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.

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 defences, 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 favoured 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 defences, 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.

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.”

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.

Dallas Cowboys Times is on Twitter.

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.

The Dallas Cowboys look to end a two-game losing streak when the host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. 

The Rams have yet to win a game all season, but that doesn’t mean they don’t stand a chance against the Cowboys. 

Both teams are in desperate need of a victory, which definitely makes this an intriguing matchup. Should the Cowboys lose, they will certainly face a lot more scrutiny than if the Rams lose another game. 

With that said, let’s take a look at some specifics of this NFC showdown. 

When: Sunday, Oct. 23 at 4:15 p.m. ET

Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

Watch: FOX

Spread 

The Cowboys are favored at -13, which is too high for my liking. The Rams aren’t a bad team, but they’ve been plagued by injuries and a very tough schedule. Even though St. Louis has lost ATS all season, I like the Rams here because I think the Cowboys will find a way to screw it up.

Over/Under 

The over/under is set at 43.5, and both teams are talented enough to put up a good amount of points, so take the over. Each team has great playmakers, which is why I believe they will go over. 

Key Injuries 

For the Rams, QB Sam Bradford (ankle) remains a game-time decision, but cornerback Brian Jackson (knee) and defensive end C.J. Ah You (wrist) are out for Sunday. 

For the Cowboys, running back Felix Jones (ankle) is out, and linebacker DeMarcus Ware (back) is questionable. 

Fantasy Big Plays 

Tony Romo and both Dez Bryant and Miles Austin are must-starts on the Cowboys side. The Rams defense may be 10th in the league against the pass, but the Cowboys are still going to put up great passing numbers, especially since their best running back is out. 

For the Rams, I would sit Bradford, but do start Steven Jackson. While the Cowboys have the No. 1 rushing defense and will be gunning for Jackson, he’s still one of the top backs in the league. The Rams are counting on him to deliver, and he will find the end zone on Sunday. 

Keys to St. Louis Win 

The Rams really need Bradford to play, but if he doesn’t, the key to winning is to block well for Jackson. 

Another key is for the defense to step up big time. They’re near the bottom of the league against the run, as well as getting pressure on the QB. That has to change on Sunday if they want to win because to beat the Cowboys, you have to frustrate Romo and create turnovers. 

Keys to Dallas Win 

The Cowboys cannot turn the ball over or it’s going to be a long day. Too often they have shot themselves in the foot this season, and should it happen on Sunday then Dallas could very well lose this game. 

Even though Felix Jones is out, the Cowboys need to establish the run game with DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice. It will open up the pass and create those big plays that fans love to see so much. 

Prediction 

The Rams will struggle in the early going, especially if Bradford doesn’t play. But after they force a couple turnovers, they will make it a competitive game. The addition of Brandon Lloyd will prove to be a big one, as he will help the Rams keep this game close. 

However, in the end the Cowboys will prevail. They have the better defense, and that will prove to be the difference-maker on Sunday. The Rams will prevent Dallas from covering, but they just don’t have enough to get their first win of the season. 

Cowboys 30, Rams 21

On Monday the Broncos traded their top wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to th3 St. Louis Rams for a late-round draft pick. Lloyd caught 77 passes last season and led the league with 1,448 yards. / Frederick Breedon/The Associated Press

Written by

Arnie Stapleton

The Associated Press

More In Sports

‘);
$(‘#ody-nextstoryslider’).append(‘Read More’);
return;
}
var _art,_right,wpElem;
var _beenzagged=(function(){
var _u = GEL.env.user;
return(_u.state || _u.yob || _u.zip )?true:false;
})();
var _laststate=(function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’);
var _closed = _t.getValue(‘lastNextStoryState’);
return _closed;
})();
if(!_beenzagged){
getContent();
var _slidestate=_laststate==’false’?'handle’:”;
_art=$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article’);
_right=$(‘.ody-skin .ody-aside’);
wpElem=_art.height()>_right.height()?_art:_right;
var slider=GEL.widget.slider(wpElem,’ody-nextstoryslider’,{
close: ‘‘,
closeCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'false’)
},
direction: ‘right’,
handle: ‘‘,
openCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'true’)
},
offset: function(){
var offSet=$.waypoints(‘viewportHeight’)-($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height());
if(($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height())

Aaron Rodgers(notes) has picked apart opposing defenses with ease in leading the
Green Bay Packers to their best start in nearly 50 years. Things don’t seem
likely to go any differently against a winless St. Louis Rams team that is
without both starting cornerbacks.

