Hard night for Sam

[delhalew]

I didn't get to see any of it, but Sam had another of what is sure to be many tough games last night. Surely, many in the media will overlook the situation he is in and be overly critical, but he has to have these bad games to get to the good ones.

http://www.wikio.co.uk/news/Sam+Bradford

[Soonermagik]

No surprise. I can't understand why the rams wouldn't have made some off season moves for legit offensive line players. They also needed to add a couple of veteran wide receivers.

They could get Peyton Manning today and would have similar results. A QB needs an o-line and legit receivers to be successful.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

Like a bunch of 15 year olds bitching about Bradford's game play. Ridiculous.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

No surprise. I can't understand why the rams wouldn't have made some off season moves for legit offensive line players. They also needed to add a couple of veteran wide receivers.

They could get Peyton Manning today and would have similar results. A QB needs an o-line and legit receivers to be successful.


Exactly. Troy Aikman was the best QB in the league when he had a great O line., Irvin, Harper, and Jay Novachek. When the line wasn't up to snuff and he had one receiver left, he was horrible. Hmm. Wonder why?

[delhalew]

Exactly. Troy Aikman was the best QB in the league when he had a great O line., Irvin, Harper, and Jay Novachek. When the line wasn't up to snuff and he had one receiver left, he was horrible. Hmm. Wonder why?

Totally off topic...I love your sig. Here come the fun police.

[sooneron]

I think the rams are still waiting for two of their starting Olinemen to get to 100%. They will have a decent line eventually, this season. Looking at the "highlights", that wasn't exactly "slinging the football" qb type of weather either.

[SouthFortySooner]

No surprise. I can't understand why the rams wouldn't have made some off season moves for legit offensive line players.

I would think because they spent 50 million on one player?

[oumartin]

Um, Feely was 5-6 and threw a touchdown. Now, while I am not saying last night was on Sam it's not all on the inept offense. He is young and he is learning. He will be fine.

[soonerboy]

guys and gals I really hate to even compare this...but I am really hoping that Sam's situation doesn't turn into David Carr's situation.

[JLEW1818]

trade him!

[Collier11]

I didn't get to see any of it, but Sam had another of what is sure to be many tough games last night. Surely, many in the media will overlook the situation he is in and be overly critical, but he has to have these bad games to get to the good ones.

http://www.wikio.co.uk/news/Sam+Bradford

It was a preseason game, lets wait til we atleast get to the regular season before we start worrying. Sam will be fine, its up to the Rams to put a quality team around him

[Soonermagik]

I would think because they spent 50 million on one player?

I'm sure they still have space. If not, it was a dumb sign. Even the horrible Lions have Calvin Johnson and Stafford. I know they gave Stafford big money. Plus, they are about to sign Suh to a massive contract.

Think of it this way, if Sam were to go to Rice in college would he have been a #1 overall? Likely not. A QB can be only as good as his surrounding cast.

[sooneron]

Um, Feely was 5-6 and threw a touchdown. Now, while I am not saying last night was on Sam it's not all on the inept offense. He is young and he is learning. He will be fine.

Feely has been in the league for how long? How many rainy games did Sam encounter?

[oumartin]

Feely has been in the league for how long? How many rainy games did Sam encounter?


obviously you can't comprehend "Same is young and still learning" That would include weather and many other variables but thank you.

[SoonerLB]

Sam is good, it's the Rams that suck!
Hard to believe much of anything written by a sportswriter these days anyway. They are just trying to fill space, whether they know what they are talking about or not (and 'not' is the case with most of them).

[delhalew]

It was a preseason game, lets wait til we atleast get to the regular season before we start worrying. Sam will be fine, its up to the Rams to put a quality team around him

Who is worried? I thought some of you might like to know what kind of night he had. His saga through his rookie season will have me riveted. Lots of ups and downs. Mostly downs I imagine.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

He's an NFL rookie..he's gonna make plenty of mistakes no matter whats around him..

[Collier11]

Who is worried? I thought some of you might like to know what kind of night he had. His saga through his rookie season will have me riveted. Lots of ups and downs. Mostly downs I imagine.

Im just talking about how alot of peeps are over analyzing these preseason games

[CrimsonJim]

Yeah, Sam will be fine, just as long as he doesn't develop the yips from that inept O-line.

