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Rams Upset Cardinals … OK, Now What?
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/05/rams-upset-cardinals-ok-now-what/
More later, but here are some of my quick-hit thoughts on the Rams’ 24-22 win at Arizona that evened STL’s record at 2-2 …
— As I wrote here on the site Friday, this game loomed as a Jeff Fisher Upset Special. And it was. I didn’t think the Rams would win the game, but all of the warning signs of an upset were there, and I believed the contest would be a lot closer than many people expected. Fisher and his team thrive on these underdog challenges, and this was the latest example.
— As head coach in St. Louis, when Fisher is a 7+ point dog going into a game, his Rams are now 8-11-1 outright and 12-8 against the spread. When they’re a 7+ underdog against NFC West rivals, Fisher’s Rams are now 4-6-1 outright and 7-4 against the spread.
— This was a great win for Fisher, but it also causes frustration — at least for me. Why don’t we see these inspired, emotional, tough performances against lesser teams? Why do the coach and his players need this “Us Against the World, No One Respects Us” mentality to rev up their best performance?
— As coach of the Rams, Fisher is now 9-10-1 vs. NFC West rivals (.475 win percentage).
— Fisher has a 13-19 record and .406 winning pct. outside the division since becoming Rams coach in 2012.
— Well, hey there Todd Gurley … this is why the Rams used the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft to choose the Georgia running back, knowing that he’d need time to get up to speed after completing a rehab from knee surgery. As I wrote at the time of the draft, this was a risky pick but I didn’t mind the Rams making it; I thought Gurley at Georgia was one of the most scintillating RB talents I’d ever seen in college football. What an exciting NFL breakout; Gurley’s 146 yards rushing were the most by a Rams’ running back in a game under Fisher. Until Gurley got loose in Glendale, the best single-game rushing total under Fisher, 139 yards by Steven Jackson, came a while back — on Nov. 25 of the 2012 season, against the Cardinals.
— And Tavon Austin, the wide receiver and scatback, provided the razzle to Gurley’s dazzle with six catches for 96 yards, two for touchdowns. Austin has 116 yards from scrimmage; it was his second-highest total as a Ram. In total (rushing and receiving), Gurley and Austin combined for 277 yards from scrimmage in this one. That accounted for 84.4 percent of the Rams’ net yards from scrimmage. More of this please. It brought back some pleasant memories of a special time in place, when Rams’ skill-position players just took over games. I think you know the teams I’m referring to.
— When the Rams make use of their two most talented and dangerous playmakers in the same game, it can be awfully tough. Give new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti some credit here; he’s finding ways to put Austin to effective use in ways that former OC Brian Schottenheimer never really did.
— When quarterback Nick Foles (more on him later today) targeted Austin in Glendale, he completed six of seven passes (two for touchdowns) and had a passer rating of 158.3.
— According to Pro Football Focus, Gurley led NFL running backs with four runs of 15+ yards.
— With Gurley running so beautifully and ripping up swaths of great yardage, it made Foles’ job easier — specifically setting up Foles for play-action passes. Foles was very good on the play-action throws during his 2013 and 2014 seasons at Philadelphia. And Gurley helped revive that element of Foles’ game. Versus the Cardinals Foles completed 6 of 8 play-action passes, averaging 11.6 yards per attempt.
— As for the Rams defense … They gave up a bunch of yards (447) and first downs (26.) But the unit did an impressive job of limiting the damage against a high-scoring AZ offense, forcing the Cardinals to settle for field goals on five excursions into the red zone.
— The Rams also sacked Carson Palmer four times. According to Pro Football Focus, Palmer had to deal with pass-rush pressure on 38 percent of his dropbacks. In addition to the four sacks, Palmer was hurried 10 times and hit once. Maybe it was a coincidence, but Palmer sailed two throws beyond open receivers on third and fourth down when AZ still had a chance to pull out a win. Did Palmer hear footsteps? I have no idea, and he’s a tough guy. But even the toughest quarterbacks can turn uncomfortable after feeling a couple of hours of pass-rush heat.
