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August 22, 2017 at 3:40 pm in reply to: Goff: Dallas pre-season game to end of the pre-season #73025
znModeratorWhat a difference a year makes pic.twitter.com/31V4QKHeu9
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 22, 2017
August 22, 2017 at 2:29 pm in reply to: Martz back peddles about his supposed comments on Sean McVay #73022znModeratorOn the radio, he denies he used the words attributed to him though he did say he said (something along the lines of) McVay’s youth is something that has to be explained.
He states that the quotation attributed to him is embellished and that he would never say anything that way BUT that the basic premise is valid–yes not knowing McVay, he has questions about why such a young head coach.
August 22, 2017 at 2:10 pm in reply to: Martz back peddles about his supposed comments on Sean McVay #73021znModeratorMike Martz…back peddles about his supposed comments on Sean McVay
Here are his original comments:
===
FROM: Jared Goff has the tools to succeed, but does he have the right environment?
Former NFL head coach and offensive guru Mike Martz expressed serious reservations about whether the Rams quarterback can be successful.https://www.sbnation.com/2017/8/22/16182350/jared-goff-rams-sean-mcvay-mike-martz
“I didn’t see anything wrong with them. They were both terrific prospects. I told them I hope and pray they go someplace where they develop quarterbacks.”
In Martz’s estimation, Goff did not while Wentz did.
You have a high-value guy like that and he went to the worst offensive place, the Rams.
“Jared Goff?” asked Martz. “I don’t know if he can play or not, but I do know he couldn’t have gone to a worse place. If you took him and switched him with Dak Prescott in Dallas, who knows what would have happened for Goff there. Goff at Cal came from an offense where they ran as many plays as they could—fast. Jared in college did an amazing job of throwing a true ball off balance, under duress, making things happen. You knew the speed of the NFL would throw that kind of timing off. But he still throws a true ball. The Rams wanted to re-wire him to what? I watched the Rams offense last season. It was awful football. There was nobody there on that staff that could teach him, develop him. You have a high-value guy like that and he went to the worst offensive place, the Rams.”The Rams 2016 season top offensive coaches were assistant head coach/offense Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke.
Martz was asked if he believed new Rams head coach Sean McVay can make a difference for Goff.
“What is he, a couple of months older than Jared? They hired a buddy for Jared. The NFL has nothing to do with being the friend or the buddy of the quarterback. You’ve got to coach them and work them hard with respect. But buddy? And this guy is a quarterback expert? An offensive expert? Wait a minute while I puke. Right, he’s going to be able to teach and handle and guide Jared through tough times because of all of his expertise and knowledge? Right. I’m not going to drink that Kool-Aid.”
Martz said he does not know much about Philadelphia’s offensive staff, but he does know it consists of Frank Reich, a former long-time NFL quarterback, and others with textured offensive backgrounds.
znModerator. I’d have to reread them to refresh my memory, and I don’t really have the desire to do that right now . . . but I think that’s the case.
Yeah that’s a thing of his. His chapters are all 3rd person limited, which is of course just one step back from 1st person. (As opposed to Tolkien, who uses 3rd person omniscient.) Since different chapters are from different POVs, you end up with these layered worlds of different perceptions. In terms of the supernatural, unlike Tolkien, Martin doesn’t explain it–Tolkien of course gives us a “map” of that universe even if the characters can’t see it. With Martin, you see only what world-bound characters can see. One wonderfully odd effect of that is that there are several religions with “true” supernatural elements to them, yet they don’t add up. There’s also false but righteously convinced religious piety (the High Sparrow). For all we know the different magics are all real, separate and different at the supernatural level (there IS a lord of light, and, there IS the magic of the weirwoods and old gods and 3-eyed ravens). OR we’re just seeing snatches of “something” from different and unlinkable angles.
In terms of the supernatural, I don’t think it IS ever supposed to add up…for readers/viewers. It’s impossible to know the “map.” I think that Martin likes or wants to or has to set it up that way. It’s a distinctly anti-Tolkien gesture. In Tolkien we get a creation story and a full exposition of world-to-supernatural world history. In Martin, the weirwood magics are real, at least in part (which may or may not mean there really were old gods), and lord of light priests can resurrect the dead, but we don’t know what the lord of light is or if the human interpretations of him are valid or complete or if the lord of light and weirwood magic are the same thing or are reconceible at some level.
One hint is that the pious Melisandre makes mistakes. That hints that her religion is a human contrivance that taps into something real, but from a limited and ignorant and dogmatic perspective.
Meanwhile one of the resurrected doesn’t even buy into the religion (Jon).
znModeratorJack, there are no conditions under which an eclipse is total all over the face of the planet. That’s impossible. Most places were going to get partial eclipses. They knew in advance which places would get what percentage. I knew in advance what percentage of the eclipse we would get in Maine. That info was out there.
znModeratorBut if Qyborn or the White Walkers do it . . . you’re no longer anything approaching human. You’re a zombie, for all intents and purposes.
Those are different magics remember.
Qyborn is represented as a kind of adventurer who actually really doesn’t know what he’s doing. He blunders along in a neo-scientific way in a world where magic is real but he possesses no real knowledge of it.
The wights aren’t alive, they are more like spirits animating corpses. The magic of the walkers is different.
The priests and priestesses of the lord of light are interesting because they have real magic at their disposal, but at the same time, there is absolutely no indication they really understand it or that through them we get a valid, real picture of a force they call the lord of light. For all we know they tapped into something but have no real idea what it is.
But on the latter. It’s a faint echo of the distant, unknowable magic of the wizards in the Lord of the Rings. The wizards are actually servants of a higher being, but they have no knowledge of who and what it is, and whatever it is, it remains loftily distant from worldly affairs, only sending its own agents to blunder along in the world (wizards). The difference is, Tolkien actually explains that mythology. It’s just that in doing so, he knows more than the wizards, so to speak. Martin has it all entirely from a worldly perspective where we have no idea if the priests/priestesses of the lord of light are right in their religious convictions and explanations, and meanwhile…there IS something actually supernatural going on.
It;s like ancient peoples who understood navigation at a deep level (see Pacific south sea islanders and their extraordinary and very ancient navigation techniques) but did not understand the world and stars and heavenly bodies in any real or valid way.
…
Writers/literary critics tell other writers that you should know everything about your characters and their world, their biographies, the historical contexts, even though you’ll never actually present that, or just present a fraction of it, selectively. It’s a tall order, and I don’t think most writers actually do this much beyond core characters and their slices of the world of the novel(s). I’m guessing Martin hasn’t thought all of this out, either, and his books don’t present the kind of complete world found in Tolkein or Herbert. It’s a highly imaginative rendering, but it comes across sometimes as unsure about its own internal “logic.” He leaves a lot of stuff out that would seem kinda important.
