Spagnuolo must be on the hot seat

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Bernie Miklasz
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SEATTLE • The clock is ticking on Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, who lost another football game Monday night. The only thing that could save Spagnuolo is the sympathetic intervention of a globe-trotting owner. That would be Stan Kroenke, who has the only vote.

To the surprise of no one, the Rams were subdued and finally smothered 30-13 by the Seahawks in the wonderfully raucous setting of CenturyLink Field.

This was perhaps the worst ESPN programming since a miscast Brian Dennehy lumbered his way through a hideous impersonation of Bob Knight in an ESPN original movie.

In St. Louis, we've seen this loss many times before; they all look the same by now. [hil]The players seemed to care. Running back Steven Jackson ran wildly and effectively[/hil], once again giving his all for a lost cause.

[hil]The Rams defense played hard[/hil], putting up a fight until finally succumbing to fatigue and frustration. But the futile Rams offense failed to score enough points.

[hil]With quarterback Sam Bradford playing on a gimpy left ankle and unable to consistently step into his throws[/hil], it was a challenge for the Rams to reach the end zone.

[hil]Jackson, inexplicably ignored in the goal-line offense, had to basically yell and wave his arms at the sideline before offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels gave him the ball[/hil]. An understandably angry Jackson scored on a hard, slamming run with 4 minutes, 39 minutes remaining in the game.

[hil]Earlier, in another failed goal-line situation, the bizarre McDaniels called for Bradford to run a naked bootleg[/hil]. It was an instant disaster that ended with Bradford getting pummeled, slammed to the ground and flagged for intentional grounding.

Calling a bootleg for a quarterback who's gimping around on high ankle sprain? Put Bradford at risk instead of giving the rock to Jackson? This is really awful coaching, folks. [hil]It makes absolutely no sense[/hil]. Are these men trying to get fired?

[hil]Once upon a time we'd all berate Mike Martz and call him crazy for his strange play calls.[/hil] But at least Mad Mike got his offense into the end zone. The naked bootleg may have been the single worst play call of this NFL season.

Jackson's touchdown was the only TD of the night for the Rams, and their 12th from scrimmage in 13 games.

[hil]Since Spagnuolo became head coach in 2009 the Rams have scored 55 touchdowns[/hil] from scrimmage in 45 games.

[hil]The 1999 Rams scored 55 TDs from scrimmage in 16 games[/hil].

On offense the Rams have gone from The Greatest Show to the Great Depression.

[hil]And let me get this straight: The buzz is that the Kansas City Chiefs may consider McDaniels as candidate to become head coach?

Huh? The McDaniels offense is last in the NFL in points per game (11.7), touchdowns and converting third downs and has given up the most sacks. And that's just a partial list of failures.[/hil]

The Rams slouched to a 2-11 record on the season and have lost 14 of their last 17. The mean season is under way, with Jacksonville, Kansas City and Miami firing head coaches to get a jump on 2012 planning.

[hil]What will Kroenke do with his coach? I don't know[/hil]. He could blow up the entire football operation and fire everyone. Or he could fire GM Billy Devaney and keep Spagnuolo. Or he could build another Wal-Mart.

Take a look around the division. Every other team has made progress. San Francisco (10-3) is the surprise story of the season. Seattle (6-7) has won four of its last five games with a roster that includes only 12 players since Pete Carroll took over as head coach at the start of last season. Arizona (6-7) has gone 5-1 over the last six weeks, with all five victories coming with John Skelton at quarterback.

Seattle is winning with Tarvaris Jackson at QB. Arizona is winning with Skelton at QB. San Francisco is winning with QB Alex Smith, a guy who was essentially marked down as a draft bust.

The Rams continue to be an abject failure and an unconditional embarrassment. After Monday's loss Spagnuolo is 10-35. [hil]This franchise is 15-62 since the start of the 2007 season[/hil], a five-year winning percentage of .194. There's never been a poorer five-season stretch in modern NFL history.

And the Rams are losing - and getting worse - with Bradford at quarterback. The same Bradford who was NFL offensive rookie of the year in 2010 after the Rams chose him No. 1 overall.

Other than the chronic losing, [hil]the disturbing wasting of Bradford is the most serious indictment of the Spagnuolo coaching staff[/hil]. Given the $50 million invested in Bradford, Kroenke must be alarmed by the regression.

I'm still firmly on the Bradford bandwagon. He isn't the problem. He could play better, yes. But he's being hit early, often and late. He's been beaten down, rag-dolled and left to the mercy of a snarling defense. [hil]The offensive line doesn't protect him. The receivers can't get open for him. The coaches can't fix him. But Bradford isn't broken[/hil].

Bradford is still willing, which is why we saw him out there Monday night, putting his physical and mental health on the line. There's no place for fear in this league. Quarterbacks can't hide or beg off. [hil]If there's even a hint of softness, their reputation dies.[/hil]

For those who wanted Bradford to lean back, ice his left ankle and call it a season - [hil]well, forget that[/hil]. That's the opposite of what Bradford stands for. That would go against what the position represents. Quarterbacks don't drop their shields and run for cover behind the trees.

