The St. Louis Rams traveled up north to play the Minnesota Vikings, looking to extend a winning streak to three games and position themselves for a possible wild card playoff berth. But instead of a win, the Rams suffered another frustrating loss 21-18 in OT against the Vikings.
The Rams lack of an efficient passing game really reared its head. Nine different Rams players caught at least one pass. Eight of the players not named Kenny Britt totaled eight catches for a robust 85 yards. Britt led all receivers with 87 yards on just three catches. The Vikings dared the Rams to throw the football and it paid off.
Rams QB Nick Foles wasn’t sharp at all, in the very first series when he had time to throw, he didn’t see a wide open Kenny Britt that would’ve been an easy score for the Rams.
What I’m starting to really notice now is there seems to be a lack of chemistry or something to that effect. Or maybe the Rams receivers aren’t that good with the exception of Tavon Austin. Just as I write this, it is rumored the Rams are having auditions at wideout. Hakeem Nicks, Wes Welker and Vincent Brown are or have made a visit to Earth City. You have to able to throw the football, especially when you do have a solid RB in rookie Todd Gurley. The Vikings put more than eight guys in a box to stop the run and it paid off. More teams will follow this trend against the Rams unless the receivers start making teams pay.
Gurley was held under 100 yards, but he did contribute a touchdown. The Rams got an additional boost in the run game from Tavon Austin, who ran eight times for 66 yards. Backup RB Tre Mason was ineffective as he only had three carries for the same amount of yardage. The Rams did gain 160 yards on the ground.
One of the most talked about things about that loss was coach Jeff Fisher’s decision to go for a two-point conversion instead of kicking an extra point field goal. Fisher was concerned about the wind. Well, okay. So the best play they came up with was a draw play that got stuffed at the line of scrimmage. He has a placekicker nicknamed Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein who nailed four kicks, including a 61-yarder, but you don’t have him attempt an extra point?
Then there was the hit by Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner. In the fourth quarter Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater was scrambling and slid, and Joyner dived just as Bridgewater was making his slide. Joyner hit the Vikings QB with a glancing blow across the facemask with his shoulder. It did knock out the Vikings QB and really irritated their head coach Mike Zimmer. Zimmer felt the hit to his QB was dirty. “If we were out in the street, we probably would’ve had a fight,” he said after the game.
This week the Rams face off against the Chicago Bears, and the Rams have a chance to again move a game over .500 with a win. The Rams are just going to have to stop hurting themselves. This was another winnable game for the Rams. But you are not going to win games when you punt the ball eight times and you have 12 penalties for 87 yards.
I don’t know which team will show up against the Bears this Sunday. Neither do the Rams.
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