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znModeratorJoe Lyons
RAM-BLINGS
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said the team will take a slightly different approach in Saturday’s 7 p.m. preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at the Edward Jones Dome.
“We’re going to allow them to look at the opponent, spend a little more time just kind of preparing them,” the coach said. “But that doesn’t mean to say we’re going to put a lot of new things in. … We’re just trying to get them a better feel for it.”
• Not practicing Thursday: cornerback Brandon McGee, linebackers Daren Bates and Korey Toomer, tackles Rodger Saffold and Andrew Donnal, tight end Brad Smelley and defensive tackles Nick Fairley and Doug Worthington. Starting defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald did not participate in team (11 on 11).
With Saffold out, Demetrius Rhaney continued to work at left guard. Rhaney, Barrett Jones and Tim Barnes have been rotating at the center spot. On Thursday, Mizzou product Barnes worked with the starters.
• Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams took in Thursday’s workout. Also on hand was former NFL QB Jeff Blake, the father of Rams WR Emory Blake.
znModeratorRams notes: Versatile Watts continues to impress
• By Joe LyonsSecond-year running back and special-team standout Trey Watts is working just like he did a year ago, trying to earn a spot on the Rams’ 53-man roster.
But this year is different. In the offseason, Watts was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He can practice through camp and take part in preseason games but once the season starts, he won’t be able to rejoin the Rams until Oct. 5 in preparation for that Sunday’s game against the Packers in Green Bay.
“I made a mistake and now I have to deal with it,” said Watts, 24. “I’m disappointed in myself because I feel like I let people down. I let my teammates down and I let my family down. But all I can do now is try to move forward. I can’t think about the suspension; on the football field, my focus has to be on football and right now, I’m just focused on pushing myself each day to become a better player.”
Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Tulsa University, the 5-foot-9, 208-pound Watts has been one of the Rams’ more productive players through the first two preseason contests. After rushing for 16 yards and catching a pair of passes in an 18-3 loss at Oakland, he stepped up in the second half of Sunday’s 27-14 loss at Tennessee with 53 yards on six rushing attempts (8.8 per carry) and caught three passes for 46 yards, including 33 on a screen pass from Case Keenum just after halftime.
“I had a lot of fun,” said Watts, whose production has come largely against the other teams’ reserves. “Anytime you get an opportunity, you want to make the most of it because you never know how many touches, how many reps, you’re going to get. Every year, it’s a battle to make the 53-man roster, especially for someone in my position. There’s probably a little more pressure (because of the suspension), but I’m a guy who’s always thrived under pressure.
“My goal is to make it hard for the coaches. I want to impress them by showing that I know the ins and outs of the offense and that I can perform. I need to show them that I can come back after four weeks and help this football team.”
Watts flashed his versatility last year with the Rams, appearing in 14 games as rookie. He ran three times for 18 yards, caught seven passes for 30 yards and finished among the special teams leaders with nine tackles.
He credited his success against the Titans to his teammates.
“The offensive line, they really did a great job,” he said. “I’ve been blessed with pretty good athletic ability and quick feet, so I mainly just trust my eyes to find open space. On the screen, once I slipped by the blitzer, there was no one to cover me. Any time you’re running downfield with your offensive linemen, you definitely feel safe and protected.”
GIVENS GOES DEEP
With the Rams needing something — anything — to provide a spark Sunday in Nashville, fourth-year wideout Chris Givens delivered.
On a first down in the third quarter, Givens beat his man with a quick move at the line and then ran under a well-thrown pass from Keenum for an 80-yard touchdown, the Rams’ first TD of the preseason.
“Once I lined up and saw the coverage, my only thought was ‘catch it and run,’” Givens said. “I knew the play was there and Case put it right on the money. It felt good.”
Had to feel like old times for Givens, who set an NFL rookie record in 2012 with five consecutive games with at least one catch of 50-plus yards. That season, in 15 games and 12 starts, Givens had 42 catches, a team-leading 698 yards and three touchdowns.
Givens made 34 catches for 569 yards but did not score in 2013. Last year, he had just 11 receptions for 159 yards, including a 47-yard TD catch.
“I just want to go out and make plays,” he said. “I think we’re a team that will attack more vertically this year because we have a lot of guys with that ability.”
Once considered just a deep threat, Givens has worked hard to make himself a more complete receiver.
“Before, I was running either this route or that route, and the DBs knew it, too,” Givens said. “Now, we’re so far from that… Working at so many different spots, it keeps it more fun for me and can also open things up for the whole offense.”
znModeratorb]Strauss: Same old vanilla flavor from Fisher[/b]
Joe Strauss
With apologies to the transcendent but vastly underrated poet Robert Matthew Van Winkle, if it’s August then Jeff Fisher’s offense can best be described as “Ice Ice Baby.”
“Yo, 4th-and-three, let’s kick it.” Two weeks into the exhibition season and the Rams’ first-team offense has yet to crack the end zone.
For many teams this would raise anxiety levels only slightly.
For a team breaking in a new quarterback behind a renovated offensive line, this moves the needle like a Geiger counter atop a Bridgeton landfill.
“Ice, ice, baby.”
The Rams have been outscored 45-17 by the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans. Quarterback Nick Foles has attempted 12 passes, completed six and had one intercepted for a touchdown. Outscored 29-3 before halftime, Mayflower’s Team hasn’t exactly stoked ratings outside Earth City. This is either a sign of an approaching apocalypse or no more significant than Thursday giving way to Friday.
In his fourth season as the Rams’ lead ice cream man, Fisher’s flavor of the month for August is always vanilla.
Not French vanilla. Not Vanilla Dream. And certainly not Tutti Frutti.
So far the No. 1 offense has rushed for 40 yards on 14 carries — roughly three yards and a cloud of bust. But first-rounder Todd Gurley still wears the yellow beanie. The Rams’ feature-back-in-waiting is not to be touched during drills and is unlikely to run from scrimmage until well into September. Veteran left guard Rodger Saffold missed last weekend’s tilt with a sprained right shoulder and remains questionable for Saturday against Indianapolis. Saffold’s absence leaves two rookie starters, three auditioning centers, a second-year left tackle and redshirt Demetrius Rhaney, who has never appeared in a regular-season NFL game.
If this concerns Fisher, he masks it with a poker face.
“To me, it’s our ability to run the football,” Fisher said, noting Wednesday’s practice with pads was committed primarily to the running game. “We’re continuing to improve in our offense, and that’s a big part of our offense. I’m not terribly concerned with where we are right now because of the quality of work we’ve had in practice.”
Fisher liked the way his travel-weary team practiced against the Dallas Cowboys last week in Oxnard before laying an egg in Music City.
Some in camp theorize the Oakland Raiders used Week 1 to ambush a team that embarrassed them 52-0 at Edward Jones Dome last regular season. Others remind that the Rams have so far refused to game plan but will change that this Saturday. Fisher was seen calling plays for the scout offense Thursday evening; the task usually falls to a coordinator.
Still, one gets the strong vibe that another loss won’t ruin Fisher’s Sunday.
