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November 5, 2014 at 2:50 pm #11252
RamBillParticipantMidseason report: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12881/midseason-report-st-louis-rams-2
At the midway point of the 2014 season, the St. Louis Rams bear a striking resemblance to the two teams that preceded them under coach Jeff Fisher.
The 3-5 Rams have had eye-opening wins at San Francisco and at home over the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks. They’ve also laid eggs like the blowout losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. In between, there have been missed chances such as the losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles when the Rams had the ball late with a chance to win.
The Rams had pointed to this year as the breakthrough season as they embarked on their third year under Fisher. But so far, this looks like a team that will again tantalize with quality victories coming too few and far between the disappointments.
OVERALL–D+
Yes, there have been injuries and the Rams own two great wins against Seattle and at San Francisco, but their inability to put full games together and put teams away after building big leads has left them on pace for another sub-.500 season. In Year 3 of this regime, that’s simply not good enough.
OFFENSE –D+
This group was a pleasant surprise early in the season, especially throwing the ball, but has been trending down the past couple of weeks. The lack of a committed, consistent run game (the Rams average 100.88 rushing yards, 22nd in the league) has been most surprising.
DEFENSE–D+
Believe it or not, this is a grade that factors in a group that appears to be trending up. Although the yardage numbers are good, the pass defense has yielded too many easy completions for this grade to go much higher. An improved pass rush and run defense the past few weeks could bode well for the second half.
Midseason MVP: QB Austin Davis — The choices are few for this honor, but Davis gets it solely because, as hard as it is to believe, things could be much worse if not for what he’s been able to do. He wasn’t even supposed to make the roster, but he’s done enough to keep the Rams in many games, led a game-winning drive against Tampa Bay and marched the Rams to a score to clinch their win against Seattle. He has his warts, but he’s been a pleasant surprise in a season without many.
Biggest disappointment: The defense — With new coordinator Gregg Williams taking over, this group was supposed to ascend to a top-seven caliber group. Aside from a strong statement against the Niners, that hasn’t happened and there have been multiple games where the defense has been the group responsible for letting the team down. After only one sack in the first five weeks, many fingers have been pointed at the defensive line, but that has been corrected somewhat in recent weeks. The real issues lie in the back seven, where there has been little progress from key young players like linebacker Alec Ogletree and cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
Best moment: “The Mountaineer” — That’s the name of the rope-a-dope punt return the Rams executed to perfection in their stunning Week 7 win against the Seahawks. Punt returner Tavon Austin and most of the return team faked out the entire building by pretending a Jon Ryan punt was headed down the right sideline. Meanwhile, Stedman Bailey, who like Austin is a former West Virginia Mountaineer, made a terrific over-the-shoulder catch and returned it 90 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. It’s this team’s signature play and one that will grace highlight reels for years to come.
Worst moment: 49ers WR Brandon Lloyd’s 80-yard touchdown catch — Unlike in the MVP category, there’s actually plenty to pick from here, but no play better sums up this season to date than this play. The Rams had a 14-3 lead against San Francisco and looked good on national television for “Monday Night Football” as they headed toward halftime. Just before the half, Jenkins was supposed to drop into a basic three-deep zone to prevent any receivers from getting behind him. He played the wrong coverage, got caught staring into the backfield, and Lloyd hauled in an easy touchdown. The Niners went on to score 21 of the next 24 points in a 31-17 Rams loss.
Key to the second half: Finishing games — By hook or by crook, the Rams have to find a way to win games in the fourth quarter. They did it with a little help from Colin Kaepernick against San Francisco on Sunday, but it doesn’t matter how it happens so long as it does. The Rams have been outscored 104-40 in the second half of their five losses this season, including 55-10 in the third quarter. For a team that has scored four touchdowns on its first possession and made a habit of starting fast, the Rams must finish with equal aplomb to make a second-half run.
November 5, 2014 at 3:00 pm #11255RamBillParticipantESPN Rams reporter Nick Wagoner assigns a midseason grade to the team after its 3-5 start to the 2014 season.
http://www.rams-news.com/wagoners-midseason-rams-report-video/
November 7, 2014 at 2:15 am #11364
znModeratorGordon: Assessing the Rams after 8 games
By Jeff Gordon
The Rams knew their season could take an ugly turn in the middle of their grueling schedule.