Rodgers looks to lead the undefeated Packers to an eighth straight win at
Lambeau Field on Sunday against the struggling Rams, who own the league’s worst
road record over the past four seasons.

Green Bay’s perfect record was in a little jeopardy Sunday night in Atlanta,
as the Packers fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter. But Rodgers kept his
composure and threw two second-half touchdowns to rally Green Bay to a 25-14
win.

“It was a choppy game but we persevered,” said Rodgers, who finished with
396 passing yards – his fourth 300-yard game of the season. “We expect to win
when we take the field.”

Green Bay fans might also be expecting another Super Bowl. The Packers
improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1965 and seventh time in franchise
history. Each of the previous six, Green Bay went on to win an NFL title.

“5-0 feels great,” cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) said, “but we’re looking at
greatness.”

The Packers have won 11 straight dating to last season, including their
march to the Super Bowl title. They’ve also won seven in a row and 13 of 14 at
Lambeau Field, while the Rams are an NFL-worst 4-21 on the road since 2008.

“We’re building something here,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said.

That starts with Rodgers.

He leads the NFL with a 122.9 quarterback rating and a 71.7 completion
percentage and is tied for the league lead with 14 touchdowns along with only
two interceptions. His Packers are the highest-scoring team in the NFL,
averaging 34.6 points.

“They’re scary good,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “But we’ve got
players out here, too. We’ve got to go play the game. We’ve got to find a way to
slow them down and see if we can’t have one more point than they do.”

That seems like a tall order for the Rams (0-4), who have been outscored
113-46 this season.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated,” linebacker James Laurinaitis(notes)
said after a 17-10 home loss to Washington on Oct. 2, before the team’s bye
week.

St. Louis had an extra week to prepare for this challenge, but in the
process it lost starting cornerback Bradley Fletcher(notes) to a season-ending knee
injury.

Fletcher got hurt in practice last Wednesday when he stepped on Mike
Sims-Walker’s(notes) foot during a drill. He’s the seventh cornerback injured since
training camp for the Rams, who had to place starter Ron Bartell(notes) on injured
reserve after he sustained two fractures in his neck in the opener.

The 36-year-old Al Harris(notes), who starred with the Packers from 2003-09, and
Rod Hood(notes), signed in late September and coming off reconstructive knee surgery in
June, are expected to see significant playing time.

“Rod and Al are going to have to play some football, otherwise we don’t have
enough,” Spagnuolo said.

The Packers are also a bit banged-up, with left tackle Chad Clifton(notes) and
right tackle Bryan Bulaga(notes) battling injuries, but that hasn’t seemed to make much
difference to Green Bay’s offense. Clifton (hamstring) is expected to miss a
couple of weeks, while Bulaga (left knee) has missed the last two games but
could return Sunday.

Facing a makeshift offensive line, the Rams will try to put pressure on
Rodgers, but their eight sacks are tied for fourth-fewest in the NFL and they
failed to get one in their last game.

Sam Bradford(notes) was sacked a career-high seven times by the Redskins, throwing
for 164 yards – the third time this season he’s failed to reach 200. He didn’t
get much help from Steven Jackson, who finished with 45 rushing yards on 17
carries.

Jackson has rushed for 260 yards in his last two games against the Packers,
but will be facing a Green Bay defense that ranks third against the run,
allowing an average of 75.8 yards.

This is the first meeting between these teams since Sept. 27, 2009, when
Rodgers passed for 269 yards with two touchdowns in a 36-17 road victory. The
Packers also beat the Rams 33-14 in 2007.

