some tweets … 12/21

DC Wade Phillips asked if he thinks DT Aaron Donald should be defensive player of the year. Responds, “I was thinking more most valuable player.”

— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) December 21, 2017

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Vincent Bonsignore@DailyNewsVinny
Had #Rams scored another TD on Sunday Johnny Hekker would have had to kick the extra point.

Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
McVay says “it sounds like everything went well” with Greg Zuerlein’s surgery. “We’re certainly going to miss Greg, what he’s meant to our football team… Looking forward to him making a speedy recovery and getting back with us.” @CVRamsClub

After the team returned on Sunday, Zuerlein couldn’t drive home. Fassel down his back seat and Zuerlein laid face down in back of his car.

“It was as gritty as an effort as maybe I’ve seen in an NFL game… Usually you save that for offensive linemen or linebackers.” – Fassel

Fassel said Zuerlein had been sore during the season, but “it hadn’t really limited him all eason” until pregame meal on Sunday in Seattle.

“He said, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to walk today.’ I said, ‘Well, how about kicking?’

Coach Bones on the wild 12-kicker workout yesterday to replace Greg Zuerlein: “It was more like the Gong Show than a workout.” @CVRamsClub

Fassell says he went into the workout with a clean slate for all 12 kickers. “We felt that Sam did the best job.”

Alden Gonzalez@Alden_Gonzalez
The Rams’ new kicker, Sam Ficken, was working as a brokerage dealer at Weeden & Co. in Greenwich, Conn., when he got the call to try out and potentially replace Greg Zuerlein. His boss told him he hoped he never saw him again. “I believe in myself, I believe in the work that I’ve put in,” Ficken said. “It was just a matter of time.”

Rams S Cody Davis has been cleared to practice and would be eligible to return off IR for the final week of the regular season. An important depth piece for the Rams, which could allow Lamarcus Joyner to help out at CB now that Kayvon Webster has been lost for the season.

The Rams are now without K Greg Zuerlein, but they are also riding a high coming off Sunday’s blowout of the Seahawks. CB Nickell Robey-Coleman called it “a big statement game for us” that “catapulted us as far as morale to another level.” “At this point,” Robey-Coleman said, “we feel comfortable and confident that we can pretty much match up with anyone across the board.”

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Interesting thing on Sam Ficken. As a senior at Penn State, he missed 5 of 29 field-goal attempts, but 4 of those 5 misses were blocked. Ficken’s only flat-out miss was from 51 yards.

Underrated aspect of Greg Zuerlein’s absence for Rams…76.8% of his kickoffs went for touchbacks this season. Only Graham Gano (83.8) and Harrison Butker (81.5) were higher.

Ryan Kartje@Ryan_Kartje
Zuerlein was just 11 points from the highest-scoring season for a placekicker in NFL history. This is a huge bummer.

Myles Simmons@MylesASimmons
Fassel: “This will be Sam’s first chance, and it’s important. We understand the magnitude of the kicker we picked because of the position we’re in. And we feel confident he’ll do really good.”

Just heard from STs coordinator John Fassel, who said that K Sam Ficken did essentially everything better in the workout on Wednesday. #LARams hosted 12 kickers (two groups of six) on Wed morning to find the best option.

Stephen White@sgw94
Really enjoyed writing this. Aaron Donald does things so quickly at times you won’t even notice what he did unless you slow the down the film.