Former Eagle Ike Reese tells why “were not full of confidence out (in Philly)” heading into Sunday

rfl wrote:

Based on what I have seen this year–4 PS and 3 season games–there is no reason to expect anything other than a fairly heavy loss tomorrow.

The defense has shown nothing like the kind of discipline it will need to significantly contain the Philly offense.

Our offense has shown promise, but I doubt they are ready to win a shootout.

All my perceptions and conditioned reflexes tell me to expect a dismal failure tomorrow.

And now for the but.

I think of the Indy game last year. I’m not asserting or overdoing any parallels. Except the fact that a Fisher team CAN suddenly assert itself. It’s been known to happen.

And there is the whole thing about him making adjustments part way into a season. The defense did tighten up some last year, though not I think as much as people assume.

So, I dunno … it COULD happen.

But I wouldn’t bet on it without damn good odds.

I will tell you what.

If they win?

I say…pie for everyone.

Did anyone listen to this?

Does it say stuff?

People can say what they want and there are different opinions but this is an interesting story.

In 2012 he was a college spread qb who barely even knew how to drop back from center let alone read defenses and sense the rush while doing it, let alone keep his eyes downfield when moving out of the pocket. Fisher all but handed him the #2 job before the 2013 training camp, and he got beat out by CLEMENS (!), and cut, and picked up by no one (except Miami for like a day or something). The Rams didn’t even put him on the practice squad. When Bradford went down, they signed him back…but also signed Brady Quinn. At that point, before they picked him back up, he was coaching high school.

Heck he wasn’t even a decent #2 qb 4 weeks ago. (Though he was good in the last 2 preseason games before that). When he came in off the bench in the Vikes game he himself said he had trouble making the calls. He stood there on broken plays and took sacks.

When he got time with the starters for Tampa, and could throw to an improved WR corps (which is MILES ahead of where it was this time last year), yeah he has blossomed…so far (there’s still stuff we don’t know about him yet though but so far so good.)

This is going to be interesting.

Some guys have already bought into him. Actually it took me a few games before I bought into it with Bulger. (Warner, I bought in cause of game #2 that year against Atlanta. The game of The Drive.) Bradford, I was not completely aboard until the comeback wins showed up. So I am actually kind of slow to “buy in.”

.

wv wrote:

Just somethin i thot
was inter estin

w
v

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Davis

“…For 2008, Davis was named the starting quarterback by head coach Larry Fedora and became the first freshman to be named the starting quarterback at Southern Miss since 1991… ended the year with a combined total of 15 school records for both game and single-season marks,[5] which included most passing yards in a game (461) and most rushing touchdowns in a contest (5) as well as total offense for a season (3,323).[3] Davis was ranked 16th nationally in total offense (279.7) and 52nd in passing efficiency (128.6) in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). His total offense average was the highest among freshmen quarterbacks in the country, ahead of … Robert Griffin of Baylor (244.5)…”

The problem with college production? It was a spread. Basically, Davis was a victim of that unstoppable college spread thing, which just amps up production against inherently overmatched defenses without preparing them to be pro qbs. In college, a spread qb is like a one-eyed man in the kingdom of the blind.

That’s not to dismiss him. It’s just to say that the college numbers are in a sense inflated–the spread does that. And in fact, he basically said that himself in a college interview I saw. When his numbers were compared to Favre, he said well we threw a lot more than in his day.

…

from off the net

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Speed_Kills

for me it’s what Austin is doing with his head that is so impressive. He knows what he is doing (knows the offense) but he’s knows what everyone else is doing too. Cosell has said a couple if times now that Davis understands why certain plays are called and down and distance. That is accurate. Watch him. If you gave gamerewind check him out and how he works the game. He is not just acting as an extension of Shotty, he also thinks beyond the play call and can react as thing are happening that can alter the original call

He has found Cook. That is his safety blanket. He is always looking down the field. Sure he will take check downs. The drive that got them within 3 of Dallas he checked his way down the field! He will take chances. Like the 3rd down throw against Tampa and yes the int to close the game against the Cowboys.

