2011 ending offensive depth chart on STLouisRams.com

I’m sure you’re reading the title and wondering why.  Okay, I realize the Rams have greater needs than in those two positions but I thought I’d start out with these since they are the easiest to deal with right now.

This is how the St. Louis Rams offense looked at the end of the December.  I know, the O-line is a jumbled up mess.  You can find some of the regular starters on the IR.  Ugh.  Question is how many of them do the Rams want back?  Ahem, Jason Smith, it might be the last time I’m looking at you.

» Continue reading “Rams Off Season Needs: Back Up QB’s & RB’s”

QB Kellen Clemens (Courtesy of STLouisRams.com)

Oh, how I long to write something up for a victory Monday.  It’s only been done twice this year and I honestly thought I’d be typing one up today but alas, the Rams are, well, the Rams.

Clemens Solid; Third-Down Woes Continue for Rams

Clemens had five practices with the team before starting against the Bengals because Sam Bradford (ankle) and A.J. Feeley (thumb) were out with injuries.

Although there were the usual struggles for the offense on third-down plays, Clemens ran the offense efficiently and finished the game with a 95.7 passer rating.

Interesting enough, Clemens’ 95.7 passer rating just after one game is higher than any of the Sam Bradford’s 10 starts.  The highest passer rating by Bradford is 85.8 which came in week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals.  What does that say about the Rams’ game planning and how they approach the two quarterbacks differently.

If Clemens continues to perform this way the last two games of the season we could have a quarterback controversy next season – for the back up position, that is.

Rams’ defensive players deserve better

But with this stagnant offense, that’s never enough. When you have an offense that scores less than one touchdown a game, when the game plan is based on a strategy that demands almost zero defensive margin for error, you know what’s going to happen.

There’s only so much the Rams defense can do to keep the team in the game.  I thought the Rams defense held their own and then some.  They kept Bengals RB Cedric Benson at bay in the first half and chased QB Andy Dalton making him uncomfortable.  They kept the Bengals to one 21-yard Mike Nugent field goal at half time.

Unfortunately, the Rams offense only contributed 6 points in the first half and only added a TD during garbage time.  Great news for those who actually own WR Danario Alexander in their fantasy leagues.  (You really shouldn’t have any Rams other than maybe Steven Jackson on your rosters but that’s another story.)

Shahid Khan Says He Never Made Statement Claiming Jaguars A Better Organization Than The Rams

According Demoff, Khan said that the statement was taken down because he would not say that because he did not believe it.

So, did he or didn’t he say those things about the Rams organization?  The new Jaguars owner, Shahid Khan, went out of his way to call Rams COO Kevin Demoff to clear the air.  Let me guess, he was taken out of context.  Whatever he said or even if he meant it right now it’s hard not to agree with his original statement.

And for those of you who want Spags gone you might have to wait a little bit longer.  According to NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora,

The St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t plan to make any coaching changes this week, sources with knowledge of the situation said Monday.

The Rams (2-12) and Bucs (4-10) have struggled despite entering the season with labels as up-and-coming teams with young starting quarterbacks and playoff aspirations. Both have failed to meet expectations and dealt with injuries throughout their rosters, leaving the futures of coaches Steve Spagnuolo and Raheem Morris in doubt as the losses pile up.

If any coaching changes are made, at this point, they would be made at the end of the season.

We meet again... For the last time.

12/10/11 Rams at Seahawks Injury Report

 

I tell you what, I think I said this yesterday, I am thoroughly impressed with the command in the huddle and the spitting out the verbage and just some little things I saw in there. He was lining up, moving running backs over. He did a nice job with it , both him and QB Tom Brandstater today.

I think we got over some hurdles with MRIs and checks and all that, but it didn’t feel right to go.

What? Not even a photo?

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas (on 101 ESPN’s radio show Zach and the Coach) back up QB A.J. Feeley injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime near the end of the game yesterday.  Feeley is due to have an MRI today and will hopefully have more information later this afternoon.

Okay, here’s one picture I found of our third string QB and possible starter for the Monday Night Football game against the Seahawsks in Seattle.

Rams fans, I give you Tom Brandstater.

