NFL combine a TV spectacle, moneymaker; value under scrutiny
The NFL combine is winding down and itโs clear the annual scouting event thatโs evolved into a made-for-TV spectacle continues to be a required stop on the road to a pro football career amid concerns it can be a demeaning process with diminishing value.
Weary Rams hit NFL low with 11th loss by defending champion
In their first game after the end of a highly eventful calendar year, the Los Angeles Rams made the bad kind of NFL history Sunday. With their 31-10 loss to the Chargers in the first Los Angeles derby at SoFi Stadium on New Year's Day, the Rams became the first defending Super Bowl champions in NFL history to lose 11 games. โThe margin for error was really small,โ Rams coach Sean McVay said.
news.yahoo.comMayfield, Akers lead Rams' 51-14 blowout of Wilson's Broncos
Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson got back together Sunday, near the end of their first season apart following a decade together. Wagner and his Los Angeles Rams were the only ones who enjoyed the holiday reunion. Wagner first intercepted a pass by his longtime Seahawks teammate, setting up the Rams' second touchdown drive in their 31-point first half.
news.yahoo.comBaker Mayfield getting better sense of what Rams are about
Baker Mayfield is starting to get a sense of what his new Los Angeles Rams teammates and coaches are like on and off the field. The Rams hope their late-season addition at quarterback can use that understanding to help produce a better outcome against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. โThere is such a unique element to it relative to the amount of moving parts around him and then just with how recently heโs gotten here,โ coach Sean McVay said.
news.yahoo.comBaker cooks: Newcomer Mayfield rallies Rams past Vegas 17-16
Baker Mayfield threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with 10 seconds to play to cap a 98-yard drive, and the Los Angeles Ramsโ brand-new quarterback led two TD drives late in the fourth quarter of a shocking 17-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Baker cooks: Newcomer Mayfield rallies Rams past Vegas 17-16
Baker Mayfield was waived by Carolina on Monday and claimed by the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday. Mayfield could only wonder what Friday will bring in this wild week of his life, but the former No. 1 overall pick knows it probably won't be more fun than one of the most amazing moments of his bumpy NFL journey. โI donโt know if you could write it any better than that," Mayfield said.
news.yahoo.comRams' Kupp to IR after ankle surgery; OL Jackson, Brewer out
Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp will have surgery on his sprained right ankle, sidelining the Super Bowl MVP for at least the next four weeks while placed on injured reserve. Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson will miss the rest of the season because of blood clots, while starting right guard Chandler Brewer will be out for four to six weeks after knee surgery, coach Sean McVay said Tuesday.
news.yahoo.comLA Rams QB Matthew Stafford in concussion protocol
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is in the concussion protocol, and coach Sean McVay is uncertain whether the Super Bowl winner will be ready to play Sunday against Arizona. Stafford entered the protocol Tuesday afternoon after consultation with the Rams' medical staff, the team announced Wednesday. The Rams believe Stafford's condition resulted from action in last Sunday's 16-13 loss at Tampa Bay, and the team decided to put him in the protocol after the usual weekly round of postgame health evaluations.
news.yahoo.comNFC is upside down midway through NFL season
Aaron Rodgers used an expletive to describe three interceptions. Tom Brady used a different expletive to express his relief and excitement after a comeback win. Midway through the season, the Philadelphia Eagles (8-0) and Dallas Cowboys (6-2) are the only NFC playoff teams from last season with a winning record.
news.yahoo.comMcCaffrey throws, catches, rushes for TDs, Niners rout Rams
Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles.
McCaffrey throws, catches, rushes for TDs, Niners rout Rams
Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday. McCaffrey threw a 34-yard TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk in the first half, caught a TD pass from Jimmy Garoppolo in the third quarter and then put the Niners (4-4) in control with a TD run early in the fourth.
