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Random Ramsdom: October 19: Stuck Inside Of St. Louis With The Bye Week Blues Again

I'll keep it simple: the Rams better be firing on all cylinders coming off the bye week. 4-1 in the next five games to reach 6-4 on the season. Nothing less is acceptable in my estimation.

By Frank "Dubs" Dobozy
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Twitter Talk

Come to Canada for a visit...we'll show ya what snow truly looks like:

Heading into Week 6, the Rams led the league in percentage of passes dropped. Maybe they're just not young enough?:

When do the Rams get in on that trend?:

It sure looks dangerous from this vantage point :)...

A classy man doing classy things:

Don't be messin' with JL55's wife!:

He's alive!!:

But is not ageing gracefully:

Had to know this was coming after USC fired Steve Sarkisian this past week:

Taking The NFL's Statistical Temperature: Grantland

Bill Barnwell takes a look at a few quirky statistical measures after Week 5 of the NFL season. Do the Rams show up on the top/bottom of his various breakdowns?

Calm Cam And The Indy Dolts: Peter King & The MMQB

S.I.'s Peter King takes us through the week that was in the NFL.

On Any Given Sunday, NFL Favorites Win And Underdogs Lose: FiveThirtyEight

Is the concept of parity in the NFL just a pipe dream?

Will Rodger Saffold Be A St. Louis Ram In 2016?: Rams In Perspective

I take an in-depth look at what the season-ending injury to Rodger Saffold could mean going forward into 2016. The salary cap, composition of the offensive line and the Rams' draft strategies could all be affected in the new year.

Nick Foles Isn't The Issue With The Rams Offense: Arch Authority

Haven't you heard? Nick Foles is isn't being benched any time soon. Now, if we're talking about who should be benched, let's start with Jared Cook (and his just shy of Rob Gronkowski salary cap hit).

Draft Prospect Highlight Reel: TE - Hunter Henry - Arkansas

Oddsmakers think zero NFL teams will be playing in Los Angeles in 2016: CBS Sports

The current odds on a team in Los Angeles next year (as of October 15):

"Zero teams to LA: -150 or 2 to 3 odds (You'd have to bet $150 to win $100)

One team to LA: +150 or 3 to 2 odds (You'd have to bet $66.66 to win $100)

Two Teams to LA: +500 or 5 to 1 odds (You'd only have to bet $20 to win $100)."

Lighter schedule after bye guarantees nothing for St. Louis Rams: ESPN NFL Nation

Let's see: Cleveland, San Francisco, Minnesota, Chicago and Baltimore are the Rams' next five opponents. Nothing less than 4-1 is acceptable.

Autopsy: NFL ex-player who killed himself had brain injury: Associated Press

From Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation:

"88 of 92 NFL players whose brains have been tested there have shown evidence of CTE, along with 33 others who played college or high school football. The brains are studied posthumously when families seek testing."

2016 NFL Mock Draft: Walter Football

Charlie Campbell adds Round 2 to his latest mock draft. The Rams select Florida WR Demarcus Robinson in the first round. With a pair of second round picks, the Rams select Texas DT Hassan Ridgeway and LSU OG Vadal Alexander.

Stat Facts Of The Week: Toxic Differential

Toxic Differential Leaders
Team Turnover Differential Big Play Differential Toxic Differential
1 Carolina Panthers 8 16 24
2 Arizona Cardinals 6 10 16
3 Cincinnati Bengals 2 12 14
4 Pittsburgh Steelers 3 11 14
5 Buffalo Bills 4 8 12
6 New York Jets 6 5 11
7 Seattle Seahawks 0 9 9
8 Atlanta Falcons 2 6 8
9 Green Bay Packers 5 3 8
10 New York Giants 5 2 7
11 St. Louis Rams 1 6 7
12 Philadelphia Eagles 3 3 6
13 Minnesota Vikings 4 1 5
14 Denver Broncos 6 -4 2
15 New England Patriots 5 -3 2
16 Jacksonville Jaguars -3 4 1
17 Chicago Bears -3 3 0
18 Baltimore Ravens -3 3 0
19 Kansas City Chiefs -3 0 -3
20 Tennessee Titans -2 -1 -3
21 San Francisco 49ers -4 0 -4
22 Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2 -3 -5
23 San Diego Chargers -3 -4 -7
24 Dallas Cowboys -5 -3 -8
25 Cleveland Browns -3 -7 -10
26 Washington Redskins -3 -8 -11
27 Indianapolis Colts -7 -5 -12
28 Oakland Raiders 0 -13 -13
29 Miami Dolphins -3 -11 -14
30 Houston Texans -8 -7 -15
31 New Orleans Saints -2 -16 -18
32 Detroit Lions -6 -17 -23

After Week 5, the Rams were tied for 10th in the league in Toxic Differential. The top three teams in Toxic Differential (Carolina, Arizona and Cincinnati) had a combined 13-1 record heading into Week 6.

