Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
znModeratorRams look better on offense, but still fall to Colts
Norm Sanders
http://www.bnd.com/sports/nfl/st-louis-rams/article32777265.html
A St. Louis Rams first-team offense that had struggled throughout the preseason finally awakened a bit Saturday night against Indianapolis at the Edward Jones Dome.
The Rams still lost 24-14 to the Indianapolis Colts as they fell to 0-3 in the preseason, but there were a few positive developments before a sparse crowd announced at 37,460 tickets distributed.
Rams quarterback Nick Foles was sharp throughout the first half, completing 10-of-11 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
That came on a 44-yard TD pass to Chris Givens as Foles faked two handoffs before heaving the ball downfield and hitting his target perfectly.
“He’s one of those guys who’s just gifted with extreme speed,” Foles said of Givens. “He can go track the ball, so he did a great job getting out there and going to track down that ball and getting it.”
Foles and former Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, now with the Eagles, each completed their first 10 passes Saturday. Bradford was 10-for-10 for 121 yards and three TDs against Green Bay.
In his first two preseason games, Foles had completed only 6 of 12 passes for 87 yards and no touchdowns with one interception.
“I think we’re improving,” Foles said. “We still have a long ways to go, but I was really proud of the guys. We were moving the ball. We had a couple of good drives. We have to stop getting penalties on ourselves, but I think we’re stepping in the right direction.
“We need to put more points on the board and help the defense out. Baby steps right now, but proud of the guys for the effort they’re having.”
It took them nine preseason possessions, but the Rams’ first-team offense finally collected a touchdown on Foles’ deep pass to Givens. Before Saturday, the first-team offense had contributed only a field goal in its first six possessions.
Givens continues to enjoy a strong training camp that has him pushing for more time and targets at wide receiver. He has six receptions for 160 yards and two TDs in three games.
“I’m staying positive and most importantly, staying consistent … just coming to work every day and blocking out all of the distractions,” Givens said. “I’m just really at a point where I’m just trying to show the world what I can do and I’m just excited to get the opportunity to do that.”
The Rams’ running attack stayed stuck in neutral with 29 carries for 72 yards, averaging 2.5 yards per carry.
An already inexperienced offensive line lost a starter in the first half when rookie guard Jamon Brown, switched from right guard to left guard Saturday, went down with an apparent ankle injury. Brown was injured on the same play that Givens caught the TD pass with 10 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Brown stayed down for a while and tried to get up once. He eventually was helped to his feet and walked off the field on his own.
“I’ll be fine,” Brown said. “I know somebody rolled up on me from behind, but other than that I’m not really sure what happened.”
Brown’s main concern was the result of the play.
“That was the first question, did we score a touchdown?” he said. “That’s all that mattered. Although I did sustain an injury. I was glad we got a touchdown out of it.”
With Brown moved to left guard, Demetrius Rhaney — who had been working at center — started the game at right guard next to rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein. Havenstein was victimized for a first-half sack.
Rams running back Tre Mason also left the game, apparently aggravating a previous hamstring injury. He had 12 yards on four carries.
“It’s not too bad,” Mason said. “It’s just tight. I got a little sore, so I took the protocol and got out of there.”
The Colts built a 13-7 halftime lead on two Adam Vinatieri field goals and a 32-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck to tight end Andre Johnson.
There were no Rams safeties in the vicinity of the wide-open Johnson on the play. He hauled in the pass over the middle, then ran through the tackle attempt of Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins on the way to the end zone.
Rams defensive end Robert Quinn talked about the importance of getting things together quickly with the defense.
“We had some good stops,” Quinn said. “We had a couple busted plays also, so we have to get those fixed. But there are some negatives and positives that we can take from it. We’re slowly getting to where we need to, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have to put our foot on the pedal and make sure we get ourselves right before the first game of the regular season.”
Another persistent problem for the Rams has been penalties and they were flagged for seven in the first half for 60 yards. A defensive holding penalty wiped out an interception by Jenkins as the Rams were penalized nine times overall for 73 yards.
A bright spot for the defense in the first half was the dominant play on the defensive line of reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald, as well as a pair of big hits by linebacker Alec Ogletree.
Luck, one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, completed 12-of-21 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown.
Linebacker Bryce Hager recovered a fumble early in the third quarter that set up a 3-yard TD run by Trey Watts to give the Rams a 14-13 lead. That gave the Rams their first lead since their first series of the preseason against the Oakland Raiders, when they led 3-0.
Backup quarterbacks Case Keenum and Austin Davis each got a series early in the second half and were followed by rookie Sean Mannion. Mannion, 14-for-20 in his first two preseason games for 146 yards and a touchdown, tossed his first NFL interception late in the third quarter.
Rams to practice at Scott AFB
The Rams will make their annual trek to Scott Air Force Base for a walk-through practice at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. As part of the team’s appreciation for those in military service, 22 military personnel will be chosen to be on the field and participate in practice.
After practice, the Rams will sign autographs for those in attendance.
The Rams held a similar event at the Point Mugu Naval Base during their scrimmages with the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month in California
znModeratorJim Thomas @jthom1
Asked around but didn’t get much of an explanation for the busted coverage that led to the 32-yard TD pass to an uncovered Andre Johnson.
Was told it was a coverage that Rams have practiced and used throughout camp, so it shouldn’t be something DBs should get confused
Jeff Fisher said Jamon Brown suffered a “lateral ankle” sprain. (As opposed to a high ankle sprain.) Brown wanted to go back in.
A lateral or “low” ankle sprain usually is a one_ to two-week injury.
Tre Mason told me he just tweaked the hamstring _ it’s the same one that sidelined him earlier in the camp. Said it’s nothing big.
I’ve been to every preseason game since the Rams moved to St. Louis. This was easily the smallest crowd I’ve seen. Maybe 25,000 in house.
Maybe.
Wouldn’t call Foles a scrambler, he admits he’s not fast enough. But was impressed by his escapability and ability to throw on run.
Stop if you’ve heard this before: Fisher said Rams have to get penalties under control: 10 for 83 yards vs. Colts; 29 for 229 this preseason
Tackling was better on defense.
Rams running game still far from where it needs to be. Continuity of the essence now for offensive line
znModeratorRams quarterback Nick Foles finds much-needed rhythm against Colts
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles found himself running for his life repeatedly in his one half of play Saturday night. Despite the pressure coming from all angles, Foles found a way to have, by far, his best performance of the preseason as the Rams lost 24-14 against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night.
