St. Louis Rams: 10 Trends That Will Surely Continue Next Week Against Arizona

Despite winning two out of the last four, making it the most successful four game stretch of the season, the St. Louis Rams (2-8) are still showing some disturbing trends. 

Obviously, any team with a .200 winning percentage is not going to be a fundamentally sound group, which is certainly the case for the Rams. Consistency, or a lack thereof, has been detrimental to their 2011 season.

Fans are witnessing the same mistakes week-in-and-week-out from a team that was widely thought to be talented enough for a run at the NFC West title. The way the talent is under performing can certainly be pinned on a coaching staff that hasn't been able to develop the players or get the most out the roster. 

And there is no end in sight. 

Other than poor football, here are some trends that will continue against the Arizona Cardinals. They are not all bad, but regardless, this it what we can expect out of the team this Sunday...

10. Robert Quinn Will Continue To Grow

Despite being inactive in the Rams' opening day game against Philadelphia and receiving very little playing time in the first few weeks of the season, defensive end Robert Quinn is still putting together a quietly magnificent rookie campaign. 

Quinn was the No. 14 overall pick in last April's draft and has been flashing some of the monster potential he possesses. 

He has three sacks and two blocked punts in the last four games. He has four total sacks on the year and he also had a blocked field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs during the preseason. 

Expect Quinn to continue his rampage against Arizona this Sunday, especially since the Cardinals have a poor offensive line. 

9. Sam Bradford Will Continue To Be Inefficient

Sam Bradford is due for a breakout game at some point this season, he's too talented to continue his downward spiral. 

Bradford was just starting to click with the offense against Green Bay (29-for-45, 328 yards), but his sprained ankle at the end of that game kept him sidelined for two games and he has been unable to continue his growth ever since. 

At some point this season the offensive line will gel for a game or two and Bradford will start to click once again with the receivers. 

However, it likely will not happen against Arizona. 

Despite the Cardinals being ranked 27th in pass defense, they have talent in the secondary, such as Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. They will be able to keep Bradford in check, especially with some help from their pass rush, which will dominate the Rams weak line. 

The Rams will have to win the game on the ground with Steven Jackson, which brings us to the next point...

8. Steven Jackson Will Pound Away

After rushing for 417 yards in three weeks, Steven Jackson finally cooled off against the Seahawks last week with only 42 yards on 15 carries (2.8 yards per carry). 

Both of the Rams' starting tackles are out with injuries (Rodger Saffold, Jason Smith), so Jackson is running behind a patchwork line, which might lead you to believe that he'll be contained. 

However, the Cardinals are not stout against the run (ranked 24th in run defense), and Jackson is an elite player. He is too good to be completely held in check two weeks in a row, despite the inevitable poor run blocking that he'll receive.

7. The Receivers Will Be Unproductive

Brandon Lloyd has been very good ever since arriving in St. Louis, he has 26 catches and 322 yards in five games and has been one of only two consistent players on offense (the other being Steven Jackson). 

Lloyd has averaged 64.4 yards per game since arriving in St. Louis and had 80 yards against Arizona two weeks ago. So in the team's rematch against the Cardinals we can expect him to finish somewhere in the range of 65 to 80 yards and maybe a touchdown, which he has three of with the Rams this year. 

Lloyd is solid, but Bradford has no "bailout" option in the slot. Greg Salas and Danny Amendola, who were both solid options in the slot, are both out for the year with injuries. The only other slot option is Austin Pettis, who has been very mediocre so far in his rookie campaign (16 catches, 133 yards).

With Danario Alexander's return from a hamstring injury still questionable, the only other receiver capable of producing is Brandon Gibson, who has been a ghost the last two weeks with only four receptions and 37 yards. 

The injuries, combined the dropped balls that have been cursing the unit, so it's safe to say that the receivers will have yet another underwhelming performance. 

6. Chris Long Will Impress

The Arizona Cardinals' offensive line has surrendered 33 total sacks through 10 games, which is the third most in the NFL. 

Defensive end Chris Long has been an absolute beast for the Rams recently, with six total sacks in the last four games and nine total sacks on the season (already a career high). 

With the way Long has been playing, the Cardinals' line is in for a long day on Sunday. 

5. Penalties Will Hurt the Rams

Penalties have killed the Rams so far in 2011. They have 74 penalties on the year, which is the ninth most in the NFL. 

It's not that they can't survive going at the rate of 7.4 penalties a game, although that makes things tricky, but the timing of their penalties has been awful. 

Outside of their win against New Orleans, the Rams never fail to disappoint. Their ability to commit a procedure penalty on a promising drive, or hold in a unnecessary situation to wipe out a solid gain, is uncanny.

