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The Rams have placed OT/G Adam Goldberg and reserve strong safety Jerome Carter on the Injured Reserve List ending their seasons. Goldberg has a torn left MCL and he could have returned by week #10 but the Rams decided to play him on I.R. so that they could use his roster spot. Strong safety Jerome Carter will miss the rest of the season with a fractured foot as he finishes the season with 2 tackles.
The Rams gave everything they had yesterday and they still fell a tad short. Gus Frerotte completed 24 of 43 passes for 262 yards with 3 TD passes and 3 interceptions, but one of the INTs was in the 4th quarter and it was returned for a TD. Rookie RB Brian Leonard had an outstanding game as he carried the ball 18 times for 102 yards (5.7 ypc) and he also caught 5 passes for 33 yards (6.6 avg). Travis Minor also pitched in with 3 carries for 12 yards (4.0 ypc) and he also caught 5 passes for 31 yards (6.2 avg). Torry Holt had one of his better games of the season as he caught 5 passes for 89 yards (17.8 avg) with a TD grab. Randy McMichael (3 rec, 45 yards) and Drew Bennett (2 rec, 32 yards) each caught a TD pass. The Rams finished up with 123 yards rushing on 23 carries (5.3 ypc) and they also completed 24 of 43 passes for 252 yards.
The defense didn’t play too well for the Rams but two players were outstanding. Linebacker Will Witherspoon had 14 tackles and a sack and cornerback Fakhir Brown added 9 tackles and 2 interceptions with inspired efforts. The Cardinals finished up with 102 yards on 31 carries (3.3 ypc) and they also completed 21 of 41 passes for 281 yards.
The Rams will be without Isaac Bruce who has issues with his hamstring on Sunday. He has caught 15 passes for 203 yards (13.5 avg) so far this season. Bruce will be replaced in the starting lineup by Drew Bennett. Bennett has caught 6 passes for 62 yards (10.3 avg) and he hasn’t been 100% yet this season because he’s been banged up.
The Cardinals have remade their team in the image of the head coach. That means they like to run the football and Edgerrin James has bounced back this season (354 yards rushing, 4.4 ypc, 3 TDs) after an off year in 2006. James figures to have a lot of success against a Rams defense that is allowing 157.0 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry. The Cardinals have been switching up the QBs so Matt Leinart will likely start the game and Kurt Warner will play some in the middle. Warner has been outstanding this season and he will likely want to stick it to his old team. Look for WR Larry Fitzgerald (26 rec, 315 yards) to have a great game against the Rams this week.
The Rams would be smart to run the football and throw a lot of short passes this week due to the massive injuries they have suffered. Gus Frerotte will be getting the start at QB behind a makeshift offensive line that has allowed 11 sacks already this season. For Frerotte to have a chance at success he will need Torry Holt, Drew Bennett and Randy McMichael to catch short passes and get some yards after the catch. The Rams would also be smart to get rookie RB Brian Leonard a lot of touches to keep the Cardinals linebackers busy so they can’t blitz as often.
PREDICTION: The Rams just have too many injuries to compete with the Cardinals who are a team on the rise. Look for the Cardinals to win this game by more than a TD.
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KR/PR Dante Hall is one of the only Rams players that hasn’t disappointed so far this season. He has been outstanding in giving the Rams good starting field position. He has returned 10 punts for 134 yards (13.4 avg) with an 85-yarder for a TD. Hall also has returned 16 kickoffs for 398 yards (24.9 avg) including a 84-yarder. At least Hall is showing some pride while a lot of Rams have looked like they have already quit on the season.