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Hill throws away Rams' chance to win
• BY JIM THOMAS
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_1b6be7e6-9fd5-594e-9cb1-b4a92362a315.html
SAN DIEGO, Calif. • Defeat came in a bitter dose for the Rams on Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium. With just over a minute to play, the Rams were on the doorstep of the end zone and a dramatic comeback victory over the San Diego Chargers.
But on second-and-goal from the San Diego 4, Shaun Hill's crossing pass intended for WR Kenny Britt was picked off by Marcus Gilchrist right around the goal line. So much for momentum. So much for that dramatic comeback.
With only one timeout remaining, the Rams could stop the clock only once. So the result was a 27-24 victory for San Diego (7-4) on a day when the Rams had two TD passes called back because of penalty and had several chances to take control in the first half. At 4-7, the Rams must sweep their final five games to avoid their 11th straight non-winning season.
Things didn't start well for Hill and the St. Louis offense. On the third play of the game for that unit, Hill threw a tad late to tight end Jared Cook to his right. Brandon Flowers swooped in for an interception and returned it nine yards to the St. Louis 34.
The Chargers got as far as the St. Louis 5 before settling for a Nick Novak field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
The Rams got some traction on their next possession, picking up four first downs on a long 8-minute drive. Overcoming two false starts and an offensive holding penalty (on Greg Robinson), the Rams reached the 4 before stalling.
Robinson's penalty wiped out a 23-yard completion to Stedman Bailey. But the Rams got that yardage back _ and more _ on a 19-yard completion to Bailey coupled with a roughing the passer penalty by Dwight Freeney on the next play.
That gave the Rams a first down at the Chargers' 11, but they could advance only to the 4 before running out of downs. Greg Zuerlein's 22-yard field goal tied the game at 3-3 late in the first quarter.
The Rams tacked seven more points on the board not long after that kick. The Chargers marched quickly down the field and looked like they would come out of things with at least three points.
But on third-and-goal from the St. Louis 8, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins stepped in front of a Philip Rivers pass intended for Keenan Allen. Jenkins intercepted the ball at the 1, and returned it 99 yards for a score.
It was the fifth "pick 6" and sixth defensive touchdown scored by Jenkins since he entered the league in 2012. The Rams had some chances to tack onto that lead, but came up short over the rest of the opening half.
On their next possession, a 46-yard field goal attempt by Zuerlein was blocked by San Diego's Darrell Stuckey. After a three-and-out by the Chargers, Hill completed a 51-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt. But the play was called back because Robinson was flagged for grabbing the facemask of a San Diego pass rusher.
So the score remained 10-3 Rams until late in the second quarter, when San Diego mounted a successful 2-minute drive _ at least successful enough for a 48-yard Novak field goal with 2 seconds left in the half.
The Chargers picked away at the Rams' defense with underneath routes the entire drive, leaking out backs and wide receivers against a soft-playing St. Louis secondary. So it was 10-6 Rams at the half.
The Chargers continued that tactic offensively in the third quarter. That approach worked well enough that San Diego steadily moved the ball downfield on its first possession of the second half. On first-and-10 from the St. Louis 32, Ryan Mathews gashed the Rams on a draw play _ the Chargers' favorite running play in their playbook. Mathews went all the way to the end zone for a 32-yard TD and a 13-10 San Diego lead.
Things got worse before they got better for the Rams. On the Rams' next possession, Robinson's bad day continued. On second-and-10 from the 20, University of Illinois product Corey Liuget beat Robinson and knocked the ball loose from Hill for a fumble. Former University of Missouri linebacker Andrew Gachkar scooped up the loose ball and returned it 13 yards for a TD and a 20-10 Rams lead with 9:28 to play in the third quarter.
But the Rams caught a break when punt return man Allen muffed a Johnny Hekker punt and undrafted rookie Alex Bayer recovered for the Rams at the San Diego 21.
It took only three plays to get in the end zone, with the TD coming on a six-yard fly sweep by Tavon Austin for his first touchdown of the season. So it was 20-17 Chargers with 6:18 left to play in the third quarter, plenty of time for a Rams comeback.
