different critters set up the Washington game

nittany ram wrote:

Huge trap game for the Rams. This will be a good test.

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Rams seek perspective in order to sustain success

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/21410/rams-seek-perspective-in-order-to-sustain-success

EARTH CITY, Mo. — A victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday would elevate the St. Louis Rams to their first 2-0 start to a season since 2001.

That year, the Rams rattled off six straight wins to open the season on their way to a runner-up finish in Super Bowl XVI. That it’s been so long since they’ve started a season with consecutive victories should tell you all you need to know about how difficult it’s been for the Rams to find any sort of success, let alone sustain it over the past decade-plus.

On the few occasions the Rams have had a small taste of momentum after a big win, they’ve consistently given it back with a letdown in a seemingly winnable game. Such is the challenge that coach Jeff Fisher faces this week.

After a dramatic victory against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the Rams are riding high. They’re making big jumps in various NFL power rankings, popping up on national television and radio appearances and even raked in NFC defensive (Aaron Donald) and special teams (Tavon Austin) player of the week awards.

With all of that going on, it’s incumbent on Fisher and his team to quickly forget what happened last week and move on to this Sunday’s game.

“Success in this league requires you to keep wins and losses in perspective,” Fisher said. “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, 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.”

Since Fisher arrived in 2012, big victories such as Sunday’s against the Seahawks have been fairly frequent. The Rams have beaten Seattle three times in the past four years at home, knocked off Denver in 2014 and the Colts and Saints in 2013. They’ve also had a bad habit of losing games that observers believe they should win, such as games against the Jets in 2012, Titans in 2013 and the Giants last year.

Under Fisher, the Rams have had just six winning streaks of two games and only once were they able to win a third. They’ve never won more than three in a row under Fisher and have never been more than one game above .500.

In each of those three seasons, the Rams were the youngest team in the NFL. The inconsistencies of those previous seasons have often been tied to the team’s relative youth. But the Rams are the youngest team in the league again this year, which begs the question: What will be different this time around?

“I think our team is more mature,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “I think that showed on Sunday just the mental toughness this team has and nobody is celebrating around here. We are happy we got the win but it’s on to Washington. We know the challenge that we have going forward.”

One thing that Laurinaitis hopes will help in turning the page to the next game is the team’s modified practice schedule. While “Victory Monday” is still part of the plan, having a practice Tuesday instead of a day off means the Rams have to quickly refocus on the next task.

“It really forces you to get a jump-start on the next opponent,” Laurinaitis said.

Laurinaitis said he already saw the team getting a head start on Monday afternoon when he arrived at Rams Park for the day’s only required activity (weightlifting) and his teammates were all sticking around to watch Redskins tape. That wasn’t something he saw much of in the past after big wins.

“Guys weren’t enjoying it and taking two days off from watching film and relaxing and waiting until Wednesday to find out about the next team because they were celebrating,” Laurinaitis said. “Guys were really honed in and watching tape to try to figure out more about the Redskins and put the game to rest. It felt really good, probably one of the most exciting games I’ve played in the dome, but to get where we want to go, we’ve got to stack wins. We know the next challenge is the Redskins.”

The Rams are also well aware that they have plenty to fix before playing the Redskins. Namely, they must cut down on turnovers (they somehow managed to win despite a minus-3 second-half turnover differential against Seattle) and do a better job of extending drives and keeping the offense on the field (Seattle had the ball for almost 10 minutes more than the Rams) in order to get a second consecutive victory.

“You can’t overemphasize the importance of getting better,” Fisher said. “We have to improve in a lot of areas.

“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.”

from PFT’s Week Two picks

Mike Florio

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/17/pfts-week-two-picks-6/

Rams at Washington

MDS’s take: The Rams’ defensive line is ferocious and will pressure Kirk Cousins into at least a couple of turnovers. Another quarterback controversy may be coming in Washington.

MDS’s pick: Rams 27, Washington 10.

Florio’s take: The Rams hoped to dominate with the picks acquired from Washington in the RG3 trade. They may not be ready to dominate the rest of the league, but they’re ready to dominate Washington, again.

Florio’s pick: Rams 27, Washington 10.

Challenge for Rams: Get to Kirk Cousins

Bernie Miklasz

http://www.101sports.com/2015/09/17/challenge-for-rams-get-to-kirk-cousins/

When the Rams defense digs into the turf Sunday at FedEx Field, setting up to go after Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, their pass rushers can’t waste time. The ball will be gone. Cousins won’t stand around and wait for the Rams to hit him.

