Pre-Snap

The Rams offense hasn't scored since the first half, and is in danger of falling out of this game completely. But a huge 56-yard catch-and-run play by Chris Givens puts the Rams just outside the red zone. Three runs and a short pass later, and the Rams have a second-and-goal, but the clock is working against them in a two-score game. They need to score decisively, and the defense has to get the ball back.

This game is many things to many people. For Roger Goodell, it's a showcase for a largely untapped market of potential customers. For football-mad UK fans, it's a party. For Rams fans in the UK, it's a chance to finally see their favorite (sorry, "favourite") team in person. For Bill Belichick and the Patriots, it's just another week, a stepping stone on the way to another playoff season.

But for the Rams, it's a grudge match. After a lost season co-captained by Josh McDaniels - starting with another round of questionable offensive draft picks and finishing with a triage room full of battered quarterbacks - the Rams are putting together a season of redemption. That redemption starts under center, as Sam Bradford is finally showing the signs of growth we expected after an offensive rookie-of-the-year campaign in 2010.

Now, McDaniels has returned home to New England, and lines up on the opposite sideline from Bradford for the first time. How will this match of wits and talent affect the outcome of this game, and what other factors will come into play? We talked to Patriots reporter Doug Kyed of NESN.com to find out.

As Americans, we're raised (or at least encouraged) to think a lot of funny things about Brits. They are stodgier than us and proper-er than us, and conversely, when they get silly (see Python, Monty), they are much sillier than us. But particularly when it comes to sport, they are quite different from us. Or so we're led to believe... 

Take cricket, for example, an endless comedy of manners without any punchlines, played by opposing teams who wear apparently identical uniforms. It is wholly incomprehensible to most of us on this side of the Atlantic, who despite a massively common gene pool are completely lacking in British understanding of etiquette. 

For four years I worked for a Britisher, not the proper-est of gentleman but a good guy nonetheless, and following cricket was in his blood. I understood the passion, but completely blanked on the concept of the sport itself. Meanwhile, he bemoaned the fact that his children, being raised in the US, wanted to try out for their school's volleyball team. If it wasn't soccer (the true football, of course), it wasn't fit for a youngster. 

This cultural divide just seemed natural to me. I expect these kinds of differences in viewpoint when meeting someone from another land. So much so that the whole phenomenon of natural-born Brits falling in love with American Football and the Rams in particular just seems ... foreign I suppose? 

But that said, Twitter quickly set me straight, as I've met a number of knowledgeable fans from the Commonwealth. In honor of our team making its debut appearance in London, I decided to reach out to the group and ask: How did you become a Rams fan anyway? 

The atmosphere at the Edward Jones Dome last Sunday resembled that of a college bowl game, with fans of each team in seemingly equal numbers upping the volume after a good play by either team. The Rams can expect another divided "home" crowd this week in front of football-mad, but largely affiliation-free, London NFL fans.

That said, though, it is the Londoner's duty to root for the home team this week, and in order to do that well, it would help to know a little something about the team you're rooting for.

With that in mind, I've prepared a handy guide to the major personalities on this Rams team, and aligned them with well known characters from British pop culture and lore. You know how these things go. Ridiculous and faintly amusing characterizations after the break.

Aaron Rodgers may end up being the best quarterback in the history of the NFL. I asked a question in the preview whether a defense can actually stop Rodgers or whether Rodgers beats himself. Watching this game answered that question for me. I am not suggesting that the Rams defense is the Steel Curtain reincarnated or the 85 Bears. I accept that his dissection of our defense does not automatically upgrade his status. At the same time, I watched that game from above. I saw plays develop. It is amazing to me how well Rodgers sees the game.

Whatever the Rams did, he found a way around it. In the second half, he clearly saw a hole in the Rams defense and attacked it consistently. The short pass was the foundation of their offense in the 2^nd half and worked to perfection. When the Rams got pressure, he scrambled out of it and hit the safety valve with a perfect pass. When the Rams jumped off side, he found the open guy deep and threw a perfect pass. When Rodgers is on, I do not think he can be stopped. On most plays in the NFL, someone is always open (except for the Rams in the red zone). Rodgers has amazing vision. He almost always finds that open person and his accuracy on those throws is astounding.   

