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2015 Rams Thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bob Magaw
- Start date
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
IF the Rams start 2-0
Recent starts (record before second win of season)
'14 - 1-4
'13 - 1-3
'12 - 1-2
'11 - 1-7 (started 0-6, finished 2-14)
'10 - 1-2
'09 - 1-7 (finished 1-15)
'08 - 1-4 (finished 2-14)
'07 - 1-8 (finished 3-13)
'06 - 1-1 (4-1, than lost 5 in a row and 7 of next 8)
'05 - 1-1
'04 - 1-2
'03 - 1-2 (5-2, finished 12-4)
'02 - 1-5 (nasty Super bowl hangover season)
'01 - 2-0 (6-0, finished 14-2)
You have to go back to the GSOT era, their last Super Bowl appearance, nearly a decade and a half, to find the last time with a 2-0 start.
2014 article comparing 2-0 to 0-2 starts, percentage making playoffs
[www.oddsshark.com]
2-0 teams (from '07-'13)
38/66 teams made the playoffs (including '08 Pats missing despite an 11-5 record), 57.5%
0-2 teams (from '07-'13)
5/66 teams made the playoffs (including '08 Chargers, squeaked in with an 8-8 record), 7.5%
Interesting, to me at least, how quickly the odds become dramatically different as far as playoff fortunes prognostication (not exactly alike, but see also how dramatically odds shift towards losing when 0-2, 0-3 in turnover differential).
BTW, what are the odds for a 3-0 start (PIT @ STL after WAS)?
Covers games for over two decades from '90-'11
[www.nfl.com]
Better than 75% (0-3 worse than 3%). The NFC West is a Fargo wood chipper scene of a division, so that could impact the odds (maybe the Rams will be stuffing the divisional nemesis team's "bodies" down the wood chipper for a change?
). Wilson has one of the best first three season records in NFL history, Palmer is 14-2 in his last 16 starts, before the wheels fell off last year (and they have had mucho attrition), SF made the NFC Championship Game from '11-'13.
Recent starts (record before second win of season)
'14 - 1-4
'13 - 1-3
'12 - 1-2
'11 - 1-7 (started 0-6, finished 2-14)
'10 - 1-2
'09 - 1-7 (finished 1-15)
'08 - 1-4 (finished 2-14)
'07 - 1-8 (finished 3-13)
'06 - 1-1 (4-1, than lost 5 in a row and 7 of next 8)
'05 - 1-1
'04 - 1-2
'03 - 1-2 (5-2, finished 12-4)
'02 - 1-5 (nasty Super bowl hangover season)
'01 - 2-0 (6-0, finished 14-2)
You have to go back to the GSOT era, their last Super Bowl appearance, nearly a decade and a half, to find the last time with a 2-0 start.
2014 article comparing 2-0 to 0-2 starts, percentage making playoffs
[www.oddsshark.com]
2-0 teams (from '07-'13)
38/66 teams made the playoffs (including '08 Pats missing despite an 11-5 record), 57.5%
0-2 teams (from '07-'13)
5/66 teams made the playoffs (including '08 Chargers, squeaked in with an 8-8 record), 7.5%
Interesting, to me at least, how quickly the odds become dramatically different as far as playoff fortunes prognostication (not exactly alike, but see also how dramatically odds shift towards losing when 0-2, 0-3 in turnover differential).
BTW, what are the odds for a 3-0 start (PIT @ STL after WAS)?
Covers games for over two decades from '90-'11
[www.nfl.com]
Better than 75% (0-3 worse than 3%). The NFC West is a Fargo wood chipper scene of a division, so that could impact the odds (maybe the Rams will be stuffing the divisional nemesis team's "bodies" down the wood chipper for a change?
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Rams play WAS Sunday, will Fisher revisit last year's RG3 bounty coin flip?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1c2xiVvPY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1c2xiVvPY4
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dkp993
Footballguy
Donald is seriously a special talent. The guy looks unstoppable at times. Unfortunately I don't know if there's ever been a team with a greater gap in skill from DL to OL. You would think having to go against probably the best DL in the league everyday everyone else would be easy for our OL. Doesn't seem to have worked out that way. Foles is going to be running for his life all year long....
dkp993
Footballguy
There's no doubt that the playcalling and Foles heady play helped the OL. But the eye test doesn't lie and while the numbers don't bear it out I came away very concerned. I (and almost everyone else) assumed the pass protection would be shaky at best but expected run blocking to be decent, unfortunately it doesn't look that way right now. My alarm bells are starting to ring about Robinson, his pass pro is borderline awful.
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cstu
Footballguy
Well, it was the Seahawks. If they don't pass protect well against the Redskins then it's time to worry.
bulger2holt
Footballguy
Love Robinson and his athleticism, but think LG would be his best position. Probably a HOF LG. Larry Allen clone.
dkp993
Footballguy
No doubt, and I'm not trying to throw shade on a win I'm really excited we got. But I'm filled with equal parts excitement for the big win and fear from what I saw from our line (OL of course).....
Robinson is not looking good and I fear his run blocking won't make up for his pass pro deficiencies, Brown is still a question mark but has potential, Barnes is a train wreck waiting to happen, Staffold is a shoulder injury waiting to happen and Havenstein has a long way to go. We can not count on winning games on a mixture of Foles grit and luck.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
PFF is grading Donald higher than Watt through the first two games.
Business excerpt - "Through two games, Donald is on pace to not just surpass, but crush the best grade we have ever seen from a defensive interior player -- and cruise right on past the best performance PFF has ever seen from any player over a single season."
Link will only work with ESPN Insider, but you can catch a paragraph or two.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/13718089/aaron-donald-pace-surpass-jj-watt-nfl
Business excerpt - "Through two games, Donald is on pace to not just surpass, but crush the best grade we have ever seen from a defensive interior player -- and cruise right on past the best performance PFF has ever seen from any player over a single season."
Link will only work with ESPN Insider, but you can catch a paragraph or two.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/13718089/aaron-donald-pace-surpass-jj-watt-nfl
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
I didn't see the above post before, Bri.
Inconsistency has plagued the Rams for years, really since the twilight of the GSOT era (over a decade ago).
To take the next step, they need to find a way to be more consistent. It is a different mind set to EXPECT to win every game (let alone year), for such a young team with a decade plus recent history of chronic, habitual mediocracy or worse, not as simple as just flipping a switch. If they are more consistent, success breeds confidence, and confidence leads to further consistency and success, a positive feedback circuit, loop and self fulfilling prophecy.
Encouraging to see Austin break out the same week as Gurley, and Foles played a nice game (Jenkins prevented a John Brown TD and came down with an INT, another big play). Rams just one game out of first in the NFC West (and beat the Cards on the road, get them at "home" later in the season, in what could be a significant divisional game down the road), at worst, if SEA wins MNF, tied for second - and they also beat SEA already week 1. SF 1-3 and looking like the preseason pessimism was on the mark and justified.
* I haven't verified, but Fisher reportedly stated LB Alec Ogletree will need ankle surgery (not sure if broken bone or more like a ligament tear?). He has Pro Bowl-type talent/upside, so that will be a big blow to the D if he is out for 6-8+ weeks. The DL and secondary will need to pick up the slack. Former TB top 10 overall pick Mark Barron was already playing a lot of big nickel at a hybrid blitzing S/in the box run support LB position, so his rotational snaps (had been roughly a third?) could surge in the next month or two. Ex-TEN/NE LB/DE Akeem Ayers hasn't seen the field much, he could fill in during the interim, but isn't as talented as Ogletree, so DC Gregg Williams may just have to scheme around the gaping hole left in the wake of his absence (especially in nickel/dime defense, like Pro Bowlers Karlos Dansby and Thomas Davis, I think he had some safety work in his background before blowing up to LB size, while retaining some of that explosiveness, coverage ability and playmaking skills even after the positional transition - Davis and 'Tree are both Georgia alumni?).
Inconsistency has plagued the Rams for years, really since the twilight of the GSOT era (over a decade ago).
To take the next step, they need to find a way to be more consistent. It is a different mind set to EXPECT to win every game (let alone year), for such a young team with a decade plus recent history of chronic, habitual mediocracy or worse, not as simple as just flipping a switch. If they are more consistent, success breeds confidence, and confidence leads to further consistency and success, a positive feedback circuit, loop and self fulfilling prophecy.
Encouraging to see Austin break out the same week as Gurley, and Foles played a nice game (Jenkins prevented a John Brown TD and came down with an INT, another big play). Rams just one game out of first in the NFC West (and beat the Cards on the road, get them at "home" later in the season, in what could be a significant divisional game down the road), at worst, if SEA wins MNF, tied for second - and they also beat SEA already week 1. SF 1-3 and looking like the preseason pessimism was on the mark and justified.
* I haven't verified, but Fisher reportedly stated LB Alec Ogletree will need ankle surgery (not sure if broken bone or more like a ligament tear?). He has Pro Bowl-type talent/upside, so that will be a big blow to the D if he is out for 6-8+ weeks. The DL and secondary will need to pick up the slack. Former TB top 10 overall pick Mark Barron was already playing a lot of big nickel at a hybrid blitzing S/in the box run support LB position, so his rotational snaps (had been roughly a third?) could surge in the next month or two. Ex-TEN/NE LB/DE Akeem Ayers hasn't seen the field much, he could fill in during the interim, but isn't as talented as Ogletree, so DC Gregg Williams may just have to scheme around the gaping hole left in the wake of his absence (especially in nickel/dime defense, like Pro Bowlers Karlos Dansby and Thomas Davis, I think he had some safety work in his background before blowing up to LB size, while retaining some of that explosiveness, coverage ability and playmaking skills even after the positional transition - Davis and 'Tree are both Georgia alumni?).
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
10 Takeaways from the Rams' 24-22 Win Over the Cardinals
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/05/10-takeaways-from-the-rams-24-22-win-over-the-cardinals/
The Rams defied the oddsmakers, who had them as a seven point underdog, and their defense held the previously explosive Arizona offense to just five field goals and one late touchdown in a 24-22 thriller at University of Phoenix Stadium.
This one featured Tavon Austin’s best game since his rookie year, and a coming out party for rooking running back Todd Gurley. With that, ten takeaways…
gregg williams
Rams DC Gregg Williams
1) Gregg Williams’ defense is fun to watch. They’re aggressive, they go for the ball, and they hit! There were bigtime hits from T.J. McDonald, Janoris Jenkins, James Laurinaitis, Rodney McLeod and Alec Ogletree. The Rams defense has given up one offensive touchdown in three of their four games, and two in the other game; the loss to Washington. The Rams defense has given up 68 points…seventeen per game…and five touchdowns in four games.
2) I have some frustration that the Rams can win the turnover battle against a good team on the road, but hasn’t been able to at home. The Rams beat the Seahawks despite losing the turnover battle, and fell to Pittsburgh while breaking even. It’s great that they’ve won the turnover ratio in both of their road games, but it would seem to be easier to do at home.
By the way, as the Rams head to Green Bay, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t thrown an interception in 51 consecutive games there.
3) The offensive line became aggressive and may have found itself in the second half. The kids weren’t exactly taking it to the opposition in the running game in the first three games, but opened some terrific holes in the second half, in which Gurley exploded for 144 yards on fifteen carries after Ram running backs got eight carries for one yard in the first half. Much of Gurley’s success came on the heels of massive holes opened up by a suddenly confident offensive line. His 146 yards on 19 carries were the most by a Rams rookie since Steven Jackson ran for 148 against the Eagles in 2004.
4) Passing the ball to Tavon Austin works. Austin was targeted seven times, catching six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Austin did not have a receiving touchdown last season, and this was his third two-touchdown game, with the last coming November 10 of 2013 at Indianapolis.
The 96 yards were his second most, after that same contest in Indy. Since his first four games in the NFL, Austin was only targeted as many as seven times once before Sunday…that being the second to last game of his rookie year. His most targets in the passing game last year was five. New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is trying to get the ball into Tavon’s hands, and it’s working.
5) The Rams got explosive in the running game. Coming in, the Rams had seven running plays of ten-plus yards, and five of those had come from receivers. Austin had four and the departed Chris Givens had one. On Sunday, Gurley doubled the Rams season number explosive plays from running backs, breaking off runs of 20, 23, 30 and 52 yards.
6) The Rams dressed Brian Quick but did not target him in the passing game. Kenny Britt was only thrown to once. That was in large part, I’m sure, because the Rams were ahead, and they didn’t need the passing game as much in the second half. I liked seeing them use Stedman Bailey for another touchdown.
There are only so many plays in a game, but Bailey deserves to see the ball more than the tight ends at this point.
7) Perhaps more impressive that Gurley piling up so much yardage was his having the awareness to simply go down and run the clock at the end of his thirty yard run on the second to last play of the game. Many running backs, especially young ones, would try for the end zone and risk a fumble. He didn’t, and allowed the Rams to run a victory formation at the end.
8) Alec Ogletree was arguably the Rams best defensive player over the first month of the season, and he’ll miss extended time with an ankle injury. Ogletree suffered the injury when T.J. McDonald ran into him during a tackle in the third quarter. It’ll be difficult for the Rams to replace Ogletree, who had become a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine. Darren Bates and Cameron Lynch replaced him on Sunday. It’ll be interesting to see what Williams does. Mark Barron would be intriguing to try in that role.
9) Nick Foles was exactly what the doctor ordered. The QB completed 16 of 24 for 171 yards, three touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions. With the philosophy of the offense the Rams employ, if Foles can turn in those types of numbers each week, he’ll give his team a chance to win. 21 points per game for this team should be plenty.
10) With four more sacks, the Rams defense has seventeen on the season. They’re on pace for 68, which would be four shy of the NFL record of 72 set by the 1984 Bears. Fisher told his initial St. Louis defense that he wanted them to break that record. This group has a chance.
Next week will provide the Rams their toughest test of the season, visiting unbeaten Green Bay and the incomparable Aaron Rodgers. This win was huge, because the Rams will hit their bye with, at worst, a 2-3 record, and they’ll have a chance to go on a run after their bye week.
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/05/10-takeaways-from-the-rams-24-22-win-over-the-cardinals/
The Rams defied the oddsmakers, who had them as a seven point underdog, and their defense held the previously explosive Arizona offense to just five field goals and one late touchdown in a 24-22 thriller at University of Phoenix Stadium.
This one featured Tavon Austin’s best game since his rookie year, and a coming out party for rooking running back Todd Gurley. With that, ten takeaways…
gregg williams
Rams DC Gregg Williams
1) Gregg Williams’ defense is fun to watch. They’re aggressive, they go for the ball, and they hit! There were bigtime hits from T.J. McDonald, Janoris Jenkins, James Laurinaitis, Rodney McLeod and Alec Ogletree. The Rams defense has given up one offensive touchdown in three of their four games, and two in the other game; the loss to Washington. The Rams defense has given up 68 points…seventeen per game…and five touchdowns in four games.
2) I have some frustration that the Rams can win the turnover battle against a good team on the road, but hasn’t been able to at home. The Rams beat the Seahawks despite losing the turnover battle, and fell to Pittsburgh while breaking even. It’s great that they’ve won the turnover ratio in both of their road games, but it would seem to be easier to do at home.
By the way, as the Rams head to Green Bay, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t thrown an interception in 51 consecutive games there.
