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August 30, 2015 at 12:39 am #29530
znModeratorReceiver Chris Givens playing like Rams’ best playmaker
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — Here are some highs and lows in terms of individual performances from the St. Louis Rams’ 24-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts:
HIGHS
WR Chris Givens: Some wondered whether Givens would make the roster entering his fourth season but he’s been the team’s most dynamic offensive threat in the preseason games. He added a 44-yard touchdown catch to the 80-yarder he had last week and tossed in another catch to finish with two grabs for 63 yards and the score. At this stage, his spot seems safe.
DT Aaron Donald: Not that his stock could get much higher but Donald was his usual disruptive self against the Colts, including a third-down run stuff that set up Givens’ touchdown after the ensuing punt.
DT Louis Trinca-Pasat: With Nick Fairley sitting out, Trinca-Pasat flashed some ability to get penetration by blowing up a couple of run plays of his own. He had two tackles, including one for loss, on the evening and bolstered his case to stick on the roster.
LOWS
OL Jamon Brown: It’s not that Brown performed poorly but in his first look at left guard (he’d spent all of camp on the right side) but that he suffered an ankle injury on Givens’ touchdown. The Rams are already missing guard Rodger Saffold and can’t afford to lose Brown. On the bright side, the injury didn’t appear serious and Brown probably could have returned.
LB Alec Ogletree: Ogletree was all over the place Saturday night but also seemed a bit out of control on a few occasions. He missed some tackles and picked up a defensive holding penalty that nullified a Janoris Jenkins interception.
The starting offensive line: With or without Brown, the team’s top five didn’t get much push in the run game (2.3 yards per carry), picked up two facemask penalties for 30 yards and allowed a pair of sacks. As expected, still plenty of work to be done here.
August 30, 2015 at 12:39 am #29531znModeratorRams quarterback Nick Foles finds much-needed rhythm against Colts
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles found himself running for his life repeatedly in his one half of play Saturday night. Despite the pressure coming from all angles, Foles found a way to have, by far, his best performance of the preseason as the Rams lost 24-14 against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night.
Foles scrambled his way to 10 completions on 11 tries for 128 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 145.5. All of that came in the face of constant heat from the Colts against a young and inexperienced offensive line that gave up two sacks and a handful of other pressures. It also happened without much help from a run game that mustered just 28 yards on 12 carries with Foles in the game.
“I think we’re improving,” Foles said. “We still have a long ways to go, but I was really proud of the guys. We were moving the ball. We had a couple of good drives. We have to stop getting penalties on ourselves, but I think we’re stepping in the right direction. Like I said, we still have a lot of work to do. We need to put more points on the board and help the defense out. Baby steps right now, but proud of the guys for the effort they’re having and now we get to go out in the second half and win this football game.”
August 30, 2015 at 12:54 am #29532znModeratorJim Thomas @jthom1
Asked around but didn’t get much of an explanation for the busted coverage that led to the 32-yard TD pass to an uncovered Andre Johnson.
Was told it was a coverage that Rams have practiced and used throughout camp, so it shouldn’t be something DBs should get confused
Jeff Fisher said Jamon Brown suffered a “lateral ankle” sprain. (As opposed to a high ankle sprain.) Brown wanted to go back in.
A lateral or “low” ankle sprain usually is a one_ to two-week injury.
Tre Mason told me he just tweaked the hamstring _ it’s the same one that sidelined him earlier in the camp. Said it’s nothing big.
I’ve been to every preseason game since the Rams moved to St. Louis. This was easily the smallest crowd I’ve seen. Maybe 25,000 in house.
Maybe.
Wouldn’t call Foles a scrambler, he admits he’s not fast enough. But was impressed by his escapability and ability to throw on run.
Stop if you’ve heard this before: Fisher said Rams have to get penalties under control: 10 for 83 yards vs. Colts; 29 for 229 this preseason
Tackling was better on defense.
Rams running game still far from where it needs to be. Continuity of the essence now for offensive line
August 30, 2015 at 1:04 am #29534znModeratorRams look better on offense, but still fall to Colts
Norm Sanders
http://www.bnd.com/sports/nfl/st-louis-rams/article32777265.html
A St. Louis Rams first-team offense that had struggled throughout the preseason finally awakened a bit Saturday night against Indianapolis at the Edward Jones Dome.
The Rams still lost 24-14 to the Indianapolis Colts as they fell to 0-3 in the preseason, but there were a few positive developments before a sparse crowd announced at 37,460 tickets distributed.
Rams quarterback Nick Foles was sharp throughout the first half, completing 10-of-11 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
That came on a 44-yard TD pass to Chris Givens as Foles faked two handoffs before heaving the ball downfield and hitting his target perfectly.
