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Aaron Donald hit with $21,269 fine

NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been fined $21,269 by the NFL for his actions that led to his ejection in the team's season opener against San Francisco on Monday night.

Donald was docked $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $9,115 for unnecessary roughness Friday after he was called for 15-yard penalties, including for making contact with an official -- resulting in him being tossed from the Rams' 28-0 loss.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...s-angeles-rams-fined-21269-nfl-actions-opener

Keenum says he didn't trust himself in Week 1 blowout loss

Case Keenum says he didn't trust himself in Week 1 blowout loss to the 49ers

By Gary Klein

The Rams put their trust in Case Keenum, making him the starting quarterback despite the selection of Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

After playing poorly in a season-opening defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, Keenum said Wednesday that he needed to trust himself and not overthink decisions.

“I think I was seeing ghosts,” Keenum said of his struggles against the 49ers. “I was seeing things that weren’t there. I wasn’t trusting myself and my abilities.”

The Rams need Keenum to quickly right himself.

The Seattle Seahawks, fresh off a come-from-behind victory over the Miami Dolphins, are coming to the Coliseum for the Rams’ home opener. Sunday’s game marks Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll’s return to the stadium where he led USC for nine seasons.


Keenum played efficiently during exhibitions, and he appeared to start off smoothly in the first few plays against the 49ers.

But the Rams’ offense fell apart.

Keenum completed 17 of 35 passes for only 130 yards and had two passes intercepted on a night when the 49ers shut down running back Todd Gurley. Keenum was sacked twice and hit hard multiple times.

“He made some plays and then missed some opportunities,” CoachJeff Fisher said. “We just have to make sure we take advantage of those opportunities when they’re there.”

Several of Keenum’s passes were nowhere near their targets, which can sometimes indicate that receivers did not run the correct route. Keenum put the blame on himself.

“It was me overthinking it: ‘Maybe they were going to this because of this, this and this,’ ” he said. “Just trust what you see and let it fly, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

The Seahawks gave up only 10 points in their opener and feature one of the NFL’s most aggressive defenses.

Last season, Keenum helped lead the Rams to a 23-17 victory over the Seahawks at CenturyLink Stadium. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 103 yards as the Rams beat the Seahawks for the second time in 2015 and the third time in the last four games.

“I just have to let the game come to me,” Keenum said. “Take what the defense gives me, trust my teammates … and get the ball out of my hands to the right place.”

Gurley did not practice Wednesday — “A coaches’ decision,” Fisher said — but is expected to return Thursday.

The Rams need more production from Gurley, who rushed for only 47 yards in 17 carries, and receiver Tavon Austin, who caught four passes for 13 yards.

And Keenum must rebound from his performance.

“Everybody’s always overexcited when you come in to the first game,” receiver Kenny Britt said. “You overthink stuff because you don’t want to miss stuff. … I know things will calm down for him.”

Watching and waiting

Goff was inactive for the opener, and Fisher has said that he would not decide whether to make him the backup until later in the week.

Goff was on the sideline in warmup gear against the 49ers.

“Definitely a different perspective,” he said. “But I tried to help Case as much as could and be the best teammate I could be.”

Goff said he would be ready when called upon.

“You can see the defense from a different angle and see the speed from the sideline,” he said, “but the best way to really know what’s going on out there is to be in it.”

Read Complete Article--[www.latimes.com]

Rams know honeymoon period won't last in L.A., they've 'got to win

Rams know honeymoon period won't last in L.A., they've 'got to win'
By Alden Gonzalez

[www.espn.com]

LOS ANGELES -- The first indication came subtly, in the middle of January, when a couple-hundred fans showed up to The Forum in Inglewood, California, for the Los Angeles Rams' first news conference back in Los Angeles. Then there was the draft party at L.A. Live in late April. People lined up shortly after the sun rose to secure tickets. And the first day of training camp from Irvine, California, which carried an attendance of roughly 10,000.

But Kevin Demoff, the Rams' COO who grew up here, couldn't fully grasp the significance of it all until the morning of Aug. 13, when he pulled up to Los Angeles Coliseum for the first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys and saw fans tailgating at 9 a.m.

"The flags flying, and the game-day atmosphere -- that's when you appreciated how important this was to this city," Demoff said. "And I can’t even begin to imagine the difference on Sunday -- with the 1:20 kick, and a bitter rival in the Seattle Seahawks, in the first meaningful game -- just how meaningful this is going to be to this city and to everybody to symbolize that the NFL is truly back."

The Rams opened up about 5,000 additional seats for their 2016 home opener in early August, and Demoff said they "lasted all of about two minutes."

Now about 90,000 will fill the Coliseum on Sunday, for the Rams' first regular-season game there since 1979 and first time as a home team in L.A. in 22 years. The Rams will wear their throwback uniforms, the popular royal blue and gold will conjure up memories of Merlin Olsen and Jack Youngblood. The Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform a pregame concert, CeeLo Green will sing the national anthem, a collection of Hall of Famers will be honored and the Coliseum's Olympic torch will be lit -- the start of a tradition that will carry on for every Rams home game over the next three years.

Demoff sees the opener as a symbolic "end of the relocation journey."

It might also be the end of the proverbial honeymoon period.

