Russell Wilson: QB1 and … lead blocker 😂#SEAvsPIT (via @thecheckdown) pic.twitter.com/HWxsXw3KAu

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 15, 2019

Kurt Warner@kurt13warner
Before my timeline fills up with History buffs telling me it wasn’t the Germans who bombed Pearl Harbor… this I already know, it was a line from “Animal House” – thought more of u would get it!!

Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
The Cardinals defense is so bad. 😂. 3rd n 17 and they play a prevent defense which allows the Ravens to run a TE up the seam for a first down. 😂. Looks like a Big 12 defense

Jeff Howe@jeffphowe
Tom Brady just got hit after backup left tackle Marshall Newhouse got beat. Newhouse started at right tackle for Marcus Cannon. Joe Thuney got shaken up earlier. Wynn is in the locker room. Karras just got called for holding. James Develin is in the medical tent. This is dicey.

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Rams and Chargers’ new 20-year naming rights deal to become SoFi Stadium was negotiated by Legends, which is owned by Jerry Jones, and it is expected to be the largest naming-rights deal in the NFL, passing the Cowboys’ AT&T deal.

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Lost in the controversy and the Rams’ game-winning drive in overtime in NFC title game, was the coming-of-age drive for Sean McVay, Jared Goff and others at the end of regulation.

Pat Kirwan@PatKirwan_NFL
Looks like 8 teams will play without their starting left tackle this week. As one GM said to me ‘There aren’t 32 guys on the planet that can play left tackle well’ Could be a rough day for quarterbacks!

"This controversial call is masking the truth…New Orleans was not a good football team at the end of last year."@ColinCowherd's thoughts on #NOvsLAR today⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mrUj3VOfYi

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 15, 2019

Evan Silva@evansilva
#Rans RB Malcolm Brown is “emerging as their goal-line back” & “going to continue, I’m told, to be a fantasy vulture for Todd Gurley.”

—

It is going to be 🔥🔥🔥on the field in a few hours when the Saints come to face the Rams at the Coliseum. No matter what coaches and players from both teams said this week, they’re still in their feelings about the NFC Championship result. Let’s get it on. pic.twitter.com/hzRD2H0q8S

— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) September 15, 2019

Week 2 Daily fantasy picks: Fades and players to avoidhttps://t.co/edbNLBijCE

PFF Fantasy's @danieltkelley picks out the players to stay away from in DFS in Week 2. pic.twitter.com/1mrD9wmF47

— PFF (@PFF) September 15, 2019

Saints at Rams: Final score prediction for Week 2 game

So who comes out on top? This is one of the toughest games to pick. The Saints have the offensive playmakers and scheme to beat the Rams. We saw them do it in Week 9 last season. The Rams, on the other hand, have a great secondary when healthy. They held Thomas to just four catches and 36 yards in the NFC championship.

Quick reminder pic.twitter.com/1EHr9QvarV

— Barron Becker (@Barronstl) September 14, 2019

‘The locker room has really been boppin’ this week’: Saints, Rams ready to write next chapter

Vincent Bonsignore and Katherine Terrell

https://theathletic.com/1209376/2019/09/14/the-locker-room-has-really-been-boppin-this-week-saints-rams-ready-for-matchup-2-0/

It’s revenge week for the Saints and Rams! Sort of.

The Saints will travel to face the Rams in Week 2 after months of hearing about their loss to that particular team in the NFC Championship Game. You think the fans are ready to move on from the infamous “No-Call?” The players have been ready for weeks.

Revenge or no revenge, there’s a healthy dose of respect between these two teams. They both know it’s a good bet that they could be the last teams standing again if all goes well.

Here’s what Rams writer Vincent Bonsignore, Saints writer Katherine Terrell and New Orleans columnist Larry Holder had to say about the matchup in Los Angeles this Sunday:

What’s the mood in the locker room like this week? Do you get the sense the players have been looking forward to this game?

Bonsignore: I was at the facility late into Thursday night, and an assistant coach popped into the media room, saw me working and asked: “Getting ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday?” I kidded with him that “it’s just another game.” His response was telling and honest. “Nah. This is a big one. And that’s cool. Actually, it’s great. For us and for them and for the fans for the league. This is a big game. And that’s what it’s all about.”

I guess that’s a roundabout way of saying the locker room has really been boppin’ this week. The combination of the home opener and it being against the Saints and all the history and drama and ramifications and challenges that presents, there is no doubt the Rams have been bouncing around the facility all week. I think the Rams always do a good job of respecting each week’s challenge, but also of not shying away when, hey, there is some extra juice going on this particular week. So yes, I totally get the sense there is great anticipation for the Saints coming to town.

Terrell: It was like pulling teeth to get some of the players to discuss the last meeting. Terron Armstead joked that he had a meeting (then talked anyway), Cam Jordan said he couldn’t remember anything from last year, and Larry Warford said he’s sick of talking about it. They all adamantly said they see it as any other game. I don’t think that’s quite true, but I do get the sense it’s not a “revenge against the Rams” game.

The Rams just happened to be the team they were playing when they lost in the NFC Championship Game. I think the Saints would love it if they could move past the narrative. But it doesn’t mean they aren’t taking this game seriously. I think secretly, it’s been one they’ve looked forward to for a while. If nothing else, as Brees pointed out, they know the Rams are capable of making a playoff run. They had nothing but high praise for them and I think they’re as ready as they’ll ever be.

Holder: My sense is that many of the players can’t wait for this week to be over and done with. They’ve turned on the TV for nine months and the NOLA No Call regularly splashed across their screens. Guard Larry Warford said he’s personally sick of the questions surrounding the play and whether or not this team will rebound from the officiating blunder in last year’s NFC Championship game. Brees didn’t necessarily say it’s beneficial for the Saints to play the Rams in Week 2 to move past this storyline, but he recognized how the Minneapolis Miracle narrative calmed down dramatically after New Orleans beat Minnesota in 2018.