Originally drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round (174th pick, Josh McDaniels connection…) he spent his rookie year in Denver but didn’t see any play time on the field.  The following year with the arrival of Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn he was released by June 2010.

He then traveled the NFL making stops on practice squads and/or off season rosters for the Colts, Dolphins and most recently spent one month with the Cowboys at the start of the 2011 season.

The Rams signed Brandstater in September to the practice squad, promoted in October, and then waived in November.  But with the nagging high ankle sprain for Sam Bradford the Rams needed a true third QB for their roster so here we are again.

(Yes, insert the “Why release Thaddeus Lewis rant here.)

We’ll see how today’s practice and injury report plays out.  In the meantime, I hope Mr. Brandstater is drowning himself in the Rams playbook.  It can’t get any worse than yesterday’s offensive performance, right?

UPDATED @3:00pm: From Ron Clements,

The Rams won’t know the availability of QBs Sam Bradford (sprained ankle) or A.J. Feeley(broken thumb) until Tuesday at the earliest, coach Steve Spagnuolo said Monday. Spagnuolo called Feeley’s injury “very concerning based on the situation Sam’s in.” Spagnuolo said the decision to sit Bradford on Sunday was “strictly to protect him.

From Ruben G. - Thanks RG

Honestly, what else is there really to do at this point.  Getting riled up and ticked off doesn’t make the Rams play any better.

The bitterly disappointed energy from all the fans can’t fuel the broken machine that is Rams Park.

Let’s access the damage from yesterday’s shutout in depth and move onward.

Futile Rams Fall To Niners 26-0

The Rams’ defense bent, bent, and bent some more. And finally, with one flick of the wrist of Alex Smith — on a deep throw to Michael Crabtree – it broke. Smith’s 52-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree, who got behind cornerback Justin King on the play, gave San Francisco a 16-0 lead 5 minutes into the third quarter.

The defense can only hold out for so long before it just can’t handle the weight of the unproductive offense.  In this case, the numbers do lie.  The Rams defense isn’t as bad as they appear – at least in certain positions.

Say what you will about the defense (especially the cornerbacks) but you can’t deny DE Chris Long (2 sacks), James Hall (3 tackles, 1 sack) , S Craig Dahl (12 tackles) and LB James Laurinaitis (11 tackles, 1 sack) played their rears off yesterday.

Kroenke Plotting Changes For Rams

With some players, it was nothing more than a firm handshake and a quick word. With others, Kroenke lingered a bit longer, placing a hand on a shoulder, maybe holding on to a forearm, too. But each time, he looked them all square in their eyes and spoke to nearly every player in the room.

“I just wanted them to know that I appreciated their efforts,” Kroenke would say a few minutes later as he stood in a narrow hallway just outside the locker room. “I know they don’t count that in the NFL, but I wanted to make sure the players knew I do appreciate their effort.“

Silent Stan breaks his silence but the words out of his mouth weren’t necessarily what I had expected.  I was glad to hear and read he still appreciates the effort from the players.  With him you just never know what’s going on inside his head.

As for changes, he did the proper thing saying he won’t discuss such things mid-season.  Keeping the rest of us to wonder and speculate whether Spags and Devaney (and others) will still be Kroenke’s employees come January.

Rams Report Card: Coaches Fail Again

D, D, D, F, F, C, C, F, C-, F.

Not much else to say is there?

19 yards today. 19 yards...

Puhaha.  Wah!  Puhaha!  Wah!  Rams lose to the newly crowned NFC West division champions, 49ers, 0-26.

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.  Right now it’s back and forth between conflicting emotions.  Laugh because it’s utterly ridiculous how bad the Rams are and cry because it’s just so sad for the other Rams fans today.

Just a few quick thoughts:

-Actually the Rams defense held up okay in the first quarter and kept 49ers RB Frank Gore in check.

Ugh...

Frank Gore got the ball 21 times and ran for 73 yards.  Pretty decent considering what the Rams have been giving up in previous weeks.

I think the defense did what it could for as long as it could.  But with the offense only able to stay on the field for 24 minutes what can the defense do?  I told you it was going to be a test of cardiovascular endurance.

