"Seattle mailed it in today against the Rams"

[Dieter the Brock]

I'm scared they will buy into the fools gold of Keenum and Boras and stand pat. Last year they scapegoated the QB and stood pat on the receivers. We need a new QB and much better WR and TE play.

Scared of being 8-8?
I get it, it's not a winning record but it's not a losing record

This regime has drafted 2 back to back-to-back All Pros in Donald and Gurley

At this point - despite my calling for Fisher's head -at this point in the season we are closer to champions than losers

 

[Loyal]

I'm scared they will buy into the fools gold of Keenum and Boras and stand pat. Last year they scapegoated the QB and stood pat on the receivers. We need a new QB and much better WR and TE play.

Seriously, no one will be available in 2016 FA that I can see, that is better than Keenum is proving to be...The QB class this year isn't that good...Once our Oline solidifies and we get a #1 WR in the draft this year, Gurley will be the force, and Keenum will throw a TD or two every game and he won't throw pick sixes...I don't think with our situation, we can do better than this without a horrific cost being paid with draft picks, etc...

 

[Big Willie]

If the Hawks mailed it in today...then they are F'n stupid. Division games are always tough to win. Ask Pittsburgh, Carolina, and New England and they all got handled against teams they should have probably beaten. No smart team would ever take a division rival for granted.

 

[D L]

It's already been mentioned by someone earlier, but if they were really mailing it in they would not have played Russell Wilson all game and have him take hit after hit and risk the injury.

 

[RamFan503]

Just a totally ignorant statement. Yeah.... let's get our QB blown up cuz we don't care about the game. I hate this kind of crap spewed out of these talking heads' blow holes.

It's just nonsensical bullshit because they couldn't possibly be wrong about who would win.

 

[Warner4Prez]

Mail it in. That's a nice way of saying waived the white flag. I'll take it.

 

[Merlin]

Yeah I hate that the media aren't smart enough to just chalk it up as a rivalry game, where teams know each other so well it's like two brothers throwing down and anything can happen. Seattle locker room is p!$$ed because they got physically beat and manhandled and that is not something you can explain away with a blown coverage or guy out of position. But hey, it happens and they'll rebound because they're still a playoff team and deserve to be there.

The key here is that Fish stays true to what he knows needs to be fixed with his team. The OL just played the best game I've seen from them vs a legit playoff defense than I've seen in a long time. Wichmann and Havenstein look like two guys who are going to man the right side of that line for many years to come. Holes were there on that side inside and outside of the RT, and pretty much the same on the left side where GRob had his best game. This team has the makings of a strong young OL and a Pro Bowl RB, they just gotta get the other pieces right. QB for the love of F first and foremost. And of course WR/TE in the passing game need upgrades.

Where I remain unsure is OC. Boras has impressed me in his ability to get the offensive drives and points he needs when he needs them. Today for example the drive following Seattle's TD was absolutely critical and I was just waiting for a 3 'n out due to conditioning from the body of this offense's work over this season. Is he good enough? Dude is growing on me, but I'm concerned with the small sample size.

 

[Amitar]

It's getting really tough now. The Rams are close to becoming a very good team. I think the Defense if already there and could be one of the best ever next year when Olgeltree, Quinn, McDonald, and Gaines get back. Keenum is getting better each game and making good decisions but he missed on the long balls a couple times when the receivers were open. That is a real concern. The OL looked much better today but still have a ways to go. The next draft is going to be very interesting.

 

[jrry32]

Yeah I hate that the media aren't smart enough to just chalk it up as a rivalry game, where teams know each other so well it's like two brothers throwing down and anything can happen. Seattle locker room is p!$$ed because they got physically beat and manhandled and that is not something you can explain away with a blown coverage or guy out of position. But hey, it happens and they'll rebound because they're still a playoff team and deserve to be there.

The key here is that Fish stays true to what he knows needs to be fixed with his team. The OL just played the best game I've seen from them vs a legit playoff defense than I've seen in a long time. Wichmann and Havenstein look like two guys who are going to man the right side of that line for many years to come. Holes were there on that side inside and outside of the RT, and pretty much the same on the left side where GRob had his best game. This team has the makings of a strong young OL and a Pro Bowl RB, they just gotta get the other pieces right. QB for the love of F first and foremost. And of course WR/TE in the passing game need upgrades.

