By Joe Torosian —
“When you got wine, you don’t need bread!”—Dionysus
Kick it!
What do I mean by that opening quote? It means as long as the Rams win—which brings joy and pleasure to my carnal life…I don’t need to be right about football picks, prognostications, and both fantasy teams can get clobbered…But when the Rams win, I don’t need anything else.
When I got wine, I don’t need bread!
Regarding my prediction of the Rams beating the Colts, 30-17, barring a special team brain freeze, the Rams, defensively, only gave up 17…So I feel like I nailed it.
In the: “It was a bad call, Ripley. It was a bad call.”
Before the game-winning field goal, Sony Michel wasn’t in the backfield on third and short. Darrell Henderson Jr. was out, and rookie Jake Funk was in. Did the Colts think for an instant, at such a critical moment, Funk would get the ball? The Jet Sweep to Cooper Kupp was an easy diagnosis by the Colts’ defense.
In the Sean McVay era, this might sound heretical to say…But the Jet Sweep was a bad call…It was a bad call McVay.
It was good to see the Rams work through adversity and even trail for a few moments. It’s was good because, after the goal-line stand and subsequent touchdown drive to open the contest, it was beginning to look too easy.
Offensively, they were using Henderson (13 rushes/3 receptions) way too much. I didn’t mind the running of the ball, and I understand the need to get your running back lathered and in a groove…but they should have been sprinkling in Michel throughout the game.
I’m a firm believer that Robert Woods has been this team’s MVP every year, he’s been in Los Angeles. But Sunday was the first time Woods didn’t look All-Pro to me.
Defensively, it worked. No complaints, Rams won. But it’s apparent what a better quarterback (Not Andy Dalton) can do to the Rams bend don’t break—keep everything in front of you—defense. It still needs to tighten up.
Two weeks into the season, and the defense has three goal-to-go shutouts. That’s excellent. But more than a few times, we’ve seen the Rams in position to make a play and fail to wrap up. They’re giving up a lot of yardage after initial contact.
Rams fans should expect them to better with Tampa Bay coming to SoFi.
We said in Friday’s “From The RamCave” watch the Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr. matching up against Darious Williams. And on the very first play from scrimmage, that’s where Carson Wentz went.
(Again, the defense, especially the secondary, is playing too passive.)
I never cashed out on Wentz. I still remember him carrying the 2019 Eagles to the playoffs. He was playing well Sunday, but it was weird to see him get injured against the Rams again. His 2017 injury against the Rams is well documented. His replacement in 2017 was Nick Foles. Foles wore jersey #9. Wentz goes down late yesterday, and Jacob Eason—wearing #9—replaces him…but with a different result.
The Rams win “The Bert Jones Trophy.”
***
I wanted to say the Cowboys and Chargers played for the “The Lance Alworth Trophy” yesterday, but it looked more like “The Clint Longley Trophy.”
Seeing Dallas play in the sunlight at SoFi Stadium, with all of the shadows, reminded me of old Texas Stadium in Irving (Where they used to say there was a hole in the roof so God could watch his favorite team—Puke!) The only thing missing was Pat Summerall and John Madden on the call.
Difference between Rams-Chargers? The reason why one team is a contender and the other is still in pretender mode?
Penalties: Rams-2 for 15yds. Chargers-12 for 99.
Last Add Penalties: Chargers fans, remember, Jared Cook giveth and Jared Cook taketh away. This is as locked in as sky being blue, taxes being high, and the DMV being slow.
The Cowboys have a nice complimentary back in Zeke Elliott.
Final Add Cowboys-Chargers: I didn’t know with time on the clock and a timeout in your pocket that the goal was a 56-yard field goal. Greg Zuerlein saved somebody’s job with his game-winning kick.
Around The NFL:
If you’re the Arizona Cardinals, you’ve got to handle the Minnesota Vikings at home. Yes, Kyler Murray was wonderful—and that’s all anyone is going to remember—but the Norsemen were only a missed 37-yard field goal away from winning.
