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These are selected questions and answers. To read the whole chat click the link below.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/NFL_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_28
Jim Thomas - NFL Chat
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha (21 Ha's for each year the Rams were in STL).
Help me understand, Jim. Are Fisher/Snead really that bad at leading a team to success? I can't even imagine how they can have so many draft picks, reasonably friendly cap space to sign free agents and come away with such stunning mediocrity?
And I'd like to point out that I've been consistent over the last 4+ years in these chats saying that the Rams real problem lies in their utterly incompetent OLine. Heck, Tom Brady could line up behind the Rams front 5 and, at best, look like a pedestrian QB.
Well, the O-line wasn't terrible Sunday. They held up pretty well against the Seattle pass rush, although Greg Robinson did his best to keep the Seahawks going in the end allowing a sack and getting called for holding on the Rams' last real possession. (The one before the kneel-down sequence.) But this certainly doesn't look like a team capable of ending the franchise's string of seasons without a winning record.
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Can you now give us the low down on why Fisher never tried to bring in Wisniewski?
No, I still can't. (Geez, you're not giving that one up are you?) But it turns out what I was told was the reason why they didn't sign the guy, turned out to not actually take place. Sorry if that confuses you even more.
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Given the problems with the OLine, having a very good C like Wiz would be making a difference, which is why I still wonder about it.
I know he had a couple of rough moments against Seattle _ just about every center does _ but I think Tim Barnes is turning into a pretty good player.
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The Rams won this week not because of what they did, but because of Russel Wilson's high ankle sprain. He was noticeably slowed down. If he had been even 90%, he would've won that game with his legs and lead his team to at least 1 or 2 touchdowns.
Listen, you have to give the Rams defense a lot of credit. Keenum did hit some nice passes when he had to. But overall, I agree with you. I think the Seahawks win by 10 with a healthy Wilson.
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Apparently the fan experience at the LA Coliseum leaves something to be desired:
deadspin.com
The posting mentioned that concessions often ran out at Rams games in St. Louis too - any truth to that?
My wife and family attended basically every Rams game for at least the first 10 years the team was in St. Louis. We were charter PSL holders. I never heard her mention that the concession stands at the Dome were out of stuff. Maybe others on this chat can tell us differently.
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I was at the game Sunday. I did not attempt to leave my seat during the game because the Coliseum Is pretty much not set up to handle 90K+ people walking around. Before the game you could not get around the concession stands it was so crowded. But the game itself was fun, crowd was into it and loud.
Perhaps the Rams should cap their attendance at a certain number, 70,000 or so, because of those issues. Of course, if the team keeps going entire games without a touchdown, the issue will take care of itself.
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Did you get your Kroenke interview over the weekend
The only time I saw him relatively close up was when I was in the locker room postgame, and I could see him in a back room _ I believe it was the coaches' locker room. Maybe I should have barged in.
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Rob Gronkowski is doubtful again this week with a bad hamstring. My question: who gets a touchdown first, Gronk or the Rams?
Tough call. I saw the law of averages catches up with the Rams and they score this weekend.
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is Bradford gonna keep it up?
Very interesting game this Sunday. He returns to Carolina, the scene of the crime so to speak. That's where he suffered the first of his two ACL knee injuries in the middle of the 2013 season. Carolina's defense is very good. No Adrian Peterson. Could be a tough afternoon. Over the long term, or at least until Peterson gets back in the lineup, if the Vikings can have at least the threat of a running game I think Bradford will do fine.
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Season ticket holder for all 21 seasons.
Never experienced concession stand problems.
The only problem I ever experienced at the dome was 18 years of mediocre-putrid football displayed by the home team.
Thanks for the input. . . .
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If you could relive one of these 2 games at the Dome, which would it be? 1999 vs Vikings or 1999 vs. Bucs?
Tough, tough call. The minutes leading up to kickoff and right after the game started vs. Minnesota was the loudest I've ever heard a stadium in all my years of covering the game. It was the first home playoff game in St.. Louis NFL history. And the Greatest Show on Turf at its finest. But I think I'd have to give the nod to the Tampa Bay game. Such an intense, physical contest. The catch by Ricky Proehl. And that fact that it meant the Rams were headed to the Super Bowl.
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No...it was awesome at the game this Sunday. It was a great crowd despite the heat. Yes, they did run out of bottled water at some stands (not all), but there are plenty of drinking fountains and folks were refilling their bottles.
I think the Rams would have won even with a healthy Wilson. They did beat them 3 times before when he was healthy. Great to see Pace & Faulk included in the ceremony. What a great day!
A counter opinion. . . . .
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If Bradford pans out in STL, team is winning....do the Rams still move?
Don't think so.
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Ok, I'm in the financial biz. I have a plan to get a team to STL.
The Oakland Raiders are wanting to move. According to Forbes, they're worth around $1.4 billion.
It will cost around $2 billion to build a state of the art stadium.
Let's use the Green Bay model and have the community own the team. Here's how:
We get 250,000 football fans to set up their IRA's and brokerage accounts with a custodian that allows alternative investments (I can arrange that). If we get merely $20,000 on average from each fan (some more, some less) we've got $5 Billion.
We give Mark Davis $2 Billion for his team. We build a $2 Billion stadium. That leaves us $1 Billion in reserves.
We hire real football people to run the team and we all reap the benefits of ownership profits and having a team that tries to win games and actually does win games (the O-Raiders are on the rise.....defensive struggles aside).
What do you think? Should we get started?
I like your moxie. but the simple fact is Mark Davis doesn't want to move here. He's made that pretty clear.
