Cardinals vs. Rams: St. Louis Grades, Notes and Quotes

The St. Louis Rams (4-8) fell to the Arizona Cardinals (10-2) by a score of 27-3. It was St. Louis' fifth-consecutive loss and the very first loss against an NFC West opponent in 2015. 

This game was deja vu. All of the ugly issues that hurt the Rams in the last four losses were present again in this loss. It's the same mistakes over and over again, yet the team is completely incapable of adjusting and turning things around. 

The defense was tough initially—limiting Arizona's high-powered offense to 10 first-half points—but the group got soft and sloppy as the game went on. Once the defense allowed Arizona to light up the field with 14 third-quarter points, it was clear the game was lost. 

As usual, the offense was hilarious—in a bad way. The unit had just nine first downs, 212 total yards and managed to lose the time of possession battle by 20 minutes. Not to mention, the team was held to three points—its lowest point total of 2015. 

Either the team has completely lost its edge, or the team was never as talented as it initially appeared early in the year. Regardless, expect major changes in the offseason. 

For more on this game, including grades, quotes and takeaways, read on. 

Position Grades

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Quarterback: F

It was yet another horrendous performance for St. Louis quarterback Nick Foles. Every week he continues to prove he's not the answer in St. Louis. 

In the first quarter, Foles overthrew a wide-open Kenny Britt and the pass was picked off. Foles had several other passes that came dangerously close to being intercepted. 

Overall, it was a typical game for Foles. The accuracy was erratic—giving him a completion rate under 50 percent—and he simply looks overwhelmed on the field. 

Running Back: C-

The run game was completely shut down by the Arizona defensive front. Much of it is due to the defensive line, but either way the backs didn't get it done. 

Todd Gurley was magical earlier in the year but is now beat up and running into walls. The offensive line finally opened a hole for him late in the game and he scampered for 34 yards. Other than that, the opportunities were not there. 

Tre Mason had a 15-yard carry and Tavon Austin had a 12-yard rush. Overall, the backup running backs had 27 yards on four carries, which was quite solid.

Wide Receiver/Tight End: F

Outside of Britt's 30-yard reception, the receivers were completely invisible. They struggled with drops and failed to get open consistently. 

Jared Cook's mental mistakes have returned. He had a fumble early in the game, but he managed to recover the ball. He also had a third-down drop on a ball that hit him square in the hands. Cook also dropped a first-down pass in the final quarter during a promising Rams drive. 

We also saw instances where Britt and Brian Quick got separation in the end zone, but neither player was capable of positioning themselves to make the catch. 

As badly as the Rams need a quarterback, a No. 1 receiver is certainly a necessity as well. 

Offensive Line: F

The offensive line continues to be one of the worst units on the team—and possibly in the league. 

The Arizona defense was able to create constant pressure with little to no resistance. Foles was harassed in the pocket and the holes for Gurley were non-existent. 

On a positive note, Greg Robinson did a much better job of avoiding penalties. Other than that, this group did nothing good in the game. 

Defensive Line: C-

Aaron Donald recorded a sack in the game, which gives him eight on the year. Both him and Michael Brockers created solid pressure on Carson Palmer up the middle. 

Still, with Robert Quinn out of the lineup, the pass rush was not nearly good enough. Even with the pass rush in his face, Carson Palmer was able to make plays and complete his passes. 

Also, the Arizona backs were able to penetrate the St. Louis line with little to no resistance. 

Linebacker: D+

The linebackers were overwhelmed in run support. David Johnson and the Arizona backs created yards after contact and reached the second level on far too many occasions. 

This team is desperately missing Alec Ogletree.

Secondary: F

The secondary was shredded by Palmer, who finished with 356 yards and two touchdowns. 

Marcus Roberson was guilty of a 32-yard pass interference penalty in the second quarter. The defensive backs were completely shredded. The group allowed both John Brown and Michael Floyd to produce 100-yard games. 

The safeties put more of a hurting on Janoris Jenkins than the opposing receivers. 

Special Teams: F

Special teams was a disaster in this game. Big plays were wiped out and the focus was not there. 

Tavon Austin turned on the jets and took a punt return inside the Arizona five, but it was called back thanks to a holding by Chase Reynolds. Later on, Benny Cunningham had a nice return on a kickoff, but a Cody Davis penalty spoiled it. 

This group was not focused today and it cost the Rams greatly. 

Coaching: F

There's not much left to say. If Jeff Fisher retains his job after a fourth-straight losing season, it's probably safe to say owner Stan Kroenke simply does not care. 

Jeff Fisher Is Done in St. Louis

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After nearly four seasons of losing football, it's probably safe to say the Jeff Fisher experiment is over. If the leadership of this team doesn't undergo major changes in the offseason, it's only because Kroenke is too distracted with the potential move to Los Angeles and doesn't care. 

At this point, Fisher is sitting with a 24-35-1 overall record with the Rams, giving him a .406 winning percentage. 

Last season, Marc Trestman ended the 2014 campaign with an identical .406 win percentage and the Chicago Bears escorted him to the guillotines after just two seasons.

The Atlanta Falcons also parted ways with Mike Smith after the 2014 season. Smith only had two losing seasons in seven years and made the playoffs four times, yet the Falcons sent him packing for going 10-22 in his final two years. 

Rex Ryan also had just two losing seasons in his six years with the New York Jets. He took the Jets to the AFC Championship Game twice and ended his New York tenure with a .479 win percentage. He was fired after going 4-12 in 2014. 

If Ryan and Smith were both fired for just two losing seasons, why should Fisher retain employment after four losing campaigns in as many years (barring a highly unlikely four-game win streak to close out the year)? 

