Shaun Hill frustrated but understands demotion
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12228/hill-frustrated-but-understanding-of-demotion

EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams quarterback Shaun Hill waited three full seasons between starts.

That long wait ended in the season opener when Hill started against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 after Sam Bradford had a second ACL tear in the team’s third preseason game. As it turns out, Hill’s stay as the starter lasted all of one half.

Hill played those first 30 minutes against the Vikings but did not return to that game after injuring his calf. Austin Davis took over and performed well enough in the two starts he made after to claim the job on a more permanent basis.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher confirmed as much Wednesday, the same day he informed Hill that Davis would be the starter moving forward after repeatedly insisting that Hill would resume starting duties upon returning to health.

“It’s not that Shaun lost the job, it’s that Austin earned an opportunity to keep it,” Fisher said. “Shaun understands, he’s a team player, he’s ready to come in at a moment’s notice. He is healthy enough to play this week.”

Hill is healthy enough to resume playing but upon his return, he’s going back to the reserve role he was initially signed to fill back in March. It’s a role he knows well but one he isn’t afraid to acknowledge is a bit disappointing given that he was finally in position to play again.

“It’s frustrating but you take a step back and think about it, it’s not about me, it’s about the team,” Hill said. “It’s frustrating but at the same time, you’ve got to keep going. It’s a tough league for tough minded people and I put myself in that category.”

Indeed, Hill has lasted 13 seasons in the NFL in no small part because of his ability to adapt to changing situations and circumstances. While he never had designs on becoming the Rams’ starter long-term, he was admittedly excited to be back starting after his lengthy hiatus.

Even the prospect of playing against Philadelphia brought up positive memories, as Hill threw for a career-high 335 yards and two touchdowns in a 2010 loss to the Eagles. But after watching Davis perform well and seeing him continue to get repetitions over the bye even as he returned to health, Hill began to see things trending in the other direction.

“To be honest with you, last week I could kind of see the writing on the wall,” Hill said. “I wouldn’t let myself go there, though. As soon as my mind kind of went to that, I caught myself and you can’t let your mind go there over the bye week. Looking back on it, you know, it kind of seemed like it was headed in that direction.”

Considering the injuries that have already hit the quarterback position this year, it’s always possible Hill could find himself back under center at some point this season. Such is life as the backup quarterback.

“I’m a professional,” Hill said. “I’ll come to work every day and continue to try to help this team any way I can.”

Rams vs. Eagles preview
By Phil Sheridan and Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/8166/rams-vs-eagles-preview

The season hit the quarter mark for the Philadelphia Eagles, who are 3-1. Thanks to a bye week, the St. Louis Rams (1-2) will reach that mark Sunday in a game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Already missing quarterback Sam Bradford, who tore his ACL during the preseason, the Rams had backup quarterback Shaun Hill injure his calf. That opened the door for Austin Davis, who completed 30 of 42 passes for 327 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys before the bye week. He will start against the Eagles.

For the Eagles, the issues aren’t clear cut. Their offensive line has been plagued by injuries, and that has led to issues in the running game and with Nick Foles’ play. The Eagles didn’t score an offensive touchdown in Sunday’s 26-21 loss in San Francisco.

They are trying to get back to top form. The Rams are trying to find their top form. ESPN NFL Nation reporters Nick Wagoner, who covers the Rams, and Phil Sheridan, who covers the Eagles, talked it all over.

Phil Sheridan: The Rams have been uncharacteristically weak when it comes to rushing the passer. Robert Quinn had 19 sacks last season and has zero through three games. How much of that is the absence of injured defensive end Chris Long? Can the Rams get it going this week without him?