“I don’t know what the stats are, but the Colts went five or six years in a row going 0-for-the-preseason and won the division every year,” he said.
Well, the Rams haven’t won their division or enjoyed a winning season since 2003. Typical rules may not apply.
Week 3 is supposedly about playing the starters at least a half, running some more intricate pass plays and reacting more nimbly to what the opposing defense presents.
In other words, Tre Mason should get more than 2.5 carries, Tavon Austin should make at least his second reception of camp and Jared Cook could be asked to make more than one token catch of three yards.
“You do a little more in Game 3,” Fisher said. “We’re just going to increase the number of reps for the starters and go from there. Some guys don’t need those reps. Some guys you need to protect. Some guys have had enough in their careers that they know what they need to do.”
The Rams gained 688 yards without a rushing touchdown in their two make-believe games. Opponents have mustered 696 yards, though quarterbacks have hung a 109.0 passer rating on a defense yet to record a sack. (Chris Long missed Oakland. Michael Brockers missed Tennessee.) The Raiders and Titans averaged 3.6 yards per rush. If the offense is cause for a red flag, the rush defense barely has been yellow.
Again, Fisher prefers his shots vanilla with a bland chaser.
“It’s about coming out of a game with balance,” said Fisher, whose preference is a 60-40 mix of run-pass. This won’t make highlight reels but in a perfect world it would shorten games so that a younger, less explosive, defense-first team might hold on or steal it at the end.
Fisher’s chief regret in three seasons here was deviating from his tried-and-true, ground-and-pound formula early in 2014. He allowed offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer four weeks to unsuccessfully spread the field before interceding. Last season the Rams lost Sam Bradford to a repeat knee injury in a Week 3 exhibition. The Rams have employed a backup quarterback in 25 consecutive starts, making then unique within the league.
“We got a little off course with that offense (in 2014). We regrouped and recommitted to the run,” Fisher said of a season that finished 7-9. “Last year we were still a little stunned with the loss of Sam when we opened.”
Of course, there is much more and louder background noise than in Fisher’s first three seasons. Relocation talk abounds. The Rams committed a first-round draft pick to a rusher who may not influence their season until Week 4. Fans hoping for sizzle likely will have to satisfy themselves with meat and potatoes following this month’s vanilla extract.
One man’s patience could be tedium to a half-filled stadium. One man’s poetry is just another man’s noise.
znModeratorInsider: Time to panic about Colts’ offensive line?
We’re two games into the preseason. The Colts’ regular season doesn’t start for another three weeks.
With that said, is it too early to panic about the offensive line?
If you watched the early stages of the Colts’ 23-11 loss to the Chicago Bears on Saturday night, you perhaps feel this is an appropriate time to sound the alarm.
Because if there’s one thing that should make all of Indianapolis nervous, it is the sight of quarterback Andrew Luck being driven into the ground.
That is a phenomenon seen too often in the first two series of the game. Luck was taken to the ground by defenders three times in the game’s first two possessions, limiting the Colts’ ability to stretch the field with all of their potent offensive weapons. To put it another way, defenders got to Luck three times in his first five dropbacks.
BOX SCORE: Bears 23, Colts 11
Signing 32-year old Todd Herremans to a one-year contract was the only meaningful offseason move by general manager Ryan Grigson to shore up what was widely seen as an average unit in 2014. And now, it might be time to ask whether it was enough.
“We’ve got to be able to protect the quarterback,” coach Chuck Pagano said afterward.
The starting line played three series fully intact. They settled down and had a much more impressive third and final series, with Luck leaving the game after engineering a 9-play, 89-yard drive that was capped by his own 5-yard touchdown scramble.
But equally memorable will be the two consecutive snaps right tackle Jack Mewhort turned in on the Colts’ first possession. Mewhort, playing a new position after starting at left guard as a rookie last season, was beaten soundly by an inside move from linebacker Pernell McPhee on the Colts’ second offensive play. In an instant, Luck was smothered by McPhee for the game’s first sack. Mewhort was then beaten by McPhee on the very next play, a third-and-14 from the Colts 17-yard line.
“It’s crippling when you go out there as a tackle and you give up a bad sack like that on the second play of the game,” Mewhort said. “Our emphasis has been on starting fast. … You can’t start fast when there’s a guy on top of the quarterback.”
Mewhort’s biggest challenge in switching from the interior of the offensive line to the outside is the speed and athleticism of the defenders he’ll face. Although he saw significant time at offensive tackle while at Ohio State, the level of edge rusher he’ll see in the NFL far exceeds anything he saw in the Big Ten.
Mewhort’s performance on Sunday raised questions about just how seamless the transition to offensive tackle will be. It also comes mere weeks after the Colts released veteran tackle Gosder Cherilus, who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The position change “is going to play a hand in it, obviously,” Pagano said. “(McPhee) is a really good pass rusher. They paid him a lot of money. We know what a game-wrecker he can be.”
Added Mewhort: “Obviously, I’m having some growing pains. I’m just going out there every day and trying my hardest. I’ve made comments before that the pass rushers in the NFL are monsters, and I have to be ready to go against guys like that every week.”
After Mewhort’s rocky start, things got no better for the offensive line. On the Colts’ second possession, Herremans gave up a big hit on Luck up the middle, and Bears outside linebacker Jared Allen beat Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo for another pressure.
“It’s a tough defense with some werewolves over there,” Luck said. “Pernell McPhee, Jared Allen, those guys are premier pass rushers. They certainly do put a lot of pressure on you as an offense.”
But one of the most disconcerting aspects of the pass-protection failures was the fact that they came against basic, one-on-one pass rushes.
None of the pressures given up came against a stunt or twist. In none of the aforementioned instances were the Colts fooled by a creative blitz.
Rest assured those will be part of opponents’ repertoires in the regular season. That includes the Rex Ryan-coached Buffalo Bills, whom the Colts meet in their season opener on Sept. 13.
Defensively, the Colts offered a mixed bag. The starting unit gave up consistent yardage to the Bears offense, but they began the game with a three-and-out, then rallied after poor starts on their next two drives to limit Chicago to field goals.
znModeratorPractice Report 8/27: Preparing for Indianapolis
Myles Simmons
The Rams continued their work in preparation for the third preseason game against the Colts on Thursday afternoon. Head coach Jeff Fisher said after the session that while yesterday’s practice was focused on physicality and the run game, today’s was more about agility and quickness.
“It’s great work,” Fisher said. “We tried to get some time between yesterday’s physical practice and then today, and today was more of a speed practice and it was good. We didn’t have any issues.”
The third exhibition contest is traditionally the so-called “dress rehearsal” for teams around the league. While Fisher does not necessarily adhere to that philosophy, the head coach said Thursday the team has been doing a bit more preparation for Indianapolis.
“We’re going to allow them to look at the opponent, spend a little more time preparing them,” Fisher said. “That doesn’t mean to say that we’re going to put a lot of new things in. We’re going to play. But we’ll just kind of get them a better feel for it.”
