20 Random Indefensible Thoughts

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

AvengerRam

Benevolent Troublemaker
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
5,392
1. This one was really ugly.

2. Well, not at first. For 2+ quarters, the Rams looked pretty good. A couple of nice touchdown drives, a key Red Zone stop, and a four point lead.

3. Then the defense decided to forget how to play defense.

4. Some of it was by design. The soft zone just does not work against a team like the 49ers. How many times do we have to see them march down the field before that becomes apparent to those calling the plays?

5. Can't absolve the defenders, either. The coverage was awful, and Taylor Rapp was a true liability out there.

6. We can't seem to buy a turnover. Jalen Ramsey dropped an INT that could have gone for 6, and a key fumble dropped in the lap of a 49er.

7. The pass rush had its moments but, in the end, with the soft coverage, it wasn't able to be a factor. In the last third of the game, it was nonexistent.

8. Where's the fight in this team? We get the ball back with a minute to go in the first half and a timeout, and we run the clock out? No trust to even try to get into field goal range?

9. The OL wasn't the problem for a good portion of the game. At least in the first half, they did their job. But as the 49ers turned the score and the Rams became more one-dimensional, they showed their limitations.

10. Can't blame Matthew Stafford either. He played well when he had time, and even on a few plays when he didn't.

11. Cooper Kupp potentially getting injured in garbage time? Hopefully its nothing, but why was he on the field?

12. How did Ronnie F-ing Rivers become our lead back?

13. Darrell Henderson - 4 carries. He missed a practice due to illness earlier in the week, but is there more to this? Is he, like Cam Akers, in the doghouse? Is he on the trade block? Weird.

14. The trade deadline really loses its luster with this loss.

15. I'm OUT on any "all in" type moves at this point. In other words NO RENTALS. I'm not interested in a half season from Bradley Chubb or Kareem Hunt (both UFAs this offseason).

16. Alvin Kamara? At least he'd be a longer term option, as he's signed through 2025. Not really expecting this to happen, but you never know.

17. Mathematically, the Rams are still in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt. We don't look like a playoff team right now, though.

18. The Christian McCaffrey move will be lauded this week as a great move, and with good reason. In the long run, though, you have to wonder if he'll stay healthy long enough to not engender regret (I'd have the same fear if we were to trade for Kamara).

19. That could be the last time we see Jimmy Garoppolo in a 49ers uniform (barring another playoff meeting this year, it will be). I'm tired of making that bum look good.

20. Can I find a bright side here? Well... yeah. In ten years, twenty years, thirty years, and (hopefully) beyond... I'll vaguely remember this horrific regular season losing streak against our most hated rival. But I'll vividly remember last year's NFC Championship game win. Screw their well-traveled fans, their history and their taunts. We beat them when it counted last year, and that lasts forever.
 
Last edited:

thirteen28

I like pizza.
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
8,564
Name
Erik
4. Some of it was by design. The soft zone just does not work against a team like the 49ers. How many times do we have to see them march down the field before that becomes apparent to those calling the plays?

So far it’s not 8.
 

RamFanWA

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
3,572
Name
DavidG
Some of this must be mental.....
Too many publicity appearances, accolades and ego infation to see reality maybe...
Not that I can relate - but this must be a factor....
 

Marc Spector

Rookie
Joined
Oct 29, 2017
Messages
444
Some of this must be mental.....
Too many publicity appearances, accolades and ego infation to see reality maybe...
Not that I can relate - but this must be a factor....
personally i hate when fans say this. Please stop saying this.

IT creates this conception that the players should be 100% football machines and nothing else. That they only should be playing for YOUR amusement and ignores that these are human beings who play football as a career. After winning the Super Bowl they are more than entitled to let their nuts hang and lavish in the sponsorships, book deals, talk show appearances and whatever else, as long as it doesnt hurt anyone (unless a groupie or their S/O is into that sort of thing :sunglasses:)

Shit, this season alone is showing how hard it is to get on the course to a Super Bowl, much less stay on it.
 

Kupped

Legend
Joined
Aug 5, 2021
Messages
8,682
Name
Kupped
Some of this must be mental.....
Too many publicity appearances, accolades and ego infation to see reality maybe...
Not that I can relate - but this must be a factor....
The mental part is that the players and coaching staff are completely psyched out by the time the game starts.

