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znModeratorI know one of the announcers said Fisher/Boras had “simplified” the third-down plays.
Whatever that means.
He narrowed them down to one simple goal: getting a 1st down.
BTW the Rams 3rd down conversions Sunday were at 41.6%. If it were that way the whole season Rams would be ranked 10th on 3rd down conversion rate.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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RustyRay
Many people have the all 22 film to watch. I do. Many people including myself watch it and have focused on Robinson. I do. I dont say things about players that I haven’t observed or watched on the coaches film.
I have watched Greg Robinson all year. He isnt great, to me he is just okay and there is no doubt that is disappointing when it comes to the 2nd overall pick. We should all want and expect more then that….but it is what it is. Its not his fault either…He was raw clay…it was said a million times….Snead and Fisher believed in him.
Bottom line to me is he is improving period…I have watched it (more then the TV), I have paid attention to it and he is simply getting better and he is the Rams LT for at least the next 3 years. I believe he will turn the corner sooner then later and all this bust stuff will drop into the wastebasket where it belongs.
I can say from watching Greg Robinson this year he is improving all the time. He still has too many mental lapses that hurt him and he still makes mistakes with his technique that kill him as well…but he is getting better….
znModeratorI’ll also say that it’s time for Gurley to stop hurdling. He’s going to get hurt or cough up the ball and lose it in a big spot doing that stuff.
I agree…he does not come down from his leaps with balance and power intact and so is a sitting duck for some bad stuff when he does that.
znModeratorRams43
Was a long time coming, huh?
A record home crowd and in the rain.
With a backup Ram QB.
A beat up Ram D before the game even started, then shortly losing Barron, Fairley, Westbrooks, and TruJo (for a short time).
Chris Long was even forced to take snaps at RDE for a while.
A young and reshuffled OL that had only played together for a few consecutive weeks.
Third game for the new OC.
Did I mention the game was in Seattle? Where the home team almost always wins?
Facing a red hot Seahawk team averaging 34 points a game.
Seahawks winners of 7 of the previous 8 games, I believe?
No sacks allowed.
No false starts.
Only 5 penalties accepted, I believe.
Shut the “12th man” the heck up multiple times.
Abused the Seahawk OL all game long that had been “looking good” for at least 6 weeks. ‘
Embarrassing abuse on National TV. With no Quinn or Fairley, mind you.
Frustrated one of the league’s best QB’s all game long.
Double digit lead for much of the game until the final minute.
No trick plays needed this time. The Rams just rose up and kicked butt.
You know, I can’t remember when I’ve been so proud of this team. But it’s been quite a while, that’s for sure.
znModeratorI like [Barnes], he’s the perfect size for a center who needs to get out and move and get to the second level.
There’s something to that.
Boudreau centers over the years…and in terms of their weight, they are all in “if that” territory:
Barnes 6’4 297
Wells 6’2 300
McClure 6’1 286
Romberg 6’3 293
Meester 6’3 300
Mitchell 6’4 300
Ruddy 6’3 295
Wohlabaugh 6’3 296
Glover 6’2 278
Hilgenberg 6’3 250There’s 3-4 pro bowl years mixed in there btw.
If you look at PFF’s top 10 rated centers for 2015, there are some who have those dimensions, but there’s also a trend toward larger guys:
Berger (Vikes) 6’5 303
Frederick (‘boys) 6’3 311
Tretter (Packers) 6’4 307
Pouncey (Steelers) 6’5 303
Zuttah (Ravens) 6’4 303
Unger (Saints) 6’5 309znModeratorlaram
Benny Cunningham is the Rams Swiss Army knife and one of my favorite players on the team. The type of player every team needs. Nice North/South kick returner as well.
Sherm tried to press Britt, but Britts strength forced a slight stumble by Sherm and that was all he needed to blow by him. The look on Sherms face was priceless. Its really to bad Britt cannot do that more often…or can he??
Two years ago when Barnes faced Mebane he was castigated for it. Sunday demonstrated how far he has come as a pro, he was fantastic. I like him, he’s the perfect size for a center who needs to get out and move and get to the second level. As you point out he was downfield for the fumble recoveries because he hustles, he’s always second/third level looking for somebody else to block. He’s not a pro bowler but he’s a lunch pale guy that is an important cog in the success of a team.
Against a team that was blowing people out on offense, I had no problems with Williams play-calls. Especially with as many players down as he had to deal with. I thought he mixed and matched well, all things considered.
znModeratorRob Boras’ best call was the TD pass to Britt immediately after Austin’s good punt return to the Seattle 28 in the 2nd.
Hey Mike. You been studyin the games. Off the top of your head what are the differences between Boras and Cigz.
BTW some people are calling for a new vet OC, and my view is, they’re better off just keeping Boras.
znModeratorMmm.
Calamari.
znModeratorFisher hopes Seattle win can be a springboard
Jim Thomas
Sunday’s totally unexpected 23-17 victory over Seattle won’t get the Rams into the playoffs. It didn’t even get them to .500 — they’ll need another win in the season finale in San Francisco to avoid coach Jeff Fisher’s fourth consecutive losing season with the Rams.
Even so, the victory’s importance can’t be overestimated, because if you can win in Seattle, you can win anywhere in the NFL.
“I feel like when the Cardinals won up here a couple years ago, I think that really gave them a belief that they could go anywhere and get a ‘W,’” linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Obviously, the Rams hope it can have the same effect on them, and a carryover impact to 2016.
“Yeah, I think there’s something to be said about that,” Fisher said. “It’s not an easy place to play.”
For that reason and more, Fisher rated it as among the top three victories since he came to St. Louis in 2012 and probably the top road victory over that span.
“I’ll credit our offensive line and the offensive coaches and the game plan and Case (Keenum),” Fisher said. “We didn’t have a false start, we didn’t have a sack in one of, if not the toughest, places to play. I don’t think there’s many teams that can say they came in and out of here without either one of those two things.”
