Charlie Connors: Jim,

I know this is a mute point right now BUT, there is absolutely no evidence that would suggest that Linehan will be a successful coach. It's not like he had a stellar resume as a coordinator. He was a coordinator on very average teams...and his record here is terrible. Furthermore, his only wins have come against very bad teams! You may say the entire league beats bad teams, true, but the good teams routinely beat them. Has Linehan beaten any team with a winning record yet?

So its supposed to magically get better next year? Not going to happen. If anything, it will get worse. He will be a lameduck head coach.

Also, it appears to me that there is a storm brewing between Linehand and his Pro Bowl QB? By the way, What does Linehan know about being a QB anyway? Aside, from a year or two of heaving it up to Moss..he only knows Frerotte.
It certainly didn't come from his playing days. Maybe we can rely on Olson and his tutelage of Joey Harrington.

Guarantee we are in the same situation this time next year! Here's to trading for Faulk, adding Martz as OC, and finding another Timmerman. Yeah, that's going to happen again.

CC

Jim Thomas: I think Linehan's record as a coordinator is better than you're giving him credit. But you do state the case against Linehan. He hasn't beaten a team yet that finished with a winning record. His record inside the division is terrible (2-9). Even with the injuries, there were several winnable games that didn't get won. But Shaw has come to the conclusion that it's unfair to pass judgment on Linehan because of all the injuries this season, and therefore Linehan deserves another year.

Don: Jim--I don't blame you for being the bearer of bad news regading Shaw's decision to keep Linehan for a thrid year. In your interview, did he discuss his prior comments about overhauling the football organization or hiring a true GM? He talked about this with Bernie a few weeks ago and it gave me some hope for the future.

Jim Thomas: Shaw did not. He broadly hinted at changes, saying the entire football operation will be reviewed for possible overhaul. But I have no idea what that will entail. I think Shaw is still mulling over what will happen as well.

CPA RamFan: Compare to the offseason before 1999. Shaw sits down with Vermeil; results in Trent Green coming, Tony Banks going, Mike Martz coming, etc.
If/when Shaw has the same meeting with Linehan this offseason, what do you recommend he address this time? Philosophy? Coaching staff?

Jim Thomas: I think Shaw will question Linehan about the offense (too conservative), about the talent level of the roster (where is help needed most), about the coaching staff (who stays, who goes), about the injuries (what can be done to change that), about the amount of say Linehan has over personnel, about some of the personnel decisions big and small (Klop., Wroten and Byrd draft picks for example; getting rid of Hedgecock for Owens, etc.). . . .there's a lot of ground to cover.

Bill: Hey Jim, I read your article on Sunday morning in reference to Shaw's take on Linehan probably being retained for next year. Just one word - UNBELIEVABLE - and if John Shaw doesn't get tough or have higher expectations for this franchise, then forget it. To me Linehan doesn't have it when it comes to making crunch time decisions, or even recognizing the necessary in game adjustments. Let's look at Linehan's record in games decided by 7 points or less. Last year he was 5-3, but 2 of the losses were to Seattle and if you factor in that Warner and Favre both fumbled away sure wins at the end of the game, the record would be 3-5 instead. This year his record is 1-4, but throw in the Carolina game and the Bengals game, his record is 1-6. And then wait, that one win was against the Niners and Linehan did everything he could to lose that game too. Okay so that's a potential 0-7 record in close games this year. A 2 year potential record of 3-12. When Linehan came here he use to make fun of the Rams situation and say if we weren't stuck in medicority he wouldn't be here to fix it. Well he doesn't say that anymore does he? I tell you, for a mediocre team, this Rams team still had some key components to work with. It wasn't an ordinary mediocre team. Not just going into this year, but last year as well. I remember Little saying last year that he thought this Rams team had the most talent and speed since it's super bowl days, Linehan inherited a team with a mediocre record yes, but he had a good foundation of talent to work with............I know the Rams have had a bunch of injuries this year, but they should still have 5 or 6 wins right now. Did you see the Colts game last night? The Colts are loaded with injuries but they keep winning games. We need a coach that can win us some games, and I can't think of one game that Linehan as one for us. It could be the Lions game last year but I'd have to look at that closeley before saying it.........But coaching does make a difference, just look at the Chargers this year. You think the Patriots would continue to roll like this if Belichek had left 2 years ago?...............Anyway I'll have to keep it short but Linehan has underperformed as a coach in many areas, and Shaw has to realize that he made a mistake and that Linehan is what he is. If he wants another year of Linehan then fine, but the results will be the same and he will suffer at the gate. Thank God for Missouri Football, I'm already looking forward to the Tigers making another run next year. Happy Holidays Jim !

Jim Thomas: Let me just answer the last part of your long item. If I were Shaw, I think that's what I would want to see. A little magic. A little spark. Beat a team or two on the schedule that you weren't supposed to beat. Win a game that didn't look winnable (say Cincinnati). So far the only game resembling anything like that took place in New Orleans this year.
But at the end of the day, Shaw has decided that it would be unfair to judge Linehan based on all the injuries. You may agree with that thought or not. But that's the way it is.

Bill: Hello Jim, I just realized after I pointed out the Favre and Warner fumbles from last year that if those QB's had taken care of business and finished us off, that the Rams would of started out 2-8 last year too ! Okay, so what am I missing here? And the Rams were very healthy last year with big statistical years from Bulger and Jackson..............anyway I just thought that was worth mentioning..........thanks so much !

Jim Thomas: Well, you can make the numbers do just about anything you want them too. You can also say that if Incognito doesn't get a foolish personal foul penalty last year in Seattle following a Jackson touchdown, that the Rams beat the Seahawks, win the NFC West and Linehan is a coach of the year candidate for leading a team that was 6-10 to division title.