FEATURE 20 Random Fire Two, and Too Much Bad Karma, Thoughts

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AvengerRam

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1. What the fuck did I just watch?

2. I'm not one to typically call for individuals to be fired after a bad performance, but I have two this week that I want to see gone.

3. Bobby Evans. When PFF releases its ratings this week, he may be the first player ever to receive a negative rating. By my count, he gave up at least 3 sacks today, and countless pressures and running plays blown up due to his ineptitude. I'd cut him. I mean it. I don't ever want to see him on the field again.

4. The other is Raheem Morris. I've defended him, and I give him a lot of credit for his contributions to last year's championship. But I just can't excuse his soft coverage strategy that allowed the Bucs to walk down the field twice in the last to drives. We were saved by a dropped TD pass on the first, and the last one killed us. There has to be some accountability for the system that allowed this to happen. Let the CBs do their freakin' job!!!!!

5. Did I bury the lead here? Should I have lead off by talking about letting Tom Brady (who, along with this weak Bucs team, is going nowhere this year) get one more moment of glory? Perhaps. But that wasn't the worst offense today.

6. The worst offense was... well, the worst offense we've seen under Sean McVay. I 100% blame it on the OL, which couldn't block an intramural flag football team from Dartmouth, much less Vita Vea and company.

7. If you want to add to the list, I'd go with the RBs. While Darrell Henderson had a couple of nice runs on one drive, we rarely see anyone making something out of nothing (or even something out of a small crease).

8. Finally, there's the lack of turnovers. The primary issue there is, once again, the soft coverage, which hampers the pass rushers and creates easy throws.

9. That said, the entire defense needs to spend a few sessions with the JUGS machine. Today, there were dropped interceptions by Terrell Lewis (a tough catch to make, no doubt, but a sure pick 6 if he does), Troy Hill and Jalen Ramsey. We just can't afford to miss opportunity for game changing plays.

10. Its sad, really, to see a game end like this. Aaron Donald played his guts out. So did Bobby Wagner. Hill and Ramsey, drops aside, made some plays.

11. Kendrick is in over his head.

12. The offensive line needs a complete rebuild. Apart from Rob Havenstein (who's not a world beater, but certainly is good enough to be part of a successful OL) every spot is up for serious review next year. While I can see getting a starter in the draft, we're going to have to bring in some veteran help in free agency.

13. So, yeah... I'm pretty much saying its unfixable within the season. Sure, if Coleman Shelton and David Edwards can get on the field, it could get better (not starting from a very high bar). But that's just a temporary fix. Joe Noteboom will be a huge question mark coming back from a torn Achilles, and Edwards is a FA. We're going to need an influx of talent

14. So where do we go from here? Just push on, I guess. We have some more favorable matchups (i.e. weaker defenses we might be able to move the ball against) in the coming weeks, so maybe, in a weak NFC field, we can still stay in the playoff race.

15. But we all know what we're seeing... a team that can't compete at the highest level.

16. So, karma has hit. The good fortune that allowed us to go through the 49ers and the Bucs on the way to a championship last year has now failed us. Our ability to avoid big injuries, gone. The ball bouncing our way,.. not happening.

17. That's sports, though, isn't it? Moments in the sun can turn into tough times in the blink of the eye. Heck, only 2 of the 7 NFC playoff teams from last year currently have a winning record.

18. Its a brutal league, and success is tough to achieve... even tougher to sustain.

19. But here's the good news... fix the OL, and get some fresh legs in the backfield, and this offense can turn around next year and be a force again. And, with an offense that can be relied upon to score points, let the defense apply pressure at all levels. I'll trade an occasional big play allowed for more sacks and more turnovers.

20. Sorry folks, that's all the "feel goods" I can muster right now. I'm feeling frustrated and drained.
 
Last edited:

Ramlife

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Nov 15, 2017
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301
Name
Bill
1. What the fuck did I just watch?

2. I'm not one to typically call for individuals to be fired after a bad performance, but I have two this week that I want to see gone.

3. Bobby Evans. When PFF releases its ratings this week, he may be the first player ever to receive a negative rating. By my count, he gave up at least 3 sacks today, and countless pressures and running plays blown up due to his ineptitude. I'd cut him. I mean it. I don't ever want to see him on the field again.

