Rams News Recap: Sept. 23

[RamBill]

Strauss: Sack City Has Lost its Luster –PD
We’re not even to October and the Rams have taken the city and its irritable fan base on a roundabout trek from the Absurd to the Inspirational to downright Confounding
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The Long Road Back –PD
With most of his lower left leg in a cast following foot surgery, Rams defensive end Chris Long is getting around these days on one of those foot scooters. If he could chase a quarterback on it, he would.

Rams vs. Cowboys: Sound Off from the St. Louis Loss –Gray

Jim Thomas Rams Report: Sept. 23 –Radio Interview

Things We Noticed: Game 3, vs. Dallas –PD
Post-Dispatch football writer Jim Thomas takes a final look at the Rams’ game vs. Dallas:

Rams Ranked 29th in AP Pro32 Poll –Latsch
The Rams fell back one spot in this week’s Associated Press Pro32 poll, which was released on Tuesday, after losing to the visiting Cowboys on Sunday.

Legends Interview: Isiah Robertson –Video

Nick Wagoner Talks About the Rams’ Inconsistent Defense –Radio Interview

Janoris Jenkins Up and Down in Dez Bryant’s Shadow –Wagoner
More often than not in the two-plus years Jeff Fisher has been the head coach of the St. Louis Rams, his defense has been pretty straightforward when it comes to coverage.

The Film Don’t Lie: What the Rams Must Fix –Wagoner
A weekly look at what the St. Louis Rams must fix:

Fisher Says a Healthy Hill Still the Starter –Wagoner
The question is not going to go away anytime soon and with the St. Louis Rams on bye week, it will almost certainly persist for at least the next two weeks.

Rams Rookie Review: Week 3 –Wagoner
A look at playing time and production of each of the St. Louis Rams’ drafted rookies and a quick glimpse at the undrafted rookie class in Sunday’s 34-31 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Bernie: Rams’ Defense a Major Disappointment
When Jeff Fisher and Gregg Williams hugged out their past differences and grievances in a way that made it comfortable for Williams to return as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, I thought it was a big deal.

Morning Ram-blings: An Improbable Result –Wagoner
The Dallas Cowboys made a bit of history in their come from behind victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

Nick Wagoner’s Rams Report: Sept. 23 –Radio Interview

The Jeff Fisher Show: Sept. 22 –Video

Jim Thomas Rams-Cowboys Game Breakdown –Radio Interview

Rams TE Lance Kendricks joins ‘The Jeff Fisher Show’ –Radio Interview

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Defensive disappointment
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12042/morning-ram-blings-defensive-disappointment

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Even now, three days after the fact, it's hard to believe the St. Louis Rams were able to score 31 points in a game at home and come away with a loss. OK, maybe it's not that hard to believe but it is still a bit surprising given what we thought we knew about the team.

But through three weeks, the undeniable reality is that the Rams defense, the group many (present company included) thought would be able to take the next step from the middle of the NFL pack to move into the top 10 or even better has been a major disappointment.

We discussed the lack of pass rush and the defense's struggles after Sunday's game and it will be a continued topic of discussion moving forward, but stltoday.com columnist Bernie Miklasz dived into the subject a bit in his Tuesday column.

As Miklasz points out, this is far from a lost cause and there are some positive numbers overall but I think we can all agree that the Rams have to be much better defensively moving forward if they want to have success in the season's final 13 games.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Tuesday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we began the day with a look at the improbability of the Cowboys' comeback against the Rams. ... Next, we offered Rams coach Jeff Fisher's latest comments on the quarterback situation. ... In this week's edition of The Film Don't Lie, we examined the Rams' struggles defending the middle of the field. ... This week's rookie review offers snap counts and production for the team's rookie class. ... Cornerback Janoris Jenkins had an up and down day covering Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant one on one for most of the day. ... Finally, we took a closer look at the Rams' spot in this week's Power Rankings, as they checked in at No. 28.

Elsewhere:

Here's the full set of this week's ESPN NFL Power Rankings.

The NFC West again looks tough, but so far the Arizona Cardinals are leading the pack. Columnist Jim Trotter explains how.

It's not too early to look ahead to the Rams' next opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles. And they have some injury issues to deal with in the meantime.

101sports.com has video of Fisher's weekly radio show.

At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas offers Fisher's thoughts on some of the penalties that have gone against his team this year.

Thomas also participated in his weekly chat.