Actual Results: WIN 16-13, 3rd in NFC West (5-6-1)
Well, it took 10 quarters, but the Rams finally beat the San Francisco 49ers in a game that was essentially "part II" of the tied game three weeks earlier. St. Louis eked out a win in this one with 26 seconds left in overtime, on a Greg Zuerlein field goal no less. As great as the win is, the Rams certainly got lucky in this one. Their play was questionable and downright dreadful throughout the day, but in the end, they managed to get it done, and that's all that matters. Here's a look at how each phase of the game did.The offense once again struggled, scoring only 2 points the entire day (a 2-point conversion). Sam Bradford was ever the game manager, but he never did get this offense rolling. Most of his passes were short and over the middle, and there were many times where he looked gun-shy and got rid of the ball too quickly. However, he did prove that he still has some legs, running for a critical first down late in the game. Steven Jackson is a madman, and he consistently runs with aggression and passion. He is the epitome of an every-down back. The O-line is slowly starting to gel (and stay healthy), but discipline continues to be somewhat of a concern. Silly penalties have cost the Rams before. Receiver Danny Amendola was out, so Bradford had to rely on rookie Chris Givens to go over the middle every so often. Givens proved just how versatile he is and could slowly develop into a solid no. 2 receiver.
The defensive line continues to be very strong, with William Hayes and Eugene Sims coming on strong in this one. Robert Quinn was called for a questionable helmet-to-helmet hit on Niners QB Colin Kaepernick, which led to a scoring drive for the Niners. However, they were impressive in their containment of Kaepernick, save for a 50 yard run late in the game. That's the type of dangerous element that Kaepernick brings that Alex Smith doesn't. I thought the Rams would defend poorly against a dual-threat like Kaepernick, but they performed admirably. However, the secondary stunk, particularly rookie corner Janoris Jenkins. His touchdown (the only Rams touchdown of the day) was a superb read and explosion on a failed option fumble to Ted Ginn, but he was exposed in coverage on nearly every down. Mario Manningham, Michael Crabtree, and others simply ran slant routes on the sitting back Jenkins, allowing easy first downs deep in 49er territory. Jenkins also has a problem with tackling, since he seems to lead with his shoulder so much rather than wrap up. Jenkins must learn to be more physical and force bump-and-run coverage and make cleaner tackles if he wants offenses to stop picking on him. His playmaking is there, but his basic skills are still to be developed. Kinda like a young Deion Sanders, if you will.
Special teams also saved the day for the Rams. First let's start with the bad. Austin Pettis filled in for Danny Amendola on returns, and his play was somewhat questionable. He was so focused on fielding punts and kicks that he forgot where he was on the field, at one point fielding a punt inside the 5. He also relies too much on his lateral quickness to escape heavy traffic, instead of going upfield. He never managed to escape on Sunday and frequently lost yards he could have had. Johnny Hekker continues to impress, despite a 14-yard shank in overtime that almost gave the 49ers the win. Despite his shanks, he's still tremendous on punts downfield most of the time, and always brings the surprise trick play capability with his arm. That rookie Greg Zuerlein is a keeper, nailing a 53-yarder at the buzzer and a 54-yarder to win it. Zuerlein has been in somewhat of a slump, but when he's playing indoors, his accuracy is unbelievable (his power is always Janikowski-esque, inside or outside). The Rams shouldn't be too keen to lean on Zuerlein every time (especially next week in Buffalo), but he is quite the insurance for a developing offense.
Overall, the Rams played with the same intensity as the 49ers, despite the fact that the production was down from last time these two teams met. Nevertheless, the Rams remain undefeated in division play, and have proven that they can matchup with the 49ers every game. Luck had a lot to do with it this time, but thank god they managed to win and not end up tying again. They must, however, continue to improve if they want to get another road win.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Rams play a revived Bills team next week in what could be a sloppy game at Ralph Wilson Stadium (and I'm not talking about the weather). The Bills match up well with St. Louis, and could provide a challenge with their home-field advantage. The Rams may be flying high after the win against the 49ers and with whispers of the playoffs in the back of their minds. I still believe the Rams will fall into this trap game and once they're out of playoff contention for good, play with the pride that has allowed them to win.
Sidenote: As with the sidenote last week, this pertains to the Rams uniforms. The Rams wore their 1999 throwbacks in honor of their 75th anniversary and alumni day. These uniforms are generally the same ones as last year, save for the different shade of yellow and Nike making them. I love these unis a lot and hope that the team will consider going back to it in the rumored redesign taking place in several years. This is the first time all year that the Rams have worn a good uniform, save for the set last week and the blue top white pants look in the preseason (are they ever going to wear those?). Hopefully with several wins under their belt in these throwback unis, the Rams will be inclined to bust them out more often.
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