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Did Kroenke ever go on the sideline in the last 4 years in STL? Did he even know where the sideline was at the dome? Unless he could discover gold there I doubt he would have even been interested.
in the later years, I'd see him on the sidelines occasionally. But pretty early. I think he was usually out there before the dome opened its doors to the crowd. But he was never as visible as he has been so far in the Coliseum _ I'm including the two preseason games there. And I can never recall seeing him on the sidelines during a game.
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Can you think of ANY reason to extend Fisher and Snead?
Short of a winning record in 2016, no. I don't know why you wouldn't just let it play out this season before making a decision.
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I find it humorous that all of these national writers, reporters, analysts, etc. are talking about how awful the Rams are. Especially QB play and Jeff Fisher. Plus, how ridiculous an extension for fisher is. Where have all of these people been the last decade while we've been witnessing it first hand? Nobody seemed to notice until they were in LA.
Have to say I agree with your assessment. It's not like this is an overnight occurrence.
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what did you think of the coliseum?
I really like older stadiums with a sense of history. And the Coliseum has loads of that. I really enjoyed it.
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Rave reviews from la! No water, no beer, $200 parking, no offense and fights in the stands! So with no reason to believe the product on the field improves, what's your thoughts on when they are drawing less than 50K to that clown show?
Again, if they keep averaging 4.5 points a game, it won't take long to reach that 50,000.
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Is there any truth to the rumor that the LA Coliseum was built before the coliseum in Rome? I think the LA Coliseum when the Rams play there has more warriors sacrificed than the gladiators did.
Actually, at the Peristyle entrance of the Coliseum _ you know the arch entrance with the Olympic Torch, there's a plaque on a stone that says it was brought over from the "original' coliseum in Rome. How about that?
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Is Steven Jackson going to get any sniffs from teams this year or is his career likely over?
If it's over, is he HOF worthy? I believe he should be there someday. He performed wonderfully for a lot of years on a terrible team. If he had played for a half way decent team, I think there's no doubt that he'd get in.
Your thoughts.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvAuhBfPpyk
I think he's done. There are a lot of running backs injured right now in the NFL. I think if he was going to get back in the league, it would be now. And no, I don't think he'll get into the Hall of Fame. Rarely has so much talent been wasted on such bad teams.
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Any sidebar convo's with Demoff or Fisher?
No, both were very quick exchanges. Had a nice talk with Rodger Saffold in the locker room. He re-iterated that he feels very bad for St. Louis and appreciated the fans there.
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It's funny because the Rams two best players (Donald & Gurley) were both redundancies in terms of the team's strength when they were drafted. The D Line had Long, Brocker and Quinn. They didn't need Donald. Gurley is really the same way. Mason was holding his own and with the lack of emphasis on running in today's NFL made Gurley a huge luxury pick. Imagine if they had drafted for need vs want?
Oh, you mean like a wide receiver?
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So over the weekend, was that the last time you will cover a Rams home game?
Can't say that for certain, but I'm pretty sure we won't be back again this year.
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JT: This is what the LA Rams sent to a previous STL PSL owner:
I just received the Inglewood stadium ticket survey. The Rams are canvassing to see how much that they will charge the LA Rams fan for the new Inglewood tickets. The range of prices are:
1st level Midfield Personnel seat license: $50-70K with an annual season cost of $4500 for 10 games.
3rd level Midfield Personnel club seat license: $25-50K with an annual season ticket cost of $3500 for 10 games.
1st level end zone Personnel Seat license: $9K with an annual season ticket cost of $2000 for 10 games.
The lowest PSL came in at $5000-6000 for nosebleeds. It is interesting that all of the sample views for seat selection were from Cowboys stadium. Jerry Jones has his fingerprints all over Inglewood.
Enos, out of the kindness of his heart, will finance the cost to you for 10 years at 8% interest...doing that will double the cost of the PSL in some cases. I remember when people back in 1995 thought the $1,000 PSLs were out of sight.
That's all very interesting, Dr. Our original PSLs in the Dome cost $250.
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Jim, thanks for the great reporting. I am missing St. Louis football more than I thought. Is there any talk of maybe bringing an Arena Football Team to St. Louis? Thanks.
Haven't heard anything on that, although Dick Vermeil has mentioned to me on a couple of occasions that St. Louis should seek out an Arena League team. Do you think it would be supported here?
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Aside from his play so far, another reason to think Wentz will be very good is the fact Fisher passed on him. What do you think of the Goff pick as of today?
This isn't a second guess. I liked Wentz better all along.
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How different would the Rams' future look had they kept all their picks and drafted Dak instead of Pharoh in the 4th?
I think an even better move might have been to just stand pat in the first round and take Paxton Lynch at No. 15.
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Really nice that Pace and Faulk got introduced as "Los Angeles Rams" during Orlando's HOF ring ceremony. Seems like St. Louis takes more cheap shots at every opportunity by the Rams and the league.
Don't they know karma's a b......???
Three wins, tops, this year......and 10 more consecutive losing seasons
I feel bad for Pace. Even though it still would've been awkward, he deserved his own ring ceremony, not one watered down with past Hall of Famers. That's how it's gone for any other Hall of Famer that I can remember. And don't do it on opening day when it would get lost in the shuffle anyway. Wait until the middle of the season and give Orlando his due, even if it was 1,800 miles from where he played.
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Jim did you ever make your playoff predictions? If not can we hear them?
