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November 16, 2015 at 2:14 pm in reply to: A well coached team with good QB play is hard to beat (post-Bears game thread) #34219
znModeratorI dunno, i cant find out what kind of injury he has exactly,
but he sat out last game, and limped around this game.Quinn missed the previous game cause of the knee. It doesn’t look to be surgical, and is probably something like a bruise or a sprain.
This D is not the same without 2 active DEs. With Long out, his brother beat the crap out of Hayes, Sims wasn’t up to being the lead man, and apparently Quinn only came in on 3rd downs but was not as effective as usual.
znModeratorznModeratorTen Takeaways from the Rams’ 37-13 Loss to the Bears
Randy Karraker
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/15/ten-takeaways-from-the-rams-37-13-loss-to-the-bears/
When a first year coach of a team that was 5-11 last year takes his team on the road to face a fourth year coach of a team that’s supposed to be ascending, and his team drills the opponent…that should be bad news for the fourth year coach.
jeff fisher-10The last NFL coach to make it to a fifth season without making the playoffs was Gary Kubiak of the Texans, who started in 2006 and didn’t make the playoffs until 2011.
It looks like Jeff Fisher is on a similar path.
The lack of consistency on the part of the Rams is troubling, and the fact that they are two games behind the last wild card team in the conference pretty much eliminates them from the playoffs. The last two games were not only winnable for the Rams, but the home game against Chicago was a must win, and they got hammered 37-13.
And with that, ten takeaways…
1) The Rams got off to a terrific start on offense, driving eighty yards in seven plays (11.4 per play) to a touchdown that put them ahead 7-0. After that opening drive, the Rams ran 25 plays the remainder of the first half, and picked up 66 yards. In the second half, they gained 139 yards on 29 plays. Breaking it down, the Rams amassed just 205 yards after their opening drive, averaging 3.8 yards per play.
2) The Rams defense was killed by big plays, which is awfully unusual for them. Before Sunday, the only play over fifty yards the Rams had allowed was a 65 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to James Jones. The second biggest play was a 39 yard run by Matt Jones of Washington. The 87 and 83 yard touchdown passes by Jay Cutler to Zach Miller and Jeremy Langford, respectively, were more than enough to get the defense on its heels, and it never recovered.
3) We wondered during the pregame show if the absence of Matt Forte might cause the Rams to concentrate too much on Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett, the two biggest remaining playmakers for Chicago. Sure enough, Jeffery was held to 23 yards on three catches, and Bennett had three grabs for eighteen yards. The Rams covered those guys, but saw their stout run defense disintegrate, allowing 153 yards on 37 carries. In week nine of year four, more is expected of a defense working against Jeremy Langford and Kadeem Carey.
4) Meanwhile, the Rams running game has fallen back to its old ways. Running backs had eighteen carries for 76 yards, but before a garbage time drive that featured Trey Mason, they had thirteen carries for 48 yards. The running game certainly wasn’t up to winning NFL standards. Teams are stacking the box against Todd Gurley and daring the Rams to throw, and the Rams simply aren’t efficient enough in the passing game to make them pay.
nick foles-8Foles was 17 of 36 for 200 yards with a QB rating of 53.0 in Sunday’s Rams loss.
5) The Rams coaching staff hasn’t adapted to Nick Foles’ limitations. Of course, one of those limitations is the talent level of his recievers, and there’s nothing anyone can do about that.
But Foles also has real trouble throwing effectively outside the numbers, and the Rams continue to try plays on the perimeter.
They MUST work inside the numbers if they’re going to have success, because he simply can’t make the intermediate-to-long throw on the sideline.
6) At this stage of the game, it’s more than fair to question whether or not Fisher is up to the job of winning a championship, which should be the ultimate goal of any franchise. His Rams record now is 24-32-1. He has his coaching staff and his players. Any suggestion of injuries being an excuse are diminished by the fact that he’s has four years to build the roster and the depth is his.
On Sunday, Fisher had his hand-picked quarterback, running back, receivers, tight ends, tackles, center, one guard, defensive tackles, one end, two linebackers and secondary. No excuses. In game nine of year four, there is no excuse to lose this game. Try to think of a circumstance under which Fisher would lead the Rams to a championship. I can’t.
7) Left tackle Greg Robinson is playing far from the quality of a 2nd pick in the draft. After committing three holding penalties, Robinson leads all NFL offensive players in penalties with nine, an average of one per game, and is tied with Jason Kelce of Philadelphia with eight offensive holding penalties. He had two more holding penalties against Cleveland that were declined.
On Sunday, one of his holds nullified a Tavon Austin touchdown that would have made the score 14-7 Rams, but instead they kicked a field goal. That was a devastating penalty. Another third quarter hold nullified an Austin catch that would have provided a first down at the Bears’ 40. The second tackle taken in the 2014 draft, Jake Matthews of Atlanta, has committed three penalties, two of which were holding, and has been a much more effective pass blocker than Robinson. Robinson is still very young, but the lack of progress is alarming.
8) On the bright side for Stan Kroenke, with dynamic pricing for the Bears game, the Rams distributed more than 60,000 tickets and collected more revenue for a home game than they ever have. The Rams were able to get more people into the building than for any game this season, and collect the biggest gate ever. And almost half the crowd went home happy.
9) Down 27-13 early in the fourth quarter, the Rams tried a fake punt deep in their own territory, and Johnny Hekker’s pass fell incomplete. While Jeff Fisher was asked about it after the game, it was a non-factor. The Bears kicked a field goal after the failed attempt, and the Rams offense wasn’t going to produce two touchdowns anyway. The failed fake was a non-factor in the defeat. By that time, the game had been decided.
