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Bonsignore: Rams are happy to be 4-2, but not content
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, left, talks with head coach Sean McVay during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The dark clouds and wet, gloomy conditions that besieged North Florida the last couple of days lifted by the time the Rams returned to practice Wednesday in preparation for their Sunday game against the Cardinals in London.
But Florida being Florida, sooner than you could say Aaron Donald is the best defensive lineman in the NFL, daunting clouds rolled back in to add a definite shade of gray to what had mostly been blue skies.
And in a way, it offered the perfect overhead from which to view the Rams current position and frame of mind as they near the halfway point of their very telling second season in Los Angeles.
At the risk of playing the clichéd game of after-the-fact rationalizing, it’s safe to say had you asked the Rams and their fans at the beginning of training camp whether they’d accept a 4-2 start to the 2017 season, a mass rush to click the “Absolutely” link would have ensued. And, with the Rams sitting in that precise place six games in, it would be a bit disingenuous not to express satisfaction as a result.
But here’s the rub: It’s a satisfaction that comes with an asterisk. The Rams don’t feel fortunate to be 4-2. Nor lucky, fortuitous or charmed.
Quite the contrary actually.
Their asterisk represents a definite feeling of “but it should be even better,” after the stubbing of the toes that occurred in losses to Washington and Seattle. And for longtime Rams accustomed to experiencing sinking feelings this time of year, that’s, well, kind of cool.
“It just feels good to feel that way,” said defensive tackle Michael Brockers. “Even with two losses on your record, you feel like you could have won one of those games. Or both of them, and be here sitting at (6-0). And that’s a great feeling. I haven’t had that feeling in a long time.
“It feels good to not have a losing record, but also know we can be so much better.”
The Rams can’t rewrite their wrongs through the first six games of a 16-game season. The five turnovers against the Seahawks and the untimely mistakes against Washington are disappointments they just have to swallow. But you get the feeling their reaction to where they sit now creates almost the perfect position from which to attack the rest of the season.
Good but could be better. Happy but still not content. Satisfied, but …
“Happy with where we are but at the same time disappointed in some of the things that caused us to lose two of those game,” is how quarterback Jared Goff put it. “There’s definitely that, not being content and wanting more and I think that’s the sign of a great team. That’s good to see around here.”
This isn’t last year, or so many others previously, where the Rams talked about improvements or finding solutions and answers but, in the deepest part of their souls, knew those answers weren’t coming anytime soon.
Damaged rosters provided no ready-made improvements. A flawed coaching staff offered insufficient guidance or ability to fix and lead.
So while they talked a lot, it was all in lieu of real solutions or meaningful change. That isn’t the case anymore, which is why the defensive woes of early in the season were more easily accepted because there was sufficient talent on hand and a proven coach and system under coordinator Wade Phillips.
After giving up 90 points over the first 10 quarters of the season, the Rams have allowed just 39 points over the past 10 as players get more acclimated to the 3-4 defense under Phillips, and Donald continues to round into form.
“We’ve just been buying into the system and trusting the process and it’s been working,” Brockers said.
And it’s why they can be disappointed at the offensive breakdowns over the past two games that cost them the game against the Seahawks and made the one over the Jaguars closer than it should have been, but not completely disheartened.
The Rams’ woes in the red zone and difficulty converting on third downs on Sunday — they were 4 of 13 — are fixable. Not in the way it’s been in the past. In fact, the Rams have already shown enough proficiency in both areas this year — from a talent, scheme and execution level — that there’s confidence they can reclaim that previous efficiency.
“I think it’s just execution on each play,” Goff said. “I think we had some good plays on (recently) and we just didn’t quite execute them. Everyone’s a part of it. I can throw a couple of balls a little better, I think. We can do a little better running routes. But for the most part it’s just execution. And we look to bounce back in that this week.”
The Rams in the past uttered similar answers. They talked about fixing things and getting better and executing more efficiently. It all sounded great. But just like the taste of cotton candy dissolves into virtually nothing almost immediately after you take a bite, all those proclamations and promises never amounted to anything.
You don’t get the feeling that’s the case with these Rams. Their answers seem available, that execution attainable. And it’s driven by a surprisingly frank mindset.
The Rams don’t feel lucky to be 4-2, even after more than a decade of losing. If anything, there’s genuine disappointment that they aren’t 6-0. It’s a perspective that bodes well moving forward.
“Our two losses, we lost by six points and seven points,” Rams guard Rodger Saffold said. “And those are things we look at, especially as an offense, and say: ‘What could we have done better to put more points on the board? What can we do to stay on the field longer, to help out the defense?’
“And those are constant challenges that are getting us to work, day after day after day, instead of just sitting back and looking at our record like: ‘Hey, we’re doing so well.’”
