St. Louis Rams vs. Green Bay Packers: Full St. Louis Game Preview
The St. Louis Rams (2-2) are set to travel north to take on the Green Bay Packers (4-0). This contest is arguably St. Louis' greatest challenge of the 2015 season, given the opponent and the harsh Lambeau Field environment.
That's not to say the Rams have no hope.
St. Louis managed to take down the defending NFC champions, the Seattle Seahawks, in Week 1. This past Sunday, the Rams conquered the previously unbeaten Arizona Cardinals on their own turf. After witnessing these two upsets, it's clear St. Louis possesses the talent to outdo literally any league opponent.
Unfortunately, the Rams resemble a character in a George R.R. Martin novel. As soon as they flash signs of hope and we start liking them again, they're brutally killed off.
That's what happened in Week 2. The Rams were riding high after their win over Seattle, only to drop a very winnable game against a mediocre Washington team. It's an all-too-common theme under head coach Jeff Fisher.
As soon as the Rams establish the slightest bit of consistency, they'll immediately become one of the most feared teams in the NFL. But as of now, we have yet to see it.
This game against the Packers is a chance to fix that. Back-to-back wins over Arizona and Green Bay would provide such an enormous momentum boost that even a Fisher-led team can't screw that up. In that scenario, the Rams would turn into a juggernaut and bulldoze their way to a winning record—the franchise's first since 2003.
That's why this is such an important game. A loss isn't the end of the world, but a win will provide the team with more confidence than it's had in years.
This article will highlight the upcoming game and outline what the Rams are up against, including the latest news, matchup analysis and more.
News and Notes
1 of 5
Stedman Bailey's Takes Pricey End-Zone Nap
For $8,000, you can book a suite in New York's famous The Plaza hotel and get a luxurious night's sleep. Or, for the same price tag, you can snooze on a pigskin pillow for five seconds at the University of Phoenix Stadium end zone.
Rams receiver Stedman Bailey chose the latter.
According to Mike Pereira of Fox Sports, Bailey will be fined $8,681 for his end-zone nap following his touchdown during St. Louis' win over Arizona on Sunday.
Fisher was hardly amused with the stunt, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
"He used the ball as a prop," Fisher said. "It's a foul. It's a 15-yard penalty, and you're kicking off from the 15-yard line and that's not part of what we do."
Miraculously, the refs did not throw a flag on the play. It was a lucky break for the Rams and a foolish move on Bailey's part, but you can bet on officials being less tolerant of similar antics in the future.
Alec Ogletree Undergoes Surgery
According to the Associated Press (via Fox Sports), Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree underwent surgery to repair the fractured fibula he suffered during Sunday's win at Arizona.
Ogletree will not be placed on season-ending injured reserve. Instead, the Rams will consider placing him on the eight-week injured reserve. He may need more that eight weeks to heal, but the latter option opens up the roster spot and preserves the possibility of Ogletree making a late-season return.
It's a major St. Louis loss that shouldn't be overlooked. The former 2013 first-round pick has been playing out of his mind in recent weeks and has easily been the team's best linebacker this season.
Ogletree had a career-high 18 tackles against Washington in Week 2. In the game against Pittsburgh, he tallied two sacks and finished with 15 tackles.
The Rams will count on a combination of Akeem Ayers, Daren Bates and safety Mark Barron to carry on the Ogletree role and minimize the loss. Still, it's likely this injury will hurt the defense overall.
Latest Injury News
2 of 5
Here is this week's injury report, according to ESPN.com:
St. Louis Rams
WR Kenny Britt (Shoulder): Probable
LB Alec Ogletree (Ankle): Out
Green Bay Packers
WR Davante Adams (Ankle): Questionable
RB Ed Lacy (Ankle): Probable
WR Randall Cobb (Shoulder): Questionable
DE Datone Jones (Head): Probable
S Morgan Burnett (Calf): Day to Day
The Rams clearly have the advantage as far as health. For the most part, St. Louis has been extraordinarily lucky in 2015 when it comes to injuries.
The team lost cornerback E.J. Gaines in training camp and, as mentioned, Ogletree will miss some time. Other than that, the key players on St. Louis' roster have remained intact.
As for the Packers, they're fairly banged up.
Receiver Davante Adams' ankle injury will slow him down immensely—if he plays at all—and it's safe to assume Ed Lacy's speed and lower-body strength will only suffer from his bum ankle. Not to mention, the team's best receiver—Randall Cobb—is nursing a shoulder injury.
However, the only offensive weapon that matters—Aaron Rodgers—is healthy and playing well, so the injuries to Green Bay's key weapons probably won't slow down the offense as much as St. Louis fans would like.
Top Matchups
3 of 5
Ed Lacy vs. James Laurinaitis
James Laurinaitis has been a weak point on defense for most of the season. He's been struggling to shed blocks and, at times, he seems incapable of meeting the ball-carrier at the line of scrimmage.
Fortunately, Laurinaitis must have heard the criticisms. This past Sunday against Arizona, he played one of his best games in years. He recorded a sack and forced fumble, but he also made his presence felt in run support.
