8 games boys...8 games without CL......damn smh 
Chris Long
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RamBill
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Rams without more than Long's production
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11532/rams-lose-more-than-just-longs-production
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- On a St. Louis Rams roster with plenty of holes to fill, losing a starter at most positions would be nearly impossible to overcome. But if there's one place the Rams have the talent in place to step in when injuries strike, it's defensive end.
At least in terms of production on the field.
While the Rams are equipped with talented backups like William Hayes and Eugene Sims, the loss of stalwart Chris Long to ankle surgery for the next two-plus months is a blow that runs much deeper than tackles, sacks and quarterback hurries.
Long is the fiery heartbeat of the Rams' locker room, a player beloved by all of his teammates regardless of position. Just last week, Rams players voted him a team captain and cornerback E.J. Gaines sought advice from Long as he prepared to make his first start even though he plays a much different position.
Before Sunday's opener against the Minnesota Vikings, it was Long who delivered the pre-game speech in the end zone, a job he's done countless times in his six-plus seasons in the NFL.
When Long stayed down on the field after it appeared defensive tackle Kendall Langford rolled up on his foot in the third quarter, it was almost a shock that he didn't get right up and walk off the field.
"It was kind of a unique injury," coach Jeff Fisher said. "I've been here for a few years now and it's not good when he doesn't get up because he's never on the ground.”
As the most tenured Ram on the roster in his seventh NFL season, Long has never missed an NFL game in 97 tries. For a team that hasn't won much over that time, for Long to never miss a game was an even more impressive feat. In fact, his consecutive games streak ranks second only to Chicago's Jared Allen among active defensive ends.
"He's played through a lot of injuries," Hayes said. "He's a very tough guy. At the end of the day, it was mind boggling."
Langford was just as surprised.
"When it first happened, I thought maybe he might miss a couple of days of practice, tape it up and get out there," Langford said. "But unfortunately that wasn't the case."
To be sure, Long's absence won't just be felt in terms of leadership. He's been among the league's most productive ends over the past six seasons. His 50.5 sacks since 2008 are tied for 14th in the NFL. His 41.5 sacks over the past four seasons is 10th in the league in that span.
Replacing that production will fall into the capable hands of Hayes, Sims and maybe even undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks. That trio should be able to provide a reasonable facsimile of Long's production from down to down. Hayes has 12 sacks in the past two seasons while Sims is a solid run defender who can spell him when needed.
Picking up the slack for Long in a leadership role is more of a day-to-day proposition. Hayes is an emotional type, quick to offer vocal guidance, and would seem the most likely to handle some of those duties. Players like Langford and end Robert Quinn are more lead-by-example types.
Outside of that group, linebacker James Laurinaitis is also a captain and would seem poised to take on even more of that responsibility moving forward.
"Everybody carries their own weight and leads in their own way," Langford said. "You have just got different types of guys. We all respond to each other well and we respect each other and would do anything for each other."
The Rams placed Long on injured reserve with the designation to return Wednesday afternoon, which means he's out for at least the next eight weeks. In the meantime, they'll make a roster move to fill his spot. But just because they'll have another name on the depth chart doesn't mean they'll be able to replace him.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11532/rams-lose-more-than-just-longs-production
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- On a St. Louis Rams roster with plenty of holes to fill, losing a starter at most positions would be nearly impossible to overcome. But if there's one place the Rams have the talent in place to step in when injuries strike, it's defensive end.
At least in terms of production on the field.
While the Rams are equipped with talented backups like William Hayes and Eugene Sims, the loss of stalwart Chris Long to ankle surgery for the next two-plus months is a blow that runs much deeper than tackles, sacks and quarterback hurries.
Long is the fiery heartbeat of the Rams' locker room, a player beloved by all of his teammates regardless of position. Just last week, Rams players voted him a team captain and cornerback E.J. Gaines sought advice from Long as he prepared to make his first start even though he plays a much different position.
