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As the Rams prepare to play Washington Sunday, while trying to put last week's loss to Seattle behind them, they will go on the field again with a young linebacking corps that will try and find a way to support the run and prevent tight end Chris Cooley from making big plays.
Against the Seahawks, the defense, and linebackers in particular, were generally solid against the run, except for a 62-yard run by Julius Jones that gave the Seahawks their final points. In addition, tight end John Carlson burned the Rams for two touchdowns, and his second score on a 38-yard play came immediately following a 33-yard pickup.
"They did things we haven't seen before, and that hurt us," said second-year linebacker David Vobora. "We definitely have to do better this week."
Vobora, a seventh-round pick in 2008, was making his first start on the strong side. He started one game at middle linebacker last season. Alongside him is rookie middle linebacker James Laurinaitis.
The veteran of the group, weak-side starter Will Witherspoon, said of his young cohorts, "I think they did well. There were a few bumps here and there, but that's the ebb and flow of the game. Every play, every snap means one more notch in their belts.
"They learned some things, they got to see some things, and that's what's great about it. You can't ask them to do any more than that."
Acknowledged Laurinaitis, "There were some ups and downs. They say the best improvement is from Week 1 to Week 2. It's important for us to keep our heads up, to learn from this, and keep that feeling of a loss right there and really work that much harder this week in practice."
Laurinaitis accepted responsibility for Carlson's first touchdown, a play that began on the 1-yard line. Hooked by a play fake, he said, "I was being overly aggressive. You're down there on the 1-yard line and you're thinking, 'Let's go after it.' ... I'm definitely at fault for that."
Asked about the rookie's play, coach Steve Spagnuolo said of Laurinaitis, "Overall he played a real productive game. That's what he is. He's a productive guy. If he continues to have that production, it's going to help the defense."
SERIES HISTORY: 30th meeting. Redskins lead, 20-8-1. The Rams have won two consecutive games in the series, an overtime win in St. Louis in 2006 and a last-second 19-17 victory last year in Washington. The win in 2008 was in Jim Haslett's first game as the team's interim coach.
NOTES, QUOTES
—One twist that coach Steve Spagnuolo has added to the team's schedule is a Monday corrections walk-through after watching tape of the previous day's game.
Said safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, "It's important to correct the mistakes from last game and the more times you walk through it and get visual reps at it, it should sink into a player's head."
Added linebacker David Vobora, when asked about the disappointment of the Seattle game, "We are not concerned with anything but the right now and right now we are on to Washington week. We have made our corrections; we just finished that in the indoor (facility). Now it's on to the Redskins. That's week one. We lost a game and move on. We learn from it and we improve a whole lot more to week two."
—DE Victor Adeyanju was shocked to learn just before the team was to go out on the field last Sunday that he was inactive.
However, he said Wednesday, "I have to keep working and just hope they call my number this week."
Said coach Steve Spagnuolo, "When we did all the numbers, you can't have everybody out there. We decided to go with four ends, four tackles, and six linebackers is really what it came down to. Maybe we'll be different next week."
Still, the fourth end was C.J. Ah You, who was playing his first NFL game. And Ah You was the guilty party when the Rams had 12 players on the field for a late first-half Seattle field-goal attempt. The penalty gave the Seahawks a first down, which led to a touchdown and a 14-0 halftime lead.
—RB Steve Jackson rushed 16 times for 67 yards against Seattle, and Spagnuolo was asked if he would have liked to have seen more running.
"Well the game might have dictated that a little bit," he said. "I think every team, every offense, would like to establish it. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't, and you have to go elsewhere. But it still comes back to trying to be balanced. When you get in a 28-0 ballgame, sometimes the numbers at the end look a little bit different."
As for Jackson, Spagnuolo said, "I thought he played strong. He always does. He always plays strong and hard. I'm sure he would have liked a couple more cuts, a couple more reads differently. I thought he played pretty solid."
—NFL teams usually win at an 80-percent clip when they are plus-two or better in turnover ratio. The Rams were plus-two against Seattle, and lost 28-0.
Said coach Steve Spagnuolo, "That's probably a telling statistic. Of course, one statistic doesn't tell everything. Really what hurt us was the penalties that put us behind the eight ball. But I tell you what, the defense went out in the first four series I think it was interception, punt, fumble, interception that was an impressive start to a game. We just have to do that for four quarters."
BY THE NUMBERS: 2 — Number of games in which OG Richie Incognito had personal fouls during the 2008 season. In the 15 games he played, Incognito had nine games with no penalties.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I was involved in some of those (defensive) third-down calls. I don't think I did a particularly good job there, to be quite honest with you. We did try to take an aggressive approach because it was an atmosphere where they got the crowd into the game and all that, and we were hoping to hit the quarterback a little bit. We didn't quite get what we wanted." — Coach Steve Spagnuolo on Seattle's third-down success last Sunday.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Rams made more changes to their roster, signing WR Ruvell Martin and LB Paris Lenon. Martin was released by New England in the cutdown to 53 players, while Martin was let go by Green Bay the same day.
