Robinson solid in first start –PD

Robinson solid in first start
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/robinson-solid-in-first-start/article_48f812e0-9ab2-55dc-8605-b8b7b245f5dc.html

Greg Robinson heard a lot of hype about five-time Pro Bowler Justin Smith during the practice week, particularly about Smith’s reputation as one of the strongest players in the league.

But he wasn’t nervous about his Monday night initiation into the NFL.

“I’m pretty strong myself,” he said.

There certainly were some collisions between Robinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft, and Smith, the star defensive lineman from San Francisco via the University of Missouri.

“He caught me off guard a few times,” Robinson said. “It’s just something that I wasn’t ready for — early in the game he did hit me a few times. I was like, ‘Whoa! You gotta catch up.’

“But I adjusted well. The few plays he caught me off guard, I felt it. That was my goal, to make him feel me. … I tried my best to make him respect me.”

That respect came right after the game ended — a 31-17 San Francisco victory.

“I talked to (Smith) after the game,” Robinson said. “He was like, ‘Good game. You just keep working.’”

After being limited in the Rams’ first four games to special teams work and just a handful of plays on the offensive line, Robinson made his first NFL start at left guard against San Francisco.

On the Rams’ opening series, Smith got the best of Robinson, tackling Tavon Austin for just a two-yard gain on a run up the middle. (It was enough, however, for a first down.) A few plays later, Robinson was asked to make a block on the second level, but couldn’t get to linebacker Michael Wilhoite who tackled ball carrier Zac Stacy for a one-yard loss inside the San Francisco 5.

The Rams still finished that drive with a touchdown. On the Rams’ second TD drive, a Robinson block on Smith helped seal the hole for Tre Mason’s 24-yard run — the Rams’ longest run of the season.

In the second quarter, the ’Niners tried to get Robinson with some movement, sending linebacker Dan Skuta his way up the middle. Skuta eventually worked his way past Robinson to drop quarterback Austin Davis for a one-yard sack. But on the play, Davis was looking deep and missed two open receivers underneath in Benny Cunningham and Tavon Austin.

“There are things I need to work on,” Robinson said. “There was a lot of good and a lot of bad.”

There was more good than bad. Robinson really had few missteps, but he was a strong run blocker and wasn’t a liability as a pass blocker.

“I thought it was a good really solid first effort,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s only gonna get better. He played against a really good player (Monday) and didn’t have any significant issues.”

And from offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer: “It was fun to watch him match up with Justin Smith — another big, physical guy. He did a lot of really good things, really did. I thought it was a winning performance for his first time out there.”

The Rams drafted Robinson over other highly-regarded offensive linemen — such as Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews, Michigan’s Taylor Lewan, and Notre Dame’s Zack Martin — because of his size, strength, and physicality. The better to match up against the big, brawny defensive lines in the NFC West.

But playing a run-heavy offense in college at Auburn, Robinson needed a lot of work on pass-blocking — both on techniques and grasp of an NFL scheme.

Compounding matters was the fact that Robinson was working at tackle and guard during training camp and the preseason, meaning he had to basically learn twice as much. And at guard, things come at you even faster than they do at tackle where you have a little more time to react.

“He’s come on,” Fisher said. “He’s progressed over the last few weeks. We got together as a staff last week. We made the decision to put him in there at guard.”

Robinson’s gain proved to be Davin Joseph’s loss. With Robinson moving to left guard, Rodger Saffold moved from left guard to right guard. Joseph, the veteran pickup from Tampa Bay in free agency, had started the first four games at right guard.

“He deserves it,” Joseph said of Robinson. “He’s here for a reason, right? He’s here to play, and he’s gonna play. So I’m happy for him, and if there’s anything I can do for him. I will do for him.”

Obviously, Joseph wasn’t thrilled about the demotion.

“You’re a competitor,” he said. “Everybody competes here. But you can’t be selfish — like it’s me vs. him. We’re all on the same page. We’re all about winning, and that’s our goal.”

Given Robinson’s lofty draft status and physical attributes, it was only a matter of time before Robinson took over.

“He’s a great player,” Joseph said. “He’s gonna be here for a very, very long time. With him in the lineup we’re definitely gonna be a better team.”

As frustrating as it was watching from the sideline for four games, Robinson now realizes he’s a better player for it.

“I tried my best not to get discouraged and just keep my head up and try to work hard every day,” he said. “I learned a lot from Davin and a lot of guys that I was sitting back watching. They helped me along with it, and I don’t really regret anything the coaches did. I think they helped me out more than it hurt me.

“Week 1, even though I wanted to play as bad as I wanted to, I really wasn’t ready. So I think this whole process was set up to be what it is now, and I think it has paid off.”

The Rams face NFC West foe Seattle on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.