Random Thoughts™ on the Rams game

[PlinytheCenter]

Seattle averaged 14.4 points given up per game this season on defense, which is not terribly far removed from historic levels, especially when weighting for the rest of the league, which broke offensive and scoring records this season. What's even more amazing is how many of Seattle's points allowed came in garbage time or very late in games. If Pete were merciless at the end of games like Jim Harbaugh, I think we probably would have seen our defense draw comparisons to the 2000 Ravens this year.

Most definitely. Just take away the Jags game alone and that drops us a point a game given up. Awesome job!!

 

[BobcatHawk]

that rams dude getting ejected was total BS. he raised his hand and a official just happened to be there??? seriously that just wasn't fair.

ANd i think know we know why the Jon doesnt punt them deep anymore after this game.
Pete probably did a week 17 experiement to see how his coverage team on the deep punts. Rockette answered the bell

My opinion is that it wasn't the hitting of the ref as much as trying to get the game back under control. Also, if you notice, the flag doesn't come out as soon as the hit happens, but after the player doesn't acknowledge the hit or stop jawing. Whatever he said may have had as much to do with the flag as the action.

 

[hawkfan68]

Great job, as always, Kearly. If defense wins championships....then the Seahawks are in very good shape. Especially if they play defense like yesterday. This team ran all over the Seahawks in St. Louis and for over 3 qtrs. could only muster up -1 yards rushing and 13 total rushing yards for the game. Outstanding run defense to go with already suffocating pass defense. Wow!

 

[mikeak]

I couldn't watch the game which sucks so extra thanks for the comments

One thought: "In typical 2013 fashion, Seattle blew a chance for a record at the very end when they allowed a long punt return to set up the Rams first score. That play aside, holy crap did Jon Ryan kick ass today. He had several punts that went 50-60 plus and at least one or two that were downed inside the ten."

So it has been debated here that the punts are much shorter which leads to the no return yard but we lost field position in the Arizona game because of it

So in this game some really long punts BUT we give up the longest punt return of the year apparently setting up the rams score.

I predict that we go back to shorter punts... Thoughts?

 

[RedAlice]

It must be hard for the Rams though, playing in a division where everyone else achieved double digits in the win column and they couldn't even make it to .500. I mean seriously, these guys haven't won more than seven games in a season since 2006, they haven't reached 10+ wins since 2003. They're the NFC's equivalent of the Cleveland Browns, and you know they'll somehow mess up that 2nd overall pick.
They look like they're gonna be the perennial basement dwellers of the NFC West for a few more years yet.

I'm keeping this quote for next year.

Congrats Hawks!!!

I think that was my second least favorite game, right after the Panther game. Felt like I was watching the St. Louis Thugs.

I was in a bar full of Charger fans, and I was asked this more than once: are you rooting for that team that keeps fighting? it was just wonderful.

Go win the Super Bowl!

 

[ManBunts]

It must be hard for the Rams though, playing in a division where everyone else achieved double digits in the win column and they couldn't even make it to .500. I mean seriously, these guys haven't won more than seven games in a season since 2006, they haven't reached 10+ wins since 2003. They're the NFC's equivalent of the Cleveland Browns, and you know they'll somehow mess up that 2nd overall pick.
They look like they're gonna be the perennial basement dwellers of the NFC West for a few more years yet.

No way, wait until next year. They have the 2nd and 13th overall picks in the draft. Stacy is coming to form (yes we stopped this game, but you can't deny his talent), Tavon Austin was coming along well before his injury as well, their defense is mean. They just need a good QB and they're going to be a major threat. Despite our big rivalry with the 49ers, their base is aging. Gore, Boldin, Justin Smith, they've got several major players with only a few more years left. With their youth and talent, I see the Rams as not too different from us several years ago. Biding their time and collecting the pieces.

And comparing a team to the Browns!? That's just mean...

 

[IcedHawk]

The rams are scary. If they hit on their picks in the draft, they'll be a really good team.

