St. Louis Rams Will Upset Dallas Cowboys, and Brandon Lloyd Will Be the X-Factor

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most overrated teams in the NFL, led by perhaps the most overrated quarterback in the NFL.  The St. Louis Rams are not very good, but they are a proud team, a hard working team and they are definitely better than their record would indicate.

This Sunday in Dallas, something has to give.

I said last week that there was a game plan for the Rams to beat the Packers.  Sure, the Rams lost the game, but as I wrote after the game, the Rams were a lot closer than most people realize.  This team is playing hard, and eventually, they are going to break through.  They are going to win a big game.

I just hope it's this weekend.

The Rams don't deserve to be 0-5.  They didn't deserve such a brutal early season schedule.  They didn't deserve to lose their top three cornerbacks to season-ending injuries.  They didn't deserve to have the rug pulled out from under their season before it even started.

Sam Bradford deserves better.  He is a great young player, a hard worker, a terrific teammate and he is going to lead this franchise to better days.  Bradford gets killed every week, but he never complains.  He just gets up and keeps firing away.

Steven Jackson deserves better.  He has endured enough losing in his career, hasn't he?  Here is a guy that grew up right in front of our eyes, became a leader and he is a warrior.  He plays banged up, beat up, bruised and broken.  Jackson deserves to be a part of this turnaround, not the bridge between a sorry past and a bright future.

And you know what, Steve Spagnulo deserves better than this.  Spags has been heavily criticized for being to passive with his players, to conservative with his play calling, and just being too darn nice.  Some of that criticism is warranted, but you know what, I respect Spags for not throwing guys under the bus.  I respect him for taking up for his guys.  I respect him for not caving in.

Having said that, I hope he is tearing these guys a new one behind closed doors.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, these Rams deserve a win.  And this week they got a big shot in the arm when they picked up Brandon Lloyd, via trade, from the Denver Broncos.  Lloyd knows this offense.  He has played for Josh McDaniels before.  He is going to line up as that No. 1 receiver the Rams have desperately needed. 

By lining up Lloyd as the "go to guy," the Rams can then slide Danario Alexander to the No. 2 receiver position, where he should be matched up with the opponent's No. 2 cornerback.  They can then take Mark Salas, who had a really good game against Green Bay, and use him as the slot receiver.

So the Rams, overmatched so far this season, now have a potential advantage at all three of those positions, simply because Brandon Lloyd is in the lineup.

If Steven Jackson can continue to run hard, and Lance Kendricks can consistently harness the flashes of talent he has shown so far, then the Rams could be onto something.

I know it sounds crazy, to think that a team averaging less than 10 points per game is about to have a breakout game on offense.

I just think the Rams are due, they are desperate and they deserve a win.  Brandon Lloyd is going to create a spark for the Rams, and when they get on a roll, I really think the Rams can take off.

Dallas, on the other hand, is not playing good football.  They lost in heartbreaking fashion at New England this weekend.  Their only two wins are over San Francisco (a miracle comeback) and Washington (won without scoring a touchdown). 

Granted, their three losses are to the Jets, Detroit, and New England.

I just see a team that is beat up, banged up, and poorly coached.   In every loss this season, the Cowboys have beat themselves.  Tony Romo looks gun shy, and who could blame him? He is playing with broken ribs.

Hopefully the Cowboys will be in the giving mood again this weekend.  Hopefully Romo will hand out some of those interceptions, and maybe the Rams will have a chance to steal this game. 

The Rams are due for a gift.  The NFL sure didn't do them any favors with this early season schedule.