Proud of the defense. Offense? Not so much… (game reaction thread)

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  • October 12, 2015 at 7:41 pm #32273
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Here’s my 22 cents after taking a day to absorb it and read around.

    We’re all happy about the defense, I think, and I echo that.

    Naturally the concerns are Foles and the offense.

    I just think a one-time thing happened. A young, inexperienced line faced a top coordinator who also had film on them. And Capers basically found a way to attack that line (though that didnt do him much good against the running game). Being a young line they struggled with communication and timing and nuances, while getting attacked in ways they hadn’t before.

    Foles fell apart in the middle of that. But that;s an old story for Rams fans. At least this time the OL struggles come from youth, not injuries, though we have seen similar things happen to Bulger and Bradford.

    He really did fall apart. That was a bad game from him, even given the circumstances.

    But 2 things.

    1. Foles has enough pride and competitiveness to go back out and play better. The only thing I fear would be him losing confidence, and I don’t think he is going to do that. That was just a particularly bad game. We have seen enough to know he is an effective qb who may also have clutch play in him.

    2. The OL is not going to face that again. Not that they will always play well, but that was a game designed to disrupt who the are as a unit in week 5. If they have anything in them at all they learn from it and improve. They fix communication issues with more urgency than they might have normally. To me, that kind of humbling game, one they KNOW they could have had if it had fallen right, has the chance to increase resolve and by exposing issues, put them in a position to fix those issues.

    So unless I see that happen again…and I doubt we will…then I am not tripped up by this.

    It happened before a bye, too.

    Last time something like this happened before a bye—in 2012, when the Patriots just massacred them in London—they came out better. They then went 4-3-1 including 2 games against the to-be NFC champs, and looked good doing it. That stretch included a comeback tie, and 2 comeback wins. To me that’s the model for what this will lead to. And this is a better team overall than that one was.

    .

    October 12, 2015 at 8:03 pm #32276
    Avatar photowv
    Participant

    Ok, i watched NFL Replay.

    1st Quarter –

    Plenty of big plays in the first quarter: The pick 6 ; TJ McDonald’s diving tackle to stop Lacy on fourth and one; Barron’s fine play to tip the ball to James L for the INT.

    Plenty of bonehead plays in the first quarter: Cook dropped a third down pass in the first series. Britt dropped a pass on the second possession. Fairly gets an offsides prior to the TD pass.

    But the play that most typified the first quarter was the pulverizing, Foles-gerizing, atomizing, bulgerizing-body-shattering hit on Foles, early in the quarter. It reminded me of the hit on Jeff George in the Viking playoff game of 99. IF that hit didn’t cause some cracked ribs and a concussion, I dunno what would. You just cant have hits like that and have any kind of offense. Foles was Bulgerized the rest of the quarter when he tried to stand in the pretend-pocket.

    Not counting the deflection-completion to Benny, Foles was 1 of 9 before the pick6.
    I am not sure I have ever seen a Ram OLine look as bad as what I saw in the first quarter on the warm tundra. Holy shit.

    2nd Quarter —
    2nd Quarter opens with Saffold out with an injury (shocking) and Greg Robinson with a foot problem – O dear…the Oline will get worse…

    And yet the Rams won the quarter 10 to 0. Fouts called the long Ram-TD-Drive an “attitude drive” and he was right. Fisher got tired of the hideous-awful-nightmarish pass-non-protection and just decided to give up on modern football, and run Tavon outside and Gurley inside. I mean its historic Old-school Lam-bo field — why not.

    My favorite play of the 2nd quarter was a simple, QB sneak by Foles. It was third and one and the Interior of the Oline just blew up the GB DLine. John Madden would have loved the play. Vince Lombardi would have loved the play. Just big strong fat men ramming into big strong fat men.

    The Rams tried to turn the game into a slugfest in the second quarter. Frazier vs Ali. It worked for a Quarter.

    Most disappointing play of the quarter was Brian Quick’s uncoordinated, non-physical play on the ball in the endzone. I used to see Quick “misjudge” passes in his rookie year – and now he’s doing it again. Maybe he needs more reps, or more success, i dunno.

    Tru Johnson’s INT looked like a trap to me, btw. Nice play but it looked like a trap. Rogers was moving the team, dinking and dunking and scrambling effectively up until the trap. I mean interception.

    3rd Quarter —
    The Third Quarter was like a weird meshing of the First and Second Quarter. Foles was mauled often and only had 54 total yards passing at the end of the Third Quarter. The Packers and Matthews and Peppers massacred the Rams passing pockets. The signature play in the 3rd was when Foles was engulfed and stripped of the ball.

    On the other hand, just like in the 2nd quarter the Rams Gurley-attack was chugging along. (90 yards after 3 quarters) In the quarter the Puncher blew two long FG’s and Rogers stung like a bee as Joyner lost coverage on the long TD pass. Pack won the 3rd Quarter 7-0 and led in the game 21-10.

    Looking back and knowing what we know now – I’da run Gurley on almost every play and tossed in a Tavon play now and then.

    Is it possible the Rams have the best running attack and worst passing attack in the NFC ? What kinda weird throwback team is that??

    4th Quarter —

    Receiver-Rogers drops a big pass, and then gets penalized to cancel 3 points for GB.

    Rams ball. Gurley thunders for 55 yards. Then Tavon squirts for 15. First and goal from the ten. Tre stumbles for two yards. Gurley circles wide for one.

    Third and goal from the seven….9 minutes left…and Foles…drops back to pass (this cant be good!)…and…and…finally has time to throw…..and a clean pocket….OMG, a clean pocket…and…and…Foles…throws to…Joe Thomas. Ha Ha gets the deflection.

    I don’t think Kendricks was open, but the ball was behind the non-open Kendricks, anyway.
    Foles was probably so utterly bulgerized (or Folgerized) by that time that he was just thrilled to be STANDING UP in a clean pocket – his brain was so ecstatic to have a clean pocket that he just happily zipped the ball…forward…ANYWHERE…in the air.

    Ah well.

    I had to turn off Replay at this point because I cannot bear to watch the last nine minutes. No way I wanna watch anymore of the Rams Pocket-Madness. I cannot even imagine the kind of mahem the Rams OLinemen would cause as the clock ticks away and they HAVE to pass. Good god. The Horror. Apocalypse in Green Bay.

    I hope Chris Long’s knee just needs a bye.

    I predicted ten wins. If the Rams OLine learns to pass-block over the Bye, I still say they get ten wins.

    If the Rams OLine doesn’t learn to pass-block over the bye – Fisher will go 8 and 8, and I will shit a brick.

    w
    v

    October 12, 2015 at 8:03 pm #32277
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    one thing on foles. he is entering his fourth year. including the 5 games he’s started this year, he’s at a grand total of 29 starts.

    that’s not quite even 2 full seasons as a full time starter. on top of that five of those games are with new coaches. new teammates. he’s looked good. he’s looked really really bad.

    i want to wait until the end of the season before i make any real judgment on this guy. he’s still being molded right now. i want to wait a little longer when he’s more finished.

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