The situation looked promising when San Diego got pinned back at its 9 after another Hekker punt. But San Diego marched methodically down the field for what looked like a back-breaking touchdown on a 29-yard bubble screen from Rivers to Allen that gave the home team a 27-17 lead.
But the Rams wouldn't go quietly into the southern California sunset. Hill led a Rams drive that resulted in not one, but two TD catches by Bailey. The first _ a fade pattern to the left from the 4 _ was negated by a holding penalty, making it the second Rams TD catch to be negated by a penalty called by referee Carl Cheffers' crew.
But two plays later Hill threw another fade pattern to Bailey for a score, this time to the right and from the 7-yard line. There were no flags this time, so the TD stood and San Diego clung to a 27-24 lead.
After forcing the Chargers to punt, it looked like Austin had given the Rams the lead with a 75-yard punt return that carried to about the San Diego 3. But once again their were flags, and the Rams took over at the Chargers 40 instead because of offsetting penalties.
Then on third-and-3 from the San Diego 33, Hill threw a deep corner route that was hauled in by Kenny Britt with a diving catch at the 6 with 1:09 to play.
But after a Benny Cunningham run to the 4, that's where this day ended for the Rams.
Here are the Rams-Chargers updates from Post-Dispatch sportswriter Joe Lyons that were posted during the game:
San Diego's Marcus Gilchrist picked off a pass at the goal line with 56 seconds to play as the Chargers survived to hold off the Rams 27-24 Sunday in San Diego.
The Rams, who have yet to win back-to-back games this season, are 4-7. The Chargers improve to 7-4.
The Rams will host the Oakland Raiders Sunday. Oakland (1-10) is coming off its first win of the season, a 24-20 Thursday win over visiting Kansas City.
The Chargers pushed the lead back to 27-17 as Keenan Allen made up for an earlier fumble by taking a bubble screen from Philip Rivers 29 yards through the Rams defense for a touchdown with 8:09 left in the game. The scoring pass capped an impressive 11-play, 93-yard drive for the Chargers.
It was the longest drive of the season for San Diego.
As they usually do, the Rams made it interesting. After a fake-punt pass from Johnny Hekker to Stedman Bailey extended a drive, the visitors cut the San Diego lead to 27-24 when Shaun Hill lofted a pass to a wide-open Bailey for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:04 to play. It was a 13-play, 80-yard drive,
The Rams got the stop they needed _ thanks to a third-down sack from rookie Aaron Donald _ and Tavon Austin returned the punt 77 yards.
But both teams were called for penalties. The Rams' Marshall McFadden was called for a very questionable hold and San Diego punter Mike Scifres was called for low hit. The Rams ended up with the ball at the Charger 40.
Three plays later, Hill avoided the pressure and lofted a pass to Kenny Britt, who came up with a diving catch at the San Diego 6 with 1:09 to play.
But it wasn't meant to be.
CHARGERS UP 20-17 WITH A QUARTER TO PLAY
After stuffing the Rams on a fourth-and-one and taking over after a 37-yard punt, the Chargers moved 61 yards on just five plays to grab the lead at 13-10 on a 32-yard run by Ryan Mathews with 9:50 to play in the third quarter. After taking a delayed hand-off from Philip Rivers, Mathews followed his blocking for his longest run of the season.
The Chargers defense helped add to its lead just 21 seconds after the Mathews' TD run. On a second-and-10, former University of Illinois standout Corey Liuget stripped Shaun Hill of the ball and ex-Missouri Tiger Andrew Gachkar alertly picked up the ball and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-10 with 9:29 left in the third quarter.
The Rams failed to move the ball, but caught a break when the Chargers muffed a punt a rookie free agent tight end Alex Bayer came up with the loose ball at the San Diego 21. Tavon Austin took the first-down play 15 yards and followed up with a 6-yard run to the end zone to make it 20-17 with 6:18 to play in the third quarter. On the scoring run, Austin won a footrace to the flag, thanks to a solid downfield block from tight end Jared Cook.
It was the first touchdown of the season for Austin.
The Rams' defense stepped up again to halt another solid Charger drive. On a 35-yard pass reception and run by Keenan Allen, the Rams' Janoris Jenkins stayed with the play and forced a fumble that was recovered by safety Rodney McLeod at the St. Louis 15.
