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W2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10992/w2w4-st-louis-rams-4
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins meet in Week 4 of the preseason Thursday night at Sun Life Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. Here are three things to watch for from the Rams' end:
1. Replacing Johnson: Projected starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson was among the five Rams starters suffering injuries in the first half last week against Cleveland, and though it looked brutal when it happened, it wasn't as bad as feared. Johnson has a sprained MCL in his knee and is expected to miss four to six weeks. That's not good news for a young and thin cornerback group but it's better than what was expected when he left on a cart. But now the Rams must not only figure out the remaining depth at the position, a battle that should include Marcus Roberson, Greg Reid and Darren Woodard, but also who will start opposite Johnson. They'd prefer to keep rookie Lamarcus Joyner as the primary nickelback, leaving rookie E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee to battle for the spot. McGee has been dealing with an ankle injury and didn't practice Tuesday, which could mean Gaines gets the first shot to step in for Johnson. Either way, it's a good opportunity for all of the young corners to make a statement on where they belong in the pecking order.
2. Time for starters: In each of the other three preseason games, coach Jeff Fisher has been pretty open about how much playing time his starters will get in the week leading up to the game. Not this week. Fisher was noncommittal about how much work his starters will get against the Dolphins other than to say some will play more than others. With some players working back into shape off injury or battling injuries of their own, there's a line between those that need the work and those that don't. Expect linebacker James Laurinaitis to get some work after sitting the first three games with an ankle injury. As for quarterback Shaun Hill, Fisher wouldn't tip his hand. But it wouldn't surprise to see the Rams play it safe with him. Hill took plenty of reps with the first offense in the first week of preseason against New Orleans and it's probably not worth the risk to give him more than some token snaps.
3. Sam vs. Westbrooks: It's been one of the best battle of training camp and though there are others (potential fourth tight end, fourth running back, sixth linebacker, etc.), this is the one that has seen both players rise to the occasion again and again in the preseason. Ethan Westbrooks probably has the edge going into the game, impressing with his work in practice and games and his ability to play all over the line. But Michael Sam has been productive in games, even if practice hasn't been as good. There's still the outside chance the Rams could keep both but this is the last chance for both to make a strong closing statement.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10992/w2w4-st-louis-rams-4
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins meet in Week 4 of the preseason Thursday night at Sun Life Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. Here are three things to watch for from the Rams' end:
1. Replacing Johnson: Projected starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson was among the five Rams starters suffering injuries in the first half last week against Cleveland, and though it looked brutal when it happened, it wasn't as bad as feared. Johnson has a sprained MCL in his knee and is expected to miss four to six weeks. That's not good news for a young and thin cornerback group but it's better than what was expected when he left on a cart. But now the Rams must not only figure out the remaining depth at the position, a battle that should include Marcus Roberson, Greg Reid and Darren Woodard, but also who will start opposite Johnson. They'd prefer to keep rookie Lamarcus Joyner as the primary nickelback, leaving rookie E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee to battle for the spot. McGee has been dealing with an ankle injury and didn't practice Tuesday, which could mean Gaines gets the first shot to step in for Johnson. Either way, it's a good opportunity for all of the young corners to make a statement on where they belong in the pecking order.
2. Time for starters: In each of the other three preseason games, coach Jeff Fisher has been pretty open about how much playing time his starters will get in the week leading up to the game. Not this week. Fisher was noncommittal about how much work his starters will get against the Dolphins other than to say some will play more than others. With some players working back into shape off injury or battling injuries of their own, there's a line between those that need the work and those that don't. Expect linebacker James Laurinaitis to get some work after sitting the first three games with an ankle injury. As for quarterback Shaun Hill, Fisher wouldn't tip his hand. But it wouldn't surprise to see the Rams play it safe with him. Hill took plenty of reps with the first offense in the first week of preseason against New Orleans and it's probably not worth the risk to give him more than some token snaps.
3. Sam vs. Westbrooks: It's been one of the best battle of training camp and though there are others (potential fourth tight end, fourth running back, sixth linebacker, etc.), this is the one that has seen both players rise to the occasion again and again in the preseason. Ethan Westbrooks probably has the edge going into the game, impressing with his work in practice and games and his ability to play all over the line. But Michael Sam has been productive in games, even if practice hasn't been as good. There's still the outside chance the Rams could keep both but this is the last chance for both to make a strong closing statement.