The St. Louis Rams bounced back from a heartbreak loss with a resounding, emphatic 52-0 lopsided win against the Oakland Raiders. And before anyone cries that it was against a team that has only one win, chill, relax and enjoy the Rams being on the other side of delivering 60 minutes, four quarters of asset kicking all over the Edwards Jones Dome.
The Rams were supposed to win that game. However, it was how they dominated the football game. The tempo the offense started with, I counted
1,2,3,4 straight throws ending with running back Tre Mason catching a 35-yard touchdown pass from Shaun Hill.
I sat still feeling confused at what I just witnessed. I even checked the contents of my red cup, because I thought former Rams Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz was back. Everything was happening for the Rams offense was quick. The Raiders looked like they were backpedaling all afternoon long. The slants, the screens and a naked bootleg from a quarterback Shaun Hill as he sped fast as his legs would allow.
What else I witnessed about the Rams offense in the first half of the game is the playmakers the Rams have drafted over the last two seasons under Jeff Fisher and Les Snead to freshen up the anemic and repulsive offense were making their presence felt.
Tavon Austin scored a touchdown on a 21-yard run. Tre Mason added touchdown runs of 89 and 9 yards, giving him three touchdowns and a total of 161 yards from scrimmage. Stedman Bailey posted his first 100-yard game, including a nifty catch and run for 34 yards that set up a touchdown. Kenny Britt drew two penalties that resulted in the Rams putting points on the scoreboard.
The exciting part about what I’ve just mentioned is that the Rams’ young nucleus on offense showed up and showed out. And it’s going to be up to Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to replicate what happened against the Raiders. That doesn’t mean throwing the football 50 times. The play-calling was balanced by the end of the game. Shaun Hill only attempted 22 passes.
The Rams defense got big contributions from the last two draft classes as well. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson, drafted in 2012, had two interceptions and one was returned for a 43-yard touchdown. Johnson now has three interceptions in his last two games. Fellow rookie cornerback EJ Gaines also had an interception as he continues to put together a solid first season in the NFL. Defensive end Chris Long, back from an ankle injury, recorded a sack and recovered a fumble. Robert Quinn added three more of his own as the Rams defense collected a total of six sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles.
The Rams face the Washington Redskins this upcoming Sunday. The Redskins are in disarray at the moment. They’re plenty of controversy surrounding Robert Griffin III and Coach Jay Gruden. The Rams are 5-7 and will be playing on the road with a chance to get closer to .500. The Redskins are trying to see if QB Colt McCoy is the future since there is disharmony with RG3 and Gruden. It’s a nasty situation in the nation’s capital and the Rams need to take advantage of the situation. The Rams still have not posted back-to-back wins this season.
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