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October 24, 2014 at 4:04 pm in reply to: print/audio/video extravaganza… sports media sets up the Chiefs game #10357
RamBillParticipantRams could be thin at cornerback Sunday
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12979/rams-could-be-thin-at-cornerback-sunday
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams’ injury report is a lengthy one, but there’s good news and bad news to be found.
The good news is that of the 12 players on the list, eight are probably to play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The bad news is that of the four who are listed as questionable or worse on the injury report, three of them play the same position. That position is cornerback where Brandon McGee has been ruled out for this week after re-injuring his foot in Thursday’s practice. Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, both of whom are coming back from knee injuries, are listed as questionable.
Based on practice participation, Johnson would seem the more likely candidate of the two to play against the Chiefs. He got back to work and did at least something in every day of practice this week. Jenkins did not practice at all.
Even if Johnson is able to go, it seems unlikely that he’ll be ready to step in and start or play an extended period. If that’s the case and Jenkins is unavailable, the Rams will turn to rookie Marcus Roberson to make his first NFL start.
Roberson filled in for Jenkins when Jenkins left last week’s game against Seattle and handled himself well, according to coach Jeff Fisher.
“Marcus came in, had a couple tackles,” Fisher said. “He knows what to do. He’s doing well on special teams. It’s interesting, at one point against the world champs, we had three rookies in the secondary. They hung there. He’s a good, solid backup [who’s] ready to play, that’s important. It’s the hardest thing to do, is to prepare and be ready to play. But, he was fine.”
If indeed Roberson gets another opportunity, the Rams will likely again find themselves in a situation with three rookies on the field. E.J. Gaines will start on one side regardless of injury, and Lamarcus Joyner remains the team’s primary nickel corner.
If the Rams can’t turn to Johnson to help and really get put in a tough spot, they could also tweak things to bring Rodney McLeod up to help at corner with Cody Davis entering at safety.
Either way, the Rams are heading into the game in a precarious spot at cornerback.
Here’s the full Friday injury report:
Out: C Tim Barnes (shoulder), CB Brandon McGee (foot)
Questionable: CB Janoris Jenkins (knee), CB Trumaine Johnson (knee)
Probable: K Greg Zuerlein (illness), S T.J. McDonald (concussion), RB Benny Cunningham (knee), LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (toe), G Rodger Saffold (knee), WR Kenny Britt (ankle), DE Ethan Westbrooks (hand), DE William Hayes (illness)
October 23, 2014 at 3:58 pm in reply to: print/audio/video extravaganza… sports media sets up the Chiefs game #10262RamBillParticipantThe Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas and CineSport’s Brian Clark discuss the emergence of Tre Mason and the Rams’ confidence as they visit the Chiefs on Sunday.
http://www.rams-news.com/jim-thomas-can-confident-rams-win-in-kc-video/
October 23, 2014 at 1:37 pm in reply to: print/audio/video extravaganza… sports media sets up the Chiefs game #10253RamBillParticipantRams vs. Chiefs preview
By Adam Teicher and Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/kansas-city-chiefs/post/_/id/8435/rams-vs-chiefs-preview
The 3-3 Kansas City Chiefs and 2-4 St. Louis Rams, both coming off big divisional victories, meet for the Governor’s Cup this Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won in San Diego for the first time in seven years last week when they beat the Chargers 23-20. The Rams, after losing 16 of their past 18 games to Seattle, beat the Seahawks 28-26 in St. Louis.
Here, ESPN Chiefs reporter Adam Teicher and Rams reporter Nick Wagoner discuss Sunday’s game.
Teicher: Nick, big win for the Rams last week, but they obviously put a lot into that game, and I wonder how much they’ll have in the tank for this week’s game, at least from an emotional standpoint. How do you think the Rams will respond against the Chiefs?
Wagoner: The Rams do and have lacked a lot of things this year, but in a general sense, effort and enthusiasm have been pretty constant. The only time they looked wholly unprepared was the beginning of their loss to Philadelphia, and even then they came back and had a late possession with a chance to win the game. The stunning thing was that one came out of the bye week. The Rams under Jeff Fisher have been a mixed bag. In 2012, they were great against NFC West division foes and not good outside the division. Last year was the opposite. This year, they haven’t really had enough of a sample size to determine either way. But they went on the road and blasted Indianapolis a year ago, and they might have another performance like that in them. That’s not to say it will come against the Chiefs, but the Rams under Fisher seem to find a game or two a year in which they play way above their means. It should also help them to get back on a normal schedule this week (St. Louis played last Monday night) and potentially get some guys healthy in the secondary.
I suppose I can simply redirect a similar question to you, but with the addendum that the Chiefs’ win was probably more expected than the Rams’, though they were on the road. The Chiefs seem to be getting some momentum, anyway, and have won three of their past four. What’s been the key to getting it going a bit?
Teicher: It’s true the Chiefs put a lot into beating the Chargers. They had to win that game to stay relevant in the playoff race. Since they were coming off their bye, they had two weeks to rest and emphasize that game. But the Chiefs didn’t play much better in San Diego than they had in the previous several weeks. The Chiefs actually picked up their game starting with the Week 2 game against Denver. Ever since their miserable game against Tennessee to open the season, they’ve played fairly consistently. So, it’s the Titans game that stands out among their six this season. The Chiefs looked lost, unprepared to play. But that hasn’t happened since.
Give me a scouting report on Rams quarterback Austin Davis. What are his strengths and weaknesses?
Wagoner: Davis has mostly been a pleasant surprise, especially for a guy who didn’t look like he had a chance to make the roster entering training camp. His teammates love his fire and enthusiasm, something that Sam Bradford didn’t really bring to the table. One thing I like about him is you can see noticeable progress and improvement each week. For example, he found himself taking too many deep shots against San Francisco two weeks ago, missing easy, open completions underneath. So last week he took what the defense gave him, and though he averaged only 5.5 yards per completion, he had just three incompletions on his 21 attempts. And all of those short passes opened things up for him to make plays when the Rams needed him to at the end of the game. His mission now will be to find a healthy balance between taking shots and settling for checkdowns, but it’s encouraging that he’s able to notice something he needs to work on, be honest about it and then take steps to fix it. As for weaknesses, he’s had a tendency to make a bad throw or two every week that turns into an instant six points for the opponent. Turnovers have been a serious issue for him, though he didn’t have any against the Seahawks. He’s got a good-but-not-great arm, and he sometimes gets caught locking onto a receiver without going through progressions. He’s made strides in that area, but there’s still work to do. But honestly, as third-string quarterbacks go, you can’t ask for much more from Davis.
Sticking with the quarterback theme, the last time the Rams saw Alex Smith, they were knocking him out of a game in San Francisco in what became the official changing of the guard to Colin Kaepernick. That was in 2012. Since he’s been in Kansas City, obviously he’s become a key part of what they do. In what ways does he fit with what Andy Reid wants to do, and do you believe he’s the right guy for the long term?
Teicher: Smith isn’t the most talented quarterback around, but he does fit well with what Reid is looking for. He is a mostly accurate passer who is mobile enough to frequently get out of trouble and extend a play either with a throw or run. Smith also has the intangibles that Reid likes. He’s liked and well-respected in the locker room. As for the long-term, Smith might not be the quarterback who will ever lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory. But better alternatives will be difficult to find, and the Chiefs committed to Smith for the foreseeable future when they gave him a new contract. For the time being, they seem content to coach him up, make him the best player he can be and then build the rest of the roster around him.
