Thank you, Defense & Special Teams

[sosa39rams]

I'd have to go with the Falcons' Matt Bryant as best FG kicker in the NFL right now because he is money when the game is on the line and has shown that several times the last few years. Besides him, give me LEGATRON!

Kind of amazing to see him line up for a 48 yarder and it seems like a "gimmie" chip-shot. No, not "kind of" amazing, it IS amazing. One helluva a draft pick and nothing wrong with Hekker either. I didn't think Brown/Jones was a weakness on this squad, but it turns out the Rams managed to seriously upgrade both positions and save money even. Brilliant!

I wouldn't call Hekker an upgrade over Donnie Jones, who was probably the best Punter if not #2 in the NFL during his time here. He averaged 50 yards per kick 1 year I believe, that is 11 more yards than Hekker has right now.

Nothing to complain about though. Both rooks doing great jobs.

[bradwill]

I wouldn't call Hekker an upgrade over Donnie Jones, who was probably the best Punter if not #2 in the NFL during his time here. He averaged 50 yards per kick 1 year I believe, that is 11 more yards than Hekker has right now.

Nothing to complain about though. Both rooks doing great jobs.

How many TD passes does Donnie Jones have?

[R.Gabriel]

Seattle seemed to have left their mighty pass rush back home. That was a good thing.

[sosa39rams]

Seattle seemed to have left their mighty pass rush back home. That was a good thing.

Actually, that pass rush was overrated with a good game vs Rodgers. Before that, they had 2 sacks in 2 games.

[swatter555]

With a more experienced QB. that run game would have ensured a Hags victory. THAT'S what needs to be fixed.
Bradford & that O-line did a terrific job vs that #1 rated D. Great crunch time throws by Bradford down the field vs a secondary that was supposedly impregnable to put the STs in position to contribute those points.Let that O-line & SJ get healthy & the TDs will come,imo.

The offense hasn't scored a point since the Washington game, they are doing terrible. Bradford made some nice throws at a couple of points, but make no mistake- the offense is bad.

I am not saying our skill positions are bad, but our offensive line is going to bring the season crashing down around us.

[Rambos]

The offense hasn't scored a point since the Washington game, they are doing terrible. Bradford made some nice throws at a couple of points, but make no mistake- the offense is bad.

I am not saying our skill positions are bad, but our offensive line is going to bring the season crashing down around us.

We are going to be getting Wells and Rodger Saffold back, maybe we get Saffold back for the Fins game. We might have them both back when we head to London to face the Pats.

It's not all doom and gloom.

[gap]

Yes, the Rams had trouble stopping the run. But allowing only one offensive touchdown (on the first drive, then NO ENDZONE FOR YOU) and intercepting three passes was fantastic, especially the one to seal the game. That's called making plays when you need them.

Greg Zuerlein - Young GZ, Legatron, and now Record Holder - set new Rams records today for field goal distance and put 13 of the Rams' 19 points on the board. The other six points came on a touchdown pass from the punter (!) Johnny Hekker on a trick field goal play! Aside from one long kick return, kick/punt coverage was good.

Offense, we're gonna have to have a talk.

Simply put, someone needs to start stepping up on offense. Whether it's Bradford seeing the field better, a receiver not named Danny Amendola becoming a more consistent option, or the line actually blocking more consistently. The Rams' defense is playing very well, but this team can't depend on 2-3 turnovers, stout defensive play, and 50+ yard field goals every week for the rest of the year.

Having said that, we're four weeks into the season and we've matched our win total from last year! GO RAMS!!!

I haven't read the rest of the posts in this thread yet, but I had the good fortune to actually say this, "Thank You" to Coach McGinnis after the game. I asked him to come over as the players (except C Long) had walked into the Drury. He shook my hand, and I thanked him for turning or D around this year. He seemed to genuinely appreciate the recognition.

Chris Long was one of the last players to come out, and he either shook hands, signed autographs, and/or took pictures with all the fans that were willing to hang around that long. I took the opportunity to thank him for giving the RAMS four more years.


gap

[swatter555]

Sorry for being a "Debbie Downer", I do that sometimes. A win is a win, and we should feel good about it for at least a few days. Its a win we wouldn't have got last year. The offense is doing fairly well, considering the circumstances.

