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December 8, 2014 at 9:14 pm #13459
znModeratorNo time for St. Louis Rams to savor win in Washington
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14451/no-time-for-rams-to-savor-win-in-washington
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Before the St. Louis Rams even departed the FedEx Field locker rooms after their 24-0 win Sunday night, they had already moved on to what’s next.
The normal 24-hour rule which allows players to seethe over a loss or bask in the glow of a win was called off by coach Jeff Fisher in his postgame comments to the team. As far as Fisher was concerned, Sunday night might as well have been Wednesday night.
That’s because the Rams have no time to waste with their next game just three days away. St. Louis hosts the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night.
“There’s not even a 24-minute rule,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “It’s Wednesday of game week. You are already preparing for first and second down run and play-action and all that stuff so hop on this plane here and start looking at tape.”
It’s to the Rams’ benefit that they won’t have to travel halfway across the country like the Cardinals, but the short week presents plenty of challenges in its own right.
First and foremost, there’s very little time for the Rams to recover from Sunday’s victory. That could be a problem considering Fisher has made a point of giving key veterans and banged-up players extra time off in recent weeks. This week, there’s no extra time to give. Laurinaitis, who has been sitting out Wednesday practices because of an ankle issue, hopped in the cold tub at Rams Park rather than heading home when the Rams got back to St. Louis on Sunday night.
The good news — though it’s also good news for Arizona — is that the Cardinals are a division opponent who the Rams have played recently and have plenty of familiarity with. Laurinaitis said after the game he could tick off the Cardinals’ favorite run plays on the spot so any preparation will be more of a refresher course than a crash one.
On the plane ride home and even after the Rams returned to Rams Park, they planned to have study sessions to begin getting ready for the Cardinals.
“Yeah, that helps for sure but as soon as we land in St. Louis we’ll get to work on them,” quarterback Shaun Hill said. “You know, that’s kind of the way these Thursday games work. I mean, it’s long hours up until game time and then you’ve got to get everything in in a shorter period of time. But we’ll do that and we’ll handle it well.”
At 6-7, the Rams have a chance to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 1-1 earlier this season. What’s more, they have a chance to win three consecutive games for only the second time in Fisher’s tenure in St. Louis.
“There’s no 24-hour rule,” Laurinaitis said. “I’ll have that iPad out and we’ll be watching tape on the plane. Right now it’s Wednesday of game week. We have just got to heal the body up well and move forward.”
December 9, 2014 at 8:27 am #13476znModeratorRams have little time to prepare
By Jim Thomas
Win, lose, or draw, the time-honored custom in the NFL is that players, and coaches for that matter, get 24 hours to celebrate or stew over that week’s result before moving on to the next challenge.
But the “24-hour rule” has been scrapped this week at Rams Park. With the Arizona Cardinals coming to town for a Thursday night game at the Edward Jones Dome, there’s not even a “24-minute rule” this week.
“There’s no minutes,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said Sunday about 20 minutes after the Rams’ 24-0 victory at Washington. “It’s already Wednesday of game week — you’re already preparing for first- and second-down run and play-action and all that stuff. So hop on this plane here and start rolling the tape.”
Normally tape review comes Monday, and the players don’t get any semblance of the game plan until Wednesday, which under a normal schedule is the first day of the practice week.
But with only three days to get ready, that schedule gets condensed this week. Through the wonders of the iPad, players and coaches watched game film of the Washington contest, plus got a head start on Arizona on the flight home Sunday night.
“We watched the (Washington) game on the airplane last night,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “The coaches got together and got as much done as they possibly could.”
Before the flight back to St. Louis, quarterback Shaun Hill said he planned to watch the Washington tape, plus at least one or two Arizona games before calling it a night.
“You know, that’s kind of the way these Thursday night games work,” Hill said. “I mean, it’s long hours up until game time. You’ve got to get everything in in a shorter period of time. But we’ll do that, and we’ll handle it well.”
After playing four consecutive games outside the division, at least the Rams have the benefit of playing an NFC West opponent, Arizona, who they faced just 30 days ago in Glendale, Ariz., in a 31-14 loss.
