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znModeratorLet's keep it going! #MobSquad pic.twitter.com/nhmZEkVj20
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 3, 2016
znModeratorTwo road wins in a row. When’s the last time ‘that’ happened?
The last time the Rams won 2 consecutive road games was in 2010.
November 28 @ Denver Broncos 36-33
December 5 @ Arizona Cardinals 19-6I remember the Denver game, it featured a couple of big plays from Danario Alexander. Big game for Bradford–he threw for 308 yards and 3 TDs with no INTs.
The Arz game was back when that team didn’t have qbs. Both Derek Anderson and John Skelton took snaps at qb in that game. Then rookie UDFA Max Hall got in for a few plays to be sacked silly. And, I had to look all that up.
znModeratorHere’s a play from 2013.
—
znModeratorMaybe, something is clicking, and a status emerging. Just hoping.
yeah somethin good is goin on isn’t it.
znModeratorCase Keenum is holding tight to job as Rams’ starting quarterback
Sam Farmer
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-cardinals-farmer-20161002-snap-story.html
As he showed Sunday on a zigzagging scramble that seemed to last a minute, Rams quarterback Case Keenum can move backward and forward, this way and that, finding pockets of breathing room when everything is breaking down around him.
The only thing Keenum won’t do is step aside.
With No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff waiting for his chance to play, Keenum is only tightening his grip on the starting job.
“He’s preparing every week and he expects to win,” Coach Jeff Fisher said of Keenum. “That’s how he is. That’s why months ago we said that he was our starter, because we have confidence in him and he can win games.”
Keenum had a memorable afternoon against Arizona, completing 18 of 30 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, one fumble, and a lofty passer rating of 111.2 to help the Rams to a 17-13 win, their third consecutive victory. That after a 28-0 loss at San Francisco in Week 1, when Keenum and his teammates were flatter than a Johnny Unitas haircut.
Dating to last December, the Rams are 6-2 in the last eight games Keenum has started. Only Denver has a better regular-season record during that span at 7-1. The Rams’ average margin of victory in those wins? Six points.
“Good teams win close games,” Keenum said. “That’s this league. You go across the board every week and most games, if not all of them, are one or two possessions. Some of them are just a field goal or two. You see time and again, the good ones find a way to win those.”
The Rams are far from an offensive juggernaut. They were the NFL’s only team to go without a touchdown for the first two weeks of the season. But they ground out a 9-3 victory over Seattle at the Coliseum, won at Tampa Bay in a 37-32 shootout, and Sunday had to come from behind late in the fourth quarter.
With 2 minutes 36 seconds to play, Keenum made a four-yard, back-shoulder throw to Brian Quick for the go-ahead touchdown. That capped a clutch drive that started with a 47-yard punt return by Tavon Austin — augmented by a 15-yard facemask call tacked on at the end — and included an eight-yard reception by Todd Gurley on third and eight.
Making that Keenum-to-Quick touchdown pass even more remarkable is it came with the wrong personnel on the field. Although Keenum wouldn’t say who specifically was out there who shouldn’t have been, he confirmed that there was a mix-up.
“We just had to get everybody lined up and the play clock was at 4,” he said. “There was one wrong guy in there, and he was at the wrong position. We got it figured out, though.”
There were a couple of big plays by Keenum that didn’t work out so well because they were wiped out by penalty flags. One was that wild third-down scramble in the fourth quarter, when Keenum slipped away from at least three tackles before finally connecting on a short pass with tight end Lance Kendricks, who turned it into a 27-yard gain. That was nullified because tackle Greg Robinson, who had lost track of Keenum, had started run blocking upfield.
In the third quarter, Keenum broke loose for a 27-yard run, then popped to his feet, pumped his fists, and yelled in jugular-bulging celebration. He didn’t notice the penalty flag — a holding call on Robinson — behind the line of scrimmage.
“I felt a little foolish when I had to walk back 40 yards to the huddle,” Keenum conceded. “But we overcame it in the end … Good teams overcome those things.”
Unbelievably, the same Rams who looked so inept in their opener are now atop the NFC West with Seattle and have a two-game lead over the defending division champion Cardinals.
“It says we’re fighters,” said Keenum, whose team plays host to Buffalo on Sunday. “We’ve won two road games in a row. We’re not going to dwell on where we are. We’re looking at where we’re going.”
