Rams-Packers Post Game Media Coverage

[RamBill]

Rams Fall to Green Bay, 24-10
By Myles Simmons

View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Fall-to-Green-Bay-24-10/f8a9baa8-67c9-47e3-b5bf-f38ed978d696


GREEN BAY, Wis. -- St. Louis forced three turnovers, but committed four as well en route to a 24-10 loss to the Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay got on the board first with quick scoring strike using its no-huddle offense. The Rams won the coin toss and elected to receive, but went three-and-out. The punt set up the home team at its own 44-yard line, and the Packers took advantage of the field position.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers scrambled for an 18-yard gain on 3rd-and-7 to advance the ball into St. Louis territory. Then Rodgers used his famed hard count to induce defensive tackle Nick Fairley to commit a neutral zone infraction, making a 3rd-and-11 a 3rd-and-6. That’s when Rodgers hit an open Ty Montgomery in the middle of the field for a 31-yard touchdown.

On the Packers’ next drive, the Rams ended Rodgers’ famed streak of not throwing an interception at Lambeau Field. On 3rd-and-2, Mark Barron tipped the pass up and James Laurinaitis came down with it after a nice dive.


The Rams couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, as quarterback Nick Foles threw an interception of his own to Micah Hyde on 3rd-and-2. The defense had a good stand, with T.J. McDonald making two solid tackles on third and fourth down to give St. Louis the ball back. But the momentum was short lived, as Foles threw his second interception of the day -- this one to cornerback Quentin Rollins, who returned it to the end zone for six. The score put the Packers up 14-0.

St. Louis got on the board in the second quarter with a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Running back Todd Gurley took the ball six times for 34 yards on the possession, and would have had his first touchdown run if not for a shoe-string tackle by Green Bay’s Micah Hyde. Instead, Tavon Austin got a shovel pass on an end around that the wide receiver took into the end zone for a 5-yard score. The touchdown cut the Packers’ lead to 14-7.

Midway through the second quarter, St. Louis picked off Rodgers again. This time, cornerback Trumaine Johnson jumped a route and dove to make the interception near the visitors’ sideline. Johnson got back up and returned the ball to the Packers’ 33. The interception set up a Greg Zuerlein 42-yard field goal to cut the Packers’ lead to just four points. The 14-10 score held through halftime.


It didn’t take long for Green Bay to get back on the board in the second half. On its first drive, Rodgers connected with wide receiver James Jones over the middle of the field. The wideout evaded a potential tackle from Lamarcus Joyner and scampered all the way into the end zone for a 65-yard touchdown reception. Safety Rodney McLeod appeared to tackle Jones at the 1-yard line, but the play was overturned on a challenge by Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

The Rams had another scoring opportunity in the third quarter, set up by a fake punt by Johnny Hekker. The play initially looked well covered, but Hekker rolled to his right and then floated a pass over the middle to safety Cody Davis who came up with it for a first down in Green Bay territory. But the Packers got a hand on Zuerlein’s 50-yard field goal attempt, and the ball was short.

Robert Quinn picked up a sack/fumble in the third quarter with Joyner recovering for the Rams’ third turnover of the day. The offense started at the Green Bay 41, but Zuerlein’s 53-yard field goal went wide left.


In the fourth quarter, Gurley broke off a 55-yard run to start a drive, and Austin followed suit with a 15-yard end around. But Foles’ third interception of the game ended the scoring threat. On 3rd-and-goal from the seven, Foles attempted to squeeze one in to Lance Kendricks in the end zone. The pass was tipped up and into the hands of Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, who secured the ball for a touchback.

Mason Crosby later added a 35-yard field goal to close the scoring.

A 68-yard reception by Stedman Bailey once again put the Rams in the red zone, but Foles’ fourth interception of the day capped a tough day for the quarterback.

 

[RamBill]

Rams' offense fails to capitalize on another strong defensive effort
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...capitalize-on-another-strong-defensive-effort

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The St. Louis Rams' defense did what had never been done to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field, forcing him to commit three turnovers.

But the offense couldn't do what it did just a week ago: turn those takeaways into points. Making matters worse, the offense matched the Packers turnover for turnover (plus one) as quarterback Nick Foles threw four interceptions, including one in the end zone after a late drive had them in position to make it a one-score game.

The inability to convert, along with the giveaways, left the Rams with a 24-10 loss to the Packers.

