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These are excerpts only. To read the entire Q&A click the link below.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/Thread.aspx?Id=1520108
Rams chat with Jim Thomas: 9/29/15
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Obviously, our linemen and TEs ($12 million) aren't getting it done run blocking. Which ones are blowing it?
They're all playing great. You heard Fisher.
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Any idea why we're shopping around for a WR? Nick Toon?
Toon is expected to be added to the practice squad today. No. big deal.
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I am quite confused with the 2015 Rams. I know I should be used to this by now but I'm not. Who are the Rams this year?
Actually the season has started out like many of us anticipated. Good defense. Struggling offense. But I don't think anyone thought the offense would struggle this much. And the Rams have squandered opportunities for victories against Washington and Pittsburgh. Barring a big upset at Arizona or Green Bay, they're staring at 1-4. And we've seen that movie before, haven't we?
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Any idea what the health setback(s) Brian Quick had (per Fisher) were?
I guess Fisher shared that on his radio show. In his press conferences w/the media he has only said that Quick is healthy.
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Thoughts on J Laurinaitis? Sure, he makes a lot of tackles, but alway 5-10 yards downfield. Always out of position in coverage and not much of a run stopper. I realize we are stuck with him this year but either he needs to play better or go.
I would put James Laurinaitis in the above average to very good category at linebacker. He is productive, he is a team leader (voted 4 times captain), he gets the defense lined up correctly, and frequently gets them out of bad plays. He is the Rams' best middle linebacker since London Fletcher. He handles himself with class on and off the field. St. Louis sports fans should be proud of him and how he represents the city week in and week out, year in and year out.
Just don't understand the Laurinaitis bashing.
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It seems like the "cushion of death" is here to stay. Between the 20s, we give the cushion and the opposing QB makes the easy completions. Inside the redzone, they get closer and magically the completions decrease. Can you ask why they continue to give away completions?
In the case of Pittsburgh it was to minimize the Steelers big-play potential. The last thing the Rams wanted Pittsburgh wide receivers to do Sunday was get behind them. And it worked. The Steelers had four pass plays over 40 yards against San Francisco the week before. They had no pass play over 20 yards against the Rams. But I do agree with you that the cushions sometimes seem too big, and are aggravating ta times.
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any concerns with so many dropped balls? It seems like the defense also has let a few slip their fingers. Are they running the wrong drills in practice? Do they need some 1980's stick 'em?
Stick 'em might help. The drops have been troubling the past couple of weeks.
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Chances of 1-4? Are we singing the same song by the end of the year? Waiting for the draft and hoping for a better year in 2016. ..yet again.
It does look depressingly familiar at this point.
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In your opinion, is the problem on offense more scheme, personnel or is it 50-50?
Most of all, I think the problem on offense is mainly inexperience at this point.
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Think Gurley will get more than 25 touches in a game before week 16?
Barring any kind of medical setback, I'd say yes.
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Is Tavon too fast for Foles? I've seen several plays where he has to slow up to catch the ball (Sherman in the end zone for example). BTW, I remember when people here bashed Fletcher.
As is the case with any new QB, their timing certainly needs some work.
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Without Bradford to bash it looks like Laurinaitis is next in line.
Could be.
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what's the deal with Brian Quick?
You know the situation. Fisher likes to dress only so many WRs. Givens played very well in the preseason. Quick is rusty coming back from the injury. Fisher values special teams (Bradley Marquez). I get all that. But after scoring 10 points and then 6 points, why not try something different? Like Quick. That's where I'm at.
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Is it time to open up the offense, and try to set up the run by establishing a passing game early in the game? I think they have enough talent at WR to at least give it a shot.
I would've liked to have seen that approach against Pittsburgh's secondary last week.
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The last two games having been awful, Fishers has to take the blame for the worst offence in the NFL you could see a mile away that this team would struggle to score points
Yeah, I think most of us expected some tough going early, but maybe not this tough.
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The national media seemed to think that Fisher was overrated when the Rams hired him, and he certainly hasn't done anything to change that perception. Agree?
I do not remember the national media saying Fisher was overrated when he was hired.
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Did I miss something? If Big Ben had not been hurt this game would not of been close...Roethlisbuger was 20 for 24 200 yards passing when he was hurt, that does not sound like a great defense to me...Seahawks put 31 points on them, Redskins abused them and the Steelers were killing them up to the point Big Ben left the game...What am I missing about this great defense?
Yeah, apparently you missed the fact that it was still 9-3 when Roethlisberger was injured. Apparently you missed the fact that from early in the second quarter after the Pittsburgh TD to late in the third quarter (when Roethlisberger was hurt) that the Steelers had 33 yards of offense.
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Will Trey Watts be up this week? Can we cut Isiaah Pead now?
