Some random thoughts after settling down after the Steeler game...

[Rams43]

I’ve calmed down now and have adopted a fatalistic viewpoint, I think.

I’m on record as saying that the Steeler game was a Rams crossroads and it would tell us a lot about this Ram team. Well, I think it did and it ain’t pretty.

Here are my stream of consciousness thoughts.

Playoffs now look like a pipe dream with this patched up OL that was already playing terribly when healthy. It is almost unforgivable that this FO and these coaches made such a miscalculation that put this team in this position.

We can still possibly find some pleasure in a spoilers role since we have many remaining games with playoff contenders.

Fix the OL next year and this is once again a SB worthy team. IOW, our current roster situation is infinitely better than after ‘16, so there is good reason for hope.

Our OL youngsters are gonna get abused in these next 7 games. Won’t be pretty to watch, but they should benefit for ‘20 after being thrown into this fire in ‘19.

Better start planning for life after Gurley.

Probably life after Cooks, too. Both will be drags on the cap, but it is what it is.

In a fantasy world the Rams could keep both Fowler and Littleton, but this isn’t fantasy. Both could be gone next year due to the cap. Better get used to that idea.

Troy Hill is gonna get the vast majority of the targets if Ramsey is on the field. Can he handle it? We’ll see. I wouldn’t mind seeing Long getting some snaps. I mean, why should the OL be the only ones getting the trial by fire experience? A good outside CB opposite Ramsey is necessary to fully benefit from his presence.

Similarly, wouldn’t it be nice to find a beastly DL player next to AD? Can you imagine AD with fewer double and triple teams? I know that such players don’t grow on trees, but if Snead could somehow steal one? Wow!

ST are still ranked pretty high, but I don’t think that they’re anywhere near what they’ve been in past years. In fact, I’m starting to have second thoughts about extending GZ.

Our D has been very good in ppg allowed since the Ramsey addition. Our W/L problems have NOT been the fault of the D.

Isn’t it ironic that the top O of the last 2 years now struggles to run, to pass, or to score more than 15 points? Mind blowing, isn’t it? Can’t remember offhand seeing an O have the wheels fall off before so quickly and so utterly . The ‘18 Ram O would gave toyed with that Steeler D.

By nature I am an optimist, but I see no way out to fix our OL problems this year. I’ve accepted that and fully expect our FO and coaches to address it successfully this offseason.

This just wasn’t our year, but I expect to see us roaring back in ‘20 and be right back in the thick of the playoff race.

 

[LARams_1963]

Of us fans who would have thought that Havenstien and Blythe (I guess you could throw in Allen too) would shit the bed this year? Then you trow in injuries and it is what it is.

My question is how could the coaches, specifically Kromer not see the regression or have a feel for their true levels of competence?

 

[Jacobarch]

Of us fans who would have thought that Havenstien and Blythe (I guess you could throw in Allen too) would shit the bed this year? Then you trow in injuries and it is what it is.

My question is how could the coaches, specifically Kromer not see the regression or have a feel for their true levels of competence?

I think that's why it's so hard to evaluate players. I also think there's the pride element as well. They just paid Hav, sitting him right after paying him would look really bad on the FO.

 

[sjm1582002]

Team is still more than competitive.

Wade's D has been (usually --- see TB) carrying the load.

Rams were in position to win late in each of their last 5 losses despite an offense that (except for TB) appeared to be banging its head against a wall.

 

[RamsInfiniti]

Team is still more than competitive.

Wade's D has been (usually --- see TB) carrying the load.

Rams were in position to win late in each of their last 5 losses despite an offense that (except for TB) appeared to be banging its head against a wall.

Yep ... Wade has really cleaned up the run D. Arguably, it may be the best in the league.

If the offense was clicking at 75% of what it was last year, we'd be 8-1 right now.

 

[ramfan46]

I just don’t understand why the jet motion disappears. It works great and is the only thing that consistently works in the running game. It might ultimately limit what Sean wants to do, but it’s one of the few things to work on offense.

 

[Pancake]

Wades D should be good. Just look at the roster. It's probably got the most talent of any in the league.

 

[Merlin]

OL are fuckin weird. They can play well as units with JAGs mixed in and there are many examples of that not only around the league but with our Rams. Seems like you gotta have a couple plus guys though in order to have a "good" line.

Look at our '99 line. Mentioned this before but we had basically two plus linemen in Pace and Timmerman. Rest of those guys were JAGs who did their roles and the whole unit played above its talent level.

This line last year had Whit and Saff. The rest were JAGs, although Hav was a near-plus player (plus run blocking but average pass pro). In the end it was the line that sunk our Super Bowl chances although they did probably play a bit over their heads.

Going forward it's hard to see who our plus linemen will be. If we assume one of our young linemen can grow into that, and add a FA, things might look completely different. We might have to hit on a lineman in the draft too in order to be good.

 

[TheTackle]

The OL has gone from being bad to being a disaster. The question is can Allen and Noteboom return as better players? If not, rebuilding the OL could take some time!

I hope (am optimistic) that Corbett is a quality acquisition. That Allen returns a better player and we can find a LT in free agency.

What would cutting Hav at the end of the season do for our cap? Getting him off the books might be a key solution / could we trade him?

 

[gabriel18]

9 months ago the future was bright . WTF happened ? Now it looks like the hated 49ers are building quite a roster the Hags look be on the rise again.

 

[RamsInfiniti]

OL are fuckin weird. They can play well as units with JAGs mixed in and there are many examples of that not only around the league but with our Rams. Seems like you gotta have a couple plus guys though in order to have a "good" line.

Look at our '99 line. Mentioned this before but we had basically two plus linemen in Pace and Timmerman. Rest of those guys were JAGs who did their roles and the whole unit played above its talent level.

This line last year had Whit and Saff. The rest were JAGs, although Hav was a near-plus player (plus run blocking but average pass pro). In the end it was the line that sunk our Super Bowl chances although they did probably play a bit over their heads.

Going forward it's hard to see who our plus linemen will be. If we assume one of our young linemen can grow into that, and add a FA, things might look completely different. We might have to hit on a lineman in the draft too in order to be good.

I've never played on the OL, but so much of it is proper communication right? Sully wasn't strong at the POA, or quick, anymore, - but he was servicable, smart and experienced. I think because of that, Blythe was also in position, which in turn meant Havenstein could handle his business.

I think losing that experience was brutal.

 

[tklongball]

It is almost unforgivable that this FO and these coaches made such a miscalculation that put this team in this position.

I wouldn't say that at all. They took a risk, and it came back and bit them. Every Front office takes risks. Sometimes you get away with them sometimes you don't. There isn't enough money in the CAP to pay superstars everywhere. You have to skimp somewhere, if you have superstars. They just lost on their gamble. It happens.

Nobody in any walk of life guesses right every time. That is kind of an unrealistic expectation. Yea it sucks, but you hope that in the long run they guess right more often than they guess wrong. So far, this regime has guessed right for the most part.