blue,
Tampa Bay starters only play one or two series.
Jim Miller out. Will be playing some heretofore weak looking running backs making final audition. Bucs move from Orlando facility to Tampa facility on Friday then turn around and fly to St. Louis.
Meanwhile, Warner may play entire first half and is quite motivated. Monday night in front of home fans with much to proove to everybody. Monday night revenge factor even in pre-season.
Martz needs this game pretty bad--Gruden doesn't even want to play it.
Perfect spot for Rams to cover.
Tampa Bay starters only play one or two series.
Jim Miller out. Will be playing some heretofore weak looking running backs making final audition. Bucs move from Orlando facility to Tampa facility on Friday then turn around and fly to St. Louis.
Meanwhile, Warner may play entire first half and is quite motivated. Monday night in front of home fans with much to proove to everybody. Monday night revenge factor even in pre-season.
Martz needs this game pretty bad--Gruden doesn't even want to play it.
Perfect spot for Rams to cover.
Rams will stop Bucs
Jon Campbell
Beware of the sucker line when the St. Louis Rams host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a nationally televised game on Monday. The Bucs look mighty tempting as 2 1/2-point underdogs after jumping out to a quick 2-0 start in the preseason.
But that's just how oddsmakers want you to think. Despite a solid camp and a seemingly renewed dedication to winning another title, Tampa Bay will have anything on its mind but football come Monday night.
The Bucs finished up their training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Friday and returned home to Tampa Bay. They leave the NFL's envy of training camp facilities that made the players feel like they were kids again.
"There comes a time, after 30 nights, you tend to forget a little bit that you have a wife, you have a life, outside of the hotel here and training camp," Gruden told reporters yesterday. "It's been a long camp. It's time to go. And we look forward to attacking the next responsibility and the distractions that being back home have to offer."
Those distractions may have been looming in the final few days of camp when "receivers dropped a lot of balls and looked rather sloppy" according to reports from the St. Petersburg Times. Practice also seemed to slacken in the final days of camp, as coach Jon Gruden conducted a light workout on Thursday and cut practice short on Friday.
He plans to have a walk-through on Saturday before the team heads to St. Louis on Sunday. Gruden told the media fans will see the same game plan this week they saw last week against Miami.
In that contest, quarterbacks Brad Johnson and Keyshawn Johnson orchestrated a few impressive drives with Tampa Bay's first team that saw the Bucs jump out to a quick 13-0 lead against Miami's first unit. Then the starting crew came out and Miami owned Tampa Bay in the second half. Miami was unable to complete the comeback, falling 19-20.
Tampa Bay won't be so lucky this week against a St. Louis squad that has to be getting desperate to stop its embarrassing preseason slump. The Rams have lost and failed to cover in their last five exhibition matches dating back to last year and they're 1-7 in their last eight preseason battles.
Last week they looked disgraceful in their 6-7 loss to the Oakland Raiders, able to drum up only one score and failing to tie the game on a blocked extra-point attempt.
Intensity levels were elevated this week when right guard Adam Timmerman started two fights in practice on Tuesday.
"There was a lot of action out there," Timmerman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "You've got to mix it up every once in awhile and make sure everybody's still playing hard."
St. Louis could have also had a bit more jump than the Bucs in their practice this week because they have far more positional battles going on. Tampa Bay has nearly all of its starters set and really only has some competition going on at punter, backup fullback, backup running back, third cornerback, wide receiver and kick returner.
Meanwhile, the Rams have intense dogfights going on all over the place, including the offensive line, the secondary, linebacker, backup fullback, and most notably wide receiver. St. Louis has a pile of wide receivers vying for the No. 3 spot behind Terry Holt and Isaac Bruce. The Rams threw to 12 different receivers in their preseason opener and they're all looking to knock Dane Looker down a few notches after he's quickly risen from No. 7 on the depth chart to No. 3.
St. Louis should have the added benefit of fewer distractions this week, as the team gets to play at home and ended its camp on Wednesday. That gave the Rams time to settle in at home and still squeeze a few hard practices in before Monday's game.
