http://www.ocregister.com/articles/goff-731988-rams-every.html

INJURY REPORT

Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams are getting healthier, even if the on-field activity didn’t reflect it.

Starting defensive linemen Michael Brockers (hip), William Hayes (ankle) and Robert Quinn (shoulder) all missed practice, as did cornerback Trumaine Johnson (ankle) and guard Cody Wichmann (ankle).

The defensive linemen all missed Sunday’s game against Buffalo, but Fisher said Brockers had been close to playing. Johnson is not likely to play against Detroit, while the status of the other injured players probably won’t be determined until Friday.

Cornerback Dwayne Gratz, signed by the Rams on Tuesday, participated in his first practice. Defensive lineman Morgan Fox, waived to make room for Gratz, will be added to the Rams’ practice squad.

Rams Notes: One way or another, Tavon Austin getting the ball

RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/austin-731846-rams-yards.html

THOUSAND OAKS – In search of ways to get the ball in the hands into receiver Tavon Austin, the Rams have taken the direct approach: They’re handing it to him.

Austin, typically the Rams’ big-play passing threat, often has been stifled this season, but the Rams turned creative Sunday against Buffalo and twice lined up Austin in the backfield. He gained 17 yards on two carries, and later picked up nine yards on a fly sweep.

“You’ve just go to move him around,” Coach Jeff Fisher said after Tuesday’s practice at Cal Lutheran. “They know where he’s at. You watch defenses against us, and they’re pointing across the field (at Austin) to alert.”

There’s a fine line between incorporating a player such as Austin into the offense but not force-feeding him, and the Rams have tip-toed that line this season. Austin is tied for the team lead with 23 receptions (for 218 yards), but his average of 9.5 yards per reception ranks fourth among the Rams’ top four targets.

Opposing defenses have clamped down on Austin, and it started early. In the season opener against San Francisco, the Rams targeted Austin on 13 passes but he caught only four for 13 yards.

Two weeks ago at Arizona, the Rams won but Austin had only six targets and two receptions for 14 yards. So against the Bills, the Rams mixed up things.

Austin caught passes on three of the Rams’ first five plays, and on the seventh play, he shifted into the backfield, into a I formation behind fullback Cory Harkey, and rushed for eight yards. In the second quarter, Austin lined up as the Rams’ single man in the backfield and ran for eight yards.

Austin nearly got to the end zone on that run, but his dive for the corner pylon came up short, so Austin remains stuck on one (receiving) touchdown for the season, which he recorded at Tampa Bay.

“I love to be in that end zone,” Austin said. “I’m just struggling a little bit. I keep getting right there but I just haven’t busted through. It’s all good. The time will come eventually.”

Being in the backfield is nothing new for Austin, who was a running back throughout youth football and until his freshman year at West Virginia in 2009. Austin ran for more than 2,000 yards as a high school senior in Maryland.

“That’s something I’ve done my whole life,” Austin said. “That’s still my first position. It’s all about whatever the coaches need. Running back is still in my heart.”

MAKING MOVES

Starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who hurt his ankle Sunday, is considered “week to week,” Fisher said Tuesday, a few hours after the Rams claimed cornerback Dwayne Gratz off waivers from Jacksonville.

Gratz, a third-round pick in 2013, played in the Jaguars’ first three games this season but was inactive in their last game. Gratz has never started an NFL game but played 12 games last season on defense and on special teams. He played collegiately at Connecticut and is listed at 5-foot-11, 199 pounds.

Gratz gives the Rams a bit of depth at cornerback and makes up for the loss of Coty Sensabaugh, whom the Rams cut last week (Sensabaugh signed with the New York Giants on Tuesday). Besides Johnson, the Rams’ only cornerbacks are E.J. Gaines, Troy Hill, Lamarcus Joyner and Marqui Christian.

To make room for Gratz, the Rams put defensive lineman Morgan Fox on waivers. Fox made the Rams’ practice squad coming out of training camp and was promoted to the main roster last week.

The Rams do not issue an injury report on Tuesday, but Fisher previously said he hoped injured defensive linemen Michael Brockers, William Hayes and Robert Quinn could return to the practice field.

Bills RB McCoy, DL Dareus both hurt in practice

http://www.theredzone.org/BlogDescription/tabid/61/EntryId/59112/Bills-RB-McCoy–DL-Dareus-both-hurt-in-practice/Default.aspx

Buffalo Bills star running back LeSean McCoy and defensive lineman Marcell Dareus both suffered injuries in practice Friday and have been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports.

McCoy injured his hand in practice while Dareus, who is returning from a four-game suspension, injured his hamstring.

Bills coach Rex Ryan declined to elaborate on either injury, simply smiling and replying “questionable” when asked whether McCoy would play Sunday.

McCoy, however, said during an interview later Friday with ESPN’s SportsCenter that he jammed his hand but vowed that he “won’t miss the game.” McCoy also described the injury as “something small” and said, “I’ll be fine.”

Dareus remains on the exempt list, meaning the Bills have until 4 p.m. ET Saturday to activate him to their 53-man roster if they want him to play against the Rams. Otherwise, Buffalo has until Monday afternoon to clear a roster spot for Dareus.

“We’ll see how it is,” Ryan said of Dareus’ injury. “We’ll find out later how he responds.”

Injuries.

Quinn (shoulder), Hayes (ankle), Britt (Thigh), and Davis (Groin) did not practice.

Brockers (hip) was limited.

http://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,503730,503730#msg-503730

Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt active for Rams

Josh Alper

Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt active for Rams

The Rams listed both of their leading receivers as questionable to play against the Cardinals this Sunday, but both will be in the lineup.

Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt are both in the lineup for the Rams this afternoon. Austin was limited by a shoulder injury at practice during the week and Britt made a Friday appearance on the injury report with a thigh issue that kept him from full participation.

Austin and Britt each had 14 catches on the season. Britt has 199 yards to Austin’s 145, but Austin has a touchdown and 30 rushing yards in his column.

Defensive end William Hayes was listed as doubtful due to an ankle injury and he is inactive. Wide receiver Pharoh Cooper, quarterback Sean Mannion, cornerback Coty Sensabaugh, offensive lineman Jamon Brown, tackle Pace Murphy and wide receiver Nelson Spruce are also inactive.

Punter Drew Butler and defensive tackle Frostee Rucker were ruled out by the Cardinals on Friday. They’re joined on the inactive list by defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, cornerback Brandon Williams, guard Cole Toner, defensive tackle Olsen Pierre and defensive tackle Xavier Williams.

Pharoh Cooper, Nelson Spruce ready to return for Rams

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/30989/pharoh-cooper-nelson-spruce-ready-to-return-for-rams

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.”

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/keenum-730481-rams-yards.html

INJURY REPORT

Defensive end William Hayes, who suffered an ankle injury early in the Tampa Bay game but attempted to play through it, did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. Cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (toe) and defensive tackle Dominique Easley (illness) also didn’t practice.

Receiver Tavon Austin (shoulder) was listed as limited. Receivers Pharoh Cooper (shoulder) and Nelson Spruce (knee) and cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh) were full participants.

Practice Report 9/28: Offense Striving for Improvement, Consistency

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-928-Offense-Striving-for-Improvement-Consistency/6f7bb905-0787-469f-a40a-e2de02e6e740

Los Angeles’ offense took some steps forward during Sunday’s 37-32 victory over the Buccaneers. The unit broke the ice by getting its first touchdown, then scored three more over the course of the game in Tampa Bay.

“It was another step. I think it was a step in the right direction,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said on Tuesday. “There’s a lot of positives that we’re going to try to build on. And just like any time you play a game, there’s a lot of things there that were mistakes or things that we left out there that we know we can do better. It was, again, a step, probably a bigger step than it was the week before and we’re going to continue to get better.”

Wide receiver Brian Quick was the first to cross the goal line on a 44-yard reception from quarterback Case Keenum. The long ball was a result of good preparation for the coverage Los Angeles received in the situation.

