Most people think the Kansas City Chiefs receive the most favorable treatment in the NFL from officials but for my money it is the Los Angeles Rams. HC Sean McVay’s team is near the top of the ladder in plus net penalty yards. Last Sunday, I was sweating out a tasty Steelers + Eagles + Saints three-teamer. With the score tied 14-14, New Orleans stiffened at its own 25-yard line. On 3DN and 10, DE Chase Young jumped offside. QB Matt Stafford threw incomplete. But a DPI provided a first down. Stafford then delivered a TD pass. The Saints drove inside the LA 10-yard line with less than a minute to play but turned the ball over on downs. If they had been down by only 3 points, they could have kicked a field goal to force overtime.

The Rams also have outscored their opponents 22-0 on defense and special team touchdowns (and PATs) and safeties. That is good but not as good as Denver which has outscored opponents 32-0 after returning two Jameis Winston interceptions for scores on MNF. It drove Winston to pray to God for deliverance from pick-6s. Sean Payton and Bo Nix have played better than expected but the Broncos are likely to play postseason football because of all those bonus points.

Did you see Eagles rookie DB Cooper Dejean pile drive Baltimore bell cow Darrick Henry? The only other place I have seen form like that is during an OSHA inspection. Dejean and fellow rookie corner Quinyon Mitchell have been massive upgrades on the Philadelphia defense. San Francisco won the Super Bowl in 1981 with rookie corners (Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright). Can DC Vic Fangio duplicate the feat?

Carolina seems to be making marginal improvement under rookie HC Dave Canales. The Panthers got off to a scary bad start. This past Sunday a controversial call that cost them 4 points contributed to a 3-point OT loss to Tampa Bay. QB Bryce Young throws a nice accurate ball. He is building chemistry with a very young receiving corps, particularly rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (Texas). Carolina still ranks 30th in the NFL in play design. But the Panthers are no longer an auto win on opponents’ schedules.

I was not as outraged as most by Matt Eberflus’ failure to call timeout at the end of Chicago’s 23-20 loss at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. At some point, he had to trust and rely on rookie QB Caleb Williams. If he had called timeout as Williams attempted to organize the Bears at the line with 0:30 to play, he would not have had a timeout to get his kicker on the field. If Willliams came out of the timeout and completed a pass in the field of play and the clock had run out, he would have been just as crucified for not saving the timeout. He probably should have called it because the Bears were struggling to lineup. I think most have overreacted. Still, Chicago’s play design differential is near the bottom five in the NFL (No. 26). That is firing territory. At least Flus got a brilliant sendoff medley from Bears’ superfan Dave Swerski.