http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/17584658/2016-which-2-0-nfl-teams-contenders-pretenders

Eight NFL teams emerged from Week 2 unbeaten, although the Minnesota Vikings probably do not feel like it after seeing quarterback Teddy Bridgewaterget injured in the preseason and running back Adrian Peterson go down in Week 2

We won't schedule parades in September, but the fast starts provide a chance to get an early read on which unbeaten teams pass the "for real" test. Here are my rankings of the 2-0 teams, informed by insights from league insiders:

1. New England Patriots
The Patriots are both the most stable and adaptable team, which makes them the most reliable.

New England can and will win games a variety of ways -- by plan. The Patriots will throw the ball 50 times by design one week and run it 40 times by design another week.

After making winning with Tom Brady appear automatic for years, they won with Jimmy Garoppolo in his place for two weeks. They might have a harder time beating Houston on a short week with rookie third-round pick Jacoby Brissett making his first start. Then again, they might not, because the season's first couple of weeks have only added concrete by the truckload to firm up Belichick's reputation as the NFL's best coach.

"What's changed?" an NFL team executive said. "Win with Brady, win without him. Win with Gronk, win without him. Where will they be in January? Same place they always are -- in the AFC Championship Game with a great shot at winning it all."

2. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were one of the very good teams to make my preseason overrated list, only because I thought it was tough banking on all their key players' availability late in the year. Ben Roethlisberger misses games periodically. Le'Veon Bell carries suspension and injury concerns.

But as a personnel evaluator reminded me, the Steelers came close to beating Denver in the playoffs last season without Bell or receiver Antonio Brownplaying a snap. This season, their defense held both Washington and Cincinnati to 16 points apiece, masking cornerback deficiencies in the process.

Coach Mike Tomlin can be adventuresome in clock management, but he's about as stable as head coaches come. Roethlisberger joined Brady and Aaron Rodgersas the only Tier 1 quarterbacks in my 42-voter league survey this past offseason, which means the Steelers aren't far behind New England when it comes to checking three key boxes: franchise stability, head coach and quarterback.

"The Todd Haley-Mike Tomlin mix lets Ben's playmaking shine -- fourth down, two-point tries, throwing the ball in the four-minute offense, you name it," a veteran defensive coach said. "Their D looks fast and physical, and their pass rush made a pretty good QB [Andy Dalton] look pedestrian."

3. Denver Broncos
The teams above Denver have quarterbacks great enough to lead them back from behind. Trevor Siemian is not yet and might never become that type of player, but if the Broncos' defense keeps playing the way it is playing, Denver might not need his heroics to defend its championship.

"Von Miller is their QB," said a personnel evaluator who placed Denver atop his list, ahead of the Steelers, Patriots, Packers, Ravens, Texans and Giants.

Siemian does have limitations, but he also lets coach Gary Kubiak run his offense the way Kubiak wants to run it -- with the QB under center to maximize the ground game.

"There's no better cocoon for a young QB than playing with the No. 1 defense in the league and a head coach committed to running with complimentary play-action and misdirection pass," a defensive coach said. "Their pass rush is so potent that [DeMarcus] Ware and Miller beat their men and ran into each other, injuring Ware. You can't make this stuff up."

The promise of Denver's running game combined with the dominance of the Broncos' defense equals a familiar winning formula.

"It's the same formula as last season," the personnel evaluator said. "Run the ball, keep it close and your dudes will mess up before ours do. Defense wins championships."

4. Houston Texans
Brock Osweiler has four touchdowns with five interceptions in his last three starts, including his final start with Denver last season. It's not much to go on. The Texans will find out whether they can trust Osweiler with the football in critical moments. They shouldn't need him to carry the offense, but they do have the offensive weaponry to strike for big plays in the passing game.

A healthy and productive Jadeveon Clowney upgrades a defense that ranked fifth in expected points added (EPA) last season.

"Clowney, J.J. Watt and [Whitney] Mercilus are all first-round picks who are rushing the passer at a first-round level," a defensive coach said. "The question is just whether the offense can become cohesive enough over the course of the season."

5. Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson's injury changes everything. What are the Vikings going to do only a couple weeks after trading for Sam Bradford -- trade for the rights to Marshawn Lynch? Bradford was about as good as he could have been in beating Green Bay on Sunday night, but make no mistake, the Vikings will have to win with their defense. They did go 7-9 in 2014 with 12 rookie starts from Teddy Bridgewater and only one game from Peterson.

"How many hits can their offense take?" a veteran coach asked. "They have a strong front office and head coach and are flexible enough to change their approach, but all their victory Sunday night gives them is a slight edge in the division -- for now."

6. New York Giants
You know the narrative. All the Giants have to do is get into the playoffs so that Eli Manning can get on another one of his championship-delivering postseason hot streaks. There were no takers Sunday night.

"They will falter," a personnel evaluator said. "They have too many new pieces."

Those new pieces were good enough for the Giants to edge Dallas when the Cowboys were breaking in a rookie fifth-round draft choice at quarterback. Those pieces were good enough to hold off New Orleans in a bizarre game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. And if you look around the NFC East, who is standing between the Giants and a spot in the playoffs? It's enough for a Giants fan to dream.

"You really have no idea how these teams without the top few quarterbacks are going to do in January," a defensive coach said.

7. Philadelphia Eagles
It's tempting to place the Eagles over the Giants based on Carson Wentz exceeding realistic rookie expectations, but Wentz's propensity for inviting unnecessary punishment places him at high risk for injury. Wentz missed games at North Dakota State. He suffered a broken rib during the NFL preseason. He is going to get hurt again unless he changes his playing style. The Giants, meanwhile, have a QB with 196 consecutive starts, counting playoffs.

8. Baltimore Ravens
Beating Buffalo and Cleveland (after trailing the Browns 20-2) doesn't move the needle much. Winning at Jacksonville this coming week won't either. The season's final month will speak loudly. The Ravens visit New England, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati during a four-week stretch beginning Dec. 12

Louisville's Lamar Jackson has clearly been the most dominant quarterback through the first three weeks of the college football season. I think we can all agree on that one. Who's the most underrated signal-caller in the country? The answer to that question is less obvious. I reached out to five NFL personnel executives to get their opinion on the subject. Here are their answers.

Executive 1: Shane Buechele, Texas
"I know he's just a freshman but the Texas QB is legit. I love his poise, deep-ball touch and overall feel for the game. He carries himself the right way, too."

Executive 2: Davis Webb, Cal
"I really like Webb at Cal. He's got great size, a strong arm and top-shelf intangibles. His footwork is a little raw and he needs to improve his quickness through progressions but he has a lot to work with."

Executive 3: Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech
"I like Falk at Washington State but I'll go with the kid at Texas Tech. He's got a big arm, he's athletic and he has tremendous upside."

Executive 4: Tyler Stewart, Nevada
"Stewart has good size and he's a decent athlete. He's more of a pocket guy. He wasn't a great fit for what they were doing last year. He needs some development but he's worth a pick."

Executive 5: Luke Falk, Washington State
"I think a lot of people sleep on Falk because of the system but I think he's got a real chance to be a starter at the next level. He throws a pretty ball and they rave about his toughness up there. He makes others around him better."

Summary: That's one vote apiece for Buechele, Falk, Mahomes, Stewart and Webb.

