I found a channel that has a few very recent games condense to under 30 minutes on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5uIs17v-d8P5SoorOop3Pw/videos

Just used it to watch the Badger game I missed out on and thought some might find it useful for scouting or entertainment purposes.

Sorry for being late with this, was a busy week. I will get the next one in on time!!! I swear it!!! Ehhh who am I kidding, I'll post it late or not at all and you'll take it like the good whore you are!!!! ANYWAY...

Another week of football down. You know the hardest part in doing the rankings? Ranking the crappy teams. The back half of the rankings are a crap show and I changed them over and over again. Will want to change them again after posted but freak it. Here you go ladies and germs, your weekly dose of awesomeness!!!

http://www.ramsondemand.com/powerrankings/trons-power-rankings.6/

In honor of the Rams vs Buccaneers game on Sunday, the NFL uploaded this classic shootout onto their YouTube channel yesterday. Marshall Faulk. Warrick Dunn. What a game!

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcwsCS9nD3g&index=11&list=PLdQtz1bWfQd8UaqqKlESDbWmsI90hW_rC


For much of the early 2000s the St. Louis Rams were the talk of the league as they set offensive records with the trio of Kurt Warner, Terry Holt, and Marshall Faulk. Tampa Bay took the challenge of The Greatest Show on Turf head on, going tic for tac with them in the scoring department throughout the game which came down to the closing minute were Tampa Bay's Warrick Dunn powered in a 1 yard touchdown to give Tampa Bay the three point lead needed to win. The victory against the Rams was instrumental in Tampa Bay securing a playoff berth.

Rams’ visit to Buccaneers reunites Gregg Williams, Dirk Koetter

By Jack Wang, Los Angeles Daily News

[www.dailynews.com]

THOUSAND OAKS >> Gregg Williams once tried to put in a good word for Dirk Koetter.

Five years ago, the Denver Broncos were looking for a new head coach, the first move by John Elway as he transitioned from franchise legend to top executive. Williams and Koetter were both in the running, but the former removed himself from consideration.

Instead, according to the Denver Post, Williams texted Elway: “Dirk Koetter is a GREAT find on your part. I have very high regard for him.”

The pitch didn’t work then, as Elway eventually settled on John Fox. But this Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, Williams — now in his third year as the Rams defensive coordinator — gets his first close look at his former co-worker in a new role: head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Each one is familiar with the other. In 2008, both served as coordinators for the Jacksonville Jaguars on opposite sides of the ball. How much of a boost that experience could give the Rams (1-1) this weekend is unclear.

“The fact that I’ve been in the fire with him a couple times helps a little bit,” Williams said. “But they probably think the same thing about me, too, because we went against each other in practice all those times.”

Promoted from offensive coordinator this offseason at 57, Koetter is among the latest in a crop of late bloomers. Across the league, only six men got their first head coaching jobs at age 50 or older. Of those, four were hired within the last four years: Koetter, Chip Kelly (49ers), Mike Zimmer (Vikings), and Bruce Arians (Cardinals).

Although Koetter had to wait for his chance, Williams’ opinion of him hasn’t changed: “Dirk Koetter is a very, very good football coach.”

The Buccaneers coach was similarly complimentary of Williams: “Any time you’re going up against a Gregg Williams defense, you know you’re going to have your hands full all day.”

“The challenge is that Gregg always got plenty up his sleeve,” Koetter added. “He’s always multiple, he’s always going to give the quarterback a lot of looks, he’s willing to bring pressure from any place on the field, he’s willing to bring unusual pressures. Everywhere he’s been, his guys on that defensive unit play extremely hard for him.”

The Rams need that assessment to hold true again. The team has yet to score a touchdown through two games, and are sitting at .500 due to a stingy defensive performance. Williams’ crew will be tested again this week, particularly by Jameis Winston, the former No. 1 overall pick who is equally capable of throwing four touchdowns as he is four interceptions.