Davis makes things happen….and every time you turn around a player or coach references his leadership in the huddle. This team desperately needs that

I’m all in in Davis….and here’s to him continuing to grow and elevating players around him

Rams vs. Eagles preview

By Phil Sheridan and Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/8166/rams-vs-eagles-preview

The season hit the quarter mark for the Philadelphia Eagles, who are 3-1. Thanks to a bye week, the St. Louis Rams (1-2) will reach that mark Sunday in a game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Already missing quarterback Sam Bradford, who tore his ACL during the preseason, the Rams had backup quarterback Shaun Hill injure his calf. That opened the door for Austin Davis, who completed 30 of 42 passes for 327 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys before the bye week. He will start against the Eagles.

For the Eagles, the issues aren’t clear cut. Their offensive line has been plagued by injuries, and that has led to issues in the running game and with Nick Foles’ play. The Eagles didn’t score an offensive touchdown in Sunday’s 26-21 loss in San Francisco.

They are trying to get back to top form. The Rams are trying to find their top form. ESPN NFL Nation reporters Nick Wagoner, who covers the Rams, and Phil Sheridan, who covers the Eagles, talked it all over.

Phil Sheridan: The Rams have been uncharacteristically weak when it comes to rushing the passer. Robert Quinn had 19 sacks last season and has zero through three games. How much of that is the absence of injured defensive end Chris Long? Can the Rams get it going this week without him?

Nick Wagoner: The Rams certainly miss Long and when it comes to the pass rush, that’s where his absence is most felt. But there are bigger things at play than Long’s absence when it comes to rushing the passer. For one, the Rams haven’t been able to stop the run well enough to put themselves in a lot of pass-rush situations. Through three weeks, the Rams had been passed on the least in the league and by a good margin (Oakland was next and teams had tried 16 more passes against it). That’s because teams have had so much success running the ball that they haven’t had reason to abandon it. Also, when teams do throw it, they are getting the ball out quick and doing everything they can to negate the Rams’ pass rush. But to be clear, the Rams still have to be better when the opportunities arise. They’ve had some head-scratching defensive play calls where they’ve only rushed three on third-and-long, moments you’d think would be perfect for them to dial it up. I’m sure the hope is that they can right the ship against the Eagles’ run game this week and set up opportunities to get after the quarterback.

Philadelphia’s run game has disappointed recently but the Rams have struggled to stop the run as well. How much of the struggles the Eagles have had running the ball is related to injuries on the offensive line? If not, what are other issues that might need addressing?

Sheridan: Sometimes the obvious answer really is the truth. I’d say the offensive line problems are 90 percent of the issue in the Eagles’ running game. There is an element of defensive coordinators reacting to the Eagles’ 2013 success by stacking the box and daring Nick Foles to beat them. And there is something to the notion that LeSean McCoy sometimes turns what could be a 2-yard gain into a 4-yard loss by trying too hard to break every run. Sometimes it’s best just to hit the hole, get what’s there and move on to the next play. But ultimately, being without guard Evan Mathis, center Jason Kelce and tackle Lane Johnson has greatly affected the Eagles’ running game. Johnson will be back Sunday, but not the other two. Still, I expect Chip Kelly to try hard to get McCoy going this week.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher named Austin Davis his starting quarterback earlier this week. Was that the right move? Does he give them the best chance Sunday?

Wagoner: The answer to both questions is yes. Davis has played well enough to earn another start and Fisher said the Rams plan to stick with him for the rest of the season. He gives the Rams the best chance to win now while also providing hope that he could at least develop into a long-term backup and at best put together enough good performances to be in the mix as a starter long term. He leads the league in completion percentage and has showed a knack for coming through in big moments like the team’s win in Tampa Bay. He has made and will make mistakes, but Fisher doesn’t intend to have a quick hook if those mistakes pile up. Most important, the Rams seem to feed off his energy and enthusiasm, which should make him a welcome addition in the huddle moving forward.

