Zooey wrote:

How horrible will it be if it’s a Dallas/SF game for the championship?

If that happens, then for one 3.5 hour period, I will be the biggest Dallas fan that ever lived.  How bout’ dem’ Cowboys…

Vikings, Packers, and Falcons all lost.

The table’s set for the Rams.

Why does that make me nervous?

The Steelers are the worst team still in playoff contention this late in the season in the history of Creation.

Can’t believe the Rams lost to them.

wv wrote:

Lions in the NFC and Browns in the AFC iz what I’m pullin for. w v

Well, most Rams fans are hoping the RAMS are in the Super Bowl, but you do you.

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

McVay opted not to bring back John Fassel following the 2019 season

Is this accurate? I thought Fassel just took a better offer elsewhere. I do recall some conversation about McVay early on, though, something about getting all the coaches/staff on the same page in terms of culture, but I don’t trust my memory of any of that.

It’s accurate.  The speculation was that it was because Fassel was a Fisher hire and McVay wanted his own coach in there, plus  McVay soured on Fassel after he called for an unsanctioned fake punt from inside the Rams own 30 that failed. It was the final game of the season against the Cards. The Rams went on to win the game but the cameras caught how livid McVay was on the sidelines.

JackPMiller wrote:

I feel if we win our last 5 games, making the playoffs, would be great, but not a guarantee we make the playoffs. But, it will give us a chance. Winning 4 out of our last 5, we will need help, to make it into the playoffs. I’m going off, on what I see.

There’s only 4 games left, Jack.

The Rams are battling the Seahawks and the Vikings for the final spot.  If the Rams can win 3 out of their final 4 games I think they’ll be in.  Since 3 of those games are against Wash, NO, and NYG, I think that’s doable.  That will get them to 9-8.

The Vikings (7-6) remaining games are against Cin, GB, and Det twice.  They’ll likely lose all of those, but even if they manage to win one their record would be 8-9.

The Seahawks (6-7) have games against Phil, Tenn, Pitt, and Ariz.  They’ll most likely lose to Phil, so even if they win the other 3 games the best their record can be is 9-8.  If the Rams and Seahawks both finish 9-8 the Rams get the wildcard based on head to head.

So, the playoffs are very doable for the Rams.  They just need to win the games they should win.

Blatant block in the back missed by the officials on the punt return.  It’s the buzz of Rams Nation right now.

Oh well.  The Rams had their chances. Some odd game-clock issues at the end of the game and in overtime, but overall incredibly happy with how they played. Still, losing that game given the effort is a bitter pill.

That’s what happens when you tell an AI app to write an article about the Rams’ needs…

Did they reach out to Robbie Gould?  Much better kicker, IMO.

zn wrote:

nittany ram wrote:

Given their cupcake schedule, for all practical purposes the Packers are in. That leaves the Rams, Seahawks, and Vikings battling for the final playoff spot. The Rams and Seahawks will both likely finish 9-8, but the Rams own the tiebreaker. The Vikings beat the 49ers but lost to the Bears so it’s hard to know what to expect from them. They get Jefferson back next week but things are still shaky at QB. At least at the moment, the Vikings own the tiebreaker over the Rams based on a better conference record. However, they could easily lose 3 or more of their final 5 games to finish 8-9 or worse.

Just expanding on what Nittany has said. As we know the Rams face both Baltimore and SF. But also Wash, NO, and NYG. If they lose 2 of those 5 and end up 9-8, as we know they’re in over Seattle. If they beat either Balt or SF they go 10-7 and it’s unlikely either Minn or Seattle could overtake that. Assuming the Rams go 9/8, to lose its 6th seed spot GB would have to win only 2 of the next 5 games. They play NYG, Tampa, Carolina, Minn, and Chi. Does anyone see 3 losses in those games? Though anything can happen of course, which doesn’t make it likely. Minnesota‘s remaining schedule is a meat grinder. I don’t see how they could come out of that in the lead for spot 7. They face the Raiders, but also Cinn, GB, and Detroit twice. The luster is off for Dobbs, who threw 4 INTs against the Bears. If the Rams go 9/8, then Minn has to win 3 games because they have a tie-breaker with the Rams. Seattle faces SF and Phil in consecutive games. They are capable of beating Pitt, Arz, and Tenn. But then for them to get the 7 spot, they need to be a game up on the Rams. Assuming the Rams go 9/8, to get in Seattle has to win 4 of the next 5. That means they have to beat SF or Phil while also winning the ones they look like the can win.

The key for the Rams will be getting out of Baltimore with no major injuries.  Winning there would be huge, but incredibly unlikely.  As you point out they don’t have to win this game as long as they beat the teams they should beat.

But this is the Rams.  You know they are going to have a clunker against one of the three teams they should beat (W, NO, NY).

Which means a playoff spot could be on the line for the final game against SF…

Given their cupcake schedule, for all practical purposes the Packers are in.

That leaves the Rams, Seahawks, and Vikings battling for the final playoff spot.

The Rams and Seahawks will both likely finish 9-8, but the Rams own the tiebreaker.

The Vikings beat the 49ers but lost to the Bears so it’s hard to know what to expect from them.  They get Jefferson back next week but things are still shaky at QB. At least at the moment, the Vikings own the tiebreaker over the Rams based on a better conference record. However, they could easily lose 3 or more of their final 5 games to finish 8-9 or worse.

I think many Rams fans are underestimating how tough the Browns are.  Great defense, really physical offensive and defensive lines, and the Rams usually don’t play well against physical teams (see the last 8 or 9 games against SF).  I don’t care who their starting QB is – beating them will be a tall task.

Great blow out victory (37-14) and it was really much more lopsided than that.  The Rams missed a FG and XP and that last Cards TD was scored against the reserves.
Kyler Murray got to pad his stats against the scrubs but prior to that he looked absolutely lost.  His completion pct was sub-500 for most of the game.

I’m trying to think of who Kyren Williams reminds me.  Maybe Charles White during his ~1400 yd season?  Short, stocky, not very fast, but shifty…maybe tougher to bring down than White…I dunno…

zn wrote:

roberto clemente@rclemente2121

big horns
big pads
big hits

Fritz Shurmur’s defense.  I remember Buddy Ryan said how he hated losing to their ‘‘read and react’ defense after the 89 wildcard game in which the Rams beat the Eagles 21-7.

That defense could get after the QB at times though.  They sacked Montana 6 times in the final game of the 88 regular season in SF. The Rams needed to win that game to make the playoffs and they did so – 38-16.