Gordon: Can Rams work their way out of this mess?

[Mackeyser]

I think the way forward is obvious.

The Rams are set on defense and special teams. Next year they will be very good in both phases from the first game, we don't have to worry about the defense again since we'll have GW through another entire camp getting these guys playing more and more consistently. Still, though, it is clear to my eyes at least that over the latter half of the season the Rams have a legitimate playoff defense and special teams unit.

The offense needs to be blown the F up. All the coaches on that side of the ball from Schotty on down need evaluation and some of them will inevitably be let go after Fish brings in a new OC. The running game and receiving talent is there. Where the Rams are lacking is their creative ability to dictate to defenses through scheme, and their inability to execute the power running game Fish wants up front. Changes need to be made, enough with the excuses. Need to have the right guys in place when they bring in the rest of the offensive pieces needed this offseason and draft.

The upgrade from last year's DC to this year's DC is a perfect example of the importance of loading a truly high end creative mind at the top of your unit coaching tree. GW runs that defense like a head coach, he is a great teacher and gameplanner, one of the best in the league. Once Fish upgrades the offensive side the same way he will be good to go.

And again if he brings back Schotty I am certain this whole regime will fail and Fish will be fired after this next season. Hope I don't get to find out if I'm right on that.

X1000

If Schotty comes back, we're done... because injuries happen and this offense even at 100% is barely enough to get us there... but once injuries happen, it's just not enough. And that presumes 100% execution...which we've never had. So add injuries and less than perfect execution and we'll see, yet another bottom half of the league offense with FAR too much talent to not be a top 10 offense.

 

[-X-]

this offense even at 100% is barely enough to get us there

When did that happen?

 

[Mackeyser]

We saw it in NY with the Jets. The only reason they got anywhere was because they had a top 3 D and the best OL in football in order to power the running game. And they won the division in the AFC East...

In 2009, that Jets team ran for more yards than it threw 7 times and on the year ran for more total yards than they threw it 2756 rush yards to 2596 pass yards. They finished 9-7 as Wild Cards and got to the AFC Championship game on the strength of that D.

In 2010, they were able to open up the playbook a little bit, but still even with that run game and that OL generating almost 2400 yards of rush offense, they still averaged only 22.9 pts per game... in the AFC East. That year, their SoS opponent's Winning Percentage was only .472. And that was skewed because 28 of the 121 total wins came from the 14-2 NE Patriots, whom they played twice. Thus, without the NE games, their 14 game season amounted to playing a schedule against teams with a winning record of .415. That's basically playing a season against teams who've won 6.6 games a year.

And EVEN THEN, they still only went 11-5, splitting with NE.

So, no... in the NFC West, when we get schedules every dang year having to play MUCH harder schedules than Schotty's Jets had to play (I think for 3 years in a row, our SoS has been close to or over .550), I don't think Schotty's offense is enough to get us there.

Schotty's offense was enough to get the NY Jets there... when they had a top 3 D and played one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.

Schotty's offense is NOT enough to get the St. Louis Rams there... when we are close to a top 10 D and consistently play one of the hardest schedules in the entire NFL.

And that's the difference.... He had the OL and the D was already there in NY...AND he had the easiest schedule. He's had none of that here and as long as Seattle, SF and AZ are going to keep this being the NFC Best... our schedule will continue to be a BEAST.

That's how I draw the line. That's where I'm coming from. He barely got the job done in NY and it's not enough to get it done here.

 

[VegasRam]

Reading through this thread, I can't help thinking about the scarecrow in Oz.
The Rams have not had a QB, period. It's not Fisher, it's not Schotty, it's not lack of discipline, it's not character issues, it's not that extra .1 %, it's not lack of football IQ, and it's not all the other bullshit that the analyst in all of us wants to point to in not having our insatiable need for instant gratification/results satisfied.

What it IS is a young, relatively inexperienced team, rising (in three years from the dumpster fire that was created from 30 years of neglect and abuse from the showgirl and her cronies), learning to work together, to trust each other, and to try and maintain a positive attitude knowing they're playing the toughest schedule in the fucking NFL with fucking Shaun fucking Hill.

It's the QB stupid. Repeat after me...

 

[-X-]

Schotty's offense is NOT enough to get the St. Louis Rams there... when we are close to a top 10 D and consistently play one of the hardest schedules in the entire NFL.

And that's the difference.... He had the OL and the D was already there in NY...AND he had the easiest schedule. He's had none of that here and as long as Seattle, SF and AZ are going to keep this being the NFC Best... our schedule will continue to be a BEAST.

That's how I draw the line. That's where I'm coming from. He barely got the job done in NY and it's not enough to get it done here.

I disagree. With a decent QB (who many don't think is all that great), Schotty's offense went 5-2-1 against the Division. Without Bradford, it's an entirely different story, and not a good one. A good QB drastically reduces the opponent's chances of scoring off of turnovers and keeps his own defense fresher. On top of that, you can go ahead and name all of the great playmakers the Jets had on offense, and how much they improved without him (either on the Jets or with another team).

 

[fearsomefour]

The comparisons of Fisher and Spags is kind of laughable to me....both for their approach as coaches and the situations (FO, age of roster, cap situation) they were asked to operate in.
To me the biggest thing is consistency. I have said it many times teams that are consistently in the playoff hunt have low turn over rates in coaches and the FO. Consistency of vision, approach, scheme and the kind of players signed and drafted make a big difference. The wild swings of changing coaches every two or three years just does not work. I would hope the Rams stay the course. This includes Shotty. I have been critical at times of his use of players, but, I do not want the team making a shift yet again. If you think back to the game in Arizona that was game that the Rams easily could have won. Shottys O is certainly up to winning that game. A few more first downs....a couple of field goals, a couple of fewer possessions for the Cards and that is a win. The turn overs have to do with player execution and little else. Shotty is not some misplaced high school jv coach. Most of the things I have seen have been execution failures best as I can tell. O line not picking up stunts....QB not seeing a hot read or bailing out when he had open receivers. Bad blocking. At some point the players have to make the plays.
I agree the offense is holding the Rams back at his point. The good news if the D can be a little more consistent and pick up where they left off (along with the ST) the Rams don't need a great offense to win. They managed to win 6 games when there were whole stretches where the offense was just absent. I think the O line does need an infusion of talent. The Rams need Bradford (or a legit starting QB) to stay on the field. Outside of that (and making a real commitment to the running game) the Rams just need consistency. Seven more points a game and holding the ball longer changes everything for this team.