New York Giants vs. St. Louis Rams: Complete Week 16 Preview for St. Louis

The St. Louis Rams (6-8) will host the New York Giants (5-9) for an NFC matchup between two teams searching for pride. This article will serve as the complete preview for the upcoming game. 

The Rams are eager for a win after suffering an ugly 12-6 loss to the rival Arizona Cardinals—a game that was dominated by defense and did not feature a single touchdown. 

The Giants, meanwhile, snapped a seven-game losing streak and now have back-to-back wins over the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins. The emergence of rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has suddenly made a disastrous season into something worth watching. 

If the Rams defeat the Giants, they'll have a shot at securing their first non-losing season since 2006 with a win on the road in Seattle. If the Giants win, they'll have a chance at sealing a respectable 7-9 record and going out with a four-game win streak, which is quite impressive for a team that recently lost seven straight. 

Clearly, both teams want this win, and it should be an exciting matchup.

This article will be your ultimate guide and provide the latest headlines, key matchup analysis, predictions and more. Also, be sure to stop by on game day for our live blog, which will provide live score, commentary and analysis throughout the game. 

Week 15 Recap

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We knew the Thursday night matchup between the Rams and Cardinals would be a defensive slugfest, but few predicted that we'd witness a touchdown-free contest that resembled 1940s football rather than a game from this century. 

The final score of 12-6 was a nightmare for fantasy owners but a rare treat for brute defense aficionados. 

The Rams held Arizona out of the end zone completely. The Cardinals were limited to 131 passing yards, and their leading rusher finished with a modest 75 yards on the ground. In fact, one of Arizona's four field-goals wasn't even earned—it was gift-wrapped by Rams running back Tre Mason, who fumbled deep in St. Louis territory. 

And St. Louis wasn't even the best defense on the field for this game. 

The Cardinals held Mason to 33 yards on the ground. Arizona also tallied two sacks and seven quarterback hits, while also holding Shaun Hill to a completion rate just over 50 percent. 

It was a game where a little bit of luck, combined with good field position, made all the difference. Unfortunately for St. Louis, the Cardinals were awarded both. 

The St. Louis offense was dreadful and only crossed the 50-yard-line three times (not counting the drive where they punted from the Arizona 49, that's being at the 50, not past it), and the constant punts deep in St. Louis territory made it impossible for the Rams to win the field-position battle. 

The Cardinals also caught a few lucky breaks that helped tremendously. The Mason fumble was one, and then there's the two interceptions that Janoris Jenkins nearly secured but dropped. Had Jenkins secured just one of those two picks (one easily would have gone for a pick-six had he stayed on his feet), it would have been a totally different game. 

The Rams were mostly victims circumstance, but we saw some questionable coaching decisions as well. 

The Rams kicked a field goal in the first half despite being half a foot away from the first down. It was early in the game, and there was plenty of time to recoup the loss had they been stopped. 

St. Louis faced a similar situation with the game on the line. In the fourth quarter, when the Rams were down, 12-3, and finally got something going on offense, they were stopped on third down just half a yard away from the goal line. They elected to take the field goal. 

In a two-score game, the Rams needed that field goal either way. That's understandable. But this wasn't a normal game—the offense was getting smacked around, and the group was extremely fortunate to be that close to the end zone at all. It was highly unlikely that they'd be that close again, so the team should have went for the touchdown on fourth down. 

Had they punched it in, the offense would have been shooting for just a field goal on the last two drives—a feasible task. Instead, we saw desperation throws as the Rams struggled to march all the way downfield for a touchdown. The play-calling would have been totally different had they been working towards a field goal instead of a touchdown. 

It wasn't a blatantly dumb call since St. Louis needed the three points anyway, but since the Rams are a losing team with no playoff hopes, you have to wonder why they didn't show more guts by going for the touchdown. 

It was a tough break for the Rams. It was a winnable game that barely slipped through their grasp, but then again, that has been the story of the season. 

News and Notes

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Rams Aiming for Official Top-10 Defense Status

The Rams' slow start to the season has skewed the numbers, and they don't reflect how well the defense has played lately, but according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, Michael Brockers and the Rams are attempting to change that. 

"I think personally being in the top 10 or being in the top five for us would be great, especially with how young this defense is and the teams we’ve beat," said Brockers. "It would be a great confidence booster for us going into next season." 

Brockers is referring to being ranked as a top-10 defense as far as yards per game. According to Wagoner, the Rams currently sit at 11th overall and have allowed 339.9 yards per game—not far from the No. 6 Jets (329.8). 

Buffalo is No. 5 with 313.4 yards a game. In order to crack the top five, the Rams must hold their next two opponents to 300 yards (or less) per game, which would then bring the average to 313.3. Of course, that's assuming that Buffalo's average remains constant and none of the other No. 6- to No. 10-ranked teams make a similar climb. 

Even if the Rams don't make the jump, it's not a major blow. It's pretty much common knowledge at this point that St. Louis is a good defensive team, regardless of the rankings. 

Aaron Donald Deserves the Pro Bowl 

According to STLtoday.com columnist Bernie Miklasz, Rams rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald, whom St. Louis drafted with the No. 13 overall pick, is the Rams player most deserving of a Pro Bowl bid. 

Miklasz mentions that Donald is Pro Football Focus' highest-rated all-around defensive tackle in the NFL. Not just among rookies—among veterans too. He's also the second-rated tackle in all of the NFL against the run. 

