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Rams-Buccaneers: Matchup breakdown
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11589/rams-buccaneers-matchup-breakdown
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A look at three matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.
Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins versus Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson
With rookie E.J. Gaines starting on the opposite side of Jenkins, the Rams felt comfortable enough with Jenkins that they allowed him to spend much of the opener isolated one-on-one while sending extra help to Gaines' side.
Jenkins had a solid first outing against the Vikings last week and has a history of faring better against bigger receivers. But Jackson has had his share of success against the Rams in the past two seasons and his combination of size and speed always makes for a difficult matchup. In those two meetings over the past two seasons, Jackson has posted 12 catches for 206 yards with no touchdowns.
The Rams have generally opted not to shadow receivers with a particular corner so Jenkins might not be matched up with Jackson at all times. With Gaines still adjusting to the league on the other side and Gaines' previous success against Mike Evans in college, it would serve the Rams well to allow Jenkins to find himself opposite Jackson as much as possible.
Rams right guard Davin Joseph versus Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy
These two former teammates should see plenty of each other this week though McCoy has been known to move all over the line at various points during his time in the league. McCoy is one of the game's best defensive tackles, an all around player equally adept at stopping the run as rushing the passer. McCoy picked up where he left off last year in the first week with a sack, a quarterback hit, a quarterback hurry and four tackles.
Joseph, meanwhile, is still hoping to regain the form that once made him one of the league's more effective guards. He struggled against Minnesota last week, a common theme along the offensive line, but he figures to have a little added motivation against the team that released him this week. There's no way the Rams will leave Joseph on his own to handle McCoy but on the occasions the pair do square off one-on-one, Joseph will have to be at his best to have any chance of preventing McCoy from completely wrecking the Rams' game plan.
Rams defensive end Robert Quinn versus Buccaneers left tackle Anthony Collins
I promise not to lean on Quinn versu "Fill in the blank" every week for this feature but I'm going back to the well again this week because of what Quinn was able to do against Tampa Bay in 2013. In the season's second to last week, Quinn thoroughly dominated Tampa left tackle Donald Penn with three sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and six tackles.
Not that Quinn was the sole reason the Bucs went looking for an upgrade at left tackle in the offseason but he certainly did his part to ensure they'd spend $30 million over five years to land Collins. Collins had a solid, if unspectacular debut, against Carolina, allowing a single quarterback hit but not offering much in the run game. He'll get another tough test in Quinn this week though it stands to reason the Bucs will do plenty to help Collins out.
The Bucs spent plenty of time throwing extra blockers Quinn's way last season and that will likely continue Sunday. Likewise, the Bucs will probably mix in plenty of short passes to help nullify the Rams' pass rush like Minnesota did last week. That puts the onus on Quinn to get home and make plays when the rare chance to do so arises.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11589/rams-buccaneers-matchup-breakdown
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A look at three matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.
Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins versus Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson
With rookie E.J. Gaines starting on the opposite side of Jenkins, the Rams felt comfortable enough with Jenkins that they allowed him to spend much of the opener isolated one-on-one while sending extra help to Gaines' side.
Jenkins had a solid first outing against the Vikings last week and has a history of faring better against bigger receivers. But Jackson has had his share of success against the Rams in the past two seasons and his combination of size and speed always makes for a difficult matchup. In those two meetings over the past two seasons, Jackson has posted 12 catches for 206 yards with no touchdowns.
The Rams have generally opted not to shadow receivers with a particular corner so Jenkins might not be matched up with Jackson at all times. With Gaines still adjusting to the league on the other side and Gaines' previous success against Mike Evans in college, it would serve the Rams well to allow Jenkins to find himself opposite Jackson as much as possible.
Rams right guard Davin Joseph versus Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy
These two former teammates should see plenty of each other this week though McCoy has been known to move all over the line at various points during his time in the league. McCoy is one of the game's best defensive tackles, an all around player equally adept at stopping the run as rushing the passer. McCoy picked up where he left off last year in the first week with a sack, a quarterback hit, a quarterback hurry and four tackles.
Joseph, meanwhile, is still hoping to regain the form that once made him one of the league's more effective guards. He struggled against Minnesota last week, a common theme along the offensive line, but he figures to have a little added motivation against the team that released him this week. There's no way the Rams will leave Joseph on his own to handle McCoy but on the occasions the pair do square off one-on-one, Joseph will have to be at his best to have any chance of preventing McCoy from completely wrecking the Rams' game plan.
Rams defensive end Robert Quinn versus Buccaneers left tackle Anthony Collins
I promise not to lean on Quinn versu "Fill in the blank" every week for this feature but I'm going back to the well again this week because of what Quinn was able to do against Tampa Bay in 2013. In the season's second to last week, Quinn thoroughly dominated Tampa left tackle Donald Penn with three sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and six tackles.
Not that Quinn was the sole reason the Bucs went looking for an upgrade at left tackle in the offseason but he certainly did his part to ensure they'd spend $30 million over five years to land Collins. Collins had a solid, if unspectacular debut, against Carolina, allowing a single quarterback hit but not offering much in the run game. He'll get another tough test in Quinn this week though it stands to reason the Bucs will do plenty to help Collins out.
The Bucs spent plenty of time throwing extra blockers Quinn's way last season and that will likely continue Sunday. Likewise, the Bucs will probably mix in plenty of short passes to help nullify the Rams' pass rush like Minnesota did last week. That puts the onus on Quinn to get home and make plays when the rare chance to do so arises.