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by awwchrist » Tue Sep 09, 2003 3:52 am take what you will from it...this is definitely something to think about though considering it hasn't really been mentioned..
Are the Rams players taking sides from one QB to another?
I flew to NY from LA to see this game first hand. Obviously, I had high hopes. The purpose of this post is not to re-hash what probably has been discussed ad nauseum by you folks (I wouldn't know since I haven't had the chance to peruse yet), but rather to give you my take of the behind-the-scenes stuff you don't see on TV and of course share my displeasure
So. First off, on ESPN after the game, I heard about the latest concussion controversy. Being at the game, I say HORSESHYTE! The series that Warner was sacked in the endzone (supposedly causing the concussion) was AFTER a) I was screaming for Martz to pull him, b) I was staring thru binocs at Bulger hoping to see his cap come off, c) I was reading lips of receivers on the bench (far away from Warner) stating, AND I QUOTE, "Here we go again", and d) I was getting ridiculed by NY fans all around saying things like "How can you pull an MVP stud like Warner in the first quarter?" After that fumble, and before 5 more fumbles, they stopped questioning my understanding of the Rams personnel.
Plain and simple. WARNER WAS SCARED. Before he ever got hit, he must of been thinking of the pounding he took last time, even the year before when to scraped out a win in STL, he was took a beating, and he was playing like he didn't want to go through that again. The problem was, he was also scared to throw interceptions. You combine these two fears and the result is a foregone conclusion.
OK. So QBs can have bad days and personally, I hope very much Warner regains his mojo. But what defense is there for Martz? If some longtime fan in the stands knows what to do, why doesn't the HC? Add to this that he was having trouble getting the plays called??!!! It was a no-brainer PRIOR to this litte tidbit. If it's even true. Martz is the worst coach in the history of the NFL.
Back to the sidelines. My wife is deaf, so I have learned to read lips over the years. These players DO NOT WANT TO PLAY FOR WARNER WHEN HE PLAYS LIKE HE DID IN THE 1st QUARTER. I'm not ready to say EVER, because they certainly looked like they were ready early. Then Warner came out looking silly, Martz wandered the sidelines aimlessly (never said anything, but had the look like "Here we go again" also), while the receivers echoed the same sentiment to each other. Another quote from Bruce to Holt with head shaking slowly back and forth: "I was WIDE open again", and Holt later: "Just THROW the ball!" It was heart-wrenching for me to be picking up on these things.
At one point BEFORE HALFTIME, Holt walked over to Bulger and commiserated after one of Kurt's fumbles. His face was turned away so I couldn't tell exactly what he was saying, but I saw Bulger just nodding his head in disbelief while Holt patted him as if to say, "Hang in there and be ready".
I give a lot of credit to Torry in this game. His amazing catch made KW's stats much better than they should have been. Even the NY fans were giving him mad props (as the youngsters say these days).
Anyway, it kills me to see this team so divided. If they only had a healthy QB or one that can admit when he's not, and a coach that could make adjustments, they would be celebrating on the sidelines instead of wallowing in quiet desperation. Just like their fans.
That's the peeved part. Now the confused part. Why is Martz still the head coach? I haven't seen a game in person since my last season ticket game in Anaheim, so forgive me, but does Martz act this way in STL? He was completely disengaged with the team on the sidelines staring blankely at his playsheet. THIS IS THE JOB OF AN OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR. He's good at that in spite of my opinion he should have used more Faulk (both run and pass) yesterday. But what he needs to do is connect to the players and COACH during the game. I was going to name coaches that get involved during the game but realized that the list is too long. It's almost EVERY OTHER COACH in the NFL.
End my confusion. Demote Martz to OC and suck it up if he leaves in a tizzy.
It's too early to panic, but I'm reaching for the button.
