Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
September 24, 2014 at 1:30 am in reply to: Where they stand in the bye week–Wagoner, Thomas, etc. #8363
RamBillParticipantThe Long road back
• By Jim ThomasWith most of his lower left leg in a cast following foot surgery, Rams defensive end Chris Long is getting around these days on one of those foot scooters. If he could chase a quarterback on it, he would.
Alas, that must wait until at least Nov. 9, against Arizona, the earliest he’s allowed to play since being placed on the injured reserve/designated for return list.
“The first couple days (post surgery), you’re kinda getting used to it, but you kind of turn everything into a little challenge — see what you can get done with the thing,” Long said. “It hasn’t held me back too much.”
He already has been admonished by head athletic trainer Reggie Scott for going too fast on the scooter.
What’s the recommended speed?
“Five,” Long said. “I might put a motor on it.”
Long still has about another week and a half in the cast before switching to a walking boot, then he can say goodbye to the scooter and his rehab work starts to accelerate.
Highly-respected foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson performed the surgery in Charlotte, N.C., for what was a relatively unusual injury.
“There’s two tendons that kind of run down your leg, and keep everything stable,” Long explained. “The ligaments, muscles, that hold (the tendons) down were torn so that the tendons flew out and they’re in the wrong place. So there was only one way to put it back.”
Through surgery.
Long was stepped on from behind five minutes into the Rams’ season opener, against Minnesota, while trying to shed a blocker.
As he sat on the turf of the Edward Jones Dome for a few moments after the injury, the look on his face suggested something was wrong beyond a run-of-the-mill ankle or foot injury.
“It was a feeling I hadn’t felt before,” Long said. “I’d had high ankle sprains before. Ankle sprains, or whatever. So I just wasn’t sure what it was. It was just frustrating more than anything because you know it’s probably something maybe a little serious.
“We all work so hard to get ready for that opening day. For it to happen on opening day, it was just kinda frustrating.”
Long actually tried to tape the foot and ankle and return to the game.
But that was a no-go.
“When it’s a stability issue, not a pain-tolerance issue, you don’t have a choice,” he said. “We took a shot at it, but it turned out is just wasn’t a thing you can really play with.”
The Tampa Bay game Sept. 14 marked the first time in his seven-year NFL career Long had missed a game. The Minnesota contest a week earlier marked his 97th consecutive game, at the time the second-longest ironman streak in the NFL
“So when it was evident to me that I was gonna miss some time, it really hurt,’’ he said. “You want to tear up.
“You don’t know what to expect. You’re afraid. But just leaning on these guys, and just being in here every day helped me a lot. The more I’m around the guys, I feel like I can help in some way just while I’m sitting down for a little bit here.”
Long was sitting at his stall in the locker room after practice when he spoke to a few reporters. The streak meant a lot to Long; it was something he took great pride in as the years started to pile up in his career.
“I always wanted to play my whole career without missing any time,” he said. “It sounds ridiculous, I guess. But guys like Justin Smith that had those pretty remarkable streaks, that’s always admirable. That was like a goal to me. But football, it’s tough. Sometimes you can’t control things, you can’t play through certain things, and that’s just reality.”
Former University of Missouri defensive lineman Justin Smith, now a San Francisco 49er, had a streak of 185 consecutive starts end because of an elbow injury in December of 2012.
Even while on his scooter, Long was out on the practice field last week taking mental reps in practice and attending meetings at Rams Park.
“I don’t take that for granted,” he said. “I really appreciate being able to do that right now. You’ve gotta keep things normal.”
At least as normal as possible. It has been torture for Long these past two Sundays, not being on the field with his teammates on game day. He’s usually the guy who gives the pep talk when the team huddles up en masse at the end of pregame workouts and then heads into the locker room for the last time before kickoff.
“I appreciate the opportunity to play the games anyway. It’s not like a needed a reminder,” he said.
But he’ll get a reminder of just how much he loves the game every week until at least early November.
“It’s tough to watch because I love my teammates,” Long said. “They’re like my brothers. When they’re out there, you just wanna be out there to help ‘em any way you can. But the great thing is … this D-line’s so deep and everybody’s got a group mentality. Everybody’s able to do different things to help chip in. So I don’t feel like they’re gonna miss a beat.”
Of more immediate concern to Long is keeping his sanity during his two-month hiatus from playing the game.
“First couple days I was legitimately like a crazy person,” Long said. “But I’m just trying to focus my energy on being in the game mentally. Trying to help out when I can with some of the younger guys.
“It makes you appreciate the opportunity to come to work every day, and be around these guys because it is a great family atmosphere. And I’ve leaned on it quite a bit.”
September 23, 2014 at 11:48 pm in reply to: 101, 9/23 – Wagoner w/ Karraker & Farr; & Sando; + Thomas on 920 #8353RamBillParticipantJim Thomas talks with 920AM’s Frank Cusumano. JT talks about that in year 3 of Snead/Fisher they have to start winning games. Jim talks about the penalty problem, both with the amount of penalties and the refs seeming to focus on the Rams. The penalty yard differential in Sunday’s game was the largest since the Rams came to St. Louis. Why are the Rams not getting any sacks and using so many 3 man fronts? The Rams have their work cut out for them over the next 8 games. The Rams haven’t been getting much production from the 2014 draft class.
http://www.rams-news.com/jim-thomas-rams-report-sept-23-radio-interview/
September 23, 2014 at 11:05 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8351RamBillParticipant
Things We Noticed: Game 3, vs. Dallas
• By Jim ThomasPost-Dispatch football writer Jim Thomas takes a final look at the Rams’ game vs. Dallas:
3-MAN FRONTS
On more than one occasion during training camp and the preseason, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said the Rams’ defensive line was the best he’s worked with _ not just the starting four, but from top to bottom. It was odd then to see the Rams go with three-man fronts almost exclusively on third down against Dallas. If the defensive line, particularly its pass rush, is the strength of the team why take one out on most third-down passing situations? The Rams usually didn’t send just the three down linemen on the pass rush; they almost always sent a linebacker or a defensive back or two with the 3-man rush.
“We’re doing different things, showing different looks, throwing different pressures at ’em,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “We wanted to put some pressure on Tony (Romo) and get the ball out.”
Wouldn’t a front of Robert Quinn, Williams Hayes, Eugene Sims, and Aaron Donald have sufficed?
ME AND MY SHADOW
Janoris Jenkins almost always plays right corner and stays there. On Sunday, he shadowed Cowboys WR Dez Bryant all over the field. It was evident very early in the contest that was the cae, with Jenkins shifting over to left corner and in the slot to follow Bryant around. The Rams have occasionally done this before with Jenkins. For example, he has shadowed San Francisco’s Anquan Boldin and Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald in such fashion in the past. The Rams obviously felt this was the best way to go rather than having Bryant occasionally line up over rookies E.J. Gaines and Lamarcus Joyner.
STEP BACK FOR SECONDARY
After surprisingly good outings in the first two games, the young Rams secondary took a step up in class against Romo and the Cowboys’ talented receiving crops and stumbled. And that’s not to overlook Jenkins’ interception return for a touchdown. But there was that 68-yard TD bomb from Romo to Bryant, two pass interference penalties for a combined 59 yards of field position, and the sight of tight end Jason Witten seemingly getting open whenever he felt like it. Gaines and Joyner had troubles in coverage, and in run support, safety T.J. McDonald missed a tackle near the line of scrimmage that helped spring Murray on his 44-yard run in the third quarter.
LEFT LEANING
The Rams, particularly Zac Stacy, did a lot of business with runs to the left. Not surprising considering left tackle Jake Long and left guard Rodger Saffold are the best run blockers on the offensive line. Stacy had runs of 12, four, and eight yards on the opening drive alone running to his left. Trey Watts also had a nine-yard run to the left on that opening drive. According to Pro Football Focus, Stacy forced four missed tackles and averaged 5.6 yards per carry running to his left.
OFFICIATING
Not every call or non-call by referee Clete Blakeman’s crew worked against the Rams. It just seemed that way. The Rams did catch a break in the first quarter when Jenkins tripped up _ literally _ DeMarco Murray on a swing pass to the left. As Murray ran by, Jenkins’ extended a leg, striking Murray above the ankle and causing him to stumble. It was then that linebacker Alec Ogletree struck an off-balance Murray, causing a fumble that safety Cody Davis recovered, thus setting up the second Rams touchdown of the day. Jenkins should have been penalized for tripping.
September 23, 2014 at 3:40 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8314RamBillParticipantJenkins up and down in Bryant’s shadow
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12015/jenkins-has-up-and-down-day-in-bryants-shadow
EARTH CITY, Mo. — More often than not in the two-plus years Jeff Fisher has been the head coach of the St. Louis Rams, his defense has been pretty straightforward when it comes to coverage.
Matchups have often been passed over in order to allow the cornerbacks to stay on one side of the field for the majority of the game. Every once in a while, Fisher’s defense will shadow an opposing receiver but it hasn’t happened much.
Against Dallas on Sunday, though, the Rams asked cornerback Janoris Jenkins to match up exclusively with Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant.
“We’ve done it before,” Fisher said. “We did it last year. We don’t do it every week. Dez was a big part of our defensive game plan and Janoris loves those challenges, so we thought it was our best chance to win this week.”
