Ryan Fitzpatrick questionable, will be game-time decision

http://www.theredzone.org/BlogDescription/tabid/61/EntryId/59849/Ryan-Fitzpatrick-questionable–will-be-game-time-decision/Default.aspx

New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be a game-time decision to play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday after being listed as questionable with a sprained knee, the Associated Press reports.

Fitzpatrick participated on a limited basis during all three practice sessions this week. Coach Todd Bowles says Friday that the quarterback is getting “better,” but his status will be determined before the game.

Bryce Petty, a fourth-rounder last year, will get his first NFL start if Fitzpatrick is unable to play.

Fitzpatrick injured his left knee at Miami last Sunday during New York’s 27-23 loss.

Opponent Breakdown: Fitzpatrick, Marshall and the Jets Offense

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Opponent-Breakdown-Fitzpatrick-Marshall-and-the-Jets-Offense/73e3904e-95ee-45cc-a071-d90e548f38a4

When it comes to the Jets’ offense, much of this week’s focus — if not this entire year’s focus — has been on the team’s quarterback situation.

After a career year in 2015, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick signed a one-year deal with the Jets on the eve of training camp, immediately re-claiming his status as the team’s starter. Last year, Fitzpatrick completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 3,905 yards with 31 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. His strong performance helped drive New York to a 10-6 record in Todd Bowles’ first year as head coach.

This year, however, has not gone nearly as well. Fitzpatrick has been particularly turnover prone in 2016, tossing a league-high 13 interceptions. He threw six picks against the Chiefs in the Jets’ 24-3 loss in Week 3. He eventually lost his starting job to Geno Smith in Week 7, but Smith suffered a torn ACL in the middle of his Week 7 start against Baltimore.

In the two games since, Fitzpatrick has earned the backing of Bowles, though the quarterback has completed just 53.2 percent of his 62 passes for 421 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Fitzpatrick, however, did suffer an MCL sprain last week against the Dolphins. While Fitzpatrick has been limited in the Jets’ first two days of practice, Los Angeles is still expecting to see him rather than second-year quarterback Bryce Petty behind center on Sunday.

“We don’t know what the status of the quarterbacks are, but we expect to see Ryan,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said early in the week. “And we expect to see him at his best, because this is an important game for them.”

“Right now, we’re still expecting Fitzpatrick to play. He got hurt and came back into the game, and finished out the game,” middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “But we’re going to prepare how we prepare every week and get ready to play our style of football.”

That brand includes wanting to force more turnovers. In the Rams’ current four-game skid, the club has only one takeaway — a fumble early in the matchup with the Giants in London.

“I think our biggest thing now is just creating more turnovers, and being able to help our offense out and give them more offensive possessions,” Ogletree said.

If there were ever a favorable matchup for Los Angeles to do just that, it would be this one. The Jets have the most giveaways in the league at 19 — 14 interceptions and five fumbles. They also have the No. 31 turnover differential at -11.

As Ogletree put it, the defense wants to do its part to put the other side of the ball in better position to score.

“If we can do that as a defense, I think that will help us be a much better defense,” Ogletree said.

Perhaps Fitzpatrick’s best offensive weapon is wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The well-traveled wideout, now in his 11th NFL season, has caught 40 passes for 585 yards with just two touchdowns. This after making 109 receptions for 1,502 yards with a league-leading 14 touchdowns last year. It may have to do with the play of Marshall’s quarterback, but he’s caught a career-low 46.5 percent of his targeted passes so far this season.

Still, at 6-foot-4, he can pose significant problems for a defense.

“We’ve played guys his size,” safety Maurice Alexander said. “Our corners, they’re very confident and they compete very well. So, we’re just going to play him as we do every week.”

laram

What a beautiful day for football, the crowd was fired up and ready for a Rams win. But I have never been more embarrassed at a Rams game as I was on Sunday.

The chants for Tim Tebow and fans leaving in droves with 3:00 left when the game was still undecided, was a low for ME.

For ME it symbolized how hopeless Rams fans feel toward this Jeff Fisher coached team.

On to the game:

– As I’ve said many times any defense that has TJ McDonald locked in coverage is fatally flawed. Olsen turned him around like a top for an easy TD. That was either a bad defensive call or Alexander blew the inside coverage. I find it hard to believe you wouldn’t double the Panthers best receiver down there.

– Refs missed an egregious hands to the face against Benny

– Jeff Fisher says that he didn’t hear the crowd cheering for Goff, I wonder what he heard then when he was waving his hands for the crowd to quiet down. I often watch him on the sidelines to see his interaction with his assistants and players. He is such a lousy leader, it is so apparent to most that this team needs a shot in the arm. They need something or somebody to give them a spark. Change the body language, change the chemistry, change the mindset of the team. Maybe Jared Goff could do that, you never know, but I hate to see the defenses efforts wasted as they are.

