Ramblin' Fan » Michael Vick

Williams Working On Reinstatement

Justin Stine — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:23:21 +0000

Jan 7, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams watches pregame warmups prior to the game against the Detroit Lions in the 2011 NFC Wild Card Playoff game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE

Rams defensive coordiator Gregg Williams might be out of the NFL for this season, but he is doing everything in his power to make sure he will be back in 2013. Williams has reportedly been in contact with league officials to discuss steps to get back in the league next year.

Williams is eligible for reinstatement the day after the Super Bowl, and although things aren’t looking great for him right now, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was back next season. He is already reaching out, and it looks like he’s going to take whatever steps are necessary to get back in the good graces of Roger Goodell. This whole situation is no good, but if the Michael Vick saga taught us anything, it’s that forgiveness is there if you are willing to work for it.

If Williams is allowed back, it will be interesting to see how the Rams handle the situation. I know that’s a long way off, but it’s kind of a weird situation. We won’t have to worry about it for another year, but at least for now it looks like he’s on the road to redemption.

Eagles, Injuries Decimate Rams

Justin Stine — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:22:06 +0000

Well that was an absolute disaster. If you would have asked me to describe the absolute worst-case scenario for today’s game, I probably would have come up with something awfully close to what actually happened. First, the injuries. We don’t know a whole lot just yet, but Sam Bradford left with a right index finger injury. He expects to play next week right now, but he will have an MRI on Monday to determine if there is any nerve damage. The MRI room is going to be busy, as Steven Jackson left after two carries with a quad injury, the severity of which will be determined after tests tomorrow. Danny Amendola suffered the most serious injury, as he dislocated his elbow. I haven’t heard what the team expects from this injury yet, but it seems fairly possible the he could be done for most or all of the season. Jason Smith left with what the team called a high ankle sprain. Quintin Mikell and Jason Brown also left early, but I’m still waiting to get news from the team’s PR department that might clear all of these and other injuries up, so stay tuned on Twitter @Ramblinfan and here at the site for updates. When I know, you’ll know.

As far as the play on the field, I thought the team looked decent in the first half. The running game was very good for much of the game, (thanks to Cadillac Williams) but the Eagles shut everything down through the air. When we did have an open receiver, Bradford was either off target or we couldn’t catch the ball. It’s inexcusable to have that many drops for any NFL team, I don’t care if they are rookies or not.

The defense did OK early on, but the containment issues we saw against the Titans in the preseason were back in the running game today. I think that is an issue of real concern for this team. Vick had his way with us, which is partly because he is really, really good and partly because the team really lost discipline as the game went on. I think there are real issues on both sides of the ball that are perhaps more prevalent than we thought after the preseason, but let’s keep in mind that it’s only Week 1 and we played maybe the most talented team in the NFL. I’m not saying those are excuses, but let’s not jump off the Rams bandwagon just yet.

Meet The Rams’ Week 1 Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

Justin Stine — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:32:12 +0000

The official start of the Rams regular season is less than 12 hours away, and the excitement for the Week 1 matchup with “The Dream Team” is reaching epic proportions. To give everyone a closer look at what the Eagles will bring to the table, I had a chat with Bob Wankel from the Eagles Fansided blog Inside the Iggles. We will be doing this chat with the opposing team’s writer on a weekly basis, so I hope you all enjoy it. Here’s what Bob had to say about five questions posed to him by yours truly. My questions will be in blue, and Bob’s answers will follow.

1. How is this team dealing with “The Dream Team” label and do you think the added pressure will affect them on the field this week?

When Vince Young termed the Eagles a “Dream Team” upon first signing with Philadelphia, I don’t think he had any idea what impact those words would have. ESPN and national media really took the story and ran with it. Personally, I think the whole thing is a bit overblown. The Eagles aren’t a dream team, and I don’t think they act as if they do. Once the whistle blows things of that nature tend to go out the window. Michael Vick isn’t going to overcompensate for something that was said by a backup quarterback, and I doubt the Rams will benefit from it.

2. Discuss the Eagles offensive line. I know they are relatively inexperienced, so how are the team and the fans feeling about the individual players? Are you concerned about the group as a whole going against one of the better pass-rushing teams from last season in the Rams?

I think the biggest concern this team has, by far, is the offensive line. Sliding Todd Herreman’s out to right tackle should help provide some stability in that spot, but the recent benching of Danny Watkins for a guy that signed here only a week ago is a concern. Throw in an inexperienced rookie center in a dome game with a tough defensive line and, well, things could get dicey. So there’s a fair amount of concern there.

3. Where are DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin at as far as readiness for the season. They both missed a ton of the preseason, so are they ready to go at full speed physically and mentally?

I think there’s probably more concern regarding Maclin than Jackson at this point. Jackson should be at full speed this week and very, very motivated as he looks to cash in on a new contract. Maclin, on the other hand, missed a substantial amount of time with a mystery illness. He’s practiced all week and it appears he’ll be ready to play, but his snaps may be limited.

4. Is there any concern about having rookies at both the punter and kicker positions? How have the two looked in the preseason?

I think anytime you depend upon rookies on special teams there has to be a bit of concern. Alex Henery has a tremendous leg and has shown flashes of being a terrific kicker in this league, but he reportedly had an up and down camp despite making 4 of 5 field goals during the preseason. It may take him a bit of time to find that consistency. As for Chas Henry, he’s also been a bit inconsistent, but I think the Eagles feel comfortable with him at this point.

5. Talk about Mike Vick’s development as a quarterback. Is he capable of winning a game from the pocket, or will he need to get in space and use his legs to be truly effective on Sunday?

Mike Vick isn’t the same player he was in Atlanta. That’s been said numerous times. While he has improved as a pocket passer, I expect the Eagles to get Vick out in space given the Rams’ ability to rush the passer. If he can get some room to work with, I expect him to exploit a mediocre Rams’ secondary down the field for some big plays.