 RANDY KARRAKER LIVE IV (Jan 10) |
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RANDY
KARRAKER: Hi everyone...Good evening, folks. Great to be here. I'm picking
the Rams to win 38-17 on Sunday...they should take care of that Viking secondary
pretty easily. Happy New Year. Here we go. FREDERICK RAM: Trent Green. Is there any truth to the story about the Steelers offers for Trent? Also what about the Rams plan for Martz and Armey? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Trent Green. To this point, the Steelers are denying the rumors. They haven't traded a first round pick in 32 years, so their track record would indicate that they won't make the deal. I would have to consider it, but also, knowing the fragility of NFL quarterbacks, I'd have trouble pulling the trigger on trading Green. I am of the opinion that somehow, Bellichick will wind up as the GM/coach of the Patriots, and that Armey and Martz won't go there. I do think they need to sign Armey and give him enough money to make him happy. I think you set a bad precedent by anointing someone your next head coach. The rest of the staff is going to say "I put in as much work as he does. Why not me?" Not only that, but with all respect to Martz, who's great and might wind up being a great head coach, the best prospect on this staff is John Bunting. In fact, if I were the Patriots, I'd ask for permission to talk to Mike White. He looks pretty good after the Oakland fiasco now, and might be better for a veteran team. JAMESJM. How good is Minn's OL...and how much can we expect the Rams to put pressure on George with/without the blitz? RANDY KARRAKER: re: How good is Minn's OL...They are very good. Steussie is Pro Bowl caliber, although he had a bad year. On the other side, Stringer is big and immobile. Carter should be able to handle him, although they give him a lot of help. McDaniel is a perennial Pro Bowl player who doesn't play up to that level any more, but has tons of pride and will come up big in the playoffs. David Dixon is another huge, immobile player, at right guard, that the Rams can stunt on. Jeff Christy may be the best center in the NFC. Can the Rams get pressure without blitzing? I think so. I think that'll be a key, to be able to rush four, leave handling Smith to L. Fletcher, then being able to cover with all four DB's and the outside linebackers. FAULKFAN. Randy, a prediction....First of all let me say I am a fan of yours. I enjoy listening to KMOX when your on and hosting. I would like to say congrats, for the prediction you made of 12-4. Just a little off but outstanding. Coming in to the year I thought we would be about 10-6. Anyway, got a prediction for Sunday's game. I say 35-14 Rams. Yours.... RANDY KARRAKER: re: Randy, a prediction.....We're on the same page. I say 38-17. I think Minnesota will have to score six touchdowns to win this game, and I don't see 'em doing it at the Dome. SHAKY: NO FEAR...I feel that the Rams will have no problem this week---they are far superior to the Vikes. What is your gut feeling and how do you think the game will play out? Thanks Randy and come back more often. RANDY KARRAKER: re: NO FEAR...I think it's interesting with great teams, that people try to find reasons for them to lose. Here's how I see it playing out. Rams get up early, Smith becomes much less of a factor, and George has to throw. Ram DL pins their ears back and forces a couple of turnovers (Minnesota was -10 during the year) and the Rams roll. Just a guess. RAM 23: Randy, What is your impression on how well the players are preparing for the game Sunday. Are they focused, hyped or what. Thanks again for spending time with us. We are ready. RANDY KARRAKER: re: Randy, What is your impression? They've been pretty laid back. To me, today's practice was much like the regular season. The players all agree that they'll have a better idea on Wednesday, when they get into their regular routine. But they certainly aren't nervous or overwhelmed. Focused is a good word. PROGRAMMER: Trent Green.. Hi Randy. We've heard rumors today that Pittsburgh has offered the Rams their 1st round pick next year (8th overall) for Green, is this true ?, if so, what is your reaction to this and have the Rams commented ? Thanks RANDY KARRAKER: re: Trent Green. Joel Buchsbaum on KMOX said the Steelers have denied it. As I said below, I think I'd reluctantly pull the trigger on that one. By the way, trading Green would be a $3.3 million hit against next year's cap, but his salary will be $2.9 mil for a cap figure of $4 mil...so they'd save $700,000 in cap space by trading him before next season. PROGRAMMER: Trash Talking and Play calling. Any good bulletin board material coming out of Minnesota for the Rams to use this weekend ? And Do you think the Rams closed up their playbook that last few games of the season? In other words, do you think we'll see a lot of new plays coming up in the playoffs? A lot of different variations of old formations? