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Fisher hopes Seattle win can be a springboard
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_f2a24548-8874-5190-8225-54b8ec05f67c.html
Sunday’s totally unexpected 23-17 victory over Seattle won’t get the Rams into the playoffs. It didn’t even get them to .500 — they’ll need another win in the season finale in San Francisco to avoid coach Jeff Fisher’s fourth consecutive losing season with the Rams.
Even so, the victory’s importance can’t be overestimated, because if you can win in Seattle, you can win anywhere in the NFL.
“I feel like when the Cardinals won up here a couple years ago, I think that really gave them a belief that they could go anywhere and get a ‘W,’” linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Obviously, the Rams hope it can have the same effect on them, and a carryover impact to 2016.
“Yeah, I think there’s something to be said about that,” Fisher said. “It’s not an easy place to play.”
For that reason and more, Fisher rated it as among the top three victories since he came to St. Louis in 2012 and probably the top road victory over that span.
“I’ll credit our offensive line and the offensive coaches and the game plan and Case (Keenum),” Fisher said. “We didn’t have a false start, we didn’t have a sack in one of, if not the toughest, places to play. I don’t think there’s many teams that can say they came in and out of here without either one of those two things.”
Beyond that, Keenum was barely touched by the Seattle pass rush. He ended the game with a clean uniform and a fresh body. Unofficial press box stats credited the Seattle defense with zero quarterback hits.
In case you’ve forgotten, Keenum is operating behind a line that consists of two rookies (right guard Cody Wichmann and right tackle Rob Havenstein), an undrafted center in his first full year as a starter (Tim Barnes), a journeyman at left guard (Garrett Reynolds) and a struggling high draft pick at left tackle (Greg Robinson).
“We’re not knocking people off the ball like we would like to,” Fisher said. “Eventually we’ll be able to. But we are protecting the passer. We aren’t attempting a lot of passes, but when we do we’re protecting the passer. We’re getting rid of the ball.
“These guys are doing a good job downfield. They’re athletic. They’re making the blocks. Our screen game is working. They understand the scheme. They have a good sense for misdirection and the Tavon (Austin) reverses. We just have to keep going and expand on it.”
Don’t be confused. It’s not like the Rams are piling up the yards. Keenum had a mere 103 yards passing against Seattle — a good total in maybe 1935. But the Rams have been efficient on offense and are playing nearly mistake-free football on that side of the ball.
With the help of Barnes pouncing on a couple of fumbles Sunday, the Rams have committed only one turnover during their three-game winning streak. Overall, they are plus-5 in takeaway-giveaway differential in those games.
With the Rams at 4-8 and saddled with a five-game losing streak in early December, the wheels appeared to be falling off. A 5-11 or even 4-12 finish seemed to be inevitable. Calls for Fisher’s ouster and a major house-cleaning reached a crescendo.
But Fisher and the Rams kept it together and cobbled together three victories since a post-concussion Keenum was re-inserted as the starting quarterback and Rob Boras replaced Frank Cignetti as offensive coordinator.
“It’s a one week at a time process — that’s the key,” Fisher said. “You have to be consistent every week. At the same time, you’ve got to change things up. You can’t dwell on the wins; you can’t get overworked over the losses.
“You just keep going and get them to trust that what we’re doing and the way we’re doing it is the right way. You stress improvement, and that’s what we’ve done. Again, like I said (Sunday), we’ve made a couple of changes. Difficult changes.
“One, to go with Case, and then to give the offense over to Rob. It appears after three weeks that those were good decisions. Guys are really excited right now. ... I don’t remember seeing that kind of energy in the locker room that we saw after a win.”
So Fisher isn’t going anywhere; even a loss to the 49ers won’t change that. A victory over the 49ers puts the Rams at 8-8, which would snap the franchise’s string of eight consecutive losing seasons. Not exactly cause for a parade, but still better than the alternative.
Fisher does not consider 8-8 a satisfactory record.
“But 8-8 is better than 7-9,” he said. “Probably more importantly, to be able to win four straight, finish the year with four straight wins, would give us momentum into the offseason.”
Then again, there are no guarantees. In 2006, the Rams won their final three games of the season to finish 8-8 under rookie coach Scott Linehan. In 2007, the Rams went 3-13 and haven’t seen .500 since. Four games — and four losses — into 2008, Linehan was fired.
But for now, the only thing the Rams can shoot for is 8-8. And the only thing they can concern themselves with is San Francisco, reeling after a 32-17 loss in Detroit that put the 49ers at 4-11.
