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November 8, 2015 at 9:05 pm #33782
znModeratorRams Fall to Vikings in Overtime
Myles Simmons
MINNEAPOLIS — It was a back-and-forth contest between two strong defensive teams, but St. Louis couldn’t come out on top, falling to Minnesota 21-18 in overtime on Sunday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium.
Starting their first drive in St. Louis territory after a short punt placed them at the 47, the Vikings were able to get on the board first with a 34-yard field goal. After another Rams punt, Minnesota made quick work of getting down the field to get on the board once again. Aided by a few St. Louis penalties, the Vikings drove 80 yards in six plays, finishing the possession on a 6-yard Adrian Peterson touchdown run.
With the Vikings up 10-0, the Rams offense got going. On 3rd-and-5 from the St. Louis 39, quarterback Nick Foles fired a deep pass down the middle. Wideout Kenny Britt was covered, but made the contested catch at the 6-yard line before being tackled there.
St. Louis got a touchdown out of the drive after two Todd Gurley runs. The running back took the first handoff up the middle, churning his legs to drive a pile down to the 1-yard line. Then Gurley pounded it in from a yard out, at first going airborne but then breaking the plane on the second effort. St. Louis went for a two-point conversion, but Gurley was stuffed before reaching the goal line, keeping the score at 10-6.
The visitors further cut into the lead when Greg Zuerlein set a new franchise record for longest field goal. Facing 4th-and-13 at the Vikings’ 43, head coach Jeff Fisher elected to send out Zuerlein for the 61-yard attempt, and the kicker nailed it with the wind at his back.
Later in the second quarter, Zuerlein hit a 35-yard field goal to give the Rams a 12-10 lead. And he’d increase it as time expired in the half.
St. Louis got the ball back on its own 15-yard line with 1:45 left in the period, and had a nice drive to finish out the half.
The Rams used a couple end arounds to Tavon Austin to get down the field quickly. The first came at the start of the drive, as Foles faked a handoff to Gurley and then turned around to hand it off to Austin for 13 yards. A play later, nearly the same thing happened, but this time Austin was able to break a couple tackles for a 22-yard run.
After a timeout with 1:13 left, Foles faked a handoff and the end around, then found tight end Lance Kendricks over the middle for a 20-yard gain to get into Greg Zuerlein’s field goal range.
The kicker nailed his 45-yard attempt as time expired at the end of the half to give St. Louis a 15-10 lead.
The game continued to trend the Rams’ way early in the third quarter, when Trumaine Johnson fought off an offensive pass interference penalty from Stefon Diggs to make his third interception of the season. Johnson caught the ball in the end zone and was downed for a touchback. The turnover did not net the Rams any points, however, as the offense went three-and-out.
Minnesota ended the Rams’ string of 15 straight points when it drove 60 yards in six plays for a touchdown. Teddy Bridgewater found Diggs for a 30-yard pass to get the Vikings into St. Louis territory. And once in the red zone, Bridgewater found a lane up the middle on 3rd-and-2 from the St. Louis 6-yard line, taking the ball in for six. The signal-caller then scrambled to the front right corner of the end zone to complete the two-point conversion, giving Minnesota a 18-15 lead.
The Rams had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter with 1:45 left, but Zuerlein’s 48-yard field goal attempt was wide right. St. Louis, however, got the ball back with 1:27 on the clock and no timeouts after a strong defensive stand.
Foles threw to Britt on the first two plays of the drive, with the first netting a 9-yard completion, and the second a 17-yard defensive pass interference penalty. While a holding penalty on the Rams moved the ball back, a Foles pass to tight end Jared Cook got the ball back to where it was.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer tried to “ice” Zuerlein before his 53-yard attempt, but the tactic was for naught. The kicker split the uprights after the timeout, tying the game at 18. After the kickoff, the Vikings took a knee to send the game into overtime.
The Rams could not take advantage of having the ball first in overtime, going three-and-out. While Johnny Hekker got off a good punt into the wind, returner Marcus Sherels had a better return, going 26 yards to place the ball at the Minnesota 49.
A short drive got Minnesota to the Rams’ 22, and Blair Walsh hit a 40-yard field goal attempt to end the game.
With the loss, the Rams fall back to .500 at 4-4 on the season.
November 8, 2015 at 9:06 pm #33783znModeratorKenny Britt up, D-line and Jeff Fisher down in Rams’ loss
Nick Wagoner
MINNEAPOLIS — A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Sunday’s 21-18 loss against the Minnesota Vikings:
UP
Tavon Austin: Austin had an important miscue in the second half when he dropped a deep ball that could have gone for a big gain, though it was underthrown. But he also was one of only two guys keeping the Rams in it in the first half. He finished with eight carries for 66 yards and four catches for 15 more yards, one of the few consistent sources of production for the offense.
