Just wondering if any of you guys will be going or if you've even been to a game there ? I'm thinking about making the 6 hour trip next week with my son .

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-practice – October 5, 2016

(Opening Remarks)
“Had a good day. Got an especially talented opponent this weekend. All three phases, veteran guys on their special teams unit, good returner in WR Brandon Tate, so we got a challenge there. Really impressed with what they’re doing offensively. Like I said yesterday, we got a lot of work to do this week to become familiar with them. Good running game, running quarterback, well-coached offensive line, receivers make plays, and then the defense is always a handful. It’s going to be a good week for us.”

(On the challenges faced when there isn’t much game tape on players like DT Marcell Dareus)
“We’re just going to put an ‘x’ there and if he’s there we’re going to block him. That’s what you have to do and if you have to adjust, then you adjust. He’s a talented player – he’s a load. He didn’t practice, so we’ll see how it goes. He’s got the experience. They can create match-ups inside. Again, we’ll just have to adjust.”

(On WR Kenny Britt’s performance so far this season)
“He’s been productive. Made some big plays for us. He has overcome some drops, like the whole group has, but he’s been productive. He pushed through – he’s fighting through some nagging little injury things. But he shows up. He shows up and he’s emotional and he plays hard.”

(On what WR Pharoh Cooper and WR Nelson Spruce could bring to the offense)
“They’re going to give us some special teams help, immediately, I think. Then, situationaly we’ll be able to use them offensively. Just keep in mind, we go from 53 to 46 – the roster changes every week. We went with seven offensive linemen last week because we needed to get some help on special teams and in the secondary, and it tied in for that matter. It changes every week. But they both looked really good today.”

(On the challenges that the Bills defense brings after shutting out New England last week)
“It’s ever changing. It’s Rex (Ryan), and now it’s Rex and Rob (Ryan), but you’re going to see something different just about week. You don’t know what they’re going to do, or who’s where – you have to be sound, and make sure you’re running the football. It actually almost forces you to simplify things a little bit. You got to run the football and you got to make sure you’re protecting the passer. But they do a really good job, week-to-week. I thought they did an extraordinary job against New England, even though New England was depleted. They played good defense against Carolina as well, the week before. “

(On evaluating the running game with RB Todd Gurley and potentially changing things up schematically)
“We’re ever-changing. You dress things up, but you you’ve got to stay with your bread and butter. The big thing for us, it’s all tied together – it’s defense getting off the field on third down and getting another possession or offense converting a third down or moving the ball. Then of course, as of late, actually since the season’s started, we got everybody jammed in there and they don’t want to let him get going. So, we have to make our plays down the field. But it has nothing to do with Todd, whatsoever. It’s just a matter of getting him some opportunities.”

(On any concerns about the Coliseum grounds since USC is playing the day before)
“No. The field was in great shape – they switched it out after our second preseason game. It was completely re-done and in great shape for Seattle. I think it’s suitable for wear and tear.”

(On the connection between QB Case Keenum and WR Brian Quick this season)
“They’ve been doing it together here on the practice field for a long time and it came together in the game. It was a great throw. The long touchdown pass and run was great, and then the back shoulder fade. That’s something that everybody works on. What that does, is that creates opportunities inside of the offense, once we get down inside the red zone. We just got to get down there.”



Rams Offensive Coordinator Rob Boras – Post Practice – October 5, 2016

(On if there is anything schematically that the team can do to get RB Todd Gurley going)
“It’s an ongoing process, we’re taking a look at everything. Schematically, play calls, our technique at the point of attack, our decisions – we’re taking a look at everything right now. Obviously, we’re determined to get it right and get better.”

(On if there are advantages to team’s loading up the box on Gurley)
“I think we’re seeing happen right now in our run-actions and obviously guys are loaded up and stacking the box to stop the run and we’ve been able to try to take advantage of that in other areas. Part of being balanced is being able to take advantage of what the defense is giving you. And that’s part of being a balanced offense. Right now, in the run-action game, we’re able to make those plays and then, hopefully, that will loosen up and the runs will start coming as well.”

(On how Gurley has developed as a receiver)
“Since he’s been here, we’ve always said that Todd has unbelievable ball skills. A couple of catches he made – that one that he ran down the sideline, the one-handed catch and then that was a heck of a catch he made on third-and-eight in the red zone, and obviously the run after catch. He’s like any young player, he’s getting better because it’s not something he was asked to do a whole lot at Georgia, but he has natural athletic ability and natural skills. Any time we can get him in space, he can make things happen, so it’s obviously something we want to continue to build on.”

(On if that’s a natural progression of him as a player)
“I think it’s a natural progression, his response as a player. It works hand-in-hand with what’s happening in the run game, to try to take advantage of his skills in other ways. But I just think it’s a natural progression of being a second-year player. And the thing I’ve commented on a couple times, Todd’s determined, like all of our players, to get better in every area. We always say, ‘Find out what your weaknesses are, don’t ignore them, improve on them.’ And his commitment to protections and in the pass game – he, along with everybody else – it’s been impressive to see.”

(On how he thinks QB Case Keenum has played through the first quarter of the season and what he’s looking for him to do in the next phase)
“I think Case has played really well. We all remember that first game – it seems like forever ago, thankfully. He’s gotten better, he’s taking advantage of what the defense has given us. I talk about it all the time – he’s very cerebral, he’s getting us in the right place and he’s making plays. He’s making plays with his arm, he made some plays with his feet the other day, as well. He’s extending plays for us. I’ve talked about it many times – he’s a natural leader and that’s one of the things that, that position is so critical to the whole offense’s success. I just think it’s going to be continued growing as a player and making some of the routine plays routine, and keep challenging himself and taking the shots down the field when they’re available.”

(On where he thinks the chemistry is between Keenum and WR Tavon Austin and what it will take to maximize Austin)
“I think the chemistry is good right now. Obviously, there’s opportunities like it was the week before where Tavon got more touches and then this week, (WR) Brian Quick stepped up and made some plays. That wideout position in general, they’re working their tails off out here. I’m really pleased with where they were as a unit last week. Again, we want to build off of that – not assume we’re going to get that same sort of result. Those guys are hungry. Tavon, as we’ve always said, will make plays in different areas – and that return that he made at the end of the game put us in position to go score that touchdown. Anytime Tavon can touch the ball, whether it’s a returner, whether we hand him the ball, whether he catches it, anytime he has it, there’s explosive-play ability for us.”

(On if TE Lance Kendricks is taking what the defense is giving him)
“He does. And I think that’s just the tight end position in general. A lot of times, it might be in the run-action game, where he might be able to slip out and make a play. I just think Lance is one of those guys that is going to continue to get better for us, and hopefully he’ll continue to make some plays down the field. We ran that one naked and Case was able to find – Lance was about third in the progression for that 23-yard gain. It’s a nice, natural check-down for a quarterback when you start building your trust with that tight end position.”

(On how he feels WR Kenny Britt has done)
“I think Kenny’s done really well. I commented last week – I think both mentally and physically, it’s as good as I’ve seen Kenny. His preparation out here, his focus, and it’s carried over. He’s playing extremely hard, he’s made plays for us in every game – and critical plays on third down, which has been our challenge as an offense, to try to stay on the field. I think we’re all very pleased with where Kenny is and the arrow is pointing in the right direction.”

(On if Austin and Britt playing well is the key to getting Gurley more yardage and opening the offense)
“Exactly. As an offense, it’s got to work hand-in-hand. We’re going to continue to run the ball and we’re going to get better running the ball. When they’re loading the box, we’re going to try to take advantage of it and get the ball out in the perimeter in the pass game and let those guys make some plays.”

(On what WRs Pharoh Cooper and Nelson Spruce can bring when they’re available)
“Both those guys have shown that they’re capable of moving the sticks. They can make plays, they both have great hand-eye coordination, they’re natural catchers. And they’ve shown, in the Dallas game for Nelson and really throughout the preseason, including that Kansas City game for ‘Coop,’ is they’re going to make plays. And they can make plays catching it and the run after the catch. Both of them are getting more confident right now with where they are and I think we’re all excited to see what’s going to happen when they get on the field.”

(On the challenges that Buffalo’s defense presents)
“They’re very multiple, they have talented players and then their scheme – they’re really good up front. I talked last week about the third downs, getting ready for our opponent last week – these guys are even more multiple on third down. It just creates the confusion and they’re going to show you a look as if they’re coming and then drop off into coverage and show you a coverage look and end up coming and rushing. It makes, not only the quarterback’s job hard, but the line’s job hard as well, trying to recognize who the rushers are going to be and protect the quarterback.”

(On if it jumped out to him that Buffalo shut out New England on the road last week)
“Yes, obviously, anytime you see a shutout in the league, wherever it happens. That’s a real talented defense. Again, we want to win this week, it’s the challenge in front of us right now and that’s all we can deal with. But yeah, they’re a very talented group.”



Rams QB Case Keenum – Post Practice – October 5, 2016

(On if the Bills’ deceptive defense puts pressure on him)
“Any defense that lines up and plays as many guys as they do, lines up in different spots, I think it’s really important, the quarterback-center communication, identifying fronts, identifying coverages. We’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s a good defense.”

(On if the Bills surprise him on defense, even while studying them on film)
“Yeah, I don’t know if ‘whoa’ is the word I use when I’m watching film. But yeah, there’s some moments where you’re looking at it and you’re like, ‘What’s going on here?’ It takes a few times to process it, to digest it. There’s going to be some looks on Sunday that we’ve never seen before, that point, I might say ‘whoa’. But you trust your instincts, you react to the play. We trust our linemen up front to do their job; protect, block, and backs the same thing. We’ve got to trust our guys outside.”

(On the chemistry with the wide receivers, specifically Tavon Austin, and if there have been missed opportunities with him)
“Definitely, and really there’s a couple from last week that were all on me. Watching the film, and even on the field, I knew that there’s some plays that he might still be running if I hit him in stride. He’s a really good player, and an explosive player, as you saw on the punt return, and you’ve seen week in and week out. Anytime we’ve got him open in open field, I need to get him the ball.”

