Baller Alert’s Team of the Week: St. Louis Rams

What a week of football! There were so many great games from Thursday night through Monday night but I have to give BA’s Team of the Week to the St. Louis Rams. (Huge shoutout to Peyton Manning though for making history on Sunday and surpassing NFL great Brett Favre for most touchdowns in NFL history!) On Sunday, the 1 and 4 St. Louis Rams team that most people had given up on took on the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks. With the Rams’ third string quarterback getting the start and having lost badly to the 49ers the week before, everyone pretty much gave up on this game before it started. What actually happened during the game was what no one saw coming.

The game started out with the Seahawks on top early. After a 3 and out on the opening drive, the Rams punted the ball away to the Seahawks, who were able to get to the 6 yard line after their first drive and kick a field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, running back Benny Cunningham had a huge 75 yard return to bring the Rams deep into Seahawks territory. From there, rookie running back Tre Mason took over and gained some more yards on the next few plays before finally running into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown. After the extra point, the Rams were up 7-3. On the Rams’ next possession, the Seahawks defense committed a few costly penalties that helped the Rams to once again get near the end zone. Quarterback Austin Davis then threw a quick shuffle pass to Cunningham who ran it in for a touchdown, increasing the Rams’ lead to 14-3 after the extra point. The Seahawks took over and made it just past midfield before quarterback Russell Wilson got sacked by defensive end Eugene Sims on third down. Punter Jon Ryan came on the field to kick the ball away and then this happened…

 And just like that the Rams were up 21-3 on a stunned Seahawks team after pulling off a brilliant trick play. I can only imagine the look on the Seahawks’ faces the moment they realized the ball was nowhere near Tavon Austin and was in fact on the complete opposite side of the field, being carried by Stedman Bailey into the end zone. For the rest of the second quarter, the Seahawks offense was unable to answer, only putting up 3 points with a field goal when there was 10 seconds left. The Rams then took a knee to close out an incredibly exciting and crazy first half of football. 

It wasn’t until halfway through the third quarter that the momentum finally shifted in favor of the Seahawks. After being forced to punt on their first possession of the half, the Seahawks were able to convert on first and second downs, gradually making their way down the field. On third down from the 19 yard line, Wilson got around the defenders and ran it in himself for a touchdown. On the next drive, the Rams were stopped on third down. Davis attempted to go for it on 4^th and 1 but a delay of game penalty caused them to lose yardage, forcing them to punt instead. The Seahawks got the ball back at the start of the fourth quarter. Backed up in their own territory on 3^rd and 9, Wilson saw a gap in the defense and ran down the sideline for 52 yards before finally getting tackled inside the 30. After a touchdown by running back Marshawn Lynch was nullified due to a penalty, their second attempt was successful as Wilson completed a 19 yard pass to tight end Cooper Helfet in the end zone. The Seahawks attempted a 2 point conversion to tie the game but came up short, leaving the score at 21-19. A 30 yard pass from Davis to wide receiver Chris Givens on the following drive helped the Rams to convert on a big third down and set up a touchdown pass from Davis to tight end Lance Kendricks. Wilson responded right away and completed huge passes down the field before hitting wide receiver Doug Baldwin with a touchdown pass, keeping the Rams’ lead to two points. With a little under 3 minutes left in the game, the Rams were stopped on third down and the Seahawks had enough time to take the lead and possibly win the game, something they proved they’ve been more than capable of doing in the past. Punter Johnny Hekker came on the field and the team lined up in punt formation. After the snap, Hekker saw an open Cunningham on the left side and completed a pass to him for an 18 yard play and a first down. And with the second successful trick play of the day, the Rams were able to convert on fourth down, run the clock down, and pull off one of the greatest upsets of the season.  

The Rams still have a long way to go before they are considered playoff contenders but Sunday’s game showed that they have the players and the skills to win and more importantly, that they have heart. Next week, they will go to Kansas City and play the Chiefs. Best of luck to the Rams going forward!

Now what’s football without the fine football players hiding underneath those pads and helmets? Each team definitely has its share of cuties and the St. Louis Rams are no exception! Let’s take a look at QB Sam Bradford, RB Isaiah Pead, and DE Chris Long.

#8 Sam Bradford – Quarterback

Quarterback Sam Bradford, who was drafted #1 overall by the Rams in 2010, got injured during the preseason. Since then, his backup Austin Davis has had to take control of the team in his place. We won’t get to see Sam in action until next season but he is currently doing all he can on the sidelines to contribute to and motivate his teammates while he recovers from a torn ACL. 

#24 Isaiah Pead – Running Back

Like his quarterback, running back Isaiah Pead is also out for the season with an ACL injury. Wishing him a speedy recovery so he can get back on the football field and continue doing what he loves to do.   

#91 Chris Long – Defensive End

Defensive end Chris Long is a beast. He probably gets it from his dad Howie, who was a Hall of Fame defensive end back in the day. Chris won numerous football awards in college and he continues to dominate on the field in the NFL. Since joining the Rams, he has received invitations to three Pro Bowls and is consistently one of the key defensive players on his team.