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When: Sun. 11/27
1:00 pm EST
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Televised: Sun. 11/27
1:00 pm EST (DirecTV Sunday Ticket Ch. TBD)
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Satellite Radio: Sun. 11/27
1:00 pm EST (SIRIUS Radio - Ch.TBD)
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Setup
Overview
Steelers' Last Game
Meet the
Steelers
Cardinals Roster
Steelers vs. Cardinals Matchups
Setup:
Cards came from behind to win the first
game of the home in home in Glendale 19 - 13. Rams lost last
week to the Seahawks 24 - 7. Cards lost to the Niners 23 - 7.
Cards are 3 & 7. Rams are 2 & 8 so don't expect the StL home crowd
to be especially loud or vocal. With the playoffs all but
unreachable, I'd expect both teams to focus on finding ways for
each offensive, defensive or special teams unit to play better.
Overview
Rams
Last Game
Rams drew first blood with a TD in the 1Q,
but were shut out the rest of the way to lose 24 to 7. The game
seemed to be a replica of the Cardinal loss to SF - i.e. the Rams
lost the mistakes/giveaways/field position/time of possession
battle with Seattle (their only significant advantage was in
penalties - 5 flags vs. 13 for the 'Hawks).
Game summary:
First Quarter
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Seattle returned the KO to its own 15. On
the second play from scrimmage, Travaris Jackson's pass was
intercepted by Chamberlain. Rams ball on its own 29. First 5
plays of the series were passing plays. (6th was a 2-yd run by
Jackson). They punted from the Seahawk 49. Touchback. Three
plays later, T Jackson was picked off again, this time by
Mikell. Ram ball on the Seattle 27. Two plays later, Bradford
hit Lloyd for a 30-yard touchdown. Rams 7 -
Seahawks 0.
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Touchback on the KO. Seattle managed to
get to its own 28 in 7 plays but had to punt. Rams got the
ball back on their own 42. but went 3 & out. Seattle returned
the punt to their own 23. Rams held Seattle to 3 & out. Punt
was returned to the Ram 38. Rams were held to 3 & out. Leon
Washington returned the punt 37 yards to the Seattle 49. They
managed to get to the Ram 44 as the quarter ended, despite
Hall's sack for minus-11. 1st Quarter Score:
Rams 7 - Seahawks 0.
Second Quarter
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Two plays later, the Seattle punt was
returned to the StL 9. Penalties kept them battled up inside
their 10 until Jackson's run for +19 fell short of a 1st down
at the StL 25 and the Rams punted. This time, L Washington
returned it 20 yards to the StL 40. They moved to the StL 14
in 6 plays before Jackson hit Rice for 14 yards and a TD
to tie the score. Seahawks 7 - Rams 7
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Touchback on the KO. A 9-yard sack
contributed to a StL 3 & out. Punt was returned to the Ram 48.
A penalty and a sack (by D Stewart) forced Seattle to punt
from the StL 49. It was fair-caught at the StL 9. The Rams
managed to get to their own 19 in 6 plays before punting.
Seattle took over on their own 30 with 2:26 left til the half.
They got to the Ram 14 before Long's sack of Jackson (for
minus-12) moved Seattle back to the the StL 26. But an
interference call on King set up a 19-yard FG from the one
with 0:03 left to play. Halftime Score:
Seahawks 10 - Rams 7.
Third Quarter
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Rams received. Touchback. They went
no-huddle and passed on 7 of 8 offensive plays before punting
from the Seattle 38. Punt was downed at the Seattle 6.
Seahawks moved to their own 23 but were forced to punt. Punt
was returned to the StL 33. But on the 3rd play from
scrimmage, Bradford was sacked and fumbled. Seattle recovered
on the Ram 25. They moved to the 3 in 4 plays before Lynch ran
it in for a TD.
Seahawks 17 - Rams 7.
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Touchback on the KO. Rams made it to their
own 39 before punting. Fair caught on the Seahawk 16. Seattle
moved to their own 32 in five plays as the quarter ended.
3rd Quarter
Score: Seahawks 17 - Rams 7.
