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znModeratorEveryone: Thank goodness 2020 is finally over!
Six days into 2021: pic.twitter.com/qrGijIxf5v
— Xydexx Unicorn š¦š (@XydexxUnicorn) January 6, 2021
znModeratorBREAKING: DC paramedic source tells me one person shot in Capitol. CPR in progress
— Lindsay Watts (@LindsayAWatts) January 6, 2021
znModeratorBREAKING: Trump supporters have breached the Capitol building, tearing down 4 layers of security fencing and are attempting to occupy the building ā fighting federal police who are overrun
This is the craziest thing Iāve ever seen in my life. Thousands, police canāt stop them pic.twitter.com/VVdTUwV5YN
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) January 6, 2021
znModeratorfrom 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 Akersā 34 yards were the third-fewest he totaled this season, and his fewest since a November game against Tampa Bay, he said he felt ā100 percentā and even joked that he is actually ā110 percent.ā
McVay added that Akers did not have āany setbacksā from playing in Sundayās game.
āWhen Cam is feeling good, thatās a really good thing for the Rams,ā McVay said. āWeāll look to him to have a big game and be a big part of what weāre going to try to do on Saturday.ā
Akers was listed as limited in Tuesdayās walkthrough on the Ramsā 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 Saturdayās 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.
January 6, 2021 at 1:00 pm in reply to: Who starts at qb Saturday…(update: Orlovsky sez Goff) #126420znModeratorfrom What we know about the Ramsā QB situation and other major storylines this week
Jourdan Rodrigue
https://theathletic.com/2304151/2021/01/05/rams-seahawks-goff-wolford/?source=twittered
Rams head coach Sean McVay was adamant on Tuesday afternoon that he is not going to make an announcement about whether Jared Goff or John Wolford will start at quarterback in Saturdayās wild-card game at Seattle.
āIām not going to answer that question this week,ā he told reporters after the Rams held a walkthrough practice that was closed to media. Goff did throw a bit (as he did on the sideline Sunday before Wolford made his first career start) and was scheduled to take his first snaps Tuesday as he continued to recover from the thumb surgery he had on his throwing hand on Dec. 28.
When will everyone know who is starting? If it isnāt leaked first, McVay said he expects the answer to come around ā1:39 (p.m.) on Saturday,ā which would be one minute before the scheduled kickoff.
Some of the unwillingness to announce a starter could be gamesmanship, given that the Rams are facing an all-too-familiar opponent, but itās also clear that the Rams simply donāt know how Goffās thumb will affect him late in the week.
āJared is our starting quarterback,ā McVay said. āAnd the reality is is that he had a thumb surgery. Weāre monitoring that every single day, and thatās something that we are taking it a day at a time. But the anticipation is that both of those guys are getting themselves ready to go.ā
Really, it comes down to the thumb. Otherwise, McVay is mum.
āI think the first thing is, āLetās see how his thumb is,’ā McVay said. āāLetās see what that thing feels like. ā¦ The good thing is, you know you got a guy who has won a lot of games, taken us to a Super Bowl and done a lot of great things over his career in Jared, and with John having his first experience in an NFL game, I did like a lot of the things that he did the other day.
āThat gives you some flexibility with how you handle this week. I feel good about having two guys, but how much Jared is able to do this week and how that thing feels, you know, will definitely go into how we handle the rest of the week and what it looks like for Saturday.ā
Immediately after the surgery, McVay and many national NFL reporters brimmed with optimism that Goff would be able to return if the Rams secured a playoff spot, but once it did happen, the walk-backs started. On Sunday night, McVay said that he āwas not sureā whether Goff would be available, and he added on Tuesday that Goff is ātaking it a day at a timeā as he recovers.
āNothing really changed,ā McVay said. āI think what I probably should have said is, āThereās a possibility he could be ready to go as early as ā if we were able to make the playoffs. Didnāt know the totality of what the rehab entailed. When you look at it, he still did have a thumb surgery on his right throwing hand.ā
McVay added that they also would not put Goff in a situation where he would be at risk of a more severe and longer-term injury. Possible rainy and cold conditions in Seattle, in correspondence with how well Goff is able to grip the ball and handle the contact of receiving a snap, likely will be factors as well.
