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November 1, 2015 at 8:06 pm #33332
znModeratorTodd Gurley leads way as Rams handle 49ers
http://espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791613
ST. LOUIS — Todd Gurley is hard to bring down, and Tavon Austin is difficult to lay a finger on. That was quite a 1-2 punch for the St. Louis Rams.
Gurley concedes he’s not as fast.
“Oh yeah, I’m 225 [pounds],” the rookie said after setting the tone in a 27-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. “I can’t beat a guy that’s 180.”
Gurley rushed for 133 yards on 20 carries, topping 100 yards for the fourth straight start to open his career. Austin caught a 66-yard touchdown pass and outran the defense to the pylon for a 2-yard score, compensating for an early lost fumble.
The Rams defense was stout, too, with three sacks and a safety. The St. Louis defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown the last two games, permitting just four field goals.
“I could name anybody and everybody on the defense,” end Robert Quinn said. “Everyone made some incredible plays.”
Gurley, who had a 71-yard touchdown run, is the first rookie to open his career with four consecutive 100-yard games according to STATS with data available since 1991. Gurley’s 566 rushing yards are the most in a player’s first four NFL starts in the Super Bowl era, according to the league.
“I was looking forward to going against him. I’ve heard so much about him,” 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks said. “He made some big plays on us today, so hats off to him and his offensive line, but we’ll face him again.”
The Rams (4-3) are 3-0 against the NFC West for the first time since 2004, and they’re above .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2006.
“I expected to be here in years past; things didn’t work out,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “I’m not satisfied at all, and that has to carry over to the players as well.”
The 49ers (2-6) were hit hard by injuries, losing Reggie Bush early to a knee injury, and haven’t scored a touchdown in two games. They’ve lost six of seven, are 0-3 in the division and have lost two straight to St. Louis for the first time since 2004.
“We come to work every single day and we put the hours in,” linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. “It’s not like we’re sitting on our behinds.”
San Francisco was short-handed at running back after Bush, starting in place of the injured Carlos Hyde, hurt a knee on a punt return in the first quarter. Bush slipped on concrete near the stands a week after Browns quarterback Josh McCown was shaken up sliding on concrete into a pad in front of the stands.
Coach Jim Tomsula said he didn’t see how Bush was injured.
The losers managed 189 yards and two field goals by Phil Dawson. James Laurinaitis and Michael Brockers tackled Mike Davis in the end zone on a run for a safety.
Both teams were whistled for 93 yards in penalties. The 49ers had a very costly call when Ahmad Brooks was called for grabbing Benny Cunningham’s facemask, negating Brooks’ 41-yard return for touchdown and retaining possession for St. Louis.
Gurley was untouched on his 71-yarder up the middle in the second quarter. Defenders lost ground as he picked up speed for the score that combined with a 2-point pass to Jared Cook made it 10-3.
Austin’s 2-yard run with 18 seconds to go in the half put St. Louis up 20-6, a score set up by Cook’s 49-yard reception after a pair of 49ers collided trying to make the tackle.
The Rams’ 3-0 start against the NFC West is their best since they won seven in a row from Nov. 23, 2003, to Dec. 5, 2004. The franchise hasn’t had a winning record since ’03 and owner Stan Kroenke wants to move back to Los Angeles.
“St. Louis definitely deserves it and it feels good,” Austin said. “I’m glad we can put some wins together, give the people out there something to cheer for.”
The last rookie with a starting streak of four straight 100-yarders at any point in the season was Edgerrin James of Indianapolis in 1999.
Game notes
49ers WR Anquan Boldin (hamstring) was inactive for the first time in three seasons with the 49ers. … Bush, 49ers backup safety L.J. McCray (right leg), TE Garrett Celek (concussion) and RB Mike Davis (hand) were ruled out at the start of the second half, and P Bradley Pinion (calf) was knocked out in the fourth quarter. … Austin has a career-best seven touchdowns, one more than he had as a rookie in 2013. … Rams P Johnny Hekker averaged 49.8 yards in eight attempts and the 49ers had minus-1 yard in returns.November 1, 2015 at 8:09 pm #33334znModeratorWith Todd Gurley rolling, Rams can contend in NFC West
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Rams still have to prove they can actually win the NFC West or earn a wild-card playoff berth. But in case there was any lingering doubt that it’s possible, running back Todd Gurley erased it Sunday.
No, this isn’t the Greatest Show on Turf and the Rams aren’t going to be throwing for 300 yards a game and lighting up scoreboards like they did in the early 2000s. But as Gurley showed for the fourth consecutive game, he is the type of electrifying talent capable of elevating a team from pretender to contender.
Gurley again paved the way for the Rams (4-3), leading them to a 27-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome. Gurley rushed for 133 yards on 20 carries, including a 71-yard touchdown that sparked a struggling Rams offense to its first lead.
In the process, Gurley became the most productive runner over his first four starts since the AFL/NFL merger. The 71-yard run also gave him his fourth consecutive game with a run of 45 yards or more.
What it means: For the first time since 2006, the Rams are above .500 entering November. They beat the Cleveland Browns last week and now San Francisco, giving them back-to-back wins for only the seventh time since Jeff Fisher took over as coach in 2012. Next week, the Rams travel to Minnesota with a chance for only their second three-game winning streak of the Fisher era.
What were they thinking? This doesn’t come down to any one decision, but it’s fair to wonder what the Rams’ wide receivers were thinking early in the game. They have had issues with drops all year and that ugly habit showed up in the game’s early moments. Even when Tavon Austin did catch one, he fumbled it for an early turnover to kill a drive. The Rams must get more from their pass-catchers moving forward.
