SB Nation St. Louis - Saints Vs. Rams: St. Louis Pulls Off The Upset, Wins 31-21 Over New Orleanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49009/stl-fave.png2011-10-31T09:00:28-05:00http://stlouis.sbnation.com/rss/stream/22811892011-10-31T09:00:28-05:002011-10-31T09:00:28-05:00Sam Bradford Injury: Bradford Out In St. Louis Rams Win, Still In Boot
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<p>The St. Louis Rams are still without injured star Sam Bradford, who has missed two games since suffering a high-ankle sprain. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> were aggressive with <span>Sam Bradford's</span> injury the week it happened, leaving him a game-time decision against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a>, but they've been cautious with his high-ankle sprain ever since: By the time <span>A.J. Feeley</span> started again in the Rams' win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> there was no question Bradford would miss his second game in a row. Still wearing a boot, the Rams have yet to announce an ETA for their star's return.</p>
<p>Without him the Rams' offense has shown some signs of life that could be useful when he is healthy: Steven Jackson erupted against the Saints, turning in his best rushing performance in nearly three years, while <span>Brandon Lloyd</span> has caught 12 passes and a touchdown in his first two games since joining the Rams from Josh McDaniels's previous gig with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a>. </p>
<p>The Rams having avoided the worst-case-scenario 1-6, Bradford's imminent return becomes more and more important—they're out of slack, but they still have a shot, so long as they aren't starting A.J. Feeley over the last nine weeks of the season. </p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/31/2525829/sam-bradford-injury-st-louis-ramsDan Moore2011-10-31T07:30:27-05:002011-10-31T07:30:27-05:00Steven Jackson Carries St. Louis Rams, Nobody Surprised
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<p>Remember when the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> were carried by Steven Jackson every week? Remember when the Rams won every so often? Rams fans and Jackson fantasy football owners got to relive the dream Sunday afternoon when the Face of the Franchise ran the ball 25 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns with <span>A.J. Feeley</span> the only other thing going on for the Rams on offense. </p>
<p>The 159 yards were his most since Week 16 in 2008, which was also the last time he ran for two touchdowns. In the meantime Feeley continued to target <span>Brandon Lloyd</span> in such a way as to excite Rams fans for <span>Sam Bradford's</span> eventual return—Lloyd caught six balls for 53 yards and a touchdown, while <span>Greg Salas</span> remains the next guy on the Rams' list despite his incredibly slow start. </p>
<p>Since returning to the Rams full-time following his Week 1 injury Jackson has had two excellent games—18 rushes for 96 yards at Green Bay and this week's performance in St. Louis—one mixed performance, and that 17 carry, 45 yard mistake against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Washington Redskins</a>. </p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/31/2525764/steven-jackson-carries-st-louis-rams-nobody-surprisedDan Moore2011-10-30T15:35:03-05:002011-10-30T15:35:03-05:00Saints Vs. Rams Recap: St. Louis Pulls Off Upset, Beats New Orleans 31-21
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<p>This wasn't a game that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> were necessarily supposed to win. This was an 0-7 team coming in to play one of the league's best teams, an offensive juggernaut coming off a record-setting 62-7 drubbing of a similarly hapless <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> team. This was already a pretty mediocre team, except they were playing without their star quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick. They were playing with <span>A.J. Feeley</span> instead.</p>
<p>Yet, in the end, none of it mattered. For one day, A.J. Feeley looked like a legitimate NFL starting quarterback, the Rams' defense buckled down and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> looked downright vulnerable, eons away from the team that put a historically significant beat down on Indy. It wasn't the kind of effort that we'd seen from the Rams yet, but it's the kind of performance that can happen when everyone assumes that you're just preparing for a nice, neatly packaged defeat.</p>
<p>From early on, you could tell that the Rams came out to play today. They jumped out to a 24-0 lead behind defense and special teams, as well as the strong field positions that were a result of those efforts. A.J. Feeley wasn't spectacular, but he avoided mistakes and managed the game well, enabling Steven Jackson to have a huge day on the ground.</p>
<p>You can certainly argue that Jackson may have been the team's MVP this week. Running for 159 yards on 25 carries and getting another 32 yards receiving on four catches, Jackson was the cornerstone of the team's offensive efforts today with star QB <span>Sam Bradford</span> inactive. Of the team's 323 yards from scrimmage, Jackson accounted for over 59 percent of them.</p>
