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Rapid Reaction: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12310/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-16
PHILADELPHIA -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 34-28 loss Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
What it means: For a team coming off a bye week, the Rams looked wholly unprepared and undisciplined for most of the game. The undisciplined part should be no surprise since it's become commonplace to see the Rams stockpile silly penalties and bust coverages. The unprepared part should be more of a concern. They get credit for making it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter but they shouldn't have dug themselves a 34-7 hole in the first place. That deficit was the result of many self-inflicted mistakes which were ultimately too much to overcome. At 1-3, the Rams now head into the teeth of a difficult schedule.
Stock watch: Down -- The offensive line. The Rams' starting five had been trending up in the couple of weeks before the bye but Sunday was an obvious regression. The Rams gave up four sacks, including one by left tackle Jake Long that turned into an Austin Davis fumble and an Eagles touchdown that essentially sealed the game for Philadelphia. And yet, No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson still can't get on the field.
Confusion reigns: The Rams offered no shortage of head-scratching moments in this one whether it was play calling, miscommunication or a combination of the two. In one third-quarter sequence, the Rams moved into Philadelphia territory powered by the rushing attack before coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called three consecutive passes. Each fell incomplete and a promising drive died at the Eagles' 44. Later, the Eagles got an easy touchdown on a coverage breakdown between cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and safety Rodney McLeod, the second time in as many games McLeod has been involved in a busted coverage resulting in a touchdown. To complete the trifecta, the Rams' special teams offered its share of mistakes too, none bigger than the blocked punt that ended in a touchdown just 23 seconds into the game.
Game ball: CB E.J. Gaines. Although Davis was deserving of getting this for the third straight game, we'll go with the rookie cornerback who acquitted himself well for most of the day. He recovered a fumble and provided textbook coverage on a deep ball for his first career interception in the first half. Beyond that, he offered solid tackling with four stops and two passes defended on the day.
What's next: The Rams dive into NFC West play for the first time next week, hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football followed by a short week before hosting the Seattle Seahawks. It's only getting tougher from here.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12310/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-16
PHILADELPHIA -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 34-28 loss Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
What it means: For a team coming off a bye week, the Rams looked wholly unprepared and undisciplined for most of the game. The undisciplined part should be no surprise since it's become commonplace to see the Rams stockpile silly penalties and bust coverages. The unprepared part should be more of a concern. They get credit for making it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter but they shouldn't have dug themselves a 34-7 hole in the first place. That deficit was the result of many self-inflicted mistakes which were ultimately too much to overcome. At 1-3, the Rams now head into the teeth of a difficult schedule.
Stock watch: Down -- The offensive line. The Rams' starting five had been trending up in the couple of weeks before the bye but Sunday was an obvious regression. The Rams gave up four sacks, including one by left tackle Jake Long that turned into an Austin Davis fumble and an Eagles touchdown that essentially sealed the game for Philadelphia. And yet, No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson still can't get on the field.
Confusion reigns: The Rams offered no shortage of head-scratching moments in this one whether it was play calling, miscommunication or a combination of the two. In one third-quarter sequence, the Rams moved into Philadelphia territory powered by the rushing attack before coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called three consecutive passes. Each fell incomplete and a promising drive died at the Eagles' 44. Later, the Eagles got an easy touchdown on a coverage breakdown between cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and safety Rodney McLeod, the second time in as many games McLeod has been involved in a busted coverage resulting in a touchdown. To complete the trifecta, the Rams' special teams offered its share of mistakes too, none bigger than the blocked punt that ended in a touchdown just 23 seconds into the game.
Game ball: CB E.J. Gaines. Although Davis was deserving of getting this for the third straight game, we'll go with the rookie cornerback who acquitted himself well for most of the day. He recovered a fumble and provided textbook coverage on a deep ball for his first career interception in the first half. Beyond that, he offered solid tackling with four stops and two passes defended on the day.
What's next: The Rams dive into NFC West play for the first time next week, hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football followed by a short week before hosting the Seattle Seahawks. It's only getting tougher from here.