Turf Show Times - Rams 13, 49ers 10: Wacky Game Sees Rams Win On Goalline Fumblehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51333/tst-fav.png2014-11-04T10:14:54-06:00http://www.turfshowtimes.com/rss/stream/68488742014-11-04T10:14:54-06:002014-11-04T10:14:54-06:00It's Election Day...So Vote for James Laurinaitis!
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<figcaption>Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Rams' MLB is up for the NFL's Never Say Never Award for Week 9.</p> <p>Yes, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a>' 13-10 victory over San Francisco ended with some controversy (thanks, Jerome Boger!). But it also put the cap on an impressive defensive performance by the Rams.</p>
<p>They've been awarded for that performance with a nomination for <span>James Laurinaitis</span>, who recovered the <span>Colin Kaepernick</span> fumble at the goalline, <a href="http://www.nfl.com/voting/never-say-never/2014/REG/9" target="_blank">for the NFL's GMC Never Say Never award for Week 9</a>:</p>
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<p>Rams beat <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a> with last-minute goal-line stand: The St. Louis Rams defense thwarted three attempts by the San Francisco 49ers to get the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds, holding on for a 13-10 win on the road. The Rams prevented the 49ers from scoring from inside the 2-yard line three times, with the third stop resulting in the game-clinching fumble recovery by linebacker James Laurinaitis on an attempted quarterback sneak by Colin Kaepernick. Laurinaitis collected one of eight sacks that the Rams defense had on Kaepernick.</p>
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<p>JL55 is up against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Eagles</a> QB Mark Sanchez who replaced an injured <span>Nick Foles</span> in their 31-21 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Vikings</a> QB Teddy Bridgewater who led Minny to a 29-26 victory over Washington that included a game-winning touchdown-capped drive on which Bridgewater was 5/7 and converted on three third downs. Laurinaitis, for his part, finished with six tackles, the fumble recovery and a sack dedicated to Ram It.</p>
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<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/JLaurinaitis55">@JLaurinaitis55</a> said his sack celebration was in honor of Ram It. No better time to watch than <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VictoryMonday?src=hash">#VictoryMonday</a> <a href="https://t.co/LeUo8GnQq7">https://t.co/LeUo8GnQq7</a></p>
— Casey Phillips (@caseyreporting) <a href="https://twitter.com/caseyreporting/status/529406692761403392">November 3, 2014</a>
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https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/4/7154745/rams-49ers-colin-kaepernick-fumble-james-laurinaitis-nfl-award3k2014-11-04T09:00:04-06:002014-11-04T09:00:04-06:00Jeff Fisher's Monday Press Conference
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<figcaption>Thearon W. Henderson</figcaption>
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<p>Here's what the Rams' Head Coach had to say a day after getting a big win in San Francisco.</p> <p><strong>(Opening remarks)</strong><br> "I’ll kind of follow up with the things I talked about after the ball game. It was just a great effort. It was a bounce-back effort all week long. We could have played better in the game than we did, but we found a way to win it and that speaks volumes of these guys. Things didn’t look good early in the week. We got their legs back, we get them back. We got them on the field. We told them, ‘You’re not going to be thinking about Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at Sunday at 1 o’clock, at kickoff. So, go play hard.’ And that’s what they did.<br> <br> "Pleased with the defensive line, the defense as a whole. The defense played well. We tackled. We got the turnovers. We improved on third down – we needed to improve in that area – I think, the third down stops were key in this game. Special teams-wise, we bounced back. I’m disappointed in the result on the punt return, but the overall effort was outstanding as far as the ‘teams’ was concerned. Offensively, we had a rough day and you’re going to have a rough day. In the last three weeks we’ve played the fifth ranked and second-ranked defense in the National Football League. The <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">49ers</a> have an outstanding defensive scheme and they’re hard to attack, but we were patient. We had a couple turnovers. The first one was…he should have gone to the crossing route. The second one, he was trying to make a big play and under threw it. But, as I said, he bounced back. (QB) Austin (Davis) bounces back. He shakes it off and he keeps playing and that gives us a chance offensively. I thought (T) Greg (Robinson) did a nice job out there at left tackle. We struggled at times with some pass-rush games, but most of those things took place on the other side. But, Greg for the most part was what we expected out of him against that defense and he’s shown that he’s an outstanding open field tackler now unfortunately for two weeks in a row. I may put him on kickoff cover team.