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October 11, 2015 at 10:35 pm #32176
znModeratorRams Fall to Green Bay, 24-10
Myles Simmons
GREEN BAY, Wis. — St. Louis forced three turnovers, but committed four as well en route to a 24-10 loss to the Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay got on the board first with quick scoring strike using its no-huddle offense. The Rams won the coin toss and elected to receive, but went three-and-out. The punt set up the home team at its own 44-yard line, and the Packers took advantage of the field position.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers scrambled for an 18-yard gain on 3rd-and-7 to advance the ball into St. Louis territory. Then Rodgers used his famed hard count to induce defensive tackle Nick Fairley to commit a neutral zone infraction, making a 3rd-and-11 a 3rd-and-6. That’s when Rodgers hit an open Ty Montgomery in the middle of the field for a 31-yard touchdown.
On the Packers’ next drive, the Rams ended Rodgers’ famed streak of not throwing an interception at Lambeau Field. On 3rd-and-2, Mark Barron tipped the pass up and James Laurinaitis came down with it after a nice dive.
The Rams couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, as quarterback Nick Foles threw an interception of his own to Micah Hyde on 3rd-and-2. The defense had a good stand, with T.J. McDonald making two solid tackles on third and fourth down to give St. Louis the ball back. But the momentum was short lived, as Foles threw his second interception of the day — this one to cornerback Quentin Rollins, who returned it to the end zone for six. The score put the Packers up 14-0.
St. Louis got on the board in the second quarter with a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Running back Todd Gurley took the ball six times for 34 yards on the possession, and would have had his first touchdown run if not for a shoe-string tackle by Green Bay’s Micah Hyde. Instead, Tavon Austin got a shovel pass on an end around that the wide receiver took into the end zone for a 5-yard score. The touchdown cut the Packers’ lead to 14-7.
Midway through the second quarter, St. Louis picked off Rodgers again. This time, cornerback Trumaine Johnson jumped a route and dove to make the interception near the visitors’ sideline. Johnson got back up and returned the ball to the Packers’ 33. The interception set up a Greg Zuerlein 42-yard field goal to cut the Packers’ lead to just four points. The 14-10 score held through halftime.
It didn’t take long for Green Bay to get back on the board in the second half. On its first drive, Rodgers connected with wide receiver James Jones over the middle of the field. The wideout evaded a potential tackle from Lamarcus Joyner and scampered all the way into the end zone for a 65-yard touchdown reception. Safety Rodney McLeod appeared to tackle Jones at the 1-yard line, but the play was overturned on a challenge by Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
The Rams had another scoring opportunity in the third quarter, set up by a fake punt by Johnny Hekker. The play initially looked well covered, but Hekker rolled to his right and then floated a pass over the middle to safety Cody Davis who came up with it for a first down in Green Bay territory. But the Packers got a hand on Zuerlein’s 50-yard field goal attempt, and the ball was short.
Robert Quinn picked up a sack/fumble in the third quarter with Joyner recovering for the Rams’ third turnover of the day. The offense started at the Green Bay 41, but Zuerlein’s 53-yard field goal went wide left.
In the fourth quarter, Gurley broke off a 55-yard run to start a drive, and Austin followed suit with a 15-yard end around. But Foles’ third interception of the game ended the scoring threat. On 3rd-and-goal from the seven, Foles attempted to squeeze one in to Lance Kendricks in the end zone. The pass was tipped up and into the hands of Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, who secured the ball for a touchback.
Mason Crosby later added a 35-yard field goal to close the scoring.
A 68-yard reception by Stedman Bailey once again put the Rams in the red zone, but Foles’ fourth interception of the day capped a tough day for the quarterback.
October 11, 2015 at 10:36 pm #32177znModeratorRams’ offense fails to capitalize on another strong defensive effort
Nick Wagoner
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The St. Louis Rams’ defense did what had never been done to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field, forcing him to commit three turnovers.
But the offense couldn’t do what it did just a week ago: turn those takeaways into points. Making matters worse, the offense matched the Packers turnover for turnover (plus one) as quarterback Nick Foles threw four interceptions, including one in the end zone after a late drive had them in position to make it a one-score game.
The inability to convert, along with the giveaways, left the Rams with a 24-10 loss to the Packers.
In the Rams’ 24-22 upset win against Arizona in Week 4, they had three takeaways — which they converted into 17 points — and no turnovers of their own. It was the right formula against a high-powered offense.
Facing a similarly high-octane offense, the Rams’ defense again came up with several big plays to give the offense a chance. For the first time in his career, Rodgers committed three turnovers at home, throwing two interceptions and coughing up a fumble.
The Rams’ offense again simply couldn’t find any consistency, squandering Todd Gurley’s 30-carry, 159-yard day. Another rough outing from the offensive line, especially in pass protection, led to some poor decisions and throws by Foles. Even when Foles was on target, he didn’t get much help from his receivers, who yet again struggled with drops. Things were so bad in the passing game that safety Cody Davis was third on the team in receiving yards (20) after making a grab on a fake punt.
Until the offense can regularly put together drives, strong defensive efforts will continue to go by the wayside.
What it means: The Rams enter the bye week at 2-3 or worse for the third consecutive year. If you believe in historical trends, that’s an ominous sign. The last time the Rams went to the postseason after a 2-3 or worse start was 1952. The schedule lightens a bit after the bye, but the Rams have yet to prove that anything will come easily.
What were they thinking? After all their talk about preparing to handle the small details this week with the music and the air horns, the Rams had an excess of silly pre-snap penalties. They finished with a combined eight penalties for delay of game, false start and offside. The Rams also burned two timeouts just before another pair of delay penalties.
One reason to get excited: The Rams slowly worked Gurley into the mix in his first game against Pittsburgh and ramped it up last week against Arizona. Any remaining caution about his workload vanished Sunday. The rookie running back clearly was the centerpiece of the offense.
One reason to panic: Five games into the season, the offensive line continues to struggle mightily for large chunks of time. The pass protection for most of the game was nowhere to be found and the run blocking was inconsistent.
Fantasy watch: Wide receiver Tavon Austin scored just three touchdowns in 2014 — none of them on receptions (two rushing, one punt return). But he scored the Rams’ lone touchdown against the Packers and now has three in the past two weeks and five in five games. The yards weren’t nearly as abundant as last week, but Austin is starting to find the end zone on a regular basis.
Ouch: It was a rough first half for the Rams on the injury front as they lost right guard Rodger Saffold (shoulder), end Chris Long (right knee) and receiver Kenny Britt (shoulder) in the span of about a quarter. Britt returned to the game; Long and Saffold did not. The Rams have a bye week next week, which buys the trio some time to get healthy.
October 11, 2015 at 10:38 pm #32178znModeratorRams’ hopes picked off by Packers
Jim ThomasGREEN BAY, Wis. • Three takeaways by the St. Louis defense, including two interceptions of the guy who never throws interceptions, Aaron Rodgers.
Now toss into the mix a 159-yard rushing performance by rookie phenom Todd Gurley. That’s a victory equation on just about any given Sunday for the visiting team at Lambeau Field.
“You’d think with stats like that, you’d win a game,” defensive end Robert Quinn said.