But despite Koetter’s reputation for grooming quarterbacks, the Buccaneers (1-1) are hitting a rough patch early in the season. Star running back Doug Martin, the NFL’s second-leading rusher last season, has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury, leaving Tampa Bay with a combination of either Charles Sims — who has never started a game — and Jacquizz Rodgers, who signed with the team only this month.

The team also waived Austin Seferian-Jenkins on Friday in the wake of his second DUI arrest in three years. Another tight end, Luke Stocker, is sidelined with an ankle injury.

Williams, however, won’t be surprised if Koetter makes do with what he has.

“I always teased him about the fact that he could coach defense, too,” Williams said. “Because that’s the way he coaches offense. Because he’s no-nonsense, he’s very aggressive in his ways, he’s very detailed in his ways. I have a lot of respect for him. They do a really good job of adapting the offensive concepts to the skill sets of their players similar to what we try to do, too.”

Here is the piece from therams.com;

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I know Goff is our QB, and I was for drafting Goff over Wentz, and hope he takes off as a top 10 QB. I also am pretty sure Wentz would have been riding the bench as well if we drafted him.

However, the more I learn about Wentz and how he is as a person, and the people around him, the more I like him and want him to succeed.

http://nypost.com/2016/09/20/meet-carson-wentzs-girlfriend-a-perfect-north-dakota-relationship/

http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/sto...n-bay-packers-real-big-change-needed-nfl-2016

After one of the worst games of his career on Sunday night, Green Bay Packersquarterback Aaron Rodgers was quick to point out that this season is only two games old. "Well, it's Week 2. There's always a lot of work to be done," he said.

The problem with that statement is that Green Bay had an entire offseason to fix last year's broken offense, which finished 21st in weighted DVOA. Though star wideout Jordy Nelson has returned, the offense looks awfully similar to the unit that struggled through the final dozen games in 2015. The Packers rank 25th in offensive DVOA, and 26th in passing offense this season. (DVOA is Football Outsiders' proprietary Defense-adjusted Value Over Average metric, explained here.)

Clearly, this is about more than just one bad night in Minnesota against a tough defense. This has been a 14-game slump for one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history during what should still be his prime. What can history teach us about when the slump might end? How likely is it Rodgers can return to his past glory?


The slump: Real and spectacular
Since becoming Green Bay's starter in 2008, Rodgers has enjoyed one of the greatest runs of statistical success ever seen at the position. His 103.8 passer rating is the highest in NFL history, yet Rodgers has not hit 100.0 in any of his past 14 games, including the playoffs. The three previous longest droughts of his career were just four games each.

The slump started with Rodgers passing for only 77 yards in a 29-10 blowout loss in Denver on Nov. 1, 2015. Sure, that defense has been the best in the NFL, but literally every other team and quarterback have done more to challenge Wade Phillips' defense than Rodgers and the Packers did that night. Rodgers has not thrown for 300 yards since putting the ball up a career-high 61 times against Detroit in a Week 10 loss last season.

Yards can be hollow, but we have plenty of efficiency metrics that also show Rodgers' decline when accounting for important context. His 64.1 Total QBR in 2015 is the lowest of his career, and he has minus-10 passing DYAR in his past 14 games. For reference, in Rodgers' 2014 MVP season, he had 82.0 QBR and 1,564 DYAR. Rodgers is also completing only 60.3 percent of his passes in the past two seasons after 65.9 percent from 2008 to 2014. His passing plus-minus (explained here), which adjusts for drops and how far the ball was thrown, was a career low in 2015, and his receivers actually had their lowest drop rate of his career.

Advanced metrics and charting data aside, Rodgers has severely declined in one of the simplest, but most predictive measures of success in football: yards per attempt (YPA). Through 116 regular-season games, Rodgers averaged 8.22 YPA, the third-highest mark in NFL history. In his past 14 games, Rodgers has averaged 5.95 YPA, which is close to the lowest mark in NFL history -- Joey Harrington's 5.79 YPA.

