Josh Reynolds 'has been outstanding' in camp thus far https://t.co/d3ssEIaN4D

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) August 2, 2019

from NFL’s 100 greatest teams of all time. By Nate Davis: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/08/05/nfl-best-teams-history-all-time-patriots-bears-dolphins/1886459001/

[85 Bears come in 1st]

…

9. 1999 Rams (won Super Bowl XXXIV): Though many sophisticated passing attacks had shined previously, the “Greatest Show on Turf” was in some ways the vanguard of today’s pass-oriented game. QB Kurt Warner, RB Marshall Faulk and WRs Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt truly resembled a game of “Madden” come to life, St. Louis’ 13 regular-season wins coming by an average of nearly 23 points. Remarkably consistent, the Rams were held to fewer than 20 points just once (in the NFC title round by Tampa Bay) and eclipsed 30 points 13 times. And Warner’s ascension from complete unknown to league MVP and, ultimately, a Hall of Famer is a quintessential rags-to-riches tale. If there’s a blemish, it would be a labored playoff run that included a semi-controversial win in the aforementioned 11-6 defeat of the Bucs.

…

74. 2001 Rams (lost Super Bowl XXXVI): The only team in franchise history to win 14 games, they were on the cusp of dynasty status — and heavily favored —before getting ambushed by New England’s nascent juggernaut.

…

88. 1973 Rams (lost divisional round): They outscored the opposition by 210 points in the regular season, the highest differential by any of 52 L.A. Rams teams.

The last day

49RH8R

First of all, this was night and day from when I visited the first year the Rams were back. Like, not even close. There were tents for games, merchandise, alumni autographs, and a tent where you could wear virtual reality goggles and see what the new stadium will look like from the inside. And that was even before you went to watch the practice. The first year I went there was like one hot dog stand and now there was a whole food court area in the lower parking lot. Next to that was the kids area with about 6-8 huge inflatable bounce houses and stuff. Frankly I was a little bummed it has gotten so big. I talked to a lot of people and this was their first year visiting.

I was in line for parking and the cars were at a dead stop when Eric Weddle pulled up next to me and went in the side gate. He’s got a pretty badass white F-150 with black detailing. He could be driving anything, and he drives a Ford truck which I thought was cool.

Dennis Smith and LeRoy Irvin were in the alumni tent signing autographs and taking pictures.

This was the last practice at Irvine, so it was just a walkthrough, no contact at all. Whitworth, Gurley, and Kupp were all out there.

*Kupp was getting more reps and special attention from Goff it seemed. McVay had Goff pointing out reads and his checkdowns instead of throwing the ball but sometimes Goff would finish by just offloading it to Kupp. It was like they were trying to knock the rust off even if it meant just tossing him the ball.

*Higbee came out first as the #1 TE but I’m not sure what that means. Everett got a lot of reps but it seemed Higs got more.

*There were some pretty sweet screen plays to Gurley and Kupp that I didn’t recognize from any game last year. It was almost a long, frozen rope lateral behind the line of scrimmage.

*There was some talk of Demby making noise but there is no doubt Allen and Noteboom are the starters. Allen looks kind of short but rock solid.

*Clay Matthews was mostly lined up as rusher outside the RT. I did not see him much at ILB at all.

*Weddle showed blitz a few times.

*It was interesting watching the defense because they had so many substitutions. Most of the DB’s like Troy Hill, Hatfield, Marqui Christian were out with the 1’s. Interestingly, rookie David Long was not with the 1’s but on the other side of the field with the backups.

*SJD is a big boy and seems like he has the inside track to start at NT. Gaines was not out there much but was on the other side of the field with the backups like Long.

*Rapp got a lot of reps with the 1’s and even played FS with Weddle moving to SS. There were some packages where JJ, Weddle, and Rapp were all on the field at the same time.

*Troy Hill looks like the 3rd CB and was in for Peters a lot. I think Peters might be a little banged up but he did play.

