SB Nation - Ron Bartell

Arizona Cardinals Fly Around the NFC West

najmsh — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:15:46 -0000

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (13) is hurried by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Justin Smith during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009.

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After a very intense (but fulfilling) week 13, the Arizona Cardinals find themselves atop the NFC West, a three game lead with four left to play. Maybe it was the confidence of our friends over at Niners Nation or maybe it was a product of the damage done to Cardinals fans’ psyches over the years, but many expected the Cardinals and the Niners to fight for first place in the division during the upcoming Monday Night Game. Thankfully, that is not the case.

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners are coming off one of their worst losses of the year (from a morale standpoint). Coach Mike Singletary came into the season wanting to instill a team mentality and a sense of toughness, and he was initially very successful in doing so. The Niners started 3-1, and came within a Brett Favre Hail Mary of being undefeated after 4 weeks (with 3 division wins), but it went downhill from there. Starting with a drubbing by Atlanta, the Niners went through a 4 game losing streak and ultimately lost 6 of their next 8 games. They are now tied with Seattle for second place in the division, and barring a Cardinals collapse, are out of the playoffs. There is a little optimism now, as many of the Niners faithful are confident that Alex Smith is the quarterback of the future. However, Mike Singletary and the much maligned Jimmy Raye need to find a way to make Smith successful while also incorporating Frank Gore into the offense (Gore has averaged only 10 carries/game over the last three games). The Niners play at home against the Cardinals this week, a game where the Cards are favored by 3.

Seattle Seahawks: It was a very up and down week for the Seattle Seahawks. Long time GM Tim Ruskell resigned from his post, inviting in a plethora of Mike Holmgren rumors. Ruskell inherited a loaded team and added a few Seahawk mainstays, including Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill, but much of his reign was marked with draft busts and bad trades. The team itself is coming off a close win against the 49ers and is tied for second place in the division at 5-7. The Seahawks are unexpectedly rebuilding in a year where many thought they would challenge the Cardinals for the division. On the bright side, they have two first round draft picks and if Mike Holmgren decides to come back as general manager, they could rebound quickly. Seattle is travelling to Reliant Stadium this week to take on the most schizophrenic team in the league, the Houston Texans.

St. Louis Rams: Injuries, injuries, injuries. After Sunday’s game against the Bears, the Rams had to put safety Oshimogho Atogwe on injured reserve, joining starting cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher and Ron Bartell. The Rams placed the franchise tag on Atogwe during the offseason and are shelling out close to $6 million for his services this year. They now have a big decision to make about his future with the team. The Rams are essentially headed for another top five pick, with problems at every offensive position except running back. St. Louis is travelling to Tennessee this week to take on the Tennessee Chris Johnsons, who are coming off their first loss since Vince Young was named the starting quarterback.

Division Leaders:

New Orleans Saints* (12-0) – (@ATL, DAL, TB, @CAR)

Minnesota Vikings (10-2) – (CIN, @CAR, @CHI, NYG)

Arizona Cardinals (8-4) – (@SF, @DET, STL, GB)

Dallas Cowboys (8-4) – (SD, @NO, @WAS, PHI) (I’m pretty sure the schedule makers were laughing uncontrollably while making Dallas’ December schedule)

Wild Card:

Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) – (@NYG, SF, DEN, @DAL)

Green Bay Packers (8-4) – (@CHI, @PIT, SEA, @ARI)

In the Hunt:

New York Giants (7-5) – (PHI, @WAS, CAR, @MIN)

Rams assembling a good team, on IR

VanRam — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:22:19 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

The Rams are putting together a decent IR team.

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The St. Louis Rams have added FS Oshiomogho Atogwe to their lengthy injured reserve list, ending his season.

It's a huge blow to the Rams, as they now lose their best playmaker on defense...their only playmaker on defense really. Togs hasn't had the INT totals we grew accustomed to - no surprise given the lack of pressure the Rams put on passers - he has been able to force fumbles, giving the offense valuable field position to squander away.

Once again, injuries have taken their toll on the Rams. Let's review the IR list.

