Rams News Recap: Sept. 10

[RamBill]

A Long Run ends: Rams DE is Out at Least 2 Months –PD
Through thick and thin, and it’s been mainly thin lately at Rams Park, defensive end Chris Long has been a pillar.

Bernie: Rams’ Plight is a Mix of Bad Luck, Poor Decisions
It’s already looking like a long season at Rams Park. It seems a bit dramatic to state that the Rams already are into crisis mode, but if the adversity fits, then they have to wear it.

Gaines ‘a Bright Spot’ in NFL Debut –PD
All things considered, it was a successful debut for Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines.

Rams Coach Jeff Fisher’s Injury Update –Radio Interview

Wagoner On How Big of a Blow the Loss of Chris Long Is–Radio Interview

Jim Thomas Rams Wednesday Update: Sept. 10

QB Sam Bradford’s Knee Surgery Done –Wagoner
St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford did not want to wait any longer to begin the long road to recovery from his second torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in as many seasons.

Rams Without More Than Long’s Production –Wagoner
On a St. Louis Rams roster with plenty of holes to fill, losing a starter at most positions would be nearly impossible to overcome. But if there’s one place the Rams have the talent in place to step in when injuries strike, it’s defensive end.

Bernie: Loss of Chris Long Latest Blow for Rams
The Rams’ awful start to the 2014 season just got worse with the news on defensive end Chris Long.

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher Post Practice Press Conference Transcript: Sept. 10

Rams’ Chris Long Out 8-10 Weeks –Wagoner
St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long has played in 97 consecutive regular season games since entering the league in 2008.

Rams Look to Turn Page against Bucs –Wagoner
St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher’s 24-hour rule has long since expired in the aftermath of his team’s 34-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Rams D will Face Short Passing Game –Wagoner
In search of ways to negate the St. Louis Rams’ talented pass rush in the season opener, the Minnesota Vikings offered a basic yet effective game plan.

Morning Ram-blings: A Fantasy Sleeper? –Wagoner
Week 1 in the NFL always offers a few surprises in terms of fantasy production. Players come out of nowhere and post big weeks and fantasy players rush to the waiver wire to pick them up.

ESPN’s Bruschi and Schlereth on the Impact of Losing Chris Long –Video

Isaac Bruce Believes Brian Quick Is Beginning to Figure It Out –Radio Interview

Wagoner’s Rams Buzz: Hill Will Remain Starter At QB –Video

Jeff Fisher on Recovering From The Vikings Loss –Video

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: QBs on target
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11550/morning-ram-blings-qbs-on-target

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- In his weekly mailbag, ESPN senior NFL writer John Clayton begins his weekly discussion with the fans by taking a look at an interesting trend from Week 1.

Clayton points out that quarterbacks completed 64.3 percent of their passes in Week 1, which was an NFL record. Along with that, it was no coincidence that teams also threw an abnormally high amount of short passes in the first week. The average completion went for a gain of 11.1 yards, the lowest Week 1 average since 2010.

While the St. Louis Rams didn't have much offensive success in the first week, completion percentage was one area in which they succeeded. Even Austin Davis, who had never played in an NFL game, completed 69.6 percent of his 23 pass attempts in his first regular season game.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Wednesday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... We began what turned into a busy day with the Ram-blings focused on receiver Brian Quick's emergence as a fantasy option. ... In this week's buzz video, I discussed the Rams' plan at quarterback moving forward. ... Next, we looked at how the Rams will have to deal with teams looking to use the short passing game to negate their pass rush. ... From there, we looked at the Rams' efforts to turn the page on last week's disappointing performance. ... The news then came that defensive end Chris Long will miss at least two months with an ankle injury. ... Quarterback Shaun Hill not practicing Wednesday led the daily injury wire. ... Fellow quarterback Sam Bradford also had his surgery for a torn ACL on Monday. ... Finally, we looked at how the loss of Long hurts more than just on the field.

Elsewhere:

ESPN fantasy expert Christopher Harris refocuses the conversation about running back Zac Stacy's value moving forward.

Columnist Jason Whitlock offers a good read on the Ray Rice situation.

At 101sports.com, there's video of Jeff Fisher's weekly radio show.

At stltoday.com, columnist Bernie Miklasz discusses Long's loss.

Jim Thomas writes about the Rams' struggles defending the perimeter against Minnesota.