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Snead believes this could be the Rams' year
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_0b16badf-ab07-585c-9486-3f4e1b38f712.html
Last year at this time, Rams general manager Les Snead talked about the third year being the charm, citing examples of other rebuilding jobs in past NFL seasons around the league that clicked in Year 3.
Well, you know the story. Quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Rams’ third preseason game, and things went downhill from there. The result was a 6-10 record, the worst finish in the three years of the Jeff Fisher-Snead regime in St. Louis.
Year 4 for that tandem is now upon us, and Snead remains as optimistic as ever.
As Fisher told the Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, Snead told a media gathering Thursday at Rams Park that he feels the 2015 edition is the most talented of the four Fisher-Snead squads.
“You know what? I actually do,” Snead said. “I’m not going to speak about it a ton because you’re tired of hearing about it. But you started in a pretty deep hole here.”
That was a reference, of course, to the roster he and Fisher inherited after the 2011 season and the fact that the Rams had gone 15-65 from 2007-11.
“But since ‘12, we’re third in win-percentage improvement, only behind Denver and Seattle,” Snead said. “It’s an interesting stat – we just started a lot lower down the hill than they did. But it has shown some progress.
“And there’s some adversity. You didn’t plan on 25 straight (games) with your backup quarterback. You’ve gotta always overcome it. The league usually wins about 26 percent of the games with a backup QB, and in that time we won 40 percent. And we’ve done all this with a young team.”
Those are interesting numbers. But the only numbers that matter are the wins and losses – more precisely, having more wins than losses.
“We’re close,” Snead said. “I can feel it. . . . I anticipate us contending for the West. I’m planning on it, expecting it, and not scared.”
The thought of facing Seattle, Arizona, and even a depleted San Francisco roster twice a year in the NFC West can be scary. But with a defense that returns basically intact, a new quarterback in Nick Foles, and a roster than can be characterized as young but seasoned, Snead feels this can be that long-elusive “over the hump” year for the Rams.
With a healthy Foles, Snead feels the Rams can be a legit playoff contender.
“I would anticipate that,” Snead said. “Nick’s won 63 percent of his games. . . .Once Nick became available (via trade), that made it very intriguing because the guy, he’s actually taken a team to the playoffs.”
Snead, by the way, said contract extension talks with Foles are ongoing and that it’s “definitely realistic” to think Foles could have a new Rams contract by the end of the 2015 season.
Switching to defense, Snead said he expects to see a dominant group.
“They did a heck of a job last year, when they tipped and turned and got to gel,” he said, referring the second-half surge last season. “It was fun to watch. The goal is to carry that over into this year, and sooner rather than later. . . . I don’t know if I’ve been around a defense like this one.”
The defense may have to carry the squad early in the season as Foles settles in, Todd Gurley completes his knee rehab at running back, and the ultra-young offensive line adjusts to life in the NFL.
“You would love for them, as we gel on offense, to be the bell cow,” Snead said. “Just on paper, that would be the ideal scenario. The defense kind of pulls some weight as our offense gels, and then once they gel – let’s roll.”
But as is the case with Fisher, Snead could feel job pressure if the team doesn’t contend in the West or make a legitimate playoff push.
“Never think about,” Snead said. “I get what you’re saying: It’s Year 4 of your tenure. But you’re actually more jacked about it because you actually feel good about the foundation and where we’re going. It just hasn’t occurred yet.”
With a 20-27-1 record over three seasons here, there’s no time like the present.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_0b16badf-ab07-585c-9486-3f4e1b38f712.html
Last year at this time, Rams general manager Les Snead talked about the third year being the charm, citing examples of other rebuilding jobs in past NFL seasons around the league that clicked in Year 3.
Well, you know the story. Quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Rams’ third preseason game, and things went downhill from there. The result was a 6-10 record, the worst finish in the three years of the Jeff Fisher-Snead regime in St. Louis.
Year 4 for that tandem is now upon us, and Snead remains as optimistic as ever.
As Fisher told the Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, Snead told a media gathering Thursday at Rams Park that he feels the 2015 edition is the most talented of the four Fisher-Snead squads.
“You know what? I actually do,” Snead said. “I’m not going to speak about it a ton because you’re tired of hearing about it. But you started in a pretty deep hole here.”
That was a reference, of course, to the roster he and Fisher inherited after the 2011 season and the fact that the Rams had gone 15-65 from 2007-11.
“But since ‘12, we’re third in win-percentage improvement, only behind Denver and Seattle,” Snead said. “It’s an interesting stat – we just started a lot lower down the hill than they did. But it has shown some progress.
“And there’s some adversity. You didn’t plan on 25 straight (games) with your backup quarterback. You’ve gotta always overcome it. The league usually wins about 26 percent of the games with a backup QB, and in that time we won 40 percent. And we’ve done all this with a young team.”
Those are interesting numbers. But the only numbers that matter are the wins and losses – more precisely, having more wins than losses.
“We’re close,” Snead said. “I can feel it. . . . I anticipate us contending for the West. I’m planning on it, expecting it, and not scared.”
The thought of facing Seattle, Arizona, and even a depleted San Francisco roster twice a year in the NFC West can be scary. But with a defense that returns basically intact, a new quarterback in Nick Foles, and a roster than can be characterized as young but seasoned, Snead feels this can be that long-elusive “over the hump” year for the Rams.
With a healthy Foles, Snead feels the Rams can be a legit playoff contender.
“I would anticipate that,” Snead said. “Nick’s won 63 percent of his games. . . .Once Nick became available (via trade), that made it very intriguing because the guy, he’s actually taken a team to the playoffs.”
Snead, by the way, said contract extension talks with Foles are ongoing and that it’s “definitely realistic” to think Foles could have a new Rams contract by the end of the 2015 season.
Switching to defense, Snead said he expects to see a dominant group.
“They did a heck of a job last year, when they tipped and turned and got to gel,” he said, referring the second-half surge last season. “It was fun to watch. The goal is to carry that over into this year, and sooner rather than later. . . . I don’t know if I’ve been around a defense like this one.”
The defense may have to carry the squad early in the season as Foles settles in, Todd Gurley completes his knee rehab at running back, and the ultra-young offensive line adjusts to life in the NFL.
“You would love for them, as we gel on offense, to be the bell cow,” Snead said. “Just on paper, that would be the ideal scenario. The defense kind of pulls some weight as our offense gels, and then once they gel – let’s roll.”
But as is the case with Fisher, Snead could feel job pressure if the team doesn’t contend in the West or make a legitimate playoff push.
“Never think about,” Snead said. “I get what you’re saying: It’s Year 4 of your tenure. But you’re actually more jacked about it because you actually feel good about the foundation and where we’re going. It just hasn’t occurred yet.”
With a 20-27-1 record over three seasons here, there’s no time like the present.
