Brian Quick more comfortable than ever
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/115264/brian-quick-more-comfortable-than-ever
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis Rams wide receiver Brian Quick was one of the team's most pleasant surprises during training camp and the preseason.
Finally able to string together a series of strong practice outings and find some much-needed consistency, Quick looked the part of the receiver the Rams thought they were getting when they drafted him with the first pick of the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. But performing in shoulder pads and shorts and doing it in games are two very different things.
So when Quick was able to carry over what he was doing in practice to the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, it was the most encouraging sign yet that Quick has what it takes to be a solid contributor at the NFL level.
"Coming out here every day and playing fast definitely makes it easier for me," Quick said. "But that’s the biggest thing is translating it to the field from practice."
Quick's work in practice translated into career highs in catches (seven) and yards (99). To the top receivers in the league, that's an average week's worth of work, but nobody is putting those type of expectations on Quick. Instead, the Rams would like him to be a consistent performer who can be reliable in the passing game and use his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame to provide stout run blocking on the perimeter.
Aside from a facemask penalty that appeared to be more bad luck than anything, Quick was the lone real bright spot for the Rams' offense in the loss to Minnesota.
"I was encouraged," coach Jeff Fisher said. "Brian came on. He made every catch. The only thing that he could improve was the facemask penalty. He’s learned from that. But, he was very productive. Made different types of catches, contested catches -- the third down catch where we ended up fourth and 1 and a half was a good catch, it was a good concentration effort."
Indeed, Quick's production wasn't some shallow numbers grab coming after the game was already out of hand. He caught a 23-yard pass from quarterback Shaun Hill on the game's first play and went on to post 70 yards on four catches in the first half. Simply put, Quick looked as comfortable as he has ever looked on an NFL field, and in turn looked like he belonged.
So what has been the difference? Quick points to the amount of time it took him to learn an NFL offense and route tree after entering the league from tiny Appalachian State. There, Quick played in a rudimentary offense that asked little of him in terms of route running and understanding defenses.
"That was the biggest adjustment was coming in and learning the playbook," Quick said. "It kept me from playing fast, but now that I really feel that I’m dialed in and I can move fast and know the plays, that’s what I’m feeling."
It has also helped Quick's cause that he has entered the season as a starter and knows that he is going to get consistent reps in practice and plenty of snaps in games. Where Quick often found himself thinking through plays as they were happening, he now says he is doing things naturally.
"Sitting on the sideline, not getting reps and then getting in a close game and going in, it’s kind of hard to adjust," Quick said. "But now being a starter and going in, I’m doing the best I can playing fast and knowing the offense. It’s a lot easier for me."
Of course, Quick must now turn his consistent practice performances into consistent game performances. The rapport he had with Hill was obvious in the first half last week, but if Hill is unable to play this week because of a quad injury, Quick will have to adjust to working with backup Austin Davis.
In addition, Quick might have been able to take Minnesota by surprise in the first week, but Tampa Bay will be well aware of him in the second. Last season, we saw tight end Jared Cook open with a big performance then disappear for long stretches of time.
The onus falls on Quick to continue to find ways to get open and make plays.
"I’m playing faster and not thinking," Quick said. "That’s a big change for me. I am just playing fast."