3) The offensive line became aggressive and may have found itself in the second half. The kids weren’t exactly taking it to the opposition in the running game in the first three games, but opened some terrific holes in the second half, in which Gurley exploded for 144 yards on fifteen carries after Ram running backs got eight carries for one yard in the first half. Much of Gurley’s success came on the heels of massive holes opened up by a suddenly confident offensive line. His 146 yards on 19 carries were the most by a Rams rookie since Steven Jackson ran for 148 against the Eagles in 2004.
4) Passing the ball to Tavon Austin works. Austin was targeted seven times, catching six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Austin did not have a receiving touchdown last season, and this was his third two-touchdown game, with the last coming November 10 of 2013 at Indianapolis.
The 96 yards were his second most, after that same contest in Indy. Since his first four games in the NFL, Austin was only targeted as many as seven times once before Sunday…that being the second to last game of his rookie year. His most targets in the passing game last year was five. New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is trying to get the ball into Tavon’s hands, and it’s working.
5) The Rams got explosive in the running game. Coming in, the Rams had seven running plays of ten-plus yards, and five of those had come from receivers. Austin had four and the departed Chris Givens had one. On Sunday, Gurley doubled the Rams season number explosive plays from running backs, breaking off runs of 20, 23, 30 and 52 yards.
6) The Rams dressed Brian Quick but did not target him in the passing game. Kenny Britt was only thrown to once. That was in large part, I’m sure, because the Rams were ahead, and they didn’t need the passing game as much in the second half. I liked seeing them use Stedman Bailey for another touchdown.
There are only so many plays in a game, but Bailey deserves to see the ball more than the tight ends at this point.
7) Perhaps more impressive that Gurley piling up so much yardage was his having the awareness to simply go down and run the clock at the end of his thirty yard run on the second to last play of the game. Many running backs, especially young ones, would try for the end zone and risk a fumble. He didn’t, and allowed the Rams to run a victory formation at the end.
8) Alec Ogletree was arguably the Rams best defensive player over the first month of the season, and he’ll miss extended time with an ankle injury. Ogletree suffered the injury when T.J. McDonald ran into him during a tackle in the third quarter. It’ll be difficult for the Rams to replace Ogletree, who had become a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine. Darren Bates and Cameron Lynch replaced him on Sunday. It’ll be interesting to see what Williams does. Mark Barron would be intriguing to try in that role.
9) Nick Foles was exactly what the doctor ordered. The QB completed 16 of 24 for 171 yards, three touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions. With the philosophy of the offense the Rams employ, if Foles can turn in those types of numbers each week, he’ll give his team a chance to win. 21 points per game for this team should be plenty.
10) With four more sacks, the Rams defense has seventeen on the season. They’re on pace for 68, which would be four shy of the NFL record of 72 set by the 1984 Bears. Fisher told his initial St. Louis defense that he wanted them to break that record. This group has a chance.
Next week will provide the Rams their toughest test of the season, visiting unbeaten Green Bay and the incomparable Aaron Rodgers. This win was huge, because the Rams will hit their bye with, at worst, a 2-3 record, and they’ll have a chance to go on a run after their bye week.
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
MMQB - Peter King
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/10/05/nfl-quarter-season-surprises-disappointments-mvp
Thirteen games Sunday, and the most compelling thing I saw was Todd Gurley’s fourth quarter. About 10 months past the reconstructive knee surgery that put the draft status of this Adrian Peterson run-a-like in doubt, here was the quarter-by-quarter performance of Gurley in his second game as a professional:
First quarter: One carry, minus-3 yards.
Second quarter: Three carries, 5 yards.
Third quarter: Six carries, 38 yards.
Fourth quarter: Nine carries, 106 yards, all in the final 12 minutes of the game.
Total: 19 carries, 146 yards.
Final score: Rams 24, previously unbeaten Cardinals 22. At Arizona.
“I got one game ball!” St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said in the Rams’ locker room.
“Where’s 30? Thirty! Come up!”
Fisher handed Gurley, No. 30, the football.
“This is just the beginning,” Fisher said.
Afterward, what everyone was marveling about was the eight yards Gurley didn’t gain. On his last carry, the Rams were nursing the 24-22 lead. Arizona was hoping to make a stop at the Cards 38 on third-and-12 with 1:17 left in the game. The Cards had no timeouts left, but if they could stop the Rams and force a punt, they’d get the ball back deep in their territory with maybe 30 seconds left, and maybe Carson Palmer could pull out one stunning drive to a winning field goal.
Gurley took a handoff from Nick Foles and darted left, through some traffic around left end and down the field. He didn’t need an escort. He broke into the clear past some exhausted but pursuing Cardinals, and as he galloped down the left sideline—looking so much like the man he was compared to a hundred times pre-draft, Peterson—teammate Tavon Austin started waving him downfield toward his first NFL touchdown. A Cardinal safety, Tony Jefferson, was all that stood between him and the touchdown.
Then Gurley slowed a bit. He didn’t appear hurt, but maybe he tweaked something as he slowed some more and lowered himself to the ground inside the 10, falling at the 8-yard line.
He wasn’t hurt. He was smart.
Before the play, Gurley knew Arizona had no timeouts left, and he knew if he could get the first down and kill some clock, the Rams would be able to run the clock out without Arizona touching the ball again. If he scored with 65 seconds to play, what would happen if the Rams missed the extra point? They’d have an eight-point lead, and would be kicking to one of the most explosive offenses in football. Lying down inside the 10? A no-brainer.
“The way I’ve been coached here,” Gurley said over the phone after the game, “I know in a four-minute situation at the end of the half or the end of the game, if you have the lead, you don’t go out of bounds, and you don’t stop the clock. On that play, I didn’t care about the touchdown. I just cared about the win.”
Gurley shouldn’t get a medal for that. He should get some appreciation for making the smart play in that situation. It capped an impressive quarter, with runs of 52, 20 and 30 yards (the final run) that only emphasized to the Rams that picking him, higher than virtually any other team would have, paid off, at least on a day when the Rams pulled the upset of Week 4. Gurley, from the University of Georgia, talked some SEC trash with LSU product Tyrann Mathieu after Mathieu hogtied him down to halt the longest run. But for the rest of the day, he let his legs do the talking.
“Oh man, it feels great to have a day like this,” Gurley said. “It definitely means a lot to me, and to us. Some of these runs give me confidence that I can really do this here. I definitely knew what I was capable of, and I felt the support from the coaches and my teammates.”
And the knee? “It’s fine, fine,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me. I keep up on my ice, my cold tubs, whether I think I need it or not. I feel fine now, no pain. I’ll probably feel it tomorrow.”
After his debut—six carries, nine yards last week—Gurley was hearing from those around the team that he’ll be fine, don’t worry, better days are ahead. He knew it. The lack of impact wasn’t a big deal to him. “Listen,” he said to one team employee, “nobody’s gonna remember my first four games. What’d Adrian Peterson do his first four games?”
Peterson, in his first four games in 2007: 76 carries, 383 yards.
Gurley’s right: No one remembers. But for the record, Gurley’s got 228 yards to get in the next two games if he wants to catch up. I doubt he's too concerned with chasing yards like that—he gave up eight, and a touchdown, that he could have had pretty easily in his coming-out party.
============
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Todd Gurley, running back, St. Louis.
After his inauspicious debut last week, coach Jeff Fisher said that trained eyes could see Gurley was close to breaking some of his runs. Fisher, evidently, knew what he was talking about. Gurley owned the previously unbeaten Cardinals on the road Sunday. He ran 19 times for 146 yards, and did the smart thing on the final insurance drive, going to the ground instead of running into the end zone. Gurley knew the Cardinals wouldn’t get to touch the ball again if he played it that way. The Rams drafted Gurley 10th overall last spring, when he was only five months removed from reconstructive knee surgery. For one day at least, it looks like a brilliant pick.
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/10/05/nfl-quarter-season-surprises-disappointments-mvp
Thirteen games Sunday, and the most compelling thing I saw was Todd Gurley’s fourth quarter. About 10 months past the reconstructive knee surgery that put the draft status of this Adrian Peterson run-a-like in doubt, here was the quarter-by-quarter performance of Gurley in his second game as a professional:
First quarter: One carry, minus-3 yards.
Second quarter: Three carries, 5 yards.
Third quarter: Six carries, 38 yards.
Fourth quarter: Nine carries, 106 yards, all in the final 12 minutes of the game.
Total: 19 carries, 146 yards.
Final score: Rams 24, previously unbeaten Cardinals 22. At Arizona.
“I got one game ball!” St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said in the Rams’ locker room.
“Where’s 30? Thirty! Come up!”
Fisher handed Gurley, No. 30, the football.
“This is just the beginning,” Fisher said.
Afterward, what everyone was marveling about was the eight yards Gurley didn’t gain. On his last carry, the Rams were nursing the 24-22 lead. Arizona was hoping to make a stop at the Cards 38 on third-and-12 with 1:17 left in the game. The Cards had no timeouts left, but if they could stop the Rams and force a punt, they’d get the ball back deep in their territory with maybe 30 seconds left, and maybe Carson Palmer could pull out one stunning drive to a winning field goal.
Gurley took a handoff from Nick Foles and darted left, through some traffic around left end and down the field. He didn’t need an escort. He broke into the clear past some exhausted but pursuing Cardinals, and as he galloped down the left sideline—looking so much like the man he was compared to a hundred times pre-draft, Peterson—teammate Tavon Austin started waving him downfield toward his first NFL touchdown. A Cardinal safety, Tony Jefferson, was all that stood between him and the touchdown.
Then Gurley slowed a bit. He didn’t appear hurt, but maybe he tweaked something as he slowed some more and lowered himself to the ground inside the 10, falling at the 8-yard line.
He wasn’t hurt. He was smart.
Before the play, Gurley knew Arizona had no timeouts left, and he knew if he could get the first down and kill some clock, the Rams would be able to run the clock out without Arizona touching the ball again. If he scored with 65 seconds to play, what would happen if the Rams missed the extra point? They’d have an eight-point lead, and would be kicking to one of the most explosive offenses in football. Lying down inside the 10? A no-brainer.
“The way I’ve been coached here,” Gurley said over the phone after the game, “I know in a four-minute situation at the end of the half or the end of the game, if you have the lead, you don’t go out of bounds, and you don’t stop the clock. On that play, I didn’t care about the touchdown. I just cared about the win.”
Gurley shouldn’t get a medal for that. He should get some appreciation for making the smart play in that situation. It capped an impressive quarter, with runs of 52, 20 and 30 yards (the final run) that only emphasized to the Rams that picking him, higher than virtually any other team would have, paid off, at least on a day when the Rams pulled the upset of Week 4. Gurley, from the University of Georgia, talked some SEC trash with LSU product Tyrann Mathieu after Mathieu hogtied him down to halt the longest run. But for the rest of the day, he let his legs do the talking.
“Oh man, it feels great to have a day like this,” Gurley said. “It definitely means a lot to me, and to us. Some of these runs give me confidence that I can really do this here. I definitely knew what I was capable of, and I felt the support from the coaches and my teammates.”
And the knee? “It’s fine, fine,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me. I keep up on my ice, my cold tubs, whether I think I need it or not. I feel fine now, no pain. I’ll probably feel it tomorrow.”
After his debut—six carries, nine yards last week—Gurley was hearing from those around the team that he’ll be fine, don’t worry, better days are ahead. He knew it. The lack of impact wasn’t a big deal to him. “Listen,” he said to one team employee, “nobody’s gonna remember my first four games. What’d Adrian Peterson do his first four games?”
Peterson, in his first four games in 2007: 76 carries, 383 yards.
Gurley’s right: No one remembers. But for the record, Gurley’s got 228 yards to get in the next two games if he wants to catch up. I doubt he's too concerned with chasing yards like that—he gave up eight, and a touchdown, that he could have had pretty easily in his coming-out party.
============
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Todd Gurley, running back, St. Louis.
After his inauspicious debut last week, coach Jeff Fisher said that trained eyes could see Gurley was close to breaking some of his runs. Fisher, evidently, knew what he was talking about. Gurley owned the previously unbeaten Cardinals on the road Sunday. He ran 19 times for 146 yards, and did the smart thing on the final insurance drive, going to the ground instead of running into the end zone. Gurley knew the Cardinals wouldn’t get to touch the ball again if he played it that way. The Rams drafted Gurley 10th overall last spring, when he was only five months removed from reconstructive knee surgery. For one day at least, it looks like a brilliant pick.
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dkp993
Footballguy
It's plays like that from a rookie in his second game that are making it really difficult for me to not jump on the Gurley hype train. Kids a stud and as a life long Rams fan I've been burned before so I'm trying to stay reserved in my judgement. My strength is fading quickly....
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bulger2holt
Footballguy
There were 2 defenders closing on him. He wasn't going to score without going through them.
SaintsInDome2006
Footballguy
Such a gritty team, should've beaten the Steelers. If Gurley is what he looks like... new NFCW favorites.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Lack of complete offense reason for pessimism at Rams' bye
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22593/lack-of-complete-offense-reason-for-pessimism-at-rams-bye
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Here we are at the St. Louis Rams' bye. It's only Week 6 and while most of the league will be in action today, the 2-3 Rams won't be.
So it's a good time to offer a look at three reasons for optimism and three reasons for pessimism for the team's final 11 games. Earlier today, we looked at the bright side. Now it's time for the potential negatives:
1. The offense hasn't put it all together: So far, the Rams offense has been as many suspected it would be. That's not a good thing. Entering Sunday's games, the Rams are last in the league in total offense and the only team averaging less than 300 yards per game (297). They're last in first downs with 72 and 29th in offensive points scored per game at 15.4. It hasn't been all bad as Todd Gurley and the running game have revved up the past couple of weeks. But with that progress has come some regression. The Rams are 30th in passing yards per game behind a leaky offensive line that's had quarterback Nick Foles under more pressure than any signal-caller in the league except Seattle's Russell Wilson. Compounding matters is a group of pass-catchers that's struggled to consistently gain separation or actually catch the ball. There are signs of a breakthrough, but still too many pieces that haven't come together. If and when they do, one has to wonder if it will be too late.
2. The injury bug bites: Save for cornerback E.J. Gaines, the Rams made it through the preseason and the early part of the regular season without any major injury issues. That's changed in recent weeks. Linebacker Alec Ogletree was playing at a Pro Bowl level before a fractured fibula landed him on the sideline. The Rams are holding out hope that they'll be in contention late in the season and Ogletree can return, but it's going to be hard to stay in contention without his services. Guard Rodger Saffold is out for the season because of a shoulder injury, which has the Rams dipping into an already shallow pool of offensive linemen. End Chris Long is dealing with a hyperextended knee from which he's expected to return, but it remains to be seen when that will happen. The Rams have a better roster than they've had in years, but they're already putting their depth to the test and probably aren't equipped to go much further into the depth chart and stay in the playoff mix.
3. Penalty regression: The Rams actually have improved quite a bit when it comes to penalties so far this season. They have 34 penalties in the first five games, which is tied for 13th fewest in the league. That's a good sign, right? Well, yes, but it also could portend a regression to what they've done in the past under coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher's Rams entered 2015 with the most penalties in the league since 2012, when he took over. Each year, they have talked about reducing that number and each year they have failed. It's certainly possible that this is finally the year it happens, but history would suggest that they're due for more flags to fly their way as the season rolls on.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22593/lack-of-complete-offense-reason-for-pessimism-at-rams-bye
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Here we are at the St. Louis Rams' bye. It's only Week 6 and while most of the league will be in action today, the 2-3 Rams won't be.
