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znModerator21Dog
heard Cosell on a SF radio station this morning
He was asked about Watt vs. Donald.
Said he loved Donald, but he was no JJ Watt as far as how he affects the game.
znModeratorCase Keenum’s big game catches Buccaneers by surprise
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — Since St. Louis Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley clearly established himself as the team’s primary offensive threat in Week 4, opposing defenses have loaded up to stop him, daring the Rams to throw the ball to win.
More often than not, that dare has paid off. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, that plan didn’t work for one of the few times this season. Rams quarterback Case Keenum completed 14 of 17 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns for a nearly perfect passer rating of 158.0 as the Rams jumped on the Bucs early and cruised to a 31-23 victory.
“That’s something we did not expect,” Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. “I don’t think they ran the ball … the plays they ran wasn’t anything we hadn’t seen before. The passes, I don’t know. I’ve really got to go watch it to see what happened. I don’t know, I really don’t.”
McCoy likely wasn’t alone in scratching his head at the Rams’ newfound aerial success. Gurley and the Rams attempted 33 rushes and managed just 98 yards, an average of 3 yards per carry. That type of success stopping the run has often been a recipe for success for Rams opponents, as the previous four opponents to hold the Rams to fewer than 100 rushing yards came away with victories.
But those opponents also didn’t allow Keenum or fellow Rams quarterback Nick Foles to take to the skies to move the ball, either.
Against the Bucs’ flailing pass defense, Keenum threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, including a perfectly placed deep ball that went for a 60-yard touchdown for receiver Kenny Britt. Two touchdowns in a quarter is standard operating procedure for guys like Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger but for the Rams? Well, they had a total of two touchdown passes over their previous eight games, never mind quarters.
Keenum’s 234 yards also represented the third-best passing yardage total by a Rams quarterback this season. And that number could’ve been bigger had Keenum been allowed to keep attacking in the second half. But the Rams’ conservative second-half approach called for only four passes the entire 30 minutes. That’s the fewest passes the Rams have attempted in a half all season.
For Keenum, it was clear early in the game that he would need to play more than just a supporting role if the Rams were to win the game.
“You always want to have a balanced attack and it’s hard to tell sometimes how the game’s going to go,” Keenum said. “Obviously, Tampa Bay does a great job stopping the run. They really do. They loaded the box. Traditionally, they’re a ‘Tampa 2’ team, playing two safeties high, but they looked down and brought another safety out of the box quite a bit. That opened up the guys outside and got some playmakers outside that can do some special things with the ball in their hand. Our offensive line did a great job tonight. I really wasn’t even hit. The ones I was hit on were movements and stuff where I’m holding on to the ball and screens, stuff like that. So, offensive line did a great job and the guys made great plays for me down the field.”
While Keenum mostly got good protection throughout the game, he also impressed with his ability to hang in the pocket and deliver against the blitz, something Foles really struggled with in his starts. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Keenum was five-of-six with a touchdown and a 21.2 yards per attempt average when the Bucs rushed at least five defenders. In his first 13 games, Keenum completed just 46 percent of his passes on such attempts with an average of 5.7 yards per attempt, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
“He’s done a good job,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “Today, he was on time. He was reading well. I thought he did a nice job managing the game. He made some really good throws and we caught the football today. We made tough catches. We had some runs after catches, which were good. We needed to do that.”
Keenum is now 2-1 as the Rams’ starter on the season and has won both of his starts since returning from the concussion he suffered against Baltimore on Nov. 22. It is also, perhaps, no coincidence that both of those wins have come since Rob Boras took over as offensive coordinator. Fisher said Keenum and Boras have worked well in tandem since Boras took over before last week’s game against Detroit.
Keenum also points to getting consistent opportunities as reasons for his recent success.
“It’s gotten better, it has,” Keenum said. “I mean, game experience, there’s nothing like it. Obviously, there’s stuff that I need to work on, I need to get better at. Times where I can hold on to the ball a little bit more, when the protection is as good as it was tonight at times. I tried to rush it a little bit. I got antsy. I just need to trust my feet, trust my read, trust my eyes and trust the offensive line to do their job.”
December 18, 2015 at 4:19 am in reply to: Rams: Great team or Greatest Team Ever? Bucs Post Game thoughts #35786znModeratorI tried to log in on the chat but sadly lost my feed O’ francez and failed to keep the diehard streak alive.
We knew you were there in spirit. Once a diehard always a diehard.
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December 18, 2015 at 3:07 am in reply to: Rams: Great team or Greatest Team Ever? Bucs Post Game thoughts #35783znModeratorRams vs. Buccaneers
Postgame Notes
Sunday, December 17, 2015The last time the Rams won on Thursday night football was against Arizona (10/4/12).
QB Case Keenum completed 14-of-17 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
Keenum’s longest pass of the day went to Britt for 60 yards, and marked his third longest career pass.RB Todd Gurley had 21 rushes for 48 yards and one touchdown. Gurley has nine touchdowns this season.
Gurley reached 1,023 rushing yards and now ranks third in the NFL in the category behind Doug Martin (1,305) and Adrian Peterson (1,251).
The last Rams RB to have at least 1,000 yards was Steven Jackson (1,045) in ’12. Last Rams rookie RB to reach 1,000 was Jerome Bettis (1,429) in ’93.
WR Tavon Austin now has 10 touchdowns this season (5 receiving, 4 rushing, 1 punt return). Austin is tied for fourth most touchdowns in the NFC with Adrian Peterson (MIN) & David Johnson (AZ).
WR Kenny Britt hauled in a 60-yard touchdown pass from Keenum. Marked the fourth longest catch of Britt’s career.
CB Trumaine Johnson now has six interceptions this season, the third most in the NFL behind R. Nelson (NO) – 8, K. Coleman (CAR) – 7.
According to press box statistics, Johnson led the team in tackles with nine (seven solo).
DT Doug Worthington saw his first NFL action and recovered a fumble.
RB/KR Benny Cunningham notched a career-long 102 yd kickoff return which is tied for the second longest in franchise history. Tony Horne had returns of 102 & 103 yards.
