NFL power rankings: Rams, Chiefs switch spots after Monday night classic https://t.co/DIS8kQoxA8

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) November 20, 2018

.@greggrosenthal's Week 11 Debrief: NFL's 2018 offensive revolution reaches its apex in Rams' historic win over Chiefshttps://t.co/JCFtj3wal5 pic.twitter.com/6xjAogX9zg

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) November 20, 2018

And part 2-Credit @RamsNFL HC Sean McVay and his staff. Constantly making it hard on defenses. EVERYTHING. LOOKS. THE. SAME. 😍😍😍 @LATimesfarmer @LATimesklein #MNF @VinnyBonsignore @RamsNewsNow @ESPNLosAngeles @KamBrothers @TurfShowTimes @GetUpESPN pic.twitter.com/Q9hBFJyTl4

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) November 20, 2018

.@RamsNFL @AaronDonald97 win b/c they have the games biggest star; making the biggest game changing plays. It’s good to be KING. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/QMWMFZe62n

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) November 20, 2018

This one is for LA pic.twitter.com/9aaqiIPUu1

— Marcus Peters (@marcuspeters) November 20, 2018

"What an unbelievable job by you guys."

Inside the locker room of the 10-1 #LARams! pic.twitter.com/GFHHKygZ3t

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 20, 2018

The #LARams pressure Mahomes into the pick…@MarcusPeters with the big play against his former team!

📺: #KCvsLAR on ESPN pic.twitter.com/hnOPijXAwZ

— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2018

An absolute classic pic.twitter.com/SWQdQuAU7R

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 20, 2018

Michael David Smith@MichaelDavSmith
I see some people complaining about no defense.
1. Shut up.
2. There was plenty of defense! Three defensive touchdowns! Eight sacks! Seven turnovers!
3. Seriously, shut up.

Ty Nowell@tynowell
Night games at the @lacoliseum are always special, but that one was amazing. What a game for the city.

Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
Rams’ 2017 draft w/o a first-round pick (dealt as part of deal for Goff): Gerald Everett, Cooper Kupp, John Johnson, Josh Reynolds, Samson Ekubam.

Chris Wesseling@ChrisWesseling
Is this football-year 0 A.D.? What’s past is prologue.

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Sean McVay: “It was fun. I don’t know if I would say it was a lot of fun from a defensive standpoint, but there was a lot of good football. Until those final seconds ticked off, you weren’t really able to breathe at all.”

Warren Sharp@SharpFootball
Capture it, powderize it, bottle it, sell it. THEY WILL PAY ANY PRICE! This is the future of football. Intelligent coaching, aggressive, brilliant play calling, outstanding execution.

Field Yates@FieldYates
Chiefs-Rams, by drive
* TD
* Punt
* TD
* TD
* FG
* FG
* Fumble
* TD
* Punt
* Fumble return for TD
* TD
* Kneeldown to end half
* Fumble
* TD
* TD
* FG
* INT return for TD
* Punt
* Punt
* TD
* Fumble return for TD
* TD
* Punt
* Punt
* TD
* TD
* INT
* Punt
* INT
* Kneeldown

Dan Hanzus@DanHanzus
OK, we’re entering rarified air now. This could be *the* MNF game.

Ross Tucker@RossTuckerNFL
Rams have at least one play each drive where a guy is more open than some teams have had all season.

Daniel Jeremiah@MoveTheSticks
So many crazy stats in this game…KC had 13 penalties, 5 turnovers & still scored 51 points. How the heck is that possible???

=

NFL Research@NFLResearch
This is the first game in NFL history in which each team scored 50+ points

CJ Kaltenbach@TheSeigeDFS
Normal football is gonna suck to watch after this

Sosa@QBsMVP
Samson Ebukam might have taken a step in his development tonight. Looked downright studly. Gerald Everett and JRey did an outstanding job stepping up to help fill the void of Cooper Kupp. Sean McVay needs to seriously re-evaluate some stuff.

Ebukam reaches up and snags a one-handed interception at the LOS and returns it 25 yards for a touchdown, bowling into the end zone.

Benjamin Allbright@AllbrightNFL
Goff and Mahomes combined for 11 total TDs in that game.

Pro Football Focus@PFF
In what was a back-and-forth affair for the record books, the Los Angeles Rams ultimately lit the last firework.

Next Gen Stats@NextGenStats
Jared Goff was most effective from inside the pocket, driving the ball downfield and taking advantage of the seams in the @RamsNFL 54-51 win vs KC.

Inside Pocket: 120.9 passer rating
10+ Air Yards: 127.3 passer rating
Targeting Seams: 136.3 passer rating

Matt Waldman@MattWaldman
I listened to the John Candy SB game on the radio in my dorm room in Miami.

