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December 20, 2015 at 1:54 pm #35851
znModeratorRams Offense Perking Up With Boras, Keenum
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/12/18/rams-offense-perking-boras-keenum/
The Rams are 2-0 since head coach Jeff Fisher sacked offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and elevated Rob Boras to the OC position. And while no one is suggesting that Boras has turned the Rams’ offense into a 1999 “Greatest Show” revival, the unit has improved.
Boras is making a positive difference. And he’s made that impact despite having little time to make a comprehensive changes.
“It was a difficult decision two weeks ago, 10 days ago,” Fisher said after Thursday’s 31-23 win over visiting Tampa Bay.
“It was a tough week on (Boras). But he had the success last week against Detroit and so it was much easier this week, even though it was short. It was a tough 10 days for him, handing the keys to Rob and then having two games in 10 days. He settled down and we had a good couple of days of practice and I thought he did a really good job calling plays.”
— Since the start of the second half of last week’s win over Detroit the Rams have scored six offensive touchdowns: two against the Lions, and four against Tampa Bay.
— That’s six offensive TDs in the last six quarters. We haven’t seen much of that this season. Before that, the Rams had scored eight offensive touchdowns in their previous 23 quarters (which includes one OT.) So that’s significant progress for an offense that’s been parked at 31st among 32 NFL teams in most points scored on offense.
— Over the last two games the Rams have averaged 22.5 points on offense. In their first 12 games they averaged 14.4 points on offense.
— The Rams have averaged 318 net yards from scrimmage in Boras’ two games as the play caller; they’d averaged only 275 net yards during the five-game losing streak that led to Cignetti’s firing.
— And while the Rams still struggle on third down, their conversion rate under Boras (28.5%) is still an uptick; before Boras took over the the offense had converted 21 percent on third down over an eight-game stretch.
— Before Boras was elevated the Rams had cashed in their red-zone opportunities for touchdowns at a rate of 48 percent. In the new OC’s two games, the Rams have scored four touchdowns in five RZ cracks; that’s 80 percent.
— Boras is making sure that the right playmakers are getting the ball. Running back Todd Gurley (3) and receiver-runner Tavon Austin (2) have scored five touchdowns from scrimmage in the last two games.
— The most profound impact has occurred in the Rams’ passing game. Boras and quarterback Case Keenum have obviously perked up a sleepy passing attack that was easily the league’s worst.
“I made the change for that reason, because I anticipated that,” Fisher said after Thursday’s win. “They worked well together, (QB Coach) Chris Weinke had a lot to do with this, too. Chris is doing a good job with Case and Case is enthusiastic in the way he practices and prepares. He’s relaxed and he was making throws on time today.”
With Boras putting together the game plan and calling the plays, will give you two sets of numbers.
On the left side will be the passing stats during the Rams’ five-game losing streak that preceded the coaching shakeup. On the right side will be the passing numbers with Keenum in Boras’ two games.
Completion Rate: 53 percent … to 72 percent.
Yards Per Passing Attempt: 4.9 … to 9.18.
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 1 TD and 5 pickoffs … to 2 TDs and no interceptions.
Passer Rating: 57.5 …. to 106.6.
Pct. of throws that produced a 1st down: 21 percent … to 43.6 percent.
In his last six quarters of work — after a quiet first half against Detroit — Keenum has completed 20 of 24 passes (83.3 percent) for 305 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That includes a whopping average of 12.7 yards per passing attempt and a passer rating of 146.2.
Boras has Keenum using quicker setups to throw, and the football ball is coming out of Keenum’s hand a lot faster than it did when the struggling Nick Foles took too long to get the pass away.
Asked about Boras’ impact, Keenum said: “It’s been great. He’s very, very detailed and does a great job presenting whatever new play or whatever new concept that we have, so it’s been great. He does a great job.”
Boras and the Rams offense will face a much tougher test the next time out, playing at Seattle a week from Sunday.
But so far, so good. Boras — and Keenum — have enlivened the Rams offense
It makes me wonder what may have happened had Fisher made the switch to Boras earlier in the season.
December 20, 2015 at 2:00 pm #35852znModeratorBoras brings spark to Rams offense
Jim Thomas
Turns out Jeff Fisher wasn’t joking last week when he said Rob Boras vomited before his first game as the Rams’ offensive coordinator.
Boras said he threw up “a number of times” before the Rams’ 21-14 victory last Sunday over Detroit — his first game after replacing Frank Cignetti as coordinator.
“Yes, I excused myself one time in the press box,” Boras confessed. “We all have a lot of pride in what you want to do. Nobody wants to be embarrassed. You want to do what’s right for everybody. You get nervous.”
