In what direction are the Rams moving?

[AvengerRam]

Relatively simple question.

Right now, do you see the Rams moving forward, moving backwards, or not moving at all?

[AvengerRam]

Despite everything that has happened, I still think the Rams are moving forward.

On offense, things are bad. However, I think there is potential for this O line once Smith gets healthy and back on the field. Brown is a very good player. I still have hopes for Greco. Filling in a couple of spots at OG or RT next year will not require premium draft choices or even top $ in the FA market (particularly at OG). The Rams will have to spend high draft choices (or big FA $) on a young QB and WRs. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen.

On defense, I see significant improvement. The Rams will have to use some mid-round picks on pure pass rushers (even if they are not every down players), but there is a young core developing.

As far as coaching goes, I think the Rams may face a tough decision at OC for next year. While I don't like what I'm seeing now, I'm not ready to give up on the offensive system that is being put into place. I'm willing to consider the possibility that there just are not enough skill players right now to pull it off.

If you look at the division, you have an interesting mix. The Whiners defense is an emerging unit. If I were I Whiner fan, though, I'd be concerned about an offense that relies on Sean Hill at QB, and a RB (Gore) with a lot of wear on his treads.

Seattle I see as a team in decline. Hasselbeck, Jones, Housh, Kerney and other key guys are getting up there in years, and I think they will pay for not securing the future of their QB, WR and OT spots.

Arizona is a bit of an enigma. The biggest question is how many more years does Kurt Warner have. Matt Leinart? Well, let's just say he's no Kurt Warner.

[eldfan]

Backwards right now but I think we were so bad before Spags got here I think the only way we can move forward is to do what they are doing and what they must do in the future, that is continued to blow this team up. They must get rid of the guys who are knuckle heads and have little talent. They must search draft, trade, and find talent to get on this team... But right now we have to go backward before we can go forward.

[RealRam]

Forward. Players and HC Spags are gelling -- the team is gelling. How long does it take? ...We'll soon find out but at this point I believe the Rams are making progress in this sense and moving forward (albeit much slower than I anticipated in August).

Good question, a difficult and stirring question for Rams fans right now.

[01d 0rd3r]

Forward. Coaching is excellent i only see one weakness in pat shumur. PLayers are playing with intensity. Just two more years of rebuilding max, and we will be playoff contenders. Patience.

[RebelYell]

I'd like to remind people of my predicting that Bulger would throw for 2,400 yards. The Rams are currently on pace to throw for less than 2,300 yards.

Seriously, you guys need to re-evaluate the level of talent on this offense a few more times if you think the offensive coordinator is the problem.

[txramsfan]

I don't know. How does inching forward sound? Defensively, I can only say that they didn't play well against Seattle. Offensively, this team is worse than the team Keanu Reeves QB'd. Special Teams....wow, don't know what to say. Coaching? Can't tell with the talent that is surrounding this coaching staff.

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

Forward.

Sometimes you have to take a step back before you move forward. It's painful, it's slow, but it's going to take some time to fix years of bad drafting and player personnel decisions. Is Spags the right guy? I think so. I just hope the new owners and FO will allow him to continue to put all the new pieces in place.

[bigredman]

Seriously, you guys need to re-evaluate the level of talent on this offense a few more times if you think the offensive coordinator is the problem.

So play calling, offensive scheme, and inability to properly adjust during game haven't concerned you? Shurmur may have been a good college offensive coordinator, and maybe a good tight end and quarterbacks coach for the Eagles (although I wonder how much you can extrapolate the success of McNabb and the Eagles offense to him) than he has been a coordinator for us. His play calling is flat out baffling and the offense is unimaginative and ordinary. Because we have lack of talent in many key offensive positions is exactly why we need an innovative coach that will draw the best out of what we got. Shurmur in my opinion has shown me he isn't up to the task. Why keep him? If we are going to make personnel moves with players, we may as well bring in our new OC to guide them in our new system as well.

[Richbert88]

Well timed question! I voted "not moving", but would like to qualify it.

I had the chance to watch the entire game against SF. There are some things to like. For instance, Fajole is operating the defense effectively. OLB and depth are a need but all and all not bad. A couple roll playing pure pass rushers would help. Special teams is inexperienced. For example, the booted kick into the end zone and then the failure to fall on it or slap it out of bounds. On offense.....what can be said that hasn't been said. Boller certainly isn't the answer. There is some real talent defecit here. WR is the biggest need at this point. Someone who can consistently get seperation. (this by no means should be taken to mean I thought Crabtree should have been our pick this past draft). Robinson was getting it done. The lack of intensity in Barron is now being addressed and I thought Greco was servicable at LT. Can anyone else forsee Greco at RT and Smith at LT soon.