Jenkins played 55 of a possible 56 defensive snaps against the Cowboys and for almost all of them, he followed Bryant all over the field. He lined up on the left, he lined up on the right, he lined up in the slot. Wherever Bryant went, there was Jenkins. It was a move that made plenty of sense given the inexperience of rookie sixth-round pick E.J. Gaines opposite Jenkins and the team’s need to focus on stopping the run with the front seven.
For the first half, Jenkins provided solid coverage, limiting Bryant to four catches and 18 yards on five targets. The other target? Jenkins jumped a stop route to Bryant, picked it off and took it 25 yards for a touchdown.
Bryant would only make two more catches in the second half but the final 30 minutes offered a shift in advantage to Bryant. One of those catches only went for 3 yards but the other was the game’s biggest play.
On the first series of the third quarter, Bryant turned Jenkins inside out on a deep route down the left sideline. As Jenkins turned toward the quarterback, he let Bryant go in anticipation of help from safety Rodney McLeod while receiver Terrance Williams entered Jenkins’ space on a crossing route. But McLeod had already made a move toward Williams and McLeod didn’t communicate that he’d be taking Williams, who had already lost Gaines coming across the field.
That left Bryant as open as any receiver you’ll ever see for an easy 68-yard touchdown.
“It was supposed to be passed off, but it was not communicated,” Fisher said. “He can tell the corner that he’s going to take the crossing route. He didn’t.”
While the touchdown doesn’t fall solely on Jenkins, any way you slice it, leaving Bryant alone goes against the idea of having him shadow Bryant in the first place.
Of course, that wasn’t the only second half coverage miscue.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Jenkins was left outside against Bryant on a double move that ended with a pass interference penalty that gave Dallas 33 yards and a first down. Fisher said rookie cornerback Lamarcus Joyner was late and took a poor route to quarterback Tony Romo on his blitz. Had Joyner been quicker and more precise, Fisher said he thought Joyner would have had a sack and the penalty never would have occurred.
All things considered, Fisher was happy with Jenkins’ performance.
“I thought he played well,” Fisher said. “He has the defensive pass interference call and that’s a huge play. In the play, in the blitz we asked him to cover a double move where the quarterback is to reload the ball. I can’t fault him on that because our young nickel back took a real late, poor course to the quarterback — would have been unblocked probably would have had a sack. He certainly wouldn’t have had a chance to pull the ball down and throw it down the field.”
The Rams could get cornerback Trumaine Johnson back from a knee injury after the bye. It will be interesting to see if they continue to shadow other top wideouts when their projected starters are back on the field together.
September 23, 2014 at 3:03 pm in reply to: 101, 9/23 – Wagoner w/ Karraker & Farr; & Sando; + Thomas on 920 #8313RamBillParticipantKevin Wheeler and Nick Wagoner discuss the QB situation, why Fisher doesn’t want to go back and forth, why no blanket statements should be made about Austin Davis, the difference makers in Week 3 for the Rams, and heading into the bye with plenty to work on.
http://www.rams-news.com/nick-wagoners-rams-report-sept-23-radio-interveiw/
September 23, 2014 at 2:34 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8309RamBillParticipantRams rookie review: Week 3
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11998/rams-rookie-review-week-3
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at playing time and production of each of the St. Louis Rams’ drafted rookies and a quick glimpse at the undrafted rookie class in Sunday’s 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
OL Greg Robinson, first round, No. 2 overall: Once again, Robinson’s action was very limited. He played one snap on offense and five on special teams and I don’t remember noticing him on the one offensive snap he played. Either way, he’s still not an integral part of this offensive line as he nears the quarter mark of his rookie season.
DT Aaron Donald, first round, No. 13 overall: Donald was once again in the same range of snaps he’s been in the first couple of weeks, playing 26 snaps on defense and six on special teams. He wasn’t as effective against Dallas as he was last week in Tampa Bay but he still offered some good moments. He finished with a tackle for loss and was generally disruptive in his opportunities.
DB Lamarcus Joyner, second round, No. 41 overall: Joyner returned from a back injury that kept him out against the Bucs to play 26 snaps on defense and nine on special teams. He had a pair of tackles but his biggest play of the day was a negative as he drew a flag for pass interference to set up Dallas’ first touchdown.
RB Tre Mason, third round, No. 75 overall: Mason struggled in the preseason and doesn’t provide help on special teams which rendered him inactive for the third consecutive week.
S Maurice Alexander, fourth round, No. 110 overall: Alexander was inactive in week 3.
CB E.J. Gaines, sixth round, No. 188 overall: Gaines had an up and down day on his 53 defensive snaps and six special teams plays but had a few hiccups along the way. He finished with no tackles in the unofficial pressbox statistics and got caught in traffic on receiver Terrance Williams’ 12-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
C Demetrius Rhaney, seventh round, No. 250 overall: Rhaney is on injured reserve for the season with a knee injury.
Undrafted rookie roundup: All four of the Rams’ undrafted rookies got to play and contribute in some way against Dallas. … Running back Trey Watts got his first opportunities with the offense with Tavon Austin out because of a knee injury. He played seven offensive snaps and 15 on special teams as he accounted for 24 yards on five carries. … Tight end Alex Bayer was active for the first time, playing a dozen snaps on special teams. … Defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks again got his share of opportunities, playing 16 defensive snaps and posting a pair of tackles. … Cornerback Marcus Roberson played 11 snaps on special teams.
September 23, 2014 at 2:24 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8308RamBillParticipant
Bernie: Rams’ defense a major disappointment
• Bernie MiklaszWhen Jeff Fisher and Gregg Williams hugged out their past differences and grievances in a way that made it comfortable for Williams to return as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, I thought it was a big deal.
“Bountygate” jokes aside, Williams has an extensive and mostly successful track record in directing defenses during a colorful and accomplished NFL coaching career. He surely would be an upgrade over Tim Walton, the team’s previous defensive coordinator.
And I still believe that to be true.
We’re only three games into the season, and Williams is capable of rounding this defense into form.
But through three games, the unit is a major disappointment:
* The Rams have allowed opponents to complete 51 of 69 passes (74 percent) for an average of 8.2 yards per attempt. That YPA ranks 29th among 32 teams. The passer rating against the Rams (105.1) also ranks 29th.
* The Rams have allowed their three opponents to score an average of 23.6 points per game on offense. (These are points given up as a defense and do not include points scored by the other team’s defense or special teams.) That points-against average is tied for 24th. Last season and in 2012 the Rams gave yielded an average of 20.4 points per game to opposing offenses.
* The Rams have one sack in three games. One. In 2012 the Rams finished tied for the league lead with 52 sacks. Last season they ranked third with 53 sacks.
* The Rams have given up eight touchdowns from scrimmage; only four teams have surrendered more through the first three weeks.
* The Rams rank 28th in rushing defense, getting overpowered for an average of 155 yards per game. They have yielded 5.1 yards per rushing attempt, which ranks 28th.
* Big plays are a problem. The Rams have allowed 12 plays that have netted 20 yards or more; that ranks 22nd. And they have given up 36 plays of 10+ yards, which ranks 21st.
The Rams are doing fine in terms of overall yards allowed per game (10th) and are OK in stopping third downs (ranking 13th.) But giving up big plays has wiped out a lot of the positives. And too many defensive penalties are giving opposing offenses free gifts.
The most troubling aspect of the performance is the shortage of sacks. The Rams lost defensive end Chris Long to a lower-leg injury in the first game, but that doesn’t excuse the one-sack total. Robert Quinn, who had 19 sacks in 2013, hasn’t gotten on the board so far.
According to Pro Football Focus, Quinn’s damage has been limited to four QB hits and four hurries in three games. Among 4-3 alignment defensive ends that have played at least 25 percent of the snaps, Quinn ranks 16th in QB pressures and 10th in pass-rush productivity. Quinn led NFL defensive ends in pass-rush productivity in 2013.
The assumption — mine, anyway — is that the Rams’ pass rush would be even more formidable with Williams in charge. He’s developed a deserved reputation for his creative aggressive blitz schemes. Put that with Quinn’s ability to invade the pocket, and you have the makings of a ridiculously imposing pass rush. But in the early stages of the season that hasn’t materialized.
This could be a simple matter of a new coordinator putting in a new system that has added flourishes and a more information to absorb. It could be just a matter of time before everything starts clicking.
But the Rams have invested a bunch of first-round and other premium-round draft choices in their defense. The talent — and Williams’ astute coaching — should be delivering improved results.
But the Rams defense collapsed in Sunday’s dispiriting 34-31 loss to the Cowboys, and there’s no excuse for that.
From the time the Rams opened a 21-0 lead until Dallas punted with about two minutes to go in the game, the Cowboys rolled through the STL defense with little resistance.
The Cowboys scored on five consecutive possessions, three TDs and two field goals. During the five possessions they amassed 287 yards and 16 first downs. They went 5 for 5 on third-down conversions. QB Tony Romo completed 12 of 14 throws for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Romo also drew two pass interference penalties that gave Dallas 59 yards, and he ran for 16 yards for a first down on a third and 13 play. DeMarco Murray rushed 16 times for 88 yards and a TD during the five-possession sequence.
I’m convinced that if the Rams defense makes a couple of stops there — maybe even one — the home team walks into a happy locker room with a victory. But Williams’ defense couldn’t make a single stand as the game began slipping away.
