Bettis/Warner-Gurley/Goff

[leoram]

Many here are long time Ram fans who have lived well and died hard with this team. Still, I’m shocked how many look at the current team and haven’t learned the lessons the team history taught us. The following stories of The Bus and Kurt Warner should give us pause before we label our current backfield tandem.

For two years under Ground Chuck, Jerome Bettis steamrolled his way to All Pro status. But under new coach Rich Brooks, he played hurt, the OLine was a mess, and the new scheme was decidedly pass oriented. Suddenly after he was traded, he went on to the Hall of Fame as a Steeler.

For three glorious years, Kurt Warner won MVP’s, a Super Bowl, and directed one of the deadliest offenses in NFL history. Then free agency, OLine injuries, a broken thumb, and defensive adjustments made him look ineffective. During subsequent stints in the Meadowlands and Arizona, he played with a couple of the worst OLines in the league. He was known as a fumbler (something inevitable when you’re sacked more times than any other qb). Most thought he was washed up. Then the Cards employ Russ Grimm to overhaul the OLine and acquire a couple pretty good receivers in Boldin and Fitzgerald. Suddenly. Warner “remembers” how to win again. Hmmmmm....

My point is that every time I see posts where my brethren suggest we shouldn’t have secured Goff and we should drop Gurley as soon as financially possible, I hope someone will send this message to them. Look at the totality of an offense before you give up on a player. It’s a team game. Let McVay’s process continue to develop before you panic. We should have learned what happens when you give up on a player too soon.

 

[FrantikRam]

Bettis was a domino that led to Faulk, and without Faulk we probably never win a Super Bowl. So not a great example.

As for Warner, people have a memory problem. Look at his career stats. He had bad seasons between 2002 and 2007 - that is five seasons of mediocre to bad QB play. Sure, we can blame the OL, but with great circumstances any NFL QB will look good. He was broken until he had possibly the best WR duo in NFL history in prime Boldin and prime Fitzgerald to help bring him out of it - "pretty good receivers" is a ridiculous statement. Fitzgerald is a top 3 WR all time and Boldin was an all pro himself. The only WR duos that rival them are Bruces/Holt and Wayne/Harrison.

The Rams clearly were not winning a Super Bowl with Warner again, so whether we kept him or not is irrelevant - our franchise was run into the ground by Martz and others. While that prolonged streak of losing sucked, it ultimately brought us McVay.

I'm extremely comfortable in saying that Goff isn't good enough right now. If any Rams fan thinks he is, our standards are WAY too low. Along the same line, Gurley looks like a shell of himself and McVay's comments seem to contradict the obvious: that Gurley's workload is being managed because of his knee. Paying him was probably a mistake - teams, even the Patriots - make mistakes like this all the time, it's not a big deal. But being able to cut him 2021 means we only have to live with that mistake for two more seasons, and that also means Gurley has two seasons to change our minds.

 

[fearsomefour]

Whether the franchise is again slamming the window shut on itself depends on last off season and next couple.
McVay does not appear to have Martz’ mental issues.
The FO now appears to be much better.
Time will tell.

 

[max]

I think its clear that if Warner stayed with the Rams he would not be in the HOF.

 

[leoram]

Let’s see...Bettis and Warner wear gold jackets but we were right to move on from them? They were clearly the real problem? Sigh...

Saquon Barkley got hurt this year. His stats now suck. The Giants would be foolish to extend him when his time comes. Right?

Warner had bad stats for five years...he forgot how to play the position and was just along for the ride with a great Cardinals organization. Somebody help me here.

Goff goes to consecutive Pro Bowls and he’s clearly not good enough? Oh my....

Gurley looks great when he has blocking and terrible when he’s hit in the backfield or has no holes to run through. Who knew?

C’mon man....

 

[Ramlock]

Bettis was a domino that led to Faulk, and without Faulk we probably never win a Super Bowl. So not a great example.

Bettis was the domino that led to Lawrence Phillips...so not great logic.

 

[Zaphod]

I don’t know why over and over some fans ignore the line over “skill” positions.

 

[leoram]

I don’t know why over and over some fans ignore the line over “skill” positions.

Exactly this...

When the Giants beat the Pats in the Super Bowl, the Pats had an injury on the OLine and lost the game. I suppose Brady should’ve been the culprit under the current logic. But it’s the helmet catch everyone remembers.