<br> <br> "Injury-wise, we came out OK. We’re looking at (CB) <span>Marcus Roberson</span>’s ankle. We have some normal bumps and bruises. We’re going to have to rest some guys like we did last week, but we should be fine. Optimistic about (CB) <span>Janoris Jenkins</span>’ return."<br> <br> <strong>(On what happened when <span>Austin Davis</span> came out of the game)</strong><br> "We require a brace on the front leg, the left leg of right-handed passers for our quarterbacks. As he slid, the brace got caught in the grass and the brace twisted, so he had the brace re-adjusted."<br> <br> <strong>(On if he had a feeling that the team energy level was up during pregame warm-up or early in the game)</strong><br> "We had that sense on Thursday. Thursday here at practice, they were fine. They came back. I didn’t have any concern about them being focused and ready to play. We had a good week and great warm-ups and they were ready to come out and play. We had been talking about the importance of playing three hours and 10 minutes, as opposed to a first half of a football game. Fortunately, we won the toss. I talked about, if we win the toss we’ll defer. We’ll try to finish up with a possession at the end of the first half, but we’ll take possession – we know we’ll take possession the second half and try to make some plays. The mindset was just to keep playing and keep playing and keep playing."<br> <br> <strong>(On why the ‘finish’ message seemed to click this week)</strong><br> "It’s been something we try to do every game. It just happened. It was a combination of their play selection, their game plan. We forced some drops. We put some pressure on their center. He had some bad snaps. Then we got rolling as far as our front four."<br> <br> <strong>(On why he gave game balls to the offensive line Sunday to reward their performance)</strong><br> "Just because of what they endured last week. With the changes that took place in the Kansas City game, the fact that we weren’t quite sure as to who was going to be able to come back because there was a question mark with respect to (C) Scott (Wells) and (G) Rodger (Saffold) and (G) Davin (Joseph) going back in. (C) Barrett (Jones) came in and played and I just thought they all bounced back from last week. I just thought it was a great effort during the week. For Rodger to come back after subluxing the shoulder and playing the way he played and then going from whatever number sack total we had at Kansas City to just one yesterday, I thought it was a great effort."<br> <br> <strong>(On the decision to throw the ball on the team’s final offensive third down)</strong><br> "There was 3:30 left and they had two timeouts left and the two-minute warning and I needed a first down. That’s a good defense. I’d do it again. (TE) Lance (Kendricks) was wide open. Austin couldn’t see him. Complete the pass, we kneel on it. The game is over. So, I was trying to win the game." </p>
<div class="pullquote">You guys come out to Arizona and watch the first play to figure out who’s going to start...It’s not based on practice. It’s based on scheme and approach and those kinds of things. We’ve got good backs, just can’t play them all.<span>-Jeff Fisher on the running backs</span>
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<p><strong>(On if Wells and Saffold were game-time decisions)</strong><br> "Had a pretty good sense on Friday after practice that Rodger was going to be okay. Scott didn’t even snap in the walk-thru on Wednesday. The first day he snapped was Friday. I think by Friday we had a pretty good sense. Then when we traveled and we got treatments at the hotel done, we had a pretty good sense that they were going to be able to go."<br> <br> <strong>(On the play of CB Trumaine Johnson in his first action of the season)</strong><br> "We expect him to play. He wanted to play. I thought he did a nice job. He also had some special teams reps, which were good. He’s back. The injury’s behind him now. He’ll most likely start this week. We may have to move some people around. I also was pleased to see (S) Mark (Barron). I went to Mark before the game as we were trying to sort out the inactives. The way it went, I talked to Mark about playing some special teams and I think he told someone he hadn’t played special teams since peewee football. He did a really nice job on our kickoff return and kickoff coverage. We’re going to work, like we said, to see if we can get him into some packages on defense to get him on the field."<br> <br> <strong>(On why the whistle was blown on <span>Tavon Austin</span>’s fourth-quarter punt return)</strong><br> "They thought he stepped out of bounds. I didn’t see it. It doesn’t appear that he stepped out. He was close, but he didn’t. So at that point...there were a couple of other blocks in the game, I think (49ers S) <span>Craig Dahl</span> had one on (LB) <span>Will Herring</span> that was identical to (LB Darren Bates) Batesy’s block and was not called. This is a side block in my opinion. It was just unusual because it came from the sideline into the field and that’s unfortunate that it took points off the board. My option at that point, because of offsetting, was to take the ball, they enforce our penalty and I get the ball, and still it was good field position. But I figured with Tavon, his big-play potential, the re-kick was a good decision. It ended up being a good decision because he shanked it."