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Austin Davis impressive again in loss
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12356/austin-davis-impressive-again-in-loss
PHILADELPHIA -- For St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis, there was nothing different about Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Making his first start since coach Jeff Fisher named him the regular starter, Davis didn't change his routine or his mindset. It was another game just like the two starts that preceded it.
"I really tried to approach it the same," Davis said. "There’s no difference in preparing if you’re the [No. 1] or the [No. 2]. You’ve still got to be ready to roll. I felt about the same. I had normal pregame jitters and after that first hit, you are playing ball."
Davis took no shortage of hits in the first half of his team's 34-28 loss to the Eagles. One of those hits was a fumble on a sack that resulted in an Eagles touchdown on a play that Davis pinned on himself. As the Rams searched for answers in pass protection, Davis took shot after shot, coughing up another fumble and missing on five of his first six pass attempts.
"They brought more than we had and I've got to get it pushed and I held on to the ball too long," Davis said. "That's one of those big plays that can't happen and something I've got to learn from."
By the time Davis' blockers offered some measure of protection, the Rams were down 34-7 and on their way to a blowout loss similar to the season opener -- a 34-6 drubbing against Minnesota.
But Davis remained unflappable, leading a comeback charge that actually put the Rams in position to pull off a victory in the closing moments. It was the same unrelenting, fiery approach that has won over coaches and teammates since the moment Davis stepped into the lineup.
"It's pretty awesome," tight end Jared Cook said. "He just carries himself with a different type of attitude that we've never seen before. He leads us and does it well."
From the moment the Rams went down 34-7 with 2:15 to go in the third quarter, Davis was 14-for-21 for 195 yards and two touchdowns with a pair of scrambles for 19 yards. The argument, of course, can be made that the Eagles were playing a prevent defense with such a big lead but that doesn't really explain how the Rams were able to score three touchdowns on consecutive drives that totaled 7 minutes, 20 seconds.
Davis finished with his second consecutive 300-yard game, going 29-of-49 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, making him the third quarterback to hit those numbers in a game this season and the first to do it on the road.
"He was calm and collected and so focused on what he needed to do," Fisher said. "He was not flustered at all. He took some hits and we’ve got to get that corrected. But he knows the position is difficult to play and he can overcome that mistake. I think that’s the mark of a fine young quarterback."
The only thing Davis couldn't do Sunday was complete what would have been one of the most miraculous comebacks in franchise history. Starting the game's final drive from the Rams 7, Davis promptly hit receiver Brian Quick for a gain of 43 yards down the right sideline. In that moment it looked like the Davis magic circa Tampa Bay in a come-from-behind Week 2 win would reappear.
But a couple of drops by receiver Austin Pettis, a false-start penalty and a miss on a deep throw for Quick on fourth down ended any comeback hopes.
"I thought they were at a little bit of a loss, didn’t know what to call and everything they did we were able to find the completion and move the ball down the field. So, I had no doubts in my mind we’d win the ball game, 35-34, to be honest with you," Davis said. "And it just didn’t happen."
While Davis has impressed in his first three starts, he's done it against the soft defenses of the Buccaneers, Dallas and now Philadelphia. Things are about to get tougher with games against division rivals San Francisco and Seattle in the next two weeks.
Davis deserves credit for what he has done so far but the next two weeks should offer a greater referendum on what's real and what isn't when it comes to the Rams' young quarterback.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12356/austin-davis-impressive-again-in-loss
PHILADELPHIA -- For St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis, there was nothing different about Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Making his first start since coach Jeff Fisher named him the regular starter, Davis didn't change his routine or his mindset. It was another game just like the two starts that preceded it.
"I really tried to approach it the same," Davis said. "There’s no difference in preparing if you’re the [No. 1] or the [No. 2]. You’ve still got to be ready to roll. I felt about the same. I had normal pregame jitters and after that first hit, you are playing ball."
Davis took no shortage of hits in the first half of his team's 34-28 loss to the Eagles. One of those hits was a fumble on a sack that resulted in an Eagles touchdown on a play that Davis pinned on himself. As the Rams searched for answers in pass protection, Davis took shot after shot, coughing up another fumble and missing on five of his first six pass attempts.
"They brought more than we had and I've got to get it pushed and I held on to the ball too long," Davis said. "That's one of those big plays that can't happen and something I've got to learn from."
By the time Davis' blockers offered some measure of protection, the Rams were down 34-7 and on their way to a blowout loss similar to the season opener -- a 34-6 drubbing against Minnesota.
But Davis remained unflappable, leading a comeback charge that actually put the Rams in position to pull off a victory in the closing moments. It was the same unrelenting, fiery approach that has won over coaches and teammates since the moment Davis stepped into the lineup.
"It's pretty awesome," tight end Jared Cook said. "He just carries himself with a different type of attitude that we've never seen before. He leads us and does it well."
From the moment the Rams went down 34-7 with 2:15 to go in the third quarter, Davis was 14-for-21 for 195 yards and two touchdowns with a pair of scrambles for 19 yards. The argument, of course, can be made that the Eagles were playing a prevent defense with such a big lead but that doesn't really explain how the Rams were able to score three touchdowns on consecutive drives that totaled 7 minutes, 20 seconds.
Davis finished with his second consecutive 300-yard game, going 29-of-49 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, making him the third quarterback to hit those numbers in a game this season and the first to do it on the road.
"He was calm and collected and so focused on what he needed to do," Fisher said. "He was not flustered at all. He took some hits and we’ve got to get that corrected. But he knows the position is difficult to play and he can overcome that mistake. I think that’s the mark of a fine young quarterback."
The only thing Davis couldn't do Sunday was complete what would have been one of the most miraculous comebacks in franchise history. Starting the game's final drive from the Rams 7, Davis promptly hit receiver Brian Quick for a gain of 43 yards down the right sideline. In that moment it looked like the Davis magic circa Tampa Bay in a come-from-behind Week 2 win would reappear.
But a couple of drops by receiver Austin Pettis, a false-start penalty and a miss on a deep throw for Quick on fourth down ended any comeback hopes.
"I thought they were at a little bit of a loss, didn’t know what to call and everything they did we were able to find the completion and move the ball down the field. So, I had no doubts in my mind we’d win the ball game, 35-34, to be honest with you," Davis said. "And it just didn’t happen."
While Davis has impressed in his first three starts, he's done it against the soft defenses of the Buccaneers, Dallas and now Philadelphia. Things are about to get tougher with games against division rivals San Francisco and Seattle in the next two weeks.
Davis deserves credit for what he has done so far but the next two weeks should offer a greater referendum on what's real and what isn't when it comes to the Rams' young quarterback.