Not this time.
That’s because the Rams couldn’t pass block, not consistently enough anyway to keep quarterback Nick Foles in any kind of comfort zone in the pocket. And Foles couldn’t throw straight. His favorite targets on a sun-splashed October afternoon were Green Bay defenders.
He threw a career-high four interceptions, one of which was returned for a Green Bay touchdown.
A busted coverage by cornerback Trumaine Johnson resulted in one Rodgers TD pass to a wide-open receiver; a play in which nickel back Lamarcus Joyner stumbled and fell in coverage, resulted in another long scoring play.
Put it all together and it spelled a 24-10 victory for unbeaten Green Bay (5-0), and another frustrating defeat for a Rams team that enters its bye week at 2-3.
“It’s a tough day. We gave ourselves chances time and time again,” said Robert Quinn, who caused one of those Rodgers turnovers with a sack and forced fumble. “They’ve got (No.) 12 over there (Rodgers), who made some great plays. And their defense made some incredible plays, also.”
The game couldn’t have started worse for the Rams, who couldn’t run early and couldn’t pass protect. And on the other side of the ball, they gave the great Rodgers a free seven points to start things off.
On Green Bay’s sixth play of the game, Rodgers completed his first pass of the day to a wide open Ty Montgomery over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown. Johnson got caught up in coverage near the line of scrimmage, in a grouping of players that included safety T.J. McDonald and two Green Bay receivers. In any event, Montgomery broke free past that group for an easy TD and a 7-0 lead.
It became 14-0 Packers near the end of the first quarter when cornerback Quinten Rollins stepped in front of an errant pass thrown by a scrambling Foles and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.
“I’ve got to make better decisions to give my teammates the opportunity to make the play,” Foles said, speaking of all four interceptions in general. “I didn’t do that during those throws.”
Foles was under pressure on Rollins’ “pick 6,” and he was under pressure much of the day by a Green Bay pass rush that entered the game with 17 sacks, tied for second-most in the league with the Rams.
Be it Rob Havenstein, Rodger Saffold, Tim Barnes, or Greg Robinson, Rams offensive linemen took turns letting pass-rushers through on Foles. Making matters worse for the Rams on the Rollins “pick 6” was that Saffold suffered a shoulder injury on the play and was done for the day.
“You can’t turn it over four times, especially turn it over to (Rodgers) like we did,” Fisher said. “Yes, we have a run game going and our defense played OK, but no, our defense gave up two touchdown passes, so that’s not OK by me.
“Just disappointed we couldn’t stay in it. We missed three field goals for whatever reason. You’re down 21-10 and you miss three field goals. . . .The odds of pulling a game out like that aren’t very good.”
After making his seventh consecutive field goal of the season in the second quarter, kicker Greg Zuerlein had a 50-yard field goal blocked with 4 minutes 15 seconds to play in the third quarter. He had a 53-yarder sail wide left later in the quarter, and a 63-yarder — yes, a 63-yard attempt — go wide left in the fourth.
The Rams failed to take advantage of opportunities throughout the game. Their three takeaways, for example, resulted in only three points.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis ended Rodgers’ amazing streak of passes without an interception at 586 when he grabbed a ball tipped by safety Mark Barron. The Rams took over at their 43 with 4:07 left in the first quarter, but three plays later Green Bay had the ball back when Micah Hyde picked off a high Foles pass intended for Kenny Britt.
There was no harm done, however, because Green Bay went for it on fourth-and-1 from the St. Louis 41 with McDonald tripping up running back Eddie Lacy for no gain. But four plays after that defensive stop, Rollins had his INT return for a touchdown against Foles, with 53 seconds left in the opening quarter.
The Rams regrouped, mounting an 80-yard drive culminating in a five-yard TD pass from Foles to Tavon Austin, and then the Zuerlein field goal following a diving interception by Johnson.
The first seven plays on the 80-yard TD drive were runs, with six of those runs by Gurley, who had 17 carries by halftime and 30 in the game. But the big play was a 32-yard pass interference call against Packers free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who grabbed tight end Jared Cook’s jersey in coverage.
Green Bay led 14-10 at the half, but restored its lead to double digits four plays into the third quarter when Rodgers connected over the middle to James Jones. Joyner, going for the interception, lost his feet on the play. Otherwise he might have made the tackle after a relatively modest gain.
But with Joyner on the ground, Jones rambled 64 yards before safety Rodney McLeod ran him down inside the 1. Green Bay challenged the play via instant replay, and the call was reversed, giving Jones a 65-yard TD and the Packers a 21-10 lead.
From that point out, five of the Rams’ final six possessions reached Green Bay territory. In fact, two reached the Green Bay 7. But the Rams had zero points to show for all that — as a result of the three missed field goals and two red zone interceptions thrown by Foles.
Wasted on those red zone “picks” were a 55-yard run by Gurley early in the fourth quarter, and a 68-yard reception by Stedman Bailey later in the quarter.
“You look at it, what you could’ve done, the decision-making with the ball — stuff like that and you move forward,” Foles said. “This is the tough part of the business, but I’m thankful to be in this position where I play, and you have to handle the good with the bad. I didn’t play well today, didn’t give us the opportunity to win, and that’s on me.”
October 12, 2015 at 1:55 am #32189znModeratorGordon: Gurley makes Rams dangerous
Jeff Gordon
GREEN BAY, WIS. • This may see like an odd time to bring it up, but here goes: The Rams are more formidable now and running back Todd Gurley makes it so.
They carry a 2-3 record into their bye week after falling to the unbeaten Packers 24-10 Sunday afternoon. But, as coach Jeff Fisher noted after the game, “We’re 1-1 since Todd got his opportunity.”
And since that 1-1 came on the road against the NFC’s top two teams, the Rams can live with that split heading into their much-needed schedule break.
Gurley rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries against the Packers. He repeatedly pounded the ball into scoring range, most notably with a 55-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like we did a great job today,” Gurley said. “We were definitely on the field a lot more than last week, but we need to be more consistent and finish by putting some points on the board.”
He has gained 305 yards on 49 carries in his first two NFL starts after recovering from major knee surgery. His development completes the Rams’ transformation from bullied weakling into respected mouth-smashers.
Along with the playmaking Rams defense — which forced three Aaron Rogers turnovers, an unheard total at Lambeau Field — Gurley will make the Rams dangerous in their final 11 games if he stays healthy.
“We’re running the football right now, so the formula is there,” Fisher said. “We just have to keep improving.”
Sunday’s loss was no shocker. This has been a “L” on their schedule since the NFL posted it. The Packers carried an 11-game home winning streak into this game, playoffs included. Their explosive offense scored 383 points during their last 10 home games.
Rodgers earned a 100-plus rating in 10 straight regular season home games. He had thrown 586 consecutive passes at Lambeau without an interception, playoffs included, and completed 49 TD passes during that span.
But the aggressive Rams defense and their persistent ground game turned this game competitive. Gurley helped the Rams maintain ball control and sustain drives despite the epic collapse of their passing game.
Quarterback Nick Foles threw four interceptions, including one resulting in a Packers touchdown, one in the Green Bay end zone and one at the Packers 7-yard line.
