all due respect gents,but there is so much more to look at than just last week's game or the one before that....YES, YOU ARE CORRECT so let's take a deeper look....
[]STL +7 AND OVER 48[]
As for the NFC's second-best team in the regular season, the 11-5 Atlanta
Falcons came very close to becoming the first 11-win team in NFL history (since the league went to a 16-game schedule) to allow more points than they scored. This is NOT
significant! including the falcons this year,exactly 62 teams have won exactly
11 games in the NFL...and only the falcons have come this close to not
outscoring their opponents over an entire year(340 points cored and 337 allowed).atlanta is not a typical 11-5 team...
STL is much improved, their run defense has come togetheras of late-last week they held shaun alexander to just 40 yds. on 15 carries- on the road.In week 2 vs. atlanta ,their young defensive linemen were learning how to play, plus
they didn't have the two corners, the linebackers were out, they didn't have a free safety, and their strong safety was hurt.
STL is playing w/ a lot of confidence and when i look at who atlanta beat,i see only two impressive wins..41-28 in denver and the win vs. STL.I will not count the one they beat carolina as the panthers were virtually playing w/ an entire backup defensive line and the 10 pt. win vs. tampa was inflated by a late turnover. in week 2 vs. the rams it was 17-17 going into the 4th q. when two late turnovers killed the rams chances.I am well aware of the outstanding pash rush of atlanta's defensive front esp. kerney and coleman- and the fact that they amassed a league-leading 48 sacks while the rams have an abysmal turnover ratio but 8 of those (-24) came in two games courtesy of chris chandler and the rams may also be a 11-5 team if bulger hadn;t missed those three games. he was playing injured even back in weeks #5/6 but he is healthy now and the team is highly energized as if it's a whole new season.
hell,martz even told bulger he loved him this past week...o.k. ,o.k.,i won't use that in my capping argument.Do you think martz may be vermeil's long lost estranged son?
but getting back to the matter at hand here....i like the fact that we have one team who can't stop the run vs. one team who can't stop the pass.the weaponry is very even here.falcons backers are kidding themselves if they think the rams are not much improved over week # 2.their run defence has improved. it took them almost the entire season to key into this defensive scheme.then they needed bulger back before the impact would be noticed.falcons have two very small corners at 5' 9" and 5' 10" respectively. you think these guys won't get exploited.i also like the playoff experience edge here going to the rams who are playing in the same dome where they won their only super bowl! and i'll take the jim mora sr./scottenheimer playoff curse to filter down to an offspring in his big playoff coaching debut.
bruce is playing-their young WR corps have been stepping up anyway. jackson is fine.it was not his ribs but a muscle surrounding them. he'l wear a flak vest for insurance but he was taking full hits by thurs. and feeling fine. I expect the rams to get a lot more yards on the ground esp. w/ the tandem of jackson and faulk. you know faulk is a competitor who will step up for a game of this magnitude-especially being such a dual purpose threat.the rams defence improved from # 29 to # 17 in the last 5 weeks alone.little and archuleta will have big games.
i'm not even gonna mention the dome..ah ****, i slipped..whatever..........
the over looks very good here.the rams have made it clear they are not into clock control but will aim to score every possession.if it turns into a track meet that is fine with them. in the last 13 of 15 games played between these two ;one of them has scored 30+ PTS.when i look at the mismatches in both the rushing and passing game going opposite ways and the level of intensity this game should exemplify...you know vick,crumpler and dunn/ducket are gonna get their share of points...i see 56-64 pts. in this game even if the defenses to come to play.
i truly feel that the rams playing full out last few weeks compared to the falcons resting starters and not playing a full out match in 4 weeks will aid and abet the potent fast-start rams offence.If the falcon shave to play catch-up that will be very difficult considering the woeful state of their passing game. RAMS WINNING SU would not surprise me but i really like the points.:toast:
