RAMS TRAVEL TO ARIZONA TO FACE DIVISION RIVAL CARDINALS

Rams Transcripts:
Wednesday: Haslett | Bartell | Bulger | Draft
Thursday: Haslett | Jackson
Friday: Haslett

Cardinals Transcripts:
Wednesday: Warner | Whisenhunt

The Rams return travel to Arizona this week to take on the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West showdown at University of Phoenix Stadium.

This week’s contest is the second meeting between the teams this season and the 61st meeting between the teams all-time. The Rams lead the all-time series, 31-27-2, dating to 1937.

The Rams and Cardinals previously played this season in Week 9 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. The Rams have won seven of the last 13 meetings between the teams since Arizona joined the re-aligned NFC West in 2002.

Since the Rams relocated to the Gateway City in 1995, the Cardinals lead the series 8-7. The teams have met once in the postseason, with the Rams taking a 35-23 home victory in the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Passing

M. Bulger
Rams
1,828 yards

Rushing

S. Jackson
Rams
619 yards

Receiving

T. Holt
Rams
526 yards

Passing

K. Warner
Cardinals
3,741 yards

Rushing

E. James
Cardinals
384 yards

Receiving

A. Boldin
Cardinals
942 yards

4th Quarter

- The Rams failed to convert as Bulger threw a pass intended for Dane Looker that fell incomplete, giving the ball back to Arizona at its 36 with 14:57 to go.

- The defense got a stop and a 33-yard punt return from Derek Stanley to give the Rams good field position.

- St. Louis pushed into Arizona territory on a 19-yard completion to tight end Daniel Fells. But that was all the offense mustered as the Rams opted to settle for a 51-yard field goal from Brown to make it 27-10 Arizona with 10:21 to go.

- The Rams got a stop and pieced together another solid drive that once again went to pieces in the red zone. On first and goal at Arizona’s 10, Bulger threw left for Holt. Arizona cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie stepped in front and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown and a 34-10 lead with 3:11 to go.

- That did it for the scoring and the game as the Rams fall to 2-11 with a seven game losing streak. Arizona clinches the NFC West Division title, its first since 1975 when the team was in St. Louis.

3rd Quarter

- The Rams opened the quarter with a solid drive but it came unraveled when Jackson was hit by Arizona linebacker Gerald Hayes, who jarred the ball loose and Karlos Dansby recovered at Arizona’s 22 to kill the drive.

- The defense did its job holding the Cardinals and forcing a punt as Leonard Little came up with the first sack of the day to thwart the drive. St. Louis took over at its 8.

- After a 7-yard gain from Jackson on first down, he coughed up another fumble as he was hit by Hayes in the hole. Darnell Dockett recovered it and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown. That score made it 27-3 Arizona with 4:20 to go in the third quarter.

- Little suffered a cramp in his right leg on the play and his return is probable.

- The Rams have a fourth-and-3 at Arizona’s 36 at the end of the quarter.

2nd Quarter

- The Rams finally broke through and scored a touchdown on third down as Bulger hit Steven Jackson for a 3-yard touchdown catch as Jackson caught it short of the goal line and broke through a tackle for the score. The extra point made it 14-7 Arizona with 14:14 to go in the half.

- The defense slowed Arizona on the next drive, forcing the Cardinals to work much harder for points. But a third-and-10 conversion on a pass from Warner to J.J. Arrington gave the Cardinals an opportunity to score.

- The Rams held Arizona to a 44-yard field goal from kicker Neil Rackers on a 13-play drive.  That kick made it 17-7 Arizona with 7 minutes to go in the half.

- The Rams put together a nice drive highlighted by Jackson’s 32-yard run but squandered the opportunity to make it a one-score game when kicker Josh Brown missed wide right from 42 yards out.

- Arizona took the ball and the momentum as Warner hit Steve Breaston for a gain 58 yards to the St. Louis 12.

- The Rams held Arizona to a 22-yard field goal attempt which Rackers converted for a 20-7 lead with a minute to go in the half.

- That's where we stand as the Rams decided not to make a play for a score before the half.

1st Quarter

- The Cardinals won the toss and wasted little time moving down the field with a balance of pass and run.

- A 23-yard strike from quarterback Kurt Warner to receiver Larry Fitzgerald was the highlight of the drive and they hooked up again later for 14 yards to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Tim Hightower.

- The extra point gave Arizona a 7-0 lead with a little less than nine minutes to go in the first quarter.

-  The Rams gave it back quickly with a three and out and Arizona took over at its 37.

- It was more of the same for Arizona on that second possession as it marched the 63 yards to the end zone on six plays as Fitzgerald caught a 36-yard pass from Warner and capped it with a 12-yard touchdown grab for a 14-0 Arizona lead with 4:13 to go in the quarter.

- After punting it back to the Cardinals with just one first down, the Rams got a big play from the defense as Warner was pressured while throwing for receiver Jerheme Urban. Ron Bartell stepped in front of the pass for the interception and returned it to Arizona’s 6.

- The Rams have it at the Cardinals’ 5 on second down at the end of the quarter trailing 14-0.

