Now that week 4 of the NFL schedule is behind us and the Rams, there are a few things that need to be said.
There are those who tried to prepare us for the football season with their at the time “astute” observations. You know, the ones who attend practice and tell you how good a guy looks in shirts and shorts. “He has great speed and really runs good routes.” Amazing. How about the one where “he has a great burst to the ball”? My favorite is “the Rams are not showing much of their offense in the pre-season as they do not want teams to see too much too early.”
Most of those who reported and broke it down had no real idea on what they were watching, hence the big build-up on a break-out year. Mind you, there are a handful who report on football in this town who have a real idea on what is going on. It is a short list. As for the fans, in some cases an even shorter list. When I say “fans,” I am talking about the ones who go to the game or call talk shows and remind you that they “played a little ball.” I guess Mathews-Dickey counts here. As for those who remind you that “they could do better than what is going on at field level,” I know it will be hard to let that warehouse gig go to aid the Rams. But maybe keeping the day job is best for all concerned, as good warehouse people are harder to find than you think.
As I see the Rams, this is not the start that many envisioned. The Rams have shown a lack of discipline when it comes to penalties, they have been physically pushed around more than they should, considering the talent they have in some positions, and they do not appear to be prepared to play on some Sundays. In short, this is a team effort in causing things to go south so early.
What is most glaring is the lack of offense and imagination. Quarterback Sam Bradford has endured a lot since he arrived in St. Louis, including bad coaching, bad blocking and bad receivers that have put him at the head of the class when the blame game starts. While there are some defenders, the detractors are starting to have more of a voice. Bradford has to own some of this because that’s what quarterbacks do in the NFL. That is why they are paid more than everyone, and it is why they find themselves reaping much of the glory when 10 other guys do their job.
As for the rest of the team, there is a heaping helping of blame for them to put on their plate. The way some Rams have been physically manhandled is mystifying. As I look around the NFL, I see a pattern. There are some teams that are getting creamed on a regular basis. Look at how many lopsided scores have taken place in the first four games of the season. There is a chance that we will have a winless team this season, if not two, as Oakland and Jacksonville are also at the point where “hapless” is almost a compliment.
The way the game is played and coached is changing right in front of us. The lack of teams getting into what would be termed “football shape” is starting to stand front and center. There is no question about how fast and strong players are, even without performance-enhancing drugs, but ANYONE who has played this game at any level will tell you that being in football shape is quite different than running extra wind sprints or lifting 20 more pounds than you once could.
The lack of contact in a meaningful manner in practice has finally caught up to the game. There was a time when there were teams who did not have a lot of contact but found ways to stay in reasonable shape as well, as maintaining the mental approach to make up for the body pounding. It appears that all of those players are now out of the league and in many cases coaching. And while they may be good coaches, there are some things that cannot be taught in a class room or a walk-through.
Welcome to the new NFL. Safety is what they are striving for, to prevent the next lawsuit, at the price of what we knew the game once to be.
As for the Rams, the team has a reasonable collection of good players who can play better. They have to go at this thing differently, as should the coaches. The current offensive approach and the sad sack tackling on defense will certainly guarantee one thing: the lowest home attendance in St. Louis for pro football since the final days of the Cardinals (and even then we were naive enough to think by some act of God or Congress they would stay). Fans have to have a reason to come, and so far the Rams have not given them that as the hope factor is dwindling. It’s not too late, but the Rams are running out of time.
It is my hope that when the self-anointed experts come out with an assessment of the Rams, they base it more on true fact than wishful fiction. It is an easy trap to fall into, because some like to hear themselves talk and read what they wrote. But can we temper our emotions and evaluations for a bit and let things play themselves out?
