Haslett in our best interest??

[RamWraith]

I hear so many people talking about how Haslett should now be the scape goat and now he needs to be the next to go. Funny, 3 weeks ago he was god *LOL*

Doesn't it make sense to keep the guy around and give him somewhat of a chance now? The guy knows the team and the organization inside and out. There is a lot smaller learning curve that would have to happen. He does have experience in these kind of situations. Hes got fire. The players have responded even if for a short while. He knows where the bad eggs are.

I say the man stays; unless you all are prepared for another 2 years before you start seeing a major overall. Anyone else coming in will need a year at least to assess the situation.

[AvengerRam]

At this point, I have a hard time believing that Haslett will be the best option for 2009 and beyond.

[BIG-BLUE]

RW, my friend I have to disagree on this one. Now the two wins he got when he was handed the keys had me a little interested in him but I have to believe that the damage is just to severe to correct without a complete gutting. My question to you is, Are you willing to gamble that next year will be any different under Haslett? That there will be any major improvements made ? I'm not, I want this thing stripped down & rebuilt. Fresh faces brought in with a whole new attitude of no nonsense, nose to the stone, hard working, innovative minds that will bring this once proud organization back out of the ashes.

[eldfan]

I agree with keeping Haslett if we did not then we would then be more likley to give the job to a rookie coach or bring another re-tread coach like Fassel in. Would a coach like Fassel be better than Haslett? A coach with status ie Cowher is not going to coach this mess he has better options.

[BIG-BLUE]

Personally I feel Haslett has to go. We have seen what his defense can do. (Get shredded by 5-6 td's in a half) Sorry that just doesn't cut it for me. Add to the fact his unemoitional, unmotivated team got waxed by the hated whiners, That's a BIG no thank you from me.
Now I understand Cowher is a serious pipe dream but there are other coaches out there other than Cowher & Fassel

[Truth]

I'm going to support my fellow Minnesotan. Although I have a bit of a different perspective. This team is in termoil. The owner died and left the team to her kids (neither seems all that interested in being a full-time owner), there are rumors floating around that the team is for sale, we're 5-21 over the last season and a half, Our star WR, isn't, our star RB & QB aren't either. To top it off, no one is sure of who is, or will be running the team next season.

Given all of the above, especially the FO/Ownership issues, what top prospect coach is going to want to come here? Unless we start hearing that, ,like Linehan, Haslett has lost the locker room, and until we have our FO/Ownership issues resolved, Haslett should stay. I don't want to replace Haslett, start rebuilding with a new coach, only to get new FO/Ownership in that wants to tear things appart again, get another new coach, and start over.

Let's not kid ourselves here. It's not likely that we're going to fix this mess quickly by just bringing in a new coach.

[rammiser]

I would have agreed if the team was still playing with fire like in the first 3 games. However I think this team needs an un-known to come in here. Not an un-known coach but someone they arent comfortable with. They are comfortable with Haslett. He's been there for a few years and they only responded for 3 games under him and now we are Loserhans Rams again. This team needs to shell out some cash to a Shottenhiemer or Cower. I know some of you think it will never happen but money talks. If the Rams organization really wants to win they will do it. If they want to continue being the Lions they will do as the Lions do and just not care. I like Haslett but this team needs to be overhauled from the top to the bottom. If it takes two years so be it, did it take the Dolphins two years to improve? No, they are 6-4 in second place in their division after only winning 1 game last year. What have the dolphins changed really? Parcells is running things and a new coach and new attitude. Hasletts attitude has already been seen on the defensive side of the ball and I'm not impressed. I'm sure the front office will sign Haslett because our front office sucks but it's time for CHANGE.

[Mooselini]

He needs to stay.

Let him run the offseason. Let him get the players he wants and the staff he wants. He's running Linehan's team right now. Give him the Haz's team.

[cfh128]

I'm undecided here. But I will give Haslett one thing. You don't see players rolling their eyes or screaming at him on the sidelines on Sundays. It seems he has the respect of this team.

Of course it takes a lot more than respectability to coach a football team.

[RamsInfiniti]

Do we really know if Haslett has been able to put his stamp anywhere on this team, defense or not ...

For all we know, Haslett may have been pushing for a big, run stuff middle linebacker for three years, only to get shot down by Linehan ...

It's hard to know how much freedom he was given in terms of personnel decisions ...

I do not know if Haslett is the man or not, but has the ATTITUDE of a coach. He defends his players, he is animated, he takes a stand, he does everything right on the field ...