Fourth Quarter
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Seattle moved to the Ram 29 where (hmmmm!)
they punted. Touchback. StL went 3 & out. Seattle (aided by a
StL penalty on the punt) got the ball back at their own 40.
They moved into Ram territory but punted from the StL 46. Fair
caught on the StL 9. Rams moved to their own 31 but were
forced to punt. Downed at the Seattle 15. They went 3 & out
(with 2 false start flags sandwiched in there someplace). Punt
was fair-caught at the Ram 23. Bradford was sacked on the
first play of the series and intercepted on the following
play. Seattle ball on the StL 21. Three plays late, Forsett
took it in for a 22-yard score. Seahawks
24 - Rams 7.
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4:21 left. KO was returned to the StL 24.
Bradford was sacked twice during the 6-play no-huddle drive.
The second sack was fumbled. Seattle ball on the Ram 39 with
2:20 left. They reached their own 46 and punted. Ram ball on
their own 14 with 0:16 left. Bradford (ironically) took a knee
to end the game. Final Score: Seahawks 24 - Rams
7.
Game Stats
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Bradford went 20 of 40 for 181 yards,1 TD
and 1 interception
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Jackson gained 42 yards on 15 carries
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Lloyd (5 catches & a TD) Gibson (4) and
Clayton (3) were the three leading StL receivers.
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Bradford lost 2 fumbles to go with his pick
and was sacked 5 times.
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Laurinaitis led the Rams in tackles with
12 followed by Stewart with 8
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Ram pass rushers had 4 sacks - Stewart,
Quinn, Hall and Long had one sack apiece..
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The Rams picked off T Jackson twice.
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L Washington averaged 10 yards per punt
return (including one for 37-yards)
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Seattle's punter had a 10-yard edge in
net-punting average.
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Rams were penalized 5 times (vs. 13 for
Seattle)
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Seattle enjoyed a 35:00 to 25:00 time of
possession advantage.
Meet
the Rams
The Rams have a small core group of extremely
talented stars to take part of the heat off the rest off an
injury-racked roster
that lacks depth and is pockmarked byseveral points of vulnerability.
Some "depth challenged" teams can get lucky and motor their way
through most of their schedule with more wins than losses. The
Rams haven't been that lucky, and that's why they're 2 & 8 and
emasculated offensively. Bradford is finally healthy, and they
still have their Jackson, Long and Laurinaitis, but their
offensive line is banged up even worse than ours, and their
secondary is running on mere fumes. There comes a point during
most losing seasons where the team can either mail it in or commit
itself to bettering itself play by play, series by series. The
Rams appear to have arrived at just that point.
Quarterbacks
08 Bradford, Sam QB 6-4 228 23 2 Oklahoma
04 Feeley, A.J. QA 6-3 220 34 11
Oregon
Evaluation
Bradford (back
from high ankle sprain) continues to struggle surrounded by a suspect
surrounding offensive cast and questionable offensive game
planning.
Running Backs
39 Jackson, Steven RB 6-2 236 28 6
Oregon State
33 Williams, Cadillac RB 5-11 204
29 7 Auburn
34 Norwood, Jerious RB 5-11 209 28 6
Mississippi State
35 Porter, Quinn RB 6-0 205 25 1 Stillman
49 Miller, Brit FB 6-0 243 25 1 Illinois
Evaluation
Jackson's the Big Dawg
(159 yards on 25 carries and 4 catches for 32 yards vs. NO). His
pregame speech was said to fire up the entire Ram squad.
Fail to bottle him up at the LOS, cover him out of the backfield
or wrap up tackles and he's gonna embarrass you. His only problem
historically has been durability, but he sure does look healthy
right now. Yet last Sunday, Josh McDaniels inexibly went to a
no-huddle, empty base formation that split Jackson out at WR.
effectively removing him from being any kind of running threat. Rams added quality depth (& 3rd down explosiveness)
behind Jackson with Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood.
Wide Receivers
11 Gibson, Brandon WR 6-0 210 24 2
Washington State
18 Pettis,
Austin WR 6-2 209 R Boise State
15 Curry, Dominique WR 6-2 224
24 2 California, PA
83 Lloyd, Brandon WR 6-0 188 30 9
Illinois
84 Alexander, Danario WR 6-5 215 23
2 Missouri
89 Clayton, Mark WR 5-10 190 29 6 Oklahoma
Evaluation
Another beaten up group that's not considered all that scary, but they're all capable of getting
the job done when called upon and they get Clayton (Achilles)
back. Lloyd is their #1 guy and is as good as any NFL wideout.
