St. Louis Rams vs. San Diego Chargers: Complete Week 12 Preview for St. Louis
The St. Louis Rams (4-6) will travel to the West Coast for the second time in four weeks to take on the San Diego Chargers (6-4), and this article will be your preview for the upcoming game.
The Rams are riding high after a convincing 22-7 defeat over the Denver Broncos, and St. Louis is hoping to carry that momentum into San Diego and secure its first two-game win streak of the 2014 season.
San Diego is also coming off a win, but its 13-6 victory over the winless Oakland Raiders is far less impressive than the Rams' limiting Peyton Manning to seven points—Denver's lowest point total of the season. The Chargers struggled to produce against one of the worst teams in the league, and the inept performance has injected some doubt into the San Diego fanbase.
The Chargers' five-game win streak is a distant memory, while the red-hot Rams—a team that has knocked off both 2013 NFC Championship teams and both Super Bowl XLVIII participants in the last five games—are on the rise.
Had this game been scheduled for October, it would be easy to favor the Chargers. Now, with both teams playing drastically different than they were over a month ago, it's anyone's guess.
This article will preview the upcoming matchup by providing the latest headlines, outlining key matchups and more. The final slide will provide a prediction for the game's outcome.
Week 11 Recap
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Let's be perfectly honest—most people assumed that a competitive loss against the Broncos was the best the Rams could hope for in this game.
Few actually believed that the Rams were capable of beating the Broncos by two scores and sending Denver home demoralized and searching for answers.
St. Louis took a 13-0 lead toward the end of the second quarter, but the Rams have been in a similar position multiple times this season, and it hasn't resulted in wins.
Against the Arizona Cardinals the previous week, the Rams owned the lead for the first three quarters until a fourth-quarter meltdown ultimately lost the game. And during a home game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Rams took an astonishing 21-point lead in the first half, but that game also slipped away by the final quarter.
Sure enough, Denver produced a touchdown before the half and cut St. Louis' lead to six points. Considering the firepower on the Broncos offense, it appeared St. Louis fans were in for another case of deja vu.
But it never happened—the sleeping giant Denver offense never woke up at any point in the game.
It wasn't that the Broncos were just having an off day, either. The St. Louis defense was relentless. The pass rush was constantly in Manning's face, which helped force the two picks, and the defensive backs were delivering bone-crunching hits that eventually knocked two Denver receivers out of the game.
The Rams weren't even getting it done on offense. They scored one touchdown in the game, and the rest of the points came from field goals. But the defense had such a dominant performance, the five field goals were enough to put the game out of reach.
This is why you never count out a team, no matter how one-sided the game might appear on paper. Most assumed the Broncos would run away with a win, but the Rams have been very competitive this season against good football teams, and their performance against Denver proves that they're better than many believe.
News and Notes
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Philip Rivers Still Banged Up
According to Eric Williams of ESPN.com, Philip Rivers was listed on San Diego's Wednesday injury report with a chest injury, which backs up comments made by teammate Antonio Gates, who claimed that Rivers has been dealing with a serious rib injury.
No one would blame San Diego for pulling Rivers and starting backup Kellen Clemens, especially against St. Louis' pass rush, but it doesn't appear that will happen.
Rivers has been practicing this week. Unless his presence on the practice field is a total decoy, the Rams can expect to face Rivers this Sunday.
Chris Long Making Progress
Rams defensive end Chris Long has been trying to get back to action since his Week 1 injury, and according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, he's still making progress.
Fisher says that Long is progressing toward a return, but the team is taking a wait-and-see approach for the upcoming game this Sunday.
The St. Louis pass rush has been on fire lately without Long in the lineup. It's a bit frightening to think what the group can accomplish after he returns.
Kellen Clemens Providing San Diego with a Helping Hand
Quarterback Kellen Clemens spent seven of his first eight NFL seasons under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, including three years with Schottenheimer in St. Louis.
According to Williams of ESPN.com, Clemens is using his past experience with the Rams coordinator to give the Chargers some insight, and San Diego feels it will give them an advantage.