— If indeed if OLB Alec Ogletree is lost for the season with a broken ankle, it’s a tough blow for the Rams. He’s been among the team’s best run defenders this season, and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was coming up with creative ways to get No. 52 more active in the pass rush.
— A view of the Rams from the Valley of the Sun from Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley: “Clearly, the Rams had more edge. They maximized their opportunities, beating a Cardinals team that ran 20 more plays and posted twice the amount of first downs. They left Glendale with renewed optimism and a sense of vengeance. Worst-case scenario for Arizona: This is the kind of game and opponent that can haunt a season, especially if Todd Gurley’s coming-out party just changed the course of the NFC West.”
–– OK, the Rams went to Arizona and put a big win in their bag. Next up, at Green Bay. I don’t think many people beyond the boundaries of Rams Park think the Rams have a shot at winning in Lambeau Field, where the Packers have gone 38-3 in their last 41 regular-season games with Aaron Rodgers starting at QB. (In his last 16 games at Lambeau, including two postseason contests, Rodgers has 44 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
–– For the purpose of conversation, let’s say the Rams lose at Green Bay. That would make them 2-3 on the season. But after the bye week, the Rams enter a softer stretch of schedule: Cleveland at home, San Francisco at home, at Minnesota, Chicago at home. That’s when we’ll find out if the win at Arizona was just another Fisher-coached aberration — another division conquest that gets diminished by subsequent losses in highly winnable game. That has been the paradox of Fisher’s four seasons in St. Louis, with the Rams often rising to the level of superior teams, only to descend and give away games the lower-rung opponents. Fisher and Rams soon will go through another credibility check after the bye week. It’s difficult for me to start believing that this team will finish better than Fisher’s three previous teams if their baffling inconsistency and flattening of intensity surfaces again — leading to avoidable losses that prevent the Rams from establishing serious traction.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/05/rams-upset-cardinals-ok-now-what/
More later, but here are some of my quick-hit thoughts on the Rams’ 24-22 win at Arizona that evened STL’s record at 2-2 …
— As I wrote here on the site Friday, this game loomed as a Jeff Fisher Upset Special. And it was. I didn’t think the Rams would win the game, but all of the warning signs of an upset were there, and I believed the contest would be a lot closer than many people expected. Fisher and his team thrive on these underdog challenges, and this was the latest example.
— As head coach in St. Louis, when Fisher is a 7+ point dog going into a game, his Rams are now 8-11-1 outright and 12-8 against the spread. When they’re a 7+ underdog against NFC West rivals, Fisher’s Rams are now 4-6-1 outright and 7-4 against the spread.
— This was a great win for Fisher, but it also causes frustration — at least for me. Why don’t we see these inspired, emotional, tough performances against lesser teams? Why do the coach and his players need this “Us Against the World, No One Respects Us” mentality to rev up their best performance?
— As coach of the Rams, Fisher is now 9-10-1 vs. NFC West rivals (.475 win percentage).
— Fisher has a 13-19 record and .406 winning pct. outside the division since becoming Rams coach in 2012.
— Well, hey there Todd Gurley … this is why the Rams used the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft to choose the Georgia running back, knowing that he’d need time to get up to speed after completing a rehab from knee surgery. As I wrote at the time of the draft, this was a risky pick but I didn’t mind the Rams making it; I thought Gurley at Georgia was one of the most scintillating RB talents I’d ever seen in college football. What an exciting NFL breakout; Gurley’s 146 yards rushing were the most by a Rams’ running back in a game under Fisher. Until Gurley got loose in Glendale, the best single-game rushing total under Fisher, 139 yards by Steven Jackson, came a while back — on Nov. 25 of the 2012 season, against the Cardinals.