Fact is, to correct the problems on the defensive end, he may need to bring a new coordinator in here. He may need to fire Saunders. It's hard to figure out at this point ...

But for us to say three weeks ago that he was the man for the job, and to now say that he isn't is kind of foolish. He is working with a drawer that is missing many knives and forks, and it only has one Spoon (hehehehehe) ...

I just don't know what better options there are out there at this point. No high profile coach is going to come here, and taking a chance on a rookie coach is not something I would be excited about. Look how that worked out with Linehan ...

[unorthodox1999]

I hear so many people talking about how Haslett should now be the scape goat and now he needs to be the next to go. Funny, 3 weeks ago he was god *LOL*

Doesn't it make sense to keep the guy around and give him somewhat of a chance now? The guy knows the team and the organization inside and out. There is a lot smaller learning curve that would have to happen. He does have experience in these kind of situations. Hes got fire. The players have responded even if for a short while. He knows where the bad eggs are.

I say the man stays; unless you all are prepared for another 2 years before you start seeing a major overall. Anyone else coming in will need a year at least to assess the situation.

this couldn't be any more true. after the cowboys win people damn near started a ''haslett march'' to ensure his comeback for next year. How dumb is that? Now, he HAS to go because he's as bad if not worse than linny? Let me tell u something, NO ONEs as bad as linehan lol. Let him stay, he's been around and he DOES have what it takes to change things around. he is NOT God, nor is he judas.

[Azul e Oro]

I would have agreed if the team was still playing with fire like in the first 3 games. However I think this team needs an un-known to come in here. Not an un-known coach but someone they arent comfortable with. They are comfortable with Haslett. He's been there for a few years and they only responded for 3 games under him and now we are Loserhans Rams again. This team needs to shell out some cash to a Shottenhiemer or Cower. I know some of you think it will never happen but money talks. If the Rams organization really wants to win they will do it. If they want to continue being the Lions they will do as the Lions do and just not care. I like Haslett but this team needs to be overhauled from the top to the bottom. If it takes two years so be it, did it take the Dolphins two years to improve? No, they are 6-4 in second place in their division after only winning 1 game last year. What have the dolphins changed really? Parcells is running things and a new coach and new attitude. Hasletts attitude has already been seen on the defensive side of the ball and I'm not impressed. I'm sure the front office will sign Haslett because our front office sucks but it's time for CHANGE.

Did the Rams "respond' to Haslett or just to a change?

We got healthier & lucky to get all the breaks vs Wash & to meet The Cowturds at their injury-riddled dysfunctional worst.

The one play that Haslett made alone-to keep SJ in so late vs Dallas-may have been his most significant contribution....until his botching of SJ's status for The Cards game,that is...

The most impressive performance was The Pats game but it was his defense that failed to pressure the 2nd most-sacked QB that made the difference ,IMO. Plus injuries to the players I credit more than Haz for the prior wins-SJ,Little,etc.

Of course you can spin all of that the other way & make a legit argument that Haslett was undermined by bad luck with injuries & saddled with a lack of depth on O that is the result of bad drafting/coaching/evaluation/strategy long before he had any influence over it.

Saunders hasn't helped clear the picture,either.What exactly is the point of having Bulger heave 30-50 yd passes to Avery from the middle of the field or our own half but almost never throw into the EZ from the redzone? I thought one of Saunders' greatest attributes was supposed to be evaluating players' strengths & using them? WTF?

Fine. But that claim of Haslett's fiery leadership infusing the team crap has to stop.He acts the part much better than Linehan but that has played better on tv than on the field. It is demonstrably not there now.

Is it fair to expect that he can fix this team by the sheer force of his will? No. But his defensive system has NEVER worked for a series of games,never mind a season & unless a strong-minded new GM takes that away from him or forces him to change,The Ram D will not be successful. Is a frog's ass watertight?

Parcells radically changed the Miami defense & overall plan of attack.

They are currently 9th in rushing D, from a dead last 32nd last year.They have an excellent SS in Bell who was hurt all last year and Porter is having a monster year in their new 3-4 with 13.5 sacks( Spoon's dream for next year?)..Otherwise, that defense's roster is decidedly short of stars that change games.It's the system that works,bolstered by a good draft to provide depth & a HUGE turnaround in mistakes from the team as a whole; from -7 to +7.

Pennington isn't the 2nd coming of Marino but he's only being asked to play very safe, keeping games close, & they have won by a hair against a number of crappy teams.

