Scout’s Tales: Ray Agnew

By StLouisRams.com

http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Scouts-Tales-Ray-Agnew/013de9f5-d5d3-49e7-a91e-3be0ec493b5b

There are numerous ways NFL teams acquire players, and the Rams’ scouting staff is always hard at work trying to find the next guy who can help them win. In Scout’s Tales, we’ll visit with members of Les Snead’s personnel department and they’ll share stories of how the process brought certain current Rams to St. Louis.

Ray Agnew on advancing.

I feel very fortunate to do what I do for a living. What happened to me doesn’t happen to a lot of people. I retired as a player and the next day I started working for the organization. I never left. I have Mike Martz to thank for that because he thought enough of me to offer me a job. I’m also grateful for Les Snead and the others who have continued to allow me to have a job that I love.

I think my background as a player helps me do my job. You don’t have to be a former player to be a successful scout, but there are certain things you can pick up on. “Hey, this guy doesn’t look too healthy. He’s playing, but it seems like something’s not right.” Or you can tell if a guy doesn’t know what he’s doing. Maybe there’s something you can pick up scheme wise – things that you did when you were a player and you recognize that a guy you’re watching may not be doing it right.

One of my jobs every spring is to crosscheck all the college defensive linemen. A scout visits the schools and puts together a grade on all the guys. Then we go back and put another set of eyes on their tape. The defensive linemen are my favorite guys on the field. I’m biased, but I think they’re the most important guys on the field. I guess you could say it’s my expertise. It’s a joy to watch Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and Robert Quinn. Those are three guys I evaluated out of college. Studying those guys, it’s not work for me; it’s fun.

Another one of the big responsibilities of our pro-scouting staff is advance scouting of our upcoming opponents. For example, the Rams were in San Francisco to play the 49ers, but our pro-scouting director, Ran Carthon, was in Dallas to watch the Cardinals – who we played the week after the 49ers. Ran, George Foster and I split the advance trips up and took turns attending games to scout our upcoming opponents.

For advance trips, we fly out on Saturday. We always get to the game pretty early. The first thing you do is look for injured players. We keep a track of the injury reports. We keep track of the guys that are on there – are they working out on the field before the game? For example, if we were playing the Cowboys in coming weeks, you’d see how early Tony Romo came out to throw. Does it look like his back is still sore? How is he moving around?

We sit in the press box for the game, and we’re usually sitting next to another pro scout for another team. As the game starts, you’re trying to pick up anything that can help your coaches the next week. The first thing you look for is their personnel signals. You watch the quarterback and all the things that he does. Like Peyton Manning, he’s a guy that will watch your sideline as opposed to a young quarterback who is only looking at his sideline to get the signals. You’re looking at the quarterback to see everything he does. Is he audible? In two-minute drills, does he give any hand signals? You’re studying him to see if there’s anything he gives up during the game.

You also make note of how the opponent substitutes players. Do they sub fast or slow? When there’s a TV timeout, do they try to trick you and run somebody in late? You make note of when the offense gets to the huddle, when they get to the line of scrimmage and how much time is on the play clock when they snap the ball. The tape that the coaches watch, they cut out everything between plays, so you’re trying to pick up everything that they can’t see on game film.

There’s not as much information to gather from the defense because they’re reacting to what the offense does. Still, you want to look for substitution patterns. Who is the nickel corner? Do they bring defensive linemen in on third down as designated pass rushers? In two-minute, do they try to substitute defensive linemen? Who is the leader of the defense and who wears the radio in his helmet on defense?

Sometimes the defensive signal caller will wear different clothes on the sideline. For example, all of the Rams coaches may be in blue polo shirts but one will wear gold so he stands out to the players. That’s how you notice who he is. You want to include that in your report.

Injuries are important as well. Any injury during the game, you note it so you can give it to the coaches. You try to judge whether you think a guy will be able to play or not the next week. You never know that, but some injuries look so bad that you know they don’t have a chance to play against your team.

The special teams stuff isn’t as detailed as the offense and defense, but there are things you’re looking for there, too. Do they huddle up before they kickoff. There aren’t any signals involved on special teams so you’re not concerned with that. I usually watch the kickers in pregame just to see how long they’re kicking. In the past, we’ve charted kickers and measured hang time from the punters during pregame. You also try to get all of the jersey numbers of the guys that are on each special teams unit.

I always listen to the press conferences after the game. Sometimes they’ll give you information. The coaches will sometimes give an injury update. You’re trying to get anything you can to bring back to give the coaches.

We have computer programs where we log all of our information. We can access that remotely, so after the game we start entering everything we’ve seen. Then when we get back, we put together an advance scouting report for the coaches. On Monday night, whoever advanced the game, they get together with the coaches. We go over everything we gathered. During the week before the game, you grade each player on the opposing team and you go over the grades with the coaches. You tell them who you think their best offensive lineman is and who you think you can pick on a little. You go through all the quarterback’s tendencies. You go over everything you think might be helpful as the team prepares for the next week’s game.

2014 Adjusted Games Lost

by Scott Kacsmar

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2015/2014-adjusted-games-lost

Once upon a time a series of hamstring injuries made us wonder what exactly the Giants were going to get out of Odell Beckham Jr. He was the last 2014 first-round rookie to make his NFL debut, doing so in Week 5. Quickly we found out he could play as he put in one of the best rookie seasons ever in just 12 games.

But that quarter of a season he missed makes us wonder what more he could have achieved in 2014. The Giants had a lot of those “if only” dreams last year as they became the first team to lead the league in Adjusted Games Lost in back-to-back seasons. This is the fifth year in a row the Giants ranked 22nd or worse, and they have missed the playoffs in four of those seasons.

With Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Games Lost (AGL) metric, we are able to quantify how much teams were affected by injuries based on two principles: (1) Injuries to starters, injury replacements, and important situational reserves matter more than injuries to benchwarmers; and (2) Injured players who do take the field are usually playing with reduced ability, which is why AGL is not based strictly on whether or not the player is active for the game, but instead is based on the player’s listed status that week (IR/PUP, out, doubtful, questionable, or probable).

As long as NFL teams are solely responsible for producing weekly injury reports, we cannot say that every single injury has been accounted for, but secrecy is an unavoidable aspect of this part of the game.

2014 Results

Obviously every team would prefer a low AGL, but some teams will inevitably have a tough year of injuries. The following table lists the AGL totals and rankings for 2014 along with the results from 2013 for comparison. Teams are sorted from healthiest in 2014 (Denver) to most injured (New York Giants). This data is only for the regular season.

The league-average AGL went from 67.6 in 2013 to is 74.3, making it four years in a row that injury totals around the league went up in our AGL database (complete for 2002-2014). There are a couple of issues here. AGL numbers count starters (including players who take over starting roles after other injuries, such as five different Chargers centers) and important situational players. If we look only at actual starters, we see that the average AGL has increased from the mid-40s in 2007-2010 to the lower 50s the last couple seasons, and now 55.8 in 2014. So teams are clearly reporting more injuries now than they did in the past. In addition, we have better information to identify reserves who play a significant amount of snaps on a consistent basis and therefore should count in AGL. This is an area where we know we can improve our past years of data, and that is certainly on the to-do list. We have already made some improvements to 2013, which is why last year’s numbers may look different in the table above.

A team’s third wideout and nickel cornerback are practically starters today, and the rotations used in the defensive front seven are eye-opening for some teams. Starting defensive linemen in 2014 played an average of 64.2 percent of the weekly snaps. There were only 33 instances of a defensive lineman playing 100 percent of his team’s snaps in any given game. New England’s Rob Ninkovich accounted for 12 of those ironman performances. Chandler Jones had four complete games of his own, meaning 16 of the 33 belonged to the Patriots.

The correlation for AGL between 2013 and 2014 was 0.40, the second highest year-to-year correlation on record. This is more in line with results from 2009-2012, as opposed to the smaller 0.12 correlation between 2012 and 2013 AGL.

The correlation between 2014 AGL and 2014 team DVOA was -0.35, and the correlation between 2014 AGL and 2014 regular-season wins was -0.33. Both correlations are a little stronger than what we have observed over the years.

Denver, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh all made the playoffs, but exemplify the misfortune of bad timing in regards to injuries. Maybe things would have ended differently if Peyton Manning (quad), Aaron Rodgers (calf), and Le’Veon Bell (knee) had been healthy in January. Denver had the 10th-biggest decline in total AGL since 2002, but Green Bay made this season’s biggest improvement in the rankings from 31st to third. That is the third-biggest decline in total AGL since 2002. Mike McCarthy’s teams have usually been poor at AGL, but this was a fortunate year, especially on offense. We are probably over-crediting the short-term IR for center J.C. Tretter, because fifth-round rookie Corey Linsley was able to step in Week 1 and earn that starting job even after Tretter was healthy.

Philadelphia, noted for Chip Kelly’s foray into sports science last year, had the best AGL in 2013 and ranked fifth this season. They are only the third team since 2002 to lead the league in AGL and finish in the top five the following season. Maybe this team is onto something with preventing soft tissue injuries. The big problems for the Eagles were focused along the offensive line, plus a broken collarbone for Nick Foles and a torn Achilles for DeMeco Ryans. Sometimes bones are going to break in tackles regardless of how much prep work goes into each week.

