The St. Louis Rams are probably already packed up for vacations as they can’t wait for this Sunday’s game to be over.  The Rams have lost six games in a row now.  They have been especially awful in their last four games in which they were outscored by a combined score of 103-26!  The Rams have been shutout two times in the last four weeks, including a 26-0 loss to the Niners in San Francisco.  The 49ers need this game to secure the #2 seed in the NFC Playoffs and a bye in the first round, so they are going to come out with all guns blazing.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are going to feed the ball to Steven Jackson in this game.  He is going to have to fight for every yard as the Niners are only giving up 75.1 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry so far this year.  The Niners have 38 sacks and 21 interceptions so far this year, so Kellen Clemens is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly.  The Rams need someone to step up besides WR Brandon Lloyd and RB Steven Jackson in the passing game this Sunday.

When the 49ers have the ball:  The 49ers are going to be a handful for the Rams in this game.  They are likely going to keep the ball on the ground with Frank Gore & Kendall Hunter pounding away at a Rams’ D that is giving up 154.5 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry so far this year.  Alex Smith is likely going to use play action passes in an attempt to get the ball down the field to WRs Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.  The Rams must also be ready for TEs Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker as the Niners might try to get them more involved in the passing game with the playoffs right around the corner.

PREDICTION:  49ERS 27, RAMS 3

The Rams have lost five games in a row but they showed signs of life last weekend against the Bengals.  The Steelers got thumped hard by the 49ers last Monday Night, 20-3 in San Francisco.  The Steelers really need this game but they will be starting Charlie Batch at QB.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are going to try to slug it out with the Steelers’ D with RB Steven Jackson getting a lot of work tomorrow.  The Steelers are giving up 97.2 yards rushing per game and only 3.9 yards per carry so far this year.  The Rams need to get a good running game going to have a chance of throwing the ball against the Steelers.  Rams’ QBs have been sacked 49 times already this year, so the Steelers are going to be blitzing QB Kellen Clemens quite a big tomorrow.  The Steelers will likely give special attention to WR Brandon Lloyd, but Clemens is going to throw him the ball a lot anyway.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers are starting Charlie Batch at QB tomorrow, so look for them to be run heavy offensively.  Rashard Mendenhall, Isaac Redman and Mewelde Moore will likely all be in on the action against a Rams’ D that is allowing 153.4 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry so far this year.  The Rams will need to get a good pass rush on Charlie Batch, because he has excellent weapons in the passing game in WR Mike Wallace, WR Antonio Brown and TE Heath Miller.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 20, RAMS 7

The Rams have lost four games in a row by a combined score of 103-40.  The Bengals have lost four of their last five games, but this is a big game for them as far as making the playoffs are concerned.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are starting Kellen Clemens at QB in this game, so look for them to lean on RB Steven Jackson to try to carry them home both running and catching the ball out of the backfield.  The problem with that philosophy is that the Bengals are only giving up 100.0 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry so far this year.  Jackson will have to fight for every yard he gets tomorrow.  Rams’ QBs have been sacked 46 times already this year, so Clemens is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly tomorrow.  The Rams are going to need a WR or TE to step up as the Bengals will likely be double covering WR Brandon Lloyd.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Rams are going to have to deal with power RB Cedric Benson in this game.  That could be bad news for the Rams as they are giving up 156.8 yards rushing per game and 5.0 yards per carry so far this year.  The Rams can’t really gang up to stop Benson, as rookie QB Andy Dalton is having a solid year throwing the ball for the Bengals.  WR A.J. Green is a true gamebreaker in the passing game, so the Rams might consider doubling him tomorrow.  WR Jerome Simpson, WR Andre Caldwell and TE Jermaine Gresham give Dalton more solid options in the passing game.