Nick Wagoner: The Rams certainly miss Long and when it comes to the pass rush, that’s where his absence is most felt. But there are bigger things at play than Long’s absence when it comes to rushing the passer. For one, the Rams haven’t been able to stop the run well enough to put themselves in a lot of pass-rush situations. Through three weeks, the Rams had been passed on the least in the league and by a good margin (Oakland was next and teams had tried 16 more passes against it). That’s because teams have had so much success running the ball that they haven’t had reason to abandon it. Also, when teams do throw it, they are getting the ball out quick and doing everything they can to negate the Rams’ pass rush. But to be clear, the Rams still have to be better when the opportunities arise. They’ve had some head-scratching defensive play calls where they’ve only rushed three on third-and-long, moments you’d think would be perfect for them to dial it up. I’m sure the hope is that they can right the ship against the Eagles’ run game this week and set up opportunities to get after the quarterback.

Philadelphia’s run game has disappointed recently but the Rams have struggled to stop the run as well. How much of the struggles the Eagles have had running the ball is related to injuries on the offensive line? If not, what are other issues that might need addressing?

Sheridan: Sometimes the obvious answer really is the truth. I’d say the offensive line problems are 90 percent of the issue in the Eagles’ running game. There is an element of defensive coordinators reacting to the Eagles’ 2013 success by stacking the box and daring Nick Foles to beat them. And there is something to the notion that LeSean McCoy sometimes turns what could be a 2-yard gain into a 4-yard loss by trying too hard to break every run. Sometimes it’s best just to hit the hole, get what’s there and move on to the next play. But ultimately, being without guard Evan Mathis, center Jason Kelce and tackle Lane Johnson has greatly affected the Eagles’ running game. Johnson will be back Sunday, but not the other two. Still, I expect Chip Kelly to try hard to get McCoy going this week.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher named Austin Davis his starting quarterback earlier this week. Was that the right move? Does he give them the best chance Sunday?

Wagoner: The answer to both questions is yes. Davis has played well enough to earn another start and Fisher said the Rams plan to stick with him for the rest of the season. He gives the Rams the best chance to win now while also providing hope that he could at least develop into a long-term backup and at best put together enough good performances to be in the mix as a starter long term. He leads the league in completion percentage and has showed a knack for coming through in big moments like the team’s win in Tampa Bay. He has made and will make mistakes, but Fisher doesn’t intend to have a quick hook if those mistakes pile up. Most important, the Rams seem to feed off his energy and enthusiasm, which should make him a welcome addition in the huddle moving forward.

Nick Foles burst on the scene last year but seems like he’s fallen back to the pack a bit this year. What are you seeing from him in his second season and has he regressed or is it more a function of other pieces around him not working as well?

Sheridan: It’s a combination of things. Before the San Francisco game, Foles was leading the NFL in passing yards. It’s just that expectations are really high for him now, and he has not quite been meeting them. The offensive line is involved in this aspect of things, too. Foles was able to set his feet and make his throws at his leisure most of the time last season. That luxury is no longer afforded him. The result is that he’s been just a little off, especially on deep throws. That’s enough to make them ineffective, which means Foles isn’t making defenses pay for the attention they’re paying to the run game. If Foles can do what he did against Washington, for example, it will help all facets of the Eagles’ offense.

The Rams’ defense has had trouble stopping passes in the middle of the field, an area the Eagles like to exploit. Would an improved pass rush fix that or is it more about the state of the Rams’ secondary?

Wagoner: I don’t necessarily think the pass rush is the main reason for it, though a better pass rush should help against any and all pass attempts. There have been times when the Rams haven’t gotten to the quarterback and it’s opened passes up over the middle of the field. But to me, the Rams need to get better play from their linebackers, safeties and corners working out of the slot. They like to use safety T.J. McDonald in the box on a consistent basis, and though that’s where he’s best used, they do it so often that it leaves the other safety, Rodney McLeod, fending for himself on the back end a lot. Beyond that, it seems like middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is being asked to do too much back there, being used almost like he’s working in a Cover 2. Either way, the Rams certainly can’t afford to be soft in the middle of the field against Zach Ertz and Darren Sproles this week.

To what do you attribute the Eagles’ defensive struggles and what are some areas the Rams could exploit?

