, Wentz, in his first home game outside of North Dakota in his young life, completed 22 of 37 for 278, with two touchdowns and no interceptions in his NFL debut. Philadelphia beat the Browns, 29-10, the only game that’s qualified as a rout among the first 14 played in the league this season.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Wentz said afterward. “I don’t really get nervous. I like to listen to worship music before the game to kind of calm my nerves.” Seemed pretty calm to me. His 19-yard touch fade to Jordan Matthews for a touchdown on the first possession of his professional life was fairly extraordinary, because it was the kind of throw a great touch passer like Russell Wilson would have made.

Trevor Siemian, quarterback, Denver. He won’t put the stats in the trophy case (18 of 26, 178 yards, one touchdown, one deflected pick, one bad pick, 69.1 rating), but this is about a quarterback starting his first game in the NFL and throwing his first pass in the NFL, and doing it against the defending MVP and NFC kings, and coming back from a 17-7 deficit with 20 minutes to go by leading touchdown drives of 10 and eight plays to score two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Siemian has miles to go, but what first-time starter doesn’t?

He’s poised, he throws the ball well enough, he can fit it into tight windows, he knows what NOT to do. His biggest error was throwing a medium-deep ball too short and having Ben Benwikere make a great pick of it. Gary Kubiak probably had a pretty good weekend of sleep after seeing Siemian manage a game like that.

Jimmy Garoppolo, quarterback, New England. Imagine what you must feel, a kid from Eastern Illinois who never started a pro game, replacing Tom Brady on national TV in a very loud place. “Amped up,” is how he described his pre-game emotions. I should hope so. He delivered in a big way: 24 of 33, 264 yards, 1 TD, no picks, a 106.1 passer rating. New England 23, Arizona 21.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Leonard Williams, defensive end, New York Jets. Williams had a career-best 2.5 sacks against a very good Cincinnati line and a quarterback who doesn’t take many sacks, Andy Dalton. The Jets nailed Dalton for seven—Cincinnati let him take just 20 in 13 starts last season—and I know the Jets didn’t finish the job in the Meadowlands, but this is going to be a very tough defensive team to play—led in part by Williams.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Dan Bailey, kicker, Dallas. Booted field goals of 23, 56, 25 and 54 to keep the Cowboys in the game (and ahead, till midway through the fourth quarter). Bailey should have had a chance for a fifth field goal, and the game-winner, if our Goat of the Week hadn’t faux-pased so badly in the last 10 seconds of the game.

Andy Lee, punter, Carolina. I will never criticize a GM for making a deal that seems imbalanced, such as dealing a fourth-round pick in 2018 for a 34-year-old punter and a seventh-round pick. First, think of this deal. A low fourth is about the 130th pick. A high seventh is about the 220th pick. That’s significant, surely. But if you’re talking about acquiring a top-five punter in the league when you’re a team with a coach who plays field-position football like Ron Rivera, it’s at worst a solid deal and, if you watched Thursday night’s game, it’s looking very good.

Lee punted four times, for 59, 56, 76 (a Carolina franchise record punt, with Lee booting from his end zone and the ball landing in the Denver returner’s hands at the Broncos’ 13) and 61. Lee tilted the field the way great punters do, booting from his 32, on average, with the Broncos starting drives from their 21, on average. “Andy Lee was phenomenal,” said coach Ron Rivera. “He justified—at least initially—why we went out and get him.”

COACH OF THE WEEK

Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator, Miami. In his first game as a defensive coordinator at any level of football, Joseph’s game plan was a gem for 56 minutes, holding the Seahawks to 277 yards and only one long drive out of 11 possessions. On the 12th drive, Wilson had to convert two fourth downs to keep it alive and eventually pull out a win. You’re right if you think close only counts in horseshoes and whatever, but I give Joseph credit. After the longest road trip in the league, against the toughest team in the league to beat at home, Joseph’s crew held Seattle to 12 points and had the game in the balance for three hours.

Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator, New England. To get Jimmy Garoppolo ready to play at such a high level in his first NFL start, to get the offense to perform at a high level on third downs against a good defense (10 of 16), to play so smoothly in such a difficult environment that’s a huge home-field advantage … and to do it with no Gronk and two replacement tackles and of course without one of the greatest quarterback in history, I mean, McDaniels deserves every bit of praise he’d get after Sunday night.

GOAT OF THE WEEK

Terrance Williams, wide receiver, Dallas. On the last play (as it turned out), down 1 and with 12 seconds left, the Cowboys had no timeouts and needed 10 yards for a first down and about 12 yards and an immediate sprint out of bounds to have a chance to kick the winning field by Dan Bailey. Dak Prescott threw to Williams, who had enough for a first down … and then, inexplicably, Williams caught the ball and turned upfield, meaning the only way Dallas would have a chance to win the game was if Williams ran about 50 yards for a touchdown through the Giant defense. Stupid, of course, and non-thinking.

* * *

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/JoeGiglioSports/status/775061771040141312


Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/SeifertESPN/status/774996497322520576


* * *

Nine Things I Think I Think

1. I think the most impressive wins over the weekend, in order, belonged to:

a. New England. For the above-stated reasons.

b. Denver. For winning with the Northwestern platoon quarterback in 2012 and 2013.

c. Kansas City. A word about the Chiefs. What impressed me was not so much the pluck, or whatever you’d call it, of coming back from a 21-3 deficit to beat San Diego. But it’s how they turned around a physical disadvantage early and were dominating late in the game. That tells me they’ve got great character players. Three touchdown drives for San Diego to begin the game, then 0-for-nine in drives for touchdowns the rest of the way. Great job by the Chiefs.

d. Cincinnati. Got manhandled at times by the physical Jets. Had enough to come back.

e. Minnesota. Beating Tennessee shouldn’t be any measuring stick, but the Vikings struggled running early and often, they got a shaky game from Blair Walsh, and they were just okay in the passing game in the first game post-Bridgewater. I think they’ll strongly consider starting Sam Bradford in the opening game at the new palace in Minneapolis on Sunday against Green Bay.

2. I think the worst losses were by:

a. Miami. Had a huge win on the road in their pockets, and suddenly it vanished, after 56 minutes of really strong defensive play.

b. San Diego. Blew a 21-3 lead. Outscored 30-9 after that. Long flight home to San Diego, and the momentum they’d hoped to build for the Nov. 8 tax initiative didn’t get started.

c. Indianapolis. No answers for another offense, this one slightly better than average at best. Detroit hung up 39 on the Colts. Bodes ill.

d. Atlanta. Amazing to say they really missed a guy who’s never played a game as a Falcon. But Keanu Neal is going to be the heart of that secondary, and Dan Quinn needs him. Falcs can’t be losing to the Bucs at home, and they’ve done it two years in a row.

3. I think I don’t care if the league and the players union do their own investigation (which is what’s set to happen) or if they combine forces. But the investigation into Cam Newton being allowed to stay on the field late in the game Thursday night has to be thorough and honest. My thought after I watched Newton get ear-holed late in the game, fall to the ground and appear for a couple of seconds to be napping on the turf: I don’t care what time of game it is; this guy’s got to be taken out, or a medical timeout has to be taken, to check him out. Take a cue from what Ben Roethlisberger did in self-reporting a concussion last year late in a game at Seattle.

4. I think Keenan Allen was about to take his rightful place among the top five to seven wideouts in football, and then he tears his ACL in the first game of the season. I love the physicality and athleticism he combines in one package, and I’ll really miss watching him in 2016.

5. I think you don’t want to draw too many conclusions from one game, and I shall not. But Robert Griffin III has to be better than 12 of 26 with a 55.0 rating if he’s going to revive his career under Hue Jackson.

