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Rams prepare to face another star RB
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_657bb1de-8a01-54b1-a35e-2603c78c0d87.html
This Rams’ season began with them facing Adrian Peterson. There was DeMarco Murray, the LeSean McCoy-Darren Sproles tag team, then Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch.
Is there an opponent on the Rams’ 2014 schedule that doesn’t have an elite running back?
That’s what defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is wondering, and the Rams aren’t out of the woods yet. On Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, it’s time for Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Every week we’ve got one that’s one of the tops in the business,” Williams said Friday, shaking his head. “Charles presents a lot of things. He can get into space like Sproles and McCoy could at Philadelphia.
“He can put his head down and get the tough yards like Murray and all the other guys that we’ve faced. So yeah we’ve got a tough job right there, and on how they’re committed to the run.”
Committed they are. The Chiefs average 31 rushing attempts per game; only Dallas (33.6), Cleveland (32.5) and Indianapolis (31.6) run more often. And in this pass-crazy league only Dallas (235 runs, 214 passes), Cleveland (195-191) and the Chiefs (186-186) haven’t thrown the ball more than they’ve run it this season.
After a poor start on run defense, the Rams have been noticeably better the past two weeks. OK, quarterback scrambles and keepers are a different matter, but when it comes to running backs they limited Lynch to 53 yards on 18 carries last Sunday — or just 2.9 yards per tote.
In the Oct. 13 Monday night game against the 49ers, Gore had a mere 38 yards on 16 carries — just 2.4 yards per carry. Now comes Charles, the AFC’s leading rusher a year ago with 1,287 yards.
“Completely different challenge this week in the run game,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “It’s a lot of read-option, a lot of that stuff.”
The Chiefs have a “power” element to their game as well, but they also attack the edges. They run a lot of “stretch” plays, in which it seems as if the entire offensive line is heading one direction and the back picks his spot and goes. All things considered, Fisher said it’s the most diverse running game the Rams will see all season.
The past two weeks, the Rams have focused on the power-running games in the NFC West.
On that score Fisher said, “there’s a lot of similarities between San Francisco and Seattle. This run game this week is going to be a big challenge for us.”
The Chiefs do have a big power back in Knile Davis, who actually has more carries than Charles so far this season because Charles missed time because of a high ankle sprain. But Charles is now healthy and beginning to assert himself in the backfield.
“He can get to full speed in about a step-and-a-half,” Fisher said. “It takes him literally two steps and he’s full speed, he’s by you. He’s got the quickness to get through the hole. He’ll break things out the backside. He’s just really difficult to defend. They know that, and they’re taking advantage of him.”
Charles, 5 feet 11, 199 pounds, became Kansas City’s career rushing leader last week against San Diego, and now has 6,113 career yards in this his seventh NFL season. He surpassed Priest Holmes’ previous club record of 6,070.
Charles suffered concussion-like symptoms on the 16-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter that eclipsed Holmes’ record. That’s because the run included a massive collision with former teammate and current Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers.
But Charles quickly passed the Chiefs’ concussion protocol early in the practice week and wasn’t listed on the team’s injury report at any time during the week.
As testament to his explosive nature, Charles leads the league with a 5.5-yard rushing average since entering the league in 2008. That’s for players with a minimum 600 rushing attempts.
“Jamaal Charles will test the edge,” said Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis, who not only played Charles and the Chiefs in 2010 but also faced him in college. “We have to be gap-sound, and we have to fight off blocks. We have to swarm. When he gets outside and he wants to cut it up, if you have guys swarming to the ball, then he has nowhere to go.”
And what if the Rams’ leave a gap vacant?
“That’s when he’ll hit his head on the goal post,” Laurinaitis said.
As in celebrating a touchdown.
Charles has a smooth running style. At times it looks like he’s almost gliding down the field, which makes his speed deceptive. He’s running faster than it looks.
The Chiefs used him much more on third down against San Diego than they did earlier this season and Charles can be a threat in the passing game. He led the Chiefs in receptions (70), reception yards (693), and touchdown catches (seven) a year ago.
With an injury-depleted wide receiver corps, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Chiefs try to work Charles more into the passing game — he’s going to win most matchups against a linebacker or safety.
