Sunday, October 25, 2015

RamView game blog: Rams 24, Browns 6

I don't know what the hell the Rams did to get so banged up during a bye week, but there are some unexpected questions heading into today's game with the Browns. Tavon Austin (hamstring) and Lance Kendricks (hand) are questionable; that's a couple of key offensive components. Tre Mason's (ankle) doubtful, he'd have gotten five touches at most anyway. Those may go to Trey Watts. Rodger Saffold is of course done for the second straight season (surprise!) due to shoulder surgery, different shoulders each year. Garrett Reynolds filled in nicely at RG in Green Bay, which leads me to question their move to flip the guards and start Jamon Brown at RG and Reynolds at LG today. It's called chemistry, people. On defense, Robert Quinn (knee, probable) barely practiced this week, Janoris Jenkins (also probable) barely practiced due to a concussion - when the hell did they get all of these injuries?!?!? - and "Christopher" Long (knee) remains out. Alec Ogletree, (ankle), too, naturally. I have never seen a team get so depleted in the course of a freaking bye week. Instead of rested-and-ready Rams, this looks like the week to catch them off-guard if you're going to do it, and in winning at Baltimore and taking 6-0 Denver to OT their past two games, Cleveland has shown they're perfectly capable of doing it.

Dashaun Gipson and Joe Haden are out for Cleveland; I consider their secondary the strongest part of their team, so those injuries are very notable.

Updated inactives: Mason, Kendricks and Jo-Lonn Dunbar - why did they even sign him? - are out. Austin is active. Justice Cunningham, who blocked well enough in preseason to make the main roster, steps in for Kendricks off the practice squad, as does Watts for Mason. 

Note the AFC opponent makes this a CBS game, which will be called by Brian Anderson and former Ram Adam Archuleta. It's a "C" team, but Archuleta is actually pretty good at color. Peter Morelli will referee; I believe the Rams tend to win games he calls, but lost the Giants game last year, which you'll recall had a bench-clearing brawl. No place for a lady, maybe, but as Jim Thomas has already mentioned, Sarah Thomas will be the line judge on today's crew.

The prediction: The Rams are favored by a whopping 6 points, but I (re-)learned not to trust this team as a favorite after the Washington game, so I won't do it today. The Browns can sneak up on people. Cleveland 27-24.

FIRST QUARTER
The Rams receive the opening kickoff, and run a reverse, with Benny Cunningham handing off to Stedman Bailey. The Browns nearly make Jeff Fisher look Chuck Pagano-dumb by getting to Bailey unblocked at the 10, but he broke the tackle and made it out to the 33. Phew. Kenny Britt gets both hands on the opening pass, a quick out, but can't hold it after the hit from local boy Pierre Desir. So we're off to an excellent start there. A sweep right for Todd Gurley is a total failure after Justice Cunningham can't budge Paul Kruger (who's no Haloti Ngata) at all and Cory Harkey whiffs badly on the edge. MINUS FOUR. Great freaking start, morons. Foles gets a little time on 3rd-14 until Jamon Brown gets beat by a late spin move by Randy Starks. Foles dumps off to Benny for a couple while getting drilled. Hekker yet again outkicks the coverage with a returnable (but 57-yard) punt, Travis Benjamin sweeps right with it and returns 25 to the 36, with Hekker having to make the tackle. The Rams were stumbling around on that coverage like Keystone Kops.

A week off and this is the start we get. Hard to feel like I haven't already called this one.

Our old friend Pete Morelli helps us out by calling a block in the back by Cleveland on the return, which will start them at their 7, costing them 29 yards of field position. Crowd sounds great early. But Isaiah Crowell goes up the middle for an easy 8. Aaron Donald got tied up, Will Hayes got dominated by the TE and the RT picked off Akeem Ayers at the second level. So, EVERYONE's off to a brilliant start today. After a week off. 4 more for Crowell up the middle.

Nope, somebody IS off to a brilliant start, and it's the Ram secondary! Cleveland tries a smoke route to Taylor Gabriel, but Janoris Jenkins puts his shoulder on the ball, blasts it loose, and it bounces directly to Rodney McLeod for the scoop and score! Rams 7, Browns 0

That's life as a Cleveland fan. You clearly outplay the opponent the first three minutes for what reward? To go down a TD. They'll try again from their 20. Ayers blows up a handoff that T.J. McDonald turns into a 3-yard loss after 3 missed tackles behind the LOS. But they then leave The Dreaded Gary Barnidge wide open over the middle for the 1st down at the 30. Duke Johnson beats a blitz for 4 as Eugene Sims gets dominated by Joe Thomas. Mark Barron blows up a pitchback to Duke for a 2-yard loss.

On third down, it's BIG PLAY ALERT again for the Ram defense! Ayers blitzes over center. It's slow getting there, but Josh McCown has no one open and can't escape the pocket. Hayes gets him for the sack/fumble, and Ayers makes the recovery to set the Rams up in scoring position!

Gurley up the middle for 5, down to the CLE20. Harkey took out two guys downfield; THAT is how you block a run. Nick Foles audibles to a sweep right for Gurley, which is again a disaster because Jamon Brown cannot handle Randy Starks at all. Seems like that's a big reason Brown should have been left at LG, eh? 3rd-8, Cleveland does a good job pushing the pocket back, and Foles, who looks scared, settles for a sideline dumpoff to Jared Cook for 3. The Rams are in danger of completely wasting a prime opportunity. They have 3 yards of total offense in two possessions. Remember this is a Cleveland secondary minus their two best backs. Greg Zuerlein at least splits 'em from 39. 10-0 Rams

Can't help but feel it should be more. Browns at their 20 again as I tip my hat to John Fassell for realizing the value of just having Zuerlein drill every kick out of the end zone. McCown rolls away from a blitz, fakes the crap out of McDonald and sprints for 9. Sims and Michael Brockers stuff Duke for no gain. Ayers blows covering Duke out of the backfield on 3rd-1, though, and McDonald blows a tackle, and he gets away down the sideline for 21, out to midfield. No excuse for the Rams not to be ready for Duke Johnson out of the backfield. Ayers and Brockers stuff Crowell for a 2-yard loss; no one buying the fake pass there. Short pass to Jim Dray in the flat for 5; nice open-field tackle by Trumaine Johnson. 3rd-7. The Rams vacate the middle of the field and blitz, which leads to a nice stop, except PENALTY #1 Robert Quinn idiotically offside. 3rd-TWO now. McDonald breaks up a short pass, but now HAYES jumps offside. PENALTY #2 Damn idiots. Browns at the STL37 now. Stretch handoff to Crowell gets nothing. Brockers shows up well again, along with Barron and James Laurinaitis. 4-man rush does nothing on 2nd-10, and Barnidge runs through McDonald and TruJo for 12. McCown barely avoids a sack by Donald and dumps off to Brian Hartline for 8. Strong initial edge pressure by Ethan Westbrooks at LDE. Jenkins trips up Hartline on a smoke route on 2nd-2 but McCown sneaks it across the 15 for another 1st. TruJo ends the quarter with a fine play, jumping a swing route to Duke for a 2-yard loss.

SECOND QUARTER
Quick slant to Travis Benjamin beats TruJo for 10. 3rd-2 at the 7. They line up trips left, but great pressure by Hayes and Quinn, who trucked Joe Thomas, flushes McCown right and he runs out of bounds with no gain. McCown gallantly avoids running over a Rams cheerleader, slips and drills his throwing arm into the wall behind his bench. The Rams hold Cleveland to a Travis Coons chippie while no good deed goes unpunished for the Browns. Johnny Manziel is suddenly scrambling around looking for his helmet. Rams 10, Browns 3

Benny returns another short kick to the 22, as, sadly, McCown seems to be OK on the sideline. Slammed his elbow into the wall; maybe he hit his funny bone. Foles fakes a jet sweep to Tavon Austin, pitches left to Gurley, and Todd hurdles a tackle while getting outside for 14. But Jamie Meder stuffs Harkey in the backfield out of I formation and Gurley runs into him for a 3-yard loss. Quick screen to Austin for 7, who does well to avoid getting stripped. Greg Robinson has made a couple of great outside blocks this drive. 3rd-6. The Browns blitz a couple, and whoever the back was that was supposed to pick up the blitz got the wrong guy, forcing a wild throwaway by Foles. Other than Gurley, the Ram offense continues to be a complete disaster. Hekker hits the punt poorly, but gets almost 20 yards of roll and Bradley Marquez and Trey Watts somehow manage to down it inside the 5 without getting it called a touchback. Marquez appeared to touch it at the 3 and then nearly slid into the end zone with it. Yeah, I saw that right. They spotted it at the 1 then moved it out to the 4.

Sims clobbers Crowell after a couple. The Rams come close to getting McCown on a blitz; he hits Gabriel in the flat but TruJo blows him up for 3. 3rd-5. Good blitz down here; Gregg Williams does. Sims nearly grabs McCown at the goal line. He hits Andrew Hawkins in the flat, but Lamarcus Joyner blows that up for 3. Austin jukes and returns the punt 11 yards to the Ram 49.

The TE rollout pass continues NEVER to work for the Rams; no one blocks Kruger and Cook can't stay in bounds with Foles' 2-yard throw. And now PENALTY #3 on Robinson for a false start. The Rams had TWO WEEKS and their offense is impossibly even shittier than it was in Green Bay. Foles gets a lot of time on 2nd-15 and dumps off to Gurley, mainly setting him up to take a big hit. Incomplete, 3rd-15. The whole line except Rod Havenstein, who gets beat late by Kruger, gives Foles forever to throw; he escapes Kruger, rolls right and throws a sideline bomb to Brian Quick, and I swear Brian Quick CAUGHT THAT BALL. Referee says incomplete, but I swear his feet are in. Brilliant effort by Quick if nothing else. I'm eager to see a replay.

Bah, screw it; Robinson would have been called for holding. Also, unaware of his surroundings as usual, Quick stepped out of bounds a couple of steps before his catch and would have been ruled an illegal receiver. Perhaps that's what the referee was calling, because he made the catch itself in bounds. Send in Hekker instead as the Ram offense continues to get impossibly worse from season to season and game to game under Fisher.

