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December 7, 2015 at 1:09 pm #35238
znModeratorLions’ next foe: Rams started well, but now have issues
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/12/06/detroit-lions-st-louis-rams/76896568/
Detroit Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez looks at the Lions’ next opponent: the St. Louis Rams (4-7).
Fisher’s critics can pucker up
The Rams started 2-2, with impressive wins against the Seattle Seahawks and at Arizona. But things have fallen apart. They have lost five straight, and coach Jeff Fisher is starting to show signs of cracking. After the Rams lost, 31-7, last week at Cincinnati, Fisher bristled at questions about his team’s effort. “Anyone implies that it’s an effort issue, they can kiss my (expletive),” Fisher said at his postgame news conference. “There’s no effort problems.”
Case closed
As if the losing wasn’t bad enough, the Rams also are dealing with a high-profile public-relations disaster concerning concussions that happen too often in the NFL. The league investigated the concussion QB Case Keenum suffered Nov. 22 against the Baltimore Ravens, when he hit his head hard on the ground while being tackled. A team trainer checked on Keenum on the field after the play, but Keenum stayed in the game for the next two downs. The NFL did not punish the Rams for the incident. But NFL Players Association president Eric Winston had harsh words for the NFL when he told USA TODAY: “Complete failure to adhere to the protocol. Show me someone that says, ‘No, the Rams did exactly the right thing.’ They didn’t. Everybody knows they didn’t.”
Nicked up
Nick Foles, who came to the Rams this past off-season in a trade with Philadelphia for Sam Bradford, started in Keenum’s place last week. And it was a mess. Foles made some terrible decisions, like throwing over the middle late and across his body. He threw three interceptions. And he was 15-for-35 in Sunday’s 27-3 loss to Arizona. This is why he lost his starting job to Keenum in mid-November and why the Rams likely are going nowhere without Keenum.
Pocket rocket
Watch out for lightning-quick receiver Tavon Austin. He’s the Rams’ most dangerous weapon. He leads the team with seven touchdowns, he’s the team’s second-leading rusher with 328 yards, and he leads the team with 38 receptions. St. Louis loves to use Austin on jet sweeps, where he excels at getting to the corner, then turning on the afterburners, as he did on a 60-yard run against the Bengals.
Donald vs. Ebron
Lions tight end Eric Ebron will forever be remembered to Lions fans as not being defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The Lions passed on Donald and drafted Ebron 10th overall in 2014. The Rams selected Donald three picks later, and he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after racking up nine sacks. Meanwhile, Ebron has struggled with drops and has been underwhelming. Donald is a consistently excellent player and already has eight sacks through 12 games. But don’t worry, Lions fans. Rams fans have their own regretful pick in left tackle Greg Robinson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2014, who has been abysmal.
December 9, 2015 at 10:10 pm #35426znModeratorPractice Report 12/9: First Session with Boras
Myles Simmons
With the offense in need of significant improvement, head coach Jeff Fisher turned to assistant head coach/offense Rob Boras to assume the duties of offensive coordinator this week. And on Wednesday, while a bit sleep deprived, Boras said he’s excited to get going.
“This week seems about a month. It’s been two days,” Boras said. “We’re all excited. I think the guys, the staff, everybody’s committed. We’re all moving forward. It’s been good.”
“He did a nice job today. We had a good practice,” Fisher said. “Players are excited. We’re moving forward.”
As you might expect, there will be a bit of an adjustment period with the offense now functioning under Boras. One of those shifts will be with the play calling, as it’s been a while since Boras has performed the duty.
“That’s part of the process,” Boras said. “It’s not going to be perfect. Football isn’t perfect. I’m not going to be perfect. Plays aren’t perfect. That’s why you trust your players to move forward and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Even with Boras’ lack of experience in the area, Fisher said putting together the gameplan is a more significant task.
“That’s the challenge in my opinion,” Fisher said. “Getting the plays called and getting them in, no, he’s not going to have any difficulty with that. No concerns about that.”
