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The Los Angeles Rams were dealt another injury at the wide receiver position in Saturday night’s 21-20 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. A week after undrafted free agent Nelson Spruce suffered a knee sprain, we saw second-year receiver Bradley Marquez go down with an ankle injury.
While it looked pretty scary after he went down, head coach Jeff Fisher had some good news on Sunday.
That’s great news for Marquez, obviously. As a rookie, the UDFA from Texas Tech caught 13 passes for 88 yards in limited action. He’s right there in the mix with the multiple other wide receivers for playing time, but one big benefit of Marquez’s game is that he’s a strong special teams player.
According to Football Outsiders, in 2015 Marquez played on 63.8 percent of the special teams snaps. That fact alone could be a selling point for why Marquez may be nearly a lock for the final 53-man roster.
Someone made an argument in another thread that we should sit Keenum and start Goff with the 1s for a half followed by Mannion for a half.
Usually you'd have your starters play a whole first half together, meaning Keenum would play the whole 1st half but I just don't see them doing it without conceding that Goff is definitely not gonna start the 1st game.
I certainly don't want that to happen. I'd be fine with a similar split to what we had this last game. Keenum for one or two series and then have Goff come in with the 1s and playing until the 4th and let Mannion have a few reps in the 4th.
I'd also be fine with sitting Keenum and playing Goff with the 1s all the 1st half.
What I do think is that, regardless, Goff will get plenty of time in the 4th game... and he's shown us he really really needs it.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin has a pretty simple plan when it comes to his team’s offense in 2016. He wants them to go from worst to first.
When asked about the plan for next season, Austin told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez the following:
“To be the No. 1 offense in the league,” Austin said Saturday. “Last year, we was 32. So we have to be way better than that. I feel like we put our defense in so many tough situations last year. For us, if we just keep moving forward and move that 32 up to No. 1, we should be good.”
For those curious, though, Austin doesn’t expect to see the Rams go from feeding running back Todd Gurley to being a pass-first offense.
“Oh no, definitely not. Definitely not. Todd’s definitely going to get his carries. And that’s just how it goes. But it’ll kind of balance out a little bit. Everybody will touch the ball here and there.”
The offense looked solid during the first half of Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs specifically, but the passing numbers weren’t great. Between Case Keenum and Jared Goff, the Rams threw for just 125 yards.
To go along with that, this was the only team in the NFL to average fewer than 300 yards per game of total offense last season, while also ranking last in the league in passing yards per game with 175.3. A turnaround of any massive nature would involve Keenum and/or Goff airing it out early and often this season.
It’s easy to forget that early on in training camp head coach Jeff Fisher was pretty adamant about the fact that believes Austin can top the 100-catch mark this coming season. It’ll be pretty interesting to see how he’s utilized in the offense this year, especially with Gurley still expected to see all the work that he can handle.
The major theme for the Los Angeles Rams this season is change. The city they play in, the team’s future quarterback prospects, and their secondary all look entirely different than they did entering the 2015 season. It might take a year or two for the Rams’ young nucleus of players to develop and make this a winning franchise, but there is a chance that the turnaround starts now.
The selection of first-overall pick Jared Goff was obviously the big roster move of the offseason, but for now, the Rams are opting to allow the former Cal QB develop behind veteran Case Keenum.
Three biggest things to know 1. RB Todd Gurley definitely a home-run hitter, but needs to improve consistency.
As a rookie, Todd Gurley was one of the most explosive backs in the NFL. He forced 42 missed tackles on his carries last season, tied for fifth-most in the league. 4.8 percent of his carries went for 20 or more yards, third-most in the NFL (just behind Le’Veon Bell and Doug Martin). While Gurley could break a lot of big runs, though, he wasn’t as consistent on a play-by-play level as other backs. On 61.1 percent of runs, he gained 3 or fewer yards, 10th-worst of the 43 backs with 100 or more carries. If Gurley can improve his consistency, he can put himself among the NFL’s elite.
2. O-line development a dire need.
The Rams invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years. Left tackle Greg Robinson was the second-overall pick of the 2014 draft. In the 2015 draft, the Rams selected five linemen (including the supplemental draft). So far the only O-lineman of that group to exceed expectations is 2015 second-round RT Rob Havenstein, who was the only NFL tackle last season with 200 or more snaps and no sacks allowed. If more of these offensive linemen can live up to expectations, that will go a long way to helping their young offensive stars develop.
