wv wrote:

I do think losing Saffold was a big deal though. I just
think he meant a lot to the OLine

Could be. But he wasn’t playing especially well in 2015 for some reason.

.

wv wrote:

Does anyone have a list of the Rams OLinemen
who have been injured AND the weeks that
they went out ?

I think it would be interesting to see
WHEN the Line got to “bulgerization” level.
How many games were they healthy?

w
v

Okay, as a rule, I don’t count one or 2 replacements unless it’s both the center and the left tackle at the same time.

But that’s deceptive, because they started the season with a green GR at LOT, 2 rookies, and a first-time starter center.

The Rams played the same OL through week 4, when they lost Saffold. That’s no big deal because they just brought in Reynolds.

Against the Vikes they had to play Donnal at guard and move Reynolds to ROT. That’s because they lost both Havenstein and Williams at that point. But still, that’s just 2 changes, so it’s not critical in itself. You combine that with being so young and it’s not optimal, but a change at guard and ROT in itself is not critical mass type stuff.

In the Baltimore game, they lost Donnal, who was at ROT, and they were missing Brown, too. That’s when they had to move Reynolds to ROT and start Rhaney and Wichman at guard.

So then at that point, they had lost starters in Saffold, Brown, and Havenstein plus replacements in Williams and Donnal.

The low ebb OL was Robinson Rhaney Barnes Wichman Reynolds, with 3 injured ROTs (Havenstein, Wms, Donnal).

That’s at least better now (in injury terms) with Havenstein back, which also moves Reynolds back to guard.

What’s freaky about all this is this: starting in 2014 they added 8 linemen, including draft picks and a UDFA. Of those, only Donnal had a previous injury history. As of right now, 7 of those 8 have been injured for lengthy stretches.

Suspension ends for Rams’ Stedman Bailey; unclear when he’ll play

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14315891/suspension-st-louis-rams-wr-stedman-bailey-ends

EARTH CITY, Mo. – St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey’s four-game suspension came to an end Monday, but it remains unclear when or if he will play football again after he was shot in the head twice Nov. 24.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Bailey continues to make progress in his recovery from the six-plus hour surgery he endured the day after he was shot.

On Monday, Bailey was eligible to come off the reserve/suspended list following his four-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse. According to Fisher, Bailey did come off that list, and the Rams are working with the league to place him on the non-football injury list.

“We’ll take care of Sted,” Fisher said. “He comes off, he’s eligible to play, but by no means is he in any kind of condition to play.”

Fisher previously said Bailey would not be able to play for the Rams again this season. Fisher mentioned Monday that it was possible Bailey might not play ever again, though it’s too early for such determinations.

“Are you asking is there a potential that he doesn’t return to play? Yes, there is that potential,” Fisher said. “We don’t know. It’s just going to take some time. From a health standpoint, there’s a chance that he doesn’t play. However, based on what he’s done over the last 10 days, he may surprise everybody.”

Bailey has made steady progress in his recovery from the shooting. Before the team’s Nov. 29 game against Cincinnati, Bailey’s girlfriend sent to his Rams teammates photos of Bailey signing his name. Last week, Fisher told the team’s website he had seen videos of Bailey walking at the Miami-area hospital where he is staying. Bailey himself took to social media on Friday to offer an update as well as thanks to his friends, family and fans for their support.

“He’s doing better,” Fisher said. “It puts a smile on my face when I get to think about him and where he’s at [in his recovery].”

The Miami Gardens Police Department is handling the ongoing investigation into the shooting. According to police, Bailey was shot while sitting in a car at round 8:45 p.m. ET Nov. 24. Police said Bailey’s cousin, Antwan Reeves, and three others were in the car when another vehicle drove by and fired shots. Reeves also was shot and was taken in for surgery that night. His status is unknown. The three others, two of whom were minors, were unharmed, according to police.

Firing offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti solves nothing for Rams

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/24554/firing-offensive-coordinator-frank-cignetti-solves-nothing-for-rams

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Apparently the deck chair wearing the offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti costume just didn’t match the decor on the U.S.S. St. Louis Rams as it sinks into further despair.

Less than a day after Rams coach Jeff Fisher said that he was “almost out of answers” to try to fix the team’s offensive woes, he submitted something that some might consider a response by firing Cignetti and promoting Rob Boras to offensive coordinator. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right one.

Did Cignetti do a good job with the Rams offense? A simple look at the numbers would offer a resounding no.

Three quarters of the way through the season, the Rams are 31st in the NFL in yards per game (296.3) and offensive points per game (14.4) and last in passing yards per game (178) and first downs (175). Undoubtedly, those are numbers that scream for a change.

That also doesn’t mean it was all Cignetti’s fault, either.

No, once again, the blame here is going to the wrong place. It was Fisher who hired Brian Schottenheimer as the coordinator when he arrived in 2012. After three seasons of poor offensive output, Fisher had a chance to re-invent the offense last offseason with a creative hire from outside the ranks. He decided to hire from within, going with Cignetti, though it sure seemed like any proven outside commodity looked at the situation in St. Louis and thought better of pursuing the job.