It’s probably fair to expect the starters to play more in this game than they have so far in the preseason. Fisher said earlier this week that there is a chance they could play to halftime, but it depends on the number of snaps the units get.
“It’s so hard to measure because if you’re defense gives up a 10-play drive and it lasts for six or seven minutes, then you’re cutting reps away from your offense,” Fisher said. “It’s all about time as they kind of relate to reps. I don’t think it’s necessary for us right now to go through halftime and come back. Most of our guys have done that before.”
If there are players who may have their on-field time substantially increased, they could come along the offensive line. Fisher has said throughout camp that he’s been pleased with the work from Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown at right tackle and right guard, respectively. And Fisher said today that they may get some extra snaps in order to more adequately prepare for Week 1.
“You’ll see JB and Rob play a little bit more. We need to get them some more live reps,” Fisher said. “But, again, I keep going back to the Dallas experience. Those were extra reps. But I think you’ll probably see them play most of the first half this week.”
Additionally, with Rodger Saffold temporarily sidelined with a shoulder injury, Demetrius Rhaney has been working at left guard. Rhaney has been one of the three players in competition to start at center, and according to Fisher, the Tennessee State product has done well shifting one slot to the left.
“The guard position, in his defense, is a little easier,” Fisher said. “There are a lot of things that go on with the center spot, and he’s handling that very well. But at the guard position, you just line up and play. And he’s done a good job there for us.”
Though the offensive line is not all settled just yet, Fisher said this time in practice presents good opportunities for players to get snaps where there may not be time to do so in the regular season.
“The expectation is that Rodger will be back,” Fisher said. “We’re moving people around so guys are getting a lot of valuable experience, especially Garrett [Reynolds]. Garrett is playing guard, playing tackle and all that. And same with Demetrius playing guard and center. So that’s really valuable experience for them.”
A LITTLE LUCK
It’s no secret that Andrew Luck is on the fast track to becoming an elite quarterback in the NFL. And while the Rams aren’t sure how much he’ll be in the game this week, Fisher said the quarterback will provide a good test for however many snaps he plays.
“He’s got a tremendously strong arm, quick release, sees the field, and then he’s mobile,” Fisher said. “He buys time in the pocket, scrambles around, and is really accurate on the run. He’s the complete package.”
But he’s not the only player who makes the Colts’ offense so effective.
“This week we have a great opponent in Indy who can light up a scoreboard in a heartbeat,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “I think guys know we have a challenge within ourselves. And they’ve got Frank Gore back there, so we know how he runs. They have a talented team. We just need to put our pieces together and play how we know we can.”
CUT DAYS ARE COMING
Finally, following the third preseason game, the Rams will have to reduce their current roster from 90 players to 75 by Sept. 1. Fisher acknowledged how it’s a difficult time for many, but he makes the effort to be as empathetic as possible with the process.
“I will talk to every single player. I’ve always done that,” Fisher said. “It’s difficult. It’s never easy, especially when you go to 75 because you’re trying to project what you’re going to do in the fourth preseason game. But we’ll get through the process.”
With many returning players, Fisher said he has an idea for the majority of spots for the 53-man roster. But there are still jobs to be earned over the next couple weeks, which the young players understand.
“We’ve had discussions with them with respect to how important the third preseason game is, and that we have some tough decision to make,” Fisher said. “Then we make our decisions and you go ahead and tell them the same thing in the fourth preseason game.”
August 27, 2015 at 11:23 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Rams still in no rush to choose starting center #29400znModeratorOffensive line questions starting to come into focus for Seahawks
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks believe the current configuration along their unsettled offensive line could very well be the one they take into the regular season. But with competitions still on at three of the five spots and with the team still looking at veterans on the free-agent market, coach Pete Carroll isn’t quite ready to make a final decision.
And so the week began with Justin Britt still atop the depth chart at left guard, Drew Nowak at center and Garry Gilliam at right tackle — for now, at least.
“They’ve got a chance now,” Carroll said when asked if the current group will be the one who starts in Week 1. “…We’ll see if they can hold it together and hold off the other guys that are battling with them, but we feel good enough about it. We like the way that they mix together and they have a real chance, so we’ll keep that intact again this week and take it one week at a time.”
The Seahawks had already been rotating players at center and left guard when they shuffled things up even more last week, moving Britt from right tackle and replacing him with Gilliam. That came after an unimpressive performance from the previous group in the Seahawks’ preseason opener.
The new group improved considerably in pass protection Friday night against Kansas City, not allowing a sack during the two quarters in which the starters played. But Seattle still failed to score an offensive touchdown and ran for only 78 yards in a 14-13 loss.
Carroll, looking beyond the final numbers, liked what he saw.
“I was really happy to see the line play together and have success, communicate well,” he said. “Drew had a nice first start. He’s in the middle of it all. Justin Britt looked really comfortable at left guard, played really solid football. He filled up the space so nice. Garry, who had a great matchup with Justin Houston, fared pretty well over there. It was a really good first showing by the fellas.”
Along with sticking with the current group and continuing to mix and match with backups, another option for the Seahawks is to fill one of their unsettled spots with a veteran free agent.
The team met with left guard Evan Mathis over the weekend, but he left Seattle without signing a contract. Carroll said the meeting went “very well” but that “there’s a lot of issues that we have to take care of to get that in order.” Money would be one of them, as Seattle might not have the cap space to afford Mathis, a two-time Pro Bowler who was reportedly seeking a raise from the $5.5 million he was set to make in 2015 before his release from Philadelphia.
The team was also scheduled to meet with center Samson Satele on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
“We’re going to keep competing to see who else is there and available as we try to make our choices,” Carroll said. “Really, we’re going one step at a time so you’ll see some guys’ names come up again today. We’re continuing to look. We want to know who’s available.”
August 27, 2015 at 10:30 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Rams still in no rush to choose starting center #29398znModeratorSeahawks’ Drew Nowak eyeing starting spot at center
http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/drew-nowak-eyeing-starting-spot-at-center/
It was one fairly nondescript play in a decidedly nondescript game.
But to Seahawks center Drew Nowak, an incomplete pass on the third play of their 14-13 preseason loss to Kansas City on Friday meant everything.
The game was the first start of Nowak’s NFL career, a chance for him to show coaches he can be a legitimate option to take over for Max Unger as the team’s starter.
On the third play, a pass on third-and-seven, Nowak had to make the kind of decision greeting NFL centers dozens of times a game — whether to help in pass protection to the right or to the left. Nowak turned left at the snap and helped Justin Britt pancake Chiefs defensive end Mike Catapano.
“I smashed this guy on the ground, and I was like, ‘All right, I can do this,’ ” Nowak said Wednesday. “That one hit just kind of reaffirmed that, ‘OK, I can play.’ ”
Seahawks coaches evidently agreed, leaving Nowak with the starting unit this week as they prepare for a preseason game Saturday night at San Diego. Nowak had been alternating with veteran Lemuel Jeanpierre, whom coaches earlier said had an edge due to his experience.
