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znModeratorI don’t know that I’ve ever seen an interception by a lineman when the QB was trying to throw the ball at the ground.
How do you miss the turf? Pretty big target.
Yes you haven’t seen that before, but, seem to assume it was the Rams that caused that. That was just a weird heads up play by the DL and you’re right it has basically never happened before.
December 28, 2014 at 2:30 pm in reply to: from the leaked Patriots scouting report on Manziel #14833znModeratorThe Browns also fined Manziel on Saturday for being late for treatment on his injured hamstring, a source told ESPN. Less than 24 hours later, rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert was deactivated for Sunday’s season finale against the Baltimore Ravens after missing a team meeting the previous night, a source told ESPN.
Both Manziel and Gordon were absent from the Browns’ walk-through on Saturday morning, and the team had trouble locating them, a source close to the team told ESPN.
Manziel had to be present for either the walk-through or, since he was on injured reserve, treatment on the hamstring. When he did not show for either, the team had to search for him. Browns security visited Manziel’s home Saturday morning to check on the rookie quarterback about his treatment, sources told ESPN.
znModeratorHow I see it: absolutely, of course they have improved, though sometimes it shows up in stumbling fits and starts. They’ve improved in spite of the fact that their starting qb has played only 23 of 47 games in the last 3 years, and in spite of the fact that they have had to play 15 different linemen in that stretch.
znModeratorput off watching highlights of this game cuz it just hurt too much. but i just saw a clip on nfl network.
depending on the angle it actually looks like odell starts pulling ogletree’s mask BEFORE they go out of bounds dragging him out of bounds.
of course i could be biased.
starting at 1:25
http://www.nfl.com/videos/st-louis-rams/0ap3000000447410/Giants-Rams-scrum-spills-over-onto-sideline” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.nfl.com/videos/st-louis-rams/0ap3000000447410/Giants-Rams-scrum-spills-over-onto-sideline
That;s the clearest view yet. Watch the whole vid (for those who haven’t seen it yet: this one has different angles on it).
.
December 28, 2014 at 11:27 am in reply to: from the leaked Patriots scouting report on Manziel #14819znModeratorI always felt he would be boom or bust.
It’s looking like bust.
I thought of him as either bust or complete hilarious meltdown.
So far he is holding at bust, but it’s not over yet.
znModerator7 things to watch: Rams at Seahawks
By Jim Thomas
CONTAINING LYNCH IS KEY
The formula has remained the same almost since the trade in 2010 that brought him to Seattle: In order to have a chance against the Seahawks, you better contain running back Marshawn Lynch. He ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards this season with 1,246. He trails only Dallas’ DeMarco Murray (1,745) and Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell (1,341). He leads the league in touchdowns with 16, a career best. “Obviously, he’s very hard to get down,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s quite a player.” The Rams held Lynch to just 2.9 yards per carry and 53 yards when the teams met Oct. 19 in St. Louis, which was a 28-26 Rams victory. Since then, Lynch has averaged 92 yards a game and scored 10 of those 16 TDs. The Rams have been far from stellar against the run the past two weeks, yielding a total of 271 yards to lesser runners in losses to Arizona and the New York Giants.
DEFENDING WILSON
In quarterback Russell Wilson’s five starts against them, the Rams have had success getting him to the ground — they’ve sacked him 22 times. Nonetheless, Wilson has been very successful against them, with a 115.5 passer rating in the last four meetings. That’s partly because he’s taking care of the football. Since being intercepted three times in his first contest vs. the Rams in 2012, Wilson has gone 96 passes without an interception over the next four meetings.
NOT PEDESTRIAN
Seattle’s receiving unit dubbed itself “The Pedestrians” last season, making light of critics. But even after losing Golden Tate to Detroit, these guys are getting it done. Speedy Doug Baldwin, who had a 49-yard catch against the Rams in October, is having a career year (63 catches for 782 yards). Out of the backfield, Lynch has career highs for reception yards (331) and touchdown catches (four). Jermaine Kearse, who also was having a career year, is out with a hamstring injury.
SECONDARY CONCERNS
The Rams can’t afford to take any wide receiver lightly, not after last week’s performance against the Giants — a major meltdown of coverage breakdowns and silly penalties. The most consistent Rams cornerback this season, rookie E.J. Gaines, is doubtful because of a concussion. As a result, rookie Lamarcus Joyner is expected to have a lot of work, and possibly rookie Marcus Roberson as well. Can Trumaine Johnson return to form after a brutal day against the Giants?
