NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Steelers franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger had some rough spots in the Steelers 28-10 win over the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon, but overall picked up the offense to throw for three TD’s to help the team get to 4-1 on the season.

The day started for the formerly suspended QB with a standing ovation from the home crowd, something that the QB took to heart before the game even started.

“I got a little bit of tears in my eyes, to hear a cheer like that was truly something special,” Roethlisberger said.

The first possession for the QB also had issues, as after he worked his way to get inside the Browns 20, he threw a bad interception that rookie Joe Haden took back 62 yards. Roethlisberger was looking for backup RB Mewelde Moore.

“I just got a little antsy Mewelde Moore was open I wanted to get him the ball right away when I needed to just settle down and get it to him,” Roethlisberger. “That being said we won the game and did pretty well on offense.”

He settled down, and started to look like his old self, avoiding tackles and at one point holding the ball to the last split second to hit Mike Wallace for a 29-yard TD to put the team up for good at 7-3. He also hit TD passes to Hines Ward from 8 yards out and TE Heath Miller from 14 yards out late.

The second half Roethlisberger played much better, and the team seemed to be a lot more in step, as they scored 21 points and had the game well in control as the defense made life tough for a Cleveland team that had to start their third-string QB in Colt McCoy.

Roethlisberger admits that he was able to be more at ease in the second half. “A little bit, you get jitters before any game, I do at least maybe this game a little more,” Roethlisberger said. “At halftime you get the chance to settle down. You have to come out a compose yourself in the second half.”

The day ended for the QB going 16-for-27 for 257 yards, with 3 TD’s and the pick. It will be interesting to see if he can follow up the outing in his first road game, next Sunday in Miami.

Jclombardi highlights Packers headlines.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com

Help is on the way for Packers defense: The Packers get former starters in cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby (ankle) off the physically unable to perform list this week, but the Packers acquired some additional assistance. The Packers traded a seventh-round conditional pick in 2011 to the Jacksonville Jaguars for safety Anthony Smith.

S Smith acquired, RB Barber next?: An NFL source said Sunday evening that the Packers had sent a conditional seventh-round pick to the Jaguars for Smith, whom the team released in favor of former third-round draft pick Aaron Rouse at the end of training camp in 2009. Now, it appears the Packers have brought Smith back because Bigby, who is on the physically unable to perform list but is eligible to begin practicing starting Monday, may not be ready for action just yet. Bigby had ankle surgery on Aug 6 but Smith's acquisition hints that he might take longer than expected to return. Cornerback Harris and running back Starks are also eligible to be activated from the PUP. The Packers also need safety help after placing Martin (knee) on injured reserve last week. Meanwhile, with the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, the Packers still could acquire running back help if GM Thompson decided to make a move. An NFL source said the Packers have had talks with the Dallas Cowboys about "one of" their running backs. ESPN's Mortensen reported Sunday morning that it's Barber that the Packers and Cowboys have discussed.

Special teams–more problems as key penalty and poor punts derail effort: What kind of Sunday was it on special teams for the Green Bay Packers? Maddening, at least when it came to the illegal formation penalty against linebacker Rob Francois that cost the Packers dearly in a 23-20 overtime defeat at the hands of the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field. Disappointing, at least when it came to struggling punter Masthay. The penalty on Francois and Masthay’s poorest punt came within a five-play stretch in the fourth quarter. Masthay punted five times, averaging 38 yards (gross) and 33.4 (net). Two of his punts were inside the 20. On 24 punts, Masthay’s averages of 43.1 and 33.4 actually are worse than Jeremy Kapinos compiled last year (43.8, 34.1) last year in 66 punts. Masthay’s inside-the-20 and touchback efficiency are no better than Kapinos’ performance, either.

