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Rams report, 1/31: new special teams coach on the way

2012-01-31T11:43:00.000-08:00

Word out of Oakland this morning is that Raiders special teams coach John Fassel is going to join Jeff Fisher's staff in the same role. Fassel had been with the Raiders since 2009. And yes, that name looks familiar: Fassel's father is former NFL head coach Jim Fassel. So if you're not buddies with Jeff Fisher, or not related to somebody, do continue not to send your resume to Rams Park.

Fassel was a Raiders special teams assistant in 2008 before taking over as coordinator the last three years. He was a special teams assistant for Baltimore from 2005-07, coming there after a two-year stint in Las Vegas. New Mexico. He was head coach for Division II New Mexico Highlands University. He has also been wide receivers coach at Bucknell and with Amsterdam in NFL Europe.

It'd be advisable not to give Fassel a ton of credit for Oakland's impressive kicking game, but at least give him credit for not messing up a good thing. The Raiders were almost the AFC's entire special teams unit in this year's Pro Bowl, placing kicker Sebastian Janikowski, punter Shane Lechler and long snapper Jon Condo. Unlike the Rams, the Raiders had the sense to keep a top-functioning snapper/punter/kicker combination together. Didn't somebody around here say Josh Brown and Donnie Jones were going to have it worse off last season without Chris Massey? And didn't they both have bad seasons? Fassel could become my favorite special teams coach of all time just by recommending the Rams bring Massey back.

Except here's how the Raiders' special teams units performed in Fassel's three seasons:

2011: 18th in kick returns (23.5 ypa), one TD. 24th in punt returns (8.9 ypa). (The Rams were 10th!)
Rookie Denarius Moore was the main punt returner. Jacoby Ford came into the season as the main kickoff returner, and had a 101-yard TD, but was injured much of the year.

The Raiders were a meager 27th in the league defending kickoffs (25.7 ypa). Perhaps not coincidentally, they were only 27th in touchback percentage (63.3%) despite the availability of one of the most powerful legs in NFL history in Janikowski. If there's a press conference to welcome Fassel to St. Louis, Question Number One needs to be why Seabass didn't just boot the ball into the stands more often.

NFL.com stupidly doesn't offer yards allowed per punt return, or rankings, but the Raiders were one of the very worst at covering punts, allowing a ridiculous 13.5 a return. Just eyeballing that, it has to be the worst in the league for 2011. Only Arizona gave up more total punt return yards.

The Raiders gave up two punt return TDs and a kickoff return TD in 2011. Those numbers tell me Fassel should have been FIRED somewhere, not hired here.

2010: Kick returns: just 16th, just 22.5 yards, even with Ford returning three kicks for TDs.
           Punt returns: 26th, an anemic 7.0 yards, most returns by Nick Miller. Yes, he of the Rams'
                                punt return TD against Arizona this season.
           Kick coverage: 18th, 23.1 yards allowed, also a TD. Unbelievably, only 31.2% of Janikowski's
                                     kickoffs were touchbacks. And that was 2nd-best in the league! I know the tee
                                     was five yards farther back, and I don't know if Janikowski was fighting any
                                     injuries, but he's always had plenty of power to put kickoffs through the back
                                     of the end zone from the 35 or the 30.
           Punt coverage: 8.7 per return, roughly the lower-third in the league and about the same as
                                    the Rams did that year.

   Against the Chargers in 2010, the Raiders blocked a punt for a safety and another for a TD
           (both in the same game). Those points plus Ford's TDs made them 2010's highest scoring
           special teams unit in the league.

           Fassel's old page on the Raiders website said the Raiders' special teams have led the NFL
           in takeaways (10) and turnover margin (+7) the last two years.

2009: Kick returns: 18.2 yards, dead last in the NFL. Jonathan Holland and Gary Russell combined
                                 for most of the returns. No one among 8 different kick returners averaged more
                                 than 20 yards.
          Punt returns: 29th with a pathetic 4.9 yards per return by Johnnie Lee Higgins.
          Kick coverage: Also the worst kick coverage in the NFL. 25.7 yards allowed, with a TD.
                                   Only 28.8% of Janikowski's kicks were touchbacks, though that was
                                   6th-best in the league. Unleash the Seabass!
          Punt coverage: Raiders punted more than any other team, and the practice appears to have
                                   helped. Though it's difficult to eyeball (Thanks, NFL.com!), their 7.3 average
                                   allowed looks like one of the better ones in the league that season.

Takeaway: If this coach's name were John Grabowksi, would he get many second looks? Fassel's coverage units in Oakland were dreadful for the most part. Punt coverage fell to worst in the league, and the punt return unit wallowed at the bottom of the league. Success forcing turnovers probably absorbed much of that blow. Fassel didn't mess up his kickers, and the kick return game did steadily improve. The Raiders blog gives him credit for Ford's development, for installing good blocking schemes and for creativity. NFL insiders seem to believe this is a great hire, and that Fassel is one of the best special teams coaches out there. Would that I got that at all. What I have to go on are the numbers, and they're not telling me that Fassel isn't even a step down from Tom McMahon, who the Rams probably could have kept. The Rams special teams have sucked ever since Frank Gansz, and I don't see that changing in the near future. C-minus

Ex-Rams updates:
- Speaking of McMahon, he has landed on the other side of the state and will coach special teams for the Chiefs next season.

- Jonathan Wade signed with Miami.

-$-

Rams report, 1/30: new names in front office searches

2012-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Super Bowl XXXIV anniversary.....

The Rams' GM search has picked up the pace a little bit, with two interviews scheduled for today. They will talk with Jets VP of college scouting Joey Clinkscales and a new name to the list, Vikings director of player personnel George Paton. They'll join Les Snead, Ryan Grigson and Lake Dawson on the list of candidates the Rams have interviewed. Grigson, however, has already taken the Colts' GM job, and Dawson is an unlikely candidate here after getting a promotion in Tennessee.

Big Dead DPP Steve Keim was scheduled for an interview over the weekend but it had to be postponed. Uncertain at this time if talks will go through with Dolphins DPP Brian Gaine or Colts DPP Tom Telesco.

It has also been revealed that the Rams had interviewed Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano for their head coaching job. This only came out after the Buccaneers made Schiano their new head coach last week. Schiano would have been the Rams' Plan B if things had fallen through with Jeff Fisher.

In ex-Rams news, former defensive coordinator Ron Meeks has joined the Chargers' staff as secondary coach.

-$-

Sources: NFL.com (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), ESPN.com

STILL think the Rams aren't moving?

2012-01-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

Multiple sources have confirmed that not only is St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke a bidder to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers, he made the first cut in the process, a hurdle that fellow billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was unable to clear.

There are 8 to 10 finalists in the bidding for the Dodgers. Frank McCourt, selling the baseball team after going bankrupt last year, has agreed to identify the winner by April 1st. The team is expected to go for at least $1 billion dollars and could go as high as $1.5 billion. A group headed by Joe Torre, and another headed by Lakers legend Magic Johnson, are others still in the bidding.

Whomever ultimately gains control of the Dodgers (hard not to root for Torre here in STL), I think we can quit pretending Kroenke ever even intended for a minute to keep the Rams in St. Louis after taking over full ownership of the team from the Rosenblooms in 2010. This is a blatant maneuver by Kroenke to put some kind of marker on the L.A. market, though curiously, if Kroenke bought the Dodgers, and then, say, the Raiders moved to Los Angeles, it would be Kroenke who would be in violation of the NFL's cross-ownership rule. Again. (However, he would most certainly be allowed to own the Rams in Los Angeles.)

And, no, this isn't just Kroenke wanting real bad to be a baseball owner. He bought a minority share of the Rams in 1995; the baseball Cardinals were sold in 1996 without a peep from Stan I'm aware of. Certainly he had the cash; he bought the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche in 2000. I have yet to hear his name tied to the New York Mets, who, to oversimplify the story, will probably have to be sold off because their owner was implicated in the Bernie Madoff scandal. That'd be a fine big-market baseball team to own. So would have been the Chicago Cubs, which were sold just a couple of years ago. (But, of course, the Cubs SUCK.) This baseball flirtation and the London agreement are and always have been about L.A.

The St. Louis Conventions and Visitors Commission, responsible for delivering a proposal to bring the Dome up to terms with the "top tier" requirement of the stadium lease by Wednesday, may have fired the only bullet they have earlier this week when they notified the Rams that their agreement to play one home game in London each of the next three years is a violation of the lease. In contrast, Kroenke has already dropped two huge bombs on the CVC to set the stage for a move of the Rams back to Los Angeles. And their response to the CVC's contention? They pretty much could give a shit what the CVC thinks.

I despise Bill Bidwill with all my heart, but you know something? At least he owned a football team that St. Louis could call its own for 28 years. Fucking Kroenke is going to be out of here in five, taking the crown of biggest sports heel in St. Louis history with him.

-$-

Sources: L.A. Times, Pro Football Talk

Senior Bowl 2012: South practice, day 3

2012-01-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

Based on watching three practices from each side, I'd have to stick with my belief that the South should win the game Saturday. They've got better athletes, they're deeper at more positions, and they can execute the difficult center-QB exchange. Oh, well, since the practices are more important than the game anyway, let's see how it went on Wednesday for the South:

* How did I miss Georgia OT Cordy Glenn on Tuesday? At 6'5.5", 346, it's not like he's hard to find. I thought he consistently got the better of Quinton Coples in 1-on-1, and I know he got the better of Courtney Upshaw in 11-on-11, repeatedly stonewalling the Alabama star's pass rush. And on what would have been a 25-yard run for Lennon Creer in 11-on-11, who's ten yards downfield making the key block? Glenn showed nice movement skills and excellent quickness off the ball for his size.

* Working on the side opposite Glenn, DE Melvin Ingram spent most of 11-on-11 in the offensive backfield. He usually made Zebrie Sanders and Melvin McCants look bad 1-on-1 as well, repeatedly blasting one or the other off his pins and walking him back to the QB. He showed excellent strength, ability to rush from the inside, a beautiful swim move and a strong rip move. Ah, to be young Mr. Ingram. Or at least his agent.

* Brandon Boykin looks like the South's best corner, and starred again Wednesday. He made a beautiful play 1-on-1 to close and break up a slant pass, and showed consistent ability to blanket deep speed, such as when he covered Joe Adams in 11-on-11.

* William Vlachos continues to impress at center. He dominated several reps and won a great battle with Ingram rushing him from an inside position. The guy is a rock, and if he can pass pro reliably against the likes of Ingram, I want him in a Rams uniform starting this April.

* Tennessee DE Malik Jackson (6'5" 285), who I believe came in late, made an impression in a hurry, running over McCants and using quick hands to whip formidable Will Blackwell in a rep as an inside rusher.

* If Donnie Avery didn't sour you on U of Houston WRs, have a good look at Patrick Edwards (5'9" 175). Unlike Avery in college, Edwards looks like a polished route-runner. He excels at the dig routes the Coryell system thrives on. Edwards absolutely tore Casey Hayward up, and had Dwight Bentley beaten deep off a double move, before, in true Avery fashion, pulling up lame with a hamstring injury. Well, for his route-running alone, he's worth a second look.

* I don't know what we're looking at any more with Hayward, who was as terrible Wednesday as he was good Tuesday. He showed no ability to handle any kind of speed. Edwards toyed with him 1-on-1 and Chris Rainey burned him to a crisp 11-on-11. Hayward wasn't just getting beaten Wednesday, he was getting beaten by yards. Inexplicable after watching him Tuesday, unless he's injured.

* Zebrie Sanders also struggled. Granted, he's facing topnotch competition in Ingram and Upshaw, but he's consistently getting knocked off-balance at the point of attack and driven backward. He shows enough talent, though, that I think he can be salvaged, whether in the weight room or by getting coached up not to play too high.

* A couple of other cornerbacks better quit playing on their reputations and clean up what they're doing on the field. Janoris Jenkins has the skill to stick with anybody but is constantly getting caught squatting on routes and getting burned deep trying to make a showy play. Like Jenkins, Bentley has all the tools to be a shutdown corner, but he interferes on every single play. These two should be coachable into excellent prospects but have big flaws to clean up.

* Baylor RB (FB?) Terrance Ganaway (5'11.5", 241) had a lot of trouble in the blitz protection drill but showed tough inside running in 11-on-11.

* Jeff Allen fared a lot better than he did Tuesday. He decisively won matchups against bad d-linemen and opened up nice holes in 11-on-11 for Ganaway and Creer. Ben Jones (Georgia, 6'2.5" 304) also showed little trouble with the lesser interior rushers.

* Those lesser interior rushers would be Tony Jerod-Eddie of Texas A&M and Kheeston Randall of Texas. Maybe they're mainly run defenders. Neither showed any ability to pressure the pocket Wednesday, getting stood up and shut down quickly, nor any moves to allow them to win with speed.

* San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley (6'4" 229) looked like the worst player on the field. He blew snaps, threw a terrible quick out that missed his receiver by yards, and launched a deep ball that I hope the receiver actually checked up on (didn't look like it), because he overthrew him by 40 feet. Looks way out of his league. Also in the what-are-they-doing-here category, the South coaches should really match Alabama safety DaQuan Menzie, who couldn't cover anybody Wednesday, up with Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller, who can't get open for jack, and makes Brandon Gibson look like Torry Holt.

* Takeaway: Ingram and Upshaw look like high draft picks. Coples probably will be too, as long as he does well enough at the Combine to keep his hype meter on high. Vlachos looks to me like a first-day NFL starter. Glenn looked like one today, if you can figure out where to put him. I'm thinking right tackle. In Boykin, Jenkins and Bentley, there is plenty of cornerback talent, especially if you get the last two coached up. Hayward, who knows. Better run a good 40 in Indy. Chris Rainey is definitely the kind of multithreat player the Ram offense badly needs, and Edwards has the speed they badly need, if Jeff Fisher doesn't decide they're too small. Rainey's claiming he's going to run a 4.1 at the Combine. DTs like Jackson or Jaye Howard or Clemson's Brandon Thompson could be later-round steals. Also keep an eye on Blackwell, who fits the Rams' o-line need for a mauler, and TE Ladarius Green. And try to shield your eyes when Lindley gets behind center. Shiver.

-$-

Senior Bowl 2012: North practice, day 3

2012-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

Just when it looked like I was going to fall hopelessly behind on Senior Bowl analysis again this year, there were heavy storms in Mobile that washed Thursday's practices right off the NFL Network. So these next two posts shape up as the last of RamView's Senior Bowl coverage. (I can't promise a Saturday game review because I have yet to ever make it through the actual Senior Bowl game. But I'll try.)

Wednesday was revenge day for the North team. A lot of players that got shown up Tuesday bounced back.

* Kendall Reyes continues to look like the best player on the North roster. He almost beat the handoff on one run he broke up, and he and Nebraska LB Lavonte David (6'0.5" 225) also blew up a sweep. Reyes continues to show nice quickness off the ball, quick hands and is consistently beating blockers 1-on-1. Even when a blocker picks up his speed move, he adjusts and gets good push into the pocket.

* Michigan DT Mike Martin (6'1" 307) had a very good outing. He was very active and very effective on almost all the 11-on-11 run plays. In 1-on-1, he beat Tony Bergstrom with an outside rush, and impressed by disengaging from Rishaw Johnson and beating him after Johnson locked him up initially. Martin is definitely one of those scrappers who plays to the whistle.

* Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson (5'10.5" 203) looks like the best QB on either team. He will have to make up for his lack of size in the pros with top accuracy, and so far, he is. All of his throws are right on the money. Kirk Cousins (6'2.5" 209) has the strongest arm on the North team, though, and hit Iowa WR Marvin McNutt with a pretty touch pass during 11-on-11.

* Kevin Zeitler and Senio Kelemete wiped out the right side of the d-line to get Wilson forever to throw on one 11-on-11 play. And I mean wiped out. Zeitner pancaked his man, then Kelemete drove his man to the same spot and made it a stack of pancakes.

* Cam Johnson, though, smoked Kelemete for what would have been a sack in 11-on-11, and beat Mike Adams in 1-on-1 with an impressive swim move. He's "popping" out there, as Mike Mayock might say.

* Vinny Curry showed strength Wednesday to fight through blocks that were putting him on the ground on Tuesday. He also got to show off his ability to pass-rush from the interior, beating Zeitler with very quick hands.

* North team continues to have a ton of problems with the QB-center exchange, and beyond. Rishaw Johnson (Cal-Pa, 6'4" 310) constantly came up short with his shotgun snaps. Wilson and Doug Martin blew a handoff in 9-on-7.

* After impressively mauling people on Tuesday, Bergstrom had consistent problems with speed on Wednesday, getting beaten by Martin and by Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe (6'5" 300). Wolfe had a very good 1-on-1 session, also beating Mitchell Schwartz with an impressive move. Punched him in the chest, then grabbed him and pulled him on by. Schwartz had stoned Jack Crawford earlier, so it's not like he's getting pushed around.

* In the pushed-around category, there's Johnnie Troutman, who got beaten pretty badly both times he was on camera. Mike Adams didn't look the part of elite OT, getting bull-rushed by Vinny Curry and by Cam Johnson's strong swim move.

* And when you think it can't get any worse for Billy Winn, it does. On one 1-on-1 rep, Kelechi Osemele pancaked him, and then sat on him. Winn shoulda just stood in bed.

* Didn't get much of a look at 1-on-1s between the DBs and receivers; not even sure NFL Network showed that much. They did show a little of the passing drill for the RBs and TEs, which mostly exposed people. Isaiah Pead smoked David to open the proceedings. George Iloka continued to get beaten badly. Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing had the worst drop of the day. Chris Polk was so jammed by Utah State LB Bobby Wagner on one rep he didn't even get off the line.

* Takeaway: Reyes has been the North's most impressive player. Curry looks like a good pass-rushing prospect who'll catch on quickly. Like Mike Martin's toughness. Cam Johnson's very intriguing but I'm guessing he'll go to a 3-4 team. Donnie Fletcher's the best North DB, Marvin Jones the best WR, but almost by default. Haven't gotten a lot of excitement out of either position. Isaiah Pead has got speed to burn and could be a good guy to have around. He'd be Jerious Norwood, if Norwood was still Norwood. Bergstrom, Kelemete, Zeitler are the kinds of maulers the Rams really need on the o-line, but they all look a little too inconsistent. Not sure what Billy Winn or Chris Polk are even doing there. And George Iloka needs to be something besides just big. Hopefully the Combine goes a lot better for them.

-$-

Senior Bowl 2012: South practice, day 2

2012-01-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

The first televised practice of the South team was a real eye-opener, because compared to the North, their roster looks absolutely stacked. At first glance, I'd say they should dominate the North on Saturday, based on their impressive depth at defensive line and in the secondary. But we've seen plenty of evidence here that I should never gamble on sports.

Here, though, are some players that look more than worth taking a gamble on:

* My favorite player of the session was Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward (5'11" 188). He owned Arizona WR Juron Criner. He's a good, physical press corner who showed no problem staying with deep speed and no problem adjusting to routes that were supposed to get the receiver open by driving him deep. Reacts and closes on the ball extremely well in those instances. Again, I haven't seen a ton of Senior Bowl practices, but I haven't seen a group of DBs look anywhere near as good as the South team's did Tuesday.

* Quentin Coples gets a ton of well-earned buzz, but my favorite DE so far is Melvin Ingram (6'2" 276) of South Carolina. Watching some the position drills, you immediately get the sense he's a very smart, very coachable player. He also excelled in 1-on-1, killing Illinois' Jeff Allen with an outside move and killing Zebrie Sanders with a spin move. No contest either time, and Sanders looks like a good tackle. Ingram actually beat him twice.

* Baylor guard Philip Blake (6'2.5" 312) had an excellent session. He opened 1-on-1 with a beautiful recovery to hold up UNC DT Tydreke Powell after initially getting beat with a spin move. He won a couple more showdowns with Powell and also shut down Texas A&M DT Tony Jerod-Eddie (three first names, no last name!).

* Ladarius Green (UL-Laf, 6'6", 237) looked outstanding at tight end. Physical, with good size and soft hands. Also an excellent run-blocker. Looks as good as any TE the Rams have.

* Alabama DE Courtney Upshaw (6'1.5" 273) had one of the domination highlights of the day when he put UAB OT Matt McCants on the ground in a 1-on-1 rep. He also completely whipped the fullback for what would have been a sack in 11-on-11. Upshaw should be dominating these proceedings in little time; very legitimate top-15 talent.

* Florida's Chris Rainey (5'8.5" 174) is doing a little bit of everything. At WR, he blew by Janoris Jenkins in 1-on-1 like he was standing still. At RB, he bounced a run outside and would have broken off a big gain in 11-on-11. They say he also returns punts. The Rams have to keep their eye on players like Rainey, playmakers from multiple positions.

* Coples (6'6" 281), story of his senior season, was good but far from dominant. Won his share of 1-on-1's, but also got handled by Sanders, and even Allen. He beat Sanders in 11-on-11 to stuff a run, and also blew up a sweep, but also lost the edge on one of the big draw plays.

* Alabama C William Vlachos (6'0.5" 306) reminds me a lot of Rodney Hudson last year. Strong as a bull, locks onto guys well, keeps his man in front of him, strong drive blocker, difficult to move.

Also liked:

- How was Georgia CB Brandon Boykin not even on the South's original roster? Sure showed NFL-class speed and coverage skills today, sticking with the likes of Rainey and Arkansas speedster Joe Adams.
- LSU OG Will Blackwell (6'3.5" 314) won the majority of his matchups. Did get outmuscled once by Jerod-Eddie.
- Texas DT Kheeston Randall (6'4.5" 297) has a decent bull rush and can beat you with a spin move, too. He also helped Coples blow up a sweep in 11-on-11.
- Sanders (6'5.5" 308) more than held his own, considering he was going against Coples and Upshaw all day.
- UNC LB Zach Brown (6'1.5" 236) is rumored to have 4.4-or-better speed. Really stuck to receivers well.
- Alabama TE Brad Smelley (6'2" 233) has a terrible name but is a good route-runner with good hands. Future would seem to be at H-back/fullback.
- Adams (5'10.5" 174) looks like the South's best deep threat so far. Shows some suddenness off the line.

Not yet ready for RamView's endorsement:
* Jeff Allen (6'4" 306) did lock nicely onto Coples on one rep, but Coples had little trouble with him the other rep, and Allen was mostly today's designated victim. Looked way in over his head.
* Florida DT Jaye Howard (6'3", 292) is an interesting case. He has formidable quickness and had two clear wins in 1-on-1 vs. impressive competition in Blake and Blackwell. And he got an impressive win in 11-on-11 working on Vlahos, who couldn't budge him on what would have been a bull rush sack. Howard's issue is that he needs to get a LOT more interested in stopping the run. All the guy does is pass-rush every down, which resulted in the South D getting gashed by draw plays repeatedly during 11-on-11. They had four draw plays with huge holes and huge gains, and at least three of those were because Howard was way out of position looking for a sack. Gotta watch for the draw, kid!
* Arizona QB Nick Foles has a good play-fake, but looked like slop otherwise, screwing up handoffs, blowing the snap count, throwing behind receivers. Brandon Weeden has a pro arm, no question. He's also not even three months younger than... Steven Jackson.
* Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller (6'4" 217) won the Ugly Drop of the Day Award and didn't look all that hard to cover.
* I'll get on the Dwight Bentley (CB, UL-Laf, 5'10" 176) bandwagon with the rest of NFL Network just as soon as he quits blatantly interfering on every play.

Second full-pads practice Wednesday afternoon.

-$-

Senior Bowl 2012: North practice, day 2

2012-01-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's North practice resembled a summer football camp. There were a lot of boys there. The QBs botched so many exchanges from center the coaches decided to pull them and all the centers off to the side and work on it. Fortunately there were some major instances of men among the boys.

* UConn DT Kendall Reyes has to have made himself a lot of money already this week. He looked positively dominant. He whipped Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler every which way. During drills, he did it once with a quick move off the ball and quick hands, and the second time, he drove Zeitler backward into the QB like a little, um, kid. When the fastest your feet move is when your opponent is shoving you backward, you're getting dominated. Reyes also would have stuffed a run in 11-on-11, and in that same drill, he flushed Kirk Cousins into scrambling with backside pursuit. Looks like the total package.

* Boise State DT Billy Winn probably saw Utah OG Tony Bergstrom (6'5.5" 315) in his nightmares last night. Bergstrom locked him down when power-rushing, and on one rep, Bergstrom put Winn on the ground with one punch. I hope Winn slipped, but I don't think he did. He just got flattened. I haven't seen a ton of Senior Bowl practices, but I've never seen anything like that. Keep an eye on Bergstrom.

* Another lineman just flattening people out there is OT Senio Kelemete of Washington (6"3.5" 300). In the 1-on-1 drill, he was just putting people on the ground. Vinny Curry would try to put that low speed rush move on him, and Kelemete would stay right on him and then say, ok, you're already close to the ground, here! Eat some turf. Strong tackle with feet quick enough to stay with speed rushers - if Kelemete keeps showing that, he'll be on his way up the charts with a bullet.

* Also liked: Penn State DE Jack Crawford (6'5" 278). Beat both Mike Adams and Mitchell Schwartz during 1-on-1 drills. Nice spin move, nice potential as a wide-9 rusher.
- Washington DT Alameda Ta'amu (6'2.5" 341). Would have had a couple of big run disruptions in 11-on-11.
- Marvin Jones still looks like the best receiver on the North team. Gerell Robinson won the hand fight and destroyed George Iloka on a slant route. Got himself open by yards. Looks like Iloka's working out at safety.
- Boston College CB Donnie Fletcher (6'0" 201) looks like the North's best cover corner.

* Guys you'll have to trust NFL Network on:
- Mike Mayock continues to pump up Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard (5'10", 203), even as he's making illegal contact with the receiver 20 yards downfield.
- The analysts have also been pumping up Washington RB Chris Polk (5'10.5" 224) for two days. The very first thing we saw today was Nebraska LB Lavonte David (6'0.5" 225) running over him in blitz pickup drill like a Mack truck turning a possum into road kill.
- Bucky Brooks says Appalachian State WR Brian Quick (6'3.5" 222) stands out. In a good way? Whenever he pops up on screen he looks like garbage. He got stripped by Penn State DB D'Anton Lynn (5'11.5" 208) during 1-on-1, which is inexcusable. He made an awful adjustment to a throw behind him in 11-on-11, like he was trying to basket-catch it or something. He hasn't looked all that hard to cover. For his sake, I hope this is a case of how the camera proverbially lies.

Another full-pads practice Wednesday morning. Last chance to impress the many of us scouting on TV!

-$-

Rams report, 1/24: Rams sign a kicker

2012-01-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Rams have signed kicker Garrett Lindholm, who had a tryout here earlier in the month. Lindholm was signed by the Falcons in 2010 as an undrafted free agent from Tarleton State. (If you knew that Tarleton State is in Texas, you get the star. My guess was North Carolina.) He kicked a 64-yard FG in college, which is tied for the 3rd-longest in NCAA history. He didn't make it into training camp with Atlanta, but he was the Colts' camp leg that summer. Lindholm's only pro experience was with the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena League last season. At least, I think so. Arena League websites really suck. Assuming it was a competition, Lindholm beat out Clint Stitser, who the Rams tried out at the same time.

Alumni news:
- Cord Parks signed with the Saints.
- Mikail Baker tried out with the Patriots.

-$-

HA! Turns out I was thinking of Tareyton cigarettes. Perhaps Tarleton State's school motto is also "I'd rather fight than switch."

Senior Bowl 2012: North practice, day 1

2012-01-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

NFL Network offered only very sparse coverage of Monday's on-field activities. Just a few plays of 11-on-11, just a few pass rush/pass pro drills, hardly any 1-on-1 receiving drills at all. If their coverage of on-field events isn't going to be FAR more comprehensive than this, they, and therefore RamView, are going to be an all-but-useless source this year.

Quit focusing on undersized QBs, quit focusing on interviews nobody cares about with coaches nobody cares about, and get the camera on the action. Hell, Mike Mayock had to BEG the director a couple of times to get the shot on the meaningful drills instead of on handoff practice.

(Also, NFL Network, Heath Evans in for Stacey Dales? Terrible trade.)

Sparse coverage = sparse notes, but here we go:

* DT Kendall Reyes (6,4", 300, UConn) was one of the best players I saw; Charles Davis', too. Strong, quick off the ball, quick hands.

* Marshall DE Vinny Curry (6'3" 265) got good reviews. Gave Ohio State tackle Mike Adams (6'7" 323) all he could handle. Curry gets off quick and stays low. I'm not saying he's that good, but his form's reminiscent of Demarcus Ware's. Worth keeping an eye on. As for Adams, Mayock likes him a lot more as a pass-blocker than a run-blocker.

* I liked Ohio State center Mike Brewster (6'4", 310) but would like to see more consistency from him. He and Michigan DT Mike Martin had the best battles that made it onto TV. Brewster dominated when it came to power, but Martin got him with quickness half the time. Brewster practices with a nasty streak, I liked to see that. May not have the foot quickness to deal with quick moves. Would like to see more.

* A lot of the North linemen showed nasty practice streaks. A little too much, actually. Mayock talked about what a good job Cal OT Mitchell Schwartz (6'5" 317) did on a rep where he clearly held and went to his opponent's head with his hands. He also liked Wisconsin OG Kevin Zeitler (6'4" 315) even though Reyes whipped him on one rep and Zeitler clearly held, and went to his opponent's head, another time.

* Iowa State OT Kelechi Osemele (6 5.5" 333) did not appear to fare well. Slow off the ball and has major trouble with speed. Also about the only guy I saw get beat in 11-on-11.

* Virginia LB Cam Johnson (6'4" 267) had a couple of pass pressures in the little bit of 11-on-11 we got to see, working on Osemele.

* I thought Penn State OG Johnnie Troutman (6'4" 325) handled Boise State DT Billy Winn (6'3.5" 296) well and showed a good, strong initial punch. Mayock thought Winn beat Troutman up. YMMV, indeed.

* Bad day, no, bad broadcast, to find out much about what's going on at the skill positions. Russell Wilson looked like an accurate thrower. At his height, he'd better be Drew Brees. Kirk Cousins definitely has a fast ball. He was throwing quick slants about 90 mph. Naturally, in a year the Rams badly need to pick up receivers, we got to see a bunch of receivers dropping passes. The one WR who stood out in a good way was Cal's Marvin Jones (6'2" 198), who burned Iowa State corner Leonard Johnson (5'10" 198), this year's Ahmad Black, the DB who's undersized and can't cover but Mayock loves him anyway. For his part, Jones later got hit in the chest with a short pass but caught it on the rebound. Gerell Robinson (ASU, 6'3" 223) had a nice grab and had a drop. Guess we'll have to wait for the receivers to settle in. Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead showed nasty elusiveness and some quickness in 9-on-7.

* Boise State has a DB there, George Iloka, who played some corner for them, at 6'3.5", 222. Let me guess... Seattle's looking at him?

Crossing my fingers for much more comprehensive and much better directed coverage of Tuesday's on-field action.

-$-

Rams report, 1/23: Line coaches lined up

2012-01-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

According to reports by Jason LaCanfora over the weekend, the Rams have their new line coaches picked out.

The offensive line coach will be a blast from the past, Paul Boudreau. Boudreau has been o-line coach in Atlanta since getting canned here by Scott Linehan, a move that has yet to be figured out by anyone, (other than Linehan wanting to hire a buddy in Steve Loney) because Boudreau appeared to be getting a lot out of limited talent. The Rams may have tipped their draft hand slightly here, if Boudreau's thought of as well and as prominent as I think of him. Likely he's here to try to salvage Jason Smith and coach up the Rams' underperforming, overpaid offensive line, vs. the organization making another big-ticket player move on that unit for Matt Kalil with the #2 pick.

The defensive line coach will be Mike Waufle, last with the Raiders, but the key line on his resume is: Giants defensive line coach, 2005-2010. That alone makes me think his signing is a major coup for the Rams.

Bravo to Jeff Fisher for realizing a team has to be strong on the lines and for bringing in strong, successful coaches to run them.

Brian Schottenheimer was officially named Rams offensive coordinator this weekend. I still "owe" the blog bio entries on all-but-officially defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, along with the two new line coaches. Look for those before too long.

-$-

Update: Dave McGinniss has been added to the Rams coaching staff this afternoon as an assistant head coach. So now I owe the blog another one.

-$$-

NFC Championship: Giants 20, 49ers 17 (OT)

2012-01-22T15:48:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
No offense to James Laurinaitis, who gets to go to the Pro Bowl if San Francisco goes to the Super Bowl, but I am not rooting for the 49ers, now or ever.

49ers start with the ball. I assume the Giants won the coin toss and deferred? Missed it in the kitchen. Unlike last week, the 49ers are getting it to Frank Gore early and often. He appears trapped for a huge loss on a screen, but a big block by Joe Staley frees him to cut back up the middle for a first down. Mike Iupati's injured on a handoff to Kendall Hunter, but Gore's back up the middle for 7 the next play. 3rd-4, Alex Smith appears to throw behind Gore circling out of the backfield even though the Giant pass pressure wasn't great. Let the field position battle begin!

Giants will start out at their 15. Eli Manning's opening shot is an awful wobbler a mile behind Hakeem Nicks. OK, let the "Eli can't play in bad weather" theorists loose. It's 52 and raining in San Francisco. Carlos Rogers gets away with a TON of contact on a midfield bomb for Travis Beckum. 3rd-10. Manning hits Victor Cruz on the dig route for 11. While we wait for anyone to pressure a passer yet today, Manning converts another 3rd-and-long to Cruz. Giant running game gets nowhere, and they're looking at another 3rd-and-long when good pressure from Aldon Smith flushes Eli and Ray McDonald strips him. Very luckily for the Giants, Kareem McKenzie comes up with the loose ball.

HOLY CATS, guess who beats the bejesus out of the safety for today's first TD. The Giants couldn't see this coming? Perfect pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis, who burns the holy snot out of Antrell Rolle down the sideline for a 73-yard TD. Seriously, the Giants' plan for covering Vernon Davis isn't any better than that? You HAVE to know he's the only 49er receiver who can hurt you, right?

So much for the Giants being the better-coached team in this game, which is pretty much what I hung my hat on when I picked them.

The TD's reviewed to see if Davis stepped out of bounds, but Ed Hochuli spends more time than either Presidential candidate will take answering a question in this fall's debates explaining why he can't overrule it. 7-0 San Francisco as I realize that it's more important to our nation to get an out-of-bounds call correct than it is to have a solvent Social Security system, or to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

7-0 49ers

It would have been especially funny if the TD had been reversed, since Davis drew a penalty after the play for obnoxiously hot-dogging on one of Fox's camera platforms.

The penalty helps the Giants start out at their 32. You always hear that the "Lambeau Leap" is grandfathered into the illegal celebration rule; they're describing that particular move is ok in any stadium, right? I'm going to be pissed off if they wrote a special rule strictly for one team's fans. Anyway, diving catch by Hakeem Nicks, and the Giant running game finally does something as Ahmad Bradshaw gets outside for 5 and another first down. But he gets stuffed again, and with a 3rd-and-inches coming at the SF34, I have to think the Giants are passing. They do, but Manning well overthrows a well-covered Mario Manningham.

Tom Coughlin's going for it on 4th-and-1. Brandon Jacobs gets tripped up behind the line by NaVarro Bowman and pretty clearly does not get it. Nope. 49er ball. Jacobs has to be the most disappointing big back in the league.

The 49ers open this drive with a TERRIBLE call, attempting a reverse with a pitch to Kyle Williams, who is all thumbs, loses the ball, and I have no idea how Osi Umenyiora failed to recover it. 2nd-20. Give Iupati some credit for Umenyiora's failed recovery, which Williams fell back on. What are the 49ers doing with the idiotic trick plays the last couple of weeks? 49ers punt after Alex Smith appears to throw a ball end-over-end on 3rd-and-long.

Raining harder at Candlestick than I've been giving credit for. Manning overthrows Nicks at the 40. Jacobs off LT for 4, 3rd-and-6 for the Giants to start the 2nd.

SECOND QUARTER
Here come the Giants! Cruz burns Carlos Rogers on a corner route for 36 and sets them up inside the SF30. Bradshaw cuts back for 5. Center David Baas goes off injured before a key 3rd-and-4. Manning and new center Kevin Booth do get a few practice snaps in during the timeout, and Manning hits Cruz over the middle for six when we return.

Again, nobody tell me St. Louis has any kind of a fan problem based on all the CRUUUUUZ calls I hear in San Freaking Francisco during the NFC Freaking Championship.

While I'm ranting about that, the Giants pound down to the six-yard line. Eli has to burn a timeout on 1st-and-goal. Rogers breaks up a pass for Nicks in the back of the end zone. 2nd-goal, Manning orders his TEs to flop ends before the play, and Bear Pascoe, who lined up right and got moved left, uncovers at the goal line on a crossing pattern back to the right for the tying TD. When Eli re-shuffled the TEs, you had to know he was throwing to one, didn't you?

7-7

Kyle Williams gets behind the Giant secondary for a Smith bomb but it's overthrown. Smith Tebows for 8. Williams makes a short catch and collects an illegal hands penalty from Aaron Ross. Gore gets the ball for the first time in a while for 4, then bulldozes up the middle for 8 more. Anthony Davis and Michael Boley get into a scrum after the play, but it's Vernon Davis getting his second, STUPID, penalty of the day by trying to be the third man in.

