SB Nation - Danny Amendola

Third downs looking up for the Rams

VanRam — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:19:33 -0000

Nobody would call moving the ball one of the St. Louis Rams strengths this season. Scoring was, once again, hard to come by for Spagnuolo's group this week, for several reasons. However, offense lovers did get some relief from the endless procession of three-and-outs as the Rams set a season high for third down conversions against the Texans this week, converting 8 of 15 third down attempts. The 53 percent conversion rate was the highest of the season.

On fifteen third downs during the game, the Rams had an average distance of 6.9 yards to convert it for a first. Naturally, that meant they had to throw the ball plenty, 11 times in fact. The Rams were successful on 5 of those 11 pass attempts. Two of the unsuccessful throws came on third-and-12 and third-and-19.

They ran the ball four times on third down, converting three attempts. Each run came on third-and-1 or third-and-2. Shurmur called a pass on one third-and-2, Null's TD to Danny Amendola.

Now, third down conversions mean nothing if you can't move the ball well enough to score, but for the Rams of 2009, this is measurable progress and something to build on for next week and beyond.

Rams 13, Texans 16: Rams lose a close one

VanRam — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:10:04 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

The little things dragged the Rams down today.

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Credit the St. Louis Rams for playing a good game, despite losing their 13th contest of the season. The results were especially encouraging given the team's extensive list of players on injured reserve or the sidelines.

The offense did a much better job moving the ball than they did against the Titans last week. Nevertheless, they just don't have the talent to overcome the slightest mistake, say a rookie QB under pressure and throwing the ball blindly down the field for an easy INT. The worst part of it was that the Texans scored on the ensuing drive, giving them a lead the Rams could not overcome. You can go line by line through the play-by-play and find those difference makers that better teams can play through and keep driving the ball for results.

On the other side of the ball, the Rams defense had a good day, except for getting burned again and again by the deep ball. Oshiomogho Atogwe and Bradley Fletcher are greatly missed by this Rams secondary, which is not to say that Craig Dahl, filling in for Atogwe, didn't play well; I just the chances for the Rams to play the ball more with Togs in the lineup. Still, despite Andre Johnson's 200-yard day (196 actually) the Rams kept him out of the end zone and limited Houston to just one touchdown. They really did a good a job as a unit missing so many starters.

I know we have the "Draft Suh" contingent here, but I would still have liked to see the Rams get the win. The close ones are the toughest to take, no matter how much you expect it. It would have been a huge stride forward for the organization. Nevertheless, Spagnuolo's group showed lots of promise and made it easier to see what GM Billy Devaney was talking about in his Friday chat with fans when he said the team has fewer holes to fill.

Keith Null

Once again the rookie from West Texas A&M showed real moxie. He was poised and bounced back from mistakes. Null even showed showed some emotion, something fans were pleasantly surprised to see from their QBs. Two fumbles resulting from bad snaps reminded us that the spread offense and DII football remained a part of Null, and the INT was the definition of a rookie move. Experience should cure that. Maybe I was a bit premature in dubbing it the best performance from a Rams QB this season, very premature, but it is clear who should start the next two games, the last two games of the season.

The Offensive Line

This group had become such a team strength until injuries started to take their toll. Jacob Bell went to IR and Richie Incognito got himself released, leaving the Rams without both starting guards this week. Mark Setterstrom, on the left, and John Greco, on the right, did well for themselves today. It was a little rough in the running game in the early going and at times throughout the game. It's important to remember, however, that the Texans have a strong front seven on defense. It's clear this unit is better with Jason Smith, but this group had a decent outing today, certainly better than they did last week. I still like out depth at guard.

Once again Alex Barron weakened the unit as a whole. He let Mario Williams get around him to recover a fumble. The troubled tackle's most egregious offense came on the last drive of the fourth quarter when he got beat and Null got sacked for a loss of 8 yards. That made it 3rd-and-19. Game over. I don't see how the Rams can bring back Barron in 2010.

Special Teams

Hats off the special teams once again. Not only have the Rams found a solid return man with good vision to match his speed in Danny Amendola, who averaged 31 yards on kickoff returns, they've got a good group of blockers and coverage guys assembled. Josh Brown was nails on the distance shots today, hitting a 52-yarder to make him 5 for 6 on FG attempts of 50 or more yards. Donnie Jones is really getting jobbed by the fact that he's not even in contention for a Pro Bowl nod.

