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Nothing Fresh About Fisher: Same Old Rams, Same Old Rants
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/23/nothing-fresh-about-fisher-same-old-rams-same-old-rants/
Really, now: is there anything fresh and new and different to say about the St. Louis Rams and head coach Jeff Fisher?
No angle remains untouched. No trend has been overlooked.
We’ve hit on the same themes so many times now, this column should be able to write itself as I sit back, fire up a cigar, watch Sunday-night football and ignore the laptop screen as the usual words appear.
A slumberous offense. Ineffective, inept coaching. Mediocre (at best) quarterback play. Poor discipline. Too many hideous losses. Too many victories that slip away. Too many underachieving or flopping draft picks.
Not enough playmakers. Not enough points: on the scoreboard or in the IQ.
Same Old Rams.
Same Old Rants.
The Rams may have reached a new low under Fisher on Sunday in Baltimore, asphyxiating their 10-point, third-quarter lead in a 16-13 loss to the Ravens. The home team entered with a 2-7 record and a season flat-lined by injuries. If you saw some of the crowd shots during Sunday’s TV broadcast, you may have noticed all of the empty seats. It’s a rare wasted season in Baltimore, but the Rams failed to exploit a disengaged opponent.
For the second time in their current three-game losing streak the Rams heaved up a second-half lead and schlepped around on offense. After going up 13-3 on the Ravens with 6 minutes 25 second remaining in the third quarter and having multiple shots to fly home with a win and a 5-5 record, the Rams did not score again.
That included having a blocked point after touchdown following the 30-yard pass from QB Case Keenum to uncovered tight end Lance Kendricks that put a 10-point barrier between the Rams and the Ravens.
The Rams’ next five possessions consisted of 23 plays for 70 yards with two punts, two lost fumbles and a missed field goal.
It was just another Sunday bloody Sunday.
And a rather senseless one at that.
It was appalling to watch a woozy Keenum rolling around on the ground after having his head slammed to the turf late in the fourth quarter — displaying all the obvious signs of a concussion — and being allowed to stay in the game. He shouldn’t have stayed in there under any circumstances, but Fisher and the Rams did nothing. And two plays later, an oblivious Keenum held onto the ball, got sacked, and lost a fumble that Baltimore turned into the game-winning field goal.
Why take a chance? Why expose him to dangerous risk?
Under any circumstances it was foolish of Fisher to play on with an impaired Keenum.
Keenum completed 12 of 26 passes (46.2 percent) for 136 yards.
That included only 3 completions on 9 third-down passes.
Though Keenum made a few plays, he wasn’t efficient or effective.
The Rams lurched for a mere 213 yards, converted only 3 of 13 third-down plays, and scored a pittance of 13 points against a Baltimore defense that had allowed 25 points per game this season before Sunday.
Then again … why would anyone be surprised by this?
After winning two in a row to improve to 4-3, the Rams have averaged 14.6 points in their three consecutive losses that dumped them to 4-6 on the season.
Rookie running back Todd Gurley — who lost a fumble at a critical time — had his rushing-yards total drop for a third straight game. In Gurley’s first four starts, he averaged 141.5 yards rushing per game, 6.4 yards per carry, and broke through for 15 runs that gained 10+ yards. The Rams averaged 21.2 points in winning three of the four games.
In the last three games, all losses, Gurley has averaged just under 67 yards rushing and 3.3 yards per carry. He’s had only three rushes that produced 10+ yards — and none in each of the last two games.
After the amazing start to his NFL career, we knew that defenses would obviously dial it up to shut down Gurley. He’s STL’s only consistent threat. You’d think that Tavon Austin would burn defenses for fixating on Gurley, but during the three-game losing streak he’s caught seven passes for a dinky 25 yards. And though Austin averages 8.3 yards per rushing attempt this season, the Rams have called only four running plays for him over the last two games. At Baltimore, Austin had two touches from scrimmage (one catch, one run) that netted 21 yards.
One word for this offense: incoherent.
And now the Rams are starting to waste Gurley, and that’s depressing.
OK, I know what some of you are thinking: the offensive line wasn’t good when healthy. And now the injuries have really weakened this group. What can a coaching staff do with the offense when the team is burdened by a depleted O-line?
Well, sorry. No excuses. This offensive line was cultivated and assembled by Fisher and GM Les Snead. They decided to go with an inexperienced line, and brought in only one veteran free agent (the pedestrian Garrett Reynolds) to provide reinforcement. The coach and GM went into the season with a vulnerable O-line, and the results are predictable.
I don’t know how many people are still defending Fisher. But here’s the deal: if you’re among the Fisher backers, that’s fine. But you can’t have both ways. You can’t say the coach is losing because the roster lacks the talent to win.