10) Foles is 28th in passer rating and 28th in yards in the NFL. His play simply isn’t up to a level that’s going to help a team win, let alone make a team win. His 186.4 yards per game are 34th in the league, and as Kevin Wheeler mentioned in the postgame show on 101 ESPN, three of the seven touchdown passes he’s thrown in nine games came in one game, at Arizona. He needs to have more good games if the Rams are to have ANY chance to win.
Next week the Rams are at Baltimore. Since they’ve lost two in a row and aren’t in a position to put anything positive together, they have a shot against the Ravens. But in terms of having a playoff shot in 2015, that likely went by the boards with the blowout loss to the Bears on Sunday.[/quote]
znModeratorBench Foles? Sure, But That Won’t Solve the Problem
Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/15/bench-foles-sure-but-that-wont-solve-the-problem/
Bench Nick Foles?
Sure. He’s overwhelmed, overmatched, and seemingly gets worse by the throw.
A slight exaggeration, perhaps. But with rare exception, Foles’ performance has deteriorated since he threw three touchdown passes and sculpted a 126.9 passer rating in the Rams’ Oct. 4 upset win at Arizona.
Foles has mostly struggled over his last five games, completing 51.7 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and five interceptions and a 60.2 passer rating.
Foles Failure is certainly a primary factor in the Rams’ 2-3 showing after leaving Arizona with a potential season-changing win.
The most glaring failure is on third down. Over the last five games, Foles has completed 40 percent of this third-down throws with one touchdown, five interceptions and a passer rating of 34.2.
(That’s right: I said 34.2.)
Foles wasn’t the only reason for the Rams’ abhorrent 37-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Left offensive tackle Greg Robinson presented another Jason Smith tribute, getting flagged so many times that the team equipment staff should have put him in a yellow jersey. And as much as I have praised and admired the Rams’ defense this season, the gang was deconstructed by Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, running back Jeremy Langford and tight end Zach Miller.
The Bears hit the Rams defense for more big plays — more home runs if you will — than the Cubs in their NL division conquest of the St. Louis Cardinals. It was just a wreck of a game, with the disappointing Rams drooping to 4-5 on the season.
But Foles was a significant part of the collapse. He completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes (17 for 36), got picked for an interception, sailed passes over (or under) open receivers, and was generally exasperated while tabulating a gruesome 53.0 passer rating.
And as the caretaker of the Rams’ offense, Foles fizzled after the Rams’ authoritative opening drive that ambushed the Bears for a 7-0 lead. On that first march Foles had two completions for 60 yards to set up Todd Gurley’s touchdown run, but passed for only 140 yards the rest of the game.
After that first strike, the Rams and Foles went into a deep funk over their next eight possessions. The numbers are almost unbelievable: 28 offensive snaps, 36 total net yards, two first downs, 40 yards lost in penalties, six punts, and a lost fumble.
Foles was put in some unforgiving third-down situations because of the penalties and the missteps on first and second downs, but he couldn’t pull the Rams out of their inertia.
The Rams offense was so depressing after the first series, I wouldn’t have objected to a decision to yank Foles and go with the No. 2 quarterback Case Keenum. (I can’t believe what I just typed. More on that later.) The Rams required a shakeup, and the somewhat frantic Keenum can at least run around a little, and maybe get a defense scrambling out of position.
Of course Rams coach Jeff Fisher would have none of that.
When asked if he considered making a change, Fisher said: “No. That’s my choice, but no. I’m just going to look at it. We have to play better around him (Foles). I’ll look and see how he played, but he was prepared. He had a great practice this week and he missed a couple of throws and we had a couple of drops. We’ll look at it, but at this point, no.”
The door was left open a bit.
But I’d be surprised if he benched Foles.
Coach Fisher enthusiastically endorsed the trade that sent Sam Bradford and Sam’s left knee to Philadelphia for Foles and the Eagles’ fourth-round draft pick in 2015 and their second-round choice in 2016. And before Foles even played a regular-season game, the Rams gave him a contract extension that could keep him in place through 2017. The deal included $14 million guaranteed.
And Keenum’s own record as an NFL starter offers little stimulation. He has a 2-8 record, 11 touchdowns, eight INTs, three lost fumbles, a 55 percent completion rate and 76.8 passer rating. But a coach of a catatonic offense shouldn’t rule out making a switch for shock-therapy purposes. Keenum was fantastic in his first two NFL starts with Houston, with a passer rating of 118.0 back in 2013. But in his last eight starts, Keenum threw seven TDs and eight picks and had a passer rating of 67.8.
OK, but what if Foles keeps slumping? After leading the Rams to an exciting season-opening win over Seattle, Foles has lost confidence. He isn’t as decisive in his throws. He went into the game having absorbed more pass-rush hits among NFL quarterbacks. Too many dropped passes bring him down even more. The O-line penalties are a joke. Foles is being supervised by a first-year offensive coordinator, Frank Cignetti. So many moving parts. So many malfunctioning parts. There’s little creativity or cohesion.
It’s gotten ugly, and you wonder if it’s possible for Foles to overcome such quarterback-hostile conditions. Other than Gurley and wide receiver Tavon Austin, there’s no electricity in this offense. It starts with yawn-inducing coaching, a shaky offensive line, and (mostly) undependable targets. The Rams were so panicked to add a receiver, they’re trying to revive Wes Welker’s career.
