reactions to Dallas game…ours, reporters, etc.

Downtown Rams [DTR]@DowntownRams
One thing to be taken away. There are more 53 guys worthy of an NFL roster spot on this team. This cutdown is going to be hard. #Rams will have to be strategic. They have a lot of talent that other teams are going to pounce on.

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bigklein

Granted that tonight there have been lots of bonehead penalties and several disappointing moments, but I have to keep reminding myself that there are, of course, no starters on the field. I don’t recall the last time that the Rams had this kind of depth. Cutting will be very challenging, as will hiding guys on the practice squad. Good problem to have, I guess. At LB alone, Patrick looks very good. Obo and Allen also look good. How great is it to see Obo have an impact, including drawing holds? And Howard could be an interesting tweener.

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from: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001042276/article/what-we-learned-from-saturdays-preseason-tilts?campaign=Twitter_atn

In a showdown of squads boasting marquee names, the stars certainly didn’t come out for either team during a prime time outing in Hawaii. Aside from Dak Prescott, the big names on both teams were absent from the playing field for various reasons. With L.A. QB Jared Goff not in action, it was another chance for Blake Bortles to settle in after a ho-hum debut (3 for 8 for 50 yards and a 59.4 rating) with the Rams the week prior. Bortles was solid to the tune of a 7-for-11 night for 62 yards with a 7-yard TD toss and a 108.9 QB rating in the neighborhood of double his previous outing. At one point in the game, Rams coach Sean McVay even checked in to do a little live play-by-play, so just what one can gauge from the reigning NFC champs is arduous. But having a seasoned backup is often an important piece, particularly for a high-octane offense and Bortles showed progress. After Bortles’ exit, Brandon Allen took the reins and went 14-of-21 for 115 yards with a pick. It wasn’t stellar, but it was solid. With Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown absent from play, as well, Darrell Henderson got some more experience, with the rookie running back showing his skills out of the backfield with six catches.

On the play he broke free at the QB – the one where Rapp ended up making the tackle – Patrick kicked it into another gear, on a dime, to force QB to get ball out of his hands. Little things like that make you go….hmmmm https://t.co/1sxt8TdTnA

— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) August 18, 2019

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69RamFan

Patrick. This kid is starting to impress me….

Two weeks in a row has been looking good…

He is going to give Young, OO and UDFA OLB/Durham some competition for that last two spots…

Plus OO is finally playing and not looking bad either in the first half.

I had the RAMs keeping 5 OLB spots…with Matthews, Fowler and Ebukam all locked in…so two spots open now for four players battling for those position…

Five Takeaways from the Rams’ second preseason game against the Cowboys

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/five-takeaways-from-the-rams-second-preseason-game-against-the-cowboys

COSTLY DEFENSIVE PENALTIES ON GAME-DEFINING DRIVE

Flags against the Rams for a late hit, defensive pass interference and roughing the passer accounted for 34 of the Cowboys’ 72 yards on their go-ahead scoring drive late in the third quarter, with quarterback Cooper Rush connecting with wide receiver Devin Smith from eight yards out for the touchdown.

On a larger scale, the mistakes contributed to 18 total penalties for Los Angeles, six more than it had in its preseason opener at Oakland last weekend.

2) OFFENSE LOOKS SHARPER

Backup quarterback Blake Bortles adjusted well from his first game as a Ram, completing 7 of 11 passes for 62 yards and one touchdown against the Cowboys. Brandon Allen took over for Bortles at the beginning of the first offensive series in the second quarter.

Even when the execution didn’t look as smooth, the Rams adapted mostly well. Allen recovered a botched snap and hit wide receiver Nsimba Webster for a 16-yard gain on 3rd and 6 to keep a late first half drive alive.

Wide receiver Mike Thomas also had a nice showing. After dropping a pass from Bortles on the Rams’ first scoring drive, who overcame a drop by catching his next two passes from Bortles to help set up that scoring opportunity. He finished with two receptions for 23 yards in the loss.

3) DARRELL HENDERSON MORE INVOLVED

Rams coach Sean McVay said the plan was to increase running back Darrell Henderson’s touches, and true to his word he kept Henderson quite busy Saturday evening.

Henderson got the start and rushed six times for 16 yards, both team-highs. He also led all Rams in receiving with six receptions on six targets for 38 yards. While his carries matched what he got in the preseason opener at Oakland, he had five more receptions and targets in the passing game.

Los Angeles got pinned inside the five late in the first half but his carries on that series helped them out of it. His longest reception was a 26-yard gain via Bortles on L.A.’s first offensive series.

4) JOJO NATSON CHIPS IN ON OFFENSE

Los Angeles’ primary return specialist, JoJo Natson caught two passes on two targets for 12 yards and secured the Rams’ lone touchdown of the game.