Before Sunday's opener against the Minnesota Vikings, it was Long who delivered the pre-game speech in the end zone, a job he's done countless times in his six-plus seasons in the NFL.
When Long stayed down on the field after it appeared defensive tackle Kendall Langford rolled up on his foot in the third quarter, it was almost a shock that he didn't get right up and walk off the field.
"It was kind of a unique injury," coach Jeff Fisher said. "I've been here for a few years now and it's not good when he doesn't get up because he's never on the ground.”
As the most tenured Ram on the roster in his seventh NFL season, Long has never missed an NFL game in 97 tries. For a team that hasn't won much over that time, for Long to never miss a game was an even more impressive feat. In fact, his consecutive games streak ranks second only to Chicago's Jared Allen among active defensive ends.
"He's played through a lot of injuries," Hayes said. "He's a very tough guy. At the end of the day, it was mind boggling."
Langford was just as surprised.
"When it first happened, I thought maybe he might miss a couple of days of practice, tape it up and get out there," Langford said. "But unfortunately that wasn't the case."
To be sure, Long's absence won't just be felt in terms of leadership. He's been among the league's most productive ends over the past six seasons. His 50.5 sacks since 2008 are tied for 14th in the NFL. His 41.5 sacks over the past four seasons is 10th in the league in that span.
Replacing that production will fall into the capable hands of Hayes, Sims and maybe even undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks. That trio should be able to provide a reasonable facsimile of Long's production from down to down. Hayes has 12 sacks in the past two seasons while Sims is a solid run defender who can spell him when needed.
Picking up the slack for Long in a leadership role is more of a day-to-day proposition. Hayes is an emotional type, quick to offer vocal guidance, and would seem the most likely to handle some of those duties. Players like Langford and end Robert Quinn are more lead-by-example types.
Outside of that group, linebacker James Laurinaitis is also a captain and would seem poised to take on even more of that responsibility moving forward.
"Everybody carries their own weight and leads in their own way," Langford said. "You have just got different types of guys. We all respond to each other well and we respect each other and would do anything for each other."
The Rams placed Long on injured reserve with the designation to return Wednesday afternoon, which means he's out for at least the next eight weeks. In the meantime, they'll make a roster move to fill his spot. But just because they'll have another name on the depth chart doesn't mean they'll be able to replace him.
Orchid
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- Obert
Run defense just like run offense requires that your assignment is (gap) compliant. The Rams recently have not had a SLB who consistently fills the gap whether it is inside or outside. Most of the time, Long has covered his gap and then some only to have the opposite gap left open because they can't fill.
Mike
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I think that would open things up for Donald and the others.
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Long is good at holding his ground and setting the edge. He maintains gap integrity but he doesn't stack and shed blocks well enough as a run defender to be anything more than average.
Orchid
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We disagree. Look at QB huuries hits and sacks last 5 yrs. He is in the top 10 as well as for the last year. Why do you think RQ is not doubled tam more ...Long.
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- Brian
Maybe the surgery itself will take a couple weeks! Ha, just throwing some humor in there to cheer me up. (It didn't work. I'm not cheered up)
rdlkgliders
"AKA" Hugo Bezdek
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- Don
I am starting to wonder if I might be suffering from Stockholm syndrome?
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That's pass rushing, not run stopping. You're talking about apples, I'm talking about oranges. Long doesn't get off blocks in the run game. Hell, the guy doesn't even consistently shed TEs. That's the issue. He has no issues holding his ground, maintaining gap discipline or setting the edge...he just doesn't get off blocks or stack them like a top tier run stuffer does. Despite his poor play on the Patterson TD(likely due to him being rusty after missing all the preseason), Hayes usually gives a better indication of what a great run stopper does in that spot.
fearsomefour
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I hope he is solid (see Pattersons TD run from Sunday) and stays healthy, barely played during the preseason. Because of his lack of work in preseason I would expect Westbrooks to get some reps in Tampa.