Look for St. Louis to improve on its woeful performance last week and snap out of their preseason slump with a surprising big win over the Bucs. Oddsmakers have the 'total' for this contest set at 37 1/2.
Jon Campbell
Beware of the sucker line when the St. Louis Rams host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a nationally televised game on Monday. The Bucs look mighty tempting as 2 1/2-point underdogs after jumping out to a quick 2-0 start in the preseason.
But that's just how oddsmakers want you to think. Despite a solid camp and a seemingly renewed dedication to winning another title, Tampa Bay will have anything on its mind but football come Monday night.
The Bucs finished up their training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Friday and returned home to Tampa Bay. They leave the NFL's envy of training camp facilities that made the players feel like they were kids again.
"There comes a time, after 30 nights, you tend to forget a little bit that you have a wife, you have a life, outside of the hotel here and training camp," Gruden told reporters yesterday. "It's been a long camp. It's time to go. And we look forward to attacking the next responsibility and the distractions that being back home have to offer."
Those distractions may have been looming in the final few days of camp when "receivers dropped a lot of balls and looked rather sloppy" according to reports from the St. Petersburg Times. Practice also seemed to slacken in the final days of camp, as coach Jon Gruden conducted a light workout on Thursday and cut practice short on Friday.
He plans to have a walk-through on Saturday before the team heads to St. Louis on Sunday. Gruden told the media fans will see the same game plan this week they saw last week against Miami.
In that contest, quarterbacks Brad Johnson and Keyshawn Johnson orchestrated a few impressive drives with Tampa Bay's first team that saw the Bucs jump out to a quick 13-0 lead against Miami's first unit. Then the starting crew came out and Miami owned Tampa Bay in the second half. Miami was unable to complete the comeback, falling 19-20.
Tampa Bay won't be so lucky this week against a St. Louis squad that has to be getting desperate to stop its embarrassing preseason slump. The Rams have lost and failed to cover in their last five exhibition matches dating back to last year and they're 1-7 in their last eight preseason battles.
Last week they looked disgraceful in their 6-7 loss to the Oakland Raiders, able to drum up only one score and failing to tie the game on a blocked extra-point attempt.
Intensity levels were elevated this week when right guard Adam Timmerman started two fights in practice on Tuesday.
"There was a lot of action out there," Timmerman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "You've got to mix it up every once in awhile and make sure everybody's still playing hard."
St. Louis could have also had a bit more jump than the Bucs in their practice this week because they have far more positional battles going on. Tampa Bay has nearly all of its starters set and really only has some competition going on at punter, backup fullback, backup running back, third cornerback, wide receiver and kick returner.
Meanwhile, the Rams have intense dogfights going on all over the place, including the offensive line, the secondary, linebacker, backup fullback, and most notably wide receiver. St. Louis has a pile of wide receivers vying for the No. 3 spot behind Terry Holt and Isaac Bruce. The Rams threw to 12 different receivers in their preseason opener and they're all looking to knock Dane Looker down a few notches after he's quickly risen from No. 7 on the depth chart to No. 3.
St. Louis should have the added benefit of fewer distractions this week, as the team gets to play at home and ended its camp on Wednesday. That gave the Rams time to settle in at home and still squeeze a few hard practices in before Monday's game.
Look for St. Louis to improve on its woeful performance last week and snap out of their preseason slump with a surprising big win over the Bucs. Oddsmakers have the 'total' for this contest set at 37 1/2.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams face off Monday night (ABC, 8 p.m. ET) -- the past two NFC champions and two of the past four Super Bowl champions.
Unfortunately, it isn't a regular-season game and it's only Week 2 of the preseason (Week 3 is when you get your best look at the starters). This means that we'll probably only see first team vs. first team for a couple of series, and some of the stars won't even see that much action. So the question is, "What are we looking for here?"
