Official Underwhelmed Thread

[Angry Ram]

Every year we hear "Its just the preseason". Like I said earlier, if we were a previous playoff team I wouldn't put much stock in the poor play during the preseason. But we've been a losing team for a long time. Preseasons then looked like preseason now. "Its just the preseason" turns into "Its just September". Then "Its just October". Finally December comes and its "Who do we draft next year?"

Remember when Sam Bradford to Lance Kendricks looked like the next Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates?

Ahhh those were the preseason days.

 

[OldSchool]

Seriously, what do you expect? I mean, you would have to be blind to not see a trend here. The team plays like utter crap every single preseason and then they continue that trend the first few games of the season. Before they finally get some semblance of cohesiveness, it's too late into the season to matter.

Why watch then? Why bother spreading your negativity? You know how things are going to turn out from 2 glorified practices then don't put yourself through it just take a nice long fall/winter holiday from the NFL. And for the record we weren't always crap as you say in the preseason. Spagnola won games in the preseason, sometimes more than he did in the regular season.

 

[OldSchool]

Well, when you suck for more than 10 years straight and every preseason team looks like every regular season team.....you learn to give in sooner rather than later. In the end the Rams have proven the naysayers right EVERY year.

Then again it's gonna be quiet around here because if you know they're going to suck why subject yourself to the punishment? Have a nice extended 2015 offseason we'll see you for the 2016 draft. No other team practiced as much as we did the past week and then traveled as much as we did. You don't think that has anything to do with what we saw tonight? It's a glorified practice that they can generate money from! You honestly think there's a point to games in the preseason? The only reason we have 4 games during training camp is it generates more revenues. Teams would be better off with a joint practice 2 or 3 times at the end of camp.

 

[Merlin]

Ok so I am starting to feel some serious negativity creeping in now from watching this team. I understand that it's preseason and that Fish is not some new coach trying to get all rah-rah by gameplanning and overpreparing for what are essentially scrimmages. However... I think there are some areas where we had better see some serious improvement in the first half of the next game, which is the dry run for the season:

First is the running game. WTF are these guys doing? Do they think you can suddenly throw a switch in game one against Seattle and be like "Hey guys SURPRISE!!! We're really a badass running team when you thought we were gonna suck hahahahaha!!!"

Second is stopping the run. God forbid if Brockers gets hurt. If that happens these guys are gonna give up 200 yards per game. I'm serious.

Third is the defense not being able to get off the field. Again. Looks just like early last season. We can try to waive off preseason results but a trend is there with this team and it's not a good one.

I get that with gameplanning things change dramatically and all that. But still... I am officially worried. If this team doesn't look drastically better in the first half of game three I might find something else to do week one vs Seattle because I am tired of being burned, of having my hopes trampled right out the gate.

 

[ChrisW]

Third is the defense not being able to get off the field. Again. Looks just like early last season. We can try to waive off preseason results but a trend is there with this team and it's not a good one.

The first team defense didn't give up a TD. We're either going to be lock-down with blitzes, or we're going to give up chunk yardage. That's the way it is.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I'm not ready to jump off a bridge like so many others in here. Lol.

But, I am officially underwhelmed with the blocking up front and the running game in general. The philosophy has been openly stated by the HC, the GM and player(s) were drafted in order to support it. This team better be able to run the ball effectively and consistently...even without Gurley in there.

 

[kurtfaulk]

The first team defense didn't give up a TD. We're either going to be lock-down with blitzes, or we're going to give up chunk yardage. That's the way it is.

only because a wide open mccluster dropped an easy catch in the endzone. i know it's preseason and the cowboys were just as bad so this oxnard week may have had something to do with it but damn, try not to look so bad.

.

 

[Boston Ram]

Why watch the team then? What enjoyment do you derive from this if you can't even wait until the regular season to give up?

Because he is a fan. I have been a Rams fan for 40 years and there have been more downs then ups but seasons like 79 and 99 make it worth it.

 

[RAGRam]

Why watch the team then?

