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Rams see progress despite 6-10 markBy Jim Thomas
For the handful of Rams veterans who have been around for a while, this is the worst time of the year.
“It’s the disappointment of not being in the postseason, of having to watch playoff football against teams that you’ve played against,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “Some teams that you’ve beat. Some teams that you should’ve beat. And just really self-reflection on how do we become those teams? How do we win those close games that we lost?”
As the chase for the Lombardi Trophy gets underway in January, the Rams will watch a Denver team they dominated in a 22-7 victory Nov. 16.
They’ll watch an Arizona team they led 14-10 midway through the fourth quarter on Nov. 9. An Arizona team they held without a touchdown a month later in St. Louis.
A Dallas team they had on the ropes with a 21-0 lead in the first half in September.
And a Seattle team seeking to repeat as Super Bowl champion, a Seattle team they defeated in St. Louis in October and then played toe-to-toe for three quarters Sunday.
Despite all that, the team’s 6-10 finish was the worst in the three-year tenure of coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead. And they did so with clearly the most talented roster since the Fisher-Snead tandem came in three years ago.
So the discussion, or the debate, will probably take place for weeks into the offseason. Did the 2014 Rams regress? Or are they as close to breaking out as they’ve been in years?
“It’s most definitely a motivation going into the offseason,” running back Benny Cunningham said. “We know what he have in this locker room, and we know we’re not far from being where we want to be as a team.”
Was it progress, or a step back in 2014?
“It’s definitely not a step backwards,” tight end Lance Kendricks said. “We have a lot of young guys on the team. I think the talent is there. It’s just putting it all together and really displaying it on the field.
“We practice hard. We work hard. Game day, we gotta make sure that we’re focused, we’re ready. Mistakes are gonna happen. But you’ve gotta find ways to overcome them, just be more consistent.”
But when you see an inexcusable coverage bust by cornerback Janoris Jenkins lead to the go-ahead touchdown Sunday in Seattle … and when you see the Rams get outscored 20-0 in the second half and commit three turnovers to fuel another fourth-quarter meltdown, you realize that those are the plays that losers make and winners avoid.
So it doesn’t take a gridiron savant to figure out what the Rams need to improve on the most as they step into 2015.
“I think if you asked anybody in this locker room, they would tell you we’ve got to finish better,” safety T.J. McDonald said. “That’s one thing we need to understand. We’ve just got to finish better as a group regardless.”
And from Kendricks: “Minimize turnovers. I think that’s a big key. When we don’t turn the ball over, we win. … I think it’s just minimizing the turnovers, and minimizing the mistakes and the penalties.”
Fisher and Snead quickly took the Rams from awful to respectable. But they’ve been stuck in a rut of flirting with .500 and winning seven or six. Until they start minimizing the miscues that Kendricks talked about, they’re not going to take the next step — namely, from respectable to good.
Of course, solving the quarterback situation would help the Rams take that step as well.
“I’m just praying that we can keep No. 8 healthy,” Laurinaitis said, referring to Sam Bradford. “Just more so for him. Because if he can play 16 (games), he can do it. I really believe he can do it in this league, and do it really well.
“Maybe it’s bias but I believe that a lot of teams, especially in our division, would say if we had No. 8 healthy all year, who knows how many different games here and there (the Rams win).”
Losing Bradford two weeks before the start of the regular season was a blow for the Rams. It would be for any team.
“Definitely difficult,” Kendricks said. “Whenever your starter goes down in the preseason, you kinda have to figure out what’s next. I think as a team, we bounced back as best as we could considering when Sam went down.
“We gave ourselves a chance. We fought throughout the season, through a bunch of different things. You know, when Chris Long went down and we had a bunch of injuries in the O-line. I think we persevered for the most part. But we didn’t get the W’s that we wanted.”
All teams suffer injuries, but as Laurinaitis put it, when the Rams lost Bradford for the season and Long for most of the season, they lost two cornerstones of the franchise.
“It took us a little while to find our groove after losing Sam, and losing Chris (Long) for most of the season,” Laurinaitis said. “I think Shaun (Hill) and Austin (Davis) did an admirable job. And the guys that filled in for Chris did a great job.
“You’re taught not to make excuses in football. However, it’s hard when you lose a QB, and then in the first game against the Vikings, Shaun hurts his quad. There goes the whole timing and rhythm with the wideouts.
“But goodness, I believe 100 percent in this coaching staff, the front office, and everything we’re doing here. We’ve got the pieces. I think we have the nucleus. And we’re gonna add some more, and we’ll see what happens in free agency and the draft and everything.
“I really believe we’re really close. I do. I’m just not saying it. Because I know where this franchise has been when I first got here. And I know the feeling of the guys. And I know the talent that we have in the locker room.”
All well and good. But here in the Show-Me State of Missouri, seeing is believing.
znModeratorGordon: Can Rams work their way out of this mess?
By Jeff Gordon
After three years under coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead, the Rams have better talent and more competitive zeal than they exhibited during the final days of the sorry Steve Spagnuolo Era.
So there’s that.
But the Rams are still playing losing football 48 games into this misadventure, so Fisher must step back and reconsider everything the operation does every single day.
Why are the Rams such a sloppy mess? While can’t they line up correctly, block and tackle consistently well and take care of the football?
Why do they blow pass coverage, blow pass protections and mindlessly earn stupid penalties on top of stupid penalties?