No, we never did make playoff predictions. It's a little odd doing so two games into the season, but I'll do it anyway: Division winners Arizona, New York Giants, Carolina, and Minnesota in the NFC, with Seattle and Green Bay as the wild-cards. Division winners New England, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Kansas City in the AFC, with Denver and Cincinnati as the wild-cards. Pittsburgh beats Arizona in the Super Bowl.
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Why was Troy Hill in the game so much? Sensabaugh no good? When will E.J. play? And what about Cooper?
Sensabaugh had a rough preseason then got beaten on a 35-yard gain by Lockett vs. Seattle. Gaines could play this week. Not sure about Cooper.
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Well it's obviously the same undisciplined, unimaginative penalty ridden team only in a different city. We of course know how the little ray of hope with the Seattle win will be jarred back to reality with a return to mediocrity. If you gave it I apologize but what is the famous Thomas parade meter this year?
Glad you asked: 6-10.
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Seattle doesn't have much offense. Can they convince Marshawn Lynch to return?
I'd be on the phone right now.
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Is Fisher delusional or does he actually believe the pablum he fed the Associated Press following Sunday's game?
“We need more production out of our offense, and all things point to the quarterback position,” Fisher said Monday at team headquarters."
“But I’m expecting Case to continue to get better in this offense, and we’re going to win games and score points."
Keenum has the league’s worst quarterback rating at 57.8, going 35 for 65 for 369 yards and two interceptions in two games.
Yep.....Ol' Case is trending up and on the cusp of greatness.
Yeah, I saw that. Keenum has a lot of intangibles, good leader. But I don't see him as having much of a ceiling.
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Can you explain the difference in how Martz prepared QBs and how Fisher's team does it?
Well, even with a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, Martz could be very hands-on when it came to quarterbacks. He was very demanding and precise with respect to his expectations for the position. Fisher is a defensive-oriented coach and rarely do you see him working directly with a QB.
*(Mike Martz also saw quarterbacks as just another cog-in-the-wheel and disposable. Get sacked over and over, game after game and get hurt? No problem, move on to the next one. Would I love to have Martz back coaching the Rams? You bet!)*
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How much do you think working w Norv Turner will impact Bradford's performance? & Diggs too.
I think Turner remains a good play-caller and will be good for Bradford. And based on what I've seen from Diggs, he at least has the potential to be a true No. 1 receiver, something Bradford never had in St. Louis. But a lot of what Turner calls is based off play-action and a good running game. And minus Peterson that may not be the case.
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I was at both 99 playoff games (Vikings & Bucs). Loved both of course, but I was so nervous during the Bucs game, and the noise was so intense, that I was literally feeling sick after the Proehl catch (but I didn't care!). That catch was right beneath my seat and is favorite football moment. I would make the argument that it was a better "The Catch" than Dwight Clark's.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t-6iZk8dJk
In terms of degree of difficult, they're not even close. Proehl was getting interfered with on the play with Kelly, had to keep his feet in-bounds, and temporarily had the ball pinned on the side of his body.
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If Blaine Gabbert played well enough to dominate the Rams, surely Jameis Winston should do a number on them.
You would think. But didn't Winston throw 4 INTs vs. Arizona?
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8 teams are 0-2. Which winless team is the biggest surprise? Which teams will be 0-3 after next weekend's games?
Here's how I rate the winless teams from least surprising to most surprising: 8.) Cleveland, 7.) Chicago, 6.) Buffalo, 5.) Miami, 4.) Jacksonville, 3.) Washington, 2.) Indianapolis, 1.) New Orleans. I knew Indy had lots of issues in their secondary but sure didn't think they'd lose at home to Detroit. And I figured New Orleans would at least split against Oakland and the NY Giants. I say Cleveland, Washington, Buffalo, San Diego, and Chicago go 0-3.
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my dad took me to my first game at the Coliseum in 1969. The Rams and Roman Gabriel beat the Saints 36-17. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at the game and I wish my late dad could have been there to see the Rams come back. The move to Anaheim was a huge mistake. I know the Coliseum isn't fan friendly, but I wish could play there forever.
Also, regarding the crowd and traffic issues, the Coliseum routinely handles large crowds for USC games, but since USC is adjacent to the Coliseum the students walk to the games which reduces the cars coming in. There is very good public transportation to the game. I took the Silver Line for $1.75 each way and was in and out in a flash. I do feel for St. Louis fans, but we were without my team for 22 years.
While I appreciate your thoughts, there are thousands of fans in St. Louis who now feel they are without their team. As even Leigh Steinberg pointed out in my Sunday article, it's not like LA really did anything to get the Rams back. St. Louis had hundreds of millions of dollars on the table.
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Is this Rex Ryan's last season as a head coach in the NFL? He's clearly way over his head in the big chair -- knowledgeable enough to be a DC, but can't handle the big chair.
Yeah, he's several years removed now from those back-to-back AFC title game appearances with the Jets. And hiring his brother Rob as defensive coordinator wasn't what I'd call a good move.
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I saw that Ogletree and Hayes said that they weren't used to the crowd noise, what a slap in the face to the diehards that showed up to watch that garbage!
Yeah, I was surprised to hear that. Especially from Hayes.
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Big Rams fan from Indiana here. Thanks so much for keeping these chats going. I have followed them for years. I had a question or two about he Legends of the Dome game, please. Did you ever find out why Fred Miller could not make it? I was hoping to meet him. Do you know if he is still running the car wash in Houston that I saw you write about a couple of years ago?
Also, did you get to talk with Tommy Polley that day? What might he be up to these days if so? Thanks for your attention and have a great day, sir.