From there it will only be about the product on the field. And if Monday night was any indication -- and if the days that followed were any sort of barometer -- this is a team that will test the patience of a fan base that historically doesn't have much of it. Asked for his takeaway from the Rams' season-opening 28-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Jim Everett, the quarterback in L.A. from 1986-93, said: "We've got one hell of a punter."

Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson, with the L.A. Rams from 1983-87, was even more direct.

"They don’t have a lot," Dickerson said of the current Rams. "I’m just being honest. I’m a Rams fan, but I’m honest. They don’t have a whole lot. I mean they really don’t."

The question, then, is how long the Rams can keep attention spans in a city with so many distractions. L.A. is a bandwagon town. It loves winners and ignores losers. The Clippers went through that until, well, now. But the Clippers have the Lakers to ease some of the pressure, and the Kings have the Ducks, and the Dodgers have the Angels. The Rams -- for now, at least -- are all alone in the market.

"L.A. fans are not like Steeler fans; they're not like Packer fans," Dickerson said. "They're just not. You have to accept that. But when you have a winning product on the field, I'm telling you, you have no better fans. It's Hollywood. Hollywood is all about glitz and glamour -- and winning."

The Rams were embarrassed in their season opener, in front of a national-television audience and against a team widely considered one of the NFL's worst. The defense gave up 123 rushing yards in the first half, the offense amassed 185 yards from scrimmage through four quarters and the team committed 10 penalties. It was the worst performance from the opening week, and fans promptly eviscerated their new team through social media.

Everett doesn't believe one game should be blown out of proportion.

"There’s two letters, L-A, in the word relax," he said. "Let the boys play."

But that's not how this market works.

"I don’t think we’re naive to think we’re going to get this unbelievable honeymoon period where people will tolerate not being competitive," Demoff said. "We’ve got to be competitive. We’ve got to win. We’ve got to set the tone for what we expect this team to be in the market. But we’re not going to be perfect, and we’re going to have ups and downs and games like Monday."

Dickerson settled in Southern California after retiring in 1993, and the Rams left for St. Louis two years later. He doesn't believe L.A. fans really cared for about a decade, until the sport exploded in popularity and the area suddenly began longing for the NFL. Dickerson believes the relationship between L.A. and the Rams will take time to nurture.

"It’s like a girl that you love," Dickerson explained. "You left her, and you show back up and she's like, 'Hold up, you’re not going to stick your tongue down my throat right away. Take me out to dinner for a little while.'"

Regardless of how these first couple of years play out, and regardless of how fan interest might wane if the team does not perform, Dickerson expects another uptick in interest when the Rams open their massive new stadium in 2019. It'll be another mile marker; another milestone to symbolize a new beginning for this franchise.

But somehow they must bridge the gap.

"What I want most for this team is to be competitive consistently," Demoff said. "To go win division titles, to go deep in the playoffs, to deliver Super Bowls. We want the same thing as the fans. We want to build this process. This is a long-term vision for the Rams in Los Angeles. But you shouldn’t have to trade off short-term success for a long-term vision."

Conspiracy Revealed! How the Niners Knew the Rams Plays!

So, the question is, is the Rams pre snap formations so basic, is Kelly that good at figuring out an offense, or did they have spies at camp?

.....oooooor, did a certain SOMEONE with knowledge of the plays and a hint of Niner stench covertly deliver the information to the Niners, in an effort to make Keenum and the Rams look bad, and quicken the era of said SOMEONE?

No, couldn't be. Ooooor....I dunno, perhaps SOMEONE was in town and at moms house for a nice warm meal, <cough> Goff<cough> and oh I don't know, maybe there was enough room at the table for another guest, <cough> Chip <cough> and there was an exchange like this:

Jared: "Gee mom, this Pizza is great. You can't get this great Marin County pizza down in LA. Please pass the Parmesan."

Mrs. G: "Oh honey. I was going to make you a nice healthy salad and some lean fish. -put down that playbook, Jared! It's rude to read at the dinner table! Besides, we have a guest- Anyway, I know how much you like pizza. And besides, we have to bulk you up, and make you more starter.....er.....STOUT. Make you more stout. Mr. Kelly, would you like me to hang up your trench coat?"

Chip the troll-looking dinner guest: "Oh, no thanks....uh ...I still have a little chill from the night air."

Mr. G: "Well, Chip, thank you for taking the time to come to the our home for dinner. You don't know what a thrill it is for our family to have THE coach of the team we have loved and adored all these years, right here in our humble home....honey, pass me a bread stick, please?"

Chip, the troll-looking dinner guest: "Well, I was happy to attend, sir That's a fine boy you've got there". (Looking adoringly, yet nervously, at Jared. Chip then glances down at Jareds feet and sees a binder labeled: RAMS PLAYBOOK: do not let into the hands of any Niner swine.- I'm in luck! Chip thinks to himself!) "We nearly selected Jared, you know....thought for sure he'd be there at seven....Oh not that he didn't deserve to go first! (Gesturing sheepishly to Jerry Goff) ....its just, the Rams caught us of guard with that desperate...I mean DARING....move up to one for Jared." Chip glances around the room. Then says under his breath..."besides, who knew Commie Kaep was going to go all Huey Newton on me...."

Mr. G: "Well, it should be a fine game. May the best team win!" The elder Goff said thrusting his glass in the air in a gesture of toast. Mrs. G and their daughter also raise their glasses of Napa's finest gracefully above their heads. Chip paws at his glass and holds it up, hand shaking, nervous about the dastardly deed he is about commit.

