Run-first Rams’ struggle go beyond the basics

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/21977/run-first-rams-struggles-go-beyond-the-basics

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams’ offseason left zero doubt about the offensive identity they were trying to forge.

In drafting running back Todd Gurley No. 10 overall and five offensive linemen, coach Jeff Fisher made it clear he wanted to get back to the type of dominant running game that was a hallmark of some of his Tennessee teams.

Even with a new coordinator, a new running back and three new starters on the offensive line, the Rams hoped they’d be able to adapt well enough to run the ball effectively early in the season. Run blocking in the NFL is widely believed an easier adjustment for young linemen.

But you wouldn’t know it from watching the Rams. Three weeks into the season, they are 30th in the league in rushing attempts. That would indicate that there’s not much of a commitment to the run but the reality is that the Rams haven’t run much because they haven’t had much success doing it.

So, what do you make of a run-first team that can’t run the ball?

“If we’re going to have this type of team be successful, we have to get the run game going,” guard Rodger Saffold said.

So far, the Rams have gained just 214 rushing yards (29th in the NFL) with an average of 3.75 yards per carry (21st). And while those numbers aren’t good enough in their own right, they’re actually buoyed by production from quarterback Nick Foles and receivers like Tavon Austin and Chris Givens.

The Rams’ primary running backs (not including Austin) are last in the NFL in attempts (42), yards (111), touchdowns (0), and yards before contact (54). They’re second to last in yards per carry (31st) and yards after contact per rush (1.09).

So how did the Rams end up in this spot? It’s not as simple as just blocking better and running harder.

Earlier this week, I asked Fisher if he believed the change in offensive scheme under coordinator Frank Cignetti, particularly in the run game, has been a factor in the slow start.

“No, I mean, we’ve added a couple of things over last year,” Fisher said. “But I think in the long run we’re going to benefit from it. It’s going to help us.”

When Fisher says a “couple of things” he’s referring to the team’s added reliance on outside zone concepts. Saying “a couple of things” would indicate that the changes have been small but the Rams have leaned heavily on the use of outside zone. They’re still mixing in some man blocking plays but the zone seems to be where it’s all headed when (if?) everything comes together.

Outside zone run plays ask something different of each player. For offensive linemen, it’s about moving laterally and pushing defenders aside to create cutback lanes. It’s imperative for them to get to the second-level to block linebackers and there’s a premium placed on technique and taking proper angles.

For running backs, it’s about staying “on track” by remaining patient, waiting for the right hole to open up and then pressing it at the right time. A hole that might initially look like the right one isn’t necessarily going to be it as the back tries to get linebackers flowing in a certain direction before hitting one cut and taking off.

“It starts with their footwork, pressing their reads,” offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti said. “The line can do a great job, but if the running back’s not in sync, it won’t matter. It takes all 11 guys to function as one. We talk about it every day. So, in the running game, the running back has to have his core set right, trust what he sees and be a decisive one-cut runner.”

On the surface, it sounds simple enough but the Rams have a number of players who have never run the scheme. Chief among the newcomers is Gurley, who said Georgia has zone concepts but never really used them.

“It’s a new thing we put in,” Gurley said. “It just takes repetition and you just keep getting reps at it and looking at other teams’ outside zone schemes and learning from that and watching film with the O-line. We’ll get it down pat and get this thing rolling soon.

“[It] definitely [requires] patience and getting those backers to flow, stretching the D end, making sure you are pressing the track and making that cut at the heels of the line.”

When those plays don’t work, it can result in little or lost yardage which is why Rams running backs average just 1.29 yards per rush before contact. That number is put in better perspective when you see that they average 2.67 yards per attempt as a team. In other words, the running backs are often getting hit before they start running north and south while some of the jet sweeps and scrambles have yielded bigger gains before anyone gets touched.

Perhaps overlooked in the process is the fullback, Cory Harkey, who is often asked to set the “track” (the path for the runner to follow) for the tailback.

“In our offense, the fullback is considered the bus driver,” Harkey said. “We are kind of trying to see everything out and yes, there are times where you would like to see the running back follow the fullback but realistically in the outside zone, our job is to get those ‘backers flowing so that way the running backs can really stretch it and make one cut and go.”

The Rams believe they aren’t far away from the day when that one cut will lead to the back going for big gains. The belief is that they’ll then be multiple enough in the run game to keep defenses guessing and use the run game to open up everything else.

“If you can run and the sack numbers are down, everything goes hand in hand,” center Tim Barnes said. “We want to have that reputation as a good running offensive line.”

The Rams have learned the hard way the first three weeks that if they are going to be run-first, they must first run well.

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Quick working his way back into receiving mix for Rams

NORM SANDERS

http://www.bnd.com/sports/nfl/st-louis-rams/article36351174.html

When the media isn’t trying to pin St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher down on the debut of rookie running back Todd Gurley, another popular question is the status of wide receiver Brian Quick.

Quick, coming off shoulder surgery that shortened his 2014 season, has been inactive for each of the first two games. The Rams’ passing attack had much more success in the season-opening overtime win over Seattle than it did Sunday in the loss to Washington, but a healthy Quick would definitely provide another viable weapon.

“He just needs to keep practicing. Just be patient,” Fisher said Wednesday. “He understands that we have to go to 46 (players) and it’s a numbers game. He’s in much better shape right now than he was a few weeks ago, so it’s nothing structurally or physically to do with his shoulder at this point.”

Quick agreed, saying he has been at 100 percent for two months. The 2012 second-round pick out of Appalachian State was well on his way to a breakout season a year ago before suffering a shoulder injury Oct. 26 against Kansas City that required season-ending surgery.

Quick still set new career highs with 25 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns and now is eager to work his way back into the lineup.

“It’s just being patient and preparing out there every day,” Quick said. “I’m going to be ready whenever the time comes.”

Rams rookie RB Todd Gurley pushing toward return

Fisher isn’t ready to put a timetable on when that will be.

“It’s like anybody that’s missed a significant part of the offseason program and was limited in training camp, you’re going to be a little bit behind,” Fisher said. “That’s his only issue. So I’d like to think he’s caught up by this point.”

Throughout training camp, Quick wore a yellow “no contact” hat over his helmet, another sign that he might be a not quite ready for prime-time player.

The current wide receiver group includes Kenny Britt (four catches, 81 yards, one TD), Stedman Bailey (four catches, 58 yards), Tavon Austin (three catches, four yards), Chris Givens (one catch seven yards) and special teams ace Bradley Marquez.

Rams quarterback Nick Foles’ top receiver has been tight end Jared Cook, who has 10 catches for 132 yards. Cook led the Rams with 52 receptions a year ago.

“I missed a lot last year,” Quick said. “I’ve still got to get in the flow of things. I did camp. but I did it with the yellow hat and the defense wasn’t able to tackle me or give me any contact.”

Rams offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti didn’t shed any further light on Quick’s situation.

“You look at him going through individual and all the group work. ‘Quickie’s’ made strides,” Cignetti said. “He’s doing a really nice job out there.”

9/23/15

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher

(On having Tom Mack and Jack Youngblood visit today)
“Yeah, it’s always good…since we’ve got here, we’ve opened the doors to all the alums and they take advantage of it. It’s great to have them around. They’re not the first, not going to be the last. It’s really nice to spend some time with them. It’s a lot of good football there between the two of those players. A lot of Pro Bowls.”

(On how practice went today)
“Today was fun. Was a good day. Padded up, got some work done. Worked on the run game, worked on stopping the run. I thought it was a good day overall.”

(On what WR Brian Quick needs to show him to play on gameday)
“He just needs to keep practicing. Just be patient. He understands that we have to go to 46 (players) and it’s a numbers game. He’s in much better shape right now than he was a few weeks ago, so it’s nothing structurally or physically to do with his shoulder at this point.”

(On how Quick is handling the adversity)
“It’s like anybody that’s missed a significant part of the offseason program and was limited in training camp, you’re going to be a little bit behind. That’s his only issue. So I’d like to think he’s caught up by this point.”

(On Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s request to know if RB Todd Gurley is playing this weekend)
“You guys just have him give me a call. I’ll talk to him. I’d rather talk to him in person.”

(On how much RB Todd Gurley has improved this week)
“He’s had two good days. He had a good day today in pads and he had a good day in the three-quarter speed practice yesterday. So he’ll get a day off tomorrow and we’ll see how he is Friday.”

(On if Gurley will get more reps this week)
“He had a good day today, so I’m not counting his reps.”

(On why WR Chris Givens isn’t receiving the ball as much)
“It’s a by-product of just our offense. We didn’t have a lot of opportunities because of the self-inflicted wounds last weekend, so we didn’t have very many plays. He’ll be part of our offense.”

