nittany ram wrote:

So good on you Zooey, for not buying into the playoff opponent hype.

Would you like to borrow a handkerchief? You’ve got a little venom dripping down your chin, sir.

zn wrote:

Rams fans aren’t prepared for what this team rolls out on Sunday.

How can I get ready? Should I watch more Baldinger?

I am seeing a lot of “The Rams’ ceiling is winning it all, but I’m placing them at 10-7 (or even 9-8), apparently solely on the basis that Stafford’s back hurts.”

I’m always concerned about injuries. We have seen injuries kill seasons for the Rams. All teams are susceptible to it. Last year, it was the 49ers turn. (As it happens, they are pretty banged up right now, too). So while I’m concerned about Stafford and Jackson, I don’t think our worry has much substance to it right now. By that I mean that this (i.e. what we got from the Rams’ handling of Stafford and Jackson in camp) is consistent with McVay’s conservative approach to the pre-season. He doesn’t play his starters because…why? There simply was no reason to practice those guys when there were risks associated with it, and little benefit. Three weeks of practice is plenty for MS to get ready, and one week is fine for Jackson. So that’s just what this was always going to look like, and without a decent Rams reporter, we’re in an information vacuum.

But I’m assuming we get Classic Stafford basically all year. So I’m very optimistic about this season, more optimistic than I’ve been in several seasons.

Stafford is still an elite QB. Garrappolloo is a very good #2. I don’t want to see him play, but if he does, I won’t dive under the table and shut my eyes. He can win games.

The RBs look improved. Kyren is a quality RB. Red chip, maybe. I guess he’s a good blocker, and he’s decent in the passing game. He fumbles, and he doesn’t ever pick up more than a dozen yards, but he gets you 3-7 yards pretty consistently, and that’s valuable. Don’t know what to make of Corum. He showed nothing last year, and Hunter seems like one of those Darryl Henderson, Barry Redden type guys who are valuable change of pace backs, but can also keep the ball rolling if they have to cover a couple of games while Kyren recovers from something. I dunno, though. I didn’t see any preseason games, so this is mostly from reading, plus what I saw last year.

WRs appear to be upgraded. I think Adams is an improvement over Kupp. Love Kupp, but seems to me that he and Puka are the same guy, basically, except Puka is younger and bigger. Adams brings a different dimension, and McVay was drooling over that dimension. I’m not big on Atwell, but I get that his speed helps. He’s better than Tavon Austin, but he’s no Az-Zahir. I liked what I saw of Whittington last year, and Mumpfield – again, what I’ve read – strikes me as a Brandin Cooks guy, but not as fast. Bummer that they lost Robinson, but I think Whittington can replace his production. Overall, I think the depth is better here as well as the diversity.

It would be hard for the Rams not to improve at TE. Ferguson makes them better, and Higbee had a full camp.

The OL looks to be a very strong unit this year which is good for the running game, and good for the passing game, turns out. It also means that Stafford’s annoyed disc should take a below average beating.

This offense is just good everywhere.

The DL is the most exciting aspect of the upcoming season for me. I am just stoked about watching these young guys get after it in their second year together. This looks to me like as good a DL as the Rams have had in decades.

For the first time in a few years, I am entering the season NOT thinking, “Well…I guess the Rams really don’t need linebackers because they don’t seem to care about that unit.” They’ve upgraded this unit, too. Landman seems to be a score. The guy walks into camp and takes the green dot. That’s a good sign.

Only the secondary worries me. Neither Witherspoon nor Williams impressed last year. I like the safeties, but they lack an elite CB, and haven’t had one since they traded Ramsey. Last year the vulnerability was the run. Seems like this year, it could be that the CBs are the weak spot.

Special teams? Well, Evans is among the best, and Karty is good enough, and Smith is a decent returner. The Rams should be fine here.

So the offense looks improved to me in WRs, TEs, and OL. RB depth is improved. The defense has improved against the run (only way to go is up), and the DL looks absolutely menacing, and should take some of the pressure off the CBs.

This is a very good team, and the window is open right now. This is it. This is as good a chance as we are likely to see for a while. If injuries are not the storyline of the season, I am planning to watch the Rams in the Super Bowl this year.