*Morgan fox surprisingly played a lot with the starters.

*Gurley and J.J. were hamming it up big time on one play. In fact, JJ hit the ground rolling and laughing because Gurley must have said something pretty funny. It was a very lose walkthrough all throughout.

*Malcom Brown clearly #2 and I didn’t see much of Henderson

*These guys were definitely having fun out there and I think they know they are good.

*During red zone drills, Gurley ran a fly pattern as a WR from the 20 for a TD.

*Some loud fan started the “Who’s House? RAMS HOUSE!” chant and got some of the players fired up.

*I’ve been back and forth on Serena Morales being hot or not but after seeing her in person I’ll go with hot.

*Hekker was leaving the field after signing autographs but people started chanting “Johnny Johnny” and he came back out for more.

*Johnny Mundt was signing autographs near me and I gave him a shout out being as he’s from my hometown. We talked for a second because my buddy coached his brother who is a stud baseball player.

Interesting detail. Looking at all the Rams centers who started a superbowl. Doug Smith and then later Gruttadauria were UDFAs. So was Andy McCollum. John Sullivan (who had good years before he wore out last year) was originally a 6th rounder. That means not one of the 4 different starting superbowl centers for the Rams was drafted higher than round 6. Actually he was the only one who was drafted at all.

If Brian Allen starts, and plays well, and is on a superbowl squad, he will become the highest drafted Rams center to do so (round 4).

…

El Paso shooter: “This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”

Tomi Lahren today: We shouldn't assign blame or point fingers about this

Lahren 3 months ago: This isn't just a migrant caravan, this is an invasion. Every American watching should be infuriated
🤔 pic.twitter.com/xoLDYp8YdE

— Lis Power (@LisPower1) August 5, 2019

Friends.

I need you to understand the history & gravity of where we are right now.

YESTERDAY, August 3rd, 2019, was the single deadliest day for hate crimes targeting people because of their race since the Tulsa Massacre of 1921.

The deadliest day for hate crimes in 98 years.

— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 4, 2019

Most people don’t know this story.

.

Daniel Popper@danielrpopper
Philip Rivers said he got more out of these two joint practices with the Rams than he did out of his past 10 preseason games combined. #Chargers

More on Edwards. Today when asked about rookies who stood out, McV mentioned Edwards first:

(On if there are any rookies who jumped out at him during camp)

“I think you’re seeing some of these guys step up. I think (T) David Edwards has really done a nice job up front making an impression, being able to move around. You can just see what a smart player he is.

link: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/mcvay-8-4-transcript-2/

As a former qb then TE, he really does have the physical traits to be a LOT, and as said before he played LOT with the 1s against the Chargers. And here he is learning from Whitworth, whose claim to fame is his technique and smarts.

…

.

Sean McVay doesn’t like what he sees from Rams offense in practice with Chargers

Gary Klein

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2019-08-03/sean-mcvay-rams-chargers-nfl-training-camp

The Rams offense, one of the NFL’s best the last two seasons, did not look the part for most of Saturday’s joint practice with the Chargers at UC Irvine.Passes were dropped. The Chargers broke up others. Penalties nullified positive plays.“Not even close to good enough,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.

But in the final sequence, a two-minute drill, quarterback Jared Goff engineered a touchdown, helping the fourth-year pro and the offense end on a positive note.“It’s not always going to be perfect and … it certainly wasn’t,” Goff said, adding, “There’s going to be games like that where you’re not doing exactly what you want. You’re struggling.“But at the end of the game you make it work.”

Saturday’s practice was the second of two with the Chargers, a playoff team in 2018 with designs on a Super Bowl run.The Rams will hold two joint practices with the Oakland Raiders next week in Napa in advance of the preseason opener at Oakland.

The workouts with the Chargers and Raiders are the closest that Goff, star running back Todd Gurley, star defensive lineman Aaron Donald and others will get to game action in the preseason. McVay has made it clear that established starters and rotational players will not participate in games against the Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans so that they will be ready for the Sept. 8 opener against the Carolina Panthers.