After all that nonsense, it's still 1st-and-10 at the SF32. But the 49ers have Gore going now. He gets 7 up the middle and bounces outside right for another 9. 49ers near midfield. Chase Blackburn breaks up a play-action pass for Davis. Smith dodges a blitz and scrambles for 5. 3-man rush still flushes Smith on 3rd down, and Jason Pierre-Paul makes his first play of the day, tripping him up short after 3 yards.

Harbaugh's going for it, 4th and a long 1 outside the NY42. No, they were going for the offside, draw the delay of game and will punt. Will Blackmon makes a fair catch signal and then takes off like an idiot. That'll be a penalty.

Giants at their 19 with about 5:30 left. Bradshaw bounces left and runs through a tackle for 6. Hitch to Cruz nets 15 after Rogers falls down. Swing pass to Bradshaw for 6. Donte Whitner stuffs a draw to force 3rd and a long 2. The 49ers blitz Bowman and get to Manning before he can do anything. Bad blitz pickup by Danny Ware. I think Bowman gets the sack, but Isaac Sopoaga completely clogged up the lane and kept Eli from going anywhere.

2:51 left for Smith from his 16. Gore stumbles in the backfield and loses a yard. I had no idea Smith has only completed two passes all half. 1-6, 6 yards besides the Davis TD. 2:00 warning, 49ers appear to be in no hurry whatsoever.

Gore up the middle for a couple gets the Giants to stop the clock with a timeout. Seems like Harbaugh is turning Steve Spagnuolo here. They do drop back to pass on 3rd down, but the Giants blitz two and flush Smith to be tripped up by Justin Tuck. Nice punt return by Blackmon puts the Giants at their 36 with 1:36 left. No timeouts, though.

DROP by Jake Ballard. Had about six yards. 1:30
As Ware DESTROYS Aldon Smith with a chip block, Manning hits Cruz at midfield. 1:10
Chris Culliver breaks up a sideline pass for Manningham. 1:00
Eli to Cruz over the middle again, beating Rogers again, inside the SF40. 0:40
McDonald forces Eli up in the pocket, but it's a leaping catch by Cruz at the 21. Spike at 0:20
Cruz already has 112 yards receiving.
DELAY OF GAME, Giants.
dumpoff to Cruz, vs. 3-man-rush, for about 14. Spike at 0:06.
Lawrence Tynes from 31 to put the Giants ahead at halftime. Phew.

Giants 10-7

HALFTIME
Both teams should have a pretty clear idea who they need to stop in the second half. Manning has thrown for an impressive 181 in these slop conditions, 125 of it to Cruz. Has to be one of the poorest performances by the 49er secondary this season. They may have to step up the blitzing in the 2nd half. The Giants haven't given them a lot to worry about on the ground.

So, did the Giants stop Vernon Davis in the first half or not? He had only one catch. But it was for 73 and a TD. Gore's getting 5 a carry, and Smith is getting away from their pass rush too often. But it's ultimately hard to say they need to change a thing on defense. The 49ers better figure out a third person to make the Giants think about, or they could have trouble erasing even a three-point deficit.

Both teams have flirted with disaster, but neither has turned it over yet. Suspicious feeling here is that's going to change, and the game will change with it.

THIRD QUARTER

Bradshaw bounces outside and runs through Whitner for 9. Parys Haralson stuffs him on 2nd down. Bradshaw muffs a screen with Ahmad Brooks bearing down on him on 3rd down for the 3-and-out. Probably would have been a big loss anyway; Brooks was all over it. Good 3-and-out for the 49ers.

1st down at the 32, Smith wanted to go deep but got a spinebuster of a sack from Pierre-Paul instead. Giants have come out of halftime with their pass rushing shoes on. They get Joe Staley jumpy to force 3rd-and-19.

AND THEN AARON ROSS GIVES IT ALL BACK WITH AN ILLEGAL CONTACT PENALTY. That's almost as bad as a turnover.

1st-and-10 all over again. Hunter finds a seam after a pitchout and gets 14 behind Iupati. Gore moves the pile to midfield for 4. Good protection for Smith on 2nd down but he one-hops it to Davis, who was double-covered. Smith outruns a blitz and fires for an open Delanie Walker, but Jacquian Williams breaks it up. Despite Tuck running into punter Andy Lee, the punt dies at the 6.

Joe Buck says the last playoff game in Candlestick was "a heartbreaker in January 03". So where did the Saints play the 49ers last week, Kezar Stadium?

Quick slant to Cruz for 6. And another, for another 12. Haralson blitzes the empty formation, but Manning slips him and hits Jacobs for 3 on the hot read. 3rd-5, though. 49ers blitz the empty formation again, get Manning off balance, and he winds up throwing it away. Long line drive punt is very returnable for Williams, and he's out across the 45.

Pierre-Paul stops Gore for 2, but he's wide open in the flat on play-action the next play and rumbles down inside the 30. Play-action again, and guess who's wide open for the TD. VERNON DAVIS, burning the crap out of Kenny Phillips, who seems barely interested in chasing him, and Corey Webster mistimes a chance to hit him in the end zone for a possible break-up, or didn't want to hit him, or was afraid to. Still got a piece of him, but Webster really pulled his punch when his best option would have been to knock some slobber.

Giant defense has looked great today. Except for two plays.

49ers 14-10

16 to Nicks over the middle off play-action. Manning misses a quick hitch to Ware with a corner blitz coming. Draw to Bradshaw does little except set up 3rd-and-long. Because of a local weather alert, I can no longer see the Fox graphic that says score, time and down and distance. Ray McDonald beats David Diehl on 3rd (I guess) down to sack Manning. Big play by the 49ers with just 3:15 left in the 3rd.

49ers get away with ridiculous hold on Tuck on 2nd down but Pierre-Paul bats down the pass for Gore. 3rd-7, 4-man rush flushes Smith forward again, and his dumpoff to Gore doesn't get enough.Giants may have only 1 sack so far but Smith has had barely any time most plays he drops back.

Jacobs up the middle for 5 to the NY33. No one open for Eli on 2nd down, throwaway. 4-man rush nearly gets to Eli on 3rd down, and he gets away with a terrible pass that is not intercepted only because two 49ers ran into each other. Tarell Brown lost that collision with Dashon Goldson and is going to be down for a while. It looks like it could be a head or neck injury. They brought out the stretcher, but Brown's walked off the field with help instead.

49ers at their 12, inside a minute left in the 3rd. Gore off LT and inside a block by Walker for 10. A rare completion, to Walker at the 30, ends the quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

No, make that a stupid personal foul on Chris Canty, though I don't know what set him off at the bottom of the pile. (How about a punch in a teammate's mouth?) Definitely the wrong time of the season to be making that kind of mistake.

49ers at their 45, then. Gore makes a man miss at the LOS and turns a loss into 5. Anthony Dixon nearly breaks a big run, but Rolle trips him from the ground. 3rd-1. As Buck ominously says the 49ers are 0-for-7 on 3rd down today, Blackburn and Chris Canty stuff Dixon for no gain. Yeah, don't put the ball in Frank Gore's hands there or anything. See if that doesn't turn out to be a key play. Harbaugh takes the delay of game to try to set Lee up, but a poor punt only comes down at the 20.

I'm smelling a big drive for the Giants here. Rogers stuffs a screen to Bradshaw for no gain. Then, apparently believing he has an hour to throw, Manning gets splattered by Aldon Smith. That was a rookie-bad play. 3rd-and-15. Long time for Manning again, but he throws an incomplete dumpoff for Bradshaw while bailing out. 49ers only rushed three as the Giant o-line suddenly went into a nosedive.

And those are some great instincts I have.

Then again... on 4th down, Williams misplays a bouncing punt and it appears to go off his knee. No referee sees it this way, though, and we're going to have a challenge from the Giants. Big play alert?

It's stunning to me that Williams doesn't go after the ball after it hits off his knee. He makes a move and then stops. How could you stop there?

BIG PLAY ALERT! Giants ball at the SF29. Devin Thomas recovers the muffed punt. Is this the game-turning turnover?

3rd-and-7, and the Giants have completely quit protecting Manning. He gets splattered by Justin Smith as he gets the 2nd down throw away. But he beats a corner blitz by hitting Nicks down to the 12. With Tarell Brown out of the game, I don't know about corner blitzing with a scrub in his place. Bradshaw bangs up the middle for 6, but there's a flag.

HOLDING ON BAAS. Put the ball back at the 22. Nicks drops a pass thrown behind him inside the 10. Flare to Bradshaw for about 5.

SF rushes only 3 on 3rd-and-5, Manning steps up into a very solid pocket and hits Manningham in front of Brown's replacement, Tramaine Brock, for the lead TD. 8:34 to go.

17-14 Giants

But, like Danny Woodhead in the first game, Williams immediately atones for his earlier turnover with a kick return out close to midfield. Smith just overthrows Walker streaking down the sideline, but illegal hands on Phillips makes it first down at the 50. Linval Joseph nearly breaks through on Smith, but he scrambles away instead for a 17-yard gain. That's a good omen for the home team. Hunter runs through a terrible tackle on a toss sweep left and gains 18. Pitiful tackle try by Boley. Smith looks for the end zone but dumps off to Gore at the 10. Interesting play action by Smith was supposed to get Williams open in the end zone, but he's well-covered and it's a throwaway instead.

And SF continues to shoot blanks on 3rd down, with Webster knocking Michael Crabtree out of bounds after just two yards on a flare pass. Akers chip shot ties the game with 5:39 to go.

17-17

Have a feeling it's going to take a TD to win this. Dangerous screen to Beckum for a whole 2. Eli overthrows Manningham, open on a go route. 49ers blitz and Patrick Willis stops Beckum short of the first down. Willis hasn't had his name called a whole lot, has he? Big play, though.

Poor punt by Weatherford spotted at the 35. 49ers have a shade over 4:00.Gore falls on what was supposed to be a play-action screen and Smith fires one out of bounds. INSIDE HANDOFF to Gore for 3. Interesting call there for a team that's 0-for-9 on 3rd down. 3rd-7. Mattias Kiwanuka makes it 0-for-10 by sacking Smith. I believe he stunted around Joe Staley.

Some superb clutch defensive play here. These have been two freaking good football games today.

Giants at their 26, 3:05 left. Manning idiotically eats another sack on a corner blitz with a dog blitz by Willis, who gets the sack. 2nd-21, Bradshaw gets 5 of it back after flipping Willis ass over teakettle on a blitz pickup. The 49ers rip the ball free, but forward progress was correctly called. I don't want to hear a peep of controversy about that call. 2:00 warning.

Story I've completely overlooked in the 2nd half is that the 49ers have shut Victor Cruz down. Don't think he's had a catch since early in the 3rd.

49ers corner blitz again, and Cruz pushes off Rogers to get open at midfield, but also pushes himself off-balance and can't field the pass.

1:47 left for SF at their 29. Is Rams Nation doomed to the most despicable Super Bowl imaginable, Patriots vs. 49ers? Suddenly I find myself wishing the lockout had lasted a lot longer.

Smith escapes Joseph again and fires an incompletion. 1:39
Giants 4-man rush does little, but Smith fires a poor pass at Crabtree's feet. 1:33
Weird pass to nobody in particular falls harmlessly at midfield. I don't even know who that was intended for, and Smith wasn't under that much pressure when he threw. 1:29
The Giant pass rush has pretty clearly gotten into Smith's head.

Giants at their 18 now, with 1:18 and two timeouts left.
Cruz falls on his cut and the pass falls incomplete. 1:14
Manning holds the ball FOREVER again, gets a key block late from Diehl, and hits Bradshaw up the sideline near midfield.
DRAW to Bradshaw for 2, Giants let clock run, 0:45
Manning under heavy pressure again, dumpoff to Bradshaw gets a few. Timeout #2 at 0:32
3rd-4 from the SF46. Manning has to throw off his back foot under heavy pressure, throws too high for Cruz, who can't quite make the juggling catch. Punt coming at 0:27, and it looks like overtime unless something freaky happens.

49ers try for the punt block but almost didn't need to. Weatherford's punt is a TERRIBLE 29 yards and Williams returns it to the 35. 19 seconds is enough time to get in long FG position, and who are you going to trust more with a clutch FG this year than David Akers?

Smith steps up into pocket and dumps off to Gore for a WHOLE THREE YARDS. And he didn't get out of bounds. Timeout #2 at 0:12
Tuck and Pierre-Paul collapse the pocket around Smith and Tuck gets him for a sack or a very small gain.

Four seconds left. The 49ers used their last timeout. Smith barely avoids a sack and hits Walker around the NY32, but time runs out.

With the Giants harking back to their 2007 run this postseason with the win over the Packers, it's worth noting they won that season's NFC Championship in overtime before going on to beat the Patriots.

FIRST OVERTIME
Ed Hochuli's doing a perfect job describing the new overtime rules, it just takes fifteen minutes. Giants win the toss and choose the ball as the hardest rain of the day begins to fall, both in Candlestick and here at home.

Giants start at their 20. Screen to Hynoski, who runs through a tackle for 9. Manning hangs up a bomb for Cruz, and idiot Goldson costs his team an interception AGAIN, hitting Rogers while going after the ball himself. Bradshaw up the middle for 4. 3rd-down pass is through Jernell Jernigan's hands and would have been well short anyway. I believe this means we are officially in sudden death. Next score of any kind wins.

49ers start at their 22. Giants cover all options on the rollout pass and Smith fires a ground ball. Pierre-Paul blows up an inside handoff to Gore for a 2-yard loss. Ha! The last play of regulation was SF's first 3rd-down conversion of the day. They come up a yard short here as Phillips and Rolle are all over the pass to Vernon Davis.

Giants now at their 36. Bradshaw for 6 off I believe Chris Snee's block. Quick slant to Beckum for 5 and a first down. Hynoski's briefly wide open in the flat but Willis shuts it down for only a yard. 49ers take timeout on 2nd-8, ball at midfield.

Brooks in the neutral zone, 2nd-3 at the SF46 now. Brooks gets back by hitting Manning on the throw the next play, and it comes up well short. 49ers bring a big blitz on 3rd-and-3 and Justin Smith bulldozes Diehl to get today's sixth sack of Manning.

BIG PLAY ALERT! Jacquian Williams punches the ball loose from Kyle Williams on the punt return and Devin Thomas recovers for the Giants at the 24. That punched ball may be a ticket-puncher for the Giants.

Bradshaw bounces outside for 8.
Bradshaw again, bursts through the right side of the line down to the 10.
And now down to the 6. So when's the FG team coming out?
Eli takes a couple of steps left and goes down a yard behind the line to set Tynes up in the middle of the field. It'll be a 26-yard attempt.
? No, it'll be a 31-yard attempt, after the Giants get called for delay of game. We still have the inevitable last nanosecond timeout from Harbaugh coming, too. Not really last-second, but Harbaugh spends it.

And we have our Super Bowl XLII rematch, Giants vs. Patriots.

Giants 20-17

Postgame show
Total winner of a game for me. Had Giants outright and the under, the latter thanks to the weatherman. 2-0 today, 1-1 vs. the spread and the o/u.

Guess here is that the Patriots will be favored by 6, but I don't care what the number is. Damned if I'm betting against these Giants. Or the over.

Nothing against Eli, but I think the way to go with Star of the Game is to give it to the Giant defense. The pass rush was completely inside Alex Smith's head the whole second half for sure. And every play but two, they took Smith's best receiver away from him. And throw in Devin Thomas for two fumble recoveries on special teams. Jason Pierre-Paul had six tackles, a half-sack, made big run stops and was in Smith's face a ton, so SotG goes to him. If Cruz had not disappeared in the 2nd half, it would have gone to him for sure.

Whether they do something in free agency or the draft, San Francisco's biggest need heading into next season seems almost definitely to be wide receiver. Looks like WR's going to be pretty picked over by the 2nd round of the draft if I'm right, so it might behoove the Rams to strike early there in April, no?

Enjoy the Super Bowl!

-$-

NFLPA Collegiate Bowl 2012

2012-01-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

Carson, California

One thing to note about the second of Saturday's college all-star games is that this one's got even lessstar power than the Shrine Game. The Shrine Game is a game forthird-day picks; this game looks like it contributed mostlyseventh-rounders and UDFAs to the league last year. It was formerlycalled the Texas vs. the Nation Game, then the NFLPA Game last year,and wasn't even expected to be held in 2012 for a while before beingannounced in November.

The second thing to note is that theRams BETTER get some good inside intel out of this game. DICK VERMEILcoached one of the teams, and St. Louis favorite Jim Hanifan was hisoffensive line coach. Also, former Ram Corey Chavous was one of theannouncers (along with former Bucs QB Shaun King, who looks like heate Warrick Dunn).

The Rams have found players in thisgame recently. Josh Hull played in 2010. Most famous this season asturnstile to Chris Clemons, Kevin Hughes played in last year's game.Practice squad o-lineman Tim Barnes and two training camp cuts, TESchuylar Oordt and QB Taylor Potts, also played. The most notableplayers from last year's game: Raiders WR Denarius Moore and TexansQB T.J. Yates.

This is a game full of undersized guys,obscure-school guys and guys who played less than a full season dueto injury or discipline issues. There were runt RBs, midget DBs,tweener LBs, and “high-motor” DTs all over the place. There wereplayers from every school imaginable this side of Faber, SouthCentral Louisiana State and ITT Technical. And a mess of footballfamily members, including DarrellGreen's son, Mike Singletary's son, Mike Iupati's brother and NickFolk's brother.

Vermeil avenged his loss in Super BowlXV, as his “Nationals” beat Tom Flores' “Americans” 20-14(box score) before a crowd that looked like about 500. There were probably moremarching band members there than actual ticketholders. My scoutingeffort for this game isn't even professional enough to do apositional breakdown like I did for the Shrine Game, but here are players who stood out to me:

* Asa Chapman, DT, Liberty. Ohhell yeah you bet I'm starting with this guy, who I cannot believewas not mentioned even once during the broadcast, even though He.Weighs. Four. Hundred. Pounds! His strength looks like a seriousquestion, though. He looks like a guy who's used to leaning on guys100 or more pounds less than him for success. Hanifan's guys wouldtypically double him at the snap, but it never took more than one tofinish him. He's too big to be explosive enough to split thosedouble-teams quickly, or to re-gather his momentum quickly after thehit from the double-team. He's always moving forward, and has prettyquick hands. Any decent linebacker play at all behind him would havebrought attention to his obvious success occupying blockers. Butinstead of lifting cheeseburgers, he needs to get in the weight roomand turn about 10% of that mass into muscle. I can see him in atraining camp but not as a draft pick.

* Gerald Gooden, DE/OLB, Purdue.Shouldn't be any surprise thatPurdue has a player in this year's draft who can really get after theQB. Gooden may have been the dominant defensive force of the game.Had a sack, drew a hold that saved the National team a TD, andpressured the QB pretty much every play.

* Marrell Evans, LB, Michigan.Was not only one of the best defensive players in the game, but healso had two tackles on special teams. Got faked out badly by G.J.Kinne on a TD run but he made a ton of plays. Spent a lot of the gamein the opposing backfield. Solid against the run and also made a niceplay downfield to break up a pass. Was all over the field. Thisperformance, plus his good size at 6'3” 238, would seem to make himone of the best prospects in this game.

* Jonte' Green, CB, New MexicoState. Definitely Chavous'favorite player and the best defensive back in the game. A hairshorter than six feet. Made a diving interception. Good physicalpresence, good hitter. Excellent closing speed and open-field tackleron quick screens. Pretty much owned Jared Green. I have a feeling hemust fail the stopwatch test. In this game he looked easily like a4th-round talent, or better.

* Max Holloway, DE, Boston College.A very lightweight 242, but hisquickness made him one of the defensive stars of the game. Nationalteam tackles had difficulty handling him. Spent a lot of the game inthe opposing backfield. Flashed in a couple of times to blow up runsand pressured the pocket consistently.

* G.J. Kinne, QB, Tulsa. Officiallythe star of the game, Kinne was 6-9-79 with an impressive 20-yard TDrun where he put ankle-breaking fakes on Evans and on Ahkeil White.Also showed a strong, accurate arm. The QB talent in this game ingeneral had stronger arms than we saw in the Shrine Game.

* Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, EasternWashington. Very live arm. Theonly QB with over 100 yards in this game, largely because he's themost confident QB I saw this weekend flinging it deep. Throws verywell on the move. Flick of the wrist and it's gone. 6'2.5”, 199,intriguing prospect.

* Jarrett Lee, QB, LSU. Threwa TD pass and looked like the most accurate QB in the game, with astrong arm to go with it. Would have liked to see more of him.

* Antwan Bailey, RB, Syracuse. Oneof two notable RBs from the game, Bailey is not even 5'7” but comesin at a pretty solid 195. It may have been the level of defensivecompetition, but the running backs in this game looked consistentlyfaster than the Shrine Game's. There was also much more cutbackrunning. Bailey's quick, makes people miss, and takes full advantageof his size making him hard to find.

* Jacquise Terry, RB, Kent State.Like his size: 6'0 191. Goodand quick, good cutback runner, bounced plays outside well when hehad to.

* Jason Ford, Illinois.Another game that criminally underused a solid Illini player. And theAmerican team seemed to be messing around with him at fullback, whichI don't see as his forte. Broke a 20-yard run that allowed him tolead the American team in rushing, with 27 yards.

* Tracy Robertson, DT, Baylor.Really took over down thestretch. Got a lot of pressure on the pocket and had the 4th-downsack that sealed the game for the Nationals. Also stuffed a run. Onlygoes 275-280, though.

* Zack Masch, DT, Hawaii. Definitelyundersized at 278, but strong enough to bull-rush Tulsa G Matt Rominealmost over the QB for a sack. Also deflected a pass. Romine appearedto have trouble with speed, and I imagine he'll face better intraining camp.

* Patrick Butrym, DT, Wisconsin.Another undersized DT who gavethe American o-line fits. Had a pass pressure that forced athrowaway, deflected a pass and also stuffed a run for a loss, Ithink all in the second half.

Those last three are all nice performances, but I'm just not sure a lot of NFL interior offensive linemen stay awake at night worrying about getting beat by defensive tackles that don't even top 280.

* Peyton Thompson, CB, San JoseState. A shade over 5'11”.Hung pretty well with secondary mate Jonte' Green, blowing up ascreen and making a sweet play on the sideline to break up a perfectpass for Jared Green.

* Scott Wedige, OL, NorthernIllinois. 6'5” 304. Believehe played center but was also listed at guard. Showed he can reallytie up the nose tackle and destroyed Andrew Iupati on one run.

* Jared Green, WR, Southern.Intriguing size (6'1.5” 190).Intriguing bloodline (father is Hall-of-Famer Darell Green). But hestruggled miserably in this game, even given multiple chances tohandle the ball. He dropped passes, ran wrong routes, fumbled theexchange on an end-around attempt. Unfortunately for the Rams, thisgame wasn't a showcase of WR talent. Jason Barnes had a couple ofdrops. Been there, done that. Nearly 6'6”, Lavasier Tuinei ranthrough three tackles on a slant route TD and had another nice catch,but struggled in the 2^ndhalf and had a drop.

* Takeaway:Like I said, the Rams ought to be able to get info from Vermeil andHanifan about a lot of these players that other teams won't be ableto get. I thought Marrell Evans and Jonte Green were the best playerswho could help the Rams right away at their positions. Also likedJacquise Terry. Quite a bit of legitimate pro talent available.

-$-

AFC Championship: Patriots 23, Ravens 20

2012-01-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
Yep, didn't think I'd be able to stay away. Looks like I'll have to draw the line for not live-blogging postseason games at the Super Bowl again this year.

The NFL's latest hip new trend: winning the coin toss and deferring, which the Patriots do here and which I'm sure the winner of the coin toss of the second game today will do.

This game starts a lot better for the Patriots than their last playoff game against the Ravens. They stuff Ray Rice for no gain instead of giving up a long TD run. I have to charge Anquan Boldin with a drop on 2nd down, and Rob Ninkovich flushes Joe Flacco out of the pocket for an opening 3-and-out. Patriot D off to a strong start.

The Ravens answer in kind. Haloti Ngata is heard from early with a deflected pass, and despite Tom Brady getting all day to throw on 3rd down, Ed Reed breaks up the pass for Deion Branch to force a 3-and-out.

I'm not sure many predicted the Patriots to have the dominant defense today, but dominating, they are. They stuff Rice again, and on 3rd down, Vince Wilfork turns Ben Grubbs into a grocery cart and sets up a sack for old RamView draft day favorite Mark Anderson. Third straight 3-and-out today.

The Law Firm thumps out the game's first 1st down to get the Patriots to midfield. Branch wheels away from Bernard Pollard for 10 more. Julian Edelman gets a HANDOFF and makes a diving 3rd-down catch at the Raven 28 a play later. Illegal contact on Ladarius Webb vs. Wes Welker for another first. Took away an INT, but really caused it. Brady badly overthrows what should have been a TD to Rob Gronkowski, but hits him over the middle at the 11 the next play. Paul Kruger whips rookie Nate Solder to sack Brady at the 16. Good pressure on 3rd down forces a quick pass for Welker in the end zone that isn't quite there. And Ray Lewis had Welker blanketed. Steven Gostkowski puts New England on top.

New England 3-0

Solder reminds me to mention not to trust the NFL Network guys on evaluating offensive linemen in the draft. Nobody there smelled out that Jason Smith would be a bust. Tyron Smith has done well for Dallas, but nobody had Solder as the top o-lineman in the 2011 draft class, which he clearly has been. Mike Mayock (and I, I must confess) were all over Anthony Costanzo, who has been brutal, and Gabe Carimi.

Wilfork drops Rickey Williams for a HUGE loss, and once again this week, I cannot fathom Cam Cameron's reluctance to put the ball in the hands of Ray Rice. Like the bomb for Torrey Smith, but Flacco overthrows it. My thought is that Smith will burn the Patriots at least once today. Wilfork continues to dominate the first quarter by beating the center on a 3-man rush. Flacco had no one open and needed to throw that one away. Edelman idiotically loses 5 on the punt return but the Patriots are still set up at their 40.

Brady to Aaron Hernandez across midfield, but Lardarius Webb continues his impressive postseason with a leaping pick of a seam pass for Edelman at the 30. Big play for the Ravens, if their offense can get out of park, let alone first gear.

AND THERE'S YOUR BOMB TO TORREY SMITH. Safety bites HARD on play action and Flacco hits Justin King's worst nightmare for 42. TD if the pass isn't underthrown by a lot. Rice gets his third carry, but the Patriots are keying on him. The Ravens get blindsided on the play by an injury to Michael Oher. 3rd-and-5.

Another clutch play to Torrey Smith, who beats Kyle Arrington in the flat at the 12 for a first down.

SECOND QUARTER
The Patriots just barely hold the Ravens short of another first down inside the 5, stopping Anquan Boldin short of the 2 on 3rd-and-5. Wow, like Phil Simms, I was expecting a Harbaugh brother to go for it here, but here comes the FG team. Billy Cundiff ties it up with a pitching wedge. Wonder if the Oher injury had any influence on Harbaugh's decision. (Or that Ray Rice hasn't done a darn thing yet.) It's 3-3, but that drive was still a win for the Patriots.

3-3

Law firm up the middle for 13, then he bangs off a tackle for 11 more. An untold story this postseason is how well the Patriots are running. Hernandez can't pull in a too-long pass from Brady. Tom hasn't looked especially accurate so far, but on 3rd down, he beats a zone blitz with a bullet to Welker. 21 to Gronk puts the Patriots back in the red zone. Crucial facemask penalty on Dannell Ellerbe while trying to bring down the Law Firm puts the Patriots at the 8, and the Law Firm wins the appeal the next play with a TD run off Logan Mankins' solid block.

I'm not seeing a lot of solutions for the Ravens here. They're getting beaten on the line of scrimmage just like last week. They just don't have T.J. Yates to bail them out.

Patriots 10-3

Solder drove his man into the end zone on that last TD run. Flacco opens the drive by hitting Lee Evans for 20. A couple of plays later, Boldin goes through a slop tackle by Arrington for 37. Perfect pass by Flacco, and the Ravens are inside the 20. Rice pops off right tackle for 7. Great block by Marshall Yanda sprung him. 3rd-and-a-foot at the 8, I'm definitely running right behind Vonta Leach. The Patriots smell that and nearly stuff Rice, but he gets two feet with an extra effort.

Great improv by Flacco on 2nd-and-goal. He gets outside the pocket, and Dennis Pitta does a fine job staying with his scrambling QB at the goal line, and they connect for the tying TD.

10-10

Ravens have to waste a timeout before this drive ever starts because they only had 10 on the field. Drag route to Welker for 13. Hernandez eludes Ellerbe for another first down. Play-action to Gronk across midfield for 12 more. Welker wide open in the flat for 8, then play-action to Hernandez for 17 more, losing Ellerbe again. Patriots back in the red zone. Terrell Suggs embarrasses Solder to pressure Brady into a throwaway on 2nd down, and Gronk catches a lob pass inside the 10 on 3rd down, but apparently didn't keep both feet in. Gostkowski hits the gimme putt.

Patriots 13-10

Ravens at their 20 with 3:00 till halftime. They pick up a LB blitz and Flacco dumps to Rice for 11. Late pressure from Anderson forces Flacco to rush a bomb for Smith that would have been a TD otherwise. STUPID handoff call by Cameron leaves 3rd-and-9 at the 2:00 warning.

Oher goofs his way into a false start, apparently thinking he was going to catch a Patriot in the neutral zone. Linemen aren't paid to think, Michael. 3rd-and-14.3-man Patriot rush gives Flacco plenty of time to hit Pitta for the first down. 8 more as Flacco continues to throw a Pitta party. Flacco just avoids a sack by Ninkovich the next play. Ninkovich nowhere near the factor he was against Denver last week. Ed Dickson can't dig a low pass on 3rd-and-2, sending the ball back to Brady with 0:58 to go.

Belichick catches his home crowd by surprise by kneeling out the half. Harbaugh catches the football world by surprise by using none of his timeouts in turn. What a strange way to end the half.

HALFTIME
It's a close game on the scoreboard, but the Ravens are in a lot more trouble than it looks. They're getting beaten at the line of scrimmage. They're getting out-run more than two-to-one. They're having real trouble controlling Hernandez and Gronkowski, who are a combined 7-84. The Ravens do not impress me as a successful bend-but-don't-break defense. They'd better find a way to get to Brady in the 2nd half. They need more out of T-Sizzle, and Haloti Ngata continues to have a strangely quiet postseason.

Rice ended up with 10 carries in the first half, but with 21 yards, isn't getting anywhere. If one exists, they need a solution for Wilfork, who's giving the Patriots a defensive edge the Ravens aren't getting from Ngata. Their play mixture has actually been pretty good. They need to take better advantage of the opportunities they're getting downfield. A nice draw or screen early could do a lot to get the Patriots on their heels and really open things up. But the purple and black defense better stop Brady and Co. out of halftime to keep the offense from pressing. This can still be anybody's game, but the Patriots are playing the best hand heading into the 2nd half.

Ha! I thought so. Gronk wasn't out of bounds on that lob pass, which Boomer Esiason points out at halftime. The main reason I didn't argue that call strongly is that Belichick the Genius didn't challenge it. Turns out he should have.

THIRD QUARTER
CBS' halftime show highlighted the number of poor passes so far by Brady, and he misses an open Hernandez on 2nd-and-6 before spearing Gronk out to the 45 for an initial 1st down. Belichick then breaks the sweep to Hernandez back out for almost 10. Brady does his best Tim Tebow impression to get the first down, then pops up and trash talks Ray Lewis. Law firm continues to run hard and takes a draw for 7. 5 more as Jim Nantz points out that Ngata hasn't even been in the game. The Ravens are bending again. Hernandez fools Pollard badly for another first down inside the 15. This drive has been all Hernandez. He's had three carries, and now another catch, at the 6. 3rd-and-2. Ravens are realllllly bending.

Jarret Johnson makes a key play, though, filling the hole and then taking the Law Firm down for no gain. Belichick settles for his pitching wedge again. Let's see if that 3rd-down stop turns out to be a key play.

Patriots 16-10

Rice finally hits a big gainer with a sweep left for 12. Lee Evans makes a sideline catch across midfield to bail Baltimore out of a third-and-long after that. A bad dumpoff pass for Leach leaves them 3rd-and-6, but Flacco and Pitta make another clutch connection for 8.

And now it's Torrey Smith making the clutch play, catching a quick hitch on third down, making someone named Sterling Moore look like, of course, Justin King, and running down the sideline and diving for the pylon for what's ruled a (29-yard) TD. Alberto Riveron will have to see if Smith kept his feet in bounds once he got inside the 5. As Simms said, perfect call by Cameron, beating a Patriot blitz. And, two big plays today by Torrey Smith.

Ravens 17-16

Eww, what was Brady drinking on the sideline? It looked like water from out of a mud puddle. I guess they're serious in Boston about lovin' that dirty water.

Uh-oh, as they say on NFL.com, BIG PLAY ALERT. Danny Woodhead is stripped on the kickoff return by LaQuan Williams, two Patriots fail to corral it, and Emanuel Cook falls on it for the Ravens inside the 30.

And now Flacco scrambles down to the 10. He barely misses Dickson in the end zone on first down, and a Patriot blitz on 3rd down drops him back outside the 20. Cundiff extends the Raven lead, but that could have gone a lot worse for New England.

Ravens 20-16

Woodhead redeems his prior mistake by weaving out to the 38 with the kickoff. Brady and Gronkowski beat a blitz for 22 to the Ravens 40, but he definitely turned his ankle on the play. QUIT REPLAYING IT!

14 over the middle to Welker puts the Patriots in easy FG range to start the fourth quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER
With the Ravens rushing only 3 on 3rd-and-long, Welker beats Webb at the 15 for another 1st. Inside handoff to Woodhead makes it first-and-goal at the 4. He surges down to the goal line on an identical play.

And it's Brady sneaking around left end to put New England back in the lead. Or not.

OOOH, replay shows he definitely came up short. It should be 3rd and about a foot.

Whoops, thought it was 4th down. Corrected. Brady has to shush the brilliant Patriot fans. Green-Ellis tries to knife his way in but runs smack into Ray Lewis. Yep, that's not happening.

But on 4th-and-goal, it's Brady with the leap and the reach across the goal line. Patriots retake the lead with 11 1/2 minutes to go.

Patriots 23-20

Wow, Phil Simms has actually been a useful announcer today, pointing out the good blocks by Leach and Oher on a 9-yard Rickey Williams run and noting that the Ravens' deep success in the first half has opened up the underneath passing game in the 2nd half. That's what you get paid for when you're a TV analyst! Rice and Williams are really taking it to the Patriots now, banging all the way out to the NE40.

But then - BIG PLAY ALERT - brilliant 1-handed interception by Brandon Spikes for the biggest turning point of the game so far with about 7:30 left. I'm going to accuse Flacco of underthrowing that pass, but Spikes made a nifty play. Thought it was a good call to play-action there, too. Sometimes the other team just makes a play.

Hee! I love football. BIG PLAY ALERT! Brady goes for the jugular with a bomb for - Matthew Slater?!?!? - in the end zone, but Bernard Pollard brilliantly tips the ball to teammate Jimmy Smith. The Raven DBs in the end zone then alertly get Smith to get back up and run it out past the 35.

3rd-and-1 near midfield, with Rice limping off to the sideline, the Patriots leave Dickson wide open in the zone for 15. Ravens are back across the Patriot 40. 5:00 to go.

Belichick has been blitzing Spikes a ton this second half but isn't getting a lot of results out of it. Williams gets 7 before Rice returns, but Dickson hurts them with a false start. Rice up the middle for 5. 3rd-and-3 at the 30.

DRAW TO RICE?!?!? is blown up by, yep, Wilfork, for a loss of at least 3. This is going to be a pretty long FG for Cundiff, so Harbaugh is going for it. 4th-and-6 at the 33. Harbaugh calls timeout with 2:53 left. That's a good one; this next play is probably the season.

Here we go. Three-man rush, AND WILFORK WINS, grabbing the tail of Flacco's jersey. Flacco's desperation heave isn't close to his receiver on the far sideline. Patriots ball. They beat the Ravens on the most important play of the season with a THREE MAN RUSH.

THROWING with 2:45 left, Brady hits Branch for 7. Williams and Pollard help drop the Law Firm for a loss at the 2:00 warning. 3rd and a long 4. The Ravens still have two timeouts.

Gotta believe they're looking for the TE here. Ed Reed did, and breaks up the stick route to Hernandez. Baltimore's ball at their 21 with 1:44 left after the punt.

