A month ago, the San Francisco 49ers became the first team to clinch its division, shutting out the St. Louis Rams to win the NFC West. Beat them again in the finale, and there’s a nice bonus for the Niners: the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.

Sure, they’re in. There’s still plenty of incentive for a franchise that’s made a rapid rise to the top under rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh.

“Anytime you could lock up a bye, you’d take it,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “Great opportunity for us, we’ve just got to go seize it.”

They couldn’t have picked a more vulnerable opponent.

The bedraggled Rams (2-13) are in danger of a dubious honor — landing the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second time in three years. All it’ll take is dropping their seventh in a row and the Colts winning at Jacksonville and again they will be at the bottom of the barrel.

St. Louis, just 10-37 under third-year coach Steve Spagnuolo and 12-51 with fourth-year general manager Billy Devaney, could be on the verge of a housecleaning. That’s led to a lot of questions this week about trying to save Spags’ job.

“We don’t worry about things we can’t control,” middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “He’s that way, we’re that way. We’re just going to go out there and play our rear ends off.”

Owner Stan Kroenke has been silent on the subject of what comes next for the Rams, who had been viewed as a franchise on the rise after last year’s six-win improvement. Now they’re playing to a half-full stadium and reduced to muttering about injuries that have decimated the secondary and offensive line besides a persistent high left ankle sprain that almost assuredly will knock out quarterback Sam Bradford for a sixth game.

Attendance is likely to be more sparse than usual given the noon CST start coming off New Year’s Eve partying. The Rams asked Thursday for a 24-hour extension to meet NFL sellout requirements.

The 49ers (12-3) have already doubled their win total from a disappointing 2010 season, and even with a loss can get the No. 2 seed and bye if the Saints lose at home against the Panthers. If they can repeat the performance from the 26-0 whipping they handed out in San Francisco, Harbaugh would be just the fourth coach in NFL history to win 13 games in his first year. Two 49ers coaches have already done it, George Seifert going 14-2 in 1989 and Steve Mariucci at 13-3 in 1997.

San Francisco could also land its first 13-win season since ’97. A sixth road win would match their total from the previous three seasons, rewarding them for attention to detail.

“The biggest thing that I’d point to is a lot of little reasons that a lot of people think are the minutia that aren’t important that add up to make all the difference,” Harbaugh said. “And our guys continually do the little things, and they stack on each other and they build on each other. And lo and behold, you win games in high pressure situations, or find ways to do enough things right to win games and get better.

“Enough of those things lead to championships.”

The 49ers are stout on defense, on pace for a franchise record while allowing a league-low 13.5 points per game, and sound on offense behind come-back quarterback Alex Smith. They lead the NFL with a plus-26 turnover ratio, with the most takeaways (36) and the fewest turnovers (10) in the league.

Aldon Smith has 14 sacks, one shy of the NFL rookie record. Cornerback Carlos Rogers and free safety Dashon Goldson, two of the 49ers’ four Pro Bowl starters on defense, have six interceptions apiece.

Kicker David Akers, who has set an NFL record with 42 field goals, and punter Andy Lee are both Pro Bowlers, too.

They’ve stayed healthy, too, with 30 players appearing in every game and 12 making every start. That dwarfs the Rams’ totals of 14 and four. The 49ers have eight Pro Bowl representatives, the Rams none.

“They’ve put it together and you get on a roll,” Spagnuolo said. “It works both ways. You get on a roll winning, confidence and boom, boom, things are working and clicking.

“It happens the other way, too, where you can’t really find any continuity.”

The 49ers have won six of seven in a series knotted at 61-61-2, and Frank Gore always seems to get some of his best days against the Rams, totaling 832 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games. He’ll be facing a defense in danger of setting a franchise record for rushing yards allowed in a season.

The Rams have been giving up an NFL-worst 154.5 yards per game and if they surrender 159 yards it’ll break the previous franchise worst in 2008. The 49ers got 144 yards the first time around.

The 49ers’ biggest worry might be encountering an opponent trying anything and everything to finish with a good taste.

“They have nothing to lose, so they can come out with whatever,” linebacker Patrick Willis said. “For us, there’s a lot riding on this game. We have to come out and play like we have all season. We know what’s at stake.”

Most every week, the Rams stay in it for a while and then a key play or two goes the wrong way and it snowballs to the finish of another failure. That was the case in the first meeting when the 49ers were held to three field goals in the first half, then busted loose with a pair of big plays — pass plays of 52 and 56 yards to Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.

Special teams have sprung several leaks in recent weeks, and the offense is the NFL’s worst, averaging just 11 points with 15 touchdowns in 15 games. They’re coming off a 27-0 loss at Pittsburgh, the second time they’ve been shut out the last month.

It’s been a complete bust of a comeback season for new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

“No regrets, no regrets,” McDaniels said. “Every year is different, every year is a challenge in this league. You have to do everything you can to try to help the team win.”

More slogging lies ahead. The Rams totaled just 157 yards and were just 3 for 13 on third down in the first meeting against San Francisco.

