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December 15, 2015 at 2:16 pm #35670
znModeratorBucs forced to cram for Thursday night game at St. Louis
By Roy Cummings | Tribune Staff
http://www.tbo.com/sports/bucs/bucs-forced-to-cram-for-thursday-game-at-rams-20151214/
TAMPA — Monday is typically a day of reflection at One Buc Place, a day for coaches to review tape of the game played the day before, grade player performances and correct mistakes.
There was nothing typical about the Monday the Bucs experienced this week.
With their next game coming on Thursday, when they take on the Rams in St. Louis in their only scheduled prime-time game of the season, Monday turned into a mix of days fused into one.
“Everything gets moved up,’’ Bucs coach Lovie Smith said of the schedule teams take on when playing a Thursday night game.
For the coaches, Monday felt a lot like Tuesday. That’s the day usually devoted to game-planning for the next opponent. But on their accelerated schedule, coaches began that process long before the Monday sun came up.
For the players, Monday had more of a Wednesday feel to it. Their first real work day of the week, Wednesday is normally a dawn-to-well-past-dusk day made up early-morning and late-afternoon team and positional meetings and the one padded practice of the week.
In this case, the day started a little later than usual, around noon, and the padded practice was changed out for a much lighter late-afternoon walk-through of plays. But the meetings were all conducted, and some players spent extra time privately watching game film.
The accelerated schedule was a welcomed change. Rather than dwell on their 24-17 loss to the Saints on Sunday, a loss that severely diminished their playoff hopes, players and coaches were forced to move ahead and concentrate on the Rams.
“That’s exactly how you want to do it,’’ Smith said. “That was disappointing (Sunday). There’s no other way around it. And when you’re disappointed, you want to make it right and have a chance to come back quick. So, to be able to play that (next) game a little earlier, that’s a good thing.’’
Tampa Bay is 19-24 overall in primetime appearances, including 1-2 in Thursday games since the NFL started playing regularly on Thursdays in 2006. All three Thursday games were lopsided: a 36-17 win at Minnesota in 2012, a 31-13 loss against Carolina in 2013 and a 56-14 loss at Atlanta in 2014.
Since the beginning of the 2013 season, 19 of the 37 games played on Thursday were blowouts decided by at least two scores.
Injuries are one reason Thursday games tend to get a little lopsided. As Smith pointed out Monday, there just isn’t enough time for some players, depending on their injury, to physically recover for a Thursday game.
The Bucs, for example, could be without several players, including wide receiver Vincent Jackson (knee), middle linebacker Bruce Carter (ankle), defensive tackle Akeem Spence (ankle) and left guard Logan Mankins (unspecified injury) against the Rams.
None of those players would have been able to participate on Monday in a regular weekday practice, Smith said, and several others whom he did not name would have been limited. That hasn’t dampened Smith’s enthusiasm for Thursday games, though.
“In an ideal world, you’d rather play them at home,’’ said Smith, whose team will wear a new, all-red uniform against the Rams, who will wear all yellow. “But we like playing a Thursday night game. We’re excited about the new uniforms and all of that. And, again, we need to play quickly, and Thursday night allows us to do that.”
It also allows the Bucs a chance to show the rest of the football world how far they’ve come since they last played in prime time against the Falcons. Even in the wake of their error-plagued loss to the Saints, the Bucs are eager to take advantage of that opportunity.
“We’re (in) the only (game) that’s playing at the time, and we want to show people we’ve improved, that we’re not the same old Bucs or any of that,” Smith said. “And as we go to that next stage, which we will eventually get to, we’re going to have a lot of these primetime games.
“So, yeah, this is a big deal to us.’’
December 15, 2015 at 2:26 pm #35671znModeratorJenkins might return to face Tampa Bay
Joe Lyons
According to Rams coach Jeff Fisher, there’s a chance the team will get cornerback Janoris Jenkins back for Thursday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Edward Jones Dome.