Players come and go. Some assistant coaches come and go. And yet the familiar problems remain, cropping up at the most inopportune times.
Spagnuolo faced similar challenges and responded by firing blameless support staffers. Not surprisingly, that strategy failed and the losses mounted.
Fisher has been around the NFL forever so we assume he will come up with something better. Or will he?
In Year 3 under Fisher the Rams still could not play with discipline and precision. They couldn’t execute the simplest plays with the necessary consistency.
The Rams put the work in, day after day, month after month, and yet in Week 17 the quarterback misses the ground with a spike attempt, a running back fumbles away a touchdown reaching for the pylon, a tight end lets a pass squirt through his hands for a “pick six”, a cornerback wanders away from still another coverage assignment . . . on and on it went as another potential victory slipped away.
The team can’t just cut players who make big mistakes because there would be nobody left to play the games. The Rams served up penalty machine Ray Ray Armstrong as the Sacrificial Knucklehead but his dismissal did nothing to change things.
So Fisher must change the culture of failure at Rams Park, once and for all, or face the possibility of finishing out his excellent football career in a TV studio or broadcast booth.
Effort is not enough. Competitive heart is not enough. Physical toughness is not enough.
Those qualities have been evident under Fisher’s Rams, but they didn’t translate to success because they have remained a breakdown waiting to occur.
The Rams will have another opportunity to clear out spent veterans and free up salary cap space. They will have a every chance to upgrade their battered offensive line in the NFL Draft.
They could get better at quarterback by bringing injury-prone Sam Bradford back (with crossed fingers) and/or by seeking upgrades via free agency, a trade and the draft.
Perhaps they could toss offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to the angry mobs and find somebody to draw more exotic Xs and Os.
But none of that will matter if the Rams don’t redouble, re-triple and re-quadruple their commitment to doing everything on the football field correctly, every single time. The Rams must develop a winning program, a strict way of operating that remains the same no matter which players get hurt or move on.
Some how, some way they must shed the sloppiness that has become the franchise trademark, replacing the far more entertaining “Greatest Show on Turf” persona.
You see the impact good and bad coaching makes at every level of sports. Some CYC recreation teams run like clockwork while some big budget select squads sputter.
Some small high schools with modest means maximize their meager talent while some big high schools with athletic armies flounder.
Some college coaches succeed at every level, regardless of circumstances, while others manage to waste prime talent and opportunities.
The Seattle Seahawks keep developing middle-round picks into effective players while winning year after year. Meanwhile, the Rams convert a mother lode of prime draft picks into steady underachievement.
There is no easy fix here. Superficial change won’t help. Fundamental change will take persistent and focused effort.
The Rams must concentrate on doing EVERY SINGLE THING correctly in physical conditioning, skill development, team drills, tactical preparation and game execution.
There is no short-cut out of this morass, just lots of work and tremendous attention to detail. Rams fans can only hope Fisher and his people will finally be up to the daunting challenge.
znModeratorthe offense has had stability in terms of scheme but has suffered some horrible injuries. the main one being at quarterback. a healthy bradford this season would have allowed schotty to expand the offense. instead they had to start over with a journeyman qb. and a quarterback with no professional games under his belt.
the defense has tons of talent, but they’ve changed coordinators every single year. so the inconsistency isn’t all that surprising to me. second year in the same system with all that youth and talent? they just need a leader or leaders to step up and get this unit to perform week in and week out.
In the original post here (I merged 2 threads) … ie. the Fisher show, Fisher talks about these things. Not just the Seattle game, but what they have to do this off-season to improve both units.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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Decker56
Rams Weekly with Fisher
Saw Fisher on the Rams weekly tonight and unless he is putting up a smokescreen it sounds like SB will be QB next year. Fisher again said tonight that SB was one of the reasons he came to St. Louis. He went on to say that they would work during the offseason on having a plan in place in case of another injury.
Listening to him also talk about the stability of the coaching staff here makes me now think unless Schotty gets another offer he too will return for the 2015 season.
This was on at 6:30 channel 2 with Martin K asking the questions.
======
101espn @101espn
“At this point he is. I think it’s reasonable to expect another QB to compete here.” Fisher on Bradford being the best option. #FisherShow101espn @101espn
“We’ll spend a lot of time trying to improve our overall scheme. You’ll see a dramatic change next year.” – Fisher #FisherShowznModeratorQuit calling runs straight up the middle when there has been nothing there all day. All year. Please?
This year so far, 33% of Mason’s runs have been up the middle. The majority (44%) have been to the left. Actually Sunday reversed that with Mason anyway because out of 11 carries, they ran 4 to the left and 5 up the middle. My guess is they did that just to keep the defense honest and thinking middle. I would imagine that with the OL as banged up as it is (plus starting a rookie), they can’t afford to just concede the middle and instead bang at it to set up other plays. If that’s true, arguably it worked because they did get a couple of good runs to the left and right.
znModeratorI think your partially right ZN. But Schotty is not going to make anyone forget Mike Martz or Sid Gilman as a play caller. I don’t think he knows how to utilize the talent he has in Austin and Bailey etc.
I hope they replace him. He’s had three years to show what he has as a play caller. And even executing the plays still comes down to coaching.
