October 26, 2011

Week 7: St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys

ST. LOUIS RAMS @ DALLAS COWBOYS

Vegas Line: Rams + 13

Rob’s Line: Rams + 12.5

How do you think the Dallas Cowboys feel at finally having a chance to face a team where it’s safe to assume the game won’t go down to the final play? They’re fresh off two heartbreaking losses to the Lions and Patriots and the bye week, sandwiched as it was between those games, was probably the least beneficial bye any team will experience this season.
Dallas opened up a big lead on Detroit before blowing that lead, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in what turned out to be the biggest comeback that this very proud Cowboys’ franchise had ever allowed. That had to hurt, as did last Sunday in New England, where they had the ball late in the fourth quarter protecting a 16-13 lead, only to then rely on some very conservative play calling from coach Jason Garrett that resulted in them punting the ball away and challenging Tom Brady to win it through the air for the Patriots as the clock ticked down to the final minute. Did he accomplish it? You have one guess.
So, the Rams come to town and this is where Dallas will surely get their record back to .500 and they’ll need to as they have upcoming games against the Eagles and Bills. Yes, the Rams come to town boasting the league’s worst run defense, but as the football Gods would determine, Felix Jones, the Cowboys’ leading rusher, doesn’t play and the rushing load will be shared this week by rookie DeMarco Murray (3 yards per carry) and Tashard Choice (2.6 YPC), hardly the most daunting prospect for the visitors.
However much the Cowboys may miss Jones though, pales into insignificance compared to the news emanating from the Rams this week. Quarterback Sam Bradford has a high left ankle sprain and has not practiced all week while wearing a protective boot. While he hasn’t definitely been ruled out as of Saturday morning, the outlook is grim and I’d be staggered if he took the field, which means that backup A. J. Feeley leads the offense this week, but to give you some idea as to how bad this is for St. Louis, consider this: between 2008 and 2010, Feeley did not attempt a single pass and gunning for him this week is the fearsome outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who has seven sacks this season, a tally that he’ll be confident of adding to this week.
The Rams did acquire help this week for whichever QB takes the field when they signed wide receiver Brandon Lloyd away from the Denver Broncos. Lloyd led the league in receiving yards last year and it’s a nice piece of business as he adds to a receiving corps not lacking in talent already. This could’ve looked even brighter for the Rams this week had Mark Clayton been cleared to return from injury, but he’s been ruled out leaving, in handicapping terms, a game that’s difficult to call and it’s all because of the Feeley factor.
I do see him struggling and the Cowboys will want to win this one desperately and it’s not that I don’t see them doing so, but do they cover the spread? I don’t think they will and take the Rams and the points on offer.

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