Conclusion: I haven't done a lot of tape work on these quarterbacks but I can vouch for Buechele's talent. I watched him live against Notre Dame in Week 1 and I was impressed with his arm talent and poise. He has a bright future. Of the other players mentioned, I'm really intrigued by Webb. Everyone that has been up to Cal has told me he has off-the-charts intangibles and work ethic. I've seen plenty of Mahomes and Falk on TV, and I'm really looking forward to digging into their tape. I don't know much about Stewart. That is a new name for me. He's officially on my list of players to study.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-...impressed-with-new-qb-sam-bradford/394369851/

Hartman: Turner impressed with new Vikings QB Bradford
''He's everything you look for in a quarterback,'' Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner said of Sam Bradford.
By Sid Hartman

Getty Images

Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner talked about the 2010 NFL draft, when Sam Bradford, the team’s new quarterback, was selected first overall by the Rams.

“I think he was a unanimous pick, and I think everyone had him rated there,” said Turner, who was head coach of San Diego in 2010. “I think the big thing was the great arm. You know, the quick release, make all the throws, he was an outstanding player in college.

“We evaluated all the quarterbacks. We weren’t in the market for drafting one that year, but if we would have, we’d have loved to have had him.”

Turner talked about what he has thought of Bradford so far, including his 22-for-31, 286-yard, two-touchdown performance in the victory over Green Bay on Sunday.

“Very impressed,” Turner said. “He’s everything you look for in a quarterback. I think he’s a great passer, and I think he makes great decisions. That combination is what you need in a good quarterback. He can change his delivery, and he can speed up when he needs to.

“He’s got great presence in the pocket. I coached a guy like that for six years in [San Diego’s] Philip Rivers. They play the game differently. They get rid of the ball quick, and they have great pocket presence.”

Although there was some early concern about how quickly Bradford could learn the Vikings system, coming in only one week before the start of the season, Turner said what he’s seen of Bradford put those worries to rest.

“What I see is a guy who’s very experienced,” he said. “He’s been around this league and he knows what it’s about and he knows how to prepare. He can still do it. He finished the last eight games last year and was very impressive.”

Turner also addressed the trade that brought Bradford to the Vikings

“It’s just a really unusual circumstance,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve gotten over the situation we’re in, but it’s unbelievable to have the opportunity to get Sam here.”

The good news for the Vikings is that they still have Shaun Hill as a backup, whom Turner praised.

“He’s just Mr. Steady,” Turner said. “He is so consistent, he’s a pro, he’s been doing this quite a while. I coached him in 2006 in San Francisco, and I’ll tell you, he approached it the same way then, and that’s why he’s had a long career.”

• There was another big endorsement of Bradford by Vikings guard Alex Boone, who made the front page of USA Today with this quote: “That dude is one tough [expletive]. There was a couple times he got hit — I thought he was dead. He wasn’t moving, so I had to pick him up. I’m like, ‘Sam, don’t be dead.’ ”
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ord-everything-you-look-for-in-a-quarterback/

Norv Turner: Sam Bradford everything you look for in a quarterback
Posted by Josh Alper on September 22, 2016

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMHqVh-HHvQ


The Vikings have had no shortage of bad news on offense this year.

It started with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s knee injury and continued this week with running back Adrian Peterson’s torn meniscus and left tackle Matt Kalil heading to injured reserve because of a hip problem. One place where the news has been better is with quarterback Sam Bradford.

Acquired just before the start of the regular season in a trade, Bradford made his Vikings debut last Sunday with a strong game against the Packers in a 17-14 victory. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner liked that performance and likes everything else he’s seen from Bradford thus far.

With Peterson and Bridgewater out of the picture, the Vikings offense will have to plot a different course than the one they spent the offseason expecting to follow. Bradford is going to be essential to that course leading to a winning record so the Vikings will have to hope that Turner’s early read becomes a permanent one.

When your D line is #2 against the run, then you can afford to have 210 and 185 pound linebackers in Barron and Joyner.....I like this 'concept'. And believe that Mo Alexander might make a great OLB if someone gets hurt or we find a 'true' FS.

Got this info below from another site:

FootballOutsiders is back with their weekly DVOA ratings.
[www.footballoutsiders.com]
Some good and bad for the Rams early on...

The Good
- Rams rank 9th overall on defense (8th vs. pass, 12th vs. run)
- Rams defensive line is rated 2nd as a unit vs. the run
- Rams rank 5th overall on special teams- punt coverage ranks 4th in the league and kickoff coverage tied for 8th
- Kenny Britt is ranked 20th among 86 WRs
- Lance Kendricks is ranked 16th among 33 TEs
The Bad
- Rams rank 28th overall (this week's opponent, Tampa Bay, is 30th)
- Rams rank last in total offense- 32nd in passing and 31st in rushing...
- Case Keenum is ranked last among 34 QBs
- Rams defensive line is rated 28th in pass rush/Adjusted Sack Rate
- Tavon Austin is ranked last among 86 WRs...

Practice Report 9/21: Working to Reach the End Zone

By Myles Simmons

[www.therams.com]

Head coach Jeff Fisher joked on his radio show Monday evening he might hold a sleepover for the offense in the end zone, just so that the unit will get accustomed to being inside those 10 yards on the field.

Although the entire club acknowledges a need to score touchdowns in order for the team to have sustainable success, Fisher’s trying to keep it light around the building as the Rams work to improve.

“I told them this morning, I was running around the building with the move and everything looking for some things that I hadn’t been able to find yet for my office. I found a box, and I showed it to them — it was full of touchdowns,” Fisher said after Wednesday’s practice with a laugh. “So we watched some touchdowns today.”

“It has to be fun — this business has to be fun,” Fisher added of the approach. “As long as they’re doing the work, and focused, and executing, and doing the things we’ve asked, then it’s OK to have some fun here and there.”

Apparently that’s extended to the practice field as well.

“He hands us the ball and he’s like, ‘Here.’ Then he makes us stand in the end zone, and he’s like, ‘You see this? This is a football. This is the end zone. This is where you’re supposed to be,” tight end Lance Kendricks said. “So we kind of laugh at it, but I know he’s kind of serious.”

While there was offensive improvement from Week 1 to Week 2, there has to be more as the Rams head to Tampa to face the Buccaneers on Sunday.

“It was a step in the right direction. We know we need to take some bigger strides, but we’re going to focus on the positives,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said.

One of the elements Los Angeles did improve upon was achieving sustained drives. The Rams did not have a three-and-out in the second half against the Seahawks, which allowed the defense an opportunity to rest.


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“I think we moved the ball a lot better, really, in key situations when we needed to move the ball,” quarterback Case Keenum said. “We didn’t punch it in at times, but we flipped the field.”

“I feel like they had a couple long drives that left us off the field and let us get that second wind that we needed, and helped us a lot to close out the game,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said.

The Rams also were able to score on their opening drive, which Boras acknowledged is not everything. But given the output from Week 1, it also isn’t nothing.

“Obviously you want to start fast,” Boras said. “Our opening series, we went down and got points. I understand it was only a field goal and we wanted a touchdown. But after what we had done the week before, starting that game with a field goal was good for us — was good for everybody’s mentality.”

One area for targeted improvement this week is the club’s third-down efficiency. Through two games, the Rams have converted just six of their 27 opportunities.

“Every third down is going to be critical,” Kendricks said. “We haven’t been that great on third down thus far, so we’ve just got to really just focus on the things that we haven’t been good at and really emphasize that.”

Part of that extends to the Rams simply doing better on early downs, too. L.A. is also tied with Buffalo for the league’s fewest first downs with 27.

Another element Los Angeles must improve this week is their red-zone scoring. Quarterback Case Keenum specifically pointed to a pass he missed to wide receiver Kenny Britt as an example of how the offense must execute better.

“There’s a couple of passes that I’d like back where guys are going to have a chance to score,” Keenum said. “The one to Kenny there, when [Richard] Sherman’s guarding him — I’ve got to give him a chance. [Britt] did a great job winning, and I’m throwing off my back foot, but I’ve got to give him a chance to make that play.”