(On if he’s spent extra time this week preparing for the Steelers 2-point conversion attempts)
“I mean since the rule changed, we’ve been spending considerable time on the two-points, in the meetings and on the practice field. They converted their first two then missed their first extra point of the game, so we have to expect that they’re going to attempt to go for two. But teams don’t typically repeat their two-point plays, so they’re creative and they come up with new ones. So we just have to prepare our defense to be ready for anything.”

(On how many classic Steeler defense traits does he see on display even with the new defensive leadership in Pittsburgh)
“Well you see it all up front. It’s continued with the same system – a few minor tweaks. But you see the aggressive, firm, shock-and-shed approach with the front seven. Their secondary has always been well-coached, regardless of who’s been playing.”

(On what he’s seen from LB Ryan Shazier)
“He’s a good football player. He’s got great speed and he’s really, really smart. I remember going through the draft process. He’s highly intelligent, he gets it, he understands, he’s always getting to the right place. He’s hard to get blocked, too. He’s usually one of those unblocked guys that arrives at the ball carrier.”

(On what makes Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger so good)
“He’s stayed healthy. He’s in his third year of the system now. He’s got great people around him. He’ll extend plays. He’s not looking to run, but he’s looking to buy time and push the ball down the field. Their run game, their short passing game, their screen game, sets up their deep passing game. He’s got a deep arm. He’s one of those guys in the league, one of those rare guys that can throw it a mile and he throws it with accuracy.”

(On if he would like to go for more two point conversions)
“If we score some touchdowns and we might go for two. Touchdowns are the issue right now, it’s not the extra point.”

(On why Roethlisberger is so tough to sack)
“He’s just got exceptionally strong lower body strength. He can shed, he twists and torques and sheds off defenders. He’s always been that way.”

(On what he’s seen from DT Aaron Donald since he’s had him here with the Rams)
“Nothing different. Mike’s (Tomlin) on the competition committee and he commented in several of the meetings early this offseason that he’d seen Aaron in there in late January, early February every day. He just gets up in the morning and goes to work and works out. He’s all about business. It’s certainly paid off for him.”

(On what steps the offense has made this week)
“Well, we still have some work to do throughout the rest of the week, but we’re not, not scoring on purpose. We’re working to do those things. We’ve just faced two pretty good defenses. You stress the importance of getting better every day and improving and minimizing the mistakes and making the plays when you get the opportunities. Our offensive touchdowns are a team, it’s a byproduct of the team, too. It’s not just offense, it’s the defense not getting the ball back, it’s the special teams not getting field position, all of those things.”

(On how much the work ethic in a player can be the edge)
“It’s a difference. You see it over the years. The great ones that come through that play a long time that are perennial Pro Bowlers, they just don’t do it based on God-given ability. They do it as a result of hard work and preparation and dedication and all of those coaching clichés. That’s what Aaron does. Aaron is about football. He loves the game. He studies the game. He studies each and every opponent – individual opponent. He understands our system and he’s been blessed with that great leverage and strength quickness and he’s taking advantage of it.”

Rams Offensive Coordinator Frank Cignetti

(On how he makes amends this weekend from last week’s loss)
“Well you know what, the formula never changes. You put the last game behind you – that 24 hour rule. Then you come out here and you prepare. It starts in the classroom and then you have great meetings. You come out here, you have a great practice like we did today and you press on and you move forward. It’s all about the Steelers now.”

(On if he has had a lot to correct from last weekend’s game)
“No, there’s not a lot to fix. There’s things we’d like to fix. Regardless of how well you play or how poor you play, there’s always things you can do better in the running game, in the protection phase and in the passing game. So you’re always striving for perfection. You’re always striving to do things better.”

(On how RB Todd Gurley looks this week)
“Todd looks good.”

(On if Gurley looks better than last week)
“Yeah, I think you look at him here today he did a really nice job.”

(On what he sees from WR Brian Quick on the practice field)
“I think Brian’s doing a great job. You look at him going through individual and all the group work. ‘Quickie’s’ made strides. He’s doing a really nice job out there.”

(On what Quick has to do to play on game day)
“Well we just have to see where he is and where we are. Time will tell when it’s the right time for him to be up.”

(On if the reason Quick isn’t playing is because of stamina or strength)
“No, no. Those are questions like when you talk to Coach Fisher, those would probably be better for Coach Fisher.”

(On how big his offense needs to be this weekend)
“Well we think every week we need to be big. We have a job to do out there. We have high expectations of ourselves. We want to go out there and protect the football. We want to score points. We want to finish games.”

(On how the young offensive linemen are doing)
“I tell you what, I’ve said it every time here, I think they’re doing a good job. There’s a progression to it. Coach (Paul) Bou (Boudreau) is doing a great job with them. They’re doing a great job preparing. They come out here and practice very well, and you can see in the first two weeks that there’s progress being made.”

(On if he thinks QB Nick Foles took a step backwards from last week’s game)
“No, he didn’t take a step back. It’s tough out there. Every Sunday’s tough out there. There’s going to always be plays that the quarterback would like to have back. In our situation, you look at it, football’s a situational game. We didn’t do a very good job on third down. When you don’t convert on third down, you don’t get another set of downs.”

(On if he’s preparing as if Gurley will play this weekend)
“We always prepare for whoever’s going to be available. We come out here and we run our offense and whoever’s up, they’re prepared to go.”

(On what kind of problems the Steelers present defensively)
“Well first off, they’re a 3-4 defense. They’re a 3-4 defense that will play over and under, very good personnel, tough, physical, active, excellent sub-package, very well coached. There’s a tradition there. They have great tradition in their defense and a lot of pride.”

(On what he sees from the Steelers linebacker group)
“It’s a physical group. Active, physical, they do a great job.”

(On how closely this Steelers defense resembles what he’s seen in the past)
“Well I think (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Keith) Butler’s doing a great job. I think you can see that there’s a resemblance.”

(On if he could see himself playing at 37 years old like Steelers LB James Harrison)
“Absolutely not.”

(On if he’s amazed when he watches Harrison on tape)
“It’s amazing. I’m amazed at almost all these athletes out here, how gifted and how talented they are.”

Rams Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel

(On the Steelers PR Antonio Brown)
“Yeah, he’s pretty easy to notice. Veteran guy that’s kind of like a lot of the best punt returners in the NFL. He’s fast, great ball skills, hard to tackle. He’ll be one of many that we face this year that are like that.”

(On if it’s unusual to see an elite receiver returning punts)
“Yeah, it really is. A credit to him is he’s still courageous and he wants to catch and he wants to run them. He’s trying to break tackles. It is unique to see a guy that’s five, six years in the league still really care that much about being good at that.”

(On if he thinks the Steelers will kick to WR Tavon Austin)
“We’re always planning on them kicking to us. If they don’t, then we adjust, but our game plan is they’re going to kick it.”

(On if it looks like the Steelers will kick it to Austin from what they’ve done in the past few games)
“Yeah, I think they will. They have a good punt team. Their coach I’m sure is confident in their ability to cover it. We have a good punt return team, so hopefully they do and we can play some football.”

(On if a punter can kick the ball and make it roll short on purpose)
“No, I mean I don’t think he’s trying to do that on purpose. We had Tavon at the yardage that we thought he’d punt it. If he punted it how we thought he would…they went straight up and straight down, not very far. Then there’s one you have a 20-25 yard roll. One went for about 14 (yards). Tavon’s decision-making is excellent. So every one of those punts, I was very happy to see he went up, didn’t try to make a catch, which could be a muff and then the giveaway…protect our field position, protect the football as best as he can and great decisions.”

(On if it’s up to Austin to try and catch short punts or let them roll)
“Yep, all the way on him. Like I said, he’s a great decision-maker. His first two years and two games in the NFL and into his third season, I thought he’s made great decisions every time he’s been back there. Those were tough balls because you want to catch them, but you just can’t because it’s a risky catch and you don’t want to risk losing possession of the football.”

(On if he would be running into the coverage by catching a short punt)
“Yeah, he’s got his eyes in the sky on the ball, and then there’s going to be 21 other bodies probably around him. So it’s a tough catch, and I think he made the right call on every single one of them.”

(On having RB Isaiah Pead returning kicks Game 1 and RB Benny Cunningham Game 2 and if he’s still looking for answers on who his returner will be in Game 3)
“No, we only had one ball to bring out against Washington. Benny Cunningham is our answer, who was excellent last year. He had been excellent in really his one return he’s had this year. He took it out eight deep. He’ll be excellent the rest of the season. Benny’s the guy and he’s going to do a good job.”

(On K Greg Zuerlein’s struggling last season against Washington and him making his field goal this year at Washington)
“It says that he’s improved. Says that’s he’s got like I’ve always said, a very strong mindset to be like a cornerback. You get burned deep, forget it and move on to the next one. What was great was it was going the same direction on the same hash, the two kicks he missed last year and it was about a 25-yard further kick. I was on the sidelines just saying he’s going to kill it. He’s going to hit it. He’s going to hit it. He went out there and he piped it. It was great for him to him to hit it, but that’s what we expected and he’s improved.”