They lost their possession guy, Salas due to injury.
Tight
Ends
47 Bajema,
Billy TE 6-4 259 29 7 Oklahoma State
86 Hoomanawanui, Michael TE 6-4 264 23 R
Illinois
88
Kendricks, Lance TE 6-3 247 23 R Wisconsin
81 Spach, Stephen TE 6-4 260 29 6 Fresno
State
Evaluation
Quite frankly, nothing jumps out at you.
Bajema dropped one last Sunday but otherwise is said to have had a
solid game. StL beat writer feels Kendiricks would be a beast of
thrown to more. Spach is a former Cardinal known for false start
penalties.
Offensive Line
76 Saffold, Rodger LT 6-5 323 23 R Indiana
73
Goldberg, Adam RT 6-7 309 31 7 Wyoming
79 LeVoir, Mark G 6-7
310 29 5 Notre Dame
63 Bell, Jacob LG 6-4 300 30 8
Miami (Ohio)
64 Wragge, Tony G/C 6-4 310 32 7 New
Mexico State
60 Brown, Jason C/G 6-3 328
28 7 North Carolina
62 Dahl, Harvey RG 6-5 305 30 6 Nevada-Reno
77 Smith, Jason RT 6-5 307 25 2 Baylor
Evaluation
:
The Ram depth chart appears to be dated - Saffold, Levoir and J
Smith have all missed playing time due to injury, and it's unclear
who will or won't return. When healthy, Saffold and Smith
represent solid bookends,
but Saffold may be gone for most if not the entire remainder of
the season and Smithhe suffered a concussion vs. NO and
was out last Sunday. Wragge is another former Cardinal who
can play both guard and center. He had an MRI done on his knee,
but is probable for Sunday. Good offensive line play requires
cohesion and teamwork. When you're down to playing a continual
game of musical chairs, your line play figures to be problematic
(& it has been).
Defensive Line
91 Long,
Chris LDE 6-3 276 26 3 Virginia
99 Ah You, C.J. DE 6-4
270 29 3 Oklahoma
98 Robbins, Fred LDT 6-4 325 34 11
Wake Forest
97 Scott, Darell RDT 6-3 315 25 2 Clemson
95 Bannan, Justin DT 6-3 310 32 10 Colorado
71
Gibson, Gary LDT 6-3 300 29 6 Rutgers
96 Hall, James RDE 6-2 281 34 10 Michigan
92 Sims, Eugene RDE 6-6 250 25 R West Texas A&M
94 Quinn,
Robert DE 6-4 265 21 R North Carolina
Evaluation
:
Nice unit. Long is a superstar sackmeister, run stopper and
team leader.
Robbins has consistently played B+ football since he arrived on
the scene 11 years ago. Quinn (a top draft pick) is beginning to
emerge as the pass rushing terror they envisioned. Hall can bring
it.
Linebacker
51 Poppinga,
Brady SLB 6-3 250 32 7 Brigham Young
50 Kehl, Bryan LB
6-2 237 27 3 Brigham Young
53 Nixon, David 6-3 225 26 3 Brigham
Young
55 Laurinaitis, James MLB
6-2 247 24 2 Ohio State
56 Hull, Josh SLB 6-3 239 24 R
Penn State
57 Chamberlain, Chris LB 6-1 230 26 4 Tulsa
59
Leber, Ben LB 6-3 244 32 10 Kansas State
Evaluation
Good starting cast but banged up and thin in depth.
I'd describe this unit as more a reliable grinder group than a
bunch of terrific athletes flying around all over the place.
Laurinaitis has quickly emerged as more than just a Pro Bowl
player to take on a kind of Ray Lewis/Troy Polumalu "carry the
team on my back" role. Poppinga is back (& it helps). Chamberlain
is beginning to make his presence felt. Some grousing among the
fans about having a veteran (Leber) sit on the bench preventing a
younger backer from getting game experience in a down year.
