Ep.560: Can the Rams get BACK to the NFC Title Game

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
All right, guys, welcome back to Downtown Rams.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
As always, I'm Alexis Kraft. Join here with my cost
Jake ellen Bogan, and we are coming to you with
a doubleheader this week. We are both going to recap
our win over the Minnesota Vikings twenty seven to nine
in the NFL Wildcard Round on Monday night as we
all watched, and we are going to preview our divisional

(00:25):
matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday in Philadelphia.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Jake, the Rams beat the Vikings. We called it. You
and I were riding high on them. A lot of
people weren't a lot of people weren't.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
High in the Rams going into this game, but the
Rams came in, Jake, and honestly, from the beginning, I
just felt like dominated. I mean, scoring on the first
offensive drive. When's the last time that happened for the Rams.
We all were joking about it on social media. They'd
a beautiful drive to start the game, end up scoring.

(00:58):
The defense had one of the best games I've seen
them play all year.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Jake.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Let's get into some of the specifics of you know,
that win against the Vikings, but I just want to
hear first overall, what was your overall thought about that game.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Well, we'll have plenty of time to get into that.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
I do feel like we have to address there were
people that were in here the last time we went
live on a Friday night until five am.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, yeah, yes, yeah, So let's talk about it now.
I didn't know that we were going to. I thought
we were going to talk about this at the end,
but let's talk about it.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, let's just let's talk about it now.

Speaker 4 (01:34):
Like for people like Everything Footwear eight who watched every
single piece of the nine hour live stream. First off,
we want to give, you know, being transparent everything. We
were able to raise over eleven thousand on GoFundMe. Obviously
there are fees with GoFundMe, so those have been taken

(01:55):
care of. We have the money that will be dispersed
out to those when it actually arrives at our you
know bank essentially.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
So can't stress it enough. We really appreciate you.

Speaker 4 (02:08):
We wanted to do the best we possibly could for LA,
for our community, for the people that have kind of
taken us in here and allowed us to you know,
do this because I think I'd still be doing this
if our views were low. But the amount of support
that we've had Alexis, I mean, it's just not really

(02:29):
the same. It's been on a just another plane. We
continue to grow our brands, being able to go out
to any RAMS game and be acknowledged and noticed as
somebody in person being asked to take pictures with and
you know, it's just you don't really get used to that.
It's a really great feeling. But this is because of people,

(02:49):
you know, like our community, and these people have lost
so much and say what you will, maybe they haven't
lost their homes, but if a friend or a relative
or anybody they know lost a home to me, they're
connected to that and that you know, there's a lot
of trauma that's been going on just being a part

(03:10):
of this. So we did the best that we could.
You guys really helped us out. You know, we came
close to twenty thousand dollars when you include Colton's donation
in our name, and then you had Fantasy Cares. They
ended up matching six thousand instead of five thousand. So
Scott Fish can't thank you enough. And it's just been

(03:33):
kind of a wild ride. You know, the last week
or so, we weren't really able I definitely did not
cover the game like I wanted to Alexis, and I
take full responsibility, but I was really having a hard
time just focusing and just being, you know, there for
this community in the light of me being an entertainer
and analysts and all that, because I just kept thinking

(03:56):
about what people were going through.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
And I'm so glad that we did that live stream.

Speaker 4 (04:01):
With that said, I also want to say that everybody
needs to give Alexis a lot of credit because I
was gonna do it by myself, but I don't think
it would have been nearly as effective. And this girl
right here on a Friday night gave up nine hours

(04:21):
of her time, no wing full well, the next day
she was gonna have to get up and go do improv.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
So give it to Alexis. Like I make my own hours.

Speaker 4 (04:34):
I can work at four am, I can get up
at eight am.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
That's just the way my life is.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
But she's got another job and then she comes home
from a long day of work, goes nine hours live
and then goes out and does the improv. That is
who Alexis is as a person that you know speaks
to her work ethic.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Give her all the flowers the credit.

Speaker 4 (04:59):
I don't know anybody else who would have done that
with me, So Alexis shout out to you. I just
want to make sure people understand that this wasn't just
the Jake ellen Bogan fundraiser.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
This was Downtown Rams.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
Downtown Rams isn't Jake Allen Bog It's Jake Allen Bogan
and Alexis Kraft and it's been that way since twenty nineteen.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Well, I appreciate it, thank you, and uh, yeah, that
means a lot. And I'm just glad that we were
able to do something to help. And the discussions of
you and I had been having since you know, this
thing took place and.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Wondering what we could do.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
So when I knew that you were going to do
that live stream, I was like, why don't we do
it on Downtown Rams. And you know, I would love
to help. I'd love to, you know, get do something,
you know, for everybody who has been affected, and so
many of our listeners have, you know, So I'm glad
that we were able to think of something to give back,
because we certainly do want to give back to the

(05:54):
people who have given so much to us. And so yeah,
I'm glad that we were able to raise almost twenty
thousand dollars for the city of Los Angeles and all
the people who need help there. That's going to mean
a lot to them, and it means a lot to
us to be able to assist with that. And thank
you again to everybody who donated and who stayed up
with us.

Speaker 3 (06:12):
Very that was wild late. We were singing. It was
just it was an event. It was singing.

Speaker 4 (06:18):
We you know, we did not talk football for nine hours.
We did we didn't do it, and it wasn't going
to be possible. It just wasn't. And it was so
long that when we went to upload the audio, because
I had people ask why was the audio so short,
I had to literally cut it down to like two
hours because the audio was too big. The file was

(06:38):
too big, so it cut off most of it. It
actually didn't upload it at first. Now it's uploaded on
audio platforms. But what a night, you know, it was.
It was really cool that just see all these people
who just stayed the whole time. And also there was
a huge college football game and people were here.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
So I'm just saying that was a big deal.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
That is that was a big deal because that was
the night. It was Ohio State in Texas.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Right, it's just like a big That.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Was a huge game, and you know, I suspected that
people were gonna be watching it, but I'm glad that
everybody in the chat hung out with us and made
it a really fun night.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
You had your McDonald's, I had my Wendy's.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
Yeah, we did get our fast.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
It was late and we decided to DoorDash and that
was pretty much all that was available.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
Yeah, exactly, I'm not a I'm not a Wendy's guy.
After that, I was landing like, yeah, this food's kind
of mid. Plus the fries tasted like icebery lettuce, which
I'll never understand why that was the case.

Speaker 3 (07:44):
I was a little concerning.

Speaker 4 (07:46):
But yeah, anyway, So we really appreciate you guys, but
we really appreciate the Rams for once we do making
our job a little bit easier so we don't have
to just transition right into the off season. Two, we're
both fans of the Rams, So while yes, we cover
the Rams all that, we're still fans And I can't
stress enough. And I also want to give a ton

(08:07):
of credit to the Arizona Cardinals organization for laying out
the red carpet essentially in just an awful awful time,
sending two you know, giant planes to pick up everybody
in the Rams organization, their their family and their their pets.
Just incredible, incredible stuff, and their team store, putting all

(08:29):
the Rams gear in there. They did a lot, a
lot of the signage, the just everything to make it
look like a home game. And of course the Vikings
fans really showed out. But you know, got to give
the Cardinals a live credit for the fact that they're
able to do that. Now, with that said, I think
the Rams had one of the most impressive wins I've

(08:51):
ever seen in my twenty nine years of watching sports
to the fact that they had their process. They had
in a game that's so mental, any sports mental, but
they had you know, some of these players were in
jeopardy of losing their homes, they're evacuating staffers.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
All this.

Speaker 4 (09:15):
The fact that they took the weight of la on
their shoulders went to Arizona and were able to put
not just win the game, dominate the game from beginning
to end against the Vikings. To me, this might not
be the greatest story of all time. They might not

(09:35):
get the Final, you know, victory. They might not win
the Super Bowl, but that encapsulated what this year has
been for this team because nothing actually compares to that.
Playing on a Tuesday night the year they won the
Super Bowl doesn't compare to that. Playing without half their
team because of COVID doesn't compare to that. But it

(09:56):
is a credit to how talented, how resilient, how mentally
tough they want their players to be. They always talk about,
you know, what does it take to be a Ram?
This is what we want archetype to be. And they
want these guys that want to play football, they love football,
but they're mentally tough, They're unflappable, and that is what

(10:17):
the Rams were on Monday Night against the Vikings. Unflappable,
nothing bothered them. And I just, you know, I got
to give them a lot of credit. And I gotta
give this coaching staff a lot of credit. And I
think Chris Shula had the literal, perfect, perfect game plan
to stopping Sam Darnold. But I just got to give

(10:38):
Sean McVeigh all the credit in the world because this
is a guy that people were basically counting out after
the twenty twenty two season. It's the worst Super Bowl
defending team of all time five you know, five and twelve,
you know, seventeen different offensive line combinations.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
He took some time after that season.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
People thought he could retire, and he was honest, and
he's still honest to this day. Talks about all the time,
I'm a much better leader now than I was then.
I you know, I appreciate things more. I took things
for granted, you know, after the super Bowl and to
see what he's done after a one and four start,

(11:21):
and he just because we saw it in twenty twenty two, Alexis,
we covered this team in twenty twenty two, and people
were tired of the constant pressure pressers where he'd be like,
this isn't us. You know, our story's not written yet,
and they're like four and seven, four and eight, and
it really just felt are three and whatever, and they
just felt like, Okay, this is a bad season.