āThere will be a lot of things that go into it,ā McVay said. āYou gotta really just be able to see, from a functionality standpoint, how is he feeling? What does it look like? Just being able to get out there tomorrow and the following day. I think, really, just evaluating the totality of the situation while not minimizing the fact that he did have a thumb surgery. I know heās been attacking everything the right way, and, you know, heās done his part. Weāll just take it a day at a time. ā¦ I donāt want to get too far ahead of myself.ā
The Rams will hold practices on Wednesday and Thursday at which media will be allowed access, but a word of caution: Those wonāt reveal much. Per NFL rules, reporters are able to view the stretching and early warmup portions of practice. Even if Goff is taking snaps from first-team center Austin Blythe, it wonāt come close to revealing the breadth of the work he will get in. Nor will it point toward Goff starting, since both quarterbacks will have to get that time with Blythe, and we just wonāt be able to see enough to know for sure.
January 6, 2021 at 11:40 am in reply to: Who starts at qb Saturday…(update: Orlovsky sez Goff) #126418znModeratorQuarterback controversy? Please. Rams have only one real hope of beating the Seahawks
This has to be a joke, right?
Unless Jared Goff canāt wrap his hand around a football on Saturday, the Rams wouldnāt actually start John Wolford against the Seattle Seahawks in their NFC wild-card game, would they?
Rams coach Sean McVay wouldnāt say.
His discretion during a videoconference call Tuesday should be viewed as gamesmanship rather than evidence of an internal debate. Because the Rams donāt 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.
āI think the first thing is letās see how his thumb is, letās see what that thing feels like,ā McVay said.
Go ahead, marvel at Wolfordās unlikely journey from the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. Celebrate his contributions to the Ramsā season-extending 18-7 victory over Arizona over the weekend.
But donāt get carried away.
The game was won by the defense, which accounted for half of the Ramsā points. The offense didnāt 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 didnāt make any major mistakes. But he wasnāt 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.
Heās no Kurt Warner. Heās 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 teamās salary budget, Goff has become a symbol of the Ramsā 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 UrĆas 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 Goffās upside. Which is substantial. When Goff is right, heās a Pro Bowl quarterback.
Heās won two playoff games. Heās also 5-2 in his last seven games against the Seahawks.
āYouāve got a guy thatās won a lot of games, taken us to a Super Bowl and done a lot of great things over his career in Jared,ā McVay said.
The Rams have a dominant defense, but they arenāt reaching a Super Bowl with Wolford at quarterback. At some point in the playoffs, they will have to score. Goff gives them the possibility.
Thereās also the future to consider. Heās 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 teamās 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 donāt have anyone else with nearly as much potential. They might not necessarily win with him, but they certainly canāt win without him.
znModeratorThe line for Seahawks-Rams is dropping. But before you bet the Rams, you should take a breath and ask one final question: Do I really want to take John Wolford over Russell Wilson in a playoff game? https://t.co/igvdIXi7uZ
— Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) January 6, 2021
znModeratorGreg Bishop@GregBishopSI
Spoke to Rams LT Andrew Whitworth. He’s playing against the Seahawks on Sat (barring setback).Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Andrew Whitworth doesnāt see any reason he wouldnāt 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
znModeratorAaron Schatz@FO_ASchatz
#Seahawks-#RamsHouse thoughts Part IYou know the Seahawks offense has declined in the second half of the year. Did you realize the Rams offense has declined more?
SEA Wk 1-9: 21.3% DVOA (3)
Wk 10-17: 5.4% (10)LAR Wk 1-9: 17.0% (5)
Wk 10-17: -8.3% (20)thoughts Part II
You know the Seahawks defense has improved in the second half of the year. Did you realize the Rams defense has improved more?
SEA Wk 1-9: 7.4% (19)
Wk 10-17: -7.8% (10)LAR Wk 1-9: -6.5% (8)
Wk 10-17: -27.6% (1)znModeratorJemele Hill@jemelehill
I donāt 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 heās Georgiaās 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 Americaās Freedom Church after the violent death of Dr. King. He will be Georgiaās first Black senator.znModeratorznModeratorBen 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.znModeratorHahahahahahhahaha!
They donāt like the Police anymore !pic.twitter.com/uqf2ihG1De— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) January 6, 2021
January 6, 2021 at 1:12 am in reply to: Who starts at qb Saturday…(update: Orlovsky sez Goff) #126407znModeratorMcVay not answering questions on quarterbacks https://t.co/peVbQeuRyo
— RamsNewsNow (@RamsNewsNow) January 6, 2021
znModeratorCooper Kupp had 21 missed tackles forced
Most among all WRs pic.twitter.com/uy42R62fiA
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 6, 2021
znModeratorRampage2K-
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!!!
znModeratorThere is an anti-mask movement happening in Los Angeles and Lisa Guerrero (@4lisaguerrero) talked to one of them.
