Bradford gives lesson to doubters

[Rambos]

By Burwell

By the time offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer came wandering across the home-team locker room early Sunday evening, the lavish Rams quarters looked like a ghost town. Nearly all the players had already showered, dressed and headed out into the cool night air to celebrate their wildly entertaining 31-28 victory over the Washington Redskins, but there was one very important straggler who was still puttering around in his locker stall.

There was Sam Bradford on the other side of the room, stuffing a few things in his travel bag, slipping on his tailored suit coat and doing it all with a smile as wide as a country mile spreading across his face.

Schottenheimer had the exact same smile on his face, too.

"We had some fun today," said Schottenheimer. "It was a good day for Sam. A good day for our offense. Lots of things worked."

The one thing that worked best was the way Schottenheimer's play-calling provided a fascinating reminder to anyone with a short attention span just how darned talented Sam Bradford still is. He may have been the young gun with the golden arm who entered the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon with his name and his reputation relegated to the depths of the credit lines of this highly touted showdown of two of the NFL's most promising young quarterback talents, yet ultimately he emerged with top billing.

Sunday afternoon's Duel in the Dome against the Redskins' prized rookie phenom Robert Griffin III went to Bradford on all cards. Bradford threw for more yards than RGIII (310 to 206), completed more passes (26 of 35 to Griffin's 20 of 29), had more touchdowns (three to one), had a better completion percentage (74.2 to 68.9) and a better pass efficiency rating (117.6 to 86.3). And oh yes, he topped RGIII in the most significant category of all, which was playing a significant role in leading the Rams to their first victory of the young season.

Let's get this out of the way right from the start before we engage in another meaningless debate about the mountain of silliness that built up around the pregame hype of this contest. You want to know what this game proves?

Rams 31. Redskins 28.

It proves that on Sunday Bradford's team was better than RGIII's team. And it proves to anyone with a shred of common sense, a modicum of sensible patience and the wisdom to avoid any unreasonable rushes to judgment that the talent evaluators for both franchises have a good instinct about the value of drafting gifted franchise quarterbacks and building your team around them.

After watching Bradford make so many brilliant passes, finding so many athletic plays, and displaying so much competitive fire to keep discovering ways to lead his team out of impossible holes and keep producing scoring drives when the Rams needed them most, head coach Jeff Fisher was asked if that essentially was a glimpse into the reason he selected the Rams job over all the others. He answered quickly.

"Yes it is. Yeah, it sure is," said Fisher. "He was dialed in all week and dialed in today. He and Schotty were on the same page. This is a difficult defense. (Washington defensive coordinator Jim) Haslett does a lot of different things and I thought that we had a great plan and Sam had some answers. He knew where to go with the football."

We're starting to see after only two games that Bradford's partnership with Schottenheimer seems to be a match made in football heaven for young Mr. Bradford. Seeing him rolling out and extending plays with his legs, seeing him slide around to avoid pass rushers, keeping his head up, standing firm in the pocket and completing big play after big play with the same accuracy that made him the No. 1 overall pick barely three years ago, did wonders to shut up all the silly conversations that questioned whether he still possessed this sort of enormous talent.

So please allow me to be the one to bring the news to all the denizens of Short Attention Span Theater who spent all last week stirring up so much stupidity with all this yapping that the Rams should have already written off the 2010 NFL offensive rookie of the year and how foolish they were for not trading him in for the newer, flashier model just off the NFL quarterbacking assembly line.

Last year was an aberration, and Sam Bradford still looks like a pretty good franchise quarterback to me.

"It was a big win for our team, but it was also a big win for Sam," said his teammate and good friend Chris Long. "Sam's a hell of a guy and a quarterback and a tough kid who's gone through some adversity. He came out today and he carved them up and did an awesome job. If anybody earned it, Sam earned it."

[Fettmaster]

I don't think there's a lot of Bradford haters on this board, but there's a few. Wonder where they are? Perhaps they'd rather be right then celebrate a Bradford-led win. Oh well, I think our QB is pretty damn good.

