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QB Hill embracing chance to open as starter
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11328/hill-embracing-chance-to-open-as-starter
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis Rams quarterback Shaun Hill hasn't entered the regular season as the opening day starter since 2009 when he was with the San Francisco 49ers. He hasn't started a game at all since 2010 with the Detroit Lions, and hasn't thrown a pass in a regular-season game since Week 3 of the 2012 season.
All of those numbers will be erased Sunday when Hill opens the season under center for the Rams against the Minnesota Vikings. In some ways, the start will represent a full circle journey for Hill, who began his career as an undrafted free agent in Minnesota.
Sentimentality is the furthest thing from Hill's mind, though, as he sets out to guide the Rams through the season. For a player who has spent most of his 12-year career as a backup, the knowledge that he is the starter entering this season provides a little peace of mind he has previously not been afforded.
"It’s a matter of reps," coach Jeff Fisher said. "He’s taken all the reps since we got back from Cleveland, and so he’s got a good feel. Obviously, we didn’t play him in the final preseason game, but he took a majority of the practice reps. He’s got a good feel for what he’s doing."
While no team ever wants to lose its starting quarterback as the Rams did on Aug. 23 when Sam Bradford suffered a torn ACL for the second time in less than a year, if there is ever a time to do it, it's before the season.
Losing Bradford was a crushing blow, not only for him but the Rams as a whole as they enter this season hoping to take the next step from mediocrity to full-blown success. But they signed Hill as a free agent in the offseason for a reason. They believed he would represent an upgrade over Kellen Clemens, last season's fill-in, and that Hill would offer a better chance for the team to keep winning games should something happen to Bradford again.
Unlike Clemens, who did an admirable job in Bradford's stead, Hill won't have to work with a scaled down offense and will have spent about two weeks with the knowledge that he is the starter rather than entering in an emergency situation.
"This extra time we’ve had in the last week, week and a half has been really good, really beneficial," Hill said.
Of course, Hill has his limitations as a passer, but the Rams insist they don't intend to change what they plan to do with him under center. Even with Bradford, the Rams wanted to be a run-first team that could spin that into successful play-action passes. That hasn't changed with Hill under center.
In short, don't expect Hill to come out throwing the ball all over the field in five-receiver sets.
"There’s still a lot of teams that run the ball, and now option’s coming back in," Hill said. "So everything has its evolution, I guess. I guess the most important thing about being a quarterback in the NFL is being the same guy every day, being consistent and then playing with timing. Being able to anticipate the open holes and trusting your guys and being on the same page with all of them."
Those are the main things the Rams will ask of Hill as he returns to a starting role, even if it's not a starring one.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11328/hill-embracing-chance-to-open-as-starter
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis Rams quarterback Shaun Hill hasn't entered the regular season as the opening day starter since 2009 when he was with the San Francisco 49ers. He hasn't started a game at all since 2010 with the Detroit Lions, and hasn't thrown a pass in a regular-season game since Week 3 of the 2012 season.
All of those numbers will be erased Sunday when Hill opens the season under center for the Rams against the Minnesota Vikings. In some ways, the start will represent a full circle journey for Hill, who began his career as an undrafted free agent in Minnesota.
Sentimentality is the furthest thing from Hill's mind, though, as he sets out to guide the Rams through the season. For a player who has spent most of his 12-year career as a backup, the knowledge that he is the starter entering this season provides a little peace of mind he has previously not been afforded.
"It’s a matter of reps," coach Jeff Fisher said. "He’s taken all the reps since we got back from Cleveland, and so he’s got a good feel. Obviously, we didn’t play him in the final preseason game, but he took a majority of the practice reps. He’s got a good feel for what he’s doing."
While no team ever wants to lose its starting quarterback as the Rams did on Aug. 23 when Sam Bradford suffered a torn ACL for the second time in less than a year, if there is ever a time to do it, it's before the season.
Losing Bradford was a crushing blow, not only for him but the Rams as a whole as they enter this season hoping to take the next step from mediocrity to full-blown success. But they signed Hill as a free agent in the offseason for a reason. They believed he would represent an upgrade over Kellen Clemens, last season's fill-in, and that Hill would offer a better chance for the team to keep winning games should something happen to Bradford again.
Unlike Clemens, who did an admirable job in Bradford's stead, Hill won't have to work with a scaled down offense and will have spent about two weeks with the knowledge that he is the starter rather than entering in an emergency situation.
"This extra time we’ve had in the last week, week and a half has been really good, really beneficial," Hill said.
Of course, Hill has his limitations as a passer, but the Rams insist they don't intend to change what they plan to do with him under center. Even with Bradford, the Rams wanted to be a run-first team that could spin that into successful play-action passes. That hasn't changed with Hill under center.
In short, don't expect Hill to come out throwing the ball all over the field in five-receiver sets.
"There’s still a lot of teams that run the ball, and now option’s coming back in," Hill said. "So everything has its evolution, I guess. I guess the most important thing about being a quarterback in the NFL is being the same guy every day, being consistent and then playing with timing. Being able to anticipate the open holes and trusting your guys and being on the same page with all of them."
Those are the main things the Rams will ask of Hill as he returns to a starting role, even if it's not a starring one.
