Mock no more, St. Louis Rams fans. The real 2013 NFL Draft is finally here. Or in other words, Merry Draftmas!

Rams GM Les Snead and Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

After months of speculation, misinformation, and smoke and mirrors (you get the point) we know who the newest additions to the Rams herd.

Hours leading up to the bewitching hour rumors of the Rams trading UP to grab WVU WR Tavon Austin picked up steam and had Rams fan in a tizzy.

Usually where there’s smoke there’s also fire but during draft week it could all be just that, smoke.

But not this time.

With @Wynnde13 banging the table and giving Les Snead an earful the past few weeks it looks like he took her advice.

The cost of the trade? Rams swap first round picks with Buffalo, Rams give up their second, swap third round picks, and give up a seventh round pick per Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas.

From @KaraHenderson Snead just moments after the Rams pick. Enough said.

Kara Henderson Snead’s Tavon Austin Tweet

Here is the official St. Louis Rams write up on Austin.

Enjoy the pick while you can because the Rams still have pick #22 on tap. –> They need to trade down and recoup a second round pick.

The highly anticipated free agency period, arguably the craziest week in the NFL, is finally upon us. So get ready to hunker down in front of your computer and make sure your favorite Twitter app up and functioning properly. Once Tuesday, March 12, 3:00 p.m. CDT gets here you’re not going to want to miss a single tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and your favorite NFL team beat writer. (If you’re a Rams fan then you’re just waiting for Jim Thomas’ tweets.)

I think this new “legal tampering” window that the NFL instituted at midnight Saturday is laughable at best. Under the new guidelines teams are given permission to converse with certified agents of opposing teams free agents with the league’s blessings. BUT…

It is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to, or to be offered to, any prospective Unrestricted Free Agent for inclusion in a Player Contract after the start of the new League Year.

I know the league isn’t so naive to think that discussions aren’t already going on behind closed doors and over the airwaves. Inquiries and dialogue, albeit informal, have been taking places for weeks. The NFL underwear Olympics (scouting combine) isn’t the only thing that takes place in Indianapolis in late February.

» Continue reading “Things I Think: St. Louis Rams Pre-Free Agency Edition”

There’s no doubt of my affections for the Rich Eisen Podcast (REP). I listen to it every week and over the years it’s easily become my favorite NFL related iPod listens. It’s the perfect combination of everything NFL and pop culture so if that’s right up your alley then this is the podcast for you.

So it was a very pleasant surprise when I saw that this week’s episode had NFL Network’s Rich Eisen’s sit down with St. Louis Rams head coach and NFL Competition Committee member Jeff Fisher for the REP’s Combine Special.

They chat about Coach Fisher’s first year in St. Louis, the NFL scouting combine, and a few other important Rams topics.

St. Louis Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher on The Rich Eisen Podcast.

Rich Eisen: How do you rank your first year in St. Louis?

» Continue reading “St. Louis Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher On The Rich Eisen Podcast”

I’m going to try something new (Thanks to our Broncos  writer, Brenda.) by jotting down observations, big plays, and anything else that stands out during each quarter.

First Quarter

Rams offense’s stop and go is giving me motion sickness. Third down conversions compounded by a false start penalty (Robert Turner) is not helping the Rams’ cause. Dramamine anyone?

Continued chants of “Craig Dahl sucks” overflow my Twitter timeline as he whiffs on two open field tackles. What are Rams fans going to do when Dahl isn’t around next year as their punching bag?

Seattle’s Russell Wilson continues to show flashes of why Pete Carroll sat Matt Flynn in favor of the rookie quarterback. Wilson evades Rams defensive end Kendall Langford and gets a key first down.

Seahawks have a TD called back on a pushing penalty.

But the other Rams have been getting to Wilson. Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Chris Long, and William Hayes have all said hello to the rook in the Seahawks backfield.

Rookie punter Johnny Hekker is not having a good day. He’s not helping the field position game at all. You need to get it together kid. The team needs you.

First quarter ends scoreless. Rams have been so the last six first quarters.

Second Quarter

Sack number four on Wilson. This time Robert Quinn gets to him for a loss of two yards.

Steven Hauschka‘s 43-yard field goal gives the Seahawks the first points of the day.

» Continue reading “St. Louis Rams At Seattle Seahawks Quarter Quick Hits”

The bad news: The Rams didn’t make the playoffs this year. The good news: In all honesty I didn’t see them winning more than 6 games. So for them to be sitting at 7-7-1 is a pleasant surprise.