3-man rush, Flacco throws it away beyond Boldin, covered by EDELMAN. 1:39.
3-man rush, Pitta in the flat, stumbles, does NOT get out of bounds, 5 yards.
4-man rush, Boldin beats EDELMAN at the sideline at the Ravens 40. 1:09.
4-man rush, DROP by Rice that would have gotten 5 at best. Good play by Jerod Mayo. 1:05.
Patriots dog a LB, diving slant catch by Boldin should be good for 9. Harbaugh uses 2nd timeout. 0:58.
3rd-and-1 just short of midfield.
WILFORK IS ON THE BENCH, 4-man rush, Boldin ALL ALONE in the flat, gets a downfield block from Pitta and races up the sideline for 29. Ravens in easy FG range.
4-man rush, Flacco to Boldin for 9 more, fumble out of bounds. Clock under :30 and running.
Flacco fires for Evans in the end zone for what appears a certain TD, but STERLING MOORE knocks it loose to save the game for the Patriots. 3rd-and-1.
Moore makes another huge play with 15 seconds left, batting down a pass intended for Pitta by a scrambling Flacco. Cundiff brings in the nine iron.

AND SHANKS IT.

Patriots win, 23-20, on the worst postseason clutch kick since Mike Vanderjagt. The snap and hold looked good enough. Cundiff just hooked it into the woods.

Holy cats.

Postgame show
The Patriots are on to their seventh Super Bowl. I was my typical gambling self. 1-0 outright, 0-1 spread, blew the over/under, too. I do thank the Patriots for preventing a Harbaugh bowl. I assume the Patriots will be favored in the Super Bowl, but it can't be by a lot, and I'm not sure I'd even pick them. Maybe I'll know after the second game.

Star of the game is clearly Vince Wilfork, who was dominant. Pressured Flacco on a lot of key plays and was a big part of stuffing the Raven run in the first half. If this had been the Super Bowl I would hope the voters would have had the sense to pick him. Brady pretty much stunk, at least for him, and neither of the super TEs had a TD. Yay, good choice by CBS.

I just wish the Rams were set at a tenth as many positions as the Ravens are for next season. They definitely don't need me to tell them who or how to draft. I'd look to beef up the d-line and get Ray Lewis better help in the LB corps. The Ravens aren't a team that should be getting pushed around on the LOS as much as they have been in both playoff games this year.

On to the NFC game.

-$-

East-West Shrine Game 2012

2012-01-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

E-W Shrine Game

St. Petersburg, Florida

I guess the first thing to note aboutthis year's game is that I don't think much anybody of note came outof last year's game. Marvin Austin was the best player in the game,and was drafted by the Giants in the second round, but blew out hisknee in training camp. The Titans took Iowa DE Karl Klugin the 5^th round and got 7 sacks from him. Delone Carter was game MVP, was a 4th-roundpick of the Colts, and ran for just 377 yards and 2 TDs for a teamthat didn't have a go-to tailback. After them....I'm open to argument, but nobody. One of my favorite players from thegame, Richmond DT Martin Parker, didn't make it out of training campwith the Giants and didn't get picked up by anybody else. Another,Florida DE Justin Trattou, is on the Giants' roster now after beingon their practice squad most of this season. I'm guessing he's mainlyplayed on special teams. So, unless there's a rare exception likeAustin, most of the players in this game are third-day picks at best.

Well, we know the Giants are watching.The question for this game: is there anybody worth the Rams and JeffFisher watching? Less-than-professional scouting notes by position:

QB: The West team won aless-than-electrifying 24-17 game. Tyler Hansen (Colorado) lookedlike the best QB to me. He seemed to have the strongest arm. He madeone of the game's nicer long throws and ran well. Made some of thetough sideline throws as well. Has a nasty pump fake. Also liked B.J.Coleman (UTC). Solid WCO QB who made a couple of excellent deepthrows to his TE. Good play fake. Needs better timing on his slantpasses. Would have liked to see more of Austin Davis (USM).Definitely has the arm to make all the throws and gets the ball outquickly. John Brantley (Florida) unimpressive, Dan Persa(Northwestern) terrible-looking in very limited action.

RB: Marc Tyler (USC, son of Wendell),Lennon Creer (La Tech), Taurin Poole (Tennessee) all solid interiorrunners. Creer probably the best of the three, though he had a brutaldropped pass. No elite speed, so I didn't see any improvements onCadillac Williams here. Alfred Morris (Fla. Atlantic) ran like amini-Steven Jackson. Could not be arm-tackled. Excellent yards after contact. BobbyRainey (WKU) got off to a rough start with a dropped pass and showedno instinctive running, but he settled down in the 2^ndhalf and took advantage of some big holes. Dave Meggett's son Davin(Maryland) very unimpressive. Indecisiveness made him look slow.

WR: Jarious Wright (Arkansas) made atleast one deep catch and was the best deep threat in this game.Disappointed A.J. Jenkins (Illinois), who I consider a poor man'sBrandon Lloyd, didn't get more action. Wasn't thrown to until afterhalftime, just one catch on a pretty comeback route. If he wasn'tgetting open in this game (no press coverage), there may not be a lotof pro hope for him. No way for me to know if that was the case or ifhe just wasn't getting on the field. Tim Benford (TN Tech) showedsome ability to break big plays, but he carries the ball lesssecurely than a loaf of bread. LaRon Byrd (Miami) made good catchesas a possession receiver but I have serious questions about hisspeed. Adjusts very well to the ball, though. Thomas Mayo (Cal-Penn)had several catches on Shaun Prater, considered the best DB there.

TE: If the Rams draft only one playerout of this game, I want it to be UCLA tight end Cory Harkey. And Idon't think they even threw him the ball. Kid blocks like nobody'sbusiness, though. He was the engine that made the West running gamego, to the point it was noticeable when he was off the field. If ablocking TE could be MVP of a game, this was the game. The Ramsdesperately need guys who can play like Harkey did today. Severalcatches for George Bryan (NC State). Looks like a reliable releasevalve. Chase Ford (The U) is the most intriguing TE prospect. JimmyGraham-like body. Made a sweet catch in traffic early in the game andran through some pathetic tackling for a 64-yard gain. That may havebeen his only catch. He dropped a similar pass later. Mike Mayocksaid he wants to hold judgment on Ford until he see how well heblocks. Yeah, Mayock, Hurricane TEs are so well-known for theirblocking.

O-line:I apologize that I did not get a very good read on the East'soffensive line. The West's, though, was dominant. That unit, alongwith Harney, was the best unit in this year's game. BYU left tackleMatt Reynolds pushed guys around for yards when run-blocking. He canhandle big bull-rush pass rushers, but showed serious problems withspeed a couple of times. But he looked as good as Adam Goldberg everdoes, with apologies for the faint praise. At a minimum you couldmove him inside. Huge guard Brandon Brooks (Miami OH) and center MoePetrus (UConn) just bulldozed the East line at times. Ryan Miller(Colorado) looked terrific at RT. Punishing, dominating run-blocker,looked good in pass pro to boot. They even had a ringer from Canada,guard Ben (The Brain) Heenan, who looked good in pass pro and reallylocked onto guys run-blocking. These five blew open monster holes forthe RBs and almost always gave their QB a solid pocket. The Ramswould do well to acquire as many of them as possible. And if they'restill looking for an o-line coach, I recommend West coach MarkMangino. That line was a well-oiled machine.

D-line:The East had two defensive ends, Kyle Wilber (Wake Forest) and JulianMiller (West Virginia), who gave as good as they got. Wilber, wholooks like a 3-4 OLB, gave Reynolds serious trouble with his speed,and also showed a nice punch, using each to blow up a couple ofplays. Miller got good pressure on the QB, came in unblocked for asack, stuffed a run play and nearly picked off a screen pass with aleaping effort. DE Tyrone Crawford (Boise State) got decent pressureon most plays for the West and stuffed a couple of runs to boot. That40 jersey was confusing; he looked quick enough at times to be asafety. DT Dajohn Harris (USC) was a pretty good presence in themiddle. Had a tackle-for-loss but also really lacked any push attimes. Obviously he's a guy you had to see practice; his game playdidn't match the pre-game hype from the broadcast booth. JabareeTuani (Navy) was the best defensive tackle in the game. Blew up a runwith a great jump off the snap and also deflected a pass. Militarycommitment makes it difficult to draft him, though.

LB:Josh Kaddu (Oregon) got a heap of pre-game hype from Charles Davisand then looked AWFUL early, missing tackles and overrunning playsbadly. He settled down in the 2^ndhalf, though, after making a big hit on a punt. He blew up a sweepfor a big loss and looked good staying with TEs on long routes. JerryFranklin (Arkansas) and Tank Carder (TCU) did solid work early,stuffing several runs. Shawn Loiseau (Merrimack) showed excellentsideline-to-sideline speed, made nice open-field tackles and had aTFL. Fast enough to run down receivers!

DB:Charles Brown (UNC) looked like the best corner in the game. Hard fora press corner to show well in this game, but he did. Also a goodkick returner. Shaun Prater got a lot of good reviews, and looks thepart, but got beat by Mayo a lot. Again, hard for a press corner toshow well here. West defense did some poor tackling early, but safetyBlake Gideon (Texas) took the cake. He made Craig Dahl look like TroyPolamalu. Terrible missed tackle on the long Ford catch followed aplay where he wussed out on a sideline tackle and let the RB runthrough him. Justin Bethel (Presbyterian) closed quickly and tackledwell in the open field. Aaron Henry (Wisconsin) brought some lumberand supported the run well.

Specialteams: The Rams are in no position to do this, and I NEVER recommendto do this, but punter Bryan Anger (Cal) looks like a draftabletalent, hitting two absolute moonshots. (Must have been three. I see from the box score that he averaged 60 on three attempts: 59, 60 and 61 yards.) Punt returner Devin Wylie(Fresno) looked like a smaller Danny Amendola. Got a couple of nicelong returns.

Takeaway: Loved the West offensive line, Harkey, Julian Miller, Crawford and Loiseau. Any of them would be good late-round additions for the Rams.

Rams functionally down to six home games in 2012

2012-01-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

There will be a "home game" in London, and a "home game" in St. Louis where the Dome will be full of Cheeseheads.

I thought this was the kind of crap Jeff Fisher said he was trying to avoid.

-$-

Spagnuolo to Saints and other coaching moves

2012-01-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Steve Spagnuolo, who has agreed to take the defensive coordinator's job with the Saints. I'm glad the Rams do not play the Saints next season.

The only two of Spagnuolo's assistants I would have tried to keep on the Rams have taken similar jobs elsewhere, as reported on STLToday. Brendan Daly will coach Jared Allen and the rest of the defensive line for the Vikings; Sylvester Croom will coach Maurice Jones-Drew and the rest of the RB's for Shahid Khan's Jagwires.

-$-

More ex-Rams on the move in the coaching ranks:
* Greg Olson has joined the Jagwires as QB coach.
* Former Rams DB Rod Perry has been caught up in the coaching purge in Indianapolis. He had been a special defensive assistant.

-$$-

Advantages of the Rams playing in London

2012-01-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

1 - Season ticket costs just went down 10% for the next three years.

2 - The Rams' bye week will come reliably right in the middle of the season.

3 - Could accommodate future Dome renovation plans... in the massively unlikely event a plan to upgrade the Dome is worked out, and the Rams end up having to play home games in Columbia or someplace during re-construction, why not minimize the number of home games? And take a nice European getaway in the process? Best of both worlds!

4 - Closest the Rams will get to a spotlight game on TV next season, unless they pull a 1999.

More when I think of them.

-$-

RamView post #1,000

2012-01-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

from the August 28, 1999 game summary

All hope is not lost. The Rams still have Bruce, Holt and Hakim. They still have Faulk, who will be very, very dangerous once he steps up. The defense is, and has been, good enough to win games. The Rams can now either come together as a team in wake of the Green injury or fall apart. The confidence the players have shown this year makes me think it will be the former.

I need to get back to that.

-$-

Still think the Rams aren't moving?

2012-01-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Rams have a new home stadium for the next three years!

Wembley Stadium. In London.

Kevin Demoff announced to season ticket holders last night that the Rams will play the Patriots in London on October 28th. Not only that, they have already agreed to play games there in 2013 and 2014. (Ha! Bernie Miklasz notes that the agreement runs out just in time for the Dome lease to run out. So the Rams don't lose a home game in 2015, when they're back in L.A.)

I know Stan Kroenke owns a soccer team in London. I know the Buccaneers have played there several times and are not a threat to move from Tampa. I know the Bills farm out a couple of games to Toronto every year while managing to be mostly left out of the rumors for franchises about to move. None of those teams have a stadium lease about to run out and an owner who won't commit so much as a syllable of lawyer-speak to trying keep his team where it is for the long-term.

Oh well, at least season tickets just got 10% cheaper, unless you're a die-hard committed to attend every home game. A right cheeri-o to you.

Yes, even I can find the bad news in just being handed a great excuse to go to England the next three years.

-$-

Rams interview Hue Jackson for OC

2012-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

The Rams have interviewed former Raiders head coach and OC Hue Jackson for the currently-still-open offensive coordinator role here. The Raiders went 8-8 under Jackson last season. They were in the top 10 in scoring offense (22.4 ppg) and total offense with Jackson as the team's OC in 2010, 2nd in the league in rushing, 23rd in passing. Jackson is said to prefer a power running offense and a lot of play-action. (Slight plus)

In one season as Atlanta's offensive coordinator in 2007, the Falcons were 29th in scoring (16.2 ppg), 23rd in total yards, 26th in rushing, 18th in passing. That team, which finished 4-12, had Joey Harrington at QB, with a RB-by-committee of Warrick Dunn and... Jerious Norwood. (EHH)

Jackson was the Redskins' offensive coordinator in 2003 under Steve Spurrier. Offensively, those Redskins were 21st-23rd in about everything, scoring 17.9 ppg. That team was quarterbacked by Patrick Ramsey and Elizabeth Hasselbeck's husband Tim, and their leading rusher was...........

TRUNG CANIDATE! (EHH)

In 2001-02, Jackson was Redskins RBs coach. Their leading rusher was an already-entrenched Stephen Davis. '02 was Ladell Betts' rookie year. He ran for 300 yards and somebody named Kenny Watson ran for 500. The Skins averaged 4.3 and 4.0 ypc under Jackson. They were 8th in the league in rushing in '01, 13th in '02. (PLUS)

More of Jackson's resume:
2008-09: Ravens QB coach, Joe Flacco's first two seasons (PLUS)
2004-06: Bengals WR coach, pretty much the height of the Chad JOHNSON / TJ Houshmandzadeh years, with Chris Henry also developing as a promising receiver (PLUS)
1997-2000: USC offensive coordinator, most of it in the unsuccessful Paul Hackett era. Team averaged 25.75 ppg over that time and went 25-23. He was also RB coach for two seasons and QB coach for two seasons, including Carson Palmer's sophomore year. No notable pro RB talent emerged from those teams, and Palmer won the Heisman two years after Jackson left USC for the Redskins. (EHH)
1996 Cal offensive coordinator under Steve Mariucci. QB was Pat Barnes, who threw 52 completions to a freshman tight end named Tony Gonzalez. Bears went 6-6 but averaged 31.8 ppg. (PLUS)
1992-95 Jackson was Sun Devils QBs coach for Jake Plummer's junior season. He was RBs coach for three years before that. No notable pro RB talent from those teams. (Slight plus)

So:
Jackson has worked with several young QBs (Plummer, Palmer, Flacco) who went on to be successful. You have to like that for Sam Bradford.
He's done pretty well at establishing a running game at each of his pro stops, though, even at Oakland, almost always with the RBBC approach. His offensive style should suit Steven Jackson well, though the substitution style probably won't.

I like Jackson a little better for the Rams' OC job than Brian Schottenheimer, though nowhere near enough to get into even a warm discussion over it. I think he's consistently better at establishing a successful running game where he's been, and that Bradford's more like the QBs Jackson has worked with than the QBs Schottenheimer has (successfully) worked with. Jackson did throw his Raiders players under the bus after this season, which seems to have been the spark that lit his firing, and is a significant minus.

As in B-minus.

-$-

Rams report, 1/19: Titans force reboot of GM search

2012-01-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

In a round of front-office promotions made yesterday, the Tennessee Titans have promoted Ruston Webster to general manager and Lake Dawson to director of player personnel. Dawson and Webster appeared to be the top two names on the Rams' GM list, so the moves by the Titans very likely will prevent Jeff Fisher and the Rams from picking off any members of their front office.

Les Snead of the Falcons is the only candidate left the Rams have interviewed who hasn't taken a new job. The Rams had interviewed former Eagles DPP Ryan Grigson, but he took the open GM job with the Colts.

With the Jeff Fisher Friends, Family and Power Plan in place now at Rams Park, don't look for the prominent available GMs like Bill Polian or Jerry Angelo to get any play at all, but the Rams are at a minimum going to need to do some more interviews. Candidates of interest to the team that haven't been heard from yet are Big Dead DPP Steve Keim, Dolphins DPP Brian Gaine, Colts DPP Tom Telesco and Jets VP of college scouting Joey Clinkscales.

-$-

Recent transactions involving former Rams:

* Steve Spagnuolo has interviewed for the DC jobs in New Orleans and Indianapolis. The Saints job seems a lot more likely for Spags as the Colts don't have a head coach at the moment.
* Nolan Cromwell has been hired by Pat Shurmur as a "senior offensive assistant." Cromwell on the Browns' staff plus Greg Little may equal the most dropped passes in NFL history.
* Jamie McCoy, who I believe was in this year's training camp as a fullback, signed a futures contract with the Steelers.
* Phil Trautwein signed with the Saints.
* Mike Martz announced his retirement.

-$$-

The Rams tried out kickers Garret Lindholm and Clint Stitser last week. Doesn't mean Josh Brown has to be worried, though I'm at the point where I wish he did.

-$$$-

Weekend schedule:
I'm going to attempt to break down this weekend's TWO college all-star games. The East-West Shrine Game is on the NFL Network at 3 Central Saturday. The NFLPA All-Star Game is on the CBS Sports Channel, iirc, at 5 Central Saturday.

Having decided after several years that my extended play-by-plays are dumb exercises, I'm just going to do post-game summaries of Sunday's conference championships. Since I'm picking the Patriots and the Giants, congratulations in advance to the Harbaugh family.

-$$$$-

Weasel conference

2012-01-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Jeff Fisher and all that, but what was that yesterday? Described to the world as a press conference, yesterday's event that introduced Fisher as head coach of the Rams stood out to me as an event with as much weaseling as your typical political debate.

Fisher, for instance, weaseled on what his own job is. When asked about personnel decisions, his response was, "I'm not going to go into who's got final say," and then made intentionally vague statements about making decisions together.

The ingenue will say he logically can't answer the question well because the team doesn't have a general manager. The realist will say he's refraining from saying he's staking his territory because the team doesn't have a general manager, a guy he gets to pick anyway. RamView would like to remind everyone that head coaches who are also their team's head personnel man are almost always failures.

Folks looking for reassurances the team has a long-term future in St. Louis, such as the thousands of season ticket holders unrepresented at yesterday's press conference, can't exactly have come away from it with a great feeling.

Fisher: "[He and Stan Kroenke] talked about a lot of different things beginning with our visit up and until just recently, so I have a great understanding of the future, and the future of this franchise, right now at this moment, is here in St. Louis."

Wow, my lawyer couldn't have said that any better. The italics above are obviously mine, but they make it patently obvious that at a minimum Kroenke has told Fisher the team could move. So much for Fisher's supposed concern about possibly having to work on a moving team again. $35 million has a way of changing people's minds. And cleaning Fisher's hands. I'm just the coach, no idea if the team's moving, la-di-da, move along folks, nothing to see here.

Finally in front of a microphone to make some kind of commitment, or at least concrete statement on his team's future in St. Louis, here's what we got from Stan Kroenke, who, while seated next to Fisher, had the expression of a man who had just committed the latest of a string of serial murders:

"I don't think that for me to comment on that process is particularly timely."
"We'll see how that process sorts itself out."
Then he whined about "putting jack" into this market for 20 years. Maybe Kroenke has a point there, but that fact doesn't really engender trust in St. Louis. Bidwill was here 28 years. (Though you could argue he didn't exactly put out a whole lot of jack.)

But then he was asked if he planned to be in St. Louis another 20 years.
"We'll see how that process works out."

GOD, would it have not physically hurt Kroenke to give us a little "We hope to" or a little "we'll do everything we can"? Criminy, say something like that so at least we know you're trying.

The fans have put a lot of jack into this team, too, you know, Stan. We bleed for this team more than you do. You're the one who's buddies with the guys putting together the stadium deal in SoCal. You're the one who's been on the NFL's Los Angeles re-location committee.

How about throwing us a damn bone with some truth instead of weaselly legalese?

Then chuckleheads like me might focus more on moments when Fisher says things like
"This is a great opportunity to get a team in a short period of time back on the winning track."

-$-

Brian Schottenheimer to become Rams OC (updated, upgraded)

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

The next offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams will be former Jets OC Brian Schottenheimer. NFL Network is reporting that he interviewed with head coach Jeff Fisher for the job today, was offered the position, and is going to take it.

Schottenheimer is said to prefer a power-running version of the Don Coryell offense. He actually started his NFL coaching career with the Rams, as an assistant in Dick Vermeil's first season here in 1997. He coached the Redskins' QBs in 2001, (Dad Marty was HC; Uncle Kurt, DC) where his first QB project was.... TONY BANKS. Banks threw 10 TDs and 10 INTs in 14 games, with a passer rating of 71.3, pretty much his career average.

Daniel Snyder fired the whole Schottenheimer family after one season, and Brian moved on to San Diego for the next four, also as QB coach for... his dad. In his third season under Schottenheimer, Drew Brees developed into a Pro Bowl QB, with 27 TDs, 7 INTs and a passer rating of 104.8. He slipped the next year to 24/15/89.2, not that those aren't numbers the Rams would take from Sam Bradford.

I also apologize, and find myself guilty of crap research, for not knowing there was a Brian Schottenheimer-Drew Brees link until now. Though I'm not alone.

Schottenheimer also coached Philip Rivers' first two seasons. Rivers became San Diego's full-time starter the next season, with Brees moving on to New Orleans and Schottenheimer on to the Jets, but it seems unfair not to say Schottenheimer had a hand in developing a second Pro Bowl QB. Rivers threw 22 TDs, 9 INTs, had a passer rating of 92 and indeed made the Pro Bowl in 2006.

Schottenheimer moved on to the Jets in 2006, where he was OC for six years. I've already chewed over those, so a quick rundown:
Scoring offense: 18th, 25th, 9th, 17th, 13th, 13th.
PPG: 19.8, 16.8, 25.3, 21.8, 22.9, 23.5. Three of the top ten scoring seasons in Jets history, 3rd in 2008.
Total yards: 25th, 26th, 16th, 20th, 11th, 25th.
Rushing yards: 20th, 19th, 9th, 1st, 4th, 22nd.
Passing yards: 17th, 25th, 16th, 31st, 22nd, 21st.

Update:
The biggest statistic to hire Schottenheimer on is the Jets' red zone performance last year; they were #1 in the NFL. Mark Sanchez threw 21 TDs vs. 3 INTs in the red zone. Sam Bradford has been an abysmal red-zone performer so far in his career. If Schottenheimer can even turn him around close to Sanchez's 2011 performance, you've got a 2013 Pro Bowler right there.

Sanchez has not developed into a Pro Bowl QB in Schottenheimer's offense, though he did have career highs in 2011 with 3,474 yards, 26 TDs and a 78.2 passer rating. Unfortunately, he also threw 18 interceptions.

That's a legitimate criticism of Schottenheimer QBs: they throw a lot of picks. He's also been criticized for uncreative play-calling, getting away from the Jets' offensive identity this season, not getting the most out of his offensive talent, time management mistakes and for botching Sanchez's development by giving him too much too soon. The last straw for Jets fans appeared to be the highly-charged Week 16 29-14 loss to the Giants. Schottenheimer called 67 pass plays with a struggling Sanchez vs. just 25 runs.

Another problem for Schottenheimer in 2011 you never want to see a coach have: he lost his players. Led by Santonio Holmes, the Jets WRs pulled rank to complain to head coach Rex Ryan about Schottenheimer's system. Holmes sulked about his role all season, got into arguments in the huddle and was eventually benched by Schottenheimer in the season-ending loss to Miami.

Schottenheimer also got a bad season in 2011 from his offensive line. Doesn't seem to suit him well to what he'll be facing here in St. Louis. Rex Ryan defended his work, though, as did RB LaDainian Tomlinson and former QB Chad Pennington, who was Comeback Player of the Year Schottenheimer's first season.

While his results as an offensive coordinator certainly beat anything we've seen in St. Louis lately, Brian Schottenheimer's record as an OC is still fairly mediocre. The Rams are not going to be a pretty picture for him after he couldn't adapt to problems on the Jet o-line this past season. And though he may be coming here at the right time to get a young QB in Sam Bradford on the right path, he sure didn't do it with Sanchez as OC. He's been a better influence on QBs coaching them directly.

For a franchise desperately needing to add a charge to its offense, RamView finds Brian Schottenheimer a fairly uninspiring hire. I'm grading his possible acquisition a skeptical C, and really think Fisher needs to hit home runs with his coordinator hires vs. fly balls to the warning track. I believe Schottenheimer would serve Sam Bradford and the Rams better as a QB coach. But if he can turn around the Rams' pathetic red zone performance, and there's history that says he can, I'll gladly put the man up for a Nobel Prize.

-$-

Tuesday AM coaching staff buzz

2012-01-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

Jeff Fisher will be introduced as the new head coach of the Rams this afternoon. Fisher's contract is said to be for 5 years and in the $35 million range.

The report from Howard Balzer is that Gregg Williams agreed to join the Rams as defensive coordinator yesterday. Brandon Fisher and Blake Williams are expected to join the team in some defensive assistant capacity. If those last names look familiar, you get the star. One of the big reasons Fisher left the Titans was that owner Bud Adams wouldn't let him hire his or Williams' kid in the past.

But contrary to NFL Network reports over the weekend, Brian Schottenheimer has neither accepted, nor been offered, the offensive coordinator position. In fact, Fisher is going to interview former Raiders head coach Hue Jackson for the job on Wednesday. (PFT) Schottenheimer is still considered the favorite.

So far then, the Rams coaching staff is set to be composed of Jeff Fisher buddies, their relatives, or the relatives of other coaches. Is this a coaching staff or the Jeff Fisher Friends and Family Plan?

Jackson's other big failing for becoming a Jeff Fisher OC may be the lack of the word "heimer" in his last name. Fisher will have gone from the late Mike Heimerdinger to a Schottenheimer.

Other rumored OC candidates: Dr. Ruth Westheimer and John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.

-$-

Jeff Fisher aids crash victims

2012-01-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

From FoxSports.com:

Days after being hired as the new coach of the St. Louis Rams, Jeff Fisher aided two victims of a serious car crash in Brentwood, Tenn., WKRN-TV Nashville reported early Tuesday.

Fisher was first on the scene at the single-vehicle wreck in which the 17-year-old driver of a Nissan Altima lost control, hit a pole and overturned late Sunday night.

A 13-year-old passenger was thrown from the car and taken to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. He was in critical but stable condition.

Fisher, a former longtime Tennessee Titans coach, said he was on his way home when he saw the crash and stopped to help. He said he rendered aid as best he could and stayed with the teens until medical personnel arrived.

Brentwood police sergeant Jeff Moorehead said the actions of Fisher and another motorist who also stopped to help were greatly appreciated.

"Anything to calm them down and advise us while we are on the way helps everyone," Moorehead said.
Moorehead said the cause of the crash was under investigation but there were no signs that drugs or alcohol were involved.

The Rams announced Monday that they would be holding a 2 p.m. ET news conference Tuesday to introduce Fisher as their new coach, having finalized the details of the contract.

Sources told the NFL Network that the 53-year-old had agreed to a five-year deal.

-$-

Wait till you get a load of the backup plan

2012-01-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

According to KSDK's 10 pm sports broadcast tonight, if Jeff Fisher is unable to convince Gregg Williams to join the Rams as defensive coordinator, he's got a backup candidate in mind. This candidate is even going to interview for the head coaching job in Miami. He's......

Jim Haslett.

Check your calendar. It is not April 1st. There is actually a serious plan by the new Rams braintrust to bring Jim Haslett back.

Feel the season tickets flying off the presses! Mine may be available. Brian Schottenheimer? Jim Freaking Haslett? THIS is somebody's idea of an "All-Star" coaching staff?!?

This current round of rumors has me thinking Fisher isn't going to try to rebuild a team as much as he's trying to drive me out of my mind. And PSLs. Good thing everything so far is just rumors.

I pray.

-$-

Divisional playoff: Giants 37, Packers 20

2012-01-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

I had to delete my original post because the worthless Packers have made me look so freaking stupid that I basically did nothing but curse for three hours. What an inexcusable meltdown by a supposedly elite team. The Giants thrived off of careless Packer turnovers, the Packers dropped at least a half-dozen passes, guys like Jordy Nelson and Clay Matthews didn't even appear to show up. Hell, I'm not even that sure Aaron Rodgers showed up. Discount double-check THIS, choke boy.

On the positive side, never doubt the Giants when it comes time for a major upset, going back to when they took down Elway's undefeated Broncos in the regular season many years ago. Then the 16-1 Patriots, and now the worthless Packers.

The Packers unimaginably struggled mightily all day just to get the ball downfield. Rodgers had to settle way too much for dumpoffs and useless handoffs to their below-mediocre running backs. Where was Jordy Nelson? Greg Jennings? Bueller? Anybody?

The Star of the Game for the Giants obviously deserves to be defensive, with all respect to Eli Manning's 300-plus passing yards and Hakeem Nicks' dominating game at WR (2 TDs, 100-plus-yards, the game-changing Hail Mary TD right before halftime, the Packers' entire team defensive refusal to tackle him all day.) And it's not a member of their vaunted defensive line. Justin Tuck hasn't done much, Pierre-Paul has been invisible, though Umenyiora had a major strip of Rodgers that actually saved the Giants a TD.

Didn't I give SotG to Perry Fewell last week? Well, let's do it again. Great games by Michael Boley (2 sacks), Aaron Ross, Antrell Rolle... another superb and complete defensive effort.

The Giants are clearly, in my opinion of course, the better-coached of the two teams in the NFC Championship next week, so I'm predicting a Super Bowl XLII repeat, Patriots vs. Giants. I would appreciate it if we all could be spared a Harbaugh Bowl. I can live with one, not both.

What do the Packers need to do to improve for next season? How about NOT SUCK IN THEIR BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR? Their 2012 draft should be exclusively defensive, except possibly to grab a running back who can do anything.

I take my usual bath for the weekend: 2-2 outright, 1-3 vs. the spread, 3-1 vs. over/under.

Screw you, Packers.

Scoring update in the header if anything significant happens.

Oh, and screw you, Packers.

Divisional playoff: Ravens 20, Texans 13

2012-01-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
The Texans get off to a flying start with a 60-yard kick return by Danieal Manning, and they make T.J. Yates comfortable with a rollout pass to Andre Johnson for another 10. Houston's at the Ravens 30 in a blink. But on 3rd-and-1 outside the 20, Terrell Suggs blows up the backfield and Ed Reed cleans up on the outside to drop Arian Foster for a loss. FG for Houston, but you have to view that as a win for the Ravens defense.

Houston 3-0

Lardarius Webb tries to fumble the ball away on the returning kickoff, but the Ravens recover. Can't say they look very sharp early on. Bomb off Torrey Smith's hands down the sideline. Should have been caught. Justin King wants to know where those hands were in September. Joe Flacco's forced to throw a pass away on 3rd-and-10 to force a three-and-out. Wow, somebody wake up the Ravens.

That wakeup call you just heard was the most idiotic special teams play in postseason since Garo Yepremian attempted to throw a pass in Super Bowl VII. With a Raven bearing right down on him, Jacoby Jones IDIOTICALLY tries to field a deep, high-bouncing punt, muffs it like a doofus, gets hit and held up by the first gunner while the second gunner collects the ball inside the 5. Nice blocking, btw, Houston.

On third and-goal, the Ravens go with the always-classic play-action pass to the tight end, in this case their blocking TE, Kris Wilson. 1-yard TD. Special teams giveth, and special teams taketh away.

Baltimore 7-3

Ravens hold Manning up at the 22 this time around. Coverage forces Yates to throw a 2nd-down rollout pass away, and Kevin Walter DROPS a pass that was short of the sticks anyway, and the Texans three-and-out, which they really don't need after that atrocious turnover. Ravens take over at their 40 after the punt.

Nice sideline grab by Anquan Boldin for 22 is sandwiched by nice middle runs by Ray Rice. Ravens quickly at the Houston 25. Ravens continue to work on stretching the field by going deep to Smith in the end zone but come up empty. Brooks Reed beats the RT and strips Flacco for a sack/fumble, but the Ravens recover and salvage a Billy Cundiff FG. Big play by Reed may have slowed Baltimore's momentum a little.

Baltimore 10-3

And this kickoff is through the back of the end zone, starting Houston at the 20. Why didn't they do that the other two kickoffs? Getting less and less per carry, Arian Foster's now at 4 carries for 8 yards. A screen to Foster doesn't get much, and Ray Lewis breaks up the third-down pass to Andre Johnson. Yep, this game's starting to fall into the place everyone thought it might.

Really like the Ravens' offensive gameplan so far. They're really mixing run and pass well, and are consistently going downfield instead of dink-and-dunk. Ed Dickson fouls things up for this strategy with a drop at midfield, though, and the Ravens 3-and-out.

JONES DROPS ANOTHER PUNT but recovers and returns it out to the 23. That's followed by a TERRIBLE throw by Yates, who tries to throw a sideline comebacker to Johnson despite the fact that Webb already has position right in front of him. Ravens are at the Houston 35 courtesy of the Texans' second major boneheaded play of the quarter.

Looking dead on 3rd-and-9, the Ravens pull a dink pass out of their hat and Rice takes a screen pass all the way down to the 13. Flacco goes play-action and hits Boldin perfectly on an out route in the end zone from there. This game may already be over.

Baltimore 17-3

Ed Reed breaks up a deep pass for Walter that he probably should have intercepted and has to come off the field after landing hard on his hip. Houston does manage to end the first quarter with their first third-down conversion, Yates hitting Foster wide open in the middle on 3rd-and-3.

SECOND QUARTER
Foster blasts up the middle for 20 to put the Texans in long FG range. Couple of plays later on 3rd-8, Owen Daniels is wide open down the seam down to the 13. But the Ravens continue to have an answer for Andre Johnson from there and force Houston to settle for a FG.

Baltimore 17-6

Rice gets 8 right up the middle to give the Ravens a 3rd-and-short, but Flacco misses a corner route for Dennis Pitta pretty badly to create the 3-and-out. Could have been a throwaway. Houston's punt return game continues to be a clustersuck, a penalty on this return will start them back at their 14.

Arian Foster, though, may get around the corner better than any back in the league. He appears to shoot a tiny gap up the sideline for 28. From the crowd reaction, I'm sensing he may have stepped out of bounds, though, and John Harbaugh flies the challenge flag. Nope, looks clean to me. We'll see what Pete Morelli comes up with under the hood.

Yes, the ruling stands. Texans at their 42. 11-yard sideline bullet to Johnson, who eludes Bernard Pollard a couple of plays later on 3rd-and-8. Not an ideal coverage matchup there. Foster surges strong up the middle again and pulls Houston inside the 20. Huge hole up the middle for 6 more. Is Haloti Ngata even playing today? Did I miss something? Sure didn't expect Houston to walk into Baltimore's place and kick their ass at the line of scrimmage. A false start appears to shut the Texans down before Foster makes a one-handed catch of a desperation screen pass and rolls down to the 5. Two carries later, he's got them within a foot of paydirt, stopped hard inside the 1 on the second carry by Jameel McClain. Houston timeout on 3rd-and-goal, about 4:50 before halftime.

Foster starts right and cuts back into the end zone, and this is a ball game again at 17-13. We knew Foster was going to have to carry Houston today if they were going to do anything, and he is. He's over 120 total yards already this half.

Rams fans may have difficulty recognizing what happened on Foster's TD run, as he got excellent blocks on the edge from his tight end and his fullback. Yes, those positions are allowed to do that! In fact, most teams even encourage it!

Baltimore 17-13

A blast from the past sees the Ravens run Rickey Williams off right tackle three straight times for a first down. 5 more for Rice up the middle, which sets up a long, juggling sideline catch for Boldin down the sideline, despite tight coverage by Kareem Jackson, at the 2:00 warning. Good for about 25.

Jackson breaks up another long pass attempt for Boldin, and Wade Phillips dials up a rare blitz on third down that results in J.J. Watt sacking Flacco out of field position. Another big late first-half play by Watt. The Ravens pin the Texans inside the 5, though, thanks to an acrobatic play at the goal line by............

DANNY GORRER.

Dan Dierdorf and the Gumbel brother who doesn't suck eggs are pretty insistent that Gorrer was on the goal line, though, before he touched the ball. I'm not as sure, and the official was in perfect position to see it, wasn't he?

Apparently not, and Gorrer's chance at postseason glory is blown. Texans just kneel out the half anyway, but end it with momentum.

HALFTIME

The partial surprise of this game so far is that the Texans have been the more successful team physically. Their offense is controlling the line of scrimmage and running better than the Ravens' is. The Ravens need to get some impact plays from their high-reputation guys like Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata, plays that really haven't come in the first half, and make Yates beat them. Because Foster very well can. Hell, if Jacoby Jones weren't a total idiot, Houston would have this game by the throat.

