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As the description has pointed out, the time has come for a coaching move in St. Louis.
So what is wrong with Martz? In addition to his 'questionable' playcalling, the way he plays offense is simply baffling. It's quite obvious that his playbook is overly complicated, which explains why the offense manages the time so badly, and burn timeouts early, that could prove disastrous for the Rams late in the ball game. It is also my belief that Martz focuses too much on schemes and plays, and not enough on players. Good example: Despite St. Louis' awesome set of receivers (Holt, Bruce, and now McDonald), he has two Grade A RB's .. Stephen Jackson and Marshall Faulk. If you notice, he plays a very balanced style of offense against Seattle, and St. Louis won both games, but against other teams, the running game is sadly under-used, and the Rams lose. Coincidence? Unlikely.
This has pretty much been St. Louis' story for the past 3 years, they have their ups and downs, but when it comes down to when it really counts, they don't come through. This is far removed from what the Rams were known for in their SB season.
But whenever a coach is fired, it is vital to the team and the organization that the successor will do a better job. Time and time again, we've seen GMs playing musical chairs with HCs hoping for a "cure all". Well .. there is no such thing. The head coach, albeit being the most personnel on a team, is only part of the equation for a successful team. The other aspects include the coaches assisting the HC, and of course, the player themselves.
For the St. Louis Rams, despite their abysmal performance the past 3 years, have a very talented offense that still could compete with the best out there. Even with their defense, they have talented players such as Leonard Little (Pro-Bowl Candidate), Tommy Polley (tied for most interceptions; most interceptions by a linebacker since London Fletcher back in 2000), Tyoka Jackson (Captain of the St Louis' Defense; consummate professional and very consistent .. played for Tampa Bay's vaunted defense from 96-00) just to name a few.
There's an old saying that "Defense wins championships". Well, that saying is very, very true. Even in the case of the Rams' SB victory against the Titans, it was a single brilliant defensive play at the very end of the game that catapulted the Rams into victory. Given the last 4 SB winners (Patriots, Buccaneers, Ravens), it's obvious that it is near impossible to win a Super Bowl without a solid defense. Even in the case of the SB Rams in '99, their defense was top ranked (#5 against the pass; #1 against the run).
It goes without question (at least to me), that the next Head Coach should be a defensive-minded one. After careful consideration of all potential candidates, I conclude that Mike Smith is the man for the job. For those who don't know who Mike Smith is, he is the Defensive Coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars (who coincidentally has one of the NFL's best defenses). Let's take a look at this resume, shall we?
[taken from Jacksonville's website]
" ... Prior to joining the Jaguars, he spent the previous four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, helping them to their Super Bowl championship in 2000. The Ravens' 2000 defense set an NFL 16-game record by allowing only 165 points. From 1999 to 2001, Smith was the Ravens' defensive assistant/defensive line coach, and in 2002 he was the linebackers coach, replacing Jack Del Rio, who became defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. In 2002, Smith coached All-Pro Ray Lewis and Pro Bowler Peter Boulware, who had his finest NFL season, and he was instrumental in the development of second-year pro Ed Hartwell, who made a team-leading 196 tackles. From 1999 to 2001, Smith worked on all aspects of the defensive game plan and also assisted with special teams.
A native of Daytona Beach and a player in the Canadian Football League, Smith had a 12-year stint at Tennessee Tech (1987-98), the last three as the defensive coordinator. He joined the Tennessee Tech staff as defensive line coach, then served as special teams coordinator from 1988 to '95. He tutored the line for nine seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 1996. With Smith as defensive coordinator, the Golden Eagles' defense finished in the top 10 in the nation in both 1997 and '98. In 1998, Smith was promoted to defensive coordinator/assistant head coach...."
Impressive resume ... The Jaguars, and the record-setting-son-of-a-wall Raven's defense, and even in college ball, he turned the Golden Eagles' D around to be a top-10 ranked team. What impresses me most about Mike Smith is that he coached all aspects of a defense, and has extensive knowledge of special teams--something the Rams have been horrible defensive-wise for a long while now. Moreover, I think Mike Smith, based on seeing how his players play, will give something the Rams sorely need: DISCIPLINE and LEADERSHIP.
Now I could be all wrong, and I'm sure someone who knows more football than me can poke all sorts of holes in my petition. But I think the bottom line is that there needs to be a coaching change in St. Louis while the Rams still have talent, or else, we may go back to the winless, hapless team that we all know and loathed prior to the '99 season. The fans of St Louis are used to winning--and I think Mike Smith can do just that, on BOTH sides of the ball. |
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Benjamin - just a fan of the St Louis Rams who sorely wants another Lombardi trophy for his home town (since the Cardinals blew their chance at a national championship last month). Hockey? What's that? |
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