With Super Bowl XXXVI coming up this Sunday, the high-powered St. Louis Rams will face the feel-good story of the year, the New England Patriots, in the New Orleans Superdome. With the Las Vegas line currently at Rams by 14, not too many people are giving the Patriots a chance for victory.
However, one must remember that any team is beatable on any given Sunday.
Despite this, the Patriots are still a heavy underdog. This leads to a question that all NFL teams have asked themselves:
How do you stop the Rams?
Looking back at the season, there are only five teams that have had success against the Rams'the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints, the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots.
So what did they do that none of the other teams were able to? Here's a list of dos and don'ts for the Patriots that should help guide themselves and fans during the game.
This will help neutralize the Rams' athleticism at wide receiver. Plus it may frustrate quarterback Kurt Warner because he likes to launch the long ball.
Strategically blitz the Rams by mixing up where the blitz is coming from. Rush from the inside once, outside twice and then Warner's blind side. If the defense gives Warner a timing on its blitz, he will pick their defensive secondary apart
If Warner and company are not on the field, they cannot hurt you. However, you must make the most of your opportunities by scoring touchdowns, not settling for field goals.
You will get buried alive because they have more offensive weapons than anyone in the NFL right now.
The teams that had the most success were able to get to Warner by rushing only four guys. Keeping seven in the secondary limits the holes to which Warner can throw safely. Watch his turnovers climb if the Patriots are able to get consistent pressure with stud rookie Richard Seymour.
All you need to know about beating yourselves is to watch the tape of the Green Bay Packers game two weeks ago. The Packers defense played surprisingly well, but the offense turned the ball over eight times, including three directly taken back for scores against them. Otherwise, we might be talking about the Packers playing the Patriots.
Stopping him is about as impossible a task as trying to stop Michael Jordan in game one of the 1992 NBA Finals. Limit Faulk's effectiveness in the passing game by matching up an athletic linebacker on him (read Bears' middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, who was a former safety at New Mexico) and maintain lanes when stopping he runs with the ball. Under 100 yards total offense for Faulk and the Patriots have a chance.
Otherwise you will lose.
If the Patriots do these things, they will have a chance. But I want the Rams to win because I am an NFC guy. Rams 41, Patriots 28.