It was also Fisher who mostly neglected the offense and the quarterback position until this offseason. There was that moment he attempted to stray outside of his comfort zone in 2013 with a spread offense intended to throw it all over the yard, but that was no more than a passing fancy that last just four games before it was scrapped. And it was Fisher who picked the players, including the quarterbacks, offensive linemen and wide receivers, who represent the NFL’s 31st-ranked offense.

So what, exactly, does firing Cignetti now, with four games to go, accomplish? Theoretically, it gives Fisher a chance to evaluate Boras as his offensive coordinator if indeed Fisher is back for the 2016 season, which is still a possibility. What it doesn’t do is offer any sort of a cure for an ailing offense.

But remember, whether the coordinator is Boras or Bill Walsh in his prime, the job is to execute the run-first philosophy that Fisher desires. To this point, that hasn’t gotten the Rams anywhere.

In Fisher’s first three seasons in St. Louis, the Rams have finished 23rd, 30th and 28th in the NFL in yards per game. They’ve ranked 28th, 22nd and 23rd in offensive points scored per game, though never with an average higher than 19.

Boras takes over an offense that has Nick Foles and Case Keenum as quarterback options and an offensive line that already struggled mightily before a rash of injuries has left it to bottom out. It’s an offense that has Kenny Britt, he of the 445 receiving yards, leading the team in that category. By way of comparison, last week’s opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, have three wideouts with at least 550 receiving yards.

So Boras, like Cignetti before him, isn’t exactly going to be playing with a stacked deck. In fact, one could argue that it’s stacked against him. Firing Cignetti now, 12 games into his first season as coordinator, only generates more questions.

If the offense doesn’t improve over the final four weeks, will it then somehow be Boras’ fault? Will the search for a fourth offensive coordinator in about a year then begin anew? Will Fisher again get to make the call?

And perhaps most important: At some point, don’t you think we’ll run out of sacrificial Rams?

PA Ram wrote:

New England.

Started 3 rookies first game of the season. They have been shuffling since.

You know, I have been following the New England example, and it’s misleading. That all reduces to Brady getting the ball out quick. That’s Brady. When he holds the ball longer the offense falls apart because the blocking isn’t there.

I have a whole thread on that. http://theramshuddle.com/topic/pff-on-how-patz-beat-miami-with-injured-ol/

For example, according to PFF Brady throws quick a higher percentage of the time than any other qb.

He is sacked 1.7% of the time on quick throws, and completes 70% of his quick passes.

In contrast, when they take longer to throw, he is sacked 14.9% of the time…which is just freaking bad…and completes 50% of his passes

And New England isn’t “other teams” plural. All the Patz example (singular) shows us is that if your line becomes a problem, it’s better to have Brady. Other than that, we already know from Rams history alone that when an OL gets damaged past a certain point, it falls off in effectiveness. (See Bulger, 2007-9, which is basically 3 successive years of extensive OL injuries).

New, young, inexperienced lines struggle.

Lines with multiple simultaneous injuries struggle. That’s all over the league, going back as far as you want.

Right now the Rams are dealing with both things.

And no it’s not true that other teams regularly start rookies (plural) AND plug in multiple injury replacements and do not struggle.

That’s a formula FOR struggling, and it’s invariable.

Unless, as I said, you have Brady.

.

Fisher Firing Cignetti Won’t Solve All of Rams’ Offensive Problems

Anthony Stalter

http://www.101sports.com/2015/12/08/fisher-firing-cignetti-wont-solve-rams-offensive-problems/

In firing offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, the Rams have just scratched the surface of their issues.

On Monday the team fired Cignetti after generating just three points in an embarrassing 27-3 defeat at the hands of division rival Arizona over the weekend.

It was the fifth straight week in which the Rams scored 18 or fewer points, and it was the second consecutive game that the team scored fewer than 10 points.

In firing Cignetti, the Rams also promoted tight ends coach Rob Boras to offensive coordinator. Boras was in the mix to be the team’s play-caller this offseason when Brian Schottenheimer left to become offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia.

Boras last coordinated an offense for the 2003 UNLV Rebels and has been a tight ends coach in the NFL ever since.

Maybe Boras will jumpstart the offense in the final four games. Maybe he won’t fail to get the ball into the hands of Tavon Austin (one of only two playmakers the Rams have on offense, with Todd Gurley being the other) like Cignetti failed to do against Arizona and Baltimore. Maybe Boras won’t be as vanilla with his schemes as Cignetti was over the past five weeks.

Or maybe Boras will find play-calling for this team just as challenging as Cignetti did because the Rams simply don’t have the personnel to match up with defenses on a consistent basis.

Not finding more ways to get Austin involved last Sunday was inexcusable.

For Austin to only be targeted three times in the passing game and to be limited to two carries is unexplainable, especially juxtaposed with the fact that Jared Cook saw nine targets in the passing game. If you only have two reliable weapons at your disposal, discarding one doesn’t make sense when you’re trying to win games.

But the reality is Cignetti was also limited as a play-caller because of his personnel.

Outside of two games this year, the quarterback play has stunk, the offensive line has been unproductive because of injuries and inexperience, and there are no reliable targets in the passing game outside of Austin, a player for whom offensive coordinators need to manufacture targets.

Tavon Austin runs for a 68-yard punt return in the second half of Sunday’s game. Officials called Chase Reynolds (34, Background) for holding on the play, bringing the ball back to the Rams’ 49 yard-line.

