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S Adam Archuleta had
eight tackles and a
fumble recovery for
Rams' explosive 'D'
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Everyone knows about the explosiveness of the St. Louis offense. But is it possible
that the Rams’ defense may be just as explosive?
The answer is a resounding yes following St. Louis’ dominating 45-10 victory over
Green Bay in the NFC divisional playoff game at the Dome at America’s Center Sunday.
The Rams’ third-ranked defense harassed Green Bay QB Brett Favre and forced him
into throwing six interceptions — three of which were returned for touchdowns,
setting a playoff record. The defense also forced a fumble.
It was a stunning performance by a defensive unit that was much-maligned last season
but greatly improved this season. The Rams appear to have everything in order as they
prepare to host Philadelphia in next week’s NFC title game.
Here’s a look at random thoughts and comments accumulated throughout the
Rams’ impressive divisional playoff victory:
First quarter
I’ve got to say, I’ve really been looking forward to this matchup all week.
Favre vs. Warner. Green vs. Faulk. It should be fun. However, I’ve got to think the
key will be whichever defense plays best. We’ll see.
A blow for the Rams as ORT Ryan Tucker is out with a bad ankle and will be replaced by
Rod Jones. Will they miss Tucker? And will the Packers be able to exploit his absence?
Well, Jones sure makes his presence felt right away as he takes away a first down on
the Rams’ opening drive by picking up a personal-foul penalty, negating a pass
completion to WR Isaac Bruce.
CB Mike McKenzie comes up to make a nice tackle on WR Torry Holt and prevents a Rams
first down. McKenzie has turned into an exceptional corner. He made a great play last week
vs. the 49ers, deflecting a possible TD pass away from Terrell Owens, and it was picked
off by Tyrone Williams. I’ve got to think that’s a big boost to the
Packers’ defense to hold the Rams without a first down on the opening possession.
As good as Favre is in the cold, he’s almost as bad to the opposite extreme in
domes. He’s got to have a big game if the Packers have any hopes of winning. Warner
is turnover-prone, and Favre cannot afford to match him in that category.
Uh-oh! Favre does what I just said he can’t do: He turns the ball over. Even worse
for Green Bay, his errant pass goes right to Rams CB Aeneas Williams, who returns the gift
29 yards for an easy touchdown. PK Jeff Wilkins tacks on the extra point, and it’s
7-0 with 9:11 left in the opening period. This is a bad, bad play by Favre. Or was it a
bad play by WR Bill Schroeder? Favre threw the ball as if he expected Schroeder to run an
out pattern, but Schroeder turned upfield into space. It made it look like Williams was
the intended receiver. Replays show that if Favre had thrown to Schroeder upfield, it may
have gone for a touchdown. Rams S Kim Herring came on a blitz, and Schroeder was all
alone. Such is the fickle nature of split-second decisions.
That interception was Williams’ fourth in three career postseason games. Pretty
impressive.
Favre tries to bring the Packers back as he hits WR Corey Bradford for a first down.
The Pack is moving the ball, and a nice play to Green nets first-down yardage. However,
Green fumbles when he’s hit by Herring and S Adam Archuleta recovers. Fox commentator
John Madden correctly points out that Green was carrying the ball in his left hand as he
ran along the right sideline — a no-no. Players are taught to switch the ball to the
hand nearest the sideline when they approach the sideline, and Green didn’t do it. No
wonder he’s turnover-prone; that’s a fundamental mistake.
Nice sack by Packers LB Na’il Diggs. That’s something that Green Bay MUST do.
Warner is prone to throw interceptions, and you’ve got to hit him and put him on his
back to try to throw off his timing with his talented receiving corps.
You know, amazingly, the Rams have yet to give the ball to Marshall Faulk! How does
that happen? There’s just too much talent on this team.
Yep. Following the sack, Warner tries to force a deep pass into double coverage to WR
Isaac Bruce, and it’s picked off by S Darren Sharper. Good play by Sharper, but dumb
throw by Warner. Packers’ ball at their own 35 — I guess that’s just as
good as a punt. The Packers have to be pleased so far. They’re limiting the
Rams’ offensive effectiveness, and they just created a turnover. If it weren’t
for their own turnover, they’d still be tied.
Favre quickly snaps the ball and hustles a pass to Bradford against a slow-reacting
Rams defense for a first down. That’s why Favre’s so good. He caught the Rams
napping and made them pay for it.
WR Donald Driver picks up another first down on a well-conceived reverse. They’ve
been running that play successfully the last few weeks. Madden makes a great comment that
the Packers have wisely begun to use Bradford and Driver more to inject more speed into
the Packers’ attack. That’s something Green Bay lacks with starting WRs Antonio
Freeman and Bill Schroeder.
The Packers are dominating the time-of-possession battle, yet they trail on the
scoreboard. Well, not for long as Favre hits Freeman for a 22-yard TD pass. A missed
tackle by Rams CB Dexter McCleon springs Freeman down the sideline to the endzone. PK Ryan
Longwell ties the score 7-7 with the PAT.
