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December 7, 2015 at 12:55 am in reply to: reporters can't help but look at the ARIZONA game as they drive by #35211
znModeratorRams Fall to Cardinals, 27-3
Myles Simmons
ST. LOUIS — Once again, St. Louis had a rough day offensively managing only 212 yards and nine first downs en route to a 27-3 loss to division-rival Arizona on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
“It’s kind of a broken-record thing here with the offense,” head coach Jeff Fisher said after the game. “We have to get the offense fixed.”
“There isn’t really too much to say,” wide receiver Tavon Austin said. “Personally, I think the offense hasn’t jelled yet. We have to keep on pushing and get back to practice. There’s not anything else. We practice hard, we come out on Sunday and just can’t put it together right now.”
The game was firmly in Arizona’s hands throughout from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. The Rams had only 82 yards and three first downs in the first half. And four of the Cardinals’ five scoring drives went for at least seven plays and 80 yards.
According to Fisher, part of the issue was the offense not sustaining drives.
“Three first downs at halftime. I think we had six to start the fourth quarter — it doesn’t give yourself the chance to be productive or win games,” Fisher said. “Defensively, [we were] on the field way too much. Way too much. Against that kind of offense, they’re going to score points.”
“We have to worry about what [we] can control and we have to improve,” defensive end Chris Long said. “They ran the ball too much today. Twenty-seven points isn’t going to do it. [We] need to be a lot better.”
Starting in place of Case Keenum, quarterback Nick Foles finished 15-for-35 with 146 yards and an interception. On the other side, quarterback Carson Palmer excelled, throwing for 356 yards and two touchdowns with 8.9 yards per attempt.
Keenum did clear the concussion protocol and was active as the backup quarterback for Sunday’s game. Fisher reiterated Keenum will be the starter next week.
“He was good enough to be a two, he just didn’t have the reps [to start]. That’s all,” Fisher said of Keenum. “I’d rather have Case at the two, because of the understanding and experience, than Sean [Mannion]. That doesn’t mean to say that Sean’s not going to get an opportunity to play down the stretch, but I’d rather have Case as a two. So we’ll go back and he’ll be our starter.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to help Case along and help him succeed out there and help this team succeed,” Foles said. “Whatever I can do to help Case with, I’m going to do, just like he’s always done for me.”
The game got off to an inauspicious start even before kickoff. With Greg Zuerlein already inactive with a right hip injury, his replacement, Zach Hocker, suffered a quad strain during pregame warmups. The result was Fisher going around the locker room and asking members of the team if they had kicked before.
“Fortunately, we didn’t have to get to that point,” Fisher said. “What we did do, however, is we kept [Hocker] warm. We had a real good feel for his distance and such for field goals and extra points. It didn’t make enough sense for him to kickoff.”
Punter Johnny Hekker ended up performing the kickoffs, and Hocker was able to hit a 35-yard field goal for the Rams’ only points. Hekker had an outstanding day punting, too, averaging 54.5 yards on eight attempts with five landing inside the 20. He also tied his career long with a 68-yard punt.
“We’re hard-working guys,” Hekker said. “We have a team full of blue-collar workers and we’re going to continue to grind and do what we can to put our best foot forward come next Sunday.”
The Cardinals got on the board first with a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. With Palmer and running back David Johnson leading the charge, Arizona went 80 yards in 10 plays. The Cardinals capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to wide receiver J.J. Nelson to take an early 7-0 lead.
The two teams mainly traded punts throughout the rest of the first half, with two significant Rams sacks keeping it that way. Aaron Donald recorded one of those quarterback takedowns in the second quarter. The defensive tackle broke through the line to get to Palmer for his eighth sack of the season, bringing the signal-caller down at the St. Louis 37 for a 4-yard loss. Donald leads the team in the category.
A similar situation occurred later in the second quarter, as safety Maurice Alexander recorded his second sack of the season. Alexander came on a blitz from the left side and beat the right tackle with his speed. He then took down Palmer for a nine-yard loss to move Arizona from the St. Louis 31 to the 40 and induce a punt.
But the Cardinals got back on the board just before halftime. After a Hekker punt set the visitors up at their own 40, the Cardinals used chunk-yardage plays to quickly move into St. Louis territory. But Donald induced a holding penalty, which backed the visitors up 10 yards. From there, the Rams kept Arizona out of the end zone and went into the locker room down 10-0.
St. Louis got on the board early in the third quarter with the help of a big play from running back Todd Gurley. The rookie out of Georgia burst through a hole for a 34-yard gain to the Arizona 17 — his longest run since his long touchdown against San Francisco. The Rams turned the red-zone opportunity into a field goal, cutting the lead to 10-3.
The ensuing drive started off well for St. Louis, as running back Kerwynn Williams fumbled the ball out of bounds at the Arizona two-yard line. But the Cardinals got off another methodical drive, highlighted by a deep ball from Palmer to Michael Floyd for 31 yards on 3rd-and-3. The next play, Johnson broke through the line for a 23-yard gain to get into St. Louis territory. Eventually, Palmer hit Johnson with a 10-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-8 to increase the visitors’ lead to 17-3.
It didn’t take long for Arizona to find the end zone again. After a Rams three-and-out, the Cardinals got the ball back at their own 19 and found the end zone in seven plays. Williams got the handoffs on that drive, opening it up with a 15-yard gain, and closing it out with a 35-yard touchdown run. With the TD, Arizona took a commanding 24-3 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Rams had a chance to put more points on the board but could not execute in the red zone. Foles’ passes to Austin and Kenny Britt got the drive going on the right foot, and a Foles pass to Jared Cook moved the chains on 4th-and-4 at the Arizona 19. But from there, Foles threw three incomplete passes and the signal-caller’s fourth-down pass to Bradley Marquez came up four yards short of the goal line to turn the ball over on downs.
Arizona added a late field goal to go up 27-3 and close out the scoring.
“We know we have to get our stuff together — we don’t need anyone to tell us that,” Gurley said. “We’re just as frustrated as the fans. We’re just as frustrated as them.”
“We just have to pick our heads up,” defensive back Lamarcus Joyner said. “These guys are grown men. It’s a job for us. We get paid do to what we do and we have to do what we do really good. Guys have to pick their heads up and go out there and win the next game.”
Injury-wise, Janoris Jenkins and Lance Kendricks each left the game with a concussion and will be in the protocol heading into next week.
