from https://theathletic.com/2302965/2021/01/06/aaron-rodgers-packers-matt-lafleur/?source=emp_shared_article

The Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay modern outside zone system is the most quarterback-friendly system in the NFL. Play action off of the outside zone can be indistinguishable from an actual run for defenses and it makes reads for quarterbacks much simpler than in a standard dropback passing game. It has helped quarterbacks with limited skill sets like Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo look like top-10 quarterbacks for stretches. Baker Mayfield is in the midst of a resurgence after head coach Kevin Stefanski brought it to Cleveland. Even Mitchell Trubisky recently enjoyed a strong five-game stretch when the Bears began including elements of it in their offense.

However, when defenses shut down the run and defend play action soundly, some of these quarterbacks can quickly revert to pumpkins. In the last Super Bowl, Garoppolo failed to deliver when he was forced to drop back in the fourth quarter. In the Super Bowl before that, Goff could barely move the ball against the Patriots’ tilt front, a defense specifically designed to shut down the outside zone and boot — Goff and the Rams still have some trouble against teams that copy the Patriots’ blueprint from time-to-time.

Trump supporters storm Congress, halting electoral vote certification debate

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-supporters-storm-congress-halting-electoral-vote-certification-debate-200312508.html

storming at police while holding a blue lives matter flag sure is something pic.twitter.com/3kjWuCKdw5

— alazar (@zarzarbinkss) January 6, 2021

Police shot a girl in the face with rubber bullets in Dallas while she walked down the street near a protest with her groceries.

This dude is literally committing sedition in the Senate Chamber and the cops aren't doing a damn thing. This country is not equal. https://t.co/SolAHK217j

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) January 6, 2021

They’re in the chamber. One is up on the dais yelling “Trump won that election!” This is insane pic.twitter.com/p6CXhBDSFT

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 6, 2021

BREAKING: DC paramedic source tells me one person shot in Capitol. CPR in progress

— Lindsay Watts (@LindsayAWatts) January 6, 2021

from https://theathletic.com/2304151/2021/01/05/rams-seahawks-goff-wolford/?source=twittered

Is Cam Akers OK?

Rookie running back Cam Akers suffered what the team said was a high ankle sprain in a Dec. 20 loss to the New York Jets, sat out the following week and then returned against Arizona on Sunday with little change in his workload (21 carries). While Akers’ 34 yards were the third-fewest he totaled this season, and his fewest since a November game against Tampa Bay, he said he felt “100 percent” and even joked that he is actually “110 percent.”

McVay added that Akers did not have “any setbacks” from playing in Sunday’s game.

“When Cam is feeling good, that’s a really good thing for the Rams,” McVay said. “We’ll look to him to have a big game and be a big part of what we’re going to try to do on Saturday.”

Akers was listed as limited in Tuesday’s walkthrough on the Rams’ injury report, and he likely will continue to be limited this week as the Rams get him rested and ready for the Seahawks.

Cooper Kupp, Michael Brockers set to return

Receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive lineman Michael Brockers were placed on the COVID-19/reserve list last week and missed the game against Arizona. I reported Sunday night that both could return in time for Saturday’s game, should they remain without symptoms and continue to test negative after returning to practice. McVay said Tuesday that has been the case to date. He added that Kupp is expected back in practice on Wednesday, while Brockers could return a day or so later.

Both players have continued to participate virtually in team meetings while isolating from teammates.

Kupp caught 13 passes for 116 yards in his last two games against Seattle, while Brockers recorded six tackles and a sack.

Quarterback controversy? Please. Rams have only one real hope of beating the Seahawks

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2021-01-06/rams-jared-goff-injury-nfl-playoffs-seattle-seahawks

This has to be a joke, right?

Unless Jared Goff can’t wrap his hand around a football on Saturday, the Rams wouldn’t actually start John Wolford against the Seattle Seahawks in their NFC wild-card game, would they?

Rams coach Sean McVay wouldn’t say.

His discretion during a videoconference call Tuesday should be viewed as gamesmanship rather than evidence of an internal debate. Because the Rams don’t have a quarterback controversy. What they have is an injured starting quarterback.

If Goff is physically capable of throwing a football, if he can take the field without unreasonably jeopardizing his future, he must play. Period.

The decision on whether Goff or Wolford starts Saturday should be made by the team doctors, not McVay. This should be a medical judgment, not a coaching decision.

“I think the first thing is let’s see how his thumb is, let’s see what that thing feels like,” McVay said.

Go ahead, marvel at Wolford’s unlikely journey from the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. Celebrate his contributions to the Rams’ season-extending 18-7 victory over Arizona over the weekend.

