Official Underwhelmed Thread

[rking4441]

A couple real Questions I have to ask. First, can anyone say, with a straight face, this team is better this week versus last week? Second, am I just being too hyper-critical about the team's performance in these past couple games?

I'm not one to make excuses, but is any/all of the following the cause for tonight's poor performance.

1 - Starting the week in Oxnard and the debacle in day two of the combined practice with Dallas
2 - Being in Oxnard and dealing with possible re-location talks/rumors, etc.
3 - Too much travel from St. Louis to Oakland to Oxnard to St. Louis to Nashville.
4 - Still a young team struggling to find any kind of groove / learning how to win.
5 - Too much expectations of a breakout year and competing for a playoff spot.
6 - Too much pressure on defense to carry team.
7 - Fisher's laid back approach to preseason.
8 - Something else??

I was so excited for the season to get started, and am really disappointed with what I've seen so far.

I would like to point two things out. First is that, like the Rams, Dallas looked terrible against the 49ers. They could have both blown their wads with the flaring tempers during the joint practice (MMA style!).

I would also like to point out that Fisher usually goes all Bryer's Vanilla during preseason. In 1999 when the Titans went 13-3 they were 1-3 in the preseason. The only game they won was game 3, the warm up for the regular season. Now I was disappointed in what I watched on Sun but there were some bright spots and hopefully this will shine through on Sat against the Colts. Horns up gentlemen!!

 

[Afro Ram]

I'm pissed with the game and I'm guilty of starting my own panic thread. BUT there's definitely some over reaction going on in this thread. I'm not saying we don't have the right to be concerned and vent, but regulate it a little.

 

[HometownBoy]

Lance's first preseason:
Game 1 - 5 receptions 47 yards 1TD
Game 3 - 2 for 27 1TD
Game 4 - 3 for 74 yards 1TD

In the 2011 preseason Kendricks had ~160 yards receiving and 3 TD's all from Bradford.

We won all 4 games, and our 1st team offense looked geared to go. Then we lost 14 games...

To be fair, that's not telling the full scope of 2011, which was hampered by more injuries than any of our teams have had since.

 

[dieterbrock]

Last years season opener is the only time we came out flat with Fisher. We put points against Detroit(23) and Arizona(27) in 2012 and 2013. Joe Flacco, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck all look god awful so far. I just don't care about pre season. To me it's only a chance to get hurt. Nothing else.

Good perspective, Great post

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

The question would again be, then why bother playing the starters? Give them rest. Take deep, extended looks at guys you might want on practice, or guys from prior years on the bubble (Pead, Givens, etc) chances to prove they belong.

No point even risking injury in preseason then by playing the starters. It's a waste of time.

I agree. I don't like how Fisher plays the pre season and training camp. I think he is too easy on players and they are not sharp at the beginning of the season. My point was just that we have seen this before. It is not really an indication of what the season will be like. It is not an indication of anything because they are not showing us anything.

 

[Stranger]

It is not really an indication of what the season will be like. It is not an indication of anything because they are not showing us anything.

If it's not an indication, then why is there a pattern of slow regular season starts?

 

[Tailback]

That was EXACTLY what Georgia Frontiere did.

Think about it: Kroenke WANTS to hack off the fans so that they DON'T show up at the Dome. That way he can say that "St. Louis won't support the Rams," which gives him a valid argument to back up his rationale for moving back to LA.

Genius, if it weren't so damned disheartening and just flat-out wrong! St. Louis fans deserve better but all we've been given, during the past 11 or so years, has been dreck, dreck and even more DRECK!

 

[DR RAM]

You forgot 2002....still the greatest team (eff that Pats undefeated team) to not WIN the SB....geez...still can't believe that happened....

This....man was missing huge holes....how is he ahead of Pead? Hell, he should be behind Trey Watts...

I thought Pead, Brown, and Watts were bright spots, along with Givens, and some decent, not stellar, play on the offensive line. I think Reynolds will finally be the odd man out. Even the backups at OL, played decently. Cunningham looks like the odd man out, because with our blocking scheme, you need to see the hole, and Benny, clearly has no vision. I got really upset twice in this game, once with the no call for/bad call against on the intentional grounding. Just horrid.

The second time was Benny missing a huge hole on the sealed edge, tip toeing to the line, and not getting the first down. I saw a lot of individual things on plays that messed up execution. I saw that they game planned for the Tavon Austin play. Please, God, hope we have more in the playbook than that. I saw Foles miss badly on one throw for an easy INT, whose fault? And it seemed like his other big miss was on a speed out to Austin, where Austin danced off the line, messing up the timing of the throw. The route was OK, the release was not.

I saw Keenum, clearly becoming the #2, and I don't think it's close between him and Davis. Keenum appears to be the best backup we have had in a long time. I really would like to see more of Mannion. I'm not sure what's going on there, but, if we try to PS him, we will lose him. I'm excited that we may have a future starter there. Best Qb group that we've seen in a long time, IMO. I agree with @Memphis Ram about the NOT wrapping up. The thought ran through my head too. I saw big improvements from all the backup offensive lineman. The Center position, hmmm, still have no idea, but Rhaney got driven back a few times with ease. He hung in there though, and played hard.

The defensive was underwhelming, in almost every way. They frustrated me. It, like the DB's, almost seems like a deception...hey let's leave giant gaps open. Our DL is not on the same page. Joyner did play, a lot better. Longacre, put in another solid performance for a backup. I'd still like to see him play on the left. I'll have to look closer on the OL, but it didn't seem that anybody on either side of the ball, made the most out of their opportunities. Please throw some names out there, if anyone saw any.