Kenny Britt: The other player who was able to produce, he finished with three catches for 87 yards, including a 55-yard grab to jump-start the offense in the second half. Britt was also wide open on the game’s first offensive play but his quarterback didn’t throw it to him. The Rams need more from all of their receivers, but at least Austin and Britt showed up against the Vikings.
DOWN
Nick Foles: It should tell you all you need to know about what Minnesota thinks of Foles’ ability to win a game that they took the wind instead of the ball to open overtime. Likewise, the Rams had no intention of throwing the ball down the field until third down of their lone overtime possession, and by then it was third-and-16. Foles also didn’t let it fly to Britt on the game’s first play for a potential touchdown. He didn’t turn it over, which is a positive, but he mostly struggled to offer the Rams some much-needed offensive variety to help open things up for running back Todd Gurley.
The defensive line: Even without starting ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn, the Rams line has the depth to make a difference but was mostly quiet for the day. They struggled to generate pressure and didn’t get to Teddy Bridgewater for a sack before he left with an injury. Worse, they were the main culprits of another penalty-plagued game. The Rams had 12 penalties for 87 yards, including five neutral-zone infractions on their front four.
Jeff Fisher: After the game, Fisher said he went for an early two-point conversion because “we were going to need as many scoring opportunities as we possibly can. Also, it’s indicative of how the wind was.” Well, the conversion failed and the Rams lost the game in overtime, but the explanation also didn’t make much sense considering that points were at a premium and kicker Greg Zuerlein said afterward that he felt comfortable kicking into the wind from 45 to 48 yards during warm-ups. Combine decisions like that with the penalty issue that perpetually plagues Fisher’s teams, and he lands here.
November 8, 2015 at 10:01 pm #33789znModeratorVikings boot Rams 21-18 in overtime
Jim Thomas
MINNEAPOLIS • This was the chance for the Rams to make a statement. Show that they were capable of stacking wins together. Show they were a maturing, improving team by winning a key November game on the road against a good opponent.
“I’m not into making statements,” coach Jeff Fisher said afterwards. “I’m just into winning games.”
Alas, the Rams did neither Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium. They had several chances to pull out a victory that would’ve put them at 5-3 — or two games above .500 in November for the first time since 2003.
Instead, they fell to 4-4, losing 21-18 to Minnesota on Blair Walsh’s 40-yard field goal with 9 minutes 20 seconds left in overtime.
There was controversy when a sliding Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was knocked out of the game with a concussion after taking a forearm to the head by Rams nickel back Lamarcus Joyner, who was sliding to prevent contact.
An upset Vikings coach Mike Zimmer called it a cheap shot.
“I would say if we were out on the street, we probably would have had a fight (in response to the play),” Zimmer said.
Joyner, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, passionately defended himself afterwards.
“I know that guy,” Joyner said. “I grew up across the railroad tracks from him (in Miami). My mom knows his mom. My dad knows his mom. I would never intentionally do a dirty play like that on Teddy Bridgewater.”
But speaking of controversy, let the second-guessing begin on a couple of coaching decisions by Fisher.
First and foremost was the decision to go for 2-points after the Rams scored their one and only touchdown late in the first quarter. Running back Todd Gurley was stopped short of the goal line on the 2-point conversion attempt, so the score at that point was 10-6 Minnesota.
“I felt like we were gonna need as many scoring opportunities as we possibly can,” Fisher said. “And it was indicative of how the wind was. I liked what we had up, and I let the coaches know after I observed the wind.
“It’s a long kick, and (the wind) was pushing the ball around. Whether it worked out or not, I would do it again.”
There was a swirling 18 mph wind, and the new extra-point rule means it’s a 33-yard kick instead of a 20-yarder. Even so, kicker Greg Zuerlein was making kicks from 45 yards into the wind during pre-game warmup.
Obviously, it’s difficult to predict how the game would’ve played out had the Rams simply kicked the extra point there. But in a game that was tied 18-18 at the end of regulation, it was a point that could’ve come in handy.
Then came some conservative play-calling late in the fourth quarter. On a day when Minnesota was stacking the box defensively against Gurley and running room was tough to come by, the Rams sent Gurley up the middle on third-and-11 from the Minnesota 34.
He gained four yards, and then with the wind at his back Zuerlein’s field goal attempt missed wide right from 48 yards with 1 minute 42 seconds to play.
“Big picture, we felt confident defensively that we could get the ball back and have a chance perhaps to win the game in regulation,” Fisher said, when asked why he didn’t throw a pass on third down. “And then we missed the kick.”
Zuerlein did get another crack, and this time his 53-yard field goal as time expired with the wind at his back sent the game into regulation tied at 18-18.
Minnesota won the coin toss in overtime, but instead of taking the ball decided to take the wind. Fisher said he wasn’t expecting that, but it obviously worked out for the Vikings.