LEGION OF BOOM
It’s not as dominating by the numbers. For example, the Seattle defense has a modest 11 interceptions this season, compared to 28 in 2013. But the “Legion of Boom,” also known as the Seattle secondary, is still getting it done. Cornerback Richard Sherman, as well as safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, all were picked again for the Pro Bowl. Sherman has a league-leading 24 interceptions since the start of 2011, including four this season. Rams quarterback Shaun Hill needs to take care of the football.
CAREER REVIVAL
Less than a year ago, Kenny Britt’s future job prospects looked tenuous at best. But re-joining his former Tennessee coach — Jeff Fisher — has put Britt’s career back on track. The Rams relied on him more after Brian Quick’s season-ending shoulder injury in Game 7, against Kansas City. He has responded with 44 catches for 710 yards. With 66 receiving yards and just two catches against Seattle, Britt would establish career highs in both catches and yards.
FOOL ME ONCE…
In 2012, the Rams fooled Seattle and coach Pete Carroll with a fake field goal that turned into a TD pass from holder Johnny Hekker to wideout Danny Amendola. This October, the Rams converted a key fourth down on a fake punt and got a 90-yard punt return for a score by Stedman Bailey on a play in which Tavon Austin snookered the Seahawks as a decoy. The Seahawks vow to be ready for anything this time. “Obviously, we’re going to be tuned into it,” Carroll said.
znModerator
znModerator
Rams need more magic to pull off upsetBy Jim Thomas
No doubt about it, the Rams have pulled some rabbits out of their helmets this season.
There was that 28-26 home victory over Seattle in mid October, six days after getting shut down in the second half of a frustrating 31-17 Monday night loss to San Francisco.
On the heels of a 34-7 second-half meltdown at Kansas City, a game in which the Rams lost left tackle Jake Long and wide receiver Brian Quick for the season because of injuries, they rode out of San Francisco with a 13-10 victory over the 49ers in early November.
And then came the ultimate. Following a 31-14 fourth-quarter collapse at Arizona, they dominated — yes, dominated — Denver 22-7 in quarterback Shaun Hill’s return to the starting lineup in mid November.
But if they could somehow, some way pull off the upset Sunday in Seattle over the defending Super Bowl champions, well, that would top them all.
Kickoff is 3:25 p.m. (St. Louis time) in the season finale for the Rams (6-9) and the regular-season sign-off for Seattle (11-4).
“It’s the last one,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “It’s important to us, and we’re taking it very seriously.”
After last week’s bitterly disappointing 37-27 loss to the New York Giants, Fisher said part of his message to the team was, “We want to go into this offseason and offseason program playing good football. That’s very important to us.”
The Rams have lost nine in a row in Seattle; they haven’t won there since a wild-card playoff victory during the 2004 season.
Perhaps defensive end Chris Long best framed the Rams’ motivation for this one.
“I’m as excited about our future as ever,” he said. “The future starts this weekend. If you want to be somebody competing for the division (title), you’ve got to be able to go to a place like Seattle and win.
“If we’re up there next year playing for something big, which we plan on doing, you want to be able to say, ‘OK, we’ve done this before.’ So it’s important to us. I really do think we’re getting better and better every year. We’ve just got to get over the hump.”
Winning there is more like scaling a mountain than a hump.
Counting playoff games, the Seahawks have won 23 of their last 25 games at the home of the 12th Man.
“Yeah, it’s an exciting place,” Fisher said. “It’s a challenge. It’s different than most places in the league. That ‘12th Man’ is unique and special. It’s hard to hear and they force mistakes and they take advantage of it.”
For the second year in a row, the Rams close a season against a Seattle team with much to play for. As was the case in 2013, the Seahawks are in position to claim the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory. Or possibly fall to the No. 5 seed and open the playoffs on the road as a wild-card team with a loss.
In a scheduling quirk that gets more peculiar as each season goes by, it’s the third year in a row the Rams have played their season finale in Seattle, and the fourth time in the last five seasons.
“The NFL does love putting us up there, it looks like, in the last week of the season,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “Just take ‘em as they roll, I guess. Got to go up there sometime.
“Last year they were playing for home field. And this year they’re playing for home field in the playoffs. So they’ll have plenty of reason to play ball. So do we.
“So it’ll be a fun Sunday.”
Last Sunday was no fun at all for the Rams, especially on defense — the secondary was awful and the Giants piled up 514 yards.
