wv wrote:

I think if Fisher had A.Rogers and
O’Dell Beckham and an experienced OLine,
we’d see him open it up more.

w
v

Of course we would…we HAVE seen that, and it wasn’t even with those kinds of players.

Boras taking nothing for granted in new duties

Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/boras-taking-nothing-for-granted-in-new-duties/article_22c67d5b-f8d3-5bb4-9ca5-a80bfa488d01.html

NAPA, CALIF. • It may seem that Rob Boras is getting more comfortable as each game — and each victory — goes by. But the Rams’ new offensive coordinator says he’s far from relaxed in his new duties.

“I mean, it’s a day-to-day world,” Boras said. “That’s just kind of the way I’m wired a little bit. I mean, it’s getting maybe a little easier because the entire offensive staff and the players have stepped up, but it’s still pretty nerve-wracking.”

Boras had held the dual title of assistant head coach/offense and tight ends coach until Dec. 7, when coach Jeff Fisher fired offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and replaced him with Boras.

Boras also is taking nothing for granted as far as the offensive coordinator post growing into a permanent position for him with the Rams.

“I’m a tight ends coach that’s getting to call some plays right now,” Boras said. “We’re just going about it as if that’s what it is. We can only control what we can control and right now, this is what Coach (Fisher) has asked us to do and we’re doing it and having fun doing it. Whatever happens, happens.”

The Rams are 3-0 since Boras took the reins of the offense, with victories over Detroit, Tampa Bay and, most notably, Seattle. It’s not as if the Rams have been lighting up scoreboards under Boras, but the offense certainly has been more efficient and less mistake-prone since he took over. And of course there’s no substitute for success.

When asked if he’s being judged differently now that he’s calling plays, Boras said: “I haven’t really thought about it that way. It’s just the accountability of it all. You just feel like there’s a lot of people in the entire organization kind of depending on you.

“You probably shouldn’t look at it that way, but you don’t want to disappoint anybody and you want to have success.”

When told that Boras doesn’t feel like he’s auditioning for the job, Fisher replied: “Then I don’t. either. Right now, he’s running the offense and he’s 3-0 since he took over, so it’s a good thing.”
INJURY UPDATE

Of the three Rams players who didn’t finish the Seattle game after being checked for concussion symptoms, defensive end Ethan Westbrooks returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday. Linebacker-safety Mark Barron and defensive tackle Nick Fairley did not practice, but Fisher expects all three to be available against the 49ers.

“They’re all getting better,” Fisher said. “They’re all passing their tests. … Overall, I would think that the concussion issues that we had should all be behind us before the week is over.”

A new addition to the injury report was running back Todd Gurley, who was listed with a foot injury and did not practice Wednesday. Fisher wasn’t as definitive on Gurley’s status for San Francisco.

“We left him back at the hotel,” Fisher said. “He’s getting some treatment on his foot and we’ll see where he is.”

The rest of the injury report was as follows: defensive tackle Doug Worthington (thigh) did not practice. Listed as limited were defensive tackle Michael Brockers (thigh), cornerback Eric Patterson (ankle) and guard-tackle Andrew Donnal (knee).

In addition, linebacker Alec Ogletree (leg) did some work on the side and may do some scout team work Thursday. But Fisher said it’s “very unlikely” Ogletree plays against San Francisco. Ogletree has been sidelined since suffering the injury Oct. 4 in Arizona.
RAM-BLINGS

As a result of his clutch fourth-quarter touchdown run against Seattle, Gurley has been nominated for the NFL’s Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the week. Fans can vote for Gurley or any of this week’s other nominees at http://www.nfl.com/castrol-edge.

• Addie Morris of Columbia, Mo., and Quinn Zerjal of Fairview Heights will represent the Rams in Saturday’s NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick national championships in Indianapolis.

• Even though it’s a game featuring two NFC teams, Sunday’s Rams-49ers game will be televised by CBS (KMOV, Channel 4) in St. Louis. Tom McCarthy has the play-by-play duties, with former Rams safety Adam Archuleta serving as analyst.