(On how his chemistry with Austin has progressed since training camp)
“I think it’s getting better. Obviously game reps, game experience, that builds confidence with guys. They know when I’m looking, where I’m looking, and when to expect the ball. They’re all expecting the ball on every play, which is really cool.”

(On how he evaluates the performance of the offense four games into the season)
“We’ve done some good things. It’s like coach said the other day, there’s some good things, there’s some bad things, there’s some things we need to correct. At this point in the season, being able to find ways to win is obviously really, really important, and that’s the ultimate stat, the ultimate goal. What’s exciting is we’ve found ways to win, and we’ve still got room to grow offensively in a lot of areas, myself included. Constantly trying to work, get better, really focusing, maintaining fundamentals, and working on small things. I think the big things will take care of themselves.”

(On if he senses that he has surprised people with his performance this season)
“I don’t know, what do you think? Have I surprised you? So, you had no preconceived notions? So, you didn’t watch any film on us before? No, it really doesn’t matter. It’s like I’ve said to you guys many, many times, after the first week, or when things are not going well, to when things are going well, the opinions that matter are in the building in here, in the locker room in there, and the coaching staff. As far as a sense, or anything like that, that’s not something that I try to focus on too much.”

(On his chemistry with WR Brian Quick)
“I remember Brian when I first came to the Rams. Seeing Brian Quick and not really knowing about him until I saw him in person, and just to see the explosiveness that guy can make, and the big plays that guy can make. Then when he had got injured, obviously coming back, so I’ve seen kind of Brian in all ends of the spectrum. To see him getting back to a dominant level of football play has been really, really cool. I’m really excited to be the quarterback that’s throwing him the football.”

(On how important his chemistry with Quick means to the team)
“I think it’s important that I connect like that with everybody, all receivers. You ask about Tavon, you ask about Brian, (WR) Kenny (Britt), obviously (WR Pharoh Cooper) ‘Coop’ if he’s going to be back, whoever is going to be out there. We obviously did a great job last week of rolling a bunch of receivers in there, with (WR) Bradley (Marquez) and (WR Michael Thomas) ‘Mike’ getting in there too. I think it’s important that all those guys are weapons.”

(On if the communication with WR Kenny Britt in the offseason has carried over to the regular season)
“Yeah, I think so. It’s a deal where you, obviously feel good about whoever lines up out there. That’s the way I want to be able to feel that I have two guys and it’s the same route on both sides, and I look both sides, I’m torn inside. I have the same feelings towards both of them. I think it’s like that. I feel great about anybody that’s lined up out there right now.”

(On how much he’s adjusting his Saturday schedule to keep up with the University of Houston’s football team this season)
“I definitely try to catch the games. Coach (Tom) Herman, I talked to him the other day. Those boys got it going. It’s exciting to see. It’s exciting to see that announcers are talking about them getting into the playoff. I think if they do what they intend to do and go undefeated, I think it would be silly to leave them out. I think it would be wrong. I think that they’re a really good football team and they’ve played well.

(On if he’s been watching the games)
“When I can, I have. I‘ve watched a few games. Not as many as I’d like. My brother-in-law goes to O.U., so he still has a U of H sticker on the back of his car in a little bet that we had about that game.”

I just dunno, man.

We're so used to seeing 3-4 instant starters from these S&F drafts.

Even ROY starters. All Pros, even.

But this year? Not so much, huh?

Goff. Still looking for his first real game snap.
Higbee. A single reception for 2 yards.
Cooper. Hurt. No real snaps yet.
Thomas. Has played well on ST, but been invisible in passing game.
Forrest. Has shown some potential, but he's relegated to 3rd LB status and will be on the field 35% of time, at most. Good pick, however.
Hemingway. Slight ST contributor only.

All have potential yet to contribute this year, of course. Goff, Higbee, and Cooper might be significant contributors this year, actually.

But if we're gonna be totally honest, we've received virtually zilch from this draft class. At least so far. And we just passed the season's quarter pole.

Don't stroke out.
Don't take this as a Gurley criticism.
Get past the idea that it will never happen.

*SHOULD* Fisher start Cunningham if Gurley continues to struggle this week? Sure, it's probably all the O-line's fault (I don't think so), but most teams change things up when something isn't working or has come to the point that it is no longer working. Benny is a bigger threat in the passing game, and has a different style of running. He has a lower center of gravity, and he's a shiftier type of back. Gurley is more powerful (maybe), and is a one-cut, downhill type of runner. Since those one-cut opportunities aren't always there now, would it make sense to see if Benny can get the run game going? Or would that simply be a "slap-in-the-face" to Gurley due to his draft position and status as the #1? See, my position is, it really shouldn't matter where someone is drafted. If you're the better player, then you should be playing. Like if Pharoh Cooper started playing better than Austin in the Y, then play Cooper and let Austin be the backup.

To all our FLA/GA/SC/NC ROD brothers, batten down the hatches and get out of harms way. This looks like a good one. I have three comfortable couches if any of you on the coast suddenly find yourself in need of shelter. I also have two refrigerators so beer storage won't be an issue!

This doesn't mean much considering their picks have been awful so far, but any positivity we can get from sports media is good.
***************************************************************************************
PFT’s Week Five picks
Posted by Mike Florio on October 6, 2016

We continue to stink when it comes to picking games this year, with both MDS and yours truly barely above .500. He’s up by a game, and his lead won’t get any larger (or smaller) this weekend.

For the first time this season, we disagree on none of the 14 games.

To see what we think (and to then do the opposite, for amusement purposes only), keep reading. Or not; the click already has been registered.

Bills at Rams

MDS’s take: This is a much better game than anyone would have thought early in the season, with the Bills on a two-game winning streak and the Rams on a three-game winning streak. I’ll pick L.A. to keep it going behind a better-than-expected game from Case Keenum.

MDS’s pick: Rams 24, Bills 20.

Florio’s take: Buffalo has found the gas pedal following that Thursday night debacle, but the Rams are on the right track and will be hard to beat before a big crowd at the Coliseum. Especially with Aaron Donald to prove that he can hold Sheldon Richardson’s jock, if for some reason Donald would even want to.

Florio’s pick: Rams 17, Bills 10.
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Cardinals at 49ers

MDS’s take: The Cardinals have been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments this season, and on Thursday night they’re without Carson Palmer. But I still can’t believe they’d lose to a team as bad as the 49ers.

MDS’s pick: Cardinals 20, 49ers 17.

Florio’s take: Stanton vs. Gabbert in prime time. Kramer vs. Kramer on Netflix may be the better viewing option. By far.

Florio’s pick: Cardinals 17, 49ers 10.
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Patriots at Browns

MDS’s take: The return of Tom Brady should be an easy one for the Patriots, who will cruise to a double-digit win even if Brady is rusty.

MDS’s pick: Patriots 28, Browns 13.

Florio’s take: I smell a potential upset brewing on the banks of Lake Erie, but I’m not nearly ballsy enough to call that shot. But the Browns will give the Patriots all they can handle, since it’s the closest Cleveland will get this year to a game with a playoff feel.

Florio’s pick: Patriots 30, Browns 21.
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Eagles at Lions

MDS’s take: I’m expecting Carson Wentz to go through some growing pains in his rookie season, but not against a terrible Lions defense that made Brian Hoyer look like an All-Pro last week.

MDS’s pick: Eagles 27, Lions 14.

Florio’s take: Jim Schwartz may get carried off the field, again, if coach Doug Pederson learned from Andy Reid how to be nearly unbeatable after a bye.

Florio’s pick: Eagles 31, Lions 20.
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Bears at Colts

MDS’s take: Andrew Luck has played well this season, but his teammates haven’t given him a lot of help. On Sunday I see Luck putting up big numbers against Chicago and winning a high-scoring game.

MDS’s pick: Colts 31, Bears 30.

Florio’s take: The Colts are the NFL’s laboratory mice regarding the prospect of playing without a bye after a game in London. Like most laboratory mice, it may not end well.

Florio’s pick: Colts 20, Bears 17.
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Titans at Dolphins

MDS’s take: Both of these teams look like they’re lacking an offensive identity, as neither Marcus Mariota nor Ryan Tannehill has taken the step forward that their teams were hoping for. This looks to me like an ugly game.

MDS’s pick: Dolphins 13, Titans 12.

Florio’s take: Miami commences a four-game homestand with a must-win game at a time when most of the area is under a must-get-out advisory.

Florio’s pick: Dolphins 23, Titans 17.
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Redskins at Ravens

MDS’s take: Ravens receiver Steve Smith is having a great year, and I see him having a big game against Washington’s secondary.

MDS’s pick: Ravens 24, Redskins 21.

Florio’s take: Two straight wins is good for Washington, and it’ll have to be good enough for now.

Florio’s pick: Ravens 27, Redskins 20.
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Texans at Vikings

MDS’s take: The Vikings’ defense is going to eat Brock Osweiler for lunch. This game could get ugly.

MDS’s pick: Vikings 20, Texans 3.

Florio’s take: The Vikings enter their bye week on a high note, with two weeks to prepare for a showdown with the Eagles.

Florio’s pick: Vikings 27, Texans 13.
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Jets at Steelers

MDS’s take: Ben Roethlisberger is leading the league in touchdown passes. Ryan Fitzpatrick is leading the league in interceptions. The Steelers should win this one, big.

MDS’s pick: Steelers 30, Jets 17.

Florio’s take: So If the Steelers beat the Chiefs by 29 and the Chiefs beat the Jets by 23 . . . .

Florio’s pick: Steelers 31, Jets 13.
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Falcons at Broncos

MDS’s take: This is a great matchup, the Falcons’ outstanding passing game keyed by Julio Jones against the Broncos’ stellar defense. I see the Broncos coming out on top in a close, back-and-forth game.

MDS’s pick: Broncos 21, Falcons 20.

Florio’s take: An unexpected test for the Broncos, who may not have Trevor Siemian. They still have Von Miller and company.