Foles scrambled his way to 10 completions on 11 tries for 128 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 145.5. All of that came in the face of constant heat from the Colts against a young and inexperienced offensive line that gave up two sacks and a handful of other pressures. It also happened without much help from a run game that mustered just 28 yards on 12 carries with Foles in the game.
“I think we’re improving,” Foles said. “We still have a long ways to go, but I was really proud of the guys. We were moving the ball. We had a couple of good drives. We have to stop getting penalties on ourselves, but I think we’re stepping in the right direction. Like I said, we still have a lot of work to do. We need to put more points on the board and help the defense out. Baby steps right now, but proud of the guys for the effort they’re having and now we get to go out in the second half and win this football game.”
znModeratorWhy not?
My understanding is, that game is not broadcast live on NFL net
znModeratorPreseason games aired on NFL Network will not be available until 72 hours after the conclusion of the telecast.
This does not apply to the Rams.
znModeratorNOT LOOKING BACK
The last time the Rams faced the Colts was on Nov. 10, 2013, as the visiting club stunned playoff-bound Indianapolis 38-8 at Lucas Oil Stadium. In that game, the Rams quickly quieted the big crowd by building a 28-0 halftime lead and were up 38-0 before Indianapolis scored.
That game marked the coming out party for Tavon Austin. The No. 8 overall pick in that year’s draft, Austin finished the day with 314 total yards and three touchdowns.
With the Rams already up 14-0 early in the second quarter, he grabbed a bouncing punt near his goal line and returned it 98 yards down the right sideline for his first score. Later in the quarter, he blew by the Colts’ defense along the left sideline to haul in a 57-yard scoring pass from Kellen Clemens.
Just after halftime, he caught a Clemens pass over the middle and outran the Indy defense for an 81-yard touchdown that stretched the Rams’ lead to 35-0.
In that game, Austin returned four punts for 145 yards, one kickoff for 27, had one carry for 4 and caught two passes for 138.
“It was definitely a huge day for me and thankful for everything that went my way that day,’’ said Austin, now in his third NFL season. “But I can’t get that game back. It’s a great memory, but at this point, it really doesn’t mean a thing.’’
Austin, who stands 5 feet 8 and weighs 176 pounds, is expecting big things this season.
“I worked hard in the offseason and I’m anxious to see that work pay off,’’ the 24-year-old said. “I won’t say things are easier, but the game has definitely slowed down. I’m mentally stronger now and I have a better feel for the playbook. I want to play smart and focus on making plays.’’
In an 18-3 loss to Oakland to open the preseason, Austin caught a short pass from Nick Foles on the second play of the opening drive and turned it into a 35-yard gain. It helped set up a Greg Zuerlein field goal.
Last weekend, in a 27-14 loss in Tennessee, Austin was targeted twice but did not have a catch.
“We’ve got some work to do, trying to develop some offensive chemistry,’’ Austin said. “But I’m confident it’ll come.’’
znModeratorRams notes: Rookie QB Mannion makes the most of limited action
As a rookie in his first NFL training camp, quarterback Sean Mannion is learning the virtue of patience.
“It’s definitely different, but I think it’s different for everybody here,’’ the 23-year-old from Oregon State said this week after a workout at Rams Park. “Every one of these guys was one of the best players on his college team. As a quarterback, I’m obviously not getting the reps I was getting a year ago, so you make sure that you’re learning in other ways. For me, that means standing behind the play and near the other quarterbacks. Nick (Foles), Austin (Davis) and Case (Keenum) have all won games in the NFL and they’re a great resource for me. There’s so much value in what I can learn from them, not only on the practice field but also in the meeting room.’’
In addition, Mannion can usually be found getting in some extra throws with rookie receivers after practice.
“It’s a great way to get in some extra reps and make sure you’re getting in enough work,’’ he said. “But even then, it’s more than just running routes — you’re not just going out to the driving range and swinging away — we’re trying to apply that work the same way we would in a game, thinking about the pattern, the protection and the situation.’’
Mannion, a third-round draft pick in May, seems to be catching on pretty well. He’s come on late in the team’s first two preseason games and excelled while running the two-minute offense. In the 18-3 loss to Oakland, he completed eight of 13 passes for 53 yards. He was even better late in the 27-14 loss at Tennessee, completing six of seven for 93 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown to rookie running back Malcolm Brown.
“I’ve always enjoyed the two-minute offense and I feel fortunate for the chances I’ve gotten,” the 6-foot-6, 233-pound Mannion said. “It’s great situational football work, especially for a quarterback because it forces you to manage the clock and deal with different situations. On top of that, the game gets simplified; your reads don’t change but your mentality does. Instead of worrying about putting together a huge drive, my focus is on completions.
“The touchdown to Malcolm was a perfect example. Instead of thinking about a 60-yard drive, I was able to go through my progressions before throwing maybe an 8-yard pass. Then he breaks a couple of tackles and takes it to the house.’’
Mannion said getting completions on his first pass in each game has helped his confidence.
“It’s tough, going through pregame warmups and then trying to keep yourself prepared, knowing that you’re not getting in until late in the game,’’ he said. “Against Oakland, I think my first pass was a screen to Danny (Rodriguez). I was able to take a breath, knowing that I’d completed my first NFL pass, and from there I was able to get into a little bit of a rhythm. And the experience in Nashville was very similar.
“It’s been a great experience so far. Each day, I’m reminded how lucky I am, but at the same time, I realize there’s still a lot of work to be done.’’
znModeratorRamBill: Young talks with Randy K. and D’Marco Farr. Young is looking forward to the match up of the Rams DB’s and the Colts WR’s. He sees Luck doing a lot of passing in the first half. He wants to see the Rams O-line get the right combination of players and to develop some continuity. Young favors Barnes at OC. He sees Foles pressing a bit…forcing things… trying to make things happen that may not be there.
znModeratorRams starters likely to play more against Colts
Nick Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams host the Indianapolis Colts in their third preseason game Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at the Edward Jones Dome. Here’s a couple of things to watch for during the game:
Why watch: Of all the preseason games to watch, the third one is generally the closest approximation of a regular season contest. Although the Rams didn’t game plan much for the Colts, coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged that they did at least take a look at some tape during the week. The starters didn’t play into the second quarter in either of the first two preseason contests but could go all the way to halftime in this one, offering a closer look at the personnel they plan to use when the season starts on Sept. 13.
Did you know?: Andrew Luck has proved to be the franchise savior many expected he’d be when he arrived in Indianapolis in 2012. But what many don’t remember is that were it not for a botched snap on a field goal in Cleveland in the 2011 season, the Rams would have had the first pick in that draft. The Browns fumbled the snap on a potential game-winning field goal, handing the Rams the victory. That win left the Rams with the second pick, which they traded to Washington. Whether the Rams would have kept the first pick and drafted Luck or traded it away is something we’ll never truly know but chances are strong that Luck wouldn’t be a Colt were it not for the botched snap.
znModeratorShort version.
