Sunday afternoon the St. Louis Rams will open the 2014 campaign at home against the Minnesota Vikings. The game will be played at 12:00 CT in the Edward Jones Dome and can be seen on FOX. Announcers Dick Stockton and Kirk Morrison will be calling the game. The game can also be heard on Sirius radio on channels 138 and 93
The St. Louis Rams are looking to start the season with a win for the second consecutive season. A win early in the season against the Vikings will help the Rams later in the season when they go on a stretch of playing eight consecutive playoff teams from 2013.
The Minnesota Vikings will be looking to show that they have improved coming off a disappointing 5-10-1 season. This will be Mike Zimmer’s first game as an NFL head coach as he was previously with the Cincinnati Bengals as defensive coordinator. Surely, he will be looking to get off to a good start.
Injury Report
St. Louis Rams
CB Trumaine Johnson(knee)- DNP–OUT
C Barrett Jones(back)- DNP–OUT
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar(shoulder)- Full–PROBABLE
DE William Hayes(chest)- Full–PROBABLE
T Jake Long(knee)- Full–PROBABLE
DE Eugene Sims(knee)- Limited–QUESTIONABLE
S Maurice Alexander(Not Injury Related)-DNP–PROBABLE
Minnesota Vikings
RB Zach Line(ankle)- DNP–OUT
LB Michael Mauti(foot)- DNP–OUT
LB Brandon Watts(knee)- DNP–OUT
T Mike Harris(shoulder)- Limited–QUESTIONABLE
CB Jabari Price(shoulder)- Full–PROBABLE
WR Rodney Smith(neck)- Full–PROBABLE
DE Eversen Griffen(illness)- DNP–QUESTIONABLE
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Players To Watch: Shaun Hill and Adrian Peterson
Shaun Hill is now the man in St. Louis as Sam Bradford is out with a torn ACL. Look to see how much he trusts his receivers and his offensive line. Hill looked good in the preseason, but has not taken significant snaps with Detroit in 2010.
Last time the Rams played the Vikings Adrian Peterson rushed for 212 yards. The Rams will have to slow down Peterson if they want to win this game. If they allow the Vikings running back to take over, they will be in a world of trouble.
Matchup To Watch: Rams Passing Attack vs Vikings Pass Defense
Last season the Vikings were the second worst against the pass. If the Rams can find success through the air early, it will open up things for Zac Stacy, Tre Mason, and Benny Cunningham, and if they can get the run game going, the Rams will be in pretty good shape.
Last Meeting: Vikings 36 Rams 22
Although Sam Bradford threw for a career high 377 yards, it wasn’t enough to get past the Vikings. 23 second quarter points was too much for the Rams to overcome late in the 2012 season in the Edward Jones Dome.
Prediction: Rams 23 Vikings 21
I do think this will be a close game throughout and the Rams do find a way to slow down Adrian Peterson. A late interception in the fourth quarter by Matt Cassell puts the Rams in position to move down the field and kick a game winning field goal.