Random Ramsdom: Bill Belichick being upset about overturned fumble is rich

Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 1/16/25

Bill Belichick apparently hates the tuck rule. When the Los Angeles Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night’s playoff game there was a play that in real-time looked like a Matthew Stafford fumble, but after review the call was changed to an incomplete pass.

I could not help but think about the Tuck Rule Game as the officials deliberated to try and determine the call. Well, according to Belichick the overturned call for Stafford made no sense as the former NFL head coach lamented the NFL being an “offensive league”.

Amazing take(s) coming from a coach who had as much help via officiating as any other coach ever has. Maybe more. Yes, the New England Patriots earned those Super Bowls, but like every other team who wins the big game they had some calls go their way. Perhaps no call more controversial than when the Patriots were bailed out by the tuck rule against the then Oakland Raiders.

Just like the Rams had the call go their way this past Monday night.

Hearing Belichick complain about rules that once helped him is pretty rich. It’s ironic, but he doesn’t seem to think so.

Bill Belichick was so annoyed when Matthew Stafford’s fumble was ruled an incomplete pass (yahoo.com)

“Matthew Stafford saved himself eight yards by shoveling a forward pass toward Puka Nacua while in the grip of Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Jonathan Greenard. It was a savvy veteran play — one that nearly cost the Los Angeles Rams seven points.

Stafford was attempting to escape Minnesota’s blitz-heavy attack in Monday night’s wild card game when Greenard began to wrap him up before he could properly toss a screen pass Nacua’s way. On the field, it looked as if the ball popped out of the veteran’s grasp and into the hands of Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman. It was ruled a fumble and subsequent touchdown, exactly what Minnesota needed to strike back after an early 10-0 deficit.”

A different LA Rams team faces the Philadelphia Eagles in Round 2 (ramblinfan)

“The LA Rams had no answers for Eagles RB Saquon Barkley in that game, as he turned running and receiving into an artform, and single-handedly put up over 300 yards of offense plus two touchdowns. It was a performance that set an Eagles franchise record for most rushing yards in a single game.

If you are reading articles on the Philadelphia Eagles site Inside the Eagles, you may get the sense that they are a bit overconfident. After all, the Eagles had little trouble dismantling the Rams in a 37-20 win in Week 12. A recent article by Inside the Iggles writer Michael Kaskey-Blomain entitled 3 promising stats from Eagles Week 12 win over Rams ahead of playoff match-up highlights the main positive takeaways from the game between these two teams.”

Did the Rams Learn from Their ‘Humbling’ Loss to the Eagles? (si.com)

“I think when you have humbling experiences with the right kinds of people, those are where the real growth ‘ops’ exist,” McVay said. “I think we had a lot of guys that really, as a team, you can look inward, and you can say, ‘Is this really what we want to be about? Where are the things that we can adjust and adapt from a coaching perspective? Where’s the sense of urgency that’s going to be required for coaches and players to be able to execute the way that we want, and what kind of work needs to be put in throughout the course of the week? What do we need to do? How do we want to act, interact, and respond accordingly with how we move forward?’

McVay noted how the loss helped spark the Rams’ playoff run. Los Angeles won five of its next six games after losing to the Eagles.”