Robert Quinn had 19 sacks for the Rams last year but has only one so far this season. The Rams as a whole have just four. What have opponents done to counter Quinn in particular and the Rams’ pass rush in general?
Wagoner: Well, the first thing they’ve done is not throw the ball much. In the first four games, the Rams were seeing almost nothing in terms of pass attempts against. That was partially because they couldn’t stop the run and teams had no desire to take a risk throwing against the Rams’ pass rush when they could hand it off and move the chains. Beyond that, teams have also been getting the ball out as quickly as possible. The Rams are now seeing the ninth-fastest release in terms of average time teams are taking to get the ball out, but that number has dipped a bit the past two weeks. San Francisco and Seattle had little success running the ball in traditional ways (with running backs), and that forced those teams to pass. The results haven’t been pretty for the Rams, as they’ve allowed 656 passing yards in the past two games, so they can probably expect to see teams throwing it around a little bit more moving forward. That should create more pass-rush opportunities. They had three sacks in a span of five plays against the Seahawks and were in Russell Wilson’s face for most of the day. The hope is that production will give them something to build on moving forward.
The Chiefs got off to such a great start in 2013 because of what they were getting done defensively, particularly in the pass rush. They again rank near the top in sacks per dropback. While the Rams have struggled to maintain their pass rush of a year ago, the Chiefs seem to keep the beat going. How do they do it, and has anything changed in terms of scheme or approach from a year ago?
Teicher: The Chiefs are actually blitzing less than they did last year. They have for the most part been getting the job done with their two edge pass-rushers, Justin Houston and Tamba Hali, and their inside rushers, Dontari Poe and Allen Bailey. They’ve cut back greatly on the exotic blitzes they showed last year. While they haven’t been vanilla in their approach, they’ve more often been able to get pressure with skill than with scheme. The biggest change in the defense is that they’re giving up far fewer big pass plays than they did last year. One reason is that they’ve reduced their blitzing. But the safeties have also played well, much better than last season. One cornerback, Sean Smith, is also having a better season.
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Rams at Chiefs: Stats of the Week
37.8That’s how many points the Rams have surrendered to Kansas City on average in their past five meetings, all Rams losses.
0-4
Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s career record against Rams coach Jeff Fisher.
October 23, 2014 at 12:01 pm in reply to: Austin Davis wows Brett Favre & other media takes on that new guy in St. Louis #10249RamBillParticipantESPN’s Mark Schlereth gives his take on Austin Davis in light of Brett Favre calling Davis the “next Brady, Warner.”
http://www.rams-news.com/espns-mark-schlereths-impression-of-rams-qb-austin-davis-video/
October 22, 2014 at 8:59 pm in reply to: Austin Davis wows Brett Favre & other media takes on that new guy in St. Louis #10207RamBillParticipantAre the next few games a true test of Austin Davis’ abilities? ESPN.com Rams Insider Nick Wagoner talks with Randy Karrker on the “Fast Lane” show. Wagoner also talks today’s practice, the LB added yesterday plus more.
RamBillParticipantWatch quarterback Austin Davis speak with the media on Wednesday of Week 8. (4:43)
http://www.rams-news.com/rams-qb-austin-davis-were-excited-to-go-play-video/
RamBillParticipantThree Plays That Defined Rams’ Win Over Seahawks
By Anthony Stalter
http://www.101sports.com/2014/10/22/three-plays-defined-rams-28-26-win-seahawks/
We can debate whether or not the Seahawks were vulnerable on Sunday in wake of the Percy Harvin trade, or due to the number of injuries on both sides of the ball, or even the general perception that they don’t look as dominant as they did a month ago when everyone was ready to send them back to the Super Bowl following their Week 1 rout of the Packers.
But they’re still the defending Super Bowl winners. And when you’re an undisciplined 1-4 Rams team coming off a short week and playing the defending champs, you better do something to tilt the advantage in your favor at some point during the game.
That something for the Rams came midway through the second quarter of their 28-26 victory over their division rivals.
Play 1: Fassel takes a page out of the Bears’ playbook.
The Bears ran a play against Green Bay in a late-September game in 2011 in which they got the Packers’ punt coverage unit to flow in the direction of returner Devin Hester, who faked as if he was going to catch the ball by looking up to the sky.
On the opposite side of the field, receiver Johnny Knox fielded the punt over his back shoulder and raced untouched toward the end zone with only Green Bay’s punter standing in his way. Unfortunately for Chicago, what should have been an easy touchdown was negated due to a holding penalty on Corey Graham.
While watching film earlier this week, Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel noticed that Seattle punter Jon Ryan’s kicks would drift to the left when he attempted to sky punts near midfield.
So the Rams installed the same play that the Bears used back in 2011 and, while nursing a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter, Jeff Fisher dialed up the fake with Tavon Austin filling the role of Hester and Stedman Bailey assuming the part of Knox.
The fake worked perfectly, as Seattle’s punt coverage unit converged on Austin as the Rams’ punt return unit sold the fake by flowing to his side of the field. On the opposite side, Bailey was all alone to field the punt over his back shoulder and raced untouched toward the end zone for a 21-3 lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half.
The play faked out the Seahawks, as well as most people inside the Edward Jones Dome who had their eyes fixed on Austin.
While the “Mountaineer” play was certainly a defining moment, there were other factors that contributed to the Rams’ victory. Thanks to the emergence of Tre Mason (18 carries, 85 yards, one TD), the team’s running game was more effective against Seattle than at any point during the team’s first five games. All things considered, the Rams’ defense also held Marshawn Lynch in check, and the pass rush awoke from its five-game slumber.
Quarterback Austin Davis was effective as well, throwing for 152 yards on 18-of-21 passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was perfect in the first half, although his defining moment didn’t come until the fourth quarter.
Play 2: Davis finds Givens on perfect play design.
Russell Wilson found tight end Cooper Helfet for a 19-yard touchdown with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game to help the Seahawks cut their deficit to 21-19. On the ensuing drive, the Rams marched into Seattle territory but faced a third-and-6 from the Seahawk 44-yard-line following Davis’ incomplete pass to Lance Kendricks on second down.
Up to that point, Davis had been conservative with his passing. Out of his first 13 attempts, he completed only five passes of 10 yards or more, and his longest competition was a 19-yarder to Brian Quick on the Rams’ first offensive drive of the fourth quarter.
There were a few times when he may have been able to pull the trigger on longer routes had he cycled through his progressions and was more aggressive when receivers like Quick were one-on-one with defensive backs.
But considering the Rams led for most of the game, it’s hard to argue with his decision to get the ball out of his hand quickly and find open receivers in the short-to-intermediate range.
But Davis saved his best throw of the day for that third-and-6 from Seattle’s 44-yard line. The Rams came out in a spread formation with Austin and Givens (slot) lined up to the wide side of the field and Quick to the boundary. Davis was in the shotgun and was flanked by Jared Cook and Benny Cunningham in the backfield.
Before the snap, Cook motions left before coming back right and aligning himself on the same side as Givens and Austin. Safety Kam Chancellor followed Cook to the right of the formation (Chancellor’s left), indicating that the Seahawks were in man-to-man coverage. At the snap, Quick runs a shallow crossing pattern while Cook takes off up the seam and Austin runs a comeback route with Richard Sherman mirroring him in coverage.