<p>Many of the team's big moments came on offense and special teams, though. The Rams really got their momentum going with <span>Robert Quinn's</span> <a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/30/2525037/new-orleans-saints-st-louis-rams-score-update-17-0-half-time/in/2281189">blocked punt in the second quarter</a>, and a couple of costly New Orleans turnovers were key in determining the outcome of the game. The Rams quickly pushed to a 17-0 lead after <span>Drew Brees</span>' first interception of the day, and they stomped out a possible comeback with <span>Darian Stewart's</span> pick-six with just three minutes left in the game.</p>
<p>The Rams were also shockingly dominant on run defense, limiting New Orleans to just 56 yards on 20 carries. That has to be viewed as a major coup for the NFL's worst run defense. Coming into the game, the Rams gave up an average of 184 yards per game on the ground, one of the primary reasons for their brutal early-season win-loss record.</p>
<p>In general, this season is going to be viewed as something of a disappointment for the Rams. They were considered a potential dark horse contender a few months ago, but it took them half of the season to actually win their first game. Between the Sam Bradford injuries and everything, it's a pretty frustrating time to be a Rams fan. But Sunday, even with A.J. Feeley taking a far-too-large role in things, it was a pretty good time to be a Rams fan.</p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/30/2525224/new-orleans-saints-st-louis-rams-week-8-recapSatchel Price2011-10-30T14:47:18-05:002011-10-30T14:47:18-05:00Saints Vs. Rams Score Update: Pierre Thomas Touchdown Cuts Rams' Lead To 24-14
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<p>After starting with solid field position, <span>Drew Brees</span> has the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> battling back against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> now, with a <span>Pierre Thomas</span> touchdown cutting the led to 24-14. The Rams were up 24-0 but have seen New Orleans score 14 unanswered points, although they're still down 10 points with less than 10 minutes to go.</p>
<p>Taking the ball at the Saints' own 32-yard line, Brees took the Rams on a ten-play, 68-yard drive that concluded with the Thomas score. Brees' zero-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio is pretty ugly today, but he's still 20-for-27 with 181 yards passing and has the Saints' offense showing some momentum.</p>
<p>It's going to be on the New Orleans defense to get some stops now if the Saints want a legitimate chance at finishing off this comeback, but either way the Rams have shown today that they're not nearly as bad as their 0-7 record indicates.</p>
<p><b><i>Stay tuned to</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/">SB Nation St. Louis</a> </i></b><b><i>for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> be sure to visit </i></b><b><i><a href="http://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Turf Show Times</a>.</i></b><b><i> Visit</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a target="_blank" href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation NFL</a></i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i>for more news and notes around the league.</i></b></p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/30/2525163/new-orleans-saints-st-louis-rams-score-update-week-8-pierre-thomas-touchdownSatchel Price2011-10-30T14:24:17-05:002011-10-30T14:24:17-05:00Saints Vs. Rams Score Update: Teams Trade Touchdowns, Rams Lead 24-7
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<p>It seemed like the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a> might be able to run away with things after Steven Jackson scored his second touchdown of the day, pushing St. Louis ahead 24-0 at home. But like you'd expect from a mediocre journeyman quarterback on a winless team, things are never that simple. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a> just cut the lead to 24-7 on an <span>A.J. Feeley</span> fumble, recovered in the end zone by Saints linebacker <span>Jonathan Vilma</span>.</p>
<p>The Rams started the drive on their own 3-yard line with a chance to really blow things open, but Feeley lost control of the ball while being sacked near the end zone and an unlucky bounce found it in the hands of Vilma. The Rams still have a sizable lead on New Orleans and have limited the Saints to just 130 yards of total offense near the end of the third quarter, but the Saints have the kind of talent to make a lead disappear in a hurry.</p>
<p><b><i>Stay tuned to</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/">SB Nation St. Louis</a> </i></b><b><i>for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> be sure to visit </i></b><b><i><a href="http://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Turf Show Times</a>.</i></b><b><i> Visit</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a target="_blank" href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation NFL</a></i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i>for more news and notes around the league.</i></b></p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/30/2525124/new-orleans-saints-st-louis-rams-score-update-week-8-rams-leadSatchel Price2011-10-30T13:44:29-05:002011-10-30T13:44:29-05:00Saints Vs. Rams Score Update: Rams Take 17-0 Lead Behind Key Turnovers
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<p>Well, it looks like this might just be one of those games for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a>. Already losing to one of the league's worst teams in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a>, they're now down 17-0 going into halftime following a pair of St. Louis touchdowns. Neither one included an extended drive, though, as the Rams' defense and special teams helped to put the offense in easy positions to score.</p>