With the loss, the Rams fall to 4-8 on the season. Their homestand continues with the Lions at the Edward Jones Dome next Sunday at Noon CT.
“We have four more games — let’s go out here and wreak havoc,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “I think that’s what we have to do.”
December 7, 2015 at 12:54 am in reply to: reporters can't help but look at the ARIZONA game as they drive by #35210znModeratorTen Takeaways from the Rams’ 27-3 Loss to the Cardinals
Randy Karraker
http://www.101sports.com/2015/12/06/ten-takeaways-rams-27-3-loss-cardinals/
Before an actual crowd of perhaps 35,000 despite 51,000 tickets being distributed, the St. Louis Rams turned in another feeble performance in a 27-3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
They’ve lost five in a row, and prospects for one more win don’t look promising. Here are ten takeaways…
1) For a normal business or sports franchise wishing to succeed in the market it inhabits, failure that leads to apathy would be an alarming thing. There’s no doubt that the St. Louis fan base has reached the point of apathy. They don’t show up at the games, and it’s completely understandable. With the threat of relocation and a terrible team, any emotion left toward the business is negative. But that’s exactly what the Rams want. The owner wants to move the team to Los Angeles, so what has happened over the last five weeks, with a five game losing streak, couldn’t be more convenient.
They’ve tried to ruin the football market, and they’ve virtually done it.
2) We heard after the Sam Bradford-Nick Foles trade that Chip Kelly had determined that he couldn’t win with Foles. Now we know what he meant. Foles continues to flounder, and following another dreadful performance on Sunday, coach Jeff Fisher announced that Case Keenum will start at quarterback again next week. Only an injured Andrew Luck has a lower completion percentage than Foles, who looks like he has no idea where the ball is going when it leaves his hand. Either he had a deal with the Devil two years ago when he threw 27 touchdowns with two interceptions, or his abilities and fundamentals have deteriorated in an extraordinary fashion.
3) During the five game losing streak, the Rams ineptness has reached astounding levels. They’ve averaged just over ten points per game, and have scored four touchdowns in the five games. How can that happen in 2015? The league’s average is 23 points per team, per game, and the average yardage is 355 per game. The Rams average 15.8 points and 296 yards. Those averages have declined over the last five games.
nick foles-10Rams QB Nick Foles hands off the ball to RB Tre Mason in the first half of Sunday’s game. Arizona held the Rams to 66 rushing yards.
4) The Cardinals had eight plays of twenty or more yards, and the Rams had three. Todd Gurley had a 34 yard run, and Foles hit Kenny Britt for 30 yards and Tavon Austin for 24. That’s it for the Rams explosive plays. In a sport of explosive plays, Fisher’s St. Louis teams have continued to fail to evolve with the rest of the league.
5) Even Fisher admitted that the lack of offense is affecting the defense. Arizona essentially had the ball for 40 minutes to 20. “Defensively, (they were) on the field way too much. Way too much. Against that kind of offense, they’re going to score points.” And the Cardinals did, gouging the Rams for five plays of 23 or more yards after halftime.
6) With the Cardinals up 24-3 in the fourth quarter, Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer was 4-7 for 84 yards. It was 27-3 when Drew Stanton came on at QB, and he threw three passes, going 1-1 for six yards and also drawing two pass interference penalties. Think Cardinals coach Bruce Arians wants to stick it to the Rams?
7) With Trumaine Johnson out with an injury, the Rams only dressed two real cornerbacks, Marcus Roberson and Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins left the game twice, causing Lamarcus Joyner to cover one of the Cardinals outstanding receivers. Palmer was 26-40 for 356 yards and two touchdowns. The roster composition of the team doesn’t lend itself to a great deal of success if injuries hit anywhere except the defensive line.
8) Speaking of which, there’s a segment on ESPN’s College Gameday called “You had one job.” I was thinking of that segment early in the third quarter when Tavon Austin returned a punt 67 yards to the Cardinal 3 yard line, but it was called back. Chase Reynolds was called for holding and instead of having the ball at the Cardinal 3, they had it at their own 49. Chase, you’re a running back who hasn’t run a single play from scrimmage all year. You’re a special teams specialist. You had one job! And you were called for holding and cost your team at least three points, maybe seven. One job!
9) The Rams were a colossally bad 1-12 on third down. Eight percent. For the season, the Cardinals, Falcons and Saints are all at 46% for the season in third down conversions. San Francisco is 30th at 33%, and Miami is 31st at 28%. The Rams are last at 24%. 38 for 155. Amazingly bad. When your offense can’t stay on the field, the rest of the team is going to suffer. And the Rams have stayed on the field on 3rd down 38 times in twelve games. An average of three third down conversions per game.
10) I must admit I had to go to Thesaurus.com, but here are fifteen words to describe the Rams offense. Abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, dreadful, frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly, gruesome, horrendous, horrid, odious, repulsive and terrible. There are plenty of words for this offense. After being 4-3, 4-12 looks like a distinct possibility.
There’s another word in the dictionary that means rickety or shaky. That word is Ramshackle. And you can’t spell it without R-A-M.
znModeratori think fisher’s got a problem drafting knuckleheads. could robinson be the next in a long line of super-athletic knuckleheads drafted by fisher?
We used to say the same thing about Jenkins.
I can’t think of a long line of knuckleheads they drafted. Just Pead. Or Bailey, if you count his suspensions. They actually seem to have a long line of high value picks. Knucleheads appear to be a small fraction. That’s nothing like the 2005/6 Rams, which led the league in knuckleheads: Barron, Incognito, Terrell, Byrd, and Wroten.
znModeratorThe offensive line had no sacks and no penalties against Arizona. The defensive line was not off sides.
Well yeah they had a couple of false starts…were those not on linemen? Were they all on TE/WRs?
.
znModeratorGood for Bradford. We can sign him when he becomes a FA. And RG3, let’s sign him too
Then trade them both for Foles.
Plus, draft picks.
znModeratorwell it’s not anything that’s going to be fixed soon. probably not until the offseason.
I think it will be better just from starting Keenum.
And, I want to stress this—not that I think Keenum is a great qb.
znModeratorI didn’t take him as saying what others take him as saying. Given the context I took him as saying “I am just seeing the same things I have commented on before.” I know a lot of people made more of it…I’m not surprised.
It sounded to me like he pulled up short on saying he thinks he needs a different coordinator.
