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2015 Rams Thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bob Magaw
- Start date
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
I don't recall him having much opportunity. During Fisher's tenure (at least with the Rams), he has been more reticent to start offensive than defensive rookies, but he has done it (Zac Stacy in '13, LT Greg Robinson and Tre Mason last year, RT Havenstein, RG Brown and Gurley this year).
Foles could return, too. Sometimes teams juggle the top two QBs.
Mannion seems to have a lot of detractors, did throw a ton of INTs while at Oregon State and didn't play well last year, but he did much better previously when he had weapons like WRs Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks. Depending on where they are in December, and of course how Keenum looks, there could be something to be said for seeing what they have in him, which could influence their 2016 draft plans. Though they should probably draft a QB high for a change, no matter what.
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Think again.
Unless they do something like lose out, I'd be shocked if he is going anywhere (whether he should is a different story).
jurb26
Footballguy
Fisher finally has the makings of the team he wants. Getting rid of him now is a bad idea. Very bad idea IMO.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
I tend to have been a Fisher supporter, but it is alarming that he has something like six winning seasons in 20?
He has been the king of mediocrity (lot of 7-9 and 8-8 type seasons), and that is where the Rams are at right now. IMO, other than the success with McNair (and VY for a minute), he hasn't done enough to address the QB position through the draft over the years.
In his defense, they are banged up right now (but so are a lot of teams).
He has been the king of mediocrity (lot of 7-9 and 8-8 type seasons), and that is where the Rams are at right now. IMO, other than the success with McNair (and VY for a minute), he hasn't done enough to address the QB position through the draft over the years.
In his defense, they are banged up right now (but so are a lot of teams).
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Blame for Rams' abysmal offense starts with coach Jeff Fisher By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/23962/the-blame-for-rams-abysmal-offense-starts-with-coach-jeff-fisher
BALTIMORE -- Whether it's Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Sam Bradford, Kellen Clemens or any other quarterback the St. Louis Rams have trotted out since coach Jeff Fisher took over in 2012, the offense hasn't gotten better.
And it's not just the quarterbacks. It's an offensive line that only got the appropriate attention in the draft this year and a group of pass-catchers that hasn't showed much improvement and infrequently combines the ability to get open with actually catching the ball.
After Sunday's ugly 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Rams again found themselves wondering when, if ever, the offense will raise its level from the dregs of the NFL to something closer to middling.
"This can't be happening every week," cornerback Janoris Jenkins said. "Defense, we are playing great ball, man. All we are asking for is a little bit of help. We can't just keep losing like this."
On the contrary, with Fisher at the helm, it sure looks like the Rams can keep losing games like they did on Sunday. After all, it's Fisher who built this roster on the hope that a dominant defense would trump all, even if the offense was lagging far behind.
It's a recipe that elevated the Rams from NFL bottom-feeders to approaching the mediocre mark that has permeated Fisher's two-decade career as a head coach in the league. It's also a formula that doesn't look anywhere close to getting the Rams to the next level.
The latest abysmal offensive performance came against a Ravens defense that entered the game 20th in yards allowed per game. Matched up against the Rams' offense, you would have thought the Ravens were lining up with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed in their prime.
In his first start as a Ram, Keenum was 12-of-26 for 136 yards with a touchdown and a fumble, hardly the spark the Rams hoped he would provide when switching from Foles earlier in the week.
The Rams finished with 213 total yards and four turnovers, both tied for their worst outputs of the season. That such an outing could happen in Weeks 2 and 5 isn't OK but a bit more understandable than one that would combine the two in Week 11.
Remember, this was an offense that was supposed to coalesce as the season went on as it integrated a new quarterback, offensive coordinator, running back and offensive linemen.
Through 10 games, the Rams are 31st in yards per game, yards per passing attempt and first downs. They're last in passing yards per game and third-down conversion percentage.
"I think we are kind of stagnant," tight end Jared Cook said. "But that's nobody's fault but ours. It's nobody's fault but ours. The guys that are in this room right now, it's our fault."
While there's truth in that, there's also plenty of blame to land at the feet of those making the decisions, namely Fisher and general manager Les Snead.
Despite outside pressure to add veteran help on the offensive line, the Rams decided to use five draft picks on the position. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the one veteran the Rams did add, Garrett Reynolds, is probably playing the best of the starting five.
That Rams offensive line has been besieged by injuries, playing Sunday's game without starters Rodger Saffold, Jamon Brown and Rob Havenstein and then losing fourth-round pick Andrew Donnal to a knee injury during the game.
