St. Louis Rams vs. Detroit Lions: 5 Bold Predictions – Recap

Sep 9, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher looks on from the sidelines in the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US Presswire

Good game RamsNation, we almost had the upset! Sadly, a couple of misreads by the defense and a lack of production by the offense in the first half doomed the Rams. Make no mistake, the St. Louis Rams earned the position they were in at the end of the game, but at the end of the day, we weren’t able to cover the running back in the final seconds of the game. Anyways, we at Ramblin’ Fan dropped some bold predictions before the game, here is how they turned out…

1. Detroit will have under 50 yards rushing between the running backs

The St. Louis Rams played pretty well against the run, although they gave up some costly first downs to a pathetic group of Lions running backs. Kevin Smith did step up, taking 13 carries for 62 yards and one rushing touchdown. He also got the nab at the end of the game for the win! Overall the group wrangled together 83 yards on the ground.

Verdict: Fail

2. Bradford will have as many touchdowns as Matthew Stafford

Called this one, but not necessarily for the right reasons. The thought process was that there would be a shoot out, with Bradford and Stafford picking apart each others defense. At the end of the day, the box score will show Bradford and Stafford both with one touchdown pass, but that does not tell the whole story. Stafford was picked off 3 times in the first half, with a couple of others dropped by the defense. This may be a bitter sweet comparison, considering Stafford’s one TD came at the end of the game for the win.

Verdict: Pass

3. Greg Zuerlein will hit two field goals from 50+ yards

No attempts from over 50+ may not bode well for the prediction, but shows that the offense was getting down the field at a respectable pace. Zuerlein was 3 for 3 in field goal attempts, with two from 40+ yards. My hope is that we can build on the offensive momentum in the second half and keep Zuerlein off the field until he is called in for kickoff duty.

Verdict: Fail; but, very close with 46 and 48 yarders

4. The Rams’ Robert Quinn will lead all players in sacks in this game

Quinn was the only player on the Rams to record a sack, although there was some clear pressure on Stafford which results in the interceptions. On the Lions’ side of the ball, Suh, Williams, and Fairley all recorded a single sack. I guess technically, Fairley would be at the top of the list in sacks, with “S,” “W,” and “Q” falling farther down the alphabet. But, really he was the man on the Rams defensive line!

Verdict: Incomplete; although the nod could be given the the Lions defensive line, as a unit

5. Daryl Richardson will get more touches than Isaiah Pead

This was a bold prediction that, for anyone who watched the Rams preseason, really wasn’t one. Jackson got 21 carries today, resulting is 51 yards rushing behind an offensive line that had 3 different players subbed in by the end of the game. Richardson was the only man to spell Jackson in the run game, although he only two handoffs. He did make the most of it, rushing for 20 yards, an average of 10 yards per rush attempt. Looks like Isaiah Pead may be restricted to kickoff return, but, even in that, he only had one return, which barely made it back to the 20 yard line.

Verdict: Pass