Cousins isn’t elusive. He doesn’t scramble much. He will stay in the pocket.

Cousins won’t make anyone’s “Best Quarterbacks” lists. After all, we’re talking about a fourth-year QB that has played in only 15 NFL games including 10 as a starter. He has more career interceptions (21) than touchdown passes (19) and a mediocre passer rating of 76.9.

But Cousins does present a challenge for an aggressive defense that thrives on pressuring and disrupting quarterbacks.

Cousins is one of the quickest draws in the NFL.

He sets up. He fires. He releases the throw before the pass rushers have time to blink.

This is part of coach Jay Gruden’s system. He doesn’t want his quarterbacks to loiter, free-lance, or otherwise hold onto the ball. If you want to play QB for Gruden’s Redskins _ sorry, Robert Griffin III _ then you’d better be decisive and deliver the pass without hesitation.

The Rams have an abundance of active, swarming pass rushers known as “Sack City.” The cast includes defensive ends Robert Quinn, Chris Long and William Hayes. (Plus Eugene Sims, who injured a knee in the season-opener vs. Seattle.) And on the interior are defensive tackles Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and Nick Fairley. It’s a group that features five first-round draft choices, impressive career sack totals, and enough pass-rush heat to make any quarterback squirm.

Last Sunday “Sack City” got after Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for six sacks and 22 total QB pressures. The mobile Wilson couldn’t escape the rush. The Rams trapped him early and often.

This may sound crazy, but Cousins figures to be a more difficult challenge for the Rams.

It’s not because Cousins is the superior quarterback. Obviously, Wilson is the better player. And unlike Cousins _ a stationary target _ Wilson is capable of breaking down a defense with his quicksilver running ability. But in the simple task of getting rid of the football to avoid sacks, Cousins can frustrate a defense with his rapid-fire delivery.

According to Pro Football Focus, Cousins needed an average of only 2.41 seconds to put his passes in flight last season.

In Sunday’s 17-10 opening-afternoon loss to Miami, Cousins averaged 2.32 seconds to release his throw.

In 2014, Cousins used only 2.5 seconds or less to get the ball out of his right hand on 60 percent of his passing attempts. Against Miami, 72 percent of his passing attempts went airborne in 2.5 seconds or under.

That fast release time puts Cousins near the top of the charts among NFL quarterbacks over the past two seasons.

This is what happens when Cousins uses 2.5 seconds or fewer to defy the rush with his quick-release trigger.

In 2014 … a 70 percent completion percentage and a 101.9 passer rating.

Against Miami … a 77.3 completion percentage and a 94.3 passer rating.

But when Cousins holds the ball for more than 2.5 seconds, he’s a different quarterback. And not nearly as good. On his 2.6+ throws last season Cousins completed only 49 percent with a passer rating of 61.5. Facing Miami, Cousins connected on 44 percent of the his 2.6+ passes, threw two interceptions and had a sickly passer rating of only 13.

The Rams’ assignment couldn’t be clearer. Their rushers have to find a way to out-quick Cousins, and it won’t be easy.

Like most quarterbacks, Cousins is more effective when he can throw without harassment.

In his one season (and one game) as Gruden’s quarterback, Cousins has completed 62 percent of his passes with an 80.8 passer rating when the defense doesn’t pressure him. But when the defense puts him under pressure, Cousins has completed only 49 percent of this throws, has two TD passes and five interceptions, and a terrible passer rating of 50.8.

There’s been a lot of talk about the Redskins’ vulnerable offensive line and lapses in pass protection. But the Redskins’ big men kept Cousins relatively clean last week against Miami’s well regarded pass rush. The Dolphins managed one sack and only nine total QB pressures.

Rams quarterback Nick Foles had to cope with considerably more discomfort against the Seahawks, who sacked him twice and swooped in for 16 total pressures. The Rams’ offensive line struggled in its pass protection, with Pro Football Focus giving its lowest pass-blocking grades to left tackle Greg Robinson and right tackle Rob Havenstein. (Center Tim Barnes scored well in his run blocking but got a negative pass-pro grade from PFF.)

