Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Who do we blame now?

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • #1

    Who do we blame now?

    The Coaching Staff?

    The Players?

    Both?

    Today was an absolutely pathetic performance. Really I am at a loss as to what the problem is. Seems we are just a .500 team this year. Up one week and down the next. Going in to the season I thought the talent was there to go deep into the playoffs. Something is definately amiss with our Rams and I just can't put my finger on it.

    I know there are plenty of Rams fans who staunchy support Mike Martz and i applaud them for their loyalty. However, he and his coaching staff do not seem to have a handle on motivating this team or preparing them for the opponents from week to week.

    The special teams was horrible today and at some point in time this has to reflect on the coaching. I think everyone is somewhat concerned with the defense and I am starting to wonder if Marmie was the best choice to head up that side of the ball.

    Usually I am the first person to place the blame on the players and for the most part I still do. However, if things continue this way through the rest of the season, I think it is time to finally wake up and see Martz for who he really is. An average head coach who looks best when he is surrounded by self-motivated talent.


    :ramlogo:
    Curly ~ Horns
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Who do we blame now?

    well said Ferter.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Who do we blame now?

      As a Martz supporter, I think you have to blame him. Today's loss was a result of coaching. Martz is in his 5th season as a head coach in the NFL and has never had quality special teams play from his teams. Take away those three plays and the Rams probably win this game today. That is not to say there were other problems. What in the world was that running play to Faulk down on the 1? Have you ever seen such a slow developing play called inside the 5 yard line? The offensive line played almost as bad as they had against the Pats. Why weren't they motivated? My support for Mad Mike has started to wane.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Who do we blame now?

        I say we blame the FortyWhiners. I mean Why not?

        Seriously though it all has to be looked at. Someone need's to be responsible
        for motivating the team. Injuries may play a part on the rest of the team but
        special teams are just rotten period. Put the damn starters in on Special teams if that is what it takes.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Who do we blame now?

          concidering we lost, was it 3 starters very early on to injury, all who played on special teams. I am surpriced to see non of the fans have mentioned this but take the easy option of lashing out ..............

          __________________________________________________________
          Keeping the Rams Nation Talking

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Who do we blame now?

            its easy to see why our special teams are so poor.. we overpay some players so there is not enough talent to go around... don't really blame Martz or the players i.e. this goes higher than just the obvious! we have to restructure the salary packages of some of our so called stars or ship them out (no matter who they are).. I wonder if its a financial guru or just a footballer managing the salary cap for us !!

            At least Holt increased his trade bait this w/e

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Who do we blame now?

              I can't lay the blame on any one player or coach. It seems as though the whole team was a half step out of reality during the game. Even though we were up 10-0 in the first quarter, it was a rough 10 points....those points didn't come with the confidence of the first two strikes from last week's game.
              The whole offensive line was out of step. The Defense was out of step. ST was out of step.
              Everone here knows I try to be optimistic. Well, even with the way the game went yesterday, I can say this much....
              At least we beat the seachickens....TWICE!!!!
              temp_4394_1467243487543_20
              RAMS!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Who do we blame now?

                Here's how I see the blame going?

                Offense: Guys, we just ran into an outstanding D on their field. A great D will beat a great O, especially on their field. Like I said last week, the Bills D brought something to the table that we hadn't seen this year and that was pressure from the inside of the line. Bulger had gotten used to stepping up in the pocket to avoid the outside rush. He even looked comfortable incorporating the collapsing pocket into the offense. But to see the pocket come straight back at him, created a whole new wrinkle that we weren't prepared for in the passing game or running game.

                Defense: Our problems on D are multi-faceted, but can best be summed up by one observation: Rich Coady is a starter. When obvious back-ups are called upon to start, there is a serious lack of talent to deal with. Couple that with Marmie's historical track record, and it's hard to expect much more.

                Special Teams: I'm speechless.
                The more things change, the more they stay the same.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Who do we blame now?

                  We are making TE's All-Pros this year. Why? Our safeties stink in pass coverage. All of them, Arch included.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Who do we blame now?

                    Nice post Ferter. Your comment that Martz may be "an average head coach who looks best when he is surrounded by self-motivated talent" is right on. I think one of the biggest problems this year has been the uninspired play of those on the field. You can't be successful in the NFL without attitude, desire and emotion, things which are not a consistant part of this team and things that are the responsibility of the coaching staff. In this area, we are seriously lacking.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Who do we blame now?