Can you believe how the past 16 weeks have just flown by? Fifteen games so far leaving Rams fans with some head scratching losses (Detroit, Miami, and New York Jets) and heart attack inducing close games (San Francisco). Say what you will but it’s been an exciting year of Rams football.

Obviously the Rams have areas that need to be addressed this off season (offensive line being the biggest in my book.) But overall the future of the franchise is bright as Jeff Fisher finishes up a full season as the head stache around Rams Park.

The Rams still have one final game on the docket though – a very challenging game against the Seahawks.

St. Louis played the Seattle back in week 4, beating them 13-19 in the Edward Jones Dome. But the two teams facing off at Century Link Field on Sunday are not the same teams. Both young teams have come a long way since that September 30 game. Both quarterbacks have matured and the Rams receiving group have made big strides since their first meeting.

1) Contain the athletic gear brand name QB.

The biggest change coming from perhaps the lesser talked about rookie quarterback in the NFL, Seattle’s Russell Wilson. Yeah, so he’s short for a NFL quarterback (He’s listed at 5′ 11″) but what he lacks in height he makes up with his football smarts and his feet.

What Rams assistant head coach Dave McGinnis thinks of Wilson:

*Note: The graphic above should read Week 16.

I’ve been illin’ (and not the good kind) most of the week so this will be a very abbreviated version of my usual game previews. Apologies… 

A random thought came into my head as I was coughing up a lobe from my right lung Friday night.

“I wonder which Rams team will show up in Tampa Bay on Sunday.”

Even while I’m under the weather I’m thinking about the Rams. Or maybe it’s due to the fact that I get sick to my stomach thinking about the three games the Rams should have won: Week 1 at Detroit (23-27), Week 6 at Miami (14-17), and Week 10 at San Francisco (24-24 tie). The Rams should be 9-5 right now fighting for a wild card.

Then you have the Rams that tied and beat the almighty (?) 10-3 49ers. Yes, St. Louis seems to have San Francisco’s number. Not to mention the Rams (with one last game remaining in Seattle) are one of five teams (Green Bay, New England, Houston, and Denver) that are undefeated in their division. The irony though is that those four teams are their respective division leaders and in the playoffs. Dagger!

Reality hits though as the Rams are set to face a slumping (four straight losses coming into this week) but still dangerous team in the Buccaneers. Quarterback Josh Freeman has had his ups and downs this season which doesn’t bode well for his big time, big size receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. I should know, V. Jackson is on my fantasy team. The other big Bucs threat, the player formerly known as The Muscle Hamster, running back Doug Martin. He’s on both my fantasy teams and he’s also had a seat on the roller coaster that’s the Tampa Bay offense.

Rams running back Steven Jackson needs 91 yards to reach the 1,000 yards rushing for the eighth consecutive season. The longest active streak in the NFL. I say he gets it done today despite the Bucs ranking number one against the run (83.3 yards per game) coming into Sunday. Jackson has seen tough rush defenses this season and has risen to the occasion, especially against the 49ers (101 and 48 yards).

The Bottom line (Nothing really new here, folks.)

The Rams need to tune out all the noise and concentrate on their game. The rest will fall into place.

Run the ball via Steven Jackson.

Protect quarterback Sam Bradford giving him time to find one of his young receivers. This might prove to be harder than expected with their staple offensive lineman Harvey Dahl being placed on IR after a biceps tear. Chris Williams is slated to take Dahl’s place and will be challenged by the Bucs defense.

Don’t commit idiotic self-inflicted penalties. Seriously, this has to stop.

Win the field position battle. i.e. the Rams rookie punter Johnny Hekker needs to be more consistent. Kicker Greg Zuerlein will be the difference in the game.

Rams squeak out a close one winning by a field goal, 23-20 and get back to .500 with one last game to go.

7-7-1.

St. Louis Rams defense huddle. (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

The home season finale at the Edward Jones Dome didn’t go quite as planned. The score at half time ballooned to 30-7 and the Rams got lost searching for their missing offense. They’ve had a habit of starting games slowly and this time the deficit was too big to overcome.

All Day Made The Rams Pay

I fully expected the Rams to win Sunday. I knew Vikings powerhouse running back Adrian Peterson would run on the Rams. With that being said, I didn’t think I’d witness a 212-yard spanking. He did almost half of the damage on two runs in the second half: 82 yards that resulted in a TD and 52 yards that ended with a 51-yard field goal by kicker Blair Walsh. In all fairness to the Rams defense they did hold Peterson in check for a good portion of the game. It’s just that when he did break a couple of runs he really gored them.