Was Cook hurt, or double teamed? I thought he'd do some damage against the Steeler secondary. Outside of poor blocking, he usually plays with passion.
Watts is eligible to return to the active roster after the Arizona game.
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Haven't the Rams used the same flame throwers during introductions for years? Am I paranoid, or was that a set up to make the stadium (and thus STL) look bad?
Yeah, they've had similar introductions for years. And yeah, I think you're paranoid on this one.
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Is Hekker's leg about to fall off?
Sadly, he was perhaps the team MVP in the Washington game.
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I expected much more from Cook against the Steelers. Was he double teamed or what?
I thougt Britt, and Tavon were our best playmakers Sunday.
No doubt Britt and Tavon were just that. As for Cook haven't looked at the coaches tape yet so I don't know what to tell you. He does have the tendency to disappear in some games.
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Is the team allowed to practice in the dome? I ask because Kendricks complained he lost the ball in the lights. If that is the case it seems to me a good spell of practice in the dome, under the lights, would be in order.
They've practiced in the dome once or twice before. In fairness to Kendricks, I have been told by past receivers that they thought there was a blind spot or two in the dome lighting.
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I know you don't like uniform questions but I can't help but wonder why Fisher won't use the gold pants. He has tried all other combinations to try to stir up some luck I'm sure. At least the gold pants helps us old timers remember the Rams when they could put some points on the board.
I believe teams are allowed only two colors of pants for regular uniforms, and the Rams decided to go with white and blue.
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Why do we insist on throwing the ball 4 yards when it's 3rd and 6? What evidence do we have that our receivers will ever break a tackle??
You've noticed that too. As for breaking tackles, did you see the Green Bay receivers get yards after the catch on Monday Night against Kansas City. Pretty impressive.
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How is the O-Line doing compared to how well you thought they were going to play coming into the season?
I thought they'd run block a little better, even early in the season.
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Is Fisher that delusional or perhaps arrogant that he actually believes the offensive line played well and they are that close to 3-0? Or is his job status extremely secure that he doesnt have the fears other coaches do of needing success?
I kinda think he has a pretty good idea that unless this season is a disaster _ of the 4-12 or so variety. Fisher always portrays confidence, rarely gets flustered publicly _ that's his personality. He is trying to project confidence. He's been around long enough that he's not going to give up on a season, 3 games in. But I know where you're coming from. Just once, it might be nice to see him throw a chair in frustration or call out a player or two. But that's not his makeup.
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The offensive line is getting better. the Rams should be 2-1. My prediction -- you will remember for this next week -- Rams blow away AZ in AZ for a solid victory making the Rams 2 and 2. Foles (an AZ college boy) gets back his form and timing. Rams D stuffs AZ.
OK then. You saw it here first. And probably last.
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Gronk torched the Steelers early in the year, how do we not put one or two plays like that in there?
Well, the Rams did try to go to Kendricks, didn't they?
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I hear from sports talk and the talking heads that we have a superstar coaching staff. Why aren't they able to make adjustments quicker. Also, why does it take so long for the players they draft to adjust.
Why aren't players sat when they keep making the same bonehead mistakes over and over? Are the backups that bad.
First off, if you hear it from talking heads or sports talk radio, it must be true, right? #sarcasm. I'm not sure if adjustments, or lack of adjustments, are really the main issue here early in the season. As to your second question, the bench can be a big motivator.
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I agree that Cook seems to disappear during games. Since he has issues blocking as well, does it make sense to sit him for a game to try and light a fire? Just appears to be a lack of urgency or focus.
Don't know about all that. But I think getting him involved in the passing game early might be a good idea.
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a pet peeve- on kickoffs, the 20 yard line is automatic by downing the ball in the end zone. Yet we continually see many teams run it out only to be stopped shy of the 20 it seems well greater than 75% of the time. Are coaches that slow to catch on to tell their players to down it and take the 20?
I think as a general rule if the kickoff goes 5-6 yards deep into the end zone or less, they're fine with the return man giving it a shot. Deeper than that, it's probably better to take the touchback.
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I'm pretty sure Kendricks makes less than Cook but he seems to block better than Cook by a large margin. In your opinion, has Fisher's loyalty to a previous player paid off in this case?
I think we've all seen that Cook does have some yards-after-the-catch ability. And is faster than most tight ends in the league. So you have that potential. Kendricks is regarded as a better blocker. But the Rams use 2 tight ends a lot. It's almost a 1, 1A type situation. Are you saying Kendricks should play ahead of Cook.
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re Cook, not sure Kendricks plays ahead of Cook, but I believe Cook's salary is in the high end. I suppose what I'm asking your opinion on is he worth the price paid? Kendricks was the hero week 1, but did have a bad drop week 3- not to say Cook has a great pair of mitts on him either.
I think it's debatable if Cook is worth the money at this point.
