Week 9 Predictions: Rams @ Vikings

[Raptorman]

Well, no reason to watch the game guys. The Ram's defense is going to dominate the Vikings. Peterson and Diggs will be shut down, Teddy might end up in the hospital. Gurley is going to run rampant over the Vikings Defense, Austin is going to kick our butts. Hell, the Vikings might as well just forfeit the game. After all, if they score 10 points they will be lucky.

[Purple bruise]

Well, no reason to watch the game guys. The Ram's defense is going to dominate the Vikings. Peterson and Diggs will be shut down, Teddy might end up in the hospital. Gurley is going to run rampant over the Vikings Defense, Austin is going to kick our butts. Hell, the Vikings might as well just forfeit the game. After all, if they score 10 points they will be lucky.

I like your take Raptorman. People are acting as if the Vikes are playing the Patriots on the road AD will have a 100 yd day at least and TB will toss a couple of TDS and Walsh will do the rest....no sweat

[jackal]

The rams have Chris Long out .. Quinn their best DE is questionable and they have about 5 other guys questionable
including another DE and OT ...

I am not confident but I think the Vikings have better chance to win, now that I know the Rams are banged up, as well

[Purple bruise]

The rams have Chris Long out .. Quinn their best DE is questionable and they have about 5 other guys questionable
including another DE and OT ...

I am not confident but I think the Vikings have better chance to win, now that I know the Rams are banged up, as well

Home field will be a big advantage for the "good guys" they ALWAYS play better at home.

[RamzFanz]

The rams have Chris Long out .. Quinn their best DE is questionable and they have about 5 other guys questionable
including another DE and OT ...

I am not confident but I think the Vikings have better chance to win, now that I know the Rams are banged up, as well

I have no clue as to the game time IR, but I do know we see this every week this season with the players who don't have any known major injuries and then they play. Long will be out. The rest are probably playing based on history.

A little insight on this from my own observations. Fisher is a chess player. He loves taking advantage of areas where other teams don't, hence the "trick plays." THIS season he changed the practice schedule to a day off on Thursday so now, when he is forced to give an Injury report at the end of Wednesday, he is talking about what he would expect to happen on Thursday IF they were practising. They aren't. This fact gives him a lot of wiggle room. He's being asked to guess. His guesses tend to default to the more injured than less.

[RamzFanz]

Well, no reason to watch the game guys. The Ram's defense is going to dominate the Vikings. Peterson and Diggs will be shut down, Teddy might end up in the hospital. Gurley is going to run rampant over the Vikings Defense, Austin is going to kick our butts. Hell, the Vikings might as well just forfeit the game. After all, if they score 10 points they will be lucky.

I talk to opposing fans every game, and this is the surest sign the Rams will win. The more times the opposing fans pretend what is being said should result in a forfeit or surrender, with no explanation as to why, the fan claiming this is usually at a loss as how to counter the claims.

Rams should be favored in this, by at least 4 points, IMHO. And I know why.

Still, the ball bounces, the players play, and the refs make calls, so no one ever knows.

[PurpleKoolaid]

Going to be a close game. Yes, Gurley will probably have a good game, one of the reason is some of our better players are out. I think the offense finally shows up. Not huge numbers, but very efficient.

Vikes 20 Rams 17

[Skoltastic_Voyage]

....

As of a week ago, Wallace had the most dropped balls. This is an oddity because it's not the norm for this crew of WR. The worst of it is a lot of these drops were point and drive killers. Teddy is better than many think. If Wallace stops dropping his good passes, this is a different offense.

.....

So, I have to believe the Vikings should be favored. The passing game looks poor, but a lot of that can change quickly because the talent is there. Diggs has changed the balance....

24-20 Vikings.

Yup.

[RamzFanz]

Going to be a close game. Yes, Gurley will probably have a good game, one of the reason is some of our better players are out. I think the offense finally shows up. Not huge numbers, but very efficient.

Vikes 20 Rams 17

Hey, at worst, you have your reasons already in line. I don't. If Rams lose this, injuries not a factor because of depth, I'm pretty sure my reasons will be we aren't good enough. I'm really not concerned about that this game though. Not that there is no challange like in the Niners game, but because I trust in the coaching adjustments we have seen.

[RamzFanz]

Yup.

Is there anyone here that talks football?

[DK Sweets]

Offensively, I don't feel good about this game. Their defense is tough against the run and great rushing the passer. Teddy hasn't had time all year, and he's going to feel the pain against St Louis. That said, he tends to play well under pressure (drives to end games, Denver, etc) so I expect to see a consistent if unspectacular game from him.

Adrian just simply isn't going to have room to run. That doesn't mean he won't be a big factor, but I wouldn't want him starting for my fantasy team.

I'm afraid Diggs is going to be slowed down quite a bit this game, and if he can't be a difference maker, that's huge for them.

Defensively, I feel good about crippling their pass attack. Foles is average and I feel great about our secondary against their receivers. Both of our corners can tackle, and if Xavier shadows Tavon Austin I just don't see him getting a big play in in us.