3. Key losses in secondary providing opportunities.
Los Angeles had a lot of money to spend in free agency, but also had a fair amount of its own players hitting the market. While the Rams were able to bring back a number of their own guys, they obviously couldn’t re-sign everyone, taking a notable hit in the secondary. CB Janoris Jenkins signed a lucrative deal with the Giants, and will likely be replaced by E.J. Gaines, a player who hasn’t seen the field since 2014. That season, though, he recorded 10 pass defenses—fifth-most among NFL cornerbacks. At safety, Rodney McLeod departed for Philadelphia, and will be replaced by Maurice Alexander. In limited time as a starter, Alexander hasn’t impressed. Los Angeles needs Gaines to play like he did pre-injury and for Alexander to improve if the Rams are to continue fielding one of the NFL’s best defenses (largely due to the impressive front-seven).
Key arrivals and departures Top three draft picks: QB Jared Goff (Round 1, pick No. 1 overall, Cal), TE Tyler Higbee (Round 4, pick No. 110 overall, Western Kentucky), WR Pharoh Cooper (Round 4, pick No. 117 overall, South Carolina)
Signed in free agency: DT Dominique Easley (Patriots), CB Coty Sensabaugh (Titans), DE Quinton Coples (Dolphins)
Left via free agency: S Rodney McLeod (Eagles), CB Janoris Jenkins (Giants), DT Nick Fairley (Saints)
Cut: TE Jared Cook (Packers), DE Chris Long (Patriots), LB James Laurinaitis (Saints)
Rookie to watch Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina (Round 4, pick No. 117 overall)
Until Goff gets the first-string call-up, receiver Pharoh Cooper is the rookie to watch. In the Rams’ three-WR sets in their first preseason game, Cooper was playing with the first-team in the slot. For South Carolina in 2015, he lined up in the slot on 85.6 percent of his routes, and on those snaps, posted a solid 2.06 yards per route run. Not many fourth-round picks will see significant playing time come Week 1, but Cooper should be one of those rookies.
Highest-graded player of 2015 Aaron Donald, DT, 99.9overall grade
Not only was Donald the highest-graded player on his team last season, but the highest-graded player in the league. His 12.2 pass-rushing productivity was the best mark for defensive tackles with at least 250 pass-rushing snaps. His 10.9 run-stop percentage was also the best for a DT that doesn’t primarily play NT. Donald is entering his third pro season, and it will be fun to see if he can top his league-best 2015 play.
Breakout player watch Matt Longacre, DE
Year after year, the Rams have fielded a deep defensive-line rotation, and this season could be their best yet. With Chris Long no longer on the roster, there is an opportunity for Matt Longacre to earn more playing time. As an undrafted rookie, Longacre was PFF’s third-highest-graded 4-3 DE last preseason, thanks in part to his five hits and five hurries. On just 67 pass-rushing snaps in the regular season, he earned a 7.8 pass-rushing productivity mark—higher than Chris Long, Robert Quinn, and Eugene Sims. Longacre had an excellent start to the 2016 preseason with two hits and three hurries on 22 pass rushes against the Cowboys. The Rams’ pass rush was already scary enough with their starters, but being able to rotate a player like Longacre in makes the front-seven even more dangerous.
Projected lineups Base defense (2015 season grades shown)
QB depth chart: Case Keenum -- yes, he is still the starter -- had another solid night, completing 4-of-5 passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Goff finished 8-for-12 for 82 yards and a touchdown of his own -- a 10-yard strike to Malcolm Brown, culminating a fourth-quarter possession that saw Goff go 3-for-3 for 34 yards. But Goff struggled with the first team, taking a couple of sacks and losing a key fumble.
Maybe that dude could start: Rookie wide receiver Pharoh Cooper might have already solidified himself as the No. 3 receiver. The fourth-round pick was used in early three-receiver sets, alongside Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin. On the Rams' second possession, Cooper ran out to the flat, caught a pass from Keenum and stretched to the pylon for an 11-yard touchdown. Cooper is only listed at 5-foot-11, 207 pounds, but he is fearless and physical, and potentially great after the catch.
Who got hurt? Second-year wide receiver Bradley Marquez was helped off the field in the Rams' first possession of the second half, apparently injuring his right ankle after catching a screen pass from Goff, and was wearing a boot after the game. He was scheduled to undergo further testing. Less than two minutes later, defensive end Ethan Westbrooks was hurt on a chop block by the Chiefs but was able to walk off on his own power.