So it's a good time to offer a look at three reasons for optimism and three reasons for pessimism for the team's final 11 games. Earlier today, we looked at the bright side. Now it's time for the potential negatives:
1. The offense hasn't put it all together: So far, the Rams offense has been as many suspected it would be. That's not a good thing. Entering Sunday's games, the Rams are last in the league in total offense and the only team averaging less than 300 yards per game (297). They're last in first downs with 72 and 29th in offensive points scored per game at 15.4. It hasn't been all bad as Todd Gurley and the running game have revved up the past couple of weeks. But with that progress has come some regression. The Rams are 30th in passing yards per game behind a leaky offensive line that's had quarterback Nick Foles under more pressure than any signal-caller in the league except Seattle's Russell Wilson. Compounding matters is a group of pass-catchers that's struggled to consistently gain separation or actually catch the ball. There are signs of a breakthrough, but still too many pieces that haven't come together. If and when they do, one has to wonder if it will be too late.
2. The injury bug bites: Save for cornerback E.J. Gaines, the Rams made it through the preseason and the early part of the regular season without any major injury issues. That's changed in recent weeks. Linebacker Alec Ogletree was playing at a Pro Bowl level before a fractured fibula landed him on the sideline. The Rams are holding out hope that they'll be in contention late in the season and Ogletree can return, but it's going to be hard to stay in contention without his services. Guard Rodger Saffold is out for the season because of a shoulder injury, which has the Rams dipping into an already shallow pool of offensive linemen. End Chris Long is dealing with a hyperextended knee from which he's expected to return, but it remains to be seen when that will happen. The Rams have a better roster than they've had in years, but they're already putting their depth to the test and probably aren't equipped to go much further into the depth chart and stay in the playoff mix.
3. Penalty regression: The Rams actually have improved quite a bit when it comes to penalties so far this season. They have 34 penalties in the first five games, which is tied for 13th fewest in the league. That's a good sign, right? Well, yes, but it also could portend a regression to what they've done in the past under coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher's Rams entered 2015 with the most penalties in the league since 2012, when he took over. Each year, they have talked about reducing that number and each year they have failed. It's certainly possible that this is finally the year it happens, but history would suggest that they're due for more flags to fly their way as the season rolls on.
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Todd Gurley among reasons for optimism at Rams' bye
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22586/todd-gurley-among-reasons-for-optimism-at-rams-bye
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Here we are at the St. Louis Rams' bye. It's only Week 6 and while most of the league will be in action Sunday, there will be no game for the 2-3 Rams to play.
So what better time than now to offer a look at three reasons for optimism and three reasons for pessimism (coming later Sunday) for the team's final 11 games? We'll start with the bright side:
1. The emergence of Todd Gurley: It's only a two-game sample size but what a two games it's been. Gurley leads the NFL in rushing over the past two weeks with 305 yards and in just three games since making his debut, he's averaging 5.7 yards per carry. This is an offense built to feature the running game and now it has the running back worthy of that approach. It's not overstating things to say that Gurley is the most exciting offensive player the Rams have had since receiver Torry Holt's prime (with apologies to Steven Jackson). And Gurley is just getting started. He still hasn't had his first game without a knee brace but he's practiced without it and looks faster in those practices. Teams will key on Gurley moving forward but he's talented enough to make a legitimate run at the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
2. A stout defense: Save for a disappointing Week 2 outing against the Washington Redskins, the Rams defense has finally lived up to lofty preseason expectations and it's done so against some of the most dynamic offenses in the league in Pittsburgh, Arizona and Green Bay. Five games in, the Rams defense is allowing 18.2 points per game (that doesn't include points scored via special teams or by opposing defenses). The Rams are tied for 10th in yards allowed per play (5.25), third in sacks (19) and tied for eighth in takeaways (nine). All of that despite an offense that has offered little in the way of help. The Rams' defense has been on the field fifth-most in the league with an average opponent time of possession of 33 minutes, 24 seconds. Some of that is a result of the defense's mediocre performance on third down. This group will miss linebacker Alec Ogletree but if the offense can find a way to start sustaining drives on a consistent basis, it should get better as the year goes on.
3. A lighter schedule: The Rams' first five opponents combined for a record of 16-9, making for a difficult start to the season from a scheduling perspective. To their credit, the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on the road, one of the two toughest opponents on that slate, and proved they could hang with just about any team in the league. The Rams also blew a golden opportunity to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and laid an egg against a beatable Washington team. But while we have already discussed the fact that the Rams are in no position to take any team lightly, the reality is that they will be getting a break from the likes of the Packers, Cardinals and Steelers. The team's next five opponents enter Sunday's games with a combined record of 8-16 and only two opponents in the final 11 games have a record better than .500. Yes, the Rams still have to prove they can be consistent and string wins together, but not having to go on the road to face Super Bowl contenders like Green Bay and Arizona in back-to-back weeks should offer at least a little bit of help in that endeavor.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22586/todd-gurley-among-reasons-for-optimism-at-rams-bye
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Here we are at the St. Louis Rams' bye. It's only Week 6 and while most of the league will be in action Sunday, there will be no game for the 2-3 Rams to play.
So what better time than now to offer a look at three reasons for optimism and three reasons for pessimism (coming later Sunday) for the team's final 11 games? We'll start with the bright side:
1. The emergence of Todd Gurley: It's only a two-game sample size but what a two games it's been. Gurley leads the NFL in rushing over the past two weeks with 305 yards and in just three games since making his debut, he's averaging 5.7 yards per carry. This is an offense built to feature the running game and now it has the running back worthy of that approach. It's not overstating things to say that Gurley is the most exciting offensive player the Rams have had since receiver Torry Holt's prime (with apologies to Steven Jackson). And Gurley is just getting started. He still hasn't had his first game without a knee brace but he's practiced without it and looks faster in those practices. Teams will key on Gurley moving forward but he's talented enough to make a legitimate run at the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
2. A stout defense: Save for a disappointing Week 2 outing against the Washington Redskins, the Rams defense has finally lived up to lofty preseason expectations and it's done so against some of the most dynamic offenses in the league in Pittsburgh, Arizona and Green Bay. Five games in, the Rams defense is allowing 18.2 points per game (that doesn't include points scored via special teams or by opposing defenses). The Rams are tied for 10th in yards allowed per play (5.25), third in sacks (19) and tied for eighth in takeaways (nine). All of that despite an offense that has offered little in the way of help. The Rams' defense has been on the field fifth-most in the league with an average opponent time of possession of 33 minutes, 24 seconds. Some of that is a result of the defense's mediocre performance on third down. This group will miss linebacker Alec Ogletree but if the offense can find a way to start sustaining drives on a consistent basis, it should get better as the year goes on.
3. A lighter schedule: The Rams' first five opponents combined for a record of 16-9, making for a difficult start to the season from a scheduling perspective. To their credit, the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on the road, one of the two toughest opponents on that slate, and proved they could hang with just about any team in the league. The Rams also blew a golden opportunity to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and laid an egg against a beatable Washington team. But while we have already discussed the fact that the Rams are in no position to take any team lightly, the reality is that they will be getting a break from the likes of the Packers, Cardinals and Steelers. The team's next five opponents enter Sunday's games with a combined record of 8-16 and only two opponents in the final 11 games have a record better than .500. Yes, the Rams still have to prove they can be consistent and string wins together, but not having to go on the road to face Super Bowl contenders like Green Bay and Arizona in back-to-back weeks should offer at least a little bit of help in that endeavor.
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Sarlakticacid
Footballguy
Gurley goes for 200 plus against the Browns?
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Todd Gurley's next step? Finishing in the end zone
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22615/todd-gurleys-next-step-finishing-in-the-end-zone
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Despite back-to-back breakout performances in only his second and third NFL games, St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley found himself disappointed when he watched the film of his efforts against the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers.
Never mind that Gurley's 320 rushing yards in those two games were the most of any player in the NFL in that period or that he'd pretty much single-handedly offered hope to an offense in desperate need of some.
Gurley's self-criticism comes down to the three things that matter most in real estate and, apparently, football: location, location, location. Specifically, Gurley doesn't like any run, especially a long one, that doesn't end with him standing in the end zone celebrating with his teammates.
"It’s definitely frustrating not going all the way," Gurley said. "It’s something I have got to practice at. The running backs get on me a lot. You’ve got to just keep practicing."
Considering that Gurley's five carries of 20-plus yards tie him for second-most in the NFL and his 180 yards on those five carries are the most among all players going into Monday night's game, it might sound like Gurley is just joking or being too hard himself. But he's completely serious.
And who can blame him given that he made a habit of breaking long runs in which he was rarely caught on his way into the end zone at Georgia? In his injury-shortened 2014 season alone, Gurley had a 25-plus yard run in all six games he played and in four of those games he picked up at least 40 yards on a carry. That included touchdown runs of 23 yards, two from 51 yards away and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score.
In 2012, Gurley's best season, he had touchdown runs covering 55, 38, 29, 51 and 24 yards plus another triple-digit kick return for a score. So for Gurley, ending long runs in the end zone became something of a habit, one he has no intention of breaking now that he's in the NFL.
"You still want to finish those explosive runs and be able to break those tackles. Even though those D-linemen are in the NFL, you still want to break those tackles," Gurley said. "I still felt like I had a couple of runs where I should have broke out of a couple of tackles and kept my feet, especially in the first quarter. Just trying to get a feel for the game, I feel like a lot of times I miss on my initial couple of reads at the beginning of the game, but I’ll get it together."
Three games into his NFL career, Gurley still hasn't scored. He probably could have against Arizona at the end of that game, but opted instead to fall down after a long run so the Rams could run out the clock and leave with a win.
So how does Gurley get that touchdown, especially after a long run before it? Believe it or not, he says the best way to do it is to develop it in practice. While there's no tackling in a normal Rams practice, most running backs don't take every carry all the way to the end zone in an effort to save their legs. That would be a wise move for a rookie back coming off a torn ACL, but Gurley says he plans to finish in the end zone at least occasionally in order to establish a trend that can carry over into games.
"Just finish the runs at practice, that’s about it," Gurley said. "Those explosive runs, that’s still a good sign, but at the end of the day you still want to finish those explosive runs."
Gurley also has hinted that removing the brace he wears on his surgically-repaired left knee would help him get closer to full speed, thus eliminating the chance that he'll be caught from behind, as he was by Arizona safety Tyrann Mathieu after a 52-yard run against the Cardinals. Gurley lamented not scoring on that run after the fact, but has intimated that he could have another level to accelerate to when he's allowed to shed the brace.
Gurley practiced without the brace in the week before the game against the Packers, but wore it in the game at the behest of the team's athletic training staff. That's a choice made with Gurley's health in mind, something the Rams will also have to consider when it comes to his workload.
Against Green Bay, Gurley carried 30 times, exceeding expectations for his work at this early stage of his return from injury. Although Rams coach Jeff Fisher has acknowledged that Gurley is emerging as the focal point of the offense, he also knows that's not sustainable over the course of the season.
“I think 30 carries a game down the stretch is probably a little much," Fisher said.
With that in mind, Gurley got a little extra rest during the team's bye-week practices. Moving forward, it's fair to wonder if there's a sweet spot of carries that would suit Gurley.
“No," Fisher said, a grin creeping across his face. "One hundred fifty yards [per game] over the last two weeks is the sweet spot for me.”
For Gurley, it's clear the sweetest spot of all is the end zone.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22615/todd-gurleys-next-step-finishing-in-the-end-zone
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Despite back-to-back breakout performances in only his second and third NFL games, St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley found himself disappointed when he watched the film of his efforts against the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers.
Never mind that Gurley's 320 rushing yards in those two games were the most of any player in the NFL in that period or that he'd pretty much single-handedly offered hope to an offense in desperate need of some.
Gurley's self-criticism comes down to the three things that matter most in real estate and, apparently, football: location, location, location. Specifically, Gurley doesn't like any run, especially a long one, that doesn't end with him standing in the end zone celebrating with his teammates.
"It’s definitely frustrating not going all the way," Gurley said. "It’s something I have got to practice at. The running backs get on me a lot. You’ve got to just keep practicing."
Considering that Gurley's five carries of 20-plus yards tie him for second-most in the NFL and his 180 yards on those five carries are the most among all players going into Monday night's game, it might sound like Gurley is just joking or being too hard himself. But he's completely serious.
And who can blame him given that he made a habit of breaking long runs in which he was rarely caught on his way into the end zone at Georgia? In his injury-shortened 2014 season alone, Gurley had a 25-plus yard run in all six games he played and in four of those games he picked up at least 40 yards on a carry. That included touchdown runs of 23 yards, two from 51 yards away and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score.
In 2012, Gurley's best season, he had touchdown runs covering 55, 38, 29, 51 and 24 yards plus another triple-digit kick return for a score. So for Gurley, ending long runs in the end zone became something of a habit, one he has no intention of breaking now that he's in the NFL.
"You still want to finish those explosive runs and be able to break those tackles. Even though those D-linemen are in the NFL, you still want to break those tackles," Gurley said. "I still felt like I had a couple of runs where I should have broke out of a couple of tackles and kept my feet, especially in the first quarter. Just trying to get a feel for the game, I feel like a lot of times I miss on my initial couple of reads at the beginning of the game, but I’ll get it together."
Three games into his NFL career, Gurley still hasn't scored. He probably could have against Arizona at the end of that game, but opted instead to fall down after a long run so the Rams could run out the clock and leave with a win.
So how does Gurley get that touchdown, especially after a long run before it? Believe it or not, he says the best way to do it is to develop it in practice. While there's no tackling in a normal Rams practice, most running backs don't take every carry all the way to the end zone in an effort to save their legs. That would be a wise move for a rookie back coming off a torn ACL, but Gurley says he plans to finish in the end zone at least occasionally in order to establish a trend that can carry over into games.
"Just finish the runs at practice, that’s about it," Gurley said. "Those explosive runs, that’s still a good sign, but at the end of the day you still want to finish those explosive runs."
Gurley also has hinted that removing the brace he wears on his surgically-repaired left knee would help him get closer to full speed, thus eliminating the chance that he'll be caught from behind, as he was by Arizona safety Tyrann Mathieu after a 52-yard run against the Cardinals. Gurley lamented not scoring on that run after the fact, but has intimated that he could have another level to accelerate to when he's allowed to shed the brace.
Gurley practiced without the brace in the week before the game against the Packers, but wore it in the game at the behest of the team's athletic training staff. That's a choice made with Gurley's health in mind, something the Rams will also have to consider when it comes to his workload.
Against Green Bay, Gurley carried 30 times, exceeding expectations for his work at this early stage of his return from injury. Although Rams coach Jeff Fisher has acknowledged that Gurley is emerging as the focal point of the offense, he also knows that's not sustainable over the course of the season.
“I think 30 carries a game down the stretch is probably a little much," Fisher said.
With that in mind, Gurley got a little extra rest during the team's bye-week practices. Moving forward, it's fair to wonder if there's a sweet spot of carries that would suit Gurley.
“No," Fisher said, a grin creeping across his face. "One hundred fifty yards [per game] over the last two weeks is the sweet spot for me.”
For Gurley, it's clear the sweetest spot of all is the end zone.
