Media on upcoming Tampa game

Rams looking to beat Bucs for a fifth straight year

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/30825/rams-looking-to-beat-bucs-for-fifth-straight-year

The Los Angeles Rams are going from one opponent they’ve thrived against to another.
Their 9-3 win in a highly anticipated regular-season debut at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday gave the Rams three consecutive victories over division rival Seattle, and now they’ll look to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the fifth year in a row. Jeff Fisher is 4-0 against the Bucs since joining the Rams, beating them 28-13 on the road in 2012, 23-13 at home in 2013, 19-17 on the road in 2014 and 31-23 at home in 2015.

The Rams enter Raymond James Stadium on Sunday as the only NFL team yet to score a touchdown, and will try to avoid becoming the first team since the expansion Bucs in 1976 to do so in the first three weeks of a season. They’ll face a team coming off a demoralizing 40-7 loss to Arizona, but one that could be energized by its home opener. Here are six opposing players to watch, courtesy of ESPN Buccaneers reporter Jenna Laine …

OFFENSE

Jameis Winston: Winston had a disaster of a game against the Cardinals in Week 2, throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. All the momentum built up from four touchdowns he threw in Week 1? It may not be gone, but it came to a screeching halt. How will he fare against the Rams’ front seven?

WR Mike Evans: A big reason Winston can rebound is Evans, who had nine catches for 157 yards last year against the Rams. The Bucs still lost that one, but No. 13 did some damage. He and Winston also have improved quite a bit on the deep ball, although it wasn’t accurate enough when Patrick Peterson picked one off last week. Through two weeks, Evans has 11 catches for 169 yards.

RB Charles Sims: If Doug Martin can’t go because of an ankle injury, Sims is the next man up. Unlike Martin, a tough inside runner, Sims is more elusive on the outside and contributes significantly in the screen game. He’s also an asset downfield in the passing game. He’ll get a lot more touches this week, and so will Jacquizz Rodgers, whom the team signed last week.

DEFENSE

DE Noah Spence: Robert Ayers, one of the most valuable and versatile pieces on the Bucs’ defensive line, had to leave Sunday’s game against the Cardinals with an ankle injury, and he may not play against the Rams. That means a lot more attention on Spence, a rookie second-round pick who got the first sack of his NFL career last week. The sack came from rushing out of the left side, the first time he’s done that in his career.

DT Gerald McCoy: Rams fans can appreciate what an outstanding three-technique can do because they have Aaron Donald. McCoy, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, makes the Bucs’ defensive line go. In the three seasons before this one he had 26 1/2 sacks, and he’s the focal point of every opposing offense’s game plan. In fact, defensive coordinator Mike Smith, who used to be the coach of the Falcons, has joked that they had many “sleepless nights trying to keep him out of our backfield.” A Rams offensive line that’s still a work in progress may have its hands full.

CB Brent Grimes: The Bucs are one of just three teams not to have a takeaway on defense, and they gave up six explosive plays for 209 yards last week. A lot of focus shifts to the secondary, with high expectations for Grimes and rookie Vernon Hargreaves III and also their third cornerback, Alterraun Verner. Now is the time they need to show some return on that investment and get their hands on the ball.

Rams, Bucs have been on different No. 1 paths

Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sports/20160921/bonsignore-rams-bucs-have-been-on-different-no-1-paths

It’s bad enough the Rams concluded the second week of their season without crossing the goal line for a touchdown, but then the Football Gods went and served up a heaping dish of Carson Wentz making like Ben Roethlisberger while leading the Philadelphia Eagles to an easy win Monday night on national TV, and, well, everyone is in a panic.

The Rams, you’ll remember, had the first overall pick in last April’s draft and could have had Wentz.

Instead they decided to take Jared Goff, who hasn’t seen the field in the first two weeks of the season and might not be in uniform when the Rams play the Buccaneers Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, Wentz is rapidly emerging as a hero in the City of Brotherly Love. As we all witnessed on Monday Night Football.

To quote The Dude from The Big Lebowski: “That’s like, not cool man.”

Feel free to freak out. But do so at your own risk.

History reveals there is more than one way to grow a National Football League quarterback and that time lines don’t always accurately reflect draft status, talent or foretell future success.

It’s often about circumstance more than talent. And whose doing the picking more than at what point in the draft.

In 2002 David Carr and Joey Harrington were drafted first and third overall and both were starting by Week 1 of their rookie seasons.

Neither had memorable, nor particularly long, NFL careers.

Three years later Aaron Rodgers was drafted at the bottom of the first round by the Green Bay Packers and stood on the sideline for three years behind Bret Favre. When Rodgers finally took over as the starting quarterback, stardom soon followed and within two seasons he was hoisting a Super Bowl championship trophy.

Despite dubious beginnings, he’s on pace for a Hall of Fame career.