“We (allowed) four of five explosive plays on third down that’s just uncharacteristic of us because we’ve played so solid,” Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.
He further described the breakdowns as: “Head-scratching. I’m not going to use the bad words, but very irritating.”
Suffice it to say, Williams used several of the “bad words” in the defensive meeting room during the week.
“It’s not something where anybody does it on purpose, but there were just some hesitations and some miscommunications, and a couple different guys playing that haven’t been playing in a while,” Williams continued. “All of a sudden you lose your comfort zone on expecting people to do things.”
Williams also thought there were several occasions in which Rams defenders let a bad play linger in their heads, or “travel” with them for the next several plays against the Giants.
“When we let a play travel with us four or five plays later, all of a sudden it compounds, then dominos,” Williams said. “You’ve got to be able to stop the avalanche. You’ve got to be able to stop the mistake that’s going on and do it the right way.”
If the Rams’ defense doesn’t do it the right way Sunday, things could get extremely ugly. Last week, Seattle’s ninth-ranked offense piled up an astounding 596 yards against the rugged Arizona defense — at University of Phoenix Stadium, no less.
The Seahawks had running plays of 79 and 55 yards in that contest, and passing plays of 80 and 49 yards.
“I mean, 596 yards against the Arizona defense, at Arizona, says a lot for an offense,” Fisher said. “(Plus the Seahawks) have the best defense in the National Football League.”
Yes they do.
During their current five-game winning streak, they’ve allowed only 33 total points against some pretty good teams. (Arizona twice, San Francisco twice and Philadelphia.)
The Seahawks’ defensive scheme isn’t all that complicated schematically and doesn’t change much from week to week.
So much so that Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer joked, “They’ve probably been home for Christmas all week. They don’t do too much. They do what they do, and they do it well.”
Better, in fact, than anyone in the NFL.
znModeratorzn wrote:
HILL games 8-15 (includes games against 2 top 10 defenses):
qb rating 91.6, TDs 4.4%, Ints 2.2%Just wondering. What is Hill’s record against the two top 10 defenses?
Against the 2 top Ds —
Actually right now that’s 2 top 11 Ds. SD is now 11th. The other is Denver.
Using the same criteria as before…qb rating, TD%, INT %.
Can’t do just the avg. because the 2 games are so completely different. The avg. on its own would mask the difference.
DEN = qb rating 102.7, TD% 3.44%, Int% 0
SD = qb rating 54.2, TD% 2.8%, Int% 5.6Avg. qb rating 78.4, TD% 3.1%, Int% 3.1
znModeratorI wouldn’t call him the black James Bond.
I’d call him a good or bad James Bond based on how well he played the role.
James Bond wasn’t fucking BLOND, either, btw… remember all the uproar over THAT?
Well, after Skyfall, which is arguably the best Bond movie, EVER… not many are arguing about Daniel Craig as a legitimate Bond.
If Idris Elba knocks it out of the park, it won’t matter.
But… the minute Idris Elba kisses a white woman, some folks will lose their shit…
And frankly, I have dark thoughts about those people…
I remember getting into a discussion of Idris Elba playing Heimdell in Thor.
A couple of guys were saying the Norse gods were not black. They were white. So this is an insult.
There were a lot of things I coulda said, and didn’t. What I did say was “well they didn’t speak English either, you know, so….”
True story.
I watched Pacific Rim only because Elba has such presence.
znModeratorSomething we didn’t know.
In practices, Britt wears Quick’s #83 Jersey.
znModeratorHere’s a little discussion of Bryant.
From a few months back.
He came out of school injured…so…
I think they think he has promise.
…
Mackeyser wrote:
Christian Bryant is a difference maker….If he gets healthy, I think Bryant somehow makes the team… Probably displacing Matt Daniels.
If I recall, Demoff kind of said…indirectly…that Bryant was a “redshirt.” That is they got him now, thinking a healthy Bryant was worth more than a 7th, but knew he would not really be ready for 2014.
.
znModeratorRams-Seahawks: Matchup breakdown
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14936/rams-seahawks-matchup-breakdown-3
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at three individual matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks meet at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.
Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree vs. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson
The Rams’ defense played just well enough to beat Seattle in the first meeting with plenty of help from the special teams but the Seahawks nearly pulled off a second-half comeback largely because of Wilson’s performance. Wilson finished with 313 yards and two touchdowns in the air with no interceptions, but it was the damage he did with his legs that really gave the Rams problems.