They aren't there yet but you can see the plan in place.

Could Haz be a part of our plan? Maybe. Hard to say in the muddle of recent Ram history how much of the personnel and strategy failures on D you can pin on him.The offense has fallen apart under other numbnuts' watch & he might argue that he built a D to complement a scoring machine that no longer functions, or ,at least,a quick scoring capability that could protect a gambler's defensive scheme that either wins big or craps out,ie built to play with a lead.

I certainly agree that no one clearly better is likely to take the job until the owner/FO is fixed.But that's not exactly a ringing endorsement.


I certainly don't believe that he will be the architect of a successful plan. Where's the evidence?

Schottenheimer as GM is intriguing but he's unlikely to be successful as a coach with the present set-up. Ditto for Cowher which is just as much a pipedream as getting Birk from Minn, anyway.

[Fat Pang]

I hear so many people talking about how Haslett should now be the scape goat and now he needs to be the next to go. Funny, 3 weeks ago he was god *LOL*

Doesn't it make sense to keep the guy around and give him somewhat of a chance now? The guy knows the team and the organization inside and out. There is a lot smaller learning curve that would have to happen. He does have experience in these kind of situations. Hes got fire. The players have responded even if for a short while. He knows where the bad eggs are.

I say the man stays; unless you all are prepared for another 2 years before you start seeing a major overall. Anyone else coming in will need a year at least to assess the situation.

I think there's a lot in what you say 'Wraith.

As of now, I wouldn't be tremendously opposed to Haslett staying on largely for the reasons you mentioned. I would avoid condeming him on the basis of the parlous state of our playing roster.

The praise that attended his accession to the HC job and resulting pair of wins may have melted away in the face of the capitulation we've seen over the last two games but that doesn't mean he's not the best person to take us forward. I've always preferred to take a more measured approach to the HC position in the face of other issues our franchise has, taking things in context and I believe its equally important here.

Against this, I have to measure my desire for a comprehensive and radical overhaul this offseason that will rid us of the griping and petulant veterans, indifferent draft picks and mood hoovers that are the lead weights that drag us down currently.

The question for me then is whether Haslett, in tandem with Devaney and a suitably motivated Chip Rosenbloom can be the author of that change.

Right now I have no reason to think he can't be but the evidence of the next six games will ultimately persuade me.

[ManofGod]

At this point, I have a hard time believing that Haslett will be the best option for 2009 and beyond.

Why not AV? We saw a glimpse, but it seems that the team hadn't had enough time to be around the change for it to set into the culture, perhaps after a full offsease (and getting rid of alot of the bad apples) we will see a change.

Do we really know if Haslett has been able to put his stamp anywhere on this team, defense or not ...

For all we know, Haslett may have been pushing for a big, run stuff middle linebacker for three years, only to get shot down by Linehan ...

It's hard to know how much freedom he was given in terms of personnel decisions ...

I do not know if Haslett is the man or not, but has the ATTITUDE of a coach. He defends his players, he is animated, he takes a stand, he does everything right on the field ...

Fact is, to correct the problems on the defensive end, he may need to bring a new coordinator in here. He may need to fire Saunders. It's hard to figure out at this point ...

But for us to say three weeks ago that he was the man for the job, and to now say that he isn't is kind of foolish. He is working with a drawer that is missing many knives and forks, and it only has one Spoon (hehehehehe) ...

I just don't know what better options there are out there at this point. No high profile coach is going to come here, and taking a chance on a rookie coach is not something I would be excited about. Look how that worked out with Linehan ...

I agree, even if he signes a 1 year extension, but of course we'll have to respect the rules and allow other individuals to apply for the position, but I can't see anyone with any sense (knowing how hard coaching is in the NFL) wanting to come and coach the Rams.

[laram0]

The players are saying they want Haslett back. So what!!! The indians are not running this team. It's time for the CHIEF to make some hard decisions.

I like Haslett but I also liked Linehan. Doesn't mean he's the right man for the job.

There are 2 questions that need to be hashed around in my mind. Do we want to go with the 3 year plan (LINEHAN) or turn this thing around immediately? (JETS, FALCONS, DOLPHINS)

In my opinion the NFL is a win now league.

I mean we have built our offense around Steven Jackson and look how that's working out. The guy can't even stay on the field. All the more reason the building a team for the future is risky. Win now!!! Go out and sign the key free agents that we need. Plug the holes now.