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znModeratorRams coach Jeff Fisher not ruling out Todd Gurley this week
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. – Every morning when St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley wakes up, he can barely contain his excitement.
Gurley knows that every day could be the day, the day the Rams give him the green light and tell him he’ll be in the lineup in that week’s game.
“Man, I wake up hyped to get the opportunity but I just have to prepare and just stay focused and calm, not get too overexcited,” Gurley said.
That day hasn’t quite arrived yet, but it’s coming soon. Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Tuesday that Gurley is not being counted out for this week’s game against the Washington Redskins.
“There’s always that possibility,” Fisher said. “I ruled him out in the preseason and ruled him out last week. I’m not ruling him out right now. We’ll see how he does. But this is a medical decision, a trainer decision, a collective decision but we’ll see how he does this week.”
Gurley
Todd Gurley might not be ready this week, but he seems to be getting closer to his NFL debut.
While not ruling Gurley out is not the same as saying Gurley will play, it’s a certain sign of progress in Gurley’s recovery from the torn ACL he suffered last November.From the day the Rams drafted Gurley with the No. 10 overall pick in April, the Rams have focused him on a diet of steady progress. He worked on the side in organized team activities but has checked off a list of goals along the way.
First it was being on the active roster at the start of training camp. Then it was getting cleared to start participating in team drills. Then it was removing the yellow “no contact” beanie. On Tuesday, it was getting his first chance to take reps with the first-team offense, a plan the Rams will ramp up as the week goes on.
“I feel good,” Gurley said. “Just being back used to things and getting in the flow of things and in the offense.”
The Rams and Gurley should get a better sense of how far along he is on Wednesday, when they have their fully padded practice for the week. That will be Gurley’s first chance to work with the first-team offense in a real practice setting rather than working with the scout team.
From a football standpoint, both Gurley and Fisher expressed confidence that he could play if need be. But Gurley also still has some football conditioning to do, something he acknowledged Tuesday evening.
“That’s still a part of the process,” Gurley said. “Game and practice are a lot different. Of course I expect myself to push through it, but sometimes you are just going to be tired. That just comes with getting a feel for things and getting those reps.”
That Gurley hasn’t had those reps and probably won’t get enough this week to get up to speed could be an indicator that he’s probably still another week away. A more realistic target date could be Sept. 27 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Washington’s FedEx Field is also known for being one of the sloppier playing surfaces in the league. Though it’s grass, it might not be ideal for Gurley’s debut.
Nonetheless, Fisher and the Rams will at least let Gurley get reps this week and see where he is at the end of it. Even if it doesn’t mean he’ll play against the Redskins, that time is clearly coming sooner than later.
“That was the goal once I got drafted by the Rams,” Gurley said. “I sat down and had a conversation and they just told me what the goal was and I was going to start camp off just doing individual and steady progression working my way up. It’s almost that time. It’s getting closer. I’m excited about that.”
znModeratorFoles was Ram tough v Seahawks
Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/writers/bernie-miklasz/
According to the outstanding football-analysis site Pro Football Focus, no NFC quarterback faced more ]pass-rush pressure than Rams quarterback Nick Foles in Week One.
PFF’s video review of the Rams’ 34-31 overtime victory over Seattle reaffirmed what we’d witnessed.
Foles played very well. He was poised and strong. And no matter how many times those Seahawks’ defenders broke through his pass protection, Foles didn’t flinch. His cool-headed tenacity when confronted by Seattle’s invaders was Foles’ greatest attribute in his winning performance in the season-opener.
Foles dropped back to throw 31 times against the Seahawks, and the Rams offensive line was infiltrated for 17 quarterback pressures. That’s 54.8 percent of his dropbacks, an alarmingly high rate of passing under duress. In the NFL, only Baltimore’s Joe Flacco was hassled more frequently on his dropbacks (64.7%) than Foles during the league’s opening week.
So how did Foles hold up when standing amid the flames, looking downfield to make a play?
Perfect.
No, really … Foles was essentially perfect.
When passing under pressure Foles was unshakeable, completing 12 of 15 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. Foles averaged a crazy-fat 14.1 yards per passing attempt. His completion rate was 80 percent. And his pressure passer rating was 115.8.Wait a second, let’s go back to that completion rate … 80 percent isn’t perfect.
Perfect would be 100 percent.Pro Football Focus adjusts a quarterback’s accuracy percentage to reflect dropped passes, balls knocked down at the line, or intentional throwaways to avoid a sack.
Throwaways are smart. Why take the sack and lose yards when you can dump the football? Throwaways shouldn’t be used to deduct points from a QB’s accuracy score. He deserves credit for having the presence of mind to get rid of the ball to save his offense from a negative play.And that explains why Foles was perfect under pressure Sunday; his only three “incompletions” were on clear throwaways.
When Foles actually targeted a receiver to make connections, he completed all 12 of his passing attempts with the Seahawks closing in on him.
So with the adjusted number, Pro Football Focus gave Foles an accuracy rating of 100 percent for his work in standing up to the Seattle pass rush.
Foles’ 100 accuracy percentage was the best in the league Week One.It’s interesting to note that former Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had a relatively easy time in the pocket during his first game as Philadelphia’s starter.
(I bring it up only because Foles and Bradford were traded for each other last offseason.)Against Atlanta on Monday night Bradford had to deal with pass-rush pressure on only 21.5 percent of his dropbacks.Foles had 17 pressures on 31 dropbacks _ or SIX more pressures than Bradford had on many more (52) dropbacks.
A big difference right there.Though Foles had to cope with a lot more traffic and harassment than Bradford _ somehow Bradford had an accuracy percentage that was significantly lower (55.6%) than Foles’ 100 percent.
The Seahawks sacked Foles twice, hit him seven other times, and hurried him to throw on nine occasions. The Rams’ pass protection was ranked near the bottom of the NFL for Week One, according to PFF.If Foles had lost his nerve, turned soft in the pocket, and anxiously looked for a safe place to fall down … well, there’s no way the Rams would have won that game from Seattle. Not a chance.
The Seahawks brought the blitz on eight passing attempts during the game _ but Foles shredded it for seven completions in eight attempts for 123 yards including the game-tying 37-yard touchdown to tight end Lance Kendricks. Foles had a 158.3 passer rating vs. the Seattle blitz. This was one game.
Foles was abundantly tough against the Seahawks, mentally and physically. But over the next 15 games he’ll have to deal with intense pressure as opponents plot ways to exploit an inexperienced Rams offensive line to batter the quarterback. Foles held up magnificently in the first game, but more pass-rush swarms are coming his way.
When Foles had his terrific season in Philadelphia (2013) he was under pressure on 34.3 percent of his dropbacks and had an accuracy percentage of 68%. That’s a positive result.
When a beat-up Foles regressed for the 2014 Eagles, he faced more pass-rush heat than the season before (40%) and wasn’t as sturdy _ throwing five interceptions (to go with four touchdown passes.) Foles given an accuracy percentage of 51% under pressure by Pro Football Focus in ’14.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn later that Foles arrived in St. Louis with a hardened attitude, and if so I think it serves him well.No matter what Foles says publicly, I can’t believe he took the trade in stride. I can’t believe Foles just shrugged when coach Chip Kelly dumped him one year after a Pro Bowl season for a quarterback (Bradford) that had started only 33 of the STL’s 64 games between 2011 and 2014 because of injuries.