In the Rams' 24-22 upset win against Arizona in Week 4, they had three takeaways -- which they converted into 17 points -- and no turnovers of their own. It was the right formula against a high-powered offense.

Facing a similarly high-octane offense, the Rams' defense again came up with several big plays to give the offense a chance. For the first time in his career, Rodgers committed three turnovers at home, throwing two interceptions and coughing up a fumble.

The Rams' offense again simply couldn't find any consistency, squandering Todd Gurley's 30-carry, 159-yard day. Another rough outing from the offensive line, especially in pass protection, led to some poor decisions and throws by Foles. Even when Foles was on target, he didn't get much help from his receivers, who yet again struggled with drops. Things were so bad in the passing game that safety Cody Davis was third on the team in receiving yards (20) after making a grab on a fake punt.

Until the offense can regularly put together drives, strong defensive efforts will continue to go by the wayside.

What it means: The Rams enter the bye week at 2-3 or worse for the third consecutive year. If you believe in historical trends, that's an ominous sign. The last time the Rams went to the postseason after a 2-3 or worse start was 1952. The schedule lightens a bit after the bye, but the Rams have yet to prove that anything will come easily.

What were they thinking? After all their talk about preparing to handle the small details this week with the music and the air horns, the Rams had an excess of silly pre-snap penalties. They finished with a combined eight penalties for delay of game, false start and offside. The Rams also burned two timeouts just before another pair of delay penalties.

One reason to get excited: The Rams slowly worked Gurley into the mix in his first game against Pittsburgh and ramped it up last week against Arizona. Any remaining caution about his workload vanished Sunday. The rookie running back clearly was the centerpiece of the offense.

One reason to panic: Five games into the season, the offensive line continues to struggle mightily for large chunks of time. The pass protection for most of the game was nowhere to be found and the run blocking was inconsistent.

Fantasy watch: Wide receiver Tavon Austin scored just three touchdowns in 2014 -- none of them on receptions (two rushing, one punt return). But he scored the Rams' lone touchdown against the Packers and now has three in the past two weeks and five in five games. The yards weren't nearly as abundant as last week, but Austin is starting to find the end zone on a regular basis.

Ouch: It was a rough first half for the Rams on the injury front as they lost right guard Rodger Saffold (shoulder), end Chris Long (right knee) and receiver Kenny Britt (shoulder) in the span of about a quarter. Britt returned to the game; Long and Saffold did not. The Rams have a bye week next week, which buys the trio some time to get healthy.

 

[RamBill]

Rams' hopes picked off by Packers
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_50e278f7-d8f2-553e-9ef9-ba0f5260fc42.html


GREEN BAY, Wis. • Three takeaways by the St. Louis defense, including two interceptions of the guy who never throws interceptions, Aaron Rodgers.

Now toss into the mix a 159-yard rushing performance by rookie phenom Todd Gurley. That's a victory equation on just about any given Sunday for the visiting team at Lambeau Field.

"You'd think with stats like that, you'd win a game," defensive end Robert Quinn said.

Not this time.

That's because the Rams couldn't pass block, not consistently enough anyway to keep quarterback Nick Foles in any kind of comfort zone in the pocket. And Foles couldn't throw straight. His favorite targets on a sun-splashed October afternoon were Green Bay defenders.

He threw a career-high four interceptions, one of which was returned for a Green Bay touchdown.

A busted coverage by cornerback Trumaine Johnson resulted in one Rodgers TD pass to a wide-open receiver; a play in which nickel back Lamarcus Joyner stumbled and fell in coverage, resulted in another long scoring play.

Put it all together and it spelled a 24-10 victory for unbeaten Green Bay (5-0), and another frustrating defeat for a Rams team that enters its bye week at 2-3.

"It's a tough day. We gave ourselves chances time and time again," said Robert Quinn, who caused one of those Rodgers turnovers with a sack and forced fumble. "They've got (No.) 12 over there (Rodgers), who made some great plays. And their defense made some incredible plays, also."

The game couldn't have started worse for the Rams, who couldn't run early and couldn't pass protect. And on the other side of the ball, they gave the great Rodgers a free seven points to start things off.

On Green Bay's sixth play of the game, Rodgers completed his first pass of the day to a wide open Ty Montgomery over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown. Johnson got caught up in coverage near the line of scrimmage, in a grouping of players that included safety T.J. McDonald and two Green Bay receivers. In any event, Montgomery broke free past that group for an easy TD and a 7-0 lead.