I would think all the deep throwing the Ravens did in the first half will loosen Houston up for running and a shorter passing game in the second. Rice is criminally seeing the ball as little as Frank Gore did yesterday. Crazy Harbaughs. Flacco's only 6-for-15 at halftime (but with 2 TDs); they're going to need to string plays together better than they have been. Their late rushing success before halftime seemed to indicate their previous field-stretching served its purpose.

I think the second half will be won on the ground, and it's anybody's game, a lot different than I thought coming in.

THIRD QUARTER

After a couple of Rice carries, Flacco gets FOREVER to throw on 3rd-and-5, but still gets sacked, by Reed for the second time. Definitely the start Houston was looking for, until fucking idiot Jacoby Jones LOSES SIX on the punt return. Seriously, Kubiak needs to yank his ass off the field already.

The Ravens give up 7 to Foster on 1st down, but stuff him on 2nd down and force a throwaway by Yates on 3rd down for the 3-and-out. That was quick.

Watt with the sack on 2nd down as the Texans drop Flacco with another blitz. Every Texan beat their man on that play, including Brooks Reed punking Michael Oher to the ground. The Texans are in control of the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and Wade Phillips is picking his spots for blitzes perfectly. The 3rd-quarter puntfest continues.

Make Yates beat you, huh. Yates is beating the Ravens, hitting Johnson for 17 and Walter for 19 to put Houston quickly across midfield. Baltimore brings the blitz on 3rd-and-6, though, and despite being covered by Suggs, Johnson can't come up with the catch over the middle. Neil Rackers' long FG attempt DOINKS off the crossbar. Yep, game of inches.

Flacco's nearly sacked again but hits Pitta for 15 across midfield. Brian Cushing bats down his next pass, and the Ravens HAVE to get a lot better control of the LOS. Ravens might as well just run Rickey Williams off RT all day. I think he's getting 5 yards a carry. With Flacco barely dodging a safety blitz on 3rd down, Lee Evans emerges from mothballs for an eye-popping one-handed catch on the sideline at the 9. I think I saw the dust fly off Evans as he caught that ball. On 2nd-and-goal, Rice loses the handoff and kicks the ball away, but Ben Grubbs falls on it at the 1. Rice tries a low dive at the goal line on 3rd-and-goal but is called down a foot-and-a-half away. Harbaugh calls timeout, but I feel pretty sure he's going for it. 1:59 left in the 3rd. Yes, a FG gives them a TD lead, and Houston has dominated the LOS today, but he can't send that message to his players.

The Texans send it instead. Rice runs smack into a terrific hit by someone named Tim Dobbins and is stuffed at the 1. Houston has shown it more than deserves to win this game, but right now they need to find a way to get off their own goal line.

The Ravens do their job and stuff Foster a couple of times to force Matt Turk to punt from the back of his end zone. The former Ram needs a big boot here. Hell of a nice punt! 47 yards, fair caught by Webb at midfield. We all know Donnie Jones would have clunked a 35-yarder there.

Rice up the middle for 5 as we head to the final fifteen.

FOURTH QUARTER
The Houston blitz blows up a screen for Rice that loses the 5 he just gained. Demeco Ryans on the tackle, more pressure on Flacco by Reed. Barely avoiding a corner blitz, Flacco finds Rice, but only for 5. The Ravens misjudge this punt and let it run into the end zone.

Houston is winning this game everywhere except the scoreboard.

Foster off RT for 6, then cuts back left to right for 7. That's it for them, though. Foster's stuffed for 2, a pressured Yates throws a pass too short for Ben Tate wide open in the flat, and Bernard Pollard pounds Walter short to force a punt. Not a good punt by Turk this time, and Baltimore will have it around their 25.

After a short run by Williams, Manning breaks up a short pass for Dickson, and guess who collapses the pocket on 3rd down for another Houston blitz sack. Watt and Reed. It's like the Ravens aren't even suiting up tackles today. GORRER gets his name called again for a special teams tackle, but the Raven offense isn't doing a damn thing. Time for Houston's offense to take it to them.

Here we go. Yates to Johnson at midfield. But, hey, there's Ray Lewis, blowing up a Foster screen for a big loss. Foster loses the ball on a draw, but Jacoby Jones does the first thing he's done right all day by falling on it. Ngata finally made a play today by forcing that fumble. 3rd-12, bad throw by Yates for Walter into triple coverage is picked off by Webb. Stupid throw, but field-position-wise, perhaps not a whole lot worse than a punt. But I think we're seeing where the Texans really miss Matt Schaub this week.

Flacco hits Pitta at the 45 after eluding another sack. (He's been sacked 5 times.) 9 more to Smith. Vonta Leach up the middle for the 1st. Houston needs a stop pretty quickly, we're under 5:00. Slant to Boldin for a big first down at the HOU 35. Seems like that's his first catch of the half. Jason Allen's been giving him all he can handle split left, so they split him right this play. With 3:04 to go, Houston's stuck having to use their timeouts on defense to manage the clock.

After the timeout, Baltimore stupidly does the Texans a favor by getting away from the run and throwing an incomplete pass. Phillips doesn't blitz on 3rd-and-5, but Flacco fires wild over the middle to bring in Cundiff. He bangs it home from about 45 with 2:52 left. Houston's outplayed Baltimore almost this whole game, but it's the Ravens with the TD-lead.

Baltimore 20-13

Texans at their 28 with 2 timeouts.
Andre Johnson for 18. Yates hasn't been sacked today, and the Ravens haven't threatened much.
About 16 more to Johnson at the 2:00 warning. The ball comes loose as Ed Reed bulldogs him to the ground. He's called down, and I think his knees were down before the ball came out.

Good call by the refs.

Then, gahhhhhh. Yates goes up top for Johnson, but he's double-covered, and Ed Reed easily comes down with the overthrown ball. Baltimore's a first down from putting this one away.

And Rice bounces outside for about 8, making sure to cut back in bounds, MARION BARBER.3rd-and-less than a foot to decide the game at 1:38. I THOUGHT I got that spot right the first time! The refs originally gave Rice the first down. And now Leach is met in the backfield by, guess who, Brooks Reed, and doesn't even get the foot Baltimore needed. That may have been Cushing on the initial hit; I only saw long hair. Baltimore's punt only gets out to the 48 - the Texans are NOT DEAD YET with 0:45 to go.

8 to Daniels; Ray Lewis keeps him in bounds at 0:30.
Pass batted down at 0:24. Houston still about 45 yards away.
One-hopper for Johnson with :20 left sets up 4th-and-2.
Houston goes for the Hail Mary here, a decision I like, but Baltimore breaks it up, Reed again, to secure the win.

We now have both Harbaugh brothers coaching in the final four, though I'm far from convinced either one of them deserves to be there. I don't even want to pick a Raven for Star of the Game. But let's give it to Lardarius Webb. The keys today were Yates' INTs, of which Webb had two, and Jacoby Jones' idiocy on punt returns, where Webb was much steadier for the Ravens as his counterpart.

I'm probably guaranteeing an all-Harbaugh Super Bowl. Up until this weekend I've expected the Ravens to go into Foxborough next week and win. But betting that after watching this round's games would be suicide. As poorly as they fared on the LOS today, Baltimore is going to get wiped out by the Patriots only slightly less than Denver did. They need Ray Rice to dominate next week after barely inviting him into the gameplan this week. I wouldn't count on Flacco putting them on his back.

For next year, Houston mainly needs better luck. 16 full games from Johnson would be nice, but getting Schaub and Mario Williams back will be huge, especially if they can keep Wade Phillips as DC. This team is loaded for next year. I'd look mainly for a wide receiver in the offseason.

My weekend so far: 2-1 outright, 1-2 vs. the spread, 2-1 on the over/under.

On to Green Bay.

Brian Schottenheimer rumored for Rams OC

2012-01-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

According to multiple sources, Jeff Fisher is interested in bringing Brian Schottenheimer aboard as the Rams' new offensive coordinator. Um, Jeff, you might not want to lead off with that as your first coaching hire. Catching a guy on the rebound after getting shitcanned by the Jets isn't exactly going to be a great way to move the needle around here.

As Jets offensive coordinator from 2006-2011, Schottenheimer's offense finished 20th or worse in total yards 4 times and 20th or worse in passing yardage 4 times. Last year may have been Schottenheimer's least successful season (hence the firing). The Jets finished 21st in passing, 22nd in rushing, 25th overall.

The Jets were a top-10 rushing team from 2008-10, leading the league in 2009. But Jets fans wanting to run Mark Sanchez out of town after three seasons surely doesn't speak well to BS's ability to develop QBs, a skill the Rams need desperately from their next OC.

Jeff Fisher's in St. Louis because Stan Kroenke met a lot of his demands. One demand Kroenke needs to make in return is that he come up with a hell of a lot better idea for an offensive coordinator. Rams Nation doesn't need Jets fans chuckling at us the way we chuckled at the idea of Pat Shurmur head-coaching the Browns.

Schottenheimer is currently interviewing for the OC job at the University of Alabama. RamView wishes him the best of luck winning that job.

-$-

Schottenheimer Sunday morning facts from Jim Thomas:
* Philip Rivers' QB coach his first two seasons.
* Chad Pennington was Comeback Player of the Year while BS was Jets OC in 2006.
* Jets scored over 400 points for the third time in franchise history in 2008.

The Jets were in the top half of the league in scoring three of the last four seasons under Schottenheimer, though '08 was the only year they were in the top 10. 13th the last two seasons. Those and all my other statistics from ProFootballReference.com.

-$$-

Divisional playoff: Patriots 45, Broncos 10

2012-01-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER, joined in progress with the Patriots already freaking ahead 7-0 because the NFL didn't have the courtesy to delay the start of this game for those of us who wanted to watch the end of the first game. For shame, NFL!

It took the Patriots no time to get ahead, with a 43-yard RUN by Aaron Hernandez setting up a short TD pass to Wes Welker. But you can read that on the NFL.com play-by-play like I had to. The Broncos answer nicely with long runs by Willis McGahee and of course, Tim Tebow, but Rob Ninkovich sacks Tebow and forces a fumble with Denver right on the edge of FG range. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled program:

Brady to Welker, Brady to Gronkowski, Brady to Hernandez, Brady to Gronkowski again, Brady to Gronkowski a third time, great diving catch after tipping the ball, TD. Yawn. Remember when the Ram offense was supposedly going to look like this?

Patriots 14-0.

Tebow better do something here, or Tebow Time may be limited to 15 minutes, if you know what I mean. Of course, the Bronco defense would help itself out if they could make the Patriots take longer than 3 minutes to score.

Hah, Phil Simms continues to look like a total idiot by insisting after the commercial break that the TD was going to be overturned. Didn't see any problem with the catch myself. CBS really needs to find somebody to replace bozo Simms, though, seriously. What happened to Trent Green's venture into broadcasting?

After about every kickoff went out the back of the end zone the first game, Steven Gostkowski is hanging up all his kicks around the 10-yard line. And the Broncos still get stuffed inside the 20!

Demaryius Thomas is gang-tackled for 6 on 2nd-and-7. The ball popped loose, but the correct ruling was that his forward progress had already stopped. McGahee gets stopped up the middle on 3rd-and-1, but bounces outside for a big 17-yard gain around right end. But you can't stop Rob Ninkovich, you can only hope to contain him. And the Broncos refuse to even block him. He's clean to Tebow to force a bad 2nd down pass and Thomas drops a catchable pass to end the drive.

You can have Tebow Time; tonight appears to be Ninkovich Night.

Or maybe not. After a first down to Welker, Brady overthrows Gronkowski BADLY and right to an unsuspecting Quentin Carter in center field for one of the easiest INTs ever. Inexcusably bad throw from Brady, who didn't have a rusher within a stone's throw of him. Carter returns down to the 25, where he gets BLASTED by Hernandez.

Crossing routes get Thomas just open enough for a nice pass from Tebow inside the 5, and the Broncos appear about to get on the board.

SECOND QUARTER
McGahee quickly churns right through the Patriot defense for a 5-yard TD. Zane Beadles, who's had a much better rookie season than I ever would have expected watching him Senior Bowl week, commits a dumb penalty after the play that forces a kickoff from the 20. Danny Woodhead starts the Patriots at the 40.

Joe Mays blows an INT after Gronkowski gets knocked off his route, but the Broncos still force the punt. And get the ball at the 5 for their trouble.

And 3-and-out, when, again, it's Ninkovich, doing a good job to prevent the option toss and helping stuff Tebow on 3rd down. Patriots set up at midfield after the punt.

Any reason why the Broncos can't stop handoffs to Aaron Freaking Hernandez? 10 more around left end gets the Patriots inside the 20. Everybody's running successfully for the Patriots this drive. Stevan Ridley had a couple of good carries, BenJarvus (Law Firm) Green-Ellis just gain 5, Brady even had a short scramble.

Oh, and TD pass to Gronkowski. Yawn. Nice pushoff, btw, which idiot Simms appears to say "doesn't matter." Well, he's probably right. Rules have never really applied to the Patriots.

Patriots 21-7

The Broncos get exactly what they DON'T need next: a three-and-out. Kyle Arrington barely misses a pick-six along the sideline. Ninkovich AGAIN blows up another option attempt. And Tebow gets about a half hour on 3rd down, but the Pats seem to have everything covered, and he ends up with a desperation throwaway. Patriots take over again near midfield. Can't Britton Colquitt punt at near-earth gravity?

But we now have the Patriots 3-and-outing, with Brady barely missing Deion Branch with a bomb on 3rd down. Who expected this to be the one of today's game with offenses sputtering back and forth?

The Broncos gain 6 yards on the exchange and start this drive at their 11. Confusion forces a Bronco timeout on 2nd down, but McGahee grinds out a 1st. Tebow gets the Broncs moving with a nice 10-yard to Royal, but he's then sacked by Vince Wilfork, and, guess who, Ninkovich. Then Gerard Warren about beats the ball to Tebow on an option handoff attempt and he hands the Broncos another big loss. Simms then yammers on about Denver's "Good call" on 3rd-and-20, a handoff to Lance Ball that gains 12. You know they didn't get the first down, right?

Seriously, Phil Simms gets excited about give-up handoffs? He has an NFL broadcasting job why?

I'm not sure how to tell when the Patriots are in hurry-up, but they apparently are, just outside the 2:00 warning.

Hurry-up, you bet your sweet ass. They score in two plays, the main one being a 61-yard TD bomb to Branch, Brady's 4th TD pass of the half. Subtle pushoff by Branch, but not as flag-worthy as Gronkowski's earlier. Andre Goodman heads straight to the burn ward.

That's also how you can tell it's no longer fantasy football season. Deion Branch made a big play!

NE 28-7

Is Tim Tebow's fifteen minutes up? Will I be able to write the end-of-game look-ahead at halftime? Don't misunderestimate me.

I may be able to start before halftime, as the Broncos 3-and-out AGAIN. Tebow gets no help from his receivers here, with bad drops by LANCE BALL and Thomas.

1:09 with the ball at midfield is a lot of time for Brady.
Brady to Welker.
Brady to Hernandez, who the Broncos STILL refuse to tackle, for 20.
Brady to Julian Edelman.
Brady to, guess who, Gronkowski, for guess what. A TD.
The Patriots are basically scrimmaging 7-on-7 here.

NE 35-7

HALFTIME

The Broncos aren't covering a damn thing the Patriots are running anyway; they'd better spend halftime figuring every, make that any, way possible to get their mitts on Brady. They might as well blitz eight every down and take their chances; they're doing little tackling or covering anyway.

The offensive problems aren't really Tebow's fault, at least as far as I can tell. The Patriots have the option game scouted perfectly. I'd like to see them get back to a conventional running game with McGahee, who's had the measure of the Patriot D more than a few times. Maybe that can set up some of the play-action that Tebow beat the Steelers with last week. But 30 minutes isn't enough time for that strategy to work with a 4-TD deficit.

Let's face it, this game's over. Bill Belichick's biggest decision in the second half will be when to pull Brady.

THIRD QUARTER
HA! The Broncos DEFERRED the opening kickoff? And got scored on in under two minutes. Brilliant.

(YAWN) Denver 3-and-outs. Jerrod Mayo stuffs my McGahee idea and Tebow comes up dry going deep for Royal in double-coverage. Patriots take over in Bronco territory after another weak Colquitt punt. (YAWN)

Brady to Hernandez for his 6th TD. Nice move by Hernandez to get in. (YAAWN)

The Patriots are even rushing for 4.8 yards a carry tonight, and that's leaving out Hernandez' carries.

Speaking of leaving things out, I'm going straight to the look-ahead. This game's been over for a while now. Scoring updates will be limited to the header unless something earth-shaking happens.

Much as I'd like to, I can't avoid giving Star of the Game to Brady, who's 23-31-313 with SIX TDs as I write this. Over 40 fantasy points in a game, you're pretty much automatic SotG. (Gronkowski IS sitting on 30, though.)

And I have as little idea as anyone else alive what the Broncos will be looking for in the next draft, because I have as little idea as anyone else what that team is going to look like next year. Watching yet another weak popup by Colquitt, they might want to think about somebody who can punt at sea level. They should be set for a long time at DE with Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller, though they've been invisible tonight. Their secondary was fine until Brian Dawkins got injured, so safety's a legitimate consideration. If the right RB is available in the first round, I'd consider going with him and lightening my load of Knoshown Moreno. If they stay with Tebow at QB, I can't imagine drafting WRs will do a whole lot of good, but they'd be in line to make a good addition in the first round.

And so the Patriots have finally beaten their recent first playoff-game jinx, and will host the AFC Championship Game next week. They looked well-nigh unbeatable tonight, and my Saints-Ravens Super Bowl is blown now, so I can feel free to pick the Patriots over them or the Texans next week if I want to. Problem is, I still don't want to. We've seen strong defenses and power offenses take the Patriots out of the playoffs too often lately. Picking Houston over New England would be well too aggressive for my taste, but I like Baltimore's chances if they don't lay an egg tomorrow. They can keep Brady off the field and should give him much more trouble with their front seven than Denver did tonight with theirs.

Postscript: Anybody shocked Belichick classlessly left Brady in the entire game with the Patriots winning by 5 TDs? Wish I could say I was.

-$-

Divisional playoff: 49ers 36, Saints 32

2012-01-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
Wow, how much chutzpah does it take to win the coin toss against the Saints and defer?

The Saints' second catch is by a TE who had one catch all season. Yes, the 49ers better be ready for anything this week.

NaVorro Bowman has been one of the best LBs in the NFL this season, and Darren Sproles just made him whiff like he was, well, a Ram. But tackling Sproles has to be like trying to bring down a cartoon character.

Then the 49ers get ABSOLUTELY SCREWED by a pass interference call. Jimmy Graham had his hand on the ball before Donte Whitner ever made contact with him! (Not that I feel bad for the 49ers.) Another big upshot of the play that puts the Saints in the red zone - Graham injured.

Whitner then saves the Niners by knocking Pierre Thomas out at the two-yard line with a helmet-to-helmet blow that causes him to drop the ball. Not sure why a similar hit on a wide receiver should be illegal and this one isn't, but that's football. 49ers take over inside their 5. Saints hurt themselves a lot with turnovers last week; that will be a lot harder to get away with this week.

Gregg Williams takes it easy on Alex Smith until the 49ers get out to midfield, then blitzes his head off to force the punt. Roman Harper delivers a big hit on Smith for a sack/fumble recovered by Gore. Take some notes, Darian Stewart.

49ers answer with an excellent 3-and-out. Aldon Smith, who's already pressured Drew Brees a couple of times, gets the sack here to shut the Saints down. Saints probably need to look to extend the field more on 1st and 2nd down instead of settling for the dinks, something they get double-guessed about a lot. Only consolation for the Saints is that Graham returned to the game. Thomas is still out, though.

The Niners take the lead with a fittingly 49-yard TD to Vernon Davis. Malcolm Jenkins makes the key tackle on the play, tackling his own man, Harper, to spring Davis for the TD.

If scoring first's not the jinx it was last weekend, it's going to be a long weekend for my picks.

49ers 7-0

And it does not look like it is going to be the Saints' day. Brees inexplicably gets picked off by Deshon Goldson, who is already well on his way to player of the game honors. Goldson returns the pick all the way down to the 3. Goldson made a couple of nice red zone stops on the first drive prior to the Thomas injury/fumble. The 49er secondary is all over it today.

And now the power offense Niners are going pass-wacky at the goal line? Huh?

But pass-wacky works, with Alex Smith hitting Michael Crabtree on the slant for a 3-yard TD that has put the Saints squarely behind the eight-ball. Classic pattern here; they had Ted Ginn running a lead slant for the clearout with Crabtree coming in on a slant behind him.

The first quarter's not over, but it's safe to say the Saints need a score here.

49ers 14-0

NO, COURTNEY ROBY FUMBLES AWAY THE KICKOFF. He booted it away, picked it up and then got stripped on the tackle. Well, thank God I picked the worthless fucking Saints today. 49ers take over AGAIN inside the 15.

If America didn't know for sure that the 49ers are for real, they're about to get three hours of excruciating blowout to find out.

SECOND QUARTER

Well, maybe I gave the 49ers too much credit for killer instinct. They settle for a FG here and a 17-0 lead. The Saints are barely alive for now.

49ers 17-0

The Saints get to midfield before their momentum is briefly stopped by a poor call by the John Parry crew. Darren Sproles was well down before Whitner stripped the ball loose. Should be an easy replay overturn.

I mean, both his knees, his shoulders and his ASS were down before the ball came out! How do you get a call that wrong? Hell, Stevie Wonder gets that call right half the time.

Overturned and the Saints continue from the SF39. From the 14, Jimmy Graham posts up in the end zone for the Saints' first score. Couple of key catches on the drive by Marques Colston as well. 49ers have started to blitz a little bit, but aren't getting there. Saints may have found a way to slow Aldon Smith down. He's about the only 49er to threaten Brees today.

49ers 17-7

Classically, I have written a team off again well before they're finished. The Saints 3-and-out the 49ers, with Jo-Lonn Dunbar stuffing a Frank Gore screen on 1st down, and Harper stuffing a Gore sweep on 2nd down. Saints take over again at their 34.

Now that the Saints have quit turning the ball over continuously, it's time for the 49ers to come up with an answer. Marques Colston has gone nuts here in the 2nd quarter, (after not even being targeted in the 1st) starting and ending this drive with catches, the end one a 25-yard TD catch of a perfect pass by Brees. 49ers have almost completely stopped putting any pressure on Brees as well.

It's a ball game again!

49ers 17-14

Hee, the 49ers may not even be ahead in this game at halftime! After a nice completion from Smith to Davis at midfield, Crabtree fails to make a tough catch of a deflected ball, then drops an easy pass, and on third down, I'm not blitzing, but Gregg Williams is, and it's another (half) sack for Harper and Martel Wilson. Andy Lee's punt goes sploosh in the end zone, giving Brees 2:14 to move 80 yards.

After the 2:00 warning, Devery Henderson gets tripped up bumping into Tarell Brown on a deep route on 3rd-and-8, goes down, and Brown has the INT for New Orleans' FOURTH TURNOVER OF THE FIRST HALF. It's a tribute to the potency of the Saint offense that they're even in this game.

Taking over at their 31, the 49ers play it pretty close to the vest. Using their timeouts, the Saints shut the 49ers down at midfield with over a minute left. Sproles fair catches the punt at the 15.

Well, the 49er D is bringing the blitzes now. They blow up a Sproles screen for a loss of 4, and now they're the ones calling defensive timeouts. Jim Harbaugh plays the field position game like a fiddle. After the punt, SF gets 29 seconds now from their own 45.

Hee, Gregg Williams does it again before halftime. He blitzes Harper and an LB, forcing Smith to try to scramble when Martel Wilson gets him for a sack/fumble. Haven't the Niners figured out they're going to get blitzed in that part of the field every time? Seems like the case so far.

The 49ers put more than enough pressure on Brees to keep the Saints from moving into FG position, though, and we go to halftime with a three-point game that really should be a 49er blowout.

HALFTIME

Missing in action in the first half: Frank Gore, only 8 touches, for 40 yards, for the 49ers, and even with the TD, for the Saints, Jimmy Graham, just 3 catches for 25. The Niners could really stand to pop Gore or Kendall Hunter against the blitzes Gregg Williams is bringing in pretty reliable situations. Check this out - the 49ers - the conservative, pound-it-out offense, right? have THROWN 21 times and rushed only 8. If the Saints can get Graham going, it's really going to wreck the 49ers, because they've had to take to blitzing more and more because their straight-up rush isn't bothering Brees at all. Hard to believe that won't make Graham a bigger and bigger factor in the 2nd half.

Whichever becomes a bigger factor in the 2nd half - Graham getting involved (and the Saints quit turning the ball over every play), or the 49ers getting back to their roots and establishing Gore (aren't teams SUPPOSED to power-run against the Saints?) decides the game. They're still losing for now, and should be losing by a bunch, but the Saints have an inevitable air to them right now.

THIRD QUARTER

Gore gets 2 carries for 6 yards for a first down, but then what? Incomplete pass, handoff to Hunter for 1, Gregg Williams brings Malcolm Jenkins on the safety blitz for a monster sack. These aren't the brilliantly-coached 49ers the world has been talking about all year after all.

AND THEN THE MISERABLE FUCKING SAINTS BAIL THEM OUT AGAIN. TURNOVER NUMBER FIVE by Sproles on the punt return, as he pretty much just tossed the ball on the ground while dodging a hit. It's recovered by Colin Jones, whose name sounds like "Paula Jones" every time Moose Johnston says it.

Handed the ball inside their 25, Gore gets one carry, Smith nearly gets sacked again, and with Williams blitzing big yet again, it's ANOTHER DROP by Crabtree. Probably cost them a first down. FG, David Akers.

49ers 20-14

Brees hits Colston for another big play across midfield but the 49ers hold them there. Brees gets a belated time out on 3rd-and-8, but Justin Smith destroys his man to sack Brees and end the drive. That's a super omen for the 49ers right there.

49ers start just inside their 20, and CONTINUE TO KEEP THE BALL AWAY FROM GORE. Jonathan Vilma lights up Ginn on an end-around. Then, the 49ers IDIOTICALLY call THE WORST TRICK PLAY EVER that the RAMS tried to run on them two weeks ago. Gore's throwback to Smith is terrible, and the 49ers nearly give it away. Andy Lee bails the whole mess out with a 63-yard punt that backs the Saints up inside their 20.

The 49ers' gameplan today is seriously flawed. Yes, I would much rather have Frank Gore tossing the ball back to the QB on the Worst Trick Play Ever instead of, oh, I don't know, pounding out some yards on the ground, maybe? And, really? You're stealing trick plays from THE RAMS? From Josh Freaking McDaniels?

Neither team deserves to win this game. The Saints are giving the ball away like a Mike Martz offense on crystal meth, and the 49ers have coached a laughable game so far.

What's really made the difference for SF today has been their secondary, which we see when the Saints get the ball back, Brees gets about eight seconds in a perfectly clean pocket, and his best option (apparently) is still a near-interception into double-coverage. But Henderson then beats them for 19 on a quick slant. Brees barely beats a blitz with a 13-yarder to, yep, Graham. That, however, is followed by Carlos Rogers breaking up a play-action bomb, a drop by Graham, and the Saints blowing their second timeout already. Rogers breaks up another slant on 3rd down.

Now HERE's the 49ers. A dumpoff to fullback Bruce Miller, who I believe has a cracked helmet, for about 15. The Saints stuff a handoff to Hunter. Stick to your guns, Harbaugh. No, it's bombs away to nobody. OPI on Ginn is declined. He comes off the field the next play with an injury. After back-to-back OPIs, the 49ers are punting.

IDIOTS. Three quarters into a playoff game, Frank Gore, you know, that guy who wears #21? has ten freaking carries. 13 touches.

I just figured it out. Josh McDaniels didn't go to the Patriots; he went to the 49ers! It's the only plausible explanation for how AWFUL the 49er offensive gameplan has been today. And they had two weeks to prepare!

Pass to Sproles, (rare) carry for Christopher Ivory (Steven Jackson's little brother), and the Saints are at midfield. Maybe they've finally quit screwing around here. 15 more to Henderson. Is somebody going to show they actually want to win this game?

FOURTH QUARTER
Hitch to Colston for 9 puts the Saints in FG range, but they get no farther. Pressure forces a bad throw from Brees, Ahmad Brooks HAMMERS Ivory for a loss, and Colston essentially DROPS A TOUCHDOWN, because I don't think Reggie Smith's hit would have made a difference had he caught it. Saints settle for a FG.

49ers 20-17

Marques Colston sure shows bad hands a lot for a guy who's supposed to be an elite receiver. Let's see if the 49ers don't make that the turning point of the game.

Nope. The Saints stop Gore on 2nd-and-5, then Kyle Williams DROPS a pass Patrick Robinson should have intercepted. 3-and-out. This is the Saints' game for the taking, if they want it. At least four dropped passes by the 49ers today.

Nope. The 49ers have blown up every Saint screen today, but they insist on trying it. That's incomplete, then Brooks whips the RT for a sack, then MAJOR push by Justin Smith forces a bad throw. He almost pushed Jermon Bushrod right over Brees. Big 3-and-out for the Niners. Maybe THIS will prove to be the game's key momentum shift.

AND FINALLY Jim Harbaugh listens to RamView. Gore breaks an inside handoff for 40-plus yards. A Hunter sweep gets them inside the 20. Get Gore back in there! No, now it's Anthony Dixon, who gets stuffed behind the line despite the 49ers' jumbo formation. Another big blitz nets the Saints a pass deflection that pinballs back to Gore for a loss, and for the third time today, the 49ers settle for an Akers FG. Damn, this game is playing out just like I predicted. 49ers again settling for too many FGs.

49ers 23-17

Wait a minute, the premise for a highly-touted new show is that over 300 of America's most notorious criminals just disappeared from America's most secure prison? Wouldn't this have made it into the news one way or another?

On 3rd-and-9, Brees and Henderson hook up for a crucial 14-yard sideline completion. Colston's 8th catch achieves another first down. Sproles up the middle on 3rd-and-1 for another first across midfield. 4:20 left, for all you Ron Paul supporters. And on 2nd-and-10 from the 44, there goes Sproles, kind of like he did against the Colts a few years ago, squirting through with a dumpoff off a little circle route for a TD. The Niners blitzed on the opposite side, which left him a lot of open field to make the catch, and he got a lot more after the catch after Goldson blew the tackle.

As Michael Cole might say, that was vintage Sproles.

Saints 24-23

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the 49ers have 4:02 left and just need a FG, which is their specialty. I wonder if Williams won't just blitz his ass off every play here. Worst case, the Saints will have the ball back down six, with time, right?

4-man rush. 12 to Kendall Hunter.
Here's a blitz. Pass batted down. 2nd-10, pi to go.
How long is this game taking, btw? I'm going to miss the Broncos-Patriots kickoff, and then some.
Another big blitz, but the 49ers have the perfect solution - a bomb to Vernon Davis. Good for 37.
49ers are in FG range at the Saint 30. Malcolm Jenkins beaten on the play.
Toss sweep to Gore for 4.
Remember the Saints already blew two timeouts, so they only have one left for clock management.
Hunter up the middle for 4 as Harbaugh seems content with another FG.
Saints use their last TO at 2:18. 3rd-and-2 here will decide the game for all intents and purposes.
AND FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME THIS POSTSEASON, A TEAM DRAWS A 12-MEN-IN-THE-HUDDLE PENALTY. It's the 49ers, and it's now 3rd-and-7 at the 27.
And now SF uses a timeout. Harbaugh's arguing the 49ers really only had 10 in the huddle. Interesting.

HOLY CRAP ALEX SMITH TAKES IT HIMSELF AROUND LEFT END FOR A 27-YARD TD. The Saints blitzed Vilma from the other side, but that wasn't why they got beat, they just got caught with their pants down. A couple of excellent blocks on the play by Joe Staley. That almost makes up for all of San Francisco's awful offensive calls the rest of this game.

The two-pointer has to wait while the refs double check that Smith stayed in bounds the whole way; it looks like he did.

Smith appears to audible out of the original call on the two-pointer, and the Saints stuff the resultant inside handoff to Gore. 2:11 to go.

49ers 29-24

HATE HATE HATE that Sproles took the kickoff out of the end zone, and Paula Jones dumps him at the 12.
Screen to Sproles beats a corner blitz for 9 at the 2:00 warning.
Brown breaks up a high pass for Colston.
Colston lunges for a pass and gets out of bounds with a 12-yard gain. Ball at the NO34.

OH MY LORD. Despite outstanding pressure up the gut from Brooks - WHO DID I SAY THE SAINTS HAD TO GET INVOLVED?!?! - Graham catches a jump ball from Brees despite close coverage by Willis, Whitner whiffs pathetically at the spot of the catch, and Graham dances away for a 66-yard TD. HOLY CATS. I just wonder if the Saints scored too quickly.

The 49ers forget completely about Sproles, who's wide open at the pylon for what could prove a crucial 2-point conversion.

Saints 32-29

What an amazing game this has turned out to be!

1:37 left for the 49ers, though. That smell you detect comes from the 49ers home crowd all crapping their pants for the second time today.

ANOTHER ill-advised kick return starts the 49ers at only their 15. Now I'm not expecting heavy blitzing from Williams.

4-man rush,dumpoff to Gore for 7. Smith wastes a TON of time. 1:07.
Gore wide open over the middle for 12. 49ers have 1 TO left.
Saints blitz a safety and a LB, and Smith goes deep for BRETT SWAIN?!?!?, just a little too far. Jabari Greer appeared to just assume the pass would be incomplete. Too bad Swain got only a hand on it.

OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SMITH AND DAVIS BURN ANOTHER SAINT BLITZ, this time for 42. Davis beat the crap out of Jenkins again, though he saved the TD after Harper whiffed on a tackle.

THROWING from their 20, Smith dumps to Gore for 7, and spikes with :14 left. Wow, Harbaugh's planning a shot at the end zone.

With Gregg Williams shockingly only rushing THREE, Smith hits Davis at the goal line with :09 left for at TD. Davis was open in the zone between Harper and I believe Scott Shanle. Akers PAT appears to be sending the 49ers to the NFC Championship.

Holy crap!

And see, that's the difference Harbaugh makes. Steve Spagnuolo would have kicked the FG two plays before.

49ers 36, Saints 32

Well, I got the flavor of the game right, just not the final result. And you will note from my predictions yesterday that I picked the 49ers to cover. Happy times here in RamView land.

An especially weak version of the Stanford marching band play gets stuffed at the14 with 3 seconds left. OK, coach, what call do you make when you need 86 yards?

?

Brees fires a pass over the middle into the ground?
No, An over-managing Harbaugh calls a timeout for unknown reasons. One last shot for the Saints.

Screen to Sproles, back to Brees, who's smarter than to throw the stupid forward pass he did to Robert Meachem, the 49ers stop it anyway to end the game.

Quick postgame show.
Star of the game will go to Alex Smith. It would have gone to one of the 49er DBs, but they made too many poor plays in the end. Smith ends up with 299 yards, 3 passing TDs, a rushing TD and a ton of clutch play when his team needed it most. Awesome performance by a player who's really turned his career around.

If the Rams do get Gregg Williams for their DC next year, I hope he'll have a solution for passes to the freaking TE when he big-blitzes. And it's just weird that he only rushed three on the last TD. Williams had the measure of the 49ers a lot of the day, but once they found the fairly simple key to beating his blitz, he had no answer whatsoever. If you argued with me that Williams was the reason they lost the game, I'd point at the five turnovers, but I wouldn't give you a tooth-and-nail fight, either. Hopefully the Rams DBs are a lot better at covering TEs than the Saints' are?

The Saints sure don't look like a team that needs much heading into next season. But when the 49ers are unafraid to throw 42 times against your secondary, I might suggest that's an area they'll want to shore up.

Last, a bold prediction. The 49ers will not just get beat, they'll get KILLED, by whoever they play next week, if they play as poorly-coached as they looked today. 12 men on the field, settling for FGs, rarely getting Frank Gore the ball, curious time management, none of that is going to cut it against the Packers or the Giants.

On to what's left of the second game.

-$-

Fisher upshot + this weekend's picks

2012-01-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

More dominoes falling into place, or getting ready to, in the wake of Jeff Fisher coming to the Rams:

- Peter King's reporting that Gregg Williams, who first became a defensive coordinator under Jeff Fisher, will join the Rams in that role after the Saints' season is over. (Hope y'all like blitzing. In fact, hearing this news, Darian Stewart has already started blitzing the Cardinals.)

Williams' contract in New Orleans is up after the season, making him fair game. Still, I don't know how King can be so sure he's coming to St. Louis. Would you want your defensive coordinator talking to another team's coach about making a lateral move when he's supposed to be game-planning for your playoff game that weekend? Fisher can't have actually talked to Williams enough for an actual leak to occur; that would be tampering of the highest order. But King's assertion makes Williams the actual clubhouse leader for next Rams' DC, though Dave McGinniss still sounds like a top candidate for the staff.

- Brandon Lloyd sounded nothing but positive about working for Fisher in an interview on NFL Network tonight. He'd even talked to former Fisher players like Jacob Bell (who I just realized is now a lock to be back next season) to learn about Fisher's style and rapport with players.

Wait a minute, wasn't Brandon Lloyd just going to go wherever Josh McDaniels ended up, i.e. New England? Sounds to me like he's got an open mind about staying in St. Louis, giving the Rams an infinitely better chance of keeping him than it seemed like a couple of weeks ago.

