A few observations from the lower bowl yesterday:

[Rams43]

It all comes down to this.

The Ram O is fundamentally unsound. Simply put, they fail to execute their assignments far too often. And I mean virtually all of the players.

The OL is embarrassing itself both in run and in pass blocking. It's handcuffing both Goff and Gurley.

The TE's are falling far short of their potential. Again, failing to execute via not getting open and drops.

The WR's are feast or famine, too. Britt picked a bad day to have a crappy performance.

I'm cutting Goff a mile of slack for now. Not only was he playing a SB quality team in their house, but he was getting precious little help from his teammates, other than Quick. I saw some promising things from Goff yesterday.

So, to summarize, if the Rams start to execute their various assignments on O, they can be competitive, if not a force. But until then, they are merely scrimmage fodder for the better teams.

Pains me to say that, but I'm in no mood to sugarcoat this thing.

 

[DCH]

We have this new disagree button
Just messing

Still think you're catching the tale end of the dynasty. Next year is another year closer to Tom Brady and Belicheck's eventual retirement

I remember those 49er fans with their cheese and wine and Jerry Rice. I told them one day Rice is gonna get old. Sure enough he did and bye bye dynasty

Same things gonna happen in NE
the Pats sucked for decades and decades before Tom Brady.

We'll have Goff and NE will have Garrappolooplpooollo - when that day comes we will welcome you back as the prodigal son

Oh and Please revive the Beer Thread !!!

I might well be, it's possible - when Belichick retires, who knows, maybe the Patriots will go back to the '80s/'90s version. That said, I'll root for a bad team that I have a geographical connection to before a good team that I don't any day (case in point, the Rams during most of my adult life).

We should get back to beer trading, incidentally. Drop me an email, Trillium has gone nuts with hops in cans at a case limit per beer offering.

 

[Bruce2980]

If Fisher has a competent OC with absolute control over the offense, he won't ruin Goff.
Not sure what the chances are of that, but I have to think that a guy like Turner could come in and, even with the weapons they currently have, build a creative, proactive, attacking offense that makes use of the existing talent.

Higbee running seam routes.

Austin working deep crossing patterns.

Quick and Britt being used as chain-movers and attacking the middle of the field.

Gurley getting more passes out of the backfield and better-designed run blocking.

A bigger role each week for Cunningham... split-back formation alongside Gurley, maybe.

Dink and dunk with a handful of shots down the field, but in a creative, diverse manner - like the Patriots do it, or like the Vikings did it until their entire offensive line was turned into toads.

You're hired when can you start?

 

[Mackeyser]

Belichick is interesting to watch operate. Don't forget, he's borked more than his fair share of draft picks, and a lot of his personnel decisions make you scratch your head (Jamie Collins for a 3rd? Wut?). But you listen to the guy talk, and he's obsessed with football. Almost unhealthily so.

He's a big part of why I think the Rams would do well to hire Matt Patricia if they're in the market for a head coach.

I'm rapidly warming (more like heating) up to Patricia.

a) I think he'd bring the EP which fits Goff to a T.
b) He'd bring discipline and execution to this talented D
c) He's coached both O and D, so he's not just a "defensive" or "offensive" minded coach. He's a "FOOTBALL" coach.
d) He understands how to actually hold men accountable in a real way as opposed to whatever this nonsense is that is Fisher's "player friendly" stuff is that has us leading the league in penalties year after year and not executing crucial plays.

What worries me is that Arians retires and Arizona hires him.

yeah...that could happen.

 

[DCH]

I'm rapidly warming (more like heating) up to Patricia.

a) I think he'd bring the EP which fits Goff to a T.
b) He'd bring discipline and execution to this talented D
c) He's coached both O and D, so he's not just a "defensive" or "offensive" minded coach. He's a "FOOTBALL" coach.
d) He understands how to actually hold men accountable in a real way as opposed to whatever this nonsense is that is Fisher's "player friendly" stuff is that has us leading the league in penalties year after year and not executing crucial plays.

What worries me is that Arians retires and Arizona hires him.

yeah...that could happen.

It could... I'm not convinced the Rams wouldn't be a more attractive landing spot than the Cardinals, though. Neither team has an established offensive line. The Cardinals' WR corps is extremely questionable after an aging (yet amazing) Larry Fitzgerald. Carson Palmer has been looking more and more like a QB approaching 40 all season long. Both teams have comparable skill on defense. Both have young high-end bell-cow running backs.