The coach and GM moved in at Rams Park in 2012, and they’ve had four seasons to put together a winning roster. Fisher has considerable power over the roster decisions. The coach is working with the players he coveted.
After ranking 20th in the NFL with a .453 winning percentage over his first two seasons, Fisher is only 10-16 over the past two seasons — a win percentage of .385 that ranks 24th.
Going back to the final three games of 2014 (all losses), the Rams are 4-9 in their last 13 contests.
Fisher is losing ground — and losing whatever is left of his diminished credibility.
The Rams aren’t improving; they’re backsliding.
Fisher has held his own against NFC West rivals, going 10-10-1 overall against them as Rams coach including 3-0 so far this year. But in games against non-division opponents, Fisher is 14-23 … and that includes a horrendous 1-6 record in games played outside the division this season.
The offense continues to sputter and stall, ranking 31st in offensive points this season.
Since Fisher became the coach in 2012, NFL offenses have averaged 21 points per game. The Rams have come in below the league average (20 points or fewer) in 31 of Fisher’s 58 games. They’re scored 15 or fewer points in 41 percent of his games.
And the goal of making the playoffs is still a whimsical fantasy. Here’s why: over the past three seasons, NFL teams that made the playoffs averaged 24 points on offense per game during the regular season, and the Rams have hit that mark in only 22 of Fisher’s 58 games. In his four years the Rams have never averaged more than 19 points per game in a season.
I could go on, but I’ve written this stuff so many times it’s beyond redundant.
The Rams are being led by a coach that hasn’t had a viable offense in years. He hasn’t had a playoff team since 2008 at Tennesse, and hasn’t won a postseason game since 2003 with Tennessee.
The Rams’ winning percentage is in decline. Their offensive-points scored average of 16.3 points is the same in 2015, Fisher’s fourth season, as it was in his first year (2012) of a total rebuild.
The Rams are headed to their 12th consecutive non-winning season.
If the Rams stay in St. Louis instead of moving to Los Angeles — and barring some unexpectedly dramatic winning streak — I don’t see how the team can keep this coach in place for 2016. If the team is here, a fresh start is mandatory. And there’s nothing fresh about the way the Rams continue to straggle on offense. And there’s nothing fresh about the penalties, the inability to establish a credible quarterback, or the futility of the passing game. There’s nothing fresh about me writing the same old columns after so many Rams’ loses. I’m not out of words. Just out of patience.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/23/nothing-fresh-about-fisher-same-old-rams-same-old-rants/
Really, now: is there anything fresh and new and different to say about the St. Louis Rams and head coach Jeff Fisher?
No angle remains untouched. No trend has been overlooked.
We’ve hit on the same themes so many times now, this column should be able to write itself as I sit back, fire up a cigar, watch Sunday-night football and ignore the laptop screen as the usual words appear.
A slumberous offense. Ineffective, inept coaching. Mediocre (at best) quarterback play. Poor discipline. Too many hideous losses. Too many victories that slip away. Too many underachieving or flopping draft picks.
Not enough playmakers. Not enough points: on the scoreboard or in the IQ.
Same Old Rams.
Same Old Rants.
The Rams may have reached a new low under Fisher on Sunday in Baltimore, asphyxiating their 10-point, third-quarter lead in a 16-13 loss to the Ravens. The home team entered with a 2-7 record and a season flat-lined by injuries. If you saw some of the crowd shots during Sunday’s TV broadcast, you may have noticed all of the empty seats. It’s a rare wasted season in Baltimore, but the Rams failed to exploit a disengaged opponent.
For the second time in their current three-game losing streak the Rams heaved up a second-half lead and schlepped around on offense. After going up 13-3 on the Ravens with 6 minutes 25 second remaining in the third quarter and having multiple shots to fly home with a win and a 5-5 record, the Rams did not score again.
That included having a blocked point after touchdown following the 30-yard pass from QB Case Keenum to uncovered tight end Lance Kendricks that put a 10-point barrier between the Rams and the Ravens.
The Rams’ next five possessions consisted of 23 plays for 70 yards with two punts, two lost fumbles and a missed field goal.
It was just another Sunday bloody Sunday.
And a rather senseless one at that.
It was appalling to watch a woozy Keenum rolling around on the ground after having his head slammed to the turf late in the fourth quarter — displaying all the obvious signs of a concussion — and being allowed to stay in the game. He shouldn’t have stayed in there under any circumstances, but Fisher and the Rams did nothing. And two plays later, an oblivious Keenum held onto the ball, got sacked, and lost a fumble that Baltimore turned into the game-winning field goal.
Why take a chance? Why expose him to dangerous risk?
Under any circumstances it was foolish of Fisher to play on with an impaired Keenum.
