Rams-Redskins: Things to Watch

Rams: Things to Watch

by Nick

Rams things to watch

Sunday, Aug. 22 2004

QUARTERBACK - Mike Martz would like to play Marc Bulger the entire first half. But that depends on game circumstances and the performance of the offensive line. With only six pass attempts and one series in the exhibition opener against Chicago, Bulger needs the work.

RUNNING BACK - Marshall Faulk will make his exhibition debut and could play the entire first half. Steven Jackson, who was very impressive in practice late in the week after resting his knee a couple of days, will play a lot. Joey Goodspeed has a tight hamstring, so Chris Massey could play at lot at FB.

WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END - Shaun McDonald appears to have moved up to the No. 4 WR spot, ahead of Mike Furrey and Kevin Curtis. Curtis missed most of the past week with shin splits but returned to practice late in the week. At TE, Cam Cleeland (hamstring) is close to returning. He is OK after Saturday's car accident but probably will sit out this one.

OFFENSIVE LINE - The probable starting five: LT Grant Williams (despite a sprained ankle); LG Chris Dishman; C Andy McCollum; RG Adam Timmerman; RT Scott Tercero. Recently un-retired Tom Nutten is a few weeks away from being ready to play.

DEFENSIVE LINE - Anthony Hargrove is back at defensive end after a brief experiment at DT. Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis played well against Chicago, but tonight they step up in class because KC has one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Can Bryce Fisher and Erik Flowers keep up the good work at right defensive end?

LINEBACKER - After being moved ahead of Tommy Polley on the depth chart at strongside LB, Tony Newson (hamstring) may not play tonight. But rookie Brandon Chillar may start ahead of Polley. This is an important game for bubble LBs Jeremy Loyd, Justin Smith and Brandon Spoon.

SECONDARY - There is some concern about playing starting CBs Jerametrius Butler and Travis Fisher for an extended period, because of tight hamstrings. With DeJuan Groce (knee) sitting out, Dwight Anderson has a chance to play a lot in his bid for the fifth CB spot on the final roster.

SPECIAL TEAMS - The coverage units were solid against Chicago until a couple of breakdowns late in the game cost the Rams on the punt-return and kickoff-coverage units. If Dante Hall gets his hands on the ball tonight for KC, the coverage units will get the supreme test.

- Jim Thomas
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-08-22-2004, 11:18 PM
Rams Position Analysis

by RamDez

Rams Position Analysis
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Saturday, Sep. 11 2004

QUARTERBACKS

Starter: Marc Bulger.
Reserves: Chris Chandler, Jeff Smoker.

For the first time in his career, Bulger enters an NFL regular season as a
starting quarterback. He actually got a lot less work in exhibition games this
preseason as opposed to his previous three campaigns with the club. After
averaging 75 throws in the 2001, '02, and '03 preseasons, he threw only 36
times this preseason.

After a rocky game against Kansas City, and a few erratic tosses against
Washington, Bulger closed strong against the Redskins and looked sharp in his
only series against Oakland. He must cut down on his interceptions, improve his
deep touch and avoid rushing through his reads. If he does that, he will make
the jump from a good NFL quarterback to an elite one.

Veteran Chris Chandler outplayed Bulger in the preseason, with a 97.9 passer
rating and a 65.9 completion percentage, easing concerns about his ability to
be an effective QB at age 38. He looks like a good fit for this offense, and
can still zing the deep ball.

The third QB, rookie Jeff Smoker, isn't close to being ready to play in an NFL
game.

The Stat: Bulger's .818 winning percentage (18-4) is the best among
active NFL quarterbacks with a minimum of 10 regular-season starts.

RUNNING BACKS

Starters: Marshall Faulk (RB), Joey Goodspeed (FB).
Reserves: Steven Jackson (RB), Arlen Harris (RB/FB), Chris Massey
(FB), Stephen Trejo (FB/TE).

Faulk says he feels better entering this season than he has in a few years. But
who knows how his right knee will hold up in this, his 11th NFL season? Faulk
doesn't have the burst he displayed three years ago. But his vision,
intelligence, pass-receiving skills, and competitive fire appear to be as good
as ever. It's unrealistic to think he can get 20-25 touches a game and hold up
for most, or all, of a 16-game season. That's where rookie Steven Jackson comes
in.