See, it’s not necessarily when you’re drafted or whether you deserve the keys to the car when you get them, it’s what you do when you get behind the wheel.

For every successful quarterback drafted first overall, such as Peyton or Eli Manning or Troy Aikman, there are busts such as Tim Couch or Lamarcus Russell or Jeff George.

Russell Wilson and Joe Montana were both third-round picks. Drew Brees was taken in the second round.

Wilson started for the Seahawks on Day 1. Montana and Brees rode the bench their first seasons.

All three won Super Bowls.

Ryan Leaf and Rick Mirer were taken second overall in their respective drafts and began their careers as their team’s starter. Both ended up NFL washouts.

“Every case is different,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said.

The Buccaneers are a prime example, being in the exact same position in April of 2015 that the Rams found themselves in April 2016. They were at the top of the draft with a quarterback at the top of their wish list, but operating on a remarkably different time lines.

Which brings us to Goff, and in a roundabout way to Jameis Winston, whom the Bucs drafted first overall last year.

Goff may or may not be in uniform Sunday as he stands on the sideline in Tampa Bay watching Winston quarterback the Buccaneers. In fact, there is a chance Goff might not see the field at all this year.

Winston, on the other hand, has started every game during his first two seasons. So has Marcos Mariota, when healthy, after being selected second behind Winston last year.

We already know about Wentz, who was drafted No. 2 behind Goff last April.

It’s stuff like that that makes people wonder if the Rams blew it by picking Goff.

Valid concern. But way too early to tell, or worry.

As much as Goff and Winston have in common — same position, same distinction as first-overall picks — their differences reveal how tricky this whole quarterback development thing can be and why it behooves everyone not to make sweeping assumptions this early in the game.

Not all things are equal, even when it comes to being the first player picked. Winston was drafted by a team that won two games the season before and approached 2015 with a grow-with-our-young quarterback mentality no matter the affect it might have on the record.

The Rams drafted Goff coming off a seven-win season, and after trading up 14 spots to get to the top of the draft, while in win-now mode even if it means delaying the starting career of the future face of the franchise.

In a new market, with a coach in the last year of his contract and conviction within the organization if a few things break right they can push past the 7-9 mark to 9-7 or 10-6, the Rams will long-play the transition to Goff in pursuit of wins,

In Tampa Bay it was push, push, push.

In L.A. it’s patience, patience, patience.

Koetter was the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator last year when then-coach Lovie Smith made it abundantly clear he wanted Winston to be the Day 1 starter.

Didn’t matter if he was ready. As in really ready. The order was the order.

Koetter’s job was to make it happen.

“It’s just a matter of figuring out a game plan to give him a chance to be successful.” Koetter said.

Whether Winston deserved the job or not, or was fully prepared, was almost beside the point. The plan was to get him on the field as soon as possible. Learning on the job was just part of the deal.

Winston just rolled with it.

“I think you just have to go out there because you never know when you’re really ready,” Winston said. “You just have to go out there and compete.

“I think the biggest thing is just being a good teammate to your teammates, finding out the personalities and finding out the guys that you’re going to be battling with for the beginning of your career. Once you get on their good side, the football part is the easy part. I think just the team camaraderie, that’s the biggest part. The football; that’s the easy part.”

His first NFL pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, incidentally.

All part of a learning curve the Bucs were perfectly fine with.

“We definitely had some rocky beginnings,” Koetter said. “In Jameis’ case, he played a lot of big time games at Florida State under pressure situations in front of big crowds. But still, we had to figure out how he was going to do in the NFL. It was definitely a learning experience.”

Winning and losing wasn’t necessarily second to the play-now edict, but close.

“I would say there is some truth to that,” Koetter said. “And the key ingredient there is that every situation is different. Again going back, in our situation last year, it was made clear from the start that we picked Jameis No. 1 and he was going to be our starting quarterback, and we were going to build around him. After that decision is made, as an assistant coach, I mean the direction is very clear, you’re going to follow directions and do your best to get it done.”

Winston threw for 4,042 yards and 25 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. His quarterback rating was 84.2 and the Bucs finished 6-10.

The experience was beneficial going into Year 2.

“I just feel like I’m more comfortable in the offense, which allows me to have more control of the offense just by my comfort level and by my knowledge of the game plan,” he said.

The growing pains remain, though. Winston threw four touchdowns in a season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons, then followed up with four interceptions in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.

“This is a very humbling league,” Koetter said. “Sometimes when you think you’re making progress, sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back.”

We haven’t yet seen that with Goff.

But then, the Rams situation this year is remarkably different than the Bucs last season.

Frustrating, yes. But hardly a predictor of what the future holds.