-The numbers don’t lie and sometimes (a lot of the times) truth hurts.

Pro Football Talk’s Gregg Rosenthal tweeted:

Epic Fail

I don’t even know what to say about that statistic!  How do you not even break the opponent’s 45-yard line?

-Jerious Norwood (11 carries) and Steven Jackson (10 carries) both ran for only NINETEEN yards each.  Granted the 49ers have the number one rushing defense but c’mon!  Steven Jackson has to be utilized in other ways if he’s not having success pounding the ball.  (He had one reception for 11 yards from one target.)

The Rams as a TEAM ran for a grand total of 31 yards.  But 19 + 19 = 38.  Brit Miller (-1) and Austin Pettis (-6) ran for -7 yards.

I’ll have to torture myself and go back to watch the game in its entirety.  Check back for more tomorrow.

Until then here are some “positive” notes via the Rams:

- DE Chris Long notched two sacks in the first half of play, to give him 12.0 for the season, 29.5 career. Coming into today’s game, Long was tied for fifth most sacks in the NFL and the NFC.

- Long’s last two-sack game came against San Diego (10/17/10). Long had a three-sack game earlier in the season against New Orleans (10/30/11).

- Long has now recorded a sack in six consecutive games, the streak started Week 8 vs. New Orleans and is a new career long.

- According to press box statistics, Long also recorded three solo tackles, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.

- DE James Hall tallied his fifth (5) sack of the season, 62.0 for his career, with a takedown of Smith in the third quarter. Hall ranks third among Rams’ in sacks this season.

- According to press box statistics, Hall also tallied three solo tackles, two tackles for loss and one hit on the quarterback.

- LB James Laurinaitis sacked Smith in the second quarter for an 8-yard loss, marks his second sack of the season, seventh (7) career.

- According to press box statistics, Laurinaitis split the team lead in tackles with Craig Dahl, each credited with 12 (10 solo). Dahl was also brought in one forced fumble.

- RB Steven Jackson rushed 10 times for 19 yards, and caught one pass for 11 yards to bring his career all-purpose yards to 11,691, just 16 yards shy of tying Henry Ellard for third in team history.

- QB A.J. Feeley made his third start of the season, completing 12-of-22 attempts for 156 yards.

- WR Brandon Gibson led the team in receptions and receiving yards with four for 42 yards, a 10.5-yard average.

- P Donnie Jones punted eight times for 317 yards, a 39.6-yard average, 37.3-yard net. Tallied a long of 49 yards and placed one inside the 20.

Even this made me reach for the tissue box.  And these were supposed to be positive notes.  Wah!

It’s that time again, folks.  It’s a Saturday night and I know you’re all just so excited at the prospect of watching your Rams duke it out with the NFC West division leading San Francisco 49ers.  It’s their first meeting of the season – unfortunately for the Rams.

Honestly, when the season first started I had imagined the records of the two teams reversed.  Never in a million years did I think Jim Harbaugh could turn the 49ers around as he has.   The team has taken on their coach’s personality and have bought into the tough as nails Harbaugh Way.  He’s basically taken the same players and have them functioning as a TEAM.  That there folks is what a good coach does.  It’s about how they come together as a team.

Most surprising is how QB Alex Smith has managed to control the offensive game of the 49ers.  He’s operating with his seventh offensive coordinator in seven years.  People had written Alex Smith off about three years ago but here he is leading his team to the second best record in the NFL.  Just goes to show you, you just never know.

Do the Rams have any chance to beat the 49ers?  Probably not.  The best results we could realistically expect is to get through this game without placing more Rams players on the IR.  It’s getting quite crowded, you know.  At last count it was 13.

So perhaps it’s just coincidence (or fortuitous luck) on Sam Bradford‘s part to be suffering from a high ankle sprain.  Because if I had any sympathy for Bradford (and had any gauge on how important #8 is to the franchise) I wouldn’t be playing him behind an O-line that couldn’t protect their QB from a rally squirrel attack.

Next man up is QB A.J. Feeley.  Can he lead the Rams to another shocking win against a heavily favored opponent like he did with the Saints?  Again, most likely not.  Then again…  You know the drill.  In the wake of Feeley starting the Rams had to waive LB Ben Leber to make room for the emergency and now back up to Feeley, QB Tom Brandstater.  Welcome back, Tom.