Where I remain unsure is OC. Boras has impressed me in his ability to get the offensive drives and points he needs when he needs them. Today for example the drive following Seattle's TD was absolutely critical and I was just waiting for a 3 'n out due to conditioning from the body of this offense's work over this season. Is he good enough? Dude is growing on me, but I'm concerned with the small sample size.

Eh, Wichmann had a solid to good game in pass pro from what I saw but he really struggled run blocking.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Scared of being 8-8?
I get it, it's not a winning record but it's not a losing record

This regime has drafted 2 back to back-to-back All Pros in Donald and Gurley

At this point - despite my calling for Fisher's head -at this point in the season we are closer to champions than losers

Agreed. Good post

Seriously, no one will be available in 2016 FA that I can see, that is better than Keenum is proving to be...The QB class this year isn't that good...Once our Oline solidifies and we get a #1 WR in the draft this year, Gurley will be the force, and Keenum will throw a TD or two every game and he won't throw pick sixes...I don't think with our situation, we can do better than this without a horrific cost being paid with draft picks, etc...

My thoughts exactly

 

[Mikey Ram]

Just a totally ignorant statement. Yeah.... let's get our QB blown up cuz we don't care about the game. I hate this kind of crap spewed out of these talking heads' blow holes.
+27
It's just nonsensical bullcrap because they couldn't possibly be wrong about who would win.

 

[Mackeyser]

Eh, Wichmann had a solid to good game in pass pro from what I saw but he really struggled run blocking.

That was always the concern with him this year, tho... Once he's had an off-season in the weight room, he should be a lot more stout in the run game and that should augment his already solid pass pro. Frankly, I think he's significantly better in pass pro than Jamon Brown. The offsetting difference is that Brown was better in run blocking...

 

[jrry32]

Seriously, no one will be available in 2016 FA that I can see, that is better than Keenum is proving to be...The QB class this year isn't that good...Once our Oline solidifies and we get a #1 WR in the draft this year, Gurley will be the force, and Keenum will throw a TD or two every game and he won't throw pick sixes...I don't think with our situation, we can do better than this without a horrific cost being paid with draft picks, etc...

It's plenty good. And we'll have a shot at a talented QB if we want to take it. I'm not okay with what we have at the QB position. The Rams need more. They need a playmaker. It would be like accepting Jared Cook because he doesn't always whiff on blocks and fumble.

 

[Loyal]

It's plenty good. And we'll have a shot at a talented QB if we want to take it. I'm not okay with what we have at the QB position. The Rams need more. They need a playmaker. It would be like accepting Jared Cook because he doesn't always whiff on blocks and fumble.

I have heard of no one mentioned as a sure fire franchise QB except for maybe Goff...and even he got killed a couple of times this year if memory serves. Plus, it seems like most of them run non professional offenses in college, it makes most of these ok prospects a crapshoot. So you are telling me of a sure fire QB prospect that can be had in the middle of the first round? Seems like even longshot QB's shoot up the boards higher than that.

 

[jrry32]

I have heard of no one mentioned as a sure fire franchise QB except for maybe Goff...and even he got killed a couple of times this year if memory serves. Plus, it seems like most of them run non professional offenses in college, it makes most of these ok prospects a crapshoot. So you are telling me of a sure fire QB prospect that can be had in the middle of the first round? Seems like even longshot QB's shoot up the boards higher than that.

There's a "surefire" QB prospect maybe once every 10 years. They're rare. Cam Newton wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. Blake Bortles wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. Derek Carr wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. Aaron Rodgers wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. But if all those teams had let that stop them, they would have been far worse off than they are now.

You want to win a Super Bowl? You have to take risks. Because no matter how people try to rationalize it, Case Keenum isn't Russell Wilson. He isn't Tom Brady. He isn't Aaron Rodgers. Hell, he isn't even Jay Cutler or Matt Stafford. And the most important position in football is the QB position. You don't stick with a guy as a starter if you know he's not a franchise QB.