Florio’s pick: Broncos 27, Falcons 23.
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Bengals at Cowboys

MDS’s take: I’m impressed with what Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have done as rookies, but I think Bengals coach Marvin Lewis will have some things for them they haven’t seen before, and the Bengals will steal a win in Dallas.

MDS’s pick: Bengals 17, Cowboys 16.

Florio’s take: The extra time to prepare for the Dallas offense will help the Bengals, who found their footing last Thursday night. 3-2 is still a pretty good start for Dallas.

Florio’s pick: Bengals 27, Cowboys 20.
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Chargers at Raiders

MDS’s take: Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is off to a fine start, with nine touchdown passes and only one interception. The Raiders should rack up a lot of points against the Chargers and win a high-scoring game.

MDS’s pick: Raiders 35, Chargers 31.

Florio’s take: We’ve seen this movie several times this year. Chargers build a lead, Chargers blow a lead, Raiders eventually rack up another win.

Florio’s pick: Raiders 27, Chargers 17.
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Giants at Packers

MDS’s take: The Giants turned in a disappointing performance Monday night and now have to travel to Green Bay on a short work week against a well-rested Packers team. Aaron Rodgers may turn in his best game of the season.

MDS’s pick: Packers 28, Giants 14.

Florio’s take: The Packers haven’t played since before their first meeting — and the Giants are playing on a short week after traveling home from Minnesota and back to Green Bay. And the Packers will be lighting Odell Beckham’s fuse, early.

Florio’s pick: Packers 31, Giants 20.
----------
Buccaneers at Panthers

MDS’s take: The loser of this game will fall to 1-4 and could already be out of NFC South contention. I think the Panthers are a better team than they’ve shown so far and will rally for a big win.

MDS’s pick: Panthers 31, Buccaneers 17.

Florio’s take: Assuming Cam Newton gets cleared to play, this one should be easy. Without Newton, it’s still winnable for a team that desperately needs to win its second game of the year.

Florio’s pick: Panthers 30, Buccaneers 20.

Some media have stated the Rams O-Line is garbage. I believe the problems lie elsewhere...Specifically the stacked box. 8 men, with eyes on Gurley...However, now I see other prominent runners have had success against 8 men in the box.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/ScottBarrettDFB/status/782956980767956992


http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/rb

http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/rushing/sort/rushingYards/year/2016/seasontype/2

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol

I believe that it's a combination of QB play and Gurley's own inpatience with the running lanes...He's just slamming up the back of lineman, usually the guards...It's hard to run if the game plan is to stop you. Look at the success of Benny, when he runs it's a surprise and he's done well..I also believe Gurley is due to snap out of his funk...Probably this weekend....What say you?

Edit: One picture the guy at deadspin used....

looks like green grass to the left to me...and the old Gurley bounces that outside for a major gain...lots of penetration, sure...but as long as a hat is on a hat, wtf?

http://www.footballzebras.com/2016/10/04/week-5-referee-assignments-2016/

Bills at Rams — Walt Coleman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Coleman

Over his NFL career, he has worked two conference championship games (1998 and 2003). He was the alternate referee of Super Bowls XXXIV and XLII.

The Tuck Rule Game

Coleman is best known for the controversial instant replay call he made on January 19, 2002 during the "Tuck Rule Game," which was named after a rule relevant to Coleman's decision to reverse the call on the field. With 1:47 left in regulation, Oakland cornerback Charles Woodson knocked the ball from New England's quarterback Tom Brady causing Brady to lose the ball. It was recovered by Oakland linebacker Greg Biekert. The play was originally called a fumble.

However, Coleman reviewed the play and overturned the fumble call, giving the Patriots the opportunity to win the game. The rule applied in the decision was the tuck rule, stating that "any intentional forward movement of [the thrower's] arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body."

Adding to the confusion during the game was that Coleman did not explain that he applied the tuck rule when he announced the replay reversal. All he said was, "The quarterback's arm ... was coming forward" before he was drowned out by the thunderous roar of the crowd.

Coleman later said of the play, "It was in the last two minutes of the game, and the (instant) replay guy, buzzed me and said the play needed to be reviewed. After I went over to the monitor and looked at the play, it was obvious to me that it was a forward pass. So I changed the ruling from a fumble to an incomplete pass and, as the saying goes, 'the rest is history'."

As a result of the controversy the "Tuck Rule" entered NFL lore and the call has been regularly referenced for over a decade of discussion about whether to modify the rule. In March 2013, league owners voted 29–1 to abolish the rule. Additionally, as of 2016, Coleman has never officiated a game involving the Raiders due to the controversy of the questionable reversal.

2003 AFC Championship Game

Coleman was the head official in the controversial 2003 AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. During the contest, the Patriots defense utilized an aggressive coverage scheme, involving extensive jamming of the Colts wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, en route to a 24-14 win.

Colts players would later publicly complain that the officials did not properly call illegal contact, pass interference, and defensive holding penalties on the Patriots' defensive backs. The controversial non-calls included New England cornerback Ty Law throwing Indianapolis receiver Marvin Harrison out-of-bounds during a pass play, and the contact applied to tight end Marcus Pollard during the Colts' final drive.

This, and similar complaints made by other NFL teams during that season, would prompt the NFL during the 2004 offseason to instruct all of the league's officials to strictly enforce these types of fouls (the "chuck" rule) – a change that led some observers to call it the "Ty Law Rule".

2012 Thanksgiving Game

Coleman officiated the 2012 Thanksgiving Day game between the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit. With 6:50 left in the third quarter, the Texans had the ball on their own 19-yard line, trailing the Lions 24-14. On second down, the ball was handed to Houston running back Justin Forsett. Replays clearly indicated that Forsett was down by contact after a short gain, but no whistle was blown and Forsett ended getting back up to run for an 81-yard touchdown.

However, Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz immediately threw the challenge flag after the scoring play, which negated the automatic review that would have overturned the call. The Texans ended up winning the game in overtime.

Both Mike Florio of ProFootballtalk and Mike Pereira, who now is a consultant with Fox Sports, later wrote that they would favor a rule change to make this just a 15-yard penalty. The day after the game, NFL director of football operations Ray Anderson said that the league competition committee will likely discuss the rule during the ensuing off-season. New York Giants co-owner John Mara, who originally was a proponent of the "red-flag-no-review" rule after an incident in a 2010 game against the Washington Redskins, then said to USA Today that he plans submit the rule change proposal to the competition committee.

Coleman's 2016 NFL officiating crew consists of umpire Jeff Rice, head linesman Derick Bowers, line judge Kevin Codey, field judge Terry Brown, side judge Alan Eck, and back judge Terrence Miles.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/10/04/...ootball-team-mountain-high-school-kade-warner

Good Morning, Coach Warner
Predawn football practices? The players at Desert Mountain High don’t mind—not when the guy directing the offense is a Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP. But in this first coaching stint, Kurt Warner is a learner as much as he is a teacher
by Robert Klemko

Photos by Mark Rebilas for The MMQB

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It’s 5:30 a.m., and if you stand in just the right spot on the home turf at Desert Mountain High, you can watch the moon slowly fade from view between towering yellow goalposts. The sky is a stunning midnight blue as the football team convenes for practice on the last Wednesday of September, and former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner is doing what high school offensive coordinators do: instructing teenage quarterbacks to throw the football with their bodies, not their arms.

“Let’s see how quickly you can get it out there,” Warner tells senior starter Austin Nuessle and sophomore Kedon Slovis. “Speed up your drop. The quicker you are, the less you have to put on it. You’re trying to speed it up by throwing it really hard. You have to speed up the feet.”



The footballs start being delivered on quick slants and five-yard outs with the right kind of pop, the kind that starts with the feet and surges through the hips and launches with a flick of the elbow and wrist.

“That hip balance has to be in every throw you make,” Warner says with calm insistence. “You lose that and it’s all upper body; no telling where it’s going.”

The Desert Mountain varsity team has yet to win a game to this point, despite having an offensive coordinator who has played in three Super Bowls and won two NFL MVP awards, and a receiver—Warner’s son, Kade—who is Arizona’s new record holder for receptions in a high school career. The Wolves have struggled in their move from 5A, where they won six games and went to the playoffs a season ago in Warner’s first year as coordinator, to 6A, losing all five of their non-league games before last Friday’s league opener versus Pinnacle High.



But the benefit of having an actual NFL superstar as coach goes beyond wins and losses. When the team traveled to Carson City, Nev., for a kickoff weekend with three other schools to open the season, Warner, 45, spoke to players from all four teams about defining success. He told them winning is not all about the scoreboard.

He’d played in three Super Bowls, and in each of those games he’d walked to the bench with under three minutes left having just thrown a touchdown pass to either put his team ahead or tie the game. And yet he’d only won the one championship—Super Bowl XXXIV in the 1999 season, against the Titans.

“Too often we look at the final score and say, okay, this guy’s a winner or a loser,” Warner says. “Had I done nothing else in any of those games, I could’ve been a three-time winner. I look at it like, Did I give everything I can? And let the chips fall as they may.”



Warner’s talk that day was informed by what he figured could be a grim season for Desert Mountain. The offensive and defensive lines are typically outmatched by bigger and stronger kids, with an army of reserves on the opposing sideline. Yet for one night last week that didn’t seem to matter. On the last day of September, two days after the Wednesday morning practice in Scottsdale, the Wolves hosted 1-5 Pinnacle, and the sort of breaks that usually go against Desert Mountain started going the other way.

Fumble after fumble wound up in the hands of the home team, and Desert Mountain was able to hold off Pinnacle long enough to force overtime. Two touchdowns later, Desert Mountain faced a key decision: Go for two—for the win—or kick the field goal and tie.

The Wolves coaches sent the offense back on the field.

