Middle school offense

[Rambo]

I think they need to stop building the team around Gurley. He either is not trying hard or he's not as good as last year made him seem (honestly I dont think he's been running very hard all year and today was the first time it seemed like he did). They need a more balanced plan and some of the running responsibilities need to be shared by another back. Make Gurley more a part of the passing game but don't expect him to be a dominant rusher that you revolve your whole offense around. I think that has been one of the biggest mistakes they made this year.

 

[jrry32]

I think they need to stop building the team around Gurley. He either is not trying hard or he's not as good as last year made him seem (honestly I dont think he's been running very hard all year and today was the first time it seemed like he did). They need a more balanced plan and some of the running responsibilities need to be shared by another back. Make Gurley more a part of the passing game but don't expect him to be a dominant rusher that you revolve your whole offense around. I think that has been one of the biggest mistakes they made this year.

They never did build around Gurley. That's the sad part. This offense is completely dysfunctional because it's full of mismatched parts with a mismatched offensive identity. There's nothing cohesive about it.

The Rams shouldn't build around Gurley. They should build around Goff. But building around Goff will necessarily build around Gurley. Because a better passing attack entails a better OL and better WRs. Better WRs takes focus off of Gurley. A better OL doesn't allow Gurley to get hit in the back-field on a high percentage of his runs.

So I agree, they shouldn't build around Gurley. But I can't say they ever truly did.

 

[Rambo]

They never did build around Gurley. That's the sad part. This offense is completely dysfunctional because it's full of mismatched parts with a mismatched offensive identity. There's nothing cohesive about it.

The Rams shouldn't build around Gurley. They should build around Goff. But building around Goff will necessarily build around Gurley. Because a better passing attack entails a better OL and better WRs. Better WRs takes focus off of Gurley. A better OL doesn't allow Gurley to get hit in the back-field on a high percentage of his runs.

So I agree, they shouldn't build around Gurley. But I can't say they ever truly did.

Its suppose to be a running team featuring Gurely. I dont think you can just blame the o line. I dont think Gurely had been running very hard all year. I would try giving some of the running plays to another back and see what happens. It seemed like when they did that with Cunningham in previous games that he always seemed to do better. And today Malcom Brown had a good run too. I just think theyre expecting Gurley to be Eric Dickerson that has a high average per run and you can count on for 1000 yards every year and that may not be what he's going to be.

 

[Yamahopper]

Gurley should not have called out his teammates in public. That stygma will follow him the rest of his career
while he might or might not have a valid point nothing good will come from it. The film room should be interesting this week as the lineman point out all the holes he missed.

People that have never played team sports don't get how big of a sin he committed.

 

[HitStick]

Gurley should not have called out his teammates in public. That stygma will follow him the rest of his career
while he might or might not have a valid point nothing good will come from it. The film room should be interesting this week as the lineman point out all the holes he missed.

People that have never played team sports don't get how big of a sin he committed.

I don't think it'll follow him. Jeff Fisher wore a jersey from a rival team to a post game interview and said he wanted to feel like a winner. I haven't heard anybody bring that up. Ever. Sometimes it takes a leader to put it out there for the world to hear to really light a fire under some asses.

 

[shaunpinney]

Why are we assuming he hasn't? This has been a long year of very bad offensive play. Who says Gurley and others haven't reamed guys out behind the scenes? If it isn't working, you might as well adapt a new strategy.

If that IS the case, then I'm not surprised we play so poorly, as soon as you have guys ripping into teammates, that's the end of your 'team'. Successful teams play well together, you don't even have to be the best player (individually) if you work as a team, you can have success. But with all this bitching players are going to hold grudges...

Maybe they need to get a sports psychologist in the locker room? Work out the mental wrinkles...

 

[jrry32]

If that IS the case, then I'm not surprised we play so poorly, as soon as you have guys ripping into teammates, that's the end of your 'team'. Successful teams play well together, you don't even have to be the best player (individually) if you work as a team, you can have success. But with all this bitching players are going to hold grudges...

Maybe they need to get a sports psychologist in the locker room? Work out the mental wrinkles...

I don't think the realities of a NFL locker-room meet your idealized concept. And frankly, I don't agree with your idealized concept. Good teams and great teams have leaders who hold guys accountable. That means ripping into teammates when they're not doing their job. We've seen just about all the elite QBs do it.

Its suppose to be a running team featuring Gurely. I dont think you can just blame the o line. I dont think Gurely had been running very hard all year. I would try giving some of the running plays to another back and see what happens. It seemed like when they did that with Cunningham in previous games that he always seemed to do better. And today Malcom Brown had a good run too. I just think theyre expecting Gurley to be Eric Dickerson that has a high average per run and you can count on for 1000 yards every year and that may not be what he's going to be.

I think the claims about Gurley not running hard are people's imagination.

I don't care what this team is supposed to be. They didn't build around Gurley. They have a bunch of mismatched parts and an offense with no identity. Our OL is comprised mainly of guys who best fit a power blocking scheme. Our HB (Gurley) best fits a power blocking scheme. Yet, we mainly run zone schemes.

Our best offensive weapon outside of Gurley (Austin) best fits a spread offense. Our best WR (Britt) best fits a vertically-oriented run-first offense. Our QB is most comfortable in a spread offense.

And our offense is an overly complicated piece of junk that borrows from a bunch of systems while having no true identity of its own. Which is why it's should be no surprise that it's completely ineffective.