Breaking down the Rams
This will be a good test of how the Rams' offense and QB Kurt Warner are doing. The Bucs will be able to see if they have another running back if they have to play without Michael Pittman, who is having off-field problems. Is the offensive line better than it was last year? These questions will begin to be answered.
The Rams are an interesting team. They went into last season off a Super Bowl loss and lost the first five games of the season. The slow start is something they need to address. The Rams need to figure out what to do differently to avoid digging themselves the same hole.
Warner is still a question mark. Coach Mike Martz continues to say he's the starter. With the way he played last season -- before and after he was hurt -- he doesn't look like the same QB. That could have been because of injuries. The Rams need to find out which Warner is wearing the uniform. If he isn't the same QB, then Marc Bulger, who stepped in and won five games last season, has to show he can do it. It's not a quarterback controversy, but we'll get an indicator during the preseason of where the Rams need to go.
Marshall Faulk remains one of the best running backs in football -- and maybe the best ever in terms of doing it all as a running back, blocker and receiver. He hasn't played yet in the preseason. I went to see the Rams play the Oakland Raiders, and Faulk didn't even suit up. I don't think he will be in uniform Monday night, and I heard a rumor that he might not suit up at all this preseason. It makes you wonder why.
If it's because the Rams don't want him to get banged up in the preseason and want to save him for the regular season, that's one thing. But if there's a question about him physically, that could be a serious thing, because the Rams' offense needs an efficient quarterback and a healthy Marshall Faulk.
The Rams still have great receivers in Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. But two years ago, when the Rams' offense was most efficient, they had four talented wide receivers, so you couldn't double up on Bruce and Holt. Az-Zahir Hakim offered speed at the third receiver and Ricky Proehl was a quality fourth receiver. Over the past two years, the Rams have lost those inside receivers (including Ernie Conwell, who they lost to the New Orleans Saints). It will be important for them to develop a third and fourth wide receiver.
The offensive line will be good only if Orlando Pace is starting. The Rams put the franchise tag on him, and he's holding out for more money. Pace is one of the best offensive tackles in the game. The Rams were able to get Kyle Turley from the Saints, who will play the other tackle. So the tackles are strong. Andy McCollum moves from center to guard, and Adam Timmerman is at the other guard. If Pace plays, that's a quality O-line. In the game that I saw in Oakland, John St. Clair started in place of Pace, which makes the line weaker.
On defense, the Rams drafted another defensive tackle, Penn State's Jimmy Kennedy, with their first-round pick. I guess their philosophy is to keep picking defensive tackles No. 1 until they get it right! Just two years ago they drafted Damione Lewis and Ryan Pickett. If those guys were getting the job done, you figure that another first-round choice wouldn't have been used on the defensive line. Defensive coordinator Lovie Smith is trying to get a Tampa Bay defense, and he's looking for his Warren Sapp.
Defensive ends Leonard Little and Grant Wistrom are good and fast. But the linebackers have to improve. Players in the secondary have changed roles. Aeneas Williams has moved from corner to safety; Kim Herring has been the free safety but the Rams haven't been happy with him.
As a result, Jason Sehorn was brought in to play safety, and when he hurt his foot, Williams had to move to that spot. But can the Rams afford to move Williams to safety? Since Dre' Bly is now with the Lions and Dexter McCleon with the Chiefs, do the Rams have enough other cornerbacks?
Breaking down the Bucs
The Bucs did such a great job last year at the end of the season. Coach Jon Gruden did an excellent job, taking his new team to the Super Bowl in his first year -- and winning it. He was smart to keep the defense intact. He kept the players, he kept the scheme and he kept the coaches.
To prevent defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin from going to another team as a head coach, the Bucs paid him more money than some head coaches are making. I think he has earned that. The defense is what the Bucs have been based on.
The defense is strong at all three levels: defensive line, linebacker and defensive back. In any sport, you want to be strong up the middle, and Tampa Bay is strong with DT Warren Sapp, MLB Derrick Brooks and safety John Lynch. From the middle it branches out to the sides; DE Simeon Rice had a great year, while Greg Spires and Anthony "Booger" McFarland played well. Ronde Barber also had a heckuva year.