"I think we are just kind of at a standstill right now," tight end Lance Kendricks said. "It's tough when you've got the O-line kind of shifting players around. You need steadiness on the O-line to really get the offense going. We are kind of shifting guys around, and they're young guys too. It's hard to kind of point the finger at them."
The Rams spent their first seven picks of the 2015 draft on offense, a dedication to that side of the ball previously absent in the Fisher regime. While a youth movement on the offense was needed, it also probably came about three years too late to make Fisher's preferred ground-and-pound philosophy work, if it was ever going to.
The same can be said of addressing the situation at quarterback, where the Rams are still without a long-term option, and the short-term ones are far from appealing despite having a plethora of extra draft picks from the Robert Griffin III trade with Washington. Or making a play for a No. 1 receiver who can consistently get open and make plays on contested balls.
Asked if he felt like he waited too long to give due attention to building the offense, Fisher demurred.
"No, I thought I made a good decision this offseason," Fisher said. "We've got good coaches, good players; we're just not scoring the points and converting third downs right now. Until we do that, we're not going to win a whole lot of games. That has to change."
More than three-and-a-half seasons into Fisher's tenure, that change doesn't seem to be close to happening. And any question of how it will change is mostly met with more wishing and hoping than actual solutions.
Even with rookie running back Todd Gurley as the foundation, the Rams don't have enough firepower to maximize his ability. They now sit at 4-6 and are staring another lost season square in the face.
That falls on Fisher and his coaching staff. Most likely, Fisher's job isn't in danger, as he has another year left on his contract and owner Stan Kroenke is more focused on changing the team's address than changing its coach.
"Our frustration is very high, because there's days that we come out there and we look like one of the best offenses in the league, and there's times that we don't," receiver Kenny Britt said.
There's a name for the times that they don't: Sundays. And until sweeping changes are made, the Rams will continue to get the same results.
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/23962/the-blame-for-rams-abysmal-offense-starts-with-coach-jeff-fisher
BALTIMORE -- Whether it's Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Sam Bradford, Kellen Clemens or any other quarterback the St. Louis Rams have trotted out since coach Jeff Fisher took over in 2012, the offense hasn't gotten better.
And it's not just the quarterbacks. It's an offensive line that only got the appropriate attention in the draft this year and a group of pass-catchers that hasn't showed much improvement and infrequently combines the ability to get open with actually catching the ball.
After Sunday's ugly 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Rams again found themselves wondering when, if ever, the offense will raise its level from the dregs of the NFL to something closer to middling.
"This can't be happening every week," cornerback Janoris Jenkins said. "Defense, we are playing great ball, man. All we are asking for is a little bit of help. We can't just keep losing like this."
On the contrary, with Fisher at the helm, it sure looks like the Rams can keep losing games like they did on Sunday. After all, it's Fisher who built this roster on the hope that a dominant defense would trump all, even if the offense was lagging far behind.
It's a recipe that elevated the Rams from NFL bottom-feeders to approaching the mediocre mark that has permeated Fisher's two-decade career as a head coach in the league. It's also a formula that doesn't look anywhere close to getting the Rams to the next level.
The latest abysmal offensive performance came against a Ravens defense that entered the game 20th in yards allowed per game. Matched up against the Rams' offense, you would have thought the Ravens were lining up with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed in their prime.
In his first start as a Ram, Keenum was 12-of-26 for 136 yards with a touchdown and a fumble, hardly the spark the Rams hoped he would provide when switching from Foles earlier in the week.
The Rams finished with 213 total yards and four turnovers, both tied for their worst outputs of the season. That such an outing could happen in Weeks 2 and 5 isn't OK but a bit more understandable than one that would combine the two in Week 11.
Remember, this was an offense that was supposed to coalesce as the season went on as it integrated a new quarterback, offensive coordinator, running back and offensive linemen.
Through 10 games, the Rams are 31st in yards per game, yards per passing attempt and first downs. They're last in passing yards per game and third-down conversion percentage.
"I think we are kind of stagnant," tight end Jared Cook said. "But that's nobody's fault but ours. It's nobody's fault but ours. The guys that are in this room right now, it's our fault."
While there's truth in that, there's also plenty of blame to land at the feet of those making the decisions, namely Fisher and general manager Les Snead.
Despite outside pressure to add veteran help on the offensive line, the Rams decided to use five draft picks on the position. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the one veteran the Rams did add, Garrett Reynolds, is probably playing the best of the starting five.
That Rams offensive line has been besieged by injuries, playing Sunday's game without starters Rodger Saffold, Jamon Brown and Rob Havenstein and then losing fourth-round pick Andrew Donnal to a knee injury during the game.
