St. Louis Rams v Arizona Cardinals: What I Liked, What I Didn’t Like…

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The St Louis Rams once again held their own against a divisional rival – in this case the team with the best record in the NFL – but a fourth quarter meltdown let to the team’s sixth loss of the season. It was always going to be tough against Arizona, but the Rams did little to deserve the win, and Bruce Arian’s team exposed their many weaknesses.

What I Liked…

The Rams are not a 3-6 team        I do not know which I prefer: the Linehan-Spagnuolo Rams that rolled over with no hope of ever putting up anything remotely resembling a fight, or the team that shows flashes of brilliance that it fails to sustain throughout an entire game. The former seemed a futile team to follow, but the latter makes for a very frustrated Rams Nation. St Louis could easily have won up to three more games this season had it not suffered from lapses of concentration that saw opponents take advantage before anyone in blue-and-gold realized what was going on. We keep going on about it, but wins against Seattle and San Francisco, close calls against Dallas and Philadelphia, and taking a halftime lead against Arizona all show that the Rams have potential, as you should expect from a young team with eleven first-rounders in the starting 22 (when all are healthy!). There have been stretches when the Rams have played very well and have introduced some semblance of hope. They have simply been unable to maintain this level, as the Arizona game proved. And I am not defending these Rams: the losses have been entirely their fault. I will refuse to blame bad luck or poor officiating; instead, I will blame turnovers, drops, penalties, tackling, coverage, play-calling…

Young defenders     If the Rams are going to build on this potential, they need their young players on the defensive side of the ball to step up. And this is exactly what some of these did on Sunday. T. J McDonald had an impressive start to the season, then faded down the stretch, but returned with vengeance against the Cardinals. The second-year safety led the team in tackles and, at various points in the first half, seemed to be everywhere, making big hits and imposing his dominance. With Brian Quick out for the remainder of the season, McDonald could be a contender for Most Improved Player. E. J. Gaines was similarly impressive and is proving to be the find of the draft. But for Aaron Donald, Gaines would be St Louis’ Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he is even outplaying veteran starters Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. He made several big plays, not least a spectacular deflection in the end zone to prevent a touchdown. And, after a few weeks in the doldrums, it was nice to see Alec Ogletree have a good game. Showing his appetite for big plays, Ogletree had an interception and forced a fumble, though it was disappointing to see quarterback Carson Palmer prevent him from taking the pick back to the house. This was an encouraging game for these youngsters who need to continue forming a formidable part of the Rams’ defense.

What I Didn’t Like…

Austin Davis’ turnovers     Time is running out for the Rams’ latest quarterback. Davis threw for 216 yards and one touchdown, but also committed three turnovers in the form of two interceptions and one fumble. Davis caught the attention of many with his early season heroics, but his weaknesses are evident and are being exploited by opposing coaches. He makes woefully inaccurate throws and his decision making is poor. Lately, he has shown a worrying tendency to hold on to the ball for too long. Yes, there were some pass protection issues on Sunday, but these were not to blame for his interceptions. Davis once again effectively gave the game away and is leading an offense that is failing to pile up the points it did earlier on in the season. Like many hopeful Rams fans, I was enthusiastic about Davis’ performances, but every good play he makes is counter-balanced by five bad ones and, while I would advocate him remaining the starter until the end of the season, it is obvious that the search for a new quarterback will soon follow.

The running game   Davis is not helped by the fact that the running game is so dreadfully inconsistent. Tre Mason averaged under 3.5 yards per carry, admittedly against a strong Arizona defense, but there were few adjustments to vary the offensive strategy. Benny Cunningham made a few appearances, but I am unsure as to why Zac Stacy is being kept on the sidelines, especially in short-yardage situations. I do not think that Mason is doing enough to warrant being the team’s featured back, and players such as Stacy and Trey Watts could contribute towards the running game becoming more unpredictable and imaginative. Austin Davis needs help, and the backfield is not providing it.

Other thoughts and observations…

Does Tavon Austin not know how to read blocks?…Mark Barron had five tackles and a sack – not bad for the newcomer…Larry Fitzgerald must circle the Rams games on his calendar…Austin Davis’ default look seems to be one of panic…on the quiet, Robert Quinn suddenly has six sacks for the season…