Jim Thomas Live
By Jim Thomas
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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dave in atlanta: Hey JT,
So the Rams have a bye week...err they are playing the Falcons...who between injuries and not being very good to start with, are a terrible team.
Where is the smart money playing on this game? I checked several "informational" sites that list odds and for whatever reason ATL/STL is "off the board" -- thoughts??
Jim Thomas: I think Las Vegas is waiting to see Bulger's status before setting odds for this game.
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Mitch from San Diego: Hi Jim,
Thanks for the forum. I run home on Tuesday nights to read your forum because it is the most informative source for Rams news in the media for folks who follow the Rams in So Cal.
Much has been made of the bad personel moves made by Linehan. Please permit me to refresh some memories. After seening Drew Bennett run the wrong patterns and drop passes all season, it made me sick to watch Kevin Curtis run wild through the Patriots defense all night last Sunday. Shawn McDonald in Detroit looks pretty darn good, too. Then there is Madison Hedgecock in New York. What has the guy they replaced him with done? Gus "Choke" Fereotte for Ryan Fitzpatrick? Yikes!
One HUGE blunder I have not read anything about is the dumping of TE Brandon Manmaleuna to the Chargers for a mid round pick. My daughter is a Chargers season ticket holder so I get to watch him up close. Forget his stats, he plays lot. It was noted by a local journalist that he is on the field at least as much as Antonio Gates and is considered a starter. All he does is "stone" pass rushers and pave people in the run game. I have yet to see him drop a pass or get flagged for a dumb penalty. When he is the outlet receiver, he catches the pass then blasts the defender. He gets open downfield alot though they don't throw to him much. The Chargers love his consistency.
Looking at our FOUR TE's, considering the current roles they are in with Linehan's turtle shell offense, none of them are fit to tie Manunaleuna's shoes as a blocker or outlet reciever. Ask
Marc Bulger and
Steven Jackson what they would give to have a 300 pound TE that never whiffs blocks.
Could you please tell me what starter or significant role player we received in return for giving up one of the better blocking TE's in the league??
Again, thanks so much!
Mitch in SD
Jim Thomas: The Rams got DE Victor Adeyanju for that pick. He has been a solid performer, particularly against that run, and is a high-effort player. The Manumaleuna you're seeing in San Diego isn't anything close to the Manumaleuna we saw in St. Louis. Here, he had a questionable work ethic, got little yardage after the catch, made critical mistakes during games, and had little to interest in participating in the off-season conditioning program. I think you can rightly blame Linehan for several personnel blunders, but not this one.
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Kurt: Steve Jackson gained 90 yards on 23 carries. But you take out the 53 yard touchdown run he had 37 yards on 22 carries, an average of 1.68 yards per carry. Is this really an NFL running back that you can rely on? It is also acknowledged he can't pass block.
Jim Thomas: Here's the deal _ you can't take the 53-yard TD run away. It counts. Barry Sanders made a career out getting stopped for 1-yard, minus 2 yards, etc., and then popping a long run.
Jackson's on pace for 900 to 1,000 yards, running behind a tattered line, and missing nearly five full games with injuries. So yes, I think this is a running back you can rely on.
I will concede that Jackson _ in my opinion _ has regressed a little as a pass blocker this season, but still is better than adequate.
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Mitch from San Diego: Hi Jim,
I have an observation and a question for you, if you could please spare the time.
If you look at all the more consistently successful teams in the NFL right now, all of the upper echelon head coaches and coordinators are from established winning coaching trees. Bill Belichick's lineage is easily traced to Bill Parcells as is Tom Coughlin and John Fox.
Numerous head coaches and coordinators can be traced to Bill Walsh including Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid and 10-1 Mike McCarthy. OC Jason Garrett of the 10-1 Cowboys can be clearly traced to the Don Coryell-Ernie Zampese-Joe Gibbs tree. The same can be said for Norv Turner, Mike Martz and Cam Cameron who was outstanding as an OC with the Chargers before going to Miami as HC.
From my research, all I can find as far as a coaching "tree" for
Scott Linehan is his decipleship of Dennis Erickson and a small college coach whom I cannot even recall his name right now. Erickson was a monumental NFL flop in his two brief stints with the Seahawks and *****.
My question is did John Shaw or Jay Zigmunt even consider coaching lineage when hiring Linehan?? I sure did the minute he was mentioned as a candidate. I am just a fan with a computer but I quickly found these facts and these facts raised more questions such as who else has Linehan worked with or for? Nick "see ya" Sabin?? Mike "love boat" Tice?? Yikes!! Am I the only one to notice Linehan's strange NFL fellowships?
Remember, the fruit does not fall far from the "tree" and the results so far are glaringly obvious.
Thanks for indulging me.