Grits
We just disagree. Way I see it, I think he’s very solid and I actually had issues with Martz. I think he does know how to utilize talent. I think it’s the learning curve issue with those players. And no not all execution issues come down to coaching.
znModeratorThe man is a genius offensive mind. He simply had a coach killer at QB.
I think the Rams could do worse things then replace Schotty with Trestman.
Grits
I don’t think they are going to replace Schott. I actually agree with them on that. I think Schott is solid–I don’t think he’s an issue. I think the issues we see on offense have to do with personnel, injuries, and execution.
znModeratorDid he play in the last half?
Yes. Let me look at the play by play —
He had 4-5 targets/attempts in the 2nd half, according to the play by play.
znModeratorThere has in my view been a lot of what I consider to have been unrealistic optimism and avoidance of the reality of what was happening.
I see it differently. (I speak here as a citizen not a mod.) I see what we get here as a mash of different perspectives and opinions. I don’t think we have the type of posters here who fight to be right about everything. The old huddle was more like that. And you don’t strike me as doing that. But you strike me as believing in this moral imperative to be honest, which is fine, but sometimes that blurs into a moral imperative to see things a certain way. What if we are being honest, and scrupulous, and just see some things differently? Yes that could mean in the end we’re wrong, but, it a lot of it could be right, too…and maybe people will shift with different kinds of things in front of them (eg. how they handle the off-season, how they play next year, etc.)
I would re-write that last bit I quote so that it stresses how you disagree with certain views. Or, how you can’t buy into the optimism. Or, how you just see it differently. Not that others avoided reality. I know you don’t mean to, but that approach always has the danger of making it all sound more loaded.
I will just speak for myself here. I do believe there are many ways to see all this. You make a compelling case for a lot of what you see, and the power of your convictions is energetic, but in the end there are things I just see differently.
znModerator131 Shane Carden QB 7 East Carolina 6-2 221 4
from off the net
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jrry32
Round 3 – Shane Carden QB ECU
Analysis: Well guys, here is the QB I draft. I’m not in favor of forcing a QB pick because it’s a need so I needed a QB I liked. After watching Carden, I think he’s the best guy after Winston and Mariota unless someone unexpected declares. Carden plays in a spread offense right now and exclusively takes snaps out of the shotgun so there will be an adjustment period. Carden will be playing UF’s strong defense in a bowl game so that should give us a good look at him if you haven’t seen him(January 3rd). When I turned on the film, I saw a guy who dealt with a leaky OL and managed. The biggest issues I saw with him are that he doesn’t seem to do a good job of feeling pressure off the edge(especially blind-side pressure) and he needs to improve his internal clock as he’ll hold onto the ball too long looking to make a play. That all said, I think he showed of a NFL caliber arm with solid mobility and threw the ball with accuracy. His deep accuracy was the biggest weakness I noticed as he tended to under-throw guys and at times, he put too much air under the ball. But he was forced to make a lot of throws into tight windows in the game I watched and never shied away from throwing the ball to his WRs in 1 on 1 match-ups even when they were well guarded. His WRs were not getting a tremendous amount of separation in some of the games but I noticed him making good timing throws and putting the ball where it needed to be. He was also willing to take chances which did hurt him at times but all around, he was a solid decision maker. On his arm strength, I saw him make 10-25 yard throws from the pocket to the opposite sideline with requisite zip. I think his arm strength is more than adequate. He’s an extremely tough and competitive player as I saw him take a number of hits due to his OL and he kept getting right back up. Not afraid to stand in under pressure and pull the trigger. A couple other small issues I had were that he tends to be overconfident in his athleticism and he needs to protect himself better when running. There were times where he tried to outrun the defense instead of throwing the ball away and he didn’t do it. He has solid mobility but he’s not Mike Vick. He needs to be smart about getting the ball out. And when he does run, he needs to slide or get out of bounds. He has a tendency to fight for yardage and try to make people miss or run over defenders. On a final note, while his footwork was generally good, there were some plays where he needed to set his feet as he rushed the throw and it hurt his accuracy. I also think his decision making was at its worst when he was on the run. He throws well on the run but he tends to try to be a hero and will force balls at times or throw late. He needs to do a better job of taking what the defense gives him. Still, this is the guy I’d take a shot on developing behind Hill and Sam as I think he has starter potential.znModeratorHaven’t seen that reported anywhere.
znModeratorTebow? Why don’t we just start Hekker at QB?
Yeah — Tebow? Why Tebow? Maybe I just don’t get the whole Timmy Football thing. I mean, he misses meetings, he’s all about himself, he loves attention, he parties, he makes little instragrams of himself talking to stacks of money, he doesn’t seem to get the game…
…it’s a mystery. I have no idea why the Browns drafted him.
znModeratorA lot depends on who is available in free agency. Will there be a “bargain” type of guard who could start for this team? My sense is if there’s someone that good in free agency, it will cost a premium. The Rams have overspent for interior O-linemen for many years, it seems, and haven’t gotten back the investment. Joseph was a bargain player who we want to replace. Wells was an expensive free agent we want to replace. Barksdale will cost the Rams, and likely eat into any type of money they want to spend on the offensive line.
So, I wonder, can Person come through as a guard? Is he the answer there? Because that would be ideal. You already have him, and you can plug him in. Robinson has to improve, and he should make a big jump next year. So, that leaves center. If the Rams can find a center high in the draft, I’m fine with that. Perhaps they trade down in the 1st round, like was suggested in this thread. If not, you may just have to over-draft the position if the right player is available. Or, the Rams could trade up in the 2nd round if the right center is available.
