Interesting stat I heard this morning

[Stel]

More than nine touches? I certainly hope so.

The problem is giving Gurley more touches when the box is stacked. They consistently have him running into a cluster of defenders. I don't care how good he is, that is a tough way to make yardage. Until they make the defense back off, Gurely is going to be contained most of the time.

 

[LACHAMP46]

IMO this is directly related to the fact that they insist on force feeding Austin. I get that he is one of the few playmakers but to think he is an every down WR is the biggest part of the issue.................... Line him up in the slot and get him the ball. .............................................................................................
Line up Quick and Britt outside. They have shown they can connect on the slant (in the past two games) to Quick. Britt can be productive when the QB actually gets the ball to him on time.

It is kinda baffling really...to keep Tavon on the field, game after game....going to him in the same play over and over with very few variations....He logs the most snaps, but for some reason cannot produce regular wr numbers...like pas catches & receiving yards.....
Is this Sherman's call? Is this Jeff Garcia's input? Is or was this Cig? Or does Fisher say, we need Tavon on the field? He's the #1 wr...

I just don't see how a guy like Quick can't get consistent snaps and targets after what he did at the beginning of 2014 b4 the injury? He's the same guy.....Tavon does limit a traditional offense....He should rotate in and out...with the TE & receivers and sometimes the RB....Forcing the ball to him has been a mistake in 2015 & in 2013.

I agree in total.
I would like to see Austin in the slot and run some more traditional pass routes as well.
Or bring him in motion (to limit being jammed). I would love to see him run crossing routes

Exactly.....He needs to borrow a lil Cruz/Antonio Brown/Edleman....stop focusing on that hitch so much...so much fly sweep....I see why Cigs was fired, but was anyone telling him to specifically keep running those plays to Tavon?

The biggest thing missing in the Rams playbook is plays. There are only about 5-10 plays in the playbook that actually have a chance at success. The rest are just crap Cigs drew up in high school.

The fly sweep does work...but we should be using it to throw downfield more....In the seams to the TE's more...

I'd like to know what happened between the time we were 4-3 and now. There has to be some catalyst or reason that we all of a sudden suck this bad.

It's called scouting/pre-game planning...."they use Tavon on the sweep, they use Gurley, oh and Foles is having trouble finding guys & being accurate....ummm, maybe we blitz and disguise the coverage's....see what happens...." Too predictable and unable to adjust....I actually think the line has blocked just as well as it ever had, b4 the injuries...this is on the skill players and execution..regardless of how poor the game plan is....we have trouble moving the ball in garbage time...3rd down conversions are key...they tell a lot....

 

[BlackSheep]

Well we've all heard of the run and shoot offense...this is a variation of that called the "run and poop". Thanks Fish.

 

[OntarioRam]

I'd like to know what happened between the time we were 4-3 and now. There has to be some catalyst or reason that we all of a sudden suck this bad.

1) Injuries to 3 starters on the offensive line, and then also to 1 of the guys that came into replace them. That spells doom for any team built around the run game. This is what set the train in motion to derail.

2) The inability to adapt in order to survive point #1. This was/is owing in large part to having worst QB in the league. Once we no longer had an offensive line that was close to NFL calibre, the run game could no longer be the focus. The solution? Stop leaning so heavily on the run game. Start throwing the football. Preferably with quick, short-to intermediate throws that don't ask too much of your sub-par offensive line in pass protection. You know.... like all the others teams with bad o-lines do. Sadly, for the Rams, this was not a feasible solution with Foles unable to hit wide open receivers even when he has a clean pocket.