Another overtime heartbreaker: A few plays here and there can make an ordinary team a great one or vice-versa, as the Packers are painfully discovering during a season that began with high hopes but is on the verge of spiraling out of control. In a matter of 21 days, coach Mike McCarthy’s team has gone from Super Bowl contender to mediocre because of its inability to win close games.  The latest gut-wrenching setback came Sunday afternoon in front of 70,815 fans at Lambeau Field, where Dan Carpenter’s 44-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Miami Dolphins to a 23-20 victory that leaves the Packers with a .500 record after what, at first glance, appeared to be a benign opening stretch of six games. It was the third three-point defeat in four games for the Packers (3-3), who lost in overtime for the second straight game. Even with the three losses by a combined nine points, the Packers are still very much alive in the mediocre NFC North. But with a season-defining stretch of the schedule staring it in the face–Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings visit Titletown next Sunday night–Green Bay somehow needs to figure out how to win close games. ”We’re a 3-3 football team for many different reasons,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got three losses, they’ve all been tight games. They’ve all come down to a critical point in the football game. And we’re not getting it done at that particular point.” That’s a familiar trend for the Packers under McCarthy, who fell to 1-5 in overtime games.

Packers grades: OFFENSE D–Going 3-for-13 on third-down conversions just doesn’t cut it. Rookie Bryan Bulaga had a long day blocking premier pass-rusher Cameron Wake. Aaron Rodgers’ surprise quarterback sneak to send it to overtime was brilliant. DEFENSE C–Miami had 26 first downs and 381 yards but was held to 23 points by an injury-ravaged defense that simply won’t quit. Chad Henne isn’t accurate when pressured, but the pass rush was non-existent without Clay Matthews. SPECIAL TEAMS D–Punter Tim Masthay hits more line drives than Ryan Braun. A bogus penalty on Robert Francois and a needless penalty on Korey Hall hurt Green Bay late in the game. Quinn Johnson’s partial blocked punt was the only positive. OVERALL D–For the second straight week, Green Bay lost an overtime game it should have won. The defense deserved better, but the consistently dysfunctional special teams and the recently dysfunctional offense did the Packers in.

The Pack have made a move for their banged up safety spot, as the team made a move with the Jags for safety Anthony Smith. Reports say that it will be a conditional seventh-round draft pick.

Smith was with the Packers last season as he was a inked as a free agent, but was released in the final cutdowns during training camp.

For the Jags, Smith didn’t against the Chargers in Week 2 and the Eagles in Week 3 because of a foot injury. He was back in Week 4 against the Colts and intercepted a pass. He played in 64 snaps against the Colts and 56 against Buffalo last week.

The Florida Times-Union states that the Jags will play Courtney Greene and Don Carey at strong safety against the Titans on Monday night. Gerald Alexander will remain the starter at free safety.

Two Browns playmakers were knocked out of today’s 18-point loss to the Steelers, WR Josh Cribbs and WR Mohamed Massaquoi. Both hits came from Steelers LB James Harrison, and already there’s chatter about a fine coming his way for the two hits.

“I don’t know his inside thoughts, but I thought the one deserved a penalty,” Peyton Hillis said of the hits.

Neither hit drew a penalty, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin felt that Harrison’s actions were just fine. “Legal hits. Not fineable hits. He played good football,” Tomlin said.

So the question is – what do you think of the hits? Should Harrison be fined, or even looked at for a possible suspension?

Jclombardi highlights Packers headlines about loss to Dolphins.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com

Packers Fall to 3-3, Lose Again in Overtime: QB Rodgers drove the Packers to the tie but miscues put the Dolphins in position to earn the win. The Packers couldn’t protect the quarterback and couldn’t win the field position battle.  Finally, unable to move the ball in overtime again, the defense buckled before the winning 44-yard field goal.

Band Aid Can’t Stop Bleeding: The Packers couldn’t consistently stop the run and offered no pass rush without OLB Clay Matthews. As a result, the Dolphins finished with 381 yards, an almost 10-minute edge in time of possession and made the key plays in overtime.  Not only were the Dolphins able to keep the chains moving on the ground, quarterback Henne took advantage of the Packers' feeble pass rush. With Matthews sidelined by a hamstring injury, Henne didn't feel much pressure from a defense. Benefitting from a depleted defense and the offense’s decision to use max protection on most plays, he took advantage bycompleting 23 of 39 passes for 231 yards.