The quarterback repeated a line he said on Sunday in describing how he feels about the club’s current offensive production: I like touchdowns, but I love winning.

“The burden for me is winning. And if you were to tell me right now that we’re not going to score another touchdown, but we’ll win every game, I’d be OK with that,” Keenum said, adding wining “is quite a bit more important.”

“But,” he continued, “we’ve got to score touchdowns to win in this league. So they kind of go hand in hand most of the time.”

And that’s a sentiment felt on the entire offense.

“It’s concerning,” Boras said of the unit’s lack of touchdowns. “That’s our job, so I’d be ignorant to say otherwise.

“The more plays that we have the more opportunities we’re going to have to score points,” Boras added.

And that is the Rams’ charge this week. The club will be challenged against a fast, aggressive Tampa Bay defense. But in order to win games the way the club believes it can, Los Angeles’ offense must become a lot more familiar with the end zone.

“We’ve just got to execute as an offense,” Britt said. “There were times when we got off the field because [there could be] one player making a mistake [here] and there. So right now, it’s just all playing as one when we’re on the field.”

KEENUM TO BRITT CONNECTION

Since Keenum took over as the Rams’ starting quarterback for the last four games of the 2015 season, he’s displayed some strong chemistry with Britt. That has carried over to the first two weeks of this year as well.

In those six games, Britt has made 20 receptions for 397 yards and two touchdowns — an average of 19.9 yards per reception. The Rutgers product arguably had one of his best games as a Ram against Seattle last week, making six receptions for 94 yards.

“He’s got a great mindset during the week and it shows up on Sundays,” Keenum said of Britt. “I’ve been around Kenny two and a half seasons, kinda — and to really see him turn it on from this offseason, from us throwing during the summer time, to him getting back healthy to being the dominant player I know he can be has been fun to watch.”

Britt said Wednesday the chemistry between quarterback and receiver stems from a lot of work in the offseason.

“Case has a lot of trust in me. We’d been working, actually, really hard in the offseason,” Britt said. “I missed OTAs, so this offseason, he called me every morning [to say] he was throwing the ball. Every Tuesday, every Thursday — sometimes we went three times a week. And that really helped us out.”

Now the pair is seeing that hard work pay off in games.

“We started off where we left off last year,” Britt said. “We had a head start before we went to camp.”

“I hope it continues to grow that way, too,” Keenum said. “I think he’s a guy that is one that continues to show up on film getting open, and so as a quarterback, you tend to look toward those guys a little bit more. And I think we’re gaining chemistry.”

INJURY REPORT

The Rams listed six players on their first injury report for this week. The good news is all six players were at least able to participate in some way.

Safety Maurice Alexander (thigh), wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), running back Benny Cunningham (knee), cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (toe), and wide receiver Nelson Spruce (knee) all practiced on a limited basis.

“It was really good that we got some players back,” Fisher said. “So it was good to see Nelson run around a little bit, same with ‘Coop.’ And we had some guys banged up a little bit from the game who were able to practice.”

Joyner’s injury, a broken toe, may be causing him pain, but he’s not going to let that keep him off the field. You can read more about that in our feature on him here.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/...n-were-going-to-make-it-easier-on-todd-gurley

Alden Gonzalez ESPN Staff Writer
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- It's easy to say the Los Angeles Rams' offensive line needs to do a better job of creating holes for running back Todd Gurley. But it's almost impossible to block two men at once. And when defenses are stacking eight or nine players in the box to specifically guard against the run, there is only so much five offensive linemen can do.

"But," Rams left guard Rodger Saffold said, "there are some ways that we can do a little bit better job of opening some lanes for him. The biggest thing is knowing how to protect against all the different blitzes, the nine-man fronts, to be able to open some lanes. Basically he'll continue to see those things and he'll gain the experience and learn, just vision-wise. 'Hey, this looks good. But there's somebody standing in that hole. I may have to squeeze it through here, pop out the other side.' Those type of things.

"It's a group effort. Our entire team, we have to do a better job of blocking. Our receivers have to dig people out. And then we just have to be able to read and put ourselves in the best situation. I think the coaches are starting to do that for us. We're putting ourselves in some better situations so we can open up some holes for Todd."

That is priority Nos. 1, 2 and 3 for the Rams' offense right now, because nothing will really happen until Gurley gets going.

The Rams' star running back has amassed only 98 yards on 36 carries through the first two weeks, a 28-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and a 9-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks. His 2.7 yards per carry rank 38th out of 44 qualified running backs. And his average of 0.89 yards before first contact is the third-lowest rate in the NFL, a clear indication that opposing defenses are penetrating the line of scrimmage to suffocate Gurley.

This type of treatment took Saffold back to his first three years with the Rams, from 2010-12, when Steven Jackson was the primary ball-carrier.


Defenses were stacking up to nine men in the box. And when the Rams would run sets with two tight ends -- something the current offense does frequently -- Saffold said "it was very hard to find a lane because everything became a mob of flesh." But Jackson had the ability to quickly see the field, make a defender miss and bounce it to the outside for significant yardage.

"He has the same ability," Saffold said of Gurley. "But we need to make sure that we're cleaner, so that when he makes that first guy miss, we don't have two and three more guys coming after him."

Gurley has already made the Pro Bowl and was the third-leading rusher in 2015. But he's barely 22, with only 14 full games of NFL experience. He's still getting a feel for game speed at this level, still developing his decision-making ability with the ball in his hands.

"We need to make sure that we understand this -- he's still a second-year player," Saffold said. "He's still going to have to continue to learn. But that's not on his shoulders. We'll never put that on his shoulders. We put that on ours. So we're going to make it easier for him to be successful.

Rams rookie Spruce living with parents while NFL debut looms


GREG BEACHAM (AP Sports Writer)•Sep 22, 2016, 9:53 AM



In this June 14, 2016, photo, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Nelson Spruce is seen during NFL football practice in Oxnard, Calif. Spruce laughs at the realization he's just another one of those millennials who moved back in with his parents after college. The rookie receiver is simply taking advantage of convenient geography while he tries to get started in his dream career. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -- Nelson Spruce laughs at the realization he's just another one of those millennials who moved back in with his parents after college.

The Los Angeles Rams' rookie receiver is simply taking advantage of convenient geography while he tries to get started in his dream career.

''It's been like I'm back in high school,'' Spruce said. ''I wake up in the morning, say goodbye to my parents and drive over here. Go home, get home-cooked meals. It's been kind of surreal.''

Spruce grew up in Westlake Village, California, a few minutes from the Rams' brand-new headquarters in the far-flung LA suburbs. The complex is built on what was a quiet, unused corner of California Lutheran University's campus when Spruce left his folks' house for Colorado five years ago.

''They love having me home,'' Spruce said. ''Sometimes the tough part is I come over after a 12-hour day of football, and all they want to do is talk about more football, so I've kind of got to put up with that. But it's awesome to be back home.''

Spruce already accomplished something remarkable by making the Rams' 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent despite playing in just one preseason game due to a sprained knee. He's used to exceeding expectations, too: The lightly recruited prospect became the most prolific receiver in Pac-12 history with the Buffaloes.

Spruce and fellow injured rookie receiver Pharoh Cooper practiced with the Rams (1-1) this week, and both should be ready to make their NFL debuts soon, perhaps even Sunday at Tampa Bay.

''How it affects the offense, I can't tell you,'' coach Jeff Fisher said. ''They're both rookies. They haven't had a regular-season snap yet, but they both have promising futures and showed that they can make plays in the NFL early in the preseason.''