• A pair of former Rams draft picks were signed to practice squads Wednesday: running back Daryl Richardson by Cleveland and cornerback Brandon McGee by Dallas

‘Big play’ Britt breathing life into Rams’ passing game

Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/big-play-britt-breathing-life-into-rams-passing-game/article_861ee92b-f9dc-52c3-aacc-decaff8c04e8.html

NAPA, CALIF. • What at times has been a quiet season for wide receiver Kenny Britt has come to life lately with Case Keenum at quarterback for the Rams.

In the Rams’ Thursday night game Dec. 17 against Tampa Bay, Britt caught a 60-yard pass for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 14-3 lead in the first quarter.

This past Sunday in Seattle, Britt caught a 28-yard TD in the second quarter, giving the Rams a 16-0 lead and forcing the Seahawks to play catch-up the rest of the way.

What made the Seattle TD even more rewarding is the fact that Britt beat Richard Sherman, widely regarded as one of the league’s top cornersbacks, on the play.

“People talk about him all the time,” Britt said. “People put him up there as one of the top people in the league. So yeah, I guess so.”

Sherman was playing press coverage on the play, which is usually how the Seahawks play it in their highly regarded secondary. But Britt beat Sherman off the line with a double-move, streaking down the right sideline.

“Case (Keenum) did a great job just getting the ball out there,” Britt said.

There was a little more to the play than that, however, because Britt had to dive to make the catch and thus risked banging an already injured shoulder on his landing.

“It’s been the third or fourth week of my AC (joint),” Britt said. “It’s been sprained, and I just keep hitting it, aggravating it over and over and over again.”

The AC joint is where the collarbone meets the highest point of the shoulder blade.

“Shoulder’s been sore, but he pushes through it,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He takes care of himself during the week. He practices hard.

“It was a great play call. We had good protection and Case made a great throw — put the ball in the only place you can possibly put it — on one of the best corners in the league. Case has a good feel for him. Case can throw the deep ball, and Kenny can go get it.”

Passing touchdowns have been few and far between for the Rams’ 32nd-ranked passing game this season, so any scoring connection is cause for celebration. The Rams have completed a league-low 11 TD passes — only seven other teams in the league have fewer than 20.

So the quick chemistry between Keenum and Britt is duly noted.

“It’s real big,” Britt said. “We’ve been doing an excellent job on the practice field, taking the time before practice and after practice to make sure that we’re on the same page.”

Because the backup quarterback rarely throws to the starting wide receivers once the regular season starts, it’s not as if Keenum and Britt have had a lot of time to build chemistry. The Seattle game marked only Keenum’s fourth start this season for the 7-8 Rams.

“It’s always interesting to kind of watch how the rapport gets built in these relationships,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said. “As a play-caller, you want the guys to get open, and they’ve gotten open.

“Case has put the ball on point. I don’t know if it’s any different when he’s throwing to Jared Cook or to ‘Tave’ (Tavon Austin). But they’ve hit a couple of big plays for us, which have been critical, in critical times.”

It’s interesting that Fisher took note of the play-call on the TD in Seattle, a call that says something about Boras as a play-caller. After forcing Seattle to punt deep in its territory, the Rams took over at the Seattle 28 following a 21-yard punt return by Austin.

Boras went right after Seattle on the next play, dialing up the deep ball to Britt.

“You can just tell the coaches believe in our receivers, believe in our guys, and they let Keenum go out there and sling it,” Britt said.

As far as Keenum is concerned, there’s nothing mystical about developing chemistry with any pass-catcher.

“It’s easy to build rapport with a guy who makes plays,” Keenum said. “And Kenny’s made some big plays the last few weeks. It’s been a lot of fun to throw to guys who get open. You tend to look their way a little more.

“And he’s been running great routes and getting open. I think it’s just happened that it’s been the right play at the right time in the right coverage. And he’s taken advantage of it.”

