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http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/700-level/eagles’-week-5-breakdown-st-louis-rams
OVERVIEW
2014 record: 1-2 (4th in NFC West)
2013 record: 7-9 (4th in NFC West)
The St. Louis Rams’ status as a dark horse playoff contender took a hit when Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending torn ACL during an exhibition game. That being said, it would be foolish to overlook this squad. While it isn’t currently reflected in the numbers, St. Louis is one of the most dominant front sevens in football.
Despite losing Bradford, the offense has been getting some surprising quarterback performance this season. And while the Rams are currently in last again, no last-place team finished with a better record in 2013. They’re also coming off of an early bye week, giving them extra time to prepare and make corrections ahead of their tilt with the Philadelphia Eagles. Proceed with caution.
OFFENSE
2014 stats: 18.7 points per game (27th), 368.3 yards per game (9th)
2013 stats: 21.8 points per game (21st), 304.8 yards per game (30th)
Not surprisingly, Austin Davis was named starting quarterback for St. Louis, even though Shaun Hill is ready to return from a thigh injury. An undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss in 2012, Davis has been astonishingly sharp in his first professional action, completing a league-leading 72.3 percent of his passes at 8.0 yards per attempt, good for sixth in the NFL. He did toss a pair of backbreaking interceptions in a Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but still threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns. I don’t know what Davis’ long-term prospects look like—probably not very good—but he’s playing well right now, which makes the Rams a dangerous opponent.
Davis’ sudden emergence is made all the more impressive by the relative lack of weapons he’s surrounded by. That being said, the quarterback is helping turn Brian Quick into a legitimate feature receiver. With 16 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown, Quick is already butting up against career highs just three games into this season. At 6’3”, 218 pounds with 4.5 speed, the 2012 second-round pick should be a handful for defensive backs. Jared Cook also appears to be benefitting from the change under center, his 15 catches and 177 yards putting the 27-year-old tight end on pace for new personal bests as well.
Beyond that, however, the Rams haven’t had much success establishing additional targets in the passing attack. Tavon Austin, the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft, is by far the biggest disappointment. The wideout has more attempts and production on the ground than he does through the air in two games this season. Austin has been limited in practice this week by a knee injury and is questionable for Sunday. Kenny Britt hasn’t exactly picked up the slack, either.
Signed during free agency, the team had high hopes a rebound year from the troubled, oft-injured veteran, but he has just six catches thus far. Chris Givens (4 REC, 50 YDS, 0 TD) and Austin Pettis (6 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD) have been part of the wide receiver rotation the past few seasons, but neither has developed into a consistent threat. Tight end Lance Kendricks has been targeted more than any of the players in this paragraph, yet is only averaging 6.0 yards per reception.
The St. Louis running game is similarly underwhelming. Zac Stacy broke out as the starting running back last season and has refused to let go. The 2013 fifth-round pick lacks explosion and isn’t much of a receiver out of the backfield, but at 5’9”, 224 pounds he is a load to bring down—reminds me of a poor man’s Alfred Morris. For now, Benny Cunningham is the change of pace, but not in a good way, averaging a full yard per carry less on the ground (3.3) and nearly four full yards less through by air (6.5).
The Rams have invested a lot in the offensive line, and despite many missteps along the way, it’s a decent group—though just about everybody here seems to have a long and detailed medical history. The club has been scooping up high-priced veteran free agents such as left tackle Jake Long, center Scott Wells and right guard Davin Joseph in recent years. All three have been to the Pro Bowl, but Long is the youngest at 29, and the age/wear and tear has a tendency to show. The biggest disappointment, of course, is second overall pick Greg Robinson out of Auburn, who was unable to nail down a starting job out of training camp.
DEFENSE
2014 stats: 28.3 points per game (30th), 342.3 yards per game (12th)
2013 stats: 22.8 points per game (13th), 345.0 yards per game (15th)
Defensively is where this team is falling far short of expectations, particularly up front. In 2013, St. Louis was tied for second with 3.7 yards per rushing attempt and also ranked third with 53 sacks. In 2014, the Rams are tied for 29th with 5.1 yards per carry surrendered and dead last with only a single sack. What has happened?
For starters, Robert Quinn disappeared. One season after racking up 19.0 sacks and seven forced fumbles, the All-Pro defensive has none of either.
Quinn is only 24, and much too good of an athlete to be shut out forever, but the complete lack of production through three games is concerning. Then again, that could be the result of Chris Long’s absence on the opposite side. The No. 1 overall pick of 2008 went down in Week 1 with a lower body injury, and veteran replacement William Hayes requires far less of the offense’s attention.
Of course, Long’s injury that doesn’t fully explain what happened to the stout interior of Kendall Langford and Michael Brockers, a pair of massive 300-pounders in the middle of the Rams’ four-man front. Clearly, they must be getting pushed around a bit in the running game, while first-round pick Aaron Donald out of Pitt has been the best pass-rusher along the interior, what with the club’s only sack and all.
