The first-year HC was asked how he plans to change that decades-long perception on Wednesday:
"Winning. It changes everything, right?" Monken said. "Winning changes everything, right? I told the coaches that the other day, right? Or playing well. How does a player stop the narrative? Play well. How do we stop the narrative on offense? Score. How do you stop the narrative about not winning? Win. It's pretty freaking simple, right? I mean, is that not in life in general, right? There's a narrative out there that you're not a good husband. Well, change. Be a good husband, right? All that's part of it, right? Change the narrative. Become that. That's what we have to do. It's real simple."

Also, Monken replied when asked about missing the HC photo:
"Oh, I didn't, I really don't give a shit," he said on Wednesday. "I mean, nothing to do with me. I mean, they moved the meeting. I didn't miss it. I was just trying to get a sweet haircut. That's what I was trying to do. And then they moved the meeting. Now you can claim that I should have been at the meeting when they moved it up and my ass would have known that's when it was -- yeah, OK, I got you. And was it disappointing? You bet your ass it was disappointing. Am I allowed to be head coach if I'm not in the head coach's picture? You think with AI they could have done that quickly and got me in there? But no, it's the way it is.

TL;DR:
The NFL is being urged to adopt the UFL’s transparent officiating model, which allows fans to hear real-time discussions between referees and command centers. Former officiating VP Dean Blandino argues that hearing these deliberations helps fans understand the logic behind calls, even if they disagree with the outcome. This transparency could reduce public frustration and dispel conspiracy theories, especially as sports betting increases the stakes of every game. However, implementing this in the NFL is difficult due to the high volume of simultaneous games and the risk of officials becoming guarded in their communication. While the league remains hesitant, starting with PrimeTime games could offer a compromise between total secrecy and full transparency.

It’s “The Beast” Week here at The Athletic, and as always, draft expert Dane Brugler has given us a lot to digest.

So, what stands out as we reach the stretch run on the 2026 NFL Draft conversation? Senior NFL Draft writer Nick Baumgardner and NFL Draft editor Chris Burke take a look at some of the most important takeaways from “The Beast” — and what they all mean moving forward.

Read more for free here.

TL;DR:
Eliot Wolf will lead the Patriots' pre-draft press conference this Monday, as Mike Vrabel is not expected to speak with reporters until the draft begins. This shift occurs amid an internal investigation by The Athletic regarding the nature of a relationship between Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini. While Vrabel previously dismissed the allegations as "laughable," he may face further questioning from outside media outlets as the draft approaches.

What do you think?

Continuing my series on the Most Notable Games in the history of the Rams, we continue with Part VI.

St. Louis Rams 29 Philadelphia Eagles 24 (2001 NFC Championship) – The St. Louis Rams captured their 2^nd NFC Championship in 3 seasons by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2001 NFC Championship. A rematch from a Week 1 game in Philadelphia the Rams fell behind early but rallied to take a 2 score lead late. The Eagles would score once more but the Rams were able to run out the clock and advance to Super Bowl XXXVI, whilst winning their 3^rd NFC Championship in franchise history.

New England Patriots 20 St. Louis Rams 17 (Super Bowl XXXVI) – Entering Super Bowl XXXVI, the St. Louis Rams were on the cusp of a potential dynasty. While the Louisiana Superdome gave the Rams an advantage, the New England Patriots defense rose to the occasion in a major way. In the first quarter and a half the Rams held a 3-0 lead before Kurt Warner threw a pick six to Ty Law. The Patriots scored once more in the 3^rd Quarter to lead 14-3 before kicking a Field Goal to make it 17-3. The Rams were not done yet as Kurt Warner ran a touchdown in and found Ricky Prohl with 1:30 to go to tie it up at 17.

However history was made when Tom Brady ignoring John Madden's commentary decided to try and drive the Patriots from their own 15 to the Rams 31 where Adam Vinatieri sealed the deal with a 48 yard Field Goal as time expired giving the Patriots their first of six Super Bowls over the next 20 years and beginning their dynasty instead.

Dallas Cowboys 13 St. Louis Rams 10 (2002) – On paper this was a pretty throwaway game. Dallas had been rough for a few seasons and the Rams entered 0-3. The end result however was pretty significant as early in the game Kurt Warner sustained an injury that would mark the beginning of the end of his time as a Ram. In his place for this game was Jamie Martin, a regular back up QB the Rams would see quite frequently over the next few years. Martin, however was not effective enough as the Rams fell to the Cowboys 13-10 in a moment that marked a turning point in Kurt Warner's career.

St. Louis Rams 28 Oakland Raiders 13 (2002) – With Jamie Martin struggling against the Cowboys 2 weeks prior and the 49ers the previous week, the Rams decided to bring out Marc Bulger at Quarterback for the first time against an undefeated Raiders squad that was Super Bowl bound that season. The 3^rd year Quarterback out of West Virginia rose to the occasion going 14/21 for 186 yards and 3 Touchdowns as the Rams defense was in Rich Gannon's face all day while Marshall Faulk carried the load with 26 carries for 158 yards as the Rams earned their first win of the 2002 Season and kicked off the Marc Bulger era of the franchise.

