Pick Six: Keys For The Rams Against Jacksonville

The St. Louis Rams offense played better last week against a very good Minnesota defense.

But, they still only scored 10 points, thanks to three turnovers inside the 5-yard line.

This week, the Rams get the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were pummeled 41-0 last week by Seattle - the same Seahawks team that put up a 28-0 shutout of St. Louis in week one.

Despite the lackluster performance last week, the 2-3 Jaguars are a 10-point favorite to beat the winless Rams.

How do the Rams pull off the upset? 

If Steven Jackson gets into the end zone, it dramatically increases the Rams chances of winning.

1. Get Steven Jackson in the end zone : It sounds like a broken record, but Jackson has yet to score this year. It's no coincidence that his lack of scoring comes in five losses. The Rams go as Jackson goes. While he's third in the NFL in rushing yards, the Rams need Jackson to score if they want to pull off a road victory.

2. Capitalize in the red zone : The Rams were 0-for-3 in the red zone last week. Jackson fumbled at the 1, Daniel Fells coughed it up at the 3, and Kyle Boller threw a pick in the end zone. Finishing drives is something head coach Steve Spagnuolo mentioned in his post-game press conference, and should be a point of emphasis Sunday.

3. Pressure the quarterback: Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard takes care of the football. He rarely makes mistakes. One way to force him into mistakes is to get to him often. Every hit will take its toll, and eventually defensive playmakers like James Laurinaitis, O.J. Atogwe and Leonard Little can get some turnovers. While Garrard did not throw an interception last week, he did lose a pair of fumbles, contributing to the defeat.

Three things to avoid:

1. Big game by the tight end : Only the tight ends of the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins did not score touchdowns against the Rams. The Packers got big plays from their defense, and their wide receivers in their 36-17 rout of the Rams. Chris Cooley did not score for the Redskins, but did have a game-high seven receptions for 83 yards in the 9-7 Washington win. This week, the Rams face Marcedes Lewis, who has been on the receiving end of  two of Jacksonville's five passing TDs. If the Rams keep him in check, they've got a shot. 

It's on Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo to hold his team more accountable for mistakes.

2. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers:  The Rams committed three red zone turnovers last week against Minnesota. The other turnover the Rams had was a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. The Rams lead the NFL with a minus 7 turnover ratio, and have turned it over at least once in every game this season.

3. Penalties: As much as the Rams have hurt themselves with turnovers, they've also been repeatedly shooting themselves in the proverbial foot with penalties. St. Louis is the most penalized team in the NFL, and have had about a dozen plays of 10 yards or more this season negated because of penalties. If the Rams can keep the laundry off the field, good things can happen.

Prediction: I predicted a 6-10 record for the Rams prior to the season , and that prediction included an 0-5 start. This was the first win I saw for the Rams before the season began, so I am sticking with it - against my better judgment.

St. Louis wins a low-scoring affair, 19-17.