A surprise player who impressed: With Robert Quinn out, Matt Longacre initially rotated with Westbrooks at defensive end and looked good, consistently bringing pressure on Chiefs starting quarterback Alex Smith. The Rams' defensive line is loaded, but Longacre -- who played in five games for the Rams as an undrafted free agent last season -- could crack the rotation if he continues to play well.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Rams looked ...: Efficient on offense, dangerous on the defensive lane, and shaky in the secondary. Gurley played in only one possession, but it was a good one, rushing four times for 20 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown run. Star defensive tackle Aaron Donald consistently beat double teams, and Michael Brockers, Cam Thomas and Quinton Coples each recorded sacks. But Smith went 9-for-12 for 137 yards. On one possession, top cornerback Trumaine Johnson got beat downfield by Chris Conley for a 37-yard pass play and Jeremy Maclin easily caught a 20-yard touchdown pass across the middle, with a mix-up in zone coverage by the secondary.
One reason to be concerned: Goff did not look comfortable while playing with the first team. The 21-year-old fumbled on his first possession, tripping while trying to step out of the pocket and giving the Chiefs the ball at the Rams' 16-yard line. On his second, he took a sack on third down. On his third, he scrambled to his left, was late throwing the ball out of bounds and instead took an awkward sack in which he also lost the football. Goff entered halftime with zero net yards.
Penalty woes: Fisher raved about the limited amount of penalties in Week 1 of the preseason. But the Rams -- ranked in the bottom eight in penalty yards per game in each of Fisher's four seasons as coach -- committed nine of them in Week 2, the same as the Chiefs. At one point, Maclin and Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner were ejected for fighting.
Ground and pound: The Rams' depth at running back showed once again, with Gurley, Brown and Benjamin Cunningham combining for 126 yards on 20 carries. Brown rushed for 68 yards himself. They seem to be in good shape even without Tre Mason, who had several run-ins with police throughout the offseason and hasn't been around the team all year.
Familiar faces: Nick Foles, who started 11 games for the Rams last season and was cut in late July, had a nice night, going 18-for-22 with 133 yards. Foles methodically led the Chiefs down field toward the end of the first half, going 85 yards on 16 plays before a field goal.
Turnout: The Rams announced a paid attendance of 80,782. That is at, or close to, capacity when the Rams don't open up additional seating. But the crowd seemed a little sparse in some sections.
Inactive: WR Nelson Spruce, TE Tyler Higbee, DE Robert Quinn, T Isaiah Battle, S Maurice Alexander, RB Aaron Green, LB/S Mark Barron
While Hemingway may be designated as our 4'th TE, he could also act as our 6'th WR (slot). Here's my 26 man offense as of the end of pre-season game 2.
WR's (5) :
1) Kenny Britt
2) Tavon Austin
3) Pharoh Cooper
4) Nelson Spruce
5) Michael Thomas
Practice Squad :
Paul McRoberts
Duke Williams
PUP/IR :
Bradley Marquez
TE's (4) :
1) Kendricks
2) Harkey
3) Higbee
4) Hemmingway
Practice Squad :
Justice Cunningham
RB's (4) :
Gurley
Cunningham
M.Brown
Green
OL (10) :
RT) Havenstein, Donnal
RG) J.Brown, Saffold
C) Barnes, Kush
LG) Wichmann, Reynolds
LT) GRob, Williams
Several of us hijacked the game thread last night in a discussion about the best way to measure a defense - points allowed or yards allowed. @jrry32, @NateDawg122 - if you guys still want to talk it over - lets do it here.
Personally, I think yards allowed is a better way to rate defenses. I get that the only statistic that matters is the final score - but the score is a factor of all 3 phases of the game, offense, defense, and special teams.
By way of illustration - suppose an offense turns the ball over on their own 20 yard line. The defense comes in and doesn't allow a single yard or even sacks them and moves them back 8 or 9 yards. The other team kicks a field goal - 3 points against that defense who performed perfectly. Field position is incredibly important in scoring - its why we have so much emphasis on special teams - its not just the TD returns where they are a factor.
To take this into real life - who had the best defense in the league last year? Any real debate it was the Broncos? They led in total defense (yards per game) but were 4th in points against per game.
