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zn
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Ram49
The Los Angeles Rams are soft and mentally weak. They have been all season long.
I know people like to vent with big negative generalizations after a bad loss, but...no. They have not played like that "all season." Not even half of it.
Really it's 3 bad games.
They shouldn't have happened but that does not mean that every wide-open negative stereotype we can angrily come up with to describe them is valid.
....
Since this is where the debate began in this thread (and it has taken me this long to even allow myself to think about football so I could be present for my family) I will address the things both sides are saying.
I will begin with the "Soft" moniker. It has merit AT TIMES. When this line meets physically dominant DLines, the scheme has to protect them because there is some softness to their game. There are times Staley calls soft zones that get exploited. There are times Goff gets rattled because he can't trust his protection and he's clearly not a dual threat with his legs. I wouldn't call him soft in that regard, just awkward.
But to ZN's point, a team that is near the top of the league for the season in running the ball and overall defense, it would be the first time in football history that those two characteristics equated to an overall perception of being soft. Nevertheless, even ZN and myself would admit yesterday was a soft performance overall.Still, there were times in the second half AFTER the Rams allowed the first scoring drive that the Rams responded powerfully.
Look, all of us are pissed, including the team. That performance was unacceptable. But the definition of this team has yet to be determined. IF they pick their asses off the mat and win in the playoffs, they can be considered mentally resilient and a tough team to beat. If they roll over with another game like this, I will join 49 and admit there's a softness that can't be ignored.
In 1999, Dick Vermeil worried that the team that won the Super Bowl needed to become tougher the next year to compete at the highest level. We won games against the Bucs and Titans, but they were both tougher teams. Martz worried in 01 that the Pats were the most physical team they faced in spite of their win. Bottom line, this team can still win it all and 49 could still have a point. But it's too early to slap the label on them just yet.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2020 04:09AM by Leoram.