Fred Miller had indicated in advance that he would attend to the Legends organizers, but never showed up. Tommy Polley on the other hand just showed up unannounced out of the blue. That's why they didn't have a jersey for him. I did not have a chance to talk to Tommy at the game.
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Why doesn't StL go for a Canadian Football franchise? It's more exciting.
It takes a little getting used to, but I've got to admit the Canadian game is fun to watch. But currently, I don't think the CFL is allowed to expand in the U.S. as was the case a couple of decades ago.
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Any insight on what Frank's "Rise & Fall of GSOT" will showcase?
Not sure. When I was interviewed they asked me about a wide range of topics. And you're never sure on those things what will and what won't be used.
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At the end of the season, what does the NFC West look like to you?
1.) Arizona 12-4; 2.) Seattle 10-6; 3.) Rams 6-10; 4. ) San Francisco 5-11. I don't think the West is quite as strong as it has been in recent years.
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Where will the Chargers play in 2017?
San Diego.
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Over/under as to what week Goff will start?
I think it's going to take a while. I'll say Week 9, barring injury.
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Is there any word on how long Spruce is going to be out with the knee? He looked really good against Dallas and could use someone who can catch the ball.
Just a guess, but I'd say at least a couple weeks away. He looked very good in that preseason opener, no doubt, but that was against second_, third_, and fourth-stringers. So I wouldn't get too excited on him just yet.
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How well were you received at the Coliseum?
Good reception. It was great to see the Rams PR crew. Got a warm welcome from Fisher, Waufle, some of the equipment staff, several players and even Demoff down in the locker room. A few LA Rams fans even shouted out hello as I was walking on the field to the locker room area after the game. The LA media was cordial. I've known some of them for many years.
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After the first 2 weeks, what teams have surprised you the most? My answer would be the Eagles and the rookie QB.
The Eagles would have to be near the top of that list. Not just because of Wentz, but just the efficient, poised way they are playing overall. Aggressive on defense, very good tackling. The addition of ex-Rams Rodney McLeod, I'd have to say has helped solidify the back end. Not many mistakes. I'd say the Giants to a degree as well. I'm not saying their defense is fantastic, but so far it looks much improved over the 2015 version.
They put a lot of money into retooling that side of the ball, and Spags is off to a good start with all the new faces. In the other direction I'm surprised to see New Orleans and Indy at 0-2, although I do realize the Colts have a lot of issues injury-wise in the secondary.
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I have noticed that during both of the first two games, although more so vs SF, the middle of the field has been wide open for opposing QBs to take off and run on passing downs. Why is that?
Almost always that means man coverage on the back end. Can't tell you as far as the line of scrimmage goes. Perhaps the Rams' D-tackles had some stunts going where both Donald and Brockers, or whatever combination was in the game, went wide to the quarterback.
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Is it illegal to grab a player by the dreadlocks in order to attempt to tackle him? Does that apply in college as well?
Now that's a random question. It's considered an extension of the uniform and is fair game. Steven Jackson used to have his dreds pulled every know and then.
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Watching the Seattle game, I noticed Michael Bennett virtually had no sleeves on his uniform as they were tucked up underneath his shoulder pads? Is that close to a equipment violation of some sort? if not, why don't more defensive linemen do that so that O lineman cannot hold them as easily?
Maybe he was hot. No, I just think that's his style. But you're right, it does give O-linemen a little less to grab onto. I don't know if that's a uniform violation or not. If it is, Bennett apparently doesn't mind paying the fine.
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Does Gurley get 1000 yards rushing this year with no offensive line, 8 in the box, and no passing game? Seems like a waste of talent playing for the Rams.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39s-OFEwHw
Look at is this way. He didn't even have a single yard last year after two games and ended up in the PRo Bowl playing behind basically the same line.
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I hope Gurley doesn't end up being Steven Jackson Jr.
AT least Jackson was somewhat built to handle defensive lines with 7 stacked in the box. He was built to pound and punish. Gurley is not, he needs space to operate....and space is something that the offensive line and the passing game ain't gonna give him.
Yeah, you do wonder about that. Gurley isn't a toothpick by any means, but he certainly isn't as stout as Jackson.
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Did you see DMarco?
Yes, I did. Again, it was down in the locker room area during the postgame chaos.
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It's incredibly difficult to develop a franchise quarterback in the NFL. If Tom Brady had been drafted by Jeff Fisher and the Titans (and not Bellichick), I suspect he'd be the offensive coordinator at Central Michigan, and not in the debate for best QB of all time. This is a long way of saying that if the Rams truly believe Goff can be a franchise quarterback, they need to get Fisher far, far away from him as soon as possible.
I mentioned this in an article many weeks ago. In terms of areas of expertise, it's not like the current Rams staff has an abundance of quarterback gurus.
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In fairness too Mr. Bill, the Big Red were on average an average team during their years in St. Louis. there were a lot of years when they had a good team but were stuck in the best division in football (think the NFC east during the 70's and early 80's, when Dallas and Washington were always two of the best teams, and the Giants and Eagles were good sometimes. Yes, Jim, I am actually remembering the Bidwell years fondly thanks to Stan.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9oiIRaNaZY
The best of the Bidwill years in St. Louis certainly weren't as good as the Greatest Show on Turf years. But you're right, the worst of the Big Red wasn't remotely as bad as the worst of the Rams _ particularly that 15-65 trainwreck from 2007-2011.
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Remember when Marc Bulger was a much-maligned quarterback around here? He'd be their best QB right now if he came back to the game.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3gC1KMNbBc
No doubt. He did make two Pro Bowls with the Rams.
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Does 6-10 get Fisher fired this time?
