15 thoughts - Rams game

[Dan H]

I don't want to throw Rosen out unless we ditch McCoy. Doesn't make sense, he cant execute stupid-ass plays any better than Captain Checkdown.

 

[PJ1]

First drive of second half told me we are in serious trouble. Third and two and we run right into the middle of the Ram D and are stuffed. No adjustments made and the team jogged off the field like WTF.

 

[JeffGollin]

If bidwill doesn't want to eat 20mil and keep this failure the future is not bright for this franchise

Actually we have:
The worst head coach in the nfl, Wilks, totally lost
The worse coordinator ever in the nfl, MCoy
The worst defensive coordinator in the Nfl, Holcomb
The worst qb starter in in the Nfl Bradford

We have the worst unit in :
Wr
Tigh end
Linebacker
Defensive line

We have 3 stars (Peterson,DJ, Jones)
An aged star but not anymore a top 10wr, Fitzgerald
Some young players who hadnt show anythimg yet (Rosen,Kirk,Cole,Baker)
Couple of serviceable veterans Bethea,Golden)

The rest, the 85% of the roster is mediocre or very bad

You forgot #2 corner.

 

[JeffGollin]

I don't get the sense that - when things aren't working - the coaching staff at least conveys the feeling that "they've got the answers" and know what adjustments they need to make in order to right the ship.

These guys don't project anything to indicate they know what they're doing.

Anyone can look good when things are going good. It's how they handle things when things are going bad that separates successful coaches from used car salesmen.

 

[BurqueCardFan]

We can blame Bradford and lord knows he deserves it but I believe McCoy's game plan is the real cuplrit. He is not using DJ out of the backfield when Bradford historically is check down QB. His game plan lacks initiative and fed into the opponents D these past 2 games. I usually do not call for a coach to be fired but if this keeps up until the Bye week then McCoy needs to go.

At this rate the Cards will be lucky to win 1 game.

This 100%. I have watched the last two games and wondered why the hell are we not running more pass plays out of the backfield for DJ. He is a potential 1,000/1,000 player and is being ignored in the passing game for the most part. I don't remember if they ran any pass plays or even dump offs to him in the first half at all. At least Arians utilized DJ to his strengths when healthy. Where are the wheel routes, screens, etc...?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

This 100%. I have watched the last two games and wondered why the hell are we not running more pass plays out of the backfield for DJ. He is a potential 1,000/1,000 player and is being ignored in the passing game for the most part. I don't remember if they ran any pass plays or even dump offs to him in the first half at all. At least Arians utilized DJ to his strengths when healthy. Where are the wheel routes, screens, etc...?

When the opposing defense knows you aren't going to throw the ball more than 15 yards down the field it's pretty easy to cover anything short.

 

[conraddobler]

This 100%. I have watched the last two games and wondered why the hell are we not running more pass plays out of the backfield for DJ. He is a potential 1,000/1,000 player and is being ignored in the passing game for the most part. I don't remember if they ran any pass plays or even dump offs to him in the first half at all. At least Arians utilized DJ to his strengths when healthy. Where are the wheel routes, screens, etc...?

This is a great post!

Don't tell me what the team or a player can't do, tell me what they can do!

The best coaches are adept at evaluating players and finding hidden gems of talent and then maximizing that.

I get the feeling that's not the coaching staff we have, what we have is probably more of a specialist type variety that we'll spend 4 years drafting to fill out their schemes and by that time they'll have the team rebuilt into their image and then we'll have some success because by then they'll have the pieces they need to run their strategy.

Trouble is by then the rest of the league could be entirely different too and what was working may not work as well or at all.

BA was such a specialist and IMO we did a much better job of filling out the roster with his type of players for a while but then we let a lot of those either get away or age out.

The level of knowledge a good OC or DC has that is truly imaginative is another matter from what we have entirely, they would of already seen all the weaknesses and had some kind of strategy that maybe wouldn't make us SB contenders but it would of made us more competitive.

You can have ideas of what you want to do and move that way over time but you have to pick a horse and ride it that works now too.

David Johnson is going to ruin so many fantasy players at this point it's not funny, the most epic dud in the history of fantasy sports is comming and it's not all on him at all it's on how he is used.

What's truly frightening is that we've gone from one specialist to another and they are as different as they possibly could be rendering what we do have left, utterly useless to the new guy.

That he took the job under those conditions and that we hired them is a truly ugly fact just sitting there.

 

[Gandhi]

2. Aggressive? Look at who the Rams added this offseason to go with Goff, Gurley, Donald, etc. That is aggressive!

Well, let’s not get frivolous just because we are unsatisfied. Steve Keim signed Sam Bradford, Jared Veldheer and Mike Iupati to very big deals in free agency.

He traded a high draft pick for Chandler Jones.

He extended Tyrann Mathieu with a huge deal, he extended Patrick Peterson with a huge deal, he extended Jermaine Gresham with a huge deal.