Hekker pins the Browns at their 9 with a 47-yarder. Crowell worms for 3 as Ayers stays down with an injury, arm or shoulder. Jenkins breaks up a slant for Benjamin out of the break. 3rd-7. The crowd draws a false start on Joe Thomas, 3rd-12. Stereo false start, RT Mitchell Schwartz this time. Good job crowd! Cleveland's back on their 3, 3rd-16. Donald and Hayes flush McCown into an 8-yard scramble to send the punt team back out. Austin tries to sweep left from his 40 but can't get any blocks. Will the Ram offense cross the 45?

Great play-fake to Gurley sets up a swing pass to Harkey (!) for 4. They made it to the 45! Can they make midfield? Gurley spurts for 6 AND AN ACTUAL FIRST DOWN. A big late hit by Harkey saved that run from being a loss. Rams at the CLE49. Can they make the 45? 3 for Gurley behind LG. Robinson gets a block, and Tim Barnes makes a great pull block, to spring Gurley for 15 more. The Brown secondary strings Benny out well on an attempted sweep right for a loss of 1. Fake draw to Benny, and Foles hits an actual big play downfield, at least 20 yards to Cook on a crossing route, so OF COURSE COOK FUMBLES IT AWAY to the justified BOOS of the home crowd. Donte Whitner stripped him from behind; ball was in the wrong arm! Cleveland ball.

BOO, Jared Cook. Just BOO. Browns at their 16. PENALTY #4, THE THIRD TIME TODAY A RAM HAS LINED UP IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE, on Sims. Pass would have been incomplete, and TruJo hurt himself putting a blast on Hartline. Barron gets fooled by Duke and gives up a 10-yard swing pass after dropping way off initially. Laurinaitis stuffs Duke for 2. Donald and TruJo get to McCown on 2nd down but he gets the throw off, incomplete. 3rd-8. Blitz does not get there and TruJo leaves Benjamin WIDE OPEN for 21 to the Ram 45. TruJo fell as Benjamin made an outside move, arguably a pushoff but allowable. Aaron Donald then makes an Aaron Donald play, nearly beating Duke to the handoff and dropping him for minus-5. They tried pulling the LG but Donald was in the backfield before Alex Mack could even turn to block him. Browns back to midfield at the 2:00 warning.

Quinn blows up a fake draw, the secondary keeps everything covered and McCown has to scramble out of bounds for a couple. The crowd draws a third false start to make it 3rd-18. Cleveland runs the we-give-up draw for 10, and are stunning me here by lining up to go for it on 4th-8. The ball is snapped but Cleveland apparently called a sideline timeout. That is a specialty of Jared-from-Storage Wars doppelganger Mike Pettine. And now the punt team comes in. Cody Davis doesn't miss blocking it by much; Austin fair-catches at the 12.

Gurley breaks an ankle-tackle while powering for 12 off another nice Barnes block. Timeout Fisher at 0:47. Now a perfectly-setup screen to Gurley, with a great kickout block by Barnes (again!) and Reynolds leading him upfield for 23. They let the clock run as another dumpoff to Gurley gets 7. Only 16 seconds now, and they're at the CLE45. Foles throws wildly for Austin while under some inside pressure. Robinson got beat, but Reynolds picked it up. Need more composure from Foles there. Austin has a LB leaning all over him and grabbing him on 3rd-3, but no call. This leaves Zuerlein to try his second 63-yard FG of the season, but it immediately drifts right and never had a chance.

Cleveland tries to go deep with one last play at the end of the half but McCown just takes a big shot from Ayers for his troubles. 10-3 Rams at halftime

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
First of all, I hate fantasy football. I am going to lose this week because my opponent is beating me 34 to 2 at kicker and defense. First of all, thanks a load, Pittsburgh; second of all, kickers being worth anything in fantasy is bullshit.


Now for more important stuff, like this game. Superb first half by the Ram defense, without whom the team wouldn't even be leading at halftime. They're doing just about everything right so far. Cleveland's got two strengths, though, that they haven't tapped much so far: Barnidge and especially Duke Johnson as a receiver. Rams need to remain on their toes where those two are concerned.

And the offense has got to DO SOMETHING. They can start by remembering they have Tavon Austin. If he's healthy enough to run sweeps and decoy, do it, dammit. Open the offense up. Also, Foles I believe has not completed a pass to a WR today, or even been able to target them that much, when Cleveland's best cover corner and their all-pro free safety are out. This is inexcusable. Use some trips formations and rubs to get Bailey open. Throw Britt and Quick some slants. Protection hasn't been awful, just get Foles a damn target. I do like that they've thrown to Gurley a little bit but it is mandatory they get other people involved. Is Kenny Britt alive?

THIRD QUARTER
The Browns get it at their 20 to start the half. The Rams immediately leave Barnidge WIDE OPEN down the seam with soft zone coverage for 28. Robert Turbin emerges from obscurity to rip for 21 off RT, and this half is off to a miserable start. The fullback absolutely crushed Ayers in the hole to spring Turbin. TruJo, though, makes a nice play off the edge and goes through the fullback Malcolm Johnson and trips Turbin for a loss. Hayes puts a big hit on Turbin to hold him to 1, along with Laurinaitis. 3rd-10. Blitz nearly gets there but McCown hits Benjamin short for about 5. Cleveland settles for another FG, Coons from 44. 10-6 Rams

Benny takes a knee to start the Rams at the 20. Will they cross the 25? Will a WR catch a pass? Ha, Adam Archuleta and Frank Cignetti read my halftime notes. Bubble screen to Austin for 10. FIRST DOWN! Robinson continues to do well blocking these screens downfield. And, since it's the second half, HERE COMES TODD GURLEY. He squeezes through a not-there hole, slips two tackles, breaks into the open, crosses the field left to right, gets an INSANE EDGE BLOCK BY AUSTIN TAKING OUT TWO GUYS, and finishes with a 48-yard gain. Major energy change for the Rams out of halftime; they're at the CLE22. Benny grinds out 4 on a draw. He stays in for a perfectly-developed screen and takes it down to the 8, helped by Jamon Brown's diving block. Benny runs into a wall at the 9 to make it 2nd-goal. Brown missed the LB on that play. Brown continues to flail the next play, getting beaten badly by Randy Starks AGAIN. And AGAIN, how was it a good idea to move him to RG? Pretty simple rip move by Starks, then Brown idiotically shoved him right into Foles. Foles overthrows Cook at the pylon on 3rd down, though he wasn't really open. Nothing was open at the time, but I thought Foles had time to wait a beat, too. Several times today the pass rush has gotten into his head. Well, at least they moved the ball a little.

AND NOW GAGATRON BIFFS IT WIDE RIGHT FROM 35. It sliced on him, like his 63-yard attempt did a bit. Are these ridiculous record-length attempts screwing with his regular kicking game? Wonderful. Just freaking wonderful. It's not like this juggernaut offense can afford to throw away ANY points. 

Browns at their 25. We'll note here the field position game has helped the Rams a ton today. Another false start by Cleveland. I doubt the crowd drew this one, but they deserve it. Turbin cuts back for 10, but Westbrooks drew a pretty minute holding call on Barnidge. 1st-25 at the 10. Turbin draws for 4 as I'm kind of wondering where Duke Johnson went. Not that Turbin's been bad, but Johnson's just been a bigger threat. AND THE RAMS GIVE UP A FIRST DOWN ON SECOND AND 20. Westbrooks drills McCown, but Barron let Barnidge sneak open behind him, and he made an impressive tip play to himself for 32. The Rams spent how many millions on Jared Cook? And Gary F. Barnidge appears to be a better tight end in every aspect. Somebody lit a fire under Westbrooks this week; he stuffs Turbin for no gain, and I believe Donald drew a hold. 1st-20. Little doubt the Browns have been killing themselves so far today. McCown gets forever to throw but Jenkins breaks up a downfield pass to Benjamin. What a contract year Jenkins has had so far. Quick hitch to Barnidge - hey, Cleveland read my halftime notes, too - leaves 3rd-9. The Rams blitz - I disapprove - but they hit McCown as he throws. And McCown's long bomb to Benjamin is still caught. Despite getting his throwing motion interrupted and despite tight coverage by TruJo. Terrific footwork by Benjamin to get his back foot in for a 35-yard gain. Not sure why TruJo didn't get a hand up or hit Benjamin as the ball arrived. Read his eyes! First down, Browns at the Ram 22 as they've pulled a couple of great plays out of their ass. BUT NO, says Peter Morelli; holding is called on Joe Thomas, who I'm pretty sure ripped Robert Quinn down by the collar. Like me, the announcers were focused much more on that catch, so I don't know if that flag came out as late as it seemed like it did. Deflated like a Tom Brady football, the Browns, whose fans are all shaking their heads in unison, are back to 3rd-and-19. This is just the kind of shit that always happens to teams like theirs and ours. I feel bad for them. Replay shows the flag came out right away even though announcer Brian Anderson claimed it was late. You paid attention late, buddy, that's what happened. A dumpoff to Duke gets about 14 back but sends in the punt team. The Rams are doing some bullet-dodging today.

Rams at their 12 after Austin's fair catch, 4:09 to go in the 3rd. Yeah, I know, the game's probably over by now for real. Viva TiVo. Austin (hey!) is wide open at the far sideline off play-action for a quick 20. Gurley gets nothing diving off LT. I've been paying poor attention, but the Rams have gone no-huddle here. Archuleta mentioned earlier that they had picked up the offensive tempo. Foles gets a strong pocket and goes deep for little-known WR Ken Brett? Brict?, who draws a DPI from Desir to gain another 26. Oh, those big-play Rams! Foles gets even more outstanding protection the next play, and gets a deep completion to this unknown guy Brett down to the 1 yard line!!!! Who is this Ken Brett?!?!?!?