Keenum took his time getting dressed and packing his duffel bag for the short flight home. His right leg was wrapped in cellophane that held ice bags in place. Walking out of the locker room with Gurley beside him, Keenum moved somewhat gingerly but with the confidence of a quarterback and team leader who knows the starting job belongs to him.
znModeratorRams starting to grow confidence in QB Case Keenum
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-730878-keenum-sunday.html
GLENDALE, Ariz – . In the third quarter Case Keenum saw daylight, even indoors. He ran through the bad-intentioned Cardinals for 27 yards, and a first down on the Arizona eight.
Hold everything. Penalty on Rams’ tackle Greg Robinson, for holding.
In the fourth quarter Keenum felt the ceiling descending on him, and he took off, stutter-stepped, doubled back, kept hoofing, and lobbed a 27-yarder to Lance Kendricks that took the ball to the Arizona 12 and put a broad smile on the face of Fran Tarkenton, wherever he was watching.
Hold everything. Penalty on Rams’ tackle Greg Robinson, illegal receiver downfield.
“I was out of breath when I was calling the next play,” Keenum said. “I felt kinda foolish, running back 40 yards to where it started.”
Somewhere between those two forfeited moments, and the end of the Rams’ 17-13 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, you remembered what everybody said. Keenum is basically part of the Rams’ ride-along program, carried by the defense and Todd Gurley.
But your eyes are telling you different. The Rams are not succeeding in spite of Keenum. At times, it’s the reverse.
Keenum had a 111.2 quarterback rating Sunday, which is Rodgers/Brady territory. He hit 18 of 30 passes with no interceptions, although he flirted with a couple. He threw erratically to Tavon Austin on one play and then drilled a pass between two Cardinals to Brian Quick, and when those Cardinals lost their footing Quick went 65 yards for the first touchdown.
He has thrown one interception in the three-game win streak. He might not be a master but he acts like a commander, and the Rams are 3-1. They were 3-2 when he started last year.
“He wants to make a play,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “It’s the confidence and the trust we have in him. On some of those plays, we’re saying, ‘Hey, Case, what are you doing?’ But he keeps his eyes downfield and looks for that big bomb. That’s what we appreciate about him.”
The Rams still won, and have to win, in grinding, NFC West fashion. They had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, three sacks and four tackles for loss. Aaron Donald and Eugene Sims knocked Carson Palmer out of the game. Larry Fitzgerald had only one catch.
Not until Austin exploited Bradley Marquez’s block and jumped out for a 47-yard punt return, with a face mask penalty thrown in, did Keenum get close enough for the winning score. That was a four-yard strike to Quick, after he had thrown to Gurley for a first down.
“The trust in Case has been there,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s really good in the huddlle. He overcomes tough situations. He’s reckless, but he’s fun.”
The game falls to Keenum because NFL defenses continue their obsession with Gurley. He squeaked out 1.7 yards per carry on Sunday. He was averaging 2.8 before Sunday. The Rams are putting him wide more often, but they will continue to butt their heads, or his, against that wall until something breaks.
“We felt that if we were handing the ball off to Todd in the fourth quarter we’d be in good shape,” Fisher said.
But Keenum came up with three pass plays of 30 or more yards on Sunday, and that’s with a couple of dropped balls, and those two buzz-killers by Robinson.
“I can think of at least three passes I’d like to have back,” said Keenum, who was also thinking of the Rams’ failure to get any points off those five takeaways.
“We were realy close on some of those explosive plays after we faked to Todd. There’s a lot of offense out there. I took a sack (and fumbled) one time, with too many hitches. I need to let the ball go there. The chemistry isn’t perfect, but we’re getting there. You have to win close games in this league to be successful.”
The Rams beat Seattle by six, Tampa Bay by five, and Arizona by four. Next week they play host to Buffalo, who won a shutout in New England Sunday.
“In our recent history, once we get on a high, that next game is really not there for us,” Brockers said. “We have to make sure that changes.”
As Carson Wentz, Trevor Siemian, Dak Prescott and Jimmy Garoppolo have thrived to various degrees, the NFL intelligentsia continues to wonder when the Rams will remove the bubble wrap from Jared Goff. But with each week and with each win, they should notice why Goff isn’t playing quarterback for the Rams. There isn’t a vacancy.
znModeratorIt’s Tavon Austin’s turn to produce game-turning play for Rams
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-730876-austin-game.html
GLENDALE, Ariz – . As much lip as Tavon Austin gives his defensive teammates – and the quietest guy you’ll ever meet freely admits he’s the loudest guy in the stadium come game day – even he knew it was time to shut up and step up late in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
“Someone needs to make a play,” he thought to himself as he lined up to take a punt return with just more than five minutes left.