And nobody struggled more in that situation than Ogletree, who was drafted in large part because the Rams wanted a linebacker who could keep up with athletic quarterbacks like Wilson. In that first meeting, Wilson exploited Ogletree’s propensity for over pursuing and falling for misdirection to the tune of 106 yards on seven carries with a 19-yard touchdown and a 52-yard run both coming in Ogletree’s direction.
Since that time, Ogletree has been more disciplined and played much better over the final half of the season. But he’ll need to be at his best for the Rams to have a chance on Sunday.
Rams right tackle Joe Barksdale vs. Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett
For the many things the Seahawks’ defense does well, posting sacks isn’t necessarily at the top of the list. But Bennett is the best on the roster with seven sacks and is generally able to create pressure on a consistent basis. Barksdale did well against Bennett in the first meeting this year as Bennett had three tackles but no sacks.
With unrestricted free agency awaiting in the offseason, this is Barksdale’s last chance to state his case for big money when he hits the open market. Faring well against Bennett won’t guarantee anything but it certainly couldn’t hurt. It would also go a long way toward helping the Rams move closer to an upset.
Rams safety T.J. McDonald vs. Seahawks tight end Luke Willson
The Rams have been outstanding defending tight ends this season, regularly taking away the middle of the field and forcing the action to the outside. Opposing tight ends have managed just 64 catches for 661 yards, eighth best in the NFL, against the Rams this season. Of course, opponents have had much more success but with Willson emerging as one of Wilson’s top targets, the Rams will have to find a way to slow the tight end down.
Willson had three catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals last week but hasn’t been a consistent threat for most of the season. Still, it’s easy to imagine that Willson is playing with more confidence than he has at any point in his career. McDonald spends plenty of his time in the run box and isn’t always back in coverage but he has proved better in coverage than initially suspected when he entered the league. According to Pro Football Focus, McDonald has been targeted 58 times this year, allowing 42 receptions for 472 yards and six touchdowns. Most of that damage came early in the season but it’s worth keeping an eye on McDonald in coverage after a rough outing last week against the Giants.
znModeratorChristian Bryant? He’s on the practice squad, if we’re thinking of the same guy.
znModeratorW2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14924/w2w4-st-louis-rams-20
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks kick off Week 17 on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on regional Fox coverage.
Here are three things to watch for from the Rams’ end:
1. Getting after Wilson: The Rams have been one of the league’s best pass-rushing teams over the past three seasons when it comes to sacks, but for whatever reason they seem to have even more success when it’s Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson on the other side. In five games against Wilson since Jeff Fisher arrived in St. Louis, the Rams have 22 sacks, including a combined 10 in two games in Seattle. And the Seahawks are banged up on the offensive line, with center Max Unger and left tackle Russell Okung dealing with injury issues. That pass rush must rebound from a shoddy performance against the Giants and continue to create pressure on Wilson for the Rams to have a chance.
2. Deeper in the bag: The Rams left no stone unturned when they pulled off the upset of Seattle earlier this season. They perfectly executed a fake punt to seal the game and a tricky punt return that went for a 90-yard touchdown. When you’re overmatched by another team, some trickery is always useful and the Rams will probably need to once again dig deep to find something that they can use. Of course, Seattle will almost certainly be more prepared for such tactics this time but that doesn’t mean the Rams can’t figure out some ways to take advantage. To keep this one close, they’ll likely need another play or two that falls outside the normal box to work.
3. Running in place: It’s been incredibly difficult for teams to move the ball against Seattle’s defense over the past five or six weeks. It was hard anyway but that group has been even better with the return of linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Kam Chancellor from injury. But for the Rams’ offense, which hasn’t done much against top defenses this season, to have any chance, they have to figure out a way to run the ball consistently. In the first meeting, the Rams didn’t exactly run all over the Seahawks but they were good enough that they could stick with it and finished with 102 rushing yards on 27 carries. That at least kept the Seahawks honest and allowed for some opportunities in the passing game. With Wagner and Chancellor back (only Wagner missed the first meeting), the Seahawks are even more difficult to work against. But the Rams have to find a way or they’ll end up stuck in the mud like their recent loss to Arizona.
znModeratorRush Limbaugh says, Idris Elba can’t be James Bond, Bond isn’t black.
Idris Elba says, if it happens, I do not want to be called the “black James Bond.”