Better still, whose halftime notes begged the damn Rams to get the damn ball to Kenny Damn Britt? (and to Austin?) First and goal, Rams. Foles underthrew him a tick or it's a TD; he beat Desir by a step and Jordan Poyer was late getting over. Gurley strolls right off Harkey's MASSIVE edge block for his first career TD and a lead that looks very big from here. Rams 17, Browns 6

But now the Rams leave Hawkins wide open in the zone for 19, big hit by McLeod notwithstanding. Play-action rollout pass to Dray for 5. You know, the play that has never worked for the Rams in the history of the team. 2nd-5, McCown pumps, holds the ball too long, and Westbrooks sheds RT Schwartz for a BIG sack back at the CLE35. I think that's only the 2nd for the Rams. Westbrooks has been a live wire today, though. Archuleta points out the Rams' solid coverage of the screen forced McCown to eat it. 3rd-13. Quinn gets in McCown's face, but he hits Duke wide open on the sideline. Fortunately, Laurinaitis closed to hold him short. Duke was slow to get going, which makes me think he bobbled the catch a little. It leaves 4th-and-2 to start the 4th.

FOURTH QUARTER
I would say the Browns are almost obliged to go for it here; if they line up to punt, the Rams better be damn careful about fakes and not jumping offside.


I guess since it's still just two scores, Cleveland's happy to punt here. They blow a chance to down the punt at the 1, so they got a big 33 net yards out of that non-daring decision. Gregg Easterbrook made a career out of second-guessing this kind of decision for espn.com; no reason I can't try. And here comes Gurley. He surges for 5 off LT with a delayed handoff, then 2 more off LT. The Rams screen against a Cleveland blitz, but Karlos Dansby peeled off to drop Gurley from behind for a loss. 3-and-out only took 90 seconds off the clock there; NOT what we're looking for. Justified Pettine's punt decision, though. Hekker's punt here is much more effective, though; a perfect and unreturnable 53-yarder at the sideline. Browns at their 21.

Crowell up the middle for 2; do the Browns have any idea which RB they want to use already? It's been a while since a Ram jumped offside, so Aaron Donald does it, PENALTY #6 but it won't count because of PENALTY #7, roughing the passer on the Rams' second-most-useless player this season, Nick Fairley. I think that's for getting McCown off his feet and driving him to the ground, because it wasn't any later than any hit Foles has taken all season. Put the Browns at their 38. Benjamin gets open in the zone again on a cross for 20-plus, but McDonald and Barron force the ball loose by twisting him about in half. McDonald grabbed him high, but I think shoulder pad, not facemask. And who should happen on the loose ball but Fairley, who came about 20 yards downfield to get it before humorously taking off THE WRONG DIRECTION and crashing into Hawkins at the STL45. LOL, he was just looking for someone to hit. Maybe he'll get forward progress at midfield? Anyway, another big play by the Ram defense!

Fairley semi-officially loses six on the fumble return; Rams at their 44. And they're having fun, with a flip-back end-around right to Austin off a fake sweep left to Gurley. Cook lead out but really had no one to block; Austin goes up the sideline for 21. Gurley up the middle for a couple. Bubble screen to Austin for 7 behind Britt's block. Gurley goes for 3 off a Barnes double-block for the Rams' FIRST 3rd-down conversion of the game. BIG problems the next play, though; Foles appears to want Quick on a quick hitch, but he takes off downfield, and Nick's holding the bag when an unblocked Desmond Bryant buries him for their 2nd sack. Another case of Quick not having his head on straight hurting the offense. Underneath screen to Gurley gets the Rams back to the 20 for 3rd-and-8. Foles takes a big hit going for Austin on a flare route out of trips and the pass is incomplete, but line judge Sarah Thomas calls Cleveland for holding. I'm sure Sarah gets a lot of calls right, but this wasn't one of them. The DB didn't do a thing wrong and she couldn't possibly have seen any kind of grab even if there'd been one. Sorry not to be more chivalrous there; I do appreciate the help for the Rams, even as everyone at the Factory of Sadness again mournfully shakes their heads. Gurley pours salt in the wound, and salts away the game, cutting back a sweep right, getting blocks from Brown, Justice and another IMPRESSIVE downfield block by Austin, breaking tackles at the 5 and a double-tackle at the 2 to score a 16-yard TD as the home crowd chants his name. Rams 24, Browns 6. 

Apologies to Cleveland fans, but >mike drop<.

Browns might as well try the kick return from deep, but only get to the 13 thanks to Bradley Marquez's tackle from the ground. McCown is 22-for-26 right now? How do they only have six points? Turnovers and penalties, duh. I think we're in garbage mode now, so I'm not going to hold much of what happens here against the defense. A couple more completions to Duke Johnson get them near midfield, where Barron JACKS McCown after a 1st down pass. Archuleta thinks it's a penalty, but Morelli doesn't, and neither should any ref who's called a Rams game this season; Foles has taken plenty of those right after the pass. Jenkins did get PENALTY #8 for holding on the play to move Cleveland across midfield. Archuleta goes back to the Barron hit and calls it a borderline call, because Barron went to the facemask. NO, HE DIDN'T. He went to the collarbone. That's easy to see on replay, so I don't know WTF Archuleta is talking about. TruJo neatly breaks up a bomb for Gabriel, but it's spoiled by PENALTY #9 ANOTHER GODDAMN OFFSIDE on Joyner trying to time a blitz. That's at least FOUR of those today. But, two plays later, the Rams collapse yet another pocket on poor McCown, and Hayes knocks the ball out of his hand from behind as he's cocking to throw. I'm surprised that's not ruled an incomplete pass; McCown still has the ball in his hand and goes forward with it; that should be all it takes.

Nope, it's confirmed a fumble; give Sims the recovery and the Rams the ball at their 33. Gurley, who I'd honestly leave on the bench right now, right for 3. They're saying McCown didn't have possession of the ball when he made the throwing motion, so fine with me. He also got facemasked, badly, without a call. He's done for the day, holding his throwing arm, which I bet has been hurt ever since he hit the wall avoiding that cheerleader. Bailey's wide open for an 8-yard hitch on 3rd-and-5, but gets the BS facemask penalty for his stiffarm. 3rd-12, Benny cuts inside for a nice gain off a draw. The Browns decline PENALTY #10 on Robinson for holding. Send in Johnny Football! (if he's sober)

It's raining flags now as Hekker shanks a punt to ruin a fine day. PENALTY #11 is on Marquez for running out of bounds for about 20 yards before getting back on the field.

Johnny Football from his 45. Dumpoff to Turbin for 8. Quick drag to Gabriel for 5-6. Very short pass to Turbin. JF scrambles and jukes Maurice Alexander, but another holding call, on Joel Bitonio, at the 2:00 warning. Long throwaway with nothing open - Rams dropped back 8 - leaves 3rd-19. Ha, Gregg Williams blitzes here and Manziel hits Hartline near the sideline for 13. Brockers wins bigtime with a swim move and nearly sacks Manziel, but he slid too soon on his scramble to put the Rams in victory formation.

Do Rams fans dare hope to go over .500 next week with the 49ers visiting? We'll need the offense to start having better first halves, but I dare say the arrow is pointing up right now in Rams Nation.

Final: Rams 24, Browns 6

Hey, I did predict the Rams would score 24...

Sunday, October 11, 2015

RamView game blog: Packers 24, Rams 10

The Rams' schedule difficulty reaches its peak in a couple of hours when they take on the Packers at Lambeau, where the home team rarely loses and Aaron Rodgers seemingly never makes a mistake. The Rams save some of their best games for the best teams, though, and they have a shot at controlling the clock with Todd Gurley against the #21 run defense in the league, so maybe they can sound the upset alert before the day is through.

Don't forget the game is on CBS for some reason this week instead of Fox. Dan Fouts and Ian Eagle will have the call. No offense to Ian, but I wish it was Dan Fouts and Brent Musburger. Hopefully the Rams visualize and attack, don't hold anything back and knock the poop out of somebody. Brad Allen will be the referee. The Rams won both games he called last year, and not surprisingly, I voted him the best referee of last season.

Rams inactives: Mo Alexander is out, and surprisingly, so is Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who they just signed this week to fill in for Alec Ogletree. Ethan Westbrooks is also out and is a healthy scratch as far as I know. Eugene Sims is back to claim those reps, but I would have expected the Rams to get as many pass rushers on the field as possible this week.

The prediction: Packers win a closely-played game 28-20.

Also, best wishes and prayers to former Rams TE Daniel Fells, who has suffered an MRSA infection that has required multiple surgeries and put him in risk of losing his foot. Daniel deserves better karma than this for scoring the TD that allowed the Rams to avoid a winless season in 2009.

FIRST QUARTER
The Rams win the toss and surprise me by receiving. No chance of a return, they start from their 20. I-formation, good close by Julius Peppers holds Todd Gurley to 2. Foles gets a ton of time to throw out of pistol formation but has to throw it away. 3rd-8, guess what, Jared Cook can't make the catch. Ball gets into his body and bounces out while Micah Hyde defends. I'd tend to call that a drop, but the broadcast called it a pass breakup. Also, Cook was a yard short anyway. More quality play by Jared Cook. Poor punt by Johnny Hekker, under a lot of rush, has to roll to get 43 and Hyde gains 8 of that back.