It seems to me that the Rams acquired a quarterback who came to town with a hungry heart.
It sure looked that way on Sunday.
znModeratorThe youngest team in the NFL changed their workplace after hiring experts on millennials
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/youngest-team-nfl-changed-workplace-145719062.html
With an average roster age of just 24.1, the St. Louis Rams are the youngest team in the NFL and also one of the most exciting.
Bolstered by a terrifying defensive line, the Rams shocked the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, stuffing Marshawn Lynch’s 4th-and-1 rush attempt in overtime to seal the biggest upset of the short NFL season.Although it’s still too early to tell whether or not the Rams are a playoff team, at least some of their early success can be explained by the fact that, during the off-season, the team’s front office hired education consultants to help the coaches better understand — and subsequently better coach — their young team.
Kevin Clark has a fascinating story in the Wall Street Journal that sheds light on an age-old workplace dilemma with a football spin: how do older bosses most efficiently utilize their young workers?
Writes Clark:
The Rams have the youngest team in the NFL. Like most workplaces, the Rams were inundated with employees whose habits were vastly different from those of their the bosses. As coach Jeff Fisher put it: “Our players learn better with two phones and music going and with an iPad on the side,” he said. “That’s new.”
So like any company looking to institute major changes to the workplace, the Rams brought in outside consultants — specifically, a group of academics who run a private education consulting firm. The consultants observed the coaches’ techniques and also provided the rookies with a unique standardized test similar to the GRE and SAT to assess how they learn. Because it’s still the NFL, the test also measured seemingly unquantifiable football terms, including “grit, perseverance, and mental toughness,” Rams’ GM Les Snead told the WSJ.
The results from the rookie tests ultimately taught the Rams some invaluable lessons about millennials:
Attention spans are shorter but they are savvier than ever, because of their exposure to technology. They also need to know “why” to everything: If you explain a concept to them on the field, they need to know the reason behind it. Millennial players questioning everything is something that’s helped the Rams, the team says, because it forces coaches and executives to examine their own methods (Why are we doing this?). Lastly, they learned that younger players like to share everything, whether that’s directly or through social-media outlets like Instagram.
As a result of the findings, the Rams made some key changes to preseason routines. Rather than spending hours in classrooms for informational meetings, St. Louis coaches kept their players inside for “10-15 minutes” before going outside to execute what they learned on the field. Similarly, Clark explains that Fisher eased up on wake-up times.
“Nobody wants to get up at 5:30, have a big breakfast and go into a classroom and fall asleep,” he told the WSJ.
After one week and one upset, the Rams seem to be responding well to these new techniques. Still, it’s far too early to know whether or not the Rams will survive in the brutal NFC West conference. One way or another, Snead told Clark that the Rams are excited to further implement changes to help coaches work better with the young team.
“Every company is trying to train new employees differently, football players aren’t the only millennials,” Snead said. “My thought is, let’s create a little bit of a lab here and see where it goes.”
NOW WATCH: Here’s why the Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world
znModeratorPro Football Focus Rams Grades
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/09/14/sea-stl-grades-trouble-for-seahawks-o-line/
Seahawks
– DE Michael Bennett (+4.0) picked up right where he left off in the Super Bowl, dominating the Rams offensive line early on in the game. He finished with one sack and three additional hurries, as well as four solo stops. Bennett slowed down a bit towards the end of the game, as the Rams adjusted their blocking to focus mainly on double-teaming him. However, his +4.0 overall grade still led the Seahawks, and it would have been higher if not for two offside penalties.
– TE Jimmy Graham (+0.4) had a good debut for the Seahawks, leading the team with a +1.5 receiving grade. He caught six of eight balls thrown his way for 51 yards. He also caught what was the game-tying touchdown on a perfectly timed out route thrown by QB Russell Wilson (+1.1). However, Graham did struggle a bit when asked to block, allowing a QB pressure and finishing with a -1.3 combined run and pass block grade.
– The Seahawks’ offensive line struggled mightily in this game, allowing 20 total QB pressures on 55 passing snaps. RT Garry Gilliam (-11.1) was constantly beat to the outside, giving up a QB hit and six total pressures. The lone bright spot was C Drew Nowak, who is replacing C Max Unger, the Seahawks’ top graded offensive lineman from last season. Nowak didn’t allow a pressure and finished with a +0.2 overall grade.
– With the exception of CB Richard Sherman (+0.6), the Seahawks secondary had a tough day in pass coverage. Sherman was targeted a mere four times, allowing only two receptions for 29 yards—pretty much taking Rams WR Tavon Austin (-1.3) out of the game. The rest of the secondary allowed the Rams to go 16-for-20 for 268 yards and a touchdown. LB Bobby Wagner (-2.9) struggled the most (-3.0 coverage grade), allowing all four passes he saw to be caught for 105 yards, 80 of which were gained after the catch.
Top Performers:
DE Michael Bennett (+4.0)
DE Cliff Avril (+3.9)
LB Bruce Irvin (+3.3)
RB Marshawn Lynch (+2.0)
DT Jordan Hill (+1.6)September 15, 2015 at 2:54 am in reply to: What does yesterday's victory mean (re: the big picture)? #30545znModeratorGood discussion. I like that it just keeps plugging along as good discussion in the middle of a board tech problem. It’s heartening.
I more want to listen than to write but I do have a couple of cents to toss in. It’s not very original but it’s very strongly felt. The offense misfired right and left yet still kept doggedly battling, and that means so much to me I can’t even put it in words the right way. How often has this team blown a lead with 2 fumbles (including a fumble for 6) within a few minutes and then went right out and fought back? Yeah, Chancellor not being there helped, but, they also helped themselves with things like the perfect 21-yarder to Bailey in between Thomas and Sherman. I’ve never even had fantasies of a play like that, because I am not that much of a dreamer.
The future? We’ll see. There may be days early on when all the problems they still have on offense are just too much. But the trend is up, and this isn’t even the entire team yet. That was Cigz first game as a coordinator, Foles first game in this system, the OL is still raw, and they don’t have Quick yet or their 2 top RBs.
There are things that could hurt their record this year (young OL, CB injuries, the tendency to spot other defenses a score or 2 along the way, etc.) but everything points to this becoming a different team.
It’s been a long time since I remember going through something like this—being as down as I was after the 2 fumbles and THEN watching them pull it out anyway.
We have to add “Lynch stopped on 4th and 1” to other name plays in Rams lore.
.
znModeratorGlad to see you cut through today’s mayhem and got your post up. It’s as if you threw a good 1st down pass to Bailey in overtime, or something.
znModeratorThanks for all your work. I trust people will be patient. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. For example, I could split some firewood, or, maybe bake something.
znModeratorIn His St. Louis Debut, Nick Foles was Money
Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/09/14/in-his-st-louis-debut-nick-foles-was-money/
There were a few unfortunate moments, a couple of fumbles, one a result of a sack-strip-fumble returned for a defensive touchdown by the always rebellious Seattle Seahawks. But Rams quarterback Nick Foles wouldn’t stay down. Not with his play. Not with his emotions. And not with the scoreboard staring at him, with the Rams losing and in trouble in the season’s first game.