Keeping Fisher around makes no sense. 

Rams fans are hoping a coaching change will have the so-called "49ers effect" on this team. 

In 2010, the San Francisco 49ers had a very talented team by anyone's definition—much like the current Rams—yet still finished 6-10 under Mike Singletary. In 2011, the 49ers shook things up by hiring Jim Harbaugh and he was immediately able to tap into that talent with three-straight playoff seasons. 

The 49ers used an old-school coach to increase the teams toughness, but it took a fresh, new-age coach to get results. 

The Rams must go down a similar road. 

Quarterback Should Be St. Louis' First-Round Target

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The Rams have so many needs on the offensive side of the ball. Fans and commentators can argue all day whether the No. 1 need is a lineman, a premiere wide receiver or a quarterback. 

In the end, it's unlikely St. Louis will accomplish anything without a decent signal-caller. After 11 games with Foles under center, it's painfully obvious he's not the answer. 

During the 2014 season playoffs, all 12 teams to appear were led there by a respectable quarterback—Arizona (Carson Palmer), Carolina (Cam Newton), Baltimore (Joe Flacco), Pittsburgh (Ben Roethlisberger), Cincinnati (Andy Dalton), Indianapolis (Andrew Luck), Detroit (Matthew Stafford), Dallas (Tony Romo), Seattle (Russell Wilson), New England (Tom Brady). 

Some of those quarterbacks are elite, but some are simply above average. Either way, it takes a solid presence at the quarterback position to make the playoffs in this day and age. 

Obviously, the quarterback doesn't do it all alone. And of course, teams have made the playoffs in the past on defense alone—but that's the exception, not the rule. 

To compete in 2016 and beyond, St. Louis needs a quarterback it can count on. A No. 1 receiver or a solid left tackle would be a nice perk, but it's meaningless until the most important position on the team is addressed. 

The Rams need to take a long look at Memphis' Paxton Lynch, California's Jared Goff and Michigan State's Connor Cook in the upcoming draft. St. Louis must analyze each prospect carefully and make the right selection—trade up if necessary. 

Until the position is solidified, this team will go nowhere. 

Sean Mannion Deserves a Chance

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At this point, what is the team waiting for? Sean Mannion deserves a shot at quarterback. 

It's pretty clear quarterback is a major offseason need, but St. Louis has to know what it has in Mannion. Mannion's play in the final four games will help the team determine if the quarterback situation requires a first-round solution, a second-round solution or something different. 

There's nothing to lose, but something to gain. Playing Mannion will provide the team with clarity. 

It's not as though Mannion is some late-round scrub. The team used a premium third-round pick to obtain him, so he's certainly expected to play at some point. The Rams clearly think highly of him to make such an investment. 

Not giving Mannion a shot is one of many confusing issues occurring at Rams Park. 

Chris Myers on Tavon Austin

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"The Rams went into this game hoping to get Tavon Austin at least 10 touches," said Chris Myers on St. Louis' game plan for Tavon Austin, per the Fox broadcast. 

Once again, Tavon Austin was criminally underutilized. As Chris Myers mentioned during the game, St. Louis was hoping to get Austin the ball at least 10 times, but the team fell well short of that goal. 

Austin touched the ball just three times in this game, including two rushes and one reception, for a total of 38 yards. It's the fourth-straight game Austin has been limited to 10 touches or less. 

The fact a team with no offense whatsoever refuses to get the ball to its best playmaker is troubling. The Rams have dangerous offensive weapons—Gurley, Austin and even Britt—but they just have no idea how to use them. 

If Austin's absence doesn't make it clear a fresh, promising offensive mind needs to be added to the coaching staff, then nothing will. 

Jim Thomas on Kenny Britt's Injury

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"(Wide receiver) Kenny Britt appeared to suffer a shoulder injury late in game, but finished." Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, via Twitter. 

Kenny Britt's shoulder injury during the game was not very noticeable, especially since he continued to play. However, as Jim Thomas reported, Britt is yet another player added to St. Louis' unusually long injury list from this game. 

The injuries to cornerback Janoris Jenkins and tight end Lance Kendricks were easy to spot, as both players headed to the locker room during the game. Thomas reports both players will be in concussion protocol this week. Jenkins' injuries resulted from two separate incidents of friendly fire. He took a hit from Rodney McLeod late in the game, as well as a monster hit from T.J. McDonald in the first half. 

Speaking of McDonald, Thomas mentioned the safety was limping following the game, possibly from a previous foot injury. 

Usually the Rams are the team to play tough and deliver the wounds. This time, it was the other way around. 

Jeff Fisher on Case Keenum

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"Case (Keenum) will be our starter," said Jeff Fisher on quarterback Case Keenum's status for next week's game against the Detroit Lions, per the post-game press conference.

If you're hoping for a quarterback change following yet another Foles meltdown, it appears you'll get your wish. Unfortunately, it might not be the third-round rookie—Sean Mannion—fans have been waiting for. 

According to Fisher during the post-game press conference, Case Keenum will suit up next week against Detroit. Fisher also mentioned Keenum only sat out the Arizona game due to not practicing Wednesday and Thursday. 

Keenum was horrendous in his Week 11 start in Baltimore. He completed just 46.2 percent of his passes for 136 yards. He did throw a touchdown pass—something Foles hasn't done in his last four starts—but he looked overwhelmed on the field and didn't do much to help the offense. 

At this point with little to lose, it certainly won't hurt to give Keenum one more chance to see what he can bring. Just don't expect much.