Bradley Fletcher, this year's third round pick emerged as a solid starting CB, giving the Rams a nice press corner to play along side the more finesse oriented Ron Bartell. He suffered a very serious injury hyperextending his knee and putting his sophomore season in jeopardy.

Adam Carriker, a third year, former first round pick who needed to take the next step forward under new head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Carriker didn't even make it to the regular season.

Second-year receiver Keenan Burton was starting to gain some consistency as a possession guy in the Rams woeful passing game. Can Burton ever escape the injury-plagued label now?

Laurent Robinson was looking like the steal of the offseason after GM Billy Devaney acquired him for a late round pick swap. He made it through three games. Robinson also carries the injury-plagued label.

Signed as a free agent in April, Gary Gibson came on strong in the preseason, filling in for Adam Carriker. He gave the Rams a decent DT to play along side Clifton Ryan.

Defensive end C.J. Ah You was never going to be confused for a Pro Bowler, but he started to thrive as a situational guy under Spagnuolo.

The Rams have six starters on that list, and could very well add Marc Bulger in the near future. Rounding out IR are FS Eric Bassey, WR Brooks Foster, and LS Chris Massey.

Looking back at the specific injuries to these players there's no one cause that stands out, as easy as it might seem to blame turf. My theory on why the Rams lose so many key players: The team lacks talent so these guys step up and play harder, exposing themselves to great risk of injury.

To play through it or not to: Is Bartell ready for the Saints?

VanRam — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:36:20 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, left, catches a pass for a 16-yard gain as St. Louis Rams cornerback Ronald Bartell defends during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Should a player be allowed to play through an injury even if it can potentially hurt a team? That's a pretty common question in all of sports, and one that the St. Louis Rams have struggled with this season with their top cornerback, Ron Bartell.

Bartell has been dealing with a thigh injury for two months, and it's caused him to get burned on some costly plays on more than one occassion this season. I'll forgive him the Colts game, since I'm a pretty firm believer in the notion that the best passes usually beat the best coverage. Here's Bartell on playing through it:

It's been frustrating. But I chose to play and try to fight through it. I have to play better, regardless of how it feels. I'm expected to play at a certain level, and I haven't been playing at that level.

To a large extent, the Rams don't have a choice but to play their walking wounded at cornerback. The team isn't deep enough, especially with Bradley Fletcher lost for the season since week 7. Prior to that, it was still a valid question as to whether the Rams should have played Bartell or let him rest for a week.

His injury is similar to what Steven Jackson dealt with last season. A thigh injury has a more direct impact on a running back, but it's obviously compromised some of Bartell's skills in coverage.

This week, he's had a chance to rest it and is feeling more confident about his readiness for a game against the Saints, one where the secondary is sure to be tested early and often.

St. Louis Rams stock watch

VanRam — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:47:39 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis has been among the team's most valuable players thins season.

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The St. Louis Rams are halfway through the first season of a major franchise overhaul. Eight games in, we know lots more than we did in August. Draft picks have played their way into the lineup, or out of it. Free agent pickups have figured into the equation, and we have a better idea about the future of the team's veterans. So, with apologies to Mike Sando, let's take a look at some of the more notable cases with a stock watch.

BUY

James Laurinaitis - The second round pick has reminded fans and casual observers alike why he was considered first round talent just a year ago. Playing for a 1-win team his name is already in the conversation for defensive rookie of the year. Middle linebacker was a massive hole in the Rams defense since the jettisoning of London Fletcher, but now it's probably the strongest position on the defense. The future looks good.

Steven Jackson - Before this year, Jackson was merely good. Now he's truly great. This season, he's emerged as a team leader, a veteran guiding a rebuilding franchise through the rough early phases of the project. Of course, his onfield contributions can't be overstated either. He's the reason the Rams have one win, and playing with a truly inferior offense, he's torching some of the league's best defenses. SJ39 is one of those stocks that the price of entry is really high, but worth every penny.

James Butler - On paper, the Rams defense hasn't been particularly impressive. However, Butler has been a big part of the reason why it at least looks more competent than it has in recent seasons, guiding the youngsters through the transition to Spagnuolo and Flajole's scheme.