That makes work in joint practices extremely valuable, especially when the other team makes adjustments between the first and second workout as the Chargers defense did following Thursday’s practice in Costa Mesa.

Goff said he preferred the joint-practice setting over preseason games because of the “controlled environment” that enables starters to go against starters for more than a few plays. For example, Goff said, the Rams offensive line lined up against Chargers’ stars Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram much more than in a preseason game.“Our O line got … 40-50 reps against Joey and Melvin and that defensive line,” Goff said, “whereas in a preseason game they might get five to 10.”

Unlike the offense, the Rams defense came out energetic against a Chargers offense led by quarterback Philip Rivers and back-up Tyrod Taylor.Donald and edge-rusher Dante Fowler were among those pressuring the quarterbacks. Reserve defensive backs Dont’e Deayon, Darious Williams and Dominique Hatfield intercepted passes.But the offense was “sluggish,” McVay said.

On the positive front, Gurley was a full participant. On his 25th birthday, Gurley took hand-offs and caught passes seemingly with no problems affecting his left knee.

Receiver Cooper Kupp also performed without incident. The third-year pro, coming off knee surgery, was held out of most drills Thursday so that McVay and the training staff could gauge the intensity of the workout before putting Kupp in potential harm’s way.

Kupp was not limited Saturday. He caught multiple passes. There was no tackling by either team, but Kupp was knocked to the ground several times and dived attempting to catch long throws by Goff.

“There wasn’t any kind of hesitation for me,” Kupp said. “I felt like free to do whatever I wanted to do and really was kind of excited about that aspect of the day — being able to hit the ground and have to pop back up a few times.”Goff had a pass intercepted by Chargers cornerback Michael Davis but he responded in the two-minute drill.He completed passes to five receivers during a 10-play drive that culminated with a short touchdown run by running back Malcolm Brown. Goff completed seven of nine passes during the drive.McVay was pleased with Goff’s finish.

“In the midst of things not going great, he finds a way to settle in, in a situation where we’ve got to have a two-minute drive to score a touchdown,” McVay said. “Made some great throws, recognized coverage, got the ball where it should have gone and really just to be able to stay that even-keeled demeanor.”

Etc.
The Rams will hold their final training camp practice at Irvine on Sunday. It is expected to be a short walkthrough…. Fowler also turned 25 Saturday. After practice, cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib were on hand in front of a group of fans when Gurley and Fowler received birthday cakes.

Sean McVay walks tightrope between criticizing and praising performance of Rams offense during joint practice with Chargers https://t.co/BIrHX8KvuT

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 4, 2019

Dayton mayor: 10 fatalities, 27 treated for injuries from shooting

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/ohio-shooting/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2EPiFSYNdF2gEYsKY4JJ1vJtpW7Mg86x99uvySiqCZ28G6oQniCcjUtDA

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley gave an update Sunday morning on the details surrounding the shooting.

Whaley said there have been10 fatalities, including the shooter. An additional 27 people have been treated for injuries and 15 have been discharged following the overnight shooting.

Whaley commended law enforcement who responded in “less than one minute” and “neutralized” the shooter.

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Pass Game Coordinator Shane Waldron, Run Game Coordinator Aaron Kromer, QB Jared Goff – Rams-Chargers Scrimmage – August 3, 2019

***

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – Rams-Chargers Scrimmage – August 3, 2019

(On how things went at practice today)

“It was okay. We were sluggish. I thought it seemed like the defense had good energy, offensively not even close to good enough. I thought they finished the day strong which is what’s important and our guys kept it together. I think you’ve got to give credit to the Chargers, they came out, they had some good juice, specifically their defense. It’s always a good learning opportunity for us. That’s really what this is. You get a chance to try some things that maybe you wouldn’t do against your defense and you get it in a full speed setting against a really good team where you’re playing against their good players. I thought it was excellent work really for the two days by both teams to be able to get something out of it. It’s going to be great tape for us to be able to look at, learn from and then be able to move on. Just the overall energy that I expect, specifically from our offense, we got to start better than that and I trust that we will. We’ll use it as a good learning opportunity.”

