St. Louis Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Full Report Card Grades for St. Louis
The St. Louis Rams (1-1) mustered a gritty performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) that was eventually awarded with a sweet-tasting victory.
The game ended on a bit of a technicality. Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans was banged up on the final play with eight seconds remaining. Since the Buccaneers had no remaining timeouts, the situation called for an automatic 10-second runoff, which ended the game. Had the Bucs been able to spike the ball, they would have had a shot at an approximate 45-yard field-goal (which is certainly no easy kick anyway).
Still, after losing 34-6 to the Minnesota Vikings during an ugly season opener, the Rams were willing to take a win in any way, shape or form.
It was far from a perfect performance. Whether it was penalties, turnovers or squandered opportunities, the Rams managed to sabotage themselves consistently throughout the game.
The team did just enough to get by and escape with a win. At the end of the day, that's all that matters when looking at the final win-loss record.
This article will break down St. Louis' performance in Tampa Bay and assign a letter grade to each position. The grades will be determined by stats, penalties and big plays (either positive or negative).
Quarterback: A
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This game was third-year pro Austin Davis' first career NFL start and just his second appearance in a regular-season game. Regardless, Davis had a fine game and had the look of a seasoned veteran.
Davis was 22-for-29 passing (75.8 percent). And while he didn't have a touchdown pass, he led five scoring drives, including a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter that ended with a field goal. He also escaped without a single pick.
Davis hit his targets consistently throughout the game, including a 27-yard strike to Austin Pettis to put St. Louis in position for the game-winning field goal. The Rams do not boast a stunning arsenal of receivers, but he made it work.
The loss of Sam Bradford in the preseason was major, but Davis proved that it doesn't have to be a total disaster.
Running Back: B
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Zac Stacy was held to just 43 rushing yards against Minnesota in Week 1, but he had a bit of a breakout game with 71 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay.
Stacy fought for the tough yards and kept the chains moving. He looked much like the 2013 Stacy who led the Rams with nearly 1,000 rushing yards.
Benny Cunningham added 15 additional yards, and Tavon Austin added a swift 18-yard run that eventually set up Stacy's touchdown.
Stacy did have a costly fumble in the third quarter that led to a Buccaneers touchdown drive. Also, while his 71 rushing yards is certainly a step up from last week, it's not exactly a gaudy statistic.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: A
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The St. Louis receivers had an inspiring performance, which made life easy for Davis during his first NFL start.
Brian Quick led the group and continues to convince the fans that he's in the midst of a breakout year. Quick, fresh off a 99-yard performance against Minnesota, ended the day with seven catches and 74 yards. He had a chance to break the 100-yard barrier, but he dropped a catchable 45-yard dart from Davis during St. Louis' final drive.
The other receiver to really step up was Austin Pettis. Pettis caught just three passes for 46 yards, but all three of his catches were clutch plays that kept the chains moving. His highlight play was the 27-yard grab during the final drive to put the Rams in range for a game-winning field goal.
Tight ends Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks also got involved with a combined seven catches for 71 yards. Even Kenny Britt, who was quiet throughout the preseason and Week 1, managed to contribute a 17-yard grab that set up a field goal.
It was a very productive day for the receivers.
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Offensive Line: B
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The offensive line had a disastrous showing in Week 1, but the group came together and mustered a much better effort against Tampa Bay.
The group only allowed two total sacks and managed to keep the pressure off Davis for most of the game. This allowed Davis to thrive and resulted in a nice aerial performance for the offense.
And while the run blocking was better compared to last week, there were still too many one-yard runs. The offense was stuck with too many 2nd-and-long or 3rd-and-long situations. That has to change.
Defensive Line: B
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Robert Quinn was held to zero sacks for a second consecutive week, and the Rams defensive line came away with just half a sack.
For a group that nicknamed itself "Sack City" before the season started, there sure seems to be a lack of sacks from this unit (the group went sack-free in Week 1 as well).
Not to mention, Eugene Sims had a needless horse-collar tackle penalty that kept a Tampa Bay drive alive.
Having said that, the pressure was there. Quinn was in Josh McCown's face on multiple occasions, but McCown simply excelled at getting rid of the ball. We also saw rookie Aaron Donald penetrate the line to make tackles in the backfield.
The group is playing well, but the front four hasn't come close to reaching its potential. That makes it hard to justify an "A."
Linebacker: C
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James Laurinaitis and Jo-Lonn Dunbar put heavy pressure on McCown, which caused him to cough up a pick, but it still wasn't a great performance for the linebackers.
The front eight gave up too many big plays on the ground, and the linebackers were gashed for 157 rushing yards. We also saw Dunbar get flagged for a roughing the passer penalty, but that was a questionable call by the referees.
It was not a total disaster, but there's plenty of room for improvement with this group.
Secondary: B
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Once again, the secondary was able to minimize the number of big plays. The group allowed just one pass of 20 or more yards last week against Minnesota, and the unit mustered a similar performance this week.
McCown managed to complete a few deep balls late in the game after the Rams switched to a prevent defense, but the secondary only allowed one or two deep passes for the first three quarters. Vincent Jackson was Tampa Bay's top receiver, and he finished with a mediocre 51 yards.
Safety Rodney McLeod managed to intercept McCown, and T.J. McDonald put a big hit on Mike Evans that basically won the game for St. Louis (had the hit not been violent enough to shake up Evans, the Buccaneers would have been able to spike the ball and kick a game-winning field goal).
The secondary had a very productive day. The group was supposed to be the weakness of the defense, but so far in 2014, it has been the strength.
Special Teams: A
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There were some negatives on special teams. The kick coverage team allowed a return to midfield, and kicker Greg Zuerlein was flagged for a facemask penalty on that play. But overall, it was a great day for special teams.
The Rams managed to block a punt and field goal in the same game. Zuerlein was 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 38-yard kick to win the game.
The special teams showed up to play, and it contributed to the win.
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