The key to the play is that Givens, who eventually runs a deep over, gets a free release at the line. With his speed, he does exactly what you would expect him to against a corner like Marcus Burley: He gained separation.
Another key to the play was that free safety Earl Thomas, who got caught in between deciding whether or not to jump the Givens route or chase Cook up the seam, chose to give help on Cook. Almost simultaneously, Thomas breaks to his left and Davis lofts a perfect pass to Givens in stride for a 30-yard gain.
Three plays later, Davis found Kendricks for a four-yard touchdown pass to give the Rams a 28-19 lead. Up nine with just over five minutes remaining in the game, one would think the Rams wouldn’t need to dial up another trick play to ensure victory.
Or at least one would think.
Play 3: The fake punt.
After the Seahawks cut St. Louis’ lead to two points following a Wilson touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin, the Rams took over on their own 11-yard line needing to pick up a few first downs to run the remaining 3:18 off the clock. Following a two-yard loss by Cunningham on first down, Davis made an athletic play to dodge a potential sack and get the ball to Cook for what turned out to be a crucial 9-yard completion. Following an incomplete pass on third down, we soon found out why the completion to Cook held so much importance.
On fourth-and-3 from the Rams’ 18-yard line, Johnny Hekker and the Rams lined up in punt formation with 2:55 remaining on the clock. Before the snap, Bailey, who was the gunner to Hekker’s left, stepped back and was replaced on the line of scrimmage by Chase Reynolds, who was one of the up-backs on the play.
Bailey then went in motion and, at the snap, ran to the middle of the field to pull his defender inside as Cunningham leaked out of the backfield. Hekker then hit Cunningham in stride for an 18-yard pickup and a first down.
What’s gut-wrenching for Seattle’s players, coaches and fans is that it was a play that the Seahawks clearly prepared for. Even before Bailey went in motion, several defenders started to communicate via hand gestures, which indicated they knew what was coming. But DeShawn Shead was late getting to Cunningham in the flats, and it turned out to be a huge first down as the Rams eventually ran out the clock (although not without some drama, of course) in a 28-26 win.
Fisher was eventually asked after the game if he would have called for the fake punt had Davis not completed the 9-yard pass to Cook two plays prior. Fisher said no, which brings to light how key that completion was to the Rams’ victory. In fact, had the Rams punted the ball on fourth down, ESPN.com estimated that their win probability would have been 54 percent (provided that the Rams netted 40 yards on the punt and taken 13 seconds off the clock, which would have given the Seahawks the ball on their own 42-yard line).
Then again, with the way Wilson had taken over the game in the second half, that 54-percent figure sounds too high. The Seahawks only needed a field goal to take the lead, and with how the Rams had blown leads against Dallas and San Francisco this year, you got the sense that Seattle was about to deliver heartbreak to the Edward Jones Dome once again.
Credit Fisher with a gutsy call, the players with perfect execution and the Rams for finding ways throughout the game to tilt the advantage in their favor while playing against the defending champs.
RamBillParticipantOn today’s Breakfast With Bernie, the Post-Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz talks about the improvement he saw from Austin Davis in the upset of the Seahawks and what it means for his future. (3:13)
http://www.rams-news.com/bernie-austin-davis-might-be-a-keeper-video/
October 22, 2014 at 5:02 pm in reply to: journalists on the state of the Rams after game 6 (articles, audio, vids) #10182RamBillParticipantESPN Rams reporter Nick Wagoner says the team’s defense against the pass should improve as players return. They gave up huge yardage vs. SF and Seattle but Tru Johnson and Brandon McGee are close to returning.
http://www.rams-news.com/wagoner-rams-get-healthy-in-defensive-backfield-video/
RamBillParticipantMike Florio talks about how the St. Louis Rams were able to pull off “one of the great special teams plays in recent history” en route to an upset victory over the defending-champion Seattle Seahawks.
http://www.rams-news.com/game-of-inches-rams-dissect-exploit-seahawks-special-teams-video/
RamBillParticipantMorning Ram-blings: A bigger Twitter presence
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12867/morning-ram-blings-a-bigger-twitter-presence
EARTH CITY, Mo. — For the better part of the past decade, the St. Louis Rams haven’t spent much time in the national spotlight. Since social media really took off, they’ve rarely been relevant much, if at all.
But a little creativity and an upset win can go along way, as the Twitter metrics from week 7 in the NFL clearly show.
According to Twitter Communications and Nielsen Social Media studies, the Rams’ 28-26 win against the Seattle Seahawks was the fifth-most tweeted about NFL game in Week 7. Surely, the presence of the reigning world champion Seahawks had something to do with that, but the entertainment value of the game clearly took things to another level.
For evidence of that, the same study showed that the fake punt to ice the game for the Rams in the fourth quarter was the single most-mentioned moment on Twitter in week 5. Stedman Bailey’s 90-yard punt return on one of the most creative plays of the season also drew plenty of attention in the social realm.
A full breakdown of the metrics for week 7 can be found here.
I.C.Y.M.I.
A roundup of Tuesday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … In the Ram-blings, we opened the day with a look at the win probability shifts caused by Jeff Fisher’s decision to fake the punt against Seattle. … Johnny Hekker earned the ESPN Stats & Information honor as punter of the week. … This week’s edition of The Film Don’t Lie examined the Rams run defense’s problems defending the perimeter. … The Rams rookie review offered snap counts and production for the Rams draft class. … The Rams are up to No. 24 in this week’s ESPN NFL Power Rankings. … The Rams promoted linebacker Marshall McFadden from the practice squad to the active roster.
Elsewhere:
ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that the Dallas Cowboys have released defensive end Michael Sam from the practice squad.
Here’s this week’s complete Power Rankings.
At 101sports.com, the Stats Doctor puts some context behind some numbers from the Rams’ win against Seattle.
Video of Jeff Fisher’s weekly radio show.
At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas covers Fisher’s history of special teams trickery.
October 21, 2014 at 8:00 pm in reply to: journalists on the state of the Rams after game 6 (articles, audio, vids) #10137RamBillParticipantSuper Bowl champ Torry Holt tells us why Brian Quick has finally broken out on the field and talks about how Quick’s production will lead to a dynamic offense. He talks with Randy Karraker and D’Marco Farr.
http://www.rams-news.com/is-brian-quick-the-key-to-the-rams-offense-radio-interview/
October 21, 2014 at 4:15 pm in reply to: journalists on the state of the Rams after game 6 (articles, audio, vids) #10114RamBillParticipantRams rookie review: Week 7
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12836/rams-rookie-review-week-7
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 28-26 win against the Seattle Seahawks.
OL Greg Robinson, first round, No. 2 overall: In his second NFL start, Robinson was every bit as solid as he was in his first. He played all 49 offensive snaps and five more on special teams and was particularly effective in the run game. He’s at his best when pulling and on the move and has been fine in pass protection.
DT Aaron Donald, first round, No. 13 overall: Donald has been even better than Robinson and perhaps the team’s most consistent defensive player the past two weeks. He earned my game ball for Sunday with five tackles, three for loss, a sack and two quarterback hits on 51 defensive snaps as he dominated Seattle guard James Carpenter. Donald has quietly nudged his way into the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
DB Lamarcus Joyner, second round, No. 41 overall: Joyner played 43 snaps on defense and nine more on special teams in what was one of his busiest days yet. Joyner didn’t have any plays that really stood out either way, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you play his position. He finished with seven tackles, which was second most on the team.
