Rams re-cap Pre-season week 1 vs. Colts

The Rams beat the Colts last night 33-10 on a very impressive performance.

Sam Bradford looked good like usual. I would have liked to see more deep throws, but its week 1 with a new offensive system. He had a good game hooking up with Lance Kendricks and Danny Amendola several times. A.J Feeley also had a good game. He was spot on with all his throws and took one really big shot. He had a good performance after a poor camp. Bradford was the only QB with a touchdown outing with 7/12 for 45 yards, and 1 touchdown. Thaddeus Lewis and Taylor Potts also played, not getting much action.

Cadillac Williams was impressive last night as I expected. He ran hard and earned every yard. He had 11 carries, 40 yards, and 1 touchdown. He is already the back up to Steven Jackson. The only knock on him this far is his injury concerns. He looked great out there though. Jerious Norwood also went hard out there. He showed what he can do with the ball in his hands in space and it was impressive. He also had a good day 8 carries, and 37 yards. I wish I seen him return kicks. And last but not least, Keith Toston had an excellent day. He had 11 carries, 64 yards, and 1 touchdown. He ran really hard and is trying his best to make this team. I love what he showed, and its looking really good for him.

Not too many wide receivers stepped up. Danario Alexander had a pretty good outing catching some nice balls. He also had some drops. The one he dropped in the endzone was a killer. The play was set up perfectly and had he caught that I think more people would be less critical on him. Donnie Avery and Greg Salas didn't play because of injuries. Mike Sims-Walker also left the game with an injury. Austin Pettis dropped a ball or two, and did nothing more. Brandon Gibson didn't do much either. Amendola was only out there with the starters quickly leaving after catching 2 balls. Mardy Gilyard actually had an impressive day at the position. They gave him the chance putting the ball in his hands to see what he can do, and he impressed.

Lance Kendricks went beast mode. He played 2 quarters and was catching balls left and right. He got a touchdown in his first game as well. The future looks bright for this future star. All Rams fans are acknowledging his hard work, and excellent performance. Nothing else really happened at the tight end position.

The whole starting offensive line was dominant. Harvey Dahl's presence is felt for sure. Jason Smith did brilliant holding up Robert Mathis to almost getting no pressure. The line was opening huge holes for Cadillas. The line was very impressive. I also seen Jason Brown block someone before the play was about to finish, just like Dahl would have. Looks like hes rubbing off onto the other guys. The 2nd offensive line looked good too. Opening some holes, though Feeley did take a big hit.

Justin Bannan was a rock down in the middle of the defensive line. He was not movable and his presence in the run game is already seen. In Fred Robbins' limited performance, he was getting some crazy penetration. Chris Long didn't play a lot at all. James Hall was held out with an injury. Robert Quinn seen a lot of action playing 3 quarters. He looked good out there. Critical playing time for someone who was missed football for a very long time.

The linebackers had an impressive performance. Chris Chamberlain is stating his case for a spot on this roster. He is the best special teams player we have, and he was flying around on the defense. He also laid out one of the running backs from the Colts right near the sidelines. Josh Hull didn't have a bad game filling in for James Laurinaitis. Brady Poppinga's name came up a few times with some nice penetration he got on running plays. And once again, last but not least, Jabara Williams. He had an absolutely excellent game. Looks like another good draft pick. He was flying all over the place playing great in run support and pass coverage.

The secondary had a good day too. Quintin Mikell got a pick on their first passing attempt and also helped in run support, despite playing limited time. Craig Dahl also had an interception. Jermale Hines was flying all over making tackles in the back field, the middle of the field, and even grabbing an interception. Great day for the rookie. Darian Stewart had a good day too making some touchdown saving tackles. This guy is not afraid to get physical. The undrafted corner backs had good days too. Tim Atchinson, Dionte Dinkins both did good. Atchinson almost got himself a interception, with it falling out of his hands. All in all, great day by the secondary.

The special teams looked amazing. Kickoff coverage was great. Josh Brown also nailed a 60 yard field goal. He hit 3 more with another big one coming from the 53. Great day for Brown. Mardy Gilyard struggled returning punts and kicks dropping the ball several times.

Pre season game week 1 vs. Colts

The Rams have their first game tonight against the Indianapolis Colts. We are all ready to roll and see some Rams football again. Here are some things to look out for on the Rams part :

How will Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood perform? Steven Jackson may not even dress, and if he does he wont touch the ball more than 3 times. We need to see Cadillac and Norwood perform. I think they will. I'd love to see a 15 carry performance from Williams. I also want to see Norwood get the ball in space and return kicks. Keith Toston will be out there too trying to save his spot on this team.

Watch for rookie tight end Lance Kendricks. He will be moving around a lot tonight. He is extremely smart and talented. Look for him to continue to impress fans. He has been exploding at camp so far. I want to see him catch many footballs.