Jared, oblivious, continues to eat his pizza.

"Jared!" His mother screams across the table, finally catching her sons attention.

"Oh, sorry mom." He says, groping for his Gatorade bottle, adorned with the black letters written in sharpie-G O F F- written on it. He and that bottle have been inseparable since Oxnard. "Cheers"

Chip, then realizes his opportunity is now. "Beautiful view out your east window, folks", everyone turns to admire the lucious hills overlooking the North bay. Chip begins to lunge, then stops. (The kid is still chewing, cow-eyed. Grabbing another slice of pricuito and goat cheese)

"Hey Jared, is that that the sun set?!" The pudgy coach desperately urges, hoping to get the young quarterback to turn his head with the rest of his family.

Jared, unfazed, snickers, "Mr. Kelly. The sun sets in the west. Everyone knows that! Don't you ever watch Hard Knocks?"

Chip has one last move. "Jared, be a lamb and pass the playbook...er....peppers! Pass the peppers. Yessiree love me some hot peppers on my...goat cheese pizza."

Jared hands the container of peppers and Chip "accidently" drops them under the table.

"Oops, I'll get that!" The slimy coach says, slithering under the family dining table.

"I fumbled again!" The young Jared laments, blaming himself for the bad exchange.

"It's your fault!" Mr. Goff lashes out at his wife. "If he had just got my hands. The Goff hands. Big. Beefy. Like a catcher! But nnnooooo. He had to get dainty hands from yoooouur side of the family!"

(Meanwhile, Chip, under the table, eyes the prize. -a quick glance under the skirt of the young Goff sister-No! Not that prize! He carefully reaches past Jareds leg, grabs the playbook, and thrusts it down past the lapel of his London Fog. {it's mine! All mine!})

"Well he got YOUR athletic ability! You minor league loser!" The scorned wife retaliated. "We wonder why he isn't starting, when his father couldn't even hit above the Mendoza line!"

"People, people! Please, don't fight. It was my fault. I dropped the peppers. Jared's hands are fine." Chip says, beads of sweat on his forehead, emerging from under the table. "Besides, lot's of small handed quarterbacks have made a living in this league...."

"...hahahaha!" the entire table emerged in laughter, as the coaches levity made them all forget about their fight.

Chip, the troll-like dinner guest: "Well folks, it's been a great meal. I do have to go. Team meetings, you know. Thanks you so much for all the plays...uh, the PIZZA. Thanks for the pizza"

Mr. G: "Well, thank you for coming Chip. Best to you Monday night!" (Door closes)

Jared: "Mom, have you seen my playbook?"

Mrs G: (taking the dishes off the table) "Oh I'm sure it's around here someplace, honey. Your just going to be in street clothes anyway. I'm sure coach Fisher will get you another playbook."

Jared: (Shrugging) "Yeah....does anybody want this last piece of pizza?"

MMQB: The Rookie Handbook

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/09/15/...rolina-panthers-jordan-gross-geoff-hangartner

Listen Up, Rookies
Put down the playbook and study this: Three players share insider knowledge on how to survive life in the NFL
by Kalyn Kahler

authors_mmqb.jpg

The three authors, Ryan, Jordan and Geoff at training camp in 2008/
Ryan Kalil

When they were in the NFL together, Panthers center Ryan Kalil and former teammates Jordan Gross (2003-14) and Geoff Hangartner (2005-13) got so fed up with the rookies that they created a handbook to teach new guys the ways of being a pro. Now that handwritten how-to is an actual book, The Rookie Handbook, and it covers so much more than how to buy a suit or find a seat on a plane amongst the veterans. Pro tips: don't put glue in a mouthpiece, and take an umbrella with you next time you go into a bathroom stall.

THE MMQB: Where did the idea to create a rookie handbook originate?

JORDAN GROSS: We all were fortunate to get to play together with the Panthers. I was with both of them each seven years apiece, and they played together five years with me. Our O-line room was a place that we had a lot of fun with. We had rookies every year and they had assignments they were supposed to do, like fill up the cooler with water and bring coffee for the veterans.

But one year, around 2009 or 2010, we had a group of rookies that were just terrible at remembering to do their job. They were so bad at it that we actually wrote them a rookie handbook.

GEOFF HANGARTNER: None of the rookie duties were overly hard—bring donuts on Saturday morning—but for whatever reason these guys couldn’t remember. It’s kind of a rite of passage. As a rookie you fill up the water, so that when you aren’t a rookie anymore there is always water in the room. Guys just couldn’t remember to do these things so we had to write it out for them.

RYAN KALIL: It originally started out as a guide to what responsibilities a rookie had for our offensive line meeting room. And then as the years went on, we started very sarcastically writing other things that are more broad, commonsense things, like how to not be an idiot and how not to make your coach mad.

Guys in other position groups found it very amusing so they would start to contribute verbally. We would write down what they would say and it became a fun thing to go back and look at all the stuff.

JORDAN GROSS: Ryan Kalil is such a creative guy that he made it with script writing and calligraphy and had it in this leather-bound book. So we gave it to them and it was really funny. Ryan said we need to make this a book someday.

RYAN KALIL: We kept it in the back of our minds that we would write it. Years later my two colleagues here retired and had a ton of free time on their hands. So they said, Hey we should write that book now.

THE MMQB: Were some rules inspired by your own rookie mistakes?