Yeah, this is a great start, 3-and-out and start Aaron Rodgers near midfield. Eddie Lacy takes a pitchback for 3. Rodgers gets far too much time and goes deep for Ty Montgomery but Janoris Jenkins has coverage. Uncharacteristic poor throw for Rodgers there. Rodgers gets far too much time again on 3rd down and scrambles right up the middle for 18. It looks like a stunt on the left side but I'm guessing Michael Brockers was actually out of his assigned rush lane. That's right where Rodgers ran while James Laurinaitis had to peel off and cover a back. Will Hayes and Laurinaitis stuff Lacy on the edge for a loss. Rodgers throws a back-shoulder for Randall Cobb that Cobb wasn't expecting; incomplete. 3rd-11 this time. HARD COUNT PULLS NICK FAIRLEY OFFSIDE. PENALTY #1 Shouldn't the ex-Lion be more used to that than most of his teammates? Blitz does not get there AT ALL on 3rd-and-6, but the Rams do leave Montgomery WIDE FREAKING OPEN over the middle for an easy 31-yard TD. He motioned into a two-man stack and Trumaine Johnson and T.J. McDonald butchered it completely, both staying on the receiver breaking outside. Blitzing Barron and Laurinaitis to take everything out of the middle of the field not Gregg Williams' finest move here. Packers 7, Rams 0

Long day in progress. Benny Cunningham returns a bouncer to the 25 from the goal line. Another hole closes on Gurley when Mike Daniels gets off Jamon Brown's block. No gain. He powers for 3 off RT; would have been a lot more had Rob Havenstein kept Jayrone Elliott blocked. This is decidedly not 2nd-half Arizona game blocking so far. It's rest-of-the-season blocking. 3rd-7, the Rams apparently can't get the play off in time and have to blow a timeout less than five minutes into the game.

One team came to play today. One guess which team it is. Ooh, but look who makes a liar out of me... Brian Quick(!). Super leaping sideline grab gets 10. Good blitz pickup by Benny as well, though Rodger Saffold let Foles take a wallop. Play action to Gurley completely fools me, but not Letroy Guion, who beats Saffold and whacks Foles as he's throwing, along with Clay Matthews, who got a free run on him, basically saving a TD. Kenny Britt was open deep but Nick's throw was off. Gurley continues to get no running room at all. Greg Robinson slips off his down block and no one at all gets to the 2nd level. No freaking gain, 3rd-10. Green Bay leaves that big hole up the middle I talked about in last week's RamView preview, Foles gets plenty of time to hit Quick at the GB45, but the ball pops off his hands... and up and into diving Benny Cunningham's for a first down, depending on the flag. Illegal contact, Packers, nice play, Benny. And now here's a hole for Gurley, who charges off RT for 11. Great blocks by Havenstein and Lance Kendricks as the up-I-back. B.J. Raji sheds Tim Barnes and stuffs Gurley for 1. 2nd-9, a sack buries Foles at the GB40. Nick Perry beat Cory Harkey on a blitz and Matthews came in untouched from the back side. It looked like the line was trying to swing protection to the right but the blitzers came in from the left. I would call this  a scheme loss. Kenny Britt drops an extremely catchable quick slant to keep the Rams out of FG position on 3rd-16. The Rams are tied for 2nd in the NFL in dropped passes this season. The Rams take an intentional delay of game PENALTY #2 and Hekker brilliantly plonks it in the end zone anyway. Awesome 20-yard net on that one.

Bubble screen to James Starks gets 19 courtesy of Mark Barron's terrible whiff. So he's considered the starting LB today. Good thing Jo-Lonn Dunbar's in street clothes. Quick flare to Cobb incomplete. Hayes LINED UP IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE to turn Aaron Donald's run stuff into a 5-yard gain. PENALTY #3 Starks runs through McDonald on a 6-yard draw to midfield. Quick hitch to Montgomery for 6. McDonald grabs Lacey in the backfield but he still runs through him for 2. 3rd-2.

And HEY, what do you know, one of the more notable current streaks in sports has just ended. Barron blitzes and deflects Rodgers' pass, which Laurinaitis picks off with a diving play at the Ram 43. Rodgers hadn't been picked off in Lambeau in nearly three years.

Rams losing TOP right now roughly 9 minutes to 2. Gurley cuts back into a couple of uncut guys who didn't buy the fake end-around for 2. Saffold didn't get there on the pull. Rams go 4-wide, Packers blitz, Foles goes deep but Stedman Bailey isn't remotely open. 3rd-8 already. As Ian Eagles notes Robinson was limping after the last play, Julius Peppers steam-rolls him with a bull rush, rushes Foles' throw, and with Gurley falling down, it becomes an ugly-looking INT for Hyde at midfield.

The Rams got as big a gift as they're likely to get in Lambeau today and completely wasted it. Play-action dumpoff to Richard Rodgers, probably meant for Lacy, gets 4. Lacy runs over Barron for another 3 after an inside handoff. 3rd-3, excellent open-field tackle by McDonald holds TE Rodgers to 1 on a quick slant. A friendly spot makes it 4th-1, and the Packers are going for it without hesitation. It looked like they were only trying to get the Rams with the hard count, but they handed off to Lacy, who was undercut by McDonald's diving ankle tackle, and according to the TV indicators, most certainly did not make the first down. No part of his body or the ball were across the line when he was down. Good and correct spot by head linesman #120, and it's Rams ball! Give Michael Brockers some credit there for stacking up bodies at Lacy's feet.

Time to sustain some damn offense as the Rams take over at their 40. AND THE JACKASSES CAN'T EVEN GET THE FIRST PLAY OF THE DRIVE OFF. DELAY OF GAME. PENALTY #4 What do I think of the offense's execution today? I'm in favor of it! Tre Mason makes a cameo with a swing pass for 6. CBS replays a bunch of big hits Foles has already taken, with Dan Fouts blaming the Ram o-line. That may be true, but almost all of those guys were LBs coming in unblocked. I think the Rams are getting outschemed by Dom Capers more than they're failing to execute. Foles trips coming back from center and dumps the ball at Cook's feet with Tim Barnes' man coming at him completely unblocked.

On 3rd-9, my policy not to play defenses opposing the Rams in my fantasy league bites me hard in the ass as Foles throws a freaking pick-six. How did this play suck? Let me count the ways. First, Saffold's hurt again, and it's his shoulder again. He tried to block Mike Neal and went down like he was shot. That leaves Neal with a free run to Havenstein's inside shoulder; Havenstein escorts him right to Foles and never really blocks him, focused on the outside rusher. Foles has to rush another throw and throws to a spot... just as freaking Cook is freaking stopping his damn route. God forbid he get hit or anything trying to catch a ball!

It's a pick-six for Miami (Ohio) rookie Quinten Rollins, a 14-0 Packer lead, and this Rams team is at it YET AGAIN - following one of their best games of the season with a complete dog shit effort the next week. No, I wasn't expecting a win this week; I wasn't expecting complete garbage, either. Packers 14-0

Rams at their 20; will they cross the 30? Gurley off LT for 2; Garrett Reynolds now at RG. With GB showing blitz, the Rams collect THEIR THIRD DELAY OF GAME of the quarter (one was by the punt team). PENALTY #5 The Rams finish as bad a quarter as they've played all season, in every aspect. They're as crisp and bland today as a tub of mashed potatoes.


SECOND QUARTER
Tavon Austin's FIRST touch on a tricky swing pass gets 1 after Elliott is neither fooled nor blocked by Havenstein for a second. 3rd-12. Foles gets actual time to throw a bomb for Austin, but Sam Shields is with him step for step and breaks it up nicely. Another awesome possession by the Ram offense. Just a 42-yard punt by Hekker, the 100th Ram who didn't come to play today, though there was no return.

Rodgers from his 40. Laurinaitis wraps up Starks for a couple. Pressure by Donald forces Rodgers to break the pocket and scramble for 3. 3rd-5. Brockers and Eugene Sims collapse the pocket to force Rodgers to run again, and Laurinaitis brings him down a couple of yards short. Brockers was held, and Brad Allen, who was good about calling holding last year in Rams games, calls it here. The Rams decline, sending in the punt team. This punt appears to check up inside the 5 and get downed inside the 3.

Actually, if not for that one poor coverage breakdown, the Ram defense would be holding its own against Rodgers today; I owe them an apology so far.

Jeff Fisher makes the correct move to challenge the spot on the punt. Not only is there evidence the ball broke the plane of the goal line, more to the point, Jeff Janis' whole damn leg is in the end zone as he tries to make a sliding grab of the ball. This is actually an easy call the crew shouldn't have blown. Did this crew work Monday night's Seattle game? Brad Allen gets the do-over right; set the Rams up on the 20. Hell, this call was so easy, even Mike Carey in the CBS studio got it right!

The Rams are running left now with Saffold out, and Gurley pops for 11 off LT. Good blocks by Robinson and Kendricks. Jet sweep left for Austin, led out pretty well by Cook (!) for 7. Gurley goes left again off several mauling blocks for 6. Foles smells blitz and checks to a Gurley run off RT for 3. Super cutback wrap run right by Gurley for 6. Harkey, Havenstein, Reynolds all with strong blocks. Rams telegraph a QB sneak by motioning the backfield empty on 3rd-and-inches but get away with it as Foles lunges out for 2. Gurley for 3 off LT. Elliott may have saved a big gain by tracking him down from the backside. Play-action bomb for Cook is kept alive by Havenstein's scrambling block, and Hasean Clinton-Dix is called for DPI without really doing a whole lot. A little jersey tug? Set the Rams up at the GB11. Hyde saves a certain TD by tripping Gurley up at the 5. Robinson and Havenstein absolutely mauling right now.

From the 5, IT'S TRICKERATION TIME, about a 2-inch jet shovel pass to Austin that he cuts back inside for a TD! Packers 14, Rams 7 Austin got a pancake block, maybe a hold, from Brown and cut inside Robinson getting downfield well.

Looks like my reports of the Rams' death in Lambeau today have been greatly exaggerated?

The Rams have completely turned around TOP and are now winning it 14 minutes to 8. Rodgers at his 20 after the latest Greg Zuerlein touchback blast. Coverage is excellent as all 4 d-linemen eventually chase Rodgers out of bounds for 5. Donald and Fairley got the initial pressure.  A lob for Cobb, who Joyner has had blanketed so far today, is way long. 3rd-5, Rodgers calls timeout. I'm not sure what the Rams had going there. The Rams don't buy the hard count on 3rd-5, but Montgomery beats TruJo on a slant for 11. Robert Quinn nearly got there and Montgomery had to make a diving play. Fairley stops Starks for 7 on a bubble screen that looked much more promising. RG T.J. Lang comes out with a leg injury. Rodgers steps up for another 7 to midfield. The Rams have to consider going to more contain rushing instead of letting the DTs get caught upfield like Fairley did here. Quit stunting and inviting Rodgers to take the wide open middle. Hell, he's their leading rusher, I think. Joyner makes a nice tackle to hold a Lacy sweep to 2. Cobb beats Joyner for 9 with some shake and bake after a quick flare.