The crazy thing is, from the blockers in front of Austin to the teammates standing on the sideline, there was a feeling among the Rams that someone was about to get sprinkled with the pixie dust again.
Just as Alec Ogletree did two weeks ago against the Seahawks while forcing a fumble to preserve a Rams win, and just as Robert Quinn did seven days ago when he chased down Jameis Winston to save the day against the Buccaneers.
“We’re starting the get that feeling that someone, somehow, is going to make the play that needs to be made,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said.
Austin was about to be that guy.
And you know what, if you’re being honest with yourself, you sensed something was about to happen too.
That is, when you weren’t screaming bloody murder wondering if they’d ever get out of their own way long enough to beat what’s turned out to be the very beatable Cardinals.
Just as you did the last three games, only for it to improbably all work out in the end.
Makes you wonder if something special is happening to the suddenly tough-minded and gritty Rams.
We can’t quite put a finger to it, but it’s fun and fascinating and absolutely surprising. And it’s pushed them to an improbable 3-1 start after Sunday’s 17-13 win over the Cardinals and a first-place tie in the NFC West and a growing sense of confidence within locker room.
“We’re starting to believe,” Austin said.
Maybe we all are.
It might not be pretty and it can be downright maddening watching them play offense, but they’re suddenly figuring out ways to win games they typically lost in years past.
In what’s becoming a bit of a theme to the Rams first season back in Los Angeles, they muddle around through long afternoons and sometimes force you to turn away in disgust at the lack of offensive imagination and the silly penalties and passes that miss the mark or catchable balls that fall to the ground.
You’ll cuss at them and throw your hands up in frustration. You’ll threaten to change the channel in anger or lose hope and give up.
But you don’t, because it’s becoming a thing now to – wait for it – stick it out to the very end with the Rams.
And witness some game-changing or game-saving play that rips victory from the jaws of defeat.
Like, say, the smallest guy on the team making the biggest play of the game to set the Rams up for the go-ahead touchdown and first place in the division.
And in the process, alter the way we look at the Rams and the way the Rams look at themselves.
“I feel when you win and you’re a 3-1 team, that will change the look of your team,” Rams linebacker Mark Barron said.
Amen to that.
With a tip of the hat to Austin.
As usual, the Rams defense was playing lights out against the high-powered Cardinals, building a near impenetrable wall at the goal line and battering Carson Palmer so viciously he eventually had to leave the game with a concussion.
The Rams offense, not so much.
Once again, they couldn’t get Todd Gurley going in the run game and while Keenum played admirably, it wasn’t reflected in points or production. With Gurley getting stonewalled again, and penalties sabotaging potential scoring drives, it was a mostly frustrating afternoon for the Rams offense.
Which is why the very reasonable 13 points the defense had surrendered to the Cardinals by the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter was only enough to keep the Rams in the game and not lead it.
Austin, as honest and conscientious as they come, bore his share of the responsibility for the offensive struggles, taking his spot in line with all the rest of the players on that side of the ball.
“Thing is, the defense was playing so great,” Austin said. “We put them in such tough positions but they kept fighting though. They kept us in the game. They did their job. So you want so badly to do your part.”
After Quinn and Aaron Donald sandwiched Palmer on a vicious sack to force a punt with 5:26 remaining, Austin lined up at the Rams’ 20-yard-line, hoping Cardinals punter Ryan Quigley would give him a chance.
“I thought they were going to sky it, which is what they were doing all game,” Austin said.
Inexplicably, Quigley sent a perfectly returnable ball floating in Austin’s direction.
“I lucked out and he gave me one,” he said.
Upon catching the punt Austin leaned right, and immediately saw oncoming Cardinals tackler Justin Bethel trip and fall.
“Once he fell down, that was the key,” said Austin, who raced to the right sideline and turned upfield. “We got some great blocks out there, (special teams coach John Fassel) put a great return together and just did what I do best.”
The result was a 47-yard return that set the Rams up at the Cardinals’ 19. In fact, had it not been for a face mask penalty on Ifeanyi Momah it might have been more.
