Rams-related notes: Wild-card round By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15173/rams-related-notes-wild-card-round?

Saturday, January 3, 2015
Rams-related notes: Wild-card round
By Nick Wagoner

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The NFL playoffs get underway Saturday and, as you already know, the St. Louis Rams are not involved once again.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any ties to what’s going to take place this weekend and throughout the playoffs. Last year, we used this space on Saturdays to offer some thoughts and connections between the Rams and the teams still playing football. At the end, I’ll provide a few picks you didn’t ask for on the weekend’s games.

Let’s get to it:

There aren’t as many 2014 Rams’ opponents in this year’s postseason as last year. The Rams played six games against playoff teams in 2014. That includes two meetings against Seattle, two against Arizona and one each against Denver and Dallas. The Rams’ record in those games was 2-4 with wins at the Edward Jones Dome against Seattle and Denver. They had the Cardinals on the ropes in both games and couldn’t finish them off, and the loss to the Cowboys early in the season probably still sticks out as the team’s most disappointing defeat of the year after the Rams blew a 21-0 lead.
In those six games, the Rams were outscored 130-107 and were minus-four in turnover margin. Included in the turnover margin were four defensive returns for touchdowns in three games. It’s no coincidence the Rams lost those games to Dallas, at Arizona and at Seattle.
There isn’t much of a presence of players who spent time with the Rams on the roster of the eight teams playing on wild-card weekend. Dallas defensive end George Selvie, Carolina right tackle Mike Remmers, and Indianapolis cornerback Josh Gordy are the only three former Rams appearing on active rosters in this week’s games. Gordy is a backup for the Colts. Selvie and Remmers are starters.
Remmers is actually an interesting case. The Rams are a team in need of offensive linemen and had Remmers on their practice squad this year, only to see him claimed by Carolina. He quickly moved into their starting lineup and has drawn praise for his performance since he started playing. Considering the Rams’ need for help on the line, it can’t be much fun to see someone they had in the building as recently as a couple months ago doing well elsewhere.
There are a handful of coaching connections between the Rams and some of the other teams, but none moreso than Dallas offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. He has earned rave reviews for his work with the Cowboys’ offense this season, leading them to a No. 7 ranking in overall yards per game and a second-place finish in rushing yards per game. Linehan was, of course, the former head coach of the Rams and often was criticized for not running the ball enough. But with a dominant offensive line and talent at the skill positions, Linehan runs one of the most balanced offenses in the league. Linehan struggled mightily as a head coach, as many former assistants do. But he has proved that he can do the job at a high level as a coordinator.

As for this weekend’s games, here are the (sure to be wrong) predictions you didn’t ask for:

Dallas over Detroit: It’s strange to be talking about a Lions team that leans so heavily on its defense when it employs Calvin Johnson at wide receiver, but that’s the situation we’re in. The Cowboys’ offensive line was the single most impressive offensive unit I saw this year on any team, and I believe they can get the job done. And when all else fails, Tony Romo and Dez Bryant have what it takes to get it done at home.

Carolina over Arizona: It’s a shame the Cardinals don’t get to play with one of their top quarterbacks, because they deserve better than one-and-done, but things simply haven’t been trending their way and I can’t in good conscience pick Ryan Lindley to win a playoff game on the road. The Panthers have played pretty well lately and should be able to get the victory and advance.

Pittsburgh over Baltimore: How do you call a game between these two teams? You almost never know what to expect. The Steelers will miss running back Le’Veon Bell, but they still have enough weapons to move the ball consistently. The weather could be a major factor here, which makes it even more difficult to call this one, but I’ll give the edge the Pittsburgh with receiver Antonio Brown once again shining on the national stage.

Cincinnati over Indianapolis: Well, I couldn’t go with all the home teams, could I? Yes, yes I could have. But I don’t really feel good taking either of these teams here given the Bengals’ playoff struggles and the Colts’ recent struggles. To me, this comes down to which team can run the ball consistently, and that looks like a no-brainer. Rookie Jeremy Hill should be the difference in a game in which the outcome will not surprise me.