Sammy Watkins

[shovelpass]

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0708859835503877990-4

Jared Goff spoke to Sammy Watkins about pulling up midway through his deep route. "He was a little bit confused on what we were doing," Goff said. "It's nothing that can't be fixed overnight. It's not characteristic from him at all. I don't expect that to happen."

 

[UKram]

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0708859835503877990-4

Jared Goff spoke to Sammy Watkins about pulling up midway through his deep route. "He was a little bit confused on what we were doing," Goff said. "It's nothing that can't be fixed overnight. It's not characteristic from him at all. I don't expect that to happen."

I love how this is slowly becoming Jareds team .. he may not be a captain but he is a leader

 

[shovelpass]

I love how this is slowly becoming Jareds team .. he may not be a captain but he is a leader

I thought that it already was his team, he's our starting QB in a QB driven league. Especially after the McVay hire, there's now a competent offensive system designed around QB play. I think Goff is more comfortable, he's in control both on and off the field. Last year he said "all the right things", but players are coached on what to say. It looks and feels this season like he's actually speaking for himself.

 

[LesBaker]

I don't think this coaching staff is the type to reward a player who gets caught half-assing routes.

Let's hope this was an anomoly for Watkins, because that was a bad game yesterday.....he let two plays go buy and the route he pulled up on was at least a big gainer and maybe a TD.

I love me some Sammy ... but frankly as long as the ball is moving up and down and we are scoring I couldn’t care less who gets the ball

I'm with you 100%, I don't have anyone's jersey hanging in my closet so I'm pretty impartial. Let everyone get some opportunities it makes the O harder to defend.

Drops and turn overs don't win games.

5 TO's is the hardest "defense" to beat.

Nah. You're right that drops and turnovers don't win games, but that doesn't mean Seattle won it. Seattle tried to give us the game. We didn't take it.

IMO we handed it to them. 5 turnovers of which 3 came from the QB, no points on 4 trips to the red zone, some missed plays. If you look at closely the Rams really outplayed the Seahawks except for a handful of plays.

But.........

I'm encouraged because it's not often a team gives up the ball 5 times, makes the mistakes they made and only loses by two FG's and came close to winning at the end of the game.

This loss showed real heart IMO.

 

[UKram]

I thought that it already was his team, he's our starting QB in a QB driven league. Especially after the McVay hire, there's now a competent offensive system designed around QB play. I think Goff is more comfortable, he's in control both on and off the field. Last year he said "all the right things", but players are coached on what to say. It looks and feels this season like he's actually speaking for himself.

Yeah it is ... but the whole talking to players leading the O the pressers (he seems to be getting more comfy in those too ) .. that sort of stuff the leadership side is mainly what I’m talking about

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

That we did, but it should be reassuring that we played about as bad of a game as we could play, and we still had the ball in our most reliable WR's hands in the end-zone for the game-winning TD with 8 seconds left. All of the bounces went Seattle's way today. That won't happen every week. Good football teams lose games (usually 4-6 games a year). This was the type of game that good football teams lose.

We're a good football team. That will be proven over the next six weeks. This game gives me confidence that we're a better team than Seattle. We just need to mature and stay confident.

Your last line is what I got from this game. The Rams need to mature and stay confident. Goff is four regular season games into a new offense. He is young and still learning, as is the entire team. They are all still learning the new systems. The young head coach is still learning as he goes too. I like the progress. I don't like Watkins effort though. That is a bad sign.

One thing that surprised me was the last drive. I told my son that Goff is not ready to make a long drive in the final minute. He is still learning the offense and still learning how to not make mistakes in crunch time. To my surprise he quickly drove the field with clutch throws. If only the pass to Kupp was a little closer.

Either way this games end left me with a lot of hope and more faith in our QB.

Hats off to Higbee too. Sammy played poorly but he played great.

 

[Psycho_X]

I hope Watkins issues in this game were nothing more than him not knowing what he was supposed to be doing. That's not good but it's a lot better than half ass'ing it. But he had at least two big plays... possibly game changing plays... that were his for the taking if he followed through. This is a young team with a young coach so my frustration yesterday is being tempered mostly but so far I'm not liking the trade for Watkins. Hopefully, they get everyone on the same page soon and we'll be laughing about how upsetting this loss was when we're in the playoffs at the end of the year and Watkins has exploded.

 

[dieterbrock]

I don't think this coaching staff is the type to reward a player who gets caught half-assing routes.

I want to believe this, however he was still on the field in clutch time AFTER half assing that route

 

[Rmfnlt]

"this is a superstar driven league. I want the ball".

F that! If I'm McVay and I hear anyone say that, he sits for minimum two games... I truly wouldn't care.

I saw Watkins not try for the ball at least 3 times.

I definitely saw the one... and, like Goff said:

Goff said. "It's nothing that can't be fixed overnight. It's not characteristic from him at all. I don't expect that to happen."

On the one I saw, looked like Watkins wasn't expecting to have the ball thrown to him?
I'd hate to overreact to this one game... as far as getting him more targets, guessing he's double teamed a lot, no? Yeah, an occasional jump ball... but forcing it to him just so he can be a "superstar"? F that! (sorry for the rant... can you tell I'm emotional about prima-donna wide receivers? )

He said that our offense is kinda like Steelers lite. I can agree. The ball should go through gurley and Watkins first.