At this point, I can honestly say I don't know what gets Fisher fired.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/NFL_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_28
Jim Thomas - NFL Chat
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha (21 Ha's for each year the Rams were in STL).
Help me understand, Jim. Are Fisher/Snead really that bad at leading a team to success? I can't even imagine how they can have so many draft picks, reasonably friendly cap space to sign free agents and come away with such stunning mediocrity?
And I'd like to point out that I've been consistent over the last 4+ years in these chats saying that the Rams real problem lies in their utterly incompetent OLine. Heck, Tom Brady could line up behind the Rams front 5 and, at best, look like a pedestrian QB.
Well, the O-line wasn't terrible Sunday. They held up pretty well against the Seattle pass rush, although Greg Robinson did his best to keep the Seahawks going in the end allowing a sack and getting called for holding on the Rams' last real possession. (The one before the kneel-down sequence.) But this certainly doesn't look like a team capable of ending the franchise's string of seasons without a winning record.
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Can you now give us the low down on why Fisher never tried to bring in Wisniewski?
No, I still can't. (Geez, you're not giving that one up are you?) But it turns out what I was told was the reason why they didn't sign the guy, turned out to not actually take place. Sorry if that confuses you even more.
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Given the problems with the OLine, having a very good C like Wiz would be making a difference, which is why I still wonder about it.
I know he had a couple of rough moments against Seattle _ just about every center does _ but I think Tim Barnes is turning into a pretty good player.
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The Rams won this week not because of what they did, but because of Russel Wilson's high ankle sprain. He was noticeably slowed down. If he had been even 90%, he would've won that game with his legs and lead his team to at least 1 or 2 touchdowns.
Listen, you have to give the Rams defense a lot of credit. Keenum did hit some nice passes when he had to. But overall, I agree with you. I think the Seahawks win by 10 with a healthy Wilson.
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Apparently the fan experience at the LA Coliseum leaves something to be desired:
deadspin.com
The posting mentioned that concessions often ran out at Rams games in St. Louis too - any truth to that?
My wife and family attended basically every Rams game for at least the first 10 years the team was in St. Louis. We were charter PSL holders. I never heard her mention that the concession stands at the Dome were out of stuff. Maybe others on this chat can tell us differently.
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I was at the game Sunday. I did not attempt to leave my seat during the game because the Coliseum Is pretty much not set up to handle 90K+ people walking around. Before the game you could not get around the concession stands it was so crowded. But the game itself was fun, crowd was into it and loud.
Perhaps the Rams should cap their attendance at a certain number, 70,000 or so, because of those issues. Of course, if the team keeps going entire games without a touchdown, the issue will take care of itself.
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Did you get your Kroenke interview over the weekend
The only time I saw him relatively close up was when I was in the locker room postgame, and I could see him in a back room _ I believe it was the coaches' locker room. Maybe I should have barged in.
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Rob Gronkowski is doubtful again this week with a bad hamstring. My question: who gets a touchdown first, Gronk or the Rams?
Tough call. I saw the law of averages catches up with the Rams and they score this weekend.
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is Bradford gonna keep it up?
Very interesting game this Sunday. He returns to Carolina, the scene of the crime so to speak. That's where he suffered the first of his two ACL knee injuries in the middle of the 2013 season. Carolina's defense is very good. No Adrian Peterson. Could be a tough afternoon. Over the long term, or at least until Peterson gets back in the lineup, if the Vikings can have at least the threat of a running game I think Bradford will do fine.
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Season ticket holder for all 21 seasons.
Never experienced concession stand problems.
The only problem I ever experienced at the dome was 18 years of mediocre-putrid football displayed by the home team.
Thanks for the input. . . .
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If you could relive one of these 2 games at the Dome, which would it be? 1999 vs Vikings or 1999 vs. Bucs?
Tough, tough call. The minutes leading up to kickoff and right after the game started vs. Minnesota was the loudest I've ever heard a stadium in all my years of covering the game. It was the first home playoff game in St.. Louis NFL history. And the Greatest Show on Turf at its finest. But I think I'd have to give the nod to the Tampa Bay game. Such an intense, physical contest. The catch by Ricky Proehl. And that fact that it meant the Rams were headed to the Super Bowl.
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No...it was awesome at the game this Sunday. It was a great crowd despite the heat. Yes, they did run out of bottled water at some stands (not all), but there are plenty of drinking fountains and folks were refilling their bottles.
I think the Rams would have won even with a healthy Wilson. They did beat them 3 times before when he was healthy. Great to see Pace & Faulk included in the ceremony. What a great day!
A counter opinion. . . . .
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If Bradford pans out in STL, team is winning....do the Rams still move?
Don't think so.
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Ok, I'm in the financial biz. I have a plan to get a team to STL.
The Oakland Raiders are wanting to move. According to Forbes, they're worth around $1.4 billion.
It will cost around $2 billion to build a state of the art stadium.
Let's use the Green Bay model and have the community own the team. Here's how:
We get 250,000 football fans to set up their IRA's and brokerage accounts with a custodian that allows alternative investments (I can arrange that). If we get merely $20,000 on average from each fan (some more, some less) we've got $5 Billion.
We give Mark Davis $2 Billion for his team. We build a $2 Billion stadium. That leaves us $1 Billion in reserves.
We hire real football people to run the team and we all reap the benefits of ownership profits and having a team that tries to win games and actually does win games (the O-Raiders are on the rise.....defensive struggles aside).
What do you think? Should we get started?
I like your moxie. but the simple fact is Mark Davis doesn't want to move here. He's made that pretty clear.