Incredibly, Rodgers has been held under 6.0 YPA in six of his past seven games. This is virtually unheard of for a good quarterback, let alone a future Hall of Famer. The NFL's average YPA has crept up to 7.3 since last season, but Rodgers has cleared 7.0 in only two of his past 14 games. One of those games was in Detroit (Week 13) where he completed a 61-yard Hail Mary touchdown after a controversial facemask penalty extended the game. Without that play, Rodgers would have finished with 6.06 YPA, and another Green Bay loss.

That is also why the slump is significant. With a depressed passing game, the Packers are not scoring as many points and have gone 6-8 in their past 14 games -- not up to par for a team with seven consecutive playoff appearances. The longer Rodgers' streak of subpar play continues, the more likely Green Bay's playoff streak will end.

NFL history: A most unusual slump
Great players have always experienced slumps, but when you look at the best of the best throughout history, the length and timing looks most peculiar for Rodgers.

Hall of Fame quarterbacks generally decline because of age or injury, and often both together. The great Johnny Unitas was never the same dominant quarterback after suffering a serious arm injury in the 1968 preseason, at age 35. Peyton Manning's lengthy prime ended only after his body broke down at 39. Joe Montana's 1986 season stands out for its eight touchdowns, nine interceptions and career-low 80.7 passer rating. Montana, however, suffered a severe back injury in Week 1 and wasn't 100 percent healthy when he returned in November.

Neither age nor injury is a good explanation for Rodgers' slump. He won't turn 33 until December, so it really is too early for Father Time to come collecting as he so often does. And Rodgers has appeared only once on the injury report in the past two seasons, because of a sore right shoulder in Week 11 of last season.

Watching Rodgers play, he certainly seems to be physically fine. He still makes some spectacular, athletic plays. We just have not seen that consistent ease at which he used to operate, with accurate deep throws and well-timed back-shoulder passes. Success just looks so difficult for this passing offense, even though the cast around Rodgers has remained much the same personnel. Nelson's 2015 injury aside, Rodgers has been working with a familiar cast from his 2014 MVP campaign, including Eddie Lacy, James Starks, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Richard Rodgers and most of the same offensive line. It's not like Green Bay has become a barren wasteland for offensive talent or dumped its coaching staff.

For years, Rodgers succeeded with a minimal running game and inferior pass protection. Only a select few can succeed in those circumstances, including some of Rodgers' lofty peers. Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger both had breakout seasons in 2004, and they are still going strong today despite a series of personnel changes. Roethlisberger had short slumps in 2006 and 2008 that were health-related, including an emergency appendectomy, sprained AC joint and multiple concussions. Another notable peer is Tom Brady, who had a rough opening month to the 2014 season. That short slump ended quickly, however, after one brutal performance in prime time against the Chiefs, when Bill Belichick whipped out the "We're on to Cincinnati" line. Brady shredded the Bengals the next week and went about his usual business, ending that season with a fourth Super Bowl win.

There are a few cases of excellent quarterbacks getting back to a high level of play after an off year (or several). Green Bay fans won't like to hear this, but these players had to change teams to refresh their careers. Fran Tarkenton's final season with the Giants was the worst he had, but a return to Minnesota in 1972 led to three Super Bowl appearances and an MVP award in 1975. Minnesota was also kind to Randall Cunningham, who after falling out of favor in Philadelphia had a career year in 1998 for a record-setting offense. Kurt Warner has a huge gap in his resume from 2002-2006, partially due to injury, but wrote a great final act to his career as Arizona's starter, almost winning Super Bowl XLIII. The Cardinals, under Bruce Arians, have also resurrected the career of Carson Palmer, who has played at an MVP level since last season, when he was 36.

