Bernie Bytes: 'Edgy' Rams went over the edge

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SEATTLE • Quick reaction to the Rams' 27-9 loss to the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field:

• If you can't run the ball against Seattle, you have no chance of winning. You're doomed, and your demise will be especially unpleasant. The Rams were stuffed all day on the ground. Rookie Zac Stacy had no place to go, not unless he had a shovel to dig a tunnel and go under the Seattle defense. Through three quarters the Rams had 15 rushing attempts for minus 1 yard, and the rout was on. The Rams finished with 13 yards rushing on 18 attempts.

• The injuries to the Rams' offensive line clearly was a major factor in the ineffective rushing attack. The Rams were missing three starters from the lineup that mauled the Seahawks in St. Louis earlier this season; this unit was particularly weakened by the absence of left tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells. Rodger Saffold was doing a very good job in run blocking at right guard, so having to move him to left tackle to replace Long was another minus for the line.

• Under these circumstances Rams quarterback Kellen Clemens could have thrown wadded-up balls of used Christmas-present wrapping at the Seahawks; it simply didn't matter. Seattle plays the best pass defense in the league. And with the Rams incapable of running the ball to keep the wolves from circling, Clemens was about as vulnerable as a QB can be. And the Rams passing game was essentially futile. Oh, Clemens and the Rams connected on some passes late in the fourth quarter, including a TD pass to tight end Jared Cook. But all of that came after Seattle had smashed its way to a 27-3 lead. But it meant nothing.

• For a long while the Rams defense held up under the strain of (A) having no offense for support, and (B) an extreme disadvantage in field position. But the STL defense ultimately caved, taken down by Marshawn Lynch's strenuous show of power running and self-inflicted damage. Yeah, I'm about to go on a rant about the penalties...

• The Rams defense blew itself up with a breakdown in discipline that led to too many foolish penalties. Seattle's approach on offense? Easy: Keep pounding away with Lynch, wing a few safe passes to Golden Taint, and just wait for Rams defenders to lose their composure and implode. Seattle didn't have to do much on offense; the Rams helped by getting flagged so many times. Sunday's result? The Rams suffered death by flogging, and by flagging.

• Total: 12 penalties, 87 yards. The Rams' poor discipline was an issue for most of this season. It was one of the negatives to the season. And the out-of-control temperament was embarrassing in Sunday's game. You don't “stand up” to the Seahawks by taunting and posturing and doing fake tough-guy stuff; you “stand up” to Seattle by winning the battles up front, and executing better, and being more physical, and playing tougher football within the confines of the rules. If I hear one more person say they were happy to see the Rams "stand up" to the Seahawks, I'm going to toss ... flags.

• Getting baited into idiotic penalties is "standing up" to an opponent? Really? How is that, exactly? Where in the hell is that reflected on the scoreboard? Are we going to have an awards ceremony and hand out a trophy for "Best Performance In Losing One's Mind" on the football field? The Rams got their backsides kicked at CenturyLink. This game would be won or lost on the ground; the toughest team would prevail. And the Rams were outrushed 111 yards to 13. Who did they stand up to? The officials? The Rams lost the game by 18 points. That's hardly standing up.

• Jeff Fisher coaches his teams to be edgy; maybe he can start coaching them to avoid going over the edge. Drawing a series of idiotic penalties does nothing to move this program forward. There's nothing “edgy” about acting like knuckleheads, and pushing your team deeper into the ditch against the NFC's best team, on a homefield where he Seahawks have now gone 15-1 over the last two seasons. It's just bad, and stupid, football. Period.

• Rams' Pro Bowl punter Johnny Hekker was brilliant again, and reaffirmed why he's already been recognized as one of the very best in the league in only his second season. Hekker averaged an impressive 48.4 net yards on seven punts Sunday and was the Rams' star of an otherwise abysmal performance. Hekker finished with an NFL single-season record of 44.2 net yards per punt. An NFL record in his second season ... applause.

• I was hoping that Stacy could reach 1,000 yards rushing for the season, but the Seahawks would have none of that. Stacy netted 15 yards rushing; he fell 27 yards shy of 1,000. The kid had a terrific season.

