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August 18, 2015 at 12:31 am in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28864
znModeratorSome random WR v Dallas DB videos from today. Sadly, phone went wonky on best one w Tavon. 1 of 3. pic.twitter.com/7bsu3uMXJA
— Christopher Dowell (@pikebishop) August 18, 2015
znModeratorOnly a little tension between Cowboys, Rams in first practice
Todd Archer
OXNARD, Calif. — Day 1 of practices between the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams were largely calm with only a couple of minor dustups.
Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson took a swing at Cowboys receiver Devin Street after Street didn’t take kindly to Johnson’s hit on Joseph Randle. There was a brief dustup between the Cowboys defense as well but nothing like what occurred last year, when the Cowboys practiced against the Oakland Raiders and a fan took a swing with a helmet at a Cowboys player.
By the end of practice Dez Bryant, who didn’t practice, was visibly upset with something. He kept jawing with several St. Louis defenders and had several coaches and teammates keep him at bay.
“Obviously Dez is a competitor and I’m sure he’s dying to be out there,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “It’s probably a good thing he wasn’t out there today. He probably didn’t need that. It was good for him to have a break today.”
One of the more vocal discussions came between Jason Witten and Rams assistant linebackers coach Joe Bowden. Witten drew two holding penalties and had his t-shirt ripped from the Rams’ clutching and grabbing.
“Oh, just a little chit chatting you know?” Witten said. “Got two holding penalties that were there. Ripped the shirt. Told him, ‘If you can’t cover get out of Cover 1.’ Nah, I’m kidding. He’s a former player so he’s definitely passionate. That defense, the style they play, they attack. They’re downhill. [Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams] been that way everywhere he’s been so we knew that and I got lot of respect for their defense.”
On to the observations:
For the first time since the third full-padded practice, Tony Romo was intercepted, a span of 98 throws in team and 7-on-7 drills. With linebacker Alec Ogletree unblocked Romo had to hurry a screen throw that defensive tackle Ethan Westbrooks picked off. Romo finished the day 13 of 15 but did not take many downfield chances. He was without Tyron Smith and Ronald Leary on the left side of the line and Doug Free took only a few turns at right tackle. His best throw in team drills was a seam route to Witten over linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar. In one-on-one work he went deep to Terrance Williams for a 30-yard touchdown on Janoris Jenkins.
Running back Darren McFadden got his first carry of training camp in team drills. Unfortunately the blocking did not give him much of an opportunity to gain any yards. However, McFadden looked fast and strong in one-on-one routes against the St. Louis linebackers.
Much of the anticipation of the work between the Cowboys offensive line and Rams defensive line was lost because of the Cowboys’ injuries up front. In the play-action drills to start practice, the Rams won with Robert Quinn beating La’el Collins to stop Randle at the line of scrimmage. In one on one pass rush, Chris Long was able to use a spin move to beat right tackle John Wetzel. Quinn was able to gain the edge on left tackle fill-in Darrion Weems.
Randle had a fumble on a check down from Romo in seven on seven work when linebacker Bryce Hager, the ex-Baylor player, poked the ball free.
Rams corner Lamarcus Joyner really had no answer for Cole Beasley in the slot. Neither did any corner the Rams put on him. In 7-on-7 he was able to run away from a defender and in team drills he worked outside Joyner and ducked under him as he closed to make a tackle.znModeratorFresno was Vegas
I couldn’t get around to see what I wanted due to the crowd. So I just parked myself and watched what I could. My “takeaway” is two words.
TAVON AUSTIN
The guy is absolutely RIDICULOUS! Stop and go, left and right, spin and move, there is no way to keep up with this guy. He makes people look completely overmatched. I’m serious. Tavon looked like the best football player on the field. You can’t cover him and he’s learned a little about getting off of press coverage. He uses his size to HIS advantage. Go head and press the little guy, he will slip around you and make you look retarded when he runs by you.
In drills Austin got pressed hard for a ball thrown into the corner of the endzone. Austin slipped away and hit a gear I didn’t know was humanly possible. He is FAST! The ball was thrown perfectly to the corner by Foles and it looked like it would drop incomplete because Austin got pressed. Austin hit another gear and went and got that ball for the score. It was unbelievable.
The cowgirls were tough on Austin in the drills, and he made them pay. Every. Single. Play. The TD Austin caught on the 2nd play of scrimmage was just Foles flinging it and Austin going and getting it.Britt- obvious leader of the WR corps. Made some good plays. Looks steady and solid.
Quick- wearing a cap on his helmet to indicate injury. He can get hit but not tackled.
Quick is bigger than I thought. Uses his size well to shield defenders. Good camp today for Quick. One scrimmage play Quick caught a pass and several cowgirls stood him up and smacked him to the ground. Britt and Bailey attacked the defense and a small brawl ensued. The crowd loved it!Bailey- I didn’t see him in scrimmage but he looks good in drills.
Givens- Made some play and looked good.
Cook- Dropped an easy pass, had a fumble on a different play. I didn’t see much else.
