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  • November 30, 2016 at 3:01 am in reply to: reporters set up the PATZ game (including, Belichick impressed by Goff & Donald) #59816
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    Bill Belichick drops heavy praise for Rams’ Aaron Donald, who is capable of ruining Tom Brady’s day

    http://www.masslive.com/patriots/index.ssf/2016/11/bill_belichick_drops_heavy_pra.html

    The New England Patriots matchup well with the Los Angeles Rams, and should be heavy favorites heading into the game. With the talent on their roster, the Patriots should be well equipped to deal whatever threats the Rams present.

    Except Aaron Donald.

    The third-year defensive tackle is the exact type of player that can give the Patriots fits: an explosive interior pass rusher that can get into Tom Brady’s face quickly and force him to hurry and make mistakes.

    The Patriots are well aware of the threat that Donald presents. Speaking to reporters on a conference call Tuesday, Belichick had high praise for Donald, calling him “one of the most disruptive players in the league.”

    Even when the Patriots are playing well up front, they still have issues with talented interior pass rushers. Just look at last week’s game against the New York Jets, when Sheldon Richardson make a habit of slashing into the Patriots backfield and making sure Brady finished passing plays on his back.

    The ultimate example of this is the Seahawks’ Michael Bennett, who was a force to be reckoned in Super Bowl XLIX. Usually, the Patriots’ solution to this problem is to play with fire, putting up with the interior rushers and relying on Brady to get the ball out quickly (sometimes with split-second decisions) before a defender comes crashing down on him.

    Donald can do that like few players in the league. There were concerns about his size when he entered the league (he’s just 6-foot-1, 285 pounds), but he’s since brushed those aside. Scouts knew he’d be fast, but they didn’t know that he’d also be throwing around NFL linemen that have 30 pounds on him.

    And he will throw them:

    Many players in the NFL have power like that. However, they’re rarely the same guys that flash in like a lightning bolt, blowing up plays from the backside.

    Case in point:

    Here’s Belichick’s full comment on Donald, in which the Patriots coach gets into the minutia of what makes a player like him stand out in the NFL:

    “I’d say [Aaron] Donald is one of the most disruptive players in the league, maybe kind of like Geno Atkins that we played against with Cincinnati. He’s got good quickness, good playing strength. He’s got very good countermoves, so a lot of times he wins on his initial move, but if you happen to block his initial move, then he’s got a counter move and a quick counter and they’re hard to stop. He’s very instinctive. He’s got a good knack [for] knowing kind of when to do the right thing. He changes it up on his opponent, on those guards quite a bit. They don’t always get the same thing from him; he keeps them off balance. He’s really a very disruptive player. He makes his share of plays in the running game too, it’s not all pass rush. He does a good job in the running game and makes a lot of negative plays. He’s just a hard guy to block.”

    The Patriots will have a tall task Sunday in blocking Donald. Either the offensive line steps up, or at some point, Brady will get eaten alive like Cam Newton did on this play.

    November 30, 2016 at 2:30 am in reply to: Demoff: "Unfair to judge Fisher by his record" #59813
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    PA Ram wrote:

    Well–you have to have some sort of measurement.

    You just do.

    What is next year’s excuse? That they didn’t have the draft picks to fill in positions?

    What about 2018? That there are too many distractions because of the new stadium?

    I think you’d be hard pressed to find a single coach in football that didn’t have a number of excuses–if they wanted them. Hue Jackson? Lost his starting QB. Boom.

    Bears? Cutler got hurt.

    Panthers? Cam is getting beat up–no calls by the refs.

    Yes–excuses are everywhere–and if record does not count as a measurement–why would they ever fire him? When will there ever be a perfect season without injuries, or distractions or scheduling problems or bad officiating? Every team deals with it. The Pats started two rookies on their offensive line last year week #1. And it was seamless.

    Good coaches find a way. They have to.

    The problem is that the Rams have come to accept mediocrity as success–and so have some fans.

    And Fisher has been mediocre for a looooooong time. Even before the Rams. But he had excuses then too, of course.

    Yes–they can extend him 3 years—5 years—-10 years and maybe–just maybe he DOES have a good year or two. He probably will. Maybe he won’t.

    But there will ALWAYS be excuses to explain a poor season.