Steven Jackson became the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in seven straight seasons last week. Against the 49ers, he got just 19 yards on 10 carries.

“It was what we expected and they gave us exactly that,” Jackson said. “We’re going to have another tough time on Sunday but as long as you keep them balanced, and keep them out of what they want to do, we’ll be fine.”

Journeyman Kellen Clemens is expected to get his third straight start at quarterback. He passed for 91 yards last week in a 27-0 loss to the Steelers after throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown the previous week in a 20-13 loss to Cincinnati.

“If there’s a defense that’s better than Pittsburgh,” Clemens said, “we’re playing them this week.”

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In his column today, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King makes the argument that if the St. Louis Rams’ head coaching job opens up this off season, and King expects that it will, it will be the most attractive job to potential candidates, even more so than the opening in Miami or one potentially in San Diego. King’s reasoning is simple: the Rams have a young, franchise quarterback (or something close to it), prime position in this year’s draft, and a massive amount of cap room heading into the next few offseasons.

It remains to be seen whether or not King’s view is or will be shared across the league, but it is a compelling argument nonetheless, and he doesn’t even take into account that the Rams play in arguably the worst, or at least the most volatile, division in football. But those factors that he outlines— Bradford, a high pick this year that could be potentially flipped to a quarterback needy team for a bundle of picks, and tons of cap room— will certainly be central to any pitch made by the Rams to whichever head coaching candidates they zero in on.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of the Rams, head over to Turf Show Times. And for more news and notes from around the league, check out SB Nation’s NFL news hub.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Read More: Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

CBS Sports’ panel of five experts has released their picks for Week 15 in the NFL, and it should not come as a surprise that all five men have selected the Cincinnati Bengals to knock off the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The Bengals have been strong against teams under .500 this year, and of course the Rams are sitting all the way down at 2-11. So it’s not good news for the Rams, but what about the rest of the NFC West?

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. For more on the Cincinnati Bengals, check out Cincy Jungle. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Starting Left Tackle: Orlando Pace, “The Big O”

Pace will be our left tackle,and would guard the blind side of Kurt Warner.

He was one of the greatest left tackles of all time and will be a Hall of Fame candidate when his time arrives.

Pace earned seven trips to Hawaii via pro bowl berths and was a three-time all-pro selection.

The Big O will hold down and anchor the left tackle spot for our Ultimate 53.

Starting Left Guard: Harvey Dahl

We are sliding the mean and nasty Harvey Dahl over to left guard to ensure that Pace stays plugged in and fired up at all times.

Dahl is particularly stout in the run game and is known around the NFL as one of the league’s dirtiest players.

With all the talent and finesse our team possesses at the skill position, the tough and mean Dahl helps to balance the scales an ensure that we are never labeled a finesse team, as the Greatest Show on Turf often was.

Starting Center: Andy McCollum

One of the “donut brothers,” McCollum will start under center for St. Louis.

A solid and consistent performer, he would be a steadying force on the line and amongst the offense. 

Starting Right Guard: Adam Timmerman

TImmerman, McCollum’s fellow donut brother, played right guard throughout his tenure with the St. Louis Rams. 

The 2001 pro bowler will retain his comfortable spot at this position.

Timmerman was a terrific right guard for the Rams after coming to St. Louis as a free agent acquisition out of Green Bay in 1999.

Starting Right Tackle: Jackie Slater

It was impossible to leave legendary Jackie Slater out of the lineup.

One of the league’s all time tackles, the legendary Ram finished his career in 1995 with St. Louis.

The seven time pro bowler and 2001 Hall of Fame inductee anchors the right side of the line and gives our Ultimate 53 Hall of Fame bookends at tackle.

Backup Left Tackle: Rodger Saffold

Saffold had a terrific rookie campaign in 2010. 

In 2011, he battled injuries most of the year before falling to the injured reserve list.

Saffold would likely never see the field considering the durability of Pace. If he did, he showed enough in 2010 to have confidence that he could adequately fill the bill for a game or two.

Backup Guard: Richie Incognito

Incognito has played well in Miami. 

Considering the veteran presence of this team and that Richie seems to be maturing now, he will provide valuable versatility, depth, and quality off the bench.  Incognito can also provide depth at center, which was another consideration in his landing a roster spot.

Backup Center: Jason Brown

Brown’s play has been inconsistent in St. Louis, but would be exceptional as a backup and for depth.

In addition, recent high dollar Rams offensive line free agents like Brown (and Jacob Bell) have played worse than expected since arriving in St. Louis after playing well at previous stops.

We feel that Brown would play better football under the tutelage the Ultimate 53 offensive line coach, who will be introduced later.

Backup Right Tackle: Ryan Tucker

Tucker would be exceptional as a backup on this team.

Tucker played solid football at right tackle for St. Louis starting throughout two of the Rams best years, 2000 and 2001, before heading to Cleveland in free agency.

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The Bengals have the No. 7-rated defense in pro football at 314.8 yards per game.  With that stat in mind, combined with the fact the Rams have one of the worst offenses in the league, the Rams cannot turn the ball over Sunday.

