Rams-Cardinals Post Game Media Coverage

[RamBill]

Rams' stingy defense, opportunistic offense do enough to knock off Cardinals
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ms-defense-does-enough-to-knock-off-cardinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After an interception slipped through cornerback Trumaine Johnson's hands and a fumble lay on the turf only to have a Cardinal fall on it, the St. Louis Rams' defense looked like it would come one play short of knocking off the Arizona Cardinals.

But just when it looked like a game the Rams led the entire way was going to slip away, the defense again bowed its neck -- like it did in holding the previously dominant Cardinals' red zone attack to five field goals -- and came up with a stop when it mattered most. The result was a 24-22 Rams win.

While Arizona's offense put up 447 yards, the Rams' defense refused to break, coming up with three takeaways that led to 17 points and a stop on fourth-and-2 in their territory to help put the game away. Combined with an opportunistic offense, it was enough for the Rams to get the win.

What it means: The Rams again look like the team that none of their NFC West brethren want to play. They are 2-0 against NFC West opponents and halted Arizona's roll toward the division title as they improved to 2-2 on the season.

Now, the Rams have at least a chance to avoid a 2-3 start next week against Green Bay.

One reason to get excited: The running game showed some major signs of life. On the team's second touchdown drive, rookie running back Todd Gurley got four carries in a row, picking up 39 yards on those attempts. He later added a 52-yard gain to set up the touchdown that effectively put the game away as he finished with 146 yards on 19 carries and two catches for 15 yards. The run game still needs to be more consistent, but it was a strong statement that Gurley can live up to his draft position in just his second game.

Fantasy watch: Gurley wasn't the only highly drafted Rams playmaker to come up big on Sunday. Tavon Austin was just as productive and found his way into the end zone twice. He had 96 yards on six catches and 20 yards on two rushes to go with his two scores.

Ouch: Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree is off to the best start of his three-year career, but left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Ogletree's injury was serious enough that he had to leave on a cart. If it is serious, losing Ogletree would be a big blow to the Rams' defense.

 

[RamBill]

Rams defense keys 24-22 win at Arizona
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_449c8699-f055-51e3-85fa-1da7d21d7a34.html

The Rams knocked the Arizona Cardinals from the ranks of the undefeated Sunday, turning in a stellar defensive effort in a 24-22 victory at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The Rams are 2-2; the NFC West-leading Cardinals fell to 3-1.

Rookie Todd Gurley, the 10th overall pick in last spring's draft, ran for 100-plus yards in the second half Sunday. Less than a year removed from ACL surgery that ended his career at the University of Georgia, finished Sunday with 146 rushing yards on 19 carries.

Next up for the Rams is a Sunday showdown with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

With the game on the line and holding a 17-15 lead, the Rams responded with a six-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 12-yard scoring pass from Nick Foles to Tavon Austin to make it 24-15 with 8:16 to play. On the play, Foles withstood heavy pressure and double-pumped to allow Austin to get a step on his defender and make the catch.

The highlight play of the drive was a 52-yard run from Gurley, in his second NFL game after suffering a season-ending knee injury last November at the University of Georgia.

Arizona came right back, moving 80 yards on eight plays plays, cutting the Rams' lead to 24-22 on a 23-yard pass from Carson Palmer to rookie David Johnson with 4:38 left in regulation. The key play of the drive was a fourth-down pass from Palmer to fellow veteran Larry Fitzgerald.

The home team managed to get the ball gack with just under three minutes to play. The Cardinals moved into St. Louis territory and faced a second-and-two at the Rams' 43 at the two-minute warning. Robert Quinn batted down a Carson Palmer pass and the veteran quarterback threw high for incomplete passes on third and fourth down.

The Rams took over and ran out the clock, thanks to a pair of late Gurley runs.

The Cardinals, who entered the game having converted 11 of 12 red-zone chances, were stuffed again on a third-down play from the Rams 11 early in the final quarter. Chandler Catanzaro's fifth field goal of the day, with 11:57 to play, cut the Rams' lead to 17-15.

