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Rams need more from special teams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12466/rams-need-more-from-special-teams
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- All things considered, the St. Louis Rams had an opportunity to beat the Philadelphia Eagles last week in the closing moments.
They had the ball with enough time to put together a game-winning drive but came up short when quarterback Austin Davis' fourth down pass to receiver Brian Quick fell incomplete. That they were even in that position was testament to an offense that finally got going in the second half and a defense which mostly held up against the Eagles' uptempo approach.
The 34-28 loss was a total team defeat with everyone playing their part, but one phase that didn't provide much help was the special teams.
"The things that happened in the ball game on the offensive side of the ball were difficult to overcome," coach Jeff Fisher said. "Some of the things that happened on the defensive side of the ball were difficult to overcome. You can overcome them if you get production and plays and break even on special teams. [On Sunday], we did not, and so we’re disappointed in the special teams production. I think that’s the first time I’ve stood up here and said that."
Indeed, of the many problems the Rams have had in their two years under Fisher, special teams would rarely rank near the top aside from a spate of penalties in the first part of the 2013 season. This is mostly the same personnel that last season finished third in the league in total points expected added by special teams (33.11), a formula that calculates total special teams production and offers a number on what that production translates to in points scored. It's also the same group that set an NFL record for net punting behind the leg of punter Johnny Hekker.
Which is why the lack of production to this point in the season has been something of a surprise. Fisher was only discussing the Eagles game when talking about the special teams struggles but there have been other alarming trends in the early part of the season from that unit.
Through four games, the Rams are 30th in punt return average (3.4 yards per attempt), 23rd in punt coverage (allowing 9.7 yards per attempt), 19th in kickoff return (22.7 yards) and 24th in kickoff coverage (25.3 yards).
T.J. McDonald's big performance in the win against Tampa Bay, in which he blocked a punt and a field goal, only serves to further Fisher's point. When the Rams make plays on special teams, they have more success. When they don't, it can be the difference in the game.
No play was bigger in the outcome of the loss to Philadelphia than the blocked punt that took place on the Rams' fourth play from scrimmage. It was the first blocked punt in Hekker's 173 tries as a professional, but it was a big one. James Casey got to the kick and Chris Maragos recovered it for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. On a day when the Rams lost by six, it's not hard to do that math.
"It started with the punt, and there was a number of other things that happened," Fisher said. "But, fourth play of the game and you give up a touchdown on the road, those things are hard to overcome."
More familiar to Rams fans was seeing their team earn more flags on special teams. Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, who has since been released, cost the Rams 15 yards with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and Chase Reynolds chopped another 10 yards of field position off for an illegal block in the back. The Eagles managed 10 points on drives after those two errors, another easy calculation when it comes to the final score.
"We’re going to get it fixed and corrected and move on," Fisher said. "We’ve got too talented of a group. They’re taking responsibility for it. It’s not blame, it’s just take responsibility for it and learn and move on."
The Rams special teams did that a year ago after the early onslaught of penalties. But the sooner they can do it this year, the better for a team that needs help from all phases to find victories.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12466/rams-need-more-from-special-teams
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- All things considered, the St. Louis Rams had an opportunity to beat the Philadelphia Eagles last week in the closing moments.
They had the ball with enough time to put together a game-winning drive but came up short when quarterback Austin Davis' fourth down pass to receiver Brian Quick fell incomplete. That they were even in that position was testament to an offense that finally got going in the second half and a defense which mostly held up against the Eagles' uptempo approach.
The 34-28 loss was a total team defeat with everyone playing their part, but one phase that didn't provide much help was the special teams.
"The things that happened in the ball game on the offensive side of the ball were difficult to overcome," coach Jeff Fisher said. "Some of the things that happened on the defensive side of the ball were difficult to overcome. You can overcome them if you get production and plays and break even on special teams. [On Sunday], we did not, and so we’re disappointed in the special teams production. I think that’s the first time I’ve stood up here and said that."
Indeed, of the many problems the Rams have had in their two years under Fisher, special teams would rarely rank near the top aside from a spate of penalties in the first part of the 2013 season. This is mostly the same personnel that last season finished third in the league in total points expected added by special teams (33.11), a formula that calculates total special teams production and offers a number on what that production translates to in points scored. It's also the same group that set an NFL record for net punting behind the leg of punter Johnny Hekker.
Which is why the lack of production to this point in the season has been something of a surprise. Fisher was only discussing the Eagles game when talking about the special teams struggles but there have been other alarming trends in the early part of the season from that unit.
Through four games, the Rams are 30th in punt return average (3.4 yards per attempt), 23rd in punt coverage (allowing 9.7 yards per attempt), 19th in kickoff return (22.7 yards) and 24th in kickoff coverage (25.3 yards).
T.J. McDonald's big performance in the win against Tampa Bay, in which he blocked a punt and a field goal, only serves to further Fisher's point. When the Rams make plays on special teams, they have more success. When they don't, it can be the difference in the game.
No play was bigger in the outcome of the loss to Philadelphia than the blocked punt that took place on the Rams' fourth play from scrimmage. It was the first blocked punt in Hekker's 173 tries as a professional, but it was a big one. James Casey got to the kick and Chris Maragos recovered it for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. On a day when the Rams lost by six, it's not hard to do that math.
"It started with the punt, and there was a number of other things that happened," Fisher said. "But, fourth play of the game and you give up a touchdown on the road, those things are hard to overcome."
More familiar to Rams fans was seeing their team earn more flags on special teams. Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, who has since been released, cost the Rams 15 yards with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and Chase Reynolds chopped another 10 yards of field position off for an illegal block in the back. The Eagles managed 10 points on drives after those two errors, another easy calculation when it comes to the final score.
"We’re going to get it fixed and corrected and move on," Fisher said. "We’ve got too talented of a group. They’re taking responsibility for it. It’s not blame, it’s just take responsibility for it and learn and move on."
The Rams special teams did that a year ago after the early onslaught of penalties. But the sooner they can do it this year, the better for a team that needs help from all phases to find victories.
