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znModeratorhttp://theramshuddle.com/topic/reporters-salute-the-browns-game/#post-32967
We emphasize getting the ball back, making short fields for the offense, not letting them beat us deep,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said.
That kind of emphasizes what they do on D, and the numbers…both good and bad…in this thread reflect that.
Another thing.
On the last bit. Here is their avg. points per game, and their score v. the Rams:
Arizona-33.8…22 v. Rams
Green Bay-27.3…24 v. Rams
Pittsburgh-24.2…12 v. Rams
Cleveland-23.5…6 v. Ramsavg-27.2…17 v. Rams
..
Okay expanding that.
Here;s those teams avg. turnovers per game, v. their turnoves against the Rams:
.
Arizona-1.7, ranked 21st…3 v. Rams
Green Bay-0.7, ranked 3rd…3 v. Rams
Pittsburgh-0.5, ranked 1st…1 v. Rams
Cleveland-1.8, ranked 25th…4 v. Ramsavg. 1.2…2.75 v. Rams
October 26, 2015 at 2:24 am in reply to: stuff from the net on Browns game including a must-read sideline report #32968znModeratorfrom off the net
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RamzFanzWas very exciting to watch this one live.
We show at the Dome about half way through the first Q. Look at screen, 7-0 Rams, all is well!
Crowd was maybe 4/5ths? Not blatantly empty, but plenty of open seats if you were looking. Still, VERY loud for the defense!
The buzz for Gurley was electric by both fan bases. Many chants for Gurley during the offensive snaps.
Intermingled with chants of Kronke Sucks. The natives are getting restless.
I didn’t see anything you didn’t on TV, so I can’t add to the game. A kid of maybe 10 was screaming Cook Sucks, so that warmed my heart. Did you see TA lay out that defender in the Gurley run? Go watch the highlights on NFL.com. Gurley run with Cook leading, wiff wiff wiff. Another Gurley run with TA out there, bam! Take a nap bitch!
We had a blast, made it to the Oyster Bar, and it was really good. Crawfish Etouffee, crab cakes, and BBQ shrimp that might have been the best shrimp in a sauce I’ve ever had and there was nothing even remotely BBQ about it.
What a great day. Niners are up!
znModeratorRams fans find their hero in Gurley
Jim Thomas
Beleaguered on many fronts, starved for success, Rams fans suddenly have a hero to rally behind. His name is. …
Gurley! Gurley! Gurley!
The chant was heard on several occasions during Sunday’s 24-6 Rams victory over the Cleveland Browns at the Edward Jones Dome.
Of course, Todd Gurley heard it, when he wasn’t busy rushing for 128 yards and his first two touchdowns as a pro, that is.
“Yeah, it was cool,” Gurley said modestly.
Gurley’s first home start as a St. Louis Ram was better than cool. He topped 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive start and just missed joining former Los Angeles Ram Eric Dickerson in becoming the second rookie in NFL history to rush for 140 yards-plus in three consecutive games.
For those scoring at home, that’s 433 yards rushing in Gurley’s first three NFL starts. Coach Jeff Fisher said he’s never had a back get off to such a quick start as a rookie.
“No, and I’ve been around some really good ones,” Fisher said. “Chris Johnson was outstanding early and Eddie George was outstanding early. I don’t recall them having the numbers after three full games like Todd has.”
Sunday’s numbers didn’t come easy, at least not at first. Coming to town ranked last in the league in run defense, Cleveland (2-5) was revved up to stop the rookie from Georgia. After three carries, Gurley had minus-2 yards rushing. He was dropped behind the line of scrimmage by the Browns on three of his first five attempts.
“Well, they’re stout up front,” Fisher said. “This is a big defensive front. So you saw early the tackles for losses, and the penetration. There always is an element of adjusting in your run game based on what they’re doing to your formations and things of that sort.”
As has been the case in all three Gurley starts, the Rams’ offense started slowly before gaining steam in the second half. How slow? How about 3 yards — that’s nine measly feet — in the first quarter?
But it didn’t matter on this Sunday because the St. Louis defense came out snarling. On quarterback Josh McCown’s first completion of the day, just three plays into Cleveland’s first offensive series, cornerback Janoris Jenkins jarred the ball loose from wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
Quicker than you could say “Rodney McLeod,” the Rams’ free safety swooped in for a 20-yard scoop and score. It was McLeod’s first touchdown as an NFL player and it gave the Rams a 7-0 lead just 3 minutes into the game.