• BOX SCORE: Rams 24, Cardinals 22

• PHOTOS: Rams defense stuffs Arizona

RAMS UP 17-12 THROUGH THREE QUARTERS

Leading 10-9 midway through the third quarter, the Rams' defense created another turnover. On a completion for a first down from Carson Palmer to Larry Fitzgerald, Rams' free safety Rodney McLeod managed to knock the ball free, allowing Trumaine Johnson to pounce on the loose ball at the Rams' 42.

After four straight Todd Gurley runs _ including one for 23 yards and another for 12 _ the Rams stretched their lead to 17-9 when Nick Foles threw a perfectly placed pass to the deep right corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown to Stedman Bailey. Greg Zuerlein followed with the kick to give the Rams an eight-point lead with 5:44 to play in the third quarter.

On the first play of the Cardinals' next drive, the Rams outstanding third-year linebacker Alec Ogletree is injured when teammate T.J. McDonald rolls up on Ogletree's lower leg. Ogletree was carted from the field. Daren Bates has taken Ogletree's spot.

Arizona's drive reached the Rams' 14 but stalled when T.J. McDonald came up with a key third-down sack. Chandler Catanzaro's fourth field goal of the day, this one from 38 yards, made it 17-12 with 1:14 left in the third quarter.

In the final minute of the third quarter, the Rams caught a pair of breaks on two possible fumbles. On a Todd Gurley fumble, the Rams managed to somehow come away with the ball to keep possession. Two plays later, Benny Cunningham lost control, but the officials ruled that his forward progress had been stopped, so the Cardinals could not challenge the ruling.

RAMS UP 10-9 AT THE HALF

The Rams defense has held the high-scoring Arizona attack to three field goals, helping the visitors take a 10-9 lead to the half.

The Cardinals drove inside the Rams' 10 again early in the second quarter, but the St. Louis defense stood tall again, forcing another field goal. The 27-yarder by Chandler Catanzaro with 10:46 to play before halftime made it 7-6.

After forcing another Rams punt _ St. Louis has just one first down early in the second quarter _ the Cardinals were driving again when Carson Palmer decided to test the Rams with a deep pass for John Brown. But Janoris Jenkins answered the challenge, coming up with an athletic interception in the end zone. Juggling the ball, Jenkins managed to gain control after pressing the loose ball up against the side of his helmet as he want to the ground.

Jenkins' second pick in as many weeks also seemed to ignite the Rams' offense as Nick Foles sandwiched a pair of passes to tight end Jared Cook for 12 and 8 yards around a 47-yard bomb to Tavon Austin to get to the Arizona 10-yard line. But a third-down pass from Foles to Cook was batted away by the Cardinals' Tyrann Mathieu in the end zone. A 30-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein pushed the Rams' lead to 10-6 with 3:18 to play in the opening half.

The Cardinals answered with another solid drive, only to be shut down againby the Rams' defense, this time at the Rams' 23-yard line. Again, Catanzaro converted, booting a 42-yard field goal to cut the Rams' lead to 10-9 with 1:13 to play before halftime.

Some halftime numbers:

• Nick Foles has completed 7 of 11 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Tavon Austin has two catches for 59 yards and a TD. The Rams have just three first downs and have been limited to nine rushing yards through halftime.

• Carson Palmer has completed 15 of 25 for 149 yards with an interception. Chris Johnson has rushed 11 times for 51 yards while John Brown has five catches for 50 yards.

Arizona has outgained the Rams 201-98; they've outrushed the Rams 60-9 and 141-89 through the air.

