The Official Packers @ Rams Game Day Thread!

[Tarlam!]

GAMEDAY!!!!!!


WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!

[BallHawk]

Keep up the good work, Tar.

[Partial]

On Ron Paul day!!!!

https://www.teaparty07.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9-NqDyhnAs

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

We need to win this one big time.

[vince]

Some pregame analysis...

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071216/PKR01/712160651/1989

3 keys in today's Packers-Rams game

1. The Rams' best chance to pull off the upset as 10-point underdogs is to get a big day from halfback Steven Jackson, their best player. Jackson missed four games earlier this season because of a back injury, but despite that and running in front of an offensive line that's missing four of five starters from the beginning of the year, he's still gained 719 yards rushing and last week bulled for 91 yards and a 5.1-yard average against Cincinnati. The Packers know they have to stop Jackson first and foremost, though the return of quarterback Marc Bulger after missing two games because of a concussion makes that more difficult. Bulger has a quick mind and release, and he has two good receivers in Torry Holt and aging Isaac Bruce. Still, stopping the Rams starts with stopping Jackson.

2. Jim Haslett, the Rams' defensive coordinator, is an aggressive coach by nature and has been even more aggressive with the number and variety of his blitz packages in recent weeks as the Rams have thrown caution aside in this difficult, injury-wrecked season. The Packers have been making a living playing spread offense with three, four and even five receivers, and quarterback Brett Favre has the experience and quick release to hit those blitzes for some big plays. But it's incumbent on the offensive line, with Junius Coston now at right guard and Jason Spitz at left guard, to make the right reads and pickups to keep Favre from taking a beating and preventing a game-turning fumble or bad throw. Haslett and Packers coach Mike McCarthy know each other well, because McCarthy was Haslett's offensive coordinator for five years when the latter was the New Orleans Saints' head coach. That matchup probably is a wash, though, because both coaches know each other's systems, and both undoubtedly have changed what they do now that they have new personnel with different teams.

3. In the past, the Rams have had an enormous advantage at the Edward Jones Dome, where the crowd noise can be as deafening as anywhere in the league. But the Packers have drawn big support on the road as this year has gone on – there even was a significant and loud contingent of Packers fans at Dallas two weeks ago – and considering the Rams are 3-10, it wouldn't at all be a surprise if there are nearly as many Packers fans as Rams fans at this game. That would rob St. Louis of a major intangible edge. The Packers also are playing for one of the coveted top-two seedings in the NFC playoffs, which is another edge against a team well out of the playoff race. The one intangible advantage the Rams have is they can play loose and take more chances than normal.

http://www.packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=3566

Q's & A's for this weeks Packers - Rams game
December 14, 2007
Written by Staff - PackerChatters Staff

This week the Staff of the popular Rams website and our affiliate in our F2FA group, ClanRam.com, and a few PackerChatters members and Staff, got together and came up with some questions and answers about the teams and upcoming game this Sunday in St. Louis.

[vince]

Some more from JSO...

Preview: Green Bay Packers vs. St. Louis Rams
Posted: Dec. 15, 2007

GAME 14: Packers (11-2) vs. Rams (3-10)
WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 16, noon.
WHERE: Edward Jones Dome
TV: Fox
RADIO: WTMJ, 620 AM
MORE COVERAGE:
stltoday.com
When: Noon.
Where: Edwards Jones Dome.
TV: Fox.
Radio: AM-620.
Tickets: Sold out.
Line: Packers by 9.
Series: Rams lead, 45-40-2.
Coaches: Green Bay's Mike McCarthy (19-10) vs. St. Louis' Scott Linehan (11-18).

PACKERS' INJURY REPORT
DOUBTFUL: CB Jarrett Bush (calf), QB Aaron Rodgers (hamstring), LB Tracy White (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: TE Bubba Franks (knee), Aaron Kampman. PROBABLE: T Chad Clifton (shoulder), G Junius Coston (ankle), CB Al Harris (heel), T Mark Tauscher (ankle), CB Charles Woodson (toe).