Starting overtime at their 20 after the kickoff resulted in a touchback, the Rams lost six yards in three plays. Punter Johnny Hekker knocked the stuffing out of the ball, kicking 63 yards into the wind. But this time, the Rams’ normally strong punt coverage team couldn’t get Vikings return man Marcus Sherels down until he had tight-roped the right sideline for 26 yards to the Minnesota 49.
(Officials missed an illegal block into the back of Rams coverage man Cory Harkey on the play.)
“It was not easy to punt into the wind, and both teams showed that,” Fisher said. “But Johnny hit a great ball, he really hit a tight spiral that pierced the wind. We could’ve flipped the field and we just didn’t get the tackle made.”
With Bridgewater out of the game, the Rams knew the Vikings wouldn’t pass much with backup and former Ram Shaun Hill replacing him at quarterback. Nonetheless, they couldn’t prevent Peterson, who finished with 125 yards on 29 carries, from running the Vikings into field goal range.
Peterson’s 11-yard run on third-and-1 from the St. Louis 42 put the Vikings into range. After three more runs gained nine yards, Walsh blasted the 40-yarder through the uprights — with the wind at his back — giving the Vikings (6-2) their fourth consecutive victory.
“I’m disappointed for our guys,” Fisher said. “Losses are one thing; to overcome losses are another. You know you have your work cut out coming back off these, so we definitely have our work cut out this week. But I’ve got a lot of respect and confidence in our guys that we’ll bounce right back.”
Gurley held under 100 yards for the first time as an NFL starter, finishing with 89 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Tavon Austin was effective on the end-around with 66 yards on eight carries. But once again, the Rams couldn’t get much going in the passing game, with Nick Foles completing 18 of 33 passes for 168 yards and a 68.8 passer rating.
Zuerlein kicked four field goals, all when he had the wind at his back, including a franchise-record 61-yarder early in the second quarter.
November 9, 2015 at 1:39 am #33799znModeratorSame Old Reasons Are To Blame For Rams’ Latest Defeat
Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/09/same-old-reasons-are-to-blame-for-rams-latest-defeat/
When the Rams are at their worst, the underlying reasons are familiar and predictable. The way it all goes down is so numbingly dull, so routine, the Rams can’t even come with new and exciting ways to lose a game. Hey, at least they’re consistent at something.
The Rams formula for frustration should be trademarked by head coach Jeff Fisher.
The specifications include:
— Bad penalties, dumbo penalties, untimely penalties — and a general lack of discipline. These folks commit more errors than Dick Groat (40 for the 1964 baseball Cardinals), and spend more time in the penalty box than Bob Gassoff (306 minutes for the 1975-76 Blues.)
— An offense that would require the navigational assistance of some of history’s greatest explorers — Lewis and Clark, Edmund Hillary, Kurt Warner, Christopher Columbus, Marshall Faulk, Ponce de Leon, Az Hakim, Marco Polo, Isaac Bruce, Ferdinand Magellan, Torry Holt, Amerigo Vespucci, and Ricky Proehl — to reach the end zone on a regular basis.
— A passing game that’s so ineffective, it brings back memories of Steve Pisarkiewicz.
— A success rate in converting third-down plays that’s so poor, it would only be fair to give them five downs, just like the 1990 Colorado Buffaloes in that infamous 1990 game at Mizzou.
These flaws surfaced again Sunday at Minnesota.
In losing to 21-18 to the Vikings in overtime, the Rams mishandled a 15-10 halftime lead, went bankrupt on an opportunity to win a third consecutive game, and squandered the chance to leave the Twin Cities with a 5-3 record. Instead of improving their odds of making the playoffs, the Rams fell to 4-4 and drifted lower in the unofficial NFC wild card standings.
We can point the finger at Fisher’s odd (and failed) decision to go for a two-point conversion after the Rams cut into the Vikings’ 10-lead when Todd Gurley wrestled his way to touchdown run late in the first quarter.
We can be so frustrated by the play calling — and this team’s bizarre refusal to utilize the middle of the field in the passing game — that it makes us want to rub the TV watch-party guacamole in our faces.
We can gripe about the ultra-conservative approach that makes Ted Cruz look a liberal by comparison. (OK, I’m guilty of a mixed sports-politics metaphor there; forgive me but it’s late Sunday night as I write this and my brain is weary.)
And some will even try to blame this on the Rams defense for giving up 21 points, including two red-zone touchdowns on runs by Adrian Peterson and Teddy Bridgewater. The defense could have played better, yes. Their pass-rush pressure was way off. But to dump this on the defense is misplaced. The Rams held the Vikings to a below-average 293 total yards, stopped the home team on 10 of 13 third-down plays, limited Minnesota’s quarterbacks to a 57.5 passer rating, and forced eight punts.