Kade Warner has muscles in places his father never had. At 6'2", 205 pounds with tree trunk legs, he looks more like a versatile tight end than the most prolific receiver in Arizona prep history. Despite leading his team in receptions since he was a sophomore, he has yet to receive an FBS offer; he believes it has to do with his speed. “I think a lot of colleges don’t think I’m quick enough,” Kade says, “but I haven’t seen too many people catch up to me.”

Kade never played quarterback in tackle football. During one of his first Pop Warner seasons, on the first day of practice, coaches were giddy to have the son of the starting Arizona Cardinals quarterback on the team. Surely, he too played quarterback.

“They have him try to throw passes right off the bat, and he threw the first three to the ground,” Kurt says. “And you could just see the look on their faces like, Are you serious? I don’t think Kade has ever wanted the pressure of being a quarterback and being my son, so he’s naturally gravitated to other positions.”

* * *


Kade set an Arizona state record for receptions but says he won’t take advantage of his name for college recruiting.

Coaches from Kade’s past teams have encouraged him to use his father’s name in emails to college coaches spelling out his credentials and providing a link to his Hudl.com highlight reel, but Kade declines. “I know when they get me on campus and see me in practice they’ll realize I don’t play like a kid with a famous dad, but still, in my letters I don’t put Kurt Warner’s son," Kade says. "I want to make a name for myself without putting my dad’s name out there.”

Kade gets a kick out of watching his friends work with his dad, whose career in the NFL he says he didn’t fully understand or appreciate. “I was too young to really understand how special it was,” Kade says, “But now you see him drop back in practice and be falling away and he throws a perfect dime and our quarterbacks are like ummmm.”

* * *

As practice wraps up on Wednesday around 7 a.m, Warner steps into a black SUV and drives to the temporary home his family is renting while floors are replaced at their Scottsdale mansion. Warner is greeted by a novice’s rendition of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy on cello; his daughter, 10-year-old Sierra, is practicing the instrument before school in the backyard. Kurt corrals two of his seven children, including seventh-grader Elijah, the only quarterback in the family, and begins the drive back to Desert Mountain.

Elijah returned to flag football two years ago after a season in tackle that didn’t suit him. When Elijah was in fourth grade, Kurt and his wife, Brenda, faced a decision that scores of parents across the country grapple with each summer: How soon is too soon for tackle football?

“What I came to realize in tackle at that age is that you can’t teach anybody football,” Warner says after his son exits the car. “You’re not teaching them how to read coverage; it’s simply run for your life. And if your team is physically undermanned, you’re just gonna get beat up. You have all the issues with head injuries, and as a parent you take the approach of, Why do I need my kid to get hit before he needs to?



“At one point he looked up at me and he was like, This isn’t what I signed up for. This isn’t what I thought football was. And I thought he was losing his love for the sport, because you get the ball, you run for your life and get tackled by five guys, now get up and do it again. And I just felt that’s not the right environment to learn how to play the game.

So I pulled him back into flag, which is 95% pass, so he gets a chance to read plays and coverages. Now I’m just debating whether it’s best to get him a year of tackle before high school, or do what we’re doing, and he’ll just have to learn to take a hit.”

Warner, who retired soon after suffering a concussion in a January 2010 playoff game against the Saints (a play that would later come under scrutiny in the Bountygate investigation), says he values the character-building qualities of football over the potential risks. He says his retirement had nothing to do with the game's physical aspect, as he’s suffered no long-term consequences.

“There is definitely the understanding that it's an issue,” Warner says. “As a parent you put on a different hat. It’s so much about communication and making sure your kids are ready and able to communicate with you about when they are feeling injured and whether or not their having fun.”



Warner says he did have concerns about Kade suffering a possible concussion in a game earlier this year, and despite his son’s passing the sideline medical protocol, Kurt made the decision to sit him for the entire second half of a close game. “It was just a parent’s feeling that something’s not quite right here. You feel fine, and you pass all the tests, but you know you’re just not functioning properly. I wouldn’t let any kid out here without feeling 100 percent that he was 100 percent.

“I understand what this game taught me, and the person it made me, and I want my kids to enjoy that. Too many parents think about their 10-year-old kid playing in the NFL. Kids should be in sports for the team atmosphere, how it creates character, the activity. The focus is not getting these kids scholarships. It’s about building character and seeing where it takes them from there.”

* * *

The mental aspect of the game, specifically the ability to anticipate and outmaneuver the opponent’s thinking, is what makes Warner miss the NFL and attracted him to coaching—and it’s also what makes this season particularly frustrating. In practice Kurt is patient, rarely raises his voice and never criticizes, but the transition from working with professionals as recently as 2009, the year he retired from the Cardinals, to coaching teenagers has been frustrating at times.

He’s tailored the offense to his team’s shortcomings, employing half-field reads with plenty of screen passes that take advantage of a group of athletic receivers and relieve stress on the offensive line.

“If I went out there and expected from them what I see in an NFL practice, then that’s on me," Warner says. "I have to have realistic expectations. I have to think, how can I make it easier on them? If a guy’s open I’m thinking to myself, we’ve gotta hit him. But I never want to set my expectations too high because that leads to my frustration and then the players’ frustration, because they’re doing the best they can.”


Warner films his midweek NFL Network hit in his home office, his dog, Stella, at his feet.

The biggest challenge, Warner says, is the lack of available practice time. The school schedules of the senior students and the work schedules of some of the coaches make afternoon sessions impracticable. Two hours a day five days a week, beginning before sunrise, doesn’t allow for multiple wholesale adjustments to existing plays based on an upcoming opponent’s tendencies. So Kurt builds wrinkles into plays requiring only that Austin, Kade and a handful of teammates put in the extra time in the film room.

That room, as it were, is an office in Warner’s Scottsdale mansion, a seven-bedroom, 10-bathroom paradise with a football field in the back and an outdoor pool that snakes around the property. The house is also where Warner films his weekly analyst’s hits for the NFL Network. Weaving through a maze of displaced couches and rolled-up rugs, Warner sits down for an afternoon taping with his rescue dog, Stella, resting at his side.

In the background behind Kurt as he goes through the league’s latest news with host Andrew Siciliano is a dresser decorated with mementos from his career, including a small replica Super Bowl trophy, his NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and helmets from his days with the Rams and Giants. The centerpiece is a large canvas of abstract art painted by Brenda 20 years ago, in the weeks after her parents were killed in a tornado in Mountain View, Ark.

“I was never creative before that," Brenda says, "I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time, and I’d never painted anything before. I just felt like I needed to. Now I see it, and I see tornado and water, and I understand what I was going through.”

Brenda’s artwork and Kurt’s hardware adorn their Scottsdale house.

Today the Warner home is decorated top to bottom with Brenda’s artwork. Paintings of animals adorn the garage doors, and she spends much of her time, outside charity work—the First Things First Foundation and Treasure House, which offers community living for persons with development disabilities—and ferrying her children around town, in a garage space that she converted into a metal-welding studio. One of her newest pieces, a woman with outstretched arms, bears a heart across the chest outlined with ruby-colored stones. “They were supposed to be boobs,” she says with a laugh, “but they ended up being a heart, which is probably more appropriate, right?”

At 1:30 Nuessle and his backup, sophomore Kedon Slovis, ride from the high school to Warner’s gated home in Nuessle’s well-travelled Honda CRV. Nuessle says he pinches himself daily to make sure he’s not dreaming; earlier this week he and Warner had lunch together at a local sports bar and watched NFL film on Warner’s laptop, just the two of them. Now he’s headed to Warner’s home to install Friday’s game plan.

Nuessle looks to Slovis in the passenger seat: “We must be the luckiest kids in America.”

Warner hosts afternoon tape sessions with a small crew at his home.

The prospect of working daily with Warner motivates Nuessle and drives him towards pursuing college football. “I’m just sad it’s going to end soon,” says Neussle, who is averaging 334.3 passing yards per game and has thrown 19 touchdown passes. The big project today, after reviewing some Kansas City Chiefs game film, Pinnacle’s defensive tendencies and Wednesday’s Desert Mountain practice film, is “Smasher.”

It’s a variation off of a regular passing play, Smash, in which the inside receiver, usually Kade, runs a corner, and the outside receiver runs a hitch. Smash is one of about 30 passing concepts in the Desert Mountain offense, compared to just eight running plays. Pinnacle will be prepared to cover both routes, but they might just be baited into jumping the corner. If Kade can adjust his corner into a sort of abbreviated corner-post route, it could be a game-changer.

“We’re going out to throw the hitch, and he’s going to hint to the corner and go to the post,” Kurt says. “At some point that corner, as we’ve seen, is going to settle, so now it’s you one-on-one with the safety. If he leans at all in that direction you put your foot in the ground and go.”

Kade understands, but Kurt keeps explaining the play for everyone’s benefit. As Nuessle nods, Kade illuminates his teammate’s earlobe with his father’s laser pointer, then focuses the pointer at the back of his father’s head. Kurt can sense the attention-defecit generation growing impatient, and he remembers that Brenda needs help moving a table in the dining room. They emerge from the office after two hours, to Brenda’s delight.

“They’re good boys,” she says as they circle around the massive tabletop. “They like helping me with this stuff and showing how strong they are.”

* * *

Smasher works to perfection. Halfway through the second quarter, after Pinnacle had been primed with several Smash throws to the hitch route, Warner dials up the variation and Kade rises above the safety, snares the pass and takes it all the way for a 67-yard touchdown to put the Wolves up 13-3. Later, in the second half, it’s announced that Kade has surpassed former Desert Mountain receiver Mark Andrews’s 207 career receptions to take the lead in the record books for 11-man football in Arizona. As Miley Cyrus' “Wrecking Ball” plays over the loudspeakers, the Warner clan, led by Brenda, wave giant posters of Kade’s face from the top row.

On Desert Mountain’s final offensive possession, Kade takes a Nuessle screen pass around the right corner for a six-yard touchdown to go up 28-20 with 2:02 left. In response, Pinnacle sophomore Spencer Rattler leads a drive the length of the field, facing little pass rush and forcing overtime with a touchdown pass to hulking senior tight end Dalton Cash.

