Random Ramsdom, 10/4: Back To Basics
by Ryan Van Bibber on Oct 4, 2011 7:03 AM CDT
in 2011 NFL regular season
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The St. Louis Rams will get back to basics this week. With dropped passes, penalties and blown assignments, the Rams have more than enough work to do on the football fundamentals before they resume play for another tough stretch of schedule. Can they makes something happen with the soul searching this week?
Rams' vision blurred beyond recognition - The St. Louis Rams have never had the combination of RB Steven Jackson, TEs Michael Hoomanawanui and Lance Kendricks, and WR Danny Amendola on the field together this season. That combo was supposed to be the heart of the offense, a versatile group that would allow the Rams to create any number of mismatches with the defense. Injuries have prevented that group from working together, making the struggle of learning a new offense even worse. Now, that has little to do with the pass protection and spotty run blocking, but it is a big hurdle for a team that can't seem to score points.
Rams left searching for silver lining - Head coach Steve Spagnuolo says that he "sees no quit" in this team. That's a starting point to salvage 12 more games of the season.
Rams Have Bye Week to Put an End to Bad Football - Credit Howard Balzer for an excellent distillation of the Rams' problems right now. For as laughable as Spagnuolo's press conferences can be, Balzer does find some meaning in what Spagnuolo is talking about when he says that "you can't knee-jerk react" to things. The Rams have a ton of work to do before they can get back to being a mediocre football team. We'll see if that happens.
2012 NFL Draft talk - A whole mess of draft talk from Mocking the Draft, SB Nation's NFL draft site. They've got links to all kinds of early players talk, featuring a number of players that the Rams could be interested in next year.
Seahawks To Sign Linebacker David Vobora - The Seahawks will turn to the former Rams linebacker to replace Matt McCoy who was injured in a punt return collision with Aaron Curry. Oh, the irony.
(One extra from 3k)
Spags' soft approach leaving much to be desired - We've all wanted to see more from Coach Spags. Early on last year, I was frustrated by his unwillingness to challenge referees throughout games as questionable decisions were accepted without any pushback. With the performances of 2011, Spags' tenor has become even more irksome. Jeff Gordon hits it on the head in this one. You can't lose games the way we have while maintaining a public image of soft support across the board and expect fans and the media to laud the approach.
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Although it would be nice to see the combo of Sjax, Hooma, Kendricks and Amendola. I would hope no one is naive enough to believe it would make up for our lack of preparation, focus, resolve, and all out poor showing when it comes to game day.
The silver lining come when Kroenke has had enough.
“Knee jerk” !!?? It’s starting to resemble a “nervous twitch”. My friends and family think I’m having a breakdown.
I love the draft. But I have to admit, I’m sick of talking about in such detail so early in the year. I’d rather it be an after thought and worry about it more towards seasons end.
I’m not worried that Vobora’s star is dramatically going to start to shine. Although it is a bit ironic.
Soft approach or Hard approach… the fact is, these group of guys are not buying into Spagnuolo the man. And I find it hard to believe that it’ll change.
Agree.
The positive changes will start when Steve Spagnuola is canned and sent back to being a DC somewhere. The Rams need a real bad ass coach that will instill fear, respect and discipline into the players. There’s enough talent on this team for it to be competitive against anyone and to even win sometimes with the proper leadership.
Didnt singletary get canned for being a hard ass ?
And the giants complain about couphlin as well. The team needs talent not another new coach. Nobody was screamin for spags head last year when we played less talented teams and almost made the playoffs. Give spags some talent ..if he cnt win after tht, then fire him
by Ram_Redemption on Oct 4, 2011 10:54 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
This team is far more talented that it has shown.
They are not prepared.
That is on the coach.
I can take a beating ... I'm a Rams fan.
I have to disagree
Thunk about it . Wen we played talented teams last year (new orleans, detroit, chiefs) we looked jus as bad as we do now. We r facing better teams thats y we r losin
by Ram_Redemption on Oct 4, 2011 12:40 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
We beat Washington last year,
we lost to them this year and looked terrible doing it. Yet all the analysts say we have more talent this year. I can’t think of any explanation other than the coaching. Spags just isn’t demanding enough and some of his assistants are terrible. Either he makes some moves to change the way things are going, or he will himself be gone.
It would have been fun to see Spagnuolo do a "Dennie Green"...
Hell, it would have been fun to see him come out with any sort of emotion.
I don’t know if the guy is in straight-up denial, or he’s keeping things inhouse, or what – one thing I will say is, apart from the S-Jax touchdown in the first game against the Eagles, we have NOT, in any way, shape or form, competed during a game, let alone looked like we were gonna win one – and for me, that’s inexcusable. Especially when the other 0-4 teams have looked like pulling out a win at some stage during this season.
Accountability falls on Spags.
Concerns and changes
Some things I thought of:
1) Let Jason Brown call out the reads on offense. I think this is a huge reason the Rams are not able to pick up blitzers. Sam has just under 2 years in the league, Jason a half dozen or more. Let the guy with more experience call out the reads. This may have been why the O-Line looked better in protection last year with less experience.
2) If Brady and Ben do not step up and seal the edges against the Packers, let Jabara Williams and Chamberlain hit the field in week 7. There is no excuses why these professionals continuously whiff on tackles and do not seal the edges. Let’s at least get a look at what Jabara has to offer and that may help the Rams decide if they need to draft two OLBs next year, or just one.