Beyond that, Keenum was barely touched by the Seattle pass rush. He ended the game with a clean uniform and a fresh body. Unofficial press box stats credited the Seattle defense with zero quarterback hits.
In case you’ve forgotten, Keenum is operating behind a line that consists of two rookies (right guard Cody Wichmann and right tackle Rob Havenstein), an undrafted center in his first full year as a starter (Tim Barnes), a journeyman at left guard (Garrett Reynolds) and a struggling high draft pick at left tackle (Greg Robinson).
“We’re not knocking people off the ball like we would like to,” Fisher said. “Eventually we’ll be able to. But we are protecting the passer. We aren’t attempting a lot of passes, but when we do we’re protecting the passer. We’re getting rid of the ball.
“These guys are doing a good job downfield. They’re athletic. They’re making the blocks. Our screen game is working. They understand the scheme. They have a good sense for misdirection and the Tavon (Austin) reverses. We just have to keep going and expand on it.”
Don’t be confused. It’s not like the Rams are piling up the yards. Keenum had a mere 103 yards passing against Seattle — a good total in maybe 1935. But the Rams have been efficient on offense and are playing nearly mistake-free football on that side of the ball.
With the help of Barnes pouncing on a couple of fumbles Sunday, the Rams have committed only one turnover during their three-game winning streak. Overall, they are plus-5 in takeaway-giveaway differential in those games.
With the Rams at 4-8 and saddled with a five-game losing streak in early December, the wheels appeared to be falling off. A 5-11 or even 4-12 finish seemed to be inevitable. Calls for Fisher’s ouster and a major house-cleaning reached a crescendo.
But Fisher and the Rams kept it together and cobbled together three victories since a post-concussion Keenum was re-inserted as the starting quarterback and Rob Boras replaced Frank Cignetti as offensive coordinator.
“It’s a one week at a time process — that’s the key,” Fisher said. “You have to be consistent every week. At the same time, you’ve got to change things up. You can’t dwell on the wins; you can’t get overworked over the losses.
“You just keep going and get them to trust that what we’re doing and the way we’re doing it is the right way. You stress improvement, and that’s what we’ve done. Again, like I said (Sunday), we’ve made a couple of changes. Difficult changes.
“One, to go with Case, and then to give the offense over to Rob. It appears after three weeks that those were good decisions. Guys are really excited right now. … I don’t remember seeing that kind of energy in the locker room that we saw after a win.”
So Fisher isn’t going anywhere; even a loss to the 49ers won’t change that. A victory over the 49ers puts the Rams at 8-8, which would snap the franchise’s string of eight consecutive losing seasons. Not exactly cause for a parade, but still better than the alternative.
Fisher does not consider 8-8 a satisfactory record.
“But 8-8 is better than 7-9,” he said. “Probably more importantly, to be able to win four straight, finish the year with four straight wins, would give us momentum into the offseason.”
Then again, there are no guarantees. In 2006, the Rams won their final three games of the season to finish 8-8 under rookie coach Scott Linehan. In 2007, the Rams went 3-13 and haven’t seen .500 since. Four games — and four losses — into 2008, Linehan was fired.
But for now, the only thing the Rams can shoot for is 8-8. And the only thing they can concern themselves with is San Francisco, reeling after a 32-17 loss in Detroit that put the 49ers at 4-11.
“Right now, the goal is 8-8, to be honest with you,” Laurinaitis said. “To get to a point where I’ve never been — and that’s just heck, 8-8, .500. For this organization, this is a big step.”
znModeratorJeff Fisher’s Postgame Speech at Seattle
Go inside the locker room for head coach Jeff Fisher’s postgame speech after the Week 16 win at Seattle.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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JamesHarrisFanClub
This quote from Fisher’s presser seems to agree with Coach Os observation. I especially like the part about how Reynolds was able to “settle down” Greg Robinson. Would like to know more about that .
(On the offensive line playing better)
“I think it illustrates what happens when you have change up front. When you’ve got continuity and they’re playing well together, you’ve got a chance to make plays, especially against really good defenses. And we’ve faced some outstanding defenses. But, when there’s change, there’s potential for a setback. Then you’ve got to gain experience together. This group has been playing together now for two or three weeks since (T) Rob (Havenstein) came back. (G) Cody (Wichman) is playing solid football. (C) ‘Timmy’ (Barnes), obviously, his two effort plays were outstanding. (G) Garrett (Reynolds) is doing a really good job over there next to (T) Greg (Robinson), and keeping Greg settled down. Yeah, it’s a good group. We’re not knocking people off the ball like we would like to, like we eventually will be able to. But, we are protecting the passer. We aren’t attempting a lot of passes, but when we do we’re protecting the passer. We’re getting rid of the ball. These guys are doing a good job downfield. They’re athletic. They’re making the blocks. Our screen game is working. They understand the scheme. They have a good sense for misdirection and the (WR) Tavon (Austin) reverses. We just have to keep going and expand on it.”znModeratorSo, Wichman’s the real deal?
One report on Wichman from someone in a position to hear things is that Wichman is the player who made Jones expendable. Even though Wichman was hurt in OTAs and missed some time in camp, they liked him to the point where they were afraid to put him on the practice squad because they didn’t think he would clear waivers, or at least they didn’t want to risk that situation. So they kept him on the roster and cut Jones instead. A lot of close OL observers have said for a couple of games now that they like Wichman and that he can be counted now, already, as a sure draft hit.
znModeratorI’m optimistic about this unit for next year. I want to know the board’s thoughts on the offensive lineman we have and how good they’ll be next year.
Havenstein, Wichman, Brown, Donnal.
Rhaney, etc, and so forth.I have no ability to evaluate O-lineman. Is my optimism for good cause?
I think it’s really hard to say right now what all they have. Given that, I think they have an OL plus depth for next year, and I mean a pretty good OL if not better than that.
EARLY indications are that Hav, Brown, and Wichman are all good picks. And that GR is improving but how much he will be improved next year isn’t clear.
Along with the draft picks they have 3 “ronin” or younger vets they got off of a practice squad and/or through low budget free agency. This team has made something out of that type of player before so I would not discount them.