On special teams, he muffed a punt on a fair catch attempt that was recovered by Dallas at Los Angeles’ 32-yard line, but a missed 52-yard field goal attempt by Cowboys kicker Brett Maher effectively prevented any harm from coming out of it.

In fairness, it was an atypical mistake by Natson, who lost only two fumbles during the 2018 regular season.

4) NATREZ PATRICK SHINES

Signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent in May, Natrez Patrick was a bright spot at outside linebacker against the Cowboys.

He combined with linebacker Micah Kiser for a sack early in the first quarter, then drew a holding call later that same quarter on the Cowboys’ third offensive series. Patrick also added three total tackles and one quarterback hit.

5) SPECIAL TEAMS CONTRIBUTIONS

Johnny Hekker’s coffin corner punt that set up Dallas at its own 3 should be noted, even though the Cowboys still marched all the way downfield and scored. Greg Zuerlein’s 29-yard field goal attempt gave the Rams the lead with 3:45 left in the second quarter. Special teams also contributed to Maher’s missed field goal. Zuerlein uncharacteristically missed a 56-yarder toward the end of the first half, but it was an otherwise solid day for this unit.

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5 takeaways from Rams’ preseason loss to Cowboys

Cameron DaSilva

5 takeaways from Rams' preseason loss to Cowboys

Cornerback depth is a huge strength

The Rams have one of the best secondaries in the NFL, and further down the depth chart is a crop of young cornerbacks with immense potential. Dont’e Deayon had an interception on Saturday night, Kevin Peterson broke up a pass and Darious Williams broke up two of his own.

There will be some extremely tough decisions made when final roster cuts come because the Rams have a boatload of talent at cornerback. Peterson, Williams and Deayon are all in consideration for a roster spot, and that’s with David Long assured a position on the 53-man roster.

Young pass rushers are stepping up

A host of edge rushers really stood out against the Cowboys. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, in his first NFL game, drew multiple holding penalties and got a hit on the quarterback, showing the potential that excited the Rams last year in the draft. Natrez Patrick had a sack and a quarterback hit, making three total tackles in the game. His impact was felt on seemingly every snap he played.

Additionally, Landis Durham added his second sack of the preseason while Josh Carraway nearly had a strip-sack late in the game. The performance of these young pass rushers has to make the coaches feel good after there was so much worry about the backups at OLB.

Tough decisions to be made at RB

Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson are all essentially guaranteed roster spots. John Kelly and Justin Davis will battle for the fourth position on the depth chart, assuming the Rams go that deep at RB. Kelly made a strong case to be RB4 this season with a strong performance against Dallas, even though his numbers (five rushes, 11 yards) don’t indicate that.

He was shifty in the open field and made multiple defenders miss, proving to be difficult to tackle. If the Rams do keep four running backs, as they’re expected to, Kelly looks like the best choice. Davis’ 22 yards on only five carries are worth noting, too.

Penalties continue to be a major problem

Sean McVay is not going to be happy about the Rams being flagged for 18 penalties. It was a huge issue in the preseason opener, but some leeway was given for first-game jitters and inexperience. There was little excuse for 18 penalties to be called on the Rams in this one.

It was much of the same as last week, too: false starts, holding, illegal touching on a punt. The laundry list of infractions goes on. Fortunately, it’s backups who are committing these fouls, not the starters. But still, it’s not encouraging to see so many penalties in a two-week span. The discipline simply has to be better in the future.

Returner situation remains unsettled

The Rams still don’t have a surefire punt and kick returner. JoJo Natson was expected to be that guy, but he’s dangerously close to losing the job. Nsimba Webster has some nice juice to his game and had a 23-yard kick return, but it’s clear the Rams are trying several players at each spot. Natson muffed a punt, Austin Proehl had one return for zero yards and Alex Bachman showed some speed on his 16-yard scamper.

This position battle will cost a few players their jobs in Los Angeles because all of the guys competing to return kicks and punts are reserves on offense and defense. Webster has a good chance to stick around as the primary return specialist.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by zn.

Los Angeles Rams versus Dallas Cowboys: Good, bad, and ugly

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/8/18/20810867/2019-los-angeles-rams-versus-dallas-cowboys-ogbo-okoronkwo-natrez-patrick-nsimba-webster

Like week one of the preseason, week two has come and gone just as quick after a fun contest and weekend in Hawaii. The Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys battled their way to a 14-10 game that seen the Cowboys finish victorious. Just as they did in week one, the Rams chose to bench all starters — sans the inside linebacker spot — allowing younger players to battle each other for spots on the 53-man roster.

Let’s have a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly:

Good

Offensive Line

David Edwards is the lone offensive lineman who falls under the good category. Edwards spent time at both left tackle and right tackle, starting out on the blindside. Through two games, Edwards has been far and away the best reserve lineman. His comfort level is simply far greater than any of his counterparts.