When you think Tampa Bay, you think defense. The Bucs have a great scheme that the players know, and they've been playing it for a long time. After you win a Super Bowl, other teams try to copy what you did. The problem with that is not every team has a Sapp or Brooks or Lynch, and it's rare to have more than one of those pieces.
The Bucs' offense started improving at the end of the season. Big receivers Keenan McCardell and Keyshawn Johnson are ideal for the West Coast offense. No. 3 receiver Joe Jurevicius is also a big target.
In Gruden's offense, it's important to be a bigger receiver in order to run those slants, crossing patterns and inside short routes where you'll take a good whack. Along with those short routes, you've got to be able to block. I've watched the Bucs practice, and Gruden gets on the receivers to block as much as running their routes and catching the ball.
The offensive line wasn't dominant unit last year but played much better down the stretch. And in the Super Bowl the O-line played extremely well.
QB Brad Johnson in his second year in this system, so he should be better. The Bucs need some big plays out of the offense, which is somewhat dependent on the running game. In the Super Bowl, Michael Pittman was able to be a running threat, but with his off-field problems he might not be available. They still have Aaron Stecker and acquired Thomas Jones from Arizona. Plus, one big advantage they still have is Mike Alstott, who is half fullback and half tailback.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/madden/story?id=1596788
Unfortunately, it isn't a regular-season game and it's only Week 2 of the preseason (Week 3 is when you get your best look at the starters). This means that we'll probably only see first team vs. first team for a couple of series, and some of the stars won't even see that much action. So the question is, "What are we looking for here?"
Breaking down the Rams
This will be a good test of how the Rams' offense and QB Kurt Warner are doing. The Bucs will be able to see if they have another running back if they have to play without Michael Pittman, who is having off-field problems. Is the offensive line better than it was last year? These questions will begin to be answered.
The Rams are an interesting team. They went into last season off a Super Bowl loss and lost the first five games of the season. The slow start is something they need to address. The Rams need to figure out what to do differently to avoid digging themselves the same hole.
Warner is still a question mark. Coach Mike Martz continues to say he's the starter. With the way he played last season -- before and after he was hurt -- he doesn't look like the same QB. That could have been because of injuries. The Rams need to find out which Warner is wearing the uniform. If he isn't the same QB, then Marc Bulger, who stepped in and won five games last season, has to show he can do it. It's not a quarterback controversy, but we'll get an indicator during the preseason of where the Rams need to go.
Marshall Faulk remains one of the best running backs in football -- and maybe the best ever in terms of doing it all as a running back, blocker and receiver. He hasn't played yet in the preseason. I went to see the Rams play the Oakland Raiders, and Faulk didn't even suit up. I don't think he will be in uniform Monday night, and I heard a rumor that he might not suit up at all this preseason. It makes you wonder why.
If it's because the Rams don't want him to get banged up in the preseason and want to save him for the regular season, that's one thing. But if there's a question about him physically, that could be a serious thing, because the Rams' offense needs an efficient quarterback and a healthy Marshall Faulk.
The Rams still have great receivers in Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. But two years ago, when the Rams' offense was most efficient, they had four talented wide receivers, so you couldn't double up on Bruce and Holt. Az-Zahir Hakim offered speed at the third receiver and Ricky Proehl was a quality fourth receiver. Over the past two years, the Rams have lost those inside receivers (including Ernie Conwell, who they lost to the New Orleans Saints). It will be important for them to develop a third and fourth wide receiver.
The offensive line will be good only if Orlando Pace is starting. The Rams put the franchise tag on him, and he's holding out for more money. Pace is one of the best offensive tackles in the game. The Rams were able to get Kyle Turley from the Saints, who will play the other tackle. So the tackles are strong. Andy McCollum moves from center to guard, and Adam Timmerman is at the other guard. If Pace plays, that's a quality O-line. In the game that I saw in Oakland, John St. Clair started in place of Pace, which makes the line weaker.
