RAMS FACE TITANS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2005
Sunday, December 13, 2009, LP Field, 3:05 p.m. (CST)

The Rams travel to Nashville, Tenn., this week to face the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. Sunday’s contest will mark the 11th contest between the teams and the first since 2005. The all-time series, which dates to 1973, began when the Rams were located in Los Angeles and the Titans were located in Houston and known as the Oilers.

The Rams lead the all-time series, 7-3, including a 23-16 victory in Super Bowl XXXIV in the 1999 season. The Super Bowl was the second meeting between the teams that season as the Titans won 24-21 in the regular season. That game marked the last time the Rams faced the Titans in Nashville.

The Titans enter the game with wins in five of the last six games. The Rams are coming off a 17-9 defeat to the Chicago Bears. RB Steven Jackson fought through back pain for the second consecutive week to tally 112 rushing yards, his career-high seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season.

Passing

K. Boller
Rams
876 yards

Rushing

S. Jackson
Rams
1232 yards

Receiving

D. Avery
Rams
496 yards

Passing

V. Young
Titans
1251 yards

Rushing

C. Johnson
Titans
1509 yards

Receiving

K. Britt
Titans
567 yards

This week’s game features two of the top running backs in the NFL
– the Rams’ Steven Jackson and the Titans’ Chris Johnson.
Johnson ranks first in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,831) and
rushing yards (1,502). Jackson ranks second in the NFL in yards
from scrimmage (1,403) and rushing yards (1,232).

4th Quarter

- The Rams broke through to open the fourth quarter with a conversion on fourth down as Null threw his first career touchdown pass, an 11-yard strike to tight end Randy McMichael.

- The extra point made it 33-7 Titans with 13:02.

- The Titans didn’t let off the gas, as Jeff Fisher did his best to keep putting the points on the board.

- After going for it on a fourth down for the previous touchdown, Fisher continued to call for long passes, setting up the Titans with another chance in close.

- The Titans went for it again on fourth down from the 1, as Collins hit Crumpler for a touchdown to make it 40-7 with 7:31 to go.

- Null was intercepted again, this time by Vincent Fuller, who returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to make it 47-7 with 5:44 to go.

- The Rams recovered a muffed punt at Tennessee’s 29 with about two minutes to go.

- Null threw his fifth interception in the end zone, intended for Gibson as Finnegan picked another. The Titans were able to run out the clock for a 47-7 victory.

3rd Quarter

- The Rams got a nice special teams tackle from Jordan Kent to open the second half, pinning Tennessee at its 7.

- The defense followed with a three and out and the Rams got the ball at their 47 to start.

- The Rams went three and out, though, after a sack stifled progress on second down.

- Tennessee got a 44-yard completion to Britt and then a 14-yarder to Crumpler to the Rams’ 24. But again the Rams did enough to hold the Titans to a field goal.

- Bironas connected from 50 yards out to make it 26-0 with 8:15 to go in the third quarter.

- Tennessee punched it in again after another Null interception to Bulluck. This time, Johnson did it from short distance with a 3-yard dive for the score and a 33-0 lead with about two minutes to go in the quarter.

- The Rams pulled out a little trickery with a fake punt as Dahl took the snap, handed it to Kenneth Darby and he picked up 51 yards to Tennessee’s 13.

- That’s where the Rams have it at the end of the third.

2nd Quarter

- The Rams opened the second quarter by picking up a first down on a pair of completions but another penalty pushed the Rams back and they were forced to punt again.

- Tennessee took over at its 20.

- The Rams had their best defensive series of the day, getting a three and out and forcing Tennessee to punt it back.

- Punter Brett Kern shanked his kick out of bounds at the Titans 40 and the Rams began their next possession with their best field position of the day.

- But the Rams went the wrong direction as more penalties piled up along with a couple of negative yardage plays and they punted again.

- On the first play of Tennessee’s ensuing drive, Young took off for a gain of 44 to the St. Louis 30.

- But Young came up gimpy on the run and Kerry Collins entered in his place. Young went to the locker room.

- The defense was able to bow its neck and hold Tennessee to Rob Bironas’ 27-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead with 6:57 to go in the half.

- The Rams took over at their 33 and picked up a first down on a 7-yard run by Jackson and 8-yard completion to Gibson.

- On the next play, Null threw over the middle for Jackson, who was tackled to the ground while the ball was in the air but no flag came and the ball came to rest in the arms of Tennessee linebacker Keith Bulluck for an interception.

- Tennessee took advantage, moving quickly again into St. Louis territory.

- Again, Tennessee had to settle for a field goal try and Bironas connected again, this time from 34 yards out.

- Tennessee leads 20-0 with 1:04 to go in the half.

- Null threw another pick, this time to Cortland Finnegan and the Titans converted it into another field goal, this time a 35-yarder from Bironas for a 23-0 halftime lead.

