zn wrote:

I didn’t propose that. I assume Stafford will be out against Seattle. That just means the final game is less fun for me. I didn’t argue that Stafford should play in that game. I just accepted that he isn’t but then lamented that that comes close to meaning the end of fun to watch games.

I expected you were going to say that. I should have edited it out. Saying you want to see a quality, meaningful game is different from wishing to see it in Week 18. I suppose what I was trying to say is that I think the chances of us getting that in the WC round is actually pretty good. I don’t think the apprehension we are all expressing is based in any definite reason. The offense has not played well recently Why?

Lost their mojo isn’t a thing.

There are reasons. There are factors. And there is no reason to think those factors will be in place 2 weeks from now. The game will be in LA. They have a “bye,” basically. They can focus their film study and game-planning on potential playoff opponents, and give some recovery time to anybody who has a health issue. Why wouldn’t they play their best game of the season on that day? They are healthier than they’ve been all year.

Well. Yeah. It doesn’t look good. This team is not flying high in all phases of the game, and Kupp “looks washed” (Cowherd), and Stafford has thrown half a dozen dropped INTs in the last 3 games.

But just for the sake of shooting the bull on a message board, we should acknowledge that football is especially prone to Recency Bias.

Let’s quickly review the season. Starts off with a narrow overtime loss to one of the NFL’s best teams on the road, a game during which the Rams lost 2 MORE OL and Puka Nacua, and still nearly pulled it off, and only lost because, like, half the defense was playing their 1st NFL game.

That was followed by Hell on wheels for a 1-4 start prior to the bye.

Since the bye…well…everyone knows. They’ve won a lot, and the Defense has grown significantly. More than I would have expected in a season. And the offense was doing fine until the last 3 weeks, starting with a 0-TD performance in SFO. That was followed by a low-scoring, Arctic affair, and then…the Rams’ offense ran out of weather-related excuses against AZ.

What stands out from that? Well, Williams, the OL, and Puka Nacua were fine. Stafford and Kupp were disappointing. That’s what we’re looking at here. I look at Stafford particularly. Uncharacteristically, he has thrown a lot of errant balls over the 3 games. Not just the near-INTs. Some bad throws like Goff used to hoist up every so often. So…why?

He didn’t age 10 years after the Buffalo game. He didn’t forget how to play. He’s had pretty good protection. So, he’s hurt. Maybe he got a bad bruise in his shoulder, or fractured his ring finger, or something. In which case… you know… he could be fine in two weeks.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that something like this is LIKELY. But it’s plausible. And it certainly sounds more reasonable to me than “Stafford and Kupp have hit a wall, and the Rams offense isn’t any good anymore, and defenses have figured out McVay and taken away the passing game.” This is not a 7-9 bullshit offense, even though it has looked like it recently. It’s not.

And at this point, I interrupted my post to go get some evidence to look at, and I have returned with the following screen capture from Statmuse:

Stafford has 6 games this year with a rating over 100, including 4 in a row: NE, PHI, NO, BUF.

He are Stafford’s spray charts (fingers crossed I don’t screw up the formatting on this post) since Buffalo with my emphasis on passes over 10 yards:

Against Buffalo, Stafford was 11/15 over 10 yards.

San Francisco: 1/7 over 10 yds.

NYJ: 2/4 over 10 yds with 1 INT.

AZ: 4/8 over 10 yds.

He hasn’t been throwing as deep for 3 games in a row. Weather was certainly a factor in SF and NY, but maybe not the only factor. All I’m saying.

I propose that we vote against zn’s proposal for a good game against Seattle, and instead put Stafford on ice until next Monday, then fire him up. That’s my plan. I think the simplest explanation for their woes is that Stafford isn’t healthy. As long as it isn’t a torn rotator cuff or something crazy, he could be back to his 100+ ratings the second weekend of January, and then who knows what happens after that?

Rams get needed win by Vikings, but Browns' loss means LA now needs a win (or tie) by the Commanders (vs. Falcons on SNF) or 49ers (vs. Lions on MNF) to clinch the NFC West this week

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) December 30, 2024

I subscribed to NFL+ to be able to watch the game later in the night, and let me tell you that the playback is terrible.

Anyway. I didn’t think the defense was going to be the stronger unit on this team, especially now that the OL is back, and Higbee (where was he?) and just missing Hav does not account for this team’s lack of offensive juice.

I can’t see the Lions winning, and I kinda low key want them to do so.

They have 20 players on IR.

That’s just too many. Unless they sign Shohei Ohtani for the stretch run.

So the Chiefs are going to Threepeat, and the Mahomes/Brady blabber can occupy the Year of our Lord 2025.

zn wrote:

trey wingo@wingoz
5 sacks without Chris Jones, Mahomes over 320 and 3 TD passes, Kelce all over the field, Worthy making plays, home field in the AFC ….secured in a blowout win against a 10 win team on the road. Doubt them at your own peril..but the @Chiefs are peaking right before the playoffs

That’s right.

And the Rams are going to peak IN the playoffs, so it’s very fortunate that they will catch the Chiefs on the downside in the Super Bowl.

The Rams against potent playoff teams this season:

L vs. Lions (26-20 OT)
L vs. Packers (24-19)
W vs. Vikings (30-20)
L vs. Eagles (37-20)
W vs. Bills (44-42)

And they were missing half their starters vs. DET and GB. The Eagles were the only legit team to just straight up beat…

— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) December 24, 2024

wv wrote:

I dont remember Kupp having two quiet games in a row like this. Maybe he’s not healthy, again?

w
v

Maybe. And he hasn’t really been his ol’ self all year.

But the Jets are, like, #5 against the pass, or something. They are pretty damn good in the secondary, though they had some guys nicked up during the game. I dunno.

If Kupp’s a No Show in LA, then I will get really concerned.

I wanna know what Rogers and the Rams coach/staff guy were jawing about.

And Seattle loses.

Welcome to late December football: Current temp is 18 degrees, wind gusting to 20 mph. #Jets pic.twitter.com/oXOTgSeSSC

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 22, 2024

Random Ramsdom: Matthew Stafford is 4-13 against Aaron Rodgers

Yeah, sure, but the only random fact that matters is that Stafford is, like, 11-1 in December under McVay.

People need to learn how to cherry-pick their facts if they’re going to accurately predict the outcome of games.

It’s almost like Kobie Turner is Aaron Donald Lite.

And I don’t think that’s a bad thing, myself.

zn wrote:

wv wrote:

Time will tell

w
v

WILL time tell?

We shall see.

Who knows?

“Washed” Aaron Rodgers this season:

3,257 Yards
23 TDs
8 INTs pic.twitter.com/xEepTsHfOH

— 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬🧀 (@crow2x) December 15, 2024