1. Foles was never a Kelly guy. He didn’t draft him and was reluctant to start him over Vick.
2. Foles kind of descended in 2014 and things Kelly didn’t like came to the fore.
3. From what I have gathered, Foles is more of an improviser than Kelly likes. Kelly also likes someone who can see the field well and make quick decisions and fire quick accurate passes, including long passes. Foles really is none of those things.
4. There was buzz about him not getting along well with his qb coach in 2013.
My own take on it is, that Foles is a much better fit for the Rams than he was for Kelly. Kelly like McD is a system uber alles type offensive coach, and too much of what Foles is and does can’t be fit into that. Bradford is a much better fit there.
One dead giveaway is what Kelly says about trading for an injured qb. He said, look at Brees, if you want a special player sometimes the only way you get one is because he was injured. In other words, Foles does not fit his idea of a special qb.
Fisher on the other hand doesn’t need that kind of special qb. He could make the offense work with a healthy Bradford, or a healthy Foles. It would look and act different with each qb, but then that kind of flexibilty lets them feature Foles, whereas Kelly, with his system at stake, just saw too much he didn’t like.
.
znModeratore, I have not seen anybody explain why Kelly didn’t like Foles.
It;s out there and has been posted here, but not everybody can be in a position to read everything. Short version follows in next post.
================
================Here’s a thread of interest: 2014 articles: Nick Foles remains a QB enigma
http://theramshuddle.com/topic/2014-article-nick-foles-remains-a-qb-enigma/===================
================Here’s a buncha more stuff:
VID: John Clayton breaks down why the Eagles decided to trade QB Nick Foles to the Rams for QB Sam Bradford.
znModeratorLast year at this time it would have been Langford & Brockers instead of Donald & Westbrook, who are both in the 285 pound area. That’s a HUGE difference in size.
For that game.
And Brockers isn’t gone.
I am just not as concerned about it as you, though I get the point. To me, anyway, the question you raise is whether Fairley for Langford is a useful swap.
I attribute most of the run issues last year to gap discipline. And you know btw who had the same issues? The GSOT Rams defense, before 99. When they got gashed on the run it was gap discipline. Or so they kept saying.
We see this thing differently so far, Cal, though as always, good discussion.
Jump into the chat room tonight if you can.
znModeratorJoe Lyons
NOT LOOKING BACK
The last time the Rams faced the Colts was on Nov. 10, 2013, as the visiting club stunned playoff-bound Indianapolis 38-8 at Lucas Oil Stadium. In that game, the Rams quickly quieted the big crowd by building a 28-0 halftime lead and were up 38-0 before Indianapolis scored.
That game marked the coming out party for Tavon Austin. The No. 8 overall pick in that year’s draft, Austin finished the day with 314 total yards and three touchdowns.
With the Rams already up 14-0 early in the second quarter, he grabbed a bouncing punt near his goal line and returned it 98 yards down the right sideline for his first score. Later in the quarter, he blew by the Colts’ defense along the left sideline to haul in a 57-yard scoring pass from Kellen Clemens.
Just after halftime, he caught a Clemens pass over the middle and outran the Indy defense for an 81-yard touchdown that stretched the Rams’ lead to 35-0.
In that game, Austin returned four punts for 145 yards, one kickoff for 27, had one carry for 4 and caught two passes for 138.
“It was definitely a huge day for me and thankful for everything that went my way that day,’’ said Austin, now in his third NFL season. “But I can’t get that game back. It’s a great memory, but at this point, it really doesn’t mean a thing.’’
Austin, who stands 5 feet 8 and weighs 176 pounds, is expecting big things this season.
“I worked hard in the offseason and I’m anxious to see that work pay off,’’ the 24-year-old said. “I won’t say things are easier, but the game has definitely slowed down. I’m mentally stronger now and I have a better feel for the playbook. I want to play smart and focus on making plays.’’
In an 18-3 loss to Oakland to open the preseason, Austin caught a short pass from Nick Foles on the second play of the opening drive and turned it into a 35-yard gain. It helped set up a Greg Zuerlein field goal.
Last weekend, in a 27-14 loss in Tennessee, Austin was targeted twice but did not have a catch.
“We’ve got some work to do, trying to develop some offensive chemistry,’’ Austin said. “But I’m confident it’ll come.’’
znModeratorRams’ defense step up in class vs. Luck, Colts
Jim Thomas
The top story so far this preseason has been the starting offense’s inability to get out of its own way. As for the work of the Rams’ first-team defense? So-so.
Entering Saturday’s 7 p.m. contest against Indianapolis at the Edward Jones Dome, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’s starting unit has given up 191 yards but just two field goals in five total series against Oakland and Tennessee.
But it took an end zone interception by cornerback Trumaine Johnson to end one drive against Oakland. And in Nashville, Tennessee running back Dexter McCluster dropped what should’ve been a touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota in the end zone, causing the Titans to settle for a field goal.
“We’ve got to get better on both sides of the ball, my brother,” defensive end William Hayes said after the Rams’ 27-14 loss to Tennessee. “We’re doing a lot of things that good football teams don’t do right now.
“I can’t speak for the offense, but defensively there’s just a lot of plays that we’re not making where we’re not really doing our jobs like we’re supposed to. We’ll get it fixed. I know up front, we’re not really being gap sound. Like I said, that’s something that’s easy to correct.”
There’s more of a veteran presence on the defense, even though the Rams don’t have a player over 30 years old (on either side of the ball). And when it comes to the front seven in particular, there are no excuse makers.
This unit knows when it plays well and knows when it doesn’t. And it has enough talent, savvy, and work ethic to fix things that go wrong.
“We’re not playing the way we should be right now,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “We still have a couple more weeks to improve, but those weeks fly by. You can’t take one day for granted.
“So hopefully guys after this (Tennessee) game realize what’s at stake. What’s our true potential. Hopefully guys just start playing the way we should. There were some positives, but I think at the end of the day we had too many negative plays, and that’s not the type of style the defense really wants to play.”
Tennessee got out of the gates quickly Sunday night with a 16-yard pass play and then an 18-yard run by Bishop Sankey on its first two plays.
On the Titans’ second possession, tight end Craig Stevens got loose for a 35-yard catch and run on a play where both Johnson and safety T.J. McDonald were in the vicinity but got caught looking in the backfield for the run.