3) Start changing the O-Line around. Watching the Indy game last night, they had few problems with 3 undrafted players on their starting O-Line and gave Painter enough protection to win the game (it also helps if your WRs catch the ball). If Smith doesn’t want to play to his potential, then fine, bump him for a rookie.
hard to believe tht wen spags was coachin us to wins it was because "he had us playin good football". Now we get crushed my good teams and eveyone says he cnt coach
Wtf? And doesnt the fact tht we cnt score with mcdaniels as our oc say tht we just might not have the talent to execute?
by Ram_Redemption on Oct 4, 2011 10:56 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Did we really get that many wins with Coach Spagnuola?
What kind of talent do you want? Granted we’re a little weak at the receiver position. But on offense we’ve a franchise QB, a good RB, a humongous offensive line with two high draft picks on each end, and a 2nd round guy at TE. On defense we’ve got two 1st rounders on the line in Quinn and Long and Larnaitis at MLB and Mikell at safety. Our kickers are pretty good too. That seems like a lot of talent not being effectively utilized to me. Who’s chiefly responsible for getting players to perform to their maximum limits?
Coaches job to use talent
Gm’s job to find good talents. Smith prolly wouldnt even start on a team with a decent oline yet we blame spags that sam is on his ass all game
by Ram_Redemption on Oct 4, 2011 12:42 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Spags
Needs to go spend the week in Tom’s office and fallow his ol coach around. Learn to be a mean ass on every day. Damn where is the passion at.
by Lenoirrams on Oct 4, 2011 11:00 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
I campaigning for Bradford to be benched!
Yes I said it. I want Stan Kroenke to go out to Rams Park and tell Spags and McDaniels that the kid doesn’t play until the offensive line problems are worked out. Bradford can not be subjected to this kind of beating for fear of repairable psychological and physical damage he will inevitably endure over the next 12 games.
This franchise hinges on the development of Bradford and he can’t develop with the kind of trash that surrounds him. The amount of total shit he has for weapons and the total cluelessness of the offensive line has become a hazardous work place for Bradford and will threaten his career.
I want him benched to also embarrass the rest of the team, the worthlessness of some of these players who literally do not care. It’s disgusting to watch 2 or 3 players who are actually focused, putting forth 100% effort, following the game plan and putting their bodies on the line for the team while the other 98% don’t give a fuck.
Then they need to sit him.
It does the franchise no good long term to let their franchise player get destroyed every game for the sake of saving face with the fans. This team is done, they have completely quit on Spags and they do not have the heart or balls to go out and play for the few players who are giving it their all. I’m sick of watching players not care, make mental mistakes they should have been corrected in high school, dropping passes that are chest high and hit them in the hands, I’m sick of the brain farts, follies and blunders. I’m sick of watching a team that either doesn’t care about the out come or doesn’t care about being a professional.
I’m disgusted in the coaches for allowing this to happen and I’m disgusted in the GM for not surrounding the one player you have to protect with absolute bargin bin trash like Michael Sims-Walker, Bradon Gibson, Michael Whogivesafuck, Billy Bajema, Cadillac Williams, Jerious Norwood and entire offensive line that is so bad they are the laughing stock of the entire league. I’m disgusted in how this team was put together and how they have been developed. And I’m disgusted in Kroenke for letting it all happen and being duped into believing the pile of bullshit Devaney and Spagnoulo were selling.
This Spags shit is getting old very fast, Where is Kronke that meat head of an owner,
The hold Ram Nation is waiting for you Stan Kronke,do some thing , say some thing ,show us that your alive for crying out lowd ,Devaney was never hired by you,he has messed this team up from day one and Spagnolo cant coach to save his life,DO SOME THING MAN WAKE TA F UP
Gruden?
He called the last 12 plays on Monday night football. Knew where the ball was going and the defense’s mistakes before the snaps. He also hisses like a snake when he gets mad. Which is a +
Bingo.
everytime i read an article, it says take one game at a time. well that has worked out to be 0-4. go back to basics, lets see pass blocking, run blocking, tackleling,catching, covering wrs. oh yeah, penalties duh. punting and field goal kicking is our highlights. priceless. i do agree our coaching staff needs to show some fire, get in players faces when they screw up. take a page out of bill cowher and jon grudens book. maybe they might think about that great paycheck their suppose to earn. still have faith, but time is running out. if you can’t figure this out now, then start thinking about who your going to draft
It's Hard to say how good or bad these players are
The coach must give their game plan to their buddy on the other team; because other teams know what the play is before Sam does.
They say they are going back to basics.
They are only going to practive two days this week. Then the players leave until some time next week when they come back to install the offense and defense for week 6. How much work on basics are they going to get in two days? It’s ridiculous. They need to be out there every day this week working on nothing but fundamentals, and having to do them over and over until they get them right, even if they are there all night. Where is Vince Lombardi when you need him?
They absolutely need some fire in this coaching staff, right now it wouldn’t surprise me if the cameras were to catch Spags smelling flowers on the sidelines with rainbow stickers on his play calling chart, really this team does not deserve any encouragement or praise they need to be screamed at and a fire lit under their asses. It’s sad that the Colts look waaaayyyy better then our ladies do with all the scrubs they have playing, as usual Ram failure has Ram nation looking like idiots for supporting them
If practice makes perfect....
Yet nobodies perfect.....
Then why practice ???
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