Compared to Cousins, Foles has a slower release, averaging 2.7 seconds to get the ball away against Seattle. Foles had about the same timing for Philadelphia last season, and was even more deliberate in 2013 with an average release time of 3.3 seconds. But Foles put that extra release time to good use in 2013, being selected to the Pro Bowl after throwing 27 TD passes and only two interceptions.

The Redskins have at least one menacing pass rusher in outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who roams the edges of a 3-4 defensive alignment to hunt for a pass-protection weakness or mismatch. Left defensive end Stephen Paea had a sack and three hurries vs. Miami last week, and outside linebacker Preston Smith gave the Dolphins as much trouble as Kerrigan.

The young Rams O-line will be tested by the Redskins. Count on it.

And the Rams’ defensive line will have to speed up to put a hit on Cousins before he flicks his wrist.

ESPN’s NFL Live crew breaks down the Week 2 matchup between the St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins. Both Mark Schlereth and Brian Dawkins pick the Rams.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:13673064

Practice Report 9/18: Preparing for Cousins, Washington

Myles Simmons

http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-918-Preparing-for-Cousins-Washington/4f26cece-e9e6-4e47-b058-1a8510d194b7

Last week, the Rams used a complete team performance to defeat the Seahawks in the season opener. On Friday, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said he was pleased with the way his unit performed.

“When we’re playing that tight coverage and we’re forcing them to do the right kind of things there, the pass rush has got to help the coverage and those guys can do an awful lot of good things in the pass rush,” Williams said. “It’s fun for me to have the chance where I don’t have to pressure as much.”

“But I can’t not pressure,” he added with a wry smile. “We’ll always pressure.”

While the Rams got to Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson for six sacks, Williams said there were certainly aspects of the performance the team can improve upon this week.

“I thought we upper-body tackled way too much in that ball game,” Williams said, “but we brought a lot of people to the point.”

St. Louis’ defense will have to attack running back Alfred Morris in a similar manner. Williams said tackling low and gang tackling will be key to slowing down Morris, who had 121 yards on 25 carries last week.

“He’s another great running back,” Williams said.

The defensive coordinator also had praise for Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. Williams called him a smart QB, who has been executing head coach Jay Gruden’s scheme well.

“We’re going to have to try and disrupt the timing of things as much as we can,” Williams said. “Any quarterback becomes more human when you can disrupt the timing of it and try to move him off the spot in the pocket.”

Two of the players who will be integral in doing so are defensive tackles Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers. Donald, of course, was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for recording 11 tackles and 2.0 sacks against the Seahawks.

“Aaron played very well and I think he’d be the first to tell you — don’t take this the wrong way –but he thinks he can play better,” Williams said. “That’s why it’s fun to coach him.”

“There are always things you can fix, and you try to build off the things you did right,” Donald said after Friday’s practice. “At the same time, I’m paying attention to the things I did wrong and trying to fix them. So, like I said, I still don’t feel like I’ve played my best football yet.”

The defensive coordinator was quick to give credit to Brockers as well.

“An unsung hero that’s kind of going unnoticed this week, is kind of how well Michael Brockers played,” Williams said. “Michael Brockers has been playing outstanding and allows Aaron to even have more freedom to do the things that he can do that I can’t coach.”

“He’s the guy in there doing all the dirty work,” Donald said of Brockers. “We’re always talking to each other. We watch film with each other a lot. We have a lot of chemistry together, and we can do some special things as a defensive tackle unit and as a team overall.”

One other player Williams talked about on Friday is safety Mark Barron. Picked up in a trade with Tampa Bay in the middle of last season, the Alabama product now has a full offseason with St. Louis under his belt. And based on the way Williams described his play, it shows.

The defensive coordinator started with one word when asked about Barron: “Wow.”

“Not only can he play the safety position, he can play the linebacker position,” Williams said. “He basically plays like a linebacker because he has the size and the strength and the burst to do that, too. And then he does a lot of the things that a nickel and a safety does.

“I thought he played very, very well,” Williams continued, “and I’m challenged each and every week to make sure I give him enough reps.”

RB picture still cloudy, but Johnson’s a go at cornerback

Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rb-picture-still-cloudy-but-johnson-s-a-go-at/article_77538d0d-f482-59c2-ad6a-97d179ccacc1.html

Looks like the Rams’ running back mystery will continue right up to Sunday in Washington. Todd Gurley (knee) and Tre Mason (hamstring) were both full participants Friday, the last full-scale day of the practice week.