Two plays later, Sankey broke loose for a 19-yard run. On one of the long Sankey runs, linebacker Alec Ogletree failed to fill the gap, giving Sankey a clear seam to get off the line of scrimmage.
A few yards downfield, linebacker James Laurinaitis was blocked out of the play by a Tennessee guard. Strong defensive line play versus the run keeps offensive linemen from getting those second-level blocks on linebackers and safeties.
At the end of the second drive, on the dropped TD pass, Ogletree strayed from his coverage area in zone defense, which left McCluster wide open.
After watching the Rams’ defensive starters yield 5.9 yards a carry in the first two preseason games (94 yards on 16 carries total), coach Jeff Fisher placed special emphasis on the run game in Tuesday’s practice.
“We got some things fixed,” Fisher said. “Again, we didn’t prepare an awful lot for (Tennessee’s) formations and things, and their run game. We did make adjustments, however, in the second half. I thought we made a lot of plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage, which was good.”
The Titans had only 36 rushing yards on 13 carries in the second half and rushed for only 56 yards on 20 carries once the Rams’ first-team defense was done for the night in the second quarter.
Obviously, the Rams need to get that kind of play from their starting unit — not just the reserves — once the real games begin Sept. 13 against Seattle.
“Any time you’re not playing good football there’s a sense of urgency,” Hayes said. “I’m a realist. They (Tennessee) kind of did what they wanted to with us. And it wasn’t because they were just better than us. It was because we weren’t doing what we were supposed to do. So I think once we fix that, we’ll be fine. It’s small stuff that’s easily correctable.”
The starting defense steps up in class Saturday in facing quarterback Andrew Luck and the potent Indianapolis offense. Like the Rams, the Colts are 0-2 in the preseason and haven’t done much offensively in losses to Philadelphia and Chicago, scoring only 21 points total.
Luck has been on the field for only 4½ series, completing 10 of 15 passes for 114 yards. On the Colts’ only TD drive under his stewardship, Luck ran it in himself for a 5-yard score.
The Colts have had issues with their offensive line, but Luck is surrounded by a talented group of receivers and now has former San Francisco 49er Frank Gore to bolster the running game.
“He’s got a tremendously strong arm, quick release, sees the field,” Fisher said of Luck. “And then he’s mobile. He buys time in the pocket, scrambles around. … He’s the real deal. Don’t know how much he’s going to play, but it’ll be a good challenge for our defense.”
And another chance to step beyond the ranks of the so-so.
znModeratorRams vs. Colts: 5 things to watch
Jim Thomas
DAVIS’ LAST STAND?
It has become clear that Case Keenum is the QB of choice for the backup job behind Nick Foles. Austin Davis, who started eight games for the Rams last season, winning three, looks like the odd man out. Davis has played only two series so far — one in each preseason game behind the third-team line. Looks like the handwriting’s on the wall.
ON GUARD
Demetrius Rhaney started last week at center; it looks like he’ll start at left guard against the Colts with Rodger Saffold still sidelined by a shoulder injury. Rhaney had some rough moments vs. Tennessee but caught the coaches’ eyes with a strong performances in Oxnard, Calif., vs. the Cowboys. He played more guard than center in college.
CORNER MARKET
Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner and Marcus Roberson are entrenched as the top four cornerbacks. But with E.J. Gaines out for the year, the battle is on for a fifth and possibly sixth cornerback spot on the 53-man roster. With Brandon McGee out with a foot injury, Imoan Claiborne could have the inside track.
OFFENSE, ANYONE?
In six preseason series, Foles and the first-team offense have managed a mere five first downs, 113 yards, and one measly field goal. Young offensive line notwithstanding, it’s time to get something going. The Rams have done some rudimentary game-planning and watched some film on Indianapolis; maybe that will help.
QUICK RETURNS
The starters on both sides of the ball could play the entire first half tonight. How much WR Brian Quick is on the field remains to be seen, but he should be out there. He was cleared for full-go practice this week and is expected to play his first game of any kind since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Game 7 last season vs. Kansas City.
znModeratorRams’ defense step up in class vs. Luck, Colts
By Jim Thomas
The top story so far this preseason has been the starting offense’s inability to get out of its own way. As for the work of the Rams’ first-team defense? So-so.
Entering Saturday’s 7 p.m. contest against Indianapolis at the Edward Jones Dome, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’s starting unit has given up 191 yards but just two field goals in five total series against Oakland and Tennessee.
But it took an end zone interception by cornerback Trumaine Johnson to end one drive against Oakland. And in Nashville, Tennessee running back Dexter McCluster dropped what should’ve been a touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota in the end zone, causing the Titans to settle for a field goal.
“We’ve got to get better on both sides of the ball, my brother,” defensive end William Hayes said after the Rams’ 27-14 loss to Tennessee. “We’re doing a lot of things that good football teams don’t do right now.
“I can’t speak for the offense, but defensively there’s just a lot of plays that we’re not making where we’re not really doing our jobs like we’re supposed to. We’ll get it fixed. I know up front, we’re not really being gap sound. Like I said, that’s something that’s easy to correct.”
There’s more of a veteran presence on the defense, even though the Rams don’t have a player over 30 years old (on either side of the ball). And when it comes to the front seven in particular, there are no excuse makers.
This unit knows when it plays well and knows when it doesn’t. And it has enough talent, savvy, and work ethic to fix things that go wrong.
“We’re not playing the way we should be right now,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “We still have a couple more weeks to improve, but those weeks fly by. You can’t take one day for granted.
“So hopefully guys after this (Tennessee) game realize what’s at stake. What’s our true potential. Hopefully guys just start playing the way we should. There were some positives, but I think at the end of the day we had too many negative plays, and that’s not the type of style the defense really wants to play.”
Tennessee got out of the gates quickly Sunday night with a 16-yard pass play and then an 18-yard run by Bishop Sankey on its first two plays.
On the Titans’ second possession, tight end Craig Stevens got loose for a 35-yard catch and run on a play where both Johnson and safety T.J. McDonald were in the vicinity but got caught looking in the backfield for the run.
Two plays later, Sankey broke loose for a 19-yard run. On one of the long Sankey runs, linebacker Alec Ogletree failed to fill the gap, giving Sankey a clear seam to get off the line of scrimmage.
A few yards downfield, linebacker James Laurinaitis was blocked out of the play by a Tennessee guard. Strong defensive line play versus the run keeps offensive linemen from getting those second-level blocks on linebackers and safeties.
At the end of the second drive, on the dropped TD pass, Ogletree strayed from his coverage area in zone defense, which left McCluster wide open.
