[Neil039]

RAMS 2020 DRAFT
BTW, I am still urging Los Ramos to draft OL early and often next month!

Can I triple double stamp this point!

The defense will play better as soon as the offense is in rhythm and stays on the field for sustained drives. JMO

[PARAM]

Splitting hairs now eh, PA?

NUMBERS
ESPN rounds off to the nearest tenth of a yard.....so they have us tied with Pittsburgh, TB and da Bears......at 3.7 YPC. Look it up!
Then the Jets and Fins at NFL worst 3.5 YPC.

So, my calculator shows 0.1 of a yard as 3.6 inches.
….and the difference between TB 3.71 YPC vs. Rams 3.73 YPC is 0.02 of a yard (ie. 1/50th of a yard).....or about 7/10ths of an inch.

Wow.....that's a smoking gun right there sportsfans!!!

You call it "splitting hairs". I call it accuracy over embellishment.


The final yards per carry numbers were bad for sure. Was it all on the OL talent? Was it because of injuries and lack of continuity? There's huge difference there, ya know. But if you're a person desiring a change of personnel, when it may not be the personnel, then you're mistaken. And when your pulling a Peter Finch and yelling out an open window "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore" or pounding your fist on the table while describing the degree of futility in a certain numerical catagory, then at least have your numbers right. Particularly if you're being so myopic as to narrow it down to one number.

You use that ypc number as if it's your holy grail (and it is because outside of that, you don't have much). It legitimizes your claim the OL sucked all year and never improved. So to hammer that home, you claim there were only 2 teams worst out of 31. Sounds bad but it is completely and mathmatically inaccurate. Truth is the line did show improvement and anybody who hasn't made belittling them their mission could see it. Nobody said, "they played great!". Nobody said, "the OL issues were solved". Many said, "they improved as they got more playing time". It's a legit progression and one of the reasons fans thought it a mistake the starting 5 or at least the first time starters didn't play in preseason. It might have given them another step towards gelling.

But that O line, as bad as the ypc numbers were, as bad as the injuries were, as much as they had to reload and move guys around, allowed a league low 22 sacks. Now, I'll admit that number carries about as much weight as ypc and could be argued against 6 ways to Sunday but it's also a fact. And considering we pass more than we run, is it more important? We need play action but we don't run on 3rd and 12 or when we're down 28 points (unless we're giving up).

FANTASY
But hey, let's not talk non-quotes, nor "mulligans" or culminations, eh.....
instead, let's talk Fairy Tales.

This Fairy Tale is about how the 2019 Ram OL "improved" the last half of the season when the Yutes played with Whit and Blythe. Back a month ago, in the thread about Whitworth's line on Cowherd's Show about the "Rams 2019 Problems Boiled Down to Boom and Allen not playing to Saffold &Sully Levels"......yeah, a month ago, in that thread, I listed the Rams rushing record the last 8 individual 2019 games, when we went 4-4 with 5 of the 8 games versus non-playoff teams.
Guess what?

The Rams rushing totals for those 8 games was 202 carries for 721 total rushing yards.....or 3.57 YPC......which is less than the 3.73 YPC for the whole of 2019, which you quoted above.
Holey moley…..the Rams rushing YPC actually dropped during the 8 games of Yutes OL improvement!!!

…..but how can that be???
They were "improving"!!! Right???
I mean.....we went 4-4 the last 8 games, so that's an improvement, no? Damm….we went 5-3 the FIRST 8 GAMES!
…..AND THEN....but wait.....in our rushing the last 8 games....
damm, oh no.....we also dipped in YPC in the last 8 games "of improvement" to 3.57:?
Sheesh....what an enigma!!!

LOL!!! The only fairy tales concerning the O line are Kromer is an idiot, with too many stops on his resume (like being hired by Sean Payton, Jon Gruden, Sean McVay is a bad thing) and the OL never improved based on a ypc number in which the Rams ranked 27th but has been described as #30 to make it more damning!! Hey the World Champs ranked 20th in that catagory!!! Bottom half of the NFL. So, really, how important is that number? As I've reminded you before, that number is an average, not a constant. You know what that means right? No of course you don't or you wouldn't use it as the holy grail of your argument!!