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Did Kroenke ever go on the sideline in the last 4 years in STL? Did he even know where the sideline was at the dome? Unless he could discover gold there I doubt he would have even been interested.
in the later years, I'd see him on the sidelines occasionally. But pretty early. I think he was usually out there before the dome opened its doors to the crowd. But he was never as visible as he has been so far in the Coliseum _ I'm including the two preseason games there. And I can never recall seeing him on the sidelines during a game.
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Can you think of ANY reason to extend Fisher and Snead?
Short of a winning record in 2016, no. I don't know why you wouldn't just let it play out this season before making a decision.
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I find it humorous that all of these national writers, reporters, analysts, etc. are talking about how awful the Rams are. Especially QB play and Jeff Fisher. Plus, how ridiculous an extension for fisher is. Where have all of these people been the last decade while we've been witnessing it first hand? Nobody seemed to notice until they were in LA.
Have to say I agree with your assessment. It's not like this is an overnight occurrence.
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what did you think of the coliseum?
I really like older stadiums with a sense of history. And the Coliseum has loads of that. I really enjoyed it.
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Rave reviews from la! No water, no beer, $200 parking, no offense and fights in the stands! So with no reason to believe the product on the field improves, what's your thoughts on when they are drawing less than 50K to that clown show?
Again, if they keep averaging 4.5 points a game, it won't take long to reach that 50,000.
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Is there any truth to the rumor that the LA Coliseum was built before the coliseum in Rome? I think the LA Coliseum when the Rams play there has more warriors sacrificed than the gladiators did.
Actually, at the Peristyle entrance of the Coliseum _ you know the arch entrance with the Olympic Torch, there's a plaque on a stone that says it was brought over from the "original' coliseum in Rome. How about that?
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Is Steven Jackson going to get any sniffs from teams this year or is his career likely over?
If it's over, is he HOF worthy? I believe he should be there someday. He performed wonderfully for a lot of years on a terrible team. If he had played for a half way decent team, I think there's no doubt that he'd get in.
Your thoughts.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvAuhBfPpyk
I think he's done. There are a lot of running backs injured right now in the NFL. I think if he was going to get back in the league, it would be now. And no, I don't think he'll get into the Hall of Fame. Rarely has so much talent been wasted on such bad teams.
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Any sidebar convo's with Demoff or Fisher?
No, both were very quick exchanges. Had a nice talk with Rodger Saffold in the locker room. He re-iterated that he feels very bad for St. Louis and appreciated the fans there.
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It's funny because the Rams two best players (Donald & Gurley) were both redundancies in terms of the team's strength when they were drafted. The D Line had Long, Brocker and Quinn. They didn't need Donald. Gurley is really the same way. Mason was holding his own and with the lack of emphasis on running in today's NFL made Gurley a huge luxury pick. Imagine if they had drafted for need vs want?
Oh, you mean like a wide receiver?
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So over the weekend, was that the last time you will cover a Rams home game?
Can't say that for certain, but I'm pretty sure we won't be back again this year.
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JT: This is what the LA Rams sent to a previous STL PSL owner:
I just received the Inglewood stadium ticket survey. The Rams are canvassing to see how much that they will charge the LA Rams fan for the new Inglewood tickets. The range of prices are:
1st level Midfield Personnel seat license: $50-70K with an annual season cost of $4500 for 10 games.
3rd level Midfield Personnel club seat license: $25-50K with an annual season ticket cost of $3500 for 10 games.
1st level end zone Personnel Seat license: $9K with an annual season ticket cost of $2000 for 10 games.
The lowest PSL came in at $5000-6000 for nosebleeds. It is interesting that all of the sample views for seat selection were from Cowboys stadium. Jerry Jones has his fingerprints all over Inglewood.
Enos, out of the kindness of his heart, will finance the cost to you for 10 years at 8% interest...doing that will double the cost of the PSL in some cases. I remember when people back in 1995 thought the $1,000 PSLs were out of sight.
That's all very interesting, Dr. Our original PSLs in the Dome cost $250.
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Jim, thanks for the great reporting. I am missing St. Louis football more than I thought. Is there any talk of maybe bringing an Arena Football Team to St. Louis? Thanks.
Haven't heard anything on that, although Dick Vermeil has mentioned to me on a couple of occasions that St. Louis should seek out an Arena League team. Do you think it would be supported here?
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Aside from his play so far, another reason to think Wentz will be very good is the fact Fisher passed on him. What do you think of the Goff pick as of today?
This isn't a second guess. I liked Wentz better all along.
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How different would the Rams' future look had they kept all their picks and drafted Dak instead of Pharoh in the 4th?
I think an even better move might have been to just stand pat in the first round and take Paxton Lynch at No. 15.
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Really nice that Pace and Faulk got introduced as "Los Angeles Rams" during Orlando's HOF ring ceremony. Seems like St. Louis takes more cheap shots at every opportunity by the Rams and the league.
Don't they know karma's a b......???
Three wins, tops, this year......and 10 more consecutive losing seasons
I feel bad for Pace. Even though it still would've been awkward, he deserved his own ring ceremony, not one watered down with past Hall of Famers. That's how it's gone for any other Hall of Famer that I can remember. And don't do it on opening day when it would get lost in the shuffle anyway. Wait until the middle of the season and give Orlando his due, even if it was 1,800 miles from where he played.
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Jim did you ever make your playoff predictions? If not can we hear them?
No, we never did make playoff predictions. It's a little odd doing so two games into the season, but I'll do it anyway: Division winners Arizona, New York Giants, Carolina, and Minnesota in the NFC, with Seattle and Green Bay as the wild-cards. Division winners New England, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Kansas City in the AFC, with Denver and Cincinnati as the wild-cards. Pittsburgh beats Arizona in the Super Bowl.