(On how much it helps to play against the same team back-to-back)

“I think it’s great for both teams. However you want to look at it, we’ve got to be ready to adjust and adapt just like they did. I thought it was good work for both teams and really, it’s different than when you’re in a game where you’re actually game planning. You’re using some plays that you feel like you would want to activate our defensive calls against their offense and our offense vs. their defensive calls. It was great work for us and they’re a good team. Got a lot of respect for their coaches and their players. I thought it was two days of really good work that will benefit us both.”

(On how he reacts when another team comes here)

“I think naturally just the competitive level raises because you’re going against guys you’re not accustomed too. There’s a level of competition, I should say, that you just can’t really mimic and emulate in some of your own team settings. It was great work for us. I can’t wait to dive into this tape and see what we learn from it.”

(On what he saw from WR Cooper Kupp at practice today)

“I thought he did a good job. He’s been really playing full speed in practice and I think it was more than anything just precautionary, but for him to be able to get out here in these types of settings, I think it’s only going to continue to make him more and more comfortable so that hopefully he’s peaking by the time we play Carolina because he’s not a guy you’re going to see during the preseason.”

(On RB Todd Gurley II being a focal point of the offense)

“Oh yeah. He’s a very important part of our offense. I think we’ve got a lot of players, our running game and things he’s able to do off of that, he’s an all-purpose back. I think since we’ve started camp, I think you guys have been out here, you see he looks like Todd (Gurley II). That’s been good and he’s feeling good and we want to continue to be smart with his work load. Happy Birthday to Todd and
Dante (Fowler Jr.) today. I think they both did some good things.”

(On WR Michael Thomas re-emerging)

“He really has. You see, he’s made some plays over the last couple days. He’s got great explosiveness, he’s catching the ball really well. He’s obviously been a great contributor for ‘Bones’ (Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel), had his opportunities when he’s been healthy. He’s got great speed down the field, he’s a physical football player and he’s really been a guy – I’m sure you ask because you’ve seen it – he’s done a really nice job and we’ve been really pleased with Mike over the last couple days.”

(On if not having a great day of practice comes back to the quarterback)

“I don’t think so. What I think says as much about him (QB Jared Goff) as anything is that I’m talking more of myself, the reflection of the entire unit. But what says as much about Jared is that in the midst of things not going great, he finds a way to settle in, in a situation where we’ve got to have a two-minute drive to score a touchdown, he made some great throws, recognized coverage, got the ball where it should’ve gone, and really, to be able to just stay that even keeled demeanor like we talk about all the time says as much about him as anything. I just think the expectations we have are high, but to our players’ credit, they finished the day the right way. This game isn’t perfect and they’re a very good football team. But, that being said, loved the way that we finished in spite of the fact that maybe it didn’t go as well as we’d like early on. And I’m specifically talking about the offense.”

(On what stood out defensively today)

“I didn’t get a chance (to see the defense) because we were going at the same time. I really kind of was just peeking over there, really seeing, so I can’t wait to dive into the tape and see how our defense did. It sounds like they did a lot of really good things, but I thought the Chargers’ defense came out ready to go and it was a good, competitive day again, just like it was on Thursday, so we were pleased with the effort today.”

***

Rams Pass Game Coordinator Shane Waldron – Rams-Chargers Scrimmage – August 3, 2019

(Opening Remarks)

“It’s great to be (here) on our final day of full practice here at UC Irvine. Another tough weather training camp, per usual, here in Southern California (laughs). Trust me, I have to wear this long sleeve shirt because of my Irish skin, not because of the sun.”

