WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are known as the "greatest show on turf", but they had to take the show on the road to Cleveland in an attempt to lock up a playoff birth. St. Louis did just that, but the fantasy heroes of the game were on the defensive side of the ball

FS Aeneas Williams intercepted two passes from the hand of Cleveland QB Kelly Holcomb in the last 2 minutes of the first half. Williams returned the first pick 46 yards for a touchdown, expanding the Rams' lead to 16-7. On the next series, the Williams again stepped in front of a Cleveland receiver and set up the Rams' offense at the Cleveland 20-yard line. Two plays later, Rams' QB Marc Bulger completed his lone touchdown pass of the game to WR Isaac Bruce, and the lead was extended to 23-7 at the half.

The Rams were able to hold on in the second half, surviving a valiant effort led by Browns' backup QB Tim Couch. Cleveland closed the gap to 26-20 and had the ball with 2:11 remaining and a timeout. Four plays later, the St. Louis defense rose once again and forced a turnover on downs to seal the victory. The Rams finished with four forced turnovers and five sacks in addition to Williams' touchdown.

On offense, St. Louis played a very conservative, ball control style of offense. HC Mike Martz' play calling may have been influenced by the game conditions, a cold night in Cleveland on natural grass. QB Marc Bulger completed only two passes that covered over 20 yards, but most of the yardage came after the catch. RB Marshall Faulk gained 21 yards on a screen (completed 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage) and WR Dane Looker gained 31 yards on a 6-yard slant pattern. The conservative gameplan almost backfired on the Rams, as they floundered in the red zone, scoring just one touchdown on six possessions.

WR Dane Looker led the receiving corps with 50 yards, and also was targeted (unsuccessfully) twice in the end zone. Starting WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce had relatively quiet performances, as each gained 31 yards. Bruce was the lone Ram on offense to find the end zone.

RB Marshall Faulk produced another 100-plus yard performance, gaining 102 yards and adding 43 more receiving. Faulk accounted for much of the St. Louis offense in the second half, as the Rams tried to control the game and hold on to their lead.

Also of note was K Jeff Wilkins' performance. Wilkins converted 4 of 5 field goals to help defuse the Rams' ineffectiveness in the red zone, and also added a 7-yard scamper on a fake field goal that extended a Rams' drive. Wilkins has made 32 field goals, on pace to tie the single-season record of 39 field goals in a season (Olindo Mare, 1999). However, Wilkins' missed his last attempt, a 39-yarder that could have put the game out of reach as the Rams would have led 29-20 with just under 5 minutes to play.

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland's offense was once again a tale of two quarterbacks. QB Kelly Holcomb had a modest first half until his final three attempts. Holcomb's numbers were 9 of 14 for 77 yards and a touchdown before throwing two of three passes to the Rams' FS Aeneas Williams. Williams returned the first of the two interceptions for a touchdown, and his second set up St. Louis for yet another score just before halftime. These two miscues changed the complexity of the game, going from a tight 9-7 score to a 23-7 Ram lead.

Just before halftime, Cleveland took the field for one last possession, but Holcomb did not. Backup QB Tim Couch was given the reins to the offense for the balance of the game, and he nearly pulled off the comeback attempt. Couch went 6 for 9 for 98 yards and a touchdown, but could not lead the Browns to a final touchdown to pull out a victory.

RB William Green is still suspended by the NFL, so the starter role fell upon James Jackson. Jackson was 4-30 in the first quarter, but was then forced to leave the game with a right knee injury. Third-down specialist Jamel White was forced into active duty, and he rose to the occasion. White finished with 101 yards rushing and a touchdown on just 16 carries, and also added 39 more yards on 4 catches.

WR Quincy Morgan was the only Brown besides White that caught 4 passes. Morgan gained 64 yards and scored the lone receiving touchdown for Cleveland on a perfect 28-yard pass from Tim Couch in the back corner of the end zone. Couch dropped the ball over his outside shoulder as Morgan caught the ball in stride.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (22-36-223, 1 TD, 1 INT, 6-9 rushing) led a conservative Rams offensive attack. Bulger never looked to throw the ball deep, preferring to throw short outs, slants and screens. Bulger's numbers finished respectable, but the St. Louis offense looked to be more concerned with moving the chains than with lighting up the scoreboard. This almost cost them, as Bulger's lone touchdown pass was the only offensive scoring play.

Bulger did look to throw into the end zone on three occasions, targeting WR Dane Looker twice and WR Isaac Bruce once. All three attempts failed to hit their mark, and the Rams were forced to settle for field goals.

Bulger did wind up with two completions for over 20 yards, but don't be fooled into thinking that these were deep throws. RB Marshall Faulk caught a screen pass 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage, but ran 23 more yards for a gain of 21. On the same series, WR Dane Looker caught a 6-yard slant pass in stride and dashed for 25 more, gaining a total of 31 yards. Alas, this long drive also ended in 3 points.