On defense, the Rams drafted another defensive tackle, Penn State's Jimmy Kennedy, with their first-round pick. I guess their philosophy is to keep picking defensive tackles No. 1 until they get it right! Just two years ago they drafted Damione Lewis and Ryan Pickett. If those guys were getting the job done, you figure that another first-round choice wouldn't have been used on the defensive line. Defensive coordinator Lovie Smith is trying to get a Tampa Bay defense, and he's looking for his Warren Sapp.
Defensive ends Leonard Little and Grant Wistrom are good and fast. But the linebackers have to improve. Players in the secondary have changed roles. Aeneas Williams has moved from corner to safety; Kim Herring has been the free safety but the Rams haven't been happy with him.
As a result, Jason Sehorn was brought in to play safety, and when he hurt his foot, Williams had to move to that spot. But can the Rams afford to move Williams to safety? Since Dre' Bly is now with the Lions and Dexter McCleon with the Chiefs, do the Rams have enough other cornerbacks?
Breaking down the Bucs
The Bucs did such a great job last year at the end of the season. Coach Jon Gruden did an excellent job, taking his new team to the Super Bowl in his first year -- and winning it. He was smart to keep the defense intact. He kept the players, he kept the scheme and he kept the coaches.
To prevent defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin from going to another team as a head coach, the Bucs paid him more money than some head coaches are making. I think he has earned that. The defense is what the Bucs have been based on.
The defense is strong at all three levels: defensive line, linebacker and defensive back. In any sport, you want to be strong up the middle, and Tampa Bay is strong with DT Warren Sapp, MLB Derrick Brooks and safety John Lynch. From the middle it branches out to the sides; DE Simeon Rice had a great year, while Greg Spires and Anthony "Booger" McFarland played well. Ronde Barber also had a heckuva year.
When you think Tampa Bay, you think defense. The Bucs have a great scheme that the players know, and they've been playing it for a long time. After you win a Super Bowl, other teams try to copy what you did. The problem with that is not every team has a Sapp or Brooks or Lynch, and it's rare to have more than one of those pieces.
The Bucs' offense started improving at the end of the season. Big receivers Keenan McCardell and Keyshawn Johnson are ideal for the West Coast offense. No. 3 receiver Joe Jurevicius is also a big target.
In Gruden's offense, it's important to be a bigger receiver in order to run those slants, crossing patterns and inside short routes where you'll take a good whack. Along with those short routes, you've got to be able to block. I've watched the Bucs practice, and Gruden gets on the receivers to block as much as running their routes and catching the ball.
The offensive line wasn't dominant unit last year but played much better down the stretch. And in the Super Bowl the O-line played extremely well.
QB Brad Johnson in his second year in this system, so he should be better. The Bucs need some big plays out of the offense, which is somewhat dependent on the running game. In the Super Bowl, Michael Pittman was able to be a running threat, but with his off-field problems he might not be available. They still have Aaron Stecker and acquired Thomas Jones from Arizona. Plus, one big advantage they still have is Mike Alstott, who is half fullback and half tailback.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/madden/story?id=1596788
Is Rams quarterback Kurt Warner finished?
That's been a major topic of debate in Ram Nation for many, many months. Doomsayers abound at every turn. Fans have been proposing Warner trades since the team staggered from the gate last season, looking nothing like two-time NFC champions.
Fans have been calling for the ascension of back-up Marc Bulger ever since he stopped in for the battered Warner and brought the Rams offense back to life.
The debate continued to rate unabated after the preseason opener, which saw Warner throw an ugly-looking interception during his cameo appearance at Oakland. Bulger looked better, again, so the stage has been set for the team's preseason home opener.
Here is why this game will provide a revealing look at the State of Kurt Warner:
1) Rams coach Mike Martz intends to play Warner quite a bit in this game, enough to get a true read on his physical and mental readiness.