GEOFF HANGARTNER: A lot of stuff in the book came from our own personal screw-ups. That’s where we came up with a lot of it because we were rookies at one point and we thought we had it all figured out.

JORDAN GROSS: What you don’t understand as a young player is the point of these tasks isn’t necessarily just to make you do things, it’s to see if you can follow through with an instruction and see how competent you are at delivering it fast. When I was a rookie, one of our veterans Todd Steussie, he wanted a cappuccino machine. I held my ground and said no. But now, looking back on it, I totally should have bought the cappuccino machine.

As a rookie I was good with the tasks of keeping the O-line room stocked with blow pops and mini-Snickers bars and coffee, but I didn’t understand how much an older guy with kids needs a cappuccino machine. Now I get it. When I had a kid and I started needing some caffeine in the afternoon, I thought, Man, a cappuccino machine would be pretty nice.

When I got to be an older player, I ordered all these different flavored coffee cups for the Keurig and sweeteners and swizzle sticks; it was like a Starbucks in our O-line room.

GEOFF HANGARTNER: We mention guys buying custom-made suits in the book and we say to not go crazy for a reason. There are some pictures that we really laugh at today of Jordan Gross on his draft day in 2003. He wore this custom suit that he had made that was extra baggy. It’s just a bad suit and he thought it looked super cool and he probably spent a bunch of money on it. Looking back now, that was just a terrible idea.

I hate to call out another fellow author, but we also mention the importance of turning the page and not wearing college gear anymore—and I think Kalil still might have a USC football bag that he takes on road trips. I know he had a luggage tag that he kept on his luggage for as long as I was playing.

RYAN KALIL: He’s right. I did for a long time. I am definitely guilty of not turning the page. But I also want to point out that I had better college experience than Geoff did at Texas A&M. I am more proud of my school than he is. At some point you have to turn the page, but it’s not like you can’t ever support your team or wear a shirt of your school and have pride that way. But there are some guys who dress like they are still in college every day.

The Oregon guys; they are the absolute worst. Every day it looks like they are still on campus like it’s travel day and they are getting ready to jump on an airplane and go somewhere to play in the PAC- 12. The Oregon guys, they don’t just wear one thing, a shirt or a pair of pants. No, it’s an entire jumpsuit with green shoes, Oregon hat, Oregon backpack.

There are a few other schools that are like that, I won’t name any names, I don’t want to call [Panthers linebacker] Thomas Davis out, but he tends to wear way too much Georgia stuff. It’s time to switch it up.

THE MMQB: Have you showed the Rookie Handbook to any current players or coaches?

RYAN KALIL: Coach [Ron] Rivera loved it and he thinks that all rookies should have it, which I agree. I sent a couple pages to my buddy [Jets center] Nick Mangold in New York, he heard about it and he wanted to know more about it. I sent him the section about music wars in the locker room and he laughed and said it was so true. I enjoy hearing the perspective of other guys and what they think around the league.

We really wanted this to be a book that spoke to what the culture was like around the entire league and not just the Carolina Panthers. Fortunately for us, the NFL is a revolving door of players. Even though we have been in Carolina our entire careers, we really got a great sense of what the culture was like around the league by interacting with guys who had played in a lot of different places.

We really did have small focus groups of former and current players around the league where we would call and ask, "Hey, when you played was this something that happened to you or is it something that just happens here?" We really tried to include only things we thought were pretty universal around the league.

bathroomlogjam.jpg

Photo: Rookie H

THE MMQB: Let’s go through some of those universal guidelines, starting with something I never had thought about: How to avoid the bathroom logjam in the visitors' locker room, which usually has a limited selection of toilets. Which stadium has the worst visitors' bathroom?

JORDAN GROSS: New Orleans was the worst. I think they only had three toilets. It might have been two, but it was no more than three. You have guys that have eaten and are all hydrated and everybody is nervous and everybody has been drinking coffee and you get to the stadium and it is just disgusting. So our advice for the rookies to always go the bathroom in the hotel room before leaving and then at least you can avoid the mad rush.

It would literally be guys standing there waiting, with the gameday program under their arm, just waiting for an opportunity to go into a stall. At the home games, you knew where other bathrooms were at the stadium, but at away games it was harder. When Rivera became the head coach, we had a good enough rapport that I would use his bathroom, because the head coach has their own locker room.

GEOFF HANGARTNER: It’s harder to remember one that has a good setup for a bathroom. They are all bad. I think that teams do the minimum for the visitors' locker room because it is not really in their best interest to make you overly comfortable. If they can put two stalls in a locker room for 53 guys or more, then that is what they do.

THE MMQB: Before reading the book, I’d never heard of the secret halftime meal just for starters during preseason games. How does that work?

RYAN KALIL: That is something that really exists. People think we put that in there as a prank to trick rookies, but it is something that is real. There are a select few veteran guys that know about this and it’s sort of a secret club. It doesn’t happen everywhere, and even if it does happen, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the veterans are going to admit to it, because it is still a secret club. It’s for the older guys who are only playing a certain amount of snaps in the game, the preseason games where you are only playing a series or just a quarter.

At halftime you are changing into a more comfortable shoes. As the rest of the guys are getting ready to go out for the second half and you know you are done for the day, you go into the equipment room and eat the leftovers of whatever the equipment managers don’t eat. We just go and piggyback off of their food. It is really at the discretion of whatever food they have. The standard is usually hot dogs or some kind of chicken sandwich or sandwich station. You go in for a quick eat because you still feel somewhat guilty for eating while the other guys are getting ready to go out for the second half.

