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Rapid Reaction: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11389/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-13
ST. LOUIS -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 34-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at the Edward Jones Dome.
What it means: Put simply, it could be a really long season in St. Louis. Without starting quarterback Sam Bradford (out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee), the offense sputtered to levels commensurate with some of the team's leanest years in St. Louis. The defense was on the field too much and the penalty issues of the past two years remain. Starting the season with a loss at home to what looked to be a beatable opponent doesn't bode well for a team that faces the league's third-toughest schedule (based on last year's results).
Stock watch: Down -- the offense. Nobody expected fireworks from this group, but for a group that was supposed to provide power running and opportunities to get chunks of yards on play-action, this was about as discouraging a performance as you'll find. Shaun Hill left at halftime with a thigh injury and Austin Davis took over, but neither had much success behind an offensive line offering little protection and a run game mostly stuck in the mud. This unit finished with 318 yards, most of which came in garbage time.
Quarterback quandary: Hill got off to a good start with a 23-yard completion on the first offensive play of the game, but it got no better from there. His interception to Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson at the end of the first half was abysmal, and it allowed the Vikings to score the game's first touchdown. That 13-0 halftime hole was far too much to overcome with or without Hill, who was replaced by Davis. Davis got some game experience and managed some completions with the game out of hand but had nothing more than a pair of field goals to show for it.
Game ball: Receiver Brian Quick. Pickings were incredibly slim here anyway, regardless of which side of the ball you look at. But he was the lone bright spot on the offense, carrying his strong preseason into the opening regular-season game and finishing with seven catches for 99 yards. The third-year wideout at least flashed the promise of better things ahead, which is more than can be said for most of the offense.
What's next: Things don't get much easier for the Rams next week as they travel to what should be a hot and humid Tampa, Florida, to take on the Bucs.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11389/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-13
ST. LOUIS -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 34-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at the Edward Jones Dome.
What it means: Put simply, it could be a really long season in St. Louis. Without starting quarterback Sam Bradford (out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee), the offense sputtered to levels commensurate with some of the team's leanest years in St. Louis. The defense was on the field too much and the penalty issues of the past two years remain. Starting the season with a loss at home to what looked to be a beatable opponent doesn't bode well for a team that faces the league's third-toughest schedule (based on last year's results).
Stock watch: Down -- the offense. Nobody expected fireworks from this group, but for a group that was supposed to provide power running and opportunities to get chunks of yards on play-action, this was about as discouraging a performance as you'll find. Shaun Hill left at halftime with a thigh injury and Austin Davis took over, but neither had much success behind an offensive line offering little protection and a run game mostly stuck in the mud. This unit finished with 318 yards, most of which came in garbage time.
Quarterback quandary: Hill got off to a good start with a 23-yard completion on the first offensive play of the game, but it got no better from there. His interception to Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson at the end of the first half was abysmal, and it allowed the Vikings to score the game's first touchdown. That 13-0 halftime hole was far too much to overcome with or without Hill, who was replaced by Davis. Davis got some game experience and managed some completions with the game out of hand but had nothing more than a pair of field goals to show for it.
Game ball: Receiver Brian Quick. Pickings were incredibly slim here anyway, regardless of which side of the ball you look at. But he was the lone bright spot on the offense, carrying his strong preseason into the opening regular-season game and finishing with seven catches for 99 yards. The third-year wideout at least flashed the promise of better things ahead, which is more than can be said for most of the offense.
What's next: Things don't get much easier for the Rams next week as they travel to what should be a hot and humid Tampa, Florida, to take on the Bucs.
