St. Louis Rams: Fisher Needs An OC He Can Believe In...

It's become all-consuming... Rams fans look at the St. Louis' win/loss record since Jeff Fisher arrived in 2012, and are justly not satisfied. I get it, and often wonder what's missing; in that Fisher's obviously a knowledgeable NFL head coach, but seems to be searching for - not just key players - the right fit for the offensive side of the ball among his staff. It's a grave mistake to get sucked into trying to create a Walsh/Parcells-esk coaching tree as a legacy. I think Fisher has this on his mind to a varying degree, and it's why he's in the position he finds himself in now....

We've all heard the "run first" mantra aligned squarely with Jeff Fisher, but it's not an original thought. I don't know exact numbers, but I'd be willing to bet most NFL coaches say the same thing. Where Jeff Fisher gets in a bind is how dependent he is on his offensive coordinator to make "run first" a reality. It's his "fail point" and I'm more than sure he's aware of it. I also think he'd be the first one to tell anyone just how unsettling it can be...

For those screaming to fire Jeff Fisher, let's get something straight right here, right now: It simply can't happen. Find me someone on his coaching staff who could slide into an interim-head coaching gig that makes any kind of sense; keeping in mind any change would have to emphasize improvement on the offense. The option simply isn't there, and you know it. I'll add in that Jeff Fisher is still the head coach I want for the Rams in 2016, but I agree there has to be major changes to the coaching staff for him to retain his job. I also believe the search for a REAL offensive coordinator has to be placed in Les Snead's hands, with a change in any "decision making control" caveats in Fisher's contract being removed, or at least pared down.

The rub here is a tough one though, since all the offensive coordinator prospects - and NO, I don't want one from the college ranks - are in post season battles with their NFL teams, or head coaches who have either been fired, or are about to be. Ken Whisenhunt would be the type of coach who fits this bill, and he has the experience and ability to coach every facet of an offense. A readily apparent disconnect exists between Cignetti Jr. - and Brian Schottenheimer before him - when it comes down to an OC's responsibilities for the Rams. I think Jeff Fisher abhors "micro-managers", with individual position coaches given their own little fiefdoms. Train the players, then bring them in to scrimmages. Afterward, the OC gives some notes on where something needs to improve, then walks away back to his "X-s n' O-s". For the Rams, this kind of system just hasn't worked. It's made doubly problematic by offensive players knowing the head coach leans away from their side of the ball as he focuses on what he knows best: Defense.

Jeff Fisher can get the St. Louis Rams and their fans to where they want to be. But he's going to have to take a step back and be his own worst critic. If he accepts his offensive shortcomings, he needs to jump on the bandwagon for bringing in a coordinator, and give over control of the Draft to someone outside Fisher's mindset. Tavon Austin wasn't a bad draft pick, but to my mind he's more of a player who "dots the I-s" on a team with play-makers already on their offensive rosters.

I received a few e-mails after my "It's Third and Long..." article. One of them intrigued me more than the others. A former evaluate-r of NFL talent, he took me to task on my thoughts on Tavon Austin. ( I won't mention his name, since I haven't asked him if he minds being openly quoted) He also provided some thoughts on how best to use both Austin and Wes Welker in a rather clever "double motion" scheme, as well as using the two of them in short check down crossing routes...

Plays are one thing, but the ability to know - in depth - what's going on at any given moment in a game is a rare gift among offensive coordinators. It's the level of "sneaky-clever" I'm looking for, and there's only a handful of those dream OCs in the NFL. Jeff Fisher just doesn't possess this gene, though he comes close in his special-teams gadgetry.

His career win/loss record almost guarantees Jeff Fisher won't be mentioned among great former NFL coaches. It's a fact of life. But as a leader of young players, I can't think of many coaches better than Jeff Fisher. I've mentioned before he's the kind of coach I'd want to play for, and he's on my personal "bucket list" of people I'd love to meet one day...

Right now, Jeff Fisher has to make a change in who he is for this talented group of players - both he and Les Snead have assembled - to reach their promise. He's lost the confidence of at least half of the Rams' fan base, while the other half continues to try and sort out what can be done to right his listing ship. Interestingly enough, the half who are on the fence about Jeff Fisher overwhelmingly sees the need for a "house cleaning" on the offensive side of the ball, with adding a top flight wide receiver as a key need. (See the poll in my Nov. 24, 2015 article)

While there's still loads of the 2015 season ahead - with fun, key games against SEA, AZ and SF coming up - this off season will be one of the most amazing you've seen in a long time. Mark my words, the offensive side of the ball will get all the focus, with coaches and players on the current roster are going to disappear in the carnage. Names like Rodger Saffold, Brian Quick, and Jared Cook - to single out just a few - are going to lead the Rams' off season headlines. I don't see a single coach on the offensive side of the ball having a secure job in 2016...

Will Jeff Fisher still be the St. Louis Rams head coach in 2016? I think the answer is yes, but only if he can gather the inner strength to say: "I need help getting this offense going, no matter the cost..."