Thoughts And Updates From Sunday

I’ve had a day to process Sunday’s game, so let’s take a look at the 18-17 loss in Tampa. I’m not going to discuss the second half, so scroll down to yesterday’s post if you want my thoughts. Let’s see how the Rams fared with my keys to the game from Sunday morning, shall we?

Youth Is Served – I said the Rams needed to contain Josh Freeman, and they did a decent job on that front. Freeman had just 40 yards rushing, but he did throw for 212 yards and the game-winning touchdown. The biggest rookie impact of the game might have been from a personal favorite of mine, former Oregon Duck LeGarrette  Blount. Blount rushed for 72 yards on just 11 carries, and he probably broke 20 or 30 tackles in the process. He runs hard and he is tough to bring down, which is why I campaigned hard to the Rams to give him a look in the draft and in free agency after the draft. We didn’t have an answer for him, and I think he helped wear our defense down in the second half.

Runnin’ For The Record – SJ39 did his job on Sunday, so I can’t knock this one. Jackson rushed for 110 yards on 22 carries, and he caught 2 passes for 35 more. Oh yeah, and he is now the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. Passing Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk is no small feat, so congrats to him. Unfortunately, SJ39 apparently had surgery on his left ring finger this morning. He says he won’t miss a beat, but I will keep you updated throughout the week.

The Danario Effect – This one was a big fail. Danario Alexander had just one catch for six yards, and he didn’t make that catch until the fourth quarter. Let’s not all pile off the bandwagon after just one bad week. DX is a rookie receiver who has played just 2 NFL games, so he is going to be hit-or-miss for most of this season. He will have his moments, but don’t be shocked if he disappears for large chunks. The receiving corps in general had a rough day, as the leading receiver, Danny Amendola,  had just 29 yards. That’s not good enough as a group.

In other injury news, James Butler is dealing with a left knee sprain, while Darell Scott has an ankle sprain. Ron Bartell is dealing with a shoulder issue, and Fred Robbins is getting a CT scan on his toe. Obviously, we won’t know much more than this until at least Wednesday, so stay tuned.