Sheridan: The Eagles are vulnerable in every facet of the game, but they do find ways to make plays as well. They simplified their defense last year in order to hasten the transition to a 3-4. This year, coordinator Bill Davis has tried to add complexity. That has meant some growing pains. Washington and Jacksonville had a lot of success with quick passes, while Indianapolis and San Francisco relied heavily on their running games. So both approaches are possible. The Eagles did a much better job rushing the quarterback Sunday, sacking Colin Kaepernick four times after going two weeks without a sack. If they’re able to keep that up, it will put pressure on the Rams to adjust.

==========
Rams at Eagles: Stats of the Week

69

Number of passing attempts against the Rams in 2014, the lowest in the league before their Week 4 bye and now the fewest attempts by an even bigger margin.

0-for-10

Nick Foles “completed” two passes to 49ers defenders on balls thrown 20 or more yards Sunday. He completed zero such passes to Eagles receivers, the most attempts without a completion since ESPN Stats & Info began tracking that data in 2006.

Rams notes: Team begins preparing for Sunday game in Philadelphia
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-notes-team-begins-preparing-for-sunday-game-in-philadelphia/article_1746058f-8225-5770-9265-761ca5352c12.html

Coming off their Week 4 bye, the Rams returned to Rams Park Wednesday afternoon for their first full practice in preparation for Sunday’s noon game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

This is the first of 13 consecutive weeks of football for the 1-2 Rams.

“They’re fresh and they’re ready to go,” coach Jeff Fisher said of his players. “We’re pleased with what took place last week. We focused on specific things for different players and we got a lot done — the guys that needed rest got rest (and the) young guys that needed technique work got that. Guys got away, we brought them back yesterday mid-morning and got them back in the swing of things.

“They understand the challenges that are ahead of us this week. This is a good (3-1 Eagles) football team — this team could be 4-0. You’re talking about a team that has five returns for touchdowns already. They played the 49ers well (losing 26-21 on the road Sunday) and we’ve got our hands full. … Our guys understand that the key this week is preparation. You have to prepare for an uncommon opponent. We have to prepare the best we can for their up-tempo offense.”

INJURY REPORT

The Rams’ initial injury report of the week includes just five players. Center Barrett Jones (back) and cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson (knee) and Brandon McGee (foot) did not practice while receiver Tavon Austin (knee) was limited.

Back-up quarterback Shaun Hill (thigh) took part in the full workout, working with the scout team.

Austin, the team’s top draft pick a year ago, did some extra work after practice and is hoping to return to action on Sunday.

“I feel good. Definitely good to be back out there,” said Austin, who had three catches 34 yards and five carries for 26 yards before being hurt late in the first half of the team’s Week 2 win at Tampa Bay. “I’m trying to stay positive, to stay patient. I just want to move forward and try to make some plays to help the team any way I can.”

Fisher said that Johnson, a starting cornerback, continues to make progress after being hurt in the preseason.

“He’s getting closer,’’ the coach said. “Doing some good things inside, actually, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was ready to start running on land here pretty soon.”

For Philadelphia, center Jason Kelce has been ruled out due to a sports hernia while inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks (calf) and cornerback Brandon Boykin (hamstring) sat out Wednesday’s workout. Banged-up players practicing included tight end Trey Burton (Achilles), cornerback Nolan Carroll (ankle), tight end James Casey (knee), tackle Matt Tobin (ankle), safety Earl Wolff (knee) and receivers Josh Huff (shoulder), Brad Smith (groin) and Jeremy Maclin (hamstring). Both Smith, a former quarterback, and Maclin, a Kirkwood High product, enjoyed record-setting careers at the University of Missouri.

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Jones, a highly decorated offensive lineman from Alabama selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, did some work on the side Wednesday and continues to rehab after undergoing back surgery during training camp.

“It was really a minor deal, as back surgery goes,” he explained Wednesday. “But it feels really good. It helped a ton. I feel like a new man.”

Jones, who earned All-America honors at three different positions while winning three national titles with the Crimson Tide, was limited to just four games a year ago after undergoing foot surgery at the end of his college career. After working hard in the offseason to prepare for his second pro season, he was sidelined early in training camp.

