Gaines makes big impact in return at cornerback

‘Secret superstar’ E.J. Gaines makes big impact in return at cornerback for Rams

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/gaines-730880-rams-first.html

GLENDALE, Ariz – . E.J. Gaines wanted the interception.

It was the end of the third quarter Sunday, and the Rams cornerback found himself leaping backward in the end zone. He reached up, his fingers grazing Carson Palmer’s pass, turning a potential Cardinals touchdown into fourth down and a 21-yard field goal.

Still, Gaines wanted to haul it in.

“Yeah, I thought I had it,” he said. “Still kind of mad about that.”

No matter. Appearing in an NFL regular-season game for the first time since Dec. 21, 2014, Gaines played a significant role in helping the Rams clinch a 17-13 win at Arizona, and the franchise’s first 3-1 start in a decade.

It wasn’t too long ago that the 24-year-old had looked like a draft steal, going from a sixth-round draft pick to a rookie who started 15 games. But Gaines lost the entire 2015 season to a foot injury, and then sat out the first three games of 2016 with a thigh injury.

He finally made his debut in the second quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium, initially lining up in the slot, but shifted outside to his old role before halftime. By the end, he had logged seven combined tackles (tied for the team lead), as well as two passes defensed.

“It took me about a series to get back into the speed of things,” Gaines said. “You can’t really do that at practice. It took about a series, and I was ready to go.”

As impressive as the Rams defense has looked – discounting an ugly start to open the season against the 49ers – the secondary had been inconsistent at best. Last month, starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson called the unit “average.”

Perhaps the biggest sore spot was the position opposite Johnson. To fill the void left by Janoris Jenkins, who left in free agency, the Rams had signed free agent Coty Sensabaugh to a three-year deal in March. During a Week 2 win over the Buccaneers, they benched Sensabaugh in favor of Troy Hill. Against Arizona, Sensabaugh wasn’t even active.

Pro Football Focus had graded Gaines well in the past, calling him a “secret superstar.” If healthy, he seemed like a natural solution.

“I’m glad to have him back,” Johnson said. “I’m really glad to have him back. But you can’t take anything away from Troy. He did his thing too.”

Gaines wasn’t presumptuous about reclaiming his starting spot either. He gave credit to the rest of the Rams defensive backs, and said that he’s simply going to do whatever Coach Jeff Fisher and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams ask of him.

At the same time, this feels like only the beginning.

“After you’ve been out for a whole year, it takes a while,” Gaines said. “This is just one game. Just keep competing, getting back into the flow of things.”