• Rams defensive end Robert Quinn, who was held on most passing plays, managed one sack. He could have had more, but it was tough to break loose from Seattle's obvious effort to tie him up by any means necessary.

• And Jeff Triplette's officiating crew — which is the worst in the league — didn't have the vision or the fortitude to police the holding. Quinn finished with 19 sacks. It was a great season, but getting to 20 would have put him in exclusive company in NFL history.

I'll have more in Monday's Post-Dispatch column and here on STLToday.com.

Thanks for reading...

— Bernie

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_5691e1ea-4389-5c1a-96c0-319cdfff9a78.html

 

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Rams embarrass themselves in Seattle
1 hour ago • BY JIM THOMAS

SEATTLE • There's a difference between getting beaten and getting embarrassed, and the Rams definitely got embarrassed Sunday.

It's one thing to lose at CenturyLink Field, a place where the Seahawks have lost only once in the last two years. Similarly, the Rams aren't the first team to discover it's tough to move the ball against the NFL's top-ranked defense.

But then there were the was the matter of penalties. And more penalties. And more. . . .You get the point. The Rams lost their collective cool, lost defensive tackle Kendall Langford — who was ejected for striking an official — and lost for the ninth straight time in the Pacific Northwest.

As a result of their 27-9 loss, the Rams finished 2013 with a 7-9 record, making it seven straight losing seasons and 10 straight seasons without a winning record. Seattle, meanwhile, finished at 13-3 to win the NFC West and earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Running back Zac Stacy fell short of 1,000 yards. Robert Quinn had a sack but fell one-half sack short of winning the NFL sack title because Robert Mathis had two sacks Sunday for Indianaolis.

Things couldn't have started worse for the Rams. On their first possession of the game, after their defense forced a 3-and-out, quarterback Kellen Clemens' third pass of the game was picked off by Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith and returned 37 yards for a touchdown.

Clemens' first option was covered, and as he threw back over the middle it looked like the ball might have sailed on him. That made it a league-leading 27 interceptions for the top-ranked Seattle defense.

The Seahawks put the clamps on Stacy and the Rams running game, stuffing the box with extra defenders _ eight and sometimes nine up close to the line of scrimmage. Stacy's quest for 1,000 yards rushing started at a snail's pace. He had only three yards on 10 carries at the half.

It was obvious the Rams missed the blocking of Jake Long at left tackle. And it was a double whammy because Rodger Saffold wasn't at right guard, where he had played so well down the stretch this season.

(Saffold started at left tackle Sunday replacing Long, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against Tampa Bay; Shelley Smith came off the bench to start at right guard.)

The Rams' defense was up to the task, sacking Russell Wilson three times in the first half, while allowing only two field goals and 130 yards to the Seahawks. Quinn got one of those sacks, giving him 19 for the season. Both of those field goals came after the Seahawks had first-and-goal opportunities.

It was a chippy first half, with plenty of hard hits, extra hits, and late hits. The teams combined for 99 yards on nine penalties, and that didn't include several offsetting penalties.

Special teams penalties, an early-season trouble spot for the Rams, resurfaced Sunday. Ray Ray Armstrong and Eugene Sims were both flagged on Seattle's first punt of the day. On Seattle's third punt, three Rams were penalized, but it turned out to be offsetting penalties because of one flag against Seattle.

So Seattle had to punt again, but lo and behold, Armstrong was flagged for a personal foul on that play.

The Rams looked like they were intent on making a game of it in the second half, getting easily their best field position of the game at that point on a 32-yard punt return by Austin Pettis, replacing the injured Justin Veltung. That gave them a first-and-10 at the Seattle 31. A 13-yard pass from Clemens to Stedman Bailey got the Rams in the red zone, but that's as far they got, settling for a Greg Zeurlein field goal and a 13-3 deficit.

After the ensuing kickoff, the Rams unraveled. In the midst of an 80-yard touchdown drive, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Alec Ogletree for a late hit out of bounds, was followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and an ejection of Kendall Langford at the end of that play. Langford was ejected for touching an official.

