A few general thoughts after the Bengals game...

[Rams43]

This is not intended as a game review, but rather some comments about generalities from a 30,000 foot perspective.

Goff and Kupp were shredding the Bengals pass D early. I suspect that McVay kinda called off the dogs out of a desire not to embarrass Taylor unnecessarily.

Our OL pass pro is improving incrementally, but our run game is still woeful. Don’t know if Kromer is trying to convert from zone to gap blocking and I don’t really care. What I do care about is finding an effective run blocking OL and finding it PDQ, because our playoff future literally hinges upon it. We live or die against strong teams based upon our ability to run the ball.

I think that McVay missed an opportunity to develop some OL run blocking continuity and confidence against the hapless Bengals. But he strangely didn’t seem to want to take full advantage of the opportunity. Big mistake, IMO. One that he might regret later.

Gurley is not the same as he used to be. Why deny the obvious? Can still be a good to very good RB, of course.

Henderson has earned more snaps. I mean, Ray Charles could see that. So, give him more snaps, Sean. You can thank me later. Lol.

I believe that Goff will return to his former elite level of play if and when the OL starts run blocking well such that our trio of RB’s once again pose a threat that must be honored by opposing D’s. We just don’t have that now and it’s critical to McVay’s O concepts. Don’t know if Kromer can make that happen in time to save this season from a playoff pov.

Rams have had more than their fair share of injuries to key players, but they can survive them so far. Unless very many more come our way. Clay should be back for the Steelers. Talib’s loss might not be as serious as I had previously thought. Meaning that his skills have apparently slipped to the point that Hill, Williams, or Long might not be that big of a falloff (heck, the Rams are reportedly trying to trade Talib). JJ is a biggie, though, but Christian has not exactly embarrassed himself, has he?

We may be stronger and deeper at edge than I had previously thought. Obo, Patrick, and Ebu might be able to fill in for Fowler next year if he’s not extended. Guess I’m saying that I’m more cautiously optimistic about edge than I was a month ago.

Where was that press man coverage vs the Bengals? Another thing that it would have been nice to polish before we face tougher teams.

And where was the Ram run D against the ‘vaunted’ Bengals running attack? WTF was THAT that we saw?

I’ll repeat what I’ve said before. We are a RG and maybe a C away from being a playoff team, probably as a wildcard thanks to the Bucs and Seahawk fubars. Whether Kromer can ‘fix’ those 2 things or not is the $64 question.

But, IF our OL can be fixed this year, Kromer is the guy that can do it. And IF he does then I see a wildcard playoff game in our future. And if we are in the playoffs we will be a team that NOBODY wants to play.

Here’s to a “fixed” OL. Y’all...

 

[Ramlock]

Gurley is not the same as he used to be. Why deny the obvious?
.

Stated as fact, just like 2016, when nobody could figure it out.

not buying

 

[jacktheripper85]

This is not intended as a game review, but rather some comments about generalities from a 30,000 foot perspective.

Goff and Kupp were shredding the Bengals pass D early. I suspect that McVay kinda called off the dogs out of a desire not to embarrass Taylor unnecessarily.

Our OL pass pro is improving incrementally, but our run game is still woeful. Don’t know if Kromer is trying to convert from zone to gap blocking and I don’t really care. What I do care about is finding an effective run blocking OL and finding it PDQ, because our playoff future literally hinges upon it. We live or die against strong teams based upon our ability to run the ball.

I think that McVay missed an opportunity to develop some OL run blocking continuity and confidence against the hapless Bengals. But he strangely didn’t seem to want to take full advantage of the opportunity. Big mistake, IMO. One that he might regret later.

Gurley is not the same as he used to be. Why deny the obvious? Can still be a good to very good RB, of course.

Henderson has earned more snaps. I mean, Ray Charles could see that. So, give him more snaps, Sean. You can thank me later. Lol.

I believe that Goff will return to his former elite level of play if and when the OL starts run blocking well such that our trio of RB’s once again pose a threat that must be honored by opposing D’s. We just don’t have that now and it’s critical to McVay’s O concepts. Don’t know if Kromer can make that happen in time to save this season from a playoff pov.