It became 14-0 Packers near the end of the first quarter when cornerback Quinten Rollins stepped in front of an errant pass thrown by a scrambling Foles and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

"I've got to make better decisions to give my teammates the opportunity to make the play," Foles said, speaking of all four interceptions in general. "I didn't do that during those throws."

Foles was under pressure on Rollins' "pick 6," and he was under pressure much of the day by a Green Bay pass rush that entered the game with 17 sacks, tied for second-most in the league with the Rams.

Be it Rob Havenstein, Rodger Saffold, Tim Barnes, or Greg Robinson, Rams offensive linemen took turns letting pass-rushers through on Foles. Making matters worse for the Rams on the Rollins "pick 6" was that Saffold suffered a shoulder injury on the play and was done for the day.

"You can't turn it over four times, especially turn it over to (Rodgers) like we did," Fisher said. "Yes, we have a run game going and our defense played OK, but no, our defense gave up two touchdown passes, so that's not OK by me.

"Just disappointed we couldn't stay in it. We missed three field goals for whatever reason. You're down 21-10 and you miss three field goals. . . .The odds of pulling a game out like that aren't very good."

After making his seventh consecutive field goal of the season in the second quarter, kicker Greg Zuerlein had a 50-yard field goal blocked with 4 minutes 15 seconds to play in the third quarter. He had a 53-yarder sail wide left later in the quarter, and a 63-yarder — yes, a 63-yard attempt — go wide left in the fourth.

The Rams failed to take advantage of opportunities throughout the game. Their three takeaways, for example, resulted in only three points.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis ended Rodgers' amazing streak of passes without an interception at 586 when he grabbed a ball tipped by safety Mark Barron. The Rams took over at their 43 with 4:07 left in the first quarter, but three plays later Green Bay had the ball back when Micah Hyde picked off a high Foles pass intended for Kenny Britt.

There was no harm done, however, because Green Bay went for it on fourth-and-1 from the St. Louis 41 with McDonald tripping up running back Eddie Lacy for no gain. But four plays after that defensive stop, Rollins had his INT return for a touchdown against Foles, with 53 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Rams regrouped, mounting an 80-yard drive culminating in a five-yard TD pass from Foles to Tavon Austin, and then the Zuerlein field goal following a diving interception by Johnson.

The first seven plays on the 80-yard TD drive were runs, with six of those runs by Gurley, who had 17 carries by halftime and 30 in the game. But the big play was a 32-yard pass interference call against Packers free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who grabbed tight end Jared Cook's jersey in coverage.

Green Bay led 14-10 at the half, but restored its lead to double digits four plays into the third quarter when Rodgers connected over the middle to James Jones. Joyner, going for the interception, lost his feet on the play. Otherwise he might have made the tackle after a relatively modest gain.

But with Joyner on the ground, Jones rambled 64 yards before safety Rodney McLeod ran him down inside the 1. Green Bay challenged the play via instant replay, and the call was reversed, giving Jones a 65-yard TD and the Packers a 21-10 lead.

From that point out, five of the Rams' final six possessions reached Green Bay territory. In fact, two reached the Green Bay 7. But the Rams had zero points to show for all that — as a result of the three missed field goals and two red zone interceptions thrown by Foles.

Wasted on those red zone "picks" were a 55-yard run by Gurley early in the fourth quarter, and a 68-yard reception by Stedman Bailey later in the quarter.

"You look at it, what you could've done, the decision-making with the ball — stuff like that and you move forward," Foles said. "This is the tough part of the business, but I'm thankful to be in this position where I play, and you have to handle the good with the bad. I didn't play well today, didn't give us the opportunity to win, and that's on me."

• BOX SCORE: Packers 24, Rams 10

• PHOTOS: Rough day in Green Bay for Rams

Here are the updates posted during the game by Post-Dispatch football writer Joe Lyons:

Missed opportunities and mistakes in the passing game were the story as the Rams fell 24-10 to the unbeaten Green Bay Packers on Sunday at iconic Lambeau Field.

In the second half, Greg Zuerlein missed three long field goals, and the Rams also had a second-half pass tipped and picked off in the end zone.

The Green Bay defense stood out, applying steady pressure throughout the game on Rams quarterback Nick Foles, who completed just 11 of 30 passes for 141 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions.

Rookie Todd Gurley ran 30 times for 159 yards in the loss.