He suffered three sacks and absorbed 12 hits, according to the press box statistics. He also fumbled once (recovered by the Rams) and threw away several passes under duress.
And when he did have time to throw, he didn’t see much separation from his targets. Foles completed just 11 of 30 passes for 141 yards, with 68 yards coming on a garbage time bomb to Stedman Bailey.
This aerial futility turned the Rams into a one-dimensional offense, yet Gurley still made some headway against a stout defense expecting him to get the ball on every play.
“In the second half he broke out and got one big run that boosted his stats up,” Packers linebacker Julius Peppers said. “But like I said, he grinded today, did a good job.”
The 30 carries impressed Packers coach Mike McCarthy as much as the 159 yards. That explained how the Rams controlled the ball for 34 minutes without a viable passing attack.
“That tells the story more than anything,” McCarthy said. “I thought he did a heck of a job. They had the big run there, but 30 touches, that says a lot.”
Yes, the young offensive linemen remain a concern. Rodger Saffold’s latest shoulder injury makes them even more vulnerable to elite defenses. The aggressive Packers kept their heads spinning with assorted shifts, stunts, twists and blitzes.
Yes, Foles must regroup during the bye week and refocus on ball security. When the walls close in, he must discard the ball safely and not create such hazardous offensive waste. The most effective Rams passer Sunday was punter Johnny Hekker, who scrambled and found a secondary target while completing a 20-yard fake punt throw.
Yes, injuries are becoming a concern. The Rams really missed outside linebacker Alec Ogletree (broken leg bone) in this game, and the losses of Saffold and defensive end Chris Long (knee injury) are worrisome.
Yes, place kicker Greg Zuerlein must earn back his “Legatron” designation. His 50-yard field goal attempt was tipped, and he missed wide from 53 and 63 yards out. A team built on defense and power running must cash in those long kicks.
Yes, the defense must prevent the huge, game-changing plays. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson lost coverage on Rodgers’ 31-yard touchdown pass to Ty Montgomery and Lamarcus Joyner stumbled on James Jones’ 65-yard TD reception. Such lapses offset all the terrific defensive plays the Rams made to force turnovers and earn critical stops.
There is still plenty of work to do, starting in about two weeks against the Cleveland Browns at home. But Gurley makes things different. He just does.
There aren’t many running backs of his caliber in the NFL. He is a quantum leap forward from Tre Mason, Zac Stacy and the twilight era Steven Jackson.
“These guys believe in me,” Gurley said. “We’re running the ball. We’re doing a great job. We have to put stuff together and finish.”
Gurley’s ability to turn nothing plays into something creates more favorable down-and-distance situations. As the Rams showed last week while winning at Arizona, that can makes a huge difference.
“Once he hits that hole, he’s hitting it,” Foles said. “That is going to open up a lot of things.
“A lot of good things will happen going forward. We’ll keep working to be a complete offense. Our running game, that’s the start of it. You have a great running game in the NFL because the clock keeps moving and it wears down the defense. We’ll build off that for sure.”
October 12, 2015 at 1:56 am #32190znModeratorTodd Gurley up, Nick Foles, Jeff Fisher down for Rams
Nick Wagoner
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
UP
RB Todd Gurley: He didn’t get a whole lot of help, but Gurley continued to find small creases in the defense and find a way to fall forward for extra yards on almost every carry. He also got a full workload, carrying a career-high 30 times for 159 yards. It wasn’t pretty, but he was about all the Rams had offensively in this one.
CB Trumaine Johnson: Although he busted a coverage for a Green Bay touchdown early in the game, Johnson provided another highlight-reel interception to make up for it, picking off quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a diving play in the first half. He added five tackles and a pass defensed as Rodgers managed 241 passing yards, 65 of which came on one play that wasn’t at Johnson’s expense.
DOWN
LT Greg Robinson: It was an ugly day all the way around for the offensive line, but Robinson seemed to have the biggest issues. Robinson clearly has the physical tools to be a good left tackle in this league, but picking up blitzes, stunts and the mental aspects of the position has been too slow going in his first two years. Simply put, the Rams need more from the 2014 No. 2 overall pick.
QB Nick Foles: To be fair, Foles was under pressure a lot behind that once-again leaky offensive line. But Foles has showed the ability to stand in the pocket and deliver in the face of pressure multiple times this season and appeared more panicked on Sunday. Perhaps the early hit in which Clay Matthews appeared to lead with the crown of his helmet left Foles a bit gun-shy. His four interceptions more than nullified the three takeaways the defense provided.
Head coach Jeff Fisher: Heading into the bye week, the Rams are 2-3 with a defense that looks playoff-ready and an offense lagging far behind. It’s a formula that anyone paying attention could have predicted. That’s the problem. Fisher and the Rams waited four years to commit to an offensive identity and did so with an inexperienced and unproven offensive line. Gurley gives them hope and things could still come together in the final 11 games, but it’s also possible that by the time they do, it will be too little, too late.
October 12, 2015 at 2:49 am #32192znModeratorRams Offense Trashes a Chance to Win in Green Bay
Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/11/rams-offense-trashes-a-chance-to-win-in-green-bay/
Really, the Rams defense did about as well as anyone could have realistically hoped for. It obviously wasn’t a perfect performance — Gregg Williams’ unit didn’t pitch a shut out — but consider the mission at hand Sunday. Go into Green Bay, where the Packers rarely lose, and put the clampdown on prolific quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
With Rodgers as their starter in regular-season games, the Packers are 45-9 at Lambeau Field and average 31.6 points per game. They’ve been even more unstoppable since Rodgers got his first season as the starter (2008) out of the way. In his last 42 regular-season home starts Rodgers is 39-3, his offense has averaged 33 .3 points, and he has a passer rating of 116.5. No NFL quarterback — not even Tom Brady in New England — has been more unstoppable at home since the start of the ’09 season.
The Williams defense put up considerable resistance on Sunday, slowing and disrupting Rodgers in a way that few visiting teams have in recent years. The Rams took the ball away from Rodgers three times, with two interceptions and a fumble. Before Sunday, since replacing Brett Favre at the outset of 2008, Rodgers had never lost three turnovers in a regular-season home game.
We’re talking about a QB who, in his previous 16 home games, had zipped 44 touchdown passes with zero interceptions. Rodgers finished Sunday’s game with an 82.8 passer rating, his third-worst figure in a regular-season game at Lambeau. The Packers converted only four of 13 third downs, were suppressed on the ground (86 yards rushing) and scored on only three possessions.
By giving up only 17 points to the GB offense, the Rams defense certainly did its share to steal a win in the the NFL’s most venerated venue. The 24-10 loss to the Packers can be put at the feet of the Rams offensive line, at the right leg of kicker Greg Zuerlein, and on the right arm of QB Nick Foles. We could also put some blame in the hands of Rams’ receivers … but hell, they’d end up dropping it. The usual foolish pre-snap penalties were an issue again. And as is the case most of the time, the coaching on the Rams’ offensive side was puzzling.
Zuerlein missed three field goals; one was blocked when Jason Smith — uh, I mean, Greg Robinson — whiffed on impeding his man inside. Foles was sacked three times, but that was just a partial accounting of the punishment he absorbed behind a line that crumbled more easily than the award-winning Wisconsin Blue Montford cheese.