Form says it won’t be pretty.

Form says it should be pretty ugly.

Form says the Green Bay Packers should beat the living daylights out of the St. Louis Rams Sunday at Lambeau Field.

This is one where that Any Given Sunday stuff is a real stretch.

It’s even a stretch to reach for ”The Obvious is Obviously Wrong” warning label for this one.

The obvious is that the Green Bay Packers are 5-0 and on a roll while the Rams are looking mostly like Lambs with that 0-4 mark of theirs.

Probably the best way to sum it up is that the Rams are bringing a butter knife to a gun fight.

You don’t see two-touchdown spreads that often in the NFL, not really.

Depending where you look, Green Bay is anywhere from a 14.5 to 15.5 point favorite.

If statistics are for losers, then bad statistics are even more for losers. The Rams are 31st in the league in scoring defense, 27th in total defense and get the bum’s rush against the rush—they’re dead last, 32nd.

This bodes pretty well for Aaron Rodgers and the Packer offense that is tops in the league in scoring.

It’s also hard to imagine the Packers being overconfident. They are where they are because of their work ethic and team unity, among other things.

They even got a taste of what it’s like to be behind by two touchdowns last week in Atlanta.

If you’re looking for any good reasons whatsoever why the Rams can win this game, you’re not going to find them here.

It simply won’t happen.

If and when Green Bay loses its first game this season, it’s a decent bet that it won’t happen at Lambeau.

What is going to happen Sunday is that the Rams will be totally one dimensional. They won’t be able to run the football which puts it all on Sam Bradford’s arm.

Now Bradford’s good, but he’s not that good.

Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Rams, the Packers are good.

Really good.

Following is a scouting report on the St Louis Rams (0-4) based
on interviews with coaches and scouts whose teams have played the
Rams recently:

Run offense: St. Louis has had big problems under new offensive
coordinator Josh McDaniels, the former Denver Broncos coach, and
ranks No. 32 in the NFL in rushing yards and No. 31 in points. But
at least the Rams had their bye last weekend to self scout, plus
halfback Steven Jackson should be about full strength after missing
most of the opener and all of weeks 2 and 3 because of a strained
quad. At age 28, Jackson is a physical marvel at 6-2 and 236 pounds
— he will be among the players featured in ESPN Magazine’s upcoming
body issue — and still has a great combination of power and speed.
He’s averaging a healthy 5.4 yards on 23 carries. While he was out,
Cadillac Williams (29) was only OK (4.0-yard average on 50 carries)
as the primary back. He just doesn’t have the explosion after torn
patellar tendons to both knees in back to back seasons (2007 and
’08). The right side of the line, guard Harvey Dahl and tackle
Jason Smith, run block well.

Pass offense: Quarterback Sam Bradford had a promising rookie
season last year (seven wins despite a 76.5 rating) in former
coordinator Pat Shurmur’s ball-control passing game but has not
played well behind an underperforming line and in a new system that
emphasizes deeper drops and throws downfield. Bradford (6-4, 228)
has the makings of a franchise quarterback — his arm is plenty
strong, he has good though not elite mobility, and he’s smart. But
his rating (70.8 points) is 31st in the league, and he’s completed
less than half his passes (49.7 percent) and only three touchdowns
(to one interception). The offensive line has been major liability
(18 sacks, last in the league in sacks percentage), starting with
Smith, a 2009 first-round pick who has immense talent but sloppy
technique. The Rams signed Dahl as a free agent from Atlanta, but
he, center Jason Brown and left guard Jacob Bell have been one of
the softest interior lines in the league. Even left tackle Rodger
Saffold has had some trouble, though that was mostly against
Indianapolis’ Dwight Freeney earlier this year; the second-year pro
still looks like a keeper. Receiver Benny Amendola (5-11, 186) was
the Rams’ Wes Welker last year with 85 catches running short routes
out of the slot, so his season-ending elbow injury in the opener
was a huge loss. Former Jacksonville starter Mike Sims-Walker (6-2,
214) is big and strong but hasn’t made plays (12.6-yard average on
11 catches). Third-year pro Brandon Gibson (6-0, 210) leads the
team in receptions (13), but over the long haul the most talented
receivers probably are rookies who’ve had limited roles so far,
third-round pick Austin Pettis (6-2, 202, six catches), and
second-round pick Lance Kendricks (6-2, 241), a tight end from
Wisconsin who has eight catches.