One reason to get excited: The Rams are finally starting to show the ability to win games that observers believe they’re supposed to. After a disappointing loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 2 and a 2-3 record at the bye, the Rams looked like a team poised to ride a roller coaster again this year. They still have plenty of work to do, but they are starting to look like the type of team that takes care of business against inferior opponents.
Fantasy watch: Austin continues to find himself in the end zone on a fairly consistent basis. He complemented Gurley well with two more touchdowns, including a 66-yard catch and run that essentially put the game away.
November 1, 2015 at 8:12 pm #33335znModeratorGurley, Rams’ defense overwhelm 49ers
Jim Thomas
A lot of defense. A whole lot of Todd Gurley. And a dash or two by Tavon Austin. That’s the formula that’s working these days for the Rams.
For the second Sunday in a row the defense didn’t allow a touchdown, limiting San Francisco to a pair of field goals and almost as many punts (10) as first downs (11).
Gurley topped 100 yards rushing for the fourth consecutive game, including a 71-yard touchdown run that gave St. Louis the lead for good in the second quarter.
And Austin provided the finishing touch with a 66-yard TD sprint on a quick screen from Nick Foles, giving him a career high seven touchdowns just seven games into his third NFL season.
Put it all together and it added up to a 27-6 victory Sunday for the Rams, who at 4-3 are above .500 in November for the first time since 2006. A total of 51,207 tickets were distributed for the game, according to the Rams.
Yes it’s early, but next week’s contest at 5-2 Minnesota pits the NFC’s current No. 6 seed (the Vikings) against its current No. 7 seed (the Rams). Imagine that. Meaningful November football.
“Right now, all we’re worried about is getting to 5-3; getting the next one,” Rams safety T.J. McDonald said. “But it does feel good to get two in a row though, I can tell you that. We haven’t been able to do that for a while.”
The game started like many recent contests in the Rams-49ers rivalry. Plenty of intensity, plenty of hard-hitting, and not much offense.
“I think there’s a rivalry there, yes,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “They’re the first to come together after the game and congratulate each other, but yeah, it’s an emotional game.”
Despite playing without their leading rusher (Carlos Hyde) and top receiver (Anquan Boldin) because of injuries, the 49ers moved 44 yards with the opening kickoff for a Phil Dawson field goal of 54 yards and an early 3-0 lead.
The Rams made it a 3-2 ballgame when James Laurinaitis and Michael Brockers combined to tackle running back Mike Davis in the end zone for a safety 4½ minutes into play.
But that’s where the score stayed for a while. The Rams opened in the no-huddle, but couldn’t get much going on offense as San Francisco’s front 7 gave up rushing yards grudgingly to Gurley in the early going.
Meanwhile, the 49ers’ offense stayed stuck in neutral for much of the half after their opening field goal drive, gaining a total of only 6 yards on their next five possessions combined.
There were plenty of penalties, and a brief sideline scuffle following a San Francisco punt return on a sequence that saw Reggie Bush unable to stop once he hit the concrete surface at the Edward Jones Dome. The veteran left with a knee injury and did not return.
“In fairness to them, it’s hard to overcome the loss of Anquan and Carlos Hyde, and then Reggie goes out,” Fisher said. “And they had a couple of other issues out there. When you lose your playmakers like that, it’s hard for anybody from an offensive standpoint.”
The 49ers would finish with only 189 yards, a season-low yield by the St. Louis defense.
Gurley finally got going — and in a big way — early in the second quarter, when he burst through a gaping hole off right guard and didn’t stop until he had gone 71 yards for a touchdown. Blocks by right tackle Rob Havenstein, center Tim Barnes, and pulling left guard Garrett Reynolds helped open things up.
It was Gurley’s third TD of the season and his fourth-run of 45 yards-plus this season.
“I knew I wasn’t going to get caught on that run,” Gurley said. “I couldn’t let that happen.”
He finished with 133 yards on 20 carries. The Rams then made it 10-3 the hard way, when Foles completed a pass to tight end Jared Cook for a 2-point conversion with 10:25 left in the first half.
The teams then traded field goals, making it a 13-6 game until the closing seconds of the opening half.
But the Rams were able to mount an 80-yard TD drive in the final 1:53 to take a 20-6 halftime lead. The big play on the drive came on an pass over the middle to Cook on second-and-17 from the St. Louis 48. Cornerback Kenneth Acker and safety Eric Reid swooped in for the tackle, but Cook bounced off the pair and rumbled all the way to the San Francisco 3 before he was brought down.
Two plays later, Austin raced around right end for a 2-yard TD, diving across the goal line with the ball inside the pylon with 18 seconds left in the half.
It stayed 20-6, Rams, until Austin’s 66-yard clincher on the quick screen with 8:34 left in the fourth quarter.
The Rams missed a chance to stretch their lead late in the third quarter when Greg Zuerlein’s 40-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Quinton Dial. It’s the second blocked Zuerlein field goal of the season.
On the previous series, San Francisco had a chance to make a game of it, when Rams running back Benny Cunningham fumbled, and 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks scooped up the football and ran 41 yards for an apparent TD.
But Brooks yanked on Cunningham’s facemask on his way to picking up the loose football. Not only was the TD wiped out by the penalty, the Rams retained possession of the ball.
“I knew I hit him in the facemask,” Brooks said. “I kind of figured that when I reached the end zone, it could potentially get called back, but it wasn’t intentional.”
When that play was called back, it turned out to be the last gasp for San Francisco, now 2-6.