Making his first start as the Rams QB following the fascinating and highly scrutinized offseason trade with Philadelphia, in which he swapped places with Sam Bradford, Foles immediately came through with a winning performance in the Rams’ madhouse 34-31 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks.
If Bradford stays healthy and keeps his vulnerable left knee intact, he’ll have an excellent opportunity to succeed in Philly. The talent, the coach (Chip Kelly) and a creative offense should works in Bradford’s favor.
The Foles forecast was more uncertain.
Why did he transfer twice, and play for three different college programs?
Why did Foles light up the sky with preposterously good passing statistics in 2013, only to descend into the ranks of the average in 2014?
If Foles was such a sure thing _ a winner, a leader and a franchise QB _ then why was Kelly in such a hurry to send him to the Midwest in exchange for a medical-redshirt quarterback who hasn’t played a regular-season NFL game since Oct. 20 of 2013?
The questions are legit, but won’t be untangled for a while. Not until the Rams know, conclusively, what they have in Foles.
Bradford, the object of heavy preseason hype, will get his chance to show what he has on Monday night when the Eagles open the season at Atlanta.
On Sunday at The Edward Jones Dome, Foles had the first crack at impressing his new district and did not disappoint. By now you know the basics. The Rams won. Just when the day seemed lost, with Seattle up 31-24, Foles rallied his team with an inspirational drive to a late fourth-quarter touchdown that booked extra time. Given a head start by the Seahawks’ interesting choice to open the OT with a daring but successful onside kick, Foles guided the Rams into field-goal range and the winning points.
Foles completed 18 of 27 passes (67 percent) for 292 yards, a touchdown, and a shiny 115.8 passer rating.
Since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, only one quarterback had a higher passer rating in his first start at home: Marc Bulger, who had a 134.1 rating in a 28-13 victory over Oakland on Oct. 13, 2002. But that performance should have an unofficial asterisk; it came in the Rams’ sixth game of the season. Kurt Warner had started the first five contests _ with the Rams losing all five _ before coach Mike Martz switched to Bulger.
As for an opening-day starter making his home debut for the Rams in St. Louis, Foles stands at the top of the leaderboard with his 115.8 rating.
But you have to look under the surface numbers to see the true excellence of Foles’ first start as a Ram.
Here’s what jumped out to me: Foles was at his brilliant best when the Rams were trailing the Seahawks.
And that isn’t easy to do.
Consider:
Between 2012-2014, the Seahawks went 36-12 in the regular season, the best three-season record in the NFL over that stretch…
And when leading a game, Seattle held opposing quarterbacks to a 59.6 completion percentage, and a poor passer rating of 74.8. Those QBs threw as many interceptions as touchdown passes (37-37) and averaged 6.23 yards per passing attempt.
(All stats culled from STATS LLC.)
Foles defied Seattle’s staunch defensive history on Sunday.
When the Rams were down on the scoreboard, Foles brought them back three times to take the lead or tie.
After a long punt return for a touchdown by Seattle rookie Tyler Lockett put his team ahead 7-0, Foles and the Rams responded with a nine-play 80-yard drive culminated by Tavon Austin’s touchdown run for a 7-7 tie.
In the third quarter, with the Rams trailing 13-10, Foles directed a six-play, 80-yard TD drive that elevated the Rams to a 17-13 lead. Foles did the honors this time by rolling right and landing in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the Rams down 31-24 and in extreme danger of losing after giving away a 13-point lead, Foles took the offense 84 yards in 12 plays _ firing a 37-yard TD strike to tight end Lance Kendricks to even the score with 53 seconds remaining in regulation.
Here’s what Foles did Sunday when the Rams were trailing:16 attempts, 11 completions (69%)
Nine throws for first downs, plus the touchdown to Kendricks.
Two completions of 25+ yards.
A killer average of 12.13 yards per passing attempt.
A passer rating of 130.7.Impressive, yes?
You just don’t see many quarterbacks firing away with such gall and calm and precision to erase a deficit against a Seahawks defense that surrendered the fewest points in the league from 2012 through 2014.
The Foles’ come-from-behind numbers would be outstanding in any context, but it’s particularly exceptional do it against the Seattle defense that limited opponents to 17 points or fewer in 30 of its previous 48 regular-season games. That includes 16 games of allowing no more than 10 points.
Since Pete Carroll became Seattle’s head coach in 2010, the Seahawks were 20-0 when scoring at least 30 points in a regular-season game before Foles foiled that trend. And over the past three seasons, when the Seahawks scored first in a game, they went 24-8. The Rams didn’t fall in line with that trend, either.
Foles was also terrific on third-down plays during Sunday’s win.
Foles completed 6 of 9 passes on third down, averaging 10.67 yards per attempt. His touchdown pass to Kendricks came on a third-and-five play from the Seattle 37. His third-down passer rating: a slick 139.1.
Foles went 3 for 3 Sunday when the Rams faced third down and 11+ yards to go.
In the fourth quarter, with the score within seven points (either way), Foles connected on 7 of 11 passes for 127 yards, averaging 11.55 yards per attempt. That included his critical game-tying fastball to the wide open Kendricks.
The situation was bleak for the Rams after the Seahawks went ahead 31-24 on the strip-fumble and TD return by cornerback Cary Williams with 4:39 remaining in the fourth Q.
Foles was undeterred.
He responded.
Again.
“Oh man, that’s big bro,” Austin said. “He comes in the huddle, he takes charge of the huddle, lets us know what he wants. You know, he always tells us that adversity is going to come. It’s all how we’re going to fight back and that’s what we did.”
What was it like on the STL sideline after Williams raced into the end zone with that fumble return that pushed the Rams to the brink of defeat?
Austin’s view: “We were on the sideline just screaming ‘It’s definitely not over.’ We believe in (Foles) and he believes in us. On the field, him and Lance hooked up on a good go route. And that’s how it was.”
After doing his part to rescue the Rams on Sunday, Foles is 16-9 as an NFL starter.
And add this one to the Foles File: with Sunday’s rally, Foles has five fourth-quarter comebacks and six game-winning drives in his career. That’s in only 25 starts.
“Yeah, if there’s time on the clock, the game’s never over no matter what the score is,” Foles said. “That’s been my mentality as a little kid, something my parents instilled in me…my dad…just to fight to the end no matter what because you want to leave it all on the field. You don’t want to go back in the locker room and say, ‘I wish I coulda.’ You want to say, ‘I gave it everything I had.’
“Our guys gave it everything they had. Seattle came out and played a great game. They gave it everything they had. We just finished. We needed to finish.”
By the way: Foles likes his new home just fine.
“The fans were tremendous,” he said. “Our fans were causing havoc. I could tell there was times where they had to burn timeouts, delay of games, communication … I recognize that stuff watching their offense and that’s huge. Our fans had a huge impact in this game. I’m thanking everybody that came out to support us. We heard them loud and clear and it really helped us get this victory.”
Thanks for reading…
znModeratorThe Rams’ Best Win Under Jeff Fisher
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/09/13/the-rams-best-win-under-jeff-fisher/
The Rams pushed back for the final time, with defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald refusing to be utilized as cleat wipes by the intimidating Seattle beast known as Marshawn Lynch.
The young Rams took Lynch down hard with Sunday’s game on the line, an assignment that’s unimaginably difficult for those that never had to tackle a wildebeest with their bare hands. But they got it done, quickly and cleanly, the capture made without having to call for backup.
