zn wrote:

Adam Grosbard@AdamGrosbard
Without Davante Adams, the Rams’ red zone conversion rate has dropped 20 points.

Without Quentin Lake, the Rams run defense EPA has gone from third to 20th.

Both are coming back just in time for the Rams’ playoff opener against the Panthers

If those guys make that much difference, then they should get more than the vet minimum salary.

Any day but Monday, please. I think the Rams got hosed on this last year. Wasn’t the Vikings game on Monday? Then they have to go play in Philly who had 2 weeks off. That’s BS, actually. I know why they do it, obviously, but that shouldn’t happen in the playoffs, imo.

Looked like the Rams played another half-hearted game for a bit, but after AZ went ahead, I just leaned back and said, “Here it comes.” They were not going to lose that game, and they blew them away like they should have from the start.

Witherspoon was not impressive, in spite of the INT. Wilson had a good day. But apart from that fake punt and ensuing big play TD, the Cards didn’t get much going. Like everyone else, I am hoping Lake is the Safety that binds them all. And I sure want Dotson back. I’m hoping he was held out because they wanted to and not because they had to.

I’m waiting for that schedule. I’ll happily take any time slot except the Monday game. I would prefer Saturday because the Panthers will have the same short week, and it will give the Rams an extra day to recover before heading out on the road.

wv wrote:

Strange, old-school game between the 49ers and Seattle. Rams put up over 500 yards in Seahawks. 49ers had 173 yards at home.

Seattle is peaking, has the bye, and home-field. And yet this is so different than last year, when the Eagles seemed like a juggernaut. Just seems like the Eagles, Bears, Rams, Seahawks and 49ers. And maybe the Packers –are all within a field-goal of each other.

w
v

Honestly, I think they should just settle it on the field.

wv wrote:

By Jove, I am not covetous for gold…if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive…
…proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart;

…He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.

C’mon. Can you think of a single time that quoting Henry V on a message board was followed by the Rams hot-waxing their opponent?

TSRF wrote:

This looks like a flawed team, and it is a shame. Stafford has been plying his 37 year old ass off, probably to the point where the 38 year old ass is going to be an old, dead ass.

Sorry to say it, but our window with Stafford is closing quickly. If we don’t get there this year, we should probably cut bait and hone in on the next reclamation QB.

But every team is flawed. And until last night, it felt like the Rams were more unlucky in their losses than flawed. The Philly, SF, and Seattle losses all felt like the Rams got snakebit. The loss to Carolina for me was – like – shit happens. They had a bad game.

I think the Rams are the best team in the league, just as I said a month ago. I just don’t think they’re better by a country mile. I think they’re good enough to beat anybody anywhere. I just think winning 3 straight games in bad weather in the playoffs is unlikely. But if these games were in neutral, good weather sites, like college bowls are, I’d still lay on the Rams.

I do think Shanahan may be a better coach. He seems to be able to get more out of less than McVay does. I dunno. I mean… the Rams had 11 days to get ready for that game, and they came off a bad loss to Seattle. I think the Rams got outhustled by both Carolina and Atlanta. They are clearly better than those teams. By every measure. Except, perhaps sheer get-after-it-ness. I don’t think McVay stokes a hot fire under the team.

I will say that the holding call on that TD was unconvincing to me. You see more flagrant holds than that every single game that go uncalled. It wasn’t a hold. It was a takedown with leverage, and I’m not sure if technically that is a hold nowadays, but like I said, you see worse every single game.

That was PI on the Tutu bomb, too. No question about it.

But I think the call was right on that spectacular Puka catch.

wv wrote:

Zooey wrote:

They could pass the 9ers and go to Carolina or Tampa which would be better than Chicago or Philly.

Ok, so have i got this right — If the Seahawks beat SF, and the Rams win out, then the Rams go to Tampa-lina, and SF goes to Philly? Is that it?

But what if SF beats Seattle and the Rams win out? What then? Can the Rams pass Seattle?

w
v

I haven’t seen the scenarios fully explained, but I have seen two different articles say it is possible for the Rams to draw Tampalina. That would mean the Rams are the 5 seed which would mean that, after beating Tampalina, they would head to Seattle. Following Seattle, they would either go to Philly or host SF, presumably. Although I see I’ve left the Bears out of the discussion. I dunno.

wv wrote:

Btw, I see Trent Williams pulled a hamstring last night on Purdy’s pick-six. The 49ers need that bye.

I think I prefer Seattle to win. The 9ers winning anything feels like kissing a sister. And I think Darnold is easier to disrupt than Purdy. And… Shanahan is just so damn prepared.

zn wrote:

Okay that’s 3 OL out: Jackson, Dotson, Hav. McClendon has been doing well, but replacing 3 OL at once does not put you in optimal territory, as Rams fans know all too well.

And 3 DBs out: Witherspoon, Lake, Wallace. McCreary stepping up.

On the other hand…they’re saving it for the postseason.

…

“We don’t respect you.”

The Rams to the Falcons.

zn wrote:

I was a disappointed to find out my analogy doesn’t hold up. Turns out, Arizona does not border the ocean. (That’s true, I looked it up.) So my little Revolutionary War analogy isn’t very accurate.

C’mon, man. John Lewis wasn’t even born yet during the Revolutionary War.

• This reply was modified 3 months, 4 weeks ago by Zooey.

wv wrote:

I think the NBA would be a lot better if they cut the season down to about 50 games.

It absolutely would.

The regular season was too long before, but now that they’ve expanded the playoffs so… like… 2/3 of the teams get in, it feels like they have an 82-game preseason. Cut the season to 50 games and go back to the previous playoff system (which still had too many teams btw). The model just isn’t good. And hockey is the same. Baseball is a little different because the “marathon” aspect of it is inherently part of its character, but seems to me 120 regular season games would fill that.

Football is just better. By a lot.

And… I was thinking the other day… football might be the USA’s best contribution to the world.

InvaderRam wrote:

Rams by 17. Just tackle Bijan FFS.

And carve their heart out and eat it while it’s still beating. You left that part out.

I guess maybe it was implied.

wv wrote:

Next for them is Chicago, then Seattle.

The chance of the 9ers losing to the Bears and then beating Seattle is not zero. The 9ers will face Chicago on a short week with both Kittle and Pearsall banged up, and McCaffrey coming off a game with 27 touches.

The Raaa…aaaa…aaams…are BETTER!!