RamBill
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How big of a blow is the loss of Chris Long? ESPN Rams Insider Nick Wagoner discusses it with Randy Karraker on 101ESPN’s The Fast Lane.
Listen to Wagoner Talk Rams and the Long
Listen to Wagoner Talk Rams and the Long
jap
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Rookie Aaron Donald says, "Go ahead and triple team Robert, bitches!!! Tre rest of us will be bringing the funk to your backfield!!!"
RamBill
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A Long run ends: Rams DE is out at least 2 months
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_8765fad6-f14d-57bc-99c9-c6a88c467c35.html
Through thick and thin, and it’s been mainly thin lately at Rams Park, defensive end Chris Long has been a pillar.
The longest-tenured Ram hasn’t missed a game since he entered the league in 2008 as the second player drafted, out of Virginia.
“He prides himself on being available,” linebacker James Laurinaitis put it succinctly.
Long has been “available” for 97 consecutive games, the second-longest ironman streak among active NFL defensive ends — behind Chicago’s Jared Allen (111).
But Long’s streak is over. Further testing revealed that he needs ankle surgery for an injury that occurred against Minnesota and will be sidelined for at least two months.
He headed Wednesday to Charlotte, N.C., where Dr. Robert Anderson is scheduled to perform surgery Thursday.
It will the second Rams surgery this week, because coach Jeff Fisher announced Wednesday that quarterback Sam Bradford had surgery Monday.
“Sam will be back in town Friday,” Fisher said. “The doctors gave a good report. Sam decided (on the surgery date) over the weekend and we talked prior to the game that he wanted to go ahead, get it done, and get on that comeback trail again that he knows so well.”
In announcing the Long news following Wednesday’s practice, Fisher said Long will be placed on the injured reserve-designated for return list.
The IR-DR, as it’s called for short, was instituted in 2012. It’s a one-player exception to the normally season-ending injured reserve list designation.
Under IR-DR rules, Long can’t practice for at least six weeks and cannot play in a game for a minimum of eight weeks. That means the earliest he can return is Nov. 9, at Arizona.
William Hayes starts in Long’s place Sunday at Tampa Bay. Eugene Sims also could see more playing time.
And rookie Ethan Westbrooks, who was a pregame inactive against Minnesota, probably dresses this week against the Buccaneers.
“I’m disappointed for Chris,” Fisher said. “I won’t go into specifics on the surgery; it is unique, however. He will be back. When, I can’t predict at this time.”
Long was stepped on from behind five minutes into the third quarter against the Vikings, while trying to shed a blocker. Just the sight of Long on the ground was a jolt to the Rams, Fisher included.
“I’ve been here for a few years now, and it’s not good when he doesn’t get up, because he’s never on the ground,” Fisher said.
“For him to be down on the ground like that ...” Laurinaitis said. “You could kind of tell by his facial expression this wasn’t a normal little ding. ... It (stunk)to see him like that.”
Long has been such a fixture and so durable for six-plus seasons, it was odd not seeing him on the practice field Wednesday.
“I actually just texted him and said, ‘It’s different not having you out there,’ “ Laurinaitis said in the locker room after practice.
There still was a sliver of hope among some players earlier in the week because of Long’s track record of playing through injuries, of always being out there. But then came the bad news on Long, one of the Rams’ team captains and one of the league’s top 10 pass rushers in terms of sacks over the past four seasons.
“No pity show out there,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “Of course, we want him to be with us. But it’s just not gonna happen. So we still want to go out there and try to play lights out. Try to play as hard as we can every single snap. And hopefully put a smile on his face with a win this weekend.”
It will be up to the player known as “Father Nature” by his teammates, Hayes, to pick up the slack at Long’s left end position. Hayes got that nickname because at the ripe old age of 29, he’s one of the oldest Rams on the roster.
