Gordon: Hill gets second chance with Rams

By Jeff Gordon

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/gordon-hill-gets-second-chance-with-rams/article_e31e465a-d932-5b38-9c5b-1dbe046d239c.html

The first Shaun Hill Era lasted one half of one game with the Rams.

The well-traveled veteran quarterback was all set to replace injured starter Sam Bradford this season. His coaches and teammates expressed total confidence in his ability to take charge.

Then Hill suffered a strained thigh muscle against the Minnesota Vikings, threw a bad interception at the end of the first half, spent a couple weeks on the injury list and lost his starting job to the temporarily dynamic Austin Davis.

“Austin did a great job,” Hill said. “He was playing very well. I understand why they did it.”

Was it hard to lose that opportunity so quickly?

“It was a little bit,” Hill said. “At the same time, I still had a job to do.”

Now Hill’s job gets a whole lot bigger. Rather than run the scout team offense this week, he is preparing to face the powerful Denver Broncos defense.

“Every NFL defense is very good,” Hill said. “These guys are exceptional at it, though.”

Oh, and pizza pitchman Peyton Manning is throwing for the other side. Manning is posting stupid numbers again this season, odds are the Rams will be playing catch-up in this game.

“For me, it’s getting the ball dispersed to where it needs to go in a timely manner,” Hill said.

He learned of this latest Rams quarterback switch from coach Jeff Fisher in a phone call. Or rather during a call back, after he missed the first one.

“Obviously, the excitement kicks in,” Hill said. “Now it’s back to business as usual.”

Was he surprised to be back in the hot seat? The low-keyed Hill shrugged off the question.

“There is not a whole lot that surprises me any more, to be honest with you,” Hill said.

After Davis hit some predictable turbulence at Kansas City, San Francisco and Arizona, Fisher opted to “lean on the experienced quarterback” as he put it after Wednesday’s practice.

“It’s never an easy decision when you make a change in the middle of the season,” Fisher said.

This decision was easier than most. Davis threw five interceptions and just three TD passes in those three road games.

He posted passer ratings of 75.4, 44.6 and 62.6 in those games — with more telling “QPR” ratings of 9.5, 13.7 and 3.4.

Against the Cardinals, Davis threw two interceptions — one that Arizona returned for a TD — and lost a fumble that also was returned for a TD.

Worse, he became indecisive under pressure and held on to the ball too long time after time. That was one reason why the Cardinals were able to sack him six times for 42 yards in losses.

After throwing for 702 yards in two games — against Dallas and at Philadelphia — he has averaged just 174.4 yards passing in his last five games.

“The last two weeks have been difficult for him,” Fisher said. “The defenses he faced were especially good.”

Now Hill will try to do better. “We’re going to give Shaun an opportunity to do what we brought him in to do,” Fisher said. “For all intents and purposes, he lost his job due to an injury.”

While Hill lacks the mobility Davis brings to the offense, he has a deeper and more accurate arm.

Perhaps he can stretch defenses enough to open up some room for the run game. Lately the run game hasn’t done much against loaded boxes that dared the Rams to throw over the top.

This is a huge opportunity for Hill. The Rams face an uncertain future at quarterback with Bradford recovering from a second knee operation.

If Hill can excel the rest of the way, he could factor into next year’s plans or earn a good back-up gig elsewhere. Had he stayed on the bench the rest of this season, he might have struggled to find work next season.

Such is the fate of a seldom-seen veteran QB in the NFL.

As for Davis, he advanced his career this season while completing 180 of 286 passes for 2,0001 yards and 12 touchdowns. And he may yet get another shot with the Rams after using this quiet time to regroup.

At worst, Davis has made himself into a solid candidate for QB work down the road. That is a big step for a player who seemed close to getting cut before Bradford went down again.

“He is a much better quarterback now than when he started,” Fisher said.

