Rams @ Jaguars: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The St. Louis Rams completed the preseason with a perfect record, which they have not done since 1979—the year they went to the Super Bowl and lost to Terry Bradshaw and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Rams traveled to Jacksonville to take on Jaguars for the preseason finale, which resulted in a Rams victory by the score of 24 to 17.  

However, the preseason is basically meaningless, and the team is more concerned with what they’ll be bringing into the regular season, which is why there was panic when it seemed for a moment that they would not be bringing defensive end James Hall.

Hall was on the ground early in the first-quarter in what seemed to be a somewhat serious injury, but he eventually got back on his feet and exited the game. He later announced during the broadcast that he left the game with a back injury, but that it was not serious.

So since the Rams dodged that bullet, they were able to successfully escape the preseason with no major injury, which is always a major goal in the preseason.

And with that, here is “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”…

The Good

Once again Sam Bradford was alert and productive. He completed 63.3 percent of his 11 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.

There were a few miscommunications on the first drive of the game, but for all we know the receivers are completely at fault. Other than that first drive, Bradford was elusive and made intelligent decisions in the passing game.

However, Sam was not the only quarterback to shine. Thaddeus Lewis had another solid preseason outing, and he’s giving A.J. Feeley a good fight for the No.2 quarterback job. Lewis was 12-for-15 with 164 yards.

Outside of the quarterbacks, rookie tight end Lance Kendricks was clearly the most potent offensive weapon of the game.

Kendricks had three catches for 73 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown reception on third-and-short.

Kendricks is obviously safe for the 53-man roster, but the same doesn’t ring true for everyone.

Out of the wide receivers still fighting for spots, apparently Donnie Avery is the only one who really wants employment this season. He finished with a pair of catches for 42 yards, but this brings us to the next segment…

The Bad

The starting receivers were not good enough tonight.

The running backs and tight ends saved the passing game in the first half, but the wide receivers were almost completely absent.

In the first half, other than Avery’s 27-yard catch within the two-minute warning, Danny Amendola was the only wide receiver to catch a pass in the first half—a modest eight-yard dump from Bradford.   

Danario Alexander became part of the subpar receiver performance after dropping a deep pass from A.J. Feeley that hit him in the hands, but he made up for it later in the game with a 43-yard reception in the fourth quarter, which set up the Rams third touchdown of the game.   

Mardy Gilyard was completely absent as a receiver. He had a dropped pass that should have been an easy catch, and he even fumbled two punt returns (both were recovered by the Rams).

However, Gilyard had a first-down reception midway through the fourth-quarter for his only real positive play of the night.  

The Ugly

The Rams starting defense was getting great penetration against the Jaguars offensive line in the first-half.

Chris Long recorded a sack, while Jaguars quarterback David Garrard was feeling heavy pressure constantly while he was in the game.

In fact, the Jaguars didn’t play first-round draft pick Blaine Gabbert in the first-half. 

They went straight from their starter, Garrard, to their third-string quarterback Luke McCown, which suggests that perhaps the coaches were concerned about putting the future of their franchise in against the Rams pass rush.  

Rams Vs. Titans: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The St. Louis Rams had a solid preseason opener a week ago against the Indianapolis Colts. The Rams walked away with a convincing 33-10 victory.

Brandon Gibson hauls in an 83-yard touchdown reception against
the Titans last night on the very first offensive play of the night. 

This week, however, the Rams still won the game against the Tennessee Titans with a score of 17-16, but this week’s victory was not nearly as convincing.

There were obviously some positives, as they won the game, but the negatives were plentiful in the first half and difficult to ignore. So without further ado, here is the 2011 premiere of “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”…



The Good

The 83-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Bradford to receiver Brandon Gibson on the first offensive play of the night was seemingly a good omen, perhaps even a sign that the Rams would repeat last week’s routing of the Colts, but it turned out to be their only points in the entire first half.

Despite the touchdown pass being the only points of the half, Bradford played well the entire time. He was 8-for-15 with 138 yards and a touchdown. He also had an interception, although it came off of a pass that hit receiver Mike Sims-Walker perfectly in the hands but was deflected off of the gloves and into the hands of a defender.

The only other positive was the backup players.

Second-string quarterback A.J. Feeley looked sharp and alert for the most part. He hit Donnie Avery for a touchdown in the third-quarter, and Avery looked surprisingly fast and healthy coming off his ACL tear from 2010.

Third-string quarterback Thad Lewis drops back
 for a pass in last night's game against the Titans.

Third-string quarterback Thad Lewis was phenomenal during his playing time in the fourth-quarter. He completed 80% of his passes (8-for-10) for 74 yards, had a ten yard scramble, and he even led the Rams downfield for the final drive of the game, which resulted in a game-winning field-goal by kicker Josh Brown in the final seconds of the game.

The Bad

There are plenty of things from the game that are considered “Bad”, the only question is where to start.
The Rams were out rushed by the Titans 198 yards to only 44. Star running back Steven Jackson had only 10 yards on six carries, which equals out to a 1.7 yards per carry average.

But it wasn’t just the running backs. The receivers greatly struggled to get separation, with Gibson’s touchdown being the main exception. In fact, tight end Fendi Onobun and wide receiver Greg Salas led the team in receptions with only three each, and only five of fourteen receivers had more than one catch.

On defense, the team made some solid third-down stops that forced field-goals instead of touchdowns, but the effort of the unit as a whole was lackluster at best.

The Rams run game last night can be summed up with this picture.

The starters allowed over 80 rushing yards in the first-quarter alone. And although the pass defense was better, they were still flawed. They gave up 24 and 29 yard receptions, respectively, and allowed starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to go 7-for-9 on his passes.

Overall, the defense looked unfocused and they were lacking intensity. Linebackers were not staying home and they were blowing assignments, while the defensive line failed to apply consistent pressure.

The Ugly

The ugliest aspect of the game for the Rams came at the line of scrimmage. Both lines underachieved, but it was particularly the offensive line that stood out in a bad way.

Bradford was feeling pressure all night and, as mentioned earlier, the run game was non-existent.

But the most infuriating was the play of Hank Fraley, who started at left-guard in place of the injured Jacob Bell, as well as Adam Goldberg, who eventually replaced Rodger Saffold at left-tackle late in the half.

The offensive line allowed almost instant penetration as a whole, but the 33-year-old Fraley was particularly ineffective, and the Titans defensive line turned Goldberg into a ragdoll.

What is absolutely dumbfounding is that the coaching staff left Bradford in the game with Goldberg and Fraley guarding his blindside. On Bradford’s last play of the game he was taken down by a defensive tackle and was hesitant to get up.

It’s hard to justify risking your franchise quarterback just to build the self-esteem of two guys who barely belong in the NFL. If you want to give Bradford second-string blocking then put the second-string quarterback in the game.

Conclusion

It was a win, but it wasn’t easy to watch either.

There is a reason they have the preseason. It gives teams a chance to try a variety of players in different situations, and it also gives them a chance to identify clear problems before the season begins.

The game was not ideal, but it’s good for the team and the coaching staff that they were able to expose some team weaknesses before Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, so that way they can go to practice this week and work on ironing out the kinks.

Next week the Rams will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs for the third preseason game and the annual Missouri Governor’s Cup. The game is on Friday, August 26th and it will kick off at 7:00 PM CDT.

Sneak Peak at the Rams Wide Receiver Position in 2011

The signing of Mike Sims-Walker has not only excited a fanbase that was desperate for news of a big signing, but it also shakes up the wide receiver position for the Rams in 2011.

The Rams were very desperate at the position during the 2010 season after their top two receivers (Mark Clayton, Donnie Avery) were sidelined with season-ending knee injuries.

Some assumed that the Rams would instantly improve at the position after the return of Clayton and Avery, as well as the addition of their third and fourth round draft picks Austin Pettis (Boise St.) and Greg Salas (Hawaii).

However, no one can predict if Clayton and Avery will be able to play at the same level that they were at prior to their injuries and rookies are just too unpredictable, especially mid-round draft pick rookies.

Also, Clayton is a free-agent and has not been re-signed as of yet, although the Rams are reportedly negotiating a deal with him.

But with the addition of Sims-Walker, along with the other receivers, the Rams have an intense training camp battle in the makings, possibly one of the most intense camp battles in the NFL.

Danny Amendola, No.1 Slot Receiver

Amendola was the top receiver for the Rams in 2010 with 85 receptions and 689 yards and the chemistry between him and Sam Bradford was undeniable.

With the injuries to Donnie Avery and Mark Clayton, Amendola was the only quality receiver remaining on the team. Some of the other receivers had good games occasionally, but lacked consistency.

But Amendola’s quality was not enough— team’s were able to stick double coverage on him and he did not have the size to make a difference downfield on deep routes, although he was stellar on short and intermediate routes.

Amendola will return in 2011 in a Wes Welker type role under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense, which is certainly a role he can excel at. He’ll be an important weapon in the 2011 offense.

Mike Sims-Walker, No.1 Wide Out

The Rams could possibly catch a break with the development of young receivers Brandon Gibson and Danario Alexander, but until they show that they can consistently perform, then Sims-Walker will instantly be the most talented receiver on the team, especially on the outside.

Sims-Walker only has only played three seasons in his career, with 2009 being the only season that really stands out, but that was enough to show that he is a talented receiver.

Remember, in Jacksonville he had an average quarterback throwing to him in David Garrard. There also were not any other receivers to take the attention away from him. Mike Thomas and tight end Marcedes Lewis did not burst onto the scenes until last year.

Sims-Walker will provide a level of talent at the positiono that the Rams have not seen in recent years. Also, at the age of 26, it’s possible that he has not peaked yet, meaning he could potentially be talented enough to be a No.1 wide receiver.

Donnie Avery, No.2 Slot Receiver

Donnie Avery is not a pure slot receiver like Amendola, as we’ve seen him run plenty of routes on the outside in the past.

It’s unclear how McDaniels will choose to utilize Avery, or if he has recovered all of his speed after rehabbing his knee injury from 2010, but his quickness would be beneficial in the slot against slow linebackers.

But even though his role is not cemented as of yet, it will be interesting to see if he can live up to his second-round draft status and have a break out year.

Avery has not had a chance to play with a quarterback like Sam Bradford, so we’ll see if Marc Bulger and the terrible Rams offense were holding him back all along.

Brandon Gibson, No.2 Wide Out

You can make an argument for Danario Alexander, or perhaps the two rookie receivers Pettis and Salas, but the Rams will likely stick to the more experienced Brandon Gibson until someone else dethrones him by earning playing time.

Of course it’s also possible that Gibson will surprise us all, because after all he was the second leading wide receiver with 620 yards and 53 catches.

Actually, he already is surprising people—there hasn’t been enough time for Sims-Walker to get settled in, but as of now, Gibson is supposedly the unquestioned top receiver so far in training camp.  

While his stats were not too impressive, it’s also easy to forget that he lacked playing time in the beginning of the season, and it was also only his second season after entering the NFL as an undrafted free-agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009.

He’ll get competition, but for now, it’s his job to lose.

Backup Receivers

Danario Alexander

There’s a chance that second-year player Danario Alexander could earn himself a starting job in 2011, but he still has a few hills to climb before that will happen.

Alexander impressed fans during his NFL debut last October against the San Diego Chargers in St. Louis—he had four catches for 72 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown reception. He also had a 45-yard catches against the Denver Broncos in Week 11, as well as a 46-yard catch during Week 16 against the San Francisco 49er’s.

His 6’5” 220 pound frame could be put to great use by Sam Bradford and the offense, but he needs to do something well other than the long ball.

For the most part, Alexander was not a major threat to opposing teams because the long ball was the only route he was able to run.

If Alexander wants to be a starter, then he needs to become a weapon on short and intermediate routes, as well as the long routes.

Alexander also has a lengthy history with knee injuries, which is another factor working against him. It’s something the coaching staff will carefully watch.  

Austin Pettis

Pettis was the Rams third round pick last April and he’ll bring a fairly wide skill set to the group if development pans out.

The Rams struggled with dropped passes in 2010, so that is something they wanted to fix. Forget speed, size and other traits, the Rams just wanted to find someone capable of hanging on to the ball no matter what, because they are confident that Bradford can hit his targets.

That’s exactly what Pettis was drafted for—his sure hands. Although, he also brings decent size at 6'3" and 209 pounds.

Pettis was also drafted because he at the tools to play each wide receiver position, which greatly increases the chance of him earning playing time.

Expect him to see the field in 2011 and expect his playing to increase towards the end of the season, but don’t expect any major contributions, at least not yet.

Greg Salas

Salas and Pettis are very similar prospects who were drafted for almost the exact same reasons.

Like Pettis, Salas has decent size at 6’1” and 210 pounds, but he lacks dangerous speed. However, he has dependable hands and is capable of playing each wide receiver position.

It’s clear that the Rams drafted guys like Pettis and Salas because they feel they don’t need an elite receiver to excel.

They feel that they can get by with just surrounding Bradford with multiple targets that are reliable, but not overwhelming, which is basically the same strategy that has been used recently by the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots.

Mardy Gilyard

Despite being only a fourth round pick in 2010, fans still had a lot of high expectations for Mardy Gilyard last season, especially since he was such an electric player in college at Cincinnati.

However, Gilyard barely saw the field last year after he struggled to learn the playbook and he only recorded six catches for a modest 63 yards all season long.

Gilyard has mostly been an afterthought, but recent training camp reports have suggested that he’s showing up ready to play, so there’s a chance that he can turn it around.