Keenum completed 12 of 26 passes (46.2 percent) for 136 yards.
That included only 3 completions on 9 third-down passes.
Though Keenum made a few plays, he wasn’t efficient or effective.
The Rams lurched for a mere 213 yards, converted only 3 of 13 third-down plays, and scored a pittance of 13 points against a Baltimore defense that had allowed 25 points per game this season before Sunday.
Then again … why would anyone be surprised by this?
After winning two in a row to improve to 4-3, the Rams have averaged 14.6 points in their three consecutive losses that dumped them to 4-6 on the season.
Rookie running back Todd Gurley — who lost a fumble at a critical time — had his rushing-yards total drop for a third straight game. In Gurley’s first four starts, he averaged 141.5 yards rushing per game, 6.4 yards per carry, and broke through for 15 runs that gained 10+ yards. The Rams averaged 21.2 points in winning three of the four games.
In the last three games, all losses, Gurley has averaged just under 67 yards rushing and 3.3 yards per carry. He’s had only three rushes that produced 10+ yards — and none in each of the last two games.
After the amazing start to his NFL career, we knew that defenses would obviously dial it up to shut down Gurley. He’s STL’s only consistent threat. You’d think that Tavon Austin would burn defenses for fixating on Gurley, but during the three-game losing streak he’s caught seven passes for a dinky 25 yards. And though Austin averages 8.3 yards per rushing attempt this season, the Rams have called only four running plays for him over the last two games. At Baltimore, Austin had two touches from scrimmage (one catch, one run) that netted 21 yards.
One word for this offense: incoherent.
And now the Rams are starting to waste Gurley, and that’s depressing.
OK, I know what some of you are thinking: the offensive line wasn’t good when healthy. And now the injuries have really weakened this group. What can a coaching staff do with the offense when the team is burdened by a depleted O-line?
Well, sorry. No excuses. This offensive line was cultivated and assembled by Fisher and GM Les Snead. They decided to go with an inexperienced line, and brought in only one veteran free agent (the pedestrian Garrett Reynolds) to provide reinforcement. The coach and GM went into the season with a vulnerable O-line, and the results are predictable.
I don’t know how many people are still defending Fisher. But here’s the deal: if you’re among the Fisher backers, that’s fine. But you can’t have both ways. You can’t say the coach is losing because the roster lacks the talent to win.
The coach and GM moved in at Rams Park in 2012, and they’ve had four seasons to put together a winning roster. Fisher has considerable power over the roster decisions. The coach is working with the players he coveted.
After ranking 20th in the NFL with a .453 winning percentage over his first two seasons, Fisher is only 10-16 over the past two seasons — a win percentage of .385 that ranks 24th.
Going back to the final three games of 2014 (all losses), the Rams are 4-9 in their last 13 contests.
Fisher is losing ground — and losing whatever is left of his diminished credibility.
The Rams aren’t improving; they’re backsliding.
Fisher has held his own against NFC West rivals, going 10-10-1 overall against them as Rams coach including 3-0 so far this year. But in games against non-division opponents, Fisher is 14-23 … and that includes a horrendous 1-6 record in games played outside the division this season.
The offense continues to sputter and stall, ranking 31st in offensive points this season.
Since Fisher became the coach in 2012, NFL offenses have averaged 21 points per game. The Rams have come in below the league average (20 points or fewer) in 31 of Fisher’s 58 games. They’re scored 15 or fewer points in 41 percent of his games.
And the goal of making the playoffs is still a whimsical fantasy. Here’s why: over the past three seasons, NFL teams that made the playoffs averaged 24 points on offense per game during the regular season, and the Rams have hit that mark in only 22 of Fisher’s 58 games. In his four years the Rams have never averaged more than 19 points per game in a season.
I could go on, but I’ve written this stuff so many times it’s beyond redundant.
The Rams are being led by a coach that hasn’t had a viable offense in years. He hasn’t had a playoff team since 2008 at Tennesse, and hasn’t won a postseason game since 2003 with Tennessee.
The Rams’ winning percentage is in decline. Their offensive-points scored average of 16.3 points is the same in 2015, Fisher’s fourth season, as it was in his first year (2012) of a total rebuild.
The Rams are headed to their 12th consecutive non-winning season.
If the Rams stay in St. Louis instead of moving to Los Angeles — and barring some unexpectedly dramatic winning streak — I don’t see how the team can keep this coach in place for 2016. If the team is here, a fresh start is mandatory. And there’s nothing fresh about the way the Rams continue to straggle on offense. And there’s nothing fresh about the penalties, the inability to establish a credible quarterback, or the futility of the passing game. There’s nothing fresh about me writing the same old columns after so many Rams’ loses. I’m not out of words. Just out of patience.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