Over the last five-plus NFL seasons, when a visiting team goes into the opponent’s den and gives up exactly 21 points, they’d posted a 21-12 record (.636 winning percentage) through last weekend. While imperfect — and certainly guilty of too many committing knucklehead penalties — the Rams defense wasn’t the culprit here.
Really, this winnable game became an opportunity lost for the same reasons that usually blow up the Rams’ unsteady bandwagon: excessive penalties, an unimaginative and clumsy passing offense, and an incomprehensible third-down futility that’s reached historically low levels.
The Rams were penalized 12 times for 93 yards. I had a feeling this could happen; on Friday, I wrote a warning about the potentially hazardous impact of too many penalties. But this team’s penalty epidemic has been a major detriment since Fisher became coach in 2012. The Rams have been hit with the most penalties (444) in the league since 2012, and the lapses in discipline are often costly.
This was certainly true in Sunday’s game. Of Minnesota’s 21 first downs, six came via Rams penalties. On the two early possessions that produced a 10-0 lead, the Vikings took advantage of four St. Louis penalties. And if you think a high penalty count isn’t a factor in losing football games, I don’t know what to tell you. Well, actually I do. When the Rams have been assessed with at least 10 penalties in a game with Fisher as coach, their record is 3-9-1. And when Rams have been hit with at least 12 penalties in a game under Fisher, they’re 1-6-1.
The offense continues to sputter. The Rams had 14 possessions in Sunday’s defeat, and five of the 14 were three-and-out drives. That makes 27 three-and-outs in 98 possessions this series, a rate (27.5%) that puts them bear the bottom of the NFL. These three-and-outs are killers for obvious reasons — with one being that it gives Gurley fewer opportunities to break off a big run. These aborted drives also put more of a burden on the Rams defense.
The Rams have scored 18 points or fewer in nearly half (46.4%) of Fisher’s 56 games as head coach. And when they max out at 18 points in a game during Fisher’s term, the Rams’ record is 4-22. This is something I’ve been yapping about for quite some time now; you can’t expect to string together wins with an offense that’s so limited in points production. Yeah, you can win games if Gurley is rushing for 140 yards and breaking the opponents’ backs with long runs — especially if the Rams defense is partnering with Gurley to pound the other side with sacks, pressures, negative plays and takeaways. But we have to be realistic about this; it can’t (and won’t) happen in every game. The Rams need to make more plays — first downs and touchdowns — to win more consistently.
The Rams scored one touchdown on their 15 series against Minnesota. Field goals are a nice consolation but can’t match the impact of touchdowns. Through their first eight games, the Rams’ offense has scored 14 touchdowns on 98 possessions for a TD success rate of 14.2 percent. That touchdown efficiency puts the Rams at No. 30 in the NFL rankings.
Not only that, but a Rams’ offense hasn’t scored touchdowns at a lower rate since the 2011 Rams managed a touchdown on only 8.2 percent of their possessions.
So halfway through the 2015 season — and granted, this could improve — this is Fisher’s worst offense for scoring touchdowns since he moved in at Rams Park.
Sunday in Minnesota, the Rams’ followed up on their hopeful 15-point first half by scoring only three more points and accumulating a mere 102 yards of offense over their final eight possessions. Quarterback Nick Foles had only 29 net passing yards after halftime.
After being up 15-10 at the half, and having a chance to expand on their lead, the Rams went flat — with only 48 yards (and five punts) on their first five possessions of the second half.
The Rams intercepted a pass on Minnesota’s first possession of the third quarter — and the Rams offense came onto the field after the takeaway, lost 10 yards, and punted.
In their one shot in overtime, the Rams lost six yards and punted; Minnesota promptly moved in for the winning field goal.
It was another depressing display, but we shouldn’t be surprised by it. The Rams’ offense is averaging 17 points per game this season; only San Francisco has done worse.
This is Fisher’s fourth season here, and he’s never had an offense average more than 17.4 points per game (that, in 2013.) Fisher’s first offense, back in 2012, was also his lowest-scoring offense, averaging 14.8 points per contest. Four years into his program, Fisher’s offense has increased its scoring average by a little more than two points per game. The progress is negligible.
Obviously, the terrible failure to move the chains on third down is paramount in the struggles. After converting only 2 of 16 against the Vikings, the Rams’ third-down success rate for the 2015 slipped to 23.7 percent. This is really awful.
So awful that I went back through the STATS LLC research bank and couldn’t find an NFL offense that had a poorer third-down rate in a season. I had to stop at 1972, because that was the first year STATS tracked the third-down percentages. Among the more recent seasons only San Francisco — 24 percent in 2005 was close — to the Rams’ current futility.
Foles is hardly the only problem on third down. There’s little evidence of creative strategy. The receivers don’t get open. Dropped passes are dropped opportunities. There are too many breakdowns in pass protection.