“This is where we are,” 49ers coach Jim Tomsula said. “This is who we are, and we need to get better — period.”
As for the Rams, well, it’s onward and upward.
“It feels good,” Austin said. “I’m glad to put up some wins and give (the fans) something to cheer for when they come to the game.”
November 1, 2015 at 8:12 pm #33336znModeratorTavon Austin up, first-quarter offense down for Rams
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Sunday’s 27-6 win against the San Francisco 49ers.
Note: Todd Gurley has been on this list every week and it will take something special to be any more “up” than he already is. On a day when many Rams performed well, we’ll tip our hat to Gurley and acknowledge him elsewhere.
UP
WR Tavon Austin — Austin’s day took a rough turn early when he coughed up a fumble after a 24-yard gain to kill a first-quarter drive. But he rebounded nicely with four catches for 98 yards and a touchdown to go with three carries for 21 yards and another score. When Gurley is rolling, he partially has Austin to thank and when Austin is rolling, he has Gurley to thank. The two form a dynamic combination that gives the Rams’ offense life.
LB Mark Barron — It was another productive day at the office for the Rams’ new weakside linebacker who prefers not to be called that. In unofficial press box statistics, Barron finished with nine tackles, two for loss and a pass defended. He’s been a revelation in place of the injured Alec Ogletree and is making it more difficult on the Rams coaches to put him on the sideline.
DT Michael Brockers — Playing next to end Robert Quinn and fellow tackle Aaron Donald, it can be easy to overlook Brockers but he’s the guy who has helped the run defense get rolling and has become a dominant force in the middle. He had five tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits and was the driving force behind the safety the team scored in the first quarter when he pushed the pocket to allow linebacker James Laurinaitis to make the tackle.
DOWN
The Rams’ penalty producers — To this point in the season, the Rams had improved greatly in terms of penalties after accumulating more than any team in the NFL over the past three years combined. But that old problem reared its ugly head again Sunday as the Rams finished with 12 penalties for 93 yards. Coach Jeff Fisher said that’s something the Rams will take a close look at this week but it’s also something that can’t continue if the Rams are going to keep rolling.
The first-quarter offense — In search of an early spark, the Rams went no-huddle on the opening drive. It didn’t help. They went three-and-out, had two first downs and mustered just 53 yards of total offense. Drops were again a problem for the pass-catchers, something that also must improve. The defense kept it close but the Rams have to find a way to get off to faster starts.
November 2, 2015 at 2:19 am #33378znModeratorTodd, Tavon and defense are Rams’ victory formula
Jim Thomas
Center Tim Barnes and right guard Jamon Brown sealed off the inside. Right tackle Rob Havenstein and pulling left guard Garrett Reynolds took care of the outside with second-level blocks.
The result was a huge hole for Todd Gurley. And quarterback Nick Foles had the best view in the house. “He just exploded through it,” Foles said.
And when that happened, Foles knew there was only one thing left to do.
“I’m just trying to run down there so I can celebrate with him,” Foles said. “Yeah, right when he busted through, I knew no one was going to catch him. He’s too fast.”
Too fast and too good.
Gurley’s second-quarter touchdown run helped break open what had been an intense, physical defensive struggle. Tavon Austin, who’s even faster, added a couple TDs of his own, and the defense did the rest in a 27-6 Rams victory Sunday over rival San Francisco at the Edward Jones Dome.
A lot of defense. A whole lot of Gurley. And a dash or two by Austin. That’s developing into the victory formula these days for the Rams.
For the second game in a row the defense didn’t allow a touchdown, limiting San Francisco to a pair of field goals and almost as many punts (10) as first downs (11). For only the fourth time during coach Jeff Fisher’s tenure here, the Rams held an opponent under 200 yards offense _ San Francisco had 189.
Gurley topped 100 yards rushing for the fourth consecutive game. His 566 yards in four starts is the most for an NFL player in his first four NFL starts in the Super Bowl era. St. Louis native Billy Sims held the previous mark, with 539 yards in his first four starts with the Detroit Lions in 1980.
After gaining 133 yards on 20 carries Sunday, Gurley is the first rookie in NFL history to rush for 125 yards-plus in four consecutive games.
“Well, I keep bringing up that ‘S’ word, which is ‘special,’ “ Fisher said. “We’ve been saying that he’s special. Again, credit him to get to this point, and credit the guys around him. Because they’ve bought into the run game. They bought into that philosophy, which you have to have. He’s obviously getting a lot of people’s attention.”
So is Austin. He stretched just inside the pylon with the football for a 2-yard TD run just before halftime. And then put the finishing touches on the 49ers with a 66-yard TD sprint midway through the fourth quarter on a quick screen pass from Foles — who again had the best seat in the house.
“Stedman Bailey does a great job blocking right out there with him, and our guys did a great job blocking down field,” Foles said. “Then Tavon does his thing. He weaves in and out of every defender.”
Foles then added with a chuckle, “And he weaved in and out of a couple guys twice. So he just sort of showed you why he’s so special.”
Seven games into 2015, Austin already has a career-high seven touchdowns.
Put it all together and the Rams (4-3) are above .500 in November for the first time since 2006. Sure, it’s early, but next week’s contest at 5-2 Minnesota pits the NFC’s current No. 6 seed (the Vikings) against its current No. 7 team (the Rams).
“It feels really good, I’m not going to shy away from it,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “This is what we really expected this year with this team. Quite frankly, we expected it last year as well, but more so this year.”
Even so, Fisher opened his postgame news conference by saying he’s pleased with the victory, but not really satisfied. Apparently, he has some expectations for this squad.