Bucs-Rams: Fast facts about Sunday’s game in Tampa

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/bucs-rams-fast-facts-about-sundays-game-in-tampa/2294759

OPENING LINE – Buccaneers by 4 1/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD – Los Angeles 1-1, Tampa Bay 1-1

SERIES RECORD – Rams lead 15-8

LAST MEETING – Rams beat Buccaneers 31-23, Dec. 17, 2015

LAST WEEK – Rams beat Seahawks 9-3; Buccaneers lost to Cardinals 40-7

AP PRO32 RANKING – Rams No. 25, Buccaneers No. 18

RAMS OFFENSE – OVERALL (32), RUSH (T28), PASS (32).

RAMS DEFENSE – OVERALL (9), RUSH (19), PASS (9).

BUCCANEERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (23), RUSH (21), PASS (T18).

BUCCANEERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (21), RUSH (8), PASS (27).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – Non-divisional rivals meet for fifth consecutive season. Rams won past four, twice in Tampa. … Series includes pair of NFC championship games (1979, 1999), both won by Rams. … Los Angeles coach Jeff Fisher 8-1 all-time vs. Tampa Bay. … Rams’ 186 sacks since Fisher’s arrival in 2012 are second most in NFL to Denver’s 194. … Case Keenum-led Los Angeles offense has yet to score touchdown, averaging league-low 234 yards per game. … RB Todd Gurley off to slow start with 98 yards rushing on 36 attempts. He was third in NFL with 1,106 yards as rookie in 2015. … Aaron Donald-led defense limited Seattle to three points and 67 yards rushing last week. … Rams CB Coty Sensabaugh was with Tennessee year ago, when he intercepted Jameis Winston’s first career pass and returned it for TD. … Keenum had highest passer rating possible (158.0) against Bucs last season, going 14 of 17 for 234 yards, two TDs and no interceptions. … Winston threw four interceptions and lost fumble in Tampa Bay’s lopsided loss to Arizona last week. … With Bucs RB Doug Martin sidelined with right hamstring injury, workload for backups Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers figures to increase. … Tampa Bay DE Robert Ayers left last week’s game with ankle injury, creating more playing time for rookie Noah Spence, who had first career sack vs. Cardinals. … Tampa Bay’s defense has not forced turnover through two games. … Fantasy tip: If Tampa Bay struggles to run without Martin, look for Winston to try to get ball downfield — a lot — to WRs Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. Young QB attempted 52 passes against Arizona, targeting Evans (six catches, 70 yards, one TD) 17 times. Evans had nine receptions for 157 yards, but no TDs against Rams last year.

Rams’ visit to Buccaneers reunites Gregg Williams, Dirk Koetter

Jack Wang

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160923/rams-visit-to-buccaneers-reunites-gregg-williams-dirk-koetter

THOUSAND OAKS >> Gregg Williams once tried to put in a good word for Dirk Koetter.

Five years ago, the Denver Broncos were looking for a new head coach, the first move by John Elway as he transitioned from franchise legend to top executive. Williams and Koetter were both in the running, but the former removed himself from consideration.

Instead, according to the Denver Post, Williams texted Elway: “Dirk Koetter is a GREAT find on your part. I have very high regard for him.”

The pitch didn’t work then, as Elway eventually settled on John Fox. But this Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, Williams — now in his third year as the Rams defensive coordinator — gets his first close look at his former co-worker in a new role: head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Each one is familiar with the other. In 2008, both served as coordinators for the Jacksonville Jaguars on opposite sides of the ball. How much of a boost that experience could give the Rams (1-1) this weekend is unclear.

“The fact that I’ve been in the fire with him a couple times helps a little bit,” Williams said. “But they probably think the same thing about me, too, because we went against each other in practice all those times.”

Promoted from offensive coordinator this offseason at 57, Koetter is among the latest in a crop of late bloomers. Across the league, only six men got their first head coaching jobs at age 50 or older. Of those, four were hired within the last four years: Koetter, Chip Kelly (49ers), Mike Zimmer (Vikings), and Bruce Arians (Cardinals).

Although Koetter had to wait for his chance, Williams’ opinion of him hasn’t changed: “Dirk Koetter is a very, very good football coach.”

The Buccaneers coach was similarly complimentary of Williams: “Any time you’re going up against a Gregg Williams defense, you know you’re going to have your hands full all day.”

“The challenge is that Gregg always got plenty up his sleeve,” Koetter added. “He’s always multiple, he’s always going to give the quarterback a lot of looks, he’s willing to bring pressure from any place on the field, he’s willing to bring unusual pressures. Everywhere he’s been, his guys on that defensive unit play extremely hard for him.”

The Rams need that assessment to hold true again. The team has yet to score a touchdown through two games, and are sitting at .500 due to a stingy defensive performance. Williams’ crew will be tested again this week, particularly by Jameis Winston, the former No. 1 overall pick who is equally capable of throwing four touchdowns as he is four interceptions.

