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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.
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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.
znModeratorOffensive line coach Bruce Boudreau must accomplish plenty between now and the opener Sept. 13 against Seattle.
Ah see there’s the problem right there.
Rams went and hired the wrong Boudreau.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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alyoshamucci
I have Rhaney ahead.
Jones’ issue is strength … he gets pushed around. Maybe he’s going tentative or thinking too much, but Rhaney gets all up into his man and moves him. He’s also athletic enough to adjust when he’s beat.
I watched every play in slo mo to get a feel for him. One thing I learned? Washington is terrible. Blew about 5 blocks … Rhaney had one mistake. But so did Grob.
You know who was solid? Both Brown and Hav. The rookies are the bright spot on the line. lol
If there’s a mental aspect he’s not getting that’s one thing, but he is physically the best player at the position in my view.
Also, the fullbacks blew block after block .. blew my mind, no one could seal the back side.
August 24, 2015 at 7:26 pm in reply to: Fisher, 8/23 & 8/24 … vid from 1, transcript from the other #29238znModeratorRams Head Coach Jeff Fisher- 8/24/5
(Opening Statement)
“We just finished a staff meeting and we spent about a part of the day going through the tape. As you would expect, there were some good things and they’re some things that need to improve. That’s usually the case in preseason games. Bottom line is this – we need to have a great week of practice and we need to play well. We’re all looking forward to finally playing here at home. I know the players are and we’ll have some normalcy to our week. You know, we have some guys that are healing up. (OL) Cody Wichmann has been taken off of PUP and he’ll be allowed to practice tomorrow. (RB) Todd Gurley has been cleared for practice, so that’s good news. Now we’re going to progress him slowly, but he’ll be able to participate in the 7-on-7 and the team drills. Up to this point, he’s just been participating in the 1-on-1’s. So we’ll take it slow, but it’s going to be fun to get him on the practice field. So we have a couple of guys that we held out. A couple of guys…you know, (G) Rodger (Saffold) and (DT) Michael (Brockers). They have a chance this week, we’ll just see. As I mentioned after the ball game last night, we did not have a player in the training room, which is a good thing in a preseason game.”(On the last time he didn’t have a player in the training room after a preseason or any game)
“You usually have something. There’s usually an MRI or there’s an X-Ray or, ‘we’ll check him out tomorrow,’ but Week 2 of the preseason I think is significantly different than last year’s Week 2. It’s good news.”(On if he plans to play RB Todd Gurley in the preseason)
“No. No, we don’t have the intention of doing that. We’re just going to slowly increase his reps and see how he progresses. He may need a day off here and there, but it’s good news. Dr. (James) Andrews was really pleased with his progress, so he’s cutting him loose. He’ll be with a brace. He’ll have to continue to wear the brace.”(On if Gurley went back to Dr. Andrews for a check-up)
“No, he didn’t see Dr. Andrews. We have a testing protocol that we do here that we forwarded to him. He was pleased with the results.”(On if he anticipates Gurley playing on opening day)
“Don’t know. Don’t know. We’re going to bring him along slow.”(On how Gurley feels about participating in team drills)
“He’s excited. He’s really excited. He had a blast in the warm-ups last night. Then his fun stopped when the game started because he wanted to play, but he understands the situation that he’s in.”(On if he feels WR Brian Quick is ready to play)
“I think he’s got a chance to play this week, yeah. We’re taking his yellow hat off of him. I’m going to take the yellow hat off of Brian and put it on Todd. The yellow hat says don’t hit me on the practice field.”(On what the yellow hat symbolizes)
“The yellow hat tells the defense, ‘Don’t hit me.’ I may have a ceremony tomorrow and let Brian graduate and pass it over to Todd. The yellow hat is like a red jersey.”(On what he saw the starters do well the first half of Sunday’s game)
“Oh, we played physical on defense. Now we had some gap misfits and things like that and we had a coverage breakdown. We saw some formations that we hadn’t seen yet. (CB) Tru (Johnson) got caught up in a play action, gave (QB) Marcus (Mariota) a chance to connect with the tight end down the field and things like that. We had some really good tackles. We had some good pressure on the passer. On special teams I thought we protected well. We covered well. Some young guys are showing up. (WR) Bradley Marquez was showing he’s got some skills to play in this league on teams. Then the second half, we exploded. We had 226 yards or something like that. We had some big plays. Great throw. Great throw and catch, with (QB) Case (Keenum) to (WR) Chris (Givens) and some other big plays. (RB) Malcolm’s (Brown) run was…caught him a little off guard. I think they thought he was out of bounds, but certainly replay showed otherwise. It’s nice to have some explosive plays. Then with (RB) Trey (Watt) averaged about eight yards a carry.”(On if it’s bittersweet to have RB Trey Watts out for the first four games with how well he’s producing)
“He’s going to continue to run the ball in the next two games. To answer your question, we’re all disappointed. We addressed that. We’re disappointed, so we’ll see where that goes.”(On what he’s seen from DL Ethan Westbrooks)