"I think we are just kind of at a standstill right now," tight end Lance Kendricks said. "It's tough when you've got the O-line kind of shifting players around. You need steadiness on the O-line to really get the offense going. We are kind of shifting guys around, and they're young guys too. It's hard to kind of point the finger at them."
The Rams spent their first seven picks of the 2015 draft on offense, a dedication to that side of the ball previously absent in the Fisher regime. While a youth movement on the offense was needed, it also probably came about three years too late to make Fisher's preferred ground-and-pound philosophy work, if it was ever going to.
The same can be said of addressing the situation at quarterback, where the Rams are still without a long-term option, and the short-term ones are far from appealing despite having a plethora of extra draft picks from the Robert Griffin III trade with Washington. Or making a play for a No. 1 receiver who can consistently get open and make plays on contested balls.
Asked if he felt like he waited too long to give due attention to building the offense, Fisher demurred.
"No, I thought I made a good decision this offseason," Fisher said. "We've got good coaches, good players; we're just not scoring the points and converting third downs right now. Until we do that, we're not going to win a whole lot of games. That has to change."
More than three-and-a-half seasons into Fisher's tenure, that change doesn't seem to be close to happening. And any question of how it will change is mostly met with more wishing and hoping than actual solutions.
Even with rookie running back Todd Gurley as the foundation, the Rams don't have enough firepower to maximize his ability. They now sit at 4-6 and are staring another lost season square in the face.
That falls on Fisher and his coaching staff. Most likely, Fisher's job isn't in danger, as he has another year left on his contract and owner Stan Kroenke is more focused on changing the team's address than changing its coach.
"Our frustration is very high, because there's days that we come out there and we look like one of the best offenses in the league, and there's times that we don't," receiver Kenny Britt said.
There's a name for the times that they don't: Sundays. And until sweeping changes are made, the Rams will continue to get the same results.
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Ten Takeaways from the Rams’ 16-13 Loss to the Ravens Posted by: Randy Karraker
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/23/ten-takeaways-from-the-rams-16-13-loss-to-the-ravens/
The Rams had a third straight chance to beat a team that they should be better than, and a third straight game in which an inept offense kept them from coming away with a victory.
At 4-6, football fans in St. Louis…if they aren’t talking about the possible relocation of the team…are now looking toward the draft. Here are ten takeaways from the 16-13 loss in Baltimore to the Ravens…
1) Obviously, Case Keenum wasn’t a spark for the offense. Granted, the line didn’t offer much protection and the running game didn’t work to his advantage, but Keenum looked rattled and without poise for much of the game. The hope that he’d be able to put the offense on his shoulders for an afternoon was hollow. His underthrow of Kenny Britt on what should have been a pass interference call early in the third quarter kind of summed up the day. Pretty far short of what you would ordinarily expect from an NFL quarterback.
2) Once again, the lack of attention to the offensive line in the 2014 draft is haunting the Rams. I’ve written about it before, but when the Rams decided to “have fun” as General Manager Les Snead called it, on the final day of that draft (and the second day, for that matter), the franchise failed to have developed players to replace Jake Long, Scott Wells, and Joe Barksdale.
If the Rams had drafted the equivalents of Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann LAST year, Sunday could have been a much better experience in Baltimore.
3) The Rams had four possessions in the fourth quarter. They ended in a fumble, a punt, a missed field goal and another fumble. The resulting Baltimore possessions were a touchdown, a field goal, a missed field goal and the game winning field goal. Sure, the Rams are the youngest team in the NFL. But how often do you see a COLLEGE team turn the ball over with fumbles twice in the fourth quarter? A fumble by Todd Gurley set up Baltimore for a 42 yard touchdown drive and a fumble by a scrambled Keenum set up Justin Tucker’s game winning field goal.
4) Speaking of a scrambled Keenum, how was he on the field after being popped down by Courtney Upshaw with just over a minute to go? The NFL has a concussion spotter upstairs, and the Rams have coaches and others watching the game on TV in the booth, with easy access to the sideline. Once again, this is inexcusable. If we can see it on TV, they can see it on TV and report to the sidelines. Nick Foles put his helmet on. The Rams had a time out left. Keenum should have at the very least been talked to and checked.
5) Greg Zuerlein has now missed a league-high eight field goals, going 15-23 this season. I can talk until I’m blue in the face about most of those being 50-plus yard attempts (five of the eight misses are from beyond 50), but the coach that hired him and places his confidence in Zuerlein thinks he can make those kicks, otherwise Jeff Fisher wouldn’t send him out there to try, right? So with that being the case, Zuerlein should be on thin ice after the missed extra point and a potential 52-yard game winner.
