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Random Ramsdom: October 26: St. Louis Rams - The Deee & Gurleeey!

Fisherball at its finest, as the Rams defense shut down the Browns' offense (causing 4 forced fumbles), while Todd Gurley gashed the Cleveland defense for 128 yards rushing and a pair of TD's. Bring on the 49ers! As for Todd Gurley...new nickname from me...TGIS..."Thank Gurley Its Sunday"

By Frank "Dubs" Dobozy
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Twitter Talk

The Rams must have sensed Battle was being courted by other teams and could get stolen (signed) off the Practice Squad. So they bumped up his pay from the PS norm ($6,600/week) to the league minimum for roster rookies ($435,000/year), which equates to $25,588 x 11 weeks remaining in the Rams' season:

Alec...Alec. It's #DubsNation my man...you forgot the "s":

RVB winning friends and influencing players on the St. Louis Rams:

Tough times in San Francisco...oh how the mighty have fallen:

I guess it all depends on one's perspective...:

My alma mater is kicking some butt in Canadian University football!!:

Not Rams related...but important nonetheless...and a lot of logs:):

Very well put and quite accurate:

A little noticed player in the game against Cleveland, but one who played a huge role in the victory:

This sums up the game rather nicely:

Although JL55 may have him beat there...:

Chris Long with his two quarters:

The total package indeed:

2016 NFL Mock Draft: Walter Football

Charlie Campbell adds a third round to his updated mock draft. The Rams (picking 17th) select DE/OLB Leonard Floyd in the first round, C Max Tuerk and DT Hassan Ridgeway in the second round, plus slot WR Pharoh Cooper in the third round. I would be shaking my head if this transpired come April.

Streams & Streaks: A Historic Sunday Of Football: Sports Illustrated - MMQB

Peter King recaps the historic week that was in the NFL, culminating in Sunday's game seen and heard around the world.

St. Louis Rams: The Weirdest Team In The NFL?: Rams In Perspective

Football Outsiders believes the Rams are the weirdest team in the NFL, in a random kind of way. I take an in-depth look at the reasons why FO's theory has very little merit.

Seating full for hearing on possible Rams relocation: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The politics and drama continue to unfold. Too little too late?

The Anatomy Of Baltimore's Lost Season: Grantland

The Ravens. John Harbaugh, Ozzie Newsome. 10-6 and the playoffs in 2014... A 1-5 start in 2015. What the hell is happening in Baltimore?

Draft Prospect Highlight Reel: LB - Jaylon Smith - Notre Dame

American football blooms in the land of the beautiful game: The Washington Post

My favorite soccer team in the world is the Brazilian national squad. Soccer rules supreme in Brazil. The fastest-growing sport though: American Football.

For Rams, making trick plays work on special teams a long process: ESPN NFL Nation

"Regardless of Fisher's record, there's no denying his history of success with special-teams misdirection. In fact, the best-known moment of his career came on special teams in the form of the "Music City Miracle." As coach of the Rams, he's also established a reputation for successfully pulling off fakes and the tricky punt return for a touchdown last year against Seattle now known as "The Mountaineer.""

Parity? Five NFL Teams Remain Undefeated: New York Times

Five teams remained undefeated heading into Week 6. Three of those teams have byes in Week 7. Is parity a pipe dream in the NFL?

Will Todd Gurley Validate Jeff Fisher's Philosophy?: 101 Sports ESPN

Everyone knows by now what "Fisherball" is all about. Is it still relevant in today's NFL? Rams GM Les Snead seems to think so:

"It’s fitting that Coach Fish is the guy who kind of ‘saved the running back,’ brought him back to the first round,"

Stat Facts Of The Week: Toxic Differential

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

After Week 6, the Rams were tied for 11th in the league in Toxic Differential. The top 7 teams in Toxic Differential had a combined 32-9 record heading into Week 7. The Rams will move up in the rankings after their lopsided victory over the Browns in Week 7.

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."

This NFL Season Is Super Weird: FiveThirtyEight

Why the weirdness? The extremes in win and loss totals:

"Despite a record number of undefeated teams through six weeks, only 10 clubs have winning records, with four more at .500 — meaning 18 of the league’s 32 teams have lost more games than they’ve won."

Effort coming to force public vote on St. Louis stadium: Pro Football Talk
St. Louis aldermen to call for public vote on stadium funding: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Seems simple enough to me: if you want to involve taxpayer money in a project, then it's imperative they be allowed involvement in the process, the democratic way.

Mid-Season CFB All-America Teams: Sports On Earth

See any names you like on the 3 teams? For me, the players I believe could help the Rams the most: WR Laquon Treadwell, TE Hunter Henry, LB Jaylon Smith and S/LB Su'a Cravens.

midseason_AAteam_FINAL

On This Day In Sports History

1980 - The St. Louis Cardinals sacked Baltimore Colts QB's an NFL record-tying 12 times.

2000- The New York Yankees defeat the New York Mets 4-1 to win their 3rd straight World Series championship.

1993 - The NFL announces a new expansion team, the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

Best Young Position Groups In The NFL: NFL.com

Gil Brandt ranks the St. Louis Rams' running backs among the best young position groups in the NFL. A lot of quality depth abounds on the Rams: Todd Gurley, Tre Mason and Benny Cunningham.

Rams fans ready to make their case to the NFL: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Relocation politics for your reading pleasure.

Stadium financing revealed: City to pay $70 million: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Relocation and stadium politics for your continued reading pleasure.

