Zooey wrote:

I’m listening to Breer up there, and it sounds like he is implying that Fisher is putting Bailey and Mason down as personnel office failures which isn’t the read I read it, and which seems absurd.

Yeah I agree with that. Fisher did not put them down as personnel failures. That’s a complete misread.

The actual quotation:

We’ve had some unfortunate things take place with some high picks in Stedman Bailey and Tre Mason and those kinds of things you don’t anticipate.

I don’t know HOW you misread that statement to be a jab at personnel people.

It means what it says. They took a hit on 2 picks when bad things happened to them. I mean how in the hell do you read that as Fisher blaming Snead for Bailey getting shot.

That’s way, way, way off. Weirdly off.

.

wv wrote:

Slavery imposed through energy.

sanbagger wrote:

Last year Gurley had 5 games where he exceeded 100 yds and in his last 8 games he only broke that barrier 1 time. So I’m not so sure they protected/blocked like gang busters last year.

I don’t think that’s completely the case. If you look at the last games and the yards per carry, they are not uniformly down in the last games.

Ignore the yellow bar here, it was just an accident and doesn’t mean anything here.

Zooey wrote:

The QB has to learn an entire new language.

Yes and he’s still playing like a struggling rookie. That’s even with the fact that no one becomes a qb in the first place unless they are mentally set up to learn a system. AND the issue is unit cohesion anyway. Not everyone will be on the same page. I remember Saffold talking about learning a new system in 2011. It puts hesitation into everything. Heck Keenum was talking about this during the pre-season. It was new for him, too.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t get your forgetfulness on this. You can say other factors for you weigh more. But no one can just armchair into existence the idea that it’s easy for a team to learn an entirely new system. This has come up before, in spades, with extensive backing from articles and player comments and so on. I think for example about the switch to the McD system in 2011. It is just simply not an easy process, and that’s especially the case now, when the new CBA limits practice time. None of this is new discussion.

It’s a factor. You decide if it’s a major one. In my own history of watching the Rams I have never seen it NOT be a major factor when it happens.

nittany ram wrote:

I don’t know, but Rich Gannon noted what he thought were problems with the blocking scheme when reviewing film in preparation for the Rams game that he did the color commentary for this season. Can’t recall which game it was. He said too often the scheme left defenders unblocked who would then disrupt the play. I don’t know how much stock to put in that thoug

LARam had a good response to that. That’s common throughout the league, the Rams don’t do it every play, and it’s a play design thing for plays going the other direction. THere’s nothing unique to the Rams about that.

Five Takeaways: Rams 26-10 loss to Patriots

By Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Takeaways-Rams-26-10-loss-to-Patriots/48f62929-03a9-4c25-88bc-9c9ca08e1df6

After Sunday’s game against the Patriots, the Rams have now dropped three in a row and seven of their last eight. With just the final quarter of the 2016 season to go, here are five takeaways from Week 13.

1) Poor offensive production

It’s been an ongoing story for the Rams for a while now, and the lack of offensive production continued on Sunday against the Patriots.

Los Angeles managed only 162 total yards — 66 of which came on wide receiver Kenny Britt’s reception just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles finished just 1-of-12 in third-down efficiency and had only 36 yards rushing.

“The elephant in the room is the offense, and I get it,” head coach Jeff Fisher said postgame. “We’re working hard on it, and we’re doing everything we possibly can, and we’ve got to get better.”

“That’s a great team we played today,” running back Todd Gurley said. “But they’re one of 32 teams just like we are. So that doesn’t make an excuse for us to go out and play like we did.”

The Rams have scored 10 points or fewer in four of their last five games, and in six of their 12 games overall. L.A. is currently No. 32 scoring just 15.0 points per game. That will have to improve if the Rams are to make a run in the last four games of the season.

2) Too many offensive errors

Drops from receivers and an inability to effectively protect the passer were significant factors that limited the Rams’ offensive production. In his third pro start, quarterback Jared Goff completed 14 of his 32 passes for 161 yards, with one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. But both of those turnovers had issues that had to do with more than just the signal-caller.

On Goff’s first pick, the ball went off the hands of tight end Lance Kendricks and cornerback Maloclm Butler secured it before it hit the ground. On the second, Goff’s arm was hit as he was throwing, which led to the ball floating in the air midfield.

“Both interceptions, one was the result of a drop and one was the result of bad protection and he got hit and let the ball go,” Fisher said. “So if he’s making a bad decision and hitting a defender in the chest with the ball, then that’s one thing, but you know, he didn’t do that.”

“I have to look at the tape so I can give you a more realistic evaluation of his play, but Jared Goff wasn’t the reason we lost this football game today,” Fisher continued.

Going forward, one of the Rams keys will be to limit the negative plays that can pop up during games.

“We had a lot of errors across the board, really, offensively — myself, everybody really,” Goff said. “Errors, they’re obviously going to happen, you just want to limit them. I mean, when one thing happens, you can’t get down about it. You’re OK, move on.”

3) Defense limits Patriots scoring opportunities

Los Angeles’ defense responded after a poor performance against New Orleans with a better showing against New England. The unit surrendered a 43-yard touchdown run to running back LeGarrette Blount on the game’s opening drive, but aside from that held him to just 45 yards on 17 carries.

Quarterback Tom Brady finished 33-of-46 passing for 269 yards with one touchdown. The Rams effectively pressured Brady a number of times, recording four quarterback hits.

The pressure came through in particular on third down, as the Patriots finished just 4-of-16 in the category.

And after New England scored a touchdown off a L.A. turnover with 13:04 in the second quarter, the Rams did not let the Patriots back in the end zone.

“We held them to four third-down conversions. And that in itself, I think, is respectable,” Fisher said. “But you know he’s going to move the football when you play Tom and this offense, you have to go into it thinking you are going to hold them to field goals. Field goals are a win for your defense. You guys have heard me say that before. And for the most part, we did.”

4) Robinson returns to lineup

Left tackle Greg Robinson was inactive against New Orleans in Week 12, but returned to his regular spot on the line for Week 13. Fisher had said he made the decision to deactivate Robinson because the young lineman needed a break after a number of penalties and mental mistakes. Robinson, in turn, said during the week heading into the matchup he tried to make the most of that time.

“I feel like my focus was just to come out and try my best to put the best performance on film,” Robinson said postgame. “[There were] many things I wish I could get back. But it’s just frustrating that we didn’t come through with the win. Just have to build off that and try to stick it through next week. I feel like we have a good chance.”

Robinson was flagged for a holding penalty in the third quarter on Sunday. Thirteen penalties have been called against Robinson this season, nine of which have been accepted.

5) Fisher contract extension

After Sunday’s game, Fisher confirmed that he had signed a contract extension with the Rams prior to the beginning of the 2016 regular season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team.

“The discussion started at the end of the year, last year,” Fisher said. “Then they moved into the offseason, so I agreed with the organization well before the season started.”

“I am expecting to be the coach of the franchise, however, I fully understand that the wins and losses fall on my shoulders,” Fisher added. “That is the fact of our business. And I get that. And as I said, I’m not looking over my shoulder, I’m doing everything I can, on a daily basis, to get this team to win football games.”

bnw wrote:

Today around the NFL compared to Dickerson, yes, obscurity. There’s also the Offense vs. Defense thing exacerbated by the rules emphasizing offense, fantasy football ignoring defensive players etc.

The comment said UNTIL Namath and Dickerson brought their teams fame, they were unknown. That’s absolutely not true of the Rams before Dickerson. It’s not even a little true.