                      Well it has gotten to the point of being ridiculous. It is all playing out before our own eyes. The special teams is sickening. We have all seen it - week in and week out - year in and year out. It is a constant problem area. Who is responsible for this? Can we simply continue to blame the current ST coach? Fire and hire a ST coach on a yearly basis?

                      And what about this Marmie? Martz' buddy and long time friend. Cmon now, Martz hired him and it is quite obvious it was a huge mistake. He has come in and changed the scheme and the players have simply not adapted. He doesn't motivate. Where is the swarm and the fire from this defense that Lovie instilled on a yearly basis? There is no team leader on defense. Marmie has not been able to connect with one defensive player and motivate him into a leadership role. He simply does not light a fire under these guys. I dunno, seems from what I have learned in life, a leader needs to figure out what makes guys tick and push their buttons. Light a damn fire under their asses and get them going. Does Marmie do this? Hell it sure doesn't look like it to me. Maybe I'm missing something?

                      Simple questions with one answer....
                      Who hired Marmie?
                      Who hired the latest scapegoat to coach the scrubs on ST?

                      Actually I find it hard to believe anyone, other than a coach close to retirement, would want to coach ST for Mike Martz. Martz simply won't devote any of the better talent to the units.

                      Should I even bring up the O-line? Not one decent lineman waiting in the wings? Well I dunno, maybe it is just me, but I really feel that Martz needs to be held accountable at some point in time.



                      :ramlogo:
                      Curly ~ Horns

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Who do we blame now?

                        Martz continues to keep making bad decisions and IMPO he hasnt done anything with this team since his takeover!..........I honestlt believe that the Rams without a Headcoache would have prevailed as much as with MM as their coach.................Here's another thing that bothers me. Why not approach MB when he is off of his game (yesterday) and go to him like a man and tell him that he is inserting CC into the game to see if he would be able to spark the team! .........And if MB or any other qb cry's about it then to me they are either immatureor not a team player! ..............Dont give me this ......he's a competitor, heck everyone in this game are competitors so for me that is not a good excuse or reason to keep a failing player from being benched! He's no different than any one else on the team! Play bad,come out Perform well and keep playing! What if MF,LL,AA,IB,TH,OP(which i personnally think is playing terrible this year) doesn't MM give these other players some time on the bench? You betcha! MM will not pull MB because of all the termoil that he has produced since the KW saga! MM has to be right on this poor dcision he has made! It was never the QB's fault as much as it is the coaches and the poor play of the O-line the last few years! MB will not succeed until something is done with the o-lines play and play calling,etc..........................sorry but,it will never work until some major over-haulin' is done! starting at the top!!!!!!!!...........Mad Mike you need to either get some quality help or demote yourself plain and simple! Ask your self this 1 question? Wasit easier for you to see the game in the booth or to be on the field? Answer truthfully to yourself and you will see just what i have been saying for some time! Remember the truth will set you free!

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Who do we blame now?

                          There is a lot of blame to be spread around after this game, but the inability to stop the Bills on special teams handed this game away. It was horrible to watch.

                          Lots of points with hardly any effort. yucko.

                          The O line struggled and was getting pushed back as if they were on one of those sleds that they use in practice. I thought Bulger did a pretty good job of moving around and getting the ball off in the first half. I saw too many long balls and would have liked to see more short dumpoffs and running plays to ease up on the pressure that the line was taking.

                          The defensive secondary is struggling and they are playing very thin due to injuries. Coady and Arch are having trouble defending against the passing plays. Not sure what the answer is there.

                          I had the tape the game and I am watching it in pieces since it is easier to handle that way. It is a very fast paced game. Lots of throwing by both teams. Take away the special teams touchdowns and it would have been a close game.
                          sigpic

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Who do we blame now?

                            There is a lot of blame to be spread around after this game but the inability to stop the Bills on special teams handed this game away. It was horrible to watch. --UtterBlitz
                            Excelent thread, Ferter (it lacks foolish bashing and reflects objective comments).

                            I'm still hurting over this loss to Buffalo! It's one thing I will not be thankful for this Thanskgiving. :upset:

                            I agree with most of the posts here. Pathetic Special Teams. Poor defense coverage on TEs -- Coady, Archuleta, etc. We need to get our act together people! Bulger saw a couple of his passes that were simply off, and they were key plays too.

