The way I see it...

[kurtfaulk]

I don't see where the Rams can claim to have a better roster than last years early season squad that managed to go 3 & 3.

this was last year's team

this will be this year's team

.

 

[PhillyRam]

McVay has proven he can get the most out of the talent he has.

Perhaps best illustrated by adding a few quality veterans to Fisher's disappointing team in his first year and winning the division while leading the league in offensive ouput.

However, last year reminded us that when the talent level is clearly inferior there are no "magic carpet rides" available in this league despite gifted coaching.

I don't see where the Rams can claim to have a better roster than last years early season squad that managed to go 3 & 3.

But, the only one who's opinion matters is Coach McVay and if he is happy with it, so am I.

Well, they started losing OL in camp and I believe Allen first went down in week 1. They kept losing them each week after. I mean Neshke and Sura or Aboushi were signed in late Sept already. So it happened quick. By week 8 or 9 they lost 7 OL. That alone degrades a team significantly.

So good health and continuity on the OL can make them a much better team even without Ramsey, Floyd, Gaines, etc. It's just an offensive league and last yr their offense was throttled even before Stafford was hurt and he only started 9 games.

The offense and a faster young defense can keep them competitive. Even if the D gives up big plays, I think they will make some as well.

It might be a year full of 31-28 games. In fact losing Gay might be the most consequential loss if the new kicker is sub par.

 

[Merlin]

Kind of fun to be an underdog again for a change.

Precisely. Feel the same way. Might get ugly but this is gonna be an adventure.

Camp's gonna be fun as hell. Preseason will actually matter for a ton of these guys. I can't wait.

 

[sjm1582002]

Well, they started losing OL in camp and I believe Allen first went down in week 1. They kept losing them each week after. I mean Neshke and Sura or Aboushi were signed in late Sept already. So it happened quick. By week 8 or 9 they lost 7 OL. That alone degrades a team significantly.

So good health and continuity on the OL can make them a much better team even without Ramsey, Floyd, Gaines, etc. It's just an offensive league and last yr their offense was throttled even before Stafford was hurt and he only started 9 games.

The offense and a faster young defense can keep them competitive. Even if the D gives up big plays, I think they will make some as well.

It might be a year full of 31-28 games. In fact losing Gay might be the most consequential loss if the new kicker is sub par.

10 points scored in the 1st game last season against an eventual playoff team
9 points scored in the 4th game against an eventual playoff team
10 points scored in the 5th game against an eventual playoff team

We go into this season with the same savvy and fearless QB and one of the best in the league. No improvement was needed nor likely even possible at that position.

The same RB crew (minus Henderson) returns and was an average group, at best, last year and saw no significant offseason upgrade in personnel.

The same WR group (minus AlRob] behind the all pro Kupp, was an average group, at best, last year and saw no significant offseason upgrade in personnel.

The OL may field a 1st year unproven rookie at one guard spot and essentially a second year unproven rookie at the other. Our badly injured and still recovering #1 LT, Noteboom, has often proved more than adequate but has been occasionally overwhelmed by superior talent. Allen is Allen. Solid when available with an emphasis on "when". Hav is Hav. Solid and durable. The one "known" on this hypothetical OL.

No idea who (veteran rookie??) the place kicker or punter will be

Way too many "if this and if that's" for me to have much confidence the "best case" 2023 Ram's offensive will be regularly lighting up quality defenses.

McVay likely has an entirely different outlook.

I sure hope so.

We'll see soon enough as those first few games in '23 are no "walks in the park on sunny Sunday afternoons".

 

[PhillyRam]

10 points scored in the 1st game last season against an eventual playoff team
9 points scored in the 4th game against an eventual playoff team
10 points scored in the 5th game against an eventual playoff team

We go into this season with the same savvy and fearless QB and one of the best in the league. No improvement was needed nor likely even possible at that position.

The same RB crew (minus Henderson) returns and was an average group, at best, last year and saw no significant offseason upgrade in personnel.

