Rams vs. Chiefs: Previewing St. Louis' Preseason Week 4 Matchup

The St. Louis Rams are set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Edward Jones Dome for the preseason finale. With the relocation rumors hovering in the air, this could possibly be the final Governor's Cup between the two Missouri teams. 

The preseason finale is bittersweet. Bitter because the fourth preseason contest features almost zero playing time for the starters. Sweet because it's the final hurdle we must endure before the highly anticipated action of Week 1. 

If you can hold on for just over one more week, real football will finally be back. 

Rams fans are beginning to feel that optimism again. The previous week's contest against the Indianapolis Colts was probably the best preseason performance we've seen from St. Louis so far. 

Nick Foles was a remarkable 10-for-11 with 128 yards, including a beautiful 44-yard bomb to Chris Givens for a touchdown. On defense, Aaron Donald single-handedly forced a three-and-out after stuffing the Colts inside their own five three straight times. 

The offensive line was still a major concern, but the Colts game had plenty of positives for the team to build on. 

The Rams are hoping to see more of that against Kansas City. If the run game improves and the offensive line finally looks competent, it will ease the collective minds of worried fans. 

Read on for a preview of the game, including the latest headlines, injury reports, match-up analysis and more. 

Location: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: KTVI Fox (St. Louis Local)

News and Notes

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Case Keenum Locks Up No. 2 Job

Case Keenum and Austin Davis have been battling throughout camp for the No. 2 quarterback job. According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, the job now belongs to Keenum. 

"I think Case has the advantage right now," said head coach Jeff Fisher. "I would say the competition would be related to the third spot, with Austin and Sean (Mannion). So we’re going to try to get them both reps in the game. But I think that Case has done a good enough job right now at this point that he’s got No. 2 locked up.”

Keenum is 20-for-34 this preseason (58.8 percent) with 255 yards and a touchdown pass. He has yet to turn the ball over in 2015. 

The surprising thing about Fisher's statement is the comment on the No. 3 job. It was always assumed that Davis and Keenum would battle for the No. 2 job and the loser would be cut. Meanwhile, rookie third-round pick Sean Mannion would be guaranteed the No. 3 job and a roster spot due to his high draft status. 

In all likelihood, Fisher's comments are just meaningless words of encouragement for Davis. Keeping four quarterbacks seems far-fetched. It's equally unlikely that the Rams will place a high pick like Mannion on the practice squad, which exposes him to being snatched up by another team. 

Barring a total surprise, Foles, Keenum and Mannion should enter the season as the three St. Louis quarterbacks. 

Imoan Claiborne Cut, Among Others

Tuesday, September 1, was the deadline to meet the NFL's requirement for a 75-player roster limit. According to Wagoner of ESPN.com, the Rams cut 13 players in order to hit their limit. 

Offensive linemen Steven Baker, Travis Bond and David Wang were cut. Safety Jay Hughes, linebacker Keshaun Malone, linebacker Korey Toomer, defensive tackle Doug Worthington, long snapper Tyler Ott, kicker Michael Palardy, receiver Tyler Slavin, tight end Brad Smelley, receiver Damian Williams and cornerback Imoan Claiborne were also let go. 

The shocker of this group is undoubtedly Claiborne. The rookie corner had a great pass breakup and an interception in his preseason debut. He followed that up with another deflected pass against the Colts. 

He seemed to be one of the steals from St. Louis' 2015 class of undrafted free agents, but apparently the coaching staff had a differing view. 

One possible explanation is the highly publicized scrimmage brawl between the Rams and Dallas Cowboys. According to Wagoner's article, Claiborne is the player who cold-cocked a helmetless Dez Bryant during the skirmish. 

Perhaps the coaches were not amused with the negative media attention and hold it against Claiborne. 

Regardless, he showed enough positives in the preseason that he should get a shot somewhere else. It's doubtful his NFL career is complete. 

Latest Injury News

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Here's an outline of St. Louis' injuries for the game against the Cheifs. All information is from ESPN.com. 

WR Brian Quick (Shoulder): Probable

Brian Quick did get some reps in the game against the Colts—his first preseason action—but had no catches. He should see the field again, but expect another cautious approach. 

DT Nick Fairley (Collarbone): Probable

Nick Fairley has been quiet this preseason. Expect that to continue as he nurses his collar bone. It'd be nice to see him get reps with his new teammates, but the Rams apparently want him ready for Week 1. 