===
(On how to increase offensive production)
“Coach is almost out of answers. My responsibility is to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to get this thing fixed.’ I mean we’re not efficient on offense. We have too many good players. We’ve got guys that can produce. We have an outstanding running back and we have a dynamic receiver. We’re starting to get a little bit better on the offensive line and so we’ll keep working. But it has to get better. It’s not good.”znModeratorPatz can’t come back. 35-28 Eagles.
So I got a little decent football pleasure out of today.
znModeratorny coach that says that was an acceptable effort can kiss my ass
The issue wasn’t and has not been “effort.”
It’s execution.
You can put in all the effort you want and if you can’t execute you lose.
Fisher was right about effort. It’s not the issue.
Yeah, its not effort. True.
But to ‘me’ the word ‘execution’ is pretty meaningless.
I put it up there with “we didnt score enough points to win”Its meaningless to me, because it gives no clue
as to WHY the plays are not being ‘executed’ properly.Having said that, i never get mad at coaches
for what the say or dont say at press conferences.
I mean, would we expect them to explain
the nuts and bolts of why the team lost.
I dont expect that out of coaches — i expect
broad meaningless generalizations. Thats what
Belicheck gives win or lose.
w
v“Execution” is a real thing. What it means is that while plays are there, the players are not, individually and as a group, doing what they’re supposed to on those plays…they’re not doing their assignments properly. It can be any number of reasons, including problems with technique, and so on.
It’s not one of those gray area dismissable terms. It has real meaning.
It’s true that you don’t always have a “why.” But because we don’t know why drivers go through red lights doesn’t mean it is meaningless to say they drove through red lights.
znModeratorny coach that says that was an acceptable effort can kiss my ass
The issue wasn’t and has not been “effort.”
It’s execution.
You can put in all the effort you want and if you can’t execute you lose.
Fisher was right about effort. It’s not the issue.
znModeratorwhy is westbrooks inactive I wonder
znModeratorSo I live with it and can mostly function fine but once in awhile it acts up.
Which is why we have to think about your replacement in the next poster draft.
You are not as useful to us if your arm goes numb and you can’t type.
I mean sure yeah, great posting career and everything PA, but, posting is a “what have you typed for me lately” business.
Just the cold hard merciless truth.
znModeratorIt’s clear he doesn’t want to be in St. Louis.
I don;’t think that’s a factor at all. There’s no evidence of “St. Louis is not an option.” It just looks like he wants to be this big owner with the fabulous LA property. That doesn’t mean he would not accept St. Louis at all if things didn’t play out for LA.
znModeratori seem to remember reports saying that robinson was not putting in the necessary preparation it takes to be a professional instead relying on his athleticism. that’s disappointing. so maybe he realizes he can’t get away with it at this level. hopefully it’s just part of the maturation process. he needs to wake up.
Well no the report was that he had STOPPED doing that, ie. that he had stopped believing he was just athletic enough and didn’t need more. The issue was specifically him studying film of his opponents.
That’s not that uncommon. Williams openly came out and said he had similar issues with Joyner, that in 2014 Joyner just believed in his own athleticism and wouldn’t do things the way he was supposed to.
The recent revelation about Robinson came in the wake of GR realizing that he was doing things the wrong way by not studying opponents and so on.
znModeratorWell I hope you are right, but I am skeptical at this point.
Sigh.
Another board war.
Oh well.
znModeratorand thus
and therefore, he must be able to pass-block.Well athlete does not mean pass blocker per se. Pass blocking is technique and awareness. Athlete means potential for SUPERIOR pass blocker. But until he learns the technique and gains awareness, he is going to be more limited.
IMO every complaint we hear about GR gets down to technique and awareness, both of which have to do with experience and learning.
He was just THAT raw coming out. Way behind.
Yet at the same time, they have 2 more LOT prospects in Battle and Wms. So, that;s interesting too.
.
znModeratorjust another view from off the net
===
Deadpool
the young and inexperienced part is a major reason why they were subpar to begin the season. The injuries have made this line worse IMO. So the injuries have been a cause for the OL troubles.
At some point you just have to stand pat, let the guys gel as a unit and pray they stay healthy and improve.
Its a young line, that has been riddled by injuries. But the thing is, not one team in the NFL is going to give up on a 2nd round RT and a 3rd round RG after 1 year. So those 2 are going to be there in 2016. Saffold’s contract says he is going to be there at LG in 2016. 6m cap number with 3m in dead money and 3m in cap savings so yeah… They also are not giving up on the 2nd overall pick from 2 years ago. So Robinson is here as well.
Whats my point? Robinson, Saffold, Brown and Hav are all going to be here next year and starting as long as they are healthy. I wouldn’t mind a mid round pick at OC for competition and let the rookie and Barnes battle it out. Give those 5 guys (or at least 4 of them another offseason to gel, as well as getting stronger in the offseason conditioning program.
Another thing that is rarely touched on, is Robinson. Year 1 he was moved between LT and OG. Then they settled him in at OG. Then he was moved back to LT. Coming from a simplified offense, and being so young along with the constant moving had to slow his learning curve. So now its year 2 and what do they do? Have him lose weight and switch to a one blocking scheme. I am not sure if he knows if he’s afoot or on horseback. He’s a really good athlete, so there is nothing saying he cannot play the position. Everything said about him at AU was that he was a hard worker. So maybe, just maybe a 2nd year at his original position, with the same blocking scheme will allow him to stop thinking and just play. Which, IMO, would improve his game.
On Barnes, he was playing well early until he had raw, overmatched rookies on both sides of him caused him to maybe try and overcompensate for his interior linemates. I think if you bring back Saffold and Brown, he would be just fine.
As far as Hav and Brown, 1 year in the offseason program and minicamps will do wonders for them both.
The problem I have with the injuries I guess involves Saffold. To sign a guy with annual injuries to a big contract and then expecting him to stay healthy seemed very risky. And his injury really set in motion a whole slew of line shuffling that the Rams have never recovered from. But I just do not see the Rams eating 3m in dead money to save 3m in cap space. I’m just trying to take a realistic approach to this mess. And IMO, the Rams will not eat 3m. I could be wrong.
znModeratorre the powers-that-bee gonna stop
the game and pull a player every time there’s a hard hit now?IF they have reason to believe he has a possible concussion…yes.
