A week after his best performance of the season, Sam Bradford’s struggled mightily—luckily for him and the St. Louis Rams, it hasn’t mattered, as Steven Jackson has carried the team to a 17-9 lead midway through the third quarter.
Bradford has two touchdowns and no interception—it would be the first time in his career he manages that, if it holds—but he’s just 8-for-20 for 87 yards, most of them coming on short passes to the running backs and tight ends. A week after introducing Rams fans to Danario Alexander and the rest of the Rams’ receiving corps he’s managed to complete just four passes to wide receivers, and only one to wide receivers not named Danny Amendola. Alexander has been targeted just once this afternoon, in the first quarter.
With Tampa Bay threatening in the third quarter the Rams need to get downfield for at least one more touchdown, and they’ll have trouble doing it unless Sam Bradford can regain the form that saw him finish 18-for-31 last week.