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Whats the deal with Akeem Ayers? Seems like Barron playing a lot of linebacker. Ayers has a total of 3 tackles, is that a concern.
Actually he has 6 tackles but I get your point. Even in the best of times the strong side LB (which is Ayers' position) plays only 35 to 40 percent of the time. But Ayers isn't playing much _ 9 snaps in the opener, 27 plays in Week 2, only 10 plays vs. Pittsburgh. Barron has been pretty effective in that LB role, both rushing the passer and defending the run, so that has cut into Ayers time.
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Not that payroll determines success...but our defense has been strong for a few years now while offense has struggled. Do you know how Rams payroll breakout between Offense, Defense and Special Teams compares to teams that are successful?
That's an interesting question, and I don't have a hard and fast answer off the top of my head. But I'm sure it's tilted strongly toward defense right now based on the experience factor on that side of the ball (as opposed to all the inexperience on defense). Most of the elite teams in the NFL have elite, very highly-paid QBs, so I would guess the Rams are more the exception than the rule.
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I hear a lot of people calling for brian quick to be inserted into the line-up as if he is a cure-all. gimme a break are you people delusional? one player is not going to make a difference on a fisher led offense. I have been saying it since fisher took over, "do not expect an offensive juggernaut under fisher". Look at his past tenn teams.
The "little" offense will always take a back seat to the BIG D. and although that might not be a bad thing, the man has not clue about offense and evidently neither to any of his subordinates. Unfortunately it doesn't look like this defense, although improved, is incapable of carrying this team. When a big play is needed this team fails and will continue to fail under fisher. the seahag game was a fairytale, wake up people and welcome to mediocre to bad rams football. At least the whiners look worse than this assembled bunch of losers????? sorry no question but where would I start?
I get your basic point. We're talking about a guy with 54 catches for 833 yards in a 3-year career. Not Jerry Rice. But I do think Quick showed potential last season. And based on the lack of production offensively the past couple of weeks, why not give him a chance? He may not put the offense over the top, but maybe it helps a little bit. As for your larger point, it's true that Fisher is defensive oriented, but I think we're safe in assuming he'd like a more productive offense. I wouldn't say he has no clue.
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For upcoming game against the Cardinals, what's the over/under on the following items:
Passes Dropped by Rams receivers
Third down passes short of the down marker
Blocks not made by the O-Line
Number of excuses Fisher gives to the media for another poor outing.
Yes, I'm getting a bit jaded.
Oh my, so this is what it's gotten to. St. Louis is indeed a jaded football town.
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Lets be honest Jim. We are supposed to be a running team but yet we cant run! We have officially sunk to the worst offense in the league. I know certain reason/excuses can be attributed 1) new rookie OC 2) young OL 3) Jeff Fishers stubborness to draft OL in past drafts with our top picks but keep drafting dline and rbs. At this point, if we lose the next two games, I want fisher gone during the bye week! He clearly cant coach NOR ADAPT ingame to the new NFL! your thoughts?
I think everyone is weary of waiting for this team to turn the corner. But no, we're not going to see a repeat of 2008 (coach fired during bye week).
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Why not fire Fisher during the bye week! SAve us the trouble of sitting through the remaining 9 games of this mediocrity. I just read an article on NFL.com and Tyran M. of AZ gave us praise as a good team and ask "why dont those guys win superbowl every year".
When the premier star of your division rival praises you and wonders how you underachieve with that talent, it begs to question the people at the top! Fire Fischer this year! and next year if the team sucks with a new coach, fire Les Snead and the entire scouting department! (im still pissed abt 2012 draft with us taking Quick over Alshon)
So if I'm reading you right, you want the guillotine rolled out into the Rams Park parking lot ASAP.
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So, if Nick Foles is competing 62+% of his passes, and they are going for 7 yards per attempt, shouldn't the Rams do something crazy like do nothing but pass for the first two series of a game to open up the run game?
As you probably know by now that's not Fisher's style. Do you remember the start of the 2013 season when Bradford led the Rams to a fourth-quarter comeback in the opener against Arizona going no-huddle, and then almost pulled off a huge comeback going no-huddle in Week 2 against Atlanta. Bradford looked very comfortable in that style of offense. I asked Fisher the Monday after the Atlanta game if he ever thought about going to the no-huddle _ at least on occasion. The answer: No. (End of discussion.)
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Can we safely say the Jared Cook experiment is over? As a pass catching TE - I believe part of your job is to catch passes - correct? Or am I expecting too much?
No. I think it's fair to question whether he is playing up to his contract, but he is tied for the team lead in catches and second in receiving yards so far this season. He led the team in catches and yards in 2013, his first season here, and led the team in catches and was second in yards in '14. He was thrown to only 3 times in the Pittsburgh game.