Regardless of the fall out.
znModeratorJoe Lyons
It appears the Rams will again be without defensive end Robert Quinn, cornerback Trumaine Johnson and kicker Greg Zuerlein when they take on the red-hot Arizona Cardinals at noon Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
The team’s Friday injury report listed Quinn (back), Johnson (thigh) and Zuerlein (right hip) as doubtful for the NFC West showdown. In NFL terms, doubtful means there is just a 25 percent chance of playing Sunday.
None of the three players practiced this week.
Quinn, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, started the season’s first seven games, sat a week and then saw limited action against Chicago. He was inactive for recent games at Baltimore and at Cincinnati. Sixth-year pro Eugene Sims has been filling in for Quinn.
Johnson, in the midst of perhaps his best season, was injured on an interception return in Baltimore and did not play in last week’s 31-7 road loss to the Bengals. Marcus Roberson, a second-year pro, stepped in against Baltimore and started in the Cincinnati game.
Zuerlein suffered a strained hip flexor a couple of days before the Cincinnati game. A day before that contest, the team signed free agent kicker Zach Hocker, a University of Arkansas product who began the season with the New Orleans Saints.
Zuerlein “did not kick (Friday), so it’ll probably be a game-time decision,’’ Rams coach Jeff Fisher said after Friday’s workout at Rams Park. “Zach kicked well, kicked off well (Friday), so we’ll see.’’
Quarterback Case Keenum was limited in practice Friday and still has not cleared the concussion protocol. He’s listed as questionable, which is 50-50.
On Thursday, Fisher named Nick Foles as the starter at quarterback.
Tackle Rob Havenstein, the team’s second-round draft pick last May, went through another full workout Friday and is listed probable. Havenstein started the first seven games at right tackle but has sat out three of the last four games with a calf injury.
znModeratorRams notes: Key players could again be out vs. Cardinals
Joe Lyons
It appears the Rams will again be without defensive end Robert Quinn, cornerback Trumaine Johnson and kicker Greg Zuerlein when they take on the red-hot Arizona Cardinals at noon Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
The team’s Friday injury report listed Quinn (back), Johnson (thigh) and Zuerlein (right hip) as doubtful for the NFC West showdown. In NFL terms, doubtful means there is just a 25 percent chance of playing Sunday.
None of the three players practiced this week.
Quinn, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, started the season’s first seven games, sat a week and then saw limited action against Chicago. He was inactive for recent games at Baltimore and at Cincinnati. Sixth-year pro Eugene Sims has been filling in for Quinn.
Johnson, in the midst of perhaps his best season, was injured on an interception return in Baltimore and did not play in last week’s 31-7 road loss to the Bengals. Marcus Roberson, a second-year pro, stepped in against Baltimore and started in the Cincinnati game.
Zuerlein suffered a strained hip flexor a couple of days before the Cincinnati game. A day before that contest, the team signed free agent kicker Zach Hocker, a University of Arkansas product who began the season with the New Orleans Saints.
Zuerlein “did not kick (Friday), so it’ll probably be a game-time decision,’’ Rams coach Jeff Fisher said after Friday’s workout at Rams Park. “Zach kicked well, kicked off well (Friday), so we’ll see.’’
Quarterback Case Keenum was limited in practice Friday and still has not cleared the concussion protocol. He’s listed as questionable, which is 50-50.
On Thursday, Fisher named Nick Foles as the starter at quarterback.
Tackle Rob Havenstein, the team’s second-round draft pick last May, went through another full workout Friday and is listed probable. Havenstein started the first seven games at right tackle but has sat out three of the last four games with a calf injury.
Offensive lineman Andrew Donnal (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday.
The 9-2 Cardinals, who enter Sunday’s action riding a five-game winning streak and holding a three-game lead in the NFC West, have ruled out RB Andre Ellington (toe), CB Jerraud Powers (calf) and DT Frostee Rucker (ankle), with DT Cory Redding (ankle) doubtful. WR Michael Floyd (hamstring) is questionable.
THUMBS-UP FOR ODOM
Rams center Tim Barnes, who played at the University of Missouri from 2006-2009, thinks his alma mater made a wise choice in hiring another ex-Tiger, Barry Odom, to take over for Gary Pinkel as the Tigers’ next football coach.
“I like it. Not really that surprised since Pinkel helped with the search and likes to promote from within,’’ the fourth-year pro said. “You know that Odom was probably going to be a head coach somewhere this year, so why not Mizzou? I know him personally; he’s a good guy and I’m excited for him.’’
Barnes continued: “You want to keep good people in the program, especially when they have good track records. (Odom) hasn’t been here the whole time. He left and went to Memphis and had success there before coming back. Seems like (Memphis) wanted him back, so I think it’s a good choice by Missouri.’’
GOLDEN SHINES
Drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of last spring’s draft, former Affton High and Mizzou standout Marcus Golden had played in all 11 games and made three starts at linebacker for Arizona this season.
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Golden has 24 tackles, including three for loss. He leads the Cardinals with 13 quarterbacks hits, is second with 2½ sacks and is tied for second with 11 quarterback pressures. He’s also forced a fumble this season.
“I love him,’’ Arizona free safety Tyrann Mathieu said earlier in the week. “I love his energy, I love his passion. He’s getting to the quarterback for us; that’s something we definitely need to keep improving on. We need some other guys to step up and get to the quarterback. Marcus is doing a great job. To say he’s a rookie and he has to learn so much, he’s doing a great job just making football plays.’’
NFL PUNT, PASS & KICK
Before Sunday’s game with the Cardinals, qualifiers age 6-15 from throughout Missouri and Illinois will compete in the NFL Pass, Punt & Kick competition. The action begins at 8 a.m. in five age divisions for boys and girls, with the top scorer in each age group crowned team champion and eligible for the national championships to be held at Colts vs. Titans game on Jan. 3, 2016.
All competitors will be recognized during Sunday’s pregame.
NFL Punt, Pass & Kick began in 1961 and is the nation’s largest grassroots sports skills competition. Among those who’ve participated are Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Dan Marino.
MESSAGE FROM BAILEY
On Friday, Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey issued a message via Twitter:
To my entire Rams family, especially my teammates, fans and peers, I thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. My recovery has been nothing short of a miracle (a work of God) and I can only give God the praise, glory and honor for what he is doing in my life at this time. Christmas is a holiday in which Jesus was born as a gift to the world but in all honesty, he has given me and my family a gift which is far greater than what any man can give, a restoration of my life and health. I will continue to get better day by day until I’m able to get back on the field and I ask for your continued prayers.