After they ranked second in AGL in 2013, we expected the Chiefs to fall back to the pack this year. They didn’t just fall back; they plunged to 26th, the seventh-largest year-to-year increase in AGL since 2002. The Chiefs were hit hard and fast with Derrick Johnson, Mike DeVito, and Jeff Allen (three starters) headed to injured reserve after Week 1. The worst news was Eric Berry’s diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and like everyone around the league, we wish him the best in his recovery.

The two Super Bowl teams, New England and Seattle, ranked in the teens in AGL. The Patriots lost Jerod Mayo for the second straight season, but overall had a pretty healthy year with red-flag players like Rob Gronkowski and Darrelle Revis able to finish the season. Seattle’s injury issues, of course, were much stronger in the playoffs, which are not included in the AGL totals above. The Super Bowl loss ended up with practically the entire “Legion of Boom” secondary gutting out tough injuries.

The Colts ranked 30th in AGL for the third year in a row and have ranked 24th or worse in nine straight seasons. Jon Torine was the strength and conditioning coach from 1998 to 2011, but he was replaced in 2012 by Roger Marandino. Despite three head coaches since 2002, Ryan Grigson’s annual roster purge, and new philosophies on both sides of the ball, the Colts continue to be one of the NFL’s most injured teams each season. Yes, I just copied most of last year’s paragraph, because nothing changed in Indianapolis on the injury front. Among the bottom 10 teams in 2014 AGL, the Colts were the only team to make the playoffs. The 2012 Packers, 2013 Colts and 2014 Colts (two games) have the only four playoff wins by teams with more than 100 AGL.

Then we have the Giants, looking to put together an injury dynasty. After setting the benchmark with 141.3 AGL in 2013, the 2014 club has the second-worst AGL on record at 137.1. Running back and defensive back remained two major problem areas despite new roster additions, but wide receiver was also hit hard, as were the linebackers.

Here are the 2014 AGL splits for offense and defense:

The 2013 Giants’ record for worst offensive AGL (80.9) only stood one year. San Diego edged them out this year with the use of roughly nine thousand centers, though the 2014 Giants also rank among the ten most-injured offenses in our database.

Pittsburgh had the 10th-lowest offensive AGL since 2003. Ben Roethlisberger only sat out seven regular-season snaps (all in a blowout win) after missing none in 2013. Starting right tackle Marcus Gilbert missing four games proved to be the only real significant injury to the offense until Le’Veon Bell went down late in the year.

The 2014 Raiders now have the worst defensive AGL in our database. Just ahead of them are the 2014 49ers, who would probably rank as the worst if we included suspensions (the Aldon Smith factor). This was a really tough season for that unit, with Glenn Dorsey, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Ian Williams, Jimmie Ward, and NaVorro Bowman all on injured reserve by season’s end.

Carolina had the third-biggest ranking drop in defensive DVOA from 2013, falling from 15th to third. That sure did not feel like a healthy unit, but injuries were not a big factor in the performance decline. That was more about the major roster turnover in the secondary and Greg Hardy’s off-field situation, which limited him to one game but does not factor into AGL. The Panthers also finished the season much better on defense after that miserable start. The Giants fell 19th spots in DVOA from sixth to 25th. That is a unit that can blame injuries, with the third-worst defensive AGL.

Injury Reporting Tactics

Everyone knows the injury reports are not always on the level in the NFL. Seattle safety Kam Chancellor was probable for Super Bowl XLIX, but of course we found out later that he played that game with a torn MCL and a deep bone bruise on the outside of his knee. Chancellor didn’t even know if he could play two days before the big game. Call it gamesmanship or outright deception, but some teams like to cover up as much truth as possible.

We can use the given data to determine which teams may be trying to deceive the opponent with the likelihood of a player playing. Generally, probable is a very high likelihood the player will play, especially if the player is a starter or key reserve. Just fewer than 95 percent of players listed as probable played in 2014. Only Carolina (89.5 percent) and Tennessee (86.2 percent) were under 90 percent. Questionable is supposed to be a 50/50 proposition, and doubtful might as well mean out these days. Out of 216 doubtful players in 2014, only Seattle’s Alvin Bailey was active that week, and he did not play.

The grayest area comes with listing a player as questionable. Only 55.7 percent of questionable players played in 2014, which is actually the lowest we have ever tracked and a lot closer to the purpose of that designation. In 2013, 61.3 percent of questionable players played and 69.3 percent in 2012. So a downward trend that pushes closer to 50 percent is a good thing.

The range of active questionable players was wider this season. The Steelers only played one of their league-low 12 questionable players (8.3 percent). Some of the other teams on the low end were Denver (third at 35.3 percent) and Seattle (fifth at 40.9 percent) after having the two lowest rates in 2013. The Falcons, after 84.2 percent in 2013, were still in the top six at 65.4 percent in Mike Smith’s final year on the job.

The 2014 Redskins with Jay Gruden in his first year as head coach led the way with 79.0 percent of his questionable players playing. You can find Gruden’s staff doing a suspect job as early as Week 1. Defensive lineman Barry Cofield sprained his ankle in Week 1 and was placed on short-term IR. In November, Cofield revealed to CSNWashington.com that he had a groin injury that was bothering him a lot. He had groin surgery while out for the ankle, but the Redskins never disclosed any groin injury for Cofield. The team contends Cofield was healthy for Week 1, but it’s easy to be skeptical.

Gruden has a long way to go to catch up to the master of injury report shenanigans: Bill Belichick and the Patriots. While New England only had the fifth-highest rate of active questionable players (66.3 percent), the Patriots blew the league away again with 104 questionable players — 30 more than runner-up Tampa Bay. The other 31 teams averaged 31.2 questionable players. New England only used probable 36 times, the third-lowest total in 2014.

Rex Ryan’s Jets finished second in most probable players for the second year in a row. Interestingly enough, the Houston Texans had the most probable players again (170) despite the switch to Bill O’Brien, a member of Belichick’s coaching tree. Houston was one of three teams (Atlanta and Tennessee the others) to never use doubtful in 2013. The Falcons and Texans repeated their actions in 2014, but the Titans used it in Ken Whisenhunt’s first season on the job. Sean Payton and the Saints were the third team to never use doubtful in 2014.

The Saints were involved in one of the most puzzling injury transactions of the season. Rookie linebacker Khairi Fortt was drafted in the fourth round and made the final 53-man roster. He was placed on short-term IR with an undisclosed leg injury suffered in the preseason, yet Fortt insists his hamstring was healthy since Week 1. The Saints cut Fortt on October 6, which is downright odd given he was a fourth-round pick and was deemed valuable enough to warrant the use of the season’s lone short-term IR tag. The Bengals quickly added him to their practice squad, but he was cut in November and picked up by the Jaguars. He appeared in three games for his third team last season.

After three years of its existence, I have to crown the 2014 Saints with the worst use of the short-term IR designation. Fortt’s story is just another example of the cynicism in believing teams when it comes to injuries.

E.J. Gaines doubtful for Sunday

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14999/e-j-gaines-doubtful-for-sunday

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams will likely be without starting cornerback E.J. Gaines on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Gaines, who suffered a concussion against the New York Giants last week is officially listed as doubtful for this week after sitting out practice again Friday. Without Gaines, the Rams will likely have to turn to Lamarcus Joyner and Marcus Roberson to fill the void.

“I think they need to play,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “That’s what happens when somebody goes down, unfortunately, but someone else gets some reps. Obviously, Marcus had the Kansas City start which was good. We’ll expect him to play both outside and then use (safety) Rodney (McLeod) as well as Lamarcus inside.”

As for the rest of the injury report, the only three other Rams listed are considered probable for Sunday. That list includes cornerback Janoris Jenkins, center Scott Wells and defensive end Chris Long.

With heavy hearts, William Hayes and Eugene Sims play on

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14547/with-heavy-hearts-hayes-and-sims-play-on

EARTH CITY, Mo. — On the St. Louis Rams’ official injury report, defensive ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims were listed as not practicing for reasons that were not injury related. Unofficially, they could have been listed as “DNP — broken heart.”

For the eight losses the Rams have suffered this season on the field, none compared to the pain Hayes and Sims were dealing with as they coped with the death of some of their closest loved ones.

During the final week of November, Hayes’ grandmother, Bessie Flowers, and Sims’ father, Calvert Sanders, died. Rams coach Jeff Fisher excused both players for as long as they needed to grieve.

Sims missed a week of practice three weeks ago and Hayes did not rejoin the Rams two weeks ago until the Saturday night before playing Washington.

“We just feel that those things are more important than what we’re doing,” Fisher said. “Losses and things … loved ones. I think they need to go spend time and be able to grieve and put things in perspective and spend time with their family.”

Hayes has always been one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. After a loss to his former team, the Tennessee Titans, last year, he was so upset that he smashed a mirror in the Rams locker room.

So when Hayes was told of his grandmother’s passing the night before the team’s Nov. 30 win against Oakland, he broke down. Hayes broke down again after playing the next day and was surrounded by teammates offering words of encouragement or a hug.

William Hays’ grandmother, Bessie Flowers, used to call Jeff Fisher to check up on her grandson.
“It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” said Hayes, who played and then took the next week off to be with his family. “It was very hard.”

Hayes and his grandmother were exceedingly close. It was common practice for Hayes to FaceTime with her on his phone. And for as much as she loved her grandson, Flowers loved her grandson’s coach just as much.

Hayes said Flowers would regularly refer to Fisher as “her husband” and would barge into Fisher’s office even when the door was closed to talk to him.

