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COMMENTARY | There aren’t many good things to say about the St. Louis Rams after watching their 38-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, August 12. However, there were some positives to take from the game.
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford moved the offense down the field on multiple possessions. The thing that impressed me about his performance was that he didn’t look tentative in the pocket, even as the Colts pressured him. For example, the team ran a passing play during which tight end Lance Kendricks completed an out route to the left side of the field. The Colts blitzed Bradford, but he stood his ground and delivered the ball to Kendricks despite knowing that he was going to get hit hard.
That’s something Bradford didn’t do in 2011. Instead, he often got happy feet and ran away from the pocket. This would happen even when his pass protection wasn’t breaking down. I’m impressed with this change in Bradford’s game, and I hope that he continues to remain calm under pressure.
If I have any criticism for Bradford, it’s that he didn’t throw downfield enough. In fact, he attempted only one pass of longer than 25 yards. One of the Rams’ biggest offensive problems in the past few years has been their inability to make big plays in the passing game. That has to change if the team is going to improve this season.
Steven Jackson
Starting running back Steven Jackson looked great in his only series on the field. He came into camp 10 pounds lighter this offseason, and it showed whenever he touched the ball on Sunday afternoon. His initial burst into his running lane looked stronger than it has at any point in the past five years. His brief appearance in the game was a huge positive for the Rams. Look for the Rams’ running game to be one of the team’s strengths in 2012.
Wide receivers
Believe it or not, the Rams’ wide receivers actually get a passing grade for their performance on Sunday. They ran their routes well and did a solid job getting open when they made their breaks inside or outside. Austin Pettis, in particular, made three solid catches in limited duty. His route-running impressed me, especially on his 13-yard catch for first down in the second quarter. Steve Smith, Chris Givens and Brian Quick also recorded some nice catches.
However, the receivers didn’t get much action down field in the game. Givens ran a couple deep routes, but that was about it. The Rams won’t be able to move the ball consistently until they start stretching opposing defenses through the passing game. Look for the Rams’ coaching staff to show a little more faith in the receiving corps by taking some shots downfield against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend.
Special teams
The Rams’ special teams have been a thorn in the club’s side for over a decade, but it appears that the tides are changing in St. Louis. Both of Johnny Hekker’s punts were downed inside the Colts’ 20-yard line, and fellow rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein nailed his only field goal attempt of the game. Zuerlein’s kick was hit so well that it probably would have been good from over 50 yards.
It’s not much to go on, but I think the Rams made the right decision to let punter Donnie Jones and kicker Josh Brown leave during the offseason. Their replacements did an outstanding job in their first game with the Rams.
Overall, the Rams have some positives to build on despite getting blown out by the Colts. Hopefully, they can move forward and build on those positives as the season draws near.
Derek Ciapala has been following the Rams since childhood. He has been published on Yahoo! Sports, GatewayMMA.com and multiple other websites. You can check him out on Facebook or Twitter @dciapala.
(Originally published on Yahoo! Sports)
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COMMENTARY | There aren’t many good things to say about the St. Louis Rams after watching their 38-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, August 12. However, there were some positives to take from the game.
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford moved the offense down the field on multiple possessions. The thing that impressed me about his performance was that he didn’t look tentative in the pocket, even as the Colts pressured him. For example, the team ran a passing play during which tight end Lance Kendricks completed an out route to the left side of the field. The Colts blitzed Bradford, but he stood his ground and delivered the ball to Kendricks despite knowing that he was going to get hit hard.
That’s something Bradford didn’t do in 2011. Instead, he often got happy feet and ran away from the pocket. This would happen even when his pass protection wasn’t breaking down. I’m impressed with this change in Bradford’s game, and I hope that he continues to remain calm under pressure.
If I have any criticism for Bradford, it’s that he didn’t throw downfield enough. In fact, he attempted only one pass of longer than 25 yards. One of the Rams’ biggest offensive problems in the past few years has been their inability to make big plays in the passing game. That has to change if the team is going to improve this season.
Steven Jackson
Starting running back Steven Jackson looked great in his only series on the field. He came into camp 10 pounds lighter this offseason, and it showed whenever he touched the ball on Sunday afternoon. His initial burst into his running lane looked stronger than it has at any point in the past five years. His brief appearance in the game was a huge positive for the Rams. Look for the Rams’ running game to be one of the team’s strengths in 2012.
Wide receivers
Believe it or not, the Rams’ wide receivers actually get a passing grade for their performance on Sunday. They ran their routes well and did a solid job getting open when they made their breaks inside or outside. Austin Pettis, in particular, made three solid catches in limited duty. His route-running impressed me, especially on his 13-yard catch for first down in the second quarter. Steve Smith, Chris Givens and Brian Quick also recorded some nice catches.
However, the receivers didn’t get much action down field in the game. Givens ran a couple deep routes, but that was about it. The Rams won’t be able to move the ball consistently until they start stretching opposing defenses through the passing game. Look for the Rams’ coaching staff to show a little more faith in the receiving corps by taking some shots downfield against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend.
Special teams
The Rams’ special teams have been a thorn in the club’s side for over a decade, but it appears that the tides are changing in St. Louis. Both of Johnny Hekker’s punts were downed inside the Colts’ 20-yard line, and fellow rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein nailed his only field goal attempt of the game. Zuerlein’s kick was hit so well that it probably would have been good from over 50 yards.
It’s not much to go on, but I think the Rams made the right decision to let punter Donnie Jones and kicker Josh Brown leave during the offseason. Their replacements did an outstanding job in their first game with the Rams.
Overall, the Rams have some positives to build on despite getting blown out by the Colts. Hopefully, they can move forward and build on those positives as the season draws near.
Derek Ciapala has been following the Rams since childhood. He has been published on Yahoo! Sports, GatewayMMA.com and multiple other websites. You can check him out on Facebook or Twitter @dciapala.
(Originally published on Yahoo! Sports)
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