Love, Stedman Bailey.
znModeratorRams still taking heat for handling of Keenum concussion
Jim Thomas
The after-effects of Case Keenum’s concussion against Baltimore on Nov. 22 have lingered to the point where the Rams quarterback will miss his second consecutive start.
Meanwhile, the controversy also lingers over why Keenum was allowed to finish out the Rams’ final two offensive plays in that contest after hitting his head on the turf at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium on a sack.
Earlier this week, NFL Players Association president Eric Winston told USA Today that he wanted the NFL to reconsider its decision not to issue any fines or discipline for the Rams’ handling of the Keenum concussion.
Winston, a nine-year veteran offensive tackle now with Cincinnati, called the Rams’ handling of the situation a “complete failure to adhere to the (concussion) protocol.”
Winston continued: “Show me someone that says, ‘No, the Rams did exactly the right thing.’ They didn’t. Everybody knows they didn’t. So there has to be discipline, right? Because when a player doesn’t do something that he’s supposed to do, he gets fined for that when it comes to health and safety.”
Fisher said he was unaware that Keenum had been diagnosed with concussion symptoms until after the Rams’ 16-13 loss to the Ravens. Fisher saw Keenum go down but said he was in game-management mode and didn’t realize the quarterback was slow to get up.
On Thursday, Fisher was asked about Winston’s comments and seemed almost eager to reply.
“I’ll say this, I have great respect for Eric as a player, and also in the position that he currently holds within the union — the Players Association,” Fisher said. “It’s awfully difficult for an active player, you know, to stay involved — and how should I say this? — understand everything that went on.
“I don’t think Eric has all of the facts. The facts were all discussed with the league, with the union. I mean, I can see his position. His position is to protect players. But his position’s no different than mine, nor Reggie (Scott)’s, or anybody else associated with the league.”
Scott is the Rams’ head athletic trainer. He briefly checked out Keenum after the play, while referee Tony Corrente’s crew was administering a penalty that occurred on the play. But the independent injury spotter at press box level never called for a medical timeout to check out Keenum on the sideline, probably because Scott came out on the field.
“It’s very unlikely that anybody is going to be penalized,” Fisher continued. “As I said two weeks ago (after the Keenum incident) … we’re trying to close the loophole to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”
Although the NFL will consider discipline for future violations of concussion protocol, the league already has let it be known there will be no club discipline in the Keenum matter.
A conference call involving athletic trainers and team physicians from all 32 teams was held last week to discuss what went wrong with the concussion protocol in the Baltimore game, and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.
Medical experts from the league and the players association are continuing to review the issue.
More criticism was directed at the Rams, and at Fisher in particular, on the topic this week. Former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth said in a radio appearance that it was a “bold-faced lie” for Fisher to say he didn’t realize Keenum was injured because he was in game-management mode.
Fisher said he spoke with Schlereth on Thursday to clear the air.
“He apologized to me,” Fisher said. “Again, Mark didn’t have all of the facts. Those things happen. That’s the world we live in right now.
“When you have the facts and you understand what happened, everything that led up to that incident — and any other incident for that matter — unless you’ve got all the facts, you should probably keep your mouth shut. I think Mark’s one of the best, so we had a really good conversation.”
Fisher said he initiated the dialogue with Schlereth when he learned about his remarks.
“Would you call somebody if they called you a liar?” Fisher said. “Probably. So I did. I have great respect for Mark and we got it resolved, no problem.”
As for Keenum, he has not been made available to reporters while he’s still under the concussion protocol. He has gotten some practice repetitions with the scout team this week, running Arizona plays for the benefit of the Rams’ first-team defense.
The Rams play the Cardinals in a noon kickoff Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
But Keenum did not get any reps with the first-team offense this week while still under the concussion protocol. For that reason, Fisher decided to go with Nick Foles at quarterback against the Big Red. And that won’t change even if Keenum says Saturday that he feels great and clears the protocol.
Although unlikely, if that’s the case Saturday, Keenum will be the team’s No. 2 QB and dress for the Arizona game. Otherwise, rookie Sean Mannion will be No. 2 behind Foles for the second week in a row, and Keenum once again will be a game-day inactive.
znModeratorGurley grounded — Rams’ running game hits the wall
Jim Thomas
Few rookies regardless of position have opened their NFL careers with the impact Todd Gurley did for the Rams this season. The numbers and the milestones are familiar to most.
First rookie in league history with 125 yards-plus rushing in his first four starts.
More yards rushing in his first four starts than any NFL player in the Super Bowl era.
Gurley was the NFL’s offensive rookie of the month for October. He got that Jolly Ranchers endorsement. He was heralded by analysts and media members across the land.
In short, he was the next big thing. Just like that.
But after that amazing start, the yardage and highlight-reel runs have dried up.
In his first four starts, Gurley averaged 142 yards per game and 6.4 yards per carry. That period encompassed starts against Arizona, Green Bay, Cleveland and San Francisco, with the Rams going 3-1 in those contests.
But in Gurley’s next four starts, his production has been more than cut in half. Namely, 55 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. The Rams are 0-4 in those games against Minnesota, Chicago, Baltimore and Cincinnati.
Thanks in part to the work of wide receiver Tavon Austin on end-arounds and jet sweeps, the Rams still rank seventh in the league in rushing offense entering Sunday’s rematch with Arizona.
But for the most part, the bottom has fallen out of the running game as teams load the box with extra defenders to swarm Gurley, and the Rams’ injury-plagued offensive line goes through one combination after another.
“He’s not frustrated,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s a team guy. He’s having fun. Wants to help us win. He knows he’s a big part of this team. His production on the field not only helps offense, it helps defense, it helps everything.”
A decline in explosive plays has coincided with the decline in production for Gurley. The Rams define an explosive run as a carry gaining 10 yards or more. In his first four starts Gurley had 15 such explosive runs, including gains of 30, 48, 54, 55 and 71 yards.
In his next four starts, Gurley has had only two such runs — on gains of 13 and 16 yards Nov. 8 at Minnesota. He hasn’t had a run longer than nine yards in the three games since then.
“It’s execution,” Gurley said. “Doing what we’ve got to do. Taking the right steps, taking the right track, whether it’s getting a double block or a triple, (or) single. Just basically execution.”