December 18, 2015 at 1:30 am in reply to: Rams: Great team or Greatest Team Ever? Bucs Post Game thoughts #35782znModeratorKeenum may just have had his best game as a pro.
That was obviously one of the major differences.
znModeratorRams feel the rush in win over Bucs
Jim Thomas
Well, if this was it for the Rams in St. Louis, they went out in style Thursday at the Edward Jones Dome.
Maybe it was those bright yellow “Color Rush” uniforms that brought them to life.
Maybe it was the sight of several Rams greats Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk _ working the game for the NFL Network. As well as Orlando Pace, Torry Holt, and Aeneas Williams, who were also in the house.
Or maybe the Rams simply have clicked _ finally _ on offense with new coordinator Rob Boras calling the plays and Case Keenum making his third start at quarterback.
Whatever the reason, the Rams looked as sharp offensively as they have all season against Tampa Bay’s 11th-ranked defense. The result was a 31-23 victory over the Buccaneers that left the Rams at 6-8 and still mathematically alive for a playoff berth.
All it takes is a win by surging Seattle (8-5) on Sunday against visiting Cleveland (3-10) to eliminate the Rams from postseason consideration for the 11th consecutive season. The team is already assured of its 12th consecutive non-winning season.
Nonetheless it was a fun night for the Rams and their fans.
”It definitely felt good,” said Tavon Austin, who scored two touchdowns and had 73 yards rushing and receiving. “It was a great win. Great team win. We put the work in this week and it paid off.”
Perhaps the West Virginia look to the Rams’ Thursday night uniforms brought out the best in him.
“I had it in me, but great uniforms though,” he said. “I’m glad we were able to perform in them.”
A Facetime live chat with teammate Stedman Bailey before the game helped spur on the Rams as well.
“He told us to go get it _ score one for him,” Austin said. “So one of mine was just for him.”
With the weekend off, Austin and a couple of other Rams players are going to see Bailey, still hospitalized in a Miami hospital recovering from gunshot wounds in a drive-by shooting last month.
The Rams not only threw passes in the first half, but they completed them. And they scored three _ count ‘em, three _ touchdowns in the opening half against Tampa Bay.
Perhaps some of that Warner karma rubbed off on Keenum, because he completed 10 of his first 12 passes Thursday for 175 yards and two touchdowns. With a lead that grew to as much as 28-6 late in the third quarter, the Rams didn’t have to throw much.
Keenum finished up with just 17 passes, completing 14 for 234 yards. With those two TDs and no interceptions, Keenum’s passer rating was 158.0, just short of a perfect rating of 158.3.
Entering the contest, the Rams had thrown only two TD passes in their previous eight contests, dating back to the Green Bay game Oct. 11. Keenum matched that total in the first quarter against the Buccaneers.
On the opening drive of the game, Keenum threw a quick screen to wide receiver Tavon Austin, who behind blocks by Jared Cook and Greg Robinson, scooted 17 yards for his team-high ninth touchdown of the season.
It marked only the third time this season the Rams had scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game. And one of those resulted from a fumbled kickoff return by Arizona deep in Cardinals territory in Game 4.
After a Tampa Bay field goal cut the lead to 7-3, Keenum & Co. struck again. After an end-around by Austin netted 15 yards, and Tre Mason carried seven yards to the St. Louis 40, Keenum connected with Kenny Britt for a 60-yard TD.
Britt got behind Bucs defender Jude Adjei-Barimah with a double-move down the left sideline, giving the Rams a 14-3 lead with 3:15 left in the opening half.
Todd Gurley added seven exclamation points just before the 2-minute warning in the second quarter. Stretching out across the goal line, Gurley matched Austin with his ninth TD of the season, and in the process topped 1,000 yards for the season.
He joins Jerome Bettis (in 1993) and Eric Dickerson (in 1983) as the only Rams rookies in franchise history to top 1,000 yards rushing.
So the Rams took a commanding 21-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. And after spotting the Buccaneers a field goal in the third quarter, the Rams added to the lead.
Austin entered the game with 358 yards rushing, the highest total in the NFL for a wide receiver since Josh Cribbs in 2009. He added to his total with a 21-yard TD on a jet sweep to give the Rams a 28-6 lead. In the process he passed Gurley for the team touchdown lead with his 10th of the season.
Playing with the lead, especially a lead that big, is something the Rams’ overworked defense isn’t used to this season.
“It was awesome,” defensive end William Hayes said. “Our offense did a good job of just staying balanced, moving the chains. It was a beautiful thing, just to see them out there.”
On the other side of the ball, Tampa Bay finished with a deceptive 509 yards. The Buccaneers had only 130 yards at half, so they got a lot of their stats trying to play catch-up ball in the second half.
Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin started quickly. The NFL’s second-leading rusher entering the game with 1,214 yards, Martin had 53 yards in the first quarter, but had only 38 more the rest of the way.
Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, finished with 363 yards passing and two TDs but wasn’t sharp early.
Although he avoided sacks, Winston was bothered by the Rams’ pass rush most of the evening, and was off-target on several attempts.
“In the first half, I didn’t play well enough for us to win,” Winston said. “They were throwing a lot of different things at us. We protected well enough. I’ve just got to make throws.”
There were 51,295 tickets distributed for what could be the Rams’ final home game in St. Louis. That total was in line with every other home game except for Chicago, where bolstered by thousands of Bears fans the ticket total was 58,623.
Maybe 40,000 or so were on hand Thursday, but they had a great time watching the Rams reach 30 points for the first time since a 34-31 season-opening overtime victory over Seattle. They cheered when Rams greats were introduced during timeouts and halftime.
They chanted “Keep the Rams! Keep the Rams!” in hopes the team will stay in St. Louis. And followed that up with “Kroenke (Stinks!) Kroenke (Stinks!)”
Owner Stan Kroenke wants to move the team to Los Angeles next season, and plans to file for relocation in January. The Rams’ final two games are on the road _ at Seattle Dec. 27 and at San Francisco Jan. 3.
