Thoughts entering Q2 of our season

[dang]

Get through brutal early season schedule with a couple of wins: check

Young players emerging/improving: check

Manage to stay relatively healthy: check

I’ll take it!

Weeding out players that don’t have a role this year or next year: check

 

[madrid311]

Yes. I’d love more dedication to the Oline. Resign Dotson and they are set at Guard. Big Rob’s getting older and speed rushers will seem faster every year. OLT is a small concern and Center could use an upgrade. Shelton played poorly against the Eagles big physical front.

So, next on the menu imo is center. We should have already had the best one in the business. A lot depends on how the draft board falls.

Tackling isn’t great. Remember that they struggled to tackle a guy who can be very hard for any team to tackle.

McVay calling too many passing plays may not be the problem. They way I have understood it is that every play is a run or pass and Stafford looks at the defense and makes the final call. McVay doesn’t throw him under the bus at press conferences. When McVay takes the blame, I think he’s taking the blame for the play call in general, not the run or pass selection.

I think pass rush has to be the biggest concern right now and come draft day. A better pass rush and this team could be undefeated right now. They may be looking at interior and edge rusher both.

McVay calling too many passing plays may not be the problem. They way I have understood it is that every play is a run or pass and Stafford looks at the defense and makes the final call. McVay doesn’t throw him under the bus at press conferences. When McVay takes the blame, I think he’s taking the blame for the play call in general, not the run or pass selection.
maybe Stafford needs to stop not calling running plays.

 

[AvengerRam]

Weeding out players that don’t have a role this year or next year: check

Good point. Probably an underrated task.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

McVay calling too many passing plays may not be the problem. They way I have understood it is that every play is a run or pass and Stafford looks at the defense and makes the final call. McVay doesn’t throw him under the bus at press conferences. When McVay takes the blame, I think he’s taking the blame for the play call in general, not the run or pass selection.
maybe Stafford needs to stop not calling running plays.

Yeah, that could be the case. I guess it’s also possible that McVay is in his ear suggesting the pass play.

 

[Ellard80]

Yes. I’d love more dedication to the Oline. Resign Dotson and they are set at Guard. Big Rob’s getting older and speed rushers will seem faster every year. OLT is a small concern and Center could use an upgrade. Shelton played poorly against the Eagles big physical front.

So, next on the menu imo is center. We should have already had the best one in the business. A lot depends on how the draft board falls.

Tackling isn’t great. Remember that they struggled to tackle a guy who can be very hard for any team to tackle.

McVay calling too many passing plays may not be the problem. They way I have understood it is that every play is a run or pass and Stafford looks at the defense and makes the final call. McVay doesn’t throw him under the bus at press conferences. When McVay takes the blame, I think he’s taking the blame for the play call in general, not the run or pass selection.

I think pass rush has to be the biggest concern right now and come draft day. A better pass rush and this team could be undefeated right now. They may be looking at interior and edge rusher both.

Yeah this is basic football - you have a run play and a pass play... the defense reveals itself and the Coach and QB pick a play.

Later in the clock the QB makes the decision.

Coaches don't call "run" plays or "pass" plays necessarily.

 

[snackdaddy]

Looking at the schedule I see enough teams that don't look better than us to give us a shot at the playoffs. AZ, Pitt and GB before the bye. Assuming we lose in Dallas its possible we could be 5-4. If we do end up with that, I like our chances. It shows we can take care of business against lesser teams.

But if we go 4-5, then I won't be so optimistic. Those 3 teams coming up are teams we should beat. If we can't beat them all then we likely are not as good as we thought. We become capable of losing to more lesser teams.

So far we are looking better than expected. The two wins we were underdogs. The 3 losses were all competitive. Still, the next 4 games will tell us all we need to know.

 

[CGI_Ram]

If we beat Arizona, 3-3 feels pretty good heading into the next stretch.

Let’s get this win.

 

[Tano]

Looking at the schedule I see enough teams that don't look better than us to give us a shot at the playoffs. AZ, Pitt and GB before the bye. Assuming we lose in Dallas its possible we could be 5-4. If we do end up with that, I like our chances. It shows we can take care of business against lesser teams.

But if we go 4-5, then I won't be so optimistic. Those 3 teams coming up are teams we should beat. If we can't beat them all then we likely are not as good as we thought. We become capable of losing to more lesser teams.

So far we are looking better than expected. The two wins we were underdogs. The 3 losses were all competitive. Still, the next 4 games will tell us all we need to know.

I think we have a chance to beat Dallas the way they are playing this year. You never know which team is going to show up.

 

[Conciliator]

"Thoughts about the season"

Yea...Win more games.

 

[TexasRam]

A few plays here or there and we could be 4-1 but a different coin flip and we could be 1-4.

I love how our schedule looks and 3 key factors can really affect our outcome:

1. Injuries to our team or our opponents.

2. Possible growth of the young dudes. Some might turn the corner and really turn it on at some point year 1.

3. Adjustments to personnel. Coaches may move underperformers out and new blood in. i.e. Van Jefferson. We may see adjustments to our secondary or other groups. A trade may happen but I doubt anything serious.

Regarding Shelton, he has played really well this year. Jalen Carter did kick his ass but look at how Donald beat Quentin Nelson’s ass. I think Shelton might have a real nice year when it’s all said and done.

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

Looking at the schedule I see enough teams that don't look better than us to give us a shot at the playoffs. AZ, Pitt and GB before the bye. Assuming we lose in Dallas its possible we could be 5-4. If we do end up with that, I like our chances. It shows we can take care of business against lesser teams.

But if we go 4-5, then I won't be so optimistic. Those 3 teams coming up are teams we should beat. If we can't beat them all then we likely are not as good as we thought. We become capable of losing to more lesser teams.

So far we are looking better than expected. The two wins we were underdogs. The 3 losses were all competitive. Still, the next 4 games will tell us all we need to know.

We were underdogs against the Colts? I didn't realize that but I guess playing them at their place was the determining factor??

~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[Boston Ram]

We need to come out of the 2nd Quarter 3-1. If they do, its playoffs or bust. If we play like we have so far 3-1 looks very reasonable. Oddly I think we beat Dallas but the Cardinals scare me more at the moment.

 

[snackdaddy]

We were underdogs against the Colts? I didn't realize that but I guess playing them at their place was the determining factor??

~ArkyRamsFan~

It wasn't by much. I believe they were a 1 to 1.5 point favorite over the Rams. The Colts are not pushovers. They 3-2. Beating them in their house against their number one quarterback was no easy task. In fact, of the first 5 games only the Bengals have a losing record. The other 4 are a combined 16-3. To come out of that stretch 2-3 is far better than I expected.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

I think we have a chance to beat Dallas the way they are playing this year. You never know which team is going to show up.

Definitely a jekyll and hyde team. I think if they get a lead, they pull away--but when they're in a fight they fall apart.