Can Fisher get us to the "promised land"?

[RFT]

Yes, I guess it IS my reality, Angry.

Let's just forget the X's and O's for just a minute. And put aside all the numerous puzzling points I raised earlier.

Fisher is a slightly above .500 HC over the course of 20 years. Let that sink in for just a moment... Twenty years is ample time for a HC to demonstrate sustained excellence. Or just mediocrity.

In addition, we are off to a 1-2 start this season.

What is it within the above 2 paragraphs that should give us confidence that Fisher will lead us to the SB in the next few years?

THAT'S why I'm raising questions here today.

Hey 43! I have to say that you were the most positive poster I ever read over at the Herd board. But IMHO, after interacting with several of their members, it's sad to see you change. I think you have been hearing so many negative comments over there that it has affected you. You're a great guy but don't let other negative people "brain wash" you into their downward spiral of negativity about almost every aspect of the Rams! Keep the faith bro!!!!

 

[Rams43]

What is more Les to say he can't get us there is ludicrous,he's already gotten a team there . And FWIW most coaches are better in their second jobs ,he's had some terrible breaks no one could see coming and took over one of the worst rosters in the league .

Ram43 lemme say this to you, those points say you use to make in Fishers favor ,didn't become invalid because you see some things you wish were different or have changed your mind ,they still apply are as true as ever, I didn't drink any Kool Aid , no matter what happens with this team if they don't win another damned game ,Fisher will still be a part of an elite group of coaches who have taken a team to a Super Bowl.
I don't think some people appreciate how difficult it is to be . 500 in this league especially with a meddlesome owner

Okay, Thor.

Just for the record, I never said he COULDN'T get us to the SB. Just questioned whether he COULD. Big difference there.

Anyway, I hope he can get the job done. I'm a passionate Ram fan, after all.

I think there are legitimate areas to question about Fisher's style. He's certainly not in "sacred cow" territory just yet. Not like a Walsh, Landry, or Shula, anyway.

Let's just agree to disagree for now. And we can both hope for the best. It's cool.

 

[Angry Ram]

Yes, I guess it IS my reality, Angry.

Let's just forget the X's and O's for just a minute. And put aside all the numerous puzzling points I raised earlier.

Fisher is a slightly above .500 HC over the course of 20 years. Let that sink in for just a moment... Twenty years is ample time for a HC to demonstrate sustained excellence. Or just mediocrity.

In addition, we are off to a 1-2 start this season.

What is it within the above 2 paragraphs that should give us confidence that Fisher will lead us to the SB in the next few years?

THAT'S why I'm raising questions here today.

Like I said in my previous post, his career has been about cycles. They build with some 8-8 or less seasons, then have some winning seasons, rebuild, and the cycle continues. And that's despite outside factors.

As to your question, my confidence about him leading to the SB? It's possible, provided we stay the course and not clamor for a change the moment something makes us butthurt.

 

[Rams43]

Hey 43! I have to say that you were the most positive poster I ever read over at the Herd board. But IMHO, after interacting with several of their members, it's sad to see you change. I think you have been hearing so many negative comments over there that it has affected you. You're a great guy but don't let other negative people "brain wash" you into their downward spiral of negativity about almost every aspect of the Rams! Keep the faith bro!!!!

Thanks for the kind words, RFT. Looks like we're both newbies on this board, huh?

Don't worry. I haven't been brainwashed by certain negative posters over there.

But I HAVE set down my kool aid cup and really opened my eyes this season.

I expected playoffs for us this year, as you know. Thought all the necessary ingredients were now assembled. Even thought we could survive the loss of Bradford because we had Hill in place. Looks like Davis is an even better option, incidentally.

And then we start out 1-2 with the Viking debacle and the Cowboy fiasco? As Mayock would say, "Are you KIDDING me?" So, yeah, now I'm questioning everything, including Fisher.

Honeymoon is over for Fisher with me. No more sliding by on his reputation, in other words. He needs to show me the money.

Now...

 

[RFT]

Thanks for the kind words, RFT. Looks like we're both newbies on this board, huh?

Don't worry. I haven't been brainwashed by certain negative posters over there.

But I HAVE set down my kool aid cup and really opened my eyes this season.

I expected playoffs for us this year, as you know. Thought all the necessary ingredients were now assembled. Even thought we could survive the loss of Bradford because we had Hill in place. Looks like Davis is an even better option, incidentally.

And then we start out 1-2 with the Viking debacle and the Cowboy fiasco? As Mayock would say, "Are you KIDDING me?" So, yeah, now I'm questioning everything, including Fisher.

Honeymoon is over for Fisher with me. No more sliding by on his reputation, in other words. He needs to show me the money.

Now...

I understand your thought process. I have my doubts at times also but all I have to do is look back at the past several coaches to appreciate the building process that is now in place.