More precisely, Langford knocked the hat off of back judge Steve Freeman. Freeman was behind Langford at the time. Langford didn't see Freeman and struck his hat while pointing emphatically in the direction of the Rams' sideline.

Those two penalties gave Seattle a first-and-goal from the Rams' 1, and after a loss of one yard by quarterback Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch scored from two yards out with 2:21 left in the third quarter. It was 20-3 Seahawks and the Rams' hopes for a non-losing season were dead.

Here are the updates posted during the game by Post-Dispatch football writer Joe Lyons:

The Seattle Seahawks took care of business Sunday, posting a dominating 27-9 victory over the Rams to wrap up a 13-3 and secure home-field advantage through the playoffs.

The loss ended the Rams' second season under Jeff Fisher at 7-9. The team went 7-8-1 a year ago.

It was an ugly, penalty-filled game controlled by the Seattle defense.

Just when it appeared the Seahawks were content running out the clock with Marshawn Lynch runs, Russell Wilson lofted a pass down the left sideline for Golden Taint, who made the catch as Janoris Jenkins overran the pass and went on for a 47-yard touchdown. Seattle is up 27-3 with 9:14 to play.

With Rodger Saffold hurt, Chris Williams shifts to tackle and Brandon Washington moves in at guard, getting his first snaps as a pro.

With 4:13 to play, the Rams picked up a touchdown as Kellen Clemens hooks up with Jared Cook on a 2-yard scoring pass. On the try for two, Clemens again threw to Cook, but Seattle's Byron Maxwell knocked the ball away. Seattle is up 27-9.

SEAHAWKS LEAD FRUSTRATED RAMS 20-3 AFTER THREE

Rams finally got into Seattle territory, thanks to a 32-yard punt return from Austin Pettis, who got a chance with Justin Veltung out due to injury. Prior to Pettis' return to the Seattle 31, the Seahawks had allowed just 25 total yards on punt returns all season.

A 13-yard pass from Kellen Clemens to Stedman Bailey moved the ball to the Seattle 18. But the drive stalled there. In fact, the Rams caught a break when Clemens' arm was hit on a third-down pass attempt and three Seahawks collided in the end zone on what should've been an interception.

Greg Zuerlein's 36-yard field goal with 10:49 left in the third quarter put the Rams on the scoreboard and cut the Seattle lead to 13-3.

Things got ugly again late in the quarter. On a Marshawn Lynch run, the helmet of Trumaine Johnson came off as he made the tackle. As Lynch stiff-armed Johnson in the face, teammate Alec Ogletree shoved Lynch and was called for a personal foul.

A play later, Ogletree picked up another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. During the discussion after the play, the Rams' Kendall Langford inadvertently knocked the hat off of an officials' head, prompting another personal-foul call and an ejection.

When Langford realized he'd been tossed, he threw his helmet and picked up yet another penalty to set up a first-and-goal at the Rams' 1.

Lynch scored two plays later, pushing the Seattle lead to 20-3 with 2:21 left in the third quarter.

Following the ensuing kickoff, Rams' Ray Ray Armstrong and Darian Stewart picked up personal-foul penalties, forcing the Rams to start from their own 4-yard line.

SEAHAWKS ARE UP 13-0 AT THE HALF

Seattle added to its lead with 6:14 to play in the first half on a 28-yard field goal from Steven Hauschka to make it 10-0. The 11-play, 65-yard drive featured plenty of power running from Marshawn Lynch, who has 48 yards on 10 carries.

In the teams' first meeting _ a 14-9 Monday night win for Seattle at the Edward Jones Dome _ Lynch managed just 23 yards on eight carries.

The Seahawks' lead went to 13-0 as Hauschka booted a 35-yard field goal with three seconds to play in the half.

On the prior play, Seattle's Russell Wilson threw a touchdown pass to Golden Taint, but the play was called back because Russell Okung held Robert Quinn on the play.

Some notable halftime numbers:

• Zac Stacy, who started the day just 42 yards short of 1,000 for the season, has been limited to three yards on 10 carries. In the teams' first meeting, Stacy ran for a career-best 134 yards. Kellen Clemens has completed 7 of 11 passes for 58 yards, but he's been picked off twice.