EARLY TURNOVER SETS UP RAMS OFFENSE

Special teams helped set a tone early for the Rams as Mark Barron knocked the ball from the hands of Arizona's David Johnson on the opening kickoff and Daren Bates recovered for the Rams at the Cardinals' 17-yard line. Three plays later, on a third-and-five, Nick Foles found Tavon Austin on a shallow crossing pattern for a 12-yard touchdown with 13:24 to play in the opening quarter. Greg Zuerlein's kick made it 7-0.

Those are the initial first-quarter points this season for the Rams. It also marks the first time this season that Arizona has trailed in a game. The Cardinals entered having outscored its opponents 126-49.

The Cardinals responded on their second series, getting a 20-yard pass from Carson Palmer to David Johnson and a call for pass interference on the Rams Janoris Jenkins to drive to the St. Louis 1-yard line. But after a goal-line stand by the Rams, the Big Red settled for a 21-yard field goal from Chandler Catanzaro, cutting the Rams' lead to 7-3 with 4:15 left in the first quarter.

NO SURPRISES WITH RAMS INACTIVES

GLENDALE, ARIZ. _ With the Chris Givens trade on Saturday, the return to health of running back Todd Gurley, and Friday's announcement that wide receiver Brian Quick would be active, there wasn't much suspense in the Rams' game-day inactives prior to Sunday's contest with Arizona.

The Rams' inactive list consisted of third quarterback Sean Mannion, rookie offensive tackles Darrell Williams and Andrew Donnal, safety Maurice Alexander (groin), running back Chase Reynolds (knee) and defensive end Eugene Sims (knee).

The Rams had to declare only six players inactive Sunday, because they have yet to fill the roster spot created by the Givens trade. That spot is expected to be filled next week by the return of running back Trey Watts following a four-game NFL suspension.

Alexander suffered his injury last week against Pittsburgh and said after the game he hoped to play this week. But it turns out the Eureka High product could miss a few weeks with the injury.

Safety Christian Bryant, who was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad Friday, takes Alexander's spot on special teams. It's the NFL debut for Bryant, a seventh-round pick in 2014 out of Ohio State, who spent last season on the practice squad.

Meanwhile, Reynolds _ one of the team's top special teams performers _ hopes to be ready for Green Bay next week.

For Arizona, the inactives are QB Matt Barkley, WR J.J. Nelson, RB Andre Ellington, LB Shaq Riddick, G/C Ted Larsen, OT D.J. Humprhies, and DT Xaxier Williams. With Ellington still sidelined by a knee injury veteran Chris Johnson _ the former Tennessee Titan under Jeff Fisher _ should see a lot of work.

(Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.)

 

[RamBill]

Tavon Austin, Todd Gurley spark Rams' offense
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22084/tavon-austin-todd-gurley-spark-rams-offense

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A look at three St. Louis Rams players who were "up" and one who was "down" in Sunday's 24-22 win against the Arizona Cardinals:

UP

CB Janoris Jenkins: After Arizona worked the short passing game for most of the first half, quarterback Carson Palmer finally took a deep shot midway through the second quarter. But Jenkins was ready. He ran step for step with wideout John Brown and made a leaping interception that he initially pinned against his helmet before hauling in. It's the second week in a row with an interception for Jenkins, who also had five tackles and two pass breakups.

WR Tavon Austin: To the surprise of no one, the Rams' offense couldn't generate much for most of the day, especially in the first half. But Austin again flashed some of the game-changing ability that the Rams desperately need. He had a 12-yard touchdown catch for the team's first score and a 47-yard grab set up the team's first field goal. He finished with 96 yards on six catches and 20 yards on two carries with two touchdowns.

RB Todd Gurley: Hello, Gurley. The Rams' rookie burst on the scene with 19 carries for 146 yards and had two catches for 15 more yards. In the process, he helped Austin rouse a slumbering offense and provided hope that he is exactly the spark the Rams need on offense moving forward.

