Wagoner and others on Hill's status

I predict that Hill does not start another game for the Rams.

Grits

wv wrote:

I noticed during the rewind of the first half
Hill seemed a tad gimpy. Just a hint of a limp.
The quad injury seems the most likely explanation
for his being replaced.

w
v

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Fisher: No conspiracy; Hill was hurt

Jim Thomas

Apparently no fan of conspiracy theories, Jeff Fisher called speculation that Shaun Hill was benched and wasn’t really injured “absurd” during his Monday media session.

“To clarify things once again, Shaun Hill strained a quad in the second quarter, and that was the reason he did not return,” Fisher said.

Fisher said Hill’s status is day-to-day this week but if healthy, he will start this Sunday at Tampa Bay.

“There’s no issue there,” Fisher said. “Shaun’s our quarterback, so if he’s healthy he starts. And that’ll be the case throughout the season.”

Several factors made the halftime quarterback change seem curious in the Rams’ 34-6, season-opening loss to Minnesota. For one, Davis was already in for a few plays at the start of the second half before it was announced that Hill had a quad — or thigh — injury.

For another, there was no definitive play where Hill appeared to get injured, at least to the naked eye.

“Typically, quad strains are the result of running,” Fisher said. “It was not a contusion. It was not impact. It started to get sore earlier in the game as he was escaping pressure.”

Fisher said he made the decision to go with Davis with input from Hill.

“We discussed it in the locker room at halftime,” Fisher said. “We discussed it after we came out on the field. He wanted to play, but he felt — he was in agreement with me — that the best thing for the immediate future here next week or the week to follow would be that he didn’t make it any worse.

“Because if you make it any worse, then you’re looking at a significant amount of (missed) play time.”

Fisher said Hill wasn’t upset about the quarterback change. “He totally understood,” Fisher said. “You know, he actually tried to throw that ball away.”

Fisher was referring to Hill’s costly interception near the end of the first half.

“He wasn’t trying to throw it to Cookie (tight end Jared Cook),” Fisher said. “He lacked the lower-body strength to make the throw. That was a concern of his.”

Scrambling right to evade the Minnesota pass rush, Hill threw off his back foot into double coverage near the Rams’ sideline. Nickel back Josh Robinson made a leaping interception at the St. Louis 35, and the Vikings converted the takeaway into a touchdown right before the half to take a 13-0 lead.

Hill didn’t appear to be limping when he came out in the second half and was still in uniform with no ice on the leg or any kind of wrap to be seen.

“He felt like he could take a shotgun snap and throw the ball if we had an issue with Austin,” Fisher said. “So therefore, we kept him dressed and kept him on the sideline.”

No. 3 quarterback Case Keenum was on the pregame inactive list.

Hill declined to answer questions from reporters about the injury after the game, referring all queries to Fisher. He even declined to say how the injury occurred. That only fueled speculation that something was amiss.

When Fisher met with reporters early Monday evening, he said he was unaware of any conspiracy theory rumblings about Hill being benched, not injured.

“I’m telling you the truth,” Fisher said. “I’ve never, never messed around with the quarterback situation my entire career. I’m speaking truthfully. He had a quad strain, and I took him out of the game, period.

“On the depth chart, he’s clearly ahead of Austin Davis. It’s not a negative commentary on Austin, but (Hill) gives us the best chance to win. If he can’t go, then Austin steps up and then he gives us the best chance to win.”

But as for conspiracy theories?

“That’s absurd,” Fisher said.

As he spoke Monday, Fisher wasn’t sure if Hill would be able to practice Wednesday, when the team returns to practice. The plan is to give Davis more work this week with the starters, just in case.

Making his first start since 2010, Hill started the game by completing his first five passes but completed only three of his final eight to end the half. The misses in order:

• Running back Zac Stacy dropped a screen pass that could’ve gone for good yardage on the Rams’ second possession.

• Flushed out of the pocket and under pressure, he threw away a pass on a play in which Kenny Britt was the nearest receiver early in the second quarter.

• Referee Ed Hochuli picked up a flag on what appeared to be an illegal contact or pass interference penalty on a deep ball to Brian Quick on the Rams’ fourth series.

• Two plays later, on a miscommunication between Britt and Hill, Hill threw deep and Britt cut his route off short. The ball hit the turf well beyond anyone on the field.

• And then came the interception.

So you could make the case that the only truly bad throw by Hill in the first half was the interception.

“Shaun was effective,” Fisher said. “He made plays. They pressured him; we expected them to pressure him as anybody would a backup quarterback.

“But I thought he was effective. You saw the throws he made. The timing throws that he made. He was under pressure. We had a protection issue. … But I thought had he stayed in game we would’ve had a chance.

“Realistically speaking, we’re two plays away from going into the locker room at halftime 6-3. Make a field goal, throw that (interception) away. Punt it away. Even with 2 minutes left to go in the third quarter, we’re down 10. You normally think you’d have a shot with the veteran quarterback.”

It was 6-0 and not 6-3 before the Hill interception and the resulting Minnesota TD because Greg Zuerlein barely missed a 50-yard field goal, wide left, on the Rams’ second possession.