Randy Karraker's Thoughts On The Rams Week One Loss To Detroit

I know it’s simplistic to blame the quarterback when a team loses a game.  But I wish people would look a little deeper when their team doesn’t come out on top.  Let’s take a look at some of the things that happened on Sunday…

What did YOU expect?  I said at the end of the pregame show that I thought they’d lose 31-13.  I thought until the last 7:19 that the defense was pretty good, and played well enough to win.  Unfortunately, the game lasts sixty minutes, not 52:41.

The defense snuffed out Detroit’s opening thirteen play, 72 yard drive with Janoris Jenkins’ interception.  Then they allowed a fourteen play, 80 yard touchdown drive, just the first of three 80 yard drives the Rams defense allowed on the afternoon.  After Detroit’s second drive, they had held the ball for 15:45 to the Rams’ 5:49 time of possession.

The Rams needed to get a stop in one of the last two drives, but allowed two more 80 yard touchdown drives, one that took 2:26 and five plays, one that took 1:45 and nine plays. 

In those two drives, the Lions never faced a third down.  The first one had pass plays of 20, 18 and 24 yards to Brandon Pettigrew, and runs of 13 yards and five yards, for a touchdown, by Kevin Smith.

Then after Sam Bradford went 4-6 for 45 yards to set up the lead field goal, the defense allowed pass plays of 20 yards, 20 yards, 5 yards, 3 yards, 9 yards and 18 yards before the winning 5 yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Kevin Smith.  In the last half of the fourth quarter, the defense had a chance to make a play 14 times, and didn’t make one.

On offense; the Rams off-season plan was to have Rodger Saffold at left tackle, competition at left guard, then Scott Wells, Harvey Dahl and Jason Smith.  At the beginning of yesterday, they had Saffold, Robert Turner, Wells, Dahl and Barry Richardson.  At the end of the game, it was Wayne Hunter, Rokevious Watkins, Turner, Dahl and Richardson.

To read more, visit Randy Karraker's blog at 101sports.com