Statistically Foles is as sorry as any quarterback in the league in third-down passing, completing only 46.4 percent, averaging a dinky 5.31 yards per attempt, and bogged down in a 62.9 passer rating. Only 22.6 percent of his third-down throws have picked up a first down.
(And forget third downs for a moment; Foles had a chance to give the Rams a huge lift early in Sunday’s game, but failed to spot a streaking Kenny Britt downfield to make connections on a likely home-run pass. Foles and the Rams can’t miss on easy chances for big plays. They just can’t.)
And as we mentioned earlier, the Rams simply make themselves easy to defend by declining to utilize the middle of the field when they sling the football. (I’ll post updated numbers on that on Monday.) It makes no sense.
Even with all of the inefficiencies and screw-ups, the Rams were right there on Sunday — having a chance to claim a victory, and I suppose we can draw some hope and optimism from that. But we can’t can’t gloss over the potential repercussions of the Rams’ inability to capture a winnable game. According the site FiveThirtyEight.com, the Rams had a 26 percent chance of making the NFC playoffs before their game with the Vikings. And the loss left them with a 20 percent chance of qualifying for the NFC tournament.
Here’s a rundown of the positioning for the two NFC wild-card spots:
Green Bay and Minnesota are tied for the NFC North lead at 6-2. One will win the division; the other will be relegated to the wild-card pool.
Atlanta is second in the NFC South at 6-3.
St. Louis and Seattle are tied for second in the NFC West at 4-4.
Philadelphia is second in the NFC East at 4-4.
The Rams have to make their move, make up ground, and the upcoming schedule will give them a chance to climb back. But we waste a lot of time talking about hypothetical victories. The truth is, the Rams won’t be able to make a serious run for a playoff ticket unless they clean up their penalty problems, increase their woeful performance on third down, and begin scoring more touchdowns. The Rams are a pretty good team that has to solve some pretty bad problems.
November 9, 2015 at 1:41 am #33800znModeratorMistake-prone Rams can’t spring Todd Gurley in loss to Vikings
Nick Wagoner
MINNEAPOLIS — The opportunity for a St. Louis Rams renaissance was there. Entering overtime against the Minnesota Vikings, a team without a winning season in more than a decade stared a prime opportunity to get to 5-3 for the first time since 2003 right in the face. But the Rams couldn’t get out of their own way to make it happen.
The mistake-prone Rams of years gone by showed up again at TCF Bank Stadium, and the result was a 21-18 loss in an eminently winnable game against a Vikings team that also is trying to enjoy a return to the land of success.
After fighting back to tie the game with a 53-yard field goal that sent it to overtime, the Rams had the ball and a chance to win with the Vikings employing backup quarterback Shaun Hill.
Instead, the Rams, who couldn’t get running back Todd Gurley going until it was too late, ran three plays, went backward 6 yards and had to punt. Minnesota promptly moved the ball on the ground with running back Adrian Peterson to set up the winning field goal.
Gurley finished with 24 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown, but against a stacked box for most of the day, there was little room to operate. His 6-yard loss on second down in overtime led to the Rams’ punting from the shadow of their end zone.
Ultimately, the offense couldn’t do enough without Gurley carrying the freight, and the Rams came up short in a game that could have sent a resounding message about their place in the playoff picture.
What it means: At 4-4, the Rams are right on pace for yet another mediocre season under coach Jeff Fisher. Yes, the schedule is light again for the next couple of weeks, but this was a chance to make a statement that it’s time to take the Rams seriously in the NFC.
What were they thinking? On third-and-10 from the Vikings’ 34, the Rams called for a run, clearly settling for a long field goal attempt. Even kicking with the wind, it was too conservative a call to put kicker Greg Zuerlein, who has struggled outdoors, in position to try to tie it from 48 yards. Zuerlein still should have made that kick, but offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti did him no favors on the third-down call.
One reason to panic: You’d think at some point, just based on the law of averages, the Rams would stop being a penalty machine. But it’s what Fisher-coached teams do and it continues to come at a great cost. The Rams had multiple infractions that cost them field position and first downs. They finished with 12 penalties for 87 yards. If this team wants to show it has grown up, it has to cut down on the silly mistakes.
Ouch: The Rams didn’t have any major injury issues during the game, at least none that were evident as it was going on, but they were without some key pieces. End Robert Quinn (knee), safety T.J. McDonald (foot), right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) and end Chris Long (knee) did not play after missing most of the practice week.
What’s next: The Rams head back to the Edward Jones Dome to face the Chicago Bears next Sunday.
November 9, 2015 at 2:29 am #33801
AgamemnonParticipantI could not find how many times Foles was hurried or hit this game or for the season. I do know he was sacked once and the Rams are allowing a ~5% sack rate per pass play this year. That is right in the middle for all teams. I would like to know how much of the pressure on Foles is actual vs perceived.