4. The other is Raheem Morris. I've defended him, and I give him a lot of credit for his contributions to last year's championship. But I just can't excuse his soft coverage strategy that allowed the Bucs to walk down the field twice in the last to drives. We were saved by a dropped TD pass on the first, and the last one killed us. There has to be some accountability for the system that allowed this to happen. Let the CBs do their freakin' job!!!!!

5. Did I bury the lead here? Should I have lead off by talking about letting Tom Brady (who, along with this weak Bucs team, is going nowhere this year) get one more moment of glory? Perhaps. But that wasn't the worst offense today.

6. The worst offense was... well, the worst offense we've seen under Sean McVay. I 100% blame it on the OL, which couldn't block an intramural flag football team from Dartmouth, much less Vita Vea and company.

7. If you want to add to the list, I'd go with the RBs. While Darrell Henderson had a couple of nice runs on one drive, we rarely see anyone making something out of nothing (or even something out of a small crease).

8. Finally, there's the lack of turnovers. The primary issue there is, once again, the soft coverage, which hampers the pass rushers and creates easy throws.

9. That said, the entire defense needs to spend a few sessions with the JUGS machine. Today, there were dropped interceptions by Terrell Lewis (a tough catch to make, no doubt, but a sure pick 6 if he does), Troy Hill and Jalen Ramsey. We just can't afford to miss opportunity for game changing plays.

10. Its sad, really, to see a game end like this. Aaron Donald played his guts out. So did Bobby Wagner. Hill and Ramsey, drops aside, made some plays.

11. Kendrick is in over his head.

12. The offensive line needs a complete rebuild. Apart from Rob Havenstein (who's not a world beater, but certainly is good enough to be part of a successful OL) every spot is up for serious review next year. While I can see getting a starter in the draft, we're going to have to bring in some veteran help in free agency.

13. So, yeah... I'm pretty much saying its unfixable within the season. Sure, if Coleman Shelton and David Edwards can get on the field, it could get better (not starting from a very high bar). But that's just a temporary fix. Joe Noteboom will be a huge question mark coming back from a torn Achilles, and Edwards is a FA. We're going to need an influx of talent

14. So where do we go from here? Just push on, I guess. We have some more favorable matchups (i.e. weaker defenses we might be able to move the ball against) in the coming weeks, so maybe, in a weak NFC field, we can still stay in the playoff race.

15. But we all know what we're seeing... a team that can't compete at the highest level.

16. So, karma has hit. The good fortune that allowed us to go through the 49ers and the Bucs on the way to a championship last year has now failed us. Our ability to avoid big injuries, gone. The ball bouncing our way,.. not happening.

17. That's sports, though, isn't it? Moments in the sun can turn into tough times in the blink of the eye. Heck, only 2 of the 7 NFC playoff teams from last year currently have a winning record.

18. Its a brutal league, and success is tough to achieve... even tougher to sustain.

19. But here's the good news... fix the OL, and get some fresh legs in the backfield, and this offense can turn around next year and be a force again. And, with an offense that can be relied upon to score points, let the defense apply pressure at all levels. I'll trade an occasional big play allowed for more sacks and more turnovers.

20. Sorry folks, that's all the "feel goods" I can muster right now. I'm feeling frustrated and drained.
Great post.. and spot on.
 

Q729

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Dec 28, 2014
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Yeah, sucks. Almost reaching the schadenfreude mode full-time threshold. It's ok though. Got countless years experience with that.
 

thirteen28

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3. Bobby Evans. When PFF releases its ratings this week, he may be the first player ever to receive a negative rating. By my count, he gave up at least 3 sacks today, and countless pressures and running plays blown up due to his ineptitude. I'd cut him. I mean it. I don't ever want to see him on the field again.

I am just gobsmacked by the fact that he's even on the team, much less starting right now, even with all the injuries. Evans best stretch with the Rams was as a rookie replacing an injured Havs, and he really wasn't that good then, as we had to make all kinds of adjustments for the OL that year. And he's not only failed to grow, he's regressed and become horribly bad ... Spagnuolo era OL bad. Why the fuck is he on the field?

When Goff got shipped off to Detroit we heard a lot about accountability around here and statements to the effect that if you weren't performing, you were gone. Somehow, that hasn't applied to Evans, and he was by far the weakest link on the offense today. You can't pin it all on him, but you sure as shit can pin a lot of it.

WTF McVay? Can you not see this? Because everybody else can, and I assure you that the defensive coordinators on the Rams schedule can.

