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Rapid Reaction: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14827/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-27
ST. LOUIS -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 37-27 loss to the New York Giants at the Edward Jones Dome.
What it means: The Rams will now have one more chance to reach seven wins for the third consecutive season under coach Jeff Fisher. Not that seven wins should be some sort of benchmark, but a chance to get to eight would have at least offered something close to tangible progress. That will be even more difficult to come by, considering they finish the season with a trip to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks. Sunday's game would show there's little chance of such an upset. A Rams defense that had been dominant for much of the second half of the season was picked apart by Giants quarterback Eli Manning & Co. Meanwhile, the Rams offense simply isn't good enough to cover a clunker from the defense. This came despite 10 days to prepare. At 6-9, the Rams face the real possibility of finishing with a worse record than in either of Fisher's first two seasons.
Stock watch: Down -- Rams defense. Sooner or later, the Rams defense figured to end its recent run of dominance. After 12-plus quarters with the Rams' not allowing a touchdown, Manning and the Giants thoroughly dominated a defense that was unable to create pressure and allowed big plays that led directly to points. The Rams even offered a signature busted coverage on Odell Beckham Jr.'s 80-yard touchdown -- something that was a regular occurrence earlier in the season but hadn't happened in a while. Overall, they surrendered 514 yards of offense, the most by a Rams defense since Fisher arrived in 2012.
Getting chippy: For two teams that rarely play each other, the Rams and Giants seemed to have plenty of animosity. Beckham, in particular, seemed a favorite Rams target, as safety T.J. McDonald and linebacker Alec Ogletree picked up taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after Beckham touches. Ogletree's late hit manifested into a big second-quarter brawl. Giants defensive end Damontre Moore, receiver Preston Parker and Rams defensive end William Hayes were ejected for their roles in the skirmish. Even former Rams kicker Josh Brown picked up an unnecessary roughness penalty in the first quarter. By the time all was said and done, the Giants and Rams accounted for 21 penalties for 225 yards.
Game ball: WR Kenny Britt -- Not many Rams were worthy Sunday, but Britt at least showed up and reminded why the Rams should make retaining him an offseason priority. He finished with nine catches for 103 yards and provided a good block on the perimeter to spring running back Tre Mason on his 10-yard touchdown run.
What's next: The Rams wrap up their 2014 with another season-ending trip to take on the Seattle Seahawks.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14827/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-27
ST. LOUIS -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 37-27 loss to the New York Giants at the Edward Jones Dome.
What it means: The Rams will now have one more chance to reach seven wins for the third consecutive season under coach Jeff Fisher. Not that seven wins should be some sort of benchmark, but a chance to get to eight would have at least offered something close to tangible progress. That will be even more difficult to come by, considering they finish the season with a trip to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks. Sunday's game would show there's little chance of such an upset. A Rams defense that had been dominant for much of the second half of the season was picked apart by Giants quarterback Eli Manning & Co. Meanwhile, the Rams offense simply isn't good enough to cover a clunker from the defense. This came despite 10 days to prepare. At 6-9, the Rams face the real possibility of finishing with a worse record than in either of Fisher's first two seasons.
Stock watch: Down -- Rams defense. Sooner or later, the Rams defense figured to end its recent run of dominance. After 12-plus quarters with the Rams' not allowing a touchdown, Manning and the Giants thoroughly dominated a defense that was unable to create pressure and allowed big plays that led directly to points. The Rams even offered a signature busted coverage on Odell Beckham Jr.'s 80-yard touchdown -- something that was a regular occurrence earlier in the season but hadn't happened in a while. Overall, they surrendered 514 yards of offense, the most by a Rams defense since Fisher arrived in 2012.
Getting chippy: For two teams that rarely play each other, the Rams and Giants seemed to have plenty of animosity. Beckham, in particular, seemed a favorite Rams target, as safety T.J. McDonald and linebacker Alec Ogletree picked up taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after Beckham touches. Ogletree's late hit manifested into a big second-quarter brawl. Giants defensive end Damontre Moore, receiver Preston Parker and Rams defensive end William Hayes were ejected for their roles in the skirmish. Even former Rams kicker Josh Brown picked up an unnecessary roughness penalty in the first quarter. By the time all was said and done, the Giants and Rams accounted for 21 penalties for 225 yards.
Game ball: WR Kenny Britt -- Not many Rams were worthy Sunday, but Britt at least showed up and reminded why the Rams should make retaining him an offseason priority. He finished with nine catches for 103 yards and provided a good block on the perimeter to spring running back Tre Mason on his 10-yard touchdown run.
What's next: The Rams wrap up their 2014 with another season-ending trip to take on the Seattle Seahawks.
