Boy, Is My Face Red

For those of you who are regular readers, you know that I have been highly critical of certain players on this roster over the last few months. As it happens, two of the players I have been the most critical of just so happened to be the only two players who got in the end zone for the Rams on Sunday. While I’m not ready to take back everything I said about Kenneth Darby and Brandon Gibson, I will say that both players did a nice job against the Seahawks.

First, let’s take a look at Darby. My problem with him isn’t that he doesn’t bring anything to the team… It’s that he doesn’t give us what we need. The Rams are desperate for a backup running back who can handle the load if something happens to SJ39. Darby is not that guy. What Darby is, is a pretty solid third-down back who is good catching the ball out of the backfield and in pass protection. Bringing in another back won’t affect Darby, and more importantly it will allow him to focus on the role he is most productive in. He has proven over the last two weeks that he is a weapon when used in the correct manner, but I still think it’s important for the Rams to find another back. Chauncey Washington might be the answer, and I’m willing to go with the Darby/Toston combo along with Washington until we know for sure.

Now, on to Gibson. His drops against the Redskins were pretty terrible, and he had another awful drop on Sunday on a pass that hit him right between the numbers. With that being said, he also made several very impressive and athletic grabs, including the touchdown catch. I know the Rams are still high on him, and you could see why this weekend. He has the ability, and I really think he will develop into a nice offensive weapon. As he gets more experience, I think he will become a reliable receiver for Sam Bradford and the Rams.

Injury Update: The news is good on the injury front for once after this week’s game. OJ Atogwe and SJ39 are both fine after playing Sunday, and neither suffered any kind of setback. Kevin Dockery could miss a few weeks after another hamstring injury, and Gary Gibson is expected to get an MRI on his shoulder in the coming days. Punter Donnie Jones has a calf strain, and he will be taking it easy this week. He should be fine. Billy Bajema, Michael Hoomanawanui, and Chris Chamberlain are all expected to see some limited practice time this week, so that’s good as well.