That said, Foles doesn’t receive immunity from criticism. He has to make more impactful plays. There’s too much dinky stuff; Foles has averaged only 5.95 yards per passing attempt over his last five games. When a quarterback goes bad, it’s a sad thing to watch.
Fisher doesn’t see what we see.
“He’s a confident, competitive person,” Fisher said. “He thought, with seven minutes left to go in the game, we were going to put two drives together and score. That’s how he is and it’s real. It’s got some realness to it. It’s not one of those things that you think how someone is supposed to act. I don’t think confidence is an issue with him.”
As for Foles …
“Throughout my career,” he said, “games like this, situations like this, I look back at these moments like, ‘Hey, that was that moment that built character in me. That made me the person I am, that made me the teammate I am.’ Even with teams that have been on, there’s always that moment early on that you look at that moment like, ‘Hey, without that moment, we wouldn’t be the great team we are today.’ So, that’s how you look at moments like this is, ‘Hey, it’s just a character building moment.’ That’s all it is. Now, it’s how you handle these situations from here on if your character’s going to build or if you’ll diminish.”
The Rams have been engaged in sustained, seemingly endless “character building” since Fisher took charge of the program in 2012. But we’re watching the same scenes over and over again. Too many idiotic, undisciplined penalties. Too many draft choices that apparently require seven or eight seasons of developmental time. Drafting an offensive tackle No. 2 overall (Robinson) who is often a liability. And just a seeping, creeping dullness that the Rams can’t break.
The unpleasant truth?
The Rams offense isn’t a priority.
We know that for a couple of reasons, including Cignetti’s in-house promotion to coordinator.
When Fisher needed a new coordinator for his defense, he patched up his damaged relationship with Gregg Williams and rehired Williams before 2014. The Rams defense was off form and easily conquered on Sunday, but it’s still the strength of the team. And hiring Williams — one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators over the last 15+ years — was attributable to Fisher’s desire for a great defense. It was a smart hire.
But when Brian Schottenheimer left as STL’s offensive coordinator last offseason to take the same post at the college level with Georgia, Fisher didn’t conduct an ambitious national search to recruit a top OC or an emerging creative mind. Fisher’s search began and ended several yards from his own office at Rams Park, when he knocked on the door of his quarterbacks coach and gave Cignetti the OC gig.
That tells us a lot about Fisher’s view of offense.
The other revealing part is Fisher’s lengthy record that isn’t open to interpretation.
The facts are clear.
Fisher’s Tennessee Titans last won a playoff game in 2003. In his last 11 seasons as a head coach (including 2015) his team’s best NFL ranking in most offensive points scored was No. 12, back in 2008. That was also the last time the Titans made the playoffs under Fisher; his offense has finished no better than No. 16 since then. In his first three seasons in St. Louis, the Fisher offense has ranked 28th, 22nd and 23rd. This year, through the first eight games, the Rams were ranked 30th in offensive points scored. Sunday’s 13-point output won’t move them up on the list.
As I wrote earlier, I’d welcome a change at quarterback if Foles continues riding on a downbound train. But we should remember two important things: (1) the alternative isn’t necessarily an upgrade; and (2) without question this is Jeff Fisher’s offense. We can make Foles the fall guy, but that doesn’t address the real problem. Jeff Fisher’s offense has been dragging for years. Pick a quarterback; any will do. That quarterback will be working for the same coach, functioning under the same philosophy, and operating the same system. That’s the reality.
znModeratorznModeratorRams disappear in blowout loss to Bears
Jim Thomas
So here they are, your St. Louis Rams, once again in an all-too-familiar position. After building up hopes like never before under Jeff Fisher that this would be the year they get over the hump, the Rams served up yet another bitter pill to their faithful Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
In one of their worst outings of the Fisher tenure in St. Louis, the Rams were embarrassed 37-13 by a 4-5 Chicago team that was missing star running back Matt Forte and its best defensive player, outside linebacker Pernell McPhee.
Off-balance all day, the Rams defense gave up a pair of 80 yards-plus touchdowns in the first half, falling behind 24-10 at halftime.
So after creeping above .500 in November for the first time since 2006, the Rams now stand at 4-5 after back-to-back losses with road games at Baltimore and Cincinnati the next two Sundays.
“We got outplayed and out-coached,” Fisher said. “Two big plays (allowed) on defense were kind of back breakers.”
Nick Foles’ struggles continued at quarterback. He completed fewer than .50 percent of his passes (17 of 36), threw a late interception, and was high or late with several throws. He missed two wide-open receivers in the end zone for what should’ve been touchdowns.
Foles has thrown only one touchdown pass in his past four games and hasn’t thrown for more than 200 yards in a game since Week 1.
“Not good enough to win,” Foles said when asked to evaluate his play. “We’re not winning, so I’ve gotta keep working to get better, working to make sure offensively we get rolling.”
Backup Case Keenum finished out the game at quarterback, and Fisher didn’t issue an impassioned defense of Foles when asked if he would consider a quarterback change going forward.
“We’ll look at it, but at this point, no,” Fisher said.
You’d think the Rams would be well beyond a game like this under Fisher, but not so.
“I don’t like it,” Fisher said. “With four minutes to go in the game, we had eight first downs. You can’t win games like that.”
SALUTE TO SERVICE
The Rams teamed with Boeing to provide 1,000 tickets to the USO of Missouri for military members and their families for Sunday’s Salute to Service game.
