St. Louis Rams vs. Oakland Raiders Official Game Day thread
- Thread starter Corbin
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Had some good laughs reading some of the game posts, and I get it, you want to see something new and better and it's the same old sorry... uh, nevermind. But there have been some great posts keeping things real so won't go all into that.
What irked me tonight...
Roger "Glass" Saffold opting out right away set a bad precedent with a young line that could have used him in there. And it immediately did have an effect with his side looking shaky you could see the blood in the water with Washington and feel GRob's distress immediately. As an addendum to that how in the F can Washington be the first guy off the bench at LG? Are you effin serious? Guys like Washington are the reason the Rams had to draft 5 OL... Because they aren't good enough. Note to Coach Boudreau: get it figured out brother, who is the guy that will play LG this season? Because you cannot trust Roger to stay healthy plain and simple.
The defense sleep walking once again. You know, instead of having these guys play soft vanilla schemes or at 75% speed, maybe it's better to just play the effin depth guys the whole game and have them do it right. I'm serious.
What I liked...
Offensive explosiveness. Tavon probably could have turned it upfield vs the safety on his big screen play and might have gotten to pay dirt but he played it safe. Quick, btw, will undoubtedly make it even harder for defenses to key on anyone, they won't be able to focus either Cook or Austin with any sort of predictability I hope. So I do have some hope still that this offense will have some serious big play ability.
Third down runs. How many three and outs have we seen because this offense could not convert a short run and everyone knew it? That should change this season whatever else happens.
Mannion. Dude looks like a legit rookie prospect. We might have gotten a bargain with him, there's a chance he's the QB we all saw his junior year.
So overall it seems to me this team was in "safe mode" which is all Fish and the staff. Maybe it's the right approach too, I don't know. But as I've seen some others say if this team starts out of the gate slow again I'm gonna lose my $h!t. For now I'm gonna chill out and not sweat it, and have some faith it's just preseason but again at some point I do want to see good things from the starters and it sure would be nice if I didn't have to convince myself that switch will suddenly be flipped right before the season.
What irked me tonight...
Roger "Glass" Saffold opting out right away set a bad precedent with a young line that could have used him in there. And it immediately did have an effect with his side looking shaky you could see the blood in the water with Washington and feel GRob's distress immediately. As an addendum to that how in the F can Washington be the first guy off the bench at LG? Are you effin serious? Guys like Washington are the reason the Rams had to draft 5 OL... Because they aren't good enough. Note to Coach Boudreau: get it figured out brother, who is the guy that will play LG this season? Because you cannot trust Roger to stay healthy plain and simple.
The defense sleep walking once again. You know, instead of having these guys play soft vanilla schemes or at 75% speed, maybe it's better to just play the effin depth guys the whole game and have them do it right. I'm serious.
What I liked...
Offensive explosiveness. Tavon probably could have turned it upfield vs the safety on his big screen play and might have gotten to pay dirt but he played it safe. Quick, btw, will undoubtedly make it even harder for defenses to key on anyone, they won't be able to focus either Cook or Austin with any sort of predictability I hope. So I do have some hope still that this offense will have some serious big play ability.
Third down runs. How many three and outs have we seen because this offense could not convert a short run and everyone knew it? That should change this season whatever else happens.
Mannion. Dude looks like a legit rookie prospect. We might have gotten a bargain with him, there's a chance he's the QB we all saw his junior year.
So overall it seems to me this team was in "safe mode" which is all Fish and the staff. Maybe it's the right approach too, I don't know. But as I've seen some others say if this team starts out of the gate slow again I'm gonna lose my $h!t. For now I'm gonna chill out and not sweat it, and have some faith it's just preseason but again at some point I do want to see good things from the starters and it sure would be nice if I didn't have to convince myself that switch will suddenly be flipped right before the season.
ram007
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Thoughts after watching:
Foles will be serviceable nothing more nothing less. Pretty good first drive
Run defense will be a problem as they seem committed to blitz ALL the time.
On the OL, I like the right side given they are playing for first time.
DL and special team were flat. May they played like this was a pre season game
Depth on this team is premium so I had a beer for good health of starters in 2015
Foles will be serviceable nothing more nothing less. Pretty good first drive
Run defense will be a problem as they seem committed to blitz ALL the time.
On the OL, I like the right side given they are playing for first time.
DL and special team were flat. May they played like this was a pre season game
Depth on this team is premium so I had a beer for good health of starters in 2015
jjab360
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If you have Game Pass, go back and look at his arms during his backpedal. There is no reason he should consistently be in a bear hug position with his hands out by his side. That's just asking for the pass rusher to get into his body and a holding call after he's already beat. There's a reason he struggles with speed and it's because of his fundamentals not because of anything he's lacking physically.
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- Dale
I'm not going to comment on all that has already been said, for I agree with the majority.
Two players I keyed on; Battle and Rhaney.
Rhaney - seemed to block well but all his shotgun snaps were low, QB had to bend to pick them up. Needs to improve that.
Battle - rough couple of plays at first, beat like a drum, needs to slide his feet. Then it seemed he started to get it and held his own against another 3rd team DE. Of course he was playing LT and I thought he was a traditional RT.
I do know that we were out coached. I liked Oaklands OFF playcalling. Thought they mixed it up well.
MEH, what do I know, I'm just a die hard Rams fan.
Two players I keyed on; Battle and Rhaney.
Rhaney - seemed to block well but all his shotgun snaps were low, QB had to bend to pick them up. Needs to improve that.
Battle - rough couple of plays at first, beat like a drum, needs to slide his feet. Then it seemed he started to get it and held his own against another 3rd team DE. Of course he was playing LT and I thought he was a traditional RT.
I do know that we were out coached. I liked Oaklands OFF playcalling. Thought they mixed it up well.
MEH, what do I know, I'm just a die hard Rams fan.
RamzFanz
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All 6 yard runs are good plays. Especially from your 3rd string RB against their ones.
NateTheRam
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No, Matt Ryan killed it, Foles, ok
Ram Pat
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is serious, faulty shoulder cup; surgery 50/50 chance....that is why Raiders ran away
RamBill
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Raiders Beat Rams 18-3--Multiple Post Game Articles
No surprise: Rams' offense a work in progress in loss to Raiders
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...offense-a-work-in-progress-in-loss-to-raiders
That the St. Louis Rams only posted a field goal in their 18-3 loss to the Oakland Raiders in the preseason opener should come as no surprise. It's a group that's going to take some time to coalesce and expecting it to happen in just a couple of weeks of practice and one preseason game is a fool's errand.
Whether it was the starters or any of the backups, the Rams simply couldn't muster much offense, even against the team they beat 52-0 in the 2014 regular season. The Rams finished with 285 total yards and, aside from their opening drive, didn't come that close to reaching the end zone.