Obviously, the line injuries haven’t helped. Beginning with the first game in the current losing streak — Minnesota — Gurley has failed to reach 100 yards. Beginning with that contest, the Rams have featured a different starting combination up front for four consecutive weeks.
Starting right guard Jamon Brown was lost for the season Nov. 15 against Chicago. Starting right tackle Rob Havenstein has missed three of the past four games with what has been described as ankle and calf injuries. Even one of the replacements on the line, Andrew Donnal, is out with a knee injury.
“It’s just staying on our blocks and giving Todd a chance,” said Havenstein, who could return to the lineup this week. “Because he’s gonna do special things. He’s just that type of player, that type of back.”
The Rams tweaked the running game to a degree against Cincinnati. Among the new wrinkles was the Wildcat formation in which Gurley lined up in the shotgun formation behind center with quarterback Nick Foles split out like a wide receiver.
In two plays out of the Wildcat, the Rams got 60 yards on a Gurley handoff to Austin, and later got a modest three yards on a Gurley keeper. Gimmick plays can help to a degree, but only for a few plays.
They can’t solve deeper problems, such as not opening enough holes with a greener-than-green offensive line. Or not showing enough prowess in the passing game to keep defenses honest and get them to back off the line of scrimmage.
“We’ve looked hard at it,” Fisher said. “We just gotta continue to give him opportunities. So we’ll get creative in the run game, and gonna get hats on hats and let him go.”
“It takes all 11,” offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti said Thursday. “One, we’ve got to get him at-bats, get him carries. Through four quarters of it, we impose our will. Hopefully like last time, you continue to get better throughout the game.”
That was a reference to Gurley’s first NFL start, Oct. 4 at Arizona. As a team, the Rams had only nine yards rushing on nine carries in the first half — a half in which Arizona had a 2-to-1 edge in time of possession.
Things started out slowly in the third quarter on the ground, but the Rams stayed with the running game and suddenly things started clicking. Gurley had runs of 23 and 12 yards on a third quarter touchdown drive; then had runs of 12 and 52 yards on a fourth-quarter TD march. When all was said and done, he finished with 19 carries for 146 yards in a 24-22 upset victory.
Gurley had only nine carries (for 19 yards) in last week’s 31-7 blowout loss in Cincinnati, a game where the Rams fell behind by such a big margin they had to basically junk the running game for much of the second half.
This is normally the time of the long NFL season when all rookies, much less those coming off surgery like Gurley, can hit the wall. But Gurley would have none of it.
“What wall?” he said. “I’m good.”
The only wall he’ll face will be the one the Big Red plan to throw at him in his first rematch game against a division opponent. And that could be a formidable one.
znModeratorPractice Report 12/4: Defending an Explosive Offense
Myles Simmons
Since head coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Carson Palmer arrived, the Cardinals’ offense has been known for its ability to create explosive plays. This season, Arizona leads the league with 57 plays of at least 20 yards — 49 via pass and eight via run. With those numbers, Palmer is No. 1 in both yards per attempt (8.8) and yards per completion (13.8).
Arizona’s penchant for explosive plays can be a challenge for any team to defend, and will be for the Rams on Sunday.
“We’ve had a couple of really big time offenses we’ve had to go against this year and I’m looking forward to our opportunity again this year,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said after Friday’s practice. “Our guys understand the personnel because it’s within our division. They understand that aspect of it. So now, it’s going out and understanding leverage, understanding space, what they’re trying to do, where they’re trying to create their opportunity to move the ball. Can our guys defend it? We’ll see.”
Palmer in particular is playing quite well leading the offense. He’s completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,337 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His 7.1 percent touchdown rate also tops the NFL.
“I’ve been very impressed with how accurate of a thrower he is,” Williams said. “He’s done a very good job of moving around, buying extra time. If he has a concept in mind that he wants to do — boom — he goes ahead and does it. He’s done a very good job on being consistent.”
“Carson, to me, you look back at last year at what happened once he got hurt, where they went — Drew Stanton tried to do a good job to carry the ship, but they’re just not the same without Carson out there,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “He’s playing at a very high level. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Undoubtedly Arians is a significant factor in Palmer’s success. It’s the third season the two have worked together in the desert, and Arians said this week Palmer is playing as well as anyone he’s ever coached.
“The guy is a workaholic,” Arians said. “He knows how he learns. I think we’ve all learned how he learns, so we can teach him better. That’s why the growing pains when you get an older quarterback and you have to learn really how he learns. I think now we’ve got a system in place where he’s prepared every ball game, and it’s get the other 10 guys around him on the same page with him.”
But the key to getting to that point with a coach and quarterback, according to Arians, is having a great sense of trust.
“You have to have communication every day because you’re tied at the hip,” Arians said. “Your job is depending on him. You’ve got to have trust in a relationship, whether it’s honesty going back and forth and accountability back and forth.”
The kind of season Palmer is having does soften the blow of losing starting running back Chris Johnson to a fractured tibia. Johnson was placed on IR with a designation to return a few days ago after suffering the injury against San Francisco in Week 12. Fellow running back Andre Ellington has already been declared out for Sunday’s matchup with turf toe. And so rookie David Johnson is likely to be the first man up in the backfield this weekend.
“David is more than ready,” Arians said. “When Andre was hurt, he played a bunch in the previous game, although it wasn’t his best game. We feel very confident he’s more than ready.”
A third-round pick out of Northern Iowa, David Johnson leads the team with eight total touchdowns. The rookie caught four passes for 63 yards — including a 23-yard touchdown — and had 18 yards rushing on three carries when the Rams faced the Cardinals in October.
“He played well and got all of our attention the last time we played them,” Williams said. “Our guys have a lot of respect for him. He’s very powerful. He’s got some shiftiness to him when he needs to. But, he’s a very good receiver in the passing game too. Not only does he do everything they want in the running game, but when you put the ball in his hands, he’s made some big plays in the passing game. I don’t think they’re going to miss a beat.”
“Earlier in the year when we played them, they used him a lot — kind of in their empty third down stuff,” Laurinaitis said. “He runs a lot of routes for them in their no-back stuff.”
No matter who is at running back, the Cardinals are likely to move the ball and score points. That’s why clamping down and playing strong red-zone defense — like the Rams played the last time these two teams squared off — will be of particular importance in Sunday’s contest.
“We spend an inordinate amount of time in the red zone also throughout the course of the week. Learned that a long time ago,” Williams said. “We’ve got to take the ball away. Got to play stout against the run, but you’ve got to do a great job in the red zone, got to do a great job on third down.”