RAMS' INJURY REPORT
OUT: Brandon Williams (ankle).

QUESTIONABLE: S Hanik Milligan (hamstring).

DOUBTFUL: T Rob Petitti (concussion).

PROBABLE: CB Eric Bassey (knee), QB Marc Bulger (concussion), QB Gus Frerotte (right shoulder), RB Brian Leonard (knee).

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
TOUGH SITUATION: If QB Marc Bulger is declared clear from his concussion problem and does start, it doesn't figure to be any walk in the park behind his patchwork offensive line. "If I was Marc Bulger, I'd let the other guy (Gus Frerotte) stand in there and take the beating," an executive in personnel for a recent Rams' opponent said earlier in the week. "I'm sure his head's still pretty foggy. you'd like to have the guy down the road. He'd be a pretty good quarterback if they shore up their offensive line." Said an assistant coach for a recent Rams' foe: "If Bulger does play, he'll be back there scared a little bit. If he does play, he's one blow away from being out for a long time." The Rams are missing four starting offensive linemen and Alex Barron, who had to move from RT to LT, isn't playing well. "(Barron) should be their best but he's not playing like you thought he would," the scout said. "He plays a little bit high. They were banking on he'd develop a little better knee bend and he'd be a little bit more aggressive. He tries to get his hands on you and lock the guy out and ride him past. That's more his technique than anything."

HERE THEY COME: Jim Haslett, who gained a strong reputation for blitzing as a defensive coordinator in New Orleans and Pittsburgh in the 1990s, has been back at it in St. Louis since losing pass-rushing DE Leonard Little in Week 7. "Right now they're playing desperate," one scout said. "They're going to do some things that are unsound. For the most part, they're just going to blitz you and try to hit you and be disruptive. They're not really worried about being sound anymore. He doesn't care. He will bring four weak and make you block it, and it's tough to do that. If you can find out where they vacated the zone, then you're in good shape."

THEY JOUST AGAIN: Last October, the Rams came away from Lambeau Field with a 23-20 victory. In the game, Bulger threw four passes to Torry Holt with Al Harris in coverage. The only completion was a 6-yard touchdown, although Harris did have two penalties that were declined. Holt has surpassed 1,000 yards for the eighth straight season but isn't as dynamic due to a chronic knee problem. "He's by no means the old Torry Holt," one scout said. "At one time you would grade him as a consummate Pro Bowl receiver. Right now he'd really be with the second tier of wide receivers just because he can't run right now. The Green Bay corners should just challenge him because he's not really going to run away from you."

ELITE PLAYER: Steven Jackson missed Weeks 4-7 with a groin injury. He's also affected by his blockers. Still, with some other top backs idled by injury or just generally ineffective this season, Jackson has been making the best of a rough situation. "The running back is a man," an assistant coach for a recent Rams' foe said. "He's a big man that can really run. He runs like he's (expletive) off at the world. They can be pretty scary on offense."

BACKER BASH: Two of the premier middle linebackers in the NFC will be matched on the same field with the Rams' Will Witherspoon and the Packers' Nick Barnett. "They're very, very similar," one scout said. "I think a lot of Witherspoon. He flies around. He's a good player when they protect him. He can blitz and he can cover." Like Barnett, Witherspoon plays every down. Unlike Barnett, he plays end on about 12 passing downs most weeks. He leads the Rams with 7 sacks. Another scout said he would take Witherspoon over Barnett by a close margin. "If there's a strength in their defense it's probably their linebackers," a third scout said. "They play hard and they play pretty instinctive. But I don't think they've got a lot to hang their hat on right now defensively. It's better than their offense but it's not tremendous."