<br> <br> <strong>(On if DT Aaron Donald was key to the stop on the final play)</strong><br> "Both (DT) Kendall (Langford) and Aaron were involved in that play, yeah. It’s designed when you anticipate a sneak."<br> <br> <strong>(On if it’s a timing issue on that play)</strong><br> "No, it’s not a timing thing. It’s just disruptive. If you can lift the center, his seat goes down and it affects the snap. That’s what we were trying to do."<br> <br> <strong>(On if RB Tre Mason has been named the starting running back)</strong><br> "No, we’re going to continue with the same thing. I can’t tell you who’s starting this week. (RB) Zac (Stacy) has handled things professionally. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to play. He will get to play. He will get his reps. We’ve not lost faith or confidence in him, but it’s hard to spread the ball around. We felt going into this game that Tre, some of the things he was doing and some of the ways that we were trying to attack the defense, gave us the best chance."<br> <br> <strong>(On Mason’s performance yesterday)</strong><br> "He missed a couple holes but he ran real hard. He overcame some things. His ball security’s good, pass protection is good. He needed get out in the routes. I thought he played pretty well."<br> <br> <strong>(On if the starting running back will be decided on a week-to-week basis)</strong><br> "Yeah. You guys come out to Arizona and watch the first play to figure out who’s going to start."<br> <br> <strong>(On if the decision to start a certain back depends on how they practice)</strong><br> "It’s not based on practice. It’s based on scheme and approach and those kinds of things. We’ve got good backs, just can’t play them all." <br> <br> <strong>(On how the receiving core performed without WR Brian Quick)</strong><br> "We got production out of (WR) Kenny (Britt). I think seven or eight guys caught passes. They’re there. (WR Stedman Bailey) ‘Sted’ had a good week of practice. We just didn’t have a lot of opportunities. The guys will step up. (WR) Tavon’s (Austin) involved, had some opportunities. (WR) <span>Chris Givens</span> understands what he’s doing. He even covered kicks yesterday. It was good to get him involved on the teams’ side."<br> <br> <strong>(On what DT Aaron Donald has brought to the team)</strong><br> "I think his statistics reflect the season that he’s having. The tackles for losses, the consistency, the big plays. We’re just going to have to watch him because the season’s getting longer and longer. First year players have difficulty with the length of the season. We’ll watch his reps, but he’s playing good football right now. He made a pretty good offensive guard there miss a couple times, which is hard to do in the National Football League."<br> <br> <strong>(On if he saw anything on the coach’s film to explain the play where RB Frank Gore’s forward progressed was deemed stopped and prevented a defensive touchdown)</strong><br> "I feel the same way. I’ll just say this it’s nice to have won this game because that is a game-changing call. That’s a defensive touchdown and it’s the wrong call, the incorrect call. It was not progress. The ball was out. He should’ve thrown the bean bag, ruled it a fumble. Then you go back to replay and replay shows it’s fumble. It’s a defensive touchdown. In essence they took a defensive touchdown away from us because he blew the whistle. The forward progress…there were a number of other instances in that game where you could say, ‘OK.’ When they picked up Tre and dropped him on his head, that’s forward progress. Whistles didn’t blow there. I was disappointed in the call and I will be. It’s the incorrect call, the wrong call."<br> <br> <strong>(On if they should’ve called an unnecessary roughness penalty when they dropped Mason on his head)</strong><br> "Unnecessary roughness, yes."<br> <br> <strong>(On if he agrees that referees normally have let the plays go on and if yesterday they were quick to blow the whistle)</strong><br> "I think they’re fairly consistent as far as when they’re blowing the play dead. This was highly inconsistent, however. This play was not dead. The ball came out. They made a mistake. Again, glad we won this game because that would be the major topic of discussion right now because that was a defensive score."<br> <br> <strong>(On how close Austin’s return of the field goal was to a safety)</strong><br> "Well I saw it extensively yesterday before we went into the locker room at halftime and saw it again. It was ruled a touchback. It was a touchback."