[J-RodRamFan]

I can't be the only one laughing at the name "Legatron" lol. But I agree 100%, our defense isn't the best but they have the ability to make big plays. Our special teams have been saving us as well. This offense has to do better as a whole. I don't agree with the play-calling that much...like the straight 3 run plays when the running game hasn't been working all day. Some plays our line is terrible, other plays Sam is holding the ball too long. Hopefully they can find a good balance and start to gel because you can't win all the time relying on FG's.

[tomahawk247]

While I can understand that some people don't like how the offense has played, isn't it nice to be able to win games without the offense firing on all cylinders?

[ManofGod]

I think its safe to say Greg Zuerlein is a top 3 kicker in the NFL. How the frick did Jeff Fisher, Les Snead, and the scouts find this guy? So many teams passed on him!

And how amazing is our secondary? Russell Wilson literally had NOWHERE to go but checkdowns or runs. I don't think he hooked up even one time with his #1 WR. And the ability to create turnovers is unreal. The memories of Ron Bartell not being able to catch area a long faded nightmare.

He hooked up with his #1 WR 4 times for 41 yards. However, the scheme & pressure from the D-line today was simply marvelous. My only concern is that in the 2nd half of the season, teams have more film to watch & as a result are better able to exploit our weaknesses.

[Azul e Oro]

The offense hasn't scored a point since the Washington game, they are doing terrible. Bradford made some nice throws at a couple of points, but make no mistake- the offense is bad.

I am not saying our skill positions are bad, but our offensive line is going to bring the season crashing down around us.

I agree that the O-line is a major issue but both The Bears and Hags have excellent defenses. Just the fact that they held Clemons & Irvin to zero sacks on the outside is remarkable.

Watch the game again & see the key difference between this year & last is Sam & his motley crew of flyboys.Opponents can't just shut SJ down & wait for the defense to break under relentless pressure & eroding field position any more.

In each quarter vs The Hags, Bradford converted 3rd and long to keep drives alive: 3&13; 14yds to Gibson, 3rd &14; 17yds to Pettis, 3rd &10; 19yds to Quick, 3rd & 13; 26yds to Kendricks. Iirc, all those drives led to points, 4 different receivers, no dinks with mega-YAC.And that doesn't even include the bomb to Givens that was hit finally or the near miss that helped keep the defense honest.

Bradford is turning into a difference maker right before our eyes & the rest of the offense is giving him enough chances for the support from STs to matter. How many games have the Rams lost over the last few years because a golden chance to sustain a drive into scoring position was missed ? Or an opponent ruined a determined defensive effort with a splash play on STs of their own ?

Of course, you want TDs, but the RZ is always going to be the last place to improve, esp vs strong defensive fronts like CHI and SEA. Let's not forget how new this system is & how young this group is. For right now, under the injury circumstances, I think winning the field position battle is a huge leap forward.

[MauiRam]

Offense, we're gonna have to have a talk.

Simply put, someone needs to start stepping up on offense. Whether it's Bradford seeing the field better, a receiver not named Danny Amendola becoming a more consistent option, or the line actually blocking more consistently. The Rams' defense is playing very well, but this team can't depend on 2-3 turnovers, stout defensive play, and 50+ yard field goals every week for the rest of the year.

I wish Bradford would watch a tape of Drew Brees and observe how quickly he makes decisions and gets the ball out. That said, Sam has managed the games so far very well. He's been for the most part very accurate, and looked confident in the pocket. If he can develop better timing with more of his receiving weapons, he'll not need to hold on to the ball so long. Sure it's tough to watch him getting sacked, but at least he's not making dumb decisions, wild throws, and subsequently turning the ball over.

[rams8821]

Gap: Where did you meet/see the players. Im going to the game with my 11 year old son Thursday night and would love to be able to see and say Hi and Thanks to the players coaches, if we got an autograph that would be gravy. Thanks, Im coming from NC too.

[JustSayin]

Damn! When you think about it that way it's kind of scary. The problem is everything you said above is correct. I think the Rams should throw the ball down the field more. I know I know the Oline cant hold the pocket long enough to give Bradford enough time however there are other ways to do it. Roll the pocket. Complete or incomplete at least the defenses will have to back off a little.