“I just felt a lot of pain in my back and shooting down my legs. Nerve pain,” the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Jones said. “It was very frustrating because I felt good about the way I was playing. But that’s just a part of football and now I’m looking to bounce back. I feel like this is a small setback and that I’ll be able to play football again soon.”

CROWD NOISE

The Rams are one of the few teams in the NFL who do not pump in crowd noise to help prepare for hostile road stadiums.

“I think if you make a big deal of the crowd noise, then it becomes a big deal during the game,” Fisher explained. “In camp, we have a few drills (with players simulating crowd noise) from the back of the end zone, but that’s all we do. We communicate in the huddle and have to go silent count and all those things. I think if you make such a big deal over it, it becomes a concern, becomes a distraction not only on the practice field but on Sundays.”

RAM-BLINGS

• Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles was named NFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday after a career-long 82-yard punt return touchdown in the Eagles’ loss to the 49ers last weekend. It was the fourth punt-return score and sixth total kick-return touchdown for Sproles, who earned Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 2.

In the game, the Eagles became the first team in NFL history to score on a punt return, a blocked punt and an interception return in the first half of a game.

• In a practice squad move, the Rams have released defensive end Kortnei Brown and re-signed tight end Brad Smelley.

LATSCH: 5 Things To Watch Following Rams’ Bye
By Nate Latsch

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/10/01/latsch-5-things-to-watch-following-rams-bye/

ST. LOUIS — The Rams are back to work after getting a few days off for their bye week and they have a big challenge in front of them on Sunday in Philadelphia against an Eagles team that is 3-1.

Here are five things I’ll be watching for as the Rams (1-2) tackle the rest of their regular season schedule:

• Quarterback situation

Ah, yes. Of course. Could we really start anywhere else?

Austin Davis has played well in relief of Shaun Hill, posting a 72.3 completion percentage with three touchdowns, three interceptions and a QB rating of 93.1.

But coach Jeff Fisher has said that the veteran Hill will be the starter when he’s healthy enough to be and that could be the case this Sunday in Philadelphia, considering Hill has been healthy enough to active the past two weeks.

This will be what everyone is talking about this week but I don’t think Fisher will tip his hand until Sunday because he doesn’t have to.

For the record, Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said at his press conference Tuesday that they were preparing for both quarterbacks.

“Yes but luckily they are identical players,” Davis told reporters. “One’s a little younger. One’s a little older. One’s got more experience. One’s got less. But when you look at their skill sets, they are very similar quarterback skill sets.”

• Zac Stacy

The second-year running back had his best game of the season against the Cowboys, rushing 12 times for 67 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and catching five passes for another 54 yards.

Stacy had more touches a week earlier in Tampa — he carried the ball 19 times for 71 yards and a touchdown but did not have a catch — but the Dallas game gave us a glimpse of the breakout player we saw a year ago as a rookie fifth-rounder out of Vanderbilt.

Stacy averaged 3.9 yards per carry over 11 attempts in the season opener against the Vikings and then 3.7 yards per carry against the Bucs, so his increased productivity in that department against Dallas was a welcomed sight.

The Rams need to get Stacy and the running game going and they’ve taken good steps forward in both of those areas the past two games.

• Aaron Donald’s snap counts

The rookie defensive tackle out of Pittsburgh has flashed the ability that earned him just about every national college football defensive award possible a year ago, but we’d like to see him even more.

Working in a rotation at defensive tackle, Donald played 31 snaps against the Vikings, the same amount as Kendall Langford and one less than Michael Brockers. Against the Bucs, Donald played 25 snaps and recorded his first sack, while Langford played 35 and Brockers 33. In the last game, against the Cowboys, Donald played 27 while Brockers played 31 and Langford played 30.

In the long run, rotating those three players — Alex Carrington has also rotated in with that group, but not with the same frequency — should help each of them remain fresher throughout the season.

But it would be great to see what the first-rounder Donald, who grades out as the Rams’ most effective defender according to Pro Football Focus, could accomplish with more playing time.