As for the differences in the offense, Boras admitted it’s going to be more about tweaks for the last quarter of the season than major changes.
“We have different thoughts, but at the end of the day, we’re pretty far down the road right now,” Boras said. “There’s not going to be a whole lot that’s going to change.”
“Finding out when we did, it’s hard to change a whole lot,” Boras added. “You hope to become more efficient. We’ve got to try to put guys in the best position they can to make plays, but it can’t be a huge change. Guys can’t handle that right now. We’re too far entrenched with our system to think there’s going to be wholesale changes.”
That being said, wide receiver Tavon Austin did not seem too concerned about the offense making adjustments to become more productive.
“You’ve just got to stay focused, do your job, and stay the course,” Austin said. “If you do that, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
One of the goals with Boras at the helm will be to feature Austin and running back Todd Gurley in creative ways. With Gurley receiving only 18 carries over the last two games combined, the Rams would like to keep the running back involved whether it’s in the run game or pass game.
“Todd’s a special player. We have a number of special players on offense,” Boras said. “Between Todd and ‘Tav’ [Austin], we’ve got special guys. For that to happen, obviously, it’s got to be the type of game where we can keep handing him the ball. He’s too good a player.”
Boras will also be working in a different quarterback into the game plan. Though Keenum started a few weeks ago against Baltimore, Foles played the last two games with the Houston product going through the concussion protocol. But coming form the perspective of a former tight ends coach, Boras said he’s not going to take over the quarterbacks room from QBs coach Chris Weinke.
“I’m not going to go in there and now start running those meetings,” Boras said. “I’m trusting all the assistants just like I hope they would do me, just go in there and do their job. Of course, I sat in the quarterback room today and was involved with it. But, I’m not going to sit there and correct his footwork and things like that. We have a quarterback coach doing that.”
And for his part, Keenum said he’s been pleased with the way things have gone with Boras so far.
“Coach Rob, he’s done a great job today — the last couple of days — and I’m really excited about the game plan and really excited about moving forward,” Keenum said.
One of the most significant problems the offense has faced this season is its third down conversion rate. The Rams are No. 32 in the category, attaining first downs on just 24.5 percent of their opportunities.
“We started on it last night. We’re going to work on third down tonight as a staff and introduce it tomorrow. I’d be lying to say I had all the answers right now,” Boras said. “We understand the inefficiencies we’ve had on third down and, obviously, we need to improve on that.
“The way that happens, if that happens I should say, obviously, Todd has the ability and everybody on offense and they all know that, if we convert third downs, everybody has more opportunities to get touches,” Boras added. “So, that’s going to be a big focus going forward tonight and tomorrow when we put it in.”
With everything that has happened with the team in the last few weeks, Boras said he’s doing his best to keep the unit focused on the immediate challenges instead of what may come later.
“All we’re ever guaranteed is today,” Boras said. “That’s kind of the process that we’re doing going forward. Let’s win today and then tomorrow we’re going to come back and challenge them again to try and win today. That’s all we can do is go one day at a time.”
December 9, 2015 at 11:30 pm #35435
TSRFParticipantNow I’m scared.
I hope they don’t break Gurley at the end of this lost season. I want to see him lead this team to the playoffs in 4 or 5 years…
December 10, 2015 at 2:17 am #35437znModeratorEarly preview: Rams vs. Lions
Joe Lyons
COMING THIS WEEK
The Rams (4-8) will try to snap a five-game losing streak when they host fellow underachiever Detroit (4-8) in a noon game Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. The Lions, who finished 11-5 and reached the playoffs a year ago, started this season 0-5 and 1-7. After three straight wins, they fell 27-23 to visiting Green Bay on Thursday on a 61-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers on an untimed play to end the game.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah. Born and raised in Ghana, ‘Ziggy’ was cut twice by the Brigham Young basketball team and was with the Cougars’ track team before being persuaded to give football a try. Five years later, he’s one of the most disruptive young players in the NFL. At 6 feet 5 and 278 pounds, he possesses a mix of power and speed that few in the league can match. Selected fifth overall by the Lions in the 2013 draft, the 26-year-old Ansah has 12½ sacks this season — only Houston’s J.J. Watt (13½) has more — and he’s tied for the league lead with four forced fumbles.