“I haven’t touched the end zone in a while, so it was a great feeling,” McLeod said. “Just to set the tone like that for the game, it was a big play.”
And then on Cleveland’s next possession, defensive end Williams Hayes dropped McCown with a sack and a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Akeem Ayers at the Cleveland 25. The Rams converted that takeaway into a Greg Zuerlein field goal, and just like that, it was 10-0 St. Louis midway through the first quarter.
Before all was said and done the Rams had four turnovers, all on forced fumbles. They sacked McCown four times and hit him on several other occasions, knocking him out of the game with a shoulder injury late in the fourth quarter.
“Obviously the turnovers were the difference in the game,” Fisher said.
Even so, Cleveland managed to hang around well into the third quarter. The Browns got on the board with a Travis Coons field goal early in the second quarter, on a 73-yard drive kept alive by back-to-back offside penalties on the Rams on third down.
The Rams left some points on the field in the opening half, ending one scoring chance when tight end Jared Cook lost a fumble at the Cleveland 15. Another chance ended in a missed 63-yard field goal attempt by Zuerlein in the closing seconds of the half when the Rams stalled after reaching the Cleveland 45.
“You could sense the level of frustration in the locker room at halftime — 10-3, we’re up by seven,” Fisher said. “I told ’em just to settle down and keep working at it and we’ll make some plays. Nobody try to do too much, eliminate the mistakes. Which we did.”
But not before Cleveland opened the second half with another field goal drive to make it 10-6. Zuerlein didn’t help matters when he missed a 35-yard attempt wide right with 8½ minutes to play in the third quarter. It was only the third miss of Zuerlein’s NFL career from 35 yards or closer.
Even though the score remained 10-6, the Rams always seemed to be in control of the game, thanks to their defense.
With the aid of some no-huddle — yes, no-huddle — the offense finally got going. Gurley had 83 of his 128 rushing yards in the final two quarters, scoring from 1 yard out late in the third quarter for a 17-6 lead and then from 16 yards out midway through the fourth to give the Rams their 24-6 cushion.
“Oh, it felt good to get my first two,” Gurley said. “Credit to the offensive line. Those guys did great all day. Hopefully, we can keep this thing rolling.”
He celebrated that first NFL touchdown, which came on an uncontested stroll around left end, with an emphatic spike. Did he save the football?
“I think it’s right here,” Gurley said to a mob of reporters, glancing back at his locker stall. “Unless one of you all got it. (Then) I’m gonna have to get it back.”
No return was necessary.
On the drive leading up to his second TD, the crowd could be heard chanting Gurley’s name as he converted a key third-and-1 play with a 3-yard gain to the Cleveland 23.
Four plays later, Gurley turned the lights out on Cleveland with a nifty cutback on a 16-yard run that started out wide right.
“That was an outside zone play,” Gurley said. “That was the first outside zone play we had run since the first quarter. I kind of saw the edge and the defenders flowing, and just cut it back.”
Back into the end zone, helping the Rams get back to .500 at 3-3 with struggling San Francisco (2-5) coming to town next week.
Strong defense and a strong running game mark the path to success for this team.
“Right,” said defensive tackle Michael Brockers. “The Fisher blueprint. And you see what we can do.”
znModeratorGordon: Finally, the Rams’ defense has arrived
Jeff Gordon
In the not-so-distant past, Rams defenders had to sort through their game wreckage with painful locker room discussions.
Who messed up that pass coverage? Who failed to fill that run gap? Who misunderstood the defensive call?
But the topic was much happier for safety T.J. McDonald and hit man Mark Barron on Sunday afternoon after the Rams throttled the Cleveland Browns 24-6. They had converged simultaneously on Cleveland Browns receiver Travis Benjamin to force a fourth quarter fumble.
McDonald arrived full speed from one side at the same time Barron flew in from the other. The ball flew out of this violent Benjamin sandwich and defensive tackle Nick Fairley hustled downfield to recover it.
The press box statistics credited McDonald with the forced fumble. But Barron felt that he, in fact, had knocked the ball loose.