“When you’re playing an offense like this, I mean, field goals are wins,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said. “We’ve said that before. Field goals are wins for your defense. We have to get off the field on occasion on third down. We keep Carson on their sideline, then we have a chance.”
INJURY REPORT
As Fisher said on Thursday, the Rams will start Nick Foles at quarterback against Arizona. Case Keenum was limited once again in Friday’s practice, and is listed as questionable for the game.
“We’ll see how he is tomorrow and make a decision on whether he’s [No.] two or [No.] three [at quarterback],” If he’s two, he’s been completely cleared and ready to play. If he’s two, he’s two because he’s been cleared, one, and two, he hasn’t had sufficient reps to practice during the week.”
If Keenum is inactive, then Sean Mannion would serve as the backup quarterback.
Elsewhere on the injury report, right tackle Rob Havenstein (calf) is probable. Offensive lineman Andrew Donnal (knee) is out. Greg Zuerlein (right hip), Trumaine Johnson (thigh), and Robert Quinn (back) are all listed as doubtful.
Quinn’s injury has had plenty of ripple effects along the D-line, as it would for any team missing a player who recorded a franchise season record for sacks. But Fisher gave plenty of credit to Eugene Sims, who has started in Quinn’s stead.
“We miss him, but Eugene’s playing well out there and the other guys are rushing hard,” Fisher said. “[Quinn’s] a difference maker. He’s one of those guys that can change the game at any point in the game. So, definitely, we miss him, but as most teams miss their Pro Bowl quality players.”
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald did say this week it seems like teams are paying him a little more attention on the inside in Quinn’s absence.
“A lot more double teams — not much I can do about that but just keep playing,” Donald said. “Anytime you lose a playmaker it’s going to be tough. He’s a guy that’s a leader and makes a lot of plays for us. Other guys just have to step up, continue to do what we’ve been doing.”
“It’s impossible to replace Robert,” Laurinaitis said. “The duo of Aaron’s quickness inside and Robert’s speed rush — if Robert gets around the corner the quarterback has to step up and Aaron is in his face. If Aaron gets pressure up the middle, the quarterback has to flush out and Robert is there to get him. It’s such a deadly combo that when you miss one half of it, it affects the whole rotation, and snaps, and all that as well. Hopefully, we get Rob back soon.”
znModeratorYou are a Tech-guy, Ag. Surely,
there is an APP, I can get that will delete
Frank Cusumano, and leave JT in the audio.w
vFrank Cusumano has been a sportscaster at KSDK for 20 years, where he has won 14 Emmys for his storytelling and sports coverage.
I don’t know this the way locals do, but I think FC is a basketball guy, primarily. As a football guy, I find him kind of lacking, and I completely get WV’s view. He also has these agendas, and they’re never interesting ones either–just run of the mill stuff about the Rams. I too listen to JT not Frank. It’s funny to hear Frank argue with Howard.
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znModeratorThe Cardinals will regret having ever HEARD of St. Louis.
They already do, to the point of leaving St. Louis.
znModeratorOne thing we can assess is the Fisher regime’s ability to acquire viable OL personnel.Fisher,Snead and Boo are the constants. A four year sample size to work with. Wells had existing knee problems when he broke his foot in week 1.
No that’s not true of Wells. He had a routine clean-up scope after playing every game in 2011. That was not an “existing knee problem.” The absurd series of injuries and infections he had after signing with the Rams—one of which sent him to ICU where he lost 40 pounds just before camp—had nothing to do with prior conditions.
Here;s what we can say about Fisher and Boudreau and OLs.
First, they both put together good ones several times over a combined 40 years prior to the Rams.
Second, they put together good ones with the Rams, when they were not held back by multiple simultaneous injuries. So for example, in 2012, after the injury epidemic in the first 8 games, they were relatively healthy and played well. That is, Jackson got 4.3 a carry, their sack percentage of 4% was the lowest for any Rams qb since the mid 80s, and they went 4-3-1 in games that included the NFC champ that year and 5 top 12 defenses. You can’t do all of that combined with poor OL.
2013 has a similar profile.
In each case, one neglected feature of their good work with OLs is the long list of recycled vets they used who had never done anything before the Rams and never did anything after the Rams…but played well with the Rams.
In terms of the injuries, that is just plain stupid bad luck. Nothing else can explain this: in the last 2 years they added 8 rookie/young linemen, and at this point, 7 of them have been injured. Yet only ONE of them had a previous injury history (Donnal).
A small percentage of Rams OL acquisitions had prior injury histories and it does not include Wells. Yet in spite of any prior injury history, the Rams OL continues to suffer multiple injuries.
The only explanation I can come up with for that is that sometimes random chance is particularly bad to you. And that beyond that there is no explanation.
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znModeratorRams added 12 linemen in the last 2 years. They could add more based on their own internal aassessment. And then they might not.
It is way too soon to sort out who is good or bad in that. 2 things make the issue murky. First, a line that young and inexperienced will not be coherent and in sync. That’s a “sum is greater than the parts” issue. It is difficult to reduce all that to one on one grades and then act like that’s a real OL eval. Truth is until they settle down as a unit it is hard to make too many generalizations about the individual parts.
Fact is the vast majority of young linemen struggle initially. I have done the numbers on this multiple times. That means that any judgment anyone has of a rookie or 2nd year guy is potentially off-base. This is true of 1st round picks through UDFAs. Most assessments of young linemen are just shots in the dark. The majority of the time, you don’t really know what you have for a couple of years. Now and then a guy like Havenstein defies those odds but it’s rare.
Then of course on top of it they got multiple injuries. (Some people keep mistaking that issue for the started out young and inexperienced issues. While it is always true that multiple simultaneous OL injuries will reduce the effectiveness of an offense, and it’s true now, that’s not the reason the 2015 offense started out slow. They started out slow because it was the youngest and least inexperienced NFL any of us have ever heard of.)
In terns of the guys they added, always remember this—the Rams have a way of making something out of re-cycled vets and have done that since 2012. There’s a long list of guys who played effectively for the Rams who never did anything before or since. That includes guys like Barksdale, Smith, and Turner etc. So it’s important to remember that going forward. They have a bunch of new vets added to the roster, and by next year guys like that could be anything from starters to good depth. This year, Reynolds is another example of that, though he is better at guard than ROT (he played ROT because the Rams had 3 prior injuries there—Havenstein, Williams, and Donnal.)
