Preview: Rams at Miami

Rams have slipped, Miami DE says--injury front

by RamWraith

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
10/20/2004

Three years ago, Miami defensive tackle Daryl Gardener offered these words of warning before a Dolphins game in St. Louis: "We've got speed, quickness, strength and size. We've got it all. When we get (to St. Louis), just take the key, lock the door, and let's see what happens."

After St. Louis pulverized the Dolphins 42-10 in that 2001 contest, Rams coach Mike Martz presented each of his players with a "Key to the Dome" plaque - complete with a metallic-style key attached.

Gardener is no longer with the Dolphins. But defensive end Jason Taylor is.

On Wednesday, Taylor provided some, uh, food for thought in discussing the Rams' offense with Dolphins reporters. The Rams play the Dolphins on Sunday in Miami.

"They're a good offense," said Taylor, a two-time Pro Bowler. "They're not unbeatable. I mean, I don't think they are what they were a few years ago with their whole 'Greatest Show on Turf' thing. They have some quality players, and we have some quality players, too. I think it's a good matchup for us. We'll get a glimpse of where we are at this point."

Taylor was then asked what was different about the 2004 Rams compared to their earlier offensive juggernauts.

"They're not what they were before," Taylor said. "They've made some changes. Kurt Warner is gone. They had it rolling back then. They were scoring 50 points a game. ... Don't get me wrong, they're still a darn good offense. They might not be scoring 50, but they can put up 49."

Taylor probably is right in his assessment, but will the Rams - who had Wednesday off - take it that way?

T. Fisher, Kennedy are upgraded

For the first time all season, cornerback Travis Fisher and defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy aren't listed as "out" on the Rams' official injury report. Kennedy is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game in Miami, meaning there's a 25 percent chance he'll play. Fisher is listed as questionable, meaning there's a 50 percent chance he'll play.

Fisher, who suffered a fractured forearm in the Rams' Aug. 23 preseason game against Kansas City, has been cleared to play. He has done a lot of drill work during practice in the past couple of weeks and could play at Miami.

Kennedy, who has been doing running and drill work on the side, probably is a little farther away from game readiness. He suffered a broken foot Aug. 5 during a joint practice session with the Chicago Bears in Macomb, Ill.

Tyoka Jackson is questionable

Defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson is listed as questionable with a hamstring pull that kept him out of the Tampa Bay game. He's not expected to return until the New England game Nov. 7.

Linebackers Robert Thomas (ankle) and Trev Faulk...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-10-21-2004, 05:02 AM
Dolphins 31, Rams 14

by RamDez

Dolphins 31, Rams 14

STEVEN WINE

Associated Press

MIAMI - Jay Fiedler threw a game-clinching touchdown pass, then sprinted the length of the field to join his teammates in an end zone celebration, waving his index finger as he ran.

No, the Miami Dolphins aren't No. 1. But they do have victory No. 1.

Winless no more, Miami jump-started its sputtering offense with a succession of big plays and occasional trickery to beat the explosive St. Louis Rams at their own game Sunday, 31-14.

"You almost forgot what it felt like," Fiedler said. "We were down in the dungeon of the NFL, and we were able to play a full game. This is a big victory for us."

After enduring the worst start in their 39-year history, the Dolphins (1-6) took out their frustration on the Rams (4-3), who had at least five players hurt. The much-maligned Fiedler threw for two touchdowns, embattled coach Dave Wannstedt made some risky calls that paid off, and Miami held the Rams' high-powered offense in check.

"Enough is enough," said defensive end David Bowens, who said last week he expected Miami to win its final 10 games. "At some point you've got to draw a line in the sand and be a man about it."

The Dolphins are the last NFL team to win this season.

"Every dog has its day, and today was their day," Rams defensive tackle Damione Lewis said. "You never know. They could run off six straight wins now. That's the NFL."

Fiedler was booed during the pregame introductions, then went 13-for-17 for 203 yards. He shrugged off five sacks and threw touchdown passes of 42 yards to Randy McMichael and 71 yards to Chris Chambers, with the latter clinching the win.