“I was gonna walk it in,” Austin said, laughing.
He didn’t need too. Two plays after Austin’s game-changing return, Keenum hooked up with Brian Quick on a 4-yard touchdown pass and the Rams led 17-13.
“I gave us the momentum. Quicky finished it up,” Austin said.
Well, actually it was the defense that put the finishing touch on the Rams’ third straight win, with Barron intercepting Drew Stanton to end one comeback drive and T.J. McDonald picking off another Stanton pass at the back of the end zone as time expired to end another.
But Austin’s point was clear.
For the third week in a row, the Rams needed someone to step up and save the day. And for the third straight week someone did just that.
“At any given time, someone can pop,” Austin said.
It was his turn with the pixie dust Sunday.
You’re starting to believe next week, it’ll be someone else.
znModeratorRams capture another close one, hold off Cardinals to improve to 3-1
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bulletin-730854-cardinals-rams.html
GLENDALE, Ariz – . Of all the improbable moments of this young Rams season, it’s difficult to top owner Stan Kroenke, in a three-piece suit, chasing down cornerback Trumaine Johnson in the locker room.
“My man!” Johnson exclaimed when he turned around and saw a beaming billionaire striding toward him. The men hugged, shortly after the Rams earned a 17-13 upset victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at University of Phoenix Stadium and improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2006.
“Ten years?” Johnson said, pre-embrace. “Well, we’re 3-1 now, and I’m happy about it, too.”
Who would have guessed? The Rams, at the one-quarter mark of the season, sit in first place in the NFC West and have victories over Arizona and Seattle, the preseason division co-favorites.
That dismal Sept. 12 season-opening loss to San Francisco seems like eons ago. The Rams have won three consecutive games behind an opportunistic defense and an offense that’s doing just enough to win.
Quarterback Case Keenum was average (18 of 30, 266 yards). Running back Todd Gurley was shut down again (33 yards on 19 carries). The offensive line committed a handful of bad penalties.
Yet there were the Rams, trailing 13-10, with the ball at the Arizona 19 with 5:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. Tavon Austin put them there, not with a catch but with a 47-yard punt return (plus a 15-yard face mask penalty on Arizona).
Five plays later, Keenum and receiver Brian Quick connected for their second touchdown of the game, a 4-yard pass with 2:36 remaining that gave the Rams their winning margin.
“I think good teams win the close games,” Keenum said. “If you go across the board, every week, I think most games, if not all of them, are one- or two-possession games. … You see, time and time again, that the good teams win those games. They find a way to do it.”
It doesn’t have to be beautiful. Since he took over as starter late last season, Keenum has a 6-2 record in his last eight starts but has yet to win a game by more than eight points. The Rams’ three victories this season have come by a total of 15 points.
Of course, the Rams needed their defense twice more after the go-ahead score, and it came through. Arizona had to turn to quarterback Drew Stanton after Quick’s touchdown, as Carson Palmer underwent concussion protocol, and the Rams intercepted Stanton twice in the final 90 seconds to clinch the victory.
The Rams defense did it again. They allowed only 13 points to a high-powered offense and had two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. In between, there was plenty of bend-don’t-break in the Rams defense, as the Cardinals totaled 420 yards but reached the end zone only once.
There’s a trend here. In the waning moments of the victory over Seattle, the Rams forced a fumble. Late in the Tampa Bay victory, the defense got a final-drive stop. Now they’re 3 for 3.
“That’s what we want,” said safety T.J. McDonald, who intercepted Stanton on the final play. “We want to be on the field to win the game. We’re glad to do it and I feel like we relish those big moments.”
For much of Sunday, the Rams slogged along. They had a big moment early, with Keenum’s first-quarter, 65-yard touchdown pass to Quick, followed by a lot of punts and penalties.
The Rams, once again, couldn’t get Gurley going, although he did have a big 8-yard reception for a first down that helped set up the winning touchdown. Gurley averaged 1.7 yards per rush and the Rams had only 41 rushing yards on 23 attempts (and 288 yards, total).
But they had defense. Early in the second quarter, Arizona drove to the Rams’ 7 but had to settle for a 25-yard field goal, which cut the Rams’ lead to 7-3. Late in the third quarter, Arizona drove to the Rams’ 4 but had to settle for a 21-yard field goal and a 13-10 lead.