You don’t lounge in there because you still have to be around the guys and it’s still a serious day. If you are really feeling gutsy you can maybe try to throw in a second sandwich, but you don’t get much time because you have to show face and get back in the locker room to go over the game plan and the halftime adjustments.

THE MMQB: Another section of this book goes over different types of locker room pranks and what to watch out for. What prank made you the angriest?

GEOFF HANGARTNER: The one that made me the maddest was the cold water dumped on you when you’re on the toilet. We had a bathroom where you could lock the door and it was a one-seater. I would go in there in the morning because I got water dumped on me a couple times and there is nothing worse than trying to take care of your business and then all of a sudden you are doused with five gallons of freezing cold water.

There were a couple culprits that you always had to watch out for. Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith, those guys thought it was hilarious. If I knew that they were in the building, I would not go into the bathroom.

One day, someone had an elaborate plan to get back at Delhomme and dump cold water on him. Delhomme knew that we were after him and that people were getting mad that he kept throwing cold water on everyone. So he literally took an umbrella into the stall with him. And he put the umbrella up so when somebody poured cold water on him, he came out laughing and holding his umbrella. I just thought that was hilarious.

THE MMQB: Ryan, you mentioned music wars earlier. How do you decide who plays the music in the Panthers' locker room?

RYAN KALIL: We still have this argument today. It is still music wars. Our locker room is really long so there are three or four big stereos that are played before practice. Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert have one, Tre Boston in the cornerback section has one, Charles Johnson has a huge one and I want to say Cam [Newton] has a smaller one. Those four speakers that are going on sort of compete with each other. We just let it go on and if they start to get too loud, or one is overpowering another one, you let the mob decide which stereo they want to hear the loudest.

Typically Tolbert and J-Stew are the self-proclaimed DJs of our locker room. They have a good eclectic taste. Some of the Southern boys really love only stuff from the south and Stew is very good about playing everything. There are almost like music zones in our locker room, if you walk across the whole locker room, you’ll see we have almost figured out the volume to where we can just stay within our zones and it doesn’t affect the whole room.

I’m in Cam’s zone. I like Cam’s playlist. He plays everything, he plays gospel, hip hop, current hits. I’ve even heard Bieber play out his speaker, there is only one Bieber song he really likes though.

THE MMQB: There is a section in the book on how to get along with your travel roommate. Do you have any memorable hotel stories?

GEOFF HANGARTNER: My roommate was fairly tame for the most part. I can tell you a story about him but I can’t name him. So my rookie year I’m sitting in my hotel room and all of a sudden my unnamed roommate walks in and I’m like, “Hey what’s up?” And he just goes, “Mmm… mmm…” He doesn’t open his mouth or say anything. He immediately disappears into the bathroom for a half hour and I’m like what’s going on here?

I ask him,”Dude, are you OK?” It turns out he has gotten a gold and diamond encrusted mouthpiece that he had custom-made stuck in his mouth. It was supposed to be removable and whoever the guy was that made it put some glue in there, I don’t know if the jeweler didn’t know he wanted to be able to take it out, but there was some miscommunication.

So he literally had this gold and diamond encrusted mouthpiece stuck in his mouth and was trying to get it out and couldn’t get it out. He had to go to meetings that night with his mouthpiece in and people could not stop laughing at him.

Goff QB 2 on depth chart

I just checked the Rams web site and he is in the 2nd position and moved Mannion to 3rd. I guess the kid is moving up. I know I heard Fish mention about the possibility of him moving behind Case. I guess this means he is progressing.
It would be nice to see him play his 1st game as well or better than Wentz did in Philly.

what the 'hawks fans are saying

Sorry if im steppping on anyones toes here ...i just love these threads and haven seen one for this yet (mods use the delete button if so needed )

so its hawks week and if im totally honest i hate the hate just a tad more than the niners (ive always been a stl rams fan so never really had the Cali rivalry thing ) plus their fans and pete carrol are just kick in the dick worthy
so any way over at

http://www.seahawks.net

there's this thread

http://www.seahawks.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=128168&sid=81784de92e7b603d409e5f4422830a10

This is gonna be a BIG DEAL game down there in plastic town... Think of how motivated that team is gonna be...

1. First LA Rams home game since 1994. They'd kinda like to make a "splash", of course...
2. They were totally embarrassed in their opener, so naturally they will be "extra" motivated by whatever THAT crap was against the hapless 9ers...
3. Winning a game against the crown jewel of the NFC for the last few seasons (and arguably, the entire NFL) would be the "Perfect" opener for the Rams return.
4. That Rams D-line against scrappy and the crew trying their best to keep Russell alive... Not very confident here...

Are we in for a pretty tough/dangerous game here?

No injuries.... NO INJURIES!!!
pray.gif

Hawks need to comeout and be aggressive on both sides of the ball. Punch em in the mouth early and often, and after last week get the Rams doubting themselves. The longer the Rams think they are in the game the worse the Hawks chances of winning get

The Rams pretty much own us.

They have beaten us home and away with some pretty barely there QBs.


I don't think it matters, they are just Paper to our Rock, for whatever reason.

