journalists do the Eagles game post-mortem…Wagoner, Thomas, etc.

Yes–E.J. Gaines. That kid is fantastic. I’m sorry but he has, IMO, earned a starting corner spot.

Jim Thomas ‏@jthom1

Pettis blames himself for two drops on closing drive. At least he stood up and answered questions afterwards.

On the Rams’ last offensive play of game, Brian Quick was running right play _ a post route. Davis didn’t throw to right spot.

Jeff Fisher says Zac Stacy wasn’t pulled from game after fumble that set up last Philly TD; Stacy suffered calf injury on that play.

Fisher said next time Rams player gets a stupid penaltym such as Ray Ray Armstrong’s unnecessary roughness call, he’s sending them off field

Nickel back Lamarcus Joyner apparently misread formation on coverage bust that led to last Philly TD (to Jeremy Maclin).

Rams are off to a 1-3 start for the second year in a row.

In case you were wondering, Rams still have only one sack this season. Foles threw 37 times; was not sacked. #LackCity.

Austin Pettis disappointed in late drops
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12332/austin-pettis-disappointed-in-late-drops

PHILADELPHIA — Observed and heard in the locker room after the St. Louis Rams’ 34-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles:

Pettis dejected: Rams wide receiver Austin Pettis was visibly upset after he had a pair of costly drops on the team’s potential game-winning drive. Pettis has stuck on the roster because of his sure hands and ability to come through late like he did in Week 2 against Tampa Bay but was unable to haul in a pair of catchable balls on second and third down in Eagles territory.

“It’s the end of the game, there’s going to be a lot of contested balls, and there’s no excuses on any of them,” Pettis said. “I had the ball in my hands long enough to get the catch. I’ve just got to hold on to it.”

Stacy’s day: Running back Zac Stacy coughed up a costly fumble in Rams territory late in the third quarter, which led to a Philadelphia touchdown two plays later. Stacy did not return to the game, leaving many to wonder if he had been benched because of the turnover. Rams coach Jeff Fisher said after the game that isn’t the case and that Stacy suffered a calf injury on the play.

Looking in the mirror: There was plenty of blame to go around for the loss, but most Rams pointed the finger at themselves. Fisher and his players mentioned drops, penalties, busted coverages, protection mistakes and more as the self-inflicted wounds that ultimately led to the defeat. Fisher was particularly upset with the post-punt 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong.

RAMS REPORT CARD – WEEK 5. SAME OLD SLOP

Jeff Gordon grades the Rams following their loss in Philadelphia.

http://www.stltoday.com/gallery/sports/football/professional/rams-report-card-same-old-slop/collection_c3a90daf-04bf-5416-a279-6ba3f823287c.html#0

Quarterback: B
Austin Davis keeps things interesting. He helped put the Rams into a 34-7 hold with two costly fumbles, including one the Eagles fell on for a touchdown. Then he rallied his team fiercely to cut that lead to 34-28 before running out of time and plays. He finished with 29 completions in 49 attempts for 375 yards and three TDs. He added 30 yards on three scrambles. Davis has physical limitations, yes, but his competitive drive is boundless. He continues to exceed expectations.

Running Back: C
Zac Stacy was better in the passing game (four catches, 36 yards) than in the running game (11 carries, 42 yards, one very costly fumble) before departing with a calf muscle injury. Benny Cunningham did his change-of-pace thing, producing 71 yards and a TD on 10 touches (seven runs, three catches). Trey Watts got the game’s first carry, interestingly enough, and also had two catches for 12 yards.

Receivers: B
Brian Quick’s breakout continued with five catches for 87 yards and two TDs. He got open, made nice adjustments on the ball and put his size to good use. Kenny Britt (three catches, 68 yards, TD) made some key downfield plays, too. Tavon Austin returned to active duty with two catches for 33 yards. His buddy Stedman Bailey (two catches, 20 yards) got his first offensive action of the season. But with the game on the line, Austin Pettis failed to hang on to two passes on the final Rams drive.