(Insert the obligatory “What a great free agent signing Leber was.” and the “Why in the world did the Rams let go QB Thaddeus Lewis and LB Jabara Williams?” rants.)

Week 13: Rams at 49ers

What the Rams offense needs to do:

Normally this would be part of the post where I’d write, “Protect Sam Bradford.”  But with Bradford safely manning the clipboard on the sideline I think the offensive line can rest a bit easier.  They have him listed as a GTD (game time decision) but I highly doubt he’ll be playing.

Haha, sorry Mr. Feeley.  It’s just not going to be your day.  You’re going to be chased by the Smith Brothers.  Okay, they’re not really brothers but the Mizzou products DT Justin Smith and rookie LB Aldon Smith will be wreaking havoc.  They can’t lose sight of LB Patrick Willis or CB Carlos Rogers either.

Feeley still has to try and get the ball out to WR’s Brandon Lloyd, Brandon Gibson, and to the returning Danario Alexander.  They’ll need to spread out the 49er defense so Steven Jackson can get some running room.

This is also the spot where I’d say “run the rock” but the 49ers are number one in rush defense.  But that doesn’t mean RB Steven Jackson won’t give it a legitimate go at it.  What else can the Rams do in this case, right?  He’ll have to fully turn on the Beast mode and we’ll see where that leads.  I’m hoping he can get at least some running game going.  Maybe looking at 70 yards rushing and one TD?  Maybe I’m being too optimistic.

Speaking of beast mode… You know what Steven Jackson’s sweet tooth craves, don’t you?  It’s been well documented that his sweet snack of choice is none other than – Skittles.  Worked well for Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch so why not for Steven Jackson.  Go get the man a Costco size bag of it, STAT!

What the Rams defense needs to do:

Make some plays!  Okay, I’ll settle for just some solid tackling at this point.  I fear the defense will have to come up with some points to keep this game respectable.  But with DE Chris Long listed as probable with his own ankle injury it could be a long afternoon for the defense.  Hope you guys worked on your cardiovascular endurance because you might be out there a very long time.

The Rams secondary will already be without SS Darian Stewart (concussion) so let’s pray they don’t lose anyone else back there.

49ers RB Frank Gore is averaging 82.6 yards/game coming into this game.  Look for that average to take a big leap after Sunday.  The Rams rushing D has been a great vehicle for opposing RB’s to boost their stats.  Ask Cowboys’ RB DeMarco Murray (253 yards) and Cardinals’ RB Beanie Wells (228 yards).

That doesn’t mean you can ignore the passing game though.  Alex Smith can still chuck a ball or two to WR’s Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards and his scary TE Vernon Davis.

What the Rams special teams need to do:

Contain return man Ted Ginn Jr.  You saw what Cardinals’ return dude Patrick Peterson did to the Rams in two games.  Ted Ginn Jr. is just as capable of breaking one as well.

Who will win:

The 49ers will win this game with a score of 28-10, win their tenth game to go 10-2, and with it clinch (yes, I said CLINCH) in the 13th week the NFC West division title.

Rams inch ever so close to that second pick in the draft falling to 2-10.

Sunday marks the first all important divisional game for the revitalized St. Louis Rams.  Their first opponent: the Arizona Cardinals minus their star quarterback Kevin Kolb.  John Skelton will be at the helm for the Cardinals.

Rams quarterback, Sam Bradford, is listed as probable and is considered a game time decision.  If Bradford can’t start it will up to back up A.J. Feeley to lead the team just like he did in the win against the New Orleans Saints.

When schedule makers looked into their crystal ball in the spring they did not envision the sexy match up of Feeley vs. Skelton.

But this game goes beyond the dueling quarterbacks.  These two teams are headed in opposite directions from 1-6.

The Cardinals haven’t won a game since their opener against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.  Since then they’ve lost six straight – some very winnable games.  The Rams, on the other hand, are fresh off their victory against the Saints and seemingly directed in the upward direction.