“He knew how much my grandma meant to me,” Hayes said. “He had plenty of conversations with her. She was in love with Coach Fisher so she thought they were married.”

Fisher also enjoyed updating Flowers on the latest antics of her notoriously mischievous grandson.

“He would come upstairs and even if my door was shut he’d open it and he’d have her on his phone and we’d FaceTime,” Fisher said. “She just wanted to make sure that William was behaving.”

While grief is a new emotion for Hayes, it’s sadly become all too familiar for Sims. In August of 2013, Sims’ mother Jeanelle Sims, 42, died after a heart attack. Sims left the Rams for a couple of weeks and returned on Aug. 22.

Little more than a year later, tragedy struck again. Sanders, a former Marine whom Sims describes as a “big guy, about 6-7, 280 pounds” and a former college football player, was on his way home from visiting his wife at work when he too suffered a heart attack.

Eugene Sims lost his mother, Jeanelle Sims, to a heart attack in August of 2013.
By the time Sanders was able to pull over and seek help, it was too late. Having lost his mother didn’t make it any easier for Sims, but he had a better idea of what needed to be done.

“Losing my mom the year before put things in perspective,” Sims said. “I wouldn’t say it was easier. It was very draining. The past year has been really tough. It’s just hard.”

Making it harder is the fact that Sims is the oldest of six siblings: four brothers and a sister. He immediately recognized, through no choice of his own, he had graduated to the head of the family.

Leaving them was hard but Sims saw returning to the field as a chance to provide some peace of mind for the rest of his family.

“I’m kind of the father figure now,” Sims said. “Everybody is younger, everybody is in college. I’m not doing anything they would see as negative. I’m trying to do something positive to let them know that it’s something (my parents) would do to take care of your business.”

Sims returned to the team the day before the Rams played Oakland. Hayes got to the team hotel in Washington on Dec. 6, the night before playing the Redskins. Neither player had participated in a single practice in the week before playing in the game but stayed in touch with defensive line coach Mike Waufle and with teammates via the defensive line’s regular group text.

Both Hayes and Sims spoke of wanting to make good on Fisher’s trust.

“You can’t relax and think you don’t have to repay that,” Sims said. “How can you not work hard for somebody that is on your side like that?”

Little more than year after losing his mom, Eugene Sims’ father, Calvert Sanders, also died of a heart attack.
When Hayes and Sims weren’t getting love from their teammates, they leaned on each other. Sims shared with Hayes some of the things he learned in dealing with his losses. Hayes did what he could to offer the same.

“His mom last year and his dad this year,” Hayes said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that. This was probably the closest thing I’ve experienced to that. It’s tough.”

Sims and Hayes haven’t just returned and gone through the motions. In the two games they played right after the deaths, the duo combined for 14 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in their usual reserve roles behind Robert Quinn and Chris Long.

“Eugene did a really nice job when he came back late Saturday night last week playing,” Fisher said. “Of course Will, he was grateful, but I knew it was time for him to get back. It’s speaks a lot too for both of them to be able to play at a high level without the preparation time. I was glad that he was able to do that.”

For Hayes and Sims, playing through pain has taken on an entirely different meaning. They’ve found comfort in the confines of a locker room, a meeting room, a practice field and whatever NFL stadium will have them. But most of all, in one another.

“I feel like we went through something for a reason,” Sims said. “I would say it’s motivation because you know they are looking down on you. You feel like, OK, I can’t disappoint. I don’t feel like there’s a lot of pressure on me but it’s like you are releasing and expressing your pain through the sport.

“Playing this game and playing with these guys and coming back here, I feel like I was at home with my family already. You want to play for that first family and your second family. Both of those families motivate you to play even harder.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – December 17, 2014

(Opening Statement)
“Today, we just did our injury report and (C) Scott Wells is the only one of the injury report and it was a coach’s decision to give him the day off. Good news from a health standpoint. Guys took care of themselves. Took advantage of the couple days off and we’ve had a good day.”

(On if DE Chris Long practiced)
“Yes, he was out there.”

(On his impression of Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.)
“Really an outstanding athlete. As good as receiver out of frame as you’ll see, especially at a young age. They’re really on the same page. The run after catch ability is off the charts. They ran a reverse pass and he threw the ball 40,50 yards. They tell us that he throws with either arm. He’s an outstanding athlete. He’s having a great year. ”

(On their interest level in Beckham during the draft)
“We spent a lot of time with him. Really liked him. Knew he was going to be a real good pro.”

(On if the team frequently discusses their three-game streak in which their opponents have not scored touchdowns)
“No, it’s really not. The back-to-back shutouts were good. The defensive effort was good, holding Arizona to field goals, but every week’s a challenge. This team can strike. They can score. They can run it. Eli’s (Manning), you know his record and what he’s accomplished in the past speaks for itself. He’s an outstanding quarterback and he’s got good players around him. It’s a big challenge for us this week. Great challenge for us as a matter of fact. Uncommon opponent, well-coached, disciplined, probably leading the league in sacks last two or three or four weeks. Really good edge rushers. ”

(On what to expect from Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin)
“Tom is always going to have a very disciplined team. They’re going to play hard and they’re well-coached, that’s what he does. His offense is going to run it. His defense is going to be aggressive. They’re good tacklers. It’s a team that’s built on fundamentals, that’s why he’s been so successful.”

(On what he wants the team to accomplish in final home game vs. the Giants)
“Our focus is on trying to find a way to win it. That’s where our focus is. It’s a challenge. This team has played well the last couple weeks. They had a stretch, they had a difficult stretch, much like us from an opponent standpoint. It was the Seattle, San Francisco and Dallas and Philly. It was those common opponents. They’ve settled down. They’ve played two good games as of late. ”

(On the Giants’ defense)
“Their sack numbers as I said. They’re playing well. I thought they put really good pressure on the RedSkins last week. The week before I think they had six or seven sacks against Tennessee. That’s been the difference, is they’re getting the quarterback on the ground.”

(On if considers CB E.J. Gaines a pleasant surprise)
“No. I wouldn’t say that. We drafted him because of his ability. We thought he had the ability to play in the league. He took advantage of an opportunity when ‘Tru’ (CB Trumaine Johnson) went down in the preseason game. He has not batted an eye since. If there’s any element of surprise, it would be his ability to jump inside and play the nickel spot as well as he has. The first half of the season or thereabouts, he was primarily just a corner and he jumps inside and plays it very well.”

(On his initial thoughts on Gaines)
“He’s an outstanding young man, he’s a very smart football player. Does his job. Does it well.”

(On how DT Michael Brockers has performed this year, the adjustments he’s made since DT Aaron Donald joined the line, and if he’s playing more nose tackle as opposed to left or right tackle)
“A little bit more. ‘Brock’ is healthy…he’s dealt with some ankle issues over the past couple years. He stayed healthy and his hands and upper body strength has improved. I think he’s learning to anticipate things, blocking combinations and those things. He’s had a good solid year.”

(On if QB Shaun Hill’s performance in the last two games can determine whether he will stay)
“We’ll address all that after the seasons over. No reason why we wouldn’t have interest in both Shaun and Austin (Davis). They’ve worked hard.”

(On if Well’s not practicing is because of an elbow injury)
“No, coach’s decision. He’s been taking Wednesdays off for the last month or so. (OL) Davin Joseph has been taking Thursdays off. So, he’ll probably take tomorrow off. I have to add him to the report as well.”

Rams QB Shaun Hill – December 17, 2014

(On what challenges the Giants present)
“Well, they’re a good defense. I think they’re fourth in the league in sacks. They get after the passer. They play good team defense.”

(On if the Giants ability to bring pressure affects his game plan)
“I mean, it just depends on the play. Every play has it’s specific design. It just depends on the play.”

(On the Giants success in getting to the quarterback over the last three weeks)
“Well they have good personnel and they play good team defense. Some of them are, ‘These guys can’t get open,’ and coverage things and some of them their guys up front just win and get there and some of them are pressures. They do all of those.”

(On if there was some frustration after not finding the end zone last week)
“Yeah, obviously. That’s our job is to score touchdowns and we didn’t get it done. Yeah, that was the frustrating part.”

(On what he would like to accomplish in the last home game of the season)
“A win. We’d like to win.”

(On if he thinks about what a potentially good last two weeks can do for his future as a Ram)
“Well for this team, it’s important for us to end the season on a high note. That’s win at home. That’s what we have this week. We’ll worry about next week, next week. Yeah, that’s our main focus is to win. I’ve seen it transpire into streaks going into the next year. Finishing on a high note can carry through an offseason. That’s something that’s very important to us.”

(On what can the offense do to play more consistent)
“Well, just stick with it. We play against professional football players also and they get paid to stop us. It’s going to happen at times. We’ve just got to stick with it and just keep grinding really. Some games are going to be like that and some of them are going to go our way. The main thing is to have that mental focus and that fortitude every week.”

(On the Giants secondary)
“They have some veterans that have been around a long time and know what they’re doing, play the scheme very well and make plays whenever they’re afforded the opportunity to make them. We’re going to have to be ready to go.”

