For the most part, Austin was treated like an actual wide receiver in this game, and it paid off. Of course, there’s still plenty of work to be done for Austin to sustain this type of play.
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He knew he had to be patient after the Rams selected him with the 10th overall choice in the draft, and continually said he would play when he was ready to play.
Tavon Austin breaks a tackle from Arizona Cardinals free safety Tyrann Mathieu to score one of his two touchdowns on the day. The Rams outplayed them in every facet.
For the Cardinals, the bright side is they are 3-1.
Taking over as the starter after rookie Tevin Coleman suffered a rib injury in Week 2, Freeman has six TDs in the past two games and an NFL-leading seven for the season.
Gurley said simply, “I was just being a smart player and make the right decision”. “I would have liked to have had that game”.
In particular, a clear Rams fumble and Cards recovery late in the third quarter was disallowed because officials ruled Rams running back Benny Cunningham’s forward progress had been stopped before the ball came loose.
WR Michael Floyd has drawn two pass interference calls in the last two games.
“Opportunity is everything”, the second-year running back said.
Quarterback Carson Palmer was sacked four times and hit on numerous other occasions. “He is a very savvy route runner and he has a great feel for the game”. It would’ve been nice to point at one guy, but all five guys had their hand in it, and the tight end and the backs. The longest play was a 23-yard touchdown pass to RB David Johnson, but there weren’t many big plays. “With the three-man line and nickel blitzes, we did not do well”. Arizona had all three timeouts remaining, but on first down, Gurley went for 20 yards. They have a solid core of veterans who keep the rest of the team grounded.
“We kind of hugged it out for a second”, Vinatieri said.
“We have talented guys all around”, Foles said. For those new to numberFire and the metric, NEP factors in on-field variables such as down-and-distance in order to compare a team or player’s production to historical expectation levels. “O-Line really got some seams going today and gave me some protection where I was able to deliver some throws”. “It’s just how it happens in this business”. By our Net Expected Points metric (NEP), Austin was one of the least efficient receivers in the league during his rookie season.
-PASS DEFENSE: D. Again, the numbers are deceiving. Austin sees zone coverage, and perfectly splits the two defenders in the middle of the field before catching a beautifully thrown ball from Nick Foles. Tavon Austin hurt the Cardinals badly, gaining 96 yards and scoring twice. They finished with 164 yards on 26 carries.
Bruce Arians watched Todd Gurley’s second-half National Football League coming-out party and proclaimed him “a heck of a back”.
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-SPECIAL TEAMS: C. K Chandler Catanzaro made all five field-goal attempts to keep the Cardinals in the game. Then David Johnson dropped a sure touchdown pass. The rookie had started the day of Arizona misfortunes by fumbling the ball away on the opening kickoff.
