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  • #1

    Rams-Bills preseason game

    My latest $.02: I only listened to the audio feed over the web, but I was pretty pleased with the Rams second action. Hopefully people that saw the televised broadcast can give better insights, especially as to individual progress, but it sounded (and the stats suggest) that the Ram D made some good improvement.

    Getting back to those four issues I posted after the Hall of Fame game:

    1. The jury is still out as to how we can hold up against a strong running game, but aside from a couple big runs, we seemed to improve a lot here.

    2. We completely reversed our dismal opponent third down conversion rate. Buffalo was 4-13 on third downs, and had only 81 net passing yards?? I had become accustomed to giving up 4 third down conversions and 81 yards in just one drive! In addition, Buffalo is trying out a new "West Coast" style offense, and I've been worried about how Lovie's scheme matches up (since most of our present and all of our future division competition is "west coast" offenses). I despise the "west coast" offense style, so I was happy to see us shut it down.

    3. Fundamentally, it sounded as if the defense was tackling a lot better. It also sounded like another ticky-tack penalty, this week a facemask, opened the door for the 2nd quarter Buffalo score, but since I didn't see it I can't comment on if it was a stupid mistake or a bad call. Certainly we broke down on the 25 yard TD run, but this is a work in progress still & won't be perfect.

    4. The special teams continue to be a big problem. At this point, I'd rather fair catch every punt and kickoff as long as we never fumbled.

    Now, this was just the "first week" of preseason, so I'm not going to count on only allowing 10 points a game. But the goal should be to improve every week, and that's what we did, so it's hard not to get excited.

    I think what these two games have shown is that the Rams, despite being a top team in the salary cap era, still have real good depth and better benches than other teams, a tribute to management. We'll need the depth with the loss of Wistrom (please, please only be for a couple weeks).
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I think the defense showed a lot of improvement, especially considering they were doing it without the help of Wistrom (or WiSTORM if you will). #66 Brian Young is serious about contributing this year, and the rookies?! Wow, I like how #92 Damione Lewis and #31 Adam Archuleta have stepped up the the plate. Adam is quickly winning me over after looking like such a rookie in camp. Lewis even shrugged off heat cramps in camp to show the Rams he is ready to contribute. Most rookies aren't that bold. We needed these guys to make an impact right away and I think they are up for the challenge.

    Special teams!? Ugh! Matt Simonton is a joke. He was in camp and it was embarrassing to have him in the game. They didn't need to see him a game situation to know he wasn't Ram quality. I don't envy Martz figuring out the punter position again, second season in a row. I'm glad to see he is looking at the position with his head and not his heart. I like Baker, but he doesn't have Araguz's work ethics.

    So happy to hear that #34 Aveion Cason has a shot on this team. I hope they are smart enough to give it to him. I've said it throughout training camp, the man has Great Hands! He could develop into a dynamo. He has Faulk-like hands with Hakim-like ability to weed through a crowd of defenders. If he doesn't make it here, he will be an asset to some other team.

    Comment

    • #3
      dump simonton, it was probably just something to keep things interesting and give Jeff some time off during the preseason.

      I say Justin should be cut, but see if he wants to stay on as a QB advisor or something. Or even not cut him, but just keep him around, Kurt would like that. When Trent was hurt, he still roamed the sidelines (when he could walk) and helped Kurt and the other QBs - including Justin.

      AA is becoming one of my favs, he's got a lot of potential and is just really cool. Lewis just plows people over. We still need a lot of work, but hopefully the first teamers get more action and attention the weeks to come.

      Comment

      • #4
        I am really excited about are defense. Especially Lewis and Archuleta. I didn't get to see the game but when I saw the highlights Archuleta was all over the field. These guys are looking better all the time. The future definetly looks great.

        Comment

        • #5
          Yo Murphy Dez

          Hey Dez,

          did you hear that Yo Murphy will make the team? Martz said that Yo was definately the 5th receiver. Thought you might like to know.

          Comment

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          • MsWistRAM
            Game Talk?
            by MsWistRAM
            I don't see anything about the Hall of Fame game. So exactly what is everyone looking for in this and the other forums on the games? Who's supposed to do the reporting? How can I talk about it if I don't know what to say? Someone get this ball rolling.
            -08-07-2001, 09:06 AM
          • RamWraith
            Players and Coaches Quotes from Sept. 9
            by RamWraith
            Friday, September 9, 2005

            Head Coach Mike Martz

            (On how he feels about the team heading into the first game)
            “The speed of practice was outstanding. We have a bunch of guys playing together for the first time, so I’m anxious to see how that works out. But I think we will be fine. I think they will go out and compete very well.”

