Our WR's...

[mr.stlouis]

They've been an anomaly to me all season up to this point. I think I'm starting to get it now.

First and foremost, I like our WR's and beleive the talent is there to be a complete unit. But the talent hasn't translated to production. Here are my general reasons why.

1. Barring Pettis, they have ZERO play recognition.

Hot routes, abysmal. Coming back to the ball, atrocious.Physicality, very little. A general lack in concentration. It's like they don't have ANY feel for the moment. OC calls a play and they become robots no matter what the defense is doing. It's cost us time and time again. It's cost us in every game this year.

Now how do we fix this? Is time and patience all we need?

And BTW, Jared Cook looks like he's just going through the motions at times. He had a brutal 3rd down drop and he's not looking like he's worth the price tag.

They're using Austin very safe. He pretty much never catches a pass over the middle and I don't think it's by accident.

Our Kendricks and Harkey are outplaying the WR's and Cook by a wide margin. They're blocking well and catching the ball with authority.

We lack a consistent size threat at WO. There are times where we need that A. Boldin style of catch and nobody to do it. Quick has his head up you know where and many plays. He's just not "getting it."

All in all, that game is a route if our defense doesn't kick @ss for 60 minuites. I don't really think we are lacking in the offensive side of the ball except for in the interior of the OL and experience. I'd like to focus the D in the offseason. I think the offense will turn it around as the fruit ripens.

On a side note, Stacy is awesome and we need a RB to help in out. DR is a good third guy.

 

[jjab360]

I'm done with Quick. He plays like he's half his size, has terrible hands, and almost no awareness for the position whatsoever. Vincent Jackson looked 10x times better than Quick at this point in his career even though he got limited playing time early in his career, tired of hearing that comparison.

Mike Evans is everything that Quick was supposed to be, we need to get him in the top 10 in April.

 

[-X-]

Man, I said before the game that Clemens was going to get out of the pocket and hoped that the receivers would be able to recognize that and hustle back to him to make a play. They didn't. And you're right. Blitz recognition is not very good right now. I hope it's just an issue with youth, but one of those was on Cook. He should know better in those situations.

 

[Ramhusker]

Hard to argue with much of that. As usual with our Rams, we have tons of potential but none of our WRs play like they are the complete package. Too many drops, too many fowled up routes, too many "apparently" giving up on plays. I'm thinking some of it is youth and getting acclimated to the NFL but damn, it sure is painful to watch.

 

[jrry32]

Schotty completely wastes Austin. The guy is the best route runner on the team and we sit him on the bench the entire game.

 

[RamEERS]

you know... there's one more WR on the roster that we havent used yet.... oh wait.. schotty will ruin him like tavon... nvm...

 

[-X-]

Schotty completely wastes Austin. The guy is the best route runner on the team and we sit him on the bench the entire game.

Because ... he hates Tavon?
Or is it because he's only got an elementary grasp of the scheme and has designed plays for him just like he did with Givens last year? And how about the long receptions he DID make, but were nullified by penalty? I get that he should be used more, but there has to be more reason for it than "OC idiot."

 

[fearsomefour]

Because ... he hates Tavon?
Or is it because he's only got an elementary grasp of the scheme and has designed plays for him just like he did with Givens last year? And how about the long receptions he DID make, but were nullified by penalty? I get that he should be used more, but there has to be more reason for it than "OC idiot."

It was interesting to hear Gruden speak to this during the game. Stating that the offense at WV was very elementary and didnt even huddle. Talked about Austin taking home recordings of play calls to practice lining up correctly (basically trying to remember the plays). So, if all of that is true, this is a guy that is a ways away from being comfortable enough to just go out and play without thinking. Bailey, coming from the same O, it would stand to reason is having the same hard time adjusting. It may benefit him grealty in the long run to not be on the field this season. Soak it in and learn.

 

[-X-]

It was interesting to hear Gruden speak to this during the game. Stating that the offense at WV was very elementary and didnt even huddle. Talked about Austin taking home recordings of play calls to practice lining up correctly (basically trying to remember the plays). So, if all of that is true, this is a guy that is a ways away from being comfortable enough to just go out and play without thinking. Bailey, coming from the same O, it would stand to reason is having the same hard time adjusting. It may benefit him grealty in the long run to not be on the field this season. Soak it in and learn.

I don't think we should remove him from the field entirely, but he does need to be eased into the offense incrementally as the season wears on. For all we know he could have a massive second half of the season when it starts clicking for him. Another bonus would be if the blocking in front of him on those bubble screens were actually effective.

