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- May 25, 2013
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Here is what will make this season the beginning of something special like 1999. Not the same...but similar. There may not be the instant gratification of "The Tackle", but it will reflect the extended excitement of the GSOT and beyond.
Initially and foremost, McVay is a combination of the passion of DV (without the tears and experience), the intellect and creativity of Martz, and his own unique exposure to several family and professional relationships that form his football identity combined with the youthful energy we get to have at 31 and I know wanes now that I'm 52. He lives, studies, and breathes football while paying attention to the other factors that affect a team socially, psychologically, media wise, financially, and in terms of how people learn things. That's a TON to process and filter. This is the kind of genius I've seen in leaders named Lombardi, Wooden, Krzyzewski, LaRussa, Walsh, Churchill, and Phil Jackson. For all the obvious differences, the similarities should be obvious though he's at a relatively early stage in his development.
The next step to greatness is the support of his teaching staff. Wade Phillips is the obvious choice asset at DC but Kromer may be even more important as he produced the top rushing offense with the Bills WITHOUT a credible passing game...Woods and Watkins notwithstanding. By adding Olsen and LeFluer, he exceeds Martz by trusting experienced, intelligent input. Hell, he even retained Bones though he was the interim and listens intently to him during live action. McVay's emotional intelligence to humble himself in the heat of battle is unprecedented in my athletic observations.
In '99, the Rams were coming off 4 wins and were written off by ALL media, including the local sportswriters. It wasn't until the Rams beat the 9'ers that the media jumped on the bandwagon. Unless the '17 Rams beat the Cowboys AND Seahawks the next two weeks, the media will fail to recognize what's happening. My point is that long term success is inevitable EVEN IF they lose both games...though I believe they won't. But now it's time to evaluate the players.
The primary target of media pundits concerning the Rams begins with Jared Goff. Today the feeling is that he's Alex Smith incarnate. Given great weapons, he can succeed. Given a sh*t show OL and WR's and he's less than ordinary. McVay turned the ordinary Cousins into someone you need to franchise tag in order to keep. That's what MOST people can hope he will do with Goff. Allow me to segue to say I preferred Wentz and always will, but McVay can make Jared into the next Bartkowski/Gabriel/Ryan/Testaverde. Others may consider that statement a slam but I hold each of those QB's in high regard. Allow me to take it a step further, if Goff stayed with Fisher...he would have a career similar to Manning...not Peyton nor Eli...I mean Archie. We beat the hell out of the AIN'TS for years, but it wasn't Archie's fault.
Now we move on to the rest of the offense. When you get crushed .0034 seconds after you get a handoff several times a game, even if your name is Todd Gurley, Walter Payton, or Sam Bam Cunningham, you're screwed. Get a scheme, blocking, and a legit passing game...and suddenly you will remember how to be a running back. Replace an athletically gifted but intellectually and emotionally fragile LT with a stalwart in the mold of Slater and Pace, and I suppose a QB can stop looking over his left shoulder to anticipate the next disaster. Get a center that doesn't get walked or run back to the QB/RB every other play and I guess things will improve. Take away a Britt and Quick and replace them with a Watkins and Woods, and I suppose there might be a difference. When you learn that Kupp and Everett will both develop into Pro Bowl caliber players...how could anyone doubt future explosive success?
Of course it's now time to address the defense that is in MAJOR TRANSITION. Everyone's favorite Ram: AARON DONALD, is playing for a contract elsewhere. If an agreement was possible, we'd have it by now. The question going forward is if he can deliver a SB win this last year in LA. We hope so. But as he dominates, his trade value will remake this unit. Tru is priced out like AD. Ogletree is a miscast WIL in a 4/3 and he hasn't played there in two years. Amazingly, in spite of past production and current perception, almost everyone else is subject to replacement other than, IMO, Brockers and Joyner. The 2000 Ram defense was blamed on the coordinator, and rightfully so. This year, Phillips will Band-Aid this unit much like Marinelli did last year in Dallas. My fingers are crossed. But mark my words...next year the D will see major overhaul and Wade Phillips is the perfect guy to identify who comes and goes. They resigned Westbrooks (I wouldn't) and I suspect Longacre will survive. While I root for the rest, I do so suspecting that Wade and Snead are scouting defensive players in college and the rest of the NFL.