Just one more thing to worry about.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_657bb1de-8a01-54b1-a35e-2603c78c0d87.html
This Rams’ season began with them facing Adrian Peterson. There was DeMarco Murray, the LeSean McCoy-Darren Sproles tag team, then Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch.
Is there an opponent on the Rams’ 2014 schedule that doesn’t have an elite running back?
That’s what defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is wondering, and the Rams aren’t out of the woods yet. On Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, it’s time for Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Every week we’ve got one that’s one of the tops in the business,” Williams said Friday, shaking his head. “Charles presents a lot of things. He can get into space like Sproles and McCoy could at Philadelphia.
“He can put his head down and get the tough yards like Murray and all the other guys that we’ve faced. So yeah we’ve got a tough job right there, and on how they’re committed to the run.”
Committed they are. The Chiefs average 31 rushing attempts per game; only Dallas (33.6), Cleveland (32.5) and Indianapolis (31.6) run more often. And in this pass-crazy league only Dallas (235 runs, 214 passes), Cleveland (195-191) and the Chiefs (186-186) haven’t thrown the ball more than they’ve run it this season.
After a poor start on run defense, the Rams have been noticeably better the past two weeks. OK, quarterback scrambles and keepers are a different matter, but when it comes to running backs they limited Lynch to 53 yards on 18 carries last Sunday — or just 2.9 yards per tote.
In the Oct. 13 Monday night game against the 49ers, Gore had a mere 38 yards on 16 carries — just 2.4 yards per carry. Now comes Charles, the AFC’s leading rusher a year ago with 1,287 yards.
“Completely different challenge this week in the run game,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “It’s a lot of read-option, a lot of that stuff.”
The Chiefs have a “power” element to their game as well, but they also attack the edges. They run a lot of “stretch” plays, in which it seems as if the entire offensive line is heading one direction and the back picks his spot and goes. All things considered, Fisher said it’s the most diverse running game the Rams will see all season.
The past two weeks, the Rams have focused on the power-running games in the NFC West.
On that score Fisher said, “there’s a lot of similarities between San Francisco and Seattle. This run game this week is going to be a big challenge for us.”
The Chiefs do have a big power back in Knile Davis, who actually has more carries than Charles so far this season because Charles missed time because of a high ankle sprain. But Charles is now healthy and beginning to assert himself in the backfield.
“He can get to full speed in about a step-and-a-half,” Fisher said. “It takes him literally two steps and he’s full speed, he’s by you. He’s got the quickness to get through the hole. He’ll break things out the backside. He’s just really difficult to defend. They know that, and they’re taking advantage of him.”
Charles, 5 feet 11, 199 pounds, became Kansas City’s career rushing leader last week against San Diego, and now has 6,113 career yards in this his seventh NFL season. He surpassed Priest Holmes’ previous club record of 6,070.
Charles suffered concussion-like symptoms on the 16-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter that eclipsed Holmes’ record. That’s because the run included a massive collision with former teammate and current Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers.
But Charles quickly passed the Chiefs’ concussion protocol early in the practice week and wasn’t listed on the team’s injury report at any time during the week.
As testament to his explosive nature, Charles leads the league with a 5.5-yard rushing average since entering the league in 2008. That’s for players with a minimum 600 rushing attempts.
“Jamaal Charles will test the edge,” said Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis, who not only played Charles and the Chiefs in 2010 but also faced him in college. “We have to be gap-sound, and we have to fight off blocks. We have to swarm. When he gets outside and he wants to cut it up, if you have guys swarming to the ball, then he has nowhere to go.”
And what if the Rams’ leave a gap vacant?
“That’s when he’ll hit his head on the goal post,” Laurinaitis said.
As in celebrating a touchdown.
Charles has a smooth running style. At times it looks like he’s almost gliding down the field, which makes his speed deceptive. He’s running faster than it looks.
The Chiefs used him much more on third down against San Diego than they did earlier this season and Charles can be a threat in the passing game. He led the Chiefs in receptions (70), reception yards (693), and touchdown catches (seven) a year ago.
With an injury-depleted wide receiver corps, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Chiefs try to work Charles more into the passing game — he’s going to win most matchups against a linebacker or safety.
Just one more thing to worry about.