The Rams were unable to move the ball and were forced to punt. The Johnny Hekker punt was downed at the San Diego 7 by Daren Bates.
RAMS UP 10-6 AT THE HALF
Just when it appeared the Chargers were moving toward a go-ahead score, the Rams' defense turned the game's momentum. On a third-and-goal pass from the 8, the Rams' Janoris Jenkins stepped in front of a Philip Rivers' pass for Keenan Allen, picked it off and returned it 99 yards to put the Rams on top 10-3 with 11:32 to play in the first half.
The Rams were flagged for excessive celebration following the touchdown, forcing Zuerlein to kick off from the 20.
San Diego's Ryan Mathews is running strong. In addition, Rivers is trying to counter the Rams' pass rush with a lot of quick-release passes.
The Rams missed a chance to add to their lead with about 4 ½ minutes to play in the first half when a 46-yard field goal attempt by Zuerlein was blocked.
The Rams missed out on another scoring opportunity when a 52-yard scoring pass from Shaun Hill to Kenny Britt was wiped out by hands-to-the-face call on rookie tackle Greg Robinson.
The Chargers followed up with a 10-play 54-yard drive that resulted in a 48-yard Nick Novak field goal with two seconds left in the half.
The Rams went to the break up 10-6.
Some halftime numbers in this defensive struggle:
• Shaun Hill has completed seven of 14 passes for 90 yards with an interception. Tre Mason has rushed nine times for 30 yards and also has a 26-yard pass reception. Stedman Bailey has caught two passes for 27 yards.
Defensively, Alec Ogletree has six total tackles.
• Philip Rivers has completed 15 of 20 passes for 106 yards with an interception. Ryan Mathews has 63 yards on eight carries. Eddie Royal has five catches for 40 yards.
RAMS, CHARGERS TIED AT 3 AFTER A QUARTER
The Chargers scored first, taking advantage of an early Rams' turnover. On a Shaun Hill pass in the flat intended for Jared Cook, San Diego's Brandon Flowers came up with the pick. A hustling play from Rams receiver Stedman Bailey knocked the ball loose, but the Chargers' Melvin Ingram recovered at the St. Louis 23.
The Rams' defense hung tough, holding the Chargers to a 23-yard field goal from Nick Novak with 9:11 to play in the opening quarter.
The Rams came right back, pulling even on a 22-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein with 1:03 to play in the first quarter that capped a 13-play, 64-yard drive that featured the strong running of Tre Mason and a pair of big catches from Stedman Bailey. A roughing-the-passer call on the Chargers' Dwight Freeney also aided the Rams.
RAMS LOOKING FOR FIRST BACK-TO-BACK WINS
The Rams look for their first back-to-back wins of the season when they take on the Chargers in San Diego this afternoon.
The Rams (4-6) are coming off their best all-around effort of the season, a 22-7 win over the visiting Denver Broncos. San Diego (6-4) snapped a three-game losing streak a week ago with a 13-6 win over the Oakland Raiders.
Rams inactives include defensive back Lamarcus Joyner (groin), cornerback Marcus Roberson (ankle), defensive tackle Alex Carrington (knee), wide receiver Damian Williams (hamstring), linebacker Korey Toomer and offensive linemen Barrett Jones and Brandon Washington.
Long snapper Jake McQuaide, who sat out Friday's practice with a back issue, warmed up and looks good to go.
For San Diego, the key inactive may be center Rich Ohrnberger (ankle/back), who will be replaced by rookie Chris Watt. He's the fourth different center used this season by the Chargers.
Other San Diego inactives include defensive tacker Ryan Carrethers (elbow), safety Jahleel Addae (concussion), wide receiver Dontrelle Inman, running back Ronnnie Brown, linebacker Reggie Ward and defensive tackle Damion Square.
San Diego's Antonio Gates and fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots are on the verge of making history. Each will enter the weekend with nine touchdowns this season; with their next score, they will become the first tight end in NFL history to record 10 or more touchdowns in four seasons.
Gates, 34, had 13 touchdowns in 2004, 10 in 2005 and 10 in 2010.
