Random Ramsdom: Do Lions have brighter future now than Rams?

2023 NFL Draft order update: Detroit Lions currently hold top-3 pick thanks to flailing Rams (prideofdetroit)

“On Sunday, the Rams lost decisively to the Chiefs 26-10, dropping them to 3-8 on the season. It was also the team’s fifth loss in a row. Any long-shot odds of a playoff run are thoroughly dead, and the news keeps getting worse for them. Matthew Stafford is in concussion protocol, was dealing with numbness in his legs, and has a neck injury. Cooper Kupp could be done for the season with a high ankle sprain. Allen Robinson will miss the rest of the season with upcoming foot surgery.

Combined with other Week 12 outcomes (wins by the Raiders, Jaguars, Panthers, and Browns), the Rams have fallen all the way to third-worst in the league—or from the Lions’ point of view, the third-best pick in the next draft. It’s a miracle situation for Detroit, as no one could have predicted the returning Super Bowl champions would fall so quickly and thoroughly.

Here’s a look at the top-12 draft order, not including Sunday Night Football results (this post will update after the game is over):

Note: Tiebreakers are decided by strength of schedule. Currently using strength of schedule tallies according to Tankathon, which measure the full 17-game strength of schedule rather than just games played thus far.

1. Texans: 1-9-1 (.527 strength of schedule)
2. Bears: 3-9 (.572)
3. Rams (owned by Lions): 3-8 (.490)
4. Broncos (owned by Seahawks): 3-8 (.492)
5. Steelers: 3-7 (.532)
6. Panthers: 4-8 (.435)
7. Saints (owned by Eagles): 4-8 (.479)
8. Cardinals: 4-8 (.508)
9. Raiders: 4-7 (.457)
10. Browns (owned by Texans): 4-7 (.505)
11. Jaguars: 4-7 (.519)
12. Lions: 4-7 (.558)

The only team with more draft capital than the Lions in the first round is the Houston Texans, but that team looks like they’re in a horrible pit of despair right now, while the Lions have rattled off wins in three of their past four games and still have an outside chance at the playoffs.”

The Rams are off to their worst start since 2011 (ramswire)

“If you’re having a hard time remembering the last time the Rams started a season this poorly, it’s because it’s been a long time. At 3-8, the Rams are off to a terrible start to the 2022 season, which is even more surprising considering they just won the Super Bowl in February.

Their 3-8 record is the franchise’s worst through 11 games since 2011 when they began the year 2-9. That year, they didn’t win a single other game, finishing the season with an abysmal 2-14 record.

It was also Steve Spagnuolo’s last season as the team’s head coach, which is coincidental because Spagnuolo is the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, and it was his Chiefs who beat the Rams on Sunday to send them to 3-8 on the year.

For comparison, the Rams started last season 3-0, winning each of their first three games before suffering their first loss in Week 4. Their eight losses this year are only three fewer than they had in the last two seasons combined.”

Chiefs handle shorthanded Rams, 26-10: Instant analysis of LA’s loss (ramswire)

“The Chiefs took care of the shorthanded Rams at home, beating them 26-10 at Arrowhead Stadium. Led by Bryce Perkins, the Rams struggled to move the ball offensively against a stingy Chiefs defense.

And even though Los Angeles kept the Chiefs out of the end zone on five of their six red zone trips, it still wasn’t enough for the Rams to get the job done. They’re 3-8 and headed back home for a game against the Seahawks.”

Matthew Stafford’s concussion symptoms improving; Rams don’t plan to shut down QB (nfl.com)

“Despite the Rams’ 3-7 record and despite Stafford landing in the NFL’s concussion protocol for the second time this season, there are no current plans to shut down Stafford for the remainder of the season, multiple sources say.

While Stafford is in the league’s protocol, he has not been diagnosed with a concussion, sources with knowledge of his situation say. In fact, he was placed in the protocol because he exited game before the team could determine if he had a concussion.

The Rams couldn’t rule out a concussion during the game because it could have been his head, neck or back that was causing the symptoms. So, they played it safe by pulling him and putting him in concussion protocol.

Stafford was experiencing leg numbness as a result of what was essentially a bad stinger when his neck was hit last week. But that has since cleared up over the past few days, sources say.

Stafford is considered week-to-week. As it was explained, the Rams placed Stafford in the concussion protocol for the second time in three weeks out of caution because he had symptoms that can sometimes come with that diagnosis.”

Rams HC Sean McVay says WR Allen Robinson needs foot surgery, will miss rest of season (nfl.com)

“Robinson will require season-ending foot surgery, Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters following Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Allen has a stress fracture that would require a screw upon surgery.

