5 Keys to Victory – Revisited: St. Louis Rams at Kansas City Chiefs

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

After a 34-7 blowout loss to the Chiefs, the Rams confirmed two starters are out for the season due to injury. LT Jake Long and WR Brian Quick are now gone, which only adds to a long list of injuries that have depleted this St. Louis team. Here are Ramblin’ Fan’s 5 Keys to Victory: Revisited after Sunday’s loss on the road:

1.) Get the balance right in the backfield

RB Tre Mason led the committee in carries (7) and yards (32). RB Zac Stacy added five carries for 17 yards and RB Benny Cunningham ran four times for 27 yards. As a team the Rams rushed 19 times for 84 yards and zero touchdowns. Stacy led the group in catches with three for 20 yards. It seems as though head coach Jef Fisher is taking a true committee approach. The group played satisfactorily but the offense couldn’t stay of the field long enough to control the tempo or wear down the defense.

2.) Contain RB Jamal Charles

Charles finished with 13 carries for 73 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 44 yards. St. Louis did a decent job of bottling him up, save for his 36 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. RB Knile Davis added two more scores for Kansas City, one of which was a 99 yard kickoff return at the start of the second half.

3.) Shadow TE Travis Kelce

Kelce was contained for most of the day. He ended with four catches for 45 yards. St. Louis did a good job of not letting him hurt their defense down the seam or in the redzone.

4.) Continue to rush the passer

The defense has now produced five total sacks in the past two weeks. DE Robert Quinn got to QB Alex Smith twice in a row at one point. The Rams are improving their sack totals, but they must continue to progress if they want to reach their lofty preseason expectations. They get to face QB Colin Kaepernick next week.

5.) Give QB Austin Davis time in the pocket

The Rams failed miserably in this crucial area. Kansas City tuned Davis up for seven sacks, three of which came from OLB Justin Houston. Now LT Jake Long is out and RG Rodger Saffold aggravated his shoulder. C Scott Well is also getting his elbow looked at. This could shape up to be a long season for Davis.

Check back with us before the game next week to see our 5 Keys to Victory for when the Rams take on the 49ers.