Ironically, mostly cuz of the Internet age, you have legions of fans who put things together and expand his universe far beyond his own presentation . . . At least that’s my dime-store opinion.
My guess is also that he hoped/hopes that through the sheer number of books — he originally just wanted a trilogy — he can do a lot of that without having set it all up up front. This also corresponds with the way most of us write fiction. The process takes on a life of its own. You end up being led by your characters more than you lead them — often. Things just seem to take shape beyond your original plans, and you have these eureka moments that just weren’t there until they are.
The creative process, etc. etc.
I agree with that BUT I also think that he wanted a world where we don’t get explanations and get only partial glimpses. It’s an entirely worldly perspective. For all we know Martin knows exactly why some lord of light rituals work and whether or not it taps into a a real lord of light or something else. But his characters can never really know that (regardless what they believe) and he stays within that frame. It’s the kind of world he sets up. That strikes me as being very deliberate.
And then remember he also attacks religion (the sept thing) and also at the same time there’s an entirely separate/different magic associated with warging but also with the 3-eyed raven thing, which does NOT make reference to the universe of the lord of light.
And in the middle of all that we only get humanized perspectives that are incapable of sorting all that out.
That strikes me as being his temperament and deliberate world-making impulses.
….
znModeratorBut if Qyborn or the White Walkers do it . . . you’re no longer anything approaching human. You’re a zombie, for all intents and purposes.
Those are different magics remember.
Qyborn is represented as a kind of adventurer who actually really doesn’t know what he’s doing. He blunders along in a neo-scientific way in a world where magic is real but he possesses no real knowledge of it.
The wights aren’t alive, they are more like spirits animating corpses. The magic of the walkers is different.
The priests and priestesses of the lord of light are interesting because they have real magic at their disposal, but at the same time, there is absolutely no indication they really understand it or that through them we get a valid, real picture of a force they call the lord of light. For all we know they tapped into something but have no real idea what it is.
But on the latter. It’s a faint echo of the distant, unknowable magic of the wizards in the Lord of the Rings. The wizards are actually servants of a higher being, but they have no knowledge of who and what it is, and whatever it is, it remains loftily distant from worldly affairs, only sending its own agents to blunder along in the world (wizards). The difference is, Tolkien actually explains that mythology. It’s just that in doing so, he knows more than the wizards, so to speak. Martin has it all entirely from a worldly perspective where we have no idea if the priests/priestesses of the lord of light are right in their religious convictions and explanations, and meanwhile…there IS something actually supernatural going on.
It;s like ancient peoples who understood navigation at a deep level (see Pacific south sea islanders and their extraordinary and very ancient navigation techniques) but did not understand the world and stars and heavenly bodies in any real or valid way.
…
znModeratorMy take? Jon downplayed the story that he was brought back from the dead. He said that was an exaggeration. The scars say otherwise.
Yes but what’s the big deal about THAT. That is, it’s not clear what the issue is for Daenerys. Unless it;s high school and only the really cool kids get brought back to life. I mean, she has dragons, is immune to fire, and has dealt with warlocks and witches. So why not a resurrection.
znModeratorOK, now how many top 10 offenses do we play?
I am less worried about that personally, but, it;s a good question and here goes.
I break it down this way. I look at top 12 offenses and bottom 12 offenses.
They play 6 teams in 7 games against bottom 12 offenses.
They play 7 teams in 9 games against top 12 offenses. (They actually play 3 of the top 5: New Orleans, Washington, Dallas).
Just top 10 offenses, it;s 6 of them. But one (Indy) could be without their starting qb.
…
…
znModeratorI watched the latest episode again, and i liked it a lot less. Too many plot contrivances.
And i dont like what they’ve done to Arya. She should be smarter. They’ve made her seem pretty dum.
Good series, enjoyable series, but the writers/producers have failed this season. Big fail, imho. My question is, is that because the writers were never that good, and it was all George RR Martin? Or is the main problem the producers decision to shorten the season.
w
vI agree with that. I will say this though—they still set up many great set pieces. It’s just that the connecting tissue between them is completely ragged.
7 episodes was not good. For example in the events of episode 6, we should have also seen Bran and Sam Tarly and probably have glanced in on Euron and Missandei and Greyworm. So it should have been 2 episodes, really.
Why is it a big deal to Daeneryis that Jon is all scarred up?
….
August 22, 2017 at 9:34 am in reply to: how fare Brown & Havenstein? …including a detailed look at JB v. Oakland #73000znModeratorTexasRam wrote:
I rewatched all 33 snaps Jamon Brown had vs the Raiders. I didn’t review Brown as closely the first game but i know he was overcriticized for that first run block fail. He played a lot more snaps in this game so I wanted to evaluate him in this one to really get a feel for where he is at.
I was really impressed. He had some awesome battles in the trenches with Mack that was great to watch and very promising. He is real smooth at this stage at recognizing and adjusting to the stunts and varied blitz’s.
The only thing that is bothersome is he doesn’t at times lock on long enough. But it seems in pass pro he is giving just enough time. He is not like GRob who just got ran right my at times. Jamon gets an initial lock and mirrors nicely. But he can be eventually beat which may cause issues for longer developing passes if we go to that down the road. The other thing you want to see is how he matches up against top Dlineman. He handled Mack OK but what happens when he faces Pro Bowl DT’s? These dudes he faced were rookies.
Here is my unbiased report.
Jamon Brown vs Raiders
Summary: Jamon showed very quick feet, good power and good assignment awareness knowing who to block and where to go on each play. He stood up well on several occasions vs defensive plays of the year Khalil Mack. He also went up against rookies 94 Eddie Vanderdoes (3rd rounder) and 90 Trayvon Hester (7th round) and won almost every battle. Jamon needs work on locking on to defenders to sustain his blocks longer and staying balanced in pass pro more consistently. He showed impressive reaction and awareness vs stunts in this game.
Total plays: 33
Rating totals vs Raiders:
Very good – 6
Better than normal plays of Pro Bowl caliber.Good – 23
Serviceable plays where you did your job.Bad – 4
Plays where you hurt the team or need workVery bad – 0
Plays where you got owned.All 33 plays: (These are my rough chicken scratch notes i jotted down when I reviewed each snap. Please excuse the punctuation, grammar, spelling etc.)
1 run -loses engage man makes tackle or is close. Bad.
2 pass -good sustained protection. Good.
3 run – pulls to left side to help open a hole for Gurley on 3rd and 1. Moves guy back with power. Very good.
4 pass- play action. He slides to left to help sell the play action which results in first down pass to Woods. Good.
5 run – this is the play where Oline moves pile for 9 yards. Brown stonewalls his man on the right side on a nice seal block. Good.
