Rams Unveil Austin in Backfield/PD

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RamBill

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Rams unveil Austin in backfield
• By Jim Thomas •

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_ff41394d-a35a-5463-a99e-6a3da7765f09.html

During training camp, coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams wanted to expand Tavon Austin’s role in the offense. And in the season opener against Minnesota, part of those plans were unveiled.

Austin, the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2013, lined up on several plays in the backfield as a running back.

“We’re just trying to get the ball in his hands,” Fisher said. “ ‘Cause he needs the ball in his hands in space.”

Austin lined up at running back for three plays on the Rams’ third offensive series against the Vikings. On the first play, he was the lone back. Quarterback Shaun Hill faked a handoff to Austin, and then pitched to wide receiver Chris Givens going in the opposite direction on an end-around.

The Minnesota defense followed Austin for a moment, and it looked like Givens might end up with a sizeable gain. But the blocking wasn’t quite there and Givens gained only four yards.

On the next play, with Austin in the back of an I-formation, he gained three yards up the middle and might have gained a lot more, but fullback Cory Harkey couldn’t hold his block on linebacker Jasper Brinkley.

And on the next play, Austin was dropped for a three-yard loss running off left tackle, as right guard Davin Joseph couldn’t get to Vikings defensive tackle Shariff Floyd, who got Austin in the backfield.

On the Rams’ fourth series, Austin took a handoff off left tackle, then bounced outside for a five-yard gain and a first down. He was close to turning the play into a larger gain.

On the first series of the second half, Austin was a decoy taking a play-fake from QB Austin Davis on a pass to tight end Jared Cook for a first down.

So, all told, Austin was in the backfield for five plays, gaining five yards on three carries, and producing 19 yards overall when you include the run by Givens and the catch by Cook.

Not exactly an electric start, especially when you consider what wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson was doing running the football for Minnesota, or what Percy Harvin was able to do for Seattle in their Sept. 4 season opener against Green Bay.

But it was a start.

“Obviously, we want to get him touches,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday. “It’s an easy way to get him a touch, certainly, to just hand him the ball. When the game got to where it went, it wasn’t something we were able to do the whole time.”

When Patterson’s 67-yard touchdown run out of the backfield gave Minnesota a 20-3 lead late in the third quarter, the Rams had to junk their game plan. To wit, 23 of their 27 plays after that were called pass plays.

“This week, there’ll be more of the same,” Schottenheimer said. “We’ll keep giving him touches, getting him the ball. The more spots we can put him, the better off we’ll be.”

Whether the Rams use Austin much in the backfield or not, as the season progresses it’s something opposing teams will have to prepare for — which obviously prevents them from preparing as much in other areas.

“No doubt, no doubt,” Schottenheimer said. “When he’s in there, obviously they’re all on alert, so we can use him a lot of different ways.”

Austin said the first position he ever played in football was running back, in the Pee Wee league, so lining up there comes naturally.

“That’s my first love,” Austin said.

Over the course of his college career at West Virginia, Austin gained 1,040 yards rushing on 110 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per carry and scoring six TDs. He was used most extensively during his senior season with the Mountaineers, gaining 652 yards on 73 carries.

Austin lined up only a couple of times in the backfield as a rookie last season, but it looks like that will change this year.

“If that’s what happens, I can just go with it,” Austin said. “When my number’s called, I’ll do anything they want me to do.”

Even if it means running between the tackles at 176 pounds?

“I definitely don’t mind,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s all football. It doesn’t really matter where Coach Schotty lines me up at. I trust him 150 percent.”

And for those complaining about running Austin inside, that’s just part of the Austin package. The Rams aren’t planning to turn him into Mike Alstott.

“There’s quite a bit more,” Schottenheimer said. “Tell the Bucs maybe that’s all we got — that’d be good. No ... we want to use him a lot of different ways. He’s a guy that we know is critical to our success.”

