[Chief Rum]

Week Four: Arizona at St. Louis

Things looked pretty good to start off.

We traded field goals with the Rams in the first quarter, and generally kept them at bay. Then with just three minutes left, we kicked another field goal and actually had a 6-3 lead. That's when the floor fell out.

On the ensuing kickoff, Isaac Bruce returned the kick 92 yards for a touchdown and a 10-6 Rams lead.

On the next possession, Blake was sacked in a third and long, and fumbled the ball to the Rams with good field position. On the Rams first play, Faulk broke a 35 yard run for a touchdown, putting the Rams up 17-6.

When the Cards got the ball back again, with just seconds remaining, Blake went back for another pass, was sacked again, and once again fumbled the ball to the Rams. There was just enough time for the Rams to kick a 49-yard FG to finish off the half. 20-6, just like that.

I'm sure it won't surprise you that by the fourth quarter, Blake was replaced in the lineup by #2 QB Preston Parsons. The Rams rolled, 34-13.

Parsons is much less talented than Blake, and Blake isn't very good to begin with. So it was with some surprise to see Parsons handle the position fairly well. He went 8-for-10 for 115 yd with 1 td, which he threw to Boldin late in the game.

Fuel for thought there...

The line was back to its sieve-like ways, allowing six sacks. Blake was at the losing end of three fumbles, and the team as a whole fumbled the ball twice, losing four. Blake also threw an interception. T Anthony Clement had another horrible day, allowing three sacks to go through him.

QB Blake: 15-for-26 for 177 yd, 0 td, 1 int
RB Smith: 30 rush yd
WR Boldin: 6 rec, 57, 1 td
WR Johnson: 7 rec, 66, 0 td

For the Rams, Faulk had yet to really break out this season. This was his first 100-yd game (105 rush yd, 2 td). Lamar Gordon also rushed for 48 yd.

Other Games

Home Team in CAPS

Atlanta 48, CAROLINA 21: There were three interceptions returned for touchdowns in this one, two of them by the Falcons. That shows you the kind of game this was. And it was all Falcons when neither QB was throwing picks. The Panthers turned the ball over five times to the Falcons one, and had more than 100 yards less than Atlanta. Michael Vick (26-35, 225 yd, 1 td, 1 int) was steady as usual, and Warrick Dunn & T.J. Duckett combined for 149 rush yds. Peerless Price (9 rec, 82 yd, 1 td) keyed the passing game.

Cincinnati 24, CLEVELAND 7: Wow, the Browns are missing Kelly Holcomb right now. Tim Couch (11-28, 141 yd, 1 td, 1 int, 7 sacks) just had an awful game. The Bengals nearly doubled the Browns' offensive totals (420-219). Jon Kitna (24-39, 276 yd, 3 td, 1 int) returned to solid form today, and Corey Dillon & Rudi Johnson combined for 142 rush yd.

DALLAS 16, NY Jets 3: The Jets lost their fourth straight game, three of which have been played at home. The Boys did it with three field goals and a Joey Galloway punt return. Neither team broke 300 yd. in offense, and the Jets had just 189 yd. Troy Hambrick (123 rush yd) led the way for Dallas.

DENVER 23, Detroit 13: The Lions had to survive both a chilly rain (49 degrees) in Denver, and a tough Broncos squad. They racked up 7 sacks and forced 4 turnovers, but it still wasn't enough, as they were sabotaged by Joey Harrington being a little off mark (19 for 39, 1 int) and the Broncos' offense succeeding in spite of 3 Jake Plummer fumbles. Clinton Portis (109 rush yd) returned to form, and Plummer (21-29, 213 yd, 2 td, 1 int) was on the mark when he wasn't dropping the ball.

CHICAGO 26, Green Bay 13: A bad season got worse for the Packers, as Brett Favre remained sidelined. Rookie Trevor Price (29-42, 349 yd, 1 td, 3 int) was actually pretty good, but he was a little too off the mark with some passes and that hurt the Pack. It didn't help that the running game generated just 17 yd. of offense. Kordell Stewart (16-for-22, 164 yd, 1 td, 0 int) knew well enough not to screw it up and didn't.

NEW ORLEANS 31, Indianapolis 13: Aaron Brooks (23-35, 194 yd, 2 td, 2 int) came back strong from injury and led the Saints to a victory that was even more lopsided than the final score indicates. Even more troubling, Peyton Manning (9-20, 137 yd, 0 td, 1 int) had to leave the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. Deuce McAllister (168 yd, 2 td) was unstoppable for the Saints.

Jacksonville 33, HOUSTON 24: Just when the Texans got close (moved within two with a late fourth quarter score), they gave it away. On the very following kickoff, the Jags' Fred Taylor took the ball back 87 yards for a kick return score and nailed the coffin in the Texans' loss. Taylor (124 rush yd) also did damage in set plays, and Bryon Leftwich (24-47, 291 yd, 2 td, 1 int) held up well enough to make the win hold up. David Carr (25-38, 284 yd, 2 td, 0 int) did well, but fell just short.

BALTIMORE 19, Kansas City 12: The Chiefs let late 9-7 and 12-10 leads get away from them, as Ravens' CB Chris McAllister returned a Trent Green int 66 yd for the clinching score with less than two minutes to go. The Chiefs outgained the Ravens, 370-259, but it went for naught. Todd Heap (8 rec, 79 yd, 1 td) was the key to the Ravens' passing game.

New England 15, WASHINGTON 14: Patrick Ramsey (21-28, 210 yd, 1 td, 3 int) threw one INT too many. Pats' S Eugene Wilson returned Ramsey's pick in the fourth quarter for New England's only td. It proved to be the difference, as neither side was particularly effective on offense.

BUFFALO 19, Philadelphia 14: Drew Bledsoe (22-33, 263 yd, 1 td, 0 int) and Eric Moulds (10 rec, 160 yd, 1 td) formed a powerful duo, and the passing attack keyed an offense that produced a score and 4 FG. That was enough, as the Bills defense kept the Eagles to just 285 yd in total offense.

OAKLAND 33, San Diego 15: This must be the week of the interception return. Rod Woodson and Derrick Gibson each returned one for the Raiders in this one, as part of a blowout victory for the home team. Ladainlian Tomlinson (31 yd) didn't provide Drew Brees (23-39, 247 yd, 0 td, 3 int) much support. Meanwhile, Rich Gannon (18-27, 219 yd, 1 td, 0 int) led an effective offense attack around the interceptions returns.

MINNESOTA 24, San Francisco 17: The Niners shot themselves in the foot with 6 turnovers, including 5 Jeff Garcia int, and the Vikings built a lead they were able to hold onto. San Francisco actually outgained the Vikings, 397-289. Daunte Culpepper, who himself recently threw 5 int in a game, was relatively flawless (20-31, 166 yd, 0 td, 0 int). Terrell Owens (7 rec, 150 yd, 2 td) turned in a second fine performance in a row.

Tennessee 21, PITTSBURGH 20: Steve McNair (17-26, 267 yd, 1 td, 1 int) came through like usual--just in time to save the day. With 1:25 left on the game clock, McNair hooked up with Drew Bennett on a 20-yd scoring pass, putting the Titans in the lead for good. Gary Anderson continues a fine kicking season with 5 FG in support of the Titan attack.

Injuries

I didn't have any major injuries, although changes may be happeneing in my lineup for other reasons.

With Blake struggling and Parsons doing well in limited time, it seems like as good a time as any to give him a start under center.

Also, it is clear that, with 10 sacks allowed in 4 games, Anthony Clement simply isn't the answer at LT. I will be going with the young Kendrick Rogers in his place.

CR