Rams tossed around by the Titans for their 12th loss of the season

VanRam — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:36:37 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Keith Null found his welcome to the NFL to be less than memorable, yet somehow unforgettable.

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The countdown to the first overall pick in the draft has begun, as the Rams drop their twelfth game of the season to the resurgent Tennessee Titans. It was another woeful day for the franchise that is hopefully suffering one final indignation of a season before scratching their way back to respectability again. Three more weeks to have dirt kicked in their faces. Let's review the franchise's latest desecration.

It was a chippy affair from the start. The Titans played with a Billy Jack sized chip on their shoulder. It obviously worked on the Rams who responded by incurring 10 penalties for 82 yards, or six fewer yards than they rushed for through four quarters of play. Fresh from central casting for the Gummo sequel, Titans head coach Jeff Fisher didn't let his men do all of the antagonizing; the mulleted one went for it on 4th-and-1 at the St. Louis 1-yard line to make it 40-7 late in the fourth quarter. The move even had the normally sanguine Spagnuolo muttering angrily on the sidelines.

Oddly enough, it might have been just what the Rams needed. A character building moment. My hope is that this game puts a chip on the shoulders of entire team, players and coaches. Enough with the late-70s everybody's alright routine and the "we're getting better" pep talks. You stink, the rest of the league knows it, as does everybody else, so go out there and demand respect. Every player should play with the fire we saw from Clifton Ryan today, not simply their best because it's not good enough.

The most disappointing unit of the day had to be the offensive line. Inexcusably weak effort. They were dominated from the start, and the Titans, smartly, got them to respond. Not even a banged up running back doing his best to carry the team and a rookie QB in need of a little extra effort from the players around him were enough to motivate the offensive line. This group needs Jason Smith back in uniform, left or right side. In fact, I still feel like the best line combo we've had this year featured Smith at RT and Adam Goldberg at RG.

Anyone else think Richie Incognito has played his last game for Steve Spagnuolo? Alex Barron? The fact that Alex Barron allowed Keith Null to get sacked for the first time in his NFL career says all that needs to be said about the offensive line.

Null got thrown into the fire and fared about as well as you might have expected for a rookie QB who started the season as a third stringer. However, he had some things going in his favor, not the least of which was his ability to maintain composure. He had drives where he looked good, and not so good. The five INTs reveal the things he needs to overcome: better decision making, not making it so easy for defenders to read him, learning the speed of the game, timing, etc. The rookie from West Texas A&M still displayed some of the qualities that made him so intriguing after his preseason debut. Before you write Null off completely, remember Mark Sanchez had a 5 INT outing...against the Bills. Null has fundamentals, and one game with this broken down jalopy in front of him isn't enough to judge him by. I really think the Rams should make him the starter the rest of the season. Remember, Pat Shurmur, not exactly Mr. Popular in Rams nation, was a pretty good QB coach.

The offense didn't help Null today either. The blocking, back to this again I know, couldn't get anything going in the running game, which really, really kills the offense for obvious reasons. I don't know whether the coaches don't trust the receivers we have on the roster right now enough to run more 3 and 4-receiver sets and thrown downfield more? It has to be a big part of the equation, nobody can be that stubborn. I'm sure they also had to keep it relatively simple for the rookie today too.

On the other side of the ball, players fought much harder. This unit has it's moments, but until they can get some talent at key positions like OLB and CB and the DL, they just can't do it. It would have been nice to have Atogwe out there too. I really do have confidence in this coaching staff's ability to make this a good defense as they bring in players who can play more than just special teams to staff the starting roles. I think this unit will get better next year after with another offseason to shore up the depleted talent pool.

The special teams unit has made serious strides this season, and not just because of Danny Amendola's return ability. The coverage units are better too. They have done a nice job of finding the personnel for special teams, which the smart and dutiful scouts and GM should be able to do via waivers and the late rounds of the draft.

We'll see in the coming days if today's ugly loss resonates with the Rams. I would expect a much harsher tone, more critical, than we've come to expect. The Rams have been losing all season because they don't have the talent to compete. That was true today, but they also lost because they got out muscled and hustled. Steven Jackson's numbers on the day prove that. Something the running back said immediately after the game makes me think that the team is going to look at this game a little differently too:

Instead of standing here embarrassing myself, and my family, I'm just going to say I'm tired. I'm just tired. I'm tired. You fill in the blanks. However you want to write the article, however you want to say it, I'm just tired.