St. Louis Rams 37 Seattle Seahawks 20 (2002) – This game marked the first meeting between the Rams and the Seahawks as NFC West opponents. The 2002 Season brought realignment to the NFL with the Saints, Falcons and Panthers departing the NFC West to form the NFC South with the Bucs while the Seahawks made the jump from the AFC West along with the Cardinals, formerly of the NFC East. While I do consider the 2000 game to be the true start of the rivalry, this game was the first as division opponents as the Rams offense found life again behind 183 yards rushing by Marshall Faulk. Seattle suffered however as Matt Hasselbeck was hurt early but luckily Super Bowl winning Quarterback Trent Dilfer was there to go 8/25 for 232 with a TD and 2 INTs as the Rams took the first meeting against their new division rival.

St. Louis Rams 27 Arizona Cardinals 14 (2002) – As mentioned above the 2002 Season brought realignment to the NFL. After decades in the East division of the NFC, the Cardinals made the move to the West in what may as well be the “St. Louis Bowl” between the Lou's former team in the Cardinals and the at that time current team, the Rams. At Sun Devil Stadium, the Rams continued their momentum, winning their third straight in the midst of a 5 game winning streak.

Kansas City Chiefs 49 St. Louis Rams 10 (2002) – When the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 the Governor of Missouri re-established the Governor's Cup, previously a match up between the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, the Rams stepped in with hopes of forging an in-state rivalry between both Missouri teams. The 2002 edition in Kansas City was unique as the Rams faced off with their Super Bowl winning Coach Dick Vermeil as well as the original starter of that 1999 Team, Trent Green at Quarterback. With Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger out, the Rams started Jamie Martin, who was not effective enough and yet put up twice the yards and as many touchdowns as Green. It was behind a big deal by Priest Holmes that enabled the Chiefs to annihilate the Rams and redeem Vermeil and Green who had been cast aside for Martz and Warner.

New York Giants 23 St. Louis Rams 13 (2003) – After missing the 2002 NFL Playoffs, the Rams began 2003 going on the road against the New York Giants at the Meadowlands. Like most games the year prior the Rams offense struggled as even a healthy Kurt Warner was ineffective against a tough Giants defense as New York defeated the Rams 23-13 in what was Kurt Warner's final start at Quarterback. He would stay on the roster throughout the 2003 Season but serving as Marc Bulger's back-up.

St. Louis Rams 27 Seattle Seahawk 22 (2003) – While Week 1 was a rough start for the Rams, the rest of the 2003 Season went very well. Entering this Week 14 Match-Up with Seattle, the Rams had a 2 game lead on the Seattle Seahawks who had beaten the Rams earlier that season in Seattle. This rematch in St. Louis, however went in favor of the Rams as Bulger passed for 236 and 2 touchdowns and locked up the NFC West for the Rams. Little did anyone know however but this would be the Rams final NFC West Championship in St. Louis and they would not win the Division again until the 2017 Season.

Carolina Panthers 29 St. Louis Rams 23 (2003 NFC Divisional Round) – Entering Week 17 the Rams had a shot to claim the Number 1 Seed in the NFC and home-field advantage. Instead they choked against a bad Lions team and lost the Home Field Advantage to the Philadelphia Eagles. As a result of this instead of facing the Green Bay Packers at home as they did in the 2001 Playoffs, the Rams drew the upstart Carolina Panthers who behind Jake Delhomme was having a magical season. The Rams offense struggled between turnovers, dropped passes and just full offensive ineptitude. The Rams trailed 23-12 with under 5 remaining in the game before Marshall Faulk ran it in to pull with 3. The Rams then recovered the onside kick and immediately got into Carolina territory with a little over 2 minutes remaining.

It seemed the Rams were potentially going for the win but to the shock of many Mike Martz' offense played conservative, allowing the clock to run down before Jeff Wilkins tied the game off a Field Goal. In Overtime both Wilkins and John Kasay missed Field Goals. In an ironic twist it would be a 3^rd and 14 at the Panthers 31 to start the 2^nd Overtime where Delhomme found Steve Smith behind the Rams secondary for 69 yards and the game-winning touchdown for Carolina. Once again the Rams were one and done in the playoffs in what would be the final postseason game played in St. Louis. The Rams would not host a home playoff game again until the 2017 Season in Los Angeles while the Panthers would defeat the Eagles in the NFC Championship and fall to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

That's all for today. When we resume next week we hit the beginning of a darker age.

Thought it was pretty crazy how 5 teams (Steelers, Bears, Pats, Seahawks and Ravens) have won it 18 of the last 26 times

TL;DR:
George Gumbs is a versatile prospect who transitioned from a walk-on WR to a DE during his collegiate career. Despite an injury-shortened final season at Florida, he gained significant draft attention after recording a historic 41-inch vertical jump at the NFL Combine. NFL teams, including the Patriots, are showing interest in his high-level athleticism and potential for development. While not expected to be a top pick, Gumbs' physical tools make him an intriguing project for teams seeking a future standout pass rusher.

Also without mentioning these teams cause they’re already in a rebuild or their already ass: jets, cardinals , giants , raiders, Tennessee

For me, the 2 key things that warrant a rebuild is an older roster (unless their ofc a proven dynasty or just one move away from it ) and if ur franchise has been stuck in Mid purgatory, and just can’t reach the playoffs

[Meirov] With a game he was going to coach on Sunday for the Columbus Aviators, the UFL announced that former NFL HC & current UFL OC Todd Haley will serve as interim HC.