Some more quick thoughts on the preseason opener:
QB depth chart: As expected, Nick Foles made the start and played two series, but there's no doubt it's his job. The real battle at quarterback is for the No. 2 job, where Case Keenum got the first opportunity ahead of Austin Davis. Keenum played the second and third quarter, performing better in the third. He stood and delivered well in the face of pressure a couple of times on a third-quarter drive and went 12-of-17 for 83 yards on the night. Davis got the third opportunity, going 1-of-2 for 12 yards before giving way to rookie Sean Mannion. Safe to say, neither Davis nor Keenum did much to separate from each other.
Maybe that dude could start: It's strange to say about a former No. 8 overall pick, but Tavon Austin offered a glimpse of his game-breaking ability on a 35-yard catch and run on the opening series. He isn't expected to be a starter in a technical sense, but he reminded why he needs to be heavily involved in the offense because he brings something unique to the table.
Who got hurt?: It's become an all too familiar refrain, but the Rams were only four plays into their opening drive when left guard Rodger Saffold left the field holding his right arm. He did not return to the game. Linebacker Daren Bates also limped off in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
Among those not playing because of previous issues: running back Todd Gurley, end Chris Long, receiver Brian Quick, cornerback Brandon McGee, cornerback E.J. Gaines, linebacker Korey Toomer, guard Cody Wichmann, tight end Brad Smelley, defensive tackle Doug Worthington and end Eugene Sims.
Surprise performer: Undrafted rookie cornerback Imoan Claiborne has made a habit of coming up with interceptions in practice and carried it over to Friday's game. He picked off Christian Ponder to end the first half and continues building a case to steal a roster spot at a crowded position.
Rookie watch: Right tackle Rob Havenstein and right guard Jamon Brown started and played the first two series with the starters before calling it a night. They did well to create room for back Benny Cunningham to move the chains on a third-down run and had no serious issues in pass protection though Havenstein appeared to have a couple of hiccups. Andrew Donnal, who came in at right tackle with the second-team offense, picked up a holding penalty to negate a big gain.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Rams looked ... : Alternately good and bad. Perhaps as you'd expect from a preseason opener, the Rams' starters played all but one play of the first quarter and had to take the good with the bad. With starters on the field, the Rams and Raiders were tied at 3.
Foles completed his first two passes for 61 yards to set up a field goal but went nowhere on the second drive, completing one of his next three passes for 8 yards and taking two hits and a sack.
On defense, the vanilla Rams had some trouble with Oakland's misdirection in the run game and Derek Carr's quick release in the passing game. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who picked up a 15-yard penalty for grabbing a face mask, redeemed himself by jumping a slant at the goal line for an interception to kill the Raiders' second drive.
One reason to freak out: Although initial returns are that Saffold's shoulder issue isn't serious, the Rams can't afford to lose him for an extended period. He's the only offensive line starter with more than 12 games of playing experience. Brandon Washington replaced him at left guard and gave up a sack with Foles still in the game. The Rams simply don't have much proven depth behind the starters on the offensive line.
Man in the middle: The Rams listed Barrett Jones as the starting center on their "unofficial" depth chart this week but it was Tim Barnes getting the start and playing the first two series. Jones came in with the second team and Demetrius Rhaney came in later. That trio is, of course, competing for the starting job in the middle, but the Rams don't plan to make a decision right away. For what it's worth, Barnes held up pretty well.
Penalty woes remain: Last week, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he was pleased with his team's emphasis on cutting down on penalties. That didn't last long. They struggled again against the Raiders, posting 10 accepted penalties for 75 yards with at least three more infractions that were declined. Each preseason, Fisher says it's a problem his team is working to correct. And each year, it carries over as the Rams have the most penalties and penalty yards in the NFL in Fisher's three seasons in St. Louis.
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Rams drop preseason opener vs. Raiders
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1574539-rams-drop-preseason-opener-vs-raiders
The St. Louis Rams opened their preseason schedule with their new quarterback leading a scoring drive on their first series. But the offense fell flat after that as the new-look offensive line struggled in an 18-3 loss to the host Oakland Raiders on Friday night.
The Rams (0-1) will stay in California and spend a couple days this week practicing against the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard. They will be back in action with their second preseason game on the road against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Aug. 23.
Here’s a quick look at what went right and what went wrong on Friday…
HIGHLIGHTS
• Quarterback Nick Foles completed three of five pass attempts for 69 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked once. Foles started off with some nice throws but struggled late in his second series when he was overwhelmed by defensive pressure.
• One of those Foles completions was a quick screen left to Tavon Austin that the diminutive speedster turned into a 35-yard gain with some nifty cuts downfield. The Rams need to get the former first-round pick more involved in the offense and give him a chance to make these kind of plays.
• Trumaine Johnson’s first-quarter interception of a Derek Carr pass thwarted what looked to be a scoring drive on the Raiders’ second series. Johnson redeemed himself after committing a penalty earlier on the possession.
• Undrafted rookie cornerback Imoan Claiborne came up with an interception of a Christian Ponder pass late in the first half. He’s been in the right place at a right time on a few occasions throughout camp and with E.J. Gaines out with an injury could be setting himself up to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
• Rookie quarterback Sean Mannion saw some time late in the fourth quarter and the third-round pick showed inconsistency but did have some flashes. He completed eight of 13 pass attempts for 53 yards.
LOWLIGHTS
• Starting left guard Rodger Saffold left the game holding his right arm or wrist following the fourth play of the game and did not return. It could be a reoccurrence of the shoulder issue he has been bothered by in the past and had surgery to fix this offseason.
• The Rams’ renovated offensive line didn’t fare well in its first outing and looked very poor at times with pass protection. Losing Saffold early didn’t help, though he wouldn’t have played much more anyway. It’s only one game, but the St. Louis offensive line has to get better quickly.
• Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. The Rams were flagged 10 times for 75 yards. Penalties in a preseason game isn’t unusual, of course, but with the Rams’ history of committing too many it is worth noting.
• Lamarcus Joyner was beaten on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder to Andre Holmes. Joyner was screened a bit by Rams rookie linebacker Bryce Hager, but the 2014 second-round pick still could have made a better play on the ball.
• The Raiders’ four quarterbacks combined to complete 23 of 30 passes for 215 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Matt McGloin completed 10 of 11 passes for 104 yards and a score.
• The Rams’ defense couldn’t get off the field on third down. The Raiders converted seven of their 11 third-down attempts (63 percent).
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Sloppy Rams lose preseason debut
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_2c9e662b-8acd-5132-8fe7-56b6e06ca407.html
OAKLAND, CALIF. • The start, however fleeting, was eye-opening for the Rams and new quarterback Nick Foles. There was a 26-yard completion on the first play from scrimmage to tight end Lance Kendricks down the right sideline.
