tweets … 12/25 thru 12/28

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
This could be the Rams’ last game with the gold-accented white jerseys.

Au revoir, mismatched laundry.

from Chris Wesseling, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team: Tom Brady, J.J. Watt earn spots: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001091563/article/nfl-2010s-alldecade-team-tom-brady-jj-watt-earn-spots?campaign=Twitter_atn

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INTERIOR LINEMEN
Aaron Donald (Rams, 2014-19)

Thanks to analytics sites such as Football Outsiders and Pro Football Focus, we’ve made tremendous advancements in the understanding of defensive value over the past decade. That said, we’ve yet to find the numbers capable of shedding proper light on Donald’s dominance as an interior force facing and shedding double teams to make plays for himself and elevate his surrounding talent. As ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pointed out at midseason, the Rams had allowed an 82.5 passer rating and a 42.2 QBR with Donald on the field, compared with a 130.5 passer rating and an 81.2 QBR when he’s on the sideline. That helps inform Donald’s impact. But what about his effect on teammates? Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews had averaged less than one combined sack and QB hit per game in their final two years with Jacksonville and Green Bay, respectively. Since they joined Donald’s defense, they are hitting the QB nearly two times per game. Asked what surprised him most upon joining the Rams, venerable defensive coordinator Wade Phillips exclaimed, “Aaron Donald, because he’s better than everybody, and I didn’t know he was better than everybody. I thought he was good, but I didn’t know he was better than everybody. But he is.” That simple description should accompany his bust in Canton some day: “Better than everybody.”

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SPECIAL TEAMS
PUNTER
Johnny Hekker (Rams, 2012-19)

Essentially the Justin Tucker of punters, Hekker has ushered in a golden era for foot specialists. The rare punting Goliath at 6-foot-5 and 241 pounds, Hekker has mastered the nuances of the position, confounding opponents with an arsenal of trick kicks that enable him to limit touchbacks, pin returners inside the 10-yard line and leave precious little space to run. A few years back, a New York Times article even explored the hypothesis that Hekker might be better at doing his job than anyone else in the league. It should come as no surprise then that Bill Belichick once acknowledged that Hekker is as good as any punter in history.

Rams-Cardinals doesn't have any meaning in the standings, but it's significant for Donald and Jones, who are chasing Gilmore for DPOY https://t.co/pFtARghl8y

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 26, 2019

from this article, Rams’ Jared Goff takes encouragement and hard lessons from season …which is on the board here: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/football-outsiders-whats-goin-on-with-goff/?view=all#post-109746

In the past four games, Goff is completing 66.7% of his passes (up from 61.2% in the first 11 games), for 7.7 yards a throw (up from 7.3), 331 yards a game (up from 272) and 2.0 touchdowns a game (up from 1.0), and has been sacked 0.75 times a game (an improvement from 1.5). His interception rate of 1.0 (vs. 1.1) is about the same. It adds up to a passer rating of 95.7 this month (vs. 80.3 for the season’s first three months).

New heights. 👏 pic.twitter.com/4Na9M4TdM6

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 26, 2019

ESPN Los Angeles@ESPNLosAngeles
McVay: “The only thing we can do is finish the season right way against the Cardinals… but we gotta figure out how to just be more consistent on all three phases.”

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
This being party season, if you end up at a get-together and get caught up in a conversation in which someone wonders aloud about how the @Rams can attract fans to SoFi Stadium drop this on them: The Rams are averaging more fans at the Coliseum this year than SoFi Stadium seats.

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#LARams Thursday Injury Report: pic.twitter.com/uinqrl5y5v

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) December 27, 2019

It’s amazing how long Larry Fitzgerald has played at a high level. I remember reading a quote where he said Rams Ron Bartell is one of toughest Corners he’s ever played. In the prime of Fitz career I always thought Bartell matched up against him good as anyone in the league pic.twitter.com/etbFZPbp8L

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 27, 2019

zn wrote:

goff: a couple of beautiful back-to-back dimes including a crucial 3rd and 8

That 2nd pass was a classic Goff beauty.

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“I love being here. If it’s possible, it’d be nice [to stay a Ram]. If it’s not, I understand.”

Cory Littleton on becoming a free agent this offseason, Sunday's game + more. pic.twitter.com/wwFXFcNatt

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 28, 2019

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Rams injury report for Week 17 finale vs. Cardinals:

RB Darrell Henderson (Ankle) – OUT
CB Jalen Ramsey (Knee) – OUT
CB Troy Hill (Thumb) – DOUBTFUL

Everyone else expected to go against Cardinals.

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
McVay, speaking generally, about financial considerations affecting roster. “You’d love to see everyone get paid, you’d love to be able to keep everybody. Unfortunately, that’s not real and that’s not realistic.”

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Ravens and Pro Bowl CB Marcus Peters agreed to 3-year, $42 million extension that includes $32 million guaranteed, which is 76 percent of total contract, per source. Deal will pay Peters $20.5M in year 1. The 3-year deal would allow him to hit the free-agent market when he’s 29.

PFF@PFF
3rd highest-graded CB in the NFL in 2019 and currently the highest-graded season of his career