                            OL is to blame as well. Me too, blame me! I am an optimistic, positive supporter of the Rams HC.

                            Game Vs. Packers is so important! We're playing catch-up ball again. :helmet:

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Who do we blame now?

                              The turnovers by Bulger in the red zone were back breakers. It is hard to see them in their within the 5 yard line twice and turn the ball over. 2 field goals would have been some points, but instead we get zero points.

                              A lot of the blame has to go on the offensive line. They got pushed around all game and got penalized while they were at it.

                              I am starting to wonder if we are playing well in our own division but only because our division is not all that good this season.
                              sigpic

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 template Next

                              Related Topics

                              Collapse
                              • RamWraith
                                This article makes me sick!
                                by RamWraith
                                Why is Martz shouldering the blame. UNREAL!! Kick some arse Mike, not the poor me crap.

                                ---------------

                                By taking the blame for everything, Martz solves nothing


                                BY JEFF GORDON
                                STLtoday.com Sports Columnist
                                10/09/2005

                                Mike Martz threw himself on his sword Sunday after his Rams served up a 37-31 victory to the Seattle Seahawks.

                                In fact, Martz threw himself on his sword again and again and again. The poor guy was perforated by the time he ended his postgame news conference -– which was delayed, we presumed, by his search for more things to personally take the blame for.

                                “This was Coach Martz’s loss,” he told the assembled reporters. “Put a big check mark on that.”

                                OK, if you insist. Let’s look over all the key categories:


                                The hideous play by the Rams secondary? Martz wanted to take the fall for that.

                                “I asked the defense to put in a new coverage,” he said. “They threw for two touchdowns against that coverage.” He kicked himself for meddling with defensive coordinator Larry Marmie’s business.


                                The team’s offensive woes in the third quarter? You knew that Mad Mike would shoulder that responsibility, too.

                                “Bad job of coaching coming out in the second half,” he said. “That was my worst job of calling plays.”


                                The overall game plan and play calling were lacking, too, Martz said.

                                “I wasn’t myself this week,” he said. “I probably should have let Steve (Fairchild) call the game.”

                                (Fairchild is the team’s offensive coordinator, which probably comes as a surprise to fans who didn’t realize the team had such a thing.)


                                Finally, Martz beat himself up for creating an unwanted distraction with his own bad health.

                                “I just feel like what happened to me really affected the team,” Martz said. “That breaks my heart.”

                                And, yes, Martz promised he would fix that, and quickly. With the help of the Rams medical staff, he insisted he would get the upper hand on the infection that settled into his heart valve.

                                Martz vowed he will feel better the next few weeks and get back to his old self, working long hours and obsessing over all the details.


                                If fans could have seen this poor guy, they would be less upset and more empathetic. He looked like death warmed over. Coaching in the NFL is a brutal job, one that can make a man age quickly. The pressure and the grind are brutal.

                                Relatively few coaches last for the long haul. Dick Vermeil, Bill Parcells, Joe Gibbs and Marty Schottenheimer are still around because they had long, long breaks.

                                All coaches take losses hard. Some take it more personally than others, and Martz would fall into that category.

                                But the fact is, the Rams just aren’t very good right...
                                -10-09-2005, 07:11 PM
                              • RamWraith
                                Martz's remedies need to extend to coaching staff
                                by RamWraith
                                By Bryan Burwell
                                Of the Post-Dispatch
                                11/09/2004

                                So as we have reached the critical midway point of the 2004 NFL season, it's time for a little review. The Rams' offensive line can't block a fire exit. Their defense gets exploited regularly. And because I am a positive person, let me be the first to note that the Rams' special teams haven't botched any kick coverage in the last 12 hours (I think), nor surrendered a single touchdown pass thrown by an opposing team's backup long snapper in months.

                                So now that it's painfully obvious that the 4-4 Rams are a broken and flawed football team, what we need to know now are the answers to two very important questions as they head into the second half of the season:

                                1. How do they fix it?

                                2. Can they fix it?

                                On Monday morning, as he sat in his Rams Park second-floor office, Mike Martz finished reviewing game tapes of Sunday's 40-22 debacle against the New England Patriots and began answering those pressing questions with a very systematic, analytical process. After scrutinizing hours of game tape, Martz met with his coaching staff and he met with his players. Then after carefully listening, observing and analyzing every scrap of forensics from this mess of a half-season, the boss essentially came to this conclusion:

                                It can be fixed, and he has the available tools to fix it.

