There is plenty to be said about today’s game, but I’m going to discuss two sequences that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. They are two sequences that I really feel explain everything you need to know about the 2011 St. Louis Rams.

The first one is the most obvious: The Patrick Peterson punt return. Coming into today’s game, Peterson had 3 returns for TD on the season, one short of the NFL record for a season. One of those three was to beat the Rams in overtime during the first meeting a few weeks ago. So, knowing all this, how is it possible that you let him do it again? Why would the Rams even come close to giving him a return opportunity? This is just basic stuff. When I saw him break free, I thought I was going to destroy my TV. I know the guy is very, very good, but come on. There’s no excuse for that to happen after he already did it to you once.

The second was a series that I think is a microcosm of the St. Louis Rams as we know them. The Rams are up 7-3, and they have the ball 1st and goal on the 3 with the first half nearing the end. A TD there gives you an 11-point lead, and with these two teams, that’s pretty comfortable. The Rams then moved back five yards after a false start and then Sam Bradford took a sack for -9, and the team settled for a field goal. Failing in those situations decides games. It’s the difference between winning and losing. The Rams have not been good enough at times like this, and it is a major reason why they are one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL.

1. Block Calais Campbell – Campbell showed in our last meeting that he is a tough matchup for any offensive line, but with the Rams down up front, Campbell and the rest of the Arizona D-line could be a major problem. It’s not a good situation on the line right now, so some guys are going to have to step up if the Rams are going to move the ball.

2. Keep Patrick Peterson in check – It goes without saying that the Rams absolutely cannot let Peterson beat them in the return game again on Sunday. Peterson is a major talent, and under no circumstance should he get an opportunity to return a kick or punt. We don’t necessarily have to kick out of bounds, but we do need to eliminate him from the game on special teams.

3. Establish a ground game – We know about the offensive line problems already, but if the Rams are forced to throw regularly then Sam Bradford is going to be in trouble. They have to find a way to open holes for SJ39 early in the game to control the clock. If they can get the run going and use the play-action to keep the defense off Bradford, they should be able to score some. More on next page…

Now, on a less bitter note, I thought the defense was outstanding today. It wasn’t just that they forced safeties on back-to-back Arizona possessions — which I don’t know that I’ve ever seen before — but they absolutely shut down the running game for most of the four quarters.I really thought the secondary did a nice job again, and the defensive ends played well again also. I didn’t see much from the defensive tackles in the pass rush, but I thought they did a nice job moving the line on running plays for the most part. It really looks like this defense is starting to figure things out, which is pretty huge. It’s no secret that the offense is going to struggle, so the defense is going to have to keep us in games. I know Arizona isn’t the greatest offense in the world or anything, but Beanie Wells is a nice player who had absolutely no room today and Larry Fitzgerald is an elite receiver who was largely kept in check for much of the contest. He did catch the TD pass, but that wasn’t so much bad coverage as it was a great throw by John Skelton. More on the next page.