On the first overtime possession, Rattler connects with sophomore Hayden Hatten for the go-ahead touchdown; Desert Mountain then answers with a Nuessle touchdown pass to Joshua Walker. Now the Wolves coaches have a decision to make. An extra point, no guarantee after a missed field goal earlier in the game, would force a tie and send it to double overtime. A two-point conversion gives Desert Mountain its first win in 2016.

Head coach David Sedmak consults with Warner about going for two, and Warner says he has a good play for that scenario. Sedmak says, “Let’s do it.”

With the game on the line, Nuessle takes a shotgun snap, sprints to his right, hops off his back foot and throws into a sea of arms, with Kade Warner at the center. The ball falls harmlessly to the turf.

“It played out exactly like I thought it would, but we didn’t execute it,” Warner says. “But you can’t say that. Truth is, I didn’t call the right play if our guys didn’t execute. I think that’s the burden you put on yourself at this level. You can’t put the burden on the kids. You have to call the right play, and then the only way it’s relevant is if you make sure the kids can execute the play. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and it’s more time consuming and difficult than I thought it would be.”

The quest for Win No. 1: It’s the grind of Kurt Warner’s 45th year, shared with his son, for one final season of high school football. Kurt doesn’t know if the pursuit to win at Desert Mountain will last beyond this season. He’s a busy man, and he’ll want to spend weekends watching his son play college football, wherever he ends up.

Still, the lessons imparted at 5:30 a.m. require, above all things, the right teacher.

“You spend a lot of time with these kids," Warner says. "I feel obligated to help them and give them the same opportunity. I anticipate that I will.”

With contributing reporting by Andrew Milke in Scottsdale.

Driving up Sunday morning from Vegas for the game. where is the best place to park? Was going to buy a parking pass off Stubhub but they are sold out. i"ll be checking again soon to see if anymore get listed. Any help for Game Day parking would be great.

thanks,

By Myles Simmons

After the first quarter of the season, the Rams have amassed a 3-1 record — despite not playing their best football. While Los Angeles has done better offensively over the last two games, players and coaches both acknowledge there is plenty of room for improvement as the team heads into Week 5 against the Bills.

“We’ve done some good things. It’s like coach said the other day, there’s some good things, there’s some bad things, there’s some things we need to correct,” quarterback Case Keenum said after Wednesday’s practice. “What’s exciting is we’ve found ways to win, and we’ve still got room to grow offensively in a lot of areas — myself included.”

Keenum has completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 825 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Boras said he’s seen good things from the Houston product, and is looking for the quarterback to expand on those positive traits.

“He’s getting better,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said. “He’s very cerebral, he’s getting us in the right plays, and he’s making plays. He’s making plays with his arm. He made some plays with his feet the other day as well. He’s extending plays for us. And I’ve talked about it many times, he’s a natural leader. And that’s one of the things [at] that position that is so critical to the whole offense’s success.”

It helps that Keenum has shown solid chemistry with wideouts Kenny Britt and Brian Quick. Britt has averaged just over 70 yards per game, with 18 receptions for 281 yards. The wideout has also dramatically improved his catch percentage (receptions over targets) from 50 percent in 2015 to 69.2 percent in 2016.



“I think both mentally and physically, it’s as good as I’ve seen Kenny,” Boras said. “His preparation out here, his focus — and it’s carried over. He’s playing extremely hard.


“He’s made plays for us in every game — and critical plays on third down, which has been our challenge as an offense to stay on the field,” Boras continued. “I think we’re all very pleased with where Kenny is and the arrow is pointing in the right direction.”

As for Quick, Keenum said Wednesday he’s been around to see a lot of what the wideout has had to overcome in the last three seasons. Because of that, it’s gratifying for the quarterback to be a part of Quick’s success.

“I remember Brian when I first came to the Rams — seeing Brian Quick and not really knowing about him until I saw him in person, and just to see the explosiveness that guy can make, and the big plays that guy can make,” Keenum said. “Then when he had got injured, obviously coming back, so I’ve seen kind of Brian in all ends of the spectrum. To see him getting back to a dominant level of football play has been really, really cool. I’m really excited to be the quarterback that’s throwing him the football.”



Plus, tight end Lance Kendricks has been a reliable target for Keenum, catching 11 passes for 128 yards.


“I just think Lance is one of those guys who’s going to continue to get better for us, and hopefully he’ll continue to make some plays down the field,” Boras said.

There is, however, still the issue of the Rams run game — which for a variety of reasons has not been as effective as the club would like.

“We’re taking a look at everything right now,” Boras said. “Obviously, we’re determined to get it right and get better.”

There are ways for Los Angeles to mitigate the issues, one of which is making plays on the outside with the its receivers. And running back Todd Gurley can also be one of those players who gets involved in the passing game, as he displayed in Arizona last week.

“Since he’s been here, we’ve always said that Todd has unbelievable ball skills,” Boras said. “Like any young player, he’s getting better, because it’s not something he was asked to do a whole lot at Georgia. But he has natural athletic ability, natural skills. And, obviously, any time we can get him in space, he can make things happen. So it’s obviously something we want to continue to build on.”

If the Rams can keep improving and get more consistency out of their offense, the club will have a good opportunity to stack more wins on its strong start to the season.

LIKE THE NORTH, DONALD REMEMBERS

Those of you who read this space are probably familiar with the fact that defensive tackle Aaron Donald went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2014 after recording 9.0 sacks, 32 quarterback pressures, 12 quarterback hits, and 17 tackles for loss.

Some of you may also remember that Rex Ryan — now the head coach of the Bills, but in 2014 the head coach of the Jets — took exception to Donald receiving the honor over New York defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.

“If it kept him out of the Pro Bowl because some guy had X-amount of sacks, and that guy can't hold his jock as a player, to be honest with you, I think that's kind of strange to me," Ryan said in Dec. 2014 via NJ.com.

If you didn’t forget those comments — and they sure were memorable — neither did Donald.



“Yeah, I remember them. I remember when I heard about it. And I didn’t forget about what he said,” Donald said Wednesday. “But, it is what it is. It ain’t no big deal to me. But I remember. I remember what he said. What did he say again?”


A reporter reminded Donald, “He said you couldn’t carry somebody’s jock strap.”

“Yeah, I remember that,” Donald replied, nodding his head.

“That’s kind of disrespectful to say,” Donald added. “But it is what it is.”

For his part, Ryan has been doing his best to walk back those comments as much as he possibly can.

“I’ve made a lot of dumb comments in my days, that’s probably right up there at the top,” Ryan said on his conference call with L.A. media on Wednesday. “But what it was, was I was disappointed. We had a guy — Sheldon Richardson had a great year, never made the Pro Bowl and one of our coaches had said, ‘This guy can’t hold his jock.’ So I go ahead and say it — I never even saw him play, but I knew he was a rookie, so rookies shouldn’t go to the Pro Bowl. So, anyway, after I’ve seen this kid play, I’m like, ‘Oh boy!’”

Oops.

“Mark that down as one of the dumbest ones — and I’ve had a couple of them, maybe one or two dumb ones, that one right there is right at the top,” Ryan continued. “But, obviously, he’s a great player.”

So great, in fact, that Ryan compared Donald to a Hall of Famer.

“He really is a fun player to watch and I love his effort,” Ryan said. “I guess the nearest thing to him is John Randle that I can remember — a guy with just explosiveness and power. Really a rare guy.”



So what did Donald think of hearing Ryan now feels his “jock” comment is one of the dumbest he’s ever made?


“He still said it,” Donald said.

But according to the defensive tackle, just because he remembers doesn’t mean he has some kind of extra motivation for this game.

“I’m just going to go play football — fly around and try to make some plays,” Donald said. “That’s all that matters.”

And when you have Donald’s track record, who needs extra motivation anyway?

EXTRA POINTS

— The Rams listed five players on their Wednesday injury report, four of whom were not available to practice.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt (thigh), safety Cody Davis (groin), defensive end William Hayes (ankle), and defensive end Robert Quinn (shoulder) did not participate in Wednesday’s session.

Defensive tackle Michael Brockers (hip) participated in practice on a limited basis.

— For the third time in the last 20 weeks, Donald has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Donald amassed 1.5 sacks, forced a fumble, and had four quarterback hits in Los Angeles’ 17-13 victory over Arizona.

“It feels good,” Donald said. “Anytime you’re complimented for the work you do on the field, it’s a good feeling. But, I’ve still got a lot more work to do. And we won. So, [it’s a] big deal.”

The defensive tackle was twice named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in 2015. He received the accolade for his Week 1 performance in the Rams’ victory over the Seahawks after recording 2.0 sacks in the contest. Donald then received it again for his Week 14 performance in the Rams’ victory over the Lions, during which the defensive tackle recorded a career-high 3.0 sacks in one game.

— Finally, the latest episode of Between the Horns is up and available to download via SoundCloud or iTunes.

In this episode, I chat with D’Marco Farr about what worked in the Rams’ victory over the Cardinals, what the offensive line can do to improve, how Los Angeles will have to defend Buffalo on Sunday, and much more.

You can check out the podcast — which drops every Wednesday — in the embed below, and on iTunes by following this link here.

[www.therams.com]

The Rams are 3-1, still on top of the NFC West, even as Southern California News Group writers Ryan Kartje and Jack Wang continue to wonder how. In this week’s podcast, the guys talk about the secondary’s resurgent showing in Arizona and how defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has pioneered the change. They also wonder if Brian Quick’s fast start is sustainable and if Rex Ryan will regret his 2014 comments about Aaron Donald.

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In the third episode of Between the Horns, Rams insider Myles Simmons and Super Bowl Champion DT D'Marco Farr discuss the Rams' 17-13 victory over the Cardinals, the state of LA's offense and defense through four games, preview the upcoming matchup against the Bills, and talk why it might not be a good idea to disparage DT Aaron Donald.

