St. Louis Rams Poised for a Strong Finish to Roller-Coaster 2014 Season

It has been an up-and-down 2014 season for the St. Louis Rams, and it all started in Week 3 of the preseason when quarterback Sam Bradford re-tore his left ACL. In addition to the rough 1-4 start to the season, the Rams lost wide receiver Brian Quick and offensive lineman Jake Long to season-ending injuries midway through the season.

Alongside the challenge of finding wins and staying healthy, Rams coach Jeff Fisher has danced around with his backup quarterbacks. Shaun Hill started in Week 1, but Austin Davis started under center for St. Louis through the next eight games. Then Fisher switched back to Hill, who has started the last three games for the Rams.

Even though the Rams struggled during the 1-4 start, they have looked like a different football team since Week 7.

The Rams have gone 4-3 since that week, picking up wins against the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, the two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year. St. Louis also blew out the Oakland Raiders, pitching a 52-0 shutout at home.

The team fell against the San Diego Chargers but remained competitive in a narrow defeat.

Offensively, rookie running back Tre Mason has rushed for 100 yards twice in the last three games, as he registered his 100-yard games in wins against Denver and Oakland. Against the Raiders, Mason went off for 164 total yards of offense and three touchdowns on 17 touches.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted that Mason's monster game made him a nominee for the league's Pepsi Rookie of the Week and FedEx Ground Player of the Week awards.

The Rams have also had a key player step up on the other side of the ball, trying to lift the defense and to have a hand in helping the team grab some victories.

After going through the first five games without a sack, defensive end Robert Quinn has gone back to his 2013 form when he finished with 19 sacks. He's collected nine sacks and registered four forced fumbles in the last seven games, giving St. Louis' defense an edge against opposing offenses.

With four games remaining, the Rams will visit the Washington Redskins, return home to play the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants and conclude the season on the road against the Seahawks.

Washington and New York have each had terrible 2014 seasons, and it is likely St. Louis can handle those teams with ease by simply sticking to its strengths.

As for the Cardinals, they share the league's best record with four other teams and were the last team to drop a second game this year. But with quarterback Carson Palmer out, the Cardinals are riding a two-game losing streak.

The only big challenge on this schedule appears to be Seattle, a team that the Rams have already defeated once this year.

By winning at least three of those four games, the Rams would finish with eight wins and hit the .500 mark for the first time since Fisher was hired in 2012.

If the Rams can finish the season on a stronger note, it will give the team a boost of confidence in which the returning players hope can be used as motivation to carry the late-season winning run into 2015.

With a couple of key acquisitions through free agency and the 2015 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams could be a surprise team in the NFC West, and possibly make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

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