from off the net

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kailuaram color]

tre mason activated!

espn just said mason has been activated for tonight. AWESOME! 😀

from off the net

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UMSLBlues12

Gruden comparing Austin Davis to Drew Brees

Gruden had an entire segment on it in the ESPN pre game.

Including the fact that they lick their hands a lot. Looks like ESPN is buying into the AD9 hype…

Rams’ 1999 defense also worthy of respect

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12523/rams-1999-defense-also-worthy-of-honor

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Long before the St. Louis Rams traded for running back Marshall Faulk or hired Mike Martz to run the offense or any of the other moves they made that eventually turned the offense into what is now known as the “Greatest Show on Turf,” the Rams’ offense was perpetually stuck in the mud. Even in practice.

That’s because even as the Rams struggled to win games, they actually had the defensive pieces in place to become a good team if only the offense could keep them off the field long enough to come up for air.

“I just don’t think they talk about our defense enough,” receiver Torry Holt said. “We were the No. 1 offense in the National Football League, but our defense was top five in the NFL. But they were so overshadowed by what we were doing offensively and the speed and the points that we were generating, the energy that we created. But I think our defense just didn’t get talked about enough and still doesn’t get talked about enough.

“Some would say there wasn’t a lot of household names. I beg to differ. Todd Lyght, Kevin Carter, Mike Jones, D’Marco Farr, Ray Agnew, Keith Lyle, the list goes on and on of guys that were more than able to start on any team in the National Football League. They played together as a cohesive unit all the time for a long period of time for 16 weeks. They created a lot of turnovers and gave us as an offense the opportunity to get the ball back and generate more points.”

As the Rams offense burst on to the scene in 1999, the defense made a similar move to rank near the top of the league in most categories. Though the two were simultaneously impressing on a weekly basis, the defense was quietly flying under the radar by offering big plays and shutting down opponents in blowout victories.

Although it was easy to point to the large leads the offense often staked the defense to as the reason for success, such leads were also a product of a defense capable of getting enough early stops for the points to accumulate. And in many cases, the defense also provided the points.

That season, the Rams were fourth in the NFL in points allowed per game (15.1), first in run defense (74.3 yards per game) and tied for the league lead with 57 sacks. They also finished sixth in takeaways with 36 and scored three defensive touchdowns.

Defensive end Carter posted a then-franchise record with 17 sacks on his way to a Pro Bowl berth. Defensive tackle Farr and cornerback Lyght joined Carter in Hawaii. It was a group that also featured the young versions of future difference-makers London Fletcher and Leonard Little.

“We all did our job,” Farr said. “The Greatest Show on Turf thing where it became just about the offense, that’s something else from outside this room. We all worked together. When we stopped them and got the ball back, we knew we were going to score. It was a personal challenge. They’d be up watching us play defense and we’d be up watching them play offense. If you don’t do it, we’re going to do it. If you have a whole group like that, the next thing you know you are in the Super Bowl.”

In no place was that more evident than on the practice fields at Rams Park. For the previous two seasons under coach Dick Vermeil, the Rams’ defense would regularly dominate the proceedings in practice. Receiver Isaac Bruce remembers the helpless feeling of playing on an offense that couldn’t even score in practice let alone in games.

But after the offseason additions of guys like Faulk, Martz, Holt, Adam Timmerman and others, it didn’t take long for the defense to realize that things were about to change.

“It’s not like you don’t have much respect for the guys you play with, you do,” Farr said. “They’re your teammates, you love them, but we were facing a whole lot better on game day than we were getting in practice. So practice got boring some of those years. We could shut those guys down anytime we needed to, so how were we getting better? Then all of a sudden it switched where we’re on our heels, we’re backing up and you look up and start to recognize signals and demeanor. Then it became something different and they started to compete with us and beat us.”