(On how training camp has gone from a passing game perspective)

“The good thing this year – or this training camp, I should say, and in OTAs is Jared’s (Goff) ability to pick off as if this was the start of the next OTA practice. It didn’t feel like there was that approach where you need to start totally from scratch and work your way up like you do most years. It’s been a credit to him and a credit to all of the returning guys, and then the few guys who are new to the system being able to jump right in and execute everything at a high level.”

(On if he’s noticed schemes opponents used last season that he’ll look to combat this season)

“Yeah. I think a major part of every offseason is those weeks that maybe you didn’t execute at the highest level that you were planning on, ‘Hey, what were those few wrinkles that teams did?’ Obviously, we’re going to work those things and have an answer and have a plan. And then, as far as all 11 that are on the field, really giving them that capability to adjust and adapt on the fly and execute against things that might not have been the perfect looks in practice leading up to that week. I think as you grow as a team and as an offense in this system, we feel comfortable about our guys really getting to that point.”

(On if there were common traits in games last season that slowed down the offense)

“Yeah. Tough, physical defenses that prevented big plays and really bottled up the run. Obviously, the rest of it, we’ll wait and see for this 2019 season to see what happens this year. Like you said, the league it’s an ebb and flow every year – defense, offense – it’s a cat and mouse game. You’ve always got to be ready to adjust and adapt on the fly.”

(On what he gets out of joint practices as opposed to a preseason game)

“I think, really, the controlled situations. In a preseason game you may or may not get the exact red zone look that you’re looking to get or you may or may not get that third-and-whatever distance you’re looking to accomplish or improve on. Just being able to really control those situations. And another thing that rarely comes up is a two-minute drive in the preseason. Being able to structure those the way you want them, especially for the quarterback position so he’s hit most of those things before they come up. There’s too many situations in football to hit everything, but at least you can have that plan of attack and the general parameters around which situations could come up and what our go-to plays would be or answers might be in those things.”

(On if putting the team in that game situation is still important and something they cannot replicate in practice)

“Absolutely. I think so much of that depends on years accrued in the league and how many reps guys have accumulated themselves. It makes us feel pretty good as a staff of the way we’ve handled it last year and that same approach we’ll take this year. Because those guys have accumulated some of those reps and those veterans have brought along some of those guys who haven’t accumulated quite as many, we feel really good about these high-level joint practices. The other day against the (Los Angeles) Chargers, that was what a good, pro practice with a joint session should look like. They’re making plays, we’re making some plays, but everyone’s playing hard and has that good understanding of, ‘Man, that’s as fast of a tempo as you can get.’ But, then also taking care of each other at the end of the plays and having an understanding of what both teams are looking to get out of each drill.”

(On how QB Jared Goff has grown in their three training camps together and what assistant quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson has brought to the quarterback room)

“Talking about Jared first. Look, we’ve talked about it in the past, that first year is just really getting a knowledge base of the system. Then that second year, really understanding the system and being able to execute it at a higher level. Now this third year, I think when (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) gets a play in, Jared knows exactly the intent of every call. He’s got a mastery of the system from the receivers to the running back, to the offensive line, so he’s really been able to grow every single year and he’s just continued to show improvements every single day, which has been a great positive impact on our team. Specifically with Zac – there’s a lot of Zac’s – but Zac Robinson coming into the mix now. Obviously, (Former Quarterbacks Coach) Zac Taylor was a great part of our organization. But, Zac Robinson’s been able to come in – a guy that’s played the position, has that comfort level and a great technician with footwork and with the mechanics of the throwing motion. So, he’s added a tremendous help in the room where those guys can really bounce things off of him and he can be great with the minute corrections within the motions and things like that. And then also, like any good quarterback, he’s picked up the system right away and gives a great general overview and has a great coverage understanding, so he’ll be a great asset to us this year.”