But decisions such as the one Nowak made on that play have shown he is picking up the nuances of being an NFL center. He had not played center since high school but was moved there after signing with Jacksonville in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan, where he had played on the defensive line.
Seahawks offensive-line coach Tom Cable this week talked about a “great conversation” he had with quarterback Russell Wilson late in the game about how he worked with Nowak in setting up blocking assignments.
“He was really pleased,” Cable said of Wilson. “He was able to target some things, and Drew was already on it. So, big progress.”
Another showing like that against the Chargers, and Nowak could cement his spot as the starting center, stepping into the rather sizable shoes of Unger, the starter the past four years before being traded in March to New Orleans in the deal that brought tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle.
Nowak, though, said he is not awed by the prospect of replacing Unger.
“I mean, Max was great for Seattle, a great center in the league,” Nowak said. “I’m just a fortunate guy who is getting an opportunity. I don’t think it’s daunting, because I’ve always wanted this. I’ve always wanted this opportunity to be a starter, and hopefully when the season starts that’s where I’ll be.”
It’s his willingness to do whatever it takes that got Nowak into this position. Some injuries at Jacksonville to other players helped lead to his switch to the offensive line, initially playing guard. After seeing action in two games on special teams with the Jaguars in 2013 he was released in the cut-down to 53 before the 2014 season. He was signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad a few days later and spent the season learning, playing both guard and center.
He snaps left-handed, which is rare but has not been an issue according to all involved. Nowak said no one has asked him to switch to snapping right-handed.
The bigger transition has come in simply mastering the rest of the game. Seahawks coaches often cited Unger as particularly adept at setting the blocking assignments at the line of scrimmage and working with Wilson. Cable has praised Nowak’s physical abilities since the spring (though this week he talked about him needing to improve on staying low when blocking at the second level) and hinted that if the rest of his game catches up to that, he’d have a real shot at the starting job.
“It’s definitely been tough,” Nowak said of learning to call the blocking assignments at the line of scrimmage. “You have to be the field general for the front five and make sure everybody is on point and on time and everything. So it’s definitely been tough. But I feel like the more days I do it the quicker it comes, the better I play and the faster I will be able to be on the field.”
August 27, 2015 at 6:03 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Rams still in no rush to choose starting center #29392znModeratorfrom off the net
==
GabesHorn
To me it depends on Barrett Jones’ play this week. It should be his chance to start. As a back surgery patient and longtime OL I really wonder if he can finally fulfill the dream we pictured when we thought we stole him in the 4th round. He still seems to get steamrolled when pass blocking. He played really well against 2nd and 3rd stringers last week getting to the second level and beyond with Watt eating big chunks. The back surgery just scares me as it will hit you again out of the blue during a long season and hopefully playoffs. Never faced a NFL season. GOD BLESS HIM…
Not knowing the plays called and who is making the best line calls as we don’t get to do film study. We are truly blind to what is really being done and helping the team the most as we just watch plays on TV. We are in the dark to the communications made that are so vital to true success of each play and what that specific center sees with his eyes while the “D” is still moving and trying to confuse him. Jones was known for his high I.Q. and ability to lead at Bama.
My eye says Barnes looks the best overall not being pushed back into Foles and he makes me think we should have used our 4th round pick this last year on one of 3 centers (taken 4th Rnd) after we took Andrew Donnal. (Will he make final cut?)The seahawks took one of those 3 centers right after the Donnal pick. If Barnes is our starter I think we are using one of our two second round picks next season on our next REAL STUD starting center. USC,Wisconsin,ND have the top rated centers going into this next season with the top 5 being SR’s but the top two are projected now as 1st or 2nd rounders and the Wisconsin kid is the only JR. but he is the only one at the 320lb weight I like in my centers facing Pro Nose Tackles. The others are just under 300lbs but always add muscle weight before combine days.
We all expected one of our 3 guys to show some real separation by now and Coach Paul would of already (If sure of a special guy) had pulled the string on getting our starter more reps with the other 4 starters going into the seahawk game and a Real Fast start this season knowing our first 5 games are blockbusters before the bye week. I feel Coach Fisher will get his full 5 year contract and probably an extension from Stan this season. Knowing Todd Gurley needs time and if the young OL were settled along with Foles being more comfortable and safer behind our front wall.
The center will be better than Wells was playing with 3 injuries last season but that is not enough for me when I want a stud center that has just one position (Not Fisher style) I know. If we are gonna be that Run First offense that throws from play action as the defense is looking run then Dangit give me a stud center to go with Greg Robinson , J. Brown , Havenstein and pray Saffold can finally solve his shoulder issues. Foles then may not have such happy feet. Just wish Center was given more IMPORTANCE to how Snead approached it when or if he thought about it one night drinking some fine Scotch. I’m very worried B. Jones looks good this week then his back issue raises its ugly head on a major hit or just a bad or funky twist that is a normal occurance. Who will we have kept for the back-up Center spot? Then what? Just call me concerned. Watch the Saints rock this season with that stud center for Brees. He’ll look revived again.
znModeratorSeveral Washington offensive linemen dislike RG3
Michael David Smith
As Robert Griffin III morphed from the rookie of the year in 2012 to a huge disappointment in 2013, questions started to be raised about whether his offensive line disliked him. At one point late in the 2013 season, it was observed that Washington’s offensive linemenhardly ever helped Griffin up after sacks, and reports out of the team’s locker room began to indicate that players were tired of Griffin’s refusal to take the blame when things went wrong.
Two years later, Griffin still doesn’t seem to be winning any friends in the locker room.
At today’s press conference, Griffin was asked about problems with the team’s pass protection. Although Griffin said he wouldn’t point fingers at his offensive linemen, he also didn’t put the blame on himself, even though many observers have pointed to Griffin’s lack of pocket awareness as a bigger problem than Washington’s offensive line.
According to Jason Reid of ESPN, Griffin sidestepping his own responsibility for making the line look worse than it played is exactly the kind of thing that causes him problems in the locker room. Reid wrote on Twitter after Griffin’s press conference that coaches say “several” offensive linemen dislike Griffin.
There seem to be two problems facing Griffin. The more important one is that he simply hasn’t played very well since suffering a severe knee injury at the end of his rookie season. But another problem is that he hasn’t shown that he has the leadership qualities that a quarterback needs. And until he starts playing better, it’s hard to see how he’ll be able to rally his teammates around him.
znModeratorI still like that song and I’m a few decades beyond 15.
I still like it too. I wasn’t disparaging it. (I guess I wasn’t clear about that.) In fact the inspiration for posting it was that my daughter had not heard it, so I pulled up that particular vid for her. I told her about how I just loved that song when I was that age (the year it came out).
In fact to this day that song embodies the wistful dreaming spirit of being a 15 year old boy. And the wistful dreaming 15 year old boy is still a big part of me.
The premise to the thread allows for this interpretation: “songs I liked then but not now.” But it allows for other interpretations too. Or it’s supposed to anyway.
znModeratorWestbrooks is the back-up NT. That to me is clearly an effort to keep him for next year while taking advantage of his presence this year. With both Sims and Hayes up for free agency next year, and with Long at 30 and counting, they will need Westbrooks at end eventually. But for now he’s either an inactive or they can’t keep him. Not with 4 DEs ahead of him for now.