• Greg Robinson’s playing time

On the flip side is the Rams’ other first-round pick, No. 2 overall, who has played just 10 snaps on offense in the first three games — and nine of those came in the season opener when Rodger Saffold left with an injury.

I understand what the Rams are doing here. They want to go with veterans along the offensive line and bring the 6-foot-5, 332-pounder along slowly as he transitions from playing left tackle in Auburn’s run-heavy offensive attack to playing left guard in a more complex NFL scheme.

But it’s still disappointing to see a guy who looks like he can help in the run game — that was his calling card coming into the NFL, after all — not get a chance to show if he can do that at this level.

Robinson is still young and has the athletic ability to develop into one of the better offensive linemen in the league, so we’ll have to wait to see how this goes the rest of the season. It’s unlikely that Jake Long, Saffold, Davin Joseph and Joe Barksdale can all go the rest of the season without missing some snaps due to injury, which would open the door for Robinson at some point.

• Trumaine Johnson’s return

The third-year cornerback is slowly working his way back from the knee injury that sidelined him during the preseason and forced rookie sixth-rounder E.J. Gaines into the starting lineup.

Gaines has held his own at that spot but the Rams defense should benefit from getting the bigger (6-2, 208) and more experienced Johnson in there, which could even push Gaines inside in a position to compete for snaps with second-rounder Lamarcus Joyner in nickel packages.

The Rams obviously will continue to miss defensive end Chris Long, but Johnson could be a key piece of this St. Louis defense that no one is talking about right now.

Morning Ram-blings: AEG and the NFL
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12195/morning-ram-blings-aeg-and-the-nfl

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Consternation about the St. Louis Rams’ future in the city has begun to stir as the team trudges toward the expiration of its lease at the Edward Jones Dome after the season.

In the meantime, the discussion about a possible move to Los Angeles has remained in the background but never too far away. There are many machinations of how things could play out in Los Angeles’ efforts to get the NFL back but one constant in recent years has been the Anschutz Entertainment Group, headed by Phillip Anschutz. AEG owns the Los Angeles Kings, the Los Angeles Galaxy and a 30 percent stake in the Los Angeles Lakers.

Earlier this week, ESPN’s Arash Markazi had the news that AEG has requested an extension on its effort to find a team to put in its long planned Farmers Field project.

According to the story, AEG had a deadline of Oct. 18 to get a team to commit to coming to Los Angeles in order for the stadium and convention center plan to begin. That is almost certainly not going to happen, hence the request for the six-month extension.

Of course, the teams most commonly brought up as potential tenants in that stadium are the Rams, the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers.

While the Rams do have an expiring lease and would be free to shop around after the season barring an agreement for a new or improved stadium in St. Louis, what happens with the AEG proposal is probably only tangentially related.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke almost certainly isn’t looking to sell his team nor is he likely interested in becoming a tenant in someone else’s stadium. Of more importance here is whether AEG could use the extension to lure a different team, making Los Angeles a less attractive option.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Tuesday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … In the Ram-blings, we began the day with a look at the progress of running back Tre Mason. … Next, we revisited the Rams-Bills draft trade of 2013 in light of the benching of quarterback EJ Manuel. … The Rams offense is encouraged by its early progress but still has ways to improve. … Finally, we looked at the latest Power Rankings, where the Rams dipped to No. 30 on their bye week.

Elsewhere:

This week’s complete NFL Power Rankings.

Kevin Seifert’s weekly quarterback report offers a look at the work of Nick Foles, the man the Rams will see on Sunday.

At 101sports.com, Anthony Stalter makes his case for why Austin Davis should start for the Rams this week.

At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas writes about the scary offseason of center Scott Wells.

Thomas also participated in his weekly chat.

Rams drop to No. 30 in Power Rankings
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12184/rams-drop-to-no-30-in-power-rankings

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams didn’t play this week, enjoying an early bye along with five other NFL teams. That means they didn’t lose any games but it didn’t prevent them from losing ground in this week’s ESPN NFL Power Rankings.

