[Lancer]

I seem to recall discussion about whether penalties (and errors) have that much impact in a game, when it matters?

Tremendous improvement this season though! The honeymoon for this staff however, I think is over now.

[BuiltRamTough]

[Hacksaw]

In sports it's all about winning and what have you done lately.

We had a great year by most teams standards. Unbelievable by our own standards. BUT, we have to get better and be more successful next year or all the magic could fade. Sure improvement could be 12 wins or more, but I see improvement as getting to a higher level. We can win 10 games but if we go deeper in the tournament then we rose up.

The division isn't going to get any easier so we have to rise ahead of the curve.

[69superbowl]

The 2017 Rams, thoroughly exciting and a jugillion times better than we have seen in more than a decade, was not good enough to just flip-the-switch back on after the ridiculous third-week preseason non-performance against the whiners. They were semi-rolling on offense to end the (de facto regular season in week 16). The Falcons, peaking from difficult games, came out faster, harder and tougher. They knocked the living shit out of P. Cooper and most Ram offensive players. I wasn't there but it was obvious they were playing at a different speed and toughness. That is preparation. That is coaching. That didn't happen - AND - I'm OK with it because our young HC is growing along with his young QB, Olinemen, RB, TE's, DBs, LBs, etc. Plenty of blame to go around. It was a great year - the greatest for all true Ram fans in a dozen years or more. I accept the bitter disappointment and will move forward. Just don't take another fucking week off before the most important game in 13 years. They weren't good enough or mature enough for that. I know the Rams were the better team, but not yesterday. They weren't ready. I was ready. I'm 57 years old. They will learn what old Ram fans already know.

[BuiltRamTough]

I just rewatched the game. Imo we didn’t make enough plays. The playoff experience thing is a little overrated. Obviously it’s a factor but I don’t think that’s the reason we lost. I give a lot of credit to the falcons. They were better. The turnovers hurt us but it was 13-10 at halftime.

The Falcons were the better team Sunday and they deserved to win. If you guys want you could make excuses and say this is a young team and all and they are but I’m not going to make that excuse.

[Stranger]

The 2017 Rams, thoroughly exciting and a jugillion times better than we have seen in more than a decade, was not good enough to just flip-the-switch back on after the ridiculous third-week preseason non-performance against the whiners. They were semi-rolling on offense to end the (de facto regular season in week 16). The Falcons, peaking from difficult games, came out faster, harder and tougher. They knocked the living shit out of P. Cooper and most Ram offensive players. I wasn't there but it was obvious they were playing at a different speed and toughness. That is preparation. That is coaching. That didn't happen - AND - I'm OK with it because our young HC is growing along with his young QB, Olinemen, RB, TE's, DBs, LBs, etc. Plenty of blame to go around. It was a great year - the greatest for all true Ram fans in a dozen years or more. I accept the bitter disappointment and will move forward. Just don't take another fucking week off before the most important game in 13 years. They weren't good enough or mature enough for that. I know the Rams were the better team, but not yesterday. They weren't ready. I was ready. I'm 57 years old. They will learn what old Ram fans already know.

I agree with every word in this post. Well, except I'm a couple years younger than you

[Ramfan99]

welcome @Ramfan99, and thanks for your observations!

Thank you for the welcome.
My son and I was so excited that we came there more than 1 hour before kickoff. During the game, we were mostly up on our feet as most did, cheering for the Rams, and booing Falcons. What a letdown afterward, because it was not even close! Rams was favorite by 6, but lost by 13, no excuse. I faulted #1 the Coach for resting players last week,#2 Cooper for not one, but 2 turnovers (he should release his Pro Bowl to someone else, sarcastic here), total disaster. And #3 Goff for out of sync... If he wants to be a Joe Montana or a Mat Ryan or better, better learn to release that damm balls quicker, especially in red zones. Sometimes you just have to trust your wide receivers to make plays with you and for you. I understand it takes time to build the trust with his wideouts, but he was MIA for game #16! It would be a perfect game for him to improve, learn something new, because it was a game that they not worry about the outcome as much as other games. He should had be out there to sharpen his skills. Look at Tom Brady, the best of the best, and at 40, still played game #16! However, Goff at 23, with 1 very lousy and 1 good season, wanted to take time off before the BIGGEST game of his career!! And #4 whoever (players, coaches) for not taking care of their slippery issue early on. Gurley, Goff, wideout clearly had the issue then. Players in defense took care of the issue.

The irony here was ... Sam Ficken, our kicker. Prior to the game, I worried as everyone else did that the team would do well, but he would not. It turned out the opposite! Before kickoff, we had a chance to watch him practicing: He made them all: at 25, 35, 40 and even 45 yard line (55 yard field goal), so my son and I were like “No more worry from me. Relaxed (like Aaron Rogers told fans), Rams would kick butts”. Man, I was so wrong!
Sammy Watkins: sometimes I felt like Rams played only 10 players vs 11, because they did not throw him balls but I believe he was on the field more than other wideouts. At the beginning of the season, I understood, because he was not with them the whole training camp, but as the season progressed, nothing changed. My son yelled so loud “Sammy, Sammy open in the middle!” Instead, Goff threw someone else for an incomplete. Could be a TD had he targeted Sammy, but my guess here is as good as everyone else. Anyway we ended the season with 2 eggs in a row. When my teams (Rams, Packers) are out, I am done watching football, including SB.

[RamsFanSince82]

It wasn't Goff or the other starters decision to take week 17 off. McVay is the one that told Gurley, Goff and other starters they weren't going to play in week 17.

Brady and the other Pats starters played in week 17 because they had a bye during the wildcard weekend. If they took week 17 off, they would go three weeks before playing again. If the Rams had a bye during wildcard weekend, the starters would've played most of, if not the entire game against SF.

[sloramfan]

im not so sure rams fan since 82...

if they had a bye, and 9'r game was meaningless...

prolly would have rested...

go rams

slo

[Hacksaw]

Too much rest can out of sync the ship.