 

[kearly]

Kearly, rosterbating already. shame on you. thou shalt not covet...

It's more like I am just a huge Greg Hardy fan. If we could magically add him and Navarro Bowman to our current defense somehow, it would surely be the most devastating defense of all time. Big dudes that run like the wind, make big plays every game and never screw up are like unicorns. They are magical creatures that do not exist. I refuse to believe those guys are real.

 

[KK84]

The rams are scary. If they hit on their picks in the draft, they'll be a really good team.

No, they'll just be an annoying team that can play anyone tough and beat top tier teams, but still finish .500 every year because Jeff Fisher.

 

[Blitzer88]

Well done again Kearly. The sequence that got Luke hurt still pisses me off though. From TD to hurt ankle..........smh.....thanks refs.

 

[Tical21]

Had a huge crush on Hardy out of college as well. No way they're going to let him leave though with what they've got going on.

As far as Lynch is concerned, hitting the wall to me didn't mean he isn't going to have big games or stretches, just that he isn't going to be able to muster that same style every week for 16+ weeks. When we had to have it, he was there for us, in warrior fashion.

Can't remember what adjective you used for Irvin, but it was fitting. He does make a splash play here and there that other guys simply can't make, but I would venture to say he is easily the weakest link of the 11 defensive starters. I would guess he did a better job setting the edge this week than he has for the past several weeks though, although I have zero to base that on. He just doesn't show natural LB instincts. You don't have a quarter of a second to diagnose, you just go. With it being his first year at LB, I wouldn't mind seeing him there again next year. I have to figure either Bennett or Clemons will be back, or maybe Avril moves over and starts. I like your outside the box thinking though, and how it aligns with Carroll's.

Bevell did more work with formations this week to get the coverage off of Golden. Nice to see that we can manufacture some offense, but I'd still like to see us improve on the basics. We need to hit a deep ball, and soon. The one we tried to Golden was pretty pathetic. Gets me wondering how much Stephen Williams could have done, and why we don't use Lockette to take the top off.

McDonald wins the unsung hero award.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

that rams dude getting ejected was total BS. he raised his hand and a official just happened to be there??? seriously that just wasn't fair.

ANd i think know we know why the Jon doesnt punt them deep anymore after this game.
Pete probably did a week 17 experiement to see how his coverage team on the deep punts. Rockette answered the bell

My opinion is that it wasn't the hitting of the ref as much as trying to get the game back under control. Also, if you notice, the flag doesn't come out as soon as the hit happens, but after the player doesn't acknowledge the hit or stop jawing. Whatever he said may have had as much to do with the flag as the action.

I'm in the camp that Langford wasn't ejected for knocking off the Ref's hat. Langford was ejected because he got in the Officials faces and then slapped away a refs arm who was trying to settle him down after he saw Langford knock the guy's hat off.

Just watch the ref who threw the flag to eject him, he was looking straight at Langford and saw he accidentily knocked the Ref's hat off but didn't throw the flag until after Langford slapped the other refs hand away for touching him.

Langford's ejection wasn't solely based on one thing but a multitude of continuous unsportsmanlike conduct and looking at the whole and what the Rams were doing, he deserved it and they deserved it for acting out of control.

 

[Tical21]

that rams dude getting ejected was total BS. he raised his hand and a official just happened to be there??? seriously that just wasn't fair.

ANd i think know we know why the Jon doesnt punt them deep anymore after this game.
Pete probably did a week 17 experiement to see how his coverage team on the deep punts. Rockette answered the bell

My opinion is that it wasn't the hitting of the ref as much as trying to get the game back under control. Also, if you notice, the flag doesn't come out as soon as the hit happens, but after the player doesn't acknowledge the hit or stop jawing. Whatever he said may have had as much to do with the flag as the action.

I'm in the camp that Langford wasn't ejected for knocking off the Ref's hat. Langford was ejected because he got in the Officials faces and then slapped away a refs arm who was trying to settle him down after he saw Langford knock the guy's hat off.

