Oakland Raiders vs. St. Louis Rams: Complete Week 13 Preview for St. Louis
The St. Louis Rams (4-7) will return from the West Coast to host the Oakland Raiders (1-10), and this article will preview the upcoming matchup for St. Louis.
Despite playing in separate conferences, these two teams have a subtle rivalry due to their past history as the two teams of Los Angeles. The two clubs have met on 12 occasions since 1972, and the Raiders have won eight times.
Oakland is currently tied for the worst record in the league, which might lead some to believe that St. Louis will run away with this game, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
The Raiders are coming off a surprising victory over the Kansas City Chiefs—a team that spanked the Rams by 27 points—and they gave a tough San Diego team an admirable fight the week before.
The Raiders are making it clear that they're much more talented than the record indicates, so the Rams will have to be on high alert this week, or else they'll be facing a humiliating upset.
The game will kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET and will air on CBS, as well as channel 708 for DirecTV.
Read on for the latest headlines, matchup analysis, predictions and more. Also, be sure to return on game day to follow St. Louis' live blog, which will provide live commentary and analysis throughout the game.
Week 12 Recap
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St. Louis' Week 12 showdown with the San Diego Chargers was easily one of the most painful losses for the Rams this season.
The loss would have been easy to swallow had the Rams been legitimately dominated on the field, but that was far from the case. The Rams had the game won on two occasions, but St. Louis got shafted once by the officials, and once more by Shaun Hill's decision-making.
The Rams entered halftime with a promising 10-6 lead. The St. Louis defense put together an excellent first half. The San Diego offense was dead in the water, and the Rams held them to two field goals.
Then, the Chargers entered the second half firing on all cylinders. The powerful San Diego offense woke up and scored back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter (bringing the total to 17 unanswered points), and the game suddenly took a grim turn for the Rams, who trailed 20-10.
Finally, the St. Louis offense answered back with a scoring drive and a rushing touchdown for Tavon Austin, making it a three-point game. The Chargers answered back with a Keenan Allen touchdown, but Hill hit Stedman Bailey in the end zone moments later to keep it a three-point game.
The Chargers got the ball back with just over two minutes in the fourth quarter, but they failed to run out the clock. The Rams defense made an epic stand and forced a three-and-out, forcing San Diego to punt with one minute, 47 seconds still left on the clock.
That's when all hell broke loose.
The San Diego punt landed in the hands of Austin, who ran it back 73 yards for a potential winning touchdown. However, the refs called Rams linebacker Marshall McFadden for a holding, which wiped out the score.
The Fox commentators were baffled with the phantom holding call, as the penalty was seemingly invisible on film. Coach Jeff Fisher commented on the flag this past week, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and he's just as confused as anyone.
“According to (Cheffers’ crew), there was supposedly a foul during the kick on the line of scrimmage,” Fisher said. “Didn’t see it. I mean, we’ve been looking for it. Seriously, we looked all over the place for it. We just didn’t see it.”
San Diego was also flagged on the play, so the Rams took over at the spot of the foul at the San Diego 40.
The drive did not get off to a promising start after a first-down incompletion. The Rams faced a 3rd-and-3, but that's when Hill found Kenny Britt downfield. Britt made a leaping 27-yard grab that took the ball to the San Diego 6-yard line with over a minute still on the clock.
Trailing by only three, it looked as though a win was within reach for St. Louis, with a field goal and overtime as the worst-case scenario—but that's when it happened.
Hill dropped back on second down and locked onto Britt, who was crossing over the middle. Without even scanning the field, Hill blindly forced the ball to Britt, and it was picked off by San Diego. The Chargers took a knee, and the game ended in heartbreak.
The refs took away the win at the beginning of the drive, and Hill's negligence cost them the win at the end. Now, the Rams will try to regroup and overcome it all against Oakland.
News and Notes
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Backup Plan in Place for Ferguson Unrest
The grand jury decision rocked the nation this week, especially the St. Louis area, but the NFL has apparently taken steps to ensure the protests do not affect the game on Sunday.
According to Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star, the concession workers at Lucas Oil Stadium were told that they're on call this week in case the game between the Rams and the Raiders has to be relocated. Apparently, if the game is in danger, it will be held in Indianapolis—a short four-hour drive from St. Louis.
It's worth noting that the St. Louis Blues hockey team successfully hosted a home game on Tuesday without incident, so that's a promising sign.
The NFL is a far bigger target and attracts more eyeballs than the NHL, but if the league is not comfortable with this game kicking off, at least there's a solid backup plan in place.
Chris Long Expected to Return
Chris Long suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings and has been itching to get back ever since. According to The Associated Press, via Fox Sports, that moment may finally be here.