All of this aside, "staying" seems to fit because even with the gains, the loses are offsetting the improvements. Penalties! Drive killing penalties. Improvement here moves this whole unit forward in the right direction. Heck, the Rams may have even score 3 points against the ****** had they controlled penalties.

Also, need to add this somewhere.........even my viewing friend who is a **** fan was asking why SJ was studder stepping in the backfield.

[RebelYell]

So play calling, offensive scheme, and inability to properly adjust during game haven't concerned you? Shurmur may have been a good college offensive coordinator, and maybe a good tight end and quarterbacks coach for the Eagles (although I wonder how much you can extrapolate the success of McNabb and the Eagles offense to him) than he has been a coordinator for us. His play calling is flat out baffling and the offense is unimaginative and ordinary. Because we have lack of talent in many key offensive positions is exactly why we need an innovative coach that will draw the best out of what we got. Shurmur in my opinion has shown me he isn't up to the task. Why keep him? If we are going to make personnel moves with players, we may as well bring in our new OC to guide them in our new system as well.

This is exactly why I feared that all of the lofty expectations by fans for the Rams in the offseason would come back to bite Spags. Hey, we can't blame anyone but the coaching staff right? This is just the first swipe, Spags will eventually get the blame for everything even though most people can see the plan.

[bigredman]

This is exactly why I feared that all of the lofty expectations by fans for the Rams in the offseason would come back to bite Spags. Hey, we can't blame anyone but the coaching staff right? This is just the first swipe, Spags will eventually get the blame for everything even though most people can see the plan.

I don't blame Spags. It was worth a shot to give Shurmur a shot as OC. I was on board with it when he was originally hired in fact, however, the proof is in the pudding. Spags is doing a great job with our defense (along with our DC).

Additionally, I NEVER had lofty expectations for this team for this year. I predicted we would be lucky to improve on our record from last year with the offensive line we were going into the season with, and at the time, I didn't expect our defense would be any better (if given some support by our offense, they would be probably top ten).

[RebelYell]

I don't blame Spags. It was worth a shot to give Shurmur a shot as OC. I was on board with it when he was originally hired in fact, however, the proof is in the pudding. Spags is doing a great job with our defense (along with our DC).

Additionally, I NEVER had lofty expectations for this team for this year. I predicted we would be lucky to improve on our record from last year with the offensive line we were going into the season with, and at the time, I didn't expect our defense would be any better (if given some support by our offense, they would be probably top ten).

So why blame Shurmur if you realize there isn't any talent on the offense to work with? They don't have any WRs with experience (Avery is hurt), the o-line is in shambles, the QBs haven't been able to stand up, and yet you blame the OC for not doing enough? Sorry, that's lame.

And Spags dictated the type of offense we would run. He made it very clear on multiple occasions that we would be running a power running attack. How should Shurmur be managing that differently?

[bigredman]

So why blame Shurmur if you realize there isn't any talent on the offense to work with? They don't have any WRs with experience (Avery is hurt), the o-line is in shambles, the QBs haven't been able to stand up, and yet you blame the OC for not doing enough? Sorry, that's lame.

And Spags dictated the type of offense we would run. He made it very clear on multiple occasions that we would be running a power running attack. How should Shurmur be managing that differently?

So are you blaming Spags? Yes, Shurmur should be managing the offense differently. He's calling the plays. He's the OC. I don't buy it for a minute that Spags has dictated a power running offense exclusive to any design Shurmur may have that would produce better than what we've seen so far. I also didn't say there isn't enough talent on offense to work with. I don't believe our OC is getting the production he could get with the talent we have. In my playing and coaching experience, you don't always have all the pieces to the puzzle on any given year, so you design your plays to maximize the talent you have. Plus, there are certain things you do to improve the success of plays that work. The lack of throwing it down field on occasion to loosen up the safeties from coming up in run support or double cover our receivers on short and medium pass routes puzzles me for example.

The play calling has not only puzzled me, but many on this board, football commentators (former coaches and players), and the St. Louis press covering the team. But I guess we're all "lame".

[jkramsfan]

Forward. Players and HC Spags are gelling -- the team is gelling. How long does it take? ...We'll soon find out but at this point I believe the Rams are making progress in this sense and moving forward (albeit much slower than I anticipated in August).

Good question, a difficult and stirring question for Rams fans right now.

I think the players and HC are gelling is a bit of a reach,I see some bright spots and more holes to fill,so they are slowing making progress but the gelling process is quite aways down the road,IMO.