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znModeratorI moved some stuff from the old “Blackburn fired” thread to this thread.
Here:
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Ben Kotwica. He’s been coaching special teams in the league since 2007. Has coached for Washington, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Denver. Rams hired him in 2025.
HoldenCantor@HoldenCantor
Ben Kotwica will take over as the Rams special teams coordinator. Kotwica was let go from Denver last season but The Broncos special teams unit finished in the Top 10 in several categories:
10th in Net Punting Average (42.2)
1st in Punt Return Average (15.7)
10th in Punt Return Average Against (8.7)
6th in Field Goal Percentage (91.2%)***
Here’s what I think prompted this. No question the Rams had issues on STs. But why fire Blackburn now? IMO, it’s because they have a unique window to review and improve the situation. They are following a Thurs. night game with a Monday night game. That’s 11 days. It’s like a kind of bye week. The McV Rams have long since used the bye to fix or re-invent areas that are underperforming. So now’s the time to promote an experienced vetern ST coach–a new ST coordinator who also knows the team–get him to review the entire STs program, and make whatever changes in the scheme or execution that need it.
Odds are they will be looking over the defense too, just not with a new coordinator.
Don’t know what they will do about the offense though–that situation seems hopelessly unfixable.
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znModeratorCalled back due to penalty, but my goodness Bijan Robinson… pic.twitter.com/uV7rftg6Oy
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) December 21, 2025
znModeratorStafford shouldn’t win MVP because he has Nacua and McVay. Others do it with less.
Nacua shouldn’t win Offensive Player of the Year because he has Stafford and McVay. Others do it with less.
McVay shouldn’t win Coach of the Year because he has Stafford and Nacua.
Rams just have too many individuals who are excellent at what they do to win any awards for excellence.
😎
znModeratorStats.
Njigba 1,637 yards.
Puka 1,592 yards.But,
Puka 113.7 yards per game
Njigba 109.1 yards per game.w
vJSN and Puka Nacua have the exact same amount of yards from scrimmage this season 🔥
Who should win Offensive Player of the Year? pic.twitter.com/aWEcAvPg3T
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) December 21, 2025
znModeratorNate Atkins@NateAtkins_
The ending to that Lions-Steelers game would have been rejected by every TV network for being too fantastical to ever happen in a game.You’d have broken a controller if it happened in Madden.
Just amazing how many of those moments the Lions are in over the years, win or lose.
speed_kills@speedk1lls
the end of the Rams v Hawks and Packers v Bears were right there with it. What a crazy set of games. Detroit has just fallen completely apart.Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Good point. One of the craziest weeks of high-leverage games I can recall.December 21, 2025 at 11:46 pm in reply to: Rams tweets etc. … 12/19 – 12/22 … w/ some Baldinger #160480znModeratorroberto clemente@rclemente2121
headed into today’s games:
rams – offensive points allowed ranking:#2 – weeks 1-12 (first 11 games)
#23 – weeks 13-16 (last 4 games)znModeratorOMG, the Lions v Steelers ending. OMG.
Chaos in the final seconds in Detroit 😳 pic.twitter.com/Q6BriP9Qv4
— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2025
The Steelers get the win in the final seconds. pic.twitter.com/SjwsF3wbzu
— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2025
znModeratorWell, it looks like the Buxx didn’t want the division title more than the Panthers didn’t want it.
znModeratorFormer NFL referee Walt Anderson now serves as the league’s primary (and only) spokesperson regarding the application of the rules. Every Sunday morning, he gets very limited real estate in a four-hour NFL Network pregame show to address any/all controversial calls from the week that was.
Sunday’s Walt Anderson cameo focused exclusively on the most unusual play from the past seven days: The two-point conversion from Thursday night, which tied Seahawks-Rams at 30. During his three-minute segment, Anderson explained the fairly obvious elements that anyone who would be watching NFL Network in the 9:00 a.m. ET hour on a Sunday already knew.
One key point was glossed over. If it was so obvious that Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had thrown a backward pass that pinballed into the end zone and remained live, why did it take more than 100 seconds to initiate the review?
There’s a story there. An interesting one. One they likely don’t want anyone to know. Who figured out that the play should be formally reviewed during the 100-second interval between the end of the play and the announcement of the review? Was it the replay official? Was it someone from the league office? Did someone from outside the bubble but with access to it flag an issue that otherwise would have gone unnoticed?
The teams were lined up for the kickoff. The game was about to proceed. The play that became a clear and obvious two-point conversion was not sufficiently clear and obvious to trigger an instant decision to review the play.
znModeratorBucs at Carolina
3rd quarter, Panthers leadin the Buxx as part of their mutual struggle to not win the division.
znModeratorfrom Adam Grosbard, LA Daily News: https://www.dailynews.com/2025/12/20/sources-rams-fire-special-teams-coordinator-chase-blackburn/
After a punt return for a touchdown played a pivotal role in the Rams’ 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, head coach Sean McVay fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn on Saturday, two sources confirmed.
It marks the first time in McVay’s nine-year tenure with the Rams that he has dismissed a coach in the middle of the season. Blackburn was in his third season with the Rams. An interim had yet to be determined, per one source, but the Rams still have Ben Kotwica on staff as a special teams assistant.
Thursday marked the third time in four losses that special teams played a critical role in the Rams’ defeat. With the Rams leading by 16 in the fourth quarter, Rashid Shaheed returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown. That was the play that sparked Seattle’s comeback to force overtime and eventually wrest control of the NFC West away from the Rams.
