By Vince Vitale 

Last week was just another example of why NFL football is the best sport in the world. The St. Louis Rams were trailing 16-14 to the Washington Redskins in the 3rd quarter and were on the verge of starting the season 0-3 for the fourth straight year. The Rams then outscored the Redskins 16-0 over the remaining portion of the game for a 30-16 victory ending a 10 game losing streak. Now just one short week later the town has a buzz to it talking Rams football. The Rams with a win today over the Seattle Seahawks would move into first place in the NFC West. For the first time in a long time that light at the end of the tunnel may not be a train. 

Well lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Rams still have lost 27 of the last 29 games they have played. In addition the Rams have also lost 10 straight to the Seattle Seahawks, 15 straight to NFC West foes, and 11 straight NFC West games at home. We still have a lot of work to do and some more pieces of the puzzle to acquire but for the first time in a long time the Rams are competing. The Rams for the first time in a very long time or out of the bottom 10 in soe major stats like rushing and passing offense where they have moved up to 20th.

So today is a big day and a big game. It is time to prove if the win over Washington was just a lucky win or a win that can help springboard a struggling franchise and give them the needed confidence to progress forward in their journey. The Rams most likely will be without Steven Jackson today as he still is suffering from the groin injury he suffered in the Redskins game. Both Steven Jackson and Oshiomogho Atogwe will be game time decisions prior to kickoff. The Rams have so many injured players this week they are not sure if they even have 45 healthy players to dress for the game. In addition to Steven Jackson’s injury Keith Toston is also injured so newly acquired Chauncey Washington may be pressed into service. So there is once again a lot of pressure on rookie Sam Bradford to produce. The Seahawks are 30th against the pass and I expect a big game from Bradford today, we will need it.

Key matchups – Sam Bradford will need to pick apart the Seattle secondary today with our questions at running back. Also will Kenneth Darby be able to produce just enough to keep Seattle from an all out attack of Bradford. Will the Rams front seven be able to contain Justin Forsett. Forsett is a back with a lot of promise but has not been give enough carries yet to shine. This is the type of back in the past that has ripped the Rams for 100+, that can not happen today. Will the Rams linebackers be able to shut down or minimize TE John Carlson who has killed the Rams in the past. In a close even game often special teams are the difference and the Rams are going to have to keep the ball away from Leon Washington who returned to kicks for touchdowns last week against the San Diego Chargers.

On paper this game is pretty even. The Rams seem to be moving in the right direction while the Seahawks seem to be falling however they did find a way to win against the 49ers and Chargers. Both teams lack explosion on offense and have average defensive ability. This game should come down to mistakes and a couple of plays here or there. I am very worried about Leon Washington being the difference. I am going to put my faith for once in the St. Louis Rams this week. I just believe Bradford is what it takes for the Rams to now win these types of games. The Seahawks do not play well on the road and so far the Edward Jones Dome has been pretty loud and may provide the slight edge needed for the Rams today. Today is the day fans have been waiting for, for a very long time. Today is a big game and it is time to see if the light at the end of the tunnel is the Rams future or still another oncoming train.

Prediction St. Louis Rams 27-20 over the Seattle Seahawks

http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Sione Pouha isn’t much of a pass rusher, but as a 2 down run stuffer, there might not be anyone better in the business. ProFootballFocus had him ranked #1 overall among defensive tackles/nose tackles last season and #2 overall among defensive tackles/nose tackles against the run, only behind Brodrick Bunkley. For someone that good at what he does, 5 million per year (3 years, 15 million with 9.5 million guaranteed) is a bargain. The Jets don’t have another nose tackle on the roster and had to keep Pouha. They were once considering franchise tagging him (upwards of 7 million dollars), so 5 million is a great deal.

Grade: A

I don’t understand this at all. The Chiefs just spent a 1^st round pick on Jonathan Baldwin and they already have Dwayne Bowe. Why would they give Breaston 25 million over 5 years with 9.5 million guaranteed? I understand Baldwin might not be ready to start as a rookie coming off a lockout shortened offseason, but they’re probably going to want him to start by year 2 right? I know Breaston has history with Todd Haley and history as a slot receiver in Todd Haley’s offense, but in that case they just spent 9.5 million guaranteed on a slot receiver.

On top of that Breaston is not the same breakout receiver who caught 77 passes for 1006 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2008 as Haley’s slot receiver in Arizona. In the past two years, Breaston has had nagging knee injuries. So basically the Chiefs just spent 9.5 million guaranteed on a slot receiver with bad knees on a deal that would take him until he’s 32 if he plays out the entirety of the contract in Kansas City (I’ll bet anyone 50 bucks he doesn’t).