Speaker 3 (11:42):
It is what it is. But what do you want
him to say?

Speaker 4 (11:44):
Well, when he said that, and last year they went
through the same thing, three and six, go to ten
and seven. But when he started saying that again right
around one and four, story's not written all this we
you know, we believe our best football is after the
buye whatever. I think more people this time did buy
into it, but there were still a lot of, you know, doubters,

(12:07):
including Rams fans. So to see what this team is
overcome going you know where you lose your home playoff
game that was supposed to have eighty to eighty five
percent RAMS fans capacity, and you go to Arizona and
Arizona and I want to make this very clear here.
This is the thing that's never talked about and it

(12:27):
should be. They went to Arizona. That is the place
that they were humiliated in Week two, that exact field Alexis.
They lost forty one to ten, and they set after
that this will never happen again. This is humbling. We're
gonna learn from this, We're gonna clean it up. They
won the next game against the forty nine ers. They
lost to to the Packers and the Bears. At that point,

(12:50):
people are thinking they're gonna trade away Cup all these guys.

Speaker 3 (12:52):
Whatever.

Speaker 4 (12:53):
They get off the buy and they rip off a
ton of wins. They've won ten of the last thirteen
and right now I just feel like it might not
end in the Super Bowl. But this team isn't about
to go down without a fight in Philly this weekend.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
So I'm excited to talk about it.

Speaker 4 (13:10):
But that kind of you know, I guess, sets the
stage about where I see, you know, how I see everything,
And I just can't stress enough how freaking proud I
was watching that team show up offenses struggled all years.
Score on the first drive they did that, they set
the tone. It was all a all hands on deck effort.

(13:31):
But man, are we going to talk about the defense
because they were massive.

Speaker 3 (13:35):
In that one.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yes, the defense, I mean had the game. I don't
want to see the game of their lives because you
know what, I'm hoping that they have more and more
games of their lives and they get play further into
the playoffs. But the game of their lives so far
for a lot of those young defenders, right, I mean,
Jared Vers, Brandon Fisk rookie season, incredible rookie seasons, but

(13:59):
they've were playing.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
A playoff game in the NFL, right, So.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
Not playing in the playoffs is huge for anybody, but
especially a young defense that had so many people playing
that hadn't been on that stage before and that were
hungry and ready to play. And I think obviously had
probably heard the noise that they were the underdogs, right,
and you've got a very talented Vikings offense with Justin
Jefferson and Aaron Jones and you know Sam Donald.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
Say what you want about Sam Donald. He s team
was fourteen to two.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yeah, he had had a lot of games where he
had looked really good this season, right, Jordan Addison to TJ.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
Hockinson.

Speaker 2 (14:34):
I mean, this Vikings offense, we have to give them,
you know credit, right, They're a very talented offense and
so you know our defense to have that kind of
game against them just meant a lot.

Speaker 1 (14:47):
I mean nine sacks.

Speaker 4 (14:50):
That what they'll say, what they'll say, Alexis is that
you know, and I hear this all the time, and
I will I want to ask Rams fans to take
this into account as well. It's okay to give credit
where credits due, and in this case, I feel like
a lot of people Vikings fans went not kept saying, Man,

(15:14):
they're not playing their style of game today. They're beating themselves. No,
they're being beaten. There's a cause and effect to everything.
Like the Rams Eagles game, when I was out there
at Sofi Stadium, the Rams were getting dominated by the Eagles,
like that's what was happening, Like they weren't just beating themselves.

(15:34):
We can always use that as a cop out, but
I think the Vikings were just put in positions that
were very uncomfortable. They're not a team that's built to
come back from you know, seventeen or whatever. And the
Rams put them in a twenty one point deficit at halftime.
And Sam Donald when that pressure is getting to them,

(15:54):
it really gets to him. And the best way to
do that is go up early on, you know, punch
him in the mouth early and a lead. No lead
is too big in the NFL, except when you have
quarterbacks that really struggle against pressure, and Sam Darnold is
one of them.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, and it just it was so fun to watch.
I mean it just it sounds like, you know, the
defense has been fun to watch in a lot of
games this season, but I mean, to play like that
again in a playoff game. I mean Jared versus touchdown,
I mean knocked out by a Kello Witherspoon. So your guy,

(16:31):
your guy forces the sack and then my guy scores
a touchdown off of it. And it was like I
almost was sitting there going like, am I dreaming right now?
Is this like a euphoric like dream? I'm gonna wake
up and I'm imagining this because it was really crazy
to watch. I mean, I was so happy for Jared

(16:52):
to get that touchdown as a rookie and having the
season that he's had, and then to go into your
first playoff game team.

Speaker 4 (17:00):
That passed on you mm hmm for another edge defender.
They passed on you for Dallas Turner, and I didn't
see Dallas Turner playing much.

Speaker 2 (17:09):
So yeah, I mean, very poetic and you know what,
big games from Witherspoon and Kobe Durant and it just
I love to watch it. And I think that they're
hot right now. So when we cover, you know, kind
of our thoughts about what we're gonna look like against
the Eagles. I mean, I feel really good.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
About this defense.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
I think they're all playing at such a high level
and they're playing with such good chemistry that it's very
fun to watch.

Speaker 4 (17:42):
Yeah, and I think just you know, you look at
what they did in that Vikings game.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
Kyra and Williams ran the ball.

Speaker 4 (17:50):
Really good in past protection, which it's not a shock,
but I like highlighting it because that's so much of
the running back game that gets kind of left because
you know, this is the age of fantasy football and betting,
and no one cares about pass pro, but pass pro's huge,
and you know, the Vikings were blitzing quite a bit.
Stafford was having a lot of success. But if Kyra

(18:11):
Williams isn't stepping into the face of pressure, Stafford gets
sacked or hit or ball gets knocked out on a
few of those. So you know, credit to Kyron, you know,
and credit to these guys for continuing to fight. I mean,
you know, Tyler Higbee was the offense, and I did
say he'd be the X factor in this one. I
think I went six catches, sixty yards and two touchdowns,

(18:34):
and I think he was going to have it. Felt like, honestly,
like OBJ in the Super Bowl, like they could not
stop him, they had no answer. He goes down, offense
kind of takes the dial back. Now, I think that
was by design because of how well the defense is playing.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
They're up twenty one, you know.

Speaker 4 (18:51):
At the half, I think McVeigh and this is part
of you know, you have to do more than just
win the game. Sometimes you can't show everything when you're
in the playoffs, you got to be very careful what
you show. You're not trying to put that on tape,
and so I do think sometimes you have to. Obviously,
if that game was really tight, Sean McVay would have

(19:13):
had to put that out there. I don't believe Sean
McVay put everything out on tape, you know, last like
this past week. I don't believe that Monday night football
game was everything the Rams had on offense. So of
course you come away with the you know, the thought,
this is a twenty seven to nine game that probably
should have been way more points. And people were not

(19:35):
overly impressed at the offense because they saw after Higbee
goes down, it's like they didn't really do much of anything.
And you know, they had their moments, the touchdown Davis Allen,
they had you know, spurts, but like they didn't dominate
like a lot of people were hoping they would.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
And I think it was by design.

Speaker 4 (19:51):
I think they really knew that they had the game
intact defense the way they're playing, and they got a
lot of respect for Sam Darnold, but you had to
know when he he was down by twenty one at half,
He's not built to come back from that because it
takes away the run game. So the thing about football
is when you're an offense, you know, the whole thing

(20:12):
that you have going for you is I don't know
if you're gonna throw it or run it. I don't
know if you know this motion is gonna end up being,
you know, an end around to the wide receiver. But
what I do know is when you're down by twenty
one and time is not on your side, you can't
afford to continue to run it. You might run it
here and there, but you can't afford to continue it.
So that's when they became really one dimensional. And you

(20:33):
always hear people say pin their ears back, right, That's
what the Rams are doing. They're just pinning their ears back,
rushing the passer and having fun. And you know that team,
even with two minutes to go, the Vikings look dead
in the water, totally shot, and the Rams are just
absolutely like energizer bunnies all over the field every single play,

(20:54):
even down to the last they were they were pumped.
So I just feel like, you know, in this one,
you see different contributors showing up. You see Neville gallimorego
for almost two sacks. You see Deswan Johnson step up
at the end of the game. You know, Kobe Durant,
who hasn't played in a while, he plays, you know,

(21:15):
a week eighteen. Every single snap looks really good. They
end up putting him in the game plan. He gets
a sack and then he gets a pick on. Sam
Darnold was excellent, only gave up one yard in coverage.
You mentioned a Keller Witherspoon. I don't know if he's
ever had a sack in his career, but he forces
a fumble and to me, at that moment alexis when

