Friday, November 4, 2011

Trick Or Treat?


With Halloween a day away, the Rams pounded the Saints 31 - 21 at the Edwards Jones Dome  this past Sunday.  It was without question, one of the more shocking upsets in the NFL this year.  I mean, seriously, who saw this one coming?  The Rams came off of a disaster game the week before in Dallas, giving up a Cowboys franchise record 253 yards to rookie DeMarco Murray.  Murray is a talented guy coming from the University of Oklahoma, but he never even approached 253 yards in a game against Mizzou.  The Rams simply looked awful in the game, and legitimately had people wondering if they could challenge the Colts and Dolphins in the “Suck for Luck” campaign that seems to be sweeping through the country via the sports media.

As bad as the Rams looked against the Cowboys, the Saints made the previously mentioned Colts actually look worse later that same day.  The Saints embarrassed the Colts on Sunday Night Football, winning 62 - 7 (Speaking of DeMarco Murray and the University of Oklahoma … 62 - 7 is the score of an Oklahoma vs. Tulsa game, NOT an NFL game).  The Saints marched up & down the field, beating the Colts to a pulp.  It was frightening to think of what the Saints could do to the Rams.  It was even scarier when Sam Bradford didn’t throw a ball in practice all week and A.J. Feely was announced again as the starter at QB.

While many folks from St. Louis (myself included) were enthralled with the baseball Cardinals and their World Series victory parade, the Rams were beating the Saints in every which way.  The Rams pounded the Saints for over 180 yards rushing, with Steven Jackson having his most spirited effort in years.  Meanwhile, the Saints rushed for 56 against the Rams, who featured the league‘s worst defense coming into the game.  A.J. Feely did not play well (reference his one major under throw, then over throw of a wide-open Brandon Lloyd on the first drive of the game,) but the Rams were 3 for 3 in scoring touchdowns in the red zone.  Feely also did not throw an interception, though he did have a horrendous fumble near the end zone though.  Feely and Lloyd made a few plays, as did the improving Greg Salas.  No one could have expected Feely’s 175 yards passing to be enough against the vaunted Saints, but it was more than enough for the Rams suddenly nasty defensive line.  The d-line was in the backfield throughout the 3 hour contest.  Chris Long registered 3 sacks.  Robert Quinn flashed his immense potential with a sack and game-changing blocked punt (Quinn just HAS TO BE a near every-down player moving forward, doesn't he?)   Fred Robbins also added a sack, as he & Justin Bannan tag-teamed to clog the middle and shut down the Saints’ running game.  Chris Chamberlain (4 tackles and a key tackle for loss early in the game) & James Laurinaitis (10 tackles, 1 sack, 2 pass break-ups;  monster) continued to play well.

And, most surprisingly, the Rams secondary not only held up, it succeed against the Saints high-powered passing attack.  Al Harris continued his renaissance as he blanketed Marquis Colston for most of the game.  Josh Gordy contributed with an interception.  Darian Stewart made the other game-changing play with his pick taken back to the house.  The play by Stewart was the first defense touchdown the Rams have had in 32 (yes, 32) games.  The Rams just outplayed the Saints in every form & fashion.

Don’t get me wrong, as a Football fan, I loved Sunday’s performance by the Rams.  I love the fact that Steven Jackson fired up the troops and that the Rams looked like they at least had a pulse.  The Rams were alive & kicking.  But, there is just no way to forget how dreadful the Rams were in their first 6 games.  Despite Sunday’s win, the Rams have still been outscored by over 100 points this season.  They are still near the bottom of the league in points per game and they rank right at the bottom in sacks allowed.  I wasn’t particularly impressed with anything I saw A.J. Feely do on Sunday, but I do commend the fact that he finished the game.  Feely was getting pounded early & often in the game as the Rams gave up another 4 sacks (and plenty of other QB hurries.)  The offensive line continued it’s horridly inconsistent play.  The Rams defense did look very good for most of this game, but I have to believe the Saints weren’t focused on Sunday.  They must have taken one look at the Rams game tape from the first 6 games of the season, and then immediately fallen asleep in the meeting room.  They probably watched DeMarco Murray run wild just a week ago, and simply decided it was a good week to lay off the weights and instead pound the Halloween candy.  Most Saints players figured beating the Rams would be less strenuous than their bye week.  They tried to give a game to the Rams, and the Rams took it for a change.

Sean Payton, clearly not ready for game time
My biggest fear for this Rams team is that they do make a small charge here in the second-half of the season.  The Rams schedule does now lighten up a bit, as they get into more division games.  The Rams have a chance to string together another 5 or 6 wins over the rest of the year.  I ask … So what?  That would make the Rams 6 - 10 or 7 - 9.  The San Francisco 49ers are already 6 - 1.  They don’t look like the Atlanta Braves, and I don’t see a similar fade coming here.  The first 6 games of this year showed Rams fans how far way this team is from competing with the league’s elite.  I’d rather the Rams finish 2 - 14, get a Top 5 pick in the draft and complete a cleaning of house in the front office, than scratch and claw their way to  7 - 9.  The one thing that’s scaring me the most this Halloween is the idea of the Rams finding mediocrity.


Written by: Michael Handshear