That possibility became far more likely when quarterback Sam Bradford suffered another season-ending knee injury. Then came the loss of defensive end Chris Long (foot) for much of the season and left tackle Jake Long (knee) and Brian Quick (arm) for the rest of the campaign.
The hard road to playoff contention became nearly impossible, despite big victories over NFC West powers Seattle and San Francisco.
Here is a player-by-player look at the key Rams to this halfway point. Click on the links for updated STLtoday.com profiles on each:
OFFENSE
Austin Davis, QB: Fellow Southern Miss product Brett Favre was ready to anoint him as the Next One a few weeks back. Then Davis had to face some elite defenses and major road field disadvantages. Reality set in. But Davis is still exceeding expectations as an emergency fill-in. Never forget that he was the No. 4 guy in training camp.
Zac Stacy, RB: He appears to be on the Daryl Richardson career path. He followed a promising rookie season with a disappearance early in Year 2. Is a change of address next?
Tre Mason, RB: He started on the Isaiah Pead career path with an underwhelming first training camp. But then he veered off that road to nowhere and into the starting lineup. His speed gives this offense a much-needed weapon.
Benny Cunningham, RB: His ability to pick up blitzes makes him unique among Rams RBs. He is a good receiver out of the backfield, too, and he runs with leverage between the tackles.
Trey Watts, RB: Not only did he make a mark on special teams, he flashed terrific running instincts while earning some reps in the offense. It appears he has a future in this league.
Brian Quick, WR: He arrived as an outstanding receiving prospect . . . and then he suffered a season-ending arm injury. But his breakthrough remains one of the season highlights.
Kenny Britt, WR: He starred in training camp as Bradford’s go-to guy. Now he is Davis’ primary target in the wake of Quick’s demise. He is the proven receiving talent this team lacked.
Tavon Austin, WR: He almost had a TD punt return at San Francisco, but for a dubious penalty call on the Rams and an inexplicable mid-return whistle from the officials. But mostly Austin has been a massive disappointment. An eighth-overall pick needs to make a difference and Austin has been Just A Guy this season.
Stedman Bailey, WR: He looked great in training camp before shutting down with his PED suspension. He still hasn’t worked his way into a prominent offensive role, even with Quick out. At least he had one memorable TD punt return on a gimmick play.
Chris Givens, WR: He seemed headed for oblivion, then Austin Pettis got clipped instead. But like Tavon Austin, he remains a tremendous disappointment. He has so much speed but so little production.
Jared Cook, TE: He became a big part of the offenses early on, making four or more catches in each of the first five games. He had a few memorable drops and one unfortunate QB shove along the way, but he was becoming an impact player. Then the passing game sputtered the last few weeks.
Lance Kendricks, TE: He, too, was a primary weapon earlier this season as Davis worked his TEs effectively off play-action fakes. The Rams need to reestablish that part of their offense.
Cory Harkey, TE: He can block. He can catch passes coming out of the backfield. He can fight through severe bumps and bruises.
Jake Long, LT: He mostly disappointed before suffering a season-ending knee injury. The Rams need to turn his page and move on.
Greg Robinson, LT: He was just getting the hang of playing guard at this level when Long’s injury forced him to the edge. He is still learning to deal with stunts, twists and blitzes — but he is also tossing some D-linemen around, showing why he was the second overall pick.
Rodger Saffold, LG: He started on the left side, then switched to right, then switched back the left. Injuries will always be an issue for him, but he has managed to play most of the snaps so far.
Scott Wells, C: He is trying to fight though another season with his bionic arm. He suffered some snap mishaps earlier this season and he had a hand in some offensive line breakdowns.
Davin Joseph, RG: He wasn’t great as a starter earlier this season, but Long’s injury set off a chain reaction that got him back in the starting lineup.
Joe Barksdale, RT: He has been the steadiest lineman of the bunch. The Rams ought to lock him up with a new deal sooner rather than later.
DEFENSE
Robert Quinn, DE: After a slow start, he started racking up the sacks and forcing fumbles during his last three games. There is plenty of time for him to mount another Pro Bowl-caliber campaign.
Chris Long, DE: He will end up missing the bulk of this season with a foot injury. With his teammates elevating their play, there will be no need to rush him back before he is full speed.
William Hayes, DE: He stepped up nicely after Long went down, earning 18 QB pressures in the first eight games. He just had two sacks at San Francisco and he has 46 tackles overall.
Eugene Sims, DE: He has 13 QB pressures this season, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
Ethan Westbrooks, DE/DT: He had a great training camp to beat out Michael Sam, but a hand injury helped derail his rookie season.