Two talented rookies could only help: The Rams' offense was the league's worst last season, and it has been the NFL's worst again this season, failing to score a touchdown in the first two games.

Spruce sprained his knee in the preseason opener against Dallas, but only after making a team-best six catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. His effort included a highlight-reel catch over the middle.

The performance only confirmed what the Rams suspected about Spruce, who makes up for any perceived deficiencies in athletic ability with technique and tenacity. Los Angeles was sold enough on Spruce to keep him on the active roster with an injury that has kept him out for a month.

''It was a weight off my shoulders, just because I've worked for this opportunity my whole life, and then I (only) had that quarter and a half to really make my mark,'' Spruce said. ''To have that valuable time cut short by injury put a lot of stress on me, so once I got that good news, I felt like a new man.''

Spruce made Pac-12 history with 294 catches during four losing seasons at Colorado, breaking the league's career record last Halloween at the Rose Bowl. Spruce's average sprint times at the combine apparently dissuaded the league from drafting him, but the Rams - the only team to host him for a private pre-draft workout - won the competition for his services afterward.

Spruce had another strong connection with the Rams: Jared Goff and Spruce share representation, and they trained together for four months before the draft. Before training camp, they also spent dozens of hours throwing and catching in a small group of Rams at Westlake High School, Spruce's alma mater.

Spruce was an all-league infielder and a .400 hitter at Westlake High before dropping the sport as a senior, and he partly credits his catching skills to the hand-eye coordination learned in baseball.

He hadn't lived at home since the day after he graduated from high school, moving straight to Boulder after removing his cap and gown.

''It's been really convenient not having to look for a place to live, not needing to get familiar with the area,'' Spruce said. ''It's just taken that stress out of my life and helped me focus on what we're doing here.''

A few indignities aside, Spruce is grateful to be back under his parents' roof - rent-free, no less.

''They're not charging,'' he said with a laugh. ''As long as I give them a couple of tickets every week.''

---

AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rams-rookie-spruce-living-parents-while-nfl-debut-232551664--nfl.html

The Rams, the only NFL team without a touchdown, are trying to keep it light.

Coach Jeff Fisher gathered the offense in the end zone before practice this week at Cal Lutheran and instructed all the players to touch a ball, ostensibly to give them the feeling of what it’s like to finish a drive there.

Fisher also told the team that while searching the halls of the team’s facility he found a box.

“I showed it to them,” he said Wednesday. “It was full of touchdowns. So we watched some touchdowns.”

Fisher was referring to last season’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rams’ opponent on Sunday at Tampa, Fla.

Quarterback Case Keenum connected with receivers Tavon Austinand Kenny Britt for touchdowns and Austin and running back Todd Gurley rushed for touchdowns in a 31-23 victory.

Rams players and coaches would welcome similar offensive production this week.

Actually, one touchdown would be an achievement for an offense that has reached the 20-yard line only once in two games.

After being shut out by San Francisco, 28-0, the Rams defeated theSeattle Seahawks on Sunday, 9-3, with three field goals by Greg Zuerlein.

“It’s concerning,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said when asked about the lack of touchdowns, “that’s our job.”

Keenum is at the helm of an offense that is averaging 234 yards and 4.5 points a game, which ranks last in the NFL in both categories.

But the Rams are 1-1 and in a four-way tie for first in theNFC West.

Asked if he felt that he bore the burden for the Rams’ lack of touchdowns, Keenum said “the burden for me” was winning.

“If you were to tell me right now that we’re not going to score another touchdown but we’ll win every game, I’d be OK with that,” Keenum said. “I like throwing touchdowns. I like touchdowns. I love winning.”

Keenum, however, acknowledged that “we’ve got to score touchdowns to win in this league.”

Fisher concurred.

“It’s very easily put that … he team from the standpoint of the defense is going to need the offense at some point,” Fisher said. “They’re going to need the offense to score points.”

Against the Seahawks, the Rams at least put together a few drives that enabled the defense to rest.

Tackle Aaron Donald said defensive players were not frustrated by the offense’s inability to reach the end zone.

“You want them to score touchdowns, but it’s going to come,” he said. “They had a couple long drives that left us off the field and let us get that second wind that we needed and helped us a lot to close out the game.”

But offensive players are feeling the urgency to produce points other than field goals.

Tight end Lance Kendricks said Fisher’s pre-practice gathering of players in the end zone sent a message.

“He makes us stand in the end zone and he’s like, “See, this is a football. This is the end zone. This is where you’re supposed to be,’” Kendricks said. “So we kind of laugh at it, but I know he’s kind of serious.

“We’ve just got to finish drives.”

Britt had a chance to score against the Seahawks.

The Rams had first and goal at the four-yard-line in the second quarter. Gurley was stopped for a four-yard loss on first down and a pass to Austin on second down lost two yards.

On third down, Britt got open in the end zone in front of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, but Keenum’s pass was short and fell incomplete.

“I’ve got to give him a chance to make that play,” Keenum said.

Britt said touchdowns would come.

“We know we’ve got to score points because we can’t win each and every game off field goals,” he said. “We got to help [the defense] out.

“If we get a lead or score 21 points a game, there’s really no one that can stop us with our defense.”

After getting shut out against the 49ers, Boras considered the offense’s performance against the Seahawks “a step in the right direction.”

But “bigger strides” are necessary, he said, starting with the game against the Buccaneers.

“They recognize that we’ve fallen short,” Boras said, “and we’re going to see what happens.”

Quick hits

rt: Receivers Pharoh Cooper (shoulder) and Nelson Spruce (knee), running back Benny Cunningham (knee), cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (toe), safety Maurice Alexander (thigh. All were limited…. Safety T.J. McDonald, who was charged last week with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs, declined to comment about the situation. “It’s a legal matter so I really can’t talk about it,” he said….. Tampa Bay running backDoug Martin suffered a hamstring injury in last week’s defeat by theArizona Cardinals. He did not practice Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined against the Rams.

gary.klein@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesklein


[www.latimes.com]

Rams, Bucs have been on different No. 1 paths

By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

[www.redlandsdailyfacts.com]

It’s bad enough the Rams concluded the second week of their season without crossing the goal line for a touchdown, but then the Football Gods went and served up a heaping dish of Carson Wentz making like Ben Roethlisberger while leading the Philadelphia Eagles to an easy win Monday night on national TV, and, well, everyone is in a panic.

The Rams, you’ll remember, had the first overall pick in last April’s draft and could have had Wentz.

Instead they decided to take Jared Goff, who hasn’t seen the field in the first two weeks of the season and might not be in uniform when the Rams play the Buccaneers Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, Wentz is rapidly emerging as a hero in the City of Brotherly Love. As we all witnessed on Monday Night Football.

To quote The Dude from The Big Lebowski: “That’s like, not cool man.”

Feel free to freak out. But do so at your own risk.

History reveals there is more than one way to grow a National Football League quarterback and that time lines don’t always accurately reflect draft status, talent or foretell future success.

It’s often about circumstance more than talent. And whose doing the picking more than at what point in the draft.

In 2002 David Carr and Joey Harrington were drafted first and third overall and both were starting by Week 1 of their rookie seasons.

Neither had memorable, nor particularly long, NFL careers.

Three years later Aaron Rodgers was drafted at the bottom of the first round by the Green Bay Packers and stood on the sideline for three years behind Bret Favre. When Rodgers finally took over as the starting quarterback, stardom soon followed and within two seasons he was hoisting a Super Bowl championship trophy.

Despite dubious beginnings, he’s on pace for a Hall of Fame career.

See, it’s not necessarily when you’re drafted or whether you deserve the keys to the car when you get them, it’s what you do when you get behind the wheel.