6 run – shoots out to take out #57 right inside linebacker moving him back 8 yards to open hole for Gurley for 9 yards. Very good.
7 pass – play action. This was the big gainer to Everett. Brown shoots out to take out ILB #57, initial push but then quickly disengaged by 57 who then covers up Gurley on the pass. Need to sustain block better with hands. Bad.
8 pass – play action TD to Kupp. Slides left to sell play action. Good.
9 run – blocks NT #94 to left on a Gurley outside zone run to right. Almost lost hand engage but didn’t. Sustained seal block for duration of run. Good.
10 pass – the Mack sack splitting the TE’s. Brown with initial team chip block on 94 with Havenstein. Then keeps head up but no one else to block really. Good.
11 pass – the dump to Gurley play. Initial chip block on 94 with sully then quick slide to pickup and double Mack with sully as 94 stunts to outside. Super job blocking Mack! Very good.
12 run – Gurley run to left. Brown chips 94 and then try’s to shoot out to block LBers but they are already too far away. Looks like either he shouldn’t have chipped or shouldn’t have shooter out. Not sure. Neutral play but let’s go good. Good.
13 pass -slides to block 94 on a Kupp first down pass to right. Nice feet and nice mirroring to his right. No pressure. Good.
14 pass – play action to left. Another play where the whole line student body’s left on the fake to Gurley and Goff rolls right. He did his job selling it though Mack rushed fast to force Goff throw away. Good.
15 pass – 1st down pass to Higbee. Good initial punch and block by Brown on 94. Then Mack comes hard to Brown’s right on a switch. Brown picks up Mack and 94 curls around Havenstein for a hard pressure. Goff gets it off in time. Brown might have got called for hooking Mack here, but it was a bang bang play and looked like good veteran technique because the hook was gone quickly. Mack is powerful and Brown stood slowed him for at least a second before Mack got loose. Good.
16 run – very nice seal block on #90 while Gurley runs for 8 to the right. Good.
17 pass – Kupp to the 2 yard line. Raiders come with safety blitz to Havenstein with Brown drawing Mack one on one and Sully with #90. Brown fighting intensely to hold off Mack. Everyone needs to Behold this. Mack comes in like a bull ramming Brown two yards back off the spot as Brown is in his pass pro pocket drop. Mack then Rams Brown a 2nd time another yard back while Brown finally finds his footing and locks onto Mack to WWF Mack off balance to the ground. Brown gives up a lot of ground on this play to push the pocket more than ideal but ultimately stops Mack. Because of the fact of who Brown was battling here one on one, he gets a very good. Very Good.
18 run – gurely TD. Brown stands up # 90 and gets about a 1 yard push on him. Gurley runs behind Brown for TD. Good.
19 pass – quick pass – brown slides to right to help double 94. Shows quick feet and recognition. Good.
20 pass – underneath to Malcom Brown. Jamon draws 94 one on one. Holds pocket for sufficient time before 94 finally shakes lose. Pass already thrown. This would have been a pressure or sack if Goff needed extended time but because Jamon held defender for reasonable time he gets positive grade. This play is Another example of how Brown doesn’t sustain blocks long like the other lineman which is a concern. But his quick feet, understanding of assignment and initial engagement with defender provides serviceable pass protection. Good.
21 pass – underneath pass to Kupp for 18. Brown doubles DE 91 with Havenstein. Nice assign ment awareness. Which I’ll henceforth abbreviate as AA. Brown shows a lot of AA. Good
22 run – up the middle. Brown helps center push NT back 3 yards for nice 3 yard gain. Good.
23 run – to right side. Brown shoots out to find a LB to push. Doesn’t really locate anyone. Pushes pile around in a nice 5 yard gain by Malcom. Good.
24 pass – first down to Sammy. Short pass. Brown Mirrors 90 nicely in pass protection. Again provided nice pass protection for adequate pocket time but right at the end his guy sort of starts shaking free compared to how our other lineman stonewall guys a Bit longer. Good.
25 run – chip blocks 90 then shoots out to get second level block can’t find a man then safety # 27 runs right past him. #90 gets half tackle because brown didn’t chip him long enough. This seems to be a timing thing and coachable. I’ll
Give him bad here just because his guy made the play and it’s something he will need to work on to be a complete blocker. Bad26 pass – WR screen to Sammy for not much. Brown shoots out quickly but doesn’t get there in time to get a block.
Good AA of where he is supposed to be. Maybe needs to work on finding someone to block a little better. Good.27 pass – quick pass to Kupp to the left for 1st down. Brown initial good setup to block 94 then gets off balance and loses his man. Would have been sack or pressure if it wasn’t a quick pass. Need to work on staying balanced and locking on with hands. Bad.
28 pass – play action pass to Everett to the right. Another student body left for the Oline. Brown sells it fine. Good.
29 pass – Sammy TD drop. Brown fighting hard with 94. Mirrors good but gets pushed off balance. A little shaky but does the job of giving Goff just enough time. Good.
30 pass – underneath to Malcom. Initial block on 94 Who stunts with #47, Brown seamlessly switched picking up 47 perfectly and stonewalls 47 backwards for perfect team pass pro. Very good.
31 run – shoots out and power blocks #57 out of the play. Moves 57 completely out of play with power and hand usage. Very good.
32 pass – Brown blocks 94 into Havenstein on handoff then picks up 97 perfectly. Good.
33 pass – quick pass to Kupp bringing on Fg unit. Brown fires out to try to pickup a block for Kupp on the WR screen. Nothing to block. Nice AA. Good.
End of first half. Brown done for the night.
August 22, 2017 at 12:32 am in reply to: will Kupp come through (the Kupp saga starting 7/26) #72988znModeratorThus far, it’s been a super preseason for Rams receiver Cooper Kupp
RICH HAMMOND
UBLISHED: August 21, 2017 at 6:04 pm | UPDATED: August 21, 2017 at 6:05 pm
THOUSAND OAKS — Yes, it’s just preseason. Before that, it was just OTAs. Before that, it was just the Big Sky Conference. At every turn, Cooper Kupp has faced doubters, and turned them around.The stakes have reached their apex. Kupp, a former small-school standout at Eastern Washington, now is preparing for his NFL regular-season debut, and the Rams’ third-round draft pick seems ready, as always.
In two preseason games, Kupp has eight catches for 105 yards and one touchdown. Also, seven of Kupp’s eight catches have resulted in Rams first downs, and he seems to have carved out a role for himself as quarterback Jared Goff’s safety net on third down.
The preseason hype machine has been known to swallow up rookies, but Kupp gave an almost embarrassed laugh when asked if his level of preseason success caught him off guard.
