Community Picks: LA Rams 0% vs Oakland 0%

The Los Angeles Rams and Oakland Raiders spent most of the lead-up to the season in the same predicament, with their Defensive Players of the Year holding out while seeking new contracts. When the teams open the season against each other Monday night in Oakland, that will have changed. The Rams will have last year's winner of the league's top defensive award on the field anchoring the middle in Aaron Donald. Continue to Article

September 09, 2018 12:37:pm EST

A blockbuster deal brought a new wrinkle to the NFL's oldest rivalry. The Chicago Bears visit Lambeau Field on Sunday night, just in time for star pass-rusher Khalil Mack to potentially make his debut in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks can't hide his glee. Continue to Article

September 06, 2018 6:46:pm EST

When Jon Gruden was hired for a second stint as Oakland Raiders coach, there were immediately questions about how quarterback Derek Carr would respond to Gruden's intensity, cursing and hands-on approach after four seasons with more low-key coordinators and defensive-minded head coaches. Carr laughed off those doubts, pointing out that he's familiar with the swear words Gruden sometimes spews even if Carr doesn't use them, and he said he welcomes the challenge of a coach who will always keep him on edge. ''I have to be on my game in front of my teammates,'' Carr said. Continue to Article

September 06, 2018 5:10:pm EST

The Los Angeles Rams made an earnest bid to trade for defensive end Khalil Mack before he was shipped from the Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears over the weekend, COO Kevin Demoff said. The Rams' first-round pick in 2017 fell at No. 23 after they went 11-5, and they remain in position to contend moving forward. It's unclear what the Rams offered the Raiders, but the Bears -- who picked eighth in the 2018 draft after going 5-11 last year -- acquired Mack for two first-round picks, while swapping a third-rounder for a second-rounder. Continue to Article

September 06, 2018 2:25:pm EST

1. One of the biggest stories this past offseason was Jon Gruden’s return to coaching after a nine-year hiatus. While it’s difficult to knock the credentials of a coach with a Super Bowl ring, it’s worth noting that Gruden inherited a Buccaneers team fresh off three straight playoff appearances, and he never got the offense above a middling level of production before he was let go. After leading the Buccaneers to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII, Gruden's Tampa Bay teams went 45-51 in the following six seasons. Continue to Article

September 05, 2018 2:02:pm EST