After watching the Rams’ defensive starters yield 5.9 yards a carry in the first two preseason games (94 yards on 16 carries total), coach Jeff Fisher placed special emphasis on the run game in Tuesday’s practice.
“We got some things fixed,” Fisher said. “Again, we didn’t prepare an awful lot for (Tennessee’s) formations and things, and their run game. We did make adjustments, however, in the second half. I thought we made a lot of plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage, which was good.”
The Titans had only 36 rushing yards on 13 carries in the second half and rushed for only 56 yards on 20 carries once the Rams’ first-team defense was done for the night in the second quarter.
Obviously, the Rams need to get that kind of play from their starting unit — not just the reserves — once the real games begin Sept. 13 against Seattle.
“Any time you’re not playing good football there’s a sense of urgency,” Hayes said. “I’m a realist. They (Tennessee) kind of did what they wanted to with us. And it wasn’t because they were just better than us. It was because we weren’t doing what we were supposed to do. So I think once we fix that, we’ll be fine. It’s small stuff that’s easily correctable.”
The starting defense steps up in class Saturday in facing quarterback Andrew Luck and the potent Indianapolis offense. Like the Rams, the Colts are 0-2 in the preseason and haven’t done much offensively in losses to Philadelphia and Chicago, scoring only 21 points total.
Luck has been on the field for only 4½ series, completing 10 of 15 passes for 114 yards. On the Colts’ only TD drive under his stewardship, Luck ran it in himself for a 5-yard score.
The Colts have had issues with their offensive line, but Luck is surrounded by a talented group of receivers and now has former San Francisco 49er Frank Gore to bolster the running game.
“He’s got a tremendously strong arm, quick release, sees the field,” Fisher said of Luck. “And then he’s mobile. He buys time in the pocket, scrambles around. … He’s the real deal. Don’t know how much he’s going to play, but it’ll be a good challenge for our defense.”
And another chance to step beyond the ranks of the so-so.
August 28, 2015 at 11:45 pm in reply to: Tucker and Cosell on the qbs week 2 … including of course Foles #29486znModeratorMarch 11, 2015
What are the Rams getting with Foles?
“I think ultimately Foles is a complementary quarterback. I think he’s a quarterback that needs the run game, that needs the offense to work effectively. They’ll have a good defense. I think Foles can be a quality NFL starting quarterback. He throws the ball well. He’s a big kid. He has some movement within the pocket. The key with Nick Foles is you have to define things for him. The longer he stays in the pocket, the worse he is and his arm strength declines…because he tends to throw off balance. So things need to be defined for him so the ball comes out. But I think there’s talent there. Frank Cignetti is a detailed, disciplined guy and he’s going to make sure that Nick Foles is going to do things the right way. I think that’s important for Nick. I think he needs to be coached hard with the fundamentals because I think the talent level is pretty hard.”
On Foles’ accuracy and toughness:
“I think the accuracy is good. It obviously declines the more there’s people around him. I think that’s a critical thing that needs to be worked on. I don’t think there’s a problem with his toughness at all, he’s a tough kid. He took shots in Philly. Some of them were his own doing, because he was a little slow getting the ball out. But I don’t think there’s any issue at all with toughness.”
znModeratorSame as last year the Rams did not gameplan the first 2 pre-season games. And without question, the Titans and Raiders absolutely DID gameplan. At least they did on offense.
I don’t see how you be so absolute about the idea that Tenn. gameplanned. After the Oakland game, the whole gameplanning thing was in the back of my mind as I watched the Tenn. game.
I didn’t see any evidence of gameplanning. I saw that the Rams were too small upfront without Brockers. They’re just too small to stop a running game consistently. John Lynch specifically talked about how the Titans were winning the battle at the los.
Remember that they also lost Kendall Langford. Without Langford & Brockers the DL looked too small to me. This team wasn’t good against the run last year, and they’re gonna be worse if Brockers misses time.
I also noticed a couple pass plays that highlighted a big loss for the Rams D–EJ Gaines’ injury.
The first one was a blitz that didn’t get to Mariotta fast and he was able to find Kendall Wright running free with Tru in coverage. (The Titans success here wasn’t evidence of gameplanning to me. It was poor defense and football 101. All Mariotta had to do was see the blitz and hit the open guy.)
The second play was when Donald flushed Mariotta out of the pocket and he was able to throw a nice pass to the tight end. I believe I noticed that Tru was in the vicinity, but it looked like he had lost track of the Titans’ receivers and was unable to defend the pass. It wasn’t a poor play on Tru’s part, but maybe a good cb is able to do something there.
The Rams WILL miss Gaines this year.
I’ve always believed that there are things you can tell about a team during the preseason. And for me, I am seeing some troubling things for this defense.
The Rams were not a top 5 defense last year, and from what I’ve seen so far they won’t be as good this year as they were last year.
Well we just saw different things. I saw a defense that was flat and missing assignments, and I saw them going up against an offense that built in a plan of attack based on informed knowledge of the Rams tendencies, scheme, and personnel on defense. They designed an attack for that defense without, at the same time, having to face a defense that in turn designed an attack for them. I say they gameplanned because of the plays they ran, and how they sequenced their plays. It’s just what I saw.
The only difference between this year and last year is Langford v. Donald, and I honestly don’t believe that one difference accounts for them suddenly as a group being smaller overall.
I don’t think the problem was size per se, I think that Westbrooks suddenly found out he is the next nose tackle up, and he has never played it before in a pro game. That was just his game to become the #2 NT.
We have seen good things from Johnson too. The problem in the secondary is the old one though from last year…players out of position giving up big pass plays. And of course they need to really fix that.
znModeratorRams-Colts: Five Things to Watch
Norm Sanders
http://www.bnd.com/sports/nfl/st-louis-rams/article32670546.html#storylink=cpy
The St. Louis Rams play their preseason home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts at the Edward Jones Dome. Here are five key areas to watch as the home fans get their first live look at coach Jeff Fisher’s squad (7 p.m. kickoff; TV: Fox Channel 2; Radio: WXOS-FM 101.1):
1. Many coaches use the third preseason game as something of a dress rehearsal to unveil a little more of their offense and push some of their starters into the second quarter. Will Fisher follow the plan?
It’s doubtful. He likes to keep everything close to the vest and throughout the preseason has kept things on offense about as spicy as cold oatmeal and a glass of water. I would think the Rams may show a little more than they have, but don’t be too sure. It would be good to see a little more production from new quarterback Nick Foles, who has completed 6-of-12 passes for 87 yards and no TDs with one interception.
