Gordon's report card (Bux game)

RAMS REPORT CARD: WEEK 2

Jeff Gordon

http://www.stltoday.com/gallery/sports/football/professional/rams-report-card-week/collection_0b9a21bf-0e4e-55c7-9810-89f2125b8c4a.html#0

Quarterback: A
Austin Davis served as a mere camp arm for much of the preseason, helping to facilitate practices while Sam Bradford, Shaun Hill and Garrett Gilbert did the more meaningful work. But Bradford got hurt, Gilbert struggled, Hill got hurt, and there was Davis, starting in week 2 on the road. He stayed calm, made most of his throws and rallied his team under pressure. He completed 22 of 29 for 225 yards and oozed more enthusiasm in one day than Bradford did in a year. Well-done sir!

Running Back: C-
Zac Stacy spit up a costly fumble, admittedly on a bad-luck play. Where did that foot come from? But he also scored the only Rams TD while grinding out 71 yards on 19 carries without getting many lanes to run through. Benny Cunningham was ineffective, gaining just 19 yards on six runs and one catch. Rookie Trey Watts and Tre “Don’t call me Isaiah” Mason were both inactive. The Rams need more from this group.

Receivers: B
The unit suffered a couple of unfortunate drops, one by Brian Quick on a rare deep pass and another by Austin Pettis. But Quick (seven catches, 74 yards) and Pettis (three catches, 46 yards) made tough catches in traffic to move the Rams downfield. Kenny Britt finally got into the offense with a 17-yard catch and a 12-yard run. Chris Givens made a nice 15-yard catch coming back to the ball. But Tavon Austin didn’t do much.

Tight Ends: B
As expected, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had lots of play-action work for his tight ends. Both Jared Cook (four catches, 45 yards) and Lance Kendricks (three catches, 25 yards) made critical plays to extend possessions. And Cory Harkey somehow returned to action after taking a nasty hit to the side of his knee after making a catch. But once again the unit could have done more to help the running game.

Offensive Line: D
Veteran C Scott Wells put QB Davis in peril a couple of times, once by whiffing on a pass block and once with an errant shotgun snap. Frequent breakdowns in pass protection tested Davis’ pocket awareness and feet. Fortunately for the Rams, Davis can scramble. This line should have delivered consistent run push against an injury-battered Tampa Bay front seven, but once again the Rams failed to sustain their ground game. This franchise has spent a lot of money on blockers. They must do better.

Defensive Line: D
It was all quiet in Sack City on Sunday. The Rams got Buccaneers QB Josh McCown down just once, with DE Eugene Sims sharing the sack with CB E.J. Gaines. This group also struggled against the run with DE Chris Long on the shelf, allowing Buccaneers RB Bobb Rainey to pound them for 144 yards on 22 carries. Also, McCown scooted into the end zone twice. Then there were the usual penalties, including two costly horse-collar calls against Sims and an offsides penalty on DT Michael Brockers that negated a potential fumbled return for a TD.

Linebackers: D
This was a feast-or-famine game for the unit. On one hand, MLD James Laurinaitis pressured McCown into a costly interception near the Rams goal line. On the other hand, OLD Jo-Lonn Dunbar extended a key Tampa Bay drive with a roughing-the-passer penalty. (It was a marginal call, but a veteran can’t draw that flag). The LBs had some big stops while helping hold Tampa Bay to 17 points, but they also yielded some huge and untimely runs.

Secondary: C
S Rodney McLeod lunged to pick off a Josh McCown pass in the red zone, killing a scoring drive. He also made five solo tackles. CB E.J. Gaines shared in a sack, but also struggled to contain Tampa Bay. Rookie CB Lamarcus Joyner sat out with a back injury, forcing CB Brandon McGee to play a bigger role. He survived and made three tackles along the way. But the Rams needed better run support overall and tighter pass coverage.

Special Teams: B
PK Greg Zuerlein converted four field goals, including the clutch game-winner from 38 yards. But he also took a personal foul penalty while tackling KR Chris Owuso at the end of a 45-yard return. What were the Rams trying to do with that kick and coverage scheme? That mishap led to a point-blank field goal try for Tampa Bay. Fortunately, S T.J. McDonald blocked that kick – just as he blocked a punt earlier in the game. KR Chris Givens forced the Rams to start their last possession on their 9 after mishandling the kickoff.

Coaching: C
Well, the Rams did win the game on the road. It was more of a non-loss than a victory – especially given the odd way the game ended – but the Rams did escape the field with more points. The fact they prevailed with a rather obscure young QB at the helm puts some shine on this game. Credit the staff for seeing something to exploit in the Buccaneers blocking scheme to block two kicks. But there is certainly no reason to have a balloon party in the coaching offices Monday.