NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

St. Louis Rams: Nick Foles and Aaron Donald Shine in Preseason Loss

By Curt Popejoy

facebooktwitterreddit

If you wanted a feel for the best-case scenario for the St. Louis Rams during the 2015 NFL season, the Week 3 preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts might be a fair indicator. Obviously, the game still involved lots of snaps by guys that might or might not make the final roster, but nevertheless, this is the week where the starters get the greatest amount of playing time.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: NFL’s 50 Most Untradeable Players

So, having said that, if you only look at the 24-14 loss in the box score, you are probably disappointed. However, there were a lot of really good things to take from this game.

More from Los Angeles Rams

One real positive was the play of quarterback Nick Foles. After a dismal effort against the Tennessee Titans the week before, Foles and the Rams coaching staff got on the same page. Foles played sparingly against Tennessee and was only able to must three completions on seven attempts for 18 yards and one interception with no touchdowns.

Against the Titans, Foles looked hesitant, and the pass rush Tennessee got on him really got inside his head. Against the Colts, it was a different story. The offensive line did a much better job protecting him, and it really showed. Foles was calm, cool and collected as he went 10-for-11 passing for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Even when the rushing game struggled, the passing offense found a way to move the football. St. Louis showed commitment to the run game, if for no other reason than to keep the Colts defense honest. Hopefully, once running back Todd Gurley is in the backfield, and the offensive line gets completely healthy, St. Louis will be able to run the ball with consistency, making that play-action passing game that much more potent.

On the defensive side of the football, the reviews were mixed. As a group, there were far too many lapses, in particular in the secondary. The answer to this has to be this talented defensive line. With guys like Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald among the starters, they have to be held accountable for boosting up a struggling secondary.

And speaking of Donald, his skill set was on full display. The Colts tried hard to double Donald for nearly every snap he was on the field. However, on the rare occasions when Indianapolis left him with only a single blocker, Donald made them pay.

His anticipation and burst is really something special. You want a good indicator of how good an interior defensive line is, pause the film at the moment the ball is snapped. Most of the time you see the bulk of offensive and defensive linemen are still flat-footed with their hands on the ground. Donald is almost always the first, and at times the only player up out of his stance at the snap.

There was a three-play stretch against the Colts where Donald made three consecutive tackles, including one for a loss. The Colts coaches never recognized how badly Donald was beating his man, and continued to run to the off side, leaving him with only one blocker. As odd as it sounds, running away from a player like Donald is often the worst strategy. It allows him to crash to the play side, and use that burst in pursuit.

Foles and Donald are the best players on their respective sides of the football. And both are going to be counted on to carry this team. If this game was any indication of what to expect during the regular season, things are going to be in good hands.

Next: St. Louis Rams struggle at wide receiver

[recenposts]

Home/Los Angeles Rams