Rams 17, Seahawks 27: Injuries pile on as the Rams take 10th loss

VanRam — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:47:40 -0000

More photos » by L.G. Patterson - AP

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First the good news, the St. Louis Rams have the top pick in the draft. The bad news is they lost a game against a bitter rival.

Once again, give Steven Jackson major props. He very nearly missed the game; only in warmups was he cleared to play. As usual, he had a helluva game, running for 89 yards on 23 carries. He started the game, but some of the team's top blockers did not, putting the running game in jeapordy form the start. FB Mike Karney, who has been clearing defensive linemen all season for Jackson, was inactive, as was RT Jason Smith. Things really looked bleak when C Jason Brown left the game with an injury.

It was rough day, and fans were calling for Keith Null to get a shot as the game slipped away from the Rams. That, however, would have been ill-advised as the offensive line struggled all day, even before Brown left the game.

Kyle Boller is Kyle Boller. I mean that in the sense that he is a backup QB reason, and he gave the team a solid effort, getting sacked 4 times and pressured on seemingly every play. Only the best QBs could have overcome those odds, not to mention one who lacks a true blue threat at WR. That said, it should be pretty clear that the Rams need a QB. Soon. Why was he throwing into double coverage? Not dumping the ball when he was getting sacked late in the game also reminded you of why Kyle Boller is not a long term solution. I'm not going to dump on the guy too much though. It would have been nice to see him get that late rushing TD. Like I said above, he is what he is. If the Rams were a more talented, healthier team they might have been able to overcome some of those mistakes, but they are not that talented in several key areas...as if you needed to be reminded.

Of course, their need for a defensive lineman stood out today as well, as the Seahawks gouged them for...oh, lots of yards and two rushing TDs.

Fortunately, it sounds like C Jason Brown should be back in time for next week's game, since he just suffered a sprain and nothing more serious. Not to take too much away from Adam Goldberg, but it's clear how talented Jason Smith is and how much the Rams need him on the field. His move to LT and the unceremonious end to Alex Barron's career in St. Louis can't come soon enough.

Heroes

James Laurinaitis - his game is not flawless, but it's damn good. Too bad teams are figuring out how to isolate him and take him out of the play. Nice to see the kid pick up a sack.
Steven Jackson - Is there any question about the man's greatness?
Danny Amendola - This midseason pickup is looking like another feather in Devaney's cap. He could really do something with a legit #1 WR on the roster...and a better QB.
O. J. Atogwe - Still got it.

Zeroes

Alex Barron - Am I too hard on the guy? Seattle got men around him, and he got another stupid penalty that took the Rams from 2nd and 4 to 2nd and 14. He had to hold the DL because he got beat, badly on the play.
The Defensive Line - Damn this group needs talent. The more I watch, the more I think we need to either draft or sign the best free agent DT we can get. More of the same next year if we don't.

Jackson, Boller and the Seahawks

VanRam — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:14:08 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Boller starts at QB for the Rams this week.

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While you're waiting and wondering if Kyle Boller's play action bootleg can get the St. Louis Rams another win, there's some injury news we've got to talk about this morning.

Obviously, there's the Bulger situation. As much as we all were ready to see Bulger move on to other pursuits, the thought of Boller under center doesn't have anyone too excited. More on that later. What ought to concern Rams fans more than anything is Steven Jackson lower back.

The Rams have placed undue weight on SJ's shoulders this season, asking him to carry a mostly futile offense save for him. Jackson has a lower back sprain, something that injury guru Will Carroll says "could affect his workload." Seattle's no great shakes on defense without Tatupu, but they have been somewhat effective against starting running backs. The last rusher to gain more than 100 yards against the Seahawks was Frank Gore in week two. However, teams are running enough to set up their passing game, which has spelled certain doom for the Seahawks lately. Last week, the Vikings ran for a total of 157 yards on 37 carries, and the week before, the Cardinals ran for a total of 152 yards on 26 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns.

So maybe, they don't have to use Jackson excessively. Of course, if they don't, that puts more onus on Boller and the receivers. It's a favorable matchup for a passing game, but how favorable a matchup is it for the Rams passing game?

Personally, I don't think we lose anything with Boller in for the injured Bulger. Bulger has been too inconsistent - mostly he's played poorly - to be relied upon from week to week. Sure, he gives you the best chance to win, when he's on his game, but when was that going to be?

