Actual Results: WIN 17-3, Tied 3rd in NFC West (3-2)
The Rams continued their excellent play at home by defeating the previously undefeated Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football. The story of this game was undoubtedly focused on the Rams' stifling defense. St. Louis combined for 9 sacks on Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb, who frequently looked dazed and confused as the tandem of Chris Long and Robert Quinn assaulted the weak Cardinals line.The offense scored all the points, but after a fast start they quickly cooled. Teamed with the loss of Danny Amendola, this offense could struggle even more in the coming weeks.Here's a quick look at all phases of the game.The Rams quickly got a touchdown on the opening drive with 3 nice passes from Sam Bradford. A long bomb to Danny Amendola along the sideline set up a nice touchdown pass to Lance Kendricks. But the Rams quickly feel under after that, going flat on the passing offense and slow in the run game. A couple of bad drops definitely fueled the offensive struggles throughout the rest of the game, but the loss of Danny Amendola was also a contributing factor. Amendola went out with a collarbone injury (which could have been life-threatening), a will be out until the last few weeks of the season. That leaves the Rams back a square one, with a plethora of average number 2 receivers that don't quite match Amendola's skill set. Steve Smith could get a look in Amendola's place, although I doubt he's as fast or sneaky underneath as Amendola. Austin Pettis could also get some looks, but his possession receiver skills come with routes downfield rather than underneath. It will be interesting to see how the Rams will handle this situation, given the talent they have downfield. Fortunately, they re-discovered the running game late, with the ever-talented Steven Jackson bulldozing his way for extra yards against the tough Cardinals defense.
Defensively, the Rams played with a tenacity that hasn't been seen in a long time. The D-line mauled the weak Cardinals, and the linebackers and cornerbacks continued to fuel an agressive attack that kept Kevin Kolb pressured all night. The only weakness in the defense seemed to be coverage downfield, but the Rams' secondary did a generally good job containing the Cardinals' receivers. With so much defense prevalent in the NFC West nowadays, the Rams must continue to assault opposing offensive lines and forcing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The run defense is still a bit shaky, but the Rams were lucky that the Cardinals had issues at running back.
Special teams also impressed, with rookie punter Johnny Hekker booming long kicks to keep Cardinals return ace Patrick Peterson at bay. Peterson is shifty in the return game but doesn't seem to play with as much enthusiasm on the defensive side (his pick notwithstanding). Greg Zuerlein continued to boom field goals like extra points. The return game suffered a bit after Amendola's departure, but Janoris Jenkins served it well enough.
Overall, the Rams were very impressive on defense, but got really lucky on offense. Had they been stymied late in the game, the Cardinals could have easily tied the game. It's nice to see the Rams keeping these games close and taking advantage of the home crowd, but they must learn to advance their offensive philosophy a bit. They must learn to win on the road and take advantage of opportunities if they want to stay in games. Especially with several offensive juggernauts coming up real soon.
LOOKING AHEAD: After a semi-bye week, the Rams head to Miami to take on the suddenly tough Dolphins. The Dolphins have greatly improved their offense under Ryan Tannehill in recent weeks, and their defense is also tough on the inside. The Rams will need to put pressure on the rookie and put up some points, as the Dolphins could potentially exploit the Rams on the outside. With a dangerous running tandem of Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas, the Rams' weak run defense could also be exploited. I think this could be a tough game, but if the Rams can keep it close and pull it out on the road, it would provide a huge boost going into the next two weeks against Green Bay and New England. The Rams also can't afford to lose much ground against the tough NFC West.
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