After reflecting on this Saints game for a day...

[Mojo Ram]

Oddly, I'm not so worried about the defense. The first half was beyond horrible, yes.

But think about it - aside from the one play to Thomas, given who and where we were playing, that 2nd half might have been the best performance of the season by our defense. And that without a sack or turnover - really highlights the lengths teams are going to to mitigate Donald and Suh.

The reason we ultimately lost was the offense IMO.

38-35 and we have the ball with 6 minutes to go. That's all you can ask for - a chance for your best unit to shine and win the game.

And somehow we go 3 and out and punt for the first time. With two open WRs on first and third down that we missed and a terrible call on 2nd and 10 by McVay to run the ball. And then even after the D gives up the Thomas TD, there was plenty of time left for this offense that moves at light speed - yet we inexplicably have to use a timeout, and then can't convert a 4th and 2? Against the Saints near league worst pass defense? Yikes.

Ultimately, the reason we lost this game is because the offense picked up a total of about 15 yards on their last two drives when we were still very much in the game.

Well thought out post but i completely disagree. This defense doesn't and didn't (yesterday)make enough plays and not near enough big plays this season so far.

 

[Jacobarch]

There are lots of reasons we got beat yesterday. I honestly think it was more coaching than anything else.

4th Quarter Saints up by 3. You put Peters on Thomas man to man with no Safety help over the top. WHY???!!! Whether peters is injured or not is not the problem. The problem is you don't put a guy that's been struggling almost all year getting beat over the top and man him up at a crucial point in the game. McVay has to take notice of this and light a fire under Wades ass, football is football no matter who the player is you have out there you need to play to their strengths and weaknesses. I'm so tired of seeing Peters on an island. IT ISN'T WORKING. lol

As far as Suh is concerned, I don't know what ya'll are wanting out of him. He's on pace to have around 7 to 10 sacks by the end of the season. That's pretty damn good for a DT. He's also never been a pass rusher but just a block wall of a man in the middle of the defense.

 

[gabriel18]

Oddly, I'm not so worried about the defense. The first half was beyond horrible, yes.

But think about it - aside from the one play to Thomas, given who and where we were playing, that 2nd half might have been the best performance of the season by our defense. And that without a sack or turnover - really highlights the lengths teams are going to to mitigate Donald and Suh.

The reason we ultimately lost was the offense IMO.

38-35 and we have the ball with 6 minutes to go. That's all you can ask for - a chance for your best unit to shine and win the game.

And somehow we go 3 and out and punt for the first time. With two open WRs on first and third down that we missed and a terrible call on 2nd and 10 by McVay to run the ball. And then even after the D gives up the Thomas TD, there was plenty of time left for this offense that moves at light speed - yet we inexplicably have to use a timeout, and then can't convert a 4th and 2? Against the Saints near league worst pass defense? Yikes.

Ultimately, the reason we lost this game is because the offense picked up a total of about 15 yards on their last two drives when we were still very much in the game.

I thought the same thing about the last 2 drives . It's asking a lot of the offense , but they had the chance and didn't get a first down . Goff still gets a little ansi when the pressure is on . He'll learn because he certainly has the talent

 

[Jacobarch]

You can't keep playing from behind and win all the close games . The Saints took the foot off the pedal till the game was tied , and then put 10 points on them in two drives . 7-2 if GB doesn't fumble the KO

So we lose to the Pack automatically if AR gets the ball back???

Can you tell me the the first 5 numbers that comes into your head? I'm gonna go play the lotto tonight...

 

[dieterbrock]

Here's my takeaway from yesterday,
Everett is becoming a weapon for this team, and will be a matchup nightmare by the end of the season

 

[poLARizing]

Well thought out post but i completely disagree. This defense doesn't and didn't (yesterday)make enough plays and not near enough big plays this season so far.

It's an if, but I thought the momentum shifted with a fumble by Ingram. We score at that possession, the saints now becomes the "chaser / catcher" and has to respond with a score. At that time, there's no way we were stopping the saints from scoring and the fumble was a perfect time to flip the game.

It's a gray area, but I thought it was a bad call to fake the FG goal attempt. You want Legatron to kick a FG and get the points on the road.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Truth is Wade Phillips so far is NOT the all knowing "Great OZ" of defensive coaching. Not this year and definitely got his azz out coached this game.

Jacobarch makes a very good observation. Putting Peters one on one with Thomas with no help over the top after how he's been playing the last few games and how he played Thomas in the first half was just plain bad coaching.

Rams D giving up 200 points in 8 games ( 35 more than last year) is a reflection on coaching.

Yeah, Wade may have forgot more football than all of us together have ever known, but his coaching skills are sure not very apparent after getting all those new toys in the off season.