DOWN

TE Jared Cook: Once again, Cook had a few costly drops and missed out on some opportunities to make key plays at important times. On one Rams drive late in the first half, quarterback Nick Foles floated a pass for him in the corner of the end zone. Covered by 5-foot-9 Arizona safety Tyrann Mathieu, the 6-5 Cook had it above Mathieu's head but the safety knocked it away. It was a good play by Mathieu but also one that Cook should make given his size advantage. Cook's maddening inconsistency continues and leaves one to wonder what he'll have to do to have his snaps reduced.

 

[RamBill]

Rams coach Jeff Fisher talks postgame about how his team secured a 24-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals

Listen to Fisher's Post Game Comments

 

[Ballhawk]

Cook's maddening inconsistency continues and leaves one to wonder what he'll have to do to have his snaps reduced.

So true! So true! I don't know why they keep playing him and i was really pissed that he was playing and Quick was not.

 

[RamBill]

Jeff Fisher: Todd Took the Game Over in the 2nd Half

Head coach Jeff Fisher talks after the Rams divisional win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Watch Fisher's Post Game Presser

 

[RamBill]

Nick Foles: It Was A Great Team Win

Quarterback Nick Foles talks after the Rams divisional win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Watch Foles Presser

 

[RamBill]

Gurley, Rams hold it down in upset of Big Red
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_012d8d59-b430-5a19-a767-e231a0fcdbdc.html

GLENDALE, ARIZ. • Not all that far removed from his college days at Georgia, there’s nothing Todd Gurley can do about the Bulldogs’ crushing 38-10 loss Saturday to Alabama.

“That’s what I told my teammates,” the rookie running back said, smiling. “I’ve gotta do what Georgia didn’t do yesterday, so I had to hold it down.”

Gurley held it down, all right, at the expense of the previously unbeaten Arizona Cardinals. In his coming-out party as an NFL player, Gurley finished with 146 yards on 17 carries as the Rams upset the Big Red 24-22 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Against an Arizona team that had never trailed — not for one second — in its previous three games this season, the Rams led wire-to-wire, but never enough to feel comfortable.

It took two touchdown catches by Tavon Austin, three takeaways by the defense and special teams, and then the second-half running by Gurley to win at a place where the home team rarely loses. The Cardinals entered the day 15-3 at home under coach Bruce Arians.

“To be able to be on the road against a great football team, and then come out and win the game the way we did — hold the lead the entire game — that’s huge for us,” right guard Rodger Saffold said.

It helped that the Rams discovered a running game that had been missing all season, and an offense that had been AWOL since the season-opening victory over Seattle, in the second half.

Limited to just 10 carries for 5 yards through 2½ quarters, the Rams got the run game going after a forced fumble by safety Rodney McLeod and a recovery by cornerback Trumaine Johnson gave the Rams a first down at their 41, nursing a 10-9 lead.

Following that takeaway, Gurley ripped off runs of 23 and 13 yards to put the Rams in scoring position on a drive culminating in the second of three touchdown passes by quarterback Nick Foles.

Gurley added a 52-yard run early in the fourth quarter — the longest run of the season for the Rams — to set up the second of a pair of 12-yard TD passes from Foles to Austin. That proved to be the game-winning points, giving the Rams a 24-15 lead with 8 minutes, 16 seconds to play.

But not before an Arizona TD made things close, and not before Gurley closed things out with runs of 20 and 30 yards to kill out the clock on the Rams’ final possession.

“Man, I knew he was gonna be special from the get-go,” defensive end William Hayes said. “But I wasn’t expecting that much. I saw today that his future’s gonna be very, very bright.”

“He came out this week and he exploded,” Austin said.

Some blocking helped. Saffold said the Rams made some adjustments in the running game at halftime, and they paid off for a squad that ranked last (32nd) in total offense and 29th in rushing offense before Sunday.

“We worked our misdirection; it really came alive,” Saffold said. “And once we got a misdirection (play to work), it got ’em to stay balanced instead of rushing everything front side.”

Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the draft last spring, did the rest. He said the Rams’ offense merely “got fed up” about all of its struggles this season. Another week of practice with the first-team offense helped the game slow down for Gurley in his first NFL start.