Secondary
21
King, Justin LCB 5-11 188 24 3 Penn State
26 Hood, Rod CB 5-11 201 30 9 Auburn
30 Ness, Nate CB 6-1 190 25 2 Arizona
38 Gordy,
Josh DB 5-11 195 24 1 Central Michigan
xx Johnson,
Marquis
20 Stewart,
Darian SS 5-11 215 23 R South Carolina
43 Dahl, Craig
S 6-1 209 26 5 North Dakota State
27
Mikell, Quintin FS 5-10 203 31 9 Boise State
37
Butler, James SS 6-3 209 29 7 Georgia Tech
Evaluation:
This unit has been anhilated by injury - they don't even have
backup veteran corner Al Harris to help hold the unit together on
the field. Most of the wreckage is at corner, and the Ram safeties
have hung in there fairly well. It's all come down to
whether or not the Ram Front 7 can put enough pressure on opposing
QB's to cover for their weakness at corner.
Special Teams
03 Brown, Josh K 6-0 205 32 9
Nebraska
05 Jones, Donnie P/H 6-2 225 31 7 Louisiana State
44 McQuaide, Jake LS 6-2
219 R Ohio State
18 Pettis, Austin PR/WR
6-2 209 R Boise State
34 Norwood, Jerious KR/RB 5-11 209 28 6
Mississippi State
Evaluation:
Jones had a subpar game last week -
surrendering 10 net-yards per punt in field position to his
opposite number on the Seahawks. Jones is solid. Norwood is
well-known as a home run hitter. There have been howls to relieve Pettis
(a rookie with good hands) of his punt return chores. Quinn Porter
is his backup.
Coaches
Steve
Spagnuolo Head Coach
Josh McDaniels Offensive Coordinator
Ken Flajole Defensive Coordinator
Tom McMahon Special Teams Coordinator/
Evaluation:
Spagnuolo coached for Tom Coughlin in New
Jersey and brings an old-school toughness to StL. McDaniels has had
a checkered career, leaving Bill Belicheck in New England to
become HC of the Broncos for a cuppa and now a DC. His decision to
"go empty" in the base offensive scheme by splitting Jackson out
wide has left him open to a rash of criticisms (i.e. Emasculates
the running attack; Neutralizes the biggest Ram offensive
strength; Puts more pressure on a young, rag-tag offensive line
etc.).
Cardinal Roster
Overall
Kolb continues to be out. His
replacement (Skelton) was part of a couple of wins (but both were
driven by lights-out defensive and special teams play).
The offensive line is butt-awful, making it hard to pose a running
threat ot give our QB's the extra split-second or two needed to
make proper reads and decisionsThe non-Fitz receivers are
inconsistent at doing the little things (like running crisp routes
and extending plays to help out their QB who is typically running
for his life).
QB - 19
Skelton, 02 Bartel , 4 Kolb,
After two decent appearances as a
replacement for Kolb, Skelton regressed to completing just 31% of
his passes. The Cardinal offense was entirely shut down by the
Niners until the 4Q when Skelton was replaced by Bartel. It is my
contention that none of our three QB's will get over the hump
statistically without better help from his pass blockers and
receivers. When a young QB faces a miniscule time-window for
making correct reads and decisions, his ability to make each play
becomes more a matter of luck than skill - which means that
sometimes the QB gets lucky and looks good and sometimes he gets
unlucky and looks horrible. Accordingly, look for Wiz to play the
hot hand (if there is such an animal) from here on out.
RB - 26, Wells,
36
Stephens-Howling (KR/PR),
29 C Taylor, 46 A. Smith
Wells continues to play under the handicap
of a sprained ACL. Gritty effort, but his ability to make
cuts continues to be hampered and the coaches (wisely) appear
reluctant to hand him the rock for too many carries. Some of the slack wouldhave to be taken up by 3rd down brealkaway
back Stephens-Howling (aka "The Howler") and veteran
Chester Taylor (who had a nifty 30+ yard inside run last Sunday).
FB - 45 Maui'a
Mau'ia replaces injured rookie Sherman. His
main role figures to be as lead blocker, but they'll occasionally
hand off to him short or throw an outlet pass to him.
