Around the NFC West: Rams are a riddle

[-X-]

Mike Sando
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/ ... e-a-riddle


The New York Jets played better than the St. Louis Rams and deserved to win Sunday.

We can't leave it at that, of course. But there is risk in reading too much into outcomes. The NFL proves week after week that results are temporary. If the Rams win impressively in Arizona next week, it means they're back -- for at least a week.

This is the youngest team in the NFL counting active players and those on reserve lists. There will be days like Sunday. We just don't know when they will happen.

The biggest concerns from this game, I thought, were the cornerbacks' inability to turn over the ball against Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, and the difficulty Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had in making any difference at all.

This was the sixth consecutive game Cortland Finnegan, Janoris Jenkins and the Rams' defense failed to pick off a pass. Coach Jeff Fisher's defensive philosophy is to err on the side of playing too fast. The thinking is to make aggressive mistakes and then coach to them. Aggressive plays helped produce eight interceptions in the first four games. We're not seeing those plays any longer.

Bradford, meanwhile, has shown he can play at a high level. We saw that against San Francisco last week. But when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing.

As a result, the Rams could endure games like this one more frequently than is tolerable, at least until the team builds up its offense around Bradford. But there is no point in predicting when it will happen. Each week is its own adventure.

A week ago, the Rams were coming off a 45-7 defeat to New England. They were heading to San Francisco and appeared to have no shot at competing with the 49ers at Candlestick Park. They built a double-digit lead and settled for a tie.

Bradford now faces a Cardinals defense that picked off Atlanta's Matt Ryan five times Sunday. He's got no chance against it, unless he does.

 

[stan]

No shit. Just replace the horns with question marks on the helmets. Most of the way there already. :grr:

 

[iBruce]

Yep. I bet we take a pretty hefty hit on the Power Rankings after this loss.

 

[ramsince62]

The biggest concerns from this game, I thought, were the cornerbacks' inability to turn over the ball against Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, and the difficulty Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had in making any difference at all.

Sadly, I'm afraid these concerns have merit. The Rams have failed to win a single game since they began this "record breaking" run of 21 consecutive quarters without a single forced fumble or interception.

As for Bradford, like most of you, I've continued to make excuses for his performances throughout these tumultuous 3 seasons. This is not to suggest that there aren't a host of reasons for his stunted growth. But come on people, isn't it time we accepted the fact that despite his college heroics, excellent arm, size, intelligence and attitude, that something is missing here?...I can hear the cries and defenses even as I write this.

But seriously, let's look a minute at some of the other young QB's recently who with or without much supportive talent have faired considerably better than Bradford. We know well the list....the latest among them, this years RG3 and Indy's Luck. I won't include others from the previous 2 years because frankly, it just doesn't matter. And please, please spare me the tired excuses about 3 OC's, less than stellar WR's as I've grown sick of using them myself and at this point, even believing them. This is the National Football League, each and every player is a stand out and capabile (theoretically speaking) of ringing the bell on any given Sunday.

But just as the author suggests "when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing." Let me add, he doesn't even make something from something. Oh he can drop a 40 yarder in the hands of a speeding WR all right, but when he's under pressure, he rarely makes something happen and even when he does, soon after he's either on his back, having a ball tipped, holding the ball too long or just plain unable to "make something happen."

Now please don't misunderstand me, I think this is a great kid, with remarkable accuracy WHEN HE HAS TIME, but I'm sorry to say, he doesn't measure up to many young QB's under similar circumstances or situations...he just doesn't. That said, I'm convinced that he can and probably will become an effective "servicable" QB, ONCE ALL THE PIECES ARE IN PLACE and when he finally has a 1st rate O line in front of him. But honestly, how many folks here expected perfection before performance?

As I look back at all the years I've followed this game, I reflect upon QB's who just got it done and without protection perfection, with guys injured, under pressure and not just once a season, but repeatedly throughout the season in the face of adversity and negativity they still came through somehow. Maybe they didn't always win, but they scared the hell out of the opposition despite these handicaps and issues. Names like Montana, Young, Rogers, Marino, Tarkenton, Favre and our own Gabriel, Warner and Ferragamo come to mind. I'm not suggesting that Bradford should necessarily be compared to them. I'm only saying that for the money he was paid, the expectations were obviously assumed and anticipated and not under perfect circumstances.