The first touchdown to Randall Cobb was a masterpiece. It appeared that Green Bay was setting up a pick play. Rodgers looked in the direction of a pick being set up. Cobb was heading in the direction to set a pick. Jenkins fell for it and as soon as Cobb made his break towards the goal post, Rodgers threw a perfect strike. Any delay in that throw would have allowed Jenkins to catch up. Also, Cobb only had so much room in the end zone so the timing had to be perfect. It was. The second touchdown to Cobb was another fabulous example of how good Rodgers is. The Rams jumped offside. Quinn, who did not jump, still got pressure causing Rodgers to roll to his left.  While being chased, he found a way to throw a pass across his body, 41 yards in the air, over double coverage to an open Cobb.

Of course, Rodgers is not doing this entirely on his own. His receivers, tight ends and running backs get open. I am not talking about Brandon Gibson style of open (a wee bit of daylight). I am talking about two to three yards of open. At the same time, there are many quarterbacks in the NFL who consistently miss open receivers. Rodgers rarely misses when he is on. The guy is fascinating to watch. 

Now, let’s take a look at the preview to see how we did:

1.         WELCOME TO THE TERROR DOME

In the words of Chuck D.

I got so much trouble on my mind

Refuse to lose

Here’s your ticket

Hear the (crowd) get wicked

If we want to increase our chances of a down game from Aaron Rodgers, it starts with the crowd. There is no doubt that a noisy environment can affect an offense. Communication is vital. The offensive line has to communicate about blocking responsibility. The QB has to communicate about audibles. The Rams’ fans have a role in this game. If we can make the Edward Jones dome, the Terror Dome for Green Bay they will help the Rams tremendously. I will be there doing my part.

On a side note, the Terror Dome is a wonderful nickname for the Ed because it also creates fear that the Rams will move. It is the sole reason for a potential move.     

Unfortunately, there were many Green Bay fans at the game. The Rams’ fans were louder, but Green Bay had a sufficient enough presence to make their attendance known. The Ed was not a Terror Dome for Green Bay. Instead, it was an almost comfortable road visit for them.

2.         BE UNPREDICTABLE ON DEFENSE

I would love to say we should blitz Rodgers on every obvious passing situation. It makes me feel good to say it. However, we saw what a blitz heavy defense can do for an offense in the Washington game. The Rams had one of their best offensive performances of the year because a blitz creates holes. If you can predict a blitz is coming, you can attack it. Therefore, I want to see a nice mix of 6-man blitzes, zone blitzes, corner blitzes and no blitz. In all honesty, it would be great if we could create pressure consistently with our front four. However, I believe that is unrealistic. Therefore, I want the Rams to switch up often. If Rodgers cannot predict our method of attack, we have a chance.

I liked the Rams defensive game plan. They showed some variety. However, the Rams have a habit on 2^nd and long and 3^rd and long to rush four and drop the linebackers. If the linebacker stays close, he is generally blitzing. This strategy has worked for the Rams to date because their linebackers and safeties have generally reacted quickly to short passes and stopped the offensive man before he got a first down. The Rams gave up yards, but were able to get off the field on long downs. However, this strategy did not work against Green Bay. Rodgers figured it out and exploited it. The dump offs and quick throws were perfectly thrown so the person catching the ball could continue moving forward and get the required distance. The 2^nd half was an amazing mix of short left, short right and dump off over the middle.

3.         STOP THE RUN

The Rams run defense has continued to improve. Green Bay is the 23^rd ranked rushing offense.  The Rams are now the 14^th best rush defense. Cedric Benson will miss the game for Green Bay. Wherefore, the Rams have no choice; they have to stop the run. Stopping the run will make Green Bay more predictable and we saw what happened when Green Bay becomes predictable in the 1^st half of the Seattle game.

The Rams stopped the run. Green Bay had 26 rushes for 70 yards. This was a 2.7 yard average. I will take a less than three yard average in every game, period. However, after the run failed, Green Bay quickly made up for it with a pass on the next play. The fact that Green Bay rushed 26 times, but still had almost no success shows the Rams dedication to stopping the run. This factor helped keep the Rams in the game.

4.         RUN, RUN AND RUN SOME MORE

The Rams’ running game is vital, because it has so many advantages. A run eats up the clock, which means less time for the Green Bay offense. With two running backs now, we need to run more to ensure each gets sufficient carries. Steven Jackson has historically improved with more touches. He wears a team down. If Steven Jackson is going to lose carries to Richardson, we need to ensure there are more carries overall to increase @SJ39’s total carries. Richardson has to get sufficient carries because he adds a dimension that Steven Jackson no longer offers. In the end, we can’t run on every first down or run 75% of the time. In the NFL, predictability on offense makes defense easy. Thus, I am asking for a 54% to 60% runs. In the passing game, I want to take some risks. I realize that Green Bay can rush the passer, but to have success in the running game, we can’t allow the safety to sneak up. Four to five deep throws should keep the safeties at home.

