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Bernie Miklasz
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bytes-take-on-the-rams/article_6d194532-a958-5b6c-a3b8-8f0bd29a0b45.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... a0b45.html</a>
1. Evaluating Preseason Quarterback Play: I agree with the opinion that Sam Bradford has looked good this summer. Bradford ranks 9th among summer-rehearsal NFL QBs with a preseason passer rating of 114.1. That's nice. But what does it mean? Some of the passers rated higher than Bradford this season include Matt Simms, B.J. Daniels and Brad Sorensen. In the 2012 preseason, the list of top-rated QBs included Ryan Perrilloux, Jerrod Johnson and Richard Bartel. Translation: let's talk about this on the evening of Sept. 8, after the Rams play Arizona in the regular-season opener. Preseason football is fool's gold. Stats are pretty much worthless. But yes, Sam seems confident and in control of his offense.
2. Coming Soon: Tavon Time ... The always read-worthy Ryan Van Bibber did his usual good job in taking a look at this over at TurfShowTimes, so click the link. I don't have much to add that RVB hasn't covered here. And this piece by Ben Muth at SB Nation is a recommended read for those inclined to dig in and study how Austin may be utilized during the regular season. But as a fan, I've felt this way all summer: the less we see of Rams' rookie Maker of Plays Tavon Austin in preseason games, the better. That 81-yard punt return at Denver was a sufficient sneak preview; we don't need one of those overly long trailers that show the coming attractions. Here's how crazy I am: as thrilling as it was to see TA fireball his way down the sideline in Denver on that exciting return, I was sorry it happened.
Why? Because the less that regular-season opponents see of Austin, the more it works to the Rams' regular-season advantage, and that includes his special skill as a returner. Rams coach Jeff Fisher has played this perfectly during the preseason exhibitions: the Rams have this sensational new product to roll out on Sept. 8, but there will be no advanced demonstrations to educate opposing-team defensive coordinators. They're just going to have to wait and see how the Rams will utilize Austin as a receiver and runner and generator ... and then they'll have to react to it on the fly, hopefully after having their brains (and defenses) scrambled.
A lot of times, NFL coaches are ridiculous in their insistence on secrecy. They get carried away, consumed by paranoia. (Fisher isn't like that, generally speaking - except for injuries.) But a coach would be nuts to waste a tactical advantage by giving opponents an extensive look at Austin in a meaningless setting.
3. My Biggest Rams-Related Concern: What's up with defensive end Chris Long? He's obviously being held back for a physical reason, with the possibilities ranging from general soreness to an injury that may impact his early part of the season. Long is one of the essential pieces of the Rams defense. Last season he was 3rd in the NFL among 4-3 left defensive ends with 12 sacks, and his overall count of 76 QB pressures was second in the NFL to Miami's Cameron Wake. (Source: Pro Football Focus.) The Rams have a special pass-rush tandem in Long and right DE Robert Quinn. The young Quinn really came on in 2012, his second NFL season, ranking 20th among defensive ends with 45 pressures, and finishing tied for fourth among right DEs with 11 sacks. Few NFL teams have the ability to consistently pressure the quarterbacks from both edges without relying on the blitz, and it's imperative for Long and Quinn to be healthy.
All Fisher has said is "Chris is fine." The Rams aren't obligated to reveal anything about Long's condition until it's time to file the official NFL injury report next Wednesday.
4. The Running Backs: Kudos to the fans and media that touted undrafted rookie RB Benny Cunningham as a legitimate threat to make the big-boy roster. He sure looks like an NFL running back, and at this point he's probably the best kickoff-return man they have unless they want to use Austin in the role. Before camp, I was honking for fifth-round draft choice Zac Stacy ... and I haven't backed off that. Stacy's role will be defined later after the Rams determine if Daryl Richardson or Isaiah Pead can be counted on to make tough, productive runs between the tackles. Stacy looms as an alternative. I like this collection of backs. It's just a matter of seeing how it all sorts out.
5. Watching Witherspoon: I have a lot of respect for veteran outside linebacker Will Witherspoon, a class act who will be starting in place of the suspended Jo-Lonn Dunbar early in the season. But honestly, I don't know how much Witherspoon has left as he heads into his 13th NFL season. Last year (source: Pro Football Focus) Witherspoon played 251 snaps for Tennessee and ranked 76th among 111 NFL outside linebackers in overall play. And he was ranked 90th among the 111 in run defense. Dunbar was ranked 3rd against the run among all OLBs last season. So unless Witherspoon plays better than he did in 2012, the Rams could experience a drop-off at the position with Dunbar sitting out for the first four games.
Bonus Ram-dom Thoughts:
• At some point safety Darian Stewart has to prove he can stay healthy, right?
• Based on Cunningham, LB Ray-Ray Armstrong and a few other nice free-agent rookie discoveries, GM Les Snead and his scouts are reaffirming that they have an eye for talent.
• I'm optimistic about Jake Long's chances of returning to Pro Bowl form in 2013, but according to Pro Football Focus the left OT allowed four QB hurries in 40 pass-protection snaps in the first three preseason games, and we're not going to know what we need to know about Jake until the real football commences on Sept. 8.
• Third-year tight end Lance Kendricks is an important and underrated piece of this Rams offense, and he really came on in 2012. You have to hope that he didn't suffer too much of a setback after missing so much camp time while rehabbing the surgically repaired knee.
• More on Ray-Ray Armstrong: as we said, preseason stats can be terribly misleading, but according to Pro Football Focus he's had a sack and three QB pressures on only nine pass-rush snaps this preseason. What an intriguing weapon.
Thanks for reading...
