reporters & analysts on the Rams win over Oakland

Jim Basquil and Merril Hoge break down the Rams’ 52-0 win over the Raiders.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:11960759

me: very good listen

Bernie: Rams fans should savor this one

Bernie Miklasz

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-rams-fans-should-savor-this-one/article_6550205f-2abc-5f9b-98bb-28c38ccd6f2e.html

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, it was probably a good idea to give thanks for not being an Oakland Raider or one of their fans. Yes, even the Rams and their hardheaded loyalists can say that.

The Raiders are the only NFL franchise that has won fewer games than the Rams since the beginning of the 2004 season, so at least Rams fans have someone to look down on. Take it when you can.

That was the case Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome, when the team formerly known as the Same Old Sorry Rams dropped a “Greatest Show on Turf” retro performance on the tarnished Silver and Black from Oakland. Man, this was ugly. Even though legendary Raiders boss Al Davis passed away in 2011, he may fire a coach today.

The final score was 52 to zippo. And no, Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk didn’t suit up and frolic on behalf of the home team. But the 2014 Rams turned back the clock to a happier time for St. Louis pro football.

This complete performance was reminiscent of something we witnessed — with considerable awe — from 1999 through 2001. So thanks for the memories.

Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis played four seasons at The Ohio State University and never enjoyed a 52-point win there. The closest was a ruthless 58-7 stomping of Northwestern in 2007. But then again, the Buckeyes had a larger payroll, so … I kid you, Laurinaitis. I kid.

“Goodness, of all the wins I had in college playing Youngstown State and some of those early cupcake games — man, we never had 52 to nothing,” Laurinaitis said. “You’ve got to cherish these because they don’t come by very often. For whatever reason it was a perfect storm against them today.”

Yeah, I know what some of you are thinking: Shaddup, because it’s Oakland. A miserable team that’s lost 17 of its last 18 games. When you look at the Raiders you see the classic uniform colors and think of all the great players, flamboyant personalities, the commitment to excellence, the dominant seasons, etc.

The reality is much, much different. This is a ghost ship of a franchise, drifting aimlessly through the darkness, with familiar hit songs from the 1960s and ’70s echoing eerily in the fog. The Raiders have a commitment to irrelevance.

Yeah, and that said, the Rams are hardly Team Belichick. The locals haven’t haven’t fielded a squad with a winning record since 2003, and given that futility, all victories should be appreciated, if not treasured. Especially the 52 to goose egg variety.

This was a festive event.

The Rams scored their most points in a game since the 2001 season … the Rams’ defense pitched its first shutout since 2006 … the Rams’ offense scored on its first six possessions … it was the most one-sided victory by the Rams since the moving vans carried them to STL in 1995.

“Today we got slapped,” Raiders wide receiver James Jones said. “We got beat up. The Rams came out and played better than us in every phase. We got hit in the mouth and didn’t punch back.”

The Rams’ stars were aligned, with running back Tre Mason accounting for 164 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, wide receiver Stedman Bailey making 100 yards’ worth of catches in the first half, and quarterback Shaun Hill passing for two TDs and bootlegging his way to a third.

The Rams’ defense forced five turnovers, mugged for six sacks, held the Raiders to 244 yards and scored on an interception by cornerback Trumaine Johnson.

The Rams rallied themselves emotionally from the previous week’s 27-24 loss at San Diego, the most frustrating defeat during coach Jeff Fisher’s three seasons here. This was an impressive bounce-back Sunday afternoon for a 4-7 team that could have succumbed to a seemingly inevitable fate. But the Rams didn’t play down to the level of the competition; they came out and established immediate superiority.

This was important. As you know, under Fisher the Rams’ best performances have come against some of the league’s most formidable teams — and some of their worst games occurred against lesser teams. Well, not this time. In the 52-point wipeout of Oakland, the young Rams reaffirmed that they have talent and potential.

“Absolutely,” Laurinaitis said. “To me, when we went to San Francisco and won that game, where things didn’t go well for us a lot of the time … and when we beat Seattle at home … we play the tough teams really well. We play the good teams really well.

“A game like this, to win in this fashion — I’m not going to lie to you. I never saw 52-0 coming. I was most impressed with how heartbroken we were after last week, after that close loss, to come back and play this way. And it shows what we’re capable of doing.”

The Rams, 5-7, haven’t done enough. They haven’t had a winning streak since last season, and you get the feeling that this will be a substantial point of emphasis going into Sunday’s fracas at Washington.

“We still have a long way to go,” Laurinaitis said. “I mean goodness, we have to learn how to stack wins. That’s the next step with this young group here. We’ve got to figure it out.”