“He’s one of those guys who’s just gifted with extreme speed,” Foles said of Givens. “He can go track the ball, so he did a great job getting out there and going to track down that ball and getting it.”
Foles and former Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, now with the Eagles, each completed their first 10 passes Saturday. Bradford was 10-for-10 for 121 yards and three TDs against Green Bay.
In his first two preseason games, Foles had completed only 6 of 12 passes for 87 yards and no touchdowns with one interception.
“I think we’re improving,” Foles said. “We still have a long ways to go, but I was really proud of the guys. We were moving the ball. We had a couple of good drives. We have to stop getting penalties on ourselves, but I think we’re stepping in the right direction.
“We need to put more points on the board and help the defense out. Baby steps right now, but proud of the guys for the effort they’re having.”
It took them nine preseason possessions, but the Rams’ first-team offense finally collected a touchdown on Foles’ deep pass to Givens. Before Saturday, the first-team offense had contributed only a field goal in its first six possessions.
Givens continues to enjoy a strong training camp that has him pushing for more time and targets at wide receiver. He has six receptions for 160 yards and two TDs in three games.
“I’m staying positive and most importantly, staying consistent … just coming to work every day and blocking out all of the distractions,” Givens said. “I’m just really at a point where I’m just trying to show the world what I can do and I’m just excited to get the opportunity to do that.”
The Rams’ running attack stayed stuck in neutral with 29 carries for 72 yards, averaging 2.5 yards per carry.
An already inexperienced offensive line lost a starter in the first half when rookie guard Jamon Brown, switched from right guard to left guard Saturday, went down with an apparent ankle injury. Brown was injured on the same play that Givens caught the TD pass with 10 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Brown stayed down for a while and tried to get up once. He eventually was helped to his feet and walked off the field on his own.
“I’ll be fine,” Brown said. “I know somebody rolled up on me from behind, but other than that I’m not really sure what happened.”
Brown’s main concern was the result of the play.
“That was the first question, did we score a touchdown?” he said. “That’s all that mattered. Although I did sustain an injury. I was glad we got a touchdown out of it.”
With Brown moved to left guard, Demetrius Rhaney — who had been working at center — started the game at right guard next to rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein. Havenstein was victimized for a first-half sack.
Rams running back Tre Mason also left the game, apparently aggravating a previous hamstring injury. He had 12 yards on four carries.
“It’s not too bad,” Mason said. “It’s just tight. I got a little sore, so I took the protocol and got out of there.”
The Colts built a 13-7 halftime lead on two Adam Vinatieri field goals and a 32-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck to tight end Andre Johnson.
There were no Rams safeties in the vicinity of the wide-open Johnson on the play. He hauled in the pass over the middle, then ran through the tackle attempt of Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins on the way to the end zone.
Rams defensive end Robert Quinn talked about the importance of getting things together quickly with the defense.
“We had some good stops,” Quinn said. “We had a couple busted plays also, so we have to get those fixed. But there are some negatives and positives that we can take from it. We’re slowly getting to where we need to, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have to put our foot on the pedal and make sure we get ourselves right before the first game of the regular season.”
Another persistent problem for the Rams has been penalties and they were flagged for seven in the first half for 60 yards. A defensive holding penalty wiped out an interception by Jenkins as the Rams were penalized nine times overall for 73 yards.
A bright spot for the defense in the first half was the dominant play on the defensive line of reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald, as well as a pair of big hits by linebacker Alec Ogletree.
Luck, one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, completed 12-of-21 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown.
Linebacker Bryce Hager recovered a fumble early in the third quarter that set up a 3-yard TD run by Trey Watts to give the Rams a 14-13 lead. That gave the Rams their first lead since their first series of the preseason against the Oakland Raiders, when they led 3-0.
Backup quarterbacks Case Keenum and Austin Davis each got a series early in the second half and were followed by rookie Sean Mannion. Mannion, 14-for-20 in his first two preseason games for 146 yards and a touchdown, tossed his first NFL interception late in the third quarter.
Rams to practice at Scott AFB
The Rams will make their annual trek to Scott Air Force Base for a walk-through practice at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. As part of the team’s appreciation for those in military service, 22 military personnel will be chosen to be on the field and participate in practice.
After practice, the Rams will sign autographs for those in attendance.
The Rams held a similar event at the Point Mugu Naval Base during their scrimmages with the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month in California
August 30, 2015 at 1:15 am #29535znModeratorPenalty and protection issues persist but Rams make progress
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams’ 24-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts:
What it means: The Rams starting offense finally offered some hope with quarterback Nick Foles putting together his best performance of the preseason. He had just one incompletion on 11 tries with 128 yards and threw the first unit’s first touchdown of the exhibition slate. All of that despite an offensive line that did its best to make things difficult. The starting five allowed two sacks, a handful of other pressures and committed two 15-yard facemask penalties. The run game continues to struggle, mustering just 28 yards on 12 carries with the starters in the game. There was improvement from last week, but many of the issues that have been prevalent under coach Jeff Fisher and this preseason continue to persist.
