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Sports Columnist Bernie Miklasz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/29/2009
Three games into the preseason, here are some updated thoughts on the Rams:
— I don't see how quarterback Marc Bulger can go into Seattle after missing so much preseason time (broken finger) and effectively run a new offense. Kyle Boller should play until Bulger has had sufficient time to practice, fully absorb the offense and sharpen his accuracy. It isn't fair to Bulger to throw him into the pit at Seattle on Sept. 13.
— Boller isn't the prettiest of QBs, but this much already is obvious: The dude competes like a madman.
— The best thing to take out of the Rams' performance in Cincinnati: They got after it on both sides of the ball. They were physical. Rookie coach Steve Spagnuolo has cultivated that attitude since taking over. It's a welcome change.
— Fans and media are overreacting to the Rams' takeaways in the first three preseason games. Is it positive to be active and flying to the football? Yes. But are the Rams forcing turnovers against top players? No. These aren't real games. Many of the real players are still on the sideline. Starting quarterback Carson Palmer didn't play for the Bengals on Thursday night.
— That said, when safety O.J. Atogwe forces a turnover, it's legit. He knows how to pry the football loose. It's a tremendous skill. And he has a center fielder's range. It's scary to think of how many takeaways Atogwe will come up with if he ever plays on a Rams defense that consistently applies heat and gooses the quarterback into making hurried throws.
— Center Jason Brown, the team's top free-agent acquisition, looks like an outstanding player. And at left guard, I'm not so sure that Jacob Bell is better than tough guy Mark Setterstrom.
— Look, I think James Laurinaitis is going to be a really good NFL middle linebacker in time, but let's not put the kid in Canton just yet. This is similar to what I saw last summer, with the sports media swooning over rookie defensive end Chris Long, who couldn't match the breathless hype. Give these kids a chance to develop, OK?
— Don't worry so much about the wide receivers. They don't matter as much in the initial scheme of the Rams offense. This will be a fairly conservative, punch-it-out attack with lots of short pass routes, devised to help the QB unload quickly and avoid sacks and mistakes. A year from now, the wideouts will be more important.
— I really like the way Spagnuolo and defensive coordinator Ken Flagel move the defensive pieces around to attack the offensive formation, create confusion and exploit the mismatches. This will be fun to watch. Several defensive players, including Will Witherspoon, James Hall and C. Long, should thrive in these schemes.
READING TIME, FIVE MINUTES
Free Jason Smith.
The No. 2 overall pick has to be an immediate starting player, right? The Rams went 2-14 last season. They had a terrible offensive line. They drafted Smith second overall to be a cornerstone offensive tackle. They gave him $33 million in guaranteed money. And Smith hasn't moved ahead of Adam Goldberg or Alex Barron for a starting job? Wow. ... B.J. Rains of MLB.com wryly notes that the Cardinals have benefited from the recent, divine acquisitions of Matthew, Mark, Lugo and John.
Congrats to the football team at Southern Illinois; the Salukis are ranked No. 7 in the nation in the FCS coaches preseason poll. ... Also from Carbondale: Former Salukis guard Tony Young, a tough defender in a college career that concluded in 2007, has joined the staff of St. Louis U. basketball coach Rick Majerus and will serve as a graduate assistant and manager. ... Former St. Louis U. and Missouri basketball assistant Jay Spoonhour is the new men's basketball coach at Moberly Area CC.
Former Rams coach Mike Martz was a guest on my WXOS (101.1 FM) radio show this week, and we asked for his assessment of the Rams' new football leadership provided by Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney. "What they did there is just outstanding," Martz said. "Billy is terrific. They have really got this thing structured and organized now and everybody is accountable. And that is the key. The head coach is outstanding. Steve is absolutely the perfect fit for that job. He brings a toughness and leadership to that job that they need. Those players were looking around trying to figure out what's going on — well, not anymore. He gets their attention and gets them going. It's going to take a little time to get his personality, his stamp. And as they get better personnel, they're going to really be a tough football team." Martz is working for the NFL Network, appearing each Monday night with Steve Mariucci and Jim Mora on the new "NFL Head Coaches Show."
