The Atlanta Falcons take a 16-10 lead into halftime, but it could be much worse for the St. Louis Rams fan at the Edward Jones Dome this afternoon—the last two field goals were at distances of 29 and 24 yards, with unstoppable drives finding themselves decidedly stopped in the red zone.
Matt Ryan has been the catalyst thus far—he’s 13-for-21 with 156 yards and one touchdown, while Michael Turner has 11 carries for just 38 yards. The Falcons have won the time of possession game decidedly thus far—they’ve got 18 minutes to the Rams’ 12.
But if the Rams’ defense has allowed the Falcons too many third downs, they’ve also stopped them when it’s mattered most; those field goals have kept the Rams in what could have been a very disheartening first half at home.
The Rams’ offense has been solid but unspectacular, with Sam Bradford at 11-for-17 for 116 yards and a touchdown. He’s found impressive performances from unlikely places, with rookie tight end Michael Hoomanawanui and injury-prone receiver Laurent Robinson on top of the Rams’ receiver list after the first half.
Steven Jackson has been quiet so far; he’s got seven carries for 29 yards and one reception for nine yards. He’ll need to be much stronger in the second half if the Rams are to take advantage of struggling division-mates in the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals.