St. Louis Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles, week 1
by Ryan Van Bibber on Sep 7, 2008 8:14 AM CDT
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PrintSt. Louis Rams at Philadelphia Eagles, Sep 7, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
Well, this is it. Now it counts, and we get to see just how far the Rams have come since last year's disaster. A game in Philly can always be interesting.
Rams injuries
- WR Donnie Avery (knee) is out. CB Fakhir Brown (shoulder) will only play in nickel packages, Bartell and Hill will start.
- Kevin Curtis WR (hernia) is out. Reggie Brown WR (hamstring) did not participate in practice and is likely out. Victor Abiamiri DE (wrist) is out.
- The defensive front. The young guys on the line will have to work hard to contain Westbrook and McNabb, making sure Leonard Little has all the support he needs to do his job. The linebackers, too, will need the guys in front of them to play hard so they don't get tied up with blockers and can contain Westbrook from breaking off big plays and catching passes in the middle.
- Steven Jackson. How ready is he? We'll find out today. I think he'll be used in the full capacity for screens and such, but I'll still be surprised if Pittman doesn't take a few extra carries. Either way, the interior line has a lot to prove and they'll have to make sure holes are open enough for the runner to punch it up the gut.
- Wide receivers. It would be nice to have Avery's speed to spread the field, and keep the Eagles from stacking the box. Torry Holt, as you may know, is no slouch, but he'll be in double coverage plenty. Dante Hall will spread the field from the slot a few times, and watch for Keenan Burton to get some work moving the chains. He'll get lots of work if Drew Bennett is still shaking off the rust...or suckiness.
As always, be sure to check out Eagles coverage at Bleeding Green Nation.
Go RAMS!
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Rams Already Deemed 'Losers' by Media
Well I have been off sick for the last few days and watching way too much football news/analysis. Everyone is picking the Eagles behind a healthy McBabb and Westbrooke. Most also cite the rams lack of receiver depth (as has been covered on this site) and weak defense. While I understand being the underdog we deserve a chance at the very least. Hopefully Chris Long emerges as a dominant force and he and Little destroy the run game of the Eagles.
GO RAMS
my poor hand eye coordination...
gives the Eagles a big Madden advantage.
by Ryan Van Bibber on Sep 7, 2008 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Super Tecmo Bowl reigns supreme
NES, circa 1991.
by Downing Rules on Sep 7, 2008 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Something I found interesting.....and confusing
I was reading the NFL preview in ESPN The Magazine and they have the Rams picked to finish 3rd in the division behind Seattle and Arizona.
What struck a chord from me was this quote from Scouts, Inc. which grades the Rams run defense a 52 (out of 100). Scouts Inc says "The front seven lacks bulk at the point of attack, but a bigger problem is lack of talent at LB. This is the worst LB unit in the NFL. After MLB Will Witherspoon, no one scares opponents.
(emphasis added is mine)
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
I'm really stoked about today
I don’t think the Eagles are as good as everyone thinks they are.
I don’t think the Rams are as bad as everyone thinks they are either.
I think this will be a hotly contested battle till the end.
With the Eagle being at home, that’s what scares me
Agreed
and it seems like no matter which game is televised in my area, he is there.
by WestCoastBuc on Sep 7, 2008 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Let's hear it for a 3-and-out.
C’mon Rams. Down 14 nil in the first. Not looking good even for the perpetual optimists. At least we’ll have a fun party for Georgia this year at home games.
Is it too early to call for
Linehan’s head
Can't blame Linehan for weak personnel.
by Downing Rules on Sep 7, 2008 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Of course I was joking
but they have looked pretty disorganized on several plays on both O and D. The Goose also keeps saying they really seem flat.
by WestCoastBuc on Sep 7, 2008 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions
It looked like the receiver had about 5 yards on the defender
on the third down play but I guess a stop is a stop.
Hard to tell when I'm watching Yahoo box scores...
thanks for the tip, no TV out here in LA. Got the Bucs/Aints “who dat” game goin’ on. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
by Downing Rules on Sep 7, 2008 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions
I can almost say that I wish it wasn't on in my area too
The last play The Eagle receiver had Hill beaten by a country mile. I am not sure how much more of this I can take.
Hang in there...
all the Rams need here is a pick returned for a TD and all this Philly momentum goes down the toilet.
by Downing Rules on Sep 7, 2008 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Hill on the 52 yarder then
on the very next play Brown could easily have been called for PI but was not. Very Very little pressure on McNab so far.
Positive Note: Punter Jones...
dude has 2 punts inside the 20. Get those reservations ready for Hawaii for late January/early February.
Tory Holt
Is he even playing? This is serious, he’s on my Fantasy Football team and nothing yet!!
11
y not if im wrong who will remember
by qbinfin on Apr 27, 2008 3:27 PM PDT
If he can still run...
let’s put him on defense. This is an embarrassment. 90 yd TD pass with under a minute left.
by Downing Rules on Sep 7, 2008 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes, he is playing but Bennet was
hurt on the first Ram drive so I think the Eagles are doubling Torry when they don’t blitz. I’d start looking for a replacement for your fantasy team if I were you. Bennet looked very upset about the injury; it could be serious.
no spark
on offense. in between those false start pens in the first Q, on SJ’s run, they looked fired up, but then the flame burnt out.
the secondary looks lost sometimes too
by sometimes
i mean the times when the front 7 can’t get any pass rush going. i saw the 3-4 come out a couple time, or haslett’s version featuring Witherspoon.
this eagles team is pretty good. not much going in the way of rushing though, but why rush when you can pass for 300 yards in hte first half
by Ryan Van Bibber on Sep 7, 2008 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions
andy ried is never a big run guy
sadly i guessed correctly and started mcnabb on my fantasy team. almost makes me glad this game isnt on tv here
I think it is an understatement to say that the Rams secondary
looks lost at times. On the Eagles last TD they had two guys deep and no one back there except Chavous – no one else around at all. Can’t blame him for not being able to cover them both.
Two bright spots
the punt coverage has been excellent. Not at all what we have come to expect for the last 5 years or so. And …
It absolutely has to get better from here.
Brutal
This is worse the the year I jumped on the “bandwagon” because Jim Everett was going to lead us to the promised land. Seriously how can we be this bad – we are entering Detroit Lions territory. At least I didn’t spend the 12.95 to watch the game live.
And if anybody who isn't watching the game wants to kwow
it this is as bad as the score makes it look, the answer is no – it is worse. The Rams have actually been pretty lucky on several plays. Bulger threw at least 4 balls that easily could have been interercepted and one of them would have been returned for a TD. Samuels had the ball in his hands and just dropped it.
Bulger’s fumble bounced right back into his lap.
No pressure at all on McNab, while the Ram offensive line has no answer at all for the Eagles blitzes. I think we have a shot this year at the first overall pick in the draft instead of having to settle for #2.
I'm not watching the game...
I’ve got a root canal I’d rather be attending.
by Downing Rules on Sep 8, 2008 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions
So when it says incomplete pass, I don't know if it was a hail mary or a slant or whatever.
The offensive machine flows in Texas.
I see that
Seattle is getting beat up pretty bad in buffalo. Maybe we will end the day tied for first in the NFC West.
I'm not sure
Bennet went out in the first quarter and he looked pretty unhappy but I didn’t hear an update. Pace came out in pain in the 4th but he looked like he was OK a few plays later even though I don’t think he returned to the game.
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