Hill coming back? Progress? Wagoner, Thomas, etc.

Hill, Davis eager to seize opportunity
• By Jeff Gordon

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/hill-davis-eager-to-seize-opportunity/article_b322b0ed-ff5f-5bdd-ba3f-01096cd526e8.html

Rams quarterback Shaun Hill has seen a lot of Lovie Smith over the years. He had prepared to face Smith’s scheme about 15 times during his career as a back-up and occasional starter.

“I have a good feeling about what they were doing on defense,” Hill said. “So I was kind of able to help him with that. I didn’t know their personal as well but I knew their scheme well. So, I was kind of able to help him out a little bit there.”

But last week, all Hill could do was counsel teammate Austin Davis as the Rams prepared to face Smith’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He provided another set of eyes in the process.

Hill waited a long, long time to do more than watch, so the quadriceps muscle strain he suffered in the season opener against the Vikings was most aggravating.

“That was something I struggled with big-time, orginally when it first happened,” Hill said Wednesday after practice at Rams Park. “It’s been hard for me to get on the field, especially the last few years. And finally when you get the chance, for that to happen, it’s harder to come back off.

“What can you do? Pick yourself up and get back as soon as you can.”

Meanwhile, Davis has been living at the other end of the emotional spectrum. He was soaring after leading to the Rams to a 19-17 victory at Tampa Bay in his first NFL start.

Davis was in no hurry to let go of the game, as team policy demands. Coach Jeff Fisher gives his team one day to get over it.

“Sometimes you want the ’24-hour rule,'” Davis said, “and sometimes you don’t.”

“But that’s the way it is. You’ve got to keep rolling, you’ve got to keep getting better. And really we have to build off of last week instead of us kind of living on it. We did some good things but we did a lot of things we could improve.”

Neither quarterback has traveled an easy road in his league. Hill’s adventure has been much longer, starting in Minnesota in 2002 and continuing on to San Francisco and Detroit before his arrival here this season.

He attempted just 16 regular-season passes during his last three seasons with the Lions.

Hill was supposed to back up Sam Bradford, but those plans changed when Bradford suffered another ACL injury. Hill took the helm of the offense . . . for one half, anyway.

Hill completed 8 of 13 passes for 81 yards in the first half against the Vikings, but the Rams struggled to sustain to drives.

They made one mistake after another, culminating with Hill’s late second-quarter interception that led to Minnesota’s first TD.

“It felt like we had some good rhythm,” Hill said. “Just as an offense we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot. Just doing something on every drive to kind of set us back. But, I felt like there were times when we were executing really well, just weren’t able to sustain drives long enough to get points. Of course, the bad decision late in the half, was just that: it was a bad decision.”

His thigh injury hindered him on that play and it has kept him sidelined since then.

“It’s getting better and better every day,” Hill said. “I was able to do more things (today). No setbacks.”

So is he going to play Sunday?

“I think that’ll be determined later in the week,” he said. “But, the idea going in is to just keep progressing and see what happens when we get later in the week.”

Davis’ recent ups and downs have been more dramatic. He worked his way onto the practice squad as an undrafted free agent. He got cut in his second go-around, then returned to Rams Park on an emergency basis last season.

He fell into a “camp arm” role this summer before rising, improbably, to the starting assignment. Davis completed 22 of 29 passes against the Buccaneers for 225 yards.

That wasn’t a Pro Bowl-qualifying performance, but it did wonders for Davis’ career. He played with poise, made plays under duress and came away with a victory.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett noted this during a conference call with the St. Louis media. “That quarterback play has been solid, especially last week,” Garrett said.

In a few short weeks, Davis went from facing the reaper — and perhaps the end of his NFL career, if he got cut again — to putting himself squarely on the map.

“I told him how great he played,” Hill said. “That is the only evaluation I could come up for that game. He played wonderful. We were very, very excited for him.”

So what happens now? Davis took most of the practice repetitions again Wednesday, although Hill was more engaged with the offense.

Fisher was predictably vague about Hill’s availability. “This is about not setting him back so we don’t want to put him in position out here on the field to where we’re risking setting him back,” Fisher said. “He’s day-to-day and we’ll see where it goes.”

Davis could make his second NFL start. Or could be in the bullpen again, ready to step in if Hill aggravates his injury.

He is eager to play. Hill is eager to play. Their roller-coaster careers go up and down, around and around.

Practice Report: QB Hill does more, but still limited
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-report/practice-report-qb-hill-does-more-but-still-limited/article_3ad781ac-e5a5-5ae0-bb1b-80e3eb8fa0cd.html

Quarterback Shaun Hill did a little more in practice Thursday, including some 7-on-7 work, but was still listed as limited on the Rams’ official injury report.

That meant Austin Davis once again took the vast majority of reps and is expected to make his second NFL start this Sunday against Dallas.

“Shaun was limited today,” coach Jeff Fisher said after Thursday’s late-afternoon practice. “He did more, but we’re still day-to-day. It’ll most likely be a pregame decision like it was last week.”

Sitting out practice Thursday were WR/PR Tavon Austin (knee), FB/TE Cory Harkey (knee), and CB Brandon McGee (foot). McGee was downgraded after being limited in practice Wednesday. And, of course, CB Trumaine Johnson (knee) and C/G Barrett Jones (back) remain sidelined with injuries that could still take a few more weeks to heal.

In addition, LG Rodger Saffold was not at practice because of illness; he’s expected to return Friday. Rookie Greg Robinson took his place with the starting unit Thursday.

C/G Scott Wells returned to practice and was full-go after a vets’ day off Wednesday.

For Dallas, QB Tony Romo (back) was full participation Thursday after not practicing Wednesday. Wide receiver Dez Bryant (shoulder) was limited Thursday after not practicing Wednesday.

On defense for the Cowboys, linebacker Rolando McClain — the team’s leading tackler this season — did not practice for the second day in a row because of a groin injury.