Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley
Rams QBs completed 70.9 percent of their passes last night. A figure they only topped once last year.

It was okay.

I keep wondering about the Dothraki who act as Daenyris’s body guard. Once the wild rulers of the open plains, some of them now follow her around doing servant duties.

It’s kind of like having a 12th century mongol warrior as your butler.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by zn.

Lindsey Thiry‏V @LindseyThiry
Tavon Austin’s hamstring injury lingers. McVay hopes he’s ready for season opener, but doesn’t know how much preseason action he’ll see.

Rams have set a new bar for its previously woeful offense

Joe Curley

http://www.vcstar.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2017/08/13/rams-have-set-new-bar-its-previously-woeful-offense/563083001/

LOS ANGELES — Jared Goff and Sean Mannion combined to complete 70.9 percent of their passes in Sean McVay’s preseason head coaching debut on Saturday night at the Coliseum.

To put that efficient number in perspective, the Los Angeles Rams only topped that figure once during the regular season a year ago, during Case Keenum’s team record-setting performance in Detroit.

The Rams were 31st and 30th in the NFL over the past two seasons in completions percentage, with numbers in the 50s.

After the Rams’ 13-10 preseason win over Dallas, both McVay and Goff focused on the one incompletion the second-year quarterback threw.

“I think the one thing that you feel good about with him is he comes to you during the game and says, ‘I wish I had that first play back,’ ” McVay said.

“But those are the kind of expectations that we have for him and we expect him to have that for himself and he does. We know that there are always things that we can do a little bit better, myself included.”

Goff misfired on his opening throw, a short toss to Robert Woods. The one mistake was a significant topic after the game, despite leading the offense to its only touchdown of the night.

“That first throw I would like to have back,” Goff said. “We talked about it on the sideline, I would have had a perfect night with a 4 for 4, but it’s a good one to learn from.”

The Rams may have only scored 13 points in a preseason game, but a new bar has clearly been set for what has been the NFL’s worst offense.

New Rams receiver Sammy Watkins is “excited to get started” with Sean McVay and Jared Goff in Los Angeles after Friday’s trade from Buffalo. Joe Curley/The Star

Goff could feel the difference on the headset, with his new head coach offering reminders throughout the game.

“I was talking with Dan (Orlovsky) and Sean Mannion about it all night,” Goff said. “Just the way he verbalizes things, the way he’s able to communicate with us and give us little tips in the play call and stuff to remember … is so helpful and it was really good.”

Just as they had in the scrimmage against the Chargers at Stubhub Center, the Rams quarterbacks did not throw an interception Saturday.

That only happened five times during last year’s regular season.

These are good signs of an offense that is still laying a foundation for the future with a 22-year-old franchise quarterback (Goff), a 23-year-old star running back (Todd Gurley) and a 24-year-old top receiver in Sammy Watkins, acquired by Buffalo in a trade on Friday.

Watkins arrived in Los Angeles a couple hours before kickoff Saturday and met the media before he had even met McVay or Goff.

“I really can’t wait to get started,” Watkins said. “I’m just trying to fill in the void and help this team win.”

That void is on the outside and down the field. Despite the efficiency on display on Saturday, the Rams did not have a pass play of longer than 19 yards. They averaged just 2.6 of such explosive plays per game last season.

In search of a big-play receiver, the Rams gave up a solid cornerback (E.J. Gaines) and a potentially valuable second-round draft pick for contract that expires after this season.

“I just feel like that’s been my game,” Watkins said. “I can be that home-run guy and I’m just here to help. I think they’ve got what they need as far as Robert Woods and Tavon (Austin) and the guys they drafted. I’m just here to add to that and just come in and have fun and win some games.”

What we learned from the Rams’ 13-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys

By Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-cowboys-what-we-learned-20170813-story.html

What we learned from the Rams’ 13-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys

What we learned in the Rams’ 13-10 preseason victory over the Dallas Cowboys:

Jared Goff can bounce back quickly

The Rams went three and out on their first series, and you could sense the Coliseum crowd’s “Oh no, not this again” dread.

But the Cowboys muffed a punt, giving Rams quarterback Jared Goff another opportunity.

He responded with a couple of nice plays.

The most impressive was a play-action fake to his right, a roll to his left and then a pass to rookie receiver Cooper Kupp for a big gain.

The play set up a pass to receiver Robert Woods on slant route toward the end zone. Goff completed the pass, Woods fumbled and Kupp recovered for the Rams’ lone touchdown.

The right side of the offensive line remains an issue

Rob Havenstein, a two-year starter at right tackle, spent the entire offseason working at guard.

