1. There is no such thing as a good loss.
2. There are, however, degrees of bad, and this loss was not as bad as others.
3. I'm torn about the final drive. The PI call was bad, and should not have been made. The failure to stop the Bills on 3rd and 22 (and giving up 16 on the subsequent 3rd and 25) was worse, and should not have happened.
4. I think the failings on that final drive can be attributed, in part to the lack of a preseason. Our DB corps never played together before this year. While that might not be a big factor in man coverage, when you play zone (as the Rams seem to be doing on those 3rd downs) DBs need to be in synch. They clearly were not.
5. The pass rush was nonexistent for 3+ quarters on Sunday before coming alive, to an extent, in the fourth quarter. Hopefully Terrell Lewis will provide a boost there when he returns, and I agree with those who have asserted that Samson Ebukam may need to cede snaps to someone (Obo, Polite, Fox?)
6. There was a lot of good that came out of Sunday, though...
7. The running game continues to produce, and Darrell Henderson is suddenly looking like the guy we hoped we were getting when he was drafted. You have to love his big play potential. He'll pop a 50+ yarder before this season is done.
8. Jared Goff is having a very strong year. Funny how a successful running game and better OL play does that for a QB. Its almost like its a team sport or something.
9. From the "Did we let the right guys leave" file, Dante Fowler has 1 sack and has been battling injuries, Cory Littleton has only 15 tackles (no sacks or INTs) in 3 games, Todd Gurley has fewer yards than Henderson alone and a much lower YPC (5.7 to 4.0), and Greg Zuerlein missed two extra points this week. Just sayin'
10. When we were down 28-3, I started thinking about last year's Ravens and Cowboys debacles. Coming back from that deficit (even if it didn't produce a win) tells me that this team is different.
11. The next two weeks bring opponents (Giants, Redskins) who the Rams should be able to handle. I'm hoping for some nice leads that might provide opportunities to try out some blitz packages and maybe a few offensive twists.
12. The Seahawks are 3-0, but I can't imagine they're too happy about their defense, which has given up almost 500 yards/game, 430 through the air. If Jamal Adams (groin) is sidelined, that's not going to help.
13. The 49ers had an easy time with the Giants, but they are vulnerable with all their injuries.
14. The media really needs to pump the breaks on Kyler Murray. Yes, he's an exciting runner and makes some impressive throws at times, but he also has a passer rating of 79.7 and has thrown 5 INTs in 3 games. As I said last week, the jury's still out on the Cardinals.
15. Aaron Donald is so freakin' good.
16. Sam Sloman still has not had a real test.
17. Leonard Floyd is not an elite pass rusher, but his overall skill set makes him a valuable asset to the defense.
18. The blue uniforms...they're okay... kinda color rushy... but, come on... who wouldn't prefer the old throwbacks? (I did order a Ramsey jersey t-shirt, though).
19. Not Rams related, but necessary for someone, such as myself, who remembers the Miami Arena, Rony Seikaly and Sherman Douglas, it must be said... LET'S GO HEAT!!!! (Sorry, Lakers fans.)
20. I'm enjoying the season thus far... maybe more so than in previous years because, if you had asked me 2-3 months ago, I would have said I wasn't sure we'd see football at all this year.