Pregame Notes

- Greetings from the University of Phoenix Stadium here in…Glendale. Today, the Rams and Cardinals are getting ready to square off as Arizona closes in on its first NFC West Division title. A win today or a San Francisco loss wraps that up for the Cardinals. The Rams are trying to deny the Cardinals the chance to celebrate on their home field with the Rams’ former quarterback leading the way.

- First things first, right tackle Alex Barron is being replaced in the starting lineup by Adam Goldberg. Barron missed a meeting Friday morning and Goldberg took his place in practice Friday. Barron took only reps with the backups and won’t start. He’s expected to be available but he might not play at all.

- On to the inactives for the Rams. Cornerback Tye Hill, quarterback Brock Berlin, running back Travis Minor, linebacker Larry Grant, center Cory Withrow, guard Roy Schuening, tackle Anthony Davis and defensive end Eric Moore.

- No names of note on the inactive list for Arizona other than cornerback Eric Green. Joining him are quarterback Brian St. Pierre, safety Matt Ware, linebacker Pago Togafu, tackle Brandon Keith, defensive tackle Alan Branch, tight end Jerame Tuman and tight end Ben Patrick.

2nd Quarter

KTVI, FOX 2 is once again “The Home of the Rams” in 2007.  On Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m., check out Rams Weekly where Fox 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne goes one on one with head coach Scott Linehan and a Rams’ player.

Prior to each game, Kilcoyne will be joined by the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell, FOX 2’s Rob Desir and FOX 2’s Maurice Drummond for Rams Gameday pregame show, bringing viewers in-depth analysis, player profiles and the latest inside scoop on every Rams game.

Steve Savard - Play-by-Play
2007 will be Steve's 10th year on the Rams' broadcast team and his 8th season as play-by-play man. A native of St. Louis, Steve Savard has called play-by-play for more St. Louis Rams' games than any other broadcaster. Steve is the Emmy Award winning Sports Director for News 4, KMOV-TV in St. Louis. Prior to his broadcast career, Steve was in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys for 2 seasons before a neck injury ended his career in 1987. He also attended Northwest Missouri State University where he was a two-time MIAA Conference First Team Linebacker. Steve is also the co-host of The Coach Scott Linehan Show on Rams Radio.

Jim Hanifan - Color Analyst
Arguably the finest offensive line coach in the history of professional football, Jim Hanifan joined Rams Radio after 31 seasons as an NFL Assistant and Head Coach. Jim served as Head Coach for The Big Red for 6 seasons starting in 1980 and has won two Super Bowls, with the Washington Redskins in 1991 and the St. Louis Rams in 1999. In 2003, he released a book co-written with Rob Rains titled Beyond Xs and Os: My 30 Years in the NFL. In addition to his color analyst duties, Jim will also have his own show on Rams Rush Hour at 7:00pm.
 
Malcolm Briggs - Sideline Reporter and Pregame Host
Malcolm has been the sideline for Rams Radio for 8 seasons now. Malcolm is an expert at investigating gameday situations, and is skilled in getting the player perspective. Malcolm attended Kansas State University where he called play-by-play for football, baseball and basketball. Malcolm also serves as the co-host of The Steven Jackson Show.
 
D'Marco Farr - Pregame Analyst
D'Marco Farr played defensive tackle for 7 seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams. Farr's football career started at the University of Washington, where he won a National Championship in 1991. His NFL highlights include playing one year with the Los Angeles Rams before the team moved to St. Louis, representing the NFC in the Pro Bowl in 2000 and culminated with a World Championship in 2000. Upon his retirement from football in 2001, Farr made a successful career switch into broadcasting. He was a regular on Fox Sports Net's hit show "The Best Damn Sports Show, Period." from 2001 to 2003.

Scott Warmann – Studio Anchor
A St Louis native, Scott is heading into his 4th season on the Rams Radio Broadcast.  His first year was the championship season in 1999.  He has spent the last couple of seasons as the studio host.  Scott has also served as the studio host for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament telecast the last couple of years on Fox Sports Net.  And he is heading into his seventh season as a member of the Gateway Football Conference broadcast team.

Doug Vaughn - Pregame & Postgame Analyst
Doug Vaughn returned to his hometown of St. Louis to join KMOV Channel 4 as a Sports Anchor and Reporter in 1988. Vaughn anchors the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. sportscasts on Fridays, and the 5:30 and 10:30 p.m. sportscasts on Sundays. He is also a Reporter for the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. sportscasts, Monday through Wednesday, and is the main Reporter on News 4's "Sports Sunday," a 60-minute show that highlights local and national sports news. A lover of all sports, Vaughn excelled in baseball and played for two years at St. Louis Community College at Meramec before transferring to the University of Missouri-Columbia during his junior year. Now his baseball is limited to coaching little league teams. Vaughn is a graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.

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Weekly Prize

• Week 1: Marc Bulger Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Week 2: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 3: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 4: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 5: Steven Jackson Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Week 6: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 7: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 8: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 9: Marc Bulger Autographed Photo (ARV: $25.00)
• Week 10: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 11: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 12: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 13: Marc Bulger Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Week 14: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 15: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 16: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 17: Orlando Pace Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Overall Grand Prize - One (1) Authentic Torry Holt Jersey and One (1) Authentic Isaac Bruce Jersey (ARV: $1,000.00)