[Aries]

The local media in St. Louis has actually been very supportive of Sam. They understand he can't do much, when a defensive tackle sacks him one and a half steps into his drop.

The Rams ARE trying to improve the OL. There haven't been a lot of quality receivers for them to go after lately. But in the last two years they've drafted offensive tackles with the number two overall pick, and the first pick of the second round. They've also signed or traded for two fairly high ranked offensive linemen. As someone earlier said, injuries have been a big problem in the OL since about the fourth week of last season, and they've already struggled with some this training camp.

It takes a while. They are probably at least another season after this one away from being competetive, if they make all the right moves. But people and reporters who really know the Rams understand that Sam is not the one piece that suddenly makes them good.

[soonerborn30]

Does anybody know how serious the injury to Feeley is? I just saw a little blurb that said he got hurt.

I feel like a little league mom. I worry for Sammy. Him getting hurt would just open the floodgates to all these haters "ohhh we KNEW he was fragile, blah blah blah".

Please tell me Jason Whitlock doesn't cover the Rams...?

[Okie35]

It's the rams though. Their line is terrible they can't even run the ball. At least he's playing better than Clausen.

[Okie35]

Does anybody know how serious the injury to Feeley is? I just saw a little blurb that said he got hurt.

I feel like a little league mom. I worry for Sammy. Him getting hurt would just open the floodgates to all these haters "ohhh we KNEW he was fragile, blah blah blah".

Please tell me Jason Whitlock doesn't cover the Rams...?

True, but it would be temporary,if it happened, which I doubt. He's a smart player, he'll succeed in the league. He just has to get into the flow of everything.

[Aries]

Does anybody know how serious the injury to Feeley is? I just saw a little blurb that said he got hurt.

He continued to play the rest of the series after the injury. They are just saying right now it is "sore and swollen", and will do an MRI. Reading between the lines, it sounds like he could probably play Thursday night if he had to, but since it's pre-season and Sam needs the experience, it's possible they'll hold him out and play Sam more.

[bluedogok]

On the ESPN or NFLN crawl they said "it is being reported" that Sam will get the start on Thursday night.

Here is the blurb from STLToday.com (http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/article_9e68e9a4-fc62-5c86-b9e6-12b9f7829624.html)

[TenkillerSooner]

On the ESPN or NFLN crawl they said "it is being reported" that Sam will get the start on Thursday night.

Here is the blurb from STLToday.com (http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/article_9e68e9a4-fc62-5c86-b9e6-12b9f7829624.html)

Yep, I read something similar on Turf Show Times, Sam's first start will be Thursday.:cool:

[Aries]

Here is the official word... Read in another article Sam will probably play the entire first half. Typically the third pre-season game is considered the most important, in terms of deciding who will and won't make the team, adjusting the depth chart, and evaluating the teams readiness for the start of the season. So this is a big opportunity for Sam.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/article_66a9bd89-b8f3-567d-ae19-4b2c445039a6.html


Bradford to start for now

With a brace on his right thumb and hand, quarterback A.J. Feeley won't be doing any arm-wrestling soon. Or throwing a football.

"He won't play on Thursday," coach Steve Spagnuolo said.

Which means quarterback Sam Bradford will make his first start in a Rams uniform Thursday night against, gulp, the New England Patriots.

"We're going to go against a really good football team on Thursday," Spagnuolo said. "Sam will be in with the starters because of the situation with A.J. And Steven (Jackson) will be in there with him. I'll be anxious to see how he reacts to that."

Because of the short work week, Bradford and the rest of the Rams have only two practices to prepare for the Patriots before traveling to New England. One of those practices took place Monday afternoon, with Bradford getting the lion's share of the reps.

"It's a mindset now," Spagnuolo said. "Certainly Dick (Curl) and Pat (Shurmur) will work with him."

Curl is the Rams' quarterbacks coach; Shurmur is the team's offensive coordinator. For starters, the coaches will script the first 15 plays of the game for Bradford and the offense.

"He's got to know those plays," Spagnuolo said. "There's a little bit of an adjustment when you're coming in as a starter, and when you're coming in second or third series. But I don't think Sam will see it any differently."

With Bradford in the lineup Thursday, it's easy to make the assumption that the starting job is his for, oh, the next decade or so. But to borrow one of Spagnuolo's pet phrases, the Rams' head coach isn't ready to go there.