Hayes has been a super sub for two seasons, backing up Long since signing as a free agent from Tennessee. Over that span, it has been said many times that he could start for many teams in the NFL. Now Hayes gets his chance to show that’s true, by starting for the Rams.
“That’s the upside to the whole issue,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “We’ve got a veteran guy that could start anywhere in the league. He’s here playing behind Chris, and now he’s up. There’s no (dropoff) with this guy in the game.”
“The thing I like about Will is he’s gonna give you everything he’s got, every single snap,” Laurinaitis said. “He plays with a passion and energy that sometimes you’ve gotta try to (reel) him back a little bit.”
Rams radio analyst D’Marco Farr, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle on the club’s Super Bowl championship team, said when Hayes hits the field it’s like an all-out brawl is about to take place.
“And I don’t mean fighting,” Farr said. “I mean the way he plays the game. He raises the intensity of the entire field when he steps out there.”
How intense is Hayes?
He’s the guy who was so upset after last year’s loss to his former team, Tennessee, that he smashed a mirror in the Edward Jones Dome locker room with his forearm, leading to him receiving multiple stitches.
Hayes missed all of the June practice sessions because of three offseason operations, the most serious of which was for a hip injury. And just as he was getting on the field in training camp, he suffered a chest injury that set him back a couple of weeks.
As a result, he missed all four exhibition games and barely practiced at all during camp. Suffice to say he was rusty in the opener against Minnesota.
“Yeah, I hadn’t played football since last year, so I just had to get my feet back up under me,” Hayes said. “I feel great now. The more I play, the more I practice, the better I’m gonna be feeling.”
Hayes has started only 13 games in his six-plus seasons, and only one since 2009. But because of the circumstances, Hayes isn’t excited about getting this chance.
“I would rather be Chris’ backup than him be hurt,” Hayes said. “Because at the end of the day, he’s my friend before all this football stuff.”
===========
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_8765fad6-f14d-57bc-99c9-c6a88c467c35.html
Through thick and thin, and it’s been mainly thin lately at Rams Park, defensive end Chris Long has been a pillar.
The longest-tenured Ram hasn’t missed a game since he entered the league in 2008 as the second player drafted, out of Virginia.
“He prides himself on being available,” linebacker James Laurinaitis put it succinctly.
Long has been “available” for 97 consecutive games, the second-longest ironman streak among active NFL defensive ends — behind Chicago’s Jared Allen (111).
But Long’s streak is over. Further testing revealed that he needs ankle surgery for an injury that occurred against Minnesota and will be sidelined for at least two months.
He headed Wednesday to Charlotte, N.C., where Dr. Robert Anderson is scheduled to perform surgery Thursday.
It will the second Rams surgery this week, because coach Jeff Fisher announced Wednesday that quarterback Sam Bradford had surgery Monday.
“Sam will be back in town Friday,” Fisher said. “The doctors gave a good report. Sam decided (on the surgery date) over the weekend and we talked prior to the game that he wanted to go ahead, get it done, and get on that comeback trail again that he knows so well.”
In announcing the Long news following Wednesday’s practice, Fisher said Long will be placed on the injured reserve-designated for return list.
The IR-DR, as it’s called for short, was instituted in 2012. It’s a one-player exception to the normally season-ending injured reserve list designation.
Under IR-DR rules, Long can’t practice for at least six weeks and cannot play in a game for a minimum of eight weeks. That means the earliest he can return is Nov. 9, at Arizona.
William Hayes starts in Long’s place Sunday at Tampa Bay. Eugene Sims also could see more playing time.
And rookie Ethan Westbrooks, who was a pregame inactive against Minnesota, probably dresses this week against the Buccaneers.
“I’m disappointed for Chris,” Fisher said. “I won’t go into specifics on the surgery; it is unique, however. He will be back. When, I can’t predict at this time.”