Next came a quick screen to Tavon Austin, and by golly, not only did the Rams have blockers out there for Austin, but Austin cut it inside, accelerated and raced 35 yards to the Oakland 19.
Two plays, two passes, 61 yards. Not too shabby. But that was about it for the Rams’ offense in a sloppy performance that fitted the description — preseason opener — in every way. The result was an 18-3 loss to Oakland at O.co Coliseum that left the Rams with plenty to work on.
Before that series ended, on a 31-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, the Rams watched left guard Rodger Saffold leave the field after just four plays after tweaking his shoulder.
The immediate word from the Rams was that it merely a tweak, and that Saffold would’ve stayed in the game had it been a regular-season game. Why take chances in August?
But the Rams also lost special teams ace and backup linebacker Daren Bates to a knee injury in the first half, an injury that looked more severe. The offense sputtered thereafter. Foles completed three of five passes for 69 yards before giving way to Case Keenum after two series.
Coach Jeff Fisher stressed the importance of keeping Foles clean, not only in the preseason opener but this season in general. But Saffold’s replacement at left guard, Brandon Washington, gave up sacks on back-to-back plays to kill Foles’ second series.
The first sack was nullified by offsetting penalties. But the second, which came when Raiders defensive end Shelby Harris got around Washington, cost the Rams 14 yards.
Even with the troubles on that series, Kendricks said the first couple of plays were indicative of what might be expected from Foles in 2015.
“He’s just in sync with the whole offense — great rhythm, great timing with everybody. Easy to work with,” Kendricks said. “It’s going to be a fun season.”
It wasn’t too much fun Friday. The Rams didn’t get much going once Keenum and the second-teamers took over on offense, reaching only as far as the Oakland 49 in the second quarter on a series that ended with a punt.
Meanwhile, Oakland saw its second possession against the Rams’ first-team defense reach the St. Louis 6 only to be thwarted on a Trumaine Johnson interception. Johnson, flagged for a facemask four plays earlier, cut in front of a Derek Carr pass intended for rookie first-rounder Amari Cooper for the “pick” in the end zone.
“I just read the quarterback’s eyes and was able to make a play,” Johnson said.
Simple as that. That was it for the Rams’ first-team defense after two series against an Oakland offense that looks more potent this season with Cooper and former San Francisco 49er Michael Crabtree at wide receiver.
The Rams’ defense held at its 2-yard line, forcing Oakland to kick a field goal after a 54-yard drive on the Raiders’ first possession. Then Johnson provided the eraser with his interception on the second series.
“I think we handled the first 15 (minutes) pretty well,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “Teams usually come out and try to do a lot of different stuff, and they certainly did with reverses and stuff like that. There’s some things we need to correct, no doubt.”
Oakland made the most of its first series against the Rams’ second-team defense, driving 80 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Lamarcus Joyner was beaten by Andre Holmes for a 3-yard score. Oakland went for two points, failed, and thus took a 9-3 lead.
The Raiders tacked on a field goal to open the third quarter, and then pushed their lead to 18-3 early in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard pass from third-string quarterback Matt McGloin to Brice Butler. Safety Maurice Alexander slipped in coverage on the play, giving Butler enough room to reach the end zone.
Once again, the Raiders went for two points and failed.
All in all, if this was the night you were looking for crisp execution by the Rams on offense, a shutdown performance by the defense, and a minimum of penalties ... well, maybe next week when the Rams play preseason game No. 2 at Tennessee.
Even Pro Bowl punter Johnny Hekker shanked a punt, for just 22 yards late in the second quarter, so it was not a banner night for the Rams. The defense did get another takeaway, in the form of an interception by undrafted rookie Imoan Claiborne. Claiborne was later shaken up and left the game.
But the offense simply couldn’t get much going. Keenum got another series to start the third quarter and finished 12 for 17 for 83 yards. But the closest the Rams got was a missed 48-yard field goal by camp kicker Michael Palardy with 2:07 to play in the third quarter.
Austin Davis took over for a series at quarterback in the fourth quarter. Rookie quarterback Sean Mannion, the third-round draft pick from Oregon State, then took over on the Rams’ final series.
Before the Sunday night contest Aug. 23 against the Titans in Nashville, it’s off to Oxnard, Calif., for three days of practices in the Los Angeles area. The team will practice against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday and Tuesday, practice on their own Wednesday, then fly back to St. Louis.
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Rams are wary of field at Oakland
By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4846416b-e9f4-54e1-b3b8-7ea819b09f01.html
OAKLAND, CALIF. • Coaches usually get their starters in and out of the preseason opener quickly anyway. But the Rams may have had another reason to do so Friday night at O.co Coliseum, as the starters on offense and defense played just two series.
Namely, the presence of the baseball infield right in the middle of the playing surface. The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball also use O.co, and as such a large section of the field between the 20-yard lines consists of infield dirt.
It’s the only venue left in the NFL that is shared by a football and baseball team. Second base at O.co is right at the 50, with first and third base at each 30. There are also sections of the end zones that contain dirt surfaces.
Football coaches are always worried about injuries in training camp and the preseason, and at a multipurpose facility such as O.co there are always concerns about wrenching a knee or twisting an ankle going from grass to dirt or dirt to grass.
Early in the practice week, coach Jeff Fisher shrugged off a question about his players on the baseball field surface at O.co.
“They’ve been dealing with it forever,” Fisher said. “Really, the only consideration is your kicking game. Are you going to kick or do you want to use a timeout and switch ends and kick off grass versus kicking off the dirt? So it’s not a consideration and it’s not a safety hazard or a safety issue or else the league would never allow that to happen.”
Even so, the sense around the team is that Fisher will use the Oxnard practices against the Dallas Cowboys next week more to evaluate and work his starters than the Oakland game.
SITTING IT OUT
Two Rams expected to be among the team’s top skill players — running back Todd Gurley and wide receiver Brian Quick — were in uniform and warmed up with the squad Friday. But neither was on the field once the actual game started.
As expected, the Rams didn’t play either one. Gurley is coming back from knee surgery at the University of Georgia and may not play in the preseason at all. Quick, who’s in the final stages of his rehab from shoulder surgery, is expected to play at some time in the preseason.
Also not playing for the Rams were cornerbacks Brandon McGee and E.J. Gaines; linebacker Korey Toomer; offensive guard Cody Wichmann; tight end Brad Smelley; and defensive linemen Chris Long, Eugene Sims and Doug Worhtington.