Green Bay improved to 5-0, winning its 12th consecutive home game. The Rams are 2-3 heading into their bye week. They return to action Oct. 25 when they host the Cleveland Browns.

The Packers failed to add to their lead early in the fourth quarter when a penalty on tight end Richard Rodgers wiped out a 47-yard field goal by Green Bay's Mason Crosby. In the same drive, a wide-open Rodgers dropped a pass on a crossing route.

On first down from the 20, Gurley broke free for a 55-yard run, going over the 100-yard mark for the second consecutive week. On the next play, Austin took an end-around 15 yards, getting a key downfield block from Wisconsin native Lance Kendricks.

Three plays later, on third down, a Foles pass into coverage intended for Kendricks was tipped in the end zone and ended up in the hands of Green Bay safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

With about 3 ½ minutes to play, Zuerlein's field goal attempt from 63 yards away sailed just wide to the left..

Green Bay stretched its lead to 24-10 on a 35-yard field goal from Mason Crosby with 1:03 to play.

Three plays after a 69-yard bomb from Foles to Stedman Bailey, Foles was picked off again near the goal line with 23 seconds left.

GREEN BAY TAKES 21-10 LEAD INTO FOURTH QUARTER

The Packers re-established control with an early third-quarter score.

On the fourth play from scrimmage at the start of the second half, Aaron Rodgers found James Jones on a crossing route for a 65-yard touchdown. It was the first reception of the day and the fifth touchdown of the year for Jones, who ran away from Lamarcus Joyner after the nickel back stumbled on the receiver's cut. Jones then powered his way past Rodney McLeoud at the goal line.

A longtime Packer who played last year in Oakland, Jones rejoined the team as a free agent after being cut at the end of training camp by the New York Giants.

With 4:15 to play in the third quarter, a 50-yard field goal attempt from the Rams' Greg Zuerlein is tipped by the Packers' Datone Jones and falls way, way short.

Three plays later, the Rams' defense creates another opportunity. On a third-down play, Robert Quinn came around the backside to knock the ball from the hands of Aaron Rodgers. The loose ball is eventually recovered by nickel back Lamarcus Joyner at the Green Bay 41.

The visitors caught a break during the ensuring drive when Nick Foles fumbled under pressure, but running back Tre Mason comes up with the loose ball.

The Rams came away empty again as Zuerlein's attempt from 53 yards away in the final minute of the quarter sails wide to the left.

RAMS RALLY TO CUT HALFTIME LEAD TO 14-10

The Rams got on the board midway through the second quarter as Tavon Austin took a touch pass from Nick Foles and raced around the right end for a 5-yard touchdown. Greg Zuerlein's kick made it 14-7 with 7:12 to play before halftime.

Austin went in motion from right to left and made a quick cut at the goal line for the score.

On the nine-play, 80-yard drive, Todd Gurley ran six times for 34 yards. A key play of the drive was a 32-yard pass interference call on the Packers' Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as he tried to guard tight end Jared Cook down the middle of the field.

The Packers appeared to be moving into position for another score when Trumaine Johnson stepped in front of James Jones for a diving interception, the second of the game for the Rams. Johnson quickly returned to his feet and took the ball the Green Bay 33.

On the interception, Rams defensive end Chris Long suffered a leg injury and headed to the locker room just before the two-minute warning.

On the ensuing drive, the Rams moved to the Green Bay 19 before a false-start call on rookie Jamon Brown stalled the drive. Greg Zuerlein's 42-yard field goal with 1:40 to play before halftime made it 14-10.

Late in that drive, Rams receiver Kenny Britt was injured and helped from the field with an apparent shoulder injury.

Some quick halftime numbers:

— Rodgers has completed 10 of 17 passes for 109 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. They were Rodgers' first picks at Lambeau since late in 2012. Rodgers also leads the Pack with 36 rushing yards.

Green Bay rookie Ty Montgomery has three catches, including one for a TD.

— Foles has completed six of 16 passes for 38 yards with a touchdown and two picks. Todd Gurley has rushed 17 times for 64 yards.

PACKERS RACE TO 14-0 LEAD

The Packers wasted no time, going up 7-0 after forcing the Rams into a punt after a three and out. Moving 56 yards on just six plays, Green Bay took the lead, taking advantage of a missed assignment in the defensive backfield on a 31-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to a wide-open Ty Montgomery down the middle for the touchdown. Mason Crosby hit the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 12:09 left in the first quarter.

