Regressing Rams stumble to fourth loss in a row
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d15d3b83-6483-51f8-bd19-428b4cf73a21.html
CINCINNATI • It has reached this point for the stumbling Rams. Their fourth loss in a row came 31-7 Sunday to Cincinnati. At no point throughout the proceedings did you get the feeling they would make a legitimate run at the AFC North division leaders.
At 4-7, and with Arizona up next on the schedule, you wonder if the offense will ever score more than 20 points again, or if the Rams will even win another game in 2015.
As for anyone questioning the effort of the team Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium — pucker up.
"Anyone that implies it's an effort issue — they can kiss my (bleep)," coach Jeff Fisher said during his postgame news conference. "There is no effort problem on this team. That's what happens when you lose four in a row. People say it's effort. Come to practice, watch this team play, and ask any other opponent or opposing coach.
"It's not an effort issue right now. It's execution. It's 70 percent offense and 30 percent defense. I'll leave (special) teams out of it, because our teams always play hard."
There was a follow-up question regarding whether Fisher feels he has done a good enough job with the Rams.
"I've lost four in a row, so no," Fisher said. "That's not acceptable. But we're going to keep working at it. We've gotta get more production on offense."
The briefest of pauses followed, then as two reporters began to ask questions, Fisher abruptly ended his press conference. To summarize: Opening statement. Four questions, and then exit, stage right. One of the shortest, if not the shortest post-game media session for Fisher since coming to St. Louis in 2012.
After Sunday's lopsided defeat, it's fair to say that St. Louis Rams fans are waiting on the answers to two questions regarding owner Stan Kroenke:
1. Will Kroenke move the Rams to Los Angeles before the 2016 season?
2. Will Kroenke fire Fisher after the '15 season?
As the fourth year of the Fisher-general manager Les Snead regime winds down, the Rams are showing signs of regression, not progression. That 4-3 early November record and playoff chatter seems like it took place a couple of years ago.
To a man, the Rams said they were trying to win one for teammate Stedman Bailey, recovering from gunshot wounds after a drive-by shooting in South Florida. But after an emotional week, the result was one of the team's worst performances under Fisher, albeit against one of the AFC's top teams and a Super Bowl contender in Cincinnati.
"It's been an emotional week thinking about Stedman Bailey, and everything he's going through," quarterback Nick Foles said. "We're praying for him and we wanted to go out there and play for him. That's what hurts."
With Case Keenum unable to pass the concussion protocol in time for Sunday's game, Foles returned to the starting lineup. He did nothing to show that Fisher made the wrong move benching him a week ago.
Foles completed 30 of 46 passes, but for only 228 yards. He threw three interceptions and finished with a passer rating of 49.9.
With Foles at quarterback, the St. Louis offense was slow out of the gate once again. The Bengals ganged up on Todd Gurley, limiting him to 19 yards on nine carries.
With Gurley lined up at quarterback in the Wildcat formation, the Rams got a little spark in the second quarter. Gurley handed off to Tavon Austin on a jet sweep, and Austin raced 60 yards around right end to the Cincinnati 13. It was the Rams' second-longest run from scrimmage this season, eclipsed only by Gurley's 71-yard TD run four weeks ago against San Francisco. You know, back in the good old days.
After an 8-yard run by Gurley — his longest of the day — Austin scored on another jet sweep around right end, this time taking the handoff from Foles on a five-yard run. It was Austin's team-high and career-high eighth TD of the season, and it narrowed the Cincinnati lead to 10-7 with 8:29 left in the first half.
But that was it for Rams offensive highlights.
Cincinnati wasted little time getting that score back, with quarterback Andy Dalton throwing a 22-yard TD pass to tight end Tyler Eifert, capping a 10-play drive. It was a perfectly-thrown ball by Dalton _ behind strong safety T.J. McDonald, who began the play close to the line of scrimmage; and in front of free safety Rodney McLeod.
The Rams threatened to make it a one score game just before the half, but a Foles pass over the middle was tipped by safety George Iloka and intercepted by Reggie Nelson at the Bengals' 10 with 31 seconds left in the second quarter, preserving a 17-7 Cincy lead.