“I wouldn’t say I’m surprising myself,” Kupp said after Monday’s practice at Cal Lutheran, “because I do have an expectation level, and I expect myself to perform well on the field. So I wouldn’t say that, but I would say that I’m around some really good football players and really good coaches, who put me in some good positions. I’ve just been fortunate to make some plays when they call my number.”
The question about Kupp a few months ago was whether he could adjust to the competition level. It’s a big jump for a receiver whose last game in California was against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Still, other than a lack of overwhelming speed, Kupp seemingly has the tools to be a valuable possession receiver in the NFL. He has good size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and excellent hands, and coaches have raved about Kupp’s intelligence. With Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods set to hold down spots as outside receivers, Kupp will have a chance to thrive in the middle of the field.
Kupp thrived in last Saturday’s victory over Oakland, when he caught six passes for 70 yards.
“He’s a great player,” Goff said after Saturday’s game. “He makes it easy for me, with the way he runs his routes and how friendly of a target he is. He made a couple really good catches, contested catches, that were big-time for us and moved the chains. We expect similar results from him in the future as well.”
Kupp’s highlight play was a 23-yard touchdown catch from Goff, in which Kupp almost instantly got wide open and easily caught the ball in the end zone, but Kupp also had three third-down catches that extended drives.
The most impressive catch came in the second half, when Kupp reached low to pull in a ball that almost hit the ground, then maintained control as he hit the turf.
“That’s one of those things,” Kupp said. “Third down in traffic, and Jared threw a good ball. He put it low to protect his receivers, and it’s my job to make that play on that third down and keep the chains moving.”
August 22, 2017 at 12:28 am in reply to: will Kupp come through (the Kupp saga starting 7/26) #72987znModeratorPFF: Rams WR Cooper Kupp leads the NFL in WR Rating
GORDON MCGUINNESS •
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-rams-wr-cooper-kupp-leads-the-nfl-in-wr-rating
Of the 24 wide receivers to have seen at least nine passes thrown their way this preseason, none have a higher wide receiver rating (passer rating for quarterbacks throwing to that receiver) than Los Angeles Rams rookie Cooper Kupp, who has posted a rating of 143.8 after picking up 105 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions.
Kupp has also averaged 3.18 yards per route run so far this August, ranking second among the 67 wide receivers who have played at least 30 receiving snaps.
The former Eastern Washington wide receiver was one of the most productive wide receivers in college football in 2016, dominating at an FCS level and averaging 3.32 yards per route run over the course of the season.
znModerator– Cowheard, Whitlock, and others
– Dickerson, S Sharp, Skip Bayless
znModeratorHead Coach Sean McVay – August 21, 2017
(On his players not getting too confident after a solid start to the preseason)
“That’s exactly right. It’s part of the process. We’re still focusing on getting better every single day, building towards that September 10th date against the Colts. But, I think training camp and the preseason offers a great opportunity for us to go against other teams, see how we measure up, while also being mindful that we’ve still got to get better. There’s a lot of things that we can clean up in all three phases. As long as the guys have that approach and that mindset, we’ll give ourselves a chance to make those incremental improvements and that’s what’s going to be conducive for sustained success.”
(On if he thinks there will be some animosity heading into this game after the joint practices with the Chargers)
“I think it’s going to be a great, competitive game. We have a lot of respect for the Chargers. I thought being able to practice against them gives you a large amount of respect for what they represent as a football team, what they bring to the table. We’re hoping that it will be a good, competitive game where we’ll play within the framework of the rules and that’s what we expect from our players.”
(On why he was smiling during his last answer)
“I’m just thinking about what happened at that last practice, that’s why I was smiling. After that – what happened early on in the practice, guys got a little excited, but I thought it was a good example of them regaining their poise on both teams and finding a way to finish out the practice where we both got a lot of good work. I’m looking forward to playing them again this week. I think it will be a great opportunity for us.”
(On how practice went today)
“Practice was good. Anytime that you come off of a day off, you always want to be mindful of not being sluggish. I thought we had a good walk-thru earlier on and then we had shells on today, but we were able to get a lot of good situational work. We finished up with some two-minute stuff there at the end and I thought the energy and the focus and concentration was excellent. It’s a credit to the players being ready to go. We definitely got something out of it today.”
(On if any of the players that didn’t play against Oakland practiced today)
“(LB) Mark (Barron) and (CB) Kayvon Webster were out there. Mark Barron, Kayvon Webster, (OLB) Robert Quinn got some individual stuff. (WR) Tavon (Austin) is still working with (Director/Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott) and his training staff as far as that day-to-day with the hamstring. More than likely he’ll be out again this week. That’s kind of the assumption that I have based on just the information that I’m getting, but the signs are very positive. In terms of how the next week is handled will remain to be seen. I know that Tavon wants to get out there, but I would imagine that he will probably miss this game as well.”
(On if OLB Robert Quinn is dealing with an active injury or if it is more of a maintenance thing)
“A lot of it is preventative maintenance. We’ve got some different guys, some of those veteran players where Robert’s one of our more veteran players, on a maintenance program. He obviously had the hand thing in the offseason program, so being mindful of just getting him back and being smart about how we approach the season and him being at his best September 10th is really the key for us. It’s very similar to those guys, some of those veteran players like the (T Andrew) Whitworth’s, the (C) John Sullivan’s and the (G Rodger) Saffold’s and Robert is one of those guys that fits within the framework of our maintenance program that we have for some of our veteran players.”
(On if he thinks Quinn will get some reps against the Chargers)
“That’s something that we’re going to determine with (defensive coordinator) Wade (Phillips) and his staff and then really talk with Reggie and them because what you have to balance is the dynamic between putting him out there or continuing on with this progressive program that we do have in place – mindful of that September 10th date as kind of where you want to cap it off. If we feel like getting him out there with his teammates is going to be worth it, then we’ll end up doing that. But we’re going to do what’s best for Robert and then for our team, being mindful of that date with the Colts.”
(On how much of the decision about Quinn’s reps have been due to his prior injury history)
“I think it’s just being mindful of just an experienced veteran that has missed some time and doing all the little things to take care of him. He’s done a great job. He’s a joy to be around. I really enjoy Robert and I know he’s a guy that you always have to pull him back because he wants to be out there competing with his teammates and that’s a good thing. That’s what you want to be able to do, is have to protect some of our good players from themselves because they want to work so hard and do so much.”
(On how he thinks WR Sammy Watkins has settled in with the team)
“Well I think he’s fit in great with the team, like I mentioned I’ve been very impressed with his ability to absorb a lot of the information. You have an appreciation for how much we’ve done from the beginning of the offseason program to where we’re at now in training camp. I think our team as a whole has done a good job kind of absorbing the new systems especially on offense and defense. Sammy’s a good natural football player. I thought he made a couple key plays, that third down was a big time play even though it’s a four or five-yard gain, but it moves the chains. He’ll continue to get more and more comfortable. The first play of 7-on-7, he makes a big play down the field today. I think you’ll continue to see him, like he’s mentioned to you guys, get more comfortable and that’ll enable him to be able to play faster where he’s not really thinking and then you can just kind of let your talent show and be the best version of yourself.”