Grade: F

2010 Record: 6-10

Draft Position: 11

2010 Season Recap: Click Here

Offseason Needs: Click Here

Free Agents/Team Transactions: Click Here

Draft Grades: Click Here

Key Offseason Moves: Resigned Owen Daniels

2010 Posts 

How Losing DeMeco Ryans Won’t Be Bad, A Must Win For The Texans, Quarter Season Texans Pro Bowl Players, Why the Houston Texans Tailgate Rule is a Good Thing

Wide Receiver

Boise State

5-11 174

Draft Board Overall Prospect Rank: #32

Draft Board Overall Wide Receiver Rank: #5

Rating: 81 (early 2nd)

40 time: 4.43

2/20/11: Titus Young was my favorite sleeper heading into the Senior Bowl and now, not only is the cat out of the bag, he might actually be overrated. People are calling him the next DeSean Jackson or the next Mike Wallace. He’s not that fast. He’s got good speed and certainly quicker than fast and dangerous in space, the type of player who can make nothing into something in the open field, but he’s not a blazing deep threat.

He’s probably best off as a high YAC slot receiver at the next level, though his lack of size will make it tough to him to go down the middle often. He might need to bulk up 5-10 pounds without losing quickness. He says he can run a 4.2 and obviously if he can, I might reconsider the type of fast he is, but considering most estimates before his claim of a 4.2 were in the low 4.4s, high 4.3s, I’m skeptical. We’ll see at The Combine.

He’s a good route runner, especially on shorter routes. He finds seams in defenses well and will turn a 5-7 yard completion into a 12+ yard gain. He’s a very smart kid with solid hands, though he did have a bad case of the dropsies at Senior Bowl practices. That’s not the type of player he was during the season. He’s a very accomplished college receiver, with 150 catches for 2256 yards and 19 touchdowns in his last 2 seasons.

He’s not an endzone threat or a vertical threat at only 5-11 with average hops, but he’s a very good underneath receiver who can stretch the field and do damage after the catch. He’s also a good special teams player who 2 years of experience as a kick returner, returning 2 to the house in 2009. He’s not the most physical dominant guy, but he’s smart and scrappy and a much better overall receiver that his teammate, the 6-3 Austin Pettis.

NFL Comparison: Lee Evans

Warren hasn’t played in a 4-3 like Denver’s in a while and that could have part of the reason why the Patriots cut him, possibly moving to a 4-3 after bringing in Albert Haynesworth. He also is coming off of a major injury. However, this deal only has 2.5 million guaranteed, 10 million total over 2 years, but light on guaranteed money which is good because Warren is a risk. He also fills Denver’s biggest need by far.

Grade: A

I have no idea how the Texans weren’t able to resign this guy. I’m not saying he’s the only reason Arian Foster led the league in rushing last year, but he was part of it. Remember how LaDainian Tomlinson declined right after Lorenzo Neal left San Diego for Baltimore. There were other reasons he declined, but that was part of it. I don’t know if Leach will be as great in Baltimore as he was in Houston, now that he’s leaving Houston’s zone blocking scheme, but the Ravens got him fairly cheap, 11 million over 3 years, and last year he was the best fullback in the league so that’s a good deal. Ray Rice must be thrilled.

Grade: A

11/25/11 2:30 PM ET

Arkansas at LSU

WR Jarius Wright (Arkansas) #4

Arkansas’ all time leading receiver, the senior Wright has 3 years of strong production with Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson at quarterback, Wright has really stepped up in place of Greg Childs’ injury and is having a career year as a senior. In 11 games, he has 61 catches for 1002 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last season, he caught 42 passes for 788 yards and 5 touchdowns and in 2009 he had 41 catches for 681 yards and 5 touchdowns. The 5-10 180 pound receiver isn’t the most athletic, but he’s a great pass catcher and should make a nice slot receiver at the next level. He looks like a day 2 pick.

WR Rueben Randle (LSU) #2

A big, physical receiver, the 6-4 210 pound receiver is having a strong junior season and could be a day 2 pick if he declares early. He’s a great run blocker and has caught 39 passes for 755 yards and 8 touchdowns on a conservative offensive with inconsistent quarterback play. LSU has completed 139 passes for 1844 yards and 19 touchdown of Randle is a large portion of their offense. He has all the tools to be an elite receiver at the next level, but he might be best served to return for his senior season and put up another year of strong production. He looks like an early day 3, late day 2 prospect at this point. After struggling against Alabama and Dre Kirkpatrick, he needs a good game here.