Although one wouldn’t classify Britt as a speedster, he has always shown an ability to make plays down the field. He finished 10th in the NFL in yards per catch (15.6) in 2014, his first season with the Rams.

This season, Britt ranks third in that category, averaging 18.2 yards a catch. He has accounted for a team-high eight of the Rams’ 22 receptions of 25 yards or more.

And unless Cook has a monster day in Sunday’s season finale in San Francisco, Britt will become the first Ram to lead the team in reception yards in back-to-back seasons since Torry “Big Game” Holt did so in 2007 and ‘08.

Even so, Britt’s numbers this season are hardly earth-shattering. He has 33 catches for 600 yards. So unless Britt shatters the NFL single-game record for receiving yards, with 400 against the 49ers, the Rams will have gone eight seasons without a 1,000-yard receiver.

No disrespect to Britt’s contributions. But even in an offense that favors the running game, that speaks to the need to add an outside receiving threat during the offseason. But that’s a story for another day.

nittany ram wrote:

Riiiight…Ray Malavasi.

Well at least you got the first letter of the name correct.

That’s right. The actual guy is Robinson.

from off the net

==

Old Goat

Just back from Widbey Island, WA where my oldest son is stationed. Haven’t seen my Granddaughters in over two years. First time all of my boys have been together in almost five. Was a wonderful trip. Just getting back to Houston today and really haven’t had the time to post, but here goes.

I don’t usually revel in presents, but with a signed Dickerson Helmet, TGII jersey and tickets to the game Sunday, I have to say I was pretty overwhelmed. So, up at 6:00, I donned my jersey, rubbed the helmet for luck and hit the road with my boys.

Now, my entire family, aside from son #3, is a fan of another team. Every TV in my house has a different game running, we have a family FF league, the whole nine yards. Needless to say, the conversation on the way to Seattle was pretty lively. “How many penalties that LT of yours gonna drop today?”.The first “Dad, you haven’t won here in ten years” I would hear that day started early.

We get to Seattle and it’s 40 degrees and raining. I know a lot of ECers here laugh that off, but for this SoCali- Houston transplant, it was pretty darn cold. Got some breakfast and hit the field early, cause our seats were right at the visitor tunnel entrance and we wanted to get some pics and interaction.

The stadium is a beauty. Very clean, the architecture flows and they market their product very well. The “#12” is everywhere- figuratively and literally. I stood out like a sore thumb in my TGII jersey. We find our spot and immediately notice “Our House”. That’s the moniker on this fan’s jersey and he was standing at the opposite end of the tunnel, spewing insults at every person sporting a Rams logo entering or leaving the tunnel. Man, woman, child, small animal, nothing was spared his wrath. Mostly, he was funny, but got out of hand when he yelled at a 10 yr old kid carrying water. I mean, really? “Our House” also had a stack of signs that read things like “Rams Players Play for a Paycheck” and “Fisher Ditching Your Season for Kroenke” and other such things that he waved constantly. I couldn’t figure out if this guy’s a Seattle fan or just has a genuine hatred for the Rams. Hekker comes up and starts signing autographs for the few of us there and “Our House” yells “Hey, awesome five game losing streak in November!”, “You haven’t won here in ten years!”. Hekker calmly turned around and shouted “We’re 1-0 against you this season!”. Even the Seattle fans around us went “Ohhhh”. Ya, our punter issuing shots early.

Lots of prancing around and strutting by Seattle in pregame. Some a little childish. Sure, I”m biased, but a show-pony is a show-pony. Tavon was the first guy I noticed out of the gate. He is a ball of energy, constantly running around, dancing, pumping his guys up. Never sits still. Gave us a wave, but no sideline.

Janoris was with Tru, and broke over and came up to the sidelines. Shook hands, gave autographs, looked up at “Our House” and smiled. Was a very classy guy, and it was a false assumption of mine to perceive him as a diva. He isn’t. My son says “Is that the Trumaine guy you’re always talking about? The guy nobody’s ever heard of”. Chuckles… Kendricks came up as well. Guy is built like a monster.