6) Without Robert Quinn and Alec Ogletree and a diminished Chris Long, the defense allowed one touchdown and three field goals. Granted, the Ravens piled up 388 yards…but only 16 points. In four of the Rams six losses (Pittsburgh, 12 points, at Green Bay, whose offense scored 17, at Minnesota, 18 in regulation; and at Baltimore, 16) the defense has performed well enough to win, but has been held hostage by an inept offense. In those four games, the offense has averaged 11.75 points per game.
7) The quarterback position is extremely difficult to scout, and the Rams aren’t immune from that difficulty. This year is a perfect example. They took a long look at Foles before making the trade for him. They knew Keenum from his time on the team last season. And even though they were able to watch those players at the NFL level, Rams quarterbacks have completed a league-worst 55.4% of their passes for a league-worst 173.9 yards per game, a league worst eight touchdown passes and a 31st ranked passer rating of 75.7. With Foles guaranteed $6 million next year, the Rams will have to keep him and shop for competition during the off-season. At some point, they’re bound to get it right. Right? I guess Browns fans have said that for more than twenty years. By the way, Foles should be named as the starter for the rest of the season ASAP by Fisher.
8) The Rams had two interceptions of Joe Flacco, but uncharacteristically lost four fumbles to finish minus-2 in the all-important turnover ratio. Coming into the game, the Rams had lost just six fumbles all season long. Obviously, Gurley is going to get hit, and like any young player must concentrate on ball security. Keenum is a fumble machine. In ten career starts he has ten fumbles and has lost five.
9) At 4-6, the Rams are two games behind Atlanta…the final wildcard team in the NFC…and a game behind Seattle. They’re also behind 5-5 Tampa and, because of tiebreakers, Washington and Chicago. The lack of ability to put together a successful streak makes a Rams run seem unlikely. It’s interesting to note that the Falcons and Bears are succeeding under first year coaches with their teams, and the Buccaneers have rebounded in Lovie Smith’s second year at the helm. This isn’t a league of methodical turnarounds now. If it’s going to happen, it generally happens quickly.
10) The Rams have knocked out opposing quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger, Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater, and hit Aaron Rodgers so much that he went into a month long funk. Now Baltimore’s Joe Flacco is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL while playing the Rams. If you’re an opposing quarterback, you know it’s going to be a tough, physical day when you face Gregg Williams’ crew.
Next week the Rams are at Cincinnati, where the Bengals have rebounded from years of ineptness to make the playoffs in three straight seasons, and will go back again this year. So a turnaround CAN happen. Our question is…when.
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/23/ten-takeaways-from-the-rams-16-13-loss-to-the-ravens/
The Rams had a third straight chance to beat a team that they should be better than, and a third straight game in which an inept offense kept them from coming away with a victory.
At 4-6, football fans in St. Louis…if they aren’t talking about the possible relocation of the team…are now looking toward the draft. Here are ten takeaways from the 16-13 loss in Baltimore to the Ravens…
1) Obviously, Case Keenum wasn’t a spark for the offense. Granted, the line didn’t offer much protection and the running game didn’t work to his advantage, but Keenum looked rattled and without poise for much of the game. The hope that he’d be able to put the offense on his shoulders for an afternoon was hollow. His underthrow of Kenny Britt on what should have been a pass interference call early in the third quarter kind of summed up the day. Pretty far short of what you would ordinarily expect from an NFL quarterback.
2) Once again, the lack of attention to the offensive line in the 2014 draft is haunting the Rams. I’ve written about it before, but when the Rams decided to “have fun” as General Manager Les Snead called it, on the final day of that draft (and the second day, for that matter), the franchise failed to have developed players to replace Jake Long, Scott Wells, and Joe Barksdale.
If the Rams had drafted the equivalents of Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann LAST year, Sunday could have been a much better experience in Baltimore.
3) The Rams had four possessions in the fourth quarter. They ended in a fumble, a punt, a missed field goal and another fumble. The resulting Baltimore possessions were a touchdown, a field goal, a missed field goal and the game winning field goal. Sure, the Rams are the youngest team in the NFL. But how often do you see a COLLEGE team turn the ball over with fumbles twice in the fourth quarter? A fumble by Todd Gurley set up Baltimore for a 42 yard touchdown drive and a fumble by a scrambled Keenum set up Justin Tucker’s game winning field goal.