U.S. Army war hero Daniel Rodriguez, a wide receiver who walked on at Clemson and who was in training camp with the Rams this year, will return to serve as an honorary team captain for Sunday’s game.
Rodriguez, 27, earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his heroism in the Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan in October 2009. He was signed by the Rams after a tryout.
In the preseason, the 5-foot-8, 180-pounder caught two passes for 10 yards. He also averaged 23.7 yards on seven kickoff returns and 4.8 yards on six punt returns.
DOME UPGRADE
The concrete that surrounded the playing surface at the Edward Jones Dome has been covered by blue rubber padding that should help players maintain their footing. In each of the last two games at the Dome, players _ Cleveland QB Josh McCown and San Francisco RB Reggie Bush _ suffered injuries after falls resulting from losing their footing as they ran from the turf onto the concrete.
znModeratorWell the Bears were missing their top RB
and Alshon was hobbled and they were
on the road, etc.That’s nothing. This entire team depends on its DL to win and it got negated… the DEs were contained and silent.
The equivalent would be if the Rams D completed stifled Cutler to the point where he could do nothing, like Manning today.
Just lists of injuries doesn’t give you honest equivalence. As they stand right now as a team, negate the Rams DL and the Rams as a whole aren’t competitive.
….
znModerator.
I dunno, but to me, this one, was
one of the worst regular season losses,
of the decade.It’s not even one of the worst losses of the decade. I’m not even sure it cracks top 10. (Or, bottom 10. You know what I mean.) I think your psychological system just did you a favor by erasing games like Keith Null throwing 5 INTs against the Titans in a 2009 game they lost 47-7. (Should I go on? There’s more.)
I would say it is the most disappointing game of the Fisher era.
znModeratorYeah I would have to say so.
.
znModeratorDid you see the game? What do you think happened
today? I mean…WTF? None of us
was expecting anything like THIS.
Good lord.It;s not the same team, anywhere down the line, with both DEs being mostly silent.
Plus. Bad tackling showed up again on D.
Plus. The penalties and horribly timed mistakes showed up again on O. Negating 1st downs and one TD.
Plus. Foles was a mess. He’s not the least bit confident right now. He’s not the guy we saw in the Seattle game.
Plus. Hekker blew a fake. In Rams territory.
Everything that could go wrong, did.
znModeratorJim Thomas @jthom1
No excuses from defense, which played its worst game of year. They were kept off-balance all day by play-calling of Martz protégé Adam GaseznModeratorIf Havenstein isn’t back they have 3 linemen out. That’s reaching critical mass stage (unless your qb is Brady).
..
November 15, 2015 at 6:12 pm in reply to: "While visiting family & friends I met a scout who did some work for the Rams" #34154znModeratorWell, I think they need to hire new management, coaches and a front office because based on the results of the first of those 8 games they are clueless if they think this is a Superbowl team.
I met a scout who did some work for Rams recently (that’s all he would let me say about him
Yeah I wondered whether to post that. I mean…have you ever heard of a “scout who did some work for” a team “recently”? You’re either a scout with a team or you’re not. It’s not like hiring a guy to cut your lawn.
,
.
znModeratorRams Report Card vs. Chicago Bears
Here’s how columnist Jeff Gordon graded the Rams after their 37-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Nov. 15, 2015.
November 15, 2015 at 4:49 pm in reply to: A well coached team with good QB play is hard to beat (post-Bears game thread) #34143znModeratorWell that game sure didn’t go the way I was expecting.
.
znModeratoris welker just that good or is the passing game just that bad? will have to watch later but excited to see wes.
I figure it’s nothing more than this.
The only way to replace Bailey is to sign a vet. Someone who can contribute.
You then take advantage of what that vet has.
In this case, it’s the Amendola role. Some slot stuff, third down stuff.
And, you create some packages he can play in. Not that hard for a vet. No way he will know the whole offense or even a portion of it, but you use him on some plays designed this week.
Regardless how good, bad, or slump-ridden the rest of the WRs are, the Rams did not have a slot receiver, so, it’s not like there’s anyone ahead of him. So you use your new Welker packages and see what happens. Couldn’t hurt.
.
znModeratorBears defense is 24th in rushing yards, 15th in attempts, and 27th in yards per rush allowed.
But they are 5th in both passing attempts and passing yards allowed.
Is this a case where teams don’t bother to throw because they can run so easily?
Well, in terms of passing defense, they are
16th in completion percentage allowed (ie. 1st would be a much lower completion percentage)
14th in yards per attempt
17th in opponents qb rating
22nd in sack percentage
So yeah it looks like teams don’t throw on them because why bother, you can run on them so easily.
znModeratorIan Rapoport @RapSheet
With just a few days of practice under his belt, new #Rams WR Wes Welker will be active today, sources say. Worth watching on third downs.znModerator7 things to watch: Rams vs. Bears
• By Jim ThomasLITTLE BROTHER, BUT NO BIG BROTHER
A knee injury prevents DE Chris Long from going head-to-head with his younger brother, Bears RT Kyle Long. Instead, it’s veteran William Hayes lining up over Kyle. The two have a history. Two years ago in St. Louis, Hayes got under Kyle’s skin to the point where he shoved Hayes down from behind, then jumped onto Hayes, drawing a penalty. “Kyle’s a little hot-headed, so it’s easy to get to him,” Hayes said, smiling. “Kyle’s a good friend of mine, but he knows come Sunday I’m gonna try my best to get up under skin.”
