I think many of you are over looking a simple fact. At half time, Atlanta led 24-3 and seemed to be well in control. Often (and this seems to occur frequently these days in the case of the Falcons) once they build a lead, the team tends to back off a bit. It's not unusual, especially early in the season where players "tend" to play more conservatively after having a strong lead in order to conserve themselves and hopefully avoid injury.
I'm not taking anything away from Bradford and company, they kept it "respectable" and for that I'm grateful. It's just that the game was essentially in hand and when the Rams began to close, the Falcons scored again when they needed it. Honestly, there never was a point where I thought the Rams would pull it out.....that's just the way it is when you play a top 3 team in the NFC, especially in their house.
This was a good game to measure the Rams progress. Hopefully, they learn from the experience and continue to improve throughout the season. There's no reason for fans to get down on this team, it was disappointing to see so many ROD fans lose perspective, especially in the first half. It was almost like many folks failed to understand where this team is in its development.
It's been said repeatedly, but I guess it needs reinforcement.....
1. This is an extremely young team and young teams make mistakes, especially on the road.
2. This is the second year of a complete rebuild, most rebuilds take 5 years to be "consistently" competitive.
3. This team will continue to grow at a rapid pace.
4. The Rams are in the toughest division in the NFL.
5. Although there is a solid base of players on this team, a number of holes exist that will not be filled this season.
6. Focus on the successes and growth and have patience as this organization comes together.
7. We really don't want to play football in an open stadium in February anyway....at least not this season. :neh: :what: