Rams can't pull it off

by Ryan Van Bibber on Dec 15, 2008 7:11 AM CST in 2008 St. Louis Rams season

Disappointing, to say the least. We haven't seen the Rams lose a game they had control of since 2006 or so. Kind of a sad tone to the final nail in Jim Haslett's coaching coffin. I suspect he'll be working in the NFL this year (could anyone win the handful of crap he was handed?), but it's not going to be in St. Louis. How can they bring him back after this?

Bulger and Jackson worked the field with aplomb in the first half, but the team still failed to tack on some points when they had the opportunity. Even then though you wonder if they still wouldn't choked it in the second half.

We've talked a lot about the big salaries the Rams can dump, but let's not forget about the little people. Plenty of little people had a big role in this loss. Derek Stanley is vastly over-valued. He's fast. Great. His speed counts for nothing when you can't make big catches or keep the ball in your hands. Joe Klopfenstein must be a charity case. How bad do have to be before you get your walking papers? Daniel Fells and Kenneth Darby have gone above and beyond, but it's still easy to see why they we're on practice squads when the season began. Darby had no excuses for not catching that pass on 1st and 10 on the Rams unfruitful last possession of the game. Can anyone honestly make the case that Incognito's valuable enough to keep around? This meathead's four penalties today were drive killers; gotta love the back-to-back flags too.

Failure at all levels. Most of all the blame goes to the coaches, unbelievable for a group of coaches needing to at least put a good footnote on their resumes. I know 10 points is a big lead for the Rams and a big trench for the not-quite-as-hapless Seahawks to cross, but the decision to lay back and play only to protect that lead in the second half infuriated me. I realize it's not that simple, but the second half was a clear example of why this is a losing team: no killer instinct, no will to win. Though ugly at times, the first half was marked with aggressiveness; there was calculated risk-taking in the play calling on both sides of the ball. Not so for the second half.

A tough loss, but the perfect summary for a season that was lost on day 1.

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Comments

I just can't blame the coaches.

People here were clamoring for the young players to get some playing time, but what we see it they’re not any good either. Sure some are, but as you point out, most are bad. Heck, a lot of these guys aren’t good enough to be on practice squads of other teams, yet I’m supposed to hold Jim Haslett accountable for not winning football games with these losers? Please.

As you also pointed out, Incognito was a drive killing machine. Do you really think that’s a coaching issue? Have the coaches not informed him not to do stupid things on the field that will cost the team chances to continue drives (yesterday) or game winning field goal attempts? Is there a coach out there who could get it through that moron’s thick skull? I doubt it.

Is there a coach who can tell Darby to quit dropping passes and fumbling the ball?

There is so much incompetence on this team, I simply cannot hold Haslett accountable. It’s just 100% unfair to handcuff the guy with idiots, losers, and horrible players and then hold him accountable for not winning football games.

He and Billy Devaney deserve a chance to build this team. Give ‘em one year, and I bet you see an improvement. But, it’s gonna take more than one year. You just can’t cut a coach every time you have a bad season. Bryan Burwell made a great point in today’s column. He pointed to Jeff Fisher who was 1-5 as interim head coach with the Houston Oilers and then went on to have 4 straight losing seasons, but management stuck with him since they could see his vision and they understood that building a franchise that was in that much peril takes a long time.

This Rams team is much worse off than that Oilers team was when Fisher took over. You’ve got to give it time. 12 games isn’t nearly enough time to make a decision to cut Haslett. He and Devaney haven’t even had an offseason together to work on the roster. This is going to take time.

This is going to take time.

I keep saying that because I think a lot of people here are missing that point. Outside of Steven Jackson and Chris Long, I doubt any of the players currently under contract will be with this team when it’s gets good again. That kind of change doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t going to happen if you keep switching coaches. If Devaney believes in Haslett then I trust him. Build a staff and then build the team.

There’s been so much dysfunction at Rams Park, the change must start there first and then on to the players. You need the right people making the decisions.

The boys are all here for ya...we'll back you up...we'll be there...cause, Billy, we don't stink right now. We're the best team in baseball right now...right this minute...because of you. You're the reason. We're not gonna screw that up, we're gonna be awesome for you right now. Just throw.

by Tackle Box on Dec 15, 2008 11:22 AM CST reply actions