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Trash Talking and Play calling. A little early for trash talk, but I'd expect Moss would have a comment or two. There's no doubt the Rams went vanilla for the last half dozen or so games. I asked Martz if the Rams had some things the Vikes haven't seen yet, and he replied that yes, they do. That should be fun. By the way, the Ram number one offense worked primarily on running plays today in practice. RAM `EM ALL. Can the secondary prevail? Randy, In your opinion can our secondary minimize the bleeding which the Minnesota receivers can inflict? What do you think are the other keys to the game? Thanks once again for coming to chat with us!!!! RANDY KARRAKER: re: Can the secondary prevail? I think if a Dallas secondary with Charlie Williams and that crew can hold down the Viking receivers like they did, the Rams DBs should be able to handle things reasonably well. The Rams' opponent quarterback rating was 64.1, which means you're playing great defense. Here's the biggest key. In Minnesota's six losses, they were minus in the turnover ratio. In their ten wins, they were even or plus. The Rams have to take the ball away, and they have to hang onto it. ScRAM: Rookie Grade Card....Hi Randy-glad you could join us again! If you were giving a grade card to our rookies, what grade would you give Holt, Bly, Coady, Germaine, Spikes, Barnes? Also where do you see them next year in contributions to the team? Thanks again, ScRAM RANDY KARRAKER: Rookie Grade Card....Hi ScRam...I'll give these grades relative to the fact that they're rookies... Holt B- The drops and fumbles hurt him. He will be great, because he works so hard and has a ton of talent. But his rookie year didn't hold a candle to Eddie Kennison's which is what I expected. Bly B Absolute playmaker. Makes some foolish mistakes, but the INT's and his ability to play the ball (I think the best on the team playing the ball) make up for it. Coady B Was only going to get playing time on special teams, and is real solid there. Played well when inserted at safety. Germaine Inc. I think he's going to be fine, but as we've seen with Warner, lots of PT is what QBs need. Very smart. Spikes Inc. Armey says he's going to be impossible to keep out of the starting lineup. Barnes Inc. Just hasn't played enough, but has gotten bigger...and the Rams wouldn't risk putting him on the practice squad because they thought he'd get taken. By the way, Vermeil really likes Willie Jones, although the personnel people don't. And Armey says if Frohbeiter is healthy, it'll be hard for Fred Miller to keep the starting job in front of him. EASTRAM. E. Conwell. Do you think we will see more of Ernie Conwell catching the ball against the Vikings? Thanks for being here. Go Rams!!!!! RANDY KARRAKER: re: E. Conwell. No question we'll see more of Conwell. Wouldn't be surprised to see a tight end screen, just to let him run. Vermeil says he'll play more than he did against Philly, but Williams will still start. ST.PETERS RAMFAN. Juicy News...Any good Juicy News coming out of Rams Park today ? How are the players doing ? I know they're excited but do they seem over-confident, or is it "Gotta go to Work" as usual? