Blinkscout Game 6 ... gut check.

So ... as Rams fans we know the feeling, getting the wind knocked out of us. The foul spectre of promise turning into a 7-9 season. I'm going to give a little perspective here.

Each of the last 3 losses exposed different areas, and we're dealing with some injuries. A good team that is well coached, will use this as fuel and start cleaning up those errors. I am concerned with dynasty. McVay and Goff for the next five years.

Without taking anything away from the 9ers defense, which played an unreal game (especially the safeties) ... we have Gurley and we win the game. We score on the goal line, and we don't spot them a TD by fumbling on our own 15.

There are definitely some troubling elements to this loss, and Ill get to those. But I'm not pulling the emergency brake yet by any means.


The Good (no great)

1) Seeing Darrel get to full speed ... that was promising.

2) First drive all runs was pretty freaking awesome.

3) Stiff defense given how many plays they ran on us. We never caved on defense.

4) Robey-Coleman playing really stout and tight, what a great investment.

5) Was watching Allen and how fast he gets to the second level ... that's impressive.

6) Sebastian Joseph-Day is kind of a beast. I think he's just going to keep getting better. Gaines is getting more comfy as well, but SJD is disruptive right now.

7) Nice to have Rapp back. I really think he and JJ are going to make a great pair for a long time.

8) Troy Hill filling in okay. I expected a larger dropoff.


The Bad

9) Shanahan is a brute. He wants you in his game. Behind, and running on you all day and wearing you out with multiple sets of fresh legs. In a game like this you have to get first downs, you legit CANNOT go 3 and out against them. You basically need to script for first downs at the beginning of the drive.

10) Gotta bracket Kittle. He can beat you by himself if you let him. And he's the heart of the offense, Garrapolo needs him to energize the rest, so you can't let him get hot.

11) Need better 4th down plays.

12) Did he miss Everett for 6 again? I saw that, right? They need to get their timing down because he's getting open against mismatches.

13) In a game like this, you need Cooper going early. Especially since we were missing TG.


The Ugly

14) Is it true that we didn't convert a 3rd or fourth down all game? Did that really happen?

15) Demby at OG against them. He needs to be a backup, he's not physically ready start against NFL linemen. Doesn't matter if he knows the calls better if he can't stop penetration at all.

16) Losing Boom.

17) Maybe losing JJ, that'll hurt.

18) Losing the spark. Offense was visually defeated. I have a rule for QBs ... to be a starting QB you promise 60 minutes of unjustified optimism, period. It's never over. We were literally still in it and we looked broken. I'm not a fan of that. Can't have that. Period.

19) Goff's numbers. 78 yards total. and 1.9 fantasy points, lol. Wow.

20) Not being able to expose their two backup OTs. ??


21) Curious to see how they respond. This response wasn't urgent enough .. so let's see if they can dig a little deeper this week.



College

22) Man great games last weekend. Have yet to watch the Gator game or PSU but I hit the rest ...

23) WR is a position that is evolving ... the kids are getting bigger.

24) I'm liking a LOT of CBs and DTs ...

25) I think, oddly, this is the best year Ive ever seen for inside LBs. Both kids on Miami are nuts, but they're just 2 of like 10-15 serious players. I'm thinking we draft over Micah this coming year.

26) Im also thinking OT high because the quality is there this year.




Okay, that's it for this week. Thoughts and comments welcome.

---