(On if it’s tougher to fool veterans in the secondary as opposed to younger players)
“Yeah, they’ve kind of seen it all. Yeah, at times it can be, for sure.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – December 5, 2014

(On why they practiced the last half of practice outside and if there’s a lighter chance of rain)
“The forecast during the week was that there was a very good chance for showers throughout the day. As the week went on, it looks like probably a pretty good chance that it will have pushed through. Nonetheless, it’s still good experience to go out there and get the point across. There’s really no telling what the condition of the surface is going to be. I’m sure it will be covered and all that, but guys need to know that they can’t slip.”

(On what kind of a home field advantage Washington has)
“It’s a tough place to play. It’s a great fan base and they’re loud. You can tell on the tape. When you look at some of the other home games against some of these opponents, there’s some crowd-related mistakes. You’ve got to be sharp.”

(On OL Rodger Saffold returning to practice)
“Everybody practiced and I think everybody’s probable. I don’t’ think I have a player questionable on the list.”

(On if it’s been a while since he could have an injury report will all probable players)
“It’s been a while. It’s good stuff.”

(On P Johnny Hekker’s contract extension)
“Wanted to let you know that we are real excited to announce that we have agreed to a six-year deal with Johnny Hekker. Extended his contract, yes. So, real excited about that. He’s going to be our punter and passer for a long time (laughs).”

(On if he has plays in the playbook for Hekker)
“Oh yeah. We’ve got plenty. Actually, we’ve got some work to do. We’ve got to keep loading up that playbook of his.”

(On Hekker’s skill set as a punter)
“During the evaluation process when we came in here, obviously it was a tremendous task. League people were talking about how he dunks the basketball and does all that and then his ability to throw football and what he’d done in high school and school. That’s the kind of guy that we want back there running the punt team for us. He’s got a great group of teammates around him. He’s got a really a fine long snapper and he’s got a lot of good years ahead of him.”

(On if as a coach he likes when players are around a long time)
“Yes, especially as we’re planning for the future and things like that. Those discussions are ongoing.”

(On his sense of positive momentum with the team based on how they’ve played in the last five weeks and how that factor’s into having consecutive wins)
“We’ve played well. We’ve played hard. We’ve overcome some things. I think we could say that we’re improving and that’s the most important thing at this time of year is just to keep improving. Hopefully, that improvement will translate into back-to-back wins for us. We have an outstanding opponent ahead of us that we’re not familiar with.”

Rams Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams – December 5, 2014

(Opening Statement)
“I wanted to start off by saying my thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Bryan Burwell. We lost a very good man in our profession. He was a friend of mine and I’m sure he was a friend your alls. Hopefully, one more time it’s a testament to enjoy what you’re doing while you’re doing it. Those kind of things are tough for all of us, but my thoughts and prayers are with his family and his friends.”

(On returning to Washington)
“Been a few years, but had kids go to school there and they did very well and they have a lot of fond memories back there. A lot of really good people back there, good organization. It will be nice. I think the hotel we’re staying in was the home hotel all those years when I was there with (Former Redskins Head) Coach (Joe) Gibbs and everybody. Been there before since I left there and it will be another good homecoming.”

(On if he wants to beat Washington)
“Always looking to win, not looking to apologize for anything once we get into competition. It will be a good game. We need win another game. We need to win two in a row. The guys have done a very good job of preparing. They’ve been very focused this week. There hasn’t been anything nonchalant about anything they’ve done. Their preparation has been very good. Really and every single week I’ve said that when I’ve come up here and I’m not saying that just to be talking about that. I’ve been very impressed with this young team on how hard they prepare and then how much they’ve improved and also in the areas that were needed. This will be another step. This is a good football team. They’ve got some explosive playmakers and we’re going to have to change some of the things that we’ve done here in the last several weeks. We’ve got to match-up right, we’ve got to communicate right and we’re going to have to do a good job tackling because this team can bust some big plays on you. Defensively, we’re going to have to try to negate those things.”

(On if there is anybody left at Washington from when he was there)
“There’s a lot of people inside the organization, yeah. Player wise, there’s still a couple of them that are there.”

(On if he ever felt like he was going to be the head coach at Washington)
“No, I’ve had those days have come and gone. I’ve enjoyed that opportunity. Maybe I’ll do it again one of these days. It’s a good organization, it really is, but I love the fact that I’m back in my home state with the St. Louis Rams and this is a great place to be.”

(On his perspective on why it’s been so difficult to win back-to-back games)
“You love that, is that it’s about detailing your work. Really, the next win is about what you’re doing that day. It doesn’t make any difference what you’ve done so far. It doesn’t make any difference about what you did the week before, how well we played the week before. You’ve got to go out and audition every week. Every day’s an interview, every week’s an interview, every game’s an interview. We need to go out there and do the things that help our team to win. It’s a team game. It’s just not one side of the ball. It’s just not one area. Special teams, offense, defense, it’s a team thing. We’ve done a good job of trying to compliment things that go on throughout the course of the game team wise. We’ve got to go out and do our part. This is a good football team we’re getting ready to play.”

(On if it’s harder to get his message across to the young team)
“Maybe sometimes, but not with this group. This group’s a focused group. I’ve not been challenged at any point in time where I’ve felt like things are falling on deaf ears. They want to be coached. There’s a craving of wanting to do right. I believe that this is a good group of pleasers. They just want to know how you want done, ‘Coach, how you want done?’ They’ve been going out there and improving and really working hard to improve each and every week.”

(On the emphasis of trying to win the turnover battle each week)
“It’s always in every week. That’s been a formula for an awful long time in the National Football League. It’s something that we preach an awful lot. You see how we practice with takeaway emphasis and balls on the ground and how we turn them into takeaways whether it’s an incomplete pass or not, every time the ball’s on the ground we’re treating it that way. So, yes that’s always a big determining factor and our guys have been doing a pretty good job with that.”

(On Redskins RB Alfred Morris)
“He’s got our attention on how he’s able to press the hole. He’s been a great one-cut runner. He’s more explosive than people give him credit for. When he gets out on the edge, he has a chance of turning a simple run into a big run because he can run through tackles. Individual tacklers have had to pay the price on him. We need to go a job of swarming. We need to do a good job of making sure we have more at the point of attack then they have at the point of attack, but he’s a good strong runner.”

(On the Redskins skill players)
“We’ve played against some receiver corps throughout this season that have been pretty explosive. This group fits right in there. They’re very complimentary of the skill sets that we’ve had to go against in our own division. We’ve got some top receivers in the National Football League in our division. They’ve collected some very explosive guys with varying skill sets. So, you just can’t play one specific technique on the whole group. One of the things we worked on all week long is how our technique, how our scheme, how our adjustments change depending upon who you’re lining up on. We need to do a good job of that because they can make you pay.”

(On the growth of LB Alec Ogletree in his second season)
“He’s done a very good job. When you say mistakes, it’s that he’s just continued to improve his technique also. Nobody makes a mistake on purpose, certainly not him, but he’s refined some of his techniques very well. He’s got great burst, great explosion and I think his comfortability about what we’re doing why we’re doing has fit in very well here, especially the last five or six weeks. He’s very comfortable in knowing what to do, when to do, when to pull the trigger, when to be maybe a little bit of a risk taker. He’s done a very good job of that.”

(On Ogletree’s ability to force turnovers)
“We point that out to him. I don’t always just chew on him. I don’t always just rip him all the time, but one of the things I pointed out very hard…(Defensive Line Coach) Mike Waufle when he talks about that part of the production each week in our game planning, we highlight guys that have a knack for putting their hand on the ball. We highlight guys that have a knack for stripping the football. You very seldom see Ogletree around a pile or around a tackle that he’s not making an attempt to take it away. Those are the things you like so we highlight that and we try to get other guys to emulate that and do the same thing. I think (S) Mark Barron does the same thing, too. I think he has a very unique skill set on how he’s able to do that when you guys focus on him when he’s tackling.”

(On what it meant to record a shutout last week)
“It was good. They’re very hard to come by. All the years I’ve been coaching they’re hard to come by. It’s good defensively for the morale of the team. It’s also good for the morale of just the individual defense that you’re not letting guys into scoring territory. So, it’s always good that way and that’s our job.”

(On Redskins QB Colt McCoy)
“He’s improved a lot since the last time I’ve had a chance to go against him. He’s very decisive. He’s running their offense. He’s communicating their offense very well. He’s moving around in the pocket well. He’s not just a pocket passer. They do a lot of things movement wise to put him out on the edge to try and get adjustments with you in that way. He’s done a pretty good job. I see a lot of progress in his game since the last time I’ve gone against him a few years ago when he was at Cleveland.”

Seems like they’re banged up.

———-

Jim Thomas ‏@jthom1 22m22 minutes ago

For Washington, DL Kedric Golston (foot/back) and CB Chase Minnifield (concussion) both listed as out. Minniefield started last week.

SS Brandon Meriweather, who has started last 10 games is doubtful w/toe injury.

Five Washington players listed as questionable: DE Jason Hatcher (knee), WR DeSean Jackson (shin), DL Chris Baker (chest)…

…(Questionable, cont.) CB E.J. Biggers (concussion); and MLB Keenan Robinson (knee). Of that group, Hatcher, Robinson, Jackson all starters.

***WR DeSean Jackson did not practice all week, so questionable may be optimistic assessment, or just one to keep Rams guessing.

from Rams will be without four Sunday

November, 21, 2014

By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/

Four players have already been ruled out. Defensive tackle Alex Carrington (knee), cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (groin), receiver Damian Williams (hamstring) and cornerback Marcus Roberson (ankle) have already been ruled out.