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Gameday–Dolphins 23 Packers 20 OT: The Dolphins (3-2) wear down a Packers defense that has been depleted by injuries. Kicker Dan Carpenter then delivered the knockout punch in overtime, hitting a 44-yard field goal for a 23-20 Dolphins victory. It was the second straight overtime loss for the reeling Packers (3-3), who came into this season with Super Bowl aspirations but have been hit hard by injuries. Now their sputtering offense and dinged-up defense face an emotional matchup with Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings at home next Sunday night. ”We’ve got three losses, they’ve all been tight games,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “They’ve all come down to a critical point in the football game. We’re not getting it done at that particular point.”

Packers Lost to Dolphins 23-20 in OT: Where is the offensive juggernaut of the 2010 Packers?  Nowhere through the first six weeks of the season, at least not when it matters most, such as getting into the end zone when there's a chance to open a decent lead or driving for the game-winning score in overtime.  The Packers' attrition-diminished defense held up well enough to win, but where the offense directed by coach Mike McCarthy failed to come through in a 23-20 loss to the gritty Miami Dolphins. "It's hard to lose, period," McCarthy said. "It's hard to lose home games. To lose overtime games–particularly disappointed in the offense, in our production there with the (overtime) series." Instead of building a nice cushion for the meat of their schedule, the Packers are sitting in the middle of the pack at 3-3, one game behind 4-2 Chicago in the NFC North Division with a critical game against rival Minnesota coming up this week.  The Packers are hardly at the breaking point at this early stage. They have personnel relief on the way, assuming their best defensive player, outside linebacker Matthews, can return soon. Safety Bigby and cornerback Harris also are eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list this week and possibly will be ready to play in the next game or two.  But the Packers also must be concerned that their offense hasn't had much rhythm since losing halfback Grant, and that their playmaking has been reduced further without tight end Finley. Nowhere through the first six weeks of the season, at least not when it matters most, such as getting into the end zone when there's a chance to open a decent lead or driving for the game-winning score in overtime.

Packers Offense Continues to Sputter: The offensive side of the ball could do enough to keep drives alive in Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins. Third down has been a huge problem.  After converting just 2-of-13 third downs in last week's 16-13 overtime loss at Washington,the Packers were barely better (3 for 13) against the Dolphins. "You've got to sustain drives," Rodgers said. "You've got to get in the red zone, give yourself opportunities to score more points. It's just about finding a rhythm for us. When you're not converting those third downs, there's no rhythm." Two failed drives against the Dolphins sum up the Packers' struggles. Leading 10-7 in the second quarter, the Packers drove to Miami's 40-yard line. Rodgers threw a swing pass to running back Brandon Jackson, who picked up 8 yards on first down. But things went haywire on second-and-2 from Miami's 32. Rodgers got sacked by linebacker Cameron Wake (three sacks) and lost 12 yards. Then, right guard Josh Sitton cost the Packers 5 yards because of a false start. On third-and-19, Rodgers scrambled for 6, and the Packers punted. Then, in the third quarter, the Packers had a third-and-3 play from the Dolphins' 8. Rodgers rolled to his right and had Nelson open. But Rodgers threw the ball a tad too far and Nelson couldn't make what would have been a moderately difficult diving catch. The Packers settled for a field goal that tied the game at 13-13. When asked whether his quarterback has been as sharp as he has been accustomed to, Philbin said: "I don't know if our unit is as sharp as we're accustomed to seeing or as we would have hoped they would be. I don't know if it's one guy. Overall offensively, we're certainly not as sharp or as productive as we'd like to be at this stage." The lack of a running game, 76 yards on 21 carries (a 3.6-yard average), and the loss of Finley surely are factors. Finley's loss is especially noticeable on third down. Finley went down on the second play from scrimmage against the Redskins and in his absence, the Packers are 5-of-26 on third downs. That's a conversion rate of 19.2 percent. In the first four games with Finley, they were 21-of-43 (48.8 percent) on third downs.