Fisher reverses field, names Hill starting QB

By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/fisher-reverses-field-names-hill-starting-qb/article_20467087-9cf6-59f3-ba8a-a10fd0ab9e56.html

Two days after saying he was not contemplating a quarterback change, Jeff Fisher has reversed field. To wit, Shaun Hill will start at quarterback Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome against Peyton Manning and the Denver Bronco.

When all is said and done, this is a move to get more experience in at the position. Fisher informed the players of his decision during a team meeting earlier this morning.

Signed away from Detroit in free agency during the offseason, Hill was brought in to provide a veteran backup for Sam Bradford. And when Bradford went down for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee in an Aug. 23 preseason game in Cleveland, Hill moved in as the starter.

But Hill’s tenure as the starter ended after only one half of the season opener. He suffered a thigh injury in the first half of the opener against Minnesota. Austin Davis took over in the second half of that game, and proceeded to start the next eight games.

After an impressive beginning, Davis’ production began sliding and his turnovers mounting in recent games, including a murder’s row of top 10 defenses that included San Francisco (twice), Seattle, and Kansas City.

Fisher gave him what came off as a lukewarm endorsement on Monday. He cited several areas that Davis needed to improve on, including getting the ball out more quickly. He said there were several opportunities to connect with open receivers in Sunday’s 31-14 loss at Arizona.

In that contest, Davis threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He had a lost fumble returned for another TD, turning what was a nip-and-tuck game into a 17-point loss.

Fisher seemingly left the door open a bit Monday in discussing Davis by saying: “He’s working real hard, so we’ll see where it goes.”

In his first three starts _ against Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Philadelphia _ Davis completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 937 yards, six TDs, and two interceptions for a passer rating of 100.6.

In five games since then, Davis has completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 869 yards with six TDs, six INTs, and a passer rating of 73.4.

Hill, meanwhile, has played only one snap since that first half against Minnesota. He handed the ball off in the Rams’ Nov. 9 game at San Francisco after Davis needed to readjust and refit a knee brace after a hard slide on a scramble.

Bernie: Rams’ QB change doesn’t solve bigger problem

Bernie Miklasz

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-rams-qb-change-doesn-t-solve-bigger-problem/article_d638681a-d465-5702-b94d-7a46a6c4b95c.html

Good afternoon…

As you probably know by now, Rams coach Jeff Fisher has changed his mind and will start Shaun Hill at quarterback against Denver on Sunday.

Austin Davis is benched.

I don’t know how much this move will help the Rams, but it figures to be good for the young quarterback’s health. Davis has absorbed a lot of physical punishment this season, especially in recent weeks. His confidence has taken a beating, too.

That left the Rams with a young, increasingly flustered QB that became a slot machine for opposing defenses.

Pull on his arm, and a turnover would pop into the tray.

Davis has had four interceptions and two sack-fumbles returned for touchdowns this season.

Fisher offered support of Davis during Monday’s media gathering at Rams Park, and it appeared that Davis would remain in place as the starter. But as our Jim Thomas pointed out, Fisher did hedge a little when pressed about Davis on Monday. So we probably shouldn’t be surprised by the coach’s verdict.

Fisher is allowed to do a flip-flop here, and in this case it was the right double move by the coach.

There’s no good reason to stand and do nothing and watch a young QB drown. Rescue Davis now, let him catch his breath, and maybe throw him back in the water for another try later.

The hope/belief is that the ol’ veteran Hill will be more efficient. He’ll get rid of the ball sooner to avoid sacks, he’ll throw it away to avoid sacks, and he won’t haphazardly toss the ball downfield when under pass-rush fire.

It’s worth a try, though I’m still thinking Denver will have the edge at QB this week. Slight advantage, Peyton Manning.

Anyway …

The QB switcheroo makes sense right now but it doesn’t settle the more significant issues:

• Over the last three seasons, the Rams have lagged offensively under the leadership of the current regime, never ranking better than 22nd in the league in offensive points from scrimmage. GM Les Snead, Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have been unable to move this offense forward in a meaningful way. The identity of the starting QB hasn’t really mattered. Bradford, Kellen Clemens, Hill, or Davis. The Rams offense doesn’t score enough points. Period.