Here;s the 12 they added, in alphabetical order. And of course they may decide to add more.
Arkin. another Reynolds? don’t rule it out.
Battle. rookie, who knows yet.
Brown. started out with promise, injured
Donnal. too little sample size, injured.
Folkerts. another Reynolds? don’t rule it out.
Havenstein. started out with promise, injured
Kush. another Reynolds? don’t rule it out.
Reynolds.
Rhaney. struggling youngster
Robinson. struggling youngster
Wichman. struggling youngster
Williams. too little sample size, injured.Then there’s Barnes as an inherited vet, and of course they have Saffold on IR. So that’s 14 total, though who knows if Saffold is in the future mix or not.
14 linemen is a lot to work with.
And maybe they don’t think they’re done…who knows.
HOWEVER, I want to stress that any PRESENT assessment of their value as a group is going to be way premature and not really tell us anything. They’re too young overall and multiple injuries clouded it further.
znModeratorRams want to get Gurley, running game, out of doldrums
Jim Thomas
Few rookies regardless of position have opened their NFL careers with the impact Todd Gurley did for the Rams this season. The numbers and the milestones are familiar to most.
First rookie in league history with 125 yards-plus rushing in his first four starts.
More yards rushing in his first four starts than any NFL player in the Super Bowl era.
Gurley was the NFL’s offensive rookie of the month for October. He got that Jolly Ranchers endorsement. He was heralded by analysts and media members across the land.
In short, he was the next big thing. Just like that.
But after that amazing start, the yardage and highlight-reel runs have dried up.
In his first four starts, Gurley averaged 142 yards per game and 6.4 yards per carry. That period encompassed starts against Arizona, Green Bay, Cleveland and San Francisco, with the Rams going 3-1 in those contests.
But in Gurley’s next four starts, his production has been more than cut in half. Namely, 55 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. The Rams are 0-4 in those games against Minnesota, Chicago, Baltimore and Cincinnati.
Thanks in part to the work of wide receiver Tavon Austin on end-arounds and jet sweeps, the Rams still rank seventh in the league in rushing offense entering Sunday’s rematch with Arizona.
But for the most part, the bottom has fallen out of the running game as teams load the box with extra defenders to swarm Gurley, and the Rams’ injury-plagued offensive line goes through one combination after another.
“He’s not frustrated,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s a team guy. He’s having fun. Wants to help us win. He knows he’s a big part of this team. His production on the field not only helps offense, it helps defense, it helps everything.”
A decline in explosive plays has coincided with the decline in production for Gurley. The Rams define an explosive run as a carry gaining 10 yards or more. In his first four starts Gurley had 15 such explosive runs, including gains of 30, 48, 54, 55 and 71 yards.
In his next four starts, Gurley has had only two such runs — on gains of 13 and 16 yards Nov. 8 at Minnesota. He hasn’t had a run longer than nine yards in the three games since then.
“It’s execution,” Gurley said. “Doing what we’ve got to do. Taking the right steps, taking the right track, whether it’s getting a double block or a triple, (or) single. Just basically execution.”
Obviously, the line injuries haven’t helped. Beginning with the first game in the current losing streak — Minnesota — Gurley has failed to reach 100 yards. Beginning with that contest, the Rams have featured a different starting combination up front for four consecutive weeks.
Starting right guard Jamon Brown was lost for the season Nov. 15 against Chicago. Starting right tackle Rob Havenstein has missed three of the past four games with what has been described as ankle and calf injuries. Even one of the replacements on the line, Andrew Donnal, is out with a knee injury.
“It’s just staying on our blocks and giving Todd a chance,” said Havenstein, who could return to the lineup this week. “Because he’s gonna do special things. He’s just that type of player, that type of back.”
The Rams tweaked the running game to a degree against Cincinnati. Among the new wrinkles was the Wildcat formation in which Gurley lined up in the shotgun formation behind center with quarterback Nick Foles split out like a wide receiver.
In two plays out of the Wildcat, the Rams got 60 yards on a Gurley handoff to Austin, and later got a modest three yards on a Gurley keeper. Gimmick plays can help to a degree, but only for a few plays.
They can’t solve deeper problems, such as not opening enough holes with a greener-than-green offensive line. Or not showing enough prowess in the passing game to keep defenses honest and get them to back off the line of scrimmage.
“We’ve looked hard at it,” Fisher said. “We just gotta continue to give him opportunities. So we’ll get creative in the run game, and gonna get hats on hats and let him go.”
“It takes all 11,” offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti said Thursday. “One, we’ve got to get him at-bats, get him carries. Through four quarters of it, we impose our will. Hopefully like last time, you continue to get better throughout the game.”
That was a reference to Gurley’s first NFL start, Oct. 4 at Arizona. As a team, the Rams had only nine yards rushing on nine carries in the first half — a half in which Arizona had a 2-to-1 edge in time of possession.
Things started out slowly in the third quarter on the ground, but the Rams stayed with the running game and suddenly things started clicking. Gurley had runs of 23 and 12 yards on a third quarter touchdown drive; then had runs of 12 and 52 yards on a fourth-quarter TD march. When all was said and done, he finished with 19 carries for 146 yards in a 24-22 upset victory.
Gurley had only nine carries (for 19 yards) in last week’s 31-7 blowout loss in Cincinnati, a game where the Rams fell behind by such a big margin they had to basically junk the running game for much of the second half.
This is normally the time of the long NFL season when all rookies, much less those coming off surgery like Gurley, can hit the wall. But Gurley would have none of it.
“What wall?” he said. “I’m good.”
The only wall he’ll face will be the one the Big Red plan to throw at him in his first rematch game against a division opponent. And that could be a formidable one.
znModeratorWith the offensive line still battling injuries … Brady’s quick release will likely be key to the offense once again.
According to PFF Brady throws quick a higher percentage of the time than any other qb.
He is sacked 1.7% of the time on quick throws, and completes 70% of his quick passes.
In contrast, when they take longer to throw, he is sacked 14.9% of the time…which is just freaking bad…and completes 50% of his passes
znModeratorNFL Network promo
Some ex Viking said “My Vikings” and Kurt said against “My Cardinals”
I thought his jaw was wired shut…friggin’ Traitor… I blame Brenda.
Okay, I see, thanks.
I guess evil wears many masks, and never rests.
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