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znModeratorRAMS VS. GIANTS REPORT CARD – WEEK 16
http://www.stltoday.com/gallery/sports/football/professional/rams-d-earns-an-f/collection_27938da7-d033-56f6-944e-160b049edbab.html#0Just when you thought the Rams had assembled an elite defensive unit, Gregg Williams and his charges are outclassed by the Giants. Jeff Gordon hands out the grades after a dismal day at the Dome.
Quarterback: B
Well, Shaun Hill tried. He kept heaving the ball down the field with the Rams in catch-up mode. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 290 yards and two TDs. His one early interception went right through the hands of Tavon Austin, although that throw did sail on him. Hill wasn’t great on third down but what more can you expect from this guy?Running Backs: A
Tre Mason broke off big gains outside and punched out some solid gains between the tackles. He averaged 5.8 yards on his 13 carries. He scored on a 10-yard run despite nearly having his head ripped off with a facemask foul. Too bad he didn’t get more touches against the NFL’s worst rushing defense.Wide Receivers: B
Kenny Britt tore up the Giants with nine catches for 103 yards. He could have had a bigger day, but he misjudged one underthrown deep ball that was there for the taking. Chris Givens appeared from the mist to catch a 47-yard touchdown pass. Tavon Austin had a 19-yard run and a 15-yard catch. He needed more touches in this game—even though he let that one pass go through his hands for a deflection interception.Tight Ends: B-
Jared Cook finally asserted himself with the Rams in desperate catch-up mode. He caught five passes for 41 yards and broke free for what could have been a big passing play down the field . . . only to see Hill sail the throw. Lance Kendricks stopped by long enough to catch a 23-yard TD pass along with a 12-yard throw.Offensive Line: F
It was only fair that the final Rams offensive play was another terrible shotgun snap by C Scott Wells. He has been playing hurt, true, but his untimely mishaps have undermined this offense game after game. Missed blocks (G Davin Joseph!) and costly penalties (OT Greg Robinson!) damaged possession after possession and offset some nice stretches of run blocking and pass protection.Defensive Line: F
The Rams seldom applied pressure on Giants QB Eli Manning: their only sack came on a safety blitz. They suffered some untimely breakdowns in their rush defense as well. The Giants are no offensive juggernaut and they trampled the Rams for 514 yards. New York converted eight third-down plays and kept the ball for nearly 35 minutes. It’s hard to believe this was the same defensive front that helped hold three consecutive opponents to no touchdowns.
Linebackers: FOLB Alec Ogletree made eight unassisted tackles, one for a loss, and started one sideline riot on a busy day. MLB James Laurinaitis was active as well, but at the end of the day the unit couldn’t make the big plays or timely stops to turn the game. The Rams blitzed here and there, but never really disrupted the Giants.
Secondary: F-
It’s hard to imagine defensive backs ever doing a worse job than the Rams did in this game. WR Odell Beckham Jr. clowned them for eight catches, 148 yards and two TDs. Play after play after play Manning had wide-open targets to hit. There were too many disasters to recount in this space. The Rams got lost and stayed lost as Manning threw for 391 yards, three TDs and a 148.8 passer rating.Special Teams: D
Benny Cunningham spit up a kickoff fumble on his first return attempt, handing the Giants a TD and a quick 10-0 lead. Improbably the Rams earned an offside penalty on a punt to extend a key Giants possession. A blocking-in-the-back penalty took yardage off one of Austin’s outstanding punt returns. The Rams stood idly by while a great Johnny Hekker punt rolled into the end zone. Such blunders offset big plays like Austin’s 41-yard punt return, Greg Zuerlein’s 51-yard field goal and Daren Bates’ blocked field goal bid.Coaching: F
The Rams had to win this game to prove progress is really occurring in Year 3 of the Jeff Fisher Regime. Instead, the Rams played sloppy, undisciplined football from start to finish against the Giants. The Brian Schottenheimer offense failed to make the key third-down plays to keep the Rams offense on the field. The Gregg Williams defense had exactly zero answers Sunday. The special teams made one mistake after another. When will our suffering end?znModeratorRams’ E.J. Gaines OK after scary collision
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14829/rams-e-j-gaines-ok-after-scary-collision
ST. LOUIS — Observed and heard in the locker room after the St. Louis Rams’ 37-27 loss to the New York Giants:
Gaines OK: There was a scary moment late in the third quarter, when Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines collided with safety T.J. McDonald while diving for an interception. McDonald’s knee caught Gaines in the head, and Gaines crumpled to the ground, where he was instantly surrounded by teammates and medical staff.
