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Fisher not concerned about job security
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_cded074c-d0bd-588f-b50c-c51c1f05add5.html
In the wake of a fourth consecutive loss, and with the prospect of a fourth consecutive losing season looming, the subject of coach Jeff Fisher’s future is out in the open. It’s now open season on job security.
When asked Monday if the Rams had shown enough progress during his tenure to merit a fifth season as the team’s head coach, Fisher addressed the issue.
“I’ve been doing this for probably short of 20 years, and I’ve never gone into a game or into a season worried about my job security,” Fisher said. “That would be unfair to the organization and unfair to the players. So I’m not concerned about that.
“What I’m concerned about is this week. I know that’s not the answer you guys want to hear, but I’m concerned about this week. We’re 3-0 in the division. We’ve got the division leader coming to town, and we’re going to get ready to play.”
Three of the Rams’ final five games of the 2015 season are against fellow members of the NFC West, starting with Sunday’s noon kickoff at the Edward Jones Dome against the Arizona Cardinals.
At 9-2, the Big Red not only are division leaders but are vying for at least a first-round bye in the playoffs. Arizona coach Bruce Arians has made no secret of his dislike for the Rams, and would like nothing better than to avenge a 24-22 loss to St. Louis on Oct. 4.
Meanwhile, the 4-7 Rams are flailing away in search of a life preserver. They must sweep their final five games not only to avoid a 12th consecutive non-winning season but also have any semblance of a chance to remain in playoff consideration.
Seeing that the team has never won more than three games in a row under Fisher, doing so only once — in 2012 — running the table now seems highly unlikely.
“Mathematically, we’re not eliminated,” Fisher said.
But then he added: “I’m not going to put all of the pressure (on winning Sunday). We talked to the players today. We’re not going to put this live-or-die or win-or-lose situation on this game. We’re going to have fun, we’re going to work, we’re going to prepare and we’re going to get ready to play the Cardinals.”
One month ago, the situation looked downright rosy for Fisher and the Rams. At 4-3, the team entered November with a winning record for the first time since 2006. After a brutal opening stretch of games against Seattle, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Green Bay, it looked like the team was starting to reap the benefits of a softer schedule over the back half of the season.
But then came the losing streak: two losses on “walk-off” field goals (to Minnesota and Baltimore) and two blowout losses by 24 points (to Chicago and Cincinnati).
It’s rare in the NFL that a coach who encounters three consecutive losing seasons gets a fourth season with that same club. For a coach to suffer four consecutive losing seasons and get a fifth is basically unheard of.
Fisher is in the fourth year of a five-year contract paying him about $7 million a year. For one, owner Stan Kroenke may not want to eat the final $7 million of Fisher’s contract by firing him after this season.
For another, he may want to keep Fisher around after this season because of the planned move of the team to Los Angeles. Fisher has experience relocating a team, having done so with the Houston Oilers after the 1996 season to Tennessee.
No matter what the future brings, one of the most important things in Fisher’s mind over the final five weeks of the season is trying to keep the team focused.
“It’s about avoiding distractions,” Fisher said. “It’s about believing in yourself and working hard and finding ways to improve. It’s especially difficult on them right now because of the lack of production on offense.”
As has been the case for several weeks, the Rams are 31st in total offense and 32nd in passing offense in the league. The team’s current passing yards average of 180.9 per game would be the fourth-lowest total in the franchise’s 21 seasons in St. Louis.
In all seven losses, the Rams have scored 18 or fewer points. Only San Francisco with 152 points has scored fewer than the Rams (186) so far this season.
“But you look at the (Cincinnati) tape and there’s potential for big plays in this game,” Fisher said. “It can show them that, ‘Hey, this is an elite team that we played. This is a playoff team that’s been there for years. They’ve got a Pro Bowl quarterback. Had a couple of things gone differently, the end of the game could’ve been different.’
“That’s the perspective that you take. We’ve lost four in a row. (We’re) not losers. Their effort is outstanding. They’re doing the best they can. We just have to find a way to make some plays.”
Now in his 20th full season as an NFL head coach, Fisher says he’s never had an offense struggle like the Rams’ has this season.
“It’s a combination of things,” he said. “We’re going to find our way out of it. We’ve got good players. Got playmakers. We just have to get them the ball.”
Even in the midst of the four-game winning streak and on the heels of Sunday’s 31-7 shellacking by the Bengals, Fisher said the team psyche remained good Monday.
“We had a good meeting; got things corrected,” Fisher said. “They’re looking forward to a day off. I would anticipate most of them are going to be in the building (Tuesday) and we’ll (practice) Wednesday.”
