call me crazy, but i think the rams gotta chance next week. but they gotta slow ap down.

he reminds me of a lot of different running backs. in fact. i’d say there are bits of faulk, dickerson, and jackson in him.

and what’s really fun to think about is i don’t think he’s fully back yet. i think he’s lost some speed from college. but with time i’m thinking he gets that back. probably not until next year.

mostly i just feel priveleged that i get to root for him on this rams team. it’s the perfect marriage really.

but also i want to take some time and give a shout out to tavon austin. not just the yards and the touchdowns. but the down and dirty hustle plays he made this game and in previous games.

think about that. 2 of the most explosive players in all the nfl. they’re also taking a leadership role on this offense. it’s going to take some time. looks like it might not even happen this year. but i think the offense will ultimately be in good shape. just need to help those two guys out.

a couple articles (zn: loaded with vids and gifs)

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/spirit-of-st-louis-todd-gurley-is-giving-the-rams-a-chance-to-take-flight/

http://nflbreakdowns.com/todd-gurley-outside-zone-trap-cardinals-wk42015/

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by zn.

if i’m the rams, i actually think i try and pass the ball more this game. catch the 9ers off guard. get gurley involved more in the passing game. get some play action going.

this niners defense ranks last in pass defense. and i’m thinking this niners defense is going to go after todd in the running game. teams have three full games of tape to study this gurley led offense. i’m thinking the rams can catch them being overly aggressive defending todd. give foles and the receivers some confidence.

and hopefully kendricks is back.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by InvaderRam.

yeah. but for foles to get hot, the oline has to gel.

he puts a forearm shiver on a defensive end. just shruggs him off on that 48 yard run. crazy. tremendous lower body strength to break tackles.

another thing. on that 48 yard run. i think most guys barrel forward and try to get whatever they can. and it would have been a good run. gurley has not only the vision but the speed to cut across the field and get maybe another 35 yards. though obviously he gets some big help from tavon on a terrific block as well.

i could be wrong, but i think cleveland is better than people think and the niners are worse than people might think.

but it’s divisional game so will be tough.

Zooey wrote:

Sure, it seems reasonable to expect incremental improvement from the passing game.

Except that I haven’t seen any.

I don’t swim in a stats-filled pool, so I can’t back up my impressions with data, but I would say that I think the most impressive Foles performance was the first game against Seattle.

As I recall, the Rams put together 3 80-yard drives in that game. And, iirc, we haven’t seen anything to match that since.

In fact, the Rams flat out suck.

I don’t know what else to conclude from the fact that the Rams are #1, or near the top, in first down yardage, and at, or near, the bottom in 3rd down conversion, and that they just don’t accomplish sustained drives. I mean, remove the Seattle game, and where are the Rams statistically on offense?

They SUCK, people. The offense SUCKS. You give the Rams a middle-of-the-pack defense, and they are 0-6 right now. Maybe 1-5.

So, yeah, Foles sometimes makes some great downfield throws. But for every one of those, he throws the ball over the head or behind a receiver 10 – 15 yards away from him 3 times.

Yeah, and maybe Quick gets better, and maybe Foles gets better, but I’m not seeing the OL as being the big problem here, and it sure as hell isn’t Gurley.

The Rams can’t pass. They can’t. They can’t make first downs, they can’t control the clock, and they scare nobody in the passing game.

They can contend. Jared Cook will make a big play now and then between his pulled-short routes, and phantom blocks, and Foles will hit a guy once in a while. But they aren’t going to win when it matters because they can’t.

Having said that, I am enjoying the season, and I look forward to December, and I hope they get a playoff game.

But this team needs a QB and a WR.

if it’s the same story by game 16, i’d say yeah. try and find a quarterback in the 2017 draft. see what les’ qb scouting skills are like.

we’ve seen this defense go against high caliber quarterbacks and not only limit them but really punish them. palmer, wilson, roethlisberger, and rodgers. and not just great quarterbacks, but some pretty exceptional backfields as well.

should be fun to see this defense play out the last 10 games.

Agamemnon wrote:

I thought that this was the Rams best game this year. Some players who I thought had their best games this year: Hayes, Jenkins, Barron, and Fairley. I think the Oline is improving.

the best part? their next game could be even better!

team just has to keep focusing on getting better every day.

oh. well. the dbs hit hard anyway.

i guess brandon fisher is dbacks coach now.

he’s doing a great job. this is the best i’ve seen it since fisher’s been here. losing gaines was tough. but joyner has come a long way since last season. jenkins and johnson having their best seasons ever. safeties are all over the place.

i doubted that hiring. but fisher seems to be doing a great job.

i have no reason to believe there should be any kind of letdown.

but i’m still nervous.

Eternal Ramnation wrote:

This defense may not be elite but they are elite hitters. They are absolutely vicious out there!

if they aren’t already, i think they’re getting there.

i think they’re at least in the top 5 right now, but their goal should be to be the best.

zn wrote:

canadaram wrote:

To see Gurley dominating makes me feel smart for fist pumping and exclaiming “yes!” when the Rams drafted him on April 30, 2015.

I had the same reaction. Glad to see it was really warranted.

i still remember that moment. realizing gurley was still on the board and hoping against hope the rams would draft him. my favorite draft pick since steven jackson i think.