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Juicy News...Pretty laid back in there. The PR staff is getting ready for the media crush Wednesday. I heard an ambulance was dispatched there around 6:00, but didn't hear back about why. Players are loose, though...ready to get going. ST.PETERS RAMFAN. Keith Lyle. Have you spoken with the Rams about Keith, or Keith himself today ? How "really" is his shoulder and neck doing ? Do they seem to think the Docs will give him clearance to play on Sunday ? We could sure use him... RANDY KARRAKER: re: Keith Lyle. Keith says he feels good and that there's no way they'll be able to keep him off the field Sunday. But it's unlikely that he'll start. ARIES. Jeff Wilkins. Randy, on your show you mentioned that Vermeil was not real satisfied with Wilkins, and that he's been inconsistent since the hit at the end of the Tennessee game. Wasn't Wilkins something like 21 of 21 before that hit? Do you think there is still some injury as a result of that hit that may be bothering him? Thanks for your time, Aries RANDY KARRAKER: re: Jeff Wilkins. Wilkins has knee tendinitis that they treat on a fairly regular basis. He can't practice as much as they'd like. So that hit has had an effect, no doubt. THE ROOKIE: Exploiting the Vikes Defense? Thanks for your time Randy. What do you feel is the best way to take advantage of the 30th rated pass defense (Vikes). Go after Tate the converted wide out to DB? Or use a lot of motion (more than usual) to get Faulk free out of the backfield? I feel that the Vikes must commit their safety to stop the pass due to lack of experience at DB position. That would leave Faulk on a LB and NO LB in my opinion can cover him. Your thoughts? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Exploiting the Vikes Defense? I kind of look at this game like the 49er game at the Dome. The corners are so vulnerable on Minnesota, I think I'd try to strike quick against them, and then when you have the lead, turn Marshall loose. Isaac Bruce will be a maniac this week, and I think it's important to get him involved early. MIKE: Lyle. It would be nice to see Lyle back in the lineup, but I'd hate to see him "trying to get well" while Moss, Carter or Reed are blowing by him since they're primed and ready to go. Thoughts? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Lyle. I asked Vermeil about that today, and he feels the same way. Lyle most likely won't start even if he's healthy, but I think he'll see some action. He would have to play real well to get the start against Tampa Bay, however... MRS. SHAKY. Warner's Contract. What kind of contract do you think the Rams will offer Kurt at the end of the season? Thanks for the chat, Randy! RANDY KARRAKER: re: Warner's Contract. Always good to be on a board that has family participation, Mrs. Shaky... I think they'll offer him something in the $1.5-$2 mil range for next season, and then give him the huge deal if he does it again. They don't want to get locked into a Flutie/Cunningham situation where they have tons of money tied up in a QB that was a one year wonder. They think he's for real, but the Rams want to protect themselves just in case. XMANN: Rams injury status for Sunday. Who is gonna be inactive for the big game Randy? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Rams injury status for Sunday. The only guys on the injury list are Lyle and Little, both questionable... If everyone can go, you have to figure Willig, Pelshak, Barnes and Watson will be the Friday inactives...and then on Sunday probably C. Thomas, Spikes and either Carpenter or Coady, plus Germaine. BILLY T: Martz & Armey: What's your gut feeling on this? Do you think they're gone after this year? Will a victory in the Super Bowl keep them around? Do you have the serious skinny on negotiations involving both of these highly valuable persons to the Rams organization? Thanks-- RANDY KARRAKER: re: Martz & Armey. I think if the Rams are in the Super Bowl, that'll be too long for other teams to wait to interview them...so my guess is they'd be around in that scenario. I know nothing about negotiations to keep them here. Like I said, I wouldn't guarantee Martz the HC job. This is his first winning season in the NFL. Also, Sunday the Rams play a team on their 3rd OC in a year (Billick, the late Chip Myers and Sherman). My guess is that with Warner, Bruce, Faulk, Holt, et al...the Rams offense is going to do well regardless of who coordinates the running and passing plays drawn up by Hanifan and Saunders, respectively. BY THE WAY. Little. Will Leonard Little play vs minn? What do you think is the problem with the special teams lately? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Little. Little didn't practice today---he was in sweats on an adjacent field. Questionable. I think teams are just concentrating on the Ram return game lately. The punting hasn't been great. And the kickoff coverage has struggled all year. That's an achilles heal, because Mitch Berger is so strong punting and kicking off, the Vikes would appear to have a field position advantage going in. RAM-BLE. Armey Sez. Armey said, "Mike Martz is the best head-coaching candidate since a young Joe Gibbs in 1981." What could possibly be holding John Shaw back from ABSOLUTELY guaranteeing Martz the job...with big bucks??? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Armey Sez. I remember with the Big Red in the 70's, Jim Hanifan was THE head coaching candidate on Don Coryell's staff, and nobody said boo about the running backs coach---ironically, Joe Gibbs. There's no way to tell whether a guy who hasn't been a head coach is going to be a good one. Martz may be...but I would just have a problem with Shaw making that move without input from Vermeil...who has to coach with the guy. We should also note that Bunting won a Division III national title as head coach at Rowan College, so he has more HC experience than Mike does. RAMGAMER. O-line. I was impressed at Dallas and how they kept the Vikings D-Line pretty much in check. Aikman in most cases had time to throw the ball. Can we do the same? RANDY KARRAKER: re: O-line. Doleman didn't play well, and that helped yesterday. If Pace can handle Doleman (which we expect he'll be able to do), then they can get some help on Randle inside. I think the Rams have the ability to match up with the Vikes DL. Another thing working in the Rams favor is that a healthy Conwell take on either Doleman or Clemons, and whip them at the point of attack. RAMSONEFAN: Is the Def. Front 7 The Key To the Game? I think the whole key to this game is the Rams Defensive front seven. What do you think? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Is the Def. Front 7 The Key To the Game? I think getting pressure from the front four is key...but I think the real key to the game is Warner/Bruce/Holt vs. the Vikes cornerbacks. Rams strength vs. Minnesota's weakness. And, of course, turnovers. PURPLE. Rams Defense. Is the ST. Louis D good enough to stop our offense? I think that whoever's D can hold the other team from scoring twice will win. Good luck! Skol Vikings! RANDY KARRAKER: re: Rams Defense. To me, if we have to compare, the Rams have a better chance of slowing down the Vikes than vice-versa. You can't stop them, but St. Louis did pretty well in defending Beuerlein, McNair and the Bears. This will be the toughest test, by far. RANDY KARRAKER: One more note on Martz... In my opinion, 80% of a head coach's job is to make sure the attitude of the team is good, that they're fundamentally sound (no penalties, turnover ratio) and that they're smart. His other responsibilities include, in no particular order, selecting talent, dealing with the media (a big part of it), dealing with ownership, and making final decisions on big gameday decisions, like going for it on fourth down or going for two. These days in the NFL, head coaches do very little in terms of X and O strategy. Vermeil would like to, but doesn't have the time to, so Martz does. My point is, if Martz is the head coach, he won't be the offensive coordinator. So his system might be in place, but someone else will likely be calling it. There's a big difference between being a coordinator and a head coach, as Kevin Gilbride proved to us. JAMES JM: Kurt Warner. God bless him huh? <smile>. A few of us have noted all year how his long ball tends to flutter, and come up a little short.......but the last 3/4 of season hasn't seen him throwing that many deep passes. I don't necessarily want them to throw deep a lot, but do they have confidence in Kurt getting the ball down the field, whether the Rams need it or not? RANDY KARRAKER: re: Kurt Warner. My impression is that the coaches and players have total confidence in Warner making every throw in the book. RANDY KARRAKER: Thanks everyone... I appreciate all the questions. Hope you all are having as much fun with this season as I am. If you're going, get there early and be loud (like the Herd wouldn't be loud. Duh) Also, there's tons of tickets in E-Bay. Hopefully loud people will get them. Happy New Year. Talk to you soon. RAM 23. Thank You Randy. THE HERD really appreciates you taking the time to visit with us and give us some inside and interesting viewpoints. You're always welcome and don't be a stranger. We're usually here. :-) |
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