“It’s huge for us,” Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano said. “For him to be able to stand in the huddle and say, ‘This is how this is run,’ or those types of things when he sees a play. He’s got his job to do, and he’s still got to prepare. But when he has the opportunity to look at the plays and talk to guys about certain routes, it’s always huge for that."
There's no doubt that Clemens—who started nine games for St. Louis in 2013—gives San Diego a unique advantage. We'll see how helpful his insight truly is this Sunday.
Injury Report
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The following injury report is according to the official St. Louis Rams website. Be sure to check the report closer to kickoff for a more up-to-date list:
LB Daren Bates (Groin): Full Participation
DL Alex Carrington (Knee): Did Not Participate
TE Jared Cook (Back): Limited Participation
TE Cory Harkey (Quad): Did Not Participate
LB Will Herring (Foot): Did Not Participate
OL Davin Joseph (N/A): Full Participation
DB Lamarcus Joyner (Groin): Did Not Participate
LB James Laurinaitis (Foot): Full Participation
CB Marcus Roberson (Ankle): Did Not Participate
WR Damian Williams (Hamstring): Did Not Participate
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Matchups to Watch
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Rams Pass Rush vs. Philip Rivers
As mentioned, Rivers is entering this game with a chest injury. If the injury is truly the reason for his sloppy play as of late, he'll be in trouble against the St. Louis pass rush.
The Rams have recorded 18 sacks since Week 7, including an eight-sack performance against the 49ers. For the sake of Rivers' long-term health, the Chargers should consider pulling him if things get out of control.
Rivers has already been sacked multiple times in seven games this year, and the St. Louis defensive line is likely more talented than any front he has seen this season (except maybe for Kansas City). With the way his offensive line has performed as of late, this game could be a complete disaster for Rivers and the San Diego offense as a whole.
Rams Run Defense vs. San Diego Run Game
Not only should the San Diego offense be concerned with protecting Rivers, but it also needs to figure out how to run the ball against a St. Louis defense that has been stingy in recent weeks.
The Rams have allowed a total of 56 rushing yards the past two weeks and just 136 total rushing yards the past three weeks.
Ryan Mathews will surely provide a spark for the San Diego offense, but the Rams have been excellent at shutting down running backs this season.
If St. Louis once again shuts down the run and turns San Diego into a one-dimensional offense, it will be a rough day for the Chargers. We saw what happened to the Broncos when they turned one-dimensional against the Rams, and it wasn't pretty.
Rams Offense vs. San Diego Defense
The St. Louis defense will likely show up and have an admirable performance, but it will be for nothing if the Rams offense continues to be anemic.
The Rams were able to outscore Denver last week, but the unit finished the game with just one touchdown.
Shaun Hill finished his first full start without turning the ball over, which is a huge plus, but the Rams have to find a way to punch it into the end zone.
The St. Louis defense can be dominant at times, but we can say the same about the San Diego defense. If the Rams offense cannot bail out the defense by having a multi-touchdown day, St. Louis will lose the game.
Prediction
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The Rams are coming off a grueling seven-game stretch against seven consecutive opponents who finished the 2013 season with double-digit wins.
The Chargers will be the eighth straight team the Rams have faced that finished 2013 with a winning record, but last week against Denver was considered the final game of the "murderers' row" portion of St. Louis' schedule.
St. Louis exited the brutal seven-game stretch with a respectable 3-4 record. That's quite impressive for an underdog team like the Rams, and the struggling Chargers are a nice change of pace compared to what the Rams have been dealing with.
That's not to say San Diego isn't a competitive team. This is a tough game for the Rams—just not as tough as the past seven matchups that they have faced.
Additionally, San Diego's geographical location is dangerously close to Los Angeles—the former home of the Rams—which should attract a solid showing of Rams fans. The visiting fans will still be outnumbered, but don't expect the Rams to be bombarded with deafening crowd noise.
The Rams are on the road and have yet to win two consecutive games, but that's not enough to stop this team. The win over Denver is too much of a milestone and a momentum boost—it will carry the Rams to a win over the Chargers.
Prediction: Rams 24, Chargers 17
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