Long active Sunday

stltoday.com
UPDATED: Long’s time off has come to an end
November 28, 2014 11:10 pm • By Jim Thomas jthomas@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8197

For defensive end Chris Long, the long wait is over. The most-tenured member of the Rams’ roster has been sidelined since suffering a tendon injury in his foot in the season opener Sept. 7 against Minnesota.

But on Saturday afternoon, the team activated Long to its 53-man roster from the injured reserve/designated for return list. To make room for Long, the Rams released linebacker Marshall McFadden.

On Sunday, in a noon kickoff against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome, Long will play in his first NFL game in 12 weeks.

Coach Jeff Fisher and Long played it coy all week when asked if Long would be activated. The answers usually came with a smile, or a smirk, or a wink.

In short, Long’s impending return was a badly-kept secret at Rams Park.

For example, when asked following Friday’s practice if Long was close to returning, Fisher smiled and said: “He’s close.”

Will he return Sunday against the Raiders?

“Yeah, maybe,” Fisher said, with more smiling. “I think he had his best day of practice today. So we’re going to discuss it this afternoon. If we make a decision, we’ll probably make a decision tomorrow.”

The decision became official Saturday afternoon. Despite its improved play recently, the defense has missed Long during his 10-game absence both from a playmaking and a leadership aspect.

“When he’s out there, you know, he gives us a little more life,” said William Hayes, who has started in Long’s place. “And I can kind of get back in my regular rotation. But he’s a big asset to our football team.

“He allows the defense to do a lot more. I can move back inside, play outside. And he just brings a different type of energy to the field.”

Since signing with the Rams in 2012, Hayes has done some of his best work when moving inside to defensive tackle in obvious passing situations. With Long down, the Rams didn’t really have the luxury of moving Hayes inside.

“Everybody understands (Long’s) production in the past, and I can’t wait to get a chance to coach him,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.

Under the IR/designated for return rules, players can’t practice for at least six weeks, after which a three-week practice window begins. Once that third practice week is done, the player either gets activated to the 53-man roster, or he goes on injured reserve for the rest of the year.

Long began practicing the week of the Nov. 16 Denver game, taking part only in individual drills. He began an intensive lobbying effort last week both with Fisher and Williams to play in the San Diego game. He bumped up his work load to practice reps in 11-on-11 — or team — drills last week.

“Lobbying or torturing?” Williams said, laughing. “How would you want to put that? No, that’s the fun part of it. He loves to play and wants to play. He brutalized me last week because he didn’t get to play.”

On the practice field these past couple of weeks, Long has been a pain in the rear as well with teammates because of his non-stop energy.

“We’ll be doing walk-throughs and he’s about to break my arms,” Hayes said. “I have to tell him to kind of slow down. He’s got a lot of built-up energy right now.”

Hayes has tried to get Long calmed down a little in practice; he wants him to save that energy for Sunday. As frustrating as it was to sit out the San Diego game, Long respects Fisher’s viewpoint on the matter.

“Fish is the man,” Long said. “He’s the man for a reason. I can respect his perspective on it always. I really wanted to play (last) Sunday. Fish thought it was best to give it some time here, and wait till this week to evaluate it again. … As bad as you want to play, you’ve got to listen to him, and his perspective’s very valuable to me.”

Long’s surgery is unusual. It doesn’t occur often in the NFL that two tendons in the back of your foot have to be surgically re-attached. So the timetable for recovery, rehab, and return is less certain than for other more common football injuries.

Even so, Long said, “You kind of have an idea when you turn the corner. I’m at the corner.”

Ready to turn the corner after a week in which he got a lot of work with the starters.

The foot itself is structurally sound. The issue was getting the muscles around those repaired tendons built back up to normal. And also, getting back in “football shape” — that is, reacquainting himself and his leg muscles to the distinct movement skills used to play the game.

Because he has been sidelined for nearly three months, it’s uncertain exactly how much Long will be able to play against Oakland. But he’s playing.

That’s because Long says he’s beyond the point of just feeling good on the field with his repaired foot.

“I feel amazing,” he said. “I feel spectacular.”
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/updated-long-s-time-off-has-come-to-an-end/article_8c006034-646d-573d-bf44-4ddec5686970.html?print=true&cid=print