Coach Jeff Fisher said after the game that Gaines would be OK. Gaines has a concussion and a lacerated lip and will go through concussion protocol.
Penalties and miscues: It’s been a common combination for the Rams under Fisher, and it reared its ugly head again Sunday. Whether it was a coverage bust, a protection issue or a penalty flag, the Rams seemed to run the gamut on Sunday. They finished with nine penalties for 76 yards, but those included silly mistakes such as jumping offside on fourth-and-short when New York was punting and being offside on a kickoff.
“Mental errors in this league will get you beat faster than physical errors,” tackle Joe Barksdale said.
Unacceptable: That was a word used by many around the Rams’ locker room after their latest clunker. For a team that had showed signs of turning it around, it offered a not-so-subtle reminder that games such as this are always around the next corner.
“It’s just unacceptable,” defensive end Chris Long said. “We didn’t play well, and it’s just unacceptable.”
znModeratorRams are no-shows in loss to Giants
By Jim Thomas
The big question entering the day was whether the Rams could keep their focus and motivation after losing any chance at a playoff berth or a winning record the week before against Arizona.
The answer was a resounding “No” as the Rams’ secondary was scorched by quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in a 37-27 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
Fan Appreciation Day proved to be just another slap in the face to fans now assured of their 11th consecutive non-winning season by the 6-9 Rams. On this day, the best hits by the Rams defense seemed to come on late hits well out of bounds.
Meanwhile, after snapping out of a seven-game losing streak, the Giants (6-9) have now won three in a row.
Manning threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns, and Beckham (148) and Rueben Randle (132) both had over 100 yards receiving. It was a brutal day for cornerback Trumaine Johnson in coverage. As for the Rams’ pass rush, it was a step slow all day.
The offense showed an ability to move the football, but holding penalties and missed blocks by the line were an issue all day. As a topper, it was not quarterback Shaun Hill’s most accurate day. He missed wide-open receivers Kenny Britt and Jared Cook on deep balls that probably would’ve been touchdowns.
This was a day when the Rams’ defense was a no-show. With the help of two Rams turnovers, Manning and the New York offense raced to a 20-3 first-half lead.
The St. Louis secondary, particularly Johnson, struggled in coverage as Manning threw for 200 yards on 16 of 18 passing in the half.
Beckham Jr. ended the Rams’ streak of 12 quarters without allowing a touchdown pass with 9-yard grab with 8:24 left in the first quarter. It was as strange choice of coverage by the Rams. Johnson lined up across from Beckham Jr., but then dropped into zone coverage as Beckham ran by.
That left Beckham Jr. isolated with safety T.J. McDonald — and 95 times out of 100 a wide receiver is going to win a matchup with a safety, particularly a wideout as talented as the Giants’ rookie phenom.
That made it 10-0 Giants, who had kicked a field goal earlier. The Rams got on the board with a 51-yard field by Greg Zuerlein on their next possession. One play before Zuerlein’s kick the Rams had a manageable third-and-4 from the New York 28, but right guard Davin Joseph was beaten by Jason Pierre-Paul for a sack, forcing the field goal attempt.
The Giants scored that touchdown after Benny Cunningham — on a kickoff return — fumbled for the first time in 126 touches this year, a total that includes catches, carries, and returns. New York recovered on the St. Louis 21.
The lead grew to 13-3 Giants early in the second quarter on a field goal by former Rams place-kicker Josh Brown on a series that followed another St. Louis turnover. Hill threw a quick screen to Tavon Austin, but the ball caromed off Austin’s hands and was picked off by Giants defensive lineman Kerry Wynn and returned seven yards to the New York 44.
