Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Greg Zuerlein needs to be replaced.
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October 26, 2014 at 9:48 pm #10531GreatRamNTheSkyParticipant
This guy Zuerlein is just not very good. There was no excuse for the field goal he missed in the first half. In fact if I was the coaches I’d be pissed at him. He’s missed way to many field goals. I don’t give a shit how strong his leg is.
Grits
October 26, 2014 at 10:14 pm #10535joemadParticipantHe’s 49 for 59 with a 60 yarder that’s 83%
Adam Vinatiri is 83%
Check out other kickers %
83% is pretty good plus Greg the Leg has the capability kick 60 yarders.
Today’s loss was not because of that miss.
Reality is, …..in the spirit of Denny Green’s famous meltdown. Austin Davis is who we thought he was…
October 26, 2014 at 11:37 pm #10540znModeratorHe’s 49 for 59 with a 60 yarder that’s 83%
Adam Vinatiri is 83%
Check out other kickers %
83% is pretty good plus Greg the Leg has the capability kick 60 yarders.
Today’s loss was not because of that miss.
Reality is, …..in the spirit of Denny Green’s famous meltdown. Austin Davis is who we thought he was…
This year so far though I think he is around 73%.
October 27, 2014 at 8:04 am #10563DakParticipantWell, GZ has regressed, no question. I was calling for his head, too. Maybe his illness explains his performance.
October 27, 2014 at 11:18 am #10578GreatRamNTheSkyParticipantAustin Davis is fine Joe Mad. The problem is the Sucko offensive line.
Grits
October 27, 2014 at 1:47 pm #10598joemadParticipant1) Austin is average at best, no clutch gene… no clutch gene in Philly, vs Dallas, or vs SF,… Seattle game, QB “clutchness” was not as required. 23% passer completion rate on passes over 10 yards yesterday in KC… that’s no good. I think the pick in double coverage was a bigger blow than the missed FG.
in games where the RAMS have had a chance to win, Austin Davis didn’t make a play and win it.2) Greg the Leg at 73% kicking this year…….83% overall for his career….., for the league… that seems to be the industry average. e.g. Mr Clutch Mike Lansford was 73% for the career, granted he kicked on grass with the underrated Santa Ana winds.
I think most teams that would’ve played yesterday in KC would have lost, I mean GSOT couldn’t win in KC. KC was on fire in the 2nd half that game…..
Next week our beloved RAMS play the Santa Clara 49ers who are well rested from a bye.
October 27, 2014 at 4:21 pm #10611RamBillParticipantGreg Zuerlein’s rough day raises questions
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13029/greg-zuerleins-rough-day-raises-questions
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein missed the team’s Friday practice because of the flu. Two days later, he missed a 38-yard field goal and mishit a kickoff that led to a 99-yard touchdown for Chiefs returner Knile Davis.
“No matter what, if you’re going to be in this you still have to come out and perform and do your job,” Zuerlein said. “There’s no excuses for mishits or missing field goals or anything like that. How sick I was is irrelevant.”
What wasn’t irrelevant in the Rams’ 34-7 loss to the Chiefs were the two big miscues that came off Zuerlein’s right foot.
Midway through the second quarter, the Rams had just missed an opportunity to score a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead after getting a fumble recovery at Kansas City’s 8. But Zuerlein trotted onto the field with the chance to at least knock a short field goal through the uprights to give the team a three-point lead.
That surely beat the alternative but the alternative is exactly what the Rams got as Zuerlein left the kick wide right from the right hash.
“I think I just didn’t hit it solid,” Zuerlein said. “Basically that’s all it was. I rushed at the ball a little bit and didn’t get my plant foot set properly. If that doesn’t get right then the leg swing is not going to be proper and you saw the results.”