“I think we’ve gotta be very careful not to be satisfied with the fact that we’ve won two here — two consecutive games,” Fisher said. “Because we’ve still got a long way to go and a lot of room for improvement.”
The Rams committed 12 penalties (for 93 yards) Sunday, lost a fumble deep in San Francisco territory, and would’ve lost another for a 49ers scoop and score if not for a 49ers penalty.
Even though the Rams had a season-high 388 yards of offense, their abysmal work on third down continues. They were one for 12 on third-down conversions Sunday, with the day’s only conversion coming on that 66-yard Austin TD.
Even on defense, where the Rams have yielded only two field goals apiece to the 49ers and Browns over the past two weeks, Fisher wants more.
“I told the guys inside (the locker room) 12 points in two weeks is too many,” he said. “That’s the approach you have to take.”
The game started like many recent contests in the Rams-49ers rivalry. Plenty of intensity, plenty of hard hitting and not much offense. On four or five occasions, there was extracurricular shoving after the whistle.
The worst was a brief sideline scuffle following a San Francisco punt return on a sequence that saw Reggie Bush unable to stop once he hit the concrete surface at the edge of the field. The veteran left with a knee injury and did not return.
“This is a rivalry game,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “It’s a division game, too. So they know us and we know them. If you come out pushing after the play, we’re just not gonna let it go. This is a young team. We’re feisty. We’re hungry.
“And we’re gonna fight back. Or push back a little bit. We’re not trying to hurt this team, but just let ’em know that we’re not going for that. And that’s what we did today.”
Despite playing without their leading rusher (Carlos Hyde) and top receiver (Anquan Boldin) because of injuries, the 49ers moved 44 yards with the opening kickoff for a Phil Dawson field goal of 54 yards and an early 3-0 lead.
The Rams made it a 3-2 ballgame when Brockers and James Laurinaitis combined to tackle running back Mike Davis in the end zone for a safety 4½ minutes into play.
That’s where the score stayed for a while. The Rams opened in the no-huddle but couldn’t get much going early. Until, that is, Gurley saw that hole and headed through the wide-open spaces on his 71-yard run.
“There’s no better feeling going through something untouched for a touchdown,” he said.
November 2, 2015 at 2:20 am #33379znModeratorAustin scores twice in Rams’ blowout win over 49ers
Joe Lyons
At 5-feet-8 and 176 pounds, Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin can sometimes be overshadowed on the football field. That’s been especially true in recent weeks with rookie running back Todd Gurley bursting onto the scene.
With 566 yards against Arizona, Green Bay, Cleveland and San Francisco, Gurley has rushed for more yards in his first four starts than anyone since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. On Sunday, the rookie from Georgia rushed 20 times for 133 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter that put the Rams on top to stay in a 27-6 rout of NFC West rival San Francisco at the Edward Jones Dome.
But Austin, the team’s first-round draft choice in 2013, had a similarly impactful game, rushing three times for 21 yards with a 2-yard touchdown run just before halftime to make it 20-6, and leading the team with four catches for 98 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown on a flanker screen in the fourth quarter to close out the day’s scoring.
“Oh man, it’s good playing with a guy like that,’’ Gurley said. “He’s a dual threat and can be in the backfield, slot, everywhere.’’
Quarterback Nick Foles agreed: “Those are two dynamic players that are extremely explosive. Once they get in the open field, they do electrifying things. You have a receiver (in Austin) that can go in the backfield and do a bunch of things.’’
With the Rams up 13-6 in the final minute of the opening half, Austin followed up on a 49-yard strike from Foles to tight end Jared Cook with a jet sweep around right end. The play was well-defensed, but Austin used his speed to get the corner and somehow got the football inside the pylon before his momentum carried him out of bounds for the touchdown.
“Cook did a good job of making the block for me, and I was able to stretch out and find the end zone,’’ Austin said.
The score remained 20-6 into the fourth quarter when Austin collected a short pass on the left side, picked up some down-field blocking and cruised to the end zone for 66-yard score with 8½ minutes to play.
“Just a screen play,’’ he said. “Kenny (Britt) had an awesome block and the O-line did a great job of getting out in front of me. They opened the hole and I was able to use my speed to do the rest.’’
Foles added: “Standing right behind it, I probably had the best view in the house. … Our guys do a great job of blocking downfield (and) then Tavon does his thing. He weaves in and out of every defender and he weaved in and out of a couple of guys twice. He just showed why he’s so special.’’
With two touchdowns Sunday and five in his last four games, Austin has a career-high and team-leading seven scores this season. He scored six times as a rookie and had three TDs a year ago. He leads the team in receiving with 24 catches for 285 yards and is second to Gurley in rushing with 141 yards on 17 carries. In addition, he’s among the league leaders, averaging 11.3 yards on 12 punt returns.
“The big difference I see in Tavon this year is confidence,’’ second-year tackle Greg Robinson said. “The coaches are putting the ball in his hands in all sorts of ways and he’s showing that he’s a playmaker.’’
Austin’s Sunday was not perfect. Late in the first quarter, after hauling in a 24-yard pass from Foles, Austin lost control of the ball on a tackle by San Francisco rookie Jaquiski Tartt. Another 49ers rookie, Eli Harold, recovered.
“I was trying to make a play and lost the ball,’’ Austin said. “It was my first fumble of the year and hopefully my last. No excuses, but it definitely made me try to work a little harder to make up for it.’’
He did that and more before leaving the field to chants of “Tavon.’’
