Rams Opponents Play Tonight
by CoachConnors on Aug 12, 2010 11:57 AM CDT
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PrintThere are three preseason games tonight, each having a Rams opponent. Preseason football can be fairly anticlimactic since the starters either don’t play or are only in for a series or two, and the final results often don’t have much correlation to the regular season. Still, there are a couple of good reasons for Rams fans to pay attention to these games.
Oakland at Dallas
The Raiders are the Rams week 2 opponent, and they're obviously a team a lot of people think offers a great chance for an early season win. Al Davis’ comparisons of Jason Campbell to Jim Plunkett aside, the Raiders have looked much better than last year -- so far. The Cowboys are short on TE’s right now and will in all likelihood run a pretty vanilla offense against the Raiders. It’ll be interesting to see if Marion Barber can run against the Raiders, since that might be the closest thing to a Steven Jackson-type that the Raiders will have to defend.
Bonus: bask in the glow of every Alex Barron penalty. Your problem now, Cowboys.
Carolina at Baltimore (on ESPN)
The comparisons between the NFL play of Bradford and Clausen officially begin. And they might officially end when Bradford starts for his team and Clausen doesn’t. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was on SportsCenter this morning saying Bradford was ahead of where the Rams thought he would be, and from what I saw his footwork looked pretty damn good on tape. I’m happy with our QB but still, seeing Clausen struggle against the Ravens D tonight will make me feel better.
On a side note, I really wanted one of the top TE’s in the draft. I think it makes a huge difference for a young QB to have a pair of big, reliable hands waiting 3 or 4 yards away. The Ravens drafted two of the better receiving TE’s in Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. After seeing Fells fumble during the scrimmage game, there’s no way I can watch these guys and not wonder "what if." That’ll all come to an end as soon as one of our guys shows he can make a play not on a fake field goal.
New Orleans at New England
The Rams play at the Saints in week 14, and that might be the only reason this game has anything whatsoever to do with the Rams’ season. But hey, it’s something.
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FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!
I wish I was at home to watch
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
when are you returning 3k?
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi
around the end of the month
I’ll be back in time for the regular season. I’m part of the mass exodus.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
by 3k on Aug 12, 2010 3:37 PM CDT up reply actions
eh its so hard to put any emphasis on how opponents perform in preseason
i mean didnt our sorry 1-15 team go 3-1 in the preseason? ill still watch a bit of the other games but ill only be glued to the tv when the rams are playing.
hm but perhaps ill pay close attention to our division rivals games. i would just love to see alex smith and leinhart show more signs of weakness.
We had a healthy team in the Preseason
We were 90-100% in the preseason then when the opener happend everything went downhill from there
there is no doubt that injuries hampered us but even if we were healthy the ending results would not have changed drastically
maybe 3-4 more wins at most
by Buck Nasty87 on Aug 12, 2010 2:30 PM CDT up reply actions
That's a pretty big difference
If we win 3-4 more games, the Redskins could be picking in front of us, which means Bradford could be a Redskin, McNabb may not be. Redskins may have kept Campbell, then the Raiders would have had Gradkowski starting. Marc Bulger is probably still our QB or worse, Jimmy Clausen. Bradford could have been a Raider, Redskin, or Seahawk. I think that’s a pretty big difference.
Onubon > Gates
Oakland stopping the run (or not)
Is probably tonight’s biggest implication for the Rams, if there is one. Can’t wait for Rams games.
Isn't Barron injured (pinky)?
I thought I read he was querstionable
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi
3-1 last year
We did have a 3-1 preseason last year but that was deceiving. Our ones did not do much – especially on offense. I seem to remember Bulger did not have a touchdown for like the 3rd preseason in a row. All I care about is how our ones look against their ones. If we can move the ball and score a touchdown against Vikings ones I will be happy. I could care less whether out backups beat their backups. Big test will be game three, when our starters play 3 quarters.
Our 2's against our 3's
… is the real value for me at that point. Seeing who among the new guys is struggling and who is playing himself onto the team.
Let’s see what Roger Saffold has. Is he on track to start, really?
Let’s see Mike Hoomanawanui and Fendi Onobun , who bring what seem to be vastly different skillsets. Can either of them surpass Daniel Fells, who himself has just 2 years experience and was undrafted out of powerhouse UC Davis? (and who better have the fear of God in him after the scrimmage fumble).
I want to see what role Spags can give former all american Geroge Selvie, and if he can utelize his speed. Can he be more effective than Hall Davis, who was drafted 75 spots ahead of him?