Jason Smith - The second overall pick is starting to look like the best OT from this year's draft. He learns fast, and you don't see him make the same mistake twice. This kid has a bright future.

HOLD

Oshiomogho Atogwe - The ball hawk is having a rougher season than we would have expected. Why? It's hard to say. The cornerback situation is no worse than it has been in the recent past for the Rams. The transition in schemes may have had some impact. Could his contract situation be a distraction? He'll be the story to watch in the offseason. Do the Rams re-sign him? If they opt to use the RFA route, he's bound to be a holdout.

Donnie Avery - Maybe it's the QB, maybe it's the new offense, whatever it is, it's been a rough season for Donnie Avery. Once the Rams address their needs at WR, Avery can get back to his role as a downfield threat, and some work in the slot.

Ron Bartell - It doesn't look like Bartell is top CB material. Still, he's signed to a reasonable contract and with a legitimate #1 corner beside him, he'll be part of a great duo.

SELL

Marc Bulger - Like so many, I thought he still had something left in the tank. The Detroit game proved me wrong.

Alex Barron - Sure, he's had his moments. You cannot refute that Barron has talent. However, he continues to put himself in the doghouse by taking bad penalties and occasionally taking himself out of plays. A half-game benching and stern lecture helped for just one game. I sometimes wonder if we might not see him back in '10, but on the right side, playing under a RFA contract.

Randy McMichael - Boink. That's the sound of another pass bouncing off his cast iron hands. McMichael offers little at this point in his career that a replacement level TE doesn't bring to the table.

Chris Long - The second overall pick from a year ago has failed to impress in his sophomore season. I still harbor some hope Long will get it figured out. He seems to have talent, and his desire is unquestionable. More talent on the line could help and some intensive coaching up. We'll see.

Grading the Rams cornerbacks

VanRam — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:41:23 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

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A quick look at some cornerback stats for the St. Louis Rams underscores just what losing Bradley Fletcher really means for this team.

Last week, the Colts threw at Fletcher 7 times and completed just two passes. The third round pick from Iowa spent most of his time last Sunday, before hyperextending his knee, covering Colts' WR Pierre Garcon, who caught a single 15-yard pass. Now, that might have looked a little different had the rookie been covering Reggie Wayne.

The Rams most senior CB Ron Bartell spent the day with Wayne and got beat on 5 of 7 throws for 70 yards. Manning completed a 27-yard TD pass to Dallas Clark against Bartell too, and for the most part the Rams secondary had trouble making the shift from the receiver to the ball, no easy task with Manning as it is. It's also important to consider the QB in judging cornerbacks. Peyton Manning is one of the best, but he's not infallible.

As for Quincy Butler, the Colts completed 1 of 3 passes thrown at him. Reggie Wayne made a 7-yard grab with 1 yard after the catch against Butler.

We don't know yet who'll be under center for the Lions, but Calvin Johnson can expect to see plenty of double coverage.

Housekeeping notes...

I'll have the weekly pick 'em poll and results from last week up today.
Turf Show Radio is on the air tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Central time.

Avery playing; Hall not so much: Random Ramsdom, 10/24

VanRam — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:37:00 -0000

There's some good and not so good injury news to report with the St. Louis Rams set to take on the Indianapolis Colts in just over 24 hours. Let's jump right in.

Avery ready to play

Donnie Avery practiced and is ready to go this week. The Rams will obviously need him. Ron Bartell practiced and should play too. WR Ruvell Martin and DE James Hall are questionable and most likely out this week. I think it was Sando, but someone said that the Rams pass rush might not be much of a factor this week anyway, with or without Hall, as Manning is so good at getting the ball out in a hurry. Are you prepared for things to depend on our coverage?

James Butler and the system

The Rams are glad to have James Butler back this week, especially since they'll be playing in coverage most of the time. Will Butler help get the DBs in place? Does this reduce the number of big plays?

