I keep hearing the word: Wentzylvania.

I’m serious.

He’s a hit.

Hopefully we’ll hear Goffafornia one day. Or even Goff Angeles.

Okay–maybe not–but hopefully he plays well when he gets the job.

wv wrote:

Isn’t it true, that for four years, we have watched Fisher teams lose
this kind of game? Yes? No?

The Tampa Bucs seem to be a .500 level team. Not awful, but not great. A beatable team. A non-division beatable team.

Aint this the kind of team a playoff team is supposed to beat?

Are the fisher-rams ready to win a game like this and then consistently
keep winning games like this ? I have no idea. More 7-9 bullshit coming up? Or can they turn the corner and give us some 9-7 bullshit.

And if you are Fisher do you Say anything about the 7-9 bullshit of the past? Do you do anything different? Do you try something different to motivate this team?

w
v

This is EXACTLY the kind of game that Fisher lays an egg.

Until he proves otherwise–I gotta be concerned.

I give you 2015:

Sept 13th: Rams beat the Seahawks 34-31

Next week at Washington: Rams lose to Redskins 24-10

Dec. 16th: Rams beat Seahawks 23-17

Next week at San Francisco: Rams lose to the 49ers 19-16

2014:

Oct. 19th: Rams beat Seahawks 28-26

Next week at Kansas City: Rams lose to the Chiefs 34-7

Okay–that year they lost to Seahawks in final game so let’s take another great team they beat:

Nov. 16th: Beat the Denver Broncos 22-7

Next week at San Diego: Rams lose 27-24

2013 was a year they did not beat a lot of great teams with a following road game. But let’s look at the Cards who were 10-6.

Sept. 8: Rams beat the Cards 27-24

Next game at Falcons: Rams lose 31-24(Falcons were 4-12 that year)

Nov. 24th: Rams smash Bears 42-21

Next week at 49ers: Rams lose 23-13 ( To be fair–9ers were 12-4 this year)

To me–this reads as a pattern: Good game–even a win, against a good opponent followed by road loss next week.

And THAT is how you get some 7-9 bullshit.

To turn that around this team needs to beat a team like Tampa Bay this week. If they can’t, I’m not so sure they will turn things around this year. I’ll be getting a deja vu vibe. And I’d like to change that.

I don’t want to feel like Bill Murray:

Gurley.

He breaks out this week.

Britt was 6 yards shy of 100 yards. When was the last time a receiver had 100 yards for this team?

In any event I’ll take the win.

Nice rebound.

I’m pretty pleased with Britt right now–and what he does. Yes–it is limited but at least he is a deep threat. I don’t know what Tavon was doing, exactly–highstepping, a bit indecisive–dropping the ball. Tavon has to do better than this. Call him a receiver–a weapon–whatever–he has to be a big part of this offense. I don’t know that Quick was on his way to becoming any sort of star, but he had a decent year last year before becoming injured. Still—he seems like Jared Cook–a tease sort of player who will ultimately let you down. His problem is that he hasn’t staked a solid claim to a receiver position on this team.. Quick, Marquez–just a couple guys–nothing particularly special.

I am very excited for Spruce and he could be a total flop–or he could be an Edleman type. I want to see how he plays in the real games.

Also–I have some high hopes for Cooper.

Thomas doesn’t do anything for me yet. I want to see consistency.

Was it the same ghosts that Foles used to see?

Eeeeek! The team is haunted! That explains so much.

To be fair though–the ghosts did intercept Keenum twice–so you gotta watch ’em.

Okay–we know that for whatever reason they always seem to play the Seahawks tough. I don’t get it but they do. Wilson won’t be 100 percent. But the word is that he has become a better pocket passer than he used to be so maybe he won’t have to scramble so much. I think that the 49ers have a better offensive line so I will be shocked if the Rams don’t get pressure on Wilson. The Dolphins sacked him 3 times. Jimmy Graham scares me. I can see the Seahawks looking to attack the middle of the field because it was an obvious weak spot against the 9ers.

The Rams MUST solve that issue.

The Rams offense better get less predictable and fast. The Seahawks WILL get to Keenum. The Rams need better screens in place–ones where blockers actually hit someone and the run blocking better improve against a heavy front because until the Rams beat that they will continue to see everyone stacked against Gurley.

If Keenum has another rough day I see him getting pulled–if Mannion is active–if it’s Goff–maybe. I hope that Cooper is back this week. I heard Spruce may not be? In any case they have to get SOME success through the air or it will look like last week.

Bottom line: I see a close game. Possibly ugly. I believe at the very least the Rams defense shows up for this one.

Still–until I see SOMETHING from the offense?

Seahawks: 13 Rams: 10

So…..the 9ers defense figured out the Rams offense before Jared Goff?

Is it complicated, is it simple, is Goff just not too bright? Will he even line up in the right huddle when he gets out there? Very disturbing.

I don’t know if this is true or not but if it is, that’s a problem. This was the first game of the year. There should have been surprises–something. Was it so simple that there were only a few different formations and routes? It sort of looked that way, to be honest.

I don’t really get it. I don’t pretend I do. But it is a problem, I would think–if true. I’m not sure what it means in the grand scheme of things. But I don’t like it.

Next week I hope the entire team is sitting down and when the media asks them why they’re protesting the National Anthem they will respond:

National Anthem? Oh no…we’re protesting Jeff Fisher.

