Sunday Morning Bloody Mary: Physical defensive line play key for the Rams

by Ryan Van Bibber on Dec 19, 2010 10:30 AM CST in 2010 St. Louis Rams season

Chris Long of the St. Louis Rams pressures Matt Hasselbeck. A similar greeting awaits a recovering Matt Cassel in today's Rams-Chiefs game.

Apparently, the St. Louis Rams have been doing a little medical research, discovering that, historically, 11 days is a little soon for a football player to return from an appendectomy. All of which means nothing, and Kansas City QB Matt Cassel is expected to play today.

Besides just how ready he'll be today after his surgery remains to be seen. The Rams defensive line has a nice opportunity to make Cassel play for his rush back from surgery with a heavy dose of pressure on the KC quarterback, a particularly rough style of pressure that could end Cassel's day before he has a chance to finish his first 60 minutes of football since losing his most useless vestigial organ.

The Rams defense has been aggressive all season, at one point leading the league in sacks. Last week, however, the Saints put the breaks on the Rams' front four, helped by the Rams decision to keep the other seven defenders in coverage.

It would be a great week for a rebound. Last week, with Brodie Croyle under center, the Chargers picked up 4 sacks. Denver did the same the week before in a 10-6 KC win. With Cassel in the game, just 11 days removed from an appendectomy, a nice welcome to St. Louis from Chris Long, James Hall and Fred Robbins is most definitely in order.

ENJOY WITH ABSOLUT RESPONSIBILITY®

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Comments

I haven't been this excited for a football game in a long time.

Bye Jason Richardwilson.

Hello Vince Carcass.

by Smoooth Criminal on Dec 19, 2010 10:36 AM CST reply actions

Agreed, Van

This might be the kind of offensive line our front four can get an edge on. Ditka and Keyshawn talking about Cassel right now on ESPN

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 Dec 19, 2010 10:41 AM CST reply actions