As for defensive end Chris Long, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said it’s possible but unlikely that Long will be activated for Sunday’s game. More likely, Long will have to wait until next week’s game against Oakland.

Here’s the full rundown of Friday’s injury report:

Out: DT Alex Carrington (knee), CB Lamarcus Joyner (groin), WR Damian Williams (hamstring), CB Marcus Roberson (ankle).

Questionable: TE Cory Harkey (quad), LS Jake McQuaide (back) and TE Jared Cook (back).

Probable: LB James Laurinaitis (foot), LB Daren Bates (groin), OL Davin Joseph (not injury related), LB Will Herring (foot).http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/

————–

Jim Thomas @jthom1
It’s official from NFL: No fine for Rams S Rodney McLeod on hit that knocked Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders out of game.

Jim Thomas @jthom1
Won’t be much suspense on pregame inactives this week: Carrington (knee), Joyner (groin), Williams (hamstring), Roberson (ankle) ruled out.

Jim Thomas @jthom1
TEs Harkey (quad) and Cook (back) were limited Friday and are listed as questionable.

Jim Thomas @jthom1
Despite heavy lobby by Chris Long, Fisher says it’s unlikely he’ll be activated this week from IR/designated for return list this week.

Jim Thomas @jthom1
Rest of Rams report: LBs Herring (foot), Laurinaitis (foot), and Bates (groin) all probable, as is RG Davin Joseph.

Jim Thomas @jthom1
New addition to injury report: long snapper Jake McQuaide (back). He’s questionable.

Jim Thomas @jthom1
Chargers injury report: QB Philip Rivers (chest) full participation all wk. As formality, listed as probable. He’s made 138 straight starts,

Jim Thomas @jthom1
More Chargers: Ryan Carrethers (elbow), who started last week at NT, is out. S Jahleele Addae (concussion symptoms) is questionable.

Jim Thomas @jthom1
And one to keep an eye on: C Rich Ohmberger (back/ankle) questionable. Did not practice all wk. His replacement would be rookie Chris Watt.

Rams report: Laurinaitis returns to practice

By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-report/rams-report-laurinaitis-returns-to-practice/article_f9e8e667-bc8a-5b80-af9d-daba3226fc8e.html

With the Rams practicing indoors again for the second day in a row at Rams Park, middle linebacker James Laurinaitis was among three Rams to return to practice Thursday.

Laurinaitis, with a foot problem, was listed as limited on the team’s injury report Thursday after sitting out Wednesday’s workout.

Also returning after missing Wednesday were defensive end William Hayes (fibula) and defensive tackle Alex Carrington (quad). Hayes was full participation Thursday, while Carrington was limited.

On the minus side, after being limited Wednesday with a foot problem, linebacker Will Herring did not practice Thursday. Herring has been a core special teams performer since signing with the team in early October.

The rest of the team’s injury report remained unchanged from Wednesday: CB Marcus Roberson (ankle), LB Daren Bates (groin), CB Lamarcus Joyner (groin), and WR Damian Williams (hamstring) all did not practice for the second day in a row.

DE Chris Long practiced on a limited basis for the second consecutive day but isn’t expected to play Sunday as he works his way back from the injured reserve/designated for return list following September foot surgery.

For Denver the only change on the injury report was starting MLB Nate Irving, who was placed on the injured reserve list Thursday with a knee injury.

One again, RB Ronnie Hillman (foot) and TE Virgil Green (knee) did not practice. Two starters on Denver’s offensive line, LG Orlando Franklin (knee) and LT Ryan Clady (groin), were limited for the second day in a row

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – November 5, 2014

(On his thoughts on Governor Jay Nixon’s press and how he’s keeping the players from being distracted by rumors that the team’s moving)
“There’s no issues whatsoever with the players. We’ve not discussed anything with the players. Their focus, as well as the staff’s focus, is on the Arizona Cardinals.”

(On his personal reaction to the Governor’s press conference today)
“I haven’t paid attention to it, honestly. Again, I’m focused on this next game, okay. We’ll huddle up and I’m sure they’ll inform me as to what took place. Again, I’m in no place to comment. I’m coaching this team and this team’s playing the Cardinals. That’s where we are with that.”

(On if he thought the Cardinals would have the best record in the league at this point)
“You go back to last year and see what they did and how strong they finished. It doesn’t surprise us. (Cardinals Head Coach) Bruce (Arians) obviously, did a great job in Indy. He’s picked up this team and got them playing really well. They’re playing mistake-free football. Carson’s (Palmer) thrown two interceptions. They’re getting the ball back defensively and they’re playing real good special teams. This is going to be a next big challenge for us, but our guys are excited. We’ll get them back. We’ve got some guys that didn’t practice today. We hope we’ll get some guys back on the field tomorrow. They’re excited to put last weekend behind us and then try to put two in a row together.”

(On how much healthier the team is going into this week compared to last week)
“Last week I think we had 13 guys on the injury report and we had maybe 10 or so that didn’t practice. I think we had six or so that didn’t practice today. Again, each day’s important. We’ll probably get some guys back over the next couple of days.”

(On how he gets the point total back up and the offense back going)
“We had 14 points taken off the board last week. One was a special teams touchdown. One was a defensive touchdown. There’s some points there. Those are hidden points kind of things.”

(On if in his scorebook it was actually a 27-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers last week)
“Something like that, yeah. (WR) Tavon (Austin) had his third punt return called back.”

(On the running back situation and which back will get the start)
“One of them will start back there, unless, we go five wides or something like that, but I don’t know who that’s going to be (laughs). We’ve got good backs and they’ve all shown that at some point. We’ll figure it out.”

(On what he’s seen from RBs Zac Stacy and Tre Mason and their abilities to share reps)
“They just want to win. They want to contribute. They want to play a perfect game. They want to grade out 100 percent in pass protection and route distribution and things. They’re all practicing. They’re all working at it. They’re all very unselfish. I can certainly appreciate how Zac feels after last week, having been the only one to not play in the game. Zac is again, very unselfish and just waiting his turn and he’s an outstanding back as well.”

(On if he’s cognizant of players that haven’t played while the game is going on or is it one of those things that happens)
“It’s one of those things that happens. I was informed Monday that we had 43 of our 46 participate in at least one special teams play. Those things I find out after.”

(On if Stacy will be asked to play special teams)
“He’s done some stuff and is capable of doing things. It’s probably unlikely that we ask him to do that.”

(On if he’s missing WR Brian Quick in the offense)
“Yeah, he was productive. He was very productive until he got hurt. Someone else will have to step up. As I mentioned, we’ve played the second-ranked, fourth-and-fifth-ranked defense in the National Football League the last three weeks. They’re not giving up a lot of points. This team is not necessarily ranked as high in total yards, but in the run game they’re giving up 76-yards a game rushing. That makes it a big challenge for us because it gives them the opportunity to rush the passer, which they do, and you’re not going to have any sacks when you hand the football off. We have to figure out a way to do that against them.”

(On if it’s weird that they’re third in rushing defense and 32nd in pass defense and if he see’s anything on pass defense or are other teams getting garbage yards at the end)
“Yes. They’re getting up and teams are just throwing it and going two-minute. They’re giving up plays just to protect the end zone and things like that. It’s very, very misleading.”

(On the difference between containing 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and Cardinals QB Carson Palmer)
“When something’s not there he’s going to try to escape, as compared to Carson. Carson is as good as there is in the league right now moving in the pocket and getting rid of the football. He’ll step up, particularly because he’s especially tall he can see. He just does a great job of moving in the pocket. He’s hard to get down.”

(On if the Cardinals secondary is opportunistic)
“Well, they’re creating pressure and they’re making plays. They’re a good man-to-man cover team and everybody’s having opportunities to get their hands on the balls and they’re making the plays.”

Rams QB Austin Davis – November 5, 2014

(On if he likes the later practices)
“Yeah it’s nice to get a little sleep, get a little rest. I think (Head) coach (Jeff Fisher) understands how important that is for us to sleep it a little bit, especially as we get later in the season.”

(On facing the 7-1 Arizona Cardinals)
“Arizona, their record speaks for itself, really good. Obviously, they’ve been doing some good things on offense. We’re focused on what they’re doing defensively. They’ve been very multiple, they’ve been very good, they’ve gotten after the quarterback. Huge, huge challenge for us. It’ll be a good test to see where we’re at. Another division game.”

(On if it’s accurate to say that he struggled early in Sunday’s before settling down later on in the game)
“Yeah I would say. You just make some bad plays and you’ve got to find a way to kind of calm yourself. Makes some good plays at the end to try and win the game. They’re not all going to be pretty. They’re not all going to be perfect. Hats off to our defense the way they played, just dominated the game, really. It’s awesome to come out of there with a win. Tough place to play.”

(On the running back situation with the emergence of RB Tre Mason)
“I think the running back by committee’s something we kind of stuck to. All of those guys have done a great job and Tre’s a young player coming into his own, getting a lot of carries and doing a heck of a job.”

(On if the team is affected by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s conference call that occurred this morning)
“I think we’re so focused on what we have in front of us and the task is so large we really don’t think about it. It’s far out of our control. Those decisions are way above us and we’ll just keep focusing on Arizona and worry about those things when they come.”

(On if the team talks about the stadium issues)
“Not really. Like I said, we’ve got too much going on, too much in front of us and way bigger fish to fry.”