[Azul e Oro]

Anyone else see the intense hug & conversation between Long and Bradford at mid-field right after the game ? I'd give a lot to know what Sam said. Anybody know a lip reader ?

[Fortuninerhater]

I don't think there's a lot of Bradford haters on this board, but there's a few. Wonder where they are? Perhaps they'd rather be right then celebrate a Bradford-led win. Oh well, I think our QB is pretty damn good.

I don't think it's a matter of being a hater as much as it is Bradford's play.

Personally I believe this was Sam's best game in a Rams uniform. Certainly since his rookie season.

And after being selected number one overall in 2010, he has not lived up to his billing for whatever reason. Besides, criticism comes with the territory.

I just hope there's no letdown in his play, because the motivation of playing against RG3 is gone for the season, unless we somehow meet in the playoffs.

Playoffs?

Did I say that out loud?

[laram0]

Sunday was the day that the Sam Bradford I've been patiently waiting for arrived. Way to go Sam!!!

[Spiderwolf]

I don't think there's a lot of Bradford haters on this board, but there's a few. Wonder where they are? Perhaps they'd rather be right then celebrate a Bradford-led win. Oh well, I think our QB is pretty damn good.

I would not say I was a bradford hater, but I never thought he would be any more than a second string quarterback. He has never lived up to the hype or potential until this Redskins game.

I have to ask why now? Is he coming into his own finally, or did RG3 get him motivated to prove something.

This was the quarterback I thought we had when he was drafted and after every game I got more and more disillusioned. I will gladly eat crow, but I want to see this on an evey game, basis. This is the guy against Washington we thought we were getting, so lets see how consistant he can be. Will he be motivated to play like that with no RG3 around? I certainly hope so. Im rooting for him big time. If he comes out next game and falls on his face there is going to be a lot of peope like me who will think that game was a fluke though.

If he plays like that from now on, we do have a chance at the post season if we can tighten that defense up a bit.

[mcpeepants232003]

I love how the Bradford doubters also completely forget he was rookie of the year his rookie season and nearly led his to playoffs.

Also like he cares that we are playing the Skins. The Rams never considered picking Griffin and he's not anywhere near one of the best QB in the league. If anything he'd be more motivated to face the Patriots, Packers or teams in our own division. He torched the Skins because they don't have a great defense not because he was motivated to prove people who mean nothing to him wrong.

Btw anyone who concluded that Bradford could never ever be anything more than a 2nd string QB probably suffers some kind of problem processing logic. Yes Alex Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick can end up in the top 15 QB's in the league but Bradford will never be more than a 2nd stringer? Give me a break.

[Trevor]

Some people expect way too much.. Bradford is the man, lets leave it at that!

[jmk321]

I'm probably looking too far ahead here and overreacting to yesterday's game but is anyone else really concerned about Schottenheimer getting offered a head coaching job and leaving after this season?

[sb2sb2sb]

Only 2 games but Bradford is in top 4 in league in Passer Rating, Completion Percentage, and TD passes (there is like 7 players tied for number 2 with 4 tds.)

I have been on Bradfords Bandwagon since week 1 his rookie season against the cardinals. I could see he had that "it" factor a QB needs. I still am and still will be until he proves me wrong. Which I know he won't

[sb2sb2sb]

I'm probably looking too far ahead here and overreacting to yesterday's game but is anyone else really concerned about Schottenheimer getting offered a head coaching job and leaving after this season?

Could be possible, however we have a great QB coach, and others built in the offense. So as long as the system stay same, I think Bradford will be fine.

[cfin5256]

Seeing the way Sam played did my heart a lot of good. I understand why some fans were frustrated but I also understand that Bradford has had the deck stacked against him in ways. What we're seeing is the first bit of stability we've had at the OC position since his rookie season. I admit I wasn't a big fan of the McDaniel's hire and can't help but think he played a part in setting back Bradford's development. I still don't get the whole no qb coach thing last year, especially with a second year qb. Regardless, the issue has been beaten into the ground on different boards for awhile now. It's time to put it behind us and sit back and enjoy the ride. Haven't been this happy and hopeful about our Ram's in way too long. Cheers!