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November 13, 2016 at 5:06 pm #58159
znModeratorRams Win Defensive Battle with Jets, 9-6
Myles Simmons
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The streak is over, as the Rams used another strong defensive performance to defeat the Jets, 9-6. With the win, Los Angeles is now 4-5 on the season.
The Rams were able to score on their first drive to take an early lead. Wide receiver Kenny Britt caught a pair of passes to convert third downs, and then made a one-handed reception to move L.A. to New York’s 25-yard line. From there, running back Benny Cunningham took a pitch play to the right down to the one-yard line.
But that would be it for the Rams’ offense on the drive, as a negative run followed by two incomplete passes induced the team to settle for a 20-yard Greg Zuerleinfield goal.
Los Angeles held its 3-0 lead until early in the second quarter. Though a Johnny Hekker punt downed by wide receiver Bradley Marquez placed the Jets at their own one-yard line to begin a drive, the home team went 99 yards to pay dirt. Second-year quarterback Bryce Petty — starting in place of the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick — completed a 52-yard pass on the left sideline to wide receiver Robby Anderson, which got the Jets out of the shadow of their goal posts and pushed them into Rams territory.
After the clock flipped to the second quarter, New York took the lead with a bit of trickery. Petty passed to wide receiver Brandon Marshall outside for a screen. While it looked like the play was well defended, Marshall then pitched it on a lateral to running back Bilal Powell, who ran the ball in for a touchdown. The Jets, however, missed the extra point, which kept the score at 6-3.
New York’s three-point lead held through halftime, until the Rams scored their second field goal of the game to tie it up. Running back Todd Gurley began Los Angeles’ second drive of the third quarter with a 13 yard run, and followed it up with another for five yards. But it was a 20-yard screen pass to Tavon Austin that brought the Rams into scoring position at the New York seven-yard line.
But Los Angeles could not punch it in, with an offensive pass interference penalty pushing the unit back to the 19-yard line. After a Keenum sack and an incomplete pass, Zuerlein connected on a 38-yard field goal to tie the game at six.
Punts aren’t necessarily too often thought of as game-changing, but Hekker had one in the fourth quarter. With L.A. backed up at its own 17 on 4th-and-1, the punter uncorked a ball that went 78 yards through the air before returner Jalin Marshall fielded it at the New York five-yard line and the coverage team dropped him at the 15.
From there, the defense held New York to a three-and-out — a short run play and two incompletions. The Jets went only 35 yards, and wide receiver Pharoh Cooper fielded it at the Los Angeles 48.
The visitors were able to capitalize on the opportunity, with Zuerlein hitting a 34-yard, go-ahead field goal to give Los Angeles a 9-6 lead with 6:52 remaining on the contest.
New York had a late opportunity to tie the game or take the lead, but middle linebacker Alec Ogletree ended any thought of that with an interception just after the two-minute warning.
The Rams will be back in action next week against another AFC East opponent, the Dolphins, at the Coliseum.
November 13, 2016 at 6:10 pm #58177znModeratorRams overcome listless offense to save their season
Alden Gonzalez
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For a third straight week, the Los Angeles Rams defense stepped up and the offense didn’t do nearly enough.
The only difference was the outcome.
Facing the lowly New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the Rams overcame a listless offense to capture a 9-6 victory, snapping a four-game losing streak to improve to 4-5 on the season and keep their playoff chances on life support.
Quarterback Case Keenum avoided the costly turnovers and went 17-of-30 for 165 yards, but the Rams didn’t score a touchdown despite getting into the red zone on three occasions.
They had the ball about a foot away from the goal line on their first drive thanks to a 24-yard run by Benny Cunningham, the Rams’ longest this season. But a fumble and an incompletion prompted a 20-yard field goal.
They had it at the Jets’ 7-yard line late in the third quarter, but they lost 13 yards — largely on an offensive pass interference by wide receiver Brian Quick — and settled for a 38-yard field goal.
And they had it at the Jets’ 16-yard line near the midway point of the fourth quarter, but they suffered back-to-back incompletions and settled for a 34-yard field goal.