For every successful quarterback drafted first overall, such as Peyton or Eli Manning or Troy Aikman, there are busts such as Tim Couch or Lamarcus Russell or Jeff George.

Russell Wilson and Joe Montana were both third-round picks. Drew Brees was taken in the second round.

Wilson started for the Seahawks on Day 1. Montana and Brees rode the bench their first seasons.

All three won Super Bowls.

Ryan Leaf and Rick Mirer were taken second overall in their respective drafts and began their careers as their team’s starter. Both ended up NFL washouts.

“Every case is different,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said.

The Buccaneers are a prime example, being in the exact same position in April of 2015 that the Rams found themselves in April 2016. They were at the top of the draft with a quarterback at the top of their wish list, but operating on a remarkably different time lines.

Which brings us to Goff, and in a roundabout way to Jameis Winston, whom the Bucs drafted first overall last year.

Goff may or may not be in uniform Sunday as he stands on the sideline in Tampa Bay watching Winston quarterback the Buccaneers. In fact, there is a chance Goff might not see the field at all this year.

Winston, on the other hand, has started every game during his first two seasons. So has Marcos Mariota, when healthy, after being selected second behind Winston last year.

We already know about Wentz, who was drafted No. 2 behind Goff last April.

It’s stuff like that that makes people wonder if the Rams blew it by picking Goff.

Valid concern. But way too early to tell, or worry.

As much as Goff and Winston have in common — same position, same distinction as first-overall picks — their differences reveal how tricky this whole quarterback development thing can be and why it behooves everyone not to make sweeping assumptions this early in the game.

Not all things are equal, even when it comes to being the first player picked. Winston was drafted by a team that won two games the season before and approached 2015 with a grow-with-our-young quarterback mentality no matter the affect it might have on the record.

The Rams drafted Goff coming off a seven-win season, and after trading up 14 spots to get to the top of the draft, while in win-now mode even if it means delaying the starting career of the future face of the franchise.

In a new market, with a coach in the last year of his contract and conviction within the organization if a few things break right they can push past the 7-9 mark to 9-7 or 10-6, the Rams will long-play the transition to Goff in pursuit of wins,

In Tampa Bay it was push, push, push.

In L.A. it’s patience, patience, patience.

Koetter was the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator last year when then-coach Lovie Smith made it abundantly clear he wanted Winston to be the Day 1 starter.

Didn’t matter if he was ready. As in really ready. The order was the order.

Koetter’s job was to make it happen.

“It’s just a matter of figuring out a game plan to give him a chance to be successful.” Koetter said.

Whether Winston deserved the job or not, or was fully prepared, was almost beside the point. The plan was to get him on the field as soon as possible. Learning on the job was just part of the deal.

Winston just rolled with it.

“I think you just have to go out there because you never know when you’re really ready,” Winston said. “You just have to go out there and compete.

“I think the biggest thing is just being a good teammate to your teammates, finding out the personalities and finding out the guys that you’re going to be battling with for the beginning of your career. Once you get on their good side, the football part is the easy part. I think just the team camaraderie, that’s the biggest part. The football; that’s the easy part.”

His first NFL pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, incidentally.

All part of a learning curve the Bucs were perfectly fine with.

“We definitely had some rocky beginnings,” Koetter said. “In Jameis’ case, he played a lot of big time games at Florida State under pressure situations in front of big crowds. But still, we had to figure out how he was going to do in the NFL. It was definitely a learning experience.”

Winning and losing wasn’t necessarily second to the play-now edict, but close.

“I would say there is some truth to that,” Koetter said. “And the key ingredient there is that every situation is different. Again going back, in our situation last year, it was made clear from the start that we picked Jameis No. 1 and he was going to be our starting quarterback, and we were going to build around him. After that decision is made, as an assistant coach, I mean the direction is very clear, you’re going to follow directions and do your best to get it done.”

Winston threw for 4,042 yards and 25 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. His quarterback rating was 84.2 and the Bucs finished 6-10.

The experience was beneficial going into Year 2.

“I just feel like I’m more comfortable in the offense, which allows me to have more control of the offense just by my comfort level and by my knowledge of the game plan,” he said.

The growing pains remain, though. Winston threw four touchdowns in a season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons, then followed up with four interceptions in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.

“This is a very humbling league,” Koetter said. “Sometimes when you think you’re making progress, sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back.”

We haven’t yet seen that with Goff.

But then, the Rams situation this year is remarkably different than the Bucs last season.

Frustrating, yes. But hardly a predictor of what the future holds.

"Amazingly, that marks the first time in the Bucs' 41-season history that the team has gone two games into the season without securing a single takeaway."
----------------
One game that infuriated me more than anything last season was the Rams game. They were roughing winston up after plays and the refs did nothing. That has got to stop!
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Don't take the Rams lightly. This is pretty much the same team that destroyed us last year, and without Martin, Ayers, and Smith... we're in a weaker position then the last game.
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Winston will bounce back this week. I'm sure he remembers the cheap shots from the Rams last year and will want to take it out against them on the field.
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With that in mind, I actually think we'll have a decent day against the Rams. I maintain that our biggest problem last game was that Winston was uncharacteristically inaccurate. I think we'll blitz a lot, and fairly effectively, against the Rams. Palmer was actually doing an incredible job of sensing quick pressure and delivering the ball early in the game, before it was out of reach and the Bucs were phoning it in. Keenum more than likely won't. Gurley is obviously a concern, but hopefully an aggressive game plan will limit him as well.

My biggest concern is that we'll try to use Sims as our starting RB and/or try some predictable low-risk stuff to get Winston going and our O will falter early
-------------------
How do you think we will deal with the biggest mismatch their DL vs. our OL? I'm assuming Donald is the one you have to double? None of our interior guys has a chance of blocking him on pass plays.

I'm guessing Smith will see a lot of Quinn, perhaps the premier speed-rushing DE in the league. Looks like an unbelievable mismatch.

Lots of draws, quick screens, roll-outs? What's the best plan of attack to prevent Winston from undergoing a mauling here?
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Was watching the Rams/Seahawks game…We need to be worried about more than just the Dline. Ogletree is a menace back there and their corners did well to contain Baldwin and Lockett.

They are not afraid, as we learned last year, to take a penalty for a late hit. We need to keep our cool and collect on those penalties.

It will be interesting to see what the Rams gameplan is if Martin is out. I think they will rush 4, not blitz too much but rather try to take away the flats. The middle of the field was pretty open for Seattle, but those receivers were taking huge hits.
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The other levels of their defense are good but they don't have a guy like PP(Patrick Peterson) who can shadow and shut down Evans. If you can erase Evans as a major factor we are in deep trouble cause we don't have a legitimate number 2.