“I saw the coverage — we practiced it so I was just alert, which I am every play,” Quick said Wednesday. “I know [Kenum] saw the coverage — that’s all it was. He’s going to give me a chance to make the play regardless. He made a hell of a throw. We made a great play.”

For Keenum, scoring the Rams’ first touchdown on a long ball like that wasn’t everything, but it also wasn’t nothing.

“Anytime you score touchdowns, I tend to get pretty juiced up — especially when you throw them,” Keenum said. “On a third-down conversion to have my guy Quick make a big play down the field — it felt really good.”

The same goes for adding more touchdowns as the game went on.

“It’s a step. I think each week is. We’re trying to get better. I think for us, it’s not something that we dwell on, not scoring touchdowns,” Keenum added. “That’s something we came here to do, and we’re all used to doing, everybody in that meeting room, we’re used to scoring touchdowns. It felt normal, felt right, felt good.”

L.A. was also able to accomplish more on the ground with running back Todd Gurley. He gained 85 yards on 27 carries, but the way he was able to gain chunks in certain situations helped set up multiple play-action passes for the offense.

As head coach Jeff Fisher said in his press conference on Monday, Boras noted just how impressive Gurley’s 15-yard run in the red zone was on Saturday.

“That one run he had down in the low red zone that he took from the 16 down to the one was about as good of a 15-yard run as I think you’re ever going to see,” Boras said. “I think, again, as effective as he was, it’s going to continue to get better for us.”

Plus, Gurley was able to get two touchdowns on one-yard runs, which is important to do that deep in opponent territory.

“Getting down to the red zone — even with negative plays, you know, we overcame those things,” Keenum said. “Got in goal-line situations, and let ‘30’ do what ‘30’ does.”

Still, the offense knows there is much work to be done. Right tackle Rob Havenstein said the Rams have to do a better job at getting the run game going earlier in games.

“We want to get them at least a little crease early, because with those guys back there, they’re going to take a little crease and make it into a big crease,” Havenstein said, adding the Rams must improve “staying on your guys, making sure you’re on the right assignment, using the right technique, and just not letting guys fall off.”

Wide receiver Kenny Britt pointed out his own fumble as the kind of turnover that must be eliminated. But with the chemistry the club has built on offense, players have shown resiliency and an ability to still make plays.

“We came back and Case believed in me and I caught a couple,” Britt said. “And regardless of what happens out on the field, we know we can overcome it.”

That’s part of what is encouraging about the team at this point. There have been mistakes, the offense has not yet fired on all cylinders, but Los Angeles is still carrying a 2-1 record into Week 4.

“You can tell guys are getting excited about the offense. It took a while for us to get it going in the first two weeks, and you can see it all coming together and what we can really be like,” Britt said. “We still made mistakes out there — it wasn’t a perfect game — [but] we put up points.

“Now, if we go out there and have a perfect game,” Britt added, “imagine what we could do.”

SCORE ONE FOR QUICK

Wide receiver Brian Quick went through an intense rehab process to come back from his season-ending shoulder injury in 2014. Working extensively with Rams physical therapist/assistant athletic trainer Byron Cunningham, Quick was able to get on the field in 2015 and see some game action.

But Sunday’s first touchdown was not only the first for the 2016 L.A. Rams, it was also Quick’s first since Week 5 of the 2014 season.

Quick said he didn’t take too much time to reflect on that, but it was meaningful for both him and Cunningham.

“It kind of went through my mind after the play with Byron,” Quick said, adding that the rehab process gave the pair a bond. “I told him I was going to give him the ball when I scored.”

“It meant a lot to me,” Quick continued. “He has it right now and he feels special right now.”

INJURY REPORT

The Rams have six players listed for their Wednesday injury report, adn there is some good news for potential returning players on it.

First, though, defensive tackle Dominique Easley (illness), defensive end William Hayes (ankle), and defensive back Lamarcus Joyner (toe) all did not particiapte.

Wide receiver Tavon Austin (shoulder) was limited.

And wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), and wide receiver Nelson Spruce (knee) were all full participants.

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher September 21, 2016

(Opening remarks)
“It was a good today. Today is a significant day in a game plan week because we get a lot in and we did. It was really good that we got some players back. It was good to see ‘Nels’ (WR Nelson Spruce) run around a little bit, the same with ‘Coop’ (WR Pharoh Cooper). We had some guys who were banged up a little bit from the game who were able to practice. We had a few guys limited on the injury report, but that was it. We’re in good shape, so they’ll take advantage of tomorrow’s day off and come in on their own, study, and then we’ll finish up strong Friday morning and be on our way.

“A great challenge, a good football team. The more you look at them, the more impressed you are with them – especially up front. We kind of mirror each other, from strengths up front – O-line, D-line, things like that, playmakers. Unfortunately, they’ll be without their running back, but the way they ran the ball against us last year, it really didn’t matter which running back was playing. We have to play good run defense.”

(On if traveling three time zones affects the team’s approach)
“Yeah, we addressed it yesterday. We’ll address it each day. Unfortunately, we get in there late, but we’ll let them sleep and let them adjust. That’s the most important thing – is the sleep and adjust and a little bit of exercise on Saturday.”

(On if the 4 PM Eastern Time start changed anything for them)
“No. That would be 1:00 our time, right? That one’s a little easier than the 10:00 AM, the central time – noon central, 10:00 our time. It doesn’t really affect it. We have to deal with the elements, as well. It will be 90 degrees, it’s going to be humid, so we have got to address that.”

(On if having Spruce and Cooper back opens up the offense)
“Yeah, it gives us a chance to create some other match-ups, different match-ups than we’ve been creating. We’ll see, we’ll have a better idea later in the week.”

(On if LB/S Mark Barron has changed since the team first acquired him)
“In our defense, we’ve traditionally had the ‘box’ safety – we’ve had the free safety and sometimes the down safety. We felt like Mark was better suited for that than what they asked him to do there. Although, I thought he played really well in Tampa while he was there. He was surprised about the move. We’ve kind of morphed into more of a down-safety/linebacker position. He can still do the things in space, if you need, but he’s so talented and so instinctive around the line of scrimmage that, just let him play.”

(On if the safety position has changed since he played)
“It depends on the system. Tampa, under (Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator) Mike Smith’s system, now the safeties are a little more conventional safeties where they’re playing quarters or halves, playing more in space than the down guys. But they have a designated down guy. It has changed, just because the offenses are just so much more wide open now.”

(On the problems Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston can present)
“It’s the vision, the quick release, the accuracy. He’s got big targets, he uses the heights of his targets. He runs the play-action game really well, you can’t find anything there. And then, if he gets a shot or gets a chance, he’ll pull it down and run it. He’s not a Russell Wilson, but he’s not somebody that you don’t worry about pulling the ball down, because he can extend drives with his legs. We didn’t sack him last year as a rookie, and that says a lot. We put a lot of pressure on him, hit him a bunch, but he kept bouncing right back and put the ball down the field. I thought he played really well against us last year.”

(On what percentage of players come in on their days off and what they can learn on those days)
“With the Thursday program that we’ve been on now for a year, maybe 100 percent of them. But they’re on their own, they’re going to come in and take care of themselves – massage and stretch and recover. And they usually get together as position groups and just continue to study.”

(On if he agrees with offensive coordinator Rob Boras that QB Jared Goff is making big strides, especially in the classroom)
“That’s a collective feeling, we feel good about where he’s at.”

(On how he makes sure the team stays united with the defense performing well and the offense having not scored a touchdown)
“It’s very easily put to the team from the standpoint of the defense is going to need the offense at some point. They’re going to need the offense to score points. You just kind of reflect back to Sunday’s game, this was a three-phase win, we won together. Sometimes special teams will have a mishap, most of the time we’re making the big play to help contribute, but it’s not hard with the personalities that you have. I told them this morning, I was running around the building with the move and everything, looking for some things that I hadn’t been able to find yet for my office. I found a box and I showed it to them – it was full of touchdowns. So we watched some touchdowns today. The defense got a kick out of it.”