Cracked crystal ball time:
So, St. Louis is probably rooting double hard for the Saints tomorrow. We dislike the 49ers anyway, and we'd certainly like to see our prospective new defensive coordinator shut them down tomorrow and twice every season after. Make that triple hard, since the RAMS were the last team the Saints lost to, which is always a hilarious stat to hear during their games. But we've seen it before, most recently just last weekend with Mike Mularkey: there's nothing worse for a team in the playoffs than a distracted coordinator. Except, maybe, having to stop Drew Brees. I'll pick a high-scoring game where the 49ers pay for bogging down in the red zone once too often, their M.O. all season. New Orleans 28, San Francisco 26

Having beaten the Steelers last week, the Broncos are essentially playing them again this week. Like last week's Steelers, New England has an immobile quarterback, not much of a running game, and a brutal secondary. That's why I think Denver can stay reasonably close. New England's D will be stronger up the middle than the depleted Steelers were last week, though, and though I like Heath Miller, he's no Rob Gronkowski. New England 31, Denver 21

I know, I know, any given Sunday, but we can probably all sleep in if we want to with the Texans leading off against the Ravens. Baltimore's undefeated at home, and with T.J. Yates' fifteen minutes just about up before he has to get to his deer-in-the-headlights audition, Houston's best chance of hanging with the Ravens is a big day from Arian Foster. Guess who has the #2 run defense in the NFL... Baltimore 27, Houston 10

If you haven't already bookmarked this to come back to on Monday for a good laugh, now's your last chance. Because seriously, the Giants are this weekend's chic upset pick? Really? People are picking against the Packers? At home? 15-1? MVP of the league? Just destroyed a playoff team two weeks ago with their second string? Yeah, sure, pick against the Packers. Good luck with that. The Giant pass rush is fully capable of giving Aaron Rodgers trouble, but Mike McCarthy didn't win a Super Bowl last year not being able to game-plan around that kind of thing. Green Bay 38, Giants 24

I will be much more surprised if I go 4-0 than if I go 0-4.

-$-

Where are they now: Jeff Fisher's 2010 coaching staff

2012-01-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Now that Jeff Fisher is in the fold as the St. Louis Rams' next head coach, one of his first jobs, which he may even have a head start on already, is to assemble his coaching staff. It's natural to assume he'll look into his past, aka Remember the Titans, for some of his assistant coaching candidates. Let the speculation begin!

Jim Washburn. Washburn, 62, has been a defensive line coach almost all of his career and was Fisher's d-line coach from 1999 until almost everybody in Tennessee go fired last year. Washburn would become the coach responsible for turning Robert Quinn into the next "Freak". He, of course, coached the original one, Jevon Kearse. Washburn has coached some top-notch pass rushers, and during his stay at Tennessee, the Titans were consistently top 10 in sacks and pass defense. Pass rushers off the top of my head include Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jason Babin, who was crap as a pro until Washburn got a hold of him.

A problem in getting Washburn is that he's now in the second year of a three-year contract in Philadelphia. So, interestingly, Steve Spagnuolo could help the Rams out here. If he becomes Eagles DC, and wants his own guy to coach d-line, it opens the door up to re-unite Fisher and Washburn. Let's hope that happens; Washburn is a plum coach to have.

Dave McGinnis. McGinnis, 60, coached linebackers for Fisher from 2004-2010 and is currently still the Titan's LBs coach. So he's worked with Keith Bulluck and Stephen Tulloch. In the middle of his 5th season as defensive coordinator of the Big Dead, he took over for fired head coach Vince Tobin. In 3-plus years in Arizona he managed a record of 17-40. McGinnis is the leading candidate in the clubhouse to be Fisher's defensive coordinator.

Chuck Cecil started as a defensive assistant with Fisher in 2000, working his way up to defensive coordinator in 2009. He's one of Fisher's closest friends, and demands from above to replace Cecil was the catalyst to Fisher leaving the team after the 2010 season. And like Fisher, it does not appear that Cecil coached anywhere in 2011. The Titan defense was terrible in 2010, btw: 26th overall, 29th against the pass. Seems a good bet that Cecil, one of the all-time cheap-shot artists when he was a safety with the Cardinals, would join Fisher here at least as secondary coach.

Mike Heimerdinger was Fisher's offensive coordinator in 2010, and worked with him for 8 years during the previous decade, but passed away of cancer last September.

Norm Chow was Fisher's OC for three years but became head coach for the University of Hawaii just before Christmas.

Mike Munchak, Fisher's offensive line coach for 14 years, is now head coach of the Titans.

So your next Rams offensive coordinator may be Craig Johnson. Currently the Vikings' QB coach, Johnson coached QBs for Fisher for seven years and RBs for one, and gets credit for the development of Steve McNair and Vince Young and the resuscitation of Kerry Collins. Johnson's coordinator experience is limited to college, though, at Northwestern and Maryland. Like his record with QBs, though. Current Titans QBs coach Dowell Loggains was a Fisher hire who may be on his way up the ladder to coordinator but has coached in the NFL for just four years.

Alan Lowry, the man who cooked up the Music City Miracle play, has been the Titans' special teams coach since 1999. He's coached mostly special teams in the NFL for 30 years. And the Titans have had consistently good special teams under his supervision, both returning kicks and covering them. In his mid-sixties, though, I doubt he's a realistic candidate for a lateral move.

-$-

FISHER TO RAMS

2012-01-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

Multiple sources including ESPN and NFL.com report now that Jeff Fisher has agreed to become head coach of the St. Louis Rams.

Proving correct again the old saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." : )

Apparently the key point of contention was that Miami very much wanted to keep their GM in charge of the roster. As long as Fisher's not in control of the draft and free agency, and doesn't cut half our draft before they're even here a year like Steve Spagnuolo did this past year, I'm fine with that. Should be understood between GM and HC that they work together to build and shape the roster.

Welcome to town, best of luck and let's get a new winning tradition started around here.

(Yay, I get to applaud preseason fake punts now!)

-$-

Gone Fishin'

2012-01-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Still no word from Jeff Fisher on taking the Rams' or Dolphins' head coaching job. Besides Fisher's concerns that the Rams might move, Jason LaCanfora says now on NFL.com that money may also be a holdup. Stan Kroenke may be balking at the amount of money Fisher wants, a rumored $7 million a year. Fisher also reportedly wants a title of executive vice president wherever he ends up. Starting to smell like a coach who wants more power than he's worth to me.

Then again, Kroenke pays Arsene Wenger $7 million a year to coach Arsenal, so there's precedent. Though in soccer, as I understand it, the coach is also the GM. That never works for long in the NFL.

The Rams seem to have a lot of hope invested in getting Fisher. That is the main reason I'd hope they get him. By no means am I crushed, nor should Rams Nation be, if he chooses Miami, but the Rams better come up with a whole lot better than they're currently entertaining in the rest of their coaching search in that event. I swear the next guy they're going to interview is the Seahawks' waterboy.

On the coaching carousel -
Raheem Morris has joined the Redskins as defensive backs coach,
and Brian Billick's name has finally come up in a coaching search; he's reportedly a candidate to replace Mike Mularkey in Atlanta. Perhaps not coincidentally, Billick is HC Mike Smith's brother-in-law. I wonder if that's why you never hear other teams interested in Billick.

RamView's heretofore-undisclosed coaching candidates list would have looked about like this at the end of the season:
1 - Andy Reid (didn't get fired)
2 - Tony Dungy (not much of a chance)
3 - Fisher
4 - Billick
5 - Gregg Williams
6 - Mike Martz (yeah, I know)
7 - Mike Sherman
8 - Chip Kelly (no idea if he'd even have interest)
9 - Rob Chudzinski
10 - Either Gruden (Jon started higher but dropped)
11 - Jerry Gray
12 - Might as well have kept Spagnuolo
13 - 49ers special teams coach Brad Seely, so he could fool somebody else with that cheap trash fake FG pass for once in his life

If Fisher doesn't make his damn mind up soon, I'll have to evolve this list. Actually, it's evolving right now.

And where, pray tell, is Bill Cowher? Never been on the list. I don't perceive him as a build-from-the-ground-up success. And the Rams' best defensive pieces are all 4-3 guys. Don't need somebody bringing in a 3-4 and screwing up the few good pieces we have.

-$-

Next candidate, please

2012-01-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

Jay Glazer reports that the Rams have received permission to interview a member of the Saints' coaching staff. Gregg Williams? Pete Carmichael? No - it's Aaron Kromer, who I believe was Jerry's neighbor on Seinfeld.

Never mind, doesn't look like him at all. Kromer is the Saints' "offensive line / running game coach." He's been mainly an offensive line coach in the NFL since 2000, with stops in Oakland and Tampa Bay. (= Jon Gruden assistant.) The Saints website says, vaguely, that he has developed several Pro Bowl blockers (Carl Nicks, Jermon Bushrod) and is a former offensive lineman himself known for his teaching skills.

First thought: too bad we didn't have this person the last few years instead of Steve Loney.

Second thought: at least has a record of success at his area of expertise and some of the desirable qualities of a head coach.

Third thought: as much NFL head coaching experience as me. And as with Dennis Allen, I see no indication that he's been sought after by any other NFL team.

No offense to coach Kromer, but is Kevin Demoff coming up with coaching candidates by throwing darts at team media guides?

I damn sure hope the Rams get back to interviewing REAL coaching candidates if they don't end up getting Jeff Fisher. What about the Linehan and Spagnuolo experiences is telling anyone still left at Rams Park that coordinators without any head coaching experience are the way for this team to go at this time?

-$-

Lombardi: Fisher will pick Miami

2012-01-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

Michael Lombardi says, on NFL.com right now, that Jeff Fisher could make his decision on where to coach next as early as today, and that he's picking Miami.

Quoting Lombardi, though he didn't put it in screaming caps:
FISHER WANTS NO PART OF A POTENTIAL RELOCATION and feels more comfortable with the structure in place in Miami than St. Louis.

The second part of that assertion is laughable, since we've been under the impression all along that Fisher gets to pick the Rams' next GM. What structure could be more comfortable?

The first part of that assertion, though, makes Fisher's decision a telling moment in the history of football in St. Louis. If he doesn't believe Stan Kroenke doesn't intend to eventually move the Rams, why should we, who haven't had the opportunity Fisher has to talk with Kroenke on the subject face-to-face?

Stan?

-$-

Rams report, 1/11: coaching carousel spinning

2012-01-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

* Odds on Fisher getting worse? Adam Schefter's opinion on ESPN's Mike and Mike this morning, though I have no notion where it can really come from, is that Jeff Fisher is probably leaning toward going with the Dolphins now. He's guessing we'll know by the end of the week.

I suspect with a lot of media having expected Fisher would announce he's coming to St. Louis early in the week, the fact that it's now midweek, and getting later, has the Fisher-to-Miami bandwagon starting back up.

* Not that Gruden, either. I wrote yesterday, with some enthusiasm, that the Rams were going to interview Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Nope, nope, hold your horses. Apparently Gruden doesn't want to interview anywhere, he's happy at Cincinnati. Translation: he either just got a great big raise to stay, or he really hates the available head coaching opportunities.

* Openings closing. We're currently down to the Rams, Dolphins, Bucs and Raiders looking for a new head coach. Romeo Crennel got signed long-term by the Chiefs. Jacksonville interviewed a wealth of offensive coaching talent, and then took Mike Mularkey, whose game plan for the Falcons on Sunday was atrocious, as the Giants flattened Atlanta 24-2. Guess that wasn't an audition. Meanwhile, the guy I wanted the Rams to hire in 2009 is apparently the lead candidate for the Tampa job. That's right, Marty Schottenheimer.

Honestly, why shouldn't the Rams interview Marty? His experience is obvious, his track record of (regular-season) success is obvious, his track record of rebuilding teams is obvious. He was semi-retired, I guess, for a couple of years, but he coached in the UFL last season. The logical issue is Marty's age; he's 68. According to my math, Dick Vermeil was 61 when the Rams hired him in '98.

* There will be Chud. With Fisher continuing to dither, the Rams have reportedly received permission from the Panthers to interview offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. Of the coordinators that would be first-time head coaches, Chudzinski's on the top of my list. He's a tight end guru. At various times in college and the pros, he's coached Kellen Winslow II, Jeremy Shockey, Bubba Franks and Antonio Gates. He performed a minor miracle in coaching Derek Anderson to a Pro Bowl season as Cleveland's OC. (Look at how that guy played in Arizona afterward.) And in Carolina this past season, adapting his offense to what his talent could do best, JOSH MCDANIELS, the Panthers improved to a top 10 offense, set a franchise record for offensive yards and scored 47 offensive TDs.

The St. Louis Rams scored 18 TDs last season. And at least two of those were returns. (Darian Stewart, Nick Miller)

I'd rather the Rams hire an experienced head coach, but if they don't, Chudzinski should be their guy. He's shown an ability I don't think anyone on the Rams' last two coaching staffs has. He can make a lot out of a little.

* GM watch. If Pro Football Weekly's report is correct, we can scratch Ryan Grigson off the Rams' list of candidates for general manager, because he has been hired by the Colts.

* Ex-Rams watch.
Coaching updates I let slide:
Mike Martz resigned in Chicago; hasn't been interviewed anywhere.
Greg Olson out with everybody else in Tampa Bay. I believe Jerry Gray has been interviewed for the head coach job there.
Pat Shurmur became the latest idiot inexperienced head coach to come in thinking he could also call the plays on offense, only to find out he couldn't. He's fired himself as OC and is looking for a new play-caller. Rumored lead candidate is Brad Childress.
Steve Spagnuolo is still widely expected to join the Eagles in some capacity.

-$-

Rams report, 1/10: Rams to interview Gruden (not that one)

2012-01-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

* Head coach update.
With nothing but deafening silence continuing to come from Jeff Fisher's camp, a wrench may have come into the works just a few minutes ago when the Raiders fired head coach Hue Jackson. There's been speculation that Fisher and the Raiders would be appealing to one another if this happened.

I also read a humorous, yet plausible, suggestion on Rampagers that Fisher decided long ago to take the Miami job, and he's just letting the Rams twist in the wind as long as possible because he's still bitter about Super Bowl XXXIV.

Continuing to cover their bases, the Rams (per Tony Softli) have gotten permission from the Bengals to interview offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, Jon's younger brother.

Gruden would be a tremendous rebound for the Rams if they can't get the more-experienced Fisher, and yes, I mean Jay. Yes, Gruden has just one year NFL experience at the coordinator level, like the two defensive candidates I ragged on the last couple of weeks. But he has head coaching experience, if at unconventional levels. He won two championships in the Arena League, and led the Florida Tuskers to a 5-3 record and an appearance in the UFL's championship game in 2010. He also has a Super Bowl ring won as an offensive assistant for Jon Gruden's Bucs in Super Bowl XXXVII.

The Bengal offense ranked 18th-to-20th in the league in the main offensive categories, which isn't electrifying, but it's an awful young offense, and rookie QB Andy Dalton's 3,400 yards, 20 TDs, 13 INTs and 80.4 passer rating were not bad at all. Those numbers were as good as Joe Flacco's, Mark Sanchez's or Ryan Fitzpatrick's. And a lot better than Sam Bradford's. But Bradford plus Jay Gruden could be a promising combination. (Though, as with Josh McDaniels, difficult without a decent offensive line or an A.J. Green-like wide receiver.)

Also, Gruden's the first offensive coach the Rams will have interviewed at all. Much as I disdain Kevin Slaten, he made a decent point on TV last night that the Rams are going the wrong route with defensive-minded coaches like Fisher; they BADLY need some offensive excitement. He went off the board and said the Rams should be talking to college coaches like Chip Kelly or Mike Gundy.
Dislike Slaten, but I like that kind of thinking here. Maybe Jay Gruden's where Slaten and I meet in the middle.

* GM update.
Mike Williams, the Rams' VP of player personnel, has also been reported as a candidate for Billy Devaney's job. With league rules that will keep most of the Rams' GM candidates from other teams from taking over here until April, Williams is effectively Billy Devaney right now anyway.

I suppose, then, that Williams will be responsible for any free-agency moves the Rams make this offseason, and he's going to be largely responsible for this year's draft, though the new GM should be in place by then under most circumstances.

I don't know about the rest of Rams Nation, but I could use a clarification of who's in charge of some of the personnel decisions the Rams will have to make in the coming months without a full-time GM in tow.

* Ex-Rams transactions.
In what may be the last of his ten million mentions in this blog, Eric Young's practice squad contract was allowed to expire by the Chargers. He may have to find another roster to jump on and off of ten million times next season. Schuylar Oordt was similarly let go by the Redskins.

Late update: the Big Dead have fired their QB coach, former Rams QB Chris Miller. Ex-Chiefs HC Todd Haley's been rumored to be returning there in some capacity for a while now.

* Workouts never stop.
The Rams held tryouts with two CFL players last week. Jovan Olafioye of the B.C. Lions, a 24-year-old, 6'6", 325 tackle, has tried out with a bunch of teams. He was a CFL All-Star in 2011. They also tried out B.C. linebacker Solomon Elimimian, whose name is physically impossible to pronounce while eating peanut butter. He is 25, 6'0", 227 and was the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie in 2010.

The Rams' staff was all fired by the time of this workout, so I'm not sure who ran it. Steve Savard? D'Marco Farr? Jim Thomas? I bet they'd all be good at it.

-$-

Rams report, 1/9: Coaching search continues

2012-01-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Not taking any chances on Jeff Fisher's decision, the Rams, according to Jim Thomas, have lined up an interview with Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen on Thursday, as they continue to choose candidates I don't know why they'd consider at this time.

Like Ray Horton, Allen is in his first season as an NFL coordinator. The previous five years he was with the Saints as secondary coach and line coach. He's just 38 and has no head coaching experience at any level.

Allen's coached in the league nine years, and the Broncos installed a very successful 4-3 defense this year after having played the 3-4 for years. The Broncos finished 2011 4th in overall defense (yards); 4th against the pass, 5th against the run.

But I see little reason for this franchise to continue to go down the inexperience route with head coaches. We've got 23 wins in 6 years waiting for coordinators to figure out how to be head coaches on the job.

Insanity = doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Right?

-$-

Wild card playoff: Denver 29, Pittsburgh 23

2012-01-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
Spooky! Matt Prater opens the game with a deep blast that bounces off the crossbar, rebounds onto the field and stops at... the 20.

Steelers get into FG range on the strength of two big completions to Heath Miller, including a 40-yarder, but the Broncos are all over a favorite Steeler play, the quick screen to Mike Wallace, to bring in Shaun Suisham, the former Ram, who's perfect from 45.

Steelers 3-0

WOW are the Broncos ever not sharp for the start of this game. Tebow stuffed for 1. McGahee stuffed for two and fumbles. 3rd-and-7, Tebow has Eddie Royal open for a comebacker to the sideline but throws a terrible pass about 10 feet in front of him. What Phil Simms idiotically calls a good throwaway is a pass that QBs who actually know how to throw a football complete for a first down.

This better not be just three hours of Tebrutality.

Roethlisberger to Wallace for an apropos 17 at midfield. The Steelers have been unable to run so far, and a DROP by Jerricho Cotchery sends the ball back Denver's way with a punt.

Another 3-and-out for Denver, but with a near-TD when Tebow barely misses connections with Dante Rosario down the sideline behind Troy Polamalu. The problem for Tebow's receivers is they're just not sure when he's going to throw or run.

Steelers finally get Redman going a little bit, including a blast up the middle for 13 on 3rd-and-1. Pancake block by the backup center Ligursky springs him. On 3rd-and-9 from the 20, Phil Simms calls a play by Rafael Bush "incidental tripping" when the guy was manhandling Antonio Brown well downfield. Is Simms even watching this game? Pittsburgh has to settle for another Suisham FG.

Steelers 6-0

Denver ends the first quarter with EIGHT TOTAL YARDS after Timmons and Polamalu stuff Willis McGahee for a 2-yard loss. This EXACTLY how to play against Tebow, btw. Nine in the box and dare him to do ANYTHING with his arm.

SECOND QUARTER
Tebow opens the 2nd quarter by hitting Eric Decker for 20, but Decker gets killed after James Harrison takes his feet out from under him. Mike Tomlin challenges the catch and gets the call reversed to an incomplete pass.

Well, for God's sake. Tebow gets FOREVER in the pocket and eventually flies one deep for Demaryius Thomas, who beats Ike Taylor for 51. Super throw and OUTSTANDING blocking by the Bronco line, which has done this more than a time or two for Tebow.

And, WHAT?!?! Tebow drops a 30-yard TD pass in a bucket to Eddie Royal, who is practically wearing William Gay and makes the catch to put Denver ahead 7-6. Despite more idiotic bleating by Simms, that was fantastic coverage by Gay. "Overplaying the situation?" What the hell else is he supposed to do?

Broncos 7-6

On slo-mo, the key moment of that TD is Royal getting away with a little push to give himself just enough separation from Gay to grab the ball. Gay did appear to react a split second late picking Royal up, maybe that's what Simms was talking about.

Roethlisberger says, hey, I'm the one who's supposed to be bombing away here, and appears to connect with Wallace over the middle for 52. Wallace may or may not have caught that cleanly, though, and this play also goes to the review booth. CBS doesn't give us at home a very good look, so I'll have to trust Ron Winter's right that the ball hit the ground. That goes down as Pittsburgh's third dropped pass. Are the Steelers in the process of getting Tebowed? Ben barely misses Emmanuel Sanders on a sluggo route and the Steelers punt it back.

CBS now explains where Pittsburgh's pass rush has gone: Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel's beard are out of the game with injuries.

WHAT THE HELL has happened to Pittsburgh's secondary?!?! Demaryius Thomas burns the CRAP out of Ike Taylor with a double move for 58 yards. Broncos are at the Steelers' 13. Where were these plays last week when the Broncos could barely muster 3 points against the Chiefs? Entirely predictable draw by Tebow scores a 9-yard TD, and I don't know what the FUCK has happened to the black and gold. Maybe it's the injuries. It's not like Denver's doing anything that's remotely new.

Broncos 14-6

Pittsburgh won the first quarter 119 yards to 8.

Denver is winning the second quarter 156 yards to 0. They've also already scored 14 points more than I thought they were going to.

The Steelers desperately need an answer here, but Elvis Dumervil runs right over the woeful Max Starks, and the sack may have worsened Ben's injured ankle. Ben follows that with a TERRIBLE interception thrown directly to Quentin Carter.

Denver takes over inside the 20. James Harrison gets called for a late hit on Tebow that really was unnecessary, so now they're inside the 10. Royal takes a quick hitch down to the 2. Gee, think Tebow will be running here? NO, they try a rollout pass but William Gay knocks it away. Prater hits the chippie to extend Denver's lead.

Broncos 17-6

If I were betting before the game which team would have to change QBs before the game was over, I would have lost a lot of money, that's for sure. Ben's not out yet, but Tebow's sure outplaying him.

Ben starts the next drive throwing an INT right to Andre Goodman, but Dumervil had jumped offside. They jump offside again on 2nd down to hand Pittsburgh a 1st. Dumervil is just dominating the Steeler tackles right now, Redman can't get anywhere on the ground again, and Ben has missed seven passes in a row. On 3rd-and-long, Wallace catches a short pass over the middle and has acres of space to cut back for a first down, but he runs right into Carter instead. Denver has all the momentum right now.

And two plays into the next drive, Tebow rolls right and bombs away to DANIEL FELLS for 40. Polamalu pretty much ignored him. Another Denver TD and I'm prepared to declare this game over.

McGahee squirts up the middle on an option handoff for 12. Steelers really missing Casey Hampton right now. 2:00 warning for the half and Pittsburgh's season, as far as I'm concerned. Thomas kills Denver's TD chance with a drop inside the 5, though, and Prater comes in and hits another pitching wedge.

Broncos 20-6

26 points before halftime of a game with a 34.5 line. The Steelers' d-line injuries are killing them and their bettors. (Luckily, I had Denver to cover.)

So of course, the Broncos go into prevent mode, and the Steelers are across midfield in a wink. A terrible snap by Ligursky, though, drives the Steelers a mile out of FG position. Pittsburgh's just lucky that wasn't returned for a pick-six.

Denver kneels out the half, which they dominated. They had something like a 220-3 total yards advantage in the 2nd quarter up to the 2:00 warning.

HALFTIME

I can't imagine a half that could have been any worse for the Steelers. They can't run and they can't stop the Broncos from running. Hell, they can't even prevent Tebow from burning them deep. Pretty pathetic. Denver may never have to throw in the 2nd half as a result. The Steeler o-line has to nut up. Bruce Arians needs to max-protect Ben if necessary. They can still stretch the field with Wallace and Brown if they keep Ben upright. As they get that done, maybe they loosen Denver up to run a little better and work the multi-receiver sets back in. Do they have enough time for that? I doubt it.

THIRD QUARTER
And here comes the option. McGahee around left end for a first down. Ike Taylor holds on a throw of Tebow's that wasn't remotely catchable, except by a gopher. First-down comebacker to Royal at midfield. But a weird direct-snap to McGahee on 3rd-and-6 only gets 3, and the punt team comes in.

The Steelers start inside their 15 and become THE FOURTH TEAM THIS WEEKEND penalized for 12 in the huddle. The other three to do it all lost.

Ben hits Brown on the stick route for 3 on 3rd-and-3. Champ Bailey then breaks up a screen to Wallace that clearly looked like a backwards pass. If John Fox wins the challenge here, Pittsburgh can start the bus. No, the whistle blew before Denver could gain clear possession of the loose ball. Jim Nantz isn't real satisfied with how that went, but the replay call was by the book.

The Broncos have blown up that favorite Steeler screen big-time twice today. Did the Rams ever come close to that when they played Pittsburgh? Hell, when San Francisco ran those plays against the Rams, Justin King reacted like a cat trying to catch up with a laser pointer.

Steelers capitalize on the non-fumble call when Ben hits Sanders out to the 40. Brown gashes them for 18 on an end-around. Good block out front by Miller. I'll say for the hundredth time the Rams desperately need a TE like that guy.

Chaos at about the 5:00 mark. Denver blitzes big on 3rd-and-2, and when Redman cracks through the line, he breaks into almost wide-open ground and drives 30 yards down to the goal line. Terrible tackle attempt by Joe Mays at the LOS. Andre Goodman drags him down just short of the goal line, where the ball pops loose and bounces directly to another Bronco. And the head linesman signals TD. Like the CBS crew, I believe this will be spotted as Pittsburgh's ball about 6 inches out.

Yes, we're right. Pittsburgh scores the next play, though. Wallace went into motion left to right, took the handoff and scored behind TE David Johnson's block.

We have a ball game again because Bruce Arians has found some creative ways to get the Steeler running game going again.

Broncos 20-13

Ike Taylor's miserable night continues with a pretty dumb 32-yard DPI on Thomas. Then the Denver line gets Tebow FOREVER again and he scrambles for another 1st. And Tebow gets another first on an option run to the left. Just never dreamed I'd see the Pittsburgh Steelers getting gashed by this high school garbage. Tebow beats a blitz on 3rd-and-5 with a pass to LANCE BALL at the 13.

FOURTH QUARTER
An offensive pass interference penalty stymies the Bronco drive. Prater puts them back up two scores with an eight-iron.

Broncos 23-13

4-man rush gives Roethlisberger time to hit Brown over the middle for 20. 9-yard dumpoff to Redman, then he busts through the middle for 27 like he did earlier. What's gone wrong with Denver here in the 2nd half? Their pass rush finally picks it up with Pittsburgh near the red zone, and forces a scramble and two incompletions. Suisham brings the Steelers back within a score.

Broncos 23-16

Ten minutes to play. 11-yard option run by Tebow. He dances out of a Timmons sack and overthrows Ball, which isn't actually that hard. But on 3rd down, Thomas is open in front of the weak Taylor at the 47 for another 1st. Ike Taylor seems to save some of his worst performances for postseason. There's no excuse for him to be getting pwned by the likes of Demaryius Thomas.

The PLOT THICKENS, though, as Ryan Mundy forces a fumble by Willis McGahee, which Pittsburgh recovers! Sensible of Denver to challenge this, but the call should hold up, and the Steelers will have a chance to tie the game.

Dumervil and BRODRICK BUNKLEY answer the call with a sack. Broncos give most of it back to Sanders with bad tackling. 3rd-1, Redman behind the impressive Heath Miller for 5. The Rams and Falcons would have called QB sneaks there that would have lost yardage. Ben scrambles for 5 to the 37. 5:00 left. Redman runs across the face of the Bronco defense for the 1st. Champ Bailey DROPS an end zone pass for Wallace. Steelers call timeout with 3:56 left.

3-man rush gives Ben FOREVER to throw, and he hits COTCHERY for a bobbling 31-yard TD catch to tie the game.

3:48 left. Is it Tebow Time?

23-23

Denver stupidly doesn't kneel with the kickoff and returns it only to the 15. Wow, a HANDOFF to McGahee gets squat. But on 2nd down, play-action rollout pass to FELLS for 17. McGahee off RT for a couple as we reach the 2:00 warning.

Tebow avoids 2 sack attempts on 2nd-and-8 and throws the ball away. Steelers bring the heat on 3rd down and Tebow one-hops it to an open Thomas. Steelers have the ball at their own 24 with 1:37 left after the punt.

Von Miller's heard from for about the first time today, coming back to sack Ben for a 4-yard loss. Nearly sacked again, Ben hits Brown in a crowd over the middle for 17. Excellent catch. Clock keeps running down to 0:25 as Ben hits Sanders up the sideline with a jumping catch. Steelers are at the DEN 45 with 0:25 left. What looked like a Bronco blowout at halftime has turned into the best game of the weekend.

While Ben struggles to find an open receiver, Dumervil, fittingly having a superb game on the birthday of Elvis Presley, strips him of the ball. Pittsburgh recovers but loses 11 in the bargain. Ben avoids another sack and finds Hines Ward (first target of the day?) open for about 20 but Champ Bailey bats it away. 12 seconds left. In regulation. Dumpoff to Redman gets out of bounds at the Bronco 49, which would leave Suisham about a 67-yard FG attempt. We are in the thinner air, but I don't think Shaun has even kicked any of his kickoffs that far today. Robert Ayers sacks Ben on the Hail Mary attempt, and we're on to our first postseason overtime since the recent rules change.

Touchdown wins the game; FG and the opponent still has a chance. Or something like that.

Poor Ron Winter struggles as much to explain the overtime rules as I do here at home. The Broncos win the coin toss.

Hmm, Suisham just booted a kickoff that makes me think he should have tried the 67-yarder after all.

AND HOLY TEBOW, THIS GAME IS OVER. Demaryius Thomas burns the SHIT out of Ike Taylor yet AGAIN, Taylor blows the tackle miserably, Polamalu took a nap, the other safety was blocked out by Taylor and couldn't chase Thomas down. Denver wins in overtime on an 80-yard TD.

Broncos 29-23.

I'm going to be floored by this game for a while. 52 total points? I thought it would be more like 22. Ike Taylor, one of the league's better CBs, getting turned into Demaryius Thomas' BITCH? Taylor looked WORSE than Justin King trying to cover Torrey Smith!

TebowMania runs wild! All the way to Foxborough, where I'd expect the Patriots to whip Denver's ass again... but weird things happen to the Patriots in the playoffs these days, don't they? Let's face it, Denver could win. Tom Brady is about as mobile as Big Ben with a bad wheel. Their running game is about as good as Pittsburgh's without Mendenhall. Their secondary's one of the worst around. They could be covering Demaryius Thomas next week with backup WRs. They are stronger up the middle than the banged-up Steelers were today, though, which could make a huge difference. And teams playing against Tebow the second time around seem to have a big advantage on him. And this is Bill Belichick we're talking about. New England to win, but Denver to cover. I'll do another prediction post on Friday. I was 2-2 this weekend outright, 2-2 vs. the spread, 2-2 vs. the over/under. Mediocrity!

Ike Taylor is the brutal freaking goat of the 2011 offseason. Tim Tebow wins Star of the Game.

Looking ahead to next season, the Steelers really need to improve their offensive line. I know Pouncey was hurt today, but they're really not as strong at tackle as I'd like if I were one of their fans. Bad depth at DT really hurt them today, too, and sorry I forgot about Ryan Clark, who couldn't go because illness makes it life-threatening for him to play at high-altitude. Steelers get stronger on the o-line, get a lot healthier than they were today (QB, RB, C, DT, CB), and they'll be more than fine. 2011 was an unlucky year for them as much as anything, and they ran into the all-time luck box in Tebow.

And now back to the Jeff Fisher watch.

Rams update, 1/8: Happy Elvis' birthday!

2012-01-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

* Head coach update.
Jeff Fisher is in St. Louis today to check out the facilities at Rams Park. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, who seems to be one of the most dialed-in people in the Rams' whole coaching search, tweeted today that he'll be "shocked" if Fisher isn't announced as the Rams' next head coach within 48 hours. He even says the Dolphins are moving on to the next candidates on their list.

Tony Softli tweets that everything went very well today, and he thinks there could be an announcement tomorrow.

The rumor that Gregg Williams will follow Fisher here as DC is also continuing to heat up, repeated by CBS Sports.com today.

Sounds like the Rams and Rams Nation are going to get their man. Jim Thomas just tweeted a fascinating nugget, though: Fisher's main concern with the Rams is that they could move back to L.A. Apparently he doesn't want to put up with another franchise move like he did with the Oilers/Titans. Fisher just raised himself a lot in my eyes by expressing that concern. Time for Stan Kroenke to give a definitive commitment one way or another, which he would make here by getting Fisher aboard. A week ago, I would have worried that Fisher = move to L.A.; now, he's got me believing his hiring means the team's committed to St. Louis. Welcome to town, Little Elvis.

BTW, today is Elvis' birthday. The real one, that is.

-$-

Wild card playoff: Giants 24, Atlanta 2

2012-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
Not a great start by the Giants offense. Overthrow by Eli, Bradshaw stuffed, false start, pass short of the sticks. There's a lot of talk that Matt Ryan has struggled in postseason, but Eli has had his clinkers, too. In fact, just about every postseason except the one in 2007-8.

Atlanta follows with an even worse start. Turner stuffed twice, terrible sideline pass by Ryan. Looks like we're in for a field position game.

Ha, the Giant defensive line did all the talking before this game, but it's Atlanta's that strikes first, John Abraham whipping Kareem Mackenzie for a near sack/fumble. Jonathan Babineaux stuffed Bradshaw on first down, Abraham drew a hold Troy Aikman disagrees with on 3rd down, off to Puntland.

Troy's right, that looked a little like a hold on Abraham but really wasn't. Giants would have punted anyway. The Falcon offense, meanwhile, looks exactly like the Rams'. Useless two-yard pass. Poor sideline pass. Dropped short pass. I thought I was done watching football this awful! Send in Donnie Jones, er, the Atlanta punter.

Looks like the NFL Replay version of this game is going to be cut back to 30 minutes. The Giants FINALLY get the game's first 1st down on a rollout pass to Jake Ballard, but the Falcons continue to stuff the run and Eli makes the weird decision to audible to a handoff against a STUPID 3rd-and-9 blitz. The call sounded like "Eat salad! Eat salad!" Danny Ware was stopped well short. To Puntville!

Weatherford downs a punt inside the 10 that Donnie Jones either would have dropped in the end zone or hung up at the 22. That could be the key play of the game so far! No, Atlanta FINALLY gets their first 1st down, 20 to Julio Jones in the middle of the zone. Michael Turner then gets his first decent run in about six tries with a draw for 9. Roddy White makes an impressive catch for 5 while falling down. Jacquizz Rogers gets that first down on a swing pass, and Julio is wide open again, this time in front of Aaron Ross, for a first down at the Giant 33. The Falcons have gotten Turner going, but facing 3rd-and-1 at the 25, Jason Snelling gets stuffed, leaving Mike Smith a decision during the commercial break for the end of the first quarter.

0-0 after one.

SECOND QUARTER
Wow, the Falcons are going for it on 4th-and-1. The count is so long you think they're trying to draw an offside, but it's Ryan on the sneak, and I think he got it.

Nope. Short by a couple of inches. Giants ball.

Chris Snee sends the Giants back to the 14 with a hold on Abraham. Abraham then swallows up a middle screen to Bradshaw. And then, wow, safety James Sanders blitzes, is on top of Manning in no time because McKenzie idiotically shoved him right over to him, Manning's attempted pass is well short of the line of scrimmage with no receiver nearby, grounding in the end zone = safety for Atlanta.

Even though they didn't get the 4th-down, it still may have been genius of Mike Smith to go for it. It's as important as anything right now to dominate the field position battle, and that just got the Falcons two points. And they have fine field position again after the free kick.

Falcons 2-0.

I have to admit I would have been kicking the FG. Turner rumbles now up the middle for a first down at midfield. A 3rd-down dumpoff to Rogers after that comes up just short, though, and Smith decides to punt this time. Could have been better; Giants will start at their 15.

Speaking of "could be better", where's the Giants pass rush been lately?

The Giants open by brilliantly running at Abraham, which ain't happening today, dummies. Victor Cruz FINALLY gets open for his first catch today, a slant for 6. Huge pressure by Abraham AGAIN flushes Manning on 3rd-and-2, but Eli gets away for a huge 14-yard scramble and a huge play in this game. Jacobs crashes up the middle for 8. Another key 3rd-down conversion, a 7-yard dumpoff to Bradshaw, gets the Giants across midfield.

