Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. St. Louis Rams: Full St. Louis Game Preview
The St. Louis Rams (5-8) are set to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) for Thursday Night Football. It's the Rams' first and only prime-time game this season.
It's a long shot for either team to make the playoffs, but both clubs are still technically in the hunt. The losing team this Thursday will likely be completely eliminated, so it's an important matchup for both teams.
The Rams recently snapped a five-game losing streak with a key win over the Detroit Lions. Todd Gurley carried the offense on his back, amassing 140 yards and two touchdowns. The defense played tough, keeping Matthew Stafford and the Lions in check.
Tampa Bay is in a minor rut. The Buccaneers have lost two of their last three. The latest was a seven-point loss at home to New Orleans. The Bucs' only win in the last three weeks came against the struggling Atlanta Falcons—a team that has lost its last six games.
Both the Rams and Buccaneers have been rather inconsistent in 2015, so it'll be interesting to see who shows up.
For more on the upcoming game, including the latest headlines, key matchups and more, read on.
News and Notes
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Emotions Still Running High Despite Positive News for St. Louis
David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Tuesday that the NFL just committed another $100 million toward St. Louis' potential new stadium. The money will come in the form of a G-4 loan, raising the expected $200 million loan amount to $300 million.
Despite the good news, nothing is concrete. Relocation rumors have hovered over St. Louis all year long, putting a damper on the 2015 season.
This upcoming game is particularly meaningful. If things don't fall in favor of St. Louis, the game against Tampa Bay will be the Rams' last home game in St. Louis.
While the memories of the Edward Jones Dome are mostly negative—some of the NFL's worst football over the last decade—the dome has been rocked with some excellent memories. Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and the Greatest Show on Turf provided something the town had never experienced before—a Super Bowl victory.
If this is truly the final farewell for the Edward Jones Dome, it's not nearly the farewell the people of St. Louis deserve.
Stedman Bailey Improving
According to TMZ, Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey is making great progress as he recovers from gun-shot wounds to the head.
The reports mentions that Bailey is now out of the ICU. He's now walking and talking as he progresses through physical therapy. He's even expected to be out of the hospital before Christmas.
"He is getting his strength back and just taking it one day at a time. He is scheduled to be released out of the hospital on the 23rd," said Tony Fleming, who serves as Bailey's agent.
Bailey's football future is still highly uncertain, but his recent progress is certainly encouraging.
Latest Injury News
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Todd Gurley Resting But Should Be Ready to Go
Toward the end of St. Louis' victory over Detroit, Gurley hit the sidelines, and some grew concerned that he injured himself. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, via Twitter, that Gurley did in fact bang his knee, but it was nothing serious.
Gurley did miss practice this week, but Thomas is reporting that it's not injury-related. The Rams are just trying to get him extra rest.
Janoris Jenkins Still Questionable
Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins missed last week's game against Detroit with a concussion. The Rams were hoping to have him back, but Thomas is reporting Jenkins is still being limited with the concussion.
Jenkins still has to pass the exertion test—the last step before being cleared—but his status is still in question.
The Rams want their top corner back, but they managed fine without him against the Lions. The St. Louis defense held Calvin Johnson to a single 16-yard catch. If Jenkins is not ready to go, the Rams should be able to manage.
Top Matchups
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Trumaine Johnson vs. Mike Evans
Last week, Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson was assigned Calvin Johnson. In the first half, Johnson jumped one of Megatron's routes, picked off the pass and returned it for a touchdown. The Detroit receiver was limited to one reception on the afternoon.
If Jenkins is out once again, Johnson will be asked to cover Tampa Bay's Mike Evans.
Evans is Winston's go-to-guy. He leads the team in receptions (57) and yards (889). At 6'5" and 231 pounds, Evans is an intimidating weapon when it comes to one-on-one matchups and red-zone situations.
Johnson will have to shut him down, but he won't do it alone. St. Louis will utilize double coverage in certain situations. The safeties will also keep an eye on Evans from up top.
If the Rams can contain Evans, the Buccaneers will become one-dimensional. St. Louis can zero in on stopping Doug Martin and the Tampa Bay run game.
Aaron Donald vs. Ali Marpet
Tampa Bay right guard Ali Marpet will have his hands full this Thursday. His job will be to shut down Aaron Donald of the Rams, who is quite possibly the best defensive lineman in the game.
Marpet has been rather solid this season. Pro Football Focus has him graded at 5.2 overall, which puts him 26th among 82 NFL guards. However, his pass protection grade of minus-4.2 could prove to be problematic against the relentless Donald.
Donald is coming off a career-high three-sack game against Detroit. His overall Pro Football Focus grade of 71.2 is not only best among NFL defensive linemen—both 4-3 and 3-4 linemen—but it's also the NFL's highest grade. That includes both offense and defense.
If Donald can have another monster performance and destroy Marpet, the Buccaneers will struggle to get much going offensively.
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Matchup X-Factors
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Jeff Fisher Undefeated Against Tampa Bay
The Rams have been wildly inconsistent under Jeff Fisher's guidance. If there's one thing the Rams have done repeatedly well under Fisher, it's beating the Buccaneers.
St. Louis has played Tampa Bay every season since Fisher took over in 2012. The Rams have beat Tampa Bay three consecutive times, with the latest being a 19-17 victory in 2014. Two of the three victories came in Tampa Bay's own house.
Then again, none of those Tampa Bay clubs were better than a seven-win team. The 2013 Bucs finished 4-12, and the 2014 squad had just two wins.
The new-look Bucs are revitalized under Jameis Winston's leadership. Without a doubt, this is the toughest Tampa Bay team St. Louis has seen under Fisher.
Case Keenum Must Build on Last Week's Showing
Case Keenum made his first start for the Rams in Week 11 against Baltimore. It was a rough outing for the 27-year-old. His accuracy was horrendous with a 46.2 percent completion rate, and he averaged a mere 5.2 yards per attempt.
Keenum's second start came against Detroit. It wasn't a spectacular showing, but it was a solid improvement nonetheless. His completion rate improved dramatically, jumping to 63.6 percent, and his mobility helped to take pressure off the offensive line.
The Rams need Keenum to build on that performance. Just a mild bump in the passing game was all it took to ignite Gurley, and that's what it'll take to defeat the Buccaneers.
Prediction: Rams 17, Buccaneers 13
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It's a pretty evenly matched game, but the Rams seem to have the edge.
St. Louis has snapped out of its five-game losing streak, and the defense seems to be back to its normal form. On top of that, Fisher's Rams have a 3-0 track record against the Bucs, and St. Louis owns the home-field advantage.
Winston seems to feed off the success of the run game. His five-touchdown performance in Week 11 was the same week Martin rushed for 235 yards. If the St. Louis defense can stand up to the run like it's capable of, Winston won't have the benefit of a healthy run game to take the pressure off him.
The Rams played well against Detroit last week and will likely feed off that success after suffering a five-game losing streak. As long as the offense creates opportunities for Gurley, the Rams shouldn't have a problem pulling off the win.
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