Recap: Sam Bradford makes the Rams his team with soul cleansing win over Washington
by Ryan Van Bibber on Sep 26, 2010 8:13 PM CDT
in 2010 St. Louis Rams season
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I'm not sure how to feel right now. The St. Louis Rams beat the Washington Redskins and scored thirty points in the process. It was the first time they won since week 8 last season and the first time they scored 30 points since a 2008 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
What does it all mean?
Rather than delve into the Xs and Os here, I want to come back to something 3k and I talked at length about on Turf Show Radio this week: installing a winning mentality.
That "learning how to win" trope gets old, but after watching last season and the first two games of this one, there wasn't much else you could say. Glimmers of possibility popped up here and there, some solid work on the 2-minute offense, inspired defense, etc. Ultimately, the Rams threw water on it themselves with the usual things that beat the Rams, bad penalties, inability to finish drives, dropped passes, blown gaps and all that jazz.
Not today. Continuing a trend, Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson highlighted a solid start that gave the Rams a rare 14-0 lead as the time expired in the first quarter. Donovan McNabb and Washington then took advantage of the usual errors to score 16 unanswered points. As the clock ticked off the second quarter, everything seemed painfully familiar.
I'd like to know what head coach Steve Spagnuolo or any of the veteran players said in the locker room during half time. So far this season, fans and pundits hammered the Rams for failing to make adjustments at the half, as if there were some magical tweak of the playbook, a mystical hidden gap discovered that could turn the tide of the general poor execution that was really plaguing this team.
3k and I put much of that on the coaches. It wasn't some simple adjustment, it was just expecting players to play smart and play hard. The later was never a problem, but you wondered about the former. W
Whatever was said and whoever said it, did a damn fine job. The second half started with a quick Washington field goal that made it 16-14. Then the Rams got the ball. Bradford, working without Steven Jackson (God, the sports cliche almost writes iteself: hero out, greenhorns win the game), led the offense down the field for a touch down. The turning point came on third-and-10, after incomplete passes to Gibson and Gilyard, Bradford connects with Daniel Fells for 12 yards and a first down. They converted another third-and-long and scored on the very next play.
The Rams owned the game from that point on, getting a much needed win and finally passing a major roadblock in their progress.
Sam Bradford gets the game ball here. Rookie QBs aren't supposed to do that without a marquee running back. He did. Spagnuolo and the much-malaigned Pat Shurmur turned it over to the skinny kid from Oklahoma who called the plays based on what he saw on the field. Time and again, he put the ball precisely into the hands of his receivers just behind the mass of Washington players crowded at the line, executing Jim Haslett's aggressive defense. That's why you pick a player like Bradford first overall.
The whole team deserves credit. Playing shorthanded and against the odds, the Rams finished the game looking like a different team than the group that lost to Oakland last week. I highly recommend you go back and watch some video, pay particular attention to the body language of the players, the steeled glaze over their eyes and the primal expressions that go with the thoughtless, perfect execution of their roles.
The St. Louis Rams might not be ticketed for a championship in 2010, but they turned a corner with today's win. No more can you wonder if this team, this 6 wins in 3 years bunch, knows how to win a game. Spagnuolo and Bradford led this bunch to victory today. Things won't and can't be the same ever again.
Welcome to the new, new era of St. Louis Rams football.
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Best Win in 3-4 years
Watching that game, albeit plenty of missed opportunities (seriously what’s up with the kicking game), the rams are starting to look legit again…Were still along ways away from being a real threat but seriously today was freaking awesome.
Huge game next week
As of right now, the seahawks appear to be our biggest threat in the division. I honestly believe we can beat them. Playing at home and building from the confidence of our first win. We need to get healthy though. Sjax probably won’t be ready but hopefully OJ and Dahl will.
Niners are still the most talented team in the division.
The Seacawks are total crap.
Their stadium is 2-0 though.
I can take a beating ... I'm a Rams fan.
by Midasknight on Sep 27, 2010 12:03 AM CDT up reply actions
they are at our house next week aren't they
and they are mistake prone (like we have been) If we can keep another clean game going I think we can take them but they aren’t going to lay down and give it to us. They hate us as much as we hate them and they want to keep their division lead.