“I’m sorry, I have to take that from you,” he said, needling his teammate.
Perhaps, McDonald countered good-naturedly, “You could get an assist strip.”
It was that kind of performance for the Rams’ defense. Players raced each other to deliver punishing hits and force game-changing turnovers. Who was going to get there first to cause mayhem?
This was a dominant performance, precisely what Rams coach Jeff Fisher dreamed of when he began building this unit piece by piece. The Browns’ offense spent much of the game facing tough down-and-distance situations — and the Rams spent the afternoon teeing off on them as a result.
So what if the Rams didn’t get their own offense going until the second half? It didn’t matter, because the Browns were going nowhere at the Edward Jones Dome.
“Giving up six points, it’s great,” safety Rodney McLeod said. “You can’t ask for any more than that. Got turnovers. Obviously there are always things we need to work on. They kind of broke loose on a couple of runs and big pass plays. For the most part, we did a good job of getting sacks and getting our hands on the ball.”
They yielded nothing easily in this game, which was the goal.
“We emphasize getting the ball back, making short fields for the offense, not letting them beat us deep,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said.
The fun started right away. On Cleveland’s third play from scrimmage, McLeod diagnosed the Browns’ formation and anticipated a quick pass to Taylor Gabriel in the left flat.
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins received McLeod’s cue and blew up the play, knocking the ball out of Gabriel’s hands. The ball bounced toward the sideline, giving McLeod a chance to scoop it up and race 17 yards for the touchdown.
“I haven’t touched the end zone in a while,” McLeod said. “It was a great feeling. Just to set the tone like that for the game, it was a big play.”
That defensive TD gave the Rams an immediate 7-0 lead. They made it 10-0 after defensive end William Hayes chopped the ball away from Browns quarterback Josh McCown, allowing linebacker Akeem Ayers to recover it.
The punishment continued unabated for three hours. The Rams finally knocked McCown out of the game, forcing Johnny “Football” Manziel into the fray.
The total defensive damage, according to the press box statistics: four quarterback sacks, five tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, four recoveries and four pass defenses.
During one Browns possession in the third quarter, the Rams’ pass pressure forced the Browns into three drive-killing offensive holding penalties.
“Obviously they have a really good front,” McCown said. “They can create problems and they were able to do that today. As far as the penalties, we just need to get that cleaned up.”
Playing without defensive end Chris Long — who may be sidelined for several games with his leg injury — the Rams got production from every lineman who started. Defensive end Ethan Westbrooks got a sack. Defensive Eugene Sims recovered a fumble.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald deflected one pass in addition to his usual disruption: a sack, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits.
“They have a good front, they have depth and they roll guys through,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “They did some good things schematically and this (noisy indoor) environment makes it difficult.”
The Rams’ secondary was outstanding, too. McCown completed 26 of 32 passes for 270 yards, but he mostly worked underneath coverage. Rams defensive backs prevented big plays and managed to minimize yardage after catch.
“I think this was one of our better open-field tackling days that we’ve had in a long time,” Fisher said. “We forced checkdowns and we didn’t have two guys overrunning and somebody cutting back.”
And then there was Barron, the hybrid safety-linebacker who has moved to help fill the Alec Ogletree void. The press box statistics credited him with 10 tackles, including two for losses, and six assists.
As for the forced fumble, we’ll have to see if the coaches agree with his claim after reviewing the tape. We know this for sure: Barron was all over the field Sunday, wreaking painful havoc on the Browns.
“I think that is a great spot for Mark,” Jenkins said. “Hard-nosed hitter, loves to be around the ball. High energy … he makes contact with people.”
Uh, yes, yes he does. And so do his teammates on that side of the ball. The Rams’ defense has arrived.
Now, about that offense .
znModeratorRams notebook: Hayes, Westbrooks fill the void at left end
Jim Thomas
Defensive end Chris Long remains on crutches following a knee injury suffered two weeks ago in Green Bay and probably won’t be in the lineup anytime soon. But judging from the work of his replacements Sunday against Cleveland, the Rams should get by just fine until Long is healthy.
The Rams got three quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles from the left defensive end position in a 24-6 victory over the Browns at the Edward Jones Dome. Veteran Williams Hayes started in Long’s place and registered two sacks, both of which jarred the ball loose from Cleveland quarterback Josh McCown.