With Brockers and Donald all but stuffing Lynch in a Seattle travel trunk for the lengthy flight back to the Pacific Northwest, and their forceful fourth-down stop locking down a ridiculously entertaining and tense 34-31 overtime victory that seemingly squirmed away, the Rams officially clinched one of their best wins in a long time.
I put the question on Twitter following the game:
“Question for the floor: given opponent, the blown lead, the comeback, the 4th-down stop, etc: biggest Rams’ win since … ???”
Many different answers came back my way … including Super Bowl 34. (I’m all for excitement and in favor of overreacting, but let’s not get carried away my friends.)
Others responded with the last postseason game won by the Rams _ their 27-20 OT victory at Seattle in a 2004 NFC wild card game. (A strong candidate.)
An intriguing answer from the audience: the best victory since the late Georgia Frontiere owned the Rams. (She passed away following the 2008 season.)
ramsseahawksAaron Donald and Michael Brockers wrap up Marshawn Lynch for the final play of Sunday’s game to seal the win for St. Louis.
There were mentions of last year’s regular-season home win over the Seahawks … last season’s upset at San Francisco … the 2013 season-opening victory (at home) over Arizona … the 2012 win (home) vs. Seattle … and the assorted triumphs over superior opponents such as Denver, New Orleans, and Indianapolis since Jeff Fisher became head coach in 2012.
Overlooked (at least in my opinion) was the 15th game of the 2010 season. Rookie QB Sam Bradford and the young Rams had lost two consecutive games but still had a chance to steal the NFC West in a mediocre year for the division.
But to reach a Game 16 showdown in Seattle for the NFC West title, the 6-8 Rams had to defeat the 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome in Game 15.
Losing 14-12 at the half, the Rams rallied for a 25-17 conquest. Bradford was brilliant, completing 28 of 37 passes for 292 yards and a passer rating of 107.0. His 3-yard touchdown pass to Laurent Robinson put the Rams up by eight points (22-14) and booked the important trip to Seattle.
Alas the unsettled and shaky Rams, were unprepared for prime time. They stumbled through the nationally televised Sunday-night game on NBC, losing a 16-6 snooze-fest to a Seattle team that was forced to start career backup up Charlie Whitehurst in place of the injured Matt Hasslebeck. Despite a 7-9 record, the Seahawks moved onto the NFC playoffs, shocking New Orleans in a stunning 41-36 upset before losing at Chicago in the next round.
The Rams finished 7-9 (losing the tie-breaker to Seattle) and went home. The Rams and their fans were fired up; the improvement under Bradford and the encouraging 7-9 season was viewed as a bridge to a promising future. The bridge abruptly collapsed in 2011, with the injury-torn Rams losing 14 of 16 games.
GM Billy Devaney and head coach Steve Spagnuolo were fired by owner Stan Kroenke, who brought in Fisher and GM Les Snead to rebuild a sad-sack mess of a team that had just completed the most wretched five-season stretch (15-65) by a franchise in NFL history.
The Rams had to start all over again, a process that’s taken longer than expected _ extending the franchise’s streak of non-winning seasons to 11 frustrating years.
I believe Sunday’s thriller over the Seahawks was the best moment of Fisher’s term, a fantastic way to begin his fourth season, and the top win for the franchise since that Game 15 uprising over the 49ers in 2010.
Here’s why:
1. It was the first game of the season _ and already time for the Rams to make an emphatic statement about who they were, and what they planned to do in the new campaign. What would it be: the same old sorry Rams, or a young team on the rise and ready to make good on all of the broken promises of the past?
2. The Rams were playing the two-time defending NFC Champion Seahawks, a more vulnerable but still formidable opponent that came within one horrific goal-line interception of winning a second consecutive Super Bowl to cap the 2014 season.
3. The Rams entered with a heralded defense that had been stocked with premium draft picks trained and developed into a fighting machine by Fisher, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and the staff. A nasty defense is still the most reliable way to overcome a team’s flaws _ especially a team with legitimate concerns on the offensive side. If this defense couldn’t stand up to the Seahawks, then what? It wouldn’t bode well for the early part of the schedule. This defense had to be ready to make a stand.
nick foles-2Foles went 18-27 for 297 yards in Sunday’s win.
4. The Rams were rolling out their new quarterback, Nick Foles, who came over in the surprising offseason trade with Philadelphia. They were also debuting a reordered offensive line that started two rookies (RT Rob Havenstein, LG Jamon Brown), an inexperienced center (Tim Barnes), and second-year LT Greg Robinson.
5. The Rams were down to their third and fourth running backs, Benny Cunningham and Isaiah Pead. No. 1 draft choice Todd Gurley and the speedy Tre Mason were down with injuries. Another back, Trey Watts, was serving the first of a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. So this offense took significant personnel concerns into a match against Seattle, which had allowed the fewest points in the league (15.2 per game) while going 36-12 in the regular season between 2012 and 2014.
(OK, the Seahawks played Sunday without the knocks usually struck by their safety, Kam Chancellor, who is holding out in a contract tantrum.
(His absence was a factor, but to it’s weak to use that as an excuse for Sunday’s loss to the Rams. Seattle still packs plenty of punch defensively, even with Chancellor missing.)
6. The Rams had a 24-13 lead late in the third quarter, only to be overtaken and left dazed by an 18-point Seattle torrent that put the proud visitors up 31-24 late in the fourth quarter. We’d seen this movie many times. The Rams jump out, lift the crowd _ only to fade and fail to finish the job. Here we go again, right? Well, no.
7. An announced crowd of just over 51,000 was in the big warehouse to see if the Rams would give them a reason to believe instead of letting them down again. The crowd was larger than anticipated. And the fans were into it: emotional, loud, and fully engaged.
8. Oh yeah, the multi-billionaire owner, tracking the scent of enormous profit that awaits him, is desperate to move the franchise to Los Angeles after the season. And this could have been the last home-opener of the final season of NFL football in St. Louis _ final as in forever. This wasn’t an ordinary game; it was perhaps the beginning of the end.
9. That said, all hope isn’t lost; there’s still a chance of Kroenke being forced to stay beyond 2015. Given the depressing climate, it was imperative for the Rams to charge to a fast start in 2015 … to create energy and optimism and a buzz-worthy product for an abused fan base that’s weary and disenchanted after getting slapped down by chronic losing and punched in the gut by the worst owner among the four major professional sports leagues in North America.
10. A bad loss _ a dispiriting setback _ would further demoralize the market, result in an increased number of empty seats, and play right into Kroenke’s hands. ESK is trying to make the case that St. Louis won’t support football. To that we say: what football? Are we talking about 16 winning records in 48 NFL seasons here (Cardinals and Rams?) Are we talking about a team that has given the fans the worst overall NFC record and worst home record since 2005? Are we talking about supporting an owner that’s been plotting to flee and collect California gold? An owner that hasn’t spoken to the fans since Jan. of 2012 _ and who refuses to have a conversation with the St. Louis leadership that’s trying to build him a second new stadium in fewer than 25 years?
The Rams couldn’t stink up the place on this opening day.
They just couldn’t.
I don’t know who needed this this victory more: the Rams coaches and players who work so hard to turn this program around _ or the fans that have been asked to look past an intolerable pile of garbage and put their hard-earned dollars in Kroenke’s pocket.