Sammy Watkins shocked by trade to Rams, but happy to be in L.A.
Jamon Brown, who played guard the last two seasons, spent the offseason working at tackle.

Less than a week before Saturday’s game, coaches switched them again.

So it’s probably no wonder they looked out of sync against the Cowboys.

Coach Sean McVay said after that game that Havenstein would remain at tackle… for now.

Todd Gurley will get more work this preseason

The third-year running back already equaled his entire 2016 preseason workload, carrying the ball four times.

He also caught a 10-yard pass from Goff.

Gurley, coming off a disappointing season, did not come close to breaking off a long run. But as he has done throughout training camp, including during practices with the Chargers, he showed a willingness to change direction.

It looks like McVay will provide Gurley plenty of opportunities to find his rhythm before the Sept. 10 opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Rams fumble too much

It’s only one game and it was the first time players were subjected to live tackling.

But the Rams fumbled five times.

Running back Justin Davis fumbled twice in the same series, losing one. The miscues put a damper on an otherwise productive night for the former USC running back, who rushed for a game-best 70 yards in nine carries, including a 32-yard run.

Lamarcus Joyner looks comfortable at safety

The Rams defense is difficult to evaluate because so many starters did not play.

Lineman Aaron Donald is still a holdout, and linebackers Robert Quinn and Mark Barron and cornerback Kayvon Webster were held out for precautionary reasons.

But Joyner appears to revel in his new role at free safety after playing as a slot cornerback in his first three NFL seasons.

Joyner made several plays against the Cowboys.

Mike Jordan likes the new celebration rules

Second-year cornerback Mike Jordan appeared to intercept a pass in the waning minutes to clinch the victory.

Jordan got up from the turf, ran the width of the field to a section of seats in front of the Coliseum tunnel and celebrated with teammates.

A few moments later, officials overturned the interception, ruling that the ball had hit the ground.

But it was a heck of a dry run.

Here's the full offensive, defensive and ST-only snap count participation numbers for the Rams from the 13-10 preseason win over Dallas. pic.twitter.com/2U3kAgrZ4z

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 13, 2017

Game of Thrones star says his popularity is waning after controversial moment in latest season 7 episode

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/game-of-thrones-season-7-episode-4-bronn-shoots-dragon-jerome-flynn-hbo-daenerys-jaime-lannister-a7889466.html

While the latest Game of Thrones episode is considered by fans to be one of the HBO’s greatest to date, one actor has noticed a dip in his popularity ever since it aired.

Wry sellsword Bronn (Jerome Flynn) found himself at the heart of the climactic Loot Train Battle which saw Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) descend upon Lannister forces while sat atop her fire-breathing dragon. Fearing for his life, Bronn somehow managed to work Qyburn’s Scorpion weapon designed to take down the creature, firing an arrow direct into Drogon in the process.

Flynn, whose character has always proved popular among fans, told HBO in an interview that the moment has seen opinion change.

“I spent weeks on that sequence, but I was on the edge of my seat, the adrenaline was running – they really nailed it,” Flynn said of the action sequence, quipping: “Although since the day the battle aired, I’ve been a little unpopular, I have to say. My postman won’t speak to me because I shot the dragon.” No one messes with Daenerys’s dragons.

Actor and former chart-topper Flynn has appeared in the series since its first season.

‘Dear Mr. Google Manifesto’: Epic Response From Chemical Engineer, Corp VP, Mom Of 5
“Women in science and engineering fields need to start telling their stories,” she says.

https://patch.com/california/halfmoonbay/s/g79gh/dear-mr-google-manifesto-epic-response-chemical-engineer-corp-vp-mother-5?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=business&utm_campaign=autopost&utm_content=halfmoonbay

Melissa Aquino, a mother of five who’s been married for 26 years and also happens to be a chemical engineer who serves as a corporate vice president for a Fortune 200 company, saw the headlines this week sparked by a now-former Google engineer’s 10-page internal memo critiquing the Silicon Valley-based company’s diversity initiatives. As a female who battled discrimination in her education and early career, she knew the memo might upset her. She waited for a quiet moment alone to read and digest the entire document. What happened next was what you’ll read below.

“I decided to pen this,” Aquino said about a Facebook post she wrote Tuesday and gave Patch permission to share, “because women in science and engineering fields need to start telling their stories, showing the real challenges they face in pursuing male-dominated fields.”

While the memo written by male software engineer James Damore was directed at the tech industry — he said biological differences between men and women are significant and may explain some of the gender gaps at Google — Aquino said there are many parallels to her experiences and those of women in all fields of engineering and beyond.