Then there is the occasional delay of game or unnecessary roughness, which always seems to hand the momentum right over the the opposing defense.  

There's no reason to expect a change in this trend on Sunday against Arizona. 

4. Quinn Porter Will Be Tackled Behind the 20-Yard-Line

The Rams are certainly missing Danny Amendola in the return game.

Amendola, who is out for the year with a dislocated elbow, was never a "take it to the house" type a returner, but he certainly was a fighter that found a way to give the offense some solid field position. 

Quinn Porter, a former practice squad running back for the Cleveland Browns who was claimed by the Rams early in the year, has taken over kick return duties and has not excelled, to say the least. 

Porter has attempted a return 19 times this season, and only 11 times has he brought it past the 20. But he never gets too far past the 20, as he's averaging 20.7 yards per return.

On the other eight attempts he has been tackled behind the 20, which has really been hurting him in recent weeks. 

The NFL moved the kickoff spot forward in 2011, so that's something to consider, but someone needs to tell Porter to play it safe an take a knee. He's not good enough to take it for a score, so don't even try. 

3. The Defense Will Give Up a Fourth-Quarter Touchdown

The defense has been a strong point for the Rams in recent weeks, keeping opponents relatively in check and giving the offense a reasonable opportunity to come up with a win, which they've only done twice. 

However, the defense has been letting opposing offenses slip by in the fourth quarter. 

Over the last five games the Rams' defense has allowed six fourth quarter touchdowns, which was particularly harmful against Arizona two weeks ago when Larry Fitzgerald's touchdown with just under four minutes left was the difference in the game. 

You can't really blame the Rams' defense. The stale offense commits so many three-and-outs that no one can reasonably expect the defense to stay rested and effective for four full quarters. 

2. The Offensive Line Will Be Dominated

The Rams have been forced to put together an amateur offensive line due to injuries at the position, but the line wasn't even good to begin with when healthy. 

Tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold are both injured. Saffold is out for the season, and while Smith has a chance to return, his serious concussion makes missing the season a realistic possibility.

Saffold's replacement at left-tackle, Mark LeVoir, was injured last week against Seattle with a pec injury and could be sidelined for up to four weeks. Third-stringer Kevin Hughes is the current left-tackle, despite having a pathetic performance against Seattle. 

Jason Brown, the Rams' starting center since 2009 and a $37.5 million free agent, lost his starting job ever since his poor performance against the Cardinals two weeks ago. However, he could possibly be forced into action again if the injuries continue.  

Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett and rookie outside-linebacker Sam Acho are capable of creating a dominate pass rush for the Cardinals and the three of them should excel in St. Louis this Sunday. 

1.  The Offense Will Be Atrocious

The Rams have scored only 120 total points through 10 games this season, which averages out to 12.0 points per game, making them the worst ranked offense in the NFL. 

The Rams have scored only 33 points in their last three games combined. If you take away their win against the Saints, a game where they score 31 points, the Rams next highest point total in a game this season is 16, which was against the Giants back in Week 2. 

The word "pathetic" does not rightfully describe the state of the Rams' offense. The point of the NFL is to provide entertainment and the Rams are certainly not entertaining to watch while they lose.

In other words, they are even bad at losing. 

There's likely nothing that will revitalize the offense by Sunday, so expect another poor offensive performance against the Cardinals, who the Rams were only able to score 13 points against two weeks ago. 

Brandon Lloyd: How the Trade Helps the St. Louis Rams in 2011

ESPN and the NFL Network have been updating us all day on the trade the St. Louis Rams made to acquire All Pro wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. 

The trade came just a day before the NFL trade deadline (Tuesday, Oct. 18) and came as a result of the Denver Broncos announcing over the weekend that their Pro Bowl receiver is on the trade block.

It was reported Sunday night that the San Francisco 49ers were showing the most interest in Lloyd, but now it's clear that the Rams always had the most interest. Perhaps Denver thought they could convince St. Louis that their division rivals were about to make a move.

The Rams got Lloyd for sixth-round pick, at least for now. If Lloyd pulls in 30 or more catches in a Rams uniform, then it will be upgraded to a fifth-round pick.

Fitting In With the Rams

As recently as Sunday, the Rams oldest receiver was the 26-year-old Mike Sims-Walker, who was just released in order to make room on the roster for Lloyd. 

Now all of the sudden the Rams have acquired the 30-year-old veteran Lloyd, as well the 29-year-old Mark Clayton who was just reunited with the team after spending six weeks on the PUP list. In the matter of one day, they went from having zero veteran leadership at the position to having two capable players who have been in the league for a while. 