Long was stepped on from behind five minutes into the third quarter against the Vikings, while trying to shed a blocker. Just the sight of Long on the ground was a jolt to the Rams, Fisher included.
“I’ve been here for a few years now, and it’s not good when he doesn’t get up, because he’s never on the ground,” Fisher said.
“For him to be down on the ground like that ...” Laurinaitis said. “You could kind of tell by his facial expression this wasn’t a normal little ding. ... It (stunk)to see him like that.”
Long has been such a fixture and so durable for six-plus seasons, it was odd not seeing him on the practice field Wednesday.
“I actually just texted him and said, ‘It’s different not having you out there,’ “ Laurinaitis said in the locker room after practice.
There still was a sliver of hope among some players earlier in the week because of Long’s track record of playing through injuries, of always being out there. But then came the bad news on Long, one of the Rams’ team captains and one of the league’s top 10 pass rushers in terms of sacks over the past four seasons.
“No pity show out there,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “Of course, we want him to be with us. But it’s just not gonna happen. So we still want to go out there and try to play lights out. Try to play as hard as we can every single snap. And hopefully put a smile on his face with a win this weekend.”
It will be up to the player known as “Father Nature” by his teammates, Hayes, to pick up the slack at Long’s left end position. Hayes got that nickname because at the ripe old age of 29, he’s one of the oldest Rams on the roster.
Hayes has been a super sub for two seasons, backing up Long since signing as a free agent from Tennessee. Over that span, it has been said many times that he could start for many teams in the NFL. Now Hayes gets his chance to show that’s true, by starting for the Rams.
“That’s the upside to the whole issue,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “We’ve got a veteran guy that could start anywhere in the league. He’s here playing behind Chris, and now he’s up. There’s no (dropoff) with this guy in the game.”
“The thing I like about Will is he’s gonna give you everything he’s got, every single snap,” Laurinaitis said. “He plays with a passion and energy that sometimes you’ve gotta try to (reel) him back a little bit.”
Rams radio analyst D’Marco Farr, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle on the club’s Super Bowl championship team, said when Hayes hits the field it’s like an all-out brawl is about to take place.
“And I don’t mean fighting,” Farr said. “I mean the way he plays the game. He raises the intensity of the entire field when he steps out there.”
How intense is Hayes?
He’s the guy who was so upset after last year’s loss to his former team, Tennessee, that he smashed a mirror in the Edward Jones Dome locker room with his forearm, leading to him receiving multiple stitches.
Hayes missed all of the June practice sessions because of three offseason operations, the most serious of which was for a hip injury. And just as he was getting on the field in training camp, he suffered a chest injury that set him back a couple of weeks.
As a result, he missed all four exhibition games and barely practiced at all during camp. Suffice to say he was rusty in the opener against Minnesota.
“Yeah, I hadn’t played football since last year, so I just had to get my feet back up under me,” Hayes said. “I feel great now. The more I play, the more I practice, the better I’m gonna be feeling.”
Hayes has started only 13 games in his six-plus seasons, and only one since 2009. But because of the circumstances, Hayes isn’t excited about getting this chance.
“I would rather be Chris’ backup than him be hurt,” Hayes said. “Because at the end of the day, he’s my friend before all this football stuff.”
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yrba1
Mild-mannered Rams fan
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We'll likely put him there once teams recognize his interior presence. I remember Quinn at the DT spot against the Bucs last season and led to a McDonald sack.
BonifayRam
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- Vernon
Close to 31 million in cap hits for Bradford & Long. These two are the Rams two top paid players. IMO expecting Hayes & Westbrooks to fully fill the serious void (NOT) loss of Chris Long .....sure places a ton of team weight & PRESSURE on them. However Hayes may be out best Ram back up when in shape & healthy & Westbrooks was our biggest surprise of pre season.
IMO Rams do not have the ability to fill these holes on Sam or Chris, but Chris's post will hurt so much less than Sam's. Looks Ram fans are in for another year of "what could have been" .