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Rams notes: Team begins preparing for Sunday game in Philadelphia
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_1746058f-8225-5770-9265-761ca5352c12.html
Coming off their Week 4 bye, the Rams returned to Rams Park Wednesday afternoon for their first full practice in preparation for Sunday’s noon game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
This is the first of 13 consecutive weeks of football for the 1-2 Rams.
“They’re fresh and they’re ready to go,” coach Jeff Fisher said of his players. “We’re pleased with what took place last week. We focused on specific things for different players and we got a lot done — the guys that needed rest got rest (and the) young guys that needed technique work got that. Guys got away, we brought them back yesterday mid-morning and got them back in the swing of things.
“They understand the challenges that are ahead of us this week. This is a good (3-1 Eagles) football team — this team could be 4-0. You’re talking about a team that has five returns for touchdowns already. They played the 49ers well (losing 26-21 on the road Sunday) and we’ve got our hands full. ... Our guys understand that the key this week is preparation. You have to prepare for an uncommon opponent. We have to prepare the best we can for their up-tempo offense.”
INJURY REPORT
The Rams’ initial injury report of the week includes just five players. Center Barrett Jones (back) and cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson (knee) and Brandon McGee (foot) did not practice while receiver Tavon Austin (knee) was limited.
Back-up quarterback Shaun Hill (thigh) took part in the full workout, working with the scout team.
Austin, the team’s top draft pick a year ago, did some extra work after practice and is hoping to return to action on Sunday.
“I feel good. Definitely good to be back out there,” said Austin, who had three catches 34 yards and five carries for 26 yards before being hurt late in the first half of the team’s Week 2 win at Tampa Bay. “I’m trying to stay positive, to stay patient. I just want to move forward and try to make some plays to help the team any way I can.”
Fisher said that Johnson, a starting cornerback, continues to make progress after being hurt in the preseason.
“He’s getting closer,’’ the coach said. “Doing some good things inside, actually, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was ready to start running on land here pretty soon.”
For Philadelphia, center Jason Kelce has been ruled out due to a sports hernia while inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks (calf) and cornerback Brandon Boykin (hamstring) sat out Wednesday’s workout. Banged-up players practicing included tight end Trey Burton (Achilles), cornerback Nolan Carroll (ankle), tight end James Casey (knee), tackle Matt Tobin (ankle), safety Earl Wolff (knee) and receivers Josh Huff (shoulder), Brad Smith (groin) and Jeremy Maclin (hamstring). Both Smith, a former quarterback, and Maclin, a Kirkwood High product, enjoyed record-setting careers at the University of Missouri.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Jones, a highly decorated offensive lineman from Alabama selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, did some work on the side Wednesday and continues to rehab after undergoing back surgery during training camp.
“It was really a minor deal, as back surgery goes,” he explained Wednesday. “But it feels really good. It helped a ton. I feel like a new man.”
Jones, who earned All-America honors at three different positions while winning three national titles with the Crimson Tide, was limited to just four games a year ago after undergoing foot surgery at the end of his college career. After working hard in the offseason to prepare for his second pro season, he was sidelined early in training camp.
“I just felt a lot of pain in my back and shooting down my legs. Nerve pain,” the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Jones said. “It was very frustrating because I felt good about the way I was playing. But that’s just a part of football and now I’m looking to bounce back. I feel like this is a small setback and that I’ll be able to play football again soon.”
CROWD NOISE
The Rams are one of the few teams in the NFL who do not pump in crowd noise to help prepare for hostile road stadiums.
“I think if you make a big deal of the crowd noise, then it becomes a big deal during the game,” Fisher explained. “In camp, we have a few drills (with players simulating crowd noise) from the back of the end zone, but that’s all we do. We communicate in the huddle and have to go silent count and all those things. I think if you make such a big deal over it, it becomes a concern, becomes a distraction not only on the practice field but on Sundays.”
RAM-BLINGS
• Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles was named NFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday after a career-long 82-yard punt return touchdown in the Eagles’ loss to the 49ers last weekend. It was the fourth punt-return score and sixth total kick-return touchdown for Sproles, who earned Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 2.
In the game, the Eagles became the first team in NFL history to score on a punt return, a blocked punt and an interception return in the first half of a game.
• In a practice squad move, the Rams have released defensive end Kortnei Brown and re-signed tight end Brad Smelley.