                                Oh yeah, and there was just one other valuable little tidbit that we thought we ought to share with you . . .

                                Our favorite gray-haired football eccentric is mad as hell and he ain't gonna take it anymore.

                                "You guys have been here long enough to know that I've never tried to mislead you or sugarcoat anything," Martz told a room full of reporters at his Monday afternoon news conference. "If I've screwed something up I'll tell you. I'll try to take a bullet (for players) when you can to help them. (But) there comes a time when some of these guys have just got to ... show up and make a play. That's not a cop-out or brushing it off onto (the players). But I'm upset. We've got some guys we're counting on and they've got to step up."

                                There is no greater theatre than a Monday afternoon Martz news conference following a Rams loss. But this one was better than others, exceptionally rich with subtle insight and read-between-the-lines intrigue. To the untrained eyes and ears, it sounded a whole lot like Martz was just lashing out at his players, and placing all the weight of the world on their shoulders.

                                Yet to veteran Martz-ologists who understand his rhythms, moods and intentions, these were not the blame-shifting ramblings of a desperate man in his final days. This was a strategic angry declaration of a head coach who still believes he can lead this team out of its misery. And is it possible that we also might have been hearing a few subtle...
                                -11-09-2004, 01:18 PM
                              • Guest's Avatar
                                Looking At The Talent Issue
                                by Guest
                                Let’s put this into more of a prospective instead of a blanket statement regarding talent. First of all the title of the thread "I don't buy this no talent thing" alludes to the Rams having no talent. When I first replied to that thread I was in the mind-set that “No talent” really meant less talent which is undeniably true.

                                Each year you go back, the Rams have been raped for players and we have been so inept in the draft that our talent level has suffered. This does not mean that the Rams defense is without talent, this simply means that our talent is not at the level it was in the past.

                                Do I really need to go over each position and compare what we had in talent to what is on the field now? I won’t because I trust that everyone is clear on this. As far as the talent this team has, sure they all have at one time or another shown they can play, however the "one time or another" part is the problem. To say the Rams have all this talent because someone picked up a fumble and scampered 40 yards for a td six weeks ago or because someone had a sack or two in one game out of 9 is reaching as far as declaring that player has as much talent as someone who played that position in the past.

                                One thing we all seem to agree on is what really ails the rams and that is motivation. Where I disagree is I think Martz is finally trying to address this problem albeit it may be too late but he is putting emphasis on being ready and fired up something he has shunned in the past. This has been my gripe since 2000 and while many pointed to the Rams W/L record as proof that I was full of it, I denounced the Rams achievements as underachievement.

                                Martz fell into a crop of talent like no other coach I can remember and because of the tremendous talent the Rams had, the Underachievement during his rein has gone unnoticed by many. This of course is why you cannot simply look at the W/L record as the end all be all as far as how good a coach is.

                                Now what you’re seeing is the inauguration of Martz into the parity level where coaches have to get at least the potential out of the players that he has and if he is worth his salt should be able to get more. What Martz is learning is he cannot get to these levels without motivation.

                                Some believe that the Rams were the model of motivation because they won in the past now suddenly Martz cannot motivate them anymore. Wrong. This team under Martz has ignored motivation and now you’re seeing the alarm go off because now that the Rams possess talent equal to other teams in the league and far less then in the recent past the inevitable has become reality.

                                To make matters worse he has hired a DC that has never shown that he can motivate a defense. Martz has now put the onus on himself to get the team motivated because he sees that there is nobody in the organization capable of doing it. Can he do it? Can he pull...
                                -11-25-2004, 10:46 PM
                              • Guest's Avatar
                                Rams
                                by Guest
                                The loss today is not the important issue regarding the Rams.

                                If Seattle comes in and steals a win from the Rams it’s going to suck however that is not the important issue facing the Rams.

                                If we miss the playoffs that will really bite the big one however this is not what concerns me the most.

                                What concerns me the most is the direction this team is going. This team seems to go in the direction that they are in the mood for that day. They have shown they can play football, they have shown they are capable of becoming motivated however that motivation is usually absent and it seems that no body in the organization is able to take charge and get the team motivated to play ball at the level they are capable of.