RB: Marshall Faulk (24-102 rushing, 6-43 receiving, 9 targets) was the only running back to handle the ball on offense, but he is Marshall Faulk. Faulk accounted for six first downs rushing and two more receiving. He also helped close the game, gaining 21 yards on two carries to run out the clock.

Also of note for Marshall Faulk was the fact that Faulk's longest run, a 21-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, was called back due to a penalty.

RB Arlen Harris was used only on special teams, returning 3 kickoffs for 66 yards.

WR: Torry Holt (4-31 receiving, 8 targets) was the most targeted wideout for St. Louis, catching just four balls for 31 yards. All of Holt's catches were relatively short (9, 7, 4, 11 yards), and only the 11-yarder was good for a first down. Holt's misses were all uncatchable - a bad throw from Bulger due to a pass rush, the lone interception by Cleveland (Holt couldn't do anything to defend it), a ball batted down at the line of scrimmage, and a ball thrown well short.

Holt appeared to be limping in the second half, but played through the injury.

Isaac Bruce (3-31 receiving, 1 TD, 6 targets) was the only Ram to find the end zone on offense. Bruce was targeted on 6 occasions, twice in the end zone. Bruce scored on a 16-yard pass after FS Aeneas Williams' second interception just before halftime, but the other one was well out of bounds. The other two targets were both uncatchable, a ball thrown at his feet and another that he caught, but two yards out of bounds.

Dane Looker, (3-50 receiving, 6 targets) the third wide receiver for the Rams, was quite active in this contest. Looker had the longest play of the game (offensively) for either side, catching a 6-yard slant pass in stride as he ran for 25 more yards for the 31-yard gain. Looker appeared to sprain his ankle as he was tackled on that play, but he returned to the game and looked fine. Looker also made an excellent sideline catch for 7 yards, tap dancing his toes to stay in bounds.

Looker's 3 incomplete targets are also very noteworthy, especially since two of them were end zone looks. The first end zone incompletion was defended well, and the second was just over his head and unreachable. The other target was uncatchable, as the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

Mike Furrey (3-28 receiving, 4 targets, 23 yards on punt returns) looks to be the fourth WR option in St. Louis, but also sees the field on special teams as the punt returner. Two of Furrey's three catches were for first downs. The one target Furrey did not haul in was tipped at the line of scrimmage and never reached him.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna (1-13 receiving, 1 target) started as the lone tight end for the Rams, and caught the one ball thrown his way, a solid 13-yard catch in the second quarter for a first down.

Cam Cleeland (1-9 receiving, 1 target) made a brief appearance, catching one ball in the fourth quarter for 9 yards. Cleeland was only given one opportunity to make a catch.

TE / Tackle John St. Clair (1-18 receiving, 1 target) caught a pass on a "tackle eligible" play. St. Clair was only targeted once.

K: Jeff Wilkins (4/5 FG, 28, 26, 29, 37 yards made, 39-yarder missed, 2-2 XP) continues to be a field goal machine for the Rams, much to the chagrin of Mike Martz and the Rams offense. The conservative St. Louis game plan got the Rams into the red zone 6 times, but that only resulted in one touchdown. Wilkins attempted 5 field goals on the other possessions, and has made 32 field goals this year, on pace to tie Miami's Olindo Mare's single season record of 39 field goals.

Wilkin's one miss, a 39-yarder in the fourth quarter, would have extended the Rams' lead to 9 points, but it sailed wide left.

Wilkins also added to the offense on a fake field goal in the first quarter, catching a lateral from holder / WR Dane Looker and running 7 yards for a first down.

Pass Defense: The Rams pass defense was the main reason that St. Louis left Cleveland with the victory. FS Aeneas Williams intercepted two passes just before halftime, returning one for a 46-yard touchdown and another to Cleveland's 20-yard line, setting up another touchdown. The pass rush added 5 sacks and also collected two Brown's fumbles.

Rush Defense: The St. Louis rush defense had trouble containing both James Jackson and Jamel White, as they 141 yards on just 20 carries. However, they only permitted one rushing touchdown and did just enough to come away with the victory.

Cleveland Browns

QB: Kelly Holcomb (10-17-80, 1 TD, 2 INT, 1 fumble lost) was having a modestly successful game until his final three passes. Holcomb went 9-14-77 and hit TE Keith Heinrich with a 2-yard pass in the red zone that had Cleveland ahead, 7-3. With the Browns trailing just 9-7, Holcomb tried to lead the Browns towards a score just in the final two minutes before halftime. His first pass was read by Rams' FS Aeneas Williams, as he jumped the pass pattern and intercepted the pass, returning it for a score. Two attempts later, Holcomb threw his second interception to Williams, which set up another St. Louis touchdown.

After the second interception, Holcomb was confined to the sideline as backup QB Tim Couch led the offense.