The bye week gives the Rams’ defensive coaches a chance to regroup.
Again, I want to repeat something: Williams is smart, the talent is there, and the Rams defense should get better. But if it doesn’t get better, it’s going to be an especially long and painful season.
Thanks for reading …
— Bernie
RamBillParticipantRams tight end Lance Kendricks joins The Jeff Fisher Show to talk about Austin Davis’ development, the diversity of the TE group and why that makes them successful and the message from Coach Fisher following last weekend’s loss.
http://www.rams-news.com/rams-te-lance-kendricks-joins-the-jeff-fisher-show-radio-interview/
September 23, 2014 at 9:20 am in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8301RamBillParticipantJim Thomas breakdowns the Rams in their 34-31 loss to the Cowboys…the controversial call on Eugene Sims for defensive holding, reputation for getting penalties…the Shaun Hill controversy continues….it usually takes four weeks to get a book on player like Austin Davis…the move to LA conspiracy continues & seeing Stan Kroenke talk with Jerry Jones.
http://www.rams-news.com/jim-thomas-rams-cowboys-game-breakdown-radio-interview/
RamBillParticipantMorning Ram-blings: An improbable result
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12005/morning-ram-blings-an-improbable-comeback
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The Dallas Cowboys made a bit of history in their come from behind victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
In surmounting a 21-point deficit, the Cowboys tied the record for largest comeback in franchise history. The lost lead was the second-worst in Rams franchise history but no less devastating than any other loss of recent vintage.
For a better glimpse of just how big of an advantage a 21-point second quarter lead is, we now have plenty of advanced statistical formulas. The fine folks of ESPN’s Stats & Information offered a breakdown of how Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo led the charge but the more interesting piece here is the win probability chart which shows how far Dallas had to go to overcome the Rams.
After cornerback Janoris Jenkins’ interception return for a touchdown and a stop of running back DeMarco Murray for a loss of 2 yards on the ensuing drive, Dallas had just a 3 percent chance to win.
We all know what happened next.
I.C.Y.M.I.
A roundup of Monday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … In the Ram-blings, we kicked off the week with NFL Nation’s game balls for the week. … We then got some words from coach Jeff Fisher on the passing of kicker Rob Bironas. … In W2W4 revisited, we took a look back at three things the Rams needed to do to beat the Cowboys. … We then reviewed a late defensive holding call that went against Rams defensive end Eugene Sims. … This week’s turning point play was the botched snap from Rams center Scott Wells which helped begin an avalanche that the Rams could not overcome.
Elsewhere:
Non-Rams news but interesting nonetheless as Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti blames the OTL report about Ray Rice on Rice’s camp.
And for frame of reference, here’s the original story from Outside the Lines.
At 101sports.com, Randy Karraker offers his 10 weekly takeaways from the Rams’ loss to Dallas.
At stltoday.com, Bernie Miklasz argues the case for Austin Davis at quarterback.
Bryan Burwell does the same.
Burwell also asks if St. Louis is doing what it can to keep the Rams in St. Louis in this video.
September 23, 2014 at 2:10 am in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8284RamBillParticipantRams notes: Communication problems costly on both sides of ball
• By Joe LyonsOf the handful of game-changing plays Sunday in the Cowboys’ 34-31 comeback win over the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome, perhaps the most glaring was the 68-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to a wide-open Dez Bryant on the fourth play from scrimmage at the start of the second half.
Bryant, who led the Cowboys with six catches and 89 receiving yards, made a double move near the Dallas sideline to get Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins turned around. Then, with no safety help, the receiver had no one between him and the end zone.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher, speaking at his Monday media gathering at Rams Park, blamed the breakdown on communication.
“It was supposed to be passed off, but it was not communicated,” Fisher said. “I think it was just that they recognized the splits within the coverage — that’s something that we do — and I just think (rookie cornerback) E.J. Gaines just didn’t see it. He didn’t recognize it. We had three issues, both corners and the safety could have played it different.”
BOTCHED SNAP
Late in the first half, with the Rams facing a third-and-1 situation at the Dallas 41, the Rams lost a chance to add to their 21-7 lead when the Cowboys recovered a fumbled snap. Dallas went on to kick a field goal to snatch some momentum going into the half down 21-10.
“It was a communication issue up front,” Fisher explained. “A lot of stuff going on up front between (center Scott Wells) and the quarterback changing protections, sliding protection and making sure you’ve got things picked up. (The) play clock was running down and Scott thought it was time to go, and (quarterback Austin Davis) stepped aside to change the protection because he saw something. … (Wells) started the snap process and he tried to pull it back and he lost it.”
It appeared that perhaps Wells thought Davis was under center when the quarterback actually was in the shotgun formation.
But that wasn’t the case. Fisher said, “It wasn’t a presumption that he was under center, no.”
DEFENSIVE NUMBERS
Linebackers James Laurinaitis and Alec Ogletree led the Rams’ defense on Sunday with 14 tackles each. Ogletree, who led the way with nine solo stops, also caused a fumble, caused a penalty and altered a pass in the game.
Defensive end William Hayes, in his second start in place of injured Chris Long, had nine tackles, followed by safety Rodney McLeod (seven), defensive tackle Michael Brockers (six), linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar (six), safety T.J. McDonald (five) and cornerback Janoris Jenkins (five).
Jenkins intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown that pushed the Rams’ lead to 21-0 with about six minutes to play in the second quarter. Cody Davis recovered the fumble that set up the Rams’ second touchdown.
Donald, the first-round draft choice from Pitt, led the defensive line with a quarterback pressure and a quarterback hit. The Rams had no sacks, four quarterback pressures and one quarterback hit.
On special teams, Chase Reynolds had his third straight two-tackle game.
Benny Cunningham and Trey Watts had the other tackles on special teams for the Rams.
PARTICIPATION NUMBERS
Five players — Austin Davis, Wells, tackles Jake Long and Joe Barksdale and guard Davin Joseph — took part in all 76 offensive snaps for the Rams. Guard Rodger Saffold was in 74 snaps, with guard Mike Person (three), center Tim Barnes (three) and guard Greg Robinson (one) getting the other snaps along the offensive line.
On defense, Laurinaitis, McDonald and Ogletree were on the field for all 56 snaps while McLeod and Jenkins took part in 55 apiece.
COOK/DAVIS SIDELINE SHOVE
Fisher played down the exchange between tight end Jared Cook and Austin Davis as a show of raw emotions.
Just after Cook bobbled and dropped what would’ve been a lead-extending touchdown early in the fourth quarter, the tight end shoved Davis as the quarterback tried to console Cook on the sideline.
Hayes quickly confronted Cook, and fellow defensive end Robert Quinn pulled Cook from the area and tried to calm him down.
“I was aware of it. … ‘Cookie’ was frustrated,” Fisher said. “He was mad that he dropped that ball. That’s kind of the heat-of-the-battle stuff, but they’re fine. They were fine immediately after.”
Cook, who took the blame for the loss, patched things up with Davis after the game and later issued an apology on his Twitter account.
SOME GOOD NEWS
Fisher noted that the Rams suffered no significant injuries in the Dallas game.
Following its bye week, the team will return to action Sunday, Oct. 5, against the Eagles in Philadelphia and Fisher is hopeful to have a least some of its injured players back.
“I think we’ve got a real good shot with (receiver) Tavon Austin (knee). I think we’ll have a pretty good shot with (quarterback) Shaun (Hill), and we’ll just see where it goes,” Fisher said.
Asked about cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center Barrett Jones (back), Fisher said, “They’re getting closer.’’
RamBillParticipantFisher frustrated by calls in Dallas game
• By Jim ThomasThe 448 yards produced by the Rams against the Dallas Cowboys was the highest offensive output for the team in a regulation contest in 30 games.
That was Game 6 of the 2012 season, coach Jeff Fisher’s first with the Rams. They had 458 yards three games later, but had an extra quarter to get there in a 24-24 overtime tie with San Francisco.
So Sunday was a rare day offensively for Fisher’s Rams. They outgained the Cowboys by 108 yards. Trouble was, they gave all but four of those yards back via penalty, because the Rams had 119 yards in penalties assessed against them to Dallas’ 15. That’s a 104-yard differential.
Rarely is there such a wide disparity in penalty yards between two teams in one game. In fact, there’s never been as big a disparity in either direction since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995.
The next-biggest differential came under Steve Spagnuolo in 2011, when the Rams were assessed 117 yards in penalties compared to 32 for Baltimore — an 85-yard disparity.
On the other sideline, the biggest differential favoring the Rams came in a 27-24 overtime victory over San Francisco in Game 2 of the 2003 season. The 49ers were assessed 121 yards in penalties, while 43 yards were measured off against the Rams — a disparity of 78 yards.
At his Monday media session, Fisher didn’t realize the historical significance of what happened against Dallas in terms of penalty yards. But he wasn’t happy about the 104-yard differential, and he made that clear.
“Believe me, I looked at them,” Fisher said. “We had several of them that are not fouls, probably four in particular.”
The four Fisher was referring to, in chronological order:
• Penalty No. 1: A roughing the passer call against Eugene Sims late in the second quarter, a play in which referee Clete Blakeman explained Sims delivered a blow to the head.