Bradford was ineffective Monday, completing 12 of 29 passes for 193 yards and an interception. But he hung tough, absorbed three more sacks and tried to pull something positive of this big, smoldering pile of a wrecked Rams season.

As the Rams move forward, [hil]the No. 1 priority should be to maximize Bradford's talent and get him back on track.[/hil] Everything else is secondary.

If Kroenke wants to bring back a head coach who is 10-35 with more losses on the way, we wish him the best in trying to sell season tickets for 2012.

St. Louis sports fans would rather eat dinner at Pujols 5 restaurant than sit through another Rams season like this.

***********************************************************************************

Like I said...... circumstances are going to cost Spagnuolo his job. But this one (hiring McDaniels) was his own doing. I wish he entered into his HC career under better circumstances, because I still think Spagnuolo has what it takes to get 53 men playing together and effectively. But not under these circumstances. Not with this team. And not with these assistants.

And this is the only Spagnuolo is on the hot seat article I'm posting. Everything else will be a rehashing of the same thing.

 

[brokeu91]

Yes, Spags is probably on the hot seat. I'm not sure he deserves to be, but he must be now. Yes, it was a disappointing game, but I'm not sure that changing coaches (including OC every year) is the best way to turning around the franchise.

 

[Warner4Prez]

The McD hiring was really bizarre and kind of flew in the face of everything Steve stands for. In hindsight, bringing in a OC who'd run a similar West Coast offense would have probably been the way to go. It certainly wouldn't have had the buzz that McD brought with him, but it would have brought some continuity and given a better sense as to where the offense stood as a whole today.

 

[Stranger]

I wish it was Bernie who was on the hot seat. I can't stand reading or listening to him, and all he does is try to run coaches out of town. I so clearly remember the tirades against Martz. It's deja vu all over again.

 

[-X-]

I wish it was Bernie who was on the hot seat. I can't stand reading or listening to him, and all he does is try to run coaches out of town. I so clearly remember the tirades against Martz. It's deja vu all over again.

Yeah, and before that it was Vermeil. Not sure if it was Bernie or Gordon, but one of them said "the experiment is over", and insisted the Rams bring in a young, fresh, head coach who's more in touch with players. In other words, Vermeil was too old and couldn't relate anymore with "today's NFL."

Is Spagnuolo on the hot seat though? Of course he is. He's probably been on that seat since week 5. The only reason I posted his article is because of all the inconsistencies and lip service found throughout it. Ultimately the Rams are 2-10, so the easiest thing to do is scrap everything and start over. Like the Rams have been doing for the past 30 years.

 

[Faceplant]

I hate the thought of starting over, but I cannot think of one thing that Spags does well other than coach up defense. Not one thing. That's fine for a DC, not so much when you have HC responsibilities.....

 

[JdashSTL]

The McD hiring was really bizarre and kind of flew in the face of everything Steve stands for. In hindsight, bringing in a OC who'd run a similar West Coast offense would have probably been the way to go. It certainly wouldn't have had the buzz that McD brought with him, but it would have brought some continuity and given a better sense as to where the offense stood as a whole today.

Agreed, and I liked the hiring. Maybe McD will just turn out to be another one of those coaches from the Belichick tree that fails to make it on his own.

 

[Angry Ram]

I wish it was Bernie who was on the hot seat. I can't stand reading or listening to him, and all he does is try to run coaches out of town. I so clearly remember the tirades against Martz. It's deja vu all over again.

Yeah, and before that it was Vermeil. Not sure if it was Bernie or Gordon, but one of them said "the experiment is over", and insisted the Rams bring in a young, fresh, head coach who's more in touch with players. In other words, Vermeil was too old and couldn't relate anymore with "today's NFL."

Is Spagnuolo on the hot seat though? Of course he is. He's probably been on that seat since week 5. The only reason I posted his article is because of all the inconsistencies and lip service found throughout it. Ultimately the Rams are 2-10, so the easiest thing to do is scrap everything and start over. Like the Rams have been doing for the past 30 years.

It was Gordon. I remember that article vividly. He pretty much said Bruce was injury prone.

All these "beat writers" just want a reaction. That's all they do. Screw that.

 

[Ram Quixote]

I wish it was Bernie who was on the hot seat. I can't stand reading or listening to him, and all he does is try to run coaches out of town. I so clearly remember the tirades against Martz. It's deja vu all over again.

Yeah, and before that it was Vermeil. Not sure if it was Bernie or Gordon, but one of them said "the experiment is over", and insisted the Rams bring in a young, fresh, head coach who's more in touch with players. In other words, Vermeil was too old and couldn't relate anymore with "today's NFL."

Is Spagnuolo on the hot seat though? Of course he is. He's probably been on that seat since week 5. The only reason I posted his article is because of all the inconsistencies and lip service found throughout it. Ultimately the Rams are 2-10, so the easiest thing to do is scrap everything and start over. Like the Rams have been doing for the past 30 years.