The 14 they have as of now… Some of them are injured but will be back
Centers % Center/Guards
Barnes
Kush
Rhaney
FolkertsGuards & G/T swingmen
Brown
Wichman
Reynolds
Saffold
ArkinTackles
Robinson
Havenstein
Williams
Battle
DonnalMy prognosis? Boudreau and Fisher have built good lines before for a combined 40 years of doing it and I expect them to do it again.
If they like what they have they won’t add much more; if they don’t they will.
znModeratorOk, but what song are you going to sing
in the lifeboat?w
vYellow Submarine.
znModeratorDoes 8-8
mean anything?The record stopped meaning anything after the Foles meltdown and the losing streak.
But. WINS mean something.
What do they mean? Well speaking only for myself, I like them.
I am not willing to get into a drawn out herd-style debate about whether I should like them. If someone like invader doesn’t because 8-8 isn;t good enough, I will raise my glass to him and nod because I get that. It’s just not how I feel though.
I like that the Rams were part of Upset Sunday this month. I like the fact that they took it to Seattle on the road. I like that they won in spite of not having Gaines, McDonald, Barron, Ogletree, and Quinn.
So you forgot to ask the REAL question. The really important question.
“What did this win mean to zn.”
It meant a lot. It was fun. Thanks for asking.
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znModeratorHochman: Fun victory over Seahawks means little for Rams
Benjamin Hochman
SEATTLE • The Rams’ rain-soaked ransack of a win did indeed rouse — but really, it was a ruse.
They’ll win at San Francisco next Sunday and finish 8-8, but is this really a team on the cusp?
The Rams have too many issues, notably under center, to think Sunday’s win at Seattle was a harbinger. Instead, it was what it was — a fun, funky and wacky win against the hottest team in football, a random outcome thanks to the most-random of standouts.
Akeem Ayers. William Hayes. Tim Barnes.
I mean, Tim Barnes got the game ball!
But this season is just like all the others under fourth-year coach Jeff Fisher, who has finished 7-8-1, 7-9 and 6-10 for the Rams. They’re stuck. And Sunday’s win, and the $7 million on Fisher’s contract next season, probably means it’ll be deja vu for the Rams come August, regardless of where they spend August.
So let’s look at Sunday in a vacuum. It really was a fun one. Case Keenum, the admirable backup quarterback, has surely earned a chance to win that job next season. And Rob Boras, the hard-working offensive coordinator, makes one wonder why Fisher didn’t fire the old dude faster (though, to be fair, the Rams had only 207 total yards).
And Barnes, for a day, made us remember why this game is so fun: because in a league with omnipotent, omnipresent superstars, sometimes it’s some random guy who makes a game-saving play (or two).
On the most-important drive of the game, the St. Louis center recovered a pair of fumbles, the first on a third-and-1 from the Seattle 40-yard line, the second all the way down on the 2-yard line.
Seriously, what are the odds of this?
“Luckily I had just enough left in me to keep a hold of it,” said the burly, bearded Barnes, a Mizzou alum. “You know what happens in the bottom of the pile.”
And two plays later, Todd Gurley scored a touchdown, giving St. Louis a 23-10 fourth-quarter lead. Alas, Barnes didn’t recover the spiked football to put in his living room.
“What can you say about Tim Barnes? That was great effort, great effort,” Fisher said. “You don’t want to see balls on the ground, but we got some bounces and Tim made two big plays. That’s the way they’re coached — (linemen run) down field, in case that happens.”
After the game, Barnes was a media darling in the winning locker room, explaining that he already had 117 text messages on his phone. In the losing locker room, Seattle center Patrick Lewis was on the verge of tears, taking the blame for fumbled snaps for the now 9-6 Seahawks.
Also, the rambunctious Rams defense sacked the slippery Russell Wilson four times, three by Hayes, and they intercepted the first Wilson pass since Week 10 against Arizona. And there was Ayers, who scooped up a fumble and rumbled 45 yards for a first-quarter score.
“I made a few people miss,” Ayers said of his scamper. “I don’t know how long it took me to get there — they say it took me a while.
The win “just shows the type of team that we have, when we’re hitting on all cylinders. This is the type of football I think we’re capable of playing, and even better than this. Tough, physical, smart football. We just need to do that on a regular basis.”
Surely, Rams players have been saying this after wins for, oh, a decade. Most teams look good after wins. But good teams don’t lose five consecutive games, a reality that will sadly be glossed over by some, who will look at the Rams, probable winners of their final four, as a hot team heading into 2016.
You know where I stand: The Rams need a new starting quarterback.
They haven’t had a Pro Bowl quarterback since Marc Bulger.
And in fact, the Rams hadn’t won in Seattle since Bulger was under center. It was during the 2004 season, when the Rams won a playoff game against the Seahawks on Jan. 8, 2005. They’d lose the next week against Atlanta. The Rams haven’t been back to the playoffs since.
In the Jan. 8, 2005 win, much like Sunday’s win, it took some magic from the most random of Rams. Tight end Cam Cleeland had only seven catches that season, none for a score, but with 2:11 left against Seattle, Bulger threw a 17-yard pass to the tight end, sealing the 27-20 playoff victory.
Cleeland is now 40. He is, coincidentally, from the state of Washington. I texted him Sunday night, and sure enough, he’d watched the whole game.
“Being apart of a great NFC West rivalry in the early 2000s, and a Rams memorable playoff win, I never thought it would be 10 years since the Rams could win in Seattle,” Cleeland said. “The Rams defense line is very impressive, Gurley is a superstar, Feels like they are just a quarterback away.”
That would be a start, but there are many more question marks with the Rams, who could have a somewhat respectable record, yet again, but won’t be in the playoffs, yet again.
znModeratorThe streak ends here: Rams topple Seahawks
Jim Thomas
SEATTLE • For the first time ever, Chris Long and James Laurinaitis were beaming in the visitors’ locker room at CenturyLink Field.