[www.ocregister.com]
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, left, talks with head coach Sean McVay during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The dark clouds and wet, gloomy conditions that besieged North Florida the last couple of days lifted by the time the Rams returned to practice Wednesday in preparation for their Sunday game against the Cardinals in London.
But Florida being Florida, sooner than you could say Aaron Donald is the best defensive lineman in the NFL, daunting clouds rolled back in to add a definite shade of gray to what had mostly been blue skies.
And in a way, it offered the perfect overhead from which to view the Rams current position and frame of mind as they near the halfway point of their very telling second season in Los Angeles.
At the risk of playing the clichéd game of after-the-fact rationalizing, it’s safe to say had you asked the Rams and their fans at the beginning of training camp whether they’d accept a 4-2 start to the 2017 season, a mass rush to click the “Absolutely” link would have ensued. And, with the Rams sitting in that precise place six games in, it would be a bit disingenuous not to express satisfaction as a result.
But here’s the rub: It’s a satisfaction that comes with an asterisk. The Rams don’t feel fortunate to be 4-2. Nor lucky, fortuitous or charmed.
Quite the contrary actually.
Their asterisk represents a definite feeling of “but it should be even better,” after the stubbing of the toes that occurred in losses to Washington and Seattle. And for longtime Rams accustomed to experiencing sinking feelings this time of year, that’s, well, kind of cool.
“It just feels good to feel that way,” said defensive tackle Michael Brockers. “Even with two losses on your record, you feel like you could have won one of those games. Or both of them, and be here sitting at (6-0). And that’s a great feeling. I haven’t had that feeling in a long time.
“It feels good to not have a losing record, but also know we can be so much better.”
The Rams can’t rewrite their wrongs through the first six games of a 16-game season. The five turnovers against the Seahawks and the untimely mistakes against Washington are disappointments they just have to swallow. But you get the feeling their reaction to where they sit now creates almost the perfect position from which to attack the rest of the season.
Good but could be better. Happy but still not content. Satisfied, but …
“Happy with where we are but at the same time disappointed in some of the things that caused us to lose two of those game,” is how quarterback Jared Goff put it. “There’s definitely that, not being content and wanting more and I think that’s the sign of a great team. That’s good to see around here.”
This isn’t last year, or so many others previously, where the Rams talked about improvements or finding solutions and answers but, in the deepest part of their souls, knew those answers weren’t coming anytime soon.
Damaged rosters provided no ready-made improvements. A flawed coaching staff offered insufficient guidance or ability to fix and lead.
So while they talked a lot, it was all in lieu of real solutions or meaningful change. That isn’t the case anymore, which is why the defensive woes of early in the season were more easily accepted because there was sufficient talent on hand and a proven coach and system under coordinator Wade Phillips.
After giving up 90 points over the first 10 quarters of the season, the Rams have allowed just 39 points over the past 10 as players get more acclimated to the 3-4 defense under Phillips, and Donald continues to round into form.
“We’ve just been buying into the system and trusting the process and it’s been working,” Brockers said.
And it’s why they can be disappointed at the offensive breakdowns over the past two games that cost them the game against the Seahawks and made the one over the Jaguars closer than it should have been, but not completely disheartened.
The Rams’ woes in the red zone and difficulty converting on third downs on Sunday — they were 4 of 13 — are fixable. Not in the way it’s been in the past. In fact, the Rams have already shown enough proficiency in both areas this year — from a talent, scheme and execution level — that there’s confidence they can reclaim that previous efficiency.
“I think it’s just execution on each play,” Goff said. “I think we had some good plays on (recently) and we just didn’t quite execute them. Everyone’s a part of it. I can throw a couple of balls a little better, I think. We can do a little better running routes. But for the most part it’s just execution. And we look to bounce back in that this week.”
The Rams in the past uttered similar answers. They talked about fixing things and getting better and executing more efficiently. It all sounded great. But just like the taste of cotton candy dissolves into virtually nothing almost immediately after you take a bite, all those proclamations and promises never amounted to anything.
You don’t get the feeling that’s the case with these Rams. Their answers seem available, that execution attainable. And it’s driven by a surprisingly frank mindset.
The Rams don’t feel lucky to be 4-2, even after more than a decade of losing. If anything, there’s genuine disappointment that they aren’t 6-0. It’s a perspective that bodes well moving forward.
“Our two losses, we lost by six points and seven points,” Rams guard Rodger Saffold said. “And those are things we look at, especially as an offense, and say: ‘What could we have done better to put more points on the board? What can we do to stay on the field longer, to help out the defense?’
“And those are constant challenges that are getting us to work, day after day after day, instead of just sitting back and looking at our record like: ‘Hey, we’re doing so well.’”
[www.ocregister.com]