Imagine trying to build a house with only a hammer, a few nails, and a saw. Could you do it? Maybe. But why even start? You don’t have a realistic shot. You need more help.

Jeff Fisher and Les Snead needed to give Cignetti more help. They rolled the dice believing that young draft picks Greg Robinson, Jamon Brown and Rob Havenstein would grow on the job and mesh with Rodger Saffold and Tim Barnes.

But the reality is that, just like quarterbacks, many college offensive linemen are taking longer to develop because of the systems run at the lower level. Plenty of offensive tackles aren’t taught proper technique in pass protection and it’s taking them years to learn the NFL game.

Robinson is a perfect example of this. The system he learned under Gus Malzahn at Auburn turned him into a road-grader at the college level, but he’s completely lost when it comes to pass protection. That’s not a good thing, given the investment the Rams made in him in the 2014 NFL Draft.

So what you have is a left tackle that needs years to develop, a veteran guard in Saffold that can’t stay healthy, a starting center in Barnes that’s struggled for more than a month in run-blocking, another injured guard in Brown, and a rookie right tackle in Havenstein who also just returned from his own injury.

No experience. No depth. No running game. No play-action.

Nick Foles didn’t help Cignetti either.

Not only did the 2014 version of Foles make his way to St. Louis, but it was an even worse version at that. From consistently throwing off his back foot, to holding onto the ball too long, to not having a good feel inside the pocket, Foles is a fundamental mess.

Foles could have greatly benefited from a consistent rushing attack (which was supposed to be the plan all along), but the offensive line took care of that and he doesn’t have any weapons in the passing game.

Austin is a home run threat with the ball in his hands, but offensive coordinators have to manufacture his touches (i.e. actually design ways to get him the ball as opposed to him beating defenses with his size, speed and route-running ability).

Ultimately, results are the only factor that matters.

Cignetti was in charge of an offense that ranks 31st in total yards per game (296.3), dead last in passing yards (178.0) and 31st in points scored (15.8). Fisher admitted on Sunday after the game that he was about out of answers when it came to his offense, so why not replace the guy that was calling plays?

But Cignetti didn’t stand much of a chance.

The failures of the Rams’ offense can be traced back to previous drafts and the decisions by Fisher and Snead this past offseason to not be more aggressive when it came to acquiring veteran depth along the offensive line.

Firing Cignetti might spark the offense for the time being, but unless the Rams fix the myriad of personnel issues they have, the long-term problems will remain.

This is Jeff Fisher’s Offense, His Failure, His Fault

Bernie Miklasz

http://www.101sports.com/2015/12/08/jeff-fishers-offense-failure-fault/

First of all, good luck to Rob Boras. And no, I’m not being a wise guy here. Boras is getting a chance to coordinate an NFL offense, and though the circumstances are far from ideal, it still has to be an exciting opportunity for him. Boras will see if he can make a positive difference over the final four games by jolting the Rams’ offense from their sustained coma. It’s a difficult assignment, and I sincerely wish Boras well.

Boras was placed in charge of the care of this sickly offense on Monday when Rams head coach Jeff Fisher fired the overwhelmed (and underwhelming) Frank Cignetti as the team’s offensive coordinator. This was Fisher’s response to increasingly intense criticism, the questions about his job security, and an embarrassing set of numbers.

The Rams are 31st among 32 teams in offensive points per game (14.4), 31st in touchdowns from scrimmage, and are last in the NFL in passer rating (69.8), yards per passing attempt (6.0), completion percentage (56.0), net passing yards per game (178), total net yards from scrimmage per game (305), and third-down conversion rate (24.5 percent.)

Since STATS LLC began tracking third-down success rates as an official league statistic in 1972, the Rams’ current percentage rate ranks No. 1,294 on a list of 1,297 teams. Only 1976 Tampa Bay (24.4), 2002 Dallas (24.0) and 2005 San Francisco (24.0) were worse.

But it’s close, and the Rams have a chance to be the NFL’s most futile third-down team since ’72.

During the five-game losing streak the Rams have averaged 10.4 points per game and scored five offensive touchdowns. This continues a trend, with a bad offense being a central factor in Fisher’s 4-11 record in his last 15 games. The heat is on the head coach. He isn’t used to that. He doesn’t like it. Fisher — who has had such a comically easy ride here — flashed his arrogance by recently telling critics to kiss his rear end.

Which, come to think of it, was the same as telling the critics to kiss his offense.

And now this: a classic “we’ve got to do something to get everyone off my back ” maneuver, with the coach attempting to show that he cares. That he’s not going to take it anymore. That he’s tired of watching his own offense.

Fisher wasn’t going to fire himself, you see.

And Cignetti was a convenient, ridiculously easy patsy.

See ya, Frank.

Fisher surely doesn’t think the public — or his own players — are this stupid, does he?

Maybe he does.

In explaining the firing, Fisher said: “Players contributed, coaches contributed, everybody contributed, but we have to move in a different direction. The lack of production is obvious.”

When asked if Rams players were shocked by Fisher’s decision to tell Cignetti to clear out of Rams Park, the coach said: “Yes, they were. They were and I hope they all took it personally because they need to. You’ve got a good man and a good football coach that’s busting his butt every single day. Now, for whatever reasons, he’s no longer here. They have to take some responsibility for that.”

