Know Your Enemy: St. Louis Rams
By Riley B
This week, I talked with Justin Stine, Editor of FanSided’s Rams blog Ramblin’ Fan. I asked him some questions about the Ravens – Rams game. Here’s what he had to say:
1. It looks more than likely that Steven Jackson won’t play on Sunday. How do you think Cadillac Williams will fair against a stingy Ravens defense?
"If Steven can’t go, I think the Rams are in trouble. Cadillac is more than serviceable when healthy, but he is dealing with a hamstring injury that limited his explosiveness last Monday. Assuming he plays, I would still expect the Rams to rely heavily on the passing game because I don’t see Cadillac being able to run effectively enough while dealing with his injury."
Continue reading to here the rest of what Justin had to say…
2. Any match-ups that you’re looking forward to seeing?
"I don’t know if I should be looking forward to this one, but I really want to see what Ray Rice can do against the Rams defense. The Rams have struggled keeping backside containment on cutback runs so far this season, and I think Rice represents a major test for this D. I don’t see the matchup going well for St. Louis, but if the Rams can impress against the run on Sunday I think it would go a long way in helping the confidence of this group."
3. Is there any position in particular that you are worried about? Why?
"I’m very worried about the Rams secondary at this point. They will be without top corner Ron Bartell for the season with a neck injury, and they lost corner Jerome Murphy before the season started. Justin King has been exploited so far this season, and Craig Dahl has been awful in coverage. The pass-rush helps out with the deficiencies back there, but the Ravens could exploit this group with their talented receiving corps."
4. Sam Bradford is turning in to a young, elite quarterback. What do you think the future holds for him?
"The sky is the limit for Bradford, but that’s assuming our line can keep him healthy. I’m a firm believer that our O-Line is better than most people think, but Bradford has taken his share of hits already this season. As long as he can get some time, I could see him turing into one of the top signal-callers in this league in the next few years."
5. Are the Rams the favorite to win the NFC West? Who do you believe are their biggest competition and why?
"I still believe the Rams are the favorite in the West despite their disappointing start. Seattle might be the worst team in football, and San Francisco will need more consistent play at the quarterback position before they are ready to win the division. Arizona is the biggest competition in my mind, but I like our matchup with them head-to-head."
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