Play of the game: For the second week in a row, it’s a Chris Givens touchdown. Givens got behind the Indianapolis secondary for a 44-yard touchdown from Foles for the starting offense’s first preseason touchdown. Givens had an 80-yard touchdown last week against Tennessee.
Stat of note: Seven for 60. That’s how many accepted penalties the Rams starters had in the first half. It’s an issue that has plagued this team since Fisher arrived and doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.
Line dancing: The Rams continued to tinker with their offensive line. Without guard Rodger Saffold (shoulder), the Rams moved rookie Jamon Brown from right guard to left guard with Demetrius Rhaney starting at right guard. As expected, Barrett Jones started at center. But moving Brown offered more intrigue. At this point in the preseason, the most logical reason for the move would be that the team intends to move Saffold back to right guard when he returns. Saffold played there in 2013, and going back to that spot would also allow the Rams to breakup the two rookies on the right side.
Injuries of note: Brown left the game in the second quarter with an apparent ankle injury. He had the ankle taped but did not return to the game. Running back Tre Mason left in the first quarter, had his right leg wrapped in ice and also did not return.
What’s next: The Rams join the rest of the league in making their first round of cuts as they must get down to 75 players by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. From there, they wrap up the preseason at home Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
August 30, 2015 at 1:16 am #29536znModeratorFive Takeaways: Colts at Rams (Preseason)
Myles Simmons
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The offense looked much better in the Rams’ third preseason contest against the Colts, and the defense did a fine job of stopping the run from Indianapolis’ first unit. Here are five takeaways from St. Louis’ first home exhibition matchup, which ended with Indianapolis on top 24-14.
Last week, the Rams kept things vanilla on offense but the unit, by quarterback Nick Foles’ own admission, did not execute as well as it would have liked. That, however, was not the case on Saturday.
1) Nick Foles can throw the deep ball
Foles was accurate and precise, connecting on 10 of his 11 passes in the first half for 128 yards and a touchdown — good for a 145.5 QB rating. The signal-caller used some strong footwork on a few plays to get into position to make an accurate pass. He said at halftime that the unit was improving, but still has a long way to go.
“We were moving the ball. We had a couple of good drives,” Foles said. “We need to put more points on the board and help the defense out. Baby steps right now, but proud of the guys for the effort they’re having.”
The highlight of the first half came when Foles threw a 44-yard deep ball to wide receiver Chris Givens in the end zone. At first it looked like the ball may have been a bit too long, but Foles recognized his wideout’s speed. At halftime, Foles said it’s hard to overthrow Givens.
“I don’t think it’s possible,” Foles said. “He’s one of those guys who’s just gifted with extreme speed. He can go track the ball, so he did a great job getting out there and going to track down that ball and getting it.”
“It definitely feels good,” Givens said. “It felt a lot better to hook up with Nick and make a good play for our team when I felt like we needed it the most.”
That’s the type of play that bodes well for the Rams heading into the final week of preseason play.
In a note that may be classified with “the sky is blue,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald displayed a few of the plays that earned him AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. After Johnny Hekker’s punt was downed at the 5-yard line, Donald and the Rams’ defensive line went to work.
2) Aaron Donald can penetrate the backfield
On first down, Donald met running back Daniel Herron in the backfield, and the RB gained a yard. On 2nd-and-9, Donald and fellow defensive tackle Michael Brockers got to Herron in the backfield for a 3-yard loss. And then on 3rd-and-12, Donald came close to taking down Herron in the end zone for a safety, but still planted him for a 2-yard loss.
Again, it’s a performance almost like death and taxes, but Donald looks ready for the regular season.
3) Rams tightened up their defense
Generally, the Rams defense had a strong showing against the run in the first half. The first unit surrendered only 28 yards on the ground on 15 carries, which works out to a 1.9-yard average. The squad also did a good job against Andrew Luck, holding him to 12-of-21 passing for 161 yards and a touchdown.
“Really great work against an outstanding quarterback,” head coach Jeff Fisher said at halftime.
According to Fisher, there was one broken coverage that led to a touchdown when Colts receiver Andre Johnson was left open over the middle. But even with that, the defense responded well, which safety T.J. McDonald said at halftime was a positive sign of what’s to come.
“That’s one thing that we always talk about is responding,” McDonald said. “I think we responded real well. We have some stuff that we’ll go over in the film room and get better. One thing that we didn’t take for granted is our effort. I know we’re out there running to the ball trying to make big hits, make big plays. We just have to start faster.”