#15 looked decent but I don’t think he replaces Givens.TJ Mac- My Fresno boy is the obvious leader of the DB’s. I watched DB’s more than anything since they spent the most time nearby. These guys love to hit each other. TJ and Ogletree seem to get along very well as does 52 and 12. Ogletree seems to command respect on the team. Players like him, he’s a leader.
At the suggestion of PF I watched some line drills. I didn’t get to see many but it was exciting at times. These guys were slugging it out.
There was a strange drill –
5 RAMS OL lined up, 1 cowgirl DL. QB in shotgun. First snap DL is against RT, next snap RG next snap C etc. OL and DL were rotating players. In that drill G Rob got embarrassed by 94 cowgirl. Other than that I noticed nothing to report.FOLES- He looks like a QB. His ball has zip and he’s accurate. He trusts his receivers to catch the ball. The WR’s were getting pushed and held but Foles would fling it where they were supposed to be. Austin and Bailey really impressed me with escapability. Britt and Quick just shoved the defender out if the way. Bottom line Foles knows where to throw the ball and he’s not scared to throw it. I was pleasantly surprised by Nick Foles today.
If you think I suffer from “homerism” you are quite incorrect. I don’t suffer one bit.
Due to the crowd it’s hard to get around and see everything. I hope to see more tomorrow I wanted this little report to be about football rather than anything else.
August 17, 2015 at 10:55 pm in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28860znModeratorJim Thomas @jthom1
There were 7,739 fans in attendance Monday at Oxnard for Rams-Cowboys workouts. Or 5,000 more than attended a Cowboys only session Monday
znModeratorNick Foles Oxnard Press Conference – 8/17
Watch quarterback Nick Foles talk about the benefits of practicing and competing against the Cowboys.
znModeratorTavon Austin’s big play draws rave reviews
Nate Latschhttp://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1575524-tavon-austin-s-big-play-draws-rave-reviews
The St. Louis Rams didn’t have many highlights in their preseason-opening 18-3 loss to the Oakland Raiders on Friday, but third-year wide receiver Tavon Austin certainly provided one.
On the second play from scrimmage, Austin took a quick screen pass in the left flat from quarterback Nick Foles and, with the help of a key block from Kenny Britt, zigged and zagged his way around several Raiders defenders for an electrifying 35-yard gain.
“That’s one of Tavon’s finest (plays) since he’s been here,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher told reporters afterward. “That was really impressive.”
Austin’s new quarterback was also impressed.“Tavs is one of those guys you want to get the ball in his hands,” Foles told reporters. “He’s a dynamic player. He’s a guy that, if he gets the ball in open space like that scenario right there, he can do electrifying things. He just showed you right there. We got a great block and he was off, he’s off to the races and he’s a hard guy to bring down because he’s so quick and he’s so fast and he can see the field really well.”
The Rams are hoping that Austin can have a breakout season in 2015.
They traded up to select him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2013 Draft but have failed to figure out how to get him the ball more throughout his first two seasons.
As a rookie, Austin had 40 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns, ran nine times for 151 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a punt return. In his second season, he had 31 catches for 242 yards, ran 36 times for 224 yards and two scores and also had another punt return for a touchdown.
If the Rams and new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti can find more creative ways to get Austin the ball this season, the Rams could get a big payoff on their first-round investment from 2013.
znModeratorBig fan turnout welcomes Rams at Southern California workout
OXNARD, Calif. — If the St. Louis Rams are headed back to Southern California, their long-suffering fans there are ready to welcome them home.
The Rams were greeted by a huge contingent of jersey-wearing, flag-waving fans chanting “L.A. Rams!” as they took the practice field Monday in Oxnard, an hour northwest of Los Angeles.
The Rams are in Ventura County for three days of workouts at the Dallas Cowboys’ training complex. They’re also providing a tantalizing appetizer for fans who know the franchise is weighing a return to Los Angeles, its home for 49 years prior to 1995.
Two decades away haven’t dimmed the passion of the fans whose shouts of “Whose house? Rams’ house!” echoed through an Oxnard crowd packed with the jerseys of players ranging from Los Angeles favorites Vince Ferragamo and Jack Youngblood to St. Louis stars Robert Quinn and Nick Foles.
Even Rams owner Stan Kroenke was spotted at the Cowboys’ training complex, which encompasses most of a hotel a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Kroenke, the billionaire who lives much of the year in Malibu, rarely attends camp in Missouri. He has purchased land in Inglewood and partnered with developers to build a palatial football stadium capable of housing two NFL teams — but he has done it all without explicitly saying he intends to move the Rams.
The Rams traveled to Los Angeles after a preseason loss in Oakland on Friday, and they had the weekend off.
Many players spent the weekend checking out the town: Linebacker James Laurinaitis ran into Arnold Schwarzenegger while working out at Gold’s Gym in Venice, and running back Benny Cunningham hit Hollywood’s famed Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles.
Inglewood mayor James T. Butts Jr. also turned out for the Rams’ Oxnard trip. He said the stadium site is getting utility and sewer lines, and he believes it will be ready for construction in mid-December.