Just an FYI....I've been a Herd member for many, many years but usually just read the posts (I don't like to argue with the walking dead)....After so much negativity infiltrated the Herd Board, I was lucky enough to find this board with its more sensible posters and the type of "the glass is half full" mentality that I enjoy reading. Gotta be positive with this team!!! LOL

 

[yrba1]

Yeah he can. The nucleus is there already, it just needs to mature and mesh together as a unit. I hope by next season, we aren't the youngest team in the NFL. That really has a lot to do with sloppy execution as well as Fisher's coaching style baiting flags.

Prior to Fisher coming in, 90% of the players that were with this team isn't even in the roster or any NFL team for that matter (shows how bad management was prior to his arrival) In 3 years, he turned this talent-deprived team into a talent-laden team. Now we just need to wait for experience to kick in and watch magic happen (see Brian Quick)

 

[rhinobean]

I like the rebuild that has taken place with Fish & Co! I'll admit to being disappointed in the start the team had this season. At least on the defensive side of the ball! Hoping for the best with Davis and the offense. Expecting a much stiffer defense than we've had so far. Think Fisher can get back to the Super Bowl with this team! Hope it's in STL!

 

[Amitar]

At this point, No I don't think he can.

 

[jrry32]

Thanks for the kind words, RFT. Looks like we're both newbies on this board, huh?

Don't worry. I haven't been brainwashed by certain negative posters over there.

But I HAVE set down my kool aid cup and really opened my eyes this season.

I expected playoffs for us this year, as you know. Thought all the necessary ingredients were now assembled. Even thought we could survive the loss of Bradford because we had Hill in place. Looks like Davis is an even better option, incidentally.

And then we start out 1-2 with the Viking debacle and the Cowboy fiasco? As Mayock would say, "Are you KIDDING me?" So, yeah, now I'm questioning everything, including Fisher.

Honeymoon is over for Fisher with me. No more sliding by on his reputation, in other words. He needs to show me the money.

Now...

The Cowboys fiasco? They're a pretty darn good team that needed a lot of luck and some help from the officials to beat us.

 

[Dodgersrf]

We scored 31 points last game.
4 years ago we were lucky to get 9 to double digits.

 

[Rams43]

The Cowboys fiasco? They're a pretty darn good team that needed a lot of luck and some help from the officials to beat us.

Well jrry32, I've been reading your posts for years and want to say that I hold your opinions in the highest of regard.

Having said that, I stand by my description of the Dallas game.

We were up by 21 in the 2nd quarter.
Moving the ball at will up and down the field, both running and passing.
At home, no less.
Scored 31 freaking points.

And STILL managed to lose 34-31.

A D that couldn't stop the run or the pass with a lead like that handed to them.

Critical penalty after critical penalty.

Couldn't convert a 4th and 6 inches.

Repeatedly boned by the zebras.

If that ain't a fiasco, I don't know what is. Lol.

 

[jrry32]

Well jrry32, I've been reading your posts for years and want to say that I hold your opinions in the highest of regard.

Having said that, I stand by my description of the Dallas game.

We were up by 21 in the 2nd quarter.
Moving the ball at will up and down the field, both running and passing.
At home, no less.
Scored 31 freaking points.

And STILL managed to lose 34-31.

A D that couldn't stop the run or the pass with a lead like that handed to them.

Critical penalty after critical penalty.

Couldn't convert a 4th and 6 inches.

Repeatedly boned by the zebras.

If that ain't a fiasco, I don't know what is. Lol.

Yea, the D sucked. But I'm not sure you can really criticize Fisher for that. How many of us thought the Williams hire was a good idea? Hell, it might be. It takes time to break in a new scheme.

I don't recall all these critical penalties. I do recall Cook with a critical drop, Wells with a critical fumble, and Harkey with a critical blown blitz pick-up leading to Davis's critical pick six. None of those mistakes are on the HC imo.

 

[OnceARam]

I think he can if someone else is in charge of personnel decisions and he just sticks to coaching but that isn't a choice.

Exactly.

 

[Merlin]

Yes. Is Fisher a brilliant Xs and Os coach like Bill Belichick? No. That's why Fisher gives his coordinators so much autonomy...and why when they lose that autonomy, they get fired.

Fisher is more like a Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh or Marvin Lewis. He's a glue guy. He's a leader that players love to play for and respect. His job isn't to outsmart the other coach. He has coordinators to do that. His job is to keep the team united, motivated, and hungry. His job is also to oversee his staff.

It's why Fisher gets away with hiring coordinators that aren't necessarily known as being player oriented coaches. He's the player oriented coach, they're the thinkers.

Some might say that Brian Schottenheimer is a bad choice on this basis. And I'm not sure I agree or disagree at this point. Think he's done a good job thus far this year.

Fisher gambles with personnel decisions because that's who he is. Some coaches don't work well with certain personalities/character traits...some coaches do. It's all about knowing what you can do and doing that well as well as knowing what you can't do and finding people to surround you that do it well.

Great post.