• BY JIM THOMAS
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_1b6be7e6-9fd5-594e-9cb1-b4a92362a315.html
SAN DIEGO, Calif. • Defeat came in a bitter dose for the Rams on Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium. With just over a minute to play, the Rams were on the doorstep of the end zone and a dramatic comeback victory over the San Diego Chargers.
But on second-and-goal from the San Diego 4, Shaun Hill's crossing pass intended for WR Kenny Britt was picked off by Marcus Gilchrist right around the goal line. So much for momentum. So much for that dramatic comeback.
With only one timeout remaining, the Rams could stop the clock only once. So the result was a 27-24 victory for San Diego (7-4) on a day when the Rams had two TD passes called back because of penalty and had several chances to take control in the first half. At 4-7, the Rams must sweep their final five games to avoid their 11th straight non-winning season.
Things didn't start well for Hill and the St. Louis offense. On the third play of the game for that unit, Hill threw a tad late to tight end Jared Cook to his right. Brandon Flowers swooped in for an interception and returned it nine yards to the St. Louis 34.
The Chargers got as far as the St. Louis 5 before settling for a Nick Novak field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
The Rams got some traction on their next possession, picking up four first downs on a long 8-minute drive. Overcoming two false starts and an offensive holding penalty (on Greg Robinson), the Rams reached the 4 before stalling.
Robinson's penalty wiped out a 23-yard completion to Stedman Bailey. But the Rams got that yardage back _ and more _ on a 19-yard completion to Bailey coupled with a roughing the passer penalty by Dwight Freeney on the next play.
That gave the Rams a first down at the Chargers' 11, but they could advance only to the 4 before running out of downs. Greg Zuerlein's 22-yard field goal tied the game at 3-3 late in the first quarter.
The Rams tacked seven more points on the board not long after that kick. The Chargers marched quickly down the field and looked like they would come out of things with at least three points.
But on third-and-goal from the St. Louis 8, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins stepped in front of a Philip Rivers pass intended for Keenan Allen. Jenkins intercepted the ball at the 1, and returned it 99 yards for a score.
It was the fifth "pick 6" and sixth defensive touchdown scored by Jenkins since he entered the league in 2012. The Rams had some chances to tack onto that lead, but came up short over the rest of the opening half.
On their next possession, a 46-yard field goal attempt by Zuerlein was blocked by San Diego's Darrell Stuckey. After a three-and-out by the Chargers, Hill completed a 51-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt. But the play was called back because Robinson was flagged for grabbing the facemask of a San Diego pass rusher.
So the score remained 10-3 Rams until late in the second quarter, when San Diego mounted a successful 2-minute drive _ at least successful enough for a 48-yard Novak field goal with 2 seconds left in the half.
The Chargers picked away at the Rams' defense with underneath routes the entire drive, leaking out backs and wide receivers against a soft-playing St. Louis secondary. So it was 10-6 Rams at the half.
The Chargers continued that tactic offensively in the third quarter. That approach worked well enough that San Diego steadily moved the ball downfield on its first possession of the second half. On first-and-10 from the St. Louis 32, Ryan Mathews gashed the Rams on a draw play _ the Chargers' favorite running play in their playbook. Mathews went all the way to the end zone for a 32-yard TD and a 13-10 San Diego lead.
Things got worse before they got better for the Rams. On the Rams' next possession, Robinson's bad day continued. On second-and-10 from the 20, University of Illinois product Corey Liuget beat Robinson and knocked the ball loose from Hill for a fumble. Former University of Missouri linebacker Andrew Gachkar scooped up the loose ball and returned it 13 yards for a TD and a 20-10 Rams lead with 9:28 to play in the third quarter.
But the Rams caught a break when punt return man Allen muffed a Johnny Hekker punt and undrafted rookie Alex Bayer recovered for the Rams at the San Diego 21.
It took only three plays to get in the end zone, with the TD coming on a six-yard fly sweep by Tavon Austin for his first touchdown of the season. So it was 20-17 Chargers with 6:18 left to play in the third quarter, plenty of time for a Rams comeback.