(On if he likes what he’s seeing from his punt coverage team ever since the hiccup with Tyler Lockett against Seattle)
“Yeah, I mean that first one…he was good. He hit it right up the shoot. We lost (RB) Chase (Reynolds) early on that cover, so we kind of missed him in our fit. Two years ago the very first punt of our preseason game no.1 against Cleveland, Travis Benjamin ran it back. We learned a lot from that and we made big improvements the rest of the season. So I would hope that it’s going to kind of follow the same suit.”

(On the emergence of S Maurice Alexander the first two weeks of the season)
“Well really he’s picked up where he’s left off from last year. The first probably eight weeks last season, he was kind of…he was young. It was new to him. Then the final eight weeks of last season, he really started to ascend and became a core guy for us. Then the first two games this year, he’s been fantastic. Really kind of picked up where he left off last year, and he is a huge part of our special teams and I expect him to be one of our best.”

(On how much WR Bradley Marquez is an asset on special teams)
“It’s huge, especially from a receiver position. Not only a guy who contributes on all four phases, but a tough guy and a smart guy. He’s been a huge asset for us, especially not having (LB Daren) Bates the first game and then losing (RB) Chase (Reynolds) and not having Chase this past game. He’s kind of filled in and he’s done a really nice job.”

Rams QB Nick Foles

(On what challenges they face from the Pittsburgh defense)
“It’s a defense that everybody knows about their history of their defense. Their front seven are among the best in the league. They do a really good job of stopping the run. It’s really going to come down to execution. We need to gain yards with our running game to open everything up. That’s something that going back to the Washington game that we’ve been working on this week. It’s going to be a tough task. It’s a really talented team, so I’m looking forward to facing them.”

(On what he sees from their linebacker core that features four first round draft picks)
“They’re big guys. Like I said, they’re really good at stopping the run. Great front seven, so we’re going to have to do a good job in the passing game and really try to get them out of that box so we can run it. But, it always comes down to execution. We know what kind of talent they have, so we’ve got to go out there and do a great job with our blocking. I’ve got to do a great job with recognizing what they’re doing, making sure we’re in an appropriate play.”

(On what would be his biggest critique of himself was from last week)
“I think we just didn’t get into a rhythm. That’s on me. I’ve got to make sure to get some easy completions here and there. Football is such a rhythm game that if you can’t get into a rhythm, it’s very difficult to sustain a drive, convert on third down, keep your defense off of the field and we didn’t do a good job of converting on third down. That’s a big thing. That’s a big emphasis this week. It’s really just gaining that rhythm throughout the game and holding onto the ball to help our defense out.”

(On if they never got into a flow offensively last week)
“Yeah I think that we just shot ourselves in the foot. Maybe just the little things. We had penalties, missed throw, missed opportunities, staying behind the chains. So, we’ve got to stay within the chains to give us an opportunity on second and medium, third and short, stuff like that. That gives you a higher percentage than being in third and long.”

(On if there are things that are easily correctable)
“Yeah, nothing is really easy in this league, but it’s just something that making sure that everybody’s on the same page. Understanding why the run we’re running, what it’s designed to beat, why we’re doing it, where the hole is, stuff like that. It’s just the attention to detail that you have to continue to come back, win or lose each week. When you lose, people are going to point it out more and more. The same thing happens when you win. You don’t play perfectly and you miss things out there. So, it’s just every week detailing it up and getting better.”

(On how much difference having RB Todd Gurley would make)
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with that, that’s for (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher. Todd’s a talented guy. We all know what he did in college. Just having him out there, he looks great in practice. He’s looking good moving around. Great vision and just a real smooth runner.”

(On if Gurley is getting more and more work)
“Yeah, just trying to get acclimated, just trying to get his legs underneath him and getting used to running this offense. Getting used to the holes, where he’s running, stuff like that. It’s great having him out there.”

(On if he sees some potential for some opportunities in the passing game when looking at the tape)
“You definitely want to be able to pass the ball. They’re a great defense. They’re going to be studying film and ready to go, but we just have to be dialed in. Me and the receivers, tight ends, backs, in the passing game, we have to be able to pass it and move the chains. The running game is always going to complement the passing game and vice versa, so we’ve got to execute on both to sustain drives. We’ve got to really go out there and hone in this week.”

(On what WR Brian Quick can add)
“The sky is the limit for that guy. So talented, such a big receiver. His ball skills are among the best I’ve seen, just how he goes up and gets it. When he’s healthy and when he’s back out there, it’s going to be exciting. We have a great group of guys who go out there and catch balls every day. My job is just to make sure I’m putting them in a position to give them an accurate pass and give them an opportunity to be successful and show their talents. When he gets out there, it’ll be exciting.”

(On what it would mean for a young team like the Rams to beat the Steelers at home)
“Any time you can go out there and win a game in the NFL, it’s huge. It’s such a talented league. We’ve just got to keep working. Our goal going into the game is to improve. Obviously, everybody goes into the game wanting to win, so we just need to keep progressing through this week and go out there and play like we know how to. We have to win on every phase of the game – special teams, offense and defense. We have to play together, complement each other and we’ll put ourselves in a position to be successful.”

(On if it’s a point of pride to show people that last week wasn’t how they play)
“I wouldn’t say it’s a pride thing, it’s more of a, ‘Who we are’ thing. We know that we have work to do. We know we’re a young team, but the guys come in here and it hurts when you lose. That’s part of playing this game. You’d love to win them all, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I see how do the guys respond? The guys responded by getting back in the building, ready to work, hungry like always and just detailing it up. We just had a great practice and that’s what I want to see from these guys. Coming back, not being down, being optimistic and moving forward. So far we’ve had a great work week, we just need to keep doing that each and every day.”

(On if they are prepared to go to a silent count if there’s a lot of Steelers fans in the building)
“We always have that. I’m looking forward to getting our fans out there and taking those seats so we can use our home field advantage like we did against Seattle. The home fans were tremendous then and I’m looking forward to seeing them there and just showing up. I’m not really thinking that way, but if we have to that’s something that we’ve practiced. But, we’re going to be at home and I want to use our home field advantage and have our fans loud.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher –– 9/22/15

(On how he thought the team looked today)
“Well, they bounced back. We had some kind of reload, recover stuff this morning and got a good start on the plan and I thought they worked really good today. They have a short memory, which is important. We got things corrected, like we said yesterday. Now we have a great challenge on our hands with this coming opponent.”

(On his concern facing the Steelers run-game, specifically RB Le’Veon Bell and RB DeAngelo Williams)
“I’m concerned. Our defense is concerned. We have respect for them. We know that it’s going to start there. Other than that they have an outstanding passing game. They have a quarterback that can throw it all over the place. They have a couple of the best receivers in ‘ball. So they’re balanced and this will be probably one of our biggest, at least this far this season, will be our biggest offensive challenge from the defensive standpoint.”

(On what makes Bell a versatile running back and what makes him difficult to defend)
“Yeah, he is. I mean the screen game. He’s good in protection. For a big back, he can bounce out. He can take the cut back. He can come out any place. In addition to that, he’s really good between the tackles. It’s just, we have to do much better in our gap fits and our run responsibilities and try to get them in third down and get off the field.”

(On if he expects to see a lot of Bell)
“Yeah, we expect that as we have to get our run-game going as well, so we’ll see. It’s early in the week, the plan looks good right now and we’ll continue to adjust things and put things in. Hopefully we can have some success.”

(On if he’s waiting to see how RB Todd Gurley performs this week to determine his game status)
“Yes.”

(On how Gurley looked at today’s practice)
“He looked great today. (He) feels really good. As I said, he had a really good workout prior to the game and he’s in good shape. He’s excited and we’ll just see what happens.”

(On WR Brian Quick’s status)
“I have not ruled him out. He’s physically able to play, so we’ll see what happens.”

(On what kind of asset Steelers Offensive Line Coach Mike Munchak is)
“He’s very, very thorough up front. You can just watch three or four plays of their offensive line and say to yourself, ‘That’s a Mike Munchak coached offensive line.’ They’re very sound. They’re very aggressive. They’re very patient. They finish. They rarely make mistakes. Mike’s really good – and what we have to adjust to is – Mike’s really good at taking special defensive players away, especially if you have rushers. I would expect they would pay a lot of attention to where (DT) Aaron (Donald) is and to where (DE) Rob (Quinn) lines up. They just don’t get their quarterback hit. Their game is about (QB) Ben (Roethlisberger) buying time, buying time and moving around and making the off-schedule play down the field.”

(On if after he left Tennessee if there was any talk about finding a role for him with the Rams)
“No.”

