Some thoughts on this season now that PS is over

[Merlin]

1. Britt should not be a starter for long in this offense. This season should be about the young guys coming up and getting it done. To my eye he is not as good as many of them, in fact I think I'd even start Givens over him. Play the kids Cig. Quick, Austin, Bailey, and yes Givens are a respectable group so unleash them.

2. I have given up on Cook. Not hating on the guy but he's a perennial tease, all world ability and athleticism but he's not a smart player, he still can't block which I relate to a bit of being a prima donna, and still has bad hands/focus at the worst times. Guy like him should be MONEY but he's just like a rookie still with ups and downs and I am tired of it. Can Foles get him out of that? Maybe, but man... I'm done hoping with him.

3. Cigs might be ok as the OC. He shows some resilience in his calls, and I find myself wondering if Fish finally hit it on his OC hire for the first time since Dinger. Still got my fingers crossed with him because we're not gonna have a real idea until after that Shehawks matchup.

4. McDonald will be a pro bowl player this year regardless of whether he gets the votes.

5. The defense has 3 pro bowlers in my estimation: Quinn, Donald, and McDonald.

6. The defense has 4 players capable of that level in my estimation: Jenks, Brock, Ogletree, Long. The ceiling of this defense in general depends on how those four play this season.

7. We are not going to see what kind of ceiling this offense has this season until Gurley starts. He has the ability to give this attack a boost by providing a player from the backfield that scares defenses more than Tavon, Cook, or Quick. It's been a long time since the Rams had that. I hope he stays healthy because I'd really like to see what the skill players can do with that threat in the backfield.

8. Foles is going to do great things with this team. The leadership he shows is sorely needed by this offense and I think it is going to translate this season into some much improved play, hopefully improved enough to get this team into the playoffs.

9. The OL will probably struggle against Seattle and what is a great front seven, but over the first quarter of the season I predict we quickly see them settle into a solid group. I have my worries but overall this is a quality group that is working hard under great OL coaching. They're gonna get it together quickly IMO.

 

[RaminExile]

Agree with everything except 2. I know he annoys people and I completely see why - but he's also likely to lead us in receptions this year (again). He's underrated because of the fact he doesn't block and drops the ball at horrible times and just generally has a suck ass attitude (pushing Austin Davis etc).

 

[Angry Ram]

1. Britt should not be a starter for long in this offense. This season should be about the young guys coming up and getting it done. To my eye he is not as good as many of them, in fact I think I'd even start Givens over him. Play the kids Cig. Quick, Austin, Bailey, and yes Givens are a respectable group so unleash them.

Depends on Brian Quick, if those few games last year were a fluke or something good about to happen. Kenny Britt still makes plays, tho.

2. I have given up on Cook. Not hating on the guy but he's a perennial tease, all world ability and athleticism but he's not a smart player, he still can't block which I relate to a bit of being a prima donna, and still has bad hands/focus at the worst times. Guy like him should be MONEY but he's just like a rookie still with ups and downs and I am tired of it. Can Foles get him out of that? Maybe, but man... I'm done hoping with him.

Could care less about his blocking. That wasn't what he was signed here for. He's also never had a consistent QB here. He is what he is.

3. Cigs might be ok as the OC. He shows some resilience in his calls, and I find myself wondering if Fish finally hit it on his OC hire for the first time since Dinger. Still got my fingers crossed with him because we're not gonna have a real idea until after that Shehawks matchup.

Maybe. I wonder what the over/under of the number of games is before we see Blame "Cigs" threads. Offense needs to execute.

4. McDonald will be a pro bowl player this year regardless of whether he gets the votes.

Yup.

5. The defense has 3 pro bowlers in my estimation: Quinn, Donald, and McDonald.

More so.

6. The defense has 4 players capable of that level in my estimation: Jenks, Brock, Ogletree, Long. The ceiling of this defense in general depends on how those four play this season.

