- Joined
- May 9, 2018
- Messages
- 5,392
1. My wife and arrived very late to the Game of Thrones party. We just watched the “Battle of the Bastards” episode. If the carnage in the scene in which the Starks confront the Boltons is a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, the Rams injury situation this year is a 9.
2. And that, my Rams fans compatriots, is my long-worded way of saying that yes… its all about the injuries.
3. Well, mostly.
4. There are issues that deserve criticism that are not related to the injuries. Its fair, for example, to ask how a defensive scheme that allows Andy Fucking Dalton complete 21 or 25 passes (for over 10 yards per attempt) is not suspect.
5. Its also entirely fair to point out that Jalen Ramsey, for all his elite talents, has lapses in coverage that have hurt us (insert your Chris Olave beat Jalen like Jon Snow beat Ramsey Bolton joke here).
6. And, while I’m reluctant to use terms like “gave up” to describe how players approach a game, I do feel like the defense, shall we say, lost its intensity after Matthew Stafford went down.
7. But, in the end, these criticisms, fair though they may be, miss the point.
8. No team – I don’t care how strong a roster they might have, how much character they might have, and how well coached they might be – could survive the bloodbath on the offensive line and, more recently, the injuries at QB and WR that the Rams have suffered. None. Zero. End of story.
9. So, here’s where I’m going for the next several random comments… I’m coming after you, vultures (that’s my fair warning – don’t read ahead if you think this might be directed at you and you can’t handle criticism).
10. The vultures are the fans who celebrate when things are good, but seem to really get energized when they have something to complain about.
11. Vultures don’t typically kill their own prey, they descend on the dead and the helpless.
12. Vultures think they are insightful and the true “realists” among fans when, in fact, they’re about as insightful as a meteorologist who looks out the window and tells you its currently raining.
13. Vultures are not a new phenomenon. If you’ve been a Rams fan for decades, your seen them carrion (see what I did there?) before.
14. But this year, there’s an added element: WE JUST WON THE FREAKIN’ SUPER BOWL!!!!
15. I know that there’s a “attack the post, not the poster” rule here, so I won’t call out anyone by name. However, here is a partial list of inane, impertinent, immature and insufferable things that the current flock of vultures like to say…
16. They question whether it was worth the “all in” approach? Well, while I don’t necessarily agree with the premise (even if we went only “partially in,” injuries would have killed us this year), the answer to that question is “are you fucking kidding me?”
17. They question whether Sean McVay is really a good coach or, even more comically, suggest he lost it due to resting on his laurels, getting married, being distracted, etc., etc., etc.
18. They suggest that Matthew Stafford will/should retire, that Aaron Donald should be moved to Pittsburgh, and that the entire roster should be scuttled.
19. Here’s the simple truth. The Rams will need to bolster (or, perhaps, retheir OL this offseason. That will be a big task. But if they do, and the rest of the key guys return (most are signed through next year), this team will compete and, with a little luck, contend in 2023. If you don’t get that, you must have just started watching NFL football.
20. So, vultures… shoo! This is a bad year, we all know it. The Rams will be back and, when things are good, you’ll be right back on the bandwagon. In the meantime, you’re not helping the situation. Not even a little bit.
2. And that, my Rams fans compatriots, is my long-worded way of saying that yes… its all about the injuries.
3. Well, mostly.
4. There are issues that deserve criticism that are not related to the injuries. Its fair, for example, to ask how a defensive scheme that allows Andy Fucking Dalton complete 21 or 25 passes (for over 10 yards per attempt) is not suspect.
5. Its also entirely fair to point out that Jalen Ramsey, for all his elite talents, has lapses in coverage that have hurt us (insert your Chris Olave beat Jalen like Jon Snow beat Ramsey Bolton joke here).
6. And, while I’m reluctant to use terms like “gave up” to describe how players approach a game, I do feel like the defense, shall we say, lost its intensity after Matthew Stafford went down.
7. But, in the end, these criticisms, fair though they may be, miss the point.
8. No team – I don’t care how strong a roster they might have, how much character they might have, and how well coached they might be – could survive the bloodbath on the offensive line and, more recently, the injuries at QB and WR that the Rams have suffered. None. Zero. End of story.
9. So, here’s where I’m going for the next several random comments… I’m coming after you, vultures (that’s my fair warning – don’t read ahead if you think this might be directed at you and you can’t handle criticism).
10. The vultures are the fans who celebrate when things are good, but seem to really get energized when they have something to complain about.
11. Vultures don’t typically kill their own prey, they descend on the dead and the helpless.
12. Vultures think they are insightful and the true “realists” among fans when, in fact, they’re about as insightful as a meteorologist who looks out the window and tells you its currently raining.
13. Vultures are not a new phenomenon. If you’ve been a Rams fan for decades, your seen them carrion (see what I did there?) before.
14. But this year, there’s an added element: WE JUST WON THE FREAKIN’ SUPER BOWL!!!!
15. I know that there’s a “attack the post, not the poster” rule here, so I won’t call out anyone by name. However, here is a partial list of inane, impertinent, immature and insufferable things that the current flock of vultures like to say…
16. They question whether it was worth the “all in” approach? Well, while I don’t necessarily agree with the premise (even if we went only “partially in,” injuries would have killed us this year), the answer to that question is “are you fucking kidding me?”
17. They question whether Sean McVay is really a good coach or, even more comically, suggest he lost it due to resting on his laurels, getting married, being distracted, etc., etc., etc.
18. They suggest that Matthew Stafford will/should retire, that Aaron Donald should be moved to Pittsburgh, and that the entire roster should be scuttled.
19. Here’s the simple truth. The Rams will need to bolster (or, perhaps, retheir OL this offseason. That will be a big task. But if they do, and the rest of the key guys return (most are signed through next year), this team will compete and, with a little luck, contend in 2023. If you don’t get that, you must have just started watching NFL football.
20. So, vultures… shoo! This is a bad year, we all know it. The Rams will be back and, when things are good, you’ll be right back on the bandwagon. In the meantime, you’re not helping the situation. Not even a little bit.
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