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Fool-on-Stoopid
Footballguy
Heres a good breakdown of the Rams offense. The guy is clearly not a Cook fan
"The number of drives that Jared cook has killed all by himself with dropped balls is staggering."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2w-SULm2B8
youtube
The Film Room Ep 11: Todd Gurley and Tavon Austin vs the Steelers, Cardinals, & Packers
"The number of drives that Jared cook has killed all by himself with dropped balls is staggering."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2w-SULm2B8
youtube
The Film Room Ep 11: Todd Gurley and Tavon Austin vs the Steelers, Cardinals, & Packers
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
There is a credible rumor that the Rams are shopping Cook before the trade deadline. I can't imagine what they could get for him? I thought re-signing Kendricks in the off-season (I think making him one of the top 5 highest players on the Rams, though that will probably change in 2016, when CBs Jenkins and Johnson, WR Quick, rotational DEs Hayes and Sims all come up for free agency) could be a prelude to letting him go ahead of the end of his contract, which I think has another year or two after this, though the worst of the cap hit is over if they part ways next year.
Kendricks is a different player, not as fast or explosive, but he is more versatile as a blocker in the Rams balanced to run-heavy offense (certainly not pass-centric), and a competent, functional receiver in the pass game. Cook is too straightlinish and limited athletically, offers inconsistent effort and effectiveness as a blocker and is grossly overpaid relative to his positional peers. He led the team in receiving in 2013 (fellow ex-Titan and Fisher draftee Britt in 2014), but is off to an extremely disappointing start this season. That would be great if they could get something for him. At any rate, it could definitely be an addition by subtraction situation regardless of what he fetches, if anything. If no trade, I wouldn't cut him now, but before next season.
Kendricks is a different player, not as fast or explosive, but he is more versatile as a blocker in the Rams balanced to run-heavy offense (certainly not pass-centric), and a competent, functional receiver in the pass game. Cook is too straightlinish and limited athletically, offers inconsistent effort and effectiveness as a blocker and is grossly overpaid relative to his positional peers. He led the team in receiving in 2013 (fellow ex-Titan and Fisher draftee Britt in 2014), but is off to an extremely disappointing start this season. That would be great if they could get something for him. At any rate, it could definitely be an addition by subtraction situation regardless of what he fetches, if anything. If no trade, I wouldn't cut him now, but before next season.
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jurb26
Footballguy
Arz and Sea have opened a pretty big window for St. L to climb thru for a division title. I think this team is just getting better and better. They played GB very tough, on the road.
I see this as a team primed for a big second half of the year.
They need to clean up the run D a little, but otherwise I like what I'm seeing here.
I see this as a team primed for a big second half of the year.
They need to clean up the run D a little, but otherwise I like what I'm seeing here.
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Especially SEA, with four losses. But they started 3-3 last year than went 9-1, and are more dangerous with Chancellor. It would hurt them if Wagner's injury lingers. Wilson is taking a historically high rate of sacks, I think, which sounds ominous. Maybe opponents are employing more contained rushes, that is what the Rams have done with some success.
A big problem is the Rams are last in some offensive stats/categories, that is hard to overcome. They are clearly more explosive and dangerous with Gurley, so they could go as he goes. If he becomes Eric Dickerson 2.0, that solves a lot of problems. The middle third of their schedule (next five games) is much easier than the first five games, which had SEA, PIT, ARI and GB. If they can go on a run with something like 4-1 (when was the last time they did that?) or even 3-2, that would put them at 6-4 or 5-5, and at least the unusual, last experienced in the remote past and misty, shrouds of time, position of having meaningful games in December to look forward to. I could see them improving as the seasons progresses and wears on, it could be sort of a race against time this year, for the entire offense, the OL, WRs, QB and RB.
Three issues:
1) Very young, inexperienced OL (starting RG Saffold went to IR last week).
2) Foles has been inconsistent, but this could be related to the above. Gurley should help, again. It would also help if Austin, Bailey and Quick continue to develop
3) The broken leg to WLB Ogletree is a huge blow to the defense, he was playing at a borderline Pro Bowl level, and kind of starting to come into his own, really becoming a force. If they can stay in contention, maybe he can be available some time in the last month, though even that isn't a sure thing. Less seriously, Chris Long hyperextended a knee, not sure how long he will be out. He missed something like a few months last year, is the second highest paid Ram (Quinn #1) and around 30. He is a defensive and overall team leader with Laurinaitis, but could be a contract renegotiation candidate next year. I think from 2010-2013 he was around top 5 in combined sacks, but hasn't been playing at that high a level for a few years (very little sacks production last year, even accounting for the reduced games).
A big problem is the Rams are last in some offensive stats/categories, that is hard to overcome. They are clearly more explosive and dangerous with Gurley, so they could go as he goes. If he becomes Eric Dickerson 2.0, that solves a lot of problems. The middle third of their schedule (next five games) is much easier than the first five games, which had SEA, PIT, ARI and GB. If they can go on a run with something like 4-1 (when was the last time they did that?) or even 3-2, that would put them at 6-4 or 5-5, and at least the unusual, last experienced in the remote past and misty, shrouds of time, position of having meaningful games in December to look forward to. I could see them improving as the seasons progresses and wears on, it could be sort of a race against time this year, for the entire offense, the OL, WRs, QB and RB.
Three issues:
1) Very young, inexperienced OL (starting RG Saffold went to IR last week).
2) Foles has been inconsistent, but this could be related to the above. Gurley should help, again. It would also help if Austin, Bailey and Quick continue to develop
3) The broken leg to WLB Ogletree is a huge blow to the defense, he was playing at a borderline Pro Bowl level, and kind of starting to come into his own, really becoming a force. If they can stay in contention, maybe he can be available some time in the last month, though even that isn't a sure thing. Less seriously, Chris Long hyperextended a knee, not sure how long he will be out. He missed something like a few months last year, is the second highest paid Ram (Quinn #1) and around 30. He is a defensive and overall team leader with Laurinaitis, but could be a contract renegotiation candidate next year. I think from 2010-2013 he was around top 5 in combined sacks, but hasn't been playing at that high a level for a few years (very little sacks production last year, even accounting for the reduced games).
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
If Anything, the Rams Defense is Underrated
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz in Bernie Miklasz, National Football League October 26, 2015
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/26/if-anything-the-rams-defense-is-underrated/
Most of the media coverage on the Rams defense, locally and nationally, dwells on the team’s fiery front four. And for good reason. Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, William Hayes and the Rams’ other defensive linemen are active, disruptive and undeniably hostile to quarterbacks.
In six games, the Rams have hunted their way to 23 sacks (No. 2 among the 30 teams) and 80 quarterback pressures. They’ve already put two QBs out of action during games this season: Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger (knee) and Cleveland’s Josh McCown (shoulder.)
But the 2015 Rams are doing a lot more than just generating a pass-rush storm on game day. In the essential areas that truly matter most — making key stops, limiting the potential damage of giveaways by the Rams offense, effectively preventing big plays, denying end-zone access to opponents and setting up a straining STL offense for relatively easy points — coordinator Gregg Williams has his defense playing about just well as any in the NFL.
The Rams have been exploited for only 98 offensive points through six games, an average of 16.3 points per contest that has the defense tied for third with Seattle. Only Denver (82 points) and the NY Jets (91) are stricter on defense. Since the franchise moved here in 1995, we’ve seen a couple of defenses allow fewer points per game than the ’15 Rams have to this point.
And both STL defenses did it for Rams’ teams best known for a prolific offense: the 1999 “Greatest Show” Rams were hit up for an average of only 13.8 points, and the 2001 Rams gave up 15.3 per game. But with all due respect to the ’99 and ’01 defenses, they frequently benefited from a huge competitive advantage set up by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace.
The 1999 and 2001 Rams — each an NFC champion — scored early and often while averaging a dizzying, disorienting 32 points on game day. Any defensive player will tell you that their job is much easier when they’re handed an early lead, and/or a big lead, and asked to protect it against desperate opponents that have little choice but to fling passes to catch up.
This 2015 Rams defense doesn’t enjoy such amenities.
Even with rookie running back Todd Gurley rushing onto the scene to give his team a dramatic burst of ground yards, the Rams offense is among the very worst in the NFL. The Rams have scored only 94 points on offense in six games, an average of 15.6 PPG that’s superior to only one team, San Francisco (14.7.)
Many distressing statistics expose the Rams’ offensive shortcomings. Too many to mention, actually.
The list of ailments would include the No. 31 ranking in yards per game (299), an excessive dropped-passes rate that’s the worst in the league, a high percentage of three-and-out drives, the almost complete absence of lengthy possessions that last 10 plays or longer, the 31st-ranked third-down conversion rate, the league’s lowest total of “air” passing yards (which excludes yards gained after the catch) and only two of 69 possessions that have stretched out to at least five minutes.
Really, the bottom line is this: the Rams are dead last in the NFL in scoring efficiency this season, which simply means the offense is doing less with its possessions than the other 31 teams.
In their 69 offensive series this season, the Rams have scored 10 touchdowns and kicked eight field goals. That scoring rate of 26.1 percent — with the offense coming away with points only 18 times in 69 possessions — is the poorest in the league.
Moreover, the Rams have moved the ball into the Red Zone (inside the opponents’ 20-yard line) only 17 times this season; only four teams have ventured there fewer times.
The Rams’ defense isn’t exactly hitching a ride on the back of the Rams’ offense.
Despite all of the gasping and wheezing on offense — young Mr. Gurley exempted — the Rams have managed to go 3-3 this season. And if the STL offense had even tripped into the end zone for one crumby touchdown in the loss to Pittsburgh, the Rams would be sitting handsomely at 4-2.
The Rams even had a chance to win a game at Green Bay, holding the Packers’ offense to a below-average point total (17) at Lambeau Field. But four turnovers by the Rams offense that day — including two in the Red Zone — nullified the chance to win there.
This team’s multiple offensive flaws make the Rams’ defensive stands even more impressive.
I didn’t say the Rams’ defense is perfect, or that it can’t perform better.
But if anything, I have to say this defense is underrated.
When I click on a piece at my former online home (STLtoday) and see a headline stressing how the Rams defense “finally” arrived in Sunday’s 24-6 victory over Cleveland … well, I don’t know what to say. I suppose I have a different perspective, and that’s OK.
The Rams’ defense played one clunker this season, getting rolled on the grass for 182 yards rushing while being shoved out of the way for three touchdowns in an embarrassing 24-10 loss at Washington in Week Two.
But in the other five games this season the St. Louis defense has been penetrated for only five touchdowns despite facing acclaimed quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers and most recently a hot quarterback in McCown.
(He ranks ninth in the NFL with a passer rating of 96.1, has completed 68 percent of his throws, and has eight touchdowns with three interceptions.)
We already mentioned that the Rams defense is tied for third for fewest points surrendered, and we’ve cited the swirling pass-rush turbulence that’s made opposing quarterbacks so uncomfortable.
But there’s more.
All numbers presented here were culled from STATS LLC unless otherwise noted:
— The Rams defense is No. 1 in the NFL in preventing touchdowns, allowing only eight on 70 possessions. Opponents have scored a touchdown on only 11.4 percent of their series this season, and that’s the lowest rate against an NFL defense.
— The Rams have the league’s best Red Zone defense this season for preventing touchdowns. Opponents have scored five touchdowns on 15 RZ possessions, a TD rate of 33.3 percent that’s the lowest against any of the 32 defenses.
When you effectively blockade the end zone and force your foes to settle for 10 field goals in 15 RZ opportunities — that’s a great job. By the way, this represents substantial improvement from last season; the 2014 Rams got burned by opponents’ touchdowns on 46.2 percent of Red Zone invasions.
— Those 15 Red Zone possessions against the Rams defense are notable for another reason; only Cincinnati (13) has allowed an opponent to enter the RZ fewer times than St. Louis this season.
— The Rams have 13 takeaways, tied for third most in the NFL.
— The St. Louis defense has set up a good percentage of the team’s overall points scored. Of the 108 points scored by the Rams this season — the total includes a fumble return for a touchdown and a punt return for a TD — 46.3 percent of the points were put on the board following a takeaway by the Rams defense.
Of the 94 points specifically scored by the Rams’ offense through six games, 43 were put up after the defense strong-armed its way to a turnover.
— The Rams are tied for third in forcing the most negative plays, 52, that result in lost yards by opponents. Those 52 negative plays have amounted to minus 177 yards.
— The Rams are tied for third in limiting the total points scored (only nine) following a turnover by the Rams offense.
— This defense has the NFL’s highest percentage of “stuffing” running plays — at 15%.
— The Rams are tied for the NFL lead in allowing only six pass plays of 25+ yards. And they’re tied for 10th in giving up the fewest completions of 20+ yards.
Some will squawk about the opponents’ extreme completion percentage (75%) against the Rams defense — and no team has allowed a higher connection rate — but that’s grossly misleading. The Rams aren’t getting shot down by the long ball.
On passing attempts that travel at least 21 yards through the air, quarterbacks have completed one of seven against the St. Louis defense.
The Rams give up the short stuff and aggressively swoop in for the tackle to limit gains. That’s by design. The Rams really make the enemy offense work, and play with patience, to scratch for points; the averaging scoring drive against this defense has required nearly nine plays, 59 yards and an average time of 4 minutes and 8 seconds.
Again, we aren’t touting perfection here. No one is claiming that the 2015 Rams are playing the kind of Hell on Earth defense we saw from the 1985 Chicago Bears or 2000 Baltimore Ravens. But the grades from Pro Football Focus put the Rams defense at No. 2 in the league, behind Denver. And that seems about right.
When your defense is the best in the league overall at preventing touchdowns, is ranked first in Red Zone defense, is tied for third in offensive points allowed, and has set up nearly 50 percent of the points scored by its own offense — we can conclude there’s a helluva lot more going on than pressuring, chasing and dumping quarterbacks.
And what’s happening is pretty special considering that the Rams’ defense is partnered with the NFL’s least effective offense. The weak offense is putting extra stress on the Rams defense, but Williams’ crew continues to respond by confidently handling the emergencies.
Thanks for reading …
-Bernie
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz in Bernie Miklasz, National Football League October 26, 2015
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/26/if-anything-the-rams-defense-is-underrated/
Most of the media coverage on the Rams defense, locally and nationally, dwells on the team’s fiery front four. And for good reason. Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, William Hayes and the Rams’ other defensive linemen are active, disruptive and undeniably hostile to quarterbacks.
In six games, the Rams have hunted their way to 23 sacks (No. 2 among the 30 teams) and 80 quarterback pressures. They’ve already put two QBs out of action during games this season: Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger (knee) and Cleveland’s Josh McCown (shoulder.)
But the 2015 Rams are doing a lot more than just generating a pass-rush storm on game day. In the essential areas that truly matter most — making key stops, limiting the potential damage of giveaways by the Rams offense, effectively preventing big plays, denying end-zone access to opponents and setting up a straining STL offense for relatively easy points — coordinator Gregg Williams has his defense playing about just well as any in the NFL.
The Rams have been exploited for only 98 offensive points through six games, an average of 16.3 points per contest that has the defense tied for third with Seattle. Only Denver (82 points) and the NY Jets (91) are stricter on defense. Since the franchise moved here in 1995, we’ve seen a couple of defenses allow fewer points per game than the ’15 Rams have to this point.