GIVENS NOW No. 19
After three seasons wearing jersey No. 13, wide receiver Chris Givens has decided to switch jersey numbers. He’s going with No. 19.Givens has switched to honor a former high school teammate and friend who died in a car accident during the offseason. The No. 19 jersey number became available recently when the Rams released wide receiver Devon Wylie.
OAKLAND, AGAIN
Friday marked the seventh time since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 that the team has played the Raiders in the preseason. Five of those seven contests have been played in Oakland, with the last meeting here in 2007 under coach Scott Linehan.
The most recent Rams regular-season game in Oakland took place in 2010. Less than a month after Stan Kroenke was approved as controlling owner of the Rams, coach Steve Spagnuolo’s squad lost 16-14 in Week 2 of the regular season.
RAM-BLINGS
The Boom King, colorful former Rams special teams ace Ray Ray Armstrong, is a linebacker for the Raiders.
• Raiders LB Chase Williams, an undrafted rookie from Virginia Tech, is the son of Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
• Raiders rookie safety Tevin McDonald is the younger brother of Rams safety T.J. McDonald.
• Two current Rams coaches, special teams coordinator John Fassel and defensive line coach Mike Waufle, once served in the same capacities for Oakland. Fassel was there from 2009-11, while Waufle coached the silver and black from 1998-2003 and again in 2010-11.
• Tavon Austin, Benny Cunningham, Givens, Isaiah Pead, Chase Reynolds, Daniel Rodriguez, Tyler Slavin and Damian Williams warmed up as kickoff and punt returners.
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Trumaine Johnson shows he's capable of reclaiming starting job
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/p...-shows-hes-capable-of-reclaiming-starting-job
It was the third preseason game last season when St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson suffered a knee injury that essentially cost him his starting job. It was an injury to another corner, this time E.J. Gaines, that might have given it back to Johnson.
"I don't look at it like that," Johnson said on the team's broadcast. "I pray for the best for him for a speedy recovery. We always say it's always next man up."
.
Last year, Gaines was the next man up when Johnson went down. Gaines never looked back on his way to an impressive rookie season in which he held on to the job almost the entire season.
Now, with Gaines battling a foot injury that looks like it will keep him out a while, the roles are reversed. And Johnson showed Friday night that if indeed he has to step back into his former role, he's more than ready to do so.
Johnson played only two series in the Rams' 18-3 loss Friday night to the Oakland Raiders, but nevertheless he made his presence felt early and often. Playing in front of about 50 to 60 friends and family members from nearby Stockton, California, Johnson finished with a tackle, an interception and two passes defended. He did have a facemask penalty that cost the Rams 15 yards but immediately redeemed himself by coming up with the interception. He jumped an inside slant route at the goal line to kill a potential scoring drive.
It was a tantalizing reminder of Johnson's physical talent. At 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, Johnson is the closest thing the Rams have to the bigger, more physical corner preferred by teams around the league. Despite that size, Johnson seemed to get lost in the shuffle after his injury in 2014.
By the end of the season, Johnson had 36 tackles and three interceptions in nine games. He played mostly on the outside with Gaines moving into the slot when the Rams went to nickel formations. But Johnson was also never really back to full strength until this offseason. He said Friday night that he's no longer thinking about the knee issue.
"No, not at all," Johnson said. "You can't. It was feeling 100 [percent] on our first break, when we got those four months off after the season. I stayed in St. Louis for the most part, not because I was injured but because I wanted to."
Whether Johnson will get the chance to stay in St. Louis beyond this season remains to be seen. He's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the year. But with Gaines ailing, Johnson figures to get a shot to regain his job in the short term. And if he can carry over Friday's performance into consistent production in the regular season, maybe even longer.
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Rams get first taste of Foles in exhibition loss to Raiders
AP
http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/st...f-foles-in-exhibition-loss-to-raiders-081515#
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Derek Carr might already have a new favorite receiver.
Carr completed three passes to Oakland Amari Cooper on an opening field-goal drive and the Raiders beat the St. Louis Rams 18-3 in their exhibition opener under new coach Jack Del Rio.
Carr kept looking for Cooper and threw an interception to Trumaine Johnson in the end zone on the second drive before turning the game over to the backups. Cooper, the fourth pick in the draft, finished with three catches for 22 yards and added a 3-yard run on an end-around as he tries to become the game-breaking receiver lacking in Oakland the past decade.
The Raiders have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Randy Moss in 2005. They added Cooper and Michael Crabtree this offseason in hopes of changing that. Crabtree caught two passes for 15 yards.
Nick Foles drove the Rams to a field goal on his first drive with the team, but left after the second drive. Foles completed his first two passes to Lance Kendricks and Tavon Austin for 61 yards before the offense stalled.
St. Louis was also hurt by committing 10 penalties for 75 yards in a sloppy opener. The highlights for the Rams were interceptions by Johnson and rookie Imoan Claiborne.
Christian Ponder threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Andre Holmes in the second quarter, and third-stringer Matt McGloin connected on a 16-yard TD to Brice Butler in the fourth as Del Rio became the first Raiders coach to win his exhibition debut since Lane Kiffin in 2007.
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Five Takeaways: Rams at Raiders
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Takeaways-Rams-at-Raiders/35dfaa7f-89bd-457f-babf-8f5c19c57325
The first preseason game is in the books, with the Rams getting good work in against the Raiders. The final score was 18-3. Here are five takeaways from the first exhibition matchup.
1. Tavon Austin is really fast
The wide receiver was electrifying on the Rams’ second snap, as he took a screen play 35 yards to set up a field goal. Head coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti have both stated that they would like to increase the number of times Austin has the ball in space, and this play was a prime example of that coming to fruition.
The wideout made the catch on the left side of the field, got a good block from fellow receiver Kenny Britt, and then juked his way past a few black jerseys to get to the middle of the gridiron. From there, it was Austin’s speed and quickness that sprung him for the big gain.
Keep in mind that the Rams will not be featuring their full package of offensive plays until the regular season starts. But at least from the first few plays of this one, the future looks pretty bright for Tavon Austin.
2. Foles getting in sync
While Austin’s shiftiness may have set up that field goal, the drive began with an impressive down-field pass from quarterback Nick Foles to tight end Lance Kendricks. The QB floated the ball right to the bread basket, and it ended up going for a 26-yard gain.
“He’s just in sync with the whole offense -- a great rhythm, great timing with everybody, easy to work with,” Kendricks said. “It’s going to be a fun season”
Foles finished 3-of-5 passing for 69 yards in his Rams preseason debut. Kendricks said he was pleased with how the first offensive unit performed.
“I think we played pretty good, a couple mistakes here and there, but we’ve got to get better and we will,” Kendricks said.
3. Don’t test Trumaine Johnson
Johnson made a couple of key plays in the first quarter to keep the Raiders from putting up six points. The first came on Oakland’s first drive, when the corner deflected a pass intended for Michael Crabtree close to the front corner of the end zone. And while he committed a facemask penalty on the home team’s second possession, he recovered by ending it with an interception in the end zone.