Just watch the ref who threw the flag to eject him, he was looking straight at Langford and saw he accidentily knocked the Ref's hat off but didn't throw the flag until after Langford slapped the other refs hand away for touching him.

Langford's ejection wasn't solely based on one thing but a multitude of continuous unsportsmanlike conduct and looking at the whole and what the Rams were doing, he deserved it and they deserved it for acting out of control.

He was ejected the second the flag was thrown. You can't throw a flag for making contact with an official and not eject the player. That penalty carries an automatic ejection. Whether or not you want to eject him there, you really don't have a choice once you throw the flag.

 

[HawkAroundTheClock]

The point of the ejection was that Langford and many other Rams were flirting with the line all game long. When you push and push and push, your window of leniency closes bit by bit. The Rams were playing mercenary as much as football and the refs were correct to try to stop it. I think most Rams fans would agree. If our guys were playing as undisciplined and out-of-control, I would expect an ejection for us.

 

[Anonymous]

Those Rams are pesky buggers.

 

[ivotuk]

I would LOVE an impact player such as Quinn or Hardy. I'm not so sure the Panthers spend the money on him because they will have to consider future contracts and they do have some pretty good players on there already. Off the top of my head I would think they need to improve the OLine, add a WR and maybe DB/TE so they might elect to spend that money elsewhere.

They also have to consider that Hardy is having this break out season in a contract year.

And they recently gave Charles Johnson a big contract, but had to restructure this fall to get some cap space. Here's a quote on his numbers:

"Johnson’s new salary cap number is $8,740,000 which amounts to $4.26 million in savings. The restructure will increase his cap figure in 2014 to $16.42 million and his dead money to $16.26 million. In 2015 his dead money increased from $6 million to $8.84 million while his cap rises to $17.42 million."

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2013/9/16/4736994/panthers-restructure-de-charles-johnson-contract

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Just a question mainly....MRob. Can he catch a ball? I have not seen it so do not know. If he can with somewhat ease, maybe he becomes a potential kick in the pants as a front blocker/fullback/pass receiver in the middle. I wonder if that is something in the works. THoughts??

 

[AgentDib]

So it has been debated here that the punts are much shorter which leads to the no return yard but we lost field position in the Arizona game because of it

So in this game some really long punts BUT we give up the longest punt return of the year apparently setting up the rams score.

I predict that we go back to shorter punts... Thoughts?

You saw the 68 yard punt that set up the pick six, right? And the Lockette cover? Why on earth would you want to just go back to a 36 net. Even with the longest punt return of the year, we still averaged a 53.0! punting average yesterday which was a major strength instead of the recent weakness.

 

[mikeak]

^ I wasn't suggesting that we do either. I think PC is risk adverse and I predicted what he will elect to do. A few long punts with one that then got huge return yardage vs less on each but virtually no risk. I think PC goes with no risk

Clearly he saw the problem in the Arizona game and we will see what they decide to do. Probably a in between option

 

[themunn]

So it has been debated here that the punts are much shorter which leads to the no return yard but we lost field position in the Arizona game because of it

So in this game some really long punts BUT we give up the longest punt return of the year apparently setting up the rams score.

I predict that we go back to shorter punts... Thoughts?

You saw the 68 yard punt that set up the pick six, right? And the Lockette cover? Why on earth would you want to just go back to a 36 net. Even with the longest punt return of the year, we still averaged a 53.0! punting average yesterday which was a major strength instead of the recent weakness.

Actually, it was only about 45 net compared to our 40 average on the year - and 35 average against Arizona

But against Arizona we didn't surrender a single point off of an Arizona drive which started off a Ryan punt.
I would say the only reason we punted so far is because the Rams have the second best cover team in the league (behind us), so not setting up the Rams in midfield was important moreso because even if we stopped them, they'd pin us back inside our own 10 more often than not, which - even with the long punts - they still managed to do quite well.