3) Poor offensive play calling and strategy due to a bad OC. This caused an inability to adapt to #1 and #2 -> once the run game was gone and the obvious solution of short, quick throws was also off the table, we were cooked. Cigs was in way over his head and had no idea what to do next at that point. He was lost. So we got to see Gurley run straight into the teeth of the defence all Sunday. Or the run game abandoned entirely with shots downfield that resembled blind prayers, hoping we could get lucky with a big play, rather than planned and strategic play calls. To be fair, most (all?) OCs would have been screwed in light of #1 and #2. But Cigs took it to another level. He had a total inability to be creative and even come up with 1 possible solution. Perhaps unsurprisingly. It would have taken a genius to figure out how to turn the Rams lemons into lemonade. We had a guy with ZERO experience as an NFL OC prior to the 2015 season.

4) No confidence. Sports is in large part mental. It is crazy how once players are "feeling it" they look 10x better, even though their talent level is obviously unchanged. After so many poor displays, confidence will not be huge. That's not to say the team will be demoralized or negative. But the football won't seem to "bounce your way" in a losing streak as it does in a winning streak.

 

[RaminExile]

Our receivers are trash. Everyone knows that. But as said, Kellen Clemens and Shaun Hill were better with the same group...that's pretty damning for Foles. Sure part of that is a fail for an assembled offensive line and a very predictable offense but even the most basic NFL offense should trying to make teams pay for stacking the box and pressing and swarming to Tavon Austin. We never see us play those "man beater" pick plays from trips formations for example where it's like a basketball screen and you get a guy in between the defender and Tavon. Maybe Boras will get it going but I'm not optimistic because it comes down to Foles or Keenum being able to hit their targets and make the defense respect the passing game.

 

[Alan]

LetsGoRams with a query:
I'd like to know what happened between the time we were 4-3 and now. There has to be some catalyst or reason that we all of a sudden suck this bad.

I've said this before but I'll say it again, it all changed when Foles threw for 4 INTs versus the Packers I think he had a long talk with the Fish who demanded (hyperbole) that he cut down on those mistakes and he's been throwing scared ever since. I see it every game after the bye. We simply got lucky getting to 4-3 because we played against two really bad teams (Browns & Whiners) that we were able to beat despite that issue.

 

[CoachO]

Our receivers are trash. Everyone knows that. But as said, Kellen Clemens and Shaun Hill were better with the same group...that's pretty damning for Foles. .

The thing that gets me is how our receivers get blasted for "never getting separation" or making the tough catch.

What gets overlooked constantly is how they do get open but the ball is never there "on time". When is the last time you've seen them complete a basic out when the ball was already in the air as the receiver was COMING OUT OF HIS BREAK rather than waiting on the ball as the defenders close on the play?

I get there are plays that need to be made. But let's not overlook the role the poor QB play has factored into the WR play in this team. Accuracy and timing ate the two most important things in a successful passing attack. And this team has neither.

 

[MountainRam]

Fisher said he wants to line up and run the ball. Stop it if you can he says.

 

[wolfdogg]

So basically cigs just kept the shotty game plan rolling with the exception of using the jet sweep until it looked like it was too much of the offense. And fisher stood by and said just because shotts couldn't make it work doesn't mean you cant. Play calling and coaching mistakes, ala the 2 pt conversion in minni, are what killed the season. IF YOU CAN'T TRUST YOUR KICKER TO KICK AN EXTRA PT. EARLY IN THE GAME.......(CAN I GET BIGGER LETTERS THAT ALL CAPS HERE).....THEN GET ANOTHER FUCKING KICKER!

 

[CGI_Ram]

I've said this before but I'll say it again, it all changed when Foles threw for 4 INTs versus the Packers

The guys on 101 suggested the same. Foles was doing "okay" until that game.

From that game forward he's been a hot mess.

 

[CodeMonkey]

The guys on 101 suggested the same. Foles was doing "okay" until that game.

From that game forward he's been a hot mess.

I have been probably more surprised with Foles decline than most on this board. He's was my fantasy qb since he took over the chip offense and he was fantastic...like top fantasy qb fantastic. I was absolutely elated when we were able to swap qb's and nab a second from philly. And, I was among the idiots who said "sign him now".