Butts was impressed but not surprised by the fan turnout in Oxnard.
“I think it’s a huge message to the Rams’ popularity here in Southern California,” Butts said. “The Rams are the team that most of us as children grew up with. Roman Gabriel. Jack Snow. The Fearsome Foursome. That is part of our DNA growing up, so there is no team that can claim they are more integrated into the psyche of the people that were old enough to attend football games than the Rams. That’s hands-down. And then would come the Raiders.”
The Rams became the first major pro sports team in Los Angeles when, drawn to the growing market and postcard-perfect weather of the West Coast, owner Dan Reeves uprooted his 1945 NFL champion team after eight seasons in Cleveland.
The Rams were a Southland institution for the next five decades. They won the 1951 NFL title and reached the Super Bowl after the 1979 season. Although they went through long stretches of poor play, the Rams made generations of fans with their distinctive uniforms, star players and tradition.
For this three-day engagement, Southern California fans organized $30 round-trip bus rides and packed the parking lots hours before practice. They planned to wrap up each day with food, drinks and partying at a nearby restaurant.
Ray Soto has been a Rams fan since 1960, and he made the drive from Bakersfield to Oxnard to attend practice with his son and grandson. While his brothers gave up on the team after its move to the Midwest, Soto stayed faithful to the franchise that has been in his family’s life since he gave a blue-and-white helmet to his son as a child.
“I feel sorry for the St. Louis fans, and I appreciate them taking care of our team,” Soto said. “I know for sure they’re coming back because Kroenke knows how much value they’ll have to bring them back here.”
August 17, 2015 at 9:50 pm in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28850znModeratorZack Martin vs. Aaron Donald pic.twitter.com/hqQHyHMyvQ
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 18, 2015
August 17, 2015 at 9:49 pm in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28849znModeratorOne of my anticipated matchups, Zack Martin and Aaron Donald, just ended in a stalemate.
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 18, 2015
August 17, 2015 at 9:48 pm in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28848znModerator@seattlerams @wynnde13 Havenstein and Brown both standing up Dallas DL in first drill by us. Barnes whiffs. GRob missed pancake of Hardy.
— Christopher Dowell (@pikebishop) August 18, 2015
August 17, 2015 at 9:46 pm in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28847znModeratorFirst 11 on 11 between Dallas offense and Rams defense. This far Rams have got better of it.#CowboysCamp pic.twitter.com/S6cyD3Ns2u
— VCSSports (@VCStarSports) August 17, 2015
August 17, 2015 at 9:45 pm in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28846znModeratorRams front dominating Cowboys line. Romo gets picked by Rams def end.#CowboysCamp
— VCSSports (@VCStarSports) August 17, 2015
August 17, 2015 at 7:36 pm in reply to: Some Tweets from Oxnard … + link to live twitter feed #28830znModeratorRams set for California practices with Cowboys amid questions of relocation
Nick Wagoner
There’s no denying that the St. Louis Rams will get a taste of a vastly different training camp atmosphere this week when they work with the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, California, over the course of the next couple of days.
Beyond the usual pomp and circumstance of a Cowboys practice, there will be plenty of representation from the team’s Los Angeles days, especially with the looming possibility of the team’s return to the City of Angels. All of that should create something of a circus atmosphere, an atmosphere that Rams coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t seem too concerned about.
In fact, Fisher reiterated over the weekend how much he’s looking forward to the chance to practice with a team as talented as Dallas.
Jeff Fisher said his focus this week in California will be on improvement, not his team’s potential relocation there. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
“Players are looking forward to it, it’ll be great work,” Fisher said. “I spoke with Coach [Jason] Garrett and put a really good practice schedule together, so we’ll get really good, quality work out there. We’re just going to use this as an opportunity for both teams to improve. ”
Of course, it’s fair to assert that the Rams will be inundated with questions about their potential future home while practicing only about 60 miles north of owner Stan Kroenke’s proposed Inglewood stadium project. In fact, it’s believed that Kroenke will attend the practices, something he has almost never done since he’s been majority owner in St. Louis.
Since the initial announcement of the joint practice sessions in the spring, Fisher and the Rams have been adamant that training with the Cowboys has nothing to do with being in Southern California and everything to do with logistics. Fisher stuck by that assertion again recently.
“Well, I said this numerous times, we felt like our team was in a position to gain some additional experience on the practice field or in a lot of ways, gain an additional preseason game and so we talked to a number of clubs,” Fisher said. “It just so happened from a timing standpoint it worked out that Dallas was our best option. So we did talk to Midwest teams and timing wise it just didn’t work out. From a travel standpoint, with the late game last night and avoiding the late travel back, we felt like with the Cowboys’ availability, this was going to be our best option.”
The Rams did indeed talk to some options closer to home, namely Indianapolis, the team they play in the final preseason game. Had that game been earlier on the schedule, it’s possible the Colts would have come to Earth City to scrimmage the Rams for a few days before that game but it became something of a non-starter when the schedule had Indianapolis as the opponent in the final week of the exhibition slate.
