The Rams have a tough task this weekend when they welcome the Atlanta Falcons to town, but this game is still winnable, so don’t write the Rams off just yet. The team has been outstanding at home this season, and while the Falcons are very good, this team has proven that they can play with anyone in the Dome. Here are the keys to this all-important Week 11 affair.

Big Play, Go Away – We found out last week that talented playmakers can give this defense some trouble, and with Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez coming to town, the issue will be back again. We can’t rely on penalties calling plays back like last last Sunday, so the secondary has to keep tabs on those two. I think White poses a major problem, and keeping him in check could decide the outcome.

Wrap It Up – Michael Turner has made a living brushing off arm tackles and getting extra yards. If the Rams want to slow down the Falcon offense, they can’t let Turner go crazy. Physical backs have given the team some trouble, so they need to make it a point to secure tackles when Turner touches the ball. If they can limit him, it will be tougher for the Falcons to spread the field for the passing game.

Open It Up – I have a feeling that points will be scored in this contest, so the Rams are going to have to find a way to get in the end zone. Short passes and runs up the middle probably won’t be enough to get the job done all day, so watch to see if the team opens up the passing game a bit. The Falcon defense it pretty good, but you can move the ball on them.

Keep Sam Up – Going off the previous point, the offensive line is going to have to give Sam Bradford some time in the pocket. The Falcons can rush the passer, so the line is going to have to make sure they give him a chance to get the ball down field. He has proven that he can make plays when he has time, so the team just needs to give it to him.

I’m not going to sit here and say the Rams are the favorites in this contest, but I do believe they have a realistic chance of getting the win and moving to .500. With that being said, my prediction is going to be 31-20 Falcons. I am really worried about White having a big day, but shutting him down could be the difference.

First, the thing that makes me the most angry is that the Niners tried on several occasions to hand us the game, and we just refused to take it. They had touchdown after touchdown called back due to penalties, and we still couldn’t find a way to win. When you are battling for a division title, you absolutely have to take advantage of games like this, and we didn’t.

The defense gave up entirely too many big plays today, which is a serious concern for this team moving forward. Overall, the defense wasn’t terrible, but the big plays absolutely killed us. Once again, several of the big plays were called back, which makes it even worse.

This is the point where my blood really starts boiling. I’m not going to blame the loss on any one person, because we all know that’s not how football works, but Brandon Gibson has me all fired up. I counted three occasions late in the game when Gibson had an opportunity to get a big first down, and he came up short every time. The first time he danced around and got tackled two yards short, and the second time he just needed to muscle forward and was unable to do so. The third time was the worst, because he could have gotten a first down that might have sealed the win or at least taken some significant time off the clock, but once again he danced around and came up short. I was literally screaming at the TV every time, and on the third play there were significant obscenities flying on my part.

I could keep going, but I need to stop before I say something I will regret later. Tomorrow I will have an unbiased look at the game, so stay tuned. If you are as angry as I am right now, or if you think I’m wrong on any of these points, feel free to make yourself heard in the comments section.

On the bright side, my game prediction was pretty darn close. I said 21-20 Niners, and it was 23-20. Gotta find the silver lining somewhere, right?