HE SAID IT
“Hindsight’s 20-20,’’ Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said after the Packers rallied from a 20-0 third-quarter deficit to win in Detroit on Thursday.
Questioned about the defensive strategy on the game’s last play, Caldwell explained that he was expecting a lateral play instead of the desperation pass. On the play, the Lions rushed three, had Ansah, their best pass rusher, positioned near the 40-yard line and failed to employ 6-foot-5 receiver Calvin Johnson as a defensive back, something he’s done in the past.
“We had plenty of guys back there,’’ the coach said. “We just didn’t make the play. They did.’’
INJURIES
The Rams came out of Sunday’s 27-3 loss to the Cardinals with cornerback Janoris Jenkins and tight end Lance Kendricks in the league’s concussion protocol. In addition, safety T.J. McDonald hurt his shoulder and kicker Zach Hocker injured his quad in pregame. And then there’s defensive end Robert Quinn (back), cornerback Trumaine Johnson (thigh) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (right hip), who were unable to play on Sunday.
The Lions appeared to come out of Thursday’s gut-wrenching loss to the Packers without any significant injuries. They did play that night without starting center Travis Swanson and veteran receiver Lance Moore because of ankle injuries.
SERIES HISTORY
The Rams hold a 42-40-1 edge in a series that began in Cleveland in 1937. Since the move to St. Louis in 1995, the teams have met seven times, but just once — a 41-33 Rams win in 2006 — in St. Louis. The Lions are 4-3 against the Rams since 1995 and have won the last two, 44-6 in 2010 and 27-24 in 2012. In the 2012 season opener, the Lions’ Matthew Stafford shook off three first-half interceptions to throw the game-winning TD pass with 15 seconds to play.
December 10, 2015 at 5:45 pm #35495
DakParticipantThe Rams hold a 42-40-1 edge in a series that began in Cleveland in 1937. Since the move to St. Louis in 1995, the teams have met seven times, but just once — a 41-33 Rams win in 2006 — in St. Louis.
I was at that game with Les Baker. Remember when the Rams used to score?
December 10, 2015 at 6:21 pm #35499
MackeyserModeratorWhat kills me is that Bradford really seems to be coming into his own… Not that he survives all the shots that Foles took, but maybe he doesn’t take those shots, either. Still… he kicked NE’s ass the other day and every week watching the Rams is like watching a rerun of Oz, the HBO series that took place in prison…
Sports is the crucible of human virtue. The distillate remains are human vice.
December 10, 2015 at 6:46 pm #35501znModeratorWhat kills me is that Bradford really seems to be coming into his own
To be honest I expected Bradford to do well. Then again I also expected Foles to do well. Not as well as Bradford but that wasn’t necessary. What I didn’t expect was a serious showstopping meltdown. I have this feeling that the Rams are the first time Foles ever has had to work through all his old spread qb stuff. I don’t know if he is even comfortable yet making reads while dropping back from center.
December 10, 2015 at 7:25 pm #35502MackeyserModeratorAll the more reason that I think Mannion is the best QB on the roster… or will be shortly…
Sports is the crucible of human virtue. The distillate remains are human vice.
December 13, 2015 at 5:58 am #35560znModeratorRams in familiar December territory — playing out the string
Jim Thomas
Yes, the holiday season is upon us. But when it comes to Rams football, it’s anything but the most wonderful time of the year.
Once again, December football in St. Louis has absolutely nothing to do with playoff races, fighting for division titles or jockeying for a first-round playoff bye. At 4-8, the Rams are cursed with their 12th straight non-winning season.
“It’s not fun going on these slides that we’re on right now,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “You don’t want to be in these weeks at the end of the year in December where you’re playing football essentially for your jobs, but also just for momentum carrying into the offseason. You want to have games that mean something.”
