Welcome to Positive Week, TSTers, where we extol nothing but positives about your 2016 Los Angeles Rams.
For much of the offseason, I heard your calls, your cries that I/TST was too negative. I saw your comments on the site, on our Facebook page to our Twitter feed. You demanded we offer more hope for the 2016 Los Angeles Rams, that if we just clapped harder, Tinkerbell would come back to life. I heard your calls, and I am ready to respond.
So all week, the TST Staff will make sure to serve your needs for positivity beginning with yours truly right here, right now.
Let’s be honest. The fact that Jared Goff didn’t have a single delay of game or false start or holding or even illegal substitution is really impressive for a rookie. I went back and looked and going back to his very first game at Cal and now including 12 professional quarters (which, cmon...the stamina he’s showed to play every offensive snap these last three weeks? Impressive.), and Jared Goff hasn’t been called for offensive pass interference once. So let’s at least acknowledge the discipline factor.
And that offensive line? Those guys are huge! It’s so easy to back the big guys in blue and gold when they’re playing as a singular group instead of five individuals like they did today. I guess if you want to be negative, there were plays when they didn’t, I guess, actually block the pass rusher or open any running lanes, but that’s besides the point. They were failing TOGETHER. As a Ramily. And look, as Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher alluded to week before last, Greg Robinson can “stand on their knees and throw a football 50 yards or do a backflip.” I didn’t even know anybody could stand on their knees! It’s that kind of athletic ingenuity that justifies taking Robinson #2 overall in the draft less than three years ago. I’d like to see someone from the Pats line stand on their knees and throw a football 50 yards or do a backflip! If I were guessing, their line was probably really upset after today’s game after being shamed by such a limber gymnast.
The playcalling today...my goodness, I’ve never seen such creativity! There were four-yard passes and five-yard passes an six-yard passes. Left, right, center, left-center, right-center, somewhat leftish, arguably rightishly...I’m not surprised the Patriots couldn’t stop our five-yard routes on 3rd & 7 with that kind of variety!
On defense, you can see why the Rams let Janoris Jenkins walk in free agency. Can you say LOCK DOWN? To be honest though, I thought it was a little unnecessary after the game for so many of the Rams to walk up to Patriots QB Tom Brady just to rub it in his face that they sullied his record-breaking 201st win with that smothering effort, consoling him after the game one-by-one, shaking his hand and telling him that everything would be ok.
My Rookie Cookie of the Week is a tie. Wide receivers Pharoh Cooper and Michael Thomas along with TE Tyler Higbee have really turned this offense around this season, folks. The Rams’ keen eye for talent totaled three receptions for 24 yards on nine targets. That’s one reception for every three targets! Neither Los Angeles Angels CF Mike Trout nor Chicago Cubs 3B Kris Bryant, the AL and NL MVPs for 2016, hit .333. Fair to say that both are inferior to the Rams’ young passing game trio at their respective crafts? I know it’s obvious, but we can at least nod our heads in unison!
So welcome to Positive Week, Ramily! It’s nothing but smiles and joy around here for the next 160 hours or so! The 2016 Los Angeles Rams are 4-8 on the back of four really impressive, hard-fought wins and eight near-misses that were almost victories! Good job, good effort!
Go Rams! Go Positive Week!