Replays showed that Sims’ left hand hit Tony Romo’s shoulder, and then, as he was falling over a Dallas blocker, it barely grazed the Dallas quarterback’s helmet.
The NFL rule book states that there has to be forcible contact to the head for there to be a penalty. Former NFL director of officiating Mike Pereira, now a Fox television analyst, was brought into the telecast to assess the call. He said there was not enough contact, and it should not have been a penalty.
The result of the drive was a Dan Bailey field goal to cut the Rams lead to 21-10 at the half. Without the penalty, the Cowboys are left facing a third-and-7 from the St. Louis 37, and maybe they don’t kick a field goal.
• Penalty No. 2: An offensive holding call against wide receiver Kenny Britt late in the third quarter on a running play by Trey Watts.
“I didn’t think that was a foul. The (defender) fell down,” Fisher said.
Instead of having a second-and-3 situation from the Dallas 10, the Rams were pushed back to their 17 (on a spot foul), and settled for a Greg Zuerlein field goal.
• Penalty No. 3: Late in the fourth quarter, Sims was called for holding on a play in which he sacked Romo for an 11-yard loss to the Dallas 9. Blakeman’s crew ruled that Sims had impeded Dallas wide receiver Terrance Williams, who was in motion and hadn’t reached the line of scrimmage, from running a pass route.
Both Fox analysts working the game —Daryl Johnston (a former Cowboy) and Tony Siragusa — strongly stated that it shouldn’t have been a penalty, and that it was simply a great play by Sims. Johnston even said he would coach a defensive end to handle the play exactly the same way because you wouldn’t be sure if Williams was blocking or going out on a pattern.
“The Eugene Sims (holding) play is not a foul,” Fisher said. “It was a huge play. We have a sack and we have a third-and-21. If we create an incomplete pass (on the next play), they’re punting out of the end zone. At that time in the game, it’s a huge field-position swing. That’s an incorrect call.”
At the time, the Rams trailed 34-31 with 2 minutes 24 seconds left to play. They lost a potential 40 yards in field position as a result of the call, and also had to burn their final two timeouts.
• Penalty No. 4: The Rams got the ball back four plays later at their 24 on a Chris Jones punt. But Janoris Jenkins was called for holding on the play, and the Rams took over at their 14 yard after the penalty yardage was stepped off.
“And there’s no foul there in my opinion,” Fisher said. “That’s a huge field position swing considering we started that drive on the 14-yard line. So I’m disappointed in that.”
In summary, Fisher added: “But to answer you question — the disparity? I don’t know. In my opinion, there were a dozen or so, maybe more, offensive holds that weren’t called (against) the Cowboys.”
He said defensive tackle Kendall Langford was pulled down by a Dallas blocker on the 68-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Dez Bryant early in the third quarter. But there was no call. In fact, Fisher said there were touchdowns against Tampa Bay and Minnesota that should’ve been called back because of penalties that weren’t called — a false start that wasn’t called against the Buccaneers and a holding call that wasn’t made against Minnesota.
“So technically, we’ve had three touchdowns scored against us that were improperly officiated,” Fisher said.
Even so, Fisher said the Rams have to play beyond the calls by minimizing mistakes of their own doing.
“The penalties didn’t create our turnovers,” Fisher said. “The penalties didn’t cause the interception return for a touchdown. We weren’t penalized when we fumbled the snap at midfield. So we can control the things that we can control, and we didn’t do it well enough to win this game.”
RamBillParticipantBurwell: Penalties are killing the Rams
• By BRYAN BURWELLAt the absolute height of their down-and-dirty championship existence, Detroit Pistons players and coaches understood a thing or two about the high cost of doing business when you strut around the basketball globe with “Bad Boys” as your calling card and mayhem as your perceived mode of operation.
Chuck Daly, the ultra-cool Svengali of the Bad Boys, used to constantly harp about “land mines being everywhere.”
It was the veteran coach’s public concession to the real or imagined handicaps that came with trying to corral his eccentric menagerie as they pillaged the NBA countryside.
Strange things would happen during the course of Pistons games. Whistles would tweet, phantom fouls would be called and referees would unapologetically sneer at the Detroit players when they stomped, cussed and complained that they hadn’t laid a glove on the opposing player.
“Yeah, this time,” refs repeatedly barked at them. “Well then that’s for the 100 other calls you know you SOBs got away with.”
As it turns out, there’s a cult among these St. Louis Rams that has embraced the Bad Boy Pistons as kindred competitive spirits.
Mostly it’s the special-teams guys, who have even watched the ESPN documentary on the Detroit hoops dynasty in team meetings and want to play with that same bold, intimidating swagger. But Jeff Fisher-coached teams have long harbored a reputation as edgy, intimidating bad boys, and now it sure does seem as though that rep is beginning to haunt them.
After three games, they are tied for sixth in the NFL in penalties (26) and second in penalty yards (305). Put that together with the first two years under Fisher and the Rams clearly are one of the most penalized teams in the NFL over the past three seasons.
Last year, they ranked third in penalties (123) and fourth in penalty yardage (1,009). In 2012, they were called for a league-high 130 penalties and ranked third in penalty yardage (978).
To put this season’s numbers into perspective, the Rams are on pace for a staggering 138 penalties and 1,627 penalty yards.
Every week, they keep getting called for penalties. Some of them clearly are of their own doing. But some of them are products of some strange hocus pocus.
To put it into Bad Boy vernacular, these are the “land mines” that the Rams keep stepping on. These are the unfortunate residue of three consecutive years of being considered one of the most penalized teams in pro football. These are the very real handicaps that the Rams are coping with, and not so well, I might add.
If they want to be like the Bad Boy Pistons, they better dig deeper into the legend. Detroit loved a good conspiracy, and truly believed the refs were out to get them. Heck, they believed the whole world was out to get them. But as paranoid as they might have been, part of their championship mystique was they knew every night they walked onto the floor they had to overcome their own dark reputations.
And how did they do that?
By being so darned good that it didn’t matter if the world was out to get them.
The Bad Boy Pistons rarely beat themselves.
The Bad Boy Rams do with a disturbing frequency.
On Monday afternoon at Rams Park, Fisher flexed his muscles as one of the league’s most influential coaches by skillfully criticizing the way officials are calling penalties on his team.
In truth, he had several legitimate beefs after reviewing game footage of his team’s 34-31 loss Sunday to the Dallas Cowboys.
“Believe me, I looked at them,” said Fisher. “I’m disappointed. We had several of them that are not fouls, probably four in particular.”
By now, we can all recite the blown calls by the officials without a script. The two most obvious ones involved defensive end Eugene Sims, who was called for roughing the passer (supposedly on an imaginary blow to Tony Romo’s helmet) and a defensive hold on a fourth-quarter sack that didn’t happen, either.
When asked if he could explain the disparity in the calls on Sunday (the Rams were whistled for a staggering 104 more penalty yards than Dallas), Fisher figuratively threw up his hands.
“I don’t know,” he said. “(But) in my opinion, there were a dozen or so, maybe more, offensive holds that weren’t called by the Cowboys. The penalties didn’t create our turnovers. The penalties didn’t cause the interception return for a touchdown. We weren’t penalized when we fumbled the snap at midfield. We can control the things that we can control and we didn’t do it well enough to win this game.”
The Bad Boy Pistons were so darned good at the mischief and mayhem they created, they rarely were caught at the scene of the crime holding the smoking gun. Mostly, when they did get busted by the refs it was for the equivalent of tax evasion.
But there was so much substance that went along with that intimidating Bad Boy style. They were the smartest team in the room. They were gifted and disciplined and full of future Hall of Fame talent and they out-executed everyone they faced, including Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Larry Bird’s Celtics and Magic Johnson’s Lakers.
And when they did lose, they didn’t beat themselves.
The Rams seem to always find ways to beat themselves.
So while it’s perfectly justified for these young Rams to harbor a little healthy dose of referee paranoia, they’d be far better served to eliminate the maddening self-destructive miscues that seem to haunt them on every given Sunday.
September 22, 2014 at 11:14 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8279RamBillParticipantTen Takeaways from Sunday’s 34-31 Loss to Dallas
By Randy Karrakerhttp://www.101sports.com/2014/09/21/ten-takeaways-sundays-34-31-loss-dallas/
1. There should be no Rams quarterback controversy. Yes, I know Jeff Fisher says Shaun Hill is still his starter. But Austin Davis should be the guy. I don’t know what Hill can do, but I do know that Davis is 25, has played well in his two starts and has a chance to get much better. When you have the youngest team in the NFL, what sense does it make to go with a 34-year-old QB like Hill when you have someone who can ascend with the team? The Rams aren’t going to the Super Bowl this year. Let Davis learn his craft and rise with the rest of the kids.
2. Gregg Williams may be a great defensive coordinator, but his team has allowed more points than everyone except Jacksonville and Tampa. Granted, Davis has thrown a pair of pick-six interceptions, but the defense leaks like a sieve. No team should ever give up a 21-0 lead.
A team that has led the NFL in sacks over the last two years has one sack through three games, none from Robert Quinn. The Rams lost the turnover battle against Dallas, taking the ball away twice and turning it over three times. The statistics of 155 yards rushing allowed per game, and 5.1 per carry, are both in the bottom half-dozen in the NFL.