What’s the biggest concern going forward for each team?

Bonsignore: Well, I think for the Rams it’s making sure an offensive line with new starters in Joe Noteboom and left guard and Brian Allen at center maintains a certain level of play, as everything they do offensively relies on plays getting blocked and protected. And as Jared Goff and Todd Gurley’s stats prove, they are just more effective when the line is doing its job. I think if that is happening consistently, the Rams will be in good shape.

Terrell: The defense. Obviously you can’t overreact too much from one game, but Deshaun Watson was gashing the Saints secondary despite being consistently hit by the Saints pass rush. That’s not to mention the struggles containing the run. The good news? The Saints will have defensive tackle David Onyemata back from suspension. That’s a huge plus for them. You would have to think the run defense is going to improve on that note alone.

Holder: I’m wondering about the Saints run defense. I didn’t expect the Texans to run the ball as well as they did in Week 1 with backs like Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde. The questions still linger around Gurley but performed well in limited carries against Carolina. And the Saints will have David Onyemata back after serving a one-game suspension. That will help at defensive tackle. This spot will improve even further once Sheldon Rankins and Mario Edwards return to the lineup.

What’s the key matchup in this game?

Bonsignore: The Rams have to get heat on Brees. They don’t necessarily have to get him to the ground, but they definitely need to make life difficult, force him off his preferred spots, get bodies in his face to disrupt his rhythm and vision. So winning that battle up front, and generating pressure both inside and outside, will be hugely important.

Terrell: The Saints run defense vs. Gurley and the Rams. The Saints allowed Hyde and Johnson and Watson to run for 180 yards. Now they’re facing one of the best running backs in the NFL. Every team always preaches stopping the run and that’s what the Saints need to do: Make them throw (not that Jared Goff is some slouch).

Holder: Michael Thomas absolutely torched Marcus Peters in the Week 9 matchup last season. Los Angeles altered its strategy in the NFC title game having Peters, Aqib Talib and Nickell Robey-Coleman simply remain in their spots in the Rams secondary. Thomas struggled for more with that game plan. It will be interesting to watch how the Rams handle Thomas on Sunday.

Who do you think will be the happiest to have the “No-Call” behind them once and for all? You can include yourself in this if you’d like.

Bonsignore: The Rams have never sweated the No-Call, and in talking to Robey-Coleman and some others about it, I think it’s because they were honest and upfront about the whole thing from the jump. Nickell never disputed it was a pass interference. Sean McVay this week said no one in his locker room would ever dispute it was a missed call. Others have echoed the same sentiment. In doing so — and I think it’s the key to the whole thing — it’s enabled them to say: “Hey, we benefited from that one. But it also didn’t control what happened immediately afterward, and that was our ability to just move on to the next play.” And I think that’s one of their sneaky great qualities — good or bad, positive or negative, they are always in the present and looking ahead to the immediate future. So in that respect, the No-Call is already behind them. And pretty much has been as soon as it happened. And as crazy as this might seem, I think it would have been exactly the same had the call gone against them.

Terrell: Somewhere, Tommylee Lewis is smiling and praying everyone just stops talking about this. Everyone seems thankful the game is Week 2 and we can all get on with our lives. I’m going to go with the fans: They’ve been holding on to this grudge for months. Letting it go will be cathartic, and if the Saints win, trust me, the party in New Orleans will be bigger than normal.

Holder: Judges? The NFL’s legal team? Al Riveron? The Who Dats? The truth is that the Saints players and organization will never completely have that storyline behind them. Heck, Marcus Williams probably doesn’t mind the No Call sticking around since it takes the heat off the Minneapolis Miracle.

Who wins and why?

Bonsignore: I like the Rams at the Coliseum, in their season opener, on a stage they look forward to operating on against an opponent that undoubtedly grabs their attention in a major way. It’s going to be a big-time show, and I’m looking at 35-28.

Terrell: I’m picking the Saints against my better judgment. I don’t know why, because I feel like both teams are fairly equally matched, but I just think they’ve been holding on to this for so long that they’ll be primed and ready. There’s going to be a lot of scoring, but I think the Saints can outscore the Rams, 27-24.

Holder: This is a toss-up game. Wouldn’t matter if this was being played in the Superdome or the Coliseum. Each team would give the other a battle anywhere. I’m going to say Rams 34, Saints 31.

— Steve Wyche
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001054145/article/steelers-confidence-sammy-watkins-revival-rams-rustiness

LOS ANGELES RAMS: Shaking off the rust on the field. The Rams didn’t play starters and key rotational players in preseason games. Head coach Sean McVay said the lack of game action showed up some in the team’s season-opening victory over the Panthers.

Running back Todd Gurley, for instance, ran five times for 8 yards in the first half and nine times for 89 yards in the second. In speaking about Gurley’s enhanced production as the game wore on, McVay said: “It’s like anything else, and it’s not exclusive to Todd. It’s our team getting in football shape. Especially when you look at the approach that we took, playing the amount of snaps that we did in that kind of weather. I thought that was a great first opportunity for us to kind of get ourselves into game shape.”

The Rams, by the way, scored 30 points while getting into game shape.

NFL Week 2 picks: Who the experts are taking in Saints vs. Rams

According to NFL Pick Watch https://nflpickwatch.com/ 69 percent of experts are picking the Rams to win straight-up. That’s a significant amount, but it’s not as high of a number as some other games. Including Thursday night’s game, there were five contests where 99% or 100% of experts picked one team.