You would need HBO’s boxing crew to keep score on all of the punch-stat damage done to Foles; unofficially he took 12 pass-rush hits in addition to the three sacks. Robinson had a horrible game at left tackle. When is this guy going to play to the anticipated level of the second overall pick in the 2014 draft? And I don’t want to hear about the O-line’s inexperience. This collection of talent was scouted and procured by GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher. This is what they wanted.
Foles completed 11 of 30 passes and hanging four interceptions and held up about as well as Jaime Garcia in NLDS Game 2. Foles’ passer rating (23.8) was the fifth-worst by a Rams quarterback in a single game (minimum 20 passing attempts) since the franchise moved to STL in 1995. Now Foles stands in a five-QB group photo that includes Chris Miller, Tony Banks, and Marc Bulger — the only four Rams’ quarterbacks to have a poorer passer rating in a game. (Banks had two of the four worst games.) Let’s hope Foles has a happier ending than those fellows. Foles had one triumph Sunday: he walked out of Lambeau on his own power, with no gurney required to wheel him to the team bus.
As for the coaching: where were the quick routes, the checkdowns, the outlet passes? Remember how an under-fire Foles flipped the ball to running back Benny Cunningham to escape sacks and harm in the season-opening win over Seattle? Hello? Did offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and his aides forget to watch the DVD of that Seahawks’ game? Or was Foles too disoriented to spot his hot-read receivers or safe-outlet targets?
The plan with the passing offense seemingly ignored a predictable reality: Green Bay would be unleashing the hounds, determined to bark and snap their way past the overwhelmed Rams’ line to maul Foles. This group — assistant coaches and linemen — inexplicably declined to account for Green Bay pass rusher Clay Matthews, who has 65.5 sacks and 139 QB hits in his 90-game NFL career. The lax protection and the inability to make effective adjustments was appalling and incompetent.
The Rams offense was basically a +3 on Sunday; the unit scored only 10 points but gave up seven back on Foles’ wildly undisciplined, back-foot, pick-six INT for a touchdown. The Rams couldn’t take advantage of the three GB turnovers, managing to cash in for one field goal. The other two takeaways were squandered by a Foles interception and a Zuerlein miss.
The Rams were inside Green Bay territory eight times Sunday — including seven times in their final eight possessions — and came away with a lot more frustration and futility than points.
Since Fisher became Rams coach in 2012, NFL teams have scored an average of 23 points per game.The Rams have been held under 23 points in 40 percent of Coach Fisher’s 53 games.
We’re not asking for the “Greatest Show on Turf II” here. If the Rams could merely put a league-average offense on the field with higher frequency, their record would be dramatically better.
Here’s why I say that:When the Fisher-coached Rams score 23+ points in a game, they’re 15-6-1.
When they fail to reach 23 points in a contest, the record is 7-24.
The Rams just finished a three-game stretch against Pittsburgh, Arizona and Green Bay. Their defense had to play very well to give the team a chance to win — and did exactly that for the most part. They limited three productive offensives to an average of 17 points per game, forced seven turnovers, bagged 11 sacks, limited quarterbacks to an 85.5 rating, and made 24 stops on 36 third-down plays. But with the misfiring Rams offense flopping around, the team lost two of three winnable contests,
Staging an upset win in Green Bay was a long shot for the Rams, but they had much of the defensive formula in place to pull it off.
Since the start of the 2009 season, when Rodgers starts at home, the Packers are 9-4 when scoring 24 points or fewer in a game. That’s a good record — but the Packers are certainly more beatable when putting up no more than 24 points via offense, defensive return, or special teams. And when Rodgers has a passer rating under 90, the Packers are 6-2. Again, a good record — but short of invincible.
While imperfect, the Rams defense did enough Sunday to make a victory possible at Lambeau.
The sensational Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley (159 yards rushing) added the sizzle to make a victory possible.
The problem: the Rams’ horrendous passing game, turnstile offensive line and the unreliable field-goal unit made victory impossible.The Rams are 2-3 through five games, and now drift into the bye week knowing they should be taking a winning record into vacation. Foles could use a break — it will prevent him from being broken. Perhaps the offensive line should attend a special mini-camp instead.
October 12, 2015 at 2:52 am #32193znModeratorRams notebook: Big plays sink Rams secondary
Jim Thomas
GREEN BAY, WIS. • Trumaine Johnson made no excuses for a 31-yard touchdown pass he allowed in the first quarter. Neither did fellow cornerback Lamarcus Joyner on a 65-yard TD pass he allowed in third.
“Those two explosive plays, that’s 14 points,” Johnson said following the Rams’ 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. “Take those away, it’s a different outcome.”
Johnson was victimized on quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ first completion of the day, on Green Bay’s first offensive series of the day. On the play, Green Bay lined up two receivers next to each other on the right, with Johnson and safety T.J. McDonald lining up opposite in tight coverage.
But Johnson got hung up in that cluster of players once the ball was snapped. Green Bay wide receiver Ty Montgomery escaped into the clear over the middle and was wide open for the TD.
“Busted coverage,” Johnson said. “Technique error. I should’ve stayed inside. I let that get away from me. I take fully 100 percent of it. That was my man and I let him score.”
That gave Green Bay a 7-0 lead with 12 minutes, 9 seconds left in the opening quarter. At the start of the third quarter, Green Bay was up 14-10 before Jones got loose for what was the Packers’ longest pass play of the season.
Jones’ route took him over the middle; Joyner lost his footing and fell attempting to intercept the pass. Once that happened and Jones made the catch, it was a footrace to the end zone between Jones and safety Rodney McLeod. Originally, referee Brad Allen’s crew ruled that McLeod had dropped Jones just short of the end zone.
Green Bay challenged the ruling, and after a replay review the call was reversed, giving the Packers a touchdown and a 21-10 lead just 2 minutes, 19 seconds into the second half.
“I tried to make a play on the ball,” Joyner said. “You’ve got a guy like Aaron Rodgers, who’s probably the No. 1 quarterback in this league. He made a tightrope throw, guy made a great catch, and there you go. Can’t make a mistake like that against a good team.”
RODGERS’ STREAK ENDS
Rodgers’ amazing home streak of regular-season and postseason passes without an interception ended at 586 passes Sunday. On third-and-2 from the St. Louis 42 with 4:07 left in the first quarter, safety Mark Barron tipped a Rodgers pass intended for tight end Richard Rodgers.
Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis grabbed the ball before it hit the ground for his 10th career interception.
Late in the second quarter, the Rams did it again when Johnson made a diving interception of a short sideline throw intended for Jones.
“Hitch route. I was reading the quarterback the whole time and was glad I was able to make a play,” Johnson said.
It was Johnson’s 10th career INT as well.
Green Bay had committed only one turnover all season before Sunday, but the Rams got a third takeaway late in the third quarter when defensive end Robert Quinn’s sack and forced fumble against Rodgers was recovered by Joyner.