Well, this paragraph needed two major rewrite. TruJo made a super anticipation play to dive and pick off Rodgers for the second time on a quick hitch to the same part of the field as the last play. Replay and CBS made as if it would be overturned because the ball moved in TruJo's hands when it hit the ground, but it wasn't, TruJo's pick and return count, and the Rams will be at the GB33. Football's Great Spaghetti Monster made sure the deed did not go unpunished; Chris Long clunked knees with David Bakhtiari during the play and stayed down, but walked off with help.

Rodgers hadn't been picked off twice at home since 2010. Those are also his first two picks all season. Gurley up the middle for 2; no one blocked Neal, though Kendricks was lined up right in front of him. Gurley picks his way up the middle for another 3. 3rd-5, Benny picks up another blitz and Foles hits Bailey on a 5-yard out route. Perfect spot, too, he had it on forward progress. Mike McCarthy makes a late move to challenge the spot, but the call should stand. It does. Gurley cuts a sweep left inside and gains 4. Good blocks by Brown and Reynolds. Gurley just reads those better than the rest of the Ram RBs. Rams at the GB19 at the 2:00 warning.

FALSE START BROWN for PENALTY #6. Bailey gets 1 out of a disaster of an against-the-grain screen where Britt hurts his right hand trying to block. That costs the Rams a TO, and it's 3rd-10. Foles throws a jump ball for Quick, but Shields gets away with a grab and a lot of contact, duly noted by Fouts, but not by the referees, to "break up" the play. The Rams have to settle for a Zuerlein chip shot and leave Rodgers a lot of time on the clock. Packers 14-10

Rodgers from his 20 with 1:40 to go. And now THEY run out the play clock. 1st-15. The Rams give it back with PENALTY #7, holding on Akeem Ayers. Quick swing to Cobb for 7. TE Rodgers beats McDonald for 12 out to the GB38. Another pressure by Quinn flushes Rodgers; Donald holds him to 3. Starks bobbles away a screen pass that Rodgers didn't throw too well because Donald was, well, swimming at him. Quinn was coming again, too. The Rams rush 3 and blitz 3 on 3rd-7. McDonald nearly gets the sack. Rodgers hands off to Starks but Laurinaitis stops him short of the 1st to end the half.


HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
Well, this could have been a hell of a lot worse, the way the Rams went down 14-0. Rodgers has been looking for a lot of deep stuff that hasn't been there. I would expect more short throws over the middle in the 2nd half and the Rams will have to adjust to it. Gregg Williams isn't just playing BBDB; he's blitzed and hasn't relied just on soft coverage. His secondary is really playing their butts off.

I hate to say it, but the Saffold injury feels like the turning point for the offense. It encouraged Cignetti to start running left more, which has been successful, and Reynolds has stepped in and done well. Also, it took too long to get Austin involved, but once it happened, I think the Packer D got back on its heels a little. Cignetti doesn't have a lot of choice in the 2nd half that I see. Keep feeding Gurley and set up play-action off that.

THIRD QUARTER
The Rams can't wait a single play for their first penalty of the half. PENALTY #8, Daren Bates offside on the kickoff. Packers start at their 25. Off play-action, Rodgers dumps off to Rodgers for 5. Four-man rush gives Rodgers about EIGHT seconds in the pocket to take off and run for another 5. Donald stuffs a stretch handoff to Lacy for no gain.

And, another Williams blitz gets burned by James Jones for a 65-yard TD. Joyner picked him up correctly out of a stack, but tripped just as the ball arrived, and Rodney McLeod took a terrible angle and couldn't bail him out. Middle of the field vacated by Laurinaitis, Barron and one more Ram blitzer, AND SOMEBODY HERE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE PACKERS WORKING THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. Williams has left it open all day. Packers 21-10 Jones was ruled down inside the 1 and McCarthy decides to challenge. The call's corrected on review.

Jeez, pay me the big bucks if Williams isn't going to earn his. Rams will need to answer from their 20. Wow, the bootleg TE pass works, to Kendricks for 12. Gurley runs through a couple of tackles for 3, getting a block from Kendricks. Play-action screen to Kendricks for 4. 3rd-3, Matthews doesn't get the sack but spins off of Benny AND Robinson to force Foles into a throwaway. Great, the Rams really needed to go back to brain-fart blocking right about now. Cody Davis BLOWS UP Hyde on the punt return to get Hekker a 51-yard net.

Packers at their 10. Illegal block in the back by TE Rodgers on a shovel pass backs them up to the 5. Another quick arrow route to Cobb gets 6. Starks gets a big hole for another 5, with a double-team moving Brockers. Hayes, though, flushes Rodgers on 3rd-4 and Starks can't come up with a bullet on the sideline. Good job by Brockers to extend Rodgers out to the sideline as well. Austin gets wrapped up immediately at the 35 on the punt.

Gurley around left end for 4; nice blocking by Cook (!) and Quick (!!). Quick's actually a very willing blocker at WR. Gurley breaks a tackle and goes up the middle for 4 more. Mason would have lost a yard on that. 3rd-2, a jet sweep left for Austin fails miserably. There are five Packers out there, and Cook, and he doesn't even block the one guy he could have. The Packers smelled that out as soon as Austin went into motion.

4th-2. I should have mentioned all the way back in the pregame that the CBS guys had info the Rams would try some trickery today. And it's a fake punt. But when Hekker goes to throw, his first target, Chase Reynolds, has been picked up nicely by the rookie Rollins. OMG THIS IS GOING TO BLOW UP IN THE RAMS' FACES. Hekker is running around, not knowing what to do, scrambling right and throwing a blind pass across his body.... AND CODY DAVIS IS UNDER IT AT THE GB38. Johnny Hekker is once again the Rams' most clutch QB. Talk about pulling one out of your, um, the fire. Replay shows Davis signalling to Hekker, pretty damn heads-up, I'd say.

The Rams are mauling again now as Gurley goes left for 7. Brown and Robinson are firing off the ball. Gurley gets stuffed by Latroy Guion. Harkey led but couldn't clear the big men out of the hole. 3rd-5, Matthews and Neal flush Foles into yet another throwaway. The main pressure came from Neal, who beat Havenstein pretty easily. Foles takes another whallop while Bailey and Austin argue with one another on the way off the field. Sounds like a blown blitz adjustment. And speaking of blown, Zuerlein's 50-yard FG attempt goes down like it's been shot, blocked at the line. I think that's his first miss of the season and doesn't come at a very good time. The Rams really are not a team that believes in momentum, are they?

Packers start at their 40. Lacy stumbles up the middle for 4. Rodgers nearly throws INT number THREE, dropped by Fairley. But the Rams bring the heat on 3rd down, again blitzing three and rushing three, and Quinn comes from behind Rodgers with the tomahawk CHOP to force a fumble that eventually squirts to Joyner!

It's a shame the Rams haven't done more today after making Aaron Rodgers look so mortal. But there's a blueprint for the rest of the league. Green Bay better be careful not to have the troubles Denver did last year after playing the Rams.

Rams at the GB41. Foles audibles to a stretch handoff to Gurley that gets 5 up the middle. Reynolds, Havenstein, Brown, all just mauling. I'm tellin' ya, Saffold's injury improved the line. Gurley bounces right and throws a mean stiffarm on Nate Palmer to get the first down off another good Havenstein block. Rams are back in FG range at the GB29. Zone blocking fail as Neal bounces past Robinson's outside shoulder to blow up Gurley in the backfield. Robinson ended up having to block two guys. And now Foles is getting sacked, as, in a Hall of Fame mismatch, Peppers steam-rolls Kendricks and I think strips Foles from behind. Mason recovers at the 35. The clockwork-efficient Rams now have to take a timeout to save YET ANOTHER delay of game on 3rd-16. Yeah, they're clockwork efficient like those clocks in the Dali painting. Foles misses Bailey wide open on a square out on 3rd-and-16. Zuerlein could have used those 6 yards; his 53-yard attempt tails left to make him 1-for-3 today. Odd-numbered quarters not treating the Rams well this week.

Lacy bounces off two of his interior blockers and gains 8. The Rams get help from a false start to end the quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER
Oh great, now Rodgers is firing lasers, 12 to Jones despite solid coverage by TruJo at the STL42. Lacy up the middle for 4; Rams never bring him down. Quinn pressure forces another dumpoff, but Lacy gets 8 out of it. TE Rodgers beats McDonald on a post route but lets him off the hook for a TD with a terrible drop. Rodgers-to-Rodgers works in the flat for 4. 3rd-6, the Rams don't buy the hard count, blitz, Sims flushes Rodgers and Brockers comes off the center to trip Rodgers up for the sack. TE Rodgers cost the Packers a TD a minute ago, and his illegal hands on the FG costs them three. The punt plonks in the end zone to keep the Rams on life support at their 20.

GURLEY EXPLODES FOR 55 off the right side to start this drive off in style. Key block by, guess who, Garrett Reynolds. That puts Gurley not just over 100 for the 2nd straight week, but 140. Perfect call next, end-around to Austin, who follows Kendricks out and down to the 10. Off a fake end-around, Mason trips and gets back up for just 2 and, um, WHERE'S GURLEY? OK, here he comes on 2nd-goal. Gurley swings outside but can only get 1; fine run support by Clinton-Dix there.

And, start the bus, Nick Foles. What a stupid play. He tries to force a throw to Kendricks even though the LB is obviously right there. LB gets both hands on it, tips it up, and Clinton-Dix intercepts it in the end zone. Someone will have to explain to me why Nick Foles thought this throw had ANY hope. That throw probably should have gone to Austin, who was open on a square-in around the 2. Kendricks taking the LB with him opened up a lane Foles should have thrown into.

