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Strauss: Rams just can't handle adversity
• Joe Strauss
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_66052119-028e-5d04-bd8e-c6b42327cedd.html
GLENDALE, Ariz. • It’s safe to say after Sunday’s meltdown in the desert that the Rams still need to grow up.
Supporting evidence exists suggesting the Rams got robbed on a third-quarter drive that could have allowed them to take a two-possession lead over the Arizona Cardinals. Instead, a questionable illegal block call against tight end Lance Kendricks on Jared Cook’s reception to the 4-yard-line cost the Rams 31 yards in field position. A third-down sack cost another 11 yards. Instead of scoring, the Rams punted with a 14-10 lead. From that point, nothing good happened to a team that is now 3-6.
Everybody knows the Rams play with little margin for error. They play in a big-boy division with a backup quarterback. Turnovers and penalties hurt every team. They crush the Rams.
What ended as Sunday’s 31-14 loss demonstrated the Rams’ playbook doesn’t include a page for desperation. Merely playing from behind represents its own Kilimanjaro.
“There’s always a momentum shift on a dramatic play,” said Cook, who scored the Rams’ second touchdown on a 59-yard pass just before the 2-minute warning. “That’s where we can learn to play better. That’s where we can learn to overcome mistakes no matter what happened, because it’s always going to be a roller-coaster game. It’s the NFL.”
In position to take down their third division rival in four games, the Rams got a whiff of adversity and folded. In player-speak, they again failed to “finish.” To be blunt, they folded.
Whether they lack talent, composure or maturity, these Rams are susceptible to collapse after calamitous plays, penalties or bad breaks. A team that has led or been tied at halftime in six of its nine games has been outscored by 73 points in the second half of their last five. The Rams have one second-half touchdown total in those five games.
Even if the official’s call against Kendricks on Austin Davis’ 41-yard pitch-and-catch to Cook was incorrect — and at the very least it was borderline — the Rams can’t collapse (again) as they did.
At various times during his postgame new conference, coach Jeff Fisher conceded and challenged the belief that his team has yet to learn how to close.
Fisher reminded questioners, “I believe in these guys, and I’m not buying into all that business about us not being able to complete a game. The record reflects it, and statistics reflect it, but we’re going to keep doing the things we’re doing because I believe in them.”
Brave talk costs less than calling out zebras. No question the Rams fell into a funk after Kendricks’ “illegal blindside block.” The Cardinals outgained the visitors 211-88 in the second half.
The NFL now legislates against its essence. Kendricks’ offense against Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson was laying a punishing hit on a smaller man. Closing on Cook, Jefferson never saw Kendricks coming and detonated on impact. A league that gets the shakes merely by mentioning “concussion” now asks its officials to play both judge and neurosurgeon.
The rule against an offensive player blocking back toward the line of scrimmage bears the name of former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver and headhunter Hines Ward. Kendricks got flagged for laying out a defensive back four inches shorter and 40 pounds lighter. It was a brutal block but did not appear to violate the rule cited.
“If it was a side block — if it was a parallel block — then the call was in question,” explained Fisher, a member of the NFL competition committee.
Fisher said he’d not viewed a replay but termed the flag “disappointing because it was a great block.”
Kendricks was more confused than regretful about the play. He merely took out a man trying to tackle Cook. It seemed like a football play, nothing more, nothing worse.
“I can’t control the call. If I had to do it again I’d try to make the same block,” he said. “I’m just playing there. Not to make an excuse, the guy is a short guy so I tried to get low. Stuff happened. All I can do is keep playing.”
The Rams would do well to follow Kendricks’ words. The NFL often appears as the Not Fair League. Replay hardly eliminates officiating as a huge variable. Teams unable to overcome iffy calls are doomed.
“I feel like that was a play that changed the momentum of the game,” said running back Benny Cunningham. “We had a tough one right there. But we have to fight through it on offense. I just don’t feel like we did that.”
Noted Fisher: “I think the game slipped.”