Rams have had more than their fair share of injuries to key players, but they can survive them so far. Unless very many more come our way. Clay should be back for the Steelers. Talib’s loss might not be as serious as I had previously thought. Meaning that his skills have apparently slipped to the point that Hill, Williams, or Long might not be that big of a falloff (heck, the Rams are reportedly trying to trade Talib). JJ is a biggie, though, but Christian has not exactly embarrassed himself, has he?

We may be stronger and deeper at edge than I had previously thought. Obo, Patrick, and Ebu might be able to fill in for Fowler next year if he’s not extended. Guess I’m saying that I’m more cautiously optimistic about edge than I was a month ago.

Where was that press man coverage vs the Bengals? Another thing that it would have been nice to polish before we face tougher teams.

And where was the Ram run D against the ‘vaunted’ Bengals running attack? WTF was THAT that we saw?

I’ll repeat what I’ve said before. We are a RG and maybe a C away from being a playoff team, probably as a wildcard thanks to the Bucs and Seahawk fubars. Whether Kromer can ‘fix’ those 2 things or not is the $64 question.

But, IF our OL can be fixed this year, Kromer is the guy that can do it. And IF he does then I see a wildcard playoff game in our future. And if we are in the playoffs we will be a team that NOBODY wants to play.

Here’s to a “fixed” OL. Y’all...

I like most of what you said except the playoff stuff. So we have Goff, Gurley, Whitworth, Woods, Cooks, Kupp and Everett on the offensive side of the ball. Not to mention Donald, Brockers, Ramsey, Fowler, Littleton, Weddle, Talib and Matthews on defense and the reason we aren’t going to make the playoffs is because of our center and RG?

I mean, the Niners have no name WRs, no name RBs, a half ass QB and have played without either of their tackles at certain points of the year.

Considering the talent we have on this team if we can’t figure out how to get by with the center and RG we have then that’s an indictment on this team. I mean Christ you can’t have All Pros at every position. As far as I’m concerned if we don’t make a deep run with the talent on this team then this season is a disaster.

 

[EastRam]

IMHO Our Rams have tells.

They need some serious self scouting. They play soft. Last year the Rams would punch a team in the mouth.

They are riding on their coatails from last season.

SB hangover or just playing lazy. Whatever the shit it is they need to get pissed and ball.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I like most of what you said except the playoff stuff. So we have Goff, Gurley, Whitworth, Woods, Cooks, Kupp and Everett on the offensive side of the ball. Not to mention Donald, Brockers, Ramsey, Fowler, Littleton, Weddle, Talib and Matthews on defense and the reason we aren’t going to make the playoffs is because of our center and RG?

I mean, the Niners have no name WRs, no name RBs, a half ass QB and have played without either of their tackles at certain points of the year.

Considering the talent we have on this team if we can’t figure out how to get by with the center and RG we have then that’s an indictment on this team. I mean Christ you can’t have All Pros at every position. As far as I’m concerned if we don’t make a deep run with the talent on this team then this season is a disaster.

It's not that easy to indict the Rams without bringing up our OL. And it's not just at C & RG where the problems lie, but also at RT. The Rams offense can't really use injuries as an excuse like the defense can, if anything, the Rams OL got better following an injury when installing Edwards at LG after Boom & Demby washed out. After the BYE, Matthews & Talib should be back or very close to it, and then we'll see just how powerfully Wade's D can perform while joining Ramsey for the first time.
Still, if the OL can't generate better rush blocking, it's going to make life far more difficult on Goff, ... get that straightened out and our offense is back on track. jmo.

 

[fanotodd]

The OL issues were expected or at least concerns for most posters before the season started. I figured it would be something that could play adequately while it steadily improved to playoff level. Only since the insertion of Edwards, has any type of improvement been noticed. Noteboom was not cutting it and Demby shouldn't be on the roster.

I admit, I really thought the defense was gonna be a monster and that they would carry us while the offense found its new rhythm. They are terribly inconsistent and struggled to get even the bengals off of the field. What were there, maybe 2 three and outs? Not very good when you're ahead most of the game vs a team that is 0-7.

Henderson looks better each week. The difference in how quickly he hits the hole compared to Gurley is quite noticeable; but there is no mistaking the power Gurley brings in the red zone or after he gets to the second level. Still, Gurley just doesn't look that explosive and Henderson does.

