rfl wrote:

Thanks, WV. Appreciate the response.

Now, I agree. This is not a bad team. It’s a 9-7; 8-8 team. It’s probably a bit better than average.

I guess the question is, is that an appropriate return on the investment in Fisher over 4 seasons?

And a couple of things in specifics. First, I see virtually no evidence of potential in the Ram passing game. Foles looks really, really bad. I simply don’t believe a genuinely good QB looks like this. Britt and Cook flash at times, but both have shown themselves over their careers to be flakes. Quick? Bailey? Both seem to be shrinking, not growing.

And, see, that’s the thing. You mention coaches. Well, this coaching staff has had Quick and Bailey and Britt and Cook for years. And they are getting worse, not better. Where is there any evidence that this coaching staff has any capacity to get quality performance out of these guys except for once in a while? Hell, Fisher is widely known as a guy who struggles to coach a passing attack, even when he had a genuinely quality QB at TENN.

You know, this whole thing of coaching is a strange matter. People expect performance due to talent, but then they talk about relying on coaches to overcome weak roster areas, and they often show a blind faith in the magic of time to improve units that remain stuck in mediocrity … or worse.

My friend, you are one who does hold a coaching staff responsible from year to year. Last year was Year 3. This year is Year 4.

And the best Fisher can do is talk as if the offense needs time to work out the kinks.

The fact is that Fisher has brought in … J Long, Cook, Britt, Quick, Tavon, Stedman, Foles, and the youngsters on the OL. He re-signed Saffold when OAK knew the guy had suspect shoulders. He let Barksdale go. Those are all his acquisitions and decisions. He OWNS THIS BLEEDING OFFENSE! IT’S YEAR 4. And we are STILL hearing him blather on about how they need to solve basic problems that nearly all NFL offenses solve on a routine basis.

No, this is not a bad team. But Fisher to me has no track record that suggests his staff is going to be able to solve passing game challenges in 2015 or 2016.

Ah, well …

================

Well, you know, I’ve been thinking about how LONG fisher
lasted in Tennessee. He was there for a gazillion years,
even though most of his seasons were mediocre or worse.

Now everyone has there ideas about why his teams went up and
down, but the fact is he had a lot of mediocre seasons — and
the owner kept him all those years.

And i am gonna ‘guess’ that the reason is, a lot of those
teams were ‘close’ to being good. All those 8-8 teams —
tantalyzingly close to being good. Maybe its hard
to fire a guy when you think, “well, they just
need one more year and one more draft, etc…”

Thats kinda where “I” am anyway — the team IS
close. Its not a bad team. They played
the Pack close, and the Vikes close, and Pitt
close and of course beat Seattle and Ariz, etc.

So, assuming Finishes around .500 again — do
you start over? Or look at it, like, the
team is very close, stay the course.

I dunno. Everyone has their own take on Fisher.

What i HOPE is that in eight weeks we are
not sitting here talking about a .500 record.
There’s eight more games. Maybe they beat
the Bears at home. Maybe they beat
the faltering Ravens. That puts them
at 6-4, and who knows…maybe their
coming-out game will be with the Bengals.

We’ll see. Basically, I’m saying
the season aint over. Its still too
early to evaluate Year 4.

w
v

Agamemnon wrote:

<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>We are 7th in the playoff picture. Along with a bunch of other .500 teams. Our best chance is that Atlanta folds. imo</span>

Yes, thats what I’m thinking.
I think Atlanta will fade. I dont
think they are for real.

w
v

PA Ram wrote:

Bernie M. said on one of the broadcasts that he checked stats for 3rd down conversions and he could only go back to 1972 and since that time–the Rams have the WORST third down conversion percentage. In other words–as far back as that stat goes–the Rams are the worst. That’s all-time kind of futility.

Not good.

————————-
Yeah, i think its historic-horrendousness.

One of the worst ram pass-offenses. ever.

So far.

And yet, they are still a dangerous team,
that has a shot at the playoffs.

w
v

rfl wrote:

wv wrote:

I”m sure they’ll get better.

WV, I’m curious. How is it that you’re sure they’ll get better? I see no reason at all to make an assumption like that.

Just wondering why you do.

——————————————
Well because I think the coaches will continue to watch the tape
and learn from the tape, and make adjustments.

I think a veteran like Welker in the receiving corp might help.

And i think part of the problem is probably youth and communication
on the OLine. I dont think Foles has had much time, and I dont think
he trusts the Oline.

…I was expecting problems on the pass-offense, but I am disappointed
its THIS bad. Its awful. Its past game 8 and it is just horrendous.
Disappointing for sure.

I’m not saying i expect it to get a LOT better, RFL.
Maybe ‘somewhat’ better, though. Better enough to maybe
beat teams like the Vikings.

I am not disappointed in the Defense. (they played well
even without Quinn) Special teams look fine.
Run-offense is fine.

One piece of the puzzle left. Granted,
its a critical piece.

…this is ‘not’ a ‘bad team’ in my view. They went into
Minnesota and played even with a playoff-level team.
They ‘are’ close. If the pass-offense can just be nudged
from ‘horrendous’ to ‘mediocre’ 🙂

w
v

PA Ram wrote:

I think wv is mostly concerned about the “passing” offense though. A lot of the big plays are actually running plays. While the offense as a whole may indeed make bigger plays–the passing offense is somewhat miserable. Take away Gurley and Tavon’s runs and how does it look? How would it look if defenses were actually playing the pass and not having to stack the box because of Gurley’s threat? It should be easier but it just looks horrible. That’s what’s frustrating. And yes it’s many things but I don’t think they’ve gotten what they wanted out of Foles yet. Hopefully they will.

.

—————————-
Yes the question is about the “pass offense”,
not the “offense.”

And I know the OLine is young and has
two injuries right now. And the young’ins might gel
at some point and get healthy. And Foles might
get more time, and so he might play better —
but, RIGHT NOW, this is definitely ONE of the WORST
ram pass-offenses this poster has ever seen. Ever.

I”m sure they’ll get better. But right now — UGH.
HISTORIC-UGH.

w
v