I hate to say this and I hope that I'm eventually proven wrong, but it seems to me that considering the recent stable of QB's over the past 3 years, we came out on the short end. Make no mistake, what's happened to this team over the past 3 years is not the fault of Bradford. At the same time, he's given us very modest performances and results over this same period and please don't site again the same list of tired and worn excuses because frankly, I'm tired of using and hearing them.

Lastly, I hope that eventually Bradford becomes a solid and dependable leader and play maker. But with all due respect, at this point, the only elite I see is an elite journeyman or at best a "serviceable" starting QB who needs and depends upon a solid supporting cast, because on his own, he's certainly no top 5 or even top 10 QB.....is 62 million now the going rate for such results?

Thanks for listening, I suspect that some of you will vigorously object to my comments, but they are my own and until proven otherwise, that's what I believe.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I don't buy into he can't do anything special when things are going tough or that he lacks the "it" factor or the clutch gene. If that was really the case he wouldn't be one of the best fourth quarter QB's.

 

[-X-]

The biggest concerns from this game, I thought, were the cornerbacks' inability to turn over the ball against Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, and the difficulty Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had in making any difference at all.

Sadly, I'm afraid these concerns have merit. The Rams have failed to win a single game since they began this "record breaking" run of 21 consecutive quarters without a single forced fumble or interception.

As for Bradford, like most of you, I've continued to make excuses for his performances throughout these tumultuous 3 seasons. This is not to suggest that there aren't a host of reasons for his stunted growth. But come on people, isn't it time we accepted the fact that despite his college heroics, excellent arm, size, intelligence and attitude, that something is missing here?...I can hear the cries and defenses even as I write this.

But seriously, let's look a minute at some of the other young QB's recently who with or without much supportive talent have faired considerably better than Bradford. We know well the list....the latest among them, this years RG3 and Indy's Luck. I won't include others from the previous 2 years because frankly, it just doesn't matter. And please, please spare me the tired excuses about 3 OC's, less than stellar WR's as I've grown sick of using them myself and at this point, even believing them. This is the National Football League, each and every player is a stand out and capabile (theoretically speaking) of ringing the bell on any given Sunday.

But just as the author suggests "when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing." Let me add, he doesn't even make something from something. Oh he can drop a 40 yarder in the hands of a speeding WR all right, but when he's under pressure, he rarely makes something happen and even when he does, soon after he's either on his back, having a ball tipped, holding the ball too long or just plain unable to "make something happen."

Now please don't misunderstand me, I think this is a great kid, with remarkable accuracy WHEN HE HAS TIME, but I'm sorry to say, he doesn't measure up to many young QB's under similar circumstances or situations...he just doesn't. That said, I'm convinced that he can and probably will become an effective "servicable" QB, ONCE ALL THE PIECES ARE IN PLACE and when he finally has a 1st rate O line in front of him. But honestly, how many folks here expected perfection before performance?

As I look back at all the years I've followed this game, I reflect upon QB's who just got it done and without protection perfection, with guys injured, under pressure and not just once a season, but repeatedly throughout the season in the face of adversity and negativity they still came through somehow. Maybe they didn't always win, but they scared the hell out of the opposition despite these handicaps and issues. Names like Montana, Young, Rogers, Marino, Tarkenton, Favre and our own Gabriel, Warner and Ferragamo come to mind. I'm not suggesting that Bradford should necessarily be compared to them. I'm only saying that for the money he was paid, the expectations were obviously assumed and anticipated and not under perfect circumstances.

I hate to say this and I hope that I'm eventually proven wrong, but it seems to me that considering the recent stable of QB's over the past 3 years, we came out on the short end. Make no mistake, what's happened to this team over the past 3 years is not the fault of Bradford. At the same time, he's given us very modest performances and results over this same period and please don't site again the same list of tired and worn excuses because frankly, I'm tired of using and hearing them.

Lastly, I hope that eventually Bradford becomes a solid and dependable leader and play maker. But with all due respect, at this point, the only elite I see is an elite journeyman or at best a "serviceable" starting QB who needs and depends upon a solid supporting cast, because on his own, he's certainly no top 5 or even top 10 QB.....is 62 million now the going rate for such results?

Thanks for listening, I suspect that some of you will vigorously object to my comments, but they are my own and until proven otherwise, that's what I believe.