Focusing on pass protection

OTs Adam Goldberg, Alex Barron and Jason Smith will rotate this week, with Goldberg starting. Sando says the Rams are making a good move not exposing Smith in his first week back all along against a tough Colts defense. A fair point, but I'm not so sure Smith would give us a better line in place of Goldberg...or even Barron. It's interesting to note that Smith is expected to work more on the left side today. I wonder if they'll move Barron back to RT before the season ends?

Peter King's team most likely to move: Rams, Raiders, Chargers and Jags

The New York Times says the 49ers could be very likely to move too. The Bills? Not so much.

49ers-Texans Wednesday Injury Report and practice transcript

Fooch — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:59:30 -0000

And we're back finally with an injury report. Given the apparent length of the bye week, this is just one more exciting step in our return to actual football for the rest of the season. The importance of this game only adds to the level of excitement. As for the return of Frank Gore from injury? Well that just puts me over the top. Michael Lewis remains a question mark. Singletary indicated Lewis was "...doing fine, seems to be doing great," but his comments seem to indicate that it's a game-time decision. If that's the case, I'd have to agree with Barrows and guess that we'll see Mark Roman as the starting strong safety.

Over on the Texans side of the report, the most intriguing listing was LB Brian Cushing who did not practice today because of a foot issue (I refuse to say he did not practice "because of a foot.") Cushing leads the Texans in tackles and has been playing extremely well thus far. We'll keep an eye on his status the rest of the week.

49ers
Out (Definitely will not play)
SS Reggie Smith (groin)

Limited Participation in Practice
CB Tarell Brown (illness)
S Michael Lewis (concussion)
DE Ray McDonald (ankle)

Full Participation in Practice
RB Frank Gore (ankle, foot)
CB Marcus Hudson (shoulder)

Texans
Did not Participate in Practice
LB Brian Cushing (foot)
S Nick Ferguson (knee)

Limited Participation in Practice
DE Mario Williams (shoulder)
CB Ron Bartell (thigh)

Full Participation in Practice
K Kris Brown (right ankle)
LB DeMeco Ryans (chest)

Just a reminder that I've attached Mike Singletary and Shaun HIll's post-walk thru press transcripts...

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Walk Thru - October 21, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Hello. It's great to get into another week after the bye week, going on the road to Houston, a good football team. We face a great challenge. They're certainly a team that is playing with confidence on the offensive side of the ball. The quarterback is playing well, Matt Schaub. The wideout, No. 80, [Andre] Johnson, is playing well. The running back is playing well. On the defensive side of the ball, we're going to have our hands full making sure that we contain those guys. Their offensive attack is a good one. They're striving for balance, but they're throwing the ball well right now, and they're striving to run the ball as well. I think, going forward, this week we have to have a great week defensively.

Offensively, obviously, No. 90 jumps out at you, Mario Williams, as well as their linebackers, particularly No. 59 does a good job leading the defense. Mario is getting better with each game, playing with more confidence. Their defense is really coming together well. I think, for us on the offensive side of the ball, we have to have a great week's practice and make sure that the most important thing for us is continuity going into the game, making sure that we communicate great in our offensive line, our scheme. Once again, we're continuing to rotate [G] Chilo [Rachal] as well as [G Adam] Snyder at the right guard position. [T Tony] Pashos will be the starting right tackle at this point. To me, that's going to help us going forward. Our quarterback Shaun Hill, he knows he's going to have to do a better job, and he will. I just think that this week, there should be some things starting to come together offensively in terms of continuity and communication and those things. This is the sixth week going forward, so I'm very excited about the opportunity at hand."

On whether he knows who the starting X receiver is going to be:

"Not right now. We're not in position to name the starter yet. It will either be [WR] Josh [Morgan] or [WR Michael] Crabtree. Right now, as we look at the three guys, when you look at [WR Isaac] Bruce, you look at Josh, you look at Crabtree, we look at all those guys as starters, possible starters. I think, for us, Crabtree coming in the way that he's come in, a tremendous attitude, a tremendous work ethic, been doing everything he can to get on the field and I think the most important thing for us is to get him out there as soon as we can and as much as we can and see what he can and cannot do. It's one thing to practice. It's another thing to get in the game and play the game full speed. I just think it's very important for us to find out as soon as we can how much of a playmaker he can be."