Coach Jeff Fisher has listed both players at questionable on the team’s official injury report. The questionable designation, by NFL definition, means a player has a 50-50 chance of participating in that week’s game. But Fisher didn’t tip his hand.

“Well, I think it looks a little better than it did last week, not that it was an issue for us because Benny (Cunningham) really carried the load for us (against Seattle),” Fisher said.

“We’ll see how things go during the warm-ups. The two situations are completely different. You’ve got a guy coming off a season-ending ACL injury (Gurley), and you’ve got a guy coming off a three-week hamstring (Mason). But they both practiced full speed the last two days, so that’s encouraging.”

The grass field at FedEx Field is far from the league’s best surface, but Fisher said that would have no impact on his decision to use — or not use — either player.

While the running back position remains somewhat in flux, there is clarity at the cornerback position because Trumaine Johnson has a clear head.

After visiting with team medical officials Thursday, Johnson has passed the concussion protocol and is cleared to play against Washington. Officially, Johnson is listed as probable. He’s expected to start Sunday, which is good news for a Rams defense that has only four cornerbacks on the 53-man roster.

“He’s playing real solid,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “Last year being my first time seeing him, he had to battle through all those injuries and I don’t think I ever saw the real Trumaine.”

After a strong offseason and preseason by Johnson, Williams has a better idea of what he’s got. Before the concussion against Seattle, Johnson intercepted a Russell Wilson pass that led to a Rams field goal and a 10-7 lead.

“He’s got a long body that you can’t coach,” Williams said. “His burst and his instincts are good, too.”

Johnson also has a better understanding of how Williams likes his cornerbacks to play in his system.

“He has bought into that very well,” Williams said. “I think that staying healthy — we’ve got to continue to stay healthy — I think you’re going to see a big year out of him.”

Johnson suffered the injury making a tackle on Seattle wide receiver Chris Matthews midway through the second quarter. Johnson participated in two more plays before he left the field.

“I do not remember any of those (plays),” Johnson said Friday. “It is scary, just to look back at it and to see if I was technique-sound or let somebody beat me. Luckily they didn’t throw the ball that way.”

Johnson has been free of any symptoms, such as headaches or sensitivity to light, since Sunday, so he’s good to go and excited to get back on the field.

“This whole season, I don’t want to miss any games,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s a concussion. You’ve got to be safe with it. Take it slow. But everything worked out.”

Back at running back, things aren’t as clear cut. Just by the nature of the injury, it seems more likely that Mason returns to action Sunday than Gurley.

Fisher called Mason’s hamstring a three-week injury, and Sunday will be three weeks and a day since Mason tweaked the hamstring against Indianapolis in preseason play.

He tested the hamstring just before the Seattle contest and said: “I felt like I was pretty close. I wasn’t 100 percent, I’m not gonna lie. I feel like it was a smart decision to sit the week out, so I didn’t miss more time.”

Mason likens his body to a Lamborghini, the Italian luxury sports car.

“I feel like if I’m at a race, as soon as the race is over you gotta go right back into the pit stop,” Mason said. “I’m tuning up right now, tuning up the engine. Get a good oil change. New tires. Put a little nitrous in there.”

Mason said he went out for a test ride Friday.

“It definitely went well,” he said. “A real smooth lap around the track. So I can’t wait till Sunday.”

Which sounds like Mason is ready to go against Washington. But he added, “That’s not my job to tell.”

That’s up to Fisher, and the Rams coach obviously is engaging in some gamesmanship to keep Washington guessing until Sunday’s kickoff.

“I can’t wait,” Mason said. “I just want to be a playmaker because when the ball’s in my hand, I try to make something happen, and make something positive for this team happen.”

As for Gurley, he knows he’s close to making his NFL debut. He also knows he has gotten very few practice repetitions through the preseason and training camp, and none during the OTA practice sessions in June.

He says running doesn’t feel any different now from before the knee injury he suffered at Georgia. But adds: “I haven’t done it in a long time, so it’s just kinda getting back in the groove with everything, and getting those reps over and over. The big thing is really getting reps.”

So what would be Gurley’s answer if Fisher asks if he’s ready to play?

Gurley paused, and replied with a laugh: “I don’t know. I gotta think on that.”

Foles became the first quarterback to complete 65 percent of his passes and average 11 yards per completion since Pete Carroll became coach in Seattle in 2010.