INJURY UPDATE
The Rams lost right guard Rodger Saffold to a shoulder injury late in the first quarter, on the same play in which Packers cornerback Quentin Rollins returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, on the play in which Johnson grabbed his interception, defensive end Chris Long left with a knee injury. Neither player returned and coach Jeff Fisher said he had no details on either injury after the game.Wide receiver Kenny Britt left with a shoulder injury with 1:50 left in the first half but returned.
LINEUP CHANGES
Running back Chase Reynolds and defensive Eugene Sims were back on the field for the Rams after both players missed three games with knee injuries suffered in the season opener against Seattle.
But linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar did not dress after re-signing with the team Tuesday. Joining Dunbar on the pregame inactive list were QB Sean Mannion, S Maurice Alexander (groin), LB Alec Ogletree (knee), OT Darrell Williams, OG Cody Wichmann and DE Eugene Westbrooks
October 12, 2015 at 9:28 am #32201
canadaramParticipantRams Conservative Plan Limits Packers Offense
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This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by
canadaram.
October 12, 2015 at 10:30 am #32207
AgamemnonParticipantRams Conservative Plan Limits Packers Offense
They didn’t blitz as much, but they played tighter coverage. imo
AgamemnonOctober 12, 2015 at 6:19 pm #32257znModerator
Ten Takeaways from the Rams’ 24-10 Loss at Green BayRandy Karraker
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/12/ten-takeaways-from-the-rams-24-10-loss-at-green-bay/
A weekend bereft of wins for St. Louis sports fans provided few positives. The Cardinals didn’t get the expected performance from Jaime Garcia and their defense in a Saturday loss to the Cubs, Drew Lock was proven to be an eighteen year old human in Mizzou’s loss to Florida, and the Blues couldn’t get the equalizer against the Wild.
nick foles-2Foles threw four interceptions in the Rams’ loss at Green Bay.
Even though the Rams lost to the Packers, it wasn’t all bad. Here are ten takeaways…
1) This was not a bad loss. The Packers have now won their last twelve home games, and in their last ten regular season home games before Sunday had averaged 38.3 points per game. For the Rams to go to Lambeau and have a chance in the fourth quarter is actually an accomplishment.
2) We wondered when the Rams acquired Nick Foles whether he was the 27 touchdown, two interception quarterback of 2013, or the thirteen TD, ten interception thrower of last season. So far, it appears to be the latter.
With his TD pass and four interceptions (two inside the Packer ten yard line), Foles has six TD’s and five picks. Granted, he was under duress, but you just can’t throw the ball to the other team. And when you get to the red zone, as a quarterback you have to give your team a chance to score points. The two red zone picks didn’t give the kicking game a chance.
3) Todd Gurley looks like a potential star, with 305 yards in his first two NFL starts. I do wonder if, coming off an ACL injury, he can carry the burden of thirty carries a game. He had thirty on Sunday, and had 21 touches against Arizona. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a workload the Rams give him after the bye.
4) The offensive line is the opening big enough holes for Gurley, but the Packers were all over Foles in the passing game. Of course, Green Bay came into the game leading the league in sacks per pass attempt. No pressure, but this group must get better in a hurry. It will help that the Rams next four opponents; Cleveland, San Francisco, Chicago and Minnesota are in the bottom half of the league rankings in sacks.
5) Over the long haul, the Rams need a healthy Chris Long on their line. He makes everyone better, and is a spiritual leader of the entire defense. He suffered a second quarter knee injury and didn’t return. Hopefully this injury won’t be one that knocks him out for the Cleveland game. With Alec Ogletree already out, this defense can’t afford to lose any more starters.
6) Speaking of Ogletree, he was averaging about eleven tackles per game over the last three games before breaking his leg. The outside linebacker position didn’t pick up for him, with Akeem Ayers failing to register a tackle according to press box stats, and Mark Barron tallying five. But Lamarcus Joyner had seven tackles and T.J. McDonald had six, so the safeties coming up and making plays made up somewhat for the loss of the Rams leading tackler.
james laurinaitis-3Laurinaitis’ interception ended Rodgers’ streak of 492 regular-season passes without an interception.
7) Both interceptions of Aaron Rodgers…his first at home since December 2, 2012, a span of 492 passes…were great plays. James Laurinaitis was exceptionally alert and caught Barron’s tip for the first pick, and then Trumaine Johnson made a great play for the second. Johnson has developed outstanding anticipation to go with technique and athletic ability. He’s turned the corner and looks like a premier corner in the league.
8) Greg Zuerlein missed three field goals, a 50 yarder that was blocked, the other two from 53 and 63 yards. It’s hard to blame the kicker when that happens. Granted, we’d like to have those nine points, but with a wind blowing on the field at Lambeau, it’s hard to expect Zuerlein to hit from that distance.
9) Once again, the defense was good enough. The group allowed Green Bay to score seventeen points. If the defense allows just two touchdowns and a field goal in Green Bay, you have to feel good about it. I would guess Jeff Fisher and his staff thought they’d need at least 25 to win this game, and as previously mentioned they couldn’t convert.
If Foles doesn’t throw the pick-six and is able to complete one touchdown pass inside the ten, it’s a tie game. The Packers had 322 yards, were 4-of-13 on third down (31%) and had one trip into the red zone, which was unsuccessful. That’s great Rams defense.
10) After a bye week that gives the offensive line more of a chance to mesh, the schedule opens up a bit. Keep in mind that the Rams flip-flopped guards Jamon Brown and Rodger Saffold just before the last pre-season game, so those two don’t have a ton of time at their spots and with their partners at tackle. The next five games, against Cleveland, San Francisco, at Minnesota, Chicago and at Baltimore are all very winnable games. Especially with the ascent of Gurley and the effectiveness of the Rams defense, if they don’t turn the ball over, they can beat a lot of teams. They’ve nearly reached the point that if Gurley is what we think he is, the Rams can only beat themselves.
October 12, 2015 at 6:58 pm #32263
InvaderRamModerator2) We wondered when the Rams acquired Nick Foles whether he was the 27 touchdown, two interception quarterback of 2013, or the thirteen TD, ten interception thrower of last season. So far, it appears to be the latter.
With his TD pass and four interceptions (two inside the Packer ten yard line), Foles has six TD’s and five picks. Granted, he was under duress, but you just can’t throw the ball to the other team. And when you get to the red zone, as a quarterback you have to give your team a chance to score points. The two red zone picks didn’t give the kicking game a chance.
i think he’ll end up being somewhere in between.
3) Todd Gurley looks like a potential star, with 305 yards in his first two NFL starts. I do wonder if, coming off an ACL injury, he can carry the burden of thirty carries a game. He had thirty on Sunday, and had 21 touches against Arizona. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a workload the Rams give him after the bye.
i don’t think any running back period could handle that kind of a workload. i’d venture to guess that no one in the history of this game has ever had to shoulder 30 carries a game. and even 25 carries a game is way too much. most running backs completely break down after a 400 carry season. at the very most you want 22 carries. and in this situation having mason. you have the luxury of getting that number down to 18-19 carries. that would put him at about 300 for a 16 game season. that’s what they need to be shooting for.
October 12, 2015 at 7:05 pm #32264znModeratori don’t think any running back period could handle that kind of a workload. i’d venture to guess that no one in the history of this game has ever had to shoulder 30 carries a game.
