Coaching: At what point...
by Jigzsaw on Sep 20, 2011 12:40 PM CDT
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PrintAs a life long Rams fan I need to get somethings off my chest.
The Rams, once again are off to an 0-2 start. Is this the end of the world? No. The problem is the mentality of our team.
Over the past two years, we have seen the Rams completely rengineer their entire roster. We have added a franchise QB, bookend Tackles, a top tier middle linebacker, and have stock piled pass rushers. There is absolutely no argument that the Rams are better than they were two years ago. I do have a significant problem with the fact that our team never seems "mentally prepared".
I am so sick and tired of seeing our team looking confused and undisciplined on both sides of the ball. Our wide recievers drop more balls than they catch. Our defensive backs can only cover receivers by holding on to them. Our team collects at least one personal foul per game. Lastly, our team is completely incapable of rebounding after a big play. For example, after Michael Boley's 65 yard fumble return, it seemed like the Rams laid down and died from that point on. I mean we made Eli Manning look like a superstar.
This post is not an overreaction to last night but more of a reflection on the past three seasons. Mindless penalties and stupid decisions have become common place for the Rams. To use last night as an example, stupid plays include: Greg Salas' dropped punt, Cadillac Williams watching as Michael Boley recovered the fumble, Dominque Curry's kick off return personal foul, and Justin King and Bradley Fletcher's pass interference fest to name a few.
So all things said, my question is this Rams nation: At what point do we look at our undisciplined, unfocused, and unprepared football team and point a finger at Steve Spagnuolo?
I am a big supporter of Spags and I am very grateful for the positive additions he has made to our football team over the past 3 seasons, but when I watch our team play the bottom line is that I see a poorly coached football team. I can give McDaniels a pass because he has only coached in two regular season games with our offense and does indeed have Sam Bradford looking very good. But our defense, Spagunolo's hand built unit, in its 3rd year in the same system is a complete and utter disapointment thus far this season, allowing an average of 29.5 points a game. We can blame it on everything ranging from our lacking talent at wide receiver (who actually played decent last night), injuries, to our insanely challenging first half schedule, but the fact is that if our team is unprepared and undisciplinedwe can not expect to win in the National Football League. Sorry, Spags but you are NOT cutting it as a head coach right now.
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Well written
Stole my thunder a bit, was writing something similar, hehehe.
For the first time, I’m starting to wonder if Spags isn’t the man for the job. Poorly coached teams commit mental mistakes and costly penalties. And the Rams consistently shoot themselves in the foot with things like that.
And he made a bunch of bad decisions, too. Not going for two, two “give up” punts in the fourth. Honestly, I found it to pretty much be a complete disaster
Although I must say
Your points per game given up is incredibly inflated. The defense yesterday, in reality, gave up 18 points. One of the TDs the giants scored was the fumble return, plus the defense took over on the muffed punt with the giants at the 35. So the defense gave up 4 points on that one, the difference between the FG they should have given up and the TD they did give up.
And against Philly, another fumble return for a TD.
So in reality, it’s 21 points per game. Which is bad, but would actually put them around 12th in the league at this point
I'm a Spags apologist
1-15 two years ago. A bad 1-15.
7-9 last year.
0-2 to start this year, but against (at least one, and the Giants were at home) two tough opponents. But we were competitive physically with both teams. We’ve had a couple of bad breaks in both games. Game changing bad breaks at that.
We’re on the right track………………
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Sep 20, 2011 5:07 PM CDT reply actions
Sometimes I'm not sure
if this track is going anywhere. Looking at our schedule the only games I have any confidence in getting wins are our divisional games at home.
Sick of always telling people "next year", ready for next year to become this year.
I think you are right, look you cant have no offseason while changing offensive philosophies
when your core team has only played together for 1 year under the old one then just expect this team to come out of the gate steamrolling teams on offense. They are going to have miscues and issues punching it into the redzone which is exactly what we are seeing out of this team.