Other depth guys who could come through (or not) include Bond and Jones.
But either way, you can find lower market FAs who take to the coaching and do come through. Basically, that’s what McCollum and Nutten were. So that, to me, is still part of the mix.
The best thing is to do a little bit of everything. That’s how Vermeil built a line. Lower draft picks (Miller and Tucker), a high draft pick, someone else’s cuts (Gruttaduaria), high market FA (Timmerman), low market FA (Nutten). Etc. Do it all at once. (Vermeil really did do it all at once.) Vermeil even got rid of higher draft picks to do it (Gandy and Wiegert).
znModeratori believe this is the year
to draft a Goalie high.I thought Goalie High was a slasher film about this guy in a Dick Cheney mask who stalks and kills members of the high school hockey team by shooting them in the face. The twist is…well if you haven’t seen it, I won’t give it away.
znModeratorI forget, is this a deep draft? Does it have a good top (blue chippers high)? What are its strengths? I am no draftnik. I am content to merely have a parasitical relationship to real draftniks.
Every board has a couple. It gets fun if you read them all and they say things that contradict one another. That way, what you look for is the range of opinions.
It will take several weeks to get a sense of that, if you’re me.
All I know is, if Merlin Olsen is there at the 10 spot…take him.
December 29, 2014 at 12:23 pm in reply to: Yep, about what I expected: Seattle game reactions #14914znModeratorKendricks. Not Cook.
Can’t seem to edit above post.
Done
znModeratorAtlanta Falcons fire coach Mike Smith
by Kevin Patra
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000451246/article/atlanta-falcons-fire-coach-mike-smith
Mike Smith promised a tougher team in 2014. He didn’t deliver and it now cost him his job.
The Atlanta Falcons announced Monday morning they fired the coach after the team was blown out 34-3 at home by the Carolina Panthers in a game that decided the NFC South.
The blistering loss and 6-10 record were too much for the franchise’s most successful coach to keep his job.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier Sunday that a win against Carolina might not have even been enough to save Smith’s job.
The embarrassing loss made owner Arthur Blank’s decision easy.
Rapoport also reported that the Falcons retained a search firm in the event they also fire general manager Thomas Dimitroff, per a source close to the situation. NFL Media’s Albert Breer reported Monday that the sense is that Dimitroff’s job is safe. However, Blank plans on shaking up the organizational structure, Breer reported, per a source.
Smith brought the Falcons to the playoffs four times during his seven-year career with the team. The highlight was an NFC Championship appearance following a 13-3 regular-season campaign in 2012. In fact, the Falcons posted just two losing seasons under Smith, but those came in the last two years.
Smith ends his time in Atlanta with a 66-46 record.
With a franchise quarterback Matt Ryan, one of the most dynamic playmakers in Julio Jones and some good pieces on defense the Falcons will likely present the best coaching job opening in 2015.
znModeratorBook it. Write it down. I don’t care how much guys want to believe in him… he’s not going to be any “comeback player of the year” type… he’s not going to get any stronger.
Well it’s probably time to move on from Wells and they can draft or sign an upgrade.
But to be fair, he’s listed with elbow and back injuries.
With those kinds of injuries, it might not be strength at all–it could just be hindered technique.
Now don’t maul me over that or nothin.
Just a thought. I’ll be over here playing with the adorable puppies. And kittens. You know innocent little harmless animals.
znModeratorI wonder if people noticed.
Roberson played for Johnson, and Joyner player for Gaines.
Gaines was hurt, but Johnson wasn’t inactive.
I’ll have to check game snaps, but it LOOKS like Johnson was just plain demoted.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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diggity
The RAMS win this game if Hill doesn’t make the stupid pass to the DT.
Cunningham doesn’t fumble the ball at the goal line.
Cook catches the TD that went off his hand.
Jenkins stays with his man.
It’s not all about getting the perfect players.
I love the RAMS with every fiber of everything that keeps me together, but, with this team and the players that wear the Horns right now…even I get DIZZY when I think of all of the IDIOTIC and/or HORRIBLE PLAYS that can be added up throughout this season to have cost the RAMS drives, points, defensive plays, tackles, INTs and completed passes!
GO RAMS!!!!!
znModeratorI highlight particularly tough (as it looks now) away games:
Home: Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay
Away: Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle, Green Bay, Minnesota, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Washington
znModeratorJim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers mutually part ways
By Gregg Rosenthal
http://www.nfl.com/videos/san-francisco-49ers/0ap3000000450897/Jim-Harbaugh-
After months of speculation, the Jim Harbaugh era in San Francisco is over.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday soon after San Francisco’s season-ending 20-17 win that Harbaugh and the 49ers are parting ways, according to a source involved in the situation.
Harbaugh was given the game ball and a Gatorade bath at the end of his team’s victory over Arizona on Sunday. It felt like a celebration, but the 49ers knew it was the end.
“I had the time of my life. It’s like that song,” Harbaugh said with a smile after the game. “I had the time of my life; I really did.”
The Niners missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons before Harbaugh took the reins in 2011. He instantly turned San Francisco into a perennial contender, leading the team to three straight postseason berths, including a Super Bowl appearance and two trips to the NFC Championship Game. However, his final season roaming the 49ers’ sideline was a disappointment: The team trudged its way to an 8-8 record.