There are fans on this chat who want Quick to play and be active in this offense. Who think Bailey should get the ball more often. Who think Givens should be more involved. Well, when you're getting only 50 plays on offense a game _ a league-low _ how many passes do you think there are to go around?
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If the D can play consistently at the level seen on Sunday then we could make 7-9 even with offensive ineptitude. To make it to the playoffs, the offense has to grow (Foles gets in rhythm, TE catch passes, Bailey and Givens get open, OL blocks and Gurley starts to produce). If that happens 9-7 or 10-6 is possible.
Questions is, do we know why Quick is still sidelined – seems more than a numbers thing as suggested – is he still injured? Also have we signed Nick Toon as reported in a couple of places yesterday? Rams consistently inconsistent for last 4 years – are we any better than 2012? I am officially bemused!
To answer your very last question.. There's no doubt in my mind that the Rams have better personnel than they did in 2012. But I can't sit here and tell you that they're going to end up better than the 7-8-1 record of that season.
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Jeff Fisher is one really arrogant and delusional coach. “We are a few plays away from being 3-0”. “Todd (Gurley) was like six carries for nine yards. He could have very well had 50 or 60 yards in those six carries, he was that close”. Does this guy really think anybody’s buying this crap at this point.
If this were NY or Philly he would be getting crucified (and justifiably so). Jim, now be honest, do you see this coach/regime having what it takes to get this team back to being a playoff team? (not just a .500 team)
It's hard to see it at this point.
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What has me most concerned on offense is that we cannot even move the ball at the end of the game when we are trailing. In the last two weeks, the Rams have turned the ball over on downs on their last drive. Typically an offense can at least get some garbage yards at the end of the game when the opposing team’s defense is in prevent mode.
At worst, teams will run out of time while they still have the ball, or will score and then have to try an onside kick or something. We barely eked out a couple of first downs combined in the final drives of the last two games. That is not very encouraging
No it's not.
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Why does Fisher stress the run game so much when the NFL is a passng league. seems like he's living in the past.
Maybe. But the last three NFC teams to reach the Super Bowl _ Seattle (twice) and San Francisco _ were run-oriented teams. So it can be done that way. The Rams obviously aren't running nearly as effectively to get anywhere near that level.
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Were we ever close to getting Shanahan as our OC? He called a great game for the Falcons this week, finds ways to get Julius Jones open and is the only one to figure out how to use a healthy RG3. If Fisher is such good friends with his father, Mike Shanahan, what happened?
Don't think so.
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Any idea if the Rams are tweaking the game plan for a road game against the Cardinals? I'm thinking 2 yards per carry, a fake of some sort, a screen or two, and a gimmick play to tavon ain't going to cut it this week.
What would you suggest?
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did you get any impressions of Gurley from his play? I couldn't tell if his playbook is limited, the line didn't hold up, or if he was over hyped. I like to think it was just him getting his feet wet and next week there might be some better plays to take advantage of what he is supposed to bring to the table.
He looked like a guy who hadn't carried a football since November.
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So Fisher thinks they are a play or two away from being 3-0 huh? Kind of reminds me of something Whitey Herzog said when he was managing the cellar dwelling Texas Rangers in 1974, "We're only two players away from being a contender; Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax."
Nice.
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Fisher seemed to back away from his comments immediately after the game about not tolerating mistakes (drops/penalties) any longer. It seems the drops are mostly confined to our tight ends. What can they do to fix it, absent personnel changes?
I don't know, it was mainly backs and wide receivers in the Washington game.
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As a season ticket holder, I received an emailed survey yesterday asking about traffic after the game, the game-day experience, etc. Have you heard any rumblings about problems and/or complaints? The traffic in the Laclede's Landing area was an absolute nightmare and no law enforcement to help with traffic. Also, even at the Club Level, there were some super obnoxious, obscenity shouting Steelers fans in our section and never a sign of an usher or security.
Sure, you can text somebody about it but any usher that made even a 30-second appearance would see. I'm not sure we even know how to do an NFL game in St. Louis. We need a new stadium and a new approach. The winning part would also be great. Thanks for the chats! We appreciate you! Go ST. LOUIS Rams, you are hard on us but you're all we've got and we still love you!
Interesting. First I've heard of this.
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Is there no love lost between Arians & Fisher? Seems like Arians takes coaching against Fisher and the Rams personal? Can we do better than the 49ers did against the Redbirds?
I don't know if you can say all that just based off Arians' comments after the game here last year. But there certainly were some shots fired.
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That 100 yard game by Britt was the first in how many games(dating back to last season)?
Britt had nine catches for 103 yards last year vs. NY Giants in Game 15. But the Rams haven't had many lately, that's for sure.
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Who got cut from the practice squad?
