The St. Louis Rams opened their preseason schedule with a road game against the Oakland Raiders. The Rams lost the game 18-3. I’m fully aware this is still the preseason; however, there were a few things that I saw in the game that had me checking the calendar too see if it was Groundhog Day.
It wouldn’t be a Rams game without dropped passes, penalties, and veteran offensive lineman Rodger Saffold leaving the field with an injury. The Rams had more penalties than points. Almost more penalty yards than rushing yards 75/86, and did I mention Saffold leaving the field with an injury?
One of the biggest concerns I have for the Rams is the offensive line. Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau has both of his hands full with this young line. It’s almost as if he’s asked to play the role of former St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach czar Dave Duncan with all these projects. There were a couple of breakdowns with the offensive line with Brandon Washington and Isaiah Battle that nearly got their quarterbacks airlifted to the nearest hospital.
Backtracking to the Groundhog Day reference, these pre-snap offensive penalties remind me of a syndicated rerun. Even during the broadcast, former St. Louis Rams Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt mentioned offensive lineman Steven Baker, flinching at the line of scrimmage with little to no crowd noise at all to be a distraction. This is what has kept the Rams from being a legit playoff contender. It’s my number one concern. It’s the one of many things that hasn’t changed since Jeff Fisher has been head coach. And yes, this is the preseason. However, I’ve already seen this episode before.
Now there were plenty of positives, starting with zero turnovers. And the Rams opening drive was highlighted by a beautifully designed play and QB Nick Foles completed a 26-yard pass to a wide open tight end Lance Kendricks. He then hit wideout Tavon Austin on a screen and he had a sizzling 35-yard run after catch that reminded us why the Rams moved up in the 2013 draft to snag him. The Rams only managed three points out of that opening drive. Nick Foles took a shot at the end zone but Jared Cook couldn’t come down with the pass, even though he had both hands on it. Foles left the game unscathed and even though he only attempted five passes, he looked the part of a starting signal-caller, and now we can see why the Rams made it their business to sign him to an extension.
I really liked what I saw with rookie QB Sean Mannion in mop-up duty in the fourth quarter of the game. He showcased his arm and he displayed some presence. Let’s see how he progresses during the exhibition season. One of the best plays of the game came from the defense. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson made a better than average play intercepting a David Carr pass in the red zone. Johnson told me a couple of weeks ago that he makes up for his lack of speed with instinct, because he was recruited out of high school as a wide receiver. I think he has best instinct in the Rams secondary. He is the type of player who can play for your organization for 10-plus years. The Rams need to make him a priority after this season.
The Rams move on to practice in Oxnard, California with the Dallas Cowboys. A lot is being made of the joint practice due to the current stadium melodrama. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has let it be known how he feels about his billionaire pal Stan Kroenke. After the Rams leave California, they play their next preseason game this Sunday on the road against the Tennessee Titans. For more Rams Roundup, please subscribe to youtube.com/stlamericanvideo. And you can also hear me M-F, 6-8 PM on The Charlie Tuna Show on Talk1380AM and on my weekly podcast with Arlington LaneII @NTHEZONE.