As for the usual scuffles that tend to pop up in these joint practices — see Washington versus Houston circa a week and a half ago — Fisher said he and Garrett have already taken steps to try to prevent those situations from popping up.
“We’re not going to have a problem with that,” Fisher said. “I’ve been talking to Dallas and I’ll have conversations with Jason and Stephen [Jones] and Jerry [Jones]. We’re going out there to get better and compete against them. We’re not going out there to have joint practices that end up being practices on your own because you can’t get along. I mean, it’ll be competitive but, there’s a, I’ll guarantee a respect factor between both teams.”
znModeratorInteresting article, why didn’t you put it on the football page?
Mistake. But fixed now.
August 16, 2015 at 10:45 pm in reply to: Some misc tweets – Some training camp tweets? – Some extra tweets #28807znModerator
znModeratorGiven that we’re talking about the fifth cornerback spot, the deciding factor could be which player offers the most on special teams. Either way, with Gaines out of the picture this year, there’s now a job opening that previously didn’t exist. It’s up to the remaining contenders to prove deserving of it.
This is really interesting. They have 4 corners (I count Joyner as a free safety/nickel like McCleod was.) Jenkins, Johnson, Roberson, Claiborne. Plus they have Gaines (I don’t know enough about McGee to count him.) Two will be up next year–Johnson and Jenkins–though they are looking to extend Jenkins. Roberson is impressing people and Claiborne was catching peoples’s eyes since he signed as a UDFA.
Plus next year’s draft is reportedly strong at corner.
And whether or not they re-sign Johnson, next year they will probably have Jenkins, Gaines, Roberson, and Claiborne.
This is the deepest they have been at corner…for how long?
And it includes 1 2nd round pick, 1 3rd round pick, 1 6th round pick, and 2 UDFAs.
Now that there is some bargain huntin.
August 16, 2015 at 10:21 pm in reply to: Mission Accomplished! … responses to the Oakland game #28805znModeratorfrom off the net
—
alyoshamucci Part One
I haven’t done my formal review yet but I gave [Foles] a great grade. The team seemed different. It was palpable. I look for body language and focus, and across every player there was a good mixture of “focused” and “loose”.
There is a really good chance that Bradford was just simply never one of the guys, and was either off putting, intimidating, or pressurizing.
Either way we looked different as an offense. He made a couple great throws and a couple he could have thrown a tad better.
He also took the sacks when Washington came in and blew back to back protections instead of throwing a bad ball.
I was more pleased with how the team looked around him than any one thing he did.
***
Tru looked really ready, I’m not too bummed [about Gaines] as a result. That’s why you keep a stable of CBs and RBs. Too easily dinged.
Roberson had a nice tackle, and that was his issue IMO. Not physical enough. Seems to have worked on it.
Claiborne is smart. Right place at the right time isn’t chance over a long enough period. He’s got length too. That combo is a good thing.
znModeratorE.J. Gaines has season-ending surgery
Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13449209/ej-gaines-st-louis-rams-season-foot-injury
St. Louis Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines will miss the 2015 NFL season after suffering a foot injury in the opening weekend of this year’s training camp, the team confirmed Sunday morning.
The injury occurred when receiver Kenny Britt stepped on Gaines’ foot as the two got tangled during a practice drill. The result was a Lisfranc injury for Gaines that required surgery and will keep him from returning this season.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported the news of Gaines’ surgery.
Gaines emerged as one of the team’s starting corners in 2014 after presumed starter Trumaine Johnson suffered a knee injury in the team’s third preseason game. Gaines played well enough in Johnson’s absence to keep the job when Johnson returned in Week 9.
After posting 70 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and eight pass breakups in 15 games last year, Gaines was the odds-on favorite to win a competition with Johnson for the outside starting spot this year.
That competition never really took form, though, as Gaines suffered the foot injury less than a week into camp. The Rams had maintained that Gaines was still undergoing tests as recently as Saturday night after Gaines had visited foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte.
Without Gaines, Johnson figures to move back into his starting role with Lamarcus Joyner handling the slot in the nickel package.
====
Loss of E.J. Gaines creates opportunity at cornerback
Nick Wagoner
Now that the St. Louis Rams have made it official that cornerback E.J. Gaines will not play in 2015 because of a foot injury, there’s a job opening at cornerback, a position that previously appeared to be well-stocked enough to keep any young contenders from breaking through to the roster.
Without Gaines, the Rams no longer have any real pressing questions about who will start and who will be the nickel corner. Trumaine Johnson steps back into his starting role on the outside opposite Janoris Jenkins ,and Lamarcus Joyner steps into the nickel corner role the team drafted him to play.
But there’s a trickle down effect that could offer an opening for a young corner who has already made a strong impression in this training camp. That would be undrafted rookie Imoan Claiborne.
Claiborne was one of the prizes of the team’s free-agent rookie class, receiving an $5,000 signing bonus after going undrafted despite playing in the Senior Bowl. At Northwestern (La.) State in 2014, Claiborne showed a knack for making plays on the ball, coming up with three interceptions and four fumble recoveries. NFL.com projected Claiborne as a third- or fourth-round pick.