4) Avoiding serious injuries
While rookie offensive lineman Jamon Brown exited the game in the first half due to a leg injury, it looks like he avoided anything too serious.
At last check, general manager Les Snead said on the Rams’ preseason broadcast that Brown had a basketball-variety ankle sprain, which is better for him than a high-ankle sprain. Snead added that if Brown had to, he could have come back and played in the game.
The Rams have had good luck in steering clear of the serious injuries during the preseason. Now there’s only one more game to do so before the contests take on meaning.
5) Too many penalties
St. Louis hindered its own drives offensively, and extended a few for Indianapolis with some costly flags. In the first half, the Rams racked up seven penalties for 60 yards. That includes two 15-yard facemask penalties on the offensive line and a defensive holding penalty that wiped out a Janoris Jenkins interception.
“Penalties hurt us again on both sides,” Fisher said at halftime.
There is plenty to clean up there, and those are all correctable mistakes. There is ample time to make the fixes between now and the regular-season opener on Sept. 13 against the Seahawks. But those are the types factors that can make a real difference once the games count.
August 30, 2015 at 1:43 am #29538znModeratorRams offense shows up in loss to Colts
Jim Thomas
Well, it took nine series to get there, but Nick Foles and the Rams’ first-team offense finally got into the end zone.
And even though the Rams made enough mistakes and committed enough penalties to give them plenty to work on next week, the offense showed signs of life in Saturday’s 24-14 loss to Indianapolis.
Only 37,460 tickets were distributed for the Rams’ preseason home opener.
“I think we’re improving,” Foles said. “We still have a log ways to go, but I was really proud of the guys. We were moving the ball. We had a couple of good drives. We have to stop getting penalties on ourselves, but I think we’re stepping in the right direction.”
Despite spotty, at best, blocking by the offensive line, Foles easily was the sharpest he’s been in the preseason, completing 10 of 11 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. His passer rating was 145.5.
“It looked like Nick was very precise,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “His numbers were good, he knew where to go with the ball. We had a couple protection issues which I think you attribute to preseason. He knew he was gonna get hit and he took the hit. He got back up and kept playing.”
That first touchdown came as a result of good field position, compliments of the special teams and defensive units.
After Isaiah Pead downed a Johnny Hekker punt, Indianapolis was pinned at it’s own 5-yard line to start a second-quarter possession. Three running plays later, the Colts were punting from their 1 thanks to stout run defense by defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald, who dropped Colts running back Daniel Herron for back-to-back losses.
“That’s kinda the play that we expect, or that I expect, out of our defense,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “It’s like people got upset and decided to just take it to another level. Our D-line fired off, big time.”
The Rams took over at the Indy 44 following a Colts’ punt, and struck quickly. Using play-action that included a fake end-around, Foles seemed to temporarily freeze the Indianapolis defense then threw deep to a streaking Chris Givens, who ran under the ball for a 44-yard score.
It was the second big play for Givens in as many games. Against Tennessee, he scored on an 80-yard TD pass play from backup QB Case Keenum. This one came with 10 minutes, 18 seconds to play in the first half and narrowed Indy’s lead to 10-7.
“It definitely feels good,” said Givens, who has been the Rams’ most impressive wide receiver this preseason. “It felt a lot better too hook up with Nick and make a good play for our team when I felt like we needed it the most.”
Even prior to the Givens’ score, the Rams’ offense showed signs of life but self-destructed on two occasions because of penalties:
• On the opening series, Foles connected with Tavon Austin for a 25-yard gain that was wiped out by an offensive pass interference call on Austin. Austin did extend his arm as if to push off, but his jersey also was grabbed briefly by a Colts defender. All in all, it should have been a no-call.
• On the Rams’ second series, the Rams overcame a facemask call against center Barrett Jones, but couldn’t overcome a facemask call against right guard Demetrius Rhaney deep in Indy territory. A sack by Erik Waldenn, who got around right tackle Rob Havenstein, took the Rams out of field goal range.
“Tonight’s a great illustration of if you turn the football over and you have costly penalties at the wrong time, it can cost you the ballgame,” Fisher said. “We’ve got to get the penalty thing under control.”
The Rams were penalized 10 times for 83 yards and have been guilty of 29 penalties for 229 yards in their three preseason games — all losses.
After the Given’s TD, the Rams reached their 44 before stalling after failing to pick up a well-executed Colts blitz, leading to another sack of Foles.
Defensively, the Rams were able to shut down the Indianapolis running game in the first half, limiting the Colts to just 28 yards on 15 carries — or 1.9 yards per carry. It should be noted that Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore, the former 49er, did not play.
“We always want to start fast,” safety T.J. McDonald said. “We didn’t do that this game, but we bounced back. That’s one thing that we always talk about is responding. I think we responded real well. We have some stuff that we’ll go over in the film room and get better.”
