Looking Ahead, Offensive Edition: Dallas Cowboys at St. Louis Rams

After a solid outing in Nashville, the Dallas Cowboys travel to St. Louis to take on a team with woeful injury luck.

The Rams lost quarterback Sam Bradford before the season even started to a torn left ACL. The Rams, however, had experience with such a tragic event–Bradford tore his left ACL the previous season, too. Furthermore, backup Shaun Hill injured his quad in the first game of the season, so the team had to start Austin Davis, originally the third-string quarterback, against the Buccaneers last Sunday.

Sep 14, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis (9) throws the ball as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Clinton McDonald (98) rushes and Rams guard Davin Joseph (69) blocks during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It isn’t clear yet which quarterback, Hill or Davis, will start. Jeff Fisher will start Shaun Hill if he is ready, but it isn’t clear yet if he is–the first injury reports for this coming week haven’t come as of writing.

Quarterback:

Austin Davis, former third-string quarterback, actually did pretty well. He completed 22 of 29 passes for 235 yards and no interceptions. That game alone isn’t much of an indication of whether he would play well against Dallas. The Buccaneers aren’t very good, and just as Jake Locker excelled against the Chiefs only to struggle against the Cowboys, it’s entirely possible that the same could be true for Davis. Unfortunately, he has played so little it’s uncertain whether he’s for real. Still, he has shown an attribute in the last few games that Locker obviously lacks–accuracy. His completion percentage on the season is a healthy 73.1.

Shaun Hill is the other possibility. A career journeyman, Hill has only started more than eight games once, in 2010 for the Detroit Lions, and this year’s season opener was his first start in three years. Not surprisingly, scouting reports of backup quarterbacks are hard to come by, but I did find this. Basically, Shaun Hill is pretty good up to 15 yards or so and starts having problems after that, partly due to his “struggle to push the ball deep [past 15 yards” and lack of “deep accuracy.” Matt Miller’s final verdict:

"A quality No. 2 quarterback, Hill has the skill set to be a plus player when thrown into a starting situation due to injury. With his accuracy and mobility, Hill could be viewed as a potential stopgap solution for a young quarterback if needed."

(Emphasis mine).

The Cowboys will face a young quarterback in only his second career start or a career backup. This position shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Sep 14, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Zac Stacy (30) gets tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers William Gholston (92) in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Running back:

Second-year player Zac Stacy leads the stable at running back. He wasn’t particularly consistent last year. He could be dominant (12 rushes/87 yards, week 9) or practically a non-factor (14/25, week 11). In fairness, he played much of the season with Kellen Clemens at quarterback, a career backup who was dreadful and put no real pressure on opposing defenses. This season, obviously, is more of the same. With the Cowboys’  improved play on the defensive side, he shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

Neither should his Benny Cunningham. He has only rushed 11 times for 36 yards on the season, and almost a third of his yards came on one play. His season thus far has been a disappointment after a promising preseason. He shouldn’t be an issue either.

Wide Receiver:

The Rams actually have a number of weapons at wide receiver. Kenny Britt, for example, was highly effective his first two years in the league. He caught a combined 1,476 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, and had the seventh-most yards of anyone from the 2009 or 2010 draft classes. He then suffered a horrific knee injury early in 2011. He tore both his ACL and MCL, continued to have trouble off the field, and then his career fell apart. He was cut by Tennessee last year after a lost season and signed with the Rams this past offseason. Now, he heads the depth chart, though last week was a bust.

On the opposite side of the field is Tavon Austin, a short, unbelievably fast second-year player from West Virginia. He could give the Cowboys massive difficulties, especially because no one in the secondary is fast enough to handle him one-on-one. Still, he has under-performed this season. He’s caught 3 passes in two games. He suffered  a knee injury last week, so he might not play at all. If he does, I could completely see him wreaking havoc. His speed could also draw a safety and open up coverage for everyone else.

The best wide receiver for the Rams has actually been Brian Quick, another young receiver. He has lead the team in receptions both weeks and figures to be Davis’/Hill’s first option. Hailed as “the next TO” by at least one columnist, Quick’s career hasn’t gone quite that well. But this season is definitely an improvement for him. His main drawback from college was his inexperience. Now that he has alleviated some of that, he should be another problem for the Cowboys’ defense.

Offensive Line:

The line actually quite talented. There isn’t a bad player among them. Jake Long and Joe Barksdale are both great tackles, and Davin Joseph and Rodger Saffold are at least effective, Saffold more so. Center Scott Wells is the worst, but even he isn’t that bad. The unit really struggles with injuries. Saffold is injury prone, and Long and Joseph both have had major knee injuries in the last two years. Still, for this game, the line should be another issue for the Cowboys’ defense.

Overview:

It’s such a shame for the Rams that Sam Bradford is lost for the season yet again. There is so much offensive talent yet it could all be squandered. If it isn’t, which is to say if Davis/Hill is competent, than Dallas’ defense could be in line for massive difficulties. Davis or Hill may not be great, but with the talent the Rams have, great performance is a luxury, not a necessity.