    This team and its fans deserve better. I just think five years is fair. When I see a running game go backward–and that’s supposed to be the bread and butter–I am concerned. When I see they can’t fix it I am more concerned.

    That statement he made about being happy if Goff had settled for 3 points on the TD drive–just so the Saints wouldn’t have time on the clock? There is something wrong with his very philosophy of “don’t play to win–play not to lose” and I think it infects his offense.

    THAT defensive meltdown against the Saints? Forget the win/loss. That can’t happen.

    It’s ALWAYS something.

    I’m just tired of it and I’m ready for the team to move on from him.

    I’m pretty sure that we’ll get to see if he can turn this around because I’m pretty sure that the Rams are keeping him.

    But his record is what it is.

    r

    No you don’t need some sort of abstract measurement. You need to look at things.

    And PA, I reject the “excuses” word. To me it is always only a flame term. You do know that making excuses means rationalization and denial. Well remember the coaches aren’t having this discussion, 2 posters are. The one who uses the “e” word is saying the other is not making an argument, but spinning rationalizations and denial. Which of course puts the person who uses the “e” word in the position of saying, see I am just talking about simple reality (as opposed to have one among many possible opinions) and you’re not…in other words, using the “e” word just ends up allowing someone to claim their opinion isn’t an opinion but a truth, and that the target of their e-wordizing is just rationalizing and denying.

    Using the “e” word can’t escape that logic…that is what the “e” word does and says.

    Better if we approach this as people with different views, and that;s all.

    There are not “excuses” in these discussions, there are different opinions looking at different causes and examining different reasons. And btw I see the Parcells meme thing as a slogan, not an argument.

    I have always thought that records are only a first step in analyzing a team–you have to look closer to have a more realistic view. 4 teams could all go 9-7. One is overachieving, another is underachieving, one is a good team wracked by injuries, one is an emerging team that isn’t there yet. You can’t tell which is which just by the record. YOu have to look.

    Fisher had no qb after 7 games into 2013. He had Clemens, then then Hill, then Davis, Foles who fell apart and got benched, then Keenum who did fine as long as they had a running game.

    In that same period, 2013-2015, the OL was okay in 2013, fell apart in 2014, and got rebuilt as young and inexperienced in 2015 but then got injured too.

    Now how many coaches can we think of who did well under those conditions? Any?

    To me, and this has always been true–if you don’t look at contexts and circumstances, then, you’re not really accounting for what happened.

    I am open to any argument that showed me coaches who did well when they didnt have a qb and had continuing issues to that extent with their OLs.

    November 29, 2016 at 11:59 pm in reply to: Demoff: "Unfair to judge Fisher by his record" #59811
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    PA Ram wrote:

    The last thing I would ever do is judge a coach by his record.

    Canton awaits him.

    Good grief.

    I agree that records don’t tell you the whole story.

    WHY does a team have its record? If you don’t ask that IMO you don;t really know.

    So for example, only one coach in the history of the NFL has won after a team moved (Flores, 82).

    That doesn’t count?

    November 29, 2016 at 10:41 pm in reply to: The Rams ban Eric Dickerson from sideline #59808
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    Well after reading Silver–forget it. There’s no story here.

    .

    November 29, 2016 at 1:52 am in reply to: The Rams ban Eric Dickerson from sideline #59757
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    I can;t tell if this is a bad scandal or not. If it’s a tempest in a teapot, or the kind of thing that undermines a coach.

    November 28, 2016 at 9:42 pm in reply to: reporters can't help looking at the SAINTS GAME while driving by #59745
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    Five Takeaways: Rams 49-21 loss to Saints

    Myles Simmons

    http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Takeaways-Rams-49-21-loss-to-Saints/b229e5b9-2465-49ab-8060-3d4e6b2c304e

    Though the Rams got off to a nice start with a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter, the Saints marched away with a 49-21 victory in the Bayou. With the loss, the Rams have fallen to 4-7 on the season. Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s matchup.

    1) POOR DEFENSIVE DAY

    Heading into Sunday’s matchup, the Rams had surrendered just 50 points to their opponents in their last four games. New Orleans came a point away from matching that, scoring 49 in their drubbing of Los Angeles in Week 12.

    “Everything they did was clicking,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “We didn’t have an answer for them. Collectively, it probably would be the worst game of my career.”