This is not to say that points against is irrelevant - just that they aren't solely placed on the defense. A defense has complete control over how many yards they give up - not so with points.
Nate - you asked which stat a DC would prefer - and I see your point - but its kind of liking saying I would rather be lucky than good. Ask a DC whether they would rather have the #1 defense in the league and not make the playoffs or win a superbowl ring with the worst defense the league has ever seen and which answer will you get?
I thought that Keenum looked great last night in his short stint. The only thing I could criticize was the woefully short pass to Britt that drew the PI, at least Britt was able to get that call. Good quick throws that were accurate and had the offense clicking in good tempo.
I was disappointed with Goff's start but thought he turned things around at least to some degree in the second half. I just don't see him giving the Rams the best chance to win at this point.
I was very disappointed that Mannion did not get any game time.
A stream of consciousness thing here, so in no particular order.
Keenum will be our opening day QB. As Chuck Knox would have said, he's had a "real fine" camp and preseason. I, for one, am perfectly okay with it since Keenum gives us the best chance to win vs the Niners.
Goff is growing right before our eyes. It's just a matter of time, huh? He had a confidence building second half and it will pay dividends in shortening his development time. He is our future.
Gotta hand it to Fisher. He made two decisions that impressed me a great deal. He gave Goff significant snaps with the ones (if you count Quick as a one), and he left Goff in there the entire second half. Ballsy, but it sure paid off. I tip my hat to Fisher for both of these positive long term decisions.
Are we loaded at RB, or what? Love that corps at least 3 deep! And Green is no slouch. Was Green held out due to injury, btw? Maybe he'll get some snaps next game, 'cause we certainly know what we've got with Gurley and Cunningham. Lol. Green could make this team as both a 4th RB and as a ST player. Especially with Marquez injured.
Here's the elephant in the room. The WR corps. Specifically Brian Quick. WTF? I'm trying my best to be open minded, but let's just say that his "good practice plays" haven't exactly translated to the field in the 2 preseason games. Quite the contrary. He is NOT among our probable best 6 at WR and I don't think he ever will be. This was a make or break game for him and Fisher gave him tons of snaps (robbing other WR candidates in the process) and Quick failed. I doubt that Quick now makes the team, frankly.
Nice to see Cooper make one of his patented plays and score. Love to see more of them in the fall.
Are the Rams throwing enough passes to get a read on their WR corps? I mean, does anyone feel that they've seen enough opportunities for Williams, Thomas, McRoberts, North, etc? I sure don't. Hopefully, that will change in these last 2 games. Problem is, the cuts start right after the next game. I would hate to see critical WR cuts made 95% based on practices.
Hope Barnes stays healthy all year, because Kush is worrying me as a backup C. WTH? Just when I thought we were kinda set at backup C. Like Faulk said on the broadcast, it's up to Kush to adapt to Goff if he wants to make this team. Definitely not the other way around.
Our OL is coming along nicely. All three of our RB's looked very, very good against the Chief D. Especially knowing those were the Chief ones in the first half. I suspect that this OL will continue to improve, especially when Hav gets back. I foresee them imposing their will on a number of D's this year, TBH. Yeah, you could say that I'm bullish on this OL based upon the 2 preseason games.
Higbee was missed as a receiving weapon. Hopefully, he can get back soon to develop chemistry with Keenum and Goff.
So many candidates on our front four beyond the obvious starters, huh? Some tough depth decisions coming up there. Don't envy the coaches having to make some very difficult cuts. How does one cut Longacre, for example?
Let me just say that I'm not brimming with confidence regarding our LB corps. I know, Barron was out and GW isn't really scheming, but still... Or is it just me? They got the starters out quickly to take a long look at the youngsters, I get that. But where were the flashes? Should I be worried?
Is Sensabaugh maybe our 8th best CB? I'm semi serious here. Hill, Jordan, and Washington just keep making plays in these preseason games. Gaines looked good when he got in. Heck, he had 3 tackles before I could almost blink my eyes. TruJo, Gaines, and Joyner are the probable starters, and Roberson ain't going anywhere. That leaves some excruciating cuts for that 5th spot. If it were up to me, I would roll with one of the youngsters and release Sensabaugh. Maybe another youngster makes it to the PS?
Cody Davis started at S and Mo was held out. Was Mo injured, or was GW determined to focus on depth decisions. Bryant was noticed on my TV screen making a few plays, but I can't say that I noticed much from Davis. Then again, I've only watched the game once.