...but what I find has been the most surprising disappointment is our ST play. It played better last game, but it too has been woefully up and down--some atrocious mistakes have been committed by a ST unit that had been the best for years

The Rams have left themselves very little wiggle room, but this is still an incredibly talented roster. Besides the obvious Kupp (who is killing it), guys like Rapp, Henderson, Everett, and now Edwards Reynolds, and even Hill have stepped up and/or showed real improvement.

 

[jacktheripper85]

It's not that easy to indict the Rams without bringing up our OL. And it's not just at C & RG where the problems lie, but also at RT. The Rams offense can't really use injuries as an excuse like the defense can, if anything, the Rams OL got better following an injury when installing Edwards at LG after Boom & Demby washed out. After the BYE, Matthews & Talib should be back or very close to it, and then we'll see just how powerfully Wade's D can perform while joining Ramsey for the first time.
Still, if the OL can't generate better rush blocking, it's going to make life far more difficult on Goff, ... get that straightened out and our offense is back on track. jmo.

I hear you River but there have been many teams who have had o line issues whether it be through talent or injuries and they find a way to adjust.

I just feel like with the talent and “coaching” we have that we should be doing a better job. I mean...don’t we still have 3 starters on the OL that got us to the Super Bowl? And now that line with the same coaching turned into a disaster in 1 year?

I guess I just get annoyed watching Shanahan’s offense with a bunch of no names torch people every week while our “big name, expensive squad “ supposedly doesn’t perform because of a couple of lineman.

I still have a ton of faith in this team and I understand we have some issues with the line but if people want to be fair how much of our cap is allocated to Gurley vs Allen and Blythe? As bad as though two “seem” to be playing Gurley is playing worse. I mean he looks like he’s just going through the motions 90% of the time he’s on the field.

 

[WestCoastRam]

If you're a glass half full kinda guy, I think you might be happier with the oline after the bye.

- Vinny thinks Blythe has been playing at less than 100% on the ankle and he'll have two weeks to help get it right.
- Allen will have some extra time to work on his craft and I'm sure the self-scouting will help point out where he's struggled.
- Edwards will get a little more seasoning with practice reps.
- Havenstein... Havenstein will... uhhh... will be better? (Gotta say, Havenstein's play has been the biggest surprise disappointment of the year. Sure, he was always gonna struggle with speed rushers but his play seems to have really taken a dip.)

 

[Rainram]

I admit, I really thought the defense was gonna be a monster and that they would carry us while the offense found its new rhythm. They are terribly inconsistent and struggled to get even the bengals off of the field. What were there, maybe 2 three and outs? Not very good when you're ahead most of the game vs a team that is 0-7.

Reeder played poorly and was responsible for a lot of the shortcomings this last week. He’s been a liability all year.

That being said, I’m not nearly as concerned about our defense as I am our offense.

Our OLine (and to a lesser extent, McVay’s lack of adjustments to help them) is our biggest detriment. And it’s a big one at the moment.

 

[“Turbo set!”]

We have a talented roster at the skill positions. Gurley and Cooks won't come close to earning their cap allotment. Thankfully Kupp is playing like a star right now.

 

[AZRams]

Stated as fact, just like 2016, when nobody could figure it out.

not buying

He was tentative behind a not-very-good line. That and Boras' O was barely an NFL offense.

 

[1maGoh]

He was tentative behind a not-very-good line. That and Boras' O was barely an NFL offense.

Yeah, I think that's the point though. In 2016 everyone thought Gurley was done but the problem wasn't Gurley. Given that the O line play has been less than stellar, a similar issue could be happening here. I think that has something to do with it, but I'll sum up my thought on why I wouldn't be my lunch money on that here.

2016
O line: bad
Gurley: not good
Other Rams RBs: bad

2019
O line: not good
Gurley: frequently not good
Henderson: actually doing pretty well, surprisingly

It could be that Henderson is doing well because teams respect the run less when he's in. IDK. But he appears to be doing better more consistently than Gurley is, although Gurley's peaks are higher and he's doing things I think Henderson can't do (like that catch in the end zone, last week I think?). I'm not worried about Gurley. Every year can't be like last year. But I think Henderson has a little more success on some pedestrian things while Gurley has flashed brighter in some big plays.