Instead of the usual Sunday bloody Sunday, the smiling and chanting faithful left the Edward Jones in an upbeat mood. You give these folks a respectable team and an owner who shows any sign of caring, and they’ll be there for you.
And while it would be foolish to take one wonderful day _ an afternoon that showed what things could really be like here _ and assume that subsequent Sundays will be just as happy, this was at least a start. It was 3 hours and 30 minutes of football that provided long overdue relief from the beatings absorbed by the team, and eased the mental torment endured by the fans.
Foles made a couple of mistakes, but he gave the Rams a fearless and defiant performance that backed what Snead, Fisher and the players have been saying about him for months: finally, this team has a talented leader at the quarterback. Foles isn’t home free; he still has much to prove over the next 15 games. But in his STL debut, Foles’ timing was perfect. When the Rams were in trouble, when the momentum was going against the home side, Foles was money. He came up with repeated responses to save the day.
The young offensive line needs work, but these kids battled like mad men and offered glimpses of power, scenes of determination, and held up at times when many feared an imminent collapse. Foles was sacked twice _ one a strip-fumble returned for a Seattle touchdown. But Foles’ O-line protected him better than the security offered by a Seattle offensive line that allowed six sacks of QB Russell Wilson.
In addition to dumping Wilson six times, the Rams defense picked him off once, did a reasonably effective job of corralling Lynch, and limited Seattle’s offense to one touchdown from scrimmage. Wilson averaged 6.14 yards per passing attempt, his lowest among seven career starts against St. Louis. And on third down, Wilson completed only three of seven passes (with a TD and an INT) for a passer rating of 50.3. The Seahawks converted only eight of 19 third-down plays.
(As for the aforementioned Aaron Donald, who had two sacks, five tackles and four assists … goodness, you’d better bring a battalion if you hope to block this wildcat.)
ramsseahwaksTavon Austin celebrates with Janoris Jenkins following Austin’s 75 yard punt return for a TD.
Cunningham pushed for as many rushing yards as he could against a stout Seattle front seven. The total on the stat sheet _ 16 carries for 45 yards _ wasn’t impressive. But Cunningham ran the rock better than the numbers show. Moreover, Cunningham was an asset as a receiver, catching four passes for 77 yards and breaking tackles to pick up a couple of key first downs. You want a stat that presents a more accurate picture? Here you go. Total yards from scrimmage: Cunningham 122, Lynch 104.
New Rams offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti proved that he can put wide receiver Tavon Austin to good use. (A nifty 16-yard run for the Rams’ first TD.)
And Tavon’s talent illuminated the Dome during his 75-yard punt return for a touchdown. West Baltimore was in the house.
The Rams weren’t perfect. Hell, no. Their squandering of a 24-13 lead summoned a familiar sense of dread. But these guys were tough, they maxed out in their competitiveness, and they refused to flash any sign of surrender. Not for one moment.
“We were able to finish,” said defensive end Robert Quinn who had two sacks. “It wasn’t pretty, but at the end of the day, we got the ‘W’ and that’s what we look for. We know we can always get better at things. As long as we keep winning and we still improve, the sky is the limit. It’s a great way to start a season. That’s a great Seahawks team and we’ll take it from here.”
St. Louis needed this.
The unfairly maligned fans needed this.
The Rams needed this.
Kroenke didn’t need this _ which made the triumph that much sweeter.
Yes. This was the biggest win of Fisher’s time here. And now you just have to hope there’s more to come.
znModeratorBrock Huard’s Chalk Talk: Why Seahawks failed on fourth-and-1 against Rams
znModeratorSpecial teams rally after slow start vs. Seahawks
Joe Lyons
Sunday’s season opener against the Seahawks didn’t start all that well for the Rams’ special teams as Tyler Lockett, a rookie from Kansas State, returned the Rams’ first punt of the season 57 yards to help Seattle go up 7-0.
But the Rams’ special-teamers shook it off and improved throughout the game, playing a major role in the team’s 34-31 overtime win over the two-time defending NFC champs.
“We were ticked,” reserve safety Maurice Alexander said. “But rather than getting down on ourselves, I feel like it made us that much hungrier to go out and make a play the next time.”
Long-snapper Jake McQuaide agreed: “You gotta have a short memory. We knew (Lockett) was a good player and we prepared for him, but on that one, he just got away. I’m not sure what happened to everybody else — I’ll know more after we look at the tape — but I know I got killed. Just a terrible rep. It didn’t cost us the game, thank God, so it becomes one of those things you try to learn from. You learn from it and then you let it go, making sure you’re ready for your next snap.”
Later in the game, with 4½ minutes to play in the third quarter, the Rams’ Tavon Austin returned a punt 75 yards down the Seattle sideline for a touchdown. On the play, rookie Bradley Marquez and Alexander, a Eureka High product, delivered key downfield blocks.
For Austin, who tied the game at 7-7 on a 16-yard run on the first play of the second quarter, the punt return for touchdown was the third of his career. At that point, the Rams were up 24-13.
Seattle came roaring back, scoring twice in a seven-second span to take a 31-24 with just over 4½ minutes left.
But the Rams rallied to force overtime, getting a 37-yard scoring pass from Nick Foles to Lance Kendricks and a Greg Zuerlein kick with 53 seconds left in regulation.
To start overtime, the Seahawks’ Steven Hauschka attempted an onside kick. In his postgame news conference, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said it was supposed to be a squib kick.
“We were kicking the ball to a certain area of the field and we didn’t hit it right,” the coach said.
On the play, Hauschka chipped the ball high and toward Marquez, who called for a fair-catch, made the play and then held on for dear life.
“The things that go on in those piles, it’s crazy,” said Marquez, an undrafted rookie free agent from Texas Tech and a former New York Mets farmhand who played pro baseball during the summers of 2012 and 2013. “I called fair-catch, mainly on instinct and thinking maybe I’d get some protection. From there, it was just a matter of doing whatever I could to make sure I was coming out of the pile with the football.”
There was some confusion at first, but after review, the recovery by Marquez was upheld.
“Originally, one of the officials said the ball had been kicked into the ground,” referee Jeff Triplette told pool reporter Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch. “Subsequent to that, another official whose responsibility it was to rule on that, came in and said, ‘No, the ball was kicked into the air.’ So therefore I went with the official who had the primary responsibility.”
If the ball had, in fact, gone off the ground first, the fair-catch call by Marquez would have been invalid, the Rams would’ve been penalized 5 yards and Seattle would’ve kicked again.
“I’m just happy that I could make a play to help the team,” Marquez said. “Before the kick, we alerted each other to be ready, just in case. Coach had us prepared (for the onside kick).”
Marquez, a wide receiver, has earned the respect of his special-teams cohorts.
“He’s a soldier, one of those young guys who’s just extremely focused,” said Alexander, a second-year pro.
Pointing out that the Rams played Sunday without special-teams co-captain Daren Bates (knee) and lost another key special-team leader, Chase Reynolds, to a knee injury early in the game, McQuaide said Marquez has been a key addition.
“He’s a dude who’s been making plays like that every single day since he got here,” the fifth-year pro said. “He just really seems to be locked in like that for every rep, in every drill. ‘Coach Bones’ (special teams coordinator John Fassel) has a knack for finding a guy like that every year, a guy who understands how important special teams are and who really seems to take advantage of his opportunities.”
