ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Rams vs. Packers Friday, November 26, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Rams and Packers. Now they're back with a
second look.
Packers RB Ahman Green (ribs) is listed as day-to-day and a final decision
isn't likely to be made until late in the week -- perhaps even hours prior
to game time. Green returned after leaving last week's game versus Houston
but the pain was too much to bear and he simply wasn't effective enough to
be on the field.
Making this situation even worse is that Walter Williams (ankle), an
undrafted free agent that saw six carries for 42 yards in relief on Sunday
night, and fullback Nick Luchey were also forced to leave last week's game
with injuries.
The Rams rank 29th in the league against the run and the Packers
would like nothing more than to attack that weakness with a strong
commitment to the ground game. Najeh Davenport was made inactive because
of a lingering hamstring injury last week but he will be ready to go on
Monday night and could play a much bigger role than usual if Green can't
play.
The team also can rely on Tony Fisher to carry some of the load. Green Bay
should at least get some carries out of Williams, who showed good
quickness and elusiveness in his debut last week. The best-case scenario
for the Packers would be Green returning healthy and getting the bulk of
the carries. However, with that not likely, the team must exploit the
Rams' porous run defense with a back-by-committee approach.
The Packers obviously want to avoid another 50-passing attempt game for QB
Brett Favre on Monday night. With so many question marks at running back,
however, they most likely will need to throw the ball more than usual. The
Packers are at their best when the run sets up the pass, but they have to
feel good about their potential to spread the Rams out with multiple
receiver sets.
WalkerWR Javon Walker technically isn't even a starter but he leads the
team with 58 receptions and he's averaging 16.3 yards per catch with eight
touchdown receptions. Donald Driver is coming off a 10-reception and
148-yard performance and Robert Ferguson continues to provide reasonable
production as a third-option when the team is in its three-receiver sets.
FranksWith TE Bubba Franks making more plays as a receiver recently, the
Packers have the versatility to pick apart a Rams' cover-2 pass defense
that has been inconsistent this season and has some weaknesses down the
middle in terms with MLB Trev Faulk and SS Adam Archuleta.
St. Louis' struggles down the middle in coverage were very evident last
week against the Bills when TE Mark Campbell finished with three touchdown
receptions. Faulk is too stiff and lacks athleticism, while Archuleta
often is overaggressive and will get caught taking false steps. Franks has
never been a big threat between the 20's but he's a terrific red zone
receiver, which is where the Rams had their biggest breakdowns last week.
The Packers allowed DC Al Harris to shadow Houston WR Andre Johnson
wherever he lined up in last Sunday night's game. Harris is the most
experienced and consistent cornerback on the Packers' roster and he
typically does a good job of smothering receivers and taking them out of
their routes with press coverage at the line of scrimmage. However, Harris
lacks hip fluidity and good top-end speed, which makes him vulnerable when
receivers break the press. Harris did not rise to the challenge last week
against Johnson, who finished with 107 yards on six receptions.
Against a Rams offense with two very capable receivers in Torry Holt and
Isaac Bruce, the Packers are more likely to leave Harris at his natural
position at right cornerback. They also will need to take a lot less
aggressive approach, as both Harris and rookie Ahmad Carroll will need
constant help deep from their safeties in this game.
Except for a couple of rare instances against defenses like the 49ers
that simply couldn't match up versus the run, coach Mike Martz hasn't
shown much loyalty to Marshall Faulk and the ground game anyway. The
Packers have been much tougher versus the run recently but they don't
match up well versus the depth of the Rams' receiving corps, which is all
Martz needs to turn Monday Night Football into an aerial display.
If that's the case, the Packers only chance of holding up is if their pass
rush gets to QB Marc Bulger on a consistent basis. RDE Kabeer
Gbaja-Biamila had two sacks last week but don't expect much from him in
his matchup against LOT Orlando Pace.
The Packers might be forced to blitz more than usual in order to get to
Bulger and protect their cornerbacks downfield. The problem, however, is
that blitzing leaves them extremely vulnerable to screens, draws and
underneath dump offs to RB's Faulk and Steven Jackson.
Special Teams
The Rams got off to a strong start on special teams this season but
have tailed off recently. PK Jeff Wilkins has connected on 12-of-15 and
continues to be reliable. However, while Sean Landeta's overall average is
a very respectable 43.3 yards, his distance and hang-time have dropped off
considerably in the last few games. Is the ageless wonder finally hitting
the wall? Making matters worse is that the Rams had two punt coverage
breakdowns last week that led to two touchdowns and also muffed a kickoff
return that led to a field goal.
Antonio Chatman continues to show flashes as the Packers' return
specialist. He has been more explosive on punt returns than kickoff
returns and his 20-yard punt return last week was a big play in the team's
win over Houston. If the Rams don't fix their punt coverage problems,
Chatman can make them pay.
The Packers have been better than St. Louis in the kicking game
but they have problems of their own. PK Ryan Longwell remains one of the
most consistent and reliable veterans in the business and he's been a
little bit stronger than Wilkins this season, as Longwell is 15-of-18 on
FGA's.
However, PT Bryan Barker is experiencing a similar slump to the one
Landeta is currently going through, which makes punting to Rams' PR Shaun
McDonald more concerning than it should be. In the last two games, the
40-year old Barker has averaged just 35.2 yards per punt, which brings his
season average down to 39.2.