Rodgers is not leaving Green Bay any time soon, and if his slump does mirror an all-time great, then it is Brett Favre: three-time MVP, Green Bay legend, and the man Rodgers replaced. In 1999, his eighth season as a starter, the 30-year-old Favre lost Mike Holmgren as his coach. The Packers struggled to a 8-8 finish as Favre had to carry the team with a league-high 595 pass attempts, and he dipped below 7.0 YPA for the first time in five years. Favre's 2000 season was similarly mediocre, and the Packers missed the playoffs again. Favre finally returned to Pro Bowl form in 2001. He also had a smaller slump after the team drafted Rodgers in 2005, only to be reinvigorated by Mike McCarthy's adjustments to the offense for a great 2007, his last season with the Packers.

Rodgers, now in his ninth year as a starter, is at the same point of his career as Favre in 1999. It should be noted that while Favre had down seasons in 1999-2000, he still flashed moments of MVP greatness, including six games with a 100.0 passer rating, eight 300-yard passing efforts, and four games with three-plus touchdown passes. Favre surpassed 7.0 YPA in 14 out of 32 games, and still ranked ninth in passing DYAR in both seasons. His decline was not as sudden or severe as what Rodgers has had, but does this mean that Rodgers, like Favre, needs a new coach to sort things out?

Where does Rodgers go from here?
Perhaps this is the week in which Rodgers lights up Detroit for four touchdowns. If not, then it should be an interesting bye week for Green Bay. Last season, it was after the bye week when this slump started. Fortunately, the schedule may help Rodgers get right soon; Green Bay is about to play four straight home games against defenses ranked 17th or lower in Football Outsiders DVOA so far. It is also a good sign that Nelson looks healthy. If the two can rebuild their excellent chemistry, that could bring the big plays back to this offense, raising Rodgers' YPA back to an acceptable level.

Rodgers will have to make due with the roster around him, because we know the Packers would be about the last team expected to make a shocking trade. General manager Ted Thompson strongly believes in the draft, and maybe that is where he has to go next year to find Rodgers another starting wide receiver or tight end. These are the positions in which Green Bay has lost the most talent over the years; Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley and James Jones are all gone. Rodgers went from having the league's deepest receiving corps to one that collapsed without Nelson healthy. He has not established similar timing with his other receivers, and the offense has become too reliant on sandlot football, broken plays, drawing the defense offsides for free plays, and Rodgers' scrambles. Connecting on two Hail Mary touchdowns in a season is sweet, but it's not a sustainable strategy.

History really bears out that for an extended slump to end, a top quarterback needs improved health, a coaching change, or a new team. Only one of those options is realistic for Rodgers, though McCarthy is the only head coach he has known as a starter. McCarthy surrendered play-calling duties to Tom Clements to start 2015, but took them back during the season, only to see no improvement. If anything, the offense has gotten worse since December. Without a turnaround, a coaching change may be in order. A fresh mind and set of eyes could help Rodgers improve his mechanics, and run an offense that is better suited to the team's current talent level instead of what worked five years ago.

Even all-time greats like Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky had to adapt their skills as they aged. It is not a bold statement to say Rodgers' best days are behind him. Statistically, he probably will never top what he did in 2011 or 2014, and that is fine. Lest we forget, he was really that good in those years.

The Rodgers of the past 14 games has not been very good, however, and it would be a shame if he never snapped out of this. History suggests he will eventually, but it may be time to accept that, much like Favre without Holmgren, the Rodgers of 2016 and beyond is not going to be as great as the player we once watched.

Offense or Defense? I am going to say a Pick 6 by Tru....

MOD Edit: added poll

If you look at the list of backs that are down thus far, it's crazy. I'm betting that right now the Rams are watching Green warily; I have to think the way he played in preseason he's going to be on an emergency list or two around the league by now.

After hearing Jon Gruden right before the season opener he predicted Goff would need 4-5 weeks into the regular season to start and now he's changing his mind? wow this takes another media drama spin....

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-quarterbacks-winston-20160922-snap-story.html 09/22/2016

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden, color analyst for “Monday Night Football,” said there’s no way to get Goff the practice snaps he needs without naming him the starter, especially with a collective bargaining agreement that puts significant limitations on how much teams can practice.