    “We just had too many mistakes,” middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “And when you go against an offense like that, they’re able to expose you. And we can’t have that.”

    The Saints finished with 555 total yards on 71 offensive plays — good for 7.8 yards per play. Quarterback Drew Brees accounted for five touchdowns — four passing and one rushing — while completing 78 percent of his passes for 310 yards. And running back Mark Ingram gained over 10 yards per carry with 146 yards rushing on 14 attempts with a touchdown.

    “When you’re relying on your defense week after week after week and waiting for the offense to step up, sometimes these things happen,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “It just wasn’t a good day for us defensively.”

    The Rams have plenty to correct on the defensive end, and will need to do it quickly with a trip to face Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense on deck.

    “If y’all don’t know, we’re playing Tom Brady next week,” Johnson said. “So we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”

    “We’ve got Tom Brady and Matt Ryan ahead of us,” Fisher said. “So, our defense is going to have to put this one behind them and answer.”

    2) OFFENSE STAGNATES IN SECOND HALF

    The Rams started fast, scoring a touchdown on their first drive — the first passing TD of quarterback Jared Goff’s career. Then the Rams put the ball in the end zone following a defensive takeaway, taking advantage of strong field position with Goff’s six-yard touchdown pass to wideout Kenny Britt. Then Lance Kendricks caught a touchdown to cap a successful two-minute drill, giving the Rams 21 points — their first time reaching at least 20 since the Week 6 loss to Detroit.

    But the Rams were blanked in the second half, netting only 60 total yards and three first downs in the final two quarters.

    “Second half, we just couldn’t get it going again,” Goff said. “Couldn’t get that momentum we had in the first half going. Their offense was playing lights out, and their defense was playing well, too.”

    With the Rams trailing for much of the contest, the run game was rendered ineffective as well. Running back Todd Gurley had only 50 yards rushing on 13 carries.

    “Obviously, we got down a lot in that third quarter,” Gurley said. “So, you don’t want to waste too much time, you know, running the ball. We’ve just got to stop putting ourselves in those situations — be able to control our own destiny.”

    3) GOFF IMPROVES IN SECOND START

    There were some clear improvements week-to-week from Goff, who made his first road start on Sunday. The young quarterback made plenty of strong throws, particularly on the Rams’ first drive and in their two-minute drill just before halftime.

    Goff’s first career touchdown pass went to wideout Tavon Austin, as the QB put nice touch on the 24-yard strike in the end zone.

    “We got a good look — the look we kind of expected on that play,” Goff said. “And Tavon ran a great route, I put it out there for him, and I actually didn’t think it was going to be complete when I threw it — I thought I missed him a little bit inside. But he made a good play for me and helped me out.”

    But according to Fisher, the successful two-minute drive particularly stood out.

    “I didn’t want to put Drew back on the field. So we’re kind of slowing that drive down, and I said, ‘Three at this point’s good,’” Fisher said. “And he made some really good throws in the two-minute drive — off his back foot — and put the ball in the end zone.”

    “I was just trying to score,” Goff said. “I wasn’t really concerned with giving them the ball back. I think the coaches were probably dictating that with the playcalling, and the tempo, and what they were doing. But I was just trying to score.”

    The rookie finished 20-of-32 passing for 214 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He was also sacked three times, fumbling on one.

    And so while there was progress from Goff’s first to second start, he wasn’t basking in it postgame.

    “I don’t think there’s any moral victories,” Goff said. “I obviously felt a lot more comfortable in my second game, just from experience. Felt better out there, was able to see it a lot better, and it began to slow down a little bit, for sure, about halfway through the first half.

    “But at the same time, I want to win,” he continued. “I don’t want to be out here saying I’m happy with what we did, or what I did or anything in between, because I’m really not if we don’t win. And that’s the bottom line.”

    4) DONALD MAKES A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

    That’s a subtitle that could probably be used each and every week. But defensive tackle Aaron Donald made the Rams’ best defensive play of the game when he recorded a strip-sack on Brees to give Los Angeles an extra possession.

    With the Saints pinned deep in their own territory, Donald beat the offensive lineman assigned to block him and hit Brees from behind, forcing the ball to come out in the process. Linebacker Mark Barron was there to fall on the loose ball, handing it over to the offense at the New Orleans six-yard line.

