Got to see last two minutes or so, plus OT. Bonus coverage locally. Nice to see defense play well when it counted, especially the rooks.

Stafford came up big when he had to, as did Robinson. Great one handed catch, with the DB holding down the other arm. He’s a very good #3 wideout.

Tied for division lead! Didn’t see that happening after the first few losses.

wv wrote:

I just hope the Rams dont accept a bullshit offer for him. If its not a really good deal — just keep him. w v

Agreed. Don’t give him away, like they did Ernest Jones.

For comparison sake:

The Titans traded Ernest Jones back to the NFC West – and got more than the Rams did in August

According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, the Titans are trading Jones to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick. And yes, that’s more than the Rams got for Jones less than two months ago when they shocking shipped him off to Tennessee just before the season started.

Somehow, the Titans managed to get more in return for Jones than the Rams did. In the Rams’ deal, they sent Jones and a sixth-round pick to the Titans for a fifth-rounder. It’s obviously a poor reflection on the Rams, who everyone believed should’ve gotten more for Jones but they were apparently desperate to jettison him off the roster.

Sorry if this has already been posted . . .

I don’t have an account on twitter, so if the link sends me there, I can’t watch it. But if it stays on this page, I can . . . which is what happens above.

;>)

No local broadcast, so just going on highlights and comments by others: Looks like they shoulda coulda won this one. They really can’t afford to lose next week to Green Bay. Want to see that one.

Hope they got through this game without more injuries, etc.

Saw the highlights. Great comeback win, especially against the Niners. Looks like the Rams are rounding into shape, at least along their O-line.

Defense played well when it counted. Tough goal line stops, etc.

I wish I could have seen this one!

Didn’t see the game, just the final score. Did the Rams avoid new injuries?

To me, gymnastics is the pinnacle of sports, when it comes to testing the limits of the human body. I don’t think there’s another sport that requires such complete athleticism: power, speed, strength, flexibility, balance, precision, etc. From the rings, to the vault, to the floor exercises, the very best do things consistently that defy gravity. And perhaps with the exception of the rings, female gymnasts seem to be able to do everything the male gymnasts do.

In short, I think great gymnasts would be able to work there way into most every major sport and excel. The reverse course would be much dicier.

Zooey wrote:

To me…they got so little in return that they would have been better off keeping him for the year, and letting him go for nothing at the end of this season. I would rather have one more year of Jones, and nothing in return, than give him up for the difference between a 6th and 5th rounder.

Agreed, Zooey.

Zooey wrote:

Am I just colored by bias, or do the Rams give away valuable assets for pocket change?

It’s not bias, IMO. I think McSnead have a tendency to take too little for Rams in trade, and pay too much for other teams’ wares, including draft picks.

Jones is a solid starting  linebacker, who played very well for the Rams. Chosen in the 3rd round, he at least played up to that slot and is still young. He’s easily worth more than a pick swap, late-rounder. I’d say at least a 3rd on its own. At least.

zn wrote:

Billy_T wrote:

From the late 1960s thru the 1980s, with just a few lost years here and there . . . they were great in the trenches, on both sides of the ball.

I’ve posted this before but I enjoy repeating it. There is at least one Ram offensive lineman in the pro bowl every single season from 1967 until 1990. That’s 12 different pro-bowl lineman across 24 consecutive years. In fact the 68 line had 4 pro bowlers, as did the 78 line and the 85 line.

Thanks, ZN.

Hope they can get back to that. A bunch of Pro Bowlers in the trenches would be great. That’s the way to build a Super Bowl winner.

The stat on protecting the QB: pretty big factor in getting to the playoffs, right? The Super Bowl winner placed second.

The team with the best overall stats, offense and defense, isn’t always the winner, of course. No guarantees that regular season success translates post-season. But the eventual winner tends to rank highly, at least in certain areas. They likely have at least a solid defense, do well on third down conversions, and protect the QB. The latter also usually means the QB stays healthy, which is vital for wins, especially post-season.

Would be interesting to see someone review stats for the last ten years, and see if there’s any general correlation. Most important stats, etc. etc.

Of course, the game has changed. A great running attack once was a critical indicator. Not so much any more. Though I’d bet it matters even now during a playoff run.

Hope all is well —

Thanks for the concern, folks.  I had some health stuff to deal with, and am still in recovery mode. Not going to post a lot here or elsewhere for a bit, but may throw in my two cents about the draft down thread.

Hope all of you are well.

Sad to see him go, but I understand it. The game takes an incredible toll on these players, and he left it all on the field, as they say. Ten years! He planned this well, stayed with the same franchise, and won the Super Bowl, along with pretty much every award a defender can get.

Rams can’t “replace” him, but if they scheme and coach and draft and develop well . . . they can find ways to match his production via two or more players. It’s too much to expect to do that with just one guy.

Deacon, AD, Merlin, Jack Youngblood. There’s my all-time Front Four.

This continues to look like the best O-line draft in ages, at least at the top, and that’s an obvious position of need for the Rams. Not so sure about “depth,” but there are all kinds of elite guys who seem to be switching places as the best of the best. It’s also among the best ever for wideouts at the top, especially size/speed freaks. As with the O-line, I don’t see the depth of previous years, but the top guys are more numerous. Stronger at the top for QBs as well, and corners. Depth falls off even moreso there. Which means if the Rams stick at 19, they’ll get a really good player. Good shot at Pro-Bowl type. They’d have to work hard not to. Edges would be a huge plus, too, relative to other years, if not for this (IMO): The top guys aren’t that big, and Latu has injury concerns. Apparently, he’s all clear from the neck injury that forced his early retirement, but that it happened it all would scare me as a GM. For his health, more than anything else.

My own view: Rams should not draft a QB in Round One. They have too many other immediate needs. Draft a backup later, re-sign Wentz, or trade for Zach Wilson. Don’t spend the first on Bo Nix. Go corner, edge, o-line, especially. Wideout, perhaps, if they trade down and add picks. But I think they need to upgrade both lines and corners first.

Saw the results online (not “live”) soon after they happened. Unlike past years, though, didn’t get to watch many of the on-field drills, which can be enlightening. Anyway, it looks like mph is integrating well with the 40 time, as they’re using it to measure the kids during their 40, the gauntlet drills, and go-routes too. That’s smart. Down-side, of course, is they don’t have full gear on.

Some surprises: I thought Brenden Rice would fly in the 40, the 10-yard split, and pretty much everything else. Something must have happened to him between the time he clocked above 23mph in pads to now. He was also in the 1.4s for his 10 when Feldman put him on his freak’s list. Someone that fast, in game gear, should run better than 4.5 in gym clothes, and his combine 1.55 split doesn’t track, either.

Combine testing still has its place, and should be used as a part of overall eval. But I’d bet no team uses it as its primary metric any longer, if they ever did.

Quinyon Mitchell* would be a great 1st rounder. Could be the Rams’ lock-down corner for years. But I’d take Dallas Turner, the edge rusher, before him, if he falls. But that’s unlikely. He’s probably Top Ten. Hoping the rumors of the Rams being infatuated with Xavier Worthy are just rumors. His 4.21 doesn’t help make up for his 165 pounds, and his frame doesn’t look like he can add much more weight. I think that would be a terrible 1st rounder. They also reportedly love Rome Odunze, but he has great size, good speed, catch-radius, etc. Wrong round for the Rams to take a receiver, given their other needs, regardless.

*Max Melton is another corner who looks like he could really help the Rams.