“I think he might be best served not playing at all this year,” Gruden told The Times on Thursday. “Right now you’re going into Week 3; how many reps is he getting? Week 1 he wasn’t even active. How’s he getting better if he’s not getting all the reps?

I just can’t understand how you’re going to tell me in Week 5 he’s ready to go. Because he’s been sitting there?”

And with no Rams touchdowns so far…

“Then again,” Gruden said, “I don’t know if Case Keenum has guys running around wide open, either. I haven’t seen gaping holes for [Todd] Gurley to run through.

They’ve got a young line, I don’t know who the blocking tight end is, I don’t even know if they’ve got a fullback on their team. But they’ve got a good defense.”

For the moment, the Rams are holding their ground on Goff, arguing the hurry-up offense can wait. At 21, Goff is two years younger than Wentz.

(They point to how much another Rams quarterback, Sean Mannion, has improved with a year under his belt.) What’s more, Keenum had his best career game against the Buccaneers last season, completing 82.4% of his passes with two touchdowns and a 158.0 passer rating.

This much we know: Until the Los Angeles offense starts making some noise, the outside voices will only get louder.

In the below video Jon Gruden's Take before his change of tone on Goff. This is what Gruden said on September 7th. "Goff would need 4 or 5 weeks before he was ready to start a game".. fast forward to the 21:06 mark of the video

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kivcsh2HkQQ

Just ran another KO back for a TD. A JR this year with a great resume' and an SC guy you know Fisher has his eye on him.

He'll surely go in the first round so it would be tough to make something happen but I wouldn't mind seeing him in horns.

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...ms-rb-todd-gurley-sees-12-people-on-the-field


Los Angeles Rams quarterback Case Keenum said he was "seeing ghosts" last week.

Now apparently so is Todd Gurley.

"It's crazy," the Rams' star running back said after Friday's practice. "I'm like, 'Man, that's 12 people on the field!'"

Gurley was referring to the amount of players opposing defenses are stacking in the box to prevent him from running the ball effectively. The second-year pro has amassed only 98 yards on 36 carries through the first two weeks and is averaging 0.89 yards before first contact, a clear indication that opposing defenses are penetrating the line of scrimmage to suffocate Gurley every time he touches the ball.

"Sometimes that's a good thing," Gurley said, "because if you get past the first level, then you're going.
But you have to get past the first level first."

Gurley hasn't been able to do much of that yet. He's averaging 2.7 yards per carry, which ranked 38th out of 44 qualified running backs after Week 2, and has broken off runs of more than five yards only 11 percent of the time. It's the biggest reason why the Rams remain the only NFL team without a touchdown. Veteran left guard Rodger Saffold recently called establishing the running game "a group effort," saying the offensive line needs to do a better job of picking up blitz schemes and that Gurley is still developing his decision-making ability.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Gurley to only 48 yards on 21 carries late last season, in a game that saw the Rams win by a 31-23 score and Gurley reach 1,000 yards for the season.

He knows they'll be focusing on him again.

"They know we're going to run the ball," Gurley said. "Every team, their job is to not get ran on. Teams have been doing a pretty job with containing us. We just have to go out there and win our one-on-ones -- and run the ball."

Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff Writer
http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...oubtful-for-rams-jared-goffs-status-uncertain



Los Angeles Rams rookie receivers Pharoh Cooper and Nelson Spruce returned to practice this week, but both were listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Raymond James Stadium.

As for whether Jared Goff will be the backup quarterback again?

"Come to the game," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said after Friday's practice from Cal Lutheran University.

Goff, the No. 1 overall pick, began the season as an inactive third-string quarterback, then flipped with Sean Mannion and served as the backup to Case Keenum for Week 2. Fisher said at the time he wasn't certain if he would continue to alternate Goff and Mannion in that role, but did confirm Friday that only one of them will be active. Asked whether the depth chart would remain the same in Week 3, Fisher said: "Don't know yet. Have to wait and see."