On what he has seen in the short period of time that Crabtree has practiced that puts him in consideration for a starting job:

"I think it's a matter of sense of urgency for him. He's had a tremendous attitude coming in with some of the guys really ribbing him, a tough love kind of deal. Coaches as well. He has responded with nothing less than a smile and, ‘OK coach. I got it, but can I see the playbook? Coach, how about this question? How about this route? How about this?' When you have a kid like that and he comes out, the young man works hard every day. He doesn't really have to tell you what he's been doing while he wasn't here. You see it. You see it in his route running. You see it in the way he runs the route and his margin for, I guess, running a bad route or whatever. That's not something you see very often. You tell him something one time, it's normally the only time you have to tell him. I think there are a lot of reasons. It shows why we drafted him where we drafted him at the 10th slot. So, I'm excited to see what he has. So, going forward, I just think that it's going to be in our best interest offensively to try and find out how much of an effect that he can have to our offense, how much of a playmaker he really can be."

On whether he has an idea of how much Crabtree will play:

"I do not. I think one of the things I've said before is he is going to be the one who controls that. If he goes out and he can start early and he's having a good game, he's in rhythm, he's running the right patterns, running the right routes, he's blocking - he's doing all the things that we see him doing out here, then I think chances are he will play more. But, he will determine that."

On whether he is concerned about the message sent by giving Crabtree a chance to start:

"I think there are a number of different messages that I can send, but I think the most important message is that we want to win. When you see the young man run the routes, when you see his presence on the field, what he does for the offense, it's not like I'm the only one. I'm not having to fight anybody to say, ‘Hey, you know what? What do you think? Do you think maybe he's a starter? Maybe not?' He's certainly going to play a lot, and that's really the bottom line. It shows that he hasn't been sitting around on the couch looking at television. He's been working. When you have a guy like that, it doesn't - you don't have to be a Phi Beta Kappa to figure it out. If the guy can play, if he can make plays, put him on the field. Give him a chance. Lets' see what he can do. I can be stubborn. I could be a knucklehead and say, ‘You know what? He wasn't here. Josh is going to start, or this guy's going to start and that's the way it's going to be.' Well, you know what? I think I want to be fair to the team. The team comes first, and the team wants to win. And, we're going to do all that we can to make sure that we have the best 11 people on the field at all times that give us a chance to win."

On the ribbing Crabtree received from teammates:

"Ribbing in love. It was all in good fashion, all in good taste. Doing the things that normal rookies do. You come in, you've got to sing your song. Or, if you don't know your fight song, then think of a song. If you can't sing, then let's dance. When I had my birthday last week, he was the guy that was signing the Happy Birthday song. They had him doing all types of things, and after a while, I just said, ‘Hey, how about you just relax and let the kid focus on what he's doing.' Not one time did he complain. Not one time did he show any body language of, ‘I'm above this.' He's been a team guy since he's been here. The thing that I don't want to do, I don't want to sit up here and paint a picture of Michael Crabtree. Obviously, the only thing I know is what I've seen. I think that's very important. Any conversation that I've had with him, anything that he's done out here on the field has all been positive. But, I don't want to paint him out as something that he hasn't shown you yet. So, let's let him play and next week we can talk about it again and maybe some of these questions, they'll answer themselves."

On Crabtree's singing voice:

"Awful."

On whether he's leaning towards starting Crabtree and what it says about Morgan's character in the case that Crabtree could replace him:

"I think Josh understands the overall scheme. I think Josh knows that at the end of the day, when you look at the number of plays that he's going to play and the number of plays that Crabtree's going to play, probably, Josh is going to have more plays. But, once again, we'll let the game dictate that. I think Josh is smart enough to know how we do things. I think he knows that we're fair and we're just not going to take him and put him in the barn and lock the door and say, ‘OK, thanks Josh for what you've done. That's it.' He knows that he has to continue to develop, as well as all of our guys. That's kind of where we are, and I think he understands that."

On whether he's concerned with QB Shaun Hill's unfamiliarity with Crabtree not having thrown to him that much:

"No."

