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Austin Davis set for toughest test yet
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12517/austin-davis-set-for-toughest-test-yet
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis has been one of the team's most pleasant surprises in this young season.
Pushed into starting because of an injury to veteran Shaun Hill, Davis not only held the fort but played well enough to earn the starting job on a more permanent basis. Through three starts and four games, Davis is completing 67.8 percent of his passes with 1,129 yards and six touchdowns. And, over the past two weeks, Davis has put together back-to-back games with at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in the air, the first to do that since Kurt Warner in 2001.
Davis deserves plenty of credit for faring well in those games but it's worth noting he's been doing it against Tampa Bay (30th in the NFL in pass defense), Philadelphia (29th) and Dallas (18th). Obviously, Davis has helped skew those numbers as well but he and the Rams have yet to face a defense as imposing as San Francisco's second-ranked unit.
The Niners enter Monday night's matchup fourth in the league in pass defense, allowing just 205.6 yards per game in the air, and fifth in run defense, surrendering just 77.2 yards per game on the ground.
In other words, this will be a big step up for Davis and the Rams and it's only the beginning of a stretch in which the Rams are set to face other top defenses such as Seattle, San Diego and Kansas City, all of whom rank in the top 12 in the league.
“We don’t look ahead," coach Jeff Fisher said. "But, four of our next five are in the division and so we’re going to find out a lot about ourselves. That’s not only Austin but everybody on both sides of the ball.”
For Davis, though, it might be the biggest leap considering he's been present but hasn't played against a defense as physical and talented as what the Niners are bringing to the table. Even without suspended star pass-rusher Aldon Smith and injured lynchpin linebacker NaVorro Bowman, the beat simply goes on in San Francisco where the Niners plug someone else in and he produces.
And even without Smith and Bowman, the Niners still boast dominant mainstays like lineman Justin Smith, linebackers Patrick Willis and Ahmad Brooks, and safety Antoine Bethea.
"I think they’re probably the best all-around defense we’ve seen so far," Davis said. "The secondary’s really good. They’ve got probably the best linebacker in the game in Patrick Willis. Everyone knows what he can do. They’re really good up front. Huge, huge challenge for us and I think we’re ready for it.”
For as long as Jim Harbaugh has been in charge in San Francisco and employed Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator, there hasn't been much guesswork when it comes to figuring out what San Francisco wants to do defensively. The Niners still work from a base 3-4 defense which goes about its job without much pomp and circumstance.
It's a simple concept but the Niners do what they do extremely well at all levels. That means very little blitzing (their 14.9 percent blitz percentage is second-lowest in the league) and relying on the defensive front to generate pressure.
“Their system’s outstanding," Fisher said. "They plug people in. They’ve always had great depth. They don’t give up a lot of big plays. They keep things in front of them and they’re very good against the run. So, it’s going to be a huge challenge for us to find a way to run the football because we’re going to need to do that to keep their offense off the field.”
Davis has made a strong impression in his first three starts but his long-term future as the starting quarterback will come into focus more as more of the top defenses line up across from him. It begins on Monday night.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12517/austin-davis-set-for-toughest-test-yet
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis has been one of the team's most pleasant surprises in this young season.
Pushed into starting because of an injury to veteran Shaun Hill, Davis not only held the fort but played well enough to earn the starting job on a more permanent basis. Through three starts and four games, Davis is completing 67.8 percent of his passes with 1,129 yards and six touchdowns. And, over the past two weeks, Davis has put together back-to-back games with at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in the air, the first to do that since Kurt Warner in 2001.
Davis deserves plenty of credit for faring well in those games but it's worth noting he's been doing it against Tampa Bay (30th in the NFL in pass defense), Philadelphia (29th) and Dallas (18th). Obviously, Davis has helped skew those numbers as well but he and the Rams have yet to face a defense as imposing as San Francisco's second-ranked unit.
The Niners enter Monday night's matchup fourth in the league in pass defense, allowing just 205.6 yards per game in the air, and fifth in run defense, surrendering just 77.2 yards per game on the ground.
In other words, this will be a big step up for Davis and the Rams and it's only the beginning of a stretch in which the Rams are set to face other top defenses such as Seattle, San Diego and Kansas City, all of whom rank in the top 12 in the league.
“We don’t look ahead," coach Jeff Fisher said. "But, four of our next five are in the division and so we’re going to find out a lot about ourselves. That’s not only Austin but everybody on both sides of the ball.”
For Davis, though, it might be the biggest leap considering he's been present but hasn't played against a defense as physical and talented as what the Niners are bringing to the table. Even without suspended star pass-rusher Aldon Smith and injured lynchpin linebacker NaVorro Bowman, the beat simply goes on in San Francisco where the Niners plug someone else in and he produces.
And even without Smith and Bowman, the Niners still boast dominant mainstays like lineman Justin Smith, linebackers Patrick Willis and Ahmad Brooks, and safety Antoine Bethea.
"I think they’re probably the best all-around defense we’ve seen so far," Davis said. "The secondary’s really good. They’ve got probably the best linebacker in the game in Patrick Willis. Everyone knows what he can do. They’re really good up front. Huge, huge challenge for us and I think we’re ready for it.”
For as long as Jim Harbaugh has been in charge in San Francisco and employed Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator, there hasn't been much guesswork when it comes to figuring out what San Francisco wants to do defensively. The Niners still work from a base 3-4 defense which goes about its job without much pomp and circumstance.
It's a simple concept but the Niners do what they do extremely well at all levels. That means very little blitzing (their 14.9 percent blitz percentage is second-lowest in the league) and relying on the defensive front to generate pressure.
“Their system’s outstanding," Fisher said. "They plug people in. They’ve always had great depth. They don’t give up a lot of big plays. They keep things in front of them and they’re very good against the run. So, it’s going to be a huge challenge for us to find a way to run the football because we’re going to need to do that to keep their offense off the field.”
Davis has made a strong impression in his first three starts but his long-term future as the starting quarterback will come into focus more as more of the top defenses line up across from him. It begins on Monday night.