And by all means, let's use a cumulative number for the last 8 games to describe what actually happened. Let's ignore the fact against Baltimore the Rams D allowed TDs on the Ravens first 6 possessions or against Dallas we were down 28-7 at the half and 31-7 after 3. Sure, we're gonna have great rushing numbers under those conditions aren't we? Like I said, myopic.

I said (and others have also) that the O line was beginning to gel before Noteboom went down. That was with the eyeball test. But let's use you magical mystery holy grail number. In week 5 against Seattle that magical number was 4.6 and the next week against SF, it was 5.0. But Noteboom went down early in that SF game and we were basically fucked. Rewatch the first drive (the only drive Noteboom played, save for 1 play in the second series) and tell me the O line sucked. And that was against the NFC SB reps.

The second half of the season started with our starting LG already gone for the year. Our starting C and RT joined him in game #9. So working with 1 backup (who developed pretty well as the season went on according to many fans....and surprise, surprise....including you) and then with two more new starters for game #10, is it really surprising we didn't look like the Ground Chuck Rams of the early 70's. My god man, you've been watching football for 6 decades and you expected things to just move along smoothly? No, instead, let's blame Kromer for not having 3 all pros waiting in the wings. Let's put the average for those 8 games out there and say they sucked in each and every game. Like I said, myopic.

THE BACK DOOR
Hopefully, you will read the above and realize that you have a way out....
just blame it all (ie. the lacklustre late season rushing stats) on Gurley's bum knee!!! It's okay.....he's gone now.

Wow, you really overestimate the strength of your argument. Honestly, it's weak because it totally ignores the injuries. No, I won't blame Gurley. I blame the injuries. And you know who else doesn't blame the talent of the O line? McVay. It looks like he might roll the same 5 guys from the same 8 or 9 he's had and when it appears that's the case, you make a post stating how "that's the only thing that worries you about the 2020 Rams" or belittle the re-signing of Whitworth (which you wanted) by calling him a "39 year old, surgically repaired LT" . As much time as you've invested dissing Kromer and the O line, I didn't expect you to say, "well, I guess I coulda been wrong. McVay certainly knows more than me.".

RAMS 2020 DRAFT
BTW, I am still urging Los Ramos to draft OL early and often next month!

Don't hold your breath. I'm sure if they don't you'll be the first one to the window or the first one to the table with your raised fist to tell us what a huge mistake it was. If they do take a couple you'll believe it's the panacea and all is right in Rams world, like a couple of rookies are going to replace the young guys who matured in 2019. Both would be wrong. Chances are, if they draft any OL in April, it'll probably be with an eye towards 2021 when Whitworth might be done and Havenstein released (if he doesn't improve).

Now, I fully expect a reply about 'labeling' your view myopic but that's just how I see it. You ignore all the other factors and point to yards per carry. Either the actual number or ranking. And yet you also choose to ignore the Rams allowed the fewest number of sack while throwing the second highest number of passes. I know that hurries and knockdowns and such also play in, and I'm not ignoring them, they were high but they did what they could under the conditions they had to endure. Like a defense that couldn't stop East Jabumfuck St. on some Sundays!!

We'll see how it turns out in 2020 but I'm not betting against McVay, Kromer and the 5 young guys who got a lot of important experience and showed improvement as the season progressed. My biggest worry is how will this revamped defense with a first time coordinator perform? Hopefully the offense will be refined enough to overcome any setbacks there. In an ideal situation both will be fine and we'll be back in the Superbowl. But we know it ain't that easy.

[CanuckRightWinger]

You say myopic, and I say focussed.
You say tomayto, and I say tomato

You say gift...….and I say fat chance!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Note to RFUers: I hope you guys realize that PA and I are in total lockstep on how to run the Rams franchise. We only feign these public disagreements for your reading pleasure and distraction from the graver things going on in the world!

Now to prove that I am not making this up, PA will post soon how he agrees with me that out of a very capable and powerful 2018 Oklahoma Sooner OLine, that we ended up with the overweight fat guy with bad feet, Bobby Flowguts Evans because Kromer read the whole situation wrong. Basically, due to Kromer's talent-evaluation ineptitude, the Rams ended up drafting the runt of that powerful 2018 Sooner OLine.
Okay, PA.....transmit that post of concurrence now.....

