Same Old? (Sigh.) The Rams Flop in Washington
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/09/21/same-old-sigh-the-rams-flop-in-washington/
Same Old Rams?
Probably not, but only because I don’t believe in guilt by association. The Rams’ 53-man current roster isn’t responsible for the franchise’s futility streak of 11 consecutive non-winning seasons, and no playoff appearances since the 2004 season.
nick foles-2
Foles was 17-32 for 150 yards versus the Redskins.
Sure, some of the current Rams’ veterans have been part of the process, part of extending the losing ways. But they aren’t the Same Old Rams, per se.
What we saw from the Rams’ disgraceful 24-10 loss to the Redskins was the Same Old Pattern.
The Rams flopped and failed in their terrific opportunity to establish NFL credibility and earn trust from their downtrodden fan base. We have seen this little disaster film far too many times with Jeff Fisher as coach here.
After the Rams beat Seattle in the season opener, I wrote that it was the best win for the team in Fisher’s three-plus seasons.
Sunday’s beatdown by the Redskins was the worst defeat by the Fisher-coached Rams.
It was embarrassing, uncompetitive, inexcusable. another abject failure for the Jeff Fisher/Les Snead regime.
Put it on the list of teases, and letdowns, and hoaxes.
This was a no-show by the Rams offense, a no-show by the hyped but evidently apparently overrated Rams defense, and a classic example of a team being unprepared and unmotivated to play a game.
How can that be?
How does a team and a coach that are searching for a winning season roll into suburban Washington on a flat tire and come out of the tunnel and fail to ignite competitively against a Redskins team that came in with a 7-26 record since 2013 including a 5-12 mark at home?
It isn’t that the Rams lost; they were stomped by largely the same team they’d pounded 24-0 on the same turf last season.
The Rams offensive line was outmuscled, which buried the running game and made it difficult for QB Nick Foles to find room to breathe.
Not that Foles was sharp or alert; he wasn’t.
If Foles vs. Seattle was an example of the brilliant 2013 version of Foles in Philadelphia, then Foles vs. Washington offered a glimpse of the 2014 Philly Foles who was indecisive and rattled. The Philadelphia Foles that got traded to St. Louis.
But when the offense line gets slapped around as this one did Sunday, your offense is basically null and void.
jeff fisher-5
The Rams gained 213 yards versus the Redskins, their sixth lowest under Fisher.
When the premise of your offense is “Born to Run,” and you can’t do it … well, the quarterback becomes the hunted. And that’s never beneficial.
And that was the case at FedEx Field _ where the offense failed to arrive in the shipping.
Fisher has coached the Rams for 50 games.
The Rams’ 213 yards Sunday were the sixth-lowest in a game by the Fisher Rams.
Their 146 net passing yards was the eighth-lowest total by the Fisher Rams.
The average yards per pass attempt (4.9) was the fourth-lowest total by the Fisher Rams.
The 11 first downs tied the fewest total by a Rams team under Fisher (it previously happened in 2013 at Seattle.)
The 67 yards rushing was the seventh-lowest total by the Fisher Rams.
And on defense, the that acclaimed Rams defense got flattened for 182 yards rushing _ a total exceeded by only six opponents in a game during Fisher’s 50-game existence here.
Here’s the question: how does this happen? The Rams knew the Redskins would come out and try to force the run, to establish territory and ball-control and to set up QB Kirk Cousins for easy throws. Stopping the run was Rams’ obvious priority in this game, and they game-planned accordingly.
And despite all of that, the Rams still allowed the Redskins to come out and bully them on the ground. Again, I don’t understand this. We’ve seen it too often. If nothing else, Fisher’s teams are supposed to be physically tough, vigorous in running the ball, and fierce in stopping the run. But a defense stocked with all of those premium draft picks couldn’t stand up to the Redskins yesterday. And after the Rams’ defense got trucked by the Redskins’ ground game, Cousins picked ’em apart for 23 completions in 27 attempts for a completion percentage (85.2) that was the third-highest against a Fisher-coached STL team.
Jeff Fisher Football _ supposedly so physically imposing _ was pushed around in the pit on offense and defense, and outgained 182 to 67 on the ground.
This is his fourth season.
This isn’t supposed to happen.
By now the Rams should have advanced beyond the point where they go into a stadium, fail to post up and get mauled up front. They should be a team capable of executing Fisher’s vision of football as a gladiator sport. The Rams aren’t supposed to get shoved around like this. When the coach’s entire professional rep is built on one thing _ be aggressive, mean, muscular and dominate the line _ this erodes his cred. Period.
Other than Johnny Hekker’s punting, this was pretty much an across-the-board disgrace, and once again raised significant and legitimate questions about Fisher and his staff’s inability to win games that matter. The games that can make a difference between having a winning record or losing record. The games that can become a breakthrough _ or become just another breakdown from the same old playbook.
The Rams’ took their inspirational opening-Sunday win over Seattle and threw it in the trash, reducing the promise of Week One to the latest example of a false start.
Once again the optimism has been obliterated _ at least right now.
And in their next three games the Rams will encounter Pittsburgh (home), Arizona and Green Bay (both on the road.)
This fits the Fisher template here in St. Louis.
Fisher and his teams do their best in an underdog role. Fisher and his teams tend to crash when they’re expected to win.
As a road underdog, Fisher’s Rams are 13-10 against the point spread. When they’re the home ‘dogs, Fisher’s Rams are 8-6 against the spread. But when Fisher’s Rams are the point-spread favorite in a game? They’re 5-6 at home against the spread _ and now 1-1 on the road.
We’ve been fooled again.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