Bob McGinn

VIEWS OF THE GAME
BOB McGINN: Back in 1996, the Packers trailed in St. Louis at halftime, 9-3, against a Rams' team with a 3-8 record before recovering to win going away. To avoid the upset, Brett Favre & Co. must not make killer miscues against the Rams' wholesale blitzing and the defensive line needs to dominate the Rams' decrepit offensive line.

TOM SILVERSTEIN: This isn't a trap game. This a game the Packers can and will win. There could be 10,000 Packers fans there so noise shouldn't be a factor. As long as they pick up the blitz and keep Steven Jackson from going crazy, they'll come out of this one just fine. Packers 28, Rams 17.

GREG A. BEDARD: Call me crazy, but I've got a funny feeling about this one. With QB Marc Bulger back, this team still has talent and plays very hard for coach Scott Linehan. These feisty Rams are a dangerous team. Packers 27, Rams 24.

MICHAEL HUNT: The Packers are beyond letdown games. And however remote, the chance is still there to get the Cowboys' behinds into the freezer for the NFC championship game. Packers 31, Rams 14.

LORI NICKEL: The Rams (ranked 27th on offense, 18th on defense) are 1-4 in their last five and 1-5 at home. The challenge for the Packers is to keep everyone as healthy as they were before kickoff. Packers 35, Rams 10.


STATISTICAL COMPARISON
OFFENSE
Rams 2007 Packers
15.8 Avg. points per game 27.8
17.7 Avg. first downs 19.8
295.8 Yards per game 383.5
91.5 Rushing yards per game 92.5
3.6 Yards per rush 3.9
204.4 Passing yards per game 291.0
463-278 Passes / comp. 490-331
60.0 Pct. completed 67.6
21 Had intercepted 11
40 Sacks allowed 17
20 Touchdowns 41
21 /28 Field goals / attempts 25 /33
30:36 Possession time 30:54

DEFENSE
24.3 Avg. points allowed 17.6
19.2 Avg. first downs allowed 18.9
333.3 Total yards per game 316.6
115.7 Rushing yards per game 99.3
4.3 Yards per rush 3.9
217.6 Passing yards per game 217.3
433-259 Passes / comp. 432-244
59.8 Pct. completed 56.5
27 Sacks 32
14 Interceptions 15
34 Touchdowns allowed 24
13 Rushing TDs allowed 4

[vince]

From St. Louis Perspective

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/rams/story/7F0ABEBEFB9869E2862573B2001E8487?OpenDocument

Say, 'Cheese': Packers-Rams 5 Things To Watch
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/16/2007

Fabulous Favre

There was a time when Brett Favre struggled indoors. Like the NFC playoff game in St. Louis six years ago, when he was intercepted six times by the Rams. Two of those six interceptions were returned for a touchdown by Aeneas Williams. But those days are gone. In four indoor games over the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Favre has posted a passer rating over 100 each time. He has 10 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in those contests. Under second-year head coach Mike McCarthy, Favre has been given more freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage and seemingly has learned to reign himself in when it comes to throwing careless passes. Almost no one blitzes him these days because he gets the ball out so quickly. At age 38, Favre doesn't run much any more, but he can still escape the rush. So he's as tough as ever to beat, particularly with an improved running game and a top 10 defense on his side.

"His is sort of revived," Rams defensive tackle La'Roi Glover said. "Now, with the sort of resurgence of a running game, it takes a lot of pressure off of Brett. He doesn't have to be the guy every single play, every single quarter, every single series. ... He's got a good supporting cast now."