I was very impressed with the dedication to the run. I heard some post game callers suggest that the Rams abandoned the run in the 2^nd half. I disagree. The Rams simply had less success with the run in the 2^nd half, which limited their total offensive plays.  In the third quarter the Rams had six offensive plays.  Two of the six plays were runs, which led to a loss of three yards. In the fourth quarter, the Rams had 21 offensive plays. However, 14 of those came with three minutes left in the game and the Rams were down 27 -13.  On the other 7 plays, the Rams rushed four times. Please don’t tell me the Rams abandoned the run.

5.         GIVENS GIVETH?

We know that Givens can beat anyone deep. Obviously, I want to continue to throw deep balls to him. At the same time, let’s see what he can do with some shorter passes also. The West Coast offense made its reputation with 10 yard passes that led to 60 yard touchdowns. I would like to see some bunch up screens to Givens where he gets a pick or two. I would also like to see a slant or two, where the tight end is ready to throw a block to spring him. I asked for some deep throws in the paragraph above. They do not all need to be to Givens. In fact, after one to Givens, he might be an excellent decoy to draw the safety away from the intended target. Gibson can get deep and is showing an ability to both drop a ball and make a tremendous catch. I do not mind a drop on deep throw.  Also, while we are waiting for Quick to develop, a 9 route (Go or Fly) makes a ton of sense to me. 

This paragraph was almost Carnac like (Carnac the Magnificent for those of you too young to know the reference).  The Rams threw a beautifully designed screen to Givens and it led to a 56-yard-gain.  They need to try this more. Additionally, the comment about Gibson above was also dead on. He dropped a crucial fourth down ball, but made other good plays. I think we know who Brandon Gibson is now. I will write about this later in the week.

6.         BEWARE THE WEAPONS

This will be the first game since Detroit, where the team we are playing has multiple weapons in the passing game. While our pass defense has been excellent this season, it will be tested. We have three above-average corner backs. Unfortunately, Green Bay has more than three above-average targets in their passing game. Our linebackers and safeties are going to be tested in this game. Trumaine Johnson is going to be tested in this game. It will be interesting to see how this works out for us.

 I will keep this short and simple. The warning statement was deadly accurate. How did it work out for us? Not well.

At the end of Tim Shields' latest Anatomy of a Play feature, Tim Ryan remarks of Sam Bradford's pinpoint throw to Lance Kendricks: "A great throw will beat great coverage every time." Unfortunately, those words foretold the Rams' doom against Aaron Rodgers, who when on is as good as any passer to ever play the game. 

Rodgers has found his ON switch the last two weeks, averaging 9 yards per attempt with 9 touchdowns and zero interceptions against two very good pass defenses. Most impressively, both games have been on the road, in Houston and here in St Louis, though given the abundance of bus-traveling cheeseheads, the notion of Green Bay ever playing a true "road" game is pretty foreign.

Very little the Rams did defensively could slow him or his two primary receivers down; Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb combined for 16 catches on 17 targets for 211 yards and three TDs, while working against all four Rams corners. Their best tactic was to invite Rodgers to hand the ball off, something he did with surprising regularity and unsurprisingly little effectiveness. 

But there is little time to dwell on this loss, which dropped the Rams to 3-4 on the season. The wheels are already up on the team's six-hour flight between "home" games, as Jeff Fisher works to prepare his team for a match against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium in London. So while the team gets used to a new clock and a new locale, here are three things we can take away from last week. 

I am struggling with this preview. I do not see a strength or weakness in the Green Bay defense. They are 14^th overall in total defense, 18^th in passing defense, and 17^th in run defense. If there is one area they stand out, it is sacks. They lead the league with 21 sacks. At the same time, they have one guy, Clay Matthews, with almost half of those sacks.

With the offense, it is obvious. When Aaron Rodgers is on, their passing game is almost unstoppable because they have so many weapons for Rodgers to target. Their running game lacks any oomph. This season, their success has depended on Rodgers. Last season, he was nearly perfect and Green Bay was 15-1. This season he has shown that he is human (on occasions) and Green Bay is 3-3, with one highly disputed loss to Seattle.