AgamemnonNovember 9, 2015 at 2:46 am #33803znModeratorI could not find how many times Foles was hurried or hit this game or for the season. I do know he was sacked once and the Rams are allowing a ~5% sack rate per pass play this year. That is right in the middle for all teams. I would like to know how much of the pressure on Foles is actual vs perceived.
Foles is hit a lot though not sacked much. The problem shows up when you consider the low number of attempts. This does (I think) include today’s game, but he has been sacked 12 times, hit 50 times, and with 222 attempts, that’s a hit/sack rate of 27.9%, which is high. I have no way of ranking it with this game compared to other qbs though, at least not right now.
Source:
These are the numbers BEFORE this game (“DBs” = “dropbacks):
Sks Hts DBs % Team
31 60 265 34.3% Seattle Seahawks
28 57 263 32.3% Tennessee Titans
28 48 271 28.0% San Francisco 49ers
11 41 200 26.0% St. Louis Rams
27 59 331 26.0% Cleveland Browns
20 40 231 26.0% Minnesota Vikings
29 47 299 25.4% Kansas City Chiefs
21 51 285 25.3% Miami Dolphins
14 40 224 24.1% Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20 37 242 23.6% Buffalo Bills
22 60 361 22.7% Detroit Lions
21 34 262 21.0% Pittsburgh Steelers
17 56 350 20.9% Indianapolis Colts
14 30 218 20.2% Green Bay Packers
19 55 373 19.8% San Diego Chargers
19 38 290 19.7% Jacksonville Jaguars
11 41 275 18.9% Arizona Cardinals
18 38 307 18.2% New England Patriots
13 34 260 18.1% Chicago Bears
15 42 327 17.4% Atlanta Falcons
13 28 236 17.4% Dallas Cowboys
13 26 229 17.0% Carolina Panthers
13 34 287 16.4% Philadelphia Eagles
12 33 278 16.2% Denver Broncos
18 37 360 15.3% New Orleans Saints
17 39 379 14.8% Houston Texans
12 32 312 14.1% New York Giants
8 30 277 13.7% Washington Redskins
10 26 270 13.3% Oakland Raiders
14 30 339 13.0% Baltimore Ravens
7 27 264 12.9% New York Jets
9 20 240 12.1% Cincinnati BengalsNovember 9, 2015 at 2:49 am #33804znModeratorHochman: Foles looks like weak link
Benjamin Hochman
MINNEAPOLIS • The truth was in the dare.
“I was telling the boys — ‘Are they serious, do they really want to give us the ball?’” recalled Rams receiver Kenny Britt, in what surely sounded like loquacious squawking.
But they were serious — the Vikings dared Nick Foles to try to beat them with a touchdown … and Nick Foles responded like Nick Foles.
Yup, the Rams signed a guy to be a franchise quarterback, and Rams opponents want him to have the ball in overtime.
Even an overtime win Sunday wouldn’t have masked the overall issue — Foles is flimsy and fallible, and the Rams’ offense has been reduced to surviving with him at the helm.
“I put a lot on myself, and I just have to keep playing better and growing as a quarterback,” he said after going three-and-out in overtime, as his Rams then lost, 21-18, on an ensuing field goal. “We have to get touchdowns, especially on the road. We have to get touchdowns and get in the red zone.”
Ugh, it’s hard to hear that the franchise quarterback, who’s paid as such, needs to continue to grow. But on Sunday, the Rams entered their biggest game since 2006 — they were in the playoff picture, but it appeared they didn’t have a playoff quarterback.
Maybe it’s on the receivers, too. And the offensive line. But Foles infuriates with ill-timed passes and floppy floaters toward St. Paul. From the very first play of the game, when the quarterback missed a preposterously wide-open Britt, Foles didn’t seem all there.
And later, it appeared that even coach Jeff Fisher lacked confidence in Foles.
Down 18-15 late in the fourth, Todd Gurley galloped down field, unleashing a trio of tributes, if you will, to the angry rushing style of Adrian Peterson. The Rams were barely within field goal range. After two more run plays, they faced a third-and-11 play, but Fisher had Foles hand it off to Gurley, setting up a field goal attempt. Somewhere, even Donald Trump was thinking: Man, now that’s conservative.
Of the third-down call, Fisher said: “Big picture, we felt fairly confident that defensively we’d get the ball back and have a chance to win in regulation. And then we missed the kick.”
Greg Zuerlein redeemed himself with a field goal in the final ticks, sending it to overtime.
But then came the game-changing coin toss.
Now, heading into Sunday’s game, the mind wandered.
