Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

    RAMS NOTEBOOK: Injuries on O-line starting to pile up
    By Jim Thomas
    ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
    09/21/2009

    LANDOVER, MD. — Pending the results of a couple of MRIs today, the Rams may have to rely on their offensive line depth to get through Game 3 against Green Bay.

    No. 2 overall draft pick Jason Smith left the Washington game late in the second quarter with a knee injury.

    "They're calling it a meniscus (cartilage) right now," coach Steve Spagnuolo said after Sunday's 9-7 loss to the Redskins. "I'm not sure the extent of it."

    If it's a torn cartilage and Smith needs surgery, he could be sidelined for about a month. Adam Goldberg took over for Smith at right tackle against Washington.

    Center Jason Brown left the game late in the first quarter with a knee injury. Brown was replaced by Mark Setterstrom but missed only five plays, returning midway through the second quarter. Even so, Brown appeared to be walking gingerly after the game. Spagnuolo indicated that Brown could have a medial collateral ligament injury. Like Smith, Brown is scheduled for an MRI today.

    Left tackle Alex Barron ended the game with a thigh injury, although he was able to finish out the game. Defensive end Leonard Little suffered a calf injury, the extent of which was unknown Sunday.

    BULGER'S ACHING BACK

    Quarterback Marc Bulger finished the game with a sore back and needed treatment from the team's medical staff afterward because of blows he received on a 3-yard scramble late in the third quarter.

    Bulger slid at the end of the run, meaning he was supposed to be off-limits to defenders. Washington defensive end Andre Carter appeared to hit Bulger late, and then Washington defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth rolled on top of Bulger. Much to the chagrin of Bulger, there was no penalty flag for a late hit.

    Bulger was shaken up enough that the Rams burned their second timeout of the half to let him regroup. During the timeout, Bulger gave referee Jerome Boger an earful about the non-call.

    "I think my thoughts were obvious," Bulger said. "But I don't want to go back and re-hash it."

    Translation: He didn't want to be fined for criticizing the officiating.

    PASSING RECORD

    With his second completion Sunday, Bulger passed Jim Everett as the Rams' career leader in completions. Bulger ended the game with 1,861 completions; Everett had 1,847 from 1986-93 for the LA Rams.

    ONE FOR THE BOOKS

    You can go all the way back to the days of the leather helmets and the Cleveland Rams, and you won't find a worse scoring start for this franchise. The Rams combined for just seven points in losses to Seattle and Washington — and that's the lowest two-game total to start a season in the 72-year history of Rams football.

    RAM-BLINGS

    For the second straight Sunday, defensive end Victor Adeyanju was among the pregame inactives for St. Louis. Also sitting were safeties Craig Dahl (hamstring) and Anthony Smith, offensive guards Roger Allen III and John Greco (wrist), wide receiver Ruvell Martin and defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey. ... Representing Rams ownership at the game once again was Lucia Rodriguez, accompanied by her husband, Lupe. ... Among the Redskins' inactives was nickel back Fred Smoot (ribs).

  • #2
    Re: Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

    Originally posted by r8rh8rmike View Post
    RAMS NOTEBOOK: Injuries on O-line starting to pile up
    By Jim Thomas
    ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
    09/21/2009

    ONE FOR THE BOOKS

    You can go all the way back to the days of the leather helmets and the Cleveland Rams, and you won't find a worse scoring start for this franchise. The Rams combined for just seven points in losses to Seattle and Washington — and that's the lowest two-game total to start a season in the 72-year history of Rams football.

    That’s scary I knew we were in a re-building mode but I thought our O would do better than this. We are not going to win many ball games 3 to 2. Maybe some home cooking is what we need. I hope being at home can spark the O.
    :ramlogo:

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

      pregame inactives for St. Louis. ... and defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey
      That's odd. I could have sworn I heard his name called several times. Mistaken identity by the broadcast booth?
      The more things change, the more they stay the same.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

        Originally posted by HUbison View Post
        That's odd. I could have sworn I heard his name called several times. Mistaken identity by the broadcast booth?
        I'd swear I saw him on the field early in the game.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

          Looks like last year for the o-line all over again

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

            Ramsey did play, Scott was the DT that was inactive

            Ramsey finished the game with two tackles and a QB pressure
            @EssexRam_

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

              This is not good... if we don't have Jason Brown and Jason Smith and Alex Barron playing against Green Bay, we're going to be 0-3.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Rams Notebook: Injuries On O-Line Starting To Pile Up

                :frown: AAAAAAARGH! And to think that just last week we were doing okay as far as injuries go.