    From there, Goff hit wide receiver Kenny Britt on a slant for a one-play touchdown drive. At the time, it gave the Rams a 14-7 lead.

    Plays like that show the importance of takeaways and why L.A. has been clamoring for more of them.

    5) ROBINSON RECEIVES ‘A BREAK’ AT LEFT TACKLE

    The struggles of third-year left tackle Greg Robinson have been well-documented, and piled up to the point where Fisher deactivated the offensive lineman for Sunday’s game. Veteran Rodger Saffold at left tackle on Sunday, with second-year OL Jamon Brown slotting in at left guard — where Saffold had been playing.

    “Did make a decision during the week to give Greg Robinson a break — a week off — because he needed it,” Fisher said postgame. “There was just a lot going on and too many mental errors, and too many penalties, and so we made a decision to go with Rodger at left tackle and Jamon at guard.”

    Saffold, however, suffered a hand injury late in the second quarter against the Saints and did not return. With Robinson inactive, second-year lineman Andrew Donnal filled in at left tackle — a fairly unfamiliar position for him.

    Fisher did not specify exactly how the line will shake out next week.

    “We’ll just adjust this week depending on how Rodger’s hand is. But I would expect Greg to return back to the lineup,” Fisher said. “Just kind of one of those things. I’ve dealt with them before with young players and he just needed a moment, needed a break. So we’ll get him back and get him going.”

    November 28, 2016 at 7:58 pm in reply to: Saints' victory over the Rams – PFF #59723
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    Agamemnon wrote:

    Goff does seem a bit miscast in the Rams’ offense as he excels in throwing well-placed throws to the deep and intermediate levels and he is playing in a shallow crossing route offense.

    Man. It’s going to be a while I think before that kind of myth-over-fact stuff goes away.

    It is true the Rams have had some qbs who could not deliver in the intermediate ranges. It is not true they don’t throw deep…they always do.

    But they took Goff because, among other reasons, they want what he brings to the passing game.

    This idea that they inherently DON’T do those things because of their offensive philosophy is just nonsense.

    November 28, 2016 at 7:54 pm in reply to: I'm hoping that Fisher looks…. #59722
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    JackPMiller wrote:
    zn wrote:
    JackPMiller wrote:

    at himself in the mirror and realize that it is best for him to retire from coaching, and move upstairs. He could help look for the new Head Coach. By doing that, he will show class and do the right thing to let someone else be the guy. Fisher does not have it. Fisher has to know, the LA Rams organization, will never sniff the playoffs, if he is still here as Head Coach.

    I hope he sticks around.

    I don’t buy your take on what it is he should “see.” I think that’s just you seeing what you see.

    So we have different votes on this. Fwiw.

    And admittedly neither of us knows what will happen.
    


    I want our team in the playoffs. Jeff Fisher will never make the playoffs as long as he is still here. I, like most don’t see a reason to keep Fisher. How did Fisher show you he deserves another year? He has not proven anything, except losing. You know fans will not show up in the Colosseum nextyear if Jeff Fisher is still Head Coach. I don’t see winning on the horizon, especially next year. Again what did Fisher show you, that he deserves another year?

    See, you voted. I voted.

    Then there;s no point in hashing it out. Or each of us repeating obvious points. Right?

    You won’t win an argument, and neither will I. I know how you feel, you know how I feel, and neither of us can pretend it’s “the truth” and not an opinion.

    So. It’s just 2 votes.

    …

    November 28, 2016 at 7:46 pm in reply to: Saints game reaction thread #59721
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    Ozoneranger wrote:

    Clueless on offense and adjustments.

    No they have actually won games under those conditions. All teams adjust in the 2nd half which means that any game the Rams were close at the end or won, they responded to the adjustment.

    It is, however, harder to respond competitively when you are down enough so that the D knows you have to pass and can tee off, plus you have a rookie qb in his 2nd start, plus your OL is starting its 3rd LOT (who happens to be someone who hasn’t played that spot since high school).

    So you don’t need that particular point to vote against Fisher.

    But, your claim there–that the Rams do not adjust on offense–is flat not true. We know they have and we know they have won doing it.

    It’s just that the 3 conditions I named make all that harder, for obvious reasons.