                                It's not always the head coach that is the motivator. Some people just cannot rally others together as well as others. It doesn't necessarily have to be the head coach that motivates a team but it sure as hell is his responsibility to see that someone gets it done.

                                The Ravens have Ray Lewis but who's our guy? Anyone care to take a shot at naming our motivator? The truth is, our motivators have been cut, traded or just plain shat on by the Rams. London Fletcher may have not been the best linebacker that played the game but he sure as hell brought his attitude with him on Sundays. Billy Jenkins, Roman Phifier, Rickey Prohel, Az Hakim, Dre Bly Todd Kichen, Toby Wright all had the ability to get the team going.

                                So out go those guys and in comes Kyle Turley who in my mind was the final straw on the Rams breaking back. He may have been a motivator but his motivation was clearly from his own selfish agenda which was to dismantle the team starting with Warner then take a years hiatis while the smoke cleared.

                                So now we are left with the crumbled aftermath and we do not know which direction this team is headed. That is the important issue facing the Rams right now.

                                Which way are we going and how far must we fall before considerable changes are made.

                                I know I am the minority in this but I think that head coaches should not be given the lead way they are given when it comes down to hiring their staff. To many of them use the good old boy system of repaying people who employed them in another era or just want to help out a buddy. Sure it's noble to repay someone for helping you out along the way but at what expense? When is it ok to say no? If i'm not mistaken didn't Martz also hire a high school coach out of San Diego using the same good old boy system?

                                The statement made by Martz regarding calling the defense on the one play when the Rams were torched for a TD last week Vs. Miami didn't make a lick of sense and when something doesn't make sense someone is usually lying. Anyone believe Martz's statement or can you now see the cover-up taking place for Marmie or more specifically Martz's decision to hire...
                                -11-07-2004, 09:49 PM
                              • Guest's Avatar
                                The Fire Within
                                by Guest
                                THE FIRE WITHIN

                                Congruence: The relationship between your words and your actions.
                                Or
                                Walk your talk.

                                Talent is necessary however motivation is the fire that begins from a smoldering ember. Without fanning the ember into a flame, that ember will continue to smolder. The Rams have shown a smoldering ember that is capable of roaring into a bonfire. This was apparent in the final minutes of the Seattle game, in San Diego two years ago and against San Francisco in the final Monday Night football game of that same season.

                                So what fanned those flames into bonfires within each of the players on those days? My guess is embarrassment. Embarrassed due to being apart of a grossly underachieving team.

                                What fanned the flames of the New England Patriots when they upset the heavily favored Rams in the Superbowl? My guess is urgency.

                                I also theorize that someone on that team (Probably Belichick) saw the urgency and implored that urgency throughout the entire squad.

                                It seems that Mike Martz has recently discovered that talent alone is not enough. It took the Rams to drop to the parity level as far as talent before he emphasized the importance of getting his team up for games.

                                Only after the loss in Miami did he come out and talk about intensity with intensity. I don’t know if anyone else has realized this but the recent articles from the Post Dispatch along with “Martz on the Mike“have shown a noticeable escalation in Martz talking about being up and ready for games.

                                It looks as if he has discovered a new tool in coaching and is now going through the adolescent stages of applying it.

                                What I am refering to when I say "adolescent stages" is hitting on Wednesday before the Seahawk game which to Mike Martz is what fanned the ember into a flame.

                                I think Martz believed that it was the hitting that motivated the team. I believe it was more then that. I think the team was responding to Martz’s intensity more then the hitting itself and that intensity is what carried over into the game against Seattle.

                                My feeling is that Martz may have put to much emphasis on the hitting and never realized that it was his own intensity and urgency that fanned the ember into a roaring fire.

                                In sum Mike Martz may have had the illusion that all he had to do to get his team up was hit on Wednesday; not realizing the intensity he himself brought on the prior Week.

                                I know there are a lot of fans here on the board that measure everything by wins and losses. This was oh so very apparent during the Warner Bulger debates. At that time, I was not compelled to look at the W/L column to base my feelings on. I saw a very good QB that looked to be getting a bum rap and I saw another QB that had great potential who probably felt as bad for Warner as anyone did.

                                What...
                                -11-23-2004, 05:24 AM
                              Working...
                              X