I was so proud of "the team" today as a whole
skins take the momentum, SJ get hurt, bad no call forces the field goal, it gets blocked. Most teams with our record would have taken the hint and laid down and died especially against an obviously “better” team. These boys did the opposite. They came out and PLAYED THE GAME TO WIN. Wasn’t that what you guys were all talking about on turf show radio. Play the game to win. They did that with all odds stacked against them. I suspect this was a corner turning game VT discussed in his rally the troops post this week. OakCity said Bradford hadn’t lost three games in a row since Junior high or high schoold and Bradford would come out and do everything in his power to keep that tradition. He did. They all did. I am so proud of the whole lot of them.
+100000
These Rams have been playing with fire and intensity….the poster boy for this has been Chris Long; he plays with a huge level of passion. Beyond the mental aspect, this team is just better than those of recent years. We’re not quite there yet talent wise, but I have a feeling that one more draft and free agency period will have us contending for the division.
totally agree rams 2011
our defense is a little scary now but if we draft a legit pass rusher to go opposite Long i think alot of teams will be sh&^*ing themselves
Amen
Well said TSTers, what a glorious win it was. I see us getting better, on both sides of the ball.
The only thing comparable to a Rams win is a 49er loss!
by DevsLaRams on Sep 26, 2010 8:35 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
and also
I think the coaches are getting better too, the made some fearless play calls.
The only thing comparable to a Rams win is a 49er loss!
by DevsLaRams on Sep 26, 2010 8:38 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
if you're willing to shell out some money
nfl game pass broadband is actually really decent. great quality, and it archives all games so you can go back and watch em
How about Fendi?
I was very happy to see Fendi and Gilyard get a few chances today, I think most here would agree on that. If I remember correctly Bradford tried to target Fendi on a fade in the end zone, but the ball was tipped or something. I want to see that man jump!!! He did have a catch early in the game which was nice to see.
fendi did really well for his first outing
he got held alot and it didn’t get called but I think that is going to be a long term perk of his size. I think once refs see it a couple of times on game tape they’ll start watching for it and getting the calls
Very, Very good post Van
You said it perfectly my friend. So glad I can share this Ram victory with my brotherin here at good ole TST!
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi
im kind of dissapointed in the fans here
so quick to turn on the staff especially ram chop
i was the only one who thought shurmur was even half decent i was very impressed in how he got the O to move the ball situationaly and he really put one together today
medeocrity? futility is a much better word
but ive been optimistic every last game
i love the 4 pillars
Past 30 years
Well 27 out of 30 anyway. Last 3 were just dismal.
@ zaviex – Imitating the Falcons and Saints these last 30 years has been hard to take. That “here we go again” feeling comes real quick and won’t go away until we have some sustained success.
Mine was about the same time at the colleseum maybe 1968
against the Cards. My first Dodger game was against the Cards too. How were the Rams in 1966? I think the early ’60s were tough on them.
Rams defenses were good starting in the 70's too.
I became a fan in 1979-1980 season and felt the pain of S.F., a strike shortened scab season, the 1990’s, etc… Rams have not been consistently a playoff team in the past 3 decades.
i think you are overlooking the quietly optimistic fans on here
they are everywhere in regular posts… but on game threads it is alot harder to show your optimism when you are going on a 1-17 record the last couple of years because people are quick to call you out as overly optimistic. Whereas the more cynical fans feel more comfortable voicing their opinion. There are alot of optimistic fans on here. And alot of fans that are dying to be optimistic but just weary from the long drought of wins
This was a truly great win for us VT just the kind of win we needed for the team to build on
coming back like that against all odds reminded me of the Warner era Sam is our future we have the most important building block to make a great team
I saw that. After that I dont care if any of the redskin players get injured. They all deserve to be on the IR. Save for Fletcher.