Sure, the Cardinals rushed for 118 yards (David Johnson had 83) and Palmer threw for 288 yards before his injury, but limiting Arizona red-zone chances to field goals won the game for the Rams.
“We feel like if we play our game, we can play with anybody in the league,” linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “It took every man in this (locker) room.”
Now, in a highly improbable scenario, the Rams and their three-game win streak will prepare for the Buffalo Bills and their two-game win streak. That 2006 Rams team also started 4-1, then promptly lost five in a row. That’s looking down the line, though, something the Rams declined to do Sunday night.
“We’re just going to keep playing our game,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “It doesn’t really matter what people think about us. We’re just going to keep playing together and staying together.”
znModeratorfrom Snap Judgments: Falcons, Rams have statement wins
Don Banks
…
Rams, Cowboys, Texans steady at 3-1
The Rams are forcing me to change my mind about something that I’ve just taken for granted all these years. Namely that there is no such thing about winning “ugly,” not when you haven’t won much at all since 2003, and last made the playoffs (at .500) in 2004. In that case, it’s just called winning, and Los Angeles has the right to ignore or even scoff at all adjectives being attached to its results.
A 3-1 record says plenty about what the Rams are this season, and for a franchise that hasn’t started that well since 2006, squeaking out close victories like that 17-13 escape at Arizona is satisfaction enough. Style points be damned. The Cardinals (1-3) appear to have lost their identity, and home-field advantage, but the Rams appear to be comfortable with who they are these days. They can play some defense, lay some pads on you, and ultimately make a play or two on offense when it’s timed for maximum impact.
At 2-1 in the NFC West, with wins against division-favorites Seattle and Arizona, the Rams don’t have another division game until Week 15 at the Seahawks. Let’s see if they can hang around and stay relevant for two and a half months, then really make something special of their renaissance season in L.A.
znModeratorAmazing Trumaine Johnson INT
Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer is picked off by Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson.
znModeratorCan’t-Miss Play: Brian Quick breaks loose for 65-yard TD
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brian Quick breaks loose for a 65-yard touchdown.
znModeratorTodd Gurley makes 8-yard catch for Rams first down
Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley makes 8-yard catch for a Rams first down.
znModeratorAaron Donald makes his presence known
Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer is strip-sacked, and Los Angeles Rams defensive end Eugene Sims recovers the ball.
znModeratorTodd Gurley makes one-handed catch and run for 33 yards
Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley makes one-handed catch and runs for 33 yards.
znModeratorCase Keenum finds Brian Quick for go-ahead touchdown
Los Angeles Rams QB Case Keenum connects with wide receiver Brian Quick for a 4-yard touchdown.
znModeratorTavon Austin makes huge 47-yard punt return
Los Angeles wide receiver Tavon Austin makes huge 47-yard punt return.
znModeratorMark Barron picks off Drew Stanton
Los Angeles Rams linebacker Mark Barron picks off Arizona Cardinals QB Drew Stanton.
znModeratorRams Win Thriller Over Cardinals, 17-13
Myles Simmons
GLENDALE, Ariz. — For the second year in a row, the Rams won a thrilling game in the desert, beating the Cardinals 17-13.
The Rams got on the board first in the game’s opening period with wide receiver Brian Quick’s second touchdown reception in two weeks. On 3rd-and-7 from the Los Angeles 35-yard line, quarterback Case Keenum had good time and fired a ball to Quick toward the right sideline. Quick snagged the ball in the air just out of the reach of Arizona cornerback Marcus Cooper, then made safety Tony Jefferson miss. From there, Quick had nothing but green grass in front of him as he raced down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown.
For Quick, it’s the longest touchdown reception of his career. He recorded a 44-yard touchdown last week against the Buccaneers for his first TD of the year.
Following an Arizona field goal, the Rams extended their lead, moving down the field with a pair of explosive plays. L.A. got the drive started with a 23-yard pass from Keenum to Kendricks. Then on 3rd-and-7 from the visitors’ 46, wide receiver Kenny Britt slipped between two defenders and caught a 34-yard pass on the right side. Greg Zuerlein hit a 29-yard field goal to put the Rams ahead, 10-3.
Still in the second quarter, cornerback Trumaine Johnson ended a Cardinals threat With the Cardinals threatening in Los Angeles territory, cornerback Trumaine Johnson reversed the fortunes with a nice interception.