Finding. Ways. To. Lose.

Dumpoff to Starks for 3, then Laurinaitis blows up a sweep for no gain. Rams blitz on 3rd-7 and Ayers misses a sack, but Barron breaks up a pass to Starks. A 3-and-out? Against Aaron Rodgers? The Ram offense really has BLOWN IT for the defense, which has made a terrific effort, today.

Rams at their 30, 7:30 left, as Gurley gets stuffed on 1st down. NG Mike Pennel just threw Barnes aside. Ian Eagle shows his lack of game prep by commenting with surprise that the Rams aren't moving with a whole lot of urgency on offense. Gurley off the right side for 12, with Brown clearing things out in front of him with a plowing block. Gurley cuts back for 3 inside a Robinson block. Stat of the day: Gurley has 159 yards rushing; Foles, 54 passing. Foles must have negative infinity for a QB rating. QUICK DROPS AN EASY PASS. As Fouts said, he jumped for no reason, then let the ball get into his body. That's the next Terrell Owens, folks. An actual nice catch by Cook gets 8 and a first down as Foles gets buried under a blitz. Nothing open off play-action on first down, and with Matthews coming at him unblocked for the millionth time, Foles has to throw another one away. And now Matthews jumps the snap count and SACKS Foles before he can even finish his drop. I assume that was Reynolds' block that was never made. Frank Cignetti has had absolutely no answer for Matthews today. Where did the max-protect from the 2nd half in Arizona go? Dumpoff to Benny, who's often good on these, gets 11 and leaves 4th-and-7 with about 3:30 left.

And now a Packer injury clearly gives Jeff Fisher too much time to think and he idiotically sends Zuerlein out for a 63-yard FG attempt, which to his credit, he barely misses. What the hell kind of stupid move was that? At 1-for-3 today, with two long misses already, I'd think the Rams' chances of converting 4th-and-7 were far better than the chance of a near-record-length FG.

Packers start at the STL47 after the miss. McDonald tackles Lacy for 3. Brockers and Hayes hold him to another 1 as the Rams use their final timeout. Rodgers salts it off with a play-action pass to, well, Rodgers for 18. Akeem Ayers bought the play-fake, leaving the TE wide open.

Mason Crosby tacks on a late FG, and it's all over but the shouting from there. Final: Packers 24, Rams 10

No, just when I think I can quit watching, Foles hits Stedman Bailey, burning Rollins out of a stack for a 70-yard play down to the GB5. Perfect throw by Foles more than doubled his yardage for the game, I believe. Clinton-Dix seemed to come from out of nowhere to save the TD. Foles spikes, then gets pounded again on 1st-goal and fires out the back of the end zone with 0:28 left.

Foles tops off a SHIT game with his FOURTH INT (WHY O WHY DID I NOT START THE PACKERS D IN FANTASY?!?!?!?!?), to Rollins, who I assume he never saw. Austin's in route took him behind Rollins, then Foles fired right to the Packer DB.

Jeff Fisher's approach to football is predicated on playing defense and running the ball. The Rams did both of those more than well enough to win this week, but their passing game, with no protection, no open receivers and dumb decisions by the QB, was a complete abomination and lost them the game. Two weeks to get it fixed, Cignetti.


-$-

Sunday, October 4, 2015

RamView live game blog: Rams 24, Arizona 22

The 1-2 Rams will look to avoid yet another Jeff Fisher Slow Start (TM) as touchdown underdogs at Arizona. Lotsa luck with that. The Cardinals are arguably the NFL's hottest team, coming off a 47-7 win over the 49ers, and the Rams haven't had a lot of luck there in the past. This is a part of the schedule that really makes you wish the Rams had taken care of business in their more-winnable games.

Pregame notes: Fox TV team will be Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Goose. Should be a good broadcast. Might also be a well-officiated game with John Parry in charge. I couldn't find any problems with him in the past; he last reffed a Rams game in 2013.

Andre Ellington is inactive for Arizona, so the Rams will have to find a way to stop Chris Johnson. Brian Quick is active for the Rams, though we'll have to see how active he really is.

The prediction: I've had a sudden surge of optimism and will say 22-13 Arizona even though I expect the Cardinals to dominate the LOS.

FIRST QUARTER
And this game is off to an outstanding start for the Rams: Mark Barron strips David Johnson on the opening kickoff and Daren Bates pounces on the loose ball. Early advantage, Rams, getting the ball at the AZ16.


Fake jet right to Tavon Austin, bubble screen left to Todd Gurley for 8. 2nd-2, no block at all by Jared Cook allows Rashad Johnson in to trip Gurley up for a THREE YARD LOSS. Let me know what's new about THAT. Well, here's something new: A RAMS TOUCHDOWN. Austin ran a square-in out of trips formation, Jerraud Powers couldn't track him, and he sped through a pretty open field for a 12-yard TD. 7-0 Rams

Now THIS is how you start a football game, people.

Touchback this time starts Arizona at their 20. T.J. McDonald gets cut-blocked by Larry Fitzgerald but leg-whips Chris Johnson down for only 1. Smoke route to John Brown gets 11, though, with Fitzgerald taking out Lamarcus Joyner. Fitzgerald WIPES OUT Robert Quinn and Carson Palmer has plenty of time to hit Brown on the sideline for another 14. The Rams bury Palmer under a double-safety blitz for their first SACK, by Joyner. Palmer nearly got loose, avoiding a big loss. 2nd-11. 3-man rush, Janoris Jenkins LAYS THE WOOD to Jermaine Gresham to break up a pass. Unlike their last road game, the Rams came to play today. False start, Bobby Massie, has us wondering if Arizona did. 3rd-16, and Gregg Williams is off to a brilliant (not ironic usage) start. Rams rush three with Ogletree peeling off; Palmer wanted the dumpoff but had to eat the ball because of Ogletree, who he'd thought would be blitzing. Chris Long beats the RT and the RG, who look confused, and drops Palmer for SACK #2. The punt rolls to the 23 as Brennaman says the Cardinals look surprisingly mortal. The Rams have come to play, that's for sure.

Austin cuts up inside with a jet sweep left for 8. The rollout right TE pass is screwed up like usual - why do the Rams even TRY to run this play? - and Foles downs it at Cook's feet. The Rams almost never block the LDE on this play, and didn't here. 3rd-2. AND it's a sack, with the Rams basically blocking no one, with three Cardinals getting to Foles. Greg Robinson and Jamon Brown got beat by BOTH guys on a switch on their side, Tim Barnes got beat and Benny Cunningham didn't block anyone. Four blown assignments on one play. Give the sack to former Mizzou Tiger Markus Golden at OLB. Hekker outkicks coverage and gives Patrick Peterson a chance to return, WHICH IS IDIOTIC, but Bates dives and trips him up at the AZ34.

CJ right through nauseating run "defense" for 12. Hayes is too far inside, Laurinaitis is PATHETIC blowing the tackle and McDonald also blows one downfield. Ogletree stops him the next carry for 1. CJ left now for a couple, mirror image of the last two plays, but Ethan Westbrooks is on him right away and holds him to 2. 3rd-7, and it's time for the Ram defense to start blowing clutch plays. Palmer beats a blitz with a simple swing pass to David Johnson, who's wide open. Trumaine Johnson does not bring him down with an all-shoulder, no-wrap tackle. Laurinaitis' effort next is just pitiful, and DJ runs through Barron and Ogletree all the way to the Ram 30 on a mini-Beast Mode type of play. Palmer next goes up top for Michael Floyd, who draws DPI in the end zone on Jenkins on a play I would have let go. I don't see the body contact Charles Davis is talking about. PENALTY NUMBER ONE Put the Cardinals at the 1 instead. Aaron Donald blows up an attempted outside run that loses 1. They pitch to CJ again, and Jenkins fires in to blow that up, and Ogletree finishes it for another yard loss. WATCH FITZGERALD on 3rd-and-goal. He was open on a square out from the slot, but Palmer went the other way instead, where DJ beat Ogletree at the goal line on a pivot route, but the ball's right through his hands, thank you very much. Arizona settles for a chip shot; credit to the guys who made those big goal line run stops. Rams 7, Arizona 3 The Rams are going to need to tackle a LOT better than they did most of this drive.

PENALTY NUMBER TWO on the return (holding, Cody Davis) will start the Rams at their 8. Cunningham needs to freaking kneel with these when they're 5 yards deep. And the Ram running game picks up right where it left off, with a FOUR YARD LOSS for Mason. Calais Campbell BLEW UP Jamon Brown and that was all she wrote. Mason squirts off right tackle for about 3. Arizona jumps offside, and unlike the Packers do, no Ram WR knows to run a deep route and Foles' lonely lob is picked off. Doesn't count, of course, but that's the kind of savvy you get from this receiving corps. 3rd-6, guess who gets both hands on the ball and doesn't catch it. Jared Cook. Justin Bethel got his arm in there, but that ball HAS to be Jared's, and somehow, it NEVER is. Hekker's punt is high and Peterson has no return at the AZ39.

Quinn comes at Palmer like a freight train but he dumps off to CJ for 5. Bubble screen to John Brown for another 8. Fitzgerald uncharacteristically muffs a smoke pass. McDonald nearly gets Palmer on a blitz, and Laurinaitis cleans up the screen attempt for no gain. Nice play by both. 3rd-10. Blitz on a non-blitz down does not get there and Palmer hits Floyd on the sideline for 11.