The place has been nothing short of a house of horrors for the Rams over the past decade. Long and Laurinaitis have been around for much of the carnage, a string of 10 consecutive losses in Seattle dating back to the end of the 2004 season.
But not Sunday. Center Tim Barnes, hereafter known as Mr. Recovery, left with a game ball tucked under his arm.
Wide receiver Kenny Britt got the best of the great Richard Sherman on a key second quarter touchdown, diving on his bum shoulder to make the grab.
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson got his seventh interception, the first pick thrown by quarterback Russell Wilson since mid-November.
Defensive end William Hayes might still be piling up sacks. As for linebacker Akeem Ayers, well, the former New England Patriot is used to beating Seattle. See: Super Bowl 49.
Once again, the Rams won’t be going to the playoffs this season. But they got the closest thing to a consolation prize Sunday, a 23-17 victory over a playoff-bound Seattle squad that had been one of the NFL’s hottest teams over the past month and a half.
“To sweep Seattle is not easy,” Laurinaitis said. “You talk about a tough place to play. My first NFL game was here, the opener back when I was a rookie (in 2009). … To come in here and get a W, it can really turn an organization around.”
Long, who came into the league as a Ram one year earlier, in 2008, had been 0-7 in Seattle.
“Better late than never,” he chuckled. “It was awesome. It was a great team win.”
Listing badly at 4-8 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak, the Rams were heading south. Way south. But the Rams have now won three games in a row for just the second time under coach Jeff Fisher.
A victory in the season finale at San Francisco would put the Rams at 8-8 and end their streak of eight consecutive losing seasons. Given the expectations entering the season, it’s still a disappointment. But it could’ve been worse — a lot worse.
“They’re not giving participation trophies for us not quitting,” Long said. “But this team, that’s not what we do. It starts with Coach Fish. Coach Fish preaches we’re gonna come to work and fight every day.
“Even when the chips are down, I think you find out what people are made of. And I think we’ve got the right kind of guys in this locker room.”
During the game, the Rams lost linebacker-safety Mark Barron and defensive linemen Nick Fairley and Ethan Westbrooks to concussions. Johnson missed some time to get checked for a concussion before returning. Long left briefly with a stinger.
“We had to overcome some difficult things,” Fisher said. “Defensively, we lost four guys out of the rotation. That’s not easy. Those guys that played, stepped up and played hard and played well.”
Ayers’ first NFL touchdown, a 45-yard return of a recovered fumble, made it a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Britt’s 28-yard TD pass, beating press coverage from Sherman with a double move, made it 16-0. (Greg Zuerlein’s extra point sailed wide left.)
But the game stayed the Rams’ way in large part because of the effort and resourcefulness of the unassuming Barnes, the bearded product of the University of Missouri.
“Tim was like the MVP,” Long said.
Pretty much. In 2013, starting in place of the injured Scott Wells, Barnes played against Seattle’s mammoth and menacing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane for the first time. It wasn’t pretty. This time around, Barnes held his own. And that was when he wasn’t recovering fumbles.
Seattle was threatening to eclipse that 16-0 Rams lead, pulling to within 16-10 on a third-quarter touchdown catch by Doug Baldwin, his 11th TD reception in five games. After which, the Rams were trying to scrape together a drive when Benny Cunningham fumbled carrying up the middle on third-and-1 from the Seattle 40.
The ball squirted high in the air and appeared to be recovered by Seattle. But Barnes somehow worked his way into the scrum — and came out with the football.
“You get to the bottom of the pile, and you’re just trying to do whatever you can to get the ball,” Barnes. “Luckily, I had just enough left in me to keep a hold of it.”
Two plays later, Todd Gurley burst off left tackle, hell-bent for the end zone. But the ball popped out after contact by Seattle cornerback DeShawn Shead and rolled down field. There was Barnes again, rumbling down field to recover the loose ball at Seattle 2.
“Right after that second one, I wanted to go out there and give him a big kiss,” Laurinaitis said. “Hard work and effort like that pays off. It’s phenomenal.”
By Barnes’ reckoning, it was the first time he had touched the ball twice in a game since his days as the “emergency” running back for Pettis County (Mo.) Northwest High.
From there, the Rams shrugged off a holding penalty and got into the end zone on a 2-yard run by Gurley. On third-and-goal from the 2, everyone in the stadium-record crowd of 69,080 knew Gurley would get the handoff.
“They knew what was coming. They knew we were gonna run the ball,” said Gurley, who went over 1,100 yards for the season with 85 yards on 19 carries Sunday. “But the offensive linemen did a great job. I was just trying to do some tough running out there.”
That he did, churning up the middle for his 10th touchdown of the season and a 23-10 Rams lead with 10:34 to play in the game.
But as long as Wilson is out there, the Seahawks always have a chance. An 18-yard TD pass from Wilson to Jermaine Kearse trimmed the Rams’ lead to 23-17 with 17 seconds to play.
An onside kick was next, and if the Seahawks recovered, they’d at least have a chance to throw a Hail Mary for the win. This time, Barnes wasn’t on the field to recover Steven Hauschka’s onside kick. (Not too many 300-pounders are on the “hands” team.)
Barnes’ presence wasn’t needed this time. The ball bounced out of bounds, the Rams took over, and for the third game in a row, quarterback Case Keenum and the offense lined up in the victory formation.
The December turnaround has been nice, Fisher said. “We made some difficult changes with respect to the quarterback and the coordinator change. Some of those things are paying off for us right now.”
znModeratorYou know for all this talk about how tough a game Seattle is, Rams have won 3 of the last 4 against them. If you go back to 2012, the Rams are 4-4 against Seattle. That includes losing 1 home game and winning 3, then winning 1 away game and losing 3. Since Fisher came to the Rams, Seattle’s record in St. Louis (1-3) is the same as the Rams record in Seattle (1-3).
znModeratorCan we call this a Gurdle?