The Usual Penalties 

The Rams offense drudged through the first quarter on their way to eight penalties. So last week’s two flags were the anomaly. Four false starts by the offensive line (seriously who gets called for false starts at home?!),  holding calls on left tackle Rodger Saffold, and my personal favorite the unsportsmanlike conduct taunting flag on wide receiver Brandon Gibson.

Just when the Rams have you believing they are headed in the right direction they take a detour the next game. This latest loss may have directed them out of the playoffs.

» Continue reading “36-22 Loss To Vikings Detours Rams Playoff Chances”

Milestones.

Rams running back Steven Jackson is on the cusp of a few of them this Sunday as they take on the Minnesota Vikings.

a) 71. The number of yards Jackson needs to reach the 10,000 career rushing mark. In doing so, he will become only the 27th player in NFL history to accomplish this feat. Of the 26 ahead of him on that list, 13 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

b) 164. The number of yards Jackson needs to reach 1,000 yards in one season. When he does get there he will have done this for the 8th consecutive year – the longest active streak.

c) 55. The current number of career rushing TDs Jackson has right now. One more he ties Eric Dickerson for second in Rams history. Three more he will tie Marshall Faulk‘s mark of 58 career TDs.

The 2012-2013 Rams are also hoping to achieve some highlights as well. With a win over the Vikings the Rams will have:

a) a winning record of 7-6-1. It’s been 10 weeks since they were above the .500 mark. (3-2 in Week 5)

b) had a winning record after week 15. This hasn’t happened since the 2003-2004 season when the Rams were 11-3 after 14 games.

c) won four games in a row.  Those same 2003-2004 Rams actually went without losing a game from week 10 to week 16 (seven game winning streak). They finished out the year going 12-4 under Mike Martz at the helm.

What’s nice is however minuscule, the Rams are still in the playoff chase. I love that we are still able to talk about a post-season. What a far cry from the 2-12 record at the same time last year. What a difference a new coaching staff makes!

» Continue reading “Minnesota Vikings At St. Louis Rams Week 15 Preview”

I’m going to try something new (Thanks to our Broncos  writer, Brenda.) by jotting down observations, big plays, and anything else that stands out during each quarter.

Game Status Updates

Rams inactives WR Amendola (foot), QB Davis, RB Ganaway, G/T Wiliams, OT Barksdale, DT Conrath, TE McNeill (thigh).

Bills inactives: QB Tarvaris Jackson, CB Aaron Williams, CB T.J. Heath, C Eric Wood, WR Marcus Easley, DE Mark Anderson, OL Chris Scott.

LB Mario Haggan returns after nursing an elbow injury.

First Quarter

Four Rams defenders in the backfield getting to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. DT Michael Brockers gets the sack.

LB James Laurinaitis just misses an easy INT. Bills three and out quickly.

Rams are holding the tough Bills run game to 4 yards with 9 minutes left in the first quarter.

Two nice plays by Bills OLB Nick Barnett getting into the Rams backfield for a Givens loss. And DE Mario Williams gets to Rams QB Sam Bradford for a Bills sack. Rams offense is getting no where…

Second sack of the day for Michael Brockers.

C.J. Spiller gauges the Rams for a big first down. Dude is quick! WR Stevie Johnson and TE Scott Chandler make some good catches.

Bills K Ryan Lindell boots a 35-yard field goal to put Buffalo up 0-3 with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter.

Third three-and-out for the Rams. Bradford gets popped hard as Givens can’t complete the catch.

So far it’s been an all defense kind of game. And just as I write that Laurinaitis comes up with a fumble recovery but looks a little banged up.

Second Quarter

Rams offense can’t do diddly poo but the defense continues to get pressure on Fitzpatrick forcing another punt and good field position. Problem is the Rams offense can’t do anything with it. This could be another game where the Rams defense will have to put up points to win.

Bradford fumbles but picks it up. He’s showing some bad body language already. Good news, Johnny Hekker is doing well with this fifth punt of the day. Okay, five punts is not really good news.

Rams are 0-5 on third down conversions. Bills aren’t doing much better at 1-5. But the Bills are moving the ball on offense at least through their passing game.

DT Kendall Langford and DE Chris Long with the Rams third sack on Fitzpatrick.

Givens just caught a sweeet pass right after the Rams got their first third down conversion/second first down of the game. Progress?

Offense is still stalling for the most part.

Lindell kicks a 40-yard field goal off of a Bradford INT to put the Bills up 0-6 going into the first half.

Rams D have held the Bills to 16 yards rushing. But gave up 169 yards receiving. I rest my case.