The touchdown, on a third-and-six-play, came one play after Nick Fairley was drawn offside by Rodgers and his legendary hard count.

Rams answered with a decent drive highlighted by a 16-yard gain on a Benny Cunningham hustling catch on a pass deflected away from Brian Quick, who picked up his first catch of the season for a first down earlier in the drive.

The drive, which reached the Green Bay 33, stalled with a sack and a dropped pass by Kenny Britt.

The next Green Bay drive ended in historic fashion as James Laurinaitis ran down a pass tipped by teammate Mark Barron near midfield. The diving pick by Laurinaitis ended a streak of 586 passes without an interception at Lambeau Field for Rodgers.

But the Rams were unable to capitalize. Just three play later, an under-pressure Nick Foles was picked off by the Packers' Micah Hyde.

It's also the first time this season the Rams have failed to score points following a turnover.

But the defense stepped up again as safety T.J. McDonald went low to upend Eddie Lacy on a fourth-and-one play.

Following a delay-of-game call on first down after the stop, the Rams faced a third-and-eight when the Packers' pressure again forced an off-balance throw from Foles that was picked off by rookie Quentin Rollins in the flat and returned 45 yards for a touchdown. Crosby's kick stretches to Green Bay lead to 14-0 with 53 seconds left in the first quarter.

Adding the Rams' troubles, guard Rodger Saffold was injured during the return and is headed to the Rams locker room. Veteran Garrett Reynolds has taken over.

REYNOLDS, SIMS ACTIVE

GREEN BAY, WIS. • Running back Chase Reynolds and defensive lineman Eugene Sims are back for the Rams, but even though he re-signed with the team Tuesday, linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar will not dress for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

Reynolds and Sims both were sidelined with knee injuries in the season opener against Seattle. Reynolds, one of the team's top special teams players, was injured during Tyler Lockett's punt return for a touchdown for the Seahawks. Sims suffered his injury on the last play of regulation in the Rams' 34-31 overtime victory.

The Rams' complete list of inactives: quarterback Sean Mannion, safety Maurice Alexander, linebacker Alec Ogletree (knee), offensive tackle Darrell Williams, offensive guard Cody Wichmann, defensive end Ethan Westbrooks and Dunbar.

So the Rams are dressing only five linebackers: James Laurinaitis, Akeem Ayers, Daren Bates, Cameron Lynch and Bryce Hager. It'll be interesting to see what the Rams do in packages where they use three linebackers. It could mean even more of safety Mark Barron lining up in the linebacker position than usual.

With Sims active, Westbrooks sits for the first time this season. He had 11 tackles in the team's first four games as a rotation player.

Green Bay's inactives were: quarterback Brett Hundley, wide receiver Davante Adams (ankle), safety Sean Richardson (neck), cornerback LaDarius Gunter (heel), safety Morgan Burnett (calf), linebacker Jake Ryan (hamstring) and offensive guard Lane Taylor.

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

 

[RamBill]

Todd Gurley up, Nick Foles, Jeff Fisher down for Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...urley-up-nick-foles-jeff-fisher-down-for-rams


GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

UP

RB Todd Gurley: He didn't get a whole lot of help, but Gurley continued to find small creases in the defense and find a way to fall forward for extra yards on almost every carry. He also got a full workload, carrying a career-high 30 times for 159 yards. It wasn't pretty, but he was about all the Rams had offensively in this one.

CB Trumaine Johnson: Although he busted a coverage for a Green Bay touchdown early in the game, Johnson provided another highlight-reel interception to make up for it, picking off quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a diving play in the first half. He added five tackles and a pass defensed as Rodgers managed 241 passing yards, 65 of which came on one play that wasn't at Johnson's expense.

DOWN

LT Greg Robinson: It was an ugly day all the way around for the offensive line, but Robinson seemed to have the biggest issues. Robinson clearly has the physical tools to be a good left tackle in this league, but picking up blitzes, stunts and the mental aspects of the position has been too slow going in his first two years. Simply put, the Rams need more from the 2014 No. 2 overall pick.

QB Nick Foles: To be fair, Foles was under pressure a lot behind that once-again leaky offensive line. But Foles has showed the ability to stand in the pocket and deliver in the face of pressure multiple times this season and appeared more panicked on Sunday. Perhaps the early hit in which Clay Matthews appeared to lead with the crown of his helmet left Foles a bit gun-shy. His four interceptions more than nullified the three takeaways the defense provided.