Nick Foles burst on the scene last year but seems like he’s fallen back to the pack a bit this year. What are you seeing from him in his second season and has he regressed or is it more a function of other pieces around him not working as well?

Sheridan: It’s a combination of things. Before the San Francisco game, Foles was leading the NFL in passing yards. It’s just that expectations are really high for him now, and he has not quite been meeting them. The offensive line is involved in this aspect of things, too. Foles was able to set his feet and make his throws at his leisure most of the time last season. That luxury is no longer afforded him. The result is that he’s been just a little off, especially on deep throws. That’s enough to make them ineffective, which means Foles isn’t making defenses pay for the attention they’re paying to the run game. If Foles can do what he did against Washington, for example, it will help all facets of the Eagles’ offense.

The Rams’ defense has had trouble stopping passes in the middle of the field, an area the Eagles like to exploit. Would an improved pass rush fix that or is it more about the state of the Rams’ secondary?

Wagoner: I don’t necessarily think the pass rush is the main reason for it, though a better pass rush should help against any and all pass attempts. There have been times when the Rams haven’t gotten to the quarterback and it’s opened passes up over the middle of the field. But to me, the Rams need to get better play from their linebackers, safeties and corners working out of the slot. They like to use safety T.J. McDonald in the box on a consistent basis, and though that’s where he’s best used, they do it so often that it leaves the other safety, Rodney McLeod, fending for himself on the back end a lot. Beyond that, it seems like middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is being asked to do too much back there, being used almost like he’s working in a Cover 2. Either way, the Rams certainly can’t afford to be soft in the middle of the field against Zach Ertz and Darren Sproles this week.

To what do you attribute the Eagles’ defensive struggles and what are some areas the Rams could exploit?

Sheridan: The Eagles are vulnerable in every facet of the game, but they do find ways to make plays as well. They simplified their defense last year in order to hasten the transition to a 3-4. This year, coordinator Bill Davis has tried to add complexity. That has meant some growing pains. Washington and Jacksonville had a lot of success with quick passes, while Indianapolis and San Francisco relied heavily on their running games. So both approaches are possible. The Eagles did a much better job rushing the quarterback Sunday, sacking Colin Kaepernick four times after going two weeks without a sack. If they’re able to keep that up, it will put pressure on the Rams to adjust.

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Rams at Eagles: Stats of the Week

69

Number of passing attempts against the Rams in 2014, the lowest in the league before their Week 4 bye and now the fewest attempts by an even bigger margin.

0-for-10

Nick Foles “completed” two passes to 49ers defenders on balls thrown 20 or more yards Sunday. He completed zero such passes to Eagles receivers, the most attempts without a completion since ESPN Stats & Info began tracking that data in 2006.

GreatRamNTheSky wrote:

That picture is evil looking ZN. LOL

Grits

It’s a behind the scenes photo from this movie:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pans_labyrinth/?search=pan

from another article

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http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/02/post_179.html

The league loves quarterbacks with hands like candelabras – wide palms, long fingers.

“That’s something that is highly underrated,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. “It does depend on where you play. You play (indoors), not too bad. But if you play in Green Bay and struggle controlling a football when it’s cold and wet then that’s a problem.”

The NFL has been measuring hand size since the mid 1960s, former Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt said, but in an information age when everything is quantified public intrigue has grown.

…

Two years ago, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider came off like the Violent Femmes in “Blister in the Sun” while discussing Russell Wilson.

The GM made it known Wilson’s big hands (10-1/4-inch) factored in selecting the 5-foot-11 quarterback because of the city’s rainy environs.

Although weight can be gained, body fat shed and speed enhanced, no personal trainer or dietary supplement helps with the hands. There isn’t an exercise to make them larger for the combine.

…

Whitfield likened the importance of a quarterback’s hand size to that of a basketball point guard’s.

“You just have so much more control,” Whitfield said. “If you can get the ball to do what you want it to do on a calm day or windy day you have a distinct advantage.”