Tight Ends: C
The game started badly for the unit, with Lance Kendricks earning two early false start penalties with the help of Philadelphia’s crowd noise. And the enigmatic Jared Cook dropped one of Davis’ better throws, a deep ball up the right sideline. But Cook (four catches, 44 yards) and Kendricks (one catch, 22 yards) also made timely plays to extend possessions.

Offensive Line: D
The low point came when LT Jake Long whiffed on a block to allow Eagles LB Trent Cole to sack Davis. Then Long failed to corral the resulting fumble, letting Cedric Thornton get it instead for a TD. Ill-timed penalties on RG Davin Joseph (holding) and RT Joe Barksdale also hurt. C Scott Wells chiped in another high shotgun snap. The line allowed four sacks, two resulting in fumbles, and forced Davis to repeatedly scramble. The Rams’ pass blocking only improved after the Eagles decided to sit on their big lead and let Davis get into a rhythm.

Defensive Line: D
Once against the Rams failed to visit “Sack City”, despite facing a depleted offensive line. DE Robert Quinn came the closest, but he failed to haul down Eagles QB Nick Foles after getting hold of him. Quinn also prolonged a Philadelphia possession by jumping offsides. The Rams did pressure Foles periodically, forcing him to make some strange throws. The defensive front also stuffed the run at key times, forcing the Eagles to settle for two early field goals and then give the gall back at the end. DT Kendall Langford fell on an unforced Foles fumble.

Linebackers: C
OLB Alec Ogletree made a great play to strip Eagles RB LeSean McCoy of the football, freeing it up for E.J. Gaines. McCoy ran around aimlessly like he was lost in a video game and the Rams made him pay. Ogletree (seven solo tackles), MLB James Laurinatis (six solo) and Jo-Lonn Dunbar (five solo) were busy and effective against the run. If only the front seven hadn’t allowed a late 25-yard run by RB Darren Sproles that limited the Rams’ comeback opportunity.

Secondary: C-
The unit’s play ranged from tremendous (CB E.J. Gaines’ downfield interception) to hapless (nobody covering WR Jeremy Maclin’s 24-yard TD catch). T.J. McDonald earned 10 tackles, but he earned a pass interference call on a terrible Nick Foles pass. CB Janoris Jenkins had a nice break-up on third down, but he also let Eagles WR Riley Cooper outmuscle him for a TD.

Special Teams: F
A stunning blocking breakdown led to an early blocked Johnny Hekker put and the first Eagles TD. That blunder put the Rams into a hole they never could escape. Later special teams penalties on Ray Ray Armstrong (personal foul in coverage, after a 23-yard Darren Sproles return) and Chase Reynolds (blocking from behind on a return) cost the Rams important field position. Hekker was good when he got his punts off, pinning two inside the 20, but the Rams did little in their return game.

Coaching: D
Brian Schottenheimer came out attacking in the air. That didn’t work—due to Davis sailing some early throws—and soon the Rams were down13-0. Defense coordinator Gregg Williams lacked answers, too, as the Eagles raced to their 34-7 lead despite erratic QB play. The Rams mounted a late comeback, but Eagles coach Chip Kelly facilitated that by playing not to lose. Then there were the 10 Rams penalties for 82 yards coming off their extra bye week preparation. The Rams are as sloppy as ever in Year 3 of this regime.

Austin Davis impressive again in loss
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12356/austin-davis-impressive-again-in-loss

PHILADELPHIA — For St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis, there was nothing different about Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Making his first start since coach Jeff Fisher named him the regular starter, Davis didn’t change his routine or his mindset. It was another game just like the two starts that preceded it.

“I really tried to approach it the same,” Davis said. “There’s no difference in preparing if you’re the [No. 1] or the [No. 2]. You’ve still got to be ready to roll. I felt about the same. I had normal pregame jitters and after that first hit, you are playing ball.”