Foles came in and out of the tunnel a few times during pregame. Jimmy Carter smiles and waves every time. Not a soul ever accompanied him.

About fifteen minutes before the game, a women in a plastic coat is walking along the front row seats, blowing kisses and signing autographs. I ask my son “Who the heck is that” and a guy behind me goes “That’s Sherman’s mom”. Classless.

Well, I won’t scrub the game too much, because it’s been hashed out over the past few days. I will tell you what stood out to me. Hayes was just a beast. There was much focus on Donald, but I would’t give all of that to his success. The man was just all over it. I’ve read a lot about our backfield, but I have to tell you, much of the success was on the line. Wilson missed open receivers all day long because he was running for his life. A little more time might have made for a very different day for Seattle. Their running game? What running game? I can’t remember when I’ve seen the Rams so dominant up front. The first turn over score for a TD, and you could feel the energy bleed from the stadium. Half time comes and my boy says “Hey, that Tru guy is all over the field.”

Our O line. I have to tell you, it was so loud in Seattle. I heard 67000 screaming fans, and when we started drives where we did, it’s a place this squad usually comes to die. That day, they stood. I was damn proud of them. It was by no means a perfect blocking day, but they displayed discipline. I’ve been critical of Boo, but he and that line earned their money today. I’ll pile on what others have written because it’s true. Barnes was an absolute stud Sunday, and saved this teams bacon. Twice.

Case: His poise from Pregame to how he handled the huddle was very telling to me. Not manic. You can tell he’s in command out there and has respect. You see it on the sideline. I was not a fan of bringing him back here, but I have to tell you, what I saw from him up close really made me ponder some things. His scrambling is improving. His drive to keep plays alive is there. Don’t want to make apologies for him, but the dropped balls today (Hello Kendricks and Cookie) killed some drives, and a taller receiver catches the ball in-bounds that Tavon had to go out to get. Just thinking about Case as our starting QB next year gives me the dumb-chills, but I have to tell you, he has the want, and he’s doing things that were not getting done in November.

Gurley: My poor son. Has TGII in his fantasy. Whined all the first half. I get the feeling Fish sees no need to prove anything, and with the season winding down, put him in to close it in the second. I agree with that and I don’t even know if I would want to see him on the field next week. What I saw up close is he has burst and acceleration that is special. Mason certainly does not.

Most of the #12 were pretty cool people, though I thought I was going to get lynched though after the multiple-fumble-reversal and by the end of the game the refs had to be escorted from the field. After the Russel fumble, many people began leaving and we waved them good-bye. After the game, the players just ran in the tunnel and threw some gloves, so we packed our stuff to go. My son looks and me and says “Damn pop, your right. That Tru guy is a badazz”.

“Our House” stands on the corner of the deck, waving his signs as we exit the stadium.

Hayes jokes off field, wreaks havoc on it

Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/hayes-jokes-off-field-wreaks-havoc-on-it/article_bc9c64d5-2fe7-5d28-9e14-a20568479eba.html

NAPA, CALIF. • William Hayes is Mr. Personality at Rams Park. Whether it’s joking in the locker room, playfully interrupting a Gregg Williams news conference or even dressing up for Halloween.

During the practice week leading to the Rams’ first meeting with San Francisco, on Nov. 1, Williams walked into the defensive team meeting room only to see Hayes (and fellow defensive end Eugene Sims) dressed as Ninjas.

“I was like a Super Ninjja,” Hayes insisted. “It was a great outfit. I wish you could’ve seen.”

Alas, there was no photographic evidence. Just like in Hayes’ mind, there is no evidence that dinosaurs ever existed.

“I don’t believe in dinosaurs — not one little bit,” he said. “Man has never seen a dinosaur. We agree on that? But we know exactly how to put these things together?

“We know exactly where every single rib goes. That’s crazy to me. We know what a T-Rex eats?”

Hayes and teammate Chris Long have had ongoing debate and discussion on this, with Long taking the pro-dinosaur approach.

Yet, Hayes believes mermaids exist.

