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If the Rams Are Maturing, They Won’t Lose to the 49ers
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/30/if-the-rams-are-maturing-they-wont-lose-to-the-49ers/
As of Friday morning the Rams were an 8.5-point favorite over the visiting San Francisco 49ers for Sunday’s noon game at the Edward Jones Dome. This is a rarity; the Rams haven’t been listed as more than touchdown favorite against an NFC West rival since 2005.
jeff fisher
Fisher’s Rams are an 8.5 point favorite to win Sunday, representing the largest spread against a division rival since 2005.
And since Jeff Fisher moved in as coach in 2012, the only time the Rams have been a heavier favorite in a home game came in 2013. Jacksonville entered as an 11-point underdog, and the Rams won 24-10.
The pressure is on for the Rams. The 49ers have drifted to the bottom of the NFC West with a 2-5 record. They’ve been wiped out by 17 points or more in four of their losses. (Average margin of defeat: a league-worst 19.8 points.) Turmoil surrounds quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been the target of a whispering campaign, with anonymous criticism of his leadership, personality and unwillingness to engage teammates. The slurs obviously originated from inside team headquarters, probably from the same sources that tried to poison the rep of deposed head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The 49ers’ disarray includes massive roster subtractions, with a long list of impact players and team leaders that played major roles in the team’s 36-11-1 record (and the 2012 NFC Championship) between 2011 and 2013. But with Harbaugh and the team distracted by the nasty media leaks and the coach-management dissension, the 49ers’ collapse actually began late last season, when they finished 8-8 after losing four of their final five.
The franchise that comes into The Ed has lost nine of the last 12 games, with a glaring point differential of minus 114.
Through seven games the scoring-challenged 49ers are last in the 32-team NFL with an average of 14.7 points ,and no league offense has produced fewer net yards per game (295.) Kaepernick is having an identity crisis, seemingly reluctant to turn it loose as a runner and scrambler because of the team’s project to turn him into a pocket quarterback.
Dealing with pass-rush heat on 40 percent of his dropbacks, and pressured 83 times, Kaepernick already has been dropped for 25 sacks. Those breakdowns continue to ruin drives. And the 49ers aren’t finishing the drives that put them within range of the end zone, ranking 30th in red-zone offense with a TD rate of 35 percent. Defensively, the 49ers have done a good job against the run, but no NFL defense has given up more yards per game (421), and they’ve been torched for 28 pass completions that stretched 20+ yards. San Francisco opponents are averaging just under 26 points per game.
So yes, what I’m trying to say here is that the 49ers are bad. (Terrific insight, eh?) And this is a team that’s drifted into drama and dysfunction, which adds toxicity to that 2-5 record.
The 49ers shouldn’t be much of a threat, at least not to anyone except themselves. It’s true that upsets are always possible. And the Rams have yet to demonstrate consistency, trustworthiness or much of a passing-game offense. Other than the break-out rushing of rookie running back Todd Gurley, the Rams are mostly stuck on neutral on offense.
The 3-3 Rams have no basis for taking any opponent for granted, and it’s preposterous to even consider the possibility of complacency as they reengage their old rival. That said: the Rams have a new star and catalyst on offense, they’re as tough as anyone on defense, and they have a chance to be standing 4-3 after seven games for the first time since 2006.
The Rams can’t lose this game.
And they won’t lose this game unless we see the reappearance of a younger-and-dumb Rams’ team that crashes by being careless or undisciplined. You know, the stuff we’ve seen too often during Fisher’s 54-game term in office. The knucklehead penalties, the airhead pass defense, and the habit of losing close games because of unforced errors and a general loss of composure.
The Rams still commit too many pre-snap penalties, but they’ve cleaned up other spots left messy because of lapses in discipline. For example, the Rams have had only two roughing-the-passer penalties this season — and one was a horrible and completely unwarranted call. The Rams have been tagged for only three personal-foul penalties overall — or fewer than all but three NFL teams. To this point, the defense has cut down on the silly stuff that does nothing but keep the other team’s offense on the field.
Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis was talking about this other day, offering his opinion that the Rams are maturing. But JL made it clear that this is still an ongoing challenge, and he framed Sunday’s game as another test of the team’s legitimate growth. If the Rams truly are maturing, Laurinaitis said, then they’ll handle the assignment of winning Sunday’s game. And he’s right. If these Rams are a more poised and football-smart team, then they won’t overlook the ‘Niners, make frivolous and unavoidable mistakes, and repeatedly give the 49ers opportunities to steal Sunday from them. For whatever it’s worth, I believe the Rams are getting there — evolving into more cool-headed team. A team that will find ways to beat inferior opponents rather than find ways to beat themselves. We’ll see.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/30/if-the-rams-are-maturing-they-wont-lose-to-the-49ers/
As of Friday morning the Rams were an 8.5-point favorite over the visiting San Francisco 49ers for Sunday’s noon game at the Edward Jones Dome. This is a rarity; the Rams haven’t been listed as more than touchdown favorite against an NFC West rival since 2005.
jeff fisher
Fisher’s Rams are an 8.5 point favorite to win Sunday, representing the largest spread against a division rival since 2005.