I also listened to the Frank Reich-led 35-7 Bills comeback playoff game on the radio at my college apartment in Athens.

Glad I got to see this one on TV.

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Jared Goff: “It was a crazy game. It seemed like whoever had the ball at the end was going to win. There was times where we felt like we were going to put the knife in & finish them, & there were times where it was the other way around, where we had to claw back into it.”

ThatsGoodSports@BrandonPerna
Andy Reid loses, ironically, when the coach he’s facing executes terrible clock management.

StaceyDales@StaceyDales
We are blessed as football fans to witness the greatness of the likes of Aaron Donald, Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and JJ Watt in this era – they’ve done it for years. There are many other amazing rushers. But wow, these men are in a special class.

Daniel Jeremiah@MoveTheSticks
Tonight was a bad night for highly rated run stuffing DTs in the upcoming draft. If you can’t rush the QB, your value just isn’t the same in the current NFL. Obviously, that has been the case for awhile but tonight reinforces that belief.

==

Instant classic. #KCvsLAR pic.twitter.com/rj5szrVriH

— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2018

==

The highly anticipated match was also the first NFL game in history where both teams scored 50 points each https://t.co/5PDBUeOJOJ

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) November 20, 2018

==

The Rams outlasted the Chiefs 54-51 in the highest-scoring Monday night game ever played. @gregbeacham https://t.co/8xRGMsrqgY

— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) November 20, 2018

A GAME FOR THE AGES@JABergman breaks down the Rams' incredible 54-51 victory over the Chiefs in the highest-scoring game #MNF historyhttps://t.co/feuiHRwPh6 pic.twitter.com/uSOFRJk0GX

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) November 20, 2018

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Scene I’ve never seen inside Rams locker room. Music bumping, guys dancing. This is the win they’ve been waiting for.

Julia Faron@JFaron
OLB Samson Ebukam notched two touchdowns against the Chiefs. The last time an NFL player had two defensive touchdowns in a game was Chicago Bears’ Eddie Jackson (10/22/17). The last time a Ram had two defensive touchdowns in a game was CB Janoris Jenkins (11/25/12).

With TD passes to WRs R. Woods and J. Reynolds, QB Jared Goff (57) passed Billy Wade (56) for ninth place on the Rams all-time passing touchdown leaders list.

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
L.A. needed a great night. And boy did the #Rams and #Chiefs deliver

Rams hold on for an incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable win

Kurt Warner@kurt13warner
Always appreciate the moments where you get to witness history… WELL DONE @RamsNFL @Chiefs thanks for putting on a show for all of us… WE SALUTE YOU!

Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
“It was a whirlwind. I feel like I may need a couple beverages to relax tonight.” – Sean McVay on the Rams epic win over Kansas City @CVRamsClub

McVay calls it one of the most competitive games he’s been a part of the NFL.

Sam Farmer@LATimesfarmer
Milestone moment for Rams franchise.

Whose House?
Sam’s house.

Ebukam.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Under Sean McVay, the @RamsNFL improve to…

💡 4-0 in prime time
🏈 8-0 against the AFC

Jared Goff sets a new @RamsNFL record for most passing yards through the first 11 games of a season, surpassing @kurt13warner’s 3,342 in 2001.

Aaron Donald 2018 sack count: (14.5)

*5th multi-sack game in the last 8 weeks.
*Both tonight have been strip sacks

Needing only 12 yards entering tonight’s contest, @TG3II has reached 1,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive season and third time in his four-year career.

2017: did it in Game 13
2018: did it in Game 11

Dan Orlovsky@danorlovsky7
I can’t wait for @GetUpESPN tomorrow morning. Whole show. This game. No commercials.

The game of the century! Besides my marriage and children being born this is the greatest night of my lllliiifffeeeee.

Honestly-if you’re an #NFL owner and you’re watching this game-and you’re not the Bears/Saints/Pats maybe another 1-2 teams-You’ve gotta be saying to yourself “yea, we’ve got no shot unless we have a play-designer and caller like these 2 dudes the @Chiefs and @RamsNFL have” #MNF

The kid @JaredGoff16 is the perfect example of 2 things
-in a complimentary way-as a QB you don’t need to live in the weight room and “look the part”.
-accuracy is the single greatest physically attribute any qb can have at any level, and he’s got it in bunches!

zn wrote:

Theismann injury was 33 years ago to the day…11/18, 1985.