If I had to pick just one aspect as my most pleasing in this game? It would be a tough call, but the development of our OL would probably be it. They are coming along, fellas. Big Time.
Im usually a silent lurker on here and only tend to post a bit but I'm seeing a lot of critique on Goffs TD Throw, IMO he made the perfect throw, he put it on the outside shoulder where there was a lot of green still...
Yes he could have fit it in between the defenders and Brown, but it seemed to me that Brown looked over the wrong shoulder, he should have been looking over his outside shoulder for the pass, Goff had perfect placement on the ball where only his player could get it...a lot of his throws weren't perfect but most were catchable balls except for the comeback route that was defended well, the kid will be good, just be patient and give him time, go rams!!
After 2 Preseason Games, Matt Longacre Continues to Shine vs the Chiefs. Number 96 is bolting up the depth chart and making a case that his 2015 rise to the active roster was anything but a fluke.
Longacre has been the most consistent Defensive Lineman in the Rams first 2 preseason games with his nonstop motor and the relentless quarterback pressures that he continues to add on his resume.
Unless he bottoms out the next two games, he's likely to crack Jeff Fisher's 2016 (53) man Roster. I know just about every one of us ROD members are in Longacre's corner and would be a bit stunned if he's not in the regular season D-Line rotation.
Bottom Line: This man is just a pure football player and the more of his type you have on your NFL Roster the better your team will be. I salute Mr. Longacre for another old-school, blue collar, smash mouth performance.
#96 DE MATT LONGACRE 6'3 261 lbs (Turns 25 on 09/21/2016)
Aug 15, 2016: PFF: That’s why when a second-year undrafted rookie from Northwest Missouri puts on a clinic in the first half against Dallas, some eyes start to open. In fact, DE Matt Longacre collected the highest pass-rushing grade and run-defense grade of any NFL edge defender in Week 1 of the preseason.In 36 snaps, he recorded two hits and three hurries.
IRVINE — The top-end talent of stars Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn isn't the only reason why the defensive line is the Los Angeles Rams' strongest positional group.
While third-string quarterback Sean Mannion has received deserved credit for directing the Rams' comeback win, the performance from a teammate on the other side of the ball also earned praise nationally.
Pro Football Focus senior analyst Mike Renner labeled the Rams' defensive line the biggest winner of the first week of the preseason, due to the play of second-year defensive end Matt Longacre.
"The rich get richer," Renner wrote. "The Rams already figure to have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. … That's why when a second-year undrafted rookie from Northwest Missouri puts on a clinic in the first half against Dallas, some eyes start to open."
PFF gave Longacre, who had three quarterback hurries and two hits, "the best pass-rushing grade and run-defense grade of any NFL edge defender in Week 1 of the preseason."
Longacre called the Coliseum "a great environment" and was pleased with the fans and the comeback.
"It kind of stunk being down early, but we fought back," Longacre said. "Everything kind of started clicking and it started to roll."
Rams defensive line coach Mike Waufle said during OTAs that Longacre was part of a good young group at his position. "Longacre has a lot of upside," Waufle said.
Adjustments Longacre began to make on his pass-rushing technique in Oxnard are paying off during training camp at UC Irvine.
"Last year was very inconsistent," Longacre said. "This year, it's kind of coming together, starting in OTAs (by) kind of changing some things up. Just feeling more comfortable up there reading run and pass and when it is pass, being able to get a good rush off."
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive end went undrafted a year ago out of Northwest Missouri State, but he found his way onto the Rams practice squad and played in the final five games of last season.
"I'm kind of approaching it the same way as I did last year," Longacre said. "I've got to produce every day and take it one day at a time,
"It was great having the experience last year, played in five games in the regular season. It was a nice steppingstone. This year, (I'm trying) to pick up last year where I left off."
He's currently listed as fourth string on the depth chart, behind Quinton Coples, who the Rams signed as a free agent from the Jets. Longacre said being a Rams defensive lineman means competing "with the best of the best" on a daily basis.
"It's awesome," Longacre said. "I couldn't really ask to be in a better room. We've got some really good players in that room. You can pick up things on stuff that they do and try to incorporate it in your game. The best in the league are in that that room and the little things can help."
