The Rams struggle against the 9ers when they have the better team.  Hard to believe they can beat them when they don’t.

I just hope they can get through this game without any injuries.  This team is feisty and there are winnable games ahead provided they stay healthy.

As I said in the ‘hopes and dreams’ thread, I have high expectations for this team and apparently those expectations have been vindicated. As I implied, anything less than a Super Bowl championship for the Rams will be an underachievement.

I knew when I posted it that that position would be highly controversial, but I’ve never been one to latch my shutters in the face of a storm.

Now, on to SF and expose them for being the frauds that they are.

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

He’s praising him for being a fast learner who came a long way in a short time.

My reaction reading that was not to see it as a criticism of Jackson, but as praise that didn’t mean much. Cuz I doubt starting football earlier would have made much difference. My experience with high school kids is that not a lot of “learning” goes on in their freshmen and sophomore years. I really don’t see a lot of light bulbs over their heads until they’re JR year anyway. I wouldn’t think the ground Jackson needed to make up would be very much.

I agree with that.  Besides, I played high school football and we weren’t being taught the same techniques they were using in the pros.  Our instruction was much more rudimentary, so I’m not sure a lot of high school football experience is that important.

40 million year old fossil whale may have been three times heavier than today’s blue whale – turns whale evolutionary thought on its head…

…

New species of ancient whale found in Peru may be heaviest animal ever, scientists say

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/science/new-species-of-ancient-whale-found-in-peru-may-be-heaviest-animal-ever-scientists-say

Beautiful garden, zn.  I do perennials too.

My dream is to someday make my entire backyard into a Japanese garden comprised of native plants.

If they stay healthy there is still enough talent on offense to carry the team to 9 or so wins.

I’ve only seen Stetson Bennett a couple times but each time he was brilliant and it was against great competition.

Yeah he’s short and doesm’t have the strongest arm, but he’s mature, can already read defenses, and is familiar with the Shanahan offense.  In other words, he’s the closest thing to a plug n’ play QB the Rams could hope for in the draft.

I like the pick, and I don’t mind taking him in the 3rd.  Maybe they could have gotten him later, maybe not.  When there is a guy you really want you take him. Don’t risk letting him get away.

JackPMiller wrote:

https://www.pff.com/draft/nfl-mock-draft-simulator?ref=a1f16a28-05b8-40d8-b560-f82b870845fa I did a what if we traded Stafford, the Jets is the team that keeps coming up, if Aaron Rogers trade, does not happen. I’m not saying Stafford will be going, but it is, what if it happens scenario? In the trade, we get the Jet’s 13th pick, plus the Jets 1st and 2nd picks round next year. This is the draft I got, R1-13: Broderick Jones OT Georgia R2-36: Steve Availa OC/OG TCU R3-69: Zach Harrison Edge OSU R3-77: Eli Ricks CB Alabama R5-167: Kendra Miller RB TCU R5-171: Aiden O’Connell QB Purdue R6-177: Davis Allen TE Clemson R6-182: Aubrey Jackson LB Jackson State R6-189: Dylan Horton Edge TCU R7-191: Quindell Johnson S Memphis R7-223: Elijah Higgins WR Stanford R7-251: Brayden Willis TE Oklahoma I doubled up on Edge, and TE.

I don’t think anyone is giving up a 1st for Matt Stafford at this point…

And now, the Larch.

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by nittany ram.

Zooey wrote:

This is a bad sign, imo. Looks like Rams insiders (including Wagner) don’t think the Rams have enough to compete for a championship. And that they don’t think they can address their needs this year.

Wagner’s leaving makes me sad.

And it certainly could mean the Rams don’t see themselves as contenders this season.

However, there is a simpler explanation than to claim the best team on the planet isn’t ready to return to title contention a mere single season after the flukiest, injury-riddled year in league history.  A claim that any hopefull Seattle or SF fan would make, btw, which is why you undoubtedly made it.

I submit that the Rams wanted to keep Wagner and would have if not for the residual  Seahawk stench that must be emanating from every pore of his body.

Think about it – he was a Seahawk for OVER A DECADE. With that length of exposure, there isn’t going to be enough Rightguard on the planet to mask the resulting odor.  He was immersed in the combined fetor of Wilson, Sherman, Lynch, and Carrol for years and years.

And Tate.  Don’t forget that f’***ing Tate.

Imagine what it must have been like for Rams players to share the cramped quarters of a locker room, team bus, and team plane with him (I speculate a similar experience could be had by spending several hours in wv’s living room).

That could also explain the rash of “injuries”.  Players faking or purposely injuring themselves to get away from the smell.

It also probably fueled the rumors of McVay’s and Donald’s retirements.  I’m surprised they were the only ones included in this speculation.

Anyway, I bet they never sign another longtime Seahawk ever again.  And don’t even consider a**holes like Kittle and Deebo when their current contracts expire.  That would be several orders of magnitude worse.

Shame about the 9’ers.

Yet another wasted season.  Next year all those talented players will be another year older, another year closer to the end of their contracts, another year closer to the end of their competitive window.  Another year closer to the end.

If they had just blocked better on that play in which Purdy got hurt.   If their vaunted front 7 just hadn’t been dominated by the Eagles’ o-line which allowed them to run at will and control the game…

There’s nothing as agonizing as potential unfulfilled. “For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘it might have been.”

I feel terrible for all those 9’er fans out there.  I wish there was something I could do to relieve their suffering.

Yup, it’s a damn shame.

Rest in peace, Ag. The board won’t be the same without you.

Relieved that you are ok.

The only bright spot for Russell Wilson is that he won’t have to face a Rams defense again for four years.   It’s not like he was having a banner year, but has any defense ever made a star QB look like a chump as routinely as the Rams defense has made Wilson look over the past 8 seasons?  Doesn’t matter who the coordinator is, what scheme they run, who the players are…

I agree with wv.  The Broncos didn’t look like they wanted to be playing on Xmas- especially their defense which has been stout all season.  Could be they weren’t ready for the Rams’ heavy use of two tight ends and couldn’t adjust, but to me it looked like they weren’t giving their best effort either.

Akers finally looked like the back they drafted him to be.

I suppose it depends  on whether Donald and Stafford retire.

Obviously replacing the greatest defensive player that ever lived with similar talent is impossible for all practical  purposes, and when Donald leaves you might see that the d-lineman and edge rushers that lined up next to him aren’t as good as they looked.  So, a tune-up becomes a major overhaul.

And losing Stafford would set this team’s ability to compete for a Super Bowl back years.

Lost season due to injuries. I’m not sure this team would have been good enough to  ‘run it back’ anyway given the personnel losses over the offseason, but it’s the injuries that keep them from being competitive.  I see lots of people blaming McVay for poor play calling, not running enough…meh.  I think it’s hard to call a game when the available personnel limits you to about 10% of your playbook.

On another note, Wolford does not look like he belongs on an NFL roster.  Of course, he’s stuck behind the same woeful o-line that has made Stafford look horrid, but he hasn’t  looked good in preseason or any other time since that “gritty but not pretty” performance in the playoffs two seasons ago.  I don’t think developing QBs is something McVay is good at or has the patience for.