6. I think I'm not much of an “America's Got Talent” fan, but I know a few people who swear by the NBC show, and it comes to a climax this week with 10 contestants vying for the championship. One of those talented people is Eagles long-snapper Jon Dorenbos, who left the team last night for the final two shows in the series; he'll be back in Philadelphia off a red-eye for practice Thursday as the Eagles prepare for the Monday night game next week.

Dorenbos’ talent is magic; he’s done it most of his life, and it’s been good enough to get him past several rounds of competition to the finals, which airs Tuesday night on NBC. The way this works is each one of the contestants has three to four minutes to do an act or a song. Then America votes. “This has a chance to change the rest of my life,” Dorenbos said the other day. Good luck to him. You can vote between Tuesday at 8 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 a.m., and the results will be broadcast on a second show Wednesday night.

7. I think I cannot wait till the public gets a crack at this new Chuck Noll book. It is tremendous. Anything Michael MacCambridge writes is gold. This one, in particular, is good—“Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work,” which you can pre-order on Amazon—because a definitive work on Noll and the birth of the great Steelers has never been dissected the way MacCambridge does. It comes out in late October. I can just tell you this: If you get this book for a Steeler fan in your life, said fan will thank you for the education on what exactly Noll did early—largely, pursuing small-college and HBCU players—to make the Steelers

8. I think this is what I’d call home-field advantage—and I never would have thought of this: In the decade since the 2006 season began, the Arizona Cardinals have drawn the most false-start penalties (135) of any team in the NFL. Minnesota, with 125, is next. Seattle third, with 123. I never would have thought University of Phoenix Stadium was such a cacophonous place, and I was there Sunday night.

9. I think when you listen to Bruce Arians talk, as I did this week on my podcast, I find it stunning that it took him so long to get a head coaching job. Imagine this: There were eight coaching openings in 2013 … he’s the first interim coach to ever win coach of the year … the first seven openings get filled without Arians getting a shot … the eighth team, piloted by Arizona president Michael Bidwill, took the plunge. Listen to this idea about teaching players, and you see why it’s a wonder Arians couldn’t get a job till age 60: “We have one of the largest staffs in the league, because I want small classrooms.

Michael Bidwill was very gracious. Let’s say I have $450,000 to hire one coach. Could I have three for $150,000? So I have smaller classrooms, and more eyes. I had a different idea how I wanted to get rookies ready. We have two tight end coaches. We have three offensive line coaches. When we come to the spring, and we have 90 guys on our roster, we have two practices going on. I want to have enough quality people to go to that other field, and those rookies get those 48 snaps that day, and the veterans get 48 snaps, rather than the veterans getting all the snaps and the rookies get three.

You’re not gonna find a diamond in the rough standing on the sideline. With the larger coaching staff, not only do we get the reps, we got ‘em coached. We’re bringing quality young coaches into the NFL. Our job is to make the game better, not just win games.” No wonder so many players have loved playing for Arians over the years.

Ankle injury is bad.

I kind of figured the banners we saw in the coliseum weren't necessarily meaningful as it pertains to team colors but the official website is clear.

Let's here your thoughts! Go RAMS!

just can't help but root for guys like C.Long. Spent his career on sub par teams. I hope he does great things

Attention membership;

It's been a difficult 12 months of relocation rumors and ultimately a decision by the NFL to move the team to Los Angeles. It doesn't matter what city you call home, this has been at times, an unpleasant ride.

Our position at RamsONDEMAND has been the same since our inception; we are a location neutral site. By taking this approach, we keep the conversation focused on the team.

Over the past 12 months, we've moderated the site with compassion for the many different emotions fans have faced along this journey. But it's time to focus toward the field again and our approach to moderation will reflect that.

We are well aware we have a few "ready to pounce" on Fisher or the first sign of team struggles (key word pounce). There is no place for that on a fan site and it will be dealt with swiftly.

Our members are here to have fun and root for team success. This is our fan site.