Coach Jeff Fisher said he didn’t hear the “Keep the Rams” chants.
“I can appreciate that very much,” Fisher said
znModeratorBucs get shot on prime time stage
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/jones-bucs-get-shot-on-prime-time-stage/2258067
There’s something special about NFL prime time games.
They’re must-see TV. Every game feels big. Looks big. Sounds big.
The top announcers. The dramatic music. Elaborate pregame show. That it’s the only game in town — the town in this case being all of America.
There’s the legendary Monday Night Football, the most-watched show on cable with more than 13 million viewers a week. There’s the most-watched television show in the country, Sunday Night Football and its 24 million viewers. And in recent years, there is Thursday Night Football.
Seems like everybody watches prime time games. Actually, the number is somewhere around an average 17.5 million viewers. That dwarfs the few million who typically watch a Sunday afternoon Bucs game.
And here’s the part that the teams really dig: that 17.5 million includes most of the players and coaches in the NFL.
“Absolutely, yes, sir,” Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston said when asked if he watches prime time games.
Winston is not alone. Players might act all cool, but ask them if they watch other NFL games in prime time and they don’t hesitate to turn into football fanatics.
“I watch it as a fan,” Winston said, echoing the sentiment of many of his teammates. “I’m just watching football like I usually watch it.”
The best part is that prime time games usually involve the top teams. Seems like every week the best teams and biggest stars are on display. Tom Brady is as much of a TV star as Judge Judy. Same with Peyton Manning, J.J. Watt and Cam Newton. There’s the Patriots and Packers and Steelers and … the Bucs?
Get ready, America, here comes Tampa Bay. The Bucs hit prime time tonight to take on the Rams.
Okay, maybe the Bucs aren’t one of the NFL’s best teams. So what are they doing on Thursday Night Football?
Well, a new NFL rule states that every team must make at least one prime time appearance, and this Thursday night game drew the short straw … er, I mean, gets the Bucs.
You can imagine that the rest of the country might be a bit skeptical about what the Bucs might offer.
The Bucs’ Thursday night history includes a December 2011 game in which they fell behind 28-0 at halftime to Dallas on their way to a boring 31-15 loss. That was the eighth consecutive loss in a season-ending 10-game losing streak that cost coach Raheem Morris his job.
The last time Tampa Bay played on a Thursday night? The game should have come with a parental guidance warning. The league needed to consider implementing a running clock in the second half as the Bucs trailed 56-0 at one point on their way to a 56-14 loss to the Falcons last year.
“But now,” defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said, “we’re a different team.”
The Bucs are hoping that with a new cast and a new script, this team is putting on a show worth watching.
“I just want to show the world how good this team really is,” Winston said. “This is our chance, and we have to take advantage of it.”
The Bucs aren’t in the best place to play well. They are missing Kwon Alexander on defense and Vincent Jackson on offense. They are coming off a disheartening, flat performance against the Saints — a 24-17 loss that pretty much short-circuited Tampa Bay’s slim playoff hopes. Throw in that it’s a road game in a short week and you might not see the same pep that you would normally see from the Bucs.
But as wide receiver Adam Humphries pointed out, “We haven’t had a prime time game this year. It’s good to go out and show the nation what the Bucs are all about.”
What are the Bucs all about? What might the nation see?
A rookie quarterback (Winston) who has met, if not exceeded, the expectations of a No. 1 overall draft pick. A running back (Doug Martin) who is among the best in the NFL this season. A 6-7 team that might be inconsistent but is leaps and bounds ahead of last season’s two-win fiasco.
“Everybody gets to see what we can do,” receiver Mike Evans said. “A lot of people haven’t seen us. They’ve just seen and heard the numbers. Hopefully, they see the physical team we are.”
It’s true that the Bucs’ reputation has grown in the past couple of months. They have gone from a laughingstock as one of the league’s worst franchises to a respectable team that looks to be on the rise.
If they do keep climbing, you know what that means. More prime time games.
“As we go to that next stage, which we will eventually get to, we’re going to have a lot of these prime time games,” coach Lovie Smith said. “It is a big thing. … This is a big deal to us. We have an opportunity where we are the only team that is playing at the time, and we want to show people we’ve improved. We’re not the same old Bucs or any of that. We’ve improved an awful lot, and now we get an opportunity to show you.”
You and the rest of the country.
znModeratorCase Keenum up, run defense down in Rams’ win
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/24945/case-keenum-up-run-defense-down-in-rams-win
ST. LOUIS — A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Thursday night’s 31-23 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
UP
Case Keenum: Pass for pass, this might have been the best performance by a Rams quarterback all season, with Nick Foles in the season opener the only real competition. Keenum finished 14-of-17 for 234 yards with two touchdowns on his way to a nearly perfect passer rating of 158.0.
Kenny Britt: Such as it is, Britt has been the Rams’ leading receiver for most of the season, though his numbers are far below the league average for a team’s leading wideout. But he gave the Rams an early spark with a perfectly run route in the first quarter to score on a 60-yard touchdown that made it 14-3 Rams. He finished with two catches for 71 yards and the score.
Maurice Alexander: Stepping in for T.J. McDonald, who is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, the hometown kid offered a solid performance in his third career start. Alexander finished with seven tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass defended and a quarterback hit, offering more evidence of the Rams’ defensive depth.
Jared Cook: The target of much consternation this year, Cook was as sure-handed as he’s been all season, finishing with four catches for 64 yards, and even chipped in a few big blocks to help in the running game.
DOWN
The run defense: There wasn’t much to be upset about Thursday night if you’re a Rams supporter, but the continued struggles of the run defense would certainly qualify. The Rams yielded 146 yards on 27 carries, an average of 5.4 yards per rush. It’s the fourth straight game the Rams have given up more than 110 rushing yards and the seventh time in the past eight contests.[
znModeratorI guess it;s not being broadcast locally. Sorry to hear that.
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znModeratorI guess it;s not being broadcast locally. Sorry to hear that.
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znModeratorRams inactives:….DE Longacre
Apparently what they’re doing is switching the DE they inactivate. Westbrooks is up this week, Longacre down. It has nothing to do with anything else, they’re honestly just switching them.