SECOND QUARTER
Ball at the STL37. TruJo breaks up a pass for Brown. Floyd gets an easy 12 on a simple comeback underneath a soft zone in front of TruJo the next play. McDonald brings serious lumber but CJ still gets 7, with Mike Iupati picking off Laurinaitis at the 2nd level. Spot was at least a yard in AZ's favor. AZ pulls off the same thing for 4 more. They're double-teaming Donald and a lineman's free to pick off Laurinaitis, who is pissed off at somebody after the play. I think he's mad at Jenkins and Fairley for pulling up instead of getting their noses in there. Gotta stay aggressive, men, I agree. McDonald and, notably, Jenkins, blow up a pitch left to CJ, with Westbrooks cleaning it up for a loss at the 15. Brown beats TruJo on a pivot route for 7. Maybe if you would be within 8 yards at the snap? 3rd-3, Gregg Williams wins again. THIS PLAY FINALLY WORKS. He invites a run with a weirdly-spaced 3-man line, Palmer I bet checks off to a handoff to DJ, but Donald just bullies the LG, and Ogletree and Barron blitzing from either side clean that up for a big loss. The Rams' third clutch run stop down there. Donald just rag-dolled Iupati. Another chippie for Catanzaro. Rams 7, Arizona 6 I think we can also credit Laurinaitis for firing up the troops a little bit there.

Benny proves me wrong about fair-catching by sweeping out to the 35. I think that was Christian Bryant making the block on the sideline that sprung him. Good block by Demetrius Rhaney on the wedge to start things off, too. There's a couple more signs John Fassell can coach. Gurley cuts a leftside run back for 4. Gurley then makes a blitz pickup that saves Foles' life, but Nick can only hit Cook for a couple. Benny makes a big pickup the next play, but Foles has no one open at all and air mails one out of bounds while the whole TV crew comments how ugly the Ram offense is. Peterson gets away from 3 Rams at the 8 with the punt before Bradley Marquez catches him at the 17. QUIT KICKING IT TO HIM YOU DAMN IDIOTS!

Fox cuts to Frank Cignetti shaking his head in the coach's box. No one open at all on that play.  CJ right for 5 as Will Hayes ain't doing a dang thing against the run today. Palmer goes to Darren Fells in the seam for 18, beating McDonald. Quick slant to Brown for 9, with TruJo a mile off him. Williams needs to tighten the screws here, but doesn't, which feels like trouble when Palmer rolls right and goes deep for Brown. Jenkins closes on him, though, and undercuts him for the ball for a monster play, an end zone interception. Nearly dropped it, but he turned what looked like a TD into a big play for the Rams. The fire is lit back under Jenkins today.

LOL, Jenkins actually made a David Tyree-style helmet catch, which Charles Davis brilliantly notes was also made in this stadium. Gurley makes 3 up the middle. Short drop by Foles and a quick slant to Cook for 12. Good catch. Off play-action, Foles throws a beautiful ball to Austin on a deep corner route, beating Rashad Johnson for 47. Rams blocked it really well and Foles made just a perfect throw. They're at the AZ18. Play action again, and a clever screen to Cook gets 8, with Havenstein and Brown out front. So of course, a handoff to Gurley loses three. He had to bounce outside after Frostee F. Rucker knocked Rodger Saffold off the line. 3rd-4, Rams call timeout. This usually means the next play's really going to suck. Foles' pass for Cook is a little out of his reach. Honey Badger never knows it's coming until Cook starts to pull it in, and he knocks it out. Someday Cook's GOT to come up with ONE of these, doesn't he? Greg Zuerlein chips the three. Rams 10, Arizona 6

3:16 to halftime. Hopefully for the Rams, that's an Austin 3:16. Zuerlein boots another kick out the back. Very solid pocket for Palmer; Fitzgerald dives for 13 as Ogletree wants a flag for pushing off. I'm pretty sure referees have stopped calling that this year. Laurinaitis' blitz forces Palmer to unload early and incomplete. So, let's have some more PATHETIC run defense. The weird 3-man line again, and when Chris Long whiffs miserably in the hole, CJ has the whole desert to run in. Give him 21. Also a poor ankle tackle miss by Joyner in the hole. Arizona at the STL46 at the 2:00 warning. Palmer just beats a Joyner blitz and Floyd's in front of TruJo AGAIN for 9. DJ runs off for an EASY 12 down to the 25. Donald whiffed in the backfield, Laurinaitis got blocked by TWO linemen and Quinn, who I hope was stunting, had run completely away from the area. VERY quiet first half for Quinn btw. Jenkins JUST misses a pick six on a flare to DJ and still holds him to 1. Gregg Williams wins 2nd-9; McDonald drills Palmer on a double-safety blitz, and also wisely has Fitzgerald double-teamed in the end zone, which lets Palmer's throw land harmlessly on the turf.  Laurinaitis drills Palmer on a middle blitz - that was a legal hit, Cardinal fans, delivered with the shoulder - and Barron has DJ cleanly blanketed to force another incompletion and another Catanzaro FG with 1:13 left. Rams 10, Arizona 9 Have to be impressed with the Rams' clutch red zone defense today.

Benny proves me right about kneeling this time, only making the 15. Fisher is apparently going to let Arizona have the ball back. Benny for 3, TO, AZ. Benny next LOSES THE THREE, with NO ONE blocking Kevin Minter.  On a screen, Benny now ignores a GAPING hole on the left side to cut inside Campbell and make the least out of the play he possibly could. That was probably a first down, and also not the first time Benny has screwed this play completely up. Joyner and Cody Davis let Hekker get away with kicking directly to Peterson YET AGAIN and hold him to no gain with brilliant downfield pursuit.

0:35 left, Cardinals at their 23. Drop by DJ, but tough pass thanks to Ogletree's solid coverage. 11 to Fitzgerald, then a spike at 0:19. Stay on your toes, D. Quinn nearly gets Palmer, who gets off a big gainer to Brown, but Jared Veldheer both held Quinn and hit him with illegal hands to the face, with the former being called. That ends the half.

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
I have to be quick because I'm going to run into TiVo Trouble at 6:00. The Ram defense is definitely carrying them so far. The running game's such a complete mess I don't know what to do with it. Maybe just have Gurley run behind Harkey in I formation. It's gotten that bad. Also, get to running behind Robinson, he's the best run-blocker. The passing game has completely forgotten the WRs, possibly because they're completely forgettable. But they've shown if they can establish any running game at all, it'll make play-action work. Let's try to get Tavon at least several touches.


Gregg Williams had a good first half but has to clean up that run D. Some of the weird alignments have got to go. And he's lining the DEs up too far inside again, which is what got the Rams killed in Washington. Let's learn from some darn mistakes, huh? I'd also like to get TruJo playing tighter if possible, but coverage has not been a big problem today. Keep the focus on Fitzgerald.

THIRD QUARTER
Knee for Benny starts the Rams at the 20. A STRETCH HANDOFF TO GURLEY LOSES FIVE AS CAMPBELL COMPLETELY BEATS TIM BARNES. HOW CAN YOU NOT FREAKING KNOW TO BLOCK CAMPBELL? But Austin gets it all back, and then some, with 18 off a bubble screen. Havenstein whiffed a block badly but Kenny Britt got Tavon the outside and Tavon broke a tackle. THE RAMS HAVE RUSHED FOR FOUR TOTAL YARDS. But play action still gets Foles a lot of time, and he hits Harkey in the flat for 4. Peterson closes rapidly on a quick screen to Austin that loses 1. 3rd-7. Foles beats a blitz with an out route to Stedman Bailey out of trips for 13. Gurley has nice running room after a screen and gets 7 to the AZ45. Barnes then snaps before Foles is expecting, luckily not in shotgun. Foles has to scramble and throw it away. Rams got called for an illegal shift anyway. PENALTY #3 2nd-8. Good blitz pickup by Gurley, but it's yet another ball through Cook's hands. WHY ARE WE RELYING SO MUCH ON THIS GUY? Odd call here to go deep down the sideline for Austin, but Powers has him blanketed. Cards were a mile off the slot receiver there; I wanted a slant to Bailey. Hekker pins Peterson at the 8 with the punt.

Brilliant (ironic usage), no pass rush on Palmer and only Ogletree covering Fitzgerald for a 22-yard gain. Brilliant (non-ironic) play by Quinn to blow up a handoff to CJ, setting up Ogletree to collect a loss of 5. Brilliant (ironic) idea by Williams to blitz big on 2nd-long; a quick screen to Brown and Fitzgerald WIPING OUT Barron gets most of the 15 back. McDonald gets away with a late hit out of bounds; no idea why John Parry picked up the flag there, but thanks. Ogletree's hit was OK, but McDonald was way late. 3rd-2 in any event.

And, unbelievably, Gregg Williams wins again. Ten in the box with Rodney McLeod a mile deep at center looks like an awful idea, especially when Palmer bombs for Fitzgerald wide open down the sideline, but here comes McLeod with a big hit to pop the ball loose, with TruJo pouncing on the rare Fitzgerald turnover at the Ram 42.

The Ram defense has played its ass off today. And now here comes Gurley. A counter right beats a blitz for 24, to the AZ36, with Lance Kendricks getting a key block. Gurley cut right inside the blitzer. Gurley runs through a tackle for another 13, with the Ram line driving all the Cardinals to their sideline. No gain for Gurley on the 3rd try after Frostee F. Rucker beat Havenstein. Ha, here's my I-formation, and Gurley follows Harkey and cuts back for 5. 3rd-5 at the 17, FOLES' THROW FOR BAILEY IS PERFECT FOR A TD. Bailey ran a corner route out of trips and Powers didn't get back in time. Hilariously, after Honey Badger takes Bailey down, he stays down and pretends to take a nap with the ball as his pillow. Even more hilariously, Bruce Arians is mad there wasn't a penalty for that. And he's right, there should have been. Rams 17, Arizona 9.

