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Twitter Talk
A touching gesture and wonderful picture:
Seeing Sted up & moving is truly a blessing !!! GOD IS GOOD ! https://t.co/Qgb9QRSnGP
— Trumaine Johnson (@Trujohnson2) December 19, 2015
A great Tavon Austin stat:
Tavon Austin is the ONLY player in #NFLHistory to have 7 rush TDs, 9 receiving TDs & 3 PR TDs in his 1st 3 seasons pic.twitter.com/JGchaZ24zz
— History of the NFL (@TheNFLHistory) December 18, 2015
Classy gesture towards Stedman Bailey by Coach Fisher:
Coach Fisher has some Thursday Night game balls to hand out! We got you @iamSB3! https://t.co/33fvbsUCn2
— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) December 18, 2015
The mark of quality and consistency:
Congrats @JLaurinaitis55 on 1,000 career tackles! #Captain pic.twitter.com/ou7545cCcR
— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) December 18, 2015
The latest in a distinguished group of famous Rams RB's:
Touchdown: ☑️ 1,000 yards: ☑️ We love you, @TG3II! #FeedGurley pic.twitter.com/txInog42uL
— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) December 18, 2015
I would shut him down for the remainder of the season:
RB Todd Gurley had his left knee wrapped in ice after the game. Yes, that's the same knee that underwent surgery at Georgia.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) December 18, 2015
A classy gesture by a great group of players:
Tavon Austin said he and some Rams teammates are going down to Miami to visit Stedman Bailey this weekend.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) December 18, 2015
A lot of fun and games going on:
St. Louis Board of Alderman approve by vote of 17-10 city financing package for new stadium, despite league office sabotage attempts.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) December 18, 2015
One of the better lines you'll ever hear:
Great line from Alderwoman Sharon Tyus on Stan Kroenke: "We're like at the strip club...and the stripper is throwing the money back at us."
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) December 18, 2015
DT Aaron Donald is the best player in the NFL nobody talks about: Forbes
They'll be talking a lot more about Donald after another standout performance (in the national spotlight) against Tampa Bay last Thursday night.
Fisher more likely to return with contract extension: NFL.com
Michael Silver shares his thoughts on why Rams coach Jeff Fisher is likelier to get an extension than his walking papers.
Aaron Donald Worthy Of Defensive Player Of The Year: Pro Football Focus
Set aside the grades and statistics. Do the eyeball test. Who is the DPOY? Aaron Donald.
L.A. stadium solution has never been closer, yet NFL owners are miles apart: L.A. Times
It should be an interesting next 30 days, as the stadium and relocation sturm and drang drama is driven towards resolution.
Greg Robinson - Left Tackle - St. Louis Rams: Block Report
Encouraging words about Greg Robinson:
"There’s nothing going on with Greg Robinson that can’t be fixed. I believe Greg can be one of the greatest offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL."
Draft Prospect Highlight Reel: QB - Connor Cook - Michigan St.
Highlights: Buccaneers at Rams: St. Louis Rams Official Website
The top plays from Thursday's victory over Tampa Bay.
A year in business of the NFL: Sports Illustrated
Andrew Brandt takes a look back at 10 stories away from the field that shaped the 2015 NFL season.
Chargers-Rams franchise swap could be only way out of L.A. maze: Pro Football Talk
I wonder how many Rams fans would gladly trade Stan Kroenke for Dean Spanos as the owner of the St. Louis Rams?
2016 NFL Mock Draft: Walter Football
Charlie Campbell updates his three round mock draft. The Rams select LB Jaylon Smith in the first round, QB Carson Wentz and WR Tyler Boyd in the second round and C Max Tuerk. Perhaps Charlie's best effort to date re the Rams.
What Roger Goodell's "Letter" Really Means: 101 Sports ESPN
Could Bernie Miklasz be on to something here?
"Did the NFL office — sensing that the committees were favoring Carson over Inglewood — realize that desperate measures were required to block the STL stadium bill from passing?"
Stat Facts Of The Week: Toxic Differential
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."
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St. Louis approves financing package for new football stadium: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Another hurdle was cleared on Friday, as the Board of Aldermen approved St. Louis' share of funding for construction of a new stadium.