After a Johnny Hekker punt the Giants drove 80 yards with unheralded running back Orleans Darkwa scoring on a 12-yard cutback run. So it was 20-3 Giants with 4:49 left in the first half.
But a bench-clearing scuffle that began with a late hit on Beckham Jr. by linebacker Alec Ogletree seemed to snap the Rams out of their slumber. Ogletree hit Beckham well out of bounds after a short reception near the New York bench.
Beckham Jr. responded by throwing the football at Ogletree. Ogletree shoved back, the Giants’ bench came to Beckham’s aid, and then the Rams came to help Ogletree. After referee Pete Morelli and his crew restored order, defensive end Damontre Moore and wide receiver Preston Parker of the Giants had been ejected. Defensive end William Hayes of the Rams also was ejected.
The Rams forced a punt after the fracas, then scored on a 10-yard run by Tre Mason on the ensuing possession to narrow the Giants’ lead to 20-10. A 20-yard field goal by Zuerlein to close the half made it a one-score game — 20-13 — and the Rams got the ball to start the second half.
But the Rams ended up punting to start the third quarter, and the Giants and Manning continued to pick apart the St. Louis secondary, with TD passes to Rueben Randle and Beckham Jr. to help stretch the Giants’ lead to 37-20 midway through the fourth quarter.
znModeratorYeah we really respected Mora for that.
In fact that vid became famous as the very model of honest coaching self-appraisal in front of the press.
Not, as some assume, the butt of endless jokes.
znModeratorcgsuddeath wrote:
And then my question to you is,what will this rookie look like running for his life with no pass protection?Resign Barksdale, move Saffold from LG to RG, and then sign a Guard in free agency, maybe a John Jerry. We should be fine. Wells will be cut, and Barrett Jones should be ready to take over at Center. On top, draft an OG in the 2nd round, with a Free Safety in round 3.
Jack. You’re not the GM. For all you know … that is, REALLY know… every thing you list would be the worst possible way to approach it.
We’ll see.
…
znModeratorHe needs to take responsibility for his mistakes namely for this undisciplined mess being unprepared to win after 10 days off against a team with less talent. Off the top of my head Mora,Parcells even Martz would own up to his mistakes but not Fisher. No we get stuff like “Well I sure didn’t expect that out of them” Coaches are part of the team but Fisher continually separates himself from any accountability .He’s had 3 years and made millions at this point it is unacceptable to “think” his team is prepared he has to know it.
Assuming your explanation of why they lost is the actual explanation…that is, what a veteran coach would see when he goes over film…how do you know what he does behind closed doors? When it counts?
I cannot think of a single coach who has ever spoken in a way you are suggesting he should (assuming, again, that your analysis of what happened is the correct one). You forget–press conferences are not confessionals with angry fans as the inquisitors. They are staged events the coach uses the way he feels he needs to in order to keep the real issues behind closed doors.
And they sure as heck don’t say much until they have reviewed the film.
As angry as we are personally, coaches never act like we are the final judges. I don’t think you can actually BE a coach and think that way.
Unless you can think of examples of coaches who did act that way…that is, that they owe humble self-confession to angry fans after a bad loss before they have even seen the film.
But. No point in arguing. We’re both pizzed off, we just express it differently. So feel free to have your say…we all have that right.
znModeratorWell, i disagree. I think he’s played
hurt a LOTBut…where do you get that from? Because first of all he has played well for them before, and secondly, I can’t think of any stretches where he PLAYED hurt until this one. It’s not quibbling. I just flat don’t think you’re right about that.
znModeratorWell sure, he’s been playing with injuries for about
three fourths of the games he’s actually played
for the Rams.That’s not entirely true. He hasn’t played withinjuries before, but he has been injuredbefore…previously he was out when injured.
I have been saying all week, btw, that Saffold, Wells, and Joseph are all playing hurt. They give Wells and Joseph days off of practice because of it.