RB Tre Mason, third round, No. 75 overall: Mason has begun staking a claim to the starting job, leading the team’s backs in snaps (26) and carries (18) against Seattle. Despite a near disastrous late fumble, Mason was mostly effective, rushing for 85 yards and his first NFL touchdown. At the very least, he’s positioned himself for more work moving forward.
S Maurice Alexander, fourth round, No. 110 overall: Alexander was a pregame inactive against Seattle.
CB E.J. Gaines, sixth round, No. 188 overall: Gaines played all 71 defensive snaps and seven more on special teams. It wasn’t his best day in coverage, with the usual array of ups and downs, but he finished with six tackles, a quarterback hit and a pass defensed.
C Demetrius Rhaney, seventh round, No. 250 overall: Rhaney is on injured reserve for the season with a knee injury.
Undrafted rookie roundup: Cornerback Marcus Roberson got his first extended opportunity on defense, playing 13 snaps there in place of an injured Janoris Jenkins. Roberson finished with a tackle and also played seven snaps on special teams. … Defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks was inactive after a hand injury kept him out of practice most of last week. … Running back Trey Watts played 18 snaps on special teams, and tight end Alex Bayer chipped in 14 more in a similar role.
October 21, 2014 at 1:58 pm in reply to: journalists on the state of the Rams after game 6 (articles, audio, vids) #10110RamBillParticipantOn today’s Breakfast With Bernie, the Post-Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz applauds Jeff Fisher for his aggressive coaching mentality and how it can benefit the Rams going forward. (2:08)
http://www.rams-news.com/bernie-trick-play-brings-rams-confidence-video/
October 21, 2014 at 1:14 pm in reply to: journalists on the state of the Rams after game 6 (articles, audio, vids) #10109RamBillParticipantNick Wagoner jumped in studio with Kevin Wheeler to discuss the win this weekend, what he saw as progress, does this make the schedule moving forward less daunting, and then they previewed the Chiefs, how to stop the running attack, what the challenges the Chiefs present, and more.
http://www.rams-news.com/nick-wagoner-on-ram-progress-radio-interview/
October 21, 2014 at 11:49 am in reply to: journalists on the state of the Rams after game 6 (articles, audio, vids) #10104RamBillParticipantDid the release of Ray-Ray Armstrong wake up the Rams and force them to clean up the penalties? Nick Wagoner talks to Randy Karraker and D’Marco Farr.
http://www.rams-news.com/did-ray-rays-release-contribute-to-better-discipline-radio-interview/
RamBillParticipantTen Takeaways from Sunday’s 28-26 Win Over Seattle
By Randy Karrakerhttp://www.101sports.com/2014/10/20/ten-takeaways-sundays-28-26-win-seattle/
It took what former Saints coach Jim Haslett would have called some “bull#*@% plays,” but whatever it took, the Rams won their second game of the season by shocking the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. And with that, 10 takeaways:
1. Punter Johnny Hekker usually spends about 10 minutes during pregame warmups playing quarterback for the No. 1 offense. I said to the person next to me before his fourth-quarter fake punt, “This is why he practices quarterback every week.” Lo and behold, Hekker hit Benny Cunningham with the fourth-down pass that virtually sealed the victory. It was a gutsy call by Jeff Fisher, because if it didn’t work, the Rams probably would have lost. But there’s a method to Fisher’s madness, and having Hekker practice at quarterback comes in handy sometimes.
2. The punt-return touchdown by Stedman Bailey was an amazing bit of acting by the Rams’ return team. Bailey made a great catch as the kick went to the Rams’ right side, and Tavon Austin sold a mistake to Seattle.
The Bears had done the same thing in 2011 against Green Bay, but Johnny Knox’s 89-yard return was nullified by a penalty. This one worked perfectly.
3. If I’m going to be critical of the Rams for too many penalties, I must praise them for committing only two for 20 yards. Brian Quick committed an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for retaliating to an attack from Seattle’s Tharold Simon before the Rams’ second touchdown, and the Rams took a delay-of-game penalty to set Hekker up in better punt position in the fourth quarter. The discipline played a role in the win, as Seattle consistently shot itself in the foot with 10 penalties, many of the devastating variety.
4. In a rather remarkable change of events, the Rams appear to have had a changing of the guard at the running back position. Tre Mason had 18 carries, Cunningham had two, and Zac Stacy never got on the field from the line of scrimmage. Last year, Stacy didn’t get on the field until the fifth game and rushed for nearly 1,000 yards. This year, Mason finally got his chance in the fifth game and appears to have taken over the No. 1 job. He has game-breaking speed that the other Ram running backs don’t have. Although he’s small, he might be the most instinctive of the group, and is certainly the fastest.
5. It was fun to watch Greg Robinson against the Seahawks’ front. There were several occasions in which he pushed Brandon Mebane three yards off the ball. His strength is unquestioned. Once he becomes polished, he has a chance to be a dominant run-blocker in the NFL. It’s also interesting to watch Mason run behind his college teammate and hit the hole that Robinson makes.
6. As much as I’d like to blame the Rams’ defense for Russell Wilson’s rushing performance, he seems, at times, to be impossible to stop. I don’t think there’s a player in the NFL right now with better vision and instincts. He hides the ball, he has deceptive speed, and he’s fearless. His second 100-plus-yard performance of the season was not a fluke.
7. Austin Davis completed 18 passes to eight different Rams receivers. Davis has some of that Wilson-type elusiveness and vision. His ability to avoid trouble resulted in several big plays for the Rams.
Davis’ passer rating of 128.6 against Seattle’s defense was outstanding. Most important is that he didn’t turn the ball over. In the Rams’ four losses, Davis has a turnover that resulted in a touchdown for the opponent. In the two wins, he didn’t turn the ball over.
8. I don’t know what the plan for Tavon Austin is. I don’t think he should be the type who runs up the middle, as Austin did four times on Sunday. I see the quick-hitting smoke patterns that Seattle uses to isolate a receiver one-on-one, and I don’t understand why the Rams don’t do that with Austin. One thing I do know: When you’re up by two late in the fourth quarter, throwing the ball left to Austin, who is covered by Richard Sherman, is not the play to run. There were about 10 options for the Rams on that third-down pass to Austin … and that should have been option No. 10.
9. The Rams’ defense against opposing running backs continues to impress. They held Adrian Peterson to 75 yards on 21 carries. Then, after Tampa’s Bobby Rainey gouged them for 144 yards on 22, the Rams have gotten progressively better. DeMarco Murray 24-100 (his worst game of the year), LeSean McCoy 24-81, Frank Gore 16-38 and Marshawn Lynch 18-53. Granted, as the rush defense has improved, the pass defense has regressed. Everyone wants to stop the run first, though, and the Rams have improved dramatically in that department.
10. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak to defending Super Bowl champs. The last time the Rams had beaten a defending champ was in 1991, when the Los Angeles Rams knocked off the New York Giants, 19-13. After some halting starts, perhaps this will be the event that propels the Rams to bigger and better things. Now they know they can beat a good team – a good thing to know as they embark on a three-game trip to Kansas City, San Francisco and Arizona.