The ineffectiveness of the defensive line—largely considered the strength of the team and often thought of as perhaps the best four-man front in the NFL—has undoubtedly had a domino effect on the rest of unit. Linebackers James Laurinaitis and Alex Ogletree haven’t been able to come up with many impact plays this year after combining for 4.0 sacks, 19 pass breakups, three interceptions and six forced fumbles in 2013. Through three games this season, they have one pass breakup and one forced fumble.
An elite pass rush also hid some of the issues in the Rams secondary, but no more. Opposing quarterbacks are posting a 105.1 passer rating against St. Louis this year, the fourth-most efficient mark in the league. The unit does have one potentially special coverman in Janoris Jenkins. The third-year cornerback may be undersized at 5’10”, but has flashed big-time playmaking ability, returning four of his six career interceptions for touchdowns. Jenkins will gamble, which means he’ll get burned, but one wrong move is all it takes.
Trumaine Johnson is out with a knee injury, leaving the duties opposite Jenkins to E.J. Gaines, a sixth-round rookie out of Missouri. Either opponents aren’t spreading the Rams out, or they don’t like their nickel package, because no team has lined up with three corners with less frequency. 5’8” LaMarcus Joyner, a second-round safety out of Florida State, seems to be the preferred option in the slot. Meanwhile, the defense is young on the back end. 2013 third-rounder T.J. McDonald starts in one safety spot, while third-year undrafted Rodney McLeod mans the other.
SPECIAL TEAMS
St. Louis has excellent specialists, beginning with Pro Bowl punter Johnny Hekker. Place-kicker Greg Zuerlein has one of the biggest legs in the league, so if the Rams so much as cross midfield, they are a threat to score. The return game is a tad underwhelming, although if Austin plays, he’s always a threat to take one to the house. Givens handles the kickoffs, but is far less explosive.
HEAD COACH
Jeff Fisher (20th season, 162-145-1)
After a long and storied career with the Tennessee Titans, Fisher returned to coaching with the Rams in 2012, instantly restoring respectability to a franchise that had come off the rails. While St. Louis has finished below .500 both seasons, the club has been hampered by its lack of a healthy, established field general on offense—not Fisher’s fault. Nonetheless, you can’t take his teams lightly. Clearly, this is not the most talented roster in the league, but it’s well-coached with enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to sway the game’s outcome. Given the Eagles’ struggles so far this season, and upset is not impossible or even all that unlikely.
OVERVIEW
2014 record: 1-2 (4th in NFC West)
2013 record: 7-9 (4th in NFC West)
The St. Louis Rams’ status as a dark horse playoff contender took a hit when Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending torn ACL during an exhibition game. That being said, it would be foolish to overlook this squad. While it isn’t currently reflected in the numbers, St. Louis is one of the most dominant front sevens in football.
Despite losing Bradford, the offense has been getting some surprising quarterback performance this season. And while the Rams are currently in last again, no last-place team finished with a better record in 2013. They’re also coming off of an early bye week, giving them extra time to prepare and make corrections ahead of their tilt with the Philadelphia Eagles. Proceed with caution.
OFFENSE
2014 stats: 18.7 points per game (27th), 368.3 yards per game (9th)
2013 stats: 21.8 points per game (21st), 304.8 yards per game (30th)
Not surprisingly, Austin Davis was named starting quarterback for St. Louis, even though Shaun Hill is ready to return from a thigh injury. An undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss in 2012, Davis has been astonishingly sharp in his first professional action, completing a league-leading 72.3 percent of his passes at 8.0 yards per attempt, good for sixth in the NFL. He did toss a pair of backbreaking interceptions in a Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but still threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns. I don’t know what Davis’ long-term prospects look like—probably not very good—but he’s playing well right now, which makes the Rams a dangerous opponent.
Davis’ sudden emergence is made all the more impressive by the relative lack of weapons he’s surrounded by. That being said, the quarterback is helping turn Brian Quick into a legitimate feature receiver. With 16 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown, Quick is already butting up against career highs just three games into this season. At 6’3”, 218 pounds with 4.5 speed, the 2012 second-round pick should be a handful for defensive backs. Jared Cook also appears to be benefitting from the change under center, his 15 catches and 177 yards putting the 27-year-old tight end on pace for new personal bests as well.
Beyond that, however, the Rams haven’t had much success establishing additional targets in the passing attack. Tavon Austin, the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft, is by far the biggest disappointment. The wideout has more attempts and production on the ground than he does through the air in two games this season. Austin has been limited in practice this week by a knee injury and is questionable for Sunday. Kenny Britt hasn’t exactly picked up the slack, either.
