[PARAM]

See I'm not interested in what "people remember" around the league.

That's the issue though. What "other fans" think. How the Rams are perceived. Where they're rated. What people remember is important, not reality. Making excuses is just covering; wearing rose colored glasses; being a homer.

An excuse by definition is an attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify. Or something offered as justification. Excuses are for the weak. Real men don't make excuses.

In other words, it's preferable to accept McVay and Snead fucked up in 2022. They didn't have 15 legit, quality offensive lineman to prevent a disruption in the performance of the offense when injuries ocurred and that is a serious omission. And further, as some like to point out, they knew the guys they had were injury prone. Noteboom, Allen, Anchrum, Edwards, Shelton, etc. So, the "fault" is a 5-12 record by the defending SB Champs (a record performance that should be terribly embarrassing to every Ram fan...forever) and the "offense" is incompetent planning on the part of McVay and Snead. Injuries? A record number for one position group doesn't play into it in the least.

It shouldn't because there are some facts we have to accept. For instance, even when the OL was healthy they sucked. Remember they were embarrassed in week 1 vs Buffalo? Forget that was the ONLY week the starting 5 were healthy. We all know, 1 game can tell us everything we need to know. Just look back to 2021. The 7-1 Rams offense and their veteran QB played like shit vs Tennessee. Leading 3-0, early in the 2nd quarter, on back to back plays Stafford threw one up for grabs, as he was being spun around by a defender (something you might expect from a high school QB), that was picked and returned to the Rams 2, leading to a Tennessee TD. Then on the first play of the next possession, he threw an out that was picked and taken to the house. After, it was all downhill from there. Season over. Clearly, based on that one game, the Rams were not going to win the division, the conference or the Super Bowl. And for emphasis, they lost 2 more games after that. One to their arch rivals, who they would never beat in the postseason if they matched up. So, as was stated, the Rams O line would have been crappola in 2022 if all 5 guys remained healthy all year. Just look at the Buffalo game. The facts are the facts.

But there's something else that's evident. McVay and Snead screwed up the 2022 season and now they are doing it again. They released, traded or didn't resign 8 guys on the defense heading into the 2023 season. And those fans who brought us the facts about our 2022 O line are also warning us not to expect more than 5 or 6 wins again this year. I think I'm gonna head to the tropics this fall and drink cocktails on the beach rubbing elbows with beautifully tanned women who don't give a damn about Rams football. It should be much more fun than watching the train wreck that's coming.

[/zn/]

They didn't have 15 legit, quality offensive lineman to prevent a disruption in the performance of the offense when injuries ocurred and that is a serious omission. And further, as some like to point out, they knew the guys they had were injury prone. Noteboom, Allen, Anchrum, Edwards, Shelton, etc.

I will go further than you. Although Anchrum, Edwards, and Shelton had not been injured as pros before 2022, they were injured last year. So no matter what OL they put together, it will mostly consist of previously injured starters, including Jackson. And Hav, since he was injured in 2019. On top it, they will be fielding a previously injured QB, a previously injured star WR, and a previously injured Akers at RB.

So even if the offense plays well in 2023 it will all be a sham, because it consists mostly of previously injured starters.

[bremillard]

With no offense to the great and powerful zn, it's just more excuses. He's right. All teams have injuries. Every teams fan base could say this every year.

It's odd that some fans can't accept the fact that the team stunk last year. With a healthy line and without. They were DOA against Buffalo opening night. They weren't prepared for the season IMO.

Don't forget, SF made it to the championship game in 2021 with guys on the oline that were off the street.

Lots of guys completely forgot about the 2022 opening game stinker. The injuries had yet to start mounting and they got toasted. I love the Rams. I have been behind them since Kenny Iman was snapping the ball to Roman Gabriel who was handing the ball off to Dick Bass or tossing it to Jack Snow. That doesn't mean I don't understand they've had some clinkers along the way. 2022 was a clinker and unless there's some pleasant surprises '23 will be too. But, bring on the regular season and let's see what they have.

[ramsww]

Lots of guys completely forgot about the 2022 opening game stinker. The injuries had yet to start mounting and they got toasted. I love the Rams. I have been behind them since Kenny Iman was snapping the ball to Roman Gabriel who was handing the ball off to Dick Bass or tossing it to Jack Snow. That doesn't mean I don't understand they've had some clinkers along the way. 2022 was a clinker and unless there's some pleasant surprises '23 will be too. But, bring on the regular season and let's see what they have.

I guess you said it better than I have with a lot less words. The cynicism coming from some others is funny ‘cause I actually agree with some of it. Yes, I often place too much emphasis on the first game (Bills) or a great preseason showing (Lance McCutcheon, Kennison, even TJ Rubley) but seldom do these long shots turn into HOFers. The Rams have to prove this same OLine (plus Avila and now minus Noteboom) can perform at a high level. They have to prove the O players can come back healthy. The DBs can gel and be consistent covering all the great WRs out there and the DLine/Edge has to make an appearance soon. I believe they can check many of these boxes by OCT but it’s asking a LOT to check them all in 2023.