And Jones is in no shape to play because he injured his back over the summer and couldn’t lift weights because of it.
znModeratorznModeratorI saw it,
but I dunno what the DB’s were doing. They
just sorta went “Olay” and let him run
right down the middle by himself.Barron got faked out on a double move. It was really just that simple.
But then Barron was playing in that position because the Rams were short on CBs.
znModeratorJust listening Fisher’s post game the man is in denial . He’s lost. The D was upset because Beckham said he was going to set a record against the Rams today (which is exactly what he did) Fisher kept saying you can’t do this or that and win.He has to be told he cannot bring that clusterfuck we saw out there today to another game. Coach do your fucking job or go the fuck away.
I know we all get into post-loss funks. But name one single coach who ever said what angry fans demanded they say after a loss. The real talk is behind closed doors. You not liking the public version of what he says does not mean he is in denial, it just means you personally are frustrated.
znModeratorThe O obviously needs better players at QB
G and Center.Hill was 24 of 32 with a qb rating of 110+ and 2 TDs. You’re supposed to win when you get 27 points.
IMO…this was all on the defense.
And to be honest, the pass defense was their weakness all year. A few teams managed to exploit it.
The OL has gotten steadily worse so we agree on that. Saffold and Long being hurt means that Saffold plays hurt, Joseph has to start, and Robinson becomes a rookie LOT. And Wells has become a liability. I think they could get away with one or 2 of those things, but not all of them.
As for this–>
against a 5 win team,
with a chance to finish .500A lot of people failed to see how good the Giants became during the year. They were under-estimated. That’s the old Eli, the OL is finally repaired and playing well, and teams have no answer for Beckham. It’s not the least bit unusual for the Giants to surge at the end of the year. Heck that’s how they became a 9-7 superbowl winner.
Here’s what I said in the “thotz about the game the week before the game” thread:
The more I look into the Giants, the more I think this is an interesting test for the defense. They can throw and they can pass block.
It’s also a test for the OL. The Giants can rush the passer, too. So was looking THAT BAD against ARz just one particularly bad game (short week with banged up starters + a rookie) or is the OL really as consistently bad as it was in that one game.
December 21, 2014 at 3:31 pm in reply to: What's your "bet"? (feeling) (analysis)–Rams beat Giants? #14397znModeratorfrom off the net
—thehammer
get to see Andre Williams and Beckham play…Williams wrote poetry and was one of my favorites players in last years draft ..and Beckham is Beckham
this is one of the games to see if we are finally turning the corner or just another losing team that flirts with 8-8/7-9 for a couple of seasons then fads back..just like we did under Linehan
no predictions but one of the biggest games of the season for us…can we win with our current coaches and young talent
December 21, 2014 at 12:58 pm in reply to: What's your "bet"? (feeling) (analysis)–Rams beat Giants? #14396znModerator
December 21, 2014 at 12:52 pm in reply to: 2015 NFL Draft: Matt Miller's Scouting Notebook for Week 16 #14394znModeratorWell how about what we used to do. Weekly draft threads, with links from one thread to another.
Some articles like “Rams intent on drafting DEs high” would be independent.
But for the mock after mock, article after article mode, it goes in a weekly general draft info thread.
I am just thinking out loud.
December 21, 2014 at 11:11 am in reply to: 2015 NFL Draft: Matt Miller's Scouting Notebook for Week 16 #14381znModeratorHey wondering what you think about this, Ag. Proposal: as soon as the season is over, we will start a “draft info” board where every article related to ever aspect of the draft will go. “Who the Rams will draft” articles go on this forum, while every other article goes there. We would put up a sticky here saying there was such a board so it doesn’t get lost.
What do you think? What would you prefer?
December 21, 2014 at 11:08 am in reply to: What's your "bet"? (feeling) (analysis)–Rams beat Giants? #14379znModeratorI think the rams have packed it in for the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lost although i want them to win.
My bet? They haven’t packed it in. That doesn’t guarantee a win, because both the Giants and the Rams are “better than their record the way they’re playing now” kind of teams. But win or lose, my bet is they are into the game and as invested as ever.
znModeratorOf the 31 other head coaches in the NFL
how many ever use the word ‘fun’ ?w
vWell there’s a similar sounding word a lot of coaches use, but it doesn’t end in “n.”