Losing Kendricks hurts, but I've long been a (realistic) big fan of Audie Cole. He's shown in consecutive seasons that he can be a solid fill-in starter for injury, and I expect him to have a few nice stops this game. Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph are going to be huge at slowing down Todd Gurley. If Barr plays, I feel good defensively. If our LBs are Cole/Greenway in the nickel, I feel considerably less confident.

I find it interesting that so few people are talking about the coaching in this game. To me, this game has obvious parallels to when a rookie Adrian Peterson had a record setting day against San Diego with the longtime best back in the league on the opposing sideline. Adrian and Norv are both going to be giving a very unique perspective to the team on what to be wary of preparing for this game. That, to me, is going to be a bigger influence on this game than home field advantage.

I don't pick scores. But I will stick with a key stat for the game: if our defense can hold Gurley to less than 110 yards, we end up winning the contest.

I think the Vikings will do that and overcome a vicious Rams defense for a low scoring victory.

[Raptorman]

I talk to opposing fans every game, and this is the surest sign the Rams will win. The more times the opposing fans pretend what is being said should result in a forfeit or surrender, with no explanation as to why, the fan claiming this is usually at a loss as how to counter the claims.

Rams should be favored in this, by at least 4 points, IMHO. And I know why.

Still, the ball bounces, the players play, and the refs make calls, so no one ever knows.

Yup. Because the Rams fans have watched every Vikings game, and every Vikings play and know our team just as good as we do. Of course they know our opponents better as well. After all, I have been told by more than one Rams fan that the Rams defense is better than the Bronco's......

You know what the Rams fans sounded like to me? The Packer fans just before the Denver game. They were going to win that game anywhere from 27-7 all the way to 44-14. Not one predicted a loss. Rodgers was going to have his way with the Denver D that hadn't played anyone with a winning record.

But it's all good, that's why we are called fans.

[jackal]

I have no clue as to the game time IR, but I do know we see this every week this season with the players who don't have any known major injuries and then they play. Long will be out. The rest are probably playing based on history.

A little insight on this from my own observations. Fisher is a chess player. He loves taking advantage of areas where other teams don't, hence the "trick plays." THIS season he changed the practice schedule to a day off on Thursday so now, when he is forced to give an Injury report at the end of Wednesday, he is talking about what he would expect to happen on Thursday IF they were practising. They aren't. This fact gives him a lot of wiggle room. He's being asked to guess. His guesses tend to default to the more injured than less.

That was Fan Duels injury report and had Long Quinn and some backup as out or questionable for the game.

I think more teams are doing the Belicheck thing and not revealing anything they don't have too.

[Skoltastic_Voyage]

Is there anyone here that talks football?

You talked about inconstancy in your WR corp. we have that as well. You talked about how Gurley is God, well we have a pretty darned good RB as well (at times). Our QB is competent yet I always liked Foles and he doesn't suck or anything, your D is pretty good, sounds familiar. You come in here complaining about Rams not being favorites, they haven't been dominating on the road and it's a Vikings home game that's why they're not the favorites (even some of us here have pointed out that fact if you bothered reading the prior posts). If you REALLY want to talk football instead of saying things like well, we beat SF and you guys got toasted (true but we almost beat broncos and GB got mauled and GB beat who?), I will be glad to talk about problems with our receivers (as I pointed out dropped balls, especially Wallace) and things like one of our FRSP is barely on the field because apparently he doesn't understand what a route is. I have seen CP's eyes they have killed his will to play. As I actually said somewhere in these forums (not to you because you're sorta late to the party we start early here) that this is a good and or first real test to see what these teams can do. Rams to show they're going places and Vikings to show they're ready for the nightmare that is the second half of our season schedule. Our run blocking over the years has made stars out of fat sacks like lacy so I can't imagine what Gurley is going to do hopefully the Vikes are ready if not it's going to be a great game for Rams. Lets see anything else you want me to fluff your team with? I mean we tear down our QB's OC's HC's (not Zim he is awesome but LF man that guy was like watching a stick coach) and our entire OL almost every game even when we win. We as a group aren't confident in our QB some here liken him to Ponder 2.0 (I prefer Teddy Ponder) AD is getting old and ball security is an issue with him. He also loves to run into a pile of man arse as running the outside appears to be some friggen sort of sin in Minn and every run play has to be up the middle. Ummmm.... We're in the same division as a certain puker QB most consider to be a candidate for GOAT.... Sorry running out of obvious problems with the Vikings. Still all that aside I don't think Rams should be favored especially not by 4 points. Can the rams blow out the Vikes at home? Yup. Can the Vikes stomp the Rams? Yup. Will this game probably be much closer? Yup. Is that certain? Nope. What more do you want when you're talking about subjective things like I know our WR's can do better and blah blah. That can be said about anyone on the field at anytime.

[Hunter Morrow]

I like our chances at home against comparable teams. This is almost a mirror matchup but being at home (statistically one of the best home field advantages, historically, in the league) makes me give the edge to the Vikings.

It will be a defensive battle and we will come out on top of it I believe.

24-21 Vikings

The other thing that has me excited? Blair Walsh is kicking those 50 yard era again. If we need the field goal, I think he has it.