Jacobs breaks away from there with a 34-yard run down to the 15. Kevin Boothe blew a huge hole open for him with a cut block. Bradshaw gashes the Falcons up the middle for 9 on 1st down, but is stuffed on 2nd down. Jacobs appears to get stuffed on a similar run on 3rd-and-1. What will Tom Coughlin decide at the 5-yard line? It's 4th and a couple of inches. They're going for it.

Jacobs spins off a hit in the backfield and gets down to the 4. Manning follows that with a play-action TD to Hakeem Nicks (nice call Kevin Gilbride), and the Giants are up now.

Giants 7-2.

2:47 left in a half that's gone by faster than it'll take to read this post. Nothing happening for the Falcons this time. A false start, then the Giants run over Ryan for a sack. Rocky Bernard ran right through where I imagine Harvey Dahl would have been last season. Julio almost gets the third-and-a-mile on a short cross (Steve Spagnuolo totally would have been handing off to Jerious Norwood on that play), but the Falcons will have to punt right after the 2:00 warning.

That punt cruelly (for Atlanta) checks up and runs backwards, barely in bounds, for about ten yards. 1:47 for Eli from his 37. Chris Owens breaks up a perfectly-thrown bomb for Mario Manningham. 10 to Nicks? No, 9, and Eli fires another one for him on 3rd-and-1 that's broken up. The Giants punt it back having held the ball only 31 seconds. It splashes down in the end zone.

Some nice secondary play going on right now. Corey Webster breaks up a sideline pass for White. Then the referees give Tony Gonzalez 10 on a play where he clearly gained less than 10. After that, I don't know what the hell Atlanta's trying to do. Ryan has to scramble on one play, hits Gonzalez for 9 the next, but nobody ever calls either of Atlanta's TWO timeouts. Their brilliant option from there is a Hail Mary the Giants knock down.

That was a Rams-quality two-minute drill right there. 7-2 at halftime.

HALFTIME

Except the one long run by Jacobs, this has been a terrible first half for both offenses. Neither team can run, and a bunch of star wide receivers in this game have become mere rumors. The Giants helped themselves out late in the half by attempting to stretch the field. Atlanta's going to have to get Ryan enough time to do that in the second half. Even if it's not successful, the Falcons need to start trying the deep part of the field, and maybe that opens things up for Turner, or even more for Julio and T-Gonz underneath.

New York can't be naive and think they can pound away with this lead. I'm expecting a healthy amount of play-action. Their first half has really set that up here in the second half. If Eli makes a couple of big play-action plays downfield in the 3rd, that's probably enough to send the Giants to Green Bay.

THIRD QUARTER
Turner pounds out one first down, but gets stuffed on a third straight run, and Ryan has a pass blocked at the line and nearly intercepted. Um, Atlanta, that is NOT the field-stretching I called for at halftime.

Jason-Pierre Paul was injured while diving for that tipped ball. Aaron Ross was also injured and replaced by Prince Amukamara. That's who I was drafting in the first round for the Rams this year, and why I should have been fired at GM like Billy Devaney. Amukamara, when he wasn't injured, was terrible. Ryan has to go right after him. No, he tries to pick on Corey Webster, the best Giants corner, and he breaks up the pass for Roddy White.

I really wonder about Atlanta's game plan here coming out of halftime.

After Victor Cruz drops a play-action pass, Manning throws a perfect ball to Nicks on a dig route for 19 on 3rd-and-8. Manning then overcomes a David Baas holding penalty by dancing out of the pocket on 3rd-and-12 and hitting Cruz over the middle for 22. Ahmad Bradshaw appears to put this game away with a 30-yard burst off a good block by McKenzie. First-and-goal at the 5, but the Falcons get lucky and hold. A perfect pass goes through Jake Ballard's hands in the back of the end zone on 2nd down, and Owens breaks up a pass for Nicks after Abraham flushed Eli for the millionth time on 3rd down. Chip shot FG is the best the Giants can muster. But the Atlanta offense needs to do something NOW.

Giants 10, Atlanta 2

Falcons FINALLY stretch the field with Ryan hitting White in the zone for 20. White then botches a wide-open screen play. White's open in the zone again for 9 on 3rd-and-4. Tricky end-around to Julio for 10. Where's this been all game? But with the Falcons at the NY 30, the Giants force back-to-back incompletions with blitzes. FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THREE STRAIGHT PLAYOFF GAMES, an offense gets caught with 12 men in the huddle. On 3rd-and-now-15, Ryan and White come up a yard short.

The Giants stuff Ryan AGAIN on the QB sneak attempt on 4th-and-1. Start the bus, Atlanta.

Yep, might have wanted to have Turner on the field that last play so the Giants wouldn't know exactly what was coming. The Falcon coaching staff has NOT impressed today.

On 3rd down, Manning just barely escapes Abraham, finds Nicks ALL ALONE over the middle, and Hakeem does the rest, exploits a terrible angle by the safety and zips away from everybody for a 72-yard TD. Start loading the bus, Atlanta.

Giants 17-2

Well, at least the under is looking good for me. Looks like I should have trusted the Giants after all.

The Falcons are continuing to run on 2nd-and-long, and then get stuffed on 3rd down, to give the ball right back. Dammit, this is what I get for not doing enough research. Just dawned on me that Mike Mularkey is their offensive coordinator. What's he been concentrating on all week, coming up with a good game plan or trying to get a better job with another team? Knowing that, I should have been betting on the Giants all the way, because Atlanta's offensive game plan today has been terrible.

This is why you don't let your assistants interview with other teams while you're in the playoffs, people. Same thing happened to the Rams with Lovie Smith in '03.

FOURTH QUARTER
Manning dumps off to Bradshaw for first downs while the Falcons are busy finishing loading the bus. Their pass rush has stopped and their coverage has gotten soft. Easy drive ends in a very expensive, for me, 27-yard TD to Manningham.

Giants 24-2

10 minutes to play, but this thing's over. Time to look ahead.

Goat of the game is Mike Mularkey, who I'd contend cost his team dearly by not concentrating on his job.
If Mularkey's game plan hadn't been such crap, I would have given Star of the Game to Giants DC Perry Fewell, but Hakeem Nicks gets it instead - 5-112 right now, with the first two TDs, the second one breaking the game open.

The Falcons are still in best-player-available mode for next season. They don't have much wrong personnel-wise that an offensive coordinator with a brain wouldn't fix. It looked like they missed Harvey Dahl a little bit on the many short-yardage downs they couldn't convert, but maybe Michael Turner should have been handling the ball more than Matt Ryan on those plays, too.

Les Snead should drop off the Rams' GM list after today, too, though that list has probably been quickly cut to the two Titans' front office people, iykwim. Look at the Falcons' two biggest moves this offseason. Julio Jones a harmless 6-59. And has Ray Edwards' name even been called? Did he even play? I looked up to see if he's hurt but didn't find anything. And the whole Tom-Dimitroff-will-rub-off-on-our-general-manager theory didn't work with Billy Devaney, anyway. Snead can help the Falcons find a stud DT, a cover corner or a Dahl-like mauler at guard in their soon-to-start offseason.

I'm not picking the Giants to beat the Packers next week, but if the any given Sunday rule ever applies, it'll be to that game. The Giants hope to echo with the Packers what they did to the Patriots five years ago. And they definitely have the pass rush to give Aaron Rodgers trouble. But I see next week's game kind of like the Saints-Lions game last night. The Packers have too many weapons for the Giants to account for them all.

On to the Tebowcalypse. I'll update any meaningless scores in this game in the subject header.

NFL.com: Fisher will pick Rams - McDaniels outta here

2012-01-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Jason LaCanfora reports on the NFL.com main page right now that the Rams are still considered the favorite around the league to get Jeff Fisher as their next head coach. Not only that, but he has Saints DC Gregg Williams following Fisher here to be DC. Fisher and Williams have unspecified "deep ties", Williams is a Missouri native, and Williams' contract is up after this season. I actually have Williams pretty high on my imaginary list of head coaching candidates, so that would be a coup.

Then again, that's what we all thought about Josh McDaniels' hiring before this season. He is now officially gone to New England, and to a place in infamy as the offensive coordinator on RamView's All-Worst team, assuming I ever update the website again.

McDaniels has actually started with the Patriots immediately as an assistant, which means the Steelers and Broncos better keep their eyes peeled for illegal cameras in the stands tomorrow night.

In addition, the Eagles fired their secondary coach today, which may open up the opportunity Steve Spagnuolo's been rumored for.

-$-

Wild card playoff: New Orleans 45, Detroit 28

2012-01-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
Detroit gets the ball first, and starts with Kevin Smith gaining 8 on what may be the only handoff of the game. Quick slant to Megatron, and they're to midfield in not even a minute. End-around to Titus Young for 8 more. They're definitely doing everything they can to keep the blitz off Matthew Stafford. Young drops a high fastball on a quick slant. The Lions shoot themselves in the foot with today's second 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty, but Stafford hits Young again for the first down against Jabari Greer. Young vs. Greer AGAIN, for 11 more, and Detroit's basically in the red zone with little resistance from the home defense. Smoke route to Megatron down to the 10. I hope everybody has the over tonight. Easy TD to Will Freaking Heller open in the zone between LBs, and it's Matthew Stafford and the Lions opening up the clinic early in New Orleans.

7-0 Lions

That looked like Aaron Rodgers picking the Saints apart way back on opening night.

And how come Scott Linehan couldn't call plays in St. Louis with 1/1,000th of the skill he just showed here?

Fuck, really, less than five minutes into what's already a great game and we've got to put up with camera shots of Brett Favre? Screw you, NBC.

Drew's turn. 22 to Devery Henderson on a rounded-off dig route. Screen to the fullback for 5. A HANDOFF to Darren Sproles for 14, blasting off RT. Chris Ivory, who looks like Steven Jackson after a few trips through the dryer, up the middle for 9.

Then, uh-oh, it's a fumble by Marques Colston, who's never had the greatest of hands, despite Al Michaels quoting that the Saints only had 6 fumbles all season. Detroit recovers.

A lot of gamblers have already started swallowing hard.

Megatron gets what's going to be a guaranteed 9 yards all night on a quick screen. SCOTT SHANLE stuffs a middle screen to Brandon Pettigrew, the first play by the Saint defense tonight. Another end-around, this one to Nate Burleson, barely gets there on 3rd-and-1, though. Kevin Smith follows that with a 1-yard run, and Linehan has gotten too conservative here. Good 4-man rush by the Saints forces a bad throw on 2nd down, then the Lions take a timeout.

Pettigrew's wide open at midfield, though, on 3rd-and-9. Are the Saints going to cover ANYONE tonight? With ALL NIGHT to throw, Stafford throws a long jump ball for Megatron, but it goes through his arms. He actually jumped too high for it. Roman Harper blows up a draw to Kevin Smith to force another 3rd-and-long. Gregg Williams gets away with a stupid big blitz. Stafford hangs in tough and goes long down the sideline for Megatron but it's broken up.

Gotta dig at Linehan here - the Saints stopped that drive by stopping the run. The OCs can hardly let that be the key tonight.

Brees at his 10. Draw to Sproles for nothing. Really? A long pass off Jimmy Graham creates 3rd-and-long, but the Lions then let Pierre Thomas run through them with a dumpoff for 10. They're going to live to regret that blown play. Now suddenly the Saints are chewing the Lions up on the ground. Thomas through a big hole off LT and a poor tackle in the secondary for 31. Sproles right up the middle for 9. Brees dumps off to Collins the fullback again for 15, and suddenly the Saints are right outside the 10.

And suddenly the first quarter's over. I think that quarter may have taken 15 actual minutes.

SECOND QUARTER
Draw to Sproles down to the 5 as Detroit's season-long inability to stop the run continues. Henderson down to the 3 with tonight's third end-around. From there, Sproles briefly gets clogged up before bouncing outside for the first Saint TD.

7-7

Nice kick return by Stefan Logan gets pulled back to the 13 instead by a penalty. Oof, those hurt. No hint of the Saints even slowing Megatron down yet; Stafford hits him over the middle for 18. Lions convert a 3rd-and-5 with a pass Stafford squeaks to Scheffler through a tip by Jonathan Vilma. Then Smith back up the middle for 9. Linehan's re-found his mojo. Stafford and Burleson burn a blitz for 21 more.

You know what's scary? Despite all the action, this game's nowhere close to a pace of hitting the 59.5 total for the over. Screen to Smith gets Detroit down to the 13. And Megatron beats weak double coverage in the corner of the end zone for the TD from there.

14-7 Lions

Just in time to be rumored as the next defensive coordinator for the Rams (see NFL.com's front page), Gregg Williams hasn't shown me a darn thing so far tonight.

The Saints got 25 yards before I could even look back at the TV, capped by a one-handed sideline beauty of a catch by Jimmy Graham. Detroit then continued to refuse to tackle Thomas, who shredded them for 18 with a screen.

Next play, though, Willie Young whips Zach Strief for a sack/fumble. Detroit ball!

Really? The Saints have been this good all this time with Zach Strief at right tackle?

5:00 left till halftime, and the Lions look like the team in control. Not only are those Saint turnovers killing them, they're killing all of us who took the over.

The Saints manage to force a punt as Al Michaels points out how an inadvertent whistle from the officials prevented the Lions from returning the Brees fumble, which looked to me live like it was going to be a tuck rule call, for a TD. Tony Corrente is tonight's referee. Wasn't his whistle, though; he correctly called the fumble. I think the umpire blew the play dead.

Colston gets the Saints back out to the 43 with a 21-yard catch, then Nick Fairley unbelievably gets away with flinging Thomas down hard after the next play. How do the Lions, one of the most-penalized teams in the league, get away with that? After Ivory grinds out a third-and-short, Brees hits Robert Meachem at the 36 at the 2:00 warning.

Not shockingly, Ndamukong Suh is the big winner of a Suh-vs.-Strief matchup on 3rd-and-1. Brees got outside the pocket, though, and threw the ball away before getting overrun by Suh and two other Lions. That preserved a 4th-and-1, which Ivory just barely converted. Graham gets inside the 20 with :30 left. Sproles gets to the 13 with :20 left as the Saints use their last timeout.

The Saints appear to tie the game with a pass to Colston in the seam, but he didn't control the ball all the way to the ground, a classic version of the call that screwed Megatron in Chicago last year. The Lion defender hit him on the helmet on the way down, though, so the Saints should be getting the ball first-and-goal around the 6, 0:16 left in the half.

Brees gets pressure from Kyle Vanden Bosch and has to throw away the 1st-down pass, and the Lions break up the 2nd-down pass at the goal line. John Kasay hits the chippie to make it 14-10 at halftime, the Lions defense closing the half with what has to be considered a win.

And only 24 total points at the half? Looks like a lot of us will have to consider that a loss

Lions 14-10 at halftime

Colston's definitely the goat of the first half, with a fumble and a dropped TD pass. The Saints should be killing the Lions because they've run as well as they have, but they're killing themselves instead with red zone mistakes. Don't think I change much if I'm the Saints. I'm looking for a big play from Thomas or Sproles to turn the tide of this thing.

Meanwhile, in the coaching upset of the century so far, Scott Linehan is getting the better of, well, anyone, let alone Gregg Williams. Saints need to think about dropping extra men in coverage and dare the Lions to beat them with their non-existent run game.

THIRD QUARTER
Right on cue off my halftime analysis, Thomas blasts off right tackle for 18. Worthless Robert Meachem then drops a PERFECT BOMB from Brees. You know what? He was bracing for the hit from Louis Delmas. Ivory through a huge hole up the middle for 19. Who needs to pass when you're the Running Saints? Brees then puts everything back to normal in Saint Nation with a perfect 41-yard bomb to Henderson.

Saints 17-14

There's the Saint offense we've been waiting for all night. Will the Lions respond?

Megatron opens the drive wide-open for 20. He's so much better than everyone else tonight it's almost gotten boring. The Lions get a holding penalty, though, Stafford gets away with what I thought was obvious grounding on 2nd-and-long, and it's just a dumpoff to Burleson on 3rd. Won't blame Linehan for a change; that holding penalty really hurt the Lions, could even be the unlikely turning point of the game.

Is Spike Lee relevant other than being an old rich guy who goes to sporting events?

After Cliff Avril blows up an attempted naked bootleg for a loss, Brees hits Colston for 11.00000000001 on 3rd-and-11. Not-worthless Robert Meachem saves Brees' ass at midfield by breaking up what would have been a pick-six for Eric Wright. But of all the improbabilities, the Lions stop the Saints twice in a row with one yard to go after they stuff Ivory on 3rd-and-1. The Saints go for it FROM THEIR OWN 39 on 4th-and-1, and Brees' leaping attempt gets them a key first down. Thomas breaks his millionth tackle of the night to get the Saints another first down at midfield on a reception. The Lion pass rush seems to be dying off. Brees steps up into a solid pocket and hits Colston for 40 inside the 5, and hits Graham for the TD the next play when nobody in Honolulu blue and silver remembers to cover him out wide.

Saints 24-14

Lions appear to be on their last chance here with about 4:00 left in the third. Gee, guess who gets them back into the game. 15 to Megatron. 21 to Megatron. Gregg Williams blitzes big AGAIN when a blitz hasn't gotten to Stafford all night, and Megatron embarrasses the shit out of Malcolm Jenkins and Greer for 42 yards inside the 5. They weren't covering Megatron as much as they were following him around like little puppies. The Saints stop Detroit twice before Stafford rolls right, ignores I think Heller in the back of the end zone and dives at the pylon for an apparent TD run. It'll have to stand up to replay, though; his knee was closer to being down than it looked on the live play.

Corrente says it counts. The call looks right on Zapruder-vision slo-mo. HELL of a good call by the head linesman.

Saints 24-21

Brees gets forever and a day and hits Graham for 8 as the third quarter ends. The Saints will face a huge 3rd-and-2.

FOURTH QUARTER
Brees hits Meachem to keep the Lion offense off the field. Another clutch conversion, on 3rd-and-8, to Colston across midfield. The Lion pass rush seems to have completely died. At the 40, Sproles sprints outside left to convert a 4th-and-2, barely. Thomas then breaks his ten-millionth tackle of the night on a 8-yard run. The Saints appear to be on their way to the death blow. On a bad underthrow by Brees inside the 10, a Lion defensive back blows an interception for the THIRD time tonight.

Sproles beats a LB one-on-one for 11 on 3rd-and-2. Start the bus, Detroit.

Sproles wriggles through a not-very-big hole on the left side (not that he needs one) and sprints in untouched for a 17-yard TD. The Saints have decidedly taken over the line of scrimmage and the game.

Saints 31-21

A blitz pays off for the first time all night for Williams. Stafford gets his arm hooked just a little on a bomb for Young, and Greer comes away with the INT. Start packing the bus, Detroit.

On 2nd-and-17, a blown coverage leaves Meachem wide open for a 56-yard TD bomb from Brees, and this thing is over.

Saints 38-21

And hey, we got to the over/under line! If the Lions can only add on a cheap TD for the cover, I'll have had a perfect game.

Meanwhile, it's again time for the look-ahead. For Star of the Game, I have to go the obvious route with Brees. 32-41, 425 yards, 3 TDs with half the fourth quarter still to go. (Big) Easy sell for me there.

Who dat gonna beat dem Saints? I'm contractually obligated to pick them next week in San Francisco because I predicted a Saints-Ravens Super Bowl, but if I were putting money on it, I'd have to pick the 49ers. The Saints were pretty sloppy tonight and will be going up against a 49er team with a much better defense and a much better running game than what the Lions have. Not that I'm rooting for it at all, but I'm expecting a 49er win next week.

The Lions' biggest need after tonight would appear to be...

We interrupt this look ahead for yet another Megatron TD. Nice! I've hit the over and the cover. And THE EXACT SCORE I predicted yesterday. Spooooooooooky. 4:45 left.

... defensive backs with decent hands. They get Mikel Leshoure back next season, so that's kind of a free draft pick on a RB. Depthwise, for the second straight game I've been wondering where the losing team's OLBs were all day. Their run defense was poor all season, and they came up well short in pass rush tonight. They'd be a terrifying offense if they added another WR, but it'd be much more sensible for Detroit's 2012 draft to be defense-only.

Brees puts the cherry on that argument and his Star of the Game award with another bomb to Meachem inside the 5, getting him to 466 yards. Thomas scores from the 1, Greer scores his 2nd INT of Stafford on the ensuing possession, and we're on to New Jersey tomorrow.

Saints 45-28

Oh well, what I lost on the cover, I made back on the over.

-$-

Wild-card playoff: Houston 31, Cincinnati 10

2012-01-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

FIRST QUARTER
Man, I knew I should have picked against the Texans here. T.J. Yates misses a wide-open Andre Johnson by half-a-mile on a crossing pattern to end a 3-and-out, then the idiot Houston fans - they've kept the Reliant Stadium dome shut to hold in the noise - give Andy Dalton a huge ovation. Who do you people want to win? Dalton then outdoes Yates by missing a screen pass as badly as Yates blew the middle pass earlier. I'm guessing this game is not going to rival the Lions-Saints game tonight for offensive explosiveness.

Bengals d-line takes over the line of scrimmage, with Geno Atkins turning the center into a blocking sled to blow up an Arian Foster run, and Jonathan Fanene blocking a 3rd-down pass. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of ex-Ram punter Matt Turk today then.

Good call by Jay Gruden, and good call by the back judge, on the bomb to A.J. Green that drew a 52-yard DPI penalty and put the Bengals in the red zone. I can't believe Clete Blakeman got drawn for a playoff game, btw. His is the crew that spotted the ball so poorly two weeks ago I thought they were dyslexic.

BRIAN LEONARD nearly scores a TD on a screen pass before Cedric Benson plows through easily from the 2 to put the Bengals ahead. My postseason picks are wrong already!

7-0 Cincinnati.

And momentum swings right back. Foster sparks Houston with a big cutback run that appeared to be stuffed for a loss. Yates, who may finally have settled down, hits Owen Daniels for 21, and Reggie Nelson adds 15 by hitting him high. You're supposed to see what you hit, right? Nelson didn't, and earned the foul. Foster sweeps in from 8 yards out, behind nice blocks by the LT and the TE, to tie the game. Gee, I wish the Rams had a tight end who could block.

7-7.

Bengals benefit from the first questionable spot of the day on a 2nd-and-1 Bernard Scott run. Demeco Ryans stopped him well short but Cincinnati was given the first down. The stoked Houston crowd draws a false start, but Green overcomes it with a third-down conversion across midfield as the 1st quarter ends.

7-7 after one.

SECOND QUARTER
Someone either butterfly that screaming Geico piglet open and barbecue it, or do the same thing to the moron at the advertising firm responsible for getting it on TV. Thanks. I'll take a rib.

Dalton-to-Green strikes again to get Cincinnati into FG position, but Mike Nugent fades a 50-yarder wide right. Brooks Reed's sack of Dalton the play before saved the Texans 3 points.

Houston doesn't do much to capitalize - they empty the backfield on 3rd-and-6 and basically invite the Bengal blitz that forces a poor pass from Yates. Sploosh goes Turk's punt in the end zone.

Hey, there's Andrew Hawkins for Cincinnati. About this time five months ago, he was getting cut by the Rams after the first day of training camp. Now he's playing in a playoff game. Who won that exchange?

Something interesting, yet not too surprising: the Blakeman crew is having one of its spots challenged. Wow, they actually got one right. Dalton sneaks across on 3rd-and-a-foot to make it moot. That's actually a puzzling challenge by Marvin Lewis.

Dalton pump-fakes the crap out of the Texans, sprints out of the pocket and hits Donald Lee over the middle for a 36-yard gain. Antonio Smith stupidly adds on a late hit to put the Bengals in the red zone. No movement from the 20 for Cincinnati, though. A.J. Green gets away with OPI to save Dalton an INT and Leonard gets nowhere with a shovel pass. Nugent hits from 37 for the lead.

Bengals 10-7.

Yates hits Owen Daniels short over the middle on 3rd-and-4 to convert Houston's first third down of the game. Maybe. Cincinnati's players really think it's incomplete, or possibly an interception, and Lewis challenges the play. It's their last challenge of the game, making you really wonder about Lewis blowing that challenge earlier. It's a very tough call.

Referees get it correct on further review. Daniels has possession, then Howard comes through trying to scrape it away, but Daniels is already down with possession by then. Good call by the refs both times.

Yates floats one to Andre Johnson at the sideline at the Bengal 25 to convert a 3rd-and-long. Manny Lawson does a nice job to blow up a screen pass at the 2:00 warning, leaving Houston another 3rd-and-long just outside the red zone. The Bengals get away with a STUPID blitz call when Kelly Jennings breaks up an end zone pass for Johnson. Neil Rackers squeaks it through from about 40 for the tie.

10-10.

Bengals with 1:48 to make it happen before halftime. Thanks to the earlier and failed challenges, they have only one timeout. Dalton scrambles for 15 at about the 1:00 mark, then, the next play, WHAAAAAAA?

J.J. Watt swallows up a pass at the line of scrimmage and returns it 29 yards for a defensive TD for Houston. Excellent athletic play by the rookie. On the other hand, I have no idea who Dalton thought he was throwing to. Houston had that side of the field blanketed.

That play has all the makings of a turning point of the game.

Texans 17-10.

Cincinnati looks like they're running the clock out, but after about a 20-yard draw by Leonard, Lewis calls a timeout to set up one last play with :08 left. That ends with Watt sacking Dalton, and Houston riding into the locker room with momentum aplenty.

HALFTIME

I criticized the Bengals for blitzing earlier, but I think Mike Zimmer better release the hounds in the 2nd half, because Yates has appeared to settle down. Foster has run pretty successfully, though, so Houston's got the opportunity to take the blitzing weapon out of Cincinnati's hands. If you had Brian Leonard as the Bengals' leading rusher at halftime, btw, step up and claim your prize.

Since they're not my team, I'll go out on a limb and risk their luck here. This should be Houston's game to polish off. They can run on offense and they've forced Cincinnati out of their running game.

THIRD QUARTER
I liked that Cincinnati came out of halftime with two runs, but Antonio Smith, who's having an excellent game, blew Benson up on the second one, and the Bengals are losing their composure now, with a penalty for 12 men in the huddle and a Martzian timeout barely a minute into the quarter. Dalton better get them a first down this play. Nope. Smith comes up big again, flushes Dalton, and Leonard doesn't get too far with the dumpoff.

Now it's the Bengal defense that needs to come up big. Foster covers 17 yards on two runs with the Texans o-line dominating, but then Houston goes to the pass, comes up empty on 2nd down, and the Bengals drop Yates with a corner blitz on 3rd down. Didn't count on Houston to be too dumb to stay with what's working.

Antonio Smith continues to own Nate Livings, which actually isn't a big surprise, and Smith sacks Dalton to end a promising Bengal drive that had gotten out to midfield. Houston gets away with the blitz on 3rd-and-long but not with the block in the back on the punt return, drawn by Leonard.

Houston opens the next drive with a pretty play, a 13-yard screen to Foster beating a blitz by Manny Lawson and Chris Crocker. After Foster gets the Texans to midfield, Crocker BLOWS an interception, and Yates beats a blitz and finds Johnson for a 1st down on 3rd-and-6. 2:08 left in the 3rd. I think Cincinnati's running out of time; they'd better make a play soon.

Cincinnati's blitzing heavily like I thought they'd have to, but it's not getting there, and Yates makes them pay with a 40-yard TD to Johnson, who beats the snot out of Pac-Man Jones with a double-move. Yes, Jones was shaken up a couple of plays earlier, but he's having a terrible game nonetheless. Foster ran through him on Houston's first TD and he's been terrible against the run all game.

Looks like Houston's heading to Baltimore to me.

Texans 24-10.

Hooray for Andre Johnson, btw, appearing in the first playoff game of his 9-year career.

Jerome Simpson literally hurdles his way to a 16-yard gain, followed by Jermaine Gresham's first catch, for 10, getting Cincinnati to midfield as the quarter expires.

FOURTH QUARTER
Houston takes care of that momentum with their fourth sack. Dalton misses an open deep connection to Simpson, then hits Gresham for 16, and....

CINCINNATI'S NOT PUNTING ON 4th-and-3, ARE THEY?

And now Houston's calling timeout? Is it because they can't believe Lewis isn't going for it?

I believe TMQ is writing "Game over" in his notebook right about now.

NO - the STUPID timeout by Houston gave Cincinnati time to re-think their decision, and they're going for it. Dalton, though, doesn't have anyone open downfield, gets pressured, and throws a desperation pass for Green in triple coverage that former Bengal Jonathan Joseph STUPIDLY intercepts instead of knocking down, costing the Texans 25-30 yards of field position.

I'll tell you one thing I haven't seen tonight: a team capable of winning in the next round.

The Bengals let Foster get outside for 6 on 3rd-and-5 to keep the clock moving. Tate runs to midfield as the Texans are close to dealing the Bengals the death blow. A strange 3rd-and-5 call, though, a pitch left to fullback James Casey, forces a punt. Cincinnati's failure to stop that first Foster sweep, though, cost them six minutes of game clock, and Turk's punt pins them inside the 10 with about 7:30 left.

The Bengals only have the ball two plays when a Dalton overthrow is picked off by Danieal Manning just short of midfield. Start the bus.

Foster goes around right end for a much too easy 42-yard TD run to stick a fork in the Bengals and screws the hell out of those of us who had the under. Start loading the bus. Foster has 153 yards tonight.

Texans 31-10

We've officially reached the look-ahead portion of game coverage. Foster was excellent, but that last TD wasn't really an important play. Since I can't pick out a single defensive player to give the award to, let's give the Star of the Game to Wade Phillips. Houston took Benson out of the game, forced huge turnovers, and Green didn't catch a pass in the 2nd half until there were about 3:00 left. Excellent total defensive effort.

I don't really see a T.J. Yates-led offense having much of a chance in Baltimore next week, though. Houston has a good offensive line, but I don't know if it's good enough to take care of Haloti Ngata.

Cincinnati's got a lot of good pieces to build on. I might look at outside linebackers first for next year if I were them. They got run on too easily tonight, and from watching several Bengals games this year, especially against tougher competition (and Cinci's 0-8 now against winning teams), they just don't get enough plays from OLB. Livings is a real weak link in that offensive line from what I've seen, and they should go after a 3rd WR who's a serious big-play threat to group with Green and Simpson. They get Leon Hall back next season, and if Carlos Dunlap can stay healthy, too, the Bengals are a team that has really reached re-loading mode.

On to New Orleans.

Rams report, 1/7

2012-01-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

* GM watch.
Add two members of the Ttians front office to the Rams' GM candidate list: Lake Dawson and Ruston Webster. If that isn't a sign the Rams think they're getting Jeff Fisher as head coach, I don't know what is.

* Head coach watch.
The Rams approached University of Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian about their head coaching job but he reportedly wasn't interested. What kind of choice was that, anyway? Washington went a big 7-6 this year under Sarkisian - he's 19-19 overall - and they just gave up about a billion points to Baylor in the "Alamo Bowl". Mike Bellotti would have been the the coach from that conference to interview.

Man, if the Rams don't get Jeff Fisher - odds right now are supposedly 50-50 - I fear who they're going to end up with. Ray Horton? Steve Sarkisian?

If it's Marty Mornhinweg, I'm outta here, I can say that.

Peter King reports - again, no one locally capable of digging this information up - that Fisher will be in St. Louis tomorrow to tour Rams Park. King also believes that if money's the key, Stephen Ross is definitely going to outbid Stan Kroenke. We'll see about that - Stan made it happen last year when it looked like getting Josh McDaniels was a good idea. And Howard Balzer has reported for 101.1 ESPN that Fisher is actually on the verge of choosing the Rams, and could do so yet this weekend. That was reported before the news came out that Fisher's visiting Rams Park tomorrow. So maybe local reporters got the scoop for a change.

* Ex-Rams watch.
McDaniels appears to be well on his way to returning to the Patriots as offensive coordinator. They already know he's good with a camera, so he should fit right back in. But talk about failing up. He'll be infinitely better off in Foxborough. With veteran players who already know how to run "his" system, McDaniels won't need to be mentally agile enough to make adjustments he didn't have the sense to make here this past season. And in Bill Belichick he'll be working for a head coach engaged enough in the offense to shoot down egregious mistakes like game plans that involve emptying Steven Jackson out of the backfield all game and telling the defense every time you're passing.

I won't wish McDaniels good luck at New England. He has Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. He doesn't need any.

Steve Spagnuolo has also supposedly already received several offers from other teams. Doesn't he still get paid by the Rams if he doesn't work this coming season?

-$-

Aeneas Williams, Greene, Bettis among HoF finalists

2012-01-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

The finalists for consideration for the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class have been named.
There are 15 modern-day players and two Seniors Committee nominees:

Jerome Bettis
Kevin Greene
Aeneas Williams
Tim Brown
Jack Butler (Seniors Committee)
Cris Carter
Dermontti Dawson
Edward DeBartolo Jr.
Chris Doleman
Charles Haley
Cortez Kennedy
Curtis Martin
Bill Parcells
Andre Reed
Willie Roaf
Will Shields
Dick Stanfel (Seniors Committee)

Bettis is a finalist for the second straight year.
Williams and Greene are finalists for the first time.
All the finalists who weren't inducted last year are back as finalists this year.

I'd like to congratulate almost everyone on this list, but the voting committee disgraced the Hall of Fame, the NFL, the sport of football and themselves by elevating criminal scumbag and relentless NFL rules violator Edward DeBartolo to finalist status. The Baseball Hall of Fame won't allow the sport's all-time hits leader in, and probably won't receive the current all-time home runs leader, either, once he becomes eligible, because they were rules-breakers and/or law-breakers. But the football writers will allow dirtbags like DeBartolo, who broke the law and repeatedly cheated on the league's salary cap rules, to edge closer and closer to the Hall. I don't get it. What, is he bribing a bunch of voters like he bribed the governor of Louisiana?

Yes, I know the Hall of Fame has the bust of a double murderer in there, something else they really need to fix.

The 2012 induction class will be voted on February 4th. I'll stick with my guesses from last time:
Bettis, Carter, Martin, Parcells and Roaf. Having learned that Stanfel was a past finalist, let's add him, too.

-$-

Rams report, 1/6

2012-01-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Let the "according to"s begin!

* Head coach watch.
According to Adam Schefter, Jeff Fisher will decide between the Rams and the Dolphins next week. Doesn't appear that any other team is getting in the race. Miami's got the better talent base to build from, but Fisher would have more influence in the Rams' power structure. We'll see what he wants.

If it's not Fisher, Jim Thomas tweeted last night that it won't be Mike Martz or Brian Billick. If the bridge is burned between Martz and St. Louis, I get that, but if he were identified to you as "Coach A", he'd be getting interviews everywhere.

Coach A: 85-53 (.624), 3-4 postseason, 3 winning seasons, 1 .500 season, 2 losing seasons, successful offensive coordinator
Coach B: 142-120 (.542), 5-6 postseason, 6 winning seasons, 5 .500 seasons, 5 losing seasons, successful defensive coordinator
Coach C: 80-64 (.556), 5-3 postseason, Super Bowl championship, 5 winning seasons, 1 .500 season, 3 losing seasons, successful offensive coordinator

A is Martz, B is Jeff Fisher, C is Billick. Unless Billick said at some point he isn't interested in the Rams job, I think it's irresponsible to just drop the guy from the list. His offense as Minnesota's OC in the late 90s set many of the records the Greatest Show on Earth broke. He's hired great staffs. When he lost Marvin Lewis as his DC, who did he hire? Rex Ryan. It's been four years since he coached, but he's getting paid by NFL Network to watch tape all day. I think he's got the record of success and has stayed connected enough to the game to at least merit an interview. (On the Rams' side of the argument, Billick hasn't received interest from anyone else.)

There is a report, I believe from Adam Schefter, that the Rams have asked Arizona for permission to interview their defensive coordinator, Ray Horton. My only reaction to this is that Todd Bowles must have turned them down for the Rooney Rule interview. I think Horton would be a TERRIBLE fit for the Rams. Think Spagnuolo, only worse. NO head coaching experience. Only ONE YEAR as a defensive coordinator. And he's a 3-4 DC, so you're taking your three most promising defensive players - Long, Laurinaitis and Quinn - and setting their development back.

One of the pluses I hope for if Fisher is hired is that he turns Quinn into the next "Freak". Another is that it strongly appears that he won't want to keep Josh McDaniels.

Interviewing Horton while never even putting Martz or Billick on your list makes little sense to me.

And sorry for my sloppy reporting; the Rams have not asked the Dolphins for permission to interview Todd Bowles, but have "expressed interest".

* GM watch.
Scratch Eric DeCosta (Baltimore) off everybody's lists. He has agreed to stay with the Ravens. (JT)

The Rams' list at this time appears to be:
Les Snead, Falcons director of pro personnel
Brian Gaine, Dolphins DPP
Tom Telesco, Colts DPP
Ryan Grigson, Eagles DPP
Steve Keim, Big Dead DPP
and another new contender: Joey Clinkscales, Jets VP of college scouting.