In many ways, the practices became tougher than the games for the defense. Where Farr could once have his way with any nondescript guard on the roster, players like Timmerman and Tom Nutten would offer much more resistance. Tales of left tackle Orlando Pace’s dominance of end Grant Wistrom in practice still get talked about anytime an offensive tackle beats an end consistently in pass-rush drills. But Pace’s excellence only made things easier for Wistrom.

Though the defense still doesn’t get the credit it might deserve 15 years later, there is no denying the Rams wouldn’t have even gone to Super Bowl XXXIV, let alone win it, without a strong defensive performance. When the offense finally struggled against Tampa Bay’s stout defense in the NFC Championship Game, it was the Rams’ defense that rose to the occasion.

The Rams held Tampa Bay to 203 total yards and came up with two turnovers, five sacks and a safety in leading St. Louis to an 11-6 victory.

“We got into a dogfight,” Farr said. “It made me respect Tampa more on defense, because if you can slow those guys down, then you can play. But we were more than capable of going into a dogfight with anybody. That type of game is what that defense was used to before the offense took off. It was nothing new to us. It was ‘OK, that’s what type of game this is? Great.’ We’d been there before. So we were trained for it.”

They became champions because of it.

Rams-49ers: Matchup breakdown

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12513/rams-49ers-matchup-breakdown-2

EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at three individual matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers meet at 8:30 p.m. ET Monday night on ESPN.

Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis vs. Niners running back Frank Gore

Like clockwork, San Francisco running back Frank Gore has been the centerpiece of the offense almost since he arrived in the league back in 2005 and certainly since his second season in 2006. Gore’s physical, powerful running style has made life difficult for the Rams in the time since, and has allowed Gore to have as much or more success against St. Louis than any other team. Gore has 14 rushing touchdowns against the Rams, the most of any player in NFL history. In 14 meetings, he has rushed for 1,149 yards and those touchdowns on 254 carries with five 100-yard outings. In the teams’ last meeting in St. Louis, Gore had 20 carries for 153 yards and a touchdown.

The Rams’ defense, meanwhile, has struggled to stop the run, sitting 29th in the league in that category by allowing 152.5 yards per game and 28th in the league at 4.82 yards per rush allowed. Laurinaitis isn’t the only one tasked with slowing Gore, but much of the responsibility falls on the middle linebacker in terms of having everyone lined up correctly and not allowing for mental mistakes like a blown gap responsibility. Laurinaitis said this week that he feels like he could not watch much tape and know exactly what the Niners are going to do. That might be the case, but knowing and doing are two very different things.

Rams right tackle Joe Barksdale vs. 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks

Barksdale has been a pleasant surprise in the Rams’ lineup since he became a full-time starter a year ago, but Brooks is one player who has proved a nightmare — not just for the Barksdale but the Rams as a whole. Without the services of Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman, the 49ers have leaned on others to pick up the slack, but Brooks hasn’t necessarily been able to do that as one would expect. In the Thursday night meeting in St. Louis a year ago, Brooks had a sack and a half and led the team with nine tackles on his way to his best season. Brooks has been relatively quiet so far this season with nine tackles and a sack, but he’s getting pressure with three hits and nine pressures. There are other 49ers capable of generating pressure, especially defensive lineman Justin Smith, but neutralizing Brooks is a good place to start.

Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins vs. 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin

Despite numerous offseason additions and the return of a healthy Michael Crabtree, it’s Boldin who is still the 49ers’ most productive receiver with his 25 catches and 303 yards. Much like Gore, Boldin has made a career of tormenting the Rams. In 15 games against the Rams, Boldin has 97 receptions for 1,326 yards and seven touchdowns, including six 100-yard games.