Matched up one-on-one with wide receiver John Brown, Palmer launched a pass to the deep right corner of the end zone. But Johnson never let Brown get far behind him and went up to get the ball at its highest point for his first interception of the season and the 16th of his career.
But Arizona scored on a two-minute drive to tie the game before halftime. Palmer led Cardinals down the field for an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Michael Floyd securing a five-yard touchdown pass on the offense’s left side of the end zone. The score tied the game at 10.
The Rams’ first drive of the second half looked like it was in good shape when Keenum hit running back Todd Gurley on a wheel route to the right for a 33-yard gain on 3rd-and-7 from the L.A. 24. But on the next play, Arizona’s Chandler Jones got into the backfield and recorded a strop-sack on Keenum. Jones recovered the loose ball to give Arizona an extra possession.
But Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald would return the favor, recording a strip-sack of his own on Palmer to give the offense the ball back. Defensive end Eugene Sims pounced on the football at Los Angeles’ own 31-yard line.
While the offense looked like it had a little rhythm going on the possession, a holding penalty, a false start, and a Keenum sack left the Rams having to punt.
On the ensuing drive, Arizona went 72 yards in 12 plays to score a field goal. Cornerback E.J. Gaines — active for his first game since Week 16 of the 2014 season — broke up a pass on third down in the end zone, forcing the Cardinals to settle for a 21-yard field goal. The three points put Arizona ahead, 13-10.
In the fourth quarter, the Rams forced their third turnover, as defensive tackle Dominique Easley forced David Johnson to fumble at the Los Angeles 41-yard line. But the Rams could not capitalize on the turnover, as Arizona forced a punt following a 3rd-and-8 incomplete pass from the Arizona 44.
Donald and Sims combined to sack Palmer on 3rd-and-6 from the Arizona 30, creating a nine-yard loss. Wide receiver Tavon Austin broke loose down the right sideline for a huge 47-yard return. A facemask penalty on Arizona gave Los Angeles 15 more yards, setting the offense up at the home team’s 19-yard line.
Gurley made his presence felt on the drive with an eight-yard reception on 3rd-and-8. The running back stopped on a dime toward the sideline, then pushed the pile forward with his leg strength for a first down. After a five-yard Gurley run on 1st-and-goal from the Arizona nine, Keenum hit Quick for the wideout’s second touchdown of the day — this time on a fade in the end zone. With the extra point, Los Angeles went back on top, 17-13.
With Palmer being evaluated for a concussion, the Cardinals inserted backup quarterback Drew Stanton into the game. While Stanton was able to record a couple first downs, the quarterback threw an interception to weakside safety Mark Barron in the middle of the field for the Rams’ fourth takeaway of the day.
Though the Cardinals got the ball back, they could not score a touchdown as T.J. McDonald intercepted a hail mary to make Los Angeles 3-1 on the young season. The Rams will be back in action at home next week against the
znModeratorRams’ pressuring defense stifles Palmer, Cardinals
Chris Wesseling
1. After leading the NFL in several major categories last season, Arizona’s offense has begun this season in a malaise. Through four games, all 10 of Carson Palmer’s first-quarter drives have resulted in punts, putting the defense behind the eight-ball. Rather than using the run and the short passing game to set up downfield strikes, the Cardinals have been forcing the deep ball in inopportune situations. Although the overhauled offensive line has been shaky at times, there’s too much talent on this offense to remain stuck in the mud all season long. Coach Bruce Arians announced after the game that the team will be “very, very careful” with Palmer in the concussion protocol. On a short week, the veteran signal-caller’s status is in doubt for Thursday’s game at San Francisco.
2. Arizona’s offensive woes were due in no small part to a pressuring Rams defense led by Aaron Donald. The All Pro defensive tackle generated 1.5 sacks and four QB hits, teaming with Eugene Sims on a high-low takedown that knocked Palmer out of a 13-10 game late in the fourth quarter. Donald and Robert Quinn have been as disruptive as any tackle-end tandem in football this season, setting the tone for a swarming defense that has bounced back in a big way from an embarrassing 28-0 shellacking in the season opener.
3. The Cardinals made it a point to get John Brown involved after the speedy wideout’s role was deemphasized in September due to a concussion that sidelined him for the majority of training camp. Brown corralled 10 of a career-high 16 targets for 144 yards while Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd combined for eight catches and 98 yards on 14 targets. Unreliable at the point of the catch, Floyd has been as disappointing as any starting receiver this season. Look for Brown to remain a key cog in the aerial attack, perhaps even at Floyd’s expense.