Jackson led the NFL in rushing during the preseason with 323 yards, and is a
good pass catcher. How he handles a regular-season game plan remains to be
seen. The same goes for his blitz pickup and pass-blocking in general, an area
in which Faulk excels.

Slowed for part of the preseason with a hamstring injury, Joey Goodspeed has
shown that he can at least be a competent fullback. He's a willing blocker,
with decent pass-catching skills.

Although no game breaker, Arlen Harris can do a solid job running the ball and
also may be used at fullback in certain formations. Once again, Chris Massey is
a good insurance policy...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-09-12-2004, 01:03 AM
KC keeps Governor's Cup with rout of Rams

by RamDez

KC keeps Governor's Cup with rout of Rams
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Tuesday, Aug. 24 2004

KANSAS CITY - Quarterback Marc Bulger looked skittish and out of sync in the
pocket. The Rams' defense forgot to pack its pass rush; it remained in storage
Monday somewhere at Rams Park.

Even with Kansas City's second-team offensive line in the game, the Chiefs
played road-grader on the Rams' defensive front seven. If that weren't enough,
starting cornerback Travis Fisher appears to be out for the season with a
fractured right forearm he suffered in the first quarter.

Other than that, things went absolutely peachy for the Rams in a 24-7 loss to
Kansas City in the Governor's Cup game at Arrowhead Stadium. Sure it was the
preseason. But based on what took place in the first half - when the regulars
for both teams were on the field - the Rams should be charged with two losses.
It was that bad.

"The bottom line is we didn't do our job tonight," Bulger said. "I didn't do my
job and I'm not going to make any excuses. Preseason or not, to lose like that.
... I guess it was a little embarrassing."

Well, more than a little.

"All I can think about is how bad a performance we had, especially our first
defense and the guys who play early," defensive captain Tyoka Jackson said.
"That's not good enough. It's simply not good enough."

The Chiefs went 76 yards on their first possession for a touchdown. They
marched 55 yards on their third possession for another TD. By the time the Rams
even crossed midfield, Kansas City had a 17-0 lead.

And even that venture in Chiefs territory turned out sour. Because on a
second-and-10 play from the Chiefs 40, a Bulger pass intended for Arlen Harris
against a blitzing KC defense was intercepted by linebacker Shawn Barber.
Barber returned the ball 60 yards for a TD, giving the Chiefs a 24-0 lead with
1 minute 8 seconds to play in the first half.

Outgained 200 yards to 68 in the first half, the Rams would have boarded a
plane and returned to St. Louis right then if allowed. Unfortunately for the
Rams, that wasn't an option.

"I did a very poor job getting this football team ready to play," coach Mike
Martz said. "This is my fault as a head coach. We came out here and flopped
around and acted like we didn't know where we were.

"And that's a coaching issue. Always is. Always will be. You can blame the
players, but that's my responsibility. That won't happen again. We'll make sure
these guys are ready to play."

Even when things appeared to go right, they went bad for Rams, now 0-2 this
preseason and losers of...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-08-24-2004, 01:15 AM
RamView

by RamDez

RamView, September 2, 2004

From the Couch

(Report and opinions from the game.)

Preseason Game #4: Raiders 28, Rams 24

The Rams churn out a lot of ground yardage, but don't do enough on defense to stave off the Raiders.

Bright spots: Good offensive line play all-around; no significant new injuries.

Position by position:

* QB: Marc Bulger played only the first series and was perfect (3-3-66), sandwiching a 46-yard pass to Cam Cleeland within two quick hitters to Marshall Faulk, who scored a 7-yard TD on the last one. Not as much of Bulger as I would have preferred to see, but he ended the Washington game well and was rolling in this one, so I guess he's maintaining positive momentum. Chris Chandler (6-9-85) played the rest of the first half and looked fine, again getting mostly excellent protection. Jeff Smoker played the whole second half, mostly handing off, but he got enough action (10-15-105) to show nice poise on third down, and he drove the offense to a couple of TDs. Jeff's got some mechanics to work out, though. Many of his passes were too low, at the receiver's feet, or too low at the line of scrimmage, where he gave up a couple of tip balls, one of which the Raiders intercepted. His second interception was the game-ending pass, so the two picks aren't as bad as they look at first. Heading into the season opener, then, it looks like Bulger's back into the groove a little bit, and his backups are capable and know what they're doing for the most part � a nice place to be.