You may have noticed a few things that Fisher didn’t say there.

Things like …

“I should have never hired Frank Cignetti in the first place, so this is on me. One hundred percent of it.”

Or …

“After Brian Schottenheimer left for another job, I had an opportunity to really shake up this offense and take it in a fresh, creative and forward-thinking direction. But instead of hiring the most innovative offensive mind I could have brought in here in an effort to stimulate this offense, I walked down the hall at Rams Park and hired Frank. I did the easiest thing possible. I didn’t strive for a higher standard. I let this organization down.”

Or …

“We traded for a new quarterback in Nick Foles, and we drafted an exciting franchise-caliber running back in Todd Gurley, and we have a young playmaker in Tavon Austin who can do some magical things with the football in is hands. It was the perfect time to recruit an offensive coordinator that could put it all together and give this offense a new look. But I didn’t do that, so once again, all of the blame goes on me.”

Or …

“You know, I have to take a hard look at myself. And that’s overdue. Why are my offenses so pedestrian, and ineffective? Why have I been so slow in adjusting to the modern NFL style of offense? Why am I still stuck in the past? I really have to evolve.”

Or …

“You may not remember this, but before I hired Schottenheimer in 2012, I interviewed Hue Jackson for the offensive coordinator’s job. I hired Schotty. But looking back, I went with the wrong guy. Look at the great job Hue is doing in Cincinnati. He’s really thrived in that role, and has turned the Bengals into one of the best offenses in this league.”

Or …

“We neglected this offensive line for years, and then drafted a bunch of rookies in 2014 and 2015. And we threw them all out there, expecting to get positive results. That was naive on my part. As a proponent of the running game I should know that you can only get the train rolling if you have a strong offensive line. You can’t consistently move the ball with a young, inexperienced and vulnerable offensive line.”

Or:

“While I believe that we have players who are capable of performing better on offense, let’s be honest here: these are players that I wanted. If they aren’t as good as I believed they’d be, then that’s on me.”

No, we didn’t hear any of that from Coach Fisher on Monday when he shoveled the blame for a dull and dysfunctional offense into every corner except his own second-floor corner office. This came as no surprise.

Later in the day, on his Monday-night show on 101 ESPN, Fisher did say “We’re all the blame. I’m to blame.”

(That may be a first.)

It’s an appropriate time to remind everyone what this is all about — other than the coach attempting to cover the backside that he invited everyone to kiss a couple of weeks ago:

This offense at Rams Park is a Jeff Fisher production.

In the Fisher football operation, the offensive coordinator exists for two reasons: (1) run the bruising Fisher offense but remember that Coach doesn’t appreciate the value of having an evolved or even above-average passing game; and (2) take the hit as the official scapegoat when Coach Fisher decides it’s time to make a change.

Fisher made the change Monday.

Even though he, Fisher, won’t change.

Here are the basics of the Fisher profile:

— This is his 20th full season as a head coach. His teams have made the playoffs six times.

— In four of the six playoff seasons, Fisher’s Tennessee Titans had an above-average offense in points scored. This should have reinforced the importance of having a capable offense that can do its fair share in getting the team to a playoff level.

— Fisher has had an above-average offense (points scored) in nine of his 20 full seasons.

— Fisher has an above-average offense (in points) in only two of his last 10 seasons as head coach, including 2015.

— Fisher’s offense has been below-average (in points) eight times in his last 10 seasons.

— Let’s cite the advanced metrics at Football Outsiders: Fisher’s offense has ranked 20th or worse in DVOA (adjusted efficiency) eight times in his last 11 seasons — and hasn’t been rated better than No. 15 in the league since 2003.

— STATS LLC keeps track of the points-scored average of the teams that make the playoffs each season. In Fisher’s first 19 seasons, his teams reached the playoff-caliber average for points scored only three times in 19 years — 1996, 1999, and 2003.

— This is Fisher’s fourth year as head coach in St. Louis. Here are the Rams’ annual ranking (in order) for offensive points scored beginning in the 2012 season: 28th … 22nd … 23rd … 31st. They’ve never topped more than 19 offensive points per game in a season.

— In Fisher’s 60 games as Rams coach, his offense has scored fewer than 21 points per game (the league average) only 33 times. And they’ve been held to 14 points or fewer in 24 of 60 games.

— A bullish rushing attack is always a plus, but you can’t live exclusively on the ground. Even for teams that thrive at running the ball — and Seattle is a great example — an effective passing game is a must-have component. In NFL history, the six-highest passing yards totals have occurred over the last six seasons with teams averaging 233 net passing yards per game since 2010. The escalation has reached a net average of 246 yards passing per game this season, but Fisher’s Rams can’t get into the jet stream. The Rams are averaging a league-low 178 net passing yards per game this season — or 27.6 percent below league average. In Fisher’s four seasons the Rams’ average of 203 net passing yards is 15 percent below league average .

— During these four Fisher-offense seasons the Rams rank 28th in net passing yards, 24th in completion percentage, 28th in yards per passing attempt, 26th in passer rating, 27th in touchdown-pass percentage, and were 25th in average yards per catch (11.2.)

— The Rams have thrown 72 touchdown passes in Fisher’s 60 games (only eight this season.) The NFL-team average over the last 60 games is 94 touchdown passes … meaning that the Rams are 23.4% below average at producing TD passes.