In the SF report, I can tell you that there is less excitement about the 9ers this season than I would expect given how much respect they are getting nationally and in casinos. I think last season took some wind out of their sails, they lost Greenlaw, Hufunga, and Samuel, the WR room looks a mess right now, and evidently there have been some injuries. But Jennings IS practicing, Pearsall is looking good, and Robinson will be back Week 4, and Aiyuk will be eligible to return against the Rams in Week 5. I think it is short-sighted to write them off. They may not get off to a blazing start, but their schedule is weak, and they can win games without being full speed.

zn wrote:

Zooey wrote:

I see you edited out her comment about Pooh Paul.

Jourdan Sniffer.

I just assume she wrote that before he was cut, and then it got stuck in the Athletic’s publishing schedule. I took it as otherwise being confusing.

I think that’s a sure bet. She wouldn’t have written that after the 53 was released.

And now…

From
NFL Future Hits List: 32 under-the-radar names every true fan should know
Jourdan Rodrigue
Sept. 1, 2025Updated 5:46 am PDT

Los Angeles Rams: Jordan Whittington, WR
While the Rams are set with their 11 personnel depth (three receivers; Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell), I predict it will become extremely difficult to keep Whittington off the field. The second-year player has rotated into run downs with the first team, but when playing receiver with the second team he moves with a different speed and physicality than others.

zn wrote:

zn wrote:

What NFL head coaches learn from the tough lessons of their top assistants

Jourdan Rodrigue

This piece is getting high praise right and left from the national NFL media types.

Our little princess Jourdan is now a huge hit. She growed up and became the queen.

Gregg Rosenthal@greggrosenthal
Jourdan with another banger

I saw that article in TA yesterday morning, and I thought, “There goes Nittany’s comment that he doesn’t think her skillset would translate to national reporting.”

Of course, he’s the one who predicted that Kurt Warner would never amount to anything but a camp arm.

zn wrote:

Few analysts are higher on the Los Angeles Rams heading into 2025 than Rich Eisen. The NFL Network host not only picked the Rams to repeat as NFC West champions, but went a step further, calling them “the class of the entire conference” — even ahead of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“I think the Rams may wind up by the end of the day the class of the entire conference,” Eisen said. “The team that gave the Eagles the hardest time in the playoffs last year. And again, the way that the Rams finished [in 2024] might splash over into the way they start this year.

“I love their young defense. I love their front seven. Let’s protect Matthew Stafford, please, and let’s see what this guy can do with the protection up front and [head coach Sean] McVay and running the play action and running the football. They might be the class of the conference.”

Yet the betting odds have SF more likely to win the division. And I know they have a softer schedule – they get the Saints, Giants, and Bears where the Rams got Eagles, Ravens, and Lions – but I still expect the Rams to win the division.

zn wrote:

CBS is just wrong.

I suspected as much. Their injury reports have been frequently unreliable over the years.

They have a tilt towards Fantasy Football, even in their “mainstream” reporting. And they just put up everything that comes their way without having a beat reporter make any investigations. Seems to me.

Seems like Lampkin is the biggest loss, but I would have liked to have kept Paul.

Seems like Seattle is stocking up on Rams. I don’t know how they think that acquiring players that aren’t good enough for the Rams is going to close the gulf between the two teams, but that is their problem.

Among yesterday’s cuts: Morgan Fox, Josh Fuller, and John Wolford.

zn wrote:

Ian Rapoport@RapSheet
#Browns trade: Cleveland is trading with the #Rams for OT KT Leveston and giving up a 7th in 2028, source said.

Well, that’s a steal!

Given where the Browns will draft in 2028, that’s practically a 6th rounder!

Gotta think they will be looking for a replacement next offseason. Whether that’s a draft pick or not remains to be seen. I don’t know if McVay has the patience for a rookie QB. I’d settle for Joe Burrow.

wv wrote:

Backs. Sigh.

He’ll play. Of course he’ll play. But its not the kind of thing thats going to get better. And there will be X number of times it will affect him.

I hope he has a great year, and walks away from the NFL before it kills him.

w
v

I hope he has three great years, and walks away from the NFL with 4 Super Bowl rings because I’m actually a Rams fan.