The Rams are also trying to figure out what to do in response to the roiling events in Ferguson. The Rams organization hosted Ferguson business owners for Sunday’s game. During pregame introductions the Rams’ five wide receivers emerged from the tunnel with the “Hands Up” gesture to convey solidarity with those protesting the police shooting death of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown on Aug. 9.

The Rams’ symbolic show of support will probably create more controversy in a racially polarized community. But players have a right to express their views — just as fans have the right to agree or disapprove of the Rams’ opinions.

But please don’t tell me that players should keep their mouths shut on a volatile issue that’s confronting St. Louis in a profound way. And it’s about time that people speak up so we can have open dialogue on a matter of critical importance. This isn’t North Korea.

“I don’t know what winning a football game does for that,” Laurinaitis said, referring to the Ferguson unrest. “Only God knows the truth. It’s important for the whole city to move forward and really love one another. I know it sounds cliché. But I’m a firm believer that love cures all things.”

The Rams may have gained some fans with their trouncing of the Raiders. They may have lost some fans with their “Hands Up” gesture. But on both counts, the team stood up Sunday.

Perception vs. Reality – What Does Rams’ Win Over Raiders Mean?

By Anthony Stalter

http://www.101sports.com/2014/12/03/perception-vs-reality-rams-win-raiders-mean/

Derek Stanley and I weren’t 10 minutes into Sunday’s post-game show before a caller had labeled us, the Rams, and the Raiders as “losers.”

This was following a 52-0 Rams’ victory, no less.

Perception isn’t reality as much as our perception is our reality. Take that angry caller on Sunday: He was upset that Derek and I were giving the 5-7 Rams too much credit for beating the dumpster fire that is the Oakland Raiders. It didn’t matter that Tre Mason had tied the record for the second longest rush in Rams history by breaking off an 89-yard score, or that Stedman Bailey notched 100 receiving yards on five catches in the first quarter alone.

It didn’t matter that Gregg Williams’ defense pitched a shutout while forcing five turnovers and sacking Oakland quarterbacks a total of six times. It didn’t matter that the Rams’ 52-point margin of victory was the second highest margin in franchise history, or that the team’s 38 points in the first half is now tied for the second-most in franchise history.

A historic day for the Rams, reduced to, “Well, it was only the Raiders.”

The caller’s perception was that despite the 52-0 romp, the Rams, Raiders, and apparently Derek and I, are still losers. This was going to be his reality had the Rams won on a last-second field goal or had lost outright.

In a cynical way, though, the caller did foster a telling thought: What did the victory actually mean for the Rams? After all, as impressive as the win was, they’re still only 5-7 on the season. They’re not going to the playoffs and they’re still ticketed for a last-place finish in the NFC West, so what lessons can be gleaned from the victory?

In the present, it means that these games in 2014 still hold importance to the team. That’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially considering the Rams aren’t going to the playoffs. The team hasn’t checked out, nobody has quit on Jeff Fisher, and the players are still plenty motivated despite not being in playoff contention. All of this is important, even if it can’t be measured.

The game also highlighted the continued ascension of the defense under Williams. In their last five games, the Rams have forced 13 turnovers, have racked up 22 sacks and have held opponents to 3.39 yards per carry. The return of Chris Long allowed us a taste of how much havoc the combination of Long, Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers can create. The secondary continues to have its fair share of breakdowns but it’s hard not to be excited about the futures of T.J. McDonald and E.J. Gaines as well.

The same can be said for Mason and Bailey, who combined for 264 of the offense’s 348 yards against the Raiders. In less than a month, Mason has shown more patience, vision and decisiveness than at any point during OTAs, training camp and preseason. Bailey continues to prove that he’s the best route runner out of any receiver on the team and possesses the most reliable hands as well. There’s no reason for these two players not to be featured in upcoming game plans in the month of December. There’s no reason that the Rams can’t exploit future opponents’ weaknesses just like they did on Sunday when they attacked the perimeter of an aging Oakland defense.

That leads us into this team’s future: Can Fisher get his coaching staff and players to be consistent on a weekly basis? People have talked about the Rams finishing at least 8-8 but the fact remains that this team hasn’t won back-to-back games all year. They’ve proven that they’re significantly better than the Raiders. They’ve proven that they’re creative and talented enough to upset Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

They’ve proven that they’re still a pain in the side of the Seahawks and 49ers and they’ve started to prove the notion that they’re a legitimate quarterback away from taking that proverbial next step.

But can this team change the perception that no matter how impressive they look from time to time, the reality is that this is still a franchise that will ultimately fall short of expectations?

A 52-0 victory in the NFL will always be impressive, no matter the opponent. For the Rams, though, a 52-0 victory becomes even more impressive, if not more important, when it’s followed by a strong finish to a season marred by adversity and inconsistency.

My perception is that the Rams are good enough to finish with a .500 record, despite not having Bradford under center all year. Time will tell if that’s only my perception and thus, just my reality.