1st Quarter

- The Titans won the toss and elected to defer. The Rams took over at their 24 with rookie Keith Null making his first start at quarterback.
- Null completed his first pass for a gain of 7 to tight end Daniel Fells. The Rams picked up a first down on third down.

- That was as far as the Rams could move it and had to punt it away.

- Tennessee started at its 31 and Vince Young hit Kenny Britt for a gain of 31 on the first play from scrimmage.

- The Rams got a stop after that play, allowing nothing on the next three plays.

- Tennessee pinned the Rams at their 3 but Null led them out with a series of completions.

- A 15-yard penalty on Richie Incognito for head butting essentially ended that drive though and the Rams punted again.

- This time, the Titans moved quickly and Johnson broke loose for a 40-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 with 3:06 to go in the quarter.
- The Rams began to move it again as Jackson ripped off a gain of 12 but a hands to the face penalty on Jason Brown nullified a long pass to Danny Amendola and the Rams had to punt it back to the Titans.

- Tennessee took over at its 18.

- Johnson struck again, catching a short pass from Young at his 34 and taking it the distance for a 66-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with six seconds to go in the quarter.

Pregame Notes

- Greetings from LP Field in Tennessee where the Rams and Titans are preparing to do battle in the late afternoon contest.

- Today’s game pits the league’s top two rushers against each other in the Rams Steven Jackson and the Titans Chris Johnson.

- Johnson is taking aim at the league rushing mark for a season and also the yards from scrimmage in a year mark. The Rams have the difficult task of slowing him down.

- The Rams inactives for Sunday are QB Marc Bulger, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, CB Danny Gorrer, S Clinton Hart, G Roger Allen III, T Phil Trautwein and T Jason Smith.

- Adam Goldberg will again start for Smith at right tackle.

- The Titans have no changes to their lineup. Names of note on the inactive list include end Jevon Kearse and tight end Jared Cook.

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.

The 2009-2010 broadcast team for Rams Radio is as follows:

Rams Radio Pre-Game Show:
Host: Randy Karraker
Analyst: Coach Jim Hanifan
Reporter: Brian Stull
Gameday Insider: Jim Thomas
Studio Host: Tom Casey
Segment Contributors: Bernie Miklasz, Bryan Burwell, Pat Parris,
D’Marco Farr and Steve Savard
Executive Producer: Chris “Hoss” Neupert

Rams Radio In-Game Coverage:
Play by Play: Steve Savard
Color Analyst: D’Marco Farr
In-Game Reporter: Brian Stull
Studio Host: Tom Casey
Executive Producer: Chris “Hoss” Neupert

Rams Radio Post-Game Show:
Hosts: Steve Savard and Brent Stover
Analysts: D’Marco Farr and Coach Jim Hanifan
Locker Room Interviews: Brian Stull
Studio Host: Tom Casey
Executive Producer: Chris “Hoss” Neupert

All of the Rams game day shows and coverage, along with the weekly Rams programs will be executed under the watchful eye of Executive Producer Chris Neupert. Studio Producer duties will vary by program and schedule, rotating between 101 ESPN Producers Ben Boyd, Todd Wise and Chris Gardner. Steve Bear will be the In-Game Spotter, and engineering responsibilities will be handled by Dodie Rahlman, Craig Rutledge, Marshall Rice, Bob Hoffman and Ken Cunetto.

Along with the Rams game day coverage and pre-and post-game shows, 101 ESPN will broadcast “Rams Rush Hour Shows” weeknights from 7:00 until 8:00 pm. As part of “Rams Rush Hour Shows,” Coach Steve Spagnuolo and General Manager Billy Devaney are expected to do weekly shows.

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Weekly Prize

Seventeen (17) Weekly Team Prizes (1 weekly prize each week for 17 weeks)

• Week 1: Jason Smith Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00 USD)
• Week 2: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 3: Rams Player Autographed Football. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99 USD)
• Week 4: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 5: Steven Jackson Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00 USD)
• Week 6: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 7: Rams Player Autographed Football. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99 USD)
• Week 8: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 9: Jason Smith Autographed Photo (ARV: $25.00 USD)
• Week 10: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 11: Rams Player Autographed Football. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99 USD)
• Week 12: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 13: Chris Long Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00 USD)
• Week 14: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 15: Rams Player Autographed Football. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99 USD)
• Week 16: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00 USD)
• Week 17: Donnie Avery Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00 USD)

One (1) Overall Grand Team Prize
Rams 2010 Home Opener Dream Package: Package for two (2) for the Rams 2010 regular season home opener, includes (2) club seat tickets***, two (2) pre-game sidelines passes, one (1) complimentary parking pass, and one (1) Rams gift bag which includes autographed memorabilia (such memorabilia determined by Rams in their sole discretion). (ARV: $1,500.00 USD).