In training camp and the preseason, Claiborne has offered glimpses of that playmaking ability. In a recent practice, Claiborne had two interceptions in a span of three plays and then picked off Oakland quarterback Derek Carr just before halftime in the preseason opener.
“He’s got ball skills and he’s been productive,” coach Jeff Fisher said Friday night. “He’s got a good defensive mind and he understands things.”
Of course, Claiborne’s path to the roster comes with no guarantees. The Rams have Jenkins, Johnson and Joyner in place and have carried five corners in recent years. The fourth spot figures to go to second-year corner Marcus Roberson, whom the team has high hopes for moving forward, leaving a potential fifth spot up for grabs.
Brandon McGee, a fifth-round pick in 2013, remains on the roster after missing all but two games last season with a foot injury. McGee has missed most of this training camp with that injury, leaving the door open for someone like Claiborne to break through.
Given that we’re talking about the fifth cornerback spot, the deciding factor could be which player offers the most on special teams. Either way, with Gaines out of the picture this year, there’s now a job opening that previously didn’t exist. It’s up to the remaining contenders to prove deserving of it.
znModeratorOne thing not quite mentioned in that write-up. Shurmur’s defense that day was effectively an all LB, no DL defense on passing downs.
==============
The Rams entered the game with just four healthy defensive linemen, and used none of them on passing downs. Los Angeles went with five linebackers and six defensive backs on long-yardage situations and played zone defense every play.
They hardly resembled the unit that finished 21st among 28 NFL clubs in team defense and last against the pass this season.
‘It might be the first time we played exclusively zone defense,’ Rams inside linebacker Mel Owens said. ‘We had all our guys looking at Randall. We played in front of him and had a lot of guys defending him. That way, he has to stay back and read the defense.
Los Angeles’ defensive plan was designed to keep Cunningham from scrambling for big gains.
‘We knew he was a scrambler,’ said outside linebacker Kevin Greene, who had both of the Rams’ sacks. ‘If we gave him the opportunity to run and find a crease, he’d make some big plays.
‘He ran for some first downs (39 yards on 6 carries), but we did a good job of containing him.
znModeratorI dont remember who Ran the ball for that Eagle team?
Hopefully Gurley/Tre will help the Rams go further
than that great Eagle team.Seems pretty obvious the season will come down
to the OLine. Shocking statement, i know.w
vother teams similar in construction… 85 bears
znModerator
Greg Cosell’s Playoff Preview: Chip Kelly’s offensive innovation is all in the presentationBy Greg Cosell
January 4, 2014I like the Eagles’ offense and enjoy watching it on film – the offense really features a ton of misdirection and deceptions. The Eagles create conflicts for defense and space for running backs and receivers. That’s what they do in a nutshell.
And they’re so good at doing those things.
I think what Eagles coach Chip Kelly does is all in the presentation. If you watch right after the snap, you see a large majority of tactics everyone does. The route combinations are NFL combinations, the running game is a zone game for the most part, like a lot of NFL teams. When ball is snapped, he’s doing mostly what everyone else does. Before the snap, it’s formations, it’s motions, it’s very simple, subtle things you probably wouldn’t notice when you’re watching a game. I don’t always notice them watching the game the first time, then I watch the games on film and I see them. Keep an eye out for it when the Eagles play the Saints on Saturday night.
I’ll give you an example, and it came on a 20-yard run by LeSean McCoy in the first quarter against the Cowboys last week. Receiver Jason Avant motioned into the formation. Seems like nothing – take a slot receiver into the formation. Seems like everyone does that, no big deal. But what happened is, when you do that, you end up creating another gap for the defense to account for. And you have defenders outside of those gaps, so when you have an inside run, there aren’t enough defenders. Then the Eagles snapped the ball as soon as Avant got to the formation.
View gallery
.(NFL.com screen shot)
View gallery
.(NFL.com screen shot)
It’s simple stuff like that, and it gets a 20-yard run.
Again, it’s all in the presentation. He’s great using formations and motion and spreading field horizontally. He makes the defense defend the whole field. There’s a lot of space for the opponent to cover.
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.
Kelly’s concepts are sound. And the speed/tempo element adds a lot. When you think of no-huddle offenses, people think of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. They get to the line of scrimmage and take some time to and research the defense. The Eagles don’t research the defense, they get up to the line and snap the ball. It’s hard to play defense against that. Opponents just have to make sure they get lined up, and they have to play every basic. The Eagles don’t face a lot of the defensive multiplicity, and that’s an interesting element in the playoff game against the Saints.
Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is very good at what we call “designer blitzes.” He comes up with some for each opponent. But it’s hard to be complex against the Eagles. And you can’t substitute. This particular player may be critical to this specific blitz for the Saints, but you might not be able to get him in the game. That doesn’t mean the Saints won’t blitz at all, but sometimes it’s limited against speed/tempo offenses like the Eagles
znModerator
EAGLES: As Bradford sits, race for No. 3 QB job between Barkley, Tebow heats upPHILADELPHIA — The quarterback derby looked like a one-horse race for most of the first two weeks of Eagles training camp.