The real question is whether a defense can cause Rodgers to be off his game or whether it is simply a matter of luck. Houston was 5-0 going into their game against Green Bay, and they had a highly ranked defense. Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers in particular, came in angry and scored 42 points.  Rodgers was 24 for 37, for 338 yards, 6 touchdowns and zero interceptions.  Certainly, the defense in that game was not able to stop him. If you blitzed him, he killed you with a quick pass. If you rushed 3 and dropped 8, he took his time and found a hole or ran.

With no obvious holes to attack, I think the Rams need to take some risks in this game.  Here are my thoughts to give the Rams the best chance to win:

1.         WELCOME TO THE TERROR DOME

In the words of Chuck D.

I got so much trouble on my mind

Refuse to lose

Here’s your ticket

Hear the (crowd) get wicked

If we want to increase our chances of a down game from Aaron Rodgers, it starts with the crowd. There is no doubt that a noisy environment can affect an offense. Communication is vital. The offensive line has to communicate about blocking responsibility. The QB has to communicate about audibles. The Rams’ fans have a role in this game. If we can make the Edward Jones dome, the Terror Dome for Green Bay they will help the Rams tremendously. I will be there doing my part.

On a side note, the Terror Dome is a wonderful nickname for the Ed because it also creates fear that the Rams will move. It is the sole reason for a potential move.     

2.         BE UNPREDICTABLE ON DEFENSE

I would love to say we should blitz Rodgers on every obvious passing situation. It makes me feel good to say it. However, we saw what a blitz heavy defense can do for an offense in the Washington game. The Rams had one of their best offensive performances of the year because a blitz creates holes. If you can predict a blitz is coming, you can attack it. Therefore, I want to see a nice mix of 6-man blitzes, zone blitzes, corner blitzes and no blitz. In all honesty, it would be great if we could create pressure consistently with our front four. However, I believe that is unrealistic. Therefore, I want the Rams to switch up often. If Rodgers cannot predict our method of attack, we have a chance.

3.         STOP THE RUN

The Rams run defense has continued to improve. Green Bay is the 23^rd ranked rushing offense.  The Rams are now the 14^th best rush defense. Cedric Benson will miss the game for Green Bay. Wherefore, the Rams have no choice; they have to stop the run. Stopping the run will make Green Bay more predictable and we saw what happened when Green Bay becomes predictable in the 1^st half of the Seattle game.

4.         RUN, RUN AND RUN SOME MORE

The Rams’ running game is vital, because it has so many advantages. A run eats up the clock, which means less time for the Green Bay offense. With two running backs now, we need to run more to ensure each gets sufficient carries. Steven Jackson has historically improved with more touches. He wears a team down. If Steven Jackson is going to lose carries to Richardson, we need to ensure there are more carries overall to increase @SJ39’s total carries. Richardson has to get sufficient carries because he adds a dimension that Steven Jackson no longer offers. In the end, we can’t run on every first down or run 75% of the time. In the NFL, predictability on offense makes defense easy. Thus, I am asking for a 54% to 60% runs. In the passing game, I want to take some risks. I realize that Green Bay can rush the passer, but to have success in the running game, we can’t allow the safety to sneak up. Four to five deep throws should keep the safeties at home.

5.         GIVENS GIVETH?

We know that Givens can beat anyone deep. Obviously, I want to continue to throw deep balls to him. At the same time, let’s see what he can do with some shorter passes also. The West Coast offense made its reputation with 10 yard passes that led to 60 yard touchdowns. I would like to see some bunch up screens to Givens where he gets a pick or two. I would also like to see a slant or two, where the tight end is ready to throw a block to spring him. I asked for some deep throws in the paragraph above. They do not all need to be to Givens. In fact, after one to Givens, he might be an excellent decoy to draw the safety away from the intended target. Gibson can get deep and is showing an ability to both drop a ball and make a tremendous catch. I do not mind a drop on deep throw.  Also, while we are waiting for Quick to develop, a 9 route (Go or Fly) makes a ton of sense to me.

6.         BEWARE THE WEAPONS

This will be the first game since Detroit, where the team we are playing has multiple weapons in the passing game. While our pass defense has been excellent this season, it will be tested. We have three above-average corner backs. Unfortunately, Green Bay has more than three above-average targets in their passing game. Our linebackers and safeties are going to be tested in this game. Trumaine Johnson is going to be tested in this game. It will be interesting to see how this works out for us.