He extended Carson Palmer’s contract twice and Larry Fitzgerald’s contract twice.

He signed Karlos Dansby, Antonio Cromartie, Chris Johnson to one-year win-now deals.

He traded for Matt Barkley, Marcus Cooper and Adrian Peterson, and yes, albeit the cost was low draft selections, all general managers crave draft picks.

He even extended Todd Bowles’ contract.

Now, you may not like all those moves, but they certainly show the work of an aggressive general manager.

I have not seen anyone do the same as the Rams are doing right now since the 2011 Eagles. Are you telling me that no team has been aggressive from 2011 to 2018, and also before 2011?

7. We have never sucked enough to get the #1 pick. It's a curse to suck just enough to not get it.

You are right, though, I guess you could argue that not sucking enough to get the #1 overall pick is actually to suck even more than that.

14. How long did Jimmy G sit and learn?

That was why I wrote that the context was different, and you could include that Garoppolo might have the best offensive playcaller in the league behind him while Rosen would have, well, McCoy, as well. My overall thought is that, while you are right that he would probably benefit from some more time behind Bradford, at some point it’s also fair to question if he is in fact already better than Bradford, and thus gives the team a better chance to win. Maybe even against really good opponents with good defensive lines.

Another argument is that playing Rosen now would make the games a lot more interesting.

 

[Gandhi]

You don't need to play Rosen until people see he is the better option.

If you don’t play him, you won’t see. Catch 22.

Brandon Williams is still bad. Jamar Taylor does not change that.

Correct. However, there is a different between being bad and being worse than someone else.

 

[Gandhi]

I think they have a chance against the Lions, week 14. The rest of the schedule? I dunno. The numbers speak for themselves with this team and their lack of ability to do......well, anything.

Well, I guess there is always the possibility that something changes drastically, but other than that I would include Oakland as a team they might be able to keep up with. It’s in Oakland, though.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

At this point, we should split DJ out wide on 60-65% of the offensive plays while having Chase Edmonds at RB. Throw in more bunch formations with Fitz, DJ and JJ on one side.

The team must make an effort to get him the ball in space and let him do the rest.

 

[Chopper0080]

If you don’t play him, you won’t see. Catch 22.



Correct. However, there is a different between being bad and being worse than someone else.

It isn't us, it is the players on the team. When they clamor for Rosen, you put him in.

Jamar Taylor > BRandon Williams

 

[unseenaz]

People who aren’t calling for him befuddle me.

What in the heck are you saving him for? Best way to learn is on the job training.

Maybe in a 9-5 that’s the best way to learn.

 

[TheCardFan]

Well, let’s not get frivolous just because we are unsatisfied. Steve Keim signed Sam Bradford, Jared Veldheer and Mike Iupati to very big deals in free agency.

He traded a high draft pick for Chandler Jones.

He extended Tyrann Mathieu with a huge deal, he extended Patrick Peterson with a huge deal, he extended Jermaine Gresham with a huge deal.

He extended Carson Palmer’s contract twice and Larry Fitzgerald’s contract twice.

He signed Karlos Dansby, Antonio Cromartie, Chris Johnson to one-year win-now deals.

He traded for Matt Barkley, Marcus Cooper and Adrian Peterson, and yes, albeit the cost was low draft selections, all general managers crave draft picks.

He even extended Todd Bowles’ contract.

Now, you may not like all those moves, but they certainly show the work of an aggressive general manager.

I have not seen anyone do the same as the Rams are doing right now since the 2011 Eagles. Are you telling me that no team has been aggressive from 2011 to 2018, and also before 2011?

I am talking about what the Rams did in 1 year (this year).

They went 11-5 last year and won the division with Goff, Gurley, Donald, etc.

This year - They added Brandon Cooks, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, and Aqib Talib.

That is aggressive!

 

[Gandhi]

It isn't us, it is the players on the team. When they clamor for Rosen, you put him in.

Well, they won’t see him in a game before he is put in there either. It wouldn’t be the first time in history if a player was better in games than in practice. Another point is that I don’t put much stock into what the players says or has said on this topic, since I would be absolutely stunned to hear them sort of throw Bradford under the bus by talking Rosen more up than what has already been done (also by the players, I think), when they knew it was highly likely that Bradford would start and Rosen would be his backup. You could argue it would be very inappropriate as well. If they are asked directly about their opinion it is obviously a different matter, but in that case, I would also be surprised if they said much negative about Rosen.

Jamar Taylor > BRandon Williams

That’s obviously a fair opinion, and I think I agree.

 

[Gandhi]

I am talking about what the Rams did in 1 year (this year).

They went 11-5 last year and won the division with Goff, Gurley, Donald, etc.

This year - They added Brandon Cooks, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, and Aqib Talib.

That is aggressive!

Yes, it is. Does that mean others are not aggressive, and haven’t been for a very long time?

I can also promise you they will get in trouble when Jared Goff are up for his next contract. That’s not to say they will fall apart (mostly because of the development of the salary cap), but they certainly will experience the problems that comes along with being highly aggressive in one individual year.