______________________________________________________________________________
Year after year, the Rams have fielded a deep defensive-line rotation, and this season could be their best yet. With Chris Long no longer on the roster, there is an opportunity for Matt Longacre to earn more playing time. As an undrafted rookie, Longacre was PFF’s third-highest-graded 4-3 DE last preseason, thanks in part to his five hits and five hurries.
On just 67 pass-rushing snaps in the regular season, he earned a 7.8 pass-rushing productivity mark—higher than Chris Long, Robert Quinn, and Eugene Sims. Longacre had an excellent start to the 2016 preseason with two hits and three hurries on 22 pass rushes against the Cowboys. The Rams’ pass rush was already scary enough with their starters, but being able to rotate a player like Longacre in makes the front-seven even more dangerous. Projected lineups
Base defense (2015 season grades shown)
Base offense (2015 season grades shown)
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...-de-matt-longacre-finding-his-place-with-rams Nov 25, 2015: Longacre's promotion to the active roster probably didn't qualify as a big deal in league circles. Faced with injuries to ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long, the Rams needed more depth at the position and Longacre was the best in-house option. He'd been a pleasant surprise in training camp and the offseason program, making a case to stick on the roster in the last round of cuts before falling victim to the numbers game at the position that was probably the Rams' greatest strength entering the season.
Finally, after a few weeks of what ifs and maybes with defensive line coach Mike Waufle, promoted Longacre on the Friday before the Nov. 8 game against Minnesota. Rams coach Jeff Fisher informed Longacre of the promotion before the team's walkthrough that day. Longacre played 24 snaps against the Vikings, posting four tackles. When Quinn returned the following week, Longacre was inactive but he was back on the gameday roster last week against Baltimore. In that game, Longacre played 25 snaps and had three tackles and two quarterback hits.
In the process, Longacre impressed Fisher. "Yeah, Matt's getting pressure on the quarterback and he's reading the run really well and he's playing the run really well," Fisher said. "He's making plays. So, he's hard to move and he's instinctive. Really, it's the same thing he did in the preseason. He's been very productive, so it's good that we were able to bring him up."
http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/st...imbing-a-steep-hill-with-st-louis-rams-062915 Jun 29, 2015: No Combine invite. Little contact from NFL teams. He knew the knocks against him: smaller school (he went to Northwest Missouri State, a Division II program that won a national championship in 2013), shorter-than-desirable arm length for his 6-foot-3 frame, a horrible showing in the 40-yard dash his junior day. When scouts came the following fall, they queried him about that number.
"What's up with this?" Longacre remembers them saying. "You caught me on a bad day," he told them. It was true.The day Longacre ran, the team had already done all their workouts that week. They'd maxed out. His body felt dead even before he lined up.
But here, at least, was a weakness he could do something about. That spring, at his Pro Day, he made up for the lackluster performance his junior year. According to ChiefsDigest.com, Longacre put up a 4.75 in the 40-yarddash, which, compared with the numbers put up by defensive linemen at the NFL Combine this year, tied for fifth best. He also finished the season as his conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
http://bearcatsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1838 2014: NW Missiouri State MIAA Defensive Player of the Year.AFCA All-America. Daktronics Super Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year and First Team. Don Hansen All-Region First Team. All-MIAA First Team. MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Appeared in 11 games on the year, had 37 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, 17 quarterback hurries, four pass breakups and one forced fumble.
2013: Don Hansen co-Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-America (DE)… AP Little First Team All-America. Daktronics/CoSIDA First Team All-America. First Team All-MIAA.. Finished the season with 20.5 tackles for a loss of a total 120 yards, 19 quarterback hurries, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery
2012: Appeared and started all 13 games for the Bearcats in 2012 … named all-MIAA honorable mention … finished the year with 51 tackles, nine tackles for loss, seven sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Recorded a tackle in every game and had 11 multi-tackle performances.
The run game looked GREAT. And, they looked pretty good running against Dallas. Benny looks a lot quicker, and the run blocking looks like a Jeff Fisher team.
The bad offseason for the Bills continued in earnest on Saturday when the team announced the release of running back Karlos Williams.
Williams, heading into his second year, put together an impressive rookie campaign, filling in for LeSean McCoy at times and really showing a nose for finding the end zone.
More concerning was his weight: Williams showed up to OTAs and training camp out of shape. He initially blamed the weight gain on his wife being pregnant. This is a legitimate reason for gaining weight, but the amount he gained certainly wasn't reasonable.