(21:35):
he forces that fumble and Jared Verse takes it back,
any doubt in my mind about them losing that game
was washed away. I don't know how you come back
from that, cause you're already this isn't a home game
for you, and you're the fourteen win team. All the
pressure's on you. All the pressure was not on the
Rams at that moment. I think they were just playing
when they got out in front. They're a really hard

(21:58):
team to beat when they start off strong because this
is one of the best second half adjusters in the league,
and so when they get off to quick leads like that,
that's not really what they've had to do. They win unconventionally,
and this is another game where you know they won unconventionally,
but they also dominated the entirety of the game. And

(22:20):
I just think anybody that's expecting a letdown, you know
after you got it wrong, because a lot of people
that were expecting a let down this one against the Vikings, Oh,
it's there's so much riding on, like the emotion everything
going on in La. No, they rallied, they rallied behind that,
and I don't think that's gonna stop just because they
got the win. I don't think they're they're satisfied. They

(22:42):
have championship pedigree on this team. Stafford knows his days
are numbered. He's got two to three years left. He
wants to win another ring. Like the competitive nature of
this team, and these young guys that don't understand they're
not supposed to be as good as they are this
early on their career. This isn't normal, Like they don't

(23:02):
know what they're supposed to be. I say, let it rip,
and I think you know, people can doubt them. People
can say, well, the Eagles beat them this time, and
this time and how they beat I don't give a rip.
I said it leaving Sofi Stadium. The Rams are outclassed
on the offensive line and the defensive line. The Eagles

(23:25):
have maybe the best offensive line. The Eagles have one
of the best defensive lines. The issue was Jalen Hurts
being able to move the chains and then say kuon Barkley.
But I also did say if this team got healthy
the Rams, I could see them really catching fire. It's
going to depend and if they do. I had them,

(23:45):
just like you, winning the Super Bowl this year before
the season started, So it won't be a shock if
they get healthy, they go on a run. They have
a Super Bowl champion quarterback, they have a Super Bowl
champion head coach, they have all the talent in the
world in you know, some of those key positions. Won't
be surprised if they do that. And I didn't think

(24:07):
the NFC was that good. I was proven wrong. The
NFC outclasses the AFC this year. But I mean, who
would you take it a winner take all game in
the playoffs right now, alexis between Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff,
Jaden Daniels and Matthew Stafford. I would take Matthew Stafford.

(24:29):
I think Jayden Daniels is a stud. I think Goff
has played really well this year, and Jalen Hurts has
gone the Super Bowl. But Matthew Stafford won the Super Bowl,
Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff lost the Super Bowl. So
I think it really does come down to that. And
then you have the defense playing the way they are.
The Rams are too hot right now. I just don't

(24:50):
think they're gonna go down without a fight.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
I agree with you, and we can get into that now.
We can, you know, shift from the Vikings to the
Eagles and talk about this matchup that we're going to
see Sunday against Philadelphia, And I guess we should start
by maybe talking about the fact that it's going to
be a snow game, because a lot of people are
in discourse about that. So if you didn't know there

(25:14):
is a I don't remember in the last time I've
seen one hundred percent chance of snow was because I
feel like the weather app is always giving you know,
there's an eighty five percent chance or a ninety No,
it is a hundred percent chance of three to five
feet of snow in Philadelphia Sunday January nineteenth, and it

(25:35):
is supposed to be reportedly increasing in the afternoon, So
I think the morning is supposed to be more of
a light snow, and then as the day goes on,
it's supposed to become like a steady snow. So, Jake,
it sounds like there's going to be snow. It sounds
like this is going to be feet or inches. I

(25:58):
think probably inches. Sorry, no, there's not going to be
five feet snow.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
You can't play football on five snow. Sorry, I'm laughing,
just trying to think about that.

Speaker 4 (26:10):
Guys getting stuck and like its quicksand they're they're falling
through the snow.

Speaker 1 (26:14):
There would be some players who would love that, though,
I know.

Speaker 4 (26:18):
Well, do you remember that one game. I think it
was Philadelphia. It was Philly in Detroit. It's like Leshaun
McCoy got up in his whole you know, his whole
face mask had.

Speaker 3 (26:29):
Yeah, maybe it'll be well.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
It won't be it won't be that bad, but it
will be steadily snowing. And all the weather experts are like, yeah,
it's going to be like a very like it's going
to be one of those snow games. I think it's
going to be a true snow game, and it should
be fun to watch. But what that means for the team, Jake,
if you want to talk about this a little bit,
and you know, when you're covering a team, I mean,

(26:53):
what you can expect in inclement weather is probably a
lot of running the football.

Speaker 1 (26:58):
But if you're running the.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
Football, hold onto it right, because it's it's very slippery,
especially in snow. I mean it's just it's it's you
can't hold on the ball. You see you guys drop
past it wide open passes all the time. It's just
hard to hang on to the ball. And also turnovers
like interceptions, right, you think about that ball slips out
of your hand, quarterback's hands, it goes to somebody else.

(27:22):
What do you think is going to be the biggest
concern in this weather?

Speaker 4 (27:26):
I think this weather is perfect for today's rams, perfect
because I think it takes away Saquon Barkley's ability to
you know, do what he does. And I think, you know,
I understand some people say, well, what about the tackling,
slip in and all that, Yeah, that'll happen, but Barkley

(27:48):
now can't put his foot in the ground and make
those type of cuts that make him so dangerous because yes,
he's a big back and he's elusive. That's the thing
that makes him so scary. The big back part is
when he gets into the second level and now he's big,
he's as big as the safety and they're not bringing

(28:08):
him down. But the elusive part allows him to get
to the second level. And if he's not able to
do that, and the Rams are able to force him,
you know, force him, you know, three and ounce and
what have you. And then all of a sudden they
have Kyen Williams who can kind of do it all right.
They got a run game, they got Matthew Stafford who's played.

Speaker 3 (28:29):
In cold weather before.

Speaker 4 (28:31):
I just feel I feel really good about this team
because it's not like years past.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
You know so much.

Speaker 4 (28:37):
So often you think when the Rams are good, Do
you think they're good because their offense? You think of
The Gray Show on Turf, You think of Brandon Cooks,
Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins, Cooper Cup. You know, that's why
the Rams are good. That's not why the Rams are
good this year. The Rams are good this year because
they've won unconventional ways. They've won in multiple different games.

(29:00):
You know, they've they've won in the cold against the Jets.
I continue to say that to me and the forty
nine ers game on a four you know, four day,
you know, four days to get ready for that game.
Short week after beating Buffalo, You're expecting to let down,
and they find a way to win twelve to six
against their art rival forty nine Ers in the porting range.

(29:22):
So this team has faced adversity, they have faced you know,
the elements, and in the.

Speaker 3 (29:28):
Past, while I would say.

Speaker 4 (29:30):
Being like a Dome team if you will, and having
all that high octane passing that could hurt them, I
think in this game, the team that we've seen this
year is less you know, high octane, athletically driven, you know.
Finase all that, I think this team is more physical

(29:52):
than Rams teams in the past. So I think the
physicality of this defensive front, the physicality of this offensive line,
I think that is going to be what decides this
for the Rams. Like I said in the past, in
the past, I do think this would have been a
nightmare for the Rams, an absolute nightmare. They lost games

(30:13):
like this in the past, maybe not in the snow,
but I just have this feeling, man, the way that
they're playing, how they're not afraid. They're okay only scoring
twenty points. Their defense for the last five games has
given up less than ten points. I just feel like,
right now, I trust this team. I trust him to

(30:35):
go into Philly. I think this is a better matchup
than them going against a week off Detroit Lions team
that has a lot of speed. You know, you go
to their house. They are built to play in a dome.
That's just the reality of it. And you talk about
how dangerous Saquon can be, well I could. I mean,
I could see Jamir Gibbs being like that as well.

(30:57):
And I do think they match up against the Lions
very well. I think that they can throw a lot
at Jared Goff, you know, get him off balance, make
him uncomfortable, and win that game. I think they can
beat anybody. Alexis I've said this, but I feel really
good about this game.

Speaker 3 (31:11):
I do. I don't.

Speaker 4 (31:13):
I just feel like we're gonna wake up, you know, Monday,
and we're gonna be like, you know, the people that
at least doubted them, and they're gonna be like, why
did we not see this coming? Why Why was this
nearly minus three hundred on the books for Eagles money line.

(31:35):
How did we not see that this RAMS team is
just on a tear right now. They have the better coach,
the better quarterback, Their defense is playing as well as
anybody in that weather.

Speaker 3 (31:47):
That weather is catered to how they play.