(On Steelers’ WR Antonio Brown)
“He has a great compliment around him. When you’ve got a run game, you’ve got a quarterback that’s experienced and can see and make the throws down the field, they work really well together. He can really run. They’re in sync. Rarely is there a throw where they’re not on the same page. They back-shoulder fade, he catches the deep ball, he catches the shallow cross, he catches the bubble screens. He’s just a really good player. You have to know where he’s at.”

(On if pressure is the key is to controlling Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger)
“Pressure is the key to stopping any quarterback. I don’t think you stop him. I think you have to tackle, you have to minimize gains and you have to make plays and hope he throws a few incompletions.”

My own feeling is, it can wait.

It’s kind of nice to know that they can be playing pretty well yet still haven’t brought out their big gun.

So when the daily Gurley updates roll in, I am kind of blasé. I figure he will get on the field sometime this year. I figure it will be good when it happens, but it’s like having your birthday on Christmas. First, the christmas presents. Later, there will be a birthday present.

So, first it’s the pony, and later in the day, you get a new car. That kind of thing.

Ram notes: Quick remains patient, supportive of teammates

Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/ram-notes-quick-remains-patient-supportive-of-teammates/article_65b73121-e238-5baa-9744-4a546dff73f2.html

It may have caught some by surprise, but Rams receiver Brian Quick knew he would not be on the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.

“We talked about it previously, before the season; I knew what was happening,” the fourth-year pro said following practice and a lengthy post-practice session with the JUGS pass-catching machine Tuesday at Rams Park. “It’s not my call. I want to be out there, but I also want to do what’s best for the team. All I can do is continue to work and make sure that I’m ready when they decide to call my number.’’

In the midst of a breakout season that saw him post career-best numbers in receptions (25), receiving yards (375) and touchdowns (three), the 6-foot-3, 218-pound Quick suffered a severe shoulder injury Oct. 26 at Kansas City and finished the 2014 season on injured reserve.

Following a long and challenging rehab process, Quick has progressed slowly but surely through training camp and the preseason. In 30 offensive plays during the preseason, he did not have a pass thrown his way.

Coach Jeff Fisher said the decision was a numbers issue.

“We had to get to 46 players,’’ said Fisher, who needed more special-teams depth with linebacker Daren Bates (knee) unavailable. “He’s just going to have to be patient. He’s coming. He’s missed a lot of time. He’s coming.’’

Practice squad changes

The Rams made a pair of practice-squad moves Tuesday, signing cornerbacks Brandon McGee and Melvin White and releasing safety Jacob Hagen and cornerback Trovon Reed.McGee, a fifth-round draft pick by the Rams in 2013, was among the final cuts this year after missing all but one day of training camp with a foot injury. He played in 15 games as a rookie, chipping in with 10 tackles and six more on special teams. In 2014, he appeared in just two games before being placed on injured reserve with a foot injury.White, 25, was signed by Carolina as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played in 30 games, making 17 starts, over the past two seasons before being cut recently. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound White recorded 83 tackles, defended 11 passes and had three interceptions in his time with the Panthers.

Ram-blings

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who finished Sunday’s overtime win over Seattle with two sacks and a career-high 13 tackles, is one of the nominees as the Castrol EDGE Clutch Performer of the Week.Fans can vote at http://www.nfl.com/castrol-edge through Friday at 2 p.m.The Redskins placed starting strong safety Duke Ihenacho on injured reserve with a dislocated left wrist. To fill the roster spot, Washington signed veteran cornerback Will Blackmon, a ninth-year pro who spent the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Washington also cut fullback Ray Agnew (De Smet, SIU Carbondale) from its practice squad.

In another practice squad move, former Ram Gerald Rivers was cut by the Giants. A defensive end from Ole Miss, Rivers spent most of 2013 with the Rams, playing in one game. Since then, he’s spent time with Jacksonville, Miami and Denver.

• Former Ram Austin Pettis was among a group of veteran wide receivers working out for the Cowboys on Tuesday. The team eventually made a trade with Oakland for Brice Butler.

http://www.terryfox.org/TerryFox/Terry_Fox.html

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada’s west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977.

While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope.

It was a journey that Canadians never forgot.

After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) to prepare, Terry started his run in St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to garner attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran close to 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Canada’s Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario. However, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age 22.

The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning.

Support your local Terry Fox Run.

http://www.terryfox.org/InternationalRun/
To date, over $650 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry’s name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.

St. Louis Rams
http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Monday-Wrap-Up-Donald-Brockers-Show-Out/accfdf2f-f20b-46df-b37e-99376c25b908
Monday Wrap-Up: Donald, Brockers Show Out

Posted 7 hours ago

Myles Simmons Rams Insider @MylesASimmons

It’s no secret the Rams have one of the more dominant defensive lines in the league. And that came through in the final play of St. Louis’ 34-31 overtime win over the Seahawks, when defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald combined to take down running back Marshawn Lynch behind the line of scrimmage.

And head coach Jeff Fisher had some effusive praise for the second-year D-tackle out of Pitt in his press conference on Monday.

“Aaron really had one of the best games I’ve seen a defensive tackle play,” Fisher said.

One of the key plays to cement the notion came just before the matchup’s end. On 3rd-and-3 from the St. Louis 44, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson dropped back to pass, but felt pressure and scrambled up the middle. Even with the quarterback’s athleticism, he gained only two yards before being stopped by Brockers and Donald.

“The 4th-and-1 stop, you saw it was a great effort by both the tackles. But we wouldn’t have had that situation had they not on the [3rd-and-3] the previous play squeezed and collapsed the pocket, re-traced, and tackled Russell to create the 4th-and-1,” Fisher said. “So both tackles on back-to-back plays made tremendous effort plays to give us a chance to win in overtime.”

In all, Donald racked up 11 tackles — two for loss — a quarterback hit, and 2.0 sacks to start off 2015. He was consistently wreaking havoc in the backfield, which the team has grown accustomed to since Donald arrived last year.

“[No.] 99 is a special player,” Robert Quinn said after the game. “He’s always in the backfield getting tackles for a loss and sacks. He’s a game changer.”

Because he does the dirty work in taking up double teams, Brockers’ strong play doesn’t always show up in the box score. And the defensive tackle said last week he’s more than OK with that.

“I play the big man game, he plays the little man game,” Brockers said of his and Donald’s roles. “I have embraced my position and I think I can be the best nose tackle in this league.”

And Brockers showed just how far he’s progressed on Sunday, when he led the team with 13 tackles, according to the coaches’ film evaluation.

Fisher said Monday both Brockers and Donald had strong offseasons, working hard to improve. That paid dividends against Seattle.

“They prepared,” Fisher said. “They understood what to do. We had a really good plan inside with some stunts and things like that, and just pressuring their interior offensive line.”

And so while many teams would likely be happy to have just one of the pair, the Rams know having Brockers and Donald work together can be a real advantage.

“I think [Brockers] does a lot of good dirty work for all of us and Aaron is just great on his own,” Chris Long said after the game, adding Donald is “the most disruptive D-tackle in football — he is the best D-tackle in football. It doesn’t hurt to have someone like Brockers in there, who I think sometimes gets over shadowed, but is a heck of a player in his own right.”

NEWS AND NOTES

There was plenty more to come out of Fisher’s Monday press conference. Here are some of the highlights.

—On the injury front, Fisher said both Eugene Sims (knee) and Chase Reynolds (knee) should not miss many games from what they sustained on Sunday.
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“Good news on Eugene and Chase,” Fisher said. “They may miss some time, but they’re not going to miss an extended period of time like we feared last night. So they may not be available this week.”
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The head coach also said Trumaine Johnson (concussion) is feeling better. Johnson, of course, will have to pass the concussion protocol in order to be cleared.
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And Fisher said running back Tre Mason was close to playing yesterday, and has a chance to be back this week.
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“I thought he had a really good warmup in pregame,” Fisher said, “so he’ll be day-to-day this week.”

—With Johnson out, cornerback Marcus Roberson filled in admirably. Fisher said the Florida product has done well since he came in as an undrafted rookie last year.

“I thought Marcus did a nice job when he came in,” Fisher said. “Made some plays, made some tackles, knew what to do.”

“Since his arrival last year at rookie orientation, he learned our system,” Fisher added. “He understands the system. He’s got ball skills. He’ll tackle. And he had a good preseason. He pays attention and he knows he’s a snap away from going in.”

—Wide receiver Brian Quick did not play on Sunday, but it was not due to injury.

“We had to get to 46,” Fisher said of constructing the gameday roster. “We’ve got six [wide receivers] and the other guys were playing. So he’s just going to have to be patient.”

“He’s missed a lot of time,” Fisher continued. “He’s coming. It wasn’t physically related. It was just numbers related.”

—Finally, the Rams have decided to shift their practice schedule — at least for the time being. The changes are mainly on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. While Fisher’s teams have given the players Tuesday off in years past, now the players will have a lighter practice Tuesday, take Thursday off, and then do a little more on Saturday.