To me that whole “fun” thing is about building team morale and cohesion. He wants a locker room all players want to belong to…and from what we hear from various players, he really has done that.
BTW if the Rams win today, I THINK they own the tie-breaker with SF, and SF becomes the last place NFC west team.
Does that make up for the Rams slow start and put a cherry on top of the whole season?
No…but it would be fun.
znModeratorSF wasn’t flat twice aainst the Rams in 2012. I’ve run the numbers before on this regarding that span of games…Jackson 4.3 a carry, Bradford equalling the lowest sack percentage Warner had as a Ram. There was also a period there in 2013 when they had Stacy, Long, Saffold at guard, and Barksdale all playing, and the unit was good. PFF even had them ranked 13th.
Bringing in older guys is better than rookies. Do you think that Long at his healthy best as a Ram would rank below Robinson as a rookie?
If anyone looks around the league at how the best OLs are built, it is seldom just young high draft picks. For example, the Eagles have a good OL and their LOT is older than Long–he has 5 more years of NFL experience than Long does and entered the NFL the same year as wells. Their RG was drafted in 2005, 4 years before Long and 1 year after Wells.
Good OLs are made lots of different ways. Veteran FAs are part of it.
Young studs are also getting massively over-rated. In fact of all the linemen taken high in the 1st round the last couple of years, most have struggled.
Ah, that;s not really how I feel. I thought about it. Young high-picked stud linemen should be part of the mix, and here (in that post) I come across like I don’t believe that.
THOUGH interestingly, in recent drafts, the ones picked from the middle of round 1 through round 2 are (as a group) doing better than the high #1 picks.
An interesting thing. Twice now in 2 drafts, Rams almost took a guard. If Ogletree weren’t there in 2013, they would have taken Warford at 30. They were about to pull the trigger and trade up for Zack Martin. Both are doing really well. So…from what we can tell so far about the Rams interests in linemen, they seem to have an eye for it. That bodes well I think.
znModeratorWhich either puts us in a nice position to trade down for a sweet interior OL and then pick up a QB in the 2nd or to maybe pick up a BPA player sliding or grab a QB that we really like for our system that others don’t.
Lots of options, but far too many variables this early.
Agree with both points.
If Bradford can play they won’t be doing the high pick, franchise savior route anyway…that would mean too much stress on the whole qb issue (controversy)…but if he can’t play, they want someone behind him who at least has a chance to develop.
Interesting situation.
They could end up with either
* more than one viable starting qb
or
* nothing
znModerator7 things to watch: Rams vs. Giants
By Jim Thomas
ANOTHER MANNING
For the second time in five weeks, a Manning will play QB against the Rams in the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams handled Denver’s Peyton Manning with surprising ease in a 22-7 victory Nov. 16. Now comes the New York Giants’ Eli Manning, who is 3-0 against the Rams over his career with nine TD passes, just one interception and a passer rating of 115.5 in those contests. But those triumphs have come against three previous coaching staffs: 28-16 over Steve Spagnuolo in 2011; 41-13 over Scott Linehan in 2008; and 44-24 over Mike Martz in 2005. There are only eight Rams left who played in the 2011 game, including four defensive players (Chris Long, Robert Quinn, James Laurinaitis and Eugene Sims). So it’s largely a different cast of characters. Surprisingly, Peyton wasn’t much help to little brother in terms of preparing to face the Rams. “I haven’t talked to him much about them,” Eli told Giants reporters. “We didn’t get into details. He didn’t really offer up too much.”
DEFENDING BECKHAM JR.
Defending New York’s Odell Beckham Jr., one of the NFL’s hottest receivers, will be a group effort. Under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the Rams haven’t shadowed a marquee wide receiver with one cornerback following him all over the field. Usually, it’s Janoris Jenkins at right corner, Trumaine Johnson at left corner and E.J. Gaines in the slot vs. three WRs. Expect Beckham and the Giants to test Jenkins deep, with the Rams providing safety help whenever possible.