As for Boller, am I excited about him starting? No, but this is a rebuilding team without a clearly anointed QB of the future, who would otherwise step in this week and give us a glimpse of hope. Like I said above, the difference between having Boller or Bulger starting this year is negligible. The receiver picture should at least be a little more settle for Boller this time around. Danny Amendola has had some time in the system. Donnie Avery is playing much better than he was the last time Boller started, and Brandon Gibson could be a reliable possession guy for Boller. Then of course, there's Fells in the mix at TE. The offensive line is playing much better now too. Hopefully, the players sense the opportunity and play their best football, making life easier on the QB.

What has been working for the Rams on offense lately is opening the field with deeper passes, getting the ball to guys somewhere past five yards. Boller loses something in his accuracy the further he throws, but he's not completely incompetent in that department. Pat Shurmur will have to trust the guy a little more, fighting the urge to draw inward and be more conservative with the playcalling.

Halfway Through: 5 Notes on 2009

ram_rod — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:14:59 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

about 1 month ago: St. Louis Rams running back Stephen Jackson (39) is chased by Detroit Lions Turk McBride (75), DeAndre Levy (54), Dewayne White (99), Louis Delmas (26) and Ko Simpson, left, during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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Here are five ideas that I have concluded are true (feel free to disagree with me in the comments).

1. We're getting more production from unknowns then our stars

Ok, star's isn't exactly the word to use (moneymakers? dead weight?). But with the exception of the first two picks of the draft this year and Jason Brown and Steven Jackson, we aren't getting the production you'd expect from the big-shot Rams players. Marc Bulger and Chris Long are obvious (you can throw Adam Carriker in there too). But the little moves we made to grab unknown players like Danny Amendola, Craig Dahl, Daniel Fells and Laurent Robinson sure paid off a lot more then most of our bigger splashes. Speaking of big splashes...

2. We effectively traded a talented Will Witherspoon for nothing.

Nothing against Brandon Gibson, but Will Witherspoon has been quite good since we've traded him. I'm not saying the trade wasn't justified, but since Gibson hasn't done anything to help the Rams (understand that isn't a shot at him), we effectively traded veteran linebacker with probably three pretty good seasons for nothing. Don't think I thought we should have gotten two first round picks for him (Roy Williams) but so far, we got the short end of the stick.

3. Steve Spagnuolo is a good coach

The Giants brought in a bunch of coveted free agents on defense, and they still can't pull it together. Spag's doesn't have the personnel here that he did in NY, but along with the players, I firmly believe that he can put a winning team together. Pat Shurmur on the other hand...that's a wait and see. But even professional drivers can't do much with a Daewoo.

4. We should have a 1-2 punch at RB

Steven Jackson is too good of a back to never see the light. We need someone who can help him so that when the Rams get good, he won't be washed out. I'd hate to see him turn into the nice, responsible Larry Johnson. Jimmy Clausen and Tim Tebow aren't the answer (I'm from Seattle. I'm not throwing golden boy Jake Locker into that mess just yet). With that being said, we also need to get this offensive line in future mode. It's about time somebody created an online petition to start Jason Smith at LT.

5. How do you feel about Ryan Pickett?

Just saying...he could be a free agent...Aubrayo Franklin perhaps? Aaron Kampman? Ndamukong Suh? We need somebody to help on the D-Line. I want Gary Gibson back, but this James Hall Leonard Little combo just isn't going to cut it for much longer.

Incognito out, Amendola in: Random Ramsdom, 11/10

VanRam — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:56:18 -0000

Feelin' kind of random today? Headlines are percolating as the St. Louis Rams gear up for a tough game against the New Orleans Saints this week, so let's shake off the bye week rust and jump right in.

RG Richie Incognito will be out. It's not official yet, but he's not practicing this week because of his foot injury. Adam Goldberg will start in his place. WR/KR Danny Amendola has recovered from his concussion and will play this week.

A couple of cornerbacks, Marcus Brown and Marquis Floyd, visited Rams Park yesterday. Neither has been inked yet, and S Anthony Smith's roster spot remains open. It seem like we could use the help at CB.

The NFL's schedule makers gave the 2-win Rams of '08 no breaks this year. New Orleans is the third undefeated team they'll face. That's the last, as of this week, elite team the Rams are scheduled to play, but 5-4 Houston comes to town in week 15 looking to keep their wild card shot alive. We've got two more games against the Cardinals as well.

