Sam Bradford Injury: Are the St. Louis Rams Still Favorites in NFC West?

The St. Louis Rams status of being favorites to win the NFC West in 2011 took a huge blow after second-year quarterback Sam Bradford injured a finger on this throwing hand against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Whether or not there is any nerve damage will not necessarily determine if Bradford is able to play or not. However, it could change the way he grips the ball and in turn, affect the accuracy of his passes.

It was a rough first game all around for the Rams since they also suffered injures to wide receiver Danny Amendola, offensive lineman Jason Smith, cornerback Ron Bartell and three-time Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson.

While Amendola's dislocated elbow and Bartell's neck injury might be the only long-term injuries of the group, it's hard to deny that the injuries will somehow affect the Rams chances of winning the NFC West in 2011.

Here's a list of reasons why Bradford's injury might prevent the Rams from being the favorites to become best in the NFC West.

1. Will Bradford Still Be Able to Carry Offense with His Decreased Accuracy?

After being selected first-overall in the 2010 NFL draft, Sam Bradford surpassed all expectations and had a phenomenal year as the rookie starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams.

Despite finishing 7-9, Bradford almost led his team to the playoffs after being one-year removed from the worst record in the NFL. That in itself is quite a feat.

However, the high expectations for 2011 might have to be put on hold if there truly is any nerve damage in his finger. What Bradford did in 2010 was incredible, especially considering the supporting cast on offense he had to work with.

The loss of Danny Amendola certainly hurts the Rams passing game, but the possible decrease in the accuracy of Bradford's throws could cripple it. There is only so much Bradford can do to carry the Rams offense.

If he's not playing at 100 percent or at least close to it, the Rams offense can go from being average to inept.

2. Keeping Steven Jackson Healthy Will Be Key

While injuries have never been a very serious concern for Steven Jackson, you can't help but begin to wonder how long that will be the case. While being 28 and in his eighth year with the Rams, Jackson has taken a beating as the teams starting running back and best weapon on offense.

After injuring his right quad on a touchdown run against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jackson could miss the Rams next game on Monday night against the New York Giants.

The Rams offense relies on a balanced attack that consists of Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson being the two biggest determinants of that equilibrium.

With one of the two missing or injured, the scale will fly out of balance and permit defenses to only prepare to stop the Rams passing game or running game, depending on whether Bradford or Jackson is injured.

In other words, becoming a one-dimensional offense could be fatal for the Rams.

3. Will "Middle-of-the-Pack" Defense Be Able to Keep the Rams in Games?

While there is nothing really wrong with the Rams defense, there isn't much right about it either.

The Rams defense was nothing more than a "middle-of-the-pack" group in 2010 after having the 17th-ranked rushing defense and the 19th-ranked passing defense in the NFL.

The defense led by linebacker James Laurinaitis and defensive end Chris Long didn't really improve over the off season so it's unrealistic to say they'll be any better in 2011. Also, the likely season-ending injury to starting cornerback Rob Bartell certainly won't help either.

If the injury to Bradford does in fact affect his accuracy, the presence of a legitimate defense to keep them in games could've kept the door open for the NFC West title. However, I just don't see the Rams defense being good enough to compensate for the declined level of play from Bradford. 

4. Playing in the NFC West Means Title Is Completely Up for Grabs

It's no secret that the NFC West is the weakest division in the NFL. In actuality, it could be the worst division in all of professional sports since a team under .500 won the division and went to the playoffs in 2010.

Despite the fact that the Seattle Seahawks won the division in 2010, the departure of quarterback Tim Hasselbeck will be too much to overcome. Their first game against the San Francisco 49ers exposed a lot of weaknesses on offense and the eventual return of wide receiver Sidney Rice might not be enough to get the Seahawks offense over the hump.

The San Francisco 49ers were decent in their first game against the Seahawks and surely have a multitude of talented players on their roster. However, the unpredictable play of Alex Smith and the fact that it's Jim Harbaugh's first year as an NFL coach could cause some problems down the road.

Lastly, the Arizona Cardinals are always an unforeseeable team and I am not ready to crown quarterback Kevin Kolb after just one start.

Any team in this division can beat one another on any given Sunday.

While Bradford's injury might be enough to prevent the Rams from being the favorites in the NFC West, it won't be enough to put them out of contention.