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znModerator…
That makes ranking the best wide receivers incredibly difficult, but Hall of Famer Terrell Owens took on that task recently when asked to pick his top five by Sports Illustrated. The first two players he named? Nacua and Davante Adams, a pair of Rams stars.
âRight now, I would say Puka, Davante Adams, DeVonta Smith â I like him â Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown,â Owens said.
znModeratorGreg Cosell said in a vid it wouldnt surprise him if there were only about ten or eleven players with actual first round grades this year.
w
vYeah it’s a draft that is thin on top but deep with 2nd and 3rd round worthy types. That just means the 1st round becomes that much more unpredictable, as “fit” becomes a dominant criteria over “elite no-brainer” picks.
For example, Stafford could play at a high level anywhere in the NFL. Whereas Puka, while he would never be a bust, wouldn’t have his 2025 numbers in every offense out there, but is a perfect fit for the Rams offense.
February 25, 2026 at 2:21 am in reply to: science! physics, astrophysics, abiogenesis, n other stuff #162328znModeratorDark matter and neutrinos are linked and interact with each other
https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles/dark-matter-neutrinos-linked-interact-125100506.html
A quiet shift in the numbers behind the universeâs growth is pushing scientists toward a bold possibility. Two of the cosmosâ most elusive players, dark matter and neutrinos, may not be strangers after all. New research from the University of Sheffield reports signs they could be interacting, a finding that challenges a core assumption in the standard model of cosmology.
Dark matter makes up about 85% of the matter in the universe, yet no one has seen it directly. Scientists infer it from its gravitational pull on galaxies and large-scale structure. Neutrinos are also famously hard to catch. They carry an extremely small mass, and they rarely interact with other matter. Even so, researchers have observed neutrinos using huge underground detectors.
For decades, the leading cosmological picture, called Lambda-CDM, has treated dark matter and neutrinos as separate. In that view, they do not meaningfully interact with each other. The new study adds evidence that this clean separation may not hold. The research suggests that a subtle interaction could help explain why different measurements of the universe do not line up as neatly as scientists expect.
If the signal holds up, it offers something rare: a way to learn about dark matter through its influence on the universeâs structure, not through a direct detection.
A Small Mismatch With Big Meaning
The mystery starts with a long-running tension in cosmology. When scientists study the early universe, they can predict how cosmic structures should grow over time. Those early measurements suggest matter should end up a bit more clumped today than what researchers actually observe.
This mismatch is not huge. It is also stubborn. The early-universe picture comes from the faint afterglow of the Big Bang, and the late-universe picture comes from galaxy maps and the way mass bends light. Put side by side, they do not perfectly agree.
Eleonora Di Valentino, a senior research fellow at the University of Sheffield and a co-author, said the tension has lingered for years. âOur results address a long-standing puzzle in cosmology,â she said. âMeasurements of the early universe predict that cosmic structures should have grown more strongly over time than what we observe today.â
She stressed the result does not automatically topple the standard model. âThis tension does not mean the standard cosmological model is wrong, but it may suggest that it is incomplete,â Di Valentino said. The new work shows a possible reason for the gap. âOur study shows that interactions between dark matter and neutrinos could help explain this difference, offering new insight into how structure formed in the universe.â
In plain terms, the universe may have grown up a little differently than the simplest version of the model assumes.
Reading the Universe Across Time
To test the idea, the team combined measurements that span the history of the cosmos. For the early universe, they relied on two instruments designed to study the leftover glow of the Big Bang.
One is the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, a highly sensitive ground-based facility. The other is the Planck Telescope, a space observatory run by the European Space Agency from 2009 to 2013. Both target the cosmic microwave background, often described as the universeâs ancient afterglow.
For the later universe, the researchers turned to large catalogs of observations. They used a massive set of measurements taken by the Dark Energy Camera on the Victor M. Blanco Telescope in Chile. They also used galaxy maps from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
These datasets do not just describe pretty pictures of the sky. They track how matter collects into structure. That includes matter you can see, and matter you cannot.
The strength of the study comes from the mix. The early-universe data sets the starting conditions. The later-universe maps show what those starting conditions produced over billions of years.
A Possible Link Between Dark Matter and Neutrinos
The researchers tested whether a dark matter and neutrino interaction could sit inside the data without breaking everything else. They found signs that such an interaction could exist, and that it could influence how structure grows.
In the standard picture, dark matter helps form structure because gravity pulls it into clumps. Neutrinos, because they are light and elusive, behave differently and can smooth things out. The new work suggests an added twist: if dark matter and neutrinos interact even slightly, that interaction could change the pace of growth in cosmic structure.
The study reports evidence of this effect by combining early- and late-universe measurements. The researchers say the interaction could have affected how galaxies and other structures formed over time. That, in turn, could reduce the mismatch between what early-universe data predicts and what late-universe observations show.