Idris Elba
December 26, 2014 at 9:19 pm in reply to: Santa (family) was good to me! Guess I was a good boy this year. #14759znModeratorMerry Christmas!
Good Rams fan story.
I see you’ve been very active on the Public House board.
znModeratorWhat’s more disturbing is that Witness #40, if I read correctly is not only a White Supremacist, but lied to the Grand Jury (it can be proved that she wasn’t even in the area at the time and lied about crucial details) and DA McCulloch knowingly put her in front of the Grand Jury even though the FBI thoroughly discredited her.
So, she was guilty of perjury and DA McCulloch was guilty of suborning perjury.
Details that much of the Conservative media have seized on have been provided by this witness, btw.
It’s disgusting.
What ever happened to truth?
It’s some awful stuff.
Really is.
December 26, 2014 at 5:20 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14749znModerator
Tipsheet: NFL quarterback market looks bleakBy Jeff Gordon
This 2014 NFL season reminded us just difficult it is to find a consistently good quarterback at this level.
About half the teams in the league could use an upgrade and pickings will be slim in the free agent marketplace. Fans inevitably demand quarterback change, but they should be careful what they wish for this winter.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal ranked the top five:
Mark Sanchez: Will playing so-so in Chip Kelly’s system really rehabilitate his value that much? It would be a surprise if any free agent available got starter money. Sanchez is a 1B option.
Brian Hoyer: The more he played this season, the more he looked like a high quality backup.
Ryan Mallett: It sounds like the Texans want Mallett back, and there probably won’t be a ton of competition for him.
Jake Locker: He’s genuinely shown flashes of quality starter play, but his durability concerns make him a flier free-agent pickup.
Michael Vick: We’re nearing the end of the line here, but he should still be able to get work.Rams quarterback Shaun Hill made Rosenthal’s “others” list, along with former Mizzou standout Blaine Gabbert and the likes of Colt McCoy, Christian Ponder, Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen and Tavaris Jackson.
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford did not make Rosenthal’s “trade” list, given the current Rams’ claim that Sam is still the man here.
Players who did make that list include Jay Cutler, Geno Smith, Mike Glennon, Robert Griffin III and E.J, Manuel. Glennon and Manuel seem likely to be traded — if anybody cares — and the other three could get another shot where they are, perhaps with new coaches.
The Rams appear unlikely to draft their starting quarterback for 2015, since the franchise is overdue to actually produce a winning season. So those demanding change could be sorely disappointed with Jeff Fisher, Les Snead and Co.
December 26, 2014 at 4:32 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14745znModeratorWell, my least favorites on that list are Sanchez and Gabbert.
My main wish is that they find a couple of Healthy Studs
for the OLine.
For the love of God, can we see a topnotch OLine again
in my lifetime ?w
vI don’t like any single one of them. Apparently they don’t either, cause the talk from the Rams is sticking with Bradford.
Then, the issue becomes, is there a good more developmental prospect in rounds 2 or 3.
Someone like Andrew Luck, or, maybe Steve McNair.
December 26, 2014 at 4:10 pm in reply to: Derek Carr, Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald headline All-Rookie Team w/3 Rams #14743znModeratorRams got 3. Mason, Robinson, Donald.
znModeratorI think it will be minor surgery. Kinda a scope job on his shoulder, nothing like an ACL type thing. He can have the surgery in a couple of weeks and be ready to go in a month or so. At least conditioning stuff. No worries.
Why do you think that? Is that a hunch, or did you read something I missed?
I am not TD, and I haven’t even played TD on tv, but I read around on it real quick just now. Based on what I read, Shoulder dislocations can lead to labrum tears, and the surgery on that has been perfected. It is true that the player has less risk of recurrence than with an ACL and that it takes less time to rehab. It can be 3-6 months from surgery to full participation. If he has the surgery in January, then, that means he’s back 100% somewhere from March to June. It would be before camp at the latest.
http://www.stlouisrams.com/fans/health-and-wellness/shoulder-dislocation.html
Surgery is recommended for the player who experiences multiple dislocations or who chooses to undergo surgical stabilization following the first episode. Historically, surgical repair was done through an open incision. Now, this procedure is most commonly performed arthroscopically. The labrum that is torn is repaired back to the bone socket using a variety of either metal or plastic anchors in order to reestablish stability of the joint. Following surgery, the athlete is kept in a sling for four to six weeks. Physical therapy is prescribed to regain shoulder motion, strength, and return to football-related activities. …. The success rate of surgical repair of a dislocated shoulder is reliably greater than 90%. This success is defined as no further episodes of instability with the ability to resume strenuous activity.
http://www.uwbadgers.com/genrel/051910aac.html
How long? After surgery to repair a torn labrum, a rehabilitation program can take several months to return the athlete to 100 percent. Depending on the sport and the severity of the injury, it may take anywhere from three to six months to bring the athlete back to full participation.