PA?

Pennsylvania, are you there??

Yo.....PA.....remember our deal eh!!!
PA??
Buehler???!!

[PARAM]

You say myopic, and I say focussed.

Oh you're focused. That's never been in question. But you've got the aim of Dick Cheney!

[snackdaddy]

Maybe you two should get a room.

[CanuckRightWinger]

Good one snackdaddy!!

I was going for "a little humor"...…
SO....

my work here is now done!

[Haden]

LINK: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... encytrades

POST-FREE AGENCY FRENZY POWER RANKINGS
NFL.COM

RANK: 17

RAMS -3
Previous rank: No. 14

Change happens fast in the NFL: The Rams have quickly gone from an organization on the rise to a team in transition. Running back Todd Gurley, the former face of the franchise and the man who once seemed destined to open up Sofi Stadium as the building's biggest star, was released and quickly signed by the Falcons. Nearly half the team's starting defense from 2019 must be replaced. Teams are calling about receiver Brandin Cooks. There are still building block pieces in place ( Jared Goff, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey form a damn solid foundation), but the Super Bowl window has closed for the time being. Can Sean McVay and Les Snead re-open it?

[snackdaddy]

I guess these articles, rankings and opinions are all we have this time of year. Most times, they're all incorrect in their projections. And rankings are fluid. After the draft rankings will change.

I do understand why people are skeptical of the Rams. We missed the playoffs. 4 wins less than the previous season. A lot of turnover on defense. Goff's regression. The line's regression. A lot of things to point to.

But everything is based on the 2019 performance. When they look at Gurley's release they remember his 2017 and 2018 performances. They look at Fowler's 11.5 sacks. They didn't notice that Gurley was a non factor in the NFCCG and Superbowl. Likely because of his knee issues. Which continued in the 2019 season. They didn't notice Fowler had 7 sacks in 3 games. 3 came against the team who signed him to a big contract. Maybe their opinion of him was a bit skewed because he did so well against them?

[PARAM]

Maybe you two should get a room.

Get a room? Hell, when I met him in St. Louis, years ago, he wouldn't even stay in the same hotel as me!!! Then he went out drinking by himself!!

I was going for "a little humor"...…

Well you succeeded!!!

Seriously, it's all good. A welcome distraction. Opposing viewpoints are healthy. Even in politics during a fucking pandemic!! It emphasizes the difference between the politicians and the actual human beings!!

I guess these articles, rankings and opinions are all we have this time of year. Most times, they're all incorrect in their projections. And rankings are fluid. After the draft rankings will change.

I do understand why people are skeptical of the Rams. We missed the playoffs. 4 wins less than the previous season. A lot of turnover on defense. Goff's regression. The line's regression. A lot of things to point to.

But everything is based on the 2019 performance. When they look at Gurley's release they remember his 2017 and 2018 performances. They look at Fowler's 11.5 sacks. They didn't notice that Gurley was a non factor in the NFCCG and Superbowl. Likely because of his knee issues. Which continued in the 2019 season. They didn't notice Fowler had 7 sacks in 3 games. 3 came against the team who signed him to a big contract. Maybe their opinion of him was a bit skewed because he did so well against them?

The only rankings that matter are the ones in late December. We were 9-7. Well below average compared to the 24-8 we were the two years previous. But it's easy to see why. I think the OL issues were real but for reasons other than the OL coach and talent. What really gets over looked is the inconsistency of the defense and that the special teams were absolutely horrible. Besides Z missing 9 FGs, most probably don't remember, to start the year in Carolina, Z put two kickoffs out of bounds and we had a punt blocked. The odds on that in Vegas would have probably been 3 million to 1.

On Goff, I think McVay just wanted him to chuck it as much as he could. Phil Simms related words of advice given him by Parcells in Simms first post season game. "If you don't throw 2 interceptions today, you aren't trying hard enough." Weird but I get the point. Don't worry, just do it because we need you to throw it.

[Hacksaw]

They're in the cellar?