The next four games and our future at QB

[Soul Surfer]

Stafford was NOT benched.
They were just trying to avoid injury because it was obvious we were not going to win.
We scored seven points all game and there's very little chance we're going to pull 21 out of our butt in that short period of time.

 

[gogoat1]

If we go 0-4 its still not enough reason to fire McVay. Still, the best coach in the NFL.
How stupid would it be to let him go even before he gets a chance with his personally picked young QB in Simpson. That would be the dumbest move ever. Simpson keeps McVay around for a long time, exactly what I want.
Live and die with McVay, he has more than proved himself.
Stafford was benched when there no chance to win. How dumb would it be to get him hurt for the season in that situation.......VERY. No Jimmy G.

 

[PhillyRam]

This is what happens when fans believe the headlines, then get disappointed in week 1. Dream team!!! Could go 17-0!!! Super Bowl baby!!!! Greatest D line since forever!!!!

What's changed? A loss in week 1? Garrett going on IR? Weren't we one of the Super Bowl favorites BEFORE we got Garrett? Now with a loss, and Garrett to IR, we're crappola. Prolly gonna be 1-4 to start the season!!! Bench Stafford, bring the kid in!!!!

Geesh!!! Talk about over reaction!!!

Agree, and we were favorites before Garrett & Donald. Then consider we lose at least once to SF every year, why all the doom and gloom from so many?

So since April, when they were already one of the SB favorites, they will have Garrett for probably at least 10 games, and Donald for at least 15 games.

I think we would all have taken 0-1, but with those two monster additions at least for this year. Fans can argue losing Verse and the loss of those picks and the impact of that down the road, but for this year their prospects are very good.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Holy mother of all over reactions!
We lose one game and somebody thinks we're going to fire McVay or bench the current MVP?
And just because somebody has a wild ass idea about cutting Simpson doesn't mean it's the consensus of the board or anybody is taking that
seriously.
We're going to bounce back big time against the Giants and everything will be fine from then on out.
There is a lot of talented and proud players on this team that are going to bust their ass to prove the naysayers wrong.
The reason I believe it had to do with jet lag was because I recently flew from Manila via Singapore to LA and then Atlanta to Asheville. That means I flew from Manila to Singapore and then flew back over Manila which made the trip about 6 hours longer than it had to be.
It took me two days between the time zone changes and the rotation of the Earth changes and the jet lag to where I felt half normal.
Stafford looked a little rough but he's no spring chicken but he'll be fine in his normal time zones.
Bet on it.

 

[Jacobarch]

Agreed. Manning had nothing. I recall watching one of their games and he put his whole body behind an out pass and the ball barely got there man. That thing was fuckin trailing dust.

So they won that title in spite of his limitations. Which was impressive.

Yes, I actually remember that exact same play.

He reminded me a lot of Phillip Rivers last year when he came back to play for Indy. Shows what total knowledge of the game can do even with a QB with bricks for feet and a BB gun for an arm.

 

[Coliseum Ram]

Holy mother of all over reactions!
We lose one game and somebody thinks we're going to fire McVay or bench the current MVP?
And just because somebody has a wild ass idea about cutting Simpson doesn't mean it's the consensus of the board or anybody is taking that
seriously.
We're going to bounce back big time against the Giants and everything will be fine from then on out.
There is a lot of talented and proud players on this team that are going to bust their ass to prove the naysayers wrong.
The reason I believe it had to do with jet lag was because I recently flew from Manila via Singapore to LA and then Atlanta to Asheville. That means I flew from Manila to Singapore and then flew back over Manila which made the trip about 6 hours longer than it had to be.
It took me two days between the time zone changes and the rotation of the Earth changes and the jet lag to where I felt half normal.
Stafford looked a little rough but he's no spring chicken but he'll be fine in his normal time zones.
Bet on it.

No one has an idea of cutting Simpson, one poster posted something without context. Of course that would be the most ridiculous thing anybody's ever heard. But some people like to post for effect I guess.

 

[Merlin]

Doubt the travel plan was the reason for the loss.

I think it was a factor for sure. That game felt like a perfect storm, with undoubtedly a lot of elements contributing.

But just not a fan of that approach is all. I don't think it's good for your organization to do that. Feels like some bullshite that Georgia would have pulled to save money.