As far as our other runners are concerned, Brown averaged less yards per carry today than Gurley did and lost a fumble. Benny is averaging more yards per carry only because he has a small sample size and two long rushes. Nobody is doing anything behind this OL.

You can say that you can't just blame the OL. But our HBs average the second worst yards before contact in the NFL this year.(Minnesota is the only team that's worse) I've seen Hall of Fame HBs do poorly behind terrible OLs. It's not a surprise that Gurley can't make this terrible OL and scheme look good.

 

[shaunpinney]

I don't think the realities of a NFL locker-room meet your idealized concept. And frankly, I don't agree with your idealized concept. Good teams and great teams have leaders who hold guys accountable. That means ripping into teammates when they're not doing their job. We've seen just about all the elite QBs do it.

I wouldn't call it an idealised concept at all - how many times have we read in the press that "so and so" is a "cancer" in the locker room etc, now I'm not saying that about Gurley, just stating the fact that a healthy locker room breeds a better team. It happens in all sports, especially team sports like Soccer, Cricket, Rugby etc - at ALL levels. The good and great teams often comment on how well the teams get on off the field. Now maybe the NFL IS different and it doesn't equate, I'm just speaking from my own experience.

And yes, we've heard people like Big Ben and Brady call out team-mates, the problem is when you ARE at the top of your game and others are playing below par, you have a right to do it. But then we've seen Kaep and RG3 do it it's like, woah a minute, hold your horses biatches... Pot & Kettle.

I know Gurley is a team captain and all, but IMO, I don't think his own play and standards give him the right to publicly call out his team mates

 

[Faceplant]

Immaturity rearing it's ugly head with these comments. If TG feels the need to question heart and effort, he should start with the man in the mirror.

 

[Yamahopper]

I don't think it'll follow him. Jeff Fisher wore a jersey from a rival team to a post game interview and said he wanted to feel like a winner. I haven't heard anybody bring that up. Ever. Sometimes it takes a leader to put it out there for the world to hear to really light a fire under some asses.

The players know. Every player will know he throws his squad under the bus. To some it won't matter since it's coming from an average RB. To other's it's like being a snitch, it shouldn't have been said in public .

 

[dieterbrock]

Its called frustration with losing
And not giving canned, cliché answers.
I find it refreshing
We have our HC and GM contradicting each other and themselves, why should a guy getting his rear end kicked keep mum?

 

[snackdaddy]

Well, when players start making those kind of comments you know there is dissension among the ranks. Fisher has lost this team. I don't see how they can win another game.

 

[lockdnram21]

He has tried that. We've already seen reports of him going to players and trying to pump them up. But doing this has zero benefit to the team. What good could possibly come from him telling the media that his players suck?

Get fisher out of town Quicker

 

[jrry32]

I wouldn't call it an idealised concept at all - how many times have we read in the press that "so and so" is a "cancer" in the locker room etc, now I'm not saying that about Gurley, just stating the fact that a healthy locker room breeds a better team. It happens in all sports, especially team sports like Soccer, Cricket, Rugby etc - at ALL levels. The good and great teams often comment on how well the teams get on off the field. Now maybe the NFL IS different and it doesn't equate, I'm just speaking from my own experience.

And yes, we've heard people like Big Ben and Brady call out team-mates, the problem is when you ARE at the top of your game and others are playing below par, you have a right to do it. But then we've seen Kaep and RG3 do it it's like, woah a minute, hold your horses biatches... Pot & Kettle.

I know Gurley is a team captain and all, but IMO, I don't think his own play and standards give him the right to publicly call out his team mates

I can't speak to what you Brits do, but I can tell you in football that's purely for show. There's plenty of conflict in NFL locker-rooms. Hell, there's plenty of conflict (fights) on the field when practicing. These are all competitors.

 

[-X-]

Gurley telling it like it is. He has been thinking it all year long. If Stan has any respect for Gurley and this team he should fire Fisher and Boras tomorrow.

Even after Gurley said it has nothing to do with the coaches? And what owner cowtows to a disgruntled player by firing the coaching staff? He does that, and he's a bitch to every primadonna player that comes in for the rest of his life.

 

[Ramstien]

The players are the ones responsible when they are on the field but it is the coaches responsibility to scheme up things in order to put them in the best position to win. I really liked what Will Hayes said during his post game interview, " We all need to take a good hard look in the mirror and some egos need to be checked at the door."

 

[jetplt67]

Yea, that seems rational. Plus, it's Seattle. Give the mustache one last opportunity to troll Pete the Cheat. Then we fire him...whether he wins or loses.

It's like dating that girl just one more time. LOL

 

[MountainRam]

I will be surprised if Gurley stays on this team if Fisher returns in 2017.

 

[NateDawg122]

Even after Gurley said it has nothing to do with the coaches? And what owner cowtows to a disgruntled player by firing the coaching staff? He does that, and he's a bitch to every primadonna player that comes in for the rest of his life.

It would be a different situation if the coaches were worth a damn now wouldn't it? It's not like TG is the only one talking about how bad this offense is.

 

[-X-]

It would be a different situation if the coaches were worth a damn now wouldn't it? It's not like TG is the only one talking about how bad this offense is.

No, the same principle applies. If he said it's not the coaches, then it's not the coaches. We can't laud him for his brutal honesty and call him a liar in the same breath.