RamView, September 30, 2012, Game #4: Rams 19, Seahawks 13, by Mike Franke
RamView, September 30, 2012
From Row HH
(Report and opinions from the game.)
Game #4: Rams 19, Seahawks 13
The 2012 Rams keep finding ways to win at home, getting unlikely contributions from across the roster, doing just enough on defense, and scoring all 19 points on special teams to match last year's win total before October even starts. What a big, big difference good coaching makes.
Position by position:
* Special teams: Andrew Luck, RG3, whatever. The rookie of the year is Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein, who has already become one of the NFL's most reliable offensive weapons. Zuerlein put the Rams on the board with a 58-yard FG blast that had enough steam to hit the net. That was a team record, for maybe half an hour. The Rams more than likely won this game in the last 2:00 of the first half. Lining up for a gimme FG from the 2, former high school QB Johnny Hekker takes the snap at holder, stands up and fires a pretty pass to Danny Amendola, putting the Rams up 10-7 with the very play that 49ers special teams coach Brad Seely had used to burn the previous two Rams coaching regimes. The Rams even got the ball back with enough time for Zuerlein to drill a 48-yarder at the half-time gun. At that point, the Rams' special teams were clearly in Seahawks coach Pete Carroll's head, and he decided to try an onside kick to start the second half. That would have fooled every Rams special teams unit since about 1999, but here, Trumaine Johnson made a play on the ball in a crowd of white jerseys, and Josh Hull covered it up. Since that was as good as a turnover, Jeff Fisher used the opportunity to send Zuerlein back out for a what-the-heck 60-yard effort, and the kid hit that one, too, just clearing the bar for a new team record. Special teams weren't perfect; Leon Washington followed that kick with a 70-yard return, but who slowed him up enough to allow TruJo to save a TD? That's right, Zuerlein. And the Rams got too fancy on a later return, with a reverse handoff from Danny Amendola to Chris Givens that Amendola should have just kept. Instead the Rams got pinned at their own 5. Zuerlein, though, later tacked on a chippie to culminate a 7-minute drive and put Seattle down 6. The rookie is a clear difference maker, scoring probably 9 points last year's team wouldn't have, and giving the Rams a significant advantage in field position they wouldn't have had last year. Zuerlein for MVP!
full transcript: http://www.nflfans.com/rams2/article.ph ... 2070114107
RamView, September 30, 2012
From Row HH
(Report and opinions from the game.)
Game #4: Rams 19, Seahawks 13
The 2012 Rams keep finding ways to win at home, getting unlikely contributions from across the roster, doing just enough on defense, and scoring all 19 points on special teams to match last year's win total before October even starts. What a big, big difference good coaching makes.
Position by position:
* Special teams: Andrew Luck, RG3, whatever. The rookie of the year is Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein, who has already become one of the NFL's most reliable offensive weapons. Zuerlein put the Rams on the board with a 58-yard FG blast that had enough steam to hit the net. That was a team record, for maybe half an hour. The Rams more than likely won this game in the last 2:00 of the first half. Lining up for a gimme FG from the 2, former high school QB Johnny Hekker takes the snap at holder, stands up and fires a pretty pass to Danny Amendola, putting the Rams up 10-7 with the very play that 49ers special teams coach Brad Seely had used to burn the previous two Rams coaching regimes. The Rams even got the ball back with enough time for Zuerlein to drill a 48-yarder at the half-time gun. At that point, the Rams' special teams were clearly in Seahawks coach Pete Carroll's head, and he decided to try an onside kick to start the second half. That would have fooled every Rams special teams unit since about 1999, but here, Trumaine Johnson made a play on the ball in a crowd of white jerseys, and Josh Hull covered it up. Since that was as good as a turnover, Jeff Fisher used the opportunity to send Zuerlein back out for a what-the-heck 60-yard effort, and the kid hit that one, too, just clearing the bar for a new team record. Special teams weren't perfect; Leon Washington followed that kick with a 70-yard return, but who slowed him up enough to allow TruJo to save a TD? That's right, Zuerlein. And the Rams got too fancy on a later return, with a reverse handoff from Danny Amendola to Chris Givens that Amendola should have just kept. Instead the Rams got pinned at their own 5. Zuerlein, though, later tacked on a chippie to culminate a 7-minute drive and put Seattle down 6. The rookie is a clear difference maker, scoring probably 9 points last year's team wouldn't have, and giving the Rams a significant advantage in field position they wouldn't have had last year. Zuerlein for MVP!
full transcript: http://www.nflfans.com/rams2/article.ph ... 2070114107