Josh Hull was a walk-on at Penn State who worked himself into their starting MLB gig, and I want to see him too because I love high-effort players.
Of course all this will have to wait until the Rams are ready to play these guys, but there’s no doubt there are things to look for in the pre- beyond Bradford. For some of these guys, the pre- will be our only chance the glimpse the future because (barring injury) they won’t get in much during the regular season.
And you didn't even mention CBs...
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
by 3k on Aug 12, 2010 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions
I knew it!
I was thinking I left our Murphy and ’Quise and 3K is going to hate me! haha
by CoachConnors on Aug 12, 2010 4:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Bulger in
First 3 plays:
1. Deep pass, way underthrown
2. Delayed handoff- loss of 2 yards
3. Sack, fumble lost
Kind of sums up the Rams season
Then he gets the ball backed up against the endzone.
False start
Then he settles in and does what I thought he could with a lot of time.
What I hate is how the announcers are now talking about how great Bulger is, and when he was on the Rams, he was trash.
I think the Vikings should’ve signed Bulger as a Favre backup plan.
I think and hope Bulger does well, although I also hope he never has to play. I like Flacco.
Onubon > Gates
What the Ravens have done for Flacco
Is what I hope we do for Bradford, although he probably won’t need it as much, and that is bring in a great guidance team like Saunders and Zorn. It’s worth the investment, Feely’s actually probably a good start, but we should maybe look at our OC and QB coach after the season if not before.
Damn. Our franchise is trash if he's our 2nd or 3rd greatest QB ever.
Tsk tsk.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
" 'So what if I hit the wall?"
(Reporter): 'Why?'
'Because I'll run right through it."
-Kobe Bryant
by TrojanRam on Aug 12, 2010 10:07 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Sounds like you still watch Bulger and would like to see more off him
After the money he got from the Rams he never played good football again, personally I don’t care if he gets hit by a bus never mind hopping he does well, so glad to be rid of all the trash QB’s that came thru here last few years its a blessing to start fresh
Yea that's exactly what I said (sarcasm)
I’m glad to start fresh with Bradford. I’m sorry if I’m not the kind of person who hopes a person gets hit by a bus and never succeed in life again because he played bad football on a bad team.
Onubon > Gates
Boller in for Raiders
stinking up the joint
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi
lol he threw a td pass.. raiders came back and beat the boys
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi
Has Clausen made it in yet?
It’s hard to follow when you have a 2nd and 3rd grader running around screaming
yes... threw a pic
8-15 80 yds 1 int qb rating 41
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi
Measuring sticks
Boller: 12-21, 148yds, 1TD (94.9 rating)
Bulger: 5-12, 67yds (60.1 rating)
Clausen: 8-15, 80yds, 1int (41.1 rating)
Still amused at Boller coming back to beat the Cowboys’ third stringers. I’ll be thrilled if Bradford looks good and puts up similar stats against the Vikes’ second team, though.
To be fair, Clausen looked better than his rating indicates. The interception that brings it down had more to do with his receiver slipping and falling down at the worst time.
yea def looked good on the field
Clausen was super accurate and super calm in the pocket. One of his 3rd down completions came against the all out blitz. He had a dude coming straight at him and looked calm and poised. Impressive i say. I need bradford to look better to calm my mind.
I really wanted ED DICKSON in this draft and he looked like he can do big things last night.
I like Oh Oh but he is the only pick in this draft that shocks me, he is good but not great and there were more dynamic talents on the board at that spot.
I am a big fan of Onobun already lol but I would rather have seen a dominant blocking TE taken or a proven pass catcher like Anthony McCoy in the place of Oh Oh.
Dickson was number 1 on my TE list after Gresham…
Bradford to Onobun!
Clausen looked like Clausen
Ugly ball, strong throws, good feel/feet in the pocket, very willing to throw in tough spots. If you saw all his attempts, he did well to not have more INT’s. But pretty balls and pinpoint accuracy never were his strong suits. The 41 rating is worthless for any real analysis at this point, you have to watch the player play. See him against himself, basically. I grade him B-/C+. Not really impressed, but wasn’t expecting to be either.
For Bradford, what I expect to see is a much prettier ball come off his hand, and good ball placement. What I hope to see is him willing to put the ball into tight spots, including both close coverage and the corner of the end zone. He’ll need good protection to do that. His fakes looked weak on tape too, he needs to sell the run out a whole lot better.
And the Cowboys didn't run well against the Raiders
Raiders D is something to keep an eye on if you think that’s going to be an easy road game.
For the Rams....
there are no easy games.
I should be working right now...
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