It was Gordon. I remember that article vividly. He pretty much said Bruce was injury prone.

All these "beat writers" just want a reaction. That's all they do. Screw that.

Worse than that. They want to be right and make their lives throwing fuel on the fire.

 

[Stranger]

Is Spagnuolo on the hot seat though? Of course he is. He's probably been on that seat since week 5. The only reason I posted his article is because of all the inconsistencies and lip service found throughout it. Ultimately the Rams are 2-10, so the easiest thing to do is scrap everything and start over. Like the Rams have been doing for the past 30 years.

Thank freaking god we have an owner with a brain... someone who is going to do his due diligence and make a sound decision. Freak the stupid sports writers... I'm tired of all their noise.

 

[brokeu91]

I wish it was Bernie who was on the hot seat. I can't stand reading or listening to him, and all he does is try to run coaches out of town. I so clearly remember the tirades against Martz. It's deja vu all over again.

Yeah, and before that it was Vermeil. Not sure if it was Bernie or Gordon, but one of them said "the experiment is over", and insisted the Rams bring in a young, fresh, head coach who's more in touch with players. In other words, Vermeil was too old and couldn't relate anymore with "today's NFL."

Is Spagnuolo on the hot seat though? Of course he is. He's probably been on that seat since week 5. The only reason I posted his article is because of all the inconsistencies and lip service found throughout it. Ultimately the Rams are 2-10, so the easiest thing to do is scrap everything and start over. Like the Rams have been doing for the past 30 years.

It was Gordon. I remember that article vividly. He pretty much said Bruce was injury prone.

All these "beat writers" just want a reaction. That's all they do. Screw that.

Yeah, it was Jeff Gordon. I remember it vividly. I think he said something like the coaching staff Vermiel hired was way past it's prime and will never be successful.

I gotta admit at the time that it was written (at the end of 1998 season), the future did seem bleak. Our offense was terrible. Our defense was fairly good, but getting gassed at the end. Bruce kept getting hurt. L. Phillips was a disaster. Pace wasn't playing that well. Tony effin Banks was our QB. And our best LB at the time (Phifer) was about to leave via FA. How little did we know that our 3rd string QB was a superstar in the making, Bruce would put his injuries behind him, our Oline would gel, we'd draft a future superstar at WR, our UDFA MLB, Fletcher, was a bowling ball that was about to unleash havoc, Martz would design an offense that confused just about every defensive coordinator, and the Colts were willing to trade Marshall Faulk for a 2nd and 4th round pick.

Do you remember how great 1999 was? Jesus that was an awesome year. And I turned 21 that year!

 

[Angry Ram]

I wish it was Bernie who was on the hot seat. I can't stand reading or listening to him, and all he does is try to run coaches out of town. I so clearly remember the tirades against Martz. It's deja vu all over again.

Yeah, and before that it was Vermeil. Not sure if it was Bernie or Gordon, but one of them said "the experiment is over", and insisted the Rams bring in a young, fresh, head coach who's more in touch with players. In other words, Vermeil was too old and couldn't relate anymore with "today's NFL."

Is Spagnuolo on the hot seat though? Of course he is. He's probably been on that seat since week 5. The only reason I posted his article is because of all the inconsistencies and lip service found throughout it. Ultimately the Rams are 2-10, so the easiest thing to do is scrap everything and start over. Like the Rams have been doing for the past 30 years.

It was Gordon. I remember that article vividly. He pretty much said Bruce was injury prone.

All these "beat writers" just want a reaction. That's all they do. Screw that.

Yeah, it was Jeff Gordon. I remember it vividly. I think he said something like the coaching staff Vermiel hired was way past it's prime and will never be successful.

I gotta admit at the time that it was written (at the end of 1998 season), the future did seem bleak. Our offense was terrible. Our defense was fairly good, but getting gassed at the end. Bruce kept getting hurt. L. Phillips was a disaster. Pace wasn't playing that well. Tony effin Banks was our QB. And our best LB at the time (Phifer) was about to leave via FA. How little did we know that our 3rd string QB was a superstar in the making, Bruce would put his injuries behind him, our Oline would gel, we'd draft a future superstar at WR, our UDFA MLB, Fletcher, was a bowling ball that was about to unleash havoc, Martz would design an offense that confused just about every defensive coordinator, and the Colts were willing to trade Marshall Faulk for a 2nd and 4th round pick.

Do you remember how great 1999 was? Jesus that was an awesome year. And I turned 21 that year!

I was like, 10 years old then. I didn't even watch football until that Super Bowl. Then Mike Jones made that tackle and been hooked ever since. But that description you used for the 1998 season sounds awfully familiar...

 

[superfan24]

I play all those awesome plays from the SB in my head all the time.
The NFC championship game was about as nerve racking and the regular season was just amazing.
We'll be back!!!!!!