On the receiving end

The Packers don't have any household names among their wide receiver corps, but they have put together one of the best and deepest pass-catching units in the NFL. The Packers are five deep, and will go "five wides" with an empty backfield 10-12 times a game. Don't be surprised if the Packers go "empty" more frequently against St. Louis in an effort to gain a matchup edge. The Rams are thin at cornerback following Tye Hill's season-ending wrist surgery. Donald Driver, with a team-high 73 catches, is the Packers' top interior receiver. He's used in the slot and is willing to take the pounding going over the middle. Greg Jennings, with his 11 touchdown catches in 11 games, is silky smooth, can adjust to the ball, and gets deep despite a lack of burning speed. Rookie James Jones, a third-rounder from San Jose State, is a power player (6-1, 207) with 43 catches. Veteran Koren Robinson has 13 catches in six games since returning from an alcohol-related suspension, and also returns kickoffs. Ruvell Martin has excellent size (6-4, 210) and has three touchdowns.

"They're all pretty good," Rams cornerback Ron Bartell said. "They're capable of making big plays. The one thing about them, they're great at run after the catch. We're going to have to do a good job tackling."

The Packers lead the NFL in yards after the catch (1,851).

Ryan's song

Who's the NFL's leading rusher since Week 8? Hint: It's not LaDainian Tomlinson, Willie Parker, or Brian Westbrook. Try Green Bay's Ryan Grant, who has gained 717 yards in seven games since bursting onto the scene with a 104-yard performance Oct. 29 at Denver. Grant wears jersey No. 25 like former Packers great Dorsey Levens, and some observers feel he plays like Levens. Grant runs with speed, toughness, and smarts at 224 pounds, and is coming off a 156-yard rushing game last week against Oakland.

"He tries to run guys over if he can," Glover said. "He's got the ability to make people miss. And he outworks a lot of guys. He just brings sort of a workman's style to the running back position."

Gorin vs. Kampman

Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman had 13 1/2 sacks in his first four seasons in the NFL, and then suddenly broke out with 15 1/2 sacks last season, earning a Pro Bowl berth. With 11 sacks this season, Kampman is showing that 2006 was no fluke. Kampman is a relentless player; he never takes a down off, and excels at the bull rush and the dip move.

"He makes things happen, and he causes a lot of havoc," Rams right tackle Brandon Gorin said. "He's just a good player."

It will be Gorin's task to slow down Kampman on Sunday, thus keeping Marc Bulger's head clear (after sitting out the last two games with a concussion). But Kampman suffered what was described as back spasms early in the practice week. He did not practice Friday, was listed as questionable, and the Packers say it will be a game-time decision on his availability against the Rams. It's a big break, obviously, for St. Louis if Kampman does not play. Replacement Mike Montgomery isn't nearly in the same class as Kampman.

The corner market

In Charles Woodson and Al Harris, Green Bay has a pair of talented, 10-year veteran cornerbacks. Woodson has experienced a career resurgence since joining the Packers (from Oakland) as an unrestricted free agent in 2006. A natural athlete, and a physical player, Woodson may be the Packers' best player on defense. Harris excels at press coverage. He's very competitive and intense, but has given up a lot of big plays lately. Woodson and Harris get penalized frequently for their physical play. They represent a big challenge for Rams veterans Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.

[Scott Campbell]

"3. What effects, if any, has been Ryan Pickett to your defence??

A) Pickett has been one of those free agent signings that didn’t gain a huge amount of attention, but has been of tremendous value to the defense. Again, the defensive line relies on its depth, but both Pickett and Corey Williams have been kind of the anchors inside. Both are effective at getting pressure on the QB as well as plugging holes. On top of that, Pickett has been very professional and a pleasure to have on the team."



I don't think this guy at Packer Chatters has it right. Pickett has been a hold the point of attack kind of tackle rather than a collapse the pocket kind of tackle.

