Rapid Reaction: Rams vs. Broncos/Wagoner

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RamBill

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Rapid Reaction: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13711/rapid-reaction-st-louis-rams-22

ST. LOUIS -- A few thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 22-7 victory over the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome.

What it means: The Rams can play with and beat anybody in the NFL. Seriously. With Sunday's win, they now own victories against three of the four 2013 conference finalists: the Broncos, the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. After nearly half a season of waiting and wondering when coordinator Gregg Williams' defense would ascend to an elite level that would allow the Rams to compete with anyone, his group has taken off in the past three weeks. Beating Peyton Manning and the league's top offense is the ultimate sign that this defense is capable of keeping the Rams in and potentially winning any game left on the schedule. It didn't hurt that quarterback Shaun Hill played mistake-free football, the special teams were strong, and the Rams offered Denver no help in its comeback attempt. At 4-6, the Rams have an uphill climb to get into the postseason, but at worst, they are the team none of the league's contenders want to play down the stretch.

Stock watch: Up -- Running back Tre Mason: It's been tough sledding in the past couple of weeks for the Rams rookie, but he found a little momentum against the league's stoutest run defense entering Sunday. Mason rushed for 113 yards on 29 carries, the most yards by a runner against the Broncos this season. While Mason hit some big runs, including a 27-yarder in the third quarter, he also did plenty of dirty work between the tackles. He's the future for the Rams at running back, and the future is now.

Conversion turnaround: After his team went 1-of-10 on third down last week against Arizona, Rams coach Jeff Fisher pointed to the lack of conversions as a primary reason for his offense being stuck in the mud. The Rams apparently found some solutions as Hill found himself using his feet, creating space and finding receivers to keep the chains moving. They finished 6-of-17 on third down, which not only was crucial in keeping their offense on the field but also keeping Manning & Co. off it.

Game ball: Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams -- It took longer than most had hoped, perhaps too long for the Rams to make a genuine playoff run, but Williams' group is playing with the confidence and swagger of a top-five unit in the league. The defense shut down the run (10 carries for 28 yards), pressured Manning (two sacks, four quarterback hits), piled up 12 pass breakups and, most important, allowed just seven points. Were it not for a first-half coverage breakdown, Williams' crew would have pitched a shutout.

What's next: After a one-week cameo at home, the Rams head back to the West Coast to finally end the eight-game stretch facing all teams with 2013 winning records with a trip to San Diego.