- And here's the Rams' 2010 season in a series. Incomplete pass, 18-yard run, incomplete pass, 7-yard run, 5-yard pass, 3-yard run, sack, incomplete pass, punt. Shoot me. - 3K
I agree with you Shea. These last to games scream "lockout-itis" more than a lack of coaching...
We all take for granted how much NFL teams depend on the off season to bring new players along. Our first round pick hadn’t been on a fotball field for over a year. Our new WRs are acting like rookies normally do. Teams can count themselves lucky if one can take the field with any level of NFL readiness in there rookie year. We’ve been damn lucky with rookies and I guess that luck ran out this year. Sam and JL55 are unique.
That said, I’m still disappointed in Salas so far. Pettis too. Let’s hope they pull it together sooner rather than later.
Spags is a damn fine coach and putting all the pieces together takes time. We have to bag our hedonism and shelve our need for instant gratification. Hate it, but that is the way it’s going to be…
Instant Gratification?
Spags has been coach for 3 years already. Instant gratification is hardly the term I would use for the situation…
Yes, but the team has improved each year except this season is starting out not so well
Firing the coach over two games would be instant gratification for sure.
- And here's the Rams' 2010 season in a series. Incomplete pass, 18-yard run, incomplete pass, 7-yard run, 5-yard pass, 3-yard run, sack, incomplete pass, punt. Shoot me. - 3K
But all he inherited was a bag of footballs.
Who is left from the olden days? A broke-ass Steven Jackson? He’s had to totally rebuild this team from the ground up….the worst team / franchise in the entire league. And here we are two years later and people like you seem to be expecting to compete for the Super Bowl. Don’t get me wrong, I want that too, but it’s GOT to take some time.
I’m not patient either and I want to win every game every week. But at least we’re competitive again, which is a GIANT LEAP FORWARD. If we stop or move backward then I’ll see your point. But we’re not, so I don’t.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Sep 21, 2011 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Defensive TDs for a start.
Those were both flukey plays. And we’re not playing chump teams either.
Do you really think we weren’t competitive? Cause I think we are.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Sep 21, 2011 6:59 PM CDT up reply actions
I can't believe how bad Salas AND Kendricks have been.
I had high hopes for both of them this year….still hope, but it’s gutcheck time.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Sep 21, 2011 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions
The FO
Bears the majority of the responsibility. They are the decision makers.
I do not think Kroenke will keep Devaney or Spags. Poor personnel decisions and lack of quality on the field leads to changes.
We're simply not
a genuine playoff contender yet. Yeah, we might win the West, but that’ll be it.
Comments are writer's OPINION and are in no way are any type of divination, scrying or any other types of spiritual prediction.
like that's any flippin' consolation
Comments are writer's OPINION and are in no way are any type of divination, scrying or any other types of spiritual prediction.
enigma
I’ll say it again. Bad NFL teams make Ram miscues while in the process of just getting beat, however the Rams on the other hand, do their miscues in the process of dominating their opponents. They even did it last year. Oakland, and Tampa Bay come to mind. This is both players and coaching problems.
I really don't know if it is the coaching or not being prepared
it’s the fact that we are in the hardest step of the rebuilding process. Learning how to win. Ask any coach and they will tell you this is the hardest step. Honestly the team is performing how they should given how far they are off a 1-15 disaster. Last year we had a very tough schedule and this year I think some of us (me included) had to much high hopes. I’m not saying we won’t be competitive in the West, I’m just saying that we are still early in the rebuilding stage.
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now. "
Bruce Coslet
Year 3 can NOT be considered early in the rebuilding stage
Im sorry but I think that three years is much more than ample time to instill your coaching philosophy on a team. He has has three drafts and three offseason’s to acquire and develop the talent that he believes is best for the team…
yeah and Bellicheck, Tomlin, Turner, Reid, Lovie Smith, and McCarthy
all did it in 3 years (sarcasm). All the great Super Bowl teams have been instilling their systems for years. It takes a long time to become a every year contender. Every Rams fan seems to be spoiled by the GSOT miracle turnaround. It takes time and yes 3 years in is still early, especially considering where we started.
