Bonsignore: Early impressions of Rams a mixed bag

Bonsignore: Early impressions of Rams a mixed bag

By VINNY BONSIGNORE / STAFF COLUMNIST

[www.ocregister.com]

There is nothing more deceiving than NFL preseason games, which all too often send fans and observers toppling in one direction or another getting caught up in the good and bad emerging from games that are largely forgotten the moment the calendar flips from August to September.

So we will digest the Rams two wins to start the preseason mindful of the perspective it deserves. In other words, we’ll read into the results proportionately to the game planning going on by the teams involved.

Which is very little.

That said, there are valid takeaways from the first two weeks, and with the starters playing deeper into Game 2 than they did Game 1, a clearer picture of the Rams began emerging after Saturday’s 21-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

And as the picture comes into focus, here are some thoughts about what we see.

STARTING DEFENSE NEEDS WORK

The talent is there for the Rams to field at least a middle-of-the-pack defense, and if DE Robert Quinn is 100 percent healthy coming off back surgery and Alec Ogletree comfortably settles at middle linebacker after sliding over from outside linebacker, they have a chance to be really good.

But there are some concerns that need tending to.

The losses of starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod to free agency meant backups being called upon to replace them. The Rams believe they have the necessary pieces to back fill the holes, but two weeks in and a couple of long drives later, the Rams secondary has yet to settle in. Lamarcus Joyner and newcomer Coty Sensabaugh have had trouble in coverage at cornerback. And with E.J. Gaines still working his way back from a serious foot injury, the job opposite Trumaine Johnson – who struggled Saturday in coverage – remains unsettled.

Maurice Alexander, who is replacing McLeod, did not play against the Chiefs, so gouging the back-end of the secondary is difficult.

Bottom line, two weeks into the preseason the first-team offenses of the Cowboys and Chiefs largely had their way with the Rams first-team defense, and the bulk of the damage was done in the pass game.

OFFENSIVE LINE HAS LOOKED EFFICIENT

Lost in all the hoopla of Jared Goff and the Rams returning from St. Louis is that LT Greg Robinson has had a solid camp. A disappointment his first two seasons after being selected second overall out of Auburn, Robinson approached camp with a sense of urgency and his play against the Cowboys and Chiefs reflects that. If he can solidify LT, it changes the narrative on a unit that’s struggled for years.

The Rams ran the ball efficiently against the Chiefs, and starter Todd Gurley and backup Bennie Cunningham consistently found plenty of room to operate in behind Robinson and the first-team unit.

Meanwhile, starting QB Case Keenum was well protected and most of Goff’s early struggles were on him and not the line.

Keep in mind starting RT Rob Havenstein still hasn’t been cleared to play while dealing with a leg issue. It looks like he’ll return to a unit that’s beginning to find its footing, let by Robinson at LT. If that’s the case, a long-term concern could be erased.

BENNIE AND THE JETS

The Rams offense is built around dynamic running back Todd Gurley, who is poised for an even better sophomore season after a fabulous rookie year in which he was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

But there is plenty of depth behind him, beginning with Cunningham, who averaged 9.5 yards per carry on four carries Saturday, and third stringer Malcolm Brown, who finished with 68 yards on 12 carries and added a touchdown reception from Goff to push the Rams over the Chiefs.

This is Gurley’s offense, but he’ll have some help in his fellow running backs.

QUICK FADING

Rams coach Jeff Fisher raised eyebrows this week when he didn’t mention Brian Quick while assessing the wide receiver depth chart, and when the Rams lined up in a three-receiver set on their first series Saturday it was rookie Pharoh Cooper on the field with starters Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin rather than Quick.

That’s a reflection of Cooper – who has been a hit in camp – as much as it is Quick, who simply hasn’t lived up to the hype after the Rams drafted him at the top of the second round four years ago. Quick played extensively Saturday and was targeted five times, but just two resulted in a catch and he dropped a pass he absolutely should have caught from Goff.

With Cooper seemingly overtaking Quick as the third wide receiver and youngsters like Nelson Spruce, Michael Thomas, Duke Williams and Bradley Marquez – who was injured Saturday – pushing for roster spots, Quick is in danger of losing more than just his starting role.

KEENUM NUDGING AHEAD

Fifth-year quarterback Case Keenum is showing he’s much more than just a placeholder for Goff, the first overall pick in last April’s draft. In fact, if the season were to start today it would be Keenum, not Goff, who deserved the starting job.

Just as he’s done throughout training camp and Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, Keenum was decisive and efficient Saturday against then Chiefs while guiding the Rams to a pair of long touchdown drives. And in three trips to the red zone this preseason, he’s helped cash in on three touchdowns.

For a team that desperately needs to figure out a way to put points on the board after struggling for years offensively, production like that will mean Keenum remaining the starter for awhile.