PLENTY OF WILLIAMS
With the Giants’ leading rusher, Rashad Jennings (606 yards), ruled out because of an ankle injury, the Rams should see lots of Andre Williams. His 568 yards rushing ranks second among NFC rookies, to the Rams’ Tre Mason (661). The former Boston College star is a power runner at 5 feet 11, 230 pounds, but is averaging only 3.2 yards a carry. After yielding 143 rushing yards against Arizona, their worst showing against the run in nine games, the Rams want to rebound Sunday.
TURNOVER GAME
If the Rams can shut down the New York running game and make the Giants one-dimensional, perhaps their pass rush can force Manning into some bad throws. After throwing a career-high 27 interceptions last season, he has cut that total in half. Even so, his total of 13 INTs is tied for fifth-most in the league. All told the Giants have committed 27 turnovers, also tied for fifth-highest in the NFL. They have committed at least one turnover in 30 consecutive games.
REVIVED PASS RUSH
Eleven games into the season, the Giants had a pedestrian total of 19 sacks. But the pass rush has been on fire lately with 22 sacks over the past three games. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins have combined for 9½ of those 22. The Giants aren’t heavy blitzers under defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, a former Rams assistant. But it wouldn’t be surprising if they dialed up extra pressure, considering how the Rams struggled against Arizona’s blitzes.
LONGTIME FOES
Dating to their days in Jacksonville and Tennessee, respectively, coaches Tom Coughlin of the Giants and Jeff Fisher of the Rams have faced each other 17 times. Fisher has the edge, 10-7. Coughlin has 175 career regular-season and playoff victories to Fisher’s 167. They rank second and third among NFL active coaches in career wins, trailing New England’s Bill Belichick, whose 229 victories has him tied for fourth-most in NFL history with Earl (Curly) Lambeau.
FAMILIAR FACES
Giants kicker Josh Brown spent four seasons in St. Louis (2008-11). But when the Rams selected Greg Zuerlein in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, Fisher announced that same day that Brown would be released. Brown made a career-high 33 field goals with the Rams in 2010. The Giants’ roster also has tight end Daniel Fells, who caught 69 passes over three seasons for the Rams — including 41 in 2010. And running back Chris Ogbonnaya was a seventh-round draft pick by the Rams in ’09.
December 20, 2014 at 10:59 pm in reply to: What's your "bet"? (feeling) (analysis)–Rams beat Giants? #14335znModeratorI’m not sure if you’re confused about how time zones work or about how TVs work but that depends on where you’re sitting. If you’re sitting in front of a tv on the west coast at 1:00 pm then you will see a Rams game, assuming you have NFL Sunday Ticket and/or the game is being broadcast in your locality and you are tuned to the appropriate channel and the TV is switched ‘on’ and there is electricity running to the TV and you have the ability to see.
Well, yeah. I mean…assuming there is a game.
December 20, 2014 at 6:41 pm in reply to: Throwback Thursday 1983 Mike Lansford beats the Saints Rams make playoffs #14328znModeratorThey still had Kent Hill.
znModeratorSF wasn’t flat twice aainst the Rams in 2012. I’ve run the numbers before on this regarding that span of games…Jackson 4.3 a carry, Bradford equalling the lowest sack percentage Warner had as a Ram. There was also a period there in 2013 when they had Stacy, Long, Saffold at guard, and Barksdale all playing, and the unit was good. PFF even had them ranked 13th.
Bringing in older guys is better than rookies. Do you think that Long at his healthy best as a Ram would rank below Robinson as a rookie?
If anyone looks around the league at how the best OLs are built, it is seldom just young high draft picks. For example, the Eagles have a good OL and their LOT is older than Long–he has 5 more years of NFL experience than Long does and entered the NFL the same year as wells. Their RG was drafted in 2005, 4 years before Long and 1 year after Wells.
Good OLs are made lots of different ways. Veteran FAs are part of it.