Jenkins, a talented fourth-year cornerback, sat out Sunday’s 21-14 win over visiting Detroit after suffering a concussion the week before.
“He was limited today in practice,” Fisher said Monday when asked about Jenkins after a walk-through at Rams Park. “He passed all the tests today. He’s got one more phase, which is the exertion phase. We expect that to happen” Tuesday.
Jenkins, a second-round draft pick in 2012, started the Rams’ first 12 games this season and has 52 tackles, including 47 solos, and three interceptions. He has 10 career interceptions in 55 career starts.
With Jenkins out, the Rams’ secondary stepped it up against Detroit. The team’s other fourth-year cornerback, Trumaine Johnson — who had missed the previous two-plus games — intercepted a late first-half pass and returned it 58 yards for the game’s first score. He also helped limit the Lions’ Calvin Johnson, aka “Megatron,” to just one reception. It went for 16 yards.
“It’s next man up,” Rams safety Rodney McLeod said. “You miss having guys like Janoris and (safety) T.J. (McDonald) out there, but you see a lot of guys out there who’ve earned the right to be on that field and who really played well. Marcus Roberson was going against Golden Tate — that’s not an easy matchup — and Maurice Alexander filling the shoes of T.J. You can just go down the line. … All you can do is just try to battle through the injuries and keep trying to make plays.”
Fisher added that he was “really pleased. For Marcus to line up and make the plays he did and then for Maurice to step in for T.J. and play and run and hit and tackle in addition to doing the special teams stuff, I was pretty impressed with the way they played.”
GURLEY IS OK
Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley sat out the last few plays Sunday after getting the game’s final first down. But he said it wasn’t a big deal.
“I banged my knee up just a little bit,” he said following the game. “But you know, it’s part of the game. It happens every game. We got a quick turnaround, get in there and get some treatment and I’ll be fine.”
The Rams and Buccaneers were limited to walk-throughs Monday, meaning their injury reports were estimated. Gurley was listed limited/not injury related (rest).
“He was fine,” Fisher said. “We had to project today, but he was limited. There was no issues with Todd other than he had 16 carries for 140 yards.”
And two second-half touchdowns.
According to the Rams’ report, DE Robert Quinn (back), OL Andrew Donnal (knee) and CB Eric Patterson (ankle) did not practice, with WR Kenny Britt (shoulder), T Rob Havenstein (calf) and Jenkins (concussion) listed as limited.
The Buccaneers listed LB Bruce Carter (ankle), WR Vincent Jackson (knee) and former Illinois DT Akeen Spence (ankle) as not practicing. Listed as limited were LB Lavonte David (ankle), DE George Johnson (calf), G Logan Mankins (ankle), fand ormer Mizzou DE Jacquies Smith (hamstring).
SUNDAY PARTICIPATION
Six Rams defenders were on the field for all 71 snaps Sunday: Mark Barron, Eureka High’s Alexander, McLeod, Johnson, Roberson and James Laurinaitis.
According to the press box stats, Barron led the way with 11 tackles, with Laurinaitis and Roberson chipping in with eight each. Roberson also knocked down a pair of passes.
Johnson scored the game’s first points, with his interception. It was his career-best fifth interception this season and the 13th of his career. Johnson also had a pair of pass defenses.
The Rams’ Aaron Donald had three of the team’s four sacks. The other came from fellow defensive tackle Michael Brockers.
Quarterback Case Keenum and offensive linemen Tim Barnes, Garrett Reynolds, Cody Wichmann, Greg Robinson and Havenstein were on the field for all 55 offensive snaps.
RAM-BLINGS
Fisher said that receiver Stedman Bailey continues to make progress after being shot twice in the head on Nov. 24.
“We’re hoping to get some news here in the next couple of days, but he’s improving,” the coach said. “He’s still in the hospital. He’s more in the rehab phase right now than he is in the recover phase.”
Bailey was officially moved to the non-football injury list on Monday.
