At 6-8, the Rams remained mathematically alive for a wild-card after Stephen Jackson ran two touchdowns in the 20-0 shut out against Oakland last night.
With backup Andrew Walter finishing up for the benched Aaron Brooks at quarterback, the Raiders reached the Rams’ 7 in the closing seconds but couldn’t get another play off before time expired.
The Rams allowed a mere 57 yards rushing, and just 3.2 yards a carry. Only one offensive play by the Raiders went for more than 19 yards. And the defense came up with four of the Rams’ five takeaways — on three interceptions and one fumble recovery.
Two drives produced only a pair of Jeff Wilkins field goals and a 6-0 halftime lead. But the Oakland’s Chris Carr fumbled a Matt Turk punt, with Chris Massey recovering for the Rams at the Raiders’ 24. Four plays later, Jackson was in the end zone for his first TD and a 13-0 St. Louis lead.
By Linehan’s count, there was only one play — all day — in which Oakland’s sixth-ranked defense didn’t stack the box with extra defenders to stop the run. But the Rams kept calling runs and working Jackson. Bulger threw only 22 passes, completing 11 for just 137 yards.
Other than games in which he left because of injury, Bulger hasn’t thrown for fewer than yards since 2003 (110 yards against Baltimore). He hasn’t attempted fewer passes since ’03 as well (20 against Minnesota).