I am really hoping that moving to LA their players are more interested in the sights & sounds of LA than getting ready for the game.

Because this is no win for us, if we beat them? Well the 49ers shellacked them on national TV so that should have been expected. They beat us? OMG, this is the same team the hapless 49ers shelled what is wrong with us?

I am just hoping we get our of there with a win, at least not a 10am EST game. Hopefully put a W in the column and move on, because this one does indeed seem like a trap.

this guy gets it (well the bolded part anyway ) as does this guy

The Seahawks are Superman, and the Lambs are kryptonite. Totally harmless to everyone else, absolutely kills us. Damn that Achilles Heel!

Tron's Week 2 Power Rankings

Guess whos back!!! You're favorite RoDer? hmm not quite right. lover of RoD? err thats worse.....RoD fiend? cough cough... umm well crap. Just call me you're favorite member of the best Rams forum. Yea...not flashy, but it works.

Week one has come and gone and boy was it a doozie!! A lot of close games that were very exciting. And some not so great games....cough cough....

Anyways I won't bore you any further, here you go!!!

http://www.ramsondemand.com/powerrankings/trons-power-rankings.5/

TRANSCRIPTS: Fisher & Gurley Post Practice (9/15)

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post Practice Press Conference – September 15, 2016

(Opening remarks)

“A good day at practice, we got some guys back. We’re really excited. We have to finish up tomorrow strong and we’ll fine tune things on Saturday and then head down to the hotel and give it a shot. They’re a good football team, but we’ve had success against them and we have great respect for them, like I said. I’m pleased with where we are right now.”

(On if he has decided if QB Jared Goff will be active on Sunday)
“I haven’t decided yet, no. We’ll probably let you know tomorrow or Saturday or Sunday.”

(On if this game is as big of a Week 2 game as he can remember)
“Every week is big and there’s storylines behind everything. This is special because this is the first one that counts at the Coliseum, the first one that counts here at home. It’s special and we couldn’t think of a better opponent to open against. All the stuff with (Seahawks Head Coach) Pete (Carroll) coming back to the Coliseum for the first time, the little rivalry that we’ve established here over the last couple of years, I think it’s going to be special.”

(On if the injuries to WR Nelson Spruce and WR Pharoh Cooper handcuff the offense)
“You have to play through injures, that’s your philosophy. Who knows what would happen had they both been available – we don’t know. But we’ll find out when they come back. Other guys have to step up.”

(On if Spruce and Cooper are close to playing)
“They’re getting closer, yeah. They both did not practice today.”

(On DT Michael Brockers’ contract extension and keeping the defensive line together)
“Yeah, something about ‘Brock’ – I’m really excited about that. I appreciate (Owner/Chairman) Stan (Kroenke) and his willingness to allow us to go ahead and do that. We’ve been talking for quite some time about it. It’s important to keep our playmakers and people that we’ve drafted. We got a good deal for both sides and Michael is happy about it and so are we.”

(On what Brockers brings to the defense)
“He’s a big man inside and you have to have that nowadays for two reasons – one, for your ability to stop the inside run and two, to put pressure on the quarterback and collapse the pocket. He creates opportunities for everybody else and every so often he makes a big play himself. He’s been consistent week-in, week-out, he’s changed his body since his arrival, overcame some early career injuries and has just been one of those guys you can count on.”

(On QB Case Keenum saying he needs trust himself more and if there is anything, going into the second game, that RB Todd Gurley needs to adjust)
“No, I think we just need to be in a position where we can keep feeding him. The two are tied together – Case makes a good decision, converts a third down, then we get another opportunity to hand the ball off to Todd. It’s all tied together. Nothing really goes right when you struggle offensively on third down, you just don’t get the plays, you don’t get the shots. It just kind of debilitates your entire offense. We’d like to stay out of third downs – 15 last week was way too many – have anywhere (from) 10-to-12 max, that means you’re making chunks on first and second down and you’re moving the football.”

(On what it means to the organization to be the team that comes back to the Los Angeles market)
“It means a lot. Since the discussion started, all those things fall into place. It means a lot to us. Yeah, we’ve had a generation that’s been without it here. We want to, from a marketing standpoint and from a football standpoint, from a winning standpoint, attract their attention and get them behind us because that’s what storied franchises are all about and we expect this to last for a long time.”

(On if he has any memories of the Rams wearing their royal blue and yellow throwback uniforms that they will be wearing on Sunday)
“Well I have one in particular, but that didn’t work out very well for me (laughs). The players love them, they love the colors, they love the colors. I don’t know what our record is – you look at it – but they like playing in those uniforms. I think it’s a great way to open up.”

(On how he thought T.J. McDonald responded after what he went through in the summer)
“I’m really proud of T.J., what he overcame and the commitment that he made to conditioning prior to camp and the camp that he had and then the way he played in the opener. I’m really proud of him. He’s back. He’s back and he’s much better than he was.”

(On if he was worried about McDonald at any point during the summer)
“No, we were concerned with respect to the issues he was working through. But we stood behind him the whole time knowing that he would come back.”

(On if the team can build off the success it has had against the Seahawks knowing that both teams are different this year)
“No, as Pete told you guys yesterday, the past is the past. We’re starting over again. I can’t stand up in front of this team and say ‘Hey, we beat them twice last year.’ We did, but last year has no bearing on what we’re going to do this Sunday. We have to find a way to do it again.”