“We’re going to see how it works this week,” Fisher said. “Coaches are adjusting today and tomorrow, and we’re going to stay with it this week. And then we’ll go from there.”

“I think it’s going to work,” Fisher added. “We already started preparing last week for this week’s change. But I feel confident a day off on Thursday is going to bring the players back as we near kickoff.”

And Sunday’s victory doesn’t hurt for a reason to keep the change.

“It appeared to work out pretty good for us,” Fisher said.

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher –- 9/14/15

(Opening Statement)
“Well we got a chance to take a look at it in detail and there’s some really good things in the game: tremendous effort and emotion and very few mental errors. We cut back on the penalties, which was obviously a concern of ours in the preseason. The bottom line is we have to do a better job closing out games. At the end of the third quarter, we were up by 11 and we had them at a second-and-20, basically. We just had some issues, had some mistakes. Anytime you have two returns against you for touchdowns, the odds are really diminished as far as having a chance to win ball games. The point is we gave up two returns for touchdowns and we turned the ball over three times. So you combine those two and then the one play was combined, but the odds of winning games are significantly reduced. So I think it speaks volumes from a patient standpoint and a commitment standpoint. They just never panicked. They kept playing. Tremendous efforts. The fourth-and-one stop, you saw, it was a great effort by both the tackles, but we wouldn’t have had that situation had they not on the third-and-three and a half or four the previously play, squeezed and collapsed the pocket, retraced and tackled (QB) Russell (Wilson) to create the fourth-and-one. So both tackles on back-to-back plays made tremendous effort plays to give us a chance to win in overtime.

“Injury-wise, good news on (DE) Eugene (Sims) and (RB) Chase (Reynolds). They may miss some time, but they’re not going to miss an extended period of time like we feared last night. They may not be available this week. I’ll let you know later in the week, but we got good news there. And (CB) Trumaine (Johnson) is feeling much better today, so we’ll take him through the protocol. I thought (CB) Marcus (Roberson) did a nice job when he came in. Made some plays, made some tackles, knew what to do. We were a little nervous when (DB) Lamarcus (Joyner) went down because then we were down to two corners. The coaches did a nice job moving guys around and preparing them to finish the game, but Lamarcus came right back. I thought (QB) Nick (Foles) played well. Made a lot of plays and both of our young offensive linemen (G Jamon Brown and T Rob Havenstein) lined up and played pretty well. I thought from a protective standpoint we were good. They were sound. They played with a lot of effort. Neither one of them played 60 minutes up to this point, and they both finished the game really well.”

(On his relationship with and how inspired his team was by the Saturday night speaker Will Jimeno, the New York Port Authority police officer who survived 13 hours under World Trade Center rubble)
“Yeah, I met him probably back in 2003 at a function. We spoke at a function together and since have stayed in touch and become friends. We just thought because of the closeness of 9-11 to kickoff, that we reached out to him and he came in. That was pretty cool and I noticed that you noticed when we made that fourth-and-one, there was 9:11 left on the clock. So that’s pretty cool. I haven’t had a chance to tell Will that yet, but he’ll appreciate it. But, tremendous story. Tremendous man. Part of the reason was on Saturday nights it makes no sense to get guys motivated and get them ready to play at nine o’clock at night, so we do different things at times. I thought because so many of those guys might have been 6/7/8/9-years old and not really remember what happened, it was an opportunity to close the history gap for them and expose what was in essence the worst tragedy this country has ever faced. Will, in my eyes, was a hero. Those guys got an opportunity to listen to him.”

(On the status of Eugene Sims and Chase Reynolds)
“They’re knees (injuries). I’m not going to go into specifics, but (it’s) their knees. Non-ACLs.”

(On the status of RB Tre Mason)
“He was fine. I thought he had a really good warm-up in pre-game, so he’ll be day-to-day this week.”

(On WR Brian Quick’s status)
“We had to get to 46 (players). We have six (players) and the other guys are playing. He’s just going to have to be patient. He’s coming. He’s missed a lot of time. He’s coming. It wasn’t physically related. It was just number related.”

(On if he was disappointed in the size of the crowd)
“No, I wasn’t disappointed at all. They were great. They (Seattle) had to go to silent count. That was pretty good when their offense is in a silent count and a hurry-up throughout the game. No, we were excited. Both sets of fans, the Seahawk fans that were there and all of our fans that were there, saw an amazing football game. There’s a lot more to come. I know that.”

(On why there wasn’t a flag thrown on the onside kick for tackling WR Bradley Marquez after he waived for a fair catch because it seemed obvious that he signaled fair catch)
“He did. There should have been. It was incorrectly enforced. They got it half right.”

(On if at the time he was just happy to get the ball or was he thinking about the fact that there should have been a flag thrown for tackling Marquez after the signal)
“Yes, I was concerned that there was going to be a re-kick. When they ruled it an invalid fair catch signal, that implies that he signaled for a fair catch because it’s not permissible to signal fair catch if the ball is hit in the ground and bounces up in the air, like the college rule. So, when they ruled that, then there was no question in mind that they recognized the fair catch signal. I just couldn’t convince them to enforce the penalty because they just wouldn’t put the ball on the 35-yard line.”

(On if he brought up the penalty at that time)
“Yes.”

(On what the officials said when he asked about the penalty)
“They just said, ‘We’re going to give you the ball right here. We’re not going to re-kick, so let’s go.’”

(On if the officials were bargaining with him)
“No. That thing is…when have you seen that before? It just doesn’t come up. I talked to (NFL Vice President of Officiating) Dean (Blandino) last night and he explained it and we were right, and he said, ‘No, they made a mistake.’”

(On both DTs Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald coming up with double-digit tackles and what it says about the way they played)
“Well, they prepared. They both had great offseasons. They’re both talented. They’re both healthy and they prepared. They understood what to do. We had a really good plan inside with some stunts and things like that and just pressuring their interior offensive line. Aaron – and not taking away from ‘Brock’ – but Aaron really had one of the best games that I’ve seen a defensive tackle play.”

(On if this team is more resilient this year)
“Well, we had some good efforts last year and had some good games. If you look back, we let a couple slip away. But, I think this team understands now that you just keep playing. I think a lot of that has to do with the entire group’s confidence in Nick (Foles) because Nick was all about that, ‘Hey, let’s keep playing. Defense, give me the ball back. I’ll put a drive together here, we’ll go win,’ this kind of thing. That kind of attitude permeates throughout the team.”

(On how much confidence this gives the team)
“Success in this league requires you to keep wins and losses in perspective. After a tough Sunday afternoon, things don’t work out – you have to get them back. When we have a really emotional win like we did yesterday, you have to keep things in perspective. We have to correct mistakes. We have to put another good plan in and we have to go out and carry respect in for next week’s opponent. But, it certainly was a reward for them for all of the hard work through camp and some of the negativity that emerged from our preseason games because of the lack of points and lack of production and things like that. It was a great day. If you protect the football and put some drives together, the game probably goes a little bit differently. We score a couple more times, get the ball back, continue to put them in third down situations – we put them in 19 third down situations, which is pretty impressive from a defensive standpoint – but, if you say for example, you go out there and you win by 14 (points). I’m not so sure that the manner in which we won this game yesterday is better than winning by 14 points against a team that played in back-to-back World Championships. Overall, I think it was a great effort. But, again, you can’t over-emphasize the importance of getting better. We have to improve in a lot of areas.”

(On if there are things that he can do to keep the team in perspective)
“They know how to practice. It’s about preparation and going out and practicing hard. That’s what we do. We have to size it a day at a time as you go through the preparation.”

(On if yesterday’s emotional win will help the players be consistent week to week)
“Again, it’s one week at a time. We have to build on this and carry this intensity and the lack of mistakes that have hurt us in the past and into Week 2. We’ll see what happens.”

(On how important short passes were against a defense that is tough to run against)
“I think it was a great plan. We were able to stay with the run throughout. The screen game for us has worked through the preseason. It worked yesterday a little bit. Even the tight end screen, (TE Jared) Cook was really close to hitting that seam and making a big play there. We were able to carry balance into the end of this game. We took our shots, we ran the football, we had the short passing game, missed a couple of opportunities, but one of the things we did do is we made the catches. There weren’t any drops. Against that team you have to catch the football. Remember what happened up there last year? That ball bounced off of (TE) Lance’s (Kendricks) shoulder.”

(On the play to WR Kenny Britt on third down)
“It was huge. Third-and-15s are hard. That’s about (QB) Nick (Foles) just having a feel and knowing where guys are and he made the throw and Kenny made the catch and then got up and made the first down. And, oh by the way, the towel is not part of the body. If you grab the towel or touch the towel, it’s not down by contact.”

(On the success Seattle had when they switched to no huddle and if that’s something they have to work on)
“Again, our practice tempo on the field against our defense is no huddle tempo every single day. They had success because of the talent level they have on offense in (QB) Russell Wilson and their running back, who by the way is really, really good.”