(On how the Cardinals are 7-1)
“They’re a good football team. Their defense is number one in takeaways, so they create turnovers. We’ve got do a great job of protecting the football and that starts with me making better decisions and the running backs holding onto to the rock and the receivers doing the same. Create some turnovers and they’ve got great players. That’s what good football teams are made of. They combine that with a good scheme. They play confident. We’ve got to find a way to play a solid game. Go in there and do what we can do.”

(On if it affects him when he hands the ball off to the three running backs on different occasions)
“No, we work all those guys. We work on consistency. They’re all in the same places, for the most part. It’s not really an issue at all.”

(On if he will change his approach because the Cardinals are number one in takeaways)
“Yeah, I think a lot of their turnovers have come from pressure looks and guys just making bad decisions. I think we can do a good job of getting balls completed in those looks. There’s a lot of grass to run. It’s kind of a high risk, high reward type of defense. So far this year’s been a lot of reward.”

(On what challenges the Cardinals defense presents)
“I think the thing that’s consistent about what they do is they come in with a plan and they stick to it. It’s just going to be out ability to find out what that plan is and then adapt to it. There’s no way to prepare for it because you don’t know what it’s going to be. You see on film the things they do differently, it’s specific to one game. So, they do one thing…that was the (Philadelphia Eagles) ‘Philly’ game or that was this game. We’re anticipating anything. The way we handle that is we trust our rules, trust our training, and then we adapt as the game goes along.”

(On if the Cardinals defense plays with more four-man fronts than they have in previous years)
“Yeah they’re three-down personnel but a lot of four-down fronts. A lot of the offensive line covered, all five guys covered, call that a jam front. So, they’ll do all those things.”

(On the Cardinals run defense being ranked third in the NFL)
“I think they commit a lot of guys to it, a lot of guys to the run game. Play post-safety defense and trust their corners. They don’t have to have an extra guy in coverage because they trust those guys on the edge.”

(On the Cardinals pass defense being ranked 32nd in the NFL)
“I think stats can be very misleading. You never know the way games go, situations of games. Obviously, their record’s great so teams are down so they’re throwing the ball more late in the game. They’re softening up and giving up yards. We don’t look a lot at the stats. They’re definitely really good at stopping the run and we’re going to have to throw and complete the ball and do some things in the passing game.”

(On if he’s wondering if he will ever play a crummy defense after playing so many top defenses in a row)
“I don’t think any of them are crummy in this league. That’s what you learn right away every week’s a different challenge and a tough challenge.”

(On if he can tell when he’s playing an ‘elite’ defense)
“It’s a confidence thing. I think they play with a lot of confidence and if you allow them to keep that confidence throughout a game they’re going to be really tough to handle. We’ve got to do some things and move the ball and kind of frustrate them a little bit. Play our game.”

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-report/rams-escape-defensive-battle-with—win-over-niners/article_8a11e301-e871-58cc-b708-6d7d15dab9d5.html
Rams escape defensive battle with 13-10 win over Niners
21 minutes ago • By Joe Lyons jlyons@post-dispatch.com 636-493-9675

In a fitting finish for a Rams defense turning in its best effort of the season, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick was stuffed and fumbled on a third-and-goal play from the 1 in the game’s final seconds Sunday afternoon.

Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis came away with the loose ball in the end zone to cap an outstanding defensive effort for the Rams, who came away with a 13-10 victory in their first trip to Levi’s Stadlum.

The Rams are 3-5; San Francisco is now 4-4.

The Rams defense, which held the 49ers scoreless in the second half, also helped set up the go-ahead score as Greg Zuerlein booted a 39-yard field goal to give the visitors a 13-10 lead with 5:25 to play. It’s the Rams’ first lead of the day.

The field goal came after Andy Lee’s 23-yard punt from the 49er end zone. That San Francisco drive never got going because of 49er penalties and a Michael Brockers’ sack _ the Rams’ eighth of the day.

GAME TIED AT 10 WITH 15 MINUTES TO PLAY

In what has become a defensive struggle, the Rams and 49ers are still tied at 10 with 15 minutes to play.

The Rams, who entered the game with six sacks total, have sacked Colin Kaepernick seven times through three quarters.

Rams defensive end William Hayes, who has two of those sacks, was carted off from the sideline late in the thrid quarter.

RAMS, 49ERS TIED AT 10 AT THE HALF

The 49ers regained the lead early in the second quarter, converting after an Antoine Bethea interception. After Bethea came a leaping grab on an Austin Davis pass intended for Tavon Austin at the St. Louis 35, San Francisco needed three plays to go up 10-3. Rolling to his right, Colin Kaeperinick stopped and found Anquan Boldin wide open in the middle of the field. Boldin raced untouched to the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown with 11:57 to play in the first half.

The Rams responded just before halftime, taking advantage of their own turnover. Near midfield, defensive end Robert Quinn knocked the ball away from Kaeperinick _ on the fifth sack of the half for the Rams _ and Eugene Sims recovered at the San Francisco 36.

Two plays after a 17-yard gain on a screen pass from Davis to Benny Cunningham, Davis found Kenny Britt on a crossing pattern that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown that evened the score at 10 with 1:04 to play in the half.

The Rams may have caught a break in the half’s waning seconds. On a 55-yard field goal try by Phil Dawson as time expired, Tavon Austin made an ill-advised return attempt, leaving the end zone briefly before being tackled into the end zone by the 49ers’ Derek Carrier. The officials ruled in the Rams’ favor _ no safety.

Some quick halftime numbers:

• Davis rallied late in the half and has completed 7 of 15 passes for 74 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Britt has two catches for 32 yards and a score.

• The Rams have sacked Kaepernick six times.

• Kaepernick has completed 11 of 16 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Boldin has 51 yards and a TD on three catches. Frank Gore has just 26 yards on seven carries.

RAMS, 49ers TIED AT 3 AFTER ONE QUARTER

The 49ers, who rallied from a 14-0 deficit to beat the Rams 30-17 at the Edward Jones Dome on Oct. 13, took the opening kickoff in the rematch and marched 64 yards on nine plays to take a 3-0 lead on 34-yard field goal from Phil Dawson.

The San Francisco drive was aided by three Rams’ penalties, including a 15-yard late hit infraction on defensive lineman Eugene Sims.

Later in the quarter, the Rams put together a solid 12-play drive capped by a 37-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein that evened the score at 3 with 1:20 to play in the period.

CB JENKINS INACTIVE AGAIN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. • Of the 13 Rams players listed on the injury report this week, only two will not dress against the 49ers.

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (knee) will sit out his second consecutive game. And backup safety Cody Davis, who left the Kansas City game with concussion symptoms, also was on the pregame inactive list. Davis actually passed the concussion protocol tests during the week and practiced Friday.

But the Rams still decided to make him a a pregame inactive, in essence leaving room for newly-acquired safety Mark Barron to make his Rams debut.

Joining Jenkins and Davis on the inactive list for the Rams are: S Maurice Alexander, LB Korey Toomer, G/T Brandon Washington, TE Alex Bayer and DE Ethan Westbrooks.

That means three players listed as questionable on the Rams’ Friday injury report are all suiting up today: DT Aaron Donald (shoulder), S Rodney McLeod (knee), and LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (toe).

Also suiting up are C Scott Wells (elbow) and OG Rodger Saffold. In addition, CB Trumaine Johnson (knee) is suiting up for the first time since suffering a knee injury in the Rams third preseason game, Aug. 23 in Cleveland.

For San Francisco LB Patrick Willis and CB Tramaine Brock head the list of inactives. Both were limited through the week with toe injuries. Others 49er inactives are: QB Josh Johnson, WR Quinton Patton, G/C Dillon Farrell, TE/DT Demarcus Dobbs TE/DT, and DT Tank Carradine.

(Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.)

Gordon: Decimated Rams start 2015 build-up
• By Jeff Gordon

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/gordon-decimated-rams-start-build-up/article_51830c89-f054-576f-9cfb-25150eca1532.html

The Rams will absorb some gruesome beatings from here on out and everybody knows it.

They just lost left tackle Jake Long and top receiver Brian Quick to season-ending injuries. Roughly a fourth of the surviving Rams made the official injury report Wednesday.

New Rams safety Mark Barron made it onto the practice field during Wednesday’s light walk-through at Rams Park. He didn’t miss much because this battered team couldn’t do much while bracing to play the San Francisco 49ers for the second time in three weeks.

Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Strauss asked coach Jeff Fisher about this vexing scenario.

“We’re going to bounce back this week and go out and we’re going to play as hard as we possibly can against a good football team that we had a chance to beat here but we let slip away,” Fisher said. “I’m not blaming anything on the injuries or anything.

“We’ll have some people come back as the week goes on, but the big thing for us is . . . when you play an opponent twice in three weeks, you run the risk of taking for granted, ‘Oh, we’re familiar with them. We played them a couple weeks ago.’ We’ve got to get to know them even better right now. That’s our focus. That’s their challenge.

“Learn from the mistakes that happened in that ballgame. Carry a respect in for your opponent and go play hard. That’s our focus right now.”

That is mandatory brave coaching talk from Fisher, right out of the manual. He can’t come out and say this season is ruined, but it is.

The Rams are 2-5. After playing at San Francisco, they play at Arizona, return home to face Denver (gulp) and then head West again to play at San Diego.

As we noted earlier this week in Tipsheet, the football operation must shift its focus forward.