The Bengal defense has been called sort of a “no-name” group. It does not have a ferocious pass rush. It has a solid defense but no player is ranked in the top 20 in either sacks or tackles.

Simply, if the Rams don’t make huge mistakes on offense, they might be able to hang around in a low-scoring affair, as the Bengals only average 21.8 points per game.

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The St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers are set to renew their age-old NFL rivalry in the Bay Area on Sunday.

Both teams have been among the biggest surprises in the league this season—the Rams for their ineptitude with Sam Bradford under center, the Niners for their excellence under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh.

San Fran has all but locked up the NFC West title, but don’t expect that to take away from the fire that burns between these two foes.

Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco

When: Sunday, December 4th, at 4:15 p.m. EST

Watch: FOX

Spread: 49ers -13.5 (according to sportsbook.com)

Take the spread here. Only three of San Fran’s nine wins have come by double digits this season. The Rams have a good enough running game to keep this one within striking distance.

Over/Under: 38 points (according to sportsbook.com)

Go with the under. These two teams combine to score fewer than 37 points per game and neither has the sort of firepower needed to light up the scoreboard on Sunday.

Key Injuries:

The Rams may be without star quarterback Sam Bradford and defensive end Chris Long, both of whom have missed practice time this week and are listed as questionable for Week 13 on account of ankle injuries.

The Niners receiving corps could be missing one of its key components if Braylon Edwards, who did not participate in practice on Friday, has to sit out to nurse his injured knee.

Fantasy Big Plays:

START: Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers

The Rams defense ranks last in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed—a measure of mediocrity bolstered and confirmed by Beanie Wells’ 228-yard day last weekend. Gore is a better back with a better offensive line playing in a much more ground-oriented offense.

In other words, expect Gore to approach, if not fly right past, the 20-point plateau on Sunday.

SIT: Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams

Don’t be fooled by Bradford’s bum ankle into thinking Steven Jackson will have a big day against the Niners. Sure, Jackson will have every opportunity to run.

It’s just not a friendly defense to run against. San Fran ranks first in the league in rushing yards allowed and hasn’t given up a touchdown on the ground all season. Don’t think that will change just because St. Louis is in town.

Keys to Rams Win:

St. Louis needs to do everything it can to keep the ball away from Frank Gore, lest the Rams subject their defense to humiliation on down after agonizing down. The best way to do that, of course, is to pound the rock with Steven Jackson.

That won’t be easy, seeing as how the Niners are tops in the NFL against the run, but unless Bradford proves healthy enough to be effective, it’s the only chance the Rams have have.

Key to 49ers Win:

The Niners need only do what they’ve been doing all season—run the ball on offense, stop the run on defense and limit their mistakes—to come out on top in this one. Frank Gore should have plenty of room to roam against the Rams’ defense—more than enough to make the game a runaway for San Fran.

Prediction: 49ers 20, Rams 10

The 49ers have the defense to shut the Rams down, but lack the explosion on offense to turn this one into an absolute laugher. Still, this one won’t feel close whatsoever, even if the scoreboard suggests otherwise.

That’s all the news for today.

By Steve von Horn

– Newsdesk contributor

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Nov 15, 2011 – With QB Sam Bradford finally getting healthy and Steven Jackson rightfully becoming the focal point of the offensive attack, the St. Louis Rams should earn some respect from NFL experts when the Week 11 NFL Power Rankings are revealed. The Rams’ 13-12 victory over the Browns on Sunday was never pretty, but road wins in the NFL are always hard to come by and worthy of praise.

Although the Rams are only 2-7, several NFC teams have joined them at the bottom of the pile. The Minnesota Vikings and the Carolina Panthers have arrived to keep the Rams company, and the Redskins are falling fast, but it can be argued that out of these teams the Rams are best positioned to make a run for respectability in the second half of the season.

NFL power rankings are meant to draw comparisons between teams in the league outside of head-to-head matchups, and for the first time in a while, the Rams don’t feel like the worst the NFL has to offer. Check back with SB Nation St. Louis throughout the day, as expert power rankings will be updated and analyzed.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Read More: Steven Jackson (RB – STL), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams

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By Satchel Price

– Newsdesk contributor

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Nov 9, 2011 – The St. Louis Rams are traveling to Ohio to play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday as they try to win their second game of the season. The Rams, currently 1-7 on the year, are hoping to rebound from last week’s disappointing loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The team has really struggled on the road all season, though, getting handily defeated in its first three road games before losing a close one in Arizona to the Cardinals last week. Their lone win, a 31-21 upset of the New Orleans Saints, came in front of the home crowd, but they failed to sustain momentum from that game while being defeated by Arizona. Hopefully another week working with Sam Bradford can get the team’s offense going.

Cleveland, currently 3-5 on the year, has struggled of late. They’ve lost consecutive games to San Francisco and Houston and haven’t really found a groove on offense all year.The Browns have given up less passing yards than anyone in the league, but that’s mostly a result of playing bad quarterbacks and an inability to stop the run.