“The more things change, the more they remain the same.”

When LaDanian Tomlinson was playing for the San Diego Chargers, he would more often than not expose the Denver Broncos’ offensive line, rushing for 100 yards several times against the team from Colorado.

Tomlinson is now a New York Jet, yet during Sunday afternoon’s game between both teams, the Charger version of Tomlinson came out of its shell as he rushed for a pair of touchdowns, allowing New York to rally late and edge Denver 24-20.

Matt Prater’s 59-yard field goal as time expired in the first half allowed the Broncos to take a 10-7 lead; it was set up by Syd’Quan Thompson’s first career interception.

After Nick Folk’s 56-yard FG tied things up at 10 with 6:41 remaining in the third quarter, Kyle Orton would help Denver regain the lead at 17-10 on a TD toss to Demaryius Thomas with 1:23 left in the period.

Tomlinson would score his first TD of the day on a 20-yard scamper in the fourth period, tying the game at 17, but Prater connected on a 48-yard FG, putting Denver ahead 20-17.

Tomlinson would score his second – and game-winning – TD with a 2-yard burst with 1:13 left in the contest, allowing New York to hold on for the win.

Both quarterbacks were mediocre, at best, with Mark Sanchez going 17-of-30 for 198 yards with a TD and an interception while Orton went 14-of-34 for 209 yards with a TD.

Tomlinson led the Jets rushing attack with 55 yards on 16 carries and two TDs while Shonn Greene rushed 9 times for 43 yards. Knowshon Moreno returned after an injury to lead the Broncos rushers with 12 carries for 48 yards.

Dustin Keller led all Jets receivers with 3 receptions for 75 yards while Santonio Holmes caught 4 for 47 yards; Braylon Edwards chipped in with 4 catches for 46 yards and a score. Jabar Gaffney led the Broncos receivers with 6 catches for 81 yards while Brandon Lloyd caught 4 for 74 yards.

New York (5-1) will go into next week on a bye while Denver (2-4) remains at home to host the Oakland Raiders next Sunday.

The same result: Another close game, another close loss

The game was built as the "misery bowl" and it lived up to the name.  Both teams were not very good, especially for two teams who both needed to win.  The Cowboys and Vikings entered the game with identical 1-3 records and both teams have been having their problems with penalties and turnovers through the early part of the season.  The loser of this game had to know that the playoffs would be a pipe dream this season.

The Cowboys got off to a good start on their second possession after they recovered an Brett Favre fumble when he missed Peterson on the hand off.  Romo took the offense down and hit WR Roy Williams, who is quietly having a great season, on a 15-yard pass that was tipped at the line by Vikings DT Kevin Williams.  Williams made a great adjustment and made the catch and scampered into the end zone.  The Cowboys frustrated fans immediately after the score when Austin leap frogged Williams in the end zone drawing another 15-yard penalty and the stare from coach Wade Phillips.

The following kickoff from the Cowboys 15-yardline went out of bounds giving the Vikings great field position.  The Cowboys defense held, highlighted by DeMarcus Ware's sixth sack in two games.  The Vikings then pressured Romo into a bad pass that went off a helmet at the line of scrimmage and into the waiting hands of Vikings LB E.J. Henderson who returned it to the 15-yard line.  A couple of plays after that Favre hit WR Greg Camarillo for a 10-yard TD pass to tie the score at 7.

Dallas took the lead after they drove the ball all the way down the field with a good mixture of run and pass plays led by Tony Romo's scrambling.  The drive took 13 plays and 7:05 off the clock and Romo hit Williams on an identical slant route for a 2-yard touchdown pass.  The Cowboys went into halftime with the lead at 14-7.

