Are the Rams a better team after Week 17 of 2014 than they were after Week 17 of 2013?

[Lesson]

Just wondering if others see progress, stagnation, etc.

 

[MTRamsFan]

Defense - Yes
Special Teams - Yes
Offense - No freaking way

IMO, two out of three are better, so yes we are a better team. Until the O-Line and QB situation gets fixed, offense will never-ever-ever get better. Defense can't rest either, we need to continue to improve in various defensive areas too.

 

[VeteranRamFan]

We are close, so close. OLine and QB and I think we are there. Should be addressed in the draft.

Off Topic: I think Snisher was on the right track with wanting to trade up for Zac Martin. I know we would not have Joyner but boy, talk about an upgrade to the Oline!

 

[Ram Quixote]

Let's put it this way ... we won zero games when we were behind. In our first game last year, we won after being down by eleven. That has everything to do with who are QBs were this season.

Not to mention this team was snake-bit in all but 3 games. I'll leave you to figure it out.

Despite all that, we are better. Last year in Seattle, we barely had any offense. This year, we got into the redzone twice. Didn't score any TDs (see the snake-bit comment above).

 

[rams24/7]

Yes. If the defense had some help from the offense this year (@AZ, @SD, @SEA) we're a 9-11 win team. This is in large part to crucial injuries, the largest of which was Sam. Quick and Jake Long decreased the depth in their respective units (forcing guys like Joseph to get expansive PT).

The defense is rock solid. We are a top 10 unit in run D and the pass D is at its best with Gaines healthy. The emergence of Tree, Donald, Gaines, and TMac have made a huge impact in the improvement if this D.

ST is as good as ever. Benny and TA were great returners and the coverage units were great. GZ finished strong and Hekker is Pro Bowl worthy. McQuaide is a model of consistency.

We need to aggressively pursue a QB in the draft and upgrade C and RG. If we do that I think we have a 10+ win team

 

[Memphis Ram]

As Bill Parcells once said, "you are what your record says you are."

 

[Ky Ram]

I voted no. We don't have a better record so all other qualifiers are bs.

The issue is that simple to me.

 

[Lesson]

Yes. If the defense had some help from the offense this year (@AZ, @SD, @SEA) we're a 9-11 win team. This is in large part to crucial injuries, the largest of which was Sam. Quick and Jake Long decreased the depth in their respective units (forcing guys like Joseph to get expansive PT).

The Offense did more than it's part from Tampa to the KC game, though. That's when the D was struggling mostly.

 

[jrry32]

Yes. But not enough.

We need a QB on the field.

 

[Bluesy]

I voted no. We don't have a better record so all other qualifiers are bs.

The issue is that simple to me.

Wish I would have read this before I voted. Don't think it's a negative outlook, just simply the truth. We can beat around the bush and talk about potential and playmakers all we want, but if we're not winning then what's the point?

 

[FRO]

Aaron Donald, Kenny Britt, EJ Gaines for starters. We need a healthy Bradford and a much improved line.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

As Bill Parcells once said, "you are what your record says you are."

That is lame lawyer logic. The glove didn't fit OJs hand therefore it wasn't his glove. Nobody cares that it was leather and sat out in the whether and got wet and then shrank. Ignore the details and you get a veiled truth. Just looking at wins and losses doesn't tell the whole story.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I voted no. We don't have a better record so all other qualifiers are bs.

The issue is that simple to me.

Disagree with that logic. Snead said himself that the focus the first three years was to get an elite defense. The defense is young and very talented and it has gone through 3 DCs in three years. They are finally coming together and playing well. They a top ten defense in the second half of the season+.

The offense looks worse but what can you expect without the starting QB and a broke down line. If Jake Long remained healthy then the line would have been Long, Robinsons, Wells, Saffold, Barksdale. That is a much better group than what they ended up running out.

Overall the team has improved.

 

[DCH]

Let's look by units, not taking injuries into account, but rather looking at talent on the roster.
Position -- 2013 -- 2014 -- Better/Worse/Push
QB -- Bradford/Clemens -- Bradford/Hill -- Better
RB -- Stacy/Cunningham/Pead -- Mason/Cunningham/Stacy -- Better
WR -- Quick/Givens/Austin -- Quick/Britt/Austin -- Better
TE -- Cook/Kendricks/Harkey -- Cook/Kendricks/Harkey -- Push
LT -- Long -- Robinson -- Worse (but with better upside)
LG -- Chris Williams -- Saffold -- Better
C -- Wells -- Wells -- Push
RG -- Saffold -- Joseph -- Worse
RT -- Barksdale -- Barksdale -- Push

DT -- Brockers/Langford -- Brockers/Donald -- Better
DE -- Long/Quinn -- Long/Quinn -- Push
OLB -- Dunbar/Ogletree -- Dunbar/Ogletree -- Push
MLB -- Lauranaitis -- Lauranaitis -- Push
S -- McLeod/McDonald -- McLeod/McDonald/Barron -- Better
CB -- Johnson/Jenkins/McGee -- Johnson/Jenkins/Gaines -- Better

Looks overall better to me. Of the 15 units, I see 7 better, 2 worse, 6 push.

 

[LesBaker]

That is lame lawyer logic. The glove didn't fit OJs hand therefore it wasn't his glove. Nobody cares that it was leather and sat out in the whether and got wet and then shrank. Ignore the details and you get a veiled truth. Just looking at wins and losses doesn't tell the whole story.

And he was also asked to put it on over a latex glove, which was a very, very clever trick because Cochran knew it would stick and be hard of not impossible to do.

That was slimy, but it worked, and since the entire jury didn't have a single member with an IQ above room temperature it finished the deal.

In the end he got his though.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Way better

 

[blackbart]

No doubt in my mind they are better at the end of this year.

Without going through the individual players as you already did DHC you can see plenty of improvement and put the 1 worse loss on the fact that Bradford did not play a game this year.

The absolutely have to have a better option than Hill for next season. I don't believe there is any way a rookie can come in and learn this offense quickly enough to be a starter at the beginning of the season and taking this team into the playoffs. Bradford is the first choice and best option for this team to make that jump in 2015.

There are still a couple of tweaks that can make the defense better but being with Greg Williams for year two will be another huge boost IMO. This unit is on the verge of something great.

Special teams is not a losing unit that pulls down the rest of the team, they are an asset and that in itself is refreshing after too many years of being a black hole.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Offensively yeah there's a bit more talent.
Special teams are improved.
Defensively for sure.

So yeah, this is a better team then the 2013 team.

 

[Ky Ram]

Disagree with that logic. Snead said himself that the focus the first three years was to get an elite defense. The defense is young and very talented and it has gone through 3 DCs in three years. They are finally coming together and playing well. They a top ten defense in the second half of the season+.

The offense looks worse but what can you expect without the starting QB and a broke down line. If Jake Long remained healthy then the line would have been Long, Robinsons, Wells, Saffold, Barksdale. That is a much better group than what they ended up running out.

Overall the team has improved.

If you don't measure a teams success by their record why play the games?
I'm not trying to be difficult, but all teams face some sort of adversity and they either overcome it or they don't.
We didn't.
I like that we're at least almost always competitive, but that doesn't make us a better team. If we were better our record would show it. They don't give out trophies for rankings, it's wins and losses.

 

[jjab360]

Better, but only slightly.