    How would any offense look against the Rams D if they had a rookie qb in his 2nd game, the OL was playing a 3rd LOT who had not played the position, and they were down by so much they had to pass and you knew it.

    Not good I would imagine.

    …

    November 28, 2016 at 1:57 pm in reply to: Robinson 'needed a break' #59698
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    sanbagger wrote:

    Anyway, no 2 pick in the draft at 3 years in, shouldn’t be needing a break IMO.

    Remember, “a break” is a euphemism. That was a wake-up call, part punishment and part prodding to improve.

    Should a no. 2 pick need that? Well many have. GR won’t be the first. If he is redeemable, then, he will be one of the few no. 2 picks over the years who struggled, who then WAS redeemed. Most no. 2 picks that struggle, then just fail.

    .

    November 28, 2016 at 1:54 pm in reply to: I'm hoping that Fisher looks…. #59697
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    JackPMiller wrote:

    at himself in the mirror and realize that it is best for him to retire from coaching, and move upstairs. He could help look for the new Head Coach. By doing that, he will show class and do the right thing to let someone else be the guy. Fisher does not have it. Fisher has to know, the LA Rams organization, will never sniff the playoffs, if he is still here as Head Coach.

    I hope he sticks around.

    I don’t buy your take on what it is he should “see.” I think that’s just you seeing what you see.

    So we have different votes on this. Fwiw.

    And admittedly neither of us knows what will happen.
    …

    November 28, 2016 at 12:56 pm in reply to: Robinson 'needed a break' #59693
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    sanbagger wrote:

    Needed a break?

    January is comin, he can have a break then.

    The only break he needs is to break his habit of holding on to defenders.

    Which they gave him a break to get on top of. That is, the phrase “needed a break” is a euphemism.

    The coach probably thought he was stressed and pressing plus could use some downtime to smooth out and be a better player.

    Personally, I am going to trust the coach on that.

    .

    November 28, 2016 at 11:41 am in reply to: Taibbi on Obama…. #59691
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    wv wrote:
    zn wrote:
    wv wrote:

    Nah, I’m not interested in that kind of separation. I think focusing on his personal traits is just a diversion from his hideous murderous neoliberal policies.

    w
    v

    I see both things. I’m not diverted by it.

    ————-
    I know you are not diverted by it. I’m not either. But i think a LOT of people are. So, i dont like that kind of article. Because i think it diverts a lot of people.

    w
    v

    Well, to me, the divertable have grown up to be inherently divertable, and this or that article won’t change that. Not that it matters, you can not like the article, that’s neither here nor there. I think more people believe Obama was a left wing extremist socialist though.

    Cause we live in a crazy world.

    November 28, 2016 at 12:07 am in reply to: the sideline squabble #59682
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    GW: surely by now Sansa knows to be loyal to Jon!
    JF: do you even watch? did you see her looking at Baelish at the end?
    GW: oh come on, that didn’t mean anything!
    JF: really? he’s manipulated everyone else why not her?

    November 27, 2016 at 11:39 pm in reply to: Goff Goes Off! Rookie Throws 3 TDs in First Half | Rams vs. Saints | NFL – Video #59680
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    Agamemnon wrote:

    Just saying, Goff made a couple throws today that Keenum just doesn’t make.

    Oh absolutely.

    He can zip them in with velocity in the 15-25 yard deep middle range.

    CK can only do that in his dreams.

    November 27, 2016 at 11:02 pm in reply to: Taibbi on Obama…. #59677
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    wv wrote:

    Nah, I’m not interested in that kind of separation. I think focusing on his personal traits is just a diversion from his hideous murderous neoliberal policies.

    w
    v

    I see both things. I’m not diverted by it.

    November 27, 2016 at 8:21 pm in reply to: Taibbi on Obama…. #59664
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    wv wrote:

    First John Oliver attacks Jill, and now Taibbi falls in love with Obama’s charisma. Gag me.

    You can’t separate Obama the person from Obama the tepid center-right empty politico?

    I think he would have made a great university president. When he spoke up as a moral spokesman on certain issues I thought he was tremendous.

    His policies, such as they are, were Clintonista sameole sameole.