Young studs are also getting massively over-rated. In fact of all the linemen taken high in the 1st round the last couple of years, most have struggled.
znModeratorNot crazy about the Oline in general
the last three years.w
vI think in the last 3 years, the OL has had phases of being pretty good. It has mostly depended on health. In 2012, for example, the OL came back healthy from a lot of injury mayhem, and they took it to teams like SF (twice).
Even now, a lot of this is the shadow of injuries. I think Wells and Joseph are both playing banged up–they both get a day off a week during practices. In fact I think a short week was deadly for them. Saffold has the shoulder, and is playing through it. Long is out so Robinson has to start at LOT. Jones can’t contribute because the back injury meant he couldn’t lift and therefore fell behind.
Think about it. That;s injuries having a direct effect on 5 guys.
znModeratorzn wrote:
A lot I don’t agree with there.
Like what?
w
vWell to be honest, on 2nd read I agree with more than I thought I did in the first read.
A couple of quibbles:
QB is a need. Bradford’s limited mobility is likely to be even less, and one can only imagine his tentativeness in getting hit, given his 2 season ending ACLs
Bradford’s knees weren’t damaged by hits, but by freak hyper-extensions. More mobile qbs get sacked at a higher rate, on average, so I am not worried about that–he just needs to make his reads in blitz situations and get the ball out in rhythm, and in fact I think he will be very good at that. This team is built for a pocket passer. To me, this “getting in his head” stuff about tentativeness is more rote than real.
I don’t know if Bradford can come back, but if he can, I expect him to do well.
like Langford at DT, but he’s being paid too much for what he does
Langford is not overpaid, he gets what the market was giving (on avg.) to free agent DTs up for their 2nd contract. Besides, the way the Rams do the cap, according to Demoff, they don’t add up individual deals, they look at units. So for example, Quinn and Long are balanced by Sims and Hayes in terms of the money. Good unit value.
I’m puzzled with Schotenheimer. I don’t get why it’s taken so long to figure out what to do with Austin
That to me is more a case of “figuring out what Austin CAN do”…that is, much of the issue (to me) is Austin. Some of it is qb. They did things with him when Bradford was playing they haven’t done since.
December 20, 2014 at 3:35 pm in reply to: Breer predicting Cutler to Rams…others say, no it's to the Titans #14313znModeratorSo you’re saying you prefer a young meathead to a veteran meathead?
Cutler is this generation’s Jeff George. Million $$ arm, ten cent head.
He’s Jeff George with nice hair.
znModeratorW2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14708/w2w4-st-louis-rams-19
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams and New York Giants kick off Week 16 on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX regional coverage.
Here are three things to watch from the Rams’ perspective:
1. Beckham is Burning: After another dominant performance by Giants rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. last week against Washington, New York defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul referred to Beckham as “the fire of the offense.” Beckham is also on fire as one of the league’s most productive wideouts over the final half of the season. For a player who missed the first quarter of the season, he’s closing in on 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns with two games to play. Along the way, he’s making all the highlight reel plays and all the easy ones. Giants quarterback Eli Manning clearly feels comfortable enough with Beckham to just throw it up to him and let him go get it, a strategy that has worked more often than not. The Rams’ pass defense has been much better in recent weeks but is still susceptible to the big play, particularly cornerback Janoris Jenkins. The Rams’ defense can dominate and has a chance to against the Giants but it can’t let Beckham’s inferno continue to burn white-hot.
2. Dueling pass rush: You’d be hard pressed to find two teams rushing the passer as well as the Rams and Giants over the second half of the season. Since Week 7, the Rams’ 35 sacks are tied with Baltimore for most in the league. But the Giants aren’t far behind with 30 over that same stretch. New York’s turned up the heat even more in recent weeks, getting to the quarterback for 22 sacks in the past three weeks alone. Pierre-Paul is leading the charge with defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins also providing some pop. The Rams struggled to protect quarterback Shaun Hill last week against Arizona but the Giants don’t have the same run defense the Cardinals do, either. That means the Rams should be able to get New York off balance a bit and prevent them from just going after Hill.
