Breaking down the Rams-Packers

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When the Rams run the ball

The Packers have switched to a 3-4 front under new defensive coordinator Dom Capers, and there have been growing pains in the new scheme. A week after holding Chicago's Matt Forte in check (55 yards on 25 carries), the Packers were bludgeoned for 141 yards on 29 carries by the Bengals' Cedric Benson. Green Bay is huge up front: Left end John Jolly weighs 325, right end Cullen Jenkins weighs 305, and former Ram Ryan "Big Grease" Pickett checks in at 340. In addition, first-round draft pick (No. 9 overall) B.J. Raji, who weighs 337, is expected to make his Packers debut after missing the first two games with an ankle injury. The Rams will go with Adam Goldberg at RT in place of the injured Jason Smith.
EDGE ? Rams

When the Packers run the ball


Green Bay feature back Ryan Grant is a downhill, collision runner. He has decent speed but not much elusiveness. He's a liability in the passing game, struggling to catch the ball and not much on pass blocking. With normal No. 2 back Brandon Jackson out with an ankle injury, DeShawn Wynn replaces Grant on passing downs. After a breakout season (1,203 yards) in 2008, his first year as a full-time starter, Grant is off to a slow start in '09, with 107 yards in two games and a 3.6-yard rushing average. The Rams did a reasonable job last week against Clinton Portis, and need to do even better against Grant to put the Packers' potent passing game in third-and-long situations.

EDGE ? Rams


When the Rams pass the ball

Dropped passes, spotty pass blocking, a few errant throws, and an inability by receivers to consistently gain separation have conspired to keep the Rams' aerial game grounded. QB Marc Bulger's completion percentage (50.0) is second-worst in the league. The Rams have only two pass plays of 20 yards-plus. They have to get the struggling Donnie Avery going. TE Randy McMichael needs to bounce back after an off game. Bulger took a beating against the Redskins ? he was hit 11 times ? so the Rams have to do much better on protection. Because of injuries, Green Bay is vulnerable at safety, but veteran corners Charles Woodson and Al Harris have seven Pro Bowls between them.

EDGE ? Packers



When the Packers pass the ball

They may not have the name recognition of others, but the Packers have a stable of thoroughbreds at wide receiver in Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones and Jordy Nelson. Jennings and Driver both topped 1,000 yards last season and combined for 14 TD catches. Jennings has an uncanny ability to adjust to the ball in flight; Driver is adept at working the slot on short and intermediate routes. Depending on the play, Jones and Nelson alternate as the No. 3; both are power receivers who weigh close to 220. At TE, second-year man Jermichael Finley is an emerging talent who is taking snaps away from starter Donald Lee. Given the Rams' trouble covering tight ends this season, watch out for Finley on Sunday.

EDGE ? Packers



Key matchup:


The diminutive Amendola (5-11, 186) could become an instant St. Louis gridiron darling in his Rams debut Sunday.

That's because Kapinos is off to a terrible start, currently ranking next-to-last in net punting average (29.8 yards) in the NFL.

Last week against Cincinnati, Kapinos hit a couple of low-hanging punts that were returned for 60 and 32 yards by Bengals rookie Quan Cosby. (Yes, the same Quan Cosby who had a 49-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Rams in the preseason.) These days, any help the Rams' anemic offense can get with field position is greatly appreciated. The Rams' longest punt return this season is 24 yards; they haven't had a kickoff return longer than 23.

 

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Pete Dougherty's 3 keys to the Rams game

--GreenBay Gazette

1. A major component of this game has nothing to do with individual matchups, but is about collective mindsets. The Rams are 0-2 this year and 5-29 since the start of 2007, clearly signs of an under-talented team. But they also have some juice this year with new coach Steve Spagnuolo, the highly respected former New York Giants defensive coordinator who at age 49 was one of the hottest assistants last offseason. He?s brought a badly needed level of energy and stability to the organization. This also is the Rams? first home game, and it?s early enough in the season that the fans haven?t given up on them yet. So expect a good effort. The Packers, on the other hand, have been getting hammered in the meeting room for their poor play last week in their upset loss to Cincinnati. They should be highly motivated as well, even though they?re playing one of the worst teams in the league.


2. Maybe this will be the game that second-year tight end Jermichael Finley breaks out. The Rams lack talent at safety (James Butler and Oshiomoghu Atogwe) and strong-side linebacker (David Vobora), and in their first two games allowed Seattle tight end John Carlson and Washington tight end Chris Cooley to catch a combined 13 passes for 178 yards. Look for the Packers to try to exploit that with Finley and Donald Lee.

3. The Rams have watched the film and seen right tackle Allen Barbre get smoked by the Bears in Week 1 and left tackle Daryn Colledge by the Bengals in Week 2. Barbre was fine last week, and the Packers are expecting Colledge to play much better now that he?ll get a full week of practice after playing almost exclusively at left guard before Chad Clifton injured his ankle in the third quarter last week. Still, look for Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo to go after both by trying to create one-on-one matchups for left end Leonard Little and right end Chris Long, the second pick overall in last year?s draft, as well as by attacking the edges with an array of zone blitzes.