To make room on the roster, the Rams released LB Quinton Culberson and OT Eric Young. Culberson had been released the day following the cut to 53, but re-signed when Chris Draft was released. The arrival of Lenon appears to end any inkling the Rams will bring Draft back.
Young still had a locker with his name on it Wednesday afternoon, indicating he is likely to be re-signed to the practice squad. Because the Rams had just nine offensive linemen on their roster, DT Darell Scott was working at guard with the scout team Wednesday. That will likely be the case Thursday because Young won't clear waivers until 3 p.m. Central and the team practices at 11:35 am.
PLAYER NOTES
—S Craig Dahl (hamstring) remained out of practice and appears unlikely to play this week. Dahl missed the season opener against Seattle.
—OG John Greco (wrist) did not practice Wednesday, and is not expected to play Sunday against Washington.
—OT Eric Young was placed on waivers Wednesday, but is expected to be re-signed to the practice squad. Young's number and name were still on his locker.
—WR Ruvell Martin practiced with the team for the first time after being signed Tuesday night and got some reps with the main offense. It's not out of the question he could play Sunday against Washington.
—LB Quinton Culberson was waived Wednesday to make room for LB Paris Lenon on the roster. Culberson was released the day after the cut to 53 players, then re-signed last Thursday when LB Chris Draft was released.
—LB Paris Lenon was on the field for practice Wednesday after being signed to the roster Tuesday night.
GAME PLAN: Somehow, the Rams have to avoid long-yardage situations and be able to run the ball more with Steven Jackson. In the opener, there were far too many long-yardage situations on second and third down.
Conversely, the defense has to limit third-down conversions, but it's difficult when the opponent's average yards to go on third down is 5.0, which it was for Seattle last Sunday.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Rams interior line of LG Jacob Bell, C Jason Brown and RG Richie Incognito vs. Redskins DTs Cornelius Griffin and Albert Haynesworth. For the Rams to be able to run, they will have to create some space for Jackson to run inside. In the times they pass, the interior line will have to keep the pocket clean for QB Marc Bulger.
Rams pass defense vs. Redskins TE Chris Cooley. Seattle TE John Carlson made big plays last Sunday, and the Redskins would be smart to try and exploit that.
INJURY IMPACT: The team is almost devoid of injuries. The only players that didn't practice Wednesday were S Craig Dahl (hamstring) and OG John Greco (wrist).
Against the Seahawks, the defense, and linebackers in particular, were generally solid against the run, except for a 62-yard run by Julius Jones that gave the Seahawks their final points. In addition, tight end John Carlson burned the Rams for two touchdowns, and his second score on a 38-yard play came immediately following a 33-yard pickup.
"They did things we haven't seen before, and that hurt us," said second-year linebacker David Vobora. "We definitely have to do better this week."
Vobora, a seventh-round pick in 2008, was making his first start on the strong side. He started one game at middle linebacker last season. Alongside him is rookie middle linebacker James Laurinaitis.
The veteran of the group, weak-side starter Will Witherspoon, said of his young cohorts, "I think they did well. There were a few bumps here and there, but that's the ebb and flow of the game. Every play, every snap means one more notch in their belts.
"They learned some things, they got to see some things, and that's what's great about it. You can't ask them to do any more than that."
Acknowledged Laurinaitis, "There were some ups and downs. They say the best improvement is from Week 1 to Week 2. It's important for us to keep our heads up, to learn from this, and keep that feeling of a loss right there and really work that much harder this week in practice."
Laurinaitis accepted responsibility for Carlson's first touchdown, a play that began on the 1-yard line. Hooked by a play fake, he said, "I was being overly aggressive. You're down there on the 1-yard line and you're thinking, 'Let's go after it.' ... I'm definitely at fault for that."
Asked about the rookie's play, coach Steve Spagnuolo said of Laurinaitis, "Overall he played a real productive game. That's what he is. He's a productive guy. If he continues to have that production, it's going to help the defense."
SERIES HISTORY: 30th meeting. Redskins lead, 20-8-1. The Rams have won two consecutive games in the series, an overtime win in St. Louis in 2006 and a last-second 19-17 victory last year in Washington. The win in 2008 was in Jim Haslett's first game as the team's interim coach.
NOTES, QUOTES
—One twist that coach Steve Spagnuolo has added to the team's schedule is a Monday corrections walk-through after watching tape of the previous day's game.
Said safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, "It's important to correct the mistakes from last game and the more times you walk through it and get visual reps at it, it should sink into a player's head."
Added linebacker David Vobora, when asked about the disappointment of the Seattle game, "We are not concerned with anything but the right now and right now we are on to Washington week. We have made our corrections; we just finished that in the indoor (facility). Now it's on to the Redskins. That's week one. We lost a game and move on. We learn from it and we improve a whole lot more to week two."
