[Flash]

So both TE's were out?

No my bad I was thinking Higbee. Sorry 69...

[snackdaddy]

no doubt.

of course the 1-2 titans whipped the browns 43-13, in cleveland no less, while the titans offense account for 36 points... so i think it's somewhat understandable that some rams fans might find it a bit unsettling that the browns had 4 shots from the rams 4 to at worst tie the game and at best win the game.

Its easy to look at that Titans game and ask why we couldn't do that. We're a much better offense. But things change week to week. Teams get better. Maybe different matchups create different outcomes.

We beat the Saints by 18 and they beat the Seahawks by 6. And that game was not as close as the score. I doubt we're 24 points better than the Seahawks.

[snackdaddy]

Wow. Appreciate you posting this clip.
I don’t see where Goff has an open lane to run, or that he had Gurley open.
What I do see are 3 deep routes that are covered because Cleveland getting home with 4 man rush, dropping 3 into coverage and Rams ROT getting destroyed on the play. I’d say the only open route is Kupp and the smart play was Cooks deep.
One thing looks clear as day, Goff is locked in on Woods the whole time, the MLB is spying him.
Burris (who was just on the scrap heap just days before the game) is sitting back there and a dead duck if Cooks is target.
So I’m not in on criticizing the play calling, I think the play is there. The execution of the o-line has to be better and as much as I want to defend Goff, it’s absolutely puzzling that he goes Woods there.
Cooks was the play. All day. Worse case incomplete, even int isn’t worse scenario.

'

Yeah, the notion that Gurley was open underneath is not correct looking at that video. When Goff was in his throwing motion Gurley was not open. But I did see good protection. Goff had time to go through his progressions.

Looks to me like he just pulled the trigger too soon. Gurley likely woulda been open if he waited another second or like you said, Cooks deep woulda been a good option. Goff locked in on Woods all the way. 4th year in the league and that is not the kind of mistakes you want in your franchise quarterback.

[AvengerRam]

Its easy to look at that Titans game and ask why we couldn't do that. We're a much better offense. But things change week to week. Teams get better. Maybe different matchups create different outcomes.

Also, if you look at the box score, the Titans actually generated fewer yards (336) against the Browns than we did (345). The difference was that the Browns turned the ball over 3 times, including a pick 6. We only beat the Browns by 7, but that was despite a 3-1 turnover deficit and a missed FG.

[dieterbrock]

That wasn’t RHav getting beat,
It was TE/Everett

Fair point, however it doesn’t change a thing in what I said. Only a 4 man rush, Gurley on a late release to chip up the middle and still got in the BF from the edge with ease.
Cleveland take care of 3 guys with 7 in coverage and Goff throws to a guy who’s doubled and has safety backing up.
That’s more of a max protect situation.
So Kupp May have been open, Cooks was the safe route deep and Goff throws Woods.
Ugh

[AvengerRam]

Shifting back to the original point of the thread...

I feel like the OL can and (hopeful fanboy speaking) will improve by the latter part of the season. If I'm right, any growing pains we're seeing now will seem unimportant, particularly when they are not preventing the Rams from winning.

[max]

Well said.

McVay was visibly upset with Goff’s decision when he was talking to him on the sidelines after the pick. Making excuses for Goff’s horrible decision doesn’t cut it. You don’t risk throwing the ball in that situation. Situational football 101.

Now, in defense of Goff...

Someone mentioned on another board that Goff is wired not to take the short stuff. And I have no problem with that. But that means he is not wired to get rid of the ball quickly like Brady and take dump offs that defenses give him. Its not in Goffs DNA.

The problem with that is you cant be building an OL like the Pats do. You should be building an OL like the Cowboys do, so Goff has more than 2 seconds to do what he is wired to do.

[actionjack]

Exactly,,,

Look what the Browns did with their makeup OL,,,,

They did quick passes,, Slants,,,

But McVay is stuck on getting the ball down field.....

He needs to realize, to make that happen, we have to use the underneath stuff,,, and draw them in,,, then go deep... or mix it up...

I have to disagree, in the first half all the Rams tried was dink and donk and it got them no where. In the second half they started to challenge an injury depleted Browns secondary with great success (two TD's).

I would rather see the Rams play aggressive, I think the players respond to it.

The biggest issue is teams clogging the line, short circuiting the run game, this is part O-line play and part McVay. he still hasn't figured out how to beat this front.

[Hacksaw]

I have to disagree, in the first half all the Rams tried was dink and donk and it got them no where. In the second half they started to challenge an injury depleted Browns secondary with great success (two TD's).

I would rather see the Rams play aggressive, I think the players respond to it.

The biggest issue is teams clogging the line, short circuiting the run game, this is part O-line play and part McVay. he still hasn't figured out how to beat this front.

He had an entire summer to figure that out so color me a bit concerned.
The strong D fronts the Rams faced contributed to the play level, but in the playoffs that's what we are going to see. Must improve (if possible).

[aeneas1]

Making excuses for Goff’s horrible decision doesn’t cut it.

do you have a little mouse in your pocket that's making excuses for goff on that play? don't see anyone in this thread making excuses, personally i thought he threw a bad ball on a play that was there.