Playing top draft pick Greg Robinson at left tackle will be part of that process. Jake Long’s demise makes it mandatory, but this is an opportunity to speed the big fella’s development.

Robinson will have to take charge at left tackle when the Rams scrape Long’s contract off the books this winter.

Integrating Barron into the secondary will be part of that process, too. Acquiring him for fourth- and sixth-round picks was an interesting move for a franchise that has been stockpiling picks, not trading them.

“It’s an opportunity to get a good player on this roster for the future,” Fisher said. “Whenever and wherever he plays, I can’t answer that right now. But we’ve got a good player.”

Barron, who just turned 25, made the NFL all-rookie team for the Buccaneers and established himself as a durable, hard-hitting strong safety.

At a glance, he seems to be the sort of young veteran the Rams should welcome. It beats adding pricey, twilight-age veterans via free agency.

But the Rams already have a young strong safety in T.J. McDonald. Although McDonald is stronger in run support than in coverage, perhaps he will slide over to free safety. And Barron insisted that he, too, could play free safety.

With Rodney McLeod and Cody Davis sidelined Sunday, rookie nickel back Lamarcus Joyner ended up playing there. That wasn’t good for anybody. Barron’s arrival could be quite timely.

Then again, Barron struggled in coverage in Lovie Smith’s “Cover-2″ defense. So now the Rams could start two hard-hitting safeties who aren’t great in coverage, playing behind a bunch of really young cornerbacks.

That could get interesting. Odds are we will see a lot of interesting things as the Rams get a head start on another roster overhaul.

Not only did Robinson have to slide over to tackle in Kansas City, redshirt freshman Barrett Jones had to step in at center and veterans Mike Person and Davin Joseph had to come off the bench to play guard.

What will the offensive line look like in San Francisco?

“I don’t think it’s crystallized,” quarterback Austin Davis said. “We’ll see who recovers and who doesn’t. Just kind of as the week goes along we’ll get a better idea of what the plan is. We’ll be ready to go by Sunday. We don’t have to be ready today.”

Players are coming and going from this roster. Quarterback Case Keenum exited on waivers and returned as a practice squad player.

He gained some more time to develop. Could he become a back-up caliber quarterback at some point?

Perhaps. He has the acumen for it and some experience playing at the NFL level under adversity. He shares some qualities with Davis, who is making his case for further employment.

Keenum bumped Garrett Gilbert, who had no chance to make it. Gilbert was brutal in training camp. He appeared utterly lost. He was a living, breathing example of just how little value late-round draft picks have.

So, sure, moving a sixth-round pick to Tampa Bay in the Barron package was no big deal.

Suddenly the Rams are awash in linebacker hopefuls. Will Herring, Marshall McFadden and Korey Toomer are all on the active roster now as the team soldiers on without Ray Ray Armstrong.

Could one of those guys become less of a liability than Alec Ogletree at outside linebacker? Ogletree has regressed from Emerging Playmaker to Accident Waiting to Happen in a hurry.

There is so much to do between now and next season. Once again Fisher is forced to take a pragmatic approach, turning a crisis into a player development opportunity.

Let training camp begin.

Jeff Fisher not expecting to face Aldon Smith this week
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13179/jeff-fisher-not-expecting-aldon-smith-this-week

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The San Francisco 49ers enter Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams with the inherent advantage of coming off a bye week and a number of players returning to health.

The Rams, meanwhile, head toward that meeting with 13 players on their injury report, eight of whom were listed as non-participants in Wednesday’s walk-through. They are also coming off a 34-7 drubbing at Kansas City in the middle of a three-game road stretch.

Needless to say, the 49ers don’t need any more advantages, whether real or perceived. So as rumors swirl about the potential early return of 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith from his original nine-game suspension, Rams coach Jeff Fisher made it clear Wednesday that he doesn’t expect Smith to be available this week.

More to the point, Fisher believes if the NFL was going to make Smith available this late in the week, it should have done so earlier since the game-planning that his team has already done hasn’t accounted for Smith.

“He’s a good football player,” Fisher said. “I would expect it to be unlikely this late. I think I would have liked to have known about it earlier in the week from a game-planning standpoint, but we can’t control what happens at the league office. If he’s reinstated and plays, we’re going to have to block him. So we’ll just wait and see.”

Smith has two games left on the nine-game suspension he received before the season for violations of the league’s personal conduct policy and substance abuse program. The rumor mill has indicated a possible reduction in that suspension based on apparent good behavior.

So far, nothing has come from those rumors and it doesn’t appear a reduction is imminent. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, as the league has made similar unexpected decisions on such matters before.

Even without Smith, the 49ers sacked Rams quarterback Austin Davis five times in the first meeting on Oct. 13. Adding Smith, who has 42 sacks in 43 regular-season games, would make things tougher on a Rams team that will give rookie Greg Robinson his first start at left tackle Sunday.

“I’ve got a pretty good left tackle out there right now that’s going to get better and better,” Fisher said. “So we’ll see.”

Rams notebook: Fisher opts for shortened workout for battered squad
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-notebook-fisher-opts-for-shortened-workout-for-battered-squad/article_650025d8-8065-585d-8d3a-7b816277f5c1.html

In what has already been an unusual week, the Rams had a one-hour walk-through in place of their regular practice Wednesday afternoon.

That’s what happens when you spend a couple of days reworking the 53-man roster and 10-man practice squad while dealing with multiple injuries.

“I had 13 people on the injury report and I felt like we needed to back down,’’ Rams coach Jeff Fisher said, adding that the Rams are facing a familiar foe this week in the NFC West rival San Francisco. “Our focus is having them ready (for) Sunday.’’

When the Rams (2-5) take on the 49ers (4-3) Sunday at 3:05 p.m. in their first trip to new Levi’s Stadium, they will definitely be without starting left tackle Jake Long (knee) and No. 1 wide receiver Brian Quick (shoulder).

On Wednesday, the Rams made it official as Quick joined Long on injured reserve.

Chosen by the Rams with the initial pick of the second round in 2012, Quick was in the midst of a breakout season with career bests in starts (seven), catches (25), receiving yards (375) and touchdowns (three).

He was replaced on the 53-man roster by offensive lineman Brandon Washington, a 6-2, 318-pounder from the University of Miami who was promoted from the practice squad. A sixth-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, Washington was signed by the Rams shortly after being cut that fall and has spent almost all of the last two-plus seasons on the practice squad. He made his NFL debut in last season’s finale at Seattle.

Veteran receiver and kick returner Damian Williams was also added to the active roster Wednesday. Williams, 26, played in college at Arkansas and Southern California and was drafted in the third round of the 2010 draft by Fisher’s Tennessee Titans. He spent the next four seasons there, enjoying a career year in 2011 with 45 catches for 592 yards and five touchdowns in 13 starts. In one game this season with the Miami Dolphins, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Williams had one 14-yard reception.

“I was surprised he was available; (Miami) released him on Saturday,’’ Fisher said. “Losing Brian, it feels like Damian is a perfect fit for us as a back-up returner and as a fifth receiver right now. He’s smart. He’ll learn real quickly and obviously has a chance to be active this week.’’

To open a spot, the Rams cut defensive back Jemea Thomas, a rookie from Georgia Tech who made his Rams debut Sunday.

In moves involving the practice squad Wednesday, the Rams released wide receiver Kadron Boone and added tackle Steven Baker, wide receiver Emory Blake, tight end Justice Cunningham and offensive lineman Travis Bond.

Baker, a 6-foot-8, 310-pounder from East Carolina, signed as an undrafted free agent with Indianapolis in 2012 and has also been with Arizona, Kansas City, the New York Giants and Miami.

Blake, Bond and Cunningham have all been with the Rams during the last couple of seasons.

Quarterback Case Keenum cleared waivers and will be added to the practice squad.

“Just took a day off,’’ he kidded.

INJURY REPORT

Because Wednesday was just a walk-through and not a full practice, Fisher had to estimate player participation. Eight of the 13 players on the injury report — defensive end William Hayes (foot), guard Rodger Saffold (shoulder), cornerback Janoris Jenkins (knee), defensive tackle Aaron Donald (shoulder), safety Rodney McLeod (knee), linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar (toe), center Scott Wells (elbow) and safety Cody Davis (concussion) — were listed as not practicing.

In addition, cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee), center Tim Barnes (shoulder), wide receiver Kenny Britt (hip), cornerback Marcus Roberson (ankle) and defensive back Lamarcus Joyner (hip) were limited.

“We’ll get some players back tomorrow and then more and more players back on Friday,’’ said Fisher, whose team fell 31-17 to the visiting 49ers on Oct. 13.

Coming off its bye week, San Francisco had just four players on its Wednesday injury list. Cornerback Chris Culliver (hamstring) was a full participant, with linebacker Patrick Willis (toe), cornerback Tramaine Brock (toe) and safety Jimmie Ward (quadriceps) limited.

EARLY HALLOWEEN

On Tuesday, safety Rodney McLeod hosted a “Halloween Huddle’’ for a group of patients from Shriners Hospital for Children at Kokomo Joe’s in St. Peters.

“We had probably 10 kids, plus their brothers and sisters, and I think everybody really enjoyed themselves. Including me,’’ he said. “We played laser tag, bowled, played a bunch of different arcade games. Those kids are so brave, so courageous. I’m just glad to be able to help out and try to put a smile on their faces.’’