WR -
85 Doucet , 12
Roberts, 17 Stuckey,
WR -11 Fitzgerald, 14 S Williams,
89 Sampson
Fitz is a fixture but Doucet and
Roberts continue to be a bit inconsistent - heros one week, but
dropping a difficult clutch ball the next. A positive note -
We're seeing Roberts chalking up impressive runs after catches and
on end arounds. Another positive note - the downfield blocking by
our wideouts has looked impressively better and better.
TE -
87 King,
81 Dray,
84 Housler, 86
Heap,
Heap and Housler have been sidelined. Kinghas
picked up some of the slack, but this unit isn't contributing the
way the coaches envisioned. I am not impressed
that much by Dray (his catching, his blocking or his ability to avoid
penalties) but he's all we got.
LT- 75 L Brown,
LG-
71 Colledge,
OC- 63Sendlein
RG-
70 Hadnot (C), 76
Lutui
RT
73 Bridges, 74 Batiste,
72 Keith,
This unit has performed horribly all season.
It's not just the sacks or poor ground yardage - it's the lack of
time our QB's have to unload the ball and the reluctance of our
coaches to dial up additional running plays if they're only going
to net us a couple of yards a pop (or worse). Biggest problem has
been at both tackles. Keith is hurt and Bridges will have to fill
in. Given our poor W & L record, itt would be a good time for Wiz
and Russ G to go to the well and take a look at our younger backup
linemen, but there's very little in the well to turn to. Plus -
we're still trying to acclimate our three QB's to the Cardinal
offense and doing so behind a bunch of young, raw replacements
would put their health at extreme risk. Still, this might be a
good time for Wiz and Russ to pick their spots when it comes to
substitues.
DE - 93 Campbell,
96 Talley
NT
79 Carter,
98
Eason
DT - 90 Dockett,
91 Holliday
Willams broke his arm and is probably gonzo
for the season. That leaves Carter and Eason to man the inside
fort (quite a contrast from last year when we had Williams, Branch
and Watson). If Campbell (who continues to bat down passes and
block FGs) doesn't wind up in the Pro Bowl, the entire voting
process is rigged. Dockett can physically bring
it, but sometimes only plays "pretty darned good" and not
lights-out 100% of the time. But there will seldom be a game where
DDock isn't doing something impressive to blow up a play in the
backfield or make a key stop at crunch time. Carter has had his
moments and is playing well for a rookie but had been a tad small
to play NT (although he's now up to 300 lbs). Eason had been
bigger than Carter, but now only enjoys a 5-pound advantage - plus
frankly he hasn't been getting the job
done. Holliday played the role of "Old Reliable" as a rotational
or spot backup. Cards just elevated Talley from the PS.
WLB
50 Schofield,
- 55 Porter,
ILB
51
Lenon,
52 Bradley
ILB-
58 D Washington,
56 Walker,
SLB
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94 Acho 53
Haggans,
Acho and
Schofield)are beginning to see more playing time than Haggans and
the injured Porter. Bradley saw his first extended amount of
action late in the Niner game and finally Lenon is usually right
there in the middle of the action but occasionally gets blown out
of his gap by enemy blockers or runners so it's nice to finally
see more of Bradley Washington has emerged as the best LB on this
unit. Both Acho and Schofield have a lot to learn, but they make
more of an impact each game you see them in. Walker has had his
moments (both good and bad) but needs to increase the good stufff
and eliminate the bad.
RCB -
21 Peterson,
31
Marshall
LCB-
20 Jefferson,
27 Adams,
32 Lindsay
SS- 24 Wilson,
41 Abdullah,
40
Tillman
FS-
49
Rash Johnson,
37 Celestine,
25 Rhodes,
The roller coaster of Cardinal roster units. Peterson will make
one spectacular play and then get torched or be flagged on the
next. Jefferson (though not quite as spectacular as Patty Pete) is
following the same pattern. You have to hope that both will
improve over time (and that the number of good plays will
increasingly outnumber the bad), but until then, continue to
fasten your seat belts. Wilson is beginning to make a greater
number of big plays than he had earlier in the season - he's
playing with true grit and deserves a shout-out. When Marshall and
Adams are used correctly, they provide extremely valuable ballast.