Converting on a pair of third-down plays, the Colts did put up three points on an Adam Vinatieri field goal on their opening drive. They then fooled the Rams on an onside kick, with Indy’s Clayton Geathers outscrapping the Rams’ Cody Davis for the loose ball.
Quarterback Andrew Luck then got a freebie. A busted coverage left Andre Johnson, the longtime Houston Texan and seven-time Pro Bowler, open deep down the seam. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins had a chance to bring him down at the 7-yard line but whiffed. The result was a 32-yard TD and a 10-0 Colts lead with 7:45 to play in the opening quarter.
Luck came out to start the third quarter, but a botched handoff by running back Josh Robinson resulted in a fumble on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. Rookie linebacker Byrce Hager recovered for the Rams at the Indianapolis 17.
With Keenum in at quarterback, the Rams needed just three plays to reach the end zone — two runs by Trey Watts sandwiched around an 8-yard reception by Cory Harkey. Watts’ second carry was a three-yard TD run off right tackle in which he scored untouched.
The extra point by backup kicker Michael Palardy gave the Rams a 14-13 lead with 13:28 left in the third — their first lead of the preseason since Greg Zuerlein’s field goal on the Rams’ first possession of Game 1 in Oakland.
But the lead didn’t last long, with Indianapolis converting a Sean Mannion interception into a TD (and 2-point conversion) and Vinatieri added a third field goal late.
August 30, 2015 at 1:57 am #29539znModeratorGordon: Foles shines in preseason home debut
Jeff Gordon
Worry not about new Rams quarterback Nick Foles.
He looked just fine during the 24-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts Saturday night before a small, widely-scattered and not-so-intimate gathering at the Edward Jones Dome.
Foles nailed his home debut after accomplishing little during preseason losses at Oakland and Tennessee. “We moved forward today as a team,” Foles said. “We still have a long ways to go.”
Progress was essential because this was the final full dress rehearsal for the regular season. The Rams will be in injury prevention mode while playing their preseason finale Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We need to put more points on the board and help the defense out,” Foles said. “Baby steps right now, but proud of the guys for the effort they’re having.”
He moved well inside and outside of the pocket, eluding pressure time and again to make plays. For instance, Foles rolled deftly to his left to complete an early 14-yard pass to Kenny Britt.
“That was not a surprise to me to see that,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He has the ability to extend plays.”
Foles threw a 44-yard TD pass in the second quarter, heaving a long ball that speedy receiver Chris Givens ran under in the end zone. “He’s one of those guys who’s just gifted with extreme speed,” Foles said. “He did a great job getting out there and going to track down that ball and getting it.”
Earlier, Foles lost a nice 25-yard completion to receiver Tavon Austin on a dubious offensive pass interference call.
Austin ran a terrific pass route to get wide open. He got so open, in fact, that he had ample room to run after making the catch. Alas, Austin was also so open that he also drew a flag from the skeptical officiating crew.
“Really unfortunate he got that pass interference call,” Fisher said. “We could have done some things with that drive.”
Foles played the entire first half and finished 10 for 11 for 128 yards, the TD pass to Givens and a shiny 145.5 passer rating.
“I felt there was improvement,” Foles said. “I expect more from myself and more from this offense.”
There was nowhere to go but up after unsightly losses to the Raiders and Titans. He completed just three of seven passes for 18 yards and a “pick six” interception during the dismal Rams performance at Tennessee.
Overall he was just six for 12 for 87 yards and the interception during the previous two preseason games.
Two plays at Oakland — a pass to Lance Kendricks and a catch-and-run by Austin — produced 51 yards. On the other 25 plays the Rams’ top unit ran during the first two games, it generated just 52 yards.
Foles sailed one pass to Britt and absorbed two sacks against the Colts, but otherwise he took good care of the ball while working around his teammates’ sundry mistakes.
“We were moving the ball,” Foles said. “We had a couple of good drives. We have to stop getting penalties on ourselves, but I think we’re stepping in the right direction.”
Now the bad news: The Rams’ offensive line inexperience reared its ugly head early and often against the sturdy Colts defense.
Starting center Barrett Jones earned a 15-yard facemask penalty, as did fill-in right guard Demetrius Rhaney. (With veteran Rodger Saffold sidelined by his latest shoulder injury, rookie Jamon Brown moved from right guard to left and Rhaney moved over from his natural center position.)
“The big thing is we have to clean up the penalties,” Foles said. “Those are drive stoppers.”
Rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein was an easy mark for the Colts, to nobody’s surprise. Linebacker Erik Walden dusted him once on a speed rush and once in a blitz package, leading to the two Foles sacks.
“It’s a process,” Foles said. “Every day you have to keep working on it. They are coming along. They are getting better and better.”
