Rams notebook: Team is waiting for more tests on Chris Long's ankle

Rams notebook: Team is waiting for more tests on Chris Long’s ankle
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-notebook-team-is-waiting-for-more-tests-on-chris/article_4eff32e7-cfc5-5430-bacc-55c329450d98.html

The Rams lost a pair of key linemen to injury Sunday. In the third quarter, defensive end Chris Long left with an ankle injury. In the fourth, guard Rodger Saffold went down with a neck injury.

Neither returned, although Saffold lobbied to get back into the game. But because of league protocol when it comes to head and neck injuries, he was replaced at left guard by rookie Greg Robinson for the Rams’ final nine offensive snaps.

“I don’t have much information for you other than Rodger looked like he checked out OK,’’ coach Jeff Fisher said during his Monday news conference at Rams Park.

The news is less certain about Long, who didn’t seem very optimistic following the game.

“We’re still doing tests on Chris. Hopefully we’ll have more information,’’ said Fisher. “If for some reason Chris would miss some time, Will (Hayes) would step up and start.’’

Hayes, a seventh-year pro, had three tackles and a quarterback pressure Sunday.

“Will was fine,’’ Fisher said. “Will hadn’t played a whole lot in the preseason, (but) the injuries are behind him now.’’

EARLY field goal MISS

The Rams trailed 3-0 late in the first quarter when Greg Zuerlein’s 50-yard field goal attempt hooked to the left.

On the previous play, on third and 8 from the Minnesota 39, the Rams picked up 7 yards on a pass from Shaun Hill to Brian Quick.

Fisher was asked if he was tempted to go for it on fourth down.

“I was. It fourth and 1½,’’ he said. “Prior to that, I was thinking, well, if we got five or six then we’re well in Greg’s range. … But I also felt like the game was kind of taking shape as it might be one of the 13-10 games. I felt at that point it was well within his range and I felt like we needed points.

“You can always come back and second-guess your decision, but I felt it was the right decision at the time.’’

Later in the game, Zuerlein bounced back to make kicks from 56 and 46 yards.

DEFENSIVE NUMBERS

According to the coaches’ film review, safety Rodney McLeod paced the Rams with six solo tackles and three assists in Sunday’s loss.

Safety T.J. McDonald (six, two, with one pass defense), middle linebacker James Laurinaitis (three, five, with one quarterback hit and one quarterback pressure), cornerback Janoris Jenkins (seven, 0) and linebacker Alec Ogletree (four, three) rounded out the top five. Ogletree combined with Jo-Lonn Dunbar for the team’s lone sack. Ogletree also had two quarterback pressures and one pass defensed.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald (five, one) and cornerback E.J. Gaines (three, two, with two pass defenses) enjoyed solid rookie debuts.

“I thought E.J. did a nice job starting his first game in the National Football League as a rookie. I thought he hung in there and did a nice job,’’ Fisher said. “T.J. made some plays, had a couple of misses, but everybody’s going to have misses in space with AP (the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson). But I thought T.J. played played better than he played at any time last year. Aaron did some good things inside, he got some pressure, had a couple of tackles for loss.

“There were some good things … but again, not enough effort to win.’’

Defensive end Robert Quinn, who set a Rams record with 19 sacks a year ago, finished with four quarterback hits and two quarterback pressures as the Vikings countered the Rams’ pass rush with shorter patterns and dropbacks to take the heat off quarterback Matt Cassel.

NO TRE AND NO MO

Two key members of the Rams’ 2014 draft class, running back Tre Mason (third round) and safety Maurice Alexander (fourth round), were among the team’s inactives for the season opener against the Vikings. Alexander is a Eureka High product.

“It was special teams,’’ Fisher explained about the absence of Mason, a Heisman Trophy candidate last year as a junior at Auburn. “Trey Watts (an undrafted free agent back from the University of Tulsa) was doing more. Not that Tre can’t, but Trey Watts was doing more on special teams from a backup standpoint — kickoff coverage, kickoff return, personal protector and those things. You can’t keep them all (active). Tre was a little surprised, doesn’t like it and was the first one upstairs in the special teams coach’s office this morning.’’

And Alexander?

“We kept four safeties and I’ve got five corners up,’’ the coach said. “He’s doing a nice job, but I would trust the other two to play defense prior to him right now.’’