(On keeping things light)
“It has to be fun, this business has to be fun. Tough losses, you have to get them behind you and you have to have fun or you can’t bounce back. As long as they’re doing the work and focused and executing and doing the things we ask them, it’s okay to have some fun here and there.”

(On if that particular issue was to take the pressure off and not press so much)
“That’s what it was, yeah. It happened to be against Tampa Bay last year, too.”

(On what he thought of the throwback uniforms on Sunday)
“All around the league, at this time of the year, the early games, the home teams elect to wear, during day games, they elect to wear the lighter uniforms because they’re not quite as hot or warm. We had to take advantage of the home opener and the throwbacks. It was a little additional challenge, but it didn’t affect us. The guys loved them, they love that. Hopefully we’ll break them out again sometime.”

(On if he liked the way they looked)
“Oh yeah. I like them better than the uniforms that we wore in the Thursday Night against Tampa.”

(On the uniforms the team wore against Tampa Bay last year)
“The hard part is you couldn’t tell jersey numbers of your opponent. They’re substituting on and off the field and you couldn’t see the numbers, couldn’t tell who was coming on and off the field. We won’t have any trouble with that.”

***

Rams Offensive Coordinator Rob Boras –September 21, 2016

(On his thoughts regarding the offense in Week 2)
“It was a step in the right direction. Obviously, it’s just a step. We need to take bigger strides. The thing we challenged everybody with is making some plays down the field, and I think you saw a combination of (QB) Case (Keenum) and (TE) Lance (Kendricks), and Case and (WR) Kenny (Britt). It’s hard to drive and score points four yards at a time, and the fact that we pushed the ball down the field, I thought was a good thing. Even if it was defensive pass interference, we’re gaining chunks of yards. You see the run-game starting to come. Obviously, that’s a hard defense to run against…personnel, and then also their scheme. But, you see it’s right on the verge. There were a couple ones…(Running back) Todd (Gurley) had 11, 12, (yard runs) that are potential explosives coming up right there. Again, it was a step in the right direction. We know we need to take some bigger strides, but we’re going to focus on the positives.”

(On how concerned he is that the offense hasn’t scored a touchdown)

“Well it’s concerning, that’s our job, so I’d be ignorant to say otherwise. Again, we see it; the guys are going to trust the process that we’re going. Obviously, the more plays that we have, that means converting on third down and, in the first game, eliminating turnovers. The more plays that we have, the more opportunities we’re going to have to score points. This week is a new challenge with Tampa Bay and the guys have accepted it, they recognize that we’ve fallen short. We’re going to see what happens.”

(On if the team throwing on running downs early on Sunday was because of how the defense was lining up)

“Obviously you want to start fast. Our opening series, we went down and got points – I understand it was only a field goal and we wanted a touchdown. But after what we had done the week before, starting that game with a field goal was good for us, was good for everybody’s mentality and for them to understand that we can go there and go toe-to-toe with them. Whether it was run or pass, obviously we’re going to try to take advantage of what they have and we’re going to try to break tendencies. But at the end of the day, we’re wanted our quarterback to start fast and we were determined to get the ball to some guys early and that’s what happened. It’s not away from the running game – again, we can start the game with four run eventually, but that was just what we decided to do that game. Again, we finished with points, which is always a good thing on that opening drive.”

(On whether he takes the experience of scoring no touchdowns in the opening two weeks personally)
“We all take it personal – players and coaches. We understand that’s our responsibility – that’s why we’re here, that’s why we came back. Today’s Wednesday, that was probably one of the better Wednesday practices I’ve been around. Guys were in full pads, they worked hard, we were in and out – I thought we were efficient in practice. We understand the challenges and we all accept that responsibility and we’re ready to move forward with it.

(On not being able to get RB Todd Gurley unleashed yet)
“It’s a combination, right, it’s the ultimate team game, it takes 11 guys to protect the quarterback, it takes 11 guys to be able to run the football. It’s just like anything, when things aren’t going well in business or in football, it’s not always the same guy. It’s one guy has a break down here, one guy might have a break down there. When we’re going to hit on 11 cylinders, which we’ve done in the past and we’re going to continue to do, you’ll see the success that we’re going to have.”

(On what QB Case Keenum has to do to take the next step)
“I thought it was a really good step for him. Again, the ability to push the ball down the field, our completion percentage will get higher – there were some that we all saw – probably three or four others that we complete right there and we love our completion percentage. It’s for all of us, not just the quarterback, not just Todd, just for all of us coaches and players, just keep going in that direction and keep working. Again, I thought it was a very positive step for Case . He started against that team twice, which is a really good defense and he’s got to victories. Again, it’s a team game and we recognize how good our special teams and defense played. That’s why it takes all three phases.”

(On the benefits of having WR Nelson Spruce and WR Pharoh Cooper coming back from injury)
“Obviously those are two young guys that were having a bunch of success through training camp and the preseason while they were able to play. It’s just adding two more weapons to the offense. It’s going to take them awhile to get their legs underneath them. But I think those are two guys that both through college and then the limited exposure that we’ve had with them can produce for us. The more weapons you have, now instead of having a four wide receiver rotation, you get maybe some fresher legs and some other guys playing. It’s exciting to see those guys back out there.”

(On how to judge whether QB Jared Goff is getting better when he is not playing in games)
“Again, you have to trust your eyes with what you see out here. He’s getting the scout team reps, he’s getting reps with the offense. Again, it’s as much the classroom as it is out here on the field. Again, through your experience of coaching and just being around football, you have to trust what you’re seeing and how fast his feet are moving and his brain is processing information. We all recognize that it isn’t game reps and game speed, but these are still reps against a really good defense that he’s practicing against – you just have to trust it that way.

(On whether he’s seeing that progression in Goff)
“Yes. It’s definitely going in the right direction – without a doubt. He’s accepting everything, he’s going the right way. It’s fun to see the maturation process right there.

(On the Buccaneers defense under defensive Coordinator Mike Smith)
“Obviously, it’s a new coordinator that hasn’t coordinated for a while. He was out of football last year, and then the Head Coach of Atlanta. Going back to Baltimore, he was running the defense. Again, it’s very sound. He’s going to put his players in good position. They’re a talented group on defense. I’ve always thought the world of Coach Smith and what he does. The two regular season games, you see it there with what they’ve done and then those four preseason. There is obviously a lot of wrinkles that he still has that he hasn’t shown yet – that’s part of why we just have to believe in what we’re doing – our rules and our process.”

(On how important WR Kenny Britt is to stretching the field on offense)
“Kenny’s one of many guys that we’d like to keep stretching the field with Kenny has played really well the first two games. I think Kenny’s game has elevated and it’s just like anything, when your quarterback, whom ever that is, starts to have confidence in a player he’s going to continually look that way. When the quarterback has looked in Kenny’s direction, he’s produced for us and he’s created separation and made even contested catches. That’s why he’s having success right now. Obviously it’s exciting to see the direction that he’s going – just the relationship that he and Case have created or built over these first two games and hopefully it continues to go in that direction.”

(On how Britt has elevated his game this year)
“He’s playing fast, he’s being decisive. I think his technique and everything is really good at the top of the route. Ultimately, it’s just competing every play – you see that in practice, as well as what’s happening on either Monday or Sunday nights.

(On getting the ball in RB Todd Gurley’s hands)
“Todd’s a special player. Obviously, it’s easy to turn around and hand him the ball – those are easy. But there’s other times we’re trying to get him the ball in space in the pass game. But he’s such a creative playmaker that any time we can get him the ball in space, it’s good things for the Rams. We’re going to take what the defense gives us, but obviously we need to get him as many touches as we can.”

***

Rams QB Case Keenum – September 21, 2016

(On the transition from Week 1 and Week 2)
“Obviously, I think we moved the ball a lot better, really, in key situations when we needed to move the ball. We didn’t punch it in, at times, but we flipped the field. We had them starting inside the 20 (-yard line) quite a bit. Obviously, it helps when you have an All-Pro punter, like Johnny (Hekker). But, we gave him a shot to do that. It was some situational stuff we did well, and did enough. That’s the name of the ballgame sometimes.”