It might come down to the Rams having a young QB in place while the Cardinals have... Drew Stanton?

 

[Mackeyser]

'Fraid so, yeah.

Out of the frying pan...into the....burn treatment center....

Hmm. Could get us some aloe or gauze or something???

 

[Jacobarch]

Belichick is interesting to watch operate. Don't forget, he's borked more than his fair share of draft picks, and a lot of his personnel decisions make you scratch your head (Jamie Collins for a 3rd? Wut?). But you listen to the guy talk, and he's obsessed with football. Almost unhealthily so.

He's a big part of why I think the Rams would do well to hire Matt Patricia if they're in the market for a head coach.

While he might be a fine HC, I think the Rams hiring another Defensive type of HC would be a huge mistake. Belichick and Brady are the brick and mortar of the Pats.

 

[Mackeyser]

It could... I'm not convinced the Rams wouldn't be a more attractive landing spot than the Cardinals, though. Neither team has an established offensive line. The Cardinals' WR corps is extremely questionable after an aging (yet amazing) Larry Fitzgerald. Carson Palmer has been looking more and more like a QB approaching 40 all season long. Both teams have comparable skill on defense. Both have young high-end bell-cow running backs.

It might come down to the Rams having a young QB in place while the Cardinals have... Drew Stanton?

I totally agree, but that's predicated upon the Rams actually firing Fisher.

Hard to hire Patricia if they haven't fired Fisher...

 

[woofwoofmo]

'Fraid so, yeah.

May be running into you down the road this season. 30+ year Chiefs season ticket holder. It's been a heck of a ride for both teams so far this year. I'm seeing a January head to head on the horizon. Our turn!

 

[DCH]

While he might be a fine HC, I think the Rams hiring another Defensive type of HC would be a huge mistake. Belichick and Brady are the brick and mortar of the Pats.

Keep in mind that Patricia has coached both offense and defense for the Patriots, and been successful at both. He also has access to a line of offensive coaches who learned under Belichick and McDaniels.

I think pigeonholing Patricia as "another defensive HC" does a disservice to him and any team that passes on him due to that preconception.

 

[Jacobarch]

Keep in mind that Patricia has coached both offense and defense for the Patriots, and been successful at both. He also has access to a line of offensive coaches who learned under Belichick and McDaniels.

I think pigeonholing Patricia as "another defensive HC" does a disservice to him and any team that passes on him due to that preconception.

I mean i hope you're right!

 

[Dieter the Brock]

I might well be, it's possible - when Belichick retires, who knows, maybe the Patriots will go back to the '80s/'90s version. That said, I'll root for a bad team that I have a geographical connection to before a good team that I don't any day (case in point, the Rams during most of my adult life).

We should get back to beer trading, incidentally. Drop me an email, Trillium has gone nuts with hops in cans at a case limit per beer offering.

Dude YES
Trillium is like gold and all i have locally is silver in comparison - but yes, i will kill you with volume to make ends meet!!!

 

[A.J. Hicks]

What worries me is that Arians retires and Arizona hires him.

yeah...that could happen.[/QUOTE]

That last part makes me absolutely sick to my stomach!

 

[DCH]

Dude YES
Trillium is like gold and all i have locally is silver in comparison - but yes, i will kill you with volume to make ends meet!!!

Silver? My friend, Jester King is beyond platinum to me.

 

[Merlin]

It all comes down to this.

The Ram O is fundamentally unsound. Simply put, they fail to execute their assignments far too often. And I mean virtually all of the players.

I think it comes down to lack of identity 43. Fish has been quoted on saying so many times that they're a power run offense, but they never are. He'll say things like "that's who we are" in relation to the run game, but they never really have been that team who can do even that one thing well on offense. Last year was the closest thing to it with Gurley making things happen, but we see this year it's back to the same old deal.

We don't have an offensive identity.

Now we have Goff taking over, which is great, it's about time and these games and snaps are critical to him growing into the QB we expect him to become. But even with him in the backfield what is our identity? The Rams staff is all over the map. They'd probably tell you they're a run team but they can't run it. And their run/pass ratio over Fisher's five years isn't exactly indicative of the fact they're a run team either. It's madness.

Only hope for Fish is to bring in a strong OC who can put those things in place. I pray Fish realizes that.