For those of you who don’t follow the NFC West all that closely, you might think that title is a typo. The Rams can’t possibly be in first place in the division, right? Wrong. Thanks to Sunday’s 20-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the St. Louis Rams are now tied with the aforementioned Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals atop the division with a 2-2 record. The game Sunday was extremely impressive, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think this team might be a serious contender for the division title. I think the San Francisco 49ers are still going to make a run, but their loss to the Falcons today that dropped them to 0-4 really hurts their chances. The Cardinals aren’t impressive, and if Seattle looks anything like the team we saw today on a regular basis, they aren’t very good either. I’m not saying the Rams are going to win it or even that they are the favorites, but I do think they are a real contender.

Now, on to the win. For a recap, let’s look at my keys to the game from yesterday’s post to see how the team fared in those categories.

Home Cookin’- Check. The Seahawks are not a good road team, and they proved that yet again today. I know that being at home is a boost for NFL teams, but it’s pretty crazy how they become a completely different team depending on whether they are home or away. It’s important to take care of business at home in division games, and the team did just that today. The Dome was rocking all day long, which was great to see.

Mr. Washington, I Presume?- Check. Seattle return man Leon Washington pretty much single-handedly won the game for the Seahawks last week, but the Rams did an outstanding job keeping him in check. I was very impressed with special teams as a whole today, as Josh Brown got back on track and Donnie Jones proved why he is the best punter in the NFL. Washington and punt returner Golden Tate didn’t have much room to operate, which was big.

(No?) Action Jackson – Here is one I missed on a bit. I didn’t think SJ39 would go, but he proved once again today that he is the consummate professional. He battled through the injury, and although he wasn’t as explosive as usual, he still finished with 70 yards on the ground and 53 through the air. He is the man. That’s all that needs to be said.

Sam The Savior – Check. Sam Bradford just continues to impress and amaze. This guy doesn’t look at all like a rookie, and other than the awful red zone interception, he was outstanding. Chalk that pick up to a rookie mistake, and I have no problem with that. He finished 23-for-41 for 289 yards and two touchdowns. I’ll take that every week.

Tight On The TE - Check. John Carlson, who has killed the Rams in the past, was pretty much a non-factor today. He had one catch for 15 yards. Yep, that’s it. The defense in general was very good, especially in the second half, and a big part of that was shutting down Carlson.

Put Matt On His Hassel”back” -Major Check. In my opinion, this was the biggest key to the game. The Rams have struggled to get a consistent pass-rush all season, but they put pressure on Matt Hasselbeck all day. They finished the game with 4 sacks, and James Hall had two of those. He looked like the Hall of old today, and he proved that this defense is pretty good when they can generate some pressure on the opposing QB. David Vobora had a big sack, and my boy George Selvie got himself one as well. Seattle managed just four first downs in the second half, which was the difference in the game.

Overall, great performance by a team that really looks to be heading in the right direction. There will be some bumps in the road, but the future in bright in the Gateway City.

Stay tuned for a more in depth look at specific players tomorrow, where I will admit I was wrong about a couple of guys. That’s right, I will admit I was wrong. It will be a monumental, first-of-its-kind occurrence, so don’t miss it.

In just a few hours, the Rams and Seahawks will tangle in the Dome in an inter-divisional match-up that could go a long way in showing if either team has what it takes to win the NFC West. In an interesting side note, the Rams will also look to break the streak of 10 straight Seattle victories in the rivalry. I think the Rams have a very good chance of taking this win, but here is a look at some of the issues that could decide who takes this one home.

Home Cookin’-The Seahawks are an absolutely abysmal road team, and the Rams are coming off their first win of the season at the Dome. I think being at home is a huge advantage, and we need the crowd to be in this thing from start to finish. I will not be able to attend this week because I have to work (I know, it’s Sunday. Unfortunately, the Centralia Sentinel still needs to go out on Monday), but everyone who does make the trip needs to get some beverages in them early and be as loud as possible.

Mr. Washington, I Presume?-New Ram Chauncey Washington will make his debut for the team this week, but the real Washington to keep an eye on makes his home in the Pacific Northwest. Leon Washington absolutely destroyed te Chargers in the return game last week, and he was pretty much the reason Seattle pulled out the victory. The Rams have had issues on special teams, but if they want to win this game, they will have to keep the dynamic Washington in check.

