Before I get into talking about the defense and special teams, I must comment on Steven Jackson. In the past, being truly the lone offensive weapon on offense, Steven maybe pushed himself too much when dinged up and put himself at risk for a career ending injury when trying to lead this team. Now, his health is closely monitored and his play count controlled to get the most production from his play. He may not like it much, but as a fans, we do want him to be part of this new era and be part of the potential success. Steven, you are the heart and fire of this team!

Yesterday, Seattle’s tough defense and the legs of the Seahawk’s Marshawn Lynch (20 rushes for 118 Yds. and 1T.D.) kept the game close to the end. St. Louis’ defense did their part by forcing Russell Wilson into 3 interceptions, sacked him twice and a Quarterback rating of 45.8. Sam Bradford and the Rams offense couldn’t get the ball into the end-zone again this week due to untimely penalties, inaccurate throws and a couple of times due to miscommunication. But, most all of us will take the 19-13 victory.

And to those draft pundits who criticized Les Snead and Jeff Fisher for ‘Wasting’ a draft pick on a kicker, you should be hung in effigy next to the World Championship banner hanging in the Jones Dome. Greg Zuerlien, I dub thee the Missouri ‘ Cyclone’ as the new franchise record holder for not once, but twice breaking the record in one game. I hope you’re enjoying the view Josh Brown, saved your money or waiting and hoping for the Washington Redskins to call. While not a heads above the player he replaced like the ‘Cyclone’, punter Johnny Hekker has done an fantastic job including the touch-down throw to Danny Amendola that surprised quite a few and was the difference maker in the game.

Meet Nervous Ned

With a little nudging, I convinced my friend Ned to do some commentary on the highlights of yesterdays game. Here you go

As this is my last posting here, I want to thank Ramblin Fan, the writers and all of you who viewed and hopfully enjoyed everything I did here. Again, Thank You!

Aug 12, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (8) throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats St. Louis 38-3. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

 

“Above all, forgive me for the men I’ve killed in anger…and those I am about to,” said no quarterback in the NFC West because no player is making a statement to be number one on the depth chart at that position.

“The Cowboys” (1972)

Let’s face it; no quarterback outside of Sam Bradford has won a starting gig in the NFC West outright yet. Seattle paid a guy a ton of money and the undersized third stringer is making it hard for radio puppets not to waste time pondering the “what if.” Alex Smith is the likely starter for the Niners, but then again, they have a pretty sexy duel-threat QB from Nevada with Usain Bolt sprinting skills. And as one Twitter joke artist said, “Kolb me, maybe?” The complete befuddling taking place at the quarterback position in the NFC West is, more or less, annoying. In the end, it will most likely shake out exactly how we expected it to shake out, says every talking head in the media.

Time to take it around the division…

Aug 5, 2012; Canton, OH, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb (4) lays on the field after an incomplete pass against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter of the pro football hall of fame preseason game at Fawcett Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona:

• I wouldn’t necessarily call quarterback John Skelton a favorite in the state of Arizona, but as far as the starting QB gig goes, the Fordham product is the “favorite” to pull away with the job.
• Tight end Jeff King is back from his quadriceps injury. I believe he dusted off his favorite AZ single from 2002 when he walked onto the practice field yesterday.

San Francisco:

August 10, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh watches the action against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

• Is it me or is Jim Harbaugh totally channeling his inner Angelina Jolie Power Leg Stance in the above photo?
• Apparently second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick is “emerging” as the second-string QB and the teacher’s pet, Josh Johnson, is wowing the media folk with cliché jargon. Maybe all that time spent in the NFC South with Tampa Bay ruined Johnson’s vocal dexterity—right, Cam Newton?
• If I were Harbaugh, I would pull the trigger on Kaepernick right now because this season screams, “FAIL!” Alex Smith has never really amounted to much and this year should be his David Carr year. I expect Seattle to take over the division, sans a respectable quarterback, and for the Niners to fall on their faces.

Aug 8, 2012; Renton, WA, USA; NFL: Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Terrell Owens (10) talks with wide receiver Sidney Rice (18) during a water break of training camp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

Seattle:

• Tight end Zach Miller didn’t practice today because of complications from the “very slight concussion” he got Saturday against the Titans. Mr. Miller, get Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best on the tin can and ask him how “very slight concussions” are effecting his first round draft pick caliber career, okay? Speaking of very slight—I think I have a very slight college debt problem myself.
• Crippled wide out Sidney Rice returned to practice for the ‘Hawks on Tuesday wearing the powder puff jersey. That means no defensive players can lay a hand on Rice, which is funny because Rice won’t be laying a hand on any footballs this Saturday against the Denver Broncos with head coach Pete Carroll keeping him out the action. Well, that is assuming that one of their quarterbacks could get him the ball effectively.
• For the second time, the Seahawks got a wide receiver named Rice way past his best playing days.

Oct 23, 2011; London, ENGLAND; Fans arrive to the NFL International Series game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

St. Louis: 

• Everyone yell with me, “THANK GOD THE RAMS AREN’T PLAYING ADDITIONAL STUPID GAMES OVERSEAS!!!” Good job. The Rams are not going to play at Wembley Stadium in London during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, which is positive for everyone.
• Players who missed practice on Tuesday included cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher and Trumaine Johnson, safety Darian Stewart, defensive tackle Trevor Laws, center Scott Wells and wide receivers Danario Alexander and Brandon Gibson. Overall, the Rams look healthy in comparison to other teams around the league.
• MSM’s Shane Gray noticed that fifth round rookie offensive guard Rokevious Watkins has been getting more and more work of late. Could we dare to label him a diamond in the rough?

-Fin-

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.