[Rastak]

from scout.com

Bob Fox, Correspondent
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 11-2
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 10-6
Sunday's game: Packers 27, Rams 23
Comment: Even though the NFC North title is secure, the Green Bay Packers still have a lot to play for. The Packers still have to win two out of their last three games to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. I believe the St. Louis Rams will be a tougher opponent than the experts realize, especially with the expected return of QB Marc Bulger. The Packers are 2-0 in domes this year thus far and should be able to utilize their depth at wide receiver somewhat. RB Ryan Grant is also playing very well for the Pack as of late. The Green Bay defensive line should be able to take advantage of injuries to the Rams offensive line and have a big day. The Packer defense overall has to contain RB Steven Jackson and WR Torry Holt. Special teams must continue to play well.
Tyler Dunne, Correspondent/Rookie pundit
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 10-3
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 9-7
Sunday's game: Packers 34, Rams 13
Comment: Nightmares of the Packers' 2002 45-17 Divisional Playoff loss to St. Louis may still linger in the dreams of some Cheeseheads. But a lot has changed over the past five years. Namely speed. Since Ted Thompson took over as general manager, the Packers have often chose stopwatch defying athletes over position needs. It's paying off. Hello, Will Blackmon. The 2006 fourth round pick, who has broken his right foot twice in two years, scored two special teams touchdowns last year to bury Oakland. The raw athleticism Thompson saw in Blackmon, a wide receiver/cornerback at Boston College, is finally translating to the field. With Blackmon, Tramon Williams, Koren Robinson and Charles Woodson returning kicks, game-breaking speed is spreading through all three facets of the game for the Packers. This Sunday, look for Green Bay's "Big 5" WR package to exploit the Rams' secondary under on the Rams' FieldTurf, an ideal surface for quick initial cuts on slant plays.

W. Keith Roerdink, Correspondent
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 10-3
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 9-7
Sunday's game: Green Bay 31, Oakland 13
Comment: A team with nothing to play for can sometimes be the most dangerous to play. Look for St. Louis to come out aggressive and bring a variety of blitzes and pressures. But don't expect it to slow down Brett Favre and the Packers offense. The Rams are without their best cover corner and even if Tye Hill were healthy, it wouldn't matter. As for the Rams offense, their offensive line has been decimated with injuries and given up 40 sacks. Look for Aaron Kampman and company to get back on track after a couple sack-free outings.

Harry Sydney, Correspondent
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 10-3
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 7-9
Sunday's game: Packers 27, Rams 10
Comment: It will be the Packers 27-10 simply because the Packers are that much better and the Rams are packing, thinking about the offseason.

Jay Royle, Publisher
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 9-4
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 9-7
Sunday's game: Packers 31, Rams 24
Comment: This game against the Rams is for some reason worrisome for me because I thought the Rams pre-season would be pretty good, but the injury bug has hit them pretty good. They still possess a lot of play-makers and are at home. With that said, though the Packers are still the superior team but I don’t see this being a cake walk like last week.

Todd Korth, Managing Editor
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 9-4
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record will be 8-8
Sunday's game: Packers 35, Rams 14
Comment: The Packers will continue to roll this Sunday against a banged-up Rams team. Look for Green Bay to put the heat on Marc Bulger and Brett Favre to surpass Dan Marino’s career passing yardage record in a rout.

Tom Andrews, Correspondent
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 9-4
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 8-8
Sunday's game: Packers 27, Rams 13
Comment: Though this is another potential trap game, I don't see Green Bay faltering in St. Louis. The 3-10 Rams have been struggling through a miserable year. Quarterback Marc Bulger is trying to come back from a concussion he suffered against Seattle on Nov. 25, as well as a bum knee. The Rams have the league's 27th-ranked offense, scoring just 15.8 points per game. One of the few bright spots for St. Louis this season has been its rushing defense which has yet to allow any opposing back to gain 100 yards in a game. But even that went south on them last week as the Cincinnati Bengals trampled them for 192 rushing yards. I expect Ryan Grant and his running mates to be productive enough to keep the Rams defense honest and that should set up some big plays through the air for Brett Favre and his outstanding corps of wide receivers.

Steve Lawrence, Correspondent
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 9-4
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 8-8
Sunday's game: Packers 27, Rams 20
Comment: You can't overlook a team with Marc Bulger at quarterback, Steven Jackson at running back, and Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce at receiver. But, the Rams' starting offensive line has been decimated by injuries, which means big days for Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. They'll need a late sack to thwart a potential game-tying drive.

