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7 things to watch: Rams at Chiefs
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_2f6c4c38-c6cc-5bbb-a220-033ccadf337e.html
Post-Dispatch football writer Jim Thomas identifies "7 Things to Watch" when the Rams play at Kansas City today:
1. BANGED-UP SECONDARY
After doing nothing on the practice field all week, it will be a big surprise if Rams CB Janoris Jenkins (knee) suits up Sunday in Kansas City. And that leaves the Rams dangerously thin at cornerback. Undrafted rookie Marcus Roberson is the likely starter in place of Jenkins. Roberson replaced Jenkins for 13 snaps last weekend against Seattle, but that’s the sum of his NFL regular-season experience on defense. Trumaine Johnson (knee) is close to a return and may dress, but he worked on the scout team all week, not with the regular defense. So he might be used only on an emergency basis. Scratch Brandon McGee (foot), who has been sidelined with a plantar fascia issue, and aggravated the injury during the practice week. The only saving grace might be that Kansas City ranks 30th in passing offense and has a nondescript receiver corps.
2. ON THE RECEIVING END
Speaking of the Chiefs receivers, former Rams draft pick Donnie Avery is out because of a groin injury. Dwayne Bowe hasn’t approached his form of 2011 and earlier, when he logged three 1,000-yard seasons over a four-year span. He had a season-high 84 yards on five catches last week in San Diego. The entire Chiefs WR corps has yet to score a TD. But TE Travis Kelce is an underrated player who leads the squad in catches (24), receiving yards (307) and TD catches (three).
3. A KC MASTERPIECE
KC’s offense runs through three-time Pro Bowler Jamaal Charles. Although on the small side at 5 feet 11, 199 pounds, Charles isn’t shy about pounding it up the middle. But the real danger comes when he changes direction and bounces outside. That’s when he becomes a home-run threat. The Rams’ run defense improved noticeably the past two games — at least when it came to Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch — but they’re still having problems setting the edge and holding the perimeter.
4. DON’T FORGET DAVIS
The Chiefs enter Sunday’s game ranked third in the NFL in rushing, averaging 140.3 yards per game, and it’s not all about Charles. The team’s leading rusher so far this season actually is Knile Davis, a 5-foot-10, 227-pound power runner who has 352 yards this season, compared to Charles’ 290. (Charles missed most of two early season games because of an ankle injury.) The mantra of the Kansas City backs is to run angry and break the first tackle; Davis more than holds up his end of the bargain.
5. ALEX IN CHARGE
The basic script hasn’t changed for Alex Smith in Kansas City. The former 49ers QB still takes very few chances and is more than happy to throw underneath routes or even take a sack rather than tossing an interception. He spreads the ball around — 14 receivers have caught at least one pass. He’s no Colin Kaepernick or Russell Wilson when it comes to scrambling, but don’t sleep on Smith the runner. He set a Kansas City franchise record with 431 yards rushing in 2013.
6. DEFENSE, DEFENSE
Even with linebacker Derrick Johnson — one of the best defensive players in franchise history — out for the year because of an Achilles’ tendon injury, the Chiefs have lots of talent on that side of the ball. Nose tackle Dontari Poe, a Pro Bowler in 2013, is a 346-pound man-mountain who makes it tough to run between the tackles. Outside linebackers Tambi Hali and Justin Houston have 11 sacks between them and bring the heat from both edges in the Chiefs’ 3-4 scheme.
7. NO ROOM FOR ERROR
Kansas City is a very efficient team, one that usually doesn’t beat itself. To wit, the Chiefs are third in the NFL in third-down conversions (50.6 percent), third in red-zone efficiency (70 percent) and have committed fewer penalties (29) than any team in the league. They’ve also committed only six turnovers, tied for eighth-fewest. In order to register an upset for the second week in a row, the Rams must minimize mistakes as they did for the most part against Seattle.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_2f6c4c38-c6cc-5bbb-a220-033ccadf337e.html
Post-Dispatch football writer Jim Thomas identifies "7 Things to Watch" when the Rams play at Kansas City today:
1. BANGED-UP SECONDARY
After doing nothing on the practice field all week, it will be a big surprise if Rams CB Janoris Jenkins (knee) suits up Sunday in Kansas City. And that leaves the Rams dangerously thin at cornerback. Undrafted rookie Marcus Roberson is the likely starter in place of Jenkins. Roberson replaced Jenkins for 13 snaps last weekend against Seattle, but that’s the sum of his NFL regular-season experience on defense. Trumaine Johnson (knee) is close to a return and may dress, but he worked on the scout team all week, not with the regular defense. So he might be used only on an emergency basis. Scratch Brandon McGee (foot), who has been sidelined with a plantar fascia issue, and aggravated the injury during the practice week. The only saving grace might be that Kansas City ranks 30th in passing offense and has a nondescript receiver corps.
2. ON THE RECEIVING END
Speaking of the Chiefs receivers, former Rams draft pick Donnie Avery is out because of a groin injury. Dwayne Bowe hasn’t approached his form of 2011 and earlier, when he logged three 1,000-yard seasons over a four-year span. He had a season-high 84 yards on five catches last week in San Diego. The entire Chiefs WR corps has yet to score a TD. But TE Travis Kelce is an underrated player who leads the squad in catches (24), receiving yards (307) and TD catches (three).
3. A KC MASTERPIECE
KC’s offense runs through three-time Pro Bowler Jamaal Charles. Although on the small side at 5 feet 11, 199 pounds, Charles isn’t shy about pounding it up the middle. But the real danger comes when he changes direction and bounces outside. That’s when he becomes a home-run threat. The Rams’ run defense improved noticeably the past two games — at least when it came to Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch — but they’re still having problems setting the edge and holding the perimeter.
4. DON’T FORGET DAVIS
The Chiefs enter Sunday’s game ranked third in the NFL in rushing, averaging 140.3 yards per game, and it’s not all about Charles. The team’s leading rusher so far this season actually is Knile Davis, a 5-foot-10, 227-pound power runner who has 352 yards this season, compared to Charles’ 290. (Charles missed most of two early season games because of an ankle injury.) The mantra of the Kansas City backs is to run angry and break the first tackle; Davis more than holds up his end of the bargain.
5. ALEX IN CHARGE
The basic script hasn’t changed for Alex Smith in Kansas City. The former 49ers QB still takes very few chances and is more than happy to throw underneath routes or even take a sack rather than tossing an interception. He spreads the ball around — 14 receivers have caught at least one pass. He’s no Colin Kaepernick or Russell Wilson when it comes to scrambling, but don’t sleep on Smith the runner. He set a Kansas City franchise record with 431 yards rushing in 2013.
6. DEFENSE, DEFENSE
Even with linebacker Derrick Johnson — one of the best defensive players in franchise history — out for the year because of an Achilles’ tendon injury, the Chiefs have lots of talent on that side of the ball. Nose tackle Dontari Poe, a Pro Bowler in 2013, is a 346-pound man-mountain who makes it tough to run between the tackles. Outside linebackers Tambi Hali and Justin Houston have 11 sacks between them and bring the heat from both edges in the Chiefs’ 3-4 scheme.
7. NO ROOM FOR ERROR
Kansas City is a very efficient team, one that usually doesn’t beat itself. To wit, the Chiefs are third in the NFL in third-down conversions (50.6 percent), third in red-zone efficiency (70 percent) and have committed fewer penalties (29) than any team in the league. They’ve also committed only six turnovers, tied for eighth-fewest. In order to register an upset for the second week in a row, the Rams must minimize mistakes as they did for the most part against Seattle.