At the very worst the Rams should have come away with a 17-10 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter. They instead followed with the most calamitous quarter of their season.
The Cardinals, a league-best 8-1 after missing last season’s playoffs at 10-6, surged after losing starting quarterback Carson Palmer to a fourth-quarter left knee injury.
The Cardinals trailed as Palmer left the sidelines on a cart, then turned a four-point deficit into a 17-point rout.
One would think the Cardinals crippled. Instead, they sped 89 yards in four plays for a go-ahead score on backup Drew Stanton’s first series. The touchdown came on a 48-yard strike to a diving John Brown. After all, this is how mature teams answer.
So how did the Rams respond?
In their first four possessions following Stanton’s strike the Rams ran 14 plays — three runs worth 9 yards and 11 pass plays that generated two completions, a holding penalty, two interceptions and a strip sack. Davis’ second interception — a pass tipped by intended receiver Kenny Britt — became a touchdown return by Patrick Peterson. The ruinous sack led to safety Antonio Cromartie returning Davis’ fumble 14 yards for another score. Oh, the humanity.
As for the meltdown tendency, “I don’t think it’s necessarily a talent thing,” Cook said. “I think if you want to look at it, it’s an individual thing.”
Davis’ recent performance invites scrutiny, perhaps a change. The rookie’s best work came early in the season. Wins over Seattle and San Francisco were inspired by defense. Davis has committed six turnovers returned for scores. Four of them are fourth-quarter interceptions. A team ill-suited for quick-strike offense becomes doubled over by such gaffes. Davis emerges from a three-game road stretch with 481 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. They also qualify as the worst three of his eight starts based on ESPN’s total quarterback rating.
“I think the thing I’m learning real quickly is you can play well for 3 1/2 quarters but you’ve got to play four,” said Davis. “You can’t have a single letdown, and right now I’m having those and it’s costing our football team. I’ve got to stay strong, get better and eliminate those mistakes — mostly turnovers — that are costing our football team.”
• Joe Strauss
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_66052119-028e-5d04-bd8e-c6b42327cedd.html
GLENDALE, Ariz. • It’s safe to say after Sunday’s meltdown in the desert that the Rams still need to grow up.
Supporting evidence exists suggesting the Rams got robbed on a third-quarter drive that could have allowed them to take a two-possession lead over the Arizona Cardinals. Instead, a questionable illegal block call against tight end Lance Kendricks on Jared Cook’s reception to the 4-yard-line cost the Rams 31 yards in field position. A third-down sack cost another 11 yards. Instead of scoring, the Rams punted with a 14-10 lead. From that point, nothing good happened to a team that is now 3-6.
Everybody knows the Rams play with little margin for error. They play in a big-boy division with a backup quarterback. Turnovers and penalties hurt every team. They crush the Rams.
What ended as Sunday’s 31-14 loss demonstrated the Rams’ playbook doesn’t include a page for desperation. Merely playing from behind represents its own Kilimanjaro.
“There’s always a momentum shift on a dramatic play,” said Cook, who scored the Rams’ second touchdown on a 59-yard pass just before the 2-minute warning. “That’s where we can learn to play better. That’s where we can learn to overcome mistakes no matter what happened, because it’s always going to be a roller-coaster game. It’s the NFL.”
In position to take down their third division rival in four games, the Rams got a whiff of adversity and folded. In player-speak, they again failed to “finish.” To be blunt, they folded.
Whether they lack talent, composure or maturity, these Rams are susceptible to collapse after calamitous plays, penalties or bad breaks. A team that has led or been tied at halftime in six of its nine games has been outscored by 73 points in the second half of their last five. The Rams have one second-half touchdown total in those five games.
Even if the official’s call against Kendricks on Austin Davis’ 41-yard pitch-and-catch to Cook was incorrect — and at the very least it was borderline — the Rams can’t collapse (again) as they did.