“He’s played every position thus far in the preseason and that would also include against the Cowboys. So he’s playing left and right end and both tackles. He’s playing all positions well. I’d like for him to go when the brown thing moves rather than beforehand, because he’s been offsides three times I think already this preseason. He needs to slow down. Other than that, he’s explosive, he’s playing the run very well, and he’s shown he can rush the passer.”(On how DT Nick Fairley is progressing)
“Good, good. He’s getting his weight back and he made some plays yesterday.”(On what type of camp WR Chris Givens is having)
“Really good camp. Had a good offseason, had good OTAs, very patient. He’s actually playing an expanded role on special teams for us right now, which is good. You saw what he can do. He can do it. Against Dallas he had a number of catches and then he had a number of intermediate, kind of short route, good possession-like catches against the Raiders.”(On Givens’ resilience)
“Well, he’s one of a number of guys, particularly, not just in his class, but some other guys that stayed here this offseason. They stayed here, they lived here, they worked here and it pays off. Those rookies, you can tell them, ‘Hey you need to be here,’ but it was a long hard road their rookie season and they take off. He stayed here and he took advantage of it. He took advantage of the weight room. He took advantage of his training and then really focused in on the offensive change.”(On if anyone has grabbed ahold of the center spot)
“It’s going to be a really good race. (C) ‘Timmy’ (Tim Barnes) didn’t play because he had a sore lower leg, so he’ll get a chance to play this week. I think (C) Barrett (Jones) is coming on, just with the play time, because Barrett hasn’t played much in games. And then (C) Demetrius (Rhaney) I thought played pretty well last night, so we’ll continue to evaluate the position.”(On if he’s going to need all four preseason games to decide who the starting center is)
“Yeah, we probably won’t make a decision until the opener or until kickoff.”(On if C Tim Barnes will start this week)
“He’ll play this week. I don’t know if he’s going to start or not.”(On further thoughts on the first team offense)
“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?’ We keep it basic. Our philosophy is to just play and work on fundamentals during the preseason. (QB) Nick (Foles) wants that ball back. He’d love to have that ball back. That wasn’t a good decision by Nick and that’s not the first interception he’s thrown and not the last one he’s going to throw. He’s had a great camp and no concerns whatsoever. Our offense is coming. It’s coming. We saw a lot of good things out of our offense against the Cowboys.”(On how Foles reacted to the interception)
“Same way he acted when he got hit in the mouth: he would come up and throw a rope for a first down, either the next series or the very next play. That’s how he is. He’s unique in that he has a very short memory and that’s good.”(On if there is a bit of road weariness after being on the road for 10 days)
“I think it’s a contributing factor. That’s why I said it’s great to be back home to get some normalcy to our week.”August 24, 2015 at 6:34 pm in reply to: Jim Thomas – Tweets 8/24 – Gurley cleared for full practice on Tuesday #29236znModeratorNick Wagoner @nwagoner
Jeff Fisher announces that RB Todd Gurley has been cleared to practice. He’ll wear yellow hat signifying no… http://espn.go.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0427588625144746964-4 …
#Rams RB Todd Gurley still won’t play in preseason but this is next step in his recovery. No target date on when he’ll play in a game.
znModeratorI also remember thinking Cignetti is not even
trying to call medium passing plays. He’s not
threatening the middle, he’s not calling for 20 yard zingers.
He’s just dinking and dunking and it looked like the defenseI have one word for you. “Link.”
Well it would be nice to see Mr Foles do some of that
in the third game. Then again, I dont suppose they
want to risk having him stand in the pocket too long.w
vI really don’t know how the offense will play out. But just in terms of his 12 passes so far, there’s
* a 26 yarder to Kendricks (some of that is YAC)
* a behind the LOS throw to Tavon (TA of course ran for yards)
* incomplete to Cook
* an 8 yarder to Britt
* incomplete to TA* an 8 yarder to Britt
* short left to Britt intercepted
* 7 yarder to Britt
* incomplete short to Austin (actually thrown away)
* incomplete short to Bailey
* incomplete short to Austin
* a 3 yarder to CookAnd I think you’re right that so far they are not using the middle.
A couple of those were great passes. The INT was a stinker.
znModeratorI also remember thinking Cignetti is not even
trying to call medium passing plays. He’s not
threatening the middle, he’s not calling for 20 yard zingers.
He’s just dinking and dunking and it looked like the defenseI have one word for you. “Link.”
znModeratorI remember reading how the Cowboys were surprised how the Rams practiced. How slow it was–no flow–how the Cowboy coaches practiced DURING drills while the Rams seemed to stop and THEN coach. That struck me as a bit weird. Maybe it isn’t but it does seem like a less efficient way of coaching.
You say a lot of things, and some I agree with and some I don’t, but this one right here IMO is based on a misconception.
No Dallas players said that. That was said by a Dallas fan writing essentially a camp report, and a highly homeristic one at that. And the unit he used as an example was special teams. That’s coach Fassel. One thing we know about Rams special teams is that they are exceptional.