Football players, like prostitutes, are in the business of ruining their bodies for the pleasure of strangers. ~Merle Kessler
by mlkgandhiv2k on Sep 26, 2010 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, ....
they grabbed his leg that was still off the ground and started yanking and pulling on it to try to get that fumble called. Nevermind that his other knee was already down. Then, they all piled on his head and torso pulling the other direction. I’m sure that’s what hurt his groin.
Awesome game!
It was a great team effort today! Keep up the good work, guys!
Go Rams...go Sammy B!!!
Take away the 2nd quarter and this was a dominant performance.
I thought the 2nd quarter was going to start that losing team collapse again, but, as you said, the team completely put that behind them on the first drive of the 3rd quarter. I find it ironic that this win came against the Redskins. I’m sure you all remember last year’s game against the Redskins where the Rams had a win completely within their grasp. I thought the QB play was the difference in both games. Last year, Bulger found a way to lose a very winnable game there. This year, Bradford found a way to win this game.
The exciting thing is to see a the evolution of this team. This was a very good win, but there is also room for improvement in all facets of the team. I think this defense is one elite pass rusher away from being very, very good. I don’t think Long is ever going to reach that, but I think Hall would be very dangerous if he was getting any help from the other side. They might still need a decent cover LB, too; but that might not be as evident if the pass rush was more effective. The special teams play has certainly improved the last two years. I think Coach McMahon deserves a medal for turning around any area of the team that has been downright dismal for a decade.
How ‘bout the efforts of Kenneth Darby today? I thought they were hosed when Jackson went down, but Darby showed something we hadn’t seen from him today. The receiving skills he supplied were better than I think we should have expected from what we’d seen up till now. If Gibson ever learns to catch the ball, he certainly seemed to be finding holes in the defense. I don’t think there are words to describe the impacts that Mark Clayton and Danny Amendola are having on Bradford’s start to the season. Both guys just simply catch whatever comes their way.
I’m encouraged after this game, and I think it’s going to make a world of difference getting this losing monkey off their backs. Even against Detroit last year it never really felt like they were turning a corner. This win, coupled with those first two very close losses, sure gives a feeling of an ascending team. We still have plenty of needs in terms of skill players, but I really think this is going to be a dangerous team in two years if they can keep on this track.
by etp_stl on Sep 26, 2010 10:26 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Good points
You may be one season too many. If Bradford’s shoulder stays good, he may be one heck of a field general. Did I read that the Rams allowed Bradfod to call his own plays based on what the defense was showing (including checkoffs)?
I know what you mean, but ....
I’m saying two seasons because I think they still have some high-end skill player holes to fill. I don’t think you can get that done in one offseason. I think it will take two to fill the WR, RB, and DE holes that they still have. I also think they need some serious depth all over the field, and I don’t think you can fill that by next year, either.
I sure hope I’m wrong, though.
Yea i hear you but....
I say we go for them three in the first three rounds in next years draft
I would perfer us to get the top WR in the draft which is that dude from Alabama sorry can’t remember name, get a good DE in second round, get a RB in the 3rd and stack up with the remainder picks. The to fill up more of them holes we go to FA. This could be a REALLY dangerous team next season.
I hope we have all those opportunities in the next draft.
Very seldom does the draft position depth happen to line up with any specific teams’ needs through three rounds, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the fates smile on the Rams a little.
Yea that's true
Well we’ll for sure get a top ten pick next draft so that WR fall into our hand
I do believe there will be a DE in the 2nd that we could use
And in the 3rd I’m sure all the good RB won’t be gone
then get some back up for the rest, I just think they really need to get a Big WR for Sam and you never know the RB that we have now could step up to eliminate that problem.
We also have FA, so ....
you could see a good turnaround next year. I think they can find some players throughout the draft. I don’t think this regime has seemed to show that they will draft for need, either. We’ll have to see how that changes now that they are starting to provide some depth. If they could find a couple of solid upgrades in FA (ala Fred Robbins and Jason Brown) next year, then you could potentially talk playoffs next year. I tend to keep my expectations to incremental improvement so as to temper my excitement or disappointment. Your way is possible and I think preferable to all of us.
