Random Ramsdom: Rapoport suggests Matthew Stafford could retire early

Would Matthew Stafford actually retire after Rams’ 2022 season? (clutchpoints)

“I don’t know what his decision is going to be,” Rapoport said in reference to Matthew Stafford’s retirement decision. “I think he will be back, but I don’t know. I think the health of the team overall goes into it, I think they are going to be okay though.”

Stafford has suffered multiple concussions this season. Rapoport and McAfee discussed how fans sometimes forget that NFL players are human beings with families, and Stafford could ultimately opt to retire for safety/family reasons. However, Rapoport added that he thinks Matthew Stafford will return in 2023, but nothing is set in stone at this juncture.

Los Angeles could ultimately enter rebuild mode should their core group of players begin to retire. Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford are certainly likelier than Cooper Kupp to call it a career, while coach Sean McVay is also a retirement candidate. The Rams will aim to build around Kupp, who’s arguably the best receiver in the NFL when healthy, regardless of what the future holds for Stafford, Donald, and McVay.”

Rams could become first defending Super Bowl champion to be a 14-point underdog in Week 12 at Chiefs (cbssports)

“The Rams were listed as 11-point underdogs for much of last week but the spread moved to +14 on Monday morning after Matthew Stafford entered concussion protocol, and now sits at +14.5. It’s of course subject to change based on Stafford’s availability Sunday, and other factors.

Even if Stafford plays and Los Angeles doesn’t set this dubious mark, it still continues a rapid fall for the defending champions. Their 3-7 record is tied with the 1987 Giants and 1999 Broncos for the worst 10-game start by a reigning Super Bowl champion in league history. They’ve also lost four straight games, one shy of tying the longest losing streak by a reigning Super Bowl champ (five straight by 1987 Giants and 2009 Broncos).

Just over a month ago, the Rams were double-digit favorites against the Panthers, a game they won, improving to 3-3 on the season. They will join the Packers as the second team this year to be favored by 10+ points in a game, only to be an underdog of 10+ points in another game.”

A quick look at the Chiefs’ next opponent: the Rams, who have big question mark at QB (kansascitystar)

“It’s not unusual for a team to suffer a Super Bowl hangover, but the Rams are having one of the worst seasons after lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

Los Angeles has lost four straight games and has a 3-7 record overall.

To find the last team to have a sub-.500 record after winning the Super Bowl, you have to go back two decades to the 2003 Buccaneers. Coach Jon Gruden’s team finished 7-9 that year.

Each week, I take an early look at the Chiefs’ next opponent, and here is a quick scouting report of the Rams. Kickoff on Sunday is at 3:25 p.m., and the game will air on WDAF (Ch. 4). THE RECORDS The Rams are in last place in the NFC West, while the Chiefs lead the AFC West with an 8-2 record.

Kansas City leads the all-time series 7-5, and has won six of the previous seven meetings with the Rams. But Los Angeles won the last game, a 54-51 shootout on “Monday Night Football.” The Rams haven’t won in Kansas City since 1994 (16-0).”

‘It Means Everything’: Rams WR Tutu Atwell Reflects on First Career TD (ramsdigest/si)

“With New Orleans Saints veteran cornerback Chris Harris Jr. following him across the formation, Atwell knew he had man coverage.

“That was a route (where you) just beat the defender and get open and run over him,” Atwell said.

The 2021 second-round pick checked all of the boxes.

Despite Harris playing off coverage with a hefty cushion, Atwell put his 4.32 40-yard dash speed to good use, blowing by the three-time All-Pro corner to create an inviting window for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

As he’s done many times throughout his NFL career, Stafford delivered a well-placed ball that Atwell caught with only a slight break in his stride some 50 yards downfield. The former Louisville Cardinal did the rest, surviving Harris’ last-ditch tackle attempt and gliding into the endzone.

It marked passing touchdown No. 332 of Stafford’s 14-year career and gave the Rams a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter, neither of which is particularly noteworthy. But to Atwell, it was a play he’ll remember for the rest of his life, as it was his first professional touchdown.

“It means everything,” Atwell said. “It just means everything. I was so excited, we practiced it all week, Stafford threw it out there and I made the play.”

Rams S Russ Yeast on the athleticism that runs in his family & teammates that have helped him grow his rookie season | Featured on Rams Revealed Ep. 95 (therams.com)

“Russ was an All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2021 at Kansas State where he tied for the Big 12 lead with four interceptions. He played the first four years of his career and graduated from Louisville.

But it’s Kiyah, a junior member of the Cardinals track team, who gets his nod for most athletic Yeast.

“I think everybody in the family would say the same thing,” the Rams rookie says.

He’ll be away from his loved ones this Thanksgiving, preparing for a trip to Kansas City to face the AFC-leading Chiefs.

Yeast has become a core contributor on special teams for the 2022 Rams, but last week, he also factored into the defensive game plan as L.A.’s third safety.”

Opening odds for Week 12 of the NFL season (draftkings)

“The week opens with the annual Thanksgiving tripleheader. It opens with Bills-Lions, follows with Giants-Cowboys, and closes with Patriots-Vikings. Five of the six teams are above .500 and firmly in the playoff race while the Lions are showing signs of life after winning three straight games.

The Sunday slate features a couple games with particularly significant playoff implications. The 7-3 Titans host the 5-4 Bengals with Cincinnati looking to get on track and Tennessee looking to keep pushing the Chiefs and Dolphins for a higher seed. Falcons-Commanders is another interesting one among teams looking to hang around the playoff picture. Atlanta is 5-6 and a half game back of the Bucs in the NFC South while Dallas is 6-5 and hanging just outside the wild card lead.

DraftKings Sportsbook unveiled lookahead opening odds for the Week 12 slate earlier this week. They were pulled when Week 11’s 1 p.m. ET slate got underway and are now coming back up. Below, we’ve included the lookahead lines and the current lines as they re-open for Week 12.”