Fisher and Williams have a lot to work on over the bye week, and as Fisher said after the game, “our defense needs to get better in all areas right now.”
3. Wouldn’t you think that of all items to communicate about with the Cowboys in town, who is covering Dez Bryant would be at the top of the list? I know miscommunications occur, but when Janoris Jenkins came off Bryant and there was no help deep, I was astounded. I think you have to account for him at all times.
4. There are some alarming trends about the Rams’ 2014 draft class. When the offense went to an offset goal-line formation, Tim Barnes joined the fray as an extra tackle, and when left guard Rodger Saffold had to leave with an equipment issue, Mike Person stepped in. The second pick in the draft, Greg Robinson, stayed on the sideline in a couple of instances when the Rams went to a formation the required a mauler.
Their second first-rounder, Aaron Donald, got playing time on the defensive line (one tackle, behind the line of scrimmage), and second-round pick Lamarcus Joyner (two tackles) was a regular nickel back. Third-round pick Tre Mason did not dress while undrafted running back Trey Watts did, and fourth-round pick Mo Alexander didn’t dress, either.
Super Bowl champion Seattle’s top five picks were second-round wide receiver Paul Richardson out of Colorado (one target, one catch in the Super Bowl rematch vs. Denver) and Mizzou tackle Justin Britt (starting right tackle), plus three fourth-round picks: UCLA defensive end Cassius Marsh (four tackles on defense), Alabama wide receiver Kevin Norwood (inactive) and Boston College linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis (one special teams tackle as a core special teamer).
In rounds one, two, three and five, Super Bowl runner-up Denver took Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby (five tackles vs. Seattle), Indiana wide reciver Cody Latimer (inactive), Michigan tackle Cody Schofield (inactive) and LSU linebacker Lamin Barrow (one special teams tackle as a core special teamer).
I would hope that a team that finished 7-9 and had two of the top 13 picks in the draft would get more out of their draft early on than the two Super Bowl teams from the year before. I understand that the Rams had a nice young core coming back, but isn’t it strange that Seattle has a second-round tackle from Mizzou starting, and the Rams can’t get the second pick on the field as a backup? Alarming.
5. The Rams’ 50 penalties through three games are fifth in the NFL, and their 305 penalty yards are second. It’s really hard to win consistently when you give the opposition 100 yards per game. Sunday’s damage: eight infractions for 119 yards. And you can blame the officials, but as Brad Thompson says in “The Fast Lane,” “don’t like it? Play better.”
6. I had no problem with Fisher going for the jugular on the fourth-and-inches at the Dallas 15 midway through the third quarter. To that point, the Rams had run the ball 22 times, and had been stopped for no gain twice, one of those an end-around to Jared Cook. On that drive, the Rams had runs of 7, 7, 5 and one yards. Good call. Bad execution. Speaking of calls, Brian Schottenheimer had a brilliant game plan and called perhaps the best offensive game since Mike Martz was calling plays.
7. I have a friend who would randomly text me to say Brian Quick was a bust. I have yet to hear from him this season. Quick is ninth in the NFL with 16 catches and 10th in average per catch at 14.7. And he’s done it with Hill and Davis, rather than starter Sam Bradford.
8. I was sitting next to Michelle Smallmon in the press box, and she was mortified that Cook would push Davis after he dropped a touchdown pass. I could see me doing the same thing – a little blackout rage. And Davis understands. “On the sidelines we’re all frustrated, trying to keep it together,” the quarterback said. “I mean that’s stuff happens all the time. We talked, we’re fine. I didn’t even think twice of it.”
9. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to put Barnes in as the starting center. Scott Wells has not had a good start, and his fumble was inexcusable. He’s smart and has had a great career, but really has had a bad three games. Barnes is likely the future at that spot, anyway.
10. It was great to have owner Stan Kroenke in the house. He was treated to an entertaining contest. I don’t know if Stan was a football Cardinal fan back in the day, but if he wasn’t, now he knows why I hate the Cowboys. Welcome to my world. The story of my youth was watching Dallas (in their blue jerseys) fall behind early, get all the calls in St. Louis and win a game late. So Sunday was just more of the same for me.
September 22, 2014 at 4:55 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8247RamBillParticipantTurning point play: Wells botches snap
By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11996/turning-po
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Here’s this week’s look back at the turning point play from the St. Louis Rams’ 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys:
The situation: With 42 seconds left in the first half, the Rams had a 21-7 lead and faced a third-and-1 at the Dallas 44. Quarterback Austin Davis had hit receiver Kenny Britt for a 9-yard gain on the previous play to put the Rams in position to keep their drive alive. The Rams used a timeout after the completion to Britt but still had two remaining.
The play: The Rams lined up in a tight two-by-two formation with Austin Pettis lined up wide right and Stedman Bailey in the right slot. To the left, tight end Jared Cook was in the slot with Britt wide left. Davis lined up in the shotgun with running back Trey Watts set to his right. Before the snap, Davis sends Watts in motion to his right but center Scott Wells appears to snap the ball before Davis is ready. But it didn’t matter because somehow Wells snapped the ball as though Davis was under center rather than in the shotgun. Davis flinches thinking the ball is coming before he’s ready but that would’ve been better than what actually happened.
Wells let go of the ball as he would any other normal snap under center and the ball fell softly to the ground. Cowboys defensive tackle Henry Melton recovered at the Dallas 47.
“Obviously, he thought we were under center and brought the ball up and we were in gun,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “That’s pretty much all on Scott. Fortunately, we were able to hold them to a field goal.”
The fallout: The Rams were indeed able to hold the Cowboys to a field goal after the aborted play but the repercussions of the mistake were felt well into the second half. Instead of keeping a drive alive and adding either another field goal or a touchdown before the half, Dallas got a 29-yard field goal to cut the Rams’ lead to 21-10. The swing of six or possibly 10 points was a big one and the Cowboys continued their surge by opening the second half with a 68-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant to continue cutting the Rams’ lead. Bryant’s touchdown catch and a few other plays could easily have been this week’s turning point play, but the turnover on the snap was the first domino to fall as the Cowboys surged back to steal the victory.
RamBillParticipantLate holding penalty frustrates Rams
By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11990/late-holding-penalty-frustrates-rams
EARTH CITY, Mo. — For all the things that happened to cause the St. Louis Rams’ 21-0 lead to dissipate into a 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, they still had a chance to win the game in the closing minutes.
After quarterback Austin Davis found receiver Austin Pettis for a touchdown to cut it to 34-31, the Rams elected to kick off and try to get a stop on defense with all three of their timeouts and the two-minute warning available.
The Rams stuffed Dallas running back DeMarco Murray for no gain on first down to bring up second-and-10 from Dallas’ 20. In need of first downs to ice the game, the Cowboys called for a pass with two and a half minutes left. Quarterback Tony Romo faked a handoff and rolled to his right. From his spot at left defensive end Eugene Sims made contact with Dallas receiver Terrance Williams, who was coming back across the formation.
Sims immediately came off of Williams and got to Romo, dropping him for an apparent sack and a loss of 11 at the Dallas 9. But a flag came out moments later. The call? Defensive holding on Sims. Instead of third-and-21 from the 9, it became first-and-10 from the 25.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher declined to comment on some of the calls that went against the Rams in the loss after the game, saying he needed to see the game tape first, but he couldn’t help himself when asked about the call against Sims again.
“I’m hoping they got the wrong jersey number on the hold there on Eugene,” Fisher said. “I’m really hoping that maybe there was a hold somewhere else on the defense.”
By all accounts, though, the call was indeed against Sims.
A pool reporter sought explanation from referee Clete Blakeman, who offered little substance in explaining the call.
“I have not seen a replay of it, so I can’t really comment on specifics like that,” Blakeman said. “But that’s what was reported to me — that there was a grab and a restriction of an eligible receiver by No. 97.”
Most Rams preferred not to discuss the penalty on the record for fear of fines from the league but without the recorders running, there were plenty of angry responses, most of which wouldn’t be fit to print here anyway.
Further review of the play later shows the Rams have every reason to have a beef with the call. Sims did make contact with Williams but it wasn’t even close to a hold. Williams was coming from inside the formation and could easily have been a blocker in that situation. At absolute worst, it was the equivalent of a jam at the line by a corner rather than a hold.
Mike Pereira, the NFL’s former vice president of officiating, who offers real time analysis of calls around the league, agreed that the call was incorrect.
But for whatever reason, the Rams never seem to get the benefit of the doubt on any calls that are even close. Sims, in particular, seems a magnet for questionable flags. In the past two weeks, he’s been called for four infractions for a total of 50 yards. Earlier Sunday, he earned a flag for roughing the passer when it appeared he hit Romo on the shoulder with his hand.
Dallas eventually punted but from its 32 rather than deep in its own territory and by then the Rams had burned all of their timeouts. They started their final drive at their 14 and came up short when Davis had to force a pass down the sideline in an effort to make up the yards lost by the penalty. That pass was intercepted and Dallas kneeled twice for the win.