“Luckily it’s a familiar opponent,” Laurinaitis said. “So we’ve got to hunker down and really focus on getting the body right. It’s hard because it’s a short week and you just want to kind of turn your mind off a little bit. But let’s go get this. Let’s get in the cold tub. Let’s get the body right.”
At a team meeting Monday, Fisher told the players that the keys to success during a short work week are recovery and preparation. Recovery meaning the process of getting the body right through treatment, including, as Laurinaitis said, hopping into the cold tub. Preparation means making the most out of somewhat limited time for film study, time in the meeting room and time on the practice field.
Because of the 7:25 p.m. kickoff, Fisher has adjusted the daily schedule to get the players’ body clocks acclimated to a night schedule. For example, the team held a walk-through Monday at 5 p.m., to go over the first- and second-down portion of the game plan for the Cardinals.
Today, the Rams will work from 4:30-6 p.m., with a combination walk-through and practice.
On Wednesday, the on-field work will be a combination of what the team does on a normal Friday and Saturday. “We’ll do a little bit more than we would ordinarily do on the day before,” Fisher said.
And then that’s it — time to play a Big Red squad that at 10-3 shares the best record in the NFL despite losing two of its last three contests.
“Familiar opponent that’s playing well,” Fisher said. “They’re a good football team. Drew (Stanton)’s playing well. They went down and had a rough day in Atlanta and rough one at Seattle, which everybody does.”
Those were road losses on the last two Sundays of November. But the Cardinals rebounded Sunday at home, squeaking past Kansas City 17-14 to give them 10 victories for the second consecutive season.
“They’re playing well at home,” Fisher said. “That was a big win for them (Sunday).”
The Cardinals are 7-0 at home this season but only 3-3 on the road. So the short week is even tougher for them, because they’ve got to prepare quickly and then travel.
Fisher is 1-1 in Thursday night games since being hired as Rams coach in 2012, with both previous Thursday nighters played in St. Louis. The Rams defeated Arizona 17-3 on Oct. 4, 2012 following a home game the previous Sunday against Seattle.
Last season, the Rams were embarrassed 35-11 by San Francisco in another early-season Thursday night contest played Sept. 26. The Rams were coming off a road loss to Dallas before that one.
Fisher said he’s never played a Thursday night game so late in a season, even dating back to his days with Tennessee. “You know, almost mid-December,” he said.
The 6-7 Rams are hoping to post their fourth consecutive victory at the Dome, and their third victory in a row overall after posting back-to-back shutout wins against Washington and Oakland.
“We can’t get complacent because this offense we’re going against is powerful,” Laurinaitis said. “Coach (Bruce) Arians is a good football coach, so we’ve gotta be ready.”
December 10, 2014 at 3:47 pm #13561
wvParticipantBernie Byte: The Rams as betting favorites
• By Bernie Miklasz[www.stltoday.com]
Despite being 6-7, the Rams are a four-point betting favorite over the visiting Arizona Cardinals, who lead the NFC West with an impressive 10-3 record.
Other than the obvious thing — the betting line is directly related to wagering trends — why are the Rams favored?
Let’s take a look:
• The Cardinals are unbeaten at home but only 3-3 on the road. The Cardinals rank 24th in the NFL with a road-scoring average of 19.7 points per game, and they are 26th with only 11 touchdowns from scrimmage in road games. They rank 29th with an average of 3.3 yards per carry in road games, 25th in net passing yards per road game, and are 31st in average yards from scrimmage (299.3) when away from home.
• Home or away the AZ offense has slowed, scoring only two touchdowns in the last 15 quarters of play.
• Arizona QB Drew Stanton is 1-3 on the road with a 63.5 passer rating. That 63.5 road passer rating is the worst among NFL quarterbacks. At least until now, Stanton has been a different quarterback on the road. He’s been very good at home, having gone 4-0 as a starter with a 97.7 passer rating.
• The Rams defense has pitched two consecutive shutouts; that hasn’t happened in the NFL since Dallas did it in 2009. And the two consecutive shutouts are the first for the franchise since the Cleveland Rams pulled it off in 1945.
• The Rams defense is now second in the NFL (to Seattle) for fewest points allowed. This counts ONLY the points scored by the opposing offense against the defense. It excludes INT and fumble returns for touchdowns, and TDs scored on special teams. Anyway, Seattle has allowed 219 points from scrimmage, and the Rams defense is a close second with 221 points given up.