The Vikings took all of 12 seconds to respond on the first play of the second half when Percy Harvin added to the Cowboys special teams wows, returning the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and knotting the score at 14.  Both teams exchanged penalty filled possessions.  After the Vikings pinned the Cowboys deep for their second possession Dallas went 3-and-out giving the Vikings great field position which Favre and company went down the short field highlighted by Peterson's 1-yard touchdown run.

The Cowboys wasted little time answering back when the took the next possession and drove the ball down the field, converting a fourth-and-one with Marion Barber, setting up a Dez Bryant touchdown from 31-yards out.  The teams were even again.  Dallas looked to get a jump on the Vikings when their defense held, but on a third-and-one Romo threw his second interception to E.J. Henderson which set up the Vikings with the ball at Dallas' 30-yardline.  The play call was questionable because the Cowboys had gone 5 for 5 when they handed Barber the ball on third and short situations.  The short drive stalled and the Vikings settled for a 38-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell with only 4:05 left on the clock.

The Cowboys got the ball and went 3-and-out and punted the ball back to the Vikings with 2:42 remaining.  The Cowboys never touched the ball again due to a Mike Jenkins pass interference on a Vikings 3rd and six.  The Vikings held on to win 24-21.

It's the same old story for the Cowboys.  A lack of discipline and turnovers killed them again.  If their season is not over, it is on life support.

Gore outran the Oakland defense on his way to 149 rushing yards

Give Gore the rock 25 times on the ground -it’s a recipe for success

It took five games.  That is, five games to have a “plus” turnover differential.  The end result because of it: a win.  The 49ers have shot themselves in the foot more than any other team in the NFL.  So with them, it’s not a matter of overall talent, or lack of skill positioned players; it’s about not beating themselves.  Plain and simple, as they showed why Sunday, defeating Oakland 17-9, winning the much often emphasized turnover battle.  One of the few things in the sports talk realm concerning the NFL that’s often over analyzed, but isn’t over hyped -the turnover battle.  The 49ers proved that to be even truer against the reckless Raiders by canceling the giveaways.

Despite the win, the 49ers are still a work in progress, as demonstrated with their 11 penalties.  I won’t sing their praises much, but I will say this: they executed better than the Raiders.  Through five games, how the Raiders were playing today, that’s how the 49ers were playing.  Missed opportunities, costly turnovers, sounds like the 0-5 49ers.  But it was a different story in Candlestick; for the now, new & improved 1-5 49ers.  Two red zone appearances down near the goal, Oakland had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns.  Sound like the 49ers?  Well it was at the end of the 1st half, but that’s for another time.  In any event, the Raiders offense was knocking on the door, but the Niners defense slammed it shut.  The defense answered the call early on while the offense was struggling.  Not having to deal with turnovers certainly helps.

While down 6-3 late in the 3rd quarter, it appeared the team would be heading into the 4th quarter trailing; however, Alex Smith thought otherwise.  This time around, Smith was the one knocking on the Raiders door, as he converted three third down opportunities with his arm.  The defense of Oakland could not deny Singletary’s boy from entering like they did in the 1st half.  Som with the opportunity to make a big play staring him directly in the face, Alex cashed in; connecting with Michael Crabtree for a sensational 32-yard touchdown strike to end the 3rd quarter.  This time the 49ers were the one’s executing.  They were the team that took advantage of the opportunity.  A sharp contrast from the first five games of the season.

Playing smart, featuring your best player 25 times on the ground, and putting three long drives together of at least 77 yards to get on the scoreboard; you can only wonder and begin to ask: “Who were these guys”?  Were they a different team, they couldn’t be the 49ers?  Were they just a fluke team, that just so happened to catch the Raiders at home for their first win.  Or could it possibly be, the team we thought the 49ers were in the beginning of the season?  The team that everyone, including myself, expected not only to the wrap up the NFC West and have it in the bag before Thanksgiving, but the team that had the potential, pieces, and parts to do some damage in the Playoffs.