The Rams recovered both fumbles, with the first leading to a field goal and the second basically icing the game late in the fourth quarter.
“He’s playing very consistent (against) the run,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “Good pass-rush. Good pressure collapsing the pocket for us. We got good pressure on Josh today.”
Productive days are nothing new for Hayes, who has been a valuable part of the Rams’ defensive line rotation since signing with the team in 2012 as a free agent from the Tennessee Titans.
The Rams also got another sack from the left end position, from second-year man Ethan Westbrooks at the end of the third quarter. It was the first NFL regular-season sack for Westbrooks, who beat out former Missouri star Michael Sam for a roster spot in 2014 as an undrafted rookie from West Texas A&M.
Westbrooks said he didn’t realize he had sacked McCown until after the play; he thought the ball had been thrown on the play.
“I felt like we made Chris real proud today,” Westbrooks said. “I know he’s hungry to get back in it. I’m just trying to fill the hole wherever I can and do my job.”
SITTING IT OUT
Besides Long, other Rams inactives Sunday were tight end Lance Kendricks (hand), running back Tre Mason (ankle), linebacker Alec Ogletree (ankle), linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, offensive lineman Andrew Donnal and quarterback Sean Mannion.
Running back Trey Watts replaced Mason on the game-day roster; tight end Justice Cunningham did so for Kendricks. Watts and Cunningham were promoted from the practice squad, so Sunday marked the first regular-season action for either player. Neither player had a carry or a catch against Cleveland.
BIG PLAYS FROM BRITT
On a day when the Rams’ passing game mustered only 15 catches and 163 yards, wide receiver Kenny Britt delivered a couple of big plays on the Rams’ third-quarter touchdown drive.
On first-and-10 from the St. Louis 32, Britt drew a 26-yard pass interference penalty on Cleveland cornerback Pierre Desir, the local product from Lindenwood University and Francis Howell Central High.
On the next play, Britt got behind Desir for a 41-yard reception to the Cleveland 1. Todd Gurley scored on the next play to give the Rams a 17-6 lead with 2 minutes 14 seconds left in the third.
“The safety was over a little left,” quarterback Nick Foles said. “It was man coverage. Kenny did a great job ‘outside-releasing’ the guy. I was just able to get a ball over the top. … It was really just a one-on-one opportunity and Kenny made a great play.”
CROWD HELPS
The number of tickets distributed in the 66,000-seat dome was announced at 51,523. The number of fans actually in the stands Sunday was probably in the 40,000-to-45,000 range. But they were a loud bunch, and Fisher was thankful for it.
“The fans were great today,” Fisher said. “They helped today with respect to the false starts and the penalties and things like that. I’m sure they enjoyed watching Todd run.”
On a day when the two teams combined for 20 penalties for 173 yards, Cleveland was flagged four times for false starts and four times for offensive holding.
“The noise gets to you,” Cleveland coach Mike Pettine said. “It was hard for our guys to hear.”
RAM-BLINGS
• Gurley said he played Sunday without wearing a left knee brace, the first time that’s happened since he suffered the injury last November at the University of Georgia
• One of the smallest players on the field, Tavon Austin, threw a key block on Gurley’s 48-yard run in the third quarter
• According to unofficial press box stats, Rams safety Mark Barron — playing at outside linebacker — had 16 tackles
znModeratorMcLeod’s early fumble return for touchdown helps set tone
Joe Lyons
On a day of big plays by the Rams’ defense, none was bigger Sunday than Rodney McLeod’s 20-yard fumble return for touchdown early in the contest.
On a first-down play from the Cleveland 19-yard line, Browns quarterback Josh McCown threw a short screen pass to the left for Taylor Gabriel. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins quickly attacked and knocked the ball loose.
McLeod, the Rams’ free safety, scooped it up and returned it 20 yards down the sideline for the first defensive points this season for the Rams, who went on to a 24-6 victory over the Browns at the Edward Jones Dome.
“Actually, it was (McLeod) who alerted me,’’ Jenkins said. “I baited (McCown) a little, but once I saw him turn to make the throw, I was all over it.’’
McLeod added: “It’s a play and a formation we saw on film a lot, something we repped all week in practice. ‘Jenks’ made a great play, knocking the ball free and I was there to capitalize on the opportunity.’’
