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A positive sign from Sam Bradford in the last two games:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Sam Bradford is the first NFC West QB with 3 Pass TD in consecutive games since Kurt Warner for the Cardinals in 2007 (4 straight).</p>— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/statuses/389464434218786816">October 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Another one of many classy gestures by Chris Long:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>If I had known Matt was hurt I wouldn't have even celebrated the play. Wishing him a speedy recovery.</p>— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) <a href="https://twitter.com/JOEL9ONE/statuses/389514981399474177">October 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Jeff Fisher's motivational tool appears to be working:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>"They were chanting 2-0 when they came into the locker room. That was a long preseason." - Coach Fisher <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23STLvsHOU&src=hash">#STLvsHOU</a></p>— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) <a href="https://twitter.com/STLouisRams/statuses/389481641418031104">October 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Classy gesture by Cortland Finnegan, keeping it all in perspective [regarding the death of Adrian Peterson's child]:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Before you close your eyes tonight say a prayer for someone life is to short ..AP thoughts and prayers during this tough time...</p>— Cortland Finnegan (@CortFinnegan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CortFinnegan/statuses/388875594785517568">October 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
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A record-breaking game for Alec Ogletree:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Alec Ogletree's 98-yard INT TD return was longest ever by a rookie LB. Tied longest every by a LB: Bucs Shelton Quarles vs. GB on 10/7/2001</p>— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) <a href="https://twitter.com/HBalzer721/statuses/389819981631737856">October 14, 2013</a></blockquote>
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2013 NFL Grades - Week 6: CBS Sports
Will Brinson hands out his weekly grades for games played in Week 6. Brinson gives the Rams a "B+", prefacing the grade with the comment "who saw this coming?".
PFF Reaction Blog - Week 6: Pro Football Focus
The highest graded Ram in the game against Houston? Trumaine Johnson. The lowest graded Ram? Kendall Langford.
"With Tavon Austin playing just four snaps the Rams used 21 personnel on 34% of plays and 12 personnel on 27.7% of plays."
Back In Action: Student Of The Game - Cody Davis
Rams safety Cody Davis [via his own blog], talks about playing in his first NFL game, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Julian Edelman doesn't want to give Tom Brady a high-five - video: Sports Pickle
So much for leadership, respect, and body language...
Rookie Highlight Reel - Alec Ogletree
Alec Ogletree Official UGA Highlight Tape (via Sean Tigallo)
Upon Further Review
St. Louis Rams: ESPN NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: ESPN NFC West
San Francisco 49ers: ESPN NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: ESPN NFC West
The correspondents at ESPN take their weekly, in-depth, look at each of the 4 NFC West teams.
St. Louis Rams parlay Houston Texans Turnovers Into Victory: Rams 101
Turnovers were key in this game, as the Rams scored touchdowns on both a fumble recovery and an interception. Turnovers: Texans 4 - Rams 0.
Matt Schaub Hurt; Houston Texans Lose Fourth Straight: NFL.com
Zac Stacy has claimed the starting tailback position, and Sam Bradford is off to the best statistical start of his career.
"League of Denial" forces NFL, doctors, and players to rethink attitudes: S.I. MMQB
Last weeks documentary on PBS, "League of Denial", shines the interrogative spotlight on the NFL. What did the league know about the science of concussions, and for long did they know it?
Refocus: Rams @ Texans, Week 6: Pro Football Focus
PFF reports on the exemplary play of Trumaine Johnson and Zac Stacy, and the struggles of Jo-Lonn Dunbar, since his return from a four game suspension.
Stat Facts Of The Week: Toxic Differential
| Team | Turnover Differential | Big Play Differential | Toxic Differential | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 25 | 27 |
| 2 | Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 20 | 27 |
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 12 | 8 | 20 |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | 2 | 13 | 15 |
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | -3 | 12 | 9 |
| 6 | New Orleans Saints | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 7 | Carolina Panthers | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 8 | Cleveland Browns | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 9 | Denver Broncos | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 10 | Buffalo Bills | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 11 | Oakland Raiders | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 12 | Chicago Bears | 7 | -4 | 3 |
| 13 | Indianapolis Colts | 6 | -3 | 3 |
| 14 | New England Patriots | 5 | -3 | 2 |
| 15 | Detroit Lions | 5 | -3 | 2 |
| 16 | New York Jets | -11 | 11 | 0 |
| 17 | Tennessee Titans | 8 | -8 | 0 |
| 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0 | -2 | -2 |
| 19 | Miami Dolphins | 1 | -4 | -3 |
| 20 | St. Louis Rams | 6 | -9 | -3 |
| 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | -9 | 5 | -4 |
| 22 | Atlanta Falcons | -2 | -3 | -5 |
| 23 | Baltimore Ravens | -3 | -3 | -6 |
| 24 | Houston Texans | -12 | 6 | -6 |
| 25 | Cincinnati Bengals | -2 | -5 | -7 |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | 4 | -12 | -8 |
| 27 | Minnesota Vikings | 0 | -11 | -11 |
| 28 | Arizona Cardinals | -2 | -9 | -11 |
| 29 | Washington Redskins | -1 | -11 | -12 |
| 30 | San Diego Chargers | -8 | -8 | -16 |
| 31 | New York Giants | -16 | -6 | -22 |
| 32 | Jacksonville Jaguars | -6 | -26 | -32 |
On August 19, I wrote about the importance of the "toxic differential", in an article for Turf Show Times (link). The Rams, after 6 games, rank 20th in the league in this vital statistic. It's evident there is a correlation between the "toxic differential", and an NFL teams success on the field. The chart is courtesy of "Sporting Charts".
5 Critical Takeaways From The Rams' Week 6 Win: Bleacher Report
The play of Sam Bradford, Zac Stacy, and the offensive line highlight BR's weekly takeaways.