It's a new season.

Go Rams!

CGI

I noticed alot of home teams wearing whites today. Texans, Saints, Titans and Jaguars all in white.

Lets go!

The scrutiny is about to get really intense about off-season decision making. Not starting Goff in favor of Keenum, and we lose MNF in frisco? Meanwhile, Wentz does well with hardly any preseason action, even though it's against the Browns?

If we were in St Louis, there would be criticism from the usual suspects. IN LA? It's going to be 3 times as many media folks with a venomous pen/keyboard...National guys are paying attention to the Rams this year because it's the first year back and will continue to shred us...Even if we win MNF, they will rag on us about the 3rd string Goff.....


FARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like we'll be seeing Wentz... Right now!

Kind of sucks not playing today...

But; it's a football Sunday!! Woot!!

I got a big pot of chilli cooking.

You?

Rams only appear short at linebacker

By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER

[www.ocregister.com]


THOUSAND OAKS – On Feb. 19, the Rams released James Laurinaitis, cutting ties with their longtime starter at middle linebacker.

On Sept. 3, the Rams parted ways with Akeem Ayers – who started 11 games in 2015 – and second-year linebacker Cameron Lynch, who got more defensive work this preseason after spending his rookie season on special teams.

And on Thursday, the Rams waived undrafted rookie Nicholas Grigsby, leaving just five linebackers on the active roster.

Heading into next Monday’s visit to the San Francisco 49ers (7:20 p.m., ESPN), the Rams will have just two linebackers with any significant NFL experience on defense: Alec Ogletree, the new middle linebacker, and Mark Barron, a converted safety who led the team with 116 tackles last season.

Might this be a problem? Not according to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

“Take a look at how many times we’re going to play three linebackers this entire season,” he said Saturday. “We’re going to play (nickelback Lamarcus Joyner). We’re going to play another safety, another corner, another player in those areas that a linebacker plays.”

This is not a new move for Williams, who has coached six NFL franchises across nearly two decades. As an example, the 58-year-old singled out former NFL safety Pierson Prioleau, whom he often used in nickel and dime packages in Buffalo, Washington, Jacksonville, and New Orleans.

That’s the type of flexibility that Williams again expects to find in this year’s defense – doubters be damned.

“Think about all the head-shaking, the head-scratching and the criticizing when I moved Mark Barron in there last year,” Williams said. “He’s pretty good, isn’t he? Everybody going to claim that one now? That was a pretty good move?”

Chip Kelly seems to agree. Asked this week about hybrid linebackers, the 49ers head coach said that the versatility of players like Barron have made defenses much harder to out-scheme. A few years ago, Kelly might have been able to push the tempo and force his opponent into mismatches before they had a chance to substitute. Facing someone like Barron makes that a trickier task.

“He’s a tough, hard-nosed, physical football player and I don’t think you’re giving him credit for what he is,” Kelly told reporters this week. “But, everybody wants to say, ‘Well, you have a converted safety at linebacker. So, then we’re going to run the ball right at him.’ Well, turn the tape on. He’s a tough, hard-nosed, physical player.”

This year, the Rams will need similar growth from Joyner, who vented frustrations about his role on the final episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Although the team had left the door open for Ayers’ return, that they cut him in the first place signals how comfortable they are in giving Joyner – who started six games in his first two seasons – a much larger role.

“We’re going to play the best guys we have that they bring in the door,” Williams said. “I don’t draft them. I don’t sign them. But when they get here, I’m going to coach them. ... If you’re any good at all, you will adapt to the skill set of the players.”

Injury update
The Rams have ruled out receivers Pharoh Cooper (shoulder) and Nelson Spruce (knee) for Monday’s game against the 49ers, as well as cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), who missed all of last season with a Lisfranc injury and was beset by various ailments through training camp.

