A few preliminary general thoughts after the Seahawks game...

[Rams43]

I haven’t re-watched yet and may or may not have a review later, but here are a few early general thoughts post game, fwiw...

Staley is clearly doing the best coaching job on this Rams team, and that includes Sean McVay. Not even close, really. Pretty impressive.

McVay needs to figure out why his Uber talented O keeps sputtering, and PDQ, at that. This O is underachieving considering it’s talent. So Un-McVay like.

Akers is evolving into our dominant RB, and that’s no disrespect intended towards Hendy. Just sayin’.

If Goff ever settles down, this passing O will once again be dangerous. So, why can’t Goff get settled?

Boom is gonna get 7 more games to make his case for an extension AND for starter status in ‘21. Pulling for the young man and with fingers crossed. Color me cautiously optimistic.

Hopefully, McVay will stick with his running game All the rest of the way and throughout the playoffs. 120-150 yards per game would be a winning strategy and doable with our D holding opponents scoring down. Not exhilarating for viewers but extremely effective strategy. I love winning those TOP battles, that’s for sure.

Would like to see more TE targeting, especially Higbee. I think we’re missing the boat there a little bit.

That edge position opposite Floyd is coming right along, huh? A VERY nice development, indeed. Just might not be a screaming need next draft, I dunno.

Hope to see more ARob snaps this week. His presence makes this D even better and I’m sure AD appreciates ARob’s contributions.

I feel like a proud poppa watching this meteoric rise of Williams. Yeah, I advocated for him as a starter back in the summer but even I never expected him to turn into Superman. Goodness.

Long might get a good look now since Rapp might be hurt. Hope Long proves to be a good value selection in the 3rd.

I make Bonamego 50-50 to get fired at some point during the season, 100% after season end. Is there a decision or player development he hasn’t failed upon? I give him zero credit for Hekker.

Barring catastrophic injuries, I think this team can win the division and make a deep playoff run. A very deep run.

Well, those are my early general impressions. What did I miss?

 

[Alaskan Ram]

Nice summary. I'll add though that Akers needs to improve his vision. There were some lanes there he missed that Brown and Hendy would have exploited. I thought he broke Edwards back when he ran into the back of him. He runs angry. This 3 headed rushing attack is turning out to be special.

 

[RamsFanCK]

Yeah, ST got way worse with the loss of bones....to bad it had to happen

 

[WarnerToBruce]

...
McVay needs to figure out why his Uber talented O keeps sputtering, and PDQ, at that. This O is underachieving considering it’s talent. So Un-McVay like.
...

On this note, I will just say this is easier said than done. Sure McVay can pull out a wrinkle or two here and there, but to be consistently good on offense is just not realistic. Fresh out of the gate, maybe. Defenses need time to adjust to a different scheme than what they see each week. But long term? Meh. There is a reason most people know it is defense that wins championships. There is a reason offense is exciting (because successful offenses are different). There is a reason the league keeps inventing rules to help the offense.

The real trick to winning football IMO (and in no particular order) is:

• Draft well
• Adjust weekly (and even better in-game) to maximize your team strengths and attack the opponent's weakness(es)
• Motivate well
• Manage the cap well
• Evaluate free agent talent well

The most important decisions are when to cut loose players you like (but can't afford), and how to minimize negative impact of losing them. If you draft well, and add an undervalued FA, you may end up with a better player than the one that left.

I am RAMbling. Suffice it to say the league tries to make it as easy as possible on offenses to pull their own weight, but it really is easier to shut down good offenses than continuously score boatloads of points ala GSoT.

 

[dpjax]

All good points. Still think Henderson is the best all around, with Brown being the most reliable for those tough yards. Loved seeing him knocking defenders backwards on his way to the endzone. Akers still needs work on his blitz pick ups. The kickoff coverage was putrid in this game. The field position they were giving up to the Seahawks was unbelievable! Hopefully that gets fixed with the Matt Gay pick up. Just kick it through the end zone, please! Just another thing this amazing defense has had to contend with.

 

[FrantikRam]

I haven’t re-watched yet and may or may not have a review later, but here are a few early general thoughts post game, fwiw...

Staley is clearly doing the best coaching job on this Rams team, and that includes Sean McVay. Not even close, really. Pretty impressive.

