The Redskins host the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday night. Before San Francisco upset the Eagles, this game only determined home field advantage. I say "only" because now it can determine the NFC East championship. Last week, the Eagles were the best team in the NFC (if not the NFL). They were hoping to cream the Rams when the Rams went to Philly for the playoffs. Now, the Eagles have to beat the 5-10 Redskins or face becoming a wild card team going to Minnesota or Carolina. Yes, the tables have turned on Philly. Now the Rams control their own destiny when it comes to home field advantage and the Eagles have to rally or lose the precious bye week that goes to the best 2 divisional records in the conference.
The Rams on the other hand head to Detroit, Michigan to face the team I've best heard described as the "Motor City Kitties." But neither of these games is a gimme. The Lions could easily be a trap game like the Arizona game was on November 23rd when the Rams escaped the desert in an overtime come-from-behind victory.
Like the Arizona Cardinals (3-12), the Lions have a bad overall record (4-11) but a good home record (Lions 4-3 at home, Cardinals 3-4). Unlike the Cardinals, the Lions have beaten some bad teams at home. With wins over Arizona, Oakland, and Chicago, the Lions beat bad teams at home. But the Rams will take note of the Lions' other home victory: the Lions enjoyed a Thanksgiving Feast of Packer meat.
The Lions would love to be the spoiler. I expect the Lions to play desperate football. Many of these players are fighting for their Lion careers. Ending the season by beating the Saint Louis Rams and the team with the NFC's best record would provide some comfort to the boys in Honolulu blue.
The Rams were focused last week and expect to the focused this week. Detroit's passing offense is bottom five in the league, so Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, and company should have some fun. Expect a heavy dose of Superman Marshall Faulk. Those Detroit's rushing defense is average in the NFL, the Rams like to use their running game in a off-balanced balanced attack.
What do I mean by "off-balanced balanced?" My answer: Mike Martz. He is not predictable at all. He'll run on passing downs and pass on running downs. He'll throw a bomb from the 2-yard line. Know why? Because it's the best chance to get down the field. Martz is a Terminator on the offensive side of the ball. Detroit will not know what to expect or when to expect it. But he is consistent. He'll gut you on any given Sunday with a mix of run and pass. That's off-balanced balanced.
So what should you expect? Well, first, Isaac Bruce may pass 1,000 yards receiving if his ankle is feeling better Sunday. I know Bruce would like to join Holt in the 1,000 yard receiving club. Bruce is currently 15th in NFL in receiving yards with 981. A nice sum for a player who is consistently overlooked next to Torry Holt's greatness. If Bruce can't go, look for Dane Looker, Mike Furrey, and even Shaun McDonald to get some playoff prepping action. The Rams wide receivers have turned into an air force, a corps of weapons who can catch and run. They might even be classified "dangerous."
The running game may mix things up a little. Faulk will likely want to tack on another 100-yard effort adding to his impressive injury-affected 783 yards in 10 games. We might get to see more of a mix with Lamar Gordon and Arlen Harris who both played admirably in Faulk's absence earlier this year.
In the end, I expect the Rams' focus to allow the Rams to beat the Detroit Lions. But I don't expect a set of cocky Rams. I expect a group of players who know that victory is sweet but also fleeting. Winning a game requires concentration. Lack of concentration means you lose to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Believe me, the Rams remember that feeling. Expect them to show it Sunday.
Ram on, Don
Don, the Rams Nation columnist can be contacted at Don@RamsNation.org.