• Asked about the yellow uniforms the Rams will be wearing in Thursday’s “Color Rush” game, Fisher said: “I’m just glad it’s not baseball where I have to wear the uniform as well.”
• Midway through the first half Sunday, after a sack by the Lions’ Ziggy Ansah left the Rams with a fourth down at the Detroit 37, Fisher passed on a 55-yard field-goal try and opted for a punt.
“It was a field-position thing,” the coach explained. “It had nothing to do with (kicker Greg Zuerlein). Greg’s leg strength was there. You saw his kickoffs. You saw his PATs. It was just a field-position thing.”
Zuerlein, who kicked a franchise-record 61-yarder earlier this season, had missed the previous two games because of a strained hip.
On Johnny Hekker’s punt, reserve safety Christian Bryant came up with a stellar play at the goal line to keep the ball from getting to the end zone and teammate Chase Reynolds downed the ball at the Detroit 2-yard line.
December 15, 2015 at 11:06 pm #35693znModeratorPractice Report 12/15: Offense on a Short Week
Myles Simmons
With the contest against the Buccaneers just a couple days away, the Rams have had to cram a lot into a little bit of time. It’s a challenge that’s keeping Rob Boras up at night once again, now in his second week since assuming the duties of offensive coordinator.
“This week’s really short. This is a hard turnaround,” Boras said. “Doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing this for 20 years as a coordinator or six days — these Thursdays are hard.”
Head coach Jeff Fisher thought enough of Boras’ performance as a playcaller last week to give him a game ball, an honor Boras said speaks more about the team than just himself.
“I like living in anonymity,” Boras said. “To me, that was for all of us. The whole offensive staff was unbelievable. The players were unbelievable. Obviously, personally, there’s a lot of pride with that. But that’s just a compliment to how everybody stepped up.”
The reviews were positive from St. Louis’ quarterback, too.
“I think he’s working his tail off,” Case Keenum said. “You look at it, it’s a pretty tough time to take over. Your quarterbacks change, and then you get a short week. So that’s two pretty tough weeks on a coordinator, and I think he’s handled it very well.”
Now the club has moved on to a Buccaneers team that sports a quality defense. It’s difficult enough to come up with install a gameplan when there’s a full week of practice, but playing on Thursday can make that process tougher. However, it also can help in keeping things simple, according to Keenum.
“For me, it keeps a lot of the clutter out,” Keenum said. “I keep things simple. I’m not really seeing ghosts. I’m watching what I watch on film, and then I’m moving on to the next thing.”
“After a full week of watching film, sometimes you can watch the same clip so much that you start seeing things that aren’t there,” Keenum added. “You start trying to read too much into a defense, or trying to see too much, or do too much. When it comes down to it, you have to trust your fundamentals, and your technique, and your reads, and just go through them.”
Still, Tampa Bay is no pushover, especially defensively. Led by linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Buccaneers have developed a quality defense that plays well in Lovie Smith’s system. The so-called “Tampa 2” defense has worked well for years, going back even further than Smith’s long tenure as the Bears’ head coach.
“They do what they do and they’re good at it,” Keenum said. “And they’ve got some really good players on the front end and back end that have done really well, put some really good things on film. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“It’s not like they’re one of those exotic defenses that tries to fool your quarterback,” Fisher said. “They beat you by putting people in position, on their toes, ready to break, and then collapsing the pocket real quick, and the ball has to come out. That’s how his defenses have always been.”
In fact, Boras served as the Bears’ tight end coach from 2004-2009, saying Tuesday he recognizes many facets of what the Buccaneers are doing from that time.
“I went back to some of my notes from 2004 and 2005 when I was still there, and it’s a lot of the same stuff,” Boras said. “Obviously, there’s been influences with [defensive coordinator Leslie] Frazier joining him and some different things, but for the most part, it’s very similar to what we saw.”
The familiarity does work both ways. On his conference call with St. Louis media, Smith said he could tell then that Boras had potential to be an offensive coordinator.