4. Todd Gurley was stonewalled on the ground once again, lowering his per-carry average to 2.63 yards this season. It took four games, but the Rams finally decided to bypass the offensive line on occasion to highlight’s Gurley’s playmaking ability as a receiver. He contributed 49 yards on five receptions, including an impressive first-down conversion that set up Brian Quick’s game-winning touchdown.
5. Case Keenum plays like the youngest brother in a backyard with Tony Romo and Ryan Fitzpatrick. He shares the same penchant for keeping broken plays alive and bedeviling defenses with his feet even if his arm is barely NFL caliber. He hasn’t been a major liability since the Rams were shut out in a dismal Week 1 performance.
6. Returning from ACL surgery, Tyrann Mathieu has been outplayed thus far by fellow Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson who is off to a Pro Bowl start at the season’s quarter-pole. After staking its claim as one of league’s stingiest big-play secondaries last season, Arizona’s defensive backfield has struggled early this year. The cornerback spot opposite All Pro Patrick Peterson remains an Achilles’ heel, as Marcus Cooper was beaten twice by Brian Quick for difference-making plays.
7. It’s easy to see why the Cardinals elected to let Dwight Freeney walk in favor of second-year pass rusher Markus Golden. Borrowing Freeney’s trademark spin move, Golden took Keenum down for his fourth sack of the young season. He and bookend edge rusher Chandler Jones have totaled eight sacks this year — one apiece in each game.
8. Jeff Fisher needs a more astute replay advisor in his headset. The Rams challenged two separate plays that were clearly not catches, including one Brian Quick diving drop that hit the ground twice.
znModerator3-1; can’t remember the last time…
2006
znModeratorhow long is it going to take pharoh and nelson to be healthy???
why are you fucking with me, fisher!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
It probably has nothing to do with health IR. Clearly in a division game on the road they are going with veterans.
znModeratorFish and chips is a favorite of mine. Apparently that is not shared by other people in this county because there is only one fish and chips place left in the entire county that I am aware of. The others all closed down.
I have decided on buffalo wings.
Maine is fish and chips heaven.
So naturally, being the sympathetic soul I am, I laugh derisively at your ill fortune.
When I am snow-blowing for 2 solid hours just to get to the mailbox you can return the favor.
znModeratorAt DE looks like Hayes is down and Westbrooks and Longacre take his place.
znModeratorWhen was the last time we were 3 – 1?
haha. i don’t even know!
2006.
znModeratorI made some carnitas for burritos.
Can’t have pie though. Pie ist verboten. With pie all I can do is worship it from afar.
.
znModeratorMaturing Rams recognize Sunday’s game in Arizona offers a great opportunity
Bonsignore
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-730821-week-season.html
PHOENIX – The scene inside the Rams locker room Sunday in Tampa Bay was as telling as it was oppressively humid.
The Rams had just won a game most people thought they’d lose, holding on to beat the Buccaneers in Central Florida while weathering a late-game weather delay and a last-ditch comeback effort by Jameis Winston and the Bucs. For the first time in more than a decade they were 2-1 to open a season, and as they took stock of things they realized something most unusual: They were perched atop the NFC West standings.
Yet there was no hooting and hollering. No back slapping. And very little indication of satisfaction.
In fact, as a young group of Rams dressed and gathered their belongings in preparation of their cross-country flight home to Los Angeles, a quiet confidence was emerging and perspective was hanging in the air.
That might bode well as the Rams navigate through the rest of the season, beginning today in Arizona as they try to put a knee to the throat of the Cardinals and strengthen their hold on the division lead.
The Rams for the longest time have been unable to handle whatever success came their way. They’ve followed big wins with crushing losses, and fallen into dark forbidding holes after the briefest of moments poking their head above ground.
It’s been as predictable as it is frustrating.
And it’s led to more than a decade of bad football and, of late, an inability to grow and improve past the sub .500 mark.
That might be changing.
Last Sunday offering a bit of hope.
It wasn’t like the early evening rain had washed away the good vibes of their big win in Tampa Bay. But as the sun set and day turned to night the Rams were already turning the page on the Buccaneers and zeroing in on what loomed ahead: A chance to deliver a vicious blow to the division rival Arizona Cardinals and tighten their grip on the NFC West standings.