The WR competition is still crowded. Some people are going to set themselves apart tonight and some aren't. I fully expect Sims-Walker to show us why we went after him in free agency. I dont want to see Amendola out there because were all aware of what he can do. I want to see Brandon Gibson play hard and continue to impress like he has in camp. Donnie Avery wont be out there and it isn't looking good for him. Greg Salas wont be out there tonight either. Austin Pettis should see some action and hopefully he can make some nice plays. Danario Alexander has to show us why we keep him despite his serious injury problems. I expect to see somebody set themselves apart from this group tonight.

How will the cornerback depth play? Mikail Baker, Al Harris, Ron Bartell, Marquis Johnson and Jerome Murphy wont be able to play tonight. That leaves plenty of opportunities for guys like Justin King, Dionte Dinkins, and even Jonathon Nelson. Will they step up and perform? I expect to see Justin King have a solid game, because when healthy, he is a good nickel corner.

Also keep an eye out for the linebacker corps. A lot of new faces there and many opportunities. Some of these guys wont be around when week 1 comes around, so they have to maximize all their opportunities. Ben Leber wont be playing and neither will James Laurinaitis. Na'ill Diggs has to show that hes still got it. Josh Hull is coming back from season ending injury and will showcase why he should stay here and be the main backup to starting MLB James Laurinaitis. Zac Diles I expect to have a nice game. He is one of the guys we snatched up in free agency. Brady Poppinga will also be out there. He has to impress on special teams.

Look out for the backup QB spot. A.J Feeley has struggled in camp which is no surprise. Thaddeus Lewis and Taylor Potts have chances here to get themselves on the 53. Last pre season I thought Thad Lewis did excellent. I think he will eventually be on the 53.

Rams extremely thin at CB for first game vs. Colts

Tomorrow night the Rams will be playing their first pre-season game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Rams have had some injuries in the past couple of days.

A lot of these injuries are happening to the cornerback position, unfortunantely. The Rams will be playing withour starting cornerback Ron Bartell. They will also be without Mikail Baker, Marquis Johnson, Al Harris, and Jerome Murphy.

This is an excellent chance for the undrafted rookie cornerbacks to make a name for themselves. Perhaps Justin King will step it up and show why we keep waiting for him to develop.

Rams release OLB David Vobora

Vobora has been a decent player who has had his ups and downs since being drafted a couple years ago as "Mr. Irrelevant". The Rams went hard into free agency to improve the LB position adding Zac Diles, Brady Poppinga, and Ben Leber. The Rams will be much better at the LB position this upcoming year, though look for someone else to be cut.

Unfotunantely Vobora's time with the Rams is up. He is a classy player and the Rams were classy enough to let him go early so he can find another team quickly. I hope the best for him because he always played hard and never complained.

Mark Clayton expected to re-sign with the Rams?

The competition the Rams have at WR is crazy. There is almost no breathing room for error. Its packed with many good receivers. Some guys are coming back from injuries and need to prove themselves. The Rams have been in talks with Clayton and he visited the facility on Wednesday. If all is well and he passes a physical, he will be a part of the Rams shortly. He was very productive last year.

He only had 6 days of practice before his first game with the Rams and he had 10 receptions for 114 yards. He picked up the playbook extremely quickly and is a solid veteran. Adding him to the competition is like adding gas to a fire. I'd like the addition because when he played last season he was productive and could be very good next year.

Though due to his knee injury Mark may have to start the season on the PUP list. If so, he cannot see the field until week 6. I hope he is ready to go because adding him to the WR position just makes us scarier.

Training camp news!

The Rams continue their training camp and some players are starting to separate themselves from the rest.

Lance Kendricks is going wild. He is a rookie tight end, and h-back. He is going to be a monster next season. With all the moving around he is doing, he will find many mismatches and will continue to dominate. He has been killing practice and will continue that into the regular season I believe, as well as many other people. Kendricks was a questionable pick though it has definitely paid off and he hasn't even played a game yet. Im loving this pick more and more everyday.

The wide receiver competition is still crazy, and Brandon Gibson is trying his hardest to separate himself. I didn't think he was going to make the roster, but he has done an excellent job as of this far in training camp. He is having an excellent camp and continues to impress. After all, he has a good chance of making the roster.

Rams LB James Laurinaitis injured?

The Rams have been pretty lucky with injuries as of this far, though bad news struck. James Laurinaitis has an aggravated pectoral muscle. All Rams fans should be praying that he is fine right now because he is the quarterback of the defense and an ascending player. He is going to be one of the best MLB's very soon. This is the last thing the Rams need, and hopefully its nothing big.

A sign of something bad could have been the signing of Ben Leber. Maybe this is just insurance, but lets hope not. I cant see this being too big of an injury and hope to see Laurinaitis right back out there practicing.