The Rams game on Sunday included more than enough excitement for one week. We saw players make mental mistakes, coaches follow suit, and even the referees got in on the party. Coach Fisher and didn't want to ice his kicker and in turn, the Rams ended up receiving a delay of game which cost them a win. The ref's handling of the clock directly effected the outcome of the game. Some players admitted that they were not aware of the overtime rules. Overall, it was an odd game and I'm ready for it to be buried so the Rams can move on and bury the Jets.
Here are some links to help you through your Tuesday.
Should the refs be punished for poor clock management? - Jamal Collier of The Bleacher Report asks whether or not the refs should be punished for their poor handling of the clock. He cites specific examples from the Rams vs 49ers game. Collier also brings up the Rams loss to the Detroit Lions. There is no doubt the clock has played a major role in a couple of the Rams games this season.
More on clock management - Jim Thomas also attempts to take on the clock management issue on STLToday.com. Jeff Fisher attempted to remove himself from any of the blame and placed it squarely on the shoulders of place holder Johnny Hekker, or Johnny Hot Hand. Fisher also went so far as to say, "I think I have a pretty good feel for clock management". While I tend to side with Fisher on the field goal responsibilities, I question his timeout on the 2 before the go ahead touchdown.
Fisher's late TO cost the Rams - Mike Sando discusses the late timeout Jeff Fisher took, right before the go ahead score. Jeff Fisher offer some reasons behind his decision and says their will be no second guessing. While he may not second guess the decision, we will.
Have any Rams questions? - Bring them with you for Jim Thomas' live chat at 1pm.
Danny is still awesome - Dan O'Neill lets us know just how awesome Danny Amendola is...and let me tell you, he's pretty darn awesome. Rams fans got a scare when Amendola went into the locker room just before half. Luckily, Amendola rebounded and had a very productive day. Some of that production was negated due to the ominous Brandon Gibson. After the game Danny said he is sore but no major setbacks occurred. Rams fans are excited to see Amendola and Givens on the same field together.
Curfew issues? - ProFootballTalk.Com cited curfew issues as the reason Janoris Jenkins and Chris Givens were deactivated for Sunday's game. However, there are conflicting reports floating around the internet. Unfortunately, I cannot clear this issue up. We did, however, learn that the two were seen running stairs in Candlestick as punishment. Whatever they did, let's hope it got resolved, because I want to see those two out on the field every Sunday for the foreseeable future.
I was sitting here wondering if it was all doom and gloom over in the Bay like it is here in St. Louis. Sunday's game was the type of game where everyone felt like they lost. Yea, sure, its a tie, but who can honestly say they felt good about the outcome? So I decided to meander on over to the San Francisco Chronicle to see what they were saying about the game.
9er Nation felt Largerly the same as Rams Nation - except for their glowing excitement over Colin Kaepernick. I can't say I blame them. After a shaky start, Kaepernick went on to perform admirably. He beat the Rams with his legs and his arms and gave the 49ers a shot to win; not something a lot of other backups would be capable of. Could the Rams have helped start a quarterback controversy? Let us hope so.
Rams fans, there is a light at the end of this weeklong tie discussion tunnel and that light is the New York Jets. The Jets stink. They have a lame duck quarterback and Tim Tebow. It doesn't get much worse than that. Oh wait, yes it does. They also have Rex Ryan. So I am going to leave you with this -
Jets Failings - The Jets are failing at nearly every single facet of the game. Let us hope the Rams can use this game to get some momentum and humiliate the Jets.