That added experience is invaluable when so many of their receivers are so young, such as Danario Alexander (23), Brandon Gibson (24), Greg Salas (23) and Austin Pettis (23). The Rams receivers have been struggling with mental errors, such as multiple dropped passes, so it's good that they now have a pair of veterans to turn to for advice. 

What Lloyd also does is knock everyone down a peg. 

Lloyd will obviously face the opposing team's top cornerback, while Danario Alexander (who has been very good already this season) will now face No. 2 corners. Mark Clayton and Greg Salas will see a lot of nickel backs and outside linebackers, while Lance Kendricks will see middle linebackers. As a result, everyone should be able to produce slightly better by facing lesser talent. 

Another thing the Rams have been greatly struggling with is pass blocking. 

If Lloyd can make an impact and become the legitimate receiving threat he was in Denver, then there's a greater chance that either him or another receiver will be able to get open quickly, which Rams receivers have not done very effectively up to this point. 

A better receiving corps means better routes; the better the routes, the quicker the quarterback can throw the ball; the quicker he throws the ball, the less he gets hit; and a quarterback who gets hit less makes the offensive line look a lot better. 

Brandon Lloyd is a good pick-up for the Rams, but it's also important to maintain expectations.

Despite leading the NFL in receiving yards in 2010 (1,448), Lloyd is not a Calvin Johnson-caliber receiver. He's a very good receiver, but he's not capable of carrying an offense on his shoulders. It's going to take solid production from the other 10 members on offense for him to reach his potential. 

If the other offensive players can play at a higher level and give Lloyd some support, then he should be very productive for the team and will help them win football games.

Rams Trade For Pro Bowl Receiver Brandon Lloyd

The St. Louis Rams made a trade with the Denver Broncos today which made the Rams the new home for Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.

Lloyd led the NFL in receiving yards in 2010 with 1,448 yards. He also had 11 touchdown catches.


Lloyd's career year in 2010 with Denver was the result of head coach Josh McDaniel's offense. McDaniels is now the offensive coordinator for the Rams, so Lloyd should fit nicely into the team's current scheme.


The Rams have been desperate for playmakers, especially after losing Danny Amendola for the season during Week 1.


The Rams figured their offense could get a significant boost with both Lloyd and Danario Alexander lined up on the outside. Lloyd's 18.8 yards per catch average in 2010 hints that that the Rams are getting a downfield threat, which they've needed for a long time.


It's unclear whether or not Lloyd can match his 2010 production, especially since he was pretty average during his first eight NFL seasons, but even if he doesn't bring that same production, he still offers something that the other Rams receivers clearly don't have— the ability to consistently catch a football.


Lloyd has only dropped one pass in five game for the Broncos in 2011. If he can be just as sure-handed in St. Louis, then he will immediately be an improvement.


Lloyd is not a Calvin or Andre Johnson caliber receiver, despite being the top receiver in 2010, but he's certainly worth the gamble. A sixth-round pick (which could turn into a fifth-round pick based on his production) is a small price to pay for a player that could potentially payoff huge dividends.

St. Louis Rams Week 4 Report Card: Grading Every Unit

Another week and another loss for the St. Louis Rams (0-5) at Lambeau Field against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers (6-0). 

Despite 441 total offensive yards by the Rams, their only score came on a Josh Brown field goal. The final score was 24-3. 


Green Bay entered the game averaging 34.6 points per game, so the fact the Rams held them to 24 points was a positive. In fact, the Packers scored less points against the Rams than any other team they've faced in 2011. 


If you're a Rams fan and watched the game already at peace with the fact that they would not win, then you saw a lot of positives and some familiar negatives, but overall you saw a considerable amount of improvement. 


But if you were holding out hope that the Rams would somehow upset the Packers, igniting a juggernaut run to the NFC West title, then chances are you were emotionally crushed for the fifth time in a row.


The Rams did some good things on the field, but there was obviously some slackers as well, given the 21-point loss.


Here are the Week 6 grades for each unit...




QUARTERBACK: B



Sam Bradford is on an 0-5 team and threw for 321 yards against the defending Super Bowl champs and has fewer interceptions (two) than the quarterback of that team, Aaron Rodgers (three).

It's pretty obvious that he's not a problem for the Rams. 


There's are unintelligent people from every NFL fanbase, so the Rams are no exception. You might find a Rams fan out there willing to throw Bradford under the bus, but it's completely unwarranted. 


However, he's not perfect either.


Despite his 321 yards, his grade get knocked down a bit for having no touchdowns as well as for under throwing Danario Alexander in the end-zone, resulting in an interception.