(On what happened on the Seahawks’ punt return)
“We were backed up. When you’re backed up, the timing is different. He couldn’t take the footwork that he needed to put the ball on the boundary. He had to punt the ball and just get the ball off. When you get the ball off and you’re backed up and you have a tight punt, you don’t get the immediate presence of your gunners. We just got a punt that he hit a little off the mark. Had we got the ball on the boundary, we would’ve been fine because our intention was to pin him. We got into problems on first down with the loss and then second down with the loss and then we pushed it out a little, but we were snapping from the 12-yard line and his heels on the end line and you have to get rid of the ball as quick as you can. The whole thing was a function of the offensive negative plays.”

(On the miscommunication on the snap)
“We’ll get that worked out. We’re alright. They haven’t been working together very long. When they went to change the play and (C Tim Barnes) ‘Timmy’ didn’t hear it and snapped the ball and that caught him by surprise.”

(On what worked for them on their punt return for a touchdown)
“We carry over all of the stuff we do on the practice field. All of our drills, on to the field yesterday in that return and it all paid off. Some great, great down the field, individual efforts by a number of players to wall people off, go to the next level knowing that (WR) Tavon (Austin) is going to make somebody miss and they just kind of dominoed down the field. And then his athletic ability kept him in the field of play.”

(On what he liked from CB Marcus Roberson)
“Since his arrival last year at the rookie minicamp or orientation, he learned our system. You saw him play in the preseason last year, he made plays. He understands the system, he’s got ball skills, he’ll tackle and he had a good preseason. He pays attention and he knows that he’s a snap away from going in and unfortunately yesterday he had to go in. Unfortunately we had the injury, but fortunately for him he had to go in and he filled in nicely.”

(On if G Jamon Brown being out for a few plays was an equipment thing)
“Yes, facemask.”

(On the number of plays Seattle had and not giving up a lot of yards on defense)
“I think it speaks volumes of their commitment through the spring and what we were able to do this summer and keep them fresh and how we backed down a little bit last year and kept them fresh. We were on the field for a lot of plays, but we weren’t tired.”

(On what makes WR Bradley Marquez such a good special teams player)
“He’s an instinctive football player. That was not the only really good play he made. He made a couple of other really good plays. He works hard, he pays attention, he acts like he’s been around for three or four years. We can trust him and put him in some unusually difficult positions, especially as a personal protector on our punt team to make all the calls and protection and things. We trust him and he gets it right.”

(On practicing tomorrow and going to a new schedule)
“We’re going to see how it works this week. Coaches are adjusting today and tomorrow. We’re going to stay with it this week and then we’ll go from there. I think it’s going to work. I don’t want to put anybody in a difficult position from a workload standpoint. Unless you’ve gone through it a week or two, so we already started preparing last week for this week’s change. But I definitely know that I feel confident that a day off on Thursday is really going to help to bring the players back as we near kickoff.”

(On how much you get accomplished practicing on Tuesday after a game)
“We’ll have a good idea. It’s a workload thing. We’re discussing it, but I’m confident. This event that we’re having tomorrow is not a full-speed practice. It’s kind of an install, a first and second down install. Wednesday is normal, completely normal.”

(On if that will be the plan every week if it works out)
“It may be the plan, depending on how it works out this week.”

(On if he’s ever done this with one of his teams before)
“No.”

(On other teams doing more work on Saturdays)
“We did that here this past Saturday. A little bit more. A little more up-tempo. You’ve got to get them going and get the functional movement rather than just shut down completely. It appeared to work out pretty good for us.”

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-notes-davis-jones-hook-on-with-new-teams/article_3864dc89-6398-5df0-92c1-07c7a0df7b13.html%5DRams Notes: Davis, Jones Hook on with New Teams –PD
Two players cut by the Rams on Saturday have signed elsewhere. Quarterback Austin Davis was signed to Cleveland’s roster Monday. Meanwhile, center Barrett Jones was signed to Pittsburgh’s practice squad.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/ten-questions-for-rams-season-are-revisted/article_3133c2c8-29f7-5f12-bbd5-16927c0df3d7.html%5DTen Questions for Rams’ Season are Revisted –PD
As the Rams move to game-week mode for the season opener, against Seattle, we reexamine 10 questions facing the Rams as they embark on the season:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-report/former-rams-qb-davis-signs-with-cleveland/article_be91818a-dcb6-5260-9983-e56e7fa825e1.html%5DFormer Rams QB Davis Signs with Cleveland –PD
Two of the three “biggest” names cut by the Rams on Saturday now have jobs elsewhere in the NFL.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/09/07/defensive-line-could-put-rams-back-in-playoffs/71844596/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomnfl-topstories&AID=10709313&PID=4003003&SID=ieanjwefsg011lvg00dth%5DDefensive Line Could Put Rams Back in Playoffs –AP
The St. Louis Rams have been stockpiling defensive linemen for so long, end Chris Long has played for three head coaches.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25293581/rams-gurley-cleared-for-contact-but-may-not-play-for-a-couple-of-weeks%5DGurley cleared for contact but may not play for ‘a couple of weeks’ –CBS Sports
The question of whether or not Todd Gurley will see lots of action for the Rams in the early part of the season is a good one. The former Georgia star was a first-round pick but he’s coming off an ACL tear, so St. Louis understandably doesn’t want to rush him into contact drills.

http://www.todayspigskin.com/nfc-today/nfc-west/st-louis-rams/7-surprising-rams-roster-decisions/%5D7 Surprising Rams Roster Decisions
The St. Louis Rams finalized their 53-man roster on Saturday after wrapping up a wholly unimpressive 0-4 preseason with a 24-17 loss to their Missouri neighbors, the Kansas City Chiefs, at the Edward Jones Dome a couple days prior.

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/21138/todd-gurley-says-no-contact-beanie-is-gone-but-must-remain-patient%5DTodd Gurley Says No-Contact Beanie is Gone But Must Remain Patient –Wagoner
St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Saturday that running back Todd Gurley won’t play in the season-opener Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. That was only the confirmation of what had been known as the Rams continue to take a cautious approach with the No. 10 overall pick.

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/20827/rams-roster-brings-continuity-everywhere-except-quarterback-and-offensive-line%5DRams’ Roster Brings Continuity Everywhere Except QB, Offensive Line –Wagoner
Here’s a player-by-player look at the St. Louis Rams’ 53-man roster

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/21126/wondering-whether-rams-are-poised-for-playoff-berth%5DAre St. Louis Rams are Poised for a Playoff Berth? –Wagoner September 7, 2015
In this week’s edition of Sports Illustrated, their staff unveiled their annual NFL preview. In it, senior writer Greg Bedard released his playoff and Super Bowl selections.

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-lb-james-laurinaitis-press-conference-96-video-2/%5DRams LB James Laurinaitis Press Conference – 9/6 –Video

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-safety-t-j-mcdonald-press-conference-96-video/%5DRams Safety T.J. McDonald Press Conference – 9/6 –Video

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-rookie-lb-cameron-lynch-press-conference-96-video/%5DRams Rookie LB Cameron Lynch Press Conference – 9/6 –Video

http://www.rams-news.com/wagoner-rams-hoping-experience-makes-up-for-youth-video/%5DWagoner: Rams Hoping Experience Makes Up For Youth –Video

RamView, August 29, 2015
Preseason Game #3: Colts 24, Rams 14

The Rams played better than they have been, but no better than last year, in taking their third loss of preseason. A few strong performances could not overcome the team’s natural tendency to find ways to lose, via protection breakdowns, coverage breakdowns, continued lack of pass rush and the usual blizzard of penalties. With the regular season almost here, the Rams look readier, but still not ready, for prime time.

Position by position:
* QB: The best development from the game was the elevated play by Nick Foles, who made a lot of chicken salad out of, um, substandard ingredients in going 10-11-128 for a passer rating of 145.5. The offense got Foles into more than his fair share of trouble but he mostly got out of it, thanks to his arm, feet and head. Down 10-0, Foles escaped from trouble, usually named Trent Cole, several times to sustain a Rams drive. He scrambled left and hit Kenny Britt for 13, beat a funky Colt formation with a screen to Benny Cunningham for 14 and dropped one off to Tre Mason with Cole bearing down on him again for 17 more. The drive still ended in a sack that Foles could do little about, but all his work was not in vain. The Rams flipped field position, got him the ball back at the Colt 44, and Foles got them into the end zone in one play with his first deep ball of the preseason, a pretty one, too, to reborn deep threat Chris Givens. The Rams quickly got to midfield their next drive before Foles took his second sack, on a perfectly timed blitz that Foles never saw coming. The Rams only put up the one TD behind Foles in the first half, but we still got what we’ve been waiting for from him. He looked like the difference-maker the Rams need and made the kind of plays under pressure I don’t think Sam Bradford made often enough. What we don’t need to see is Foles having to outplay all of his teammates like he had to tonight. He’ll need help. Case Keenum and Austin Davis each got one throw apiece, and while I agree Keenum has won the QB2 job, I have to say that Davis has gotten about as unfair a chance to defend his roster spot as I have ever seen. With little experience, the guy started half the games last year, kept them in just about every one and was the best QB on the roster. This year, he’s Tim Jenkins. Sean Mannion’s (6-13-47) efficient summer took a big hit with a rookie INT in the 3rd. Going for Damian Williams a third time in a row, he stared down his receiver and Jalil Brown jumped the sideline route for a pick and return that set up the Colts’ winning TD. The Colt blitz got to him a little bit, but he hung in the pocket well to make some throws and continued to show good timing, accuracy and arm strength. Mannion was hurt by a couple of drops and a 4th-and-10 sack on his last play. Can’t exactly throw it away on 4th down. Mannion’s still had a good summer, but much more importantly for the Rams’ 2015 prospects, Foles has joined him now on the positive side of the QB ledger.

