I was in attendance for today’s loss to the Falcons, and overall I thought the team played fairly well considering they were defeated by a score of 34-17. I’ll get deeper into the game tomorrow, but my first thought was that the better team won today. The Rams certainly proved they can play with anyone (at least at home), but Atlanta was just a deeper, more balanced squad.

I had a couple of issues with the game, first of which was the play-calling. It did look like the team made an effort to throw the ball downfield more today, which I liked, but Steven Jackson did not touch the ball nearly enough. Also, I’d like to know why Mardy Gilyard got little or no action on offense. Hopefully I can find out tomorrow, but I don’t remember him being on the field for any offensive snaps. He played on special teams, so hopefully I can get more info on that before tomorrow’s post.

Finally, and probably most important, the pass-rush was practically nonexistent. The team didn’t get any pressure on Matt Ryan, and when they did blitz, he picked us apart with his hot reads. To tie into that point, the third down defense is becoming a major issue. There was a 3rd-and-13 in the first half that was converted and a 3rd-and-14 in the second half, and both drives ended in touchdowns. That’s two weeks in a row that the inability to get off the field on third-and-long killed us. It needs to be fixed.

Injury Report: Rodger Saffold will have an MRI on his shoulder in the next few days, as he suffered an injury late in the game. There were several instances of cramping, but other than that the team came out of this one relativly unscathed.

I have been extremely busy today, so sorry for the late post and also a preemptive apology for this post being a little bit short. Not much big news coming out of Rams camp today, bu new quarterback Sam Bradford did participate in a chat with the fans on the team’s website today. I will link the entire thing below but here are some highlights. Bradford said that in his first year as a starter he played under center more than half of the snap he took that season, and he said he is comfortable playing in that capacity. He went on to say that he only took about 30-35 percent of the snaps under center as a sophomore, but at least he feels comfortable taking snaps, which I know has been a concern for many fans. He also said that he plans to call Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to pick his brain about what it’s like making the transition to the NFL. I think this is a smart move, as any information Ryan will give to make the transition easier will benefit the Rams. Finally, Bradford mentioned that he has already made phone calls to rookies Rodger Saffold and Mardy Gilyard. He better become fast friends with those two, because he will need them both to become good NFL players if he plans to be successful. Those are just a few highlights, and here is the link to the interview in its entirety.

Sam Bradford Live Chat

In another quick note, Seattle offensive tackle Walter Jones officially retired today. He was a great player for many years, and while I will congratulate him on a great career, I have to admit that I’m happy we don’t have to see him twice a year anymore.

Kiper: The Rams have passed on Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez during the past two years, and they don’t want to regret missing on another player with “franchise QB” potential. Bradford could have been No. 1 over Matthew Stafford last year, and has answered a lot of questions about his physical skills (and progress) over the past month. Concerns about his experience in the spread offense alone are real, however, and if the Rams feel intent on starting Bradford from day one, they could live to regret it.

McShay: The Rams have passed on potential franchise quarterbacks the past two seasons in favor of linemen, and we will be shocked if they do so again. Bradford has added bulk to his frame, passed medical exams on his surgically repaired throwing shoulder and had a strong showing at his pro day, so there should be no obstacles for the Rams. He comes from a wide-open offense and was generally well protected but we are confident he has the football intelligence and accuracy to develop into an upper-echelon starter a few years down the road.

Both men know that we can’t afford to pass on another quarterback this year after the success of guys like Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez, but it is interesting to note that Kiper seems much less sold on Bradford being ready to play right away. I have to admit that I’m a bit concerned about how Bradford will transition to the NFL this season after playing his college career in the spread offense and sitting out most of last season. There will surely be some bumps in the road, just like any team goes through when they start a rookie quarterback, so our expectations need to be realistic. Anyone who thinks Bradford will come in here and turn the organization around in one year doesn’t know how the game works. As Rams fans we have to be patient, because this guy has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback in this league. There is every reason to be excited, and I feel like we might look back at this draft in ten years as the day our organization began its return to prominence.