After the St. Louis Rams acquired Mark Clayton, the angst among Rams fans was still about lack of a deep threat on the roster. And when the Rams lost their first two games, the question got a little louder. The following day as a guest on The Word on Sports featuring Moses and Charlie Tuna on Team 1380, I got asked that question. Who is the Rams’ deep threat?
With a long pause I said, “Believe it or not, the only player on the Rams roster that has the ability to go deep is Danario Alexander. And he’s on the practice squad right now. I know that doesn’t sound sexy, but what do the Rams have to lose?”
Now after the Rams receiving core has been decimated by injuries, coupled by the trading deadline passing, and not a lot to choose from on the open market, the Rams looked from within the organization. They may have found something worth holding onto while they continue to rebuild.
Even though it’s just one game, this win meant a lot more than that. By dispatching the San Diego Chargers 20-17 after the drubbing the week prior by the woeful Detroit Lions, the St. Louis Rams showed the NFL and anyone else that didn’t believe this team is different from years past.
The offense moved the ball well in the first half against the Chargers and had a controlling lead going into halftime. In the second half the offense got a little stale, but the defense held strong as the Chargers didn’t go quietly.
Rams running back Steven Jackson battered the Chargers defense in the second half and eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second game in a row. On the other side of the ball, the defense returned to form with eight quarterback sacks; defensive ends Chris Long and James Hall had two apiece. A far cry from the week prior when neither Hall nor Long manageg to even pinch journeyman quarterback Shaun Hill.
The special teams did a fine job not letting kick return specialist Darren Sproles break a big return, and Danny Amendola continues to win the Rams fans over with his hustle as he came close to breaking a couple of punt returns; one had a long gain of 42 yards.
At 3-3 now, playing in the weak NFC West division. I’m almost tempted to use the “p” word. Yeah, then I could hear former Colts coach Jim Mora with that famous post-game quote: “Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I’m just hoping we can win a game, another game.”
Back to wideout Danario Alexander. I hope his knee and everything else hold up until the end of the season.