On the touchdown pass to Givens, Brown, one of the team’s preseason stalwarts, suffered an ankle injury. But he eventually got up and left the field under his own power, to the team’s considerable relief. The preliminary diagnosis is an ordinary sprain.
The starting offensive line didn’t open many running lanes. The Rams rushed for just 28 yards on 12 first-half rushes with mostly starters playing. Seldom-seen Isaiah Pead (!) got loose for a 13-yard run, but otherwise the ground game went nowhere against the top Indianapolis defenders.
On the other hand, Rhaney, in particular, got downfield to make crushing blocks that turned little passing plays into big gainers.
Other than the long strike to Givens, those pass plays provided the Rams’ offensive highlights. Running back Benny Cunningham had a couple of 16-yard receptions and Tre Mason caught two passes for 19 yards before exiting with an apparently minor hamstring strain.
“We took a step forward to get better,” Mason said. “We’ve got to learn from this loss, but from here on out we’re going to figure out ways to get better and put in the pieces of the puzzle.”
August 30, 2015 at 1:58 am #29540znModeratorRams notes: Mason leaves with hamstring injury
Jim Thomas
The Rams didn’t escape injury Saturday night in their third game of the 2015 preseason. But all things considered, they got by much easier against Indianapolis than in the third game of the 2014 preseason.
In that game, in Cleveland, now-former Rams quarterback Sam Bradford was lost for the season with a knee injury. And starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson was lost for half the season with a knee injury.
Against the Colts, running back Tre Mason left late in the first quarter after suffering a hamstring injury. (He had missed time earlier in training camp with a similar injury.)
“It was just a little tweak,” Mason said. “It’s nothing too bad. It’s just tight. It got a little sore, so got out of there.”
Rams athletic trainers immediately applied ice to Mason’s right leg. Even if the injury isn’t serious, the team closes preseason play in just five days against Kansas City, so Mason won’t be seen until at least the season opener against Seattle.
With Todd Gurley not expected to play in the regular season opener, it’s obviously important to have Mason ready for the Seahawks.
He carried four times for 12 yards and caught two passes for 19 yards before he left. His last play was his longest gain of the night — a 14-yard gain on a screen pass from quarterback Nick Foles.
“You’ve got to get those yards first, then you can get out,” Mason said, laughing.
Rookie offensive guard Jamon Brown suffered an injury to his right ankle in the second quarter. Brown walked off the field on his own, got the foot examined and taped, but did not return to the game. But since he didn’t even put ice on the foot, it doesn’t appear to be a serious injury.
“It appears to be just a lateral ankle,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “When you’re talking high ankle, you’ve got problems. When you’re talking lateral, they’ll come back really fast. He wanted to come back in the game, we just kind of held him out.”
Lateral ankle sprains usually sideline a player for maybe a week or two.
LINE SHUFFLING
Brown actually started at left guard Saturday instead of his usual right guard spot. Demetrius Rhaney, who had worked at left guard all week in practice, started instead at right guard.
When asked why Brown suddenly showed up at left guard, Fisher said: “He played quite a bit on the left side in college and we wanted to get him some work there.”
Barrett Jones got the start at center. When Brown left the game with his injury, he was replaced by Garrett Reynolds, who was picked up from Detroit during the offseason via free agency.
SITTING IT OUT
Left guard Rodger Saffold sat out his second consecutive preseason game with a shoulder injury, so if he’s going to get any additional preseason work, it will have to be in Thursday’s preseason finale against Kansas City. Saffold tweaked the shoulder on the fourth play of the preseason opener against Oakland.
Also sitting out Saturday’s game: Gurley (knee), CB Brandon McGee (foot), LB Darren Bates (knee), LB Korey Toomer (ankle), OT Andrew Donnal (finger), TE Brad Smelley, DT Doug Worthington, and DT Nick Fairley.
Fairley has some soreness in the collarbone area.
LANGFORD RETURNS
Kendall Langford started 36 games for the Rams at defensive tackle from 2012 through 2014. But he lost his starting job to rookie Aaron Donald after four games last season, with his playing time decreasing as the season progressed.
Released at the end of February in a salary cap move that saved the Rams $6 million, Langford signed with Indianapolis two weeks later. His four-year deal with the Colts is worth $17.2 million, but with only a modest $2.5 million guaranteed.
So far this training camp and preseason, Langford has been the best defensive lineman on the Colts’ roster. That’s somewhat of a relative term, because the Colts aren’t nearly as talented athletically on their D-line as the Rams.
After three seasons playing tackle in a 4-3 front in St. Louis, Langford has returned to playing end in a 3-4 alignment for Indy. That’s the position he played during his first four years in the league, with Miami.
LOCAL LINE
The Indianapolis roster includes Missouri State offensive guard David Arkin and three former University of Illinois players: offensive guard Hugh Thornton, wide receiver Ryan Lankford, and cornerback Vontae Davis. Thornton did not play Saturday because of a knee injury.