“I think there’s more of a potential to find a mermaid than a dinosaur, because we find different species in the water all the time,” he said.

That’s because, Hayes says, so much of the ocean depths remain unexplored. Hayes figures there’s bound to be a mermaid down there somewhere.

He is a character, all right. And as Williams puts together a defensive game plan every week, he must deal with some facet of it on a regular basis.

“People kind of think he’s dopey at times,” said Williams, the Rams’ defensive coordinator. “All the goofy things he does. He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s constantly keeping things stirred up. He’s told me that once he gets done playing, he wants me to hire him and put him in charge of morale.”

But on game day, Williams said something changes in Hayes’ demeanor. During pregame activities, Williams can sense the transformation.

“He’s getting ready to go to a dark place, when the game gets ready to start, because he’s a tough player when he plays,” Williams said.

That place must have been very dark Sunday in Seattle, because Hayes must have looked more like Darth Vader than a Super Ninja to Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Hayes registered a career-high three sacks in the Rams’ 23-17 victory, and you might say it was three sacks the hard way.

That’s because two came on solo sacks of Wilson. But he also was credited with a half sack twice, sharing one with linebacker Akeem Ayers midway through the second quarter and sharing one with Sims in the third quarter.

“He had a good matchup (Sunday),” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He was outstanding in the run game. Obviously, the three sacks, he understands — as do our guys for the most part — how to get Russell on the ground, because it’s really hard to do.”

Hayes was matched up against right tackle Garry Gilliam for the most part. But one of his sacks came against tight end Cooper Helfet, on a play in which he basically just threw Helfet to the side en route to Wilson.

Hayes finished with seven tackles, one tackle for loss on a running play, three quarterback pressures and two QB hits — to go along with those three sacks. After the game, he shrugged off his big day.

“A.D.’s been carrying the team the whole year,” Hayes said, referring to defensive tackle Aaron Donald. “So I just wanted to put a little bit on my shoulders, just to take a little pressure off him.”

Because of injuries, Robert Quinn has been out for most of the year, and Long was sidelined for a stretch early in the season. As a result, the Rams’ pass rush from the defensive end position almost went the way of the dinosaur — extinct.

Hayes, for example, had two sacks against Cleveland, the first game he started in place of long after Long suffered a fractured bone in a knee-to-knee collision with Green Bay’s David Bakhtiari Oct. 11. But Hayes only had one-half sack over his next eight games until last Sunday’s contest.

Sims has started eight games this season in place of Quinn, now out for the year following back surgery. He had a sack in the season opener, then went without one until he shared that sack with Hayes against the Seahawks.

For Hayes, the breakout game against Seattle gave him 5 ½ sacks this season, second-best to Donald’s 11, and the second-highest sack total of Hayes’ career. He had seven for the Rams in 2012, and has 21 ½ in his four years with St. Louis.

That production underscores Hayes’ value to the Rams as a deluxe rotation player and fill-in starter when Long is injured.

“My goal is just not to be a drop-off while he’s gone,” Hayes said. “And try to kind of help out while he’s out. I don’t want to be the weak link.”

He’s far from that. He just might be the Rams’ best free-agent pickup since Fisher and general manager Les Snead arrived four years ago.

Fisher was coaching in Tennessee when the Titans drafted Hayes, then a raw prospect, in 2008 out of Winston-Salem State.

“It took him a while to learn but I felt like that with his skill set, with his strength — you have to look long and hard to find somebody that has that natural lower-body and upper-body strength tied together — that he would be an asset to us on the defensive line,” Fisher said.

“Since he’s been here, he’s done everything that we’ve asked of him,’’ Fisher added. “He’s looked up to by the younger players. He lines up and plays every week. … He knows he’s got three hours of work to do (on game day), and he puts it in.”

And then, and only then, is it time for fun and games

Ten Takeaways from the Rams’ 23-17 Win Over the Seahawks

Randy Karraker

http://www.101sports.com/2015/12/28/ten-takeaways-rams-23-17-win-seahawks/

For the second time this season, the Rams shocked the Seahawks and the NFL, putting a stranglehold on an early lead and holding on for a 23-17 win in Seattle on Sunday.