I can respect your opinion, and I'm not gonna vociferously debate it.

We all know the excuses/reasons afforded Bradford since he entered into the league. I'm not gonna repeat them either, because we all know what they are. Some are going to give that more weight than others, and that's just the nature of the beast. We can't all see the same things the same ways.

But let me ask you.

Who's the guy on this team? People like to bemoan the mere presence of Brandon Gibson, but he, along with Amendola, are our top receivers. A 6th rounder and a UDFA. Two of the 30 receivers who have come through here. We can't compare Bradford to RGIII or Rodgers. They're both scramblers who rely on their legs every bit as much as their arms. Can't compare him to Luck, because Luck came into the league with more experience in a pro offense than Bradford has ever had. Literally. I don't know if Bradford will ever become the guy we all WANT him to become. And he may not. But until a decision is made to go in a different direction, and as long as I know that Sam is doing everything in his power to better himself and his game, then I can't find it within myself to complain about him. It's just not in me.

And when he has a good game again, this will all seem less important. He just had a bad game Sunday. Quite a few QBs have had bad games this year. Even some of the ones who have a decade of experience. This year he's shown marked improvement across the board in nearly every recorded statistic. And he's doing it, again, with pretty average support. It shouldn't be a big surprise that the results are also average. Along that vein, I wish someone could tell me what a QB is supposed to do all by himself that would prove this whole "elevation" intangible. Maybe he can buy himself some more time, maybe he can be a bit more aggressive with his decision making, but there's still going to need to be someone else on the other end to complete those plays. Outside of Amendola, who's the guy?

Also, and this is just me searching my own soul, if I turn on Bradford, I fear there may be no turning back.

I'm trying to avoid that right now.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I mean to put it into perspective, Matt Ryan threw 5 picks against Arizona on Sunday. He just has a good enough team to overcome that. The Rams aren't good enough to overcome a few bad penalties. We're just not there yet.

 

[ramsince62]

The biggest concerns from this game, I thought, were the cornerbacks' inability to turn over the ball against Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, and the difficulty Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had in making any difference at all.

Sadly, I'm afraid these concerns have merit. The Rams have failed to win a single game since they began this "record breaking" run of 21 consecutive quarters without a single forced fumble or interception.

As for Bradford, like most of you, I've continued to make excuses for his performances throughout these tumultuous 3 seasons. This is not to suggest that there aren't a host of reasons for his stunted growth. But come on people, isn't it time we accepted the fact that despite his college heroics, excellent arm, size, intelligence and attitude, that something is missing here?...I can hear the cries and defenses even as I write this.

But seriously, let's look a minute at some of the other young QB's recently who with or without much supportive talent have faired considerably better than Bradford. We know well the list....the latest among them, this years RG3 and Indy's Luck. I won't include others from the previous 2 years because frankly, it just doesn't matter. And please, please spare me the tired excuses about 3 OC's, less than stellar WR's as I've grown sick of using them myself and at this point, even believing them. This is the National Football League, each and every player is a stand out and capabile (theoretically speaking) of ringing the bell on any given Sunday.

But just as the author suggests "when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing." Let me add, he doesn't even make something from something. Oh he can drop a 40 yarder in the hands of a speeding WR all right, but when he's under pressure, he rarely makes something happen and even when he does, soon after he's either on his back, having a ball tipped, holding the ball too long or just plain unable to "make something happen."

Now please don't misunderstand me, I think this is a great kid, with remarkable accuracy WHEN HE HAS TIME, but I'm sorry to say, he doesn't measure up to many young QB's under similar circumstances or situations...he just doesn't. That said, I'm convinced that he can and probably will become an effective "servicable" QB, ONCE ALL THE PIECES ARE IN PLACE and when he finally has a 1st rate O line in front of him. But honestly, how many folks here expected perfection before performance?

As I look back at all the years I've followed this game, I reflect upon QB's who just got it done and without protection perfection, with guys injured, under pressure and not just once a season, but repeatedly throughout the season in the face of adversity and negativity they still came through somehow. Maybe they didn't always win, but they scared the hell out of the opposition despite these handicaps and issues. Names like Montana, Young, Rogers, Marino, Tarkenton, Favre and our own Gabriel, Warner and Ferragamo come to mind. I'm not suggesting that Bradford should necessarily be compared to them. I'm only saying that for the money he was paid, the expectations were obviously assumed and anticipated and not under perfect circumstances.