Former Rams assistant coach Rick Venturi, who spent several years as a radio analyst in St. Louis once his coaching career was done, is now doing radio and TV work in Indianapolis. He was the color analyst Saturday for the Indianapolis telecast of the Colts-Rams contest.
LAST TIME (IN AUGUST)
Saturday’s meeting was just the fifth preseason contest between the teams. The most recent contest opened the 2012 exhibition season, marking Jeff Fisher’s Rams coaching debut. It was also Indy quarterback Andrew Luck’s pro debut, with the Colts winning 38-3 and Luck throwing two TD passes.
August 30, 2015 at 8:23 am #29544
PA RamParticipantAt this point in the preseason, the most logical reason for the move would be that the team intends to move Saffold back to right guard when he returns. Saffold played there in 2013, and going back to that spot would also allow the Rams to breakup the two rookies on the right side.
This makes sense to me.
But why didn’t they do that at the beginning?
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. " Philip K. Dick
August 30, 2015 at 10:06 am #29546znModeratorThis makes sense to me.
But why didn’t they do that at the beginning?
My guess? Sounds to me like they now think Hav needs Saffold more than Robinson does.
August 30, 2015 at 10:07 am #29547znModeratorThis makes sense to me.
But why didn’t they do that at the beginning?
My guess? Sounds to me like they now think Hav needs Saffold more than Robinson does.
August 30, 2015 at 11:57 am #29552
AgamemnonParticipantI thought Havenstein played better than Robinson last night. Before last night Robinson, Brown, and Havenstein only played 27 snaps. I think they should have played more. I am waiting to see what they try in the 4th preseason game. Is Saffold really going to be OK?
Expecting Robinson to play good LT this soon is not realistic. imo He just has too much too learn. I will guess and say that what Robinson demonstrated last night is, that it takes time to learn new stuff and then more time to incorporate the new stuff into actual game play.
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Agamemnon.
AgamemnonAugust 31, 2015 at 12:18 am #29600znModeratorWR Chris Givens: Some wondered whether Givens would make the roster entering his fourth season but he’s been the team’s most dynamic offensive threat in the preseason games. He added a 44-yard touchdown catch to the 80-yarder he had last week and tossed in another catch to finish with two grabs for 63 yards and the score. At this stage, his spot seems safe.
To me, the deep stuff only means as much as his ability to run other routes at a high enough level, and to catch the ball on those plays too. Now has he changed? Could be. He says he has.
Otherwise, obviously, he’s easier to defend, and the “one trick pony” thing comes up again. Even on long passes he has been inconsistent. Even earlier, in 2013 and 2012, he was pretty inconsistent. In 2013, his catch rate on passes of 20 yards or more was 35.3%, which according to PFF was 40th in the league. In 2012, it was actually 32%, which was 33rd in the league.
So he even has to improve when it comes to being a deep threat.
He is saying the right things, and had a couple of very good plays this pre-season
August 31, 2015 at 1:55 am #29602znModeratorJoe Lyons
PENALTY WOES CONTINUE
Once again, penalties kept the Rams’ offense from distinguishing itself. The team was charged with 10 penalties for 83 yards. By contrast, the Colts were flagged five times for 36 yards.
“The penalty thing has been addressed and will be continued to be addressed,’’ Fisher said. “Like I say, there’s probably closer to 70 percent of the penalties I don’t disagree with, but nonetheless we did have a couple that we have to learn from.
“Late in the game, (rookie tackle) Isaiah (Battle) got beat inside and he’s been coached not to get the quarterback hit, so he was called for holding. I’ll live with that. We have to teach him to do better with technique and his hand placement, but at least he understands the importance of not getting the quarterback hit.’’
One penalty Fisher definitely didn’t agree with was an early offensive pass-interference call on Tavon Austin that wiped out a 25-yard gain on a Nick Foles-to-Austin pass.
“The OPI (offensive pass interference) on (Austin), they could’ve called illegal contact because the defensive player made the contact, but those things happen in the game,’’ the coach said. “It’s really good for the players to see it, because in order to completely avoid it you have to keep your hands down. Even though you didn’t push off, you extend your hands sometimes, they’re going to see it differently, so it’s a good learning experience.”
Both center Barrett Jones and guard Demetrius Rhaney were slapped with facemask penalties in the game.
“Well, you don’t want to grab facemasks anytime, that’s a big penalty. Holding is 10, a facemask is 15,’’ Fisher said. “Sometimes they’re just reaching out to protect and it happens. If we do some things different earlier in both downs, we don’t have the penalties. So if we execute earlier in the down, if we make a decision to get rid of the ball here as opposed to go through your progression and scramble out of it, not that I’m blaming Nick (Foles) — that’s part of the learning experience — then that doesn’t happen. The penalty doesn’t take place.”