* Don't let the door hit you on the way out watch.
Albert Breer reports on NFL.com that the Patriots have requested permission to interview Josh McDaniels. McDaniels has reportedly asked out of his contract with the Rams, who, not shockingly, are prepared to accommodate him. McDaniels would replace Bill O'Brien, who has taken the head coaching job at Penn State.

* Former Rams watch.
As with Chris Johnson, this has been a tragic time for former Rams linebacker Chris Draft, who recently lost his wife Keasha to lung cancer at the far too young age of 38. Chris and Keasha had gotten married a month before Keasha's passing. Belated prayers and condolences to the Draft family.

Ex-Rams signings:
Mardy Gilyard has signed with the Eagles.
The Panthers signed Roger Allen.
The Dolphins signed Jonathan Wade.
The Raiders signed Terrail Lambert.
Gentleman Chris Adams with the Vikings (practice squad signing);
Travon Bellamy with the Redskins (same deal).

* Playoff watch.
Crap, I forgot to make picks for this weekend. Here they are, likely to be worth the paper they're printed on:
- Texans 20, Bengals 17, but I am counting on a healthy Andre Johnson and a healthy Wade Phillips, and actually rooting for the Bengals.
- Saints 38, Lions 28, with the weird feeling the Lions can stay even closer.
- Falcons 24, Giants 21. I can't trust the Giants. And my coin came up Atlanta.
- Steelers 13, Broncos 9. First defensive touchdown wins.

Not certain if I'll live-blog this weekend's games. I'd like to at least do some kind of game summary.

-$-

Rams report, 1/5

2012-01-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

* Fishing for Fisher. Jeff Fisher will interview today in Denver for a head coaching job. Wow, I had no idea the Broncos were unhappy with John Fox. He got them to the playoffs his first season! What will this mean for Tim Tebow?......

Oh. Stan Kroenke will interview Fisher for the Rams' job today. In Denver. Always glad to see the owner's pride in the home town. Well, he can't be bothered to come to home games, can't be bothered to be here in person to fire the old coaching staff, what did I expect?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim Thomas tweeted Thursday night that the interview was held in Denver to avoid a potential "media circus" in St. Louis. A media circus? St. Louis? Three guys with tape recorders would be a media circus?

* GM search. According to ESPN, the Rams have asked Indianapolis for permission to interview director of player personnel Tom Telesco. And PFW reports they have received permission from the Eagles to interview DPP Ryan Grigson. The Bears are interested in Telesco and two other names on the Rams' list, Ravens DPP Eric DeCosta and Falcons DPP Les Snead. DeCosta is considered the favorite to get the job in Chicago. And to make this a nice, tidy circle, the Colts are interested in Snead and Grigson.

Chris Mortensen now says we can add Cardinals DPP Steve Keim to the Rams' list. Good grief, this GM search is becoming a real cattle call. I'm getting a little insulted I haven't been invited to interview for the job yet.

-$-

Rams report, 1/4

2012-01-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

* GM search:
The first names on the Rams' list to become the next general manager have gone public. The Rams have asked for permission to interview Falcons director of pro personnel Les Snead and Ravens director of pro personnel Eric DeCosta. Jason LaCanfora says the Rams have already interviewed Dolphins DPP Brian Gaine. More great local reporting.

* HC search:
The Rams are expected to interview Dolphins interim head coach Todd Bowles. Interviewing Bowles would satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule, but he's already interviewed to keep his job in Miami, and he was on the Rams' candidate list in 2009, but talks never reached the formal interview stage. In other words, it's worthwhile to interview Bowles; his name's been out there for a while.

Miami reporters seem to think Stephen Ross charmed the pants off Jeff Fisher with the whole helicopter ride business. Ross also says he will not be outbid for Fisher. Fisher may or may not have issues with the Dolphins' front office structure, i.e. he won't get to pick who his general manager will be. As a non-Fisher fan, I'm starting to smell a rat with the whole let-the-coach-pick-the-GM idea. I'd have hired my GM first. Rumors from Dallas have Jerry Jones re-thinking that whole vote of confidence in Jason Garrett, so the Fisher bidding could become a billionaire triple-threat steel cage match before it's all over.

* Injury report:
- Steven Jackson's arm is fine. He left Sunday's season finale due to a biceps injury. Not knowing more than that, you had to worry that he tore the thing and would be out for a long time. Howard Balzer reports that the issue was a minor nerve injury. Jackson's arm briefly went numb. Balzer also reports that Justin King had his shoulder operated on last week and that Rodger Saffold is ahead of schedule rehabbing his torn pectoral, and should be back in April or May.

* Travel report:
Jackson said in a radio interview this week that he's planning to visit South America this offseason. Not to be outdone, James Laurinaitis and Sam Bradford will be in Kuwait Super Bowl Sunday to watch the big game with U.S. troops.

Yeah, suddenly my big Branson weekend doesn't sound so exciting any more.

-$-

Rams report, 1/3

2012-01-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

* Afternoon updates:
The Dolphins interviewed Jeff Fisher TODAY. He flew into Miami in a helicopter with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Fisher interviews with the Rams later this week. Stan Kroenke better have some cool transportation options ready, though about all we have around here is the original Bigfoot monster truck. (PFW, ESPN)

A.J. Smith and Norv Turner are staying in San Diego. (ESPN)
Andy Reid is staying in Philadelphia (ESPN).
Several sources have reported that Mike Martz has resigned in Chicago. Wasn't his contract up anyway?
Also, Dallas says today they're not changing their current general manager. That would be Jerry Jones. (ESPN)
The Buccaneers will interview former Packers HC Mike Sherman. (PFW)

-$$-

* Transactions. The Rams have extended 2012 contracts to their practice squad players: DT Cornell Banks, C Tim Barnes, CB Kendric Burney, WR John Chiles, TE Demarco Cosby, DT John Henderson, OT Ryan McKee and RB Chase Reynolds.

* Coaching carousel. The Indianapolis Star reported today that the Colts have reached out to Jeff Fisher for their head coaching job even though they haven't fired Jim Caldwell yet. Historical note: Elvis' final concert before his (rumored) death was in Indianapolis.

Fisher remains the only known name on the Rams' candidate list at this moment. Interviews expected around the league:
Miami: Fisher, Todd Bowles, Bears ST coach Dave Taub
Tampa: former Rams corner and current Titans DC Jerry Gray.
Jacksonville has asked permission to talk to: Rod Chudzinski (Carolina), Bill O'Brien (New England), Mike McCoy (Denver), and for some reason, Brian Schottenheimer (Jets). All offensive coordinators. Chudzinski can flat-out develop QBs and tops RamView's list of coaching candidates without previous head coaching experience.

* Front office carousel. The Bears fired Jerry Angelo as their general manager today. Seems there will be plenty of "name" candidates out there for the Rams' GM job.

* Draft buzz. In a game RamView criminally failed to record last night, Oklahoma State beat Stanford, 41-38. Justin Blackmon caught 8 passes for 186 yards, scored 3 TDs, and repeated his intention to enter the 2012 draft (despite the very real possibility of becoming a Ram). His TDs were 43, 67 and 17 yards.

Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus has also declared for the draft. Mercilus has plenty going for him besides possibly the best last name ever for a DE. He led the nation in sacks this season with 16 and tied Simeon Rice's school record. He also set a conference record for forced fumbles, with 9, and led the conference in tackles-for-loss with 22.5. He won the Hendricks Award for best defensive end and was a consensus first-team All-America. Illinois lists him at 6'4", 265. Since college programs typically lie about that kind of thing, his size may be a concern in the NFL. I do know from watching him that the guy can speed rush, he can bull rush, and his motor never quits. DE may be at the bottom of the Rams' needs list this year, so I don't expect to see Mercilus in a Rams uniform. He'd be a great rotational DE, though.

Little Elvis in the building

2012-01-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

SI's Peter King is reporting that Jeff Fisher will interview for the Rams' head coaching job later this week.

No one locally can report this stuff first hand; I guess St. Louis' idea of professional reporting is reading other people's tweets. Reminder: I am not remotely a professional.

Besides his qualifications I mentioned in my post lambasting him last week, Fisher's also reportedly good friends with John Shaw, who's believed to be advising Stan Kroenke.

Might as well start preparing for the Fisher era in St. Louis. Yay, we'll be the losers running fake punts in preseason!

Update: then again, Adam Schefter reported on ESPN that Fisher also will interview with the Miami Dolphins this week.

-$-

Spagnuolo era over

2012-01-02T07:50:00.001-08:00

The Rams, through a statement by owner Stan Kroenke, have officially confirmed that head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney have been fired this morning.

Spagnuolo finishes his Rams career with a 2-14 season and a 10-38 record overall.

Distressingly, Josh McDaniels remains under contract for the 2012 season. I already question the judgment of a regime that wouldn't can him after his atrocious performance in 2011. None of the other assistant coaches are being retained as of now, but the new head coach will be encouraged to interview them. McDaniels' is an interesting situation. He has a bunch of players lining up in support, including Sam Bradford, Steven Jackson, Brandon Lloyd and Danny Amendola. He also may very easily have opportunities to OC for the Chiefs or Patriots. I would hope any head coach the Rams hire would have the sense not to get stuck with a blooming idiot at OC and would instead bring in his own man. Otherwise it would be like Spagnuolo keeping Steve Loney, times ten.

More assuringly, Dick Vermeil and Marshall Faulk will be involved in the head coach/general manager searches as part of an advisory committee.

Stan Kroenke's full statement from this morning is up now on the stlouisrams.com blog page.

“I would like to personally thank Steve and Billy for their dedication to the St. Louis Rams organization over the past several seasons. This was a difficult decision for many reasons. We have tremendous respect for Steve and Billy as people and football professionals. No one individual is to blame for this disappointing season and we all must hold ourselves accountable. However, we believe it’s in the best interest of the St. Louis Rams to make theses changes as we continue our quest to build a team that consistently competes for playoffs and championships. We wish Steve, Billy and their families the very best in the future and thank them again for their commitment to our organization and the city of St. Louis.”

-$-

Coaching carousel, 1/2

2012-01-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

Besides Steve Spagnuolo, Raheem Morris has also been fired today, by the Buccaneers.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Jeff Fisher was spotted at the Bucs' hotel in Atlanta this weekend, though his alibi would be that he was in Atlanta to see his son play for Auburn in the "Chick-fil-A Bowl".

Norv Turner at San Diego and Jim Caldwell in Indianapolis are the likeliest additional possibilities to be fired today.

And, if you're a team looking for a GM, a rather surprising firing in Indianapolis today has made Bill Polian available.

-$-

Coaching carousel, 12/31

2011-12-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

Quick hits from the coaching rumor mill:

* Jon Gruden told the Tampa Tribune today that he's "staying put" at ESPN. "I love my job and I'll be back at ESPN with the guys. I'm not going anywhere." The article did not address recent scathing comments directed at Gruden by former NFL head of officials Mike Pereira, but the MNF crew is covering the Outback Bowl for ESPN on Monday. Will be interesting to hear if Gruden has anything to say during the broadcast.

* The San Diego Union-Tribune says that the Chargers are "all but certain" to fire Norv Turner next week. I don't know what to think about Turner. He could be extremely useful to the Rams working with Sam Bradford. But I really don't want him within a 39-and-a-half-foot pole of the head coaching job.

* The Titans could be an unexpected participant in the annual offseason job fair. Penn State has reportedly targeted their head coach, Mike Munchak, to replace Joe Paterno. An ESPN.com article today reports Munchak's "heart is torn" between staying in Tennessee or returning to help his troubled alma mater.

-$-

Rams 2012 free agents

2011-12-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

Unrestricted:

TE Billy Bajema
G Jacob Bell
LB Chris Chamberlain
WR Mark Clayton

QB A.J. Feeley
T Adam Goldberg
P Donnie Jones
LB Bryan Kehl
WR Brandon Lloyd
RB Jerious Norwood

LB Brady Poppinga
KR Quinn Porter
RB Cadillac Williams

Wow, I don't know how many of these players would even be worth the effort to keep.
Lloyd says he's gone if Josh McDaniels is gone, which I have to admit I'm rooting for.
The best player after him on this list is probably Chamberlain.
Neither Bell nor Goldberg is starting quality. Poppinga doesn't really make enough plays.
Cadillac ran all right, but the Rams need to get younger at RB.
And I'm way over Donnie Jones.

Other low-hanging fruit:
Craig Dahl's contract is voidable for 2012; he's due for 1.2 million.
Jason Smith is due for $10 million in 2012; $12 million in 2013.

Restricted:
DE C.J. Ah You
WR Danny Amendola
FB Brit Miller

Exclusive Rights:
DT Jermelle Cudjo
ST Dominique Curry
S Darian Stewart

Stewart and Amendola are obviously keepers and could be worth extending longer deals to.
Stewart needs to get a heck of a lot better as a downfield tackler, though. Almost all the big runs against the Rams this season have been largely his fault.

Undisclosed:
QB Tom Brandstater
QB Kellen Clemens
LB Justin Cole
CB Josh Gordy
FB BEN GUIDUGLI
CB Rod Hood
T Kevin Hughes
DB Brian Jackson
CB Marquis Johnson
CB Justin King
T Mark LeVoir
G Brian Mattison
TE Mike McNeill
PR Nick Miller
DB Nate Ness
LB David Nixon
CB Chris Smith
TE Stephen SPACH
OL Thomas Welch
OL Tony Wragge

Rotoworld lacks details on these players' contracts, but I can't imagine any of them have deals past this season. There's a handful of keepers.
Gordy, Hood and Johnson would all be good to have as secondary depth.
Mattison's outplayed every other Rams guard but Harvey Dahl. He deserves a chance to start in '12.
I prefer Clemens at QB2 to Feeley.
And of course I'm eager to see GUIDUGLI in action tomorrow. This franchise has set the bar awful low, but I believe he's a player who could help out a lot next year at fullback.

More importantly than any of these players, Chris Long and James Laurinaitis are scheduled for free agency after the 2012 season. Whoever's the GM better make contract extensions for the Rams' two best defensive players his first order of business.

-$-

Rams 2012 opponents

2011-12-31T13:38:00.000-08:00

Time to start looking ahead:

Home:
Arizona (8-8)
San Francisco (13-3)
Seattle (7-9)
Green Bay (15-1)
Minnesota (3-13)
New England (13-3)
New York Jets (8-8)
Washington (5-11)

Away:
Arizona (8-8)
San Francisco (13-3)
Seattle (7-9)
Buffalo (5-11)
Chicago (8-8)
Detroit (10-6)
Miami (7-9)
Tampa Bay (4-12)

There's obviously little threat of the Rams having a prime-time game on any network next season. Also, with Green Bay playing here, we might as well just start calling this schedule 9 road games and 7 home games right now. Any chance we could get those Miami and Tampa Bay games in December for some juicy road-trip opportunities?

Is it too much to ask for a 5-11 record at worst out of this schedule? The home side of the slate is pretty damn tough, but there are also some soft-looking road opponents.

-$-

College all-star schedule: NO CACTUS BOWL?

2011-12-31T10:32:00.000-08:00

The regular season may be ending soon, but as we fans of the Rams have learned all too well in recent years, missing out on the playoffs doesn't mean there isn't meaningful football to watch. I speak of course of the college all-star games, which I'll do as much as humanly possible again to cover this year.

* The East-West Shrine Game will kick things off. NFL Network will have it at 3 Central on January 21st.

* The Senior Bowl is the following Sunday, January 28th at 3 Central. I expect NFL Network will again broadcast coverage of most of the practices leading up to the game.

* There's something called the Casino del Sol All-Star Game January 16th in Tucson. Only way to see it besides being there, though, is to have Fox Sports Arizona.

* Tragically, the Cactus Bowl is NOT BEING HELD in 2012 due to lack of sponsorship. Dammit, my favorite college all-star game going down the tubes?

* The Texas vs. the Nation game is also not being held in 2012 because the HIGH SCHOOL that hosts the event is having its practice fields and stadium re-done.

You know, it's bugged me a little that St. Louis has never stepped up over the years to host one of the 90 college bowl games. Not even an effort to host one of those, or one of these orphaned all-star games, or even to make up your own? With Mizzou in the SEC now, how about an annual SEC vs. Big 10 (or 12) all-star game? Or SEC West vs. SEC East, which would probably be better anyway? Do I have to think of everything?

* The NFL Combine opens February 23rd; I assume televised workouts would begin on Saturday the 25th.

* Also, everyone's homework Monday night is to watch ESPN starting around 7:30 Central for the Fiesta Bowl. Possible future Ram Justin Blackmon vs. possible future Ram Andrew Luck.

-$-

Chainsaw Jeff

2011-12-30T23:31:00.000-08:00

Former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher has become the hot name in Rams Nation these days as a potential replacement for Steve Spagnuolo. There's a lot of reason to support Fisher's candidacy:
* Winning percentage of .542.
* Made the playoffs 6 times and went to one Super Bowl; I'll bet you can guess which one.
* Only 3 seasons below 7 wins in 16 full seasons as head coach. This has already been spun, though, as "only 6 winning seasons in 16 years" by Howard Balzer and others because Fisher went 8-8 five times. OK, which do you prefer, the repeating 8-8 or the repeating threats to go 0-16?
* Defensive-minded, 4-3 coach. No coach can come to the Rams, with defensive pillars in Long, Quinn and Laurinaitis, and then say "let's go to a 3-4." 4-3 background should be one of the top requirements for the Rams' next head coach.
* Past history with the team. Yes, he was defensive coordinator for the Rams for one year. Twenty years ago. But lacking a real franchise identity to build a lasting program on, it's still an advantage for the Rams to be able to reach into their past for a head coach.
* Instant and infinite sideline swagger upgrade.
* Likely to run a Bradford-friendly offense (though he'll probably quickly run Steven Jackson into the ground). Note, though, that Fisher's two best QBs, Steve McNair and Vince Young, were not traditional dropback QBs, which I don't assume Baylor QB Robert Griffin is, either.
* Former defensive back. For whatever reason, a lot of the best head coaches were defensive backs as players. Tom Landry, Tony Dungy, Bill Cowher off the top of my head.

Fisher's agent, btw? Kevin Demoff's father. So if he wants the job, Fisher may already have the inside track for it here.

I'm sure there's more. I'll even add it when and if I think of it. But I have two very large reservations with Fisher.

* The Chainsaw Al factor. Chainsaw Al Dunlap was the guy in the 90s companies would hire to right their value to shareholders. Dunlap would come in and cannibalize the company, firing thousands of people and selling off valuable assets. Between that and shady-to-illegal accounting tactics, Dunlap got companies' stock prices, and therefore value, soaring upward. When Chainsaw Al came to your company, you knew it was going to become more valuable but the little people were going to pay a heavy price.

What is Jeff Fisher always credited with? Doing such a good job holding the Oilers-Titans franchise together while it moved, from Houston to Memphis to Nashville. As soon as they hit Nashville, the Titans were a Super Bowl-quality team. Wherever they're going and whoever's the head coach, the Rams are about to get a Dunlap-style gutting again. But if you are an owner who's moving your franchise, isn't Jeff Fisher the first guy you would interview if you intended to change head coaches? He's got L.A. Rams history, he's got history in Southern California as a USC graduate - isn't he straight out of central casting for the role of gutting the team in St. Louis and turning it into a winner for Los Angeles if Stan Kroenke decides to move the team? There is a ton of reason to think hello Fisher = goodbye Rams. Apologies to the Rams' abandoned California fans, but I'm not about to root for that. (You've already got Albert Pujols, what more could you want from St. Louis?)

* The asshole factor. Let's face it, Jeff Fisher is a dick. After losing Super Bowl XXXIV to the Rams, in the 2000 preseason, he went after them like it was the regular season. The teams scrimmaged that training camp, and Fisher had his players hitting, and a cheap shot put Trung Canidate out of action for a while. Then in the game, Fisher blitzed his head off and Eddie George had something like 15 carries in the first half as the Titans won in a blowout. Another year in a preseason game in St. Louis, Fisher calls a fake punt. Who does that kind of stuff?

In the 2009 regular season, the Rams came in with a 1-11 record and Keith Null at QB, but up 33-7 in the 4th quarter, Fisher's still got Chris Johnson in the game, he's still throwing deep, and he's going for it on 4th downs, en route to a 47-7 win. Spagnuolo appeared so pissed off at Fisher after that game he barely went through with the post-game handshake.

Again, who does that kind of stuff? As I put it at the time, an insecure little troll, a walking, talking, living, breathing, 5'11", 190 douchebag who never got over losing the Super Bowl to the Rams. (His own fault, btw. Titans passed way too much in the first half of that game. And with 10 seconds left and needing a TD to tie, why would you throw short of the end zone?)

Around here we think of Fisher's Titans as the team of Eddie George and Steve McNair and Jevon Kearse. But they're also the team of Pac-Man Jones. Of cheap-shot artist supreme Cortland Finnegan. Of Albert Haynesworth stomping on Andre Gurode's head. Fisher's former DC Chuck Cecil, also one of his best friends, was one of the most brutal cheap-shot artists of all time. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is a Fisher protege; look what a bunch of thugs that team has turned into.

Call it what you like - karma, the Golden Rule, reaping what you sow - but I believe in all that. Jeff Fisher is a guy who deserves a comeuppance, not a cushy 5-year, $40 million or such contract from the team he couldn't beat when it mattered most. It hasn't worked here under Spagnuolo, but it sure did under Dick Vermeil, and I will always believe in a "Four Pillars" approach to building a team over a no-pillars approach. And I'd much rather battle for a man of Spagnuolo's personal character than for a dick like Fisher.

I started this by listing Fisher's qualifications. Hell, yeah, he's qualified. I can't blame Rams Nation's enthusiasm to possibly hire a head coach with those credentials. Present those qualities to me as "Candidate A", and I'd say, sure, let's interview him right away before anybody else can sign him.

But knowing it's Jeff Fisher, if I were the Rams' owner, I wouldn't want the guy as much as darkening my door. If Stan Kroenke prices wins at the expense of character, that'll tell us all a lot about the way he really operates.

-$-

So, no to Gruden, no to Fisher, which has Brian Billick now on top of my list. I'll see how many ways I can find to shit all over that idea, too.

-$$-

Rams report, 12/30: Votes of confidence

2011-12-30T19:55:00.000-08:00

* Interviewed on 101.1 ESPN today, Sam Bradford said he has faith in Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and far prefers running his offense to running the West Coast offense. So apparently Sam hates success? Another vote for McDaniels came, unsurprisingly, from wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who has basically told the Post-Dispatch that he's going wherever McDaniels ends up next season.

This'll add significant fuel to the fire for keeping Steve Spagnuolo, and McDaniels, in place for another season. That fire's being stoked the most, of course, by P-D writer Brian Burwell, who loves Spagnuolo so much he wanted Jim Haslett to keep the head coaching job after '08. Burwell shows every hallmark of a guy who's making sure to suck up to the coaches on their way out to curry favor from the new coaches coming in.

* The Rams have bought up the unsold tickets for Sunday's season finale against the 49ers in order to force the game on an unwilling St. Louis TV audience. You're stuck now!

* Rams Friday injury report:
Out: Justin King (shoulder, team too lazy to find a replacement player)
Doubtful: Sam Bradford (ankle), A.J. Feeley (thumb)
Questionable: Chris Long (ankle). As usual, has been limited all week.
Probable: Josh Gordy (oblique), Jerious Norwood (sick), Brady Poppinga (sick). Looks like that flu bug has spread to the offense. Both sick players were full practice participants, though.

Delanie Walker is out for San Francisco, with Patrick Willis, Carlos Rogers, Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams all questionable.

* It wasn't f#cking holding: in what I'll read as a tacit admission the officiating sucked ass that week, Harvey Dahl was not fined or reprimanded by the league for dropping the F-bomb over Jerome Boger's field mike back on the 18th.

-$-

Rams report, 12/28: black Sunday?

2011-12-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

* Not shockingly, not enough tickets have been sold for the NFL to allow Sunday's season finale to be shown on local TV. The Rams have received a 24-hour extension, but if there are still too few tickets sold by noon tomorrow, the game will be blacked out locally. It will be the tenth Rams game blacked out in St. Louis if that happens.

Looks like I'll be recording the Red Zone channel.

* Al Harris has announced his retirement after 13 seasons in the NFL. His blown knee was one of the worst things to happen to the Rams this season. He played a physical style at corner that the Ram secondary has essentially been missing forever, and he was a great mentor to the many young CBs bouncing around Rams Park this season, like Josh Gordy. Harris says he wants to move into coaching, and I would love to have him back with the team next season in that capacity, but I figure he'll get plenty of attractive offers. Watch, he'll coach DBs for Spagnuolo with the Giants next season.

* Jeff Fisher currently has a 55% - 25% lead over Jon Gruden in a STLtoday online poll asking fans who they'd want as the Rams' next coach. It accompanies a roundtable article where Brian Burwell freaking idiotically, but consistently, insists again that Steve Spagnuolo shouldn't be fired.

RamView voted with the 20% who voted "neither". My desperation to find a head coach capable of winning more than 3 games a season around here blinded me to how much I freaking hate Jeff Fisher.

* Quote of the day, from former NFL head of officials Mike Pereira:
"I am not a fan of [Jon] Gruden's. Not today, not yesterday, not when I worked for the NFL and not when I was working on the field as a side judge. He was a loudmouth as a coach who constantly disrespected officials and he is a blowhard in the broadcast booth who spouts off when he doesn't know what he is talking about."

Gruden criticized officials during Monday night's Falcons-Saints game for their calls involving defenseless receivers. Replays showed the officials got the calls right and that Gruden was wrong. Mike Tirico even noted the correct application of the rule in the first instance.

I didn't see the game. Gruden may have been complaining as much about the rule itself as its enforcement. That's been a standard complaint this season. On the flip side, I find Pereira's broadside more than a little chickenhearted since there are no more MNF games this season for Gruden to defend himself. We fans are all going to love the controversy Pereira's, um, frankness, generates here, but I don't find blindsiding Gruden to be any more professional than Gruden not knowing the rule.

Another good reason to be against the Rams hiring Gruden, btw. Referees HATE him!

-$-

Unless something really big happens, I doubt there will be much reason to update the injury report today.

-$$-

Rams report, 12/28: Pro Bowl honorable mentions

2011-12-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

Not so shut out: Steven Jackson, Chris Long and James Laurinaitis are all "alternates" for the Pro Bowl this year after all. Today's STLtoday article did not specify if they are first alternates, second alternates, 95th alternates, or otherwise, so we still really have no idea if any Ram will get into the game yet. I have no idea why the NFL and the press feel such a need to keep the alternate selections secretive, vague and poorly reported, but they do.

Injuries:
Still out: Sam Bradford, A.J. Feeley. Though Bradford is trying to get into practice this week and in the game against the 49ers Sunday, his ankle is showing no progress.

Brady Poppinga was out sick. Probably caught it from Fred Robbins, who was limited due to sickness.

Chris Long and Josh Gordy were also limited due to longstanding injuries.

Justin King is out for Sunday due to a shoulder injury, and should be IR'ed, but hasn't been yet. It's a sign nobody at Rams Park cares any more that King will probably just be made a gameday inactive Sunday.

Today's big ex-Ram news:
Hall Davis had a tryout yesterday with the Raiders.

-$-

GUIDUGLI! GUIDUGLI! GUIDUGLI!

2011-12-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

Rams Nation the day we have long awaited is here at last...

BEN GUIDUGLI has been promoted from the practice squad. He's on the active roster for Sunday's game against the 49ers. The Rams will be doing the world a disservice if they don't turn this kid loose at fullback Sunday to knock some damn heads.

With the main roster full again, the Rams have also re-signed Ryan McKee and TE Demarco Cosby to the practice squad.

-$-

Newt Gruden

2011-12-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

It looks like the Rams' coaching search is going to bear resemblance to the Republican primary campaign. Every few days, somebody new takes the lead, which inspires everyone to take their first real close look at the candidate, which exposes a bunch of warts and knocks him back down into the pack.

Giving Jon Gruden the microscope treatment yesterday leaves RamView wanting somebody else. He put Oakland on the path to Super Bowl XXXVII, won that same game with the Buccaneers and got the Bucs into postseason a couple of other times. But he had a losing record with the Bucs after XXXVII, and neither his Raider run nor his Buc run ended well. He'll bring your team swagger, but he's also volatile. And then there's the whole RG3 flirt on MNF. I'd have to insist the Rams' next head coach be committed to building an offense around Sam Bradford.

Then there's Gruden's whole record with QBs. Is he really the QB guru ESPN poses him as by letting him hang out with all the QB draft prospects in the spring? I don't see where he's taken a young QB like Bradford to the next level, or even had the opportunity. The only place he was ever a QB coach was... SEMO. He made his mark as the Packers' WR coach under Humgrum, then as the Eagles' OC, before Donovan McNabb was drafted. His main QB there would have been Koy Detmer. His QBs as head coach have been Rich Gannon, Brad Johnson, Brian Griese. Hey, if he's the Dave Duncan to journeyman QBs, that's great. Does that match the Rams' needs well enough?

I'd also have to fear that Gruden is more than just a bit of a weasel coach, as TMQ puts it. Why would he sign a 5-year extension with ESPN only to jump back into coaching before it ever kicked in? Didn't he owe it to ESPN to at least delay his decision until February or so? Would have given him plenty of time to kick the NFL coaching tires if he wanted to. Picture this situation: Gruden coaches here in 2012, the Rams go 4-12, and in the offseason, the Notre Dame job opens up. Where do you think Chucky's going? I'll be honest; I don't trust the guy.

Further mucking up the Gruden candidacy is the latest report by Jason LaCanfora for NFL Network. On Total Access last night, he said he had spoken to people close to Gruden who say he has no intention of returning to coaching, not this year, anyway. They claim he's "married" to the ESPN job. Of course, he did have a fling on the side with the University of Miami last year...

So Gruden stumbles backward in RamView's coaching horse race. This is going to happen a lot. Someone's going to be linked to the Rams, they sound great, then we find a bunch of reasons not to want that person as HC. I'm about to do the same thing to Jeff Fisher.

Lots of rumors, arguments and counterarguments are going to be flying around. Hitch on and enjoy the ride as long as possible.

Also, if Gruden = Newt, who would be Ron Paul? Would Dennis Green be an insane enough analogy?

-$-

Rams shut out again

2011-12-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Steelers shut the Rams out Christmas Eve, and they were shut out of the Pro Bowl today. Not shockingly, there are no Rams on the NFC's Pro Bowl roster. Steven Jackson and Chris Long at least deserve recognition as alternates, but I've seen no word the Rams even got any of those. Marshawn Lynch appears poised to claim the starting spot won by Matt Forte.

The closest the Rams will come to being represented in Hawaii this season is by whichever cheerleader they pick from each team every year, or by Jackie Slater's son Matthew, who's the AFC's special teams player. How did the Rams not know about Matthew, btw?

Also, I understand Patrick Peterson will go to the Pro Bowl his rookie year as the NFC's punt returner. You know how running backs sometimes invite their offensive linemen to come to Hawaii for helping them get to the Pro Bowl? I wonder if Peterson will invite Steve Spagnuolo and a Rams special teamer or two.

-$-

Rams update, 12/27: a farewell to King

2011-12-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

* Justin King's season is officially over due to a shoulder injury that requires surgery.

Let me start by first tipping my hat to Justin. He fought off his reputation as a fragile player this season. He was the one CB on the training camp roster to make it this deep into the season, and he played through several different injuries. Whoever has Justin next year has a guy who's shown he has some toughness at his core.

I say whoever, however, hoping like hell King's not back with the Rams in 2012. I'm not sure there's a living human being he can cover. Need proof? Pro Football Focus ranks King the WORST cover corner in the NFL this season. Supposedly a speed guy, he's easy to whip with deep speed (See: Smith, Torrey). He's easily fooled on WR screens and end-arounds. Gets out of position very easily. Far too soft in zone defense. How many times this year did he just let receivers catch first downs right in front of him? OK, but not high impact, in run support.

There's little evidence Justin King belongs in this league or should have a job in it next season, but best of luck to him in his recovery and with his future prospects. (Hey, it was just Christmas, after all.)

I have completely lost count, but assuming King is officially IR'ed, I believe it will make him the ELEVENTH cornerback to have been IR'ed by the Rams this season.

Other injuries:
- Sam Bradford and A.J. Feeley are still considered day-to-day, with Steve Spagnuolo leaving the lunatic idea open of either playing against San Francisco Sunday. The 49ers still need to lock up the #2 seed, so they'll be playing their starters. What they should be doing is thanking the Rams. If not for the Rams' unimaginable win earlier this year over the Saints, the 49ers would probably be stuck playing in the first round.

- Chris Long and Josh Gordy played Sunday, may be limited in practice this week, but aren't expected to miss the finale. Fred Robbins is sick but should still make practice tomorrow.

Transactions:
More brilliant roster ingenuity by the Rams' front office:
The Rams did not fill Austin Pettis' roster spot after his suspension and actually played a man short Sunday, only fielding a 52-man roster. Because they did that, they actually had to cut Ryan McKee from the practice squad. You can't keep third-year practice squad players there if you don't keep a full roster. So now the Rams are a man short on the main roster AND the PS.

Howard Balzer, who explained all this originally at 101sports.com, speculated that McKee could be brought back this week.

Ex-Rams activity:
- The Panthers called Rams 2011 7th-round draft pick Jonathan Nelson up from their practice squad. I believe he started in their 48-16 win over the Bucs. Nice cut, Billy!
- The Cowboys called Chauncey Washington up from their PS due to Felix Jones' injury. He saw action against the Eagles Sunday.
- Daniel Muir had a tryout with the Packers.

Anything else interesting to add, I'll get it in here.

-$-

Coaching carousel 12/27: the return of Chucky?

2011-12-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

The merry-go-round gets a hard spin this morning:

* The San Diego Tribune reports that Jon Gruden has decided to return to coaching in 2012, and that ESPN already knows not to expect him to go through with the 5-year contract extension he just signed there.

Stirring the pot further, beat writer Kevin Acee says that Stan Kroenke will go after Gruden, and Chargers GM A.J. Smith, who's widely expected to be under the axe in San Diego. I love how no local reporter has any clue anything is going on, but the beat writer in SAN DIEGO knows. (Bernie Miklasz speculated the rumors are coming from... John Shaw, who is believed to be counseling Kroenke through this process. Oh Lord.) Acee further says that Steve Spagnuolo would be considered a lock to re-join the Eagles' staff as defensive coordinator.

Gruden would certainly be a game-changer. I didn't have him on the list because of the ESPN deal, but he'd have to be right at the top of anybody's list. #1, he's got experience, and I've gotten really tired of breaking in guys who have no head coaching experience anywhere. #2, he's got the Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers (oops, had to fix that). #3, he'd bring the organization some badly-needed swagger. The Rams haven't had any since Martz. #4, he's a highly regarded offensive mind. #5, he's got a great record developing QBs. #6, there's a chance you get his brother Jay on the staff, one of the up-and-coming coaching candidates in his own right as Cincinnati's OC.

Gruden would not be an uncontroversial pick. I'd want to vet several things out. He's a very combustible personality. The Rams have needed an ass-kicker for about 6 years, but is Gruden too volatile? I'd want to know a lot more about what went wrong in Tampa Bay than I do now. I'd also like a straightforward answer about his remarks on MNF a couple of weeks ago. Now that you're in the Rams' shoes, are you still serious about kicking the tires with Robert Griffin? (Or Andrew Luck?)

Gruden will certainly be sought after by Miami, and my guess is that their owner, like the Angels' owner with Albert Pujols, has money burning holes in his pockets and will be willing to drop a ridiculous deal. ESPN's rumormongers Schefter and Mortensen Saturday morning also teased a "stealth candidate" in Jacksonville. I had thought Mike Martz because of Shahid Khan's ties to St. Louis, but Gruden makes a lot of sense in that context.

More carousel:
* On NBC Sunday night, Peter King called the Rams' job the best one of those likely to become available, because of Sam Bradford, the possibility of having the first pick next year, and - who around here ever reported this? - the most available cap room of any team for 2013. (P.S. to Stan: let's keep Kevin Demoff.)

* ESPN Saturday morning called Andy Reid safe with the Eagles' job. The main reason I mention Reid is because he was the top name on my list. Don't know what that says about my list. Right now, the top of my list is a neck-and-neck-and-neck race between usual suspects Gruden, Brian Billick and Jeff Fisher. Jason LaCanfora has the Rams going after Fisher, who has connections to A.J. Smith.

* ESPN also reported that the chances are good that the Chiefs will just stick with interim head coach Romeo Crennel after this season, because the team has responded so well to him. /sarcasm/Yay, the Rams can keep Josh McDaniels!/sarcasm/

-$-

Pettis suspended for 4 games

2011-12-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Austin Pettis has been found in violation of the NFL rules against performance-enhancing substances and has been suspended for the next 4 games. That's the last 2 games this year and the first 2 regular season games next year. I believe he will be allowed to participate fully in preseason games (whoever's training camp he'll be in. If any).

Seriously, Pettis' 2011 performance has been enhanced? Now it looks like the Rams really wouldn't have missed him if they had cut him in training camp.

One piece of advice for Pettis: get in touch with David Vobora's lawyer. He ended up making money out of getting suspended.

I imagine that makes one Nick Miller the Rams' new slot receiver. You could go three-wide with Brandon Lloyd, Danario Alexander and Brandon Gibson... or just go one-wide with Lloyd, those are about the same thing.