2014 NFL Draft Top 100: SBNation - Mocking The Draft
With 4 picks likely in the top 100, the Rams are well-placed to stock up on talent [again] for the future.
NFL Power Rankings - Week 6: CBS Sports
Pat Kirwan shares his weekly power rankings, with the Rams moving up to 21 after the win over Houston.
2014 NFL Mock Drafts: CBS Sports
The Rams hold two first round picks in the 2014 Draft. Rob Rang and Dane Brugler offer their first round mocks: the Rams take OT Jake Matthews with the first selection in both of them.
The Pressers
Jeff Fisher Press Conference - October 14
Jeff Fisher Press Conference - Post-Game
Sam Bradford Press Conference - Post-Game
Alec Ogletree Press Conference - Post-Game
Chris Long Press Conference - Post-Game
All press conferences are courtesy of the St. Louis Rams Official Website.
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Torry Holt praises Michael Brockers, the offensive line, and the red zone efficiency in the Rams' win.
On This Day In Sports History
1933 - The Philadelphia Eagles play their first NFL game, losing to the New York Giants 56-0.
Ten Takeaways From Sunday's Win In Houston: 101 ESPN
Two things stand out going forward from Sunday's game:
"Speaking of turnovers, the Rams now are a plus-6 overall in differential. Before the weekend, Chicago and Seattle led the NFC at plus-7. Clearly they’ve discovered something that works."
"Next week, the Rams face the league’s seventh-ranked rushing offense in Carolina. The Panthers ran for 131 yards against Minnesota, and the Rams allowed Houston to run for 153, including 141 from Arian Foster."
Rams vs. Texans Highlights - Video: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Recapping the highlights [and there were many] from Sunday's game.
Rams Display Toughness Of Fishers' Teams: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Over the last two games the Rams are looking more like a Fisher-led team:
"For the last two weeks, the Rams have looked like the neighborhood bully."
Key Stats Are The Story In Rams Win: Howard Balzer - KSDK
The most important statistic for the offense, according to Balzer:
"For the season, the Rams are 12-for-18 scoring touchdowns in the red zone and all 12 have been passes. Four of the touchdowns have been on third down, with one on fourth down. Bradford has 17 total completions in the red zone, so he has just five completions that weren't touchdowns."
All Cylinders Finally Click For Rams, Unveil Vast Potential: Cover 32
Sunday's game gave us a glimpse of the vast potential this team holds, and how much young talent it has.
Vote Of Confidence: Grantland
After 6 games, Bill Barnwell brings us up to date on all 32 NFL teams. The Rams make the "totally unsure" grouping:
"These are the teams that might as well be starting their seasons today. They're either so inconsistent or their context is changing so rapidly that I have little faith in what I think I know."
Confidence Is Key To Rams' Turnaround: Fox Sports Midwest
As Jeff Fisher so aptly put it, after the Rams had gone 1-3:
"They really never lost their confidence, they just lost games."
Fisher gets his players to respond: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Bryan Burwell looks at how Coach Fisher motivates his players. Chris Long lends some insight into the persona of Fisher:
"When you have a mentally tough head coach," said team captain Chris Long, "he can will your team back into it."
NFL Power Rankings: CBS Sports
The Rams move up 6 places to 16 in Pete Prisco's weekly power rankings. Can the Rams move up again this weekend against Carolina?
Mid-season All-America Teams: NFL.com
The analysts at NFL.com release their mid-term All Americans. I see a dozen or more names that would look very good in a Rams uniform.
Week 6: Rams Rookie Review: ESPN NFC West
Alec Ogletree and Zac Stacy receive well-deserved praise for their efforts against the Texans.
Study Finds Only Safe Place To Tackle Football Players Is 4 Inch Area On Right Thigh: The Onion
A tongue-in-cheek look at the troubling number of major injuries in the NFL this year.
Brockers Has Memorable Homecoming: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Michael Brockers played the best game of his young career on Sunday versus the Texans. The sky is the limit for the Rams' 2012 first round draft choice.
Rams vs. Texans: Full Roster Report Card Grades For St. Louis: Bleacher Report
The defense gets solid "B" grades for the game on Sunday. All but the wide receivers get "A" grades from BR. Most importantly, the special teams units get a much-deserved "A" grade for their efforts.
St. Louis Rams Establish Simple Blueprint For Future Success: Rant Sports NFL
The blueprint for success?:
"What this game highlighted time and time again is exactly what the Rams need on both sides of the football to be successful. This team is not designed to be a shutdown defense or a high-flying offense just yet. That may come in time, but right now the Rams are a bend but don’t break defense with an offense that can be successful with a measured, methodical approach."
Quick Thoughts On The Rams Win Over The Texans: Ramblin' Fan
Nathan Kearns breaks down the Rams victory over the Texans, offering 10 key aspects of the game that contributed to the Rams victory.
The Importance Of The Running Game: Turf Show Times - Ramfan 1313
The emergence of Zac Stacy, and the running game, were critical to the Rams' victories against Jacksonville and Houston. A balanced offense is one of the characteristics all successful teams exhibit.
The Jeff Fisher Show: 101 ESPN/Rams News Now
St. Louis Rams Weekly Salary "Re-Cap"
The Rams currently have $257,903 in Available Cap Space, the lowest in the league. After some early injuries, the Rams have avoided adding players to IR. They can ill-afford to have many more injuries, for this would necessitate restructuring one or more contracts to create cap space.
Blast From The Past: Classic Rock Tuesday: Led Zeppelin - Ten Years Gone
Led Zeppelin / Ten Years Gone / Live / High Quality (via Dean McGarvey)
Have a great Tuesday and a Ramtastic week!!