Aaron Donald, DT: He is one of the NFL’s top rookies. He has three sacks this season and 11 tackles for loss. Who says rookie DTs can’t make an impact in this game?
Michael Brockers, DT: He came to life at San Francisco, earning five tackles, a sack and a QB pressure. Where was that disruptive effort all season?
Kendall Langford, DT: He slid to the back of the interior line rotation earlier this season. That demotion seemed to perk him up.
Alex Carrington: He is what he is, a solid depth guy.
Alec Ogletree, OLB: He showed great promise as a rookie, but he remained undisciplined in Year 2. He can make big plays, but his blown assignments tend to offset them.
James Laurinaitis, MLB: A high ankle sprain shelved him in training camp and he remained a step behind in several games this season.
Jo-Lonn Dunbar, OLB: He has had some big hits and big misses during a largely disappointing first half for this defense.
Janoris Jenkins, CB: Once again he has made some big mistakes and very few big plays out on his island. He is terrific in run support but spotty in coverage. Will he ever figure it out?
Lamarcus Joyner, CB: He delivered on his promise, adding toughness in run support as the nickel back. He is a sure tackler on short passes and a real blitzing threat. His size puts him at a disadvantage in coverage, but the pluses outweigh the minuses.
E.J. Gaines, CB: He has been one of the team’s most pleasant surprises. Circumstances forced him into a starting role as a rookie and he hasn’t flinched. He tackles well and tends to be around the ball.
Trumaine Johnson, CB: He is just coming back from a knee injury, so it’s hard to criticize him for some late struggles at San Francisco.
Marcus Roberson, CB: For a prospect off the street he has done just fine. He is solid in coverage when he remembers to stick with his man. Against the 49ers, he forgot.
T. J. McDonald, S: He has had a 17-tackle game this season and a game where he blocked a punt and a field goal. He is developing into a very nice strong safety.
Rodney McLeod, S: He has started 19 straight games and been a mostly reliable tackler. He has improved in coverage, but he still has a ways to go.
Mark Barron, S: He is a heavy hitter who arrived in a midseason trade with Tampa Bay. But where will he fit in the defense? The Rams need a cover safety, not another hitter.
Cody Davis, S: He is another big hitter who suffered a concussion delivering one of his big blows.
Maurice Alexander, S: He has been on and off of the game day roster as a special teamer. He is one more potential hitter for this D.
November 7, 2014 at 6:17 pm #11390znModeratorRams offense seeking solutions
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13456/rams-offense-seeking-solutions
EARTH CITY, Mo. — In the past four weeks, the St. Louis Rams have faced three defenses in the top five in average yards per game allowed.
That stretch includes two games against the No. 2 San Francisco 49ers and one each against No. 4 Seattle and No. 5 Kansas City. Before that quartet of games, the Rams offense had been one of the league’s more pleasant surprises under the guidance of quarterback Austin Davis.
Through those first five weeks, the Rams were averaging 392.8 yards per game — 283.5 yards passing and another 109.25 yards on the ground for an overall average of 5.8 yards per play.
Austin Davis and the Rams offense has found the going tough of late after facing some of the best defenses in the league.
But the question of whether the Rams could keep that up when they moved past games against lower-ranked defenses such as Tampa Bay, Dallas and Philadelphia lingered. Not that the Rams consider any defense in the NFL a pushover.
“I don’t think any of them are crummy in this league,” Davis said. “That’s what you learn right away — every week’s a different challenge and a tough challenge.”
The past four weeks have offered a resounding answer to the question of whether the Rams could sustain their success as the defenses they face have gotten better.
In the four contests against the 49ers, Seahawks and Chiefs, the Rams’ offensive production dropped across the board. The St. Louis offense is averaging 244.2 yards per game, with the passing average dropping to 151.75 yards per game and the rushing average down to 92.5. In those games, the Rams have averaged 4.4 yards per play.
Aside from facing better defenses, Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer points to maintaining better balance and taking care of the ball as keys to getting the offense untracked.
“We’re at our best when we’re balanced, when we can get the running game going,” Schottenheimer said. “We all got to do a better job of converting third downs; that helps us. This will certainly be a challenge. It comes down to execution, us doing our job, guys making plays, taking things one play at a time. Hopefully, it’ll be a good week for us to get back on track.”