Run defense: Coach Steve Spagnuolo runs the same scheme he did
as coordinator for the New York Giants while winning the Super Bowl
in the 2007 season. It’s based on the varied and complex 4-3 blitz
scheme of former Eagles coordinator Jim Johnson. But without
anything like the Giants deep talent on the defense line, the Rams’
defense has been a disaster this season. It ranks last in rushing
yards allowed and second-to-last in points allowed. The biggest
problem is age, beginning at defensive tackle, where Fred Robbins
(6-4, 325), signed from the Giants’ in ’10, and Justin Bannan (6-3,
312), signed from the Broncos this year, no longer can hold the
point at ages 34 and 32, respectively. The best player is middle
linebacker James Laurinaitis (6-2, 247), a third-year pro who might
be a Pro Bowl candidate on a better team. Former Packers linebacker
Brady Poppinga has been fine playing the run as the starter at
strong-side linebacker, but weak-side linebacker Ben Leber has been
a free-agent bust at age 32 after 10 years with the Vikings.

Pass defense: The Rams are OK statistically (No. 13 in passing
yards allowed, No. 15 in opponent’s passer rating) but in trouble
because of injuries at cornerback and a shortage of pass-rushing
talent. Their best lineman is end Chris Long (6-3, 276), the No. 2
pick overall in 2008 who is a hustle and effort rusher. He had 8
1/2 sacks last season and has three this year. The other end is
James Hall (6-2, 281), the former Detroit Lions starter who had 10
1/2 sacks with the Rams last season but age 34 is losing burst (one
sack this year). At cornerback, three of the likely top four
players going into training camp are out for the year because of
injuries: starter Ron Bartell (neck in camp), starter Bradley
Fletcher (knee last week in practice) and possible nickel back
Jerome Murphy (ankle in camp). That leaves Al Harris, the former
Packers cornerback, as a starter. Harris can’t run anymore at age
36 and almost two years removed from knee-reconstruction surgery.
Another former Packers cornerback, Josh Gordy, is in the running
for the nickel job after Fletcher’s injury. Gordy, who has good
speed and OK size (5-11, 195), finished last season on the Packers’
roster, but Pat Lee and fourth-round pick Davon House beat him out
for the final two cornerback spots in camp this year.

Special teams: The Rams’ return game is a major problem. On
punts, rookie Greg Salas fumbled one of his two returns, and last
week Pettis took three big-league shots because he refused to call
a fair catch. Packers castoff Quinn Porter, an effervescent
undrafted rookie out of Stillman College who was cut at the end of
camp in 2010, might be the man this week after getting one return
(for one yard) against Washington in Week 4. Porter (20.6 yards on
five returns) or Jerius Norwood ( 26.0 yards on six returns) will
handle kickoffs. Punter Donnie Jones (45.0-yard net, 39.2-yard net)
is a left footer who can hit for distance and hang time. Kicker
Josh Brown, 32, has a solid 81.7 percent career average on field
goals and is 6-for-7 this year.

The Washington Redskins seem to be putting a controversy involving DeAngelo
Hall(notes) and the coaching staff behind them.

Steve Spagnuolo and the St. Louis Rams, meanwhile, are enduring a barrage of
criticism due to the team’s winless start.

Spagnuolo earned his first home win as Rams coach last season against the
Redskins, and these teams will meet for the fourth straight season Sunday in St.
Louis.

Washington (2-1) missed a chance at its first 3-0 start since 2005 with
Monday’s 18-16 loss at Dallas in its first road game. The Redskins blew a 16-9
second-half lead and have lamented an all-out blitz on third-and-21 that
resulted in Dez Bryant’s(notes) 30-yard reception that led to the Cowboys’ winning
field goal.