The Rams might be dying for weapons at receiver, or for lineman who can block. They may even be panicking a bit when it comes to finding Steven Jackson's eventual replacement at running back. But the last thing anyone should be concerned with is the quarterback position, the Rams have solidity at that spot moving forward.




OFFENSIVE LINE: D+



The Rams offensive line gave up six sacks when they faced the Washington Redskins two weeks ago, so in comparison to that game they looked pretty good.

But then again, five shopping carts lined side-by-side would've performed better against the Redskins than the Rams' offensive line. 


All-in-all, they made some strides during the bye week and looked like a much more respectable unit, but they were still very average. Combine that with some false starts and holding penalties and the group is still leaving a lot to be desired.

RUNNING BACK: B+

Steven Jackson entered the game against the Packers completely healthy. It was his first time entering a game healthy since the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. 


Jackson rushed for 96 yards on 18 carries (5.3 yards per carry) against a defense who's much stronger against the run than the pass. 


Cadillac Williams also had some success against the Packers in a relief role. He had 24 yards on four carries (6.0 yards per carry) as well as a nine-yard reception. 


It was a solid effort by the backfield, but their biggest gain was only 13 yards, and they failed to find the end zone (not that they were ever in a position to score), so there was some room for improvement.




RECEIVER: B-



The receivers had a solid outing when considering how poorly the Rams offense has been moving the ball at times this season. 


After some impressive moments in 2010, everyone knew Danario Alexander possessed some big-play talent. At 6'5" with a solid 4.3 second 40-yard dash, he was considered a potential weapon, but the major concern was whether or not his knee would hold up after numerous operations. 

Not only has his knee held up fine since starting the 2011 season, but he's been phenomenal in an offense that's been starving for more playmakers. 


Alexander had six catches for 91 yards against the Packers and is leading Rams receivers with 287 yards. He didn't play receiver during the team's Week 1 match-up against Philadelphia, but if he continues his production, he could eventually be on pace for a 1,000-yard season.


He wasn't the only one with a solid game. Rookies Greg Salas and Lance Kendricks both had over 70 yards. Salas led the team in receptions with eight.


Brandon Gibson also contributed with four catches for 43 yards.


It would've been a great outing if they pulled in a few touchdowns, but instead, they had none. Combine that with a few dropped balls, which is a recurring theme with them, as well as a false start penalty on Kedricks, and the group loses some points.




DEFENSIVE LINE: C



The Rams defensive line was incapable of pressuring Aaron Rodgers. 


The pocket was solid and edges were secure. When a quarterback as good as Rodgers feels comfortable, you cannot expect to win. 


Green Bay receivers were running wild, which is partially on the secondary, but the line is to blame as well. When Gary Gibson is the only one to record a sack, something is wrong. 


However, it wasn't all bad—for the first time in 2011, the Rams defense did not allow a team to rush for more than 100 yards. The Packers are not known for their running game, but holding them to under 100 yards on the ground (96) is a moral victory at the very least.




LINEBACKERS: A



Throughout the first, third and fourth quarters, the Rams defense held the Packers to only three combined points. The difference was the 21 points scored in the second quarter. 


It was mentioned in the introduction to this article that the Rams defense held the powerful Green Bay offense to fewer points than any other team that has faced the Packers in 2011. 

Surely someone had to do something positive on defense to accomplish this. 


The answer: the linebackers, particularly James Laurinaitis. 


Laurinaitis and Chris Chamberlain, who started in the place of Ben Leber, were flying around the field. 


They are the primary reason the Packers converted only four of their 13 third-down conversions. They also played a major role in limiting the Packers run game and holding them under 100 yards.




SECONDARY: C-



The Packers produced very little offense on the ground, which obviously means the majority of their offense came through the air. 


Aaron Rodgers threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns, and the Green Bay receivers ran wild.

Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings combined for 186 receiving yards. Throw in a 35-yard touchdown catch by James Jones and it's clear it was not the secondary's finest game. 


The only thing you need to see to get an idea of their performance is watch Jordy Nelson's 93-yard touchdown catch. Darian Stewart and Al Harris were in the area, but they collided with each other while attempting to make a tackle, which allowed Nelson to break free. It was very symbolic of the groups overall performance.

Safety Quintin Mikell, as usual, was an exception. He was solid, as expected, and he had a great tackle for a loss in Green Bay's backfield, which denied the Packers on a third-and-one conversion.


Safety Craig Dahl had an interception, which also does something to help the secondary's grade as well. 
Overall, the group is really hoping cornerback Rod Hood is ready to play as soon as he gets up to speed.