ALL ALSHON, ALL THE TIME
First-round draft pick Kevin White remains on the PUP list following surgery to repair a stress fracture of the left tibia. Veteran Eddie Royal misses his second straight game with a knee injury. When it comes to wideouts, that leaves the Chicago passing game in the hands of Alshon Jeffery. He’s a big target (6-3, 216) and a master at coming down with contested balls. He has been targeted a whopping 42 times over the past 3 games with 28 catches for 414 yards in those contests, but is questionable with a groin injury.
ROOKIE THREAT
Two-time Pro Bowler Matt Forte is expected to miss his second straight game with a knee injury, but Jeremy Langford proved to be a more than capable replacement Monday against San Diego. The rookie from Michigan State accounted for 142 yards rushing/receiving (and a TD) vs. the Chargers. Whereas Forte is more of a smooth, gliding runner, Langford hits the hole hard, showing good burst and acceleration. Beware of him in the passing game; the Bears already are using him in a variety of ways.
DON’T SLEEP ON JAY
Under new offensive coordinator Adam Gase and QBs coach Dowell Loggains, Jay Cutler is playing more efficient, savvy football and minimizing mistakes. Last season under the previous coaching regime, Cutler had 24 turnovers via either an INT or lost fumble. Midway through this season, he has only seven — although he had his first multiple turnover game of 2015 vs. San Diego with a lost fumble and a “pick 6.” Cutler is getting the ball out quickly against pressure, and still has one of the game’s strongest arms.
KEY MATCHUP
DE Robert Quinn had played in 70 consecutive games before sitting out last week’s Minnesota contest with a knee injury. But Quinn, who has more sacks than all but two NFL players (J.J. Watt and Justin Houston) since the start of the 2012 season, is expected to play this week. He’ll face inexperienced but athletic Bears LT Charles Leno Jr., who has played well enough to hold off veteran Jermon Bushrod. Leno gave up a sack fumble on Chicago’s second possession against San Diego that ended a promising drive.
NO-NAME DEFENSE
Think about all the great players who made Chicago’s defense the Monsters of the Midway over the years. Then look at the Bears’ current defensive lineup. That’s right, there’s a distinctive lack of star power for coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit. And the best performer of the bunch, OLB Pernell McPhee, didn’t practice all week with a knee injury. Chicago switched to a 3-4 this season, Fangio has done a good job of masking weaknesses, and the Bears come to town ranked 9th in total defense.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS?
Rams special teams have only one return TD this year, and that came all the way back in the season opener against Seattle. Similarly, they haven’t had a kickoff return go longer than 39 yards in 2015. And now come the Bears, who have allowed three return touchdowns this year — two on kickoff returns and one via punt return. Chicago ranks 31st in kickoff coverage, yielding nearly 30 yards per return, and is 27th in punt coverage, yielding 11.2 yards per return. Tavon Austin, Benny Cunningham — you’re up.
znModeratorThe above? What was known all along. He’s better in play action (though this year by a much greater degree since he dropped off massively when not throwing play action compared to prior years). He’s better when he throws the ball quickly (and the difference is extreme). He’s accurate long, but the PFF version of measuring this counts 20 and over as long.
November 14, 2015 at 10:18 pm in reply to: Seattle, Arizona took different approaches in building offensive lines #34116znModeratorSeattle this season is paying its offensive line just over $13 million, 30th out of the 32 NFL teams in spending on that position, according to OvertheCap.com. And roughly half of that is tied up in one player, left tackle Russell Okung, a 2010 first-round draft pick who has a salary-cap number of $7.2 million.
“So basically, it is fill-in type players at every other spot,’’ said Jason Fitzgerald, who writes about NFL financial issues for OvertheCap.com.
Oops.
znModeratorfrom off the net
—
alyoshamucci
With Forte out or dinged I can’t see that the Bears have a chance. Our O line can manage them. That’s really the game. Gurley goes for 200.
November 14, 2015 at 5:40 pm in reply to: 2016 NFL Draft: Early Grades of the Cornerback Class #34110znModeratorDo I have this right? It’s supposed to be a good year for DEs, CBs, and WRs. Good, as in pretty deep.
Which works out nicely for the Rams.
November 14, 2015 at 5:40 pm in reply to: 2016 NFL Draft: Early Grades of the Cornerback Class #34109znModeratorDo I have this right? It’s supposed to be a good year for DEs, CBs, and WRs. Good, as in pretty deep.
Which works out nicely for the Rams.
znModeratorYeah, its not a “third down problem” — it’s
an “Offense problem.”
A “pass offense problem” mostly.I still hold out for the idea that this is newness.
New and first time coordinator.
New qb.
Coordinator and qb don’t know one another.
New and first time OL.
OL doesn’t know one another.
Add regression in the receivers, though lots of reasons for that.
Out of sync.
By that I mean this. Imagine this world (thought experiment). In 2014, Rams promote Cignetti, trade for Foles, and start the OL over again with young players.
In 2015 they would have increased familiarity and better cohesion, and so would be better than the Real Version Of The 2015 Offense is in actual history.
znModeratorTime of possession, staying onside key for Rams against Bears
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears kick it off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET from the Edward Jones Dome. Here are three things to watch in this matchup:
1. Possession priority: Want an example of how yards allowed per game can be misleading as it relates to “ranking” defenses? Let’s take a closer look at the Bears. On paper, Chicago has the NFL’s No. 9 defense when it comes to yards allowed per game (341.9). The Bears are also fifth in pass defense, yielding 220.3 yards per game in the air. But the Bears are tied for 19th in yards per play allowed (5.72). So where’s the disconnect? Time of possession.
