The Austin Davis era in St. Louis appears to be over, at least for now.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher announed Wednesday that Shaun Hillwill start at quarterback this week against the Denver Broncos, replacing Davis after eight consecutive starts. Hill started the season opener before injuring his thigh. While he was ready to play by Week 3, Fisher continued to roll with Davis because the third-year pro was playing so well.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported the story.
Fisher added that it won't be a week-to-week decision, and that "We're going to give Shaun an opportunity to do what we brought him here to do, and that was to be a backup to Sam (Bradford)."
Davis' play declined dramatically the more he played. In the team's upset win against San Francisco, Davis threw two early interceptions and did very little the rest of the game.
Last week's game against the Cardinals was a microcosm of Davis' season. The Rams did not ask Davis to do much, and he came through with a very clean first three quarters including a few nice tosses down the field. But Davis did not know what he was seeing when the Cardinals sent an array of blitzes at him, and he wound up throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble in the fourth quarter.
We don't blame Fisher for the about face. Davis played very well early in the season, and it makes sense the team rolled with him. He looks like a fine long-term backup, but not a great option to be the team's starter next season. Hill was signed in St. Louis because he's done well when he's played in his career, and the Rams have a roster ready to win.
The Rams' defense has played very well lately, and they will get Chris Long back into the mix soon. They have already defeated Seattle and San Francisco before leading last week in the fourth quarter in Arizona. In short: If Hill plays well, this is not a team you want on the schedule down the stretch.
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