The result does not claim a final answer. It points to a direction that can be tested with more precise measurements.
Why This Could Change What Physicists Look For
If confirmed, the finding would matter far beyond cosmology. It would hint at new particle behavior that laboratory researchers could try to probe.
William GiarĂš, a co-author and former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sheffield who is now at the University of HawaiÊ»i, framed it as a potential turning point. âIf this interaction between dark matter and neutrinos is confirmed, it would be a fundamental breakthrough,â he said.
He described two payoffs. âIt would not only shed new light on a persistent mismatch between different cosmological probes, but also provide particle physicists with a concrete direction, indicating which properties to look for in laboratory experiments to help finally unmask the true nature of dark matter.â
That last line matters because dark matter research often feels like searching in fog. You know something is there. You feel its pull. Yet you do not know what it is. A possible interaction with neutrinos could narrow the search.
The study also points to what comes next. The researchers say future telescopes, cosmic microwave background experiments, and weak lensing surveys can test the idea more strongly. Weak lensing measures tiny distortions in the light from distant galaxies. Those distortions help map mass across space, including mass you cannot see directly.
Better data would let scientists check whether the interaction signal strengthens, weakens, or disappears.
Practical Implications of the Research
The results offer a testable way to refine the standard cosmological model, especially where early- and late-universe measurements show a mild mismatch.
If the interaction is confirmed, it could guide particle physics experiments by pointing to specific properties to search for in dark matter.
Future cosmic microwave background studies and weak lensing surveys could use this framework to interpret higher-precision data with fewer unresolved tensions.
A clearer model of structure growth can improve how scientists understand galaxy formation over time, using the same kinds of observational tools described in the study.
Research findings are available online in the journal Nature Astronomy.
znModeratorFrom the Combine to now đ€ pic.twitter.com/9i6G4jA4fS
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) February 24, 2026
znModeratorI've seen many Rams fans express interest in Allar on X. Lets see how he moves! https://t.co/rK1hpkuwKm
— ryan anderson (@RLAndersonLAFB) February 25, 2026
znModeratorwell no. next season is when they evolve from 13 personnel to 10 personnel. and they unveil their jumbo package featuring three guards and three tackles and one wide receiver.
I hadn’t thought of that.
And with it, I hope, they include 2 RBs. They need those in case the opponents blitzes all 12 defenders at once.
znModerator
znModeratorJoel Klatt on Cowherd had the Rams taking a Guard at 13:
Yeah why should we expect anyone to actually know the team roster in any depth when they discuss the Rams on national sports media.
Rams don’t just need a guard, they need to intensify their search for a decent head coach while they’re at it.
And then there’s the stadium issue. They can’t play in the Anaheim Coliseum forever. Georgia needs to get with the program and be a better owner.
znModeratorAdam Schefter@AdamSchefter
With five-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams scheduled to carry a $39 million cap number this season, he and the 49ers currently are struggling to find a contractual solution, per league sources. If the two sides canât bridge their differences in their standoff, Williams would be expected to join this yearâs free-agent class, making him one of the premier players available.znModeratorznModeratorI see. Well, thereâs pluses and minuses to the Rams proposed changes. I kinda like a chaotic scramble for a busted up lateral. I dont think Iâd want the rule to be changed to where only the QB can recover the ball.
The issue is that the play was blown dead, ref’s whistle. The defense stopped playing at that point. They can’t be in a situation where they have to guess if a whistle is real or if counts. They risk getting flags if they contest the ball and get physical over it. This rule as written basically says the whistle didn’t count, the ball was still live.
Not every defender is in a position to see whether or not it was a backward pass. They see an incomplete and the whistle blows.
znModeratorRamsâ proposal based on crazy two-point play has two components
Mike Florio
The Rams have indeed made a proposal based on the nutty two-point play from the Week 16 overtime thriller in Seattle.
The initial report merely explained that a proposal was submitted. The details of the proposal have emerged.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Rams have made two separate proposals. Under the first, a backward pass that is tipped by a defensive player and goes past the line of scrimmage would be treated like a fumble. This means that, during the final two minutes of a half, on fourth down, or on a conversion attempt, only the player who fumbled can recover the ball and advance it. If another offensive player recovers the ball, the offense gets the ball at the spot of the fumble.
As applied to the two-point attempt in Rams-Seahawks, the recovery of the loose ball in the end zone by running back Zach Charbonnet would not have resulted in a successful conversion. Seattle would have gotten two points only if quarterback Sam Darnold had recovered the ball.
Although that same situation will rarely happen, the reasoning makes sense. The defense disrupted the attempted backward pass. As it relates to the quirk that allows backward passes to hit the ground and be recovered and advanced, the Ramsâ proposal would eliminate situations in which the backward pass is deflected forward and crosses the line of scrimmage. In the situations where a fumble canât be recovered and advanced by any player except the one who fumbled it, a backward pass that is batted beyond the line of scrimmage would be treated the same way.