The same WR group (minus AlRob] behind the all pro Kupp, was an average group, at best, last year and saw no significant offseason upgrade in personnel.

The OL may field a 1st year unproven rookie at one guard spot and essentially a second year unproven rookie at the other. Our badly injured and still recovering #1 LT, Noteboom, has often proved more than adequate but has been occasionally overwhelmed by superior talent. Allen is Allen. Solid when available with an emphasis on "when". Hav is Hav. Solid and durable. The one "known" on this hypothetical OL.

No idea who (veteran rookie??) the place kicker or punter will be

Way too many "if this and if that's" for me to have much confidence the "best case" 2023 Ram's offensive will be regularly lighting up quality defenses.

McVay likely has an entirely different outlook.

I sure hope so.

We'll see soon enough as those first few games in '23 are no "walks in the park on sunny Sunday afternoons".

Again, continuity alone on the OL will be big. They were 3-2 and already suffered a number of injuries by that point.

Those injuries mattered and last yr the OL was a question mark as it was starting the season, losing 2 starters in the offseason.

It will come down to a better OL...maybe that won't be the case, but that is a case for saying why they could be better.

 

[sjm1582002]

Again, continuity alone on the OL will be big. They were 3-2 and already suffered a number of injuries by that point.

Those injuries mattered and last yr the OL was a question mark as it was starting the season, losing 2 starters in the offseason.

It will come down to a better OL...maybe that won't be the case, but that is a case for saying why they could be better.

2 - 3 after five games and yes Allen missed games 4 and 5 (what a surprise), Edwards game 4, and Shelton game 5.

Here are some of the reasons I believe we went out and got a much needed new OL coach.

7 sacks allowed and 52 yards rushing gained in game one (loss)
7 sacks allowed and 54 yards rushing gained in game four (loss)
5 sacks allowed and 38 yards rushing gained in game five (loss)

Mr Stafford and Mr Kupp need the OL to step the fuck up and regularly stymie quality defensive opponents.

Hopefully, the new OL coach along with the addition of this and last years top draft picks will produce better results.

 

[Merlin]

10 points scored in the 1st game last season against an eventual playoff team
9 points scored in the 4th game against an eventual playoff team
10 points scored in the 5th game against an eventual playoff team

We go into this season with the same savvy and fearless QB and one of the best in the league. No improvement was needed nor likely even possible at that position.

The same RB crew (minus Henderson) returns and was an average group, at best, last year and saw no significant offseason upgrade in personnel.

The same WR group (minus AlRob] behind the all pro Kupp, was an average group, at best, last year and saw no significant offseason upgrade in personnel.

The OL may field a 1st year unproven rookie at one guard spot and essentially a second year unproven rookie at the other. Our badly injured and still recovering #1 LT, Noteboom, has often proved more than adequate but has been occasionally overwhelmed by superior talent. Allen is Allen. Solid when available with an emphasis on "when". Hav is Hav. Solid and durable. The one "known" on this hypothetical OL.

No idea who (veteran rookie??) the place kicker or punter will be

Way too many "if this and if that's" for me to have much confidence the "best case" 2023 Ram's offensive will be regularly lighting up quality defenses.

McVay likely has an entirely different outlook.

I sure hope so.

We'll see soon enough as those first few games in '23 are no "walks in the park on sunny Sunday afternoons".

Can't argue with a word of that. But this team sort of feels like 2017 to me. Lot to prove across the board but we have McVay running this show and for all the critique we give him the dude wins.

The problems on defense resulted in this offseason, too. They were shit and they knew it so gut that side and build young. It was a shrewd move man. These guys are gonna be hungry this year not entitled and living on past glory.

So my mind tells me we're gonna lose a lot of games but my heart is hoping it goes like 2017, where a team played over their heads and got some playoff seasoning.

 

[Judge Doom]

Can't argue with a word of that. But this team sort of feels like 2017 to me. Lot to prove across the board but we have McVay running this show and for all the critique we give him the dude wins.