You know I actually wish he wouldn’t do that. He loses balance, power, and momentum when he does and goes down fairly easily right after landing. He loses his base. It makes me fear the possibility he’s going to get pretty solidly banged up some day after doing that.
znModeratorno way the Rams would ever do anything dirty like that to give themselves an edge in a game by potentially ending an opponents career.
That reminds me. When was the last time we saw this many Rams leave the game with injuries? Granted some came back…but still.
znModeratorP Johnny Hekker punted six times for 240 yards for a 40.0 –yard average, 36.7-yard net average. Hekker placed two punts inside the 20-yard line.
Also notable—Hekker may be one of the few punters in NFL history, if not the only punter in NFL history, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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Prime Time
What Seahawks Fans Are Saying After The Game
http://www.fieldgulls.com/2015/12/27/10671748/seahawks-rams-final-score-seattle-st-louis-nfl
The Seahawks played extremely poorly against the Ram at home on Sunday, losing 23-17 to fall to 9-6 on the season. The win was the Rams’ first in Seattle in their last ten tries, and in losing, Seattle snaps a 70-game streak where they’d held a lead at some point. They also failed to rush for 100-plus yards for the first time in 25 games.
All bad. Bad things. Bad job. Bad game.
The Seahawks turned the ball over three times and failed to come up with two key St. Louis fumbles on the Rams’ early fourth-quarter scoring drive that ultimately put the game away. Russell Wilson struggled in the pocket behind a resurgently porous offensive line, and St. Louis’ physical tackling really took a toll on Seattle’s receivers, who had passes jolted out of their hands on a few key plays.
With the loss, Seattle’s playoff seeding remains up in the air. They have already clinched a playoff berth but heading into the postseason as the #6 seed looks more possible. The #5 seed would play at Washington, while the #6 seed would play at the winner of the NFC North (either Minnesota or Green Bay). Right now, I’m not sure what Seahawks fans would rather have.
Several Seahawks left the game with injuries, including Luke Willson, who suffered a concussion.
A whole bunch of analysis to follow shortly.
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I won’t lie, I’m mostly happy no one suffered (Willson pending) a long-term injury today.
The Rams tried really hard to accomplish that.
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I hate the Rams.
They exist solely to injure the players on their division opponents’ rosters, and spoil their seasons. However, there is no evidence that they have a consistent ambition of their own, beyond the role of “relentless spoiler.”Hate ’em.
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I hate em too.
Fisher is washed up as a coach, and beats Seattle to keep his job, hanging by a thread for years. Hallmarks of his tenure are crappy quarterbacks, non creative offenses, headhunting defenses, and consistent losses to every average or better team except the Seahawks. freak him and his team, too. They are like the guys at the bar who are too ugly and lame to get laid and decide to pick a fight in the parking lot instead.
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I haven’t wanted the Rams to win a game since that first super bowl against New England
With the possible exception of regular season games against divisional opponents when a Ram win would massively benefit us. I definitely hated them more than the 9ers prior to 2012, and I think it’s time to go back to having them as my most hated team.
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Gregg Williams’ game plan is to injure opposing players
Was that way in New Orleans, is still the same coach in St Louis.
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If I said how I really feel, I’d either be arrested, banned, or committed.
The most disgusted I’ve been with a Pete Carroll Seahawks team. Absolutely freaking embarrassing game today. Not excited about next week. Not excited about the playoffs. freaking embarrassing losing to that pack of douchecanoes. Twice.Zero credit to the Rams other than to credit them with their inferior ability to wrestle away the loss. Days like today make me wish I never wasted my times on sports.
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I think the lesson this week is that crap is tough in the NFL, no matter how good your team is or who you’re playing
With the possible exceptions of the Titans and the Santa Clara dumpster fires.
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Hard to be too disappointed.
A fumble for a TD. A few bad snaps. 2 fumbles that we didn’t recover. Reffs leaning the other way.We just didn’t get the breaks. It happens.
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Not really sure how much of this was PC’s fault. I felt he could’ve went for it on fourth down instead of taking the field goal…may not have made a differance.
O-line was absolutely aweful. Russ didn’t trust em and Lewis couldn’t snap the ball worth a freak. Zero run game and defense played terribly without Kam…zero pass rush, no sacks, no turnovers, Sherman got burned badly….I mean what do ya do. Combine that with some real bad penalties and the ball bouncing for the rams literally every.single.time….This is a team loss. To be fair Russ played decently all things considered I think. And Baldwin set a record.
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I agree except with your D didn’t play well.
They weren’t awesome, but they caused some fumbles, (we didn’t recover, fumble luck) and really, the Rams did crap on offense in this game, had a short field once, and the D scored a TD. Other than that, FG on another short field.Basically, if they lose the fumbles they should have to average it out in the game, we probably win. While we didn’t play well, we literally held them the same as us outside the fumble recoveries. Their offense was as much crap as ours. Russ was pressured more, but also made a lot more plays than they did.
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Best part of this game was seeing Chris Long talk crap to fans…
Guy’s never made the playoffs in his career, this loss isn’t stopping Seattle from going to the playoffs, and it’s the FIRST TIME HIS TEAM HAS WON IN SEATTLE IN 8 TRIES… I couldn’t help but laugh when the camera showed him talking crap.
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No crap!
What a freaking C. Doesn’t care that they are a perpetual 8 – 8 dirty diaper of a football team every year…”I don’t give a freak” as he repeated over and over. Yee haw we beat the Seahawks. Maybe if he gave more of a freak he might be playing for more than moral victories at some point in his career. Don’t hold your breath. He can spend his off season watching us play meaningful football while he works on creative ways to apply his eye makeup for next seasons 8 – 8 campaign.
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He just won his super bowl
Let’s be happy for the guy.
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That was a feces & vomit milkshake taking the form of a football game.
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There we were, just cruising along…———
Thoughts
1. Our pass rush is just OK, nothing today, we have spent alot of draft capital on this
2. OL horrible today, did not match the rams intensity, our whole team didnt
3. It sure is nice to at least have the threat of a running game, invisile today
4. Another subpar game for Russel in the rain
5. Lots of fluky plays against us, we had some bad luck
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We spent the first half trying to run. I was actually happy we bailed on the run in the second half.