(On the team’s need to do to score touchdowns)
“Negative plays in the red zone, whether its penalties, negative runs, sacks, those are all really big mistakes that you can’t make. You have to have a really good play to make up for those. We’ve got to get better at that, we got to get better at red zone, explosive plays, and then stringing together those plays. We had some good plays, but we couldn’t string enough together to put a drive in the end zone.”

(On how does the Buccaneers head coaching change alter the team’s preparation or game plan)
“They’re the same, but different. They’ve got some of the same players, but have made some additions on defense, secondary wise, a couple of guys up-front. Obviously, a different scheme, so we got our work cut out for us in that aspect. A little bit different than, say, watching the film last year. Personnel, you can watch the film from last year. But really, you got to focus on them this year, because they have a new defensive coordinator with Coach (Mike) Smith there. A little different too, is he hasn’t been a defensive coordinator for a while too. Preparation wise, we got to do a good job.”

(On if he bears the burden of the team not scoring a touchdown)
“I wouldn’t say it’s a burden. The burden for me is winning, and if you were to tell me right now that we’re not going to score another touchdown, but we’ll win every game, I’d be ok with that. I like throwing touchdowns, I like touchdowns, I love winning. I think that’s quite a bit more important, but I believe we’ve got to score touchdown to win in this league. They kind of go hand-in-hand, most of the time. Our defense did a great job last week. Moving forward, we really do…we need to execute on third downs, and in the red zone…crucial areas. I think giving guys chances; they’re a couple of passes that I’d like back, where guys are going to have a chance to score. The one to (WR) Kenny (Britt) there, when (Seahawks CB Richard) Sherman is guarding him, I got to give him a chance. He did a great job winning; throwing it off my back foot. But, I got to give him a chance to make that play.”

(On what he likes about WR Kenny Britt)
“He’s got a great mindset during the week. He’s working during the week, and it shows up on Sundays. It’s been really cool to see. I’ve been around Kenny now two-and-a-half seasons, kind of. To really see him turn it on, from this offseason, from us throwing during the summertime, to him getting back healthy, to being the dominant player that I know he can be, it’s been fun to watch.”

(On if the time he’s spent with WR Kenny Britt in the offseason is starting to pay off for him)
“Yeah, and I hope it continues to grow that way, too. I think that he’s a guy that is one that continues to show up on film, getting open. As a quarterback, you tend to look towards those guys a little bit more. I think we’re gaining chemistry. It’s like I’ve said all along, the more you do this, the more you see, the more I can watch those guys getting out of breaks, and that non-verbal communication, where I see what he’s doing with his body, and I can know this is where the ball needs to go before he gets there.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – September 20, 2016

(Opening remarks)

“We got our start. We got our start late yesterday on the Bucs. I thought today went really well. This is our first normal week – we had a long week, then we had a short week, so this is our first normal week. Typically what we do on Tuesdays is all about installing basic concepts and emphasizing rest and recovery and all of those things – we had a good day inside, good day outside. We’ll come back tomorrow and we’ll have a solid normal practice tomorrow. Pleased with the way they are right now. We got a great challenge. This is a good football team. (Buccaneers QB) Jameis (Winston) is playing really well. I know they’re disappointed with what happened to them in Arizona. But, their game against Atlanta was extraordinary on all three phases. It’s unusual to play a non-division team, four, five years in a row. There’s some familiarity there from a player match-up. We just have to have a good week.”

(On how surprised he was that DB Lamarcus Joyner was able to play on Sunday with a broken toe and how he thought Joyner played)

“He played really well. He’ll be a little bit limited, I think, this week. But it was nothing that was going to keep him from playing. You can kind of get an appreciation for his commitment to this game and his teammates – playing through that is not easy.”

(On if he thinks Joyner’s toughness is unique)

“It was rare, that’s why we drafted him. We watched him for a couple years there at Florida State and he’s one of those guys – he shows it every day.”

(On how he would assess the play of the secondary through the first two games)

“They’ve been battling. They’re tackling well. The safety-play has been solid. ‘Tru’ (CB Trumaine Johnson) has played well. We’ve played five or six DBs or three safeties and three corners, we’ve played a lot of DBs. I thought, specifically last weekend against Seattle, I thought they played, they tackled well, all of them were contact players in the game.”

(On if LB Alec Ogletree has excelled at the middle linebacker position quicker than he imagined)

“He’s taken it further, sooner than we expected, if that makes sense. Really happy with what he’s doing. He’s got a great feel for it, he gets people lined up – (defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams) puts a lot of stuff on him – he makes the adjustments and he goes. With each week, each passing week, he’s going to be more decisive and you’ll see more plays out of him.”

(On when he knew DE Robert Quinn was back to how he played before his injury)

“When we got to camp. We were going to hold him back off the conditioning test the first day of camp when the vets reported, but he wanted to do it. When I saw him do the conditioning test, he made significant strides from the OTAs before camp. He’s back. His weight is great, his strength is good, no issues.”

(On how beating the Buccaneers three times in a row effects the team’s confidence level)

“It’s kind of the same approach we took with Seattle. We had success against Seattle, but there’s no guarantee you’re going to have success again, you have to get stuff done on the practice field. They’re a much better team. The last couple of years, they’ve had some significant injuries, they were missing people in our game against them late last year – although we were as well, we were without (S) T.J. (McDonald) and ‘Tree’ (Ogletree) and Rob (Quinn) on the defensive (side). Both teams are healthy right now, at least defensively, I know they’re dealing with some offensively. They’ve done a good job building that team. The quarterback is playing well.”

(On the differences he’s noticed with Tampa Bay’s new coaching staff)

“Well (defensive coordinator) Mike Smith, whenever he’s coached defense, wherever he’s coached it, he does a great job. The defensive side of the ball is very disciplined, they can rush, the linebackers are really good, they can close – they’re sideline-to-sideline players. The schemes are a little bit different, but they’re doing well in the scheme right now. And offensively, they’re very creative. We saw that last year with Jameis – he was frustrated and we got ahead and you could see, just the passion that he had at the position, the control he had over the offense. Now, you add another year with (Buccaneers Head Coach) Dirk (Koetter), he’s only going to get better and better.”

(On if WR Nelson Spruce, WR Pharoh Cooper and CB E.J. Gaines are closing in to being ready to play in the game after practicing today)

“Yeah, we’re going to see. Tomorrow is a full-speed day – today was not – and we’ll see how they respond tomorrow. And then we’ll watch them on Friday and see. We’ll have an injury report for you at some point tomorrow.”

(On if Jameis Winston poses any particular challenge that Blaine Gabbert or Russell Wilson didn’t)

“Yeah, he can push the ball down the field and he’s got outstanding weapons outside, so that’s a concern. He sees well, if he needs to pull it down and run, he can, he can extend plays. He’s made some great throws. In our game last year, he just missed a few. And one can only imagine had he hit them. We can’t afford to give him those opportunities. He’s going to be one of the top quarterbacks in this business for a long time.”

(On how the team has done from a run-blocking standpoint and if there is anything more the offensive line can be doing)

“We have to get better. I thought we improved, against Seattle – even though the numbers don’t reflect it – we were really close on a number of carries. With (RB) Todd (Gurley), he ran hard and hit the hole quick. When there’s an extra guy, an unblocked guy, it’s hard. That’s the nature of the run game. You have to be able to line up and say ‘Hey, whether there’s one or two extra guys, we’re going to line up and run it.’ That’s what we’re committed to.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – September 16, 2016

(On the short week)

“Yeah, they go by so fast. The players bounce back and like I said, the coaches – we’re caught up, which is good. They’ll get some rest tonight, and we’ll be good to go tomorrow. These weeks go by very fast, when you’re on a short week, especially on the road. I can only imagine what San Francisco is going through because they have to go to Carolina (Panthers). Challenges all around, you know, but you have to accept them on Sundays.”