You gotta listen to this…pic.twitter.com/XKW65vbN8e
— Rex Chapmanšš¼ (@RexChapman) January 6, 2021
znModeratorJack Snow and Gabe— a helluva a throw and catch pic.twitter.com/Mvpspcu2Q5
— šš«šØ š šØšØšššš„š„ ššØš®š«š§šš„š (@NFL_Journal) January 6, 2021
znModeratorWhen you look at Goffās last five gamesā¦do you really feel comfortable with that level of play?
2 answers, all pure IMO. Though to me it’s the team’s last 6 games not just Goff’s last 5. (1) In general, in terms of Goff, yes, I am fine with him because I believe that although he had a rough patch in 2 of those 5 games, he gets over those. And, (2) what I don’t feel comfortable with is stuff that affects the qb (not just Goff) but which the qb does not single handledly cause: offensive woes in general, none of which reduce to qb play by itself. For example, two games worth of goal line troubles is one giant red flag.
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January 5, 2021 at 2:42 pm in reply to: Who starts at qb Saturday…(update: Orlovsky sez Goff) #126394znModeratorznModeratorAll IMO but it ain’t based on nothing.
Since 2018 the Rams have had issues with certain fronts that attack the OL, limit outside zone, exploit weak links in the OL (in 2018 it was Sullivan and Blythe at guard), pressure the qb…among other things. Run game is part of this too. BOTH McVay and Goff (along with the OL) respond poorly against those defensive attacks and then what we’re left with is fans putting it all entirely on the qb–and to come up with all these theories about why he has regressed, how he’s thinking not reacting, and so on.
This qb and this OL and this coach have problems when they face certain defensive attacks and that has not changed since Chicago in 2018.
Good example of that? Last Seattle game. Before that, the last Jets game.
Football outsiders on the last Seattle game:
“Seattle’s secret weapon in this game against the Rams was linebacker K.J. Wright, whom they threw on the line of scrimmage as a walked-up SAM…. Against the Rams, specifically, getting Wright on the line of scrimmage helped Seattle align in odd fronts while still playing from their base 4-3 or nickel 4-2-5 personnel. The Rams’ wide zone offense notoriously struggles with odd-front defenses that load up players along the line of scrimmage.”
That’s a change up by Seattle v. how they defended the Rams the 1st game. In the first game their defense was still a mess and they tried blitzing the Rams, thinking that’s what worked for Miami. Wrong. Rams are tough against the blitz and Goff has a high qb rating against the blitz (–101.0 to be exact). In the first game Seattle blitzed 21 times (PFR numbers) which is the 2nd most all year.
Last game they blitzed 11 times and instead used the LBs on the DL to do the traditional “attack the Rams OL” thing the Jets did too (and SF both games).
Rams still have an achilles heel against certain kind of defensive attacks and that is not just a qb problem, it’s a game-planning/play-calling problem plus an OL problem.
I will leave out 2019 because the OL was a mess that year, and it is difficult to judge what the real issues are if your OL is that out of sync.
But we’re talking about the Chicago game in 2018, the superbowl, both SF games this year, and the Jets and 2nd Seattle game.
In terms of their EFFECTS those games all pretty much look the same.
There’s your problem, fix that. B)
znModeratorFalcons complete interview with Rams director of college scouting Brad Holmes for GM positionhttps://t.co/3LqJoPajZa pic.twitter.com/DY4kxx5A9R
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 5, 2021
znModeratorMarcus Arbery ā is the father of Ahmaud Arbery.
Marcus says we can finally achieve an "anti-racist majority" if his fellow Georgians vote today:
"If my son's life mattered to you, I'm asking you to get out & vote.ā
Poweful…pic.twitter.com/RkvC4A51Li
— Rex Chapmanšš¼ (@RexChapman) January 5, 2021
znModerator
Randi Mayem Singer@rmayemsinger
Georgia, please save America from Kentucky. Thank you.znModeratorBuilding our #Rams defensive piece for this weekās @NFLMatchup show…
Brandon Staleyās defense sacked Russell Wilson a total of 11 times in the two matchups this season.
Pressure fronts, schemed 1-on-1s, twists/stunts. pic.twitter.com/ovalTC3EVk
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) January 5, 2021
znModeratorYeah 99 was his 2018. Then in 2002 he has 11 INTs and 3 TDs. 2003 through 2006, it was 24 to 19. And he came back from it. Anyone who dismissed Warner because of his bad games (worse than Goffs bad games) was wrong, he came back from it.