Yes–Wentz looked very good. Very impressive. I will say, however, that the Browns are probably the worst team in the NFL. Still, I was quite impressed. He will only get better. And hey–there is no reason why TWO or more great QBs can’t come from the 2016 draft. Just because Wentz succeeds doesn’t mean Goff will fail. They may both do well. Time will tell.

Great games this weekend. Just great games. I was watching RedZone and it was one heart stopper after another. My favorite game may have been the Raiders/Saints. I heard someone describe Carr as a young Drew Brees. I can see it. Raiders are going to be very good in a couple of years. Lots of pieces in place.

And some props to Alex Smith of the Chiefs. What heart.

There was some outstanding QB play this weekend. Nice to see.

Loved the Colts last second Globetrotters drill–even though it went nowhere. Can’t give Stafford 37 seconds. They should have won that game.

Missed field goals anyone? Yes–the kicking game IS important. Okay–I’ll excuse the Saints kicker for missing a 61 yarder but look at the Cards. Swing and a miss. Gano cost the Panthers. That’s why I loved the Del Rio decision to go for the 2 point conversion. Don’t leave it to the kicker. Fisher would NEVER have made that call.

Wilson could be hurt for the Seahawks. Even if he plays against the Rams he will be hobbled. Seahawks offense did not impress.

I thought Ezekeil Elliot would have a better game for the Cowboys behind that line. Still–Prescot played well for them.

4 out of 5 former Rams starters get a win this weekend. Wins: Long(Patriots) Cook(Packers) Mcleod(Eagles)Jenkins(Giants). The loser: James Laurinitis(Saints).

Zooey wrote:

Right, so why didn’t anybody say that? I was wondering where Rhaney was the entire 5 episodes. They put all the attention on the 3rd-string guy right from the beginning. I don’t understand why we got so much Austin Hill, either. I was wanting to stab myself in the eyes at the end of the final episode.

They picked guys to follow who were unlikely to make the team from the very beginning, and added a few guys – McRoberts, Joyner, the guy with the girl in his room, Hayes – when they made some kind of story splash. I would have preferred that they had followed Robinson, Quick, and Ogletree for their stories, Donald and Gurley for their potential star power. We got nothing on Brockers, Johnson, Cunningham, the TEs. I understand they can’t cover everybody, but why the hell did we spend 5 episodes on a bunch of guys who aren’t Rams any longer? Kush was a Peronality, but the other guys were drips.

And Seau must have no measurable personality at all, since we got his whole extended family frequently, but nothing of him except highlights from games.

I do appreciate Fisher a bit more. I admire that he handled every single cut personally, and all of his interactions seemed to be from a place of wise, experienced, and compassionate authority. He came across as trustworthy and respectable; firm, but fair.

Goff – still comes across as a kid. At least he doesn’t come across as an Entitled, Spoiled Kid, like Manziel. He seems solid. But there was also something kind of empty about him. Everything he said was what he was supposed to say. It’s like he worked harder on studying how to script saying all the right things than he did on hanging onto the football. He did not come across as “bright.” No interesting jokes or insights, or anything like that. Which isn’t a bad thing. I’m just saying. I mean…his idol, Joe Montana had no discernible personality, either.

I dunno. Not a fan of Hard Knocks, and as the Rams’ have used up their 15 minutes of fame on the series, I will never have to watch another episode of the show. I had to watch it. It was the Rams. But I am glad it was only 5 episodes and not the entire season.

Once again, Zooey–your incredible insight and observational skills are on full display here on the board. I agree with you 100 percent. The show wanted drama and so they picked some bubble guys to follow, hoping maybe one would make it and they could have the happy stuff and knowing some wouldn’t and they could play at the heartstrings.

I can’t really stand “reality” television.

Having said that–I do believe that there is the possibility some stars did not want to be bothered. And the Rams may have said: “Keep Gurley out of it,” or some such thing. We don’t know. But yes–there is certainly story editing. When they asked about the center and we didn’t get an answer someone probably said: “Rhaney is our guy”. But it wasn’t shown because it wasn’t part of the “story” they were telling.

So it was typical “reality” television in that sense.

Who knows what is real.

Goff certainly doesn’t seem like the brightest bulb–but I’m sure they checked his wonderlic score. But when Gruden had his sit-down with Goff and Wentz thought Wentz did better. Just my impression. And Goff is struggling to learn the playbook apparently. Maybe sitting out the game will motivate him to really get it. Still–I think he shows flashes of terrific athletic ability and I love his arm. Was he a legitimate 1st pick of the draft? Probably not–and that doesn’t help the pressure put on him. But he’s here now and has a lot of potential to be very good. He has to get his brain engaged on a lot of this and step away from the spotlight of HBO and the game for a bit. He’s under a LOT of pressure. He wasn’t just the 1st pick–he was traded for and a LOT was given up for him. This raises very lofty expectations–even unfair ones.

Sitting out right now is the best thing for him, IMO.

If the Rams struggle and are limping toward .500—put him in–no pressure. And let him learn. but he shouldn’t carry the weight of the team and playoff expectations right now. Let Keenum do that.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by PA Ram.

I was listening to L.A. sports radio today and they are freaking out about Goff. The one host said he could be the worst draft pick in history.

I think it’s waaaaaay to early to step off the ledge.

The Rams are doing the right thing. Just take some pressure off of him right now. Let him learn.