BTW, Rams active back-ups for the OL are Rhaney and Kush. Only.
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December 17, 2015 at 2:03 pm in reply to: fans reactions from 'round the net to the LIONS game #35760znModeratorRams43
I rewatched the Lion game last night… With special attention to GRob, Wichmann (in second half).
I’ve gotta say that I think GRob has become something of a whipping boy. His play was far better than some commentary I’ve read. To hear some fans and maybe PFF, you would think GRob was the dumbest, laziest, and most ineffective LOT in the league. My eyes told me otherwise as I watched every single snap of his in this game. Is he perfect? Of course not. But he’s definitely improving right before our eyes.
I encourage the detractors to rewatch the game and his snaps, if possible. And objectively, without a predetermined agenda. Plus remember that he was up against Ansah all game long. Certainly no day at the beach. I came away after rewatching with new confidence that GRob has a big future at LOT (not OG) in this league.
Wichmann looks promising. His second half looked pretty danged good, if you ask me. We might have something there, especially after an offseason of NFL weight training.
Something positive is going on on our OL. Is it less zone and more man blocking? Increased experience and confidence? Simple halftime adjustments? Play calling by Boras? Extra effort because of a stud RB in their backfield? More faith in Keenum? Maybe a little bit of all of these things? I dunno, but I’m encouraged by what I’m now seeing.
Some other random thoughts…
Our punt coverage team is very, very good. Just outstanding. Kekker is an All Pro, but it’s more than just him. Bryant’s play at the goal line was stellar. Constant downing the ball inside the 15 yard line. Forcing opponents to make fair catches. Nowhere for opponents to run if they don’t call for the fair catch. It’s a helluva punt coverage unit.
We are watching greatness in this Gurley kid. The vision, the power to break tackles, the football smarts, the desire even after being throttled in the 1st half… And I don’t think he is quite 100% just yet. Just wait until next year. Lol.
Keenum did not have an impressive game statistically. But he reportedly made numerous good calls changing us out of and into better plays at LOS. And that tells me he has at least a modest ability to read defenses. He may not be Tom Brady, but at least he doesn’t beat himself as Foles was doing. Kinda refreshing after what we’ve been seeing since mid ’13 season, huh? That’s gotta be a morale positive influence, don’t you think?
TruJo is a “must have” for this D. We absolutely, positively must resign Tru for next year. It would be a sin to develop him for 4 years only to let him walk away when he’s playing at such a high level. I call this decision a no brainer.
Kudos to a D playing without the following:
Quinn
Ogletree
Jenkins
Gaines
McDonaldAnd with Long at only half strength. Hats off to GW.
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znModerator
December 17, 2015 at 10:28 am in reply to: Gurley v. Martin? (ie. the official "can the Rams beat the Bux" thread) #35755znModeratorbump, cause…interested
December 17, 2015 at 7:02 am in reply to: reporters (including Tampa guys) set up the BUX game #35752znModeratorBucs-Rams predictions
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/bucs-rams-predictions/2258116
The Bucs are missing key pieces on defense (Kwon Alexander) and on offense (Vincent Jackson). They had some of the starch taken out of them last week with a loss to the Saints, a game that pretty much ended hopes of a playoff spot. So the Bucs might not be right physically or mentally for a road game on a very short week. Rams, 20-14.
This is a bad Thursday game to have late in the season. The Bucs actually blew a good chance to be in the middle of the NFC race by losing to the Saints. Rebounding here won’t be easy. I like St. Louis to win another tough one behind Todd Gurley. Rams, 23-17.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The Rams played well against Detroit last week and will likely feed off that success after suffering a five-game losing streak. As long as the offense creates opportunities for Gurley, the Rams shouldn’t have a problem pulling off the win. Rams, 17-13.
December 17, 2015 at 7:00 am in reply to: reporters (including Tampa guys) set up the BUX game #35751znModeratorBucs Pulse: Tampa Bay vs. St. Louis
http://www.tbo.com/sports/bucs/bucs-pulse-tampa-bay-vs-st-louis-20151217/
y Ira Kaufman | Tribune Staff , Roy Cummings | Tribune Staff
DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF BIG PICTURE
The Bucs’ playoff hopes have reverted back to slim and none. That’s a reality this young Bucs team, so hopeful only a few days ago, may have a hard time accepting. What the Bucs have to do, though, is maintain focus on the bigger picture. This season was always about growth. Sure, making the playoffs would be great, but that’s a goal they were never realistically expected to achieve. The objective all along was to develop the young core players and win as many games as possible. With three games to go, the Bucs are still on pace to have what for them would be a very successful season, even if it doesn’t result in a playoff berth. As they stand now, the Bucs figure to be one of the more interesting teams to watch come 2016. A strong finish starting with a well-played road victory tonight will contribute nicely to that status.
CASH IN ON THE MONEY DOWN
The Bucs defense has struggled to get off the field of late. In their last four games, the Bucs have allowed opponents to convert 34 of 64 third-down opportunities (53 percent). Penalties have been a part of the problem. A week ago, when the Saints converted of 12 of 17 third downs (71 percent), penalties wiped out a stop on third-and-13 and another on third-and-2. Execution is the bigger issue, though. Missed tackles, missed assignments and a pedestrian pass rush have made it easy for teams to convert even on third-and-extra-long, which is what the Saints did on a third-and-21 in the second quarter. The Bucs have an offense capable of producing at a high level and has done a good job of extending drives, converting 48.4 percent of its own third downs the last 10 games. To do that, though, the offense needs the ball, and it’s up to the defense to get off the field and get it back for them.
PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL
A defensive penalty on third-and-long, a dropped pass and a missed field goal. Throw in a few missed tackles and you have the primary reasons the Bucs lost a winnable game to the beatable Saints last week. The Rams are not what anyone would consider a quality opponent, but they’re good enough to beat a team prone to making mistakes. The Bucs qualify as just such a team, but a lot of their mistakes are correctable and they have displayed an ability at times to overcome them. The Bucs have to take the approach that any play can decide a game. By doing that, their focus, intensity and playmaking abilities, three missing ingredients week ago, should all return.