Mitch from SD
Jim Thomas: Interesting observation. And I'm not sure if this was part of Shaw's consideration in hiring a head coach. I'll try to remember to ask him.
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Gus: Jim-
How is the development of
Alex Barron coming? I've noticed he hasn't had many false start penalities of late. Are they working with him more, or is he just better than the rest of the unit by default?
Jim Thomas: Barron is still one of the more penalized players in the league, but he is improving in that area. He's obviously been the best of the o-linemen in its current constitution, but I think the coaches want more out of him. Better run blocker. Fewer technque breakdowns on pass blocker. The whole gamut. He still has a lot of untapped potential.
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Ronnie Van Zant: Why doesn't Linehan just stick Gorin in at RT and leave him there? It seems to me that every time he's played he's done a really decent job of pass protecting or is this just my imagination?
Jim Thomas: It may be your imagination. But I'm imagining the same thing.
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Graham from England: Jim,greetings again from the Motherland.
Am I being cynical,or does the fact that the defense is playing so much better, and with more creativity have anything to do with the fact that Haslett sees the sharks circling around Linehan and he wants the HC job next year. I base this on the following:
1) The offense is a mess, which takes the pressure off of his defense to "lose games". Now he can be creative,blitz happy and carefree. The pressure is on the offense.
2) He probably thinks that after the debacle on Sunday, Linehan must be out at the end of the year, whatever happens. However supportive the front office is of the head coach, they like a lot of people must have felt sick after the game. Those last 4 plays on Sunday have now doomed Linehan.
Pity Haslett didn't act like this earlier in the season when the pressure was more on his defense. Maybe we could have won a few games?.
Had we won that game, maybe another 3 wins would have been possible. Now, who knows how many more ways we can find to lose a game.(There is that old British sense of humour again)
I am a positive guy, jim, but there simply is no excuse for that defeat.
Jim Thomas: No excuse whatsoever. I don't think Haslett is quite that Machevellian (sp?), but I think he does realize he's coaching for his job as well _ be it as a coordinator or possibly Linehan's successor, or even somewhere else in the league.
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dave in atlanta: JT-
Is there a less attractive NFL wife than Kurt Warner's woman?
Jim Thomas: That's it for you today, Dave.
Regards. . . . .
And say high to "Dog Boy" for me. Laughing
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joe brannan: Hi Jim, I am a big fan of your work and this forum. I consider myself a reasonable Rams fan. I loved the way they played under Mike Martz, but I realize the flaws involved. When they hired Linehan I was willing to give the guy a shot, believing he could maintain the offense as well as bring stability to the team. In reality, I have never warmed up to him and he has given me no reason to think he can achieve anything with this team. I believe a coach deserves more than two years if he can show continual improvement, but I will be very dissapointed If he returns to coach next year. Am I being unreasonable?
Jim Thomas: I think you're being very reasonable. Right now, I think Linehan is very much on the bubble.
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dave in atlanta: JT,
better back -- SJ or MF in his prime?
Jim Thomas: MF in his prime. Right now, it's not even close.
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Marvin: JT-
First of all, condolences to Sean Taylor's family and friends, and his fellow NFL players...As far as the Rams go, shouldn't
Steven Jackson be thinking about improving the play on the field rather than the music in the dome? Did someone ask him about that, or did he just offer it up as a suggestion? One way to improve the quality of the dome would be to win some damn home games.
Jim Thomas: FOR EVERYONE WHO DIDN'T LIKE
STEVEN JACKSON'S COMMENTS, ONE QUESTION:
1.) Do you think the game day atmosphere at the dome, entertainment, commercials, etc., is acceptable?
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Kid K.U.: Hi Jim, This one hurt alot.(heck, I'm still smartin from the Carolina playoff game a few yrs. back). I am a 45 year So. Cal.member of Ram Nation. I cannot believe that even with our 2 not so mobile QB's that we could not have scored at the one yd. line with a fake up the middle with Jackson and Ferrote scooting around either end. It wouldn't work on the last play of course but we had plenty of other chances. I really did see this as a gimme TD. your thoughts? Thanks for your column.
Jim Thomas: It's not just the Rams' last offensive possession. But how about that first and goal from the 1 in the first half? Had the Rams scored a touchdown there instead of settling for a field goal, they wouldn't have had to go for a TD at the end of the game. They could have kicked a field goal.
Here's how I saw the game-ending Rams offensive sequence after a quick look at game film Monday:
* First and goal from the 4: Jackson was open on the swing pass right. If Frerotte gets the ball out quickly, Jackson would have had one man _ a DB _ to beat. Bruce and Holt were open to the left.
* Second and goal from the 4: The swing pass to Bennett. Not a bad play call really, just a very good play by the DB.