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now. "
Bruce Coslet
Not even close...
Bellicheck, Tomlin, Turner, Reid, and McCarthy also never put teams on the field that didnt know that a backward pass was a fumble. They also never had teams that averaged 1.2 Personal Foul penalties per game (Source: ProFootball Talk). They also had their teams prepared to play every week, regardless of their standings. Sorry, but that comparison doesnt work…
actually your comparison doesn't make sense
I’m talking about how they have had many year to install their systems, while the Rams have only been at it for 3 years and only in the 1st year for the offense. That has nothing to do with penalties or not knowing the rules. That’s an area a first year coach should be able to teach his team. That does fall on the coaches and the players.
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now. "
Bruce Coslet
i meant very easy schedule last year
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now. "
Bruce Coslet
For the last several years, we have moved the ball up and down the field. The names of many of our players have changed, even the coaches, yet we have one very fundamental problem that’s never changed. The Rams cannot score the 7 points needed in the red zone, to compete in the NFL. Field goals are considered a victory by opposing defenses as they should be. You must have 3 scoring drives at 3 pt s each to defeat one scoring drive of 7 pt s. As the game progresses, and the other team scores 7 again, the problem escalates, and problems compound, when there’s a false start, or a turnover. Chronic red zone problems, are a team problem, of the teams coaches. That’s OLine, Wide receiver, O coordinator, HC. The discipline needed to make the called play work.
that's has been our weakness over the last few years
a huge part of this lands on everyone. it needs to be improved. everyone is at fault for it I agree. A person you failed to mention is Sam Bradford, a huge chunk of the blame for RZ problems falls on the QB in my opinion. He needs to improve there.
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now. "
Bruce Coslet
I cannot argue with that. Just saying the reason you have coaches is to teach. The great teams in the past and now, are identified by good coaching. It’s the reason teams have specialized coaches. Look, I believed we needed a offensive guard to bulldoze a lane for our running backs. I was tickled when we got Dahl. Supposed to be a huge difference, well I see absolutely zip, nada, in the red zone running game. The only receivers I have seen open in the end zone, are in the corners running away to the back corner of the end zone. Other teams do this , but often they are open in the middle, on the front line, etc. Back to Dahl. I do not think he became over the hill when he got here, I think the OL coach was just much better at Atlanta, they got a new guy there not as old and less money because their OL coach could teach.
Maybe Dahl's "not making much difference" cause the RG position has never been the real problem?
A lotta folks around here have been bagging on Goldberg from last year saying we needed a huge upgrade. I still think that the biggest problem is the fact that the opposing D can stack 8 men on the LOS because our WRs suck so bad and can’t get open. They present no threat whatsoever…including Amendola. No offensive line can stand up against that kinda pressure.
The WR problem obviously hurts us in the red zone as well.
Get us a legit #1 WR and the offense is done.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Sep 21, 2011 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
I can only say this
Consider the level of talent we are playing, vs. where we are in development. You think we are ready to take on these perinieal teams with a bunch of subs and not expect to look like noobs? Give me a break dude, we are not on the same level as the teams we play for the first half of the schedule. You really expected us to look good against super bowl contenders?
they are average just like we are
but we gave them that game
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now. "
Bruce Coslet
So after our week 3 performance...
Any of the disagreers from week 2 want to reconsider their stance on this subject?
I say Spags is failing , after 3 years and all the promise we were showing to me we have taken a big step backward. Honestly even Bradford who i was geeked to get seems like he doesn’t have it as much either, granted it is a new system and our receivers suck, but hell it’s the NFL and you must perform especially a #1 pick at $80 gazillion dollars, and he can’t run a red zone offense ? Really ? Our team is consistently out played, out coached and our guys can never and i mean never stay healthy ? Life as a Rams fan gotta love it right ?
If practice makes perfect....
Yet nobodies perfect.....
Then why practice ???
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