I imagine for most people with that mindset the thinking is: at this point I've invested 10 years in watching the Rams play shit football, I'll be damned if I'm not investing an 11th on the chance that this is the year they play good, even if I don't believe it will be. Most people call it throwing good money after bad.

 

[ProGen]

Pre-Season Rams fans

 

[LumberTubs]

Most people seem to be falling into one of two camps; 1) chill out its just pre-season and 2) holy hell, the sky is falling!

As with most things both sides have valid points. Yes its only pre-season and it doesn't have any bearing on how the regular season will pan out (unless we're talking about injuries in which case we should be thankful that we came out of last night's game injury free).

On the flip side, its looks eerily familiar to pre-season last year with the word 'vanilla' being used more than at any other time of year. We started the regular season in 2014 poorly. QB issues aside, that first game at home to Minnesota couldn't have been more of a kick in the gut to all of us who were feeling optimistic. We're all feeling optimistic again this time round just to add to the list of similarities.

My advice is wait until after we've seen some extended play from the 1's in the next game as that will be the closest thing to a regular season we're going to see until Sept 13th.

 

[Yamahopper]

No one important got hurt.
That's all that matters to me.

 

[brokeu91]

I'm officially off the Kool Aid. I'm entering a Kool Aid 12 step program. Until this team shows me something that looks good, and they showed absolutely nothing that looked good last night, then I have nothing to hope for.

Maybe I could shrug it off being that it's preseason if this was a winning team that always came out of the gate at full throttle. But every year they start slow. I can't help but think it starts in preseason with these "games" and lack of trying. I'm not going to say I know more than Fisher, but when every Rams fan can see the same thing over and over again, maybe it's not just me.

Seattle comes on week 1. I don't know what else to say other than if they aren't ready there's not a snowballs chance in hell that this team will beat the Hags. Like the OP, I'm now officially underwhelmed and will think of this team like a 6-7 game winning team (just like every year) until they can show me something that makes me think they're better than that.

Maybe if we go into the season with a perspective that is more realistic then we won't feel that kick in the gut that we do when we lose to the Vikings 34-0

 

[Alan]

Memphis Ram seeing the light:
I'm becoming convinced that the DBs have been taught to throw a shoulder at opponents rather than wrapping them up.

Hmmmm? Where have I heard that before?

 

[dieterbrock]

The starting offense hasn't scored any points in 2 games and looked lost last night. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be disappointed in that.
It doesn't mean the season is lost or giving up any hope.
As for the defense, the only thing that concerns me is that if the refs are going to call roughing the passer every time they touch the qb, it's gonna be painful

 

[Alan]

We were all worried about our pass pro and we allowed zero sacks in this game. That's got to bring a small smile to everyone's face. We also out rushed the Titans by 1 yard and had a 4.7 yd average to the Titans 3.9 yd average. That is an improvement over last week.
Rushing Offense
Game 1: 21/86 4.1 avg.
Game 2: 21/113 4.7 avg.
Rushing Defense
Game 1: 30/102 3.4 avg.
Game 2: 29/112 3.9 avg.

 

[RaminExile]

I'll gladly take being 0-4 in the preseason and making the POs over being 4-0 and finishing 2-14.

We all would - but when did we last do that? We suck in the pre-season every year under Fisher and then suck for about 4 games in the regular season whilst we knock that rust off. That's the concern. We know its "just preseason", but the trend in our case at least seems to carry over. Our sloppy play carries over, the penalties carry over, being unable to tackle carries over, not stopping the run carries over etc.

Its not like we suck in pre-season every year and then go smash the league up and go to the playoffs 16-0?

 

[Athos]

It is only pre season and some of you have thrown in the towel already? Fisher plays every preseason game like he is keeping a secret. You should be used to it by now. You wont see the real team until the season starts.

The question would again be, then why bother playing the starters? Give them rest. Take deep, extended looks at guys you might want on practice, or guys from prior years on the bubble (Pead, Givens, etc) chances to prove they belong.

No point even risking injury in preseason then by playing the starters. It's a waste of time.

 

[Oldgeek]

I figured the offense would suck, but all the press on what a bad ass defense this will be is just BS. If you blitz on every play and can't cover or stop the run, it will continue to be ugly.