— Bernie
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bytes-take-on-the-rams/article_6d194532-a958-5b6c-a3b8-8f0bd29a0b45.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... a0b45.html</a>
1. Evaluating Preseason Quarterback Play: I agree with the opinion that Sam Bradford has looked good this summer. Bradford ranks 9th among summer-rehearsal NFL QBs with a preseason passer rating of 114.1. That's nice. But what does it mean? Some of the passers rated higher than Bradford this season include Matt Simms, B.J. Daniels and Brad Sorensen. In the 2012 preseason, the list of top-rated QBs included Ryan Perrilloux, Jerrod Johnson and Richard Bartel. Translation: let's talk about this on the evening of Sept. 8, after the Rams play Arizona in the regular-season opener. Preseason football is fool's gold. Stats are pretty much worthless. But yes, Sam seems confident and in control of his offense.
2. Coming Soon: Tavon Time ... The always read-worthy Ryan Van Bibber did his usual good job in taking a look at this over at TurfShowTimes, so click the link. I don't have much to add that RVB hasn't covered here. And this piece by Ben Muth at SB Nation is a recommended read for those inclined to dig in and study how Austin may be utilized during the regular season. But as a fan, I've felt this way all summer: the less we see of Rams' rookie Maker of Plays Tavon Austin in preseason games, the better. That 81-yard punt return at Denver was a sufficient sneak preview; we don't need one of those overly long trailers that show the coming attractions. Here's how crazy I am: as thrilling as it was to see TA fireball his way down the sideline in Denver on that exciting return, I was sorry it happened.
Why? Because the less that regular-season opponents see of Austin, the more it works to the Rams' regular-season advantage, and that includes his special skill as a returner. Rams coach Jeff Fisher has played this perfectly during the preseason exhibitions: the Rams have this sensational new product to roll out on Sept. 8, but there will be no advanced demonstrations to educate opposing-team defensive coordinators. They're just going to have to wait and see how the Rams will utilize Austin as a receiver and runner and generator ... and then they'll have to react to it on the fly, hopefully after having their brains (and defenses) scrambled.
A lot of times, NFL coaches are ridiculous in their insistence on secrecy. They get carried away, consumed by paranoia. (Fisher isn't like that, generally speaking - except for injuries.) But a coach would be nuts to waste a tactical advantage by giving opponents an extensive look at Austin in a meaningless setting.
3. My Biggest Rams-Related Concern: What's up with defensive end Chris Long? He's obviously being held back for a physical reason, with the possibilities ranging from general soreness to an injury that may impact his early part of the season. Long is one of the essential pieces of the Rams defense. Last season he was 3rd in the NFL among 4-3 left defensive ends with 12 sacks, and his overall count of 76 QB pressures was second in the NFL to Miami's Cameron Wake. (Source: Pro Football Focus.) The Rams have a special pass-rush tandem in Long and right DE Robert Quinn. The young Quinn really came on in 2012, his second NFL season, ranking 20th among defensive ends with 45 pressures, and finishing tied for fourth among right DEs with 11 sacks. Few NFL teams have the ability to consistently pressure the quarterbacks from both edges without relying on the blitz, and it's imperative for Long and Quinn to be healthy.
All Fisher has said is "Chris is fine." The Rams aren't obligated to reveal anything about Long's condition until it's time to file the official NFL injury report next Wednesday.
4. The Running Backs: Kudos to the fans and media that touted undrafted rookie RB Benny Cunningham as a legitimate threat to make the big-boy roster. He sure looks like an NFL running back, and at this point he's probably the best kickoff-return man they have unless they want to use Austin in the role. Before camp, I was honking for fifth-round draft choice Zac Stacy ... and I haven't backed off that. Stacy's role will be defined later after the Rams determine if Daryl Richardson or Isaiah Pead can be counted on to make tough, productive runs between the tackles. Stacy looms as an alternative. I like this collection of backs. It's just a matter of seeing how it all sorts out.
5. Watching Witherspoon: I have a lot of respect for veteran outside linebacker Will Witherspoon, a class act who will be starting in place of the suspended Jo-Lonn Dunbar early in the season. But honestly, I don't know how much Witherspoon has left as he heads into his 13th NFL season. Last year (source: Pro Football Focus) Witherspoon played 251 snaps for Tennessee and ranked 76th among 111 NFL outside linebackers in overall play. And he was ranked 90th among the 111 in run defense. Dunbar was ranked 3rd against the run among all OLBs last season. So unless Witherspoon plays better than he did in 2012, the Rams could experience a drop-off at the position with Dunbar sitting out for the first four games.
Bonus Ram-dom Thoughts:
• At some point safety Darian Stewart has to prove he can stay healthy, right?
• Based on Cunningham, LB Ray-Ray Armstrong and a few other nice free-agent rookie discoveries, GM Les Snead and his scouts are reaffirming that they have an eye for talent.
• I'm optimistic about Jake Long's chances of returning to Pro Bowl form in 2013, but according to Pro Football Focus the left OT allowed four QB hurries in 40 pass-protection snaps in the first three preseason games, and we're not going to know what we need to know about Jake until the real football commences on Sept. 8.
• Third-year tight end Lance Kendricks is an important and underrated piece of this Rams offense, and he really came on in 2012. You have to hope that he didn't suffer too much of a setback after missing so much camp time while rehabbing the surgically repaired knee.
• More on Ray-Ray Armstrong: as we said, preseason stats can be terribly misleading, but according to Pro Football Focus he's had a sack and three QB pressures on only nine pass-rush snaps this preseason. What an intriguing weapon.
Thanks for reading...
— Bernie
This is the first I've heard of anything possibly wrong with CL!!!? What's up with dat?