Speaker 4 (31:51):
They're not trying to throw bombs down the field anymore.
They don't have a Todd Gurley. They don't They don't
rely on that explosion. Kyron picks his spots. The one
thing that can really hurt this team is the fumbling,
So Kyron knows that. I almost feel like there's more
of an emphasis when you have this weather that I

(32:12):
don't think he's gonna fumble in this game. I think
he's gonna, you know, take care of the football. And
I think they're gonna play. They're gonna pick their spots,
and they're gonna win this thing wicked close. But who's
gonna care how they win it. As long as they
win it, they move on. I mean, this team is
two to zero, and the Sean mcvayerra when they get
to the NFC title game, because that pretty much almost

(32:34):
always based on the last two times, means they're in
the super Bowl, and I think that's where they belong.
I think their record does not indicate who they are.
They had a lot of injuries to start the season,
and unlike the forty nine ers who let it completely
tear them at the seams, the Rams, their culture rallied
around it, played great football after the bye, came back,

(32:58):
threw some haymakers and ten of their last thirteen and
to me, when you look at you know the last
thirteen games being played, the Rams are one of the
best teams in the league right now. They just don't
have the sexy points scored. They don't have ten thirty
point games like the Lions. But guess what, no one cares.

(33:21):
No one is gonna care if they win this game
to nothing, if they end up going and winning the
Super Bowl. That's the thing that people don't seem to understand. Well,
this is an entertainment thing. It's an entertainment business. I'm
fully aware of that might not be as entertaining if
they go out there and score thirty eight as opposed to,
no one is gonna care. History is not gonna go
back and be like they didn't deserve it. Right now,

(33:44):
the Rams have a chance to take the toughest road
ever taken to go to the Super Bowl. They played
a fourteen win team in the wild card round, which
is unprecedented.

Speaker 3 (33:52):
That doesn't happen.

Speaker 4 (33:54):
Right then, they're now playing another fourteen win team right now.
And then if they win this game and the Commanders lose,
they would be playing a fifteen win team to go
to the Super Bowl. A guess what, Alexis, I won't
stop there. If the Chiefs were to meet them in
the Super Bowl, they'd play another fifteen win team. That
would be the toughest road in the history of the sport.

(34:16):
And for the people that always to this day say
the Rams bought a championship, which is ridiculous. There's a
salary cap, you morons, the Rams bought a championship? Or
my favorite, alexis all the Rams had an easy path.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
They played the six seed four. The forty nine Ers.

Speaker 4 (34:33):
Were better than the Packers, they just were Packers with
the number one seed. The forty nine ers were better.
That's why the forty nine Ers went to the NFC
title game. And then if you want to say the Chiefs,
the Chiefs pissed their game away. The Bengals had to
go into Arrowhead and they won. They were down twenty
one Tozering at halftime, and they pissed that lead away
and the Bengals took it from them. And you know

(34:54):
what people were saying after that, Everyone was picking the Bengals.
Everyone was saying, Joe Burrow, this is a team of death.
And then the Rams started to dominate them early on
Obi j Go's down, they struggle coming out of the
second half. There's an awful face mask call that's not
called for. Ramsey Higgins gets an adr touchdown. Rams have
to fight their way back despite having a third string

(35:15):
tight end, despite having most of their wide receivers out,
no healthy running backs, and they find a way to
beat the Bengals. And you know what they said after
that game, Alexis it started going away from team of
destiny for the Bengals too.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
Oh they had an easy road.

Speaker 4 (35:30):
What so the constant just you know, taking and pulling away.
That can't happen if the Rams beat the teams that
they have to beat, even if they beat the Eagles
and going to the MC title game, this is already
one of the craziest roads that you will ever have
to take in any postseason because you're essentially playing two

(35:51):
number one seeds based on a fourteen and fifteen win
team that you can't take anything away from this Rams
team if they're able to beat the Eagles this week,
and even if they lose next weekend, you can't take
anything away from them for beating unprecedentedly beating a fourteen
seeded team when they had to basically relocate where they

(36:12):
were practicing and relocate the game spur the moment that
took away from them having that home field advantage. So
that's how I feel, and people might not like it,
but it's tough. I think the Rams they've had to
overcome a lot. I don't want to hear a damn thing.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
That sounds like a team of destiny to me. If
we really want to talk about.

Speaker 3 (36:33):
Teams, I'm just saying, you.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
Know, but yeah, I mean genuinely insane path as you
pointed out, and you know what this Eagles team, you know,
as we've been talking about them, they're a very good team.
We would be remiss if we didn't talk about what
happened the first time we played them this season.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
Right.

Speaker 2 (36:54):
Unfortunately, Jake got to witness it just hand. He was
at Sofi Stadium when we played the Eagles. There on
Monday night football, and he didn't have.

Speaker 1 (37:05):
A good time.

Speaker 2 (37:06):
I didn't have a good time. You all didn't have
a good time. Let's just be honest about it, right,
and let's talk about what happened during that game, Jake,
that we avoid happening in our rematch against themself. I
mean that game was one of those games shake where
it was like everything that could go wrong went wrong.
It was such wretched, cursed energy from just the moment

(37:30):
it started until the end. It was like, let's just
talk about what went wrong. Obviously. I think the first
thing that happened was Kiren's fumble.

Speaker 4 (37:41):
Not good, right, that's I think the number one miss
Q there, because they dominated that first opening drive and
look at what they did against the Vikings. Once they scored,
they put pressure on Sam Darland Vikings. But Kiren's fumble
I also want to add some context too, because I
don't know how it looked on TV. He was so

(38:04):
he fumbles and it is, you know, whatever, it's fumble.
They ran another play. I don't think I've ever seen
oh yeah them, yeah, I don't think I've ever seen
that before where they ran another play and the officials
gave and again, it's a fumble. I'm not trying to
say it's not. But this is the way things work.

(38:25):
These are humans that we talked about how great the
human error is when people are like, no, no, don't
have robo umpires have you know, regular we like the
human error. It makes us human, all right. But you
had officials take away a fumble, a take away you know,
a run essentially Kyrone had when they were at the

(38:48):
seventeen yard line and they ran another play and then
they come back and they're like, oh, we're sorry, Sirianni
actually threw the red flag. What they also did that
later on the game, by the way, when they had
the bow limmer holding call. I don't want to get
ahead of myself, but we'll talk about that. But the
first misqueue to your point, and it sucks. We both

(39:11):
love Kyen, but that was that was massive. That really
took away all the momentum they had. And I was
at so far that place was rocking when they got
going on offense. The people were ready for this. This
is a primetime game. They're standing in toe to toe
with the Philadelphia Eagles after not the easiest road to
that point. This is the first game, their chance to

(39:34):
go over five hundred for the first time all year,
and yeah, just the way that offense was rolling and
then that happens really unfortunate.

Speaker 3 (39:43):
But yes, you were saying.

Speaker 2 (39:46):
Well, I was just saying I think that was the
thing that kicked it off, and I was trying to
find I had written down a sequence of events and
now I cannot find it. But when we were talking
about that game, because that was the first thing that
kicked it off, but it wasn't the only thing that
went wrong, right, It was one of those games where
everything that could go wrong could go go wrong. And

(40:09):
not only did that happen, we happened to be playing
against Saquon Barkley. And that to me, I mean, Saquon
Barkley put up legendary numbers against this Rams team. I
mean two hundred and fifty five yards rushing right, just
in rushing.

Speaker 4 (40:28):
I mean, yeah, I'll add context to that too, by
the way, because there's some things that need to be
said about that, like they didn't do a good enough job.
But you know, but I did want to hit on
the bow limmer holding penalty because there were I highlighted this,
you know, me, I don't sleep. I was watching this

(40:50):
game at five am and rewatching it, you know the
other day, and I wrote down all these notes, and
I just feel like I was just really just the clarity.
I had everything there that I wanted to say, and
things were just working. Bo Limmer gets a holding call
on third and three. It's incomplete, right, Like, it's not
like it took away a touchdown. I'm not trying to

(41:10):
say it did. But this is at the Philadelphia Eagles
fourteen yard line, okay, and the Rams absolutely who went
by the way three for three on fourth down in
this game. Offensively, they've been a really good fourth down team.
Big reason, by the way, it is Kien Williams, because
if it's fourth and one, you just hand the kyroen
and he's just so good at picking his spots and

(41:32):
just kind of slithering his way for a first down.
But they could have gone for it on fourth and three.
I believe they intended to. This is where the officials
messed up again. So Nick Siriani declines the penalty to
make it fourth and three straight declines it, and then

(41:55):
there's a take back Alexis and now so it's third
and thirteen. He's like, oh, I changed my mind accept it.
So they move it back ten yards the holding call
in bow limmer, and now it's third and thirteen. So
people would say, oh, well, you know, at least you
get another third down. It's like, no, the Rams were

(42:16):
going to go for it on fourth and three, or
the field goal would have been shorter. Now third and thirteen,
guess what happens. There's a huge sack on Matthew Stafford.
It makes it like a forty something yard field goal
for Cardi and he misses it. And so at that
point in the game, you couldn't have that happen. And
then the third misque was Pukinikua's Opi on third and

(42:41):
nine at the Philadelphia twenty one. Now I don't believe
it was Opi. Those guys are hand fighting. I thought
that was ridiculous, bad call anyway, But the problem here
is that it took away another red zone possession because
he gets the first down, you know, would have been

(43:02):
past the Philadelphia twenty and there's about five to six
minutes left in the ballgame. You're potentially looking at a
thirty to twenty two game. I'm not saying they're gonna
win at that point. But they get zero points on
that drive because that call happens, and then it kind
of snowball. So these miscues cost the Rams at least

(43:25):
nine points a maximum of twenty one points had they
scored touchdowns at all three. Now I don't believe they
would have scored touchdowns at all three. I just think
that's ridiculous. I'm not gonna be that homer, but I
do believe that had these things been a race, they
score seven on the first drive. The way they were moving,
Eagles had no chance of stopping that offense. The script

(43:49):
that they had, the game script right away was just
too good from Sean McVay.