If he keeps running Peters out there the Rams will continue to get points rung up on them. Especially now that teams know he's vulnerable. Just like Brees did, they are going to target Peters.

Rams Defensive woes are not just one or two guys. I put it on the DC. This is Wade Phillips' bunch and they aren't getting it done.

How long will he let Peters go rogue? I'd bench his azz, next man up can't be any worse.

35 points in one half, with every 3rd down converted, no sacks, no punts, just run up and down the field every possession. Pathetic.

 

[TSFH Fan]

Adding to what everyone else has said, I think we need to look at Littleton wearing the dot.

Littleton's making the calls, but so far he's seemed to have escaped any blame for the D's performance. I think if there's confusion in the defense, like where Peters got burned again, you have to at least question the guy tasked with making the calls.

The defense is full of alpha dogs and I'm not sure that Littleton is the right guy to be making the calls. There was a preseason article about how he's a quiet guy. There was stuff after the Hawks game about how he was letting Mark Barron make the calls and Gurley got on Littleton's ass about making it his defense. In other words, Littleton seems like a guy with beta tendencies trying to keep a bunch of alphas in order - not sure that's a recipe for success.

But yeah, he's a special teams monster, and seems to have some pass rush ability off the edge, so he's definitely a priority-keep. Maybe the Rams should look at getting Barron or someone else the dot.

 

[bubbaramfan]

When they got rid of Ogletree I thought it would be Barron making the calls, he's go way more experience.

 

[Rmfnlt]

We definitely got screwed on that Hekker run placement, but that wasn’t the reason we lost this game.

I dunno... of course, pure speculation but...

Seemed like the Rams lost Big Mo after that. Had that call gone their way, who knows... they were scoring TDs fairly easily and they might have gone up by 7 IIRC.

I don't blame McVay for the call... Aikman said what I believe... McVay knew it was going to take scoring TDs whenever you could to win that game (turned out to be true). Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

But I saw it as a pivotal point in the game. Had it gone the Rams way, we might be 9-0 today.

 

[Ramfansince79]

Man, let’s chill out just a little bit.

If the refs consistently do these 2 things to us winning is always going to be tough:
1. Refuse to call holding on our opponents offensive lineman.
2. Refuse to throw a flag when our wide receivers are being held.

They amount of holding that Suh, Donald and Brockers are trying to fight through is absolutely amazing. Our whole defense is based on those guys getting a push, and if the refs are going to F us over that throws our whole defensive plan out of whack.

We’d be scoring 50 points a game if they threw a flag on the only the blatant holding on our wide receivers.

Our brass will complain to the league and I think it will get fixed.

I truly believe the NFL steers games so that the teams they want to win will win, but it’s got to be good for the NFL for the Rams to win, So come playoff time we’ll be getting those calls.

 

[Ken]

Man, let’s chill out just a little bit.

If the refs consistently do these 2 things to us winning is always going to be tough:
1. Refuse to call holding on our opponents offensive lineman.
2. Refuse to throw a flag when our wide receivers are being held.

They amount of holding that Suh, Donald and Brockers are trying to fight through is absolutely amazing. Our whole defense is based on those guys getting a push, and if the refs are going to F us over that throws our whole defensive plan out of whack.

We’d be scoring 50 points a game if they threw a flag on the only the blatant holding on our wide receivers.

Our brass will complain to the league and I think it will get fixed.

I truly believe the NFL steers games so that the teams they want to win will win, but it’s got to be good for the NFL for the Rams to win, So come playoff time we’ll be getting those calls.

That doesn't make it any better. I want to see fairly played and officiated games. Not the shit show the NFL is producing.

 

[hotanez]

Adding to what everyone else has said, I think we need to look at Littleton wearing the dot.

Littleton's making the calls, but so far he's seemed to have escaped any blame for the D's performance. I think if there's confusion in the defense, like where Peters got burned again, you have to at least question the guy tasked with making the calls.

The defense is full of alpha dogs and I'm not sure that Littleton is the right guy to be making the calls. There was a preseason article about how he's a quiet guy. There was stuff after the Hawks game about how he was letting Mark Barron make the calls and Gurley got on Littleton's ass about making it his defense. In other words, Littleton seems like a guy with beta tendencies trying to keep a bunch of alphas in order - not sure that's a recipe for success.

But yeah, he's a special teams monster, and seems to have some pass rush ability off the edge, so he's definitely a priority-keep. Maybe the Rams should look at getting Barron or someone else the dot.