However, it’s still early in training camp, so there’s time for things to change. Also, there’s a lot of competition at the position this year, so nothing is going to be guaranteed for Gilyard, no matter how regenerated he is.

Gilyard is ineligible for the practice squad, so it's do-or-die time for him this preseason. 

Dominique Curry

Dominique Curry joined the Rams in 2010 as an undrafted rookie with promising potential.

His size (6’2” 224 pounds) and strength makes the coaching staff hopeful that he’ll be able to contribute at some point in his career.

Actually, he was already contributing as a rookie, just not as a receiver—he was a valuable asset on special teams throughout the preseason and for part of the regular season.

His season was cut short after Week 3 in 2010 due to a torn ACL , which is particularly unfortunate because the Rams had multiple wide receivers go down with injuries in 2010, so he would have been given a chance to show off his skills as a receiver.

The Rams will try to make room on the roster for Curry, they would love to have him on special teams if nothing else, but the most likely scenario is a trip to the practice squad.     

Are the Rams foolish for missing out of Jackson/Moss? Or Smart?

After being widely considered the worst team in football, according to preseason speculation, the Rams are currently ranked 24th in ESPN's power rankings, and 23rd on Fox Sports. Pretty impressive considering most in the national media never expected the Rams to even leave the 30's in the rankings. More importantly however, the Rams are in 2nd-place in the NFC West, and they are tied for the the best record in the division.

Typically, rebuilding teams shy away from blockbuster trades, because they feel that saving draft picks better serves the rebuilding process. Big time trades are usually reserved for teams that are a couple of pieces away from competing.

The Rams are widely considered to be a rebuilding team; but after their performance during the first quarter of the season, in might not be a reach to view the Rams as a team that could win the division, especially if they add a couple of key pieces, such as a solid back-up running-back (not that Kenneth Darby has done terrible so far), or more importantly, a primary target for quarterback Sam Bradford, a receiver that can be the deep threat that the Rams are missing.

Mark Clayton has been a major addition so far for the Rams. Clayton was a low-risk/high-reward acquisition. However, Clayton doesn't have the size to force separation; he also doesn't have the height to secure jump-balls, or the sure hands required to rack up receptions. Clayton would be an ideal number two receiver; and if the Rams were to bring in a number one receiver by 2011, then that new receiver, along with Clayton, Donnie Avery, and Danny Amendola, would make a scary set of wide-receivers for the Rams.

Since the need for a top receiver is so clear, and since the Rams are still in the division race, it makes one wonder if the Rams are regretting their decision to pass on Vincent Jackson.

Had the Rams made the trade, Jackson would be suiting up for the game this Sunday, against Detroit. But since Jackson was not traded before a certain deadline, he must serve a three game suspension, on top of a prior three game suspension for violating the leagues' substance abuse policy. 

The second suspension doesn't start until he signs an agreement. Therefor, if the Rams were to make a deal for Jackson, he would be available for them by week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, and after that game, the Rams enter the Bye-week, which would be a perfect opportunity for Jackson to learn the offense. He would then be available for the final stretch of the season, and he just might give the Rams an extra push, putting them on top of the division.

The current interest in Jackson seems to be non-existent, but if there is an interest, then they need to make an offer soon, since the Patriots are currently showing interest. The Patriots' interest, or at least the rumors of their interest, stem from the fact that they lost wide-receiver Randy Moss to a trade with Minnesota. Minnesota payed New England a 2011 3rd round draft pick in exchange for Moss.

Moss would've been another receiver that Rams could use. Moss certainly would've been a solid primary receiver for Bradford; but Moss in 33 years old, and like Jackson, Moss has had his character come into question. Either one of the two receivers would certainly add to the Rams' offense, but both have questionable attitudes.

In 2002, Moss allegedly bumped a traffic control officer with his car, after the officer ordered him to stop his vehicle. This led to his arrest, where the officers found a small amount of marijuana. Ultimately, Moss received only a minor traffic violation for the incident. Then there was the 2004 incident, when he exited the field, against the Washington Redskins, with time still left on the clock. Moss has also admitted to being a occasional marijuana smoker.  

The 27 year old Jackson had the substance abuse violation from the NFL, stemming from a DUI he received in 2009. He also had another encounter with law enforcement for driving with a suspended drivers license. Jackson is one violation away from being suspended for the entire 2010 season.

Rams' head-coach Steve Spagnuolo has been dedicated to building the team with high-character players. General Manager Billy Devaney said that the team would be more willing to look at less-than-desirable characters, once the primary core of team is cemented with high-class guys. It is unknown whether or not the team is at that point yet, but given the Rams current situation, it might not be the worst time to take a risk on a player that could potentially put the team on top.