Some bullet points from the game...

What a beautiful day for football, the crowd was fired up and ready for a Rams win. But I have never been more embarrassed at a Rams game as I was on Sunday.

The chants for Tim Tebow and fans leaving in droves with 3:00 left when the game was still undecided, was a low for ME.

For ME it symbolized how hopeless Rams fans feel toward this Jeff Fisher coached team.

On to the game:


- As I've said many times any defense that has TJ McDonald locked in coverage is fatally flawed. Olsen turned him around like a top for an easy TD. That was either a bad defensive call or Alexander blew the inside coverage. I find it hard to believe you wouldn't double the Panthers best receiver down there.

- Refs missed an egregious hands to the face against Benny

- Jeff Fisher says that he didn't hear the crowd cheering for Goff, I wonder what he heard then when he was waving his hands for the crowd to quiet down. I often watch him on the sidelines to see his interaction with his assistants and players. He is such a lousy leader, it is so apparent to most that this team needs a shot in the arm. They need something or somebody to give them a spark. Change the body language, change the chemistry, change the mindset of the team. Maybe Jared Goff could do that, you never know, but I hate to see the defenses efforts wasted as they are.

- Austin is just a bonehead player. He was who Jimmy Johnson was referring to when he proclaimed you don't draft dumb players

- Higbee has a long way to go as an NFL receiver. He's not even close right now, and it's hurting the qb on some pass plays..

- Rodger Saffold on 4th 1 gets completely stoned. Rodger you can start by doing better yourself. Rams get that first they keep some momentum.

- Gurley bounce off sometimes. When you run up the back of your blocker, don't keep churning your legs trying to push the pile, bounce off sometimes. Obviously the scrum is in the hole, bounce it!!!! That's something you see rb's do in every game. Its like he can only go in a straight line. So frustrating!

- Lance has some of the most inconsistent hands of probably any Rams receiver including Tavon. Two more drops, one that should have been picked. The defender looks up the ball falls from Lance's hip right in his lap. The TD drop got on Lance and he just dropped it. No sun excuse. Keenum put it on him and he didn't make the adjustment. I would never count on Lance Kendricks to make that really crucial catch. I don't care how many catches he makes, it would still be in the back of my mind that he's inconsistent.

- Quick short on 1st down. That wasn't Quick's fault, the pass had no zip on the ball and he had to comeback to make the catch. IF I had to blame Quick for anything it would be not immediately getting up to advance the ball. We all know though that his awareness is not the greatest.

- Keenum is such a frustrating player. I guess its to be expected from a marginal player. He will throw an absolutely beautiful pass to Higbee one minute, then loft the ball with to much air under it on others. His touch on passes is as erratic as any I have ever seen.

- Zuerline I know he has been pretty good this season but I'm never comfortable with him. It seems he use to be better at the longer kicks, now he's not at all. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if they upgraded there.

- Rams front kept them in the game, and played well against a patchwork Panthers line. Panthers were missing Kalil at center and their LT, so they made three changes up front. Nevertheless IMO the Rams front played their best all around game against the run and pass.

- GW ran some timely blitzes that were very effective against a qb that likes to hold the ball. Great strategy, but don't do it against a Brees or Brady.

- Boras doesn't seem to have the pulse of his offense or the flow of games at all. He doesn't seem to be able to change things to get them going. When to speed up the tempo, when to stick with the run, etc. Carolina basically pitched a shut-out in this game. There was absolutely no real threat from the Rams offense all day. 15 rushing attempts in a one score game for the most part??? No balance, no tempo, no flow, no continuity, no perceivable plan, no production.

- Cam Newton's accuracy was awful in this game. I'm happy it was because there were open Panther receivers running free ALL DAY!

- Sorry guys but Mark Barron's hit on Cam was an illegal hit. Not only did he throw a forearm but there was helmet to helmet contact.

The rule states: Defensive players are not allowed to make more than mild contact with the quarterback once he has released a pass, or any contact with the head of a quarterback whether or not the quarterback is in possession of the ball. A roughing the passer penalty results in a fifteen-yard penalty and an automatic first down.

Watch the forearm this is a vicious hit:



There is another slo-mo of the hit here where you can clearly see helmet to helmet: [www.sbnation.com]

They have to do something about the state of officiating in the game. IMO it is what is making the game hard to watch and possibly why more people are tuning out. Its a great game and it doesn't deserve this.

One last thing, and I'm sharing this because I was told that he also said it on broadcast. Jackie Slater told ME that Jeff Fisher wanted Jared Goff because he thought that his team was one player away. He felt that Goff was that one player.

Jackie Slater is "inside" enough for ME.

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Best,
Laram