“Felt like I was back home in West Virginia. Back there, they did that all the time,’’ he said. “I’m thankful for the fans and I’m glad we could get a win for them.’
Veteran guard Garrett Reynolds said the Rams’ quick-strike ability eases some of the pressure on a young and developing offensive line.
“Having guys like that, guys who can break a play at any time, definitely helps our confidence,’’ the seventh-year pro said. “It allows us to stick with the plan and not let one bad series get us down. We’re able to stay together and keep doing what we’re doing because we know that on any play, our guys are capable of breaking a long one. Mainly, we’re just trying to get in the way for them.
“But it’s just fun to watch the way those guys move. It’s a blast.’’
Austin said the presence of Gurley opens up possibilities for everyone in the offense.
“That’s the way football works,’’ he said. “When a team has a great running back, it forces the linebackers to respect the run instead of getting back in coverage. And that opens things up for the passing game.
“It all works together, so we just have to keep pushing forward and do what we can to keep it rolling. Today, we’re feeling pretty good because we won, but tomorrow, it’s back to work to prepare for next week’s game.’’
The Rams travel to Minnesota for a Sunday matchup with the 5-2 Vikings.
November 2, 2015 at 2:21 am #33381znModeratorRams notebook: 49ers nearly make it a close game
Jim Thomas
As dominant as the Rams were for much of Sunday’s 27-6 victory, there was a moment in the third quarter when San Francisco threatened to make a game of it.
Facing a third-and-4 at the 50, Rams running back Benny Cunningham headed around right end in search of a first down. But 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead poked the ball out, and teammate Ahmad Brooks was in hot pursuit for the loose football.
Brooks picked up the ball and raced 41 yards for an apparent touchdown with 4 minutes, 45 seconds to play in the third quarter. Just like that, it looked like the Rams’ lead was down to 20-13 and they might be in for a tight finish.
But while on his way to the bouncing ball, Brooks yanked on Cunningham’s facemask. Instead of a TD and a one-possession game, the Rams got 15 yards on the penalty, a first down, and maintained their 20-6 lead.
The possession ended with a blocked Greg Zuerlein field goal attempt from 40 yards, but the Rams added a Tavon Austin touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to register their most lopsided win of the season.
“Do I think I had a touchdown?” Brooks, an outside linebacker, said afterward. “I did have a touchdown. I knew I hit him in the facemask. I kind of figured that when I reached the end zone it could potentially get called back. But it wasn’t intentional.
“I was fighting for the ball. He’s a smaller guy. So by me being taller and trying to get to the ball, I guess I grazed his facemask.”
It looked like Brooks did a lot more than “graze” Cunningham’s facemask, but it was a huge play in the game nonetheless.
MASON LIVES
After missing the Cleveland game with an ankle injury, second-year Rams running back Tre Mason saw his first extensive action of the season, carrying 15 times for 46 yards Sunday. He also caught a pass for 6 yards, basically finishing out the contest for Todd Gurley after the Rams took that 27-6 lead.
Mason, also inactive for the season opener against Seattle because of a hamstring injury, was happy to get his most extensive action of the season.
“Without a doubt. Sitting and being on the sideline is not the move,” Mason said, laughing.
He had only 20 carries all season before Sunday, and just four carries since September. The team’s leading rusher as a rookie last season with 765 yards, Mason looked quick against San Francisco, although he may not be totally healthy.
“The game of football, I was always told you’re never 100 percent after the first game,” Mason said. “But I felt like I got myself back and feeling like myself again, where I could get rolling.
“Gotta be ready when called on, and be available.”
SITTING IT OUT
Rams inactives Sunday were DE Chris Long (knee), QB Sean Mannion, S Christian Bryant, RB Trey Watts, TE Justice Cunningham, OG Cody Wichmann and DT Doug Worthington.
Four players listed as questionable Friday on the Rams’ final injury report of the week all played against San Francisco: Mason, DE Robert Quinn, DE William Hayes and S T.J. McDonald.
Quinn, who has practiced sparingly over the past two weeks because of a knee injury, was credited with a sack, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a pass breakup, according to unofficial press box stats.
“I’m OK,” Quinn said, when asked about the knee. “A little rest always helps. But I’ll be all right.”
RAM-BLINGS
McDonald’s father, Tim McDonald, is defensive backs coach in Buffalo but took advantage of the Bills’ bye week to watch his son play Sunday. The Rams are now 3-0 when McDonald’s father is watching in person, with previous victories over Denver and Seattle.
There were 51,207 tickets distributed in the 66,000-seat dome for Sunday’s game. Once again, it looked as if about 40,000 to 45,000 spectators were actually in the stands.
The Rams’ rushing total of 197 yards was a season high. Were it not for three kneel-downs by quarterback Nick Foles to end the game, each of which resulted in a 1-yard loss, the Rams would’ve had 200 yards rushing for the first time since a Game 11 contest against Chicago in 2013.
Rookie wide receiver Bradley Marquez caught his first NFL pass Sunday, good for a 5-yard gain in the first quarter.November 2, 2015 at 2:57 am #33382znModeratorWinning Ugly? For the Rams, Any Victory is Beautiful
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/01/winning-ugly-for-the-rams-any-victory-is-beautiful/
Presuming I’ll be able to type this to completion without having to duck a penalty flag thrown by referee Jerome Boger’s hyperactive officiating crew, here are some quick-hit reactions to the Rams’ assertive 27-6 victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers at The Edward Jones Dome:
An Update On the Path to Progress …
It was a rather ugly little slugfest Sunday, with the teams being penalized a combined 25 times (186 yards) by Boger’s crew. But with an acknowledgement of history — you know, the reality of the Rams last posting a winning season in 2003 — I’m not inclined to diminish the importance of any win based on artistic merit. Not for this team. And certainly not after the Rams won by 21 points and shoved the 49ers onto their team busses for the ride to Lambert Field.