Matt Tevsh, Correspondent
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 9-4
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 7-9
Sunday's game: Packers 27, Rams 24
Comment: This is probably the toughest game left on the Packers' regular season schedule. The Bears are out of the playoff picture and down to Kyle Orton at QB and the Lions may not have anything to play for when they close the season with the Packers. The Rams, though, have played better in recent weeks. Steven Jackson is just plain tough to bring down and if Marc Bulger plays, the Rams will keep it close. If Bulger doesn't play, the Packers should win by more than the three points I predict. The playoffs can't come soon enough.

Doug Ritchay, Correspondent
Packers 2007 season prediction record: 9-4
Pre-season prediction on Green Bay's 2007 record: 7-9
Sunday's game: Packers 31, Rams 21
Comment: The Rams opened the season 0-8, but have won 3 of their last 5. Nonetheless, St. Louis has experienced a rash of injuries, which has cost it a chance to compete this season. Meanwhile, the Packers are rolling, having beaten Oakland handily last week. No reason to think one of the best road teams (5-1) in the NFL won't continue to

[Rastak]

More from scout.com

HEAD COACH SCOTT LINEHAN
(On how many reps QB Marc Bulger had in practice)
“He took all of the reps. It’s really hard to split them up. This is the time of year where we don’t get enough reps from coaches’ standpoint because of the amount of snaps we’re able to do with our limited numbers. He took all the reps today. If there’s any concern about where we’re at or how he feels tomorrow we’ll make some adjustments to tomorrow’s practice.”
(On how WR Brandon Williams looked in practice)
“Brandon didn’t do a whole lot. It looked like he felt better, but he really did not practice in the capacity of our returner. That could change tomorrow. We’ll see how he feels. He tried to work through some individual stuff today and seemed to be making some progress.”

(On CB Darius Vinnett’s success on special teams)
“Darius is not blessed with a lot of size, but he has a lot of speed and he’s hard to block as a flyer on the punt team. He has the speed to get down the field. He’s one of our ones on the kickoff team so he’s in position for that outside containment, but he’s also a guy that can be a good safety. If somebody gets loose, he has the speed to catch a guy. The preseason game someone had a long return and he caught the guy at the 10-yard line and saved a touchdown for us. That’s what you have to have there. He knows his niche on this football team and in this league is going to be on special teams and have a role on defense at times. Right now he’s excelling at that. There is a role for somebody on the 45 (man roster) on Sunday for special teams and emergency secondary, but starter on most of the teams. His speed and desire – he’s a pretty good tackler for a little guy, all make him a really good special teams player.”

(On the difference between QB Brett Favre this year as opposed to past seasons)
“We played them last year and when I was in Minnesota we played them every year, twice. He doesn’t look any different to me. He looks as good as ever. He always seems to be one of those guys that have a way of making plays not many people can make.

The difference this year is he has really limited the turnovers. He’s always been a guy that can make big things happen with his arm and get the ball in the endzone, some how some way. It always seemed like he would have a couple of big turnover games somewhere during the year. This year he’s been great with the ball. His football team has been great with the ball. They’ve avoided that. That’s been a big reason why they’ve had such a great year.

People tend to get better with age when it comes to that. This guy is unbelievable to me. For him to be able to play so many games without missing a football game and to play the position he plays in this league. This guy is unbelievable.”

(On other reasons for Green Bay’s success this season)
“I commend their coaching staff on a great job of coaching. The players have to play well. They’ve played pretty mistake-free offensively and they have a great receiving corps – guys who do a lot with the ball after the catch. I think they’re the best in the league as far as yards after catch. That says a lot about the mentality of that group and their ability.