Even the Browns’ record is somewhat deceptive, as their wins have come against three of the league’s worst teams, Miami, Seattle and Indianapolis. But at home against the Rams, they actually have a pretty solid chance of winning, although there’s a good chance that Rams running back Steven Jackson tears up Cleveland’s league-worst defense.

For more on Sunday’s game, check out Turf Show Times, SB Nation’s St. Louis Rams blog, and Dawgs By Nature, SB Nation’s Cleveland Browns blog.

Read More: Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams

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GLENDALE, Ariz. — With their starting quarterbacks hurting, the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals meet with last place in arguably the worst division in pro football at stake.

The Rams and Cardinals match 1-6 records Sunday and, if a team can claim momentum in such a situation, it would be St. Louis. The Rams upset New Orleans 31-21 last weekend with backup A.J. Feeley replacing quarterback Sam Bradford.

“It definitely gives you something to build off of. It’s starting to turn the mood around,” running back Steven Jackson said. “Of course, whenever you go 0-6 or you go winless for a little bit, the mood changes and things become not as fun. The life has returned back into the locker room. Guys are feeling good about what we did last week, but we are completely focused that it is a week-to-week season. It’s good to get that one last week. Now we have to keep it going and prove that last week wasn’t just a fluke.”

Bradford might return this week after missing two games with a high left ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, Arizona’s Kevin Kolb has a turf toe injury to his right foot and could be replaced by second-year pro John Skelton, who went 2-2 as a rookie starter late last season.

“I got the experience under my belt,” Skelton said. “I got hit by an NFL player. I threw an NFL pass. The whole experience helps you in so many ways. I think I fit in now. Maybe last year in training camp and stuff I felt out of place. But now I know I can make all the throws. I’ve seen a lot of defenses, and I’ll be prepared for what they bring.”

No matter who plays quarterback, this is not where these teams thought they would be going into the halfway point of the season.

The Rams were coming off a 7-9 record that was their best since 2006. The Cardinals, after a dismal 5-11 season, made several personnel moves, most significantly the trade to bring in Kolb. Yet St. Louis, with a rough early schedule and a slew of injuries, lost its first six. Arizona won its season opener, but with Kolb struggling more than anticipated has dropped six in a row.

“We expect to win every Sunday and if you don’t do that, you should not be playing in this league,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “We were disappointed and we kept grinding and kept grinding, guys kept working, nobody gave in, guys didn’t point fingers, and that was important.”

While the Rams stopped their free-fall, at least for now, the Cardinals are grasping for a much-needed win in their only home stop in a four-game stretch. Last Sunday’s 30-27 last-second loss at Baltimore was Arizona’s 11th consecutive road loss, a streak that dates to the 2010 season opener at St. Louis. The Cardinals had beaten the Rams eight times in a row before losing to them at home last December.

Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett expressed admiration for what the Rams were able to do against the heavily favored Saints.

“I’m pretty sure everybody in the world counted them out against the Saints and they proved everybody wrong,” Dockett said.

The Cardinals find no solace in the fact that four of their losses have come by four points or fewer. Last week against the Ravens, Arizona led 24-3 in the first half only to lose on a last-second field goal.

“It hurts,” Dockett said. “But you learn a lesson from that. The game ain’t over until it’s over.

The other close losses came by one at Washington, three at Seattle and four at home to the New York Giants. By contrast, only one of St. Louis’ losses was by single digits, 17-10 at home against Washington. Before they stunned the Saints, the Rams had been outscored 58-10 in consecutive defeats at Green Bay and Dallas, part of a brutal early schedule that also included games against Philadelphia and Baltimore.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have struggled to protect the passer. Kolb has been sacked 24 times, the most for one NFC quarterback, and went down six times against the Ravens. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said it’s a combination of pass blocking and Kolb not getting the ball out quickly enough. It doesn’t help that the team has played Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two of the league’s top defenses, the past two weeks.

While the teams have had more than their fair share of woes, both have had some success on the ground.

Jackson, the Rams’ career leader in yards rushing, worked himself back from a quadriceps injury that occurred on the first play of the season to gain 159 yards in 25 carries, including two touchdowns against New Orleans.

Arizona’s Beanie Wells, despite a nagging sore knee, had 83 yards in 22 attempts against Baltimore. The two big backs have similar bruising running styles.

“Beanie is a horse now,” Spagnuolo said. “He can do anything. He can run outside, inside, he cuts it back, he runs over people, he can shake people. He’s a premier back.”

Even though he has missed a game, Wells has 506 yards rushing in 115 attempts, an average of 4.5 per carry. Jackson has 449 yards in just 84 carries, an average of 5.3.

Jackson’s style has led to a series of injuries, but he always seems to come back with a flourish.

“I would say you get frustrated at times,” he said. “You’d like your job to be smooth sailing, but that just hasn’t been my career. I take great pride in showing up each and every game, each and every day, regardless of the situation, and playing with pride and integrity.”