If it’s any consolation Fisher did say this
@nwagoner
On Todd Gurley’s workload, Fisher said he didn’t plan for 30 carries for Gurley and acknowledged that’s not sustainable moving forward.
October 12, 2015 at 9:08 pm #32279znModeratorRams sustained drives, but turnovers did them in against Packers
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra…ves-but-turnovers-did-them-in-against-packers
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at how the St. Louis Rams fared in three key areas of Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
1. The best defense … : One way to slow Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is to keep him on the sideline. The Rams’ offense did its best job this season in sustaining drives and actually winning time of possession by a comfortable margin.
Nick Foles’ four interceptions killed the momentum built by the Rams’ ground game.
Most of that can be attributed to running back Todd Gurley’s 30 carries for 159 yards as the Rams finished with a time of possession of 33:43 to Green Bay’s 26:17. The Rams even had their first two drives of more than five minutes on the season.All good signs, right? Well, yeah if those longer drives are ending in points. The Rams had four drives end with turnovers and three more that finished with missed field goals. The idea of a long, sustained drive is that, at worst, it puts the offense in position to score some points. The Rams did the first but the second wasn’t frequent enough.
2. Staying disciplined: The Rams and Packers both had some issues with their communication devices which helped lead to delay-of-game penalties on both sides. The Rams had three, though one was of their own choosing before a punt, and they had to burn two timeouts to avoid another couple of flags. Overall, the Rams had six offsides, delay-of-game or false-start penalties. They were even offsides on a kickoff.
On the bright side, they let Rodgers draw them offsides only twice, once on a running play in which it was close enough that Rodgers couldn’t switch it to throw deep and another time when the Rams played through to force the officials to blow it dead. So Rodgers was unable to add to his list of victims who bite on his cadence to set up big plays down the field. Still, the Rams finished with eight penalties, all of the 5-yard, mostly avoidable variety.
3. Takeaway time: I thought it was asking too much of the Rams’ defense to come up with three takeaways against the Packers, considering that Green Bay entered the game with just one giveaway. It wasn’t.
The Rams defense did more than you could have asked, forcing Rodgers into three turnovers, the first time he ever has done that at Lambeau Field. So looking through this list, the Rams checked each box as a positive until this one. The problem? The Rams couldn’t afford to nullify their takeaways by giving the ball right back. Quarterback Nick Foles, under pressure for most of the day, threw four interceptions, and the Rams simply couldn’t overcome them no matter what the defense was able to do.
October 12, 2015 at 9:54 pm #32280InvaderRamModeratori don’t think any running back period could handle that kind of a workload. i’d venture to guess that no one in the history of this game has ever had to shoulder 30 carries a game.
If it’s any consolation Fisher did say this
@nwagoner
On Todd Gurley’s workload, Fisher said he didn’t plan for 30 carries for Gurley and acknowledged that’s not sustainable moving forward.
i’m sure it wasn’t planned. but that’s why you give mason a set amount of carries a game. gurley then is the variable. now that’s flexible. like for example if the rams are blowing a team out or are getting blown out then mason sees more carries.
but mason getting 2 carries a game is unacceptable to me. not when gurley is less than a year removed. fatigue comes into play when the carries get that high. just concede the loss at that point and think long term.
October 13, 2015 at 1:04 am #32286znModerator
STL-GB Grades: Packers defense smothers Foles, RamsThe top takeaways and highest-graded players from the Packers’ 24-10 win over the Rams.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/10/12/stl-gb-grades-packers-defense-smothers-foles-rams/
St. Louis Rams
– DT Aaron Donald (+1.3) has definitely cooled off a bit after what was a ridiculously hot start. While this game was still positively-graded for him, thanks to three QB hurries and three solo stops, it wasn’t quite like some of his last few games. The Packers really schemed around him this week, double-teaming him seemingly every play, and running away from him every chance they could. They did a very good job of limiting the damage he could cause, and forcing the rest of the Rams’ defense to try and beat them.
– QB Nick Foles (-8.4) was dreadful this week, posting a -7.0 passing grade along with two delay of game penalties. He struggled under pressure, which is unfortunate since he was under pressure on 61 percent of his dropbacks. There, he went 5-for-17 for 110 yards and two interceptions. On his 13 attempts without pressure, he averaged a miniscule 2.4 yards per attempt, and also threw two interceptions. Even when you take away his throwaways, a spike and a time where he was hit as he threw, he still only completed 45.8% of his passes on the day. On a day where the defense came up big against a strong Packers’ offense, Foles really cost the Rams this game.
– The Rams’ offensive line was not doing Foles or their running game any favors this week. LG Jamon Brown was the worst of the bunch, posting a team-low grade of -8.7. That was thanks in large part to a -5.7 grade against the run. He was constantly beaten by the Packers’ interior defensive line, and rarely won any blocking battles. As a whole, the offensive line allowed three sacks, nine QB hits and nine additional hurries. The lone bright spot was RG Garrett Reynolds, who posted a +2.1 run block grade coming on in relief of injured RG Rodger Saffold (-5.1). Saffold managed to allow a QB hit and three QB hurries despite only being on the field for nine passing plays before being injured.
Top performers:
DE Robert Quinn (+3.1)
S Mark Barron (+2.2)
LB James Laurinaitis (+2.1)
S T.J. McDonald (+1.9)
DE William Hayes (+1.9)
Green Bay Packers– QB Aaron Rodgers (-3.8) had an incredibly uncharacteristic bad game yesterday, posting his lowest passing grade since Week 12 of 2008. It wasn’t a case of too much pressure, as he only felt pressure on 23 percent of his dropbacks, but rather he just simply seemed off. His second interception was a great play by the defender, but a read and a throw Rodgers would love to have back. There was also a two-play sequence in the third quarter which began with Rodgers throwing the ball directly at the hands of a Rams’ defensive lineman, only to see him drop it. The very next play Rodgers held the ball in a bad spot with one hand, and was stripped. This seemed like an anomaly more than any kind of trend, but it was certainly strange to see Rodgers struggle like he did.
– The Packers defense played well, but RE Mike Daniels (+6.4) was on another level for this team. Almost every play, especially in the run game (+4.5 run defense grade), Daniels was getting involved. He made seven tackles, five of them stops, and also had two QB hits and a hurry. A lot of his work in the run game didn’t show up on the stat sheet. He consistently beat his block so quickly that the Rams’ running backs were forced to cut away from their intended hole, and try another non-designed direction. Daniels was the main reason that the Rams (not counting Gurley’s big 55-yard run) averaged only 3.9 yards per carry.
– The duo of Clay Matthews (+3.9) and Julius Peppers (+3.8) were a two-man wrecking crew when it came to rushing the passer in yesterday’s game. They each had identical grades of +4.2 in pass rushing, and together combined for three sacks, six QB hits and four additional hurries. On almost every third down play they were getting some kind of pressure on Rams QB Nick Foles. The Packers also had a nice contribution from LE Letroy Guion (+1.8), who managed one QB hit and two QB hurries on only eight pass rushes. It was a good day for the Packers pass rush, as they totaled four sacks, 13 QB hits and 10 QB hurries.
