Rams beat Seattle in OT; game notes and injury updates

The St. Louis Rams opened the 2015 season on Sunday with a very exciting overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams showed some serious character after allowing their 11-point lead to dissipate late in the game, but some heroics from quarterback Nick Foles and tight end Lance Kendricks brought things even at 31 with under a minute left in the game. This would lead to their eventual overtime victory all while revealing a very different Rams team from years past.

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Aaron Donald stole the show on the defensive side of the ball with 11 tackles, two for loss and two sacks. Donald was quick off the ball all game long and used his size and power to gain penetration on a suspect Seattle o-line. Robert Quinn would add two more sacks as the team totaled up six on the afternoon. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been sacked three or more times in a game four times in his career. Three of those occasions have come against the Rams.

Cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who intercepted Wilson in the first half, left before halftime with concussion like symptoms. Reports are that Johnson will go through the protocol this week and will be day-to-day. The loss of Johnson would be big for the Rams, a team thin at the corner position. Marcus Roberson stepped up in the absence of Johnson and played well being called upon to cover tight end Jimmy Graham on occasion.

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Marcus Roberson (47) Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Special teams, an area St. Louis has excelled in against Seattle in the passed, proved to do so again on Sunday. Seahawks rookie wide receiver Tyler Lockett pounced early returning Johnny Hekker’s punt 57-yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, but that was the extent of the damage they would provide. Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin would one-up Lockett later in the game returning a punt of his own for 75-yards and a touchdown.

Bradley Marquez, an undrafted free agent, would recover the botched Seattle kickoff to begin overtime at midfield to set St. Louis up for their go-ahead field goal a few plays later. Greg Zuerlein would also punch through both field goal attempts and all four extra point attempts from the new longer distance.

The offensive line in St. Louis is still very much a concern. The line gave up two sacks, seven quarterback hits and lots of pressure. One of those sacks ended in a strip fumble recovered for a touchdown by Seattle giving them the lead late in the game. Rodger Saffold, the only veteran on the line, took a false start penalty stalling out a St. Louis drive late as well. There are certainly things to be cleaned up moving forward.

In what was surely the brightest spot for Rams’ fans on Sunday, Nick Foles appears to be the real deal at quarterback. Amassing 297 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown along with no interceptions, all while under pressure. The only blemish on the day was the strip sack, but in his defense, he never saw the corner blitz coming. New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and Foles look to be meshing well and a weak secondary in Washington is looking ripe for the picking in Week 2.

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