In terms of the basic defensive ranking numbers, this week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals would appear to offer a chance for the Rams to get going on offense again. The Cardinals are 19th in the league in total defense (366.4 yards per game allowed) and last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (286.75).
On paper, that would seem to offer a chance for the offense to find traction, but a further inspection reveals a defense better than the numbers would indicate. Arizona is third in the NFL in rush defense and tied for second in turnover margin.
“They’re getting up and teams are just throwing it and going two-minute,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “They’re giving up plays just to protect the end zone and things like that. It’s very, very misleading.”
While Arizona doesn’t rank as highly as their NFC West brethren, it poses some problems that other teams don’t. Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has earned a reputation for providing one of the most varied and unique defensive schemes in the league.
The Cardinals are more game-plan specific than most teams defensively and have been using four-man fronts more frequently in recent weeks. After facing a 49ers defense known for sticking to what it does, Davis will be challenged more than ever by a defense that will force him to question what he sees from play to play and series to series.
“Whatever you prepare for you’ll get something different,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s one of those games we say, ‘You got to trust what you see, trust your rules.’ They come with different packages, different people. They played Dallas a bunch of four-man fronts. They played a bunch of Bear against Oakland, they do different things. Very creative. How do you mask that? You do what you do and say, ‘Hey guys, get ready to adjust on the run.’”
November 7, 2014 at 10:33 pm #11412znModerator
Bernie: 5 wishes for Rams’ second halfBernie Miklasz
As the 3-5 Rams head to Arizona to begin the second half of their 2014 schedule, here’s a short list of five personnel-related things I’m hoping to see the rest of the way:
1. Is QB Austin Davis a keeper? The next eight games probably won’t be enough for the Rams to conclude that Davis warrants the starting job in 2015. That’s an awfully big decision, and it’s layered with factors that include the following: (A) the team’s desire to bring injured quarterback Sam Bradford back for the final year of his contract; (B )the Rams’ draft position and their view of the draftable quarterback prospects; (C) the opportunity to possibly acquire a veteran starting QB; (D) the identity of the people making the decision.
About that final one … I don’t think the Rams’ ownership is planning a regime change, but who the heck knows? Davis has done a lot of good things. He obviously has a lot to prove. But a fantastic finish by the first-year starter would give the Rams a lot to think about as they ponder the future. It’s premature to view Austin as the long-term answer at an important position. But it’s also silly to rule him out.
Davis isn’t Kurt Warner. But when Warner took over in 1999, no one thought that he’d become, well, Kurt Warner. The point: many quarterbacks have emerged from the longshot shadows to play very well in this league.
2. Greg Robinson, franchise-caliber left tackle: After a slow start, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft started three games at left guard before replacing the injured veteran Jake Long at left offensive tackle. Robinson was drafted as a foundation-piece OT, and now he has the chance. He’s made only one start there, and did a solid job at San Francisco last week. Now the big man gets to dig in and show us what he’s got. The raw talent is obvious. The pass-protection refinement will take some work. I’ve been disappointed by Robinson’s so-so run-blocking early on, but he has the size, strength and mobility to start mauling opponents to power the Rams’ rushing attack. If nothing else, it’s time for Robinson to show some dominance in the ground game.
3. Solve the puzzle in the secondary: the Rams have plenty of talented young players back there; the next eight games will help sort it all out. The final eight games are a big audition of sorts for a long list of defensive backs that includes E.J. Gaines, Trumaine Johnson, Janoris Jenkins (when healthy), Lamarcus Joyner, Marcus Roberson and natural safeties T.J. McDonald, Rodney McLeod and newcomer Mark Barron.
4. Clarity at wide receiver: keeping in mind that Brian Quick was lost for the season with a shoulder injury … there are so many questions. Is Kenny Britt worth keeping around for another year? Can Tavon Austin emerge as a playmaker or, is he destined to disappoint? Can Stedman Bailey secure a more prominent role in the passing game? And then there’s Chris Givens. Two years ago, he displayed genuine rookie promise. This season, he’s played only 92 snaps. Can Givens become a factor again?
5. The stampede of running backs: Coach Jeff Fisher is going with a committee approach, but there have been fluctuations in usage patterns. Zac Stacy began the season as the primary runner; now that status has seemingly shifted to Tre Mason. At least for now, anyway. Benny Cunningham seems capable of filling a more substantive role. Rookie Trey Watts flashed his skills during the preseason to make the squad as an undrafted free agent. There’s nothing wrong with a time-share at RB. But sometimes coaches go to a committee as a last resort — when none of the backs are deemed worthy of workhorse distinction. Is there a winning horse in this stable?