So yes, I'll take my chances. Because I am sick and tired of losing. We've endured a decade of this shit. Why? Because we haven't had a franchise QB.(well, that's a big part of it...but there are other reasons...it is a team game after all) The last time we had anything resembling a franchise QB was 2006. Will a QB fix every problem? No. But the thing is that we don't have many problems at this point. We need to upgrade a few spots on offense and retain our talent on defense. But we have a team that is ready to contend. We need a freaking QB.

This draft is not weak at the QB position. It seems to me that people consider any draft without an Andrew Luck level QB prospect to be weak. This draft has a lot of QB depth at the top which means we'll likely be able to get a QB without breaking the bank. Unless Goff or Lynch falls, that means Connor Cook or Carson Wentz. At the moment, I think Connor Cook is a better fit for us. Will Connor Cook be a franchise QB? There's no guarantee of that. But I've watched the majority of the games he's played and I can say that I believe he'll be a quality NFL QB.

Take a look at the Jaguars, here's where they ranked in points per game over the past 5 years:
2011 - 28th
2012 - 30th
2013 - 32nd
2014 - 32nd
2015 - 10th

What did the Jaguars do? They brought in Blake Bortles to be their franchise QB and revamped their weapons in the passing game (Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Julius Thomas were major additions). Bortles struggled as a rookie in 2014 but has come out in 2015 and put up 4499 total yards and 37 total TDs to 20 TOs. In the process, he has the Jaguars in the top 10 in points per game...a feat they haven't accomplished since 2007. And a lot of people thought Bortles was a bad pick. A lot of people claimed he was a bust after his rookie year. Not looking like such a bust right now.

Bortles was also a very raw QB. I loved the kid and my opinion of him as a prospect was that he should not play as a rookie. He did play and he struggled. But he worked hard, progressed, and has had a great second year.(unfortunately for him, the Jaguars defense is terrible)

We all love this team. We all want what's best for this team. We all know our defense is a top 10 unit at worst.(when healthy, I think it's a top 5 unit at worst) What we also know is that our offensive unit is one of the worst in football. How do you fix that? By doing what the Jaguars did...aggressively revamping it. We need to aggressively pursue receiving options this off-season and we need to aggressively pursue a QB. Because despite all the support Keenum is receiving, what has he done to elevate the offense? Yes, he had a great game against Tampa. But in his other three starts, our offense was no different than it was under Foles...except Keenum didn't turn it over as much. Some will say that's good enough. I say that it is not. I don't want a team that is completely reliant on the defense to shoulder the burden. We can and should build up our offense to match our defense. Because a balanced team will be far better than a one-dimensional team.

 

[badnews]

There's a "surefire" QB prospect maybe once every 10 years. They're rare. Cam Newton wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. Blake Bortles wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. Derek Carr wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. Aaron Rodgers wasn't considered a surefire QB prospect. But if all those teams had let that stop them, they would have been far worse off than they are now.

You want to win a Super Bowl? You have to take risks. Because no matter how people try to rationalize it, Case Keenum isn't Russell Wilson. He isn't Tom Brady. He isn't Aaron Rodgers. Hell, he isn't even Jay Cutler or Matt Stafford. And the most important position in football is the QB position. You don't stick with a guy as a starter if you know he's not a franchise QB.

So yes, I'll take my chances. Because I am sick and tired of losing. We've endured a decade of this crap. Why? Because we haven't had a franchise QB.(well, that's a big part of it...but there are other reasons...it is a team game after all) The last time we had anything resembling a franchise QB was 2006. Will a QB fix every problem? No. But the thing is that we don't have many problems at this point. We need to upgrade a few spots on offense and retain our talent on defense. But we have a team that is ready to contend. We need a freaking QB.

This draft is not weak at the QB position. It seems to me that people consider any draft without an Andrew Luck level QB prospect to be weak. This draft has a lot of QB depth at the top which means we'll likely be able to get a QB without breaking the bank. Unless Goff or Lynch falls, that means Connor Cook or Carson Wentz. At the moment, I think Connor Cook is a better fit for us. Will Connor Cook be a franchise QB? There's no guarantee of that. But I've watched the majority of the games he's played and I can say that I believe he'll be a quality NFL QB.