The expression "toxic differential" was coined by former NFL coach Brian Billick. Billick was head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 9 seasons, and led them to a Super Bowl victory in the 2000 season.

From an article by Brian Billick for NFL.com in November, 2011:

"People are constantly looking for the right combination of stats to indicate the probable success of a team. What are the key factors to winning? Is it sacks, third-down conversions, first-down efficiency, the ability to run the ball and stop the run, total passing yards? All are important, but none are a precise indicator of success."

"Beginning in 1998, when I was the Vikings' offensive coordinator, I used a formula that I called the "toxic differential" as the best barometer for our team's success. Simply stated, the toxic differential is the correlation between turnovers and explosive plays."

The three best runs so far in Todd Gurley's young career: Cover 32 Rams

Worth watching over and over. The good part is there are many more to come.

Nick Foles threw one of the shortest touchdown passes ever: UPROXX

It doesn't get any easier than that!!

Rams Must Find Offense From Foles After The Bye: 101 Sports ESPN

This stat line pretty much tells the story: the Rams are 30th in the NFL in points scored per game, averaging 16.8 per contest.

With Saffold out, its Reynolds' turn: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

There's precious little time to lament the loss of OG Rodger Saffold for the season. Next man up: veteran backup Garrett Reynolds.

On This Day In Sports History

1966 - Bobby Orr makes his NHL regular season debut for the Boston Bruins against the Detroit Red Wings.

1975 - Cleveland Browns' Don Cockroft kicks a club record 5 field goals.

Garrett Reynolds offers calming presence in replacing Saffold: ESPN NFL Nation

Sometimes it's the smaller, more innocuous acquisitions that can make all the difference. I applauded the Rams for signing Reynolds as a Free Agent. As it turns out, the signing was a prescient move on the Rams' part.

St. Louis stadium task force submits term sheet to NFL: ESPN NFL Nation

"About a week after members of the NFL's Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities publicly wondered when the St. Louis stadium task force would be submitting the 'term sheet' with the breakdown of the financing for the proposed stadium on the north riverfront, the answer was provided."

Daily Fantasy Sports & The Hidden Cost Of America's Weird Gambling Laws: New York Times

And here's the rub when it comes to DraftKings, Fan Duel et al.:

"If you walk into a Las Vegas sports book and put money on a game in some sport you know nothing whatsoever about, you may not win, but you will almost certainly get fair odds relative to the risk you are taking. Playing daily fantasy sports, you will probably get your hat handed to you unless you deploy lots of computing power and analytical techniques that most of us don’t have the time, inclination or skill to use."

Peacock: Stadium Funding Bill Within Two Weeks: CBS St. Louis

In the latest news regarding a stadium in St. Louis, task force head Dave Peacock has committed to having a funding bill presented to the city's Board Of Aldermen within two weeks.

Rams' Davis, Marquez feast under "Bones": St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A pair of Texas Tech products have flourished in the NFL under Special Teams guru John Fassel.

After rugged opening stretch, schedule lightens for Rams: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Rams' schedule gets "easier" after the bye, as only 2 of their 11 remaining opponents currently have winning records. The next 5 opponents' combined record heading into Week 6? 8-16.

Johnny Manziel Pulled Over During Dispute With Girlfriend, Admitted To Drinking: Bleacher Report

I suspect we won't be seeing too much of Johnny Football in the Rams game against Cleveland. I'm so glad the Rams passed on him in the NFL Draft. A bullet dodged!

Todd Gurley among reasons for optimism at Rams' bye: ESPN NFL Nation

Gurley, a lighter schedule and a stout defense all make for an optimistic outlook to the remainder of the season.

Lack of complete offense reason for pessimism at Rams' bye: ESPN NFL Nation

Nick Wagoner offers the flipside to his earlier article: reasons for having a pessimistic outlook regarding how the Rams will fare the remainder of the season.