Had the Hawks not fumbled everything but their dicks we won that game.
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Regardless of who they play in the wildcard;
run game is extremely worrisome. Even if Marshawn comes back, doubt he’s 100%
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Counterpoint: GB and Washington don’t have the d-line that STL has.
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Nobody does.
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Somehow the Rams have allowed fewest sacks in the league.
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I thought Wilson actually played pretty well, all things considered
Other than running into a couple sacks (which he more than made up for with successful scrambles) and fumbling late in the game when he should have run out of bounds, he didn’t have any glaring mistakes (the interception on 3rd and long was basically a punt). It’s not his fault Tukuafu fumbled, or Patrick Lewis killed 2 drives with errant snaps, or guys can’t hold onto a slick ball, or that no one can block Aaron Donald.
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first half:
Rams score 7 points from a fumble return TD, 3 points from a drive that started at the 50, 6 points from a drive that started at our 28.golfclap.gif. frustrating as hell, but whatever.
they had ONE SCORING DRIVE in the second half. 11 plays, 62 yards. Story of the game is the Seahawks offense misfiring and unable to beat the defense.
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Yeah, the bounces went their way
It was just one of those games. It happens. Maybe we needed to lower our expectations a little. Still think this team can go far in the playoffs.
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what drove me nearly delirious with rage in the first half
was how Wilson kept trying to do his turn-around-and-loop-backwards half circle thing to avoid DL pressure, which DOESN’T WORK AGAINST THE RAMS DL AND HASN’T FOR FOURYEARS. until they replace the Rams’ DL with a pile of inert boulders, it’s clear and has been for years that they’re too athletic for Wilson to bank on running out of trouble. Get rid of the ball!
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I can understand him bailing through the backdoor given Aaron Donald is waiting for him at the front door.
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Yeah, pressure up the middle (on both run and pass plays) is the story of the game
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That was the Ram’s Super Bowl
Now it the Hawks turn to win the Super Bowl!
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I hope RW doesn’t have a significant injury or we are screwed. 13 hits, jeez.
I’m really upset that sherman gave that TD, all pro corner couldn’t cover Kenny freaking Britt, please.
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He had a couple hits on his knees that looked freaked.
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I especially loved the one where we got called for holding on the same play the defender lunged at Wilson’s knees.
Sure, let’s not call the penalty we’re obviously staring at.
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Not to mention the helmet to helmet on Wilson
When he fumbled the ball away in the 4th. Regardless, he should have gone out of bounds.
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I’d give Sherman a pass on any other route.
Get beat on a double move? Fine. It happens.But a pure go route against Keenum and Britt? Unacceptable.
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This was just the stupidest game.
Is it terrible to say I expected something like this? Rams barely over 200 yards total offense, but their D-line beat the hell out of us and between stupid Ram-luck and some questionable calls they pull out the win.
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Watched the game with in-laws and a kid, couldn’t even swear
So I’ll say it here: freak the Rams. freak Jeff Fisher. Enjoy watching us rip through the playoffs from your damned couches.
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Today the Rams were the better team again.
Got to get Seahawk crap together and win 4 in a row. At least won’t have to play Rams in playoffs.
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Rams had a putrid 207 yards of total offense, they got some late christmas gifts from seattle.
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O-line took 50 steps backwards.
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Dave Softy Mahler @Softykjr
Patrick Lewis had tears in his eyes in locker room. Called his performance “unacceptable”
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10 is St. Louis’ magic number.
They won when Seattle won 10 overall in a row against them and they won when Seattle won 10 in a row at Seattle. And Fisher still can’t get them a winning record…
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Please
If 10 was their magic number, they’d win that many games in a season. At some point. Ever.
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RW throwing the ball 41 times is never a good idea, 25/41 barely 60% completion. Running game nonexistent.
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With the dumpster fire OL
I am not sure what other option there was besides kneeling out the entire second half.
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If you’re gonna drop a turd, I guess now’s the best time to do it.
Offense wasted the 1st half with telegraphed runs and long developing passes.
It was obvious Bevell switched it up in the 2nd half. We were moving the ball up and down the field for the most part.
Fumbles lost us the game. Simple as that.
[IMG]
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Fumble luck
is a bitch.And for freak sake, why do the Rams get gifted a football that they didn’t even recover every time we play them?
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yep
We were 2-4? Now in the playoffs for 4 years in a row.We still had flashes of an awesome offense. Their d line was just too much.
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I haven’t been this frustrated
Since the last time we played the Rams.
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I haven’t enjoyed a Seahawks vs Rams game
Since the infamous Whitehurst game.
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Next year we’ll be 14-2
Our two losses will be to the 5-11 Rams.
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Guys, look on the bright side!
We’ll always have Johnny Hekker / Cliff Avril GIFs
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Dave Softy Mahler @Softykjr
Very weird vibe in the Hawks locker room. Feels almost like a playoff loss.
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im baffled that this wasnt expected as a distinct possibility
I get pretty down on losses, but very zen over this one. For those of us who didnt at least see this possibility – well, this is what happens with the rams.
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OMG what a turd.
I was afraid it would happen but this SPECTACULARLY…
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It’s the Rams, no explanation. So much weird blue td, weird snaps, penalties, etc….just weird. The Rams never play great, we just play like crap.
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THE RAMS WIN THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh wait, they’ll be watching the playoffs from home this year once again you say? Wow I would’ve never guessed with the overreaction the players had after winning. Did Jeff Fisher get a Gatorade bath by the way? Only took some 10 years and the sloppiest game of the year outside of maybe the Cowboys game to get it, but take it when you can I suppose. Did I mention the Rams will be watching the playoffs from home yet? Just checking.People are freaking out like the sky is falling but forget this is the Rams who the Hawks always struggle against. It was a sloppy ass game to boot so what could we possibly expect in the end? Hopefully this is just them getting it out of their system before the playoffs start.
