Rams-Buccaneers: Matchup Breakdown/Wagoner

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RamBill

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Rams-Buccaneers: Matchup breakdown
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11589/rams-buccaneers-matchup-breakdown

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A look at three matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.

Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins versus Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson

With rookie E.J. Gaines starting on the opposite side of Jenkins, the Rams felt comfortable enough with Jenkins that they allowed him to spend much of the opener isolated one-on-one while sending extra help to Gaines' side.

Jenkins had a solid first outing against the Vikings last week and has a history of faring better against bigger receivers. But Jackson has had his share of success against the Rams in the past two seasons and his combination of size and speed always makes for a difficult matchup. In those two meetings over the past two seasons, Jackson has posted 12 catches for 206 yards with no touchdowns.

The Rams have generally opted not to shadow receivers with a particular corner so Jenkins might not be matched up with Jackson at all times. With Gaines still adjusting to the league on the other side and Gaines' previous success against Mike Evans in college, it would serve the Rams well to allow Jenkins to find himself opposite Jackson as much as possible.

Rams right guard Davin Joseph versus Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy

These two former teammates should see plenty of each other this week though McCoy has been known to move all over the line at various points during his time in the league. McCoy is one of the game's best defensive tackles, an all around player equally adept at stopping the run as rushing the passer. McCoy picked up where he left off last year in the first week with a sack, a quarterback hit, a quarterback hurry and four tackles.

Joseph, meanwhile, is still hoping to regain the form that once made him one of the league's more effective guards. He struggled against Minnesota last week, a common theme along the offensive line, but he figures to have a little added motivation against the team that released him this week. There's no way the Rams will leave Joseph on his own to handle McCoy but on the occasions the pair do square off one-on-one, Joseph will have to be at his best to have any chance of preventing McCoy from completely wrecking the Rams' game plan.

Rams defensive end Robert Quinn versus Buccaneers left tackle Anthony Collins

I promise not to lean on Quinn versu "Fill in the blank" every week for this feature but I'm going back to the well again this week because of what Quinn was able to do against Tampa Bay in 2013. In the season's second to last week, Quinn thoroughly dominated Tampa left tackle Donald Penn with three sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and six tackles.

Not that Quinn was the sole reason the Bucs went looking for an upgrade at left tackle in the offseason but he certainly did his part to ensure they'd spend $30 million over five years to land Collins. Collins had a solid, if unspectacular debut, against Carolina, allowing a single quarterback hit but not offering much in the run game. He'll get another tough test in Quinn this week though it stands to reason the Bucs will do plenty to help Collins out.

The Bucs spent plenty of time throwing extra blockers Quinn's way last season and that will likely continue Sunday. Likewise, the Bucs will probably mix in plenty of short passes to help nullify the Rams' pass rush like Minnesota did last week. That puts the onus on Quinn to get home and make plays when the rare chance to do so arises.
 

Buckwheat

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Hope that Hayes hip surgery and rehab has gone well. Hope he plays like he did last year. Anxious to see Westbrook too. This game is the battle of the walking wounded.
 

SierraRam

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Hope that Hayes hip surgery and rehab has gone well. Hope he plays like he did last year. Anxious to see Westbrook too. This game is the battle of the walking wounded.

I think this could be Donald's breakout game. He really came on late against the Vikes, and was in their backfield several times. If they focus too much on Quinn, stunt the kid around Hayes, Sims and Westbrook... BAM!
 

DaveFan'51

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I think this could be Donald's breakout game. He really came on late against the Vikes, and was in their backfield several times. If they focus too much on Quinn, stunt the kid around Hayes, Sims and Westbrook... BAM!
And can you believe he was nervous in the game! Now he'll be more relaxed and just play!:D
 

RamBill

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Will we see some unexpected things from the Rams offense this Sunday in Tampa? ESPN’sRams Insider Nick Wagoner tells Randy Karraker and D’Marco Farr, and previews the game vs. the Bucs.

Listen to Wagoner Rams Update
 

RamBill

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W2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11584/w2w4-st-louis-rams-6

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off Week 2 on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on regional Fox coverage.

Here are three things to watch for from the Rams' end:

1. Rev the run: Everything the Rams want to do and who they want to be offensively stems from having a successful running game. Last week, the Rams struggled mightily on offense in no small part because the run game never got going. Minnesota loaded the box to slow down backs Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham and dared the Rams to throw the ball. The Rams mostly obliged the Minnesota Vikings but when they did run it, they averaged just 3.3 yards per carry on 22 attempts. Until the Rams show they can beat somebody by airing it out, it's safe to assume defenses will continue to load up to stop the run. That shouldn't stop the Rams from trying to run it, however. Stacy and the run game had success last season in a similar situation but it will require a better effort across the board, especially from the offensive line. Tampa Bay allowed 113 yards on the ground against Carolina last week but has a defense built to stop it. If the Rams can get the ground game in motion, they should be able to take shots in play action and move the ball more consistently and effectively regardless of who is getting the carries.

2. Short and simple: The Vikings didn't do anything fancy to the Rams defense last week, sticking mostly to a game plan full of runs between the tackles and short, efficient passes. Both ploys worked to open things up on the perimeter for receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, and quarterback Matt Cassel had a solid outing without turning the ball over. Cassel averaged the fewest air yards per attempt of any quarterback in Week 1 at just 4.36 yards per pass. It didn't lead to much in the way of fireworks but it served to protect the ball and keep the chains moving. More important, it helped negate the Rams' vaunted pass rush as they had just one sack and that came off a botched snap exchange. Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown has big wideouts Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans at his disposal and has favored throwing the deep ball in the past, so it will be interesting to see if the Bucs adopt the Vikings' blueprint. McCown and the passing game struggled to get anything going in the air against Carolina until late in the game but don't be surprised if they take a page from Minnesota and at least mix in some underneath plays before taking their shots against the Rams' secondary.

3. Under center: Rams coach Jeff Fisher has referred to veteran quarterback Shaun Hill as "day to day" all week because of a quad/thigh injury. Fisher has also maintained that if Hill is healthy enough to play, he will start. But Hill didn't do much in practice this week with Austin Davis getting the bulk of the snaps with the first-team offense and Case Keenum getting a few himself. That would seem to indicate that Davis could be making his first NFL start against Tampa Bay. The Rams would need much more from Davis than they got last week, especially when it comes to recognizing pressure and getting rid of the ball. Of course, if the Rams can do the first thing on this list, that would go a long way toward helping whichever quarterback plays Sunday.
 

CGI_Ram

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I think this could be Donald's breakout game. He really came on late against the Vikes, and was in their backfield several times. If they focus too much on Quinn, stunt the kid around Hayes, Sims and Westbrook... BAM!

My take too, Sierra. Let's do this.
 

RamBill

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Steve Savard, D’Marco Farr, and Will Witherspoon break down their keys to a Rams victory vs. the Buccaneers. Witherspoon says: reduce penalties, eliminate pocket pressure on Davis, avoid giving up TD’s in the red zone. Others keys discussed include get the ball out quick, ball security, and get off the field on defense.

Watch Rams Keys to Victory
 

RamBill

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Team Insider Myles Simmons sat down with Head Coach Jeff Fisher to discuss this week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with reviewing what went wrong vs. the Vikings. Includes film clips from the Vikings game. (4:00)

Watch Fisher Up Front