After the bye week, is there hope for the 2-3 Rams?: 101 Sports ESPN - Bernie Miklasz

Bernie Miklasz takes an -in-depth look at what we can expect from the Rams after the bye.

Ranking the top 20 college players at midseason: NFL.com

See any players you like? Su'a Cravens, Josh Doctson and Jaylon Smith would all look good in the horns (and all three would fill potential needs).

NFL Rookie Rankings: Gurley Sprints To Top: Sporting News

I expect Todd Gurley to stay near the top of most rookie ranking lists for the remainder of the season.

Current injuries add intrigue to the Rams' offseason: Rams News Now

Chris Long, Rodger Saffold and Lance Kendricks could all come under scrutiny this offseason.

How Jim Harbaugh made Michigan so good so fast: ESPN

I would take him as coach of the Rams faster than the ink would dry on the contract.

A new St. Louis stadium deal doesn't force Rams owner's hand to stay: CBS Sports

"St. Louis could, according to NFL regulations, present a stadium plan that makes it nearly impossible for Kroenke to move the Rams, but, given the nature of the team's lease with the Edward Jones Dome, Kroenke could not have to play in any new facility."

Teams target Vernon Davis and Jared Cook as tight end market heats up: CBS Sports

Could Rams TE Jared Cook be in a new home before the November 3 trading deadline?

The Pressers

Jeff Fisher Press Conference: October 15: St. Louis Rams Official Website
One-On-One With "Stone Cold" Cody Davis: St. Louis Rams Official Website

Nick Wagoner speculates that Rodger Saffold isn't as expensive as you would think...really?? I strongly disagree with Mr. Wagoner.

Torry Holt shares his frustration with the drops by Jared Cook and the Rams

The Jeff Fisher Show - October 12

St. Louis Rams Weekly Salary "Re-Cap"

The Rams have $4,167,127 in available salary cap space as of 11:00 pm, Sunday, October 18 (the 11th lowest total in the league). Please check here and here for regular salary cap updates throughout the year.

Quote Of The Week

ESPN's Nick Wagoner on Rodger Saffold's future with the Rams:

"The Rams have been patient with injured players in the past, bringing back high-priced veterans such as quarterback Sam Bradford, tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells after serious injuries. But it should be noted that they parted ways with all three of those players when they suffered further injury."

St. Louis Rams Current Roster & Depth Chart

The current roster and depth chart reflects all transactions as of 11:00 pm, Sunday, October 18. The big news last week? The Rams placed OG Rodger Saffold on season-ending Injured Reserve, signed TE Justice Cunningham from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster and signed RB Trey Watts to replace Cunningham on the Practice Squad.

C Tim Barnes Demetrius Rhaney
RG Garrett Reynolds
LG Jamon Brown Cody Wichmann
RT Rob Havenstein Andrew Donnal
LT Greg Robinson Darrell Williams
TE Lance Kendricks Cory Harkey
TE Jared Cook Justice Cunningham
WR Tavon Austin Brian Quick Bradley Marquez
WR Kenny Britt Stedman Bailey
RB Tre Mason Benny Cunningham
RB Todd Gurley Chase Reynolds
QB Nick Foles Case Keenum Sean Mannion
PK Greg Zuerlein
P John Hekker
LS Jake McQuaide
DT Aaron Donald Nick Fairley
DT Michael Brockers Ethan Westbrooks
DE Chris Long William Hayes
DE Robert Quinn Eugene Sims
MLB James Laurinaitis Bryce Hager
OLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar Daren Bates Alec Ogletree
OLB Akeem Ayers Cameron Lynch
CB Janoris Jenkins Marcus Roberson
CB Trumaine Johnson Lamarcus Joyner
SS T.J. McDonald Mark Barron Maurice Alexander
FS Rodney McLeod Cody Davis Christian Bryant
Practice Squad Injured Reserve
DE  Matt Longacre CB  E.J. Gaines
DT  Louis Trinca-Pasat OG  Rodger Saffold
DT  Doug Worthington WR  Isiah Ferguson
CB  Melvin White
CB  Eric Patterson
RB  Trey Watts
RB  Malcolm Brown
FB  Zach Laskey
WR Nick Toon
OT  Isaiah Battle

Blast From The Past: B.B. King - Monday Morning Blues

Please have a great Monday and a Ramtastic week!!

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