With Ogletree out, the Rams need another top-notch performance from Laurinaitis. The 234-pound Lacy is tough to bring down, so the St. Louis defense will depend on Laurinaitis' ability to contain Lacy.
As long as Laurinaitis can slow down Lacy at the line of scrimmage, the hard-hitting St. Louis safeties should finish the job. However, if we see another weak performance by Laurinaitis, Green Bay will run wild on the Rams' defense.
Clay Matthews vs. Rob Havenstein
The Rams' offensive line has kept Nick Foles relatively clean this season—he's been sacked just six times in four weeks and never more than twice in a single game.
Unfortunately, Clay Matthews—who already has three sacks this season—will be lining up on the left side, which puts him against rookie lineman Rob Havenstein.
Havenstein is a refined run-blocker out of Wisconsin, but like Greg Robinson on the left side, his pass protection is still a work-in-progress. Matthews is perhaps the most dynamic and most dangerous pass-rusher Havenstein will see all season.
The Rams have veteran Rodger Saffold at right guard, along side Havenstein, so that should help the cause. Even so, it's going to be a great challenge for the rookie. The Rams must reinforce the right side with a tight end and Havenstein must know No. 52's location at all times.
Sam Shields vs. Tavon Austin
Tavon Austin has been St. Louis' most dangerous weapon on offense—probably the only weapon prior to Todd Gurley's emergence—and has four touchdowns in as many game. It seems whenever the offense is clicking, it's because Austin is making plays.
The Rams will depend on Austin to produce this week, and that involves him outplaying Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields.
Shields has an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 2.3—ranked 20th in the league and No. 1 among Green Bay's corners—and he has surrendered zero touchdowns this seasons.
Although, Shields does have his flaws as well. Quarterbacks have completed 68.4 percent of their passes against Shields, and he has allowed 173 yards in four games.
The battle between Shields and Austin should be intense and will certainly be key in this game. If Austin can find a way to win this matchup, the St. Louis offense will look sharp.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Matchup X-Factors
4 of 5
Can the St. Louis Pass Rush Intimidate Rodgers?
Aaron Rodgers has been on fire this season and looks the part of an MVP candidate. In four games, he has already tossed 11 touchdowns with no interceptions and about 1,000 yards. He has also hurt teams with his legs, accumulating 107 rushing yards.
Shutting down Rodgers is the Rams' No. 1 priority in this game. The best weapon in St. Louis' arsenal to accomplish that is its defensive line.
The Rams have to be ruthless in this game. Utilizing blitz packages and rattling Rodgers early and often is a priority. If Rodgers and the Green Bay offense are knocked out of sync in the first half, the whole unit will appear skittish for the entire game.
The MVP of this game will either be Rodgers or the St. Louis defensive line. It's up to the Rams to determine which scenario plays out.
Will Todd Gurley Carry the St. Louis Offense?
Todd Gurley—despite having negative yardage in the first half—dominated Arizona on Sunday. He finished that game with 146 rushing yards and 161 total yards from scrimmage.
The game against Arizona was the first start of Gurley's career, yet the Rams already feel justified spending a top-10 pick to acquire him.
The St. Louis offense is in a dire state and needs a dramatic boost. If last week's performance is any indication, Gurley can certainly be the white knight who saves the day and carries the unit.
The game against Green Bay will be an opportunity for him to shine.
Green Bay has the league's 21st-ranked run defense, allowing 115 yards per game on average. Pro Football Focus has the Packers ranked 25th in run defense, with a grade of minus-5.6.
If Gurley and the St. Louis offensive line can capitalize on that matchup, the Rams should be in good shape.
Prediction: Packers 23, Rams 17
5 of 5
As badly as the Rams might want this win, they're a bit outmatched. The fact the game is on the road only adds to the challenge.
As good as the St. Louis defense can be, the unit has yet to face an elite quarterback this season. Ben Roethlisberger is the closest the Rams have come, and he tore up the secondary with 83.3 percent completion rate with 192 yards in just one half. Rodgers will carve up the defensive backs in a similar fashion.
St. Louis' only hope is to tighten up in the red zone—as it did against Pittsburgh and Arizona—and prevent touchdowns. The Rams will likely accomplish that for most of the game, but it's hard to believe Rodgers won't find the end zone on at least one or two occasions.
The Packers also boast the eighth-best overall defense in the NFL, allowing 312 yards per game on average. Their pass defense ranks seventh (197 yards per game), so Foles and the St. Louis aerial game might be stalled.
Given Gurley's monster performance last week, it's possible the St. Louis offense will be bailed out by the ground game, but don't count on it. Green Bay has a lackluster run defense, but the St. Louis offensive line has been very overwhelmed this season. Gurley actually had negative rushing yardage in the first half last week, so the line really only stepped up for one half. It's hard to tell which version of the St. Louis line we'll see this Sunday.
Unless Gurley carries the offense on his shoulders and the St. Louis defense dominates Rodgers in the red zone—possible, but not overly likely—the Rams will be in for a tough game.
Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and serves as the Rams' 2015 game-day correspondent. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or by following him on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
