Michael J. Duarte@michaeljduarte
#LARams Michael Brockers left the locker room in a full walking boot on his left leg.

==

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/12/29/nfl-rams-cardinals-week-17-takeaways/3/

It’s almost as if the Rams knew what they were doing when they traded away Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib mid-season. They have excellent depth at cornerback with Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Darious Williams and David Long Jr. Williams and Long were the starters outside on Sunday, while Robey-Coleman assumed his role inside.

Williams picked off one pass and broke up another on a deep pass over the middle, showing off his ball skills and coverage technique. There’s still a lot to be decided with the 2020 roster, but Williams made a strong case against the Cardinals – and in the last two games, really.

Long should be part of the secondary in 2020 regardless because of his draft pedigree and potential, being a lockdown corner at Michigan previously. With Ramsey and Hill returning next year, the Rams have plenty of options in the secondary.

"We know we fell short of our goals, but all we can do is control what we can." – @robertwoods pic.twitter.com/JTs3dqQL3K

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 30, 2019

Tony Dungy@TonyDungy
We have a huge game tonight on @SNFonNBC San Francisco will have a bye and home field advantage thru the playoffs with a win. If they lose they will have to win 3 games on the road to get to the Super Bowl. Seattle playing for a home playoff game as well. Can’t wait!

Brock Huard@BrockHuard
There is a reason Pete Carroll has always loved dynamic Safety play b/c his style of defense needs and mandates it. This 1st quarter has been a disaster at that spot w/no Quandre Diggs available.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Couple closing thoughts:
🔹As nice as it would’ve been to play on, striking how suddenly 9-7 has become profoundly disappointing for #LARams.
🔹Hate that Littleton & Brockers couldn’t finish this one. They’ve given so much to #LARams and wish them best of health in free agency.

🗣 WE GOT EVERYBODY REPPIN!@robertwoods ft. @dantefowler pic.twitter.com/HKUu2e5abo

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 30, 2019

THE DOLPHINS TAKE THE LEAD ON THE PATRIOTS WITH 24 SECONDS LEFT! 😱

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/B66h0wSA9E

— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2019

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Nickell Robey-Coleman looked to be taking some reps at outside corner in warmups, so that wouldn’t be a surprise today.

For all the gloomy forecasts this offseason, here’s @TG3II preparing to play his 15th game of 2019.

Fifth in the NFL with 14 TDs. #LARams pic.twitter.com/ETxDJ8LLk5

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) December 29, 2019

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray officially active vs. Rams.

Pats Pulpit@patspulpit
New England is playing some terrible, terrible football today.

Andrew Perloff@andrewperloff
Patriots doing amazing job at not putting any good plays on tape for their playoff opponents to study.

When you just don't give a bleep…#Patriots find themselves in a week 17 battle they desperately wanted to avoid. pic.twitter.com/jYoxjNjG6Q

— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) December 29, 2019

ProFootballTalk@ProFootballTalk
Cardinals plan to start Kyler Murray Sunday

wv wrote:

Well they have a pass-rusher. I forget his name. But he’s got, like, 499 sacks. Thats more than Higbee has.

That reminds me. One well-known ARZ defensive weakness is tight ends. Their D can’t handle TEs, been that way all year.

Rams Week 17 preview: 5 questions with Cards Wire

link – https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/12/28/nfl-rams-week-17-cardinals-preview/

In advance of this matchup, we talked to Jess Root of Cards Wire to gather intel on players such as Kyler Murray, Chandler Jones and Kenyan Drake. Here’s our conversation on the upcoming game.

How big of a spark has Kenyan Drake provided over David Johnson?

Drake has been huge. He has energized the locker room with his swagger. He has jumpstarted the offense with his explosiveness and big plays. For whatever reason, David Johnson just hasn’t had the juice to power the offense. The team talks about Drake like he is a long-term piece.

Is Chandler Jones the best edge rusher in the NFL, in your opinion?

The numbers certainly suggest it. No one has more sacks since 2016. He led the NFL in 2017 and leads the league this year. He has the length, the motor, the explosiveness and the power. No one else combines that with the same consistency with which he plays. Even with 19 sacks, he has dropped into coverage about 12 percent of the time this season as well. He might have equals in the league, but no one is overall better.

What’s the most encouraging thing the Cardinals have to build on for next year?

It comes down to Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. Murray looks like the real deal and Kingsbury is proving to be flexible enough for the NFL. He has adapted to change the offense, while Murray has been successful doing a number of things.

Overall, how would you grade Kyler Murray’s rookie season?

It’s the best rookie QB season for any Cardinals quarterback. He is one of only three rookies to have at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. If he plays Sunday, he will likely finish with over 3,500 and 600. He still has room for improvement but it can’t be graded any lower than an A. He has exceeded very high expectations.

What’s your prediction for this game?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals won with how they are playing, but I don’t think it will happen. I do expect them to be competitive and it will come down to the fourth quarter. The Cardinals will run the ball well and get some pressure on Jared Goff, but the Rams will get a 23-20 win.

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Ravens and Pro Bowl CB Marcus Peters agreed to 3-year, $42 million extension that includes $32 million guaranteed, which is 76 percent of total contract, per source. Deal will pay Peters $20.5M in year 1. The 3-year deal would allow him to hit the free-agent market when he’s 29.

PFF@PFF
3rd highest-graded CB in the NFL in 2019 and currently the highest-graded season of his career