What a miserable, fucked-up pile of a season.

-$-

Wednesday update

2011-12-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

* Injury report.
The injury list from yesterday almost did not change at all. Only difference was that Brandon Lloyd returned. Sam Bradford watched from the sideline. Josh Gordy was still limited. I'm going to assume at this point that Mark LeVoir and Quinn Porter have returned to practice. Either that, or no one cares enough to report about them.

* (Mock) draft news.
The first mock drafts are up on ESPN.com, and Todd McShay has the Rams, at #2, selecting.... USC tackle Matt Kalil. McShay doesn't believe Justin Blackmon is an elite wide receiver and doesn't have him going off the board until ninth, still the first WR selected.

Mel Kiper also ranks Kalil #2 overall behind Stanford QB Andrew Luck. He ranked Blackmon 5th, calling him a better prospect than Dez Bryant a couple of years ago.

It's anybody's guess who McShay would project to the Rams if they were to draft third behind Minnesota and the Vikings took Kalil. He currently has Minnesota taking LSU CB Morris Claiborne, with Alabama RB Trent Richardson going 4th.

-$-

Rams report, 12/21

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

* Injuries.
- Sam Bradford (ankle) did not practice Tuesday. He is out of the walking boot but had not yet really tested his ankle. He has not given up on playing again this season since the Rams are too stupid to put him on injured reserve.
- A.J. Feeley (thumb) is almost certainly out for Saturday's game in Pittsburgh. He is still unable to squeeze the ball.
- Chris Long (ankle) and Brandon Lloyd (sick) did not participate. No reason to suspect they will not play Saturday.
- Josh Gordy (oblique) was limited to walkthroughs. Justin King (shoulder) did not practice. Their status for Saturday could be more in doubt.
- No news on Mark LeVoir or Quinn Porter.
- An overdue update, and good news, on Ron Bartell, whose season ended very early this year due to broken bones in his neck. He's now out of the neck brace, he didn't require surgery, and he should be good to go for next year.

* Transactions.
Josh Hull (high ankle sprain) was placed on injured reserve. I lost count. He's either the 16th or 17th player now on the Rams' I.R.
The Rams filled the roster spot by signing TE Mike McNeill off of the Colts' practice squad. McNeill is an area native who went to Kirkwood High School and then to Nebraska. The Rams were believed to have been interested in him in this past April's draft.
With the Rams completely lacking a fullback, RamView is a little perturbed the Rams didn't just promote from within...
FREE GUIDUGLI!

*Ex-Rams news.
- Even though he played well after the Patriots lost Andre Carter for the season, Eric Moore has been cut. Pats seem to be going to more of a full-time 3-4 look instead of mixing fronts.
- The Redskins waived Dominique Byrd and then added Schuylar Oordt to their practice squad.
- Eric Young added back to the Chargers' PS. I should go back and count; Young must have been cut double-digit times this season, all by San Diego.

-$-

Rams offense after 14 weeks

2011-12-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

Jim Thomas' article this morning about this year's Rams' near-record futility on offense reminded me that I haven't done a rankings post in a long time. So here's where the Ram offense stands in the NFL after 14 games...

Scoring offense: Back in DEAD DEAD LAST, nearly two points a game behind the Chiefs in 31st place. The Rams average 11.9 pathetic points a game. As Thomas wrote this morning, they are on pace to score 190 points this season. That would be only the second time since World War II that the Rams have failed to crack 200 points. The other time? Steve Spagnuolo's first season, 2009, 175 points.

And when Thomas says the Rams are "on pace", that's not accounting for their last two opponents, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, being the top two scoring defenses in the NFL. The Rams may score negative points between now and the rest of the season.

Put it this way. The Rams are at 166 points, the Chiefs at 192. The Rams won't pass the Chiefs if Kansas City takes the rest of the year off. The 2011 Rams will be lucky to pass the 2009 Rams.

More fun stats: (first one from Thomas)
The 1982 Rams scored 200 points. Despite only playing NINE games that year because of the NFL strike.
The 1999 and 2000 Rams scored their 166th point in week 5. The 2000 Rams had 160 points after 4 weeks. The slowpoke 2001 team took till week 6.

Touchdowns: Logically, the Rams are also dead last in the league in TDs, with 15. As Bernie Miklasz pointed out earlier this week, LeSean McCoy of the Eggles has 20 this season by himself. (Most of those fuckers against my fantasy football team.) Rob Gronkowski, with 16, also has scored more TDs this season than the entire Ram offense.

Total yards: 30th (285.3). They may end up getting passed by the Colts, but the Jagwires are nearly 30 yards behind.

Third-down conversion: LAST in the league at 26.9%.
Red zone TD%: 30th in the league at 35.7%.

Passing
Yards: 27th with 185.9. 145 yards per game worse than the Saints. Again, they'll be no worse than 30th here. The Broncos are over 25 yards behind, the Jagwires nearly 50.
Team passer rating: 30th at 71.3, in real danger of being passed by the Colts at 71.2. 31st is safe, the Jagwires are 9+ points back.
Sacks: The Rams have allowed a LEAGUE-WORST 49 sacks, 2 ahead of Arizona.
Interceptions: One bright spot: the Rams' 8 INTs are third-best in the league, behind only San Francisco and Green Bay.
TDs: LAST in the league in passing TDs with 8. The Jagwires are next with 11. Aaron Rodgers has 40.
Yards per attempt: Tied for 29th at 6.0. Jagwires are last again, 5.4.

Sam Bradford will finish 2011 - I do assume he's finished - with a passer rating of 70.5, 30th in the league, despite throwing only 6 INTs. He's behind terrible QBs like Rex Grossman (71.4), Christian Ponder (72.3) and Colt McCoy (74.6). Tarvaris Jackson stands at 79.2. Tim Tebow's a terrible thrower, right? 83.6. Matt Moore has an 88.7 off the bench for Miami, 12th in the league. 2011 Rookies: Cam Newton 82.3, Andy Dalton 81.0. Former Ram Ryan Fitzpatrick, 80.8. I'll quit going on now. Sam Bradford's second season has been an utter disaster.

Rushing
Yards: 26th, 99.4 yards per game. Who was expecting the Titans and Giants to be running 31st and 32nd at this point of the season?
Per carry: 4.0 is good for a tie for 20th.
TDs: Way down in 29th with only 5. The Browns and Chiefs have 4.

Steven Jackson sits at 15th in the league in rushing, 34 yards short of his seventh straight 1000-yard season.

Brandon Lloyd, not surprisingly, is the Rams' leading receiver with 42 catches. That's 72nd-best in the league. Stupidly, though, that doesn't include his 19 catches in Denver, which would move him up to 26th. Pro-rated for his production with the Rams, he'd be tied with Larry Fitzgerald for 23rd.

Lloyd's 554 yards with the Rams rank him 66th in the league. Add his Denver production, he'd be 24th. Pro-rate his Rams production and he'd be 22nd.

Josh Brown's 79% FG accuracy rate is near the bottom of the league, 25th if you weed out players with very few attempts. I have no trouble McQuaideing Brown after this season, though he does have another year left on his contract.

Nobody has more punts this year than Donnie Jones' 92. But his gross average, 44.2, is only 22nd in the league, and his net of 36.5 is a horrifying 29th, after you take out punters with very few attempts. The Rams are one of only four teams to have given up 2 or more punt return TDs. Carolina is worst in the league with 3, but since they'll likely be kicking RIGHT TO Antonio Brown and Ted Ginn the next two weeks, the Rams have got a shot at passing them. Jones is a free agent after this season and I see little reason not to McQuaide him, too. The Rams can get just as crappy performances out of special teams a whole lot cheaper.

While we're at it, let's think about McQuaideing Jake McQuaide himself. Funny how the Rams junked Chris Massey in training camp when he's the special teams player they should have kept.

Defensive stats when I get time.

-$-

Rams report, 12/20

2011-12-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

* Injuries.
All of the Rams' probables from Friday played Sunday against Cincinnati. The questionables who did not play: James Hall (pectoral), Justin King (shoulder) and Quinn Porter (oblique). Hall should be able to play Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Only injury I'm aware of from the Bengals game is Josh Hull, who had a high ankle sprain and will probably be put on injured reserve, ending his season.

Sure, let's not risk it with the backup middle linebacker, but leave the possibility of playing Sam Bradford open. At this moment, Bradford's (ANKLE) and A.J. Feeley's (thumb) statuses have not changed from last week. Nothing heard yet on Mark LeVoir, who missed Sunday's game due to a groin injury.

* Things only I may care about.
This is the Rams' current practice squad. I haven't updated it in a while:
DT Cornell Banks
C Tim Barnes
CB Kendric Burney
WR John Chiles
TE BEN GUIDUGLI
DT John Henderson
T Ryan McKee
RB Chase Reynolds

* Ex-Rams news:
- Very sad news for former Ram Chris Johnson, who has been placed on the reserve/non-football illness list by the Raiders. His sister was killed, and his mother wounded, in a shooting in Fort Worth a couple of weeks ago. The father of his sister's child was charged with murder. Johnson's mother is expected to survive. The child was unharmed.

Johnson had missed most of this season due to an infection that set in after he had a sports hernia operation during training camp. He had returned, and played extensively, in Oakland's loss to Miami three days before receiving this terrible news. Condolences and prayers to Chris Johnson and family.

Less tragic ex-Rams news:
- The Vikings signed Gentleman Kris Adams to their PS;
- Kevin Payne had a tryout with the Cowboys but was not signed;
- Eric Young was dropped from the Chargers' PS AGAIN and has now taken the lead from Mortty Ivy for most meaningless mentions in this blog;
- Bryant Browning injured his wrist in practice Friday and Carolina has put him on IR. The Panthers report that Browning is the 16th player they have IR'ed this season, which is a team record. ProFootballWeekly.com similarly lists 16 players on IR for the Rams. The Panthers are 5-9 this season, the Rams are 2-12.

* Coaching carousel.
I'll just mention for now this PFW article which speculates on the current class of head coaching candidates. It mentions the Rams, as a team with a young QB in place and some veteran talent to develop, as a potentially desirable situation for Brian Billick. The Bucs and Jagwires were similarly mentioned. Billick would have RamView's seal of approval if that came to be, but my guess is he will ask for too much money and/or too much power to actually end up here.

The article may have dubious value because it says Scott Linehan's star has faded recently because the Lions have faded from their torrid start. Um, since when the hell does Scott Linehan have a "star"?

-$-

Friday injury report

2011-12-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

Doubtful
Sam Bradford
Mark Levoir

Questionable
James Hall
Justin King
Chris Long
Quinn Porter
Fred Robbins

Probable
Criag Dahl
Josh Gordy
Eugene Sims
Stephen Spach

Out
A.J. Feeley

Bradford is still wearing the protective boot. He, Levoir, Hall and King did not practice today. Long was limited.
---------------------------------------------
The Bengals are 6.5-point favorites Sunday.
---------------------------------------------
And a quick coaching carousel note: Brian Billick has expressed interest in the Dolphins job.

-$-

Rams report, 12/16

2011-12-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

* Thursday injury report:
Did not participate: Sam Bradford, A.J. Feeley. Bradford's ankle sprain has regressed. He is back to needing the protective boot, and with the shortened week, seems extremely unlikely to play Sunday against the Bengals. Look for Kellen Clemens behind center. Also not practicing: James Hall, Justin King, Chris Long and Mark LeVoir. King has a sore shoulder.

Limited: Craig Dahl, Josh Gordy, Quinn Porter, Fred Robbins, Eugene Sims, Steven Spach. I assume that means Spach has already cleared concussion testing.

* Draft news:
Another brave young college student has decided to risk the chance of becoming a Ram. USC tackle Matt Kalil has announced he'll enter the 2012 Draft. Let the get-playmakers vs. build-from-the-lines-out debate begin! Kalil and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon are certainly strong candidates to be selected by the Rams with what figures to be the 2nd or 3rd pick overall next April.

* Coaching carousel:
Though he was a golden boy just last season as a rookie head coach, reports say that the Buccaneers were going to fire head coach Raheem Morris on Monday, but changed their minds because they couldn't find "a suitable interim candidate." Meaning they think their whole coaching staff sucks?

The Bucs went from 3-13 in 2009 to 10-6 in Morris' first season in 2010, but did not go to the playoffs because they weren't in the NFC West. The 2011 Bucs are 4-9, have lost 7 in a row, and Morris is widely believed to be gone if they don't get another win this season. The Bucs pride themselves on defense and Morris is a defensive-minded coach, but they're one of the worst run defenses in the league, they've killed themselves with turnovers. and have given up 35 points or more in 4 of their last 5 losses, including a 41-14 humiliation to the 4-10 Jagwires, who lost in Atlanta last night by that very same score.

And there are people COUGHBrian BurwellCOUGH who think we're being impatient around here to want a head coaching change for the Rams? The Bucs are planning to dump a coach who's won more games in two years than the Rams have won in three!

Even if Morris does hang on, expect Bucs OC Greg Olson to be wished the best in his future endeavors. And no, I'm not real interested in having him back here. Unless you want Steven Jackson getting ten carries a game like Olson's idiotically done with LaGarrette Blount half this season.

The Rams got permission from the Bucs to interview Morris during their 2009 coaching search, when Morris was the Bucs' DC, but that interview never happened. Watching major coaching flameouts by Josh McDaniels and apparently Morris now, both still just 35, it's starting to look like a bad idea to hire a head coach too young. Unless you're the Steelers.

-$-

Rams quick report, 12/15

2011-12-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

* Quick injury report from practice yesterday:
   Did not participate: Bradford, C.Dahl, Feeley, Gordy, Hall, LeVoir, Long, Sims, Spach.
   Limited: Porter, Robbins.

* Transactions:
   Brit Miller placed on IR.
   Nate Ness recalled from practice squad.

-$-

Rams report, 12/14

2011-12-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

* Injuries.
- Sam Bradford and Chris Long's injured ankles were both "very sore" after Monday night's 30-13 loss to Seattle and they were scheduled to have treatment yesterday. Odds seem very good that both will be held out of practice Wednesday.

I ask again why Spagnuolo continues to whistle past the graveyard with Bradford. Sam himself has said he can't step into his throws and that his passes are basically all arm. This is a player who had major shoulder surgery two years ago. We remember that, don't we? I have a great idea - let's have Sam throw with bad technique in meaningless games the rest of the season and put a lot of stress on that shoulder. Oh, and while we're at it, let's make sure we expose the immobile Bradford on Christmas Eve to James Harrison, all pissed off after being suspended for a week. The Rams' present can't be any worse with Kellen Clemens behind center, but Spagnuolo seems to have no hesitation in playing Russian roulette with the team's future. Judgment this poor should have gotten him fired already.

- Mark LeVoir had a groin injury Monday night and had to be replaced by Adam Goldberg. LeVoir's chances don't sound promising for Cincinnati on Sunday.

- Josh Gordy has an oblique injury, a/k/a pulled abdominal muscle. He's day-to-day but was also described by Nick Wagoner as in doubt for this week.

- James Hall is day-to-day with a pectoral injury. What the hell is it with the pectoral injuries this year?

- Craig Dahl has a lower ankle sprain but isn't expected to miss much time if any.

- Stephen Spach had a minor calf injury Monday night and also a concussion. He'll have to pass tests before he can return to practice. This could be a faster process for Spach over other players since he can do Vulcan mind melds.

- Brit Miller's knee injury - he hurt it during practice last weekend - has not improved, and he appears to be heading toward I.R.

I have two words for you. BEN. GUIDUGLI.

- A.J. Feeley's broken thumb has not improved much, either. Still not sure why he hasn't been IR'ed.

- The injured players Steve Spagnuolo thought had the best chance of returning were Fred Robbins (back) and Quinn Porter (abdominal).

Updates from today's practice as I see them.

* Other items of interest:
- Congratulations to Shahid Khan; the Jacksonville Jagwires are all his after he got unanimous approval from the league's owners today to buy the team. That'll be $750 million, please. Paper or plastic?
- The Bears reportedly contacted Marc Bulger about making a comeback to try to salvage their playoff run. Bulger has opted to stay retired, however.
- The Miami Herald seems very sure that Bill Cowher is not going to have interest in the open Dolphins head coaching job. And with the assertion that Cowher will not want to "start from the ground up with a team that isn't playoff-ready," Rams Nation might want to just put his name on the wish list in pencil.
- The NFL has renewed its TV contracts with Fox, CBS and NBC through the 2022 season. Monday Night Football was renewed on ESPN through 2021 earlier this year.
The new contract will mean - oh, joy - more Thursday night games, mostly on NFL Network. The Thanksgiving prime time game, though, is switching to NBC.

-$-

Bradford to start

2011-12-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know how good an idea this is, but Jim Thomas is reporting that Sam Bradford will start for the Rams tonight. I guess I have to wonder how much butt-covering Steve Spagnuolo is trying to do here. He's seen two head coaches with better career records than him and better records than him this year get fired today after getting blown out yesterday. And you have to note that the Chiefs weren't really concerned about cutting Todd Haley any slack for injuries (Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry, Matt Cassell, Tony Moeaki, etc.) or the lockout, which are exhibits 1a and 1b of the case for taking it easy on Spagnuolo. In fact, Haley was criticized for how he significantly changed Chiefs' practices after the lockout to focus much more on conditioning.

Could this be Spagnuolo's last game as Rams head coach?
Will Bradford survive the night?

Important things to watch.

-$-

Coaching carousel, 12/12 (Sparano whacked)

2011-12-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

The second domino (after Jack del Rio) has toppled in the annual NFL coaching derby. As many anticipated and hoped for, the latest coach fired worked for an NFL team in Missouri. The coach, though, is Todd Haley of the Chiefs. Romeo Crennel will serve as interim head coach.

Now is the part where things get weird. Even though the Rams' offensive performance this year should make him toxic to other teams, the first name popping up on K.C. coaching radar is Josh McDaniels, who they went after (as did the Rams) three years ago before he went to Denver. Boy, you would just have to LOVE that hire if you're a Chiefs fan. Update: ESPN.com has Crennel on the early short list.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Domino #3 just fell this afternoon as a third head coach whose team has a better record than the Rams this year has also lost his job, Tony Soprano with the Dolphins. The Dolphins were 4-9 and lost ugly to Philadelphia yesterday, 26-10, after having won four games in five weeks. Guess Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted to make sure to whack Soprano before THAT happened again. (Yes, I know it's really "Sparano".)

Todd Bowles will be the interim head coach. Bowles was a rumored candidate for the Rams' HC job in '09 but I don't believe he ever actually interviewed. Early names on the Miami short list: Bill Cowher and Jeff Fisher. There's been little secret that Ross a) has been itching to get rid of Soprano and b) wants to make a big splash when he hires his replacement. Ross and new Jagwires owner Shahid Khan are likely to make it tough for Stan Kroenke to lure an established coaching name for the Rams should he decide to go that route.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RamView may never actually get time to put together a list of preferred head coaching candidates for the 2012 season, but Haley is not high on it, and McDaniels is even lower. I consider either to be "seriously, just keep Spags if you're going to hire this guy" status. I think Sparano would be a bit of an improvement but would be so close to a sideways move I doubt hiring him would be worth the effort. Think I've had enough defensive-minded coaches who led blown offenses for the time being.

-$-

Rams report, 12/11-12

2011-12-11T10:31:00.001-08:00

* This week's bad idea. Hey, let's rush Sam Bradford back into playing Monday night. Or, almost as dumb, let's press practice squad QB Tom Brandstater into his first career start but stop giving him practice reps with the starters. Bradford and Kellen Clemens split reps with the starting unit yesterday. Nick Wagoner reports that Bradford is "headed toward" playing against Seattle, but the Rams will have Brandstater and Clemens ready to go.

Or, they could have focused completely on having one of the backups ready instead of risking having a $50 million QB with a bum ankle behind a shaky-at-best offensive line run an offense that has sucked all season anyway. You're 2-10, people. It's over. Dean Wormer dropped the big one. Shut Bradford down.

Reports say that Bradford was moving well in practice but coach Steve Spagnuolo was not ready to name a starter. Clemens has apparently picked the Rams' system up very quickly from having to imitate the Patriots' offense on the Jets' scout team twice a season. Well, that sure makes you feel good about the Rams' struggles to run their own offense all year.

Update: no word as of noon Monday on whom the Rams plan to start at QB.

* Out for Monday night: A.J. Feeley (thumb), Quinn Porter (abdomen). Why not IR Feeley?

Update: Brit Miller (knee) has now been ruled out for Monday night as well. Oh no, who will blow critical blocks for Steven Jackson on 3rd-and-short now?

* Limited yesterday:
Chris Long (ankle), expected to play
Fred Robbins (back), questionable

* 'Tis only a flesh wound:
Mark LeVoir (pectoral) and Eugene Sims (ankle) were upgraded to full participation Friday and yesterday respectively. Both are probable for Monday night. Lance Kendricks was excused from Saturday's practice for personal reasons but shouldn't miss the game.

The Seahawks don't appear to have any significant injuries, beyond players they have already IR'ed like Sidney Rice and 60% of their starting offensive line, that is. They are 10-point favorites.

* We can work it out:
- The Rams worked out defensive tackle Guy Miller Friday. Miller is 6'3, 302 and played at Colorado State. He was in training camp this year with the Texans.

* Transactions:
- The Matt Gutierrez era in St. Louis was over before it began. He has been cut in favor of defensive tackle Cornell Banks, who was just cut from the Bengals' PS. (Brain dump? The Rams play the Bengals in a week.) Banks played college ball at Fresno State.

* 49er finers:
- Jerious Norwood was fined $7,500 for a chop block in last week's loss to San Francisco. 49er OLB Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,000 for hitting A.J. Feeley in the head.

* Ex-Rams transactions:
- Fendi Onobun joined the Jagwires practice squad. That's reported as his fifth different team this season.
- Mortty Ivy was promoted to the Steelers' main roster.
- The Patriots re-signed Eric Moore.
- Not to be outdone, Eric Young was cut from the Chargers' PS to achieve his one-millionth status update in this blog.

-$-

Rams report, 12/8-9

2011-12-08T11:03:00.001-08:00

* Transactions. Jacob Bell has been placed on injured reserve. Cornerback Chris Smith has been called up from the practice squad. He's expected to play mostly on special teams. Smith's spot on the practice squad went to returning RB Chase Reynolds.

The Rams had punter Tom Malone in for a tryout on Tuesday. This was reportedly with an eye toward signing him as a reserve/future free agent after the season.

* Injuries.
Did not practice Wednesday:
Sam Bradford (ankle)
A.J. Feeley (thumb)
Chris Long (ankle)
Quinn Porter (oblique)
Fred Robbins (back)

Darian Stewart (concussion) has passed the impact test and returned to practice. Mark LeVoir (pectoral) also returned to practice, but his status is still up in the air until the team practices in pads. Wednesday was just a walkthrough since the Rams play Monday night. There's still no gambling line on the game, though it may be due to lack of interest as much as uncertainty at QB for the Rams. Tom Brandstater took all the snaps Wednesday. (And the team immediately decided it better sign Kellen Clemens. Not a strong vote of confidence.)

Thursday afternoon update: LeVoir and Eugene Sims (ankle) were limited. The five DNPs from yesterday also did not practice. Kellen Clemens did not make it to St. Louis in time to practice. Brandstater again took all the snaps, such as they were. The Rams have apparently gotten so gun-shy about injuries that today's practice was also very light.

* Draft news.
The very real chance of becoming a Ram is not enough to scare Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon out of entering the 2012 draft. He has told ESPN.com that he is pretty sure the upcoming Fiesta Bowl will be his last college game. "...it's just time...It's that time to go. I came back last year to win a Big 12 championship, set us up for a BCS bowl and I think we did that."

* Ex-Rams news.
Jacksonville waived Fendi Onobun. Huh, I know a certain team that could use a tight end.
Houston signed Matt Turk.
Miami signed CB Marcus Brown to their practice squad.
Washington re-signed Dominique Byrd to replace Fred Davis, who's suspended for the rest of the season for marijuana use. Now there's a desperation move. Byrd probably signed with Washington to find out where Davis gets his weed.
Daniel Muir had a tryout with the Lions.
Renardo Foster had a tryout with the Giants.

* Ex-Cardinals news.
Another take at the Albert Pujols deal. Angels owner Artie Moreno is an idiot, obviously with more money than he knows what to do with. $250 million for a player who's going to be 37 before the contract is half over? Idiot. I don't blame the Cardinals for not offering that kind of money. As a red-blooded Cardinals fan but also a red-blooded capitalist, I don't blame Albert on the surface for taking the money. But Albert is a phony and a hypocrite who lied here publicly for at least two years that he wasn't all about the money in order to prop up his image. That's what makes me mad. I don't disrespect Pujols for making a business decision. I disrespect him for being a liar.

Albert and the Angels and southern California should be a perfect marriage.

-$-

Rams add FIFTH QB

2011-12-08T07:57:00.001-08:00

Shockingly, this isn't the biggest news in St. Louis right now, but the Rams have signed former Jets QB Kellen Clemens, who was with the Texans last week. He gets the roster spot vacated when Nate Ness was cut. Matt Gutierrez stays on the practice squad.

What a great fucking morning to be a St. Louis sports fan. Albert Pujols turns out to be a money-grubbing douchebag, and the Rams get the brilliant idea to sign a QB who was cut by a team that KEPT Jake Delhomme.

Well, Clemens is a successful baseball name; maybe Kellen can play first base.

-$-

Rams add 4th QB

2011-12-07T07:09:00.001-08:00

The Rams tipped their hand that neither Sam Bradford nor A.J. Feeley will be playing Monday night by signing QB Matt Gutierrez to the practice squad Tuesday. Gutierrez was the third-string QB on New England's 18-1 team in 2007. So you know who he played for.

The good news is that Gutierrez has a career QB rating over 104. The bad news is that it's on two passes. The last pass he threw in the NFL was week 7 of 2009 as a Chief. My notes say I saw Gutierrez in a couple of games during the 2007 Preseason Challenge. Played a lot out of the shotgun, decent accuracy, can and will scramble when he has to.

Gutierrez played college ball at Idaho State after transferring from Michigan. He was on the roster of the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL in 2010, apparently backing up Jeff Garcia, who oddly enough was also signed yesterday, by the Texans. He had brief training camp stays this year with the Bears and Redskins, and if the Rams gig falls through, apparently has a job lined up with the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League.

The Rams cut Nate Ness from the main roster in case they need to call Gutierrez up. Gutierrez took the open practice squad position left after the Rams put Tom Brandstater on the main roster last weekend.

-$-

Rams update, 12/6

2011-12-06T07:46:00.001-08:00

In case you thought the 2-10 Rams weren't screwed enough already:

- Jacob Bell, out for rest of season. Has a strained knee from that failed wham play from the 4th quarter Sunday. Say what you will about Bell, but that looked really painful. It's a 4-week injury, and with 4 games left in 2011 for the Rams, Bell may have taken his last snap here. He'll be a free agent after the season. I can't see bringing Bell back as a starter next year. The Rams need to become significantly more physical at guard and center. But they also need to improve the depth of their o-line rotation so they don't end up relying on practice squad guys like this year. Having Bell as a backup with a veteran minimum deal wouldn't bother me, but neither would letting him go.

The Rams appear to have little clue what their offensive line's going to look like Monday night. This is further complicated by a rib injury to Adam Goldberg. He had been scheduled for an MRI.

- A.J. Feeley, fractured thumb. Are you ready for the Tom Brandstater Era? Feeley suffered the fracture when his hand hit a helmet sometime during the game Sunday. So Feeley's status is up in the air, as is Sam Bradford's, with his injured ankle.

Given that the Rams could be trying to protect the QB in Seattle with Thomas Welch and Kevin Hughes, it would be nuts to put an injured Bradford behind center. The Rams should consider a Tim Tebow game plan where they run 35-40 times and pass maybe 5.

- Players considered limited status: Craig Dahl (knee), Goldberg (ribs), Donnie Jones (ankle), Eugene Sims (ankle). Fred Robbins' back is sore again but he is considered day-to-day. Chris Long's ankle will probably continue to keep him limited in practice but won't keep him out of games. Fingers are crossed that Darian Stewart (concussion) will be cleared this week. Mark LeVoir (pectoral) is also supposedly day-to-day again this week. Who thought we'd be using the phrase, "Good thing Mark LeVoir is healthy!" this season?

Last, Gary Gibson is having problems with ulcers. And he doesn't even have to watch this garbage! Doesn't appear he'll miss any practice time.

Alumni news:
Jacksonville waived Mike Sims-Walker from injured reserve.
Indianapolis picked up Zac Diles after he was cut by Tampa Bay.

-$-

Rams update, 12/3

2011-12-03T13:44:00.001-08:00

And the going gets tougher...
- Darian Stewart is out for tomorrow's game. He has not been cleared for contact due to concussion but may take the impact test Monday. This is a pretty serious blow for the Ram defense; Stewart is one of their best tacklers and run defenders (last week notwithstanding), and a key part of the Rams' success this season stopping tight ends. Bad to lose him the week you have to play against Frank Gore and an offense that loves to throw to the TE. Also, his replacement is Craig Dahl. Adjusted prediction for tomorrow: 49ers 30-10.
- Sam Bradford barely practiced at all Friday due to a sprained ankle. He is very generously listed as questionable for tomorrow. His injury's serious enough the Rams re-acquired Tom Brandstater. Expect A.J. Feeley to start.
- Also questionable: Chris Long (ankle), Justin Bannan (shoulder). Sounds like Steve Spagnuolo is encouraged about Bannan's chance of playing.
- Probable: Chris Chamberlain (hamstring), Dominique Curry (hamstring), Justin King (ankle), Donnie Jones (ankle), Brit Miller (hamstring).
- Out: Josh Hull (hamstring), Mark LeVoir (pectoral).

Transactions: The Rams released Eddie Jones from the practice squad Friday in order to re-sign Brandstater. They then cut free-agent bust Ben Leber from the main roster to have Brandstater available for tomorrow's game. The PS spot is still open at last word.

What can I say about Leber, don't believe scouting reports? He showed none of the strength, speed, range, pop, power, tackling or ability to shed blockers he was praised for in scouting reports I perused when the Rams signed him in August. I did at least note his age (32) and declining tackle count, things Billy Devaney might want to make sure he checks if he's still around here signing free agents next summer.

Ex-Ram moves:
- Roger Allen and Bryant Browning were called up to Carolina's main roster. Allen had been a free agent; Browning had been on the practice squad.
- Mortty Ivy returned to Pittsburgh's practice squad after a couple of weeks of unemployment. And yes, that was the millionth Mortty Ivy update in this blog. And yes, Eric Young is right behind him.

-$-

12/1 injury update

2011-12-01T13:52:00.001-08:00

Sam Bradford's ongoing ankle problem has worsened to the point that he was kept out of practice Thursday. It sounds about 50/50 right now that he's going to miss another start this season.

Chris Long was also held out of practice with an ongoing ankle problem but there's no doubt he's playing Sunday.

Darian Stewart was cleared to practice but has not been cleared for contact due to concussion. Final decision is likely tomorrow. He appears to be following the path of the Rams' other "minor" concussions this season, so I will guess he's a go.

Three players described as day-to-day after the loss Sunday have remained out of practice all week, which does not sound very day-to-day to me. Justin Bannan, Josh Hull, Mark LeVoir. Donnie Jones was limited in practice due to an ankle injury he suffered trying to chase Patrick Peterson.

If regular season practices are like training camp practices, how the heck can you "limit" a punter? They do nothing anyway.

-$-

Rams report, 12/1

2011-12-01T08:04:00.001-08:00

Injury report
Did not practice Wednesday:
Justin Bannan (shoulder)
Josh Hull (hamstring)
Mark LeVoir (pectoral)
Darian Stewart (concussion)
Stewart has yet to be cleared to return to practice. Donnie Jones was excused for personal business.

Limited:
Sam Bradford (ankle)
Chris Chamberlain (hamstring)
Dominique Curry (shoulder)
Justin King (ankle)
Chris Long (ankle)
Brit Miller (hamstring)

Bradford took about half the snaps Wednesday.

It shouldn't be news that someone is a full participant, but Danario Alexander was not listed on yesterday's injury report, and there is rampant optimism that he will play in San Francisco Sunday. So who knows, the Rams may only lose 27-13 instead of 27-6.

Alumni report
Travon Bellamy signed to Redskins practice squad.
The Colts stole Jermale Hines from a practice squad for the second time this year, this time Carolina's.
Chauncey Washington signed to Cowboys practice squad.

Coaching carousel
Mike Martz, whose contract with the Bears expires at the end of this season, has expressed interest in the head coaching job at Arizona State. God knows he used to draft enough players from there. Jim Mora Jr. has expressed interest there and in the UCLA job.

I have a feeling Bernie Miklasz is going to start up a Martz bandwagon sometime soon, judging from positive comments made in a recent column about Mike's time here. It'd be this year's version of the Michael Vick for QB campaign. Bernie's bored and wants to stir up some controversy. That does not mean Martz is not on my list, however.

I fear for the moment Rob Ryan will be a popular candidate around here, though it will be based on his biker hairdo and his ability to be a good quote more than previous record, coaching experience or philosophy. Rob Ryan is not high on my current list, but I'll give him due diligence.

Is Coach Eric Taylor available?

-$-

Rams report, 11/30

2011-11-30T08:37:00.001-08:00

* Big dogs. The bad news: the Rams are 13.5-point underdogs to the 49ers on Sunday. The good news: they're not even the biggest underdogs of the week. The Patriots are 20.5-point favorites over the Colts.

* Flea market. Rams transactions: what team would be hard-up enough to take a player from the practice squad of a 2-9 team? Yes, the 0-11 Colts, to whom the Rams have lost practice squad LB Scott Lutrus. The Rams replaced Lutrus with LB Eddie Jones. They also cut David Gilreath from the PS and replaced him with WR John Chiles. Both new practice squadders are former Texas Longhorns.

The Rams had one of their former linemen, Roger Allen, in on Tuesday for a tryout. He was released by the Saints over the weekend. They also tried out WRs Wesley Lyons and Owen Spencer.

Ex-Rams transactions: Chris Massey has landed a job with the Bears, who waived their long snapper. Also, the Chargers waived Eric Young again, and the Seahawks waived David Vobora injured. Guess he won't get to smack-talk the Rams' special teams before kickoffs like he was here in St. Louis.

In other long snapper news, Cleveland cut Ryan Pontbriand, who helped the Rams beat the Browns by snapping the ball off a teammate's leg on the missed (or blocked) game-winning FG attempt. Pontbriand caused a FG miss in their loss to Cincinnati this week by rolling the snap on the ground.

* Congratulations to Steve Spagnuolo on his part in creating a Hall-of-Famer. Patrick Peterson. The shoes Peterson wore in Sunday's game are going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to commemorate his 4 punt return TDs of 80 yards or more in one season. TWO AGAINST THE RAMS.

-$-

Shahid Khan buying Jagwires

2011-11-29T09:33:00.001-08:00

Big doings in Jacksonville today... they have fired head coach Jack Del Rio (yes, I am building a list of coaching candidates to replace Steve Spagnuolo; no, Jack Del Rio will not be very high on that list), and Wayne Weaver has reportedly agreed to sell the team to Shahid Khan. Khan, you'll remember, attempted to buy the Rams last summer, but then-minority owner Stan Kroenke exercised his option to buy the rest of the team.

Khan got pretty touchy-feely coverage around here last summer because he presented himself as a fan of the team and a Rams season-ticket holder, and the Rams' stability was going to be questionable until the Rosenblooms were able to sell it. So he was the white knight. I doubt he can convince many in Florida that he's practically a local and has always been a fan of the team.

I mention this because this is the second time Khan has made a play for an NFL franchise strongly considered a candidate to move to Los Angeles. I hope he keeps the Jags in Jacksonville, otherwise, we'll always wonder what he really had planned for the Rams.

I also hope Stan Kroenke isn't sitting behind a desk somewhere this morning saying - Shit, I'd better beat Khan to the west coast!

Update: Khan said in his official statement that he is fully committed to delivering Jacksonville its first Super Bowl championship, and that he "can't think of a better place to be."

Again, I hope he keeps the team where it is, but if he can't think of a better place to be, he's not thinking very hard.

-$-

Rams update, 11/28

2011-11-28T16:31:00.001-08:00

* RamView: recap for the latest Rams debacle: Link
The main website is back up to date again after about a month of neglect.

* Injuries: light injury report coming out of the Arizona game, mostly nicks and tweaks.
- Sam Bradford slightly re-aggravated his sprained ankle but it isn't said to be serious.
- Darian Stewart has a concussion, which he must have gotten on B. Wells' 52-yard run in the 4th. He will have to be monitored.
- Dominque Curry slightly dislocated a shoulder but played through it.
- Day-to-day: Justin Bannan (upgraded, shoulder), Chris Chamberlain (hamstring), Josh Hull (upgraded, hamstring), Donnie Jones (ankle), Mark LeVoir (upgraded, pectoral), Britt Miller (hamstring).

If LeVoir can go, I wonder if you don't put him at LT and move Adam Goldberg inside to get Jason Brown the hell off the field.

- I guess Danario Alexander (hamstring) is improving; he's deemed likelier to return to practice this week. Most of the rest of the Rams listed on the last report played through the Arizona game. Only guy up in the air from my standpoint is Cadillac Williams.

-$-