It was the first NFL touchdown for McLeod, a fourth-year pro.
“Shoot, it’s probably been since high school, for real,’’ McLeod said when asked about his last TD. “It’s a great feeling. It’s a big play, just to set the tone for the game.’’
McLeod’s scoop and score came just 3 minutes, 1 second into the game and was the first of four fumbles forced and recovered by the Rams, who parlayed the turnovers into 17 points.
“If we can start fast like that, it certainly will help us out,’’ middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “We talked all week about how we want to score on defense and finally we did. Any time you score on defense, momentum changes. And when you score on defense, there’s a high probability of winning.’’
On the Cleveland possession following the Rams’ early score, defensive end William Hayes knocked the ball away from McCown on a sack and linebacker Akeem Ayers came up with the ball at the Cleveland 25. That set up a 39-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein that put the Rams on top 10-0 midway through the opening quarter.
The Rams led 10-3 at the half and were up 10-6 when Todd Gurley scored his first NFL touchdown on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter. The home team was up 17-6 early in the final quarter when safeties T.J. McDonald and Mark Barron combined for a vicious hit on a pass play over the middle that forced another turnover and helped set up the game’s final score.
McCown hooked up with speedy Travis Benjamin for a 20-yard gain over the middle. But the ball came free, thanks to a combo hit from McDonald and Barron. The ball caromed toward the line of scrimmage and was recovered by hustling defensive tackle Nick Fairley.
“I got my hand in there (and Mark) put a good lick on him, too,’’ McDonald said after joking with Barron about who gets credit for the forced fumble. “I told him maybe we’d give him an assist, but I think this one’s mine. I guess we’ll just have to wait until we take a look at the film.’’
Gurley capped the ensuing drive with a 16-yard touchdown run to seal the 24-6 victory.
Later in the quarter, Hayes again knocked the ball from McCown on a sack and fellow end Eugene Sims recovered. This time, however, the Rams were unable to move the ball and punted.
“We came in determined to be the difference in the game,’’ McDonald said. “We set a tone early and were able to pretty well control things from there. We got off the field when we needed to and also made some plays to put the offense in position. We feed off them and the offense feeds off us.’’
Playing with a lead, the Rams’ defense was able to keep the pressure on McCown, who threw for a franchise-record 457 yards two weeks earlier against Baltimore. On Sunday, the 13-year pro completed 26 of 32 passes for 270 yards before being removed late with a shoulder injury and possible concussion. He was sacked four times, losing fumbles on two of those, and was hit seven other times.
Playing with the lead is “awesome because it makes the other team’s offense one-dimensional and gives our guys up front a chance to really go after the QB,’’ Laurinaitis said. “And then, on the other end, having a running back like (Gurley), who can drain the clock and shorten the game a little, it really helps a lot.’’
Sunday’s win puts the Rams at 3-3 and provides some expectations for a club scheduled to play just one winning team over the next month.
“I would say next week will be the big test for us,’’ Laurinaitis said, referring to Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Dome. “We can’t ignore the problems we’ve had with putting back-to-back stuff together. We have a division team coming into our place and we have an opportunity to kind of stack some things.
“We’ve talked about it a lot and I’ll be sure to bring it up more, but next week will tell just how mature we are and if this team is any different than in the past.’’
October 26, 2015 at 12:28 am in reply to: email me with any and all board questions or issues you may have #32957znModeratorNote: zooey’s post made more sense before I changed the thread title, which used to say “email me with any and all issues.”
My boss is crazy, my wife doesn’t understand me, and my kids don’t appreciate me.
Sometimes I just wonder what it all means. Ya know?
This is nothing. For the last 10 years you have had the Rams. This must bring balance and pride to your existence. I don’t see how it could be otherwise.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by
zn.
znModeratorYou know, interestingly, the offense did better when they decided at the half to open it up some. In the 2nd half, when they used the no huddle, Foles went 5 of 7 for 78 yards, which is more than 11 per attempt. IMO he was bad in the 1st half not the 2nd.
Here’s Fisher on the 2nd half changes:
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http://theramshuddle.com/topic/fisher-foles-gurley-mccleod-donald-jenkins-transcripts/
we picked the tempo up in the second half and cut (Rams QB) Nick (Foles) loose a little bit and we made some plays.