Simply put, the Bears’ defensive numbers are pretty good in large part because the defense isn’t on the field all that much. That’s not to say that defense doesn’t deserve credit for what it’s done, but the stats are skewed enough that it’s probably fair to say they aren’t a top-10 overall unit. Chicago’s offense is fourth in the NFL in time of possession, a tribute to the job done by offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterback Jay Cutler and the job they’ve done on third down (tied for eighth in conversion percentage) and not turning the ball over (also tied for eighth-fewest giveaways).
The Rams, meanwhile, are on a record pace for futility in third-down conversion percentage and rank 29th in the NFL in time of possession. It’s important this week for the Rams to not only somehow find a way to sustain more drives, but also to get the Bears off the field when third-down opportunities arise for the defense.
2. Whither Welker?: Rams coach Jeff Fisher maintained all week that a decision on whether newly signed wideout Wes Welker will play would not be made until Saturday night or Sunday morning. He also made it clear that in an effort to get Welker ready, the Rams would put in a package of plays this week that he could learn quickly to give him a chance to be ready to play. Considering that aforementioned league-worst third-down conversion rate and what Fisher said about Welker’s primary function upon signing, it’s safe to assume that if Welker plays, he’ll be viewed as a third-down specialist.
That is something Welker has done well throughout his career, but it’s fair to remain skeptical of just how much he can contribute at age 34 with his long history of concussions and injury. Really, the Rams just need someone, anyone who can keep drives alive on third down. Welker might be the best qualified to do it based on his past, but the Rams probably don’t care who it is as long as it gets done.
3. Holding their water: During the past three weeks, the Rams have been flagged for offside penalties a whopping 12 times, including five against Cleveland three weeks ago and five more last week against Minnesota. Those flags have given opponents first downs, made getting another first down more manageable and many times altered field position in a significant way.
Fisher jokingly said Monday that he would have the defensive line 3 yards off the line of scrimmage all week in order to get the message across. Of course, that didn’t happen, but it has been a point of emphasis all week. The Rams defense is good enough to get the job done without jumping offside, but this goes back to the first category: Any additional offside penalties only increase the chances of the Bears getting first downs and staying on the field.
znModeratorfrom Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/13/the-five-keys-to-a-rams-victory-over-chicago/
full article here: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/reporters-preview-the-bears-game/#post-34085
3. Want To Do Better on Third Down? Here’s How: By now we’re tired of mentioning that the Rams’ third-down conversion rate, an abysmal 23.7 percent, is the poorest by an NFL team since the statistic became official in 1972. But here’s one way to get around that — come up with more positive results on first and second down. The Rams’ inconsistency and weakness in getting to third down is as much of a problem as executing on third down. Here’s a number that tells us a lot: when the Rams break the huddle and line up for second down, they face an average of 8.68 yards to go for a first down. No NFL team has been in a deeper second-down hole than the Rams this season.
Moreover, their second-down performance is lacking. According to STATS LLC the Rams are ranked last in the NFL in successful second-down plays — picking up 50 percent of the yards needed for a first down only 39 percent of the time. Their second-down rushing log is pretty dismal; the Rams have lost yards 11 times and gained no more than 2 yards on half of their 64 runs. The struggles on first and second down create too many highly unfavorable situations on third down. When the Rams need 6+ yards on third down this season, they’ve converted only 8 of 55 — or 14.5%. And when the Rams have to come up with 10+ yards on third down, they’ve failed 31 times out of 36. (A success rate of 14 percent). We spend a lot of time looking at what the Rams are doing wrong on third down. But speaking for myself, I haven’t paid enough attention to their skimpy production on the first two downs.
znModeratorThird-down conversions first priority for St. Louis Rams
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — One day after signing wide receiver Wes Welker, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher was so excited about the prospect of Welker improving his team’s dreadful third-down conversion rate that he called his new wideout by the wrong name when discussing the possibilities.
“You know what I’ll anticipate if he does play and he converts the first down, they’ll probably start chanting ‘Walker’ rather than ‘Gurley,’” Fisher said.
Obviously, Fisher meant Welker, but whether it’s Welker or Jimmy Walker, anyone who can help the Rams improve their NFL-worst third-down conversion rate from it’s current 23.8 percent would qualify as dyn-o-mite for Fisher and the Rams.
Eight games into the season, that third-down conversion rate is not only the worst in the NFL but on pace to be the worst since STATS, LLC began tracking it in 1972. The Rams have converted between zero and two third downs in five of their eight games, with the season high of six coming in the season opener against Seattle.
In the past three games, the Rams are an especially anemic four-of-37, and they are 24-of-101 this season, which is far and away the worst mark in the NFL. Miami is the closest at 28.9 percent.
In the ESPN Stats & Information database that goes back to 2001, the 2002 Dallas Cowboys and 2005 San Francisco 49ers were closest to the Rams’ current rate at an even 24 percent. By way of comparison, the 2014 Rams were 27th at 35.4 percent, going 68-of-192. Cleveland was last at 29.5 percent.
No matter how you slice it, the inability to convert third downs and sustain drives has been the Rams’ single biggest problem in the first half of the season.
“It’s not good,” Fisher said. “We need to get better. Four in three games is not good. Like I said, I’ll take five or six of them, but four in three games is not good. We have to get better. That’s a coaching thing. That’s a player thing. That’s a quarterback thing. It’s everybody that’s involved in that, so we’ll get better.”