The formerly invincible-at-home Seahawks went 5-3 at Century Link field in 2015, the same record the Rams achieved at the Edward Jones Dome. Now the Rams shoot for a .500 record for the first time since 2006. Baby steps. And with that, 10 takeaways from Sunday’s win…

1) I understand the excitement over a three game winning streak under quarterback Case Keenum and offensive coordinator Rob Boras, I really do. However, it should be noted that the Seahawks scored seventeen points, and the Rams offense scored sixteen. Keenum was workmanlike, going 14-23 for 103 yards and a touchdown. Admittedly, he’s working with a less than stellar cast. But the offense generated 207 yards. The win is nice, but I’m not ready to anoint Keenum as THE GUY at quarterback heading into 2016. After all, in his last win for the Rams, Austin Davis was 13-24 for 105 yards and a touchdown (with two interceptions).

2) Credit to Jeff Fisher and his staff for keeping the players engaged despite being out of the playoffs. Getting a team to go from 4-8 and a five game losing streak to 7-8 with a three game winning streak is a testament to the Rams effort.

Unfortunately, they let games in Minnesota and Baltimore get away. A really good team would have preserved those wins and perhaps been 9-6 with a playoff shot heading into the final week of the season.

3) Fisher rightfully gave the game ball to center Tim Barnes, the former Mizzou center who hustled to recover fumbles by Benny Cunningham and Todd Gurley on the fourth quarter drive that put the Rams up 23-10. If Seattle recovers either of those fumbles…especially Cunningham’s…the Rams are in trouble, playing defense with a six point lead. You can always tell an offensive lineman is hustling when you see him downfield on long running plays. Orlando Pace always did that. Barnes’ hustle and attentiveness won the game for the Rams.

4) During the pregame show on 101 ESPN, Anthony Stalter and I noted the great work of the defensive staff with the absence of Robert Quinn, Alec Ogletree and T.J. McDonald. During this game, the Rams lost Mark Barron and, for a time, Trumaine Johnson. Yet they still played at a high level. Russell Wilson had gone 110-148 with nineteen touchdowns and no interceptions, averaging 284 yards per game for a passer rating of 146.2 in his last five games. The Rams held him to a 25-41, 289 yard, two touchdown, one interception performance…with 40 yards and a touchdown on the Seahawks meaningless final drive. Trumaine Johnson’s second quarter pick was the first of Wilson in 168 attempts. With all the injury issues on defense, the Rams also ended Seattle’s 25 game string of 100 yard rushing days. Gregg Williams and the defensive staff continue to work magic.

5) For the fourth game in a row, the same offensive line of Greg Robinson, Garrett Reynolds, Barnes, Cody Wichmann and Rob Havenstein started and finished the game. That continuity makes a big difference. You can see the combo blocks the Rams put together for Todd Gurley’s runs, and they provide great protection. Gurley ran for 85 yards and 4.5 per carry, and Keenum wasn’t sacked. When an offensive line group works together, regardless of their talent level, they play better. We are seeing that with this group.

6) The Rams are now 4-2 when they win the turnover battle, 2-4 when they lose it, and 1-2 when it’s even. They’re 4-1 when Gurley goes over 100 yards rushing. 0-5 when attempting 30 or more passes, 5-1 when they outgain their opponent. They’re 7-0 when they score 20 or more points and 0-8 when they score less than 20. Now we have another stat. The Rams are unbeaten when Jeff Fisher wears a cap on the sideline. He’s going to have to try that again next week.

Aside from scoring 20 or more points, that’s the only category in which the Rams have a perfect winning percentage.