At the midpoint of the season, the Rams are playing an NFC West foe for the first time and the Cardinals for the second.

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With their starting quarterbacks hurting, the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals meet with last place in arguably the worst division in pro football at stake.

The Rams and Cardinals match 1-6 records Sunday and, if a team can claim momentum in such a situation, it would be St. Louis. The Rams upset New Orleans 31-21 last weekend with backup A.J. Feeley replacing quarterback Sam Bradford.

“It definitely gives you something to build off of. It’s starting to turn the mood around,” running back Steven Jackson said. “Of course, whenever you go 0-6 or you go winless for a little bit, the mood changes and things become not as fun. The life has returned back into the locker room. Guys are feeling good about what we did last week, but we are completely focused that it is a week-to-week season. It’s good to get that one last week. Now we have to keep it going and prove that last week wasn’t just a fluke.”

Bradford might return this week after missing two games with a high left ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, Arizona’s Kevin Kolb has a turf toe injury to his right foot and could be replaced by second-year pro John Skelton, who went 2-2 as a rookie starter late last season.

“I got the experience under my belt,” Skelton said. “I got hit by an NFL player. I threw an NFL pass. The whole experience helps you in so many ways. I think I fit in now. Maybe last year in training camp and stuff I felt out of place. But now I know I can make all the throws. I’ve seen a lot of defenses, and I’ll be prepared for what they bring.”

No matter who plays quarterback, this is not where these teams thought they would be going into the halfway point of the season.

The Rams were coming off a 7-9 record that was their best since 2006. The Cardinals, after a dismal 5-11 season, made several personnel moves, most significantly the trade to bring in Kolb. Yet St. Louis, with a rough early schedule and a slew of injuries, lost its first six. Arizona won its season opener, but with Kolb struggling more than anticipated has dropped six in a row.

“We expect to win every Sunday and if you don’t do that, you should not be playing in this league,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “We were disappointed and we kept grinding and kept grinding, guys kept working, nobody gave in, guys didn’t point fingers, and that was important.”

While the Rams stopped their free-fall, at least for now, the Cardinals are grasping for a much-needed win in their only home stop in a four-game stretch. Last Sunday’s 30-27 last-second loss at Baltimore was Arizona’s 11th consecutive road loss, a streak that dates to the 2010 season opener at St. Louis. The Cardinals had beaten the Rams eight times in a row before losing to them at home last December.

Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett expressed admiration for what the Rams were able to do against the heavily favored Saints.

“I’m pretty sure everybody in the world counted them out against the Saints and they proved everybody wrong,” Dockett said.

The Cardinals find no solace in the fact that four of their losses have come by four points or fewer. Last week against the Ravens, Arizona led 24-3 in the first half only to lose on a last-second field goal.

“It hurts,” Dockett said. “But you learn a lesson from that. The game ain’t over until it’s over.

The other close losses came by one at Washington, three at Seattle and four at home to the New York Giants. By contrast, only one of St. Louis’ losses was by single digits, 17-10 at home against Washington. Before they stunned the Saints, the Rams had been outscored 58-10 in consecutive defeats at Green Bay and Dallas, part of a brutal early schedule that also included games against Philadelphia and Baltimore.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have struggled to protect the passer. Kolb has been sacked 24 times, the most for one NFC quarterback, and went down six times against the Ravens. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said it’s a combination of pass blocking and Kolb not getting the ball out quickly enough. It doesn’t help that the team has played Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two of the league’s top defenses, the past two weeks.

While the teams have had more than their fair share of woes, both have had some success on the ground.

Jackson, the Rams’ career leader in yards rushing, worked himself back from a quadriceps injury that occurred on the first play of the season to gain 159 yards in 25 carries, including two touchdowns against New Orleans. Arizona’s Beanie Wells, despite a nagging sore knee, had 83 yards in 22 attempts against Baltimore. The two big backs have similar bruising running styles.

“Beanie is a horse now,” Spagnuolo said. “He can do anything. He can run outside, inside, he cuts it back, he runs over people, he can shake people. He’s a premier back.”

Even though he has missed a game, Wells has 506 yards rushing in 115 attempts, an average of 4.5 per carry. Jackson has 449 yards in just 84 carries, an average of 5.3.

Jackson’s style has led to a series of injuries, but he always seems to come back with a flourish.

“I would say you get frustrated at times,” he said. “You’d like your job to be smooth sailing, but that just hasn’t been my career. I take great pride in showing up each and every game, each and every day, regardless of the situation, and playing with pride and integrity.”

At the midpoint of the season, the Rams are playing an NFC West foe for the first time and the Cardinals for the second.

Leave your comments on the news below.

There is the quick update of the day.

It was almost an unfair advantage for the New Orleans Saints, playing a winless team minus its starting quarterback. Now they get a chance to experience it again.

The Saints vow not to let last week’s historic 62-7 drubbing of the Peyton Manning-less Colts go to their heads as they prepare for the St. Louis Rams and a quarterback making his second start since 2007.