At various times during his postgame new conference, coach Jeff Fisher conceded and challenged the belief that his team has yet to learn how to close.
Fisher reminded questioners, “I believe in these guys, and I’m not buying into all that business about us not being able to complete a game. The record reflects it, and statistics reflect it, but we’re going to keep doing the things we’re doing because I believe in them.”
Brave talk costs less than calling out zebras. No question the Rams fell into a funk after Kendricks’ “illegal blindside block.” The Cardinals outgained the visitors 211-88 in the second half.
The NFL now legislates against its essence. Kendricks’ offense against Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson was laying a punishing hit on a smaller man. Closing on Cook, Jefferson never saw Kendricks coming and detonated on impact. A league that gets the shakes merely by mentioning “concussion” now asks its officials to play both judge and neurosurgeon.
The rule against an offensive player blocking back toward the line of scrimmage bears the name of former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver and headhunter Hines Ward. Kendricks got flagged for laying out a defensive back four inches shorter and 40 pounds lighter. It was a brutal block but did not appear to violate the rule cited.
“If it was a side block — if it was a parallel block — then the call was in question,” explained Fisher, a member of the NFL competition committee.
Fisher said he’d not viewed a replay but termed the flag “disappointing because it was a great block.”
Kendricks was more confused than regretful about the play. He merely took out a man trying to tackle Cook. It seemed like a football play, nothing more, nothing worse.
“I can’t control the call. If I had to do it again I’d try to make the same block,” he said. “I’m just playing there. Not to make an excuse, the guy is a short guy so I tried to get low. Stuff happened. All I can do is keep playing.”
The Rams would do well to follow Kendricks’ words. The NFL often appears as the Not Fair League. Replay hardly eliminates officiating as a huge variable. Teams unable to overcome iffy calls are doomed.
“I feel like that was a play that changed the momentum of the game,” said running back Benny Cunningham. “We had a tough one right there. But we have to fight through it on offense. I just don’t feel like we did that.”
Noted Fisher: “I think the game slipped.”
At the very worst the Rams should have come away with a 17-10 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter. They instead followed with the most calamitous quarter of their season.
The Cardinals, a league-best 8-1 after missing last season’s playoffs at 10-6, surged after losing starting quarterback Carson Palmer to a fourth-quarter left knee injury.
The Cardinals trailed as Palmer left the sidelines on a cart, then turned a four-point deficit into a 17-point rout.
One would think the Cardinals crippled. Instead, they sped 89 yards in four plays for a go-ahead score on backup Drew Stanton’s first series. The touchdown came on a 48-yard strike to a diving John Brown. After all, this is how mature teams answer.
So how did the Rams respond?
In their first four possessions following Stanton’s strike the Rams ran 14 plays — three runs worth 9 yards and 11 pass plays that generated two completions, a holding penalty, two interceptions and a strip sack. Davis’ second interception — a pass tipped by intended receiver Kenny Britt — became a touchdown return by Patrick Peterson. The ruinous sack led to safety Antonio Cromartie returning Davis’ fumble 14 yards for another score. Oh, the humanity.
As for the meltdown tendency, “I don’t think it’s necessarily a talent thing,” Cook said. “I think if you want to look at it, it’s an individual thing.”
Davis’ recent performance invites scrutiny, perhaps a change. The rookie’s best work came early in the season. Wins over Seattle and San Francisco were inspired by defense. Davis has committed six turnovers returned for scores. Four of them are fourth-quarter interceptions. A team ill-suited for quick-strike offense becomes doubled over by such gaffes. Davis emerges from a three-game road stretch with 481 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. They also qualify as the worst three of his eight starts based on ESPN’s total quarterback rating.
“I think the thing I’m learning real quickly is you can play well for 3 1/2 quarters but you’ve got to play four,” said Davis. “You can’t have a single letdown, and right now I’m having those and it’s costing our football team. I’ve got to stay strong, get better and eliminate those mistakes — mostly turnovers — that are costing our football team.”
