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CROMWELL21
Pharoh Cooper kept our defense on the field for nearly nine straight minutes. Cooper caused the score to change from 6-0 to 13-0. The Rams would have been leading at half and entering the fourth. Their defense would have been fresh.
Aaron Donald had to be sat for plays as he was exhausted.
If Cooper doesn't fumble, the Rams defense is at normal tiredness and the Rams only score 13 and lose I would blame McVay.
The second he fumbles (the punt muff was not as killer) I thought the game was over.
The second he fumbles he makes it a two possession game. Even though we got close I still thought we were chasing the Falcons and the plays called dictated that.
This loss is on Cooper. Not McVay. Not the defense.
Even great teams don't recover.
1-Nine minutes with your starting D on the field.
2-From a one possession to a two possession game.
3-Brockers injury
4-Now Falcons D could concentrate on flying around and playing looser.
5-Anybody who is a true fan and can go through fourteen years of losing and blame McVay for the Atlanta game or resting starters (isn't that what the best playoff teams strive for, a bye week in the playoffs).
This was completely on Cooper. Still think he is awesome and may have been hurt. But totally blame him for the loss.
Blaming Cooper exclusively for keeping the Defense on the field for 9 minutes removes any responsibility for the defense doing it's job and getting itself off the field both before and after the fumble. Prior to the fumble the defense allowed 4 first downs and 4 minutes to be eaten off the clock. Then the punt that Cooper fumbled followed by the defense allowing another 3 first downs on a 5 minute drive for a TD. After the first muff the defense made the Falcons go three an out and only was on the field about 1.5 minutes. The defense contributed too.
What's this "not fresh" nonsense? The entire reason they didn't play against the 49ers was to be fresh an healthy. Because they had to defend against ONE more drives than the Falcons did in the first half they were suddenly toast?
How does any of this explain them only being down 3 at halftime, having no turnovers in the second half and getting completely rolled anyway? Rolled on the first drive coming out of halftime. Outscored 13-3 in the second half despite no turnovers, no Cooper excuse, etc.