• Since Nov. 2, which spans six games, the Rams defense has produced an impressive set of rankings:
– The Rams have allowed the fewest number of touchdowns from scrimmage, 6.
– They have the most sacks, 29.
– They are tied for 1st for most takeaways, with 15.
– They are tied for 2nd with nine interceptions.
– They are tied for 2nd in third-down stops, with opponents converting 29.6 percent.
– They are 2nd in fewest rushing yards given up per game (58.7) and are third in average yield (3.26 yards) per rushing attempt.
– They are 6th on the list of the lowest opponents’ passer rating, at 76.7.
So you can see the basis for gamblers thinking that the Rams have a good chance of winning.
I suppose this is another sign of the Rams making progress: when the gamblers start believing in you, then you’re probably on the way to becoming a good team.
This is a rarity, by the way.
The Rams will be favored to win for a third consecutive game. That hasn’t happened since the final three games of their 2010 season.
This will be only the 10th time that the Rams entered a game as the favorite since Jeff Fisher became head coach in 2012.
In their previous nine betting-favorite games under Fisher, the Rams went 5-4 in covering the spread. That includes the team’s consecutive wins over Oakland (52-0) and Washington (24-0.)
When the Rams are the betting underdog, they’ve gone 21-15 against the point spread with Fisher as coach.
Thanks for reading …
— Bernie
December 10, 2014 at 7:07 pm #13576znModeratorW2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14500/w2w4-st-louis-rams-18
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals kick off Week 15 on Thursday at the Edward Jones Dome. Kickoff is set for 8:25 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Here are three things to watch from the Rams’ perspective:
1. Sacking Stanton: Arizona quarterback Drew Stanton has had his ups and downs since taking over for Carson Palmer, but all told he’s 4-3 as the starter. Still, Stanton’s home/road splits are pretty glaring and he’s entering an extremely difficult situation against a Rams’ pass rush that is every bit as ferocious right now as it was expected to be at the beginning of the season. The Rams have 34 sacks since Week 7, most in the league in that time and have seen their rank in total sacks go from last in the league to tied for seventh in that time. Making matters more complicated for Arizona is the fact Jonathan Cooper is still settling in as the starter at left guard with right guard Paul Fanaika and left tackle Jared Veldheer battling ankle injuries. Stanton is 3-0 with an 80.7 QBR at home but those numbers fall to 1-3 with a 34.2 QBR when the Cardinals travel.
2. Big-play chances: Quarterback isn’t the only position with a new look for the Cardinals since the Rams last played them. Arizona is dealing with even more injury issues in the secondary, having since lost Tyrann Mathieu to a thumb injury and cornerback Antonio Cromartie now dealing with an ankle issue. Mathieu is out for Thursday night and Cromartie’s situation is more unclear, but either way, it could open some opportunities for the Rams to make some big plays in the passing game. That’s been something quarterback Shaun Hill has done pretty well since he’s been starting. For the season, Hill is 13-of-27 on passes traveling at least 15 yards in the air for 369 yards, two touchdowns and one interceptions for a QBR of 98.3. Those big plays have often gone to receiver Kenny Britt in recent weeks, but tight end Jared Cook and receiver Stedman Bailey have also been in on the action. Arizona’s secondary had a big day against the Rams in the first meeting but with Hill under center, St. Louis should be better equipped to take care of the ball and make some plays in the passing game.
3. Stick to the formula: Speaking of taking care of the ball, I see no reason to change what’s working for the Rams in recent weeks. The formula isn’t hard to figure out. Don’t turn the ball over, take the ball away and you are in great position to win. The Rams didn’t have any turnovers in Washington last week and improved to 4-0 on the season when they don’t give it away. That’s not a coincidence. The defense, meanwhile, continues to come up with takeaways. Turnovers made the difference in the first meeting between these teams and ultimately landed Austin Davis a spot on the bench. If Hill can eliminate those mistakes, the Rams will be well positioned to get the win.