“Right now, the goal is 8-8, to be honest with you,” Laurinaitis said. “To get to a point where I’ve never been — and that’s just heck, 8-8, .500. For this organization, this is a big step.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_f2a24548-8874-5190-8225-54b8ec05f67c.html
Sunday’s totally unexpected 23-17 victory over Seattle won’t get the Rams into the playoffs. It didn’t even get them to .500 — they’ll need another win in the season finale in San Francisco to avoid coach Jeff Fisher’s fourth consecutive losing season with the Rams.
Even so, the victory’s importance can’t be overestimated, because if you can win in Seattle, you can win anywhere in the NFL.
“I feel like when the Cardinals won up here a couple years ago, I think that really gave them a belief that they could go anywhere and get a ‘W,’” linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Obviously, the Rams hope it can have the same effect on them, and a carryover impact to 2016.
“Yeah, I think there’s something to be said about that,” Fisher said. “It’s not an easy place to play.”
For that reason and more, Fisher rated it as among the top three victories since he came to St. Louis in 2012 and probably the top road victory over that span.
“I’ll credit our offensive line and the offensive coaches and the game plan and Case (Keenum),” Fisher said. “We didn’t have a false start, we didn’t have a sack in one of, if not the toughest, places to play. I don’t think there’s many teams that can say they came in and out of here without either one of those two things.”
Beyond that, Keenum was barely touched by the Seattle pass rush. He ended the game with a clean uniform and a fresh body. Unofficial press box stats credited the Seattle defense with zero quarterback hits.
In case you’ve forgotten, Keenum is operating behind a line that consists of two rookies (right guard Cody Wichmann and right tackle Rob Havenstein), an undrafted center in his first full year as a starter (Tim Barnes), a journeyman at left guard (Garrett Reynolds) and a struggling high draft pick at left tackle (Greg Robinson).
“We’re not knocking people off the ball like we would like to,” Fisher said. “Eventually we’ll be able to. But we are protecting the passer. We aren’t attempting a lot of passes, but when we do we’re protecting the passer. We’re getting rid of the ball.
“These guys are doing a good job downfield. They’re athletic. They’re making the blocks. Our screen game is working. They understand the scheme. They have a good sense for misdirection and the Tavon (Austin) reverses. We just have to keep going and expand on it.”
Don’t be confused. It’s not like the Rams are piling up the yards. Keenum had a mere 103 yards passing against Seattle — a good total in maybe 1935. But the Rams have been efficient on offense and are playing nearly mistake-free football on that side of the ball.
With the help of Barnes pouncing on a couple of fumbles Sunday, the Rams have committed only one turnover during their three-game winning streak. Overall, they are plus-5 in takeaway-giveaway differential in those games.
With the Rams at 4-8 and saddled with a five-game losing streak in early December, the wheels appeared to be falling off. A 5-11 or even 4-12 finish seemed to be inevitable. Calls for Fisher’s ouster and a major house-cleaning reached a crescendo.
But Fisher and the Rams kept it together and cobbled together three victories since a post-concussion Keenum was re-inserted as the starting quarterback and Rob Boras replaced Frank Cignetti as offensive coordinator.
“It’s a one week at a time process — that’s the key,” Fisher said. “You have to be consistent every week. At the same time, you’ve got to change things up. You can’t dwell on the wins; you can’t get overworked over the losses.
“You just keep going and get them to trust that what we’re doing and the way we’re doing it is the right way. You stress improvement, and that’s what we’ve done. Again, like I said (Sunday), we’ve made a couple of changes. Difficult changes.
“One, to go with Case, and then to give the offense over to Rob. It appears after three weeks that those were good decisions. Guys are really excited right now. ... I don’t remember seeing that kind of energy in the locker room that we saw after a win.”
So Fisher isn’t going anywhere; even a loss to the 49ers won’t change that. A victory over the 49ers puts the Rams at 8-8, which would snap the franchise’s string of eight consecutive losing seasons. Not exactly cause for a parade, but still better than the alternative.
Fisher does not consider 8-8 a satisfactory record.
“But 8-8 is better than 7-9,” he said. “Probably more importantly, to be able to win four straight, finish the year with four straight wins, would give us momentum into the offseason.”
Then again, there are no guarantees. In 2006, the Rams won their final three games of the season to finish 8-8 under rookie coach Scott Linehan. In 2007, the Rams went 3-13 and haven’t seen .500 since. Four games — and four losses — into 2008, Linehan was fired.
But for now, the only thing the Rams can shoot for is 8-8. And the only thing they can concern themselves with is San Francisco, reeling after a 32-17 loss in Detroit that put the 49ers at 4-11.
“Right now, the goal is 8-8, to be honest with you,” Laurinaitis said. “To get to a point where I’ve never been — and that’s just heck, 8-8, .500. For this organization, this is a big step.”