And both STL defenses did it for Rams’ teams best known for a prolific offense: the 1999 “Greatest Show” Rams were hit up for an average of only 13.8 points, and the 2001 Rams gave up 15.3 per game. But with all due respect to the ’99 and ’01 defenses, they frequently benefited from a huge competitive advantage set up by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace.
The 1999 and 2001 Rams — each an NFC champion — scored early and often while averaging a dizzying, disorienting 32 points on game day. Any defensive player will tell you that their job is much easier when they’re handed an early lead, and/or a big lead, and asked to protect it against desperate opponents that have little choice but to fling passes to catch up.
This 2015 Rams defense doesn’t enjoy such amenities.
Even with rookie running back Todd Gurley rushing onto the scene to give his team a dramatic burst of ground yards, the Rams offense is among the very worst in the NFL. The Rams have scored only 94 points on offense in six games, an average of 15.6 PPG that’s superior to only one team, San Francisco (14.7.)
Many distressing statistics expose the Rams’ offensive shortcomings. Too many to mention, actually.
The list of ailments would include the No. 31 ranking in yards per game (299), an excessive dropped-passes rate that’s the worst in the league, a high percentage of three-and-out drives, the almost complete absence of lengthy possessions that last 10 plays or longer, the 31st-ranked third-down conversion rate, the league’s lowest total of “air” passing yards (which excludes yards gained after the catch) and only two of 69 possessions that have stretched out to at least five minutes.
Really, the bottom line is this: the Rams are dead last in the NFL in scoring efficiency this season, which simply means the offense is doing less with its possessions than the other 31 teams.
In their 69 offensive series this season, the Rams have scored 10 touchdowns and kicked eight field goals. That scoring rate of 26.1 percent — with the offense coming away with points only 18 times in 69 possessions — is the poorest in the league.
Moreover, the Rams have moved the ball into the Red Zone (inside the opponents’ 20-yard line) only 17 times this season; only four teams have ventured there fewer times.
The Rams’ defense isn’t exactly hitching a ride on the back of the Rams’ offense.
Despite all of the gasping and wheezing on offense — young Mr. Gurley exempted — the Rams have managed to go 3-3 this season. And if the STL offense had even tripped into the end zone for one crumby touchdown in the loss to Pittsburgh, the Rams would be sitting handsomely at 4-2.
The Rams even had a chance to win a game at Green Bay, holding the Packers’ offense to a below-average point total (17) at Lambeau Field. But four turnovers by the Rams offense that day — including two in the Red Zone — nullified the chance to win there.
This team’s multiple offensive flaws make the Rams’ defensive stands even more impressive.
I didn’t say the Rams’ defense is perfect, or that it can’t perform better.
But if anything, I have to say this defense is underrated.
When I click on a piece at my former online home (STLtoday) and see a headline stressing how the Rams defense “finally” arrived in Sunday’s 24-6 victory over Cleveland … well, I don’t know what to say. I suppose I have a different perspective, and that’s OK.
The Rams’ defense played one clunker this season, getting rolled on the grass for 182 yards rushing while being shoved out of the way for three touchdowns in an embarrassing 24-10 loss at Washington in Week Two.
But in the other five games this season the St. Louis defense has been penetrated for only five touchdowns despite facing acclaimed quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers and most recently a hot quarterback in McCown.
(He ranks ninth in the NFL with a passer rating of 96.1, has completed 68 percent of his throws, and has eight touchdowns with three interceptions.)
We already mentioned that the Rams defense is tied for third for fewest points surrendered, and we’ve cited the swirling pass-rush turbulence that’s made opposing quarterbacks so uncomfortable.
But there’s more.
All numbers presented here were culled from STATS LLC unless otherwise noted:
— The Rams defense is No. 1 in the NFL in preventing touchdowns, allowing only eight on 70 possessions. Opponents have scored a touchdown on only 11.4 percent of their series this season, and that’s the lowest rate against an NFL defense.
— The Rams have the league’s best Red Zone defense this season for preventing touchdowns. Opponents have scored five touchdowns on 15 RZ possessions, a TD rate of 33.3 percent that’s the lowest against any of the 32 defenses.
When you effectively blockade the end zone and force your foes to settle for 10 field goals in 15 RZ opportunities — that’s a great job. By the way, this represents substantial improvement from last season; the 2014 Rams got burned by opponents’ touchdowns on 46.2 percent of Red Zone invasions.
— Those 15 Red Zone possessions against the Rams defense are notable for another reason; only Cincinnati (13) has allowed an opponent to enter the RZ fewer times than St. Louis this season.
— The Rams have 13 takeaways, tied for third most in the NFL.
— The St. Louis defense has set up a good percentage of the team’s overall points scored. Of the 108 points scored by the Rams this season — the total includes a fumble return for a touchdown and a punt return for a TD — 46.3 percent of the points were put on the board following a takeaway by the Rams defense.
Of the 94 points specifically scored by the Rams’ offense through six games, 43 were put up after the defense strong-armed its way to a turnover.
— The Rams are tied for third in forcing the most negative plays, 52, that result in lost yards by opponents. Those 52 negative plays have amounted to minus 177 yards.
— The Rams are tied for third in limiting the total points scored (only nine) following a turnover by the Rams offense.
— This defense has the NFL’s highest percentage of “stuffing” running plays — at 15%.
— The Rams are tied for the NFL lead in allowing only six pass plays of 25+ yards. And they’re tied for 10th in giving up the fewest completions of 20+ yards.
Some will squawk about the opponents’ extreme completion percentage (75%) against the Rams defense — and no team has allowed a higher connection rate — but that’s grossly misleading. The Rams aren’t getting shot down by the long ball.
On passing attempts that travel at least 21 yards through the air, quarterbacks have completed one of seven against the St. Louis defense.
The Rams give up the short stuff and aggressively swoop in for the tackle to limit gains. That’s by design. The Rams really make the enemy offense work, and play with patience, to scratch for points; the averaging scoring drive against this defense has required nearly nine plays, 59 yards and an average time of 4 minutes and 8 seconds.
Again, we aren’t touting perfection here. No one is claiming that the 2015 Rams are playing the kind of Hell on Earth defense we saw from the 1985 Chicago Bears or 2000 Baltimore Ravens. But the grades from Pro Football Focus put the Rams defense at No. 2 in the league, behind Denver. And that seems about right.
When your defense is the best in the league overall at preventing touchdowns, is ranked first in Red Zone defense, is tied for third in offensive points allowed, and has set up nearly 50 percent of the points scored by its own offense — we can conclude there’s a helluva lot more going on than pressuring, chasing and dumping quarterbacks.
And what’s happening is pretty special considering that the Rams’ defense is partnered with the NFL’s least effective offense. The weak offense is putting extra stress on the Rams defense, but Williams’ crew continues to respond by confidently handling the emergencies.
Thanks for reading …
-Bernie
Last edited by a moderator:
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Not sure I've ever seen a quicker DT than Donald (including Randle and Sapp).
https://vine.co/v/eVl7M0IQZWX
https://vine.co/v/eVl7M0IQZWX
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Exec summary, Reader's Digest, business excerpts:
Here are Gurley’s rushing totals, broken down by quarter, in his first three starts:
First Quarter: 12 rushes for 16 yards … 1.3 yards per carry … 3 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 3 times for minus 10 yards.
Second Quarter: 18 rushes for 95 yards … 5.3 yards per carry … 4 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 2 times for minus 5 yards.
Third Quarter: 17 rushes for 112 yards … 6.6 yards per carry and one TD … 3 runs of 10+ yards… 2 stuffs for minus 7 yards.
Fourth Quarter: 21 rushes for 210 yards … 10.0 yards per carry, one TD … 6 runs of 10+ yards … 1 stuff for minus 4 yards.
~In the two victories Gurley has averaged a preposterous 9.1 yards on 25 second-half rushing attempts with two TDs and nine first downs. In the fourth quarter of the two wins, Gurley has averaged 8.8 yards on 16 carries with a TD and five first downs.
~NFL teams traditionally win a high percentage of their games when they lead after three quarters. Getting the lead obviously has been an issue for the Rams since Fisher became coach in 2012. But when they do have an advantage after three quarters, the Rams have done done smashingly well.
As coach of the Oilers/Titans, Fisher was 113-14 when his team led at the start of the fourth quarter.
With the Rams, Fisher is 17-2-1 when up after three quarters.
The Rams Have a Big-Time Closer in Todd Gurley
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/25/the-rams-have-a-closer-in-todd-gurley/
Move over, Trevor Rosenthal.
Make a little room, will ya?
There’s another closer in town, but he doesn’t pitch for the Cardinals or play baseball.
His name is Todd Gurley, the rookie running back chosen 10th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft who just may be the finisher that coach Jeff Fisher needs put opponents away after they’ve been roughed up by the Rams defense and softened by Gurley’s combination power/speed running
Before I continue, here are the obligatory warnings and caveats:
First, Gurley has started three games in his NFL career. Small sample size? No. It’s a speck of a sample.
Next, it doesn’t matter how many yards Gurley romps for on the ground; the Rams won’t win many games unless the defense plays a substantial role in swarming and smothering opponents.
Finally, Gurley can’t do it alone. The Rams’ snoozer of a passing attack had better awaken, and soon, or opposing defenses will do everything but put the National Guard on the field to control Gurley. Running backs that have to win games on solo missions won’t last long. They’ll eventually absorb debilitating beatings, and their batteries will wear out.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way …
Gurley is something else. As I wrote late last week, Gurley is the Rams’ most exciting offensive talent since Marshall Faulk started his last game for the franchise on New Year’s Day, 2006. (The final game of the 2005 season.) I’m not saying Gurley is Faulk, or that Gurley will be a Hall of Famer, or even a one-time All-Pro selection. The rookie back came to the Rams with a surgically mended ACL, and he’ll have to prove he can last.
Gurley cleared another hurdle Sunday, and we’re not talking about his sensational leap over a diving Cleveland tackler to pick up extra yards in one of his most enthralling runs of the day. Gurley played for the first time without a knee brace, and it enhanced his flexibility and probably gave him some extra giddy-up. But this is a tough league that punishes running backs — especially backs that become a fixation for NFL defensive coordinators.
But when Gurley has the football in his hands he makes us sit up, lean forward, or stand in anticipation of watching an instant thrill. And the Rams haven’t had a player like that since Faulk.
Gurley has gone for 146, 159 and 128 yards rushing in his first three NFL starts.
In the first three games of 2015 the Rams were jammed and rushed for 214 yards.
With Gurley as the starter for the next three games, they’ve motored for 513 yards rushing.
Finally: entertainment.
You could say Gurley is an upgrade at the position.
Gurley was the Rams offense in Sunday’s 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns at The Ed. He rushed 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He caught four passes for 35 yards. He accounted for 53 percent of the Rams’ total 308 yards in a game controlled by the Rams defense.
We’ll give the Rams’ defense credit for this one. Gregg Williams’ menacing defenders let Cleveland breathe for only two field goals. They recovered four fumbles — one returned by safety Rodney McLeod for an early touchdown and quickie 7-0 lead, and two others that were cashed in for 10 points.
Browns quarterback Josh McCown was dragged down for four sacks smacked around on many other occasions, and eventually suffered a knockout; McCown had to retreat to the locker room for treatment late in the fourth quarter..
The Rams defense was the boss on Sunday, and that’s why they get the “W.”
But like any good closer, Gurley protected the lead.
Gurley’s gloss prevented his team’s sluggish offense from rolling into the ditch. With Gurley moving moving forward and running through and around tacklers, the Rams can at least go in the right direction (well, most of the time) and reduce the possibility of killer turnovers.
Other than a 41-yard strike from quarterback Nick Foles to WR Kenny Britt that set up Gurley’s first touchdown run of the game — and his NFL career — the Rams’ somnambulant air game hissed for 122 yards on 22 passing attempts. Gurley’s second TD was a beauty: a 16-yard trail of broken and missed tackles to boost the Rams’ leas to 24-6 and put the Browns into submission.
How important is Gurley to the Rams offense?
In his three starts Gurley has 433 yards rushing, and his 485 yards from scrimmage represents exactly 50 percent of the Rams’ net yardage (970) over the three games.
The Rams still have many problems to clean up, but there’s no doubt they’re a better team with Gurley in the house.
“Just an animal, really,” Foles said of Gurley after Sunday’s win. “The guy’s an extremely, talented, hard-worker. His vision, when he runs — like I’ve said before — just watching him run, he’s special. There’s not many people that can run like that, that have ever played this game. So, he’s a young guy that keeps working hard. So, the sky’s the limit to what he can do throughout his career.”
At the outset we’ve seen a pattern. Opponents come out and are determined to stop Gurley from doing damage. The plan succeeds for a while, but Gurley doesn’t back down. He revs up. And as the game grinds on, Gurley and the Rams’ run blockers begin winning the battle.
The Browns had to be reasonably satisfied after containing Gurley to 45 yards rushing in the first half.
Then, in the third quarter, Gurley escaped for a 48-yard run that put Cleveland’s game plan in the shredder.
When asked how he believed his defense did in the mission to contain Gurley, Browns coach Mike Pettine said:
“Hot and cold. That is easy to say except for the (48-yarder), but that is what he does. The two big games that he has had, he had four or five chunk runs that accumulated for about half of the yards he had. I felt at times we did a good job and other times we didn’t. You can tell he is a back and he can make you miss, jump over you. He is patient and he knows when to slow down and he is good with his change of pace. We battled for a while, but unfortunately we weren’t good enough.”
Here are Gurley’s rushing totals, broken down by quarter, in his first three starts:
First Quarter: 12 rushes for 16 yards … 1.3 yards per carry … 3 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 3 times for minus 10 yards.
Second Quarter: 18 rushes for 95 yards … 5.3 yards per carry … 4 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 2 times for minus 5 yards.
Third Quarter: 17 rushes for 112 yards … 6.6 yards per carry and one TD … 3 runs of 10+ yards… 2 stuffs for minus 7 yards.
Fourth Quarter: 21 rushes for 210 yards … 10.0 yards per carry, one TD … 6 runs of 10+ yards … 1 stuff for minus 4 yards.
The Rams, 3-3 overall, are 2-1 with Gurley as the starter with wins over Arizona and Cleveland. Given that Gurley rushed for 159 yards in Green Bay, the loss at Lambeau was hardly his fault. Four interceptions by Foles — two from inside the Green Bay’s 10-yard line — ruined the chance of an upset.
In the two victories Gurley has averaged a preposterous 9.1 yards on 25 second-half rushing attempts with two TDs and nine first downs. In the fourth quarter of the two wins, Gurley has averaged 8.8 yards on 16 carries with a TD and five first downs.
Gurley won’t sustain those extreme stats; impossible. But Gurley closed strong in games during his college career at Georgia, and he’s closing strong in his early weeks with the Rams. And is Gurley’s finishing ability is something the Rams can reasonably count on — even at lesser numbers — then this is another reason why he’s such a good fit for Fisher’s established formula for winning games.
You don’t have to like Fisher’s style of football on offense, and I don’t have to like Fisher’s style of football on offense. So this is not an endorsement of the coach’s beloved system. But Fisher is determined to do things his way, and by now it’s obvious he won’t change. So bang your head all that you want; this is the way it will be.
Accordingly: as long as Fisher is this team’s head coach, it’s absolutely imperative for him to have a back like Gurley to use as a cudgel on the defense later in games when the Rams open a lead.