* Third and goal from the 1: Jackson's run. He didn't get in. But the ball should've been spotted at the half-yard line or closer NOT right on the 1; an unblocked LB came in and made the tackle.
* Fourth and goal: Unless Jackson cut back quickly inside, he would've had no chance. Two LBs came in untouched on the outside; Brian Leonard whiffed on a safety outside.
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Rob: With all the problems the Ram's offence is having, all based from the front O-Line, what can we expect in the draft? I know
Alex Barron is suppose to replace (eventually) Orland at LT but do you think he will be up to the job? He didn't look too good when Buldger got blind sided in Sun game.
Jim Thomas: Actually, Barron was blocking exactly who he was supposed to block. Romberg got beat by Lofa Tatupu blitzing up the middle, which is why
Steven Jackson moved up to stop Tatupu instead of staying back and picking off Leroy Hill, the guy who cold-cocked Bulger. Again, I think Barron has been OK, but not outstanding at LT.
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Jim Davis: I live in the San Francisco area and I have been a RAMS fan all my life.I remember the Roman days, The Fearsome Foursome, Kurt Warner. The RAMS have had their ups and downs in those years, but I was never embarrassed to be a fan until the Linehan era. This guy and Gustavo are the worst I have seen in years. Now even the ***** have a better record. My question is, 1st and goal at the 4 with the season on the line with 1:07 left and 2 timeouts,What coach in their right minds would not pound all 4 downs with
Steven Jackson!It's time for a coaching change and Gustavo to retire.
Jim Thomas: Just one quick thought. As bad as Frerotte has been, has he been worse than Chris Chandler in '04?
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Michael: Jim:
On Saturday night, or any time recently, did you wish you were back covering the University of Missouri like you did in the ol' days?? Seems like it would be a lot more fun than covering the Rams these days, and you were a pretty good college writer, if I remember correctly.
Jim Thomas: You must be old. It's been a while since I covered Old Mizzou. I watched the game at home with my wife and 11-year old son, had the fireplace going, a little turkey noodle soup for dinner. (My wife's way to get rid of the leftover turkey). It was a great evening. Mizzou was so bad when I covered them (Woody's Wagon and part of the Bob Stull tenure). Even as recently as last year, when a lot of people in town were bashing Pinkel, I thought to myself, if these people only knew how bad Missouri was _ and how bad they were for a long time. And how hard it is to build a foundation of success, especially at a place where the culture of losing and negativity had been so imbedded. So I admired from afar what Pinkel had accomplished, although I never would've imagined that all this would transpire this season.
When I watch the Tigers play, and I've actually gotten to watch them a few times this season on TV, they remind me of a college version of the Greatest Show on Turf. (Although not as strong as the Rams were with M. Faulk at running back.) The Tigers spread the field, aren't afraid to take chances, attack opposing defenses, and have multiple options _ too many to cover. Just like the Greatest Show. . . .
It's not as much fun covering a losing team, but that's the NFL for you. Most teams ride a roller-coaster of ups and downs through the years. (New England and Indy are exceptions). But I did get to cover two Super Bowl teams with the Rams _ the '99 team with Warner's emergence and the worst-to-first turnaround _ was a great story to cover. The Greatest Show will go down as one of the greatest offenses ever. I've told Mike Martz on several occasions: "If you never win another game as a head coach, 20 years from now, they'll be making NFL Films of the 'Greatest Show.' "
We'll see what the future brings here at Rams Park.
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Charlie Connors: I can't think of one good reason Bulger should play this weekend, can you?
Jim Thomas: I'm no doctor, but I'm of the opinion that there's no such thing as a "mild concussion." I know Bulger wants to play. I know coaches are coaching for their jobs. I just don't want to see Bulger get shellshocked to the point where he's no longer effective.
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West Coast Ram: Jim,
The more I watch Bulger in this offense, the one thing that continues to puzzle me is his lack of flexibility within the game plan. I don't see him changing plays at the line of scrimmage and I don't know if that is not allowed by the coaches or if he is incappable of reading changes to the defensive formations?
Also,I'm afraid to say that neither Holt nor Bruce can run by defenders any longer, which makes QBing all the more difficult.
Jim Thomas: I'm not sure how much audible powers Bulger has. That's a good point.
And yes, the Rams do need to add a speed receiver to the mix.
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Ken: Hi Jim,
Coach Linehan utilized the TE position in Miami and promised the same in StL. Why has he gone against what worked in the past with his "system"?
Jim Thomas: McMichael is still on track to end up with about 35 to 40 catches, but has been used more as a blocking TE than I thought. It must a response to the line problems. But I'd still like to see him used more in the red zone.