With the win, the Rams are 4-3 after seven games for the first time since Oct. 29 of the 2006 season. That’s a long time ago. As a frame of reference the Rams haven’t had a winning record this deep into a season since the same week that the baseball Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 to capture the 2006 World Series. The Rams’ victory over the 49ers for that 4-3 record came nine years and six days after Jeff Weaver beat Justin Verlander in that Friday-night Game 5. And the last time the Rams were above .500 at this stage of the season, the Blues were being led by Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight and Lee Stempniak. In CoMo, Mike Anderson was just getting underway in his first season as Mizzou’s new basketball coach. Closer to home, Kevin Lisch, Tommie Liddell and the rest of St. Louis U. basketball’s team was getting settled in for a 20-13 season. Yes, it’s been a very long time.
By throttling the 49ers, the Rams moved to 3-0 against NFC West rivals this season, having successfully handled their first tests against the Seahawks (a three-point win at home), Cardinals (a two-point win on the road), and the 49ers (by 21 points.) The Rams are now all even (10-10-1) in NFC West games since Jeff Fisher became the coach in 2012.
Does this team need more from its offense? Absolutely. Especially the passing game. There is no question about that. But for now, it’s best to pause and take a few minutes to appreciate what they’re doing — even though we all realize they’re going to have to score more points and get more production from their passing game to sustain this brief run of success.
I’m working on a piece on the offense.
After you read this — Part I — you can check out Part II.
Another Conquest For the Burly-Gurley Rams …
Gregg Williams’ burly defense smothered the 49ers, giving the visitors only brief gulps of oxygen that lasted long enough to kick two harmless field goals. (More on the defense later.) And then there was No. 30, rookie running back Todd Gurley, the new franchise player and quick-strike generator who is racing his way into the grand franchise tradition of distinguished running backs. It’s a lengthy list, one that includes Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson, Lawrence McCutcheon, Steven Jackson, Dick Bass, Deacon Dan Towler, Tank Younger, Jerome Bettis, Wendell Tyler, Jon Arnett, Willie Ellison and Cullen Bryant. Gurley is just getting started, but his impact already is changing the course of his team’s season.
In his first four NFL starts, Gurley has romped for 566 yards, an average of 141.5 yards per game. He’s averaging 6.4 yards per carry, has three touchdowns, and has bolted for 15 runs that gained 10+ yards. As the 49ers, Browns, Packers and Cardinals have learned, it’s possible to keep Gurley under control for a few series. But just when the defense starts to believe that their wall will hold, Gurley breaks through with a game-changing play. Suddenly, the wall comes down — instantaneously shattered, and leaving defense broken. And that’s how it played out again Sunday.
In his four starts, Gurley has been held to 31 yards rushing on 18 carries in the first quarter. And on Sunday, the 49ers brought a thicket of defenders close to the line to shut him down early; Gurley scraped for only 15 yards on six runs in the opening quarter. But the Rams keep feeding him the football, confident that Gurley will charge his way into the open field. It happened on his first carry of the second quarter — lightning that appeared in the form of a perfectly-blocked, 71-yard, breakaway for a touchdown.
This great Gurley escape gave the Rams a 10-3 lead and effectively ended the 49ers’ hopes of becoming the first defense to stop him since he tore a knee ligament in his final game for Georgia, against Auburn, on Nov. 15 of 2014. Considering the brutality of the Rams defense, the the ‘Niners had little chance of recovering from Gurley’s amazing gallop. Other than American Pharoah’s six-length triumph in the Breeder’s Cup Classic, this was the best run of the weekend.
The Rams are 3-1 with Gurley as their starting running back.
This Is the 49th Season of NFL ball In St. Louis, and This Is the Best Defense We’ve Had Here…
The Rams defense continued to muscle opponents onto the ground, keeping offensive invasions from advancing into the end zone. Yeah, I know. The 49ers offense is bad, weakened by injuries, and the joy and energy and light re gone from quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s performances. But it doesn’t matter. Winning matters, and the NFL standings don’t include asterisks next to a team’s victory total to note beatdowns of sad-sack opponents. Besides, the Rams have been playing tremendous on the defensive side for a while now, and there’s no legitimate basis to downgrade the unit’s domination of 2-6 San Francisco. This is what they’re supposed to do — correct?
The 49ers had 11 first downs, with three coming on their opening possession before the Rams’ defense broke a sweat. Overall the Niners converted only 3 of 17 third-down plays, and finished with 189 net yards. The 21 rushing attempts by the 49ers accumulated 38 yards, with a few Kaepernick dashes accounting for most of that. The SanFran running backs had 10 yards rushing on 15 carries. Kaepernick was sacked three times, pursued into misfiring on multiple instances, and completed only 20 of 41, and averaged a dinky 3.4 yards per passing attempt. On third down Kaepernick flunk 14 passes for only five completions and 35 yards, and his passer rating for the game was a lame 59.1.
Because of the Rams’ struggles and ineptitude on offense, this is a game that could have gotten away … but the Rams defense wasn’t going to let that happen. The group’s first-quarter safety made that clear. Until Gurley’s long TD run, the Rams’ defense provided the only two points by the home team.