            (On if he feels the Rams are ready for Sunday)
            “Oh yes, there is no question we are ready to play. I feel really good about it.”

            (On his changes against 3-4 and 4-3 defenses)
            “Well, that’s quite a change. You do have to do some things differently against a 3-4 defense. I would suspect that they would go in and out of it and have a 4-3 and a 3-4, so that is just one of those things you have to prepare for.”

            (On the San Francisco receivers)
            “I think every receiver in the league creates problems for you. Obviously, they are good players and they have done a great job. Brandon Lloyd had a heck of a year last year. So, they are substantial players.”

            (On DT Jimmy Kennedy’s preseason)
            “He had a very good preseason, particularly in the last two games. I thought he showed up bigger and bigger and we need to have him be that way during the season.”

            (On Damione Lewis’ playing status for Sunday)
            “I’m not sure yet. They treated him yesterday for the toe, and we will just have to see how it works out.”

            (On if the Rams’ secondary is going to be a problem this season)
            “Who knows, maybe it is the strength of the team. That is kind of the way it works. When Trent [Green] went down our quarterback position began to strengthen, so who knows? I think it all plays out in time.”

            (On the importance of having leadership for the young guys)
            “I think we’re going to be a really competitive team, and I think when you have really good, young players, which I think we do, and you add that type of experience, guys who have played at a high level and are still there, then when you get into situations that are difficult in the game, they know how to respond. There is a certain sense of leadership and a positive leadership that really comes to the surface, which is really what a team like this needs.”

            DT Damione Lewis

            (On his toe injury)
            “I feel great. I sprained my big toe Friday, and I took a cortisone shot. It should be well by Sunday.”

            (On the toe injury being as painful as other injuries)
            “It is painful. You have to think, when you have 300 lbs. sitting on that one little part of your body, it is painful.”

            G Adam Timmerman

            (On whether he thinks the team is ready going into the season opener)
            “I think so. I think the team’s real confident. We’ve had a great camp and good week of practice. I think that coach did a great job of keeping us fresh...
            -09-10-2005, 06:04 AM
          • RamWraith
            Mike Martz Press conference
            by RamWraith
            Monday, September 19, 2005

            (Opening statement)

            ?Good afternoon. Well, it feels good, obviously, to win a division game on the road. Those things are hard to do, particularly at the beginning of the year, so to come away at this point after a disappointing start up in San Francisco, to be one-and-one feels good being in a position to open up at home in the third week.



            A couple things about the game: our special teams play, I thought improved remarkably. The special teams player of the game is Reggie Hodges, and Reggie?s numbers, seven punts for 42.9 average, a 40 yard net. He had one inside the 20 yard line and a longest one of 55 . Very consistent. The thing that we have always asked of Reggie is that consistency that allows us good field position, and really was a difficult? He hung the ball up nice, turned the ball over, difficult balls to return. He was outstanding in this game. It was what we hoped we would get when we went out there. Hopefully, Reggie can continue along those lines. I thought that our kickoff coverage, the average starting field position was the 20-yardline, which is outstanding. the kicking game the battle, really, is for field position and then anything else, from a turnover standpoint that you can get is a bonus. I think from a field position standpoint our teams were excellent, particularly the coverage teams.



            Defensively, there are some outstanding efforts there defensively. Adam Archuleta, six tackles, a tackle for a loss and three assists, and the tackle for a loss, of course, was the sack. Leonard Little, four tackles, three assists, a fumble recovery. He had six hits on the quarterback. He had one quarterback pressure, an outstanding afternoon for Leonard. Jimmy Kennedy probably one of his best games of his career here, had three tackles, had a tackle for a loss, had two sacks, had a caused fumble, quarterback hit, and then two quarterback pressures. Our defensive player of the game, Ryan Pickett, he had four tackles, five assists, two sacks, a caused fumble, and a hit on the quarterback. And I thought Pisa did an outstanding job. The corner, DeJuan Groce had a real nice interception down the sideline. I thought we played real good team defense. The completed ball, I think we rallied to it, got them out on a awful lot of third-down situations, which was a difficult thing for us last year and years past. third and long, we weren?t very good. We rallied here. Larry has done a really nice job of putting this defense together and this package, and some real nicely timed calls down there in the redzone, and that blitz to get the sack to win the game.



            Offensively, the player of the game, Steven Jackson, 18 carried for 93 yards, 5.2 average, with a touchdown. He had a couple of catches, and he did an outstanding job pass blocking.
            Andy McCollum was outstanding. Isaac Bruce was outstanding five...
            -09-20-2005, 06:15 AM
          • MsWistRAM
            Let's get back into it
            by MsWistRAM
            First of all, :p to Dez and Dod for getting to go. Just kidding guys! I envy all who do. Even if given the opportunity, don't know if my social anxieties would let me enjoy it.