COLTS’ ONSIDE KICK
After taking the lead on an Adam Vinatieri field goal, the Colts caught the Rams by surprise with an onside kick that led to a 32-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck to Andre Johnson.
On the play, Colts safety Clayton Geathers powered his way past the Rams’ Cody Davis to recover Pat McAfee’s kick.
“I was a little surprised at the surprise onsides,’’ Fisher said. “It’s a dangerous play, but that’s (Colts coach Chuck Pagano’s) choice. Unfortunately we didn’t get it, so they grabbed an extra possession from us. So, that took it away from the offense,’’
Fisher continued: “The cons (of a play like that) are, there was a lot of collisions on that play. I’m going to assume their purpose was to show that they’ll do it so their upcoming opponents are going to be aware of it and looking for it and not running out of there to set up their returns. You won the toss and you defer and then come back and onside kick, I was a little confused about that. Preseason, you win a toss, you take the ball and you go, but that’s Chuck. Chuck and I are friends and I talked to him about it. He’s done a great job there, so there must have been a reason for it.”
RAM-BLING
The Rams have yet to announce any cuts. Under NFL rules, the team must cut from 89 to 75 by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Obviously, we have some tough decisions to make here,’’ Fisher said. “We’ve had discussions. We have a good feel for where we are going to go and how we are going to get to 75. We will be informing our players over the next couple of days.’’[
August 31, 2015 at 2:50 am #29604znModeratorSt. Louis Rams vs. Indianapolis Colts: Takeaways and Observations from 24-14 Rams Loss
Patrick Karraker
The St. Louis Rams fell to 0-3 on the preseason Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts, losing 24-14 to the defending AFC South champions. They were a bit crisper, however, as the starting offense scored its first touchdown and there was a more significant pass rush from the Rams’ all-star defensive line. It still wasn’t enough, though, to alleviate concerns that the Rams will be one of the NFL’s bottom dwellers in 2015. Here are a few observations from Saturday night’s contest:
•Unless he ends up getting traded, Chris Givens probably solidified his 53-man roster spot on Saturday night. The fourth-year receiver is going to have a difficult time getting on the field come the regular season due to the presence of Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Stedman Bailey, and Tavon Austin, but he’s arguably been the Rams’ preseason MVP to this point. After scoring an 80-yard touchdown in last week’s loss to the Tennessee Titans, Givens continued his impressive string of play by scoring a 44-yarder on Saturday to give the Rams’ first-team offense their first touchdown of the preseason. It’s a tough situation because Givens doesn’t have the special teams ability of guys like Damian Williams and Bradley Marquez, but if Givens continues performing as well as he has this preseason, the Rams will have no choice but to find a role for him. His status as a “one-trick pony” with the deep ball has been well-established by this point, but at least in exhibition games, that trick still seems to be working, so the Rams might as well see if they can get a few electrifying plays out of him during the regular season.
•After a rough start to the preseason, rookie Bryce Hager has looked much more natural as of late and is improving his odds of making the team. The Rams will likely only keep six linebackers, so special teams ace Marshall McFadden still seems to have the edge for now, but Hager is making it tough with his team-leading 15 tackles (tied for 14th in the NFL this preseason). Hager’s chances would be boosted if the Rams feel the need to keep another linebacker in the absence of Daren Bates, who may miss the first couple weeks of the regular season with an injury.
•Isaiah Battle, the Rams’ supplemental fifth-rounder out of Clemson, has a LONG way to go before he’s ready to be even a backup swing tackle in the NFL. The 6-foot-7, 290-pounder was left chasing his man on several occasions on Saturday, and he’s looked pretty lost all preseason. Hopefully a full year with the playbook and in the team’s strength and conditioning program will make him more comfortable, but full-scale development should not necessarily be expected with players as raw as Battle, thanks to the NFL’s new CBA that so strictly limits practice and workout time.
•After getting passed up on the depth chart by Demetrius Rhaney, a natural center who’s 20 pounds lighter than him, there doesn’t seem to be much of a point of having fourth-year lineman Brandon Washington on the roster any longer. It would be slightly surprising if Washington, who has spent nearly all of his career on the Rams’ practice squad, was not released in the cutdown to 75 players this week.
•Speaking of Rhaney, he’s played pretty well during the preseason and seems to have long-term potential as a starter, but he’ll likely end up being the Rams’ utility backup at guard and center this year. That’s because Barrett Jones, who’s long been viewed as a high-upside player but has failed to show much on the field, has really performed solidly this preseason and figures to win the starting center job. If Jones happens to have more injury issues like the ones that have consistently held him back as a pro, Rhaney should be a fine replacement up the middle.
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