Austin had 11 touches against Minnesota — three on carries, three on receptions, and five on punt returns. Those touches produced only 63 yards, but the Rams are confident bigger days are ahead.

“He was very, very close to going a long way on two punt returns,” Fisher said. “Secure the ball and take off — and trust your blockers. That’ll be another way that obviously we can get some production there.”

RAM-BLINGS

• Hill (thigh) missed practice for the second day in a row, with Davis once again working with the starters. Nickel back Lamarcus Joyner (back) did not practice Thursday.

• The Rams have new practice uniforms this week, featuring a lighter shade of blue. Fisher, sounding strangely like Martha Stewart, said he wanted “to brighten it up.”

• The team officially placed DE Chris Long on the injured reserve/designated for return list. DT Matt Conrath was promoted to Long’s spot from the practice squad. DE Kourtnei Brown, who was with the team in the preseason, was signed to the practice squad.
 

Merlin

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Couple things here...

First, this demonstrates how important it is to get GRob into the game at LG. He may miss the occasional stunt pickup, but this isn't brain surgery, the guy will start to "get it" as he plays more. And in the meantime, he is going to blow guys off the ball and provide Austin, Stacy, and the rest of the backs nice seams when he's next to Jake Long, who is also a very strong run blocker. At this point there is simply nothing more important for this offense than to get a strong running game going. That in and of itself will make it easier on the QBs and will also make teams think twice about using stunts and getting caught with a big seam for the running game. IMO the benefits outweigh the drawbacks given what I have seen from this line without GRob in it.

Second, they need to treat it like an empty backfield when he's back there from a scheme perspective. He's not gonna help block rushers, put him in the pattern on some TE routes like we saw with Faulk. Schotty doesn't have to go far for inspiration, since the old GSoT offense provides everything he needs to see for clues on how to use a RB like him. While Tavon isn't anywhere near the running back Faulk was, he actually is a huge mismatch on just about anyone in man coverage; a safety shadowing him is in for a long day if the guy is used correctly. In the passing game i.e. those routes the guy could be a huge benefit to this offense.

Only question is whether Schotty can get these guys to execute, from the QB to the blocks. But if they do, Tavon's skills are gonna play.
 

jjab360

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If he can come anything close to looking like this, I'd like to see a heck of a lot more of it

 

GreenMays

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On the Rams’ fourth series, Austin took a handoff off left tackle, then bounced outside for a five-yard gain and a first down. He was close to turning the play into a larger gain.

Pettis completely missed his block on this play and his defender forced Tavon inside. Poor blocking was a major factor on all 4 of the running plays mentioned with Tavon in the backfield. Especially when you compare them to how well Minnesota blocked outside on Patterson's TD.

wk1-tavon-pettis.jpg
 

cracengl

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On the Rams’ fourth series, Austin took a handoff off left tackle, then bounced outside for a five-yard gain and a first down. He was close to turning the play into a larger gain.

Pettis completely missed his block on this play and his defender forced Tavon inside. Poor blocking was a major factor on all 4 of the running plays mentioned with Tavon in the backfield. Especially when you compare them to how well Minnesota blocked outside on Patterson's TD.

View attachment 3093

That's what frustrated me about that game. On too many plays, they either missed blocks, or they were in position and just couldn't hold them long enough to make a difference.
 

DCH

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Which is weird. Pettis and Quick are pretty damned good blockers.
 

CGI_Ram

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Austin wasn't successful out of the backfield; but I credit Schotty for trying.

Let's keep trying, because it will work.

Get this man involved!
 

Speeps

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On the Rams’ fourth series, Austin took a handoff off left tackle, then bounced outside for a five-yard gain and a first down. He was close to turning the play into a larger gain.

Pettis completely missed his block on this play and his defender forced Tavon inside. Poor blocking was a major factor on all 4 of the running plays mentioned with Tavon in the backfield. Especially when you compare them to how well Minnesota blocked outside on Patterson's TD.

View attachment 3093
Don't forget all the tackles the Rams missed ;)