It reminds me of Kirk Collins in 1980. They were crowded at corner, so they played him at back-up safety, even though he hated safety. He went along with it to make the team.
Sadly, though, when Collins finally got a chance to emerge at corner in 83, he developed cancer.
znModeratorRams working on the run game
I have already seen quips around the net where some posters basically say “well why weren’t they working on it before.”
znModeratorPractice Report 8/26: Wichmann Back on the Field
Myles Simmons
The biggest news of head coach Jeff Fisher’s press conference on Monday was running back Todd Gurley getting cleared for 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 practice. But Fisher also announced another rookie was able to go back to practice: offensive lineman Cody Wichmann.
A sixth-round pick out of Fresno State, Wichmann started 50 games as a Bulldog, twice earning All-Mountain West honors. But he suffered a calf injury back in the spring and had been sidelined since, having been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List at the start of training camp.
Now Wichmann is off of it and has made his way back onto the practice field, participating in all elements of the sessions over the past couple of days.
“It’s been really great — I feel great. No more sitting and watching all my buddies work their butts off,” Wichmann said. “Being out there the last couple of days, I feel comfortable with where I’m going on the field and I’m able to play fast. So I’m making up lost time — slowly but surely.”
Though he wasn’t able to perform the plays for the last few weeks, Wichmann said the mental reps were important as he learned the playbook.
“That was really important to me, to get in the playbook on my downtime and I think it’s helped out a lot,” Wichmann said. “I was watching the vets for almost two months and those guys are here for a reason. They’ve been in the league the years that they have been for a reason. So it was great to get those mental reps.”
The first-year lineman also said it’s been nice to have so many fellow rookies in his position group as they all acclimate to the league.
“We’re going to be close with everyone on the offensive line, but I think the rookies are really special,” Wichmann said. “We’re a tight-knit group. We’re always with each other on our off days and what not. There’s obviously a bunch of drafted guys, and you’ve got great talent in the undrafted guys, too. So there are a bunch of great guys and I hope we all make this team.”
The lineman added he thinks developing those off-field relationships should help on-field performance.
“I think chemistry is really important when it comes to a football team,” Wichmann said. “The closer you are off the field, the more you want to fight for them on the field. And being on the football field, you can actually stick up for them — you can fight for them.”
It’s been a process for Wichmann to get back to practicing, which the lineman said the coaches have been understanding about. But that doesn’t mean the rookie is being complacent.
“I’m not going to lower my standards,” Wichmann said. “I hold myself to high expectations, and I’m not trying to go out there to survive. I’m going out there to get better every day.
“Their feedback is reassuring,” Wichmann continued. “They’re just bringing me along. They understand that I’ve been out for a while. But I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like to make excuses, so I’m just trying to do my best.”
And he’s definitely excited about the possibility of playing on Saturday night against the Colts.
“I traveled to both of the other games but obviously didn’t get any playing time,” Wichmann said. “So hopefully it’ll be my first experience playing in one of those games. And I’m really looking forward to it.”
ONE-ON-ONE WITH A SPECIAL GUEST
Sometimes it’s fun to throw in a changeup. That’s what we did here at stlouisrams.com on Wednesday, with Alec Cabacungan at Rams Park to watch practice.
Alec, 12, has been diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, which is a brittle bone disease. Earlier this year, Alec interviewed a few incoming rookies at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago, where he is also a patient. Plus, he’s appeared in a few commercials for the hospital, and clearly has a camera presence.
That was on display Wednesday afternoon, when our own Dani Klupenger handed over the microphone to have him do some interviews with linebacker James Laurniaitis and defensive lineman Robert Quinn.
Following his interview, Quinn went into the locker room with a football to gather the signatures of Nick Foles and Todd Gurley.
“Those are some of his favorite players, so I made sure I could at least put one of those smiles on his face,” Quinn said. “Who knows how much that could help pick up his day, or the impact that makes on his life?”
“It sounds simple, but a signature could put a smile on a kid’s face,” Quinn added.
znModeratorznModeratorAhmad Brooks, Ray McDonald indicted in sexual assault case
Michael David Smith
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks and former 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald have been indicted in a sexual assault case.
McDonald faces one count of rape and Brooks faces one count of misdemeanor sexual battery, the San Jose Mercury News reports. McDonald could be sentenced to up to eight years in prison if convicted, while Brooks could face up to six months in jail.
The men were both accused by the same woman in an incident that took place at McDonald’s house in December. She says that McDonald raped her and that Brooks groped her after she fell and hit her head near McDonald’s pool.
McDonald has also been indicted for violating a domestic violence restraining order, in a separate incident.
The 49ers, who had already faced criticism for allowing McDonald to play despite a previous domestic violence accusation, cut McDonald after the rape accusation in December. The Bears signed McDonald this offseason but then cut him amid another domestic violence investigation.
McDonald’s NFL career is almost certainly over, as no team would touch him at this point. It remains to be seen what the 49ers or the NFL will do with Brooks, who has been a starter for the 49ers for four years and started both preseason games this year.
The indictments are another black eye for the NFL and for the 49ers, who have dealt with a string of off-field issues and will now face another.
znModeratorVENTURI: You want your regulars to play well. There has to be a sense of urgency. 3rd game will be interesting.
Everyone trying to figure out the balance between getting ready and staying healthy. The new CBA changed training camp and caused problems with that (ie. by limiting practices). People have really struggled with it (ie throughout the league). People have tended to go softer rather than harder. RV doesn’t really believe in that. He thinks it hurts ya. You have to find a level of combat readiness. If you can’t practice hard, then you have only 2 options. You have to practice agaist some other teams, or you have to extend your regulars in the pre-season games. RV would prefer to extend his regulars in pre-season games. Gametime in pre-season is worth 5 practices.
Sees it all over the league. I don’t agree with it. He covers the Colts, and he thought they weren’t as physical as he would like in their 2nd preseason game. The first was against PHil and you have to gameplan Phil in the preseason and it’s obvious they did.
RV would expect the Rams to have a sense of urgency. He has watched their games and he would expect them to be ready to play. Fisher has a talent in getting a good performance out of a team that has just looked bad the previous game. He expects that this will be one with a sense of urgency.
Goes on to praise the Colts a lot. With some criticism mixed in. In the 1st 2 weeks of pre-season the problems were on the offensive line. Their OL struggled against Chicago and the Bears were actually fairly vanilla. He then talks about the Colts defense as mixed. Good against mediocre teams, not good offenses. Langford was expendable with the Rams because of their level of talent but he’s the Colts best DL. More about the Colts and where they stand—the bar is very high.
Rams slow starts? He didn’t answer directly about the Rams ( he hasn’t studied the Rams for a while like he has the Colts.) So his comment about the league in general is that you have to crank it up in the pre-season. What’s happened throughout the league is that coaches are not adapting to the new CBA. You can’t run a training camp like you used to and you can’t run pre-season like you used to. Whereas someone like Chip Kelly looks at it fresh, and is used to preparing young first-year players.