Roy Cummings
Five questions with … DE Kourtnei Brown
Q: How did you keep your confidence level up through all the times you were signed and released in the past three years?
A: It came down to believing in myself and knowing that God has blessed me with the ability to play football. Talking to other vets, they told me that I could do this. When you’ve got that kind of support, it helps keep you up during the tough times.
Q: You were a high school football standout in Charlotte who ended up at Clemson. Did you have a chance to go to North Carolina?
A: Yes, North Carolina showed some interest, but at the time I was thinking that North Carolina was a basketball school and Clemson is more football-based. That’s why I ended up with the Tigers instead of the Tar Heels.
Q: Your basketball team in high school won a state title. What role did you play?
A: I started four years for varsity and played up front for a good basketball program. I wasn’t really a shooter, but I liked to dunk, get rebounds, that type of work. We had a really good team at Victory Christian.
Q: Your first NFL sack was wiped out by a teammate’s penalty last week. How quickly did you get over it?
A: I’m not worried. It was tough that the penalty took it back, but I’m not really focusing on that because I believe I’ll get another opportunity, and it’s football … stuff happens. That could happen to anybody. The way I look at it, people saw that I’m trying and I can get to the quarterback. For me, that’s big.
Q: What’s your favorite all-time meal?
A: I just had it at Thanksgiving — mac and cheese, yams, meatloaf and cornbread. Real soul food. I was a happy man when I left the table.
Ira Kaufman
Key matchup
Bucs RG Ali Marpet vs. Rams DT Aaron Donald
Marpet is having a tremendous rookie season, one that has more than justified the Bucs’ decision last May to spend a second-round draft pick on him. Donald will give him one of his toughest tests of the season, though. A truly explosive athlete, Donald excels at getting into gaps and penetrating, and he’s really been on his game of late, recording three sacks and three quarterback hits against the Lions last week. Where Donald struggles at times is against the run. Particularly when hit with a double team, he has a tendency to get washed out of the play. Marpet is strong enough and technically sound enough to do that all on his own, and it’s imperative that he succeed in that venture tonight. The Rams have a lot of weapons in their defensive front. If Marpet can handle Donald, it will allow the Bucs to devote their double-teams elsewhere.
Roy Cummings
The vibe
When you lose a game because you played as poorly and as uninspired as the Bucs did against the Saints last week, you can’t wait to get back on the field. The Bucs get their wish tonight, facing the Rams after a three-day layoff. Before long they may be wishing they could have just waited until Sunday to play again. One of the most difficult challenges NFL teams face nowadays is going on the road to play a Thursday night game. Nothing about the week of preparation is normal, and everything seems a bit hurried. The Bucs are confident they can overcome those issues, in part because they’re eager to prove they’re not the same old bumbling Bucs that were embarrassed by the Falcons during a 56-14 loss on this stage last year. The Bucs believe they are indeed ready for prime time. The rest of the league will find out tonight if they’re right.
Roy Cummings
The picks
ROY CUMMINGS
Rams, 24-21
Bucs get their wish to play soon after tough loss but not with desired outcome.
IRA KAUFMAN
Bucs, 20-16
Doug Martin outshines Rams rookie Todd Gurley on the ground as Bucs prevail.
December 17, 2015 at 6:43 am in reply to: reporters (including Tampa guys) set up the BUX game #35749znModerator7 things to watch: Rams vs. Buccaneers
Jim Thomas
FAMOUS JAMEIS
He has thrown for 3,059 yards, already a franchise rookie record. With 18 TD passes, he’s one shy of the Bucs’ rookie mark. Throw in the won-loss record — the 6-7 Bucs already have four more wins than in the entire 2014 campaign — and it has been a very solid debut for No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. He has shown good leadership skills at quarterback and hasn’t been afraid to throw into tight windows. Winston has extended plays with his legs, and the Bucs have been pretty good on third-down conversions (42 percent).
MARTIN MARCHING
In the prior two seasons, Bucs RB Doug Martin missed Rams games with injuries. When the teams met in 2012, Martin’s rookie season, he gained a modest 62 yards on 18 carries. But rest assured the Rams aren’t taking the league’s second-best rusher (1,214 yards) lightly. Martin has more runs of 20-plus yards (13) than anybody in the league and leads the NFL with 537 yards after contact. “Once he gets out there in the open field, it’s a tough time getting him down,” Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.
ANOTHER BIG TARGET
Rams CB Trumaine Johnson did exemplary work on Detroit’s Calvin Johnson last week, limiting the player known as Megatron to one catch for 16 yards. He faces another big challenge in Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, who at 6-5, 231 has the frame to post up effectively for 50-50 balls and the catch-radius to grab anything thrown in the same area code. With 889 yards, he’s well on his way to his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season since entering the league as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 draft.
OTHER OPTIONS
The Bucs’ other big target in the passing game, Vincent Jackson (6-5, 230), will miss Thursday’s game with a knee injury. That could mean an expanded role for Adam Humphries, an undrafted rookie from Clemson who caught his first career TD pass last week vs. the Saints. The Bucs don’t throw a ton to their TEs, but Cameron Brate and Austin Seferian-Jenkins do have 5 TD catches between them. Charles Sims, once a teammate of Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey at West Virginia, is a threat out of the backfield (36 catches, 3 TDs).
MIGHTY McCOY
Not only will this game showcase two of the game’s top running backs in Doug Martin and the Rams’ Todd Gurley, it features two of the top defensive tackles in Gerald McCoy and the Rams’ Aaron Donald. A three-time Pro Bowler, McCoy went third overall in the 2010 draft behind former Oklahoma teammate Sam Bradford and fellow D-tackle Ndamukong Suh. “The whole premise in that defense is trying to create a pass rush with four guys, and Gerald McCoy … can create some havoc,” Rams offensive coordinator Rob Boras said.