December 10, 2014 at 7:08 pm #13577znModeratorRams-Cardinals: Matchup breakdown
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14503/rams-cardinals-matchup-breakdown-2
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at three individual matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals meet at 8:25 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers vs. Cardinals left guard Ted Larsen/Jonathan Cooper
The Cardinals are banged up on the offensive line with Fanaika dealing with an ankle sprain since Week 13 and far from a certainty to play this week. If Fanaika is out, the normal left guard Ted Larsen will replace him on the right side forcing Cooper into the lineup. In fact, it’s probably a better bet that Cooper will make his second consecutive start. Cooper was the highly-touted guard prospect from North Carolina in 2013 who missed the season with a knee injury and has still be working his way to the starting lineup. Against Kansas City last week, Arizona coach Bruce Arians said Cooper was ‘OK’ but mentioned that he’d been pushed backwards about 10 times.
In Brockers, Cooper (or Larsen) would be drawing the most favorable matchup of any of the Cardinals offensive linemen. That’s not to say Brockers is a pushover so much as it’s better than having to deal with the likes of Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald. But Brockers has played much better in recent weeks, particularly against the run and he’s a big, powerful sort who could give the athletic but smaller Cooper some issues. The Cardinals are going to have their hands full upfront but their line has been much improved in 2014. Brockers versus Fanaika or Cooper isn’t the draw of other matchups upfront but it could be an important one in determining the outcome.
Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines vs. Cardinals receiver John Brown
The Rams defense is playing so well right now that it seems the only way to really beat them is to get a big play. Well, few players in the league have a knack for the big play like Brown. The Rams found that out first hand in the first meeting between the teams when Brown made a spectacular diving catch for a 48-yard touchdown that was ultimately the game winner. Brown has made a habit of those big plays in his rookie season though his production has tailed off a bit since that big catch against St. Louis.
The Rams, meanwhile, are getting much better production out of their secondary lately in part because they’re finally healthy. With Trumaine Johnson back, the Rams have been using Gaines as the starter at left cornerback but kicking him inside in the nickel. That’s where Gaines could see plenty of Brown this time around. Brown beat safety Rodney McLeod for the touchdown in Arizona but Gaines is a reliable cover type who hasn’t allowed many big plays this year.
It’s unlikely the Rams can continue to pitch shutouts but if they want another one, they’ll need Gaines to be on point against Brown.
Rams tight end Jared Cook vs. Cardinals safety Deone Bucannon
I wanted to avoid repeats from the first matchup here but I’m making an exception for this one considering Cook’s success against the Cardinals in that meeting. Cook had two catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in that game and Arizona continues to struggle to cover tight ends consistently.
Even before that, Cook had a big game in the 2013 season opener when he torched Arizona to the tune of seven catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He would have had three scores if not for an amazing play by Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu to force a fumble just before Cook crossed the goal line. Regardless, Arizona was one of the worst teams in the league last year defending tight ends which led directly to the selection of Bucannon.
Bucannon has been used primarily in the nickel and dime for the Cardinals but has flashed the potential to help in a variety of ways. He had his first career fumble recovery in Week 8 against Philadelphia and has 39 tackles and two passes defended so far in his rookie season. With Mathieu out because of a thumb injury and cornerback Antonio Cromartie battling an ankle issue, the Cardinals figure to have some question marks in the secondary. That could mean any plans to help slow Cook might have to be altered to help elsewhere.
December 11, 2014 at 9:13 am #13623znModerator
7 things to watch: Rams vs. CardinalsBy Jim Thomas
STRUGGLES ON THE ROAD
This marks the third game in a row that the Rams face either a rookie or a backup QB. Drew Stanton hasn’t been nearly as effective on the road as at home this season. He has completed 57% of his passes for 874 yards, six TDs, and two INTs at University of Phoenix Stadium. His home passer rating is 97.7 and he’s averaging 8.74 yards per attempt. The Cardinals are 4-0 in games he’s appeared in at home (including three starts). It’s a different story on the road, where he has completed 52.5% of his passes for 728 yards, one TD, and three INTs. His road passer rating is 63.5 and he’s averaging 6.07 yards per attempt. The Cardinals are 1-3 in games he has started on the road. Stanton is a tough guy, and has good mobility. He came off the bench to lead Arizona to a fourth-quarter comeback victory over the visiting Rams 32 days ago. But the Rams’ defense has progressed to the point where they shouldn’t let a guy like Stanton beat them.