Nick Toon fills the practice squad spot created by the promotion of Brandon McGee to the active roster. McGee replaces Isaiah Pead on the active roster Pead was cut.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/Thread.aspx?Id=1520108
Rams chat with Jim Thomas: 9/29/15
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Obviously, our linemen and TEs ($12 million) aren't getting it done run blocking. Which ones are blowing it?
They're all playing great. You heard Fisher.
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Any idea why we're shopping around for a WR? Nick Toon?
Toon is expected to be added to the practice squad today. No. big deal.
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I am quite confused with the 2015 Rams. I know I should be used to this by now but I'm not. Who are the Rams this year?
Actually the season has started out like many of us anticipated. Good defense. Struggling offense. But I don't think anyone thought the offense would struggle this much. And the Rams have squandered opportunities for victories against Washington and Pittsburgh. Barring a big upset at Arizona or Green Bay, they're staring at 1-4. And we've seen that movie before, haven't we?
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Any idea what the health setback(s) Brian Quick had (per Fisher) were?
I guess Fisher shared that on his radio show. In his press conferences w/the media he has only said that Quick is healthy.
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Thoughts on J Laurinaitis? Sure, he makes a lot of tackles, but alway 5-10 yards downfield. Always out of position in coverage and not much of a run stopper. I realize we are stuck with him this year but either he needs to play better or go.
I would put James Laurinaitis in the above average to very good category at linebacker. He is productive, he is a team leader (voted 4 times captain), he gets the defense lined up correctly, and frequently gets them out of bad plays. He is the Rams' best middle linebacker since London Fletcher. He handles himself with class on and off the field. St. Louis sports fans should be proud of him and how he represents the city week in and week out, year in and year out.
Just don't understand the Laurinaitis bashing.
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It seems like the "cushion of death" is here to stay. Between the 20s, we give the cushion and the opposing QB makes the easy completions. Inside the redzone, they get closer and magically the completions decrease. Can you ask why they continue to give away completions?
In the case of Pittsburgh it was to minimize the Steelers big-play potential. The last thing the Rams wanted Pittsburgh wide receivers to do Sunday was get behind them. And it worked. The Steelers had four pass plays over 40 yards against San Francisco the week before. They had no pass play over 20 yards against the Rams. But I do agree with you that the cushions sometimes seem too big, and are aggravating ta times.
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any concerns with so many dropped balls? It seems like the defense also has let a few slip their fingers. Are they running the wrong drills in practice? Do they need some 1980's stick 'em?
Stick 'em might help. The drops have been troubling the past couple of weeks.
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Chances of 1-4? Are we singing the same song by the end of the year? Waiting for the draft and hoping for a better year in 2016. ..yet again.
It does look depressingly familiar at this point.
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In your opinion, is the problem on offense more scheme, personnel or is it 50-50?
Most of all, I think the problem on offense is mainly inexperience at this point.
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Think Gurley will get more than 25 touches in a game before week 16?
Barring any kind of medical setback, I'd say yes.
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Is Tavon too fast for Foles? I've seen several plays where he has to slow up to catch the ball (Sherman in the end zone for example). BTW, I remember when people here bashed Fletcher.
As is the case with any new QB, their timing certainly needs some work.
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Without Bradford to bash it looks like Laurinaitis is next in line.
Could be.
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what's the deal with Brian Quick?
You know the situation. Fisher likes to dress only so many WRs. Givens played very well in the preseason. Quick is rusty coming back from the injury. Fisher values special teams (Bradley Marquez). I get all that. But after scoring 10 points and then 6 points, why not try something different? Like Quick. That's where I'm at.
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Is it time to open up the offense, and try to set up the run by establishing a passing game early in the game? I think they have enough talent at WR to at least give it a shot.
I would've liked to have seen that approach against Pittsburgh's secondary last week.
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The last two games having been awful, Fishers has to take the blame for the worst offence in the NFL you could see a mile away that this team would struggle to score points
Yeah, I think most of us expected some tough going early, but maybe not this tough.
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The national media seemed to think that Fisher was overrated when the Rams hired him, and he certainly hasn't done anything to change that perception. Agree?
I do not remember the national media saying Fisher was overrated when he was hired.
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Did I miss something? If Big Ben had not been hurt this game would not of been close...Roethlisbuger was 20 for 24 200 yards passing when he was hurt, that does not sound like a great defense to me...Seahawks put 31 points on them, Redskins abused them and the Steelers were killing them up to the point Big Ben left the game...What am I missing about this great defense?
Yeah, apparently you missed the fact that it was still 9-3 when Roethlisberger was injured. Apparently you missed the fact that from early in the second quarter after the Pittsburgh TD to late in the third quarter (when Roethlisberger was hurt) that the Steelers had 33 yards of offense.
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Will Trey Watts be up this week? Can we cut Isiaah Pead now?
Was Cook hurt, or double teamed? I thought he'd do some damage against the Steeler secondary. Outside of poor blocking, he usually plays with passion.