Jeff Fisher Friday Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Jeff Fisher looked calm, cool and happy the day after the game.
"Concussion" film stirs NFL brain injury debate: Yahoo Sports
Concussions, CTE and the NFL all play prominent roles in this hard-hitting film.
Todd Gurley joins Eric Dickerson, Jerome Bettis in Rams rookie history: ESPN NFL Nation
In the game against Tampa Bay on Thursday night...
"Todd Gurley became just the third Rams rookie to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season, joining Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis (1993) and Eric Dickerson (1983) in that exclusive club. Gurley also became the first Rams runner of any age to reach 1,000 rushing yards since Steven Jackson in 2012."
Friday Wrap-Up: Fisher Arranges FaceTime With Bailey: St. Louis Rams Official Website
"Head coach Jeff Fisher arranged for a FaceTime call during an afternoon meeting at the team hotel, which was the first time the whole team had gotten to see him since the shooting."
"Yeah, we had it set up and it was really special," Fisher said at his Friday press conference. "Guys didn’t anticipate it. He wished them well."
On This Day In Sports History
1969 - Vince Lombardi coaches his last football game.
1891 - The first game of basketball (based on rules created by James Naismith), played by 18 students in Springfield, Massachusetts.
QB guru Sean Salisbury joined Kevin Wheeler to talk about Nick Foles, Case Keenum, and Sean Mannion, and tells if the Rams' QB answer is here.
Fisher Praises Keenum's improvement In Win Over Bucs
St. Louis Rams Weekly Salary "Re-Cap"
The Rams have $2,461,779 in available salary cap space as of 11:00 pm, Sunday, December 20 (the 7th lowest total in the league). Please check here and here for my regular salary cap updates throughout the year.
If Kroenke doesn't like the stadium plan, can another team come in and make an offer?
Pro Football Focus Grades: Rams vs. Buccaneers
Here are the top takeaways and highest-graded players from the Rams’ 31-23 victory over the Buccaneers:
St. Louis Rams
– After another stellar performance last night, Aaron Donald (+6.6) has surpassed Geno Atkins’ 2012 season, and now owns the highest single season grade for a defensive tackle in the nine years we have been grading games here at PFF. Donald collected three stops and six pressures (three hits, three hurries) to collect his 15th straight positively graded game, and has only graded negatively four times in individual facets (three times in run defense, once as a pass rusher) this season. It’s just been an absolutely remarkable season for Donald, and he continues to keep pace in a competitive race for Defensive Player of the Year.
– The Rams got the jump on the Bucs on Thursday, courtesy of chunk plays, particularly from their receivers. Tavon Austin (+1.9) and Kenny Britt (+2.0) exploited the Bucs’ aggressive defense. Britt picked up a huge gain off of a double move, and Austin blew past the Bucs’ after the catch. The latter broke five tackles, combining his hybrid work as a runner and a receiver on only seven touches.
– While there were struggles in this game as a run blocker, Rams left tackle Greg Robinson earned his first positive grade in pass protection since Week 8, not allowing a hit or sack for only the third time this season and the fourth time since moving to left tackle in Week 9 of last season. In the last two weeks, Rams’ fans will be eager to see Robinson show some signs of progress and perform well as both a pass blocker and run blocker in the same game. Robinson has only earned a positive grade as a run blocker and pass blocker in the same game once since his move to left tackle, exactly a year ago this week against the Cardinals.
Top performers:
DT Aaron Donald (+6.6)
DE William Hayes (+2.8)
DT Michael Brockers (+2.2)
WR Kenny Britt (+2.0)
WR Tavon Austin (+1.9)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
– Equal parts jaw dropping and head scratching, last night’s game (+1.1) was reminiscent of Jameis Winston’s final season at Florida State. Some of his deep and intermediate throws into coverage were sublime; others were ridiculous and thrown directly to the coverage, including his interception to Trumaine Johnson (-1.3). Since Week 4, though, the good have outweighed the bad for the most part with Winston. If he continues to produce some of the throws he launched night, it’s easy to predict that his positive progress from recent seasons will continue into next.
