First of all, let’s start with the Arizona Cardinals. As far as surprises go, the Cards have to be placed in the “negative” category along with the Rams at this point. Before the season started I thought they would be the team the Rams were competing with for the division title. Not only are they 1-4 on the year, but they got man-handled by the Minnesota Vikings today 34-10. Kevin Kolb, their prized offseason acquisition, has been average at best so far, and he tossed two picks in the loss today. They have some nice pieces there, but they have yet to put it together.

Now, on to the biggest surprise to me so far: the San Francisco 49ers. I kind of thought their win over the Eagles was a fluke, but I think they erased any doubt about whether they are for real today with their 48-3 whooping of the Tampa Bay Bucs. They pretty much did it all today against what I believe is a pretty good team. Alex Smith only threw for 170 yards, but he was 11-for-19 and tossed three TDs and no picks. Frank Gore picked up 125 yards on the ground (6.3 YPC) and added a score, and their defense forced three Tampa turnovers, one of which came back for a TD. They look like a very good team right now, but I’m still not completely sold on Smith. He has proved me wrong so far, but he has a long way to go before he makes me a believer. Next page…

Honestly, I’m still not over the loss, but I’m going to try to keep it clean and assess the damage. Let’s look at the keys.

QB Carousel – Charlie Whitehurst started, and he got the job done. I was excited when he started the game, but that first drive really shut me up. He was pretty solid all day, and although he wasn’t great, he was good enough. In hindsight, Matt Hasselbeck probably would have been better for us because Whitehurst’s mobility played a big role in the game.

Stop The Run – This one was a big negative. The Rams did a great job against the run in the first half, but the defense just stopped tackling in the second. I don’t know if they were gassed out or what, but it was awful. I hate to rag on the defense because they carried us all season, but they just weren’t good enough in the second half.

Early Lead – Once again, a big negative. The Hawks took the opening kickoff and shoved it down our throats, and considering we never got in the end zone, it pretty much ended things. I don’t know if the Rams expected Seattle to come out and hand the ball off, but they didn’t.

The 12th Man – I don’t know how much the crowd played into things, but I do know they were rocking all night. After that first touchdown, it only seemed to get louder and crazier in that place. The Rams offense did nothing to quiet them down all night, so it’s no wonder they were so loud.

Special Teams – This was the only category I was reasonably happy with. The Rams did a good job covering Leon Washington, but it doesn’t matter when you can’t score.

The offense was terrible, the defense stopped tackling, and we pretty much embarrassed ourselves on national TV. That’s what I took out of it.

Sunday is finally here, and to be honest I haven’t been this excited for an NFL football game in a long time. Seeing the Rams playing on national TV for a chance to go to he playoffs is way more than I ever imagined for this team, and I for one have no problem getting greedy and expecting a win tonight, so let’s take a look at my keys to the game.

QB Carousel – Everyone expects Charlie Whitehurst to start under center for Seattle tonight, and while I’m not usually one to jump on the conspiracy theory bandwagon, I can’t help but shake the feeling that the Seahawks are sandbagging. Matt Hasselbeck practiced Friday, and I wouldn’t be shocked in the slightest if he started. I would much rather see Whitehurst as their QB, obviously, but it’s not like Hasselbeck automatically makes them a better team than the Rams. Either way, our D-line has to get after whoever is under center, and I like our chances if we do that.

Stop The Run – The quarterback situation in Seattle is an issue, but they do have a pretty serviceable running game. We have to be able to stop Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett. I don’t think they will beat us through the air, but they are good enough to use the play-action to attack our secondary in single coverage. If they Rams close the door on defense early, they can take control of the game.

Early Lead – Playing off that last point, getting an early lead is huge. If we force Seattle to battle back using the pass, I think we will be fine. Their receivers aren’t anything to write home about, and neither is their quarterback. Making a below-average team one-dimensional, especially when defense is your strength, plays right into your hands.

The 12th Man – There’s no doubt that Seattle fans are some of the loudest in the NFL, and I’m sure they will be rocking. Taking the air out of that stadium is of vital importance, especially with a rookie quarterback under center. I’m not convinced that the confidence level in Seattle is super high right now, so I think the fans will throw in the towel early if we give them a reason to do so.

Special Teams – If there’s one thing that scares me about this Seattle team, it’s their return game. Leon Washington is the real deal, and we cannot let him get going. If the Rams do lose this game, I have a feeling this is the area we will be pointing to afterward.

No prediction again this week, but I’m excited and nervous and every other emotion there is. It will be fun, so enjoy it Rams fans.