If the Rams win, they’re 5-3. …
And five of their final eight games are against teams with losing records. …
Could the Rams make the playoffs? …
Could the Rams, just so dominant since the Gurley emergence, actually go to the Super Bowl? All you have to do is get in the tournament. …
Could the NFL owners then have the audacity to allow a Super Bowl team to move to another city?
OK, OK, let’s reel it back in.
The Rams are now 4-4.
And the onus is on Foles to change games with his arm, and not just get through them by not messing up too badly. It’s not working the way it is. He can compliment Gurley, but he must also complement Gurley.
On Sunday, Foles finished 18 for 33 for 168 yards, 55 of those from one deep connection to Britt, which led to the Rams’ lone touchdown. The Rams converted just two third downs, on 16 tries.
Two third downs.
And in the second half as a whole, the Rams only garnered six total first downs.
The Vikings loaded the box on Gurley. The Vikings started sniffing out the handoff to receiver Tavon Austin. The Vikings dared Foles to win it with his arm.
“When it came down to it, we weren’t able to keep drives alive,” Fisher said. “We’re not as productive as we’d like to be on offense.”
In overtime, Fisher didn’t expect Minnesota to kick to the Rams, who would then have to march into the wind. Britt clearly didn’t expect it. Neither did even some of the Vikings.
Asked about the decision, “First thing was — I was surprised,” said Minnesota defensive end Brian Robison. “Second thing was — that tells me he has confidence in us to go get the job done. Any time your coach has that type of confidence in the defense, you don’t want to disappoint.”
Perhaps the Rams win the next two games because the Rams’ next two opponents stink. Maybe two Sundays from now, they’re 6-4 and we’re again talking playoffs. Maybe some weak defenses are all Nick needs to to discover deep-ball braggadocio.
Here’s hoping that Foles finds what he needs to find, because, frankly, it’s been fun talking about the Rams without also having to talk about Los Angeles.
But January looms. Both the playoffs and the owners’ decision.
November 9, 2015 at 3:11 am #33805AgamemnonParticipanthttp://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12915634/nfl-change-extra-point-kicks-longer-distance
The conversion rate for 33-yard field goals over the past five seasons is 92.8 percent (154-of-166).
From the 2 yard line it is at least 98 percent.
Two-point plays were converted at a rate of 47.5 percent.
So, 100 kicks nets you 93 points.
100 two-point plays nets you 95 points.
Early in the game you are slighty better off going for 2. Later, end game dynamics might trump that small percentage. Stuff like exact point differential and remaing time become magnified.
Just to show that it was not a bad decision to go for 2 early in the game. You can criticize Fisher for other decisions but not this.
Tx, for the information on hits and hurries.
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This reply was modified 9 years ago by
Agamemnon.
AgamemnonNovember 9, 2015 at 9:29 am #33807znModeratorJust to show that it was not a bad decision to go for 2 early in the game. You can criticize Fisher for other decisions but not this.
I agree with that.
Some can say that one thing lost the game, and okay if someone thinks that they think it, but to me what lost the game was when the defense had the Vikes backed up to their own endzone and then committed a series of penalties that let them off the hook.
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November 9, 2015 at 10:02 am #33810AgamemnonParticipantJust to show that it was not a bad decision to go for 2 early in the game. You can criticize Fisher for other decisions but not this.
I agree with that.
Some can say that one thing lost the game, and okay if someone thinks that they think it, but to me what lost the game was when the defense had the Vikes backed up to their own endzone and then committed a series of penalties that let them off the hook.
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In a close game like that, it is hard for me to pick any one thing that lost the game. With everything that happened, we got to OT and we got the ball first. I think we didn’t do enough to win. I would have liked to have seen Foles do more, but he certainly didn’t lose the game. I wanted him to do more to win it. imo
If we isolate penalties, I thought ?5 off sides penalties were ridiculous.
AgamemnonNovember 9, 2015 at 10:14 am #33811znModeratorIn a close game like that, it is hard for me to pick any one thing that lost the game.
Well logically that’s true but in my case, I measure how the flow of the game feels. At what point do I think, okay this thing here made it harder to get a win. It’s a momentum thing. So I just remember that while watching the game, that’s what I felt—my instincts were, blowing that opportunity would cost them, and flipped the game. Up until that point in fact I thought they had a strong chance of winning.
So it’s just different people looking at the thing differently.
I am not arguing someone else has to see it my way by any means—just adding my own 2 cents.
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November 9, 2015 at 10:28 am #33812AgamemnonParticipantSo it’s just different people looking at the thing differently.
I am not arguing someone else has to see it my way by any means—just adding my own 2 cents.
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That is the way I look at things too. I just throw my stuff out there and let everyone else have a turn. I will debate a few points, but for the majority of stuff, we should all feel good about posting and debating doesn’t have to be a bad thing either.