“Rob had a wide range,” Smith said. “And a lot of times when you coach the tight ends, you’re involved with the passing game and of course you’re involved in the running game quite a bit. I know Rob was a coordinator, I think at UNLV, before that. You saw him heading in that direction.”
While coaching against an old friend could bring up fond memories, Boras said he’ll be able to handle it.
“If it was the first time I was getting the opportunity to coach against coach Smith, it’d probably be a little bit more special. But this is probably the third time I’ve coached against him since I left,” Boras said. “It’s always fun to coach against your friends and the people you respect.”
With Boras still sleep deprived given all that needs to be crammed in the short week, there likely isn’t much time for all that anyway.
ROSTER MOVE
On Tuesday, the Rams promoted defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat from the practice squad to the active roster. The rookie out of Iowa flashed plenty during training camp, which may have caught the eye of other teams across the league.
“This is the time of year when people express interest in players on your practice squad, and he had a couple opportunities,” Fisher said. “So, we went ahead and brought him up to our active roster.”
After practice, the defensive tackle said he was appreciative of the chance the Rams have given him.
“I’m excited and still working. You always have to be ready for an opportunity and I’m thankful,” Trinca-Pasat said. “I’ve enjoyed it, and I’m glad I get to continue the journey here.”
The young defensive lineman complimented Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, and Nick Fairley for the ways they’ve let him pick their brain.
“I’ve learned a lot about pass rushing while I’ve been here,” Trinca-Pasat said. “Just watching Donald craft his technique — the guy is really good. In certain situations, if I’m not sure what I’m going to do or if he has defeated his guy, I like to ask him what he did, and what kind of look he got.
“He’s very down to earth, he’s always helping out,” Trinca-Pasat continued. “It’s just a great group of defensive linemen, coaches, and it makes everything more comfortable to play and learn.”
In order to add Trinca-Pasat to the roster, the Rams cut kicker Zach Hocker.
INJURY REPORT
There were no changes to the injury report from Monday’s estimate to Tuesday’s practice.
Todd Gurley (rest), Kenny Britt (shoulder), Rob Havenstein (calf), and Janoris Jenkins (concussion) were all limited.
Fisher said Jenkins has just one more test to pass before he can be a full participant.
“He’s cleared the concussion protocol. He just had to clear the exertion phase. I’m assuming he did that today,” Fisher said. “We’ll find out this evening how he feels.”
Robert Quinn (back), Andrew Donnal (knee), and Eric Patterson (ankle) did not practice.
Also on the injury front, Fisher said Alec Ogletree could be added to the active roster soon. The linebacker has been on injured reserve/designated to return, and his 21-day window to be activated is starting to run out.
“We’re considering taking him off and activating his practice time. He’s got 21 days, which we’re running out of time, but we’re thinking about doing that on Friday,” Fisher said.
“He’s not quite ready. He’s close,” Fisher added. “The goal would be to try to see if he’s available for San Francisco. If not, then he’s got a head start on the offseason program.”
December 15, 2015 at 11:07 pm #35694znModeratorRams hopeful Janoris Jenkins will be cleared to play Thursday
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins isn’t quite out of the concussion protocol but is one step closer, according to coach Jeff Fisher.
Jenkins again was officially listed as limited on the Rams’ Tuesday injury report but was able to do enough in practice to be considered for the final test in the concussion protocol, the exertion test. That essentially means that Jenkins did strenuous enough activity for the Rams to monitor how he feels after the practice. If Jenkins feels good, he could be cleared to play Thursday night against Tampa Bay.
Fisher said an update on where Jenkins is in terms of passing the exertion test should come Wednesday.
Linebacker Alec Ogletree, who has been on the injured reserve list with the designation to return because of an ankle injury, could be returning to practice sometime after Thursday night’s game. He has a 21-day window to practice in, and the Rams are running out of time. So while there’s no guarantee that Ogletree will play in a game before the season is out, he could get a head start on his recovery by getting some reps in practice.