(Or as I wrote the other day: Eddie George v. 2.0.)
NFL teams traditionally win a high percentage of their games when they lead after three quarters. Getting the lead obviously has been an issue for the Rams since Fisher became coach in 2012. But when they do have an advantage after three quarters, the Rams have done done smashingly well.
As coach of the Oilers/Titans, Fisher was 113-14 when his team led at the start of the fourth quarter.
With the Rams, Fisher is 17-2-1 when up after three quarters.
That includes a 2-0 record with Gurley, the new closer in town.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Here are Gurley’s rushing totals, broken down by quarter, in his first three starts:
First Quarter: 12 rushes for 16 yards … 1.3 yards per carry … 3 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 3 times for minus 10 yards.
Second Quarter: 18 rushes for 95 yards … 5.3 yards per carry … 4 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 2 times for minus 5 yards.
Third Quarter: 17 rushes for 112 yards … 6.6 yards per carry and one TD … 3 runs of 10+ yards… 2 stuffs for minus 7 yards.
Fourth Quarter: 21 rushes for 210 yards … 10.0 yards per carry, one TD … 6 runs of 10+ yards … 1 stuff for minus 4 yards.
~In the two victories Gurley has averaged a preposterous 9.1 yards on 25 second-half rushing attempts with two TDs and nine first downs. In the fourth quarter of the two wins, Gurley has averaged 8.8 yards on 16 carries with a TD and five first downs.
~NFL teams traditionally win a high percentage of their games when they lead after three quarters. Getting the lead obviously has been an issue for the Rams since Fisher became coach in 2012. But when they do have an advantage after three quarters, the Rams have done done smashingly well.
As coach of the Oilers/Titans, Fisher was 113-14 when his team led at the start of the fourth quarter.
With the Rams, Fisher is 17-2-1 when up after three quarters.
The Rams Have a Big-Time Closer in Todd Gurley
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/25/the-rams-have-a-closer-in-todd-gurley/
Move over, Trevor Rosenthal.
Make a little room, will ya?
There’s another closer in town, but he doesn’t pitch for the Cardinals or play baseball.
His name is Todd Gurley, the rookie running back chosen 10th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft who just may be the finisher that coach Jeff Fisher needs put opponents away after they’ve been roughed up by the Rams defense and softened by Gurley’s combination power/speed running
Before I continue, here are the obligatory warnings and caveats:
First, Gurley has started three games in his NFL career. Small sample size? No. It’s a speck of a sample.
Next, it doesn’t matter how many yards Gurley romps for on the ground; the Rams won’t win many games unless the defense plays a substantial role in swarming and smothering opponents.
Finally, Gurley can’t do it alone. The Rams’ snoozer of a passing attack had better awaken, and soon, or opposing defenses will do everything but put the National Guard on the field to control Gurley. Running backs that have to win games on solo missions won’t last long. They’ll eventually absorb debilitating beatings, and their batteries will wear out.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way …
Gurley is something else. As I wrote late last week, Gurley is the Rams’ most exciting offensive talent since Marshall Faulk started his last game for the franchise on New Year’s Day, 2006. (The final game of the 2005 season.) I’m not saying Gurley is Faulk, or that Gurley will be a Hall of Famer, or even a one-time All-Pro selection. The rookie back came to the Rams with a surgically mended ACL, and he’ll have to prove he can last.
Gurley cleared another hurdle Sunday, and we’re not talking about his sensational leap over a diving Cleveland tackler to pick up extra yards in one of his most enthralling runs of the day. Gurley played for the first time without a knee brace, and it enhanced his flexibility and probably gave him some extra giddy-up. But this is a tough league that punishes running backs — especially backs that become a fixation for NFL defensive coordinators.
But when Gurley has the football in his hands he makes us sit up, lean forward, or stand in anticipation of watching an instant thrill. And the Rams haven’t had a player like that since Faulk.
Gurley has gone for 146, 159 and 128 yards rushing in his first three NFL starts.
In the first three games of 2015 the Rams were jammed and rushed for 214 yards.
With Gurley as the starter for the next three games, they’ve motored for 513 yards rushing.
Finally: entertainment.
You could say Gurley is an upgrade at the position.
Gurley was the Rams offense in Sunday’s 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns at The Ed. He rushed 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He caught four passes for 35 yards. He accounted for 53 percent of the Rams’ total 308 yards in a game controlled by the Rams defense.
We’ll give the Rams’ defense credit for this one. Gregg Williams’ menacing defenders let Cleveland breathe for only two field goals. They recovered four fumbles — one returned by safety Rodney McLeod for an early touchdown and quickie 7-0 lead, and two others that were cashed in for 10 points.
Browns quarterback Josh McCown was dragged down for four sacks smacked around on many other occasions, and eventually suffered a knockout; McCown had to retreat to the locker room for treatment late in the fourth quarter..
The Rams defense was the boss on Sunday, and that’s why they get the “W.”
But like any good closer, Gurley protected the lead.
Gurley’s gloss prevented his team’s sluggish offense from rolling into the ditch. With Gurley moving moving forward and running through and around tacklers, the Rams can at least go in the right direction (well, most of the time) and reduce the possibility of killer turnovers.
Other than a 41-yard strike from quarterback Nick Foles to WR Kenny Britt that set up Gurley’s first touchdown run of the game — and his NFL career — the Rams’ somnambulant air game hissed for 122 yards on 22 passing attempts. Gurley’s second TD was a beauty: a 16-yard trail of broken and missed tackles to boost the Rams’ leas to 24-6 and put the Browns into submission.
How important is Gurley to the Rams offense?
In his three starts Gurley has 433 yards rushing, and his 485 yards from scrimmage represents exactly 50 percent of the Rams’ net yardage (970) over the three games.
The Rams still have many problems to clean up, but there’s no doubt they’re a better team with Gurley in the house.
“Just an animal, really,” Foles said of Gurley after Sunday’s win. “The guy’s an extremely, talented, hard-worker. His vision, when he runs — like I’ve said before — just watching him run, he’s special. There’s not many people that can run like that, that have ever played this game. So, he’s a young guy that keeps working hard. So, the sky’s the limit to what he can do throughout his career.”
At the outset we’ve seen a pattern. Opponents come out and are determined to stop Gurley from doing damage. The plan succeeds for a while, but Gurley doesn’t back down. He revs up. And as the game grinds on, Gurley and the Rams’ run blockers begin winning the battle.
The Browns had to be reasonably satisfied after containing Gurley to 45 yards rushing in the first half.
Then, in the third quarter, Gurley escaped for a 48-yard run that put Cleveland’s game plan in the shredder.
When asked how he believed his defense did in the mission to contain Gurley, Browns coach Mike Pettine said:
“Hot and cold. That is easy to say except for the (48-yarder), but that is what he does. The two big games that he has had, he had four or five chunk runs that accumulated for about half of the yards he had. I felt at times we did a good job and other times we didn’t. You can tell he is a back and he can make you miss, jump over you. He is patient and he knows when to slow down and he is good with his change of pace. We battled for a while, but unfortunately we weren’t good enough.”
Here are Gurley’s rushing totals, broken down by quarter, in his first three starts:
First Quarter: 12 rushes for 16 yards … 1.3 yards per carry … 3 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 3 times for minus 10 yards.
Second Quarter: 18 rushes for 95 yards … 5.3 yards per carry … 4 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 2 times for minus 5 yards.
Third Quarter: 17 rushes for 112 yards … 6.6 yards per carry and one TD … 3 runs of 10+ yards… 2 stuffs for minus 7 yards.
Fourth Quarter: 21 rushes for 210 yards … 10.0 yards per carry, one TD … 6 runs of 10+ yards … 1 stuff for minus 4 yards.
The Rams, 3-3 overall, are 2-1 with Gurley as the starter with wins over Arizona and Cleveland. Given that Gurley rushed for 159 yards in Green Bay, the loss at Lambeau was hardly his fault. Four interceptions by Foles — two from inside the Green Bay’s 10-yard line — ruined the chance of an upset.
In the two victories Gurley has averaged a preposterous 9.1 yards on 25 second-half rushing attempts with two TDs and nine first downs. In the fourth quarter of the two wins, Gurley has averaged 8.8 yards on 16 carries with a TD and five first downs.
Gurley won’t sustain those extreme stats; impossible. But Gurley closed strong in games during his college career at Georgia, and he’s closing strong in his early weeks with the Rams. And is Gurley’s finishing ability is something the Rams can reasonably count on — even at lesser numbers — then this is another reason why he’s such a good fit for Fisher’s established formula for winning games.
You don’t have to like Fisher’s style of football on offense, and I don’t have to like Fisher’s style of football on offense. So this is not an endorsement of the coach’s beloved system. But Fisher is determined to do things his way, and by now it’s obvious he won’t change. So bang your head all that you want; this is the way it will be.
Accordingly: as long as Fisher is this team’s head coach, it’s absolutely imperative for him to have a back like Gurley to use as a cudgel on the defense later in games when the Rams open a lead.
(Or as I wrote the other day: Eddie George v. 2.0.)
NFL teams traditionally win a high percentage of their games when they lead after three quarters. Getting the lead obviously has been an issue for the Rams since Fisher became coach in 2012. But when they do have an advantage after three quarters, the Rams have done done smashingly well.
As coach of the Oilers/Titans, Fisher was 113-14 when his team led at the start of the fourth quarter.
With the Rams, Fisher is 17-2-1 when up after three quarters.
That includes a 2-0 record with Gurley, the new closer in town.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Last edited by a moderator:
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Losing WLB Alec Ogletree was a blow, but SS Mark Barron is picking up the slack (16 tackles, including 10 solo on Sunday). Rams are using him like ARI uses Deone Bucannon (third in the league among safeties in solo tackles, Honey Badger is fourth).
Safety valve: Rams' Barron racks up 16 tackles in move to linebacker
FOX Sports
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/st-louis-rams-mark-barron-thrives-at-linebacker-102515The
St. Louis Rams absorbed a big blow on defense when outside linebacker Alec Ogletree suffered a fractured right fibula that left his season in doubt.
Replacing the team's leading tackler from each of the past two seasons would be no easy task, but the Week 6 bye allowed the Rams to get creative with their linebacker corps and slide Mark Barron from safety to weak-side linebacker for Sunday's game versus Cleveland.
“I think that’s a great spot for Mark,” Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins said. “Hard-nosed hitter. Loves to be around the ball. High energy.”
Barron made the move look brilliant with a stellar performance Sunday. He registered a team-high 16 tackles, including 10 solo and two for losses, as the Rams forced four turnovers, collected four sacks and surrendered only a pair of field goals in a 24-6 victory.
“I’m just playing football,” Barron said. “That’s easy to me. I just line up and I know my responsibility. And as long as I know my responsibility, I can do that. It’s not a hard adjustment. It’s just football.”
Barron helped snuff out one of Cleveland's last hopes, combining with safety T.J. McDonald to force a fumble by Browns wideout Travis Benjamin near midfield early in the fourth quarter. The Rams recovered and running back Todd Gurley scored seven plays later for a commanding 24-6 lead.
“We've asked him to do a lot more with Alec being gone," St. Louis middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said of Barron. “He knows a lot of football and really triggers when he sees a play happening he goes for it.”
Safety valve: Rams' Barron racks up 16 tackles in move to linebacker
FOX Sports
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/st-louis-rams-mark-barron-thrives-at-linebacker-102515The
St. Louis Rams absorbed a big blow on defense when outside linebacker Alec Ogletree suffered a fractured right fibula that left his season in doubt.
Replacing the team's leading tackler from each of the past two seasons would be no easy task, but the Week 6 bye allowed the Rams to get creative with their linebacker corps and slide Mark Barron from safety to weak-side linebacker for Sunday's game versus Cleveland.
“I think that’s a great spot for Mark,” Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins said. “Hard-nosed hitter. Loves to be around the ball. High energy.”
Barron made the move look brilliant with a stellar performance Sunday. He registered a team-high 16 tackles, including 10 solo and two for losses, as the Rams forced four turnovers, collected four sacks and surrendered only a pair of field goals in a 24-6 victory.
“I’m just playing football,” Barron said. “That’s easy to me. I just line up and I know my responsibility. And as long as I know my responsibility, I can do that. It’s not a hard adjustment. It’s just football.”
Barron helped snuff out one of Cleveland's last hopes, combining with safety T.J. McDonald to force a fumble by Browns wideout Travis Benjamin near midfield early in the fourth quarter. The Rams recovered and running back Todd Gurley scored seven plays later for a commanding 24-6 lead.
“We've asked him to do a lot more with Alec being gone," St. Louis middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said of Barron. “He knows a lot of football and really triggers when he sees a play happening he goes for it.”
Last edited by a moderator:
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Gurley most rushing yards in first four starts since the merger.
Cross-posted from Gurley thread.
Gurley may not be as game script-dependent as initially feared by some, IF the game script is, win with Gurley.
Record BG (1-2)
Record AG (3-1)
* Admittedly the schedule was tougher in the first third of the season, and eased up in the middle third.
Cross-posted from Gurley thread.
Gurley may not be as game script-dependent as initially feared by some, IF the game script is, win with Gurley.
Record BG (1-2)
Record AG (3-1)
* Admittedly the schedule was tougher in the first third of the season, and eased up in the middle third.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Post #320 above on how inept the Rams offense had been to the bye (first five games).
I think the first time the Rams have been 4-3 since 2006 (and/or above .500 this late in the season)?
Similar scores past two weeks, 24-6 and 27-6 against CLE and SF, respectively, could be a correlation where Gurley helps the defense (but again, not exactly powerhouse opposing offenses).
Gurley could be a big enough difference maker to lift the Rams to the playoffs for the first time in a decade plus.
I think the first time the Rams have been 4-3 since 2006 (and/or above .500 this late in the season)?
Similar scores past two weeks, 24-6 and 27-6 against CLE and SF, respectively, could be a correlation where Gurley helps the defense (but again, not exactly powerhouse opposing offenses).
Gurley could be a big enough difference maker to lift the Rams to the playoffs for the first time in a decade plus.
Last edited by a moderator:
ShaHBucks
Footballguy
Weird one.. Rams are 4-0 when Foles had a QB Rate >80. Was, and two of the better defenses in the league (imo) Pitt and GB Foles QB rate < 80.Gurley most rushing yards in first four starts since the merger.
Cross-posted from Gurley thread.
Gurley may not be as game script-dependent as initially feared by some, IF the game script is, win with Gurley.
Record BG (1-2)
Record AG (3-1)
* Admittedly the schedule was tougher in the first third of the season, and eased up in the middle third.
Obviously context need be applied. A lot of people, including me, slammed Fisher for his ancient offensive philosophy, but it would be funny if he gets the last laugh with a great defense, heavy run game and an efficient/low-volume passing game.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
I think they were 1/12 on third down Sunday, and have struggled there extending back at least another game, which probably won't get it done against better teams.
@ Vikings will be a good test, they are currently in the wildcard spot, and Rams right behind them. Also an interesting matchup of the two top backs (Charles, Foster and Bell have all gone down in recent weeks, Forte may be injured, too?) in Peterson and Gurley.
@ Vikings will be a good test, they are currently in the wildcard spot, and Rams right behind them. Also an interesting matchup of the two top backs (Charles, Foster and Bell have all gone down in recent weeks, Forte may be injured, too?) in Peterson and Gurley.