It’s still a matter of talent. He hasn’t followed the Rams but what he doesn’t like is the inability of the Rams to draft high impact players. He thinks the older guys are the rock solid part of the team–he mistakenly names the 2 kickers, but also Saffold, Long, and Quinn.
You have to hope that offensive line somehow holds up. They have to play great defense and great special teams but they have to stay ahead of the count on first down (he means they have to get yards on first down and not end up in bad 3rd down situations). The OL is really problematic when it comes to throwing the football. Foles is a complementary guy to a running game because he can throw play action to the deep seam. He can make some big plays … they will also have to throw quick rhythm. If you run a conventional NFL passing game he is really going to have to sharpen up over what he’s been before. (Would need to get quicker.)
Gurley is a highlight reel. Elite, premier, top 5 RB. Guy is tremendous. Depends on when he’s ready. This team will not survive if they cannot run the football.
znModeratorWhat does this mean, btw:
“He said “none of this is happening in St. Louis if they had done things any differently with L.A.”I took that as meaning that the city of St. Louis would not be diligently pursuing a stadium unless the Rams were in the mix to possibly move to LA.
It’s a remark designed to put more weight behind the “leverage” argument.
znModeratorVenturi is very good.
znModeratorThe Coach Rick Venturi joined Kevin Wheeler to talk about the Colts, their expectation level, preseason football and how important it is, Jeff Fisher’s style and how he has to be able to adapt, Nick Foles, and Todd Gurley.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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hokahey
I just had a conversation with Kevin Demoff for the last 40 minutes or so in the cafe at my work. I honestly feel like I learned more in those 40 minutes than I have all year from the media.
One on One may be a little misleading. He came to my work for a speech on team work and outreach in the community.
After words, I pulled him aside with a few co-workers. I asked most of the questions. It was about 40 minutes of talk time.
For anyone that doesn’t know me, I am co-founder of Keep the Rams in St. Louis (although I’ve distanced myself from the group the last few months).
I am the person you may have seen in multiple news interviews with Andy Banker on Fox 2 and Casey Nolan on Channel 5.
Key points (all according to Demoff of course, but he appeared to be very genuine):
– Kroenke NEVER said St. Louis no longer works for the Rams. Demoff personally called Dave Peacock to tell him that never happened.
– The Rams are not keen on sharing the stadium with an MLS team. Not sure region can support 4 teams, and causes concerns about who gets paid what for non game day events.
– St. Louis still has a chance. Nothing is definite. The Rams will not remove L.A. from the equation until they know the final deal from St. Louis. He flat out said “doing so would remove all leverage in case something falls through here.”
– He and Peacock talk all the time, about “multiple options and scenarios.” Said he wishes Peacock had been involved three years ago, and that he’s the best person he’s ever worked with in St. Louis.
– This is not just a financial decision. If it was, L.A. would win out hands down all day long. There is a civic aspect to this. But there is concern about the long term financial stability of the St. Louis region.
– Attendance is a non-issue. The team and league both understand that the poor product and lease issue is causing the lowered attendance. The team has never once used attendance as a reason to the league that they might move.
– Everything will be decided by December.
.
he said Stan will not speak and does not speak because people that want to believe the Rams will stay will believe him if he says they will and those that don’t, won’t. He said it’s pointless.
If no one shows up for the games because it’s understandable, so out reach from Kroenke to the community for the sake of improving attendance isn’t necessarily important. What is important is resolving the stadium issue and then moving on from there.
he said no decision has been made. Period. He said his family asks him every day and he tells them the same thing. He said his kids cried when they heard the team might move. He said he loves St. Louis and wants to stay here to raise his family, but that L.A. was fun for him when he was younger, so there is appeal to both cities.
He said “none of this is happening in St. Louis if they had done things any differently with L.A.”
Which interestingly was almost the exact thing I said to Andy Banker once, who responded with “Bingo.”
I have training in detecting lies (believe it or not) and at no time got the sense he was lying to me.
There were people attempting to rush him off and he brushed them off seemingly so he could stay and answer every question.
August 26, 2015 at 12:30 am in reply to: Jim Thomas – Tweets 8/24 – Gurley cleared for full practice on Tuesday #29308znModeratorTodd Gurley participates in first full practice with Rams
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Perhaps it was fitting that St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley’s first two reps in team drills consisted of a fake handoff to him to set up a play-action pass and a toss sweep to the left that got him into open space.
Both figure to be staples of the Rams’ offense in 2015 and beyond. For now, they were just the next step on Gurley’s road to recovery from the torn left ACL he suffered in November of last year.
“I haven’t done nothing like this in like, nine months, 10 months,” Gurley said. “So it’s been a while. I’m definitely excited about it.”
Rams coach Jeff Fisher and his staff informed Gurley that he’d been cleared to return to practice in seven-on-seven and team drills a couple days ago. Since, he’d been champing at the bit to get back on the field and do more than just the individual work and side sessions with athletic trainers that had been his staple in this training camp.
After doing some light work in seven-on-seven, the Rams installed Gurley with the first-team offense at about 5:18 p.m. CT. Quarterback Nick Foles faked a handoff to Gurley and threw downfield. On the next play, Gurley got the ball on a pitch, darting to the left.
To Fisher’s eye, all was well for Gurley on his first day involved in all aspects of practice.
“Todd was excited to get in there and get a few offensive reps and get challenged with protections and formations and all that stuff,” Fisher said. “He was good and we’ll just continue to probably do this for the next few days and then we’ll just add reps for him as we move forward.”
As expected, Gurley wore the yellow “no contact” beanie on his helmet after receiver Brian Quick removed it permanently Tuesday morning. Quick handed it off to Gurley in a short but quick ceremony.
“It makes sense that defensive guys recognize that Todd’s not quite ready yet but he’s getting close,” Fisher said. “It’s good to have him back on the field. We got him a few reps with team.”
While Quick, who Fisher said is cleared from his shoulder injury and will play Saturday night against Indianapolis, hated the yellow beanie, Gurley actually likes it better than some of the alternatives.
“The good thing about that is you can’t see it,” Gurley said. “In college we’d wear red jerseys. It was definitely better than wearing a red jersey or anything like that.”
Soon enough, Gurley will be able to wear a helmet without any unnecessary accessories and a normal jersey like the rest of his teammates. It remains to be seen when that will happen. But for now, progress is progress and Tuesday was a sweep left in the right direction
August 26, 2015 at 12:26 am in reply to: Sasser hired by Rams after he was unable to pass physical #29307znModeratorJoe Lyons
SASSER REJOINS RAMS
Bud Sasser was drafted by the Rams in the sixth round of the NFL draft, but the former University of Missouri standout receiver was unable to pass a physical to play due to a pre-existing heart condition. Before waiving Sasser, the Rams signed him to a rookie contract that included a $113,737 bonus and offered him a job within the organization.Tuesday, Sasser was hired as the new external football affairs coordinator. As part of the community outreach program, Sasser will work primarily with alumni relations and youth football efforts.“The first time (the Rams approached me about the job) was not too long after they told me that I was going to be released. At that point, it wasn’t the exact thing I wanted to hear,” said Sasser, who caught 77 passes for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior at Mizzou. “But once I came to my senses, I realized what a great opportunity it was.”