4. The other is Raheem Morris. I've defended him, and I give him a lot of credit for his contributions to last year's championship. But I just can't excuse his soft coverage strategy that allowed the Bucs to walk down the field twice in the last to drives. We were saved by a dropped TD pass on the first, and the last one killed us. There has to be some accountability for the system that allowed this to happen. Let the CBs do their freakin' job!!!!!

Couldn't possibly agree more. Putting Ramsey in the position they are putting him in now is like Eddie Van Halen noodling around with keyboards on some the later VH music ... a total waste of his talent. Just as Eddie was made to play guitar, Ramsey was made to play press-man coverage, and putting him that far back is wasting his talent.

Putting our DBs back that far and letting teams have the easy throws is also wasting ADs talent because even a guy like him doesn't have time to get to the QB in that scenario.

And what's worse yet, is everybody sees it - the opposing team's OCs, QB's, etc., as well as the announcers to our games.

And you mention another, huge problem with the scheme:

8. Finally, there's the lack of turnovers. The primary issue there is, once again, the soft coverage, which hampers the pass rushers and creates easy throws.

When was the last time we created a really meaningful turnover? Week 2 against the Falcons maybe? When was the last time we got any turnover? I don't think we've had one in our last two games ... maybe against Carolina, with PJ whats-his-face at QB?

When the offense is struggling the way it is, we need things like turnovers to help steal momentum. But the scheme severely limits that possibility and as such, just amplifies the offensive struggles even more. McVay talks about complimentary football, but this is the opposite of that.

9. That said, the entire defense needs to spend a few sessions with the JUGS machine. Today, there were dropped interceptions by Terrell Lewis (a tough catch to make, no doubt, but a sure pick 6 if he does), Troy Hill and Jalen Ramsey. We just can't afford to miss opportunity for game changing plays.

They certainly do ... maybe if nothing else to overcome the shock of having an opportunity to make a play given the position they are put in pre-snap.
 

Zodi

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If serious changes aren't made this week along the offensive line and coaching staff on both sides of the ball, this team will never have a wakeup call this season.
 

TexasRam

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Jan 13, 2013
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Spot on with all points. It's very apparent where the problems are.

I am besides myself how Mcvay cannot see how bad Evans is. Mcvay will literally be fuming on the sidelines wondering WTH is going on. It's truly bizzare.

Shit dude (Mcvay) wake the fuck up. When will Mcvay finally realize that offensive woes and QB struggles are directly related to the Oline. If a QB has no time to throw then the defense will sit on the short routes and to exacerbate the issue the QB will rush everything leading to incompletions and the run game will be useless with defenders up closer to the LOS. Same exact issue we saw with Goff before he was shipped out as the reason for the Offensive problems.

The offensive players in post game comments are going to take responsibilty as they should but this in no way excuses Morris who is losing game after game with his soft coverage BS that every announcer and post game analyst such as Tony Dungy today are talking about. Easy passes equal a tired defense and less opportunity for turnovers and sacks. Its insane what Morris is doing with this Hall of fame cast. It's hard to put in words how bad the scheme is and how poorly coached the defenders are. Not to mention wasting Ramsey's man coverage talent.
 

tempests

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When was the last time we created a really meaningful turnover? Week 2 against the Falcons maybe? When was the last time we got any turnover? I don't think we've had one in our last two games ... maybe against Carolina, with PJ whats-his-face at QB?
Defense has only one takeaway in the last six games.
 

Faceplant

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To my eyes, the offensive scheme has been getting steadily more stale since the shootout with the Chefs in 2018. Defenses started putting 6 men in the box and McVay never really adjusted. These days, opposing defenses get pressure with 4 and have absolutely zero fear of the rush. Lockup Coop, and you basically bottle up the offense.

This sheme doesn't work without a GOOD dual threat RB IMO. That and a somewhat competent OL..... The Rams have neither.
 

madrid311

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They are the old rams we all used to love when they were bad. Bad coaching, bad players sprinkled in, injury issues ( Sam Bradford anyone) can't score 3 points. That's all we needed. Move down the field a score 3 points. no move, no field, no points, no win, no respect nada. Rams deserve no respect, we are the laughingstock again. Even last years superbowl feels tainted now. What a cluster#%!^.
 

AvengerRam

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11
467EC684-3EF7-4D1B-BC94-C3B7CAE25465.jpeg

Less than 9 months ago. Hard to believe.