JD's Keys; St. Louis Rams versus Arizona Cardinals 12.7.08

Key #1 - Stop the Bleeding. The 2008 Saint Louis Rams defense has been able to stop very few opponents from imposing their will, this week looks to be no different. Hardly anyone in the NFL has been able to impede the offensive vehicle of the Arizona Cardinals being driven by a rejuvenated Kurt Warner, who has thrust himself into the MVP conversation, at quarterback. Of course, Warner has not put together his stellar season alone, he has one of the best and deepest wide receiving corps in the league led by Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. The production of the Cardinals' offensive unit is also bolstered by the electrifying play of emerging rookie running back Tim Hightower. One can only hope that the Rams defense is able to keep this contest close, but Arizona will be playing inspired football as a victory will clinch the NFC West division title for the first time since the franchise moved from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988. Key #2 - Pound It. Even though running back Steven Jackson is nicked up, he needs to touch the ball between 25 and 30 times if the Rams want to have a chance to keep this game close. The offensive struggles of this team have been well documented and such a large part of those difficulties have sprung forth as a result of offensive imbalance. The Rams fall behind early and are forced to abandon the running game. However, because the Rams offensive line is more porous than I care to expound upon and the team must pass, Marc Bulger is sacked and rattled constantly. Hopefully Steven can stay healthy and be as productive as he was in the first half of last week's game which could keep Arizona's defense honest and give the Rams a fighting chance. Key #3 - Just a Couple More... The Rams appear to be overmatched in their contest against the Cardinals as well as their final fixture of the year as they travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons, but the two games sandwiched between look to be the team's best and only shot at matching and/ or improving upon last years 3-13 finish. This team has essentially been playing for pride since Linehan was fired after week four, but honestly, there is nothing left in this season. There are no moral victories to be gained, and even winning out on the field might not be enough to stop many heads from rolling this offseason. All that remains is pride. I think the Rams' offense will look much better than it has lately because Steven Jackson will be fully integrated into the scheme. Although, it is not very difficult to improve when your team has scored just one touchdown in the past four games; if not for the high level of play this team has received out of kicker Josh Brown, who knows how much worse the point production might be. That was my mandatory Josh Brown shout- out for the post; I have to show somebody on this team a little love. As I said earlier, the Cardinals will be too powerful offensively and the Rams just have too many holes that cannot be filled during the season. My Prediction: Cardinals 37 - Rams 17