2) The Rams are facing the mighty Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. We doubt the Bucs will do anything fancy during this exhibition game, but we do expect Tampa Bay's starters to play hard while they're in the game. So Warner WILL get pressured. It's what the Buccaneers do.
3) The Rams will play without running back Marshall Faulk, who gets another game off. Without Faulk, the assignment gets that much tougher for Warner. Faulk gives quarterbacks an easy way out, the chance to flip the ball away from pass pressure and get a big play.
4) Also missing are left tackles Orlando Pace and Grant Williams. John St. Clair was OK in the preseason opener, but these are the Buccaneers. Warner will no doubt wonder if his back is covered. His comfort level will be reduced.
5) Warner won't get the entire game to get untracked, so he'll have to do his damage early -- something that he couldn't do during the disastrous 2002 campaign.
So this is a fair test for Warner, though it's only Week 2 of the preseason. Bulger played very well last season, when healthy, so Warner IS on the spot.
There are no guarantees in the NFL. Ask Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch. Once considered the franchise cornerstone, Couch now finds himself as a $6.2 million-per-year back-up.
Couch game into this preseason as the No. 1A quarterback, with Kelly Holcomb right behind him at No. 1B. When Holcomb outperformed him during the first half of training camp, Holcomb leapfrogged him.
Could that happen here? Sure. We couldn't expect a sure thing this week, given Warner's MVP credentials, but he IS on the spot. He can't play poorly and keep his job, not with Bulger around.
Has his hand really healed? It appears it has, but the risk of re-injury looms. Pessimists consider Warner's oft-broken hand an accident waiting to happen.
Is his shoulder shot? Apparently not, because he didn't have trouble making the gazillion throws quarterbacks have to make in camp every week.
Has Warner really regained his confidence? That's what we are about to find out. He needs to regain his ability to process information quickly and make the right decisions without hesitation.
That was the largest concern about Warner last season. Forget the hand injuries, which could just be bad luck. Forget the shoulder stuff, too, because there was no major structural damage to Warner's wing
The real question is this: Can Warner get back to dissecting defenses? Can he resume making the right reads and getting the ball to the right place at the right time?
Can he eliminate the tentativeness that crept into his game last season? Can he direct the Rams offense back onto the fast track, getting the whole unit to play quick and put defenses on their heels?
We'll see.
It alarmed us all last season to see the Rams offense slowed to a crawl. They couldn't get plays in. They couldn't get to the line of scrimmage in time. They couldn't line up correctly. And once the ball was snapped, there was too much confusion and hesitation.
The Rams played more crisply when Bulger took over last season. Hence all the Warner-is-toast talk. This cybercorrespondent believes Warner can get it all back -- injury-induced quarterback slumps aren't unusual in the NFL -- but now we'll all see if this belief is warranted.
We're ready for some football Monday night.
But is Warner?
!
That's been a major topic of debate in Ram Nation for many, many months. Doomsayers abound at every turn. Fans have been proposing Warner trades since the team staggered from the gate last season, looking nothing like two-time NFC champions.
Fans have been calling for the ascension of back-up Marc Bulger ever since he stopped in for the battered Warner and brought the Rams offense back to life.
The debate continued to rate unabated after the preseason opener, which saw Warner throw an ugly-looking interception during his cameo appearance at Oakland. Bulger looked better, again, so the stage has been set for the team's preseason home opener.
Here is why this game will provide a revealing look at the State of Kurt Warner:
1) Rams coach Mike Martz intends to play Warner quite a bit in this game, enough to get a true read on his physical and mental readiness.
2) The Rams are facing the mighty Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. We doubt the Bucs will do anything fancy during this exhibition game, but we do expect Tampa Bay's starters to play hard while they're in the game. So Warner WILL get pressured. It's what the Buccaneers do.
3) The Rams will play without running back Marshall Faulk, who gets another game off. Without Faulk, the assignment gets that much tougher for Warner. Faulk gives quarterbacks an easy way out, the chance to flip the ball away from pass pressure and get a big play.
