[max]

Remember remember
2021 November
When a future champion looked shot
I can see no reason
In this, the next season
Why that poor month should be forgot

I see a distinct difference between November 2021 and now. Last year, I saw enough out of the OL to believe they could turn things around. They still had Whitworth. Thats a huge difference to this year. They lost a HOF LT and replaced him with a career backup. The entire left side of the OL suffers evidenced by Edwards dismal performance.

[rams74]

Last season, the Packers were dismantled in Game 1 by the Saints. They were TERRIBLE. Worse than the Rams last night against the Bills. Packers fans said the season was over.

But then by the end of the season, the Packers were the top seed in the NFC.

It's one game. No more, no less.

[St. Loser Fan]

I wonder if McVay will re-examine his "the pre season is useless/play none of the starters" mantra?

[AvengerRam]

I see a distinct difference between November 2021 and now. Last year, I saw enough out of the OL to believe they could turn things around. They still had Whitworth. Thats a huge difference to this year. They lost a HOF LT and replaced him with a career backup. The entire left side of the OL suffers evidenced by Edwards dismal performance.

Last November:

Lost to the Titans 28-16. OL gave up 5 sacks, 11 QB hits.
Lost to the 49ers 31-10. OL gave up 2 sacks, 4 QB hits (and offense had < 300 yards).
Lost to the Packers. OL gave up 2 sacks, 5 QB hits.

In those three games, the Rams only averaged 71.3 yards rushing.

So, yes... many of us thought/hoped they could turn it around, but that was a very bad stretch by the OL (and the team as a whole).

The point is... Super Bowl winning teams can have bad games and bad stretches. Last year, they overcame their deficiencies and found a way to win it all. I'm still hoping for a repeat.

[AvengerRam]

I wonder if McVay will re-examine his "the pre season is useless/play none of the starters" mantra?

I doubt he will, though, in this case, playing the OL a few series probably couldn't have hurt (unless, you know... someone got hurt).

[ramsman34]

Between now and the bye we play all nfc teams, 2 division games, 3 teams from 2031 playoffs and there are only 2 teams that are supposed to be crappy; falcons and panthers, but the panthers could be better then people think. The soul of this team will be revealed over the next 5 games. Schedule gets brutal after that. Getting the OL right is the key. I’m not concerned anywhere else.

[ramsman34]

Most likely, whiners will be 1-0 and the rest of the division 0-1 after week 1. Ugh

[ramsman34]

I see a distinct difference between November 2021 and now. Last year, I saw enough out of the OL to believe they could turn things around. They still had Whitworth. Thats a huge difference to this year. They lost a HOF LT and replaced him with a career backup. The entire left side of the OL suffers evidenced by Edwards dismal performance.

I kind of agree with you Max. However, Boom has played well before and there are a couple guys on the roster who might be upgrades given the opps; Jackson and Anchrum. We will see if there is some shuffling of the OL doesn’t improve. The cards and whiners have DLs that can be a problem. Maybe even the cowboys. The next 5 games will tell a lot of the story for the season I believe.

[max]

I kind of agree with you Max. However, Boom has played well before and there are a couple guys on the roster who might be upgrades given the opps; Jackson and Anchrum. We will see if there is some shuffling of the OL doesn’t improve. The cards and whiners have DLs that can be a problem. Maybe even the cowboys. The next 5 games will tell a lot of the story for the season I believe.

I mean, there is always hope for the virtually unknown. How many people expected us to win the SB when Trent Green went down? So there's always that. But its a low probability shot.

Noteboom was good for a game or two filling in for Whit, but the leader of the OL was right there waiting to get back on the field. Whit was the glue that held an average at best rest of the OL together. That is gone.

Right now we've got 5 guys who just aren't very good talent-wise or leadership-wise.
Let's face it, Havenstein is an ok RT, but as a total player he's nowhere close to Whitworth as a player or leader.

[St. Loser Fan]

I doubt he will, though, in this case, playing the OL a few series probably couldn't have hurt (unless, you know... someone got hurt).

I'm not saying lets go back to the old days when starters played in to the third quarter: but run them out for one or two series at least.

Again it comes back to my continued criticism of McVay. He might be the smartest coach ever with a photographic knowledge of every relevant NFL game. And he might be able to gameplan based that expansive knowledge. But things go sideways the moment some variable he didn't plan for occurs.