Top performers:
RE Mike Daniels (+6.4)
ILB Clay Matthews (+3.9)
OLB Julius Peppers (+3.8)
OLB Nick Perry (+2.6)
OLB Mike Neal (+2.3)October 13, 2015 at 1:18 am #32287znModeratorSTL-GB Grades: Packers defense smothers Foles, Rams
The top takeaways and highest-graded players from the Packers’ 24-10 win over the Rams.
On top of it, FOUR Rams managed to make PFF’s “worst players at every position” list for week 5:
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/10/12/worst-players-at-every-position-for-week-5/
Quarterback: Nick Foles, Rams (-8.4)
Foles went 11-for-30 yesterday. That’s a 36.7 percent completion rate, one of the worst you’ll ever see. He only managed 141 yards. He threw four terrible interceptions. Under pressure, he was an abysmal 5-for-17 for 110 yards. It was not an easy day for Foles, and as such, he more than earned a spot on this team.
Fullback: Cory Harkey, Rams (-2.7)
Harkey was struggling at lead blocking for the Rams rushing attack. He was beaten multiple times for tackles, and even more often, was unable to get any movement on Packers defenders. The Rams definitely expected more than what Harkey produced yesterday.
Guards: Jamon Brown, Rams (-8.7) and Jamon Meredith, Titans (-3.7)
Two guards named Jamon on the list? What a nice little coincidence. But there was nothing nice about Brown’s play yesterday. He allowed two QB hits, and two more pressures, but that isn’t even the worst of it. He had a -5.7 run block grade, and was beaten 14 times on running plays. It was a rough day all around for the Rams’ offensive line, and Brown by far had the most issues of the bunch. Meredith actually graded positively in pass blocking, but a -5.1 run block grade really did him in. He was constantly whipped around by that Bills’ interior, and really got nothing going for a run game that struggled.
Punter: Johnny Hekker, Rams
Hekker averaged only 40.3 yards per punt, and one really bad touchback punt. If we were counting his fake punt pass for this, he might not be here.
October 13, 2015 at 8:24 am #32289
DakParticipantI kept hearing that Jamon Brown is doing OK, but not from that grade above. Apparently, he sucks. If Saffold can’t come back, the Rams may have the worst set of guards in the NFL. There’s no way they can overcome that to be a consistent offense. The D will have to win games, and that’s not going to be sustainable, imo.
October 13, 2015 at 9:23 am #32290znModeratorI kept hearing that Jamon Brown is doing OK, but not from that grade above. Apparently, he sucks.
He WAS doing well. Against the Packers, he had a bad game. The way I see it, GB has this cagey old defensive coordinator and a veteran D, plus…and no one before really had this…4 games worth of film on the OL as a group. So this young OL, which was actually doing okay in pass protection till then (and against top defenses too) walks into this buzzsaw designed just for them.
I doubt they have another game this bad again. Not that they won’t struggle some, but they will work on what got exposed against GB.
October 13, 2015 at 9:00 pm #32319znModeratorRating the Packers vs. Rams
Bob McGinn | On the Packers
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/rating-the-packers-vs-rams-b99594632z1-332282942.html
Green Bay — The St. Louis Rams demonstrated Sunday at Lambeau Field that their reputation for fielding one of the NFL’s leading defenses was legitimate.
Equally as impressive, however, was the defense of the Green Bay Packers, which registered three sacks, eight knockdowns and four hurries in a 24-10 victory over the Rams.
“We had too many hits but I’m going to credit their front,” St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said Monday. “Clay (Matthews) is really disruptive regardless of where he comes from. They pressure the back, they pressure the A gap with him, they rush him on the edge.
“Then you’ve got (Julius) Peppers and the rest of that group that can collapse the pocket pretty quickly, especially when it’s hard to hear.”
Here is a rating of the Packers against the Rams, with their 1 to 5 football totals in parentheses:
RECEIVERS (2)Part of the reason the Packers aren’t able to stretch defenses is their tight end. Richard Rodgers (58 of 62 snaps, including 16 in a three-point stance) led the team in receptions (six) and targets (eight) largely because the Rams paid him little heed. If the Packers want him with the ball in the flats or on check-downs, the Rams weren’t concerned. Rodgers never breaks a tackle. He’s 270 pounds, but little bitty defensive backs just chop him down with no problem. When he ran a slant from out wide on third and 3, SS T.J. McDonald stopped him from reaching the marker. On a 10-yard screen pass, Rodgers couldn’t get CB Janoris Jenkins blocked and the gain was wiped out on his illegal-block penalty. Rodgers’ exceptional hands failed him on a dropped 30-yard TD pass. His blocking was uneven, too. Rodgers had to play too much (94%) because rookie Kennard Backman (three) must not be ready. The Packers kept their distance from Jenkins, the Rams’ best cover man. When James Jones (57) or Ty Montgomery (61) was across from Jenkins, Aaron Rodgers ignored them. The Rams loaded the box to stop the run, confident that Jenkins, Johnson and nickel Lamarcus Joyner would prevent separation and that bracket-type coverage would contain Randall Cobb (54). The only way Cobb could get the ball was on short turn-outs. Not one time did the Packers line up Cobb alone to a side. He wasn’t in the backfield, either. The game plan was static, and the results were just as dull. His bum shoulder seems to be affecting Cobb’s normally robust run blocking, too. Montgomery tried a stop-and-go against Jenkins on the second play and was blanketed deep. When Johnson short-circuited on Montgomery’s two-man game with Rodgers, the rookie had a gimme 31-yard TD. Disrespecting Jones’ ability to blow past him, Johnson gambled and won on the interception. Jones came back against Joyner, beating him on a 17-yard turn-in and outracing everyone for the 65-yard TD. Jones juggled that ball, but he still hasn’t dropped one in five games. Jared Abbrederis debuted on the closing kneel-down; Jeff Janis played special teams only. At this point, the Packers seem to have no interest in a four-WR formation.
OFFENSIVE LINE (4½)Josh Sitton solidified his standing as a premier guard by shutting down Aaron Donald, probably the hottest 3-technique in the league. Everyone has the size advantage over Donald. Most guards, however, can’t cope with his sudden take-off, quick hands, underrated strength and all-out style. Sitton is different because he’s smart, patient and agile, besides being massive. At least half of Donald’s 50 snaps were against Sitton. Donald’s lone pressure came against T.J. Lang before he departed with a knee injury on his 24th snap. Donald’s only involvement in a “bad” run came against Josh Walker (32), the replacement for Lang. Don Barclay played right guard in the two-minute drive of six plays at the end of the half, wasn’t sharp after having played mostly tackle for the past two months and gave way to Walker. Once Walker settled down, he belonged. He’s even bigger than Lang, and his aggressive traits serve him well. Corey Linsley slid over to help the guard that was pass blocking Donald. Still, for Walker to escape unscathed in pass pro against Donald was unreal. Linsley took the blame for Robert Quinn’s strip-sack because he snapped the ball prematurely assuming the Rams had jumped when they hadn’t. Nose tackle Michael Brockers’ bull-rush sack was at least partly on Linsley, too. On routes that required at least 2.5 seconds, the Packers often used either Richard Rodgers or Eddie Lacy to smash Quinn in conjunction with David Bakhtiari. It was smart football. Hard to knock Bakhtiari for the strip-sack because the early snap made him late off the ball. Other than that, the talented Quinn beat him for just one-half pressure. Bryan Bulaga returned from a three-game absence (knee) and was top-notch. He caught a break when defensive end Chris Long suffered a hyperextended knee on his 15th snap. Backup William Hayes is starter-caliber, but Bulaga didn’t yield a pressure to either one. The Rams did a lot of two-gapping up front, and the entire unit wasn’t sustaining drive blocks. On five power runs with pulling linemen, the net was just 10 yards.
