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Gordon: Assessing the Rams after 8 games
• By Jeff Gordon jgordon@post-dispatch.com
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_0beebbc2-2173-5329-8dfb-79f38406cc0a.html
The Rams knew their season could take an ugly turn in the middle of their grueling schedule.
That possibility became far more likely when quarterback Sam Bradford suffered another season-ending knee injury. Then came the loss of defensive end Chris Long (foot) for much of the season and left tackle Jake Long (knee) and Brian Quick (arm) for the rest of the campaign.
The hard road to playoff contention became nearly impossible, despite big victories over NFC West powers Seattle and San Francisco.
Here is a player-by-player look at the key Rams to this halfway point. Click on the links for updated STLtoday.com profiles on each:
OFFENSE
Austin Davis, QB: Fellow Southern Miss product Brett Favre was ready to anoint him as the Next One a few weeks back. Then Davis had to face some elite defenses and major road field disadvantages. Reality set in. But Davis is still exceeding expectations as an emergency fill-in. Never forget that he was the No. 4 guy in training camp.
Zac Stacy, RB: He appears to be on the Daryl Richardson career path. He followed a promising rookie season with a disappearance early in Year 2. Is a change of address next?
Tre Mason, RB: He started on the Isaiah Pead career path with an underwhelming first training camp. But then he veered off that road to nowhere and into the starting lineup. His speed gives this offense a much-needed weapon.
Benny Cunningham, RB: His ability to pick up blitzes makes him unique among Rams RBs. He is a good receiver out of the backfield, too, and he runs with leverage between the tackles.
Trey Watts, RB: Not only did he make a mark on special teams, he flashed terrific running instincts while earning some reps in the offense. It appears he has a future in this league.
Brian Quick, WR: He arrived as an outstanding receiving prospect . . . and then he suffered a season-ending arm injury. But his breakthrough remains one of the season highlights.
Kenny Britt, WR: He starred in training camp as Bradford's go-to guy. Now he is Davis' primary target in the wake of Quick's demise. He is the proven receiving talent this team lacked.
Tavon Austin, WR: He almost had a TD punt return at San Francisco, but for a dubious penalty call on the Rams and an inexplicable mid-return whistle from the officials. But mostly Austin has been a massive disappointment. An eighth-overall pick needs to make a difference and Austin has been Just A Guy this season.
Stedman Bailey, WR: He looked great in training camp before shutting down with his PED suspension. He still hasn't worked his way into a prominent offensive role, even with Quick out. At least he had one memorable TD punt return on a gimmick play.
Chris Givens, WR: He seemed headed for oblivion, then Austin Pettis got clipped instead. But like Tavon Austin, he remains a tremendous disappointment. He has so much speed but so little production.
Jared Cook, TE: He became a big part of the offenses early on, making four or more catches in each of the first five games. He had a few memorable drops and one unfortunate QB shove along the way, but he was becoming an impact player. Then the passing game sputtered the last few weeks.
Lance Kendricks, TE: He, too, was a primary weapon earlier this season as Davis worked his TEs effectively off play-action fakes. The Rams need to reestablish that part of their offense.
Cory Harkey, TE: He can block. He can catch passes coming out of the backfield. He can fight through severe bumps and bruises.
Jake Long, LT: He mostly disappointed before suffering a season-ending knee injury. The Rams need to turn his page and move on.
Greg Robinson, LT: He was just getting the hang of playing guard at this level when Long's injury forced him to the edge. He is still learning to deal with stunts, twists and blitzes -- but he is also tossing some D-linemen around, showing why he was the second overall pick.
Rodger Saffold, LG: He started on the left side, then switched to right, then switched back the left. Injuries will always be an issue for him, but he has managed to play most of the snaps so far.
Scott Wells, C: He is trying to fight though another season with his bionic arm. He suffered some snap mishaps earlier this season and he had a hand in some offensive line breakdowns.
Davin Joseph, RG: He wasn't great as a starter earlier this season, but Long's injury set off a chain reaction that got him back in the starting lineup.
Joe Barksdale, RT: He has been the steadiest lineman of the bunch. The Rams ought to lock him up with a new deal sooner rather than later.
DEFENSE
Robert Quinn, DE: After a slow start, he started racking up the sacks and forcing fumbles during his last three games. There is plenty of time for him to mount another Pro Bowl-caliber campaign.
Chris Long, DE: He will end up missing the bulk of this season with a foot injury. With his teammates elevating their play, there will be no need to rush him back before he is full speed.
William Hayes, DE: He stepped up nicely after Long went down, earning 18 QB pressures in the first eight games. He just had two sacks at San Francisco and he has 46 tackles overall.
Eugene Sims, DE: He has 13 QB pressures this season, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
Ethan Westbrooks, DE/DT: He had a great training camp to beat out Michael Sam, but a hand injury helped derail his rookie season.