DISRUPTIVE DAVID
The other headliner on the Tampa defense is weakside linebacker Lavonte David. A sideline-to-sideline player, David does a little bit of everything for the Buccaneers, with a team-high 118 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions, and a partridge in a pear tree. “He’s kind of like Alec (Ogletree) in that he just comes up with the ball,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’ll force a fumble or make an interception or just make a big play when they need it.”
MAKING HIS CASE, PART III
Case Keenum gets his third Rams start and second since suffering a concussion in Baltimore. Keenum’s numbers weren’t great in the win over Detroit but he did put together a pair of clutch drives in the second half. He’ll face a Tampa defense under coach Lovie Smith, the former Rams defensive coordinator, that isn’t complex but plays fundamentally sound and doesn’t give up big plays. The base of the Tampa scheme remains the Cover 2 zone. There isn’t much blitzing. The idea is to keep the play in front and rally to the ball.
znModeratorWell it would be kinda funny if Jeff Fisher finally
got his team built just the way he wanted it — to
compete with the NFC West teams — only to then
be moved into another division.The football Gods, at work.
w
vNot so fast, dark irony man. My own view is, that which makes you competitive in division games in the NFC west allows you to completely dominate the AFC west. But if the Rams did change conferences, it would be just their luck to draw the West as the NFC division they play that year.
znModeratorRams give mixed reviews to color rush uniforms
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/121172/rams-give-mixed-reviews-to-color-rush-uniforms
EARTH CITY, Mo. –Officially, the uniforms the St. Louis Rams will wear in Thursday night’s “color rush” game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a color Nike has dubbed yellow gold.
But when receiver Tavon Austin caught his first glimpse of the uniforms, he couldn’t help but find himself harkening back to his college days at West Virginia.
“Yeah, definitely, we used to call it the gold rush back at West Virginia,” Austin said. “It feels good to be fully back in the uniform I started in.”
This will give you an idea of what Austin will look like on Thursday.
To be sure, nobody was more excited about the new uniform than Austin. As is always the case when it comes to football fashion though, the Rams’ new duds are polarizing among both the fanbase and the players and coaches in the locker room.
Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis, for example, has been pushing to wear the old blue and white Rams throwbacks but has yet to see that come to fruition among the many different uniform combinations the Rams have worn.
“I just think we did it for Tavon,” Laurinaitis said, laughing. “I think we wanted to look like West Virginia for Tavon. I guess when you’re a playmaker you get a lot of pull around here. I’ve been petitioning for blue and whites around here for a long time. I can’t get blue and whites. Tavon comes here and they call it the West Virginia yellow or whatever.”
Laurinaitis has also seen and heard the many jokes about what Thursday night’s game will look like to those watching. With the Buccaneers wearing all red and the Rams wearing all yellow, some have taken to calling it the “Condiment Bowl” featuring ketchup versus mustard. Others have called it the “Fruit Bowl” with apples taking on bananas.
Quarterback Case Keenum said the short turnaround between last Sunday’s game against Detroit to Thursday night hasn’t allowed him much time to plan his outfit.
“I didn’t get much chance to study them,” Keenum said. “We had our equipment guys in there. The equipment guys, it wasn’t their best look, I’ll say that. Some of those guys didn’t fill out the jersey quite like some of the guys in the locker room. Not to dis on them too bad, but they did their best.”
For his part, Rams coach Jeff Fisher is just happy that he doesn’t have to color rush as well.
“I said this to the team and I’ve oftentimes said this before, I’m just glad it’s not baseball where I have to wear the uniform as well,” Fisher said.
As silly as it might sound from the outside, players actually do enjoy the chance to put on some new threads and look a little different. The old “look good, feel good, play good” theory might actually have something behind it, according to Austin.
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Austin said. “You are so used to your old uniforms so when you put something else on, you want to look good in it, it definitely gives you a little juice. I didn’t have a say in this one but it worked into my favor. I look like I’m back in the WV gold and I just feel good playing in it once again.”
znModeratorIf this happens that way (SD and Oakland moving), and who knows, then the NFC west would shift. One of those 2 teams would stay in the AFC, and then probably what we would see is, a current NFC west team going to the AFC west and the other LA team going to the NFC west.
December 16, 2015 at 7:41 pm in reply to: reporters (including Tampa guys) set up the BUX game #35739znModeratorPractice Report 12/16: Defending Winston and Martin, Donald Wins POTW
Myles Simmons
When the Rams and Buccaneers last met in Week 2 of 2014, both teams looked vastly different than they do now. Among the many changes, safety Mark Barron was on the opposite sideline, putting big hits on St. Louis players instead of the club’s opponents as he’s routinely done since the trade that brought him to town.
But there may not be a more significant change than the man who is behind center for Tampa Bay, Jameis Winston.
As the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, there were clearly high expectations for Winston. And according to Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith, the rookie has done well to meet them.
“He was a rookie quarterback coming in, but Jameis Winston has been just outstanding in any way you want to evaluate a player,” Smith said this week. “On the football field, it’s documented how intelligent he is and he’s a football junky. He can throw a football, so everything you’re looking for in a franchise quarterback, he has. He came in well-advertised, but you could say that he’s even been better than that.”
According to head coach Jeff Fisher, the Rams studied Winston throughout the draft process and got to know him. And now that he’s playing, Fisher said it’s clear how much the quarterback has improved throughout the year.
“I think the thing that’s most impressive about Jameis is that their offense is at 42 percent on third down right now,” Fisher said. “When you play a rookie quarterback all year and they’re converting 42 percent of their third downs — that’s impressive.”
“You can see why he was the first pick,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “And you can tell from a leadership standpoint, there are those natural leaders and there are those guys who kind of evolve into leadership. You can see he’s a natural leader. You can see those guys respond to him. So I’m anxious to see him in person.”
Anyone who watched the 2014 BCS National Championship game between Florida State and Auburn probably remembers Winston’s competitive nature that helped bring his team down the field for a game-winning touchdown drive. Linebacker James Laurinaitis said that’s still apparent from what he’s seen of Winston in the league so far.
“You can tell the team really believes in him,” Laurinaitis said. “Late in games, he’ll do whatever it takes — whether it’s scrambling, he’ll shrug off tackles, make big throws.”