I just hope Jameis doesn't get baited into picks on short throws.
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Big game this week. So far the 1-1 record should surprise no one. Sucks we got whooped like we did, but we are right where we should be, and this sunday is our chance to go 2-1 before facing last years Super Bowl teams and most likely certain losses. Heading into the bye 2-3 is what I expected and should give us a chance at a Wild Card down the stretch if we put it together.
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If all of a sudden the Rams KNOW how to score, I swear this new defense was just to feed the fans a bunch of crap.
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based off the last 2 games, im not sure how we win this one. Rams D-line is going to be very hard on us. Winston will have to have incredible poise in that pocket. Rams will not beat us with 15+ yard passes at all. we need to worry about the dink and dunk with guys like austin and gurley. that is something we MUST stop. we must play fundamentally sound football to beat the rams. I think offensively, beat them at there own game. Sims isnt going to run for 100 yards between the tackles. We must protect winston at all costs this week or it could be a reminder of last years ketchup vs. mustard game.
We should beat this team, dammit
----------------
I see a similar split of the reps with Martin out, i.e. Sims roughly 60 percent of the time on the field and Rodgers about 40 percent, with Sims probably getting twice as many touches as Rodgers per game (ex: 20 to 10).
I also think this changes the identity of the offense, which usually runs through Martin. I have to believe Jameis will be called upon to pass more during the game. I hope he rises and the rest of the offense rises to the occasion.
-----------------
I see the offense struggling to move the ball, but luckily our defense will give us good field position with a couple turn overs. Only one offensive TD this week and it will be a pass to Sims. Defense will have a pick 6 by VHIII and Aguayo will make 2 fairly easy FGs. Unfortunately Jameis is going to get beat up, but we survive and come out with a hard fought win.
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I expect a big game from Gurley. low scoring type game
-------------------
That Cards game wasn't as bad as the score might have indicated. It just got away from the Bucs late in the first half. Despite already throwing 2 INTs, the Bucs had the ball just outside of the redzone w/ 3:00 left in the half only down 10-0 and getting the ball first in the 2nd half.

The Sims/Winston fumble, Cards go down and score and it's 17-0.
A quick 3-n-out and blown coverage by Conte and boom it's 24-0.

The keys to the game for the Rams are obvious. Contain Gurleyman and we have an excellent chance. This Bucs defense has done a good job vs the run in both games this season for the most part. What concerns about this defense is that we've already given up 3 plays of over 50 yards. I'm less concerned about that happening vs the Rams which I why I believe we will be able to outscore them this Sunday.

I expect Jameis to bounce back and have a good game. After every poor game last season he would follow it up w/ a good performance.

Whoever has Sims in fantasy should start him imo.
----------------
Losing Martin for 3-4 weeks is going to suck. He's the backbone to our offense. I've continued to say that our OL is overrated and that Doug makes the OL look better than it actually is. I hope I'm wrong and the OL opens up huge holes for Sims and Rodgers, etc....but I doubt it.


I kinda have a feeling the Rams game is a MUST WIN for how the Bucs will go this year. How demoralizing would it be to the fan base to lose to a struggling Rams team in our home opener when all we've heard is how different the Bucs are this year? And falling to 1-2 with the Broncos and Panthers coming up? *sigh*
-------------------
Disrespect stuff aside, when we fired Schiano and got Lovie I was convinced he would make Barron a stud MLB in his system. Instead, he was traded.
-------------------
I was hoping he would become the physical SS in Lovie's system. I liked the idea of him at OLB in the base 4-3 formation as well and the other LB with David in basic nickel formations, but I envisioned him still being able to play SS in the NFL. He probably could have 10 or 15 years ago, but the days of hard-hitting SS who are a liability in coverage are pretty much gone. Now you have to be good in coverage on top of being a physical force, e.g. Kam Chancellor.

Now he's where he belongs at OLB full-time. He's become one of the better ones in the league too. He has the Rams and the Bucs to thank for that.
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Instead, Smith tried to use him as a roaming coverage safety. Exactly the opposite of what Barron excelled at.
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http://www.buczone.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2183

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...7d.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The Rams must grant season tickets to some people who bought personal seat licenses while the NFL team was in St. Louis, PSLs that are still valid despite the team’s move to Los Angeles, according to a district court ruling issued Wednesday.

The Rams must also refund deposits for others who bought PSLs, though a district judge was unable to determine an amount for those deposits.

Three different parties have sued the Rams regarding the more than 46,000 people who bought PSLs before the team left for Los Angeles in January. Some plaintiffs paid as much as $1,000 for the licenses, which grant the right to buy season tickets.

Two of those suing parties, Envision, LLC and Richard Arnold, argued that their PSLs are still valid despite the Rams’ relocation and that they have the right to buy season tickets in Los Angeles. The Rams argued that the contracts were terminated by the move.

The third suing party, Ronald McAllister, argued the Rams in effect terminated their contracts with PSL holders when they relocated, and PSL holders therefore deserve refunds on their deposits, based on the contract language.

A spokesperson for the Rams could be reached for comment Wednesday night.

District Judge Stephen Limbaugh, Jr. based his ruling on the fact that two different kinds of PSL contracts were issued.

Some were sold by the Rams ticketing agent, FANS, Inc., and the others were sold directly by the Rams.

Both the agreements say that, in the event the Rams play at a venue other than their regular St. Louis stadium, the Rams must “use its best efforts” to provide seats for PSL holders.

The judge ruled that people who bought PSLs from FANS cannot buy season tickets because the FANS contract clearly states a Rams relocation would terminate the contract, thus rendering the “best efforts” language moot.



However, the Rams must “use its best efforts” to provide season tickets for people who bought PSLs directly from the team, because that particular contract never states the PSL agreement is terminated by relocation.

Even though both the FANS and Rams contracts say a PSL holder cannot sue for damages over PSLs, the Rams failed to present that as an argument, or even mention it, in court, according to Wednesday’s ruling.

In the McAllister lawsuit, the judge pointed out that the FANS contract says the Rams have the right to terminate the PSL contract for any reason and refund “part or all” of the PSL holder’s deposit.

However, “deposit” is not defined in the FANS contract. The judge promised to determine the amount of a deposit at a later date.

The Rams now play at the Los Angeles Coliseum. They are expected to play at a new stadium in Inglewood, Calif. starting in 2019.

Corey Coleman suffered a broken hand at Wednesday's practice.

One of Coleman's teammates came down on his hand after making a catch. The injury occurred at the portion of practice that was closed to the media so details are scarce. More will be known when Coleman visits a hand specialist on Thursday. Coleman needs his hand to catch footballs so it's fair to assume he'll be facing a lengthy absence. Coming off a breakout game in Week 2 (104 yards, 2 TDs), it's a shame to see Coleman go down after such a promising start. The Dolphins' defense will be an elite streaming option in Week 3 with Coleman out and third-round rookie Cody Kessler at quarterback.


Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Sep 21 - 6:46 PM

NFL.com, Elliot Harrison Rank: 24
Last Week: 31
Change: +7

ESPN.com Rank: 28
Last Week: 31
Change: +3

CBSSports.com, Pete Prisco Rank: 22
Last Week: 31
Change: +9

FoxSports.com Rank: 22
Last Week: 32
Change: +10

ProFootballTalk, Mike Florio Rank: 26
Last Week: 31
Change: +5

SBNation.com Rank: 28
Last Week: 30
Change: +2

Yahoo! Shutdown Corner Rank: 23
Last Week: 31
Change: +8

USA Today Rank: 26
Last Week: 31
Change: +5

THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT’S RANKS — TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

NFL.com: 19
ESPN.com: 22
CBSSports.com: 20
FoxSports.com: 20
ProFootballTalk: 18
SBNation.com: 25
Yahoo! Shutdown Corner: 19
USA Today: 16

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Joyner-Playing-through-Broken-Toe/9c5b6ffd-8758-49aa-bab8-e7f3a6068c50


It was mentioned on the TV broadcast of Sunday's victory and then head coach Jeff Fisher said it on his radio show Monday night — cornerback Lamarcus Joyner has been playing with a broken toe for the last two weeks.

“I just remember at the beginning of the second quarter of the San Francisco game, my left foot feeling asleep,” Joyner said. “And going back to the sideline woke it back up, but my second toe wouldn’t move.

“So I kind of knew it was broken, but I didn’t really want to say nothing to anyone because I know the defense was depending on me. And we didn’t have anyone else that repped nickel throughout that week,” Joyner continued. “So I knew I just had to be accountable for the defense. So I just kept my mouth closed and kept playing.”

The third-year defensive back described feeling a deep sense of responsibility to be on the field for Sunday’s win over Seattle.