How nervous?
“Other than maybe the birth of our first child, that might have been the most nervous I’ve ever been,” Boras said.
Boras isn’t the first coach, Rams or otherwise, to get a little, uh, queasy before a ballgame. Rich “Big Daddy” Brooks, the first head coach for the Rams in St. Louis, was known to have an unsettled stomach on game day. Same for Dick Vermeil.
Fisher jokingly offered Boras a bucket after the Detroit game. But also gave him a game ball for his role in ending the team’s five-game losing streak.
“I like living in anonymity,” Boras said. “You guys have been around — I try to get keep my head down. … To me, that was for all of us. The whole offensive staff was unbelievable. Obviously, personally there’s a lot of pride with that, but that’s just a compliment to everybody and how everybody stepped up.”
Five days later came another game, and by all accounts, things went a lot smoother for Boras on Thursday night against Tampa Bay, a 31-23 Rams’ victory.
“He was much better. Much better,” Fisher said, smiling. “He’s still agonizing over the first-and-goal at the 2; second-and-goal on the 2; third-and-goal on the 2. That we didn’t get it in. But I told him that’s football sometimes.”
That was the sequence early in the fourth quarter against the Buccaneers after Benny Cunningham’s 102-yard kickoff return to the Tampa Bay 3. Three carries between the tackles by Todd Gurley advanced the ball only two yards. On fourth-and-goal from the 1, Fisher opted for a Greg Zuerlein field goal — taking a 31-13 lead — instead of trying for a touchdown.
“I was not gonna give (Boras) the fourth-down shot,” Fisher said. “We needed the points. Beyond that, he was much more at ease. He was in rhythm. There were no issues from a play-calling standpoint.”
It’s just two games in, but things certainly have clicked with Boras at offensive coordinator and Case Keenum at quarterback.
“I made the change for that reason — because I anticipated that,” Fisher said. “They work well together. Coach (Chris) Weinke had a lot to do with this, too.”
Weinke is the Rams’ quarterback coach.
“Chris is doing a good job with Case, and Case is enthusiastic in the way he practices and prepares,” Fisher said. “He’s relaxed and he was making throws on time (against Tampa Bay).”
During the Rams’ five-game losing streak, the team averaged 10 points and 275 yards a game. In the victories over Detroit and Tampa Bay under Boras, the Rams have averaged 26 points and 318 yards per game.
“It’s the scheme that Rob has implemented and the mindset that Rob has implemented,” tight end Jared Cook said.
Simple as that?
“Yeah,” Cook said.
Seven of those points came via the defense, on Trumaine Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown against the Lions. But Boras wasn’t complaining.
“When I saw Trumaine get that interception, I would’ve been happy if we won 7-0 — if we got shut out (on offense),” Boras said. “All we needed was to win. The whole building needed to win.”
After going 41 days without a victory, the Rams have now picked up back-to-back wins in just five days. But gaining 318 yards per game in those two victories, isn’t great — the league average is 353 yards per game this season.
The team needs to do better in the so-called 4-minute offense — when the Rams are trying to run down the clock with the lead. And the Rams’ third-down conversion efficiency still needs work. Going 4-for-11 on third down against Detroit was OK. Going 2-for-10 against Tampa Bay was not.
The quality of the competition also must be taken into account before getting too wild and crazy about the offensive revival during the past two games. Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Arizona — who accounted for three losses during the five-game losing streak — have a combined 29-10 record. The Bengals and Cardinals both have top-10 defenses.
Meanwhile, the Lions and Bucs are a combined 10-17. Tampa Bay is ranked 11th in the league in total defense, but was beat up physically entering Thursday’s game.
The Rams have put together some efficient drives under Boras, and more often than not, taken advantage of opportunities. The league average for points per game is 22.8 through 13 games, so at 26 points against Detroit and Tampa Bay, the Rams are in pretty good territory.
Scoring in the 20s, particularly the mid-20s, usually gives a team a good chance to win.
Beyond the numbers, it’s clear that switching to Boras has provided a spark to an offense, and to an entire team.
“Right now he’s got the juice, man,” defensive end William Hayes said. “I’m out there and I’m looking at the product and the plays he’s calling. He’s got the guys believing. And they’re playing. He’s calling a solid game right now.’
The degree of difficulty increases this weekend, with the Rams traveling to the Pacific Northwest to face Seattle’s No. 2-ranked defense. Yards and points have been difficult to come by for the Rams and everybody else in recent years in CenturyLink Field.
If Boras and Keenum can get something going against that outfit, well, then the Rams might be on to something.
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