The Ramsâ second proposal would limit the time for the initiation of a replay review, capping it at either 40 seconds or a minute. Basically, if the replay process is going to activate, it needs to happen more quickly in order to keep the game moving.
For the Seahawks-Rams play, 100 seconds elapsed between the time Charbonnet recovered the ball and the moment referee Brad Allen announced that the play was under further review. The kickoff and kick-return teams were on the field and ready to proceed. The absence of a specific deadline for starting the review process allows potentially protracted delays â and opens the door for (as happened in this case) someone from outside the apparatus alerting the league to the potential need for a review.
While the league eventually got the Rams-Seahawks play right, the Ramsâ thinking is that no review should take that long to get started.
Again, something like this may not happen again, for years. It makes sense, now that the league has witnessed that specific outcome, for the NFL to consider whether it wants to allow that same thing to possibly happen in the future.
znModeratorWonder what happened with Aubrey Pleasant? He didnt keep a job with McVay and he didnt get a job anywhere else.
w
vThere seems to be a shake-up in the secondary coaching. Also, of course, Pleasant was the assistant head coach and Kingsbury replaced him. So either McV wanted Kingsbury in that position and Pleasant didn’t like being replaced, or there was a coming to terms with the secondary coaching and so Pleasant was fired/or quit and KIngsbury replaced him as assistant head coach after that.
znModeratorthatâs also what i was wondering. that gives me some comfort. excited to see if he can improve the run game any.
Actually Scheelhaase has a background (not extensive but solid) in the runnin game too.
from the wiki
Iowa State (2021â2022)
Running game coordinator, running backs coach & wide receivers coach
Iowa State (2023)
Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coachznModeratorRams’ 2026 coaching staff set
Stu Jackson
Head coach Sean McVay’s finalized staff features a mix of promotions and new additions as well as familiar names. All told, the staff includes 16 returnees and eight new hires. Here is more about each of them.
Head Coach: Sean McVay
McVay enters his 10th year as head coach of the Rams. In 2025, Los Angeles reached the playoffs and double-digit wins for the seventh time in McVay’s first nine seasons. L.A. has also finished with a winning record in all one but one season of McVay’s tenure so far.
Assistant Head Coach: Kliff Kingsbury
Kingsbury joins the Rams’ coaching staff after serving as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator the last two seasons. He reportedly interviewed for the Ravens’ head coach and offensive coordinator openings, as well as the Titans’ and Giants’ offensive coordinator openings, before ultimately joining McVay’s staff.
Offensive staff
Offensive Coordinator: Nate Scheelhaase
Another new title for Scheelhaase in his third season on L.A.’s staff after serving as pass game coordinator last season. This promotion comes after he reportedly received multiple head coach and offensive coordinator interview requests this past cycle.
Quarterbacks/Associate Coordinator: Dave Ragone
Ragone returns for his third season as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach, but this marks his first with associate coordinator in his title as part of this staff. Working closely with Ragone, quarterback Matthew Stafford was named NFL MVP after leading the league in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns at the helm of the NFL’s No. 1 total offense and No. 1 scoring offense last season.
Wide Receivers: Rob Calabrese
Calabrese gets a big promotion entering Year 3 after spending the first two seasons as an offensive assistant. The wide receivers were one of the position groups Calabrese worked closest with in his previous role.
Offensive Line: Ryan Wendell
Wendell returns for his fourth season overseeing the Rams’ offensive line. In 2025, the Rams tied with the Broncos for the fewest sacks allowed in the regular season with 23, marking back-to-back seasons where they’ve allowed the sixth-fewest sacks or better.
Tight Ends: Scott Huff
Returning for his second season on the Rams’ staff, Huff’s group collectively improved their production from 51 catches, 459 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2024 to 103 receptions, 1,128 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns 2025, playing a key role as Los Angeles took on a 13 personnel-led offensive identity by the end of the season.
Senior Offensive Assistant/Wide Receivers: Eric Yarber
Entering his 10th season working with the wide receivers, Yarber now holds the title of senior offensive assistant/wide receivers coach. He joins assistant offensive line coach Zak Kromer as the longest-tenured member of McVay’s offensive staff.
Last season, Yarber led a receivers group headlined by Puka Nacua, whose 129 receptions led the NFL and 1,715 receiving yards were second-most in the league in the regular season. Additionally, Davante Adams led the league in receiving touchdowns with 14.
Running Backs: Ron Gould
Gould returns for his fourth season leading L.A.’s running backs. He’s been a central figure to Kyren Williams’ production over the last two seasons; in 2024, Williams set career highs in rushing yards (1,299) and rushing touchdowns (14).