Davis took no shortage of hits in the first half of his team’s 34-28 loss to the Eagles. One of those hits was a fumble on a sack that resulted in an Eagles touchdown on a play that Davis pinned on himself. As the Rams searched for answers in pass protection, Davis took shot after shot, coughing up another fumble and missing on five of his first six pass attempts.

“They brought more than we had and I’ve got to get it pushed and I held on to the ball too long,” Davis said. “That’s one of those big plays that can’t happen and something I’ve got to learn from.”

By the time Davis’ blockers offered some measure of protection, the Rams were down 34-7 and on their way to a blowout loss similar to the season opener — a 34-6 drubbing against Minnesota.

But Davis remained unflappable, leading a comeback charge that actually put the Rams in position to pull off a victory in the closing moments. It was the same unrelenting, fiery approach that has won over coaches and teammates since the moment Davis stepped into the lineup.

“It’s pretty awesome,” tight end Jared Cook said. “He just carries himself with a different type of attitude that we’ve never seen before. He leads us and does it well.”

From the moment the Rams went down 34-7 with 2:15 to go in the third quarter, Davis was 14-for-21 for 195 yards and two touchdowns with a pair of scrambles for 19 yards. The argument, of course, can be made that the Eagles were playing a prevent defense with such a big lead but that doesn’t really explain how the Rams were able to score three touchdowns on consecutive drives that totaled 7 minutes, 20 seconds.

Davis finished with his second consecutive 300-yard game, going 29-of-49 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, making him the third quarterback to hit those numbers in a game this season and the first to do it on the road.

“He was calm and collected and so focused on what he needed to do,” Fisher said. “He was not flustered at all. He took some hits and we’ve got to get that corrected. But he knows the position is difficult to play and he can overcome that mistake. I think that’s the mark of a fine young quarterback.”

The only thing Davis couldn’t do Sunday was complete what would have been one of the most miraculous comebacks in franchise history. Starting the game’s final drive from the Rams 7, Davis promptly hit receiver Brian Quick for a gain of 43 yards down the right sideline. In that moment it looked like the Davis magic circa Tampa Bay in a come-from-behind Week 2 win would reappear.

But a couple of drops by receiver Austin Pettis, a false-start penalty and a miss on a deep throw for Quick on fourth down ended any comeback hopes.

“I thought they were at a little bit of a loss, didn’t know what to call and everything they did we were able to find the completion and move the ball down the field. So, I had no doubts in my mind we’d win the ball game, 35-34, to be honest with you,” Davis said. “And it just didn’t happen.”

While Davis has impressed in his first three starts, he’s done it against the soft defenses of the Buccaneers, Dallas and now Philadelphia. Things are about to get tougher with games against division rivals San Francisco and Seattle in the next two weeks.

Davis deserves credit for what he has done so far but the next two weeks should offer a greater referendum on what’s real and what isn’t when it comes to the Rams’ young quarterback.

Ten Takeaways from Sunday’s 34-28 Loss in Philadelphia
By Randy Karraker

http://www.101sports.com/2014/10/06/ten-takeaways-sundays-34-28-loss-philadelphia/

1. The defense played well enough to win this game. Philadelphia scored touchdowns off of a blocked punt and a sack-fumble, and then had to travel just 24 yards after a Zac Stacy fumble in the third quarter. The Eagles had to move the ball 24 yards to score 21 of their points. Otherwise, the Rams’ defense allowed a touchdown pass, two field goals and a total of 328 yards to an offense that had averaged 367.5 yards and 21.5 points per game. It doesn’t look like it, but Gregg Williams’ defense was just fine against the Eagles.

2. Not only is Austin Davis the real deal, so is Benny Cunningham.
Benny Cunningham

Benny Cunningham

Cunningham had runs of 13, 14 and 11 yards, with the 14-yarder being a touchdown. He had seven carries for 47 yards, and shows tremendous burst through the line.