7) Remarkably, the Rams can move to 5-1 in the NFC West with a win in San Francisco next week. They could end the franchise’s string of losing seasons at eight, despite the string of non-winning seasons reaching twelve this year. But most alarming is that even if the Rams go 8-8, they’ll be 3-7 outside the division, with the wins coming against Cleveland, Detroit and Tampa Bay at home. I know success starts in the division, but to be a playoff team there needs to be a formula that includes beating other teams. Whether it’s going 8-0 at home and 4-4 on the road, or 5-1 in the division and 5-5 outside, somewhere along the line the Rams are going to have to be good and consistent against the entire league.

8) Hey Seattle fans, your team isn’t the only one allowed to hit hard. Football is still a collision sport, and defensive players are paid to hit offensive players hard. So when Rodney McLeod leveled Jermaine Kearse and separated him from the ball early in the fourth quarter, your move is to ooohh and aaahh, not to boo a guy for playing hard. If the Seahawks got booed every time they hit someone hard, there would never be any cheering. Again, hard hits are legal in this game. Even though they aren’t encouraged the way they were back in the day, they’re still why we watch. Don’t boo a guy for doing his job well.

9) By the way, with Pittsburgh’s loss, at the moment the Rams have played seven teams that will make the playoffs; Seattle and Arizona twice each, Minnesota, Green Bay and Cincinnati. Against those teams, the Rams finished 3-4, and obviously 0-3 against those out of the division.

10) Fans aren’t the only ones that have seen the last of the Rams for this season. Because they play in San Francisco next week, the franchise decided to stay on the west coast during New Year’s week before playing their finale in San Francisco, so most St. Louis media won’t see them this week, either. The team doesn’t want their players to be worn out by flying west TWICE in two weeks. Apparently the Rams weren’t paying attention last year when the Cleveland Cavaliers flew to Oakland to play on June 4th and 7th, then flew BACK to Cleveland for games on June 9th, 11th and 14th, and then again to Oakland for a game on June 16th. Then again, maybe that’s why the Cavs lost. Nonetheless, the Rams will practice in Napa this week before ending their season Sunday in Santa Clara against the 49ers.

Have a happy and safe New Year’s holiday, and I’ll see you on the radio.[

Report: Kelly balked when Lurie asked him to give up personnel

Michael David Smith

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/29/report-kelly-balked-when-lurie-asked-him-to-give-up-personnel/

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie recognized that Chip Kelly wasn’t getting the job done as a personnel man, and tried to fix that problem. But Kelly resisted.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN reports that Lurie has been considering changes to the structure of the Eagles franchise for weeks, and one of those changes Lurie considered was keeping Kelly but stripping him of personnel control. But when Lurie proposed that to Kelly during a recent meeting, Kelly balked at the idea.

When Kelly wouldn’t agree to give up personnel and focus only on coaching, that’s when Lurie decided it just wasn’t working with Kelly. According to Paolantonio, Lurie decided to fire Kelly now, rather than waiting until after Week 17, because he figured it would give the Eagles a jump on attracting some of the best candidates to replace him.

So because Kelly wanted to be both the coach and the head of personnel, he’s now neither.

49ers’ Tomsula still searching for answers amid mess of a season

http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-Tomsula-still-searching-for-answers-amid-6724081.php

By now, 16 weeks into the season, Jim Tomsula’s Monday news conferences carry a Groundhog Day flavor to them. Same thing, week after desultory week. Not much to ask, not much to say.
This time, Tomsula bemoaned Sunday’s loss to Detroit – much as he bemoaned the loss to Cincinnati one week earlier and the loss to Cleveland the week before that. At one point Monday, a reporter interrupted the monotony by bluntly asking Tomsula if he expected to be head coach of the 49ers next season.

“I’m going to coach until somebody tells me I’m not,” Tomsula said.

So he’s not entirely sure, either.

If the 49ers lose Sunday’s season finale against St. Louis, they will finish 4-12 for the first time since 2005, the opening season of Mike Nolan’s tenure as head coach. The 49ers last posted a record worse than 4-12 in ’04, when they were 2-14 in Dennis Erickson’s second and final season in San Francisco.

Tomsula insisted his young team has improved since the season started, but he also understands the cold reality of its record (4-11).