Speaker 3 (43:55):
But then you have, you know, the field goal.

Speaker 4 (44:00):
Let's just say they end up settling for the three
on a fourth and three or better. Yeah, let's just
say Stafford throws an incomplete pass, doesn't lose ten yards
on the sack, and CARDI, you know, hits an easier
field goal.

Speaker 3 (44:11):
So now you got ten points there. And then let's
just say you get.

Speaker 4 (44:15):
Three points and you kick a field goal on that
pookin Nakua drive that you get nothing on, that's thirteen.
That makes it a little bit of a different game,
a game that they lost thirty to thirty seven to
twenty is now thirty three, you know, thirty seven. So
really my point here is that this game was closer

(44:35):
than I realized.

Speaker 3 (44:37):
When I was at the game.

Speaker 4 (44:38):
It felt like they should have won early on, they
should have been winning things happened at Snowball. But when
I really went back and I watched the tape, they
really had opportunities to get back in this. They actually
responded on multiple occurrences and made this a game, and
they had miscues that really hurt them when they had

(45:00):
those penalties. This offense is moving the ball, which is
a really good sign because we know in the past
Vic Fangio has had Sean mcvay's number. If you take
anything away from this game positively, they could not stop Stafford,
they could not stop Nakua. Kyron was running for four
point five four point eight yards per carry against them,
so they couldn't really stop Kyron.

Speaker 3 (45:21):
He just had the fumble.

Speaker 4 (45:23):
But that's the thing is that this offense was moving
the ball well and then they get hit with an
offensive penalty, holding whatever. So now a first down on
third down becomes a third down in thirteen, and it
kind of changed the game. There were multiple calls on that.
I'm not blaming the refs at all. I'm just saying
those are miscues. So even if they weren't penalties or not,

(45:45):
doesn't matter. They're miscues. You can't have that. So those
long penalties, well, now what does that do, Alexis it
does exactly what we're just talking about. Bringing it all
wrapping around to Sam Darnold. Look, Stafford is way better
under pressure than Sam Darnold. But Stafford wasn't dealing with
a starting offensive line. As a matter of fact, this

(46:07):
offensive line is eight and one. When they have four
of the five guys starting, they're undefeated. When they have
all five, believe it or not, they're four. No, they
did not have Evenstein that night. Regardless of what any
Eagles fan tells you, because I've seen it all over
social media.

Speaker 3 (46:21):
They were fully healthy. No, they were not.

Speaker 4 (46:23):
They had War mc clennon junior at right tackle and
that is where most of the pressures came from the
right side. And when Matthew Stafford had those third and
longs and the way that the way that they were
attacking this team was the short passing attack and pukin
akua yards after the catch and all that, and having
Conraen Williams run on those third and shorts, right, I

(46:44):
just feel like those third and longs now they were
able to just have those guys they blitz n a
Kobe Dean like crazy, who will not be playing in
this game. They had Brandon Graham going off, who will
not be playing in this game. And I just feel
like those third and longs, man, they really struggle just
as much on the other side, where it seems like

(47:06):
the defense seems to just give up third and lungs.
They've always had that in their DNA who We've always
been ripping our hair out over that. But yeah, I
just Alexis, when looking at this game, there are a
lot of things that they can correct and guess what
the sound the gap assignments and being sound in your
gap responsibility in the run game they were not that night.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
They really showed their age their youth. But since then
they haven't lost a game that matters Week eighteen, they
didn't have their starters in for the most part. Since
the Eagles game, they are undefeated in games that matter,
and there's a reason for that because they didn't just
say everything to make people feel good and allow these

(47:49):
reporters to write nice articles and get fans excited. No,
they took that on the chin and they actually learned
from it. You learn more losses thing you do in
your wins.

Speaker 4 (48:01):
And this team made every adjustment in the book after
that Eagles game.

Speaker 3 (48:05):
That's not happening again.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
So yeah, I think to me, if we talk about
kind of what our keys are for the offense and
the defense, for me, I think the defense, I think
the number one thing on your list is you have
to shut down Saquon Barkley.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (48:23):
To me, you know, I think that's the number one
issue there. I mean, he absolutely decimated us when we
last played against them. I mean two hundred and fifty
for five yards rushing. I mean I think if you
add in his receiving yards, he's what over three hundred yards.
I mean, he absolutely destroyed us. And I think that

(48:45):
if you can shut down at least start with the
run game. Shut down the run game, don't give them
anything with Saquon Barkley, make Jalen Hurts throw.

Speaker 1 (48:54):
The ball and go from there.

Speaker 2 (48:57):
So I don't know if you are in agreement with
me on that, but you know, I think that.

Speaker 1 (49:01):
You absolutely the way that the Eagles they can't win.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
I think if you shut down seguon Barkley, I just
I don't what do you what do you think about that?

Speaker 4 (49:12):
Well, yeah, I don't see a pathway to winning the
game if Barkley doesn't, you know, have a good game.

Speaker 3 (49:19):
I just I don't see that from the Eagles.

Speaker 4 (49:21):
Now, what I want to say is that with Barkley
and he had a great game. But there's that last run.
I think it was around the two minute mark where
the Rams. I just watched this play. The Rams are
going kind of all out on a third and six
or third and five, and it's like they know this

(49:45):
game is over if they don't make a stop. It
was pretty much over. Barkley houses it at that point
in the game. I believe it was thirty to fourteen,
so the Rams really needed to stop. And yeah, everyone
talks about that. That Barkley touchdown run. The one at
the half was the one to me that was really impressive.

(50:06):
The one in the two minutes, it's no different. He
slid down against the Packers, Like he didn't even take
that against the Packers. That was the game, Like that
was it. Like he got the first down and that
was good and he was just gone. So I guess
I don't want to take credit away from him, but
I do feel like the two fifty five numbers a

(50:27):
little skewed because it's almost like that was a garbage
time run in a sense, like they just threw an
all out blitz and you know what I mean. So
that's what I'll say about that. But as far as
the Rams are concerned, you know, we talk about how
how can they go into Philadelphia with one of the

(50:47):
best offensive lines in the league, one of the best
defensive lines in the league, really good secondary, elite defensive coordinator,
a team you know that's been in the Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts, his mobility, Saquon Barkley, the receivers, AJ Brown,
you know, DeVante Smith didn't play, you know, in that game.
To be fair, in Week twelve, Dallas Goddard very very

(51:10):
good tight end. Obviously, just needs to stay healthy. They
have a really good football team. They're not overly like
when I hear that they're amazing, and I, you know,
I hear they're the best.

Speaker 3 (51:22):
I think they're the most well rounded. I think they're
the most well rounded.

Speaker 4 (51:27):
I don't necessarily believe they're the most dominant or anything
like that. Like, for instance, you watch the Packers Eagles game, right, Yeah,
that game, did the Eagles look dominant to you?

Speaker 2 (51:43):
Like?

Speaker 4 (51:43):
I just felt like there was something missing there where
they had four turnovers and yet I just didn't feel
like they were dominating the They kept the Packers in
the game for the majority of the time. The Rams
really dominated the Vikings, who are better, by the way.
I just feel like with the Rams this team, I

(52:05):
feel like they've been playing like kind of a little
bit of a conservative offense, and now in the snow,
you know who's going to be really the key weapon.
I think it's actually not Kien Williams, who I think
is going to run the ball a lot. They've kind
of dialed back his usage after having him run fifty
eight times in two games in four days bills and
forty nine ers. I think Nikua is everything to the offense,

(52:29):
but it's not the way that you would think. Nikua
after the catch is like a car crash. He is
going to be bone crushing in that cold. Trying to
tackle him is going to be a nightmare, and so
I think the Rams are going to use that to
their advantage. I think they're also going to get I

(52:50):
we haven't seen it all year. I've been pushing it.
I think we get some jumbo packages. I think we
see Jonah Jackson as a sixth offensive lineman, and I
think they are going to have success in the ground
game again. I also think, you know, people are saying
all this stuff, Oh, Stafford's one in eight when it
rains or snows. All right, Well, the last time I

(53:11):
doubted Stafford in the rain was the Ravens game. I
thought that like Kyra Williams would get like forty carries
in that game because it was awful weather. We all
remember with Stafford did he threw four touchdowns in that one.

Speaker 3 (53:25):
I just Stafford.

Speaker 4 (53:27):
Since he's gone to the playoffs with the Rams, he's
lost just one game. He's I believe what, He's five
and one, four and one, five and one. He's been
so good in the playoffs. He's got the weapons, the
offensive line is healthy, and then that defense.

Speaker 3 (53:45):
The way they're playing.