2. How are the training camp battles going? Has anyone done enough to push themselves up the depth chart?
Based on game production I’d say backup quarterback Case Keenum (19-for-33 in the preseason for 247 yards and one touchdown) has been impressive. He started games with the Houston Texans last season and was with the Rams briefly, and seems to have an edge on another veteran competing for the backup job, Austin Davis. In fairness, Davis hasn’t gotten much work with the first or second offensive units. There doesn’t seem to be much room at running back, receiver or the defensive line outside of the proven performers. That being said, there’s always hot competition for that final handful of roster spots when teams make the cut to get down to the 53-man roster.
3. With running back Todd Gurley cleared to return to active practice duty from ACL surgery rehab — he still won’t play in a preseason game — what type of impact could he have on the Rams this season?
The Rams didn’t draft the former Georgia star 10th overall to sit on the bench. Once he’s healthy and comfortable with the offense, expect to see the team ease him into things before giving him the full-time No. 1 job. One of the most impressive running backs in camp has been Trey Watts, an elusive speedburner who has to sit out the first four games of the season because he violated the NFL substance abuse policy. Isaiah Pead, coming off knee surgery, is another option.
4. One of the most-watched aspects of camp has been the development of the rookies on the offensive line and the battle at center. Where do things stand now?
There is no question that the Rams are starting high draft picks Rob Havenstein at right tackle and Jamon Brown at right guard. Barrett Jones remains the top option at center, apparently, over Tim Barnes. The third center in that battle, Demetrius Rhaney, has seen time at left guard during recent practices while Rodger Saffold (shoulder) has been out. Another rookie draft pick, Cody Wichmann, is expected to see his first action of the preseason after missing time with a calf injury.
5. Chris Givens caught an 80-yard TD pass from Case Keenum in the loss to Tennessee last Sunday. Could he still have an impact role in this offense?
It’s possible. Givens leads the Rams with five catches for 116 yards in the preseason. He and Tavon Austin are the quickest receivers and Rams’ fans remember Givens’ rookie season when he made an array of catches of 50 yards or more. However, Givens caught only 11 passes last season for 159 yards, including a 47-yard TD pass. That team lost emerging wideout Brian Quick to a shoulder injury and Givens didn’t step up then. This might be another good opportunity
znModeratorRobert Quinn Press Conference – 8/26
Defensive lineman Robert Quinn talks to several media members after Wednesday’s practice at Rams Park.
znModeratorThere are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.”
― Aldous HuxleyHuxley is quoting Wm. Blake’s much more optimistic original:
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.”
― William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
znModeratorThis may sound wishy-washy but its how i see it — i agree
with both zn and rfl, in general.I mean, I think i see what zack is saying and it makes
sense, but i also have a stream of thoughts/feelings in wv-brain
that watch the play of the offense and defense so far, and
that stream is going…”Its Year FOUR, WTF?!..”w
vThe trick will be how they look across the next 4 weeks.
Venturi predicted they will come out strong, at least tomorrow.
I see signs of that already. When you get guys like Quinn talking in public about how the team has to step up, to me, that means he’s echoing the coaches.
And this is of course about the defense. We know an offense with a new coordinator, a new qb, and a new OL is going to struggle.
BTW I think it is completely telling that even Hekker and GZ looked bad against Tenn, and then you read that Dallas had the exact same issues last weekend, also in all 3 phases—offense, defense, special teams.
I don;t think they played well against the Titans but I just took that as a one-time thing.
..
August 28, 2015 at 3:48 pm in reply to: The Lawrence Philips mini-series (not literally, just a metaphor) #29462znModeratorLawrence Phillips to be prosecuted for death of cellmate
Lawrence Phillips, the former star running back, will be prosecuted for the death of his cellmate, a legal secretary with the Kern County (Calif.) District Attorney’s office told USA TODAY Sports Friday.
Criminal charges against Phillips in the death of Damion Soward – found dead in April inside the cell he shared with Phillips in Kern Valley State Prison – will be filed with the court next week, said Pam Marshall, legal secretary with the district attorney’s office. Marshall said she will be filing the criminal complaint and related paperwork.
Phillips, 40, who starred for the University of Nebraska in the 1990s before playing in the NFL, has not been available for comment. He is serving 31 years for driving his car into three teenagers and assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
Prison officials identified Phillips as the suspected killer when Soward’s body was found, triggering an investigation into the death. Marshall said the investigation is complete.
Andrea Bridges, who will be prosecuting the case, could not immediately be reached for comment.
In June, USA TODAY Sports published a series of letters he wrote to former coaches and a mentor that referred to run-ins he had with inmates with gang ties. Soward was a former gang member serving 82 years to life for first-degree murder.
August 28, 2015 at 3:01 pm in reply to: Rams learned from Bradford how to handle Gurley's knee #29446znModeratorWouldn’t they test for strength around the knee before he plays?
Apparently, they DID. What they didn;t know was how problematical that would be.
And this is not just the Rams. The surgeon (Andrews) is heavily involved in the whole process.
So this one looks like NO ONE knew how problematical it would be.
To test without having an accurate benchmark is worthless
And I don;t think that;s what happened. In the least.
I think what happened is that in the wake of Bradford and Long they raised the benchmarks and went into “err on the side of caution” mode. And I don’t just mean the Rams—I mean the entire NFL sports medicine industry, including Andrews.
If you listened to and read the sports medicine guys last summer, like the experts on rehab they had on 101, no one thought either guy was coming back too soon. They were full of assurances about the rehab process and how it had evolved over the years.
I think Long and SB took them by surprise. And I don’t just mean the Rams. It’s apparent now, they changed the benchmarks in the light of new discoveries.
And while that’s pretty clear, still, we’re making some assumptions about what actually happened based on an opinion piece from Turf Show Times written by a blogger who cites no sources.
.
August 28, 2015 at 12:51 pm in reply to: Rams learned from Bradford how to handle Gurley's knee #29444znModeratorWouldn’t they test for strength around the knee before he plays?
Apparently, they DID. What they didn;t know was how problematical that would be.
And this is not just the Rams. The surgeon (Andrews) is heavily involved in the whole process.
So this one looks like NO ONE knew how problematical it would be.
znModeratorI can understand the offense struggling a little bit. I can’t get the defense looking hopeless and lost. They said they didn’t have gap discipline, things like that. Clearly their tackling was sloppy. Do they work on that in camp? The defense has been together–should know their assignments, and should certainly do more than lunge at runners hoping they’ll drop.
I don’t even know for sure how much the Titans and Raiders actually gameplanned specifically for the Rams. I do know that they are not good teams and they looked great against this team.