Yea
You are right about that, I just don’t agree with all the people saying we should have gone for VJ, he would have just been an interuption. I think they should look for some depth in the draft next year and get some weapons that Sam can utilize ever more, this offense could be very dangerous and get some depth for the D too.
It’s kinda hard to not get excited lol
think this defense is one elite pass rusher away from being very, very good. I don’t think Long is ever going to reach that, but I think Hall would be very dangerous if he was getting any help from the other side.
If it wasn’t for Long getting double teamed and still getting in the face of every QB we played this year, you would never hear Halls named called. Hall played with Little, and never got the chances Long has given him.
Wow, special teams are improved? WTF are you smokin? Two blocked FG’s in three games, blown coverage on both kick off and punts, and Brown is still the highest payed average kicker in the league. Gilyard fumbled (it happens), so other then Brown making three chip shots in a row, what is so positive about our ST? Was once a strength (last year), but now is becoming a big concern.
Judge all you want, but please don’t discredit the players making plays.
Well, thanks for your permission.
I will judge all I want as this is an opinion forum. I disagree with you on Long, and Little hasn’t actually been an elite pass rusher in a few years. He provided effectively what you are getting from Hall right now. I don’t see nearly the double-teaming on Long that you are describing, and I see a great many times that he is still two steps away from getting to the QB on his best rushes. I see him get blocked one-on-one by a TE WAY too frequently to be even mentioned in the same sentence with the elite pass rushers in the league. He just doesn’t provide the juice that the Rams need from that position. He makes some plays, but he is a good off-side DE if you have that elite pass rusher on the other side. He doesn’t seem to have the quickness required to fill the need that he was drafted for.
The blocking up front on the FG unit has to be improved! The first blocked FG was a rookie TE missing his assignment, but this one was just the center of the line getting blocked down. The first one is a young team and has NOTHING to do with the overall capabilities of the unit. The second one is inexcusable. Still, compared to the ST that this team has had for the last decade, this is still significantly better than we’ve seen. This entire team has holes in its execution, and that unit is no different. There is still marked improvement from a unit that seemed to have no improvement despite the changes in players, coordinators, and head coaches. McMahon is the first one to come in and breathe life into this unit since Frank Gansz was alive and coaching.
was bradford actually calling his own plays?
and not in a hurry up? because i was really ready to eat my words and apologize to pat shurmur. however, if bradford was calling his own plays, that is really exciting. like an icing on the awesome cake that was this game. shout out to animal jr and chris long who played their hearts and outta their minds. dominating at times for both of them. ron bartell also did a fantastic job.
עם ישראל חי
that is awesome
they are a wierd defense though… they seem to allow alot of long drives down and then they shut everyone down in the redzone…. it is odd… if you are so stout in the redzone…. what gives
It is a fun defense to watch
Especially when they are given some rest by the offense. That 2nd half Defense Sunday was Awesome! Way to go Rams!
unbelievable
I can’t stop reading TST posts. Usually I am reading about another missed oppertunity but not today. I am so proud of the Rams. What a rush its gonna be to see them next week when I actually think they will beat the Seahawks. GO RAMS GO.
The only thing comparable to a Rams win is a 49er loss!
by DevsLaRams on Sep 27, 2010 12:00 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
I'll tell ya exactly what it means.
We’ve got a real QB now. And he’s not used to losing. We’ve also dumped a sh*t pot full of players with the losing mentality and/or who are over the hill. Who’s missing Bulger, Boller, Null, McMichael, head case Incognito, jinx/slug Barron, Obog, Carriker, poor OLD Leonard Little, Vic Adenyaju, Quincy Butler, Paris Lenon, Kevin Dockery, etc. etc.??? These NEW guys don’t like getting their asses kicked. Even though we lost two games we shoulda won, you could tell most of these guys were disraught over it instead of thinking “when do I get paid?” Who in the world saw that performance by Darby coming??? Certainly not me. I hope it wasn’t a fluke. And I especially hope that SJax is not hurt bad. Clayton and Amendola ain’t bad either. Who’s Laurent Robinson, Donnie Avery or Keenan Burton? Go team!!! Get out there next week and roast some Sh*thawks!!