In the third quarter, the Bengals used a 45-yard screen pass to Giovani Bernard to set up a quick TD drive, getting the seven points on wide receiver A.J. Green's second touchdown catch of the day. He beat zone coverage on the play, an 18-yard pass over the middle with 7:01 left in the third.
On the ensuing Rams possession, a scrambling Foles threw his second interception of the day, with this one returned 19 yards by Bengals cornerback Leon Hall for a touchdown and a 31-7 Cincinnati lead.
"I was scrambling and trying to step up, make a play, and try to convert," Foles said. "I saw (Hall) and tried to get the ball over him. It was one of those things where I was trying to make too big of a play in that situation."
Things got so out of hand, Fisher let rookie Sean Mannion finish out the game by playing the last series. The closing minutes had the feel of a fourth-quarter preseason game.
With the Bengals' defense interested only in preventing the big play, Mannion completed six of seven passses, but for a mere 31 yards in his NFL debut. Fisher, before his hasty press conference exit, told reporters that Mannion isn't ready for starter's duty.
"When Case does pass (the concussion protocol) — and we're hopeful it's this week — then he'll go back under center as the starter," Fisher said.
Here are updates posted during the game by football writer Joe Lyons:
CINCINNATI • The host Bengals snapped their two-game losing streak while pushing the Rams' losing skid to four games Sunday, blowing by the visitors 31-7 before a crowd of 61,022 at Paul Brown Stadium.
Cincinnati, which leads the AFC North, improved to 9-2 while the Rams fell to 4-7 after entering November above .500 for the first time since 2006.
The Rams host the NFC-leading Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. Arizona entered Sunday's game at San Francisco with an 8-2 record.
On the second play of the fourth quarter, Bengals safety George Iloka picked off a Nick Foles pass lofted in the direction of Kenny Britt. It was the third interception of the day for Foles.
The Rams put together a late drive in garbage time, getting to the Bengals' 18-yard line. But the drive ended with three incompletions, a delay-of-game call, and a deflected fourth-down pass intended for Wes Welker falling incomplete with about 3 minutes to play.
The Bengals took over, with second-year pro A.J. McCarron at QB for Dalton. The Rams also made a late QB change, with rookie Sean Mannion replacing Foles. A third-round draft pick from Oregon State, in his first NFL game, completed five of six passes for 28 yards.
BENGALS UP 31-7 WITH A QUARTER TO PLAY
On the first drive of the second half, the Rams' Janoris Jenkins picked off a pass from Andy Dalton. After the ensuing drive stalled and the Rams punted, the Bengals quickly struck again. On first down, Giovanni Bernard caught an Andy Dalton pass and raced 45 yards. At the end of the play, the Rams' Marcus Roberson managed to knock the ball free, but the Bengals' Tyler Eifert beat St. Louis' Mark Barron to the loose ball, allowing Cincinnati to keep possession.
Two plays later, Dalton threaded the needle down the middle as A.J. Green came down with an 18-yard touchdown pass between Rams James Laurinaitis and Rodney McLeod.
With 7:01 to play in the quarter, the Bengals led 24-7.
The lead went to 31-7 with 5:20 to play in the third quarter when Ram's QB Nick Foles made a bad decision under pressure and was picked off by Leon Hall, who returned it 19 yards for a defensive score.
CINCY UP 17-7 AT THE HALF
The Bengals added to their lead early in the second quarter, getting a 21-yard field goal from Mike Nugent with 10:10 to play in the first half to make it 10-0. The 14-play, 85-yard drive was highlighted by a 30-yard double-reverse by Marvin Jones. On a third-and-goal from the 3, Rams' linebacker Daren Bates flashed a bit of his physical talent by going up for an interception at the back of the end zone. But the third-year linebacker came down out of bounds.
Following the field goal, the Rams needed just four plays to move 80 yards and pick up their first points of the day on a 5-yard end-around by Tavon Austin with 8:29 to play before halftime. On a second-and-three from the Rams' 27, with Todd Gurley in the Wildcat formation, Austin took a handoff from the Rams' running back and raced 60 yards to the Cincinnati 13 to help set up the TD.