Take a look at the Jaguars, here's where they ranked in points per game over the past 5 years:
2011 - 28th
2012 - 30th
2013 - 32nd
2014 - 32nd
2015 - 10th

What did the Jaguars do? They brought in Blake Bortles to be their franchise QB and revamped their weapons in the passing game (Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Julius Thomas were major additions). Bortles struggled as a rookie in 2014 but has come out in 2015 and put up 4499 total yards and 37 total TDs to 20 TOs. In the process, he has the Jaguars in the top 10 in points per game...a feat they haven't accomplished since 2007. And a lot of people thought Bortles was a bad pick. A lot of people claimed he was a bust after his rookie year. Not looking like such a bust right now.

Bortles was also a very raw QB. I loved the kid and my opinion of him as a prospect was that he should not play as a rookie. He did play and he struggled. But he worked hard, progressed, and has had a great second year.(unfortunately for him, the Jaguars defense is terrible)

We all love this team. We all want what's best for this team. We all know our defense is a top 10 unit at worst.(when healthy, I think it's a top 5 unit at worst) What we also know is that our offensive unit is one of the worst in football. How do you fix that? By doing what the Jaguars did...aggressively revamping it. We need to aggressively pursue receiving options this off-season and we need to aggressively pursue a QB. Because despite all the support Keenum is receiving, what has he done to elevate the offense? Yes, he had a great game against Tampa. But in his other three starts, our offense was no different than it was under Foles...except Keenum didn't turn it over as much. Some will say that's good enough. I say that it is not. I don't want a team that is completely reliant on the defense to shoulder the burden. We can and should build up our offense to match our defense. Because a balanced team will be far better than a one-dimensional team.

Cmon Jrry, I get what you are saying but I think you are short-changing Keenum. There are plenty of things Keenum is doing that Foles didn't beyond pick 6s. Let's be honest. Did Foles EVER get the ball out quick? Did he ever show that he could read the field? Did he ever once show the ability to hit a guy in stride this year?

I get it, you want a playmaker at QB.
I just want a guy who can play Quarterback. Now. To start the season. Not a rookie who has to learn for awhile. If you think we can find that guy, great, but I'm not convinced. I would rather get an elite WR and go with Keenum than to try to find a rookie who can make lemonade with Britt and Quick.

I'm all for getting one too. But no need to go out of your way to shortchange what CK is doing.

I'll take a small guy who can play the position over a fast guy or big guy or a combination of the two that may or may not have the right stuff upstairs to win games in the NFL.
How are you so sure that Keenum has no upside? Why can't he be a Drew Brees?

No, I don't want to ignore the position. Yes I want another guy in the mix. But next year when week 1 rolls around, I want the best QB we can find to win that game. I'm not convinced that person won't be Case.

 

[junkman]

and a defense that's playing lights out without Quinn, Ogletree, TJ...

...AND Fairley, Barron and Westbrooks, all went down in the 1st quarter. Normally I wouldn’t mention Westbrooks except that I think the Rams were down to 5 DL and the guys were clearly tired from chasing Wilson around. Barron is a natural born Wilson hunter on the blitz (as are Ogletree and Quinn).

 

[fearsomefour]

So the Rams dominated the Seahawks run game with two back up D lineman starting, a S playing LB, until he was lost for the game and backup DBs everywhere.
This is typical "ESPN-ing" of sports media. The only thing that matters is the star players. If anyone listens to sports radio at all it is always the same thing. They only want to talk about stars. Why? It makes their job much, much easier. You don't have to know much about the game or what is going on with the season or league in general if you only talk about 4 teams or 7 or 8 players. Its pathetic and lame, lazy and weak, but, this is the media in general.
Unrelated to this thread, I would pay good money to beat Jim Nantz in the face with a 5 lb bag of manure.

 

[MTRamsFan]

Yeah that's was Jim Lampley on Nbc I believe he doesn't call anything right. When I'm watching boxing on HBO I turn the sound down because of him and lederman and Merchant.

Jim Lampley is on the down word spiral of his career. I have never thought much of him as a knowledgeable sports guy. He just reads what's put on the teleprompter. Oh wait isn't that Steve Harvey??

 

[RamBall]

Yeah and the played RW to save their backup for the playoffs. I could see if they sat starters and gave the impression that this game is meaningless, but they played to win the game, just went up against a better team again. Always seems to happen when they play the Rams, seattle always plays bad against the Rams. Maybe there is more to it than havin a bad game.