Speaker 4 (53:47):
I feel like Blaine actually brought this up to me,
So I'm gonna give Blaine a lot of credit on this.
I thought this was pretty cool. So Blaine noticed something
when he went through. If you take out the forty
one to seven win over Dallas in week seventeen, and
Dallas is playing like I think Trey Lance played or whatever.

(54:08):
You take out that forty one to seven win in
week seventeen, the average margin for victory for the Eagles
has been five point five points on grass. Do you
know what the average margin for victory on turf has
been for the Eagles eighteen point eight. So they have
been asserting their dominance in domes on turf, but ironically,

(54:32):
where they play at home, they don't dominate teams.

Speaker 3 (54:36):
They don't blow teams away.

Speaker 4 (54:38):
And I think the dangerous team for the Rams, in
my opinion, is a team that can just come out
right away, just throw haymakers, because I don't think this team,
if you look at the Rams, this is not a
team based on you know, they're not in the past,
like they're not coming back from fourteen or seventeen point deficit.

(55:03):
I just don't believe they are not in this weather anyway.
But if this game stays close, I got I don't know.
I think the Rams are in a really good position.
I don't care that they're on the road. They've been
a great road team this year, how many straight road
games have they won. I'll let you talk and I'll

(55:24):
find out that number.

Speaker 1 (55:27):
Well, you know, we're in agreement. I think about what's
going to happen going into.

Speaker 2 (55:31):
This game, and I just I feel really really good
about where the Rams are at, and I think that,
you know, on defense, like I said, I think that
they need to do their best attempt at shutting down Saquon.

Speaker 1 (55:43):
Or at least minimizing as damage.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
And then I think offensively, if the weather is snowing, right,
it's one hundred percent chance.

Speaker 1 (55:52):
But with the weather.

Speaker 2 (55:53):
Channel app I wouldn't be shocked if that's a lie.
So as of right now, it's one hundred chance of snow.
So assuming that that holds true, you know, I think
Kyram Williams could have a big game. I know that
in the snow. Listen, I know that he already has
kind of you know, people are like, oh my god,
he fumbles or whatever. Running backs in the snow. It's

(56:16):
obviously a lot harder, but I really think that, you know,
he looked good against the Eagles. And this is something
you said to me too, because you were there at
the game and we were like, it's a shame because
he actually the rest of the game ran really well
against the Eagles. He did, and he had two massive
runs that were called back because of holding calls too,
so he he ended up rushing vik Yeah, exactly. He

(56:39):
had like an insanely longest one of the season. I
think that got called back against the Vikings. But he
had two really good runs against the Eagles callback, so
he would have rushed for over one hundred yards. He
ended up rushing for seventy six. So you know, I
think that he could potentially have a big game, And
I think that if I'm the offense, I might start
out trying to, you know, get it, get the run

(57:02):
game going, and have the run game take over, and
then if you have to end up throwing, you do that.
But I think that I would that's where I would start.
You know, we're gonna have hopefully it sounds like we're
gonna have Tyler Higbee back.

Speaker 4 (57:17):
That's well, that's the thtime you got Higbee, Kello, Alaric,
Bobby Brown. They're all gonna play every all hands on deck.
Everyone is healthy. That is a good sign. I did
get the stat. By the way, five straight road games
rams are five and oh in the last five road games.
I'm just saying, like, traveling isn't anything new for this team.

(57:40):
As a matter of fact, I believe what was it,
They're eleven to oh in games. This is someone of
a cherry pick stat, but hear me out, I actually
like it. I do because normally it's like, oh, yeah,
they've won ten games when the moon is blue and
it's ridiculous. But no, this one, hear me out. It's
a little bit long, but I get it. So in
games where they have at least their underdogs by at

(58:03):
least six points and they're on a short week, the
Rams are eleven to zher.

Speaker 3 (58:12):
That's pretty wild.

Speaker 4 (58:13):
Yeah, Like, I know, it's cherry pick to a degree,
but you can see why, Like when are they six
plus point underdogs? You know, on a short week too.
Sean McVay has guys ready to go on a short week.
I always say this when people bring up the short
week BS.

Speaker 3 (58:33):
I still say to this day, before I even met you.

Speaker 4 (58:36):
The twenty eighteen Super Bowl, Okay, Sean McVay beats the Patriots,
if that is one week. I think the extra week
got him to overthink everything he did the previous week.
He probably went back on his game plan four times.
I think he probably found the perfect game plan to
stop the Patriots and beat them, and he changed his
mind so many times. You could see it in the

(58:58):
Super Bowl. He just looked like he was trying to
be too cute and trying to do everything and reinvent
the wheel. I bet you had the perfect game plan,
just kept saying. But Belichick, I like Sean mcvahn a
short week. I don't want him overthinking, right, Yeah, that's
how I feel.

Speaker 2 (59:15):
I agree with you, and I think we should get
into our kind of bold predictions for this game. We
always give three bold predictions and do it do you want?
Do you want to go first or second?

Speaker 3 (59:26):
Ladies first?

Speaker 1 (59:28):
All right, so I'll go first.

Speaker 2 (59:30):
And I already kind of hinted at it earlier because
my first prediction, and I guess we shouldn't really say bold.
We've done it bold and we've done it cautious. I'm
a little superstitious, so going into playoff games, I don't
really like to give these like, you know, dramatic. I'm
just gonna play it very safe. But my first prediction
is that Kyen Williams is going to have two touchdowns now,

(59:51):
I'm not going to say either they're going to be
rushing or receiving, because as we've seen recently, it could
be either one of those.

Speaker 1 (59:57):
He's raised as a receiver.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
It was an amazing plan, is you? And I saw
on Twitter Kurt Warner actually said that that Kien Williams
touchdown against the Vikings was really a busted play, like
that Kyron ran that route just because he saw that
it was open. That wasn't the plan. Yeah, and so
makes makes the touchdown even sweeter, I guess. But yeah,
My my number one prediction is Kien Williams two touchdowns.

(01:00:25):
I think that he could have a big game against Eels.
My second prediction is I think that the Rams are
going to get at least four sacks. And I know
that might sound crazy because I give credit to the
Eagles offensive line, I give credit to Jalen Hurts, but
I think four sacks honestly, is like not that crazy.

(01:00:49):
I can't tell by your reaction if you're just like, wow, that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
Is I'm just I'm soaking it all in.

Speaker 4 (01:00:54):
I said five plus sacks and they ended up with nine,
So let's keep the sack.

Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Yeah, the sack, I just you know, I feel good.
I feel like the defensive front is hot. Yeah, you know,
they've been ramping up each game and they looked really
good against Vikings, and I don't know, I know it's probably,
but I'm gonna say, uh, four sacks on the defensive side,
and then my third prediction, it's gonna be a Joshua

(01:01:21):
Carti fifty plus yard field goal.

Speaker 3 (01:01:24):
Damn in the then a Arry over here? Is that
gonna win the game?

Speaker 1 (01:01:31):
That was my little fun one.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
Sure, yep, sure, okay, I mean I do think not
to god, are.

Speaker 3 (01:01:39):
We tied at that point?

Speaker 4 (01:01:41):
Or is this like you lose if you miss it's.

Speaker 3 (01:01:46):
Going to be.

Speaker 1 (01:01:46):
I don't think it's gonna be game winning.

Speaker 2 (01:01:48):
I'm gonna I think it's gonna be early on in
the game when the snow, because the snow is supposed
to get worse, right, so I think that the light,
steady snow will be coming down and he's gonna hit
it it and we're gonna be like, like, maybe it's
the first rams score of the game, unless hey, maybe
they'll score a touchdown on the opening drive.

Speaker 1 (01:02:07):
Two weeks in a row and we feel like who
would have thought?

Speaker 3 (01:02:11):
We thought?

Speaker 2 (01:02:12):
Not me? Yeah, who would have thought not me? So yeah,
those are all my predictions. But it's none of those
are I mean, the last one's kind of insane and
that's obviously just like me.

Speaker 3 (01:02:24):
Already said.

Speaker 4 (01:02:24):
Fifteen straight field goals, by the way, so he's been
really good.

Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
He's been hot, that's true.

Speaker 4 (01:02:29):
There's a lot of these guys playing their best best
ball in January, a lot of them, not all of them,
but not all of them.

Speaker 2 (01:02:39):
Give give your predictions now and make yours really really bold.
Since I was like, I kind of.

Speaker 4 (01:02:44):
Like, ooh, are we speaking it into the ether?

Speaker 3 (01:02:48):
Which we got two super chats, so we'll get to those.

Speaker 4 (01:02:51):
Just want to let people know, of course, so I
don't think we're ignoring him. Do I speak into the
ether of Michael Hoyitt punt block?

Speaker 3 (01:03:01):
Do I do it?

Speaker 1 (01:03:02):
Do it? It would just feel right.

Speaker 4 (01:03:05):
I just I feel there Special teams. This goes back
to the Bills game. I feel it in my bones.
The RAM Special Teams unit is gonna block either a
kick or a punt. I feel it in my bones.
I don't know, man, maybe I'm wrong, but that's what

(01:03:27):
I'll say. My first one the RAMS Special Teams Unit
with parentheses potentially Michael Hoyt, because he's had three are
gonna block a Philadelphia Eagles kick or punt or or
ooh ooh, Jordan Winnington is gonna take it back for six.