McVay needs to figure out why his Uber talented O keeps sputtering, and PDQ, at that. This O is underachieving considering it’s talent. So Un-McVay like.

Akers is evolving into our dominant RB, and that’s no disrespect intended towards Hendy. Just sayin’.

If Goff ever settles down, this passing O will once again be dangerous. So, why can’t Goff get settled?

Boom is gonna get 7 more games to make his case for an extension AND for starter status in ‘21. Pulling for the young man and with fingers crossed. Color me cautiously optimistic.

Hopefully, McVay will stick with his running game All the rest of the way and throughout the playoffs. 120-150 yards per game would be a winning strategy and doable with our D holding opponents scoring down. Not exhilarating for viewers but extremely effective strategy. I love winning those TOP battles, that’s for sure.

Would like to see more TE targeting, especially Higbee. I think we’re missing the boat there a little bit.

That edge position opposite Floyd is coming right along, huh? A VERY nice development, indeed. Just might not be a screaming need next draft, I dunno.

Hope to see more ARob snaps this week. His presence makes this D even better and I’m sure AD appreciates ARob’s contributions.

I feel like a proud poppa watching this meteoric rise of Williams. Yeah, I advocated for him as a starter back in the summer but even I never expected him to turn into Superman. Goodness.

Long might get a good look now since Rapp might be hurt. Hope Long proves to be a good value selection in the 3rd.

I make Bonamego 50-50 to get fired at some point during the season, 100% after season end. Is there a decision or player development he hasn’t failed upon? I give him zero credit for Hekker.

Barring catastrophic injuries, I think this team can win the division and make a deep playoff run. A very deep run.

Well, those are my early general impressions. What did I miss?

The bolded above reminds me of what I heard from McVay's press conference Monday night. They asked about the offense, and he made his normal "play or two away" speech - but then proceeded to point out ONLY the Goff overthrow to Higbee and underthrow to Kupp that essentially cost the Rams 11 points (FG instead of a TD on the Kupp underthrow) - he didn't call out a single other player, and didn't say Goff's name, he just said "if we hit Higbee and then Kupp in stride..." - makes me think that McVay believes he's found the issue.

What to do about it, I have no idea.

 

[Flint]

The bolded above reminds me of what I heard from McVay's press conference Monday night. They asked about the offense, and he made his normal "play or two away" speech - but then proceeded to point out ONLY the Goff overthrow to Higbee and underthrow to Kupp that essentially cost the Rams 11 points (FG instead of a TD on the Kupp underthrow) - he didn't call out a single other player, and didn't say Goff's name, he just said "if we hit Higbee and then Kupp in stride..." - makes me think that McVay believes he's found the issue.

What to do about it, I have no idea.

What was the Kupp play?

 

[jrry32]

I think Henderson is the best HB we have. Akers might become better, but his vision and patience isn't on par with Hendo's.

 

[FrantikRam]

What was the Kupp play?

31 yard completion on the first drive, led to a FG

 

[RamDino]

Great post Rams43. I agree with almost all of it, except for Akers evolving into the dominant running back. I'm not sure there is a dominant RB in this offense. In fact, I'm not sure McVay knows what to do with them at times. Here's my take... everyone talked about a running back by committee, but I thought McVay would use whoever has the hot hand. For example, if Henderson runs for the majority of the drive, let him score the TD. Let him get into the flow of the game, and keep using him. Maybe he will evolve into the #1 RB. Maybe Aikers will evolve. Who knows? But I don't believe any of them has had the chance, and many running backs get better as the game goes on. I would love to see what Aikers or Henderson can do with 25 carries in a game. Sometimes it seems like one of the backs breaks off a long run, and then they get taken right out of the game. Maybe this is why some believe "McVay gives up on the run" too soon"?

 

[Malibu]

I agree on ST they are dreadful minus Hekker/McQuade. Not containing kickoffs, not kicking into endzone on kickoffs, and if course lousy FG kicking.