(On QB Jared Goff’s improvement each week of the preseason)
“I think getting that experience where he got a chance to play eight and then 37 snaps was very important as well. But, like we talk about, I think its credit to all 11 on the offensive side of the football. The offensive line did their jobs – tight ends, receivers, running backs. Then, I thought (QB) Jared (Goff) did a good job making good decisions. But, when you look at some of the protection that he was able to have, that enabled him to be able to work through his progressions, make good decisions, we were able to stay on schedule, so you can get some of your different things that tie in off those run actions. I think that’s a credit to the offense as a whole, and him leading the charge being that kind of point guard distributor, if you will, was a key to some of the success we were able to have.”
(On what he thinks was the key for his Redskins’ offense’s success with the play-action pass last season)
“Good players. We had some really good players there. I think it’s that marriage, you know like you said, you want to be able to be efficient in both phases to make people honor it. We did run the football pretty efficiently. I just had to give us a little bit more opportunity in terms of calling some of those runs last year. But, I thought our quarterback and our receivers and skilled players did an excellent job and the linemen and (assistant head coach/offensive line) coach (Bill) Callahan did a great job kind of with the sell upfront. Ultimately, you’re able to have some success, it’s a credit to the player’s ability to execute and that’s a big reason why I was fortunate to be a part of an offense that had some success.”
(On if he watched the eclipse)
“I did not. I saw a good couple jabs that people took at me about that with the shades coming down on me (laughs).”
(On if any of the players watched it)
“They did. A lot of the guys were talking about it today. It was something that you heard guys frequently discussing. I was just holed up in the office with no window and I didn’t see it.”
znModeratorI’m fine with the “bring back a wight” idea.
In fact I don’t know what’s supposedly wrong with it, to be honest.
August 21, 2017 at 10:45 am in reply to: Goff: Dallas pre-season game to end of the pre-season #72954znModeratorSean McVay appreciates the little things from Jared Goff
Alden Gonzalez
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Jared Goff found Cooper Kupp wide open for a 23-yard touchdown pass in his first drive on Saturday. He fired a dart off his back foot to Tyler Higbee as he came across the field at one point. On another, he lofted a perfectly placed deep ball to Sammy Watkins that was broken up near the end zone. Goff finished an eventual 24-21 road win against the Oakland Raiders 16-of-20 for 160 yards and a touchdown, in what might have been the most encouraging performance of his short NFL career.
Rams coach Sean McVay was most impressed by the little things.
One came in the third possession, on first-and-10 from the Raiders’ 31-yard line. McVay called play-action, but Khalil Mack got around the edge and was in Goff’s face as soon as he turned around from the fake handoff. Goff immediately threw it away to preserve field position.
“That’s a great play that maybe nobody notices because it was the only play,” McVay said. “That’s being a good decision-maker.”
Another came on third down and resulted in Watkins’ first catch with the Rams. It was only a five-yard pass, on a crossing route that allowed Watkins to find the seam. But McVay liked the way Goff stepped up in the pocket to deliver the throw with the rush coming.
“He shortened up his fourth and fifth steps, stepped up, slid, kept two hands on the ball and then throws a nice, accurate throw,” McVay said. “It’s only going to go down in the books as a [five]-yard completion on the shallow cross, but that’s good quarterback play right there. That’s being a good decision-maker; that’s playing in the rhythm and timing of the offense that we want.”
znModeratorUmmm, do a guy a solid and post a spoiler alert for a change.
Not all of us can see GOT the night it airs.
So, check your privilege, Councilor.
I suppose you don’t want to hear about Jon Snow marrying Cersei than either.
Okay mum’s the word.
znModeratorKupp Off to a Strong Start in the Preseason
By Kristen Lago
For the second week in a row, the Rams pulled off a preseason victory, defeating the Raiders in Oakland 24-21. And while the preseason games are exhibition matches in nature, Rams’ fans can still find plenty to get excited about from Saturday night’s comeback win.
In last week’s preseason win over the Cowboys, the Rams’ first-team offense was in for just eight plays, culminating in Cooper Kupp’s fumble recovery in the end zone.
On Saturday night Jared Goff and much of the receiving corps played the majority of first two quarters — and once again, the opening drive featured an exciting touchdown play from Kupp.
“You see it — he’s very reliable, understands the game,” McVay said. “You watch the way that he’s able to contribute in some of those crunch-time plays [and] he just does all the little things the right way.”
On Saturday, Kupp led the Rams’ with six receptions for 70 yards. The highlight of which came early on when quarterback Jared Goff aired it out to a wide-open Kupp for a 23-yard touchdown play in the corner of the end zone.
“It was planned like that,” Goff said of Kupp’s route. “We had run it in practice and had a similar result — Cooper kind of running free there. And came out, saw him running free, and just put it up there.”
“I was good,” Kupp added. “A great play call. I didn’t really have to do much, just run into a spot. Everyone else did their job and it just left me wide open. So it was a lot of fun”
Plus, Kupp was able to move the chains, recording half of his receptions on third down.
“He makes it easy for me, the way he runs his routes, and how friendly of a target he is,” Goff said. “He made a couple really great catches, contested catches today that were big time for us, [and] moved the chains.”
Since the draft there has been plenty of hype surrounding the third-round pick out of Eastern Washington. And after two preseason games and a touchdown in each, the rookie receiver appears to be living up to it.
“It’s just one of those things where you continue to get comfortable when you catch the ball and get a feel for who’s around you without really having to look and see who’s around you,” Kupp said after the game. “Just continue to play faster, play in and play out. I think that will just continue to happen with more reps, the farther we get going through it.”
And as the regular season officially draws closer, Kupp should prove to be one rookie to keep an eye on this year.
“There’s a lot of examples of some younger players who we’re leaning on and counting on to be big-time contributors for us this year. And it’s been a good sign so far,” McVay said. “Very pleased with him.”
znModeratorProfessor Sosa
Professor Sosa will be handing out some nice grades!
by Sosa Kremenjas@SosaNFLDraft
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/8/20/16176226/los-angeles-rams-nfl-preseason-week-2-jared-goff-cooper-kupp-oakland-raiders-gerald-everettI would have given this an “A+”, but let me explain. First, starter at QB, Jared Goff was great. He was pinpoint accurate all around, made great decisions, and moved the ball with ease and effectiveness. He gets an A+, but I knock this grade down a bit because Sean Mannion was ineffective for majority of the night.