Fisher said there’d be a chance Ogletree could play in the season finale against San Francisco.
The Rams also made a couple of roster tweaks Tuesday, releasing kicker Zach Hocker and promoting defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat from the practice squad to the active roster. Linebacker Matthew Wells re-signed to the practice squad to take Trinca-Pasat’s place.
Everything else remained status quo on the injury report Tuesday. Here’s a look:
Did not participate — DE Robert Quinn (back), OL Andrew Donnal (knee), CB Eric Patterson (ankle).
Limited participation — RB Todd Gurley (rest), WR Kenny Britt (shoulder), OT Robert Havenstein (calf), CB Janoris Jenkins (concussion)
December 16, 2015 at 7:41 pm #35739znModeratorPractice Report 12/16: Defending Winston and Martin, Donald Wins POTW
Myles Simmons
When the Rams and Buccaneers last met in Week 2 of 2014, both teams looked vastly different than they do now. Among the many changes, safety Mark Barron was on the opposite sideline, putting big hits on St. Louis players instead of the club’s opponents as he’s routinely done since the trade that brought him to town.
But there may not be a more significant change than the man who is behind center for Tampa Bay, Jameis Winston.
As the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, there were clearly high expectations for Winston. And according to Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith, the rookie has done well to meet them.
“He was a rookie quarterback coming in, but Jameis Winston has been just outstanding in any way you want to evaluate a player,” Smith said this week. “On the football field, it’s documented how intelligent he is and he’s a football junky. He can throw a football, so everything you’re looking for in a franchise quarterback, he has. He came in well-advertised, but you could say that he’s even been better than that.”
According to head coach Jeff Fisher, the Rams studied Winston throughout the draft process and got to know him. And now that he’s playing, Fisher said it’s clear how much the quarterback has improved throughout the year.
“I think the thing that’s most impressive about Jameis is that their offense is at 42 percent on third down right now,” Fisher said. “When you play a rookie quarterback all year and they’re converting 42 percent of their third downs — that’s impressive.”
“You can see why he was the first pick,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “And you can tell from a leadership standpoint, there are those natural leaders and there are those guys who kind of evolve into leadership. You can see he’s a natural leader. You can see those guys respond to him. So I’m anxious to see him in person.”
Anyone who watched the 2014 BCS National Championship game between Florida State and Auburn probably remembers Winston’s competitive nature that helped bring his team down the field for a game-winning touchdown drive. Linebacker James Laurinaitis said that’s still apparent from what he’s seen of Winston in the league so far.
“You can tell the team really believes in him,” Laurinaitis said. “Late in games, he’ll do whatever it takes — whether it’s scrambling, he’ll shrug off tackles, make big throws.”
“I think he’s going to be a star,” Laurinaitis added. “You can tell he’s a fighter and one of those guys who wants the ball at the end of the game. You can sense it. He’s a heck of a ball player.”
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds, Winston can be a load to take down. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald knows that well, as he faced the quarterback in college at Pitt.
“Make sure you get your big-boy pads on, because he’s not going to let you get him down easily,” Donald said. “He actually got away from me. I should’ve gotten him three times and he got away from me two times. So I owe him. But he’s a big quarterback, he can move around in the pocket, and he can throw the big passes downfield.”
“One of the most dominant guys in the pocket is Ben [Roethlisberger],” Williams said. “We’ve even kind of said a few things about that similarity in the pocket. He doesn’t go down easily. He’s very strong in the pocket. He’s got decent speed, not great speed, but you have a hard time bringing him down because of his size.”
While Winston may garner many of the headlines, running back Doug Martin has been just as important for the Buccaneers’ offense. Martin is No. 2 in the NFL with 1,214 yards rushing in 2015, trailing Adrian Peterson by just 37 yards.