But don’t get carried away.

The game was won by the defense, which accounted for half of the Rams’ points. The offense didn’t score a touchdown.

Wolford figures to be more comfortable after making his first NFL start, but so will the Seahawks. Unlike the Cardinals, they will have tape on him.

After his first pass was intercepted, Wolford didn’t make any major mistakes. But he wasn’t highly accurate, either. His speed extended some plays and translated to 56 rushing yards, but he passed almost exclusively out of the shotgun, which made the Rams predictable and limited running back Cam Akers.

He’s no Kurt Warner. He’s no Goff either, which might be the best thing going for him.

Since leading the Rams to the Super Bowl during the 2018 season, Goff has a quarterback rating of 88.1. The decline in performance alone is troubling. What makes it even more so is the $110 million the Rams guaranteed him with a contract extension.

As a regressing quarterback who takes up a substantial portion of the team’s salary budget, Goff has become a symbol of the Rams’ stagnation.

The same fans who cheered when the Rams traded up to the No. 1 spot to draft him now bemoan how his contract has made him virtually untradeable.

But unpopular quarterbacks are like reviled closers in baseball. The people calling for their ousters have to be careful what they wish for. Rarely does a team have Julio Urías available to step in, as the Dodgers did in October.

While starting Wolford would extinguish the possibility of another Goff fumble, the Rams would be giving up Goff’s upside. Which is substantial. When Goff is right, he’s a Pro Bowl quarterback.

He’s won two playoff games. He’s also 5-2 in his last seven games against the Seahawks.

“You’ve got a guy that’s won a lot of games, taken us to a Super Bowl and done a lot of great things over his career in Jared,” McVay said.

The Rams have a dominant defense, but they aren’t reaching a Super Bowl with Wolford at quarterback. At some point in the playoffs, they will have to score. Goff gives them the possibility.

There’s also the future to consider. He’s the centerpiece around which the Rams are built. If they give up on him now, what about next year? Or the year after that?

Asked if Goff would start so long as he is healthy enough, McVay carefully talked around the subject. So when McVay later referred to Goff as the team’s starting quarterback, exactly what he meant by that was uncertain.

The characterization contained an element of undeniable truth. Like it or not, Goff and the Rams are tethered to each other, not only because of how much he makes, but also because they don’t have anyone else with nearly as much potential. They might not necessarily win with him, but they certainly can’t win without him.

Greg Bishop@GregBishopSI
Spoke to Rams LT Andrew Whitworth. He’s playing against the Seahawks on Sat (barring setback).

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Andrew Whitworth doesn’t see any reason he wouldn’t return in 2021, which is great news for the Rams. He showed this year he can still be a stud LT

—

While rehabbing a career-threatening injury, Andrew Whitworth learned how badly he wanted to return for the playoffs, and for next season.

Now, he tells @GregBishopSI, he plans to do both https://t.co/EzlEjopnJB pic.twitter.com/rBRkcOCISS

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 6, 2021

Jemele Hill@jemelehill
I don’t know who needs to hear this but Reverend Raphael Warnock was polling at 9% when the Atlanta Dream and WNBA players threw their full support behind him and elevated his national profile. Now he’s Georgia’s first black Senator.

Darren Sands@darrensands
A truly unbelievable feat: Warnock, who grew up broke in the Savannah projects, goes to Washington as the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist, which became known as America’s Freedom Church after the violent death of Dr. King. He will be Georgia’s first Black senator.

Ben Rhodes@brhodes
The fact that Mitch McConnell – a man with an unrelenting commitment to undermine America’s first Black president – could lose his veto power over American democracy bc of Raphael Warnock, John Ossoff and Stacey Abrams is some kind of American justice.

McVay not answering questions on quarterbacks https://t.co/peVbQeuRyo

— RamsNewsNow (@RamsNewsNow) January 6, 2021

Rampage2K-

McVay and Goff need to sit down and watch these…..

there is no reason we can’t once again get back to doing this on a consistent basis…dont try to sell me that McVay has been figured out and/or Goff lost his ability cuz I aint buying it

We need to get back to that uptempo, no huddle, throw it down field offense and get the RB’s involved in the pass game like we did with Gurley.

Hopping we can get that Gurley days run game back with Akers/Henderson next year…. we need to get back to when we were highest scoring team in NFL.

I believe we can!!!

Jack Snow and Gabe— a helluva a throw and catch pic.twitter.com/Mvpspcu2Q5

— 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥🏈 (@NFL_Journal) January 6, 2021