Prediction: Packers 26, Rams 23
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Rams and Packers. Now they're back with a
second look.
Packers RB Ahman Green (ribs) is listed as day-to-day and a final decision
isn't likely to be made until late in the week -- perhaps even hours prior
to game time. Green returned after leaving last week's game versus Houston
but the pain was too much to bear and he simply wasn't effective enough to
be on the field.
Making this situation even worse is that Walter Williams (ankle), an
undrafted free agent that saw six carries for 42 yards in relief on Sunday
night, and fullback Nick Luchey were also forced to leave last week's game
with injuries.
The Rams rank 29th in the league against the run and the Packers
would like nothing more than to attack that weakness with a strong
commitment to the ground game. Najeh Davenport was made inactive because
of a lingering hamstring injury last week but he will be ready to go on
Monday night and could play a much bigger role than usual if Green can't
play.
The team also can rely on Tony Fisher to carry some of the load. Green Bay
should at least get some carries out of Williams, who showed good
quickness and elusiveness in his debut last week. The best-case scenario
for the Packers would be Green returning healthy and getting the bulk of
the carries. However, with that not likely, the team must exploit the
Rams' porous run defense with a back-by-committee approach.
The Packers obviously want to avoid another 50-passing attempt game for QB
Brett Favre on Monday night. With so many question marks at running back,
however, they most likely will need to throw the ball more than usual. The
Packers are at their best when the run sets up the pass, but they have to
feel good about their potential to spread the Rams out with multiple
receiver sets.
WalkerWR Javon Walker technically isn't even a starter but he leads the
team with 58 receptions and he's averaging 16.3 yards per catch with eight
touchdown receptions. Donald Driver is coming off a 10-reception and
148-yard performance and Robert Ferguson continues to provide reasonable
production as a third-option when the team is in its three-receiver sets.
FranksWith TE Bubba Franks making more plays as a receiver recently, the
Packers have the versatility to pick apart a Rams' cover-2 pass defense
that has been inconsistent this season and has some weaknesses down the
middle in terms with MLB Trev Faulk and SS Adam Archuleta.
St. Louis' struggles down the middle in coverage were very evident last
week against the Bills when TE Mark Campbell finished with three touchdown
receptions. Faulk is too stiff and lacks athleticism, while Archuleta
often is overaggressive and will get caught taking false steps. Franks has
never been a big threat between the 20's but he's a terrific red zone
receiver, which is where the Rams had their biggest breakdowns last week.
The Packers allowed DC Al Harris to shadow Houston WR Andre Johnson
wherever he lined up in last Sunday night's game. Harris is the most
experienced and consistent cornerback on the Packers' roster and he
typically does a good job of smothering receivers and taking them out of
their routes with press coverage at the line of scrimmage. However, Harris
lacks hip fluidity and good top-end speed, which makes him vulnerable when
receivers break the press. Harris did not rise to the challenge last week
against Johnson, who finished with 107 yards on six receptions.
Against a Rams offense with two very capable receivers in Torry Holt and
Isaac Bruce, the Packers are more likely to leave Harris at his natural
position at right cornerback. They also will need to take a lot less
aggressive approach, as both Harris and rookie Ahmad Carroll will need
constant help deep from their safeties in this game.
Except for a couple of rare instances against defenses like the 49ers
that simply couldn't match up versus the run, coach Mike Martz hasn't
shown much loyalty to Marshall Faulk and the ground game anyway. The
Packers have been much tougher versus the run recently but they don't
match up well versus the depth of the Rams' receiving corps, which is all
Martz needs to turn Monday Night Football into an aerial display.
If that's the case, the Packers only chance of holding up is if their pass
rush gets to QB Marc Bulger on a consistent basis. RDE Kabeer
Gbaja-Biamila had two sacks last week but don't expect much from him in
his matchup against LOT Orlando Pace.
The Packers might be forced to blitz more than usual in order to get to
Bulger and protect their cornerbacks downfield. The problem, however, is
that blitzing leaves them extremely vulnerable to screens, draws and
underneath dump offs to RB's Faulk and Steven Jackson.
Special Teams
The Rams got off to a strong start on special teams this season but
have tailed off recently. PK Jeff Wilkins has connected on 12-of-15 and
continues to be reliable. However, while Sean Landeta's overall average is
a very respectable 43.3 yards, his distance and hang-time have dropped off
considerably in the last few games. Is the ageless wonder finally hitting
the wall? Making matters worse is that the Rams had two punt coverage
breakdowns last week that led to two touchdowns and also muffed a kickoff
return that led to a field goal.
Antonio Chatman continues to show flashes as the Packers' return
specialist. He has been more explosive on punt returns than kickoff
returns and his 20-yard punt return last week was a big play in the team's
win over Houston. If the Rams don't fix their punt coverage problems,
Chatman can make them pay.
The Packers have been better than St. Louis in the kicking game
but they have problems of their own. PK Ryan Longwell remains one of the
most consistent and reliable veterans in the business and he's been a
little bit stronger than Wilkins this season, as Longwell is 15-of-18 on
FGA's.
However, PT Bryan Barker is experiencing a similar slump to the one
Landeta is currently going through, which makes punting to Rams' PR Shaun
McDonald more concerning than it should be. In the last two games, the
40-year old Barker has averaged just 35.2 yards per punt, which brings his
season average down to 39.2.
Prediction: Packers 26, Rams 23