Dear Mr. Google Manifesto,
I don’t know your name nor do I care to. But I do want you to know something about me. I was born in 1971, when women contributed 4% to household income. In 2018, in dual earning homes – it will be 51%.
At 10 – I was told I was average at math by my male 4th grade teacher. I was not allowed to try and solve the cool new Rubik’s cubes. Those were reserved for the advanced kids – mostly boys.
At 12 – I took a standardized state test and my math skills came in as “advanced.” I was put in honors math to start junior high.
At 14 – I signed up for my first chemistry and physics course. I was told “boys usually take this class, but OK.”
At 16 – I took my first business class as an elective and my teacher handed out grade slips showing I had a B. When I challenged him he told me “your face just looked like you deserved a B.” I fought that and won.
At 18 – I graduated Valedictorian and earned a scholarship to an all engineering school where the ratio of men to women was 5:1. I started school and walked in the cafeteria where it was custom for the men to pound on the table whenever a woman walked through on her first day.
At 19 – I had a stalker who put perverse notes on my dorm door or slipped them underneath. My dad was concerned for my safety and thought I might need to come home for a while. But I stayed.
At 20 – I took my finals on a Thursday, I got married on a Saturday and started my internship with Conoco in the Texas oil fields on Monday morning. I worked amidst the tarantulas, rattle snakes and hot sun to sketch pipes and tanks. At the end of my summer – the executive doing my exit interview saw my wedding ring and commented – “That’s too bad. WE tend to look at our married ladies with less dedication.”
At 22 – I graduated #1 in my class of chemical engineers and I walked across the stage to accept my diploma while pregnant with my first child.
At 22 – I started my first job with Procter & Gamble pregnant. I was told I would be part of a plant start up – in 6 months. The lead technician asked my boss in front of me “Can she even do this job.” My first boss – Jeff – still matters to me. He said “Yes she can and you can’t ask her that.” I did that plant start up – 7 months pregnant, in my steel-toed boots, going up and down two flights of stairs to take samples all night during third shift at a St. Louis plant.
At 24 – I was pregnant with my second son. At 7 months pregnant, I completed a pilot plant trial in the back woods of North Carolina using one of the most highly explosive chemicals on the planet. At one point we had to run up over the hills because we thought the plant might blow up. I have a patent on that work.
At 26 – I was given one of most complex assignment in my department – going to the plant running 100,000 pounds an hour, do 3 formula switches, sack off 2,000 pounds of each and get it all done in one shift and on a truck. I was the only woman on my team. I found out later there was chatter among some of the men that my boss should never give that to a woman.
I won’t bore you with the next 20 years. They are colorful. But I do want to share why today is very meaningful to me – August 8th. On this day in 2008 – I gave birth to my second daughter. On this day in 2012 – I gave birth to my third daughter. On this day in 2017 – I spent my time in São Paulo, Brazil, where I work for a company that provides me a platform to walk across the stage and say, “I’m a Corporate Vice President. I’m a Chemical Engineer. I’m a Mother of Five.”
So I want you to answer just two questions for me regarding your manifesto:
(1). You are a fellow scientist so I hope you can appreciate my request that you provide the sources for these precise, single variable social science studies that have isolated gender as the main reason girls tend not to choose math and science? If they do exist, they surely must have also invented a time machine. So I want them to go back and tell 10-year-old me I was actually good at math.
(2). Which part of “high stress” do you attribute to tech jobs that women aren’t suited for? The actual work itself or possibly, could there be another source of stress in a non-diverse environment?If you could kindly extract yourself from your Google nap pod or step away from the ping pong table – mosey on over to get yourself a shot of wheat grass and go outside to the picnic tables and pen me an answer. Oh wait, you can’t because they fired you. Well anyhow, I don’t care about the answers to those questions. Let’s have a real intellectual debate – which discipline requires more toughness – chemical engineering or coding? (Hint: I still own my steel-toed boots, a collection of hard hats and my flame retardant jumper.)
Best of Luck,
Melissa Aquino, 46
Chemical Engineer
Mother of Five

Cowboys vs. Rams Highlights

Check out the game highlights from Week 1 of the preseason as the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Dallas Cowboys.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Cowboys-vs-Rams-Highlights/a1594690-dcf5-4a6b-bbd6-d27db0dc239f

Rookies shine in Rams’ fumble-riddled preseason opener vs. Cowboys

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/34745/rookies-shine-in-rams-fumble-riddled-preseason-opener-vs-cowboys

LOS ANGELES — A year can change so much. It was 366 days ago that the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Dallas Cowboys for their preseason opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Jeff Fisher patrolled the sidelines, Case Keenum started at quarterback, and 89,140 people were in the stands, representing the largest crowd ever to watch an NFL preseason game on American soil.

