Bernie: Jeff Fisher’s Rams are Heading the Wrong Way

[blue4]

I respectfully disagree. This article came off like an ill-informed long time fan rant.

It lacked any context.

The defense suffered the beginning last year. Why? NEW SYSTEM.

The offense is suffering now. Why? NEW SYSTEM. Frank Cignetti isn't running Schotty's playbook. He didn't just take the job at Rams Park as OC and use the Rams OC playbook assigned to him. He has HIS playbook. Now, Fisher has things he wants his offense to do, but he hired Cignetti to do a job and we're already seeing Tavon Austin more involved in 3 games than we saw of him in all the games since he was drafted. We've seen more diverse playcalling and better utilization of personnel.

Moreover, Cignetti has rookies and GRob who, like Quick 2 years ago, isn't quite there yet. When he gets there, he has the potential to be spectacular, and he flashes brilliance, but he's just not there, yet.

He also is missing his bellcow back in Gurley who WILL make a substantial difference once he's fully integrated into this offense and he's missing his true #1 WR.

Oh, and not only do we have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, but our first 5 games before the bye were the toughest stretch of one the toughest schedules.

So, Cignetti's trying to win with a NEW QB, installing a NEW offense, without his Star rookie RB and without even a set rotation at RB due to injury, without his #1 WR and with the WRs and TEs performing inconsistently.

And, somehow, this is a function of Fisher being of the stone age or Cignetti being incompetent?

What a crock of complete crap. When Seattle steamrolled the league a few years ago doing the exact same thing and no one could stop them, I didn't see Bernie telling Pete Carroll to "get with the times".

And I tired of losing?

HELL YES.

That said, our defense last year wasn't going to be where we wanted it to be after 3 games in a new system.

Neither will our offense.

Why is that so hard? Look at our D now? Granted, they laid an egg in Washington, but look at what they did against Pittsburgh? They held LeVeon Bell to 62 yards and entire Steeler O to 72 yards in the second half and that's WITH our O being inept and giving the ball back a bunch of times. 72 yards, people. Pittsburgh's O was #1 in the NFL by a bunch before that game. If our O was farther along, we win that game. Heck, I think we win that game later in the year. Heck, we still win that game if Kendricks catches that ball, warts on that game and all.

Part of why we had to get off of the FA carousel was because we had to build to last. We had to move away from Schotty because we needed an O that we could build on. Later this season, we'll be better. We may or may not make the playoffs. I don't know.

We said after the RG3 trade that 2015 was probably our year. Well, if that's off a year, so be it. If that takes to build something that will last longer than a year, then so be it. I don't want to do what Washington did, get into the playoffs 1 year and then go right back to losing.

I still have faith we're on the right track. I mean.... it takes time for cement to dry and we have an awful lot of solid pieces already in place.

Not that I totally disagree with you, but really this is the same stuff we've been singing since Linehan left. It's a new system on D, now it's a new system on O, whoops it's the QB, now it's a different QB, back to new system, back to the QB again, and so forth. The simple fact is other teams deal with this stuff as well. They may suck a year, but the next the ship starts to right and they're moving back. I can't agree that Gurley being out is an excuse either, since we don't even know if he's as good as advertised. Mason last year was considered a star in the making, now we can't win because he's playing? We're losing because we get outcoached and out played. Not because of all this other stuff every team deals with. Pittsburgh has a new D coordinator this year. Held us to 6 points. Our OC was promoted from within, just like him. The whole reason was continuity. I think it's less about the excuses and more about that maybe we've all (myself included) overestimated the talent we have. I think I'm guilty of overestimating our WRs and LBers.

 

[Mackeyser]

Pitt has a new DC, but he actually kept most of the D. Very little changed, so the continuity was there.

There's nor comparison to getting in a new guy who brings in new language, new concepts (like ZBS) and a different focus.

So our situation isn't analogous to the Pitt situation.

I feel you on the excuses. Some changes will occur for some team and the team experiences rapid positive effects from those changes and I don't think ANYONE fully understands that alchemy. It's NOT, however, just a matter of getting a new OC or new DC and BAM!, we have immediate positive change.

Since that alchemy can't be quantified, the Snisher decided to go brick and mortar and build it the old school way through the draft. I think we can now see exactly how bad we were compared to where we are now and how much closer we are to being consistently competitive.

The fertile soil has been tilled and planted with seeds. The seeds appear to be taking root (just look at Brown. NO QB hurries allowed against Pitt!) For a bunch of maulers drafted to run block, I'm actually excited that they're ahead in pass blocking. The run blocking will be there. It's usually pass pro that takes time.

We may be getting really good faster than we know. This gauntlet may inflict some losses, but it will also battle harden this young team. If we enter the season after the bye week healthy, even if we're 1-4, I say look out.

It's still the year of the RAM!

 

[F. Mulder]

For me it feels like another leap of faith regarding offensive philosophy and whether current personnel best represent it. It very much reminds me of when Josh McDaniels was here and wanted a vertical, timing passing game, and had guys who simply were ill-equipped to do it.

First off, I'm all for the ground and pound, play good defense, keep the game close into the 4th q etc. I think that can win in this league despite some of the gaudy passing stats that go around. However, and I ask these questions without knowing the answers:

1) is zone blocking the way to go? If so, how long of and adjustment period should we expect with 3/5 of the line new?

2) Is Austin the right player to have on a team that wants to run a lot, and run 2 TE sets often or would he be better elsewhere?

3) of the TEs you have, are they capable blockers? Harkey is for sure, Cook...not so much. To me Kendricks is the wild card.

4) Is Foles the guy to run it? I think he is.

I guess I'm wondering if the OL we have are going to develop into good zone blockers. What's the use for an impact WR if they are being neutered via lack of targets or a philosophy that doesn't show-case their talent? At what point do we know if/when the light goes on or if they system is wrong for who we have offensively? I guess one could argue that we will have a clear picture by the end of the year but to me that feels like another year of trial and error vs. results and production. What happens if at the end of the year it INS"T the way to go or doesn't match the personnel? Do you get rid of guys who don't fit or do you change systems AGAIN??

I know this is a young team, and to me talented (but not as talented as some seem to think) but for them to take the next step young players need to become better and more consistent and the system needs to be right and ingrained to where it is natural. I just get the feeling this is another "see what we have" type year where at the end of a losing season we here about certain players developments and a lot of promises I have no idea will be kept.