It was Sam Bradford alone in the stretch. Mark Sanchez was a few lengths back and even further back were Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow.
Bradford, however, was pulled up before he could reach the finish line when head coach Chip Kelly tugged on the reins and announced on Friday that Bradford will sit out the team’s preseason opener Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Lincoln Financial Field.
It almost sounded like a knee-jerk reaction to keep Bradford and his twice-surgically repaired left knee on the sidelines, with the coach saying that he went back and forth with the decision. He added that it was influenced by the dislocated ankle Washington receiver Niles Paul suffered the night before in Washington’s exhibition opener while also mentioning that Bradford had just two weeks of practice without any limitations, something he did not have in the spring.
Kelly said that Bradford will get some good work in against an opposing defense when the Baltimore Ravens come to town for three days starting Wednesday to train with the Birds as they prepare together for their game against each other Saturday night at the Linc.
August 16, 2015 at 10:42 am in reply to: Sloppy Rams lose preseason debut…reporters on the Oakland pre-season game #28769znModerator. They have kept all the players I thought they should keep. So far.
Did you get to see Mannion? I forget if you had the game or not.
August 16, 2015 at 9:29 am in reply to: Sloppy Rams lose preseason debut…reporters on the Oakland pre-season game #28767znModeratorRams vs. Oakland Raiders: Postgame Thoughts and Observations
by Patrick Karraker
The St. Louis Rams won’t be able to go undefeated this preseason, as they were dealt an 18-3 loss by the Oakland Raiders on Friday night. Coach Jeff Fisher and his staff definitely played it conservatively on Friday, as the projected starters who saw action (including rookies Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown) played just a couple series before coming out for the night. Thus, not a whole lot can be taken away from the kickoff to the preseason, as a large chunk of the players who determined the outcome of Friday’s game either won’t be on the Rams’ roster come September or will never see action from scrimmage. In fact, it seems that the Rams may place more emphasis on their organized practice and scrimmage against the Dallas Cowboys this week in Oxnard, California, as defensive end Chris Long was rested on Friday night, but is expected to participate when facing Dallas this week.
Here are a few thoughts and observations from Friday’s preseason opener:
At this point, the thought of beginning a new season must give Rams left guard Rodger Saffold nightmares. Saffold was carted off the field with a neck injury 2012 regular season opener at Detroit, sustained a shoulder injury in the 2013 preseason opener at Cleveland, suffered a leg injury in his personal preseason opener last season at Cleveland (after missing the first two exhibition games with an achy shoulder), and left last year’s regular season opener against Minnesota with a neck stinger. Friday was no exception, as Saffold left the game after just three plays with a wrist injury. He did not return, though Jeff Fisher said in his postgame press conference that Saffold would probably be fine. Saffold is one of the Rams’ best players when healthy, but hopefully they’ve realized by now that they need a quality backup behind him for all the time that he misses while dealing with injuries.
Saffold’s injury did create an opportunity for Brandon Washington, who’s been with the Rams for four seasons, to showcase himself at left guard. Washington has been in a constant battle to make (and then stay on) the roster during his Rams career, and that’s perhaps true in this year more than any other, as he has to fight off the five linemen the Rams drafted, among others, in order to have a shot at the 53-man roster. Washington showed some nice physicality in the early going, though he did allow Oakland defensive lineman Shelby Harris to get past him for a sack and later missed several plays with an injury of his own.
Rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein wasn’t terrible on Friday night, but it’s clear that he needs to make adjustments to his pass blocking technique, which is far from a surprise considering his monstrous height and the run-based offense he played in at Wisconsin. The 6-foot-8 Havenstein wasn’t getting enough knee bend coming out of his pass set, which left him susceptible to getting overpowered and pushed back. If he can get his weight under him just a bit more, he’ll become much more successful as a pass blocker.
Supplemental draft pick Isaiah Battle had a very rough night, which wasn’t the most surprising thing in the world considering that he was Clemson’s projected starting left tackle for this season just six weeks ago. The Rams are in no rush to make him a contributor; they have no less than three tackles that are firmly slotted ahead of him on the depth chart, and GM Les Snead was upfront after taking Battle in saying that he would need at least a year before he’d be ready to get on the field for meaningful snaps. With that said, Battle is going to have an uphill battle (no pun intended) to make himself a successful pro. By NFL tackle standards, he’s a toothpick at 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, and it wasn’t a massive exaggeration when TV analyst and Rams legend Torry Holt remarked on Friday that Battle “has no strength at all”. With NFL strength and conditioning programs having been hugely limited by the new CBA, Battle is going to need to have an incredible desire to build his body and craft his game independently, which may be a challenge considering the apparent lack of motivation that got him in trouble at Clemson.