Since a lot of teams are evidence that you can build very good teams without risking too much of your relatively foreseeable future, I would prefer to try that, though I badly want the Cardinals to be as good as the Rams.

 

[kerouac9]

Well, they won’t see him in a game before he is put in there either. It wouldn’t be the first time in history if a player was better in games than in practice. Another point is that I don’t put much stock into what the players says or has said on this topic, since I would be absolutely stunned to hear them sort of throw Bradford under the bus by talking Rosen more up than what has already been done (also by the players, I think), when they knew it was highly likely that Bradford would start and Rosen would be his backup. You could argue it would be very inappropriate as well. If they are asked directly about their opinion it is obviously a different matter, but in that case, I would also be surprised if they said much negative about Rosen.



That’s obviously a fair opinion, and I think I agree.

I think that's why you have Larry and Patrick and others on the team as trusted leaders. They're the guys who have to go to Wilks and say "No mas."

I believe that Bradford is an excellent practice player, and these guys spend 20-40x more time in practices than they do in games. Their perception is just different.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

It's not really surprising to me though I share your pain. It's not surprising because we were holding an aging unit together to make one last run at that point and we aged out of the window.

The thing is it's like the gas tank was emptying all the way to that point and we did not pay attention to it. Too many draft misses and here we are.

We were sailing on YEARS of drafting high and some good decisions then the good decisions stopped and we sailed on with momentum and then bam we hit the wall and what you see now is the result.

The real culprit is IMO so many draft misses then compounding that with bad coaching decisions in hiring. It's going to end up falling on the GM I'd think but that's just a guess.

First step is to get someone who hits more than they miss, nothing else will fix this long term.

You know conrad, I've been a staunch supporter of Keim, praising him for excellent work on many occasions.

But the current roster shows how poorly he's performed in recent years on draft day. I agree with you 100%

The two disasters that we've witnessed so far this year makes you wonder if he could have possibly drafted worse.

 

[pmacLean]

my speculation based on experience:

the dui likely gave Mike B a "termination for cause" on the contract, and, avoiding paying Keim out if they let him go.

but, he would have had to do it in a timely fashion. The moment they let Keim back in the building afterwards, you lose that option.

I have little doubt that there was a written warning delivered to Keim that basically said "any issues going forward and you are gone"

So you're saying everyone should be buying Keim drinks every time they see him ?

 

[Gandhi]

I think that's why you have Larry and Patrick and others on the team as trusted leaders. They're the guys who have to go to Wilks and say "No mas."

I think you are likely right on that, but we don’t know if that conversation has taken place already.

 

[kerouac9]

I think you are likely right on that, but we don’t know if that conversation has taken place already.

I'd be surprised if it has.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I believe that Bradford is an excellent practice player, and these guys spend 20-40x more time in practices than they do in games. Their perception is just different.

He doesn't have to worry about being hit in practice so my guess is you're right.

The offense would be considerably better by having a QB that will hang in the pocket and at least attempt something down the field. Even if it means giving a little on underneath accuracy plus occasional turnovers. Moves back the secondary giving DJ more room both running the ball and catching out of the backfield most notably

 

[kerouac9]

He doesn't have to worry about being hit in practice so my guess is you're right.

The offense would be considerably better by having a QB that will hang in the pocket and at least attempt something down the field. Even if it means giving a little on underneath accuracy plus occasional turnovers. Moves back the secondary giving DJ more room both running the ball and catching out of the backfield most notably

Yes. I was saying this through training camp. #joefan

 

[daves]

Reminds me of 2012. Wasn't it 32nd rated offense and 32nd rated defense, or something close to?

32nd on Offense, but 12th on D. And that year, the Cardinals scored 91 points in the first 4 games and started 4-0! But, that does highlight how very bad they were after the first 4 games. They averaged 13.25 points the rest of the way. As putrid as that is, there's no telling how long it will take this team to score its 14th point this season! Truly disgusting.

Meanwhile, this year's team is 32nd on O, and 30th on D. And the two teams below the Cardinals on D - Tampa Bay and Kansas City - are each 2-0 but got into shootouts or got so far ahead that they gave up a bunch of meaningless yards at the end of the game.

...dbs

 

[wit3card]

32nd on Offense, but 12th on D. And that year, the Cardinals scored 91 points in the first 4 games and started 4-0! But, that does highlight how very bad they were after the first 4 games. They averaged 13.25 points the rest of the way. As putrid as that is, there's no telling how long it will take this team to score its 14th point this season! Truly disgusting.

Meanwhile, this year's team is 32nd on O, and 30th on D. And the two teams below the Cardinals on D - Tampa Bay and Kansas City - are each 2-0 but got into shootouts or got so far ahead that they gave up a bunch of meaningless yards at the end of the game.

...dbs

After 4 games if we don't turn it around and I don't see really a change that fast, we will be last in both O and D