Also, did anyone notice an excessive amount of launching from the Rams, Gregg Williams led defensive players at Hawks players when trying to tackle? Oh I forgot Jeff Fisher is a member of the Competition Committee so there’s no way the Rams would ever do anything dirty like that to give themselves an edge in a game by potentially ending an opponents career.
The O line was a porous joke but remember Alvin Bailey was starting today. The guy cries about not being a starter by tweeting “I wish I could be in 31 other places”. Well guess what Alvin, we have something in common because I wish you could too. If you ever wonder why you aren’t a starter just watch the freaking tape from the game today and you’ll realize why. Outside of jumbo package plays, Alvin is basically worthless.
Every team has bad games everyone, just remember that. The sky isn’t falling. Stay optimistic, this team is still good. And when you’re feeling down, just be thankful you aren’t a Browns fan. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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/pokes head in, sees overreaction, not surprised, clears throat for an attempt at being a Voice of Reason.
Huh. I know we played like crap today, but when you look at how damned fortunate the Rams were for every single toss-up scenario and still managed to only win by one score, they’re still lucky they won at all.While 5th vs. 6th seeding may be important for tactical reasons, I personally don’t give a rat’s ass. We’re in the postseason and we’re going to have to play our guts out to get to the Super Bowl whether we play the Redskins first or the Packers. What I want is no injuries heading into the postseason, and the Rams sure tried to spoil that nonsense. I don’t know how Greg Williams continues to be allowed to coach football when the NFL professes player safety and health, but it is what it is and for a while there I was damned paranoid he’d succeeded to chalk up another scalp with Russell Wilson.
Meh. Not sweating anything. We’re not any better or worse off than we were a week ago. 10-6 or 9-7 might not be as sexy as 11-5, but postseason is postseason. I don’t care how we get there.
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This game wasn’t as bad as we think
This will be controversial, so let me preface by saying that the offensive line was horseshit today (though that’s mitigated by the Rams having an absolutely dominant DL). And we certainly deserved to lose – the Hawks got outplayed.That said, I think we were actually a lot closer to winning this game than people think. I would contend that if Patrick Lewis doesn’t roll a bowling ball to Russ on a 3rd and short play in the 4th quarter, there’s actually a better than 50% shot that we win the game. The offense figured stuff out in the second half – it wasn’t pretty, but it was mostly working. We had a long first drive for a TD, one punt (that was a Lockett almost-catch away from continuing the drive), another nice drive derailed by a Lewis terrible snap on 3rd and 2 in St Louis territory,
a long drive ended by Russ fumbling on a run inside the St Louis 10 (after taking a risk that he probably wouldn’t have taken had it not been a two score game), and a garbage time TD. That is to say, the Rams only actually stopped us with their defense once in the entire half (and even then, were a “who the freak understands what a catch is” non-catch away from letting us continue the drive).
Anyway, if Lewis just gives Wilson a decent snap, the odds of a first down on that play are pretty high (and if not, it’s 4-down territory, so the odds of a first down on one of the next two plays is excellent). If that drive continues, the way things went most of the half, I think we score a TD, and then everything about the game changes – we’re down only one score with a fair amount of time left.
Obviously none of that is guaranteed, but I think whole games can turn on single fluke plays more than we usually admit. If not the Lewis snap, then imagine if we recover one of the St Louis fumbles on their last TD drive. Again, it’s a one score game with a ton of time left, against a D that isn’t dominating us as thoroughly as they had in the first half.
We outgained St Louis 313-207, but were killed by turnovers, bad snaps, and failure to recover fumbles. That’s the definition of a game in which fluky plays and luck played a major role in determining the outcome. I’m not going to say the Seahawks played well – if they had, they would have been able to overcome all the other crap, but it was far less of a beatdown than a lot of people seem to think, and just a couple of bounces going the other way (or even just one snap not bouncing) could easily have changed the result of the game.
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Russell Wilson comes down to earth
Passer rating of only 88 today. Last 6 games: 21 TDs, 1 INT.One TD pass next week and he’ll tie Dave Krieg’s team record of 32 TDs passing, set in 1984. Krieg had 24 INTs that year. Russell has 8.
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I ain’t even mad.
I only come back to Seattle for the holidays so this was the one game of the year I could go to, would’ve been nicer to win but still fun to see the team and fans in person.Unfortunate combination of bad luck, some awful officiating (not sure how things looked with the benefit of better replays at home, but at the game things were looking fairly comical by the 4th quarter [oh, big seahawks play? holding. fumble? gotta go to the rams. etc etc etc]), and poor play (oline and Lewis played terribly, which cascaded into some poor decision by Russ, receivers seemed to be hearing footsteps every time a StL DB got within 10 yards,
and I guess Sherman decided to give his haters some ammunition for the season). The refs/luck could have been overcome with better play, and conversely had some of those bounces and calls gone our way this was a very winnable game. All teams have crappy games, all teams have games where the bounces don’t go their way.
Ultimately this sucked but I’m not concerned about it in the long run. We are in the playoffs, we don’t have to deal with the StL Dline again this year, and the optimist in me thinks it’s unlikely we’ll have more games like this where essentially every call and bounce goes against us.
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Man, all of the controversial shootings in the St. Louis area the last couple years and neither Gregg Williams nor Jeff Fisher are targeted once?
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Boo, classless comment.
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Can we quit singing the praises of the O-line now
Our playoff success depends upon our offensive line. When the article appeared recently on FG praising the offensive line’s turn around, I thought “way too soon, wait until we see how they perform against a strong pass rush”. Yes, they had played better, but look at the competition.This is the first game since we started winning that we went up against a good defensive line, and look at the results. Unless something changes, we’re not going very far in the playoffs. Based solely on this matchup, we can beat the Redskins, Vikings, and possibly GB, but we don’t stand a chance against either Carolina or Arizona.