—DE Victor Adeyanju was shocked to learn just before the team was to go out on the field last Sunday that he was inactive.
However, he said Wednesday, "I have to keep working and just hope they call my number this week."
Said coach Steve Spagnuolo, "When we did all the numbers, you can't have everybody out there. We decided to go with four ends, four tackles, and six linebackers is really what it came down to. Maybe we'll be different next week."
Still, the fourth end was C.J. Ah You, who was playing his first NFL game. And Ah You was the guilty party when the Rams had 12 players on the field for a late first-half Seattle field-goal attempt. The penalty gave the Seahawks a first down, which led to a touchdown and a 14-0 halftime lead.
—RB Steve Jackson rushed 16 times for 67 yards against Seattle, and Spagnuolo was asked if he would have liked to have seen more running.
"Well the game might have dictated that a little bit," he said. "I think every team, every offense, would like to establish it. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't, and you have to go elsewhere. But it still comes back to trying to be balanced. When you get in a 28-0 ballgame, sometimes the numbers at the end look a little bit different."
As for Jackson, Spagnuolo said, "I thought he played strong. He always does. He always plays strong and hard. I'm sure he would have liked a couple more cuts, a couple more reads differently. I thought he played pretty solid."
—NFL teams usually win at an 80-percent clip when they are plus-two or better in turnover ratio. The Rams were plus-two against Seattle, and lost 28-0.
Said coach Steve Spagnuolo, "That's probably a telling statistic. Of course, one statistic doesn't tell everything. Really what hurt us was the penalties that put us behind the eight ball. But I tell you what, the defense went out in the first four series I think it was interception, punt, fumble, interception that was an impressive start to a game. We just have to do that for four quarters."
BY THE NUMBERS: 2 — Number of games in which OG Richie Incognito had personal fouls during the 2008 season. In the 15 games he played, Incognito had nine games with no penalties.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I was involved in some of those (defensive) third-down calls. I don't think I did a particularly good job there, to be quite honest with you. We did try to take an aggressive approach because it was an atmosphere where they got the crowd into the game and all that, and we were hoping to hit the quarterback a little bit. We didn't quite get what we wanted." — Coach Steve Spagnuolo on Seattle's third-down success last Sunday.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Rams made more changes to their roster, signing WR Ruvell Martin and LB Paris Lenon. Martin was released by New England in the cutdown to 53 players, while Martin was let go by Green Bay the same day.
To make room on the roster, the Rams released LB Quinton Culberson and OT Eric Young. Culberson had been released the day following the cut to 53, but re-signed when Chris Draft was released. The arrival of Lenon appears to end any inkling the Rams will bring Draft back.
Young still had a locker with his name on it Wednesday afternoon, indicating he is likely to be re-signed to the practice squad. Because the Rams had just nine offensive linemen on their roster, DT Darell Scott was working at guard with the scout team Wednesday. That will likely be the case Thursday because Young won't clear waivers until 3 p.m. Central and the team practices at 11:35 am.
PLAYER NOTES
—S Craig Dahl (hamstring) remained out of practice and appears unlikely to play this week. Dahl missed the season opener against Seattle.
—OG John Greco (wrist) did not practice Wednesday, and is not expected to play Sunday against Washington.
—OT Eric Young was placed on waivers Wednesday, but is expected to be re-signed to the practice squad. Young's number and name were still on his locker.
—WR Ruvell Martin practiced with the team for the first time after being signed Tuesday night and got some reps with the main offense. It's not out of the question he could play Sunday against Washington.
—LB Quinton Culberson was waived Wednesday to make room for LB Paris Lenon on the roster. Culberson was released the day after the cut to 53 players, then re-signed last Thursday when LB Chris Draft was released.
—LB Paris Lenon was on the field for practice Wednesday after being signed to the roster Tuesday night.
GAME PLAN: Somehow, the Rams have to avoid long-yardage situations and be able to run the ball more with Steven Jackson. In the opener, there were far too many long-yardage situations on second and third down.
Conversely, the defense has to limit third-down conversions, but it's difficult when the opponent's average yards to go on third down is 5.0, which it was for Seattle last Sunday.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Rams interior line of LG Jacob Bell, C Jason Brown and RG Richie Incognito vs. Redskins DTs Cornelius Griffin and Albert Haynesworth. For the Rams to be able to run, they will have to create some space for Jackson to run inside. In the times they pass, the interior line will have to keep the pocket clean for QB Marc Bulger.
Rams pass defense vs. Redskins TE Chris Cooley. Seattle TE John Carlson made big plays last Sunday, and the Redskins would be smart to try and exploit that.
INJURY IMPACT: The team is almost devoid of injuries. The only players that didn't practice Wednesday were S Craig Dahl (hamstring) and OG John Greco (wrist).
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