But despite Koetter’s reputation for grooming quarterbacks, the Buccaneers (1-1) are hitting a rough patch early in the season. Star running back Doug Martin, the NFL’s second-leading rusher last season, has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury, leaving Tampa Bay with a combination of either Charles Sims — who has never started a game — and Jacquizz Rodgers, who signed with the team only this month.

The team also waived Austin Seferian-Jenkins on Friday in the wake of his second DUI arrest in three years. Another tight end, Luke Stocker, is sidelined with an ankle injury.

Williams, however, won’t be surprised if Koetter makes do with what he has.

“I always teased him about the fact that he could coach defense, too,” Williams said. “Because that’s the way he coaches offense. Because he’s no-nonsense, he’s very aggressive in his ways, he’s very detailed in his ways. I have a lot of respect for him. They do a really good job of adapting the offensive concepts to the skill sets of their players similar to what we try to do, too.”[

wv wrote:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/the-rams-and-bucs-are-the-nfls-most-boring-teams-heres-the-proof/2294922
Rams are most boring team of the decade.

I enjoyed this article, immensely. Dunno why.

I know some folks dont see the Rams offense as ‘boring’ — they see it as young, or injured, etc. But my brain sees those things, and still goes right to BORING, as well.

Good lord, have they been BORING.

w
v

I don’t agree that that’s uniform. In 2012 for example, both games against SF, they went up against one of the best defenses that year (3rd total, 2nd in points) and did it without much in the way of resources and yet took it to them.

Another example, last year against Tampa they had Gurley going and were throwing all over the place.

wv wrote:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/the-rams-and-bucs-are-the-nfls-most-boring-teams-heres-the-proof/2294922
Rams are most boring team of the decade.

I enjoyed this article, immensely. Dunno why.

I know some folks dont see the Rams offense as ‘boring’ — they see it as young, or injured, etc. But my brain sees those things, and still goes right to BORING, as well.

Good lord, have they been BORING.

w
v

On offense the Rams have been a snore for many years. Not so for defense and STs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Los Angeles Rams predictions from the Times Sports staff

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/tampa-bay-buccaneers-los-angeles-rams-predictions-from-the-times-sports/2294841

Bucs, 24-20

Bucs were humbled in Arizona and got a reminder that preparation during the week is key. Losing Doug Martin is a big deal, but the combination of Charles Sims and Jacqizz Rodgers should provide enough ground cover to allow Jameis Winston to use play-action. Winston will face a heavy rush but should be able to make some plays downfield. Plus, the Rams have not scored a touchdown this season.

Tom Jones, Columnist

Bucs 27-10

Bucs will shake off last week’s debacle in Arizona, but they’ll have to do it without running back Doug Martin. The loss of Martin might be tough to overcome in upcoming games against Denver and Carolina, but Jameis Winston and the Bucs offense should do enough to put away the Rams. Look, too, for Tampa Bay’s best defensive effort of the season in a game against the team that has serious offensive issues.

Greg Auman, Bucs/NFL writer

Bucs, 24-17

So much room for improvement from last week in Arizona, and even shorthanded, the Bucs should be able to do what they couldn’t last year: stifle Todd Gurley and force Case Keenum to make mistakes. Jameis Winston will be sharper in the quick passing game, and the Bucs, without Doug Martin, will rush for 100 yards as a team for the first time this season.

Ernest Hooper, Columnist

Bucs 17-14

The Bucs will find themselves in a defensive battle and not just because the Rams play well on that side of the ball. My guess is Coach Dirk Koetter will keep the cards closer to the vest to minimize Jameis Winston’s turnovers, knowing that if they play smart on offense, they can outpoint the Rams. Don’t be surprised if Roberto Aguayo is called upon to make a crucial kick before the home crowd.

Martin Fennelly, Columnist

Bucs, 19-13

Lose this game and the Bucs walk down the hall to the Rams locker room and tell them, “You stay _ we’ll move to Los Angeles.” The Bucs need to get a move on this week, and the offensively challenged Rams are the perfect set-up. Los Angeles is flying across the country and can’t won’t match that intensity from it victory over Seattle in its L.A. return opener. Plus Rams QB Case Keenum is no great shakes. Then again, No Great Shakes went 14-17 for 258 yards, two TDs and a 158 rating when the Rams beat the Bucs last season. No matter. If the Good Jameis shows up, or even the decent Jameis, and the Bucs defense can contain Rams running back Todd Gurley, that should be enough.

Thomas Bassinger, Staff Writer

Bucs, 23-17

The Bucs looked awful against the Cardinals, but the 40-7 score doesn’t carry over. How did Tampa Bay follow up the 56-14 loss in Atlanta in 2014 and the 42-14 loss to Tennessee last season? It won in Pittsburgh and in New Orleans. This one should be close enough for Roberto Aguayo, who missed a 45-yard field-goal try Sunday, to make a difference.