What was the biggest distraction for the Rams in 2016?

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CGI_Ram

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http://www.endzonescore.com/biggest-distraction-los-angeles-rams/58947

What was the biggest distraction for the Los Angeles Rams this season?

The Los Angeles Rams 2016-17 regular season campaign definitely did not go how they had envisioned. They had the fifth worst record in the NFL which was a drop off from where they stood last season.

The team struggled with losing its focus at times but who could really blame them? They endured many distractions prior to the start of the season, and throughout it.

The Jared Goff trade, the move to Los Angeles, the Eric Dickerson drama, etc. This team dealt with more than it obviously could handle, and it showed in the overall product.

There were weeks where they looked entirely engaged and locked in. While there were others where they did not seem all there mentally or physically.

The six losses on the season by three or more scores would attest to that. They answered just as many questions related to the games as they did about outside noise.

Which distraction was it though? What distraction plagued them all throughout the season and consistently put them at a disadvantage?

There will obviously be differing opinions in regards to this topic but the best case can be made that it was former head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher was a walking and talking distraction.

Fisher was at the root of a majority of the Rams’ discombobulation. Prior to the start of the season, news leaked about a possible contract extension between Fisher and the Rams.

This news drew attention to the franchise. Many outsiders did not think Fisher deserved an extension especially since his current contract was expiring this season.

Then came the regular season and with it, the Jared Goff decision. Fisher did not start Goff until Week 11 of the regular season. This occurred at a time when most of Goff’s contemporaries were playing at a high level. It put the microscope on the Rams franchise and brought their decision to draft Goff into question.

There was the Tavon Austin contract. Fisher, along with upper management, drew a lot of raised eye brows because of the contract given to Austin. Austin had not lived up to expectations at that juncture of his career, but they decided to pay him like someone who had.

The deal receives more criticism when including the fact that the Rams lost cornerback Janoris Jenkins in free agency due to his price tag. Jenkins was a player who actually deserved the big bucks. He proved it while playing for the New York Giants.

The biggest drama episode of the season was the beef between Fisher and Rams great Eric Dickerson. This drama affected everyone in the locker room and in a way forced people to take sides.

The Rams at this point had become the Kardashians of the NFL. Their baggage became their identity, rather than their play.

Fisher topped the icing on the cake when he confirmed his contract extension during the Dickerson drama. The franchise did not appear ready to announce the news despite Fisher’s affirmation.

This seemed to create a rift between Fisher and general manager Les Snead, despite their contentions that it did not. The culmination of all these events obviously took its toll on the team.

It was just one thing after another, with hardly any breaks in between each instance. Fisher’s firing led to much of the drama slowing down.

While many players and some upper management would contend that Fisher was not a distraction. The list of events tell a different story. Fisher was at the center of a lot of the Rams’ problems this season.

This team has the talent to perform much better than they did this year. It could all come to fruition next season now that things may finally be quieting down.
 

SteezyEndo

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I don't want to believe that it was just the glits & glamour of the Los Angeles night life/off field drama. I am hoping it was other factors that had to do with player development. Getting the players into the mental aspect of football constantly. I am hoping we see that drastic change.
 

tomas

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fisher_jeff_ci.jpg
 

MTRamsFan

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That does seem to suggest the problems were elsewhere.
Agreed. I was on the "moving" distraction, "big city" distraction, etc. etc. But when the dust settled, and at the end of the season, we're sitting at 4-12, there was more or less depending on how you look at it, going on behind the doors which caused this team to implode. My biggest guess would be lack of preparation each week by coaches and players. Listening to some of the players talk about needing motivation, discipline, etc. leads me to believe there was too lax of an environment and no one being really held accountable for failures. We heard the same excuses week after week. Add to this our offensive coaches not being very good only piled onto the team's overall problems.

I am betting this will no longer be the case going forward. McVay and his staff will usher in a new mentality, work ethic, and whatever else needed to turn this franchise into a competitive team. They have no where to go but up.
 
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…..

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I don't believe in distractions. These guys play in front of millions of on lookers, they don't get distracted.

There are no distractions. There's only winning or losing.
 

tempests

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I don't believe in distractions. These guys play in front of millions of on lookers, they don't get distracted.

I don't know about that. I've seen players acknowledge they've been distracted by what was going on off the field.
 

Selassie I

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Distracted by what's going on Off The Field???

Shit,,, I was distracted by what was going on ON The Field.
 

Ram65

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A non responsible team attitude, a seemly poor team mind set and a bad offensive let to a 4-12 season. That all starts from the top of the coaching staff with Jeff Fisher. Fisher just didn't push these players. The move to LA and having OTA and training camp far from each other had to take some toll but, that was not the main problem. Fisher was too easy on players for a long time while the coaching and game planning was very bad.
 

DaveFan'51

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I don't know weather it was the Glits and Glamour, The fighting between Coaches, The Dickerson Drama, or what!?!
But I can't help but think that IF they still had Team Leaders like Chris Long and James Laurinitis on the Team it would have help!
And I think a lot of mistakes where made in pre-season Training, Like not letting Gurley really practice! I Blame the CBA for a lot of training problems Teams have these days!
 

Dodgersrf

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The fact that Goff didn't start day one, was by far the biggest distraction.
It's all reporters and fans wanted to talk, criticize an write about.
 

Riverumbbq

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But I can't help but think that IF they still had Team Leaders like Chris Long and James Laurinitis on the Team it would have help!
I agree on Chris Long, disagree on Laurinaitis. JL was done, we should have moved on earlier from him. The problem with Chris was his contract and Snisher not showing any interest in renegotiation. For the $2.3 mil that New England paid him, there was no reason he shouldn't have been given a new deal. He's a free agent now, not sure why he couldn't play a back-up role in Phillips 3-4, but i'd consider it, with what he brings in leadership and a motor, i'd love to see him retire as a Ram. Just showing off that new ring of his may help inspire some of the guys. jmo.
 
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HX76

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Not Alan's "Naked Women" that's for sure.
 

Loyal

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Just Wow. Not one of you mentioned "Hard Knocks'..lol. I wouldn't call it a distraction, per se (like I know what THAT means). I think that while we were all pizzed about the Jeff Fisher extension in mid-season suckage, I think he knew even then that he was in serious danger. Heck, even the normally gregarious Les Snead, was a virtual ghost last year as ship Fisher, foundered. The more the losing mounted, the more he pressed, and started reacting to criticism, unlike as in years past....
 

MTRamsFan

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I fear... I fear... I fear an "X" sighting approaching!