<br> <br> <strong>(On what he would have Austin do in a punt return situation like yesterdays)</strong><br> "I think when he catches the ball and he sees there’s opposing players that close to him, that he just needs to stay in. We talked about that. What we have going, in that instance, which most teams do is they’re going to put a return man under the goal post. You got a little wind, you got a real long kick-bring it out. You’ve seen it. (S) <span>Ed Reed</span>’s done it, everybody’s done it. This wasn’t as long a kick but I had a sense that it was going to be low, that we may get a hand on it and there was wind. I had a sense that it might be short, we might have a chance to return it, so we called that play. In Tavon’s defense, when we work it, we have not discussed staying in the end zone. It's always bring it out because you have a group of offensive linemen on the field that aren’t necessarily cover guys. So, bringing it out’s not a problem. That’s something that we just didn’t completely cover, but glad it came up and it didn’t hurt us."<br> <br> <strong>(On his thoughts on Levi’s Stadium) </strong><br> "It was great. It’s a great stadium. I was very, very impressed with the manner in which this organization was treated there by everybody. From the guards outside the gate, to the employees, the people that helped in the locker room and everything. It was just an outstanding environment."<br> <br> <strong>(On if a part of him misses Candlestick Park) </strong><br> "There’s great tradition there. I had some of my better memories being on the home side at Candlestick, as opposed to on the visiting side. It’s a hard place to work on Sundays at Candlestick with the visiting side."</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/4/7154191/rams-49ers-jeff-fisher-press-conference3k2014-11-03T14:00:06-06:002014-11-03T14:00:06-06:00Rams-49ers: Recapping the Confusion
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<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Still trying to process what exactly happened on Sunday? Me too. That's why I linked up with David Fucillo from <a href="http://www.ninersnation.com/" target="new">Niners Nation</a> to figure some stuff out.</p> <p>I'm still trying to really get a hold of everything that went down on Sunday. Such calamity.</p>
<p>You had turnovers. You had a muffed punt and all kinds of special teams weirdness. And the penalties...there was enough confusion to fill half of entire season.</p>
<p>I circled back with Fooch from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ninersnation.com/">Niners Nation</a> to try to make some sense of it.</p>
<p><b>Me: First things first. Are referees worse than in the past? It might just be a factor of recency or the short sample size, but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a> have been in games that have just been horribly refereed.</b></p>
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<p>Fooch: It seems worse in recent years, but I also think the advent of DVR and NFL Rewind allows us to highlight things a bit more. Additionally, more and more rules get added and altered that it seems like there is more for the refs to deal with and screw up on a regular basis.</p>
<p>I don't like going into ref blaming because people automatically call it whining, but a team can play bad, and still see horrific officiating.</p>
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<p><b>It's just week to week, the bungled calls amaze me. And the inconsistency within games...it seems like the refs are at war with themselves sometimes.</b></p>
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<p>It's annoying, but at the end of the day, teams cannot put themselves in position where the refs cost them. This probably applies to good teams more than bad teams because if you're playing down to your opponent, you probably did not deserve to win anyway.</p>
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<p><b>On to the game. What's the major takeaway for you guys moving forward? What's the main thing you guys need to fix heading to Nola? Is it O-line play?</b></p>
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<p>The offensive line was pretty much a disaster. People want to point to play-calling, but the team could not really execute much of anything behind that line. They are working in a rookie center, so that is one thing, but the right side of the line in particular was just getting blown by all day long</p>
<p>The Rams blitzed on something like 44 percent of plays, but they also got 5 of their sacks with only four men coming at the quarterback. Is the Rams line coming together, or was it poor <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a> OL performance that contributed?</p>
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<p><b>I think it's a bit of both. The Rams were due for some better play from the front four, but some of the pressure was just coming far too easily.</b></p>
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<p><b>And like you said, five of the sacks came on non-blitzed plays. I noticed it early in yalls running game that the D-line was winning the point of attack and there just wasn't going to be a ton <span>Frank Gore</span> or <span>Carlos Hyde</span> could do about it. So a little from Column A, a little from Column B.</b></p>