Even more so: Trumaine Johnson, if he continues to get INTs, especially with EJ Gaines out the whole year.

7. We are not going to see what kind of ceiling this offense has this season until Gurley starts. He has the ability to give this attack a boost by providing a player from the backfield that scares defenses more than Tavon, Cook, or Quick. It's been a long time since the Rams had that. I hope he stays healthy because I'd really like to see what the skill players can do with that threat in the backfield.

Tre can handle it.

8. Foles is going to do great things with this team. The leadership he shows is sorely needed by this offense and I think it is going to translate this season into some much improved play, hopefully improved enough to get this team into the playoffs.

As long as he keeps the INTs down, it's all good.

9. The OL will probably struggle against Seattle and what is a great front seven, but over the first quarter of the season I predict we quickly see them settle into a solid group. I have my worries but overall this is a quality group that is working hard under great OL coaching. They're gonna get it together quickly IMO.

Fuck the shitchickens. Rams will kick their ass.

 

[bskrilla]

Gotta disagree on 1 and 2. Both Britt and Cook are established enough to not worry about their showing in preseason. I think Britt still has plenty in the tank to be a major contributor and I think Cook will still likely be in the top 3 or 4 in terms of yards and receptions.

Neither has shown for shit this preseason, but they don't need to. At all. We know both can be solid contributors and I'm betting they will be again this year. In fact, I'm guessing Cook has a career year and Britt is pretty close to that for himself.

 

[RamzFanz]

Yeah, I don't get the Britt prediction. Dude is solid. He's made some really difficult catches this pre-season. He got schooled on that block for TA, but that's not his MO.

Cook got next to no looks this preseason after blowing up TC. I'm betting he's just being kept under wraps for game one. Same with the big TA plays.

 

[BatteringRambo]

10. Sunday morning Sept 13th, I am fuckin amped up!!!

*It also appears Kam Chancellor will not be participating.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I prefer Quick in single wide formations. He's our best blocking WR and once he gets back into full game ready mode he's shown that he can get open and beat DB's deep. He's the Rams #1.

 

[RAMpage28]

Lot of Britt hate lately. The dude was our first receiver to get 700 in a season since Holt. I don't think we should be so quick to toss him aside.

 

[Faceplant]

Britt is 26, haha. Still a young guy!!

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Don't put too much stock into preseason. Vets often don't play to their best ability when it doesn't matter.

 

[Ramhusker]

Don't put too much stock into preseason. Vets often don't play to their best ability when it doesn't matter.

I get that but it bothers me a bit. Seems in all levels of competition, you play the way you practice. I hate seeing guys dog it in a preseason game because those guys will do it in a regular season game too if they feel the game is in hand or out of hand. It just seems to breed an attitude but maybe that's just my perception from witnessing it from pee wee league through college. Maybe there is some kind of transformation in the pros that I've just not been privy too because of lack of exposure. And it's easy to form the wrong perception from the outside looking in, right?

 

[wmc540]

I think it's nice to finally get an offensive coordinator back in the booth.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I think it's nice to finally get an offensive coordinator back in the booth.

Good point.

 

[Ramhusker]

I think this team may be more ready for the season than what we've seen.

I feel good about the QB position. Foles looks ready and so does his backup Keenum. Even Mannion shows glimpses.

The OL seems to look a little better each time out. There's no leaps and bounds of improvement here but the rookies seem to be catching up to the speed of it all and correct me if I'm wrong but the C play seems to be becoming adequate.

We are stout at RB and Gurley hasn't even touched the field yet. It'd be hard for me to cut any of them.

WRs are coming around too although it's hard to tell with Cook and Britt sometimes and I know that is partly because of preseason vet syndrome I guess. I'd find a way to keep Marquez around. I don't know how you do that but the kid can ball.