“Yeah man, it’s football,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve been playing it my whole life. You read your keys, study the game, and everything will slow down for you.”

Simple as that. Gurley had only six carries (for 9 yards) last week in his debut and didn’t know for sure that his workload would be nearly tripled against Arizona.

“But you know how it is if you’re having a good game and it’s rolling,” Gurley said. “Then, you know, you keep the hot hand hot.”

Let the guy with the hot hand hold it down.

Perhaps Gurley’s best work came with 1:17 to play when he burst around left end for what looked like a sure touchdown. But realizing the circumstances, he decided to stop after a 30-yard gain to the Arizona 8, to run out the clock and prevent the Cardinals from pulling off any kind of last-minute miracle.

“It was totally unselfish,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “Beyond that, it’s just that for a rookie to have the presence of mind to do that, it says a lot for his understanding of this game and putting games away.”

A pretty heady play for a 21-year-old about to score his first NFL TD, playing in his second NFL game.

“I just wanted to get out of here with a win; that’s all I was worried about,” Gurley said.

So he can save that first NFL touchdown for another time?

“I’m gonna think about it tonight,” he said, laughing. “But we got the win. I’m happy about that.”

In an ideal world of Rams football, this is what it’s supposed to look like. A defense and special teams unit that create turnovers and give up points grudgingly.

Austin making meaningful plays from start to finish. And now we see why the Rams thought enough of running back Gurley, wounded knee and all, to take him so high in the draft. And don’t forget Foles, who squeezed those three touchdown passes out of just 24 throws en route to a 126.9 passer rating.

“Well, we got a contribution out of all three phases today,” Fisher said. “That’s what has been hindering us the last couple weeks. We finally had a second half of offense, and that was the difference in the ballgame.

“As we said earlier in the week, (Arizona) is one of the top two teams in the NFC. We’re building to compete in our division and right now, we’re 2-0 in our division. So we’ve got to keep it going.”

Fisher was in such good spirits after the game, he couldn’t even return volley on Arians, who after a 12-6 victory last December in St. Louis crowed about his defense being the best on the field that day — not a Rams unit coming off back-to-back shutouts entering that game.

So who was the best defense Sunday?

“I still think they’re really good,” Fisher said, speaking of Arizona. “And we’ve got some work to do.”

When teased by reporters for not taking the bait on Arians, Fisher replied: “That’s called taking the high road.”

 

[RamBill]

Rams Defeat Previously Unbeaten Cardinals

By Myles Simmons


View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Defeat-Previously-Unbeaten-Cardinals/c001b26e-f912-48bd-a242-a7183defc4b7



GLENDALE, Ariz. -- With some big turnovers and timely offensive plays, the Rams got their second win of the season over a divisional opponent with a 24-22 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

The Rams got going form the first whistle, forcing a turnover on the opening kickoff. Safety Mark Barron stripped David Johnson, with Daren Bates falling on the football at their own 17, setting up an excellent scoring opportunity.

St. Louis quickly capitalized with just three plays. Todd Gurley got the start at running back and got involved immediately with an 8-yard screen pass. Though the running back was stopped for a loss on his first carry on the next play, quarterback Nick Foles found Tavon Austin for a 12-yard touchdown pass on third down. The wide receiver caught the pass on an ‘in’ route, and evaded a couple Arizona defenders with his speed to give the Rams an early lead.


The defense came out getting plenty of early pressure on Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, which the home team combatted by using quick passes. Chris Long and Lamarcus Joyner picked up a sacks in the first two quarters, giving each 2.0 on the year. Though Arizona had its share of scoring opportunities, St. Louis held the home team to field goals in the first half.

After the short first series, the Rams again had some trouble moving the ball, though that changed when the defense got another turnover.