“I think there’s been a lot of growth,” he said. “But this is a performance-based business. We have four wins, man. You sign a contract as the coach and you’re on the clock. I get it.”
The way the 49ers are losing doesn’t reflect especially well on Tomsula and his coaching staff. Sunday’s defeat included seven offsides or neutral-zone infraction penalties (six in the first half).

Plus, defensive players frequently missed tackles – a familiar and maddening sight this season.

As for the parade of penalties, Tomsula said, “No excuses. We have to be disciplined. They did a nice job of working their snap counts, changing the rhythm, but I worked in that area (coaching the defensive line) for a long time. There’s no excuse. Absolutely inexcusable.”

Williams says 49ers ‘making strides’

http://www.contracostatimes.com/49ers/ci_29319109/williams-says-49ers-making-strides?source=autofeed#

SANTA CLARA — In an otherwise lost season for the 49ers, nose tackle Ian Williams has emerged as one of the NFL’s top interior linemen.

More important to the 49ers: He wants to stick around.

“I would love to,” Williams said Monday. “This is where I’ve been. This is where I know. Guys on the team, I’m comfortable with. I would love to be back.”

Williams, 26, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. That’s good timing for the 6-foot-1, 305-pound lineman, who finally showed what he can do when healthy,

Williams had another big day Sunday in the 49ers’ 32-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. Pro Football Focus grades him as the third-best nose tackle/defensive tackle in the NFL over the past five weeks, including first against the run.

Overall this season, Williams ranks fifth in run-stop percentage, according to PFF.

Signed by the 49ers as an undrafted free agent of Notre Dame in 2011, Williams managed only 10 career starts before this season and spent much of the last two years on injured reserve.

“It feels good just to be able to say I made it to Week 16,” he said Monday.

Williams said he has told his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to leave him out of any contract discussions until the season is over because he doesn’t want the distraction. But the 49ers’ disappointing season under coach Jim Tomsula has not soured him on a future with the franchise.

“We’re building,” Williams said Monday. “It may not be a 12-4 season or a 10-6 season, but we’re getting there. We’re making strides, and we have guys here that are willing to get better and want to get better this offseason. …

“(Tomsula) is building something. We see it. The record may not show it, but the culture here in the locker room and what we’re trying to do is going to be seen. … I want to see the success.”

Tomsula remained at a loss Monday in trying to explain the 49ers’ penalty meltdown against the Lions. They were flagged for being offside or in the neutral zone seven times, the most by an NFL team this year, according to STATS.

“Absolutely inexcusable,” Tomsula said. “I’m not going to sit up here and defend it in any way. I’m not going to give you 19 excuses. Can’t happen.”

Six of those presnap penalties came in the first half, the first time that has happened since the Houston Oilers did it against the New Orleans Saints in 1993, according to STATS.

Poor tackling remains a bugaboo for the 49ers defense, which is how the Lions offense dominated the time of possession, 36:30 to 23:30. Proper technique has been an emphasis in practice, with the 49ers going so far as to change their drills.

Tomsula said players were better about angles and initial contact Sunday but failed to wrap up the ball carrier.

“Tackling has been something we’ve been on defensively quite a bit, and we’re attacking that,” the coach said. “We obviously don’t have all the right answers yet. We don’t have that nailed down.”

Both safeties, Jaquiski Tartt and Eric Reid, were dinged for three missed tackles apiece, according to Pro Football Focus.

Phil Dawson passed former Lions kicker Eddie Murray for 17th place on the NFL’s all-time points. Dawson has 1,598 career points. Lou Groza is 16th with 1,608, and Sebastian Janikowski of the Raiders ranks 15th with 1,670.

Tomsula indicated that none of the 49ers injuries suffered Sunday were serious. His report included defensive tackle Quinton Dial (back strain), defensive lineman Arik Armstead (leg contusion) and outside linebacker Eli Harold (dislocated finger).

Blaine Gabbert’s 106.2 passer rating marked his first full game at 100-plus as a starter since Oct. 21, 2012, against the Raiders (123.6).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vnYJDSRMwc