Finally re watched the Cowboy game...

[Rams43]

Just a few highlights (and lowlights) plus some overall macro type generalizations.

The Rams looked really, really good for the first 25 minutes of playing time. They absolutely dominated the Cowboys in all phases, including a 21-0 lead. But then the nightmare began.

In no particular order the following occurred...

After allowing a legit Dallas TD drive, Wells butt fumbled on 3rd and 1 at the Dallas 44 yard line. Naturally, Dallas recovers and drives for a FG. This was with approx 1 minute left in the half of a game we're leading 21-7.

Early in the second half two horrible things occur on the same play. A blatant, and I mean truly blatant, hold on Langford occurs right in front of one official while McLeod blows coverage on Dez Bryant for a 68 yard TD. Double whammy punch in the gut. Doesn't get better when watched again, either.

Sims was the victim of two horrible calls in this game. One was the infamous slap on Romo's shoulder pad that resulted in a 15 yard roughing the passer penalty to keep a struggling Dallas drive alive.

The other was the phantom holding call as he released from the TE to go for Romo.

But there was plenty of good news from this game, too.

I saw glimpses of what our O and D could become.

We were both running and passing on Dallas, and right to the end. The D gave hints of what was to come in the season's second half.

Stacy, Cunningham, and Watts were all running well.

And frankly, Davis was playing well. He missed Britt on a 40 yarder by maybe 3 inches too long. Britt actually touched it with his fingertips. And Davis hit Cook right in the hands which he dropped for what was a certain TD, too. We all remember THAT one, I'm sure.

Even the OL was doing it's job, believe it or not.

So I guess that it was a bittersweet experience for Ram fans. We put up 31 points on an eventual 12-4 playoff team, yet still lost 34-31.

I tell you this much. Dallas not only respected us after this game, but knows they were damned lucky (with a lot of help from the zebras) to win this game.

I've gotta tell you that I came away after watching this game feeling a helluva lot better than I thought I would. Because I could see the promise and potential a lot more clearly than before.

 

[Legatron4]

Me and many others have reiterated over and over that games like the ones vs Dallas, Seattle, Denver, Oakland and Washington show that we can be an absolute fucking powerhouse in this league. Even with a THIRD string QB. We bitch slapped Dallas in the first half. And then youth(and Wells) hurt us in the second half, which did us in all season. This team has experience now. Look the fuck out.

 

[Warner4Prez]

I still don't know how to look at this game. I'm torn between it being an actual team loss or a failure of the officiating. I know the officiating was atrocious at times, but I still feel like you have to overcome.

 

[Ram Quixote]

I still don't know how to look at this game. I'm torn between it being an actual team loss or a failure of the officiating. I know the officiating was atrocious at times, but I still feel like you have to overcome.

Yeah, but the Sims phantom hold wasn't something that could be overcome. It gave Dallas a first down late in the game, when it should have been 3rd and long (actually, 3rd and 22). The Rams would have had much better field position to kick a tying FG.

If you really think about it, this was the game that showed Davis what was going to happen in all those other games in the 4th quarter.

 

[RAGRam]

If you really think about it, this was the game that showed Davis what was going to happen in all those other games in the 4th quarter.

Lead what should have been an 82 yard TD drive, only to have it fucked up by someone else, thus putting the team behind the 8 ball, so we could all blame Davis rather than admitting that the team had(s) deeper problems?

 

[Rynie]

I was at that game. Somehow two other people had the same tickets for our seats, so we just moved down to like the 5th row, and stayed there the entire game. Crazy.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Just a few highlights (and lowlights) plus some overall macro type generalizations.

The Rams looked really, really good for the first 25 minutes of playing time. They absolutely dominated the Cowboys in all phases, including a 21-0 lead. But then the nightmare began.

In no particular order the following occurred...

After allowing a legit Dallas TD drive, Wells butt fumbled on 3rd and 1 at the Dallas 44 yard line. Naturally, Dallas recovers and drives for a FG. This was with approx 1 minute left in the half of a game we're leading 21-7.

Early in the second half two horrible things occur on the same play. A blatant, and I mean truly blatant, hold on Langford occurs right in front of one official while McLeod blows coverage on Dez Bryant for a 68 yard TD. Double whammy punch in the gut. Doesn't get better when watched again, either.

Sims was the victim of two horrible calls in this game. One was the infamous slap on Romo's shoulder pad that resulted in a 15 yard roughing the passer penalty to keep a struggling Dallas drive alive.

The other was the phantom holding call as he released from the TE to go for Romo.

But there was plenty of good news from this game, too.

I saw glimpses of what our O and D could become.

We were both running and passing on Dallas, and right to the end. The D gave hints of what was to come in the season's second half.

Stacy, Cunningham, and Watts were all running well.

And frankly, Davis was playing well. He missed Britt on a 40 yarder by maybe 3 inches too long. Britt actually touched it with his fingertips. And Davis hit Cook right in the hands which he dropped for what was a certain TD, too. We all remember THAT one, I'm sure.