Assistant Offensive Line: Zak Kromer
Kromer is one of the two longest-tenured member of McVay’s offensive staff and worked with Wendell to help the offensive line achieve the success it did over the last two seasons
Assistant Offensive Line: Brian Allen
A former Rams starting center, Allen initially began working with the team in a consultant capacity at the beginning of last season and is now on the coaching staff full-time.
Assistant Wide Receivers: Robert Woods
Fans won’t have to look far to wonder where Woods is headed in retirement. Fresh off signing a one-day contract to a retire as a Ram, Woods joins the team’s coaching staff as an assistant wide receivers coach working with Calabrese and Yarber.
Defensive Assistant: Robert Wright
This will be Wright’s first season as a defensive assistant on L.A.’s staff. He spent the last two seasons as Syracuse’s co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, and prior to that was the University of Buffalo’s defensive coordinator in 2023, overlapping with former Buffalo standout and current Rams inside linebacker Shaun Dolac. Wright began his coaching career as a special teams quality control coach at his alma mater, the University of Miami, in 2015, and went on to have stops at Illinois (defensive graduate assistant 2016-17, defensive quality control 2018) where he worked primarily with the linebackers and nickelbacks in those roles, Texas A&M (defensive graduate assistant, 2019-20), Iowa State (special teams quality control coach, 2021), Duke (senior defensive analyst, 2022) before joining Buffalo’s staff.
Defensive staff
Defensive Coordinator: Chris Shula
Shula returns for his third season as defensive coordinator and 10th overall on the Rams staff. In his second, Los Angeles finished 10th in scoring defense and 12th in run defense.
Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line: Giff Smith
Returning for his third season on the Rams staff, 2026 marks Smith’s second with this title. Defensive ends Kobie Turner (seven) and Braden Fiske (three) accounted for 10 of Los Angeles’ 47 sacks last season.
Inside Linebackers: Greg Williams
Williams returns for his third season coaching L.A.’s inside linebackers. In 2025, Nate Landman’s 132 total tackles led the team and also set a new career high.
Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs: Jimmy Lake
A senior defensive assistant last season, Lake takes over the pass game coordinator/defensive backs coaching role previously held by Aubrey Pleasant.
Safeties: Chris Beake
Beake returns for his fourth season working with the Rams’ secondary and fifth on the Rams’ defensive staff overall.
Outside Linebackers: Joe Coniglio
Coniglio returns for his fourth season as outside linebackers coach. In his third, outside linebackers Byron Young and Jared Verse both earned Pro Bowl nods, with Young getting his first after a career-high 12 sacks in 2025.
Pass Rush Coordinator: Drew Wilkins
Wilkins returns for a second season working with the Rams’ pass rush. In his first season, the Rams tied with the Seahawks and Texans for the seventh-most sacks in the NFL with 47.
Assistant Defensive Backs: Michael Hunter
Hunter is among the eight new hires, joining the Rams after serving as assistant defensive backs coach for Ohio State the last two years. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State, doing so for two years before coaching the cornerbacks at Tula in 2023 and then heading to Ohio State.
Senior Offensive Assistant: Brian Johnson
Johnson joins the Rams’ staff after serving as the assistant head coach/pass game coordinator for the Commanders the last two seasons. Prior to that, he was with the Eagles for three seasons, serving as quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023.
Special Teams staff
Special Teams Coordinator: Bubba Ventrone
After spending the previous three seasons with the Browns, and the five seasons prior to that as the Colts’ special teams coordinator, Ventrone takes over the Rams’ special teams after Chase Blackburn was let go late last season and after his assistant, Ben Kotwica, held down the role on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.
Assistant Special Teams: Kyle Hoke
Hoke previously held the same title in Cleveland and keeps it following Ventrone to Los Angeles. Prior to becoming an assistant special teams coach with the Browns, Hoke spent 13 years at the college level, with stops at Texas A&M (2024), San Diego State (2020-23), Indiana State (2019), Texas State (2018), John Carroll (2017), South Carolina (2015-16), Army (2014) and Western Michigan (2012-13).
Game Management
Game Management Coordinator/Assistant Tight Ends: Dan Shamash
Shamash is back for a second season working with the Rams’ tight ends and also educating players and coaches on NFL rules and regulations. The Rams were the least-penalized team for the 2025 regular season with just 75 penalties against them.
znModeratorRams Make Massive Changes To Their 2026 Coaching Staff
There’s a bit from that article I found confusing so I didn’t post it in case it was an error. It got cleared up in a twitter exchange.
THE BIT:
Brock Vierra:
Former Washington Commanders assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Brian Johnson has joined Kingsbury in Los Angeles as a member of the Rams’ defensive staff, serving as senior offensive assistant.