This game was won by the Rams’ kicker, Greg Zuerlein, who was responsible for all of their scoring.
It was won by their punter, Johnny Hekker, who at one point pinned the Jets at their own 1-yard line and then later boomed a punt 78 yards.
And it was won by their defense, which limited the Jets and inexperienced quarterback Bryce Petty to 296 total yards and got the game-clinching interception from Alec Ogletree with less than two minutes remaining.
But their offense still had a hard time, even against a Jets team that entered the game having allowed the eighth-most passing yards per game. Running back Todd Gurley finished the first half with 10 carries for 10 yards, but he did find space in the second half, running 11 times for 54 yards. He also had a 21-yard run that was negated by a hold by left tackle Greg Robinson.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported pregame that the Rams would consider starting No. 1 pick Jared Goff at home against the Miami Dolphins next Sunday.
Question is: Did Keenum do enough to keep his job?
November 13, 2016 at 6:12 pm #58178znModeratorDefense carries Rams again in 9-6 win over Jets
RICH HAMMOND
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/scng-735314-contact-writer.html
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Scoring touchdowns, apparently is overrated.
The Rams, for a second time this season, won a game in which they never celebrated in the end zone. The Rams used three field goals from Greg Zuerlein and some typically solid defense to beat the New York Jets 9-6 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
In good position to break their four-game losing streak against a struggling, hobbling opponent, the Rams (4-5) didn’t make it easy on themselves against the Jets (3-7).
They needed a field-flipping, 78-yard punt from Johnny Hekker in the fourth quarter to change the momentum. The Jets went three and out after that punt, and the Rams took over at their 48 with 11 minutes left in a 6-6 game.
The Rams picked up three first downs and got to the Jets’ 16, but then had to settle for Zuerlein’s 34-yard field goal with 6:52 remaining.
From there, the Rams’ defense held up. The Jets had a final chance, with the ball at their 23 with 2:55 remaining and no timeouts, but Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree came up with an interception to seal the win.
The Rams still have scored only one touchdown in their last 11 quarters, but they have a victory. The Rams have failed to score a touchdown in three of their nine games this season, but they’ve won two of them, as Sunday followed an early-season 9-3 victory over Seattle.
The Rams, who went much of the second quarter without a first down, managed to put together a good drive late in the third quarter and tied the game 6-6 on Zuerlein’s 38-yard field goal.
Todd Gurley, who totaled only 10 yards in the first half, got things going with a 13-yard run on the drive’s first play, and the Rams got to the Jets’ 7 and had first and goal. But the Rams lost two yards on a run, then had an offensive pass interference call. On the third-down play, a flag was thrown in the end zone, but officials conferred and decided that the Jets did not commit pass interference.
The Jets, decimated by injuries, turned to third-string quarterback Bryce Petty, who made his first NFL start and did relatively well in place of Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Petty completed 19 of 32 attempts for 163 yards, but the Jets’ run-heavy offense relied on Matt Forte, who gained 98 yards on 20 attempts. The Rams, who during the week talked about the importance of forcing turnovers, did not record one until Ogletree’s late interception.
Meanwhile, the Rams continued to struggle on offense for most of the game. Quarterback Case Keenum was inconsistent after a solid start and finished 17 of 30 for 165 yards. Receiver Kenny Britt was the Rams’ bit threat on offense, with seven catches for 109 yards.
The first half looked like a repeat of several previous Rams games, in which they failed to run the ball with any consistency and failed to take advantage of the times they reached Jets territory.
The Rams moved the ball exceedingly well on their first drive, as Keenum and Britt connected three times and a 24-yard run by Benny Cunningham moved the ball to the Jets’ 1.
From there, Cunningham fumbled and lost a yard, tight end Lance Kendricks failed to pick up a yard on a pass and Keenum threw incomplete, and Keenum threw incomplete. The Rams had to settle for a 20-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 9:37 remaining in the first quarter.