* RB: The Ram running game was Hydra-like, a multi-headed threat that scared up 171 yards on the ground. Faulk was just 4-11 but had two catches for 20. The receptions engaged him more in the offense than last week, and he flashed a little more speed and drive than we saw against Washington. Lamar Gordon had his annual "oops, my job is being threatened" night, where he suddenly puts all his aches and pains aside and has a big night, 22-77. Lamar ran with a lot of power and effort behind the solid Rams front, and also had some outside runs where he turned the corner quite well. He's probably the Rams' best outside runner. He foolishly pulled himself off the field at one point for some little ding, though, or maybe a breath, and that was Stephen Jackson's cue. The rookie tore off another 72 yards on 12 carries. He did a lot of his work right up the middle again, and showed not just Gordon's power and effort, but some of Faulk's footwork and elusiveness. Another good night from the team preseason offensive MVP. All the RBs took good care of the ball, too, including Arlen Harris, who added another 19 yards on 6 rushes, as the Rams seem likely to carry all four tailbacks into the regular season. Waiver bait: Dusty McGrorty.

* WR: Marchin' Martz only called pass plays about...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-09-04-2004, 12:58 AM
10 Questions (and a few answers) about the Rams

by RamWraith

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Friday, Aug. 27 2004

On the eve of training camp, the Post-Dispatch posed 10 questions concerning
the 2004 Rams. One month later, we reassess those questions:

1. Can Faulk still run (and catch)?

He was basically a spectator early in training camp. But Marshall Faulk has
gotten a lot of practice work over the past two weeks, and some exhibition-game
time as well. He is rounding into form, but even Faulk isn't sure what to
expect. The early results have been fairly encouraging. Nonetheless, it might
be a few weeks into the regular season before Faulk has a read on his right
knee and how it might hold up over a 16-game schedule.

At least the Rams appear to have an emerging alternative in rookie Steven
Jackson. Jackson has displayed surprising cutback ability for a 230-pounder,
with the power to drag tacklers for an extra yard or two. He has above-average
ability as a pass-catcher, and is a willing blocker on blitz pickup. He must
keep mistakes to a minimum, however.

2. How will Bulger fare as the man at quarterback?

Bulger seems to have the complete confidence of his teammates. With rare
exceptions he has thrown the ball well on the practice field - be it in Macomb
or back at Rams Park.

He misfired on a few passes against the Kansas City blitz in the second
preseason game. With the Rams' offensive line in a state of transition, rest
assured that Arizona (Sept. 12) and Atlanta (Sept. 19) took note. The
Cardinals, Falcons and other early-season Rams opponents are polishing up their
blitz packages as we speak.

A quick start by Bulger in September will keep the pressure off and the Kurt
Warner zealots quiet.

3. What's my line?

The early returns on Bryce Fisher and Erik Flowers at right defensive end have
been encouraging, fueling optimism that they can adequately replace Grant
Wistrom. Rookie Anthony Hargrove has shown flashes of his considerable athletic
talent on the practice field, but has yet to transfer that into games. He
remains raw and unpolished. His development was hampered by missed camp time
for a knee and ankle injury, plus a trip to Florida to tend to his family after
Hurricane Charley.

The foot injury to Jimmy Kennedy was unfortunate, given the amount of offseason
work he put in to prepare for this season. His absence makes the defensive
tackle depth very questionable at this point. Veteran Bernard Holsey is not yet
up to full speed following offseason surgery to repair a torn quadriceps
tendon. Brian Howard and Kevin Aldridge have had ups and downs as they contend
for a backup...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-08-29-2004, 07:34 AM

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