The scheme was more aggressive overall than it has been all year. But there is no denying that Morris backed off on 3rd and long and it was too easy. Players play the way they are coached. The other part was when he played aggressively he didn't change his personnel to optimize that style of play. Rochell is better than Hill or Long but he's relegated to STs. Lewis is wasted roster space but he started. Why isn't Hollins starting fulltime? Again that is Morris' decision. He's not playing his best players. He's playing his friends.
Yeah there is no denying that the Card WRs played lights out this game. What I fail to understand is that when Perkins rotated in it was only to run. The Cards stacked things up because they knew that. Perkins is taller than Wolford, at 6'3" and has a much better arm but most of all better accuracy. Why didn't McVay allow Bryce to throw? There is no way he would have played worse than Wolford. I've been saying all year that Wolford is a JAG and he proved it. Time to release Wolford and allow Perkins to be #2 QB which he should have been all along. Bryce showed he can pass in the preseason.
The announcers mocked McVay because it was Sean that persuaded Kliff to sign McCoy. If he was so good and available why didn't McVay sign him and dump Wolford?
If Stafford can't play next week it had better be Perkins not Wolford starting. One more concussion this year and Stafford may get shut down the rest of the season. So all the more reason they should have allowed Perkins to play. He's more elusive in scrambling, taller, faster, stronger arm with much better accuracy. IMO had Perkins started this game the Rams win. What Sean sees in Wolford is head-scratching. More than once WRs were open but Wolford couldn't see them.
This loss is on both McVay and Morris, plain and simple. I turned the TV off toward the end of the 4th quarter and went back to my cerveza y tacos, had great chicken and fish tacos this time. The game was giving me heartburn.
Wolford better be gone by Tuesday. Something to think about. Given Kelly Stafford's own medical history, there is no way she will want Matt to risk CTE. The Rams need to be thinking about their next QB, because given how strong his marriage is, Matt won't risk it to play if Kelly presses the issue. This is another reason to start Perkins to see what they have or don't in him.
Otherwise, Snead should sell the farm when the Huskie's Michael Penix enters the draft. This kid is the real deal, he can run and his arm and accuracy are exceptional. He made a throw last Saturday that IMO 99% of the QBs cannot make. He threw a deep ball while standing on one hash to the opposite sideline and it was an absolute dime and it got there so fast the safety couldn't react. He's as good or better than Herbert. Penix is an absolute fit for McVay's offense. He's a pocket passer who understands how to read defenses, runs about a 4.6 which is very fast for a QB at 6'3". His deep balls are accurate and he throws on time. Grab him let him sit behind Stafford for a year then let him start. Take the dead cap hit on Matt (spread over two years) knowing you have a franchise QB. He's a standup citizen and has a tremendous work ethic.
IMO there is no way I see Stafford finishing his contract. The Rams can't wait. When AD retires they will have to have a QB who can dominate a game and go head to head with guys like Josh Allen and Mahomes. He went head to head with Oregon ranked 8 nationally, and beat them passing for 26/35, 408 yards, 2 TDs 1 INT, and ran twice for 20 yds. This year so far he's passed for 286/426, 3640 yds 67.1%, 25 TDs, 6 INTs, playing in a deep strike passing offense. With Penix the SB window is open for years.
The bottom line is that Snead must be proactive. McVay should hire John Pagano as DC. This defense was built to play an aggressive 3-4 hybrid scheme, in an attacking style. Morris is playing them like a 4-3 passive defense. He rarely attacks and would rather wait for the offense to stop themselves. When he played man coverage they were finally able to get pressure. But then he would follow it up with a passive soft zone. That is what was absolutely infuriating.