                Well, that's how much a "1st" game benefits last. Now I see this article and learn that we're starting to limp our way through the 1st month of the season.

                Here's hoping that those MRIs reveal 'negative' results on the players in question. It would be a much needed positive. :ram:

                Comment

                Related Topics

                Collapse

                • eldfan
                  St Louis Rams Team Report
                  by eldfan
                  When you are the coach of a team that is 0-2, has lost 12 consecutive games and is 5-29 since the start of the 2007 season, fragile can be the psyche.
                  It's why coach Steve Spagnuolo is trying to stay consistent, and emphasizing the positive as the Rams prepare for their home opener Sunday against Green Bay.

                  While noting the fact that the offense had three possessions of 10 plays or more and the defense prevented the Redskins from scoring touchdowns on four trips to the red zone, Spagnuolo acknowledged, "We have a lot to work on. As I told the team, I'm disappointed, but not discouraged. We have to continue to emphasize the details, because this loss came down to the details."

                  Yes, the Rams had those three possessions that totaled 33 plays. But they managed just one touchdown, and there were only 17 plays on their other five possessions.

                  Yes, the Rams stopped the Redskins in the red zone, but four of Washington's possessions lasted 55 plays, gained 302 yards and took 27:04 off the clock. Overall, the Redskins ran 70 plays to the Rams' 50 and had the ball for 34:53.

                  Spagnuolo added, "There's no moral victories in this league. But I'm mostly disappointed in the fact that we've got a football team that works their butts off, and they haven't had a chance to feel victory yet. We've got a long ways to go here.

                  "It is a cliche that you take one or two plays out of a game and the outcome changes. But in this particular (game), that would be true. Because there were certain plays in there that if they went differently, we might be on the other end of the win-loss column."

                  Two of the plays were a fumble by Donnie Avery at the Washington 5-yard line in the fourth quarter that stopped a drive, and a sack of quarterback Jason Campbell on which he barely got out of the end zone.

                  Said Avery, "I was just trying to get more yards. I was trying to get YAC (yards after the catch) on the play, and ended up fumbling. I let the team down."

                  Adam Goldberg, who replaced rookie Jason Smith at right tackle in the first half after Smith injured his knee, said, "We know as a team we have to tidy things up and go out and get it done. We all feel this way. It's time to get it done and go out and get a W."

                  NOTES, QUOTES

                  —Quarterback Marc Bulger received treatment after the Washington game for a sore back that was the result of a three-yard run in the second half. Bulger went into a slide, but that didn't stop two Redskins players from hitting him. Bulger wasn't pleased that a penalty wasn't called on the play. The Rams called time out to allow Bulger to recover, and during the break, he made his point to referee Jerome Boger.

                  After the game, Bulger said, "I think my thoughts were obvious. But I don't want to go back and re-hash it."

                  Early in...
                  -09-23-2009, 04:20 PM
                • eldfan
                  Rams Team Report
                  by eldfan
                  Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo didn't realize the half of it when he reported Monday that quarterback Marc Bulger was "pretty banged up."
                  Spagnuolo went on to describe how Bulger had had an MRI in the morning for a hamstring/groin problem, would have baseline testing Tuesday for a potential concussion and would be having another MRI in late afternoon because of some swelling in his knee.

                  That left leg MRI revealed that Bulger had a tibial plateau fracture, and he will miss anywhere from three to six weeks. The previous week, it was reported that Bulger had banged his knees, and since no one is able to pinpoint when the fracture occurred, it's possible it might have happened Nov. 15 against the Saints.

                  A tibial plateau fracture occurs on the top surface of the tibia or shin bone where it meets the knee. The injury can be more serious if there is displacement or if it affects the middle of the knee or on the inside because of the weight-bearing nature of the bone. The size of the fracture is also important.

                  Spagnuolo described the injury as "a hairline fracture" and said it is likely that the injury is to the lateral or outside part of the knee. It isn't out of the question that Bulger could be OK to play in three weeks.

                  It appears the Rams' plan is not to place Bulger on injured reserve, even though the team is currently 1-9. Kyle Boller will start Sunday against Seattle, with rookie sixth-round pick Keith Null the backup.

                  For this week, the apparent plan is to go with two quarterbacks. If another quarterback is added after this week, it likely would be Brock Berlin, who was with the team in training camp.