OK.

That should give you a good handle on Fisher’s history on offense.

Here’s what I don’t understand: during Fisher’s most successful five-year stretch as a head coach, from 1999 through 2003, his Tennessee team was tied with the Rams for the league’s best regular-season winning percentage (.700) during time. And not only did the Titans advance the ball through the air, they were very good at it. One of the best passing teams in the NFL between 1999 and 2003 — ranking fifth in yards per attempt, fifth in passer rating, eighth in touchdown passes, and ninth in net passing hards.

Fisher reached his apex as a coach with Steve McNair at quarterback. The Titans’ formidable balance of run/pass was difficult to stop. Clearly the coach discovered something over those five seasons: a physical rushing game is a solid foundation for an offense — but if you want to be special you have to be able to throw it, too.

You can say that the quarterback isn’t good enough, and it isn’t fair to compare this offense to the Fisher offense led by McNair. To that, I say this: are we supposed to believe it’s impossible to find a quarterback who can approximate the value that McNair had at Tennessee? Who chooses the quarterback in St. Louis? Who has the authority to make the QB position a priority instead of an accessory?

You can say that the overall offensive talent is lacking on offense, so what’s a coach supposed to do? To that, I say: Fisher has enormous power in choosing the players and stocking the Rams roster. These are not only the players that Fisher wanted, but Fisher and his assistance are also responsible for coaching this talent and making it better.

You can say that Fisher drafted RB Todd Gurley, a gamble that looks like a winner. So doesn’t Fisher deserve credit for Gurley? To that I say: the Gurley pick was brilliant, and applause for Fisher is warranted. OK, now let’s talk about the coaching. Once defenses reacted to Gurley’s first four (and sensational) NFL starts by scheming him into a wall of tacklers — where were the adjustments? Gurley has averaged 52 yards rushing over the last five games, all losses. Over the past three games he’s carried 43 times for 126 yards, an average of 2.9 yards per run, and has one gain of 10+ yards. Cignetti wasn’t the only coach at Rams Park that had a hand and a say in the offense.

You can say that it’s hard to have a good offense with a young and overmatched offensive line. To that, I say: why did Fisher and GM Les Snead wait so long to draft and develop O-linemen? In their first two drafts, Fisher and Snead had 17 selections to work with and used only two on offensive linemen. And both players were interior linemen (guard or center) drafted in the fourth round or later. In their first three drafts Fisher-Snead had 28 draft choices in hand and selected five offensive lineman overall.

And while the Rams drafted offensive tackle Greg Robinson with the No. 2 overall pick in 2014, they drafted the other four offensive linemen with picks at No. 113 … No. 150 … No. 226 … No. 250.

Why wait until your fourth draft to address this critically important area and then suddenly pick five offensive linemen in the 2015 draft — including one taken in the supplemental draft? Why suddenly cram the roster with so many rookie or linemen? By the fourth season of a coach’s program, the offensive line should be settled in, functioning smoothly, and peaking. It should be an asset — not a disorganized liability. By the fourth season of a rebuild, the offensive line should be an established strength instead of a mishmash of young players and journeymen thrown together.

Even if we’re inclined to give Fisher an attaboy for at least trying to do something to perk up this offense by switching coordinators, it doesn’t mean much. Fisher waited too long to make this move. Fisher said he’d been thinking about replacing Cignetti for a while. “I’ve looked hard it, yeah, over the last couple of weeks,” Fisher said. “Just haven’t gotten the production. We’re getting what we want out of them on the practice field. It’s not carrying over to the game. I didn’t wake up this morning and make this decision.”

Well, Fisher had just cause for making the call sooner than this.

After all, the Rams scored 10 points or fewer in three of their first five games so the warning signs were there early. And the current five-game losing streak that sank their season presented numerous opportunities to shake up the staff; the Rams scored 18 points or fewer in all five games. Why wait until after the 12th game, with only four contests remaining? It’s too late. The Rams (are 4-8) have a 1.8 percent chance of making the NFC playoffs as a wild-card team.

Any way you look at it, that big foam finger of blame points to Fisher

Cignetti was Fisher’s personal choice to take over at OC.

This is Fisher’s coaching staff. These are his draft choices, his free-agent signings, his roster.

This is Fisher’s offense.

His responsibility. And his failure.

They were and I hope they all took it personally because they need to. You’ve got a good man and a good football coach that’s busting his butt every single day. Now, for whatever reasons, he’s no longer here. They have to take some responsibility for that.”

THAT is one good reason why you fire a coordinator during the season.

Stay or Go, the Rams Can’t Afford to Keep Jeff Fisher

Bernie Miklasz

http://www.101sports.com/2015/12/06/stay-go-rams-cant-afford-keep-jeff-fisher/

Question for the gallery: is there a reason — whatsoever — to bring Jeff Fisher back as the Rams’ head coach in 2016?
jeff fisher-5

With a $7 million salary, Fisher is the NFL’s fourth highest-paid coach.

If the decision is solely based on results, the answer is a clear-cut “no.”

Hold on.

Make that …

“Hell, no.”

There’s no legitimate reason for staying the course with Fisher beyond the end of this season. If you can give me a reason to reassess that opinion, then please enlighten me. I try to be fair. Really, I do.

