The St. Louis Rams enjoyed an early bye week. And sure the jokes flew around that the Rams would probably lose during the bye week. That kind of goes with the territory when talking about the Rams.
But one good thing that nearly everyone would agree with – well, maybe not publicly – is that quarterback Austin Davis is the starter. Davis has given the offense a much needed shot in the arm. As we all were able to see a week ago in the tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys, he showed some moxy, a little fire, some raw emotion.
His next test this Sunday will be facing off against a Philadelphia Eagles team that coughed up a huge lead just as the Rams did a week prior. The Eagles offense struggled running the football against the San Francisco 49ers. And quarterback Nick Foles was hideous throwing five interceptions.
I like the Rams chances this weekend. The Rams have had a history of going on the road and looking like world beaters. For example, they put up two 30-point games on the road against the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, with the Rams looking dominant in all three phases of the game. And who could forget the pounding the Rams put on the Chicago Bears, turning the “Monsters Of The Midway” into a nice rug on a living room floor.
Maybe this will be the week the defense comes alive. The Eagles are desperately trying to get a ground attack going, and the Rams have a tendency to be the elixir for teams struggling to run the football.
One other possible concern for the Rams is defending the middle of the field in the passing game. Nick Foles loves to use the middle of the field, and with the Rams struggling to sustain a pass rush since the beginning of the season, it’s important that the Rams get consistent pressure on Foles. By all means, the Rams defense needs to stay disciplined and stop Darren Sproles at all cost. And, of course, cut down on penalties.
The Rams have their back against the wall early in this season, sporting a 1-2 record with a daunting schedule in front of them. The early bye week sort of came at a good time. Tavon Austin should be ready to return from a knee sprain. Stedman Bailey is back in the fold, and Brian Quick has started out strong. Coupled with this new three-prong attack at running back, just maybe the Rams have found an identity on offense. If this defense finds its identity too, this season could become interesting. We just got to take it one Sunday at a time.
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