The big play by Marquez, followed by a 22-yard pass from Foles to Stedman Bailey, helped set up Zuerlein’s 37-yard field goal, which turned into the game-winning margin when the Rams’ defense stopped the Seahawks near midfield to end the contest.
“The PAT in the last minute (of regulation) was a tougher kick; with the new rules, those aren’t gimmes anymore,” Zuerlein said. “Knowing the kind of defense we have, I felt pretty confident that the kick in OT would give us a pretty good shot at the win. Any time you win in the NFL, it’s a big deal. But it’s always nice to get that first one because of all the hard work you’ve done in the offseason. Hopefully this is something we can build on.”
znModeratorRams are hard to predict for Seahawks
Jim Thomas
As defensive tackle Michael Brockers and his fellow Rams view it, Seattle’s Russell Wilson is a better quarterback than predictor.
It was Wilson, after all, who tweeted on Saturday: 1-0. #GoHawks
Did the Rams notice that tweet?
“Absolutely,” offensive guard Rodger Saffold said.
Did it fire up the Rams?
“Absolutely,” Saffold replied. “We kind of took that as a shot.”
And as Saffold noted, “He had a 50 percent chance of being right. He just ended up being wrong.”
Thanks to a 37-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, followed by a fourth-down stand by the St. Louis defense, Wilson’s record as a prognosticator in 2015 fell to, uh, 0-1.
In their first overtime game to start a season since 2001, the Rams outlasted the two-time defending NFC champions 34-31 Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
The Rams talked about the tweet before the game, mainly amongst themselves. It might not have helped Brockers and fellow defensive tackle Aaron Donald stop Marshawn Lynch on fourth down in overtime for the win. Then again, it didn’t hurt.
“He’s a great quarterback,” defensive end Chris Long said. “But he’s not like a Chris Berman — like the Swami — he’s not like that. He’s not a great predictor.”
Brockers was a little more blunt in his tweet assessment:
“The victory is a lot more sweeter kinda shoving that back in his mouth,” Brockers said. “You see that, and you’re like, ‘OK, not gonna tweet back. We’re not gonna say anything. We’re just gonna let the football speak for itself.’ I think that’s what we did today.”
Maybe so, but late in regulation, it looked like Wilson was going to be a gridiron Nostradamus.
Cornerback Cary Williams, a new member of Seattle’s Legion of Boom, came in unblocked on a blindside blitz, knocked the ball out before Rams quarterback Nick Foles could release it, scooped up the fumble and ran 8 yards into the end zone for a score.
That play capped an 18-0 run by Seattle that turned a 24-13 Rams lead into a 31-24 Seahawks advantage with 4:39 to play.
We’ve seen this one before. Right? Cue up the “Same old sorry (bleep) Rams” chorus.
Not this time. Tight end Lance Kendricks, who had only one catch for 5 yards in the first 59 minutes of regulation, got behind Seahawks safety Dion Bailey for a 37-yard TD catch with 53 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime tied 31-all.
“(Bailey) just kind of sat on it,” Kendricks said, football jargon meaning Bailey was expecting a short pass. “I don’t think he thought I was gonna run a ‘go’ route. I just ran by him; I think he tried to grab me and just fell.”
Kendricks wasn’t necessarily the No. 1 option on that play. He said the Rams simply try to look for favorable matchups in such situations. Quarterback Nick Foles saw the shorter, inexperienced Bailey on Kendricks and gave it a shot.
Then Seattle coach Pete Carroll outsmarted himself again to start overtime. Roundly criticized after throwing a pass (which was intercepted) instead of running Marshawn Lynch from the 1 in last season’s Super Bowl loss to New England, Carroll tried an onside kick to open overtime. Never mind that he has the league’s reigning leader in scoring defense and total defense.
Actually, as Carroll explained afterward, it was supposed to be about a 30-yard pooch kickoff, not a traditional onside kick. In any event, Rams wide receiver Bradley Marquez, a former baseball outfielder in the Mets’ organization, scooped up the short pop fly from Seahawks place-kicker Steven Hauschka, giving the Rams’ possession.
“We just didn’t execute there,” Carroll said. “That is not what was supposed to happen. … We were kicking the ball way down the field.”
At least that was supposed to be the plan. The Rams took over on the Seattle 49, and a first down and some change later, Zuerlein kicked his fifth game-winning field goal as a Ram.
By league rule, unless the first possession of overtime results in a touchdown, the other team gets at least one possession. So the Rams weren’t quite out of the woods.
Seattle was maybe 10 yards shy from reasonable field-goal range after taking the ensuing kickoff and faced a fourth-and-1 from the St. Louis 42 with just over 9 minutes to go in overtime.
“It’s fourth down,” Brockers said. “Who they gonna go to?”
Ghostbusters?
No, Lynch.
“I think they kind of know what happens when you don’t give Lynch the ball,” Brockers said, referring to last season’s Super Bowl. “We knew it was going to him.”
Brockers had blown a gap assignment earlier in the game, leading to a successful Seattle play. He told his defensive coaches to trust him, to make that same alignment-assignment call again. Brockers did, in fact, get another chance on the fourth-down play and did his job this time, and then some.
He rocked Lynch in the backfield, then got some help from Donald for a 1-yard loss to end the game.
“Michael Brockers knocked him back, and I was able to jump on him and clean it up,” said Donald, who also had two of the Rams’ six sacks.
The upset victory left coach Jeff Fisher speechless. Well, almost.
“I don’t know what to say,” Fisher said. “That was great. It was a tremendous effort. … We didn’t play particularly well. We did the things that cost you games: the penalties, the turnovers, those kinds of things. But we overcame them, which is pretty good considering we’re the youngest team in the league again.”
Actually, the Rams had only four penalties for 30 yards, which is nothing for them. But they did lose three fumbles and finished minus-2 in the all-important takeaway-giveaway category. Usually you don’t win when you’re minus-2.
Usually you don’t win when you give up 18 consecutive points in less than a quarter, and 10 points in a span of seven seconds in the fourth quarter.
As Rams defensive end William Hayes put it: “This is one that a couple years ago we would’ve lost. Last couple years we would’ve lost. But we’re just believing in each other right now.
“Nick Foles, he’s the difference-maker right now. He’s got everybody in this locker room believing. We’re gonna have adversity, but he was telling me, ‘I’ll win some games.’”
Now, that’s a prediction.
INJURY UPDATE
Against Seattle, the Rams lost cornerback Trumaine Johnson to a concussion, and Sims and special teams ace Chase Reynolds to knee injuries. Sims is scheduled for an MRI exam Monday. Running back Tre Mason tested his sore hamstring during warmups but was placed on the inactive list. Also inactive were RB Todd Gurley, LB Daren Bates, WR Brian Quick, QB Sean Mannion and offensive linemen Andrew Donnal and Darrell Williams.
September 14, 2015 at 12:22 am in reply to: Wow, how thunk that? (Seattle game reaction thread) #30449znModeratorfrom off the net
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JamesJM
On Foles, what I see are the ‘intangibles’. That’s hard to put into words, much less quantify. I got that vibe from him… that of a player who ain’t perhaps pretty, or a stat making machine (although today he had very good stats), but perhaps ‘more’ importantly a guy who can find a way to win and inspires others to do the same. There was a different ‘feel’ to this game, for me.