I supported Fisher’s hiring in 2012, and I offer no backdated apologies for that endorsement.

I believed Fisher was a good fit at the time. The Rams needed to bring in an experienced head coach that had led his previous team (Tennessee) to a commendable if incomplete level of success.

In 2012 the Rams couldn’t afford to gamble on another inexperienced and overwhelmed rookie HC. Previous Rams regimes tried to go young and fresh with Scott Linehan and Steve Spagnuolo, only to fail miserably.

I was well aware of Fisher’s tendency to win and then gravitate back to .500 or lower.

But let’s have some context, shall we?

Fisher inherited a Rams’ dumpster fire of a roster, taking control of a team that had careened to the worst five-season record (15-65) in NFL history. And when the NFL team in your town has lost 65 out of 80 games, an upturn to .500 didn’t seem so bad. And Fisher had supervised two solid rebuilding projects at Tennessee.

Between 1999 and 2003, five seasons, Fisher’s Titans were tied with the Rams for the most wins (56) and best winning percentage (.700) in the NFL. In addition to capturing an AFC Championship, the Titans were tied for second in the NFL with five postseason wins during those five seasons.

After going through a necessary roster purge due to a salary-cap detonation, Fisher pulled Tennessee back into the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, 2007 and 2008. Only New England (27) and Indianapolis (25) had more wins than the Titans (23) during the two years.

Fisher’s overall record before 2012 wasn’t shiny overall — but it had merit.

During his first 14 full seasons as an NFL head coach Fisher basically had one of the best teams in the league in seven of the 14 years, and his 14-season winning percentage between 1995 and 2008 was .567, tied for No. 6 in the NFL.

No, Fisher never won a Super Bowl, but only five teams had a better winning percentage than the Titans over those 14 seasons. Fisher had more success in his background than he was generally given credit for.

Put it this way: with all of the hideous football we’ve endured over the last 12 seasons here in St. Louis, I don’t think we’d object to having the league’s sixth-best record over the last dozen campaigns or so.

Instead, since their last winning season in 2003, the Rams are 61-126-1, ranking 30th among 32 teams with a .327 win percentage.

And if Fisher could pull off two good rebuilds while working for a wacky owner at Tennessee, there was a legitimate reason to believe he could do the same here.

Nearly four full seasons into Fisher’s term in Earth City, it isn’t working out.

The measured optimism of Fisher’s first two seasons in St. Louis has given way to full-blown pessimism.

I’ve lost confidence in Fisher.

Given the Rams’ pathetic 15-65 mark between 2007 and 2011, I felt pretty good about Fisher’s 14-17-1 record in his first two STL seasons. But then the Rams took a step back in 2014, sliding to 6-10. My patience was thin, and I declined to accept Fisher’s attempt to put a positive spin on 6-10.

Still the Rams were seemingly trending in a positive direction earlier this season, battling to a 4-3 record through the first seven games. That was no small gain in these parts; the Rams hadn’t been 4-3 after seven games since 2006.

Like many of you, I’m just tired of Fisher’s teases. The Rams put together some wins, raise hopes, and then go into another absurd free fall that worsens the understandable fan apathy. I’m tired of buying into a sequence of on-the-verge breakthroughs that become anger-causing breakdowns. Enough of this. Really. Enough.

Sixty games into their regime at Rams Park, Fisher and GM Les Snead are 24-35-1. The Rams were at the depressing, desolate bottom of the NFL when Fisher arrived. And while they’re no longer the league’s worst team, Fisher’s winning percentage as Rams coach (.408) ranks 26th in the league. For a coach that’s deep into his fourth season on the job, that’s simply unacceptable.

This is a league of quick turnarounds.

In 2011, the year before Fisher’s appointment in St. Louis, 18 NFL teams (excluding the Rams) were .500 or worse.

Of those 18 teams, 12 have made the playoffs at least once.

We’ve seen some terrific, rapid-fix coaching performances in recent NFL seasons including three inside the Rams’ division, the NFC West.

Here are a few examples:

Seattle went 9-23 in the two seasons before Pete Carroll was hired as coach in 2010. Carroll has led the Seahawks to a record of 57-35 with two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl title.
The boisterous Bruce Arians was hired by Arizona in 2013 — a year after Fisher set up at Rams Park. Between 2010 and 2012, the Cardinals went 18-30. Under Arians, they’re 31-13 (.705) and just clinched their third consecutive season of double-digit win totals. Arizona is tied for the NFL’s fourth-best record under Arians. And again: Fisher had a one-year head start on Arians. And Snead had a one-year jump on Arizona GM Steve Keim. To put it bluntly: Arians and Keim really make Fisher and Snead look inadequate.
Though he ultimately fell victim to stupid front-office politics, let’s remember the exceptional work done by Jim Harbaugh did at San Francisco. Between 2003 and 2010, the 49ers were an abysmal 46-82. Harbaugh was hired in 2011, and over the next four seasons he transformed the ‘Niners into an NFC powerhouse. Harbaugh had a .698 winning percentage, made the playoffs three times, and won the NFC Championship in 2012.
Ron Rivera was brought in as the coach of the rebuilding Carolina Panthers in 2011. Rivera’s teams won 13 and lost 22 in his first two seasons; since then they’re 31-12. Sunday the Panthers rallied for a comeback win at New Orleans for their 16th consecutive regular-season victory.
The Kansas City Chiefs were 9-23 in two seasons before Andy Reid moved over from Philadelphia in 2013. The Chiefs have been inconsistent, but Reid is 27-17 as their coach.
The controversial Chip Kelly catches a lot of static in Philadelphia. But the Eagles went 12-20 in the two seasons preceding Kelly’s hiring in 2013, and he opened his stay in Philly with consecutive 10-win seasons and is 25-19 overall. Kelly is only 5-7 this year but has a chance to win the weak NFC East.
The Minnesota Vikings are 15-13 under second-year head coach Mike Zimmer. That seems rather ordinary — but looks a lot better when you realize that the Vikes were 24-39 in their previous four seasons.
Former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith was given custody of a horrendous Tampa Bay franchise in 2014, and opened with a 2-14 record. But in his second season the Buccaneers have heated up, currently sitting at 6-6 after winning five of their last eight.