 

[jrry32]

Because ... he hates Tavon?
Or is it because he's only got an elementary grasp of the scheme and has designed plays for him just like he did with Givens last year? And how about the long receptions he DID make, but were nullified by penalty? I get that he should be used more, but there has to be more reason for it than "OC idiot."

The reason is that he's one of our best weapons and we're wasting him by using him as a hydration specialist. The guy should be splitting the 2 WR set snaps with Givens. The guy should play out of the back-field. Instead, we pigeon-hole him to the slot and use him as a decoy.

 

[fearsomefour]

I don't think we should remove him from the field entirely, but he does need to be eased into the offense incrementally as the season wears on. For all we know he could have a massive second half of the season when it starts clicking for him. Another bonus would be if the blocking in front of him on those bubble screens were actually effective.

I agree with all of that....I did like how Schottenheimer used him out of the bunch formation a couple of times. Its a work in progress. I am not down on Austin at all at this point really. The problem at this point to me is the expectation of being taken that high is always the same, regardless of the situation. I fully expect at some point in the second half Austin to have a "break out" (a overused term) game where he finds the endzone 3 times or so.

 

[-X-]

The reason is that he's one of our best weapons and we're wasting him by using him as a hydration specialist. The guy should be splitting the 2 WR set snaps with Givens. The guy should play out of the back-field. Instead, we pigeon-hole him to the slot and use him as a decoy.

He was drafted as a slot guy. And he does split time outside as well. I'm not saying that he's being utilized to the fullest of his potential either. I'm just saying there has to be more of a reason than the OC is stupid. That's a nice flop by Tavon in your sig too. Made me laugh.

 

[fearsomefour]

He was drafted as a slot guy. And he does split time outside as well. I'm not saying that he's being utilized to the fullest of his potential either. I'm just saying there has to be more of a reason than the OC is stupid. That's a nice flop by Tavon in your sig too. Made me laugh.

Haha. Agreed, dude went down like he was shot. Trying to draw 15....that was a vet play, haha.

 

[-X-]

Haha. Agreed, dude went down like he was shot. Trying to draw 15....that was a vet play, haha.

lol. That made me laugh too (like he was shot).
I can use a couple of laughs tonight.

 

[fearsomefour]

lol. That made me laugh too (like he was shot).
I can use a couple of laughs tonight.

We all could, but, there were positives for sure tonight. People vent differently, but, I for one still believe overall the team is headed (long term) in the right direction even if this year is done in terms of playoffs. Happy with the loss? No. But, tons of fight shown tonight and we were all reminded how exciting this D can be. Certainly raises the expectation of this team being able to be competitive in a lot of games the rest of the way. Like someone somewhere once said, ever forward.

 

[-X-]

I think we're going to see plenty of opportunities in the passing game going forward now (provided Dahl is okay).
200 net yards rushing against THAT defense?

 

[fearsomefour]

Yeah, I noticed he was out, any idea what the issue was with Harvey?
It was indeed a good showing by the Oline. Stacy was really decisive on some of the runs tonight, he really looks the part of a 20+ carry a game guy.

 

[moklerman]

Glad someone else started this thread. The WR's are becoming downright worrisome at this point. Granted, I was ready to defend Schottenheimer's offense as crazy as that idea sounds...until they abandoned the running game the last two plays from the 1 yard line. My point being, I'm lost as to what the problem is. It's probably a combination of the WR's AND Schottenheimer but this group has got to grow up.

Even the two interceptions tonight were, according to Fisher, on the receivers and not Clemens. Cook quit on his route and Pettis fell down. God, what would Boldin have done for this offense this year? Or a guy like him.

 

[fearsomefour]

Cook did quit on his route....he looks like a guy who has no feel for the game at all. A great straight line athlete with not much game day IQ. The throw to Pettis was just a bad throw. The pass to Cook Clemons was just throwing it out there as a jump ball basically. Cook reminds me of Troy Drayton so far....tons of potential and average production.

 

[V3]

It was interesting to hear Gruden speak to this during the game. Stating that the offense at WV was very elementary and didnt even huddle. Talked about Austin taking home recordings of play calls to practice lining up correctly (basically trying to remember the plays). So, if all of that is true, this is a guy that is a ways away from being comfortable enough to just go out and play without thinking. Bailey, coming from the same O, it would stand to reason is having the same hard time adjusting. It may benefit him grealty in the long run to not be on the field this season. Soak it in and learn.

This has me concerned. If it's this difficult for these receivers to grasp the offense, that pretty much means a new scheme would ruin them. That means we're stuck with Schotty.