After a day

[Juggs]

I feel much better. I'm able to take a step back and say, "half the teams in the NFL lost yesterday" and bonus, when it's all said and done it won't matter how bad or embarrassing it was. There are 15 more games to get this right. I thought our D looked great, outside of the missed tackles. They were laying the wood when they did make them. All that can be fixed. In other good news, Quick looked like the 1st pick of the second round. We knew we would struggle without Bradford, we expected it, and I was as guilty as everyone else, for some reason we also expected it to go down almost like normal. It HURTS when you lose a guy like Bradford. So, everyone, Woosah, Woosah...rub them earlobes, take a breath and refocus. Lot of football left.

 

[cracengl]

You beat me to the punch man. I had all intentions of saying pretty much the same thing. You either win or you lose. It happened to 16 other teams--two of those, New England and New Orleans are perennially strong teams. Does anyone think the Pats can't go to the playoffs after one loss to the Dolphins? With that said, it helps to have Brady and they did manage to score plenty of points.

This team was pretty pathetic on offense. As much as I want to allow that the play calling was dictated by the situation, I still think it was largely devoid of any semblance of creativity. If you don't want to risk pushing the ball through the air, at least do something more creative on the ground and stop being so obvious. If all the plays you run seem to be able to be called from my recliner, then you're certainly not fooling the Vikings. So we have a long way to go to get to respectability. But it's only 1 game. No reason to lose sleep over it. If they lose their next 15, it's not like it'll be that out of the ordinary for a St. Louis football team.

 

[Juggs]

I liked the offense more with Davis in, I know it was scrub time, but his arm is so much better. Hill looked like he was throwing like Favre, but the ball was coming out like I threw it. I am prepared to rally against whomever is back there. I have hopes that the play calling was dialed back because Hill doesn't have it down completely.

 

[LazyWinker]

When I looked at the schedule when it came out, I was glad the Rams were playing the Vikings at the beginning of the year. Mostly because they are a talented team and Zimmer will lead that defense to be the best in the NFC North and they've got some weapons on offense. I really think the Vikings can win the NFC North. I like to think we got that game we should win but lose out of the way.

 

[junkman]

I usually watch the game again a day later, fire up NFL rewind, check out a few more angles. I just don't think I have the strength. This felt like the 49ers or Patriots games from last year, just a sound butt kicking all the way around. And it was obvious even after the first two drives that the Rams were overmatched, most dishearteningly on the OLs and DLs. I appreciate the optimism but... yeah... I'm just not feeling it. I need a few more days.

We can try to be optimistic with the

• "the controlled Peterson, if they only controlled Paterson..." and
• "if only for the penalties..." and
• "benny cunningham and quick looked good" and
• "donald and langford looked good"
• perhaps "jenkins and gaines were good" (that's an after-game impression, rather than something specific i noted during the game)

But the overriding impression was:

• OL was terrible. Didn't protect well. Didn't run block well. Did the Vikes D suddenly get good?
• Shaun Hill doesn't seem to have "it", esp when on the move. which might be a real problem if the OL keeps pass blocking like it did.
• LB play was terrible. Where were they on those Patterson runs?
• Vaunted DL was otherwise meh.

And this was a home opener against a team that should be middling at best, the "easy" game that the Rams just had to win to get the season off to a good start. That's the problem with having such high expectations, that the letdowns are especially harsh.

 

[blue4]

I don't have it in me either. After a day I'm still feeling the same way as yesterday. I've always been the optimistic one of my little circle of football fans, but yesterday I kept my mouth shut. I'm tired of looking like a fool, really. All the things I've said for the last 2+ years:

Qb situation will get better
Young players will step up
Penalties will go away with playing time
and so forth. Still the same, virtually unchanged from the last two years.

Every year I keep expecting things to get better, OC calling a smart game, players doing their job assignments, years of 1st round picks and former Pro Bowl FA to control the line of scrimmage. Every year we do it 4-5 time a year and that's it.

End rant. I expect I'll be back to my usual deluded self by next Sunday.

 

[Juggs]

I think the problem with the young players learning is that we are continuously the youngest team in the league. We need to be in the middle of the pack, not the youngest. It means a lot of mental errors, a lot of missed assignments and not being fully adjusted to the game speed. It will come.

 

[dbrooks25]

Disagree about Hill. Outside of that interception that I now see he was trying to throw away, he had a good game. he had a 101 rating before the pick and was getting the ball to the receivers. You can look past the penalties all you want, but they played a major role in the game, especially on the offensive side of the ball. You can not dismiss 120 yards worth of penalties, just can't. Without just a few of the penalties, the offense most likely ends up putting up 14 more points. Hill not playing in the 2nd half had a major effect as well. O line needs to get their shit together too, btw.

 

[AZRamsFan93]

I think the problem with the young players learning is that we are continuously the youngest team in the league. We need to be in the middle of the pack, not the youngest. It means a lot of mental errors, a lot of missed assignments and not being fully adjusted to the game speed. It will come.

I have been a Rams fan for over 40 years. Patience is required but also difficult to maintain. I have been pointing out that relying on so much youth is not a good thing - in any sport or business. I hope it will come, but it am also realistic and I am not convinced of 2 things:

1. Our youthful talent is as good as we think it is - choices made during drafts should be questioned.
2. Our coaching staff is up to the challenge of the modern NFL. We seem to run 20 year old schemes on both sides of the ball.

I hope they turn it around quickly. I see maybe 4 or 5 wins on the schedule as it sits right now (that's as optimistic as I can muster right now).

 

[LetsGoRams]

I was incredibly frustrated after the game yesterday, and still so today, but not as much. We'll learn a lot about this team next Sunday to see if they can show some heart and bounce back against Tampa. Jim Thomas said this morning that he's never seen a team as angry after the game than yesterday. I think they were shell-shocked. I think they rally around each other and give everything next week and prove to people they are a good football team. I hope so.

 

[DaveFan'51]

I usually watch the game again a day later, fire up NFL rewind, check out a few more angles. I just don't think I have the strength. This felt like the 49ers or Patriots games from last year

Look at the 'Brite-side', after we lost to the 49ers in wk.4 last year, we racked up 34 & 38 PTS. in Wins over our next two opponents! As far as the Pats are concerned, that wasn't last year that was in 2012, It's only stuck in our memories like it was yesterday!

 

[Win1-4Ned]

Next week will be interesting. Since the offense went to the run first approach in Week 5 last season, the MO is to pound teams that are more dependent on the passing game and to struggle against teams with a similar offensive approach. A win against TB, in my mind, would continue that trend, and I won't consider the alternative.

 

[ZigZagRam]

I'm only going to feel better about this one if we come out, look like a professional football team, and beat the Buccaneers next week.

It's going to be a long week.

 

[Warner4Prez]

I'm just glad there are a few survivors out there. I know the sky fell quite unexpectedly, and it seems a good chunk of the "fanbase" were crushed by it. Hang in there fellas, we may be the sole survivors.

 

[Dodgersrf]

The only thing that I'm still pissed about from yesterday, was Bates and Armstrong celebrating when Sherels was injured.
Those two need to spend more time cleaning up their game and less time acting like classless clowns.

I like too see big hits, but when the guy doesn't get up, it's not that funny.

 

[junkman]

As far as the Pats are concerned, that wasn't last year that was in 2012, It's only stuck in our memories like it was yesterday!

Oh boy. Yes, correct. I meant the Dallas game in week 3. These really bad losses stay with you a while, don't they??