– Austin is just a bonehead player. He was who Jimmy Johnson was referring to when he proclaimed you don’t draft dumb players

– Higbee has a long way to go as an NFL receiver. He’s not even close right now, and it’s hurting the qb on some pass plays. Higbee you can call him a rookie or a dumb player…take your pick. When you’re running through a zone…sit in the open area of the zone, don’t continuing running into coverage. He failed Keenum miserably on that play.

– Rodger Saffold on 4th 1 gets completely stoned. Rodger you can start by doing better yourself. Rams get that first they keep some momentum.

– Gurley bounce off sometimes. When you run up the back of your blocker, don’t keep churning your legs trying to push the pile, bounce off sometimes. Obviously the scrum is in the hole, bounce it!!!! That’s something you see rb’s do in every game. Its like he can only go in a straight line. So frustrating! he showed the ability to run through HUGE holes last year. The difference? Those HUGE holes aren’t there. I talked about all of this last season when everybody thought he was great. He’s very good in the open field. But most NFL caliber rb’s are.

One the line is not playing as well, both Havs and Saffold have fallen off IMO. One BIG thing for me though is the type of run plays they’re running and Boras failure to stick with the run. Remember all the runs off tackle with the center sealing and a pulling guard kicking? Where are those plays? If memory serves most of Gurley’s big runs were in the second half. I remember a breakout performance against the Birds where they killed them on the ground in the second half. I know Gurley has a lot of carries, but he’s the only back getting carries. Not good.

– Lance has some of the most inconsistent hands of probably any Rams receiver including Tavon. Two more drops, one that should have been picked. The defender looks up the ball falls from Lance’s hip right in his lap. The TD drop got on Lance and he just dropped it. No sun excuse. Keenum put it on him and he didn’t make the adjustment. I would never count on Lance Kendricks to make that really crucial catch. I don’t care how many catches he makes, it would still be in the back of my mind that he’s inconsistent.

– Quick short on 1st down. That wasn’t Quick’s fault, the pass had no zip on the ball and he had to comeback to make the catch. IF I had to blame Quick for anything it would be not immediately getting up to advance the ball. We all know though that his awareness is not the greatest.

– Keenum is such a frustrating player. I guess its to be expected from a marginal player. He will throw an absolutely beautiful pass to Higbee one minute, then loft the ball with to much air under it on others. His touch on passes is as erratic as any I have ever seen.

– Zuerline I know he has been pretty good this season but I’m never comfortable with him. It seems he use to be better at the longer kicks, now he’s not at all. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they upgraded there.

– Rams front kept them in the game, and played well against a patchwork Panthers line. Panthers were missing Kalil at center and their LT, so they made three changes up front. Nevertheless IMO the Rams front played their best all around game against the run and pass.

– GW ran some timely blitzes that were very effective against a qb that likes to hold the ball. Great strategy, but don’t do it against a Brees or Brady.

– Boras doesn’t seem to have the pulse of his offense or the flow of games at all. He doesn’t seem to be able to change things to get them going. When to speed up the tempo, when to stick with the run, etc. Carolina basically pitched a shut-out in this game. There was absolutely no real threat from the Rams offense all day. 15 rushing attempts in a one score game for the most part??? No balance, no tempo, no flow, no continuity, no perceivable plan, no production.

– Cam Newton’s accuracy was awful in this game. I’m happy it was because there were open Panther receivers running free ALL DAY!

– Sorry guys but Mark Barron’s hit on Cam was an illegal hit. Not only did he throw a forearm but there was helmet to helmet contact.

The rule states: Defensive players are not allowed to make more than mild contact with the quarterback once he has released a pass, or any contact with the head of a quarterback whether or not the quarterback is in possession of the ball. A roughing the passer penalty results in a fifteen-yard penalty and an automatic first down. They have to do something about the state of officiating in the game. IMO it is what is making the game hard to watch and possibly why more people are tuning out. Its a great game and it doesn’t deserve this.

One last thing, and I’m sharing this because I was told that he also said it on broadcast. Jackie Slater told ME that Jeff Fisher wanted Jared Goff because he thought that his team was one player away. He felt that Goff was that one player.

Jackie Slater is “inside” enough for ME

Defense Looking for More Takeaways

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-118-Defense-Looking-for-More-Takeaways/aafa40e5-3b41-4a09-92bb-6ee986bcfbee

When it comes to points allowed, the Rams defense rebounded well after surrendering 31 to the Lions in Week 6.