In St. Louis, Fisher hasn’t stopped the bleeding that began last season.

— After putting up a hopeful 14-17-1 record (.435) in his first two seasons, Fisher is 10-18 since the start of last year.

— With Sunday’s humiliating 27-3 loss to Arians and the Cardinals, the Rams have only four wins in their last 15 regular-season games. (On a side note: what the heck was Arians up to with his physical, bear-hugging grip on Fisher after the game? We appreciated the comic relief, Bruce.)

— Since Dec. 11 of last season, only Cleveland (two) and Tennessee (three) have fewer wins than the Rams’ four over this 15-game period. The Rams have been outscored by 98 points during this 4-11 regression.

— The Rams’ current five-game losing streak is the longest by the franchise since that 2011 wreck of a team closed the season with seven consecutive losses.

— During the skid that wiped out the Rams’ 4-3 start, they’ve suffered three 24-point blowout losses and have been outscored 132 to 54.

— Since taking a 13-3 lead into the fourth quarter at Baltimore on Nov. 22, the Rams have been outscored 71-10.

— In their five straight defeats, the Rams have scored 10.4 points per game.

— The St. Louis defense is in a state of collapse, having been plundered for an average of 25 points during the five-game sinking. This tired defense gave up an average of only 15.4 offensive points through the first seven games.

In other words: the Rams have ceased being competitive.

Fisher and Snead can’t put the blame on anyone else.

This is their team.

They’ve had four drafts and just as many free-agent shopping windows to build a winner. Instead of improving, the Rams have fallen apart. That isn’t supposed to happen in a league where coaches frequently pull off a team turnaround in short time.

Dick Vermeil took over a drifting, directionless Rams franchise in 1997 and spent two hard seasons changing the Rams’ diseased culture and working with Charley Armey and John Shaw to upgrade the Rams roster. Between 1990 and 1998, nine seasons, the Rams had the league’s next-to-worst winning percentage at .313. And it Vermeil struggled in his first two seasons, 1997 and ’98, losing 23 of 32 games. But in this third season Vermeil led the Rams to a 13-3 record and a victory in Super Bowl 34.

In the modern NFL it should take only three years — tops — to refurbish a loser and make it a winner.

Fisher and Snead have drafted 38 players in four years — a crop that should have gotten a major boost from the 2012 pre-draft trade with Washington, which coveted the No. 2 overall pick to select Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

That deal gave the Rams a bundle of premium draft picks, but the Fisher and Snead didn’t come close to maximizing the potential windfall.

Because of that the Rams are experiencing the severe repercussions of taking so many underwhelming or failed draft picks.

That’s especially true with their impotent offense, which is tied with San Francisco for the fewest points in the league this season — with a putrid average of 14.4 offensive points per game.

The Rams used 12 of the 37 picks on so-called “skill position” players: quarterbacks (two), running backs (five) and wide receivers (five.) Only five of the 12 players are still on the roster. And only two — running back Todd Gurley and wide receiver Tavon Austin — can be categorized as impact talent. But that’s even a stretch considering Austin’s inconsistency and Gurley’s dramatic drop in production.

Not that Gurley is at fault; the Rams are wasting him. After a dramatic first four starts to his NFL career, Gurley has averaged only 52 yards rushing during this five-game wrong turn into another dead end.

Remarkably, the coaches have given Gurley only 18 carries (combined) over the last two games.

How can that be? That’s inexcusable.

Gurley is their best player.

So even when the Rams draft a gem such as Gurley, they can’t take full advantage of his talent. It’s sad.

The foundation for Fisher’s coaching rep as formed by defense and a power-running offense. Four years into the program the Rams’ defense has been solid and often outstanding, ranking (in order) 16th, 13th, 5th and 9th in offensive points allowed. But the bullying rushing attack hasn’t surfaced regularly enough; over Fisher’s 60 games the Rams rank 17th in ground yards per game.

Snead and Fisher have also chosen 10 offensive linemen, including eight during the last two drafts. Left tackle Greg Robinson, selected No. 2 overall in 2014, is rated among the NFL’s worst offensive tackles this season by Pro Football Focus. Going into the Arizona game Robinson had given up more QB hits than any NFL offensive tackle in 2015 according to PFF. And Robinson has committed the most holding penalties in the league this year. While it’s too soon to judge the Rams’ 2015 O-line rookies as a group, only one, right tackle Rob Havenstein, is rated as high as “average” according to the Pro Football Focus player grades.

