This team has flaws including Coaching

[Bullazin]

And drafting. 

1st the QB sitch:

Darnold must be well protected to be excellent ala Kirk Cousins.  If he’s signed we don’t have the picks or the money to protect him. We can be a consistent playoff team with him but nothing more as we are currently constructed. I no longer favor resigning him. 

It’s JJ time as many on here said all along in my opinion  so we can load up in FA and run it back.  If our Oline held up here at year end as they had all year, I would be all for resigning Sammie, but they have collapsed and you see the results. 

HC:  KOC has a kickass downfield passing offense, the players like him,  but he doesn’t help his QB by committing to run the football nor shape his offense for smaller passing gains.  I offer him an extension, but shorter.  

GM: great in FA, poor in the draft.  Hopefully he can get his college scouting reworked to improve. I offer him a short extension running with KOC for 2 more years. 

Defense/Flores.  Bflo has an exotic scheme and is a fine DC. He likely stays because I don’t see any team hiring him as HC yet. His personnel is pretty good in my opinion. I would look for an elite corner and DT in FA instead of resigning Murphy for big money

What I would do: with JJ’s contract look for elite players in FA at CB, DT, C, and G and get them all. Trade back and draft 2 interior line players to develop. Tell KOC and KAM you have 2 years to get it done.

[hogjowlsjohnny]

They had the best team they have had in a long time, this year.
My concerns are more philosophical than anything, with regards to the coaching staff and GM.
Why, really Why, do you refuse to build from the inside out? Just look what Detroit can do with the best O-line in football.
Until they commit to that, they will be lightweights if they make the playoffs, and end up where they don't belong.
I have a lot of confidence in them. I just don't know if they see a weak interior line on both sides of the ball as a weakness!
I hope they do, and play JJM next season. They have a lot of gaps to fill with free agents. But their future appears bright if they make good moves.

[Zanary]

I'm wondering what it'll take to get this team to fix the IOL, and protect QBs in big games. This looks VERY familiar, just with a different name under center.

The problem is a decade or more old, now, and while we have great OTs (when healthy), the middle of the line-the shortest route to the QB-is a constant weakness.

COME ON, KAM/KOC. FIX IT.

[MAD GAINZ]

I'd say 3 of the 9 sacks were just bad protection/good play call by the Rams.

The rest were Darnold just holding the ball or not stepping up in the pocket.

[Psyched Vike]

Watch how the Eagles will beat the Rams similar to how they beat us and won't surrender a single sack to them. The wheels fell off completely here. Who knew that 14-3 = fraud. What a nice culture they are building in Minnesota, people are saying. Screw that - win some damn games when they count! Sam Darnold = Kirk Cousins when the bright lights were on him. Cinderella to qb hack in a moments notice. Year 3 will tell a lot with KAM and KOC and BFlo, but one thing is for damn sure, I 1000% agree with the theme of this thread, building the O and D lines so we quit getting mauled when playing in big games. What a sour taste to the off-season this game has provided.

[DH11]

Yep KOC got taken out to the woodshed by the Daniel jones led aNew York Giants a few years ago, got taken out to the woodshed by Detroit, and got taken out to the shed tonight again when all the Rams did defensively was copy the same thing Detroit did - and he made no adjustments. For the record, I’m not a JJ McCarthy fan. He was just a caretaker at Michigan. I look for a five or six win team next year sadly.

[StickierBuns]

I'd say 3 of the 9 sacks were just bad protection/good play call by the Rams.

The rest were Darnold just holding the ball or not stepping up in the pocket.

This. Not sure how fans will blame KOC over this, but that always seems to be the way with some fans. My confidence isn't shaken at all with O'Connell. Can you honestly say that the Rams and Lions aren't better? Its not like Minnesota got gassed by shit teams. The O-line and Sammy let the team down in crucial situations. Sammy just won't f-ing check down shit. People blame the play calling, but the plays were there to be made and guys were open.

[ArizonaViking]

After the 1st quarter, I knew this was going to be a repeat of the Detroit game.

[Waterboy]

O'Connell needs to be able to modify his game plan to get the ball out with a QB like Darnold, and should have known that since the last Rams game, and particularly since the Lions game. Pretty hard pass on Darnold moving into next season. The fatal flaws have been exposed.

[Bullazin]

Yep KOC got taken out to the woodshed by the Daniel jones led aNew York Giants a few years ago, got taken out to the woodshed by Detroit,  and got taken out to the shed tonight again when all the Rams did defensively was copy  the same thing Detroit did - and he made no adjustments. For the record, I’m not a JJ McCarthy fan. He was just a caretaker at Michigan. I look for a five or six win team next year sadly.

Interesting post DH. There’s a notorious DH that was banned hundreds of times over at the old KFAN board.  That your cousin?