“We didn’t take Indianapolis for granted. We can’t take St. Louis for granted,” defensive end Will Smith said. “Those guys are getting paid, are hungry and want to win also. Who better to beat than the New Orleans Saints?”

Two-touchdown favorites on the road against a team that has been a spectacular failure on both sides of the ball, the NFC South-leading Saints (5-2) arrive as bullies. Not only did they match the NFL’s highest point total since the 1970 AFL merger and set a franchise record with 36 first downs, they came four points shy of matching the Rams’ total for the season.

The defense that’ll try to slow them down is giving up 28.5 points per game, next-to-last in the NFL, and seemingly whiffed on as many tackles as they made in a 34-7 loss at Dallas last week.

“Well, I don’t know what more you can say other than how explosive they are,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “They’ve got a guy, the triggerman, that makes all that talent all that much better.

“But we’re in here working just like they are.”

The Saints stumbled on the road two weeks ago, committing four turnovers in a six-point loss at Tampa Bay, so that memory should keep quarterback Drew Brees and his teammates on task. They don’t believe the Rams (0-6) are as bad as the numbers seem, either, preferring to view them as the franchise that made a six-win improvement last season and had appeared poised to be a playoff contender.

Instead they’re already five games back in the NFC West and 8-30 under Spagnuolo.

“In our league that line that separates really good teams from good teams or good teams from average teams is a very thin line compared to the collegiate game, for instance,” coach Sean Payton said. “There are a lot of real good players on this team we’re getting ready to play, they just haven’t been able to get the wins or play the way they felt like they were playing a year ago.”

Working without Sam Bradford increases the degree of difficulty for St. Louis. A.J. Feeley expects to get his second straight start and his 17th in 11 seasons — four fewer than Bradford has in only his second year — and against a team that shut down the Colts’ Curtis Painter.

Whoever’s taking the snaps, the Rams expect lots of blitzing. They’re short-handed on the line, too, with tackle Jason Smith likely sidelined by his third concussion in three seasons along with a bruised neck.

The Saints forced three turnovers last week, including an interception returned for a touchdown by Leigh Torrence.

“They’re not scared to bring a lot of pressure,” Bradford said. “I think the big key for us going against that defense is recognizing pressure and making sure that we have the right protection in place to pick it up.”

To contend with the Saints’ prolific offense, the Rams will need their pass rush to compensate for a decimated secondary. Brees has six 300-yard games with 18 touchdown passes and is completing 70.1 percent of his passes.

Replacement starters Justin King, often burned in recent weeks and now nursing a groin injury, and 36-year-old Al Harris are on the spot.

“They guy never gives up on a play,” middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “He’ll scan all the receivers and then check it down to a dangerous back.”

Brees just wants consistent effort, and promises to take nothing for granted.

“We know what to expect out of ourselves, we set a standard for how we’re going to play every time out, and it doesn’t matter who you play because this league is too hard,” he said. “You can never look at another team’s record and just assume based off of that the type of game it’s going to be.”

The St. Louis run defense has been more of an embarrassment for Spagnuolo, who built his reputation on that side of the ball. The Rams were the NFL’s worst by far even before the Cowboys’ DeMarco Murray ran free for 253 yards last week.

Missed tackles was a huge problem against Dallas, with the Rams surrendering 190 extra yards on 11 plays.

“Up until this past week’s game, I would not sat here and said the tackling was an issue,” Spagnuolo said. “So I’m hoping it was a one-shot deal and away we go.”

The Rams can’t hope to swap touchdowns, not with an offense averaging nine points and known for jumping offside on their own quarterback’s hard count. Brandon Lloyd had a promising debut last week and Steven Jackson remains dangerous if underutilized in an offense perpetually playing catchup, but they need more.

They’ve made 14 trips to the red zone, a failure in itself, and scored four touchdowns.

While criticizing sloppy play on game day, center Jason Brown drove home his point when he admonished a young lineman who missed the trash can.

“It seems as though we’ve been having great preparation week in and week out and it’s starting to sound like a broken record,” Brown said, pausing to shake his head. “You can see I’m at a loss for words. You’ve seen a lot of the same repetitive stuff week in and week out.

“Right now we’re back in the rebuilding phase and searching for answers.”

The Saints’ leading rusher, Mark Ingram, has been hampered by a heel injury. They could plug in Chris Ivory, activated off the physically unable to perform list this week, to join a rotation with Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles.

They won’t have Payton on the sideline, which seemed to raise fan concern last week coming off a six-point loss to the Bucs. Evidently, it was of no concern to players.

“Fans are worried about everything. They’re worried about wearing the right cleats. They get uptight about everything,” Smith said. “We respect their opinions, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t pose anything for the players and coaches.”