After holding steady at No. 28 last week despite a close loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Rams actually dropped two spots this week to No. 30 despite not playing a game. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders checked in behind the Rams this week after voters elevated Tampa Bay and Minnesota above them.

Minnesota, I can understand, especially after the Vikings beat the Rams convincingly in Week 1 and went on to beat Atlanta this week. The Vikings are up to No. 24 and deservedly so.

But I believe the Rams deserve a little better than their 30th spot on this list. They should remain ahead of Tampa Bay even after the Bucs beat Pittsburgh on the road. The Rams beat the Bucs on the road just two weeks ago, and the teams have the same record. And though the Rams have a blowout loss on their résumé, they played Dallas, which has risen to No. 10 on the list, extremely close and probably should have won that game in their other defeat.

In my eyes, the Rams should be ahead of Tennessee, Tampa Bay and Washington and be sitting in the No. 27 range. If nothing else, they probably should have stayed where they were after not having a game this week.

They’ll have a chance to prove they aren’t the third-worst team in the league this week when they travel to play No. 6 Philadelphia.

Rams encouraged by offensive progress
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12182/rams-encouraged-by-early-offensive-progress

EARTH CITY, Mo. — While the St. Louis Rams defense was the group expected to take a big step forward in 2014, it so far has been a disappointment. But for as much of a letdown as the early defensive returns have been, the Rams have been equally encouraged by the start of the offense.

Although there remains plenty of work to do for the Rams to improve offensively, there have been steady signs of progress in the first three weeks. As of Tuesday morning, the Rams are ninth in the league in yards per game (368.3), ninth in passing yards per game (264.3) and sixth in time of possession (32:12).

“I think the best way for us to look at it is the offense did move the ball well, we looked a lot better week by week,” tight end Lance Kendricks said. “We have kind of got to take that in stride and use that as motivation going forward.”

Perhaps most surprising about the offense’s start has been the production through the air while the running game has been middling. The emergence of quarterback Austin Davis in the team’s past two games has been an impetus for the improvement, but there is more at play than just Davis’ league-leading accuracy.

With opposing defenses loading up to stop the run, the Rams have found favorable matchups for their receivers on the outside. That’s not new for the Rams but it is a step forward that the Rams are now actually winning some of those one-on-one battles. Receiver Brian Quick leads the way in that regard with his 16 catches for 235 yards and a touchdown.

But beyond Quick, Davis and the passing game have found success by spreading the ball around. After three weeks, the Rams have 10 players with at least three catches.

“Moving the ball around to different people is always a good thing,” Kendricks said. “It makes them have to play it true and play everyone and play it fair. This week, I think the focus is just building on what we did already and improving on last week’s performance. Even though we did perform well, we can always get better as an offensive unit.”

One way to do that is to get the running game going on a more consistent basis. The offense was supposed to center on the rushing attack but the first three weeks have offered a series of stops and starts. The Rams are 22nd in the league in rushing offense at 104 yards per game and 20th in yards per attempt at 3.85.

The offensive line has shown improvement in each week of the season and that should continue as it plays together more. Defenses playing with extra defenders in the box is probably going to continue, and it didn’t stop the Rams from having success running the ball last year. They can start by finding bigger chunk runs than what they have.

The Rams’ longest rush this season was an 18-yard gain on an end-around to Tavon Austin.

“We know we’ll get heavy boxes and people trying to stop the run,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “We need to create some explosive runs. We get guys in the secondary creating seams, they’ve got to be able to take advantage of that. But it’s a process. That certainly takes pressure off of us by getting in second down and manageable, third down and manageable. But we go well when we’re balanced and we run the football. When teams take that away from us we tend to struggle a little bit, so hopefully we’ll like always try to get the running game going and generate a few more explosive plays. ”

If the Rams can do that, they should be able to continue building on a surprising start as they head into games with much better defenses.

Morning Ram-blings: Tre Mason’s time?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12170/morning-ram-blings-masons-time

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams spent two picks in the first two days of May’s NFL draft on a pair of Auburn Tigers they believed could help their running game.