Given the other options in the passing game, it’s unlikely Jenkins will shadow Boldin as he did Dallas’ Dez Bryant earlier this season, but the two will likely see plenty of each other as they did a year ago. In the 2013 game in San Francisco, Jenkins repeatedly tussled with Boldin, who had nine catches for 98 yards and got Jenkins off his game with his physical style and willingness to engage in trash talk. There is no love lost between these two, but the Rams need more from Jenkins in order to keep Boldin and the 49ers in check.

znhater wrote:

I see posts at other bb sites stating some think Bailey is a future starter. I think he’s OK, but a guy with 16 career catches and no receiving tds in a season and 1/4 doesn’t give me confidence. He’s also had chances and squandered them away with failed drug tests. I guess in asking, how do u folks here feel about Bailey and his future? Thx

It’s the way he plays. It’s not the numbers. I am a Bailey advocate. I think he IS starting material. Again, that was just by watching how he plays…it has nothing to do with the stats. He’s confident, aggressive, field smart, has very good hands, adjusts to the ball, fights for the ball, and can run routes. That little bit was apparent even in his limited time.

BUT with the emergence of Quick and the addition of Britt, combined with his suspension, he may not get many targets any time soon.

Which is fine. IMO if what he showed last year holds up, then, it means the Rams could be deep at WR. Which…would be different, and interesting.

.

That’s sad news. My condolences to the family. Does anyone know what happened?

This is the thread on the herd board.

http://www.ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?5,521652,521652#msg-521652

RamBill

Choosing one word to sum up Rams vs. 49ers. Anthony Stalter says the one word to sum up the game for the Rams is urgency, while Randy Karraker says Gore…as in Frank Gore and stopping him.

http://www.rams-news.com/rams-vs-49ers-in-one-word-video/%5DWatch Rams-Niners in One Word

Herring excited for opportunity with Rams

By Nate Latsch

http://stl.scout.com/story/1462355-herring-excited-for-opportunity-with-rams

ST. LOUIS — There were good things and bad things for Will Herring about being out of football for the first time since seventh grade. He was excited to spend more time with his family, but watching the NFL go on without him for the first time in eight seasons was tough.

“I still knew I wanted to play and I knew I could play,” said Herring, who signed with the Rams this week to contribute on special teams and be a reserve linebacker. “So I’m excited to be here. I know these coaches, these scouts, know what they are doing when they are evaluating and they wouldn’t have brought me on board if they didn’t think I could help this team, so I’m just excited to help out.”

Herring, 31, has made his living on special teams since the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the fifth round of the 2007 draft out of Auburn. After four seasons with the Seahawks, he played three years with the New Orleans Saints, including being there special teams captain in 2013.

The veteran linebacker’s reputation preceded him at Rams Park, coach Jeff Fisher said following Thursday’s practice. The organization thought he’d be a good fit to fill the role of recently released second-year linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong.

“He could be plugged in any place on our special teams, our big four because he’s done everything,” Fisher said. “He’s got the respect. He automatically walks in and has the respect of the room because people that played against him know. They know what he’s capable of doing. He understands hard work and he’s going to prepare himself.”

The 6-foot-3, 241-pounder said he got a phone call on Monday to come work out in St. Louis on Tuesday.

Herring said the Rams worked out four players, running them through drills, and later that day signed two of them, Herring to the 53-man roster and Marshall McFadden, a first-year player out of South Carolina State, to the 10-member practice squad.

Herring signed with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason but his contract was terminated after the team expressed concerns about a previous injury.

“There’s no hard feelings against them,” Herring said. “I got there and they were concerned about a knee injury that happened seven years ago. I hadn’t missed time since I came back six years ago. I was kind of taken aback. But honestly it wasn’t meant to be. This is where God had me in store and so I’m just thrilled to be here.”

Herring said he was one of about 10 players who worked out for the Tennessee Titans a few weeks ago, but the team only signed one. So the veteran linebacker had to wait for his next opportunity.

His opportunity here also reunites him with Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was Herring’s defensive coordinator in his first season with the Saints.

“A lot of the terminology is the same,” Herring said. “We’re still running some of the base stuff. There are some new stuff mixed in, so I’m still learning some of the new stuff, but it definitely has helped in the transition.”

The veteran will be counted on right away to contribute on special teams, something he did well in 2013 in his final season with the Saints. He ranked second on the squad with 12 special teams tackles, forced a fumble and also recorded an interception.