According to the article, Long tried to get on the field last week in San Diego, but it didn't happen. Now, Long is getting anxious and doing what he can to get on the field.
The St. Louis defense has been playing much better since midseason without Long. Once the veteran returns to the lineup, the group will take another promising step forward.
Rams Special Teams Concerns Oakland
The Rams have been known for trickery on special teams ever since the arrival of Fisher. The latest example was the fake punt by Johnny Hekker last week against the Chargers—he threw for a first down to keep the Rams alive.
According to Jerry McDonald of the San Jose Mercury News, the Raiders are concerned about St. Louis' dangerous return units, but they'll also be keeping a lookout for fakes.
"I think they've faked seven times since Fisher has been there, so they'll take some chances," head coach Tony Sparano said. "But their return units are really solid. We'll be challenged that way as well."
Big plays on special teams can really change the momentum of the game, so Oakland cannot afford to suffer from Fisher's trickery.
Injury Report
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The following injury report is from the official website of the St. Louis Rams. Check back closer to game day for a more up-to-date list.
Injury Report
WR Kenny Britt (Back): Full Participation
DL Alex Carrington (Thigh): Limited Participation
TE Jared Cook (Back): Full Participation
CB E.J. Gaines (Knee): Full Participation
TE Cory Harkey (Thigh): Limited Participation
LB Will Herring (Foot): Limited Participation
OL Davin Joseph (N/A): Did Not Participate
DB Lamarcus Joyner (Groin): Full Participation
LB James Laurinaitis (Ankle): Full Participation
LB Alec Ogletree (Illness): Limited Participation
DE Robert Quinn (N/A): Full Participation
CB Marcus Roberson (Ankle): Did Not Participate
DE Eugene Sims (N/A): Did Not Participate
C Scott Wells (N/A): Full Participation
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Key Matchups and X-Factors
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Derek Carr vs. the St. Louis Pass Rush
Rookie quarterback Derek Carr has been an excellent addition to the Oakland roster. He deserves some Rookie of the Year attention, even if he ultimately loses out to Mike Evans or Sammy Watkins.
Carr is on pace to finish with 3,271 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and just 13 picks—a very similar stat line to Sam Bradford's promising rookie season (3,512 yards, 18 touchdowns, 15 interceptions).
But even though Carr is posting respectable rookie numbers while playing on one of the worst teams in the NFL, he has yet to face the intense pass-rush pressure that the Rams are capable of dishing out.
Carr has been sacked zero times in five of his 11 starts. He has been sacked multiple times in just three games, and he has been sacked more than twice in just one game.
If the St. Louis front four does what it's capable of doing, the rookie won't stand a chance. He doesn't have enough experience under heavy duress.
Latavius Murray vs. Rams Run Defense
Latavius Murray practically rode the bench for the majority of the first 10 weeks, but he has added a spark to the Oakland rushing attack.
Murray has received just eight total carries over the last two weeks, but he has been highly productive with 155 yards and two scores.
The Raiders are entering this game with a rushing offense that ranks last in the NFL, but Murray has provided a nice boost to the unit.
The Rams have been better against the run as of late, but they did allow Ryan Mathews to rack up 105 yards last week. That's a troubling sign.
St. Louis has to tighten up again, or else Murray could be a game changer. If the Rams can turn Oakland into a one-dimensional offense by shutting down the run, which will allow the pass rush to get after Carr, it will make a victory that much easier.
Can the St. Louis Offense Hold up Its End of the Bargain?
The defense is the game-changing unit for this Rams team. The St. Louis offense just needs to manage the game and avoid costly mistakes—something it failed to do last week.
The Raiders are not a great offensive team, and it won't take much for the Rams to keep pace. Two or three touchdowns and a few field goals should get it done, as long as the offense can burn time off the clock and avoid turnovers.
The St. Louis defense cannot afford to bail out the offense over and over again. The offense has to manage the game and hold up its end of the bargain.
Prediction
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Given the latest headlines out of Ferguson and the negative press surrounding the St. Louis area, you can guarantee that the Rams are eager to put on a show for their home fans and generate something positive.
Not only that, but the Rams are the better football team. That's not to say that Oakland doesn't have some dangerous rising stars on its roster, it just means that St. Louis is a bit closer to being a contender. They have the tools to outgun Oakland in nearly every aspect.
Football is unpredictable, so the better team doesn't always win, but the Rams have the talent and production on their side.
The Raiders have been fired up lately and the team is playing good football. It's unlikely they'll roll over and allow this game to become a blowout, so expect a competitive game until the very end.
Having said that, the Rams should seal the deal. There's reason why St. Louis shouldn't win this game.
Prediction: Rams 24, Raiders 17
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