EYE-OPENING DEBUT
With Andre Ellington out for the year with a hernia, unheralded RB Kerwynn Williams had an eye-opening rushing debut last week against Kansas City. Promoted from the practice squad last week, Williams rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries vs. KC, recording the first 100-yard rushing day of the season for the Big Red. Williams, a first-year player out of Utah State, reminds Jeff Fisher a little bit of Maurice Jones-Drew in terms of running style and stature.
REST OF THE BACKFIELD
Those were Williams’ first NFL carries, and the Cardinals have next to no experience behind him, either. Stepfan Taylor, Marion Grice and Robert Hughes have 87 NFL carries for 263 yards among them. With 46 catches, Ellington was Arizona’s second-most productive pass-catcher this season, but the Big Red threw only twice to backs vs. the Chiefs. Young backs often have problems with blitz pickup as well, so that could be an area the Rams can exploit.
STILL THE MAN
Larry Fitzgerald has more career receptions (131) and TDs (16) against the Rams than any other opponent — he’s played them 21 times. In the first matchup in Arizona, the eight-time Pro Bowler had nine catches for 112 yards against the Rams. But he has been slowed by a knee injury lately, missing the Nov. 23 Seattle game and Nov. 30 Atlanta contest. He was at far less than 100 percent last week vs. KC, catching four passes for just 34 yards.
REVIVED PASS RUSH
After getting just eight sacks in their first eight games, the Cardinals have been getting to the opposing QBs with regularity. Try 23 sacks over the past five contests, a league high over that span. Yes, that’s more than even the resurgent Rams’ pass rush, which has 21 sacks in its past five games. The Big Red hot streak started with six sacks in the first meeting vs. the Rams. OLB Alex Okafor has five sacks in his past five games; DE Frostee Rucker had a career-high two sacks last week vs. KC.
RETURN TO SENDER
After Tavon Austin’s banner day on punt returns against Washington, the Rams now have the league’s fourth-ranked punt returner (Austin, with an 11.1-yard average) and fifth-ranked kickoff returner (Benny Cunningham, with a 28.5-yard average). Arizona is in the bottom half of the league rankings in both punt coverage (24th) and kickoff coverage (27th). So there could be some opportunities in the return game tonight in the Edward Jones Dome.
WINNING THE 4TH
Arizona has been outscored in every quarter this season except the fourth. But the fourth belongs to them. In a league where nearly half the games are decided by a touchdown or less, the Cardinals know how to finish. They have outscored the opposition 99-40 in the final 15 minutes, a ratio of 2½ points to 1. They padded that total in their Nov. 9 home triumph over St. Louis, outscoring the Rams 21-0 in the fourth quarter to erase a 14-10 deficit.
December 11, 2014 at 9:18 am #13627znModeratorBig test for both Rams, Arizona
By Bernie Miklasz
Minutes after his Rams had completed a thorough 24-0 thwacking of the tackling dummies dressed in Washington Redskins’ costumes, coach Jeff Fisher stepped to a podium and actually said this:
“We can play better.”
This wasn’t a meaningless example of predictable coach-speak; Fisher truly believed it.
Think about that for a few seconds. In the last two weeks the Rams jacked the Oakland Raiders 52-0, then added to the misery in Washington by imposing a second consecutive shutout.
Two games, two wins, and a preposterous 76-0 point differential. But Fisher wants more from his team. And he thinks they can give it. The players agree.
“I feel like we were playing well as a team,” quarterback Shaun Hill said. “You can’t just say, ‘Well, we’ve turned the corner, now it’s time to relax.’ You’ve got to keep doing the same things that you’ve been doing that have got you to this point. That’s the way it is in the NFL. You’ve got to just keep going, keep churning and keep working — and this group does that.”
This leads us into tonight’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams are only 6-7 but trending favorably. They’ve gone 5-3 in their last eight games, are 3-1 since Hill was plugged back in at quarterback, and are cracking opponents with a bruising level of defense.
This Rams’ run has featured wins over Seattle, San Francisco and Denver plus the curb-stomping wipeouts of Oakland and Washington. But tonight presents an opportunity to knock down the 10-3 Cardinals, the leaders of the cantankerous NFC West Division.