Rams must feed upon the fight and anger they displayed in their first win and take that to Arizona.  Heck, they need to channel that energy into each and every game from here on out.  But Sunday’s game is the first step in catching up with the San Francisco 49ers to take the division title.

What the Rams offense needs to do:

I think we can pretty much take a similar approach to this game as they did with the Saints – RUN THE ROCK.

RB Steven Jackson must come out roaring again and establish the running game.   My guess is Feeley will start and play the game so the aerial attack will be somewhat limited.

But don’t count out Feeley just yet.  He will have a good game against the Cardinals’ league 30th pass defense.

Trey Wingo of ESPN’s NFL LIVE made his bold prediction this week:  Rams WR Brandon Lloyd will tally 7 receptions for 150 yards and 3 TD’s.

I can go along with the 7 receptions but will take it easy with the TD count.  I see at least one and maybe two at best.  But still look for Brandon “You can’t see me” Lloyd to have a solid outing.  I’m so confident that I have him as my WR2 for my fantasy team.  Many of us are counting on your BL.

Names to watch out for on the Arizona defense are the usual suspects:  DE Calais Campbell, DE Darnell Dockett (this dude is mad man), and LB Carlos Dansby.

What the Rams defense needs to do:

Back up QB John Skelton is not a bad passer.  He’s not great but he’s but to underestimate him would be to make the same mistake the Saints did in A.J. Feeley.

Remember the Cardinals have this guy Larry Fitzgerald who can make up for most QB’s faults.  Just toss it up there and Fitz will get it.  Look for the them to test out our newly devised secondary.  It will be interesting to see who gets the fun job of trailing Fitz throughout the game.  I wouldn’t want that job, that’s for sure.

Obviously the Cardinals are less of a threat with Skelton than the Saints were with Drew Brees.  But the Rams should not take anything for granted.  Continue with the rushing the passer model which worked extremely well to disrupt Brees.  Lots of outside pressure brought on by DE’s Chris Long from one side and Robert Quinn from the other.  Look for them to get at least one sack each.

As for the Arizona running game their starting RB Beanie Wells is probable (knee) so there’s some good news there.  LB’s James Laurinaitis and Chris Chamberlain will have to pick up the extra slack with Brian Kehl (ankle) and Brady Poppinga (calf) listed as probable.

The Special Teams

The Cardinals first round pick, CB Patrick Peterson, is a duel threat.  He returned a punt for 82 yards against the Ravens for a touchdown.  There’s a reason the Cardinals took him at fifth overall in the draft.  Watch out for him to potentially be the difference maker in this game.

My pick:

The Rams will win this one in the desert by a score of 24 to 17.

Holy cow!  Did that just really happen?  Don’t let the 31-21 score fool you.  The game really wasn’t that close.  Saints QB Drew Brees threw a garbage time TD to WR Lance Moore to extend his 35 passing TD game streak – and maybe for his fantasy owners.

The baseball Cardinals fresh off their incredible team of destiny win in the World Series were honored and in attendance as the game started.

What in the world happened out there today?

The Rams defense kept the Saints’ first 7 series to: Punt, missed field goal wide left, punt, punt, punt blocked, INT and punt.  They had the Saints shut out going into half time.  Plenty of people did their double take as they checked out the ESPN score boards.

Just because the first win is so beautiful...

1. The running game got back on track with some great blocking from G Jacob Bell, TE’s Lance Kendricks and Mike Hoomanawanui.   
2. RB Steven Jackson benefited from the improved blocking by putting up 159 yards off of 25 carries resulting in 2 TD’s.  He also contributed to the passing game with 4 receptions for 32 yards.
3. LB James Laurinaitis and DE Chris Long finally emerged as the defensive leaders.  Laurinaitis wreaked havoc all over the field with 10 sacks, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for losses.  Chris Long scored a sack hat trick beating up on Saints Charles Brown to take down Saints QB Drew Brees.
4. Robert Quinn stepped it up! 3 QB hits and one monstrous sack.  He’s starting to show off his burst off the line there.
5. Surprise stars of the game: CB’s Josh Gordy with an INT.  And Darian Stewart did him one up with a pick 6 in the 4th quarter to seal the game.
6. Rams QB A.J. Feeley quietly had a decent game after a rough start.  Finished the game 20/37 with 175 yards and 1 TD.  His QB rating of 75.8 narrowly beat out Saints QB Drew Bress (QB rating= 73) who three 30/44, 269 yards for 1 TD and 2 INT’s.
7. Welcome to St. Louis, Brandon Lloyd. The WR came through with some critical catches (and some untimely drops but we’ll just glance over that for now) to move the chains down the field.  6 catches for 53 yards and his first TD as a Ram.
8. The game wasn’t without the usual Rams penalties but when you win those aren’t as glaring.