Running Backs
B gradeI’ll hand the RB’s a solid “B”. Starting RB Todd Gurley looked decisive, ran with power and vision, and fought for yardage. He looked like the old Todd Gurley. Backup RB Malcolm Brown only had nine carries for 13 yards, and two catches to boot. He looked strong and tough as well, though he wasn’t very productive. Justin Davis chipped in with five carries for eight yards.
Wide Receivers
A minus gradeThe wideouts had a game to remember, specifically rookie WR Cooper Kupp. He finished with six catches for 70 yards and one touchdown. He almost had another touchdown but was stopped at the one yard line. Mike Thomas and Pharoh Cooper were productive and tough across the middle. Rookie WR Josh Reynolds pulled down an impressive 20-yard touchdown, and Sammy Watkins reeled in his first Ram reception.
Tight Ends
B minus gradeNothing too crazy from the TE’s. Rookie TE Gerald Everett looked great, specifically scooping up more RAC on short passes and catching most of the balls that came his way. Starting TE Tyler Higbee also had a 12-yard reception.
Offensive Line
B plus gradeThe starting offensive line looked very good all night. Jared Goff typically had great protection all night (sans one play where Higbee and Everett tried to block Khalil Mack), and even opened plenty of space for Todd Gurley. The backup offensive line was average all the way around, with Jake Eldrenkamp and Austin Blythe showing some real prowess in the running game.
Defensive Line
C+The main standout in this group was NT Mike Purcell. He was super effective in his main role of plugging gaps and stopping the run, he also had a big TFL that looked Aaron Donald-like. Morgan Fox also showed plenty of athleticism, and rookie Tanzel Smart nearly piled up another sack.
Linebackers
C+There wasn’t much of a standout in this group. Alec Ogletree and Cory Littleton started at ILB with the first-team defense, and Bryce Hager, Kevin Davis, and Josh Forrest all got time at ILB. In terms of pass rushers, Matt Longacre once again stood out. Carlos Thompson picked up an injury, and it looked serious. Best wishes Carlos, lets hope for a speedy recovery!
Defensive Backs
B minus gradeStarting number one CB Trumaine Johnson pulled down an impressive INT in which he bated Derek Carr into throwing it. Troy Hill once again got embarrassed, and did not look good. Nickel CB Blake Countess had a few impressive plays, and was ranked as PFF’s top performer of the game. Cody Davis and Isaiah Johnson both stood out from the Safety position as well.
Special Teams
B gradeNo missed extra points, no missed field goals, only a terrible 15-yard punt from Travis Coons (who for the record is a Kicker) brings this grade down.
Coaching
A plus gradeCoaching gets an A+ from me. Last week the Rams fumbled anywhere from 5-7 times depending on who you ask, and this week? None. Also, the offense was clicking early and often, and the second and third team defenders were nifty and tough all night. The coaches get a hat tip from me.
znModeratorJared Goff, Rams offense show real improvement against Raiders
VINCENT BONSIGNORE
OAKLAND — Jared Goff lofted a deep ball at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on Saturday night. Sammy Watkins, the Rams’ dynamic new wide receiver, galloped toward the end zone as the ball fell from the night. But just as it was about to settle into Watkins’ hands, a Raiders cornerback swatted it away.
On a night in which just about everything went right for Goff, the Rams and what appears to be their rapidly developing new offensive, the near touchdown elicited smiles rather than grimaces afterward.
Maybe it’s the feeling that play will be there for the Rams’ taking again sometime soon. And, if Goff launches the ball exactly the same as he did Saturday it almost assuredly will result in a touchdown.
“I told him on the sideline I’m going to keep throwing to him,” Goff said.
Or maybe it was just the realization that as good as things go sometimes – and they went pretty darn-near perfect for Goff and the offense Saturday – you just aren’t going to connect on every play.Whatever the catalyst, with the Rams offense humming in a way we just haven’t seen in awhile and with Goff looking every bit like the quarterback drafted first overall last year rather than the rookie that struggled all of his first season, the Rams could actually appreciate the near miss rather than lament it.
It was that kind of night for the Rams, whose first-team offense marched up and down the field against the Raiders while scoring 17 points in three drives.
And in the process, revealed a young quarterback in Goff who stood tall and poised in the pocket to pick the Raiders apart on 16-of-20 passing for 160 yards and a touchown. An offensive line that protected him – the only sack given up was when Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack savagely split open a tight end double-team – a rookie wide receiver in Cooper Kupp who keeps getting open against NFL defensive backs, and a creative offensive scheme under new coach Sean McVay that, coupled with the vast improvements at wide receiver, line and Goff, might finally add some excitement and firepower to that side of the line of scrimmage.
Even Todd Gurley looked better while averaging 4.8 yards per carry on eight touches.
It was only one night.
And a preseason game at that.
But even on a night a would-be touchdown went awry, there sure was plenty to smile about after Goff and the offense shredded the Raiders in a 24-21 victory.
“Once we moved the ball, got a couple of first downs and got into a rhythm, I think we could definitely feel it,” Goff said. “Certainly by the end of that second drive we felt like we had a good tempo going and we were able to move the ball on almost every down.”
That kind of efficiency has been hard to find with the Rams for so long, it seemed almost a shock to hear players and coaches openly talk about it.
The reality is, it’s probably to be expected. Or at least cautiously anticipated.
The Rams went deep this offseason to build a smoother road on which Goff at least had a fighting chance to reach his ceiling. And in turn, help pull the Rams offense into this century.
For all the flack the second-year quarterback took in a regrettable rookie season, no quarterback can muster much production when he’s playing under duress almost every time he drops back to pass, doesn’t have viable targets to throw to and has no running game to lean on in support.
The additions of left tackle Andrew Whitworth, center John Sullivan, receivers Kupp, Watkins, Robert Woods and Gerald Everett and the hiring of McVay were the Rams putting money and attention toward glaring problems. And from offseason workouts to their recently concluded training camp to the first two preseason games, it’s obvious those changes are taking hold.
And in the process, presenting us with a Goff who can now showcase the elite skill-set that pushed him to the top of the 2016 draft and the bevy of new toys he has to work with.
“I thought collectively our offensive line did a great job, Jared did a good job getting the ball out of his hands and the receivers and tight ends separated n the timing and rhythm of the play,” McVay said.
Kupp caught six passes for 70 yards and was a big-time target on third downs to keep drives alive.
“He’s great player,” Goff said. “He makes it easy for me, the way he runs his routes. He made some really good catches, contested catches, that were big time for us, moved the chains. We expect the same results in the future.”
Woods made two others for 19 yards. Everett, a rookie tight end from South Alabama, had four catches for 30 yards and a flashy 23-yarder to keep the chains moving.