Mayor's office and Aldermen debating NFL stadium financing: 101 Sports ESPN

Money, relocation and stadium politics ad infinitum for your growing dissatisfaction with reading about it all.

Todd Gurley is the Rams' next great running back: SB Nation

Eric Dickerson. Jerome Bettis. Marshall Faulk. Steven Jackson...Todd Gurley. The tradition continues!

"That's the formula to get beat": Cleveland.com

Penalties and turnovers by the Browns. The Rams' defense and Todd Gurley. It all adds up to a Cleveland loss to the Rams.

Todd Gurley scores his first NFL touchdown: ESPN NFL Nation

Watch as Gurley scores his first touchdown (of many more to follow) in the NFL. A memorable and historic moment for Rams fans.

NFL's St. Louis session won't sway relocation process: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Have you ever been to a "dog and pony" show? If you're going to the Peabody on Tuesday, brace yourself for one...

Highlights: Todd Gurley vs. Browns: St. Louis Rams Official Website

Plenty of Gurley highlights...and plenty more to come.

Todd Gurley goes off again in Rams' win over Browns: NFL.com

Jeff Fisher must be smiling right now:

"This is Jeff Fisher's dream team. They are all defense and running."

Takeaways, Gurley Lead Rams To Win Over Browns: St. Louis Rams Official Website

Rams Insider Myles Simmons recaps the game between St. Louis and Cleveland, a resounding 24-6 victory for the Rams.

Jenkins, Gurley up, Zuerlein, Cook down for Rams: ESPN NFL Nation

Nick Wagoner hands out his weekly individual "Ups" and "Down" for the game against Cleveland.

The Rams have a big time closer in Todd Gurley: 101 Sports ESPN

A bit of a cautionary tale from Bernie Miklasz:

"Gurley can’t do it alone. The Rams’ snoozer of a passing attack had better awaken, and soon, or opposing defense's will do everything but put the National Guard on the field to control Gurley. Running backs that have to win games on solo missions won’t last long. They’ll eventually absorb debilitating beatings, and their batteries will wear out."

The Pressers

Jeff Fisher Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Todd Gurley Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Nick Foles Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Janoris Jenkins Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
One-On-One With Michael Brockers: St. Louis Rams Official Website
One-On-One With Rodney McLeod: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Jeff Fisher Press Conference: October 23: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Rams Rookie RB Todd Gurley talks about getting in the end zone for the first time.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher credits his defense for stopping a solid Browns offense and RB Todd Gurley for his big day in a 24-6 win over the Browns.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Post-Game Coverage

Defense sets up Rams for win over Browns

Joe Lyons recaps the Rams 24-6 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Grading the Rams vs. Browns

Jeff Gordon hands out his weekly game grades. Not surprisingly, RB Todd Gurley and the Rams' defense merit high marks.

Rams find their hero in Gurley

You'll likely be hearing his name more and more as the season wears on, especially with the national media attention he is sure to achieve.

Finally, the Rams' defense has arrived

Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine truly understated the facts:

"They have a good front, they have depth and they roll guys through. They did some good things schematically and this (noisy indoor) environment makes it difficult."

Rams' Gurley, Raiders' Cooper lead playoff push: CBS Sports

As Will Brinson notes on the Rams' playoff chances:

"Trusting Nick Foles to take this team to the playoffs doesn't sound like anything remotely fun, but Gurley is so freaking legit and their defense is so good, it feels plausible this team could creep into the wild card conversation."

CBS Sports' Grades For The Rams-Browns Game
C-

The Browns are going to have to spend some serious time on ball security drills this week because four lost fumbles is basically what cost Cleveland this game. Josh McCown fumbled twice, while Travis Benjamin and Taylor Gabriel each fumbled once. Those turnovers led to 17 St. Louis points, which really hurts when you lose by 18.
B+ At this point, the Rams don't even technically need a quarterback to run their offense, they just need someone who's capable of handing the ball off to Todd Gurley. Nick Foles did that well enough on Sunday and Gurley ran for 128 yards and two TDs. The only thing more impressive than Gurley for St. Louis was the Rams defense, which forced four fumbles and recovered all of them, including a first quarter recovery that safety Rodney McCleod returned for a TD. The Rams' D also sacked McCown four times.

St. Louis Rams Weekly Salary "Re-Cap"

The Rams have $3,984,659 in available salary cap space as of 11:00 pm, Sunday, October 25 (the 11th lowest total in the league). Please check here and here for my regular salary cap updates throughout the year.

Quote Of The Week

Nick Foles describing Todd Gurley:

"Just an animal, really. There's not many people that can run like that, that have ever played this game."

St. Louis Rams Current Roster & Depth Chart

The roster and depth chart are updated to include all transactions as of 11:00 pm, Sunday, October 25. With Tre Mason ruled out by an ankle injury for the game against Cleveland, the Rams made a pair of roster moves on Friday. They signed RB Trey Watts from the Practice Squad and released S Christian Bryant. Bryant will likely be signed back to the Practice Squad once he clears waivers.

C Tim Barnes Demetrius Rhaney
RG Jamon Brown
LG Garrett Reynolds 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 Trey Watts
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
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  Malcolm Brown
FB  Zach Laskey
WR Nick Toon
OT  Isaiah Battle

Blast From The Past: Classic Rock Monday: Steve Earle - Copperhead Road

Please have a great Monday and a Ramtastic week!!

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