(On how satisfied he was with the process and what he saw at the Chargers joint practice)

“I think it’s the old cliché of it was good, but there were things that could be better. Going back to the point about the joint practices versus the preseason, there’s such a huge emphasis on eliminating all those pre-snap penalties, pre-snap mistakes, so that we can get the snap off in a clean look and not hurting ourselves. I think once get out of the environment of going against each other, now you’re going against someone else and where, hey, these guys are still elite competitors. You go against someone else, there might be those nerves, there might be those little butterflies. You got to block (DE Joey) Bosa and (DE Melvin) Ingram (III) flying off the edge, that’s something a little bit different every week – even though we’ve got a situation within our own practices that’s pretty hard to handle every day, anyways. I think just getting those things really cleaned up and being crisp and being sharp and really living up to the standards that we hold offensively within our own rooms.”

(On if anybody on the Rams’ offense stood out in the first joint practice)

“As far as that goes, (WR) Mike (Thomas) had a heck of a day. Showed aggressive hands, went up and snatched the ball, good overall understanding of all the plays that he was in. (WR) JoJo Natson really did the same thing. Blake (Bortles) hit him on a great throw on the corner where he accelerated underneath the ball and made a tremendous catch. Then even some of the ones where it’s a route, where maybe it’s a coverage read, JoJo showed that good understanding of what to run the route like versus that particular look. Those two guys, I think, definitely stood out. Then can’t go understated how well I think Blake has picked up this system. He’s been in a few different systems and he’s come in and done nothing but be that perfect backup quarterback in the situation that he’s in right now. Great for Jared (Goff), but not just great for Jared, but on the field executing at a high level and he’s one of those new guys where you say, man, you walk in the door and there’s a system that’s been in place for a couple years and he’s been able to pick it up right away and execute it.’”

(What RB Darrell Henderson brings to the table that is different than the other running backs)

“All those guys have done such a good job and they all have great individual traits. I know we’re getting to the talks of third-down backs or change of pace backs, all those different things. I think Darrell’s just a great overall running back. One thing he does show is he does have aggressive hands, does a great job of catching the ball in front of his face, running through catches, staying grounded. To get some of those YAC (Yards After Catch) yards that you’re always looking to get in the pass game. But then, and he’s like every other rookie, where he’s picking up the system. First practice against the Chargers for him where he’s seeing a lot of different looks and really getting comfortable with it. It’ll be fun to watch him grow as this preseason goes on.”

(On Henderson’s pass protection)

“He has a great overall understanding of the mechanics of what the pass pro entails. He’s honing in on, now what are all the intricacies of the different calls that we might make within a particular look.”

(On what can be expected from WR Cooper Kupp today)

“He’s going, man. Talk about a guy that’s come back and looking fast and everything you love about (WR) Cooper (Kupp) shows up right away. The first day he was out here, I know he didn’t get a chance to go the other day and I know this, if it was up to Cooper, he’d be out here doing every single thing and then staying after for another hour or every single day. He’ll be good.”

(On the biggest thing about this training camp that stands out)

“Really going back to the point of the continuity and being able to come in from an OTA and really pick up where we left off. That and the fact of having (DT) Aaron Donald over there every single snap, it gets a little interesting from time to time. But no, it’s been fun, it’s been great to watch these guys and how hard they work. Like we’ve said in the past, I don’t know if there’s a harder working receiver group down-in, down-out in a practice atmosphere that really sets the tone along with the offensive line, running backs, and tight ends. You just set that tempo where it’s just understood how hard we go every single play and get the most out of it.”

***

Rams Run Game Coordinator Aaron Kromer – Rams-Chargers Scrimmage – August 3, 2019

(On how T Joe Noteboom and C Brian Allen are coming along with the first unit)

“Both Joe and Brian are coming along very well. They had a lot of experience last year, like I already said in practice, so that gave them the opportunity to make calls, to be in charge at center, to play guard and play tackle, like Joe Noteboom has done. So with that experience it’s shown up here at training camp. We were all a little rusty coming in. You can see now, more and more production that we’re having up front as a unit. I think they’re really starting to come together with the leadership of (T Andrew) Whitworth and (T) Rob Havenstein and Austin Blythe, even being a one-year starter. Those guys have really taken the other two under their wing. Really, not only technique but thought process, where your eyes should be – those kinds of things. I think it’s helped them grow pretty quickly.”