That score gives Freeman a touchdown catch in five consecutive postseasons.
Faulk finally touches the ball for the first time and gets a couple of yards. The
Packers are playing a lot of defensive backs — seven, in fact — and they
don’t look comfortable doing so. Warner burns them as he hands off to Faulk
off-tackle, beating a Packers blitz, and Faulk sprints 38 yards all the way to the
Packers’ 11. Faulk carries again to the G.B. four.
This just shows you why the Rams are so tough to stop. You line up to try to stop the
passing game, and Faulk will burn you.
Second quarter
That was just too easy. WR Torry Holt catches a four-yard TD pass from Warner on a
quick slant. It took two seconds! Wilkins boots the extra point, and it’s 14-7. Green
Bay has got to answer this score if it wants to stay in the game.
Just as Green Bay’s starting to get some momentum built up on this drive, Favre is
picked off by Herring — it was a poor throw down the middle of the field — and
Herring does a great job returning the ball 45 yards to the Packers’ four. I’ve
got a feeling that Green Bay is in deep, deep trouble.
Yep. Warner again makes it look easy as he hits FB James Hodgins in the flat for a
four-yard TD pass. Wilkins makes it 21-7 with 12:36 left in the half.
This is unexpected in one respect: The Packers were one of the best teams in turnover
margin this season (plus 12), and the Rams were among the worst (minus 10). Not today. The
turnover battle is Packers 3, Rams 1. And that’s NOT a good statistic to be leading
in.
The "Greatest Show on Turf" owes a debt of gratitude to Lovie Smith’s
defense thus far. The Rams’ offense hasn’t shown a lot, but the defense has been
outstanding and is directly responsible for 14 points.
Wow! Just when the Packers needed a big play, KR Allen Rossum returns the ensuing
kickoff for a touchdown. But wait … it’s being called back for a holding
penalty. Yep, LB Torrance Marshall clearly held a Rams defender right at the moment that
Rossum broke through the pack. That is a killer turn of events for the Packers.
That quieted the Dome at America’s Center crowd for a moment, but they’re
right back to roaring as soon as the Packers’ offense hits the field. This is an
impressive crowd — so vocal, so loud. They’ve really got the place rocking. This
is going to be a tough place for the Eagles to play if the Rams hold on and win this game.
Favre makes a brilliant improvisational play and actually completes a two-handed pass
to Green as he’s in the grasp of DT Sean Moran and DE Leonard Little. However, the
officials blow the play dead, ruling that Favre was in the grasp. What a terrible call!
There is no more in-the-grasp rule! That was abolished a few years ago. Madden makes a
great point that referees should be prepared to hold off on blowing the whistle quickly
when they’re officiating a game with Favre. You never know what he’s capable of
improvising.
Warner takes a shot downfield, but it’s double-covered once again. He’s not
getting much available to him deep. Good job by the Packers’ secondary.
Green Bay is winning the yardage battle (147-85), yet has three turnovers to the
Rams’ one and trails 21-7. You always hear about how big turnovers are in the
playoffs. This game is absolute proof.
Schroeder finally makes his first catch of the game and gets a first down for the
Packers. Favre then guns a bullet pass to Green for a first down to the Rams’ 18.
Great tackling once again by the Rams as they stop Freeman short on a third-down pass
play, and the Packers settle for a 27-yard field goal from Longwell to make it 21-10 with
4:18 left.
Here come the Rams. Don’t you get the feeling that the Rams are going to get
another score before the half? They are so dangerous.
Warner and Faulk hook up for a first down, then Warner finds backup TE Jeff Robinson
for 27 yards and another first down. That’s the sixth receiver to catch a pass for
the Rams in this half. This team has so many weapons, how do you stop it? I guess the
answer is: You don’t. You have to hope that it will stop itself.
Warner slides on a scramble and is hit by LB Nate Wayne. No penalty called, and
Warner’s hot. I thought that once the quarterback goes into a feet-first slide that
he can’t be touched, but no call on that play.
Warner hits Hakim on a quick slant (which is absolutely unstoppable), and then the Rams
are stopped on a 3rd-and-1 play when TE Ernie Conwell gets tackled on a reverse
run. I think head coach Mike Martz got a little too cute there. How do you not give the
ball to Faulk in that situation?
A false-start penalty moves the Rams back five more yards, and they end up settling for
a 23-yard field goal from Wilkins with 21 seconds left. It’s 24-10 at the half.
Well, it’s a double-edged sword for the Packers. They’ve got to be pleased
with their defense, which held the Rams to 151 total yards and 1-for-5 on third-down
conversions. However, the Green Bay offense has turned the ball over way too much, and it
has cost the team dearly.
Third quarter
The Packers hold the Rams on the first series of the second half. That’s a good
sign for them.