• Lynch has 54 yards on 12 carries. Wilson has completed 8 of 14 passes for 77 yards; Taint has five catches for 52 yards.

SEATTLE UP 7-0 AFTER ONE QUARTER

The Seahawks defense gave the large and energetic crowd at CenturyLink Field something to cheer about early. After a Seattle three-and-out and a pair of Rams first downs, a hurried dump-off pass from Kellen Clemens went through the hands of tight end Lance Kendricks and into the waiting arms of linebacker Malcolm Smith, who returned it 37 yards for the game's first score to make it 7-0 with 9:50 to play in the opening quarter.

It was the league-leading 27th interception for the Seahawks, who also lead the NFL in giveways/takeaways at plus-19.

NO TAVON AGAIN

SEATTLE • The Rams will finish the 2013 season without Tavon Austin on the field against Seattle.

Austin, the Rams' rookie wide receiver/return man, was declared inactive for today's contest with an ankle injury.

It will mark the third consecutive missed game for Austin, a receiver and kick returner selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Other Rams inactives: RB Daryl Richardson (thigh), CB Quinton Pointer, DE Sammy Brown, OG Harvey Dahl, DT Matt Conrath, OT Mike Person.

Inactives for Seattle: WR Percy Havin, RB Christine Michael, LB K.J. Wright, OT Michael Bowie, OT Caylin Hauptmann, DE Benson Mayowa, DT Jordan Hill.

(Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.)

 

[V3]

Exactly how I feel. Quit blaming the refs. The Rams were fools for committing stupid penalties. The refs may not have been good but that doesn't mean they needed to do what they did. The same goes for the macho stuff about sticking up for yourself. Check your emotions and win it on the field. Maybe I haven't been explaining it well enough in other threads. Hopefully these guys did a better job than I did.

 

[Angry Ram]

Wow JT...so Kendall accidentally knocks off a ref hat and that is called "striking an official"??

And right on cue...another knee jerk article from Bernie.

 

[Username]

My reaction isn't that I'm glad that the Rams "stood up" to the seahawks, it's one of who gives a shit?

It was the last game of a frustrating season. The defense did it's job time and time again of "winning the battles up front," "executing better," and "being more physical" only to watch the offense do jack shit, but give the other team points. The refs fucked them by calling all the personal fouls on the Rams when it was clearly both ways. They didn't get "baited" into shit. So they lost their cool and got pissed. I could care less. It wasn't good at all, but I don't know why people are so appalled by this. They were going to lose regardless, and fuck seattle. This isn't some highly dignified team, that "plays within the rules." It's a bunch of shit talking arrogant assholes.

The only thing that was "embarrassing" to me was watching the offensive game plan of running the same personnel out full house formations into 8-9 man fronts behind a makeshift line time and time again. Only to slightly change after the half when they were already down by 2 scores. Watching that performance as a defender would've frustrated me too.

 

[moklerman]

If the Rams were being dirty and taking cheap shots I'd be disappointed. Voicing up and protesting the only way they could doesn't bother me. It isn't like they started out with the dial turned to "11", they were getting unequal treatment all game long and their frustration grew. So what if it overflowed? Better than bending over and just taking it with a smile.

 

[Selassie I]

A win up there would have been very nice,,, but now that it's over, I'll happily take the 13th pick instead and savor the fact that we put a fucking beating on as many of those pieces of shit as possible.

 

[Rams and Gators]

I do think we need to play more sensible.

The refs seem to hold us to a different standard to most teams so let's try and play to that standard.

Robert Quinn is the perfect example of how to play, he gets held on more or less every play, but rather than complain he gets on with it and tries to fight threw the hold, and is a Pro Bowler because of it.

It's OK for an opposition player (Kyle Long) to kick one of ours on the floor, but not for a ref to walk into one of our player's hands, then take the kicking like a man and don't put your hand in a position where it can be walked into.

It's OK for a player to rip another player's helmet off and then start grabbing at the player's face, then strap your helmet on tighter.

Just be smart about it.