Harbaugh didn’t try to hide the fact he was leaving in his postgame press conference, even before it was announced. Harbaugh was asked about possibly joining the University of Michigan as their next head coach.
“There will be announcements made concerning those things,” Harbaugh said.
Rapoport said on NFL Gameday Highlights that Harbaugh is “almost certain” to wind up as Michigan’s coach, with a salary ballooning north of $8 million. Harbaugh finishes with a 49-22-1 career record in San Francisco.
“I count up these wins, that’s 49 wins. It seems appropriate,” Harbaugh said
znModeratorRAMS VS. SEAHAWKS REPORT CARD – WEEK 17
Final report card sums up Rams’ futility. Jeff Gordon hands out the grades as the Rams close the season at 6-10.Quarterback: F
On a play that summed up the Rams’ futility, Shaun Hill tried to throw a pass into the ground and got intercepted instead. Repeat, HILL MISSED THE GROUND. Seattle defensive tackle Jordan Hill lunged to make a nice play on the ball, true, but a quarterback just can’t miss the ground at this level. Hill completed some decent throws in catch-up mode, but he also short-armed some early passes and doomed the Rams with his big mistake.Running Backs: D
On a play that summed up the Rams’ futility, Benny Cunningham dove for the pylon on a pass reception and got there … but not until after he fumbled the ball away for a touchback. Instead of getting seven points, the Rams returned the ball to the Seahawks on their 20. Cunningham and Tre Mason combined to catch 10 passes for 86 yards, but there was no payoff from that effort. Nor did they find anywhere to go on the ground.Wide Receivers: D
On a play that summed up the Rams’ futility, Stedman Bailey earned a costly holding penalty trying to block for his buddy Tavon Austin in the flat. That pushed the Rams from the Seattle 24 to the 34 and created a second-and-19 scenario – and that led to another turnover. Austin produced just 14 yards on four touches. Chris Givens negated a reception with an offensive pass interference penalty.Tight Ends: F
On a play that summed up the Rams futility, Lance Kendricks failed to secure a pass that slipped to Bruce Irvin instead. His 49-yard interception return capped Seattle’s comeback. Jared Cook was targeted seven times, but caught only three of those passes for 37 yards. Cory Harkey had no catches on two targets. The Rams needed much better from this group to win this game.Offensive Line: D
This was always going to be a tough matchup for the Rams. But it got worse when LT Greg Robinson and RT Joe Barksdale missed time in this game with injuries. G Mike Person had to fill in and G Rodger Saffold had to move around during their absence. The unit allowed four sacks and didn’t move the pile in the running game, which averaged just 2.2 yards per carry. At least C Scott Wells did a good job snapping the ball.Defensive Line: A
DT Aaron Donald capped a strong first-half Rams defensive performance by sacking QB Russell Wilson and jarring the ball loose. That ruined a last-second scoring bid. DE Robert Quinn forced a Wilson interception wit good second-effort pressure. The front wall didn’t dominate the Seahawks, but it contained them and gave the Rams a chance to win the game.Linebackers: A
MLB James Laurinaitis had a solid tackling game, including one fourth-down stop that turned the ball back over to the Rams. OLB Alec Ogletree forced another fumble, this time by Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch downfield after a reception. Ogletree also had a strong tackling game as the Rams’ front seven kept Wilson and Lynch from doing big damage.Secondary: B
It wouldn’t be a Rams game if CB Janoris Jenkins didn’t get beat for big plays, which happened twice Sunday. On the plus side, rookie CB Marcus Roberson stepped in for the injured E.J. Gaines and intercepted a Wilson overthrow. Rookie CB Lamarcus Joyner and veteran S Mark Barron earned sacks, S Rodney McLeod registered a tackle for loss and safety T.J. McDonald recovered a fumble.Special Teams: A-
K Greg Zuerlein kicked two field goals, including a 52-yarder. P Johnny Hekker was great as always, flipping the field with his 49.4 yard average. The Rams did a fine job in kick coverage, too, but OLB Will Herring pinned the Rams in their own zone with an untimely holding penalty on a kickoff return.Coaching: D
Credit the Rams for bouncing back from their Giants fiasco with a persistent effort Sunday in Seattle. Their defensive game-planning and execution were good enough to win this game, but a series of mind-boggling offensive blunders doomed them. Week after week, month after month, year after year such sloppiness has kept the Rams on the wrong side of .500. Will the suffering ever end?znModeratorThat is a fair summary, zn. Everyone else is welcome to add their thoughts.
Oh I see, I get the picture. I know what THIS is.
Board war.
znModeratori don’t think you start two rookies. my hope is that barrett jones can finally step in at guard. drafting another linemen lower would be with the idea that he gets a year or two to develop.
Though, again, there are any number of ways to develop a guard who can play, and be good enough to play his part in an overall good OL.
Maybe Bond or someone else they already have (Jones?) develops. Maybe they find a Barksdale. They could sign a low-market young FA who just needs a Boudreau to turn the corner (that’s the way they found Dahl in 2008 in Atlanta). Maybe a right tackle who is also in the ronin/low market FA position signs, and converts to guard. They could sign a more high-market FA guard.
They could surprise and start 2 rookies along with Robinson.
