Fisher says he is 'almost out of answers' after latest Rams loss
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...-almost-out-of-answers-after-latest-rams-loss
ST. LOUIS -- Prepared to field questions about the horror movie that has become the St. Louis Rams' 2015 season, coach Jeff Fisher was greeted by a statement instead.
"We're about out of questions," one reporter said.
"You know what, the coach is almost out of answers," Fisher responded. "My responsibility is to say, 'Hey, I'm going to get this thing fixed.' We're not efficient on offense. We have got too many good players, we have got guys that can produce, an outstanding running back, a dynamic receiver and we are starting to get a little bit better on the offensive line. So we're going to keep working, but it has to get better. It's not good."
No, it's not good. Sunday's 27-3 beatdown at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals served as the latest testimony to just how bad it is. To recap, the Rams are now 4-8 on the season and have lost five in a row. They have lost by 24 points three times during their skid.
Making matters worse is that Fisher is out of answers because there are none to be found -- at least none that can right this sinking ship before it hits the ocean floor.
The loss to Arizona didn't look much different than the seven others the Rams have suffered this year. The offense missed the mark like so many errant Nick Foles passes, and though the defense attempted to keep the Rams in the game, it finally capitulated in the second half after being on the field for what seemed like an eternity.
Thirty minutes after the game, defensive end Chris Long sat at his locker, contemplating the latest loss.
"It's not important what's going on in my head," Long said. "It's important what's going on in everybody's head. It doesn't matter if I've been here eight years; it hurts the same for everybody. That's losing in embarrassing fashion five games in a row. The guys in here are not happy, I can guarantee that. That doesn't make it OK. That doesn't make it OK at all."
Against the Cardinals, the offense mustered just 212 yards and nine first downs, season-lows in both categories. The inability to keep the chains moving left the Rams' offense on the field for only 20 minutes and 13 seconds, which factored into the worst performance of the season for an offense with plenty of previously inept performances.
"It's kind of a broken-record thing here with the offense," Fisher said. "We have got to get the offense fixed. Three first downs at halftime. I think we had six to start the fourth quarter. It doesn't give yourself a chance to be productive and win games. Defensively, just on the field way too much, way too much. Against that offense, they're going to score points."
Nick Foles
Nick Foles had no answers Sunday, going 15-of-35 for 146 yards and an interception.
Among the many unanswered questions that surround the Rams -- and for the sake of everybody's time, we're talking only on the field right now -- none stand out more than the one at quarterback. This is a franchise that did a complete makeover of the quarterback room in the offseason, brought in Chris Weinke, a new position coach, and signed three new players at the position.
The result has been a quarterback group that sits at the bottom of the league in nearly every major statistical category. Foles, the guy who the Rams gave a contract extension before he ever played a snap for them, is last in the NFL in passer rating among qualified quarterbacks who are still starting for their team.
Case Keenum, who will return to the starting job next week after clearing the concussion protocol, wasn't much better in his lone start against Baltimore. The Rams refuse (probably wisely) to throw rookie Sean Mannion to the wolves without an offensive line capable of consistent protection or receivers capable of getting open or catching the ball on a regular basis. Unless the Rams kidnap Tom Brady and put him on the roster, there's nothing they can do to elevate that position before the season is over.
As Foles took his turn at the podium following Sunday's game, he offered a different spin on not having answers, instead choosing to say the same one repeatedly.
"I just have to keep working," Foles said. "Got to keep working. That's all I can say. That's my answer. Keep working."
Foles said he and the Rams needed to "keep working" eight times in the course of five questions, though that might be a better response than Fisher admitting he doesn't have any answers.
Of course, there are plenty of other questions that still need answers, too. Something like, "Why would a coach whose team has done nothing but regress in each of his four seasons get a fifth?" Fisher has said all season that the Rams will "fix it" when asked what's wrong with his team. They haven't.
"We've got great coaches that we trust in," punter Johnny Hekker said. "We're just going to continue to work and something will change. I can't really tell you what that is and I'm not a magician, but we're going to get things right."
A magician? That might be the best answer yet.
