Pressure on Rams coach Jeff Fisher grows with every loss

Pressure on Rams coach Jeff Fisher grows with every loss

By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER


THOUSAND OAKS – When the offense struggles all season, and the defense has one of the worst efforts in franchise history, fingers can be pointed in every direction. But there’s only one unanimous target.

Enter Rams coach Jeff Fisher and his 31-43-1 record.

Barring a near-miraculous late-season run, the Rams (4-7) seem destined to fall short of a winning record, just as they have every season since 2003. The last four of those have come under Fisher, who boldly told his players in a televised training-camp meeting that he wouldn’t go 7-9 or 8-8 or even 10-6.

Now, the best the Rams can achieve is 9-7, and that would require a five-game, season-ending sweep, with consecutive games against division leaders New England (9-2), Atlanta (7-4) and Seattle (7-3-1).

At this point, a 10-loss season seems far more plausible than a magical playoff push, and that’s why Fisher has faced increasingly intense public pressure. Fisher is in the final year of his contract, but a segment of fans has given voice to the idea that he shouldn’t finish this season on the Rams’ sideline.

“They have the right to do that,” Fisher said at his weekly Monday news conference at Cal Lutheran. “Ultimately, it’s my responsibility. The win-loss record falls on my shoulders. My responsibility is to deal with this football team and get them ready to play the next game.”

Losers of six of their last seven, the Rams must pull things together quickly, and they’re coming off one of the worst defensive performances in franchise history, a 49-21 loss to New Orleans on Sunday.

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