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Joel Stein @thejoelstein
http://time.com/4520913/im-a-football-fan-i-just-didnt-know-it/




One of the best things about living in Los Angeles was that it had no NFL team. So for the past 10 years, I got away with pretending to watch football by spouting analysis about my hometown New York Giants such as, “Eli Manning throws the football with his arm.”

So I was upset when, after 21 blissful NFL-free years, L.A. got a team, the Rams. Then I realized that this was an amazing opportunity. The new fans would be as ignorant as I am about the team. So I could experience whatever it is that America loves about the NFL and not be mocked while I did it. I could go back in time and fix the mistake I made when I was 5 and assumed people would continue to watch baseball.

To figure out how people become loyal to a team they didn’t care about a month earlier, I called Ed Hirt, a psychology professor at Indiana University who has studied fandom. He explained that we do this all the time. The moment we arrive at college, we root for the team in order to fit in. We cheer for Olympians we’d never heard of a week earlier. We support Gary Johnson without ever having seen Gary Johnson. “It’s really hard to watch and be completely impartial,” Hirt explained.

My problem, however, is that it’s really easy not to watch. To find out how to motivate myself, I turned to Christian End, an associate professor of psychology at Xavier University who also studies sports fans. He said I just needed to buy a Rams jersey, take photos of myself at games and pick a favorite player I had something in common with. Also, it would help if the Rams won, because people like to bask in reflective glory. “If the Rams are 9-1, the watercooler talk will be about them,” he said before the season started. “But if the Rams start out 0 and 8, are people going to want to pay $20 for parking?” This made sense to me, since I am a fair-weather fan not just of sports teams but also of co-workers, friends, family members and moral systems.

For my favorite player, I chose punter and co-captain Johnny Hekker. To find out what we had in common, I called my all-time favorite NFL player, Johnny Hekker. He was pretty excited to talk to a hardcore fan and told me that, like me, he hates horror movies and likes to cook–he even loves the same soup-dumpling place I do. Although we had different stances on Jesus as the Lord and Savior, we both love comedy. Like me, he uses his wife as a comedic foil. On his ESPN radio show, What the Hekk, they played the Newlywed Game. “I didn’t do too hot,” he said. “Men and women just think differently.” He precisely summed up 18 years of my TIME columns.

Still, I worried that I would fail to fit in because I’m too different from football fans, with their love of violence, face paint and not spending Sundays with their families. Then I found out that L.A.’s biggest Rams fan is Ty Burrell, who plays a character on TV exactly like me–the cheerfully oblivious dad on Modern Family–which was written for him. To turn me into a Rams fan, Burrell employed the logic he used on kids when he was 6. “It is the only helmet that makes any sense. Rams actually run into each other to mark their territory. Think about it!” he said. I pointed out that Vikings wore helmets in battle. He hadn’t considered that. Burrell switched to selling me on the drama of the game, which he constantly defends to his artsy actor friends. I, meanwhile, wanted artsy actor friends, and hanging out with Ty Burrell at Rams games seemed like an easy way to get them.

I headed to the Rams’ first home game and found my friends Ross Novie and Trevor Goth, who despite being fans of other teams bought season tickets to force themselves to become fans by spending lots of money. After a few plays I turned to Ross and said, “If we’re struggling to establish the run game, we don’t have the outside speed to stretch the defense so we’re basically dealing with an extra person in the box.” Ross looked at me, possibly because I was reading from a note on my phone that Ty Burrell had given me. “That’s living-room fan stuff,” Ross said. “Here it’s grunts, fingers and chants.” I could do this. Football, I was learning, was like having sex with my yoga-loving wife.

The Rams won 9-3 in spectacular fashion, and that fashion was getting a lot of penalty calls. Hekker had six punts, with a net punt average of 39.5 yd., which was good enough. Since I became a fan, the team is 3-0. This Sunday, I will again root for Hekker and the Rams, cheering them on with the pronoun we. I just hope no one asks me to explain the we with proper nouns.

EJ Gaines' 21-month wait ends with return to Rams' defense


GREG BEACHAM (AP Sports Writer)•Oct 5, 2016, 2:11 PM



View photos
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown (12) escapes the tackle of Los Angeles Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines (33) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -- Although E.J. Gaines had to wait nearly two years to get back into the Rams' lineup, he's getting the chance to make up for that lost time.

Gaines seems likely to get major playing time at cornerback for Los Angeles (3-1) on Sunday at home against Buffalo, finally returning at full strength from the injury woes that slowed his career just when it was taking off.

Gaines played in his first game since Dec. 21, 2014, last Sunday as the Rams rallied to beat the Arizona Cardinals, 17-13. The third-year pro missed all of last season with a foot injury, and a thigh injury kept him out of the first three games of their homecoming season in Los Angeles.

If Gaines reclaims the starting job that he improbably won in 2014 as a rookie, he will be happy - but the real thrill is just running onto the Coliseum field for the first time.

''If that's me starting or me not starting, if it's special teams or whatever, just getting out there with the defense, it's a feeling I haven't felt for a while,'' Gaines said. ''But I'm excited to do it.''

The Rams' move to the West Coast uprooted Gaines, a born-and-raised Missourian from Independence who played four seasons at the University of Missouri before the Rams drafted him in 2014. The sixth-round pick immediately earned a key role in the Rams' secondary, starting 15 games and making 70 tackles with two interceptions and 14 pass breakups as a rookie.

He was in competition last year with Trumaine Johnson for a starting cornerback job opposite Janoris Jenkins in training camp, but that foot injury ended his season. Johnson went on to earn a $13.95 million contract for this season on the franchise tag, while Jenkins got a lavish free agent deal with the New York Giants.

Gaines wasn't bitter about his bad break, and he didn't sulk when he got hurt again in training camp in California. He kept working for a return, and he finally made it three weeks into the season.

''He just went out there and played like he did a year ago,'' Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. ''(He has) a year of starting experience at the position in our defense. That's what's helpful for him.''

While Gaines' return was uncertain this summer, the Rams attempted to patch the hole left by Jenkins with free-agent signee Coty Sensabaugh. While Fisher hasn't directly criticized Sensabaugh, he wasn't active against the Cardinals, apparently due to his inexperience with special teams.

The Rams instead put veteran journeyman Troy Hill in the starting lineup for the past two games, but Gaines entered the game in Arizona in the second quarter as a slot defensive back. He eventually slid into the key job on the outside of Los Angeles' defense.

Gaines got back into the game rhythms gradually, but he appeared to fit in flawlessly on a defense that hasn't actually changed extensively since late 2014. The Rams, who forced five turnovers by the Cardinals, still have a dominant front seven, including a defensive line that helps the secondary in multiple ways.

''I think just getting after the quarterback, pushing the pocket back and then trying to make plays on the outside in the secondary, and that's what we need,'' Gaines said.

Gaines' familiarity with third-year defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' schemes has been a boost to his preparation, and he's eager to show everything he learned to the Rams' new fans at the Coliseum, which was packed for the home opener last month.

''For me, it'll be exciting to get out there in front of the home (crowd) and try to make some plays,'' Gaines said. ''For this football team, it's exciting to get two road wins and come back home. Hopefully the stands will be rocking and the fans will be ready for us to come back home.''

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AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

I think the Rams defense is playing outstanding and I think they are only going to get better. They are really coming together as a cohesive unit. They are ranked 9th in points given up which is what really counts especially with Gregg Williams. I am not sure why they seem to have a rough time with the run, but they are ranked 17th against the run. I think it is due to Gregg Williams scheme. Just need to keep them off the field another 5 minutes a game.

Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan – Conference Call – October 5, 2016


(On if he remembers the context regarding his comments on Rams DT Aaron Donald from Donald’s rookie season)
“I’ve made a lot of dumb comments in my days, that’s probably right up there at the top. But what it was, was I was disappointed. We had a guy, (Jets DE) Sheldon Richardson had a great year, never made the Pro Bowl and one of our coaches had said ‘This guy can’t hold his jock.’ So I go ahead and say it – I never even saw him play, but I knew he was a rookie, so rookies shouldn’t go to the Pro Bowl. But, anyway, after I’ve seen this kid play, I’m like ‘Oh boy!’ Mark that down as one of the dumbest ones – and I’ve had a couple of them, maybe one or two dumb ones, that one right there is right at the top. But, obviously, he’s a great player. And, you know what, there’s two other great players getting ready to come out there and play as well in (Bills DTs) Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams, who are pretty good players, too. If you like defensive tackle play, you’ve got (Rams DT Michael) Brockers and all that, it’s going to be a great game for it.”

(On what it’s like to have Dareus back and integrating him back into what they do)
“It’s going to be fantastic. It’s a Pro Bowl nose tackle and obviously, he’s just a rare guy. He’s a 340-pound guy, that’s a big cat out there. He’s just an unbelievable player. Obviously I’m thrilled to have him back.”

(On the new defensive tackle phenomenon with players like Dareus and Donald)
“They’re so athletic now. These guys are rare, though in any game. You don’t find Aaron Donalds or Marcell Dareuses out there. There’s a handful of these type of guys that are in the league now and they’re unbelievable. I’m looking at Donald, and the thing about him is he’s got such great quickness, but he’s also got such a change of direction, he’s got head and shoulder fakes and he uses his hands so well. And I love his motor, it’s rare to find someone who can play as many snaps as he does with that kind of intensity and effort. Really, a joy to watch – unfortunately, I’m not looking forward to Sunday, I can tell you that much. He really is a fun player to watch and I love his effort. I guess the nearest thing to him is John Randle, that I can remember – a guy with just explosiveness and power. Really a rare guy.”

(On how the team responded to the offensive coordinator change and what he was looking for when he made the change)
“First of all, I think Greg Roman is a tremendous coach, so I definitely don’t want to disparage him and his contributions that he made to our team. I just thought we needed a change and Anthony Lynn is a great football coach. I thought it would be good, we did a few things differently, but I know everybody in the locker room respects him. And we have a certain plan, we’re trying to get the ball to our playmakers and, obviously, our running game, we’re pretty multiple in what we do in the running game. I think he does a great job of calling the games. For a guy, if you think about it, he really hasn’t had a whole lot of experience calling plays – I thought he’s done a great job these last two weeks.”