We just can’t rely on Todd (Gurley) all the time. At some point it’s going to get hard to run the football, until we start making some plays on the outside. Now, obviously we did. (WR) Kenny (Britt) made a great catch and then drew the big penalty, because Nick (Foles) got the chance to put it on the outside. And we have to continue to work at that.
(On the decision to go with the up-tempo offense in the second half)
It was just a decision I made..
znModeratorI don;t think Chuck is the DB position coach anymore. I think he was promoted out of that into something having to do with general defensive issues. It’s like he’s the Boras to Williams. Or, Boras is the Cecil to Cignetti. Something like that.
znModeratori have no reason to believe there should be any kind of letdown.
but i’m still nervous.
It’s a division rival. Those kinds of games can turn on you.
So it ain’t over till it’s over.
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znModeratorSafety valve: Rams’ Barron racks up 16 tackles in move to linebacker
FOX Sports
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/st-louis-rams-mark-barron-thrives-at-linebacker-102515
The St. Louis Rams absorbed a big blow on defense when outside linebacker Alec Ogletree suffered a fractured right fibula that left his season in doubt.
Replacing the team’s leading tackler from each of the past two seasons would be no easy task, but the Week 6 bye allowed the Rams to get creative with their linebacker corps and slide Mark Barron from safety to weak-side linebacker for Sunday’s game versus Cleveland.
“I think that’s a great spot for Mark,” Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins said. “Hard-nosed hitter. Loves to be around the ball. High energy.”
Barron made the move look brilliant with a stellar performance Sunday. He registered a team-high 16 tackles, including 10 solo and two for losses, as the Rams forced four turnovers, collected four sacks and surrendered only a pair of field goals in a 24-6 victory.
“I’m just playing football,” Barron said. “That’s easy to me. I just line up and I know my responsibility. And as long as I know my responsibility, I can do that. It’s not a hard adjustment. It’s just football.”
Barron helped snuff out one of Cleveland’s last hopes, combining with safety T.J. McDonald to force a fumble by Browns wideout Travis Benjamin near midfield early in the fourth quarter. The Rams recovered and running back Todd Gurley scored seven plays later for a commanding 24-6 lead.
“We’ve asked him to do a lot more with Alec being gone,” St. Louis middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said of Barron. “He knows a lot of football and really triggers when he sees a play happening he goes for it.”
znModeratorThis defense may not be elite but they are elite hitters. They are absolutely vicious out there!
Actually? Before today’s game is factored in…the Rams defense has been:
10th in yards per game
7th in yards per play
3rd in sack percentage
8th in takeaways
9th in points allowed per game
2nd in redzone scoring percentage (TDs only)
Where they lag is completion percentage, rushing yards, and 3rd down conversions.
The one where I hope they improve is 3rd down conversions.
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znModeratorBEFORE today’s game, Browns offense was:
10th in yards
12th in yards per play
11th in points
This is based on today’s numbers, and those don’t include today’s games.
But in the last 6 games, the Rams have played
4 teams that were in the top 10 for offensive yards (Seattle-2nd, Arizona-5th, Green Bay-9th, Cleveland-10th)
and 4 teams that were in the top 12 for average points per game (Arizona-2nd, Green Bay-5th, Seattle-6th, Pittsburgh-8th, Cleveland-12th).
On the last bit. Here is their avg. points per game, and their score v. the Rams:
Arizona-33.8…22 v. Rams
Green Bay-27.3…24 v. Rams
Pittsburgh-24.2…12 v. Rams
Cleveland-23.5…6 v. Ramsavg-27.2…17 v. Rams
znModeratorBEFORE today’s game, Browns offense was:
10th in yards
12th in yards per play
11th in points
znModeratorTo see Gurley dominating makes me feel smart for fist pumping and exclaiming “yes!” when the Rams drafted him on April 30, 2015.