Even the OL was doing it's job, believe it or not.

So I guess that it was a bittersweet experience for Ram fans. We put up 31 points on an eventual 12-4 playoff team, yet still lost 34-31.

I tell you this much. Dallas not only respected us after this game, but knows they were damned lucky (with a lot of help from the zebras) to win this game.

I've gotta tell you that I came away after watching this game feeling a helluva lot better than I thought I would. Because I could see the promise and potential a lot more clearly than before.

" The Rams should have Won the Game!!"

 

[Rams43]

I was at that game. Somehow two other people had the same tickets for our seats, so we just moved down to like the 5th row, and stayed there the entire game. Crazy.View attachment 8048

I'm guessing you enjoyed the second half, Rynie?

Especially the last 6 minutes of the 4th quarter? Lol.

 

[Angry Ram]

Early in the second half two horrible things occur on the same play. A blatant, and I mean truly blatant, hold on Langford occurs right in front of one official while McLeod blows coverage on Dez Bryant for a 68 yard TD. Double whammy punch in the gut. Doesn't get better when watched again, either.

I remember Kendall being slammed down without even watching that play.

There's losing b/c you simply got outplayed (like against the Giants) or made a ton of mistakes (like against teh Cardinals) and there's losing b/c of bullshit like this.

Folks say "oh those are just excuses" and honestly I can't fucking stand that. Bad officiating has great impact on games. It keeps drives alive, it gives points when there shouldn't be, and the worst part is in the middle of the week, the NFL goes "oops, our bad that shouldn't have been a penalty". Thanks a fucking lot for that.

If Rodney McCleod had just blown that coverage, and that was that, OK shit happens in football. Maybe the ref might have missed that holding Kendall. They are human after all.

But then against Eugene Sims? And again? It's a bunch of bewl.

 

[Ram Quixote]

Lead what should have been an 82 yard TD drive, only to have it fucked up by someone else, thus putting the team behind the 8 ball, so we could all blame Davis rather than admitting that the team had(s) deeper problems?

Well that was part of it. Who can forget Pettis dropping the 2nd down pass in Philly?

 

[Angry Ram]

Well that was part of it. Who can forget Pettis dropping the 2nd down pass in Philly?

#BlameSchotty

 

[RAGRam]

Well that was part of it. Who can forget Pettis dropping the 2nd down pass in Philly?

Me, mainly because I was pretty drunk. Midday drinking + Florida heat =

 

[Rynie]

I'm guessing you enjoyed the second half, Rynie?

Especially the last 6 minutes of the 4th quarter? Lol.

Uh. Duh! Hehe. I thought we were going to lose. Our defense couldn't stop y'all for shit. The whole weekend was fun. Stl is a cool city. We went to that crazy hotel that I guess used to be a train station? The Cowboys stayed there. We met several players, and hung out with Dez's babysitter. Lol.

 

[Legatron4]

I was at that game. Somehow two other people had the same tickets for our seats, so we just moved down to like the 5th row, and stayed there the entire game. Crazy.View attachment 8048

In case you were wondering, nobody is looking at you in this pic. Lol.

 

[Rynie]

In case you were wondering, nobody is looking at you in this pic. Lol.

Lol.

 

[dbrooks25]

Uh. Duh! Hehe. I thought we were going to lose. Our defense couldn't stop y'all for crap. The whole weekend was fun. Stl is a cool city. We went to that crazy hotel that I guess used to be a train station? The Cowboys stayed there. We met several players, and hung out with Dez's babysitter. Lol.

Union Station is where you stayed. It was a train station up until 1978. Pretty cool place.

 

[LACHAMP46]

" The Rams should have Won the Game!!"

Exactly...we gave that...excuse my French...F[_]CKING game away....

We gave the Philly game away....and whatever we were smoking before we played Minnesota....need to stop that shit too...We shoulda swept the NFC East....I thought we coulda beat San Diego...

you guys are opening old wounds out here in Cali...

 

[LetsGoRams]

The refs cost us that game. Period. I was there and have never seen so many non-calls on blatant holds. It was ridiculous. Whole sections of people noticing it and yelling at the officials and still wouldn't throw the flag. Then Sims gets called for those 2 ridiculous non-penalties. Something was definitely amiss. That game there was a perfect example of why we had 1 sack in the first 4 or 5 games.

 

[Stranger]

The refs cost us that game. Period. I was there and have never seen so many non-calls on blatant holds. It was ridiculous. Whole sections of people noticing it and yelling at the officials and still wouldn't throw the flag. Then Sims gets called for those 2 ridiculous non-penalties. Something was definitely amiss. That game there was a perfect example of why we had 1 sack in the first 4 or 5 games.

I hate it when the refs throw a game. Not sure how the NFL could look the other way in matters like this.

 

[Rynie]

I hate it when the refs throw a game. Not sure how the NFL could look the other way in matters like this.

I know the feeling. #itwasacatch