(On what gave him confidence that Lynn could call plays and be effective)
“He’s been with me now for eight years, so I was very confident that he’d do a great job.”

(On his observations on the Rams)
“First off, I think they’re playing to the strength of their team. They play great special teams, I think that’s probably the most underrated unit, they’re unbelievable, (special teams coordinator) John Fassel does a great job coaching them. He’s got that riverboat gambler-type of mentality, as well, so you have to have your antenna up for that. But then their defense is led by an outstanding front-four, very athletic at the linebacker spot, as well. And then the corner, 22 (Trumaine Johnson), whoever he is, that sucker is a great football player. And I love (S T.J.) McDonald, I think he’s a tempo-setter, the way he plays. So they’re as solid as heck on defense with a great front. And then offensively, they have weapons. You’ve got as good a running back as there is playing right now in (Todd) Gurley. I think everybody is paying attention to him, and rightfully so. (WR) Tavon Austin, you have got two big wideouts. This is an outstanding group. The only stat that matters is what your record is and right now, they’re 3-1 and that’s all you really need to know about that team.”

(On what he remembers about Jeff Fisher coaching with his father, Buddy Ryan)
“Dad, he obviously loved Jeff Fisher and respected him – and for good reason. I think he was the youngest defensive coordinator in the National Football League when my dad hired him. He knows his stuff, he’s tough, he’s consistent, he’s a leader. It’s funny – look at the secondary he played with at USC, he played with Hall of Famers back there and then there was Jeff Fisher. But Jeff Fisher was a pretty decent player, as well. Obviously, he’s a tremendous coach, I know how talented his team and how he’s going to have them ready to play, without question.”

(On the last time he coached in Los Angeles and his thoughts on the NFL being back in L.A.)
“A couple things I remember. We went out there, Jerome Bettis was a running back there my very first game ever as an assistant coach – I was coaching defensive line with the Phoenix Cardinals back then before they went to Arizona Cardinals – and we got beat and I don’t think my dad could every get over it. Ricky Proehl was a great receiver, but he dropped a sure touchdown in that game and he was in dad’s doghouse from that point on. Steve Beuerlein (didn’t) have a very good day, we got beat, I want to say 14-7 or 10-7 or something like that (14-12). I just remember being so down on the way home. The NFL, you never get used to it, but man, it’s like golly – you can’t win all these games, you can’t schedule victories. I remember that about that, about playing there. I remember when my dad was coaching with the Vikings and they played the Raiders in the Super Bowl – that was a nightmare, that one. Obviously, it’s kind of exciting to get NFL football back in L.A., I think it’s awesome. And I loved the unis they had, the first week they had those unis, that looked pretty sweet.”

(On what he sees from Bills QB Tyrod Taylor that makes him effective)
“He’s a real talent, there’s no question. Things that pop off, immediately people are going to pop to his movement skills because he can run a 4.4 (40-yard dash) at the quarterback position, so that’s rare. But he can also make throws – the guy was the most effective deep-ball thrower last year with his accuracy. He can throw the deep ball, he has great movement skills. He maybe lacks the ideal height, but you know what, he’s a leader, he prepares like crazy and we’re very fortunate to have him.”

(On what Bills RB LeSean McCoy does well)
“Everything. He’s great out the backfield, he can run between the tackles, he obviously is a great player in space and he’s a decent pass-protector. I think he can do it all, absolutely do it all.”




Bills QB Tyrod Taylor – Conference Call – October 5, 2016

(On the challenges of the Rams defensive front)
“(They’re) definitely a very good front seven. They do a good job on the back-end as well. You have to be disciplined against this group. Like I said, just overall their defense has definitely been playing very well. They’ve been doing well for a couple of years now, and they still have their nucleus. You have to be disciplined, like I said, going into this game.”

(On some of the challenges of facing an unfamiliar opponent)
“I would just say trying to learn tendencies, and that’s through watching film, as a group and on your own. Just trying to get a better feel, like you said, it’s not often you get a chance to play these guys. When we do go out there and play, we want to be able to execute at a high level. The more that we know them, the more that we’re familiar with them, like some of their tendencies, the better off we are as far as going there and feeling good about executing plays.”

(On how he’s adjusting to the new coaching staff)
“It was a different change early on. But I think we as a team, the conversation has been open throughout offense. Our conversations between me and Coach (Anthony) Lynn, and (Senior Offensive Assistant) Coach (Chris) Palmer, have been an open one as well too. (I’m) getting feedback from both sides. Just trying to do the things we do well moving forward, and just trying to get our playmakers in the best situations as possible, and going out there and executing plays. Coach Lynn does a good job of pushing the tempo, and I think that has definitely throughout the past couple of weeks.”

(On the wide receivers stepping up in place of injured WR Sammy Watkins)
“Those guys have accepted the challenge to go out there and perform. We have a bunch of talent on our team at the wide receiver position. It may not be a big name as Sammy’s, but those guys will give us their all each and every day. (WR) Robert Woods has been a great receiver for us, for a while now. Some of the things he does go unnoticed and doesn’t get talked about. He’s definitely a competitor, as well as the other guys. You see guys like (WR) Marquise Goodwin going out there and making plays. Even a guy like (WR) Walter Powell last week, stepping and making some plays for us. We still have (TE) Charles (Clay), and we still have (RB LeSean McCoy) ‘Shady’. It’s my job to spread the ball around on offense. As a team, we’re confident in the guys that we have out there playing. The type of talent that Sammy is, he’s one of the top receivers in the league and he definitely makes us better when he’s out there, but when he’s not there, those guys accept the challenge. We go out there and try to execute plays.”

(On his chemistry with WR Rob Woods)
“Yes, I would say me and Robert Woods’ chemistry is definitely building. I’ve had time in the past year to work with him a lot. Sammy was absent throughout OTAs and mini-camps, so me and Robert worked a lot, as well as Marquise Goodwin wasn’t there, he was on his Olympic tour. So me and Robert Woods have got to put it together. From here on out, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. You just go to continue to keep building, getting on the same page, and we definitely learned that we can be better. He had a great game last week. Another thing, as an offense, we felt like we left some play out there.”

(On what RB LeSean McCoy brings to the offense)
“Yes, LeSean, a dynamic player, of course, in the running game, and in the passing game as well, too. (He’s) a mismatch problem for a lot of defenses. It’s definitely important that we get him going for our team’s success. Just got to continue to keep building around him, and continue to keep getting him the football.”

This is the guy who threw the beer at an Oriole outfielder last night at the Toronto baseball playoff. What a dork. I bet he wants that moment back. Classic photo. Needed to be captioned by the lot of you ROD jokers.

Step, sir, into Steve Bartman's living hell. Maybe you two can share a beer... Oh sorry. Bad choice of words, huh? :snicker:

This group could arguably be called the Rams weakest unit this season, if you factor in penalties and no holes for Gurley. Granted, they're young, and some of the issue might be scheming, and yes, defenses are stacking the line, but no one is going to confuse them with Dallas' line, nor are there a lot of Pro Bowl quality players here.
Switching people now might not be the smart move, but what should we do going forward? Would Robinson be a better guard? Can you count on Saffold to hold up at LT? Does Brown have the potential to be a quality starter? Does Wichmann? Of this group, Havenstein is the only one I feel relatively good about, consistently.
So do you address it in free agency next year? Try to find a player in the 2nd (obviously no franchise LT will be that late)? Take a gamble on a player who's fallen in the draft like Collins?
Do you look for a new O line coach?
I just wonder how good this team could be with this defense and a line that could open holes for Gurley.

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/ar...his-week/67c173b3-3ab1-41d5-b5d2-3d4b4920bfd7


It’s the Bills first trip to Los Angeles in 24 years. And they’re trying to build up a head of steam as they head west to play their second NFC West opponent in a three-week span. Here are six storylines to follow as the Bills get set to play the Los Angeles Rams.

1. MARCELL DAREUS BACK IN THE LINEUP

The Bills get their two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackleMarcell Dareus back in the lineup this week after he served a four-game suspension. And Dareus will be called upon to contribute to the Bills defensive resurgence this week in LA.

“I expect him to play,” head coach Rex Ryan said Monday, despite Dareus’ four weeks on the sideline. “What capacity—how much he plays, I’m not sure. He is definitely going to play.”

Look for Dareus to work right into a regular spot in the Bills robust defensive line rotation especially on first and second downs. He’ll allow Corbin Bryant to play more of his normal position as a DT, while Dareus takes over the nose tackle chores.

2. HOW TO HANDLE “THE DONALD”

The Rams have a superstar defensive tackle of their own, third-year player Aaron Donald. He was the Rams first-round pick in 2014, and he was the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Donald has gone to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.

After four games, the analytics website Pro Football Focus says Aaron Donald is the best player in the league.

”Last season was no fluke,” PFF’s Sam Monson writes, “and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is once again the best player in all of football.”

3. A RARE VISIT TO LA-LA LAND

The Bills franchise played in Los Angeles in their first season (1960), but they haven’t played there often.

In 1960, the Bills beat the Los Angeles Chargers 32-3 in the LA Coliseum in the first year of the American Football League. They’ve won four of the six games they’ve played over the years in the venerable stadium including a 2-0 record against the Rams, and a 1-2 record against the Raiders.

Buffalo’s last visit to the Coliseum was in 1992 against the Raiders. Of course the Bills lost Super Bowl XXVII across town in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in January 1993.

4. FIGHT ON! FORMER TROJANS

The Bills may not have played in the Coliseum lately, but they’ve got several players on the roster who should feel right at home. WR Robert Woods grew up in Gardena, 11 miles from the stadium. CB Kevon Seymour is a native of Pasadena, 14 miles from the venue. And both played their college home games at the LA Coliseum.

RB Reggie Bush and CB Nickell Robey-Coleman also had standout college careers on the field with the USC Trojans.