(On if training camp is enough to fully evaluate players)

“I think that the most important thing is not for us coaches to feel good, it’s for them to feel good. Not only for those two individuals, young players to feel good, but the line as a group and the offense as a group with them in there. I think by the day and by the hour and by the play, really, everyone around them is gaining more and more confidence in those two. You can see it coming together more and more. So, how much they’ll play, or if they’ll play in a game, is yet to be determined. (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and I are talking about it, and the offensive staff, prior to each game to see where we’re at. I think they’ve shown a lot of good production already.”

(On how difficult DT Aaron Donald makes evaluating the offense)

“You have to temper your expectations when you’re trying to block Aaron Donald, whether you have a single blocker or a double team. He’s so good that he can make you lose confidence. That’s the one thing that everybody has worked together to say, ‘Listen, people try to double team this guy and they don’t get it done.’ So, if you don’t block him every time, if you block him once, you feel good about it.”

(On how important and valuable the joint practices are to be able to evaluate guys)

“Football is, you know, everybody has a gap and everybody has an assignment and a responsibility, but what it does is our style of defense, the style that our defensive line uses compared to the style that the Chargers use and their scheme is different. Even though you’re blocking the guy over you or the guy next to you or it’s a double team – they’re different in technique and they’re different in approach. All of our blocking schemes are by the intent of the defense, you’re trying to change the way you do it. So, it’s given us an opportunity to go against a different style and it’s really helping us grow.”

(On if the joint practice help the offensive line with adjustments)

“Well, you’re going to see both styles during the year, so what it’s doing is giving you that exposure to it and not just going against the same guy all the time.”

(On how RB Darrell Henderson Jr. is in the run game and what he brings to the table)

“Darrell was so explosive and productive in college and he’s shown the same kind of running style here in our practices. Hopefully, that carries over to the games because he’s been very explosive and really understands and has a feel for how a run should be, where the hole will be, and kind of feeling his way to the hole without losing any speed or explosion. It’s really exciting to see.”

(On if he has taken notice of any younger players after the starting five that could be back-ups )

“Yeah, I think, we are still working through who those guys will be, but there’s some guys stepping up. All the guys that we expect to step up right now are doing it and then, we’ll see how they do in the game. You just go back to, we drafted these guys for them to be backups and work their way in to starting positions. No different from, we planned on (T) Joe Noteboom playing left tackle and now he’s playing left guard. We plan on Brian Allen taking over at center when his opportunity came. We drafted (OL Jamil) Demby the same way, we expect him to be a back-up guard/tackle. (C/G) Aaron Neary has done a nice job at center. You look at (T) David Edwards, we even put him in with the 1s against the Chargers the other day because he’s shown the ability to learn very quickly and understand what we’re trying to get done. (T) Bobby Evans as well, a little bit further behind but that’s not saying he won’t break through as time goes. Some guys take a little bit longer to learn and attempt the techniques that we’re trying.”

(On what he liked and didn’t like about the last Rams-Chargers scrimmage)

“Like any football game, practice, anything that you get into with football, you’re going to have some good things and bad things happen. You hope that the good overrides the bad. I thought there were times we did really well and times they did well, and so, you’re just trying to be more consistent throughout a practice. But the one thing, it is practice. We want the offense to really attempt to not play it safe, but really make the play. Whether it’s making the block, just go for that block and that’s what these guys are doing. Sometimes you miss your block because of it or you miss your play because of it – because you’re attempting things that you haven’t attempted in the past. That’s how guys get better.”

***

Rams QB Jared Goff – Rams-Chargers Scrimmage – August 3, 2019

(On how the second practice with the Chargers went)

“Today was okay, it was a rocky start. I think the Chargers did a good job bringing some different stuff to us and showing some different looks. I was happy the way we finished, and happy the way we responded and that last drive right there, scoring two touchdowns was good. I felt good about it. A lot of good stuff to see and get to improve on.”