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Worst game I’ve been too in three years as a season ticket holderznModeratornot trying to be a wet blanket, but this game meant more to the rams than the seahawks. seahawks had no chance at the division and had already secured their playoff spot. seahawks were looking past this game.
would i rather be swept by a divisional rival and make the playoffs or would i rather sweep a division rival and hopefully not have a losing record?
hmmm… still don’t feel like these rams get it.
On the other hand, if they start Keenum from game 1 I give them 3-4 more wins.
Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Baltimore (because it wouldn’t be his 1st start), and maybe even Green Bay.
znModeratorWilliam Hayes, Akeem Ayers up; Greg Zuerlein down in Rams’ win
Nick Wagoner
A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Sunday’s 23-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks:
UP
DE William Hayes: This season, the always steady Hayes has been his usual productive self but without many of the glamour statistics to go with it. Well, Hayes turned that around Sunday with a full-blown dominant performance. He finished with nine tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and five quarterback hits. He’s headed for free agency with plenty of gas in the tank and should be a valued commodity for the Rams and others this offseason.
LB Akeem Ayers: Ayers has been a disappointment since the Rams signed him to a free-agent deal in the offseason, in part because he’s rarely been used in the blitzing situations that were expected upon his addition. But Ayers stepped forward on Sunday and finally produced some big plays, coming up with a 45-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the first half. He also had eight tackles, a half sack, two quarterback hits and a pass defended.
C Tim Barnes: In many ways, it’s been a rough first season as the starter for Barnes but he came up with two huge fumble recoveries in the span of three plays during the team’s fourth-quarter scoring drive. The first one came on a third down to keep a drive alive and the next came near the goal line to help set up Todd Gurley’s touchdown.
CB Trumaine Johnson: Johnson left briefly to be evaluated for a concussion in the second half, but when he was on the field, he was the main operator of a no-fly zone. Johnson had four tackles, two passes defended and an interception on the day as the Rams defense limited Seattle to just 313 total yards.
DOWN
K Greg Zuerlein: The Rams didn’t have many players who obviously struggled in this one, but Zuerlein missed an early extra point that very nearly came back to bite the Rams at the end. Ultimately, it didn’t matter but if Seattle had scored on some late drives, that missing point could have been the difference.[/quote]
znModerator]Tim Barnes at the center of Rams’ upset win in Seattle
Nick Wagoner
Just like you never expected, it took the center to break the streak.
As the St. Louis Rams’ fourth-quarter lead bounced awkwardly around the CenturyLink Field turf, it was center Tim Barnes who came to the rescue. Barnes recovered two fumbles in a span of three plays, extending the fourth-quarter drive that ultimately allowed running back Todd Gurley to put Sunday’s game away with a 2-yard touchdown run.
And with each Barnes recovery, the Rams took a step closer to doing what they hadn’t done in Seattle since Jan. 8, 2005: beat the division rival Seattle Seahawks on their home field and sweep the season series.
As it turned out, that’s exactly what the Rams did as they produced a dominant defensive performance and just enough offense to close out a 23-17 victory. That ended Seattle’s streak of 10 consecutive home wins against the Rams.
For Barnes, it was the culmination of an interesting year in which he was non-tendered as a restricted free agent, re-signed at a cheaper rate, won the starting job and held on to it throughout the year despite some rough outings.
Tim Barnes
Tim Barnes’ hustle helped the Rams earn their first win in Seattle since 2005.
Barnes’ first fumble recovery came after back Benny Cunningham appeared to convert a third-and-1 but fumbled it forward before Barnes wrestled it from safety Earl Thomas. The second came after Gurley burst to Seattle’s 9, but coughed it up only for Barnes to fall on it at Seattle’s 2.Three plays later, Gurley scored from 2 yards out to seal the win and give the Rams one of their most impressive victories of the season. Entering this game, it seemed the Rams would need something unexpected to pull out a victory. That something turned out to be the St. Louis center.
What it means: The Rams improved to 7-8 on the season, allowing them to match their highest win total since coach Jeff Fisher arrived in 2012. It also gives them a three-game winning streak for only the second time under Fisher and gives them a chance to get to 8-8 for the first time since 2006 if they can get a win next week in San Francisco. It also ensured the Rams a winning record in the NFC West division, where they improved to 4-1.
What were they thinking: On Seattle’s opening drive of the third quarter, the Rams couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of covering Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, the same wideout who has been the league’s most productive player at his position in recent weeks. Baldwin torched the Rams for two catches and 53 yards with one coming on third-and-31 and the other on third-and-18. The first set up a fourth-and-3 conversion and the second went for a touchdown.
One reason to be excited: The Rams will face many tough decisions in free agency this offseason, but perhaps none will be more difficult than how to divvy up the money at cornerback. Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson have both played like No. 1 corners this season, with Johnson coming on especially strong in the season’s second half. The good news for the Rams is there might not be a bad choice to make if they can’t keep both. And if they can, they have one of the best young groups of corners in the league moving forward.
Fantasy watch: Running room was hard to come by for all parties in this one, especially early on. But for those who rolled the dice on Gurley, it turned out much better than expected. He finished with 85 yards on 19 carries and found his way into the end zone for the touchdown that iced the win.
Ouch: It was not a good day for the Rams and head injuries. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley, cornerback Johnson, linebacker Mark Barron and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks all departed to be evaluated for concussions. Johnson returned to the game but the others did not.
What’s next: The Rams will spend the week on the West Coast, traveling to Napa, California, to practice before wrapping up the 2015 season with a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara.
znModeratorActually it was a day of upsets.
Jets beat Patz
Falcons beat Panthers
Ravens beat Steelers
znModeratorAtlanta wins…or, they get the ball on downs after a failed CAR 4th down, up by 4, 1:48 left. Something dramatic would have to happen for them to lose.
znModeratorAny way to find Seattle’s inactives?
Nevermind, got it.
Seattle Seahawks @Seahawks 8m8 minutes ago
Seahawks Inactives: Marshawn Lynch, Kam Chancellor, Kristjan Sokoli, Russell Okung, Chase Coffman, Jordan Hill, A.J. Francis.znModeratorAny way to find Seattle’s inactives?
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