Cooper had been slated to be the team’s No. 3 receiver until his injury, while Spruce made the roster as an undrafted signee despite playing in just one preseason game. Gaines started 15 games as a rookie in 2015.

Right tackle Rob Havenstein (foot) and linebacker Bryce Hager (concussion) are both listed as questionable. Both were full participants in practice on Friday and Saturday.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/17496576/how-defenses-attack-cowboys-qb-dak-prescott-nfl

During the preseason, Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott put together some impressive tape -- and he had the numbers to support it too. In games versus the Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks, Prescott threw for 454 yards, five touchdowns and completed 78 percent of his passes. This guy was dealing.

But with defenses now preparing for the regular season and scripting true call sheets, what should the rookie expect as he takes over for the injured Tony Romo as the new QB1 in Dallas? Today, let's discuss how opposing defensive coordinators will attack Prescott as the Cowboys get ready to open the 2016 season this Sunday versus the New York Giants.

Load the box
Think about the security the run game gives to a young, inexperienced quarterback. That leads to the ability to control tempo and manageable passing situations.

To take that away, you have to walk a safety down. Play Cover 1 (man-free) or Cover 3 (three-deep, four-under zone) and use that extra defender as the primary force player on the edge. The Giants have the perfect player to do that in strong safety Landon Collins. He's at his best playing.

Given the talent on the Cowboys' offensive line, and the skill set of rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, I don't see anyone completely shutting down the Dallas run game. That's a nasty combo. But can you limit the production on the ground? Absolutely. Plus, by using those eight-man fronts on early down and distances, you are daring Prescott to beat you with his arm.

I'll take that -- along with the one-on-one matchups outside for wide receiver Dez Bryant. If Prescott can beat you with 50/50 throws to Bryant, then tip your cap. But don't give Elliott and that O-line a soft run front to expose all day. That allows the Cowboys to put their young quarterback in very favorable game situations.

Late safety rotations
Last season, I talked to an NFL defensive coach about game planning against rookies Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. The first thing he said? Rotate your safeties late. Doing that versus a veteran quarterback isn't going to win you a game. They get it. But for a rookie who has seen mostly static looks during the exhibition schedule, moving your safeties can create some confusion with coverage reads.

I'm talking about dropping down from two-deep or rolling Cover 3 strong to Cover 3 weak. The same in man coverage. Show press-outside, bail the cornerbacks and then drop a safety underneath as a rover or hole player. Small things that create some confusion and force Prescott to make a mistake.

Disguise pressure
During the preseason the Seahawks showed Prescott a double A-gap look in a zone-pressure scheme. At the snap, one of the linebackers dropped out and the nickel corner came off the edge. Get a free runner at the quarterback, and drop a defender into the underneath throwing lane.

The double A-gap look is one way to get after the rookie, but defenses will have a lot of other options here. Think of 2-Trap pressures (cornerbacks squat outside) and single-high man pressures. Plus, you can play man-free with the linebackers and safeties adding to the front. If your coverage blocks, then go get the QB.

The goal here? Remind Prescott that this isn't some throwaway preseason game. Mix your pressures and force him to move off the spot or throw hot. That creates opportunities for your defensive backs to drive on the ball. And when you have a cornerback like the Giants' Janoris Jenkins, you can bait the QB into throwing you one.

Take away high-percentage throws
Backside slants, inside Hi-Lo combinations, snag routes (corner-curl-flat): You can't give Prescott clear lanes to throw high-percentage routes. Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams ran Cover 2 and dropped a defensive tackle into the underneath hole against Prescott. Why? To erase the crossing route. The same with the backside slant. Play three-deep and drop the weak-side safety down at the snap -- right into the throwing lane.

I would expect the Cowboys to move Bryant around (slot alignment) and run him across the field on drag routes (with a pick inside) in some sort of Hi-Lo combo. Create space off the rub.

But you can't give that up. Use an inside "rover" to knock Bryant off the route. Or have a safety jump the crosser/inside break. You have options here to take away those quick reads from Prescott. Make Prescott throw flat routes and force him to challenge you in the intermediate passing game.

