After the first two games of the new NFL season, the St. Louis Rams created quite a stir, with their hard fought loss, to open the season against the Detroit Lions. Then the following beat up RG3 and the hype machine that followed the Washington Redskins. So naturally the Rams will continue the trend? Right? Well if you only look at it from a defensive perspective. The defense did all it could to keep the football game close.
Cornerback Courtland Finnegan had an interception for the third week in a row. The Rams defense held the Bears in check for almost the entire game late into the 4th quarter. Not allowing a Bears player to rush for over 100 yards and quarterback Jay Cutler was 17/31 for 183 passing yards. The Bears were also horrible on 3rd downs only converting on 4/14. What more can you ask out your defense? Plus the Bears held the ball 8 minute longer than the Rams when it came down to time of possession.
The reason why the Bears held the ball longer is because; the Rams offense just didn’t show up at all. The same make shift line that only allowed a sack one week ago gave up six. Sam Bradford didn’t have time to throw the ball and make a play. However, a few of those sacks are on Sam Bradford. Bradford was just standing inside of the pocket and just watched it collapse on him time after time. Where is his pocket awareness? And why was he holding on the ball too long?
Then again you can’t blame all of the offense woes on Bradford, because there is plenty of blame to go around. The wide receiving core let the Rams down “BIG TIME” in that loss. For the love of elevation I wish I could understand wide out Brandon Gibson. In the win last week against the Redskins Gibson made an acrobatic catch that was ruled out of bounds, but replayed showed he was in bounds. Then with the game well in reach and one of the few times Bradford took a shot down field, the ball hits Gibson square in the hands and off his chest.
Who knows how the game changes if he hangs on to the ball? He has to make that catch. And the first of Sam Bradford’s two interceptions came off the hands of Austin Pettis fresh off serving a suspension. Pettis just couldn’t hold on to the Bradford pass and before you know it the game was broken open. Already you can see that the defense is ahead of the offense. Sooner or later the offense will have to play as consistent as the defense.
Now can the Rams grow after a humbling defeat? They have no choice. Their first divisional matchup against the Seattle Seahawks is coming up and Head Coach Jeff Fisher is offering no excuses. I like that Fisher. Trust me we’ve heard to many over last 6 years.