THE CLARIFYING EXCHANGE:
zn@znramsfan
This bit is confusing: “Brian Johnson has joined Kingsbury in Los Angeles as a member of the Rams’ defensive staff, serving as senior offensive assistant.” On the *D* staff as an *O* assistant? Is “defensive” there a typo?Rams Fans United&RamsFansUnited
I know teams, including the Rams, like to carry a defensive coach to scout the offense, maybe this is the reverse of that?zn@znramsfan
Could be. Stu Jackson also lists him as being on the defensive staff. Looks like they want an offensive quality control “eye” to identify Rams pass defense flaws that can be exploited. That & letting Pleasant go indicates big changes in the secondary, from coaches to players.Brock Vierra@BrockVierra
Yes. Defensive staff member who can provide offensive perspectiveznModeratorNate Atkins@NateAtkins_
The Rams finalized their coaching staff for 2026 season, including a title for Kliff Kingsbury:Assistant head coach.
Nathan Scheelhaase is the offensive coordinator.
No passing game coordinator this year.Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Two members of the Ramsâ Super Bowl championship team are now on the coaching staff: Robert Woods begins his coaching career as assât WRs coach, and Brian Allen gets an official title as assât OL coach after being around last season as a consultant.Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
One other notable LA hiring: former Commanders assistant head coach and passing game coordinator Brian Johnson now has joined the Ramsâ staff as a senior offensive assistant.Rams Fans United@RamsFansUnited
No Aubrey Pleasant?Rams Make Massive Changes To Their 2026 Coaching Staff
Sean McVay has freshened up his coaching staff for a Super Bowl run in 2026Brock Vierra
https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/onsi/rams-make-massive-changes-to-their-2026-coaching-staff-01kj650vkz41
WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams have announced their 2026 coaching staff, saying goodbye to several notable names while officially adding others. Here’s the biggest news from the announcement.
Robert Woods
Former Rams wide receiver and Los Angeles native Robert Woods won’t have to look far for his next job. One of the pioneers behind the Rams’ receiver run blocking program, Woods has joined the staff as an assistant wide receivers coach, working with returning receivers coach Eric Yarber, who is returning for his tenth season, this time as an assistant wide receivers coach/ senior offensive assistant.
Promotions and Returns
Kliff Kingsbury has been named as assistant head coach, replacing Aubrey Pleasant. Nate Scheelhaase has officially been named as offensive coordinator, replacing Mike LaFleur. Scheelhaase’s former job as the pass game coordinator was not reassigned officially, but quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone was named assistant coordinator.
Rob Calabrese has been named wide receivers coach, advancing into the top job after serving in an assistant role last season. Eric Yarber, who held the role for the last nine seasons, has taken a step back.
Super Bowl LVI champion Brian Allen has been named an assistant offensive line coach. Allen assisted with the team last season.
On defense, Jimmy Lake returns, this time taking over for Aubrey Pleasant as defensive passing game coordinator/ DBs coach. Lake was an assistant last season.
Departures
Aubrey Pleasant, who was the Rams assistant head coach, is no longer with the team, as per the Rams’ announcement.
Mike Harris, who helped coach the secondary, is no longer with the team. Special Teams Coordinator Ben Kotwica and assistant Matthew Harper, as expected, have departed.
New Hires
As mentioned above, Kliff Kingsbury is now a member of the Rams’ staff, giving Sean McVay his first former NFL head coach as an assistant head coach ever.
Former Syracuse defensive coordinator Robert Wright has joined the offensive staff as a senior defensive analyst, giving the Rams’ offensive minds insight on up and coming defensive trends.
Mike Hunter, former Ohio State assistant, is the Rams’ assistant defensive backs coach. It is assumed Hunter will fill in for the role Mike Harris had in 2025.
Bubba Ventrone will be the Rams’ new Special Teams Coordinator, a role he enjoyed with the Cleveland Browns last season, and Kyle Hoke will be joining him as an assistant.
znModeratorNate Atkins@NateAtkins_
The Rams finalized their coaching staff for 2026 season, including a title for Kliff Kingsbury:Assistant head coach.
Nathan Scheelhaase is the offensive coordinator.
No passing game coordinator this year.