Oh well. Maybe next year.
A loss in Sunday’s noon game against the 4-8 Detroit Lions would make this the Rams’ ninth consecutive losing season. And in a cruel irony for a franchise that plans to file for relocation to Los Angeles in little more than three weeks, it’s Fan Appreciation Day at Edward Jones Dome. There are discounts on food and merchandise, there will be contests and giveaways.
But the best way to show fan appreciation? How about scoring more than 18 points for the first time since Nov. 1? Or snapping the team’s five-game losing streak?
Unfortunately for long-suffering Rams fans, the now-familiar catch phrases of “playing for pride” or “putting out good film” once again are in full effect.
“I think we have to build confidence,” tight end Lance Kendricks said, speaking specifically of the offense. “Somewhere along the line, we just lost that confidence. It could be due to injuries, with the O-line being a little limited. Inconsistency. Penalties.
“We haven’t really had a rhythm on offense in a long time. That’s something we’ll be looking for.”
At least the Rams are moving down in class this week against Detroit, which has the benefit of the so-called “mini-bye,” having last played on Dec. 3 in a Thursday night game against Green Bay.
Were it not for that disastrous ending against the Packers, a 61-yard Hail Mary pass from Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers — against a botched defensive alignment on the final play of the game — Detroit would be coming to town with a four-game winning streak and on the fringe of the wild-card race at 5-7.
Instead, the Lions, who lost their first five games and started 1-7 this season, are out of it, a bitter come-down after winning 11 games and earning a wild-card berth a year ago. Who knows how the Lions will react to that 27-23 loss to Green Bay. Can they regain the momentum of that “almost” four-game winning streak? Or will they mentally pack it in for 2015?
Meanwhile, the Rams’ fall has been swift and dramatic. In a league built for parity, they simply have been non-competitive in their most recent two losses, getting outscored 58-10 by Cincinnati and Arizona. Granted, the Bengals and Cardinals are elite teams. But the Rams were either beating those types of teams (Seattle and Arizona) or competing with them (Pittsburgh) earlier in the season.
“Just to be here now at 4-8, when we were just — it seems like yesterday — we were 4-3 and then everything spiraled,” Laurinaitis said. “Yeah, it’s frustrating.”
The organization is awash in uncertainty. There’s no way at this point to know if the coaches will be back, if any of the team’s many pending free agents will be back, or even if the team itself will be in St. Louis in 2016. There’s nothing that the players or coaches can do about any of that at the moment. The only thing they can make right on Sunday is somehow getting a victory against Detroit.
They’ll try to do so after another tumultuous week, a week in which offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti was fired and Rob Boras promoted and given the play-calling reigns.
“I’ve just been pleased with the players’ response (to Boras),” coach Jeff Fisher said. “That’s the most important thing — is how the players respond. They’re pulling hard for him. They don’t want to let him down.”
Case Keenum, who was 12 for 26 passing for 136 yards three Sundays ago in a 16-13 loss in Baltimore, gets another start at quarterback after spending the last couple of weeks working through the NFL concussion protocol. To say he is excited about this opportunity would be understatement.
“It’s a dream come true for me to be a starting quarterback in the NFL,” said Keenum, who has been thinking about it “since I was 5 or 6 or 7 years old in second grade. I told my teacher I wanted to be an NFL quarterback. She kind of said, ‘OK, Case.’
“Well, I get to do that this week, and there’s not many people that have ever gotten to do that. So I’m not taking it lightly.”
On the other side of the ball, the Rams will face the league’s ninth-ranked passing offense without their best pass-rusher (Robert Quinn), best linebacker (Alec Ogletree), best cornerback (Janoris Jenkins), and arguably, their best safety (T.J. McDonald).
Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford can make all the throws, and he’ll undoubtedly be looking early and often to Calvin Johnson, aka “Megatron.”