<p><b> What's the general feeling on yalls side about Kaepernick's day? Obviously with the play of the line and some questionable playcalling, there are other things to point to.</b></p>
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<p>Naturally the opinions range from, "He'll be fine, just give him time" to "he's a f---ing bum, he was never any good, get rid of him." As is always the case, the truth is somewhere in between. We'll see games (often just parts of games) where he can make any pass in the book. Other times we'll see moments where he can't hit the broad side of the barn. I still think pass protection is the primary problem for him, but he also struggles with consistency</p>
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<p><b>I'd rather have Kap than <span>Austin Davis</span>...</b></p>
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<p>The question is whether or not he will actually be able to find that consistency. If the line continues to struggle they will need to find adjustments in the passing game to maintain some kind of effectiveness.</p>
<p>Will the Rams ever actually figure out their passing game? The 49ers defense found a lot of success on Sunday, and were mostly hung out to dry by their offense.</p>
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<p><b>I don't think so. <span>Scott Wells</span> and <span>Davin Joseph</span> aren't reliable enough on the line. We're going to play the rest of the season without <span>Brian Quick</span> who, along with <span>Jared Cook</span>, was the best option we had. And Austin Davis has too many limitations already.</b></p>
<p><b>That said, they've got to get more out of the running game. It'll take pressure off of Davis and hopefully open things underneath for Tavon.</b></p>
<p><b>Closing it out, what else are you taking away from the game? Anything warranting major concern or something you're pleased with that the Niners can lean on?</b></p>
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<p>The only positives were the defensive rookies. <span>Chris Borland</span> was an absolute beat. with 17 tackles, and generally flying around. He struggled in coverage on that Britt touchdown, but otherwise was strong.</p>
<p>And Aaron Lynch had 5 QB pressures on 20 pass rush attempts. He is the real deal, and when <span>Aldon Smith</span> gets back, that duo is going to be kind of ridiculous</p>
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<p><b>Lynch was a hoss his freshman year at Notre Dame. I wish we had seen him more in college. Yall got a steal there.</b></p>
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<p>The Rams are now 3-5, and 2 games out of the wild card. Where do they go from here?</p>
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<p><b>The Rams are too inconsistent to know. Somehow, we pulled out wins over you guys on the road and Seattle at home but dropped a 21-0 lead over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Cowboys</a> and put up a stinker in Kansas City.</b></p>
<p><b>Now we head to Arizona, the flavor of the month, which obviously doesn't look favorable. Right now, it's really sad that I have to lean on a cliche, but I'm gonna do because I'm sad and I have no shame.</b></p>
<p><b>The Rams just have to take things week to week. If you look at the next three, @ Arizona, v. Denver & @ San Diego, it looks near impossible to get to 5-6 by the end of it. But if you just focus on one game and try to apply the positives from the Rams' two divisional wins, there's reason to think the Rams could get a W down in Phoenix. If they pull that off, the season still has hope.</b></p>
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<p>Yeah, it really is "one game at a time" for the Rams. If they beat Arizona next week, they're clearly right in the thick of things. If they lose, they're not completely out of it, but in trouble</p>
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<p><b>Aren't the Rams always "not completely out of it, but in trouble?"</b></p>
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<p>Hahahaha, that just about sums it up.</p>
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<p>Thanks to my man Fooch for doubling back and keeping it professional despite the quality of the referees yesterday. Blech.</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/3/7151313/rams-49ers-recap3k2014-11-03T13:17:59-06:002014-11-03T13:17:59-06:00The Scream<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/OZPLgmgQHuj/embed/simple" width="600" height="600"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><a href="https://vine.co/v/OZPLgmgQHuj/embed" target="new">I love it</a>.</p></div>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/3/7151179/the-scream3k2014-11-03T13:07:43-06:002014-11-03T13:07:43-06:00Rams-49ers Grades
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<figcaption>Ezra Shaw</figcaption>
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<p>The Rams get high marks, especially on defense, after their gritty 13-10 win in San Francisco.</p> <h4>QB - <img height="30" alt="D minus grade" src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2328532/grade_d_minus.0.png">