3. Red zone success: Last week, the Rams and Cardinals combined for a whopping total of three trips to the red zone. Neither managed a touchdown and the Rams, had they just been able to punch it in from inside the 10, would have pulled off the upset. It’s something that hasn’t been a strength all year and remains an issue for the Rams moving forward. They now sit 20th in the league in red zone touchdown efficiency, breaking through for scores on just 51.3 percent of their 39 red zone trips. The Giants, meanwhile, have mostly capitalized when getting inside the 20. New York is seventh in the league with a 62.7 percent success rate. Conversely, the Rams’ defense is fourth in the league at keeping opponents out of the end zone while the Giants are tied for sixth. Teams haven’t spent much time in the red zone at all against the Rams in recent weeks but if the Giants manage to get there, it’s worth watching to see which side gives.
December 20, 2014 at 2:46 pm in reply to: Breer predicting Cutler to Rams…others say, no it's to the Titans #14308znModeratorto get a team to take on so much guaranteed money that could be used on valuable free agents and contract extensions, the Bears just might have to compensate a team with more than Cutler to do it.
So. The Bears are so done with Cutler, they’re willing to give up a pick for someone to take him.
znModeratorTime for Robinson to Shine Against Pierre-Paul
By D’Marco Farr
http://www.101sports.com/2014/12/19/time-robinson-shine-pierre-paul/
The honeymoon period officially ends this Sunday for Rams rookie left tackle Greg Robinson. I’m eager to see what the big guy can do against the Giants’ most disruptive defensive player, right defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.
JPP has been a wrecking machine the last three weeks, tallying six sacks, including a career-high 2.5 against the hapless Washington Redskins in Week 15. He now has 9.5 for the season and is looking to join the double-digit club for the first time since 2011, when the former South Florida sensation broke out with an eye-popping 16.5 sacks. Let’s hope he gets that half-sack at home the following weekend vs. the Eagles.
Robinson, meanwhile, has been solid as a blindside protector. He’s steadily improved since his first NFL start at LT, sliding over from left guard when Jake Long suffered a season-ending injury in that 34-7 beat down at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.
In Robinson’s Week 9 coming-out party on the road, the San Francisco 49ers threw the proverbial kitchen sink at him – stunts, blitzes, twists, a variety of pass-rush games. The Auburn product’s technique was crude, yet effective. What he lacked in polish, he made up for in unbridled aggression and hustle.
On several occasions, the 49ers got Robinson off balance, but once he recovered and locked on, he finished people. He’s only gotten better over the last month and a half.
It would have been just as much fun to watch Robinson’s story arc had he stayed at guard the whole season. The rules of engagement changed, however, and in a hurry. In the NFL, the ability to adapt is everything. Now, the left tackle job is Robinson’s to lose for the foreseeable future.
Being the second overall selection in this year’s draft means Robinson doesn’t get to sneak up on anyone, least of all someone like Pierre-Paul. After having the last two seasons destroyed by injuries, JPP is out to remind the Giants (and the rest of the league, since he’s about to hit free agency) that he’s still a premier talent. If you go back and look at the first 11 games of the season, you would say that his best days were probably behind him. Three-and-a-half sacks in 11 weeks is pedestrian, not worthy of a full-time starter at right defensive end. But over the last three weeks, he’s looked like a completely different guy.
If JPP can make Robinson look like a JAG, then Shaun Hill could be in serious trouble this weekend. The Edward Jones Dome will be morgue-silent. But if Robinson can keep mental mistakes to a minimum and play with a necessary physical edge, he’ll have a good chance to slow down Pierre-Paul. JPP has been the catalyst behind a defensive resurgence in New York. The Giants’ once-non-existent pass rush has finally jelled, totaling 22 sacks in the last three weeks. JPP turning unblockable has been a major reason why the Giants have been getting after the quarterback lately.
Pierre-Paul’s blend of power and speed often makes for an unstoppable force. Is Robinson up to the challenge of being that immovable object? Either way, the Robinson vs. Pierre-Paul matchup is shaping up to be a deciding factor come Sunday.[/quote]
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