Full St. Louis Rams Awards at Halfway Point of 2014 Season
It has been a tough season for the Rams and it all began with an injury under center during the preseason, forcing the team to go to a quarterback that had never played a regular-season snap before.
Despite going 3-5 and last place in the NFC West, the St. Louis Rams have had some players shine and come through while helping the team during a rough season. I learned it is hard to pick out players for these awards during a long season due to very few players stepping up, therefore picking the player who is most deserving can prove tricky.
In this slideshow, we will hand out midseason awards to players for their work through eight games. As usual, feel free to chime in below with your thoughts on these awards.
Most Valuable Player: QB Austin Davis
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Austin Davis is not having a spectacular season by any stretch of the imagination. However, he deserves some credit for filling in for Sam Bradford and doing an okay job in his first year as the primary quarterback.
The second-year player from Southern Mississippi has thrown for 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He came up big three weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks, completing 17-of-20 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns to help stun the Seahawks. He has led the Rams to two wins in their last three games.
Offensive Player: TE Lance Kendricks
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Lance Kendricks has just 17 catches for 135 yards, which is far down on the list of pass-catchers for the Rams. However, Kendricks has come through in the end zone, coming up with four touchdowns, which leads the team.
Kendricks finished with four touchdown grabs in each of the last two years. Now, as one of the few highlighted players for the Rams this year, he looks to have a career high in that category in his fourth season out of Wisconsin.
Defensive Player: DE Robert Quinn
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Robert Quinn is not having the dominant defensive season he had last year when he collected 19 sacks, seven forced fumbles and 12 run stops. But after stepping him recently, he remains as the best defensive player on the team.
He leads the team in sacks with five and also has two forced fumbles. All five of his sacks have come in the last three games as he’s posted back-to-back two-sack games against the Chiefs and 49ers.
If Quinn can be consistent moving forward, he will register double-digit sacks for the third consecutive season.
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Most Improved: WR Brian Quick
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Coming out of Appalachian State, Brian Quick was very quiet in his first two years with the Rams. This season has been a different story as he has had a bigger impact in trying to help the team through tough times.
Quick already has set single-season career highs in receptions (39), yards (375), touchdowns (three) and first downs (19.) He currently leads the team in receiving yards and first-down catches.
When the Rams try to rebuild, Quick is a player the franchise will want to build around.
Role Player: RB Zac Stacy
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Among all second-year running backs in the NFL, Zac Stacy has had the most challenging transition from his rookie year to his second season. With the loss of Bradford during the preseason, Stacy knew he would probably be relied on quite a bit, and he has managed to do a good job during a down season.
While splitting duties with Benjamin Cunningham throughout the season and with rookie Tre Mason in the last four games, Stacy leads the team in rushing with 257 yards, while also contributing in the passing game to average 56 yards from scrimmage per game.
Rookie of the Year: LT Greg Robinson
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Offensive linemen get very little attention and not enough credit for the work they do to help quarterbacks and running backs. For a rookie, Greg Robinson has played well and has proven the Rams right after using the No. 2 overall pick on him.
According to STATS, LLC, Robinson has committed two penalties and allowed just 1.5 sacks.
For a rookie playing left tackle, those numbers are the best you will get from a starting offensive lineman. Whether it is this year or in the near future, expect Robinson to begin receiving All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
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