Not yet, anyway.

Spagnuolo pointed out that Bradford wouldn't be starting Thursday if Feeley were healthy.

"A.J.'s the starter right now (if healthy); Sam's the backup," Spagnuolo said. "A.J. has a little better command of the offense. If you based it on two games, A.J.'s been able to move the football team when he's been in there. That's really what we want.

"Sam has a little bit of a ways to go in that. But at some point, if we feel the guy that is behind the starter can do a better job, to me, that's when you make the move. I don't know if that'll be next week. If it'll be three weeks. If it'll be four weeks. Sam still has a lot of things (to learn)."

In short, Spagnuolo is sticking with the original plan on Bradford: he won't start ahead of a healthy Feeley until the coaching staff feels he gives the team its best chance to win.

"I think A.J.'s doing really a pretty good job," Spagnuolo said. "I mean he certainly did the other night (against Cleveland)."

The Rams did not make Bradford available to the media Monday. But his teammates were happy for him.

"He's a great kid," safety Oshiomogho Atogwe said. "It is preseason, but any time you can play in this league, it's a blessing, and now he's getting his first start. I'm excited to see what he's going to do.

"I talked with him earlier, and he has a good head on his shoulders, and he's working to meet the challenge, and that's good to see."

Bradford has struggled so far this preseason, completing only 44.4 percent of his passes (12 of 27) for 81 yards in two games. He has no touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 51.8.

In the preseason opener against Minnesota, Bradford had next to no time to throw because of pass protection issues. He had much better protection Saturday in Cleveland but just didn't look sharp while operating most of the time in pouring rain.

"He's coming along," Feeley said. "He's had some tough breaks when he's played in the preseason games. You guys (reporters) have been around here and seen him practice - you know, he's doing a good job.

"Some things didn't go his way in the game, and certain things he can control and certain things he can't. But for the most part his development's been great. He'll be fine. He just needs to relax and play his game. He's got enough talent. He can do it."

For lack of a better term, Bradford looks like he's fighting it at the moment. And he's the type of player who's hard on himself.

"He is," Spagnuolo said. "He had a little bit of that (Monday). And that's going to be the growing pains for him. ... But he learns from everything he does. And he very rarely makes the same mistake twice. So that's a positive thing. We'll see what happens."

Meanwhile, Feeley won't even think about trying to throw until next week.

"There's a little bit of swelling in the hand," Feeley said.

Feeley said he has what's known as "game-keepers" thumb, an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb. The best cure is rest and keeping the thumb immobilized.

Feeley also wore a compression sleeve up to his elbow Monday; he suffered an elbow injury on the same play that messed up his thumb.

"I think (trainer) Reggie (Scott) said he popped a bursa (sac) on the elbow," Spagnuolo said. "That is not as much of the issue as the thumb."

Feeley doesn't think the injury will jeopardize his ability to be ready for the regular-season opener Sept. 12 against Arizona.

"Right now, I'm looking at four days - that's kind of the break I'm taking," he said. "From there we'll play it day to day. Hopefully it doesn't set me back at all. Other than not playing this week, as far as going forward, I think I'll be fine."

[gaylordfan1]

When is this game?

[Crucifax Autumn]

I think some of the analysis has been a bit too tough on Sam considering some of the team issues around him.



When is this game?

Previous post says Thursday.

My question is whether it will be on TV and if so is it on a channel those of us without NFL network can see?

[swardboy]

ESPN is carrying the other Thursday night game, but I can't find any tv outlets for the STL game...only Sirius in St. Louis on radio. Starts at 6:30 pm central.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Thanks for the info.

[sooneron]

Dick Curl?

[sooneron]

obviously you can't comprehend "Same is young and still learning" That would include weather and many other variables but thank you.

Stay classy martin.:rolleyes:

[Crucifax Autumn]

I was doing dick curls earlier today. I'm getting pretty buf.

[sooneron]

tmi

[Crucifax Autumn]

If that's TMI it's a good thing you haven't seen the **** I post at the hideout!

[sooner ngintunr]

Cox in Tulsa has the game on channel 707 (the CW?) or non HD channel 12 iirc. Starts thurs @6:30. YWIA.