The Steelers offense has been struggling... I think I'd leave that model alone right now... take what is given you.

I was very disappointed, though, that we didn't involve Gurley much in the passing game today.

I agree... the entire offense seemed a bit out of whack... what was very smooth the weeks before seemed more clunky... multiple reasons for it, as we all know. Seemed unimaginative.
Hoping some of that creativity returns next week...

as long as the ball is moving up and down and we are scoring I couldn’t care less who gets the ball

Yup... forcing the ball to players just because they're whining or want to be (or think they are) "superstars" is not sustainable IMO.

 

[Varg6]

Regardless, Sammy Watkins needs more targets. I'm not sure if he's just being double covered every play, but when the game is on the line, I want to see Jared at least take a shot with Sammy in the endzone. He's too talented to not have more opportunities to show his playmaking abilities.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Regardless, Sammy Watkins needs more targets. I'm not sure if he's just being double covered every play, but when the game is on the line, I want to see Jared at least take a shot with Sammy in the endzone. He's too talented to not have more opportunities to show his playmaking abilities.

Not trying to be difficult here... but...

So Kupp is open but Goff should stare down Watkins in the corner of the end zone and force a jump ball?

Do I have that right?

 

[Varg6]

Not trying to be difficult here... but...

So Kupp is open but Goff should stare down Watkins in the corner of the end zone and force a jump ball?

Do I have that right?

You don't. Throwing to Kupp on third down was the right call, he was open, it was there. Throwing to him again, the same exact route? I personally don't think so. I'm just making the point that we have a superstar WR and I'd like to see Jared look his way when in need of a clutch play (which, for the record, I think all our WRs are capable of). Personally, I would've liked to see an out route, get out of bounds, and get us a little closer to the endzone for one or two more attempts.

 

[Rmfnlt]

You don't. Throwing to Kupp on third down was the right call, he was open, it was there. Throwing to him again, the same exact route? I personally don't think so. I'm just making the point that we have a superstar WR and I'd like to see Jared look his way when in need of a clutch play (which, for the record, I think all our WRs are capable of). Personally, I would've liked to see an out route, get out of bounds, and get us a little closer to the endzone for one or two more attempts.

I think you misunderstood... my comment was purely hypothetical.

So, it's 3rd and goal from the 8... Goff drops back and he should toss a pass to the corner to Watkins because Watkins needs his touches and he's a superstar?

Meanwhile, Kupp (or Woods... or whoever) is wide open over the middle for a sure TD.

Rams have to kick a field goal but Watkins got what he wanted.

 

[Dxmissile]

I don't think this coaching staff is the type to reward a player who gets caught half-assing routes.

While that’s definitely true I can’t really fault the guy he was double covered and haven’t received a target all game make that really the last two games. You have to give this guy more chances to make plays and be engaged in the offense. It’s the same with Gurley. At this point Watkins is a wasted player and we should have kept Gaines if he isn’t going to be a focal point of the passing offense

 

[Dxmissile]

I think you misunderstood... my comment was purely hypothetical.

So, it's 3rd and goal from the 8... Goff drops back and he should toss a pass to the corner to Watkins because Watkins needs his touches and he's a superstar?

Meanwhile, Kupp (or Woods... or whoever) is wide open over the middle for a sure TD.

Rams have to kick a field goal but Watkins got what he wanted.

You’re being a little too specific the point is you brought Watkins over to be a game changer. So every 3rd down pass shouldn’t go to him but he shouldn’t be getting his first target in the 3rd quarter either

 

[shaunpinney]

5 TO's is the hardest "defense" to beat.

Got to agree there...

 

[Varg6]

You’re being a little too specific the point is you brought Watkins over to be a game changer. So every 3rd down pass shouldn’t go to him but he shouldn’t be getting his first target in the 3rd quarter either

Thank you.

That's all I meant. We brought him in to be a game changer. If there's a 1 on 1, I'd wanna see him get targeted in that respect.

 

[Ram_Rally]

Not trying to be difficult here... but...

So Kupp is open but Goff should stare down Watkins in the corner of the end zone and force a jump ball?

Do I have that right?

Prime example though. After kupp dropped the touchdown Seattle is looking for him on the next play. They run the exact same route for him and Goff forces a difficult throw into coverage. It seems like kupp is being given the looks that Watkins should see, maybe?

 

[Adi]

He showed a lack of effort on 2 of those long passes. the second one he had Sherman beat and just gave up, not sure if he thought the safety was coming over or doubted Goffs are strength. This is not a good sign, he bashed the bills last year and demanded the ball, hope he doesn't start the same now. This locker room does not need negativity .

 

[LACHAMP46]

I still say Sammy was feeling under the weather...just didn't look right.

As Sammy Watkins recently said he's not publicly complaining about his lack of targets to the media, but his play on the field says it all.

That's kinda the way I saw it.

TE"s leading the team in targets. I'm guessing Sammy has noticed.

I was thinking about that...he recently does an interview, where he SAYS he doesn't mind not being the most targeted.....and then has this type of game? Hmmmmmmmmmm......and Higbee shouldn't be leading the team in targets. but, that's just my opinion.

So Kupp is open but Goff should stare down Watkins in the corner of the end zone and force a jump ball?

Do I have that right?

Almost....Goff should continue to stare down Higbee/Kupp/Woods, whomever, then rifle a pass to Watkins in the endzone...