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QUARTERBACKS (1½)It was almost like Rodgers didn’t trust his offensive line, especially after Lang departed. Some of that is understandable because the Rams raised Cain with previous opponents. Even though the protection was remarkably good, he remained impatient in the pocket. Half the time Rodgers ran, the pocket was firm. Maybe he felt the called route combinations wouldn’t succeed, and his only way to get a receiver open intermediate to deep was on a broken play. This was just his second game (Tampa Bay, 2009) when he turned it over three times. The batted interception was bad luck, but the check-down that nose tackle Nick Fairley dropped was good luck. The pick on the hitch was a mistake and the lost fumble, his first since the Dallas playoff game, was the result of not stepping up and holding the ball low. His delay-of-game penalty off a stoppage was awful. The handoff to James Starks worked for 7 yards and avoided a sack, but that’s a risky play. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams blitzed 41.5% on passes, including 10.9% with six or more. He won many of the plays but Rodgers won the game.
RUNNING BACKS (1½)Part of the bad day running stemmed from Williams’ decision to crowd the box. Still, his nickel package usually had just five “bigs,” with safety Mark Barron playing the other linebacker. The three backs should average more than 2.5 in their 19 carries no matter what the Rams were doing. In 14 touches, Lacy (36) never broke a tackle all day. On fourth and 1, he was cut from the side by a safety (McDonald) and came up a foot short. He also tripped on a promising draw that gained only 3. The difference between Todd Gurley and Lacy was startling. Starks (26) broke one tackle in his eight touches. That came early against Barron on a screen that went for 19. Lacy remains more dependable than Starks in protection and as a receiver. Starks had two drops: a sideline pass that would have converted on third and 4, and another screen. Most passes are an adventure with him.
DEFENSIVE LINE (4)The unit was better rushing the passer than stopping the run. Exhibit A was Datone Jones. In just 22 snaps, almost all coming inside in the dime next to Julius Peppers, he had three knockdowns. He beat right guard Rodger Saffold on two stunts, and on the second Saffold left with what Fisher suggested might be a major shoulder injury. He also beat veteran Garrett Reynolds, the veteran replacement for Saffold. On his few snaps when the Rams ran, Jones did get abused physically. The Packers played a season-high 22 snaps of base, and Mike Daniels (45), Letroy Guion (35), B.J. Raji (26) and Mike Pennel (17) all had impressive moments stuffing blockers and piling up Gurley. They all got steamrolled as well. As the game wore on, left tackle Greg Robinson played like a man among boys, and rookie left guard Jamon Brown moved people, too. With refinement, Robinson might have the dancing-bear feet and aggressive temperament to become the next dominant tackle. Daniels, who posted 2½ hurries, appeared to peek inside and void his gap on Gurley’s 55-yard burst. Raji (groin) departed early in the third quarter after being cut by Reynolds. Muscled up to the max, Guion now epitomizes a “phone booth” player. Blockers tend to fall off him, but his range has lessened. For the second straight week, he risked a taunting penalty with some over-the-top woofing. Maybe someone should calm him down.
LINEBACKERS (4)Matthews (45 inside, 17 outside, nine in “Bear”) played every snap again. At this rate, he’ll be a candidate for defensive player of the year honors. Matthews had 1½ sacks, 1½ knockdowns and one hurry. On his full sack, he stayed in the middle in “Bear” when Nate Palmer moved outside to the line and promptly blitzed the A gap right by Reynolds to demolish luckless Nick Foles in 1.9 seconds. Like everyone else, Matthews paid a physical price getting tagged by Robinson and assorted wham blocks. Palmer (52) probably had his poorest game on an afternoon when the Gurley-led opposition cried out for a swashbuckling middle backer. He was late reacting at times, a step slow and neither physical nor effective getting to the football. Dime backer Joe Thomas (19) positioned himself right in Foles’ throwing lane on third down from the 7. He didn’t make the catch but, on a tip, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix did. Peppers (48) registered 3½ pressures, and two came at Robinson’s expense. In dime, he stunts almost every time, and it has been effective. Mike Neal (45) managed the club’s only tackle for loss when he crashed in to upend Gurley for minus-3 at a key juncture in the third quarter. Before that, he seemed a little overwhelmed by Gurley’s power and burst. When Nick Perry went out with a shoulder injury on his 12th snap, Andy Mulumba (13) joined Jayrone Elliott (24) on the second line. Mulumba showed smarts by widening on motion, putting him in position to corral speedy Tavon Austin for no gain on a third-and-2 jet sweep. Elliott flattened inside twice to drag down Gurley but also was blown up or fooled on a few other plays.
SECONDARY (5)Quinten Rollins made the most of his 16 snaps, picking two passes in zone drops and taking one back for a 45-yard TD. Stedman Bailey, who isn’t a burner at 4.53, sprinted away from Rollins on a slot corner route for 68. Clinton-Dix (71) made a marvelous hustle play chasing down Bailey to save a TD and, possibly, the game. Other than two or three plays, he was outstanding. Micah Hyde (71) again filled in for Morgan Burnett (calf). He was around the ball and tackled well except for his miss on Gurley’s breakaway run that resulted in 39 extra yards. He was right there to nab Foles’ pass when Gurley fell down on a check-down. There’s nothing wrong with Chris Banjo (31) as the No. 3 safety. He really knows the defense, showed off his speed cutting off a promising swing pass to Tre Mason and even nailed a pressure off the edge. Not many people can go stride-for-stride with Austin on a “9” route but Sam Shields (71) did, and with relative ease. He’s playing almost all bump coverage and making exceptional deflections downfield. On the other side, Casey Hayward (59) and nickel back Damarious Randall (33) helped stifle the Rams.
KICKERS (3½)Mason Crosby had a 47-yard FG waved off by penalty. His 35-yarder did count, and his five kickoffs averaged 74.2 yards and 3.40 seconds of hang time. Four were touchbacks. Other than having poor touch on an Aussie punt, Tim Masthay hit the ball better. His four-punt averages were 47.8 (gross), 36.8 (net) and 4.34 (hang time).
SPECIAL TEAMS (3)Peppers has been a kick-blocking threat for years. Datone Jones looks like another. Taking advantage of poor technique by Robinson, he rejected Greg Zuerlein’s 50-yard try. His effort is high on a consistent basis. When Demetri Goodson slipped not once but twice in coverage, punter Johnny Hekker was able to complete a 20-yard over him for a first down. Richard Rodgers’ illegal-hands penalty cost three points. St. Louis started what turned out to be an 80-yard TD drive after Janis botched downing a punt at the 1.
OVERALL (3½) -
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