The situation looked promising when San Diego got pinned back at its 9 after another Hekker punt. But San Diego marched methodically down the field for what looked like a back-breaking touchdown on a 29-yard bubble screen from Rivers to Allen that gave the home team a 27-17 lead.
But the Rams wouldn't go quietly into the southern California sunset. Hill led a Rams drive that resulted in not one, but two TD catches by Bailey. The first _ a fade pattern to the left from the 4 _ was negated by a holding penalty, making it the second Rams TD catch to be negated by a penalty called by referee Carl Cheffers' crew.
But two plays later Hill threw another fade pattern to Bailey for a score, this time to the right and from the 7-yard line. There were no flags this time, so the TD stood and San Diego clung to a 27-24 lead.
After forcing the Chargers to punt, it looked like Austin had given the Rams the lead with a 75-yard punt return that carried to about the San Diego 3. But once again their were flags, and the Rams took over at the Chargers 40 instead because of offsetting penalties.
Then on third-and-3 from the San Diego 33, Hill threw a deep corner route that was hauled in by Kenny Britt with a diving catch at the 6 with 1:09 to play.
But after a Benny Cunningham run to the 4, that's where this day ended for the Rams.
Here are the Rams-Chargers updates from Post-Dispatch sportswriter Joe Lyons that were posted during the game:
San Diego's Marcus Gilchrist picked off a pass at the goal line with 56 seconds to play as the Chargers survived to hold off the Rams 27-24 Sunday in San Diego.
The Rams, who have yet to win back-to-back games this season, are 4-7. The Chargers improve to 7-4.
The Rams will host the Oakland Raiders Sunday. Oakland (1-10) is coming off its first win of the season, a 24-20 Thursday win over visiting Kansas City.
The Chargers pushed the lead back to 27-17 as Keenan Allen made up for an earlier fumble by taking a bubble screen from Philip Rivers 29 yards through the Rams defense for a touchdown with 8:09 left in the game. The scoring pass capped an impressive 11-play, 93-yard drive for the Chargers.
It was the longest drive of the season for San Diego.
As they usually do, the Rams made it interesting. After a fake-punt pass from Johnny Hekker to Stedman Bailey extended a drive, the visitors cut the San Diego lead to 27-24 when Shaun Hill lofted a pass to a wide-open Bailey for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:04 to play. It was a 13-play, 80-yard drive,
The Rams got the stop they needed _ thanks to a third-down sack from rookie Aaron Donald _ and Tavon Austin returned the punt 77 yards.
But both teams were called for penalties. The Rams' Marshall McFadden was called for a very questionable hold and San Diego punter Mike Scifres was called for low hit. The Rams ended up with the ball at the Charger 40.
Three plays later, Hill avoided the pressure and lofted a pass to Kenny Britt, who came up with a diving catch at the San Diego 6 with 1:09 to play.
But it wasn't meant to be.
CHARGERS UP 20-17 WITH A QUARTER TO PLAY
After stuffing the Rams on a fourth-and-one and taking over after a 37-yard punt, the Chargers moved 61 yards on just five plays to grab the lead at 13-10 on a 32-yard run by Ryan Mathews with 9:50 to play in the third quarter. After taking a delayed hand-off from Philip Rivers, Mathews followed his blocking for his longest run of the season.
The Chargers defense helped add to its lead just 21 seconds after the Mathews' TD run. On a second-and-10, former University of Illinois standout Corey Liuget stripped Shaun Hill of the ball and ex-Missouri Tiger Andrew Gachkar alertly picked up the ball and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-10 with 9:29 left in the third quarter.
The Rams failed to move the ball, but caught a break when the Chargers muffed a punt a rookie free agent tight end Alex Bayer came up with the loose ball at the San Diego 21. Tavon Austin took the first-down play 15 yards and followed up with a 6-yard run to the end zone to make it 20-17 with 6:18 to play in the third quarter. On the scoring run, Austin won a footrace to the flag, thanks to a solid downfield block from tight end Jared Cook.
It was the first touchdown of the season for Austin.
The Rams' defense stepped up again to halt another solid Charger drive. On a 35-yard pass reception and run by Keenan Allen, the Rams' Janoris Jenkins stayed with the play and forced a fumble that was recovered by safety Rodney McLeod at the St. Louis 15.