Davis completed six passes of 22 yards or more, and has three TD passes in each of his last two games. The explosiveness of the Rams’ offense in the last two games has been unlike anything we’ve seen since Marc Bulger was in his prime in 2006.

3. Brian Quick is on his way to an historic season. The last Ram receiver to have a 1,000-yard season was Torry Holt in 2007. In this day and age, it’s incomprehensible that a team can go six seasons without a 1,000-yard receiver. Quick is also on pace for a dozen touchdowns.

The last time a Rams receiver had 12 TDs in a season was Holt in 2003. So a quarter of the way through his third season, Quick is having his breakout year.

4. Should Trumaine Johnson start when he’s healthy? E.J. Gaines has played very well all season, and on Sunday had his first NFL fumble recovery and his first interception. Gaines effectively covered fellow Mizzou alum Jeremy Maclin for most of the game. He had four tackles and led the team with two passes defensed, and deserves to keep playing as long as he stays at that level.

5. #Sackcity?
AC1W5095

Robert Quinn

A Rams defense that has compiled 51 and 53 sacks the last two seasons is on pace for … four sacks. That’s not Michael Brockers on pace for four, or an injured Chris Long or a statistically diminished Robert Quinn.

In a disastrous turn for this line, it had no sacks yesterday and has one for the season – and is on pace for four.

As D’Marco Farr said when we tried to come up with a name for the defense during training camp, don’t give them a name until they’ve done something.

6. Lance Kendricks must stop his false starts. Kendricks had two false starts in the opener against Minnesota and two more on Sunday. That’s inexcusable.

Players always say that the most valuable thing they have is playing time. Kendricks is a great guy and a talented performer, but his pre-snap penalties have to stop. If the only way to get him to focus is to take away some playing time, the Rams have rookie Alex Bayer and Corey Harkey available to play the position. Kendricks turned a second-and-6 into a second-and-11 (although Stacy bailed him out with a 15-yard run). His second turned a second-and-7 into a second-and-12 that forced the Rams to punt. And after that punt…

7. Ray-Ray Armstrong committed a ridiculous unnecessary-roughness penalty. At some point, the Rams plan to be good. If you have those plans, you can’t be giving the other team 15 yards because of stupid penalties. So far, you can’t trace a Rams loss to Armstrong’s foolish and selfish actions. At some point, it’s going to happen and will devastate a team, like Richie Incognito did during his Rams career.

8. Austin Pettis. Pettis is on the team because of his excellent hands. He has to haul in at least one of those passes in the final minute of play. Catching one of those balls would have given Davis a great chance to get into the end zone and finish off the comeback.

9. I’m concerned about Jake Long.
AC1W6303

Jake Long

I fear that his ACL injury has compromised him. In a position where you have to get low, it doesn’t seem like he can. While the rest of the offensive line is able to get into a three-point stance for running plays, it doesn’t seem like Long can even bend down into that stance.\

He had the tough play when he wasn’t able to recover a fumble that allowed Philly’s Cedric Thornton to score the Eagles’ third touchdown. If indeed he is too hurt to be great, one would hope Greg Robinson is close to being able to start at left tackle.

10. At the end of the day, I’m glass half full on this loss. I was at the 1986 game at Busch Stadium when the Cardinals trailed Tampa Bay 28-3 in the fourth quarter, but rallied with four touchdowns for a 31-28 win. Those kinds of wins can energize a team, and a Rams win would have done that with a victory.

As bad as the first half was, hopefully this young team learned some things in the last 20 minutes at the Linc. They were up 21-0 against Dallas 24 minutes into that game, then in the next five-and-a-half quarters were outscored 68-10, then ran off another 21-0 in the last 15:03 at Philly. They know what they’re capable of. Hopefully they’ll carry that last quarter into next Monday night’s game vs. San Francisco.

By the way, did you notice that in the Rams’ three losses, they’ve allowed 34 points each time?