For this week's "Getting to Know" segment, we reached out to longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch lead Rams beat writer Jim Thomas with these five questions:
MC: As great as rookie running back Todd Gurley has been, it's hard not to start a conversation about the Rams without mentioning those five former first-rounders on the defensive line. As I look at the whole "Sack City" identity, the games that stand out are the six sacks of Russell Wilson in the season-opening win over Seattle and the four sacks of Carson Palmer in the Week 4 win at Arizona. How has this team been able to generate such consistent pressure, especially on the road against Palmer, who has been sacked only seven other times in six games?
JT: "DT Aaron Donald and RDE Robert Quinn are the headliners, giving the Rams a potent inside/out combination. Both made the Pro Bowl last year. No less than 13 players have at least 1/2 sack for the team this year. William Hayes and Eugene Sims are very good backup defensive ends. Either could start for other teams in the league. (And Hayes is now starting for the injured Chris Long.) Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes to blitz, and he'll send safety Mark Barron from the weakside LB spot, Lamarcus Joyner from the slot, and LB James Laurinaitis from the middle. The Rams have always had success getting Wilson down; he actually takes a lot of sacks despite his elusiveness. As for Palmer, well, the Rams get to just about everybody. They have 171 sacks since the start of the 2012 season, a league-high."
MC: Speaking of Gurley, you've seen Adrian Peterson play the Rams a few times. In 2012, Peterson had zero yards through seven carries and finished with 212 yards in a game at St. Louis. As you've had a chance to witness Gurley post the most yards rushing in a player's first four starts (566) since the merger, are the wide-spread comparisons to Peterson justified and what ways, if any, do you see similarities between the two?
JT: "Well, for starters, they're very similar in stature. Gurley is 6-1, 227; Peterson is 6-1, 220. They both are intriguing blends of speed and power. Both know how to use the stiff-arm. I think Peterson is more of a violent runner in terms of contact with defenders, but Gurley is no wallflower out there either. He's also an aggressive runner."
MC: It doesn't seem long ago that the Rams drafted Wayzata native James Laurinaitis in the second round (2009), yet he passed Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen to become the franchise's career tackles leader this season. How is he playing this season, is the ninth-ranked run defense good enough to contain Peterson and how do you think James will be remembered in Rams history when he retires?
JT: "I have immense respect for Laurinaitis. Why? His durability, his productivity, his coverage skills are underrated (10 career INTs). He's a good blitzer, and he's the captain of the defense, routinely getting the unit out of bad plays and into good ones. He is under-appreciated by many in St. Louis because he doesn't make the head-banging, highlight-reel hits, and lacks top-end speed for the position. The Rams certainly have the talent and team-speed to contain Peterson. But let's face it, he can make any defense look bad."
MC: The Rams have the 32nd-ranked passing game, but numbers don't always tell the full story. How is Nick Foles performing with his new team, has Tavon Austin emerged as the No. 1 receiver and how has the pass protection held up through an injury and some shuffling of players at the guard spots?