Much has been made (rightfully so) of the absence of offensive lineman Greg Robinson from the starting lineup in the team’s first three games. Because of that, less has been made of the absence of running back Tre Mason, the team’s third-round pick who has yet to be active on game day, let alone left out of the starting lineup.

At AL.com, Mark Inabinett took a closer look at Mason’s time in St. Louis so far and wonders if his time is coming after the bye.

As it stands, Mason is behind Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham and Trey Watts on the depth chart. Stacy and Cunningham have been splitting time as the top two backs with Watts working into the mix against Dallas and helping on special teams.

For now, Mason has been attempting to work his way into the special teams plans, which figures to be his quickest ticket to some playing time. But until he proves more reliable there or on the offense, it remains to be seen when he’ll get his chance.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Monday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … In the Ram-blings, we began the day with a look at the game balls handed out by our NFL Nation reporters for Sunday’s games. … Next, we looked at the early production of defensive tackle Aaron Donald and how he’s earned more. … We then took an early peek at the Philadelphia Eagles after their loss to San Francisco on Sunday. … Finally, we closed the day with a look at Austin Davis’ early production and why some perspective needs to be kept moving forward.

Elsewhere:

John Clayton’s last call examines the success of underdogs over the weekend.

Eagles reporter Phil Sheridan updates the status of returning offensive tackle Lane Johnson as he prepares to play the Rams this week.

At 101sports.com, Dave Dameshek offers a Philadelphia perspective to the Kevin Wheeler show.

At stltoday.com, Bernie Miklasz muses on a few Rams-related topics.

Jim Thomas writes that former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner is going to be inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

Aaron Donald making early impact for Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12148/aaron-donald-making-early-impact-for-rams

EARTH CITY, Mo. — While No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson continues to wait his turn to contribute to the St. Louis Rams, their other first-round pick has jumped out to a strong start despite limited opportunities.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the No. 13 overall pick in May, isn’t technically a starter three games into his rookie season but he’s making the most of the chances he’s been afforded. And a strong argument could be made that Donald’s opportunities should increase based on how he’s played.

Although Donald has played an average of just 25.3 snaps per game in the first three games, the unofficial statistics the Rams keep based on coaches’ review of the film would indicate he’s been their most productive defensive lineman. Those reviews have him down for 16 tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss.

Not that the soft-spoken Donald is satisfied with his early efforts.

“The game is faster,” Donald said. “I’m getting adjusted to it and getting a little more comfortable out there but to me, football is football. That’s all we can do is go out there and compete. It’s the same thing I have been doing since I was 5, playing the game of football. Going out there when my number is called and trying to make plays.”

For now, it seems unlikely that Donald will have his number called much more than he has throughout the first three weeks. He played 50 percent of the defensive snaps in the opener against Minnesota and has been below that in the games against Tampa Bay and Dallas.

The Rams prefer to rotate their defensive linemen as much as possible which has left Donald relegated to working in behind Kendall Langford on the interior. Most of Donald’s snaps have so far come on obvious passing downs as his quickness and pass-rush skills make him a natural fit for that role.

Against Dallas, Donald played 19 of his 27 snaps in pass-rush situations. But Donald has been productive against the run, too. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus has Donald graded as the Rams’ best defender in the first three weeks with a grade of 5.9 against the run. That score is second best against the run among defensive tackles in the league according to PFF.

Given the Rams’ woes in defending the run, they rank 29th in the league, it would make sense to sprinkle in a handful more snaps for Donald moving forward.

“On pass-rushing downs is usually when I’m going to be in there,” Donald said. “But you just rotate. We try to keep each other fresh. When my name is called I’m going to go in there and give it everything I’ve got. Then I come out and he goes back in. That’s the good thing. They are valuable reps and you don’t want to waste none of them so when you are out there, you better be ready to go.”

Watch the best segments from the Rams one-on-one interviews with Rams offensive players through the first three weeks. (4:03)

http://www.rams-news.com/one-on-one-best-of-rams-offensive-players-interviews/