The D has a very very high ceiling. If they gel early, watch out. We have play-makers and depth. Trinca-Pasat, Longacre, Hager, Ifedi and Lynch have played well and most should make the team but there's not enough room. Westbrooks, Davis, and Bryant are starting to play well also. We just have depth and we haven't even seen Fairly ramp it up yet. Joyner is starting to become the tackling machine he was in college. The game is slowing down for him. I just wish we could get him to cover somebody.

Special teams will be good. We didn't see much spectacular play on STs in the preseason but they really didn't give up big plays either. Hekker has been sub-Hekker so far but he'll be our HEKKER soon enough. GZ still worries me with consistency. He probably has the strongest leg in the league and he'll make a 70 yarder one day but he still scares me from around 38 yards. I do think the new extra point try distance will actually help GZ to practice those intermediate distance kicks. I mean it has to when you are expected to routinely kick 33 yarders, you will practice them more often.

Our coaches, especially our coordinators, seem to be ready. They have a great supporting cast and I get the feeling they are ready to throw caution to the wind and let their players do their thing. Fisher is Fisher. He's not going to do things the conventional way all the time but I would like to see him get fired up more on the sidelines when our team gets some of these terrible, crazy, ludicrous calls against us. I know you are on the competition committee coach but DAMN!

And speaking of penalties, they have got to be reduced. At least if the stupid ones disappear, we can live with most of the others. All teams get penalties. I know the Rams get their fair share of the ticky tacky ones and suffer at least their fair share of no-calls against them but this team has had an uncanny ability to get the most ill-timed penalties. You know the ones I'm talking about. The kind that draw the flag on big plays made by our O or the ones that fly when the D has just made a big stop on 3rd down or just created a turnover. Of course these things make the conspiracy theorist come out of me and yell for Goodall's head.

Bottom line, I think we are in for a helluva season. How that stacks up in the W/L columns is of course a mystery but at least we have a fighting chance again. I just hope we don't miss EJ Gaines too much because that might just be our Achilles heal.

 

[Lesson]

Re:Cook.

He's done pretty much everything he's been expected to do since he's been a Ram. He hasn't really had good QB play aside from the games that Bradford played in 2013.

 

[Sum1]

I don't care how inconsistent the QBs have been. When no matter who is slinging the rock and the same guy "catching" keeps dropping balls and running poor routes it's on them.

Cook and Britt have the talent...they need to refine their craft and make the catches when they're needed.

 

[Lesson]

I don't care how inconsistent the QBs have been. When no matter who is slinging the rock and the same guy "catching" keeps dropping balls and running poor routes it's on them.

Cook and Britt have the talent...they need to refine their craft and make the catches when they're needed.

I am probably forgetting some games, but aside from the fumble vs AZ in 2013 and the drop vs Dallas last year, when has Cook messed up big time?

 

[dieterbrock]

My only hope is that the regular season version of the Rams looks nothing like the pre-season version

 

[dieterbrock]

My only hope is that the regular season version of the Rams looks nothing like the pre-season version

 

[Fatbot]

a pro bowl player this year regardless of whether he gets the votes

Awesome, love the way you phrased that.

an offensive coordinator back in the booth

I don't get where this confidence comes from during vanilla preseason. Granted the bar is low since most would probably consider a Kardashian a genius compared to Schotty, but really all Cigs has done so far is a lot more screens (a couple that Tavon made work). So, I'm thrilled that he's something different, but I'm still reserved on what exactly that difference will be yet in the real games.

I just hope we don't miss EJ Gaines too much because that might just be our Achilles heal

Yes, since Tru's great preseason game 1, the CB play has been disappointing. The defense turnovers are nice but who knows if those were just sloppy preseason opposition/luck versus what will carry forward into the real thing, and no takeaways from the CBs since game 1 (and we cut Claiborne the only other CB INT)... I saw a lot of the same old JJ soft 10 yard cushion and WRs open all over the field. Despite the evidence that it was the exact same last season, for some reason I am optimistic that was the preseason vanilla plan and JJ will be a pressing turnover machine starting next week, like he's capable.