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Rams offense seeking solutions
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13456/rams-offense-seeking-solutions
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- In the past four weeks, the St. Louis Rams have faced three defenses in the top five in average yards per game allowed.
That stretch includes two games against the No. 2 San Francisco 49ers and one each against No. 4 Seattle and No. 5 Kansas City. Before that quartet of games, the Rams offense had been one of the league's more pleasant surprises under the guidance of quarterback Austin Davis.
Through those first five weeks, the Rams were averaging 392.8 yards per game -- 283.5 yards passing and another 109.25 yards on the ground for an overall average of 5.8 yards per play.
Austin Davis and the Rams offense has found the going tough of late after facing some of the best defenses in the league.
But the question of whether the Rams could keep that up when they moved past games against lower-ranked defenses such as Tampa Bay, Dallas and Philadelphia lingered. Not that the Rams consider any defense in the NFL a pushover.
“I don’t think any of them are crummy in this league," Davis said. "That’s what you learn right away -- every week’s a different challenge and a tough challenge.”
The past four weeks have offered a resounding answer to the question of whether the Rams could sustain their success as the defenses they face have gotten better.
In the four contests against the 49ers, Seahawks and Chiefs, the Rams' offensive production dropped across the board. The St. Louis offense is averaging 244.2 yards per game, with the passing average dropping to 151.75 yards per game and the rushing average down to 92.5. In those games, the Rams have averaged 4.4 yards per play.
Aside from facing better defenses, Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer points to maintaining better balance and taking care of the ball as keys to getting the offense untracked.
“We’re at our best when we’re balanced, when we can get the running game going," Schottenheimer said. "We all got to do a better job of converting third downs; that helps us. This will certainly be a challenge. It comes down to execution, us doing our job, guys making plays, taking things one play at a time. Hopefully, it’ll be a good week for us to get back on track.”
In terms of the basic defensive ranking numbers, this week's game against the Arizona Cardinals would appear to offer a chance for the Rams to get going on offense again. The Cardinals are 19th in the league in total defense (366.4 yards per game allowed) and last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (286.75).
On paper, that would seem to offer a chance for the offense to find traction, but a further inspection reveals a defense better than the numbers would indicate. Arizona is third in the NFL in rush defense and tied for second in turnover margin.
"They’re getting up and teams are just throwing it and going two-minute," coach Jeff Fisher said. "They’re giving up plays just to protect the end zone and things like that. It’s very, very misleading.”
While Arizona doesn't rank as highly as their NFC West brethren, it poses some problems that other teams don't. Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has earned a reputation for providing one of the most varied and unique defensive schemes in the league.
The Cardinals are more game-plan specific than most teams defensively and have been using four-man fronts more frequently in recent weeks. After facing a 49ers defense known for sticking to what it does, Davis will be challenged more than ever by a defense that will force him to question what he sees from play to play and series to series.
"Whatever you prepare for you’ll get something different," Schottenheimer said. "It’s one of those games we say, ‘You got to trust what you see, trust your rules.’ They come with different packages, different people. They played Dallas a bunch of four-man fronts. They played a bunch of Bear against Oakland, they do different things. Very creative. How do you mask that? You do what you do and say, ‘Hey guys, get ready to adjust on the run.’”
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13456/rams-offense-seeking-solutions
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- In the past four weeks, the St. Louis Rams have faced three defenses in the top five in average yards per game allowed.
That stretch includes two games against the No. 2 San Francisco 49ers and one each against No. 4 Seattle and No. 5 Kansas City. Before that quartet of games, the Rams offense had been one of the league's more pleasant surprises under the guidance of quarterback Austin Davis.
Through those first five weeks, the Rams were averaging 392.8 yards per game -- 283.5 yards passing and another 109.25 yards on the ground for an overall average of 5.8 yards per play.
Austin Davis and the Rams offense has found the going tough of late after facing some of the best defenses in the league.
But the question of whether the Rams could keep that up when they moved past games against lower-ranked defenses such as Tampa Bay, Dallas and Philadelphia lingered. Not that the Rams consider any defense in the NFL a pushover.
“I don’t think any of them are crummy in this league," Davis said. "That’s what you learn right away -- every week’s a different challenge and a tough challenge.”
The past four weeks have offered a resounding answer to the question of whether the Rams could sustain their success as the defenses they face have gotten better.
In the four contests against the 49ers, Seahawks and Chiefs, the Rams' offensive production dropped across the board. The St. Louis offense is averaging 244.2 yards per game, with the passing average dropping to 151.75 yards per game and the rushing average down to 92.5. In those games, the Rams have averaged 4.4 yards per play.
Aside from facing better defenses, Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer points to maintaining better balance and taking care of the ball as keys to getting the offense untracked.
“We’re at our best when we’re balanced, when we can get the running game going," Schottenheimer said. "We all got to do a better job of converting third downs; that helps us. This will certainly be a challenge. It comes down to execution, us doing our job, guys making plays, taking things one play at a time. Hopefully, it’ll be a good week for us to get back on track.”
In terms of the basic defensive ranking numbers, this week's game against the Arizona Cardinals would appear to offer a chance for the Rams to get going on offense again. The Cardinals are 19th in the league in total defense (366.4 yards per game allowed) and last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (286.75).
On paper, that would seem to offer a chance for the offense to find traction, but a further inspection reveals a defense better than the numbers would indicate. Arizona is third in the NFL in rush defense and tied for second in turnover margin.
"They’re getting up and teams are just throwing it and going two-minute," coach Jeff Fisher said. "They’re giving up plays just to protect the end zone and things like that. It’s very, very misleading.”
While Arizona doesn't rank as highly as their NFC West brethren, it poses some problems that other teams don't. Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has earned a reputation for providing one of the most varied and unique defensive schemes in the league.
The Cardinals are more game-plan specific than most teams defensively and have been using four-man fronts more frequently in recent weeks. After facing a 49ers defense known for sticking to what it does, Davis will be challenged more than ever by a defense that will force him to question what he sees from play to play and series to series.
"Whatever you prepare for you’ll get something different," Schottenheimer said. "It’s one of those games we say, ‘You got to trust what you see, trust your rules.’ They come with different packages, different people. They played Dallas a bunch of four-man fronts. They played a bunch of Bear against Oakland, they do different things. Very creative. How do you mask that? You do what you do and say, ‘Hey guys, get ready to adjust on the run.’”