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<p>Outside of the touchdown to Kenny Britt, Austin Davis had a wretched day. Let's hope he catches some positive amnesia and completely forgets this one. He's got to find a way to carve out small successes instead of trying to make plays he just can't make. He's normally cognizant of avoiding the latter, but on Sunday he let down his guard and it backfired.</p>
<h4>RB - <img height="30" alt="C minus grade" src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2328534/grade_c_minus.0.png">
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<p>It pains me to say, but in the first game the Rams had a solid go-to running gameplan the unit just couldn't execute. Feeding Tre Mason 19 carries and Benny Cunningham a quad makes sense. The results just weren't there. That doesn't mean you abandon the approach. Especially with one of the league's best rushing defenses coming up next weekend in Arizona.</p>
<h4>WR - <img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2371456/D_.0.png" alt="D plus grade" height="30">
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<p>The receivers didn't make Austin Davis' job any easier. The Rams need to find a way to miss Brian Quick less...</p>
<h4>TE - <img height="40" alt="C grade" src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2371452/C.0.png">
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<p>Nothing special here, but nothing egregious either. I thought they made themselves more available than the WRs for what that's worth. Not a great day in run blocking, but the O-line inside of them wasn't helping...</p>
<h4>O-line - <img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2371394/D.0.png" alt="D grade" height="40">
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<p>Quarterback and wide receiver might be in the mix, but there's a fair argument that upgrading the Rams' interior line (read: G Davin Joseph and C Scott Wells) is the biggest need on the offense next offseason.</p>
<h4>D-line - <img height="30" alt="A plus grade" src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2371404/A_.0.png">
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<p>WHERE HAS THAT BEEN ALL SEASON? DO THAT MORE PLEASE.</p>
<h4>LB - <img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2371240/A-.0.png" alt="A minus grade" height="30">
</h4>
<p>James Laurinaitis had a strong performance. Alec Ogletree's game was highlighted more by what he didn't do: be the focal point of a major screw-up. Jo-Lonn Dunbar brings this down a bit, but the Niners only scored ten points and Frank Gore was kept largely in check. Hard to drop the second level into the B range.</p>
<h4>CB & S - <img height="30" alt="B minus grade" src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2328300/grade_b_minus.0.png">
</h4>
<p>Really struggled between this and a C+ here. I'll play the homer card and keep them in the B's as part of an overall defensive effort. Plus, credit to Trumaine Johnson for stepping up in his first game back. Not easy knowing that the opposition is gonna target you. Marcus Roberson prevented this from being any higher. Gotta wonder why the Rams have such repeated issues with blown coverage. Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin and Anquan Bolding have all scored a TD against the Rams this year without even having had to make a move to lose coverage. The coverage has just lost itself on those plays...</p>
<h4>Special Teams - <img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2328288/grade_b_plus.0.png" alt="B plus grade" height="30">
</h4>
<p>You have to wonder what the hell is going on in Tavon Austin's head sometimes. Seriously.</p>
<p>But you got plus performances from Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker and Benny Cunningham in special work. And had Tavon Austin been able to run that punt back for a TD...this could have been a special day for ST.</p>
<h4>Coaching - <img height="35" alt="A grade" src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2328212/grade_a.0.png">/<img height="38" alt="C grade" src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2371452/C.0.png">
</h4>
<p>An A for everyone except Brian Schottenheimer who gets a C. The Rams had a sensible plan on the ground and he made some adjustments to keep Austin Davis upright later on. But the call on 3rd and 1 to pass late in the game...</p>
<p>Here's the thing. I get it that Schottey likes to take what everyone assumes will be the call and do the opposite because nobody expects it, but here's the thing: the reason why everyone expects that call is because it's the right one. You know why you expect the Rams to run on 3rd & 1? Because you're supposed to run on 3rd & 1. You drafted Greg Robinson. Corey Harkey's healthy. Put it on the players' backs. Sure, Lance Kendricks was wide open. The Niners weren't prepared to cover him. Guess what. We still didn't convert and it gave the Niners an opportunity to save a timeout.</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/3/7150737/rams-49ers-recap-grades-report-card3k2014-11-03T10:30:02-06:002014-11-03T10:30:02-06:00Man Crush Monday: Sack City!