“We can’t get complacent,” Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers said, sternly.
Added veteran guard Rodger Saffold: “Big game. Division rival. On the road. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Interesting.
The Rams have been one of the youngest teams in the NFL the last two years, and continue to be among the youngest now. Youth and below .500 seasons don’t necessarily go hand in hand, but in the Rams’ case it’s not hard to tie the two concepts together the last few years.
Which is why the scene in Tampa Bay last Sunday was so telling and the atmosphere this week in Southern California even more so.
Businesslike with recognition of opportunity is probably the best way to describe it.
It’s only the fourth game of the season, but it’s a big one. The Rams can simultaneously bury the vulnerable looking Cardinals – a sexy preseason pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl that’s struggled 1-2 out of the gate – while setting themselves up for a dynamic start to their first season in Los Angeles.
“Guys know what’s at stake,” said defensive end Robert Quinn. “One, it’s a division opponent, and two, we can start the first quarter of the season 3-1 if we come out and perform right.”
The understanding of the opportunity, and the tone with which they’ve presented themselves almost from the moment their win over the Buccaneers became official, was a poignant sign that maybe a young team is turning the corner a bit from youthful potential to mature professionalism.
The origins – or proof – of that development – is traceable to the players-only meeting the Rams had the night before their home opener against the Seattle Seahawks – six days after the their nightmare season opener against the San Francisco 49ers – in which players challenged each other to do better and a mandate of sorts emerged: The Rams were not going to lose against the Seahawks.
Then they went out and beat the Seahawks without the benefit of a touchdown.
Mandate met.
Behind the scenes, Rams coaches and executives were ecstatic with the underlying message of accountability the players-only meeting sent.
Which brings us back to this week, and the way the Rams ground out their work schedule. The air was thick with possibility and excitement, but the approach was methodical and grounded.
“A lot of credit for that goes to our veterans,” said Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein. “They’ve done a great job of stressing to keep this a week-to-week deal. Every week is an opportunity to get the season going.”
As quarterback Case Keenum added:
“You can’t really think about what’s happened, you can’t really think too much about what’s ahead – you got to think about this week. There’s enough on our plate this week to think about the magnitude of things.”
While everyone else looks ahead – think about it, with the very beatable Buffalo Bills at the Coliseum next week, all of a sudden a Rams victory over the Cardinals sets up a reachable 4-1 record and changes the entire narrative on the Rams season – the players caution perspective.
“You start focusing on the big picture and you lose sight of what’s right in front of you,” warned Havenstein.
And while we see a vulnerable Cardinals team that got whacked in Buffalo a week ago then spent the past week addressing chemistry problems at the behest of Coach Bruce Arians – or, as Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer put it: “We had some issues with some young guys that he wanted to get straightened out, and he wanted us older guys to help straighten that out” – the Rams brace for an expected hornets nest in Phoenix.
“No doubt the sense of urgency is going to be high on their side,” said Rams safety Maurice Alexander. “It’s on us to match that.”
The Rams might very well fall into a familiar trap this week against the Cardinals.
But you get the sense things might be changing.
znModeratorLos Angeles Rams
NAME STATUS DATE
William Hayes, DE Doubtful Sep 30
Comment: Hayes is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game due to an ankle injury.
Dominique Easley, DT Questionable Sep 30
Comment: Easley is listed as questionable for Week 4 due to illness.
Lamarcus Joyner, DB Questionable Sep 30
Comment: Joyner is questionable for Sunday’s game due to a toe injury.
Tavon Austin, WR Questionable Sep 30
Comment: Austin (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Arizona.
Kenny Britt, WR Questionable Sep 30
Comment: Britt (thigh) was added to Friday’s injury report as a limited participant and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Arizona.znModeratorInjury Report For The Rams And Carddinals
Rams
Tavon Austin, WR Shoulder Questionable
Dominique Easley, DT Illness, Questionable
Lamarcus Joyner, CB Toe Questionable
Kenny Britt, WR Thigh Questionable
Williams Hays, DE Ankle DoubtfulCardinals
Justin Bethel, CB Foot Questionable
Tyvon Branch, S Groin Questionable
Kareem Martin, CB Knee Questionable
Drew Butler, P Left Calf Out
Frostee Rucker, DT Knee Out -
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