If Littleton makes a call and Peters doesn't know what to do or is confused, who's fault is it? It's my opinion that it's Peters fault not Littleton. I really shouldn't be repeating what has already been said a bunch but here goes. If Joyner, Peters and Barron had tackled instead of half-assing it the D would have stopped the Saints at least 3 times in the 1st half. Instead it was 1st and 10 not 4th down. I blame Joyner and Peters the most for this lost.

 

[Ramfansince79]

That doesn't make it any better. I want to see fairly played and officiated games. Not the crap show the NFL is producing.

You and me both, my friend. Sadly, I think those days are long gone

 

[LesBaker]

Marcus Peters was never a shut down corner. He was always more of a Second tier guy, who happened to get a lot of int’s. He needs a Talib on the field so Peters can do his thing.

Yeah he's looking like a #2 corner.

I disagree about the Hekker blown spot call not being the reason the Rams lost. It was the start of the losing. Up until then they were trading punches. When the Rams got the forced fumble it gave them momentum. Then when the Saints held the to a field goal attempt you could feel the Saints grabbing the momentum back. Who knows how the rest would have played out, but getting a first down on that fake would have been another punch in the mouth. A TD after the fake could have changed the game.

I disagree..........take the points.

There was so much grabbing by Saints DBs that went ignored that it certainly had the feel of a predetermined outcome.

Did you watch, have you watched, Rams OLmen holding?

I hate the constant "the refs are fucking us, it's all fixed" stuff.

It's BAD for every team and fans of every team complain about the same thing.

Agreed. I'm not sharing this growing opinion that Suh is ineffective, but Joyner and Peters are hurting us big time. Bad coverage, bad tackling, mental lapses. Minus Talib there's no leadership in our secondary.

He's certainly inconsistent.

We need a physical safety back there.

I think we need someone who is a ballhawk and can defend the passing game.

And somehow we go 3 and out and punt for the first time. With two open WRs on first and third down that we missed and a terrible call on 2nd and 10 by McVay to run the ball. And then even after the D gives up the Thomas TD, there was plenty of time left for this offense that moves at light speed - yet we inexplicably have to use a timeout, and then can't convert a 4th and 2? Against the Saints near league worst pass defense? Yikes.

McVay has some takeaways from yesterday for sure.

As far as Suh is concerned, I don't know what ya'll are wanting out of him. He's on pace to have around 7 to 10 sacks by the end of the season. That's pretty damn good for a DT. He's also never been a pass rusher but just a block wall of a man in the middle of the defense.

He's gotten moved off the LOS in running plays though. For 14MIL it's not a value and his sack total will look good because he is facing fewer double teams this year than he probably ever has in his life because of Donald.

 

[gabriel18]

So we lose to the Pack automatically if AR gets the ball back???

Can you tell me the the first 5 numbers that comes into your head? I'm gonna go play the lotto tonight...

Yes I do . I'll get back to you on the numbers.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

@LesBaker

I agree. My wife called the fake. I said no way they risk it in a close game. It, it happened and that bad spot ruined a chance to regain the momentum.

As to the Oline holding, every team does that on pass plays. It’s obvious that the league is fine with it. But the dbs holding, I don’t recall that being okay except for the Patriots/Rams Super Bowl.

 

[TSFH Fan]

If Littleton makes a call and Peters doesn't know what to do or is confused, who's fault is it? It's my opinion that it's Peters fault not Littleton. I really shouldn't be repeating what has already been said a bunch but here goes. If Joyner, Peters and Barron had tackled instead of half-assing it the D would have stopped the Saints at least 3 times in the 1st half. Instead it was 1st and 10 not 4th down. I blame Joyner and Peters the most for this lost.

I'm not saying other players aren't to blame, however, wearing the dot has responsibilities/burdens. Moreover, with respect to Peters on that one play, we don't know why he may have gotten confused - if it was all him, then it's all on him, but for example, if CL mumbled the call or used less than explicit signals and Peters didn't get it clearly, that's a different matter.

My earlier post wasn't intended to focus on one play or just one game. The defense has been less than stellar. While CL may be a sacred cow to some, he's not beyond questioning as far as I'm concerned.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

I know Peters struggled yesterday.

I can't help but feel like the refs got into his head with those two early flags which I believe were back to back. The first one there was a little contact but I didn't see the hold they called - didn't matter Thomas made an incredible catch. The second one was right after it and it was on a comeback route. Thomas initiated contact however Peters did get away with a slight hold.

I know you just have to move onto the next play I just know that Peters is an emotional guy and those things probably linger with him.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

Jim Miller talked a bit about the job the Saints offensive line did confusing the Rams defensive line.

Using lots of wam blocks and tons of play action to have them always wondering where the blocks were going to be coming from, I thought that was an interesting observation.