According to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, Williams ballooned up to 261 pounds this offseason at one point. Williams weighed 230 pounds at the combine before he was drafted and generally played in the range of 225-230 pounds during 2015.
Combine the weight gain with the substance-abuse suspension, and you've got reason to be concerned.
Buffalo clearly wasn't pleased with the situation, although this did come out of left field only hours before the Bills take on the Giants in Week 2 of the preseason.
Rex Ryan wasn't pleased with Williams weight back in June and wasn't thrilled in August, but made it clear he wasn't going to give up on the running back. Something changed.
It's also possible Williams just wasn't worth the headache. The Bills have plenty of names on the depth chart, starting with McCoy. Behind Shady are the newly-acquired Reggie Bush, rookie Jonathan Williams and Mike Gillislee.
If Williams being overweight and playing poorly put him further down the depth chart, maybe the Bills saw him as a likely roster cut anyway.
This is still a guy who tied for the team lead last year in touchdowns, finding the end zone nine times. He's on a cheap rookie deal at a position where you want productive guys on low-end contracts. So the move is surprising.
But it's not uncommon for the Bills to have a rough day lately. Sammy Watkins finally got healthy, but they've been taking hits, including a suspension to Marcell Dareus, a season-ending injury for rookie linebacker Reggie Raglandand a shoulder injury that could keep Shaq Lawson from playing a decent portion of the season.
Williams showing up out of shape and being released is another blow to a team in a critical season, with plenty of eyes on Rex in 2016.
We will be opening up registration for the 2016 Pickem and Survivor Pools shortly!
Our rules will remain the same for Pickem;
1 point for selecting the correct winner of each game
Tie counts as a win
No point spread
Winner will be crowned after week 17
Our Survivor rules remain the same, however I put a poll up to get input on if we'd prefer single or double elimination. Please vote.
What is Survivor? Unlike Pickem (in which you attempt to pick the winners of each game for a given week) in Survivor, you only pick one team that you think will win its game in that particular week. Sounds easy enough right? Well... you can only pick a given team ONCE during the entire season.
Ties count as a correct pick.
Please vote on the Survivor format! Look for an announcement soon to register for each pool!
Below is every throw by Paxton Lynch. He did "okay", some good... some not so good... But the general vibe is Lynch played well, and Goff is a work in progress?
Outside of the fumble and fumbled snap (by Goff) I'm seeing 2 rookies. Both having their moments. But... I can't say Lynch looks further ahead of Goff. I don't see it, anyway.
A prolonged Buccaneers drive on the opening series of Saturday night’s Buccaneers-Jaguars preseason game ended with Bucs rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo missing a 32-yard field goal.
Aguayo is being watched a little more closely than most rookies because Bucs general manager Jason Licht drafted Aguayo in the second round. Aguayo never missed a field goal from inside 40 yards in his college career, but in two preseason games has now missed a PAT and a 32-yarder.
It’s early. Last week, Aguayo attributed his missed PAT to nerves associated with kicking in his first NFL game.
He now has three weeks to get over his stage fright.
Dude is on the Post Game Show on 710 ESPN LA, and is saying the Rams don't have a playmaker on defense compared to Von Miller....Someone mentions Aaron Donald and he says something like "Sure he got 10 sacks last year at DT...but I need him to get around those double teams and to not only cause a fumble, but to recover it " He mentioned nothing about Donalds ability to stop the run, and totally disrupt what the opposing offense is doing...and Then says some stupid shyte like "For him to be an All Pro..."
WHAT THE FARK YOU POS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!He was an ALL PRO LAST YEAR...TWO STRAIGHT YEARS IN THE PRO BOWL......"But he's not a playmaker" ~Eric Davis
It's great to have an objective guy at the "Rams" station....
48-47, 48-47 47-47 . for Connor McGregor. diaz with a late takedown sealing up the 5th round. mcgregor knocked diaz down 3 times in the first 2 rounds. diaz came back late and into the 3rd. 4th round connor got a 2nd wind and survived the 5th to win. they actually shook hands and complimented each other in the interviews. mcgregor agrees to a 3rd fight if its at 155 (he is the champ again). he cant handle the weight and try to fight a diaz fight. at 155 i think he'd be too fast for diaz. the leg kicks by connor were brutal in the first 2 rounds. good fight to watch though. hope the 3rd fight is at 155 since these 2 were at 170.
Myles Simmons 