It's almost as if he's been corrupted. :tinfoilhat:

Nothing else makes sense. How can you go from being that good to being that shitty without a conscious effort to do so.

 

[Athos]

Talk all you want about check down Sammy, but I bet that stat is far worse than any he had. Bradford took his shots down field when he was given the chance. And mostly when he had vertical threats.

This offense is archaic as fuck.

 

[LetsGoRams]

1) Injuries to 3 starters on the offensive line, and then also to 1 of the guys that came into replace them. That spells doom for any team built around the run game. This is what set the train in motion to derail.

2) The inability to adapt in order to survive point #1. This was/is owing in large part to having worst QB in the league. Once we no longer had an offensive line that was close to NFL calibre, the run game could no longer be the focus. The solution? Stop leaning so heavily on the run game. Start throwing the football. Preferably with quick, short-to intermediate throws that don't ask too much of your sub-par offensive line in pass protection. You know.... like all the others teams with bad o-lines do. Sadly, for the Rams, this was not a feasible solution with Foles unable to hit wide open receivers even when he has a clean pocket.

3) Poor offensive play calling and strategy due to a bad OC. This caused an inability to adapt to #1 and #2 -> once the run game was gone and the obvious solution of short, quick throws was also off the table, we were cooked. Cigs was in way over his head and had no idea what to do next at that point. He was lost. So we got to see Gurley run straight into the teeth of the defence all Sunday. Or the run game abandoned entirely with shots downfield that resembled blind prayers, hoping we could get lucky with a big play, rather than planned and strategic play calls. To be fair, most (all?) OCs would have been screwed in light of #1 and #2. But Cigs took it to another level. He had a total inability to be creative and even come up with 1 possible solution. Perhaps unsurprisingly. It would have taken a genius to figure out how to turn the Rams lemons into lemonade. We had a guy with ZERO experience as an NFL OC prior to the 2015 season.

4) No confidence. Sports is in large part mental. It is crazy how once players are "feeling it" they look 10x better, even though their talent level is obviously unchanged. After so many poor displays, confidence will not be huge. That's not to say the team will be demoralized or negative. But the football won't seem to "bounce your way" in a losing streak as it does in a winning streak.

I agree with all of this. I am still on board with this team being cursed though!

 

[Mojo Ram]

I'd like to see them start throwing the ball to Gurley out of the backfield

Yes, and if that's the case, add some packages with both Gurley and Mason in the backfield. 3rd and manageable for example. Throw in Welker in the slot and i like those chances on converting a quick pass for positive yardage to move the chains.

EVOLVE

 

[Ram65]

He did last year. I think the injury really screwed him up mentally.

I stick by my original post. He can jump but he seems to not high point the ball or get in ideal position. His injury was to his shoulder and arm IIRC not his legs.

 

[nighttrain]

Interesting fact, you'd have thought that you'd pop the ball over the stacked box, but hey that would be too obvious I guess...

our offence is so bad

Our coaching is that bad
train

 

[nighttrain]

IMO this is directly related to the fact that they insist on force feeding Austin. I get that he is one of the few playmakers but to think he is an every down WR is the biggest part of the issue.

How many of his "plays" have come from being a pass catcher? When they throw the bubble screens to him it's nothing more than an extended handoff. Which is fine. But to have him lined up as a wideout on every snap is limiting what they can do as an offense.

If they want to utilize him on jet sweeps and reverses that's one thing. Line him up in the slot and get him the ball. But it's also at the expense of others who's reps are limited in the meantime.

Line up Quick and Britt outside. They have shown they can connect on the slant (in the past two games) to Quick. Britt can be productive when the QB actually gets the ball to him on time.

While I will admit they don't have any ProBowl caliber receivers, there is more than enough talent here to have a successful passing game with the right approach.

If Kellen Clemens could push the ball downfield with less to work with you won't convince me that they can't now.

I fully expect to see a more aggressive approach from Boras and with Keenum. Will it be enough? Who knows?

You;re right on spot Coach
train