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Rams COO Kevin Demoff Says It Is Unfair to Judge Jeff Fisher Based on Record
By Joseph Zucker , Featured Columnist Nov 30, 2016
In a move that will surely energize the Los Angeles Rams fanbase, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff offered a defense of head coach Jeff Fisher, seemingly indicating Fisher will be back in 2017.
Demoff told NFL Media's Steve Wyche he isn't swayed by the fact that the Rams are 4-7 this season under Fisher, who is in the final year of his contract:
Everybody will want to judge Jeff through the prism of just the record, but that's totally unfair when you look at the set of circumstances he was handed this year. It was different than any team in the NFL.
We moved halfway across the country, then had OTAs in Oxnard. Training camp was in Irvine, now we're in Thousand Oaks. We moved coaches and players and families. To provide leadership and consistency, he's done a model job.
There's no question the relocation from St. Louis to Los Angeles provided a hurdle for Fisher and his players. However, that didn't stop the head coach from aiming high in the preseason.
"I'm not f--king going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK?" he said during an episode of Hard Knocks (via NFL.com's Dan Hanzus). "Or 10-6 for that matter. This team's too talented. I'm not going to settle for that. I know what I'm doing."
Relocation isn't an excuse for Fisher's previous four years, either, when the team went a combined 27-36-1. Only twice in his last 12 seasons has Fisher led a team to a winning record: the Tennessee Titans in 2007 and 2008. The 58-year-old has become synonymous with NFL mediocrity.
The team's return to Los Angeles doesn't cover up what has been a disappointing campaign.
Second-year running back Todd Gurley is averaging 3.2 yards per carry after running for 1,106 yards in 13 games as a rookie. In addition, many fans have argued that Fisher has mishandled the development of rookie quarterback Jared Goff. The No. 1 overall pick, who debuted in Week 11, has thrown for 348 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in two starts.
As Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon pointed out, Fisher painted himself into a corner:
Things aren't much better on the defensive side. According to Football Outsiders, the Rams rank 15th in defensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) in 2016, compared to their No. 7 ranking in 2015.
Keeping Fisher for this year made sense. The Rams needed a transition period following their move from St. Louis, and he could've been a steadying hand before the franchise shifts in a different direction after Fisher's contract expires.
Instead, Demoff's comments indicated the Rams remain committed to their head coach despite his continued failure to turn around Los Angeles' fortunes.
[bleacherreport.com]
By Joseph Zucker , Featured Columnist Nov 30, 2016
In a move that will surely energize the Los Angeles Rams fanbase, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff offered a defense of head coach Jeff Fisher, seemingly indicating Fisher will be back in 2017.
Demoff told NFL Media's Steve Wyche he isn't swayed by the fact that the Rams are 4-7 this season under Fisher, who is in the final year of his contract:
Everybody will want to judge Jeff through the prism of just the record, but that's totally unfair when you look at the set of circumstances he was handed this year. It was different than any team in the NFL.
We moved halfway across the country, then had OTAs in Oxnard. Training camp was in Irvine, now we're in Thousand Oaks. We moved coaches and players and families. To provide leadership and consistency, he's done a model job.
There's no question the relocation from St. Louis to Los Angeles provided a hurdle for Fisher and his players. However, that didn't stop the head coach from aiming high in the preseason.
"I'm not f--king going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK?" he said during an episode of Hard Knocks (via NFL.com's Dan Hanzus). "Or 10-6 for that matter. This team's too talented. I'm not going to settle for that. I know what I'm doing."
Relocation isn't an excuse for Fisher's previous four years, either, when the team went a combined 27-36-1. Only twice in his last 12 seasons has Fisher led a team to a winning record: the Tennessee Titans in 2007 and 2008. The 58-year-old has become synonymous with NFL mediocrity.
The team's return to Los Angeles doesn't cover up what has been a disappointing campaign.
Second-year running back Todd Gurley is averaging 3.2 yards per carry after running for 1,106 yards in 13 games as a rookie. In addition, many fans have argued that Fisher has mishandled the development of rookie quarterback Jared Goff. The No. 1 overall pick, who debuted in Week 11, has thrown for 348 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in two starts.
As Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon pointed out, Fisher painted himself into a corner:
Things aren't much better on the defensive side. According to Football Outsiders, the Rams rank 15th in defensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) in 2016, compared to their No. 7 ranking in 2015.
Keeping Fisher for this year made sense. The Rams needed a transition period following their move from St. Louis, and he could've been a steadying hand before the franchise shifts in a different direction after Fisher's contract expires.
Instead, Demoff's comments indicated the Rams remain committed to their head coach despite his continued failure to turn around Los Angeles' fortunes.
[bleacherreport.com]
