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After watching another disjointed effort by the Rams yesterday (except for the defense), I found myself mulling over the latest common phrase that keeps appearing when pundits and fans alike discuss this Rams team. That is, everyone keeps stating: “Fisher and the Rams are close.” After watching yet another laughable team debacle by the Rams, the question that comes to mind is: “Close to what?” The answer is numerous ranging from: Being competitive (whatever that means) to, what, another 6-10 season, to, a 7-9season, maybe 8-8, or even a 9-7 season.
But all of these “guesses” fail to account for the continued underlining failures that still have yet to be remedied. This team still finds a way to lose and these failures continue to contribute to the laughable index this team can engender at any given moment in any given game. Classic example: As we have discussed many times, the offense is progressing excruciatingly slowly and after a great offensive game against the Raiders and the Skins, facing the number one defense in the NFL produced a laughable effort. This was especially poignant in the closing seconds of the game when we were defeated and facing a 4th and 35, Shottenheimer waves off the punt in favor of a play with 2:35 to go. Everyone is thinking a Hail-Mary pass or a clever ingenious 40-yard pass play to get a first down and the continuance of the drive to at least leave the game with a face-saving TD. But nooooooo. Shottenheimer calls for an underneath play that nets 7 yards and has no hopes of succeeding blatantly displaying what everyone has been saying about this team all season long.
The play was a joke! It was so utterly laughable to the point of shedding tears because it exemplified the abject futility and deception-masquerading quality of a professional franchise that has personified the word ineptitude for nearly a decade and a half. Underneath all the promises and attempts to raise this franchise out of an incredible miserable hole of uselessness and deception by this latest attempt of a Snisher administration, the true characteristic of this team of embracing loser status as a thing to be cherished appeared again in a completely ridiculous play.
Is it then any wonder why the rest of the league continues to believe the Rams to be weak, soft, and a dependable perennial loser? There really is a reason why Rams fans are so skeptical. We have been promised so many good things and the hope of leaving the losing mentality behind so many times in so many forms and then have it all blow up in our faces that we no longer trust the promises by any administration including the present one. This is because the results don’t lie and are always the same- ANOTHER LOSING SEASON-WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR. This team has no Heart let alone being competitive. This team in several words is TENUOUS AT BEST!!
On Offense. The Positives. Not much here. Everyone knew this was going to be a defensive struggle as two good defenses went at it. We had 66 total yards going into the third quarter but we were still ahead 6-3. For the record, Hill went 26 of 37 for 243 yards and the offense finished the game with a whopping 245 yards compared to Seattle’s 354. Mason was the high man rushing with 11 carries for 28 yards and B. Cunningham was the top receiver with 7 catches for 57 yards.
On Offense. The Negatives. Too numerous to list. I’ll just state that Hill had three TOs (2 INTs and a fumble lost), the O-line gave up 4 sacks for 40 yards, B. Cunningham had a fumble lost, and we basically sucked on offense the majority of the game.
On Defense. The Positives. This was the one unit that showed up for this game unlike last week. We finished the year in the top ten of defenses and the D-lineman rack up some more impressive sack totals for the year. Our D held the Seattle offense to no TDs for nearly three quarters. We had 3 sacks, an INT, and a fumble recovery, and we beat up Russell a good portion of the day. A. Donald was a stud again registering a sack along with Mark Barron and LaMarcus Joyner, and Laurinaitus was top man on tackles with 9 and Olgetree had 8. Donald is headed to the Pro Bowl and that is a good thing. One of the few draft picks that was a steal and congrats to a real stud on defense.
On Defense. The Negatives. We gave up 132 yards rushing spread over several Seahawks RBs and eventually got tired and began giving up TDs in the fourth quarter. Janoris Jenkins continues to get beat resulting in huge plays and Dunbar has become relegated to back-up status. Not too many changes are need on this defense.
On Special Teams. The Postives. Zuerlein was 2 for 2 on FGs. Special teams played average but had no penalties. Hekker is still booming punts and he had a 57 yarder that got us out of a hole in the second half. Other than that, just a routine day.
On Special Teams The Negatives. Nothing to report here.