Goff looked confident and alert spreading the ball around, and according to Pro Football Focus he completed 75 percent of his passes in which he wasn’t under pressure.
Amazing how that works, isn’t it?
You can’t discount what Goff did. He was billed as an accurate thrower coming out of Cal and a good decision-maker on where to go with the ball. He was every bit of that Saturday. But he also showed solid footwork in moving his pocket from time to time to buy an extra second or two for a receiver to break open before delivering solid throws.
It isn’t reason to celebrate. Yet.
But certainly it’s something real, something solid, to build on.
In particular, the 23-yard touchdown throw to Kupp in which Goff showed some nice footwork and alertness to let the play develop and then found the wide open Kupp for a touchdown.
“It was planned like that,” Goff said. “We ran it in practice with similar results, Cooper ran free. Came out, saw it, put the ball up.”
And to think, all of this after Goff opened this week in practice getting bitten by the interception bug, including three on Monday that, had the ball bounced differently could have been five.
By Saturday, he was razor sharp.
“My experience with Jared to this point is Jared is nothing but a mentally tough guy who has got resilience and the ability to respond when things don’t work out,” McVay said. “I think he’s able to take it for what it is and learn from it moving forward but I think it’s also our job as coaches to put him in situations that are conducive to making good decisions consistently.”
That happened quite a bit Saturday.
And it’s not to far-fetched to think that might be the norm this year rather than the exception.
znModeratorIs it finally time to believe in the Rams’ offense?
Alden Gonzalez
Jared Goff was calm and precise, Todd Gurley ran with patience and ferocity, and a collection of receivers — rookies like Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett, veterans like Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins — made plays all over the field.
It was only a preseason game, not even an entire half of NFL football. But the way the starters navigated through an eventual 24-21 win on Saturday night allowed one to believe, for the first time in a long time, that the Los Angeles Rams may actually have a functional offense.
On the road, against a good Oakland Raiders team with no injured starters, the Rams’ first-team offense moved the ball effectively and efficiently, converting on six of eight third-down attempts while scoring two touchdowns and a field goal on four possessions.
Goff completed 16 of 20 passes for 160 yards, Gurley needed only eight carries to compile 38 yards on the ground, and Kupp hauled in six of seven targets to gain 70 yards through the air. Then there was Everett, who gained 24 yards thanks to a nice cut-back move near the sidelines. And Woods, coming in motion to turn a short pass into a 10-yard gain. And Watkins, finding the seam to pick up one of 12 first downs for the first-team offense in his first game with the Rams.
Keep in mind: Watkins has only been here a week.
“I’m catching onto it pretty quick,” Watkins, who finished with two catches for 8 yards, told reporters after the game. “I’ve got to get into a situation where I am not thinking. I am still thinking about the play and what I need to do. Once I get over that hump, I can go out there and play fast and make plays.”
The Rams have been last in the NFL in yards each of the last two years, and their offense has fallen outside the top 20 in defense-adjusted value over average after every season over the last decade. But if Saturday was any indication, first-year head coach Sean McVay, the 31-year-old offensive mastermind, is already making a significant impact.
It all started with an effective running game, the type that never really showed itself amid a 4-12 season in 2016.
Gurley, described by McVay as a “violent runner” in the Rams’ first joint practice, set the tone early. He gained 3 yards on a second effort to convert on the Rams’ first third-down attempt, then pushed the pile for a 9-yard gain and picked up another 8 along the left side. Two plays later, Goff ran play action, rolled right and found a wide-open Kupp over the top for a 23-yard touchdown pass to end the first drive.
In quotes provided by the Rams at halftime, Gurley said he “wanted to focus really on just being patient. Sometimes I feel like I’m running a little too fast and miss things, so I was just trying to be patient.”
“Any time you can run the ball, it opens up so much in your offense,” Goff said after the game. “It’s no different for us. Having a guy as special as [Gurley] is, both running the ball out of the backfield and catching the ball, it can open up everything.”
McVay often compares ideal quarterbacks to point guards who distribute the ball to an assortment of playmakers, and Goff did just that on Saturday. He completed passes to seven receivers, including Tyler Higbee, Malcolm Brown, Watkins, Woods, Everett, Kupp and Gurley. After going three-and-out on his second drive, Goff got help from a Trumaine Johnson interception and marched the Rams 46 yards on eight plays for a touchdown in his third.
He gained 11 yards by finding Kupp on the outside, picked up another 12 on a great throw to Higbee near the opposite sideline and nearly hooked up with Watkins downfield, throwing a perfectly placed pass that was batted away. An 8-yard run by Gurley made it third-and-2, and a nine-yard, juggling catch by Kupp put the ball on the 2-yard line, allowing Gurley to punch it in.
Goff’s performance came after a week when he threw six interceptions in a three-day span during practice.
“My experience up to this point with Goff is that he’s showing me that he’s nothing but a mentally tough guy,” McVay said. “He has great resilience and the ability to respond when things don’t work out.”
One of the keys was manageable third-down situations. The Rams needed more than 5 yards to move the sticks on only two of their eight third-down attempts. One of those was the result of Goff’s only glaring mistake of the night, when he waited too long to uncork a deep ball to an open Woods and absorbed a sack from Khalil Mack, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Aside from that, Goff operated out of a clean pocket. He was decisive in his reads, and he benefitted from the balance of an effective Gurley.
Maybe it’s time to believe in the Rams’ offense again.
“It seemed like we were able to get into a pretty good rhythm,” McVay said. “… Overall, very pleased with the offensive effort.”
znModeratorWhat we learned in the Rams’ 24-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders
Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-what-we-learned-raiders-20170820-story.html
What we learned in the Rams’ 24-21 preseason victory over the Oakland Raiders:
Jared Goff is comfortable in Northern California
The Rams’ second-year quarterback looked like a seasoned veteran at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium, where he said he played once during high school.
Goff completed 16 of 20 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions, in less than two quarters of work.
Goff shook off a couple of rough practice days last week and looked confident running the offense. He appeared to just miss on a pass into the end zone for Sammy Watkins, a defender knocking it away at the last moment.
The Rams would be thrilled if Goff plays that well in his next trip to the Bay Area — a Week 3 Thursday night game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Running back Todd Gurley can carry a load
On a night when Gurley showed flashes of his rookie form, his most impressive run was a nine-yard gain that called for him to carry nearly the entire Raiders defense.
Gurley took a handoff and disappeared under a group of black jerseys. But Gurley kept his legs moving and advanced the ball for a first down.
Gurley rushed for 38 yards in eight carries and scored a touchdown. He also caught a 12-yard pass.
Tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett need more blocking practice
Raiders end Khalil Mack is not easy to handle regardless of experience.