The Rams were unable to move the ball and were forced to punt. The Johnny Hekker punt was downed at the San Diego 7 by Daren Bates.
RAMS UP 10-6 AT THE HALF
Just when it appeared the Chargers were moving toward a go-ahead score, the Rams' defense turned the game's momentum. On a third-and-goal pass from the 8, the Rams' Janoris Jenkins stepped in front of a Philip Rivers' pass for Keenan Allen, picked it off and returned it 99 yards to put the Rams on top 10-3 with 11:32 to play in the first half.
The Rams were flagged for excessive celebration following the touchdown, forcing Zuerlein to kick off from the 20.
San Diego's Ryan Mathews is running strong. In addition, Rivers is trying to counter the Rams' pass rush with a lot of quick-release passes.
The Rams missed a chance to add to their lead with about 4 ½ minutes to play in the first half when a 46-yard field goal attempt by Zuerlein was blocked.
The Rams missed out on another scoring opportunity when a 52-yard scoring pass from Shaun Hill to Kenny Britt was wiped out by hands-to-the-face call on rookie tackle Greg Robinson.
The Chargers followed up with a 10-play 54-yard drive that resulted in a 48-yard Nick Novak field goal with two seconds left in the half.
The Rams went to the break up 10-6.
Some halftime numbers in this defensive struggle:
• Shaun Hill has completed seven of 14 passes for 90 yards with an interception. Tre Mason has rushed nine times for 30 yards and also has a 26-yard pass reception. Stedman Bailey has caught two passes for 27 yards.
Defensively, Alec Ogletree has six total tackles.
• Philip Rivers has completed 15 of 20 passes for 106 yards with an interception. Ryan Mathews has 63 yards on eight carries. Eddie Royal has five catches for 40 yards.
RAMS, CHARGERS TIED AT 3 AFTER A QUARTER
The Chargers scored first, taking advantage of an early Rams' turnover. On a Shaun Hill pass in the flat intended for Jared Cook, San Diego's Brandon Flowers came up with the pick. A hustling play from Rams receiver Stedman Bailey knocked the ball loose, but the Chargers' Melvin Ingram recovered at the St. Louis 23.
The Rams' defense hung tough, holding the Chargers to a 23-yard field goal from Nick Novak with 9:11 to play in the opening quarter.
The Rams came right back, pulling even on a 22-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein with 1:03 to play in the first quarter that capped a 13-play, 64-yard drive that featured the strong running of Tre Mason and a pair of big catches from Stedman Bailey. A roughing-the-passer call on the Chargers' Dwight Freeney also aided the Rams.
RAMS LOOKING FOR FIRST BACK-TO-BACK WINS
The Rams look for their first back-to-back wins of the season when they take on the Chargers in San Diego this afternoon.
The Rams (4-6) are coming off their best all-around effort of the season, a 22-7 win over the visiting Denver Broncos. San Diego (6-4) snapped a three-game losing streak a week ago with a 13-6 win over the Oakland Raiders.
Rams inactives include defensive back Lamarcus Joyner (groin), cornerback Marcus Roberson (ankle), defensive tackle Alex Carrington (knee), wide receiver Damian Williams (hamstring), linebacker Korey Toomer and offensive linemen Barrett Jones and Brandon Washington.
Long snapper Jake McQuaide, who sat out Friday's practice with a back issue, warmed up and looks good to go.
For San Diego, the key inactive may be center Rich Ohrnberger (ankle/back), who will be replaced by rookie Chris Watt. He's the fourth different center used this season by the Chargers.
Other San Diego inactives include defensive tacker Ryan Carrethers (elbow), safety Jahleel Addae (concussion), wide receiver Dontrelle Inman, running back Ronnnie Brown, linebacker Reggie Ward and defensive tackle Damion Square.
San Diego's Antonio Gates and fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots are on the verge of making history. Each will enter the weekend with nine touchdowns this season; with their next score, they will become the first tight end in NFL history to record 10 or more touchdowns in four seasons.
Gates, 34, had 13 touchdowns in 2004, 10 in 2005 and 10 in 2010.