Head coach Jeff Fisher: Heading into the bye week, the Rams are 2-3 with a defense that looks playoff-ready and an offense lagging far behind. It's a formula that anyone paying attention could have predicted. That's the problem. Fisher and the Rams waited four years to commit to an offensive identity and did so with an inexperienced and unproven offensive line. Gurley gives them hope and things could still come together in the final 11 games, but it's also possible that by the time they do, it will be too little, too late.

 

[RamBill]

Head coach Jeff Fisher addresses the media following the team’s Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Watch Fisher's Presser

 

[RamBill]

Reporter Dani Klupenger recaps Sunday’s 24-10 loss at Green Bay

Watch Klupenger's Post Game

 

[RamBill]

Quarterback Nick Foles addresses the media following the team’s Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers

Watch Foles Presser

 

[RamBill]

Rams throw away chance to win
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_b9d7c534-c825-5782-8615-f8cdcc541ca9.html

GREEN BAY, WIS. • There was a time not too long ago when quarterback Nick Foles went an entire NFL season throwing only two interceptions.

He threw twice that many in one afternoon Sunday. Green Bay defenders intercepted four Foles passes, returning one for a touchdown, in the Packers’ 24-10 victory over the Rams at Lambeau Field.

On a day when pass protection was a rare commodity against a blitzing, stunting Green Bay front seven, Foles was under extreme pressure on a couple of those INTs. Another came on a play where his pass was deflected off one Green Bay defender into the arms of another.

When all was said and done, it was enough to negate three takeaways by the St. Louis defense, including two interceptions of the guy who never throws interceptions — Aaron Rodgers. And enough to negate a 159-yard rushing performance by Rams rookie phenom Todd Gurley.

“You can’t turn it over four times, especially turn it over to Aaron (Rodgers) like we did,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “Yes, we got a run game going, and our defense played OK. But no, our defense gave up two touchdown passes, so that’s not OK by me.

“Disappointed we just couldn’t stay in it. We missed three field goals for whatever reason. You’re down 21-10 and you miss three field goals, the odds of you pulling a game out like that aren’t very good.”

Through their first four games the Rams had yielded only one pass play longer than 29 yards, playing lots of “off” coverage at cornerback in a strategy designed to prevent the big play and keep the ball in front of them.

Playing much tighter to the line of scrimmage Sunday, they yielded a 31-yard reception for a touchdown to Ty Montgomery less than 3 minutes into the game. It was a busted coverage, with cornerback Trumaine Johnson getting caught in a cluster of players near the line.

Less than 3 minutes into the second half, the Rams yielded a 65-yard TD pass from Rodgers to James Jones. On this play, nickel back Lamarcus Joyner stumbled and fell trying to make a play on the ball. Had Joyner kept his feet, Jones probably is tackled after a relatively modest gain.

Throw in the “pick six” by Packers cornerback Quentin Rollins, on a 45-yard interception return at the end of first quarter, and that’s your ballgame.

Three big plays. Twenty-points. The Packers remain unbeaten at 5-0; the Rams head into their bye week at 2-3. (They don’t play again until an Oct. 25 home game against Cleveland.)

Naturally, Foles blamed himself — and only himself — for the four interceptions. He declined to go into specifics on what happened with the “pick 6, a play in which he was getting hit while throwing in the general direction of tight end Jared Cook.

Instead, he provided a blanket “I messed up” for all four interceptions.

“All of ’em, those are on me,” he said. “I’ve gotta make better decisions to give my teammates an opportunity to make a play. I didn’t do that during those throws. ... If it’s not there, sometimes it’s good just to (throw) it away and don’t put the ball in harm’s way.”

Easier said than done when you’re running for your life. Early in the season, the Rams’ young and inexperienced offensive line was doing a pretty good job of pass blocking while struggling to open up holes in the running.

But on Sunday, a day when Gurley’s 159 yards highlighted a team total of 191 yards rushing, the Rams had trouble keeping track of Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and the rest of a talented Green Bay front seven on passing downs.

A Green Bay pass rush that entered the game with 17 sacks, tied for second-most in the league with the Rams, sacked Foles three times. But they hit and harassed him on many other occasions on a day when Foles completed only 11 of 30 passes for 141 yards and finished with a career-worst passer rating of 23.8.