Or they could use lottsa different ways to scour up a player at guard. Maybe 2, so there’s depth.
Which approach should they take?
IMO…all of them. Simultaneously.
znModeratorDeja vu for Rams
Seattle clinches No. 1 seed, beats Rams 20-6
By Jim Thomas
SEATTLE • We’ve seen this one before. Rams fight hard, hang in game, then make a couple of costly mistakes that prove to be the difference.
“The difference between 10-6 and 6-10 is a couple plays in four ballgames out of 16,” quarterback Shaun Hill said. “And that’s a fact. That’s every year in the NFL.”
The Rams seem to have perfected the art of NOT making those plays. A 20-6 season-ending loss Sunday to Seattle, the defending Super Bowl champion, was merely the latest example.
“Well, we gave it our best shot, problem is that we didn’t finish,” coach Jeff Fisher said afterward, in what qualified as words we’ve heard before.
After taking an early 6-0 lead, the Rams couldn’t add to that point total even though they got as close as the Seattle half-yard line in the fourth quarter.
A busted coverage by — surprise! — cornerback Janoris Jenkins led to the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
That followed a play in which quarterback Shaun Hill tried to throw the ball into the ground for an incompletion but instead threw an interception. You know it’s not your day when a glorified spike ends up as a turnover.
Later, what looked like a completion to tight end Lance Kendricks became a fluky interception that was returned 49 yards for a victory-clinching touchdown by Seattle linebacker Bruce Irvin.
Trailing 20-6 after that “pick 6,” the last gasp came with 6 minutes to play when running back Benny Cunningham, lunging for the end zone and a TD, had the ball slapped away by safety Earl Thomas and out of the end zone. The result was a touchback, with Seattle taking over at its 20.
“For a second, I actually thought I was in the end zone,” said Cunningham, who had taken a short pass from Hill at the 6. “And then I saw the ref (signal) touchback. It’s a tough break. I really feel like I let the team down. In a situation like that, you’ve really got to take care of the ball.”
It was merely the last of a handful of game-deciding plays that went against the Rams, sending them into the offseason at 6-10, their worst record since Fisher took over as coach in 2012.
Seattle, winners of six in a row and nine of its last 10, finished 12-4 to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home-field advantage. It was the 10th consecutive loss for the Rams at what is now known as CenturyLink Field.
On the strength of a pair of Greg Zuerlein fields goals, the Rams took a 6-0 lead into the locker room at halftime even though they were outgained 189 yards to 66. Two takeaways helped keep Seattle off the scoreboard, one on rookie cornerback Marcus Roberson’s first career interception and the other on a Marshawn Lynch fumble that was recovered by safety T.J. McDonald.
Seattle managed a couple of field goals to take the game into the fourth quarter tied at 6-all. And then, as frequently happens to the Rams, stuff happened. Bad stuff.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Rams tried to set up a screen pass to Tre Mason on second and 19 from the Seattle 34. But it was well-covered and Hill tried to throw the ball into the ground for an incompletion.
Alas, Seattle defensive tackle Jordan Hill managed to grab the football before it hit the ground.
When asked if his quarterback could’ve done anything differently on the play, Fisher answered with a touch of sarcasm: “Yes. He should’ve thrown that ball into the ground. … You try and throw it to the feet of the back. That’s what you try and do. He just didn’t make the play.”
The last thing Shaun Hill expected was to see a 303-pound lineman get low to the groud and come up with the ball.
“I was surprised to see him make the play, yeah,” Hill said. “It was heck of a play by him. You’ve got to get the ball close to the running back’s feet. I can’t get it directly down, or else you get an intentional grounding penalty.”
Then came the Jenkins coverage bust, which resulted in a freebie for the other team; there have been a lot of those this season by the Rams’ secondary. The result was an uncontested 31-yard pass play to wide receiver Kevin Norwood to the St. Louis 9.
Jenkins initially was lined up over Norwood on the outside, but Jenkins totally ignored him after the snap, committing inside in the direction of slot receiver Doug Baldwin. That left Norwood wide open.
Fisher said he had no idea what Jenkins was doing on the play.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about it,” Fisher said. “He should’ve been playing ‘thirds’ — outside thirds. (Baldwin) had an inside seam route running. That’s why he probably leaned towards the seam, and left the flat route out there. It was a good play by them.”
And a bad play by Jenkins, who had cleared out his locker stall and was unavailable to comment.
On the next play, Lynch scored untouched on a 9-yard rush up the middle for a 13-6 Seattle lead.
The backbreaker came on the Rams’ next possession when Hill threw what looked like a completion over the middle to Kendricks. But before Kendricks could get control of the ball it was poked out by linebacker Bobby Wagner, and grabbed in the air by Irvin for the interception.
“I caught the ball and I tried to tuck it,” Kendricks said. “As soon as I was pulling it down to tuck it, (Wagner’s) arm came around and hit the ball out. I did what I could. I was blind to it.
“The ball bounced right into his hands. I don’t know what to say. It might happen one out of a hundred times.”
Be that as it may, plays like that symbolize another lost season of Rams football.
“Yeah, in a sense,” Kendricks said. “Just like Benny’s play.”