4) Speaking of a scrambled Keenum, how was he on the field after being popped down by Courtney Upshaw with just over a minute to go? The NFL has a concussion spotter upstairs, and the Rams have coaches and others watching the game on TV in the booth, with easy access to the sideline. Once again, this is inexcusable. If we can see it on TV, they can see it on TV and report to the sidelines. Nick Foles put his helmet on. The Rams had a time out left. Keenum should have at the very least been talked to and checked.
5) Greg Zuerlein has now missed a league-high eight field goals, going 15-23 this season. I can talk until I’m blue in the face about most of those being 50-plus yard attempts (five of the eight misses are from beyond 50), but the coach that hired him and places his confidence in Zuerlein thinks he can make those kicks, otherwise Jeff Fisher wouldn’t send him out there to try, right? So with that being the case, Zuerlein should be on thin ice after the missed extra point and a potential 52-yard game winner.
6) Without Robert Quinn and Alec Ogletree and a diminished Chris Long, the defense allowed one touchdown and three field goals. Granted, the Ravens piled up 388 yards…but only 16 points. In four of the Rams six losses (Pittsburgh, 12 points, at Green Bay, whose offense scored 17, at Minnesota, 18 in regulation; and at Baltimore, 16) the defense has performed well enough to win, but has been held hostage by an inept offense. In those four games, the offense has averaged 11.75 points per game.
7) The quarterback position is extremely difficult to scout, and the Rams aren’t immune from that difficulty. This year is a perfect example. They took a long look at Foles before making the trade for him. They knew Keenum from his time on the team last season. And even though they were able to watch those players at the NFL level, Rams quarterbacks have completed a league-worst 55.4% of their passes for a league-worst 173.9 yards per game, a league worst eight touchdown passes and a 31st ranked passer rating of 75.7. With Foles guaranteed $6 million next year, the Rams will have to keep him and shop for competition during the off-season. At some point, they’re bound to get it right. Right? I guess Browns fans have said that for more than twenty years. By the way, Foles should be named as the starter for the rest of the season ASAP by Fisher.
8) The Rams had two interceptions of Joe Flacco, but uncharacteristically lost four fumbles to finish minus-2 in the all-important turnover ratio. Coming into the game, the Rams had lost just six fumbles all season long. Obviously, Gurley is going to get hit, and like any young player must concentrate on ball security. Keenum is a fumble machine. In ten career starts he has ten fumbles and has lost five.
9) At 4-6, the Rams are two games behind Atlanta…the final wildcard team in the NFC…and a game behind Seattle. They’re also behind 5-5 Tampa and, because of tiebreakers, Washington and Chicago. The lack of ability to put together a successful streak makes a Rams run seem unlikely. It’s interesting to note that the Falcons and Bears are succeeding under first year coaches with their teams, and the Buccaneers have rebounded in Lovie Smith’s second year at the helm. This isn’t a league of methodical turnarounds now. If it’s going to happen, it generally happens quickly.
10) The Rams have knocked out opposing quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger, Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater, and hit Aaron Rodgers so much that he went into a month long funk. Now Baltimore’s Joe Flacco is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL while playing the Rams. If you’re an opposing quarterback, you know it’s going to be a tough, physical day when you face Gregg Williams’ crew.
Next week the Rams are at Cincinnati, where the Bengals have rebounded from years of ineptness to make the playoffs in three straight seasons, and will go back again this year. So a turnaround CAN happen. Our question is…when.
ShaHBucks
Footballguy
He's just going to keep stacking losing seasons. He philosophies is so out of touch with today's game.
Props to Fisher for being highly regarded even with such a bad track record over the past decade or so.
dhockster
Footballguy
His track record (Houston/Tennessee) is that he breaks out in his sixth year. This is only year 4 with the Rams. He needs one more year after this one before the Rams are a juggernaut.
Abrantes
Footballguy
This is about as ugly a stretch as Fisher's had with the Rams. I could just be blocking it out, but I can't remember the offense being this inept (particularly in terms of third down conversions) even in Spags' last years. Sure, the defense is tough as nails (Bears game aside), but Fisher's vision of hard-nosed run-first-and-second football simply isn't translating to wins. I've seen more than enough, but I agree with Bob that most likely, Fisher's not going anywhere.
Fisher drags teams to NFL purgatory.
Fisher drags teams to NFL purgatory.
dkp993
Footballguy
It's time to clean house. I've been a long time Fisher supporter as he turned around what quite possibly could have been one of the most talentless rosters of all time when he came in, but it's now clear as day he's not capable of taking this team to the next level.
This train wreck cannot continue.
This train wreck cannot continue.
