As everyone knows already, we were absolutely shredded to bits yesterday by a bigger, faster, stronger and just a better Cowboys team. No one expected the St. Louis Rams to win the game, but a better fight was expected. This was their worst performance of the season. They let a rookie set the rushing record for a team that has had Emmitt Smith, Herschel Walker and Tony Dorsett play for them. The team as a whole was a embarrassment and after the jump I will, as Ryan told me to do, "quantify the futility."
Positive Stats
- The Rams pass protection was much improved this week. They faced a very good pass rushing, Cowboy's defense and only let up one sack to DeMarcus Ware, the best pass rusher in the league. A great improvement for the offensive line this week.
- Brandon Lloyd had a very nice debut; 6 catches and 74 yards. Keep in mind that a lot of that production was achieved in garbage time, but still very impressive debut.
- The Rams only had 4 penalties for 16 yards.
- AJ Feeley had the cadence going good. He forced the Cowboys into 3 offsides/encroachments from my count.
Neutral Stats
- Steven Jackson had 70 rushing yards on 18 carries and a TD, BUT 40 of those yards came on one carry. If you take that run out, Jackson only averaged 1.88 yards per carry. The Cowboys came in with the game plan of stopping Steven Jackson and they did a great job.
- AJ Feeley was serviceable in replacement of Sam Bradford. His stat line goes as so: 20/33, 195 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT. He wasn't good by any means, but he still played at a decent level considering this was his first game in a new system.
- Donnie Jones punted the ball well. He had 5 punts (boy did it seem like more!!) and 3 were inside the Cowboys twenty. If only this guy could ever get the pro bowl birth he deserves.
Negative Stats
- The Rams gave up 294 rushing yards to a team that was ranked in the bottom third in rushing!! DeMarco Murray himself had 253 rushing yards. Every player on the Rams defense is to blame for this defensive disaster. Not only was the front seven manhandled, the secondary took horrible angles and couldn't get Murray to the ground; even Quintin Mikell was made a fool by Murray on his 91 yard TD run. Disgusting effort by everyone on defense.
- The Cowboys gained 7.4 yards per play (including 8.6 per run) compared to the Rams 4.8 yards per play.
- The Cowboys had nearly twice the first downs that the Rams did (24 to 13).
- The Rams only made it to the redzone twice and only mustered 265 yards.
Well that's pretty much it. The Rams were beat in every facet of the game yesterday. They embarrassed the fan base, the city and more importantly themselves. They will have to pick up the pieces as the Saints come into the Dome next Sunday and they just put 62 up on the Colts. It might get ugly folks.