+100
Still soft head Smith got on my last nerve today with his holding calls he came close to blowing the game for us ,but Sam came back with a big first down pass to save us and drive for a score
great game but we have to do better and not let up now Go Rams
This is the Rams team we saw in the preseason
Grinding out the clock, sustaining long drives, getting first down after first down, spreading the ball around to multiple receivers. I didn’t get to see the game but looking at the play by play, it looked like the three backs who were running the ball for the most part were gaining good positive yardage giving us second down and not so long to go. Everytime we had third down in a passing situation, Bradford just had a knack for finding an open receiver just beyond the first down marker to keep the drive alive. And those open recievers seemed to be different ones every time. The stat that excited me was the fact that the Skins were 0-9 on third down opportunities and never went for it on 4th down. We went for it on two of our 4th down possessions. This was an awesome all around win for the Rams.
On a day when I was pulling for the AFC West they really dropped the ball except for the Cheifs. Nice to see the Niners 0-3. I really don’t think they are what people think they are. Singletary and the Niners are on their way to self destruction. Chargers blew it against the Seahags and the Faiders blew it against the Cards. Hard to believe we could have been tied for first with a little help from our friends. Oh well, were only a game out and playing for a piece of first place next week.
GO RAMS!
+100
The only thing comparable to a Rams win is a 49er loss!
by DevsLaRams on Sep 27, 2010 2:24 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
On a couple of those first down passes
the WR caught the ball a yard or two short of the mark and fought to make the first down. They just weren’t going to quit on Sunday. You could see extra effort up and down the roster. Sam and Spags have this team fighting hard. What a difference from last year.
Speaking of 49ers self destructing.....
Turns out, they just fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye. This was supposed to be the year that Alex Smith was to take a big step forward because it would be the first time having the same offensive coordinator for two seasons in a row. They got the Falcons next week and are probably staring at 0-4.
Even though they invested heavily on the offensive line, things are not clicking in San Fran. 5 sacks allowed, 43 yards rushing, 2.9 yards per rush attempt, a total of 11 first downs and 8 punts seems pretty feeble for a team that was slated to run away with this division.
Is it just me, or does Sam Bradford look like he can be one of the Jonas Brothers?
Sort of looks like Singletary was/is not ready
That’s how it looks to me. I like his fire, but his organizational skills may not be there yet, and the OC choice shows his shortcomings. They have a couple of good young linemen but they’re rookies and if their OC doesn’t have his act together it’s probably hindered their development up till now too.
Some of their players reportedly complained about the plays taking too long to get in to the game. No excuse for that kind of stuff on the pro level.
by CoachConnors on Sep 27, 2010 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, I cracked up when I saw Singletary getting interviewed after their week 1 loss
The miscommunication, the malfunctioning headsets, taking to long to decide what play to use. I get the same impression that Singletary is a “my way or the highway-type micro-manager” and just might not be head coach material. It’s a shame for them that every week instead of interviewing their star player who made the game winning play, they have to interview the coach going over all the excuses as to why they lost.
Is it just me, or does Sam Bradford look like he can be one of the Jonas Brothers?
Wow! I’m so happy to be a fan of a team that is rising from the ashes like a "Phoenix." I really thought they were going to win this week because I’ve seen Sam’s determination to win for the last 3 years.
His will to win affects the whole team. Sam leads by example, and there is no better example than to refuse to quit no matter what happens. You can see the team is responding, and the young guys want their day in the sun.
Two things stuck in my mind about this game, one is Amen to Amendola. He is such a tuff customer and makes plays when they need them the most.
The second one is seeing Sam by himself in the backfield, and a 4WR set!
If that’s not guts and faith in a rookie QB in his 3rd ever game what is? Great coaching, let the kid make the calls.
Final tidbit: I read an article where one of the Rams players said Sam was chewing azz in the huddle, and driving them to get the win!
You got to love that!
Yep, they quoted one of the linemen
as saying he seemed like a firey 10 year vet QB in the huddle. He was on them, he was driving them, and they loved it.
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