Be it Rob Havenstein, Rodger Saffold, Tim Barnes or Greg Robinson, Rams offensive linemen took turns allowing pass-rushers to get through.

“It was a lot of twists,” Robinson said, referring to the type of plays where pass-rushers loop around each other to confuse blockers. “We were expecting it all week. There were a few things that we could’ve fixed, but it just happened so fast. All we could do was just take our (pass) sets and give our best effort.”

Sometimes Green Bay’s pass-rush scheme wasn’t so fancy, like when Matthews raced up the middle from his inside linebacker position for an 8-yard sack — untouched. One of the best linebackers in the league, someone you need to account for on every play, came through untouched to splatter Foles.

“They have a really good defense,” Foles said. “A lot of talented players. Our line was fighting, they were opening up some holes in the run game. They were doing everything they could.”

As for the Green Bay defense, Foles said: “They were moving around quite a bit, mixing up their fronts, shifting during the cadence.

“We missed opportunities and that’s on me. We’ve gotta capitalize in the red zone. I had two red zone picks that we need to come away with touchdowns. Those are drive stoppers. So if I clean those up, the game will probably end up differently.”

After the Jones touchdown catch gave the Packers a 21-10 lead early in the third quarter, five of the Rams’ final six possessions reached Green Bay territory. In fact, two reached the Green Bay 7. But the Rams had zero points to show for all that — as a result of the three missed field goals and two red zone interceptions thrown by Foles.

None of the missed field goals was a chip shot. In the third quarter, kicker Greg Zuerlein had a 50-yard attempt blocked. Later in the third, he missed wide left on a 53-yard attempt. And in the fourth quarter, he had the distance but was wide left again on a 63-yarder. That’s right, a 63-yarder.

“We gave ourselves a chance time and time again,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “We feel like we let a game slip away.”

 

[RamBill]

Running back Todd Gurley talks about finishing on offense and feeling comfortable with the increased workload.

Watch Gurley's Presser

 

[RamBill]

A closer look at Rams' defense ending Aaron Rodgers' streak
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...-the-rams-defense-ending-aaron-rodgers-streak


GREEN BAY, Wis. -- With each passing week, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers' streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception at home got more and more attention.

The sheer odds seemed to point to it ending sooner than later. On a day when not a whole lot went right for the St. Louis Rams, their defense forced Rodgers into some things he'd never done before.

According to Packers reporter Rob Demovsky, that started with breaking Rodgers' streak at 586 passes when linebacker James Laurinaitis picked him off on a deflected pass in the first quarter.

Rodgers threw another interception soon after and later coughed up a fumble on a strip sack by Rams defensive end Robert Quinn. It's the first time Rodgers has turned the ball over three times at Lambeau Field in his career.

The Rams would gladly trade the takeaways for a victory, as they suffered a 24-10 loss at the hands of Rodgers and Co., but for the second week in a row that unit created three turnovers against one of the league's top offenses.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of the weekend's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... Three things to watch examined the Rams' need to sustain drives. ... End Chris Long left Sunday's game with a knee injury and did not return. ... The Rams offense again failed to capitalize on a strong defensive effort. ... Gurley was "up" and Jeff Fisher was among those "down" in Sunday's game. ... Demovsky and I handed out some game balls.

Elsewhere:

The Packers' Datone Jones discussed Green Bay's victory.

Jim Basquil and Field Yates wondered if the Rams cracked the code to Aaron Rodgers.

For the photo-inclined, here's a gallery from Sunday's game.

Former Rams tight end Daniel Fells is dealing with a serious medical issue.

At 101sports.com, Bernie Miklasz writes the Rams offense blew a golden opportunity against Green Bay.

Fisher pointed to missed field goals and turnovers as the culprit in the Rams' loss.

At stltoday.com, Jeff Gordon handed out grades for the Rams in Sunday's game.

Jim Thomas writes that the Rams had the formula in place to beat Green Bay, but shot themselves in the foot too many times.

 

[RamBill]

Packers reporter Rob Demovsky and Rams reporter Nick Wagoner discuss the stars from Green Bay’s 24-10 win over St. Louis. Gurley gets the Rams game ball and Datone Jones gets the Packers game ball

Watch Wagoner/Demovsky Talk Game Balls

 

[RamBill]

Rams at Packers: Eagle/Fouts Booth Recap

Catch a recap of the action from Green Bay where the Packers beat the Rams 24-10. Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts talk about the game.

Watch Rams-Packers Booth Recap