news.yahoo.comRams RB Akers not with team; McVay: 'uncharted territory'
Running back Cam Akers has abruptly departed the Los Angeles Rams, who cited personal reasons for why their leading rusher won't play Sunday against Carolina. Coach Sean McVay did not give further details Friday when asked about Akers' circumstances, though he did say the running back was not injured. When asked whether Akers would be part of the Rams going forward, McVay replied: โWeโre working through some different things right now, so hopefully you guys understand and respect that.โ
news.yahoo.comRookie WR Drake London flies home when Falcons visit LA Rams
Drake London spent the past three seasons tearing up college defenses for USC, so football fans in his native Southern California weren't surprised when the big receiver got off to a strong NFL start with the Atlanta Falcons. The Los Angeles Rams fans in that SoCal contingent are hoping their Super Bowl champions can come up with ways to slow down London for just one week when the Falcons visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday for a meeting of teams hoping to avoid 0-2 starts. London caught 160 passes for 2,153 yards and 16 touchdowns in 27 games at USC before the Falcons made him the eighth overall draft pick last spring.
news.yahoo.comAkers, Robinson respond to lack of action with Rams' offense
Whether carrying the ball or making a lightning-fast recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, Cam Akers' brief NFL career has been all about getting places in a hurry. Akers got just three carries for no yards. โIf Coach donโt think Iโm being urgent enough, just be more urgent,โ Akers said Wednesday.
news.yahoo.comDefending Super Bowl champion Rams open season as underdogs
Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams will raise their Super Bowl banner Thursday night before kicking off the NFL season at home where they became the second straight team to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy in their own stadium.
Analysis: Broncos, Wilson may pay for whitewashing preseason
The Denver Broncos didn't circle their season opener on their calendar even though it's Russell Wilson's homecoming at Seattle. Had they emphasized their $296 million man 's return to the city where he spent a decade, bringing the Seahawks their only Super Bowl title, the Broncos wouldn't have kept him on the sideline with their other starters in the preseason. โThis is what I have been doing the past three years," explained new Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was schooled in the sit-'em philosophy by Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who copied the doctrine from Rams coach Sean McVay, who's been doing it since 2018.
news.yahoo.comRams rookie Bruss out for season; Super Bowl starter waived
Rams rookie offensive lineman Logan Bruss is out for the season after tearing ligaments in his right knee during Los Angeles' second preseason game. The Rams on Saturday also waived tight end Kendall Blanton, a Super Bowl starter who made several big postseason receptions during their run to a championship. Coach Sean McVay said Bruss tore his ACL and MCL during Los Angeles' 24-20 loss to Houston on Friday night.
news.yahoo.comRams' McVay calls Stafford's elbow pain "abnormal" for a QB
Coach Sean McVay says Matthew Stafford's continuing elbow pain is unusual for a football player, and the Los Angeles Rams are trying to determine whether it will hamper their starting quarterback in the regular season. Stafford has been throwing in individual drills and 7-on-7 setups while skipping the full-team portions of the defending Super Bowl champions' training camp practices at UC Irvine. Stafford had an unspecified injection in his elbow during the offseason, and he reported feeling ongoing pain in the joint last month after not doing any serious throwing in the Rams' offseason program.
news.yahoo.comAnalysis: Rams might pay steep price for winning all-in bet
When the Los Angeles Rams acquired Von Miller on Nov. 1, they tweeted, โWeโre all in,โ along with a GIF of John Malkovich splashing the poker pot. With Miller adding an emotional boost, a veteran's savvy and a physical presence that helped Aaron Donald go from all-time great to Super Bowl champion, the Rams rule the NFL for the first time since 2000, when they still played in team owner Stan Kroenke's native Missouri. Kroenke treats his NFL team the way he used to treat his NBA team: with a willingness bordering on an eagerness to mortgage the future for a shot at winning it all right now.
news.yahoo.comSan Francisco commits major mistakes at the worst time
For 6 3/4 games, the San Francisco 49ers had dominated the Los Angeles Rams. Then came the fourth quarter of Sundayโs NFC championship game, when everything unraveled. Coach Kyle Shanahan decided not to go it on fourth-and-2 in Rams territory, followed by a dropped interception by Jaquiski Tartt and Jimmy Garoppolo throwing a pick at the worst time.
news.yahoo.comRams look to cut out Stafford's errors before it costs them
Wins are piling up for the Los Angeles Rams. With the playoffs in sight, the two are unlikely to continue to coexist, something Stafford knows all too well after the Rams escaped with a 20-19 victory at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Despite Stafford throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble, the Rams (12-4) won their fifth straight game.
news.yahoo.com