And before someone swoops in about how Stan's a great owner nobody is doubting that. I think the decision was purely based on physiology analysis. And I think that analysis missed the boat.

 

[Merlin]

Yes, I actually remember that exact same play.

He reminded me a lot of Phillip Rivers last year when he came back to play for Indy. Shows what total knowledge of the game can do even with a QB with bricks for feet and a BB gun for an arm.

No doubt. Or Rodgers this season. He's still got some mobility to him, granted, and can still spin it, but he has that look where he's gonna break at some point.

 

[gogoat1]

I am not worried about Stafford one bit. The whole team, coaches looked like shit.
Must be something about flying a bazzillion times zones west.

 

[Jacobarch]

No doubt. Or Rodgers this season. He's still got some mobility to him, granted, and can still spin it, but he has that look where he's gonna break at some point.

Yup I remember when it happened to Marino

 

[UnknownREknown]

We lost one game to a team that owns us.. period.

Frustrating as it may be, get your hearts out your lap & put them where they belong.

 

[PhillyRam]

No doubt. Or Rodgers this season. He's still got some mobility to him, granted, and can still spin it, but he has that look where he's gonna break at some point.

I agree with what Cowherd has said in the past. Old QBs are cooked when you can tell they no longer want to get hit. Or should I say they play to avoid hits at all costs. They look at the rush too much instead of looking downfield. I don't see Stafford doing that yet. With his mentality, hopefully that's a ways away.

 

[Merlin]

I agree with what Cowherd has said in the past. Old QBs are cooked when you can tell they no longer want to get hit. Or should I say they play to avoid hits at all costs. They look at the rush too much instead of looking downfield. I don't see Stafford doing that yet. With his mentality, hopefully that's a ways away.

Exactly right. Which is why this stretch is so critical. We need him to be on target droppin dimes to move this offense. These games won't have any room for error.

 

[Twopointtry]

1. We shouldn't give up on the season even if we start 0-5. Just keep playing. Until you near the point where it is mathematically impossible to make the playoffs, you never know. Especially if we're expecting Garrett and AD to both be available late in the season. The roster is strong enough that we could still win the SB even if we're the last WC team.

2. Don't bench Stafford if the Rams still have a chance at the playoffs. I don't think it helps the team and it is disrespectful to him. Let's not turn this into an Eli Manning and Kurt Warner situation where the NYG benched Warner while they still technically were in playoff contention, then Manning was complete garbage as a rookie. Simpson's time will come, but we don't need to rush things.

3. I felt that part of the problem with our offense vs the Niners was Stafford wasn't patient in the 1st half. There were multiple plays where he could have thrown the ball short for easy completions, but he was too greedy and looked for deeper routes. One such play was the costly INT. Once the Niners had a big lead and pulled their coverage back, Stafford worked underneath more, but by then it was too late; we needed to do more of that early in the game when it was still close.

4. A key player was Deommodore Lenoir. PFF gave him a lousy grade vs the Rams, an example of why I don't take PFF very seriously. Lenoir did a great job being physical and jamming our TE and WRs. One such play was where Puka gets stopped at the GL, then we fail on the QB sneak the next play. This might be something to monitor during the season, because while the media was ready to crown us with our 3TE system, I think that one potential weakness we have is getting bullied coming off the line. Puka didn't look right to me. He didn't look as strong as normal. Terrance Ferguson isn't the strongest guy. If opponents have a physical and good slot DB, it makes it more challenging for us.

 

[dieterbrock]

But if you look at those games, you'll see Manning lost his arm mid season. Stafford didn't look like he lost his arm.

Exactly. That’s how quick things can change.
But if the Rams win the SB like the Broncos did, sign me up!

 

[fearsomefour]

I don't think this will happen outside of an injury for a few reasons....

The Rams have very recent history under McVay of having bad starts and managing to bounce back, get hot and make the playoffs. Stafford played a major roles in those seasons and the Rams would not have been able to do this with a different QB.

For the Rams to be truly out of it 1-6 or something, a lot of injuries and other things will have to have gone wrong. To throw Simpson in.....and no guarentee it would be Simpson initially....throwing Simpson into games with an injured and outmatched team could stunt his growth, not help it.