“I know it was an important game to us,” Joyner said. “If you just think about 2014, that draft, how coach Fisher made a sacrifice for me by giving up a pick for me — all that kind of stuff just runs in my mind, like how this organization made a lot of sacrifices for me. So I could fight through something if I’m able to still go.”

Joyner gave Rams head trainer Reggie Scott, his staff and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson plenty of credit for both getting him ready to play, and helping him play through some significant pain.

“I mean, it was bad. But my coach talked me through it — coach Dennard. He always checked on me every time I went to the sideline,” Joyner said. “Every time he said, ‘We need you,’ that just gave me strength, man. It just gave me the strength to fight through the pain.”

According to the press box stats, Joyner had five tackles — one for loss — and two passes defensed against the Seahawks.

“He played really well. He’ll be a little bit limited, I think, this week. But it was nothing that was going to keep him from playing,” Fisher said. “You can kind of get an appreciation for his commitment to this game and his teammates – playing through that is not easy.”

And it’s not like Joyner had a splint to tape the toes together.

“Nah, man,” Joyner said. “I just strapped on my cleats and I played.”

And that’s what the Florida State product is planning on doing until the toe is healed.

“Oh yeah, no doubt,” Joyner said. “It’s getting better. Like I said, we have the best training staff, I think, out of all 32 teams. And Reggie and all of those guys do a real good job with rehab.

“So, as long as I can play on it, I trust their words,” Joyner continued. “And, like I said, rehab has been going really good this last past week and a half. I mean, so I’m just going to do what I can until it’s all the way healed.”

Hopefully Barron will be on fire this Sunday! He still feels slighted by the Bucs for trading him. Hopefully it will translate into an EPIC game for him!!

http://www.espn.com/blog/tampa-bay-...eeling-blind-sided-disrespected-by-bucs-trade



TAMPA, Fla. -- Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety and current Los Angeles Rams linebacker Mark Barron said Wednesday that he had a rough time when the Bucs traded him to the Rams in 2014 for fourth-round and sixth-round draft picks.

“I wouldn’t say it hurt. I don’t feel like it was the way it should have happened,” Barron said. “I don’t think it was respectful at all, in my opinion.”

He admitted he was completely blindsided by it. “I didn’t know anything about the situation. I didn’t even know it was being talked about.”

Bradley McDougald, who is still with the team, took over Barron’s strong safety position.

Barron said that even though Smith isn’t there anymore, he still feels extra incentive any time he plays the Bucs, to show them that they were wrong for letting him go. “Most definitely,” Barron said. “I always feel that way every time I face that team, even though it’s a different staff. I most definitely approach the game that way.”

The Rams converted him to an outside linebacker, although his role is more as a hybrid than a true outside linebacker. He still has significant coverage responsibilities.

“I don’t go back and play halves, but they still ask me to do a lot as far as coverage. ... I’m closer to the ball,” Barron said. “I feel like I was always a guy that was around the ball, even though it was from a safety position. So now it’s closer to it and I can get to everything faster, which allows me to make more plays.”

The change paid off. Barron led the Rams last year with 116 combined tackles, a sack, five pass breakups and three forced fumbles in 12 starts. Through two starts this season, he has 13 combined tackles and three pass breakups.

“When I came out here, I was pretty much placed in a group of guys who approached the game the same way I did,” Barron said. “I’m happy that it happened. I feel like it was one of the better things that happened in my career.”

"Fisher loves Keenum"
--Fisher hired Snead
--He has significant input on the draft
--The Rams gave up a lot for Goff
OK, this is pretty obvious. The Rams may have wanted to make a splash in LA but there are other ways to do that and if they didn't believe that getting a QB was necessary, especially if the HC was convinced he could win with Keenum, there is no way they risk that much.

"Fisher thinks our Offense is OK"
-2 Offensive Coordinators fired
-Hired Groh to revamp passing game
-12 of last 15 draft picks for Offense
-Zero defensive picks before 6th round
Those facts speak for themselves. Even when considering the possibility that Fisher might not have total control over his staff or the draft, that kind of extreme focus on the offense does not happen without him being on board.

"Wentz is a better fit for this offense"
-Fisher is a huge Peyton Manning fan
-Bradford was key in choosing Rams
-0 dual-threat QBs on roster since JF
It's only natural to think of Steve McNair when considering Fishers time in Tennessee, assuming McNair is the type of QB that Fisher wants might be a fallacy though. Fisher last had good success in 2008 with Kerry Collins, a 33yr old back up QB who won 12 games and earned a 1st team all pro selection.It was widely reported that the Titans FO drafted Vince Young against Fishers wishes and he is the only other dual-threat QB to start games on a JF coached team that I can think of.
Facing Peyton Manning twice a year for 12 years certainly would have some influence on shaping Fishers views on the position, too. An extremely accurate passer with great vision and footwork in the pocket is still the hardest thing to defend.

Personally I was in the "Start Jared" camp and while I would be excited to see him play, I think part of that might be just my impatience and excitement, like a kid at Christmas who begs to open his presents early. Just because it's what I want, that doesn't make it the right choice. If the team believed Goff would eventually be the better QB but chose Wentz simply because he was more prepared to start week 1, we would all be pissed.
We can only speculate how Jared would have played vs the Browns and Bears and we don't know how Wentz would have performed against division rivals with good defenses. Which one proves to be the better pick is a question that wont have an answer this year or next. It's all speculative.

-Btw- Eli, Rivers, Brees, Rogers are a few modern era QBs that didn't begin their NFL careers as starters. All 4 are considered among the best of the last decade. Geno Smith, Ryan Tannehill, David Carr and many other 1st round picks who started week 1 did not pan out. The bust rate for QBs taken in the first round is about 50% and as far as I can tell, starting week 1 or not doesn't mean anything.

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Credit to: Tlangland from the rams subreddit.

An arrest warrant for NFL player and former Park Vista High star Tre Mason has been withdrawn after his attorneys filed a motion saying that Mason missed a court appearance because he was hospitalized.

Mason has been involved in a series of bizarre events in the past few months that family members say may be the result of head injuries sustained during his football career.


Mason
VIDEO: See the PBSO dashcam video of deputies chasing Tre Mason on his ATV.

On Aug. 13, Mason was cited for driving with a suspended license after he was stopped by Palm Beach police while behind the wheel of his 2012 Maserati.

A court appearance was scheduled for Sept. 7 in West Palm Beach that Mason skipped.

The motion filed in court states that Mason mssed the court hearing because he was “hospitalized for necessary medical treatment.”

No further information was included.

Mason’s family has expressed concerns about the mental health after several incidents involving law enforcement.

Mason was arrested in March after he was found going 75 mph in a 35-mph zone in Hollywood and refused to identify himself to police. A Taser was used twice on Mason, who was charged with resisting an officer without violence, reckless driving, failure to register a motor vehicle, possession of marijuana in an amount less than 20 grams and failure to yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle.

On July 23, Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies went to the suburban Boynton Beach home of Mason’s mother, who reported that her son was making “irrational” statements. When deputies arrived, Mason said he would call the White House to have them fired and added that “police were responsible for teaching (al-Qaida) how to fly planes.” Mason was not arrested but taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

On July 27, Mason received several citations after he fled from a deputy while riding an ATV at an estimated 80 mph as he was chased from the intersection of Hypoluxo and Hagan Ranch roads to his mother’s home. Mason’s mother told deputies that her son had a “10-year-old’s mindset” as the result of head injuries sustained playing football.