Even in the 90s... I didn't feel like the 9ers owned the Rams the way they do now. I know the streak was longer.. but this feels like a personal ownership by Shanahan of McVay.. it's ridiculous.
 

Kupped

Legend
Joined
Aug 5, 2021
Messages
8,682
Name
Kupped
3. Then the defense decided to forget how to play defense.
Couldn't agree more.
4. Some of it was by design. The soft zone just does not work against a team like the 49ers. How many times do we have to see them march down the field before that becomes apparent to those calling the plays?
Sure. Some of it. But that was mixed in with horrific tackling.. .stupid penalties... players getting completely beaten in coverage..
5. Can't absolve the defenders, either. The coverage was awful, and Taylor Rapp was a true liability out there.
Not the only one... Nick Scott got destroyed on two TDs.
6. We can't seem to buy a turnover. Jalen Ramsey dropped an INT that could have gone for 6, and a key fumble dropped in the lap of a 49er.
One bad bounce.. and two bad hands.

7. The pass rush had its moments but, in the end, with the soft coverage, it wasn't able to be a factor. In the last third of the game, it was nonexistent.
I think it wasn't a factor on its own. The touchdown pass to McCaffrey? Jimmy didn't release until 4 seconds.
 

RamFanWA

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
3,572
Name
DavidG
personally i hate when fans say this. Please stop saying this.

IT creates this conception that the players should be 100% football machines and nothing else. That they only should be playing for YOUR amusement and ignores that these are human beings who play football as a career. After winning the Super Bowl they are more than entitled to let their nuts hang and lavish in the sponsorships, book deals, talk show appearances and whatever else, as long as it doesnt hurt anyone (unless a groupie or their S/O is into that sort of thing :sunglasses:)

Shit, this season alone is showing how hard it is to get on the course to a Super Bowl, much less stay on it.
We agree on a lot - that they are not football machines - nor would we want them to be. It is a tremendous accomplishment. I just happen to think that the success and following circumstances of last year is spilling over into this years performance, albeit, seemingly resulting in a poorer performance.

Since I never played sports, I am not totally certain that this is case - however it seems it could be. If it is the case, the question is, how does coaching prepare for this or overcome it? Since I am not privy to what coaches do, it could be they are addressing these sorts of issues, which I suspect is a real challenge.

For myself, I once I got nominated for work performance, to go on a reward trip, which is typically a stellar-sales-person-only type of event. It was an all expenses week on a tropical island. I know the effect that had on me, which was that I ultimately overstayed my time at a company that was taking a nose-dive to oblivion. So, I am aware that good things can adversely affect the judgement...
 

Kupped

Legend
Joined
Aug 5, 2021
Messages
8,682
Name
Kupped
We agree on a lot - that they are not football machines - nor would we want them to be. It is a tremendous accomplishment. I just happen to think that the success and following circumstances of last year is spilling over into this years performance, albeit, seemingly resulting in a poorer performance.

Since I never played sports, I am not totally certain that this is case - however it seems it could be. If it is the case, the question is, how does coaching prepare for this or overcome it? Since I am not privy to what coaches do, it could be they are addressing these sorts of issues, which I suspect is a real challenge.

For myself, I once I got nominated for work performance, to go on a reward trip, which is typically a stellar-sales-person-only type of event. It was an all expenses week on a tropical island. I know the effect that had on me, which was that I ultimately overstayed my time at a company that was taking a nose-dive to oblivion. So, I am aware that good things can adversely affect the judgement...

Maybe?
Maybe it's the fatigue of playing the longest season in NFL history? The first team to play that kind of schedule to the end?

Maybe it's the attrition the league forces to move teams to parity and the Rams won on the margins last year?
 

Rams4life

Rookie
Joined
May 23, 2018
Messages
413
Name
Bud
Ronnie Rivers getting so much playing time reminds me of the days when June Henley was the starting HB. Those were great times.
 
Last edited:

Rams8821

Pro Bowler
Joined
Jan 25, 2019
Messages
1,308
1. This one was really ugly.

2. Well, not at first. For 2+ quarters, the Rams looked pretty good. A couple of nice touchdown drives, a key Red Zone stop, and a four point lead.

3. Then the defense decided to forget how to play defense.

4. Some of it was by design. The soft zone just does not work against a team like the 49ers. How many times do we have to see them march down the field before that becomes apparent to those calling the plays?