“That’s what they’ve communicated to me,” Herring said. “They want me to come in and help out on the core four special teams. That’s kind of what I’ve made a living doing for the last seven years and I’m just excited to be where I am and do what I’ve done.”

Herring has the right mentality to succeed in that spot.

“Everybody has got a job in here,” he said, “whether it’s to be the starting quarterback and the guy that touches the ball every time or if you’re a guy that may not get a lot of credit and you just have to grind like these guys in the trenches, these o-linemen, and special teams guys we take a lot of pride in doing the dirty work and the behind the scenes opening up running lanes for some of our talented returners. But it’s been a lot of fun, though.”

Kevin Demoff
Friday, October 10, 2014
AM 920 Tim McKernan.

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Big Sid

After some very appropriate probing, Kevin told Tim, there are no active discussions with other cities. (I think that was major.) That would refute that the Rams are likely to be playing somewhere else next year. I also love that right after the interview, Tim stayed on topic, even inviting listeners to comment, rather than moving right on to another topic. Tim has a great “feel” for the listener, and I just wanted to say how much I appreciated his work, today.

Tim also asked some great follow ups about what the Rams actually want for the stadium. Kevin said that the Dome itself it still an option; as well as locations in the county. All options are open. Never heard him say this before.

And I also appreciate Kevin Demoff. I realize he is quite restricted in what he can say, and I realize that they are posturing for the stadium, but Kevin was a little more transparent today and I felt he was more empathetic about how we, the fans, feel.

Tim kept Kevin on topic for more than 20 minutes. Tim asked exactly the right questions, and the right follow up questions. I actually feel better today about the Rams than I did yesterday. I liked the tone today. I liked and appreciated the way that Tim spoke much more for the fan base than just being a media guy. And I think it came off quite well, in a polite, but very meaningful and powerful way, to Kevin. I sensed that Kevin “got it” today and has a better understanding of what the silence and lack of response is doing to make things much worse for the Rams.

Thank you Tim and Kevin for the 20 minutes today. Much better than the interview yesterday on 101. Today was more meaningful.

• No conversations in progress with any other cities. I think that was the most significant item.
• The Dome would still be a consideration.
• Definitely got the impression that they really want to stay if they can get a stadium for football, concerts, final fours, etc. It’s not like they have given up on this.
• Demoff totally expects the situation to get worse before it gets better but he came off like he’s optimistic it will end well, as it did in Minnesota.
• Demoff reiterated that Stan Kroenke didn’t intend to lead the charge out of St. Louis. (And it seems he still doesn’t.)
• Tim did a great job saying to Kevin repeatedly that Stan’s silence is what makes the fan base so nervous, and when Kevin retreated to that’s the same way Stan is in Denver, and with the Arsenal fans, Tim clearly said but that’s not the same situation, because no one is threatening to move those teams! Nice job Tim!

Rams VP, COO Kevin Demoff talks about Los Angeles

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/10/10/6957479/st-louis-rams-los-angeles

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Executive Vice President of Football Operations & Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff hopped on 101ESPN to discuss the elephant in the room.

Kevin Demoff is the public face of the Rams’ business operations. He interacts with fans. He’s on Twitter (sparsely, but nonetheless). He’s out in front, capturing the good the team does for the community and, in all, being a good guy.

So yesterday on 101 ESPN’s “The Fast Lane”, Demoff joined hosts Randy Karraker, D’Marco Farr to talk about the biggest long-term issue for the franchise: where to call home.

Here’s the meat:

Karraker: There are concerns obviously that Rams fans have. A couple of weeks ago, I gave my opinion that I thought a decision had been made to attempt to move this team out of St. Louis into Los Angeles. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has reported the same thing. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, a very established NFL writer. Sam Farmer has said that the Rams have one foot out the door. Has indeed a decision been made by Stan Kroenke to try to move this team?