IMO the biggest problem Goff has is recency bias among fans. They do things like blame the Seattle game entirely on him, which is strange in itself, and then act like that’s all we get from the guy. That’s one point.
Here’s another point. If the issues on offense don’t reduce to it being Goff–and they don’t–then, no matter who the qb is, it will make no difference. (And I have my doubts Wolford is anything but a #2 caliber qb like Keenum or Jamie Martin who is good for some starts but then can’t hold up. Austin Davis started well too. I don’t think what I see is a Bulger who was really a #1 caliber qb in a backup role. But it’s too soon to say.) Either way, if it’s not all Goff, then, complaining exclusively about Goff just hides the problems.
And a final point. And again it’s recency. The two bad games with multiple turnovers came and went. I think he learned from them–Seattle and the Jets games were exactly the scenarios where that kind of thing happened before, and it didn’t. He started bailing on the pocket or taking sacks or throwing it away rather than stand in and press trying to make plays.
Anyway like I said. The issues against Seattle and the Jets were not all on the qb, far from it, and if those issues continue it won’t matter if Goff rebounds (again, like he has from Cal on) or if Wolford is good enough to be considered a #1 caliber, starting qb.
Fact is, with Wolford the Rams scored 9 points against a defense they scored 38 on 5 weeks earlier. With Goff they scored 9 points on Seattle, though at least Goff could convert 3rd downs passing.
Maybe Whitworth being back makes some difference against Seattle this time. But Goff is absolutely more than good enough to win with. So why can’t McVay win with him.
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znModeratorI liked the 2018 version of Goff. This version isnāt even close. I feel like you are in denial about his TURNOVER problem.
This version is in a different situation. They don’t have a healthy Gurley and often don’t have a consistent running game. 2019 the OL was a mess that needed to be fixed; in 2020, the OL holds up for long stretches and then implodes when the right kind of defense attacks it. Goff can’t do anything about that–that has to be McVay’s fix. We can’t keep having games like Chicago in 2018 and the Jets in 2020 where the OL is being dominated yet the response to that is too slow at the play-calling level.
I am not in denial here–I am looking closely at the facts. The facts say that the massive turnovers happened in 2 games. Outside of those two games, there are INTs but no “fumble issues.” That means they confronted the fumble issues and handled them. Warner had more of an INT issue than Goff does. Kurt threw 3 INTs in the 99 championship game and bounced back from it. Exclude Goff’s 2 bad turnover games, which I see as special circumstances, and Goff has 9 INTs in 13 games. Depends on whether you believe the 2 bad turnover games are big reveals and the problem continues, or if they are isolated moments they learned from.
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znModeratorYearly leaders in total pressures:
š¹ 2020 – Aaron Donald: 98
š¹ 2019 – Za'Darius Smith: 93
š¹ 2018 – Aaron Donald: 106
š¹ 2017 – Aaron Donald: 91 pic.twitter.com/JZ58QUEAIH— PFF (@PFF) January 5, 2021
znModeratorHead coaching candidates with multiple interview requests already include:#Chiefs OC Eric Bienemy#Panthers OC Joe Brady#Bills OC Brian Daboll#Colts DC Matt Eberflus#49ers DC Robert Saleh#Titans OC Arthur Smith#Rams DC Brandon Staleyhttps://t.co/HYDrSIGpMj
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 5, 2021
znModeratorFumbling matters. You canāt spin turnoversā¦I think Goff loses that Arizona game.
No way I Wanna see the TO king playing this next game.
You can win with a great defense paired with a good running game and no turnovers.
Also, Goff NEEDS Kupp. Wolf doesnāt.
No one spun anything. These are facts. The strip sack/fumbles that bother people were in two games. Since then, not a problem.
Meanwhile Goff DID beat Arizona and scored TDs in the process–in fact he completed 78% of his passes and was 60% on third down conversions, and that’s without having to risk the qb by running on 3rd down. All on a day when the Rams could not run the ball.
I don’t buy the idea that “Goff needs Kupp”–he won an NFC championship game on the road in a tough venue without Kupp in 2018.
Wolford needed SOMETHING, whether or not it was Kupp, because the offense score 9 points against a team the Rams had scored 38 on (including 2 Goff TDs) just 5 weeks before.
I like Wolford, I think he showed well for a first start, and the Rams can win with him. But 5 weeks before the Rams positively pounded Arizona on offense and made it look effortless, so there’s no comparison there.
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