Those are my Ramblings from the game.

 

[cvramsfan]

I really would like to see more of Mannion. I'm not sure what's going on there, but, if we try to PS him, we will lose him

Don't we have a chance if they are on the RAMS PS and another team tries to claim them to add them to our active roster? That is what the other team has to right, they have to place him on the 52 man roster?

 

[DR RAM]

Don't we have a chance if they are on the RAMS PS and another team tries to claim them to add them to our active roster? That is what the other team has to right, they have to place him on the 52 man roster?

Yes, but we've lost lesser talents like this, and him. I'm not saying we are going to try this. I'm saying that I hope we don't. I think he might have a future.

I misunderstood, no he would have to go to their active roster, but we don't have veto power.

 

[Prime Time]

The first, second, and fourth preseason games are mainly for evaluating new players and getting them to gel with the veterans. If we still stink in the third game, where the starters will most likely play the whole first half, then some nervousness should begin to creep in. A team normally can't flick a switch and go from suckiness to great in time for the regular season. However...

NFL preseason records are known to either give a fanbase false hope or cause them to fall into needless despair. For example: the Rams went 4-0 in 2011 but then went on to lose 7 out of their first 8 games and ended up with a 2-14 record.

Spagnuolo was like a jockey who whipped his horse before it even got in the starting gate and then was exhausted once the race started and had nothing left. Fisher on the other hand seems like a jockey who coddles and kisses his horse, and is the last one to get out of the gate, usually ending the race somewhere in the middle.

Right now the Rams, Colts, Cardinals, Saints, Seahawks, and Cowboys are all 0-2, while the Redskins are 2-0. I doubt that any of these teams will end up at the end of this season where those preseason records would seem to indicate.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

If it's not an indication, then why is there a pattern of slow regular season starts?

As Legatron pointed out the team started pretty fast the last few years. The offense put up decent points. The defense was what was so far behind. However they did go through some DC changes over the years. Blake Williams, Walton then Fisher takes over then Gregg Williams. Maybe some of the slow play was that players were still learning the defense each of those years. Now this year we have a new QB and a new OC. Maybe we should expect the offense to start slow.

Now I don't want you to think that I am dismissing the concept that the easier practice regimens could also contribute to slow starts. It may have. But this year I expect to see a difference with the defense. They are not learning a new system. If they do come out of the gate slow again then I would have to agree that Fisher takes it too easy on them.

But I remind myself that Pete Carroll is not all that fanatical about overworking his players either. He is more of a players coach with a laid back style. However Seattle looks good each pre season. Maybe that is because they have played the same system for so many years?

 

[DR RAM]

The first, second, and fourth preseason games are mainly for evaluating new players and getting them to gel with the veterans. If we still stink in the third game, where the starters will most likely play the whole first half, then some nervousness should begin to creep in. A team normally can't flick a switch and go from suckiness to great in time for the regular season. However...

NFL preseason records are known to either give a fanbase false hope or cause them to fall into needless despair. For example: the Rams went 4-0 in 2011 but then went on to lose 7 out of their first 8 games and ended up with a 2-14 record.

Spagnuolo was like a jockey who whipped his horse before it even got in the starting gate and then was exhausted once the race started and had nothing left. Fisher on the other hand seems like a jockey who coddles and kisses his horse, and is the last one to get out of the gate, usually ending the race somewhere in the middle.

Right now the Rams, Colts, Cardinals, Saints, Seahawks, and Cowboys are all 0-2, while the Redskins are 2-0. I doubt that any of these teams will end up at the end of this season where those preseason records would seem to indicate.

I really think more people are disappointed with the play, and not the record. That is where I stand. Individual play, needs to improve, for the team to get better. The record is meaningless at this point. I agree with your other points.

 

[cvramsfan]

Yes, but we've lost lesser talents like this, and him. I'm not saying we are going to try this. I'm saying that I hope we don't. I think he might have a future.

I misunderstood, no he would have to go to their active roster, but we don't have veto power.

if we do not hold veto power then why waste a 3rd pick to put on the p.s. I agree he should be on the 52 man and should like to see him play over Davis to see what he has

 

[DR RAM]

if we do not hold veto power then why waste a 3rd pick to put on the p.s. I agree he should be on the 52 man and should like to see him play over Davis to see what he has

Yes, my point. Maybe, we have already committed to keeping 3, but if so, why not see more of Mannion, get him more ready.

 

[Prime Time]

I really think more people are disappointed with the play, and not the record. That is where I stand. Individual play, needs to improve, for the team to get better. The record is meaningless at this point. I agree with your other points.

Better individual and team play usually equals a better record. Bad luck and lousy officiating can throw that out of balance but those two factors usually even out over a season.

My main criticism each season under the Fisher regime has been that a supposedly all-star coaching staff has not been able to instill proper discipline. This has been and still is my main concern going into this season. Broken plays, miscommunication, and bonehead penalties must decrease greatly in order for us to have a winning season.

 

[RamzFanz]

Yes, my point. Maybe, we have already committed to keeping 3, but if so, why not see more of Mannion, get him more ready.

I think we might coming up. Case has won the backup job. Mannion is the future. There's been no reason to do too much so far, but I'm expecting they will now that #2 is settled.

I saw that they game planned for the Tavon Austin play.

I saw the opposite. I saw that they didn't game plan and pulled out the same play.

 

[DR RAM]

I think we might coming up. Case has won the backup job. Mannion is the future. There's been no reason to do too much so far, but I'm expecting they will now that #2 is settled.



I saw the opposite. I saw that they didn't game plan and pulled out the same play.

I meant Tennessee.