Signed during free agency, the team had high hopes a rebound year from the troubled, oft-injured veteran, but he has just six catches thus far. Chris Givens (4 REC, 50 YDS, 0 TD) and Austin Pettis (6 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD) have been part of the wide receiver rotation the past few seasons, but neither has developed into a consistent threat. Tight end Lance Kendricks has been targeted more than any of the players in this paragraph, yet is only averaging 6.0 yards per reception.
The St. Louis running game is similarly underwhelming. Zac Stacy broke out as the starting running back last season and has refused to let go. The 2013 fifth-round pick lacks explosion and isn’t much of a receiver out of the backfield, but at 5’9”, 224 pounds he is a load to bring down—reminds me of a poor man’s Alfred Morris. For now, Benny Cunningham is the change of pace, but not in a good way, averaging a full yard per carry less on the ground (3.3) and nearly four full yards less through by air (6.5).
The Rams have invested a lot in the offensive line, and despite many missteps along the way, it’s a decent group—though just about everybody here seems to have a long and detailed medical history. The club has been scooping up high-priced veteran free agents such as left tackle Jake Long, center Scott Wells and right guard Davin Joseph in recent years. All three have been to the Pro Bowl, but Long is the youngest at 29, and the age/wear and tear has a tendency to show. The biggest disappointment, of course, is second overall pick Greg Robinson out of Auburn, who was unable to nail down a starting job out of training camp.
DEFENSE
2014 stats: 28.3 points per game (30th), 342.3 yards per game (12th)
2013 stats: 22.8 points per game (13th), 345.0 yards per game (15th)
Defensively is where this team is falling far short of expectations, particularly up front. In 2013, St. Louis was tied for second with 3.7 yards per rushing attempt and also ranked third with 53 sacks. In 2014, the Rams are tied for 29th with 5.1 yards per carry surrendered and dead last with only a single sack. What has happened?
For starters, Robert Quinn disappeared. One season after racking up 19.0 sacks and seven forced fumbles, the All-Pro defensive has none of either.
Quinn is only 24, and much too good of an athlete to be shut out forever, but the complete lack of production through three games is concerning. Then again, that could be the result of Chris Long’s absence on the opposite side. The No. 1 overall pick of 2008 went down in Week 1 with a lower body injury, and veteran replacement William Hayes requires far less of the offense’s attention.
Of course, Long’s injury that doesn’t fully explain what happened to the stout interior of Kendall Langford and Michael Brockers, a pair of massive 300-pounders in the middle of the Rams’ four-man front. Clearly, they must be getting pushed around a bit in the running game, while first-round pick Aaron Donald out of Pitt has been the best pass-rusher along the interior, what with the club’s only sack and all.
The ineffectiveness of the defensive line—largely considered the strength of the team and often thought of as perhaps the best four-man front in the NFL—has undoubtedly had a domino effect on the rest of unit. Linebackers James Laurinaitis and Alex Ogletree haven’t been able to come up with many impact plays this year after combining for 4.0 sacks, 19 pass breakups, three interceptions and six forced fumbles in 2013. Through three games this season, they have one pass breakup and one forced fumble.
An elite pass rush also hid some of the issues in the Rams secondary, but no more. Opposing quarterbacks are posting a 105.1 passer rating against St. Louis this year, the fourth-most efficient mark in the league. The unit does have one potentially special coverman in Janoris Jenkins. The third-year cornerback may be undersized at 5’10”, but has flashed big-time playmaking ability, returning four of his six career interceptions for touchdowns. Jenkins will gamble, which means he’ll get burned, but one wrong move is all it takes.
Trumaine Johnson is out with a knee injury, leaving the duties opposite Jenkins to E.J. Gaines, a sixth-round rookie out of Missouri. Either opponents aren’t spreading the Rams out, or they don’t like their nickel package, because no team has lined up with three corners with less frequency. 5’8” LaMarcus Joyner, a second-round safety out of Florida State, seems to be the preferred option in the slot. Meanwhile, the defense is young on the back end. 2013 third-rounder T.J. McDonald starts in one safety spot, while third-year undrafted Rodney McLeod mans the other.
SPECIAL TEAMS
St. Louis has excellent specialists, beginning with Pro Bowl punter Johnny Hekker. Place-kicker Greg Zuerlein has one of the biggest legs in the league, so if the Rams so much as cross midfield, they are a threat to score. The return game is a tad underwhelming, although if Austin plays, he’s always a threat to take one to the house. Givens handles the kickoffs, but is far less explosive.
HEAD COACH
Jeff Fisher (20th season, 162-145-1)
After a long and storied career with the Tennessee Titans, Fisher returned to coaching with the Rams in 2012, instantly restoring respectability to a franchise that had come off the rails. While St. Louis has finished below .500 both seasons, the club has been hampered by its lack of a healthy, established field general on offense—not Fisher’s fault. Nonetheless, you can’t take his teams lightly. Clearly, this is not the most talented roster in the league, but it’s well-coached with enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to sway the game’s outcome. Given the Eagles’ struggles so far this season, and upset is not impossible or even all that unlikely.
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