(On the rumors of him signing a contract extension)
“I never talk about my personal stuff or my extensions or non-extensions or anything. That’s between me and the organization.”

(On how their preparation changes with Seahawks QB Russell Wilson having a high ankle sprain)
“We’re preparing for a 100 percent healthy Russell. You have to do that or you sell yourself short. I thought their offensive staff, when he was injured, did a tremendous job adjusting the play-calling to allow him to find a way to win that game without using his legs. I thought they did a great job. We have to approach this, from a player standpoint and assume that he’s going to be 100 percent.”

(On if coaches or uses the emotion in big games like on Sunday and if it’s realistic to say the team can channel the emotion in a positive way)
“I think you have to be careful with emotions, especially as they relate to the start of games because you can lose your composure, you can lose track of your focus – those kind of things. Again, it was like last week (when) we talked about the only thing better than the season opener is a playoff game. The season opener itself is an emotional issue that players deal with. So you calm them down, then you add the Monday night thing, and you have to calm them down. Because we calmed them down, it wasn’t directly related to the way we played, but I think it’s important that you go out and use the crowd, use the emotion, but you have to use it wisely. I think that’s going to be a topic of discussion as we move through the weekend. The players, the defense has to understand that it’s going to be really difficult to communicate because it’s going to be extremely loud and that’s a good thing for us. Seattle has learned how to win at home with that, we have to learn how to win at home an extremely loud crowd.”


Rams RB Todd Gurley – Post Practice Press Conference – September 15, 2016

(On if having a short week is better in regards to the team’s preparation for the next game)
“Not really. We’re going to get a win this week, for sure. Not really, obviously, you want to have that extra day to prepare, but I just feel like after a loss like that, you’re just so ready to get back at it. We’re definitely ready to play Sunday.”

(On the biggest takeaway from last week’s loss, that he can carry into this week)
“Obviously, it can’t get much worse than zero points, so, no going back. It was a lot of good things, but obviously everybody has to be on the same page. Whether it’s me missing a blitz, or somebody coming through free. We just all have to be on the same page, do what the coaches tell us, and go out there and execute.”

(On if there’s anything he needs to do different this weekend that he didn’t do last game)
“Just stay with it, be patient. I felt like some of the runs got busted up a little early. I feel like I was trying to do too much, or wasn’t patient enough in my reads. I just got to stick to the game plan, and just know that everything is going to be fine, and we’re going to break one.”

(On if he feels Seattle’s defense is game planned around stopping him)
“They run a pretty simple defense. They’re going to run what they run, and they’re going to try and stop you. They’re going to have (S Kam) Chancellor down in the box. You have to respect a great player like himself. Just stick to my reads, stick to the game plan, know my assignments, and just go from there.”

(On if he notices any changes in Seattle’s defense this year in comparison to last season)
“Yeah definitely, definitely have a few more looks this year. But like I said, from the previous film of us playing them the past couple of years, they play what they play, and they’re just going to try to stop you.”

(On his thought regarding the anticipation leading up to the home opener)
“Obviously, we’re playing at the Coliseum; great tradition. I kind of treat it like college again; just glad that we’re back. A lot of people are excited for us to be back. There’s over millions of people in the city, so I’m pretty sure somebody wants to come watch football. Like I said, it’s just going to feel like college; that game day atmosphere, the love, football is back in L.A. Hopefully we can just get this win for the city.”

(On if seeing himself on billboards around the city is a surreal moment for him)
“Yeah, it’s still mind blowing that we’re here, but we can’t let that be our focus. Just try to execute, stay to the game plan, stay focused on football, and just try to go out there and win. Obviously, being in the media capital of the world, you see stuff like that. It’s definitely a good look for us, and for the Rams.”

(On what it means for him to represent the new generation of L.A. fans who never got a taste of the Rams)
“It’s cool man. It’s a blessing just to be in this league. Whether you’re on the Rams or not, I feel like NFL players appreciate that. For fans that buy our jerseys, and come support us, we’re just excited to be here, play in this league, and play for this team, and this city.”

TRANSCRIPTS: Seattle Defensive Coordinator Kris Richard

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR KRIS RICHARD
September 15, 2016


(On heading back to the Coliseum)
“Sacred ground. It’s going to be awesome. It’s just going back home. It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to be out in front of my family. They’ve had to travel over the years, so now it’s just an opportunity for them to be home. That’s really all it means to me.”


(On Todd Gurley)
“You have to put a lot of hats on him. It’s going to be all 11 men out there playing a run defense, is really what it comes down to. Especially considering they condense the formations, do things of that nature, try to get the corners involved. Some cracks, try to get this guy outside on the perimeter. They try to make everybody tackle, so we’ll have to make sure everybody is up to par.”


(On what it takes to be a successful corner in run support)
“I believe our coaches do a great job of training our guys to have a tackling plan. So that way, when they’re in the situation, they’ve repped it so many times where it’s just second nature. They go in, they already have a plan of how they’re going to get people down, then they execute.”


(On stopping Tavon Austin)
“There’s no doubt, it absolutely comes down to awareness. He’s an explosive player, they look to get the ball to him as fast as possible with as much space as possible so he can really utilize his skills as a runner.”


(On Earl Thomas)
“He didn’t feel like himself, and that’s one thing that we want to make sure that we do everything in our power to make sure that he gets everything he needs in order to be himself. It’s kind of an anomaly, it happens every now and again. He’s done a fantastic job this week of coming in and preparing himself to be himself.”