The conservative Wannstedt, his job in jeopardy, took some uncharacteristic gambles to keep St. Louis guessing. A 48-yard pass by receiver Marty Booker set up the game's first score, and Miami also pulled off a fake punt and tried a halfback pass.

"We opened up the playbook today," McMichael said. "Coach Wannstedt said he was going to run them all, and they all came out positive."

Miami, which entered with a league-high 17 turnovers, committed none. A replay review overturned a fumble lost by Chambers in the fourth quarter, and instead the drive produced a field goal for a 24-7 lead.

"The guys play hard every week," Wannstedt said. "We just didn't make as many mistakes today."

The Rams' lone turnover was costly, with Marc Bulger intercepted in the end zone when they were threatening to tie the game in the third quarter. St. Louis totaled 372 yards but converted only two of 13 third-down situations.

The Dolphins dominated on special teams with ferocious hitting, including a block by rookie Tony Bua that took...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-10-24-2004, 04:40 PM
Rams-Dolphins: 5 Things To Watch

by RamWraith

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
10/23/2004
Strength against strength

You've got to love this matchup: One of the NFL's top cornerback tandems in Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain of Miami against arguably the NFL's top receiving tandem in Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt of the Rams.

Bruce and Holt have 17 years of experience and seven Pro Bowls between them; Surtain and Madison have 15 years of NFL experience and six Pro Bowls between them.

"They're good cover guys," Bruce said. "They stick and stay. And they can run with receivers down the field, which is important in this league. They have really good change of direction. So it's going to be a challenge."

Especially since Madison and Surtain play press coverage on almost every snap, trying to jam the receiver at the line of scrimmage. "They'll be up in our face," Bruce said.

Surtain and Madison started at cornerback three years ago for Miami when the teams met in St. Louis. Bruce had a modest three catches for 36 yards. But Holt had four grabs for 111 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown.

Surtain usually moves inside to cover the slot receiver in the nickel, so he won't be on Holt or Bruce the entire game. Some observers will tell you that Surtain and Madison have both lost a step. We'll see Sunday.

Miami's QB quandary

The Dolphins just may be the worst downfield passing team in the league. With starter Jay Fiedler, it's more a lack of accuracy than lack of arm strength. Fiedler has been playing with a cracked rib, and not playing well. He will be on a short leash Sunday, and if he struggles against the Rams, look for A.J. Feeley out of the bullpen. They've basically been splitting time in practice the past couple of weeks.

Both QBs have been turnover machines. Fiedler has thrown six interceptions and lost three fumbles. Two of those INTs have been returned for touchdowns in the Dolphins' last three games. (Aeneas Williams, that's your cue.) Feeley has committed six turnovers in just 10 quarters of football.

Fiedler does have some mobility, however, and as Rams DT Ryan Pickett points out: "We've had trouble playing mobile quarterbacks this year. He's not a real runner, but he gets away from a lot of sacks."

Beware the receivers

As inept as the Dolphins have been offensively, there are worse wide receiver tandems than Marty Booker and Chris Chambers. The Rams can't go to sleep on these guys, or they'll get burned if Fiedler - or Feeley - can get anything going. Booker had two 1,000-yard seasons as a Chicago Bear. Chambers is more of a speed threat and had 11 TD catches a year ago.

The Rams have had trouble covering tight ends, and the Dolphins have one the league's best young players at that position in Randy McMichael....
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-10-24-2004, 04:58 AM
Miami at a Glance

by RamDez

Miami at a Glance
Friday, October 22, 2004

By Nick Wagoner
Staff Writer

After a tumultuous offseason in which its best player suddenly retired, Miami has clearly been reeling from the effects.

The Dolphins are off to a 0-6 start, worst in the league and appear poised to live the dream of the undefeated 1972 team in reverse, only this would be much more of a nightmare than a dream.

Miami has struggled to create any kind of offensive cohesiveness in spite of solid defensive performances. It seems there is a new player starting at running back every week and the quarterback tandem in place has struggled to make any big plays.