I do believe the travelling affected some things. I get that.
But this team needs to look a LOT different this week.
We’ll see.
A lot of responses, PA. This is of course the optmistic view.
#1. Tackling is sloppy all over the league, and yes they work on it. On this one, it’s the new CBA. But I did not see playings “lunge at runners hoping they’d drop.” What I saw was players going for take-out hits instead of executing fundamental tackles efficiently.
#2. Gap discipline issues against the Titans, said Fisher, came from them not knowing what it was they were playing against (the disadvantage of not gameplanning). He said they adjusted during the game and that improved things. It’s not a matter of knowing their assignments, it’s a matter of the Titans deliberately doing things that threw them off balance, while they themselves didn’t have the equivalent on their side. They will look hopeless and lost if they are going up against a plan meant to attack specifically them, while they themselves don’t have an equivalent plan.
#3. The 1st did not play with any level of investment. But in my mind it’s hard to do that if you’re on the road for game one, stay on the road for 2 days of competitive scrimmages, come home, and go back on the road for the 3rd live encounter with another team in 9 days. In fact as I said, Dallas crashed and burned last weekend too (though they also have a couple of injuries). Here’s stuff on that: Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was livid about his team’s dismal performance in the 23-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. “It wasn’t very good on offense, it wasn’t very good on defense it wasn’t very good kicking game,” Garrett said. “It wasn’t good early, middle or late. It wasn’t a very good performance at all.” Garrett refused to blame the offensive problems on the absence of three starters on the offensive line and receiver Dez Bryant. … “No excuses. We’re going to evaluate the game,” Garrett said. “When you’re out there you have a responsibility to play to a certain level. Period. The standard we set is high and we’re looking for guys to play to that standard.”
#4. There is no question both the Titans and Raiders gameplanned for the Rams defense, at least. You can tell by the way the plays are designed. Those were both “attack the Rams D” set-ups.
And I think the Rams D has to step up, too. In fact Rams players have been saying that themselves. But then think about that. Has Donald done anything in 2 games? Do you believe he will be that way all year?
So anyway that’s my “just a different view” different view.
They of course have to play better.
.,
August 28, 2015 at 3:28 am in reply to: Wagoner: Rams still in no rush to choose starting center #29432znModeratorMy view of the OL shake-out.
They have 16.
CENTER
Barnes (C)
Jones (C)
Wang (C)GUARD
Saffold (G)
Bond (G)
Brown (G)
Wichman (G)SWINGMEN
Rhaney (C/G)
Reynolds (G/T)
Washington (G/T)TACKLE
Robinson (T)
Havenstein (T)
Baker (T)
Donnal (T)
Darrell Williams (T)
Battle (T)If they keep 10, IMO, that will leave out: Wang, Bond, Wichman, Baker, and probably one of the following: Washington, Donnal, Bond. Maybe Barnes if Jones makes it, or maybe he;s the starter and Jones is on the bench.
Of the P-S eligible guys, that’s really mostly just Donnal and Wichman.
Wichman won’t get picked up, IMO. He was injured and barely practiced.
Donnal COULD get picked up, but of the 160-220 or so OL who will get cut league wide, why would he stand out?
And of course, the Rams will look at other teams’s cuts too.
If they keep 10, I see this (just a guess that could change tomorrow):
Robinson Saffold Barnes Brown Havenstein; + Rhaney Jones Battle Williams Reynolds (with 2 guard back-ups: Rhaney and Reynolds).
An OL along those lines would be shakey at first, BUT, long term, could be one of the deepest the Rams have had since the old Robinson OL days. Probably not AS good as the Robinson OLs (which were among the best NFL OLs ever) but as deep or deeper.
Though you know? If Robinson reaches his projected ceiling (most likely not this year) and Brown comes through as advertized, it COULD start to bear comparisons with the Robinson OLs in terms of talent level and effectiveness. That’s also assuming Rhaney pans out longterm and Barnes is just a one-year placeholder in 2015.
..
.
znModeratorWell, the Foles/Bradford trade was a fascinating deal.
I have no idea how it will turn out (obviously, no-one does),
but I would have pulled the trigger on the trade.
I trust Foles knees more than Sam’But I think this is also a case where it’s potentially a win-win trade. Injuries aside…I know, that’s a big aside…Bradford strikes me as being more of a fit for what they are doing there, and Foles more of a fit for what the Rams are doing.
Though in Foles case “fit” doesn’t quite describe it. I don’t think the Rams have the kind of system demands the Eagles do, at least when it comes to the qb. So it’s more that they are willing to tailor what they do in the passing game around what Foles does best, instead of having a very specific set of system demands he might not fit.
For one, we know that Bradford is more of an “implement the system” guy and less of a pure improviser (though he can improvise some, as we know). I think that’s more in line with Kelly. It seems to me Foles is more likely than Bradford to bail on a play and try and make something happen off script—which isn’t a problem with the Rams offense, but probably was a problem for Kelly. And besides that, one thing I have gathered from reading about the Eagles is that they prize Bradford for his physical strengths, like the quick release and longball arm and quick decision making.
Some quotes to back that up:
http://articles.philly.com/2015-03-30/sports/60606982_1_chip-kelly-sam-bradford-brian-schottenheimer
Kelly knew the decisions Foles had made in his offense, and there were many times last season when he missed open receivers. The same could be said of Sanchez, but he wasn’t brought back to start.
“We’ve got guys open, and we didn’t put the ball on them in certain situations,” Kelly said.
…
Kelly pretty much abandoned his productive zone-read running plays last season with the immobile Foles and Sanchez. He said he wouldn’t use the option much with Bradford either. Many still believe Kelly, ideally, wants a dual-threat quarterback such as Marcus Mariota.
He’s going to come here with a lot of background in what we do,” said Shurmur, who moved on from St. Louis after that season to become the head coach in Cleveland the next season. “We’re going to be able to connect the dots very quickly.
“He’s a quick thinker, a quick, good-decision maker and he understands the importance of executing quickly. I think, for those reasons, he’ll be a good fit for us. He can make every throw. He’s proven that. Now we have to get him in and get him going.”
…
He’s going to understand what we’re doing. He did some of it at Oklahoma in that spread they ran. Sam was very successful there and we have high hopes for him here as well,” Shurmur said.
]
znModeratorrgiii is very immature right now.
Looks to me like that’s very deeply rooted, though. You can tell about kids like that by the time they’re in college. IMO it usually doesn’t get much better.
znModeratorBrown fighting for a spot in Rams’ crowded backfield
Jim Thomas
The runway is always crowded at running back for Jeff Fisher teams. The Rams coach stacks them up like airplanes at a busy airport, and this year is no different.
