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Daily Bits: No excuses for Rams
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_467086ac-c8f8-509c-aace-5c3563ffa464.html
Daily Bernie Bits for Thursday, April 24...
Yes, the Rams have a tough schedule for 2014. That's a byproduct of playing in the NFC West, which is the home of the Seahawks and 49ers and the improved Cardinals. There are no soft spots, and six of the Rams' 16 games are within the division, so what do we expect?
I don't understand the NFL's specific structuring of the Rams' schedule. Putting a Monday night game in St. Louis during the baseball Cardinals' postseason (if they make it there again) is asinine. Having to end yet another regular season at Seattle is ridiculous. Stacking San Francisco and Seattle back to back for consecutive Rams' home games in mid-October seems excessive, especially if the baseball Cardinals' postseason is still a factor. And the eight-game stretch following the Rams' bye week is capable of ripping this team up.
Having said all of that, I don't feel sorry for the Rams. This is an organization that's put a losing outfit on the field for nine consecutive seasons. To this point, the not-as-new regime of GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher hasn't been able to break the streak. This will be their third year in charge. Their third year of coaching up and developing young players. They've had three free-agent pools to work with. This will be their third draft. They've had the benefit of extra draft picks because of the 2012 trade with Washington for the No. 2 overall choice.
Here's how you overcome a brutal schedule: you build a football team that's capable of standing up to it, and succeeding. The last thing the Rams need right now are people making excuses for them.
This is a franchise that's gone an NFL worst 43-100-1 since 2005... a franchise that has an owner that torments his own fan base by buying a piece of ground on LA during Super Bowl week to whip up the “Rams are moving!" hysteria … it's way past time for the Rams to get themselves right, and the last thing they need are enablers.
Indeed, the Rams have a very difficult schedule. The NFL certainly didn't cut them any breaks. I would like to see the Rams do well, so a softer schedule mix would be nice. But I'm sure fans and media are saying similar things in many (if not all) NFL markets.
This is Year 3 of the Fisher-Snead project. They should be able to handle tough schedules by now. And if they can't, then they can find other media people to hold their hands and express poor-baby sympathy. To Fisher and Snead's credit, I don't think they're looking for that.
Speaking of the Rams: Interesting opinion from Mike Sando of ESPN.com: “An offensive coach from another team told me this week he thought the Rams should sprint to the commissioner with the card bearing the name of Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins, a player the coach thought would finally give Sam Bradford the true No. 1 receiver he's been lacking. The Rams need line help on offense and they could certainly put (pass rusher) Jadeveon Clowney to good use, but adding a No. 1 wideout would help the team maximize 2013 first-rounder Tavon Austin as well.”
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_467086ac-c8f8-509c-aace-5c3563ffa464.html
Daily Bernie Bits for Thursday, April 24...
Yes, the Rams have a tough schedule for 2014. That's a byproduct of playing in the NFC West, which is the home of the Seahawks and 49ers and the improved Cardinals. There are no soft spots, and six of the Rams' 16 games are within the division, so what do we expect?
I don't understand the NFL's specific structuring of the Rams' schedule. Putting a Monday night game in St. Louis during the baseball Cardinals' postseason (if they make it there again) is asinine. Having to end yet another regular season at Seattle is ridiculous. Stacking San Francisco and Seattle back to back for consecutive Rams' home games in mid-October seems excessive, especially if the baseball Cardinals' postseason is still a factor. And the eight-game stretch following the Rams' bye week is capable of ripping this team up.
Having said all of that, I don't feel sorry for the Rams. This is an organization that's put a losing outfit on the field for nine consecutive seasons. To this point, the not-as-new regime of GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher hasn't been able to break the streak. This will be their third year in charge. Their third year of coaching up and developing young players. They've had three free-agent pools to work with. This will be their third draft. They've had the benefit of extra draft picks because of the 2012 trade with Washington for the No. 2 overall choice.
Here's how you overcome a brutal schedule: you build a football team that's capable of standing up to it, and succeeding. The last thing the Rams need right now are people making excuses for them.
This is a franchise that's gone an NFL worst 43-100-1 since 2005... a franchise that has an owner that torments his own fan base by buying a piece of ground on LA during Super Bowl week to whip up the “Rams are moving!" hysteria … it's way past time for the Rams to get themselves right, and the last thing they need are enablers.
Indeed, the Rams have a very difficult schedule. The NFL certainly didn't cut them any breaks. I would like to see the Rams do well, so a softer schedule mix would be nice. But I'm sure fans and media are saying similar things in many (if not all) NFL markets.
This is Year 3 of the Fisher-Snead project. They should be able to handle tough schedules by now. And if they can't, then they can find other media people to hold their hands and express poor-baby sympathy. To Fisher and Snead's credit, I don't think they're looking for that.
Speaking of the Rams: Interesting opinion from Mike Sando of ESPN.com: “An offensive coach from another team told me this week he thought the Rams should sprint to the commissioner with the card bearing the name of Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins, a player the coach thought would finally give Sam Bradford the true No. 1 receiver he's been lacking. The Rams need line help on offense and they could certainly put (pass rusher) Jadeveon Clowney to good use, but adding a No. 1 wideout would help the team maximize 2013 first-rounder Tavon Austin as well.”