We’ll have the next few days to bask in the glory of the Rams first win but that’s today’s game in a nut shell.

The 5-2 New Orleans Saints are headed into town Sunday to face off with the Rams. Don’t think for one minute they will be merciful as evident in their 62-7 smack down of the equally winless Indianapolis Colts last week. The head coach Sean Payton will not show any compassion. So much for being saints, eh?

I cannot even begin to imagine that the score will be come 4:00pm Sunday afternoon. What’s your over/under on how many points the Saints will score on the Rams.

Someone from Connecticut told me there is a 50 point rule in high school football. If a team beats their opponent by 50 points then the coach of the winning team can’t coach the next week. That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. But this week that might have come in handy for the Rams. Sean Payton may not be on the sidelines to call all the plays but he’ll be surveying from the coaches’ booth.

Rams Offense

Looks like for a second week in a row back up QB A. J. Feeley will be leading the team. Sam Bradford, still nursing a bad high ankle sprain, will not be able to help his team on the field.

OT Jason Smith is out indefinitely with a concussion and neck injuries so veteran Adam Goldberg will start in his place.

This is just purely conjecture on my part but even if Bradford was well enough to play I would have kept him out of this one. Why let your franchise QB get pummeled in a game where you don’t really have much of a chance. Let him rest, recover, and then think about going against the Cardinals next week.

I fully expect RB Steven Jackson to have a good game and pretty much be the Rams offense. Just hard to see the Rams passing game doing more than the usual dink and dunk with some dump passes and screens – especially with WR Danario Alexander being doubtful with an injured hammy.

Look for WR Greg Salas and Brandon Lloyd to pick up some extra receptions with DX’s absence. Speaking of WR’s, Mark Clayton will most likely be out with a sore Achilles’ tendon. Maybe this could be a good opportunity to get Austin Pettis back into the WR rotation. Or it might be nice to see more of TE Lance Kendricks. Remember him?

Rams Defense

DT Darell Scott (concussion) and LB Brady Poppinga (calf) did not practice this week and will be out this Sunday. CB Justin King (groin) is questionable. And tell me if you’ve heard this one before: (newly signed) CB Brian Jackson was placed on IR – yes, you heard right. Yet another CB on IR. Rams expect DE C.J. Ah You (wrist) and CB Marquis Johnson (newly activated from the PUP) to return against the Saints.

QB Drew Brees and his arsenal of WR’s will be more than happy to pad their statistics and help their respective fantasy owners this week against the Rams secondary. (Too bad I don’t have any of them…) But the one to really keep an eye on is their TE Jimmy Graham.

As the Saints top receiver, Jimmy Graham, has 45 completions on 66 targets for 674 yards and 5 TD’s. The most telling stat though could be the 233 YAC though – that’s 1/3 of his total yards. Standing at 6′ 6″ he’s a match up nightmare for any of the Rams defensive players.

The Saints running game took a hit when their rookie RB Mark Ingram was ruled out of game with a heel injury. Look for the spryly RB Darren Sproles to take his place in the starting line up with a touch of the big guy Pierre Thomas to change things up.

Rams Special Teams

RB Darren Sproles is listed as both the Saints kick and punt returner. So with him taking over the starting running duties I’m not sure how much he’ll be involved in the return game. Then again he could be on Energizer Bunny mode and hurt the Rams from two facets of the game.

With all the red zone troubles the Rams continue to have they may be relying on the right foot of K Josh Brown again this Sunday – that’s assuming they can get into field goal range.

Who will win

No surprise here folks. The Saints beat the Rams in a not-so-close game: 45-10. Rams fall to 0-7.