Muddying the picture: Random Ramsdom, 11/30

by Ryan Van Bibber on Nov 30, 2010 6:39 AM CST in St. Louis Rams news

Victory Monday is over, and it's time to start thinking about the weeks ahead and just how far the St. Louis Rams still have to go before winning the NFC West.

Arizona played themselves out of the picture with an ugly loss to San Francisco last night. Just one win behind the Rams and Seattle, the 49ers are far from out of the picture, though games against Green Bay and San Diego, not to mention a visit to St. Louis.

San Fran will be without RB Frank Gore who broke his hip in last night's game. They also lost their center and starting right guard, but no word yet as to their status.

So will Arizona be dangerous next week when the Rams pay a visit, as someone suggested in the comments? They could be.

Spagnuolo wants his team to play better in the fourth quarter, after nearly letting it slip away in Denver. He offered some reasoning behind why they didn't move the ball more with Denver pressing and the lead narrowing. Korte at the BND points out that the Rams attempted just 14 passes in the entire second half and just 2 on their final three possessions, not including taking knee to end the game.

What is illegal batting anyway? Answer here.

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I didn't know there was "illegal batting" until this game

AND I didn’t know a “shin” made you down… I thought it had to be a knee…. both were first times for me

by stlfan2004 on Nov 30, 2010 7:39 AM CST reply actions

I saw illegal batting once

a long time ago. I forgot what game it was. But it’s a risky maneuver to try to hit it sideways or even backwards. The smart play is to do what Chamberlain did the second time – just wrap it up.

You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.

by 3k on Nov 30, 2010 8:16 AM CST up reply actions

lol... boy I cringed for him when he wrapped it up the second time

I know it’s football, but he had to hold his breath preparing to take the hit he took…lol. I was proud of him for holding onto the ball through it and staying conscious.

by stlfan2004 on Nov 30, 2010 8:30 AM CST up reply actions

that's the price you pay on the hands team

It’s a victory-sealing job, and someone’s gotta do it.

by 3k on Nov 30, 2010 8:56 AM CST up reply actions

It's any body part besides the feet and hands.

If your butt hits, you’re down. If your head hits, you’re down.

What’s confusing to me is that on my body, for my shin to be touching the ground before my knee was, my leg would have to be broken. It doesn’t work otherwise. If my foot is pushed back as far as it can be and my knee is off the ground, my shin is even farther off the ground. Do I just have an unusually low range of movement in my ankles?

by Spielman on Nov 30, 2010 10:40 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah, I mentioned this in another post.

My shin can’t touch the ground unless my knee does also.

I can take a beating ... I'm a Rams fan.

by Midasknight on Nov 30, 2010 11:28 AM CST up reply actions

lol.... i was wondering about that

then I figured in was probably his calf muscle being pushed to the side hard enough to touch first

by stlfan2004 on Nov 30, 2010 1:54 PM CST up reply actions

Rams need to smash Arizona.

by Thomas W on Nov 30, 2010 8:50 AM CST reply actions

Agreed...it would be so satisfying on a number of fronts

it’s interesting to think about how the fortunes of these two teams have completely reversed in the last year, based on play at the quarterback position…in ’09, the Cards had Warner and were going to the playoffs and the Rams had flotsam and jetsam, and were 1-15…now look at where they are…AZ has the better receiving corps, but nobody to throw to them.

by tbell61 on Nov 30, 2010 10:03 AM CST up reply actions

"Spagnuolo wants his team to play better in the fourth quarter"

Does it occur to him that it could be the fourth-quarter play calling (when leading) that is the problem? Defenses now realize that they need not concern themselves with anything other than runs into the line or passes that don’t travel more than a few yards. The resulting succession of 3 and outs causes the defense to tire and other than last week a loss.

by WestCoastBuc on Nov 30, 2010 1:51 PM CST reply actions