    November 27, 2016 at 6:49 pm in reply to: Goff Goes Off! Rookie Throws 3 TDs in First Half | Rams vs. Saints | NFL – Video #59660
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    wv wrote:

    What was Goff’s QB rating?

    He certainly has a nice release.

    It’ll be interesting to see what Belichex does
    to him.

    w
    v

    Today, fwiw, the Patz are getting all they can handle from Ryan Fitzpatrick.

    Goff had a qb rating of 100.3, and that was with an INT and a fumble. He has more than a nice release btw. His awareness and reactions under pressure are really first-rate. From what we saw today, it is possible to see him becoming the best qb the Rams have had for decades, 2nd only to Warner. And actually I can see Tavon doing better as a receiver with Goff.

    …

    November 27, 2016 at 4:40 pm in reply to: Saints game reaction thread #59639
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    Just 3 quick observations.

    They would have won if they played Greg Robinson. Fisher is too hard on his players.

    Plus, putting the whole offense on the qb to sling it around like that? They lost because Fisher is too pass happy.

    Plus that defensive thing where they set up the opposing RB to get 10 yards a carry? I don’t think it’s working. I think they need a different strategy.

    …

    November 27, 2016 at 4:32 pm in reply to: real question…who was the last Rams qb #59638
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    zn wrote:

    who was the last Rams qb to throw 3 TDs in a half

    You;re not going to believe this.

    From a quick check (very quick) I saw that Jamie Martin threw 3 TDs in the 4th quarter against SF in the final game of 2002.

    That’s a game where they were down 17-0 at the half. At the start of the 4th quarter Rams were down 20-3. They won 31-20.

    …

    November 27, 2016 at 4:19 pm in reply to: real question…who was the last Rams qb #59634
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    zn wrote:

    who was the last Rams qb to throw 3 TDs in a half

    JackPMiller wrote:

    Case Keenum? I believe it was against Tampa Bay.

    CK only threw 2 TDs in that game, Jack, and they weren’t even in the same half.

    November 27, 2016 at 12:16 pm in reply to: Who Will Replace Fisher? #59623
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    sanbagger wrote:

    The niners were laughing about the play calling and how they knew all the plays to the media after the game.

    Stories grow and become myths.

    One niner player said that. No one said anything about him laughing. I never believed that story.

    You know, in games 3-6 the offense was actually doing well in rankings against other offenses. Did opposing defenses just forget that the Rams offense was completely predictable in that stretch?

    The Giants found out you beat the Rams by pressuring Keenum, who could not hold up under that without a running game…and so the game 3-6 stretch ended and we have the last few games.

    My bet is the stronger Goff gets as a starter, the offense rises again in effectiveness.

    November 27, 2016 at 11:44 am in reply to: Rams inactives 11/27 – Includes Greg Robinson #59619
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    whoa big news on GR

    November 27, 2016 at 10:46 am in reply to: Podcast – Goff's progress and position shakeups #59607
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    InvaderRam wrote:

    it’s not just one mistake here or there. it’s the cumulative effect. not just of penalties. mental errors. tavon supposedly not being ready for the ny game.

    Tavon didn’t say he wasn’t ready btw.

    In any event, people focus on those things because they’re losing. You know what I see? I see a team that’s pressing. They’re pressing because the margin of error is so small.

    And, the reason the margin of error is so small is, to me, one thing and one thing only. QB.

    Get a qb, which in this case means waiting for Goff to mature, and the margin of error is less, and they press less and play from confidence, and the errors diminish PLUS we stop magnfifying them.

    It is, and was, and always was, just the qb.

    When the qb is fine they will be fine and we will not be having these exchanges about what the “cause” is. I really believe that. I would be surprised if this theory turned out to be wrong.

    .

    November 27, 2016 at 10:30 am in reply to: Podcast – Goff's progress and position shakeups #59604
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    InvaderRam wrote:

    there are no repercussions to the constant mental errors

    Here’s the fallacy for me.

    We have no idea what takes place behind closed doors.

    And in fact I have seen a long series of things where players have repercussions with Fisher. Remember Jenkins running the stairs while benched at SF in 2012? Want a list of guys they cut or let go and so on?

    But as a rule you can’t get consistency and coherence from an offensive line if you bench guys, so, I don’t know what he would do there except keep plugging away and coaching it.