The Rams defense has allowed the opponents’ offense to score only eight touchdowns in 85 possessions this season, a rate of 9.4 percent that’s the stingiest in the NFL. And the Rams have been hit for only five TDs in their opponents’ 16 red-zone opportunities. That red-zone touchdown yield of 31.2 percent is the best by an NFL defense this season.
Overall the Rams’ defense has given up only 104 offensive points in seven games, an average of 14.8 points.
The Rams Defense Continues to Rule the Dome …
With the defense guarding the home turf, the Rams are 3-1 at The Ed this season. Even before Gurley moved into a starting and starring role, the Rams’ defense has made it awfully difficult for visiting teams to reach the end zone. Here’s the breakdown, and I’ve excluded three offensive possessions that ended with the visiting team taking a knee to run out the clock at the end of the half or — in Pittsburgh’s win — in the final seconds of the fourth quarter:
Seattle, 11 possessions — one TD on offense.
Pittsburgh, 9 possessions — one TD on offense.
Cleveland, 12 possessions — no touchdowns.
San Francisco, 14 possessions — no touchdowns.
That’s two offensive touchdowns in 46 possessions for visiting teams in St. Louis this season.
Not counting kneel downs, the Rams haven’t allowed an offensive touchdown at home in 32 consecutive possessions. The last touchdown was a 1-yard run by Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell two minutes into the second quarter on Sept. 27 during the Rams’ 12-6 loss.
This has been quite a stand by the Williams’ defense.
A final reminder that I’ll also have a piece on some of the positive parts (non-Gurley) of the Rams’ offense in Sunday’s win.
(In fact, it’s there for you now.)
November 2, 2015 at 8:15 pm #33415znModeratorPicking over the 49ers’ totality of wreckage
sT. LOUIS — The ruins were everywhere on Sunday. The evidence was overwhelming.
The crumbling equation was right there: Colin Kaepernick + the 49ers’ offensive game plan + Jim Tomsula + Trent Baalke + Jed York = a lost and broken franchise.
There’s no way for the 49ers to escape the reality now — and whenever the 49ers tried that Sunday, the Rams literally knocked them backward.
Back to 2004 or 2010 and the bad old days. When they were bad and knew they were bad.
“When I signed up, I signed up to play through wins, losses or whatever,” linebacker NaVorro Bowman said after the 49ers’ 27-6 loss in St. Louis. “This is the type of team we have. There’s no genie that’s coming through the door.”
They’re searching for something they threw away and can’t get back, and opponents are proving this every week.
The 49ers probably don’t have the right coach, quarterback or offensive coordinator, their general manager has been on a bad personnel streak and their owner is a ghost.
They’re lost. And nothing underlines that more than having zero chance against the mediocre Rams — who outgained the 49ers 388-189 — because the 49ers’ offense has zero chance against anybody who plays decent defense.
Aren’t they trying different things on offense? What in the world are the 49ers doing?
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“Obviously I haven’t gotten to the right answer yet,” Tomsula said afterward. “But we’ll find the right answer.”
Could they start to consider benching Kaepernick — who was 20 for 41 for 162 yards — in favor of backup Blaine Gabbert?
“I’m not going to get into all that today,” Tomsula said. “I’ll get into that after we’ve had the opportunity to watch the tape.”
That was not exactly a soaring commitment to Kaepernick.
Nor should Tomsula be committed to Kaepernick after this run of terrible offense and scattered QB play, including a play in the first quarter when the QB didn’t see that receiver Torrey Smith was left uncovered because the Rams knew Kaepernick wasn’t going to throw backed up on his own goal line.
A few plays later: 49ers tailback Mike Davis was tackled in the end zone for a safety.
So yes, the QB play is way, way below acceptable.
Would Kaepernick understand if the 49ers think about benching him?
“To me, I’m doing everything I can to win games,” Kaepernick said.
“Whether they make that change or not is their decision. But I’ll give this team everything I have every week.”
But Tomsula isn’t qualified to make that call, offensive coordinator Geep Chryst certainly hasn’t made things any easier, and why would anybody think Gabbert could do any better with that coach, that offensive coordinator and the woeful offensive line Baalke put together?
When any one of these positions is wrong, it can screw up a franchise.
The 49ers’ great 2015 accomplishment is that they’ve gotten each part of this so badly, terribly, ruinously wrong.
Gabbert isn’t the answer, not really, and the idea of him behind the 49ers’ offensive line probably scares even him.
Firing Tomsula and replacing him with either defensive coordinator Eric Mangini or tight ends coach Tony Sparano — the only feasible interim candidates — isn’t the answer.
Getting rid of Baalke and letting York try to find another credible GM probably isn’t the answer because York bet it all on Baalke when the two men fired Jim Harbaugh last December.
Now they don’t even have a quick way to eject themselves from any of these decisions, because each wrong piece is interlocked with the others.
And each wrong piece is weighed down by all the other wrong pieces.
You saw it in Tomsula’s drooped posture, every one of Kaepernick’s misfired passes and each time Chryst chose to run the ball in a passing situation simply because he didn’t trust Kaepernick to throw.
You heard it in the players’ quiet, resigned voices afterward, and you felt it all throughout this dud.
“You can only control individually what you do on the field, what your performance is,” left tackle Joe Staley said.
“You can’t worry about what anybody else is doing out there. You’ve got to control what you can control on the football field.”
On Sunday, the 49ers defense was fine. Not great — the 49ers gave up a 71-yard touchdown run to Todd Gurley and a few other big plays, but at some point any defense is going to break when its offense can’t move the ball.
“I can’t comment on the offense, man,” Bowman said, before adding:
“I wish I could just go ask the coach to play running back, or something. But that’s not how this business works.”
