Game Day Positivity Thread

[Mackeyser]

I know I'm probably the last person one would expect to start one of these, but I felt compelled to after this particular loss.

Why?

I saw some positives.

1) We all know by now that our offensive scheme is broken. Part of the reason is that it is overly complicated for our players, but not complicated for opposing defenses to diagnose. That goes for the awful hybrid blocking scheme bolted on to this monstrosity of a thing laughingly called an offense. Why is this positive? Well, we do have players who if we just simplify things and put them in position to win their assignments, they can and most times will. I actually think that as poorly as our OL is playing (and they actually played pretty well in the first half), in a simplified coherent scheme, we DO have players enough to compete. I'm not saying we can't upgrade players, but fixing the scheme will fix a LOT of things, including the OL. They really aren't as bad as they looked at times, that includes GRob. I think the scheme has him so screwed at times he doesn't know if he's coming or going and DCs are taking advantage of that. And instead of getting support, he's getting left out in the wind. You saw him at the beginning of the year... Everything is off...fundamentals... Technique... Scheme... Everything. The good news is with a new, likely offensive minded coach coming in, he's specifically going to come in with answers in mind knowing he will have to win with most of these guys (you can only replace so many at a time). And I think they can do it with a new coach.

2) Disappointing season and still the players are fighting. We've all seen teams quit before. This team has fight. Ogletree doesn't make that tackle at the goal line if he didn't have that fight in him. That's a positive I'm taking into next season.

3) We have leaders on this team. Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley are young, but clearly leaders on this team. And they want to WIN. You can bet the talk is gonna be about executing on Sundays this offseason and not making costly mistakes, drops, penalties, etc.

4) I'm still blessed to see Rams football. I surely get frustrated when we lose, but man do I root so hard for this team.

There's more, but it's late.

Stay positive and GO RAMS!

 

[SteezyEndo]

I saw a lot of positives. I saw a lot of players who were quiet during the past few games come alive ie. Hayes. They were beast stopping the running game. Westbrook was playing so hard his horn fell off. Gurley did well better than the past few games. It was noticable where the changes need to be made and this game opened that up even more...I am seeing lots of positives. We got the talent.

 

[kurtfaulk]

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Best play of the game - gurley's shoulder to bennett's head.

Wasn't too thrilled with it live but the replay was just beautiful.

I'm positive the new oc won't have a rookie te blocking the opposition's best de.

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[Jacobarch]

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Best play of the game - gurley's shoulder to bennett's head.

Wasn't too thrilled with it live but the replay was just beautiful.

I'm positive the new oc won't have a rookie te blocking the opposition's best de.

.

I feel for Boras. He should have never been given the chance to be an OC. Good thing Fisher didn't get the chance to make him the scapegoat at the end of the season.
We have some pieces but it seems like a lot of those pieces are different shapes trying to fit into a round hole. With a competent HC and OC we should be able to right the ship.

 

[Loyal]

Well, I had finish up the last essay for the last class and I missed the game?:rant:

 

[SteezyEndo]

Maybe every section of players on the field can have a leader....I was astonished on the performance of Hayes today, in the midst of a Quinn absence he stepped up...Hayes did good and I believe him and Donald were on the same page. Ogletree needs to adjust but he needs to worry about his section. The D was the star studded talk of the evening. Talent is there!

 

[kurtfaulk]

I feel for Boras. He should have never been given the chance to be an OC. Good thing Fisher didn't get the chance to make him the scapegoat at the end of the season.
We have some pieces but it seems like a lot of those pieces are different shapes trying to fit into a round hole. With a competent HC and OC we should be able to right the ship.

The only person to blame for boras being the oc is fisher, and only fisher.

The biggest positive of the year is that fisher and his offensive philosophy will no longer be part of Rams football starting next season. I'm almost giddy that we may actually finally see some innovative offense after 8 years of spags and fisher.

.

 

[Ajb44]

Only sad part is we have to wait soooooo long before football is back

 

[SteezyEndo]

The only person to blame for boras being the oc is fisher, and only fisher.

The biggest positive of the year is that fisher and his offensive philosophy will no longer be part of Rams football starting next season. I'm almost giddy that we may actually finally see some innovative offense after 8 years of spags and fisher.

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8 years of this roller coaster felt like 56 years and I'm not even a dog, and most of us have been Rams fans for how long? Fml. Too much to take in. But we will get ours eventually.

 

[UKram]

Goff and Donald are the future of LA

Gurley is out there fighting but dude looks defeated ... just seems like he has nothing left i feel for him

This D does not quit (need to sort out our secondary majorly )

If we ran a standard 4-3 I'd be happy with hager out there he made an exceptional play

 

[Ramlock]

Positives...