Hall was victimized by Bryant, and was also whistled for a facemask penalty
on the play that he later disputed. The cornerback was more notably displeased
with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett’s decision to blitz in that situation.

“Sooner or later, someone’s going to (expletive) figure it out,” Hall said.
“You don’t have to be a (expletive) rocket scientist to figure it out after a
while.”

Hall said Wednesday that he met with Haslett and coach Mike Shanahan and
came away understanding why Haslett – the Rams’ interim coach for the final 12
games in 2008 – called for an all-out blitz. Hall said he “might have been a
little overzealous” in his remarks.

Spagnuolo, meanwhile, came to St. Louis (0-3) in 2009 after a successful
two-year stint as the New York Giants defensive coordinator. His defense,
however, is allowing 440.7 yards per game for the NFC’s worst mark.

“It’s disappointing, but we’ve been through a lot of low times,” said
defensive end Chris Long(notes), who has a team-high 3.0 sacks. “We’ve got some guys
that are going to be resilient, because we’ve been in bad situations before.”

St. Louis has the second-worst point differential in the league, having been
outscored by 60. The Rams fell behind by three touchdowns in the first quarter
of last week’s 37-7 home loss to Baltimore.

Spagnuolo is considered an excellent motivator, and he spoke with St. Louis
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa about battling adversity.

“You don’t worry about stats or any of that stuff; you just worry about
winning a game,” Spagnuolo told the Rams’ official website. “This particular
year the next team on the schedule is Washington so that’s what we’ll focus on.”

The Rams lost their first seven games in Spagnuolo’s first season.

Last year’s NFC offensive rookie of the year, Sam Bradford(notes), has been sacked
11 times in 2011 to tie for fourth place in the league. He’s got two touchdown
passes this year and could get Danny Amendola(notes) back after the wide receiver
missed the last two games with a dislocated left elbow.

Amendola is trying to wear a different kind of brace this week in hopes of
returning.

Bradford will have pleasant memories of his first victory, 30-16 over
Washington last Sept. 26. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 235 yards, one
touchdown and one interception as the Rams scored 16 unanswered points in
Shanahan’s first road game as Redskins coach.

Steven Jackson, who returned last week after missing a game right quadriceps
injury, had 10 carries for 58 yards and a score in that contest.

These teams also traded two-point victories in Washington in 2008 and 2009,
and Shanahan expects the Rams to be prepared.

“We’re going against a team that is going to give us their best shot because
they were embarrassed last week as well,” Shanahan told the Redskins’ official
website. “We know we’re going into their place and we’ll get an opponent that is
well-rested and ready to go.”

BALTIMORE • Who would have thought even five
days ago that a Week 3 game against the winless St. Louis Rams
would suddenly become a referendum on the long-range potential of
the Ravens’ new-look offense?

Certainly not anyone who wears purple to work on Fridays,
because the resounding victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the
season opener seemed to prove that the Ravens had finally
established themselves as an elite offensive team. Cam Cameron
unveiled the game plan and Joe Flacco executed it to near
perfection against one of the league’s best defensive teams, and
everyone around here assumed that all would be right with the
football world, at least until the playoffs.

Of course, the Tennessee Titans disabused us of that happy
notion Sunday and now the Ravens need to re-assert themselves in
St. Louis to prove that they really are who we thought they
were.

Flacco needs to spread the ball around and consistently convert
on third down. Cameron needs to keep a hungry Rams defense guessing
enough for that to happen. They certainly were on the same page in
Week 1, but you had to wonder after the way the offense sputtered
Sunday … and you had to wonder even more after Flacco’s ambivalent
response Wednesday to a question about the supposed lack of
“urgency” on offense late in the disappointing loss to the
Titans.

“I don’t know what to really say besides that’s what we were
doing,” Flacco said. “I guess that was the plan. It’s not really
my job to kind of question it and say that and say that we weren’t.
We needed to go down there (in the fourth quarter) and score a
touchdown and we didn’t score a touchdown. I did ask about maybe
going for it on fourth down there rather than kicking the field
goal, but it’s what we decided to do.”