Though the Giants scored 17 points in London against the Rams, only 10 were scored on the defense with safety Landon Collins returning an interception for a touchdown. And in Sunday’s game against the Panthers, L.A. allowed just 13 points — three of which came after an interception put Carolina in good position to score.

So while head coach Jeff Fisher said he’s been pleased with the defense’s performance over the last two games, the club is finding ways where the unit can still improve. One of those is with takeaways.

The Rams have 10 takeaways so far this season — five of which came against the Cardinals in their 17-14 win in Week 4. But since then, Los Angeles has forced only one takeaway — a forced fumble against the Giants — during the team’s four-game losing streak.

Coming out ahead in the turnover margin is key for teams across the league for a reason, but it’s been particularly predictive for Los Angeles’ results this year. When the Rams have been ahead or even in the turnover differential, they’ve won. When they’ve been behind, they’ve lost.

And so if Los Angeles can come up with a few takeaways, that should undoubtedly help the offense in giving that unit more opportunities to score.

“If we get a couple of turnovers a game defensively, and things are different, those are more opportunities for our offense,” Fisher said.

All that is part of why the Rams are putting a heavy emphasis on getting takeaways against the Jets this Sunday.

“I feel like we’re operating pretty well right now, but we can definitely still improve,” middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “And I think our biggest thing right now is creating the turnovers — being able to help our offense out and give them more offensive possessions. If we can do that with defense, then I think that will help us be a much better defense.”

Inherently, though, forcing turnovers comes from a defense taking advantage of opportunities that may come up on the field. So how are the Rams practicing their techniques?

“We’re starting it at practice — we’ve got a takeaway circuit,” safety Maurice Alexander said. “It all starts at practice. We’ve got to get the ball at practice and it’ll overturn to the game.”

“We have to swarm the ball and rip the ball out, get interceptions — all kinds of stuff,” Ogletree said. “Get a sack, knock the ball out of the quarterback’s hand. Stuff like that to, like I said, help create more offensive possessions for our offense.”

If there is any opponent perhaps advantageous for the Rams to increase their takeaway output, it could be the Jets. New York has registered the most giveaways with 19 — 14 interceptions, and five fumbles. Only the Jaguars have a worse turnover margin at -12 than the Jets’ -11.

That said, the Rams’ focus this week is more about them than any opponent they may face.

“There’s opportunities every week, no matter who you play,” Alexander said. “It’s just up to us to get the turnovers.”

Scoring points, of course, has been the Rams’ most significant issue over the last few games. And as a defense, getting more takeaways is one way the unit feels it can be part of the solution.

“That’s probably our biggest focus this week, is continue to do the things we’re doing well, but also emphasize a little more on creating turnovers,” Ogletree said.

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-118-Defense-Looking-for-More-Takeaways/aafa40e5-3b41-4a09-92bb-6ee986bcfbee

Simmons

HOW GOOD IS DONALD?

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald registered another stellar performance in Sunday’s game, recording 2.0 sacks and three tackles for loss. It’s the kind of performance Donald has put up week after week, which is why he’s part of the conversation of being perhaps the best defensive player in the league — regardless of position.

“I’d vote for him. There are a lot of good defensive players in the league right now,” Fisher said. “Obviously, I’m a lot closer to him than anybody else is, but when you watch the things that he does, it’s really remarkable. We’ll see what happens, he needs to finish strong the second half of the year.”

“He’s definitely getting better every year that he’s been in the league,” Ogletree said. “He was doing some of the same stuff he’s doing now as a rookie, but he’s understanding a lot more [how offenses] want to block him. I feel like his first couple of years, he was playing off pure talent and making plays. But now, he’s becoming more mentally into the game, and understanding a lot of stuff.”

According to the Rams’ internal stats, Donald leads the team with 5.0 sacks, 25 quarterback pressures, and 15 quarterback hits. All of those numbers are fairly outrageous for an interior player halfway through the season.

“The best way I can describe is just consistent week after week after week,” Fisher said. “The tackles for losses and the pressure that he’s putting on the passer, the hits on the quarterbacks — they’re just consistent week after week. It’s amazing to see him play at that level every single play — come out, catch his breath, go back in and make another play.”

And from what Ogletree described, playing with Donald in front of you is probably just as fun as you’d think it is.

“It helps me out a lot because I know they have to worry about him so much, and if they don’t get a hand on him, he’s going to pretty much destroy the play before anybody else,” Ogletree said. “So it helps me out a lot just being able to work off him and also do my job, too.”