Or just like the dozen or so others that spelled the difference between 10-6 and 6-10 for the 2014 Rams.
znModeratorRapid Reaction: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15007/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-28
SEATTLE — A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams’ 20-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at CenturyLink Field:
What it means: Another losing season for the Rams comes to a merciful end with a three-game losing streak. Worse, the team’s 6-10 finish is a step backward from the seven wins of the previous two seasons under coach Jeff Fisher. There were some highs, including upset wins at home against Seattle and the Denver Broncos, but those were more than canceled out by clunkers against the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. The Rams were once again inconsistent, but the big-picture results remain mediocre, at best.
Stock watch: QB Shaun Hill — Down. This isn’t breaking any new ground to say the Rams must find a way to upgrade at quarterback in the offseason. That’s a mission they’ll take on, along with about half the league, but it was a point driven home by what happened Sunday. The dormant Rams offense was finally driving in a 6-6 game with a chance to take a lead, but after a holding penalty, Hill threw another incomprehensible interception. The play was designed to be a screen, but the Seahawks had it covered. Instead of throwing it away, Hill tried to throw it into the ground, but it went right to Seattle defensive tackle Jordan Hill. Seattle scored the game’s first touchdown soon after, and the Seahawks never relinquished the lead.
Line dancing: The Rams had a couple scary injury moments. They lost left tackle Greg Robinson and right tackle Joe Barksdale at various points in the game. Both returned but the value of Rodger Saffold — himself an injury risk over the years — was again clear. Saffold filled in for both and played his usual spot at left guard. Not many in the league could move around the line like that, and it was much needed on a day when the Rams had just seven offensive linemen active.
Game ball: DT Aaron Donald was not only the Rams’ best rookie but also their best player in 2014. It took five weeks for Donald to elbow his way into the starting lineup, but once he did, he was one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the league. It was no coincidence the ailing Rams pass rush that had set a record for sack futility in the first part of the season soon took off. Donald finished with nine sacks, including a streak of five games with a sack near the end of the season. Without Donald in the starting lineup, the Rams had one sack, gave up 152.5 rushing yards per game and averaged a sack on 0.9 percent of opponents’ pass attempts. In the 11 games since Donald entered the starting lineup, the Rams had 36 sacks, gave up 93 rushing yards per game and averaged a sack on 8.8 percent of opponent’s pass attempts.
What’s next: The Rams enter another offseason as postseason spectators with the major chore of finding a long-term quarterback solution and upgrading at other key spots, such as the offensive line and in the secondary.
znModeratori don’t agree that it’s easy to fix an ol
I don’t either, taken in the abstract.
What I am saying is that it’s easy to fix THIS OL. All they need is a center in a guard, and they have any number of ways of acquiring good ones for both spots. That is because, assuming they sign Barksdale, they already have 3 set pieces–JB, Saffold, and Robinson.
So is it difficult to go out and get a center and a guard?
One way to ask that is to I look at the top 12 graded guards and top 12 graded centers according to PFF, and check into how they’re acquired.
To do that I distinguish between high 1st round picks, let’s say 15 and above, and lower 1st round picks. I also use the “ronin” category–a young guy who bounces between teams in his first couple of years, like Barksdale. And finally I distinguish between high-market FAs (like Wells and Long) and low-market FAs who come in less expensive than those guys.
CENTER: 4 lower 1st round picks (18th, 21st, 29th, 31st); 2 2nd round picks; a 5th round pick; 2 6th round picks; 1 low-market free agent (avg. 0.795 a year), and 1 converted guard/ronin type.
I will say this about center. If someone is taken after round 2 or comes in as a ronin, usually they develop on the bench before starting. So this list says that if you need a center NOW, you need to use a low 1st or a 2nd round pick.
GUARD: 3 lower 1st round picks (16th, 20th, 27th); 2 2nd round picks; 4 3rd round picks; 2 4th round picks; 1 trade using a 7th round pick.
I don’t see a Guard or Tackle worth taking that high, unless we trade down, which is possible, because we only have 5 draft picks, barring any comp picks.
Yeah they could trade down. This then also raises the question, would they start 2 rookies on a line that already included Robinson?
as far as drafting one high, i think this happens to be the year that drafting one in the first round just makes sense. it’s supposed to be a strong year for the offensive line….at this point. offensive line in the first round just makes sense. it’s a position of strength in the draft that would fill a huge need.
BTW I should add, I have no objection to that. If they for example take a tackle high and play him at guard, I can see that…it’s one of those things where I don’t prefer it, but I wouldn’t sulk and complain if they did. I get that approach too.
Though again do they start 2 rookies on a line that includes Robinson.
znModeratorRams turn over final game to Seahawks
By Jim ThomasSEATTLE • We’ve seen this one before: The Rams fight hard, hang in the game, then make a couple of costly mistakes that prove to the be the difference.
After taking an early 6-0 lead on the defending Super Bowl champions, the Rams couldn’t add to that point total even though they got as close as the Seattle half-yard line.
A busted coverage by — surprise! — Janoris Jenkins led to the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. That followed a play in which quarterback Shaun Hill tried to throw the ball in the ground but instead threw an interception.
The last gasp came with 6 minutes to play when Benny Cunningham, lunging for the end zone and a touchdown, had the ball slapped away and out of the end zone. The result was a touchback, with Seattle taking over at its 20.
The end result was a 20-6 loss that left the Rams at 6-10, their worst record since Jeff Fisher took over as head coach in 2012. Seattle, winners of six in a row and nine of their last 10, finished at 12-4 to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs.
