the press on the SF game

Bonsignore: Rams’ biggest issues are lack of running game, spotty play from Goff

By Vincent Bonsignore

http://www.dailybulletin.com/sports/20161225/bonsignore-rams-biggest-issues-are-lack-of-running-game-spotty-play-from-goff

Even when the Rams took a 14-point lead Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, something didn’t feel right.

The Rams had their biggest lead of the season, a remarkable reminder of just how inept their offense has been all year, but on this day a sled filled with gifts from above.

And a defense that had bottled up Colin Kaepernick for more than three quarters appeared poised to finish him off and deliver the Rams their fifth win of the season.

Still, there was an eerie worry hanging in the air at the Coliseum.

Maybe it was the Rams’ season-long inability to run the ball, which renders them vulnerable in close-out situations that require draining the clock by moving the chains on the ground.

Maybe it was a defense that, for all its ruggedness and stinginess this season, has shown a nasty habit of falling apart at inopportune times.

Whatever it was, even against the one-win 49ers a 14-point fourth-quarter lead seemed ominously frail.

“You’ve just got to finish games,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald would say later in a disappointed Rams locker room after, predictably enough, the 49ers came roaring back with 16 points over the final 5:06 to win 22-21.

The Rams, as we’ve all learned over this grim season, can’t finish games.

“We know nothing is ever over until it says ‘0:00,’ ” said running back Todd Gurley.

Ain’t that the truth.

And so it goes for the Rams, who fell for the 10th time over their last 11 games and couldn’t even deliver their frustrated fans a small Christmas token against their bitter rivals from San Francisco.

“Basically, just making dumb mistakes like we’ve been doing previously,” said wide receiver Tavon Austin. “Not making the big play when we need to. Basically, just losing focus. I think we probably gave it up, and thought the game was over. But, it wasn’t.”

It’s the story of the Rams’ season.

Here are some observations from another loss in a nightmare season:

LACKING OF RUNNING GAME KILLS THE RAMS

It’s not like the 49ers’ defense is the second coming of the Steel Curtain, but the Rams were unable to create a push against San Francisco to provide Gurley running room. In keeping with a season-long theme of running-game woes, Gurley finished with 67 yards on 23 caries for a paltry 2.9 yards per carry.

And that ineptness was on display after the 49ers cut the Rams’ lead to 21-14 with 5:06 remaining.

In need of a couple of first downs to run clock, the Rams did the complete opposite.

First, Gurley plunged into the line for one yard on first down.

Then he was stopped after gaining four yards on second down.

Then, facing a third-and-five and with virtually no hope of converting the first down on the ground, Jared Goff dropped back to pass and was immediately sacked to force fourth down.

Onto the field ran the punt team to surrender the ball back to the 49ers with 3:15 left on the clock. It turned out to be just enough time for Kaepernick to drive San Francisco to a touchdown and then convert a two-point conversion for the win.

“We just can’t get enough first downs on offense, and I think that catches up to your defense in the last six minutes of the game,” said Rams interim head coach John Fassel.

And that goes directly to the run game, which was supposed to be the anchor to the Rams’ offense but has deteriorated into a liability.

Until the Rams get that fixed, they will continue to be vulnerable to situations that unfolded Saturday against the 49ers.

WHICH LEADS US TO THAT LEFT TACKLE PROBLEM

Greg Robinson isn’t solely to blame for the Rams’ running game woes, but he is absolutely the face of the offensive line issues the Rams have dealt with all season.

The second overall pick from the 2014 draft, Robinson was supposed to have developed into a cornerstone piece of the Rams’ offense by now and become a left tackle they could rely on for the next decade.

Instead, he’s been a colossal bust, as evidenced by the fact he was a healthy scratch on Saturday for the second time this season. The Rams simply can’t count on Robinson anymore, at least not at left tackle and possibly not at any position on the offensive line.

Their choices are limited: Cut him. Trade him. Or maybe try to salvage something from him by moving him to guard.

The hole that creates at left tackle is monumental. There is no one on the current roster the Rams can trust to protect Goff’s back side over the course of a full season, and there aren’t any easily acquirable replacements on the trade or free agency front.