You play to win. Stafford possess and arm talent that neither Bennett or Simpson will ever possess and a depth of knowledge of the game that neither may ever attain. Unless you're a hack, you play to win no matter your record. I cant see McVay intentionally folding for any reason.

The owner.....if the plan was understood to have Simpson sit for at least one year and likely more than that and Im paying a pretty penny for Stafford, he's playing if he's healthy.

 

[snackdaddy]

If we have a season like 2022 I can see Stafford calling it quits. But its gonna be on his terms. If he feels he's got plenty left he will stick around. You don't force a guy like that out. You run with him until you can't. All you gotta do it make the playoffs. When you have a guy like him you have a chance.

 

[Merlin]

1. We shouldn't give up on the season even if we start 0-5. Just keep playing. Until you near the point where it is mathematically impossible to make the playoffs, you never know. Especially if we're expecting Garrett and AD to both be available late in the season. The roster is strong enough that we could still win the SB even if we're the last WC team.

2. Don't bench Stafford if the Rams still have a chance at the playoffs. I don't think it helps the team and it is disrespectful to him. Let's not turn this into an Eli Manning and Kurt Warner situation where the NYG benched Warner while they still technically were in playoff contention, then Manning was complete garbage as a rookie. Simpson's time will come, but we don't need to rush things.

3. I felt that part of the problem with our offense vs the Niners was Stafford wasn't patient in the 1st half. There were multiple plays where he could have thrown the ball short for easy completions, but he was too greedy and looked for deeper routes. One such play was the costly INT. Once the Niners had a big lead and pulled their coverage back, Stafford worked underneath more, but by then it was too late; we needed to do more of that early in the game when it was still close.

4. A key player was Deommodore Lenoir. PFF gave him a lousy grade vs the Rams, an example of why I don't take PFF very seriously. Lenoir did a great job being physical and jamming our TE and WRs. One such play was where Puka gets stopped at the GL, then we fail on the QB sneak the next play. This might be something to monitor during the season, because while the media was ready to crown us with our 3TE system, I think that one potential weakness we have is getting bullied coming off the line. Puka didn't look right to me. He didn't look as strong as normal. Terrance Ferguson isn't the strongest guy. If opponents have a physical and good slot DB, it makes it more challenging for us.

To your first point, nobody is giving up on the season. Rather this thread is about the fact that Stafford is facing a significant challenge in the near stretch of games, and if he plays like he did in the opener it might trigger a QB transition.

Also there was a lot more going on then Stafford not being patient. He was jittery from the start and missing layups. That's not a good look for an old QB. Doesn't mean he cannot turn it around and I hope he does.

It's also not about the Rams deciding to rush things to get Simpson in there. We all know the Rams are not stupid, so projecting McVay and how he thinks he is not going to make excuses for Stafford if he cannot lead us through these four games ahead. He will instead start thinking "why not play the kid." And he has shown, with Goff, that he'll make the hard calls when he needs to make them. Whether it will be necessary, who knows.

 

[Ramlock]

View: https://x.com/ramsbrothers/status/2099897092499972438?s=46


Noted and filed.

 

[Rmfnlt]

View: https://x.com/ramsbrothers/status/2099897092499972438?s=46


Noted and filed.

Frank Schwab​

Senior writer
Frank Schwab has been with Yahoo Sports since 2012. He is an alum of the University of Wisconsin and lives outside of Denver with his family.

Not clear what he did in college and he gives us his "hot takes" sitting in his living room in Denver? Yeah... right.

Yahoo is THE biggest joke on the internet. All they care about is trolling and getting clicks. As a wise man once said:
"It's important to understand that the press is primarily a click-maximizing machine, not a truth-maximizing machine. And really, it's somewhat of a Darwinian exercise. If you're not a click-maximizing machine, well, you don't get the clicks, and then you don't get the revenue, and then the company goes under.

So the entire incentive structure is maximized clicks, not maximized truth.

And so that's why you'll have sort of incendiary headlines that are like really way over the top. Because often the truth is boring and complicated, or it's certainly more like a sort of version of the truth that the media will put out will be more salacious, it'll be spicier than reality, because if they give you the full thing, it's too complicated and it's going to bore people.

And if they really give it too much balance, it really doesn't have enough controversy to get the click."