4) Also missing are left tackles Orlando Pace and Grant Williams. John St. Clair was OK in the preseason opener, but these are the Buccaneers. Warner will no doubt wonder if his back is covered. His comfort level will be reduced.
5) Warner won't get the entire game to get untracked, so he'll have to do his damage early -- something that he couldn't do during the disastrous 2002 campaign.
So this is a fair test for Warner, though it's only Week 2 of the preseason. Bulger played very well last season, when healthy, so Warner IS on the spot.
There are no guarantees in the NFL. Ask Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch. Once considered the franchise cornerstone, Couch now finds himself as a $6.2 million-per-year back-up.
Couch game into this preseason as the No. 1A quarterback, with Kelly Holcomb right behind him at No. 1B. When Holcomb outperformed him during the first half of training camp, Holcomb leapfrogged him.
Could that happen here? Sure. We couldn't expect a sure thing this week, given Warner's MVP credentials, but he IS on the spot. He can't play poorly and keep his job, not with Bulger around.
Has his hand really healed? It appears it has, but the risk of re-injury looms. Pessimists consider Warner's oft-broken hand an accident waiting to happen.
Is his shoulder shot? Apparently not, because he didn't have trouble making the gazillion throws quarterbacks have to make in camp every week.
Has Warner really regained his confidence? That's what we are about to find out. He needs to regain his ability to process information quickly and make the right decisions without hesitation.
That was the largest concern about Warner last season. Forget the hand injuries, which could just be bad luck. Forget the shoulder stuff, too, because there was no major structural damage to Warner's wing
The real question is this: Can Warner get back to dissecting defenses? Can he resume making the right reads and getting the ball to the right place at the right time?
Can he eliminate the tentativeness that crept into his game last season? Can he direct the Rams offense back onto the fast track, getting the whole unit to play quick and put defenses on their heels?
We'll see.
It alarmed us all last season to see the Rams offense slowed to a crawl. They couldn't get plays in. They couldn't get to the line of scrimmage in time. They couldn't line up correctly. And once the ball was snapped, there was too much confusion and hesitation.
The Rams played more crisply when Bulger took over last season. Hence all the Warner-is-toast talk. This cybercorrespondent believes Warner can get it all back -- injury-induced quarterback slumps aren't unusual in the NFL -- but now we'll all see if this belief is warranted.
We're ready for some football Monday night.
But is Warner?
!
NFL Foote Notes: Bucs vs. Rams
William Foote
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the St. Louis Rams will face off on ABC in a Monday night preseason football contest. The Rams are a -2 1/2-point home favorite and the posted total is at 37 1/2 across the board. If you are thinking of betting the Bucs tonight, Canbet.com has Tampa Bay listed at +3. At press, they are the only book using that number.
In my opinion, Canbet.com is deliberately putting out a different (and key) number than all the other books. Quite simply, this will help drum up sign ups and it actually makes perfect business sense. Even if St. Louis wins by more than three points and Canbet.com is hammered on this game, they may have a handful of new players to show for it. Canbet.com can simply write off the loss to advertising and count on the players to lose it back in the future. Just a random observation, but enough already, let's talk about the game.
For many, Tampa Bay is the clear choice in this spot. The Rams looked completely out of synch in their first game at Oakland and seem to lack the timing that made them so great a few seasons back. Given that both Warner and Faulk are injury prone, one has to wonder whether Martz is more concerned with player preservation than he is with winning preseason games. The fact St. Louis has lost six of their last seven in the preseason may attest to this fact.
On the other hand, you have Tampa Bay. It seems the intense and competitive Gruden takes the preseason just as serious as he does everything else. In fact, his teams are now 16-7 SU in his 23 career preseason games. That includes a perfect 2-0 this season and 5-1 dating back to last season. In watching the Bucs play this year, it is very apparent they are out to make a huge statement that the road to the Super Bowl still goes through Tampa.