I had the same reaction. Glad to see it was really warranted.
znModeratorJanoris Jenkins Postgame Press Conference – 10/25
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins talks about his team’s defensive game plan and getting the victory over Cleveland
znModeratorJanoris Jenkins, Todd Gurley up, Greg Zuerlein down for Rams
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Sunday’s 24-6 win against the Cleveland Browns:
UP
CB Janoris Jenkins: One could make the argument that Jenkins is among the best players on the Rams right now, an argument only bolstered by his performance against the Browns. Jenkins got the game started right for the Rams defense by reading a receiver screen to receiver Taylor Gabriel, breaking on the ball and hitting Gabriel at the right time to jar the ball loose and force a fumble that safety Rodney McLeod returned 20 yards for the game’s first touchdown. Jenkins added five tackles and two pass breakups. With each passing week, the price for the pending free agent seems to be rising.
DT Aaron Donald: The reason Jenkins isn’t in the discussion as the team’s best player is because of this guy, who has clearly staked a claim to the title and continues to find ways to impress every week. In one first-half sequence, Donald showed his power by driving guard Joel Bitonio into quarterback Josh McCown for an incompletion and followed it by showing his burst with a quick first step to get in the backfield for a tackle for a loss of 5 yards. Donald finished with three tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries.
RB Todd Gurley: The tally is now at three weeks as the starter and three 125-plus-yard games. Gurley finished with 128 yards on 19 carries and scored his first two NFL touchdowns. In surpassing 125 yards again, Gurley became the first rookie to rush for at least that many yards in his first three NFL starts since Cadillac Williams in 2005. Donald holds the crown as the Rams’ best player based on sample size but Gurley is quickly gaining.
DOWN
TE Jared Cook: The drop-prone tight end actually had the Rams and their fans wishing he’d dropped a pass thrown to him in the red zone in the second quarter. That would have just been a run-of-the-mill incompletion. Instead, Cook caught it and promptly fumbled it, which killed the Rams’ best drive of the game to that point. He finished with just two catches for 19 yards.
K Greg Zuerlein: In a close game with points at a premium before the Rams put it away late, Zuerlein needed to be on point but he missed a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter that would have extended the Rams’ lead to seven. He also missed a 63-yarder, which can be forgiven but there’s no excuse for missing a kick just a few yards further than an extra point. Especially in the friendly indoor kicking confines of the Edward Jones Dome.
znModeratorIt may be the best in the league when you consider how little help they get from the offense. Think of what they would look like if they were paired with an offense that could stay on the field.
Ain’t that the truth.
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znModeratorTodd Gurley, defense deliver first true glimpse of what Fisher wants Rams to be
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — As St. Louis Rams fans rained down chants of “Gur-ley, Gur-ley” at rookie running back Todd Gurley tearing through the Cleveland Browns and the team’s defense dominated again, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher probably couldn’t help but think of the heyday of his Tennessee Titans.
A stout defense and a dynamic young running back capable of closing out a game? That’s precisely what Fisher wants his team to become. That “Gur-ley” and “Edd-ie” (as in George) sound alike is pure coincidence but the Rams’ formula for a 24-6 win against the Browns on Sunday was far from it.
Despite a struggling offense that has offered little help in the first five weeks, Rams defenders have continued to point the finger at themselves about not finding ways to score themselves. It’s an unfair self-criticism but one that the unit has focused on correcting.
It didn’t take long for the defense to finally break through on Sunday. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins forced a first quarter fumble that safety Rodney McLeod scooped up and ran 20 yards into the end zone for a touchdown on Cleveland’s first possession. The Rams forced three more turnovers with three of them leading to 17 points.
From there, it was Gurley who handled most of the heavy lifting to finish the job. Gurley rushed for 128 yards on 19 carries, including his first two career NFL touchdowns to put the Browns away.
What it means: The Rams finally took care of business against an opponent they were expected to beat. After a disappointing loss at Washington in week 2, the Rams looked like they could be on their way to another year in which games they are “supposed” to win don’t go their way. At times in Sunday’s game, the Rams had the look of a team that might give this one away but it didn’t happen. At 3-3, the Rams still have to prove they can be consistent regardless of opponent but they’ll get a chance to do it next week against another beatable opponent, the San Francisco 49ers.
What were they thinking?: The Rams haven’t had much production from other members of the offense during their first five games. So it would stand to reason that when they reach the red zone, they’d want to get that duo touches. But on their first drive of the third quarter, when they finally found some offensive traction and ventured inside Cleveland’s 20, they gave it to backup back Benny Cunningham twice, allowed a sack and tried a pass to tight end Jared Cook. They settled for a 35-yard field goal try, which kicker Greg Zuerlein missed.