Find Bryant on third downs
I'm thinking 3rd-and-7 (or more) situations with Bryant. Where is he? And what is your plan to eliminate Bryant as the No. 1 option for Prescott?

I really like playing 3-Cloud in this situation. That gives you three-deep over the top with the cornerback rolled up. Get a jam on Bryant with a player sitting in the deep outside-third to play the quick fade. The same thing with combination coverages where the defense can bracket Bryant when he aligns in the slot or roll to half field 2-Man if he aligns at the X receiver (split-end).

Yeah, that's a lot of attention paid to Bryant, and you will have to really communicate in the secondary. But with Prescott playing quarterback, I'm going to make someone other than Dez beat me. Maybe that's Jason Witten, Cole Beasley or Terrance Williams. Fine. But I'm not going to turn on the film after the game and watch Bryant make play after play on my defense in critical game situations.

When it's time to get off the field on third downs, Bryant has to be accounted for. Take away Prescott's No. 1 and make him go somewhere else with the ball.

Respect Prescott's athleticism
Preseason tape isn't really a true indicator on where a rookie stands in his development, but defenses still have to respect Prescott's talent and what he brings to the Dallas offense.

Prescott can move. He showed that against the Dolphins. If you fail to rush with contain and you sit in man coverage all day (defenders with their backs to the quarterback), he can eat you up when the pocket breaks down. The same with the zone-read and RPOs. They're coming, and Dak has the size to break through arm tackles.

From the pocket, Prescott has a nice arm to thread the ball into tight windows, and he's pretty solid with his eyes. It's there on the tape: The rookie moves through his progressions with speed.

Prescott had a monster preseason, and that has to be talked about during defensive game planning sessions. Yes, he's a rookie. He's inexperienced. He has never seen a regular-season game plan or regular-season speed. That's a major jump for any first-year guy. It's lightning fast compared to exhibition games.

But if you don't take away what Prescott brings to the offense, respect his ability or eliminate his top target, you are asking for trouble. And you can't allow a rookie to dictate the flow of the game.

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher calls in and explains why he is satisfied where Jared Goff's development is at right now. Fisher expresses the importance of standing for the national anthem and previews week 1 at SF.

Haven't listened to it yet, so I don't know where it starts. This is a 45 minute file.

[av]http://cdn16.castfire.com/audio/303/2111/9197/2999522/afternoons_2016-09-09-210422-8006-0-487-0.64k.mp3[/av]

http://www.espn.com/espnradio/losangeles/play?id=17508385

I enjoy these threads. Let's see them. Also, I really, really have been wanting to post this...

For me, it's December 4th. Not only because it's the Pastywhites and everyone here would like to see the Rams beat them, but because it will show me that this year's team is legit. Fisher, all-time, is 1-6 against Bellyfat, so I'd like to see if he can finally figure out a way to beat a powerhouse outside the division. Not to mention get that particular monkey(face) off of his back.

Fisher joined the Rams after spending 16 full seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, 11 as executive vice president. In his tenure with Tennessee, he guided the Titans to six playoff appearances (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008), three division titles (2000, 2002, 2008), two AFC Championship games (1999, 2002) and one Super Bowl appearance (XXXIV). From 1999-2010, only three teams had more playoff berths (Indianapolis, Philadelphia and New England). In the 2000s, Fisher totaled 97 victories, the most successful decade in franchise history.

Fisher led the Titans through a retooling period that saw the team grow from 4-12 that year, to 8-8 in 2006, and a playoff berth in 2007, the first playoff appearance since 2003. During the 2006 season, Fisher became the first coach in franchise history to lead the team in 200 contests, reaching the milestone in a game against Baltimore (11/12/06).