Neither will shine when matched up with bigger or faster
receivers, but both are lights-out hitters and cover aggressively
when matched up with the right slot guys. The fall-off from Rhodes
to Johnson has been tangible but (to Johnson's credit) not the
disaster it could have been.
K-04
Feely
P- 09 Zastudil
H -
09
Zastudil
LS-
82 Leach
KR -
37Stephens-Howling, 20 Jefferson
PR -
21
Peterson
Special teams has helped us
win at least 2 of our 3 games. Feely has had an up and down
year (& the last thing you want your kicker to be is an up and
down kicker).. Zastudil has been OK but not great. Peterson has
been playing at a Pro Bowl level as a returner. Card FG blocking
unit, led by Campbell, is one of the best (if not the best) in the
NFL.
Rams vs. Cardinals Matchups
Both teams of late have lacked offensive punch but
compensated in part with effective defensive play. Rams enjoy an
edge in the running game. Cards are better on special teams (both
in the return game and in blocking FGs).
Ram Passing Attack
vs. Cardinal
Pass Defense
I don't expect McDaniel to split
Jackson out wide in empty sets this week, but do expect him to
experiment with new stuff absent from the Cardinal scouting reel.
Bradford has able targets in Lloyd, Alexander
and Clayton, but a shaky offensive line may have him running for
his life, so don't be surprised if the Rams don't return to a more
balanced Run-to-Pass ratio. Still, having your receivers covered
by youngsters like Jefferson and Peterson may prove to be too much
of a temptation for Josh McDaniels.
Expect to see Horton having Acho and Schofield join
Campbell and Dockett to test the Ram's pass protection (but he'll
be wary of neglecting the threat of Jackson).
Ram
Running Attack vs.
Cardinal Run Defense
Go figure why a team would do a 180 and
neglect the dude who gained159 yards lon the ground the previous
week. (Why
fix what ain't broke! Expect the Rams to return to their
traditional ways and hand the leather to
Jackson and (with Dan Williams out) daring us stop him. Not only does it make sense
point-wise, but also figures to slow down the Cardinal pass rush.
Given the Rams' problems on their O-line and
passing attack, it would make sense for the Cardinals to do
what;'s necessary to take away Jackson and dare Bradford to beat
them through the air. Pressure will be on our Front Seven plus
A-Dub and possibly Adams to contain Jackson. (Note - Cards have
been vulnerable to zone blocking cutback runs, so they'd better
keep a watchful eye on Cadillac Williams and Norwood).
Cardinal Passing Attack
vs.
Ram Pass Defense
OK let's look at the carnage: (1) Cards
can't pass block. (2) Our QB's are ineffective when given
insufficient time to locate open receivers and pull the trigger.
(3) Our receivers aren't always open and too often prone to
dropping contested balls. (4) Our running attack has been spotty
at best.
(1) Rams have a good pass rush. (2) But their
corners are highly suspect.
Solution: Keep in extra blockers in pass pro
and let our receivers challenge their corners mano a mano.
Cardinal Running Attack
vs.
Ram
Run Defense
At the very least, establishing of a
viable running game might help keep the Ram defense honest and
take some of the heat off the their pass rush. I'd also like to
see a bit more of Chester Taylor on draws and catching out of the
backfield.
Word of caution - the bubble screen - all
three Cardinal QBs like to go to it on 3rd & medium or long, but
the Ram LBs are active and smart. I'd dial up those plays very
judicially if at all.
Special Teams
Cards match up well vs StL - especially
in FG blocking (Campbell) and punt returns (Peterson). In other
areas each team has its strong and weak points. Feely has been up
and down all year. Their punter had a "bad hair day" last week vs.
Seattle. Brown is a very good kicker. Zastudil is a good but not
exceptional punter.
Coaching
Spagnuolo and Wiz both have their hands
full. Keeping their respective teams playing hard is their biggest
challenge. I (& I'm sure lots of StL fans) have to be more than a
little puzzled why McDaniels used Jackson as a WR last week
instead of pounding Seattle early and often.
Final Word
This is a "cliche game" - where our focus has to be one
assignment; one play; one series; one quarter; one game at a time.
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