Third Quarter

Rams get their third first down on a Bills penalty. But find themselves in an oh-too-familiar third down and long situation.

WR Brandon Gibson continues his good Gibby/bad Gibby appearance. Mostly good Gibby in the third quarter.

A great catch by Givens takes it down to the Bills one yard line where Steven Jackson takes it in for 6. Rams lead the Bills 7-6 at the 8:41 mark.

Bills’ offense seems to have woken up. Stevie Johnson, Spiller, and company are moving the ball downfield. And the Jo-Lonn Dunbar offsides cements the drive as Fitzpatrick passes 2 yards to a WIDE open TE Lee Smith.  Buffalo take the lead again 7-12.

Bradford takes matters into his own hands or shall I say feet as he takes off running for a 11-yard gain. But the Rams can’t capitalize and will have to give up the ball as the third quarter ends.

Fourth Quarter

LT Rodger Saffold (back) and S Craig Dahl (head – concussion) leave the game with injuries. Wayne Hunter and Darian Stewart come in for them respectively. Saffold comes back only to leave again after getting stepped on.

Lindell attempts his second 50+ yard field goal… but Bills HC Chan Gailey changes his mind and punts. Janoris Jenkins is charged with a holding foul so the Rams start at the 2.5 yard line.

6 of 13 on third downs. Givens lets a 70-yard bomb slip right through his arms. Time is ticking away with 6:21 to go in the fourth quarter.

Austin Pettis with an unbelievable catch for a HUGE first down.

Bradford finds Gibson four times in the fourth quarter. Most importantly with a 13-yard TD pass with 54 seconds left in the game. The Rams convert the 2 points with a nice catch by Givens.

Rams somehow pull this one out 15-12. OMG, I couldn’t take another overtime game.

As I said in my game preview:

1) Get back to a .500(ish) record.

They are stoking an overall 5-6-1 record. A win in Buffalo will get them back to an equal number of wins and losses.

2) Three consecutive wins in a row.

The Rams haven’t won three games in a row since week 15-17 during the 2006 season where they bested the Oakland Raiders, the Washington Redskins, and the Minnesota Vikings. A very very long time ago from a season far far away.

3) Two consecutive road wins.

We don’t have to go as far back for this one. Look no further than weeks 12-13 at Denver and at Arizona in 2010, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford‘s rookie season.

As @GDive tweeted so eloquently, “Ugly game but beautiful win.”

I guess I’m still a little hung over from the overtime victory from last Sunday. It was a game with highs and lows and acronyms from all over the emotional spectrum – WTH, LMAO, SMDH, and OMG!

It took the Rams ten quarters of gritty football and a bit of luck (another missed David Akers field goal) but they did the unthinkable – they beat the 49ers.

In the end the only three letters that really mattered were W.I.N.

RB Steven Jackson after the 49ers at Rams game. 12/02/12 (Personal Photo)

After the game the usually subdued Edward Jones Dome was the happiest I’ve witnessed all season. Rams fans were loud, proud, and whooping and a hollering.

A good sized crowd stayed long after to thank the players and the masses weren’t disappointed. Quarterback Sam Bradford, running back Steven Jackson, defensive end Robert Quinn, cornerback Cortland Finnegan and many others took time to sign autographs.

Fast forward a week to Sunday. Last week’s win is just that – in the past. This week brings its own unique challenges and a new team.

The Rams take on the Buffalo Bills – a team that they haven’t seen since the 2008 season where the Rams lost at home 31-14. The last time the Rams visited the Ralph (Wilson Stadium) was back in 2004 where they were defeated 17-37. The most recent Rams win over the Bills was in 1998 (34-33) at Buffalo.

Back to the present.

The biggest question heading into week 14 is can the Rams maintain that energy on the road in the “elements” and not have another let down game. The last thing fans want to see is a repeat of the Jets-Rams loss.

Week 14 marks an pivotal point in the St. Louis Rams 2012 season.

With a victory in Buffalo the Rams will have accomplished the following:

1) Get back to a .500(ish) record.

They are stoking an overall 5-6-1 record. A win in Buffalo will get them back to an equal number of wins and losses.

2) Three consecutive wins in a row.

The Rams haven’t won three games in a row since week 15-17 during the 2006 season where they bested the Oakland Raiders, the Washington Redskins, and the Minnesota Vikings. A very very long time ago from a season far far away.

3) Two consecutive road wins.

We don’t have to go as far back for this one. Look no further than weeks 12-13 at Denver and at Arizona in 2010, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford‘s rookie season.

» Continue reading “St. Louis Rams At Buffalo Bills Week 14 Preview”