And since Jeff Fisher moved in as coach in 2012, the only time the Rams have been a heavier favorite in a home game came in 2013. Jacksonville entered as an 11-point underdog, and the Rams won 24-10.
The pressure is on for the Rams. The 49ers have drifted to the bottom of the NFC West with a 2-5 record. They’ve been wiped out by 17 points or more in four of their losses. (Average margin of defeat: a league-worst 19.8 points.) Turmoil surrounds quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been the target of a whispering campaign, with anonymous criticism of his leadership, personality and unwillingness to engage teammates. The slurs obviously originated from inside team headquarters, probably from the same sources that tried to poison the rep of deposed head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The 49ers’ disarray includes massive roster subtractions, with a long list of impact players and team leaders that played major roles in the team’s 36-11-1 record (and the 2012 NFC Championship) between 2011 and 2013. But with Harbaugh and the team distracted by the nasty media leaks and the coach-management dissension, the 49ers’ collapse actually began late last season, when they finished 8-8 after losing four of their final five.
The franchise that comes into The Ed has lost nine of the last 12 games, with a glaring point differential of minus 114.
Through seven games the scoring-challenged 49ers are last in the 32-team NFL with an average of 14.7 points ,and no league offense has produced fewer net yards per game (295.) Kaepernick is having an identity crisis, seemingly reluctant to turn it loose as a runner and scrambler because of the team’s project to turn him into a pocket quarterback.
Dealing with pass-rush heat on 40 percent of his dropbacks, and pressured 83 times, Kaepernick already has been dropped for 25 sacks. Those breakdowns continue to ruin drives. And the 49ers aren’t finishing the drives that put them within range of the end zone, ranking 30th in red-zone offense with a TD rate of 35 percent. Defensively, the 49ers have done a good job against the run, but no NFL defense has given up more yards per game (421), and they’ve been torched for 28 pass completions that stretched 20+ yards. San Francisco opponents are averaging just under 26 points per game.
So yes, what I’m trying to say here is that the 49ers are bad. (Terrific insight, eh?) And this is a team that’s drifted into drama and dysfunction, which adds toxicity to that 2-5 record.
The 49ers shouldn’t be much of a threat, at least not to anyone except themselves. It’s true that upsets are always possible. And the Rams have yet to demonstrate consistency, trustworthiness or much of a passing-game offense. Other than the break-out rushing of rookie running back Todd Gurley, the Rams are mostly stuck on neutral on offense.
The 3-3 Rams have no basis for taking any opponent for granted, and it’s preposterous to even consider the possibility of complacency as they reengage their old rival. That said: the Rams have a new star and catalyst on offense, they’re as tough as anyone on defense, and they have a chance to be standing 4-3 after seven games for the first time since 2006.
The Rams can’t lose this game.
And they won’t lose this game unless we see the reappearance of a younger-and-dumb Rams’ team that crashes by being careless or undisciplined. You know, the stuff we’ve seen too often during Fisher’s 54-game term in office. The knucklehead penalties, the airhead pass defense, and the habit of losing close games because of unforced errors and a general loss of composure.
The Rams still commit too many pre-snap penalties, but they’ve cleaned up other spots left messy because of lapses in discipline. For example, the Rams have had only two roughing-the-passer penalties this season — and one was a horrible and completely unwarranted call. The Rams have been tagged for only three personal-foul penalties overall — or fewer than all but three NFL teams. To this point, the defense has cut down on the silly stuff that does nothing but keep the other team’s offense on the field.
Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis was talking about this other day, offering his opinion that the Rams are maturing. But JL made it clear that this is still an ongoing challenge, and he framed Sunday’s game as another test of the team’s legitimate growth. If the Rams truly are maturing, Laurinaitis said, then they’ll handle the assignment of winning Sunday’s game. And he’s right. If these Rams are a more poised and football-smart team, then they won’t overlook the ‘Niners, make frivolous and unavoidable mistakes, and repeatedly give the 49ers opportunities to steal Sunday from them. For whatever it’s worth, I believe the Rams are getting there — evolving into more cool-headed team. A team that will find ways to beat inferior opponents rather than find ways to beat themselves. We’ll see.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