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NWBjpHcwfimUKq-pgcPG4UvwKY0=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/43325042/458297130.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Thearon W. Henderson</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Defensive Line finally found their groove yesterday. THIS is what we all expected! DOMINATION!</p> <p>At the start of the season, the hype surrounding the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams" class="sbn-auto-link">Rams</a>' defensive line was reaching epic levels. It was (and still is) an absolutely loaded unit, and had everything covered.</p>
<p>You wanted a premier pass rusher? We have two in <span>Chris Long</span> and <span>Robert Quinn</span>.</p>
<p>How about a prototypical mammoth in the middle? <span>Michael Brockers</span> has that covered.</p>
<p>Looking for a slippery '3-technique'? <span>Aaron Donald</span> fits that mold to a T.</p>
<p>What about a veteran presence? We have <span>Kendall Langford</span> and <span>William Hayes</span>. To a lesser extent we also have <span>Eugene Sims</span> and <span>Alex Carrington</span>.</p>
<p>What about a driven youngster? We have two of those as well: the aforementioned Donald and pre-season sensation <span>Ethan Westbrooks</span>.</p>
<p>***For a rundown of DL 'techniques" here's a <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F12%2Fdefensive-line-techniques-the-prototypes%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.turfshowtimes.com%2F2014%2F11%2F3%2F7149283%2Frams-49ers-recap-sacks" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">description from Pro Football Focus </a>albeit with outdated prototypes for each technique***</p>
<p>It goes without saying that this DL is absurdly talented. But sometimes all the talent in the world means nothing if you don't have the confidence to go along with the talent and potential. the Rams certainly weren't lacking there either. This unit plays with a certain swagger that befits a Jeff Fisher/Gregg Williams defense very well.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, up until yesterday, the DL had been all hype and very little production. Boy did <i>that</i> change in a hurry. I'll give you that the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">49ers</a>' OL is dealing with some injuries, but <span>Robert Quinn</span> and Co. made them look worse than <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=400547912" target="_blank">my Illini did vs the Buckeyes Saturday</a>.</p>
<p>The Rams tallied 8 sacks yesterday, and were close on several other occasions. All told, the Rams could have had easily had 10+ sacks yesterday. But hey, after the morbidly slow start to the season, I think we're all more than happy with 8.</p>
<p>The best part of the performance was that they weren't a one trick pony either. They did their part to hold the 49ers to 263 total yards and 3-12 (25%) on 3rd down. That my friends is total domination. Particularly for a (then) 2-5 team. They didn't care what the media was saying and they went out there and put together the best - and most complete - performance that we had seen from any unit all year... save the special teams performance vs. Seattle.</p>
<p>This is how the Rams are supposed to win. The Defense stifled the opponent so completely that they were able to cover up for the offensive ineptitude. The DL was showcased early and often. And the offense (what little there was anyway) was driven by the running game. In showing us this, they also rejuvenated hope that the season may not be completely lost.</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/3/7149283/rams-49ers-recap-sacksSean Wilkinson2014-11-03T09:45:05-06:002014-11-03T09:45:05-06:00Rams-49ers Snap Counts
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_gvD8CwB8bvtCHNhA78XNyzyrKM=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/43328406/20141102_kkt_st3_033.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Amid a near-injury crisis, the Rams were forced to shift things around in terms of playing time on Sunday. Here's how it shook out.</p> <h4>Offense</h4>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>D Joseph</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J Barksdale</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>G Robinson</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>R Saffold</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S Wells</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A Davis</td>
<td>QB</td>
<td>54</td>
<td>98.18%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K Britt</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>94.55%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J Cook</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>40</td>
<td>72.73%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Mason</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>38</td>
<td>69.09%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S Bailey</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>35</td>
<td>63.64%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Austin</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>58.18%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>L Kendricks</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>50.91%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C Harkey</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>34.55%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>B Cunningham</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>29.09%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C Givens</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>25.45%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Watts</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1.82%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S Hill</td>
<td>QB</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1.82%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a> went big yesterday in protection to keep the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a>' pass rush at bay and lean on the running attack. While that certainly worked to a degree, the lack of passing offense left the Rams unable to convert long 3rd downs, especially on a day which <span>Austin Davis</span> had perhaps his worst showing of 2014. So the high work rates of <span>Jared Cook</span>, <span>Lance Kendricks</span> and <span>Cory Harkey</span> meant someone was going to be on the outs from the WR group. That ended up being <span>Chris Givens</span>.</p>
<p>While the running back by committee persisted, it was the closest we've come to seeing the Rams ride a single ball carrier for the game in <span>Tre Mason</span>. More to come on the RB front today.</p>
<h4>Defense</h4>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>T McDonald</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A Ogletree</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J Laurinaitis</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>100.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>R McLeod</td>
<td>FS</td>
<td>65</td>
<td>97.01%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>E Gaines</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>62</td>