The Rams forced a three-and-out punt and then moved the ball to the Jets’ 31 but stalled out again, as Gurley lost seven yards on consecutive running plays.
An excellent punt by Hekker, and an even better play by Bradley Marquez to down the ball, forced the Jets to start at their own 1, but the Jets went 99 yards in nine plays to take the lead on a trick play.
Petty completed a short pass to Brandon Marshall, who then lateraled to Bilal Powell to complete a 4-yard touchdown. The Jets missed the extra point but led 6-3 early in the second quarter.
The Rams gained 46 yards on their first play of the second quarter, on a pass from Keenum to Britt, but on their final nine plays, the Rams lost one yard, combined, and didn’t record a first down. The Jets weren’t much better in a scoreless second quarter, as they recorded five first downs.
November 13, 2016 at 6:14 pm #58179
nittany ramModeratorQuestion is: Did Keenum do enough to keep his job?
Yes.
Link: http://ramblinfan.com/2016/11/13/jeff-fisher-case-keenum-start-week-11/
November 13, 2016 at 9:21 pm #58215znModeratorBonsignore: Rams’ victory over Jets does nothing to mask their inept offense
VINCENT BONSIGNORE
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-735328-fisher-quarterback.html
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – After five weeks of whispers and sullen looks and sideways glances and despair inside the Rams locker room, a tiny glimmer of hope emerged Sunday from the chill of New Jersey.
It came in the form of a 9-6 win over the New York Jets that, for the moment anyway, stops the bleeding of a four-game losing streak and stabilizes the Rams a bit.
That’s the good news.
“We’ll take it,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said.
He should, obviously.
The name of the game is to win, and the Rams stayed out of their way long enough Sunday to achieve that objective.
They deserve to enjoy it, shallow as it might be on a day the offense couldn’t score a touchdown against a really bad Jets team and only the defense and punter Johnny Hekker deserved accolades.
Which is pretty much par for the course for the Rams this season. While the defense and Hekker deliver playoff-caliber performances, the offense continues to bumble about.
Three games have passed, with two touchdowns to show for them. And one of those scores came courtesy of a prevent defense in the closing minutes.
Still, a win is a win. And that meant smiles rather than frowns Sunday.
But another day is beckoning.
And when Fisher and the Rams rise to greet it Monday it won’t matter they beat a morbidly bad team Sunday to stop a frustrating losing streak, or that 4-5 looks a hell of a lot better than 3-6, or that, technically, the playoffs still remain in reach.
None of it matters in the least.
The same troubling baggage the Rams arrived in New Jersey with got loaded back up into trunks and suitcases and overnight bags for the return trip to Los Angeles Sunday night.
The same questions dog them.
The same problems plague them.
Nothing was answered or solved or fixed.
And no one had anything more than hollow words, season-old responses and frustrating cliches to address them.
Case Keenum and the offense managed just three field goals, which wouldn’t be all that bad had they not been a few feet from the end zone with four cracks at crossing it but moved backward rather than forward and had to settle for a field goal rather than seven points.
And even less disconcerting if Keenum and the offense weren’t the season-long issue they’ve been.
But we all know scoring and offensive efficiency and consistency are literally the most glaring problems on a team that might actually be pretty good if the offense just held up its end of the bargain.
And Sunday was just a continuation of a conundrum the Rams have talked about, analyzed, scrutinized and promised to fix all season.
But to the naked eye, have done very little to actually address.
Like, say, try to create a spark by making a change at quarterback and giving rookie Jared Goff a chance to do what Keenum obviously can’t.
The only thing more consistent than Keenum and the offensive struggles is the praise being heaped on Goff getting better every week. From Fisher to offensive coordinator Rob Boras, the narrative every day is Goff continues to make strides in the classroom and on the practice field.
If that’s truly the case, shouldn’t it be about time the first overall pick got the nod over the guy quarterbacking the Rams into one brick wall after another?
Apparently not, according to Fisher. Once again he completely shot down the notion of a quarterback change Sunday.
Just as he’s done all season, and specifically the last three weeks when Keenum and the offense have taken steps back rather than forward.