“Any time you’ve got Stafford under center or in shotgun, and Calvin and (Golden) Tate out there, they’re a threat,” Fisher said. “Calvin is as good as there is. He’s just so tall, and (has a) big catch radius. Matt knows that and he puts the ball up and makes his plays.”
Containing Johnson won’t guarantee a victory, but it would certainly make that task a lot easier.
“You have to always change things up, whether it’s man or zone,” Fisher said. “Or at times you’re going to have to affect coverage and try to double him. Even though you see team after team after team (use) double coverage on him, he’s still coming up with the play.”
December 13, 2015 at 7:52 am #35567znModerator7 things to watch: Rams vs. Lions
Jim Thomas
HERE COMES MEGATRON
Calvin Johnson is listed as questionable by Detroit with an ankle injury and didn’t practice Friday. Even so, he’s probably eager to play on Sunday against the injury-depleted Rams secondary. As such, it should be the first and possibly only appearance in St. Louis (depending on relocation) for arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver. Johnson needs 35 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the sixth consecutive season. “The size, the speed, the athleticism. He can just go get the ball at any point. He’s one of a kind,” Rams secondary coach Brandon Fisher said.
SPEAKING OF THAT SECONDARY
The Rams will be down two starters in the back end: cornerback Janoris Jenkins (concussion) is doubtful and strong safety T.J. McDonald (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve Friday. At least the team is getting cornerback Trumaine Johnson back after missing two-plus games because of a thigh injury. He has the size and length (6-2, 208) to at least have a chance physically against the 6-5 “Megatron.” But otherwise, it’s the inexperienced Marcus Roberson starting at the other corner, and 5-8 Lamarcus Joyner at nickel back.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT TATE
Now in his second year in Detroit, wide receiver Golden Tate had some big moments against the Rams as a Seattle Seahawk. In his past three contests against the Rams, all with Seattle, Tate had a combined 327 yards receiving and three TDs. He’s a master at coming down with the 50-50 ball. Veteran Lance Moore gives Detroit a reliable third wideout, and second-year man Eric Ebron is a productive tight end — the pair has eight TD catches between them. “Megatron” is the headliner, but this is a pretty good supporting cast.
IN THE BACKFIELD
Although they’ve been more productive lately, the Lions come to town with the NFL’s 31st-ranked rushing offense. Detroit is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry and hasn’t had a ball-carrier gain more than 67 yards in any game this season. This is good news for the Rams, who have been hemorrhaging on run defense lately. Arizona gashed them for 175 yards last week; Cincinnati gained 140 two weeks ago. But keep an eye on Theo Riddick, who has 60 catches out of the backfield — the league-high at running back this season.
A RARE ARM
Matthew Stafford has the kind of arm strength most QBs dream about. He can squeeze the ball into tight windows, throw deep outs with ease and get the deep ball behind any secondary. Since Jim Bob Cooter replaced Joe Lombardi as the Lions’ offensive coordinator, Stafford has been more careful with the ball. Mixing coverages can help against him. As Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams put it: “We’ve got to paint different pictures to try to cause (Stafford) to reset. Can we get him to hold the ball a little bit longer?”
MAKING HIS CASE
After missing two weeks because of a concussion, Case Keenum finally gets another chance at quarterback for the Rams. He wasn’t very good before suffering the injury, but coach Jeff Fisher hopes Keenum’s energetic personality and ability to extend plays with his mobility can provide a much-needed spark for the offense. On a personal level, these final four games mark a great opportunity for Keenum to establish himself as more than a backup in the NFL. Detroit has a middle-of-the-pack pass defense.
RUSH HOUR
Led by defensive end Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah, the Lions can get after the quarterback. Ansah’s 12½ sacks lead the NFC and he is second in the NFL to Houston’s J.J. Watt (13½). As a team, the Lions are tied for seventh in the league with 33 sacks. Former Baltimore star Haloti Ngata remains a force in the middle. All told, the Lions have made a league-high 105 tackles behind the line of scrimmage making this a tough, tough challenge for the young, inexperienced Rams offensive line.
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