* RB: Rams RBs gained more yards as receivers (75) than as rushers (67), on a meager 2.5 yards per carry. Tre Mason (6 touches-31 yards) started in a 5-yard hole after poor blocking got him buried on his first carry, but bounced back the next drive by taking a shotgun handoff 10 yards around right end on 3rd-and-short. Benny Cunningham (7 touches-37) then beat a weird pass rush (no DEs, 3 Colts lined up over center) with a screen for 14, and Mason leaked out of the backfield for a 17-yard catch before pulling up with a tweaked hamstring. Cunningham showed cutback ability he didn’t last week on a 6-yard run in the 2nd, and beat the Colts for 16 on a well-set-up screen, followed by Isaiah Pead (7 touches-21) popping for 13 off the left side. Pead also broke a tackle and gained 8 in the 3rd, but also got stuffed about 5 times. Pead’s never been a very instinctive runner, and the knee injury understandably seems to have cost him suddenness. Trey Watts (6 rushes-18) walked in from the 3 for the Rams’ 2nd TD and hit a brilliant spin move to beat LB Matt Overton in the hole to convert a 3rd-and-short in the 4th. Watts simply has more game than Pead, now if not in September. Malcolm Brown (9 touches-35) worked hard for garbage time yards but lost a little favor with a sloppy one-handed drop of another well-set-up screen. Even before Todd Gurley takes the field, the Rams have a physical group of RBs who are effective receivers. They just need more consistent blocking.

* Receivers: The receivers, on the other hand, appear to need more consistent effort. The exception being Chris Givens (2-63), who locked up the WR5 job emphatically with a 44-yard TD bomb. Play-action sucked up a lot of the Colt secondary, and Givens burned safety Mike Adams handily to get behind all of them. It’s the “stars” of the group that could stand to show up better. Kenny Britt (2-21) was a reliable release valve but his route-running has been pretty lackadaisical (or, in Missouri, “laxadaisical”) all preseason. Jared Cook (1-5) has done little through the air, and even less on the ground, as he is useless and clearly uninterested in inline blocking. He did nothing blocking to create at least three losses for the RBs, including getting Mason buried on the opening play. The one time he was any good was on Mason’s shotgun run, but there, Cook was out front and blocking on the move. A double-TE “power” formation is just a joke with Cook involved when he doesn’t have the power to will himself to block. At this moment, if you benched Cook and started Lance Kendricks, I’m not sure I’d notice other than the running game would improve. Welcome back, Schottyball, as Tavon Austin (0-0) was uninvolved in the offense for a 2nd straight week, though things may have been much different had he not drawn a completely wrong OPI penalty on the opening drive to retract a 25-yard catch. Another sloppy drop late by Bradley Marquez probably has him redirecting his sites at the practice squad. Brian Quick got on the field, but with no targets, I have no way of knowing if he did much more. Other than Britt, the only receivers Foles could rely on when he got in trouble were the RBs. Besides Givens, all of the Ram WRs simply have to offer more than they did tonight.

* Offensive line: The work in progress is still very much that, with alarmingly poor pass pro from both tackles at times. Greg Robinson was beaten by Trent Cole on the edge repeatedly and also got smoked on the opening play to help get Mason buried. Robinson recovered and knocked down Cole from behind to give Foles an escape hatch on an early completion, but his problems with speed rushers are a definite issue. His run-blocking was even an issue tonight, with a couple of glaring losses at the point of attack the Rams just can’t afford from who’s supposed to be their leading run-mauler. What Robinson didn’t do, though, was allow a sack; both of those came from Rob Havenstein’s side. Erik Walden sped by him with ease for the first sack and about bull-rushed him over Foles, with D’Qwell Jackson also blitzing in untouched, for the second. Jackson was a failed blitz adjustment by Foles and/or Pead, but Havenstein getting run over would have been enough by itself. He can get caught really flat-footed on the edge, and it leads to very bad things. The Rams started Barrett Jones at C, moved Jamon Brown to LG with Rodger Saffold still out and started Demetrious Rhaney at RG. Rhaney, in less than a week, has probably already beaten Brandon Washington out of a job. He looked quite good at guard, especially getting out front to lead-block on screens, and delivered a key block on a Cunningham lunge on 3rd-and-short. Jones looked much more credible at center than he did in Oakland. He tied up the nose tackle well on run plays, drove a guy about to the sideline on one run, didn’t get beaten in pass pro that I saw and is probably your opening day starter. Brown came up lame after the TD bomb to Givens, but with “only” a low-grade ankle sprain. Rhaney did miss a couple of run blocks, and penalties by the starters were a problem, with both Jones and Rhaney killing a drive with facemask penalties, Rhaney’s after getting whipped inside by the feared Kendall Langford. The Rams got good run-blocking from Corey Harkey and Justice Cunningham, who’s earned TE4 with his consistent work. On the Watts TD, Garrett Reynolds surged out to the 2nd level at guard while Justice prevailed on a move block and Alex Bayer (!) stoned his man at the line. Reynolds also made a couple of good blocks on Pead’s long run. After that, though, the last unit didn’t create much push at all and the RBs were left to make their yardage on their own. As for the starters, the Rams have GOT to get better blocking from the TEs (ahem, JARED), and much more consistent play from Robinson so they can afford to give Havenstein the help he’s going to need early on. The TEs (ahem, JARED) and Robinson have to control the LOS much better than they did in this game to create the ground game the Rams need.

* Defensive line: Slack City held the Colts to 56 rushing yards despite looking like they were going to get run over again early, with Chris Long repeating a disturbing trend of getting handled easily by the TE on the edge to give up nice gains like Daniel “Boom” Herron’s 7-yarder on the opening drive. That and the continued lack of a preseason pass rush got Andrew Luck in scoring range early, though Robert Quinn’s pass knockdown helped hold them to a FG. After the Colts recovered an onside kick, Quinn and Ethan Westbrooks got turned and rendered useless on an 11-yard Herron run, Luck hit Andre Johnson for a TD under little pressure, and the rout appeared to be on. Fortunately, after a punt backed the Colts up inside their 5, Aaron Donald said, “F that,” and put on as dominating a series as you will see, whipping into the backfield to stuff Herron on three straight plays. On the third, he brushed Todd Herremans back like nothing and nearly dropped Herron for a safety. That one-man wrecking crew show turned the tide of the game, with the Rams getting right back in it a couple of plays later with the Givens TD. The defensive tempo continued to increase, and when Long hit Luck to force an INT, it looked like good times were rolling again in -Sack- City, but a penalty took that and the Rams’ momentum away. They still got run stuffs by Ethan Westbrooks and William Hayes to slow the Colts down, but Indy failed to score a TD before halftime mainly because they’d used up their timeouts. Luck was only ever under light pressure at the most. Louis Trinca-Pasat got a decent number of snaps with the starters with Nick Fairley injured and Michael Brockers seeing limited action. He had a run stuff and BLANKET coverage of Dwayne Allen dropping back in coverage near the goal line at the end of the half to show for it. That was fun to watch. None of the other reserves stand out. Marcus Forston usually loses battles at the nose, and Martin Ifedi has shown disappointingly little. He came into camp poised to be Mike Waufle’s next star pupil. That may be Trinca-Pasat this year. I see little good in the stat that the Rams, starters and scrubs alike, have NO sacks in three games, but they did show up against the run (eventually) this week. You have to stop the run before you can pass-rush, right? We’ll have to hope Sack City finds football’s holy grail, the non-existent “switch,” by opening day against Seattle.