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Pete Palumbo: Well, I see from your response to G to S, you don't care about results, only performance. The fact that the Rams are in St. Louis doesn't give them the right to abuse our ticket expense or trust (see my earlier comments). As opposed to anything else that's been said, if this were any other sports team in St. Louis, or any other corporation anywhere, this kind of performance wouldn't be accepted. Heads would roll. Come on Jim, stop being a homer and start calling it like it is.
Jim Thomas: You mean, like the heads that are rolling over at Busch Stadium after last season's performance?
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Bernie Z: As a long time seaon ticket holder, here is a thought about the Dome: Cut the incessent commercials in half(double their price) and reduce their volume. The replay screen is 1/4 of the space available with three big billboards to it's left and right. Get rid of those when they redo the screen. Bigger the better on HD, as all men know.
Retool the music: Good idea by Jackson. Get some Stones, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray, Albert Collins and maybe some Paul Butterfield. Lose the bubble gum chick music. This is a FOOTBALL team, not ladies volley ball. If Jackson wants some clean, but strong hip hop, then OK. The endless commercials make the RAMS money, but lose the charged up mood and the fans interest. This team's management needs to get the fans worked up, not put them to sleep or annoy them with the endless commeical messages.
Your thoughts?
Jim Thomas: I'm not up on all the music _ modern or otherwise _ but there's got to be a way to make the place more lively. The players say the pregame music _ while they're warming up _ even before the fans are allowed in the stadium, basically puts them to sleep. It should be firing them up, don't you think?
I think this is all
Steven Jackson was saying.
At the Rams-Vikings game last season (in Minneapolis) the Vikings were hopelessly out of contention, not unlike the Rams. The offense was much more inept than even this current Rams edition, yet there was all kinds of stuff that kept the fans interested and entertained. Be it music. Creative use of commercials, etc. A lot of fans want to attend games through thick and thin, even when their team isn't playing well _ because it's THEIR TEAM _ and this is a way, I think to make those down times a little more palatable. A lot of people go to games to have fun _ win or lose _ with tailgating, etc., and this would be a way to make that happen.
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David: Does anybody (except the Rams because they're obligated to, of course) use the name "Russell Training Center" or whatever they came up with rather than Rams Park? Seems like a big deal was made over nothing last year, though I'm sure most of that was from the Rams themselves.
Jim Thomas: Until my editors tell me otherwise, it's Rams Park in my stories. I know the Russell Training Center idea was just a way to increase income, but that doesn't mean we in the media necessarily have to use the term.
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Allan: Jim,
How does the league evaluate/rank
Marc Bulger at this time? What would he net in a trade? Can Rams get a #1 pick for him ?
Jim Thomas: Bulger is still highly regarded as a very accurate pocket passer who can pick teams apart if given time. But even if the Rams were interested in trading him _ which they're not _ the cap ramifications would be too severe. So it's not going to happen.
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JK: Do you think that special teams has not been a strength in recent years due to the fact that we have not had a solidified defense and thus most guys assigned to special teams realize that they are one bad game/injury away from seeing time and/or starting and so they don't want to risk injury or they don't feel the need to "sell out" to earn a back-up role? Additionally, what kind of special teams play are we getting from our 25 tight ends on the roster?
Jim Thomas: The funny thing is, I think the Rams have made a concerted effort to bring in some role players who are good special teams players. Todd Johnson, Chris Draft, Travis Minor, and more recently, Eric Bassey, all have been good to very good on coverage units. Yet, the big plays keep happening, and the numbers on coverage units aren't much different than recent years. Special teams is an attitude as much as anything. And there are still some players on special teams who aren't playing with much attitude.
Walker when he was healthy was OK as a wedge blocker. Klop, Byrd (when active), and Owens all just so-so.
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marvin slay: Good Afternoon Mr. Thomas
I can't help but think how this whole team unraveled after Orland Pace got hurt. After all of this I liken his presence on the field as important if not more than Brady of New England or a Brett Farve of Green Bay. His injury started a dominoes effect that we are still reeling from. and yes we have had the injuries but we need him back next year for guidance and leadership to the younger players.
Marvin Slay
San Diego
Jim Thomas: Boy, it sure seems like Pace's injury took a lot of wind out of their sails. You don't appreciate good line play until it's gone.
That's it for now. Good, lively questions today. On the P-D report card, I'd give the group a B+, which is better than the Rams have been grading out lately. Dave From Atlanta. . .I did answer several of your questions.
Also, it's very interesting to me that we got "only" 10 pages questions of questions last week after the Rams had won two in a row. This week, after a tough Rams loss, and we're back up to 25 pages. What does that say about this forum?
One last update: LB
Pisa Tinoisamoa has been placed on the injured reserve list, with QB Brock Berlin elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.
See you next week.