PREDICTION:  BENGALS 23, RAMS 10

The Rams have lost three games in a row by a combined score of 73-27!  The Seahawks have won three of their last four games, including a blowout 31-14 over the Eagles last Thursday in Seattle.  The Seahawks play pretty well at home, so this game could get ugly.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  Sam Bradford (ankle) and A.J. Feeley (thumb) are not likely to play in this game.  That means that 27-year old Tom Brandstater will likely be the starting QB against the Seahawks.  If that is the case, the Rams are going to feed the ball to Steven Jackson as much as possible.  Jackson will have to fight for every yard as the Seahawks are giving up 103.5 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry so far this year.  The Seahawks will likely double team Brandon Lloyd and dare Brandstater to beat them by throwing the ball to someone else.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Rams are giving up 157.8 yards rushing per game and 5.0 yards per carry so far this year, so Marshawn Lynch is likely in for a HUGE game this Monday Night.  He has been really running well lately and I don’t see the Rams slowing him down.  If Lynch is effective, it sets up QB Tarvaris Jackson for playaction shots down the field.  Tarvaris Jackson doesn’t have anyone to throw to who should scare the Rams’ secondary, and he does throw the ball to the opposing team (12 INTs) when under pressure.

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 23, RAMS 7

The St. Louis Rams played hard last weekend before falling 23-20 at home to the Cardinals.  The 49ers had their 8-game winning streak snapped on Thanksgiving by the Ravens, so they could be in a bad mood tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams would love to give the ball to Steven Jackson 25-30 times tomorrow, but that’s not likely going to work against a 49ers’ D that is allowing only 75.5 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry.  It’s 50/50 as to whether Sam Bradford or A.J. Feeley will be starting at QB tomorrow, and either way, it’s going to be hard on who does play.  The Rams’ offensive line is in shambles, so neither QB will likely have much time to throw the ball tomorrow.  The Niners are likely going to double cover Brandon Lloyd and make whoever is playing QB beat them throwing to someone else.

When the 49ers have the ball:  The Rams are giving up 159.0 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry, so Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter probably can’t wait for this game to kickoff.  Alex Smith will likely throw a lot of ball control type of passes tomorrow against the Rams.  TEs Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker and WR Michael Crabtree will likely be the guys that Smith is looking for the most in this game.

PREDICTION:  49ERS 24, RAMS 3

The Rams are playing their best football of the season right now as they have won two of their last four games.  The Cardinals have won two of their last three games, so they are playing well lately too.  The Cardinals beat the Rams in Arizona, 19-13 in O.T. just three weeks ago.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are likely going to come out running the ball this Sunday.  Steven Jackson should have success running against a Cardinals’ D that is giving up 127.2 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry so far this year.  The Rams hope that establishing a running game will slow the Cardinals’ pass rush a little bit.  If Sam Bradford has time to throw the ball, he should have some success in getting the ball to Brandon Lloyd.  After all, the Cardinals are giving up 256.6 yards passing per game so far this year.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Rams are giving up 148.1 yards rushing per game this year and 4.8 yards per carry, so don’t be surprised to see the Cardinals hand the ball off to Beanie Wells 20-25 times this Sunday.  The Rams must get a good pass rush on QB John Skelton, as he will make mistakes when under pressure.  The Rams will likely double cover Larry Fitzgerald, but that won’t stop Skelton from throwing to him.  He will also target Early Doucet and Andre Roberts a little more than usual.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 20, RAMS 13

The St. Louis Rams are on a roll all of a sudden, winning two of their last three games while outscoring their opponents 57-52.  The Seahawks won last weekend 22-17 over the Ravens in Seattle, so they could be in for a letdown.  The Seahawks are 1-4 on the road this year, where they have been outscored 111-69.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are going to give the ball to Steven Jackson a lot tomorrow and he’s going to have to fight for every yard as the Seahawks are only giving up 3.6 yards per carry so far this year.  It will be interesting to see how much of a pass rush the Seahawks get on Sam Bradford as Rams’ QBs have been sacked 32 times already this year, while the Seahawks only have 14 sacks so far this year.  If Bradford has time to throw the ball, WR Brandon Lloyd could be in line for a HUGE game tomorrow.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Rams are giving up 150.6 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry, so they expect RB Marshawn Lynch to get a really heavy workload tomorrow.  The Seahawks have a lot of injuries along the offensive line, so the Rams should be able to get a lot of pressure on QB Tarvaris Jackson.  Jackson can be rushed into making mistakes, because he doesn’t have much talent wise to throw the ball to.