On why he isn't concerned:

"Because he's a quarterback and I just think it's one of those things where he's had a chance to throw to him out here, and he'll have a chance to throw to him this week. Obviously, Shaun Hill and the other receivers, no one right now is just down pat on time, except for maybe [TE] Vernon Davis because I think he's thrown to Vernon more than he's thrown to anyone this offseason. I think, going forward, it's kind of new to everyone, that timing thing, that trust thing. It's only going to come with time. Going forward, we'll just have to see how it goes."

On whether QB Alex Smith is in the picture:

"Alex Smith has never been out of the picture. It's as I said way back when, whoever the starting quarterback is going to be, that's the starting quarterback. I don't want him looking toward the sideline wondering if we're going to take him out if he's not playing well. We have to decide that as a staff, when I sit down and talk to [offensive coordinator] Jimmy Raye. Right now we feel that Shaun Hill is our guy. We haven't looked at Alex Smith and said, ‘Wow.' This is who we have. This is who we brought to the dance and we just have to see how it goes. At no time are we thinking about, ‘Why don't we do this for Alex Smith.' We have Shaun Hill, that's who we are, and until that changes, that's what it is."

On the status of S Michael Lewis:

"We are just going to take it one day at a time. He is doing fine, seems to be doing great. But at the same time, when you are talking concussion, or any kind of an injury, we are going to make sure we stay in touch with the doctors and trainers, making sure that we are all staying on the same page and doing what's best for that individual."

On whether RB Frank Gore is 100-percent:

"I don't think once you start the season anyone is ever 100-percent. All I know is I'm looking at him right now and he's doing pretty good. So, we'll see."

QB Shaun Hill
Post-Walk Thru - October 21, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On how much time he has had to work with WR Michael Crabtree:

"I've gotten to throw to him a little bit last week. I'm impressed with the things that I've seen, so I'm excited to see what he can do."

On whether he senses the excitement of what Crabtree might bring to the organization:

"Yeah, I can see that he has special talents without a doubt. He brings a lot of playmaking ability, he brings a big target and I've been pretty impressed in the way that he's been able to pick up everything as well."

On how the locker room receives the idea of Crabtree starting after missing all of this time:

"I haven't heard of any rumblings or anything like that. That's part of this business - people come in and rosters change throughout the year, so that kind of thing happens."

On whether or not he notices the change at the right side of the offensive line:

"I don't think about any of that stuff. It's nothing that I have to get used to. My concentration is on the second and third level [of the defense]. I've got enough to worry about out there than to think about that."

On what aspect the offense has to improve upon:

"Obviously, it mainly comes down to third downs, to convert on third downs better. I need to find more completions out there throughout the game and get more big plays, but I think that the main area is third down."

On how the team can solve that issue:

"Obviously, we have to get in more third and manageables. We've been in third and long way too much. It's very hard to convert on third and longs in this league, so that comes down to our execution on first and second downs. We need to be better on those downs."

On whether he sees the change on the offensive line as a good one at this time:

"Yeah, a tweak could be good for us without a doubt. It kind of depends on how everybody reacts to it as well, but I think that we have the right people in that locker room where we will make it work."

On what other rookie hazing did Crabtree have to go through:

"That was about it, we don't really do whole lot of that stuff around here anyways. During training camp the rookies have to sing and that's about it, so that's all he's had to do."

On whether he throws to each receiver differently:

"Yes and no. Our route depths and things like that aren't different because somebody else is in there. The only thing is kind of reading somebody's body language and knowing what they do well. Some of that stuff will definitely work out this week."

On how he reads his wide receivers:

"The more time you are with somebody, you can tell when they are going to come out of their break just by reading their body language, things of that nature. You know what they are going to do based on their release against press-man, things of that nature."

On whether the offense is built to have interchangeable wide receivers:

"Yeah, exactly. That's the way it is set up. Obviously there are little differences. More than me going to have to adjust to him, he is going to have to adjust to that timing and that speed we have been installing in this offense."

On whether there will be any changes in the playbook to accommodate Crabtree:

"No, I don't think so."

