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Rapid Reaction: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11652/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-14
TAMPA, Fla. -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 19-17 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
What it means: It wasn't pretty but it's probably unwise to expect any victories the Rams get this year to be all that aesthetically pleasing and, after last week's debacle, they'll take them any way they can get them. The Rams got a stirring performance from young quarterback Austin Davis, who engineered a game-winning drive that started from his 9-yard line, and found a way to steal a win on the road late. On a strange day, it was only fitting for the game to end in a strange way as Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans stayed down on the field after a catch that would have had the Bucs in field goal range. With no timeouts, the 10-second run off ended the game and evened the Rams record at 1-1 in 2014.
Stock watch: Up -- The offensive line -- It was a rough debut last week against Minnesota for the Rams' front five but they bounced back with a better effort against Tampa Bay on Sunday. Granted, the Bucs were without their starting defensive ends and lost star tackle Gerald McCoy in the first half, but that means the Rams should have controlled the line of scrimmage. And for the most part, they did. The Rams finished with 119 yards on the ground and allowed two sacks. That's not great but it's better than week 1.
Special deliveries: Rams safety T.J. McDonald came up with a pair of big plays on special teams to keep the Rams in the game. He blocked a punt in the second quarter to give the Rams the ball at Tampa Bay's 28, which eventually led to kicker Greg Zuerlein's 36-yard field goal. He later followed up with a blocked field goal in the fourth quarter to keep the Rams within one. The offense again converted it into points with Zuerlein's 46-yard field goal to give the Rams a late 17-16 lead.
Game ball: Quarterback Austin Davis -- Nearly every step along the way was contested, including a delay of nearly an hour in the middle of the second quarter, but Davis seemed completely unfazed by the various things working against him. He hung tough in the pocket when pressure came and didn't offer any glaring mistakes. He finished 22-of-29 for 235 yards but most important had no turnovers and delivered time and again in important situations.
What's next: The Rams return home to take on the Dallas Cowboys with a chance to head to the bye week with a winning record.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11652/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-14
TAMPA, Fla. -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 19-17 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
What it means: It wasn't pretty but it's probably unwise to expect any victories the Rams get this year to be all that aesthetically pleasing and, after last week's debacle, they'll take them any way they can get them. The Rams got a stirring performance from young quarterback Austin Davis, who engineered a game-winning drive that started from his 9-yard line, and found a way to steal a win on the road late. On a strange day, it was only fitting for the game to end in a strange way as Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans stayed down on the field after a catch that would have had the Bucs in field goal range. With no timeouts, the 10-second run off ended the game and evened the Rams record at 1-1 in 2014.
Stock watch: Up -- The offensive line -- It was a rough debut last week against Minnesota for the Rams' front five but they bounced back with a better effort against Tampa Bay on Sunday. Granted, the Bucs were without their starting defensive ends and lost star tackle Gerald McCoy in the first half, but that means the Rams should have controlled the line of scrimmage. And for the most part, they did. The Rams finished with 119 yards on the ground and allowed two sacks. That's not great but it's better than week 1.
Special deliveries: Rams safety T.J. McDonald came up with a pair of big plays on special teams to keep the Rams in the game. He blocked a punt in the second quarter to give the Rams the ball at Tampa Bay's 28, which eventually led to kicker Greg Zuerlein's 36-yard field goal. He later followed up with a blocked field goal in the fourth quarter to keep the Rams within one. The offense again converted it into points with Zuerlein's 46-yard field goal to give the Rams a late 17-16 lead.
Game ball: Quarterback Austin Davis -- Nearly every step along the way was contested, including a delay of nearly an hour in the middle of the second quarter, but Davis seemed completely unfazed by the various things working against him. He hung tough in the pocket when pressure came and didn't offer any glaring mistakes. He finished 22-of-29 for 235 yards but most important had no turnovers and delivered time and again in important situations.
What's next: The Rams return home to take on the Dallas Cowboys with a chance to head to the bye week with a winning record.