Well, one would think they’d almost have to get better just by dumb luck but as Fisher points out, the failure to be better on third down can be attributed across the board. But one place to start would be finding more success on first and second down to create more manageable third downs.
Of their 101 third-down opportunities, 63 of them have been from 6 yards or further. As you’d expect, the Rams have been particularly bad in those situations, converting 11 of those, a 17.5 percent conversion rate. Between 1 and 5 yards, the Rams have converted 13-of-38 for a more palatable 34.2 percent.
Along with that, the Rams have converted 31.3 percent of their third downs on the 16 run plays they’ve tried. When they pass, the Rams are 19-of-85 for 22.4 percent.
In other words, faring better on first and second down would go a long way toward more third-down conversions.
“That helps third down a lot,” quarterback Nick Foles said. “First and second down, staying inside of the sticks, not getting to third-and-7 plus. The percentage of converting on those isn’t nearly as high. Staying inside of the chains will help us a lot. First and second down are huge for us.”
Aside from having more success on the first two downs, one simple solution falls at the feet of offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and Foles: Throwing the ball at or past the first down marker on third down.
Of those 85 third-down pass plays the Rams have tried, they’ve attempted 44 that were short of the first-down marker. To nobody’s surprise, they’ve converted just four of those for 9.1 percent. When they actually throw to the marker or beyond, they’ve converted 15-of-41 for 36.6 percent.
“We just have to continue to work on it,” Fisher said. “Give Nick some options, different concepts, do better on first downs. You guys have got the numbers. We had 16. We’re two for 16. I think six of them were seven to 10 and we had four or five that were 10-plus. It’s hard. So, it all works together. But, we have to get better there.”
That’s where the Rams are hoping that Welker will come in. Welker built his reputation in the league as the ideal chains-mover, the type of slot receiver who can operate in short areas with crisp, quick routes that offer easy completions for first downs.
Since 2001, Welker is eighth in the NFL among active players in third-down receptions (213), seventh in third-down catches that result in a first down (168) and fourth in catch percentage (64) on third-down passes thrown his way.
At 34, Welker is coming off a series of injuries that include myriad concussions. Expecting him to magically solve the third-down issues is probably asking too much. But if nothing else, his veteran savvy and reliable hands should be a welcome sight when the Rams face third downs. Even just another three or four conversions per game would go a long way in getting the Rams back toward the NFL average.
“I don’t see myself as being the solution to all that or anything like that,” Welker said. “I’m just here trying to learn the offense and trying to contribute any way I can and help out any way I can.”
znModeratorThe Five Keys To a Rams’ Victory Over Chicago
Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/13/the-five-keys-to-a-rams-victory-over-chicago/
Other than the turnovers and injuries that have considerable impact in any game, here’s my quick-hit look at five areas that figure to be prominent in determining the Rams’ fate in Sunday’s noon brawl with the visiting Chicago Bears:
1. The Todd Gurley Show: The rookie running back is always paramount in the success of the Rams’ offense; to even mention this seems redundant. But there was a purpose to me being predictable. This will be Gurley’s sixth start. And if you go by the rankings for weighted rushing defense at Football Outsiders, the Bears are the least imposing group to take on Gurley since he moved into the starting lineup. The Bears rank 31st among the 32 teams in adjusted run defense, which accounts for strength of schedule. Using the standard stats, the Bears are 24th in rushing yards per game (121.6) and 27th in average yield per carry (4.63). But here’s the interesting thing about Chicago’s run defense: the Bears actually do a good job of denying big-play runs of 20+ yards. But no NFL rushing defense has been worse than the Bears in preventing successful running plays — which by definition are rushes that gain at least 4 yards.
But opponents have gone for at least 4 yards on 52 percent of their runs vs. Chicago. And only seven NFL teams have been rolled more often than the Bears on runs that net at least 10 yards. The Bears are among the worst defenses in the NFL against first-down runs, allowing nearly 4.8 yards per carry. And the defense doesn’t come up with many negative plays that knock opponents back; the Bears have stuffed only 10 running plays this season — the fewest in the NFL. In other words, teams have just slammed away at Chicago’s defensive front with persistent, physical and powerful runs. Gurley is special because of his ability to break a defense with speed or power. He’s a breakaway threat at any moment — but also thrives at grinding away for the tough yards.
2. A Special Invitation for Nick Foles: For the most part the Rams’ quarterback has been a low-impact performer. And while there are many contributing factors to the league’s dullest passing attack, the good quarterbacks manage to find ways to step up and make plays. Foles has absorbed more total hits than any NFL quarterback this season, and the punishment could be wearing on him. But the Bears’ pass defense is an inviting, attractive target. Chicago has been rifled for a 101.1 passer rating this season, sixth-worst among the 32 teams. The Bears have been air-raided for 17 touchdown passes, and have countered with only four interceptions. And this final stat may prove soothing for Foles: the Bears have only 14 sacks this season. That’s 25th. Foles should have time to throw, and the Bears are awfully loose in their pass coverage. This seems like a good opportunity for a Foles’ warm-up.
3. Want To Do Better on Third Down? Here’s How: By now we’re tired of mentioning that the Rams’ third-down conversion rate, an abysmal 23.7 percent, is the poorest by an NFL team since the statistic became official in 1972. But here’s one way to get around that — come up with more positive results on first and second down. The Rams’ inconsistency and weakness in getting to third down is as much of a problem as executing on third down. Here’s a number that tells us a lot: when the Rams break the huddle and line up for second down, they face an average of 8.68 yards to go for a first down. No NFL team has been in a deeper second-down hole than the Rams this season.