<p><span>Robert Quinn</span> really got things going for St. Louis when the defensive end blocked a New Orleans punt at the Saints' 15-yard line with just a few minutes left in the second quarter. The Rams nearly fumbled away the opportunity when <span>Greg Salas</span> lost the ball on a pass from <span>A.J. Feeley</span>, but Jackson was there to recover the ball and quickly pounded it into the end zone on the next play. Here's a video of that blocked punt from Quinn:</p>
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<p>Things just kind of snowballed from there, as <span>Drew Brees</span> got picked off by cornerback <span>Josh Gordy</span> on the following drive's first play, giving the Rams the ball in the red zone once again. A.J. Feeley may not be great, but he's taking advantage of what's being given to him, as he hooked up with <span>Brandon Lloyd</span> for an 8-yard pass to give the Rams another touchdown and the 17-0 lead.</p>
<p>Play resumes soon and the Saints will be the first ones to get the ball in the second half, so expect them to be aggressive in trying to cut this lead as quickly as possible.</p>
<p><b><i>Stay tuned to</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/">SB Nation St. Louis</a> </i></b><b><i>for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> be sure to visit </i></b><b><i><a href="http://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Turf Show Times</a>.</i></b><b><i> Visit</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a target="_blank" href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation NFL</a></i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i>for more news and notes around the league.</i></b></p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/30/2525037/new-orleans-saints-st-louis-rams-score-update-17-0-half-timeSatchel Price2011-10-30T13:07:48-05:002011-10-30T13:07:48-05:00Saints Vs. Rams Score Update: Josh Brown Hits 38-Yard Field Goal, Rams Lead 3-0
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<p>Some <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a> fans probably thought that it would be the beginning of a rough day when quarterback A.J Feeley got sacked at the Rams' 3-yard line on the first play of the team's fourth drive, but things turned around quickly after that. Behind a couple of strong runs from Steven Jackson and an impressive 17-yard pass on fourth-and-2 on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a>' 40-yard line, the Rams have managed to take the lead over the Saints on <span>Josh Brown's</span> 38-yard field goal.</p>
<p>After that unfortunate sack that pushed the Rams nearly into their own end zone, Jackson and Feeley quickly combined for four plays that pushed St. Louis to near midfield. A clutch fourth down pass to <span>Greg Salas</span> kept the drive going, and Brown popped the kick through the uprights to give St. Louis an unexpected advantage.</p>
<p><b><i>Stay tuned to</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/">SB Nation St. Louis</a> </i></b><b><i>for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> be sure to visit </i></b><b><i><a href="http://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Turf Show Times</a>.</i></b><b><i> Visit</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a target="_blank" href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation NFL</a></i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i>for more news and notes around the league.</i></b></p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/30/2524974/new-orleans-saints-st-louis-rams-week-8-score-update-josh-brownSatchel Price2011-10-30T12:47:38-05:002011-10-30T12:47:38-05:00Saints Vs. Rams Score Update: Teams Both Scoreless After 1st Quarter
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<p>We're one quarter through Sunday's game between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a>, and one has to admit that Rams fans should be pleasantly surprised with how their team has played so far. Even though they're without starting quarterback Sam Braford and wide receiver <span>Danario Alexander</span>, the two teams are still tied at 0-0 after the game's first quarter.</p>
<p>The Rams haven't gotten anything going on offense yet with <span>A.J. Feeley</span> at the helm, as they've accumulated just 37 yards so far, but they're presumably happy with how they've at least somewhat limited <span>Drew Brees</span> and company so far. Brees is still 8-for-11 for 57 yards passing thus far, but the Rams forced the Saints to settle for a 49-yard field goal attempt that kicker <span>John Kasay</span> proceeded to miss.</p>
<p>It's still pretty clear after one quarter that the Saints have the advantage here, and you really can just look at the quarterback play to grasp this, but the Rams are showing that they don't plan to simply be beaten to a pulp today. The Rams currently have the ball near the 50-yard line as they hope to strike first.</p>
<p><b><i>Stay tuned to</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/">SB Nation St. Louis</a> </i></b><b><i>for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> be sure to visit </i></b><b><i><a href="http://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Turf Show Times</a>.</i></b><b><i> Visit</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i><a target="_blank" href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation NFL</a></i></b><b><i> </i></b><b><i>for more news and notes around the league.</i></b></p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2011/10/30/2524938/st-louis-rams-new-orleans-saints-week-8-score-updateSatchel Price