…
Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Two members of the Ramsâ Super Bowl championship team are now on the coaching staff: Robert Woods begins his coaching career as assât WRs coach, and Brian Allen gets an official title as assât OL coach after being around last season as a consultant.Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
One other notable LA hiring: former Commanders assistant head coach and passing game coordinator Brian Johnson now has joined the Ramsâ staff as a senior offensive assistant.…
No Aubrey Pleasant? https://t.co/PY2hKOzlyG
— Rams Fans United (@RamsFansUnited) February 23, 2026
znModeratorfrom Nate Atkins, his contribution to One hot topic for every team at the 2026 NFL combine: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7063486/2026/02/23/nfl-combine-team-future-question-quarterback-draft/
Los Angeles Rams
This Rams offseason will be all about finding aggressive avenues to unlock solutions at outside cornerback. Itâs the one clear hole on the roster. The time is overdue for Los Angeles to invest either draft picks, cap space or both to this premium position, especially with starter Cobie Durant headed to free agency. He could come back, but the Rams need more than one investment here as well as a clear upgrade to the top cornerback spot. General manager Les Snead indicated he would be more aggressive in trying to win a Super Bowl if Matthew Stafford returned for an 18th season, so now that he has, the time in Indianapolis will be about cornerback prospects who could fit the Rams at Nos. 13 or 29 overall as well as exploring potential trades and preparing for free agency so as not to put that entire burden on rookies. â Nate Atkins
znModeratorMost rushing TDs over the last 3 seasons:
Derrick Henry – 44
Josh Allen – 41
Jahmyr Gibbs – 39
Jalen Hurts – 37
Jonathan Taylor – 36
Kyren Williams – 36
Josh Jacobs – 34
David Montgomery – 33
James Cook – 30
Saquon Barkley – 26 pic.twitter.com/i5mMQ1g5Ya— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) February 22, 2026
znModeratorDoJ cases against protesters keep collapsing as officersâ lies are exposed in court
String of embarrassing defeats for prosecutors as experts condemn DoJ effort to cast people as âviolent perpetratorsâDepartment of Justice prosecutors across the US have suffered a string of embarrassing defeats in their aggressive pursuit of criminal cases against people accused of âassaultingâ and âimpedingâ federal officers.
In recent months, the federal government has relentlessly prosecuted protesters, government critics, immigrants and others arrested during immigration operations, often accusing them of physically attacking officers or interfering with their duties.
But many of those cases have recently been dismissed or ended in not guilty verdicts.
In several high-profile cases, the prosecutions fell apart because they relied on statements by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers that had no supporting evidence or in some instances were proven by video footage to be blatantly false.
Criminal defense lawyers said it was unusual for federal prosecutors to pursue a high volume of charges over minor clashes with law enforcement, and that it was extraordinary to see the DoJ lose case after case across jurisdictions.
Still, the costs for defendants, even if ultimately exonerated, have been enormous, with many having their mugshots blasted by the government and some forced to languish in jail or have criminal charges hang over them for weeks and months.
âCasting victims as perpetratorsâ
The most recent significant fumble came from Minneapolis prosecutors, who last week dismissed felony assault charges they had filed against two Venezuelan men accused of âviolently beatingâ an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer âwith weaponsâ on 14 January.
In a press release issued after their arrest, the DHS had described the men as âviolent criminal illegal aliensâ. The department said officers were conducting a targeted traffic stop to detain an undocumented man from Venezuela, and as he âbegan to resist and violently assault the officerâ, two other men came out of a nearby apartment and âattacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handleâ. The officer shot one of them in the leg.
Two of the men were arrested and charged, with a 16 January affidavit providing a vivid account of them attacking an officer identified as ERO 1, referring to ICEâs enforcement and removal operations. But on 12 February, prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss both menâs cases, saying: âNewly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations in the complaint affidavit.â
The motion, which a judge granted, sought to have the cases dismissed âwith prejudiceâ, meaning the government could not re-file charges.
ICE director Todd Lyons said ICE and the DoJ had opened an investigation into the case after videos revealed âsworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statementsâ, marking a rare acknowledgement of possible wrongdoing by DHS officials.
âIt is very unusual for the government to move to dismiss its own case with prejudice,â Frederick Goetz, a lawyer for one of the men, said in an interview. He praised the government for launching investigations: âIf you make false statements to a federal agent, that is a crime.â
Goetz said there were other similar cases stemming from the DHSâs âOperation Metro Surgeâ in the Minneapolis-St Paul region: âAnecdotally, you see a pattern: there are unreasonable uses of force by ICE agents and border patrol. You immediately have stories perpetuated to justify that force: âThe officer was being attacked. This was an ambush.â All of that spin is to cast the victims as violent perpetrators. Then the story falls apart once you get the facts.â
He said it would be difficult to undo the reputational harm done to his client: âThe allegation that he was a violent criminal who attacked a federal officer with a broom â that image and association is going to live for ever on the internet. It traveled all the way to Venezuela. Itâs absolutely not who he is.â
Goetz, a federal criminal defense lawyer in Minnesota for nearly 40 years, said the high volume of similar charges tied to Trumpâs immigration crackdown had further consequences. It was overwhelming the federal courts in the state, diverting resources from the traditional work of federal prosecutors, such as complex fraud, drug and gang matters: âPublic safety has not been served by these rash of cases.â
The case is one of several in Minnesota that has fallen apart. Earlier this year, Minnesota federal prosecutors dropped assault charges against a man, who was accused of ramming his car into agents during an immigration operation. The DoJ presented no witnesses to establish probable cause.