So with all of the aforementioned in mind, why do the oddsmakers have the Rams as a favorite by almost a field goal? Could they possibly know more than what we see on the surface? When a line looks off, there is usually a reason. Understand one thing: the oddsmakers are fairly good at what they do, hence all the big buildings on the Strip, and if you do not respect that fact, you do not stand a very enduring future as a sports bettor.
The reason St. Louis is favored is the fact Tampa Bay has already proven themselves and has most of their starting positions wrapped up. The Rams desperately need a confidence-boosting win and still have several players fighting for starting jobs. All of this data is supposed to translate into a supreme effort in front of their home crowd and a subsequent win in this spot. So now that I have told you why the line is where it is, it is your job to decipher whether or not all that makes sense.
In other words, should a St. Louis team that is 0-4 ATS their past four meetings with the Bucs and 1-6 SU their last seven preseason games be favored because of all this supplementary data? Time will tell and that is the great part of sports betting. Good luck tonight!
William Foote is quickly becoming one of the brightest new faces in the industry. William’s high IQ approach and thought provoking analysis can be found each and every day at Covers Experts.
William Foote
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the St. Louis Rams will face off on ABC in a Monday night preseason football contest. The Rams are a -2 1/2-point home favorite and the posted total is at 37 1/2 across the board. If you are thinking of betting the Bucs tonight, Canbet.com has Tampa Bay listed at +3. At press, they are the only book using that number.
In my opinion, Canbet.com is deliberately putting out a different (and key) number than all the other books. Quite simply, this will help drum up sign ups and it actually makes perfect business sense. Even if St. Louis wins by more than three points and Canbet.com is hammered on this game, they may have a handful of new players to show for it. Canbet.com can simply write off the loss to advertising and count on the players to lose it back in the future. Just a random observation, but enough already, let's talk about the game.
For many, Tampa Bay is the clear choice in this spot. The Rams looked completely out of synch in their first game at Oakland and seem to lack the timing that made them so great a few seasons back. Given that both Warner and Faulk are injury prone, one has to wonder whether Martz is more concerned with player preservation than he is with winning preseason games. The fact St. Louis has lost six of their last seven in the preseason may attest to this fact.
On the other hand, you have Tampa Bay. It seems the intense and competitive Gruden takes the preseason just as serious as he does everything else. In fact, his teams are now 16-7 SU in his 23 career preseason games. That includes a perfect 2-0 this season and 5-1 dating back to last season. In watching the Bucs play this year, it is very apparent they are out to make a huge statement that the road to the Super Bowl still goes through Tampa.
So with all of the aforementioned in mind, why do the oddsmakers have the Rams as a favorite by almost a field goal? Could they possibly know more than what we see on the surface? When a line looks off, there is usually a reason. Understand one thing: the oddsmakers are fairly good at what they do, hence all the big buildings on the Strip, and if you do not respect that fact, you do not stand a very enduring future as a sports bettor.
The reason St. Louis is favored is the fact Tampa Bay has already proven themselves and has most of their starting positions wrapped up. The Rams desperately need a confidence-boosting win and still have several players fighting for starting jobs. All of this data is supposed to translate into a supreme effort in front of their home crowd and a subsequent win in this spot. So now that I have told you why the line is where it is, it is your job to decipher whether or not all that makes sense.
In other words, should a St. Louis team that is 0-4 ATS their past four meetings with the Bucs and 1-6 SU their last seven preseason games be favored because of all this supplementary data? Time will tell and that is the great part of sports betting. Good luck tonight!
William Foote is quickly becoming one of the brightest new faces in the industry. William’s high IQ approach and thought provoking analysis can be found each and every day at Covers Experts.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Railbird:
Thanks,
But why bet on a coin flip preseason game when you have 8 Little Leauge games today that are absolutley free money.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Why bet NFL at all throw all your cash into little league games....
Thanks,
But why bet on a coin flip preseason game when you have 8 Little Leauge games today that are absolutley free money.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Why bet NFL at all throw all your cash into little league games....