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Why was Troy Hill in the game so much? Sensabaugh no good? When will E.J. play? And what about Cooper?
Sensabaugh had a rough preseason then got beaten on a 35-yard gain by Lockett vs. Seattle. Gaines could play this week. Not sure about Cooper.
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Well it's obviously the same undisciplined, unimaginative penalty ridden team only in a different city. We of course know how the little ray of hope with the Seattle win will be jarred back to reality with a return to mediocrity. If you gave it I apologize but what is the famous Thomas parade meter this year?
Glad you asked: 6-10.
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Seattle doesn't have much offense. Can they convince Marshawn Lynch to return?
I'd be on the phone right now.
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Is Fisher delusional or does he actually believe the pablum he fed the Associated Press following Sunday's game?
“We need more production out of our offense, and all things point to the quarterback position,” Fisher said Monday at team headquarters."
“But I’m expecting Case to continue to get better in this offense, and we’re going to win games and score points."
Keenum has the league’s worst quarterback rating at 57.8, going 35 for 65 for 369 yards and two interceptions in two games.
Yep.....Ol' Case is trending up and on the cusp of greatness.
Yeah, I saw that. Keenum has a lot of intangibles, good leader. But I don't see him as having much of a ceiling.
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Can you explain the difference in how Martz prepared QBs and how Fisher's team does it?
Well, even with a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, Martz could be very hands-on when it came to quarterbacks. He was very demanding and precise with respect to his expectations for the position. Fisher is a defensive-oriented coach and rarely do you see him working directly with a QB.
*(Mike Martz also saw quarterbacks as just another cog-in-the-wheel and disposable. Get sacked over and over, game after game and get hurt? No problem, move on to the next one. Would I love to have Martz back coaching the Rams? You bet!)*
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How much do you think working w Norv Turner will impact Bradford's performance? & Diggs too.
I think Turner remains a good play-caller and will be good for Bradford. And based on what I've seen from Diggs, he at least has the potential to be a true No. 1 receiver, something Bradford never had in St. Louis. But a lot of what Turner calls is based off play-action and a good running game. And minus Peterson that may not be the case.
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I was at both 99 playoff games (Vikings & Bucs). Loved both of course, but I was so nervous during the Bucs game, and the noise was so intense, that I was literally feeling sick after the Proehl catch (but I didn't care!). That catch was right beneath my seat and is favorite football moment. I would make the argument that it was a better "The Catch" than Dwight Clark's.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t-6iZk8dJk
In terms of degree of difficult, they're not even close. Proehl was getting interfered with on the play with Kelly, had to keep his feet in-bounds, and temporarily had the ball pinned on the side of his body.
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If Blaine Gabbert played well enough to dominate the Rams, surely Jameis Winston should do a number on them.
You would think. But didn't Winston throw 4 INTs vs. Arizona?
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8 teams are 0-2. Which winless team is the biggest surprise? Which teams will be 0-3 after next weekend's games?
Here's how I rate the winless teams from least surprising to most surprising: 8.) Cleveland, 7.) Chicago, 6.) Buffalo, 5.) Miami, 4.) Jacksonville, 3.) Washington, 2.) Indianapolis, 1.) New Orleans. I knew Indy had lots of issues in their secondary but sure didn't think they'd lose at home to Detroit. And I figured New Orleans would at least split against Oakland and the NY Giants. I say Cleveland, Washington, Buffalo, San Diego, and Chicago go 0-3.
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my dad took me to my first game at the Coliseum in 1969. The Rams and Roman Gabriel beat the Saints 36-17. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at the game and I wish my late dad could have been there to see the Rams come back. The move to Anaheim was a huge mistake. I know the Coliseum isn't fan friendly, but I wish could play there forever.
Also, regarding the crowd and traffic issues, the Coliseum routinely handles large crowds for USC games, but since USC is adjacent to the Coliseum the students walk to the games which reduces the cars coming in. There is very good public transportation to the game. I took the Silver Line for $1.75 each way and was in and out in a flash. I do feel for St. Louis fans, but we were without my team for 22 years.
While I appreciate your thoughts, there are thousands of fans in St. Louis who now feel they are without their team. As even Leigh Steinberg pointed out in my Sunday article, it's not like LA really did anything to get the Rams back. St. Louis had hundreds of millions of dollars on the table.
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Is this Rex Ryan's last season as a head coach in the NFL? He's clearly way over his head in the big chair -- knowledgeable enough to be a DC, but can't handle the big chair.
Yeah, he's several years removed now from those back-to-back AFC title game appearances with the Jets. And hiring his brother Rob as defensive coordinator wasn't what I'd call a good move.
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I saw that Ogletree and Hayes said that they weren't used to the crowd noise, what a slap in the face to the diehards that showed up to watch that garbage!
Yeah, I was surprised to hear that. Especially from Hayes.
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Big Rams fan from Indiana here. Thanks so much for keeping these chats going. I have followed them for years. I had a question or two about he Legends of the Dome game, please. Did you ever find out why Fred Miller could not make it? I was hoping to meet him. Do you know if he is still running the car wash in Houston that I saw you write about a couple of years ago?
Also, did you get to talk with Tommy Polley that day? What might he be up to these days if so? Thanks for your attention and have a great day, sir.
Fred Miller had indicated in advance that he would attend to the Legends organizers, but never showed up. Tommy Polley on the other hand just showed up unannounced out of the blue. That's why they didn't have a jersey for him. I did not have a chance to talk to Tommy at the game.