I keep saying the reason why the Offense is not as strong is simply one reason the OL in pass pro. When this team averaged 32+ ppg we could put 5 out in the pattern regularly now it's impossible. Strangely we are not averaging any more points than last year. Maybe we miss Cooks more than the emergence of the TEs which weren't as good in 17 & 18. Maybe Gurley was a bigger factor than we think, but essentially we are the same team. It is not Goff he maybe a little thick headed when it comes to callung the protections on a zero blitz or not have enough scramble ability to extend the play.

 

[MachS]

Akers is evolving into our dominant RB, and that’s no disrespect intended towards Hendy. Just sayin’.

He's the most naturally gifted runner we have, and has the best hands of the group but we dont throw him the ball yet which is weird. But Hendy has balled out this year and earned touches no doubt about it. We know Malcom will be in on passing downs a lot due to his blocking but I wish his goal line caries were given to Akers or Hendy. At the end of the day just thankful we have a great running game again.

 

[kurtfaulk]

The bolded above reminds me of what I heard from McVay's press conference Monday night. They asked about the offense, and he made his normal "play or two away" speech - but then proceeded to point out ONLY the Goff overthrow to Higbee and underthrow to Kupp that essentially cost the Rams 11 points (FG instead of a TD on the Kupp underthrow) - he didn't call out a single other player, and didn't say Goff's name, he just said "if we hit Higbee and then Kupp in stride..." - makes me think that McVay believes he's found the issue.

What to do about it, I have no idea.

man your posts are all so anti goff.

what to do? stay the course. he missed a couple of throws, which qb doesn't? did you watch the qb on the other team? or any other qb in the league?

you want perfection. never gonna happen.

.

 

[FrantikRam]

man your posts are all so anti goff.

what to do? stay the course. he missed a couple of throws, which qb doesn't? did you watch the qb on the other team? or any other qb in the league?

you want perfection. never gonna happen.

.

Goff has been, statistically, a below average QB.

When Marcus Peters was getting beaten constantly a few years ago, fans had no problem with people calling him out. Goff is currently a below average NFL QB - that's okay. Maybe he plays better, maybe he doesn't. But just like he was playing like a top 10 QB early on, now he's below average. I think we all expect better for the money being paid. Goff is 20th in passer rating and has nearly identical stats to Gardner Minshew. Teddy Bridgewater has had a better statistical season than Goff.

When you throw in that our offense has only topped 30 three times this year, it all aligns with what we are seeing: the defense is winning games, Goff need to play better. And before someone comes in and says "wins and losses", our defense would win a lot of these games regardless of who the QB was.

But - that's not even the point - you quoted me saying, literally, what McVay said in a conference. That didn't come from me, it came from McVay.

 

[kurtfaulk]

But - that's not even the point - you quoted me saying, literally, what McVay said in a conference. That didn't come from me, it came from McVay.

Did Mcvay say what to do? He said they're a play or two away.

.

 

[Mackeyser]

Some of it has been Goff and some McVay.

He certainly schemed the added pressure for Goff against the Seahawks better.

That said, what we haven't seen is the staple of any West Coast derivation and that's the quick slant. We just never see it.

Maybe McVay hasn't liked Goff's decision making with those zero pressure fronts where 1 or more of the LBs drop into coverage to cover that slant, I dunno.

The good news is that we've made it ABUNDANTLY clear that if you want to come at us with that 6 man front, we're gonna run it down your throat. And we've stuck to the run enough that we can then be successful off play action which we really couldn't last year.

 

[NoCoNite]

Akers is evolving into our dominant RB, and that’s no disrespect intended towards Hendy. Just sayin’.

Teams respect Henderson more.

 

[AvengerRam]

The pass to Kupp could have been placed better.

The pass to Higbee was perfect...if Higbee had run the route correctly rather than slowing down it’s a TD.

These are the types of nuances that you miss when you inexplicably try to prove that Goff is a “below average” QB.

 

[CGI_Ram]

The pass to Higbee was perfect...if Higbee had run the route correctly rather than slowing down it’s a TD.

I thought so too, and just watched replay again to test my memory on that... it appeared to me Higs took maybe 2 steps around the 30 at 90% speed, but he was running pretty solid. He probably could have caught it, but it was a good effort IMO.

Goff’s deep ball could use a tad more air, and I’m not sure how easy that is to change... but I swear my memory of Wilson early in his career he did NOT have the deep ball he has today.

Keep working hard, we’ll hit those.