This is the business: The 49ers are 2-6, their offense is easily the league’s worst, they’ve been crushed by all three of their division rivals already, and they have deleted themselves from NFL contention and relevancy.
It took seven games in 2015 to do that — and about a hundred big and medium-sized terrible decisions, all adding up to so much ruin.
November 2, 2015 at 8:56 pm #33418znModeratorTen Takeaways from the Rams’ 27-6 Win Over the 49ers
Randy Karraker
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/02/ten-takeaways-from-the-rams-27-6-win-over-the-49ers/
Even Jeff Fisher noted after his team’s 27-6 win over San Francisco that the performance left them plenty to work on before next week’s game. A dozen penalties and a tough time for the offense staying on the field made for a less than dazzling display, but a win is a win.
And for the Rams, any win in this playoff race is big. With that, ten takeaways from the win that got St. Louis over .500 in November for the first time in nine years.
1) 4-3 is a major accomplishment for this franchise. They hadn’t been 4-3 since the first seven games of 2006, their first year under Scott Linehan. Winning two in a row and playing well in back-to-back games should give the team confidence as it heads out on the road to face the Vikings next week. The last time the Rams were as good as 5-3 at mid-season? The 12-4 West Division Championship season of 2003.
2) After going 1-for-9 in third down conversions against Cleveland last week, the Rams offense was 1-12 on Sunday. That’s something Jeff Fisher noted as he pointed out that things aren’t perfect. “We converted one third down today. That just doesn’t get it done. So we obviously have some work to do. Pleased with the win, don’t misunderstand me. We came through healthy. We still have a lot of room for improvement.”
He’ll make sure the players know they weren’t perfect, either. Winning imperfectly provides a great coaching point.
3) To get better on third down, the Rams need to have a better passing game. Perhaps limiting what’s asked of Nick Foles will help. He seems to have difficulty with the deep sideline routes (in fairness, football folks say that’s the hardest throw to make). But if he can’t make that throw, perhaps one thing the Rams could try are some slants and some shallow crossing routes to their talented playmakers. Foles had great success in Philadelphia throwing to the middle of the field. With big guys like Kenny Britt and Brian Quick, plays like that would seem to be a perfect fit with the Rams.
4) The 49ers called ten passing plays and seven running plays to running backs in the first quarter, but after that only handed off eight times in the final three quarters. San Francisco gave up running and tried to throw 34 of their final 42 plays. The Rams early dominance on defense, and injuries to running backs Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush, caused San Francisco to completely abandon their game plan. And that affected the way the Rams played offense, clearly knowing that the only way San Francisco could score a touchdown would be with a fluke.
5) In half a season of home games, the Rams have allowed two offensive touchdowns to the opposition. Seattle got a touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham, and the Steelers got a one yard touchdown run from LeVeon Bell. Otherwise, the Seahawks kicked three field goals, and the Steelers, Browns and 49ers each kicked two. The Rams have had remarkable red zone success, a have done a great job of clinging to the vine when they need to keep the opponent into the end zone. Their defense at home is as good as any in the NFL.
6) The game changed on the Rams safety in the first quarter. After picking up just 26 yards on their first two possessions, the brilliant punting of Johnny Hekker forced the 49ers to start at their own three. Mark Barron stopped running back Mike Davis for back-to-back one yard losses, and then Davis was tackled in the end zone for another one yard loss by James Laurinaitis to get the Rams within 3-2. The 49er offense wasn’t the same after that play, and the Rams scored 25 of the game’s final 28 points.
7) Hekker, by the way, was amazing. He punted eight times for a 54.5 yard average, and a remarkable 49.8 net average.
Four of his eight punts pinned San Francisco inside their own twenty yard line, and three of them were downed at the three, eleven and two yard lines. It’s amazing what a weapon he is. The average starting field position for the 49ers was the 22 yard line, and on Hekker’s punts before the final minute of play it was the fifteen yard line.
8) Since the debacle against the run at Washington, the run defense has been sensational. The leading running back rushers since then have been LeVeon Bell of the Steelers, 19 for 68 yards, against Arizona Chris Johnson had 16-83, Eddie Lacy of Green Bay 13-27, Robert Turbin of Cleveland 5-30 and Kendall Gaskins of San Francisco, 5-6. In the last five games, the Rams have allowed an average of 77.6 yards per game on the ground.
9) We are in an instant gratification society, and sometimes if players don’t live up to expectations right away, they get labeled a bust. Well, with two touchdowns against the 49ers, Tavon Austin has seven, an average of one per game. My hope was that Austin could combine for ten touchdowns this season. He’s got two rushing, four receiving and one on returns. Suddenly, Austin has become one of the best weapons and best fantasy players in the NFL. He’s on pace for sixteen TD’s. Hard to call him a bust right now.
10) 28 penalties were called and 25 were accepted. Most were legitimate penalties against both teams. But if 28 penalties are called in a pro football game, either the coaches and players aren’t very good, or there are too many rules. I watch a lot of NFL games, and this happens all the time. There’s no rhythm to the games. There are simply too many rules for officials to call, and Jerome Boger’s crew loves to call all of them.
Hopefully Jeff Fisher and his cohorts on the NFL’s competition committee can cut back on some of the rules the officials call so that the game can get back into the players hands. The lurching style of the game makes it difficult to stick with.
The run defense will have their hands full against Minnesota next week, but the game is huge because it can go a long way toward determining the second wild card team in the NFC. At the moment, the Vikings have a one game lead over St. Louis for the final playoff spot in the NFC. If the Rams win next week, they’ll own that spot.
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