I hate to say this and I hope that I'm eventually proven wrong, but it seems to me that considering the recent stable of QB's over the past 3 years, we came out on the short end. Make no mistake, what's happened to this team over the past 3 years is not the fault of Bradford. At the same time, he's given us very modest performances and results over this same period and please don't site again the same list of tired and worn excuses because frankly, I'm tired of using and hearing them.

Lastly, I hope that eventually Bradford becomes a solid and dependable leader and play maker. But with all due respect, at this point, the only elite I see is an elite journeyman or at best a "serviceable" starting QB who needs and depends upon a solid supporting cast, because on his own, he's certainly no top 5 or even top 10 QB.....is 62 million now the going rate for such results?

Thanks for listening, I suspect that some of you will vigorously object to my comments, but they are my own and until proven otherwise, that's what I believe.

I can respect your opinion, and I'm not gonna vociferously debate it.

We all know the excuses/reasons afforded Bradford since he entered into the league. I'm not gonna repeat them either, because we all know what they are. Some are going to give that more weight than others, and that's just the nature of the beast. We can't all see the same things the same ways.

But let me ask you.

Who's the guy on this team? People like to bemoan the mere presence of Brandon Gibson, but he, along with Amendola, are our top receivers. A 6th rounder and a UDFA. Two of the 30 receivers who have come through here. We can't compare Bradford to RGIII or Rodgers. They're both scramblers who rely on their legs every bit as much as their arms. Can't compare him to Luck, because Luck came into the league with more experience in a pro offense than Bradford has ever had. Literally. I don't know if Bradford will ever become the guy we all WANT him to become. And he may not. But until a decision is made to go in a different direction, and as long as I know that Sam is doing everything in his power to better himself and his game, then I can't find it within myself to complain about him. It's just not in me.

And when he has a good game again, this will all seem less important. He just had a bad game Sunday. Quite a few QBs have had bad games this year. Even some of the ones who have a decade of experience. This year he's shown marked improvement across the board in nearly every recorded statistic. And he's doing it, again, with pretty average support. It shouldn't be a big surprise that the results are also average. Along that vein, I wish someone could tell me what a QB is supposed to do all by himself that would prove this whole "elevation" intangible. Maybe he can buy himself some more time, maybe he can be a bit more aggressive with his decision making, but there's still going to need to be someone else on the other end to complete those plays. Outside of Amendola, who's the guy?

Also, and this is just me searching my own soul, if I turn on Bradford, I fear there may be no turning back.

I'm trying to avoid that right now.

Great comments and observations as always Paul. Your responses match very well each individual's playing style and/or circumstance. The examples I offered were not intended to specifically match or compare anyone to Bradford, but merely to serve as examples regarding other QB's performance under similar circumstances. That being ratings and expectations before entering the NFL. It would serve no useful purpose to compare Bradford to Luck for example. But then again, regardless of Luck's experience in the system at Stanford, it would be comparing a rookie to a 3rd year player and that wouldn't be fair I suppose....

There will always be rationalizations as to why a particular player does this or that and I think you're correct that many folks may never be satisfied with Bradford. Sometimes the hype exceeds reality and creates unrealistic expectations.

>>Also, and this is just me searching my own soul, if I turn on Bradford, I fear there may be no turning back.
I'm trying to avoid that right now.<<

I can't argue with that, very well put.

 

[Angry Ram]

I don't buy into he can't do anything special when things are going tough or that he lacks the "it" factor or the clutch gene. If that was really the case he wouldn't be one of the best fourth quarter QB's.

This.

Bradford is the least of the problems.

A regressing D, rotating OL, and no consistent WRs are bigger issues.

 

[MTRamsFan]

I don't buy into he can't do anything special when things are going tough or that he lacks the "it" factor or the clutch gene. If that was really the case he wouldn't be one of the best fourth quarter QB's.

This.

Bradford is the least of the problems.

[hil]A regressing D, rotating OL, and no consistent WRs are bigger issues.[/hil]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOT_WygGoLw[/youtube]

 

[raised_fisT]

"But when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing."