AgamemnonNovember 9, 2015 at 10:35 am #33813
PA RamParticipantSo if Foles is the weak link–if he has hit is ceiling and this is it–this is what we’ll get week in and week out–inability to convert 3rd downs, 3 and outs, no real confidence from the coach–limits on where he will throw the ball–what does that mean?
If his strength is a game manager–not a guy who loses games–well, maybe that is not enough.
Maybe part of being a “game manager” is at least the ability to convert more third downs. And even his “game management” skills can be questioned really.
So what is Foles? What have we got? Is this it? Is it enough?
Must we wait another year to give him more time in the offense? Will that make it better? Better play by the line? Better receivers?
I mean–I don’t know.
Chip Kelly obviously did not believe in Foles–what did he see? Or not see?
I don’t have answers–just questions today.
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. " Philip K. Dick
November 9, 2015 at 10:42 am #33814znModeratorSo if Foles is the weak link–if he has hit is ceiling and this is it–this is what we’ll get week in and week out–inability to convert 3rd downs, 3 and outs, no real confidence from the coach–limits on where he will throw the ball–what does that mean?
I personally don’t believe that.
I think the weak link is having an inexperienced, young OL.
Both Minnesota and GB attacked the line and took it apart, and one result was, Foles played worse under pressure.
But then it’s a rare qb who doesn’t.
To me this is an old conversation going back to 2007, when several folks blamed Bulger for the season, when he was playing behind one of the most injury-wracked lines I have ever seen since I starting following the NFL. For some reason, many folks back then just could not factor line play into the equation. I think the same mistake is happening now.
Give Foles reasonable time, give the offense a reasonable running threat, and I think he’s a pretty good play action qb.
The problem is, since we have never seen a team with an OL this young and inexperienced, we don’t know when it will stabilize. But odds are it will.
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November 9, 2015 at 11:32 am #33818
Eternal RamnationParticipantI think it all just boils down to the Rams second string D battled the vikes for almost 5 quarters and fell 3pts. short.The wind was huge
November 9, 2015 at 2:16 pm #33835
ZooeyModeratorI think it all just boils down to the Rams second string D battled the vikes for almost 5 quarters and fell 3pts. short.The wind was huge
Yeah, the thought has passed through my mind that with Quinn, Long, McDonald, and Havenstein, the Rams may very well have won.
But they didn’t. And they didn’t.
November 10, 2015 at 1:36 am #33876znModeratorRams offense not varied enough to beat Vikings
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/23431/rams-offense-not-varied-enough-to-beat-vikings
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Looking back at three things to watch from the St. Louis Rams’ 21-18 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday:
1. It’s always the turnovers: In a game that figured to be close, turnovers looked to make a difference. And they nearly did. The Rams had the game’s lone takeaway, an impressive interception by cornerback Trumaine Johnson that killed a Minnesota drive in the end zone at the beginning of the third quarter.
But it was a couple of missed opportunities for takeaway No. 2 that might have been the ultimate difference maker. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Vikings were near midfield and driving when running back Adrian Peterson fumbled on consecutive plays. On the first one, the ball was on the field for a couple of seconds before it narrowly squirted out of bounds. It was a golden chance for the Rams to take over with prime field position and potentially take the lead.
Instead, luck was on the Vikings’ side and they overcame their minus-one turnover differential to steal the win.
2. Getting their kicks: Similar to the first category, this one goes against the Rams, not because of something they did but something they didn’t do. Kicker Greg Zuerlein was 4-of-5 on field goals, including a franchise record 61-yard effort and a 53-yarder to send the game to overtime. He did miss a 48-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter which might have given the Rams a chance to win in regulation, but overall he had a pretty good day in blustery conditions.
But the biggest mark here against the Rams is eschewing an extra point attempt in the first quarter to go for two when the score was 10-6. The kick would have been at the windy end of the field, but Zuerlein said he had felt comfortable kicking that direction between 45 and 48 yards out before the game. The extra point would have been 12 to 15 yards shorter.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he went for two because of the wind and because he felt the Rams would need every possible point. But if that’s true, then one would think that one point would have been particularly desirable. A made extra point there or a conversion from Zuerlein on the 48-yard attempt might have been enough to give the Rams a victory.
3. An offensive evolution: Despite lukewarm checkmarks in the Rams’ favor in the first two categories, this is the one that worked against them the most. Minnesota loaded up defensively to stop running back Todd Gurley, and receiver/running back Tavon Austin made the Vikings pay for it early. But when Minnesota adjusted to slow Austin, the Rams didn’t have an answer with anyone else on the team. Wideout Kenny Britt did have three catches for 87 yards, including a 55-yarder, and was open for another one, but the Rams simply aren’t getting enough from quarterback Nick Foles and the passing game. Until that happens, it’s going to be hard for the Rams to win these type of games on the road.
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