Seeing as the Rams drafted five offensive linemen and have several veteran backup types like Washington, Garrett Reynolds, and Travis Bond, it was quite surprising to see undrafted rookie Darrell Williams working as the Rams’ second-team left tackle on Friday. Williams, a 6-foot-5, 300-pounder, delivered a pretty impressive performance and actually seemed more comfortable than guys like Havenstein and Battle. It should be interesting to see if Williams can make himself a practice squad candidate, or perhaps even make a good enough impression to push a player like Reynolds or fourth-rounder Andrew Donnal out of the mix when the Rams cut to 53.
Tavon Austin had only one reception on Friday night, but he made the most of it, gaining 35 yards on the play after accumulating some extremely impressive yards after the catch. Austin seemed to gain confidence over the second half of last season, but his catch and subsequent movement down the field was just about the most comfortable he’s looked in open space since becoming a Ram in 2013. After two seasons of primarily disappointing results from the former seventh-overall pick, it was so uplifting to see Austin do something productive, even if it was just in a preseason game.
I wrote earlier this week about how Marshall McFadden seemed to have worked his way back into the mix for the Rams at linebacker. The special teams ace, who was released and demoted to the practice squad during the middle of the 2014 season, continued his battle to get back on the Rams’ 53-man roster with three tackles and some impressive moxie on Friday. McFadden could make himself particularly indispensable if Daren Bates, who left Friday’s game, is seriously injured, but he already seems to have the edge for the sixth linebacker job over rookie Bryce Hager and the injured Korey Toomer.
Speaking of Hager, he had some brutal moments in coverage–most notably a blown assignment that allowed Oakland receiver Andre Holmes to score a touchdown in the second quarter–and he didn’t exactly make a great impression despite leading the team with seven tackles. Considering the Rams’ general disregard of seventh-round picks under the Fisher/Snead administration, the odds were already against Hager in his battle to make the 53-man roster, so Friday’s performance didn’t help his cause.
It was quite odd to see newly-signed linebacker Akeem Ayers being pressed into coverage against Oakland receivers early on in Friday’s game. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Ayers, who remarked during an in-game interview that he has to “get used to playing linebacker again”, was mainly used as a blitzing specialist after being traded to the Patriots early last season, and many have anticipated that he’ll fill a similar role with the Rams. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who seems to be comfortable dropping literally any of his defenders back into coverage, might as well get the hefty linebacker re-acclimated to handling receivers and tight ends while the games don’t count.
In his first NFL action, third-rounder Sean Mannion was more than solid at quarterback, completing 8 of 13 passes for 53 yards. Considering that pocket presence was one of his most pressing issues at Oregon State, it was quite a feat for Mannion to be the only Rams quarterback who wasn’t sacked on Friday, especially since he was playing behind an extremely inexperienced line.
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who had an interception against Oakland, is a guy to really watch in the early part of this season, as he may be a candidate for a major breakout season. Johnson began intently studying tape for the first time this offseason, and if the 6-foot-2, 208-pounder can develop a superior level of intellect to go along with his elite size, there’s no reason that he can’t be one of the better cornerbacks in the league. He’s had issues with consistency through his first three seasons, but if he can sort those out, look for him to make major improvements.
August 15, 2015 at 11:05 pm in reply to: Mission Accomplished! … responses to the Oakland game #28761znModeratorLaRam
I had to read it again but that’s a good review IMO.
A bit harsh in spots, but there’s a lot of good stuff there.
BTW it’s starting to look like we can count on Barnes to be solid at center.
That’s better than Wells was after he got whittled down. So who knows.
The surprise for me was Givens. I had pretty much just written him off.
August 15, 2015 at 9:51 pm in reply to: Mission Accomplished! … responses to the Oakland game #28757znModeratorfrom off the net
RockRam
I watched the first couple of offensive series in slo mo and focused on Brown and Havenstein.
Both did well run and pass blocking.
Brown is quick off the ball and mobile. In Slo mo he’s usually the first OL to fire out…..and that dude is BIG! One time he pulled to his left so fast he almost ran over Foles who was dropping back to hand off.
Havenstein washed down the entire side to his left on one play. He is very good at maintaining his balance and staying in front of his guy. Has a real sense for shielding his guy away from a play.
B.Jones did not do well. He gets pushed back too easy, even in double teams.
Barnes held the point much better.
Rhaney did a good job (had a couple of poor snaps). His short stature and lightening fast get off gets him into his man before the guy can get into him. Being shorter seems to give him a leverage advantage (ala Donald).
I’d have to say after this first preseason game that it is Barnes 1, Rhaney 2, Jones 3, at least from the blocking standpoint
It was pretty clear that once the entire starting offense and defense was benched after 2 series, that the goal for Fisher was to test the youngsters.
Among the 2nd and 3rd teamers, the guys who impressed were Rhaney at Center and Claiborne at CB. Westbrooks was active and disruptive, and D. Williams at LT wasn’t bad either.ON 2 WRITTEN-OFF PLAYERS:
Givens played hard, caught everything catchable.
Pead looked better than I’ve seen him as a Ram. Hit the hole hard, fought for yards. I think he and Watts are in a real battle for the 4th RB/STs slot.
August 15, 2015 at 9:40 pm in reply to: Mission Accomplished! … responses to the Oakland game #28756znModeratorfrom off the net
flv
Helping themselves:
LT Darrell Wiiliams. Played against back-ups but looked like a starter. #6 OL on this form.