    So I don’t understand these kinds of declarations–that players are comfortable etc. and so they don’t execute.

    It just strikes me as the stuff you get from frustrated fans, whether or not it has any real connection to the reality of the team.

    It just seems to me that when a team loses, fans come up with theories, which usually involve blaming someone.

    When the team wins, they just celebrate.

    I am one of those people who is skeptical about all the “we’re losing for this reason” theories, most of which just involve mind-reading. All I really see with that is the fan being frustrated.

    And I don’t think replacing linemen for some over-magnified mistakes in week 11 fixes anything. So that’s why I am skeptical. They aren’t losing because Player X had this penalty in game 10. It goes way beyond that. In fact it’s so far beyond that, that the simple theory that somehow they aren’t “accountable” makes no sense.

    If they can do one thing to win, it seems to me, it’s get Goff up and going. If they had a qb half the things we complain about would never even come up. That too is a theory, I know.

    …

    ….

    November 27, 2016 at 10:03 am in reply to: PFW rumors about Fisher, Snead, and next year #59599
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator
    Eternal Ramnation wrote:

    Actually the story started a lot earlier locally, this wasn’t nearly as sudden or unexpected as the national press has reported. Norv is a classy guy , Zimmer has been a whiny finger pointer in the past. Shurmur pushed to bring in Bradford and because of his familiarity with Bradford called the plays the first two games which was before the OL lost some players, they were thin but now they’re playing people off the street. Here’s an article from January.

    Pat Shurmur hire reflects Vikings’ changing dynamics on offense
    Jan 24, 2016
    Ben Goessling
    ESPN Staff Writer

    MINNEAPOLIS — After the Minnesota Vikings hired Pat Shurmur — a former head coach who has five years of experience as an offensive coordinator — on Saturday night, locking him up before he could talk to the Los Angeles Rams about a possible job as a passing coordinator, coach Mike Zimmer had compiled an offensive staff with three former NFL head coaches and coordinators on it.

    And while a league source said Shurmur’s job title has yet to be finalized, it’s probably safe to assume this: Shurmur wasn’t going to end his job search after one stop had Zimmer not pitched him on a plan big enough to get him to put down roots in Minnesota.
    http://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/17882/pat-shurmur-hire-reflects-vikings-changing-dynamics-on-offense

    Okay. Though that particular piece sounds like a lot of speculation. What’s clear to me is that they had to react to both losing Peterson and much of the starting OL. That’s really the context of this discussion. Saying that, to me, was a clearer thing than just “Bradford dinked and dunked.” The situation is, their OL is a wreck. Any differences between Turner (to whom I have no loyalty) and Zimmer (to whom I have no loyalty) stems from that, it seems to me.

    November 27, 2016 at 9:07 am in reply to: media guys set up the SAINTS game #59597
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Canal Street Chronicles

    Which Saints team shows up against the Rams?

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/5e3b15b8-46a7-33f8-a477-9b2f5e51d526/which-saints-team-shows-up.html

    Since Thursday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, it’s been interesting to gauge the mood of New Orleans Saints fans since the bitter defeat, as they run the gamut of extreme dissatisfaction to annoyingly optimistic. So, let’s just put aside all the ‘what if’ and ‘what could have been’ talk for a minute and focus on the most pressing need right now: winning a football game against the Los Angeles Rams.

    Since 2005, the Saints have lost four of the past six games to the Rams. Sean Payton’s squad is 2-3 in his coaching career against the Rams, with lone victories in 2009 and 2010. Ex-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams comes to town, which certainly creates all the feels among fans. No matter how you look at this important matchup (which both clubs need to win to keep playoff hopes alive), you have to wonder what Saints team shows up on Sunday.

    Here’s a few things that we need to see for Sean Payton’s squad to keep their playoff hopes alive.

    Special Teams Support

    Let’s face it, we weren’t going to get our wish of Greg McMahon getting fired. Making a big change this late in the season, although deemed necessary and crucial, simply didn’t happen. After a report emerged from FOX’s Jay Glazer last Sunday that the team was looking at adding another coach to the mix to aid McMahon and Stan Kwan, the Saints made the move to add Kevin O’Dea, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    Whether you think it’s the right move or not, something has to change for this abysmal unit. It’s borderline pathetic, and has been that way for quite some time. Maybe, just maybe something drastic will happen once the season is over. For now, we don’t exactly have much of a choice but to endure. Sean Payton expressed his extreme confidence in Wil Lutz, saying he is the ‘right guy’, and O’Dea was brought in to help with the fundamentals for the Saints special teams.

