Why?

[tanus]

Why take the ball out of Bulger's hand? 2 straight runs up the gut. Brilliant Linehan you moron.

[PeoriaRam]

Why take the ball out of Bulger's hand? 2 straight runs up the gut. Brilliant Linehan you moron.

Technically that's the right call. Unfortunately, the right call requires a different personnel package than what he had in there.

Hopefully this clown is fired tomorrow, though.

[Nick]

I don't think you can blame the playcalling when you're trying to pound the ball on 3rd & 1 and 4th & 1. Those are the right calls IMO. It's up to the players to get one yard on the ground. Pathetic if they can't do that, but that's about how you'd describe our line - pathetic.

[tanus]

You'd rather rely solely on a banged up OL and a 2nd string rookie RB/FB hybrid over the likes of Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Drew Bennett? How is that technically the right call? Seems like pure stupidity to me which has become Linehan's calling card.

With the state of our OL, I'd much rather see shotgun, 3 wideouts, one TE, and one RB. Give your QB multiple options on quick strike passes.

[rammiser]

You'd rather rely solely on a banged up OL and a 2nd string rookie RB/FB hybrid over the likes of Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Drew Bennett? How is that technically the right call? Seems like pure stupidity to me which has become Linehan's calling card.

With the state of our OL, I'd much rather see shotgun, 3 wideouts, one TE, and one RB. Give your QB multiple options on quick strike passes.

I have to agree, on the first 4th and one I was thinking slant to Holt. Leanard was getting stuffed in the middle all game. Then on the second 4th and 1 I was hoping slant to Holt. Oh woe is the Rams this is the epitome of our season this year. linehan did a better job of play calling this week but he still leaves plenty to be desired. I cant stand the 2nd and 20 draw play they never work.

[CanadianRam!]

Early second quarter...we have 14-3lead, 3rd and 1 from CLE 33, we cant get a yard, then we inexplicably go for it on 4th down. WHY would you do that, you have a 11 point lead, go for the 50 yarder or punt it away. All game long, Linehan opts to run the ball on 3rd/4th and 1 and it fails every time. It's like trying to escape from a prison with a spoon, at one point you have to realize that it's not working. On a final note, a monkey calling QB kneels on every play could go 0-8...at this point, this is the state of our team.

[Nick]

You'd rather rely solely on a banged up OL and a 2nd string rookie RB/FB hybrid over the likes of Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Drew Bennett?

You'd have to depend on the banged up OL to protect Bulger so he can make the pass, and even then who knows what happens with the ball in the air? Tip? INT? Misfire? I believe pounding the ball at that point gives you the best chance for success, but you have to actually be able to move guys on the line. Linehan showed confidence in his team that they could do it; they failed.

I have to agree, on the first 4th and one I was thinking slant to Holt. Leanard was getting stuffed in the middle all game.

Not prior to that first 4th down conversion. He had four runs for 15 yards. NFL's GameCenter says three of them were up the middle for 15 yards, the fourth was off left tackle for no gain. So he wasn't getting stuffed prior to that except on the one play.

Then on the second 4th and 1 I was hoping slant to Holt.

Really not sure about slants when you've got a defense crowding the line of scrimmage. That sounds to me like a recipe for a tipped pass at the time. If you want to pass there, a quick out seems to me like it would work better, but I still don't think that's a good passing situation.

Let's put it this way. If Linehan had called a fourth down pass with one yard to go and it didn't work, we'd be having this same finger-pointing discussion about him making a bad play call. In the end, the players have to make the plays, and I think a run there gives the team the best chance for success.

[keith m. klink]

HE WANTS TOO RAM THE BALL UP THE MIDDLE , or between the gaurds , with no fricken fullback .

[Nick]

HE WANTS TOO RAM THE BALL UP THE MIDDLE , or between the gaurds , with no fricken fullback .

If there's something to complain about regarding those plays, this is it. I understand trying to spread out the defense with that formation, but I would have rather seen a stronger package with more blockers there, even if it looked more obvious for the run.

[Goldenfleece]

I thought the run on the first 4th & 1 was the right call. I thought the run on the 3rd & 1 was the right call. That last time, though, I think I would have gone for something through the air. On the whole, though, I think Linehan called a good game.

[bruce4life]

where was his boy richard owens on those plays...

[tanus]

I still don't understand why in the most critical time of the game, you rely solely on your weakness, the OL. Granted a pick could happen, but that's the same as not converting the first down. A fumble can also happen as well. I don't like the philosophy of playing scared. I also believe in critical situations, you need to rely on your best players. Now, if we had our first string OL and SJ in the game, then sure, I would have no problem running on both 3rd and 4h down. But, look at our current OL. Would you really rely on them on a short yardage situation when the opposing defense is gearing up for the run?

Go shotgun so you put your QB in a position to pass the ball immediately, limiting the effect the OL can have on the play. Provide a safety valve outlet (RB). Assuming you run this on 3rd down, if the play isn't available right away, then throw it away and go to 4th down. You could also have the TE block and then release as another option as well.

It is the coach's job to put his players in the best possible position to succeed. IMO Linehan failed miserably at the most crucial moments.

[RamsInfiniti]

And if we would have passed and not convered, everyone would be asking why we didn't run ...

Let it rest people!

[Nick]

I still don't understand why in the most critical time of the game, you rely solely on your weakness, the OL.

You're relying on them either way, run or pass. They either have to run block or pass protect. I don't think simply putting Bulger in a shotgun limits the effect of the pass rush, since eight of his eighteen sacks coming into today came from the shotgun formation.

You're right in that it is a coach's job to put his players in the best possible position to succeed. When you only need one yard, I think pounding it up the gut does just that. I don't think you're doing that by calling a pass play which by design will be more complicated with more things that can go wrong (poor protection, not running the right route, jammed at the line, good coverage, off target throw, etc).

Even with our makeshift offensive line, we should be able to gain one yard on two downs. We didn't, and in my opinion that failure speaks more to the lack of execution by the players than any playcalling error.

[tanus]

I couldn't disagree more considering the situation of the team. Short yardage running is a whole different ballgame. Its line vs. line and if you think our OL at the time could beat any DL in the NFL then you must either be Scott Linehan or his long lost relative.

The quick pass from the shotgun, IMO, puts the least amount of pressure on the OL, thus minimizing your weakness. Running up the gut when everyone in the stadium knows you are going to puts all the emphasis on your OL. And in this situation it takes your best players completely out of the play. If we had SJ, Pace, and Setterstrom in then I would have no problem running to the left twice in a row.

If you feel more comfortable with Brian Leonard and Milford Brown getting you a yard over Marc Bulger and Torry Holt with the game on the line, that's your opinion. To me it makes about as much sense as playing chicken with a semi truck.