Watts is eligible to return to the active roster after the Arizona game.
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Haven't the Rams used the same flame throwers during introductions for years? Am I paranoid, or was that a set up to make the stadium (and thus STL) look bad?
Yeah, they've had similar introductions for years. And yeah, I think you're paranoid on this one.
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Is Hekker's leg about to fall off?
Sadly, he was perhaps the team MVP in the Washington game.
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I expected much more from Cook against the Steelers. Was he double teamed or what?
I thougt Britt, and Tavon were our best playmakers Sunday.
No doubt Britt and Tavon were just that. As for Cook haven't looked at the coaches tape yet so I don't know what to tell you. He does have the tendency to disappear in some games.
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Is the team allowed to practice in the dome? I ask because Kendricks complained he lost the ball in the lights. If that is the case it seems to me a good spell of practice in the dome, under the lights, would be in order.
They've practiced in the dome once or twice before. In fairness to Kendricks, I have been told by past receivers that they thought there was a blind spot or two in the dome lighting.
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I know you don't like uniform questions but I can't help but wonder why Fisher won't use the gold pants. He has tried all other combinations to try to stir up some luck I'm sure. At least the gold pants helps us old timers remember the Rams when they could put some points on the board.
I believe teams are allowed only two colors of pants for regular uniforms, and the Rams decided to go with white and blue.
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Why do we insist on throwing the ball 4 yards when it's 3rd and 6? What evidence do we have that our receivers will ever break a tackle??
You've noticed that too. As for breaking tackles, did you see the Green Bay receivers get yards after the catch on Monday Night against Kansas City. Pretty impressive.
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How is the O-Line doing compared to how well you thought they were going to play coming into the season?
I thought they'd run block a little better, even early in the season.
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Is Fisher that delusional or perhaps arrogant that he actually believes the offensive line played well and they are that close to 3-0? Or is his job status extremely secure that he doesnt have the fears other coaches do of needing success?
I kinda think he has a pretty good idea that unless this season is a disaster _ of the 4-12 or so variety. Fisher always portrays confidence, rarely gets flustered publicly _ that's his personality. He is trying to project confidence. He's been around long enough that he's not going to give up on a season, 3 games in. But I know where you're coming from. Just once, it might be nice to see him throw a chair in frustration or call out a player or two. But that's not his makeup.
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The offensive line is getting better. the Rams should be 2-1. My prediction -- you will remember for this next week -- Rams blow away AZ in AZ for a solid victory making the Rams 2 and 2. Foles (an AZ college boy) gets back his form and timing. Rams D stuffs AZ.
OK then. You saw it here first. And probably last.
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Gronk torched the Steelers early in the year, how do we not put one or two plays like that in there?
Well, the Rams did try to go to Kendricks, didn't they?
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I hear from sports talk and the talking heads that we have a superstar coaching staff. Why aren't they able to make adjustments quicker. Also, why does it take so long for the players they draft to adjust.
Why aren't players sat when they keep making the same bonehead mistakes over and over? Are the backups that bad.
First off, if you hear it from talking heads or sports talk radio, it must be true, right? #sarcasm. I'm not sure if adjustments, or lack of adjustments, are really the main issue here early in the season. As to your second question, the bench can be a big motivator.
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I agree that Cook seems to disappear during games. Since he has issues blocking as well, does it make sense to sit him for a game to try and light a fire? Just appears to be a lack of urgency or focus.
Don't know about all that. But I think getting him involved in the passing game early might be a good idea.
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a pet peeve- on kickoffs, the 20 yard line is automatic by downing the ball in the end zone. Yet we continually see many teams run it out only to be stopped shy of the 20 it seems well greater than 75% of the time. Are coaches that slow to catch on to tell their players to down it and take the 20?
I think as a general rule if the kickoff goes 5-6 yards deep into the end zone or less, they're fine with the return man giving it a shot. Deeper than that, it's probably better to take the touchback.
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I'm pretty sure Kendricks makes less than Cook but he seems to block better than Cook by a large margin. In your opinion, has Fisher's loyalty to a previous player paid off in this case?
I think we've all seen that Cook does have some yards-after-the-catch ability. And is faster than most tight ends in the league. So you have that potential. Kendricks is regarded as a better blocker. But the Rams use 2 tight ends a lot. It's almost a 1, 1A type situation. Are you saying Kendricks should play ahead of Cook.
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re Cook, not sure Kendricks plays ahead of Cook, but I believe Cook's salary is in the high end. I suppose what I'm asking your opinion on is he worth the price paid? Kendricks was the hero week 1, but did have a bad drop week 3- not to say Cook has a great pair of mitts on him either.
I think it's debatable if Cook is worth the money at this point.