Well, Rams fans, we close out this year with some noticable progress. We are young and we are better on defense than when we started the season but our offense needs addressing in this upcoming draft. The defense and special teams were fun to watch this year but the offense just made nearly every game tenuous. Many changes need to occur on offense and Shottenheimer has absolutely proven he is really part of the problem and not part of the solution. All I can state here is stay tuned for next year.
RR.
But all of these “guesses” fail to account for the continued underlining failures that still have yet to be remedied. This team still finds a way to lose and these failures continue to contribute to the laughable index this team can engender at any given moment in any given game. Classic example: As we have discussed many times, the offense is progressing excruciatingly slowly and after a great offensive game against the Raiders and the Skins, facing the number one defense in the NFL produced a laughable effort. This was especially poignant in the closing seconds of the game when we were defeated and facing a 4th and 35, Shottenheimer waves off the punt in favor of a play with 2:35 to go. Everyone is thinking a Hail-Mary pass or a clever ingenious 40-yard pass play to get a first down and the continuance of the drive to at least leave the game with a face-saving TD. But nooooooo. Shottenheimer calls for an underneath play that nets 7 yards and has no hopes of succeeding blatantly displaying what everyone has been saying about this team all season long.
The play was a joke! It was so utterly laughable to the point of shedding tears because it exemplified the abject futility and deception-masquerading quality of a professional franchise that has personified the word ineptitude for nearly a decade and a half. Underneath all the promises and attempts to raise this franchise out of an incredible miserable hole of uselessness and deception by this latest attempt of a Snisher administration, the true characteristic of this team of embracing loser status as a thing to be cherished appeared again in a completely ridiculous play.
Is it then any wonder why the rest of the league continues to believe the Rams to be weak, soft, and a dependable perennial loser? There really is a reason why Rams fans are so skeptical. We have been promised so many good things and the hope of leaving the losing mentality behind so many times in so many forms and then have it all blow up in our faces that we no longer trust the promises by any administration including the present one. This is because the results don’t lie and are always the same- ANOTHER LOSING SEASON-WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR. This team has no Heart let alone being competitive. This team in several words is TENUOUS AT BEST!!
On Offense. The Positives. Not much here. Everyone knew this was going to be a defensive struggle as two good defenses went at it. We had 66 total yards going into the third quarter but we were still ahead 6-3. For the record, Hill went 26 of 37 for 243 yards and the offense finished the game with a whopping 245 yards compared to Seattle’s 354. Mason was the high man rushing with 11 carries for 28 yards and B. Cunningham was the top receiver with 7 catches for 57 yards.
On Offense. The Negatives. Too numerous to list. I’ll just state that Hill had three TOs (2 INTs and a fumble lost), the O-line gave up 4 sacks for 40 yards, B. Cunningham had a fumble lost, and we basically sucked on offense the majority of the game.
On Defense. The Positives. This was the one unit that showed up for this game unlike last week. We finished the year in the top ten of defenses and the D-lineman rack up some more impressive sack totals for the year. Our D held the Seattle offense to no TDs for nearly three quarters. We had 3 sacks, an INT, and a fumble recovery, and we beat up Russell a good portion of the day. A. Donald was a stud again registering a sack along with Mark Barron and LaMarcus Joyner, and Laurinaitus was top man on tackles with 9 and Olgetree had 8. Donald is headed to the Pro Bowl and that is a good thing. One of the few draft picks that was a steal and congrats to a real stud on defense.
On Defense. The Negatives. We gave up 132 yards rushing spread over several Seahawks RBs and eventually got tired and began giving up TDs in the fourth quarter. Janoris Jenkins continues to get beat resulting in huge plays and Dunbar has become relegated to back-up status. Not too many changes are need on this defense.
On Special Teams. The Postives. Zuerlein was 2 for 2 on FGs. Special teams played average but had no penalties. Hekker is still booming punts and he had a 57 yarder that got us out of a hole in the second half. Other than that, just a routine day.
On Special Teams The Negatives. Nothing to report here.
Well, Rams fans, we close out this year with some noticable progress. We are young and we are better on defense than when we started the season but our offense needs addressing in this upcoming draft. The defense and special teams were fun to watch this year but the offense just made nearly every game tenuous. Many changes need to occur on offense and Shottenheimer has absolutely proven he is really part of the problem and not part of the solution. All I can state here is stay tuned for next year.
RR.
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