 

[fearsomefour]

Reeder played poorly and was responsible for a lot of the shortcomings this last week. He’s been a liability all year.

That being said, I’m not nearly as concerned about our defense as I am our offense.

Our OLine (and to a lesser extent, McVay’s lack of adjustments to help them) is our biggest detriment. And it’s a big one at the moment.

He is better than Hagar and has had some solid games as well.
Maybe Young can step up.
Everyone else at ILB not named Littleton has been very underwhelming going back to preseason.

 

[Da-Rock]

What happen to #34? Is he injured again?

 

[Riverumbbq]

He is better than Hagar and has had some solid games as well.
Maybe Young can step up.
Everyone else at ILB not named Littleton has been very underwhelming going back to preseason.

Would like to see Patrick and Young get some snaps here soon.

 

[Ram77]

Coach McVay implemented more reverses, misdirection, inside WR handoffs to confuse the defense and aid the offensive line. It didnt work amazingly but I like the more imaginative play calling. In 2017 and 2018 our WRs and TEs took quite a few handoffs and converted successful plays off of them. If we pop a few of those in the flow of the game that will help our RBs find more seams to burst through because the LBs and D-Lineman will hesitate when they fake it to the motioning receivers behind the line. Problem is McVay is not calling Kupps or Cooks number on these reverses because of injury history, so right now only Woods is getting these WR handoffs

 

[fearsomefour]

Would like to see Patrick and Young get some snaps here soon.

Agree.
I like Reeder but he may ultimately end up being a depth/ST kind of player.
Really looking forward to seeing what both Young and Patrick can do.
Young was a starter on a good defense.
Bad play saw him benched but he has enough talent to start.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

The big differences I see between Gurley and Henderson boils down to play style and size.

Henderson can squeeze through holes Gurley wouldn't even imagine trying to hit.

Gurley is a big dude and can be hard to bring down. But he's also a track star and you really see him when he has some open field to really get the speed going.

Henderson has jets. But he is a lot shorter than Gurley and has always shown the uncanny balance that makes him hard to bring down.

They really are a good one-two punch.

 

[Ramlock]

Yeah, I think that's the point though. In 2016 everyone thought Gurley was done but the problem wasn't Gurley. Given that the O line play has been less than stellar, a similar issue could be happening here. I think that has something to do with it, but I'll sum up my thought on why I wouldn't be my lunch money on that here.

2016
O line: bad
Gurley: not good
Other Rams RBs: bad

2019
O line: not good
Gurley: frequently not good
Henderson: actually doing pretty well, surprisingly

It could be that Henderson is doing well because teams respect the run less when he's in. IDK. But he appears to be doing better more consistently than Gurley is, although Gurley's peaks are higher and he's doing things I think Henderson can't do (like that catch in the end zone, last week I think?). I'm not worried about Gurley. Every year can't be like last year. But I think Henderson has a little more success on some pedestrian things while Gurley has flashed brighter in some big plays.

lets remember Henderson, had one more carry and 49 yards, same YPC as TG.
One blown up run play, puts the Rams behind the sticks and takes the run off of McVay’s play sheet.

Coach seems very enamored of calling pass plays as well. More so than last year, about 4 more attempts per game. Third in the league. Fourteenth last year.

Maybe he thinks that throwing more will make teams defend the 11 personnel sets differently.
Cooks’ status will mean different personnel, if not formations if he can’t play.

They were third in Yards per Play in 2018, fourteenth in YPP in 2019.
Rams are being defended differently, IMO, and Gurley has been the focal point of that.

I believe that Gurley returns when the blocking returns and McVay is less cute with the play calls.

Meanwhile, go no huddle with Goff to slow down that pass rush, especially next time against the Whiners.

 

[bubbaramfan]

With two weeks off and at the half way point in the season and the OL still horrible at run blocking, will they try some other combinations on the OL? I'd like to see Blythe benched and someone else tried at RG. Evans, Brewer, Corbett, Shelton? Bench Havenstien for Evans at RT? Might that give Hav a wake up call?

This OL has not controlled the LOS even one game, even against the Bengals, worst DL in the NFL.