Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Gaines, Cooper, Spruce are back
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September 30, 2016 at 7:28 pm #54158
znModeratorPharoh Cooper, Nelson Spruce ready to return for Rams
Alden Gonzalez
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher was asked what Pharoh Cooper can bring to the offense when he’s finally able to suit up.
“Hopefully some first downs,” Fisher said. “That’s the big thing.”
Cooper and fellow rookie receiver Nelson Spruce finally appear set to debut in Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Arizona Cardinals from University of Phoenix Stadium. The “probable” classification was eliminated from injury reports this year and neither was given any designation for Week 4, be it “questionable,” “doubtful” or “out.” It’s as good a sign as any that they’ll be on the field, there to help an offense that put up the NFL’s second-fewest passing yards through the first three weeks.
Pharoh Cooper
Pharoh Cooper says he was “born ready” for game action.
Cooper was expected to begin the season as the No. 3 receiver, until injuring his left shoulder while making an acrobatic catch on a Jared Goff throw in the third preseason game.“I can still feel it,” Cooper said after Friday’s practice. “I’m going to always feel it. That’s part of fracturing a bone. It’s nothing that serious. It’s pain free when I run. It’s fine.”
Cooper called last week his “rehab week.” He spent it trying to get over the mental hurdle of not re-injuring that shoulder and was able to go full speed over the last few days, running with the practice squad while mimicking Cardinals receivers. He is expected to be a big contributor in the offense moving forward, even though Brian Quick has done reasonably well while lining up mostly as the slot receiver in his absence.
“I’ve been going hard all week,” Cooper said, “just trying to get back to my old self.”
Asked if he was ready for game action, the Rams’ fourth-round pick smiled.
“Born ready.”
September 30, 2016 at 8:17 pm #54161znModeratorRams CB E.J. Gaines ready to help neutralize Cardinals WRs
Alden Gonzalez
HOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — This is probably as good a week as any for E.J. Gaines to return to the Los Angeles Rams secondary, and it looks like it will happen.
Gaines has spent the last two weeks practicing in pads and was not even given an injury designation on Friday’s report, an indication that there is not much doubt he will play at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday. He’ll face anArizona Cardinals team with a loaded receiving corps, a group highlighted byLarry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John and Jaron Brown. And he’ll look to help a defense fresh off allowing 405 passing yards to Tampa Bay Buccaneersquarterback Jameis Winston.
“As many DBs as you can have out there is better for us, considering how many wide receivers they have that can play,” Gaines said of the Cardinals. “Just making sure we can match up the right way and compete with these guys.”
The Rams are 17th in passing yards allowed through the first three weeks, a ranking largely affected by a 37-32 win in Week 3. The unit entered the season shorthanded, with cornerback Janoris Jenkins (New York Giants) and safetyRodney McLeod (Philadelphia Eagles) both departing in free agency. And they’ve missed Gaines as the outside corner who would line up oppositeTrumaine Johnson, with Coty Sensabaugh and Troy Hill doing their best to fill in.
The Rams are a yard shy of allowing three 100-yard receivers over the last two weeks, though they’re tied for first with 15 pass breakups.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said his safeties “have really come a long way” and noted that his secondary as a whole faces a tall task each week, because the Rams put a lot of pressure on them by defending the run so aggressively. It’s why Winston threw the ball 58 times against them.
“You can get hung up on all the analytics you want, but when you force somebody to throw it 58 times in a game, it’s because they can’t run it,” Williams said. “Those guys [the secondary] have a lot of heat on them at all times, and this league is a throwing league. There are some teams that’ll still try to pound you. One of them is coming up, the Arizona Cardinals. I have so much respect for [Cardinals coach] Bruce Arians. I’ve gone against him for so many different years at so many different spots. We’re going to have to play the run really hard, and they’ve got a quarterback that can take shots on you down the field.”
That would be Carson Palmer, whom Gaines will help try to neutralize.
Gaines started 15 games as the No. 2 corner during his rookie year in 2014, then spent all of 2015 recovering from foot surgery. This summer, he’s dealt with a nagging hamstring injury and then an ailment in his left thigh, which has kept him out of action since the third preseason game. Gaines said he was “pretty close” to playing last Sunday and feels even closer now.
“It was just kind of a game-time decision, whatever [Rams coach Jeff] Fisher wanted,” Gaines said. “It’s the same thing this week, as far as practicing and everything, just kind of what Coach Fisher and the training staff came up with for me. I’m just waiting for my chance.”
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