Sasser said that seeing his dream of playing in the NFL derailed by his medical condition, “was a little hard at first, but I’m a blessed individual to be here today. Prayer got me through it, for sure. My family and everybody who’s just really close to me. … All I can do is take it day by day and enjoy the fact that I’m still here and able to be around the game I love.”
Fisher said the Rams are excited to have Sasser in the organization.
“It was difficult situation that we were dealing with,” he said. “He’s an outstanding young man that obviously had something that was clearly out of his control, and I think he realizes this is the best thing for him from a future standpoint so we’re glad to have him on board.”
Sasser is one of seven new hires announced by the Rams Tuesday. The others: Preston Black (business intelligence coordinator), Vitto Gonella (scouting assistant), Rebecca Lally (football information analyst), Michael Pierce (scouting assistant), Matt Segal (website coordinator) and Erica Sherman (player involvement and community outreach coordinator).
August 26, 2015 at 12:24 am in reply to: Jim Thomas – Tweets 8/24 – Gurley cleared for full practice on Tuesday #29306znModeratorRam notes: Gurley feels good about practice debut
Joe Lyons
It may have only been a handful of plays, but Rams rookie Todd Gurley came away from his first full NFL practice feeling positive.
“It felt good,” he said following Tuesday’s workout at Rams Park. “I was hyped all day, telling everybody that I was going to be out there and nobody believed me. Definitely excited just to get out there and get some reps.
“But it’s football, something I’ve been doing my whole life.”
Gurley, selected with the No. 10 overall pick in May’s draft, is being brought along slowly by the Rams after undergoing ACL surgery to his left knee in November. The former University of Georgia star doesn’t necessarily consider himself a patient man.
“But I’ve learned to be,” he said. “It’s definitely been a long couple of months, but hopefully I’ll be back soon. Just being out there with the guys and in the huddle for the first time in forever, it felt great. Being out there on the other field with the trainers, that was no joke. Sometimes you feel like you’d rather be out here than off the field rehabbing.”
Gurley, who rushed for nearly 3,300 yards and scored 44 touchdowns in three seasons at Georgia, is sporting a yellow cover on his helmet that reminds teammates that he is not to be hit.
“The good thing is, I can’t see it,” the 21-year-old Gurley said. “In college, we wore red jerseys, so this is definitely better. I’m not getting hit, but whatever I do on the field, I’m going 100 percent.”
Rams coach Jeff Fisher has said that Gurley will not play in the preseason.
“Todd was excited to get in there, get a few offensive reps and be challenge with protections and formations and that stuff,” the coach said. “We’ll just continue to probably do this for the next few days and then just add reps for him as we move forward.”
Quarterback Nick Foles said he was surprised and excited to see the 6-foot-1, 222-pound Gurley in the backfield.
“He’s going to be an impactful player in this league,” Foles said. “I know what he was capable of doing in college, so I’m excited to see what he does on this level for us.”
Gurley, who had been limited to one-on-one drills before Tuesday, was asked about being ready for the Rams’ regular-season opener Sept. 13 against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.
“My goal — I really don’t think about that, that’s what, two or three weeks from now,” Gurley said. “I just want to progress every day and we’ll see how far that gets me.”
znModerator(On having some gassers at the end of practice)
“We’re getting ready for Seattle. That was the only reason for that.”
znModeratorfrom off the net
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alyoshamucci
Just quick stuff .. may give a bigger review in game 3 or 4 when I think cuts may be made.
Also, a note. I don’t usually see things the way everyone else does. Sometimes I’m viewing dispassionately, sometimes I’m just wrong. Either way it’s usually a different take on most things.
The Good
1) The young right side of the O line is the most stable spot on the offense. (That will likely show up someplace else too.)
2) Christian Bryant showed up with some serious play. That’s the kind of stuff I remembered at Ohio State.
3) Givens had a good enough game to maybe demand a draft pick from Carolina.
4) Trey Watts was on fire. He’s going to be hard to unseat, even with Malcolm Brown playing so well.
5) Dorial Green-Beckham … though that’s only good for fantasy football in keeper/dynasty leagues.
6) Mannion looked confident and was throwing a really good ball. Solid in the two minute drill.
7) Again, Forston showed up well at DT.
8) Rhaney looked like he deserves reps with the ones. Reps. He’s not there yet, but he needs another game to show it.
9). The pocket awareness Foles showed on the 3rd and 4 to Britt was pretty vital to what we want from a QB.
The Not bad, but the boring …
10). Looked like the offensive game plan included running specific plays so that the O line would have had their feet wet no matter what after a few series. I’m guessing of course, but there’s no reason to run until you punt unless you really have plays you want to get snapped.
11). No interesting blitz packages. So be it.
12) No Brian Quick still. Bummer.
The Bad
13) Barron, in general you have to make that catch, but against a rookie it is your duty as a member of the NFL welcome committee to catch that ball.
14). AGAIN WITH THE ROUGHING THE PASSER!! One good call and one bad call … so it’s “ugh the refs” and “Ugh Sims!”.
15). Bishop Sankey tore us up? Why?
16). The young right side of the Online IS THE MOST STABLE PART OF THE OFFENSE SO FAR. Ugh.
17). Which RB didn’t turn upfield fast enough? Lead? That’s why we didn’t get that first down.
18). Brandon Washington is not good enough to play OLG. They need Wichmann to heal fast and have GR man it until he is ready.
znModeratorIt will be sad to see that luminous spark in your eye extinguished
Okay, “Godfather,” I don’t think threatening another poster with physical harm is in keeping with the spirit of board rules.
znModeratorWhat to make of Rams’ early offensive struggles
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/20690/what-to-make-of-rams-early-offensive-struggles
EARTH CITY, Mo. — To the surprise of no one, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher says he isn’t concerned with his offense’s early preseason struggles.
“No, not concerned at all,” Fisher said. “You would like to see them put 40 up on the board, but we will get it sorted out. You see us doing different things on the practice field than we do in the games.”
Taking it a step further, Fisher pointed out that the preseason questions about a first-team offense which has managed just three points, 113 yards and five first downs on six possessions, is par for the course.
“If you go back a year from now, or two years from now, or three years from now, you guys all asked me the same questions, ‘What’s up with your offense?'” Fisher said. “We keep it basic. Our philosophy is to just play and work on fundamentals during the preseason.”
What’s unsaid here is that, though Fisher doesn’t sound concerned about the offense and is used to the questions, it’s not like his offense has a track record of ironing out the kinks in the preseason only to catch fire when the real games start. The outside concerns about his offense have often carried over to the regular season, particularly in the early part of the schedule.
