IRVINE, Calif. -- Former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Nick Foles had a nice night through the air Saturday, going 18-of-22 for 133 yards and leading a methodical drive that resulted in a field goal just before the end of the first half.
But he also exposed their impatience.
With Foles under center for his new team, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Rams committed three neutral-zone infractions and were caught offside.
It was no coincidence, either.
"Nick Foles is really good at the hard count," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Sunday, one day after his team pulled off a 21-20 win at Los Angeles Coliseum. "Nick knows. He’s been here, he’s seen these guys, he’s pulled them offside since last year, through the OTAs and training camp. He knows they’ve got a hair trigger, and he took advantage of it. It’s a good learning experience for our guys."
Fisher addressed the media for a little more than 20 minutes from UC Irvine. He touched on positives (like the running game, the second-half offense, the second-half defense, the offensive line play and the seven touchdowns his team has scored through a couple of preseason comeback victories). He also touched on negatives (specifically the first-team defense, the secondary in general and wide receiver Brian Quick, who continues to struggle with drops).
But most troubling to Fisher, it seemed, were the penalties.
They were a major point of emphasis heading into the season and an encouraging sign in the preseason opener, when his team committed only two. In Week 2, though, they were charged with nine, with cornerback Lamarcus Joyner getting ejected for fighting with Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin. The defensive ones were a major reason why the Chiefs dominated the time of possession, 36:30 to 23:30, which created minimal offensive snaps and ultimately kept third-string quarterback Sean Mannion from seeing the field.
Foles -- initially acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford in March 2015 -- started 11 games for the Rams last year and posted by far the worst QBR among qualified quarterbacks. That prompted the Rams to trade up for the No. 1 overall pick, select Jared Goff and release Foles, who is now the backup to Alex Smith in Kansas City.
Foles was asked if it was emotional to face his former team.
"Yes," he said. "It’s always emotional when you go back to playing a team that you played with. There’s a lot of friends that I kept in touch with or bonded with in my year in St. Louis. So just to see them all and play against them, play against your old coaches, there is an emotion to that."
Foles and his masterful hard count got neutral-zone infractions called against linebacker Akeem Ayers twice in the same possession, then another against defensive tackle Dominique Easley later in the game. He also got Quinton Coples, transitioning to the tackle spot, to jump offside.
Fisher acknowledged that his star-studded defensive line made big plays Saturday, but said the penalties Foles created "completely overshadow" them.
"We have to emphasize it in practice," Fisher said. "And it’s a fine line, too, because you can stand there and not get off the ball, not get to the quarterback, or you can anticipate the snap and get a jump on the offensive lineman, get to the quarterback. You’re going to have some, but yesterday, in my estimation, it got out of hand. That can’t happen."
Some additional notes from Sunday's availability ...
Receiver Bradley Marquez, who hurt his right ankle on a screen pass in the third quarter Saturday and was seen wearing a boot postgame, is expected to only miss about a week of action. That qualified as good news for the Rams, who feared he would be out long term.
Defensive end Robert Quinn is expected to play in Saturday's exhibition game against the Broncos in Denver, which starts at 6 p.m. PT. Quinn missed last Saturday's game because he had spent most of the week in Rio to watch his sister compete in the Summer Olympics.
Fisher said the other cornerback spot, opposite Trumaine Johnson, remains "up in the air," listing Lamarcus Joyner, Coty Sensabaugh and E.J. Gaines as the ones competing for that spot. Sensabaugh started Saturday and Gaines played later, representing his first game action since 2014. Fisher said he was "really pleased" with Gaines, who "made some big tackles." He's expected to progressively get more reps.
Linebacker Ethan Westbrooks hurt himself on a chop block early in Saturday's third quarter but is expected to be fine.
Fisher expects the starters to get more reps in Week 3, with some playing into the third quarter, but has yet to map out the playing time.
Rookie receiver Pharoh Cooper has been returning punts, but that's only to try out for the backup role. Tavon Austin will continue to return punts when the regular season begins.
Nelson Spruce, one of the stars from Week 1, is expected to run around this week but will not practice with the team.