“I think he’s going to be a star,” Laurinaitis added. “You can tell he’s a fighter and one of those guys who wants the ball at the end of the game. You can sense it. He’s a heck of a ball player.”
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds, Winston can be a load to take down. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald knows that well, as he faced the quarterback in college at Pitt.
“Make sure you get your big-boy pads on, because he’s not going to let you get him down easily,” Donald said. “He actually got away from me. I should’ve gotten him three times and he got away from me two times. So I owe him. But he’s a big quarterback, he can move around in the pocket, and he can throw the big passes downfield.”
“One of the most dominant guys in the pocket is Ben [Roethlisberger],” Williams said. “We’ve even kind of said a few things about that similarity in the pocket. He doesn’t go down easily. He’s very strong in the pocket. He’s got decent speed, not great speed, but you have a hard time bringing him down because of his size.”
While Winston may garner many of the headlines, running back Doug Martin has been just as important for the Buccaneers’ offense. Martin is No. 2 in the NFL with 1,214 yards rushing in 2015, trailing Adrian Peterson by just 37 yards.
“He has unbelievable vision. He runs hard and behind his pads well,” Laurinaitis said. “I’m glad that he’s healthy and playing well again. You always want to play against their best players. He’s playing really well, and he’s patient, and finds holes. He’ll sliver through that hole and the next thing you know, he’s off to the races. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
“He has had on film the most explosive runs that I’ve seen anybody all year long that we’ve played,” Williams said. “He has really done a great job with explosive runs. They’ve done a very good job in their run blocking schemes.”
Plus, the short week presents its own set of challenges for defensive preparation.
“I think our guys have done a very good job of adjusting to the schedule,” Williams said. “From the assistants to everybody on, they’ve got to handle the information quick, guys process it quick. We’ve had some good work this week, so I’m anxious to see them play tomorrow night.”
DONALD WINS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
With his 3.0 sacks and six quarterback hits against the Lions on Sunday, defensive tackle Aaron Donald was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday morning.
“It means a lot — being a younger guy, to only be in this league for two years,” Donald said Wednesday. “But like I always say, hard work pays off. So just watching it pay off, it feels good.”
Donald has put together a stellar second NFL season, as he’s now just a half-sack away from the Rams’ single-season record by a defensive tackle. D’Marco Farr set the mark with 11.5 in 1995, and now Donald has a good chance to break it 20 years later.
“It would mean a lot, but right now I’m just trying to do my job and help my team win,” Donald said. “If it comes, it comes. If not, I’m just going to do my part.”
INJURY REPORT
With the short practice week now complete, the Rams should be relatively healthy heading into Thursday’s matchup.
Running back Todd Gurley (rest), wide receiver Kenny Britt (shoulder), and right tackle Rob Havenstein (calf) are all listed as probable.
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (concussion) has cleared all steps of the protocol and the exertion phase, and is also listed as probable.
Cornerback Eric Patterson (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday and is listed as questionable.
Defensive end Robert Quinn (back) and offensive lineman Andrew Donnal (knee) have both been declared out.
znModeratorDE Quinn (back) and G/C Donnal (knee) once again are ruled out.
I thought they were going to IR Quinn. Why did I think that? (?)
…
znModeratorIs the CBS broadcast a national TV or just local markets for the two teams?
It;’s national game. Don’t know what the local station will be there.
.
znModeratorDeacon jones probably had at least 20 sacks in some seasons
At DE.
We were comparing DTs.
.
znModeratorWhat network and time for game tomorrow?
Time: 8:25 p.m. ET, Thursday, December 17
Location: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
TV: CBS and NFL Network
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson
Online streaming: NFL Game Pass (live audio, video replay)
Radio: 620 WDAE/103.5 WFUS
znModerator
znModeratorI’m not sure what they’re going to do with the line
I think next year it will become apparent they have an embarassment of riches on the OL.
If you count IR and the practice squad, they already have 14 linemen going into next year.
And as of this week, many of them are trending up. According to PFF, the following players had their best games of the year against the Lions: Robinson, Reynolds, Barnes. Havenstein actually had ONE OF his best games.
.
znModeratorIf more ‘power’ means better run blocking and opening bigger holes for Gurley, then I guess I could see where that might be a good thing.
IE less zone.
Power blocking, for one thing, plays to GR’s strengths.
December 15, 2015 at 11:07 pm in reply to: reporters (including Tampa guys) set up the BUX game #35694znModeratorRams hopeful Janoris Jenkins will be cleared to play Thursday
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins isn’t quite out of the concussion protocol but is one step closer, according to coach Jeff Fisher.
Jenkins again was officially listed as limited on the Rams’ Tuesday injury report but was able to do enough in practice to be considered for the final test in the concussion protocol, the exertion test. That essentially means that Jenkins did strenuous enough activity for the Rams to monitor how he feels after the practice. If Jenkins feels good, he could be cleared to play Thursday night against Tampa Bay.
Fisher said an update on where Jenkins is in terms of passing the exertion test should come Wednesday.
Linebacker Alec Ogletree, who has been on the injured reserve list with the designation to return because of an ankle injury, could be returning to practice sometime after Thursday night’s game. He has a 21-day window to practice in, and the Rams are running out of time. So while there’s no guarantee that Ogletree will play in a game before the season is out, he could get a head start on his recovery by getting some reps in practice.
Fisher said there’d be a chance Ogletree could play in the season finale against San Francisco.
The Rams also made a couple of roster tweaks Tuesday, releasing kicker Zach Hocker and promoting defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat from the practice squad to the active roster. Linebacker Matthew Wells re-signed to the practice squad to take Trinca-Pasat’s place.
Everything else remained status quo on the injury report Tuesday. Here’s a look:
Did not participate — DE Robert Quinn (back), OL Andrew Donnal (knee), CB Eric Patterson (ankle).