(On the Rams pass-rush and Seattle’s ability to rush the passer)

“We’ve had success in the past putting pressure on them. We’ll just have to adjust things depending on their plan – that’s what we usually do. But they can really rush. They’re really good especially, you know, they come from all over the place, they win one-on-ones, they’re great at executing pass-rush games – they can really put pressure on you. Then, when they put pressure on you, they affect the coverage down the field and there’s no place to throw the football. From the starting point, running the football with success is always helpful.”

(On whether QB Jared Goff will be activated for Sunday’s game)

“Yeah – I’ve made my mind up. I’ve made my mind up. He’s two – he’s going to be two.”

(On what went into the decision to activate Goff)

“I talked to you guys weeks ago about potentially alternating it. We’re going to do it that way and we’ll see how it goes next week. He’s really excited about it. He’s going to be two and he’s ready to play. He’s got some reps throughout the week, good for him. It’s exciting for him, just knowing that he’s a snap away from going into the game – he was here until the wee hours last night preparing, as he should.

(On whether he intends to alternate the backup Quarterback spot between QB Sean Mannion and Goff)

“There is a chance I will do that – don’t know right now. We’ll see how this goes. ”

(On the Rams running backs going into Sunday’s game)

“(RB) Todd’s (Gurley) going to go, and (RB) Benny’s (Cunningham) going to spell him, and if we need to call on (RB) Malcolm (Brown) we will. But I’m happy with where the running backs are.”

(On how tough it will be to keep the Seahawks from loading up the box on Sunday)

“We’re going to have to take our shots. You saw last night, both teams took shots – you make a couple of plays down the field, it changes things. But, we always subscribe to the philosophy that even if it’s loaded, we still have to find a way to get it done, especially at the end of the game.”

***

Rams Offensive Coordinator Rob Boras – September 16, 2016

(On what happened in the game on Monday night from an offensive standpoint)

“Didn’t play up to our standard, didn’t coach to our standard, didn’t see it coming. I think, across the board, coaches (and) players would say that we thought we had a great week of preparation and then obviously just didn’t live up to our standard, playing-wise, coaching. I talked last week about being resilient and we’re not going to let that define us. Obviously, we have to see if we’re as resilient as we think we are, moving forward. But Coach (Fisher) talks about that 22-or-24-hour rule and we try to put that behind us as fast as we can and move on.”

(On how tough it is to get RB Todd Gurley into a situation where he might be able to break a couple of big plays, when a defense flows as well as Seattle’s does)

“That’s tough, they’re really good at what they do and they’re not real complicated and that’s why these battles that we’ve had over the last four years have been so fun – because we do what we do, and they do what they do and we’re going to find out who does it better. It’s hard in the run game. Their gap integrity, they’re athletic, they have playmakers up front and we try to get some misdirection and try to find a way to get Todd loose to try to create one of those explosives. But they’re as good as anybody at making that difficult.”

(On how he would evaluate how did in the game on Monday)

“Like I said for everybody across the board – playing and coaching – it just wasn’t good enough, it wasn’t up to our standards. We all need to do better, starting, obviously with me at the coordinator position. But I think, to a man, everybody recognizes that we have a lot more in us.”

(On if he heard the 49ers players saying they knew what plays were coming based on the formations and if he came away from the tape thinking the same thing)

“I had not heard that and no, I did not have that same perception.”

(On what is going to have to happen for WR Tavon Austin to become more productive)

“Well I think it goes with anything with the pass game – it’s timing and rhythm and just building that confidence between the quarterback and the receiver. And it’s not just Tavon, it’s across the board – it’s (WRs) Kenny (Britt), it’s Bradley (Marquez), it’s Brian (Quick), it’s (TEs) Lance (Kendricks), it’s Tyler (Higbee). That’s part of, when you protect your guys in the preseason and so forth, but that’s why we get so many reps at practice – it’s just trying to build that consistency and that trust between the quarterback and receiver.”

(On what stood out to him about QB Case Keenum in last week’s game)

“He did some good things – just like Coach (Fisher) has said, there were some good things there. And, obviously, everybody is focusing on the negative and I understand why, I’m not ignorant that way. I think he’s described it, and what he told me (is) he thinks he overthought things. I don’t want to speak for him, that’s not my job, to speak for Case. As an offense, we need to trust him and we need to trust what we see, not overthink it, trust our coaching, trust our vision, trust our instincts and play.”

(On if Keenum is a player who overthinks things)

“No. He analyzes like a lot of quarterbacks do through the study process. So, no, I wouldn’t say that’s been the norm.”

(On what particular challenges Seattle presents with the way they use S Kam Chancellor)

“Again, they’re sound with what they do and Kam is a special player. For the most part, you know where he’s going to be, it’s just he’s a safety that plays at the linebacker-type position quite a bit, so he’s in the box, but then you’ll see him in the back. They do a really good job moving him around. He’s a special talent, and since I’ve been here, you’ve seen him make plays every year.”

(On if Seattle is the toughest team to throw deep against because of their secondary)

“I don’t know if I could say they’re the toughest, but they’d be up there. Right now, obviously, they’re in our focus – I would say yes – but I’m sure there are some others out there, I don’t want to take away from anybody else. They’re a talented group and it’s going to be a challenge and we’re looking forward to that.”

(On the offensive players seeming to be very anxious to get to Sunday for a number of reasons)

“It can be a blessing in disguise – the short week. As hard as it is, both on the players and the coaches, to turn around, sometimes when you have a short week, you don’t have that extra day off like the players do where you’re reading or hearing all the negative things, that you have got to move forward. I think we’re all anxious, maybe not just offensively, but I think, hopefully, collectively as a team we’re excited to go out there and anxious to go out there and show what we’re about.”

(On how he helps QB Jared Goff keep his confidence up after being inactive in the first game)

“I think it starts in the classroom, just as it does for everybody. It starts in the classroom; he’s getting his reps – both, a little bit with the offense as well as with our scout teams. And it’s through the preparation, it’s learning how to prepare as if you’re the player. And that’s the challenge to everybody when they’re a backup in that position – they’re always one snap away. It’s hard, when you’re 21 years old, to recognize that and he’s done a really, really good job through his preparation that he hasn’t relaxed or anything. He’s in there early and he’s staying there late with Case. That’s really good to see for us, just as a franchise, moving forward, just the way he prepares, because that’s what we challenge all of our guys with, regardless of position. But, obviously at that position even more.”

***

Rams Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams – September 16, 2016

(On what he’s seen on film that generates success against Seattle QB Russell Wilson)

“There’s a familiarity, obviously, when you play somebody twice a year. Our guys have their own scouting report on people that their playing against. And then schematically, we try to do the things that are good just versus Seattle, and we’ve played pretty well in those situations. We have a lot of respect. I have a lot of respect for (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Darrell) Bevell who runs that up there. I’ve followed him for a long time. He’s been brought up in all the great offensive staffs in the year. And what I’ve seen him do up there is that, similar to what we try to do, I see him fit the offense to the skill-set of the players there. You’ll see a new running back, but you see what they do with the receivers, and how they try to feature the receivers, and how they try to feature their offensive line. They do a good job of matching the skill-sets, schemes, to their players. Hopefully we can have some good recognition things, and make it a good ball game.”

(On what he saw on film that allowed San Francisco QB Blaine Gabbert to be successful)

“I would tell you this, is that we played very well. We played very strong in that ball game, defensively. There are some things, when you play zone coverage, when you want the ball to go certain places. We got to do a better job in the red zone. Wherever I’ve been, we’ve done a good job of making people kick field goals down there. We did a really good job of that last year, and we’ve been doing it all spring long, and then all preseason long. But, regular season is a different story. We’ve got to try to not have penalties to extend drives. Our guys played very, very solid in lots of different ways. The other thing we could’ve done a better job with, is we got our hands on three balls where it legitimately hit us in the hands, and those are three interceptions right there. Two of those three times that we dropped the ball, we could’ve put point on the board. We could have scored with those throws, because there was nobody between us and the goal line. Our guys understand that, and they’ll come back. They’ll bounce back very well. I was very pleased with how they came out and responded at half time.”

