St. Louis Rams Vs. Minnesota Vikings: 5 Bold Predictions

Aug 8, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) breaks a tackle from New Orleans Saints defensive back Trevin Wade (30) during the first half at Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The wait is over, Rams Nation! The start of the 2014 regular season is finally upon us, with the St. Louis Rams set to take on the Minnesota Vikings in the Edward Jones Dome. The magical aspect of opening weekend is that everyone, aside from the Packers and Seahawks, are “tied” for the best record in the league. At this point, every player, every coach, and every fan base can still firmly believe that their team has a realistic shot of taking home the Lombardi Trophy in February. With unbridled expectations often come boundless predications for the games, with only speculation and year-old tape as a basis for evaluation. As the season progresses, and the top offenses, defenses, overall rosters, and individual performers fall into rank, those predictions will inevitably become less and less bold. However, in this weekly series, we’ll take our shot at predicting the future, with our “5 Bold Predictions” for today’s game.

1. The St. Louis Rams will hold Adrian Peterson to under 75 rushing yards in the game

The last time the St. Louis Rams played the Minnesota Vikings, Adrian Peterson ran for 212 yards on 24 carries, including an 82-yarder. However, the St. Louis Rams’ defensive roster was a lot different back in 2012. Since then, the Rams have swapped the infamous Craig Dahl with their young power-hitter, TJ McDonald. Cortland Finnegan has been replaced by the highly-versatile Lamarcus Joyner. Rocky McIntosh has been overtaken by 2013 first-rounder, Alec Ogletree. Lastly, but certainly not least, the St. Louis Rams will actually get to use Gregg Williams as their defensive signal caller, who was “technically” on the staff in 2012, but suspended indefinitely during their last go-around. The Rams were outstanding last year in keeping rushers below the century-mark, including holding Marshawn Lynch to only 23 yards on eight carries in one game last season. With a fresh, young defense and a genuine defensive mastermind calling the shots, the St Louis Rams will “hold” All Day to under 75 rushing yards.

2. Robert Quinn will get 3+ sacks

…against whoever is in the Minnesota backfield, since Matt Cassel might not make it through the whole game. Robert Quinn will be facing off against Matt Kalil, who struggled mightily in pass protection last year. Quinn, on the other hand, started off 2013 with three sacks, two hurries, and one hurry in the opener, including a forced fumble that sealed the comeback win for the St. Louis Rams over the Arizona Cardinals. With limited offensive weapons in the Minnesota offense, Cassel could be forced to hold onto the ball for longer than he wants. That will not end well…

3. Shaun Hill will have a 100+ pass rating

In his one season as a “starter,” Shaun Hill only managed to record a 100.0+ passer rating in 20% of his games. However, since Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson joined the Detroit Lions, they have never been known for their rushing attack, regularly asking Hill to attempt 40+ passes while he was under center. In St. Louis, Hill will likely throw somewhere between 25-30 attempts per game, with Brian Schottenheimer likely to rely heavily on the running game, particularly early in the game. As a result, Hill should be set up nicely in the pass action game. Moreover, assuming nothing drastic has changed in the offensive game plan, the Rams will utilize quick passes and screens to get players like Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, and some of the other explosive talents the ball in space. As a result, Hill should have a relatively easy time completing a high percentage of his passes and milk this receiver’s YAC for a relatively-high pass rating.

4. Tavon Austin will have 150+ all-purpose yards

When you have Zac Stacy in the backfield, Jared Cook in the slot, two behemoth receivers on the outside, and a 4.4 speed demon rotating into the game, it can be easy to forget about little ‘ol Tavon Austin in the lineup. However, as he showed towards the end of last season, he only needs a handful of touches to break open a game, whether those be rushing, receiving, or returning the football on special teams. While, we shouldn’t necessarily expect Tavon to lead the team in receptions or receiving yards, it wouldn’t be unfathomable to see him with, at least, one long catch and one long run. Tack on the return yards and 150+ all-purpose yards might not be that bold of a prediction after all…

5. Greg Zuerlein will nail a 55+ yard field goal

With it being the first game of the season, Shaun Hill and the St. Louis Rams offense will likely hit some speed bumps early in the game. Nothing  erases the bad memory of a stalled drive quicker than nailing a long field goal, particularly in the Edwards Jones Dome, where Greg “the Leg” is one of the favorites among the crowd. Fisher has never been shy about unleashing the leg from long distance, especially if it is close the end of the opening half. Look for Zuerlein to show off his leg early in this one.

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