The D line can not be run on & can rush the passer

Goff's movement in the pocket; love the way he climbs the pocket and kept eyes downfield

Cooper can catch and does not go down easy

For gosh sakes, give Gurley the football

Our back end will hit you, may not cover properly but will hit you

 

[MTRamsFan]

Alec Ogletree played his ass off last night. Dude is going to get better at MLB as time goes on.

 

[Psycho_X]

Alec Ogletree played his ass off last night. Dude is going to get better at MLB as time goes on.

This was what stood out to me this game. Ogeltree had one of his best games in his short career, and definitely his best game at MLB. I've been lukewarm at best on his performance at MLB this season and was starting to think we'd be better getting a MLB in the offseason and putting him back at wlb if we get a new DC that prefers standard 4-3 lb'ers. But today helped me think he is growing into the position. Either way, he brought it last night.

I think the D-line played their best game of the season also as others have said. Which helped with Ogeltree's success.

Our secondary is a mess and could be a disaster next season depending on free agent losses and if Gaines doesn't get back to his rookie form.

 

[MTRamsFan]

I think the D-line played their best game of the season also as others have said. Which helped with Ogeltree's success.

Our secondary is a mess and could be a disaster next season depending on free agent losses and if Gaines doesn't get back to his rookie form.

The D-Line kept their O-Line off him, for most of the game so he could wreak havoc. They did play great too. Regarding the secondary, the Seahawks knew who to go after in Jordan and then Hill. They saw the weakness. IMO we play solid up front but it seems the secondary plays out of position too much. I take this as we just don't have good enough talent back there.

 

[RamFan503]

Good thread @Mackeyser .

There's a good team in there waiting to be unleashed.

My main positive out of that game though is that I'm positive Petey is a giant douche.

 

[Jacobarch]

The D-Line kept their O-Line off him, for most of the game so he could wreak havoc. They did play great too. Regarding the secondary, the Seahawks knew who to go after in Jordan and then Hill. They saw the weakness. IMO we play solid up front but it seems the secondary plays out of position too much. I take this as we just don't have good enough talent back there.

Agreed. I don't know why we started Jordan over Hill in the first place. Yes Hill got burned in the Redzone but he was coming off the bench and that often happens when a player doesn't get 1st team reps during the week.
I think with Gaines coming back Hill as a backup, the draft and FA we will be fine.

I really hope we can keep williams. I think he has an eye for talent and I like the scheme he runs. We've had some unfortunate injuries this year and if we can add a couple more pieces in the offseason we will maintain our top ten defense.

 

[Ram65]

I know it's a positive thread.

Hayes played great but, why not all the time.

Tree looked great and is always giving effort.

Goff had some nice throws. He really can spin it. I think he can make great strides next year.

It's very possible a different blocking scheme will help the offensive line. A couple new players could also make a big difference.

Copper and Higbee could be very valuable next year.

 

[dieterbrock]

The team has the potential to be special. Cant wait for the new HC/regime to get on board and start building the vision.
Gurley is merely suffering sophomore slump, Goff is going to be a stud. The defense will be awesome lead by Donald and Tree
This season was similar to 2011 when everything that could possibly go wrong did.
Rams will be the turnaround team of 2017

 

[den-the-coach]

Positives:

1. It was 0-0 when the game started.

That is all!

 

[Austin]

I think for positives, you can start at the Defense. Tree, McD, the D-Line: Those are things we have known about this team for a while, but it's good to see them confirmed, especially at a time like this when everything about our team is (and need to be) getting questioned. I'm not happy with Williams's schemes, and think they create a lot of frustrating breakdown plays for scrambling QBs and our injury-diminished secondary but--oh yeah, positivity!

On the offensive side, I'll mostly echo what people have said.

• Goff looks to have the tools as well as the toughness to get it done, and to improve. He looks like a guy who's learning out there.
• A related point is this: the routes this offense runs lead to low % throws for our QB, and so a positive is definitely that Goff will get a new offense, hopefully one catered to what he does well.
• Gurley looks better out of the I-formation, as many have said, and having that show up on tape again gives me hope our next coordinator-headcoach duo will have a plan to help him get his confidence back.
• The beating this team has been taking, as an offense, will motivate the worthy. Players who belong here will show it, and will put in work, and will embrace a new system that puts them in position to succeed.
• Last night really highlighted how much of an issue the schemes themselves are, more than the players. Inflexible designs that lead to predictability and free-rushers. Straightforward routes that are always covered, and rely on the receiver to win by himself, without help from the design...
• Most of the players on this team have the talent to succeed, but are not being put in position to do so.

So yes, perhaps the biggest positive of all is that coaching side of this team, who had their heyday under Schotty, and seem to be dogpaddling just to stay afloat (that's what their jammed-together hybrid philosophies remind me of), are on their way out, and the talented roster that is here will have someone coming in who has analyzed them, and who has a plan for how to make them effective, and consistent. Another positive is Fassel. From the field to the press conference, he is genuine and knows football. Would love to keep Fassel.