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Technical difficulties - expletives deleted, will have to backfill after the game.
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Here's the backfill. CJ cuts back for 19 the very first play. Michael Brockers, taking a rare snap today, gets blocked and Ogletree is blocked and can't fill the gap. Even worse, McDonald's blown diving tackle attempt takes Ogletree out in the back of the knees. QUIT INJURING YOUR OWN TEAMMATES! Oh, shit, Ogletree is getting carted off, that really harshes the buzz of this game. It's an ankle injury, and though he's on the cart, there's no inflatable cast on it, and it wasn't flopping around after the hit like it was seriously broken. Cross our fingers for a sprain. Really unusual to get carted off for a sprain, though. PENALTY FIVE, I think, illegal hands to the face kills a run stuff by Hayes and Laurinaitis. Arizona at their 45. Floyd takes a soccer-quality dive on a deep sideline route and apparently draws DPI on TruJo for it. PENALTY SIX. I don't know. TruJo's not doing that much. He's not impeding Floyd. Luckily, it'll offset because Jonathan Cooper was holding. On 1st-10, Quinn sets a nice edge and sets Daren Bates up to tackle CJ for 3. Really? Bates for Ogletree, not Akeem Ayers? Huh. 16 to Fitzgerald, beating Joyner out of the slot. Stretch handoff that CJ cuts back for another 13. This run defense is so intolerable sometimes. Westbrooks way overshoots the play and Barron knocks himself out of the play trying to get past Gresham. Arizona at the Ram 22. Palmer overthrows Floyd at the 2; TruJo was right there. Gresham runs through Westbrooks and Jenkins with a screen for 8. Another safety blitz lands another SACK, their third, by McDonald. Well-disguised and he came in untouched. Arizona's played today like they didn't know the Rams ever blitz the safeties, which is pretty idiotic on genius Bruce Arians' part. The Cardinals pull out the chip wedge yet again. Rams 17-12

Agh, time travel has allowed me to see Jim Thomas' postgame tweet saying Ogletree needs ankle surgery. He'll go on IR/designated to return but could miss the season. Way to go, McDonald, you stupid jackass. Second straight year he's taken out one of his own teammates. He nearly took E.J. Gaines' head off last season blowing a tackle.

The ever-consistent Cunningham gets out to the 38 this time behind good work by the wedge and Christian Bryant, but PENALTY #7 on Harkey takes it back. Rams start at their 12, losing 26 yards of field position. Crowd noise draws PENALTY #8, a false start on Robinson. Gurley cuts back through a big hole for 4 off a Kendricks block BUT LOSES THE BALL. Honey Badger knocked it loose. It passed under three different Cardinals, but somehow the Rams ended up with it. It sounds like they're giving Gurley credit for recovering even though he didn't leave the pile with it. 2nd down, pressure comes right up the middle at Foles and forces a throwaway. Rashad Johnson (HOW MANY JOHNSONS DO THE CARDINALS HAVE? WHAT IS THIS, BLAZING SADDLES?) blows up a really predictable screen to Benny after Barnes can't block him, and Benny goes down with another loss. Ball's loose again, but John Parry bails the hell out of the Rams by saying that Benny's forward progress had been stopped. That is really a horrible ruling. His forward progress stopped because he got tackled, which forced the ball loose. Awful, awful call. But it probably saved the game for the Rams. The 4th quarter ends with the Rams receiving a General Motors-sized bailout.

FOURTH QUARTER
Arizona takes over at midfield after the punt. Brown gets about 12 on an end-around and had much more if not for sloppy sideline footwork. Quinn stayed home but Brown was too fast, and Fitzgerald cleared out Joyner with another dive below a Ram DB's knees, and he's finding his way rapidly off my Respected Opponent list with this bullshit. Off play-action, Palmer rolls away from Donald and hits Jeron Brown inside the 20. Laurinaitis couldn't drop back quite quick enough. Screen to Fitzgerald, taken down suitably roughly by Barron for a couple. Another screen, to CJ, for 6. 3rd-and-2. Empty backfield, Palmer goes to Gresham in a crowd, and the TE drops it with Ayers closing to break it up. Arians might regret not going for this one but settles for three for the FIFTH time. Rams 17, Arizona 15


End of backfill. I'm 100% live from here and may lose a lot of detail without the rewind button. Rams at the 20, 11:57 to go. It's Campbell AGAIN, beating Jamon Brown this time to stuff Gurley. It's maddening how the Rams have refused to block this guy over the years. Austin jet sweeps for 12; I've been looking for that play. AND NOW A 52-YARD RUN BY GURLEY. Great blocking on the left side - somebody here was calling for that - with Barnes making a block in the nick of time. Huge pancake by Jamon Brown, too. Parry gives the Rams a delay of game instead of a timeout, thanks! The Rams are clearly unused to big offensive plays. 1st-15 at the AZ21. Arizona nearly blows up the smoke route to Austin, but he breaks a couple of tackles before stepping out at the 12. Gurley dives for 1, which will leave 3rd-5. Charles Davis is describing THE CHANGE TO THE RUNNING GAME I CALLED FOR AT HALFTIME. I rule. No, NICK FOLES RULES. He pulls the ball down with an all-out blitz coming, then fires to the goal line, where Austin makes a DIVING TD CATCH. Awesome play on both ends, and awesome call by Brennaman to credit Benny for a big blitz pickup afterward. I couldn't see it. Too busy typing! But the Rams have answered in style. Rams 24, Arizona 15

Let's try to make the Cardinals use some clock now. Another touchback for Zuerlein with 8:16 left. No, Floyd immediately beats zone coverage for 22. Palmer stands tall again and hits DJ in front of Jenkins for another 19. This is exactly the opposite of the defense the Rams need to be playing right now. Too high for DJ, who has had several go off his hands today. Good on the Rams to make Palmer reliant on him. Hayes nearly gets Palmer, who throws a wobbler that TruJo nearly picked off, but Brown turned into the defender and broke it up. 3rd-10, Williams blitzes McDonald, Palmer hits Floyd over the middle short and Ayers whiffs, but he's held short. AZ going for it, 4th-4. Blitz does NOTHING and trips gets Fitzgerald open and down to the 19. Huge fail by the Ram D there. SACK the next play, by Laurinaitis, swinging past RG and forcing a fumble. Of course, the center falls on it. 2nd-14 and THE RAM SECONDARY IS COMPLETELY ASLEEP as Palmer lofts a TD toss to David Johnson. McDonald gave him up to a deep defender who wasn't there. What an awful time to blow a coverage. Rams 24, Arizona 22

4:38 left, the Rams need to chew this up. They'll have plenty of room to do it, as Benny slowly brings it out to only the 14 WHEN HE COULD HAVE KNEELED. Gurley sweeps right for 3. Up the middle for 3 more. 3rd-4. Max protect for Foles, Britt can't come up with the catch on the sideline. Looked catchable. Peterson returns yet another punt right to him to the 36. 2:51 left. The Cardinals don't need a lot of yards to get Catanzaro in FG range. 25 is probably enough.

Blitz almost gets there, but Brown beats TruJo for 13. TruJo threw Brown down HARD out of bounds but no flag. Reverse handoff to DJ gets about 8 and the 2:00 warning. Looking like trouble. Quinn bats down a swing pass to force 3rd-2. Has Michael Brockers even played today? The Rams have used almost exclusively 3-man lines with Donald on the nose. 3-man pressure by Donald gets close, and Palmer overthrows Jeron Brown, open on the sideline. 4th-2.

I don't know why, but Palmer's throw is awful, way over D. Johnson's head, and incomplete. Not much pressure really on him! Rams ball!

Something else: switch sides, down 2 in this situation, Fisher is sending Zuerlein out for a 62-yard FG, I expect. Catanzaro's got a big leg and that has to have crossed their minds on the Arizona sideline.


1:44, both teams have all 3 TOs, a first down wins it for the Rams, right? Gurley gallops off for 20! Down to the AZ35! Good blocks across the line there. Saffold and Barnes made the running lane. TO#1, AZ, at 1:32. Ach, he's swamped at the 40 this time trying to go right. This time everybody on that side really got driven back. Out of FG range now. TO#2 AZ at 1:27. Sweet 3-yard run by Gurley. Breaks a couple of tackles, makes a couple of cutbacks, but keeps his head the whole time and stays in bounds.

AND ANOTHER SWEET RUN BY GURLEY! This is set up by a fake end-around to Austin. His blockers get him a perfect edge and he's free down the sideline, but, knowing he can't go all the way, he pulls up and slides down inside the 10 to keep the clock running! 30 more yards and I believe the young man is over 100 in his second career game! Oh, hell, he was way over! 146 on 19 carries! Brown and Barnes set a wonderful edge for Gurley to run around. Send in the Victory Formation Unit!

GAME OVER!

Hey, I did predict Arizona would score 22...

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Saturday, October 3, 2015

Rams trade Chris Givens

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I resisted the opportunity to title this "Rams trade leading rusher": Chris Givens was the Rams' leading rusher last week with 24 yards, and he's now a Baltimore Raven. The Rams have dealt him for a 7th-round pick in 2017.

Baltimore's dealing with a lot of injuries at WR and also let Torrey Smith walk in free agency. Their offense relies a lot on having a vertical threat, and they just don't have one right now. It was supposed to be rookie Breshad Perriman but injuries are making this a lost season for him.

Givens had a nice rookie season for the Rams as a 4th-round draft pick in 2012, claiming a league record with five straight games with a catch of 50 yards or more. He finished with 65 catches for 698 yards and 3 TDs. He hasn't had a catch of 50 or more since. In 2013, I think the Rams miscast him as more of a possession receiver. His average per catch went up but he was no deep threat at all. Defenses took him out of games with man coverage and he got sloppy hands and ran sloppy routes. The Rams then drafted Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, pushing Givens to the bottom of the depth chart. He got a shot to make a mark as a kick returner but didn't deliver there.

From the Rams' standpoint, there was a decent chance they'd have had to cut Givens in the near future. Brian Quick is coming out of mothballs this week, so Givens' limited reps at WR would be gone. Trey Watts, who offers a lot more as a special teams player, comes off suspension after this week. From the 2015 standpoint, this trade works for the Rams as a something-for-nothing kind of deal. From the 2013 standpoint, it looks like they failed to maximize a good thing they had going. Between this and cutting Isaiah Pead last week, the 2012 draft is making kind of a hasty departure around here.

This could be a good move for Givens assuming his role in Baltimore will be first and foremost to take the top off of defenses, like it was his rookie year. That will give him a good chance to flash the form he showed back then and this past preseason.

We'll see Givens again November 22nd when the Rams play the Ravens in Baltimore. Be ready for the deep ball.

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