Fisher and Snead also traded for their hand-picked quarterback, Nick Foles, last offseason. Not only that, Fisher-Snead gave Foles a contract extension (with $14 million guaranteed) before he took a snap in a regular-season game. Foles is having a brutal season, ranking 30th among 31 qualifying NFL quarterbacks with a passer rating of 69.0. That 69 passer rating would be the second worst in a season by a Rams’ starting quarterback since the team moved here in 1995. (In case you’re wondering, Tony Banks had a 68.6 passer rating in 1998.) Foles will be benched, again, for Case Keenum when the Rams host the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Plenty of good seats remain.

With all of the swings and misses on draft picks and other personnel decisions — all of that money to tight end Jared Cook to name one — should we really be surprised to see the Fisher-Snead offense degenerate into the league’s sorriest unit in 2015?

“It’s kind of a broken record thing here with the offense,” Fisher said after Sunday’s smackdown by Arizona. “We have to get the offense fixed.”

Coach: you’ve been saying that for four seasons.

The Rams have yet to field an average offense — in terms of points scored– since you took over in 2012.

In Fisher’s four seasons the Rams’ offense has scored 108 touchdowns from scrimmage. That ranks 30th, above only Cleveland (107) and Jacksonville.

How many years does Fisher need to fix the offense? Six? Eight? Ten?

It’s quite possible that he’ll never fix it.

Fisher hasn’t had an offense ranked better better than 12th in the NFL in offensive points scored since 2003.

Fisher’s offense (Titans, then Rams) has scored at the average level for playoff teams only three times in his 19 seasons … and only once during the last 15 seasons.

Coach, you can’t find a winning quarterback, can’t build a powerful offensive line, can’t draft or cultivate a true No. 1 receiver, can’t even take advantage of Gurley.

And when you had the chance to remix the offense in a meaningful way by bringing in an experienced and creative offensive coordinator, your search was contained within the walls of Rams Park. You simply elevated quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti.

That move was just another indication of the stubbornness and staleness that’s left this team with such a sickly offense.

Fisher’s arrow is definitely pointing down.

This is Fisher’s 20th full season as an NFL head coach, and he’s had only six winning records.

That includes only two winning records in his last 11 seasons — and none since 2008.

Remember how I told you about Fisher’s .567 winning percentage in his first 14 seasons?

Well, since the beginning of the 2009 season — and remember, he sat out the 2011 season — Fisher has coached 92 games with the Titans and Rams and has a six-season winning percentage of .418.

My friend and colleague Randy Karraker recently came up with this factoid: Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, only one new coaching hire has been brought back for a fifth year after having four consecutive losing seasons. That was Cincinnati’s David Shula who somehow survived a four-season 18-46 record between 1992 and 1995. The Bengals finally gave Shula the boot after he went 1-6 at the start of his fifth season, in 1996.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner added this piece of historical perspective: According to Elias Sports Bureau, there have been only three coaches that had at least five consecutive full losing seasons with one team: Philadelphia’s Bert Bell (1936-41), Dallas’ Tom Landry (1960-64) and Washington’s Bill McPeak (1961-65).

Will Fisher receive a fifth year?

The Rams’ extreme deterioration — especially on offense — should eliminate that possibility.

There’s no case to be made for keeping Fisher.

I can think of only two reasons why he’d stick:

One, Rams owner Stan Kroenke will be cheap. Fisher is due $7 million to coach in 2015, and Kroenke may not want to pay the coach $7 million to spend 2016 fishing in Montana. But that’s no excuse; according to the “up to the minute” Forbes 400 rankings of the wealthiest Americans, Kroenke is worth $7.7 billion. Money should be no object in the pursuit of turning the Rams into a winner.

Second, Kroenke may want to keep Fisher in place just in case the Rams get the NFL’s permission to move to Los Angeles for 2016. These franchise relocations are chaotic and disruptive, and it can only help to have a coach that’s been through it before. Fisher was coaching the Houston Oilers when they moved to Tennessee. But that would be a bogus reason. As we sit here today (things could change) I don’t believe the Rams will be moving.

And if the Rams stay, Kroenke must begin to repair the considerable damage that’s been done to the franchise. How can Kroenke relaunch the product for a happier, more successful existence in 2016 by bringing Fisher back? That alone would put a drag on ticket sales. And Rams fans deserve Kroenke’s best effort in pulling the team out its 12-season malaise. Even if Kroenke is allowed to take the Rams to Southern California, the football fans of Los Angeles should have a new start that comes with a new coach.

Kroenke tried to do the right thing when he spent a lot of money in hiring Fisher in 2012. It was a sensible move at the time, and Kroenke can’t be accused of skimping on the coach’s salary. But surely by now the NFL’s second-richest owner — an one of the smartest businessmen in the world — recognizes the futility of staying too long with a losing investment.

According to a 2007 account in the Denver Post, one of Kroenke first decisions as owner of the prestigious Screaming Eagle vineyard was to dump $3.3 million of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon because it wasn’t up to standard.

Kroenke appears to have lower standards with his NFL team.

If Kroenke has developed an acquired taste for losing football, then Fisher will stay.