Rehab? Recovery from this surgery requires a lot of patience. The athlete will take as much as eight weeks to regain their full range of motion. Return of full strength may take another four to eight weeks after that. During the rehab, it is important to limit several motions of the arm in order to prevent the labrum from being re-torn. During the early stages of rehab, it is important to keep the muscles of the shoulder in shape without actually moving the arm.
znModerator
Rams are familiar with “Mr. December”By Jim Thomas
As he closes out his third NFL regular season, quarterback Russell Wilson has been Mr. December for the Seattle Seahawks.
He is 11-2 this month since entering the league in 2012, with a 102.1 passer rating, 21 touchdown passes and only six interceptions.
This is shaping up as another December to remember. Wilson was the NFC offensive player of the week last week when he threw for 339 yards, rushed for 88 and accounted for three touchdowns in a 35-6 victory over NFC West rival Arizona.
The red-hot Seahawks have won five in a row, outscoring opponents 114-33 in that span. Wilson didn’t make the Pro Bowl this year, but because of another strong finish is garnering some late MVP support around the league.
But as well as Wilson plays in December, it would be hard to top his spellbinding performance against the Rams 10 weeks ago in St. Louis, when he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game.
“He’s the most dynamic dual-threat quarterback in the league,” Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Wilson completed 23 of 36 passes for 313 yards and two TDs in that Oct. 19 contest at the Edward Jones Dome. He also gained 106 yards on just seven carries, one of which went for a 19-yard TD and another going for 52 yards on a non-scoring play.
Those TDs came during a furious second-half rally, as did 264 of Wilson’s 419 passing and rushing yards. The Seahawks, who trailed 21-3 at the half, couldn’t quite catch the Rams in a 28-26 defeat.
“He’s always taking advantage of his legs,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s a special athlete. He’s got a great release. He just extends plays all the time. He knows where to go with the football.”
The Seahawks have a talented group of skill players around him, headed by Marshawn Lynch but also including backup running back Robert Turbin as well as an underrated receiver corps.
But it’s Wilson who brings the added dimension because of his ability to pass and run.
“It’s almost as if there’s an extra player,” Fisher said. “He’s like the 11th and 12th player on offense. Because of his legs, he’s just so hard to defend.”
So the 12th Man in Sunday’s Rams-Seahawks rematch at CenturyLink Field may not be Seattle’s rabid fan base, but rather the 5-foot-11 guy playing quarterback — Wilson.
“Obviously Russell is the best improv quarterback in the National Football League,” Laurinaitis said. “He has such control over the football game. Even when those plays break down, it’s not somebody scrambling or panicking, and trying to find something.
“It’s so rehearsed and so well done, it’s almost like he makes the perfect decisions at the right moments.”
Wilson went through a bit of a midseason slump, but already has a personal-best 4,078 yards passing and running.
Of that total, 842 yards have come on the ground along with six TDs. Many of his 112 runs have come on designed plays, where he’ll fake a handoff to a running back, then pull the ball out, keep it himself, and dash into the secondary of a hoodwinked defense.
“He knows how to pull it in the zone read at the right time,” Laurinaitis said. “He’ll just hand it to Marshawn over and over, and it seems like right at the right moment — where a team’s maybe within one score — he’ll decide to pull it and it’s a 65-yard run. And you’re like, ‘Goodness.’”
He fooled Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree on just such an option read on the 19-yard touchdown in October.
Of course, many of Wilson’s rushing yards come on plays that are, as Laurinaitis puts it, totally improvisational. Trouble is, Wilson doesn’t always run when he’s scrambling.
“He’ll keep the play alive, and when he’s scrambling he’ll look to throw downfield, too,” Ogletree said. “That’s probably what he’s best at, is running around and throwing the ball. So we’ve definitely got to try and contain him and be ready for the challenge.”
In fact, there may not be a better quarterback in the league when it comes to throwing on the move.
“I’d have to say so,” Rams safety T.J. McDonald said. “He’s definitely dynamic in that sense. The best and biggest thing that you see on tape is he makes good decisions with the ball.”
