Here are the penalties. Several at really bad times. All of them on veterans.

They aren’t good enough to overcome self-inflicted adversity.

2-7-STL49
(11:25) M.Cassel pass short right to A.Peterson to STL 40 for 9 yards (R.McLeod). PENALTY on STL-R.Quinn, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at STL 40. Penalty on STL-A.Ogletree, Defensive Holding, declined.

1-10-MIN9
(6:56) PENALTY on STL-C.Long, Neutral Zone Infraction, 5 yards, enforced at MIN 9 – No Play.
3-10-STL39
(12:39) (Shotgun) PENALTY on STL-R.Saffold, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at STL 39 – No Play.
1-10-STL48
(7:04) S.Hill pass short right to B.Quick pushed ob at MIN 31 for 21 yards (C.Munnerlyn). PENALTY on STL-B.Quick, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at MIN 31.

2-10-MIN41
(5:51) S.Hill pass short right to C.Givens to MIN 41 for no gain (C.Munnerlyn). PENALTY on STL-C.Givens, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at MIN 41 – No Play.
1-10-MIN8
(4:39) A.Peterson right tackle to MIN 8 for no gain. PENALTY on STL-R.Quinn, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at MIN 8 – No Play.
1-10-MIN31
(12:03) PENALTY on STL-D.Joseph, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at MIN 31 – No Play.
G.Zuerlein kicks 72 yards from STL 35 to MIN -7. C.Patterson to MIN 12 for 19 yards (C.Reynolds). PENALTY on STL-D.Bates, Taunting, 15 yards, enforced at MIN 12.
3-6-STL24
(:46) (Shotgun) PENALTY on STL-J.Barksdale, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at STL 24 – No Play.
2-9-STL24
(13:44) (Shotgun) A.Davis scrambles right end ran ob at STL 25 for 1 yard (A.Barr). PENALTY on STL-S.Wells, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at STL 24 – No Play.
2-19-STL14
(13:29) (Shotgun) A.Davis pass short middle to J.Cook to STL 25 for 11 yards (C.Greenway). PENALTY on STL-J.Cook, Offensive Pass Interference, 7 yards, enforced at STL 14 – No Play.
4-4-STL42
(7:44) J.Locke punts 37 yards to STL 5, Center-C.Loeffler, downed by MIN-J.Robinson. PENALTY on STL-C.Reynolds, Roughing the Kicker, 14 yards, enforced at STL 42 – No Play.
1-10-STL28 (7:33) M.Cassel pass short right to R.Ellison to STL 6 for 22 yards (T.McDonald). Penalty on STL-J.Jenkins, Defensive Holding, declined.
1-10-MIN16
(2:14) (Shotgun) B.Cunningham up the middle to MIN 8 for 8 yards (A.Exum). MIN-S.Floyd was injured during the play. PENALTY on STL-C.Harkey, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at MIN 16 – No Play.

Enh.

There may be issues, but the contract extension would be management/Harbaugh issues, not player/Harbaugh issues. And I think players know to tune out the contract stuff. That matters only if there is a holdout that hurts the team, and even then, serious division isn’t necessarily a consequence.

And practicing in Baltimore for a preseason game? A handful of people may be “irked,” but it ends there unless stuff keeps piling up.

The serious question is how does Harbaugh relate to the players and manage the team. There have to be serious issues there before there is a problem worth writing about…unless you have nothing better to write about prior to a deadline.

So…if there ARE deeper issues, then write about those. Otherwise there is nothing but smokey column inches.

We will rally around Adrian Peterson, and crush him into the ground.

zn wrote:

Now Schott’s system is the 3rd is he going to learn. First WCO, like Shurmur. Then…O’Brien, who has the same system McD does. Schott makes 3.

Kind of spooky, hunh, if you think about it….

So you’re saying he is about to tear an ACL?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Zooey.

Mackeyser wrote:

I wonder who is out when Bailey comes back. Is it as linear as Pettis?

I think Givens beat him in the pre-season. If you take last season into consideration, there is a case to be made that Pettis is more reliable. Depends on whether the Rams think they need a potential playmaker more, or a solid hands guy. I don’t think, really, that they need either one. But I think I’d keep Givens. Pettis isn’t going to improve, and Givens might.

Given the level of optimism about him, it has to be “Napoleon” Hill.

Meanwhile…

http://www.salon.com/2014/08/28/must_see_morning_clip_the_daily_show_mocks_espns_offensive_coverage_of_michael_sam/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Zooey.

Well. Hope is the thing with feathers.

Just remember that.

Oh, so this is some viral thing, huh? Because it’s going around our school district now. I was challenged yesterday by the band teacher, and am evidently the third generation in the district.

It isn’t just the comparison to the punishment for pot smokers that has me riled. It appears Janelle’s testimony had a mitigating effect. And what the hell did they expect? It’s just routine in cases like this that the woman will stand up for the abuser. Happens ALLLLLLLLLLL the time. And here she is about to marry a multi-millionaire and testifying in FRONT of him…of course she’s going to say everything’s fine now, and he’s a great guy.

How tone deaf does Goodell have to be?

Jeeze.

Even if it was a total accident (he shoved her off him and she tripped in high heels and hit her head on the elevator railing), two games is inadequate.

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You should modify that post.

I think with Bradford healthy last year, the Rams beat Seattle at home, and beat Tennessee the following week. Giving them 9 wins. They would have won two more games with a healthy Bradford, imo.

So projecting 10 wins doesn’t seem like a huge leap. I am not even calculating a drop-off on the part of the 9ers or Hawks. Either of which may happen, but is not necessary for the Rams to improve.

I often roll my eyes at guys who say, “The team will be better this season because they have a year more experience and maturity.” Some version of that. Trouble with that reasoning is that you will find fans of all 32 teams making the exact same claim about their favorite team.

Only this time, in the Rams’ case, I think it’s true due to their young core players. The team overall really is maturing together since it’s such a young team. I really worry only about Jake Long and Wells having age drop-offs in production. I think it is reasonable to expect the same or better production out of everybody else.

I expect the defense to be tough, and the Rams’ running game to be good to very good. They will probably look like JF’s best Titans teams.

This is my first damn post.