Speed_Kills

and how about this

the Giants won that game 23-21

the Texans won 23-21

Chiefs vs. Rams: Crazy stats from video game-like offenses a nod to past

http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/kansas-city-chiefs-los-angels-rams-stats-video-game-offenses/15mz133j8fnym1bu6kadk4vxdc

The Chiefs and Rams have had success with high-scoring offenses in the past. But heading into their Monday night matchup in Week 11, the former in-state rivals are more balanced and explosive than ever in 2018, the highest-scoring season overall in NFL history.

After 10 weeks and 148 games, the league’s 32 teams have combined to score 7,119 points and 815 TDs, well ahead of pace for record-shattering numbers. That’s an average of 24 per team per game. Kansas City (9-1) is averaging 35.3 points per game, and Los Angeles (9-1) is averaging 33.5.

These Chiefs would best their 2003 and 2004 teams that both averaged more than 30 points per game and finish as the fourth highest scoring NFL team of all time. These Rams would be No. 9, right in between their “Greatest Show On Turf” St. Louis teams from 2000 and 1999.

Given the teams’ scoring prowess and defensive deficiencies, it was a no-brainer for Las Vegas to set the MNF over/under at an unprecedented 64 points, especially with no more concerns about altitude or field conditions with the game moved from Mexico City to Los Angeles.

Rams

Todd Gurley

Hunt is having a another fine season, but Gurley is having an all-time year that puts him right up there in the MVP conversation with Mahomes. The key is the total touchdowns.

Shaun Alexander set the record with 28 in 2005, before LaDainian Tomlinson scored 31 one season later. Both running backs won MVP, and only Adrian Peterson has done so from the position since with his 2,097-yard rushing season in 2012.​

Gurley, with his 17 TDs in 10 games, is on pace to score 27 times, which would tie him for third-highest with Holmes from 2003, one more than Faulk from 2000. Gurley is also tracking to 2,224 yards from scrimmage, which would be good for No. 20 all time. Gurley actually has cooled down in the past month but has three smash spots ahead in facing the run defenses of the Chiefs, Lions and Cardinals.

Jared Goff

Goff has been overshadowed by Gurley on his team, and by both Mahomes and the Saints’ Drew Brees doing incredible things as fellow QBs. But there’s a reason Goff has graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 QB, right behind both.

Goff is tied with Mahomes for the league lead (10.0) in AYPA with only 16 fewer yards (313.4) in the same amount of games. He also has posted a higher completion percentage (68.4) and is positioned to lead the league in yards per completion (13.8) for a second consecutive season. Goff also leads the NFL with three successful fourth-quarter comebacks.

Hall of Famer Kurt Warner’s 1999 MVP and Super Bowl-winning season has been the standard for Rams quarterbacks. But short of Warner’s 41 touchdowns, Goff can exceed that performance in every other way, on pace for 5,014 yards, 35 TDs to only 10 INTs.

During his big improvement last year working with coach Sean McVay for the first time, Goff was a modestly prolific passer in relation to the rest of the league. In 2018, he has made the jump to entrench himself in the top 10.

Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods

Cooks came to the Rams after posting three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in which he scored a combined 14 touchdowns. He was an explosive wide receiver for both Brees and Brady, with his speed and quickness deployed well by two of the league’s premier play-callers, Sean Payton and Josh McDaniels.

But what he’s doing in his first season in Los Angeles with McVay has managed to take his New Orleans and New England work into overdrive. Cooks leads the NFL in yards per touch at 15.8. He’s on pace to turn 91 touches into a career-high 1,436 scrimmage yards.

In terms of only receiving yards, Cooks is line for 1,371, which would be No. 9 in Rams history, in between two Holt’s great seasons. The way McVay uses him is reminiscent of Mike Martz using Az-Zahir Hakim to complement Holt and Isaac Bruce. Hakim averaged 18.0 yards per touch with eight TDs in 1999.

It’s unfortunate the Rams will no longer have slot ace Cooper Kupp (torn left ACL) healthy for the rest of the season, because between Cooks, Woods, Kupp and Gurley, they were on pace to finish with 4,336 total receiving yards, not far from what Holt, Bruce, Faulk and Hakim combined to produce (4,670) in an incredible 2000 season.

Woods continues to be one of the NFL’s most underrated wideouts. Cooks went into Week 11 No. 8 in the NFL in receiving yards (857), but Woods is not far behind at No. 10 (832). Their 1,689 combined receiving yards make them the most prolific teammates in the league, edging Hill and Kelce (1,678).

In 12 games last season, Woods had 56 catches for 781 yards. This season, he has 55 receptions and more yards already at 15.1 yards per catch over 10 games.

Cooks is third among wide receivers in yards per target at 11.9 and fifth in air yards at 616. Woods is No. 12 in yards per target at 10.5. and No. 11 in air yards at 543.

Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes leads the NFL with 31 TD passes and 3,150 yards passing. He’s also leading in TD pass percentage (9.0) and adjusted yards per attempt (10.0). The second-year quarterback is on pace for 5,040 yards and just fewer than 50 TDs.

At that rate, Mahomes would crack the top 10 in single-season yardage and finish behind only Peyton Manning in 2013 and Tom Brady in 2007 for most passing scores. Given Mahomes already has scored two rushing TDs, he has a chance to break Manning’s record (56) for total QB TDs.

In terms of AYPA, Mahomes is No. 7, right behind Manning in 2004, Matt Ryan in 2016 and Aaron Rodgers 2011. All those recent seasons locked down league MVP for those QBs. All those QBs also were well seasoned in the NFL when they posted those stats. That might make Mahomes’ age (22) at which he’s doing all this the most impressive number of all.

Kareem Hunt

Hunt won the NFL rushing title with 1,327 yards last season. He’s “only” on pace for 1,206 yards this season, but he also is doing something sensational as a receiver. He has only 23 receptions on the season, but he has exploded for 337 yards and six TDs. His 14.7 yards per reception would set a record for a running back, besting even what both Todd Gurley did last season (12.3) and what Faulk did (12.0) during his record, 1,048-receiving season in 1999.

Hunt has 13 total TDs, putting him on track to score 21, ahead of Jamaal Charles and tied with Larry Johnson as the second-most prolific scorer the Chiefs’ backfield has ever seen, only behind what Priest Holmes did in 2003 and 2004.

In his past with the Eagles and Chiefs, Andy Reid has been criticized for not feeding his feature back enough, whether it’s been Charles or Brian Westbrook, and becoming too reliant on passing to others. He learned well to the point of making Hunt a critical part of everything Kansas City does despite the way Mahomes is playing.

Tyreek Hill

Many expected the NFL’s fastest player to have a regression in terms of yards per touch and TD percentage this year. Hill has simply found another gear with Mahomes after busting out with Alex Smith last season. Hill is on pace for 88 catches and 1,555 yards from scrimmage at an increased 14.3 yards per touch. He’s scoring on 13 percent of his touches and set to more than double his TD total from last tear to 14.

When Mahomes throws to Hill downfield, his passer rating is 132.9. Hill also ranks No. 10 in air yards (550) and No. 7 in both yards per target (11.1) and yards per pass route (3.0). He’s a good bet to post his fourth multiple-TD game Monday when working against former Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, who has been burned for big plays all season.

Travis Kelce

With Rob Gronkowski fading, Kelce is neck and neck with the Eagles’ Zach Ertz and the 49ers’ George Kittle for the new best receiving tight end in the league. Kelce has a good case with more yards per reception than Ertz (13.8 to 10.5) and more receiving TDs (six) than both.

Kelce is on pace for a career-high 1,269 receiving yards and 10 TDs on 80 catches. Gonzalez, a Hall of Famer, had 1,258 yards as his career high in 2004 and hit 10 TDs three times.

With three more 100-yard receiving games this season, Kelce will have 13 since 2016. That puts him only behind wide receivers Julio Jones (17), Adam Thielen (15) and Antonio Brown (14). Kelce not only can pass Gonzalez, but with a few more big games, he has a shot at break the tight-end record for single-season receiving yardage Gronkowski (1,327) set in 2011. If Kelce just gets to 1,000 again, he will join Greg Olsen as the only tight end to do that in three consecutive seasons.

Chiefs vs. Rams

The Chiefs have had 11 players find the end zone on runs and receptions this season, including Mahomes. The Rams have been more simplistic than you think, as only eight players have scored all their offensive touchdowns.

Kansas City will be back up a weapon for Monday with former Ram Sammy Watkins (foot) set to return to complement Hunt, Hill and Kelce in the passing game, while the Rams need to find someone else to stay as effectively multiple behind Gurley, Cooks and Woods.

When Kupp missed two games earlier this season, Goff, Cooks and Woods weren’t as effective together because there was one less versatile, smooth route-running wideout to create favorable matchups. As the Rams have already seen the big drop-off from Kupp to No. 4 wideout Josh Reynolds, look for McVay to deploy tight ends Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee more in the passing game — especially in the red zone.

That was strongly suggested when both Everett and Higbee scored in Week 10 vs. Seattle. Everett is every bit the athlete Kelce is and can become a game- and season-changer for the Rams now that he’s fully healthy.

The Chiefs and Rams are back to dominating the league offensively as they once did in the early 2000s with the influence of their former shared head coach, Dick Vermeil. They were innovative then at a less pass-happier time when RPO wasn’t a household term.

With Reid and McVay at the controls now, they are enjoying a whole new level of a joystick ride. Buckle up for the most entertaining Monday night game we’ve seen in years.