“He has unbelievable vision. He runs hard and behind his pads well,” Laurinaitis said. “I’m glad that he’s healthy and playing well again. You always want to play against their best players. He’s playing really well, and he’s patient, and finds holes. He’ll sliver through that hole and the next thing you know, he’s off to the races. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
“He has had on film the most explosive runs that I’ve seen anybody all year long that we’ve played,” Williams said. “He has really done a great job with explosive runs. They’ve done a very good job in their run blocking schemes.”
Plus, the short week presents its own set of challenges for defensive preparation.
“I think our guys have done a very good job of adjusting to the schedule,” Williams said. “From the assistants to everybody on, they’ve got to handle the information quick, guys process it quick. We’ve had some good work this week, so I’m anxious to see them play tomorrow night.”
DONALD WINS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
With his 3.0 sacks and six quarterback hits against the Lions on Sunday, defensive tackle Aaron Donald was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday morning.
“It means a lot — being a younger guy, to only be in this league for two years,” Donald said Wednesday. “But like I always say, hard work pays off. So just watching it pay off, it feels good.”
Donald has put together a stellar second NFL season, as he’s now just a half-sack away from the Rams’ single-season record by a defensive tackle. D’Marco Farr set the mark with 11.5 in 1995, and now Donald has a good chance to break it 20 years later.
“It would mean a lot, but right now I’m just trying to do my job and help my team win,” Donald said. “If it comes, it comes. If not, I’m just going to do my part.”
INJURY REPORT
With the short practice week now complete, the Rams should be relatively healthy heading into Thursday’s matchup.
Running back Todd Gurley (rest), wide receiver Kenny Britt (shoulder), and right tackle Rob Havenstein (calf) are all listed as probable.
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (concussion) has cleared all steps of the protocol and the exertion phase, and is also listed as probable.
Cornerback Eric Patterson (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday and is listed as questionable.
Defensive end Robert Quinn (back) and offensive lineman Andrew Donnal (knee) have both been declared out.
December 17, 2015 at 6:43 am #35749znModerator7 things to watch: Rams vs. Buccaneers
Jim Thomas
FAMOUS JAMEIS
He has thrown for 3,059 yards, already a franchise rookie record. With 18 TD passes, he’s one shy of the Bucs’ rookie mark. Throw in the won-loss record — the 6-7 Bucs already have four more wins than in the entire 2014 campaign — and it has been a very solid debut for No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. He has shown good leadership skills at quarterback and hasn’t been afraid to throw into tight windows. Winston has extended plays with his legs, and the Bucs have been pretty good on third-down conversions (42 percent).
MARTIN MARCHING
In the prior two seasons, Bucs RB Doug Martin missed Rams games with injuries. When the teams met in 2012, Martin’s rookie season, he gained a modest 62 yards on 18 carries. But rest assured the Rams aren’t taking the league’s second-best rusher (1,214 yards) lightly. Martin has more runs of 20-plus yards (13) than anybody in the league and leads the NFL with 537 yards after contact. “Once he gets out there in the open field, it’s a tough time getting him down,” Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.
ANOTHER BIG TARGET
Rams CB Trumaine Johnson did exemplary work on Detroit’s Calvin Johnson last week, limiting the player known as Megatron to one catch for 16 yards. He faces another big challenge in Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, who at 6-5, 231 has the frame to post up effectively for 50-50 balls and the catch-radius to grab anything thrown in the same area code. With 889 yards, he’s well on his way to his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season since entering the league as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 draft.
OTHER OPTIONS
The Bucs’ other big target in the passing game, Vincent Jackson (6-5, 230), will miss Thursday’s game with a knee injury. That could mean an expanded role for Adam Humphries, an undrafted rookie from Clemson who caught his first career TD pass last week vs. the Saints. The Bucs don’t throw a ton to their TEs, but Cameron Brate and Austin Seferian-Jenkins do have 5 TD catches between them. Charles Sims, once a teammate of Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey at West Virginia, is a threat out of the backfield (36 catches, 3 TDs).