September 22, 2014 at 10:02 am in reply to: post-Dallas vids: Pettis, Fisher, Austin Davis, Watts, Cody Davis #8211RamBillParticipantRams head coach Jeff Fisher talks it over with Fox 2 Sports Sports reporter Charlie Marlow after his team’s 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. It was a game that the Rams led 21-0. (2:12)
http://www.rams-news.com/coach-fisher-after-rams-loss-to-cowboys-fox-2-video/
September 22, 2014 at 9:56 am in reply to: post-Dallas vids: Pettis, Fisher, Austin Davis, Watts, Cody Davis #8210RamBillParticipantDown 21-0, the Dallas Cowboys stormed back to beat the Rams 34-31 Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis turned the ball over three times and had eight penalties for 119 yards. Fox 2’s Zac Choate reports from the Edward Jones Dome with comments from Quinn, Stacy, Saffold, Cook, and Davis.
http://www.rams-news.com/cowboys-overcome-21-point-deficit-shock-rams-video/
September 22, 2014 at 9:48 am in reply to: post-Dallas vids: Pettis, Fisher, Austin Davis, Watts, Cody Davis #8208RamBillParticipantDespite losing 34-31 to the Cowboys Sunday, the play of QB Austin Davis provided a ray of hope for the Rams. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell reports from the Edward Jones Dome. (2:28)
http://www.rams-news.com/bryan-burwell-good-news-bad-news-for-rams-video/
RamBillParticipantMorning Ram-blings: Monday game balls
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11972/morning-ram-blings-monday-game-balls-3
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Per our emerging Monday tradition, here’s a look at the chart of game balls handed out by our NFL Nation reporters with live looks at every game in the league from Sunday.
Some interesting performances around the league earned game balls for everyone from the common names like Julius Peppers and Andrew Luck to lesser knowns such as Baltimore’s Lorenzo Taliaferro and Kansas City’s Joe McKnight. A new hero emerges every week in the NFL.
As for my game ball, for the second week in a row it goes to Rams quarterback Austin Davis. Davis got the real one from coach Jeff Fisher last week but now it’s on Fisher to consider giving him much more, like say a starting job on a more permanent basis.
I.C.Y.M.I.
A roundup of Sunday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … Before the game began, we filed a quick look at the Rams’ inactives, which included receiver Tavon Austin sitting out with a knee injury. … Rapid Reaction offered my initial thoughts and observations from the Rams’ 34-31 loss. … Locker Room Buzz offered thoughts on Jared Cook’s dropped pass and subsequent sideline antics as well as the quarterback situation. … We then came with a little longer look at the situation between Cook and Davis with thoughts from all parties. … The Rams defense has disappointed in the first three weeks and took that disappointment to a new level Sunday. … Finally, Fisher has a bye week to think about his quarterback situation and should use it to come to the conclusion that Davis is his starter.
Elsewhere:
Cowboys reporter Todd Archer takes us through a big fourth-down stop by Dallas linebacker Anthony Hitchens.
Archer and Jean-Jacques Taylor break things down from the Cowboys side.
Tim McMahon covers the big play that resulted in receiver Dez Bryant’s 68-yard touchdown catch.
At 101sports.com, Fisher gives his thoughts on the day’s events to Steve Savard and D’Marco Farr.
At stltoday.com, Jeff Gordon hands out his weekly grades.
Jim Thomas recaps the loss.
September 22, 2014 at 1:36 am in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8187RamBillParticipantBurwell: Young QB Davis shows he can lead team
• By BRYAN BURWELLFeel free to lament the plight of the Rams as this frustratingly incomplete football team is stuck on the proverbial hamster wheel. They churn and they churn, they spin and they sweat, but always seemingly going nowhere fast. So here we are heading into a Week 4 bye in the NFL season and we are already wondering when (if?) everything is going to click between new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and all his creative Xs and Os and a talented defense that so far hasn’t lived up to its enormous promise.
So while we impatiently wait for the inevitable defensive breakthrough (We think. We hope???) to occur and for the Rams to stop giving up 34-point spasms to the ordinary likes of the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys, allow me to pass along this sliver of hope for something a little more upbeat about the Rams’ current wheel-spinning status.
Sunday inside the noisy Edward Jones Dome, while the Rams defense was getting gashed at all the most inopportune moments in this 34-31 loss to the Cowboys, coach Jeff Fisher got a confirmation of something he has suspected all along. Young Austin Davis is a quarterback he can believe in.
Don’t expect the coach to blurt out his unconditional love for the second-year QB with only two NFL starts on his resume. At least not just yet. But privately, Fisher probably already knows what most Rams followers have been rooting for all along. This undrafted passer with the on-field swagger of a high-round draft pick gives the Rams offense a chance to be something more than an unsightly, two-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust yawn machine.
The Rams suddenly look like an offense that has weapons. They can run the ball, but they can go airborne whenever they please. They can beat you on deep routes down the sideline or dig routes into the teeth of the secondary. They can beat you in the wide-open spaces in the middle of the field or cash in on touchdowns in the confined real estate of the red zone.
Davis had a few unfortunate glitches, including a killer pick-6 fourth-quarter interception that all but ended the Rams’ chance at knocking off the Cowboys. But for most of the game, he was as impressive as you could imagine. Davis completed 30 of 42 passes for a career-high 327 yards and three TD’s and a 98.0 pass efficiency rating.
But for the second week in a row, Davis proved that he is more than capable of running the Rams offense as well as any veteran with far more years of service under his belt. When asked what he thought of young Davis’ performance, Fisher didn’t hesitate to offer him praise, knowing full well that every word he utters will somehow be picked apart to look for signs of a budding QB controversy.
“Oh I think you saw how he played,” said the head coach.
He didn’t bother rattling off the stats, only mentioning the two picks that he obviously would love to have back and the dropped TD pass by tight end Jared Cook that could have dramatically changed Sunday’s outcome. “I thought he played well enough for us to win,” said Fisher.
And of course, you know where this is going right?
OHHHH MY GAWD!!!! Who is Fisher going to start at quarterback in two weeks when the Rams travel to Philadelphia on Oct. 5 after the bye week?
Hello QB controversy. We are still in the lower range of such stuff because this QB controversy is still in lower case. Shaun Hill is still nursing a tender thigh injury, which means he could still be at least a week or two away from being ready to play in an NFL game. So when asked if Davis’ play had forced him to reconsider his belief that Hill will take back the starter’s job when he is healthy, Fisher smiled.
“No,” he said. “I’ve stood behind that decision.”
Trust me on this. Fisher won’t spend a moment fretting over this. He won’t give up his decision on whether Davis has done enough to earn the job until he absolutely, positively has to make that decision. I believe the earliest possible date for him to tip his hand will be two weeks from now on the morning of that Eagles game.
But know this. Davis has done enough to win the job. He has completed 72.3 percent of his passes (68 of 94 attempts) for 754 yards and three touchdowns in three games. He has a QB pass efficiency rating of 93.1. But the biggest thing that you have to understand about Davis’ impact on the Rams is that Fisher now knows he isn’t handcuffed into coaching those grinding, unsightly offensive game plans that count on slogging through aesthetically unappealing 16-14 games.
The Rams can move the ball with Davis behind center. They can score with Davis. They can throw the ball deep with accuracy with Davis. They can challenge any defense that wants to load up the box to stop the running game and make them pay for that indiscretion. And all with Davis distributing the ball all over the field (he targeted six different receivers four or more times on Sunday and completed passes to eight different targets).
This is his job and we all know it, and we don’t need Fisher to say it publicly to make it so.
For now, though, Davis is playing this like the cool politician. “Well I’m not really thinking about it, honestly,” he told reporters on Sunday. “Coach Fisher has been pretty clear, when Shaun is healthy, he’ll be the starter. Until I hear different, that’s my approach.”
If he keeps playing like this, he will hear different soon enough.
Now about that defense …
September 22, 2014 at 1:31 am in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8184RamBillParticipantRams notes: Cook apologizes for shoving Davis
• By Jim ThomasFrom a Rams perspective, it wasn’t the prettiest moment in Sunday’s Rams-Cowboys game.
Tight end Jared Cook had just bobbled and dropped what would’ve been a lead-extending touchdown pass from quarterback Austin Davis on third-and-3 from the Dallas 10.
A touchdown would’ve given the Rams a 28-20 lead with 13 minutes 28 seconds to play. Instead, they settled for a Greg Zuerlein field goal and a 24-20 advantage.
In what ended up as a 34-31 Cowboys victory, it was four points lost for the Rams. Cook was upset with himself and took it out on Davis a few seconds later on the St. Louis sideline. Davis came up to console Cook, and Cook responded by aggressively shoving Davis.
Defensive end William Hayes, with help from defensive end Robert Quinn, pulled Cook away and tried to calm him down.
“I was just mad,” Cook said in the locker room after the game. “(Davis) was just trying to talk to me. It was just one of those times where you want to be on your own, you know? He was just being a good teammate.”
Davis said the sideline blowup was heat of the moment, and no big deal.
“Obviously, he can’t put this game on himself,” Davis said. “You can go down the list, there were numerous plays that we all could’ve made to change the outcome of the game.
“On the sidelines, we’re all frustrated, trying to keep it together. I mean, that stuff happens all the time. We talked, we’re fine. I didn’t even think twice of it.”
Cook had trouble with drops last season, but Sunday’s drop was his first of 2014. Davis threw the ball before Cook even made his break and hit him in stride in the end zone.
Cook finished with seven catches for 75 yards, matching his single-game high for receptions as a Ram.