Last edited by a moderator:
Biabreakable
Footballguy
I have been thinking about this match up and what Peterson did the first time he faced off against LT.
As a Vikings fan I hope their defense can do better against Gurley than SD did against Peterson, a part of me is worried though, the Vikings defense and the way Zimmer calls defense leaves some weakness against the run in exchange for being better in pass rush. That should not be plan against the Rams at all. Hopefully the Vikings are up to the task.
I am hoping the match up invigorates Peterson as well.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Same Old Reasons Are To Blame For Rams’ Latest Defeat Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/09/same-old-reasons-are-to-blame-for-rams-latest-defeat/
When the Rams are at their worst, the underlying reasons are familiar and predictable. The way it all goes down is so numbingly dull, so routine, the Rams can’t even come with new and exciting ways to lose a game. Hey, at least they’re consistent at something.
The Rams formula for frustration should be trademarked by head coach Jeff Fisher.
The specifications include:
— Bad penalties, dumbo penalties, untimely penalties — and a general lack of discipline. These folks commit more errors than **** Groat (40 for the 1964 baseball Cardinals), and spend more time in the penalty box than Bob Gassoff (306 minutes for the 1975-76 Blues.)
— An offense that would require the navigational assistance of some of history’s greatest explorers — Lewis and Clark, Edmund Hillary, Kurt Warner, Christopher Columbus, Marshall Faulk, Ponce de Leon, Az Hakim, Marco Polo, Isaac Bruce, Ferdinand Magellan, Torry Holt, Amerigo Vespucci, and Ricky Proehl — to reach the end zone on a regular basis.
— A passing game that’s so ineffective, it brings back memories of Steve Pisarkiewicz.
— A success rate in converting third-down plays that’s so poor, it would only be fair to give them five downs, just like the 1990 Colorado Buffaloes in that infamous 1990 game at Mizzou.
These flaws surfaced again Sunday at Minnesota.
In losing to 21-18 to the Vikings in overtime, the Rams mishandled a 15-10 halftime lead, went bankrupt on an opportunity to win a third consecutive game, and squandered the chance to leave the Twin Cities with a 5-3 record. Instead of improving their odds of making the playoffs, the Rams fell to 4-4 and drifted lower in the unofficial NFC wild card standings.
We can point the finger at Fisher’s odd (and failed) decision to go for a two-point conversion after the Rams cut into the Vikings’ 10-lead when Todd Gurley wrestled his way to touchdown run late in the first quarter.
We can be so frustrated by the play calling — and this team’s bizarre refusal to utilize the middle of the field in the passing game — that it makes us want to rub the TV watch-party guacamole in our faces.
We can gripe about the ultra-conservative approach that makes Ted Cruz look a liberal by comparison. (OK, I’m guilty of a mixed sports-politics metaphor there; forgive me but it’s late Sunday night as I write this and my brain is weary.)
And some will even try to blame this on the Rams defense for giving up 21 points, including two red-zone touchdowns on runs by Adrian Peterson and Teddy Bridgewater. The defense could have played better, yes. Their pass-rush pressure was way off. But to dump this on the defense is misplaced. The Rams held the Vikings to a below-average 293 total yards, stopped the home team on 10 of 13 third-down plays, limited Minnesota’s quarterbacks to a 57.5 passer rating, and forced eight punts.
Over the last five-plus NFL seasons, when a visiting team goes into the opponent’s den and gives up exactly 21 points, they’d posted a 21-12 record (.636 winning percentage) through last weekend. While imperfect — and certainly guilty of too many committing knucklehead penalties — the Rams defense wasn’t the culprit here.
Really, this winnable game became an opportunity lost for the same reasons that usually blow up the Rams’ unsteady bandwagon: excessive penalties, an unimaginative and clumsy passing offense, and an incomprehensible third-down futility that’s reached historically low levels.
The Rams were penalized 12 times for 93 yards. I had a feeling this could happen; on Friday, I wrote a warning about the potentially hazardous impact of too many penalties. But this team’s penalty epidemic has been a major detriment since Fisher became coach in 2012. The Rams have been hit with the most penalties (444) in the league since 2012, and the lapses in discipline are often costly.
This was certainly true in Sunday’s game. Of Minnesota’s 21 first downs, six came via Rams penalties. On the two early possessions that produced a 10-0 lead, the Vikings took advantage of four St. Louis penalties. And if you think a high penalty count isn’t a factor in losing football games, I don’t know what to tell you. Well, actually I do. When the Rams have been @#$%& with at least 10 penalties in a game with Fisher as coach, their record is 3-9-1. And when Rams have been hit with at least 12 penalties in a game under Fisher, they’re 1-6-1.
The offense continues to sputter. The Rams had 14 possessions in Sunday’s defeat, and five of the 14 were three-and-out drives. That makes 27 three-and-outs in 98 possessions this series, a rate (27.5%) that puts them bear the bottom of the NFL. These three-and-outs are killers for obvious reasons — with one being that it gives Gurley fewer opportunities to break off a big run. These aborted drives also put more of a burden on the Rams defense.
The Rams have scored 18 points or fewer in nearly half (46.4%) of Fisher’s 56 games as head coach. And when they max out at 18 points in a game during Fisher’s term, the Rams’ record is 4-22. This is something I’ve been yapping about for quite some time now; you can’t expect to string together wins with an offense that’s so limited in points production. Yeah, you can win games if Gurley is rushing for 140 yards and breaking the opponents’ backs with long runs — especially if the Rams defense is partnering with Gurley to pound the other side with sacks, pressures, negative plays and takeaways. But we have to be realistic about this; it can’t (and won’t) happen in every game. The Rams need to make more plays — first downs and touchdowns — to win more consistently.
The Rams scored one touchdown on their 15 series against Minnesota. Field goals are a nice consolation but can’t match the impact of touchdowns. Through their first eight games, the Rams’ offense has scored 14 touchdowns on 98 possessions for a TD success rate of 14.2 percent. That touchdown efficiency puts the Rams at No. 30 in the NFL rankings.
Not only that, but a Rams’ offense hasn’t scored touchdowns at a lower rate since the 2011 Rams managed a touchdown on only 8.2 percent of their possessions.
So halfway through the 2015 season — and granted, this could improve — this is Fisher’s worst offense for scoring touchdowns since he moved in at Rams Park.
Sunday in Minnesota, the Rams’ followed up on their hopeful 15-point first half by scoring only three more points and accumulating a mere 102 yards of offense over their final eight possessions. Quarterback Nick Foles had only 29 net passing yards after halftime.
After being up 15-10 at the half, and having a chance to expand on their lead, the Rams went flat — with only 48 yards (and five punts) on their first five possessions of the second half.
The Rams intercepted a pass on Minnesota’s first possession of the third quarter — and the Rams offense came onto the field after the takeaway, lost 10 yards, and punted.
In their one shot in overtime, the Rams lost six yards and punted; Minnesota promptly moved in for the winning field goal.
It was another depressing display, but we shouldn’t be surprised by it. The Rams’ offense is averaging 17 points per game this season; only San Francisco has done worse.
This is Fisher’s fourth season here, and he’s never had an offense average more than 17.4 points per game (that, in 2013.) Fisher’s first offense, back in 2012, was also his lowest-scoring offense, averaging 14.8 points per contest. Four years into his program, Fisher’s offense has increased its scoring average by a little more than two points per game. The progress is negligible.
Obviously, the terrible failure to move the chains on third down is paramount in the struggles. After converting only 2 of 16 against the Vikings, the Rams’ third-down success rate for the 2015 slipped to 23.7 percent. This is really awful.
So awful that I went back through the STATS LLC research bank and couldn’t find an NFL offense that had a poorer third-down rate in a season. I had to stop at 1972, because that was the first year STATS tracked the third-down percentages. Among the more recent seasons only San Francisco — 24 percent in 2005 was close — to the Rams’ current futility.
Foles is hardly the only problem on third down. There’s little evidence of creative strategy. The receivers don’t get open. Dropped passes are dropped opportunities. There are too many breakdowns in pass protection.
Statistically Foles is as sorry as any quarterback in the league in third-down passing, completing only 46.4 percent, averaging a dinky 5.31 yards per attempt, and bogged down in a 62.9 passer rating. Only 22.6 percent of his third-down throws have picked up a first down.
(And forget third downs for a moment; Foles had a chance to give the Rams a huge lift early in Sunday’s game, but failed to spot a streaking Kenny Britt downfield to make connections on a likely home-run pass. Foles and the Rams can’t miss on easy chances for big plays. They just can’t.)
And as we mentioned earlier, the Rams simply make themselves easy to defend by declining to utilize the middle of the field when they sling the football. (I’ll post updated numbers on that on Monday.) It makes no sense.
Even with all of the inefficiencies and screw-ups, the Rams were right there on Sunday — having a chance to claim a victory, and I suppose we can draw some hope and optimism from that. But we can’t can’t gloss over the potential repercussions of the Rams’ inability to capture a winnable game. According the site FiveThirtyEight.com, the Rams had a 26 percent chance of making the NFC playoffs before their game with the Vikings. And the loss left them with a 20 percent chance of qualifying for the NFC tournament.
Here’s a rundown of the positioning for the two NFC wild-card spots:
Green Bay and Minnesota are tied for the NFC North lead at 6-2. One will win the division; the other will be relegated to the wild-card pool.
Atlanta is second in the NFC South at 6-3.
St. Louis and Seattle are tied for second in the NFC West at 4-4.
Philadelphia is second in the NFC East at 4-4.
The Rams have to make their move, make up ground, and the upcoming schedule will give them a chance to climb back. But we waste a lot of time talking about hypothetical victories. The truth is, the Rams won’t be able to make a serious run for a playoff ticket unless they clean up their penalty problems, increase their woeful performance on third down, and begin scoring more touchdowns. The Rams are a pretty good team that has to solve some pretty bad problems.
Thanks for reading …
http://www.101sports.com/2015/11/09/same-old-reasons-are-to-blame-for-rams-latest-defeat/
When the Rams are at their worst, the underlying reasons are familiar and predictable. The way it all goes down is so numbingly dull, so routine, the Rams can’t even come with new and exciting ways to lose a game. Hey, at least they’re consistent at something.
The Rams formula for frustration should be trademarked by head coach Jeff Fisher.
The specifications include:
— Bad penalties, dumbo penalties, untimely penalties — and a general lack of discipline. These folks commit more errors than **** Groat (40 for the 1964 baseball Cardinals), and spend more time in the penalty box than Bob Gassoff (306 minutes for the 1975-76 Blues.)
— An offense that would require the navigational assistance of some of history’s greatest explorers — Lewis and Clark, Edmund Hillary, Kurt Warner, Christopher Columbus, Marshall Faulk, Ponce de Leon, Az Hakim, Marco Polo, Isaac Bruce, Ferdinand Magellan, Torry Holt, Amerigo Vespucci, and Ricky Proehl — to reach the end zone on a regular basis.
— A passing game that’s so ineffective, it brings back memories of Steve Pisarkiewicz.
— A success rate in converting third-down plays that’s so poor, it would only be fair to give them five downs, just like the 1990 Colorado Buffaloes in that infamous 1990 game at Mizzou.
These flaws surfaced again Sunday at Minnesota.
In losing to 21-18 to the Vikings in overtime, the Rams mishandled a 15-10 halftime lead, went bankrupt on an opportunity to win a third consecutive game, and squandered the chance to leave the Twin Cities with a 5-3 record. Instead of improving their odds of making the playoffs, the Rams fell to 4-4 and drifted lower in the unofficial NFC wild card standings.
We can point the finger at Fisher’s odd (and failed) decision to go for a two-point conversion after the Rams cut into the Vikings’ 10-lead when Todd Gurley wrestled his way to touchdown run late in the first quarter.
We can be so frustrated by the play calling — and this team’s bizarre refusal to utilize the middle of the field in the passing game — that it makes us want to rub the TV watch-party guacamole in our faces.
We can gripe about the ultra-conservative approach that makes Ted Cruz look a liberal by comparison. (OK, I’m guilty of a mixed sports-politics metaphor there; forgive me but it’s late Sunday night as I write this and my brain is weary.)
And some will even try to blame this on the Rams defense for giving up 21 points, including two red-zone touchdowns on runs by Adrian Peterson and Teddy Bridgewater. The defense could have played better, yes. Their pass-rush pressure was way off. But to dump this on the defense is misplaced. The Rams held the Vikings to a below-average 293 total yards, stopped the home team on 10 of 13 third-down plays, limited Minnesota’s quarterbacks to a 57.5 passer rating, and forced eight punts.
Over the last five-plus NFL seasons, when a visiting team goes into the opponent’s den and gives up exactly 21 points, they’d posted a 21-12 record (.636 winning percentage) through last weekend. While imperfect — and certainly guilty of too many committing knucklehead penalties — the Rams defense wasn’t the culprit here.
Really, this winnable game became an opportunity lost for the same reasons that usually blow up the Rams’ unsteady bandwagon: excessive penalties, an unimaginative and clumsy passing offense, and an incomprehensible third-down futility that’s reached historically low levels.
The Rams were penalized 12 times for 93 yards. I had a feeling this could happen; on Friday, I wrote a warning about the potentially hazardous impact of too many penalties. But this team’s penalty epidemic has been a major detriment since Fisher became coach in 2012. The Rams have been hit with the most penalties (444) in the league since 2012, and the lapses in discipline are often costly.
This was certainly true in Sunday’s game. Of Minnesota’s 21 first downs, six came via Rams penalties. On the two early possessions that produced a 10-0 lead, the Vikings took advantage of four St. Louis penalties. And if you think a high penalty count isn’t a factor in losing football games, I don’t know what to tell you. Well, actually I do. When the Rams have been @#$%& with at least 10 penalties in a game with Fisher as coach, their record is 3-9-1. And when Rams have been hit with at least 12 penalties in a game under Fisher, they’re 1-6-1.
The offense continues to sputter. The Rams had 14 possessions in Sunday’s defeat, and five of the 14 were three-and-out drives. That makes 27 three-and-outs in 98 possessions this series, a rate (27.5%) that puts them bear the bottom of the NFL. These three-and-outs are killers for obvious reasons — with one being that it gives Gurley fewer opportunities to break off a big run. These aborted drives also put more of a burden on the Rams defense.
The Rams have scored 18 points or fewer in nearly half (46.4%) of Fisher’s 56 games as head coach. And when they max out at 18 points in a game during Fisher’s term, the Rams’ record is 4-22. This is something I’ve been yapping about for quite some time now; you can’t expect to string together wins with an offense that’s so limited in points production. Yeah, you can win games if Gurley is rushing for 140 yards and breaking the opponents’ backs with long runs — especially if the Rams defense is partnering with Gurley to pound the other side with sacks, pressures, negative plays and takeaways. But we have to be realistic about this; it can’t (and won’t) happen in every game. The Rams need to make more plays — first downs and touchdowns — to win more consistently.
The Rams scored one touchdown on their 15 series against Minnesota. Field goals are a nice consolation but can’t match the impact of touchdowns. Through their first eight games, the Rams’ offense has scored 14 touchdowns on 98 possessions for a TD success rate of 14.2 percent. That touchdown efficiency puts the Rams at No. 30 in the NFL rankings.
Not only that, but a Rams’ offense hasn’t scored touchdowns at a lower rate since the 2011 Rams managed a touchdown on only 8.2 percent of their possessions.