RamBillParticipantRams notes: Team releases wide receiver Pettis
• By Joe LyonsLooking to clear space for a yet-to-be-announced move at another position, the Rams released wide receiver Austin Pettis on Monday.
“We appreciate Austin’s contributions,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s made a lot of plays for us. We needed to make some moves with respect to some other positions. I’m not going to go into detail about what we’re doing, but we needed a roster spot.”
The Rams also released receiver Emory Blake from the practice squad Monday.
The fact that Pettis and Blake were late for a team meeting Saturday certainly didn’t help their cause and may have helped prompt their Monday release. But there were other factors in Pettis’ case.
Drafted in the third round of the 2011 draft, Pettis was the only receiver on the roster who wasn’t brought here by Fisher and general manager Les Snead. He’s in the final year of a contract that expires at the end of the season, and there had been no indications that the club was looking to re-sign him.
Pettis, 26, took a $481,000 pay cut in a contract restructuring early this season, although there was an opportunity to earn $400,000 of that back by reaching certain incentives.
But perhaps the biggest factor in Pettis’ release was his position as the fifth or sixth option on a team struggling to find enough work for its receivers. With Pettis as a pregame inactive for Sunday’s 28-26 victory over Seattle, Chris Givens was on the field for five offensive snaps and Stedman Bailey for just two.
Givens, who was inactive for the two previous games, came up with a key 30-yard catch on the Rams’ final scoring drive Sunday while Bailey, a second-year player who excels on special teams, returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown against the Seahawks.
Brian Quick, a second-round draft pick in 2012, has come into his own this season with 24 catches for 365 yards and three touchdowns, teaming with free agent Kenny Britt (14 catches, 197 yards, one TD) to give the Rams a pair of big, physical receivers on the outside.
A first-round pick in 2013, Tavon Austin is back in the slot after an early-season knee injury and has 12 catches for 108 yards while Bailey, a fourth-round pick in 2013, has two catches for 20 yards after being suspended and forced to sit out the season’s first two games. Givens, a third-year pro and one of the fastest players on the roster, led the Rams in receiving yards as a rookie in 2012 and was second in that department a year ago in 2013.
A reliable possession receiver, Pettis has had his moments with the Rams. Earlier this season, after Austin went down with a knee injury, Pettis stepped up with three catches for 46 yards, including an acrobatic 27-yarder to help set up the game-winning field goal in Tampa Bay.
Pettis had 12 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown in five games this season and had 107 catches for 1,034 yards and nine TDs in three-plus seasons with the Rams.
Although Fisher wouldn’t comment on roster needs, the Rams have just five linebackers on the roster.
DEFENSIVE NUMBERS
The coaches’ review of the game film Monday showed that linebackers James Laurinaitis and Alec Ogletree paced the Rams with 10 tackles apiece in the win over Seattle. Laurinaitis had two solos while Ogletree recorded six and added a quarterback pressure.
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins had nine tackles, all solo, and also chipped in with a quarterback hit and a pass defended. Rookie nickel back Lamarcus Joyner also had nine tackles, including six solos. Rookie cornerback E.J. Gaines had seven solo tackles and a pass defended.
Linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar finished with seven tackles while safety Rodney McLeod, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, defensive end Robert Quinn and defensive end William Hayes had six each.
After posting just one sack through the first five games, the Rams got sacks from Donald, Eugene Sims and Quinn during a second-quarter stretch of five defensive snaps in the second quarter Sunday. In addition to the three sacks, the defense had 17 pressures and three hits against the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson.
On special teams, Chase Reynolds again led the way with a pair of tackles. McLeod, Daren Bates and Jake McQuaide also had special teams tackles in the game.
RAM-BLINGS
The Cleveland Browns waived fullback Ray Agnew (De Smet, SIUC), an undrafted rookie free agent who had started the team’s first six games this season. Agnew rushed two times for two yards and had two catches for 15 yards.
He’s the oldest son of Rams’ director of pro personnel Ray Agnew, who finished out a stellar pro career with the Rams. He was a key player and team leader for the Rams’ Super Bowl XXXIV championship squad.
In a related move, the Browns promoted rookie fullback Keiro Small from their practice squad.
• The New Orleans Saints placed defensive end Glenn Foster (Illinois) on injured reserve following a knee injury suffered Sunday in a 24-23 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
October 20, 2014 at 6:12 pm in reply to: Fisher, Davis, Mason, Quinn etc (transcripts/vids) + Fisher locker room speech #10038RamBillParticipantRams QB Austin Davis joined NFL Radio’s “The Sunday Drive” with Steve Torre and Bill Lekas to talk about how his team was finally able to protect a big lead and come away with a victory over the defending Super Bowl Champs.
RamBillParticipantIs Tre Mason earning a spot as the Rams go-to running back? Terrell Davis says he’s on his way.
http://www.rams-news.com/terrell-davis-on-rams-rb-tre-mason-radio-interview/
RamBillParticipantThe Dan Patrick Show: Rams quarterback Austin Davis calls into the show to discuss the Rams upset victory against the defending champion Seahawks, including the Rams trickery on special teams. (6:29)
http://www.rams-news.com/austin-davis-joins-dan-patrick-show-after-big-win-over-seahawks-video/
RamBillParticipantRams keep it clean on way to win
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12816/rams-keep-it-clean-on-way-to-win
EARTH CITY, Mo. — For all that goes into every game in the NFL on a weekly basis, there are always a few small things that can be done to greatly influence the outcome.
Those small things — penalties and turnovers — become amplified if a team doesn’t perform up to par in those areas. The St. Louis Rams know all about the effect of failing in the small details, losing four of their first five games in part because of their continued failings there.
So it was no coincidence Sunday when the Rams pulled out a 28-26 victory against the Seattle Seahawks that they finally found a way not to make the continued critical errors that have cost them games in the first part of the season.
“Well, yeah, as long as we’re not hurting ourselves and creating negative field position and things like that, we’re OK,” coach Jeff Fisher said.
What the Rams offered Sunday was a surprising victory on many levels, including a closer examination of the details.
The Rams entered Sunday’s game 20th in the league in penalties (43) and 28th in penalty yards (425). That trend has plagued them since Fisher’s arrival in St. Louis in 2012, as they were the most penalized team in the league over the past two years.
After receiver Brian Quick appeared to throw a punch at Seahawks cornerback Tharold Simon early in Sunday’s game to draw a 15-yard penalty deep in Seattle territory, it appeared the Rams were on their way to another sloppy, penalty-plagued performance.
But the Rams found a way to course correct, drawing just one more penalty the rest of the day, and even that was a delay of game penalty the team took on purpose. Seattle, meanwhile, drew costly penalty after costly penalty on its way to 10 flags for 89 yards. The plus-69-yard penalty margin was the Rams’ first positive margin of the season and their best margin of the Fisher era in St. Louis.
Beyond that, the Rams did not turn the ball over for the first time in a game this season and did not allow a sack for just the second time in 2014. They even added three sacks of their own on defense and consistently generated pressure on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
There’s nothing fancy about any of those numbers, but they’re certainly part of a recipe for success — a recipe the Rams know they must duplicate if they’re going to build on Sunday’s win.