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/29/2009
Three games into the preseason, here are some updated thoughts on the Rams:
— I don't see how quarterback Marc Bulger can go into Seattle after missing so much preseason time (broken finger) and effectively run a new offense. Kyle Boller should play until Bulger has had sufficient time to practice, fully absorb the offense and sharpen his accuracy. It isn't fair to Bulger to throw him into the pit at Seattle on Sept. 13.
— Boller isn't the prettiest of QBs, but this much already is obvious: The dude competes like a madman.
— The best thing to take out of the Rams' performance in Cincinnati: They got after it on both sides of the ball. They were physical. Rookie coach Steve Spagnuolo has cultivated that attitude since taking over. It's a welcome change.
— Fans and media are overreacting to the Rams' takeaways in the first three preseason games. Is it positive to be active and flying to the football? Yes. But are the Rams forcing turnovers against top players? No. These aren't real games. Many of the real players are still on the sideline. Starting quarterback Carson Palmer didn't play for the Bengals on Thursday night.
— That said, when safety O.J. Atogwe forces a turnover, it's legit. He knows how to pry the football loose. It's a tremendous skill. And he has a center fielder's range. It's scary to think of how many takeaways Atogwe will come up with if he ever plays on a Rams defense that consistently applies heat and gooses the quarterback into making hurried throws.
— Center Jason Brown, the team's top free-agent acquisition, looks like an outstanding player. And at left guard, I'm not so sure that Jacob Bell is better than tough guy Mark Setterstrom.
— Look, I think James Laurinaitis is going to be a really good NFL middle linebacker in time, but let's not put the kid in Canton just yet. This is similar to what I saw last summer, with the sports media swooning over rookie defensive end Chris Long, who couldn't match the breathless hype. Give these kids a chance to develop, OK?
— Don't worry so much about the wide receivers. They don't matter as much in the initial scheme of the Rams offense. This will be a fairly conservative, punch-it-out attack with lots of short pass routes, devised to help the QB unload quickly and avoid sacks and mistakes. A year from now, the wideouts will be more important.
— I really like the way Spagnuolo and defensive coordinator Ken Flagel move the defensive pieces around to attack the offensive formation, create confusion and exploit the mismatches. This will be fun to watch. Several defensive players, including Will Witherspoon, James Hall and C. Long, should thrive in these schemes.
READING TIME, FIVE MINUTES
Free Jason Smith.
The No. 2 overall pick has to be an immediate starting player, right? The Rams went 2-14 last season. They had a terrible offensive line. They drafted Smith second overall to be a cornerstone offensive tackle. They gave him $33 million in guaranteed money. And Smith hasn't moved ahead of Adam Goldberg or Alex Barron for a starting job? Wow. ... B.J. Rains of MLB.com wryly notes that the Cardinals have benefited from the recent, divine acquisitions of Matthew, Mark, Lugo and John.
Congrats to the football team at Southern Illinois; the Salukis are ranked No. 7 in the nation in the FCS coaches preseason poll. ... Also from Carbondale: Former Salukis guard Tony Young, a tough defender in a college career that concluded in 2007, has joined the staff of St. Louis U. basketball coach Rick Majerus and will serve as a graduate assistant and manager. ... Former St. Louis U. and Missouri basketball assistant Jay Spoonhour is the new men's basketball coach at Moberly Area CC.
Former Rams coach Mike Martz was a guest on my WXOS (101.1 FM) radio show this week, and we asked for his assessment of the Rams' new football leadership provided by Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney. "What they did there is just outstanding," Martz said. "Billy is terrific. They have really got this thing structured and organized now and everybody is accountable. And that is the key. The head coach is outstanding. Steve is absolutely the perfect fit for that job. He brings a toughness and leadership to that job that they need. Those players were looking around trying to figure out what's going on — well, not anymore. He gets their attention and gets them going. It's going to take a little time to get his personality, his stamp. And as they get better personnel, they're going to really be a tough football team." Martz is working for the NFL Network, appearing each Monday night with Steve Mariucci and Jim Mora on the new "NFL Head Coaches Show."
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