If Fisher Doesn’t Win this Season, Is He on the Hot Seat?

[Faceplant]

I hope not. People forget how awful it is for a team to clean house in the FO every 5 years. Unless a Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher have designs on coming to St Lou (not likely), we are best off with Fish. Let me ask you this.....who would you rather have??

 

[Amitar]

Fisher needs a winning record this year. If not then between that, not starting players that should be starting and most egregious continuing to keep Shottenheimer as the OC is grounds for dismissal.

 

[Boston Ram]

Bradford was Spagnulo's #1 pick, his franchise QB. Fisher has finally moved on from that. We'll see what impact that has.

And ultimately, i don't expect a real high level of play from the QB position on a Jeff Fisher team. He wants to win with defense, run the ball a lot. He doesn't put as many eggs in the QB basket as most coaches do. I think his old school philosophy is probably a little out dated but it can still work in the NFL...

Fisher should, since he had his most success with McNair at QB. I think Fisher values the QB as much as anyone, he just hasn't found the right guy yet with the Rams.

By many accounts a big draw for Fisher to come to the Rams was because we had what he thought was the QB in Bradford.

 

[Faceplant]

I hope not. People forget how awful it is for a team to clean house in the FO every 5 years. Unless a Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher have designs on coming to St Lou (not likely), we are best off with Fish. Let me ask you this.....who would you rather have??

 

[ram007]

Fisher will and need to be canned if Rams end up at 6-10 or lower AND Sam Bradford goes to Pro-Bowl.
If not, Fisher is the man for this year and next year.

 

[HometownBoy]

I'd say his seat would be officially hot if it doesn't at least improve a little from where we were last year. I won't say immediately fire him out of a cannon hot, but the ice is getting thinner and you're skating dangerously towards the center hot.

He's just now finished crafting the team he wants, he deserves a little while longer to see if they pan out, if not it's curtains for the Fish.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Fisher should, since he had his most success with McNair at QB. I think Fisher values the QB as much as anyone, he just hasn't found the right guy yet with the Rams.

By many accounts a big draw for Fisher to come to the Rams was because we had what he thought was the QB in Bradford.

That's true (about how strogly Fisher felt about Bradford). While Bradford was Spagnuolo/Devaney's #1 pick, there can be little question Fisher had all the faith in the world in Bradford.

Of course, none of us know exactly who reached out to who to make the Bradford/Foles deal. But, right up until that transaction went down, Fisher remained steadfast in his support of Bradford.

 

[Memphis Ram]

See I think the exact opposite - if you actually moved would you want to try and sell your coach that hasn't broken 500 the last 4 years? I think there is a reasonable shot that without playoffs JF would get replaced IF they move to LA. I could see hiring a new BIG name headcoach to sell tickets and get the fans (luxury suite fans) excited. Now maybe that isn't needed, maybea new team by itself does that...but I can see makinga change with the move...assuming we are average again.

During the first year I'd think the excitement of having the team would handle all that during the first year, I'd think.

 

[MrMotes]

Fisher should, since he had his most success with McNair at QB. I think Fisher values the QB as much as anyone, he just hasn't found the right guy yet with the Rams.

By many accounts a big draw for Fisher to come to the Rams was because we had what he thought was the QB in Bradford.

Fisher may have come in part because of Bradford but in the end Fisher unloaded Bradford who failed to establish himself as our franchise QB.

In 1999 McNair's QB rating was 78.6. In 2008 Kerry Collins' rating was 80.2. Those were Fisher's two best seasons in Tenn. He simply doesn't (or hasn't) won with elite QB play. I'd expect elite defense and a QB rated around 80 to be our ticket to the playoffs.

But we'll see...

 

[RaminExile]

I get the feeling Fish could go about 2-14 and keep his job this year from all we've been hearing. Kroenke has his guy in place for the thing we do not talk about to happen - or so we're told by Wagoner et al. repeatedly. After that - all bets are off.

Not that I think that'll happen - I'd just be very surprised if we went 6-10 and he got fired.

 

[Boston Ram]

Fisher may have come in part because of Bradford but in the end Fisher unloaded Bradford who failed to establish himself as our franchise QB.

In 1999 McNair's QB rating was 78.6. In 2008 Kerry Collins' rating was 80.2. Those were Fisher's two best seasons in Tenn. He simply doesn't (or hasn't) won with elite QB play. I'd expect elite defense and a QB rated around 80 to be our ticket to the playoffs.

But we'll see...

I did not say anything about winning with an elite QB. But Fisher won with pretty close to elite QB play from 1998 - 2003. McNair was passing for 3000 yards and was top 10 in passing yards or close to it during that stretch. 99 and 2000 were the years he did not pass for 3000 yards but he only played in 11 games in 99 and 15 in 2000. So although McNair was not an "elite" QB he was consistently in the conversation as a Top 10 QB during those seasons. To me that is a high level of play for a QB.

So back to my original point, I do believe he values the play of his QB and his best stretch as a HC came when McNair was at his best. Now don't get me wrong those years with McNair also coincided with George at RB. Fisher wants to run, I don't argue that but its not like he is ok with a average QB and not a high level of play as you stated previously.

 

[MrMotes]

I did not say anything about winning with an elite QB. But Fisher won with pretty close to elite QB play from 1998 - 2003. McNair was passing for 3000 yards and was top 10 in passing yards or close to it during that stretch. 99 and 2000 were the years he did not pass for 3000 yards but he only played in 11 games in 99 and 15 in 2000. So although McNair was not an "elite" QB he was consistently in the conversation as a Top 10 QB during those seasons. To me that is a high level of play for a QB.

So back to my original point, I do believe he values the play of his QB and his best stretch as a HC came when McNair was at his best. Now don't get me wrong those years with McNair also coincided with George at RB. Fisher wants to run, I don't argue that but its not like he is ok with a average QB and not a high level of play as you stated previously.

I said, "ultimately, i don't expect a real high level of play from the QB position on a Jeff Fisher team," and i don't.

Certainly McNair and Heimerdinger ran the best offenses Fisher ever had but like i said, McNair had a QB rating of 78.6 in '99, the year they went to the SB.

Maybe it depends on what you think i mean by real high level of play but KW had a rating of 109.2 in 1999 and Russell Wilson had a rating of 101.2 when Seattle won the SB in 2013.

I just think a QB with a rating of around 80 is much more likely on a Jeff Fisher team...

 

[Rams43]

I think these things...

I think Fisher is aware of his limitations when it comes to O matters.

I believe that explains his tendency in the past to rely so heavily on both Bradford and Schotty. Both let him down for various reasons.

I believe Fisher is a big fan of Foles and is still pinching himself because he can't believe his good fortune with the Kelly trade offer. Yet he picked Mannion in the 3rd round, didn't he? No more getting caught with all his eggs in the same basket, QB wise. Lesson learned.

I believe Fisher chose Cigs because he felt that Cigs would produce a solid, efficient, and very effective O for the Rams this year. One that can compete in the NFC West. I doubt that Fisher was ever seriously comfortable with some of the more flamboyant OC candidates, and the feeling was probably mutual. Lol. Point is that Fisher chose Cigs with great care after weeks of consideration. The last thing Fisher wants to have to do is micro manage his OC.

I believe Fisher selected his QB coach with great care. I believe this one may be his most underestimated offseason decision, actually. He took his sweet time in the process because of the importance he attached to the coaching position, given his own limitations in that area. I think he might have struck pay dirt with Weinke.

Hopefully, all of the above will result in a playoff worthy O to complement our current playoff worthy D and ST.