[/zn/]

Lots of guys completely forgot about the 2022 opening game stinker. The injuries had yet to start mounting and they got toasted. I love the Rams. I have been behind them since Kenny Iman was snapping the ball to Roman Gabriel who was handing the ball off to Dick Bass or tossing it to Jack Snow. That doesn't mean I don't understand they've had some clinkers along the way. 2022 was a clinker and unless there's some pleasant surprises '23 will be too. But, bring on the regular season and let's see what they have.

No one "forgets" that, that's a straw man. They clearly weren't ready for the season in their first couple of games. That was my big complaint about those games at the time. It looked like a combination of Stafford basically playing injured (and so not getting enough reps in the summer) and also both the coaches and players not being very good at getting over super bowl victory sickness.

But the McV Rams have had stretches before in other seasons where they slumped or played poorly, and came back from it to re-assert themselves.

You seem to be unjustifiably assuming that would never happen in 2022. But why not? Why couldn't it happen in 2022?

Well the reason it couldn't happen in 2022 is not only because they eventually lost Stafford, Kupp, and Donald, they also had a league record 13 consecutive games where they had to field a different OL combination in every single game.

So you can't legitimately claim they would never have been able to re-group if they remained relatively healthy. (And that doesn't mean return to a super bowl, just have a winning season.)

And you might try to say that fielding 13 different OL combinations in 13 games had no effect, but you would just be plain wrong about that. This is not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of knowing something about NFL history. No team you can name has even half the OL injuries the Rams did in 2022 and played well. If you don't believe me name all the examples of teams that continued to play well on offense when suffering extensive, multiple, simultaneous OL injuries, where even the replacements get injured and have to be replaced. For the record, I have asked that many times before (going back to 2007 when the Rams OL was demolished by injuries) and have never gotten one single credible example.

...

[PARAM]

For the record, I have asked that many times before (going back to 2007 when the Rams OL was demolished by injuries) and have never gotten one single credible example.

...

Is that because a credible example doesn't exist????

[/zn/]

Is that because a credible example doesn't exist????

Actually there was a year each where Brady and Wilson managed to win with pretty beat-up OLs. Not as bad as the Rams in 2007, let alone in 2022. But still, pretty beat up. I think those 2 examples edge up to the gray area on this.

[bremillard]

No one "forgets" that, that's a straw man. They clearly weren't ready for the season in their first couple of games. That was my big complaint about those games at the time. It looked like a combination of Stafford basically playing injured (and so not getting enough reps in the summer) and also both the coaches and players not being very good at getting over super bowl victory sickness.

But the McV Rams have had stretches before in other seasons where they slumped or played poorly, and came back from it to re-assert themselves.

You seem to be unjustifiably assuming that would never happen in 2022. But why not? Why couldn't it happen in 2022?

Well the reason it couldn't happen in 2022 is not only because they eventually lost Stafford, Kupp, and Donald, they also had a league record 13 consecutive games where they had to field a different OL combination in every single game.

So you can't legitimately claim they would never have been able to re-group if they remained relatively healthy. (And that doesn't mean return to a super bowl, just have a winning season.)

And you might try to say that fielding 13 different OL combinations in 13 games had no effect, but you would just be plain wrong about that. This is not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of knowing something about NFL history. No team you can name has even half the OL injuries the Rams did in 2022 and played well. If you don't believe me name all the examples of teams that continued to play well on offense when suffering extensive, multiple, simultaneous OL injuries, where even the replacements get injured and have to be replaced. For the record, I have asked that many times before (going back to 2007 when the Rams OL was demolished by injuries) and have never gotten one single credible example.

...

Good ole hindsight. Always 20/20. "What might have been if"...again useless banter. What happened is the Rams started poorly and then injuries made them worse. Here's something else history tells. If you are playing teams better than you injuries tend to be more frequent. That's why lesser quality college teams are paid to play out of conference powerhouses. Some of the season ending injuries might not have been season ending had the team been in position to compete for a playoff spot. There's no wrong or right answer. There's fans and hope then reality. What's real is the 5-12 record that could easily have been 4-13 had not been for the Vegas miracle. What could have been "IF" will never be known. Let's see what happens in '23 but after watching 2 preseason games my confidence for a successful season is waning.

[ramsman34]

And soon, the 2023 season starts and we can all let 2022 go.

The past in the NFL, for quality teams, doesn’t have nearly the influence on the present and future as fans think. They have a cap, they manage it as shrewdly as possible (it IS affected by the past more than anything else), they reload the bottom 3rd of the roster and target a few guys they think will be immediate difference makes or at least contributors, they study the tends of the game, they study how to beat what they couldn’t and what beat them that they could not solve. (there’s the past as a teacher again), they keep continuity as best they can with team operations. They teach and inspire and then they go play the games. Luck is very much involved for the talented teams that make and advance in the playoffs.

2022 is DEAD. 2023 is born in a few weeks. And away we go!

[actionjack]

Once we were told of Rams plan to keep the offense intact and not spend on the defense to build salary cap for the coming years I was ok with it.

I do think however the Rams overestimated how much it would take to keep Gaines and AShawn. Both signed bargain short term contracts. If we have issues against the run in particular, we can look at not bringing one or both of these guys back.