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A little late, but here are my keys to the Cowboys’ Week 7 matchup with St. Louis.  In short, don’t blow it…

DON’T be so schizophrenic with play-calling

I’m not just talking about Jason Garrett here.  I am primarily talking about Garrett, but Rob Ryan could be included in here as well.  For Garrett, the key is to remember he is an aggressive coach running what should be an aggressive offense.  This will probably be the last time I talk about it, but with a three-point lead and 3:36 remaining in the Patriots game, the Cowboys should have been doing everything possible to gain a first down.  There wasn’t 1:36 left, and the Pats had all three timeouts.  I’ve talked about it here, and I also found an incredible breakdown of Garrett’s decisions here.  Until continual running of the ball can all but necessitate a win (up 24 points in the second half, for example), the team should be running the plays that best put them in a position to gain first downs and score.

The situation is a bit different for Ryan, whose defensive calls should display a chaotic look.  Being a good defensive coordinator is perhaps made easier by being a bit schizophrenic at times, but it is a controlled schizophrenia.  Ryan should have attacked Tom Brady on the final drive, at least in certain situations.  His choice to play safe coverages and not disguise looks is a deviation from everything he preaches on defense.

Again, there was plenty of time left on the clock that Dallas should have been playing defense at least close to how they do normally.  You can say they would risk yielding a big play, but that’s sure a lot better than having New England meticulously march the ball down the field and win the game with just a few ticks left on the clock.

Simply put, be yourselves, ‘Boys.  You are an aggressive, pass-happy team, and should remain that way until the game situation dictates another strategy is undoubtedly superior.

DO capitalize on takeaways

In some senses this is out of the team’s control.  Of course they can and should execute better following takeaways, but a 1st-and-10 at the 20-yard line is the same whether it comes as the result of a touchback or turnover.  Even so, the Cowboys will see their winning percentage increase as they perform more efficiently following positive results.

DON’T sell out against the run

This might seem illogical, as the Rams’ primary threat on offense is running back Steven Jackson and quarterback Sam Bradford has already been ruled out of the game.  While many people (including some in the NFL) are of the mind that you should attack poor quarterbacks, I am not.  A.J. Feeley is not going to consistently beat you, so why provide the opportunity for a big play?  Until the Rams start smashing it down the Cowboys’ throats via the run, I would sit back in safe coverages and force Feeley to keep making good decisions and accurate throws.  The Rams are a heavy underdog and they will not win this game unless they garner multiple big plays.  Don’t give them that chance.

On the other hand, maybe Feeley is capable of making good decisions…

Feeley’s wife

DO double-team Brandon Lloyd

When you aren’t blitzing, it’s relatively easy to double-team a player.  Although Lloyd was just acquired by St. Louis, he is by far their biggest threat in the passing game.  I’d be placing a safety over top of him on just about every snap, forcing Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander or Greg Salas to beat me.

DON’T blitz much

See “DON’T sell out against the run.”

DO establish the run, and by run I mean pass

The traditional run/pass dichotomy we use to break down offensive plays is flawed.  Instead, play-calls are less black and white and should be placed in a range of “passiness,” if you will.  Some pass plays are more “pure” passes than others (and the same is true of runs).  Here is how I explained it earlier:

The rejection of a distinct dichotomy also creates a range of contrast. A cell phone is not inherently artificial, for example, but only more or less so than something else (just as a play-action pass can be simultaneously “more of a pass” than, say, a flea flicker, and “less of a pass” than a straight dropback).  Thus, “opposing” qualities take on a pluralistic characteristic: not absolute, yet not radically relativistic, as the ‘absoluteness’ comes with the implementation of a ‘relative’ perspective.  This allows for the concurrent existence of contrasting qualities without a logical contradiction.

In the image above, you can see how certain plays are more “passy” than others.  A screen play, which I did not display, is very close to being a run—many refer to it as an “extended hand-off.”  Thus, when I say establish the run, I mean those plays which are closer to the middle portion of the range, and thus more difficult for a defense to decipher.  Screens, shovel passes (does anyone know if these are “shovel” or “shuffle”? I’ve heard different variations from numerous NFL types), draws, counters and even play-action passes are not “pure” runs or passes, and consequently they are often among the most effective types of calls.

To me, the Cowboys can gain the same advantages and overall effect from an efficient screen game as they could from a solid running game.  Yes, runs can set up the play-action game, but screens can slow down pass-rushers and open up things downfield.  Plus, they are safe enough to run in late-game situations—say, with 3:36 left on the clock and a three-point lead.

DO overload the left side of the defense

Pro Football Focus lists Rams left tackle Rodger Saffold as one of the worst tackles in the league thus far in 2011.  DeMarcus Ware is going to handle him with ease, and St. Louis is going to have no choice but to place tight ends and backs on the left side of the formation to help Saffold.  The Cowboys should overload the left side of their defense with rushers, causing the Rams to either leave someone unblocked or potentially single Ware.  This doesn’t necessitate blitzing.  Look for Anthony Spencer and/or Victor Butler (if he gets more snaps) to have a big day.

DO throw it deep

Tony Romo has been the most accurate deep ball passer in the league in 2011, converting on a ridiculous 60 percent of his passes which travel 20-plus yards.  That’s 39.9 percent better than Tom Brady, who is still in the middle of the pack in the NFL.  Nonetheless, Romo has attempted such passes on only 10.4 percent of his throws—good for 23rd in the league among starting quarterbacks.  I don’t think this is due to an unwillingness from Romo to air it out, but rather the plays being called.

