zn wrote:

I thought it would post the picture.

And so you did.

.

Did you fix that? Or was I wrong about doing it wrong? Either way, count me among the real Ram fans, the ones who know the Rams will win this Sunday in KC. My shopping list: 1) a Kansas City baby; 2) a Kansas City bottle of wine. Rams 24-17 victors.

Board war?

3rd and 22 from their own 9 with 2:26 left. I though the Rams had all their timeouts, but the screen looks like it says they have two, plus the 2min. warning. Whatever. On to the next one.

Isn’t contact with a receiver OK before five yards? The holding is called behind the line. I guess it wasn’t an illegal contact call, but was that receiver not, by design, supposed to screen a rusher as his route runs parallel with Romo’s rollout?

My fear before preseason was that the blitz-heavy, risk taking style of defense would nicely take advantage of a strong front line, but it would pay the price when the young, unproven backfield was exposed. I did not think shortcomings would look the way they do, struggling to stop the run.

I feel like they can and will make adjustments, mostly because I’ve seen them adjust very well before. But this is a tough opponent to face in the midst of making adjustments, because they run and throw well.

I’d like to see a breakthrough on defense, one that makes me say to myself “OK, this is what we were waiting to see. This is the kind of defense they should be playing.” I’m talking three-and-outs, hard, sure tackling, turnovers, and frustrated opponents. I thought we’d be there already.

I figure I’m not pointing out anything that’s not obvious if I suggest that the term “defending super bowl champs” sort of bolsters Seattles’ position.

I do wonder why we got so good against the run in the second half of last year, and then we begin the year getting raped by the run. I do not have the football acumen to recognize those causes. I mentioned my frustration once before being caused by my expectation that the defense would pick up where it left off last season. Expectations are the building blocks of disappointment I guess.

One thought that crossed my mind was that Fisher has to pick his poison, in a way. He can go straight to the whip from training camp through preseason, work these guys into midseason shape for the opener, full contact all the way, and then nobody could say they weren’t prepared. I know he tries instead to keep guys fresh, which might mean not exhausting every ounce of energy in camp and preseason. The benefit would be that you have gas in the tank at the end of the year. That is a management strategy, and I have no idea if there’s anything relevant about it for Fisher or these Rams, it’s just a thought that occurred to me. I won’t defend it with any conviction or anything.

If you want to finish the season playing your best ball and keeping guys fresh, rather than committing to busting out of the gate already worked into peak form, because you’ve been around and seen how difficult and unlikely it is to maintain that intensity, excellence, and some fresh legs for the whole season, you might regulate a little early on.

Not that the early games don’t count as much as the later games; they obviously do. But what’s the use of starting 4-0, then limping into a wildcard spot with a team that blew its wad getting ready for week one.

Also, I don’t mean that in this poorly thought-out that Fisher would just be blowing off the early games. I just mean that he would have them ready and prepared for the whole season, without treating week one like it was the super bowl.

I mention it because of the way they improved last season, and seem like they need to do it again this year. maybe its a stupid idea, but that’s one of my strong suits.

I was surprised. I wanted them to more or less pick up where they left off last year. They had improved the penalties, especially on especial eteams. They figured out how to run the ball. They got tough against the run. I thought there would even be improvements over last year’s late-season play, with Williams’ running the defense and a big addition to the Oline.

But I’ve gotten over my initial doomsday reaction. Let’s see what happens with a week to patch up areas that are at least easy to target.

Zeuerlein doesn’t miss, Hill doesn’t throw that untimely, incredibly crucial pick, maybe things go different.

Such is the psychological roller coaster ride for this Ram fan: Tues – Sat optimism. Sun-Mon sequestered in a bunker with no input from the outside world.

rfl wrote:

(Obviously, my criticism here is not directed at Maddy!)

You sayin’ I can’t take criticism?

Donuts, yes. Absolutely… Donuts with jokes, and we might not lose a game. I picture offering up a maple bar: “It does seem like a good year for the Rams, donut?” “Dunbar won’t be in custardy to start the season, will he?” and stuff like that.

On offense, I wonder if receivers will be able to improve on just getting open, or finding separation, if there’s a difference. I have to say that wondering what Britt will become provides the most intrigue for me in that regard. Quick’s development comes in second. I kind of feel like RB, QB, and to a less confident degree, the OL, will be considered real strengths.

On defense, I wonder how the transition to GWs defense will go. How quickly will the new system become second nature? It is going to be different, and it doesn’t sound like it will be more simple. Personnel-wise, like everyone else, I wonder if the legion of new faces in the defensive backfield will produce guys who can cover. What about Jenkins? It seemed to me like his improvement stalled, or he may have even regressed. Will that turn around? I will say I am hopeful.

So that’s for if you prefer de-kafkanated?