Have been screaming this for a while now. Yes, there are injuries and a new system, etc... but GAME 1 for both Luck and RG3 they made stuff happen. All new league , all new players, all new system.

A good leader/QB (or athlete in general for that matter) will elevate the guys around him and get them to follow his lead. Instead, Sam apparently seems to play to their level and seemingly accepts the fact that the team is young, and not that good. I don't look at the game and think- "Wow, poor Sam, he's a near elite level QB playing with a bunch of scrubs." Do any of you??

The receivers have to run crisp routes, the line has to hold steady and the playcall has to be the right one for Sam to get in his groove. If the stars aren't aligned, things go to shyte. I really want him to do well, and I thought having a QB coach would get him to that next level, but he hasn't shown as much improvement as I was hoping for.

Ex: Game against the 9ers... I think it was the final drive... blitz came at him HARD and Sam just immediately crumpled to the floor. Loss of down, loss of yardage, and the clock kept rolling. How many other QBs in the league would have just dropped like a sack of potatoes like that? I'm not expecting an RG3-like juke and 40 yard scramble... but christ, at least TRY something. That play right there told me where this guy's head is at. Sure, MAYBE he wanted to just play it safe... but I'd rather him have the stones to try and do something, then do nothing at all.

 

[DR RAM]

"But when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing."

Have been screaming this for a while now. Yes, there are injuries and a new system, etc... but GAME 1 for both Luck and RG3 they made stuff happen. All new league , all new players, all new system.

A good leader/QB (or athlete in general for that matter) will elevate the guys around him and get them to follow his lead. Instead, Sam apparently seems to play to their level and seemingly accepts the fact that the team is young, and not that good. I don't look at the game and think- "Wow, poor Sam, he's a near elite level QB playing with a bunch of scrubs." Do any of you??

The receivers have to run crisp routes, the line has to hold steady and the playcall has to be the right one for Sam to get in his groove. If the stars aren't aligned, things go to shyte. I really want him to do well, and I thought having a QB coach would get him to that next level, but he hasn't shown as much improvement as I was hoping for.

Ex: Game against the 9ers... I think it was the final drive... blitz came at him HARD and Sam just immediately crumpled to the floor. Loss of down, loss of yardage, and the clock kept rolling. How many other QBs in the league would have just dropped like a sack of potatoes like that? I'm not expecting an RG3-like juke and 40 yard scramble... but christ, at least TRY something. That play right there told me where this guy's head is at. Sure, MAYBE he wanted to just play it safe... but I'd rather him have the stones to try and do something, then do nothing at all.

It's all Bradford's fault. Fucking brilliant.

 

[-X-]

"But when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing."

Have been screaming this for a while now. Yes, there are injuries and a new system, etc... but GAME 1 for both Luck and RG3 they made stuff happen. All new league , all new players, all new system.

A good leader/QB (or athlete in general for that matter) will elevate the guys around him and get them to follow his lead. Instead, Sam apparently seems to play to their level and seemingly accepts the fact that the team is young, and not that good. I don't look at the game and think- "Wow, poor Sam, he's a near elite level QB playing with a bunch of scrubs." Do any of you??

The receivers have to run crisp routes, the line has to hold steady and the playcall has to be the right one for Sam to get in his groove. If the stars aren't aligned, things go to shyte. I really want him to do well, and I thought having a QB coach would get him to that next level, but he hasn't shown as much improvement as I was hoping for.

Ex: Game against the 9ers... I think it was the final drive... blitz came at him HARD and Sam just immediately crumpled to the floor. Loss of down, loss of yardage, and the clock kept rolling. How many other QBs in the league would have just dropped like a sack of potatoes like that? I'm not expecting an RG3-like juke and 40 yard scramble... but christ, at least TRY something. That play right there told me where this guy's head is at. Sure, MAYBE he wanted to just play it safe... but I'd rather him have the stones to try and do something, then do nothing at all.

Seems you're a little disenchanted with Bradford, eh? :lol:

You're entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you're looking at this objectively. Meaning, I think you're looking at Bradford in a vacuum, and I think you're wanting him to be something he's not. The Rams didn't draft one of these fancy new QB/RB hybrids. They drafted a pure pocket passer. You have to set the team up to enhance that style. You can't expect him to go running around freelancing if that's not in his make-up.