Great lead blocking by FB William Henderson, and it springs Green for a 49-yard gain to
the St. Louis 32. That is just what the Packers needed.
Favre passes to Freeman, and he comes up short of the first-down marker. As he’s
hit, he’s stripped by Aeneas Williams, and Williams returns the fumble 70 yards for a
touchdown. What a great play by the Pro Bowl corner. Green Bay challenges the call, and
replays show that it looks like Williams was in contact with Freeman while he was on the
ground. I think it should come back. … The officials agree, ruling that Williams was
down by contact at the spot of the turnover. Rams’ ball. Another turnover for the
Packers.
Everyone talks about what a great arm Favre has (and rightfully so), but how about
Warner? He shows off his cannon arm as he rolls right, then throws all the way across the
field to Holt for an incredible 50-yard gain. Holt was double-covered, and Warner still
managed to drop the ball in there. Great catch by Holt too, and it sets up the Rams at the
Packers’ seven.
Faulk runs it in for an easy seven-yard score on the next play. Wilkins’ PAT makes
it 31-10. That could be the death blow for the Packers, although you can never count Favre
out, can you?
Favre is almost picked off, and then on the next play he does get picked off, by LB
Tommy Polley. Polley returns the interception 34 yards for a touchdown. It’s 38-10
with 8:12 left in the period. The rout is on!
This Rams’ defense is the reason why they’re such an improved team this year.
It gave up 200 fewer points this season than last season and ranked third overall in the
NFL. The defense is quick, and it swarms around the ball. Plus, the defensive players have
turned into big-time playmakers this season, turning turnovers into points. Lovie Smith
has done an impressive job after coming over from Tampa Bay, where he served as the
Bucs’ LB coach.
Here’s the stat I was looking for earlier: Favre has an impressive .786 winning
percentage on grass, but just .304 on turf (which obviously includes domes). He has not
played his best today, and he needed to if the Packers were going to win.
Fourth quarter
The Packers are already showing their desperation as they go for it on 4th-and-6,
but the pass falls incomplete. It really should’ve been intercepted.
Well, it looks as though the Rams will host the Eagles in the NFC title game at 4 p.m.
EST Sunday while the Patriots will play at Pittsburgh earlier that day at 12:30 p.m. EST.
St. Louis played at Philadelphia in Week One and it was a great one, with the Rams
winning 20-17 in overtime. The defenses ruled in that one, and it could happen again next
week. The Rams led 17-3 heading into the fourth quarter before Eagles QB Donovan McNabb
led Philly to two late scores to tie it 17-17. Wilkins won the game in OT with a 26-yard
field goal as the Rams marched downfield on the extra period’s opening possession.
How’s this for great timing? Just as Pat Summerall and Madden are praising Polley
for having a great game, the rookie picks off a pass, for his second interception of the
game. He is having a dream game. He’s been all over the field (with eight tackles),
and he has done a great job keeping an eye on Green.
Got to give credit to DE Leonard Little for a great pass rush. He beat ORT Earl Dotson
badly, and he was all over Favre, forcing a high pass to Green that deflected off his
hands to Polley.
Warner is hit hard by DE Vonnie Holliday and slammed to the turf on a pass play. I
really question why Warner is still in the game. If he were to get hurt at this point in
the game, with a 28-point lead, it would be an embarrassment for Martz and the Rams.
After a St. Louis timeout, Warner throws a pass into the endzone for Robinson, but
it’s incomplete. That was on a 4th-and-1 play with a 28-point lead late in
the fourth-quarter. How many other teams would’ve attempted that? You’ve got to
love Martz for his audacity.
Madden points out that Warner may still be in the game in order to give the Eagles more
to prepare for next week. The Rams have the luxury of running plays that they probably
have no intention of using against Philly. But you never know with Martz, and the Eagles
will have to prepare for it all. Shrewd move by Martz. I’d still take Warner out, but
that’s just me.
Favre’s pass is too high for Green, and Aeneas Williams (him again!) is there to
catch the deflection, returning it 32 yards for his second touchdown of the game. That
sets a playoff record for most interception returns for a touchdown in one game. Williams
has a great, great game with seven tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. And
to think that if the officials hadn’t overturned his fumble recovery, he
would’ve had THREE touchdowns! Wilkins’ PAT makes it 45-10.
Favre doesn’t give up and keeps throwing, moving the Packers down the field and
capping the drive with an eight-yard TD pass to Freeman. It’s now 45-17. Will they
even bother to try an onside kick?
They sure do, and they recover it when Freeman catches the kick once it deflects off
Ricky Proehl. This drive ends, as so many others did, with an interception. This time, CB
Dexter McCleon picks off the pass after it was deflected by Polley. That is Favre’s
SIXTH interception of the game — clearly the worst postseason game of his career.
The Rams have set a playoff record with 161 yards on interception returns in this game.
This is also the most points ever allowed by a Green Bay team in a playoff game. |
