- Joined
- May 8, 2014
- Messages
- 37,528
I know, I sound like a broken record. But this offense and its continued poor production is something I see as linked to a crisis of identity that has gone on for some time with Fisher's regime.
Now for starters in today's loss to the Steelers they ran the ball 18 times and passed it 29 times. That in and of itself is not such a big deal, as sometimes games dictate you do different things. But the problem with the Rams is the dictating is never them when it comes to their offense. It is always adjusting to what the defense is giving, not getting all crazy and driving their reactions to the matchups the Rams are getting.
It begins with personnel too. Kendricks had a horrible game, and Cook wasn't much better. Cook in particular continues to do what he's always done: block like crap to include bonehead mistakes like the penalty, and then drop key passes. He and his contract are the poster children for how this regime's contracts and drafting don't match their professed expertise and are a big part of the sustained reason they cannot find consistency game to game. I mean, Fish wants a strong running game and play action off of it and Cook is simply not a fit due to his pansy blocking nor is he good enough to be a consistent weapon outside. Kendricks for all his warts in the passing game is at least a fit because he can actually block, which is what he should be doing in boosting the run game and helping GRob with rushers vice having the same number of targets as Tavon (5).
Ah yes good old Tavon Austin. The dude should be in a wide open offense where he can showcase his speed against a spread out defense. What the Rams do simply does not suit him. Schotty was not creative enough to consistently utilize his talent and I say that knowing full well that the guy was a disaster running routes early on. Cigs is struggling in that regard as well, even though Tavon does do some good things week to week now. As I've said before they should have 5 or so Tavon-specific misdirectional plays where they get him the ball like week one in movement towards open field. Doesn't always need to be from the backfield either.
Then you have Gurley. The dude is supremely gifted. Fish said he has zero problems knowing the offense. He fits perfectly what Fish has professed to want from his offense and what Cigs has professed to want from his offense. We can just see the stars aligning before this game, where maybe the pieces start to fit a little right? Wrong. The dude gets 6 rushes. And the defense keyed on him so hard that it demonstrates he should be in there as a decoy for springing Tavon if nothing else.
We all know that offense is about matchups and forcing the defense to do what you want them to do. Cigs is at a crossroads in my estimation, where he needs to decide what this offense's identity is and then adjust his personnel accordingly. If it's a power offense with play action (which I presume is the answer due to Fisher and Cigs' press conferences), then sit Cook's overpaid @$$ and line up with two TEs with Kendricks and Harkey blowin dudes off the LOS in run plays. Then use said TEs to chip on RDEs to help GRob out and feed defenses a steady diet of Gurley in the run game and short patterns periodically and watch him blow up LBs.
That type of adjustment would likely boost the running game this team and QB desperately needs, while also opening up play action deep routes for guys like Tavon and Givens who are faster than just about every DB they line up on if you actually let them run them.
Now for starters in today's loss to the Steelers they ran the ball 18 times and passed it 29 times. That in and of itself is not such a big deal, as sometimes games dictate you do different things. But the problem with the Rams is the dictating is never them when it comes to their offense. It is always adjusting to what the defense is giving, not getting all crazy and driving their reactions to the matchups the Rams are getting.
It begins with personnel too. Kendricks had a horrible game, and Cook wasn't much better. Cook in particular continues to do what he's always done: block like crap to include bonehead mistakes like the penalty, and then drop key passes. He and his contract are the poster children for how this regime's contracts and drafting don't match their professed expertise and are a big part of the sustained reason they cannot find consistency game to game. I mean, Fish wants a strong running game and play action off of it and Cook is simply not a fit due to his pansy blocking nor is he good enough to be a consistent weapon outside. Kendricks for all his warts in the passing game is at least a fit because he can actually block, which is what he should be doing in boosting the run game and helping GRob with rushers vice having the same number of targets as Tavon (5).
Ah yes good old Tavon Austin. The dude should be in a wide open offense where he can showcase his speed against a spread out defense. What the Rams do simply does not suit him. Schotty was not creative enough to consistently utilize his talent and I say that knowing full well that the guy was a disaster running routes early on. Cigs is struggling in that regard as well, even though Tavon does do some good things week to week now. As I've said before they should have 5 or so Tavon-specific misdirectional plays where they get him the ball like week one in movement towards open field. Doesn't always need to be from the backfield either.
Then you have Gurley. The dude is supremely gifted. Fish said he has zero problems knowing the offense. He fits perfectly what Fish has professed to want from his offense and what Cigs has professed to want from his offense. We can just see the stars aligning before this game, where maybe the pieces start to fit a little right? Wrong. The dude gets 6 rushes. And the defense keyed on him so hard that it demonstrates he should be in there as a decoy for springing Tavon if nothing else.
We all know that offense is about matchups and forcing the defense to do what you want them to do. Cigs is at a crossroads in my estimation, where he needs to decide what this offense's identity is and then adjust his personnel accordingly. If it's a power offense with play action (which I presume is the answer due to Fisher and Cigs' press conferences), then sit Cook's overpaid @$$ and line up with two TEs with Kendricks and Harkey blowin dudes off the LOS in run plays. Then use said TEs to chip on RDEs to help GRob out and feed defenses a steady diet of Gurley in the run game and short patterns periodically and watch him blow up LBs.
That type of adjustment would likely boost the running game this team and QB desperately needs, while also opening up play action deep routes for guys like Tavon and Givens who are faster than just about every DB they line up on if you actually let them run them.