• The Rams offensive line has done a poor job in pass protection, ranking 30th among the 32 teams in pass-blocking efficiency by Pro Football Focus. Rams quarterbacks have been pressured 113 times in nine games, the league’s fifth-highest total. According to PFF, Davis has been under pass-rush pressure on nearly 43 percent of his dropbacks this season. That’s tied for the highest percentage of pass-rush heat endured by regular NFL quarterbacks this year. And Hill isn’t as mobile as Davis. He started one game this year, the opener, and got hurt. How will Hill hold up physically when swarmed by the pass rush? Big question.

• The Rams failed to adequately address the QB position before the season. Even with Sam Bradford coming off knee surgery that cut short his 2013 season — and with Bradford entering the final two years of his Rams’ contract — the team didn’t use an early-round draft choice to select a developmental QB that could be groomed to take over. The Rams waited until the sixth round to draft SMU’s Garrett Gilbert, a wasted pick. And when Bradford’s knee blew up again during the preseason, putting him out for the year, the Rams’ choice came down to Hill and Davis.

• And that’s the more prominent issue. It isn’t a matter of Hill vs. Davis; it’s more about not having a more attractive, forward-thinking alternative in place. Unless the Rams bring Bradford back in 2015 to attempt another comeback in what would be the final year of his contract, the team doesn’t have a viable quarterback lined up for next season.

• Some would argue — with abundant merit — that the Rams already have lost the Bradford gamble, so they should cut their losses instead of stubbornly staying the course with Bradford as their designated No. 1 QB for a sixth consecutive year. Bradford is due $16.58 million in 2015. By releasing him, the Rams would save more than $12 million against the ’15 cap.

Again, the Hill appointment may help reduce the mistakes and lead to enhanced efficiency. But Hill is 34 and hasn’t played much football in recent years, starting one regular-season game since the end of the 2010 season. It’s difficult to know what to expect from him at this point.

The Rams can line up Hill or Davis the rest of the way this season, but it won’t change the daunting reality here. The St. Louis Rams don’t know who their quarterback will be in 2015, and that uncertainty will likely prolong a rebuilding project that never seems to end.

Thanks for reading …

HighPlainsDrifter wrote:

I think that having to draft a quarterback will set the team’s building efforts back at least a couple of years. I don’t relish the thought of a rookie quarterback. But I know that depending on Bradford’s twice injured knee is an enormous gamble. I’d say that the Rams are between a rock and a hard place with their quarterback position.

Howdy. I respond to this here, if you’re interested–>

http://theramshuddle.com/topic/how-many-more-wins/#post-11655

He didn’t get hit at all on the first tear. That said, it doesn’t mean he can take a hit either,he had a concussion shoulder twice finger ankle and now the knee twice. That kind of history doesn’t exactly scream durability. He’s played in 49 games out of what is a possible 80 at the end of this season. Is not being able to run out of bounds on your own really better? If he can’t get on the field what difference does it make

Well, I know a lot of people feel that way. And I raised a lot of the durability stuff myself before the draft in 2010.

But, to me, in this thread, that’s just a separate topic.

To me, the issue was knees. Bradford just made the issue common among Rams fans.

The first knee, too, btw, was exactly the kind of hyperextension I was talking about. He just planted wrong and his weight was awkward. The first hit? Yes it is true you simply don’t need to get hit to tear up a knee. Bending it the wrong with the wrong torsion with weight on it? That will do it. I personally hyperextended a knee once while just stepping wrong on a staircase. (That was a bad one too, though again I never tore anything fortunately.) It’s just a freak thing that happens to humans.

That can happen to anyone. Anyway. It’s just not true that you need to be hit or get your foot caught to real mess up a knee. It often comes from exactly what I describe.