The problems on defense resulted in this offseason, too. They were shit and they knew it so gut that side and build young. It was a shrewd move man. These guys are gonna be hungry this year not entitled and living on past glory.

So my mind tells me we're gonna lose a lot of games but my heart is hoping it goes like 2017, where a team played over their heads and got some playoff seasoning.

I think this team will be better than a lot analysts are thinking we will. I don't think we will make the playoffs mind, but I do think we will take some scalps this season if you will. We are clearly at the start of some kind of a rebuild, so I intend to not lose my mind...too much this season and be patient.

 

[sjm1582002]

Can't argue with a word of that. But this team sort of feels like 2017 to me. Lot to prove across the board but we have McVay running this show and for all the critique we give him the dude wins.

The problems on defense resulted in this offseason, too. They were shit and they knew it so gut that side and build young. It was a shrewd move man. These guys are gonna be hungry this year not entitled and living on past glory.

So my mind tells me we're gonna lose a lot of games but my heart is hoping it goes like 2017, where a team played over their heads and got some playoff seasoning.

I would also have liked to have seen a change at Def Coor as I think Morris' defenses were largely unimaginative and entirely too predictable last year.

You can get away with that if you have superior talents like Mr A Donald, Mr V Miller, and Mr J Ramsey sprinked throughout the roster.

McVay must have approved of this "strategy" as Morris (unlike some other coaches) is still employed by the Rams.

I cannot even begin to speculate how the 2023 defense is going to fare and that's not real comforting.

But, it has been a tremendous ride these years with McVay steering the "high performance vehicle" that was the Rams football team. If it's in the shop now for an extended period of time while major repairs are underway, so be it.

 

[PhillyRam]

2 - 3 after five games and yes Allen missed games 4 and 5 (what a surprise), Edwards game 4, and Shelton game 5.

Here are some of the reasons I believe we went out and got a much needed new OL coach.

7 sacks allowed and 52 yards rushing gained in game one (loss)
7 sacks allowed and 54 yards rushing gained in game four (loss)
5 sacks allowed and 38 yards rushing gained in game five (loss)

Mr Stafford and Mr Kupp need the OL to step the fuck up and regularly stymie quality defensive opponents.

Hopefully, the new OL coach along with the addition of this and last years top draft picks will produce better results.

The injuries were brutal...from Pro Football reference.

The boxes with libes through them means they didn't play. IR means injured reserve, although they show Noteboom on IR week obe, but he played. Maybe that refers to him being on an IR before the game or during the game.

 

[Merlin]

I would also have liked to have seen a change at Def Coor as I think Morris' defenses were largely unimaginative and entirely too predictable last year.

I think Morris is very average schematically as a DC, for the record. But he won us a Super Bowl then he had a down season last year so he deserved another season.

We saw the moves so it's not like he sat on his hands. Coaching streamlined per room with strong staff alignment. Moving on from the high paid guys who weren't living up to it. Quality is low but effort will be high so I think what we need to see from Raheem this season is somewhere in that middle third in scoring. If they're well into bottom third he won't get the gig and might end up on another staff thereafter. If they're in the upper half of that middle third then he probably gets another shot at HC. So best for all involved is his unit outperforming expectations.

 

[Tano]

this was last year's team

this will be this year's team

.

I think you meant this picture (especially on defense)

 

[majrleaged]

Well, they started losing OL in camp and I believe Allen first went down in week 1. They kept losing them each week after. I mean Neshke and Sura or Aboushi were signed in late Sept already. So it happened quick. By week 8 or 9 they lost 7 OL. That alone degrades a team significantly.

So good health and continuity on the OL can make them a much better team even without Ramsey, Floyd, Gaines, etc. It's just an offensive league and last yr their offense was throttled even before Stafford was hurt and he only started 9 games.

The offense and a faster young defense can keep them competitive. Even if the D gives up big plays, I think they will make some as well.

It might be a year full of 31-28 games. In fact losing Gay might be the most consequential loss if the new kicker is sub par.

And as Kurtfalk so eloquently put it, a big change in attitude.