What we heard the Dallas coaches and players say, although it was indirectly, was that in the Monday practice the Rams were far more intense and competitive in drills and scrimmages than Dallas was, and that the team wanted to see that corrected.
znModeratorNick Foles, offensive line stuck in neutral, Trey Watts rising
Nick Wagoner
Here are some highs and lows in terms of individual performances from the St. Louis Rams’ 27-14 loss against the Tennessee Titans:
Highs
WR Chris Givens: The Rams finally got their first touchdown of the preseason with a little more than five minutes left in the third quarter of the second game. It came courtesy of Givens, who burned the Titans for an 80-yard score with a perfect throw from quarterback Case Keenum. The deep ball is Givens’ best trick but it’s one the Rams can use and probably why he’ll stick on the roster for a fourth season.
RB Trey Watts: Watts is suspended the first four games of the season for violation of the league’s policy on substance abuse, which means he needs strong preseason performances to earn a roster spot. Nights like Sunday should help. He finished with 53 yards on six carries and added two catches for 42 yards.
QB Case Keenum: Competing for the No. 2 quarterback job, Keenum offered at least one reason to lock down the job with the aforementioned touchdown pass to Givens. It was the best throw by any Rams signal caller this preseason and finally got the Rams in the end zone. The final numbers weren’t overwhelming as he finished seven-of-16 for 164 yards with the score for a rating of 102.1 but anyone on the offense providing big plays should get thumbs up.
Lows
QB Nick Foles: Foles was responsible for the Titans’ first touchdown, throwing an aimless pass out into the flat that Perrish Cox intercepted and returned 24 yards for a touchdown. He finished three-of-seven for 18 yards with that pick and no touchdowns for a rating of 10.7.
The starting offensive line: Of course, Foles’ struggles were due in part to the struggles of this group. Without left guard Rodger Saffold, that unit didn’t allow a sack but there was plenty of pressure. What’s worse, they only managed to pave the way for 2.4 yards per carry on nine attempts. That’s not nearly enough for a team that wants to be run-centric.
CB Marcus Roberson: Roberson has had a strong camp but had a costly miss on a tackle that led to Hakeem Nicks’ 40-yard catch-and-run and allowed a couple of other completions for sizable gains. He’s all but certain to be the team’s No. 4 cornerback but will need to be more consistent to elevate beyond that in 2015.
znModeratorLamarcus Joyner bounces back with solid performance against Titans
Nick Wagoner
Lamarcus Joyner struggled against the Oakland Raiders in the preseason opener, allowing an easy completion for a touchdown and missing a couple of tackles. He showed some resilience Sunday night in the St. Louis Rams’ 27-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans on his way to earning my game ball.
Joyner made a perfect play on a third-down pass on Tennessee’s opening possession to get the breakup and kill the drive. He also proved to be one of the few Rams capable of making a sure tackle, posting five stops, including one for loss. While others further down the roster might have posted more impressive nights, we’ll go with Joyner since he did it with the starters and will be a key piece for the defense this season.
With starting cornerback EJ Gaines lost for the season because of a foot injury, Joyner must elevate his game. Joyner, a second-round pick in 2014, is set as the team’s nickel corner. To remain there, he’ll need more efforts like Sunday night’s.
znModeratorI would say you are officially panicking.
Oh, gee, thanks. I am so happy to receive another patronizing bit of instruction
I would have responded to this earlier but electricity went out. My remark was just playful banter and there was nothing disrespectful about it. As is my way, it’s not literal—I don’t believe there’s real “panic” and if I did I wouldn’t say so. And I would only do be pkayful that way if I thought we were communicating and everything was fine. I am sorry you took it that way and clearly I have to take precautions in how I respond to you, and not assume things are fine. Either way it can’t be “another patronizing bit of instruction” since there has never BEEN “a patronizing bit of instruction” from me to you—I promise you it’s neither patronizing nor instruction in this case, and I have never posted either one in response to you, since I’ve known you. On occasion, I have been completely baffled as to why you say things like that. I even ASKED what you meant by that on previous occasions. This is obviously a communication issue, and that obviously means it goes both ways. To me, you are clearly just reading things into my tone that are simply not there….but then who knows what I am not seeing (that’s the problem with communication issues). But in any event, this kind of thing belongs on email or pm. We can’t make ourselves exceptions to our very light community rules, which includes the fact that we just don’t air personal grievances in public. (With this obvious exception aside, I abide by that too.)
Fair enough?
Honestly, I have no idea why you have now and then referred to me as being “patronizing” to you, since I have no such feelings and do not see why you think so. But again, since communication issues are invariably mutual, there must be something I am not seeing too.
So what do you say, let’s fix this.
Rick
znModeratorHowever, I am concerned about an apparent ambivalence to losing that goes back years (regular season as well as preseason).
But, see, I don’t see that in Long’s remarks.
znModeratorin their interviews, Long and Ogletree take a pretty nonchalant attitude to being embarrassed. They should be livid.
I dunno. First Ogletree isn’t a leader. To me, he’s more like an orphan ward of the team. Either way, Long did not strike me personally as being nonchalant. He wasn’t livid either but then I personally wouldn’t find that consoling.
znModeratorIn their interviews, Long and Ogletree take a pretty nonchalant attitude to being embarrassed.
I would say you are officially panicking.
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