                  There are also questions about whether Null will be provided an opportunity to play at some point. Bulger's salary is scheduled to be $8.5 million in 2010, and he would count $10.5 million if there is a salary cap next year.

                  NOTES, QUOTES

                  —In his third game for the Rams, wide receiver Brandon Gibson was targeted on 17 Marc Bulger passes, catching five for 61 yards. Afterward, the focus was more on the missed connections than the receptions.

                  Asked about miscommunication on a couple of plays, Bulger said, "Yeah, there was more than a couple. I think that's going to happen with a young receiver. I'm not going to put it on him. It's just a matter of us working together. The more time we spend together, the more on the same page we will be."

                  Gibson agreed, saying, "My biggest thing is not leaving plays on the field, and that's what I did today. I'm frustrated at myself because I know I can play at a high level. I think we've just got to get on the same page, me and Marc.

                  "There were just some things that I did, and we just weren't on the same page there on the goal line. That's two plays that stick out in my head, and I've got to do my best to come...
                  -11-25-2009, 08:26 AM
                • r8rh8rmike
                  Rams Offensive Line Shows Improvement Against Redskins
                  by r8rh8rmike
                  Rams' offensive line shows improvement against Redskins

                  BY BILL COATS
                  ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                  09/21/2009

                  LANDOVER, Md. — In an odd scene Sunday in the visiting locker room at FedEx Field, veteran center Jason Brown was repenting previous sins in front of his locker while rookie tackle Jason Smith was repelling reporters' questions at his.

                  Making it clear that he'd learned his lesson, Brown promised that his jaw-jacking days were over.

                  "The thing to do is talk with your pads," Brown said after the Rams' 9-7 loss to the Washington Redskins. "I was humbled today, and I'm going to stay humbled."

                  During training camp, Brown mocked Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, implying that the 6-foot-6, 350-pounder wilts during games.

                  "I'm so glad we're playing Washington early in the year because it's going to be hot and ... he's going to get fatigued," Brown told WXOS (101.1 FM) radio in August. "He just falls down to the ground ... giving the guy on the sidelines enough time to mosey on out there so (Haynesworth) can get up, go to the sidelines, catch a breather, get something to drink, and then he comes right back out."

                  The comments provided bulletin-board material for the Redskins, who dangled a seven-year, $100 million contract to sign Haynesworth in the offseason.

                  Brown and Haynesworth met at midfield after the final whistle. "I apologized," Brown said. "He and I have played against each other several times, and he knows that no matter what I say, I respect him. And I know that he respects me. We shook hands."

                  A more urgent issue for Brown is the knee injury he sustained Sunday. Although Brown missed only a handful of plays, ligament damage is suspected.

                  Smith also went down with what is believed to be torn cartilage in his knee. He sat out the second half.

                  Afterward, Smith refused to even acknowledge the injury. When first asked about it, the No. 2 overall selection in the draft replied: "I feel real bad I wasn't able to be with the guys on the field."

                  Pressed further, Smith said: "We didn't win the game, and obviously we've got to learn from our mistakes and get ready for our next opponent."

                  Was Smith suggesting that he wasn't hurt? "Tomorrow we're going to come in and lift some weights, watch some film and get our mistakes corrected and get ready for next week's game," he said.

                  Whether either or both can be ready when the Green Bay Packers show up at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday won't be known at least until after they have MRI exams today.

                  Despite their problems, the offensive line rallied after a shaky start vs. the Redskins. Quarterback Marc Bulger was sacked once and slammed into several other times. But overall,...
                  -09-21-2009, 03:17 PM
                • Nick
                  Rams blame Bulger injury on cheap shot
                  by Nick
                  Rams blame Bulger injury on cheap shot
                  By Jim Thomas
                  Of the Post-Dispatch
                  Sunday, Oct. 24 2004

                  Miami defensive end
                  drove the quarterback
                  to ground, Martz says

                  MIAMI - As if the 31-14 final score weren't bad enough for the Rams,
                  quarterback Marc Bulger ended Sunday's game with a sore throwing shoulder after
                  what the Rams claim was a cheap-shot hit by Miami defensive end Jason Taylor.

                  "I know how he got hurt, and it bothers me," coach Mike Martz said. "He got
                  driven into the ground."