I’ve written two articles on deep passes in the past, one on why it is efficient in general and another on why Dallas should throw deep more often. The most obvious set of calls which could be altered to create more deep looks is play-action passes.  In my 2010 Play-Action Pass Guide, I noted the Cowboys threw deep on 12.8 percent of play-action passes.  That is up from 4.8 percent in 2009, but it could still be improved.  Play-action passes are a great opportunity to suck up the defense and get receivers behind the safeties, so throwing short on the majority of them makes little sense.

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The focus of fans in St. Louis and Dallas won’t be on football this weekend.
In the case of Rams followers, it might not be for the rest of the season
depending on the status of Sam Bradford(notes).

St. Louis will be without Bradford in Sunday’s matchup against the Cowboys
in Arlington – where Game 4 of the World Series will take place later that
night.

Baseball is the big story in both regions, with the Texas Rangers and St.
Louis Cardinals competing in the Fall Classic.

The Rams (0-5) and Cowboys (2-3), by contrast, look nothing like title
contenders.

St. Louis is in worse shape with its second 0-5 start in coach Steve
Spagnuolo’s three seasons. The Rams have major concerns about Bradford, who has
a high left ankle sprain and is in a walking boot.

Bradford, who has been sacked an NFL-high 21 times, did not practice this
week. He had been listed as questionable, but he was ruled out Saturday and his
status going forward is unclear.

“I think you are always concerned when you see your quarterback in a boot,”
Spagnuolo said. “In my experience with the high ankle sprains, you just never
know.”

Journeyman A.J. Feeley(notes) will get his first start since 2007, when he was with
Philadelphia. He threw seven interceptions while losing both of his starts that
year.

“He knows the offense. He knows the game plan,” running back Steven Jackson
said of Feeley. “He’s going to need our help, all 10 (other) guys on the field,
to help execute the play. But he’s a veteran that we know if he gets in trouble,
he knows how to get us out of trouble. And if we need to lean heavily on the run
game, I’m prepared to do so as well.”

Dallas has had every game decided by four or fewer points but has been
inconsistent late in games. The Cowboys have blown fourth-quarter leads in all
of their losses and trailed entering the final period in their victories.

“We’ve played them against some very good teams, among the best teams in the
league right now over the first five games of the season,” coach Jason Garrett
said. “These are the kind of games you play in the NFL.”

Dallas also is concerned about a number of injuries. Top rusher Felix Jones(notes)
is out with a high ankle sprain, leaving third-round pick DeMarco Murray(notes) to
replace him.

Left guard Bill Nagy(notes) is out with a broken ankle, with undrafted rookie Kevin
Kowalski(notes) replacing him in last Sunday’s 20-16 loss at New England. Kowalski
could move to center with Garrett shifting Phil Costa(notes) to guard.

“We have some depth, we don’t have a whole lot experience,” Garrett said.
“We have to manage that situation.”

The Rams made a move to bolster a thin receiving corps Monday by acquiring
Brandon Lloyd(notes) from Denver for a conditional 2012 draft pick. Lloyd is familiar
with St. Louis offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, his previous coach with the
Broncos.

“There shouldn’t be any kind of a learning curve,” general manager Billy
Devaney said. “It’s up to him and the coaches to see how quickly he gets out
there.”

Veteran wideout Mark Clayton(notes) has returned to practice after being on the PUP
list all year. He hopes to play Sunday.

Rams receivers have caught a league-low three touchdowns, and the team’s 9.8
points per game is the lowest mark in the NFL. St. Louis may wish it had not let
go of Laurent Robinson(notes) – who has 208 receiving yards for Dallas in three games -
after the preseason.

The statuses of offensive tackle Rodger Saffold(notes) (ankle bruise) and running
back Cadillac Williams (thigh) are uncertain, though both practiced Wednesday.

The struggling Rams offensive line could be hard pressed to contain reigning
NFL sack leader DeMarcus Ware(notes), who has seven to tie for third most in the league
in 2011.

Dallas is looking for better execution. The Cowboys are tied for 30th in the
league in red-zone touchdown efficiency at 33.3 percent, with only the Rams
faring worse at 25.0 percent.

“There are a lot weapons we’d like to get the ball to down there,” Garrett
said. “Sometimes you’re able to do that. Sometimes you’re not. You just got to
move on and find the best option to execute the play and give yourself a chance
to score points.”

Both teams have one rushing touchdown and none since their openers.

Jackson ran for a season-high 96 yards in the Rams’ 24-3 loss at Green Bay
on Sunday, but he may have trouble finding similar room against Dallas. The
Cowboys have the league’s top-ranked run defense, surrendering 69.6 yards per
game.

St. Louis has alternated wins and losses in its last nine meetings with
Dallas. Jackson rushed for 160 yards and three scores in a 34-14 victory in the
most recent matchup, Oct. 19, 2008.

What do you guys think about this.