Because of that, defensive backs have to do what players and coaches call “plastering” the wide receiver. That is, staying with the wideout no matter what Wilson is doing on a rollout or scramble. At least until Wilson crosses the line of scrimmage.
The Rams have had varying degrees of success corralling Wilson since he’s been in the league. Maintaining outside contain is essential, particularly for the defensive ends and linebackers. Otherwise, Wilson will simply roll outside when warranted.
A strong inside push can lead to some sacks because Wilson isn’t tall enough to just stand in the pocket all day and look over linemen for passing lanes.
“He does fine (in the pocket),” Fisher said. “They move the pocket a little bit for him. But drop-back stuff, when they go no-back and things like that, he makes good decisions and he gets rid of the football.”
znModeratorOdell Beckham picks up $10,000 fine
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/25/odell-beckham-picks-up-10000-fine/
by Josh Alper
Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham has notched a lot of firsts during his rookie season, but not all of them are positives.
On the other side of the ledger is Beckham’s first fine as an NFL player. Giants players have received word from the league about fines levied for their behavior during a chaotic game with the Rams that featured three ejections after a brawl on the sideline.
Beckham was hit late by Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree to touch off that brawl and he’s been fined $10,000 for kicking at Ogletree when Ogletree was on the ground after the tackle. Ogletree was penalized for a late hit, but said Wednesday that he hasn’t heard from the league about a fine.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said that he thought Giants kicker Josh Brown should have been ejected for kicking at a Rams player, but he was penalized and fined $8,200 instead. Brown said, via the Associated Press, that he plans to appeal.
Defensive end Damontre Moore joined wide receiver Preston Parker with a $15,000 fin eafter getting ejected for throwing punches during the melee and long snapper Zak DeOssiewas fined for a late hit. With defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins also picking up a fine for roughing the passer, Giants players wound up handing over more than $72,000 for their actions in a game that saw players on both teams lose control of themselves far too often.
December 25, 2014 at 1:28 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14712znModeratorLike Marino. As you know Marino wasn’t a running QB
BUT he was awesom in the pocket — he was nimble — he could MOVE.
We dont know if Sam will be slower, or clunkier in the pocket
because of the second kneee operation.Yet in the last 2 years Bradford has a lower sack percentage than any of the other 3 qbs.
That;s because, in part, he does move more in the pocket than given credit for, he has a quick release, and he was coached under Schott to get rid of the ball and in fact if anything Bradford is a highly “do as coached” kind of qb.
I don’t know about 2 surgeries. That’s an unknown. But Bradford’s knee injuries did not come from being HIT. One involved contact, one didn’t, but in both cases what we saw was a hyper-extended knee, and those are different animals from a knee being hit. A hyperextended knee happens when the knee is bent backward–the foot is planted wrong, and the leg and body weight push the wrong direction. It’s a freak thing. You can get it from anything. I have had a few myself, in fact one last fall (I still can’t sleep in certain positions because of lingering issues from what the doctor said is a bruised miniscus.) Not once in my history of knee extensions did it come from contact. It just came from planting the foot a certain way producing an awkward angle bending the knee.
So rightly or wrong I take what Bradford had as freak occurences.
Though I don’t know what it means about his play, because we don’t know what the odds are for a repeat after 2 surgeries. That;s why I always say IF Bradford can come back.
BUT because they are freak things, I never take his knee as an indication of his toughness or durability taking hits. Freak hyper-extensions just don’t indicate that.
znModeratorfrom off the net
==
jrry32
Schotty frustrates me at times but I don’t know of many fan-bases that like their OC. I will say that watching this team week after week, I don’t think Schotty is the problem. Tavon’s usage frustrates me but I also don’t think Tavon is “there” yet as a WR. I would like to see him used more on deep routes but that’s digressing from my point. The guy called a great game today [Giants game] and the offense has overachieved this year with the QB play and IOL play we have. I’d keep Schotty. The guy deserves a full year with a starting caliber QB.