They’re starting to run the football. Ryan Grant comes out of nowhere and finds his spot on the team. They’re blocking for him and coming up big in their run game. Their defense is very, very solid. They were good last year. Their front four and front seven are playing great. They have maybe the best corner tandem in the league. It’s hard to find two corners that are playing better football than these guys. With the combination of their offense and defense playing the way they are and now their special teams being a big threat, returning balls for touchdowns and returning them for big yards. They have a really good combination. They’re putting themselves in position to win two of the three phases each week and that’s one reason why they’re coming out on top.”

(On what he thinks about CB Charles Woodson and CB Al Harris)
“They are confident players. They play pretty much bump-and-run coverage the whole game. You have to be a confident player to do that. You have to have confidence in your corners to do that. They like to come up and rough you up at the line of scrimmage. It’s very effective if you’re good enough to do it. They can pull it off.

They may give up a big play here and there in a game, but they’ll take that chance to come up to the line of scrimmage and disrupt the timing of the pass patterns you’re trying to run. That has as much to do with it as anything. Both of them are 10-year vets that have played at a high level for 10 years. They’ve been able to stay healthy for the most part. I know Woodson missed a little bit of time there. He missed the Dallas game and that probably affected them a little bit. He’s been able to be out there most of the year. Having them both out there together throughout 13 games, so far this year, is a big plus for them as well.”

(On protecting the quarterback against Green Bay)
“We have to be able to run the football. We have to control the line of scrimmage and both sides of the ball if you want to protect your linebackers and protect your quarterback. Our challenge is to be able to have a very efficient and effective run game and put the focus on that for the protection and the pass game. We’ll set up a lot of what we want to do in the pass game off what we do in the run. When you’re able to do that, and stay out of third-and-long, you have a better chance. It’s impossible to totally contain what they’re trying to do with their personnel defensively, but you can limit it somewhat if you can establish that.”

(On if the players use playing spoiler as motivation)
“This is our 14th game and we’re playing a very good football team that we beat last year. It’s the same team in a lot of ways. There are a couple of new players on offense, the running back being one of them. We want to go out and establish that. We’re playing for this season. We’re playing for a lot of things. We want to establish ourselves in the NFC and show people that we can not only play well against a team like Green Bay or play as well as Green Bay, but also beat them. That’s our goal.”

QB MARC BULGER
(On if there is any thought in his mind that now that the Rams are not in the playoff hunt, he should just shut it down for the rest of the season)
“No I never want to quote ‘shut it down.’ There are too many guys in here fighting. This is our profession. You work all year for it and then for selfish reasons I want to get back out there. Not many times that you get to play against a Brett Favre or against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like I said everyone is in here fighting and I wouldn’t just shut it down for the sake of shutting it down. If it made sense to do it and I thought my health was going to be in jeopardy then I will do that but if there is any chance for me to get out there then I going to do it.”

(On the Packers defense)
“Their front seven is really good. They are getting a ton of sacks a lot of pressure but I think when you have two corners like they have, that allows them to play the ‘cover 8’ and bring those safeties down in the box. I think there really is no weakness on their team.

Like I said as a quarterback, when you have two pretty much shut down corners you can cheat those and get eight and sometimes nine guys up there and it makes it really difficult for a team to run the ball. Football is such a team game that their defense feeds into when their offense gets going. It is going to take a whole team effort. We are going to have to somehow get some turnovers or shut them down and keep their momentum from getting going because I think they feed off of each other.”

(On what kind of adjustments they have to make with two shutdown corners in Packers Charles Woodson and Al Harris)
“It is pretty simple. They don’t do a ton of blitzes and try to confuse you too much. They understand they have really good personnel. We have to win those one-on-one with Isaac (Bruce) and Torry (Holt). I am sure we are not going to win every time, but if our line can hold up for that extra count. It is really tough in this league no matter how good you are to hold up for four or five seconds at the corner position so if I can get some time, I think we will get some shots in there. But it’s not a situation where you expect to win every time.”