McLeod said he was introduced to Shriners in the week before playing in the 2012 East-West Shrine Game following his senior season at the University of Virginia.

“It was kind of a life-changing experience,’’ the third-year pro explained. “Once I realized the hospital was here, I decided to reach out to them and I thought we did a great job of putting the event together. The kids were excited and they enjoyed themselves a lot.’’

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – October 29, 2014

(On the addition of S Mark Barron)
“We obviously liked Mark coming into the league. He was an outstanding college player. We thought he had a lot of ability and whatever the reasons are down there, we had an opportunity to take advantage of getting a good football player. I spoke with him last night after we put the deal together. Obviously he surprised and shocked but excited about a new start. He just walked through the field there during the middle of the walk thru. He’s got a lot of catching up to do. He’s going to be in time a very good player for us.”

(On if Barron could play this week)
“I wouldn’t rule it out whatsoever, whether it’s special teams or a role on defense. It really depends on…I mean, he’s just meeting people now for the first time. So, we’ll see how quickly things go this week.”

(On if Barron has a chance to contribute because of the Rams’ injury situation)
“It’s an opportunity to get a good player on this roster for the future. Whenever and wherever he plays, I can’t answer that right now. But we’ve got a good player.”

(On the team having a walk thru rather than a full practice today)
“I had 13 people on the injury report and I felt like we needed to back down today. Our focus is having them ready at 1:00 on Sunday.”

(On the difficulty of the challenge this week considering the opponent and the Rams’ injury situation)
“We’re going to bounce back this week and go out and we’re going to play as hard as we possibly can against a good football team that we had a chance to beat here but we let slip away. I’m not blaming anything on the injuries or anything. We’ll have some people come back as the week goes on, but the big thing for us is to…when you play an opponent twice in three weeks, you run the risk of taking for granted, ‘Oh, we’re familiar with them. We played them a couple weeks ago.’ We’ve got to get to know them even better right now. That’s our focus. That’s their challenge. Learn from the mistakes that happened in that ballgame. Carry a respect in for your opponent and go play hard. That’s our focus right now.”

(On if he’s in a ‘wait and see mode’ to see how the injured players progress this week)
“Yeah, they’ll be on the injury report today. Because you don’t practice full speed, you have to estimate had you had a full practice what would they have done. We went ahead and did that and we’re accurate with that. We’ll get some players back tomorrow I’m sure and then more and more players back on Friday.”

(On what he likes about Barron as a safety)
“He’s a smart, instinctive football player. He’ll hit you. He understands angles. Gosh, he was a first-round pick and for whatever reason it didn’t work out or they felt like it didn’t fit in the system. We’ll find a way to fit him into our system at some point. I don’t know whether that’s a week for six weeks or next year. But we need depth at the position and we’re banged up a little bit. It was an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up.”

(On the roles Barron and T.J. McDonald could have together)
“I’m not going to speculate the moves and things like that. We got a good player. I’m going to spend some time with him and talk about where and how he fits at some other point.”

Rams QB Austin Davis – October 29, 2014

(On preparation for the 49ers playing them two weeks after the first meeting)
“It is kind of strange to play a team twice in one year but not only to do that but to play them kind of back to back. You know what they’re going to do but obviously they’ll do some things differently. We’ll do some things differently, too. It’s a new game. You approach every game and every week differently. It’s the next one up and we’ll be prepared.”

(On how he’s preparing for the 49ers in the film room)
“You watch the previous game. What did they do that we were able to take advantage off? What did they do that gave us problems? You expect to see whatever they did to give us problems, you expect to see it again. We’ve got to have some answers for it.”

(On the second half of the game against the Chiefs and the new offensive linemen)
“It was challenging. I thought the guys that did come in really stepped up and did a great job and really fought. I told them that after the game. I was really happy with the way they came in. That’s hard to do. It’s hard to come off the bench and play. I’ve been there. I appreciated the way those guys came in and fought. Very confident with the guys that are going this week. We’ve got a good game plan for what we need to get done. Keep moving forward.”

(On if the starting O-line has been crystallized for the game on Sunday)
“I don’t think it’s crystallized. We’ll see who recovers and who doesn’t. Just kind of as the week goes along we’ll get a better idea of what the plan is. We’ll be ready to go by Sunday. We don’t have to be ready today.”

(On what the week has been like with all the roster moves that have occurred)
“It has a different feel to it but at the same time it’s all about Sunday. We’ve got to be ready to play Sunday. Today’s a little different day with the walk-thru. Just trying to get mental reps and focus. The focus is on the physical health of the football team to get everyone ready to play. The fact that it’s a familiar opponent helps in this type of week. But, at the same time every game’s a different game.”

(On OL Greg Robinson moving from LG to LT)
“Greg’s doing a great job. He’s getting better every week. Again, I don’t evaluate the offensive line play. Felt very comfortable in whatever formation, whatever lineup we have up there.”

(On if they ask him to grade the offensive line)
“They don’t.”

(On if he can speak to the dramatic differences between the first and second halves)
“One of the things we have to focus on is being able to play a complete game on both sides of the football and be able to put it together. Offensively, we talked about the details. Just letting things get away whether that’s my drop or my eyes and receiver routes, just the details of everything that we do. It’s easy to lose those details as you get going during the season. But, when you watch a game that you don’t play so well those are typically the things that can get away from you and cause you to struggle.”

(On if it is frustrating that the offense struggles in the second half)
“I think that’s the hardest part about being a really good offense and defense as well, is can you do it consistently. Can you do it every quarter, every play, both halves. That’s what we’re focused on and we’re still getting better and better. That’s what we got to do this week.”

(On if he notices that past opponents have made adjustments or have taken away certain things in the second half)
“I think in watching tape, they don’t take as much away as you think they do. I felt at times that I’ve gotten kind of thrown off a little bit and missed some things. They cover one thing, then all of a sudden you think they’re covering everything, but they’re really not. We’re getting guys open, run game’s been good. We’ve just got to stay the course and continue to do what we do. And, like you’ve already said put two halves together and play a complete game.”

(On how significant third down conversions are)
“It’s a big part of it. We talk a lot about third downs and just staying on the field. There’s a time of possession battle. There’s a confidence that comes with converting third-downs and the big focus for us is staying out of third-and-long. Third-and-eight-8/9/10-plus is really hard to convert in this league. I don’t care how good you are on offense. We’ve got to be better on first and second down to get us into third-and-manageable, third-and-2/3s and that’ll give us a better chance to convert, stay on the field and kind of build momentum and play confidently.”

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-banged-up-young-secondary-could-be-tested-pd/%5D Rams’ Banged-Up Young Secondary Could Be Tested –PD
The Rams might have to do a little shuffling in the secondary for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs in Kansas City.

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-prepare-to-face-another-star-rb-pd/%5D Rams Prepare to Face Another Star RB –PD
This Rams’ season began with them facing Adrian Peterson. There was DeMarco Murray, the LeSean McCoy-Darren Sproles tag team, then Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch

http://www.rams-news.com/gordons-tipsheet-shedding-positive-light-on-austin-davis/%5D Gordon’s Tipsheet: Shedding positive light on Austin Davis
The NFL is no place for young quarterbacks. The league chews up most of them and spits them to the curb.

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-ready-for-rowdy-arrowhead-appearance-wagoner/%5D Rams Ready for Rowdy Arrowhead Appearance –Wagoner
Playing the Kansas City Chiefs hasn’t been much fun for the St. Louis Rams the last five times they’ve met.

http://www.rams-news.com/jim-thomas-have-to-wonder-if-rams-looking-to-trade-stacy/%5D Jim Thomas: Have to Wonder if Rams Looking to Trade Stacy
St. Louis Rams rookie running back Tre Mason broke out in a big way against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, piling up 85 yards on 18 carries in the 28-26 win.

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-look-to-improve-perimeter-run-d-wagoner/%5D Rams Look to Improve Perimeter Run D –Wagoner
As they make their final preparations for the Kansas City Chiefs, perhaps the St. Louis Rams defense can get some pointers from Vanderbilt alum/running back Zac Stacy.

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-could-be-thin-at-cornerback-sunday-wagoner/%5D Rams Could be Thin at Cornerback Sunday –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams’ injury report is a lengthy one, but there’s good news and bad news to be found.

http://www.rams-news.com/morning-ram-blings-prediction-time-wagoner-4/%5D Morning Ram-blings: Prediction Time –Wagoner
It’s that time of the week again. Time for our weekly roundup of predictions as the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs square off on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

http://www.rams-news.com/jim-thomas-will-rams-trade-zac-stacy-radio-interview/%5D Jim Thomas: Will Rams Trade Zac Stacy? –Radio Interview

http://www.rams-news.com/will-austin-davis-play-earn-him-a-big-paycheck-from-the-rams-radio-interview/%5D Will Austin Davis’ Play Earn Him A Big Paycheck from the Rams –Radio Interview

http://www.rams-news.com/tavon-austin-on-the-fake-punt-return-i-just-tried-to-sell-it-video/%5D Tavon Austin on the Fake Punt Return: “I Just Tried to Sell It” –Video

http://www.rams-news.com/brian-schottenheimer-the-main-thing-is-we-want-to-win-video/%5D Brian Schottenheimer: “The main thing is we want to win” –Video

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-hc-jeff-fisher-calls-in-to-the-rich-eisen-show-video/%5D Rams’ HC Jeff Fisher Calls in to The Rich Eisen Show –Video