Aaron Donald, DT: He is one of the NFL's top rookies. He has three sacks this season and 11 tackles for loss. Who says rookie DTs can't make an impact in this game?
Michael Brockers, DT: He came to life at San Francisco, earning five tackles, a sack and a QB pressure. Where was that disruptive effort all season?
Kendall Langford, DT: He slid to the back of the interior line rotation earlier this season. That demotion seemed to perk him up.
Alex Carrington: He is what he is, a solid depth guy.
Alec Ogletree, OLB: He showed great promise as a rookie, but he remained undisciplined in Year 2. He can make big plays, but his blown assignments tend to offset them.
James Laurinaitis, MLB: A high ankle sprain shelved him in training camp and he remained a step behind in several games this season.
Jo-Lonn Dunbar, OLB: He has had some big hits and big misses during a largely disappointing first half for this defense.
Janoris Jenkins, CB: Once again he has made some big mistakes and very few big plays out on his island. He is terrific in run support but spotty in coverage. Will he ever figure it out?
Lamarcus Joyner, CB: He delivered on his promise, adding toughness in run support as the nickel back. He is a sure tackler on short passes and a real blitzing threat. His size puts him at a disadvantage in coverage, but the pluses outweigh the minuses.
E.J. Gaines, CB: He has been one of the team's most pleasant surprises. Circumstances forced him into a starting role as a rookie and he hasn't flinched. He tackles well and tends to be around the ball.
Trumaine Johnson, CB: He is just coming back from a knee injury, so it's hard to criticize him for some late struggles at San Francisco.
Marcus Roberson, CB: For a prospect off the street he has done just fine. He is solid in coverage when he remembers to stick with his man. Against the 49ers, he forgot.
T. J. McDonald, S: He has had a 17-tackle game this season and a game where he blocked a punt and a field goal. He is developing into a very nice strong safety.
Rodney McLeod, S: He has started 19 straight games and been a mostly reliable tackler. He has improved in coverage, but he still has a ways to go.
Mark Barron, S: He is a heavy hitter who arrived in a midseason trade with Tampa Bay. But where will he fit in the defense? The Rams need a cover safety, not another hitter.
Cody Davis, S: He is another big hitter who suffered a concussion delivering one of his big blows.
Maurice Alexander, S: He has been on and off of the game day roster as a special teamer. He is one more potential hitter for this D.
• By Jeff Gordon jgordon@post-dispatch.com
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_0beebbc2-2173-5329-8dfb-79f38406cc0a.html
The Rams knew their season could take an ugly turn in the middle of their grueling schedule.
That possibility became far more likely when quarterback Sam Bradford suffered another season-ending knee injury. Then came the loss of defensive end Chris Long (foot) for much of the season and left tackle Jake Long (knee) and Brian Quick (arm) for the rest of the campaign.
The hard road to playoff contention became nearly impossible, despite big victories over NFC West powers Seattle and San Francisco.
Here is a player-by-player look at the key Rams to this halfway point. Click on the links for updated STLtoday.com profiles on each:
OFFENSE
Austin Davis, QB: Fellow Southern Miss product Brett Favre was ready to anoint him as the Next One a few weeks back. Then Davis had to face some elite defenses and major road field disadvantages. Reality set in. But Davis is still exceeding expectations as an emergency fill-in. Never forget that he was the No. 4 guy in training camp.
Zac Stacy, RB: He appears to be on the Daryl Richardson career path. He followed a promising rookie season with a disappearance early in Year 2. Is a change of address next?
Tre Mason, RB: He started on the Isaiah Pead career path with an underwhelming first training camp. But then he veered off that road to nowhere and into the starting lineup. His speed gives this offense a much-needed weapon.
Benny Cunningham, RB: His ability to pick up blitzes makes him unique among Rams RBs. He is a good receiver out of the backfield, too, and he runs with leverage between the tackles.
Trey Watts, RB: Not only did he make a mark on special teams, he flashed terrific running instincts while earning some reps in the offense. It appears he has a future in this league.
Brian Quick, WR: He arrived as an outstanding receiving prospect . . . and then he suffered a season-ending arm injury. But his breakthrough remains one of the season highlights.
Kenny Britt, WR: He starred in training camp as Bradford's go-to guy. Now he is Davis' primary target in the wake of Quick's demise. He is the proven receiving talent this team lacked.
Tavon Austin, WR: He almost had a TD punt return at San Francisco, but for a dubious penalty call on the Rams and an inexplicable mid-return whistle from the officials. But mostly Austin has been a massive disappointment. An eighth-overall pick needs to make a difference and Austin has been Just A Guy this season.
