Cardinals and Peterson Burn Rams Again

For the second time in 21 days the St. Louis Rams found a way to lose to a bad Arizona Cardinals football team. The loss drops the Rams to 2-9 for the season. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo's hot seat should now resemble The Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Once again the coaching decisions during the game were flat out bewildering. In the first contest the Rams decided to go for 4th and 1 instead of attempting a 50 yard field goal with 1:41 to play. The Rams then had a 42 yard field goal blocked as time expired. Then in over time the Rams punted to lightning quick Patrick Peterson who returned it 99 yards for the game winning touchdown.

Flash forward to Sunday when Spagnuolo was once again at his best. The Rams who had 1st and goal from the three yard line turned the opportunity into 2nd and goal from the 17 and let 31 seconds run off the clock as coach Spagnuolo said their was some disarray! The Rams ended up kicking a field goal on 3rd down to take a 10-3 lead into half time.

Midway through the 3rd quarter Donnie Jones punts the ball straight down the middle of the field to Patrick Peterson who once again burned the Rams with an 80 yard touchdown return to put the Cardinals up 20-10. Spagnuolo in the press conference said the plan was to not kick it down the middle and that Donnie Jones miss hit it. Spags take some blame for something, before this game even started you should have already told the special teams coach and Donnie Jones that each and every punt better go out of bounds, you are to blame. There was no miss hit the ball was a beautiful 45 yard spiral down the middle of the field. Jones punted seven times during the game and only one was out of bounds.

With 13 minutes left to play and the Rams trailing 20-13 they had 4th and 5 at the Cardinals 32 yard line, Spagnuolo elected to go for a field goal and Josh Brown missed. I know Spagnuolo can't kick the ball himself and that we would eventually need two scores to win but it would have been nice to see the Rams try to tie it up in that situation.

After a Beanie Wells fumble and a Bradford to Lloyd touchdown the game was tied at 20. Somehow the Rams were back in the game. After a 53 yard run by Jim Brown, I mean Beanie Wells the Cardinals once again took the lead on a Jay Feely field goal. Now comes the most puzzling moment of all. With the Rams trailing 23-20 with 3:27 to play and with 3rd and 1 from their own 36 yard line the conservative Steve Spagnuolo decides to throw a pass to the sure handed 2nd round draft pick Lance Kendricks. The pass from Bradford was incomplete and the Rams faced 4th and 1. The 2-8 St. Louis Rams then elected to punt the ball to the Cardinals only to never see it again. Spagnuolo justified the decision by saying that he thought we would get the ball back. The Rams had already been gashed for 207 yards on the ground by Beanie Wells what would make you think you would be able to stop them when you have not stopped them all day? Game over as the Cardinals ran the remaining 3:14 off the clock and the Rams dropped to 2-9.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/