Moreover, their second-down performance is lacking. According to STATS LLC the Rams are ranked last in the NFL in successful second-down plays — picking up 50 percent of the yards needed for a first down only 39 percent of the time. Their second-down rushing log is pretty dismal; the Rams have lost yards 11 times and gained no more than 2 yards on half of their 64 runs. The struggles on first and second down create too many highly unfavorable situations on third down. When the Rams need 6+ yards on third down this season, they’ve converted only 8 of 55 — or 14.5%. And when the Rams have to come up with 10+ yards on third down, they’ve failed 31 times out of 36. (A success rate of 14 percent). We spend a lot of time looking at what the Rams are doing wrong on third down. But speaking for myself, I haven’t paid enough attention to their skimpy production on the first two downs.
4. The Rams Defense Must Rest: Quarterback Jay Cutler and the Bears’ offense do a really effective job of extending possessions. Only three NFL offenses have had more possessions than last 10 plays or longer than the Bears’ 19. They’ve also scored seven touchdowns at the end of these sustained marches — a sign that the opposing defense is tiring along the way. (By the way: the Rams’ have had only only three possessions of 10 plays-plus.) The Bears have hogged the football for a minimum of five minutes on 12 possessions. They just keep moving the chains, steadily and efficiently, with a methodical approach that can make a defense impatient or weary. That’s one huge advantage that the Bears bring to this game; unlike the Rams’ offense the Chicago offense is strong at converting third-down and fourth-down plays, ranking sixth in the NFL at 44.6%.
One reason for the Bears’ extended stays is improved pass protection for Cutler. Previously one of the most hounded NFL quarterbacks, Cutler has been sacked on only 3.9 percent of the team’s passing plays this season. That’s No. 6 in the league at preventing sacks, and the extra security has enhanced Cutler’s play. Well, the Rams’ defense will try to chip away at the wall that shields Cutler, something this sack attack does very well. The Rams are among the NFL’s stingiest at limiting the number of extended drives by opponents. The Rams have forced three-and-outs by opponents on 21 percent of their possessions. The Rams’ defense has been taken for a ride on only eight of those five-minute drives. The Rams’ defense has stayed on the field for plays or more only 12 times. And the Rams are stopping opponents on third down at a rate of 66.2 percent that comes in at fifth best in the rankings. The Chicago offense doesn’t want to give up the ball; the Rams defense doesn’t want to stay on the field. Something has to give, right?
5. Superiority on Special Teams: I’ll keep this one short. I’m tired of typing (wink.) Football Outsiders has a formula for rating the overall, all-around performance of the league’s 32 special-teams units. The Rams come in at No. 10 in those rankings. And the Bears are last at No. 32. So the kicking game could swing in the Rams’ favor.
znModeratorBuckle Up, Rams. You Can’t Afford Another Slip
Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/13/buckle-up-rams-you-cant-afford-another-slip/
Let’s begin by stating the obvious: the Rams need this game. Winning on Sunday isn’t an option; defeating the Chicago Bears is mandatory. After last week’s pratfall at Minnesota, the Rams are pretty much out of mulligans. The NFC playoff field is crammed with teams straining for separation. Another slip could be devastating.
Here are three playoff-odds reports to give you an idea of the trouble that’s brewing for the Rams:FiveThirtyEight.com gives St. Louis a 19 percent chance to make the playoffs; that includes an 8% shot at winning the NFC West. After beating the 49ers at home on Nov. 1 the Rams playoff probability was 26 percent — so the setback at Minnesota was costly.
The Rams have a lot of traffic in front of them in the NFC, with Carolina (99%), Green Bay (93%), Arizona (73%), Minnesota (66%), Seattle (59%), Philadelphia (57%), Atlanta (55%), and the NY Giants (45%) in superior position to claim the two wild-card spots. Some of the teams will their divisions. But even if Green Bay rebounds to win the NFC North, Philadelphia takes the NFC East, Carolina pockets the NFC South and Arizona closes in on the NFC West title, the Rams would still be chasing multiple teams including Minnesota, Seattle, Atlanta and New York.
And at FootballOutsiders.com the Rams are given a 29.9 percent of qualifying for the playoffs, which is better than the forecast at FiveThirtyEight. But even with improved odds the Rams could get lost in the pile-up. Among likely wild-card bidders the Rams have an estimated 22.2% shot — they’re sitting behind Atlanta (51.2%), Seattle (32.2%) and Minnesota (31.2%).
Over at PredictionMachine.com the Rams have a lower wild-card probability at 17.1%.
The Rams are a 7-point favorite over the Bears, and FiveThirtyEight gives Chicago a chance of only 29 percent to win the game.
That just underlines the Rams’ need to win Sunday. After grappling with the Bears, the Rams (4-4) will play the next two games on the road at Baltimore and Cincinnati. All three projection sites we’ve mentioned here put the Rams right around 8-8 for a final record. I’m no Nate Silver, but I figure 10 wins are necessary to book a wild-card ticket. If that’s accurate, the Rams must go 6-2 in their final eight games. It can be done, yes. But that’s up to the Rams who can’t count on other teams to capsize. Coach Jeff Fisher’s team already lost to one opponent, Washington, that has an inferior record (3-5.) And the Rams couldn’t close the deal when they had close-game opportunities against Minnesota and Pittsburgh. The Rams can’t continue to give away bankable games.
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