Rams- Bucs
Time: 4:05 PM EST
Line: TB -6
Total: 37.5
M/L: TB -260; SEA +215
One of these teams will score its first victory of the season as both the St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers both opened the season with Week 1 losses. The Rams have used three QBs already, and Shaun Hill will get the start this week.
DE Chris Long is out for at least six weeks, too. He has had 50.5 sacks in the last six-plus seasons, but will require surgery on his ankle. That will hurt the Rams immensely.
Rams QB Sam Bradford tore his ACL for the second time in nine months during a preseason game, and Hill was good in the first half last week, though the Rams were blown out by the Minnesota Vikings to the tune of 34-6.
Career backup Austin Davis was injured in the first half, after being sacked four times and throwing an interception. Last season, following Bradford’s injury Kellen Clemons started the final nine games.
Not all the blame can fall on the Rams’ QBs though. RB Zac Stacy managed only 43 yards on 11 carries and the Rams committed two turnovers.
The defense was equally horrible, allowing a 67-yard TD by WR Cordarrrelle Patterson that put the Rams down by 17 in the third quarter. Without Long, the Rams still have a good front with All-Pro Robert Quinn, but Logan Mankins is playing injured this week.
Smith said, “Logan has been injured before. He feels like he’ll be able to go.” Mankins may not start this contest, though.
The Bucs didn’t score in the first three quarters of the 20-14 loss to the Panthers. The Bucs ran only 15 plays in the first half, and 128 of the 264 yards came in the fourth in a desperate attempt to come back. Tampa’s struggles last week was most apparent in the backfield, where Doug Martin only averaged one yard per carry on his nine attempts.
Zac Stacy will continue to impose problems for Tampa Bay after rushing for 104 yard on 33 carries in last season’s matchup. The Rams won 23-13, but find itself 6-point underdogs to the Bucs.