Receivers

Nsima Webster and Jalen Greene both had very solid outings. Greene converted six targets into four receptions for 43 yards, with his only gaff coming on a vertical route up the left sideline where he dropped a back shoulder pass. Webster also chipped in with four receptions, converting all four of his targets for 38 yards. Greene was consistently making plays down the field, whereas Webster was creating plays in the short-to-intermediate part of the field.

Edge Rushers

Natrez Patrick and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo showed up snap after snap. Early on in the contest, it was Patrick who was abusing his opponent on the edge as he consistently dominated in the run game and even chipped in with a sack on Cowboys’ starting QB Dak Prescott (nearly a sack-fumble). After Patrick’s early dominance, Ogbo came alive and was drawing holds left right and center. Ogbo had multiple pressures, multiple drawn flags, and multiple QB hits. Ogbo’s talent was very evident as he put together a brilliant performance in his first NFL action.

Inside Linebacker

All of the eyes were stuck to Micah Kiser and Bryce Hager, and they probably should be considering the two are competing to see who’ll start alongside Cory Littleton. Yet, it was Travin Howard and Dakota Allen who played fantastically, particularly the latter. Allen collected eight tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and a massive hit where he legally blasted a Cowboys player. His speed and consistent nose for the football have been very impressive through two games.

Secondary

Cornerbacks Darious Williams and Donte Deayon, as well as safeties Taylor Rapp and Steven Parker all put forth great performances. Deayon pulled himself a nice interception on a deep pass, also blasting a receiver on a screen just a few plays later. Williams chipped in with two pass deflections of his own. Rapp — like always — was near the ball on every snap, collecting three of his own tackles in his short time on the field. As for Parker, he just continues to make plays. His play speed and range is evident as he can make plays on every level of the field.

Bad

Offensive Line

Jamil Demby (LT, LG, C), Bobby Evans (RT, RG, LT), Jeremiah Kolone, Chandler Brewer, and Aaron Neary all struggled on the offensive line. Demby had multiple high and low snaps during his time at center while also getting flagged for multiple holds. As for rookie Bobby Evans, nothing he does ever looks easy or smooth. He usually gets the job done, but some reps are quite ugly.

Defensive Line

John Franklin-Myers and Sebastian Joseph-Day haven’t done anything to separate themselves thus far. Both have been incredibly stale as pass rushers, offering no pass rush ability through two games. Against the run, SJD improved, though leaps and bounds are left in terms of potentially improved performance as he could be an opening day starter.

Ugly

Jamil Demby

It wasn’t a pretty scene for Demby who continues to struggle as a center. It’s clear that it isn’t and shouldn’t be his NFL position, as Demby did play better at left tackle, though the flags certainly need to be cleaned up.

Penalties

A combined 29 penalties were accepted. Yuck.

alyoshamucci

I generally skip preseason games, but I simply have to remark on the quality of our scout and coaching staff.

The Great

1) The scouts and coaches have amassed talent and coached it up in such a way that I am actually in awe of the product they are putting on the field.

2) Natrez Patrick. For me the question is not whether he makes the team, but at one point during the season will he take Ebukam’s place? I don;t know how often I’ve used the word ‘dominant” in a preseason game because in general dominators don’t play in the preseason.

3) We will cut 10 players that will not clear waivers is my guess.

4) Our WRs put on a show WITHOUT ONE BEING IN THE TOP 4.

5) Our CBs put on a show WITHOUT ONE BEING IN THE TOP 4.

6) Seeing Okoronkwo get to game speed (also, his pass bat downs were one of his specialties). I’m sad that Micah is hurt but I want to keep these kids so we know what we have in them.

7) Brandon Allen had a great game.

8) Our 2s competed more than amply against their 1s.

The Good

9) Steven Parker … seems like we’re going to lose whichever of he or Christian that we cut.

10) Dareus Williams AGAIN. These cuts are going to be really hard.

11) Henderson getting to full speed, that’s the kid I saw at Memphis.

12) John Kelly with his lateral agility and power.

13) The new OTs. I’m not sure why folks are giving them a hard time, they are mid to late round picks at one of the hardest positions to play, moving back and forth, and playing against starters or rotational pass rushers. I think they’re doing great. Gives me a ton of excitement over their development seeing how far Noteboom got in 4 months.

14) Dakota Allen getting to game speed.

15) Jalen Greene … glad he’s putting good film on tape. Liked him.

The Bad

16) Interior O line play. These guys aren’t rookies. I could excuse it if they were rookies.

17) Jojo, catch the punt.

18) Hager takes some bad angles … need him to clean that up.

19) Micah’s injury. That may be a career interrupting injury.

20) I need Blanton to play better. Mundt is not the 3rd TE I want to keep.

21) I’m not seeing a starter emerging in the DT battle. I can’t see practice chemistry of course, but I’m not seeing what I wanted to see in-game.