“I think that’s how you win games in the NFL,” quarterback Austin Davis said. “I think it’s something that we need to watch and figure out how to repeat week to week. The turnovers and the penalties and some of those things have been what’s holding us back. We feel like we’re a good team and keep progressing, but those things have really plagued us. We found a way to play a clean game tonight, and it gave us a chance to win and we ultimately pulled it out.”
October 20, 2014 at 9:51 am in reply to: Game highlight vids, including ESPN’s Sunday Blitz: Seahawks-Rams Recap #10022RamBillParticipantThe Rams used two long returns and a fake punt to defeat the Seahawks on Sunday, 28-26. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell recaps the win from the Edward Jones Dome. (2:53)
http://www.rams-news.com/burwell-special-teams-lift-rams-video/
RamBillParticipantFox 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne talked it over the Rams head coach Jeff Fisher after his club’s win over the defending Super Bowl champs. (3:00)
http://www.rams-news.com/martin-kilcoyne-talks-rams-win-with-jeff-fisher-video/
October 20, 2014 at 9:40 am in reply to: Game highlight vids, including ESPN’s Sunday Blitz: Seahawks-Rams Recap #10020RamBillParticipantFox 2 Sports reporter Charlie Marlow has the Rams post game report. He talks with Hekker, Davis, Harkey, Quinn, and Mason. (2:35)
http://www.rams-news.com/rams-post-game-locker-room-report-video-4/
RamBillParticipantMorning Ram-blings: Monday game balls
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12803/morning-ram-blings-monday-game-balls-6
EARTH CITY, Mo. — It’s a Monday morning and only the second “Victory Monday” of the season for the St. Louis Rams after their surprising 28-26 win Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
The victory was only the third in the past 19 tries against Seattle and the first time the Rams have scored more than 20 points against the Seahawks in the past 15 meetings.
In a rare occurrence, I had plenty of choices for my game ball Sunday afternoon, not least of which included special teamers like coach John Fassel, Stedman Bailey, Benny Cunningham, Johnny Hekker and more.
But because I couldn’t choose from that group, I went with rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald had five tackles, three for loss, a sack and two quarterback hits. He’s already one of the best defensive players on the Rams and only getting better.
Elsewhere, you can catch up like always on who else made an impact around the league Sunday as our ESPN NFL Nation hands out game balls for all of Sunday’s action.
I.C.Y.M.I.
A roundup of Sunday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … In Rapid Reaction, I offered thoughts and observations on the Rams’ victory immediately after it was over. … Locker Room Buzz provided tight end Cory Harkey’s claim that he recovered running back Tre Mason’s late fumble. … The Rams special teams provided a major boost when the Rams needed it most Sunday. … Quarterback Austin Davis didn’t make many big plays but came through on an important late drive.
Elsewhere:
Jim Basquil and Eric Allen break down the Rams’ two biggest special teams plays.
Here’s the highlights of those two plays.
Seahawks reporter Terry Blount writes that Seattle’s offensive line woes are hurting the Seahawks every week.
CBSSports.com reports that the Rams and Raiders would be Los Angeles bound if not for the NFL’s interference.
At stltoday.com, Jeff Gordon hands out his weekly grades.
Jim Thomas recaps the Rams’ win.
RamBillParticipant‘Mountaineer’ special to Bailey
• By Joe LyonsRams receiver Stedman Bailey isn’t likely to forget his first career punt return. And neither will anyone else who watched it Sunday as the Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-26 at the Edward Jones Dome.
With the Rams up 14-3 midway though the second quarter and Seattle punting from its own 49, Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel called for “Mountaineer.’’
“It’s a designed play that we actually put in this week,’’ Bailey explained. “Coach Bones (Fassel) saw the Bears try it a few years back — it worked for them, too, but it was called back on a penalty. He noticed that when (Seattle’s) punter tried to sky it, to pin us deep, the punt always ended up in pretty much the same spot.’’
So with almost all of the Rams, including return man Tavon Austin, racing toward the left sideline — and drawing the pursuit of the the Seahawks — Bailey peeled off from his spot on the opposite side of the field, came up with an over-the-shoulder catch, turned and raced 90 yards down the sideline for a touchdown that pushed the Rams’ lead to 21-3.
“Just a dream come true, really,’’ said Bailey, who had never fielded a punt in a game before. “Honestly didn’t think it’d work as well as it did, but our guys, especially Tavon, did a great job of selling it. They all went to the right and (the Seahawks) went that way, too.
“I caught the ball, turned around and saw a lot of green grass and a couple of our guys in front of me. Then I just ran for my life.’’
The misdirection could not have worked any better.
“We practiced it all week,’’ tight end and special teamer Cory Harkey said. “When the coaches dialed it up, we were all pretty pumped.’’
Running back and special teamer Chase Reynolds agreed: “When we watched the tape and saw everybody from the coverage team drawn away from the ball, it was crazy. It seemed like my guy was thinking about going to the left, so I really had to overplay to the right and he ended up following. Their guys just kind of followed the herd, I guess.
“It seemed like everything on that play came together for us and ‘Sted’ did the rest.’’
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he discussed the play with Fassel on Wednesday, worked on it through the rest of the week and decided to give it a shot with 7:24 to play before halftime.
“It was an automatic based on field position,’’ Fisher said. “When they saw Tavon running over, they probably thought the ball was mis-hit. The down side was that (Bailey) doesn’t catch it, the ball goes in the end zone (and) it’s a touchback or it’s downed. The up side was we felt like if (Bailey) was able to field it, then we had a chance to probably put some points on the board.’’
Bailey credited fellow ex-University of West Virginia Mountaineer Austin for making the play work, while Austin deflected the praise to Fassel.
“I feel like we have the best special teams coach in the NFL,’’ Austin said. “He drew it up and got us to believe it could work. Everybody worked together to make it work and ‘Sted’ finished it off with a great return.’’
But the “Mountaineer’’ return wasn’t the only game-changing effort turned in by the Rams special teams on Sunday.
After Seattle opened the scoring with a Steven Hauschka field goal, Benny Cunningham returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to the Seahawks’ 31. Six plays later, rookie Tre Mason picked up his first NFL touchdown with a 6-yard scoring run.
“Tre got the first defender, giving me a chance to make a move, and the next thing I remember is Cody Davis making a block that opened up some more space. From there, I just took it as far as I could,’’ Cunningham said said. “Any time you can make play like that, a play that can provide a spark for the offense, it feels incredible.’’
Cunningham, who led the Rams in receiving with five catches for 46 yards, hauled in a 5-yard pass from Austin Davis for a second-quarter touchdown that put the Rams on top 14-3 and added a 18-yard catch on a pass from punter Johnny Hekker on a fourth-and-3 fake from the Rams’ 18 with just under three minutes left. That allowed the Rams to keep the ball and eventually close out the two-point victory over the reigning Super Bowl champs.
“You have to tip your hat to Coach Fisher for having the (guts) to make tough calls like that, knowing the game was on the line,’’ Bailey said. “He showed faith in us and we went out and we executed.’’
Cunningham said the pass from Hekker, with Bailey and Reynolds running clear-out routes, is one that is practiced regularly at Rams Park.
“Johnny and I stay after practice to work on that play — 10 reps, five to each side of the field,’’ Cunningham said. “I think it’s great that the coaches had faith in us to try something like that.’’
Cunningham felt like Sunday’s special-teams’ effort was owed to Fassel.