                  The play in question occurred when Bulger threw a touchdown pass to Shaun
                  McDonald with 5 minutes 19 seconds remaining in the game. After being hit by
                  Taylor, Bulger complained to referee Johnny Grier, but there was no flag.

                  "I wasn't arguing with the fact that it was late," Bulger said. "And I know
                  it's football. But it's just a matter that you're in a vulnerable position, the
                  ball's gone already, and he slams you down."

                  Officiating crews seem to be watching late hits on quarterbacks more closely
                  this season, but that wasn't the case Sunday with Bulger.

                  "I had my name on the back of my jersey, maybe that's why," Bulger said,
                  suggesting that a more prominent quarterback might have gotten a call.

                  After examination by team medical officials, Bulger said he didn't expect to
                  have an MRI exam.

                  "They said it wasn't separated," Bulger said. "They know exactly what happened,
                  right at the spot that it's hurt. It's just an AC joint. ... I think the week
                  off will help."

                  The Rams have a bye this week and don't play until Nov. 7 against New England.

                  Long injury report

                  Bulger isn't the only Rams player who might need the bye week to get healthy.

                  Rookie Brandon Chillar, starting for the second game in a row in place of the
                  injured Robert Thomas (ankle), suffered a pulled hamstring in the first
                  quarter. He was replaced at middle linebacker by Trev Faulk.

                  Wide receiver Dane Looker suffered an ankle injury making a third-down catch on
                  the Rams' second-quarter touchdown drive. The Rams scored on the next play, so
                  Bulger took over Looker's holder duties on the extra point. Looker returned to
                  hold following the Rams' fourth-quarter TD but was replaced in the Rams'
                  four-wide receiver sets by Kevin Curtis.

                  Several other Rams failed to finish the game: starting defensive end Bryce
                  Fisher left with a bruised chest; offensive tackle Grant Williams left with a
                  pinched nerve in his neck and shoulder area; and backup cornerback Dwight
                  Anderson suffered a shoulder injury on punt coverage early...
                  -10-24-2004, 11:34 PM
                • r8rh8rmike
                  St. Louis Rams Offense Back Together
                  by r8rh8rmike
                  St. Louis Rams offense back together

                  BY JIM THOMAS [email protected]patch.com

                  09/10/2009

                  Quarterback Marc Bulger took snaps under center for the first time in 3˝ weeks. Rookie Jason Smith has been officially named the starting right tackle.

                  So for the first time since the start of training camp, the entire Rams offense — starters and key contributors — was in place and on the field Wednesday.

                  "We had a comment in the huddle today," tight end Randy McMichael said after practice. "It was like, 'Wow, we're all together again, finally, after a long layoff.' "

                  Just in time for opening day in Seattle.

                  "It was almost like: We're back," wide receiver Derek Stanley said. "It feels good. I think we've got big things coming up this year. Everybody's working hard, paying attention to the little things. Everybody's got that desire to win."

                  Smith's "promotion" was no great surprise. It had become increasingly obvious over the past week or so that the No. 2 overall draft pick from Baylor would open the regular season in the lineup.

                  "Obviously, it's a privilege to be able to say I'm going to (start) for the St. Louis Rams," Smith said. "The main thing is just proving myself and just being part of a great offensive line."

                  There was more uncertainty about Bulger and the broken little finger on his throwing hand. Bulger has thrown the ball well lately, but the final test was taking snaps under center. By all accounts, he passed that test Wednesday in practice.

                  "It went well, and I think we're where we want to be," Bulger said.

                  Although listed as limited participation on the team's official injury report, Bulger said he took part in every drill in practice. However, he didn't take 100 percent of the snaps in every drill.

                  "But it wasn't because of discomfort," Bulger said. "It was to keep Kyle (Boller) going. I was happy with the amount of reps I took."

                  So no discomfort?

                  "I wouldn't say no discomfort," Bulger said. "But it was bearable, and it's not going to affect whether I can get the ball (from center), which is a good thing."

                  Bulger confessed to some anxiety about taking his first snaps since the one from center Jason Brown on Aug. 17 resulted in the broken finger.

                  "Sure. I definitely lost some sleep over it," Bulger said. "You kind of worry that that first snap isn't going to go how you want it. You don't want to let your teammates down."

                  But 20 minutes into taking snaps during practice, Bulger said he felt confident again. "It was good to be back out practicing," he said.

                  From his, uh, end of things, Brown said everything went well...
                  -09-10-2009, 03:11 PM
                Working...
                X