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Whats the deal with Akeem Ayers? Seems like Barron playing a lot of linebacker. Ayers has a total of 3 tackles, is that a concern.
Actually he has 6 tackles but I get your point. Even in the best of times the strong side LB (which is Ayers' position) plays only 35 to 40 percent of the time. But Ayers isn't playing much _ 9 snaps in the opener, 27 plays in Week 2, only 10 plays vs. Pittsburgh. Barron has been pretty effective in that LB role, both rushing the passer and defending the run, so that has cut into Ayers time.
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Not that payroll determines success...but our defense has been strong for a few years now while offense has struggled. Do you know how Rams payroll breakout between Offense, Defense and Special Teams compares to teams that are successful?
That's an interesting question, and I don't have a hard and fast answer off the top of my head. But I'm sure it's tilted strongly toward defense right now based on the experience factor on that side of the ball (as opposed to all the inexperience on defense). Most of the elite teams in the NFL have elite, very highly-paid QBs, so I would guess the Rams are more the exception than the rule.
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I hear a lot of people calling for brian quick to be inserted into the line-up as if he is a cure-all. gimme a break are you people delusional? one player is not going to make a difference on a fisher led offense. I have been saying it since fisher took over, "do not expect an offensive juggernaut under fisher". Look at his past tenn teams.
The "little" offense will always take a back seat to the BIG D. and although that might not be a bad thing, the man has not clue about offense and evidently neither to any of his subordinates. Unfortunately it doesn't look like this defense, although improved, is incapable of carrying this team. When a big play is needed this team fails and will continue to fail under fisher. the seahag game was a fairytale, wake up people and welcome to mediocre to bad rams football. At least the whiners look worse than this assembled bunch of losers????? sorry no question but where would I start?
I get your basic point. We're talking about a guy with 54 catches for 833 yards in a 3-year career. Not Jerry Rice. But I do think Quick showed potential last season. And based on the lack of production offensively the past couple of weeks, why not give him a chance? He may not put the offense over the top, but maybe it helps a little bit. As for your larger point, it's true that Fisher is defensive oriented, but I think we're safe in assuming he'd like a more productive offense. I wouldn't say he has no clue.
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For upcoming game against the Cardinals, what's the over/under on the following items:
Passes Dropped by Rams receivers
Third down passes short of the down marker
Blocks not made by the O-Line
Number of excuses Fisher gives to the media for another poor outing.
Yes, I'm getting a bit jaded.
Oh my, so this is what it's gotten to. St. Louis is indeed a jaded football town.
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Lets be honest Jim. We are supposed to be a running team but yet we cant run! We have officially sunk to the worst offense in the league. I know certain reason/excuses can be attributed 1) new rookie OC 2) young OL 3) Jeff Fishers stubborness to draft OL in past drafts with our top picks but keep drafting dline and rbs. At this point, if we lose the next two games, I want fisher gone during the bye week! He clearly cant coach NOR ADAPT ingame to the new NFL! your thoughts?
I think everyone is weary of waiting for this team to turn the corner. But no, we're not going to see a repeat of 2008 (coach fired during bye week).
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Why not fire Fisher during the bye week! SAve us the trouble of sitting through the remaining 9 games of this mediocrity. I just read an article on NFL.com and Tyran M. of AZ gave us praise as a good team and ask "why dont those guys win superbowl every year".
When the premier star of your division rival praises you and wonders how you underachieve with that talent, it begs to question the people at the top! Fire Fischer this year! and next year if the team sucks with a new coach, fire Les Snead and the entire scouting department! (im still pissed abt 2012 draft with us taking Quick over Alshon)
So if I'm reading you right, you want the guillotine rolled out into the Rams Park parking lot ASAP.
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So, if Nick Foles is competing 62+% of his passes, and they are going for 7 yards per attempt, shouldn't the Rams do something crazy like do nothing but pass for the first two series of a game to open up the run game?
As you probably know by now that's not Fisher's style. Do you remember the start of the 2013 season when Bradford led the Rams to a fourth-quarter comeback in the opener against Arizona going no-huddle, and then almost pulled off a huge comeback going no-huddle in Week 2 against Atlanta. Bradford looked very comfortable in that style of offense. I asked Fisher the Monday after the Atlanta game if he ever thought about going to the no-huddle _ at least on occasion. The answer: No. (End of discussion.)
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Can we safely say the Jared Cook experiment is over? As a pass catching TE - I believe part of your job is to catch passes - correct? Or am I expecting too much?
No. I think it's fair to question whether he is playing up to his contract, but he is tied for the team lead in catches and second in receiving yards so far this season. He led the team in catches and yards in 2013, his first season here, and led the team in catches and was second in yards in '14. He was thrown to only 3 times in the Pittsburgh game.