Stedman Bailey, WR: He looked great in training camp before shutting down with his PED suspension. He still hasn't worked his way into a prominent offensive role, even with Quick out. At least he had one memorable TD punt return on a gimmick play.
Chris Givens, WR: He seemed headed for oblivion, then Austin Pettis got clipped instead. But like Tavon Austin, he remains a tremendous disappointment. He has so much speed but so little production.
Jared Cook, TE: He became a big part of the offenses early on, making four or more catches in each of the first five games. He had a few memorable drops and one unfortunate QB shove along the way, but he was becoming an impact player. Then the passing game sputtered the last few weeks.
Lance Kendricks, TE: He, too, was a primary weapon earlier this season as Davis worked his TEs effectively off play-action fakes. The Rams need to reestablish that part of their offense.
Cory Harkey, TE: He can block. He can catch passes coming out of the backfield. He can fight through severe bumps and bruises.
Jake Long, LT: He mostly disappointed before suffering a season-ending knee injury. The Rams need to turn his page and move on.
Greg Robinson, LT: He was just getting the hang of playing guard at this level when Long's injury forced him to the edge. He is still learning to deal with stunts, twists and blitzes -- but he is also tossing some D-linemen around, showing why he was the second overall pick.
Rodger Saffold, LG: He started on the left side, then switched to right, then switched back the left. Injuries will always be an issue for him, but he has managed to play most of the snaps so far.
Scott Wells, C: He is trying to fight though another season with his bionic arm. He suffered some snap mishaps earlier this season and he had a hand in some offensive line breakdowns.
Davin Joseph, RG: He wasn't great as a starter earlier this season, but Long's injury set off a chain reaction that got him back in the starting lineup.
Joe Barksdale, RT: He has been the steadiest lineman of the bunch. The Rams ought to lock him up with a new deal sooner rather than later.
DEFENSE
Robert Quinn, DE: After a slow start, he started racking up the sacks and forcing fumbles during his last three games. There is plenty of time for him to mount another Pro Bowl-caliber campaign.
Chris Long, DE: He will end up missing the bulk of this season with a foot injury. With his teammates elevating their play, there will be no need to rush him back before he is full speed.
William Hayes, DE: He stepped up nicely after Long went down, earning 18 QB pressures in the first eight games. He just had two sacks at San Francisco and he has 46 tackles overall.
Eugene Sims, DE: He has 13 QB pressures this season, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
Ethan Westbrooks, DE/DT: He had a great training camp to beat out Michael Sam, but a hand injury helped derail his rookie season.
Aaron Donald, DT: He is one of the NFL's top rookies. He has three sacks this season and 11 tackles for loss. Who says rookie DTs can't make an impact in this game?
Michael Brockers, DT: He came to life at San Francisco, earning five tackles, a sack and a QB pressure. Where was that disruptive effort all season?
Kendall Langford, DT: He slid to the back of the interior line rotation earlier this season. That demotion seemed to perk him up.
Alex Carrington: He is what he is, a solid depth guy.
Alec Ogletree, OLB: He showed great promise as a rookie, but he remained undisciplined in Year 2. He can make big plays, but his blown assignments tend to offset them.
James Laurinaitis, MLB: A high ankle sprain shelved him in training camp and he remained a step behind in several games this season.
Jo-Lonn Dunbar, OLB: He has had some big hits and big misses during a largely disappointing first half for this defense.
Janoris Jenkins, CB: Once again he has made some big mistakes and very few big plays out on his island. He is terrific in run support but spotty in coverage. Will he ever figure it out?
Lamarcus Joyner, CB: He delivered on his promise, adding toughness in run support as the nickel back. He is a sure tackler on short passes and a real blitzing threat. His size puts him at a disadvantage in coverage, but the pluses outweigh the minuses.
E.J. Gaines, CB: He has been one of the team's most pleasant surprises. Circumstances forced him into a starting role as a rookie and he hasn't flinched. He tackles well and tends to be around the ball.
Trumaine Johnson, CB: He is just coming back from a knee injury, so it's hard to criticize him for some late struggles at San Francisco.
Marcus Roberson, CB: For a prospect off the street he has done just fine. He is solid in coverage when he remembers to stick with his man. Against the 49ers, he forgot.
T. J. McDonald, S: He has had a 17-tackle game this season and a game where he blocked a punt and a field goal. He is developing into a very nice strong safety.
Rodney McLeod, S: He has started 19 straight games and been a mostly reliable tackler. He has improved in coverage, but he still has a ways to go.
Mark Barron, S: He is a heavy hitter who arrived in a midseason trade with Tampa Bay. But where will he fit in the defense? The Rams need a cover safety, not another hitter.
Cody Davis, S: He is another big hitter who suffered a concussion delivering one of his big blows.
Maurice Alexander, S: He has been on and off of the game day roster as a special teamer. He is one more potential hitter for this D.