    If it doesn’t change, and this game comes down to a kick, then I’m not entirely convinced the Saints can deliver.

    Ball Security

    This is a no-brainer, as the Saints have turned it over six times in the past two games. Four of those turnovers have been credited to Drew Brees. Whether you deem him as untouchable or ‘not his fault’ when it comes to ridiculing, the stat column says otherwise. It’s all come at inopportune times (doesn’t every turnover?), and you can say that Dennis Allen’s defense has risen to the occasion to combat the team’s mistakes.

    However, the simple long and short of it in today’s football is that you can’t expect to win when you turn the ball over more than your opponent. The Saints have to take care of the ball, especially at home, and it should come relatively easy against a Rams defense that is T-18th with just 12 takeaways. Of course, it’ll be something to watch down the stretch, and the bottom line is that the Saints can’t afford to make anymore mistakes in 2016.

    Hit the Accelerator, and Don’t Let Up

    The Saints have been in those close games and wound up losers in the majority of their 2016 schedule. Is it too much to ask for a blowout? It’s the Rams, who are giving up just 18.7 points/game (tied for fifth-best), so that’s a tall task asking the offense to blow an opponent out of the water on Sunday. But, what if they can?

    If you can believe it, the most points the Rams defense has allowed all season is 32. The opponent? The Buccaneers in Week 3. The Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions also put up 30 points or more on Gregg Williams’ defense, so it can definitely happen.

    The Saints are essentially playing for their season in Week 12, and honestly will be from here on out. Early wins by the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions certainly help the Saints out in the Wild Card picture, but as I’ve said repeatedly – you can’t expect other people to take care of your business. Let’s hope the Saints take care of their own, and then we’ll worry about the rest.

    November 26, 2016 at 6:04 pm in reply to: Goff —-> Britt #59582
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator
    bnw wrote:
    zn wrote:

    So tell me right now. Will Goff be as durable as Brady or not? Because if it’s possible to know that in advance, then, yeah, they get blame for it. But if it’s possible to know that in advance then tell me right now how it’s going to go.

    No. Goff will not be as durable as Brady. So yes, Snisher gets the blame for it. Can’t do it game by game but if Ag has some of his percentages on this I doubt Goff even has a 16 year career never mind the 19 games missed.

    Thats’ easy though. Very few have a 16 year career. Patz sure didn’t know in advance that Brady would. That’s more of the sheer luck factor. They could not know he would last 16 years, any more than the Rams could know beforehand that Bradford would hurt the same knee twice.

    .

    November 26, 2016 at 5:48 pm in reply to: Favorite 'quirky' movies ? #59578
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Favorite ‘quirky’ movies ?

    Let’s see.

    It’s a Wonderful Life.
    Rocky.
    Forrest Gump.
    The Sound of Music.
    My Fair Lady.
    Stagecoach.

    All the movies that make the quirky choice of presenting mainstream visions of the world and of life, as if they were real.

    …

    November 26, 2016 at 5:35 pm in reply to: PFW rumors about Fisher, Snead, and next year #59577
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator
    sanbagger wrote:
    zn wrote:

    Turner didn’t agree with how Zimmer on how to do that. So, he just walked. That;s the story.

    I’m not conspiracy theory believer
but this just sounds strange to me. I’m sure the HC and OC have disagreements about strategy all the time..Hell, we on this board have it all figured out and still we find time to not agree on some things.

    I’m not saying what you reported is inaccurate, I just find it a little confusing.

    What I am pretty sure about is Boras has underwhelmed as an OC and if Fisher is gonna get another shot at redemption a change is in order there.

    Doesn’t sound the least bit strange to me. Not sure why it does to you. Turner flat out openly said he and Zimmer disagreed on the solutions to the line issues and that he realized he would just be in the way of Zimmer doing it the way he wanted. That’s Turner’s own direct words. I have no reason to doubt him.

    I think everyone cuts Boras more slack once Goff is up to speed and the offense is executing.

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