One reason to panic: The Rams offense had a week off with the bye, time that was supposedly spent working out some of their many kinks on offense. But that unit looked worse for the lack of wear in the first quarter. The Rams had 3 yards of total offense in the first 15 minutes and though they picked it up a bit in the second quarter, their best drive died on a fumble by tight end Jared Cook in the red zone. They need players other than Gurley and Austin to contribute if they’re to make a push toward the postseason.
Fantasy watch: Much was expected of Gurley in this game against Cleveland’s porous run defense and he delivered. But for those playing in a PPR league, he also chipped in four catches for 35 yards to put a little more icing on the cake.
Ouch: The Rams had a couple of minor scares with cornerback Trumaine Johnson and linebacker Akeem Ayers leaving the game briefly for injuries but both returned and finished the game.
znModeratorHighlights: Todd Gurley vs. Browns
Rookie Todd Gurley rushed 19 times for 128 yards and his first two NFL touchdowns in Sunday’s 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
znModeratorI just can’t imagine this team coming out with a clunker today. What would that say about them?
And if they have a winning season anyway it won’t say anything about them.
It’s funny to me how these conversations go. The Rams often beat teams they shouldn’t. Does that say anything about the teams they beat?
It;s the NFL, teams lose sometimes when they shouldn’t.
Fact is until 2014, Rams won more of those games than they lost.
znModeratorAnd of course there’s the great neglected theme of all Rams discussions.
How about another neglected theme in these discussions:
The fact that, with the QBs and OL you mention, the Rams lost games from winning positions 3-4 times last year. Often because the defense broke down.
We’re just thinking of different things. By neglected themes in Rams discussions, I mean going back years. this is an old old issue of mine and it goes back to several coaches, GMS, and owners ago. I was debating people about the effects of extensive OL injuries back in 2007, when they lost 10 linemen to injury (4 for the season) yet some were blaming Bulger for the losses. It—meaning neglecting the effects of multiple simultantaneous OL injuries— hasn’t gotten much better since. It’s just like Miklasz to completely overlook that kind of thing, again.
In terms of the defense, to me that’s a standard issue problem—new coordinator, system changes, adjustment period. I contend that if they at least had Bradford and a relatively healthy OL in 2014, they would have won more anyway.
For example I said last year that if the cut back on the communication issues and breakdowns that led to big scores last year, the D would automatically improve. They did, it did.
So I don’t think anyone forgets or doesn’t realize the defense took a while to get going. I just don’t think they all interpret that fact the same way you do.
znModeratorfrom off the net
===
laram
The Rams have run the ball on first down 78% of the time, most in the NFL.
They avg 7.3 ypa on 1st down,1st in the NFL. League avg is about 5.5 on 1st down.
Yet they are at 31% on 3rd down conversions, bottom of the league.
znModeratorRams inactives: QB Mannion, RB Mason, LB Ogletree, LB Dunbar, OT Donnal, TE Kendricks, DE Long.
Sign of progress: something like that USED TO BE the IR list.
.
znModeratorell, my own interpretation of what you just wrote
is, “wv ram, you are even more brilliant
than Hal, the computer on 2001.”So should we call you “Daisy”?
znModeratorI like the ending of Plan9
better than 2001’s ending,
btw.Not sure what has to do with Miklasz.
znModeratorSung to the tune of American Pie
Bye bye
Old injured up guy
If they did it again
Would he fall to the 10
Those 1st down runs
were yielding 5 per pop
The day the brace came offznModeratorThey need to be intense, motivated,
hit hard, play their asses off. And They need to win.You make sense, Miklasz doesn’t. I don’t think you translated him, I think you hit re-set and overwrote him.
Cause, you know, 2001: A Space Odyssey is not Plan 9 From Outer Space, just cleaned up a bit.
znModeratorLast chance, officers and gentlemen.
Remember, get the prediction right, and you are guaranteed good karma for at least an hour.
That means you have a good chance of finding a 10 dollar bill on the sidewalk in front of the grocery store. That kind of thing.
Plus there’s pie.
znModerator. So the second time they went in all the way. It was said often that the war was about oil but I didn’t think of it in this way before–the oil(dollars)standard–not quite the oil itself.
Interestin.
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