Robinson did not play in the loss to the Chiefs, nor did quarterback Matthew Stafford or wide receiver Cooper Kupp as losses to personnel and in the standings mount for the struggling 3-8 Rams.

Robinson signed a three-year, $46.5 million deal with the reigning Super Bowl champions as a free agent in March.”

5 LA Rams who have offered next to nothing in 2022 (ramblinfan)

“The ecosystem of the LA Rams roster is quite spectacular when everything is going according to plan, but an utter disaster when it’s not. Right now, you can probably guess that it’s not, and you would be perfectly correct. This is a team that is the ideal green team. Not because its carbon footprint is zero, but because the team is structured in such a way that the majority of the value-added process occurs at the LA Rams facility.

When it works, that is. Let’s walk through what I mean if nothing more than to clarify how this Rams roster-building cycle works when it works.

Because the team has a willingness and tendency to trade picks for veteran players, the team’s talent pipeline runs the risk of emptying out with few young players moving up through the ranks to replenish normal annual attrition. Players’ contracts expire, and the players then have a say over which NFL they will play for in the following season.

The Rams roster ecosystem is collapsing

As veteran players sign on with new teams, the value of their new contracts is ranked, and their former team is considered to be awarded compensatory draft picks the following season. NFL Teams have a maximum of four awarded compensatory draft picks for player contracts each year, plus any added comp picks for minority coaches or executives being hired on by another team as either the head coach or the general manager role.

Those picks then become additional rookies added to a team’s pipeline, creating a new crop of rookies in a draft class who enter the Rams as raw but talented rookies. Over the course of the next four seasons, those players are coached up into starters and significant role players, who then sign elsewhere for more money, and the Rams are back in the mix for awarded compensatory picks”

NFL Week 12 grades: Tom Brady’s Buccaneers get a ‘D’ for OT loss, Jaguars earn an ‘A-’ for shocking win (cbssports)

“In Cleveland, Tom Brady suffered a loss for the first time in his career in a game where his team was leading by seven or more points in the final two minutes of regulation. Before Sunday, Brady had been 218-0 in those situations, but that streak is now over after Brady watched his team blow a 17-10 lead in a 23-17 overtime loss to the Browns.

In Jacksonville, the Jaguars pulled off the most surprising comeback of the day and that’s because the Jaguars aren’t really known for coming back on anyone. Before Sunday, the Jags had lost 162 straight games since 2000 when trailing by seven in the final two minutes of regulation, but that streak ended after Trevor Lawrence led the Jags to a wild 28-27 win over the Ravens.

Overall, four teams (Browns, Jaguars, Chargers, Raiders) won on Sunday despite trailing by seven or more points in the final two minutes of regulation, which marks the first time that’s ever happened in NFL history.

So did any of those four teams earn an ‘A’ for their performance? Let’s get to the grades for Week 12 and find out. Note: If want to see the grades from the three Thanksgiving games, be sure to click here.”

Best NFL Week 12 Performances: MMQB Hands Out Game Balls (sportsillustrated)

“Week 12 on the NFL schedule is almost in the books (we still have Monday Night Football) and the best performances deserve to be recognized by our MMQB staff. Even if you’re feeling down because your team didn’t win, maybe one of your favorite players or coaches gets awarded a game ball by our staff.”

NFL Week 12 Fantasy Football Recap: Immediate takeaways from Sunday’s games (PFF)

“• Mike White enables the Jets’ top receivers: Garrett Wilson scored his first and second touchdowns since Week 2, while Elijah Moore scored his first touchdown of the season.

• Brian Robinson Jr.’s best game yet: The Commanders’ rookie running back either tied or broke his career highs in rushing yards, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns all before the start of the fourth quarter.

• The Dolphins dominate: Miami’s offense and defense helped build a 30-0 lead by halftime, and backups entered in the fourth quarter.

PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2022.”

2022 NFL season, Week 12: What We Learned from Sunday’s games (nfl.com)

“Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday’s action in Week 12 of the 2022 NFL season. Catch up on each game’s biggest takeaways using the links below:

LATE GAMES

• San Francisco 49ers 13, New Orleans Saints 0
• Las Vegas Raiders 40, Seattle Seahawks 34 (OT)
• Los Angeles Chargers 25, Arizona Cardinals 24
• Kansas City Chiefs 26, Los Angeles Rams 10

EARLY GAMES

• New York Jets 31, Chicago Bears 10
• Washington Commanders 19, Atlanta Falcons 13
• Miami Dolphins 30, Houston Texans 15
• Carolina Panthers 23, Denver Broncos 10
• Cincinnati Bengals 20, Tennessee Titans 16
• Jacksonville Jaguars 28, Baltimore Ravens 27
• Cleveland Browns 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 (OT)“