So halfway through the 2015 season — and granted, this could improve — this is Fisher’s worst offense for scoring touchdowns since he moved in at Rams Park.
Sunday in Minnesota, the Rams’ followed up on their hopeful 15-point first half by scoring only three more points and accumulating a mere 102 yards of offense over their final eight possessions. Quarterback Nick Foles had only 29 net passing yards after halftime.
After being up 15-10 at the half, and having a chance to expand on their lead, the Rams went flat — with only 48 yards (and five punts) on their first five possessions of the second half.
The Rams intercepted a pass on Minnesota’s first possession of the third quarter — and the Rams offense came onto the field after the takeaway, lost 10 yards, and punted.
In their one shot in overtime, the Rams lost six yards and punted; Minnesota promptly moved in for the winning field goal.
It was another depressing display, but we shouldn’t be surprised by it. The Rams’ offense is averaging 17 points per game this season; only San Francisco has done worse.
This is Fisher’s fourth season here, and he’s never had an offense average more than 17.4 points per game (that, in 2013.) Fisher’s first offense, back in 2012, was also his lowest-scoring offense, averaging 14.8 points per contest. Four years into his program, Fisher’s offense has increased its scoring average by a little more than two points per game. The progress is negligible.
Obviously, the terrible failure to move the chains on third down is paramount in the struggles. After converting only 2 of 16 against the Vikings, the Rams’ third-down success rate for the 2015 slipped to 23.7 percent. This is really awful.
So awful that I went back through the STATS LLC research bank and couldn’t find an NFL offense that had a poorer third-down rate in a season. I had to stop at 1972, because that was the first year STATS tracked the third-down percentages. Among the more recent seasons only San Francisco — 24 percent in 2005 was close — to the Rams’ current futility.
Foles is hardly the only problem on third down. There’s little evidence of creative strategy. The receivers don’t get open. Dropped passes are dropped opportunities. There are too many breakdowns in pass protection.
Statistically Foles is as sorry as any quarterback in the league in third-down passing, completing only 46.4 percent, averaging a dinky 5.31 yards per attempt, and bogged down in a 62.9 passer rating. Only 22.6 percent of his third-down throws have picked up a first down.
(And forget third downs for a moment; Foles had a chance to give the Rams a huge lift early in Sunday’s game, but failed to spot a streaking Kenny Britt downfield to make connections on a likely home-run pass. Foles and the Rams can’t miss on easy chances for big plays. They just can’t.)
And as we mentioned earlier, the Rams simply make themselves easy to defend by declining to utilize the middle of the field when they sling the football. (I’ll post updated numbers on that on Monday.) It makes no sense.
Even with all of the inefficiencies and screw-ups, the Rams were right there on Sunday — having a chance to claim a victory, and I suppose we can draw some hope and optimism from that. But we can’t can’t gloss over the potential repercussions of the Rams’ inability to capture a winnable game. According the site FiveThirtyEight.com, the Rams had a 26 percent chance of making the NFC playoffs before their game with the Vikings. And the loss left them with a 20 percent chance of qualifying for the NFC tournament.
Here’s a rundown of the positioning for the two NFC wild-card spots:
Green Bay and Minnesota are tied for the NFC North lead at 6-2. One will win the division; the other will be relegated to the wild-card pool.
Atlanta is second in the NFC South at 6-3.
St. Louis and Seattle are tied for second in the NFC West at 4-4.
Philadelphia is second in the NFC East at 4-4.
The Rams have to make their move, make up ground, and the upcoming schedule will give them a chance to climb back. But we waste a lot of time talking about hypothetical victories. The truth is, the Rams won’t be able to make a serious run for a playoff ticket unless they clean up their penalty problems, increase their woeful performance on third down, and begin scoring more touchdowns. The Rams are a pretty good team that has to solve some pretty bad problems.
Thanks for reading …
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Injuries may be starting to catch up to the Rams.
Not to be an apologist or make excuses, Vikings missing good looking rookie MLB Kendricks and DT Floyd (as well as Bridgewater part of the game).
Maybe a sign of progress (though not from a putrid, appallingly poor offense) is that these were the kind of games the Rams used to routinely lose for the better part of the last decade, EVEN WHEN HEALTHY.
Yesterday, every level of the defense was impacted by injury.
Both starting DEs.
WLB Ogletree was playing at a Pro Bowl level (though ostensible safety Barron has been great in relief with a Deone Buchanon-type role).
SS McDonald, also Gaines went to IR before the season (though Tru Johnson was the previous starter, not sure if he would have won the job in camp and he has also played well in "relief").
On offense, RT Havenstein (statistically the Rams best and most reliable OL in 2015 despite being a rookie, playing an integral role in Gurley breaking rookie rushing records in his first four starts, perhaps similar to being instrumental in Gordon breaking school rushing records at Wisconsin in 2014?).
AFTER losing Saffold earlier, the Rams singular experienced starting offensive lineman (amidst the youngest, most inexperienced OL in the league, probably by far?), so 40% down.
* In other news, the Rams are close to being off the hook for the conditional 2016 4th round pick involved in the Bradford/Foles trade (I think the conditional third was removed when Bradford took his first snap in game one?). He has played every offensive snap at the midpoint of the season.
Not to be an apologist or make excuses, Vikings missing good looking rookie MLB Kendricks and DT Floyd (as well as Bridgewater part of the game).
Maybe a sign of progress (though not from a putrid, appallingly poor offense) is that these were the kind of games the Rams used to routinely lose for the better part of the last decade, EVEN WHEN HEALTHY.
Yesterday, every level of the defense was impacted by injury.
Both starting DEs.
WLB Ogletree was playing at a Pro Bowl level (though ostensible safety Barron has been great in relief with a Deone Buchanon-type role).
SS McDonald, also Gaines went to IR before the season (though Tru Johnson was the previous starter, not sure if he would have won the job in camp and he has also played well in "relief").
On offense, RT Havenstein (statistically the Rams best and most reliable OL in 2015 despite being a rookie, playing an integral role in Gurley breaking rookie rushing records in his first four starts, perhaps similar to being instrumental in Gordon breaking school rushing records at Wisconsin in 2014?).
AFTER losing Saffold earlier, the Rams singular experienced starting offensive lineman (amidst the youngest, most inexperienced OL in the league, probably by far?), so 40% down.
* In other news, the Rams are close to being off the hook for the conditional 2016 4th round pick involved in the Bradford/Foles trade (I think the conditional third was removed when Bradford took his first snap in game one?). He has played every offensive snap at the midpoint of the season.
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Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Rams not getting enough from QB Nick Foles by Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/23399/rams-not-getting-enough-from-quarterback-nick-foles
MINNEAPOLIS -- On a blustery Minnesota afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings sent a clear message to the St. Louis Rams with a simple choice made after a simple coin toss.
As the team captains converged at midfield before overtime in an 18-18 game, the Rams called tails and the coin came up heads, giving Minnesota the choice. Because of NFL overtime rules, teams almost always take the ball first in overtime because a touchdown on the first possession ends the game without the opponent ever touching it.
But with the wind swirling on the west end of the stadium, the Vikings threw a curveball, opting to have the wind at their back and giving the Rams a chance to win it to open the extra period. Rams coach Jeff Fisher admitted he was not expecting the Vikings to make that decision.
"I was not, no," Fisher said. "It worked out for them."
That it did as the Vikings couldn't have scripted it much better, getting the Rams to go three and out, forcing them to punt into the wind and promptly picking up enough yards to kick a game-winning field goal. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said he didn't want to give the Rams the wind at their back because kicker Greg Zuerlein had connected from 61 and 53 yards kicking toward the east goal posts.
What Zimmer didn't say but was implied was that the Rams offense, particularly quarterback Nick Foles, could beat his defense without something special from running back Todd Gurley or receiver Tavon Austin.
"The first thing is I was surprised," Vikings end Brian Robison said. "The second thing is it tells me he has confidence in us to go out there and get the job done. Anytime your coach has that type of confidence in the defense, you don't want to disappoint."
After Gurley lost 6 yards on the first play from scrimmage, the Rams were essentially done. Foles and the passing game had barely pushed the ball down the field most of the day with a couple of notable exceptions. Coordinator Frank Cignetti didn't show much desire to try it in overtime as the next play was a quick screen for no gain and then an overthrow from Foles on third down.
That brought to an end another long day at the office for Foles. While Foles didn't have any turnovers, that was really the only statistic on his final line that looked like a positive. He finished 18-of-33 for 168 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 68.8 and a QBR of 32.0.
Of those 33 attempts, Foles attempted just five passes that traveled 20 or more yards down the field. He converted two of those for 78 yards and should have had another on a deep ball that Austin dropped though that ball was also under thrown.
Foles wasn't fond of his performance in evaluating it after the game.
"Not good enough to win," Foles said. "I put a lot on myself and I have to just keep playing better and growing as a quarterback. We have to get touchdowns, especially on the road. We have to get touchdowns when we get in the red zone."
The Rams aren't going to ask Foles to suddenly start throwing it all over the yard in part because of spotty pass protection and inconsistent receivers but until or unless they can get more from him, it's going to be hard for them to be a complete offense.
Part of that includes Foles taking advantage when he does have opportunities to get the ball down the field. On the game's opening play, Foles had Britt running free for a possible touchdown and didn't throw it. While the Rams were going into the wind on that play, Foles later hit Britt for that 55-yard gain going in the same direction.
For the season, Foles is 12-of-31 on throws traveling 20-plus yards in the air for 448 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for a 94.5 passer rating and an 87.8 QBR. Those numbers aren't bad, actually, but the Rams need to do it more and Foles has to be willing to cut it loose when it's called.
Since throwing for 297 yards in the season opener, Foles hasn't so much as even hit 200 passing yards in the seven ensuing games.
"We're not as productive as we'd like to be on offense," coach Jeff Fisher said. "We made some bigger plays but when it came down to it, we did not continue to keep drives alive. That's been a problem for us here the last few weeks so we have got to keep working on that."
Halfway through the season, there's no doubt that this is Gurley's offense with Austin close behind. But on days like Sunday when an opponent is doing all it can to take the rookie runner out of it, the onus falls on Foles to make something happen. It's a bet that right now, opponents are willing to make.
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/23399/rams-not-getting-enough-from-quarterback-nick-foles
MINNEAPOLIS -- On a blustery Minnesota afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings sent a clear message to the St. Louis Rams with a simple choice made after a simple coin toss.
As the team captains converged at midfield before overtime in an 18-18 game, the Rams called tails and the coin came up heads, giving Minnesota the choice. Because of NFL overtime rules, teams almost always take the ball first in overtime because a touchdown on the first possession ends the game without the opponent ever touching it.
But with the wind swirling on the west end of the stadium, the Vikings threw a curveball, opting to have the wind at their back and giving the Rams a chance to win it to open the extra period. Rams coach Jeff Fisher admitted he was not expecting the Vikings to make that decision.
"I was not, no," Fisher said. "It worked out for them."
That it did as the Vikings couldn't have scripted it much better, getting the Rams to go three and out, forcing them to punt into the wind and promptly picking up enough yards to kick a game-winning field goal. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said he didn't want to give the Rams the wind at their back because kicker Greg Zuerlein had connected from 61 and 53 yards kicking toward the east goal posts.
What Zimmer didn't say but was implied was that the Rams offense, particularly quarterback Nick Foles, could beat his defense without something special from running back Todd Gurley or receiver Tavon Austin.
"The first thing is I was surprised," Vikings end Brian Robison said. "The second thing is it tells me he has confidence in us to go out there and get the job done. Anytime your coach has that type of confidence in the defense, you don't want to disappoint."
After Gurley lost 6 yards on the first play from scrimmage, the Rams were essentially done. Foles and the passing game had barely pushed the ball down the field most of the day with a couple of notable exceptions. Coordinator Frank Cignetti didn't show much desire to try it in overtime as the next play was a quick screen for no gain and then an overthrow from Foles on third down.
That brought to an end another long day at the office for Foles. While Foles didn't have any turnovers, that was really the only statistic on his final line that looked like a positive. He finished 18-of-33 for 168 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 68.8 and a QBR of 32.0.
Of those 33 attempts, Foles attempted just five passes that traveled 20 or more yards down the field. He converted two of those for 78 yards and should have had another on a deep ball that Austin dropped though that ball was also under thrown.
Foles wasn't fond of his performance in evaluating it after the game.
"Not good enough to win," Foles said. "I put a lot on myself and I have to just keep playing better and growing as a quarterback. We have to get touchdowns, especially on the road. We have to get touchdowns when we get in the red zone."
The Rams aren't going to ask Foles to suddenly start throwing it all over the yard in part because of spotty pass protection and inconsistent receivers but until or unless they can get more from him, it's going to be hard for them to be a complete offense.
Part of that includes Foles taking advantage when he does have opportunities to get the ball down the field. On the game's opening play, Foles had Britt running free for a possible touchdown and didn't throw it. While the Rams were going into the wind on that play, Foles later hit Britt for that 55-yard gain going in the same direction.
For the season, Foles is 12-of-31 on throws traveling 20-plus yards in the air for 448 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for a 94.5 passer rating and an 87.8 QBR. Those numbers aren't bad, actually, but the Rams need to do it more and Foles has to be willing to cut it loose when it's called.
Since throwing for 297 yards in the season opener, Foles hasn't so much as even hit 200 passing yards in the seven ensuing games.
"We're not as productive as we'd like to be on offense," coach Jeff Fisher said. "We made some bigger plays but when it came down to it, we did not continue to keep drives alive. That's been a problem for us here the last few weeks so we have got to keep working on that."
Halfway through the season, there's no doubt that this is Gurley's offense with Austin close behind. But on days like Sunday when an opponent is doing all it can to take the rookie runner out of it, the onus falls on Foles to make something happen. It's a bet that right now, opponents are willing to make.
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jurb26
Footballguy
Yeah, I thought Foles kind of cost them the game. He played poorly. Maybe as poorly as I've seen him play this year even though the stats weren't that bad. He missed several easy throws and open guys.
Teams are LOADING the box to stop Gurley. I mean loading it like nothing I think I've seen in years. It's a constant 8 man front, some times more.
Foles simply has to start making more plays in the passing game. Then again the oline could also play better and give him some more time.
Injuries have certainly had an impact, but more than anything this comes down to Foles. He dictates if this is a playoff team or not IMO.
Teams are LOADING the box to stop Gurley. I mean loading it like nothing I think I've seen in years. It's a constant 8 man front, some times more.
Foles simply has to start making more plays in the passing game. Then again the oline could also play better and give him some more time.
Injuries have certainly had an impact, but more than anything this comes down to Foles. He dictates if this is a playoff team or not IMO.
jurb26
Footballguy
Not sure what to make of this, but looks like they are signing Welker.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000576758/article/wes-welker-expected-to-sign-with-rams
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000576758/article/wes-welker-expected-to-sign-with-rams
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
Yeah, he is a concussion away from retiring.
Bailey was suspended four games for violating the substance abuse policy (again). It's going to be hard for the Rams to trust him going forward, very disappointing development. He hasn't been used much this year, but he had 300+ receiving yards in a month span last year after his first suspension.
Bailey was suspended four games for violating the substance abuse policy (again). It's going to be hard for the Rams to trust him going forward, very disappointing development. He hasn't been used much this year, but he had 300+ receiving yards in a month span last year after his first suspension.
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