And Bills defensive backs coach Tim McDonald was one of the most decorated USC Trojans of all time. McDonald, whose son T.J. plays for the Rams, was one of the all-time great defensive backs in school history. He’s one of only six safeties all time to be named to the Walter Camp All-Century team for his career at USC.

5. HOW MUCH DOES JUSTIN HUNTER HAVE TO OFFER THE BILLS

He was just signed to the roster last Friday, so Justin Hunter was inactive for the Bills game at New England last Sunday. But with Sammy Watkins out and Greg Salas struggling to return to the lineup, the Bills are probably eager to see what the former second-round pick can do for them.

Rex Ryan thinks Hunter’s size (6-4, 203 lbs.) makes him an intriguing target in the red zone.

“I hope he can help us,” Ryan said this week. “I’d like to get that big body on the field with that kind of size and speed he has. I think that can really help us, particularly in the red zone.”

6. STACKING UP THE WINS

You have to go back five years to find the last time the Bills managed to win three games in a row. They started the 2011 campaign by winning their first three games. They’ve got a chance this week to win three in a row, and put their record above the .500 mark for the first time since midseason last year, when they were 5-4.

I believe he is a FA this year and while not a #1 WR, he would be a very good #2. I would assume he might want to come home to the Coliseum and Los Angeles, so maybe at a little discount.

He would be kind of like replacing the roster spot Steadman Bailey would have had, they came in the same draft I believe. I guess the question is would he be a big upgrade over what Cooper and Spruce are projected to be or maybe he replaces Britt in a another year?

Creepy Clown sightings increasing all over the country , publicity stunt , or real threat ?


As of this morning , they've been spotted in 25 different states


Login to view embedded media View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGcse421n50

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post Practice – October 4, 2016


(Opening remarks)
“As we said yesterday, we turned the page, moved on, and we’ve done that. We got an outstanding opponent coming in this week, a lot of respect for what they’ve done. Two tough losses to start the season against one familiar opponent, and then to come back and beat Arizona at home, and then go to New England, speaks volumes to what (Head Coach) Rex (Ryan) has done with his football team. Highly talented team; a defense that’s keeping our offensive coaches up late at night, and same thing with the offense. (QB) Tyrod (Taylor) is playing good. (RB) LeSean (McCoy) is making all kinds of plays. They’re well-coached, so it’ll be a big challenge. But again, we’re happy to be at home.”

(On what challenges QB Tyrod Taylor brings in comparison to the other quarterbacks the team has faced)
“He’s a healthy Russell Wilson, if that gives you an explanation or definition. He can extend the plays, he makes all the throws, he’s a little taller than Russell. They’re using him a little differently than Seattle uses Russell. There are called runs for him, there’s all kinds of stuff in their offense. They’re very creative. They went through a coaching change, but the last two weeks, they’ve been challenging from a defensive standpoint, with personnel groupings, unbalanced formations, Wild Cat, and all that stuff. So, it’s going to be a long week for us defensively.”

(On DB Coty Sensabaugh)
“Coty has a role, and Coty has done fine. The roster was a little unusual last week because of injuries, because of necessity on special teams. Coty doesn’t have the background on special teams, so that was a primary reason. But, it doesn’t mean to say that he’s not going to be active this week.”

(On the performance of special teams)
“They’ve got the job done. We haven’t had a whole lot of opportunities in the punt return phase, but we did have the one, and we made the most of it. We blocked it like we blocked it out on the practice field. We’re hoping that we get those opportunities. (WR) Tavon (Austin) is not someone that you want to punt to deep down the field, and we understand that. But when we get an opportunity, we have to make it count. Our coverage units have been fine. Our return stuff…we’re getting out of the end zone, when we have opportunities to. We’ve been close on a couple field goal rushes. For the first four weeks of the season, they’ve been really solid. Keep in mind that, we got some new players in the core guys. (TE) Temarrick (Hemingway) came in and played on all four teams last week, and did a nice job. They’re only going to get better. There’s turnover there every year, but they’re going to get better as we go along.”

(On the growth of DE Ethan Westbrooks and DE Matt Longacre since last season)
“They both have had good offseasons, and worked, and productive preseasons. Ethan got an opportunity to start, and Matt an opportunity to play 30 or 40 plays, and he was productive. That’s the key, is that you have to have depth, and you have to keep them fresh all the time. When you get to the end of the game when you need a play, you’re getting the plays out of (DT) Aaron (Donald) and out of (DE) Rob (Quinn) because they’ve been subbed for, and they’ve got an opportunity.”

(On where does P Johnny Hekker rank among punters you have coached or worked with)
“You know, I’ve really spent most of my time with Craig Hentrich, and there’s similarities there from an athletic standpoint. Craig could throw it, he could run it, and “Hekk” is doing a great job. He’s a threat, he’s a threat. Just go back and look at the tape over the last few years of the plays that we’ve made without his leg, creates more opportunities for him as a punter. He’s hitting the ball really well right now.”

(On DB E.J. Gaines performance last game)
“It was fine, it was fine. There was no evidence of any injury, or anything. He just went out there and played like he did a year ago.”

(On if DB E.J. Gaines brings anything specific to the team)
“It’s a year of starting experience at the position in our defense. That’s what’s helpful for him.”



Rams Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel – Post-Practice – October 4, 2016

(On how he feels the special teams units have performed)
“The first four games, I think we’ve helped. There’s been, like the Seattle game, there wasn’t anything that was spectacular, but we gave our team an assist in field position – where the drive starts at the 18, the 17, the 12. Last week, we had a good punt return that helped the team at the end of the game. And we don’t get a lot of opportunities, because (WR) Tavon (Austin) doesn’t get a lot of punts where we get a chance to return it. But we know if we get one, we have got to make it work – and the guys did a really good job with the one opportunity, helping the team with field position. The Tampa Bay game, we had to go in and punt from the minus-five under two minutes. There have been a few situations where we’ve had an opportunity to help and I think the guys have stepped up. But we’ve still looking for the big play, the touchdown or the blocked kick that everybody wants to see. I’m proud of the guys, a lot of young guys, and they’re working.”

(On how much it helps to have a punter like Johnny Hekker that he can rely on, especially in close games)
“A lot. When we’re punting from around the 50 – I don’t think he has a touchback yet this season, so he’s putting the ball down where they have to fair catch it at the 10 or the 8 or the 12. A 90-yard field for an opposing offense against our defense, we just don’t think they’re going to score, so that’s critical. When we have to punt backed up, he has the ability to hit a big ball, where maybe we can flip the field 50 yards like we did a couple of times against Tampa. He’s a great weapon. We have guys that also can go cover it, because when you hit a big ball, you have to run down and tackle a pretty good returner. He’s a weapon.”

(On K Greg Zuerlein’s good start to the season after his performance last season)
“Yeah, kind of the same thing, kind of under the radar, I’m glad you brought that up. He’s made every field goal, he’s made every PAT – which, I don’t know how many kickers, after four weeks, can say that. His kickoffs have been solid. I’m proud of him – a lot of games left.”

(On if talking about the kicker means something is an issue)
“Yeah, you could have not brought that up and been fine. Just keep going under the radar because, you know, as soon as you bring that up, all of the sudden it’s a jinx. No, but Greg, he’s worked really hard, he’s really good and you have to keep it going.”

(On if he wanted to get out of the new kickoff and touchback rule)
“I think everybody thinks, you kick it shorter and you tackle him inside the 25, then you win. So that’s kind of been quite a few teams’ mindset. But it kind of depends on the game. If there’s a really good team back there, you might want to kick it deeper and kind of bait him into taking it out from six, seven, eight deep where you can tackle him, hopefully around the 20. Or a team that you don’t this is as solid on kickoff return, maybe you shorten it up. So it kind of depends on the game, but the rule, I think, has influenced kickoff teams’ to a degree. Ours is game-dependent.”

(On how he thought players making their first appearances on special teams against Arizona did, like TE Temarrick Hemingway)
“That was good that you noticed Temarrick came in there and got a lot of action on punt and punt return. It was great to see him – it’s really fun, from a coach’s perspective, to see a guy play in his first ever NFL game. I think for everybody else, it’s just a guy in a hat and a jersey, but there’s a kid behind those pads. And they take their first NFL rep or play in their first NFL game, it’s super special to that kid. For Temarrick and (LB) Josh Forrest and (LB) Cory Littleton and (WR) Michael Thomas, a whole bunch of rookies out there running around, they’re trying their best. But it’s like a dream that’s coming true in front of your eyes, which is pretty cool. And they’re performing well.”

(On what CB Troy Hill can bring on special teams)
“The last two games, we haven’t been able to use him because he’s started at corner – and we were planning on using him a lot, but once he starts at corner, we lessen the load on special teams. If we get him back, he’ll be on all of them. He’s a good runner, super slippery as a cover guy, as far as teams having to try to block him, he’s got a good sense as a blocker – usually as a corner, you’re a tackler – but now, on the return game, you’re a blocker, which is usually an offensive skill. He’s kind of got that knack for doing that. You guys are pretty good, kind of the under-the-radar, core guys that are super valuable and critical to helping our team win.”

(On Hill almost blocking a field goal last week)
“Yeah, he’s pretty good off the edge. He has good timing.”

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-offensive-lines-entering-week-5-2/


31. Los Angeles Rams (31)
Starters: LT Greg Robinson, LG Roger Saffold, C Tim Barnes, RG Cody Wichmann, RT Rob Havenstein

The Rams are winning games, but it’s certainly not thanks to their offensive line, which has been playing poorly. LT Greg Robinson can probably safely be labeled a bust at this point, and has allowed 14 total pressures this season. He is currently the 75th-ranked OT at PFF, with a grade of 35.4. Rob Havenstein may be the best of the group this season, and his overall grade is just 72.1, with three of the five Rams’ O-line members grading lower than 53.0. RB Todd Gurley has gained just 2.6 yards per carry, and 193 of his 217 rushing yards have come after contact, meaning, on average, the blocking has gained him 0.3 yards before being hit, or just under a foot per rush.