St. Louis Rams – Blog

Rams Haunted by Missed Chances

- In a game that was without question there for the taking, the Rams just couldn’t quite take advantage of some golden opportunities to come away with a victory. In the process, they fell 17-13 to Arizona at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday.

- On the injury front, LB Chris Chamberlain suffered a foot injury of some consequence and will be evaluated further in the morning.

- The rest of the injuries didn’t appear to be too serious but were costly in the course of the game. Cornerbacks Justin King and Kevin Dockery suffered hamstring injuries that kept them out of the final quarter of the game and left the Rams short at the position. Arizona took advantage in the passing game late.

- Also missing with what appears to be a minor injury was tight end Michael Hoomanawanui who suffered an ankle injury that kept him out and gave the Rams one less target in the red zone.

- As for rookie QB Sam Bradford, it was an up and down day as would be expected from a rookie signal caller. Bradford finished 32-of-55 for 253 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Nobody could have expected him to throw 55 times but he handled it well and said he felt good physically after the game.

- RB Steven Jackson finished with 81 yards on 22 carries.

- For someone with only three practices under his belt, WR Mark Clayton made a heck of an impact. He finished with 10 catches for 119 yards, the first 100-yard game by a Rams receiver since Oct. 26, 2008.

- CB Ron Bartell played a heck of a game in coverage. Although he dropped an interception, Bartell shadowed Larry Fitzgerald all day and found ways to keep him from making big plays. Fitzgerald was targetd 15 times and had just three catches for 43 yards. The Rams were in zone on the touchdown so Bartell handled himself well against Fitzgerald (who wasn’t quite 100 percent).

- The missed opportunities will be the thing that haunts the Rams from this game. Clifton Ryan fumbling his fumble recovery at the goal line. Bradley Fletcher not scoring on his fumble return. Josh Brown’s blocked field goal attempt. Bartell’s missed interception. In the NFL, where one or two plays often makes all the difference, the Rams’ inability to finish those plays ultimately cost them the win.

- The Rams threw the kitchen sink at Derek Anderson all day and the blitz packages were outstanding. Anderson was sacked twice but he took nine hits in the process.

- The Rams forced seven fumbles and came up with four, unfortunately they were just one short again.

- In unofficial pressbox statistics, safety Oshiomogho Atogwe led the Rams with eight tackles.

- Be back tomorrow to wrap this one up. It’s onward and upward for the Rams as they now prepare for a road trip to Oakland next week.

Rams Finish Thursday Practice, Game Draws Near

- The Rams just completed Thursday’s practice and now only a Friday red zone practice and a Saturday walk through sit between them and the start of the regular season.

- The excitement level is noticeable as the Rams are ready to get on the field for a meaningful game. Tackle Rodger Saffold even went so far as to say that the level of hitting even today in shells is still pretty high and intense.

- On the injury front, the Rams are in good shape. Only safety James Butler bears mentioning on the official injury report as he continues to be limited participation as he recovers from a knee injury. Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Thursday that Butler isn’t likely to start against the Cardinals but the hope is there that he would be able to be active and available.

- Craig Dahl will make the start at strong safety.

- Receiver Mark Clayton continues to make a good impression and pick up the offense quickly. Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur both indicated that Clayton is picking things up and could play a bigger role in the offense on Sunday than might have first been expected.