“I saw a flat, low kick that was not at all intended for what we wanted,” McVay said of that play Friday. “You give a guy like that an opportunity, that’s where the momentum flipped.”
That miscue helped lead to Blackburn’s dismissal, as the Rams decided they could not keep losing games because of special teams.
znModeratorOh, I’ve seen that kind of thing numerous times.
No, he’s talking about a very specific thing. Namely, a backward incomplete pass counting as a score if downed in the endzone, even after the whistle blows.
The specific thing that happened in the Seattle game has not happened before.
Everyone on the field, both teams, just treated it as an incomplete pass.
znModeratorCan Matthew Stafford win MVP without winning the division? Here's what history says https://t.co/N1J07Ahu8t pic.twitter.com/aRAE28G5Lg
— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) December 20, 2025
znModeratori’m not so upset about it. more upset about the ferguson td that was cancelled by a non-penalty. more upset about the punt return for a td which was not the refs fault. more upset by all the big plays the rams defense gave up.
Same here.
znModeratorRams WR Puka Nacua fined by NFL for comments about officials https://t.co/ECVqS8yKSB pic.twitter.com/pRQPAbMxnx
— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) December 19, 2025
znModeratorAdam Schefter@AdamSchefter
How rare is this? This represents the first in-season coaching change that Rams head coach Sean McVay ever has had.znModeratorToo many problems with that unit.
Now…who replaces him? On paper, that would be assistant special teams coach – Ben Kotwica. He’s been coaching special teams in the league since 2007. Has coached for Washington, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Denver. Rams hired him in 2025.
znModeratorBrock Vierra@BrockVierra
Per Sean McVay: Davante Adams likely won’t play next week against the FalconsznModeratorHe said something about working on taking the return to the left or somethin like that
No I haven’t seen that one.
znModeratorFerguson had a TD negated by a bad call.
But, he also only has 9 catches on 21 targets. That gives him the lowest catch % on the whole team (42.9%).
Growing pains? Likely. But still.
This is going to be a different team in the post-season. They will be getting Higbee, Adams, and Lake back (probably Dotson too) and maybe Witherspoon will re-find his game.
znModeratorI don’t agree that the kicking game is a problem.
I still think Mevis is okay. One miss is just something that happens…too soon to think kicking is a problem, IMO. It was the TD on a punt return that causes worry.
Basically STs lost them 3 games this year. After much thought and cold hard analysis, I have decided that my fully considered view of that is, that ain’t good.
December 20, 2025 at 8:06 am in reply to: Rams tweets etc. … 12/19 – 12/22 … w/ some Baldinger #160431znModeratorNate Atkins@NateAtkins_
I thought Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford showed some good composure and class after the game last night with some tricky topics to talk through.I’ve covered many a head coach and quarterback who would not have handled it so well.
Key word: maaaaany.
znModerator“As great as Mahomes is outside of structure it's just REALLY hard to be consistent playing that way…”@GregCosell on what went wrong with Kansas City this season: https://t.co/00kbNEFD0Y pic.twitter.com/2CV245wuk1
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) December 19, 2025
December 20, 2025 at 12:17 am in reply to: Seattle game: tweets, plays, highlights, commentary #160429znModeratorA Rams touchdown was taken off the board due to officials calling a penalty for illegal man downfield on 4th-and-goal at the 1. They had to settle for a field goal.
Prime Video rules analyst Terry McAulay disagrees with the ruling: "This really isn't a foul." 🏈🦓🎙️ #NFL #TNF pic.twitter.com/gG0Sgr8zlh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 19, 2025
December 19, 2025 at 11:06 pm in reply to: Rams tweets etc. … 12/19 – 12/22 … w/ some Baldinger #160428znModeratorCovered perfectly, filthy disguise, hot off the blitzing Nickel, but he saw it.
Somehow he saw it, registered it, and timed it up. Look how fast this happens, look how fast that free rusher is barreling down.
Processing=Upside, never forget it pic.twitter.com/6OEKGxUD5W
— Max Toscano (@maxtoscano1) December 19, 2025
December 19, 2025 at 11:04 pm in reply to: Seattle game: tweets, plays, highlights, commentary #160427znModeratorDan Patrick Show@dpshow
“This is about two teams that took advantage when they needed to, and Seattle had the last chance to take advantage – and they end up winning.”znModeratorNate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Sean McVay said he’s “betting on the human being” with Puka Nacua after the past week of off-field concerns.He said the tweet about officials was not the format to express frustrations.
Also said he won’t face additional punishment from the team beyond league fines.
December 19, 2025 at 10:53 pm in reply to: The Stafford thread…update 12/31: huge S.I. article #160424znModerator"God reached down at some point and he blessed Nolan Ryan, Justin Verlander, and Matt Stafford's arm."@colincowherd argues that Stafford is the NFL's last great pure pocket passer pic.twitter.com/iGxqPTLtsL
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 19, 2025
December 19, 2025 at 10:49 pm in reply to: Rams tweets etc. … 12/19 – 12/22 … w/ some Baldinger #160423znModerator.@RamsNFL @Seahawks @TurnerKobie @AlPoodie despite the final results ; Kobie continues to have great production #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/oiQFbeJFVn
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 19, 2025
December 19, 2025 at 9:49 pm in reply to: Rams tweets etc. … 12/19 – 12/22 … w/ some Baldinger #160422znModeratorGeoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
The Rams are still the favorite for the Super Bowl with a very real chance of being the 6th seed. Kind of wild. -
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