11/25/11 7 PM ET

Pittsburgh at West Virginia

CB Keith Tandy (Pittsburgh) #8

A mid round pick and a 3 year starter, Tandy has 49 tackles, 9 deflections, 3 picks, and 2 tackles for loss on the season. In 2010, he had 57 tackles, 11 deflections, 6 picks, and 3 tackles for loss. In 2009, he had 61 tackles, 4 deflections, 3 picks, and 4 tackles for loss. He’s a bit undersized at 5-10 195, but he did a decent job on Rutgers’ Mohamed Sanu a few weeks ago.

OT Don Barclay (West Virginia) #64

Not the most athletic guy at 6-4 310, but West Virginia’s left tackle looks like a draftable prospect. He’ll probably have to move to right tackle or guard at the next level. He’ll be matched up with Brandon Lindsey in this game. Lindsey is a fringe day 2 prospect, but needs to pick up his production. After 10 sacks last year, he has 5.5 this year and needs a good job him to help his stock.

11/25/11 10:15 PM ET

California at Arizona State

MLB Vontaze Burflict (Arizona State) #7

He gets a bad rep for being a dirty player, and while he will draw more flags than most players, it’s really just because his motor is non-stop. Plenty of people close to him will vouch that this is not a bad kid, but in fact a high character kid who loves football. Burflict could be the first linebacker off the board this year and is prematurely drawing comparisons to guys like Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Rolando McClain. It might not show so much on the stat sheet, but this kid has all the abilities and a world of upside. He has 63 tackles, 7 for loss, 5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and a pick on the year in 11 games. He’s a powerful hitter who also can do all of the finesse things as well.

MLB Mychal Kendricks (California) #30

A 6-0 240 pound 3-4 middle linebacker in Cal’s 3-4 defense, Kendricks has 3 years of starting experience and has played both inside and outside at rush linebacker. This year he has 87 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 deflections and 2 picks inside and last year he had 65 tackles, 14.5 for loss, 7 sacks, and a pick on the outside. He’s best fit as a 3-4 middle linebacker, but can also play in a 4-3. He’d be a good blitzing linebacker at the next level as well. He looks like a mid round pick at the next level.

11/26/11 12 PM ET

Iowa State at Oklahoma

CB Jamell Fleming (Oklahoma) #32

A day 3 pick, the 5-11 190 pound Fleming has 6 pass deflections and an interception on the season. He’s a 2 year starter and is looking to get drafted late.

CB Leonard Johnson (Iowa State) #23

A rising prospect and a potential day 2 pick, though likely an early day 3 pick, Johnson has 57 tackles, 2 for loss, 6 deflections, and a pick. He had a good game against Oklahoma State’s awesome passing attack and is now rising and if he plays well against Oklahoma, he could end up in the 2^nd day of the draft.

11/26/11 3:30 PM ET

Alabama at Auburn

DT Josh Chapman (Alabama) #99

Josh Chapman doesn’t make a huge impact on the stat sheet with 20 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and a sack on the season, but the 6-1 310 nose tackle is great at tying up blockers and making things happen for the linebacker behind him in Alabama’s 3-4 defense. He’s gaining some steam as a potential 2nd or even late 1st rounder.

OT Barrett Jones (Alabama) #75

A left tackle at Alabama, Jones, a much better run blocker than a pass protector, projects as a guard at the next level. He’s got great technique, but he’s not very athletic and he doesn’t have the size (6-5 305) to make up for it. However, in Alabama’s run heavy offense, he’s a beast and part of the reason why Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson have had so much success in recent years.

11/26/11 8 PM ET

Notre Dame at Stanford

OLB Darius Fleming (Notre Dame) #45

A hybrid linebacker in Notre Dame’s 3-4/4-3 defense, the 6-2 255 pound Fleming has 49 tackles, 6 for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 3 pass deflections on the season. He looks like a late round pick.

S Delano Howell (Stanford) #26

A 3 year starter at strong safety for Stanford, the 5-11 200 pound Howell has been battling injury problems all year and has just 27 tackles in 8 games. Last year, he had 60 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 1 sack, 5 picks, and 5 deflections. He didn’t have a good game against Oregon, missing several tackles and struggling with Oregon’s speed. The undersized safety is probably a late round pick

Week 3 Injury Report 

Week 3 Pickups