Several hours after the game, Cook issued an apology via his Twitter account (@jaredcook89):
“There is never an excuse for unsportsmanlike conduct and I apologize to everyone. I want to thank my teammates again, Austin Davis and William Hayes, for their support on the sidelines, the Rams on the sidelines, and especially to all our fans for whom we fight so hard for your love and your continued support.”
BIRONAS DEATH
A couple of hours after the game, coach Jeff Fisher issued a statement on the death of former Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas in a car crash Saturday night in Nashville at age 36.
“I had six great years with Rob in Tennessee,” Fisher said in the statement. “He was a great player as well as an outstanding teammate. While he made memorable contributions on the field, his work and character off the field were just as significant. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Rachel, and the Bironas and Bradshaw families.”
Bironas’ wife is the daughter of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
SITTING IT OUT
Rams inactives Sunday were: WR/punt returner Tavon Austin (knee), CB Trumaine Johnson (knee), C/G Barrett Jones (back), CB Brandon McGee (foot), RB Tre Mason, S Maurice Alexander and QB Case Keenum.
With Keenum sitting, the Rams dressed only two quarterbacks with Shaun Hill (thigh) backing up Davis. FB/TE Cory Harkey played despite missing most of the practice week with a sprained knee.
Because of Harkey’s injury, the team dressed a fourth tight end just in case: undrafted rookie Alex Bayer, who saw his first NFL action.
RAM-BLINGS
• Fisher reported no Rams injuries after the game.
• Rams owner Stan Kroenke was in the house Sunday.
• For the second week in a row, Davis spread the ball around, once again completing at least one pass to eight different receivers.
September 22, 2014 at 12:30 am in reply to: post-Dallas vids: Pettis, Fisher, Austin Davis, Watts, Cody Davis #8170RamBillParticipantSt. Louis Rams reporter Casey Phillips chats with Cody Davis following the Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
http://www.rams-news.com/one-on-one-with-rams-safety-cody-davis-video/
September 21, 2014 at 11:45 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8159RamBillParticipantRams fall apart in 34-31 loss
• BY JIM THOMASStrong safety T.J. McDonald was at a loss for words.
Defensive end Williams Hayes said his head was spinning.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis wanted to rip his head off.
That pretty much says it all about the Rams’ latest loss, 34-31 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
Dominant in the first half, the Rams squandered a 21-0 lead to lose for the second time in three games in 2014.
They matched DeMarco Murray and the potent Cowboys’ running game yard for yard. They converted 62 percent of their third-down opportunities (eight for 13), and outgained Dallas by 108 yards.
They at least kept the lid on Murray, who gained an even 100 yards rushing — 114 yards less than his per-game average in two previous meetings with the Rams.
But in typical RAC fashion — that’s Rams Are Cursed — they found a way to lose.
“We really let this one slip away,” left guard Rodger Saffold said.
The path to defeat included 119 yards in penalties on eight flags, including a controversial defensive holding call on defensive end Eugene Sims late in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys meanwhile were flagged a mere three times for 15 yards by referee Clete Blakeman’s crew.
Quarterback Austin Davis threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns, but also tossed two interceptions — the first of which was returned 25 yards for a back-breaking TD by linebacker Bruce Carter that gave Dallas a 34-24 lead with 5 minutes 58 seconds to play.
And don’t forget that botched snap by center Scott Wells, on a play where Davis was in shotgun formation yet Wells snapped it as if Davis was under center. Dallas recovered the loose ball near midfield and turned it into a field goal just before halftime.
Mincing no words, coach Jeff Fisher said afterwards: “That’s pretty much all on Scott.”
Fisher continued: “You go up 21-0 and you know you can’t ever let up. That’s precisely why I went for it on fourth and (six inches). We needed touchdowns and we needed to execute, and we didn’t.”
Saffold put the blame on himself when Zac Stacy was dropped for a two-yard loss at the Dallas 16 on that fourth-and-inches play midway through the third quarter.
“They submarined us and knocked us off our feet,” Saffold said. “Couldn’t get up to hit him. That one, I put on myself. Honestly I feel like I lost the game for us. If I would’ve hit the middle linebacker (Anthony Hitchens), Zac would’ve still been running.”
That may be true, but Saffold and the left side of the line got a good initial surge. On what was a slow-developing play, that should’ve been enough.
Saffold wasn’t the only player to say he cost the Rams the game. Tight end Jared Cook dropped what would’ve been a lead-extending touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, on a play he bobbled but then almost caught again before it fell to the turf.
“‘Almost’ doesn’t count, right?” Cook said. “I feel like that was a game we should’ve won. That’s my fault. I put that on my shoulders.”
Meanwhile, it was feast or famine for cornerback Janoris Jenkins. He gave the Rams a 21-0 lead with 6:06 left in the first half when he jumped in front of a short out route pass from Dallas quarterback Tony Romo intended for Dez Bryant and returned his interception 25 yards for a score.
It was Jenkins’ fifth defensive touchdown in the NFL, but his first since his rookie season of 2012.
Then came the famine. He got tagged with a 33-yard pass interference call trying to defend Bryant midway through the fourth. The penalty gave the Cowboys a first down on the St. Louis 20, and they scored on a 12-yard pass from Romo to Terrance Williams three plays later to take the lead for the first time all day, 27-24.
Earlier, on the fourth play of the third quarter, Bryant turned Jenkins around on a double move. There was no safety help after Bryant raced past Jenkins, making for an easy 68-yard TD pass to start the half. The rapidly-shrinking Rams lead was down to 21-17 at that point.
Even with all that, the Rams appeared to be on course for great field position and a chance for a comeback victory or at least a field goal and overtime, trailing 34-31 with 2½ minutes to play. Sims stormed around left end to sack Romo for an 11-yard loss back to the Dallas 9.
But wait. There was a flag on the play. Defensive holding, Rams, No. 97.
After the game, Fisher said, “I’m hoping they got the wrong jersey number on the hold there on Eugene (Sims). I’m really hoping that maybe there was a hold somewhere else on the defense.”
Which was Fisher’s way of saying: There’s no way that was holding on Sims.
But Blakeman told a pool reporter afterwards that the call was on Sims.
“It was reported to me that there was a receiver that was coming across the formation, and there was a grab and a restriction of that receiver by No. 97 (Sims),” Blakeman said. “It’s a judgment call by our line judge (Ron Marinucci).”
A holding penalty against a pass rusher who ended up sacking the quarterback?
“I don’t know that,” Blakeman replied. “I have not seen a replay of it, so I can’t really comment on specifics like that. But that’s what was reported to me — that there was a grab and a restriction of an eligible receiver by No. 97.”
Most Rams were surprised — no, make that shocked — by the call because it looked like the receiver, Terrance Williams, was blocking — not trying to get out on a pass pattern.
“I turn around, I see the flag,” Sims said. “And I asked him (Blakeman) what was going on. … I didn’t think I held him and the replay didn’t look like I was holding him.”
Off the record, many Rams players disputed the call in expletive-laced fashion. Cook didn’t mince words.
“I thought that was crap,” Cook said of the call. “How do you know if the guy’s blocking you or running past you? All he did was touch him. He didn’t even grab him.”
So instead of a third-and-21 for Dallas on their 9, the Cowboys had a first down at their 25. The Rams had to burn their final two timeouts and lost maybe 30 yards of field position before they got the ball back.
It was that kind of day — actually, it’s been that kind of decade — for the Rams.
September 21, 2014 at 11:35 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8157RamBillParticipantRams offense gets going but mistakes lead to loss
• By Joe LyonsThe Rams did a lot of the things they wanted to do against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday afternoon at the Edward Jones Dome.
Except win.
The home team moved the ball on the ground and through the air, finishing with 448 net yards to 340 for Dallas. The Rams had 26 first downs — the Cowboys had 19 — and the Rams also won the time-of-possession battle 32:50 to 27:10.
But Dallas came away with the 34-31 victory.
“No matter the situation, any loss is tough to take,’’ Rams running back Zac Stacy said. “Overall, I thought we did a pretty decent job of executing today. But at the end of the day, especially after being up 21-0, we have to be able to finish.
“It was just a couple of miscues and some miscommunication that killed us.’’
Benny Cunningham, another second-year back, agreed: “The really frustrating thing about today was that we were so close to closing out the game at so many different points and just couldn’t get it done.’’
The Rams’ opening drive was a thing of beauty. Moving down the field with a mix of runs and pass plays, they went 80 yards on 15 plays and took nearly nine minutes off the clock while grabbing a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard pass from Austin Davis to tight end Lance Kendricks.
Making his second NFL start, Davis completed 6 of 7 passes for 40 yards on the drive while Stacy picked up 24 yards on four carries and showed some elusiveness with a 14-yard pickup after hauling in a short pass from Davis.
“It’s always good to open (with) a drive like that,’’ Stacy said. “It’s just a matter of execution, whatever play is called, we try to execute to the best of our abilities. We want to have that mentality each and every week.’’
The Rams’ defense halted Dallas’ first drive as linebacker Alec Ogletree ran down the Cowboys’ DeMarco Murray from behind on a pass play and stripped the NFL’s leading rusher of the ball. Cody Davis recovered the fumble.