The result was a field goal for the Chiefs and a six-point swing which manifested into something much worse when Zuerlein failed to execute the opening kickoff of the second half.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher and special-teams coach John Fassel called for that kickoff to go deep and to the left side. But Zuerlein mishit the kick and it didn’t get much hang time, leaving plenty of room for Davis to scoop it up and take off down the right sideline. By the time Davis was done running, he had a 99-yard touchdown, the Chiefs had a 17-7 lead and were well on their way to 34 unanswered points and a blowout victory.
“It was a bad kick,” Fisher said. “We were trying to get a deep left kick and he just shanked it and they got off and running. I haven’t seen it. Usually when that happens, you are going to get potentially a hold or two but it’s uncharacteristic of our cover team not to make that play. But that was a key play. It’s what they needed to win this game. We didn’t get that.”
The mishit kickoff and the missed field goal are part of a disturbing trend for Zuerlein, who just two years ago was considered one of the most dangerous young kickers in the league as he converted his first 15 field goal attempts. But since Week 6 of 2012, he’s 44-of-57 on field goal attempts, a 77.2 percent conversion rate. He only missed two field goals in 2013 but both came at the most inopportune times in losses to Seattle and Tennessee.
So far this season, Zuerlein is 8-of-11 on field goal tries. And though two of those misses have come from 50-plus yards, his ability to make long kicks was a big part of his appeal in the first place. He’s made just five of his past 14 attempts from 50 yards or further.
It’s not time to give up on Zuerlein just yet — a 27-point loss certainly isn’t all his fault — but if his struggles continue, it’s fair to wonder how much longer his leash extends.
October 27, 2014 at 4:56 pm #10613RamBillParticipantTurning point: Mis-hit kickoff returned for touchdown
By Nick WagonerKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Here is a look back at the turning point play in the St. Louis Rams’ 34-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon:
The situation: Despite some missed first-half opportunities, the Rams still trailed the Chiefs only 10-7 at halftime. The Chiefs felt fortunate to have a lead, and the Rams surely had to be frustrated by the deficit. But there was plenty of time for the Rams to right the ship. Or so it seemed. Kansas City won the toss to open the game and deferred, leaving the Rams to take the ball first and give the Chiefs the first possession of the second half. After kicker Greg Zuerlein failed to convert a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter, the Chiefs countered with three of their own to swing momentum toward Kansas City. That put the onus on the Rams to get a stop right after coming out of the locker room.
The play: To open the third quarter, the Rams called for Zuerlein to hit the opening kickoff deep and into the left corner, presumably preventing Chiefs kick returner Knile Davis from even having an opportunity to bring the ball out. It’s a play the Rams had executed in the game and have made work many times. But as Zuerlein approached the ball, he tried to kick it too hard and ended up kicking more of a line drive. Davis fielded the kick quickly at the Chiefs’ 1 and began maneuvering his way down the right sideline. The Rams had some opportunities at him with Zuerlein actually coming closest. Safety Cody Davis appeared to be held on the play but it wasn’t enough to draw a flag and once Davis got past Zuerlein, he had clear sailing the rest of the way. The result was a 99-yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead early in the third quarter.
The fallout: Before this play, the wheels were already in motion for the Chiefs to go on a run and potentially put the Rams away before the fourth quarter. But without even allowing their defense to get a stop and get the ball back, the Rams found a way to dig themselves into a deeper hole. For a special teams unit that a week ago was the toast of the league, it was a major step back.
“It was a bad kick,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “We were trying to get a deep left kick and he just shanked it and they got off and running. I haven’t seen it. Usually when that happens, you are going to get potentially a hold or two but it’s uncharacteristic of our cover team not to make that play. But that was a key play. It’s what they needed to win this game. We didn’t get that.”
What the Rams got instead was an avalanche of points that ultimately led to a 27-point loss the likes of which many Rams thought this team had moved past.
October 27, 2014 at 5:14 pm #10615canadaramParticipantI don’t know about replaced at this point, but I think he needs some real competition in camp next year.
October 28, 2014 at 3:57 pm #10668GreatRamNTheSkyParticipantAustin Davis is the best QB on the Rams roster. I have no problem saying that because its true.
Grits
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