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Rams: Jeff Fisher’s plan is almost complete
by Matthew Luhmann
http://isportsweb.com/2016/01/26/los-angeles-rams-jeff-fishers-plan-is-almost-complete/
Jeff Fisher was brought in to help lead the Rams from the depths of a deep, dark abyss of losing to their former Greatest Show on Turf glory days. Multiple coaches tried and failed before him including Steve Spagnuolo, Jim Haslett, and Scott Linehan. Over those three coaches time with the Rams, they went a combined 23-73.
The last Rams head coach to have a record over .500 was Mike Martz who went 53-32 with a 3-4 record in the playoffs from 2000-2005. Fisher’s record has been better than that of his three predecessors, but it has not been what most expected.
So far, Fisher has had a record of 27-36-1 during his four seasons with the Rams. Defense has been the vocal point of the team with young stars such as Aaron Donald and Alec Ogletree leading the charge. Offense has been lackluster with multiple changes at offensive coordinator and a carousel of quarterback changes.
During his time with Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Fisher built up a strong run game with Eddie George. Fisher has tried to do the same thing with the Rams, and now has his man in Todd Gurley.
Draft experts were puzzled at first why the Rams would take a running back, especially one who was recovering from a torn ACL. Tre Mason was coming off of a successful rookie year and Benny Cunningham performed well as the spell back.
Simply put, Gurley was a better fit for Fisher’s scheme in that he had the ability to run between the tackles and run people over. Despite missing two games, Gurley was able to rush for over 1,000 yards and get into the end zone 10 times. A mediocre passing game and an inconsistent offensive line was the issue for the Rams.
Nick Foles and Case Keenum climbed aboard the Rams quarterback carousel and it was a bumpy ride. Foles shined in the first game against Seattle, but it was downhill after that and his performance against Green Bay was the bottom of that hill.
Keenum played the role of Austin Davis this season, being good enough to win a few games, but not enough to win the games that should have been with inconsistency. Just because he had a perfect passer rating for one game against the #16 pass defense in the NFL does mean he is the answer.
The number fifteen pick will not be high enough to draft Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch is an outside chance, and Connor Cook is most likely a second rounder. Cook would be good, but not great as his poor play late in the year have some scouts viewing him as bit of a project.
Wide receiver wise, Tavon Austin had his breakout year and hopefully the upcoming season features him running more routes. A step in the right direction would be providing an outside threat, either through the draft, free agency, or a trade. That way, opposing defenses are not solely keyed in on Tavon when he goes in motion.
Offensive line is not the greatest, the starters and backups are underwhelming in most areas. Injuries have not helped either, but with lackluster depth options, there is immense pressure on the starters to remain healthy.
Fisher and his Rams had a 7-9 record last season. As always, there were games where it was close and the offense could not pull off a win or the defense fell flat. The vision Fisher has is close to fruition, as from the looks of it the offense needs a few more pieces to become reliable.
An over .500 record is possible, some said that this past offseason was crucial. I say that this offseason is one of the most crucial in recent years. The citizens of Los Angeles are excited for the return of Rams football, and a winning season would kick start what could be a great second stint in Los Angeles. Fisher’s vision is almost a reality, there are key re-signings, draft picks, and free agent pickups that will complete his vision.
by Matthew Luhmann
http://isportsweb.com/2016/01/26/los-angeles-rams-jeff-fishers-plan-is-almost-complete/
Jeff Fisher was brought in to help lead the Rams from the depths of a deep, dark abyss of losing to their former Greatest Show on Turf glory days. Multiple coaches tried and failed before him including Steve Spagnuolo, Jim Haslett, and Scott Linehan. Over those three coaches time with the Rams, they went a combined 23-73.
The last Rams head coach to have a record over .500 was Mike Martz who went 53-32 with a 3-4 record in the playoffs from 2000-2005. Fisher’s record has been better than that of his three predecessors, but it has not been what most expected.
So far, Fisher has had a record of 27-36-1 during his four seasons with the Rams. Defense has been the vocal point of the team with young stars such as Aaron Donald and Alec Ogletree leading the charge. Offense has been lackluster with multiple changes at offensive coordinator and a carousel of quarterback changes.
During his time with Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Fisher built up a strong run game with Eddie George. Fisher has tried to do the same thing with the Rams, and now has his man in Todd Gurley.
Draft experts were puzzled at first why the Rams would take a running back, especially one who was recovering from a torn ACL. Tre Mason was coming off of a successful rookie year and Benny Cunningham performed well as the spell back.
Simply put, Gurley was a better fit for Fisher’s scheme in that he had the ability to run between the tackles and run people over. Despite missing two games, Gurley was able to rush for over 1,000 yards and get into the end zone 10 times. A mediocre passing game and an inconsistent offensive line was the issue for the Rams.
Nick Foles and Case Keenum climbed aboard the Rams quarterback carousel and it was a bumpy ride. Foles shined in the first game against Seattle, but it was downhill after that and his performance against Green Bay was the bottom of that hill.
Keenum played the role of Austin Davis this season, being good enough to win a few games, but not enough to win the games that should have been with inconsistency. Just because he had a perfect passer rating for one game against the #16 pass defense in the NFL does mean he is the answer.
The number fifteen pick will not be high enough to draft Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch is an outside chance, and Connor Cook is most likely a second rounder. Cook would be good, but not great as his poor play late in the year have some scouts viewing him as bit of a project.
Wide receiver wise, Tavon Austin had his breakout year and hopefully the upcoming season features him running more routes. A step in the right direction would be providing an outside threat, either through the draft, free agency, or a trade. That way, opposing defenses are not solely keyed in on Tavon when he goes in motion.
Offensive line is not the greatest, the starters and backups are underwhelming in most areas. Injuries have not helped either, but with lackluster depth options, there is immense pressure on the starters to remain healthy.
Fisher and his Rams had a 7-9 record last season. As always, there were games where it was close and the offense could not pull off a win or the defense fell flat. The vision Fisher has is close to fruition, as from the looks of it the offense needs a few more pieces to become reliable.
An over .500 record is possible, some said that this past offseason was crucial. I say that this offseason is one of the most crucial in recent years. The citizens of Los Angeles are excited for the return of Rams football, and a winning season would kick start what could be a great second stint in Los Angeles. Fisher’s vision is almost a reality, there are key re-signings, draft picks, and free agent pickups that will complete his vision.
