The St. Louis Rams kept things close in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but things got away from them in a big way after that. The Rams would give up 14 points in the 3rd quarter en route to a 31-7 beatdown. Nick Foles tossed three picks and things got so bad that rookie quarterback Sean Mannion saw his first bit of playing time at the end of the fourth quarter. The loss is four straight for St. Louis, who is now all but out of the playoff picture.
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ESPN: Ranked 26th (Last Week 22)
The Rams are inching closer to their 11th straight season without a postseason appearance and the regression seen in the Week 12 blowout at the hand of the Bengals was not a good sign. Passing, catching and evening running the football seemed difficult on Sunday and now Jeff Fisher’s bunch is in a serious tailspin. With only five games remaining, it’s difficult to see this team make the post season, and as ESPN notes, the last time Fisher lead a team to the playoffs was 2008. (Division Rivals: Seattle 7, Arizona 4, San Francisco 31)
Pete Prisco at CBSSports.com: Ranked 23rd (Last Week 19)
Pete Prisco over at CBS seems to be one of the very few writers that has any respect left for the Rams. Progress and consistency have been few and far between not only this season, but for the better part of the last decade. Now, with Jeff Fisher on the hot seat, you have to wonder when desperation sets in. The trouble is, even a winning season (at best St. Louis can finish 9-7) may not be enough to save his job. (Division Rivals: Seattle 8, Arizona 3, San Francisco 29)
Nov 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook (89) runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga (58) in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated St. Louis 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com: Ranked 23rd (Last Week 21)
St. Louis plans to return to Case Keenum at quarterback should he pass the concussion protocol by this coming Sunday. That move alone should drop a huge hint at how mismanaged this team has become. In Keenum’s short time in this league he has shown nothing more than ability to provide temporary relief for short periods of time. He was never cut out to be a starter. Every day Foles sits, is another day of “why did we even bring him on in the first place?” With Foles playing at his lowest level ever, Keenum providing nothing in relief and rookie Sean Mannion still years away from being ready, this team has a serious problem at QB. (Division Rivals: Seattle 8, Arizona 5, San Francisco 29)
Dan Schneier at FOXSports.com: Ranked 22nd (Last Week 20)
Running back Todd Gurley has rushed for 85-yards on 33 carries in the last two weeks combined. That’s a far cry from the huge numbers he was putting up in previous weeks. Unfortunately for the Rams, their abysmal play has taken their best offensive weapon out of the game. St. Louis is usually playing from behind and are now forced to abandon the run game far earlier than Jeff Fisher would like to. Fisher’s inability to make changes and adjustments is just another on the long list of reasons to relieve him of his duties. (Division Rivals: Seattle 8, Arizona 3, San Francisco 23)