(On if he changes the game plan if Russell Wilson is not 100 percent healthy)

“Here’s what we do with that is, we’re assuming he’s fine, because I have a lot of respect. He’s one of the few offensive guys I wouldn’t mind playing on defense. He’s tough now, I will tell you this. He has a lot of great instincts of an athlete; things you can’t coach. So, we’re going to be assuming that he’s fine. As we’ve heard the injury reports all week long, he’s been practicing full, and been doing okay with that. But in the course of the game, we have to be able to adjust to whatever is going on. We’ll see on how it goes, but he’s very, very intelligent on how he goes about running the game, and it’s fun to see those quarterbacks. I’ve had an opportunity to coach against a lot of quarterbacks that are in the Hall of Fame, marquees guys, and I think Russell is one of them, is that “Bev” lets him have say. Hopefully, you guys have seen how I let (LB) Alec Ogletree have say, (LB) James Laurinaitis have say. Those kinds of people that play the positions, and you see them on the sideline, you see him giving his opinion of things. I’m sure all week long, as he’s practiced however he’s feeling, he’s involved in the game plan. I have tremendous respect for him for coming out and answering the bell after the injury anyway. That’s what tough guys are supposed to do.”

(On if it’s the same pass-rush challenge as last week)

“It’s always a tough challenge when a quarterback is mobile. We’re pretty good up there in doing that. We had a couple of…about three or four of them, that I wish we could’ve had back, and the extending of the down. But I will tell you this, when you say just like last week, no, because I think the best quarterback extending plays, is Russell Wilson. So, it’s even more urgent.”

(On if he was surprised he saw so many good things from the defense in Week 1, despite the outcome)

“The big thing was, is that you take a look at a couple of things. We had a couple of short fields where we’re really good on sudden change, whenever we have to come in after a takeaway, or a short field on special teams. We’ve been, wherever I’ve been, in the top ranked in the league every year, we make people kick field goals; we didn’t. One of those drives, we had a second-and-14, pass interference. We had a second-and-15, and all of a sudden, they throw the ball in there, and it extended the play. And that’s just not like us, on playing situational football. The guys grew from it. The thing that was very good for me to see is, before I ever got a chance to talk to them on the sideline, their talking to me. They know, they see, and that’s when you know you got good things going, is when they take ownership, and they understand before even you have a chance to correct them. On game day, I’m not going to add a lot of clutter to them, and I’m not going to add a lot of stress to them, unless there’s maybe a big-eyed lack of focus when I’ve got to snap them back into it. This is a really good group of guys. It’s a really good leadership group of guys. We’ve got to do our part, and keep them out of the end zone, and put more points, and shorten the field a little bit. Like I said, if we could’ve caught those three balls that his us right in the hands, we could’ve helped the offense a lot right there.”

(On what he saw on film regarding red zone situations)

“No. The plays are up there. They probably should’ve ran the ball more than they did, but that’s just (Head Coach) Chip (Kelly’s) nature, he doesn’t like to do that very much. We played 42 rushes in the ball game. Still, with a couple of those quarterback scrambles…don’t read my lips on the sideline, is that a couple of those scramble there are still less than three-and-a-half a carry. Our guys did really well against the run. Got to get off the field a little better on third down. We let a couple quarterback scrambles extend on third down, so I’m sure Russell saw that. We’re going to have to be ready to roll.”

(On how often they practice defending the quarterback scramble)

“A lot. It’s up there. We’ve practiced that an awful lot because of him. Because we have to make sure that we’re knowing what we’re doing against that opponent. Then schematically, we have some things too. Not only just technique in the rush plan, but schematically we have some things, too. Hopefully we’ll be able to get them called at the right times, the right places.”

Practice Report 9/14: Keenum, Offense Moving On to Seattle

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-914-Keenum-Offense-Moving-On-to-Seattle/4597d290-e5d1-4eaa-a1e6-d5c4db3e67ac

Before Monday night’s loss to the 49ers, quarterback Case Keenum had gone through a solid offseason program, preseason, and first week of practice. While that did not translate to a strong performance to open the year, Keenum is undeterred as he learns from the outing in preparation for the Seahawks on Sunday.

“I’ve just got to let the game come to me,” Keenum said Wednesday. “Take what the defense gives me. Trust my teammates — they do a great job. And get the ball out of my hands to the right place.”

According to the quarterback, one of his most significant issues was probably overthinking what he saw on the field instead of trusting his instincts and offensive rules.

“I over-thought a lot of things,” Keenum said. “I think that I was seeing ghosts — I was seeing things that weren’t there. I wasn’t trusting myself and my abilities.

“They gave us some different looks,” Keenum added. “For us, we’ve always said, ‘We trust our rules.’ So that’s why our coaches do a great job of preparing us to have rules that can fix anything in a game.”

Head coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday that this week, he’s looking for Keenum to capitalize when the offense has chances.

“Case made some plays and then missed some opportunities,” Fisher said. “But every game you watch, quarterbacks are missing opportunities. So we have to just make sure we take advantage of those opportunities when they’re there.”

Wide receiver Kenny Britt, who has shown strong chemistry with Keenum since the quarterback was inserted into the starting lineup last season, said he’s expecting the Houston product will be fine going forward.

“It’s only the first game,” Britt said. “You over-think stuff because you don’t want to miss stuff. You don’t want to see one thing and then it be the next thing. So I know things will calm down for him.”

One of the games where Keenum and Britt best displayed their strong chemistry came last year against the Seahawks in Week 16. In the Rams’ 23-17 victory, the duo connected on a 28-yard play-action pass for a diving touchdown — with Britt getting the best of cornerback Richard Sherman on the play.

“Go back to film from the last few years that helped us out, especially the plays that worked for us,” Britt said of what he’s looking at on film this week. “Capitalize on everything we see out there.”

One of the reasons the Rams can go back and intently study what the Seahawks have done in years past is because their defensive scheme has stayed consistent. Seattle runs a Cover 3-based system, and while they will do some tweaks off of that, the foundation is the same.

“They do what they do and they do it well,” Keenum said. “Their secondary is one of the best — obviously. And their front seven — or eight, if you’ll call it with [safety Kam] Chancellor coming down in the box, too — it’s a great run-stopping box, too. So we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“They’re sound fundamentally and you know they’re going to play one defense, and it’s basically going to be the same thing,” Britt said. “They’re not going to change up their defense for anybody. It’s either you’re coming ready to play, or don’t come at all. So we know that we’re going to be strapped in and ready to go.”

But that doesn’t mean it makes it any easier to figure Seattle out. Success in the past does not guarantee success in the present.

“Teams change, players change, and for right now they’ve got some different players on their defense,” offensive lineman Rodger Saffold said. “Scheme is going to be the same, but at the same time, each week, they’re going to have a blitz that’s going to cause some problems that we’re going to have to figure out on the fly.”

“That was that game, it was that team, too,” Keenum said. “Obviously we can learn some stuff from those games, but we’ve got a new challenge ahead of us and a new opportunity, really.”

And so as the team moves on from Monday night’s loss, the offense is looking forward to potentially righting the ship against a division rival.

“All [this] adversity, challenges, it’s really opportunities,” Keenum said. “And that’s the way I’m looking at it.”

“Just trust what you see, and let it fly,” Keenum added.

EXTRA POINTS

— For Wednesday’s injury report, defensive tackle Michael Brockers (thigh), cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), and wide receiver Nelson Spruce (knee) all did not participate in practice. Cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (foot) participated on a limited basis.

Running back Todd Gurley also did not participate in the session, but only for a day of rest.

“That’s a coach’s decision, he’s inside,” Fisher said. “He’ll be fine. He’ll be out there tomorrow.”

— Tight end Tyler Higbee received his first game action on Monday night, calling it an exciting experience. He made one reception in his NFL debut.

“It was exciting,” Higbee said Wednesday. “Monday night, especially — you get the crowd out there, it’s cool. It’s a little bit [of a] step up from preseason, which is cool. And I enjoyed it.”