“It’s a proud moment when you can go out and make plays for a coach who works so hard for you,’’ the second-year pro from Middle Tennessee State said.
RamBillParticipantStrauss: Fisher’s gambling streak pays off
• Joe StraussThe Rams played Sunday at Edward Jones Dome and something entertaining broke out.
No, really.
Mayflower’s Team took down the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks by two points because a previously 1-4 bunch played with poise — albeit not always with defensive precision — and their gambler-head coach proved unafraid of his shadow.
The Rams had a chance to blink. They could have added another ignominious second-half collapse to a list including painful losses to the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. They could have gone conservative and hoped for a gasping defense to somehow stymie a mobile quarterback on a roll. They could have adhered to convention on special teams instead of ordering a punt returned called “Mountaineer” that brought seven points in return.
The Rams entered 6 1/2-point home dogs and exited 28-26 winners. A season written in early scrawl achieved a fluid, legible, signature win.
Hounded this season by questions of underachievement, a delayed-impact draft class and absurd penalties, the Rams got big production from first- and second-year players while exhibiting rare discipline.
Most of all, coach Jeff Fisher reminded everyone that he has plenty of gamble in him.
The Rams led 21-3 in the second quarter but had to sweat out rookie running back Tre Mason’s final-possession fumble on what looked like a game-clinching third-down run. Fisher was so convinced the Seahawks had possession he was on the headset with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams when officials ruled Rams tight end Cory Harkey had stolen possession from Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman at the bottom of a scrum.
“When they gave us the ball, obviously, I was somewhat relieved,” Fisher deadpanned.
For all the stadium-related pessimism and self-inflicted wounds the Rams have absorbed this season, Sunday offered a glimpse at what is doable when they commit only two penalties, hold on to the ball and regenerate a pass rush. The Rams enjoyed better field position, lost fewer “hidden” yards and showed the sort of creativity downtrodden teams should chance more often against dominant ones.
“As long as we’re not hurting ourselves and creating negative field position and things like that we’re OK,” Fisher said.
This game was — dare we say? — fun.
Receiver Stedman Bailey transformed the first punt return of his career — high school, college, professional — into a second-quarter touchdown that would have made David Copperfield proud.
If punter Johnny Hekker fails to find Benny Cunningham on a fourth-quarter fake from his own 18-yard-line, Fisher is everybody’s bobo this morning. But it worked. And the credit goes to a coach willing to follow his well-researched hunch. Hekker, an accomplished quarterback at Bothell High in suburban Seattle, threw a high strike to Benny Cunningham, who pushed upfield for 18 yards.
“Coach Fisher’s a guy that’s known to roll the dice,” Hekker said. “When we prepare the way we do, it makes those gambles that much more sure.”
Fisher rated the odds of his punter throwing for a first down deep in his own territory as better than his defense keeping the visitors from a fourth consecutive scoring drive. The Seahawks dominated the yardage game after halftime, 303-161, and amassed nine more first downs for the game.
The heretofore missing Sack City pass rush at least re-established itself as Sack Village with three takedowns of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in a span of five first-half snaps. (“All it takes is a little snowflake to start an avalanche,” mused sack-master rush end Robert Quinn, who got one along with opposite end Eugene Sims and rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald.) However, Williams’ technique-challenged defense wheezed to stop Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson as he threw for 163 yards and ran for 101 in the second-half alone.
“You guys saw the flow of the game,” Fisher said. “We were having a hard time stopping Russell. There was too much time left on the clock right there and I didn’t want to give the ball back to him.”
The Rams found positive reinforcement six days after frittering away a 14-point second-quarter lead against the 49ers on Monday night. They couldn’t even make it a single-possession game after suffering a last-minute, first-half, 80-yard lightning strike.
This time the Rams used daring to hold on to a lead constructed from ground-and-pound and guile. The locals scored three touchdowns in the first half with quarterback Austin Davis averaging 4.56 yards on nine completions (on nine attempts). Rookie back Tre Mason continued his emergence by rushing for 85 yards, many of them behind rookie left tackle and former Auburn teammate Greg Robinson.
“That’s my brother. Blood couldn’t make us closer,” Mason, referring to a friend he called “dominant” Sunday.
“He’s my brother. He did it in college and he’s continuing to do it,” Robinson said. “When he’s down I help him up. When I’m down he helps me up.”
This was Fishball at its best, minus the all-too-familiar preposterous penalties.
A bad penalty or a Davis interception might well have turned this game. Instead, the Seahawks lost 89 yards on 10 penalties. The Rams were whistled only twice for 20 yards, once for a delay before punting. The Seahawks’ renowned defense never created a sack.
Yet there were times Fisher might as well have stood on the other end of the tunnel connecting the dome to Lumiere Casino. He calculated, bet big and hit.
Bailey had never fielded a punt before Sunday, certainly not an over-the-shoulder job while retreating inside his own 15-yard-line against the defending world champs.
The Rams call the play “Mountaineer” because it hinges on the two former West Virginia teammates, Bailey and primary return man Tavon Austin. Austin sells the punt on one side of the field while Bailey gets the cheese. Three times special teams coordinator John Fassel ran film of the Chicago Bears working the decoy against the Green Bay Packers several years ago. With Devin Hester as decoy, the play worked to perfection — except for a Bears holding penalty that negated the trickeration.
Based on film study, Fisher set the odds of the Seahawks taking the bait at 90 percent.
Cha-ching.
With Austin waving for a phantom catch in an Oscar-worthy performance across field, Bailey corralled the punt at his own 10, spun to the far sideline and saw the sea parted before him.
“Go. Go. Go, go, go. Get to the end zone as fast as I can,” Bailey recalled of his first thought upon seeing open acreage before him.
This is how losing teams with uncertain destinies reach out to a jaded fan base.
No one can tease this cynical market with January football. But creative, disciplined and unpredictable might sell. Sunday’s announced crowd of 57,855 was rumor only. The Rams took down the Seahawks for the third time in their last 19 games. That’s gambler fact.
RamBillParticipantRams notes: Quinn breaks out ‘The Bernie’
• By Jim ThomasRobert Quinn had gone so long without a sack it looked like he’d forgotten how to do “The Bernie” — his trademark sack dance — after he finally got one midway through the second quarter Sunday.
“It was a full-action Bernie,” Quinn insisted after the Rams hung on for a 28-26 victory over Seattle at the Edward Jones Dome.
Perhaps, but it wasn’t as smooth as usual. Looked a little rusty.
“It’s taken a while,” Quinn said. “Once Aaron (Donald) started it off, we just kind of went from there. But me personally, to get (Russell Wilson) down for the first one of the year, it’s a great feeling. We’ve still got a few more games to go, so hopefully, it won’t be the last one.”
Given that Sunday was Robert Quinn bobblehead day, and his picture was on tickets for the contest, it was only fitting he broke the dry spell.
“On bobblehead day,” Quinn said, smiling. “I think they should’ve done that the first game of the season, so I wouldn’t have to wait so long to get my first one.”
After only one sack in their first five games, sacks came in bunches for the Rams in the second quarter. Donald, the rookie defensive tackle, dropped Wilson for a 5-yard loss with 9½ minutes remaining before halftime.
Two plays later, defensive end Eugene Sims dropped Wilson for a 9-yard loss to force a Seattle punt — a punt that was returned 90 yards for a touchdown by Stedman Bailey on a trick play.