The Cardinals are no fluke; over the past 22 games they’re tied with Denver and New England for the best record (17-5) in the NFL.
The football nation will be tuning in to the NFL Network to check out the Rams to see if this team is truly on the rise — or just randomly hot. After a 1-4 start to the season, the Rams have a chance to complete their difficult climb to a .500 record.
In short, it’s an appealing showcase for a franchise that has staggered, wandered and limped to a 57-115-1 record since posting its last winning season in 2003.
“Right now we’ve got a little momentum and we just have to keep it,” Fisher said Wednesday. “Really outstanding opponent we’re playing and they’re one of the top seeds right now. This will be a good chance for us to really see how we match up with some of the elite teams in the league.”
Symbolic of their improved performance, the Rams are a four-point favorite over the Cardinals. They’re the betting favorite for the third consecutive game, which hasn’t been the case since Fisher took command of a massive franchise cleanup in 2012. At least they’ve captured the gamblers’ attention and respect.
The national cable audience will inspect a hell-raising Rams defense that has 29 sacks and 15 takeaways while surrendering only six touchdowns from scrimmage over the past six games. Among NFL defenses, only Seattle (219) has allowed fewer points from scrimmage than the Rams (221) this season.
“This is a good, young group,” Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “We’ve eliminated some of those miscommunication things from a young standpoint, from an experience standpoint. They’re playing very well. We’ve got to take the next step. We’ve still got to put whatever it is behind us. It’s, ‘What have you done for me lately and how have you played for me today?’ We’ve got to get ready to play the next one.”
Curious helmet heads will look in to scrutinize the breakaway potential of Rams rookie running back Tre Mason, the emergence of all-purpose playmaker Tavon Austin, the deep-ball threat of wide receiver Kenny Britt and the seam-busting routes of tight end Jared Cook.
The ornery Fisher may even throw in a trick play or two … though I don’t think the mischievous coach can top what he pulled on Sunday in Washington, when he trolled the Redskins by sending out the six players procured by the Rams through the Robert Griffin III trade to represent the Rams in the pregame coin toss.
This is a winnable game for the home team. The Cardinals, only 3-3 on the road this season, are averaging only 19.7 points (ranking 24th) away from their home base.
Quarterback Drew Stanton — the replacement for the injured Carson Palmer — has the NFL’s worst passer rating (65.3) on the road this season. And be it home or away, the Arizona offense has scored only two touchdowns from scrimmage in its last 15 quarters.
Under Williams, the Rams have called more blitzes than any team in the league this season. And they’ll be going after Stanton tonight.
The Cardinals, however, remain dangerous. Their defense is among the league’s toughest, and the Big Red franchise already has won 10 games for the second consecutive season. You have to go back to the peak seasons of Don Coryell in St. Louis to find the last streak of consecutive 10-win seasons for the Cardinals.
Local football historians will recall that the entertaining Cardinals of Coryell, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli, Jim Hart, Mel Gray and Terry Metcalf won 31 games between 1974 and ‘76.
A contingent of “Greatest Show” era St. Louis Rams — including Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Orlando Pace and Dick Vermeil — will be in the house tonight.
It all makes for good theater.
But this is serious business.
The game is an undeniable credibility check for the Rams. With skepticism increasing, this is another test for the Cardinals, who are desperately trying to hold off the surging Seahawks (9-4) in the NFC West.
The combination of factors makes for an enticing matchup. Given the ferocity of both defenses, this game likely will have the subtlety of a UFC brawl.
“We’ve got to just keep getting these wins,” Cook said. “We’re a team that’s still growing. And we’ve got big things ahead of us. But we have to keep winning.”
Cook is right. The Rams have teased their fans before — inflating hopes, then letting everyone down.
Well, that can change tonight. Fisher believes his squad can play even better, and you want to believe that it’s true. The pressure is on the Rams to come through with an emphatic victory at home. Will the Rams respond, or relapse? It’s time to buckle up.
December 11, 2014 at 9:18 am #13628znModeratorKurt Warner on ‘Inside the NFL’: Cardinals vs. Rams preview
The “Inside the NFL” crew breaks down the Thursday night matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams.
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