Man Crush Monday: Quesions Answered.

If you didn't watch the game yesterday and only looked at the final score, you'd think that the Rams struggled to keep pace with the Seahawks and were able to squeak by in OT - probably with some trickery from Fisher. In reality, the coin was flipped. It was Seattle that had to scratch and claw their way back into the game. That says something about this team. It's too early to tell if they have turned the corner, but if week 1 is any indication, the glass is definitively half full.

All due respect to the rest of the roster, there are three clear focal points from the win.

1) The Rams Found a QB

Does anyone think for a second that the Rams would have won this game with Sam Bradford at QB? Hell, would he have survived this game? I supported Bradford when he was in horns and I still love his arm, but he severely lacked in the leadership department.

Nick Foles, on the other hand, was the epitome of a Field General late in yesterday's game. It pains me to say this, but he reminded me a bit of Tom Brady. Now I'm not saying that Foles is Brady 2.0 (for one he isn't a compulsive cheater), but bouncing back from that fumble - not to mention a jarred throwing arm -to lead an 84 yard TD drive to tie the game showed some serious charisma.

Yes, he missed Tavon deep and had a few other miscues. But when it mattered most he was accurate - the Stedman Bailey reception comes to mind - and led the Rams to a win.

After an ugly week 10 loss to the Cardinals last season, I was jonesing for the Rams to have a franchise QB. It took an unconventional trade, but it seems like Fisher and Snead answered the call.

2) Sack City Makes Presence Known

Last season, the hype train for the Rams DL was significant. Then the first quarter of the season happened. The unit fell flat on it's face to start the season before hitting full stride mid-season. Flash forward to yesterday and you could tell that the Rams weren't going to let that happen again. The DL harassed Russell Wilson all game and came up with 5 of the Rams 6 sacks to show for their efforts. I was similarly impressed that they held the Seahawks run game largely in check.

It's incredible that one player can stand out within this über-talented group, but Aaron Donald did just that yesterday. He lived in the Seahawks backfield and was a menace for the entire game. This man is going to start commanding more attention as he continues to produce and that only means good things for the Rams other DL.

3) Tavon is Electric

I find it hard to understand the animosity towards Tavon Austin. Yes, the Rams moved up to get him at #8 overall and his first 2 seasons were underwhelming. And if you simply looked at his stat line, you could say that his offensive output is still underwhelming. He had 4 rushes for 17 yards and a TD and 2 receptions for -2 yards. Not exactly the output you expect from a #8 draft pick. His breathtaking punt return TD was notable, but returners aren't drafted at #8 overall, right?

Wrong.

If you watched the game, it was clear that the Seahawks had to constantly account for him. His 2 receptions showed the good and the bad. His first showed that he still tries to dance too much (-9 yards on a blown screen) but his 2nd showed that he is making serious progress as a receiver (clutch 7 yard 3rd down conversion in traffic). Throw in there that he absolutely roasted Richard Sherman on a fly route that was missed by Foles, and Tavon did exactly what the Rams brought him in to do: be lightning in a bottle.

The box score alone doesn't show the extent of the impact that he had on the game. If you're unhappy with this performance... nothing is going to make you happy.