On what impact Crabtree can make:

"I think he can be a playmaker for us and I'm just excited to have another big target out there."

On whether Crabtree knows every play:

"I'm not 100-percent sure to be honest with you."

On the Houston defense:

"They are a good team, a very good team. Their front is very active and they get after the passer pretty good. We'll have to play well for sure."

On whether he places any extra effort on himself this week because of Houston's potent offense:

"No, I eliminate all pressure throughout the week with my preparation. I know I am going to do everything I can throughout the week so I'm successful on Sunday. If you do that, there's never any reason to have any pressure."

On whether it is possible to learn the offense one game plan at a time:

"As a quarterback? No, that is pretty difficult to do."

On whether a wide receiver could learn the offense one game plan at a time:

"As a wide receiver, I think it is a heck of a lot easier. There are little nuances and things that a quarterback needs to know that other positions don't, per se. Yeah, I think it is a lot easier for somebody at a wide receiver position to step in like that than somebody at the quarterback position."

On whether Crabtree only needs to learn the plays being used this week:

"Yeah."

On why the 49ers have lost five straight games after the bye week in the past:

"Nope, I didn't even know that was the case. This is a different team, a different year. So no, I hadn't even given that any thought."

Donnie Avery misses Wednesday practice

VanRam — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:50:30 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

The St. Louis Rams will be thin on the defensive line this week as James Hall is expected to miss the team's week 7 game against the Colts.

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Some news on the St. Louis Rams injury front worthy of note...i.e. noteworthy.

WR Donnie Avery was on the sidelines for practice today. His hip was "too tight" during warmups. He expects to be on the practice field tomorrow. Stay tuned. If he practices tomorrow, there's a good chance he'll play this week. That's the good news.

Now the bad news. The Rams top defensive lineman, James Hall, is still sitting with a groin injury he suffered last week against the Jags, and is likely to miss the Colts game this week. As you might guess, that hurts the Rams hope of getting pressure on Peyton Manning, meaning they'll be working in coverage a lot. Coverage...against Manning. Yikes.

Speaking of coverage, the Rams do have some good news on that front. CB Ron Bartell is cleared after suffering a minor concussion. Joining him on the practice field today was SS James Butler, which comes at the right time on the heels of Will Witherspoon being traded.

Also, the small part of life that is not Rams related has interfered and Turf Show Radio is cancelled for tonight. We'll be back on the air next week.

Flipping through the Rams injury report

VanRam — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:58:58 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

There was nothing to dance about when Donnie Avery left the game last week.

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The St. Louis Rams came out of the Jacksonville game this week bruised and battered. For a time yesterday, the injury list looked a little too much like it has in recent seasons, with the few key players the Rams have sidelined.

WR Donnie Avery would have been the most costly name on the list, but it sounds like his hip injury is not serious. He's officially being called day to day right now. Wait and see what his status is when they start practicing later this week. For now at least, it looks like the Rams will have Avery in uniform.

CB Ron Bartell is dealing with a head injury and will have the battery of concussion tests this week. The cornerback will be extremely important this week against the Colts. After watching Bartell get burned a couple times last week, I wonder if he's still not dealing with some injury issues.

What could be the most important injury news of all for this week's game is word that SS James Butler could be back in the lineup. Craig Dahl served admirably, but it was obvious last week how much the Rams missed Butler. They were gashed on the run and Jax receivers picked up too many YAC on short throws to the middle.

The Vikings Red Zone Review, Sponsored by Comcast

Gonzo — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:15:43 -0000

Once again, it's time for a review of how the Vikings did in the red zone against their most recent opponent. And, as always, this Red Zone Review is sponsored by Comcast, home of the Red Zone channel, the best way for you to keep up with all the scoring action in the NFL each and every weekend. We all know that red zone success is one of the keys to being successful in the NFL, and nobody is more successful at bringing you every score every week than the Comcast Red Zone channel.

So, how did the Vikings do against the St. Louis Rams in the red zone? Pretty darn well, to be honest.

Viking red zone trips - 4
Viking red zone scores - 4 (4 TD)
Red zone touchdown percentage - 100%

Yep, it doesn't get a whole lot better than that, does it?