And on Tuesday, a judge dismissed with prejudice federal assault charges filed against a Minneapolis man accused of âtacklingâ an ICE agent on 15 December. The judge, Donovan Frank, noted the ICE officer was not injured and called the allegations âvague and contradictoryâ. Federal officers had reviewed multiple videos of the events, and, âNone saw a âtackleâ or other kind of assault,â Frank said.
Prosecutors sought to have his case dismissed without prejudice, allowing them to later re-charge him. But the judge rejected that request, citing the defendantâs arguments that âfuture prosecution may be politically motivatedâ â a claim that, the judge noted, the government had not contested.
In Chicago, of 92 people arrested for assaulting or impeding officers last fall, 74 cases have resulted in no charges; in 13 cases, charges were filed and dismissed; and five charged cases were still pending, a recent investigation by Fox 9, a Minneapolis-based station, showed. As of the end of January, there have been no convictions.
In LA, the federal public defenders have won all six cases filed against ICE protesters that have gone to trial since June, the LA Times recently reported. Fewer than 1% of federal criminal defendants were acquitted across the US in fiscal year 2024, with US prosecutors traditionally having a roughly 90% conviction rate, the paper noted.
Juries have also issued not guilty verdicts for people accused of assaulting ICE or similar charges in Louisville, Kentucky, Seattle and Washington DC.
âThat losing streak is really unheard of,â said LA-based defense lawyer Katherine McBroom. She represented Jonathon Redondo-Rosales, an LA protester who spent six months in jail until a federal judge dismissed his case with prejudice last week.
Redondo-Rosales was accused of assaulting an officer with a cloth hat. The judge noted discrepancies in the governmentâs account and that the alleged victim, an officer identified as ZC, had previously failed to disclose he was convicted of harassment. The DHS said last week the officer was under investigation.
McBroom said it appeared prosecutors were aware their case was weak as they downgraded charges from a felony to a misdemeanor, then repeatedly tried to negotiate pleas with increasingly favorable terms for her client: âThe efforts to settle seemed desperate. It seemed like there was a concerted effort to prevent this from going to trial, because, while I canât get into their heads, I donât think they were confident in the case. It would take integrity to do the right thing and say we got this wrong. But they didnât do that.â
After footage was submitted in court clearly demonstrating Redondo-Rosales had not hit the officer in the face with a âclosed fistâ, as the officer initially claimed, McBroom said she was shocked prosecutors continued to pursue a plea that would land her client a conviction: âWeâre both looking at the video. How on earth are we interpreting it so differently?â
Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the US attorneyâs office in Los Angeles, did not respond to questions about the specific cases, but shared data indicating that as of Friday, his office had filed charges against 103 people for assaulting or impeding federal officers or related allegations since last year. In addition to the six people acquitted at trial, 25 of those cases ended in dismissals and another 25 defendants pleaded guilty. The rest were pending.
Prosecutors have appealed against two of the dismissals, including in Redondo-Rosalesâs case.
Representatives of the other US attorneyâs offices and DoJ did not respond to detailed inquiries about the cases. Natalie Baldassarre, a DoJ spokesperson, said in an email the justice department would âcontinue to seek the most serious available charges against any individual who puts federal agents in harmâs wayâ.
âWe will not tolerate any violence directed toward our brave law enforcement officials who are working tirelessly to keep Americans safe,â the statement continued. âThose who attack law enforcement will be held fully accountable for their actions, despite the best efforts of activist liberal judges who would rather see violent criminals walk free.â
The DHS did not respond to inquiries, and the White House declined to comment.
McBroom said the government was silencing free speech through a prosecution that depended on multiple officials repeating false statements. âThereâs a level of terror to this, in that he was being held in jail for exercising his first amendment rights, and it was a collaborative effort to hide the truth that was keeping him in custody. Itâs terrifying.â
znModeratorIâve been a Rams fan for a long time. Iâve seen some exciting WRs but I donât ever think weâve seen anything like Stafford to Nacua. I mean they were doing this a couple of times a game week after week after week. In 3 games v Seattle alone 465 yards 17 yards per catch!! pic.twitter.com/bCN4mvALKf
— @speed_kills (@speedk1lls) February 22, 2026
znModeratorLest you as a Rams fan take either Puka or Davante for granted.
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Price Carter@priceacarter
Could you IMAGINE a #Chiefs wide receiver lining up on the outside, beating press man coverage, winning a contested catch AND keeping his feet in bounds?? This is my wish.znModeratorLos Angeles #Rams want to draft a young QB to pass the torch after Matthew Stafford retires.
Rams have reportely talked to Stafford about their intentions. pic.twitter.com/1Nyf7gIdzR
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) February 23, 2026
znModeratorHistory indicates Rams won't spend big in free agency https://t.co/uHxqTwww7K pic.twitter.com/0hLw9XRqbU
— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) February 22, 2026
znModeratorBoston Ball IQ@BostonBallIQ
honestly Maye got robbedâŠ.46 TDs? But no one points out how 18 came within the 5 yard lineâŠ
AlsoâŠbtwâŠStaffordâs 1-yard TD pass to Adams in the 4th quarter against JAX traveled 25.3 yards in the air.