On Seattle’s next possession, Quinn broke through for his 7-yard sack. He’s had at least one sack in his past five games against the Seahawks.
“We got three of those ‘S-words’ today, which was good,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “Those were hard to find there for a while.”
But that was all the Rams would get against Wilson, even though he absorbed several hits by the pass rush and was flushed out of the pocket on numerous occasions.
“This guy (Wilson) is hard to bring down,” Fisher said. “And Russell, all by himself, made this quite a game.”
En route to becoming the first player in NFL history with 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in the same game (according to Elias Sports), Wilson was almost unstoppable in the second half.
He accounted for 264 yards of offense and three TDs in the third and fourth quarters.
FUMBLE CALL
According to NFL spokesman Michael Signora, the Tre Mason fumble at the end of the game was reviewed in New York by Dean Blandino, the league’s VP of officiating.
Because there was no clear evidence of a recovery by either team, the call stood. That’s why the clock wasn’t stopped.
By rule, a fumble that occurs after the 2-minute warning can only be advanced by the player who fumbled, so the ball was returned to the spot of the fumble.
INJURY UPDATE
CB Janoris Jenkins (knee) and WR Kenny Britt (ankle) left the game briefly with injuries but were able to return. LG Rodger Saffold left midway through the fourth quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
But Saffold was ready to return if needed at the end of the game.
When asked if he’d be ready for next Sunday’s game at Kansas City, Saffold replied: “Oh, yeah. Absolutely.”
GIVENS PLAYS
After being placed on the pregame inactive list against Philadelphia and San Francisco, wide receiver Chris Givens suited up Sunday and made a key 30-yard reception on a third-and-6 play to set up the Rams’ final touchdown.
Replacing Givens on the inactive list was wide receiver Austin Pettis. Other Rams inactives: QB Case Keenum, CB Trumaine Johnson, S Maurice Alexander, CB Brandon McGee, C Tim Barnes and DE Ethan Westbrooks.
RamBillParticipantRams rewrite the script, beat Seattle
• By Jim ThomasWith quarterback Russell Wilson carving up the Rams’ defense with his legs, his arm and his determination, the Seattle Seahawks had nibbled away at what once was an 18-point deficit.
That Rams’ lead had all but disappeared when it came down to a fourth-and-3 play at the St. Louis 18 with 2 minutes, 55 seconds to play. Clinging to a 28-26 lead, out came Johnny Hekker and the Rams’ punting unit. The surging Seahawks were poised to get the ball around their 40. A couple of first downs, and out trots kicker Steven Hauschka to boot the game-winning field goal for the defending Super Bowl champs.
You could almost visualize that finish.
The Rams, after all, blew a 21-0 first-half lead four weeks ago against Dallas in the Edward Jones Dome. On Monday, they squandered a 14-0 first-quarter lead against San Francisco — also at the Dome.
Here we go again, right?
Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. So coach Jeff Fisher called for a fake punt, right then and there.
As linebacker James Laurinaitis said, it takes a lot of guts to make that call.
Yes, it does. But Hekker took the long snap from Jake McQuaide, threw a strike to up-back Benny Cunningham, who had leaked out to the left flat, and Cunningham caught the ball for a first down and an 18-yard gain.
Since Seattle was out of timeouts, the Rams needed only one first down to run out the clock on kneel-downs. They got the first down, but only after a third-and-1 run by rookie running back Tre Mason ended in a fumble, and then a mad scramble for the football.
It wasn’t clear who recovered for the Rams, preserving their 28-26 upset victory. Although the angle was inconclusive, replays seemed to indicate it was the Seahawks.
So who came up with the ball?
“The Rams,” Fisher said, smiling.
Which player?
“An offensive player,” he replied.
“The ref (Brad Allen) called it our ball,” defensive end William Hayes added. “That’s all I can say. Hell, the calls have been going the other way a lot the last couple of games. So finally we got us a good call.”
According to Seattle coach Pete Carroll, cornerback Richard Sherman was on the ball for a while but couldn’t get flat to secure it. “Then the ball got moved around a little bit,” Carroll said.
Rams tight end Cory Harkey said he re-gained control of the ball at the bottom of a huge dog pile. Seconds earlier it had squirted out of his grasp chasing down the Mason fumble.
“Yeah, me and Mike (Person) were fighting for it under the pile,” Harkey said. “And we ended up with it.”
Person, a reserve offensive lineman, was in the game as an extra blocker because the Rams were in a “jumbo” formation.
One kneel-down later, the Rams (2-4) had found a way to close out a game. Barely.
Seattle, missing several starters because of injury and having traded wide receiver and return man Percy Harvin on Friday to the New York Jets, fell to 3-3 with its second consecutive loss.
“There’s a lot to learn from this,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “If anything, it kind of tells some of the guys, hey, we just won against the world champs in a situation where we didn’t play — I don’t believe we played — our best football.”
If not for the fake punt, however, it could very well have been another loss. Carroll certainly thought so.
“We didn’t think they would do it in this situation,” he said. “If they don’t catch the ball, we would have kicked a field goal and gone home. Very gutsy play by Jeff (Fisher), the kind of stuff he has done in the past and the way we anticipate him being. And we prepared for it.”
But who thought the Rams would fake it backed up at the 18?
Fisher said he told special teams coordinator John Fassel on first down of that sequence that the fake punt was on if the Rams didn’t convert.
“You guys saw the flow of the game, we were having a hard time stopping Russell (Wilson),” Fisher said. “There was too much time left on the clock right there, and I didn’t want to give the ball back to them. I thought it was our best chance to get a first down.”
Hekker had completed a pair of passes for first downs on fake punts as a rookie in 2012. But he misfired on his only fake punt attempt last season, in Dallas, to intended receiver Stedman Bailey.
So you might say Hekker, the team’s emergency quarterback, was due.
“We got the call on the sideline, and at first I’m thinking: ‘Are you serious?’ “ Hekker said.
Yes, Fisher was serious.
“That’s the confidence that he has in our special teams,” Hekker said. “We run through that scenario every single week multiple times. I make that throw plenty of times in practice, and Benny does a great job catching the ball.”
But it’s one thing to do it in practice, another to do so at a crucial point in a tight game. Cunningham was wide open on the play — almost too open.
“It was a little bit nerve-wracking how wide-open he was,” Hekker said.
Cunningham felt the same way.
“I’m thinking make the catch or I’m probably gonna be done,” Cunningham said. “This might be my last play in the NFL if I don’t make this catch. They’re gonna cut me, or my teammates, they’re gonna kill me.”
No drastic measures were needed. Cunningham caught the ball, helping the Rams win for only the third time in their last 19 tries against Seattle.
Special teams were vital to the victory. Although Seattle outgained the Rams 463 yards to 272 on offense, the Rams enjoyed an edge of 201 yards to 62 on punt and kickoff returns.
The Rams had to drive only 31 yards for their first touchdown, thanks to a 75-yard kickoff return by Cunningham. Their third TD, giving them a 21-3 lead, came on some punt return trickery when Bailey raced 90 yards for a score on a play that everyone in the Dome — except for the Rams — thought was going to Tavon Austin.
The Rams did manage a pair of long drives, both ending in Austin Davis TD passes. And in the end, they had their highest point total against Seattle since 2006.
“We wanted to finish the game in an offensive victory formation,” Davis said. “We did that.”
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