(On WR Coopers Kupp’s performance today)

“Good. Good. (WR) Cooper (Kupp) is always doing good. He’s done a great job the whole camp and he looked good.”

(On Kupp going full speed and if he is worried about him in full contact)

“No. I think I’ve seen him full speed a few more times than you guys, so I’m pretty use to it by now. He looked good and did a good job. I’m excited for him to continue to improve and continue to get on the same page.”

(On connecting with WR Robert Woods on a long pass)

“Yeah it feels good. I think, you know, we might have been sacked there. But it feels good to connect on those and we wish would have connected on a couple more. When it’s truly a live setting and you’re not against your own guys, kind of helping each other out a little bit with contact – it’s truly full contact for the most part. It feels good, feels really good.”

(On what he likes most about the joint workouts)

“It just gives us looks we haven’t seen. Like I just said, when we’re practicing against our own guys, we’re really cognizant of taking care of each other, but when we’re practicing against another team, it’s a little bit more contact, a little bit more physical and a little bit more real football. That gives us a chance to see where we’re at and try some different things out. Today was just kind of one of those opportunities.”

(On if it’s more competitive)

“Definitely a little bit more competitive. You know, they want to beat us and we want to beat them. It’s just fun. It’s good. I prefer them over preseason games, honestly, because we’re able to get the work in a controlled environment. For example, today our O-Line got 40 or 50 reps against (DE) Joey (Bosa) and (DE) Melvin (Ingram) and that defensive line. Where as in in a preseason game the defensive line they might get five to 10. It’s all controlled and makes us feel good.”

(On if he sees a competitive nature carry over due to the practices being back-to-back)

“No doubt. I mean they want to beat us. The first day we got them on some stuff, they got us on some stuff, so we want to respond in the same way that they want to respond. They did a good job today. They brought some good stuff for us and had us on our heels for a little bit, but I think we responded well.”

(On what impressed him most today vs. the first scrimmage against the Chargers)

“Like I said, just the response we had, I thought that was good. It’s not always going to be perfect. Today it certainly wasn’t just with some of stuff they were doing, getting us off balance. But, we responded at the end and did a good job. There’s going to be games like that where you’re not doing exactly what you want, you’re struggling but at the end of the game you make it work. A ‘W’ is a ‘W,’ but today was good work.”

(On if he’s expecting something completely different from the Oakland Raiders)

“Well, they run a different defense. So, it’ll be a good opportunity for us to see something different. We know this system fairly well, but again they did some stuff we hadn’t seen before, which is good. You get so used to practicing against your own defense and knowing what their blitzes look like and knowing what their rush patterns look like. Then, you get a defense that you’ve never seen before and it’s good to do, because that’s real ball.”

(On WR Robert Woods calling his receiving corps a four-headed monster)

“I think that’s about right. (WR) Josh (Reynolds) has really come into his own in the past year. I think, him being one of the younger guys, I guess he’s the same year as (WR) Cooper (Kupp) but, coming along in a way that is special and truly can fill in at any time. Those other three, obviously, speak for themselves. It’s a lot of fun to have those guys. Then, don’t forget about Todd Gurley and (TE) Tyler Higbee and (TE) Gerald Everett, and all those other guys that do such a great job.”

(On the change between having a veteran center and a young center this year and if he assumes more of a role in terms of that relationship)

“No doubt. I’m continuing to grow, he’s continuing to grow and get on the same page and understand each other and understand our thought processes. With (former C) John (Sullivan) I was very reliant on them, as I should be, with the way he’s played the game and what he knows. But, with Brian, we work together and it’s been good so far. We feel good.”

(On if they’re doing anything for Todd Gurley’s birthday)

“I told him happy birthday, that’s about it. I’m sure they have a birthday cake for him somewhere.”