(On the match-up of the Packers’ cornerbacks facing off against two potential Hall of Fame receivers in Bruce and Holt)
“Yeah we never have felt like we are ever going to get totally shut down. We respect other guys and we certainly respect them but at the same time our guys are going to win and it is just a matter of me getting rid of the ball or having enough time to let them win. When you have good corners and try to just throw three-step drops all the time it is not going to work because they are that good. We are going to have to take five and seven-step drops to get our guys open. It is just a matter of having time and you get time by having good play action, getting a running game going and taking your shots then. For us to think we are going to come out and not have a running game and just sit back there and have all day to throw would be naive.”

RB STEVEN JACKSON
(On if it is fun to play and have the chance to knock off a team like Green Bay with the Rams not being in the playoff race)
“It’s fun to play period. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. It’s another chance to go out and play the game that I love and go out and compete. Have a chance to play against some guys that I went to college with so it will be fun.”

(On if he will be looking to carry the ball more this week)
“Things happen for whatever reason. I am just going to go out and take advantage of the opportunities that I get to carry the ball or even catch the ball down the field. Whatever I can do, whatever service I can contribute to help get a win.”

(On playing in a game with Packers QB Brett Favre and what he has meant to the league)
“He’s a quarterback that is good at what he does. But you can’t get caught up in that. We are playing the Green Bay Packers. If you are in awe of who you are playing, then that is a loss already. We have to go out and take care of business.”

(On whom he expects to play quarterback for the Rams on Sunday)
“Today Marc (Bulger) did get some snaps in. It is a rotation just in case he can’t go again. We have to prepare ourselves like Marc is going to be in there. He looked good today so hopefully he can be cleared and play on Sunday.”

(On the Packers defensive front)
“My opinion is that they may be the best front seven we have faced all season. They have a young linebacker corps that is full energy, plays until the whistle. They have defensive ends that are going to collapse the pocket and get pressure on the quarterback that they are playing. So we have a huge task in giving Marc or whoever is at quarterback some time to get the ball down the field. The running game is going to be hard. They have huge bodies so they are going to take up a lot of space. We have to be able to move them down the field and create some running lanes.”

(On DT Ryan Pickett)
“This is one of those games that he has probably circled year in and year out. He had a good game against us last year and we have to make sure that we don’t let him do that a second year in a row.

[Joemailman]

Do they still have the same artificial turf in St Louis, or have they gone to some sort of prescription turf? If it's the old stuff, I'll be interested to see how fast Grant and Jennings are on that stuff. Pack might actually have the edge in speed this time.

[Carolina_Packer]

Using transitive logic to predict outcomes is not fair, but consider that the Rams just lost at Cinci last week 19-10. Granted, the game conditions sucked, and they had Brock Berlin in at QB, but Steven Jackson had a good shot to dominate against a poor defense and was held to 91 yards, a good bit of which came on a long run. The Rams only scored one TD, which was a pick 6.

Cinci just lost last night to the Niners in an embarrassing road loss to an inferior opponent. The Rams lost earlier in the year to San Fran, so I think the Packers should be able to game plan effectively against the Rams. The best thing they have going for them is being at home and having Bulger back, but if the O-line doesn't give him time, his affect may not matter. Stopping Jackson would seem to be key, as well as getting pressure on Bulger. It's not a gimme game, but the Packers should feel confident in what they can do, as long as they can just execute like they have this year.

[b bulldog]

I think this game is going to be our version of the Cowboys/Lions game of last week.

[BallHawk]

I think this game is going to be our version of the Cowboys/Lions game of last week.

I do think this game will be closer than most think, but I see us winning by 10 or more. Bulger is still banged up, along with the rest of that team. The only way it becomes Cowboys/Lions is if we make mistakes or suffer a lot of injuries, which is possible considering we're playing on turf.

[BallHawk]

If anybody is watching Sunday NFL Countdown can they tell me what in God's name is Keyshawn wearing?