On this play --

[nfl]0ap2000000093998[/nfl]

There was nothing he could do. How's he gonna spin away from Aldon Smith and make something happen? This was the guy who chased down Daryl Richardson from behind, and Richardson is WAY faster than Bradford. I'd rather my QB live to fight another day in that situation. And I'm curious as to why you'd isolate that play and not the 3 separate times he put the Rams in scoring position to win the game, only to be let down by another teammate. It just seems like you're trying to find reasons to get pissed at the guy at the expense of finding reasons to be encouraged.

And this whole "elevate the team" thing is a myth. It just is. I've already made a video showing how elite QBs can't do that. Luck was abused by the Patriots, so his elevation skills need work. RGIII couldn't elevate anyone past the Rams either. I think when a TEAM wins, one could make the argument that the QB elevated everyone. When a TEAM loses, evidently it's a QB-specific failure. Sorry, man. I just don't buy into that logic.

And yes, it does help when the receivers run a tight route and the play call is the right one. If those things weren't needed, then why even hire an offensive coordinator or try to find the right receivers? Teams could just hire me to draw up the plays, and just field a bunch of UDFA receivers to run around out there.

Admittedly he still has a ways to go, but I don't think he's a liability at this point.

 

[DR RAM]

"But when things are going poorly, Bradford isn't likely to do anything special. He doesn't create something from nothing."

Have been screaming this for a while now. Yes, there are injukries and a new system, etc... but GAME 1 for both Luck and RG3 they made stuff happen. All new league , all new players, all new system.

A good leader/QB (or athlete in general for that matter) will elevate the guys around him and get them to follow his lead. Instead, Sam apparently seems to play to their level and seemingly accepts the fact that the team is young, and not that good. I don't look at the game and think- "Wow, poor Sam, he's a near elite level QB playing with a bunch of scrubs." Do any of you??

The receivers have to run crisp routes, the line has to hold steady and the playcall has to be the right one for Sam to get in his groove. If the stars aren't aligned, things go to shyte. I really want him to do well, and I thought having a QB coach would get him to that next level, but he hasn't shown as much improvement as I was hoping for.

Ex: Game against the 9ers... I think it was the final drive... blitz came at him HARD and Sam just immediately crumpled to the floor. Loss of down, loss of yardage, and the clock kept rolling. How many other QBs in the league would have just dropped like a sack of potatoes like that? I'm not expecting an RG3-like juke and 40 yard scramble... but christ, at least TRY something. That play right there told me where this guy's head is at. Sure, MAYBE he wanted to just play it safe... but I'd rather him have the stones to try and do something, then do nothing at all.

Seems you're a little disenchanted with Bradford, eh? :lol:

You're entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you're looking at this objectively. Meaning, I think you're looking at Bradford in a vacuum, and I think you're wanting him to be something he's not. The Rams didn't draft one of these fancy new QB/RB hybrids. They drafted a pure pocket passer. You have to set the team up to enhance that style. You can't expect him to go running around freelancing if that's not in his make-up.

On this play --

[nfl]0ap2000000093998[/nfl]

There was nothing he could do. How's he gonna spin away from Aldon Smith and make something happen? This was the guy who chased down Daryl Richardson from behind, and Richardson is WAY faster than Bradford. I'd rather my QB live to fight another day in that situation. And I'm curious as to why you'd isolate that play and not the 3 separate times he put the Rams in scoring position to win the game, only to be let down by another teammate. It just seems like you're trying to find reasons to get pissed at the guy at the expense of finding reasons to be encouraged.

And this whole "elevate the team" thing is a myth. It just is. I've already made a video showing how elite QBs can't do that. Luck was abused by the Patriots, so his elevation skills need work. RGIII couldn't elevate anyone past the Rams either. I think when a TEAM wins, one could make the argument that the QB elevated everyone. When a TEAM loses, evidently it's a QB-specific failure. Sorry, man. I just don't buy into that logic.

And yes, it does help when the receivers run a tight route and the play call is the right one. If those things weren't needed, then why even hire an offensive coordinator or try to find the right receivers? Teams could just hire me to draw up the plays, and just field a bunch of UDFA receivers to run around out there.

[hil]Admittedly he still has a ways to go, but I don't think he's a liability at this point.[/hil]

Or the sole reason for the loss...