Six plays later, on the initial snap of the second quarter, Davis hooked up with Brian Quick on a 51-yard bomb down the left side to make it 14-0. The lead went to 21-0 with about 6 minutes to play in the first half when the Rams’ Janoris Jenkins picked off a Tony Romo pass intended for Dez Bryant and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
The Rams were up 21-7 and driving late in the first half when center Scott Wells botched a snap and Dallas recovered the fumble. A late Dallas field goal cut the Rams’ halftime lead to 21-10.
After the Cowboys scored again to make it 21-17 early in the second half on a blown coverage that resulted in a 68-yard Romo-to-Bryant touchdown pass, the Rams were moving again when Kenny Britt came up inches short after catching a Davis pass on a third-and-three from the Dallas 17.
On the fourth-and-inches try, the Cowboys stuffed Stacy.
“The defense made the play,’’ Stacy said. “That’s a must-have situation and we didn’t get it done.’’
Rams coach Jeff Fisher added: “We got stuffed inside. … We were knocking them off the ball consistently today.
“We needed the points against this football team. If I had to do it all over again, we’re going to go on fourth-and-inches. Running teams make those plays.’’
For the most part, the Rams’ run game was solid on Sunday. Stacy, who fell just 27 yards short of reaching the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie last year, ran for 67 yards on 12 carries (5.6 a carry) and added five catches for a career-best 54 receiving yards while Cunningham rushed nine times for 29 yards and added a 5-yard reception.
Rookie Trey Watts, an undrafted free agent from Tulsa, saw his first action from scrimmage this season and finished with 24 yards on five carries. As a team, the Rams ran 30 times for 121 yards, averaging 4.0 per carry.
The Rams ran 22 times for 72 yards (3.3 per carry) in the season-opening 34-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and followed with 119 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries (4.1 per carry) in last weekend’s 19-17 win over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We controlled the line of scrimmage and kept our quarterback clean for the most part,’’ guard Rodger Saffold said of Sunday’s loss. “We moved the ball, we picked up good yardage and we got first downs. We were physical on both sides of the ball and the overall effort was positive.
“It’s disappointing because we had chances to make big plays and put this game away. But again, we just keep finding ways to beat ourselves.’’
The Rams head into their bye week at 1-2. They return to action Oct. 5 in Philadelphia against the Eagles, who will carry a 3-0 record into next weekend’s game at San Francisco.
“It was a tough loss and we’re pretty down right now,’’ Cunningham said. “But I know this team — we’re a bunch of fighters — and I expect we’re going to take this loss as motivation and come together and hopefully find a way to close out the next one.’’Stacy added: “We’ll watch the tape and we’ll move on.’’
September 21, 2014 at 11:19 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8156RamBillParticipantGordon: Rams still haven’t found what they’re looking for
• By Jeff GordonRams coach Jeff Fisher tried to polish up another agonizing loss with words of encouragement for his team.
“Despite the fact that this is a very, very difficult loss for us and the way they’re feeling right now, there’s significant improvement in this football team this week and today,” he said after his team’s come-from-ahead 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
“We’ve still got some work to do,” he said. “We’ve got some time to look at what we’re doing and make some adjustments and heal up and we’ll go from there.
“But I’m very disappointed for our players because they played very, very hard and very smart today.”
Such happy talk would be great if this were Year 1 of the Fisher Regime, or even Year 2. But now we’re into Year 3 and the Rams lost two of the three games during the easiest portion of their schedule.
They go into their bye week knowing they have little chance of contending this season, which was their stated goal. Just as they have the previous two years, the Rams are finding new ways to lose.
Will the misery ever end out at Rams Park?
A botched shotgun snap and a dropped touchdown pass proved costly. Those mistakes were made by center Scott Wells and Jared Cook respectively.
Those are two of the team’s high-priced veterans. Those mistakes sting more than a touchdown interception tossed by a fill-in quarterback, mishaps by youngsters in the secondary or dubious penalties called on a back-up defensive end.
The bottom line: The Rams blew a 21-0 lead over a beatable opponent on their own field. That cannot happen in Year 3 of a makeover.
“At home, up 21-0, that’s got to be a blowout,” middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “I just feel like each phase made mistakes and regardless of all that, heck, even at the end we had a chance to win it.”
Sure, there were positives. Quarterback Austin Davis exceeded expectations again, completing 30 of 42 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions. He moved around, made plays all over the field and exuded confidence.
(Can Davis really take a back seat to Shaun Hill after such an uplifting performance? Fisher said that is case, but our guess is we’ll see plenty more of Davis this season.)
The Rams controlled the offensive line of scrimmage, run blocking and pass protecting and piling up 448 yards. One this day, anyway, it didn’t seem to matter that top draft pick Greg Robinson can’t play his way into the starting lineup. The veterans got the job done.
Receiver Brian Quick caught a 51-yard touchdown pass. Running back Zac Stacy had 121 yards rushing and receiving.
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins had a nice 25-yard “pick six”. Outside linebacker Alec Ogletree forced a timely DeMarco Murray fumble as the Cowboys neared scoring range.
These are players the Rams want to build around. They did some exciting things against a decent opponent.
But this also made a ton of mistakes, earning another 119 yards in penalties.
“We’ve got to self-check, gut-check, go to work,” Laurinaitis said. “This bye will be a good week for us to really self-examine who do we want to be as a team.”
Great, but this is Year 3 of this regime. By now the Rams should know who they want to be. In fact, they should already be that team — or at least close to do it, despite some of their major injury hits.
In the “Not For Long” league, teams aren’t supposed to stay bad. But the Rams are still wallowing in the same mediocrity that swallowed up so many of their previous teams.
September 21, 2014 at 9:01 pm in reply to: Dallas game post-mortems, from Wagoner, Thomas, Karraker, etc. #8126RamBillParticipantNo QB controversy here: Austin Davis should start for Rams
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11962/no-controversy-here-davis-should-start
ST. LOUIS — Since veteran quarterback Shaun Hill suffered a calf injury late in the opener against Minnesota, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher has never budged from his stance on who his starting quarterback is.
According to Fisher, if Hill is healthy, he’s the starter, regardless of what Austin Davis does in his stead.
Even after Davis went 30-of-42 for 327 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in the Rams’ 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Fisher wouldn’t waver.
“No, I’ve stood behind that decision,” Fisher said.
Well, it’s time for Fisher to reconsider. The Rams enter their bye week at 1-2 and will need every bit of that time to correct the many problems plaguing them. But Fisher should also use that time to sit down with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti and have an honest conversation.
Last week, Davis did enough to earn the trust of the coaching staff to garner another start against Dallas. This week, he did enough to show that he should get a chance to be the starter moving forward. In two starts, Davis is 52-of-71 for 562 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. That’s a passer rating of 98.4.
Since the Rams drafted Sam Bradford with the first pick in 2010, Davis’ passer ratings in each of the past two weeks would rank as the 14th and 15th best performances in a game by a Rams quarterback, a span covering 67 games. Davis’ 327 passing yards is the fifth-highest output by a Rams signal caller in that time.
Anytime a decision has to be made between two quarterbacks or, really, any two players, it comes down to which player gives the team the best chance to win. It’s understandable that Fisher would want to stick by the veteran Hill had Davis been pedestrian or worse the past two weeks against subpar defenses. Davis has been better than that. He’s been good enough to earn his chance or at least a deeper look than “I’ve stood by that decision.”
When asked why he’s been so steadfast in standing by Hill, Fisher has pointed to Hill’s strong start against Minnesota in the time before his late first-half interception. Hill is a team captain and a veteran respected by his peers.
But even if Hill is able to return and approximate Davis’ performance, it still makes more sense to go with Davis at this point. At 34 and on a one-year contract, Hill’s tenure in St. Louis doesn’t figure to be a long one.
Davis is 25 and in his third season in the league. Playing Davis allows the Rams to see what they have in him beyond this year while still offering them the chance to stay competitive and win games now.
“I’m not really thinking about it, honestly,” Davis said. “I just wanted to come in, play hard for this team and give us a chance to win. This one hurts, we’d like to have gotten the win. Coach Fisher has been pretty clear when Shaun is healthy he’ll be the starter. Until I hear different, that’s my approach.”
Given some time to reflect on the upcoming bye week, perhaps Fisher will give it more thought. The conclusion he should reach is that Davis is the best option for this team now while also providing hope for the future.
September 21, 2014 at 8:41 pm in reply to: post-Dallas vids: Pettis, Fisher, Austin Davis, Watts, Cody Davis #8119RamBillParticipantSt. Louis Rams reporter Casey Phillips chats with Trey Watts following the Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
http://www.rams-news.com/one-on-one-with-rams-rb-trey-watts-video/
September 21, 2014 at 8:19 pm in reply to: post-Dallas vids: Pettis, Fisher, Austin Davis, Watts, Cody Davis #8112RamBillParticipantWatch Rams quarterback talk with the media following the 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
http://www.rams-news.com/rams-qb-austin-davis-this-one-is-tough-video/
September 21, 2014 at 8:09 pm in reply to: post-Dallas vids: Pettis, Fisher, Austin Davis, Watts, Cody Davis #8111RamBillParticipantWatch head coach Jeff Fisher discuss the Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
http://www.rams-news.com/jeff-fisher-im-disappointed-for-our-players-video/
-
AuthorPosts
