http://www.packers.com/news-and-eve...ine-Rams/956968d7-4dc7-43e7-ae45-01cfcfb16fab
Young, emerging stars define Rams
Posted Oct 9, 2015
Vic Ketchmanpackers.com editor
Defensive front is strength of St. Louis team
GREEN BAY – A team with young, emerging stars will attempt to hand the Packers their first loss of the season, and do something no team other than the Packers has done since 2013: win at Lambeau Field.
“I just do my job in the game I love,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald told Packers media this week.
Donald is one of the Rams’ young stars. He was last year’s defensive rookie of the year and he leads the Rams this season with 3.5 sacks. He is joined in the Rams’ rush most prominently by defensive end Robert Quinn, three sacks.
“You always have to be aware of 99 (Donald) and 94 (Quinn),” Packers Associate Head Coach and play-caller Tom Clements said. “Their front is their strength. They’re a pressure-oriented team.”
Packers interior offensive linemen
Corey Linsley
,
Josh Sitton and
T.J. Lang will be responsible for containing Donald; left tackle
David Bakhtiari will be assigned to Quinn.
“The thing about their whole front is they’re very athletic. You have to be in tune with your fundamentals, your body angles, or they can make you look foolish,” Offensive Line Coach James Campen said.
“It’s a disruptive front. They’re very explosive. Even Michael Brockers, he’s lost weight to be quicker.”
On offense, rookie running back Todd Gurley and 2013 eighth overall draft pick Tavon Austin are the emerging stars. Gurley was drafted in the first round though he was coming off knee reconstruction late last fall.
“He’s a big, strong, physical runner,” Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers said of Gurley. “You don’t want him to get started downhill. If he can get his shoulders turned on you, he’ll get better in the downs. He’s one of those pounders and he’s got the speed to make the big play.”
Gurley had his breakout game last Sunday in Arizona, rushing for 146 yards, including a 52-yard run. Austin, a WR/PR, returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown in the season-opening win over Seattle.
“He’s one of those jitterbug guys,” Capers said of Austin. “In space, he’s probably as good as anybody we’ve played to this point. They’ll use him as a running back. There’s a reason why he was a high pick.”
Nick Foles is the Rams’ quarterback. The Rams traded Sam Bradford to the Eagles for Foles.
“There was some interest out there for Sam. Sam has won games, but Sam has been injured the last couple of years, and we just felt the opportunity to get Nick, and the deal itself, was good for us,” Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher explained.
“Nick is young. We liked the poise and the huddle presence. We heard great things about leadership qualities. Some of that paid off for us last week. It showed. He made the plays we needed to make.”
Packers Special Teams Coordinator Ron Zook is aware of Fisher’s penchant for special teams trick plays.
“This week, you’ll probably get a deceptive or two. You can’t play scared. You have to know personnel. A lot of communication has to go on,” Zook said.
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Where is Tre Mason in all this? As I remember he was a very effective player last season. Is he injured?
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Big deal. We are a team of young emerging stars too. Who do they think they are? !
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Bakhtiari will again be tested. Just hope he can keep the holding calls to a minimum.
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Sunday is going to be fun!
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As long as Monday is fun too.
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http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2...ne-play-could-determine-who-wins-in-week-five
Rams-Packers Preview: Line play could determine who wins in week five
By
Adam Kriesel
@adamkriesel
The Packers have already beaten the Seahawks and 49ers...now they look to do the same against the Rams.
Don't let the record fool you. At 2-2, the
Rams are as dangerous as any team right now in the NFC. After handing Arizona their first loss of the season last week, St. Louis will look to do the same thing to Green Bay on Sunday.
Promising rookie
Todd Gurley had his coming out party last week to the tune of 146 rushing yards and could play a key role and will likely have a say in who wins this weekend. Containing him, as well as establishing their own run game, will be some of the things to keep an eye on for Green Bay.
When looking at all the different aspects of the game that could have an impact, the overall play at the line of scrimmage could ultimately determine who wins. First off, the Rams offense is built for the run and now have their top option, Gurley, fully healthy. This looks to be an issue when considering the
Packers rank 23rd against the rush.
That stat is misleading though, in the fact that the defense held both
Marshawn Lynch and
Jamaal Charles to under 50 yards apiece in previous weeks. The numbers are inflated largely due to the quarterbacks they have faced so far.
Russell Wilson and
Colin Kaepernick both found success with their legs, but
Nick Foles does not pose the same threat. The Rams are at their best when they have an effective run game to help control the time of possession and keep the opposing offense on the sideline.
On the other side of the ball, St. Louis sports one of the best defensive lines in the game, led by second-year star
Aaron Donald in the middle. All four starters - Donald,
Chris Long and
Robert Quinn on the ends, and
Michael Brockers inside - are former first round picks. On top of that, this team signed
Nick Fairley, a first round pick by Detroit, in the offseason.
This provides an excellent four-man pass rush, proven by the fact they are tied for second with the Packers in total team sacks. Green Bay has missed injured right tackle
Bryan Bulaga in their last three games and has struggled to keep
Aaron Rodgers comfortable. Bulaga's status has been upgraded to questionable leading up to the game and many, including himself, expect to see him play.
The Packers may be favorites, but this game will be anything but guaranteed if the Rams control the line of scrimmage. It could be a long day for the home team if Gurley dominates and the defense can keep Rodgers from finding his rhythm. As the old-school football theory goes, games are won and lost in the trenches.
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Yeah, sure
The team that held Marshawn Lynch to 41 yards, Jamaal Charles to 49, and Carlos Hyde to 20 yards has to worry about Todd Gurley. And Gurley doesn’t even have the benefit of a dual-threat QB, or even a very quick scrambling QB. Heck, Foles has 21 yards on 7 rushes so far this season. Their rushing attack is Gurley or bust. I don’t know the Rams and Foles well enough to know how good their Play Action is, but if it hasn’t been slammed down my throat by the pundits, it must be average at best.
Could Gurley have a 151 yard day? I guess anything’s possible, but it sure isn’t highly probable.
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I agree
But let’s look at it this way. I am more concerned about the Ram’s run game than passing game. Gurley is not near the threat of Lynch or Charles, but he is their best bet to find success. Eliminate the run and Green Bay’s pass rushers can pin their ears back and continue doing what they’ve been doing. Rams need to run it effectively if want a shot at winning, and Gurley is their top option.
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Thats fair
Removing Chicago from the discussion, given what Forte did to us, you could say that of the other three teams, two of them were able to at least be optimistic of success abandoning a malfunctioning run attack in favor of a throwing affair (the exception being the abysmal showing on both fronts by SF).
The Rams are far less likely to drop the run attack even if we have success against it early. What we need is for the O to keep holding the ball as long as they have been holding it to blow the TOP battle out of the water and keep our D fresh. I know that saying "If we win TOP we win the game" is about as basic as saying we win if we score more points than them, but it really is key against these surprising Rams than any of our other opponents thus far.
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Well, if that is the case, this should be a BLOWOUT.
The Packers are 5th in the NFL in time of possession.
The Rams? They are 31st.
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The rams live and die on their pass rush, and Tavon Austin.
And trick plays… defeat those three things, you beat the rams.
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I dunno about that list
Tavon Austin has been so incredibly boom or bust that I dont see Fischer relying on him to the extent you suggest. Fischer has alwasy been a run-it-first man, not a roll-the-dice-er. Though his love of trick plays is definitely proven, so perhaps there is something there. I guess we will see in 24 hours, when the game is winding down.