— And Tavon Austin, the wide receiver and scatback, provided the razzle to Gurley’s dazzle with six catches for 96 yards, two for touchdowns. Austin has 116 yards from scrimmage; it was his second-highest total as a Ram. In total (rushing and receiving), Gurley and Austin combined for 277 yards from scrimmage in this one. That accounted for 84.4 percent of the Rams’ net yards from scrimmage. More of this please. It brought back some pleasant memories of a special time in place, when Rams’ skill-position players just took over games. I think you know the teams I’m referring to.
— When the Rams make use of their two most talented and dangerous playmakers in the same game, it can be awfully tough. Give new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti some credit here; he’s finding ways to put Austin to effective use in ways that former OC Brian Schottenheimer never really did.
— When quarterback Nick Foles (more on him later today) targeted Austin in Glendale, he completed six of seven passes (two for touchdowns) and had a passer rating of 158.3.
— According to Pro Football Focus, Gurley led NFL running backs with four runs of 15+ yards.
— With Gurley running so beautifully and ripping up swaths of great yardage, it made Foles’ job easier — specifically setting up Foles for play-action passes. Foles was very good on the play-action throws during his 2013 and 2014 seasons at Philadelphia. And Gurley helped revive that element of Foles’ game. Versus the Cardinals Foles completed 6 of 8 play-action passes, averaging 11.6 yards per attempt.
— As for the Rams defense … They gave up a bunch of yards (447) and first downs (26.) But the unit did an impressive job of limiting the damage against a high-scoring AZ offense, forcing the Cardinals to settle for field goals on five excursions into the red zone.
— The Rams also sacked Carson Palmer four times. According to Pro Football Focus, Palmer had to deal with pass-rush pressure on 38 percent of his dropbacks. In addition to the four sacks, Palmer was hurried 10 times and hit once. Maybe it was a coincidence, but Palmer sailed two throws beyond open receivers on third and fourth down when AZ still had a chance to pull out a win. Did Palmer hear footsteps? I have no idea, and he’s a tough guy. But even the toughest quarterbacks can turn uncomfortable after feeling a couple of hours of pass-rush heat.
— If indeed if OLB Alec Ogletree is lost for the season with a broken ankle, it’s a tough blow for the Rams. He’s been among the team’s best run defenders this season, and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was coming up with creative ways to get No. 52 more active in the pass rush.
— A view of the Rams from the Valley of the Sun from Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley: “Clearly, the Rams had more edge. They maximized their opportunities, beating a Cardinals team that ran 20 more plays and posted twice the amount of first downs. They left Glendale with renewed optimism and a sense of vengeance. Worst-case scenario for Arizona: This is the kind of game and opponent that can haunt a season, especially if Todd Gurley’s coming-out party just changed the course of the NFC West.”
–– OK, the Rams went to Arizona and put a big win in their bag. Next up, at Green Bay. I don’t think many people beyond the boundaries of Rams Park think the Rams have a shot at winning in Lambeau Field, where the Packers have gone 38-3 in their last 41 regular-season games with Aaron Rodgers starting at QB. (In his last 16 games at Lambeau, including two postseason contests, Rodgers has 44 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
–– For the purpose of conversation, let’s say the Rams lose at Green Bay. That would make them 2-3 on the season. But after the bye week, the Rams enter a softer stretch of schedule: Cleveland at home, San Francisco at home, at Minnesota, Chicago at home. That’s when we’ll find out if the win at Arizona was just another Fisher-coached aberration — another division conquest that gets diminished by subsequent losses in highly winnable game. That has been the paradox of Fisher’s four seasons in St. Louis, with the Rams often rising to the level of superior teams, only to descend and give away games the lower-rung opponents. Fisher and Rams soon will go through another credibility check after the bye week. It’s difficult for me to start believing that this team will finish better than Fisher’s three previous teams if their baffling inconsistency and flattening of intensity surfaces again — leading to avoidable losses that prevent the Rams from establishing serious traction.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