What did Higbee learn from his first taste of the regular season?

“Mainly, it’s the first game. Everybody’s good — you have to bring your A-game every week,” Higbee said. “You can’t slack off, you can’t take any plays off. And in order to win, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

— Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll had his conference call with L.A. media on Wednesday afternoon and said he’s looking forward to being a part of bringing the NFL back to the venue he called home while head coach of the USC Trojans from 2001-2009.

“I’m proud that we get to be the first ones that start this thing,” Carroll said. “For no other reason but I just love Southern California and love the fans and love who they are and what they’re all about. I feel fortunate that we have a chance to add to, kind of the kickoff event to this. That doesn’t amount to a whole lot, it’s just kind of a personal feeling about it. We’re hoping we’re going to play a good football game and the rest of that stuff will take care of itself later on.”

After Rams shed LBs, Gregg Williams stresses defensive flexibility

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160910/after-rams-shed-lbs-gregg-williams-stresses-defensive-flexibility

THOUSAND OAKS >> On Feb. 19, the Rams released James Laurinaitis, cutting ties with their longtime starter at middle linebacker.

On Sept. 3, the Rams parted ways with Akeem Ayers — who started 11 games in 2015 — and second-year linebacker Cameron Lynch, who got more defensive work this preseason after spending his rookie season on special teams.

And on Thursday, the Rams waived undrafted rookie Nicholas Grigsby, leaving just five linebackers on the active roster.

Heading into Monday’s visit to the San Francisco 49ers (7:20 p.m., ESPN), the Rams will have just two linebackers with any significant NFL experience: Alec Ogletree, the new middle linebacker, and Mark Barron, a converted safety who led the team with 116 tackles last season.

Might this be a problem? Not according to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

“Take a look at how many times we’re going to play three linebackers this entire season,” he said Saturday. “We’re going to play (nickelback Lamarcus Joyner). We’re going to play another safety, another corner, another player in those areas that a linebacker plays.”

This is not a new move for Williams, who has coached six different NFL franchises across nearly two decades. As an example, the 58-year-old singled out former NFL safety Pierson Prioleau, whom he often used in nickel and dime packages in Buffalo, Washington, Jacksonville, and New Orleans.

That’s the type of flexibility that Williams again expects to find in this year’s defense — doubters be damned.

“Think about all the head-shaking, the head-scratching and the criticizing when I moved Mark Barron in there last year,” Williams said. “He’s pretty good, isn’t he? Everybody going to claim that one now? That was a pretty good move?”

Chip Kelly seems to agree. Asked this week about hybrid linebackers, the 49ers’ head coach said that the versatility of players like Barron have made defenses much harder to outscheme. A few years ago, Kelly might have been able to push the tempo and force his opponent into mismatches before they had a chance to substitute. Facing someone like Barron makes that a trickier task.

“He’s a tough, hard-nosed, physical football player and I don’t think you’re giving him credit for what he is,” Kelly told reporters. “But, everybody wants to say, ‘Well, you have a converted safety at linebacker. So, then we’re going to run the ball right at him.’ Well, turn the tape on. He’s a tough, hard-nosed, physical player.”

This year, the Rams will need similar growth from Joyner, who vented frustrations about his role on the final episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Although the team had left the door open for Ayers’ return, that they cut him in the first place signals how comfortable they are in giving Joyner — who started six games in his first two seasons — a much larger role.

“We’re going to play the best guys we have that they bring in the door,” Williams said. “I don’t draft them. I don’t sign them. But when they get here, I’m going to coach them. … If you’re any good at all, you will adapt to the skill set of the players.”

INJURY REPORT

The Rams have ruled out receivers Pharoh Cooper (shoulder) and Nelson Spruce (knee) for Monday’s game against the 49ers, as well as cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), who missed all of last season with a Lisfranc injury and was beset by various ailments through training camp.

Cooper had been slated to be the team’s No. 3 receiver until his injury, while Spruce made the roster as an undrafted signee despite playing in just one preseason game. Gaines started 15 games as a rookie in 2015.

Right tackle Rob Havenstein (foot) and linebacker Bryce Hager (concussion) are both listed as questionable. Both were full participants in practice on Friday and Saturday.

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-910-Preparing-for-Kellys-Offense/9291e25b-220c-4fd2-b6fe-bbee0c9f5412

— For the final injury report of the week, the Rams have declared right tackle Rob Havenstein (foot) and linebacker Bryce Hager (concussion) questionable for Monday night. Cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), and wide receiver Nelson Spruce (knee) have been declared out.

However, there was good news on the report regarding Spruce. The Pac 12’s all-time leader in receptions was able to participate in practice on a limited basis on Saturday. He did not participate in either of Thursday or Friday’s sessions.

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – September 10, 2016

(Opening Remarks)

This closes out the week for us, so now it’s time to rest, recover and then we’ll have a brief walk-thru in the morning, and then head to San Francisco. We’re kind of looking forward to it. Everybody’s good. Our injury report is as follows: (WR) Nelson Spruce is designated as out, along with (WR) Pharoh Cooper and (CB) E.J. Gaines. Then we have (T) Rob Havenstein, who is designated as questionable, and (LB) Bryce Hager is designated as questionable.”

(How LB Bryce Hager has grown since primarily playing special teams last year)

“You know, he paid close attention to our defense last year, you know why he was on all four of them. He had a really good preseason, he’s had a good camp, so no concern whatsoever putting him back behind the ball, and letting him play.

(On the eight months leading up to the season opener and how he feels about in now “being about football”)

“Yeah, its football and we still have some fine tuning as everybody does two days away from kickoff and we have travel. But beyond that, its preparing for those unforeseen situations that come up. A couple more meetings regarding those things and they’re unpredictable things, and just go from there. Then teach them just to play, you know, they’re just going to play. Don’t watch the scoreboard, just go out there and play. We’ll see where we are. It’s a long season.”

(On if it seems as though the regular season came faster than he thought with respect to the teams relocation)

“It’s hard to imagine what we started doing back in March – the move to Oxnard, then the break, then everything in Irvine, and then we’re back here and moved in – now here it goes. Like we said, the rest of the league they don’t care what we’ve been through, so we’ll go show them it was all worth it.”

***

Rams Offensive Coordinator Rob Boras – September 10, 2016

(On his thoughts regarding QB Case Keenum as the starter)

“Like him and everybody else, I feel like we’re all in a good spot. Case is prepared – that’s the one thing he’s been throughout this whole process. He’s handled everything really well. In the opportunities he’s had in the preseason, he played very efficiently and created some scoring drives for us. Real excited to see how it unfolds Monday night for him. I think he’s ready.”

(On if there’s anything different in Keenum’s demeanor this year as the starter, in comparison to taking the starting job through the middle of last season)

“No, I think it’s been very consistent for him. He really embraced it last year when it happened, and he’s had opportunities to start before in Houston, so it wasn’t new for him. He was prepared for it. I’ve seen that same sort of process. He’s probably growing into a leader even more, and I think that’s one of his strengths, and that’s one of the things I’m always telling him and challenging him with, that he can really drive these guys and lead them. And I think obviously just knowing that he’s going in as a starter, it’s allowing him to be an even better leader, because he’s confident with where he is.”

(On where he wants to see QB Case Keenum grow)

“I think obviously as an offense, we all need to continue to get better. I think we’re always talking about playing with tempo. I think as a leader, he’s going to continue to grow just naturally with who he is. But, I think just leading this offense and doing what we’re asking him to do, and never trying to do too much, just staying within himself. Like most of these guys at this level, they’re very hard on themselves, and we’ve all got to play one play at a time. And if something doesn’t go right, how quickly can you move to the next play? And that’s really across the board. But for the quarterback position, you have to have a real short memory.”

