Don’t you think?
A little toooooo ironic,
Oh yes, I really do think.”
That little Alanis Morrisette diddy bop was written around the last time the Lions were relevant.
But there is another line from that song which rang true at the conclusion of the Rams / Lions NFC Wild Card game:
“It’s a free ride, when you’ve already paid”
Rams fans have been getting a free ride, and Lions fans have paid a heavy price. On Sunday, for the Rams, their free ride expired, and their fans were outraged.
Here’s a little tip for fans of the Los Angeles Rams after their playoff loss to the Detroit Lions:
Put down the sauce.
On Sunday, the Detroit Lions exercised NFL playoff demons over three decades old, winning their first playoff game in 30 years by defeating the LA Rams, 24–23. And, as spoiled losers do, Rams fans took to social media in a drunken stupor, attempting to blame everybody else but themselves. They used the referees as the scapegoat for their team’s loss, instead of their head coach’s blunder with clock management.
Similar to the temper tantrum thrown by Patrick Mahomes weeks prior, Rams fans (the beneficiaries of years of favoritism by the NFL, after their move to Los Angeles) opted to bite the hand that fed them, lashing out at referees across X, IG, FB & even the BBSN. Instead of being happy for a franchise (and city) that has seen very little to celebrate in the last +60 years, bitter “Ramses” just couldn’t fathom not getting royal treatment from the NFL.
As a result, homers far & wide put on a grammar tutorial for middle schoolers, highlighting what NOT to do:
Rule #1: Don’t drink & write. You’re underage, and you’re not Hemmingway. Alcohol will only hinder you
Rule #2: At a minimum, hit the “Spell Check” button. It will help immensely, and to not do so is lazy, at best.
Rule #3: Proofread your work. Chances are, you’ve made some grammatical errors. Even more likely, you’ve written sentences that sounded great in your head, but read more like gibberish when your pen hit the paper.
Rams’ “Free Ride” Pass Canceled, Upset At Equal Treatment
It was not so long ago that the Rams received help from their “12th Man” (the zebras) en route to a Super Bowl LVI victory two years ago – I dare you to unbiasedly rewatch that game & try to come up with a reasonable argument for how the refs didn’t favor the Rams. After the NFC Wild Card game on SNF, Rams fans were blind-sided to find themselves the non-recipient of calls they have been accustomed to receiving.
Now, I’m not saying there weren’t questionable calls in that game (which favored both sides at different times), but to imply the NFL would’ve rather seen a team from the Detroit market over a team from the LA market is ludicrous. You can blame the refs all that you want, but that won’t change the fact that Sean McVay’s clock mismanagement at the end of the game was the real nail in the coffin for your season.
Their poor fanbase was treated like every other team.
Let’s be real for a sec: Sean McVay punted away your season. Literally.
In the final quarter, with seven minutes remaining, the Rams found themselves deep in their own territory, needing only a field goal to move ahead. Stafford and his team advanced the ball near the halfway line and drew within field goal range.
A holding penalty, however, set the Rams back to the 44-yard line. Faced with a 4th & 14 situation & 4:15 on the clock, the Rams chose to punt.
They wouldn’t see the ball again.
This decision proved detrimental for the Rams. Coach Sean McVay, having already used two timeouts earlier in the half, had only one timeout left & the two-minute warning to halt the clock. McVay is facing heavy criticism for his late-game clock management at the end of Wild Card game. Having used two of his timeouts earlier in the half left McVay with limited options to stop the clock towards the end.
Additionally, McVay chose not to use his final timeout before the two-minute warning, a decision that, in retrospect, did not impact the Lions’ final drive. The Rams were unable to prevent the Lions from converting a first down on 3rd & 8, after quarterback Jared Goff threw a dart to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown
Now, I somewhat get the decision to punt on 4th & 14, and it’s easy to play “Monday Morning Quarterback” after knowing the outcome of that decision, but I wouldn’t have punted. Ask me why, some time. It has to do with time preservation strategy.
Opting for a 4th down play in that situation was risky, no doubt. Reflecting on it now, and considering the limited gain in field position from the punt, it is easy to second guess that decision. In either case, the Rams strategy working was predicated on the idea that their defense would make a stand, which they didn’t.
“Still having a timeout and four minutes, the way our defense was playing, we were hoping to get a stop. Hindsight is 20/20. Certainly regret that decision now.”
-Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
However, the clock management was not the sole factor in the Rams’ loss. They had to settle for field goals during all three red-zone visits AND also missed scoring opportunities by opting for a conservative approach at the end of the first half. The ladder might be a petty distinction, but in a game of inches, two points was the difference between glory, and demise.
Following this victory, the Lions are set to host their Divisional Round game (thanks to the Green Bay Packers throttling the Dallas Cowboys in “Jerry World”). They will play the winner of the Eagles-Buccaneers being played Monday night.
And for McVay & the 10-8 Rams, it’s back to the drawing board.
Did the refs “screw” the Rams out of a Wild Card playoff game win?
I’m willing to hear your argument, but you better come correct. I’m all ears, either in the comment section below or follow on social media:
Twitter: @TheReal_TioRico / @BleacherBrother
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