But second-year pro Higbee and rookie Gerald Everett appeared to let Mack get an easy shot at Goff for a sack.
Goff bounced up and completed a pass to Gurley on the next play.
Still, the Rams cannot let defenders get clean shots at Goff, especially someone such as Mack, the NFL’s 2016 defensive player of the year.
Sammy Watkins makes a difference just by being on the field
Watkins, playing in his first game for the Rams, was targeted four times and caught two short passes from Goff.
But the mere threat of Watkins requires defensive attention and opens the field for others.
Watkins was in the starting lineup along with Robert Woods and rookie Cooper Kupp.
Kupp was targeted seven times and caught six passes for 70 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown.
Woods caught two passes for 19 yards.
Rams’ Todd Gurley looks more like his old self with increased workload against the Raiders
Josh Reynolds is a red-zone threat
The rookie receiver from Texas A&M scored the game-winning touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Sean Mannion.
Reynolds, the Rams’ tallest receiver at 6-foot-3, beat a defender in the end zone. Immediately afterward, he remained composed as if he had scored 100 touchdowns in the NFL
That was Reynolds’ first.
Trumaine Johnson is motivated to prove his worth
The Rams decided not to give the veteran cornerback an extension, so he is playing the season under the franchise tag and then will hit the open market.
Johnson intercepted two passes by Goff during practice last week before picking off a pass by Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The play set up the Rams’ second touchdown.
Johnson has looked more like the player who intercepted seven passes in 2015, not the one who had only one interception last season.
Ball-security drills might really work
After the Rams fumbled five times against the Dallas Cowboys, coach Sean McVay put the Rams through ball-security drills in every practice last week.
The emphasis paid dividends: the Rams fumbled only once against the Raiders and did not lose the ball.
We’ll learn more when Rams play the Chargers
The offense is making strides, but it has been difficult to get a true read on the new 3-4 defense because lineman Aaron Donald is a holdout over a contract dispute and other starters have been held out.
Linebackers Robert Quinn and Mark Barron as well as cornerback Kayvon Webster did not play in the first two preseason games. Cornerbacks Nickell Robey-Coleman and Mike Jordan were held out against the Raiders.
Saturday’s game at the Coliseum offers what is generally regarded as the final chance for starters to get work because coaches loathe exposing them to potential injury in the fourth preseason game.
August 21, 2017 at 3:12 am in reply to: Goff: Dallas pre-season game to end of the pre-season #72942znModeratorThis was the kind of stuff being said above Goff a few days ago.
===
Published on Aug 15, 2017
Ryen Russillo and Will Cain share the moment they think the Los Angeles Rams realized they made a mistake in drafting Jared Goff No. 1 overall.
znModeratorI think its cheating for the Night King’s team to have a dragon.
Does the Night King remind anyone of Belichick?
w
vIn the GOT universe apparently time means nothing.
“Quick run all the way back and send a raven to Daenerys for help, and…oh here she is.”
August 20, 2017 at 10:46 pm in reply to: will Kupp come through (the Kupp saga starting 7/26) #72934znModeratori can’t help reading this and thinking how similar to reed kupp sounds, and some of the things mcvay saw in kupp that made him so attractive are probably the same things he saw in reed.
Interesting ideas. Interesting contribution.
.
znModeratoralyoshamucci wrote
Overall I was really happy, so I waited till I slept so I could remember the bad stuff too
…
The Great
1) Goff. This is the player I saw in college, and why I was happy we drafted him first overall. Command, vision, and accuracy in tight windows.
2) The playcalling. I won’t have to sleep through games anymore. Seriously, if we can score points, Quinn being slow and Donald being absent doesn’t matter much.
3) Gurley running with passion.
4) Cooper Kupp. All I had hoped for when we drafted him.
The Good
5) Sullivan healthy and manning the middle well.
6) Longacre and Fox consistently getting solid reps.
7) Troy Hill playing realllllly well for a 4th/5th CB.
8) Justin Davis emerging as a special type of backup with some real burst. Malcolm Brown solid too …
9) All receivers catching the football … going to be tough cuts. Really tough.
10) Tru’s pick.
11) Sammy showing as a #1.
12) Josh Forrest making plays … that’s what I expect of him.
13) Backup Safeties have serious depth. I enjoyed John Johnson’s play, but Christian and Isaiah johnson are beasts … can’t imagine both make the squad.
The Bad
14) Omarius Bryant looked winded pretty quickly … I hope we can keep him, because he’s fierce and strong, but on the PS till he gets better conditioned.
15) I missed seeing a lot of players that were rested … like QUINN.
16) Backup O line seemed to be a big dropoff … besides maybe Wichmann.
17) Countess needed to pick that ball off.
18) No real kickoff returner.
19) That Darrell Williams is by far our best backup at OLT.
The Ugly
20) That the FO has not successfully extended one of the top 10 players in the NFL, when implementing a new system. I know many will say he’s asking too much, but I have a couple things to say to anyone who is wanting the Rams to tighten up their wallet.
a) It’s not your money. I don’t know else how to say it. This is not the Yankees, his salary does not lead to a $15 hot dog. An extra 10 million dollars from Stan kroenke does not affect US, and we are not suckers if he has a huge payday. If he makes QB money? I don’t care.
b) He’s worth it. He’s not Tavon Austin. He’s better than Suh.
c) With the cap going up each year, and the free space we have the next few years … this is not a cap issue. Pay him huge up front … cut dead weight next year (Im looking at you Tavon and Quinn) … and keep the HOF DT.
d) I’ll have to get a new jersey if he leaves, and that will bother me.
e) Worried about money? Trade Tru. There’s 16 million back.znModerator. But it would seem, at least on the surface, that corporate interests have aligned with the insurance industry, for some bizarre reason . . . I haven’t figured that one out yet.
Businesses receive subsidies when they pay for insurance for employees. I am not sure of the details on that or how it works.
BUT single payer could not be gathering steam if it were universally opposed by business interests.
And btw a lot of this is just me getting my vote in on this or that topic. If WV wants to talk about the mega-corps that’s fine with me, not that he should care either way if it;s fine with me or not.
I was just saying why I don’t use that particular terminology. We’re all allies whatever which way we put it, and purity of terminology is for purists, or for the pure, which actually don’t exist. (Yes I am a pure purist about the existence of the pure.)znModeratorWhen is the first big cut down?
There’s now only one cut down day, so no “first cut down.” They go from 90 to 53 after the final pre-season game on Aug 31st. All teams must have reduced their rosters to 53 by 4 PM on Sept. 2.
Anyway–great time in the chat room enjoying the game with my fellow Rams maniacs.
The chat room is great on game days. And yes as you say, it’s better even when the Rams look good.
znModerator -
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