Limited participation — RB Todd Gurley (rest), WR Kenny Britt (shoulder), OT Robert Havenstein (calf), CB Janoris Jenkins (concussion)
December 15, 2015 at 11:06 pm in reply to: reporters (including Tampa guys) set up the BUX game #35693znModeratorPractice Report 12/15: Offense on a Short Week
Myles Simmons
With the contest against the Buccaneers just a couple days away, the Rams have had to cram a lot into a little bit of time. It’s a challenge that’s keeping Rob Boras up at night once again, now in his second week since assuming the duties of offensive coordinator.
“This week’s really short. This is a hard turnaround,” Boras said. “Doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing this for 20 years as a coordinator or six days — these Thursdays are hard.”
Head coach Jeff Fisher thought enough of Boras’ performance as a playcaller last week to give him a game ball, an honor Boras said speaks more about the team than just himself.
“I like living in anonymity,” Boras said. “To me, that was for all of us. The whole offensive staff was unbelievable. The players were unbelievable. Obviously, personally, there’s a lot of pride with that. But that’s just a compliment to how everybody stepped up.”
The reviews were positive from St. Louis’ quarterback, too.
“I think he’s working his tail off,” Case Keenum said. “You look at it, it’s a pretty tough time to take over. Your quarterbacks change, and then you get a short week. So that’s two pretty tough weeks on a coordinator, and I think he’s handled it very well.”
Now the club has moved on to a Buccaneers team that sports a quality defense. It’s difficult enough to come up with install a gameplan when there’s a full week of practice, but playing on Thursday can make that process tougher. However, it also can help in keeping things simple, according to Keenum.
“For me, it keeps a lot of the clutter out,” Keenum said. “I keep things simple. I’m not really seeing ghosts. I’m watching what I watch on film, and then I’m moving on to the next thing.”
“After a full week of watching film, sometimes you can watch the same clip so much that you start seeing things that aren’t there,” Keenum added. “You start trying to read too much into a defense, or trying to see too much, or do too much. When it comes down to it, you have to trust your fundamentals, and your technique, and your reads, and just go through them.”
Still, Tampa Bay is no pushover, especially defensively. Led by linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Buccaneers have developed a quality defense that plays well in Lovie Smith’s system. The so-called “Tampa 2” defense has worked well for years, going back even further than Smith’s long tenure as the Bears’ head coach.
“They do what they do and they’re good at it,” Keenum said. “And they’ve got some really good players on the front end and back end that have done really well, put some really good things on film. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“It’s not like they’re one of those exotic defenses that tries to fool your quarterback,” Fisher said. “They beat you by putting people in position, on their toes, ready to break, and then collapsing the pocket real quick, and the ball has to come out. That’s how his defenses have always been.”
In fact, Boras served as the Bears’ tight end coach from 2004-2009, saying Tuesday he recognizes many facets of what the Buccaneers are doing from that time.
“I went back to some of my notes from 2004 and 2005 when I was still there, and it’s a lot of the same stuff,” Boras said. “Obviously, there’s been influences with [defensive coordinator Leslie] Frazier joining him and some different things, but for the most part, it’s very similar to what we saw.”
The familiarity does work both ways. On his conference call with St. Louis media, Smith said he could tell then that Boras had potential to be an offensive coordinator.
“Rob had a wide range,” Smith said. “And a lot of times when you coach the tight ends, you’re involved with the passing game and of course you’re involved in the running game quite a bit. I know Rob was a coordinator, I think at UNLV, before that. You saw him heading in that direction.”
While coaching against an old friend could bring up fond memories, Boras said he’ll be able to handle it.
“If it was the first time I was getting the opportunity to coach against coach Smith, it’d probably be a little bit more special. But this is probably the third time I’ve coached against him since I left,” Boras said. “It’s always fun to coach against your friends and the people you respect.”
With Boras still sleep deprived given all that needs to be crammed in the short week, there likely isn’t much time for all that anyway.
ROSTER MOVE
On Tuesday, the Rams promoted defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat from the practice squad to the active roster. The rookie out of Iowa flashed plenty during training camp, which may have caught the eye of other teams across the league.
“This is the time of year when people express interest in players on your practice squad, and he had a couple opportunities,” Fisher said. “So, we went ahead and brought him up to our active roster.”
After practice, the defensive tackle said he was appreciative of the chance the Rams have given him.
“I’m excited and still working. You always have to be ready for an opportunity and I’m thankful,” Trinca-Pasat said. “I’ve enjoyed it, and I’m glad I get to continue the journey here.”
The young defensive lineman complimented Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, and Nick Fairley for the ways they’ve let him pick their brain.
“I’ve learned a lot about pass rushing while I’ve been here,” Trinca-Pasat said. “Just watching Donald craft his technique — the guy is really good. In certain situations, if I’m not sure what I’m going to do or if he has defeated his guy, I like to ask him what he did, and what kind of look he got.
“He’s very down to earth, he’s always helping out,” Trinca-Pasat continued. “It’s just a great group of defensive linemen, coaches, and it makes everything more comfortable to play and learn.”
In order to add Trinca-Pasat to the roster, the Rams cut kicker Zach Hocker.
INJURY REPORT
There were no changes to the injury report from Monday’s estimate to Tuesday’s practice.
Todd Gurley (rest), Kenny Britt (shoulder), Rob Havenstein (calf), and Janoris Jenkins (concussion) were all limited.
Fisher said Jenkins has just one more test to pass before he can be a full participant.
“He’s cleared the concussion protocol. He just had to clear the exertion phase. I’m assuming he did that today,” Fisher said. “We’ll find out this evening how he feels.”
Robert Quinn (back), Andrew Donnal (knee), and Eric Patterson (ankle) did not practice.
Also on the injury front, Fisher said Alec Ogletree could be added to the active roster soon. The linebacker has been on injured reserve/designated to return, and his 21-day window to be activated is starting to run out.
“We’re considering taking him off and activating his practice time. He’s got 21 days, which we’re running out of time, but we’re thinking about doing that on Friday,” Fisher said.
“He’s not quite ready. He’s close,” Fisher added. “The goal would be to try to see if he’s available for San Francisco. If not, then he’s got a head start on the offseason program.”
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