He became only the 12th coach in NFL history to coach 200 games with one team, joining George Halas, Tom Landry, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Curly Lambeau, Bud Grant, Steve Owen, Bill Cowher, Joe Gibbs, Hank Stram and Marv Levy (Mike Shanahan joined the list in December of 2006 to make 13 coaches).

In 2004, Fisher became the fourth youngest coach (46) to win 90 regular season games since 1960. Only John Madden (41), Don Shula (41), and Bill Cowher (44) were faster to 90 wins. Fisher began his coaching career as an assistant for Buddy Ryan and the Philadephia Eagles in 1986, coaching the defensive backs for 3 seasons before becoming the NFL's youngest defensive coordinator in 1988.

On January 13, 2012, E. Stanley Kroenke hired Jeff Fisher to be the 22nd full-time head coach in Rams franchise history. Fisher's agreed to a five-year deal worth $35 million dollars.

Looking at Jeff Fisher's career coaching resume in segments, history indicates Fisher will lead his Rams to the playoffs in his 5th year as head coach.

1995... Houston Oilers........... 7-9
1996... Houston Oilers........... 8-8
1997... Tennessee Oilers....... 8-8
1998... Tennessee Oilers....... 8-8 = First 4 full years as Titans HC posted no winning records

1999... Tennessee Titans..... 13-3 = 5th year
2000... Tennessee Titans..... 13-3= years 5 & 6) well over .500 mark & was considered a top tier head coach

2001... Tennessee Titans....... 7-9
2002... Tennessee Titans..... 11-5
2003... Tennessee Titans..... 12-4 = years 7,8,9) added to years 5 & 6 equals 56 wins & 24 losses

2004... Tennessee Titans..... 5-11
2005... Tennessee Titans..... 4-12 = years 10 &11) coach falters for what ever reasons?

2006... Tennessee Titans....... 8-8
2007... Tennessee Titans..... 10-6
2008... Tennessee Titans..... 13-3 = years 12,13,14) 31-17 record. Rebounded from years 10 & 11

2009... Tennessee Titans....... 8-8
2010... Tennessee Titans....... 6-10 = years 15,16) Rumors swirled that Fisher was at odds with Titans owner about player/personnel decisions? fired on Jan 28, 2011

2012... St. Louis Rams........ 7-8-1
2013... St. Louis Rams........ 7-9
2014... St. Louis Rams........ 6-10
2015... St. Louis Rams........ 7-9 = First 4 years as Rams HC posted no winning records. Will Fisher lead the Rams to the playoffs like he did in year 5 with the Titans?

____

Practice Report 9/10: Preparing for Kelly's Offense

By Myles Simmons

[www.therams.com]


New 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is famous for his up-tempo offense. He won a lot of games with the system at Oregon and it propelled the Eagles to the playoffs in 2013 — Kelly’s first year as head coach in Philadelphia.

Now he’s brought it to a fresh group of players in San Francisco. And while the Rams are familiar with much of the NFC West rival’s on-field personnel, they are not as sure of how the new coaching staff will adapt the scheme to the group.

Nevertheless, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams appeared confident in his plan for Monday Night Football based on Kelly’s track record.

“Every coach has a history — there’s nothing secret anymore,” Williams said Saturday. “Every single game film in college, every single game film in the NFL [media] gets to watch, and fans get to watch. So there’s nothing secret anymore about the game.

“We understand coach Kelly. I have a lot of respect for him and his staff,” Williams continued. “There’s really not anything that’s hidden anymore in our league.”

The Rams do at least have one game of experience against Kelly’s offense, having played the Eagles in Philadelphia in 2014. That’s one of the many games the defense has studied this week in preparation for Week 1.


“We’ve really been watching that tape and what they’ve been doing over the last couple preseason games, and just try to combine them and get a bigger picture on what we’re going to see Monday,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said.

Still, it can be challenging to try to get a read on how San Francisco may go about attacking Los Angeles’ defense because there isn’t much data. Preseason games are notoriously vanilla in terms of scheme.