– Re-united as starters for the first time since sharing a secondary in Chicago, both Major Wright (-2.5) and Chris Conte (-3.0) produced eerily reminiscent of their latter seasons with the Bears. Wright and Conte combined for five missed tackles last night, mimicking the 31 they racked up in 2013 with Chicago. Conte’s tackling has been better than this in 2015—these were his first missed tackles since Week 9. The Bucs will hope that this was merely a one week blip on the radar and not the sketchy tackling habits resurfacing from his Bears days.
– While there was one drop to take his season total to 14, this 157-yard game from Mike Evans (+3.4) was one of the high points in what has proven to be a second season of extremes for the gigantic wide receiver. Evans collected 60 yards against each of the Rams’ starting corners (4/7 against Trumaine Johnson, 3/5 against Janoris Jenkins) while also beating the St. Louis safeties for a catch apiece. Evans caught seven of Winston’s nine completions on targets aimed 10 or more yards down the field.
Top performers:
WR Mike Evans (+3.4)
LB Danny Lansanah (+3.1)
LB Lavonte David (+1.9)
DT Tony McDaniel (+1.8)
WR Adam Humphries (+1.5)
Rams Offense Perking Up With Boras, Keenum: 101 Sports ESPN
I believe Case Keenum and Rob Boras have made a difference in the past couple of games. Forgotten though, is the improved play of the offensive line. The same unit has played together for three games straight now. Coincidence? I think not.
LB Ogletree will return to practice this week: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
As Jeff Fisher noted:
"The goal would be to see if he’d be available for San Francisco (in the season finale on Jan. 3). If not, then he’s got a head-start on the offseason program."
Top 20 unrestricted free agents for 2016: NFL.com
Janoris Jenkins makes Gregg Rosenthal's top 20 list. Will the Rams re-sign JJ? Trumaine Johnson? Both?
Boras brings spark to Rams offense: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
After two weeks on the job as OC, so far so good. Will Rob Boras be the Rams' OC next season, or will the Rams look outside the organization for a new OC?
No quarterback means no hope: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Fact is, you just don't win in the NFL without stellar QB play. Period.
Another Smashing Sunday: Sports Illustrated - MMQB
Peter King takes us through the week that was in the NFL and makes some pretty astute observations regarding the Rams.
2016 NFL Mock Draft: St. Louis Rams - 6 Rounds: Rams In Perspective
My updated 6 round mock draft. The Rams select a WR in the first round, then pull a surprise, trading back up into the first round to select a QB.
St. Louis Rams Current Roster & Depth Chart
C Tim Barnes Demetrius Rhaney Eric Kush RG Cody Wichmann Brian Folkerts LG Garrett Reynolds RT Rob Havenstein Andrew Donnal LT Greg Robinson Isaiah Battle TE Lance Kendricks Cory Harkey TE Jared Cook WR Tavon Austin Wes Welker Bradley Marquez WR Kenny Britt Brian Quick RB Tre Mason Benny Cunningham RB Todd Gurley Chase Reynolds QB Case Keenum Nick Foles Sean Mannion PK Greg Zuerlein P John Hekker LS Jake McQuaide DT Aaron Donald Nick Fairley Louis Trinca-Pasat DT Michael Brockers Ethan Westbrooks Doug Worthington DE Chris Long Eugene Sims DE William Hayes Matt Longacre MLB James Laurinaitis Bryce Hager OLB Mark Barron Daren Bates OLB Akeem Ayers Cameron Lynch CB Janoris Jenkins Marcus Roberson Eric Patterson CB Trumaine Johnson Lamarcus Joyner SS Maurice Alexander Christian Bryant FS Rodney McLeod Cody Davis Practice Squad Injured Reserve IR/Designated To Return LB Zack Hodges CB E.J. Gaines OLB Alec Ogletree LB Matthew Wells OG Rodger Saffold CB Melvin White WR Isiah Ferguson Reserve/Suspended RB Malcolm Brown OT Darrell Williams FB Zach Laskey OG Jamon Brown RB Trey Watts TE Justice Cunningham SS Tim McDonald Jr. WR Nick Toon DE Robert Quinn Reserve/NFI WR J.J. Worton OG David Arkin WR Stedman Bailey 72 Players Total
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