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Rams-Cardinals: So That Happened

The Rams lost a battle of defense and field goals on a national stage to an NFC West opponent. This feels far too familiar.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

There's something here.

It's not the A+ trolling job by Bruce Arians. It's not the creepy avuncular vibe he gives off either. It's the reality of the bottom line. The old "You are what your record says you are" Bill Parcells line.

There's no denying that the Rams are in much better place than they were around the start of the Sam Bradford era. They're competitive and capable of some big wins. It just didn't come together on offense yesterday...which is a theme of the Rams over the last decade.

The question now, with the season firmly prepared to end for the Rams in two weeks, turns to the question of how to fix it.

I said it on Twitter a while back, so I'll repeat it here: the Rams have to let Brian Schottenheimer go if they care about results. There's no way to justify keeping him around for a fourth year based on the product. Consider what Jared Cook had to say after the game:

"We got outplayed, we got out-coached, and we just put a bad display out there," tight end Jared Cook said.

When asked to elaborate on what he meant by being "out-coached," Cook replied: "Not really. It’s pretty self-explanatory. We got outplayed and out-coached. All we put up was six points and didn’t get in the (end zone) not once tonight. That’s a pretty unsuccessful night if you ask me."

The players know it. And yes, we know it too. So while I understand how highly Jeff Fisher values loyalty and the identity of family...hell, he's nearly got an entire staff built from the offspring of former NFL head coaches. But the end product matters most.

Too often this season, like last night, the offense hasn't been anywhere near success. Consider that second shutout against Washington. As much as it was celebrated across NFL media for the final result, Rams fans should remember that it was just 6-0 at halftime.

There's just no justifying it anymore. The offense has to change. It requires a new coordinator to oversee it head in a new direction.

Last night showed that.