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_1746058f-8225-5770-9265-761ca5352c12.html
Coming off their Week 4 bye, the Rams returned to Rams Park Wednesday afternoon for their first full practice in preparation for Sunday’s noon game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
This is the first of 13 consecutive weeks of football for the 1-2 Rams.
“They’re fresh and they’re ready to go,” coach Jeff Fisher said of his players. “We’re pleased with what took place last week. We focused on specific things for different players and we got a lot done — the guys that needed rest got rest (and the) young guys that needed technique work got that. Guys got away, we brought them back yesterday mid-morning and got them back in the swing of things.
“They understand the challenges that are ahead of us this week. This is a good (3-1 Eagles) football team — this team could be 4-0. You’re talking about a team that has five returns for touchdowns already. They played the 49ers well (losing 26-21 on the road Sunday) and we’ve got our hands full. ... Our guys understand that the key this week is preparation. You have to prepare for an uncommon opponent. We have to prepare the best we can for their up-tempo offense.”
INJURY REPORT
The Rams’ initial injury report of the week includes just five players. Center Barrett Jones (back) and cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson (knee) and Brandon McGee (foot) did not practice while receiver Tavon Austin (knee) was limited.
Back-up quarterback Shaun Hill (thigh) took part in the full workout, working with the scout team.
Austin, the team’s top draft pick a year ago, did some extra work after practice and is hoping to return to action on Sunday.
“I feel good. Definitely good to be back out there,” said Austin, who had three catches 34 yards and five carries for 26 yards before being hurt late in the first half of the team’s Week 2 win at Tampa Bay. “I’m trying to stay positive, to stay patient. I just want to move forward and try to make some plays to help the team any way I can.”
Fisher said that Johnson, a starting cornerback, continues to make progress after being hurt in the preseason.
“He’s getting closer,’’ the coach said. “Doing some good things inside, actually, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was ready to start running on land here pretty soon.”
For Philadelphia, center Jason Kelce has been ruled out due to a sports hernia while inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks (calf) and cornerback Brandon Boykin (hamstring) sat out Wednesday’s workout. Banged-up players practicing included tight end Trey Burton (Achilles), cornerback Nolan Carroll (ankle), tight end James Casey (knee), tackle Matt Tobin (ankle), safety Earl Wolff (knee) and receivers Josh Huff (shoulder), Brad Smith (groin) and Jeremy Maclin (hamstring). Both Smith, a former quarterback, and Maclin, a Kirkwood High product, enjoyed record-setting careers at the University of Missouri.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Jones, a highly decorated offensive lineman from Alabama selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, did some work on the side Wednesday and continues to rehab after undergoing back surgery during training camp.
“It was really a minor deal, as back surgery goes,” he explained Wednesday. “But it feels really good. It helped a ton. I feel like a new man.”
Jones, who earned All-America honors at three different positions while winning three national titles with the Crimson Tide, was limited to just four games a year ago after undergoing foot surgery at the end of his college career. After working hard in the offseason to prepare for his second pro season, he was sidelined early in training camp.
“I just felt a lot of pain in my back and shooting down my legs. Nerve pain,” the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Jones said. “It was very frustrating because I felt good about the way I was playing. But that’s just a part of football and now I’m looking to bounce back. I feel like this is a small setback and that I’ll be able to play football again soon.”
CROWD NOISE
The Rams are one of the few teams in the NFL who do not pump in crowd noise to help prepare for hostile road stadiums.
“I think if you make a big deal of the crowd noise, then it becomes a big deal during the game,” Fisher explained. “In camp, we have a few drills (with players simulating crowd noise) from the back of the end zone, but that’s all we do. We communicate in the huddle and have to go silent count and all those things. I think if you make such a big deal over it, it becomes a concern, becomes a distraction not only on the practice field but on Sundays.”
RAM-BLINGS
• Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles was named NFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday after a career-long 82-yard punt return touchdown in the Eagles’ loss to the 49ers last weekend. It was the fourth punt-return score and sixth total kick-return touchdown for Sproles, who earned Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 2.
In the game, the Eagles became the first team in NFL history to score on a punt return, a blocked punt and an interception return in the first half of a game.
• In a practice squad move, the Rams have released defensive end Kortnei Brown and re-signed tight end Brad Smelley.