With eight sacks on the year, Donald needs just two more to tie Ndamukong Suh's rookie sack total (10) and three more to break the record for most sacks by a rookie tackle (since the stat became official in 1982), which was set by San Francisco's Dana Stubblefield in 1993 (10.5). 

Donald deserves a Pro Bowl bid and the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but unfortunately, he's not getting the media attention that he deserves. The award will likely go to C.J. Mosely of the Ravens, as the voters have an inexplicable obsession with giving the award to linebackers. Maybe it's because combined tackles are apparently the only stat rookie defenders can consistently acquire. 

E.J. Gaines is Still a Total Steal

According to the Associated Press (h/t Fox Sports), Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines has not only been a productive player, but he's also the only rookie corner to start every game this season. 

Gaines has started all 14 games for the Rams this year and has been exceptional. He currently has 67 tackles, 14 defended passes and two interceptions. 

Gaines' free fall into the sixth round was totally ridiculous. When Gaines suited up for the Missouri Tigers to take on Texas A&M during the 2013 season, Gaines held Mike Evans to a whopping total of eight yards receiving—a career low for Evans in the NCAA. 

Evans was drafted No. 7 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Rams selected Gaines 181 spots later in the sixth round. Go figure. 

Injury Report

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The following injury report is from the official website of the St. Louis Rams. Check back closer to kickoff for a more up-to-date list:

C Scott Wells (Not Injury Related): Did Not Participate

G Davin Joseph (Not Injury Related): Full Participation 

Key Matchups and X-Factors

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Sacking Eli Manning is a Priority

The Giants have a miserable run game that averages under 100 yards per game (22nd in the NFL), and they've had just two 100-yard rushers this season. The Rams should contain the run game with ease, forcing the Giants to pass—and that'll open things up for the deadly St. Louis pass rush. 

If Eli Manning is sacked multiple times and feels the pressure all afternoon, the New York offense will fall apart. 

The Giants have an 0-8 record this season when Manning is sacked more than once in a game. If he feels the heat, he'll desperately force the ball to Beckham, and the secondary could capitalize with one or two key turnovers. 

If Manning has a miserable day, not even Beckham can bail him out. 

Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Rams Secondary

Obviously, the No. 1 concern entering this game is containing Beckham. The rookie receiver has at least six catches and 90 yards in his last seven games, and he has surpassed the 100-yard mark in five of those games. 

Beckham can beat teams with short catches that move the chains, but that's nothing new for the Rams. Teams have been able to pass on the Rams all season—they have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 67.5 percent of their throws this year (the third-highest percentage in the NFL). 

What the secondary cannot allow, however, is the deep ball. Beckham has a catch of 35 or more yards in six of his last seven games, and he has a catch of 40 or more yards in four of those games. 

The Rams have only allowed six passes of 40 or more yards this season (tied for fourth-fewest in the league), but they've been burned before in key situations (such as the Brandon Lloyd, John Brown and Dez Bryant touchdowns).

St. Louis cornerback Janoris Jenkins likes to gamble, but that can't happen in this game. He needs to keep Beckham in front of him at all times, and the safeties have to constantly be aware of Beckham's location on the field. 

The Rams have been very solid at preventing big plays this season. If they can keep it up against Beckham, the Giants will have a hard time finding points against the stingy St. Louis defense. 

Tre Mason Must Capitalize on Weak New York Run Defense

Mason has to be licking his chops this week. He's eager to redeem himself after his costly fumble against Arizona, and he has a prime opportunity to do just that against the third-worst run defense in the NFL—a unit that allows just over 135 rushing yards per game. 

The rookie has been a solid addition to the St. Louis offense, but he's been in a rut lately. He finished with just 66 rushing yards in Washington and was held to 33 against Arizona. 

Mason needs to take this opportunity to remind everyone why Zac Stacy—who had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season as a rookie—has been on the bench for most of the season. He needs to have a lights-out performance to secure his rightful spot as St. Louis' starting back for years to come. 

If Mason can produce a fumble-free game with over 100 yards on the ground and a touchdown or two, the Rams will feel a lot better about their running back situation entering the offseason. 

Prediction

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

The tone lately has suggested that St. Louis' mad tear ended against Arizona, but that's not really the case. The defense didn't allow a touchdown in that game and hasn't allowed one in three games now. 

The Giants struggle when it comes to running the ball, which means it's going to be difficult for New York to do anything other than throw the football against the Rams' stout run defense. 

The Giants will have to ask Beckham to single-handedly produce points for them and win the game. He's certainly capable of that against lesser defenses, such as Washington and Tennessee, but the Rams are too good on defense to get manhandled by one player. It takes a team effort—one that the Giants offense is not capable of. 

The sloppy and inconsistent play by the St. Louis offense will likely prevent this game from becoming a blowout. Mason will move the ball well, and a few lucky passes will get the Rams in scoring range. I wouldn't expect the offense to redeem itself this week—they'll do just enough to survive. 

Then again, the last time the Rams were coming off a loss, they beat the Raiders by 52 points. So it's possible that the offense will do a little more than just manage the game, but don't count on it. 

Overall, the Rams are a better football team and have home-field advantage. Nothing else really needs to be said. 

Prediction: Rams 17, Giants 7

Quick Predictions

• Beckham gets his fantasy yards, but the Rams keep him out of the end zone. 
• Rams rookie running back Mason rushes for a career-high yards total (over 117 yards). 
• The Rams surrender a touchdown for the first time in over 12 quarters, but they hold New York to 10 points or less. 
• Manning gets sacked at least five times. 
• Rams rookie Aaron Donald gets two sacks, bringing his sack total to 10 and possibly locking up the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.