The St Louis Rams and the Tampa Bay Bucs were similar teams on paper, with the Bucs holding one huge advantage – a deadly efficiency when they get into the red zone. The Bucs were the league's fourth-best team in touchdown scoring, converting on 66% of their red zone possessions.  Here's how the Bucs fared […]

A quick look around the league scoreboard revealed the nature of December football, of what happens when the playoffs loom large and the pressure ratchets up. Those teams that can handle the pressure have a huge advantage over those that cannot. And the result is, more often than not, a blowout. One team throws a […]

One Two of these years are not like the others.  The Rams (ranked 17th) have reached their highest point in the ESPN Power Rankings since 2010, and are knocking on the door of the upper bracket for only the second time in the last six years. Now, the worth of these kinds of rankings is next […]

By all reckoning, the Rams were fortunate to come away with a win against the 49ers. If not for eight points put on the board by an opportunistic defense – with help from the referees, the NFL's arcane challenge rules, and a bizarre and poorly executed option play – the Rams lose. And if that […]

Bills fans will have to excuse us our enthusiasm over a 5-6-1 record. Yes, it's only a few percentage points better than Buffalo's 5-7 mark, but for us it represents a staggering infusion of hope and optimism. These five wins carry with them the official stamp of Progress, and allow fans to chuck each other […]

It's December and the Rams are officially being listed as "in the hunt" for the NFL Playoffs. This is a stunning development for a team whose Super Bowl odds, as of two weeks ago, was side-by-side with the wretched Oakland Raiders at 750/1. It's also a sign that the Rams might be becoming a much […]

It took three weeks and almost 150 minutes of football, but a winner was finally declared in the 10-quarter-long grudge match between the St Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers. And Jeff Fisher's Rams, bloodied and wearied after this heavyweight battle more than went the distance, have their clenched fists up in the air after […]

Sam Bradford completed only seven passes against the Arizona Cardinals in their first meeting, only eight in their second. But he'll take winning by two touchdowns apiece any day of the week. For that, he has his defense to thank.  After playing so soft over the last month that they could have been cast in […]

When the Rams last met the Arizona Cardinals, the birds stood atop the NFC West with a surprising 4-0 record. However, when we talked to Seth Cox of TSHQ at the time, he was not yet ready to start opening champagne bottles. As it turns out, he was right to put the celebrations on hold. […]

As the St Louis Rams' record continues to slide following a heartening 3-2 start to the season, Sam Bradford's progression on the "elite quarterback growth curve" is receiving increasing scrutiny. Whether he has a strong game (275-2-0 versus the 49ers) or a weak one (170-2-1 vs the Jets), unless the Rams win the criticism will […]

One of NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell's most common critiques of quarterback play is an inability to make anticipation throws, to know when the receiver will come open before you throw the ball, and have the ball be there when he does. He has a term for quarterbacks who don't make these plays: "See-it, Throw-it […]

It was easy to look at the good work the Rams offense did against the 49ers, and call it a turning point. Earlier in the week, we outlined six signs of offensive success that the Rams were capable of repeating. Sam Bradford and the offense utterly failed at four of those six factors, and it […]