(01:03:47):
There's gonna be a kick six, a punt block six,
or a return for a touchdown.

Speaker 3 (01:03:55):
I just I feel it. I do. So that's the
first one. I know. That's kind of like checking all
the boxes.

Speaker 4 (01:04:02):
Also, real quick Eagles Fansactly, the Rams didn't play anybody.
They lead in strength of schedule and they lead in
strength of victory.

Speaker 3 (01:04:09):
So the Rams got to play the.

Speaker 4 (01:04:11):
Giants and the Dallas Cowboys four of their games this year. Yeah, okay,
miss me with that. Anyway, we move on, all right.
The next one. Let's see, we got the punt block
or really good special team play in short. So the
next one I'm gonna say here is that I think

(01:04:34):
Puka Nakua is gonna go for one hundred and fifty
total yards in this game because I think he's gonna
run it and I think he's gonna catch passes against
the team that plays cover six more than anybody in
the NFL. It's seventeen point four percent clip and this
team that resides in zone coverage eighty three percent of

(01:04:57):
the time. I'll go with the guy that known for
finding the soft spot in the zone, sitting in there,
taking a big hit, staying on his feet and getting
yards after the catch, and I just.

Speaker 3 (01:05:07):
Think Pooka Nakua.

Speaker 4 (01:05:10):
I thought, like, totally understand why people would think maybe
this is the Cup game, maybe they've been saving him.

Speaker 3 (01:05:15):
I don't think so.

Speaker 4 (01:05:16):
I think this is the Nikua game because Nikua last week.

Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
Didn't really do a ton if you really think about it.

Speaker 4 (01:05:24):
He had that one big catch to start the game
right the first play of the game, and then he
didn't really do much after that. I think he had
like twenty something yards the rest of the way. I
think Nikua, who had over one hundred yards against the Eagles,
is gonna have one hundred and fifty in this game total,
because I think they're gonna use him in the run
game as well, which they've been doing as.

Speaker 3 (01:05:43):
Of late and last but certainly not least.

Speaker 4 (01:05:48):
They didn't win the last time they played the Eagles
when this guy started, but he made a really big impact,
gave him a chance, came down with interception in the
end zone. A Kello Witherspoon is going to make a
game breaking play, whether that it's another strip sack, which
I don't know why he's getting another sack in this game,
or what have you. Uh. Akello didn't get a chance

(01:06:09):
to start against the Eagles at so far in week
twelve and in fifty in games where he has fifty
five percent of the snaps at corner, Rams are seven
and one so I and the only one that they
lost was when Akello was basically asked to play safety
against the Packers, which was I'm not even gonna get

(01:06:30):
in that anyway. I think Akello Witherspoon is gonna come
away with a game breaking play, and I think the
Rams are going to win this game twenty four to
twenty three. I think right now the Eagles are very
well rounded. But I have some concerns about the Eagles.
I think Jalen hurts since the concussion. He did not

(01:06:51):
look great last week. It's okay to admit that I
haven't been overly impressed with him as late.

Speaker 3 (01:06:58):
I feel like he's been a tick off.

Speaker 4 (01:07:00):
I think Saquon Barkley is way too obvious, like he's
gonna do something. But I don't think he's gonna be
nearly as effective as people. As people are saying in
the Snow, I think right now, when you look at A. J. Brown,
I think they're going through something with him that the

(01:07:21):
RAMS went through with Todd Gurley the year they went
to the Super Bowl. I think that knee is in
bad shape. I don't think they want anybody to know
about it. Todd Gurley was kind of like the bad
kept secret. I think AJ Brown is gonna be in
jeopardy of getting out of this game with an injury
because I think the knee is not in great shape.

(01:07:42):
He's taken time off, he wasn't really targeted last week,
and now he's playing the Snow and so I think
right now, you know, I think AJ Brown, we know
what he can do, but I think there's a concern there.
Then you have DeVante Smith obviously play week twelve. He's
still very, very talented. But the way that this RAMS

(01:08:04):
secondary has been playing has been kind of going under
the radar because we look at the nine sacks and
we watched the broadcast view and we see, oh, these
guys are eating this is all you know, pass rush whatever.
I went back watching the tape a lot of that,
not all of it, but a lot of that was
because the secondary, when Sam Darnold got off his first read,

(01:08:26):
the second read was blanketed, the third read was blanketed,
made it easier for that pass rush to get there.
There were plays where he's holding the ball for five
six seconds. So I just feel like in this one
they are gonna play some more man. They're obviously gonna
mix in their zone. They play cover three more than anything.
They'll definitely have that. But I just feel like that

(01:08:49):
pass rush is still gonna be hot. They're still gonna
be able to get after hurts. They got after hurts
at the beginning of the game against the Eagles at
so far, And I think with that secondary now in
their final form, you're using Kobe, you're using Darius, you're
using Kellow, you're playing your strengths. I think they're gonna
be in a really good position here to make this

(01:09:11):
tough on them. And then you know, I think with
the offensive line, you know, the Rams use a lot
of play action, and as of late, they've been using
a lot of play action, and Stafford just looks so
good in play action. And when you see that one
throw that he makes where the guy is almost about
to just nail him, and he's able to throw off

(01:09:32):
his back foot and just throw an absolute seed, where
that same play happens to Darnold on the Kobe Durant
blitz and he just gets freaked out and runs back
ten yards and gets sacked.

Speaker 3 (01:09:44):
That's the difference.

Speaker 4 (01:09:45):
You're talking about an all timer in you know, Matthew Stafford,
and so I think Stafford is going to have a
better game than people think. And I think they're gonna
do enough where yeah, this is gonna be a twenty
four to twenty three ball game. I could see the
Rams winning maybe a little bit more, but I think
the Rams are gonna take care of business. Yere I do.
I don't believe how long has it been since the

(01:10:07):
Eagles had beaten them in the playoffs. It's been like
seventy five years. It's weird that they've only played three
times in that span. They've won the last two meetings. Obviously,
we know what happened when the Rams beat the Eagles
the last time. They ended up going on to the
Super Bowl. They did lose to the Patriots, but they
went to the Super Bowl. When they beat the Eagles.

(01:10:28):
I think they're going to the Super Bowl again against
the Bills. So yeah, I think the Rams win this game.
I think it's going to be really close. I think
the Eagles are a really good football team. I have
a lot of respect for that organization, what they've done.
Howie Roseman's a fantastic general manager. They have a lot
of different players that I'm concerned about. Zach bond Is.
I mean, he'd probably get my vote for Defensive Player

(01:10:48):
of the Year. He's been unbelievable. But I think the
injury to Nakobe Dean also matters. I think not having
Brandon Graham matters. I think there are ways to attack
this Eagles defense. And I'm not worried about this game.
And I'll also say this, everyone's going to talk about,
you know, the Eagles all they got bulletin board material
because Jared Verse says he hates Eagles fans. Well, if

(01:11:13):
we're doing that, how about everyone in Philly, including the media,
has been saying this is the team we want. They're
already they're already getting ready for Detroit. I mean, like
that's that's how it is in Philly. So I don't
want to hear that. I think that's bs. And if
you think the Rams are going to come out unprepared

(01:11:34):
and get punched in the mouth and it's going to
be a rug pull of the game, well then there's
some East Coast bias in your blood and you have
been paying attention to the Rams. The Rams are coming
and I think they're going to win this game.

Speaker 2 (01:11:48):
Well, Jacob with you, I think the Rams are winning
as well. I do have my scores twenty four to
twenty one. So maybe that Josh Cardi field goal that
we talked about, maybe it does end happening, you know,
at the end, to put the Rams at the top.
But I think it's going to be a close game,
you know, I don't know that. I think it's going
to be one of those hard fought, just brutal football games,

(01:12:11):
and in the snow, right snow game. And I think that,
you know, the Rams are really going to step up
like they have been, you know, the past several weeks,
especially defensively. I think this defense is on a hot streak.
I think they're gonna have a very good game. Stafford
is a veteran. He's played in these moments before, He's
played in this weather before. I think that the Rams

(01:12:32):
on offense are going to play solid. They might be
brutal to watch at times, you know, as what we've
seen through throughout the season. You know, I don't doubt
that they might give us more of those moments against
the Eagles. But I'm taking the Rams twenty four to twenty.

Speaker 1 (01:12:47):
One as well.

Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
And Jake, you and I will both be praying from
now until game day that that we're right. And you
know what, it doesn't matter if we get our scores
right or not. As long as they win. They could
win by one point, they could win by forty points.
As long as the Rams win, nothing else matters. It's
the playoffs, Want or go home. And Jake, we have

(01:13:11):
some super chats that I don't want to miss we
do from throughout the episode, so let's go to those
in a second. But to wrap this up, Jake, I mean,
you and I think are on the same page.

Speaker 1 (01:13:21):
I think most of the people I'm reading the chats
right now.

Speaker 2 (01:13:24):
On YouTube are on the same page as well, people
who are Rams fans that we feel good about the
Rams going in this game.