(On his expectations for WR Tavon Austin)

“We’ve said it since he’s been here, ‘Tay’ is a special player, and we see it in every avenue when he gets the ball; whether he’s a punt returner, whether he’s a receiver, whether we’ve lined him up in the backfield. He’s an explosive player. I think just with his development, maturing going into where he is in his career now as a receiver. Bringing (Passing game coordinator) Mike Groh in has really helped, not only him technically, but also schematically with us on all offense. It’s just, again, continue to grow on his ability, and really see where we can go with him.”

(On what he’s most excited about regarding the new era of the Rams in Los Angeles)

“It’s the most resilient group of guys I’ve ever been around. In an era where everyone is always complaining or always looking over, these guys have just handled it. Everything is not perfect, nothing in this world is. And they’ve just accepted everything and they’ve moved on. Whether it’s been from leaving St. Louis, to Oxnard, to Irvine, to here, and these guys just keep showing up every day. And if they show that type of resiliency for everything that we just went through, I can’t wait to see how it carries over to the field. Because you need to be resilient, just as I talked about. Everything is not going to go our way. And we need to have that mental toughness and those guys have displayed it, unbelievably, throughout this entire process. And that’s the thing that stands out to me the most with who these guys are. I think that speaks a lot about their character.”

(On where he feels he’s grown as the offensive coordinator since taking over full-time)

“Other than my waistline, since I don’t exercise anymore? I think it’s just a part of the entire staff. We’re all in this whole thing together. I understand that I’m the coordinator, but the entire staff, with (Offensive line) Coach (Paul) Boudreau having over 30 years, and adding (RB Coach) Skip (Peete), and having Mike Groh as I already mentioned. It’s just everybody understanding the collaborative effort that we’re in. Obviously, last year I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think about things when I took over, and I’m just hoping that I don’t overthink things now. The more time you have, the more time you have to overthink it. And I think we’ve just got to trust your instincts and trust the study and the film studies that we’re putting in, and let the plan take care of itself.”

***

Rams Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams – September 10, 2016

(Opening Statement)

“Beautiful. You guys have been out here all week and this is a great facility, great fields, super offices, very good weight room, training room. I’m happy we’re not moving anymore. This three moves in five months – it is what it is – but this is a fantastic situation here. (Head Coach) Jeff (Fisher) and I went through that a long time ago – back in, what, 1997 – when we moved from Houston to Nashville and we had the real old-fashioned trailers where the doors into the trailers were so tight and small that the players had to duck and turn sideways and all the linemen couldn’t even get in the building. So this is a fantastic setup, we’ve had a good week. Now it’s time to get ready to play.”

(On how he felt the first-team defense defended against the run in the preseason)

“We’ve played pretty decent without having much scheme changes. As you know, hopefully you watch film before you ask a question – I’m not going to talk about scheme on the air.”

(On how difficult this week was, from a coaching standpoint, when the 49ers’ coaching staff and scheme has changed since last year)

“We’ve gone against them before. Every coach has a history, there’s nothing secret anymore. Every single game film in college, every single game film in the NFL, you guys get to watch and every fan gets to watch. There’s nothing secret anymore about the game. We understand (49ers Head) Coach (Chip) Kelly, I have a respect for him and his staff. Heck, I’ve got a former protégé that I coached many years and all of the sudden was on my staff and now (49ers inside linebackers coach) Joe Bowden is up there coaching. There’s really not anything that’s hidden anymore in our league. I think Jeff has said this, our head coach has said this earlier in the week – it’s going to be about execution. We have to go out there and do what we’re supposed to do right. It’s past the coaching now.”

(On how LB Alec Ogletree has developed into the middle linebacker spot)

“I’m very proud of him and I would love for you guys to do more stories about him and go talk to him and talk to his teammates. Anytime you ask a question of an athlete like Alec, he’s going to give you the right answer, the right response. He’s going to be very humble. One of the things, when I first got here a few years ago, everybody told me, ‘You can’t get him to talk, he’s not going to say much.’ And I said this back out there in Oxnard is I think I created a monster, I can’t get him to shut up anymore. He’s so quick-witted, he’s funny, he’s a good young man. But he’s a lot smarter, schematically, and a lot smarter (in) football intelligence than a lot of people gave him credit for. He’s come a long ways, but until you get into the games with the real bullets flying and the real snaps, those are the measures that you’ll always be evaluated by. He’s done very well and his teammates – you can’t fool your teammates – his teammates listen to him because they know he’s right and they know how much work he puts in. It’s been fun for me to watch and I’m serious when I say this – I’ll probably get in trouble – he’s been in here more than our quarterbacks. And he’s been in the film room longer than some of our coaching staff around here. So you have to respect the fact that he’s going to get an opinion because he works hard. And he’s worked so hard and how he’s led our team through training camp – spring practice is one thing – but really training camp and now here, I’ve been very impressed with him, I really have.”

(On some of the challenges that 49ers QB Blaine Gabbert presents with his arm and his legs)

“He does a very good job as far as his quick-rhythm throws, he’s a very accurate passer. I’ve known a lot about him since he was at the University of Missouri, a St. Louis kid, and I know the family pretty well and (former Missouri Head) Coach (Gary) Pinkel and I are good friends from when all those guys were together down on the Missouri staff. I think he’s grown, and he’s handled some adversity situations in the National Football League in a very positive way. It’s not as much, in my personal opinion, about how you handle all the good things, it’s how you handle the tough things. He’s had some injuries, he’s had some benchings, he’s had some things where he said, ‘Hey, I’m going to keep going, I’m going to keep improving,’ and he has. I was very impressed with how he played last year, when we had a chance to play against him last year. And he’s had a good preseason, so we’ll see how he is on Monday night. But he’s done well.”

(On the young linebackers that he’s excited about)

“We have young linebackers, but we have young DBs. And you know, one of the things that you guys have to take a look at from your inexperience part of it is that you’re going to have to decide – you take a look at how many teams we’re going to play this year that’s going to play two backs in the backfield against us. Not very many people like doing that against us. Take a look at how many times we’re going to play three linebackers this entire season. We’re going to play (DB) Lamarcus (Joyner), we’re going to play another safety, another corner, another player in those areas that a linebacker plays. One of the guys who played for me at Buffalo, Washington, Jacksonville and New Orleans and then he was an intern coach for us last year was Pierson Prioleau. So, I started doing this a long, long time ago and he played on four different teams as a DB that played linebacker. And again, I said this earlier, think about all the head shaking and all the head-scratching and the criticizing when I moved (LB/S) Mark Barron in there (to linebacker) last year – he’s pretty good isn’t he, is everybody going to claim that one now, that was a pretty good move? We’re going to play the best guys we have that they bring in the door. I don’t draft them, I don’t sign them, but when they get here, I’m going to coach them and if they don’t like how (I coach them), then that’s too bad.”

(On his philosophy to fit the scheme to the players he has)

“One of the things is that, in our playbook, no matter what it is in the league, how come everybody doesn’t have the same playbook? Why doesn’t everybody play the same scheme? Why doesn’t everybody play the same call? Does that mean that nobody has the answer? What it means is, if you’re any good at all, you will adapt, schematically to the skillset of the players. And here’s a real simple thought-process, why would I coach (DT) Michael Brockers and (DT) Aaron Donald the same way? They play the same position, why wouldn’t I coach them the same way? But people want to do that – no, no, no, no, no. we’ll do the same thing on how we adapt, this year’s scheme, as opposed to the last two years that I’ve been here or when I was at the Saints or the Redskins or the Bills or the Titans. We have to adjust what’s best for these young men right here and what’s best for Alec, (S) Maurice (Alexander) back there in the back-end, (S) T.J. (McDonald) in the back-end being the quarterback of our secondary – and we’ll do that, we’ll adapt that and I’m not afraid to do that, and I’m not afraid to give them say. And as you talk to them more, you’ll see how much say they have in what we do.”

(On if he considers LB Bryce Hager as Alec Ogletree’s backup)

“There are a lot of different people backing up everybody, a lot of people. And that’s another good question, so that I don’t get irritated again – we don’t have backups. If you dress, you start. If you make an NFL team, you start. How much you play is how good are you, but everybody plays in this league, there’s no backups.