I think arguably that our offense has overachieved. Our QB play this year has been a major issue and it’s hard for an OC to look good when his QB misses a lot of plays. I don’t think there are a lot of OCs out there that could do much with Hill and Davis at QB. To add onto the QB woes, we lost our #1 WR and our starting LT early in the season. Davin Joseph and Scott Wells have been bad. We’re not winning the LOS because Joseph and Wells severely limit what we can do. They have arguably been the worst players at their positions this year. And our offense has to work to compensate for the liabilities they are in the middle of the OL. Our C and RG can’t be relied upon in the run game and we have to design blocking schemes to cover for their issues. It seems like a lot of our success running it comes outside the tackles or on misdirection such as counters and traps. I don’t notice a lot of success running the ball inside the tackles to the front-side of the play. And we’re breaking in a rookie LT. Actually both our RT and LT have had consistency issues because Joe Barksdale has struggled the second half of the year. And our WR/TE corp is much better this year but still not the best in this league.
I’m not saying the guy needs to have the perfect offense…but is it too much to ask for Schotty to have an offense with average talent before we judge him? So…lets fix our interior and lets stabilize the QB situation.
I’m not concerned about the defense. They’ll be fine. They’re still in their first year in a new scheme with a lot of young players. I think we’re pretty set aside from depth and upgrading on adequate starters. You don’t need an All Pro at every position and you can’t afford an All Pro at every position. Defensively, next year, we could be top 5.
Today [Giants game] sucked but even the 2000 Ravens gave up 36 points to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Our defense had a bad day. Beckham’s two TDs came off blown coverages. I lay that at the feet of the players. Trumaine playing like he was hung over certainly helped them with that.
On the long Beckham TD. Mark Barron wasn’t supposed to be on an island. That’s the blown coverage. You can see it if you watch the replay. Trumaine seems shocked that Joyner is doubling his guy. And I would be too because based on my knowledge of our scheme and that coverage, Joyner should have been carrying Beckham Jr. up the field in trail position with Barron over the top. He hung Barron out to dry. But that’s the issue with rookies. They make mental errors. And it’s probably why Joyner hasn’t been playing as much lately…he’s still adjusting to the scheme.
znModeratorOthers
C Demetrius Rhaney (IR) 2014 Round 7.
OT Steven Baker (Practice Squad)
OG Travis Bond (Practice Squad)It is likely that these three will be on the Rams 80 man roster at the beginning of training camp. They will be given a chance to make the 53 man roster but I would think it would be very unlikely that they could earn a starting role in 2015.
Good post TD.
As for what I quote…Bond was getting some buzz last summer. Rhaney, too, though he was seen as more raw. Bond was not a draft pick or a UDFA…he was a young ronin, a bounce-around player without a team, same as Mike Person (Bond was with the Vikes and Panthers in 2013). Boudreau has made good use of that type before before (for example, Barksdale). I agree that IF Bond and Rhaney stick around, it won’t be as starters but as depth.
I also agree that it’s probably not likely that they would sign a high-market FA for the OL. More of a reclamation guy and/or another young ronin.
znModeratorzn wrote:
And sack #s don’t count as much btw if you consider sack percentage. So while Seattle is 32nd in passing attempts, they’re also 28th in sack percentage… which is a bad combo.Well the fact that RW has had to deal with a lot of sack-pressure
and still only has six INTs, may indicate
that he handles/manages pressure a lot better
than most QBs.w
vI agree about Wilson–he has a level head under pressure and can also make plays. But there’s a reason the Rams usually beat the living hell out of him, win or lose.
znModerator21st in attempted passes.
That;s a little misleading. Seattle as a team is ranked 32nd in passing attempts. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/2014.htm
THe reason that translates to 21st as an individual for Wilson is because many qbs were benched or injured this year, so there are a lot of them with counted attempts who do not have that many games. For example Stanton is 31st in attempts, Palmer 32nd, and Lindley 47th, but Arz as a team is 16th. Chances are if Palmer played all year, he would push Wilson down to 22nd.
So what Wilson being 21st as an individual tells you is that basically, only 21 teams this year started one qb in at least 13 out of the 15 games.
Meanwhile, if you compare teams, Seattle with Wilson throwing is 32nd in attempts.
And sack #s don’t count as much btw if you consider sack percentage. So while Seattle is 32nd in passing attempts, they’re also 28th in sack percentage… which is a bad combo.
December 24, 2014 at 7:43 pm in reply to: Tweets – 12/23 /Quinn and Donald make the Pro Bowl – 12/24 – fines #14687znModeratorHard to play with a bad back, isn’t it, Barrett?
Though what we hear on Jones is that not just the surgery, but the aftermath set him back. That;s according to him. He had gained the weight and muscle he needed, then after the surgery lost a lot of it because he couldn’t lift. He even says it will take this off-season to get it back.
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