I may be an outlier, but save this post like someone did in '15 on GROB and tell me I'm wrong...
Initially and foremost, McVay is a combination of the passion of DV (without the tears and experience), the intellect and creativity of Martz, and his own unique exposure to several family and professional relationships that form his football identity combined with the youthful energy we get to have at 31 and I know wanes now that I'm 52. He lives, studies, and breathes football while paying attention to the other factors that affect a team socially, psychologically, media wise, financially, and in terms of how people learn things. That's a TON to process and filter. This is the kind of genius I've seen in leaders named Lombardi, Wooden, Krzyzewski, LaRussa, Walsh, Churchill, and Phil Jackson. For all the obvious differences, the similarities should be obvious though he's at a relatively early stage in his development.
The next step to greatness is the support of his teaching staff. Wade Phillips is the obvious choice asset at DC but Kromer may be even more important as he produced the top rushing offense with the Bills WITHOUT a credible passing game...Woods and Watkins notwithstanding. By adding Olsen and LeFluer, he exceeds Martz by trusting experienced, intelligent input. Hell, he even retained Bones though he was the interim and listens intently to him during live action. McVay's emotional intelligence to humble himself in the heat of battle is unprecedented in my athletic observations.
In '99, the Rams were coming off 4 wins and were written off by ALL media, including the local sportswriters. It wasn't until the Rams beat the 9'ers that the media jumped on the bandwagon. Unless the '17 Rams beat the Cowboys AND Seahawks the next two weeks, the media will fail to recognize what's happening. My point is that long term success is inevitable EVEN IF they lose both games...though I believe they won't. But now it's time to evaluate the players.
The primary target of media pundits concerning the Rams begins with Jared Goff. Today the feeling is that he's Alex Smith incarnate. Given great weapons, he can succeed. Given a sh*t show OL and WR's and he's less than ordinary. McVay turned the ordinary Cousins into someone you need to franchise tag in order to keep. That's what MOST people can hope he will do with Goff. Allow me to segue to say I preferred Wentz and always will, but McVay can make Jared into the next Bartkowski/Gabriel/Ryan/Testaverde. Others may consider that statement a slam but I hold each of those QB's in high regard. Allow me to take it a step further, if Goff stayed with Fisher...he would have a career similar to Manning...not Peyton nor Eli...I mean Archie. We beat the hell out of the AIN'TS for years, but it wasn't Archie's fault.
Now we move on to the rest of the offense. When you get crushed .0034 seconds after you get a handoff several times a game, even if your name is Todd Gurley, Walter Payton, or Sam Bam Cunningham, you're screwed. Get a scheme, blocking, and a legit passing game...and suddenly you will remember how to be a running back. Replace an athletically gifted but intellectually and emotionally fragile LT with a stalwart in the mold of Slater and Pace, and I suppose a QB can stop looking over his left shoulder to anticipate the next disaster. Get a center that doesn't get walked or run back to the QB/RB every other play and I guess things will improve. Take away a Britt and Quick and replace them with a Watkins and Woods, and I suppose there might be a difference. When you learn that Kupp and Everett will both develop into Pro Bowl caliber players...how could anyone doubt future explosive success?
Of course it's now time to address the defense that is in MAJOR TRANSITION. Everyone's favorite Ram: AARON DONALD, is playing for a contract elsewhere. If an agreement was possible, we'd have it by now. The question going forward is if he can deliver a SB win this last year in LA. We hope so. But as he dominates, his trade value will remake this unit. Tru is priced out like AD. Ogletree is a miscast WIL in a 4/3 and he hasn't played there in two years. Amazingly, in spite of past production and current perception, almost everyone else is subject to replacement other than, IMO, Brockers and Joyner. The 2000 Ram defense was blamed on the coordinator, and rightfully so. This year, Phillips will Band-Aid this unit much like Marinelli did last year in Dallas. My fingers are crossed. But mark my words...next year the D will see major overhaul and Wade Phillips is the perfect guy to identify who comes and goes. They resigned Westbrooks (I wouldn't) and I suspect Longacre will survive. While I root for the rest, I do so suspecting that Wade and Snead are scouting defensive players in college and the rest of the NFL.
I may be an outlier, but save this post like someone did in '15 on GROB and tell me I'm wrong...