The only damage they have done thus far up until Sunday, was to themselves.  And finally, five games into the season, the 49ers for the first time, did more damage to the opposing team than they did themselves.  Even when a 16-yard Anthony Dixon touchdown run was called back due to holding by tackle Joe Staley, Alex Smith responded on the ensuing play with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis.  If the 49ers could show a bit of resiliency and poise like they did today, maybe Jed York may be right.  Who knows, he could turn out to be the genius, rather than the fool everyone has proclaimed him to be following his bold claim of his team winning the NFC West division.

One step in the right direction for this 49ers club, yet, still a long way to go to in backing up their owner.  However, on the other hand, there’s still a long way to go, which means; plenty of football remains for the NFC preseason favorite to prove the prognosticators correct.  The first win’s always the toughest one.  One down, about seven or eight to go.  Next week: the winless Panthers in Carolina.  I was really hoping for a clash of winless teams. Thank you for playing how you knew you should, and like we knew you could 49ers.

Saints FB Heath Evans caught a touchdown from Brees, paved the way for a 158-yard performance by Ivory

In a game many were declaring a must-win for New Orleans, the black and gold answered the call wholeheartedly, silencing their critics and giving their fans something to cheer about. From start to finish, the Saints played a very physical, grinding style of football and got back to the type of game that made them so successful last year–all against a legitimate division rival. I'm so excited to see them looking like they're supposed to, I don't know where to start. I was so impressed by their performance today.

So just how impressive were they? At half time, Drew Brees was 13 of 21 for 190 yards and had thrown 2 touchdowns (and 1 interception). Chris Ivory had 81 yards on eight carries and Lance Moore had two receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. They led Tampa Bay 17-0 at the half. But for the interception caused by a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage just before the end of the 2nd quarter, it could've possibly been more. But we'll take a three-score lead any time!

I can't say enough about the power running today. Kudos to the Saints offensive line for a job well done. Leading the fierce ground attack was Chris Ivory, who by the way was nothing short of spectacular! Rushing for 158 yards on 15 carries, his tough, tackle-busting run style was just the shot in the arm the Saints needed to get the momentum flowing. I've said it before, if this kid can cut down on the fumbles, I believe he will enjoy a very lucrative NFL career. His counterpart, Ladell Betts ran hard as well and even managed to get into the endzone for a 1-yard touchdown. I was also impressed by the debut of Julius Jones as a Saint. It's great to see that he still has that burst of speed and toughness for which he's known. I've got to say that if those guys continue to play at that same level and with that much intensity for the rest of the year, the Saints running game will without a doubt be one of the most feared in the league.

And then there's Drew Brees! Passing for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns, he finally looked like he had his stuff together. As usual, he spread the ball around, letting his receivers, tight ends, running backs and even the full-back get in on the action as he methodically led the team up and down the field. Welcome back, Drew!  We've missed you.

It was so good to see the team playing up to its potential.  The screen was back and I for one was glad to see it. Ivory and company ran hard, allowing the Saints to control the clock. As a result, Brees had more options in the passing game.  He didn't have to rush as much and therefore cut down on the poor decisions because he had plenty of manageable downs to work with. Does anybody recognize this strategy? Sure you do–it's so last year. And I love it! I've been screaming it since the season began– it's not wise to totally abandon what has been so successful for you in the past. I don't care what anyone says, it's tough to defend good offense, no matter how retro it may be. All the Saints have to do is come out and play their style of football on their terms and they will be tough to defend by anyone.

On the negative side of things, there are still too many penalties by our veteran players on offense.  They are literally killing drives.  Also, Hartley's woes continue.  He made one field goal (barely) and he missed one.  I don't know what's wrong with him or what can be done about it.  Unlike other positions, there aren't swarms of kickers out there just waiting for a shot.  So it's likely we're stuck with him.  All we can do is hope he gets it together.  Special teams need to buckle down and toughen up as well.