New Orleans had a rough outing against the Panthers last week, having to fight their way back from a 14-point hole. Head coach Sean Payton doesn't seem ready to let that happen again.

Rams Gab takes a look at the New Orleans game this week.

Didn't get enough speculation with yesterday's Jason Campbell talk? How 'bout Tony Dungy suggesting Michael Vick for the Rams? His past aside, I'm going to give that a thumbs down based on Vick's stated desire to be a QB again. I want a guy who can run a passing game with more authority, sorry.

Donnie Avery, fantasy sleeper for week 10? Maybe. I'd feel a lot better about it if I knew Marc Bulger could throw.

Thursday Notes: Calvin Johnson Practices, Kevin Smith Sidelined with Shoulder Injury

Sean Yuille — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:02:13 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

about 1 month ago: Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith is stopped by St. Louis Rams defenders Quincy Butler (36), David Vobora, Paris Lenon and James Laurinaitis (55) in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Although he was listed as limited, Calvin Johnson practiced on Wednesday with the No. 1 offense. That's a good sign, because even Matthew Stafford was listed as limited in practice. He was listed as limited last week as well, but he obviously ended up playing. For Calvin, it looks like he will be a game-time decision, which is probably what Kevin Smith will be as well. Smith missed yesterday's practice because the shoulder he injured during the Rams game is still sore. If Smith is unable to play on Sunday, Maurice Morris will step in as the starter, and you can probably expect to see more of Aaron Brown as well.
Jason Hunter finally returned to practice after missing a couple games. It would be nice to get him back for this weekend.
Wide receiver Eric Fowler has been signed to the practice squad by the Lions.
It looks like Manny Ramirez and Jon Jansen are competing for the starting spot at left guard.
Danny Amendola, the returner that got lit up by Zack Follett, has a concussion. When asked about the hit, Amendola said this:

"The hit didn't hurt, but my mind wasn't working," Amendola said. "I walked off, I think. Just got my head buzzed a little bit."
Zack Follett: he will hurt your mind.
Roy Williams complained to the media about how Tony Romo's passes to Miles Austin are thrown much better than when they go in his direction. I still can't believe we got a first- and third-round pick for him.

Follet fallout

VanRam — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:34:32 -0000

Detroit's Zack Follett hit on St. Louis Rams KR Danny Amendola turned heads in strip mall sports bars in every city in America this weekend. Even fans at Chili's were rendered stupefied by the melon-thumping crush of the hit.

Unfortunately for the Rams, the helmet-on-helmet hit ended up handed Amendola a highlight reel concussion, Amendola being the skid row kick returner/wide receiver that's become one of the few bright spots for a team woefully bereft of bright spots. Take another look at the hit.

Will Zack Follett get a fine for that?

It's a pretty tough call. CoachConners made a good point in the comments earlier today that it's pretty "kamikaze" on special teams. And that it is, players using the field to get up to full speed, tunnel vision from the adrenaline. It's hard to see intent to injure here, at least in a malicious sense. Still, it looks like there'd be a fine coming based on the league's distaste for noggin-to-noggin stuff lately.

Rams injury news: Amendola has a concussion

VanRam — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:22:38 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

St. Louis Rams KR Danny Amendola has a concussion.

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St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo just wrapped up a Monday afternoon presser. The big news to come out of it has to do with some injured Rams starters. The Rams have a bye this week, which will help players recover ahead of the next game.

First, WR Donnie Avery and TE Randy McMichael are fine. DE C.J. Ah You will test his ankle this week. Would the Rams really miss McMichael? Yes, in the depth chart sense, but not so much as a playmaker.

Jacob Bell has "head and neck" injuries, and will be tested this week. They didn't say anything about a concussion, which is what the coach said he thought Bell had in the wake of yesterday's game. Run blocking got better with Setterstrom filling in for Bell. Setts has proved his mettle as a starter before, and I'm more than willing to say he's a better for the Rams going forward than Bell. This is the second year of his six-year contract he signed in the Spring of 2008.

WR/KR Danny Amendola has a concussion and will be tested Wednesday. Keep an eye on this one. Amendola's work returning kicks has been a pleasant surprise for the Rams, and looked like the answer to a long overdue question of who could be a consistent kick returner for the Rams. Hopefully, it's mild enough that he's cleared by the time the team resumes play in week 10.