That leaves the draft, although the Rams’ highest pick next April arrives in the second round so, barring the uncovering of a hidden gem, it’s hard to imagine them finding an immediate long-range answer via the draft.

It’s a perplexing situation with no easy solutions. And until it gets solved, the Rams will be vulnerable along the offensive line.

THE GOFF ISSUE

Considering the lack of talent Jared Goff is playing alongside — and that includes an inept offensive line and nary a perimeter playmaker that strikes fear in opposing defenses — it’s impossible and unfair to judge what the Rams have in their rookie quarterback.

What’s concerning, though, is Goff hasn’t provided much more than a glimpse here and there of the elite skill level the Rams fell in love with in when they made him the first overall pick in last April’s draft.

The hope is that Goff will emerge under a new head coach and new offensive system and alongside any improvements the Rams make on offense over the years.

But until then, it’s valid to have questions and concerns.

In six games so far he’s completed 53.5 percent of the 185 passes he’s attempted and thrown five touchdowns against seven interceptions. His quarterback rating is 61.7.

And for the first time all year, he seemed a bit shaken afterward while trying to pledge to fans he’ll do what it takes to get himself — and the Rams — pointed in the right direction.

“I’ll say this, to all the fans and everybody that came out today, we’re appreciative and understand where we are,” he said. “We know that they understand where we are. It’s just hard, I know they see it — it’s hard in the locker room, it’s hard for all of us. But I promise you guys it will get fixed — everything in my heart and soul to get it all fixed.”

That is an objective for another day.

And based on what we’ve seen so far from Goff and the Rams’ offense, it doesn’t appear to be a quick fix.

49ers Stage 4th-Quarter Comeback, Defeat Rams 22-21

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/49ers-Stage-4th-Quarter-Comeback-Defeat-Rams-22-21/be34793a-2cef-4df5-82ed-f25379ddbe26

LOS ANGELES — Though they took a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Rams allowed a 15-point comeback to fall to the 49ers, 22-21, on Christmas Eve at the Coliseum.

Quarterback Jared Goff connected with tight end Tyler Higbee for a two-yard touchdown pass with 1:32 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Rams a 21-7 lead.

But after that, it was all 49ers. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick ran in a 13-yard touchdown, passed for a 10-yard touchdown, then ran in a two-point conversion to lift the Niners to their second victory of the season — both of which have come at the Rams’ expense.

“Clearly a tough loss,” Rams interim head coach John Fassel said. “It’s sure tough to know what to say because it seems like it’s kind of the same thing that’s happening.”

The way this loss occurred had Fassel referring back to the Rams’ Week 11 matchup with the Dolphins, which also ended with an opponent’s fourth-quarter comeback.

“Kind of a replica of the Miami game where we just couldn’t convert third downs into first downs on offense, and just couldn’t get off the field in critical situations on defense,” Fassel said.

With the Rams ranked No. 32 in offense and the 49ers No. 32 in defense, this game appeared to be an opportunity for L.A. to establish a rhythm on that side of the ball. San Francisco’s defense got the better of the matchup, however, with the Rams recording just 177 total yards.

Running back Todd Gurley rushed 23 times for 67 yards with a touchdown. And quarterback Jared Goff had a forgettable day, completing just 11 of 24 passes for 90 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

“I thought there were some good things we did, I thought there were some, obviously, bad things I did,” Goff said. “We need to be better. I need to be better — I need to be better for us to win.”

“You look at San Francisco and they’ve been struggling on defense. We’ve been struggling on offense. So, a struggling defense was better than a struggling offense today,” Fassel said. “I’ll also look at the tape to know exactly why, but Todd made a big emphasis on running the football and I think he averaged 2.9 [yards] a carry. Just not good enough.”

As Fassel put it, Los Angeles’ inability to sustain drives late in the game gave San Francisco its opportunities to come back.

“We couldn’t get enough first downs on offense in the third quarter, and then we got the ball with a one-score lead with four minutes left in the game, and we go three-and-out,” Fassel said. “So we just can’t get enough first downs on offense, and I think that catches up to your defense in the last six minutes of the game.”

“I’ll say this — to all the fans and everybody that came out today, we’re appreciative and understand where we are,” Goff said. “We know that they understand where we are. It’s just hard, I know they see it — it’s hard in the locker room, it’s hard for all of us. But I promise you guys it will get fixed — [I’ll give] everything in my heart and soul to get it all fixed.”

