Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.This week I sat down with Brett Knight of RAMblings, a Most Valuable Network column that covers the St. Louis Rams.
Dan Benton: "For many, the Rams offseason expectations were extremely high. How frustrating has it been to watch your team struggle for the first quarter of the season?"
Brett Knight: "Obviously, with so many pundits picking the Rams as a darkhorse playoff team, it's been difficult to watch the team stumble thus far, with no end in sight. But I don't know what's been harder to deal with: all the forces that have been out of our control or all the blown opportunities. It's one thing to watch your offensive line crumble and your Pro Bowl backfield taken out of games by injury - it's tough, sure, but there's really nothing you can do about it. It's a whole different story, though, to sit through the sloppy play this team has been exhibiting this year: penalties, turnovers, blown coverages, missed tackles, awful play-calling. For all the talk of the talent on this team, it's really been a shock to see such a lack of fundamentals. It's been said that the mark of a good team is how it responds to adversity; with that in mind, I'm not sure how to respond to this team."
DB: "As if things weren't bad enough in St. Louis, Steven Jackson will miss his second consecutive game this weekend. What must the Rams do to replace his productivity?"
Knight: "I wish there were some sort of easy solution here, but I just don't think there's a way you can replace a guy like Jax. I do like Brian Leonard, and I predict big things for him down the road; still, even a guy with as diverse a skill set as him can't do all the things Jax has made a career out of. But there's no use in pining over Jackson; he's out, and that's that. As my RAMblings colleague John Pullega wrote the other day, it's important for the Rams to just work with that they've got. It's important that we keep Leonard and the running game involved, even if we fall behind early. Rams coaches have been pretty conservative with their play-calling with all the injuries on the line, but we can't forget about our guys in the backfield; we need to make sure to get the ball in their hands. I'm hoping that we lay off all the smokescreens, quick hitches and other non-yardage plays and work the ball with Leonard - some draws and screens would help take the responsibility off the line while still getting him more than the 17 total touches he had against Dallas."DB: "After upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona is running on an emotional high. What worries you most about them and that emotion going into this weekends contest?"
Knight: "As you said, Arizona had a huge win last week, and I feel like that confidence will play a huge role this game. The Cards have long had the tools to succeed - well, minus the o-line - and I think that that swagger is the big reason that they're finally putting it all together. With all their different weapons - Edgerrin James, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin if he plays - on offense and Adrian Wilson on defense - because, honestly, what more do you need? - this team will be hard to catch up to; if they get ahead early, this game might be over."DB: "If you were game-planning for St. Louis, how would you attack the Cardinals?"
Knight: "Offensively, like I said before, I'd like to see the Rams keep the backs involved. Last I heard, Richie Incognito was likely to play Sunday, so that should bode well for the running game (and could be a bad omen - very, very bad - for any Cardinals thinking about picking a fight). I'd also like to see more of Randy McMichael. So far, his biggest game has been two catches for 40 yards, and that's not the kind of production the Rams brought him in for. With Gus Frerotte coming in for Marc Bulger, a lack of chemistry isn't as likely to be an issue as it has been thus far; Frerotte doesn't have the rapport with Torry Holt that Bulger does, and both Isaac Bruce and Dane Looker should be missing in this one. McMichael could see a lot of looks over the middle and check-downs, and that looks good for my fantasy team. Elsewhere on offense, Marques Hagans, the Rams' preseason star receiver, should see his first action of the year with his fellow receivers out. The coaches reportedly will not being employing Hagans as the team's #3 quarterback this week, and I hope they're not afraid to use him to really stretch the field. This guy could be a stud if given the opportunity. And finally, I'd like to be able to say this personally to Scott Linehan: keep the ball away from Adrian Wilson. Seriously, he's a freak."DB: "Prediction time! Who wins, and what's the score?"
Defensively, it's quite simple - stop the run. The Rams haven't been able to do that yet, and in Edge, they're facing a back that's really run the ball well this year. With Victor Adeyanju likely to be in the starting lineup and Clifton Ryan seeing more and more time in the tackle rotation, the Rams could actually have a better run-stuffing group with their backups than their starters. Elsewhere, Fakhir Brown's suspension has run its course, and he will return to his starting cornerback spot opposite Ron Bartell. Brown is a great press corner, so I'd like to see Haslett keep the intensity up all game. Mixing in the press coverage and some secondary blitzing (Corey Chavous' blitz against the Cowboys resulted in the Rams' only sack in the game) should keep the pressure turned up on Matt Leinart, who has already shown that he can be rattled. They can't sit back and let the Cardinals take it to them.
Knight: "This is a winnable game for the Rams, but it will take near perfect execution. If you had asked me about this game before the season, I would've said it was almost a guaranteed Rams win, but right now, I think this team is just too battered to hang with a team with as many weapons as the Cards. Cardinals win in style, 27-14."A special thanks to Brett Knight for taking the time, and additional kudos for being the first blogger all year to pick against "his" team. Again, you can read his Rams coverage over at Most Valuable Network on RAMblings.