Let's hope that the momentum from this game will carry over into the following weeks.  I believe that the Saints have rediscovered (not found) themselves and that's important.  Sometimes a glance backward rivals  a look ahead.  At 4-2, the Saints are looking good enough to be called world champions.

Danario had quite a dazzling debut

The Rams were tested by a San Diego Chargers team that looked like a sleepwalking last place team in the first half and then came alive in the 2nd half.  The Rams did not help the cause by putting their offense into a shell in the 2nd half, praying for the defense to hold on.  The Chargers were on paper the best team the Rams played so far in 2010 and the Rams were able to come away with a huge victory at home.  The Rams have now won 3 games in a row at home in 6 games.  The Rams have won as many games in 6 opportunities as they won in the last two seasons.

A huge surprise in the first half was the play of Danario Alexander who was elevated from the practice squad.  The Rams featured him with a few early throws including a long TD pass in the first quarter.  Alexander was able to get behind the corner easily and dove to catch the TD pass from Sam Bradford.  Alexander was surprisingly active in the game coming off knee surgery after another injury during the Senior Bowl week.  Alexander was getting ready for the draft process and because of the injury, he was not drafted and the Rams were able to add him to their practice squad.

The Rams lead 17-0 at one point before going into halftime up 17-3.  The Chargers stopped the Rams offense in the first drive of the 2nd half and then Phillip Rivers drove his team down for seven points on a Mike Tolbert goal line dive.  At that point, it was a huge drive for the Rams to rest their defense and put some more points on the board.  They went 3 times in a row to Steven Jackson and got a first down, but got stopped at midfield.

The Rams went into the 4th quarter leading by 7 with the football.  The offense had done nothing to that point in the second half.  They continued to pile up the punts and continued to put the pressure on their defense.  Against the San Diego Chargers dynamic offense, even without All-World TE Antonio Gates, this is not a good strategy.

But, the Rams defense answered the call with 2 sacks in the 2nd half to add to the 5 in the first half.  James Hall had the crucial sack on a bull rush against former holdout Marcus McNeil to stall the Chargers drive inside Rams territory.  Then Hall was able to block Nate Kaeding's field goal as the San Diego kicker slipped on the play.  It cannot be understated how big the Rams defensive line played when everything was asked of them.  Before the Hall sack, Chris Long drew a hold on former Ram Randy McMichael.  Then on 3rd down, the Rams pressure forced a scramble and throw away by Phillip Rivers.

The Rams offense got the ball with great field position and then moved the ball down into field goal range at the 20 yard line.  A scramble from Sam Bradford was brought back to the 30 yard line and Josh Brown was brought in with the change to make the game a 2 score game.  He blasted his 47-yard field goal straight through the uprights and it would have been good from 60 plus yards.

Just when the Rams went up 2 scores, the Rams defense let down and allowed the San Diego offense to go 76 yards in 40 seconds for the touchdown.  The Rams showed very little resistance on the drive and then put the pressure on the Rams offense to get a few first downs to win the game.

The Rams offense got the ball back on a traditional kickoff and ran the football into the line two times in a row with Steven Jackson setting up a long 3rd down play.  They put it in the hands of Steven Jackson who ran for the biggest first down of the game to that point.  Jackson was provided good blocks for the first few yards, but fought through tackles to get the first down.  He was given the ball twice in a row on the next series and provided another first down that iced the game.  The Rams then lined up in the victory formation to run the clock down to end the game.

The Rams did not dominate the Chargers, they had a few points where they let down.  The offense went into too much of a shell in the 2nd half and the defense allowed the Chargers offense to score too quickly at the beginning of the second half.  But, we ripped the Rams for being able to find a way to lose the first two games of the season.  Against the Chargers, they did just enough as they found a way to win the game.  It was not perfect, but the Rams played well enough to win and thanks to Danario Alexander, Fred Robbins, James Hall and of course Steven Jackson, the Rams were able to beat the Chargers in the Edward Jones Dome.