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Young Rams offer production and potential in blowout win
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...offer-production-and-potential-in-blowout-win
ST. LOUIS -- On the St. Louis Rams' unofficial depth chart, Zac Stacy is still listed as the starting running back. It's a spot he has occupied all season but in name only for the better part of the past six weeks.
But before Sunday's 52-0 thrashing of the Oakland Raiders, the Rams finally conceded what everyone else already knew when they announced Tre Mason as the starting running back in a pregame lineup change. But the real takeaway from this win wasn't so much Mason's designation as the current starter so much as it was a performance that should cement him in that role for the long haul.
For 60 minutes, Mason ran through, around, over and past Raiders on his way to the best performance of his young career. By the time he was through, Mason had 117 yards on 14 carries, 47 more receiving yards on three catches and three touchdowns.
Before the game, Mason told his teammates he was going to have a big day and the team could go out and score 50-plus points. Both predictions came true though before you nominate Mason to take over for Ms. Cleo, it should be noted that Mason makes similar claims on a weekly basis.
"Tre says everything during the week," receiver Tavon Austin said. "He says so much you never know what he’s saying."
None of Mason's touches offered a better glimpse of Mason's burgeoning combination of ability to produce now and serve as an offensive mainstay for the foreseeable future than his 89-yard second quarter touchdown run. The score was the second longest run in Rams history and the longest since an 85-yard scamper by Eric Dickerson against the New York Jets on Sept. 25, 1983.
"I saw my man big [tight end/fullback] Cory Harkey, he came through the hole with me and when I see both of us through the hole, that’s a pretty big hole," Mason said. "It was two on one then Tavon used his 4.25, eighth overall [draft pick] speed and cut off the last guy."
It was the type of play that put six on the board immediately but also teased a bright future beyond the man toting the ball. Austin is in his second year and added a touchdown run of his own before escorting Mason to the end zone. Harkey is in his third season and threw a perfect block downfield to spring Mason before later catching a 4-yard touchdown.
And it wasn't just Mason who provided the offensive fireworks as the Rams surged to five touchdowns on their first five possessions and a 52-point win that was the second largest in franchise history.
Second-year receiver Stedman Bailey provided veteran quarterback Shaun Hill with a reliable target, catching five passes for 100 yards, all in the first half. It was the second week in a row in which Bailey set a career high in receiving yards after he posted seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown against San Diego last week.
"Week in and week out, I'm just preparing hard and working my butt off throughout the week, doing all the little things to make sure I can come out and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way," Bailey said. "I definitely expect greatness. Sometimes opportunities are limited but when my number is called, I want to be there to make the catch."
Naturally, the easy assumption is the Rams just beat up on a poor Oakland team. And while there's a bit of truth to that, the Raiders defense had been a mostly middling group -- ranked 18th in total defense, 12th in pass defense and ninth in red zone defense. So while there are certainly opportunities to score against them, it's not like Oakland had been hemorrhaging yards and points. The real problem for the Raiders is on the other side of the ball where constant turnovers continue to lead to points.
Even if the assumption is the Raiders' defense is that poor, it's not like the Rams' offense had been much better. Since a Week 8 trip to Kansas City, the Rams' offense ranked last in the league in yards per game at 258.2.
So while there's an appropriate amount of salt to be taken with the team's offensive outburst, there's certainly some confidence to be found looking ahead. By the looks of things, the Rams have young offensive talent to work with beyond this season even if quarterback remains the team's most pressing question.
But for whoever lines up under center in 2015, there is solace to be found in the idea that the cupboard isn't bare. For proof, look no further than the Rams' unofficially official starting running back.
"I told myself coming in the league to be the best, to be the greatest," Mason said. "And I’m trying to do it."
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...offer-production-and-potential-in-blowout-win
ST. LOUIS -- On the St. Louis Rams' unofficial depth chart, Zac Stacy is still listed as the starting running back. It's a spot he has occupied all season but in name only for the better part of the past six weeks.
But before Sunday's 52-0 thrashing of the Oakland Raiders, the Rams finally conceded what everyone else already knew when they announced Tre Mason as the starting running back in a pregame lineup change. But the real takeaway from this win wasn't so much Mason's designation as the current starter so much as it was a performance that should cement him in that role for the long haul.
For 60 minutes, Mason ran through, around, over and past Raiders on his way to the best performance of his young career. By the time he was through, Mason had 117 yards on 14 carries, 47 more receiving yards on three catches and three touchdowns.
Before the game, Mason told his teammates he was going to have a big day and the team could go out and score 50-plus points. Both predictions came true though before you nominate Mason to take over for Ms. Cleo, it should be noted that Mason makes similar claims on a weekly basis.
"Tre says everything during the week," receiver Tavon Austin said. "He says so much you never know what he’s saying."
None of Mason's touches offered a better glimpse of Mason's burgeoning combination of ability to produce now and serve as an offensive mainstay for the foreseeable future than his 89-yard second quarter touchdown run. The score was the second longest run in Rams history and the longest since an 85-yard scamper by Eric Dickerson against the New York Jets on Sept. 25, 1983.
"I saw my man big [tight end/fullback] Cory Harkey, he came through the hole with me and when I see both of us through the hole, that’s a pretty big hole," Mason said. "It was two on one then Tavon used his 4.25, eighth overall [draft pick] speed and cut off the last guy."
It was the type of play that put six on the board immediately but also teased a bright future beyond the man toting the ball. Austin is in his second year and added a touchdown run of his own before escorting Mason to the end zone. Harkey is in his third season and threw a perfect block downfield to spring Mason before later catching a 4-yard touchdown.
And it wasn't just Mason who provided the offensive fireworks as the Rams surged to five touchdowns on their first five possessions and a 52-point win that was the second largest in franchise history.
Second-year receiver Stedman Bailey provided veteran quarterback Shaun Hill with a reliable target, catching five passes for 100 yards, all in the first half. It was the second week in a row in which Bailey set a career high in receiving yards after he posted seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown against San Diego last week.
"Week in and week out, I'm just preparing hard and working my butt off throughout the week, doing all the little things to make sure I can come out and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way," Bailey said. "I definitely expect greatness. Sometimes opportunities are limited but when my number is called, I want to be there to make the catch."
Naturally, the easy assumption is the Rams just beat up on a poor Oakland team. And while there's a bit of truth to that, the Raiders defense had been a mostly middling group -- ranked 18th in total defense, 12th in pass defense and ninth in red zone defense. So while there are certainly opportunities to score against them, it's not like Oakland had been hemorrhaging yards and points. The real problem for the Raiders is on the other side of the ball where constant turnovers continue to lead to points.
Even if the assumption is the Raiders' defense is that poor, it's not like the Rams' offense had been much better. Since a Week 8 trip to Kansas City, the Rams' offense ranked last in the league in yards per game at 258.2.
So while there's an appropriate amount of salt to be taken with the team's offensive outburst, there's certainly some confidence to be found looking ahead. By the looks of things, the Rams have young offensive talent to work with beyond this season even if quarterback remains the team's most pressing question.
But for whoever lines up under center in 2015, there is solace to be found in the idea that the cupboard isn't bare. For proof, look no further than the Rams' unofficially official starting running back.
"I told myself coming in the league to be the best, to be the greatest," Mason said. "And I’m trying to do it."