“I just read the quarterback’s eyes and was able to make a play,” Johnson said of the pick.
While he missed significant time with a knee injury last season, Johnson quietly finished 2014 leading the Rams in interceptions. So far through training camp and limited preseason action, the corner’s ball skills are strong as ever.
4. Target No. 12 and No. 19
Wide receivers Stedman Bailey and Chris Givens led the way for the Rams in targets and receptions. Bailey caught three passes for 24 yards, and Givens caught four for 36. The wideout also took an end around 16 yards, displaying his considerable speed.
But if you noticed in the headline to the section, Givens is no longer wearing No. 13. This week, the receiver switched his number for a great reason, as Tweeted by Rams’ preseason play-by-play broadcaster Andrew Siciliano.
Rams WR Chris Givens will now wear #19 to honor former Wake Forest teammate Kevin Smith-Franklin who died last December in a car accident.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 15, 2015
5. A few too many penalties
In the first half alone, the Rams were flagged six times for 50 yards. Yes, it’s preseason and it’s the first time St. Louis has faced off against an opponent with referees. But holding, facemask, and delay-of-game penalties can be particularly detrimental to a team’s cause. Again, it’s only the first exhibition game, so it’s not reason for alarm. But the Rams will likely look to correct some of those issues over the next week practicing with the Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif.
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No surprise: Rams' offense a work in progress in loss to Raiders
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...offense-a-work-in-progress-in-loss-to-raiders
That the St. Louis Rams only posted a field goal in their 18-3 loss to the Oakland Raiders in the preseason opener should come as no surprise. It's a group that's going to take some time to coalesce and expecting it to happen in just a couple of weeks of practice and one preseason game is a fool's errand.
Whether it was the starters or any of the backups, the Rams simply couldn't muster much offense, even against the team they beat 52-0 in the 2014 regular season. The Rams finished with 285 total yards and, aside from their opening drive, didn't come that close to reaching the end zone.
Some more quick thoughts on the preseason opener:
QB depth chart: As expected, Nick Foles made the start and played two series, but there's no doubt it's his job. The real battle at quarterback is for the No. 2 job, where Case Keenum got the first opportunity ahead of Austin Davis. Keenum played the second and third quarter, performing better in the third. He stood and delivered well in the face of pressure a couple of times on a third-quarter drive and went 12-of-17 for 83 yards on the night. Davis got the third opportunity, going 1-of-2 for 12 yards before giving way to rookie Sean Mannion. Safe to say, neither Davis nor Keenum did much to separate from each other.
Maybe that dude could start: It's strange to say about a former No. 8 overall pick, but Tavon Austin offered a glimpse of his game-breaking ability on a 35-yard catch and run on the opening series. He isn't expected to be a starter in a technical sense, but he reminded why he needs to be heavily involved in the offense because he brings something unique to the table.
Who got hurt?: It's become an all too familiar refrain, but the Rams were only four plays into their opening drive when left guard Rodger Saffold left the field holding his right arm. He did not return to the game. Linebacker Daren Bates also limped off in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
Among those not playing because of previous issues: running back Todd Gurley, end Chris Long, receiver Brian Quick, cornerback Brandon McGee, cornerback E.J. Gaines, linebacker Korey Toomer, guard Cody Wichmann, tight end Brad Smelley, defensive tackle Doug Worthington and end Eugene Sims.
Surprise performer: Undrafted rookie cornerback Imoan Claiborne has made a habit of coming up with interceptions in practice and carried it over to Friday's game. He picked off Christian Ponder to end the first half and continues building a case to steal a roster spot at a crowded position.
Rookie watch: Right tackle Rob Havenstein and right guard Jamon Brown started and played the first two series with the starters before calling it a night. They did well to create room for back Benny Cunningham to move the chains on a third-down run and had no serious issues in pass protection though Havenstein appeared to have a couple of hiccups. Andrew Donnal, who came in at right tackle with the second-team offense, picked up a holding penalty to negate a big gain.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Rams looked ... : Alternately good and bad. Perhaps as you'd expect from a preseason opener, the Rams' starters played all but one play of the first quarter and had to take the good with the bad. With starters on the field, the Rams and Raiders were tied at 3.
Foles completed his first two passes for 61 yards to set up a field goal but went nowhere on the second drive, completing one of his next three passes for 8 yards and taking two hits and a sack.
On defense, the vanilla Rams had some trouble with Oakland's misdirection in the run game and Derek Carr's quick release in the passing game. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who picked up a 15-yard penalty for grabbing a face mask, redeemed himself by jumping a slant at the goal line for an interception to kill the Raiders' second drive.
One reason to freak out: Although initial returns are that Saffold's shoulder issue isn't serious, the Rams can't afford to lose him for an extended period. He's the only offensive line starter with more than 12 games of playing experience. Brandon Washington replaced him at left guard and gave up a sack with Foles still in the game. The Rams simply don't have much proven depth behind the starters on the offensive line.
Man in the middle: The Rams listed Barrett Jones as the starting center on their "unofficial" depth chart this week but it was Tim Barnes getting the start and playing the first two series. Jones came in with the second team and Demetrius Rhaney came in later. That trio is, of course, competing for the starting job in the middle, but the Rams don't plan to make a decision right away. For what it's worth, Barnes held up pretty well.
Penalty woes remain: Last week, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he was pleased with his team's emphasis on cutting down on penalties. That didn't last long. They struggled again against the Raiders, posting 10 accepted penalties for 75 yards with at least three more infractions that were declined. Each preseason, Fisher says it's a problem his team is working to correct. And each year, it carries over as the Rams have the most penalties and penalty yards in the NFL in Fisher's three seasons in St. Louis.
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Rams drop preseason opener vs. Raiders
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1574539-rams-drop-preseason-opener-vs-raiders
The St. Louis Rams opened their preseason schedule with their new quarterback leading a scoring drive on their first series. But the offense fell flat after that as the new-look offensive line struggled in an 18-3 loss to the host Oakland Raiders on Friday night.
The Rams (0-1) will stay in California and spend a couple days this week practicing against the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard. They will be back in action with their second preseason game on the road against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Aug. 23.
Here’s a quick look at what went right and what went wrong on Friday…
HIGHLIGHTS
• Quarterback Nick Foles completed three of five pass attempts for 69 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked once. Foles started off with some nice throws but struggled late in his second series when he was overwhelmed by defensive pressure.
• One of those Foles completions was a quick screen left to Tavon Austin that the diminutive speedster turned into a 35-yard gain with some nifty cuts downfield. The Rams need to get the former first-round pick more involved in the offense and give him a chance to make these kind of plays.
