St. Louis Rams: 5 Keys to Beating the Bengals

The St. Louis Rams host the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday. The Bengals were the surprise team in the AFC for much of the first half of the season. Things have turned sour as of late with two straight losses to Pittsburgh and Houston. However, even with those defeats Cincinnati’s athletic defense and young and upcoming offense will be tough for the Rams to handle at the Edward Jones Dome.

St. Louis (2-11) is seemingly just playing out the rest of its schedule. If the Rams are to win another game, it will probably come at home this week. The Rams go to Pittsburgh next week and then host the division champ 49ers in the finale.

Here are the five keys for the Rams to focus on to beat the Bengals on Sunday.

1. Don't Turn the Ball over

The Bengals have the No. 7-rated defense in pro football at 314.8 yards per game.  With that stat in mind, combined with the fact the Rams have one of the worst offenses in the league, the Rams cannot turn the ball over Sunday.

The Bengal defense has been called sort of a “no-name” group. It does not have a ferocious pass rush. It has a solid defense but no player is ranked in the top 20 in either sacks or tackles.

Simply, if the Rams don’t make huge mistakes on offense, they might be able to hang around in a low-scoring affair, as the Bengals only average 21.8 points per game.

2. Be Productive in the Red Zone

One of the most frustrating parts about the Rams’ game against Seattle was their lack of red-zone offense. In the second half, twice the Rams looked pathetic with the ball at the 1-yard line. Only a Seahawk penalty allowed Steven Jackson to score.

The Rams must come up with some quality plays inside the Bengals' 20-yard line. If the Rams could score touchdowns in their limited trips, they again could be in the ball game. The Bengals rarely blow teams out or are blown out.

3. Limit the Dalton-to-Green Connection

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton from TCU and wide receiver A.J. Green from Georgia have been sensational for the Bengals this season. Dalton has 18 touchdowns passes with seven of them going to Green.

Dalton may win Rookie of the Year this year, but if the Rams can limit the passes he attempts Green’s way, they should be able to contain the Bengals offense. 

While Bengal tight end Jermaine Gresham is a threat, he should be matched up with James Laurinaitis and the Rams’ safeties, who have both been strengths this season.

4. Don't Let Cedric Benson Run Wild

Cedric Benson is a solid running back in the NFL. He’s not a top-five player at the position, though.

As Rams’ fans know too well, all opposing running backs have killed the St. Louis run defense this season. The Rams are yielding a league-worst 156.8 yards on the ground per game.

If (and it’s a big if) the Rams can hold Benson somewhat in check, the Bengals offense might be more predictable. This would allow the Rams to force the Bengals to play in a close game, giving the Rams a shot.

5. Do Something Big on Special Teams

It will be tough to score on the Bengals. That’s the truth. The Rams will need to find other ways to score in order to hang around.

Against New Orleans, a first-half Robert Quinn-blocked punt ignited the fans and the team. The Rams rode that momentum to an upset win that day. Nick Miller scored a big touchdown on a punt return a few weeks ago.

That same sort of emotional play will be needed Sunday against the Bengals. Whether it’s a punt return, kickoff return or block, the Rams’ special teams will need to make a play.