Fisher is changing the team’s practice routine, making Tuesday the mandatory day off this week instead of Thursday.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_cded074c-d0bd-588f-b50c-c51c1f05add5.html
In the wake of a fourth consecutive loss, and with the prospect of a fourth consecutive losing season looming, the subject of coach Jeff Fisher’s future is out in the open. It’s now open season on job security.
When asked Monday if the Rams had shown enough progress during his tenure to merit a fifth season as the team’s head coach, Fisher addressed the issue.
“I’ve been doing this for probably short of 20 years, and I’ve never gone into a game or into a season worried about my job security,” Fisher said. “That would be unfair to the organization and unfair to the players. So I’m not concerned about that.
“What I’m concerned about is this week. I know that’s not the answer you guys want to hear, but I’m concerned about this week. We’re 3-0 in the division. We’ve got the division leader coming to town, and we’re going to get ready to play.”
Three of the Rams’ final five games of the 2015 season are against fellow members of the NFC West, starting with Sunday’s noon kickoff at the Edward Jones Dome against the Arizona Cardinals.
At 9-2, the Big Red not only are division leaders but are vying for at least a first-round bye in the playoffs. Arizona coach Bruce Arians has made no secret of his dislike for the Rams, and would like nothing better than to avenge a 24-22 loss to St. Louis on Oct. 4.
Meanwhile, the 4-7 Rams are flailing away in search of a life preserver. They must sweep their final five games not only to avoid a 12th consecutive non-winning season but also have any semblance of a chance to remain in playoff consideration.
Seeing that the team has never won more than three games in a row under Fisher, doing so only once — in 2012 — running the table now seems highly unlikely.
“Mathematically, we’re not eliminated,” Fisher said.
But then he added: “I’m not going to put all of the pressure (on winning Sunday). We talked to the players today. We’re not going to put this live-or-die or win-or-lose situation on this game. We’re going to have fun, we’re going to work, we’re going to prepare and we’re going to get ready to play the Cardinals.”
One month ago, the situation looked downright rosy for Fisher and the Rams. At 4-3, the team entered November with a winning record for the first time since 2006. After a brutal opening stretch of games against Seattle, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Green Bay, it looked like the team was starting to reap the benefits of a softer schedule over the back half of the season.
But then came the losing streak: two losses on “walk-off” field goals (to Minnesota and Baltimore) and two blowout losses by 24 points (to Chicago and Cincinnati).
It’s rare in the NFL that a coach who encounters three consecutive losing seasons gets a fourth season with that same club. For a coach to suffer four consecutive losing seasons and get a fifth is basically unheard of.
Fisher is in the fourth year of a five-year contract paying him about $7 million a year. For one, owner Stan Kroenke may not want to eat the final $7 million of Fisher’s contract by firing him after this season.
For another, he may want to keep Fisher around after this season because of the planned move of the team to Los Angeles. Fisher has experience relocating a team, having done so with the Houston Oilers after the 1996 season to Tennessee.
No matter what the future brings, one of the most important things in Fisher’s mind over the final five weeks of the season is trying to keep the team focused.
“It’s about avoiding distractions,” Fisher said. “It’s about believing in yourself and working hard and finding ways to improve. It’s especially difficult on them right now because of the lack of production on offense.”
As has been the case for several weeks, the Rams are 31st in total offense and 32nd in passing offense in the league. The team’s current passing yards average of 180.9 per game would be the fourth-lowest total in the franchise’s 21 seasons in St. Louis.
In all seven losses, the Rams have scored 18 or fewer points. Only San Francisco with 152 points has scored fewer than the Rams (186) so far this season.
“But you look at the (Cincinnati) tape and there’s potential for big plays in this game,” Fisher said. “It can show them that, ‘Hey, this is an elite team that we played. This is a playoff team that’s been there for years. They’ve got a Pro Bowl quarterback. Had a couple of things gone differently, the end of the game could’ve been different.’
“That’s the perspective that you take. We’ve lost four in a row. (We’re) not losers. Their effort is outstanding. They’re doing the best they can. We just have to find a way to make some plays.”
Now in his 20th full season as an NFL head coach, Fisher says he’s never had an offense struggle like the Rams’ has this season.
“It’s a combination of things,” he said. “We’re going to find our way out of it. We’ve got good players. Got playmakers. We just have to get them the ball.”
Even in the midst of the four-game winning streak and on the heels of Sunday’s 31-7 shellacking by the Bengals, Fisher said the team psyche remained good Monday.
“We had a good meeting; got things corrected,” Fisher said. “They’re looking forward to a day off. I would anticipate most of them are going to be in the building (Tuesday) and we’ll (practice) Wednesday.”
Fisher is changing the team’s practice routine, making Tuesday the mandatory day off this week instead of Thursday.
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