People are just extraordinarily good at bias assimilation.
Plus there’s the fact, which I think was already mentioned, that Stafford had 30 passes inside the 5 w/ 63.3% completions, 19 TDs, O INTs. No one else has numbers like that inside the 5. Incidentally, Maye had 25 passes inside the 5 w/ 44% completions, 10 TDs, and 2 INTs.
Added to that is the also-already-posted-somewhere fact that Stafford led the league in TDs on 20+ yard passes, so it wasn’t all inside the 5.
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stafford big time throws vs the field.
from the same reddit link
Big-Time Throw: Passes with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window. A grading scale is used from -2.0 to +2.0, where only passes earning a high positive score of +1.0 or better qualify. The primary metric used to compare players is the Big-Time Throw Rate, which measures these elite passes as a percentage of a quarterback’s total attempts. This system specifically rewards “optimum” ball placement and timing over simple completions, effectively isolating a quarterback’s individual talent from the rest of the offense
znModeratorfrom 2025 PFF All-Playoff Team: The best players at every position in the postseason — https://www.pff.com/news/2025-pff-all-playoff-team-the-best-players-at-every-position-in-the-postseason
Letâs take a look at PFFâs 2025 All-Playoff Team, looking at the highest-graded players from the postseason.
WR: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams â 86.0
Puka Nacua was the highest-graded receiver in the regular season, earning a 96.3 PFF grade while catching a league-high 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns. That dominance continued into the postseason. Nacua was essentially the triple crown winner in the playoffs, leading all receivers in catches (24), receiving yards (332) and receiving touchdowns in three games, and his 86.0 PFF grade was third among wideouts.
Nacua garnered at least 10 targets in all three postseason games and compiled a 91.5 PFF grade against the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, hauling in nine of 14 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. The former BYU receiver has made the jump from a very good receiver to one of the NFLâs elite in 2025.
S: Kamren Kinchens, Los Angeles Rams â 84.3
Tied with Woodson with an 84.3 PFF grade, the Ramsâ Kamren Kinchens had a strong postseason and has a growing reputation on one of the NFLâs top defenses. Kinchens accumulated 11 tackles across three postseason games, adding five stops, and his 88.8 PFF tackling grade was second at the position.
Kinchens really shone in coverage, though. The former third-round pick was targeted five times, allowing three receptions for 17 yards while notching a pass breakup. His 78.6 PFF coverage grade led all safeties in the postseason.
K: Harrison Mevis, Los Angeles Rams â 82.0
Harrison Mevis has fast become a reliable source of points after winning the job as the Ramsâ kicker back in Week 11. Mevis made all 39 extra point attempts in the regular season and finished 12-of-13 on field goal attempts, with the lone miss coming against the Seahawks in Week 16.
Mevis was money in the playoffs, converting on 9-of-9 extra points and 6-of-6 field goals. Four of Mevisâ field goal conversions came between 40-49 yards, the most of any kicker in the postseason, and the former Missouri Tiger made his lone field goal of over 50 yards. His 82.0 PFF field goal grade led the postseason.
znModeratorAnd they got it right. (unless the whistle blew, and i didnt hear a whistle)
There was a whistle. This is acknowledged. And that’s the issue. The issue isn’t the call, it’s the rule. According to the rule, in this situation “immediate continuing action” is in force even if there is a whistle. But the problem is, a defense will stop playing at a whistle and not everyone is in a position to know that was a backward pass. A defender risks a flag if they continue to play and make contact after a whistle.
No one is disputing the call. They’re disputing the rule.
znModeratorDoug Farrar@NFL_DougFarrar
There are parts of Ty Simpson’s game I like as a developmental quarterback. Arm is more than sufficient, and he’s got the kind of functional mobility you can work with.But he’s a late thrower, and that always gives me pause. I don’t see NFL-level anticipation, and he waits his way into pressure too often. I don’t see how that doesn’t double down on him at the NFL level.
That extra hitch is a problem.
…
đ» @MoveTheSticks
We know where the first QB will get taken in the #NFLDraft… what about the 2nd? Where does Ty Simpson shake out come April? #NFL #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/WSGBeoJnNQ
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 20, 2026
znModeratorfrom https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/rams-propose-nfl-rule-change-seahawks-2-point-conversion/
One can speculate as to what changes the Rams are seeking. Perhaps they wish to apply the fumble rules on a two-point try to a lateral that has been touched by the defender and goes forward. Or they want to have a time limit for a review to be initiated. The change could be related to the ball being possessed after the whistle blew. It may seek a clearer definition of what “immediate continuing action” is. Or it could be none of these.
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