• Trumaine Johnson’s first-quarter interception of a Derek Carr pass thwarted what looked to be a scoring drive on the Raiders’ second series. Johnson redeemed himself after committing a penalty earlier on the possession.
• Undrafted rookie cornerback Imoan Claiborne came up with an interception of a Christian Ponder pass late in the first half. He’s been in the right place at a right time on a few occasions throughout camp and with E.J. Gaines out with an injury could be setting himself up to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
• Rookie quarterback Sean Mannion saw some time late in the fourth quarter and the third-round pick showed inconsistency but did have some flashes. He completed eight of 13 pass attempts for 53 yards.
LOWLIGHTS
• Starting left guard Rodger Saffold left the game holding his right arm or wrist following the fourth play of the game and did not return. It could be a reoccurrence of the shoulder issue he has been bothered by in the past and had surgery to fix this offseason.
• The Rams’ renovated offensive line didn’t fare well in its first outing and looked very poor at times with pass protection. Losing Saffold early didn’t help, though he wouldn’t have played much more anyway. It’s only one game, but the St. Louis offensive line has to get better quickly.
• Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. The Rams were flagged 10 times for 75 yards. Penalties in a preseason game isn’t unusual, of course, but with the Rams’ history of committing too many it is worth noting.
• Lamarcus Joyner was beaten on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder to Andre Holmes. Joyner was screened a bit by Rams rookie linebacker Bryce Hager, but the 2014 second-round pick still could have made a better play on the ball.
• The Raiders’ four quarterbacks combined to complete 23 of 30 passes for 215 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Matt McGloin completed 10 of 11 passes for 104 yards and a score.
• The Rams’ defense couldn’t get off the field on third down. The Raiders converted seven of their 11 third-down attempts (63 percent).
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Sloppy Rams lose preseason debut
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_2c9e662b-8acd-5132-8fe7-56b6e06ca407.html
OAKLAND, CALIF. • The start, however fleeting, was eye-opening for the Rams and new quarterback Nick Foles. There was a 26-yard completion on the first play from scrimmage to tight end Lance Kendricks down the right sideline.
Next came a quick screen to Tavon Austin, and by golly, not only did the Rams have blockers out there for Austin, but Austin cut it inside, accelerated and raced 35 yards to the Oakland 19.
Two plays, two passes, 61 yards. Not too shabby. But that was about it for the Rams’ offense in a sloppy performance that fitted the description — preseason opener — in every way. The result was an 18-3 loss to Oakland at O.co Coliseum that left the Rams with plenty to work on.
Before that series ended, on a 31-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, the Rams watched left guard Rodger Saffold leave the field after just four plays after tweaking his shoulder.
The immediate word from the Rams was that it merely a tweak, and that Saffold would’ve stayed in the game had it been a regular-season game. Why take chances in August?
But the Rams also lost special teams ace and backup linebacker Daren Bates to a knee injury in the first half, an injury that looked more severe. The offense sputtered thereafter. Foles completed three of five passes for 69 yards before giving way to Case Keenum after two series.
Coach Jeff Fisher stressed the importance of keeping Foles clean, not only in the preseason opener but this season in general. But Saffold’s replacement at left guard, Brandon Washington, gave up sacks on back-to-back plays to kill Foles’ second series.
The first sack was nullified by offsetting penalties. But the second, which came when Raiders defensive end Shelby Harris got around Washington, cost the Rams 14 yards.
Even with the troubles on that series, Kendricks said the first couple of plays were indicative of what might be expected from Foles in 2015.
“He’s just in sync with the whole offense — great rhythm, great timing with everybody. Easy to work with,” Kendricks said. “It’s going to be a fun season.”
It wasn’t too much fun Friday. The Rams didn’t get much going once Keenum and the second-teamers took over on offense, reaching only as far as the Oakland 49 in the second quarter on a series that ended with a punt.
Meanwhile, Oakland saw its second possession against the Rams’ first-team defense reach the St. Louis 6 only to be thwarted on a Trumaine Johnson interception. Johnson, flagged for a facemask four plays earlier, cut in front of a Derek Carr pass intended for rookie first-rounder Amari Cooper for the “pick” in the end zone.
“I just read the quarterback’s eyes and was able to make a play,” Johnson said.
Simple as that. That was it for the Rams’ first-team defense after two series against an Oakland offense that looks more potent this season with Cooper and former San Francisco 49er Michael Crabtree at wide receiver.
The Rams’ defense held at its 2-yard line, forcing Oakland to kick a field goal after a 54-yard drive on the Raiders’ first possession. Then Johnson provided the eraser with his interception on the second series.
“I think we handled the first 15 (minutes) pretty well,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “Teams usually come out and try to do a lot of different stuff, and they certainly did with reverses and stuff like that. There’s some things we need to correct, no doubt.”
Oakland made the most of its first series against the Rams’ second-team defense, driving 80 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Lamarcus Joyner was beaten by Andre Holmes for a 3-yard score. Oakland went for two points, failed, and thus took a 9-3 lead.
The Raiders tacked on a field goal to open the third quarter, and then pushed their lead to 18-3 early in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard pass from third-string quarterback Matt McGloin to Brice Butler. Safety Maurice Alexander slipped in coverage on the play, giving Butler enough room to reach the end zone.
Once again, the Raiders went for two points and failed.
All in all, if this was the night you were looking for crisp execution by the Rams on offense, a shutdown performance by the defense, and a minimum of penalties ... well, maybe next week when the Rams play preseason game No. 2 at Tennessee.
Even Pro Bowl punter Johnny Hekker shanked a punt, for just 22 yards late in the second quarter, so it was not a banner night for the Rams. The defense did get another takeaway, in the form of an interception by undrafted rookie Imoan Claiborne. Claiborne was later shaken up and left the game.
But the offense simply couldn’t get much going. Keenum got another series to start the third quarter and finished 12 for 17 for 83 yards. But the closest the Rams got was a missed 48-yard field goal by camp kicker Michael Palardy with 2:07 to play in the third quarter.
Austin Davis took over for a series at quarterback in the fourth quarter. Rookie quarterback Sean Mannion, the third-round draft pick from Oregon State, then took over on the Rams’ final series.
Before the Sunday night contest Aug. 23 against the Titans in Nashville, it’s off to Oxnard, Calif., for three days of practices in the Los Angeles area. The team will practice against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday and Tuesday, practice on their own Wednesday, then fly back to St. Louis.
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Rams are wary of field at Oakland
By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4846416b-e9f4-54e1-b3b8-7ea819b09f01.html
OAKLAND, CALIF. • Coaches usually get their starters in and out of the preseason opener quickly anyway. But the Rams may have had another reason to do so Friday night at O.co Coliseum, as the starters on offense and defense played just two series.