E.J. Gaines, who missed the first two games with an injury to his left thigh and was listed as questionable on the team's injury report Friday. Gaines was a limited participant for the Rams' three practices this week and, if healthy, would solidify a No. 2 cornerback spot that has been in a flux. It is especially crucial this week, with running back Doug Martin out for the Rams and quarterback Jameis Winston expected to throw the ball frequently.

If not Gaines, Troy Hill -- a 5-foot-10, 182-pound second-year corner out of Oregon -- will probably start on the outside, opposite Trumaine Johnson.

Hill replaced Coty Sensabaugh early in Sunday's 9-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks and was tested deep four times by Russell Wilson. One resulted in a defensive pass interference, another was an offensive pass interference, another was a batted ball and the last one was a 53-yard hookup with Tyler Lockett with less than a minute remaining, Hill's desperation ankle tackle the only thing preventing a game-winning score.

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Hill "got thrown in the fire" on Sunday and felt he "adapted well."

"He's got a few plays he'd want back," Williams said, "but he did play well and it says good things about him."

Some additional notes from Friday's practice ...

• Third-down running back Benny Cunningham was also listed as questionable for Sunday's game with a knee injury, as were free safetyMaurice Alexander (thigh) and slot cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (foot). They all practiced on a limited basis throughout the week.
  
  
• The Rams waived Steve Williams and promoted fellow cornerback Isaiah Johnson from the practice squad. Williams was signed a couple of weeks earlier after being waived by the San Diego Chargers. Johnson spent last season with the Detroit Lions.
  
  
• Williams, on Joyner playing through a broken toe in Week 2 (something he vows to continue doing): "That’s what you’re supposed to do. If you’re on the golf tour, maybe you take a day off. But you don’t do it in this league. Russell Wilson didn’t take a day off, and Lamarcus doesn’t take a day off. The reason he’s here is we saw that in him. It doesn’t surprise me at all. He’s a very strong-willed, tough kid, and that’s the nature of our business. When you’re not that way, you’re not very good.”
  
  
• Fisher called the Bucs waiving tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins after he wasarrested for a DUI charge on Friday morning "very unfortunate." "It’s just a great example -- players need to make better choices, you know. [It] hurt the football team."
  

I think I saw you driving today..grabbed a pic of the license plate anyway

How many TDs will the Rams score in week 3? For those who want to be particular - Not just the offense - total team TDs.

Check out @MylesASimmons's Tweet: Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/MylesASimmons/status/779411731638394880?s=09

I was listening to Mike and Mike this morning on my drive in. Parcells was on for a bit.
They asked if he could put into words how a team can start a 3rd round quarterback on a short week, and come away with a victory like the one last night. What is Belicheat's secret?

Parcells provided a succinct formula to winning. Simple. Not overly complicated. The secret:
Control the game, you will win.
It should be the primary objective week in and week out.

I remembered a moment in the game that embodied that....the play where they had a 3rd and short coming up; they faked gathering for a huddle, then ran to the line and TOOK the first down with rushing counter play while half the Texans D were still looking at their Linebacker finger pointing the upcoming defensive set.

A win is a win, no matter how ugly. Take Control. Seize it. Steal it. Scrap for it. Fight for it. Claw for it. When you have it, don't let go of it. Similar to what we did last week to the Seahawks. No?


IT takes all 11 guys on the field being on the same page to dominate the control.

Regarding winning the turnover battle, Parcells also says its not rocket science how New England has been toward the top of the league in turnover ratio the last 10 years.
All things being equal....how can there be a rational explanation to that?
He says their differential is lopsided because their opponents are playing from behind.
Their opponents are taking higher risk chances due to playing from behind.
They are playing from behind because the Patriots main focus is TAKING control of the game early.


I don't know. Its an "easier-said-than-done" formula, perhaps.
But to me the conversation struck me as a fan and an observer to the sport.

I'd always believed the overly simplified unique key to winning was "Score more points than your opponent, and you will win". It was the perfect counter to any critical thinking argument in sports. The joke to that mantra is it's a statement that means everything and nothing at the same time.