MIGHTY McCOY
Not only will this game showcase two of the game’s top running backs in Doug Martin and the Rams’ Todd Gurley, it features two of the top defensive tackles in Gerald McCoy and the Rams’ Aaron Donald. A three-time Pro Bowler, McCoy went third overall in the 2010 draft behind former Oklahoma teammate Sam Bradford and fellow D-tackle Ndamukong Suh. “The whole premise in that defense is trying to create a pass rush with four guys, and Gerald McCoy … can create some havoc,” Rams offensive coordinator Rob Boras said.
DISRUPTIVE DAVID
The other headliner on the Tampa defense is weakside linebacker Lavonte David. A sideline-to-sideline player, David does a little bit of everything for the Buccaneers, with a team-high 118 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions, and a partridge in a pear tree. “He’s kind of like Alec (Ogletree) in that he just comes up with the ball,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’ll force a fumble or make an interception or just make a big play when they need it.”
MAKING HIS CASE, PART III
Case Keenum gets his third Rams start and second since suffering a concussion in Baltimore. Keenum’s numbers weren’t great in the win over Detroit but he did put together a pair of clutch drives in the second half. He’ll face a Tampa defense under coach Lovie Smith, the former Rams defensive coordinator, that isn’t complex but plays fundamentally sound and doesn’t give up big plays. The base of the Tampa scheme remains the Cover 2 zone. There isn’t much blitzing. The idea is to keep the play in front and rally to the ball.
December 17, 2015 at 7:00 am #35751znModeratorBucs Pulse: Tampa Bay vs. St. Louis
http://www.tbo.com/sports/bucs/bucs-pulse-tampa-bay-vs-st-louis-20151217/
y Ira Kaufman | Tribune Staff , Roy Cummings | Tribune Staff
DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF BIG PICTURE
The Bucs’ playoff hopes have reverted back to slim and none. That’s a reality this young Bucs team, so hopeful only a few days ago, may have a hard time accepting. What the Bucs have to do, though, is maintain focus on the bigger picture. This season was always about growth. Sure, making the playoffs would be great, but that’s a goal they were never realistically expected to achieve. The objective all along was to develop the young core players and win as many games as possible. With three games to go, the Bucs are still on pace to have what for them would be a very successful season, even if it doesn’t result in a playoff berth. As they stand now, the Bucs figure to be one of the more interesting teams to watch come 2016. A strong finish starting with a well-played road victory tonight will contribute nicely to that status.
CASH IN ON THE MONEY DOWN
The Bucs defense has struggled to get off the field of late. In their last four games, the Bucs have allowed opponents to convert 34 of 64 third-down opportunities (53 percent). Penalties have been a part of the problem. A week ago, when the Saints converted of 12 of 17 third downs (71 percent), penalties wiped out a stop on third-and-13 and another on third-and-2. Execution is the bigger issue, though. Missed tackles, missed assignments and a pedestrian pass rush have made it easy for teams to convert even on third-and-extra-long, which is what the Saints did on a third-and-21 in the second quarter. The Bucs have an offense capable of producing at a high level and has done a good job of extending drives, converting 48.4 percent of its own third downs the last 10 games. To do that, though, the offense needs the ball, and it’s up to the defense to get off the field and get it back for them.
PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL
A defensive penalty on third-and-long, a dropped pass and a missed field goal. Throw in a few missed tackles and you have the primary reasons the Bucs lost a winnable game to the beatable Saints last week. The Rams are not what anyone would consider a quality opponent, but they’re good enough to beat a team prone to making mistakes. The Bucs qualify as just such a team, but a lot of their mistakes are correctable and they have displayed an ability at times to overcome them. The Bucs have to take the approach that any play can decide a game. By doing that, their focus, intensity and playmaking abilities, three missing ingredients week ago, should all return.
Roy Cummings
Five questions with … DE Kourtnei Brown
Q: How did you keep your confidence level up through all the times you were signed and released in the past three years?