(On how you control Earl Thomas’ energy)
“You don’t. You give him the keys, you give him the tools that’s necessary for us to be successful, then you let him drive the car. Again, it just comes down to trust. We know what we built our defense upon, we know the foundation that we stand upon, and we trust our guys to go out there and execute each and every week.”


(On Earl Thomas’ mentality this week)
“He’s challenged himself to be better. He understands what our defense needs of him. There comes a time in your professional life when it may not always go right, or the way that you see, but it always comes down to how you respond. I’m just absolutely fired up for him to go out there and play ball the way he knows how.”


(On whether it’s rewarding to see DeShawn Shead go from practice squad to where he is today)
“Yeah, it absolutely is. It just keeps the hopes and dreams alive, the reality of it is that there is hope. There’s always room to dream and believe. Just to see the fruits of it to watch DeShawn play and see how it all unfolded. He’s a guy who the first couple of years, he didn’t make our team, and now he’s out there starting. It just goes to show the level of respect that you need to have for a guy that’s willing to come in and work hard each and every single day, in order to get better.”


(On where DeShawn Shead has made the most improvement)
“Eye discipline. Eye discipline is critical. If your eyes are right, your body’s right. So if your eyes are bad, your body is going to be bad. When your body’s bad, that’s when we’re going to be beat.”


(On where eye discipline matters the most)
“Everywhere. That’s our little compass. Especially teams tend to condense us to back us off because they don’t want to deal with our press technique at the line of scrimmage. So that’s when we back off and things of that nature, that’s when our eyes have to be locked in.”


(On how you develop eye discipline)
“Just days and days of practice. Taking it home, using your imagination, getting out here, taking the live reps. It’s just the consistency of us taking our reps day in and day out.”


(On whether there was more of an emphasis on blitzing for this season than past years)
“It’s just a mentality of our guys and the timing of it. We’ve been challenged to blitz better, and our guys have taken it whole heartedly. We’re coming off the football, we’re firing off with intent. When we come off that ball, we want to go get it. That’s our whole thing, we want to go get the football. That’s something that we know we’re certainly going to have to do this week.”


(On why it’s this particular group of defenders that makes him feel ready to use them for more blitzing)
“It’s just the emphasis. In this profession you get what you emphasize. It’s been an emphasis for us. Our guys are locked in, they’ve bought in and they’re just firing off the football.”


(On if eye discipline is about the ball, the space or the position in terms of where they should be locked in with their eyes)
“It’s all of that. It is all regarding the position. It is about the space, it is about the concepts and it is about having vision. Again, there’s a difference between getting back there and staring and having vision. If you have vision, we’re seeing what we’re supposed to see. If you’re back there staring, you’re looking at the quarterback.”


(On what was he not seeing at the time that he felt he needed to make eye discipline an emphasis)
“It’s just going to come down to the coverage. [It] has to match the effort up front with the pressure. When our guys are coming off the football, we know we’re going to have to cover tight. The opposing offense as we can imagine are going to be prepared. They’re going to do more to protect their quarterbacks. So if they have a little bit more time to throw we need to be in tighter coverage.”


(On why Pete Carroll is still such a big deal in the Los Angeles community)
“I think it’s just the culture of USC and how much the university means to the city and how he sort of resurrected the town around a team that had not been doing so well. When I played there it was a lot of empty seats in the Coliseum. A couple years afterwards when Coach Carroll arrives, that stadium is filled to capacity. He was able to have a lot of success. It’s a city where success is something that is really smiled upon and supported. He was able to provide that.”


(On if the players knew much about Pete Carroll when he was hired)
“Not really. We knew he had professional experience. We knew that Ronnie Lott had been with him with the Jets. There was a rumor that Ronnie Lott had something to do with the hiring.”


(On what was his first impression of Pete Carroll and how was that impression made)
“I’ve been asked that question a few times and it was the genuineness of his energy. You know how when you’ve got somebody who’s trying to sell a little false enthusiasm? Well no, that wasn’t ever the case. So we’re all kind of sitting back waiting like, ‘Alright wait a minute, he’s trying to sell us a bill of goods here,’ like he couldn’t possibly be this jacked up, this excited and this fired up every day. Every day he came in and proved us wrong, so he made believers out of us really quick.”


(On Pete Carroll’s involvement in L.A.)
“Just his involvement in the area of the gangs, and gang violence. I know there was a tremendous impact just in regards to his understanding. He’s a Northern California guy. Obviously they have their own issues up there. He spent the majority of his professional career out on the east coast. Obviously he came back for San Francisco but the majority of it was out on the east coast. He’s been on the outside looking in. You turn on the television you see the type of things that are happening in the inner city. He wanted to come in and have a positive impact there. Obviously for us—for those who are from the city or any inner city. That’s more of difference than the success that the Trojans have been able to have. It’s kind of the influence that he wanted to have in there. Trying to do everything he can to make a better L.A.—Have a great impact on his environment. Forget the winning and the losing. It’s about what you can do for people.”


(On how did Pete Carroll specifically bring change to L.A.)
“How did he specifically do it. He went down there and asked the right people the right questions. That’s what it’s about; communication. It’s about knowing who to talk to, about having the opportunity to talk to. It’s about getting all the people in the right room and having the discussion.”

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