The Los Angeles Rams put Mason on the reserve/did not report list July 30 when he failed to show up for training camp. Rams’ coach Jeff Fisher said he had reached out to Mason without success several times since his March arrest in Hollywood.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n...ason-missed-court-because-he-was-hospi/nscLW/

They put LT Kahill on IR, so they will be looking for help. Some are wondering if they make a move for Joe Thomas, but the Browns would ask for more than they can pay. So would Saffold be an option for say a 3rd rounder?

And this has nothing to do with it being at LA, I could care less. There's fights at every football stadium cause people are morons so lets just move on from caring about that.

But the guy at the end who just instantly pisses his pants and freaks out has me laughing every time I watch it. The poor kid looks like he has no idea what is going on but is also scared to death because his father instantly freaks the **** out.

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Just to get some ROD$$$$$$ baby!
http://www.espn.com/blog/tampa-bay-...-gurley-going-punish-with-front-seven-vs-bucs

Jenna Laine ESPN Staff Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- After a humiliating 40-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) look to get back on track against theLos Angeles Rams (1-1) in their home opener at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday. The Rams rebounded from a 28-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 to defeat the Seattle Seahawks at home on Sunday, 9-3. They have yet to score an offensive touchdown this season, but bring a punishing front seven.

Todd Gurley: The Rams badly need to get Gurley going. Their star running back has rushed for only 98 yards on 36 carries through the first two weeks, largely because opposing defenses are stacking eight or nine men in the box. Gurley is averaging 0.89 yards before first contact, third-lowest in the NFL. It’s hard to be productive when you don’t have the space to run free.

WR Tavon Austin: This is the third straight week we’re selecting Austin as a player to watch. He’s that critical to the offense. Austin has been targeted a team-leading 22 times, but has only pulled in nine catches for 63 yards. The Rams like to get Austin the ball near the line of scrimmage to give him space to run, but they have yet to maximize his ability.

RT Rodger Saffold: The offensive line has yet to grade out very well. In Week 2, Saffold was the only lineman to not allow a pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. The other four starting linemen -- Greg Robinson, Tim Barnes,Cody Wichmann, and Rob Havenstein -- allowed two quarterback pressures each. They need to do a better job of protecting QB Case Keenum.

DEFENSE

DT Aaron Donald: Donald has yet to record a sack, but he has graded out as Pro Football Focus’ best defensive tackle in each of the first two weeks. Against the Seahawks, Donald recorded four hits, three hurries, and four defensive stops. The Rams won Week 2 largely because of the pressure created by their defensive line, and Donald will look to lead that effort again.

LB/S Mark Barron: Barron plays a critical role on the Rams as someone who can drop back into coverage or plug the hole on rushing attempts, especially on a defense that often goes with only two linebackers. Barron, second on the team with 13 tackles, will be critical against Jameis Winston, who has already attempted 84 passes.

CB Troy Hill: If a lingering thigh injury keeps E.J. Gaines out in Week 3, look for Hill to start on the outside opposite Trumaine Johnson. Hill replaced Coty Sensabaugh as the No. 2 cornerback early in Week 2 and was targeted deep four times by Russell Wilson. One ended in a 53-yard catch with less than a minute remaining that almost won Seattle the game.

Rams looking to beat Bucs for a fifth straight year
Alden GonzalezESPN Staff Writer

The Los Angeles Rams are going from one opponent they've thrived against to another.
Their 9-3 win in a highly anticipated regular-season debut at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday gave the Rams three consecutive victories over division rival Seattle, and now they'll look to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the fifth year in a row. Jeff Fisher is 4-0 against the Bucs since joining the Rams, beating them 28-13 on the road in 2012, 23-13 at home in 2013, 19-17 on the road in 2014 and 31-23 at home in 2015.

The Rams enter Raymond James Stadium on Sunday as the only NFL team yet to score a touchdown, and will try to avoid becoming the first team since the expansion Bucs in 1976 to do so in the first three weeks of a season. They'll face a team coming off a demoralizing 40-7 loss to Arizona, but one that could be energized by its home opener. Here are six opposing players to watch, courtesy of ESPN Buccaneers reporter Jenna Laine ...

OFFENSE

Jameis Winston: Winston had a disaster of a game against the Cardinals in Week 2, throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. All the momentum built up from four touchdowns he threw in Week 1? It may not be gone, but it came to a screeching halt. How will he fare against the Rams’ front seven?

WR Mike Evans: A big reason Winston can rebound is Evans, who had nine catches for 157 yards last year against the Rams. The Bucs still lost that one, but No. 13 did some damage. He and Winston also have improved quite a bit on the deep ball, although it wasn’t accurate enough when Patrick Peterson picked one off last week. Through two weeks, Evans has 11 catches for 169 yards.

RB Charles Sims: If Doug Martin can’t go because of an ankle injury, Sims is the next man up. Unlike Martin, a tough inside runner, Sims is more elusive on the outside and contributes significantly in the screen game. He’s also an asset downfield in the passing game. He’ll get a lot more touches this week, and so will Jacquizz Rodgers, whom the team signed last week.

DEFENSE

DE Noah Spence: Robert Ayers, one of the most valuable and versatile pieces on the Bucs’ defensive line, had to leave Sunday’s game against the Cardinals with an ankle injury, and he may not play against the Rams. That means a lot more attention on Spence, a rookie second-round pick who got the first sack of his NFL career last week. The sack came from rushing out of the left side, the first time he’s done that in his career.

DT Gerald McCoy: Rams fans can appreciate what an outstanding three-technique can do because they have Aaron Donald. McCoy, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, makes the Bucs' defensive line go. In the three seasons before this one he had 26 1/2 sacks, and he’s the focal point of every opposing offense’s game plan. In fact, defensive coordinator Mike Smith, who used to be the coach of the Falcons, has joked that they had many “sleepless nights trying to keep him out of our backfield.” A Rams offensive line that's still a work in progress may have its hands full.

CB Brent Grimes: The Bucs are one of just three teams not to have a takeaway on defense, and they gave up six explosive plays for 209 yards last week. A lot of focus shifts to the secondary, with high expectations for Grimes and rookie Vernon Hargreaves III and also their third cornerback, Alterraun Verner. Now is the time they need to show some return on that investment and get their hands on the ball.

Just saw this was on TCM ON-Demand on cable. I'm going to try to watch it this weekend.

1968: Jim Brown and all-star cast. Crime caper about crooks robbing the box office at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Rams in their blue and whites. I had never heard of the film.

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To begin with, this isn't a hate Jared Goff thread, so let's just take that off the shelf right now.

Just considering what happened this off season for them, spending the vast amount of trade capital to move up to #2, to take the Rams leftovers. They get a kid Carson Wentz from N. Dakota State, admittedly trained in a pro system, who gets little work in PreSeason because of an injury..Then goes on to QB two wins in the NFL...The latest one is against the Bears at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football, which is hard enough for a veteran QB to do, considering it's an away game on a large stage....It's not too big for him.

Then, the Eagles recoup their first round pick by trading Sam.....This transformed their franchise, and Howie Roseman is the GM of the year. Adam Schefter, and many others, are gushing about the Eagles setting up their franchise for 10-15 years.

FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKK!

Now we come back to Jared Goff and Les Snead....Not all Top Picks pan out, and that's not being negative, it's just reality. We knew Jared would have challenges coming from that Spread system, but he DOES have skills........It's a scary time for me, wondering if we made the wrong choice here...I may puke the first time Goff starts, because so much of our future is tied up in him...He HAS TO PAN OUT..HE FARKING HAS TO! Snead, you will not have a career in football if this doesn't work out, imo.

Luck is a key component for a young team to build momentum. Looks like Doug Martin will be out 3 weeks with a hamstring injury. Hopeful the Rams can take advantage and come away with a tough NFC road win on Sunday.