Defensively, the Rams held Carlos Hyde in check with the running back tallying just 38 yards on 13 carries — albeit he exited the game after sustaining a hit to his leg on a pass play in the fourth quarter. Kaepernick finished 28-of-38 passing for 257 yard with two touchdowns, an interception, and six carries for 15 yards and a rushing TD. His elusiveness proved particularly tough for the Rams to deal with in the fourth quarter with his touchdown run and two-point conversion coming on scrambles.

“He’s tough, especially when he’s running in space and he’s pumping the football,” Fassel said. “You don’t know whether to jump and deflect it or run through and tackle, or maybe you have to leave coverage to go tackle him and then he throws the pass to an open guy — so he’s tough.”

San Francisco opened the scoring in the first quarter, capitalizing on a Los Angeles turnover to take over possession with good field position.

Goff threw an interception to cornerback Tramaine Brock on a pass intended for wideout Kenny Britt. Brock returned the pick 39 yards to the Los Angeles 17, and two plays later quarterback Kaepernick hit Hyde over the middle for a 19-yard touchdown.

But L.A. responded well with 14 quick points to take the lead. Wide receiver Pharoh Cooper took the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to Los Angeles’ 48. Then on 4th-and-2 from the San Francisco 30, Goff connected with tight end Lance Kendricks with a short pass in the flat off play action, and the tight end rumbled 24 yards to the visitors’ six.

Running back Todd Gurley did the rest, punching it in on a one-yard run to tie the game at seven.

It didn’t take long for the Rams to take the lead, capitalizing on a takeaway. Safety Cody Davis — starting in place of injured safety Maurice Alexander — picked off an overthrown Kaepernick pass toward the middle of the field and returned it to San Francisco’s 30.

Wide receiver Tavon Austin put points on the board on the next play, taking a jet sweep to the left 30 yards to pay dirt, giving the Rams a 14-7 advantage.

“It felt good to finally score my first one at home,” Austin said. “I had some great blocks. It was a great play at the right time. I saw the lane and just used it.”

That score would hold until the early fourth quarter, when another Rams takeaway gave L.A. a short field. On 1st-and-10 from the San Francisco 34, Kaepernick completed a pass to Hyde in the flat on the left. Cornerback E.J. Gaines put a low hit on Hyde, causing the running back to drop the ball. While the play was initially ruled incomplete, it was changed to a fumble after Fassel’s challenge. Defensive lineman Morgan Fox recovered the loose ball on San Francisco’s 25-yard line.

Starting at that spot, the Rams extended their lead with a short, four-play drive. Goff finished it off with a short, quick pass to tight end Tyler Higbee in the end zone for his fifth touchdown pass of the season.

Two Rams reached significant milestones during the contest. Wide receiver Kenny Britt caught a pass for 15 yards, making him the first Rams wideout since 2007 to have 1,000 yards receiving in a single season. And punter Johnny Hekker set a single-season record for punts downed inside the 20, breaking it with his first, and recording three more on Saturday afternoon to give him 50 in 2016.

“Johnny’s had a historic season punting the football with his inside-the-20 numbers, his net average, which is a reflection of his punt-cover team,” Fassel said. “I’m proud of JOhnny. He comes every day, he’s a leader, he’s tough, he’s good, and the guys respect him. I love him and I”m proud of him.”

The Rams also elected to deactivate left tackle Greg Robinson once again, placing Rodger Saffold at left tackle and Jamon Brown at left guard.

“We talked on Monday about making a little bit of a change to our offensive line juts to try to get something going in the run game and to shore up some protection,” Fassel said. “We weren’t using Greg as a scapegoat for any of the problems on the offensive line, but we felt getting Jamon Brown into the game. We know we could bump Saffold to tackle.”

With the loss, L.A. is now 4-11 on the season. The Rams will face the Cardinals in the 2016 season finale next Sunday at home.

“I’m not going to let my last week as an interim head coach just kind of fizzle and die out, be done in a week and call it an offseason,” Fassel said. “I’m going to do my best to get this team a win and say, ‘One day, I won a game as a head coach in the Coliseum.’”