There are many other things to watch of course. But those are the top areas on my list.
November 8, 2014 at 1:25 am #11416znModeratorBernie: Big Red thrive under younger Bidwill
Bernie Miklasz
With the Rams traveling to Arizona for Sunday’s game with the Cardinals, it’s an appropriate time to ask this question: Does ownership matter at the NFL level? The answer: absolutely.
Native St. Louisan Michael Bidwill has done an outstanding job of running the Arizona Cardinals since taking over the day-to-day operation of the team in 2007.
The Cardinals took flight after owner Bill Bidwill, now 81, put Michael in charge. The elder Bidwill ran the Cardinals in St. Louis and Arizona between 1972 and 2006, and the team posted only seven winning records in 35 seasons.
If the 7-1 Cardinals finish (as expected) with a winning record this season, it will be their fourth winning season in eight seasons under Michael Bidwill’s leadership. The highlight was the 2008 season, when the Cardinals won the NFC championship and played in the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
After moving from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988, the Cardinals played 144 home games at Sun Devil Stadium through 2005 and sold out only 12 times before opening a new stadium in 2006. And the new venue in Glendale wouldn’t have been built without Michael Bidwill’s effort to get a stadium deal done with local officials.
Sunday’s home game against the Rams will be Arizona’s 90th consecutive sellout, and the Cardinals have gained a 30 percent improvement in local TV ratings this season.
Michael Bidwill also hired the talented GM Steve Keim and played a role in the hiring of coach Bruce Arians, who has the Cardinals at 7-1 and leading the NFC West.
The team went 5-11 in 2012, the year before Arians became coach. The Cardinals are 17-7 since the Arians hiring and have won 14 of their last 17 regular-season games to post the NFL’s best winning percentage (.824) over that time.
Yes, ownership matters.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Cardinals QB Carson Palmer credited M. Bidwill for the team’s ascendance.
“It’s easy to say it’s the head coach or the GM. It’s the owner,” Palmer said. “And you would never know it. He doesn’t want to be here when the media’s here. He’s not doing interviews left and right, but he’s picked the right people to hire and he wants to win.”
I believe Stan Kroenke wants to win.
Kroenke has been the Rams’ majority owner since the start of the 2010 season and took over at a time when the franchise would soon embark on an enormous rebuilding project. The 2010 season held promise but proved to be a fluke. And after a disastrous 2011, the Rams had to start over … again.
For his part, Kroenke has spent more than enough money on payroll in the effort to produce a winner. And when hiring a new coach before the 2012 season, Kroenke made Jeff Fisher one of the league’s highest-paid coaches.
Kroenke’s financial commitment is there. But to this point, on-field success remains elusive.
With the turnarounds we’re seeing in Arizona, Cleveland and Buffalo after a change in football leadership, the scrutiny of Fisher and GM Les Snead will only intensify.
As I wrote last week, I’d be surprised to see Kroenke change coaches after the season. Fisher has two years and $14 million left on his contract after this season.
But beyond that, it’s easy to give Fisher the benefit of the doubt. Three reasons: (1) Fisher had to reconstruct virtually the entire roster; (2) Fisher has been set back by player injuries; (3) Fisher has endured injury-related instability at quarterback in two of his three seasons; (4) Fisher has a good relationship with Kroenke.
If you want to say I’m making excuses for Fisher, I’ll cop to that plea. I realize my arguments are easy to shoot down. But the Rams have gotten better since Fisher took over, and the idea of starting over with another rebuild isn’t very appealing.
Including interims, the Rams have had six head coaches since their last winning season in 2003. Roll call: Mike Martz, Joe Vitt, Scott Linehan, Jim Haslett, Steve Spagnuolo and Fisher.
November 8, 2014 at 1:47 am #11417znModeratorfrom the net
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TackleDummy
IMO, there is about a 99% chance that the Rams HC for 2015 will be Jeff Fisher and the same percentage that Les Snead will continue to be the Rams GM. So the talk about potential head coaches is not about the Rams.
Three years ago Stan K. made the decision to rebuild the Rams through the draft. Toward this end Jeff Fisher was hired as HC and Les Snead hired as GM. Building through the the draft is a long process. There is still at least a couple of years to go. As long as Stan K thinks progress is being made he will stay the course.
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