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Why doesn't StL go for a Canadian Football franchise? It's more exciting.
It takes a little getting used to, but I've got to admit the Canadian game is fun to watch. But currently, I don't think the CFL is allowed to expand in the U.S. as was the case a couple of decades ago.
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Any insight on what Frank's "Rise & Fall of GSOT" will showcase?
Not sure. When I was interviewed they asked me about a wide range of topics. And you're never sure on those things what will and what won't be used.
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At the end of the season, what does the NFC West look like to you?
1.) Arizona 12-4; 2.) Seattle 10-6; 3.) Rams 6-10; 4. ) San Francisco 5-11. I don't think the West is quite as strong as it has been in recent years.
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Where will the Chargers play in 2017?
San Diego.
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Over/under as to what week Goff will start?
I think it's going to take a while. I'll say Week 9, barring injury.
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Is there any word on how long Spruce is going to be out with the knee? He looked really good against Dallas and could use someone who can catch the ball.
Just a guess, but I'd say at least a couple weeks away. He looked very good in that preseason opener, no doubt, but that was against second_, third_, and fourth-stringers. So I wouldn't get too excited on him just yet.
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How well were you received at the Coliseum?
Good reception. It was great to see the Rams PR crew. Got a warm welcome from Fisher, Waufle, some of the equipment staff, several players and even Demoff down in the locker room. A few LA Rams fans even shouted out hello as I was walking on the field to the locker room area after the game. The LA media was cordial. I've known some of them for many years.
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After the first 2 weeks, what teams have surprised you the most? My answer would be the Eagles and the rookie QB.
The Eagles would have to be near the top of that list. Not just because of Wentz, but just the efficient, poised way they are playing overall. Aggressive on defense, very good tackling. The addition of ex-Rams Rodney McLeod, I'd have to say has helped solidify the back end. Not many mistakes. I'd say the Giants to a degree as well. I'm not saying their defense is fantastic, but so far it looks much improved over the 2015 version.
They put a lot of money into retooling that side of the ball, and Spags is off to a good start with all the new faces. In the other direction I'm surprised to see New Orleans and Indy at 0-2, although I do realize the Colts have a lot of issues injury-wise in the secondary.
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I have noticed that during both of the first two games, although more so vs SF, the middle of the field has been wide open for opposing QBs to take off and run on passing downs. Why is that?
Almost always that means man coverage on the back end. Can't tell you as far as the line of scrimmage goes. Perhaps the Rams' D-tackles had some stunts going where both Donald and Brockers, or whatever combination was in the game, went wide to the quarterback.
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Is it illegal to grab a player by the dreadlocks in order to attempt to tackle him? Does that apply in college as well?
Now that's a random question. It's considered an extension of the uniform and is fair game. Steven Jackson used to have his dreds pulled every know and then.
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Watching the Seattle game, I noticed Michael Bennett virtually had no sleeves on his uniform as they were tucked up underneath his shoulder pads? Is that close to a equipment violation of some sort? if not, why don't more defensive linemen do that so that O lineman cannot hold them as easily?
Maybe he was hot. No, I just think that's his style. But you're right, it does give O-linemen a little less to grab onto. I don't know if that's a uniform violation or not. If it is, Bennett apparently doesn't mind paying the fine.
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Does Gurley get 1000 yards rushing this year with no offensive line, 8 in the box, and no passing game? Seems like a waste of talent playing for the Rams.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39s-OFEwHw
Look at is this way. He didn't even have a single yard last year after two games and ended up in the PRo Bowl playing behind basically the same line.
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I hope Gurley doesn't end up being Steven Jackson Jr.
AT least Jackson was somewhat built to handle defensive lines with 7 stacked in the box. He was built to pound and punish. Gurley is not, he needs space to operate....and space is something that the offensive line and the passing game ain't gonna give him.
Yeah, you do wonder about that. Gurley isn't a toothpick by any means, but he certainly isn't as stout as Jackson.
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Did you see DMarco?
Yes, I did. Again, it was down in the locker room area during the postgame chaos.
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It's incredibly difficult to develop a franchise quarterback in the NFL. If Tom Brady had been drafted by Jeff Fisher and the Titans (and not Bellichick), I suspect he'd be the offensive coordinator at Central Michigan, and not in the debate for best QB of all time. This is a long way of saying that if the Rams truly believe Goff can be a franchise quarterback, they need to get Fisher far, far away from him as soon as possible.
I mentioned this in an article many weeks ago. In terms of areas of expertise, it's not like the current Rams staff has an abundance of quarterback gurus.
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In fairness too Mr. Bill, the Big Red were on average an average team during their years in St. Louis. there were a lot of years when they had a good team but were stuck in the best division in football (think the NFC east during the 70's and early 80's, when Dallas and Washington were always two of the best teams, and the Giants and Eagles were good sometimes. Yes, Jim, I am actually remembering the Bidwell years fondly thanks to Stan.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9oiIRaNaZY
The best of the Bidwill years in St. Louis certainly weren't as good as the Greatest Show on Turf years. But you're right, the worst of the Big Red wasn't remotely as bad as the worst of the Rams _ particularly that 15-65 trainwreck from 2007-2011.
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Remember when Marc Bulger was a much-maligned quarterback around here? He'd be their best QB right now if he came back to the game.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3gC1KMNbBc
No doubt. He did make two Pro Bowls with the Rams.
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Does 6-10 get Fisher fired this time?
At this point, I can honestly say I don't know what gets Fisher fired.
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