<td>92.54%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>R Quinn</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>57</td>
<td>85.07%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Johnson</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>77.61%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>E Sims</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>77.61%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A Donald</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>47</td>
<td>70.15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>L Joyner</td>
<td>FS</td>
<td>38</td>
<td>56.72%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M Brockers</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>36</td>
<td>53.73%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J Dunbar</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>33</td>
<td>49.25%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>W Hayes</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>47.76%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A Carrington</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>32.84%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K Langford</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>32.84%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M Roberson</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>23.88%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>D Bates</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>2.99%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>With <span>Rodney McLeod</span> able to go, new Ram <span>Mark Barron</span> wasn't needed badly to stymie the 49ers. Once the Rams' four-man fronts were able to get consistent pressure on <span>Colin Kaepernick</span>, the secondary was able to keep close tabs on the Niners' receiving options resulting in a really strong day for the secondary. The Rams were able to hold <span>Frank Gore</span> in check leaving more opportunities for nickel shells as <span>Jo-Lonn Dunbar</span> only played half the snaps.</p>
<h4>Special Teams</h4>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>D Bates</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>89.29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>W Herring</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>89.29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C Reynolds</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>71.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Watts</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>67.86%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M McFadden</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>64.29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C Harkey</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>57.14%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>B Cunningham</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>46.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T McDonald</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>42.86%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>E Gaines</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>42.86%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M Roberson</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>35.71%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Johnson</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>32.14%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J McQuaide</td>
<td>LS</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>32.14%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J Hekker</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>32.14%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S Bailey</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>28.57%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Austin</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>28.57%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>L Joyner</td>
<td>FS</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>28.57%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>E Sims</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>25.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M Barron</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>25.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>G Zuerlein</td>
<td>K</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>25.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>R Quinn</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>21.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A Donald</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>21.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A Carrington</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>21.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M Person</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>21.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T Barnes</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>21.43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>R McLeod</td>
<td>FS</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>17.86%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>W Hayes</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>17.86%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>D Williams</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>17.86%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>D Joseph</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>10.71%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J Barksdale</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>10.71%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>G Robinson</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>10.71%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>L Kendricks</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>10.71%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C Givens</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>10.71%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>B Jones</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>10.71%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A Ogletree</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>7.14%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M Brockers</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>3.57%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Specials had a solid day yesterday as <span>Benny Cunningham</span> continued to provide plus starting field position. GZ got back on his mule with what proved to be the game-winning FG (thanks to a muffed <span>Andy Lee</span> punt), and <span>Tavon Austin</span> had his breakaway moment of the season called back on one of the hundred confusing referee issues of the day. Mid-season additions <span>Will Herring</span> and <span>Marshall McFadden</span> continue to contribute in large degree, and Barron was at least able to make his first contributions as a Ram.</p>
<hr>
<p>To buy tickets, visit the <a href="http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=4292&awinaffid=173843&clickref=PreRec&p=http://www.ticketexchangebyticketmaster.com/NFL/" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">NFL Ticket Exchange</a>.</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/3/7149827/rams-49ers-recap-snap-counts3k