Control the game and you win. That's a damn good baseline. That's fucking awesome good criteria to factor against every decision a team faces through the course of a game. Does this decision help me take control?
It also unites the team. It reminds them, every moment, that they are in a "game". A game they are in it to win.

Oh well. Thought I'd share my sports epiphany moment courtesy Coach Parcells.

Perhaps the key to being a consistent winner is just that simple.
Go Rams!

we chose to get rid of Rodney McLeod and sign Coty Sensabaugh. For a difference of about $2 million a year. I know they play different positions in the secondary but moves like this are reasons why we take 1 step forward and 1 step back. McLeod was a borderline top 10 safety in the league and the arrow was pointing up. Sensabaugh was benched and has been getting torched. I wonder if they could have saved $2 million a year somewhere else on the roster.

were any of you able to capture on your cell phone Randy Newman singing I LOVE LA? I was so royally pissed they did not show the halftime show on tv this being such a major historic moment and I would love to try and purchase that halftime show if it is available.thanks.

Rams' secondary remains a work in progress

By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER

[www.ocregister.com]
On the face of it, the Rams’ passing defense looks to be in pretty good shape.

Through two games, Los Angeles has allowed only 409 yards through the air, which puts it safely within the top third of the league. It is giving up only 6.1 yards per attempt, a mark bested by only three other teams in the league. It has surrendered only a single touchdown pass.

But such statistics are hard to divorce from the performance of the front seven. Anchored by disruptive stars in Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn, the defensive line never allowed Russell Wilson to feel comfortable in the pocket en route to a 9-3 win over the Seahawks last Sunday.

The secondary is, well ...

“To be honest with you, average,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “We’ve got to step up back there.”

The Rams placed their franchise tag on Johnson this offseason, making him the de facto leader of their secondary after allowing cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod to walk away in free agency. Along with safety T.J. McDonald, the quartet formed a group that Johnson described as “dominant.” (In their Week 17 rankings last year, Pro Football Focus placed the Rams at No. 5.)

Through two games, however, the defensive backfield has remained in flux.

The Rams didn’t draft any defensive backs, but they signed former fourth-round pick Coty Sensabaugh to a three-year contract this offseason. Sensabaugh started two games, but was benched last weekend in favor of Troy Hill, whose limited career snaps had come mostly on special teams. Lamarcus Joyner – who competed with Sensabaugh in training camp – has settled back into his role at nickelback, but is also playing through a broken toe.

Coaches tweaked the lineup elsewhere too, frequently deploying a three-safety set that increased the usage of Cody Davis – nearly quintupling the safety’s defensive workload from Week 1 to Week 2. Considering that the Rams are visiting the pass-happy Buccanneers on Sunday, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams could get even more creative.

But mixing and matching likely won’t help as much as actual reinforcements, and one could be back soon. Cornerback E.J. Gaines, who started 15 games as a rookie before missing all of last season with a fractured foot, has been on and off the injury list for the past several months. His thigh has kept him out of both games this year, but he returned to practice this week and stayed late on Wednesday to take extra reps.

If Gaines is ready to play in Tampa Bay, he could help stabilize a secondary that he described as a “roller coaster.”

“E.J. is a very smart, cerebral player,” said Rams defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson. “He’s played a lot early on in his career and had success. The biggest thing is, we’ve just got to get him comfortable. We’ll see how it shakes out when he’s fully healthy.”

INJURY REPORT

Unlike most NFL teams, the Rams do not normally practice on Thursdays, necessitating the odd existence of a hypothetical participation report. Because the league mandates injury updates, the team estimates the status of their injured players.

All the Rams who were “limited” on Wednesday remained so on Thursday. In addition to Gaines, the list consisted of safety Maurice Alexander (thigh), receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), receiver Nelson Spruce (knee), running back Benny Cunningham (knee), and cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (toe).

Any good podcasts that cover the Rams game? Thanks in advance.