(No?) Action Jackson- We still don’t know for sure what the status of SJ39 will be today, but if I were a betting man, I would guess he plays it safe and sits this one out. If he does go, it seem likely he will be extremely limited. Jackson is a huge part of this offense, but we need some people to step up if he can’t go. First on that list is Kenneth Darby. It’s no secret that I’m not a Darby fan, but I could jump on the bandwagon if he plays as well today as he did last week. Keith Toston will need to make an impact as well, but we will need to get some running production from somewhere.

Sam The Savior- If Jackson is indeed out, the pressure falls squarely on the shoulders of our rookie quarterback, Sam Bradford. Sam will probably have to drop back and chuck the ball plenty, so he will have to continue to show that he is already a legit NFL signal-caller. There’s no doubt in my mind that Bradford can handle the pressure, because he hasn’t cracked yet. The question is, will it be enough?

Tight On The TE- Seattle tight end John Carlson has a history of killing the Rams, and he is probably the Seahawks’ best offensive option heading into the game. If the defense can keep Carlson in check like they did to Chris Cooley last week, I think Seattle will have some trouble putting up points.

Put Matt On His Hassel”back”-I’ve long thought Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck was extremely overrated, but he can be pretty good when he gets all day in the pocket. On the other hand, he will thrown the ball to the defense if he is under pressure on a consistent basis. It’s obvious that one of, if not THE, weakest spots on this roster is the pass-rush, so the Rams need to find a way to force Hasselbeck into some bad throws. And, when he does throw us the ball, we have to catch it. We can’t afford to give away turnovers this week, or any week for that matter.

Now, for my prediction. I am concerned about the lack of SJ39, but I don’t think I could live with myself if I picked the Seahawks over the Rams, so i will go 21-17 St. Louis. The game is not blacked out, so tune in at noon to see if the Rams can move back to .500 and get themselves right in the thick of the NFC West race.

St. Louis Rams-Daniel Fells

2009 Stats: Fells had 21 receptions for the Rams last season in 14 games played with four starts. He piled up 273 yards for a 13 yards average, and he reached the end zone three times. He fumbled just once, and he really looked good at certain points in the year. He should take on a much bigger role with the team in 2010.

My Take: Fells did some good things last season, and I think he should build on that this year. With that being said, he isn’t in the discussion for the All-Star team due to the high level of talent within the division. He certainly isn’t an elite guy, but he could be productive in the offense this season, especially if Sam Bradford needs him as a safety valve.

Arizona Cardinals-Ben Patrick

2009 Stats: Patrick appeared in nine games for the Cards last season, and he made seven starts. He caught 12 passes for 146 yards and two scores, and he averaged 12.2 yards per catch. The numbers don’t jump off the page at you, but he is only 25 years old and he has good size and strength. There is some potential here, but he too is not in the class of the other two guys residing in the West.

My Take: I kind of like Patrick, but he still has a long way to go to prove he is a good NFL player. I like his size at 6-3, and he has made some impressive catches during his career, but that’s not enough just yet. Once again, some potential here, but there are much better players to choose from.

Seattle Seahawks-John Carlson

2009 Stats: Carlson has been a beast in his short time in the league, and he had a very impressive 2009 season. He started all 16 games and recorded 51 receptions and 571 yards in 2009. He also added seven scores to go along with his 11.3 yard average. In 2008, he scored five times in just nine starts.

My Take: I am a big fan of Carlson, and he would likely be the choice in most situations. He is a dangerous weapon for the Seahawks, and he makes their offense significantly better by being on the field. Also, he seems to kill the Rams every time he steps on the field against them. He’s not my pick, but I would still take him on my football team any day of the week.

San Francisco 49ers-Vernon Davis

2009 Stats: Davis finally lived up to the lofty expectations given him coming out of college in 2009, as he produced an absolutely monster year. He caught 78 passes for 965 yards, and he found the end zone 13 times. He averaged 12.4 yards per catch, and his long on the season was 73 yards. He is an athletic specimen, and as long as his head is on straight, he is an elite performer at the tight end position.

My Take: As you can probably tell, I love Davis. When the man decides to show up, he is potentially the top tight end in the league. He came out of college with a ton of potential, but it took him until 2009 to truly realize his talent. I don’t see him slowing down any time soon, and I would love to have him on my All-Star team.