            Second, thanks to the few who attended the chatroom during the game. It really enhances the experience when I have to catch the game on radio. The input and feedback is great. It's like having buddies over to watch the game. (I need to find me some football buddies.) Can't remember all the name, should get in the habit of writing them down, but thank you Blankman71, Shale, Daddo?, etc. etc. etc. (you know who you are).

            I am so glad we have Archuleta. He was making alot of stops out there yesterday. Seems, though, that we are relying on him a little too much. I'd like to see the defense stop the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage more instead of waiting till it gets out into our safeties' territory.

            I'm glad to see Wilken's is as solid as he was last year. Again, though, would rather see more touchdowns made and have him contribute more on the extra point (ok, I'm totally blocking out that mishandled snap, that wasn't his fault).

            Knowing how Faulk's knees are makes mine hurt. And yet, he plays as solid as he ever did. The whiners stopping him at the goal line though, did indicate that he can't be our go to guy all the time. That was smart going to Robinson for the touchdown. Throws them off the trail.

            Hakim can be a solid receiver when he doesn't try to over compensate. It's nice that he wants to redeem himself when he makes a mistake, but then he tries too hard and that makes me wonder where the confidence is. Saw highlights of his touchdown, he was glowing. Now that's the Hakim I like to see!

            That thumb was obviously still bothering Warner. Couldn't see them, but sounded like he had some wobbly passes and he wasn't going deep as much. Still shows patience and cool under pressure though.

            We so need to clean up some of those penalties. That one on the punt that gave the whiners another 4th down and the opportunity to convert and then take it in for a touchdown rather than turning it over can show how costly those mistakes can be. Of course there's no accounting for the bad calls by the biased officials. That just being pissy!

            Overall, could have been a better game, no doubt. But they did pull that rabbit out of the hat for the win. Here's hoping the next one gives our fingernails a chance to grow!
            -09-24-2001, 07:59 AM
          • RamWraith
            Lineahan on the Mic
            by RamWraith
            From today at Rams Park:

            Coach Scott Linehan

            August 11, 2007
            (On the first preseason game)

            “Just one announcement and I take responsibility for this so don’t get mad at me but we are going to have practice closed tomorrow. We are 50-50 whether we are going to be in or out for obvious reasons. It is supposed to be 100, 101 degrees tomorrow. I don’t know what that does to the index. It’s not quite as humid today as it has been so if the index is still there and it’s not extremely high we may go outdoors just for the conditioning and work outdoors and be able to get outdoors. We can’t chance that if it is high, that we move indoors. We don’t want to disappoint fans who are planning on coming and see that they can’t get in to the indoor. We will do it day-by-day this week, we are not going to do the entire week. Hopefully, there will be a break in the weather or the humidity goes down and we feel good about it. If we go out tomorrow, there is a pretty good chance we will stay out all week. That is our plan for right now.

            On the injury front, one change from last night. WR Dominique Thompson did have two, I’m not sure if I would call them broken ribs, but they are displaced down in the lower right side from the hit that he was knocked out for a few plays. He actually went back in and played which showed his ability to handle that, which had to be extremely painful. I would say he will be at least a few weeks before he is going to be able to participate in any contact. RB Brian Leonard also bruised his lower rib cage. He should be fine. He should actually be able to full go tomorrow with a little discomfort. CB Jonathan Wade is cleared. We will do the neuropsych test, the standardized test that we do for people who get a little shaken up. It will be done tomorrow and if that clears he will be cleared. WR Dane Looker took a knee to his lower back. He is questionable as to how much he will do in the next couple practices. He should be ready to go next week. With the old injuries, obviously DT La’Roi (Glover) was held out. He took a little set back from pre-game warm up. He was planning on playing a series or two but he took a set back with his groin or hip flexor. I think WR Dante Hall will be much better this week. He had a good workout prior to the game. We just held him out based on not being 100 percent but he should be ready to go this next game. LB (Tim) McGarigle is improving. He is still probably going to be a game time decision next week but should be participating more in individual drills and we will see how he is by mid-week. T Ken Shackleford will do more drills. He has got a knee bruise that is somewhat painful but hopefully he will be ready. We are aiming for this week but it might be the next game. LB Raonall Smith has the shoulder that is fairly painful. It’s not anything serious, more of a contusion that shouldn’t keep him out this week. That is where we are at, nothing...
            -08-12-2007, 08:04 AM
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