“It’s almost like you’ve got to focus on those couple plays that [the firs-team offense plays] — almost just focus on the third preseason game. That’s kind of like the big one for all of the first units and stuff like that,” Brockers said. “So you watch that game, get a key in on what they’re going to do. Everybody is basic, so we’re expecting them to put some different plays in, some stuff that might challenge us defensively. But for the most part, we’ve got to be ready for everything.”

“Our defense here, we kind of install a lot of checks and adjustments throughout the week,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “And we try to simplify it for ourselves. We’ve got a good core game plan, and we’ll kind of anticipate what they might do.”

Aside from how the Niners will use their personnel is the inherent challenge that comes with the speed of Kelly’s offense.

“I think somebody said they snap the ball between 12 and 16 seconds after a play,” middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “So the plays are going to have to come in quick and we just have to get lined up really fast.”

“It’s really a distraction, gets the defense off a little bit. That’s what it’s supposed to do — supposed to be kind of an intimidation thing for the defense. But not for us,” Brockers said. “We plan on being right there, ready for them, and going faster than they are at practice so we can be ready for that speed.”


While much of the offensive attention for San Francisco has gone to its quarterback situation, running back Carlos Hyde may prove to be Los Angeles’ biggest challenge on Monday night. Hyde had three runs go for at least 20 yards in the preseason, showing he’s back from the injuries that plagued him in 2015. The Ohio State product played only seven games last year, rushing for 470 yards and three touchdowns — 168 of which came against the Vikings in Week 1, which was also the second game of Monday Night Football.

“He gets downhill and he’s very explosive,” Ogletree said. “He can make all the runs, all the cuts, and he can hurt you. If you don’t wrap up, he’s going to break through arm tackles. And they do a good job of getting you spread out and giving him easy lanes to run in.”

“His patience in his scheme — he finds those backside cuts, and he’s just getting better every year,” Brockers said. “He’s a big back. We’ve just got to get him down to the ground.”

What the Rams do have in their corner is a defensive coordinator who constantly preaches playing fast. Going against an offense like San Francisco’s, that may be even more important for the first contest of 2016.

“That’s the philosophy since he’s been here, that’s been his whole M.O. of just how things should be,” Quinn said. “It’s just more of an emphasis trying to be exact no matter the tempo. And if we get a little rattled, like I said, we have our checks and adjustments. And just play ball.”

EXTRA POINTS

— While there has been a bit made this week of the Rams going to more of a nickel scheme with their first-team defense outside the building, Ogletree and Williams don’t see it as much of an adjustment.

“It doesn’t really change anything for us,” Ogletree said. “We feel like we played mostly nickel throughout the whole season last year. Most teams do play nickel now because it’s a passing league. So it’s just, our nickel has to get a lot more work in during practice. And the guys, if we have base calls, we have to be aware of that, too.”

“You take a look at how many teams we’re going to play this year that’s going to play two backs in the backfield against us. Not many people like doing that against us,” Williams said. “So take a look at how many times we’re going to play three linebackers this entire season. We’re going to play Lamarcus [Joyner], we’re going to play another safety, another corner, another player in those areas that a linebacker plays.”

According to Williams, that’s all about his philosophy of creating the best scheme to fit the players he has to work with.

“We’ll do the same thing on how we adapt this year’s scheme as opposed to the last two years that I’ve been here, or when I was with the Saints, or [Washington], or the Bills, or the Titans,” Williams said. “We have to adjust to what’s best for these young men right here.”

— For the final injury report of the week, the Rams have declared right tackle Rob Havenstein (foot) and linebacker Bryce Hager (concussion) questionable for Monday night. Cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), and wide receiver Nelson Spruce (knee) have been declared out.

However, there was good news on the report regarding Spruce. The Pac 12’s all-time leader in receptions was able to participate in practice on a limited basis on Saturday. He did not participate in either of Thursday or Friday’s sessions.