RB Tre Mason (Hamstring): Questionable

According to the ESPN injury report, Tre Mason is officially out for the Chiefs game. That's hardly a surprise. He's the No. 1 running back until Todd Gurley returns to form, so the Rams absolutely need Mason for Week 1. 

OL Rodger Saffold (Arm): Questionable 

The ESPN injury report suggests that Rodger Saffold could return to practice this week. However, as the team's best offensive lineman, the Rams should probably keep him sidelined until Week 1. 

Key Matchups

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Rams Front Seven vs. Kansas City Rushing Attack

The Chiefs have finished top 10 in rushing offense each of the last three seasons. That's a trend that has continued this preseason, as Kansas City ranks seventh in league rushing, averaging 118.7 yards per game. 

The Chiefs have accomplished this without the focal point of their rushing attack—Jamaal Charles—who has just three carries this preseason. Even without him in the lineup, Kansas City has been able to move the ball. 

This will be a great test for the St. Louis front seven. Everyone knows the Rams can rush the passer, but the run support has been less consistent in recent years. Shutting down a proven Kansas City ground attack will be a good sign, even if it's just backup defenders getting it done. 

St. Louis Secondary vs. Young Kansas City Receivers

Two young Kansas City receivers have quietly stood out this preseason. Second-year pro Frankie Hammond and rookie Fred Williams have been the preferred targets for the Chiefs quarterbacks. 

The two have combined for 22 catches, four touchdowns and 263 receiving yards. The Chiefs have had 16 different receivers catch a pass this preseason, yet Hammond and Williams have combined for 38.5 percent of the team's 684 passing yards. 

Shutting down these young receivers will be an uphill battle for the young St. Louis secondary. 

The Rams did a nice job last week limiting Andrew Luck to 12 completions on 21 attempts, but overall this preseason, opponents have completed 69.9 percent of their passes. If that trend continues, Hammond and Williams will shred the field. 

Limiting both receivers to under 50 yards and allowing a combined 60 percent or less completion rate for the opposing passers should be considered a success. 

Matchup X-Factors

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Will the Defensive Line Feature Any Real Talent? 

The No. 1 advantage for St. Louis in any given game is its potent pass rush. However, in the preseason finale, it's safe to say Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Chris Long and the other high-end defensive linemen will watch from the sidelines. 

The Rams have some decent depth guys in Ethan Westbrooks and Eugene Sims, but the team will have a tough time standing up to the Kansas City offense with mere backups in the front seven. Without Donald and Michael Brockers plugging up the middle, the ends will be exposed to double teams and the run defense will suffer. 

This will be our chance to see if the St. Louis depth is as good as advertised. The young players will be fighting ferociously to make the team, so this is a prime opportunity for certain players to standout. 

Any player who has a big game will certainly make those final cut decisions more difficult for the coaching staff. 

This is Sean Mannion's Time to Shine

After the preseason finale, Mannion will presumably be stashed away until the preseason of 2016. The NFL season is long, so it'll be quite some time before he gets another chance to show his stuff. 

Mannion should consider this a partial audition for next year. Given his draft status, it's likely St. Louis will ultimately move him to the No. 2 spot, assuming he's ready. And there's no telling how Foles will do in the upcoming season. For all we know, he'll be fighting for the starting job a year from now. 

Hopefully, St. Louis will allow Mannion to air it out in this game and really show what he can do. 

He's been very solid so far, completing 60.6 percent of his passes in 33 attempts for 193 yards and a touchdown. 

The Week 3 game against the Colts was by far his worst showing this preseason. He went just 6-for-13 for 47 yards. He coughed up an interception and had zero touchdowns. 

A rebound performance will help the Rams win this game, and it will also help Mannion's cause beyond 2015.

Prediction: Rams 20, Chiefs 17

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It's difficult to predict a preseason score, and that's especially true for the finale. However, with possibly the final Governor's Cup on line, maybe that will provide some small source of inspiration for the Rams. 

Not to mention, St. Louis is 0-3 this preseason, so the competitive nature of these players might take over in an effort to avoid going winless, even if the scores are meaningless. The home-field advantage won't hurt either. 

The focus of this game should be minimizing penalties and getting things done on offense. If Trey Watts and Malcolm Brown can maintain a healthy run game, and if the Rams find a few touchdowns, there's no reason why the Rams can't pull off the win. 

It won't be an enticing spectacle, but it'll be a life-or-death situation for some of the youngsters on the field. Watching the low-level players give it their all as they fight for their dreams is something worth watching. 

After this, it will be time for real football.