That was a bad loss for the Seahawks at home. But if I were the Titans, in Seattle, against Russell Wilson, I would have gone for the game-winning deuce instead of playing for overtime. But it worked.
By the way, in overtime, Russell Wilson went into the end zone on his own, and that should have been a game-ending safety.
Kansas City deserved to lose last night for being too cute…and swagging their way through four-quarters with a “We’re the Kansas City Chiefs, we can do anything” attitude.
Nope.
Lamar Jackson wanted it more. I’m not a fan of a legs first quarterback, but Jackson was tenacious and willed the Baltimore Ravens to the win.
My only fear of signing Jackson to a long contract, is what kind of shape will he be in, in three years? He can’t keep doing what he did last night.
Last Add Chiefs: Until they can stop the run, they’re not going anywhere.
“The Layered Pass Rush,” wow, that was new for me.
Bears fans, did you get an inkling, now, as to why HC Matt Nagy didn’t have Justin Fields as his starter to open the season?
Ineligible receivers wear jersey numbers 50-through-79 in the NFL. And to become eligible for a specific play, they must report to the officials. Everyone knows this, and with all of the RPOs, it’s ridiculous to have it so strictly enforced unless linemen are setting picks on rub-routes.
Modify it.
***
USC 45 Washington State 14—Good win, have USC fans started the “Hire Donte Williams” campaign yet?
Oklahoma 23 Nebraska 16—If the Sooners were national contenders, the Cornhuskers would never have stayed so close.
Penn State 28 Auburn 20—I wasn’t thinking much of the Nittany Lions in terms of a national title. Then I saw them win, and I saw Alabama against Florida.
Notre Dame 27 Purdue 13—Yeah, no.
Alabama 31 Florida 29—The Gators are good, the Crimson Tide has been great for more than a decade…but it was Low Tide, not Red Tide on Saturday. #Vulnerable.
TOP Four College Playoff Teams
(Strictly Based on Games I’ve seen)
1—Penn State (3-0): Pennsylvania is a gorgeous state. It’s all about Happy Valley.
2—Oregon (3-0): Hammered Stony Brook. (Be the bully!)
3—Alabama (3-0): This team can be beat by the right team.
4—Florida (2-1): They won’t stay, but for now it’s okay.
(Outside Looking In)
5—Auburn (3-0): Don’t know how good they are, but I like the Tigers.
6—Ohio State (2-1): For now, this is where they belong.
7—Notre Dame (3-0): Let’s see them against the Badgers.
8—Oklahoma (3-0): Rattler feels like a Garter.
9—Stanford (2-1): No let down against Vanderbilt.
10—Arkansas (3-0): I can’t find a place for them in my heart.
11—UCLA (2-1): Apparently, they did take F-No lightly.
12—Wisconsin (1-1): Badgers get Irish next week.
13—LSU (2-1): Need to beat Mississippi State.
14—Purdue (2-1): I’ve got a Mark Herrmann soft spot for the Boilermakers.
15—USC (2-1): Lead nation in cool QB names.
16—Nebraska (2-2): Does “They’re trying” count?
17—Texas (2-1): They cooked Rice. It’s not like Tommy Kramer was playing for the Owls.
18—Minnesota (2-1): Who doesn’t beat Colorado these days.
19—Washington State (1-2): Epic collapse against wobbly-legged Trojans.
The Dude abides…
1,192
2 Corinthians 10:5
Joe T. is the author of “Tangent Dreams: A High School Football Novel” … “Temple City & The Company of The Ages” … “The Dead Bug Tales” … “The Dark Norm” & “FaithViews for Storm Riders”…all five available through Amazon.com.
www.JoeTorosian.com
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b
Instagram: @joet13b
Be sure to read:
College Hoops Breakdown—by Riley Saxon
The Urena Express—by Steven Urena (MLB)
From The RamCave—by Joe T. (Every Friday)