The Rams hosted the Cowboys to begin the preseason once again Saturday, but it was Sean McVay as head coach, Jared Goff as the starting quarterback and 62,888 at the game — a reflection of the 4-12 season that sapped some of the excitement in this city. The new-look Rams ultimately came away with a 13-10 victory, thanks to a late Sean Mannion drive that set up a 36-yard field goal by backup kicker Travis Coons.

Below are some key takeaways.

QB depth chart: Goff got two series in very quickly. He went three-and-out, then the Cowboys muffed a punt, allowing him to take over on the Cowboys’ 33-yard line. Goff then completed a 19-yard pass to Cooper Kupp on play-action, putting the Rams in the red zone. He later threw a pass to Robert Woods off a quick slant, which Woods fumbled before it was recovered by Kupp in the end zone. That was it. Goff went 3-for-4 for 34 yards. His backup, Mannion, saw extended action and played very well against Cowboys backups, going 18-of-25 for 144 yards.

When it was starters vs. starters, the Rams looked …: not too different from last season, but it was a small sample size. Their defense — without Robert Quinn, Mark Barron and Aaron Donald (a camp holdout) — played well and aggressively against a Dallas offense that didn’t have Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. On offense, Todd Gurley gained only 2 yards on four carries. And Goff kept most of his throws pretty short.

One reason to be concerned: The Rams’ offensive line might not have room for injury. Their second unit struggled, particularly backup center Austin Blythe, who made a high snap to Mannion that prompted the Rams to lose 28 yards. And reserve tackle Pace Murphy had a really tough day, allowing at least three defensive ends to blow by him for vicious hits on Mannion. One of the Rams’ key backups, Andrew Donnal, has been nursing a knee injury throughout training camp. If something happens to the 35-year-old Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, they could be in serious trouble.

That guy could start: Matt Longacre won’t start, but he looks like he could be a key backup for Quinn and Connor Barwin at outside linebacker. Longacre, a backup defensive end last season, got extended playing time with Quinn and rookie Samson Ebukam out and did a nice job of getting around the edge to create disruption. Quinn and Barwin have combined for 14 NFL seasons and will be asked to do a lot in new coordinator Wade Phillips’ system. The Rams need guys to step up behind them so they can stay fresh.

Rookie watch: Kupp and tight end Gerald Everett played well. Kupp, a third-round pick out of Eastern Washington who already looks to have solidified a role as a slot receiver, caught a couple of passes for 35 yards. Everett, drafted 44th overall out of South Alabama, had two catches for 12 yards and showed some nice moves in space. But the most impressive rookie was actually an undrafted running back, Justin Davis, who played on the same field while at USC. Davis hit holes quickly and decisively, and he moved well in space, gaining 70 yards on nine carries, but he fumbled twice.

Fumbling around: The Rams fumbled the ball five times officially, and two more could’ve easily been added. Davis fumbled twice, Woods fumbled near the end zone, Blythe fumbled on an errant snap, and Malcolm Brown fumbled on a run across the middle. Brown, currently Gurley’s backup, also fumbled, then quickly recovered, after catching a short pass. Second-year tight end Temarrick Hemingway was called for a fumble after reeling in a long pass from Mannion, but it was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass.

Welcome to L.A.: Wide receiver Sammy Watkins, acquired from the Bills in exchange for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a second-round pick Friday, made it to the Coliseum about three hours before kickoff and watched his new team play from the sideline. Watkins was introduced to a rousing applause on the video board in the fourth quarter. While speaking to the media earlier, Watkins called the trade “a total shock, but I’m definitely excited, honored to be here. I really can’t wait to get started, just learning the plays and getting with the guys.”

Don't expect to see Dak, Dez, Zeke, Witten Tyron Smith or Sean Lee tonight. Jaylon Smith could play next weekend against the Colts at home.

— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) August 13, 2017

I can confirm @SlaterNFL reports. Dak, Zeke, Dez, Witten won't play tonight against rams for cowboys.

— Alex Flanagan (@Alex_Flanagan) August 12, 2017

Mediaite: Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe Calls Out White Nationalists: 'Shame On You’ (VIDEO) … pic.twitter.com/QYWYslncwq

— Ali Ebrahimzadeh Esq (@AliEesq) August 12, 2017