Tim Couch (6-9-98, 1 TD, 1-8 rushing, 1 fumble lost) entered the game with just a few seconds to go before halftime, but was greeted with appreciation by the home crowd. Couch tried valiantly to lead a Cleveland comeback, as he connected with WR Quincy Morgan on a beautiful 28-yard touch pass in the back corner of the end zone in the third quarter. The Couch-led Browns closed the deficit to just 6 points, 26-20, but could not drive for the winning score in the waning moments of the contest.

RB: William Green remains suspended by the NFL and was not available for the game.

James Jackson (4-30 rushing, 0-0 receiving, 1 target) was helping the Browns move the ball in the first quarter, gaining 30 yards and two first downs, but then was sidelined with a knee injury. Jackson's lone pass target was a screen attempt, and he dropped a ball that hit him in the hands.

Jamel White (16-101 rushing, 1 TD, 4-39 receiving, 5 targets) stepped in and filled the running back role exceptionally well for the Browns. White, typically the third-down running back, White was forced into starting duties with the injury to Jackson. White accounted for 140 all-purpose yards on 20 touches, and scored one of two Cleveland touchdowns.

White actually had a perfect day receiving as well, as the one target that was not a catch was a 6-yard reception that was called back due to a penalty. He also had 28 more yards rushing, as two carries (7, 21 yards) were both called back due to a penalty.

Rookie Lee Suggs (0-0 rushing, returned kickoffs, 6 returns for 138 yards) had one carry for two yards, but it was called back due to a penalty. Suggs' primary role was as kickoff returner (as opposed to WR Andre Davis, who has also done that a significant amount this year).

WR: Quincy Morgan (4-64 receiving, 1 TD, 7 targets) scored the only receiving touchdown, a beautiful reception of 28-yards on a timing pass to the back corner of the end zone from Tim Couch. Morgan was the most targeted receiver, but only one of the three incompletions was catchable. He dropped a catchable ball in the first quarter, a 10-yard pass with room to run. The others were a pass that looked more like grounding than a pass attempt, and also one of the two interceptions thrown by Kelly Holcomb.

Dennis Northcutt (2-16 rushing, 3-33 receiving, 6 targets, 1-26 punt returns) had a quiet game, catching two passes in the first half (7 yards, 8 yards for a first down) and just one in the second half (18 yards for a first down) Northcutt did convert two of his three catches for first downs, and only made one error as two of the three targets were uncatchable. One ball bounced off his hands, and the second target was Holcomb's second interception. The final target was tipped at the line of scrimmage and did not come close to Northcutt.

Northcutt added an end-around run in each half, gaining 9 yards in the first quarter (the first play) and 7 more in the third quarter. He was also deep to return punts, but only was able to run one back for 26 yards.

Andre Davis (1-7 rushing, 1-17 receiving, 1 target) was not much of a factor. Davis caught one pass for 17 yards and a first down in the third quarter, and also added a 7-yard carry in the fourth. Davis did not return kickoffs.

Andre King (1-8 receiving, 2 targets) caught one pass for eight yards in the fourth quarter. One other ball came his way, but was defended by the Rams' defense.

Jabar Gaffney (3-28 receiving, 5 targets) had three catches, one for 8 yards in the first quarter, and two catches for 10 yards each in the final two quarters.

TE: Darnell Sanders (2-15 receiving, 2 targets) was the target of two passes, all coming in the first half. Sanders caught both, a 7-yard pass in the first quarter and a 8-yarder in the second quarter. Sanders was not a factor after halftime.

Keith Heinrich (1-2 receiving, 1 TD, 1 target) caught the only touchdown pass from Kelly Holcomb, a 2-yard goal line pass in the first quarter.

Chad Mustard (0-1 receiving, 1 target) was overthrown once in the second quarter and was not much of a factor.

TE / Tackle Ryan Tucker (0-1 receiving, 1 target) was the target of a throw on a "tackle eligible" play in the end zone, but did not come down with the ball. He was surrounded by Rams.

K: Phil Dawson (0/0 FG, 2/2 XP) converted on both his extra point attempts. Dawson had no field goal opportunities.

Pass Defense: The Cleveland pass defense kept the Rams from lighting up the scoreboard, as QB Marc Bulger never looked deep or for a long gaining pass. While Bulger went 22 for 36, he amassed just 223 yards and just one score. The pass defense also came up with one interception at midfield in the second quarter, but did not apply much pressure on Bulger. The defense recorded three sacks, but often Bulger had lots of time to scan the secondary.

Rush Defense: The rush defense contained Marshall Faulk, keeping him from gaining big yardage, but they still yielded 102 yards and could not stop him on the final drive. Faulk gained six first downs rushing and was able to hold onto the ball in the final minutes of the contest to seal the victory for the Rams. The rush defense also forced no fumbles.