PREDICTION:  RAMS 23, SEAHAWKS 20

The St. Louis Rams have shown signs of life the last two weeks in which they are 1-1.  The Browns have been thumped in their last two games by a combined score of 50-22!  But, the Browns are 2-2 at home, where they play much better.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams have been running the ball a lot more lately and that isn’t going to change this weekend against the Browns.  After all, the Browns are giving up 144.0 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.  The Rams hope that getting Jackson established on the ground will help slow the Browns’ pass rush and allow Sam Bradford to make some throws down the field.  Brandon Lloyd is probably going to get shadowed by Browns’ CB Joe Haden, who is one of the best up and coming young corners in the entire NFL.  That means that Bradford is going to have to spread the ball around a little big more than usual this Sunday.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns don’t have much of a running game as Chris Ogbonnaya will likely be the main RB this weekend.  You never know though, as the Rams are giving up 153.6 yards rushing per game and 5.2 yards per carry so far this year.  The Browns rarely throw the ball down the field, but Colt McCoy will make bad throws when under pressure.  The Rams will probably sneak the secondary up in this game to try to take away the short passing game, while putting more defenders closer to the line of scrimmage to help with stopping the run.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 21, RAMS 20

The Rams broke the seal last weekend with a very impressive 31-21 win over the Saints.  At the same time, the Cardinals were blowing a 21-point, 2nd quarter lead over the Ravens in Baltimore to lose their 6th game in a row.  The starting QBs for this game will be A.J. Feeley for the Rams and John Skelton for the Cardinals.  Thank God, I didn’t fork out big money for tickets to this game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are going to feed the ball to Steven Jackson tomorrow against a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 113.1 yards rushing per game but only 3.8 yards per carry.  The Rams will try to establish the run first to help set up A.J. Feeley for play action passes down the field.  Feeley will likely challenge the Cardinals down the field as they are giving up 277.6 yards passing per game so far this year.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  Look for the Cardinals to be more run heavy than usual with Skelton at QB.  That means the Rams are going to have to gang up to try to stop Beanie Wells.  That isn’t going to be easy as the Rams are giving up a stunning 165.6 yards rushing per game and 5.2 yards per carry so far this year.  The Rams are going to be blitzing a lot, to try to get to Skelton before he takes shots down the field to Larry Fitzgerald and Early Doucet.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 28, RAMS 27

The Rams are in really bad shape this year and it just seems to be getting worse.  A.J. Feeley will be making his second start of the year for the Rams and the first one didn’t wasn’t too good as they lost 31-7 at Dallas last Sunday.  The Saints rolled last Sunday Night, 62-7 over the Colts in New Orleans.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams would be smart to tighten up the chinstraps and run the ball right at the Saints’ D with Steven Jackson.  The Saints are giving up 115.7 yards rushing per game and 5.4 yards per carry so far this year, so that gameplan would make perfect sense.  If the Rams’ O-Line can give A.J. Feeley time to throw the ball, he might be able to make some plays down the field to WR Brandon Lloyd as the Saints are giving up 233.6 yards passing per game so far this year.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are likely going to try to pass to get the lead before grinding out the game on the ground.  That means that the Saints are going to have to get pressure on Drew Brees.  If he has time to throw the ball, he’s likely going to shred the Rams’ secondary, by spreading the ball around to his very deep bunch of solid WRs, RBs and TEs.  Mark Ingram isn’t playing in this game due to a heel injury.  So the Rams’ front seven better be ready to deal with Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 31, RAMS 10