Namely, the presence of the baseball infield right in the middle of the playing surface. The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball also use O.co, and as such a large section of the field between the 20-yard lines consists of infield dirt.
It’s the only venue left in the NFL that is shared by a football and baseball team. Second base at O.co is right at the 50, with first and third base at each 30. There are also sections of the end zones that contain dirt surfaces.
Football coaches are always worried about injuries in training camp and the preseason, and at a multipurpose facility such as O.co there are always concerns about wrenching a knee or twisting an ankle going from grass to dirt or dirt to grass.
Early in the practice week, coach Jeff Fisher shrugged off a question about his players on the baseball field surface at O.co.
“They’ve been dealing with it forever,” Fisher said. “Really, the only consideration is your kicking game. Are you going to kick or do you want to use a timeout and switch ends and kick off grass versus kicking off the dirt? So it’s not a consideration and it’s not a safety hazard or a safety issue or else the league would never allow that to happen.”
Even so, the sense around the team is that Fisher will use the Oxnard practices against the Dallas Cowboys next week more to evaluate and work his starters than the Oakland game.
SITTING IT OUT
Two Rams expected to be among the team’s top skill players — running back Todd Gurley and wide receiver Brian Quick — were in uniform and warmed up with the squad Friday. But neither was on the field once the actual game started.
As expected, the Rams didn’t play either one. Gurley is coming back from knee surgery at the University of Georgia and may not play in the preseason at all. Quick, who’s in the final stages of his rehab from shoulder surgery, is expected to play at some time in the preseason.
Also not playing for the Rams were cornerbacks Brandon McGee and E.J. Gaines; linebacker Korey Toomer; offensive guard Cody Wichmann; tight end Brad Smelley; and defensive linemen Chris Long, Eugene Sims and Doug Worhtington.
GIVENS NOW No. 19
After three seasons wearing jersey No. 13, wide receiver Chris Givens has decided to switch jersey numbers. He’s going with No. 19.Givens has switched to honor a former high school teammate and friend who died in a car accident during the offseason. The No. 19 jersey number became available recently when the Rams released wide receiver Devon Wylie.
OAKLAND, AGAIN
Friday marked the seventh time since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 that the team has played the Raiders in the preseason. Five of those seven contests have been played in Oakland, with the last meeting here in 2007 under coach Scott Linehan.
The most recent Rams regular-season game in Oakland took place in 2010. Less than a month after Stan Kroenke was approved as controlling owner of the Rams, coach Steve Spagnuolo’s squad lost 16-14 in Week 2 of the regular season.
RAM-BLINGS
The Boom King, colorful former Rams special teams ace Ray Ray Armstrong, is a linebacker for the Raiders.
• Raiders LB Chase Williams, an undrafted rookie from Virginia Tech, is the son of Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
• Raiders rookie safety Tevin McDonald is the younger brother of Rams safety T.J. McDonald.
• Two current Rams coaches, special teams coordinator John Fassel and defensive line coach Mike Waufle, once served in the same capacities for Oakland. Fassel was there from 2009-11, while Waufle coached the silver and black from 1998-2003 and again in 2010-11.
• Tavon Austin, Benny Cunningham, Givens, Isaiah Pead, Chase Reynolds, Daniel Rodriguez, Tyler Slavin and Damian Williams warmed up as kickoff and punt returners.
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Trumaine Johnson shows he's capable of reclaiming starting job
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/p...-shows-hes-capable-of-reclaiming-starting-job
It was the third preseason game last season when St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson suffered a knee injury that essentially cost him his starting job. It was an injury to another corner, this time E.J. Gaines, that might have given it back to Johnson.
"I don't look at it like that," Johnson said on the team's broadcast. "I pray for the best for him for a speedy recovery. We always say it's always next man up."
.
Last year, Gaines was the next man up when Johnson went down. Gaines never looked back on his way to an impressive rookie season in which he held on to the job almost the entire season.
Now, with Gaines battling a foot injury that looks like it will keep him out a while, the roles are reversed. And Johnson showed Friday night that if indeed he has to step back into his former role, he's more than ready to do so.
Johnson played only two series in the Rams' 18-3 loss Friday night to the Oakland Raiders, but nevertheless he made his presence felt early and often. Playing in front of about 50 to 60 friends and family members from nearby Stockton, California, Johnson finished with a tackle, an interception and two passes defended. He did have a facemask penalty that cost the Rams 15 yards but immediately redeemed himself by coming up with the interception. He jumped an inside slant route at the goal line to kill a potential scoring drive.
It was a tantalizing reminder of Johnson's physical talent. At 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, Johnson is the closest thing the Rams have to the bigger, more physical corner preferred by teams around the league. Despite that size, Johnson seemed to get lost in the shuffle after his injury in 2014.
By the end of the season, Johnson had 36 tackles and three interceptions in nine games. He played mostly on the outside with Gaines moving into the slot when the Rams went to nickel formations. But Johnson was also never really back to full strength until this offseason. He said Friday night that he's no longer thinking about the knee issue.
"No, not at all," Johnson said. "You can't. It was feeling 100 [percent] on our first break, when we got those four months off after the season. I stayed in St. Louis for the most part, not because I was injured but because I wanted to."
Whether Johnson will get the chance to stay in St. Louis beyond this season remains to be seen. He's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the year. But with Gaines ailing, Johnson figures to get a shot to regain his job in the short term. And if he can carry over Friday's performance into consistent production in the regular season, maybe even longer.
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Rams get first taste of Foles in exhibition loss to Raiders
AP
http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/st...f-foles-in-exhibition-loss-to-raiders-081515#
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Derek Carr might already have a new favorite receiver.
Carr completed three passes to Oakland Amari Cooper on an opening field-goal drive and the Raiders beat the St. Louis Rams 18-3 in their exhibition opener under new coach Jack Del Rio.
Carr kept looking for Cooper and threw an interception to Trumaine Johnson in the end zone on the second drive before turning the game over to the backups. Cooper, the fourth pick in the draft, finished with three catches for 22 yards and added a 3-yard run on an end-around as he tries to become the game-breaking receiver lacking in Oakland the past decade.
The Raiders have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Randy Moss in 2005. They added Cooper and Michael Crabtree this offseason in hopes of changing that. Crabtree caught two passes for 15 yards.
Nick Foles drove the Rams to a field goal on his first drive with the team, but left after the second drive. Foles completed his first two passes to Lance Kendricks and Tavon Austin for 61 yards before the offense stalled.
St. Louis was also hurt by committing 10 penalties for 75 yards in a sloppy opener. The highlights for the Rams were interceptions by Johnson and rookie Imoan Claiborne.