This doesn’t exactly qualify as open rebellion, but it does
reveal that Flacco and his offensive coordinator aren’t always on
the same wavelength. They don’t need that to be on display this
Sunday when the Ravens go indoors against a Rams team that
desperately needs to win and clearly is better than its 0-2
record.

John Harbaugh will insist that he’ll take a win on the road any
way he can get one — and that’s just fine.

Ray Lewis said that the ups and downs are all part of the
“journey,” and that the approach to the next game should never
change. That’s fine, too.

But if the Ravens really believe they are Super Bowl-caliber,
they need to go into that hostile environment Sunday and show they
can put the hammer down on an inferior team. Harbaugh isn’t going
to come right out and say that, but he knows that the Ravens are
still developing their offensive identity and they need to show
that last Sunday bore no relation to it.

Flacco never said anything explicitly critical of the game plan
last week, but he didn’t hesitate to describe the attitude the
Ravens have to take into St. Louis this weekend. He said the Ravens
need to play with the same abandon the winless Rams will bring into
the game.

“I don’t know if anybody really, really needs to get a win (in
Week 3), but (the Rams) are going to be feeling like they do,”
Flacco said. “When a team is feeling like that, and when a team has
that pressure to get a win under their belts, they will probably
play a little bit more like they don’t have anything to lose, and
they will probably come after us a little more.

“It is going to be our job to play the exact same way. Just
because we have one win … we still have a loss. You don’t win
football games in this league unless you go out there and play to
win. You can’t sit back on your heels and just really play not to
lose and hope to win football games. You have to play to win
football games. If you don’t do that, you are not going to win a
lot.”

It’s difficult to say whether Flacco was just stating fact or
calling somebody out, but it doesn’t matter. Job one is still the
same. Inquiring minds want to know whether the real Ravens stood up
in Week 1 or stood down on Sunday in Nashville.

The Rams may not be the ultimate test, but they’re the next team
up, so they’ll have to do.

For the majority of his career, Steven Jackson has been a superstar on a losing franchise.  He has never received the proper credit he deserves as the Rams have been perennial basement dwellers in the NFC West. 

Jackson’s numbers have been staggering for a guy who has played on an awful team almost every year of his career, but the 2011-12 season will be a different story.  With the Rams improving dramatically, Jackson is setup to have a career year, garnering the respect that he so rightly deserves.

Rams fans are well aware of the type of running back they have on their favorite football team.  Jackson is perhaps one of the most versatile backs in all of football.  He has proven to have the ability to not only run over and around defenders, but catch the ball out of the backfield as well. 

The 2006 season was Jackson’s best season for yardage, rushing for 1,528 yards and catching 90 balls for 806 yards.  The Rams were 8-8 that season.  Marc Bulger was also a Pro-Bowler that year, taking the pressure and attention off Jackson.

In the beginning of his career, Jackson was buried deep within the darkness of Mike Martz’s madness.  The evil genius who Rams fans once called their coach, fell in love with throwing the ball 50 times a game (that’s not entirely exaggerated either), and we all witnessed Marc Bulger’s uncanny ability to throw interceptions.

While all this was going on, Jackson was not even close to receiving the carries he should have.  One can only wonder had Martz used his head, how many more yards in total Jackson might have had.  In turn, one can only wonder how much better the Rams could have been. 

Martz’s departure as coach in 2006 led to Jackson’s best year of his career.

Since the Bulger era has ended, the Rams have tried to rebuild what was once the most feared passing game in the league.  All that time, Steven Jackson has quietly compiled numbers that will one day qualify him for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Year in and year out, no matter what coach has been at the helm, Jackson has proven the only thing that can stop him is a lack of carries and injuries.

Jackson is way too good to be hidden behind a passing game and Coach Spagnuolo has already proven he will utilize one of the best backs in the game. 

In his two years as coach, Spags has handed the ball to Jackson 324 and 330 times each year.  As a result, Jackson has had two of his best seasons in running yards of his career.