In three seasons under Fisher, the Rams rank 28th in the NFL in yards per game, 24th in yards per play and 26th in offensive points scored per game. So though the Rams are undoubtedly keeping things basic in terms of the game plan, they also haven’t exactly earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the offense.
That’s especially true this season with a new coordinator in Frank Cignetti Jr., new quarterback in Nick Foles, three new starters on the offensive line and, eventually, a new starting running back. In preseason contests against Oakland and Tennessee — teams that drafted in the top four this year — the first-team offense has struggled mightily.
After a dynamic start in which Foles hit tight end Lance Kendricks for a gain of 26 yards and then receiver Tavon Austin for 35 yards on the first two plays against the Raiders, it’s been tough sledding for the starting unit. On the 25 ensuing plays, that top offense has gained just 52 yards and, including the interception returned for a touchdown Foles threw Sunday night, it’s allowed more points than it has scored.
“I’ll never panic as a quarterback just because you’ve got to keep working,” Foles said. “If you panic, then you’ve given up. I would never give up as long as I play the game. We have great guys in this locker room, and I keep saying that we’ll continue to put more things into the offense. We’re really just trying to work on our stuff right now.”
There’s little doubt that the Rams have had a basic approach to the preseason and aren’t exactly pulling out all the play-calling stops. Going back to what Fisher said, if there is to be a concern, it should be with those fundamentals. When keeping it simple, things like blocking, running the correct routes and making good decisions with the ball should all qualify as the basics.
And the Rams aren’t doing those particularly well, either. With the starters on the field, the Rams have 40 yards on 14 carries, good for just 2.9 yards per attempt. Foles is six-of-12 for 87 yards for a passer rating of 39.2 with the interception and no touchdowns.
“Our offense is coming,” Fisher said. “It’s coming. We saw a lot of good things out of our offense against the Cowboys (in practice last week).”
Yes, it’s only the preseason and there’s still time for the Rams to get those things straightened out. But it’s also fair to wonder whether an offense with so many moving parts will be able to do it in time to keep the Rams from digging themselves into yet another early season hole.
August 25, 2015 at 3:12 pm in reply to: Nick Foles is the No. 1 player primed to disappoint in 2015 #29284znModeratorConsidering the Rams’ situation, it’s hard to disagree with Sessler.
Okay, that’s the potential downside…but, Cosell is not the one who ranks him as going to disappoint.
Cosell has a lot more to say about Foles:
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http://theramshuddle.com/topic/eagles-offense/
In the passing game, it’s funny because you don’t see Nick Foles make a number of difficult throws. We talk about NFL quarterbacks making stick throws into a tight window, and how that is a necessity. You don’t see that a lot with Foles. He throws to a lot of open receivers. Kelly breaks defenses down really well with his routes and spreading the field. There are route combinations everyone runs, he just gets to them in a different way. Again, he creates conflict for defense and space for his offense to work.
I don’t know if this has been drilled into Foles by Kelly, but Foles is a safe quarterback. If he doesn’t feel it’s there or it’s not in the play design, he doesn’t throw it. He’s a primary read quarterback – and my interpretation is that’s what Kelly wants.
==========
http://theramshuddle.com/topic/2014-article-nick-foles-remains-a-qb-enigma/
When Foles gets into more long-yardage situations — it’s tougher for any quarterback, that’s not just Nick Foles — but Foles is not the kind of quarterback that is going to stand in the pocket, sit on his back foot and drill the ball consistently between defenders,” he said.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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LMU93
Random thoughts…
QB- I’m just not worried about Foles unless the OL really is terrible. With their regular starting five and with game planning etc. is Foles behind? I don’t know.. I don’t think he is. Yes, he’s only thrown 12 passes in preseason so far but he’s had all the first team work in OTAs, camp and vs. Dallas last week. I expect he’ll play the whole first half this Saturday vs. IND. And he should. That was an ugly, ugly play on the INT Sunday night regardless of who was at fault. But it just doesn’t change my opinion of him as a solid starter and a guy that if he stays healthy could and should help them win 9-10 games this season. I think he’s going to be fine. Keenum is the #2 QB unless an injury occurs. Mannion the #3.
RB- I don’t see how they keep Watts off this team.. He’s an impressive runner, albeit their 4th RB. I wonder if they try and feature Pead this week in hopes of a desperate team possibly dangling a 7th round pick for him. I also don’t know what happens with Watts given the suspension. Does he not count toward the 53 the first four games? Ideal if so… They could activate him in week 5 and IR someone who’s hurt by then. My guess is Gurley gets a handful of carries in week 3, then they very slowly increase his workload from there.
WR- The offense will be better when Quick starts playing. As much as I really would rather it be someone else, it’s hard to give the 5th WR spot to anyone but Givens right now. I still say $1.54M is a lot to pay a 5th WR that doesn’t cover or return kickoffs and punts.
OL- Washington stinks- that was a factor Sunday night… Brown looks like a player and in my opinion could show up on All-Rookie teams by season’s end if his progress continues. Havenstein is going to have pass blocking issues for a while but also looks like he belongs. I’m not sure what to make of the competition at center. No one stands out to me. Jones gets overpowered way too much. Rhaney didn’t excite me Sunday. I think right now Barnes may be the best option but this 3rd preseason game probably is the deciding factor. One thing I think about is how quickly the ‘winner’ can improve. If Rhaney’s issue is just needing more experience to make the right line calls and handle the mental part, but he has the strength and athleticism, well that can be improved upon quite a bit in 3, 6, 8 weeks. Jones’ issue with just core strength can’t. For this season, he is what he is.. So to me that’s what may have Rhaney ahead of him.I’m curious to see how the 6th-9th OL spots shake out. Reynolds and the 2nd place finisher at center will be the other game day actives. I suppose Donnal is one of the 9. Who takes that last spot?.. I would play the starting OL the entire first half in preseason game #4..
DL- I think they will have to decide between carrying a 9th DL and 5th RB. I would call Westbrooks their 7th DL and Fairley 8th right now. Do Trinca-Passat, Ifedi or Forston make a late case for a 9th DL? Could 2 or all 3 make the PS?
LB- Seems like their 6 LBs are set now. Laurinaitis hasn’t had a great preseason so far but JL is JL. I still say consistency from Ogletree and McDonald are the keys to this truly being a top 5 defense. Ayers has never been a good OLB covering TEs. He’s a pass rusher and has the size to play the run. Ogletree is the guy that has to handle TEs upfield.
DB- That awful angle on Sunday aside, I like Roberson as the 4th CB. I think the top 3 of Jenkins, Johnson and Joyner are sufficient, especially if McLeod and McDonald play well.
Odds and ends…
Being outscored 29-3 in the first halves of the first two games isn’t what we’re looking for, but like it or not this team just plays it pretty close to the vest in preseason. For example, running on first down three consecutive times to open the TEN game. That was a clunker Sunday night and they absolutely should have played better, but I do think them being on the road for basically 10 days was an issue. They now don’t leave St. Louis for the next 4 weeks. Most starters need to play a lot this Saturday vs. IND.
znModeratorGood read as usual Mike. Thanks.
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