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08.31.2009 12:52 pm
Spags vs. Linehan … what’s changed?
By Roger Hensley
THE WATERCOOLER
QUESTION: With just two weeks remaining until the season opener, what are the tangible differences you see in the Rams under coach Steve Spagnuolo compared to the team during the Linehan era?
JIM THOMAS
The first thing you notice is the presence each coach brings to the job every day. Spagnuolo can play what the players call “the big room” — the team meeting room. Linehan couldn’t. Spagnuolo’s speeches are direct and to the point. Linehan’s weren’t. Even in the NFL, players need to be motivated, inspired, and given guidance. They didn’t always get that with Linehan.
BILL COATS
They appear to be more aggressive and tougher on the field. And this might not be a tangible difference, but it’s obvious that they’ve bought into what Spagnuolo has brought and have full trust in him.
BERNIE MIKLASZ
I’ll keep this one simple: the players respect this coach and want to play for him.
JEFF GORDON
At the end of the Linehan/Haslett era, there wasn’t much life left. Guys were NOT flying around. This team clearly has more enthusiasm — but we haven’t seen a mind-blowing improvement to this point. The defense still gives up some big plays and the offense is still hit-or-miss. Since Bulger has been hurt, that huge question mark still hangs over the team. Can he regain his Pro Bowl form? To this point, we have no idea.
KATHLEEN NELSON
If you’re looking for tangibles, as in stats, the team’s takeaway total is encouraging. But yards per carry, yards after the catch, red zone efficiency, and all that stuff that counts in fantasy leagues prove meaningless because the first string isn’t always playing the first string, and a lot of the focus right now is on simply making the team, fighting for the final few spots at the bottom of the depth chart. The quality that’s most noticeable to me is intensity. Players seem to play with more emotion and focus more consistently than in the past. When the regular season begins, those intangibles could translate into measurable stats that could be better than last year. Not now, though.
KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
The team has more of an edge to it. They’re more aggressive, attack the opponent more and seem to enjoy the physical aspect to the game as opposed to getting pushed around like they did in the past. Some of that is the attitude of the Spagnuolo staff rubbing off on the players and some of it is simply feeling like there is hope. Players know when the end is near for a coaching staff and when that spiral of negativity begins to swirl it’s almost impossible to go against the stream and maintain intensity. Spags and Co. have given the team a shot of energy with their enthusiastic approach and because the players were just begging for some kind of change after the last couple of years.
Spags vs. Linehan … what’s changed?
By Roger Hensley
THE WATERCOOLER
QUESTION: With just two weeks remaining until the season opener, what are the tangible differences you see in the Rams under coach Steve Spagnuolo compared to the team during the Linehan era?
JIM THOMAS
The first thing you notice is the presence each coach brings to the job every day. Spagnuolo can play what the players call “the big room” — the team meeting room. Linehan couldn’t. Spagnuolo’s speeches are direct and to the point. Linehan’s weren’t. Even in the NFL, players need to be motivated, inspired, and given guidance. They didn’t always get that with Linehan.
BILL COATS
They appear to be more aggressive and tougher on the field. And this might not be a tangible difference, but it’s obvious that they’ve bought into what Spagnuolo has brought and have full trust in him.
BERNIE MIKLASZ
I’ll keep this one simple: the players respect this coach and want to play for him.
JEFF GORDON
At the end of the Linehan/Haslett era, there wasn’t much life left. Guys were NOT flying around. This team clearly has more enthusiasm — but we haven’t seen a mind-blowing improvement to this point. The defense still gives up some big plays and the offense is still hit-or-miss. Since Bulger has been hurt, that huge question mark still hangs over the team. Can he regain his Pro Bowl form? To this point, we have no idea.
KATHLEEN NELSON
If you’re looking for tangibles, as in stats, the team’s takeaway total is encouraging. But yards per carry, yards after the catch, red zone efficiency, and all that stuff that counts in fantasy leagues prove meaningless because the first string isn’t always playing the first string, and a lot of the focus right now is on simply making the team, fighting for the final few spots at the bottom of the depth chart. The quality that’s most noticeable to me is intensity. Players seem to play with more emotion and focus more consistently than in the past. When the regular season begins, those intangibles could translate into measurable stats that could be better than last year. Not now, though.
KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
The team has more of an edge to it. They’re more aggressive, attack the opponent more and seem to enjoy the physical aspect to the game as opposed to getting pushed around like they did in the past. Some of that is the attitude of the Spagnuolo staff rubbing off on the players and some of it is simply feeling like there is hope. Players know when the end is near for a coaching staff and when that spiral of negativity begins to swirl it’s almost impossible to go against the stream and maintain intensity. Spags and Co. have given the team a shot of energy with their enthusiastic approach and because the players were just begging for some kind of change after the last couple of years.
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