Demoff: There has been no decision made. There is no done deal. There is nothing like that. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I also read yesterday Jason Cole said the Raiders just took our spot in the NFC West and I guess we’re going to the AFC West…

…I think, you know, there’s a lot of rumor. There’s a lot of innuendo, and it’s just that. And I think it’s going to remain that way until Los Angeles gets solved period by any team or whether it gets solved. Sitting at the league meeting yesterday, it’s clear that, you know, while the league is taking a more active look at the market that there is nothing solved or moving forward. There’s just, you know, increased activity which has been the same case I think if you talked to anybody for the last 20 years [author’s note: I couldn’t catch the end of this]…

Karraker: …with all of these reports, there’s an awful lot of smoke, and the lease is up. Does Stan Kroenke have an eye on putting his team in Los Angeles?

Demoff: I think our focus is on, you know, playing through the rest of the lease and seeing how things play out…

Karraker: Kevin, do you have any idea what it would take to get the Rams to commit to staying in St. Louis?

Demoff: Well, I think overall Randy it goes back to what we’ve always talked about: a global solution for St. Louis on a stadium front. A stadium that brings great events back to St. Louis, that brings Mizzou-Illinois, that bring Final Fours. You’ve heard me say this before. It’s also gotta be a solution that works for the community. It’s not just a Rams issue…

…I know everybody can sit here and say, especially this weekend, “The building can rock like it did in 1999,” which is absolutely true. If we play better football, it will be loud, passionate. But in terms of getting people off the couch away from television which is a fight that everybody in the NFL is going through and everybody in sports is going through, how do we improve the fan experience and give them the best? I think that’s the solution. If we can come up with it whether it’s downtown, whether it’s in the county, whether it’s somewhere else, I think we’d be in favor of it.

It’s about a stadium, folks. That’s it. If the Rams are going to stay in St. Louis, it won’t be in the Edward Jones Dome.

Give the whole interview a listen. It’s good stuff from Karraker and Farr.

And yes, D’Marco, we hate the Niners as much as you do.

Sam Farmer
Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-surprises-farmer-20141010-column.html

Austin Davis, QB, St. Louis: Although the Rams are 1-3, Davis has the most spectacularly improbable story of the season so far.

He was a walk-on at Southern Mississippi, wound up playing four years and breaking most of Brett Favre’s passing records. He went undrafted in 2012 — at least by the NFL — but was selected in the 32nd round of the baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox.

He was signed, then cut by the Rams, then spent most of the 2012 season on Miami’s practice squad. The Dolphins eventually cut him too, and Davis briefly worked as a volunteer football coach at Westminster Christian Academy in suburban St. Louis. The Rams circled back and re-signed him after starting quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending knee injury last October.

Two months ago, Davis was the Rams’ fourth-string quarterback, and it looked as if he probably wouldn’t make the final roster. Because of injuries and opportunities, though, he moved up the ranks and recently was named the starter for the rest of the season.

He has been a bright spot for St. Louis, completing 67.8% of his passes for 1,129 yards, with a respectable passer rating of 96.8, 10th among regular starters and better than Matt Ryan, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Drew Brees and others.

Jlowe22
Location: South Mississippi

I’ll be pulling for you guys now, as a Southern Miss and Austin Davis fan. I’m glad to see him finally get his shot, he was a beast at USM.

I didn’t watch all of his games, but the ones I did watch I wasn’t impressed with his arm strength on the deep ball. He was a bit of a dual threat, but that doesn’t mean much in C-USA I suppose. He was great in the pocket and knew how to win ball games, which I believe are traits that can transcend conference. He look really accurate on the short-intermediate type throws. As far as if he was better with seam routes, outside routes, etc, I can’t answer that as I didn’t break his play down enough to do so. I do know that Southern Miss ran a CRAP LOAD of plays from shotgun.

I don’t know if “gunslinger” is the right word for him, but against better competition he quite possibly could have been labeled as such.

He certainly put up big numbers, and for those that don’t know, broke or almost broke all of Favre’s passing records at USM.