There are fans on this chat who want Quick to play and be active in this offense. Who think Bailey should get the ball more often. Who think Givens should be more involved. Well, when you're getting only 50 plays on offense a game _ a league-low _ how many passes do you think there are to go around?
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If the D can play consistently at the level seen on Sunday then we could make 7-9 even with offensive ineptitude. To make it to the playoffs, the offense has to grow (Foles gets in rhythm, TE catch passes, Bailey and Givens get open, OL blocks and Gurley starts to produce). If that happens 9-7 or 10-6 is possible.
Questions is, do we know why Quick is still sidelined – seems more than a numbers thing as suggested – is he still injured? Also have we signed Nick Toon as reported in a couple of places yesterday? Rams consistently inconsistent for last 4 years – are we any better than 2012? I am officially bemused!
To answer your very last question.. There's no doubt in my mind that the Rams have better personnel than they did in 2012. But I can't sit here and tell you that they're going to end up better than the 7-8-1 record of that season.
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Jeff Fisher is one really arrogant and delusional coach. “We are a few plays away from being 3-0”. “Todd (Gurley) was like six carries for nine yards. He could have very well had 50 or 60 yards in those six carries, he was that close”. Does this guy really think anybody’s buying this crap at this point.
If this were NY or Philly he would be getting crucified (and justifiably so). Jim, now be honest, do you see this coach/regime having what it takes to get this team back to being a playoff team? (not just a .500 team)
It's hard to see it at this point.
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What has me most concerned on offense is that we cannot even move the ball at the end of the game when we are trailing. In the last two weeks, the Rams have turned the ball over on downs on their last drive. Typically an offense can at least get some garbage yards at the end of the game when the opposing team’s defense is in prevent mode.
At worst, teams will run out of time while they still have the ball, or will score and then have to try an onside kick or something. We barely eked out a couple of first downs combined in the final drives of the last two games. That is not very encouraging
No it's not.
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Why does Fisher stress the run game so much when the NFL is a passng league. seems like he's living in the past.
Maybe. But the last three NFC teams to reach the Super Bowl _ Seattle (twice) and San Francisco _ were run-oriented teams. So it can be done that way. The Rams obviously aren't running nearly as effectively to get anywhere near that level.
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Were we ever close to getting Shanahan as our OC? He called a great game for the Falcons this week, finds ways to get Julius Jones open and is the only one to figure out how to use a healthy RG3. If Fisher is such good friends with his father, Mike Shanahan, what happened?
Don't think so.
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Any idea if the Rams are tweaking the game plan for a road game against the Cardinals? I'm thinking 2 yards per carry, a fake of some sort, a screen or two, and a gimmick play to tavon ain't going to cut it this week.
What would you suggest?
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did you get any impressions of Gurley from his play? I couldn't tell if his playbook is limited, the line didn't hold up, or if he was over hyped. I like to think it was just him getting his feet wet and next week there might be some better plays to take advantage of what he is supposed to bring to the table.
He looked like a guy who hadn't carried a football since November.
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So Fisher thinks they are a play or two away from being 3-0 huh? Kind of reminds me of something Whitey Herzog said when he was managing the cellar dwelling Texas Rangers in 1974, "We're only two players away from being a contender; Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax."
Nice.
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Fisher seemed to back away from his comments immediately after the game about not tolerating mistakes (drops/penalties) any longer. It seems the drops are mostly confined to our tight ends. What can they do to fix it, absent personnel changes?
I don't know, it was mainly backs and wide receivers in the Washington game.
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As a season ticket holder, I received an emailed survey yesterday asking about traffic after the game, the game-day experience, etc. Have you heard any rumblings about problems and/or complaints? The traffic in the Laclede's Landing area was an absolute nightmare and no law enforcement to help with traffic. Also, even at the Club Level, there were some super obnoxious, obscenity shouting Steelers fans in our section and never a sign of an usher or security.
Sure, you can text somebody about it but any usher that made even a 30-second appearance would see. I'm not sure we even know how to do an NFL game in St. Louis. We need a new stadium and a new approach. The winning part would also be great. Thanks for the chats! We appreciate you! Go ST. LOUIS Rams, you are hard on us but you're all we've got and we still love you!
Interesting. First I've heard of this.
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Is there no love lost between Arians & Fisher? Seems like Arians takes coaching against Fisher and the Rams personal? Can we do better than the 49ers did against the Redbirds?
I don't know if you can say all that just based off Arians' comments after the game here last year. But there certainly were some shots fired.
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That 100 yard game by Britt was the first in how many games(dating back to last season)?
Britt had nine catches for 103 yards last year vs. NY Giants in Game 15. But the Rams haven't had many lately, that's for sure.
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Who got cut from the practice squad?
Nick Toon fills the practice squad spot created by the promotion of Brandon McGee to the active roster. McGee replaces Isaiah Pead on the active roster Pead was cut.