On the strength of a pair of Greg Zuerlein fields goals, the Rams took a 6-0 lead into the locker room at halftime even though they were outgained 189 yards to 66 by Seahawks. Two takeaways helped keep Seattle off the scoreboard.
A late hit by Seattle cover man Ricardo Lockette on Rams punt returner Tavon Austin gave the Rams starting position at the 50 on their second possession of the game. Austin had signaled for a fair catch before being hit by Lockette.
The Rams were able to scratch out 35 yards on 11 plays to reach the red zone, before settling for a 33-yard field goal by Zuerlein and a 3-0 lead with 6:25 left to go in the first quarter.
Seattle’s top-ranked defense gave up yards grudgingly, but the Rams were able to put together three first downs on the drive before stalling out.
Seattle tested the Rams’ defense on its next possession, going for it on fourth-and-5 from the St. Louis 35 with 1:21 left in the opening quarter. But linebacker James Laurinaitis stopped tight end Luke Wilson about a half-yard short of the first-down marker, and the Rams took over on downs.
Then came the takeaways. Five minutes into the second quarter, with Seattle facing a third-and-8, a scrambling quarterback Russell Wilson made a rare bad decision under pressure. Just as he was getting hit by defensive end Robert Quinn, Wilson threw over the middle.
The hit affected the trajectory, and rookie cornerback Marcus Roberson came up with his first NFL interception. Roberson, playing in his first game since Nov. 2 at San Francisco, returned the ball 18 yards to the St. Louis 40.
The Rams couldn’t get anything going on that possession, but benefited from good field position after the Johnny Hekker punt. On second-and-2 from the Seattle 21, Marshawn Lynch took a screen pass from Wilson.
Lynch was heading for a first down and more when stripped from behind by linebacker Alec Ogletree. Safety T.J. McDonald scooped up the fumble and the Rams took over on the Seattle 34. Three plays, plus a false start penalty on Davin Joseph gained zero yards, but Zuerlein was true on a 52-yard field goal attempt that gave the Rams a 6-0 lead with 4:18 left in the half.
That’s the way the half ended, but Seattle got on the board on its first possession after taking the second-half kickoff. The big play on the drive was a 32-yard pass play from Wilson to wide receiver Paul Richardson.
Cornerback Jenkins was in good position on the play, a go route down the left sideline, but Richardson basically plucked the ball before it could get to Jenkins’ hands. That gave Seattle, which only had 117 yards passing in the first half, a first down at the St. Louis 26.
But the Rams’ defense stiffened and Seattle had to settle for a 42-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka, trimming the St. Louis lead to 6-3. With the crowd turning up the volume, momentum seemed to be shifting Seattle’s way.
After a 3-and-out in which the Rams lost six yards, Seattle took over on its 31 after a Hekker punt and moved quickly into field goal range. The big play was a 21-yard strike from Wilson to tight end Tony Moeaki, who was not picked up by a Rams defender on the play.
But once again, the Seahawks had to settle for three points, this time on a 45-yarder by Hauschka that tied the game at 6-6 with 4:45 left in the third quarter. Rookie defensive back Lamarcus Joyner helped keep the Seahawks out of the end zone by registering his first NFL sack on third-and-4 from the St. Louis 21.
Following that kick, the Rams put together what at the time was their best drive of the day. Hill completed five passes, including a 12-yarder to Jared Cook for a first down to the Seattle 25.
After a one-yard gain by Tre Mason and a holding penalty against Stedman Bailey, the Rams faced a second-and-19 from the Seattle 34 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Rams tried to set up a screen pass on the first play of the final quarter, but intended receiver Mason was well-covered. So Hill attempted to throw the ball into the turf to kill the play. Instead, Seattle defensive tackle Jordan Hill grabbed the ball before it hit the turf for an interception.
Hill returned the ball eight yards to the Seattle 46. The Seahawks subsequently faced a third-and-7 from the St. Louis 40, when a busted coverage by Jenkins led to a 31-yard gain by Kevin Norwood to the 9.
Jenkins initially was lined up over Norwood on the outside, but Jenkins totally ignored him, committing inside in the direction of slot receiver Doug Baldwin. That left Norwood wide open.
On the next play, Lynch scored untouched on a 9-yard rush up the middle _ defensive tackle Kendall Langford wasn’t even in his stance when the ball was snapped _ and that was that for any hopes of a Rams victory.
So trailing 13-6, the Rams got the ball back, and gained a couple of first downs to their 43. But on first down from the 43, a pass from Hill to tight end Lance Kendricks was poked loose before Kendricks could establish control but grabbed in the air just a few feet away by Seattle linebacker Byron Irvin.
Irving made the interception a “pick 6” when he returned it 49 yards for a touchdown and a 20-6 Seattle lead with 9:50 left to play.
znModeratorFYI: Hill’s qb rating against the Seahawks was 65.5
Do you think Davis would have done better in Seattle, with an ailing OL?
There were stretches today where Hill performed well enough for them to win, and what killed them was mistakes on both offense and defense. He made one of those mistakes (grounding the ball into the hands of a d-lineman). I think that was equally true of the Giants game.
I thought Davis completely melted down and that has me wary of him. I would not want to see Davis in Seattle, with the Seattle homefield advantage, against the league’s #1 defense.
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