On 2nd-and-1 from Arizona’s 49, Palmer attempted a deep pass to wideout John Brown. With Janoris Jenkins and Mark Barron on the coverage, Jenkins played the slightly underthrown ball well, and ended up using his helmet to secure the interception in the end zone. With the touchback, the Rams got the ball on their own 20 and went back to work.

The drive got going quickly with Foles hitting tight end Jared Cook with a 12-yard pass on its second play. And then Austin once again got involved, with Foles hitting him for a 47-yard pass in the middle of the field to move St. Louis into the red zone. They came away with a field goal, extending the lead to 10-6.

Arizona added a field goal before the end of the second quarter, making the score 10-9, Rams, at halftime.

As was a theme for the day, the Rams got back on the board with points off a turnover. On 3rd-and-2 from Arizona’s own 38, Palmer hit Larry Fitzgerald with a deep pass to the right. But safety Rodney McLeod came right in to put a hit on the wide receiver and popped the ball loose. Trumaine Johnson was there to pick it up and gave the Rams the ball at their own 42.


That’s when the ground game started to get going. Gurley had his first explosive run on the first play of the drive, taking the ball up the middle for a 23-yard gain. He immediately followed that up with a 12-yard run to put St. Louis at the Cardinals’ 23. A few plays later, Foles hit Stedman Bailey in the back right corner of the end zone with a nice touch pass for a touchdown. The scoring strike gave the Rams a 17-9 lead.

St. Louis lost Alec Ogletree to an ankle injury in the third quarter. The linebacker did not return to the contest.

Daren Bates and Akeem Ayers filled in for the injured Ogletree, and the defense continued to hold strong. The Cardinals continued to put up field goals instead of touchdowns, which cut St. Louis’ lead to 17-15. But on a drive starting with 11:57 left, the ground game once again got the Rams in position to extend their lead.

On the drive’s second play, Austin took and end around 12 yards to the left side. That play set up the next run for Gurley. On 1st-and-10, the running back took a handoff up the middle, while Foles faked an end around to Austin, freezing some on the defense. The result was as 52-yard run for Gurley, with the running back finally getting stopped at the Arizona 16.

A few plays later on 3rd-and-6, Foles evaded the pass rush in the pocket, pumped, and then fired a pass to Austin that the wideout caught in the end zone for a touchdown, putting the Rams up 24-15.


But the Cardinals weren’t done yet. Though the defense had done well to not let anything behind them throughout the game, the unit let it happen in the red zone on the ensuing drive. Johnson got open on the second level, and Palmer hit him with a 23-yard pass for a touchdown. With the seven points, the Cardinals pulled within two, 24-22.

The defense held strong, forcing a big 4th-down stop with the Cardinals out of field-goal range. With the pass rush coming, Palmer threw too high and incomplete to Johnson, giving St. Louis the ball back.

Gurley, who finished with 19 rushes for 146 yards, did the rest to put the game away. He had a 20-yard gain to start the drive, and then had a 30 yarder to put the game on ice with Arizona out of timeouts.

With the win, the Rams improve to 2-2 and 2-0 in the division. They’ll be on the road next week against the Packers.

 

[RamBill]

Reporter Dani Klupenger recaps Sunday’s 24-22 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Watch Dani's Post Game Report

 

[RamBill]

Fox Sports’ Charles Davis and Thom Brennaman recap the Rams-Cardinals game.

Watch Davis/Brennaman's Post Game

 

[RamBill]

Fox 2 Multimedia journalist David Cruse was with the Rams in Arizona and has the happy post game report. Includes comments from Todd Gurley, Nick Foles, Rodger Saffold, Tavon Austin, Chris Long, Jeff Fisher.

Watch Fox2's Report

 

[RamBill]

Safety Rodney McLeod chats with Dani Klupenger after the Rams picked up their second win of the season.

Watch McLeod's Comments

 

[RamBill]

Defensive lineman Chris Long chats with Dani Klupenger after the Rams notched their second victory of the season.

Watch Long's Comments