Fisher was one yard from extending a Super Bowl that would have gone very badly for our Rams. He is absolutely good enough. Additionally he now has an owner who is a guy most coaches would kill to work for because he's not gonna panic. This is after working for a very difficult owner for a long time with solid results.

I think the Rams are fortunate, and we are as well. Too many fans want to pi$$ and moan, nuke every draft pick and second guess every game result regardless of the big picture. Reality is he has rebuilt this roster and won 14 games in two seasons doing it. Reality is this year's team lost its QB.

It was the same BS back in 1998, before Vermiel got into his third year. The media, fans, etc second guessed whether the game had passed him by. Crazy old Vermiel... No wonder the dude retired after winning in 1999.

Look at the big picture and don't let the negative whiners influence you too much, that's what I'd say to the OP. Those same guys will be complaining about who's starting, or who the team drafted at the bottom of the round after they win the Super Bowl under Fish. Some guys are just never happy, and thrive on negativity IMO.

 

[Thordaddy]

Okay, Thor.

Just for the record, I never said he COULDN'T get us to the SB. Just questioned whether he COULD. Big difference there.

Anyway, I hope he can get the job done. I'm a passionate Ram fan, after all.

I think there are legitimate areas to question about Fisher's style. He's certainly not in "sacred cow" territory just yet. Not like a Walsh, Landry, or Shula, anyway.

Let's just agree to disagree for now. And we can both hope for the best. It's cool.

There are no "sacred cows" in the minds of people who don't globalize ,it's clear your attitude about Fisher has changed ,I expected his moves to be a mix of things I agreed with and things I didn't. I see progress, beyond any I've seen in nearly ten years .
Then comes this thread where you ask if a man who HAS taken a team to a Super Bowl , CAN.
If you are a Rams fan you KNOW he can , it was your team he played and FWIW THAT was the best Ram team I've ever seen and they won it by making one of the most iconic plays in NFL history, ignoring that destroys the validity of the question.

The real question to me is can he get us there before impatient fans demand his progress be ignored in favor of change for it's own sake because their focus has changed from what's right to whats wrong . There won't be a perfect record in the NFL this year ,the game is about limiting mistakes ,I can assemble a list of perceived mistakes about any coaching staff in this league as long and damning as yours about Fisher if I make it my focus.

I didn't vote in your poll ,because the question has already been answered and unless I miss my guess was part and parcel to why he was hired here in the first place ,Kroenke knew the answer,he remembers playing the Titans.

 

[Rams43]

There are no "sacred cows" in the minds of people who don't globalize ,it's clear your attitude about Fisher has changed ,I expected his moves to be a mix of things I agreed with and things I didn't. I see progress, beyond any I've seen in nearly ten years .
Then comes this thread where you ask if a man who HAS taken a team to a Super Bowl , CAN.
If you are a Rams fan you KNOW he can , it was your team he played and FWIW THAT was the best Ram team I've ever seen and they won it by making one of the most iconic plays in NFL history, ignoring that destroys the validity of the question.

The real question to me is can he get us there before impatient fans demand his progress be ignored in favor of change for it's own sake because their focus has changed from what's right to whats wrong . There won't be a perfect record in the NFL this year ,the game is about limiting mistakes ,I can assemble a list of perceived mistakes about any coaching staff in this league as long and damning as yours about Fisher if I make it my focus.

I didn't vote in your poll ,because the question has already been answered and unless I miss my guess was part and parcel to why he was hired here in the first place ,Kroenke knew the answer,he remembers playing the Titans.

Okay, Thor.

I'm gonna put you in the "Fisher is the ONE" column. Lol.

I've been a big Fisher honk, myself, since he was hired. I share (and have posted elsewhere) many of your pro Fisher points. Just trying to give some perspective here. I'm hardly a Fisher hater, iow.

But my position has shifted from wholehearted and unquestioning support. I now both see and acknowledge that he has a few warts. What HC doesn't?

So I think it's legitimate to question whether he can take us from a .500 club to the SB again. Hopefully, he can and will.

Enjoyed the discussion, man.

 

[BatteringRambo]

Yes! In due time let's say 2015 we first need to get our feet wet in at least clinching a wild card spot this season. I know we get frustrated seeing drive killing or game altering penalties yet this was to be expected and eventually corrected.

If there was one coach already in a 1/4 of his 3rd season I'd prefer Fisher so we have that. It would be great if he would become a mainstay here similar to a Coughlin, McCarthy, Harbaugh (Ravens) mold.

Do we have to go back to the John Robinson days comparing to the last time we had a HC with long term stability?

I truly hope Fisher and Co.build something special for all of his players and fans alike to finally prosper in.

 

[Rmfnlt]

All I can say is that I was hoping for a lot more this year. It's early so, who knows what might happen yet. But this has not been the start I expected.

I know there have been injuries but no head coach ever uses them as an excuse. The roster should be deep enough now that they can absorb injuries.

Hey, maybe Davis proves that QB is deep

If Fisher can navigate this team to something around 4-4 over the next 8 games? Yeah, he should get a lot of respect from everyone.