A: It came down to believing in myself and knowing that God has blessed me with the ability to play football. Talking to other vets, they told me that I could do this. When you’ve got that kind of support, it helps keep you up during the tough times.
Q: You were a high school football standout in Charlotte who ended up at Clemson. Did you have a chance to go to North Carolina?
A: Yes, North Carolina showed some interest, but at the time I was thinking that North Carolina was a basketball school and Clemson is more football-based. That’s why I ended up with the Tigers instead of the Tar Heels.
Q: Your basketball team in high school won a state title. What role did you play?
A: I started four years for varsity and played up front for a good basketball program. I wasn’t really a shooter, but I liked to dunk, get rebounds, that type of work. We had a really good team at Victory Christian.
Q: Your first NFL sack was wiped out by a teammate’s penalty last week. How quickly did you get over it?
A: I’m not worried. It was tough that the penalty took it back, but I’m not really focusing on that because I believe I’ll get another opportunity, and it’s football … stuff happens. That could happen to anybody. The way I look at it, people saw that I’m trying and I can get to the quarterback. For me, that’s big.
Q: What’s your favorite all-time meal?
A: I just had it at Thanksgiving — mac and cheese, yams, meatloaf and cornbread. Real soul food. I was a happy man when I left the table.
Ira Kaufman
Key matchup
Bucs RG Ali Marpet vs. Rams DT Aaron Donald
Marpet is having a tremendous rookie season, one that has more than justified the Bucs’ decision last May to spend a second-round draft pick on him. Donald will give him one of his toughest tests of the season, though. A truly explosive athlete, Donald excels at getting into gaps and penetrating, and he’s really been on his game of late, recording three sacks and three quarterback hits against the Lions last week. Where Donald struggles at times is against the run. Particularly when hit with a double team, he has a tendency to get washed out of the play. Marpet is strong enough and technically sound enough to do that all on his own, and it’s imperative that he succeed in that venture tonight. The Rams have a lot of weapons in their defensive front. If Marpet can handle Donald, it will allow the Bucs to devote their double-teams elsewhere.
Roy Cummings
The vibe
When you lose a game because you played as poorly and as uninspired as the Bucs did against the Saints last week, you can’t wait to get back on the field. The Bucs get their wish tonight, facing the Rams after a three-day layoff. Before long they may be wishing they could have just waited until Sunday to play again. One of the most difficult challenges NFL teams face nowadays is going on the road to play a Thursday night game. Nothing about the week of preparation is normal, and everything seems a bit hurried. The Bucs are confident they can overcome those issues, in part because they’re eager to prove they’re not the same old bumbling Bucs that were embarrassed by the Falcons during a 56-14 loss on this stage last year. The Bucs believe they are indeed ready for prime time. The rest of the league will find out tonight if they’re right.
Roy Cummings
The picks
ROY CUMMINGS
Rams, 24-21
Bucs get their wish to play soon after tough loss but not with desired outcome.
IRA KAUFMAN
Bucs, 20-16
Doug Martin outshines Rams rookie Todd Gurley on the ground as Bucs prevail.
December 17, 2015 at 7:02 am #35752znModeratorBucs-Rams predictions
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/bucs-rams-predictions/2258116
The Bucs are missing key pieces on defense (Kwon Alexander) and on offense (Vincent Jackson). They had some of the starch taken out of them last week with a loss to the Saints, a game that pretty much ended hopes of a playoff spot. So the Bucs might not be right physically or mentally for a road game on a very short week. Rams, 20-14.
This is a bad Thursday game to have late in the season. The Bucs actually blew a good chance to be in the middle of the NFC race by losing to the Saints. Rebounding here won’t be easy. I like St. Louis to win another tough one behind Todd Gurley. Rams, 23-17.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The Rams played well against Detroit last week and will likely feed off that success after suffering a five-game losing streak. As long as the offense creates opportunities for Gurley, the Rams shouldn’t have a problem pulling off the win. Rams, 17-13.
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