* Linebackers: The Rams talked a lot about getting improving their gap fills during the week, but it seems like it was just a lot of talk. Alec Ogletree got fooled by a Herron cutback on an early 7-yard run, then James Laurinaitis got sealed out of a 5-yard run. After the onside kick, Ogletree got blocked out of Herron’s 11-yard run. And Alec apparently committed the crucial holding penalty that took an INT away from Janoris Jenkins (and a probable score by the offense). That was part of Ogletree’s inconsistent coverage of Dwayne Allen; Marshall Faulk thought he was too busy talking trash and not busy enough, well, doing his job. The Colts got a first down inside the 10 before halftime when Ogletree badly blew a tackle on Herron. 10 guys did their jobs on that play. Ogletree’s got too much talent to play like this; he needs to play with better discipline. Bryce Hager got the 2nd half off to a great start by recovering a blown exchange by Josh Robinson, setting up the Rams’ 2nd TD. Jo-Lonn Dunbar had a great possession after that, blowing up a run and defending back-to-back passes in the flat on either side of the field. Hager later stuffed Tyler Varga a couple of times, but also blew a tackle on a Varga reception that allowed a 1st down out of 500-year-old Matt Hasselbeck’s garbage flip throw. Varga also ran through Marshall McFadden at the goal line for the Colts’ winning TD. Once the regular season hits, I think we’ve got to see more out of all the linebackers than we’ve seen so far.

* Secondary: The back of the defense has outplayed the front this preseason but still can’t resist giving up the big play. Janoris Jenkins broke up an early slant route and had (possibly too-) tight deep coverage on T.Y. Hilton to help hold the first Colt drive to a FG. T.J. McDonald made a couple of great pass breakups after the onside kick, but a botched coverage left Andre Johnson all alone out of the slot for a 32-yard TD. Jenkins got over in time to stop him inside the 10, but his laughable no-wrap shoulder tackle was an even more laughable whiff. Also not helping on that drive: Lamarcus Joyner and Trumaine Johnson getting dominated on decent run plays by that feared, mauling, 178-pound blocker Hilton. Come on. TruJo kept the next drive alive with a 3rd-down hold, but Jenkins appeared to end it in style with an INT and long return. No, another holding call took that back. Trovon Reed got beaten twice on deep out routes to allow Indy into FG range before halftime. Marcus Roberson had a couple of nice pass breakups, including a deflection while coming in on a blitz. Imoan Claiborne defended well but just didn’t contest the throw enough on the 2-point completion to Griff Whalen. The talent to succeed is there when these guys get their assignments right.

* Special teams: The unfortunate special teams highlight was the Colts’ recovery of an onside kick after their opening FG. To Cody Davis’ credit, he was not fooled by the play. To his detriment, like a bad infielder, he let the bouncing ball play him instead of the other way around, Zurlon Tipton beat the ball to him, and the Colts wound up with it. Johnny Hekker returned to normalcy with a couple of punts close to 50 yards, but the Rams did little on returns, with Sergeant Dan Rodriguez making the usual rookie mistake of thinking he’s going to make 20 ninja moves on people and score a TD every punt return, but is lucky to gain a yard instead. After last season, the Ram special teams looked poised to be one of the league’s best units, and I’ll stick with that forecast, though the high use of backups hasn’t allowed us to see that in preseason.

* Strategery: I was ready to fire the whole coaching staff on the spot in the 1st quarter with the team getting off to yet another poor, nonchalant start, but Donald’s goal-line eruption made this a much different section. Gregg Williams called a much more conservative game this week, and though the Rams continue to have a sackless summer, the change didn’t hurt. Some of Williams’ gamesmanship in coverage is worth discussing. Dropping the DT and rushing three actually worked a couple of times before halftime, once with Trinca-Pasat, once with Westbrooks. A couple of failed secondary rotations were killers, though. As Marshall Faulk explained on TV, Andre Johnson was supposed to be covered by a LB on his TD, but no one came over when Jenkins dropped deep and the DBs at the line shifted over. More to the point, what the hell is the benefit of that play supposed to be? Who but a simpleton would want to cover Andre Johnson, even at the age of 100, with a LB? We didn’t need help to see why Hilton was wide open for 16 during the Colts’ drive at the end of the 1st half; Joyner left him unguarded at the line to take a mad pre-snap dash all the way back to deep safety! What was the point of that? It’s been a repeat pattern since Williams got here that the only people fooled on these exotic coverages are Williams’ own players. It’s well past time to simplify things.

Frank Cignetti couldn’t get Austin involved (again) but made some likeable play calls. The double play-action, with the fake Austin end-around, made the Givens TD. Most of the Colt secondary bit. I’d seen that play in training camp, but they only ever screened to Austin out of it. Cignetti also fooled the Colts with the shotgun handoff to Mason on 3rd-and-3 early, though I didn’t like the edge run for Cunningham on a later 3rd-and-short despite it working. It didn’t have the element of surprise of the Mason handoff and was too easy to defend. The Rams counterpunched well with screens against Colt blitzes and odd formations. But personnel tipoffs be damned, the Rams have to quit calling run plays that hinge on Jared Cook making a block. Either that or sending Cook a message by making Kendricks the starter has to be on the table.

After three weeks of preseason, we’re ultimately where we didn’t really want to be, hoping Jeff Fisher’s players “find the switch” in time for the regular season. They improved this week, but there’s still a lot they’re doing wrong. (Like 10 of 12 penalties accepted, for 83 yards.) It’s been ten years, if not more, since the Rams have been talented enough to rely on “finding the switch.” If Fisher pulls this one off, he’s Indiana Jones. In that case, throw me the idol. (Yes, I know how that worked out for that character. I’ll be more careful. I’m a patient runner.)

* Upon further review: As a rookie head official, John Hussey is a referee the Rams are likely to see twice this season, and don’t expect either of those games to be well-officiated. The Rams’ opening drive died on a completely bogus OPI call on Austin, who’s the strongest man in the NFL if that was a pushoff, when he barely touched the DB. Most of the other 11 penalty calls on the Rams were legit; I just wish Hussey’d had the courtesy to identify the player on all of them, especially the critical hold that took away the Jenkins INT. No-calls were a bigger problem. Indy converted on 3rd-and-8 and got inside the 10 before halftime after an obvious false start by Allen was missed. They got a long punt return in the 2nd half while the refs ignored Watts getting blatantly shoved in the back in front of the returner and Marquez getting obviously held for about 15 yards. Thanks for missing those but calling everything the Rams did, eagle eyes. Grade: D-plus

* Broadcast news: From TV, it looked like attendance couldn’t have been more than 15,000, and I think we know who to thank for that. Regrettably, I can no longer say “we” when talking about the home crowd, but the brave, hearty few got loud on several first-half 3rd downs and might even have flustered the Colts into one of their timeouts. Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt continue to put on a clinic as Rams analysts. Faulk’s breakdown of the Johnson TD was especially educational. One thing you can say about them is they’re never afraid to criticize the Rams or the referees. If anything, they could take it easier on the Rams. Faulk blamed Damian Williams for Mannion’s TD even though Mannion really stared him down. He blamed Pead for the second sack, but did Foles recognize it? It was very well-disguised. Holt blamed Britt for not converting a hot read into a 1st down, saying he didn’t “net the sticks”, but surely the ball had to come out too fast for Britt to run an 8-yard route. What’s that? Stop calling you Shirley? Anyway, those are quibbles; you rarely come away from a play without Holt or Faulk giving an excellent account of why it worked or didn’t work. We need these guys on regular-season games.

* Waiver bait: With E.J. Gaines headed to injured reserve, by my count, 13 Rams will hear the dreaded words “Coach Fisher wants to see you,” but no sooner than Monday per Les Snead. RamView’s guesses: T Steven Baker, WR Emory Blake, QB Austin Davis, DB Jay Hughes, RB Zach Laskey, LB Keshaun Malone, LS Tyler Ott, K/P Michael Palardy, CB Montell Garner, WR Tyler Slavin, TE Brad Smelley, OL David Wang and T Darrell Williams. Davis, who I stubbornly believe could still start for a half-dozen teams, deserves an early release to try to latch on somewhere. And Sergeant Dan HAS to make it to at least the final cut, doesn’t he?

* Who’s next?: Thursday night could see the final chapter of the most time-honored tradition in sports, and OF COURSE I’m talking about the Missouri Governor’s Cup. There’s a chance the city that wins the trophy will get to keep it forever, though we shouldn’t expect either team to treat the game like forever’s on the line. Nor should we expect the Rams to treat the game like an 0-4 preseason is on the line, not with Fisher recently saying 49 of the final 53 roster spots are already locked up. The main players to watch will probably be backup offensive linemen, backup DBs and Pead/Watts/Brown for the last RB job. I wouldn’t mind the starting o-line getting a lot of work and proving they can protect the QB, though. The Chiefs have vexed the Rams in the regular season for 20 years; whether they know it or not, or care, Fisher and the team owe the hometown fans one here. Maybe, just maybe, the Rams will rally behind Case Keenum and play good football, and St. Louis football fans will always have that glorious grail as a tangible link to the olden days.

— Mike
Game stats from espn.com