Rams Claim Jeff Fisher Was Referring To Danny Amendola When Asked About Patriots Running Backs
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- On the same day that Bill Belichick heaped praise on the Rams' punter and appeared to know everything there was to know about him, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher appeared to be utterly clueless about the Patriots' stable of running backs. Besides LeGarrette Blount, Fisher spoke about the challenges of facing "Brandon" and "Danny" - which sounded like he was referring to Brandon Bolden, who has touched the ball three times in 2016, and Danny Woodhead, who has touched the ball for the Patriots zero times since 2012, when he left for the San Diego Chargers after the season.
A Rams spokesman is now attempting to do damage control, but he's not necessarily making Fisher's comments any better. He told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Fisher was indeed referring to Bolden, but that "Danny" was a reference to Patriots wideout Danny Amendola, whom Fisher coached with the Rams in 2012.
There are multiple problems with this explanation, which has only made Fisher's comments more befuddling. The question was specifically about the Patriots' running backs and he talked about Blount and Bolden before, if you are to believe the Rams' explanation, shifting to Amendola out of nowhere.
Even if Fisher really was referring to Amendola as a threat, he certainly isn't one as a runner: he's touched the ball out of the backfield on precisely three plays in 53 games as a Patriot. Even as a receiver, Amendola is seventh on the team in total targets with 25. Even rookie Malcolm Mitchell (27) has seen the ball thrown his way more. So although Amendola has shown a knack for coming up with clutch catches in crucial moments, he's far from the biggest threat on the Patriots in any situation.
You know who is also threatening to blow by Amendola in terms of targets? Dion Lewis, who has been targeted 12 times in two games as he is eased back into the Patriots offense. The dynamic back still hasn't been mentioned in this story, nor has fellow pass-catching back James White. Fisher better be learning their names and preparing for them now, or else it's going to be a long day for the Rams defense.
Ultimately, this story isn't a huge deal. But it's just another indication of what separates Belichick from almost any other coach in the National Football League. He probably knows more about the Rams than Jeff Fisher knows about the Rams, while his opponent can't even keep the running backs and receivers straight.
If Fisher is still expecting to see Bolden and Amendola in the backfield on Sunday, man is he in for a surprise.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