The Vikings showed the Rams that they meant business from the opening drive, as they took the ball and moved 80 yards in nine plays on their first possession. Brett Favre went 4/5 on the drive, including a big third down conversion to Percy Harvin for 22 yards that moved the Vikings into St. Louis territory. Favre's four completions netted the Vikings 66 of their 80 yards on the drive. The rest of the yardage was taken care of by Adrian Peterson, as he carried four times for 14 yards on the drive, including the capper on a five-yard touchdown run around the left end. The scoring drive for the Vikings took four minutes and 43 seconds off of the clock.

The Vikings' next four drives resulted in a three-and-out, an interception by Rams' rookie MLB James Laurinaitis (after the Vikings turned the Rams over in the red zone), a 47-yard Ryan Longwell field goal, and a drive that took the game to the end of the first half with the Vikings leading 17-3.

The Rams received the ball first in the second half, but went three-and-out, giving the Vikings the ball back at their own 10-yard line. From there, the Beloved Purple put together an outstanding drive, covering the 90-yard distance in just three minutes and 44 seconds. The big play of the drive came when Favre found Sidney Rice deep down the right sideline. Rice managed to fight off Rams' defensive back Bradley Fletcher and haul in the Pass from Favre for 47 yards down to the St. Louis 17. Two plays later, Favre dropped back to pass and lofted a rainbow over the middle to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who made the catch for a 13-yard touchdown and a 24-3 Vikings' lead. Favre went 3/3 on the drive for 72 yards, Peterson had three carries for 15 yards, and Chester Taylor chipped in with a three-yard rush.

After a three-and-out on the next Minnesota drive and another turnover for the Rams in the red zone. . .this one an interception by safety Tyrell Johnson. . .the Vikings took over at the St. Louis 20-yard line. After a 34-yard pass interference penalty on Rams' CB Ron Bartell put the Vikings into St. Louis territory, Adrian Peterson took care of most of the rest, carrying the ball five times and gaining 19 yards, including a seven-yard scoring run to make the score 31-3 in favor of Minnesota. Favre completed three of his four other passes on the drive for 27 yards. The drive took nine total plays and 4:48 off the clock.

The Rams got a touchdown on their next possession to narrow the gap to 31-10. After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the offense was led onto the field by Tarvaris Jackson and Chester Taylor to start their drive from the 20. Jackson, much like Favre before him, moved the Vikings down the field, with a huge play coming from an unexpected source. Naufahu Tahi, the fullback whose pass catching skills have been the subject of a few laughs here over the years, took a pass from Jackson on 3rd and 1 from the Vikings' 29 and rumbled his way down the field for a 32-yard catch and run to put the ball into Rams' territory. Jackson then proceeded to hit Chester Taylor on another short pass with big results, as #29 took the ball down to the St. Louis 3. Two plays later, Taylor burrowed his way into the end zone from a yard out, making the score 38-10 and setting the final margin of victory.

While the Vikings went 4/4 in the red zone last week, the Rams went 0/3 and turned the ball over all three times, two on lost fumbles and one on the interception by Tyrell Johnson. For the year, the Vikings' defense has been very stingy in the red zone. In fact, here's the red zone success rate for Vikings' opponents this season.

Cleveland - 2/2 (1 TD, 1 FG)
Detroit - 2/2 (1 TD, 1 FG)
San Francisco - 2/3 (2 TD)
Green Bay - 1/2 (1 FG)
St. Louis - 0/3

That gives the Vikings' opponents 13 red zone possessions in the first five games, but those have only resulted in four touchdowns and three field goals. On just about half of the red zone possessions the Vikings' defense has faced, their opponents have come away with no points at all, including all three times against the Rams.

As far as Minnesota's offense, they've put points on the board in all 15 of their red zone trips, coming away with 12 touchdowns and three Ryan Longwell field goals. Their last eight trips into the red zone. . .their last score against Detroit, all three red zone trips against Green Bay, and all four possessions against St. Louis. . .have ended in touchdowns. That's a big part of why the Vikings are 5-0 on this young 2009 season.