[AvengerRam]

saints defense ranked second best in fewest rush yards allowed per carry (3.6) last season, in week 1 they gave up 180 rush yards on 23 carries for a 7.8 average, good for second to last.

I think that was due, in large part, to the absence of Sheldon Rankins (injured) and David Onyemata (suspended). Sounds like Rankins will probably be out again, but Onyemata returns.

[Zen_Ronin]

Doesn't really, but this thread is about the game and the news surrounding it. I assumed that meant any media coverage. My bad, I'll make sure not to share next time.

[AvengerRam]

How does anything he has to say about the Rams matter at this point?

Nobody is entirely useless. Everyone can at least serve as a bad example!

[Hacksaw]

It was a decent interview. Didn't talk about the Rams much unless repeatedly asked.

One thing Fish said was that this whole business about "the 'non call' should fade away after Sunday's game".
We really need this win for reasons beyond the W-L column.

[RedAlice]

Yeah, a non-controversial win would be wonderful on Sunday.

[AvengerRam]

Yeah, a non-controversial win would be wonderful on Sunday.

Of course, if the Rams go up, say... 42-7 and, in the 4th Quarter, NRC blows up a receiver before the ball arrives and draws a flag, it would be kind of fun to say, "okay, now we're even!"

[Elvis]

Sounds like maybe Corona Beach is the way to go...

[Elvis]

https://www.dailynews.com/2019/09/11/ra ... game-talk/

Rams, New Orleans Saints cry foul about ‘revenge game’ talk

Says Saints coach Sean Payton: 'It's the NFL, it's not college'

By KEVIN MODESTI | kmodesti@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: September 11, 2019 at 7:08 pm | UPDATED: September 11, 2019 at 7:08 pm

THOUSAND OAKS — History says the revenge factor is real. The Rams’ and New Orleans Saints’ coaches say it’s overrated.

We’ll find out who’s right Sunday when the Rams host the Saints at the Coliseum. It’s a rematch of the victors and the victims in the uncalled pass interference that helped L.A. win the NFC championship game last January. Even in a less violent sport, like pro wrestling, this would be hyped as a grudge match.

The blown call on Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman’s helmet-to-helmet hit on Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis — with Drew Brees’ pass still in the air — made an impact on NFL rules (pass-interference calls and non-calls now are reviewable) and in courts of law (the last Saints-fan lawsuit was dismissed by the Louisiana Supreme Court last week).

Will emotions from nearly eight months ago affect how the 1-0 Rams and the 1-0 Saints play the game?

“It’s game 2 (of the regular season),” Rams coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. “It’s a great team coming in. For us, we play each game as its own entity.”

Saints head coach Sean Payton voiced the same theme in a phone interview with L.A. reporters: “It’s the NFL, it’s not college,” he said. “These are paid professional players on professional teams. It’s week 2 of the regular season. I think a lot of that (talk) maybe is blown out of proportion.”

In the modern history of NFL officiating controversies, the losing team in a case like this usually succeeds in getting revenge. That’s different from getting even, of course, since the memorable controversies occur in playoff games and the rematches tend to come in regular-season games.

In five notorious officiating controversies since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the teams played again that season or the following season. In four of the five, the team that lost on a bad call won the later meeting (and, by the way, beat the point spread).

The Oakland Raiders beat the New England Patriots 27-20 the November after the Tuck Rule Game in an 2001 AFC divisional playoff game. “This Time, It IS a Fumble,” read a San Francisco Examiner headline, referring to a key Tom Brady turnover in the rematch.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the St. Louis Rams 38-35 the December after a disputed “incomplete” call on a Shaun King pass to Bert Emanuel halted a Tampa Bay drive in the final minute of the Rams’ 1999 NFC championship game victory. The play led to an NFL rule change on passes that touch the ground while in the receiver’s control.

The Buffalo Bills beat the Tennessee Titans 16-13 the September after the Music City Miracle, in which Tennessee won a 1999 AFC wild-card playoff game on a last-minute kickoff return featuring a borderline lateral pass from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson.

The Holy Roller game and its sequel both happened in the 1978 regular season. The Raiders won the madcap first game against the San Diego Chargers in September when Ken Stabler’s forward fumble was batted into the end zone and recovered by Dave Casper. The Chargers won 27-23 in October.

One exception to the trend: After the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Raiders in a 1972 AFC divisional playoff on Franco Harris’ Immaculate Reception, Pittsburgh beat Oakland again the following November.

If some of those teams benefited from extra motivation, Rams linebacker Dante Fowler said he doubts that applies Sunday.

“The feelings are mutual, if anything,” Fowler said. “I know they (the Saints) think they were supposed to be there (in the Super Bowl), but we feel that way (about the Rams) too.”
The Rams haven’t argued with people who say they caught a break in January.

“We all know what it looked like,” McVay said. “Obviously, nobody’s going to sit here and say that wasn’t pass interference.”

McVay said the Rams will be ready to take advantage of the new rules and challenge a close call on potential pass interference. How ironic would that be?

The bookmaker BetOnline wryly posted odds on whether a challenge flag will be thrown on such a play in the Saints-Rams game. “No” is a 1-2 favorite; you get 3-2 odds if you say yes.

Injury watch

Eric Weddle had “limited” participation in the Rams’ practice Wednesday, and McVay said he expects the safety to play Sunday. Weddle was checked for a concussion but is “asymptomatic,” McVay said, after taking a Christian McCaffrey knee to the helmet and leaving the game in the second quarter of the Rams’ season-opening victory over the Carolina Panthers. …

Linebacker Clay Matthews (back) and defensive end Michael Brockers (shoulder) sat out. …

Safety Marcus Williams (groin) was the only Saint reported to be limited in practice Wednesday.

Roster moves

The Rams released three injured players, defensive back Dominique Hatfield, center Aaron Neary and linebacker Trevon Young, after reaching injury settlements with them.

Bottom line

The Rams were favored over the Saints by 2 1/2 points on the VegasInsider.com consensus line Wednesday, down from 3 points when betting began.

[RedAlice]

Doesn't really, but this thread is about the game and the news surrounding it. I assumed that meant any media coverage. My bad, I'll make sure not to share next time.

Oh Zen, I didn't mean why did you post it - it totally goes here. I meant why is he still talking about the Rams.

[Hacksaw]

I cannot wait for this crap to be over. LA fans aren't whining about all the Saints non-calls from that game. And the media just can't let it go. It's really a diss to the Rams org this keep going on and asswipes like Sharp and the idiot across the table from him are even emo about it. I hope Fish was right.