Now as for Bradford’s durability, and his future, and so on? Yes there’s a lot to discuss there.

Just right here for me personally, the only thing I was talking about was–knee injuries. In general.

Karraker asks Sando, do you think around the league Fisher is held in the same general high regard he was when was hired? Sando: I think people feel that way around the league. He finished respectably but not top 10 in a poll around the league ranking coaches. There’s probably some degree of jealousy since he’s so visible (on the competition committee, kind of a league spokesman, etc) and that rubs people the wrong way sometimes. People did look at the Rams and say of course Bradford was going to get hurt, that’s no excuse, what did you have behind him. What’s going on with Tavon? Those are fair criticisms when you don’t win and get the results. But if qb had gone as intended (ie. no injuries) we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

The Film Don’t Lie: Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/p … lie-rams-6

A weekly look at what the St. Louis Rams must fix:

Nine games into the season, the power-rushing attack the Rams hoped to forge before the season has yet to materialize. It’s going to be difficult for that to change against this week’s opponent, the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos will roll into St. Louis with the NFL’s best rushing defense, allowing 67 yards per game and tied for first in the league in yards allowed per carry at 3.19.

Meanwhile, the Rams are still desperately seeking the running attack that was promised before the season. The Rams are averaging 97.44 yards per game on the ground, 22nd in the NFL. Their 3.93 yards per carry is 23rd.

The Rams’ run-game difficulties are partly the result of a confusing committee approach at running back. But the Rams have settled on rookie Tre Mason over the past couple of weeks. Mason needs to recognize openings better but it would also greatly benefit him to have more holes to hit and more opportunities to carry the ball.

Against Arizona on Sunday, the Rams averaged just 3.2 yards on 22 rushing attempts. And the film and the numbers show that teams have little fear of the Rams’ run game. The Cardinals had an extra defender in the box for just two of the Rams’ offensive plays, only one of which was a running play. When seven defenders were near the line of scrimmage, the Rams rushed 13 times for 56 yards, a solid average of 4.3 yards.

After running six times for 40 yards on their first scoring drive against the Cardinals, the Rams attempted three consecutive passes on their ensuing possession which went three-and-out. There’s no easy solution for the Rams to get the ground game going, but one way would be to commit to it on a more consistent basis.

Winnbrad wrote:

zn wrote:
Hill is better than Davis.

And better than Brock and Banks.

Agreed. But that’s a low bar, bro.

Winning seems far-fetched at this point.

Yeah I know.

I didn’t say Hill was better than Everett, Bulger, or Bradford (let alone Warner).

But better than Davis, Null, Boller, Clemens, Martin, Feeley, and Frerotte. (There’s that “bar” issue again…bear with me).

I am not going to address next year, yet. Personally, I am going to save that for the off-season.

But this year? WHEN THE DEFENSE FINALLY SETTLED DOWN (mostly)…an experienced, veteran, savvy, cagey veteran qb would have made a difference in games. That’s Hill.

I watched Hill close the bit he played from pre-season through the Vikes game, and IMO he would have been a big difference in those games. In my humble opinion, he would have been fine in close-contests like the ARz game. (Close for 53 minutes anyway.)

And he wouldn’t have done things like bail on the pass to Kendricks in the 3rd and 1 play against SF.

Mike Martz said he always regretted the fact that in SF, he underestimated Hill.

This is just an analogy, but to me, Hill is the Rams DeBerg. Only he ain’t behind Montana.

Yes I think they can win with Hill with the proviso that he needs the defense to be playing better (like it is now). Let’s put it this way. IMO they win more from now on with Hill than with Davis.

Anywho, onward and upward, I hope. The team is better, overall, than it has been in years. Now they just need a QB that can at least manage a game and not give it away. I think RFL called it “QB Hell”. That’s apt. It’s a QB only league these days.

Yes it’s a better over-all team than last year for sure.

But to me Hill isn’t qb hell, he’s more like qb purgatory but with a light sentence.