Speaker 4 (01:13:32):
Yeah, I mean since twenty twenty one, when Stafford became
the quarterback of the Rams, the rams are nineteen and
three from December to February in games that he's played.
That's an eighty six percent win percentage. That's the best
among all quarterbacks minimum of ten games played in the
entire NFL. So when I say there's not a quarterback
that I would take over him in these games, I

(01:13:54):
mean it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:55):
And that's why I say it.

Speaker 4 (01:13:57):
In addition to that, because I saw some people the
comments section talking about a Kobe Dean and how snow,
big deal, You've got a veteran in Orn Burks. I
respect Burks, He's a veteran, he's been this league. But
Burks is one of the best tack He's one of
the worst tackling linebackers I have ever seen.

Speaker 3 (01:14:14):
And that's when there's no snow.

Speaker 4 (01:14:16):
So I think Kyron is going to be able to attack,
get to that second level, and I think he's gonna
make some guys miss and.

Speaker 3 (01:14:24):
Kyron is going.

Speaker 4 (01:14:25):
To Let's just put this way, I think people are
going to be saying pay Kian Williams after this game.
I do, so that's how I see it. You know,
we'll see what ends up happening. Let's get into the
super chats here. We got Stan, Rams must control the clock.
Enjoy your weekend. Everyone appreciates you. Stand.

Speaker 1 (01:14:45):
Yes, thank you, and that's the point.

Speaker 3 (01:14:48):
Yeah no, I agree.

Speaker 4 (01:14:49):
I mean very similar to the Eagles game in twenty
twenty three when they just bled the clock and they won.
I think it was twenty three to fourteen. I absolutely
agree control the clock. Yeah, it ble. I mean, this
is how the Rams win football games. They don't win
them pretty. This is likely going to be an ugly game.
We'll see, but I agree with you, Stan, Thank you,
Paul the seafood chef, thank you for the twenty We

(01:15:12):
don't need an easy road to the super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (01:15:14):
We just need to win. Love you both horns up.
I agree.

Speaker 4 (01:15:19):
I mean it's the same thing I said about, you know,
because everyone's freaking out, well, Eagles fans are freaking out
about who was officiating this game, Sean Smith, and you
know the Rams are I think seven and three when
he officiates their games. I forget what it was, but
I don't need an advantage. I just want fair officiating.

(01:15:40):
Like I'll tell you, we haven't talked about this really.
I think that officiating from John Hussey was some of
the worst I've ever seen.

Speaker 3 (01:15:46):
That was the most one sided officiated game I've.

Speaker 4 (01:15:49):
Ever seen, and it was one of those things where
it didn't matter because the Rams didn't let it matter,
which goes to like what you say, don't be in
games like where it's won and lost by a fishing still
you don't get a free pass for being that bad.
It was like ten penalties for the Rams for ninety
five yards, and if they don't call that Kyron Williams

(01:16:11):
face mask Alexis, it would have been one penalty for
five yards for the whole game. That's what the would
have been on the Vikings, So it didn't matter. But
I'm not gonna give Hussy a pass on that one.
Deb appreciate you, thank you for the ten This is
this is the game we need to get Jaywitt in.

(01:16:31):
Totally agree he can make plays after the catch or
use him in some trick run play.

Speaker 3 (01:16:37):
Please, Jwitt is my chant. I'm with you.

Speaker 4 (01:16:41):
I've been pushing the number eighty eight, you know whatever
the campaign I mean, I can't help but think next
year they're gonna like just let him go. But I
feel like this year he's been kind of restrained, Like
Van Jefferson was his rookie year. That's that's how I feel.
I could maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:17:03):
I love to see more of them.

Speaker 3 (01:17:05):
Yeah, Mark, thank you for the ten.

Speaker 4 (01:17:08):
Why do I feel worse about this game than the
NFC Championship versus the forty nine Ers. I hope our
offense shows some heart. Well, one thing I will tell
you is that it is wicked hard to beat a
team three times in a season. So that's probably why
you felt a little bit better about the forty nine
Ers game. I think you feel worse about this game

(01:17:31):
because I think the mainstream, like sports media, has led
you to believe that the Eagles are this jugger or not.

Speaker 3 (01:17:39):
And I think they're a good team, but they're not.

Speaker 4 (01:17:42):
They don't have an eighty five Bears off defense, they
don't have the Greatest Show on Turf offense. You know,
they don't have the Peyton Manning Broncos offense. You know,
they don't have Tom Brady. The Eagles are beatable, and
I mean we've we've seen that. And that's the thing
is that those games where you know, we talked about
it five point five you know, point differential on Grass

(01:18:07):
and losing to the Commanders and losing to the Falcons, who,
by the way, that Falcons play a very similar defense
to the Rams. Yeah, I mean, I think I'll go
as far as to say this too, Alexis if they
lost that If they won that game against the Eagles,
I don't think the Rams would have learned a damn thing.

(01:18:28):
I think they'd be vulnerable in this state. I think
that game really kind of molded them into what they
ended up being. So I don't I don't take that
loss for granted. I mean, I would have preferred to
not travel three thousand miles and see that, but you know,
it is what it is. Ruiz, speaking of which sat
next to him at the game. Shout out to Ruiz
forget me out there. Two fifty five all Eagles fans

(01:18:51):
saying can kun one way is two fifty five dollars.
I don't know, you'd have to fact check that. I
don't know if that's one hundred percent accurate, but that's
hilaier if so. I like it either way. Deb If
reader plays, I'm going to puke. So Troy Reider did
come on this show out of Delaware, friend of the show,

(01:19:11):
so I'm not gonna say that about him. I would
just say I actually like, I agree with the decision
to activate Troy Reader, to activate Laryl Murchison, beef up
your defensive depth. Injuries can happen in any game. Injuries
can really happen in snow games. You're losing your footing,
you're having false steps, guys are out of positioning. So

(01:19:35):
I think it's smart to have more linebackers active on
game day and have more defensive linemen active on game day.

Speaker 3 (01:19:42):
So I agreed with it.

Speaker 4 (01:19:43):
I don't think he's gonna play a ton of snaps,
but appreciate the two deb So yeah, that's uh.

Speaker 2 (01:19:55):
In closing, Jake and I both have the Rams beating
the Eagles on Sunday and we think it's going to
be close game, but a one that the Rams win.
And Jake, I think, again, that's really all that we
can ask for. That's all that I care about. Just
win the game. It doesn't have to be pretty. You know,

(01:20:17):
it could give me a heart attack, just win the
game right advance. And I think that the Rams are
going to do that this Sunday against the Eagles, and
we will be back to talk about it.

Speaker 4 (01:20:26):
Jake.

Speaker 3 (01:20:27):
Oh, they're saying that readers out.

Speaker 2 (01:20:30):
You know what, he was on that he actually did
not practice today, so he I don't think he did.
I think that he didn't see, but I saw it
just before we got on.

Speaker 3 (01:20:41):
Oh okay, so they fully participated.

Speaker 4 (01:20:44):
Reader and merchanse in and they're both they're both out
questionable Alaric, Bobby Brown, Akello and d Dick. They're all
going to play, as mcphay said, and Tyler Higbee did
not even carry an injury designation going to the game. Hell, yeah,
that's huge because you spin up blood and that's you know,

(01:21:05):
not great. We do have more super chats real quick. Matthew,
remember forty months on this channel. Appreciate you, Matthew good
even guys, Ram's going to win in a hard fog game.
I believe both teams will play hard and it may
come down to a field goal. Yeah, Alexis will probably
be right, which I would take. Edwin, thank you for

(01:21:26):
the twenty This is for Alexis. I'll let you read it.

Speaker 2 (01:21:31):
Thank you Edwin, by the way for this, So Edwin says,
this is for Alexis. I appreciate you taking your own
personal time to help a place you weren't born in.
It means a lot to us. And you make us
also proud to be a RAMS fan, La Strong. Thank you, Edwin.
That's very very nice of you. I appreciate it, and
I'm happy to help so many people who watch our

(01:21:53):
show in a city that I care a lot about,
in Love in La.

Speaker 1 (01:21:56):
So thank you very much.

Speaker 4 (01:21:58):
Yeah, that's awesome. And then Brian to wrap us up.
You two are amazing. Go Rams.

Speaker 1 (01:22:03):
Thank you, Thank you, Brian.

Speaker 4 (01:22:05):
Appreciate you, Brian, So go Rams. That is uh, that's
gonna do it. I'll let you, I'll let you close
it out.

Speaker 1 (01:22:15):
I'll do my intro.

Speaker 2 (01:22:16):
So as always, if you like what you hear, please
like and subscribe. You can followus some social media at
Downtown Rams. You can follow me on Twitter slash x
at the Alexis Craft and then I'm on Instagram just
at Alexis Kraft with a K. You can follow Jake
on Twitter and Instagram at JK Bogan and guys. Like

(01:22:36):
I said, we will be back to cover this game
on Monday night, but until then, as always, stay safe,
take care, and go Rams

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Ep.560: Can the Rams get BACK to the NFC Title Game

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Ep.560: Can the Rams get BACK to the NFC Title Game

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