5. Can't absolve the defenders, either. The coverage was awful, and Taylor Rapp was a true liability out there.

6. We can't seem to buy a turnover. Jalen Ramsey dropped an INT that could have gone for 6, and a key fumble dropped in the lap of a 49er.

7. The pass rush had its moments but, in the end, with the soft coverage, it wasn't able to be a factor. In the last third of the game, it was nonexistent.

8. Where's the fight in this team? We get the ball back with a minute to go in the first half and a timeout, and we run the clock out? No trust to even try to get into field goal range?

9. The OL wasn't the problem for a good portion of the game. At least in the first half, they did their job. But as the 49ers turned the score and the Rams became more one-dimensional, they showed their limitations.

10. Can't blame Matthew Stafford either. He played well when he had time, and even on a few plays when he didn't.

11. Cooper Kupp potentially getting injured in garbage time? Hopefully its nothing, but why was he on the field?

12. How did Ronnie F-ing Rivers become our lead back?

13. Darrell Henderson - 4 carries. He missed a practice due to illness earlier in the week, but is there more to this? Is he, like Cam Akers, in the doghouse? Is he on the trade block? Weird.

14. The trade deadline really loses its luster with this loss.

15. I'm OUT on any "all in" type moves at this point. In other words NO RENTALS. I'm not interested in a half season from Bradley Chubb or Kareem Hunt (both UFAs this offseason).

16. Alvin Kamara? At least he'd be a longer term option, as he's signed through 2025. Not really expecting this to happen, but you never know.

17. Mathematically, the Rams are still in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt. We don't look like a playoff team right now, though.

18. The Christian McCaffrey move will be lauded this week as a great move, and with good reason. In the long run, though, you have to wonder if he'll stay healthy long enough to not engender regret (I'd have the same fear if we were to trade for Kamara).

19. That could be the last time we see Jimmy Garoppolo in a 49ers uniform (barring another playoff meeting this year, it will be). I'm tired of making that bum look good.

20. Can I find a bright side here? Well... yeah. In ten years, twenty years, thirty years, and (hopefully) beyond... I'll vaguely remember this horrific regular season losing streak against our most hated rival. But I'll vividly remember last year's NFC Championship game win. Screw their well-traveled fans, their history and their taunts. We beat them when it counted last year, and that lasts forever.
#20 all dadgum day long
 

ArkyRamsFan

Pro Bowler
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
1,956
Ronnie Rivers getting so much playing time reminds me of the days when June Henley was the starting HB. Those were great times.
Man, those were ugly, ugly days. I mean it didn't get any worse than June Henley trying to run and Tony Banks trying to throw.
Hard to believe but a few years later it was Kurt Warner handing it off to Marshall Faulk.
So there's that!!
~ArkyRamsFan~
 

Tano

Legend
Joined
Jun 11, 2017
Messages
10,050
Man, those were ugly, ugly days. I mean it didn't get any worse than June Henley trying to run and Tony Banks trying to throw.
Hard to believe but a few years later it was Kurt Warner handing it off to Marshall Faulk.
So there's that!!
~ArkyRamsFan~
That was such a lucky trade getting Marshall Faulk
 

DarOv

UDFA
Joined
Oct 26, 2022
Messages
7
personally i hate when fans say this. Please stop saying this.

IT creates this conception that the players should be 100% football machines and nothing else. That they only should be playing for YOUR amusement and ignores that these are human beings who play football as a career. After winning the Super Bowl they are more than entitled to let their nuts hang and lavish in the sponsorships, book deals, talk show appearances and whatever else, as long as it doesnt hurt anyone (unless a groupie or their S/O is into that sort of thing :sunglasses:)

Shit, this season alone is showing how hard it is to get on the course to a Super Bowl, much less stay on it.
Yes, it happens that recent achievements are quickly forgotten, but current shortcomings are remembered. I think players live their lives and don't pay much attention to criticism. And they have a right to that too.
 

dpjax

Starter
Camp Reporter
Joined
Jun 15, 2017
Messages
922
8. Where's the fight in this team? We get the ball back with a minute to go in the first half and a timeout, and we run the clock out? No trust to even try to get into field goal range?
That was the beginning of the end. Guarantee Shanahan used this in his half time speech.
"They're scared of you...!"
 
Last edited:

dieterbrock

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
24,050
It's like a game of rock, paper, scissors where McVay keeps going rock knowing that Shanahan will go scissors at some point.
Meanwhile, Shanahan is thinking, I'm going paper until Mac changes it up.....