Now don’t get me wrong… when the Hawks took the lead late in the 4th I fell back into my chair with a degree of grim resignation just like most… BUT….when they got the ball again it was different for me, than the last two years anyway, perhaps longer. I didn’t give up…. but more than that…. I really thought they had a shot to pull out the miracle come from behind.
There was determination on that Ram’s team today that was palpable. I don’t put that all in Foles performance, but I certainly think he led the way. – JamesJM
znModeratorInspired by 9/11 hero and led by Nick Foles, resilient Rams come up with win
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — Nick Foles vividly remembers playing against St. Louis last year because of the fight he saw in the Rams, who rebounded from a 27-point deficit only to fall six points short to Foles’ Philadelphia Eagles.
“I remember when we played them when I was in Philadelphia, I had the utmost respect,” said Foles, who was traded to the Rams in March. “They played with a lot of heart and fought until the end.”
They were resilient then. They showed that resilience again Sunday, taking a 34-31 overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the season opener.
That “resilience” became the team’s word of the weekend was no accident. On Saturday night, Rams coach Jeff Fisher invited Will Jimeno, the New York Port Authority police officer who survived 13 hours under World Trade Center rubble, to speak to his team.
Jimeno promised the team a win and delivered a message that emphasized the ability to bounce back in the face of adversity. Evidently, nobody took those words to heart more than Foles.
Time and again Sunday, when something bad happened to the Rams, it was Foles who was waiting on the sideline, offering a word of encouragement then promptly going on to the field to back it up.
“When things aren’t going right, he knows how to get everybody on the same page and just ready to go and go down there and score,” tight end Lance Kendricks said of Foles, who was making his first regular-season start as the Rams’ quarterback.
Whether Sunday’s victory is a sign of a new era in Rams football remains to be seen. But for one day, at least, the Rams refused to go quietly into the St. Louis evening. And Foles looked like the player they’ve needed, someone who could turn the four one-possession losses of a year ago into victories and quickly forget when something goes wrong.
Under pressure for most of the day — Seattle had two sacks, seven quarterback hits and many more pressures — Foles continued to stand tall in the pocket and deliver when the Rams needed him.
After taking over at midfield following Seattle’s failed squib-kick attempt in overtime, Foles delivered a 22-yard strike to receiver Stedman Bailey for a gain of 22 to Seattle’s 25. That set up the game-winning, 37-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein and was the finishing touch on a day in which every time the Rams got knocked down, they wasted no time getting back up.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 24, Seattle cornerback Cary Williams hit Foles from behind, forcing a fumble and recovering it for a touchdown and a 7-point lead. As Foles hobbled off the field holding his right arm, it appeared the Rams finally had met their end.
Foles’ response? An 84-yard drive capped by a 37-yard pass to Kendricks for the game-tying touchdown.
By that point, Foles already had led two 80-yard scoring drives after the ball bounced the other way, one after Tyler Lockett’s 57-yard punt return for a touchdown and another after a mishandled snap led to a turnover to open the second half.
“I think he breathes [resilience],” tight end Jared Cook said. “After [the mishandled snap] he came up to us and was like, ‘We’re going to keep pushing. We are not going to let that define us. We are not going to let that stop us.’ And that’s what we did.”
“That was my mentality as a little kid, something my parents instilled in me, just to fight to the end no matter what because you want to leave it all on the field,” said Foles, who finished with 297 yards on 18-of-27 passing with a touchdown and a rushing score. “You don’t want to go back in the locker room and say, ‘I wish I could have.’ You want to say, ‘I gave it everything I have.’ Our guys gave it everything they had tonight.
“We finished.”
In the process, Foles’ gutsy debut offered something even more important for a team that hasn’t enjoyed a winning record since 2003 or a playoff berth since 2004. It was reason for hope.
znModeratorI would be concerned if I was a hawks fan. They didn’t even seem to be aware of the youth/inexperience of the Rams OL, or they might feel even worse.
I dunno. Sometimes the wheels come off on a good team that loses a SB. They have GB next week, and might be 0-2 to start the season.
Either that or they’re just acting like a lot of fans do sometimes and bitching after a loss, while seeing bogeymen (coordinator for example).
September 13, 2015 at 10:35 pm in reply to: All preseason I was the lone voice singing the praises of this team…. #30437znModeratorOMG. The PASS to Stedman? Are you kidding me. The CATCH
by Stedman? Are you kidding me? That was hall of fame
stuff right there. Jeezus.Click on the white logo in the right hand corner and it takes you to the action vid.
September 13, 2015 at 10:06 pm in reply to: Wow, how thunk that? (Seattle game reaction thread) #30435znModeratorfrom off the net
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South County Girl
Terrific showing by the crowd today!
Congrats to all of you who showed up, you made St. Louis look good on national T.V.
znModeratorI am a little late to this thread, but yes I think they can.
Hey, RM.
Nice new banner. Lookin good.
.
znModeratorRams show Seahawks NFC West will be slugfest this season
James Parziale
FOX Sports
New year, same problems for the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks needed a yard to keep ther game against the St. Louis Rams going in overtime on Sunday, and this time, even though they gave the ball to Marshawn Lynch, they got stuffed.
It’s a joke that writes itself.
The Rams, by outlasting the Seahawks 34-31 in overtime in Week 1, also just gave everyone the blueprint for how to stop the defending NFC champs: attack that decimated offensive line and hit Russell Wilson. Oh, and go after the guy who is replacing Kam Chancellor.
To make matters worse, it looks like the Rams are angry.
Not everyone has a front as ferocious as the Rams, but they harassed Wilson all day. The latter did have one big run for a first down inside the red zone that set up Jimmy Graham’s first touchdown catch in a Seattle uniform on third down.
However, this game never really should have come to that. It was all going so swimmingly for the Rams.The Rams were up 24-13 in the third quarter. The upset was in sight.
Then all kinds of shenanigans brook loose. Three second-half turnovers by the Rams let the Seahawks off the hook.In addition, the Seahawks missed their all-world holdout safety Chancellor. His replacement, Dion Bailey, got burned for a game-tying touchdown with under a minute left in regulation.
The quirkiness continued with the Seahawks attempting an onside kick to start overtime, and despite the refs flipping their calls around about a possible fair-catch, the Rams got amazing field position that led to the go-ahead field goal and the eventual victory.
Everyone has said the Rams have been a quarterback away from competing in the NFC West. And Nick Foles’ regular-season debut on Sunday proved just that.
September 13, 2015 at 8:58 pm in reply to: Wow, how thunk that? (Seattle game reaction thread) #30431znModeratorfrom off the net
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max
Last year, the Seahawks gave up a league-best 32 pass plays of 20+ yards all season. Today, they gave up eight.
znModeratorSeptember 13, 2015 at 7:56 pm in reply to: this is great…podcast of Savard & Farr calling the end of the game #30420znModeratorThis has to be one of the ALLTIME best Ram openers.
Maybe THE best.
Can anyone think of a better, more significant,
more exciting Opening win that this?I cant.
w
vI can think of a couple of other good ones.
Baltimore 99.
And, an exciting game though for some wrong reasons (including bad defense):
Denver, 2000.
.
September 13, 2015 at 7:54 pm in reply to: Fisher, Foles, Quinn, Austin 9/13 – transcripts – & Long vid #30417znModeratorChris Long Postgame Press Conference – 9/13
Watch defensive end Chris Long talk after the Rams Week 1 overtime victory against the Seahawks.
znModerator”. That ability to suffer a setback or two, leaving him staring into a potential loss late in the game. And, despite what the situation looked liked, having the ability to lead the team down the field for a score.
He showed the same stuff last year.
In the off-season, since the trade, I often wondered aloud if he were a gamer. Clutch guy. He has shown signs of it before.
Well, could be. Looks like it.
.
September 13, 2015 at 7:12 pm in reply to: All preseason I was the lone voice singing the praises of this team…. #30395znModeratorPS — somebody post some damn HIGHLIGHTS.
Like, right now.It was a crazy game, WV.
Highlights:
September 13, 2015 at 6:35 pm in reply to: Wow, how thunk that? (Seattle game reaction thread) #30383znModeratorI meant Marcus Robinson.
Just fwiw, it’s RobERson.
znModeratorznModeratorNo way was that a missed kick. That was an intentional onsides kick. Carroll is losing it. He is obviously still chafing from the SB call, and is telling an obvious lie to avoid another criticism for play-calling.
Good. Finally something is inside Carroll’s head. May he call plays in fear all season long.
I think it was a real miss, because the intent was a squib kick. The kicker blew it. I can see that explanation.
September 13, 2015 at 6:02 pm in reply to: Wow, how thunk that? (Seattle game reaction thread) #30366znModeratoryeah. but you gotta remember this was the number one rushing offense last year at 172.6 yards a game at a 5.3 average. rams held them to a 3.9 average.
Yeah. 32 carries for 124 yards, 3.9.
And you know what else? In the 4 Fisher Rams home games against Seattle, Wilson has now been sacked 18 times.
Which might be part of the reason they run so much.
znModeratorRams thrill their diehards by edging Seahawks
• By Jeff GordonSeattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, right, is sacked for a 4-yard loss by St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Everybody who avoided the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon missed an incredible spectacle.
If this season is the Rams’ farewell tour in St. Louis, it began memorably. The Rams rallied in the final minute to force the Seattle Seahawks into overtime, then edged them 34-31.
“Tremendous effort,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “We didn’t play particularly well, we did things that cost you games, but we overcame them.”
The game ended, appropriately, when the Rams defensive front poured through the Seattle offensive line one last time to make the OT-ending stop on Marshawn Lynch on fourth down.
Those Rams fans who did attend roared in approval, drowning out the Seahawk loyalists who gobbled up many of the tickets.
Defensive linemen Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers, Eugene Sims and Co. had a great day, despite the high score. The Seahawks scored on a touchdown punt return and a touchdown fumble return during this frantic game.
Quarterback Nick Foles countered with a stirring regular Rams debut, completing 18 of 27 passes for 297 yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing TD.
He was dealing with the absence of top running backs Todd Gurley (knee) and Tre Mason (hamstring) and key receiver Brian Quick (shoulder). He also worked around the inexperience of his offensive line, which led to some mishaps — such as a shotgun snap off of his chest while he was signaling play adjustments.
Foles marched the Rams for the last-minute touchdown that forced the game into overtime, locating unattended tight Lance Kendricks for the 37-yard score. Then his overtime strike to Stedman Bailey set up Greg Zuerlein’s decisive field goal.
That short scoring drive came after daring Seahawks coach Pete Carroll ordered an onside kick to open the overtime. The Rams recovered it and then convinced the officials not to order a re-kick. (Long story, no need to go into here.)
It was that kind of contest. A pair of massive Rams turnovers in the late going to complicate their challenge. First running back Isaiah Pead fumbled the ball with the Rams up 24-21 and in range for at least a field goal.
Then, with the game tied 24-24, blitzing Seahawks cornerback Cary Williams steamrolled Foles with a blind side sack as the quarterback cocked his arm to throw.
The ball flew loose, allowing Williams to scoop it up and Seattle to take a late 31-24 lead the Rams had to overcome.
Oh, and the game started on a bad note, too. Seahawks punt returner Tyler Lockett to race 57 yards for the game’s first touchdown. Johnny Hekker launched a missile from the back of his end zone and Lockett had room to rumble.
After that blunder, though, the Rams controlled most of the remaining half. Their 80-yard touchdown drive was most impressive, with tight end Jared Cook running free and running back Benny Cunningham gaining impressive post-catch yardage.
As a nod to former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, the Rams closed that drive with Tavon Austin’s 16-yard run from the running back position. He easily got around the sealed left tackle to race untouched into the end zone.
See, that play really can work!
Thus inspired, the Rams defense teed off on the Seahawks. A dubious personal foul penalty extended the ensuing Seattle drive, but cornerback Trumaine Johnson ended it with a spectacular lunging interception.
That set up a Zuerlein field goal that gave the Rams a 10-7 lead.
Alas, the Seahawks were able to scramble back and tie the game 10-10 before the half, with quarterback Russell Wilson doing what Russell Wilson does — hitting some quick throws and extending other plays with his nimble feet.
The Rams did well to toughen up in the red zone and hold Seattle to a field goal.
Disaster struck the Rams again early in the second half when a broken play resulted in center Tim Barnes hitting Foles in the chest with a shotgun snap while Nick was looking away and signaling adjustments.
Seattle recovered the loose ball and marched downfield for the go-ahead field goal. A great tackle by safety T.J. McDonald — taking down big Jimmy Graham in the open field — forced Seattle to settle for three points.
But the Rams responded with an impressive touchdown drive. Foles advanced the ball with this arm and his feet, eventually reaching the end zone himself on a bootleg run.
The Rams defense fed off that score with a quick stop, with safety Mark Barron forcing Wilson to throw away a pass and Donald forcing Wilson to the ground with another sack.
On the ensuing punt, Austin raced 74-yards to push the Rams toward a 24-13 lead. Remarkably, none of his teammates negated the big play with a mindless blocking-in-the-back penalty.
The Seahawks challenged the play, hoping the officials could locate video evidence that Austin stepped out bounds. Such a review the past several years would have resulted in the play being overturned, but this time it held.
Is this an omen? Have the Rams’ fortunes finally reversed? Maybe, just maybe, they have.
The Seahawks came right back at the Rams with Wilson doing damage with his feet and his arm. The Rams some success blitzing in this game and they did a good job containing tight end Jimmy Graham on a variety of plays.
Seattle cut the Rams lead to 24-21 when Wilson connected with Graham in the left corner of the end zone to defeat a Rams blitz, then Lynch plowed into the end zone for a two-point conversion.
Cunningham responded immediately with a 42-yard catch-and-run play. And Foles kept the Rams moving with his desperate shovel pass to Cunningham to narrowly escape a sack.
But Seattle turned Pead’s ensuing fumble into a game-tying field goal — and it could have been worse but for Marcus Roberson’s pass defense in the left corner of the end zone.
Williams’ strip sack/TD fumble recovery put Seattle up 31-24, but Foles led the Rams back. He kept the last-gasp drive alive with a nice scramble completion to Kenny Britt and he finished it off by locating Kendricks.
What a game. Those who boycotted the festivities due to owner Stan Kroenke’s actions missed quite a show.
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