Rookie Malcolm Brown is doing his best to move up in the pecking order. In college, he finished No. 9 in career rushing for the Texas Longhorns with 2,678 yards but went undrafted in the spring.
He put his best foot forward Sunday night in Tennessee, leading the team with four receptions for 78 yards and rushing four times for 23 yards. Fifty-four of those receiving yards came on one play — a short pass from rookie quarterback Sean Mannion that Brown took down the left sideline for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
“It was exciting,” Brown said. “I caught the ball, two guys kind of hit me and slung me around, kind of forced the spin move a little bit, and it was a tightrope on the sidelines. I just kept on running.”
The Titans challenged the play, thinking Brown might have stepped out of bounds. But the original ruling was upheld, and preseason or not Brown had his first NFL touchdown. Yes, he kept the football.
Whether he gets the opportunity to add any regular-season footballs to his TD collection remains to be seen. A crowded Rams running back room includes No. 10 overall pick Todd Gurley, 2014 all-rookie selection Tre Mason, and established backup Benny Cunningham.
There’s also former second-round pick Isaiah Pead, special teams ace Chase Reynolds, and promising second-year man Trey Watts.
That’s a tough unit to crack, even with Gurley probably not playing at the start of the season as he returns from college knee surgery and Watts suspended for the first four games.
“Yeah, there’s still a ton in there (in the RB room),” Brown said. “But you’ve got to come in with the mindset of just trying to do what you can. Not try to overdo it. I’m thankful for the opportunity first of all.”
Whether it’s running, blocking, or catching passes, Brown feels he has the skill set to be an every-down back. It remains to be seen if he’ll get that chance in St. Louis.
“Coaches and owners make decisions on cutting guys and stuff like that,” he said. “So I don’t focus too much on that.”
With the first round of roster cuts coming after Saturday’s preseason game against Indianapolis, Brown is among several players hoping to become the next Rodney McLeod, London Fletcher, or Kurt Warner — that is, the next roster long shot to make the team.
Here’s a look at a few others:
WR BRADLEY MARQUEZ
Marquez tried his hand at pro baseball as an outfielder in the New York Mets’ system. Now, he’s giving pro football a whirl as an undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech.“The minor leagues is a lot different than the NFL training and the NFL preseason games,” Marquez said. “But there’s some similarities, especially with the first few pro games that I was actually in.“It’s kinda that same excitement and butterfly feeling, to get that live action and know what you’re actually doing — playing minor league pro ball as well as playing in this league.”
The Rams have five experienced wideouts on their roster in Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, Chris Givens, and Brian Quick. Fisher may very well keep just five wide receivers given his overall run-oriented, conservative offensive approach.
So Marquez, who caught 65 passes for 821 yards and 10 TDs last season at Texas Tech, may have to persuade him to keep six. Marquez does have five catches in preseason play, sharing the team lead with four others.
But he realizes his ticket to the 53-man roster probably must come via strong special teams play. Fisher took note of his efforts in that area after the Tennessee game, saying: “Bradley Marquez is showing he’s got some skills to play in this league on teams.”
Until now, Marquez hadn’t played special teams on a regular basis since his sophomore year in college. He’s getting a refresher course.
“It’s kinda like riding a bike; I’m just getting used to what I used to know back then,” he said. “I’m gonna try to do whatever I can for this team, whatever I can do to help make this team better, and special teams is where it’s at right now.”
Marquez has studied the work of several Rams special teams veterans on the field and on film looking for ways he can improve his game.
“I’m just trying to find a little spot in there somewhere, wherever I can,” Marquez said. “And the more versatile I am, it will help me the most.”
S CHRISTIAN BRYANT
The Rams liked Bryant’s toughness and passion for the game when they selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft out of Ohio State.But he missed half of his final year with the Buckeyes because of a broken ankle, and even though he spent last season on the Rams’ practice squad, he didn’t really feel right physically until the start of the OTA practice period in early June.“Health-wise, I’m feeling great honestly,” Bryant said. “I’m feeling like I’m making strides, getting better every day out here.”
Bryant spent part of the offseason back in Columbus, where he earned his undergraduate degree in sociology. While he was on campus, he worked out with the Buckeyes’ athletic trainers and strength coaches.
When he went back home to Cleveland, he worked with personal trainer Tim Roberts on speed and strength.
“I honestly just attacked the offseason,” Bryant said. “I knew exactly what I needed to do because if I would’ve come out here this year still doing the same exact thing that I did last year, I wouldn’t have had a shot.”
The numbers game is daunting at safety with Mark Barron, Maurice Alexander, and Cody Davis the top three backups behind starters T.J. McDonald and McLeod. The Rams probably will keep no more than five safeties.
“I’m not too worried about that,” Bryant said. “You can just control what you can control. I come out here every day trying to get better as a player. Try to show the coaches that I know the scheme of the defense at almost every position. I’ve been staying in my playbook, so I’m pretty much covered on the play side.”
Bryant feels he’s knocked off the rust from his long layoff. Although he was penalized twice on special teams Sunday, he made his presence felt on defense against Tennessee with four tackles and a forced fumble.
“I’m out here getting contact,” Bryant said. “I’m making some plays. I’m showing people that I have the ability to play in this league.”
LB BRYCE HAGER
Highly productive at Baylor, Hager is trying to become the second generation Hager to play for Fisher. (His father Britt, also a former Ram, played for Fisher in Philadelphia in 1989-90 when Fisher was defensive coordinator there.)Hager has taken advantage of injuries to Daren Bates (knee) and Korey Toomer (ankle) to make a run at a backup linebacker job.“It’s allowed me to play a little bit more, get a little bit more reps,” Hager said. “So I think that’s helping and getting me used to the system a little bit.”
He has played 90 defensive snaps so far this preseason, more than any Rams player (offense or defense). He also leads the team in tackles, with 12 this preseason.
“I guess that’s what preseason’s for, just so you have the young guys play … and to see who can make the team,” Hager said.
As a backup linebacker, it’s all but a necessity to play multiple positions, and play special teams. After playing exclusively at middle linebacker in college, learning the weakside and strongside positions outside has been an adjustment for Hager.
“Going back and forth to positions, it’s kinda getting my head spinning,” Hager said. “Its starting to calm down a little bit.”
So the mental part of the game, particularly getting a feel for the outside linebacker spots, has meant a lot of time in the playbook and in the film room for Hager.
“Oh man, that’s all I’m doing,” he said
-
AuthorPosts