“No, I’m not going into the quarterback situation,” he reiterated Sunday. “As I’ve said, I don’t believe it’s quarterback play.”
Giver Fisher credit for backing his player.
But by the same token, a big “huh?” and “are you serious?” is absolutely valid.
In what football world is Fisher operating when he claims an offense unable to consistently get into the opposing end zone while averaging a league-worst 16.3 points a game isn’t at least partially the fault of the quarterback?
“I’m not putting that on the quarterback,” Fisher said.
That’s ridiculous.
Keenum is doing nothing to justify keeping his job. Not in the won/loss column or the stat book. He was billed as a game manager, but he isn’t delivering.
Nothing personal. Just the reality of professional football.
Yet Fisher continues to resist.
It’s the head-scratcher of all head-scratchers.
This isn’t only about getting Goff some much needed experience and accelerating his development for next year and beyond.
The Rams are absolutely still in contention for a playoff spot.
But they can no longer afford to go into games with one hand tied behind their backs. Not when a potential solution is standing on the sideline in the form of a quarterback the Rams gave up six draft picks to acquire and insisted was the best quarterback in last April’s draft.
A player they continually remind us they believe in and is getting better and better by the day.
The Rams defense deserves better than what Fisher and the offense are giving in return.
And even though Fisher has a potential solution standing a few feet away from him on the sideline, he refuses to utilize it.
It’s a head-scratcher, all right.
Even on a day the Rams could smile.
November 14, 2016 at 11:20 am #58271znModeratorRams punter Johnny Hekker saves the day
Alden Gonzalez
http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/31723/rams-punter-johnny-hekker-saves-the-day
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Perhaps Alec Ogletree was on to something.
The Los Angeles Rams middle linebacker, who came up with the clinching interception, recently suggested that punter Johnny Hekker might be the team’s first-half MVP. And on Sunday, in a 9-6 victory over the New York Jets, Hekker validated Ogletree’s point.
Hekker at one point pinned the Jets at their own 1-yard line, then boomed a 78-yard punt that sent them to the 15.
“I’m going to tell my kids it was a 100-yard punt,” Rams quarterback Case Keenum said. “He’s a weapon for us. It’s great to have a guy like that.”
Alec Ogletree recently suggested that punter Johnny Hekker might be the team’s first-half MVP. And on Sunday, Hekker validated Ogletree’s point. Alan Schaefer/Icon Sportswire
Especially for an offense that continually struggles to score points.The Jets wound up with a touchdown despite getting pinned at the 1-yard line on Hekker’s 42-yard punt late in the first quarter. But his 78-yard punt might have been the play of the game. It came in a 6-6 tie early in the fourth quarter. Hekker punted a couple of yards from his own end zone and forced Jets returner Jalin Marshall to back up inside the Rams’ 5-yard line to catch it.
Marshall reached the 15, the Jets went three-and-out and the Rams’ offense took advantage of the favorable field position by kicking the game-winning field goal.
“When you’re looking at one 10-yard line and see the ball end up on the other 10-yard line, that’s a good change of field,” Rams defensive end Robert Quinn said. “That’s why he’s a three-time captain and two-time Pro Bowler. He’s a special punter. They don’t get a lot of credit, but he helps us out a lot.”
Hekker punted seven times for 362 yards and placed four of them inside the 20-yard line, including another one that traveled 52 yards. His 78-yard punt tied the Jaguars’ Brad Nortman for the NFL’s longest this season and went down as the fourth longest in Rams history, 10 yards shy of the record held by Bob Waterfield. It came one week after Hekker set a career high with a 75-yard punt in the 13-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Hekker still has only one touchback all season and has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 56 percent of the time, the second-best rate in the NFL.
MVP, right?
“I’m just one player,” Hekker said. “I do my best, but if Jake McQuaide isn’t putting the snaps in the right spot, or if guys aren’t picking up stunts, then I wouldn’t be comfortable back there. The same way a quarterback relies on his offensive line, I rely on my punt team.”
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