Up 10-7, the Bengals came right back to add to their lead with 3:27 left in the opening half. On a second-and-one from the 22, Dalton pump-faked to the left before firing to tight end Tyler Eifert on the right side for the touchdown. It's the league-leading 12th TD of the season for Eifert, a third-year tight end from Notre Dame who missed all but one game in 2014 after suffering a dislocated elbow in the season opener.
The 10-play, 80-yard drive was featured a 24-yard pass from Dalton to Jeremy Hill and a 14-yard run by Hill.
The Rams managed to get into position to score again late, thanks to a solid two-minute offense. But the drive ended when a first-down pass from the Bengals' 23 from Foles to Jared Cook was tipped by George Iloka and picked off by Reggie Nelson. With a diving grab with less than 30 seconds left in the half, Nelson came up with his sixth pick of the season.
Some halftime numbers:
• Nick Foles has completed 11 of 16 passes for 86 yards with an interception. Todd Gurley has been limited to 12 yards on six carries, but Tavon Austin has 67 yards and a touchdown on three carries and has also grabbed two passed for 14 yards. Kenny Britt has three catches for 31 yards.
On defense, Akeem Ayers has six tackles.
• Dalton has completed 14 of 18 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. A.J. Green has five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown, with tight end Tyler Eifert chipping in with three catches for 40 yards and a score. Jeremy Hill has rushed seven times for 39 yards and also has a 14-yard pass reception.
BENGALS UP 7-0 AFTER ONE QUARTER
After forcing a Rams' punt, the Bengals moved 63 yards on seven plays and grabbed the early lead on a nine-yard pass from Andy Dalton to a wide-open A.J. Green, who, thanks to a coverage mixup, was uncovered running down the right sideline. Mike Nugent's kick with 9:18 to play in the first quarter made it 7-0.
It was the fifth TD catch of the season for Green and the 21st for Dalton.
The Rams' Demetrius Rhaney, a second-year pro, is making his first NFL start at left guard. At right guard, rookie Cody Wichmann is making his second start.
KEENUM, ZUERLEIN INACTIVE
As expected, Nick Foles will get the start at quarterback against the Bengals as Case Keenum spent the week going through the NFL concussion protocol and was limited in practice.
In his first start after replacing Foles, Keenum suffered a concussion late in the Rams' 16-13 loss at Baltimore.
Not as expected, kicker Greg Zuerlein is out with a strained right groin after being a late addition to the injury report following practice Friday at Rams Park. Signed on Saturday, Zach Hocker will handle the place-kicking duties.
Hocker, a University of Arkansas product,, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 draft by the Washington Redskins but was cut prior to the season. He started this season with New Orleans, but after making 9 of 13 field goals and missing a potential game-winner against Dallas in Week 4, he was cut on Oct. 19.
Joining Keenum and Zuerlein as Rams' inactives Sunday are defensive end Robert Quinn (hip/back), cornerback Trumaine Johnson (thigh), tackle Andrew Donnal (knee), tackle Isaiah Battle and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks.
Marcus Roberson will start in place of Johnson at corner, with rookie Cody Wichmann to make his second consecutive start at right guard.
To make room for Hocker on the roster, the Rams waived tight end Justice Cunningham on Saturday.
Tackle Rob Havenstein, who's been dealing with a calf issue, is active.
For the Bengals, the inactives are defensive tackle Pat Sims (knee), wide receiver Mario Alford, linebacker P.J. Dawson, tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, tight end C.J. Uzomah, defensive tackle Marcus Hardison, and defensive end Margus Hunt.
HUNGRY FOR A WIN
Both teams in Sunday's game at Paul Brown Stadium will be looking to end losing streaks. The Rams, who entered November above .500 for the first time since 2006, are 3-6 and have dropped three in a row. The Bengals, who won their first eight games of the season, followed up on a 10-6 to Houston with a 34-31 setback last Sunday night to the Cardinals in Arizon.
The Rams host the Cardinals (8-2) Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Edward Jones Dome.
The Rams and Bengals have met only 12 times, with Cincinnati coming away with seven wins. The Bengals are 4-2 in home games against the Rams and have won the teams' last two meetings.