The offseason gave many fans in Miami hope that there could be improvements, but then running back Ricky Williams retired to go on tour with Lenny Kravitz and offseason acquisition David Boston went out for the season with an injury. The defense continues to be a mainstay, but without much offensive production, the Dolphins will continue to struggle and coach Dave Wannstedt�s seat will only get hotter.

COACHING: Wannstedt is in his fifth season as Miami�s coach, making him the second-longest tenured coach in Dolphins� history behind the legendary Don Shula. He is 3-3 in his career against the Rams and 0-1 against St. Louis with the Dolphins.

Wannstedt�s teams have always played hard, but without the talent in place, it has been hard for Miami to generate any kind of momentum. Wannstedt could be in his final season with the Dolphins, barring a dramatic turnaround that would probably involve Miami somehow winning out. Wannstedt isn�t really to blame for the awful start this season, after all, it wasn�t his fault that Williams bailed on his teammates, Boston got hurt and the team made some poor decisions in the trade and free agency market.

OFFENSE: This is clearly Miami�s biggest problem area. It isn�t just struggling to run the ball in Williams� place or throw it without Boston, but the offense in general. The Dolphins are putting up just 243 yards per game and has scored just four touchdowns.

Jay Fiedler starts at quarterback, but has fought off A.J. Feeley most of the season. Fiedler has an anemic passer rating of 51.1 with two touchdowns and six interceptions. Feeley wasn�t much better with a 57.2 rating, two touchdowns and five interceptions. That combination simply isn�t getting the job done and it will be difficult to improve with a depleted receiving corps and inexperienced offensive line.

The running game has been the only area of the offense worse than the pass. The Dolphins have put up only 69.5 yards per game on the ground using a rotating door at running back. So far this season, former Ram Lamar Gordon, Travis Minor, Brock Forsey, Leonard Henry and Sammy Morris have gotten the bulk of the carries at various times. Henry leads the team in rushing with 136 yards,...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-10-23-2004, 02:51 AM
St. Louis vs. Miami

by Tampa_Ram

Rankings:

ESPN-
Rams-ranked 31st
The Rams began playing football in 1937 -- and until this season, they had never started 0-7. On the positive side, Donnie Jones' 80-yard punt Sunday was the franchise's longest since 1947. So there's that.

Dolphins- ranked 32nd
Anybody else feel sorry for British fans who shelled out big bucks to see two NFL teams play a meaningful game in London ... and one of those teams is the league's worst? Maybe they won't know Ronnie Brown is out.

Sports illustrated-
Dolhins-Ranked 31st
In the midst of the horrible gloom of this season, the NFL came up with some cheery news. The Dophins will be the home team against the Giants in London. Vegas immediately dropped the line by three points.

Rams-Ranked 32nd
QB grades for the last four games -- Bulger, 35.6, 42.7, 38.0, Frerotte 30.6. They look like my grades my senior year

USA Today-
Dolphins- Ranked tied for 31st
Said Jason Taylor on Monday: If the Dolphins can't win games in America, maybe they can win one overseas. The Londoners must be clamoring at the sight of the 0-7 Dolphins arriving in town.

Rams- Ranked tied for 31st
Did Marc Bulger really have to come back for this? A three-interception performance in a 33-6 loss at Seattle. The Rams' bye isn't until Nov. 4, but maybe the NFL should consider granting them another open date somewhere along the way.

I could go on and go look up every ranking and theyd all be back and forth. I was watching nfl live earlier and they were debatting who was worse, rams or dolphins, and it was a split decision.

In my opinion the rams are a better team. If we were healthy we'd be a great team, but were not. The Dolphins entire team has as many injuries as our defense alone. But since we are plagued by the injury bug, we are not doing to good.

So my question to all of you is this- If the the Rams and Dolphins were to play this next Sunday, who do you believe would win?

I believe even with our injuries we could still beat the Dolphins. The Dolphins are the absolute worst team in recent history i think.

GO RAMS!!!!!
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-10-25-2007, 12:35 AM

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