CB Imoan Claiborne. Needed to make a play…and did.
RB Trey Watts. Elusive and awkward to bring down.
RB Isaiah Pead. Decisive, pacy, versatile.
WR Chris Givens. Solid. Caught pass in traffic – No really!!!
C Tim Barnes. By default.Not helping themselves:
OL Brandon Washington. Struggled when it mattered.
LT Isaiah Battle. Struggled when it didn’t matter.
K/P Michael Palardy. 0/1 wide right. (bubble is generous).
C David Wang. 3-way battle. Didn’t make it 4.
LB Bryce Hager. All LBs struggled shedding blockers. Big missed tackle to boot.
C Barrett Jones. More issues than Barnes vs lesser opposition.
RB Malcolm Brown. Flat. No spark.
CB Lamarcus Joyner. Thankful for Draft status and guaranteed salary. Not a top 4 CB yet.August 15, 2015 at 9:37 pm in reply to: Mission Accomplished! … responses to the Oakland game #28755znModeratorfrom off the net
RamzFanz
No one wants to watch a loss or a team that can’t get in the endzone, but what we watched wasn’t really the Rams we will see in season.
I thought Foles played great. He was in for 11 minutes and hit 3/5 for 69 yards. Cook was interfered with and should have caught that ball anyways. That extrapolates out to a 60% completion percentage and 376 yards with 16 completions. Not bad.
I liked the play calling and design for the most part but not too much exciting. I didn’t agree with the fade to Cook on 3rd down. Hit him in the seam and go for the first down.
For a supposedly run first team, Mason was only run twice. Not a sample size that will tell us what he or the line are capable of or how the defense would act if he is successful and have to play the run more.
Out of the skill positions that started, I was expecting to be impressed with Britt, TA, Bailey, and Cook. Another small sample size, but if they do that all season, we’re going to be moving balls. Cook didn’t show anything but his camp performance has been outstanding.
Givens and Kendricks surprised me in a good way. I’m a Kendricks fan and he was having a rough TC.
Pead didn’t surprise me. He played as well as in camp. Nice one handed catch too!
Keenum played pretty good too. Better than I expected. A lot of dropped passes and unflagged muggings.
Bam Bam did what Bam Bam needs to do, 3 yards and a cloud of dust.
The starting line was pretty good. Washington was terrible. Robinson did get pushed around too but he bent and didn’t break. He needs something to get him over the hump.
Mannion has future starter written all over him.
LOTS of penalties but, ZERO turnovers! That’s great!
I think the Rams proved again what we mostly already expect. Protect Foles and he’ll get the job done. Don’t protect him and it’s going to stay ugly.
I don’t care if the players they are cutting are better than the players we are cutting, I saw a lot to like from our starters and the right side of the o-line, my biggest worry, was a brick wall.
August 15, 2015 at 9:01 pm in reply to: Sloppy Rams lose preseason debut…reporters on the Oakland pre-season game #28750znModeratorRams’ penalty problems persist in preseason
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/20389/rams-penalty-problems-persist-in-preseason
Looking back at how the St. Louis Rams fared, here are three things worth watching after their 18-3 loss to the Oakland Raiders on Friday night:
1. Will penalty problems persist?: In short, the answer was yes. The Rams were penalized 10 timed for 75 yards and had at least three other calls that were either declined or negated by Raiders penalties. Coach Jeff Fisher has said cutting down on penalties is a point of emphasis for his team and has pointed to preseason penalty problems as being a function of players unlikely to make the team in the past. But when the season starts, the Rams have often carried over those issues. In three seasons under Fisher, the Rams lead the league in penalties and penalty yards. Clearly, the emphasis will need to be ratcheted up through the rest of the preseason if the Rams are ever to make progress in this area.
2. First look at Foles: As expected, starting quarterback Nick Foles played two series before calling it a night. He started off as well as he could, completing his first two passes for 61 yards, including a strike to tight end Lance Kendricks for 26 yards on his first snap as Rams quarterback. It wasn’t all positive for Foles, though, as he came under fire on the team’s second possession with pressure coming off the left side. He was sacked once (a second was wiped out by offsetting penalties) and looked like he struggled to get through his progressions before taking those hits. All told, it was about what you’d expect with flashes of good and bad as Foles finished 3-of-5 for 69 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
3. Injuries into opportunity: With players such as running back Todd Gurley and cornerbacks E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee battling injuries, there were ample opportunities for some other players to step in and contribute. At running back, Gurley didn’t play and Tre Mason made just two carries before calling it a night. That left some chances for undrafted rookie Malcolm Brown to play. Brown did some good things, carrying twice for 18 yards and adding a catch for 7 yards. At corner, it was rookie free agent Imoan Claiborne who stepped in and surprised. He’s had some interceptions in camp and added another to his tally by picking off Christian Ponder before the end of the first half. There’s still a long road for players such as Brown and Claiborne to make the roster, but Friday night offered a positive step in that direction.
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