Christian Ponder threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Andre Holmes in the second quarter, and third-stringer Matt McGloin connected on a 16-yard TD to Brice Butler in the fourth as Del Rio became the first Raiders coach to win his exhibition debut since Lane Kiffin in 2007.
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Five Takeaways: Rams at Raiders
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Takeaways-Rams-at-Raiders/35dfaa7f-89bd-457f-babf-8f5c19c57325
The first preseason game is in the books, with the Rams getting good work in against the Raiders. The final score was 18-3. Here are five takeaways from the first exhibition matchup.
1. Tavon Austin is really fast
The wide receiver was electrifying on the Rams’ second snap, as he took a screen play 35 yards to set up a field goal. Head coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti have both stated that they would like to increase the number of times Austin has the ball in space, and this play was a prime example of that coming to fruition.
The wideout made the catch on the left side of the field, got a good block from fellow receiver Kenny Britt, and then juked his way past a few black jerseys to get to the middle of the gridiron. From there, it was Austin’s speed and quickness that sprung him for the big gain.
Keep in mind that the Rams will not be featuring their full package of offensive plays until the regular season starts. But at least from the first few plays of this one, the future looks pretty bright for Tavon Austin.
2. Foles getting in sync
While Austin’s shiftiness may have set up that field goal, the drive began with an impressive down-field pass from quarterback Nick Foles to tight end Lance Kendricks. The QB floated the ball right to the bread basket, and it ended up going for a 26-yard gain.
“He’s just in sync with the whole offense -- a great rhythm, great timing with everybody, easy to work with,” Kendricks said. “It’s going to be a fun season”
Foles finished 3-of-5 passing for 69 yards in his Rams preseason debut. Kendricks said he was pleased with how the first offensive unit performed.
“I think we played pretty good, a couple mistakes here and there, but we’ve got to get better and we will,” Kendricks said.
3. Don’t test Trumaine Johnson
Johnson made a couple of key plays in the first quarter to keep the Raiders from putting up six points. The first came on Oakland’s first drive, when the corner deflected a pass intended for Michael Crabtree close to the front corner of the end zone. And while he committed a facemask penalty on the home team’s second possession, he recovered by ending it with an interception in the end zone.
“I just read the quarterback’s eyes and was able to make a play,” Johnson said of the pick.
While he missed significant time with a knee injury last season, Johnson quietly finished 2014 leading the Rams in interceptions. So far through training camp and limited preseason action, the corner’s ball skills are strong as ever.
4. Target No. 12 and No. 19
Wide receivers Stedman Bailey and Chris Givens led the way for the Rams in targets and receptions. Bailey caught three passes for 24 yards, and Givens caught four for 36. The wideout also took an end around 16 yards, displaying his considerable speed.
But if you noticed in the headline to the section, Givens is no longer wearing No. 13. This week, the receiver switched his number for a great reason, as Tweeted by Rams’ preseason play-by-play broadcaster Andrew Siciliano.
Rams WR Chris Givens will now wear #19 to honor former Wake Forest teammate Kevin Smith-Franklin who died last December in a car accident.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 15, 2015
5. A few too many penalties
In the first half alone, the Rams were flagged six times for 50 yards. Yes, it’s preseason and it’s the first time St. Louis has faced off against an opponent with referees. But holding, facemask, and delay-of-game penalties can be particularly detrimental to a team’s cause. Again, it’s only the first exhibition game, so it’s not reason for alarm. But the Rams will likely look to correct some of those issues over the next week practicing with the Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif.
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RamzFanz
Damnit
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Let me back peddle here and tell you why I'm not disappointed.
A) I've watched every preseason game so far and many ones have looked far worse. Brady went 1-4 for 10 yards.
B) The O went downfield well with little practice.
C) TA did exactly what we hoped.
D) This is a running game that saw no top RBs after the first play.
I'm not disappointed at all compared to the preseason games I've seen.
A) I've watched every preseason game so far and many ones have looked far worse. Brady went 1-4 for 10 yards.
B) The O went downfield well with little practice.
C) TA did exactly what we hoped.
D) This is a running game that saw no top RBs after the first play.
I'm not disappointed at all compared to the preseason games I've seen.
Legatron4
Legend
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- Wes
So I'm just watching the game now. I couldn't get a live stream going so I waited until the game was on NFL network. My satellite was out for about 30 mins here and I missed the first drive so naturally I wanted to kill myself.
Things I've noticed:
-Isaiah Pead looks really good. I see zero affects from his ACL tear and he's running well.
-The Raiders were trying much, much harder then we were. They still seemed pissed about that 52-0 drubbing.
-Aaron Donald got immediate penetration(giggity) on a few plays. He honestly looks better then Quinn.
-I definitely see what everyone was saying about Nick. He's gotta get rid of it. But he has a hell of an arm.
-I am sorta sick of hearing "it's just pre season". It seems like this is a trend. I wish just once we came out and dominated with our first team. But whatevs.
-Can we please come up with a nickname for Hekker? I mean cmon. Also, I can't tell who hits the ball harder, him or Legatron.
-I don't really give a shred of a shit how our 4th string defense looks as a whole, since they will literally never see the field. Same with our 8th string receivers. Who cares.
-I didn't see the Saffold injury, but it is frustrating that he's always getting hurt. Washington is bad, Robinson did alright, the rest of the line looked great.
-Idk, I hope we look better next week out of the gate. Night ya'll.
Things I've noticed:
-Isaiah Pead looks really good. I see zero affects from his ACL tear and he's running well.
-The Raiders were trying much, much harder then we were. They still seemed pissed about that 52-0 drubbing.
-Aaron Donald got immediate penetration(giggity) on a few plays. He honestly looks better then Quinn.
-I definitely see what everyone was saying about Nick. He's gotta get rid of it. But he has a hell of an arm.
-I am sorta sick of hearing "it's just pre season". It seems like this is a trend. I wish just once we came out and dominated with our first team. But whatevs.
-Can we please come up with a nickname for Hekker? I mean cmon. Also, I can't tell who hits the ball harder, him or Legatron.
-I don't really give a shred of a shit how our 4th string defense looks as a whole, since they will literally never see the field. Same with our 8th string receivers. Who cares.
-I didn't see the Saffold injury, but it is frustrating that he's always getting hurt. Washington is bad, Robinson did alright, the rest of the line looked great.
-Idk, I hope we look better next week out of the gate. Night ya'll.
RamzFanz
Damnit
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Foles had a starting RB for one play.
RamzFanz
Damnit
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Saffold hurt. Don't think it was serious.
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- mojo
jjab360
Legend
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Really? I thought they did okay and I like the talent we have there. At least the starters, the depth players were pretty bad but hopefully all they'll be playing is STs anyway.