The resurgence of the Rams’ passing attack is now led by the best young quarterback in the league, Sam Bradford.  Bradford has already shown himself to be a stud quarterback in only one season in the NFL.  With Bradford improving rapidly, Jackson will once again be sprung.

The danger Bradford’s ability presents to any defense in the league should take pressure and attention off Jackson, possibly more so than any time in Jackson’s career.  The last time Jackson lined up behind a Pro Bowl quarterback, he had a year for the ages.

Not to mention, six games against the weakest division in football should help. 

With a greater focus on the passing game by defenses around the league, Jackson will be utilized much more, especially with the play action.  Not to mention, with a better passing game, Jackson will get more passes out of the backfield as well.  He could possibly have a career year receiving as well.

After a 4-0 preseason, the Rams will have a boost of confidence to carry them into the season.  As long as Bradford does what he can do while Jackson can avoid injuries, and coach Spagnuolo gives Jackson his due carries and receptions, there is no reason why Steven Jackson shouldn’t win the NFL MVP. 

The St. Louis Rams are one of the league’s most popular sleeper teams, and it’s easy to understand why.

The Rams have a young franchise quarterback coming off a 3,500-yard rookie campaign, a stellar offensive line and a solid mix of veteran contributors and young playmakers on defense. Their win total jumped from one to seven between 2009 and 2010, and there’s little reason to believe it won’t keep climbing in 2011.

But the progression of the franchise is closely tied to the progression of that franchise QB. Sam Bradford had a good rookie season on paper, but his 3,512-yard total was inflated by a rookie record 590 attempts (third-most in the NFL). Bradford dinked and dunked his way along in a conservative west coast offense, averaging just 6.0 yards per attempt.

The unit as a whole averaged just 4.6 yards per play (second-lowest in the league) and finished 26th in the league in total offense.

The good news is that quarterback teaching champion Josh McDaniels has arrived to coach the offense. The bad news is that McDaniels is introducing Bradford and Co. to a more nuanced system in a short amount of time. In 2011, this team’s success will likely be tied to how quickly the offense can adapt to McDaniels’ approach.

2010 in a nutshell: Typical of a young team, they perform much better at home than they do on the road. They clearly outplay the rest of the weak NFC West, but falter late and blow the division title with a flat Week-17 loss in Seattle.

Three predictions for 2011:

1. Bradford will continue to progress slowly: I think the future remains bright, but Bradford will experience some growing pains in his sophomore season. He still doesn’t have enough support from the receiving corps or the running game. While Brandon Gibson, Danny Amendola, Mike Sims-Walker and Steven Jackson are good players, none are game-changers at this point. Bradford’s offensive line got better in the offseason with the addition of monster right guard Harvey Dahl, but he’ll have trouble grasping McDaniels’ always-changing offense on a week-to-week basis with so many question marks surrounding him.

2. The defense will be much better: They were mediocre in pretty much every yardage-based category last year, but they still managed to give up only 20.5 points per game thanks in part to a great pass rush (43 sacks). And while O.J. Atogwe will be missed a little, they bolstered the entire D in the offseason by adding Quintin Mikell to the secondary and Justin Bannan, Ben Leber, Zac Diles, Daniel Muir and Brady Poppinga to the front seven. None are superstars, but they’ll add depth and experience to a unit with several cornerstones already in place.

3. Chris Long and James Laurinaitis will become Pro Bowlers: Long and Laurinaitis are those cornerstones, and 2011 first-round pick Robert Quinn is waiting in the wings with a chance to join them. Long finally arrived with a super 2010 season, but expect his sack numbers to climb considerably with the added depth surrounding him. If Quinn can emerge and Bannan can step his game up, opposing offenses won’t have the ability to focus squarely on Long. Laurinaitis is primed to become a star in the middle, and he’ll benefit from the presence of Mikell, who is a great run defender in the next layer.

The final word(s): The offense will struggle in somewhat of a transitional season, but they’re still clearly the most talented team in a weak division. They’ll take the NFC West with eight or nine wins and gain some playoff experience.