3 things to watch in Rams vs. Chiefs

Kansas City and St. Louis are both coming off upset wins last week. Which can keep its momentum going in a pivotal interstate matchup?

by Matt Verderame

Oct 26, 2014, 12:30 PM UTC

Stephen Dunn

Both the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams were left for dead after Week 1. The Rams were already without starting quarterback Sam Bradford after a torn ACL in the preseason and were coming off a season-opening 34-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. About three hours to the West, the Chiefs lost 26-10 at home to the Tennessee Titans, all while Derrick Johnson, Jeff Allen and Mike DeVito were lost for the season.

Fast forward to Week 8, and both are alive. St. Louis was 1-4 but pulled off a major upset, beating the Seattle Seahawks 28-26. In Kansas City, the Chiefs have rallied to a 3-3 record behind convincing wins against the Dolphins, Patriots and Chargers. Still, the Chiefs are third in the AFC West but can close to within a half-game of San Diego with a win on Sunday.

Here are three things to watch in a game determining who earns the Governor’s Cup:

1. Chiefs run offense vs. Rams defensive front

Kansas City is going to run the football until St. Louis proves it can stop the ground attack. The Chiefs rank third in the NFL and first in the AFC at 140.3 rushing yards per game behind the tandem of Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis. Andy Reid loves to get Charles in space and will give him a majority of his carries to the outside. The Rams are very vulnerable beyond the tackle box, allowing a league-worst 8.15 yards per rush.

Davis is a power runner who is apt to plow between the tackles. The 2013 third-round pick has been excellent this season, churning out a pair of 100-yard games against the Dolphins and Patriots. St. Louis has allowed 100-yard games this season to some unexpected names, including Cordarrelle Patterson and Russell Wilson, along with DeMarco Murray and Bobby Rainey.

2. Special teams being special

The Rams were able to defeat the Seahawks in large part because of a dominant special teams effort. St. Louis ran one punt back for a touchdown thanks to some trickery and brought one kickoff back to the Seahawks’ 31-yard line. Then there was the fake punt in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory for the Rams, featuring a Johnny Hekker 18-yard completion to Benjamin Cunningham from the St. Louis 18-yard line.

Kansas City will need to continue its excellent play in return coverage. The Chiefs are tops in the NFL, allowing a meager 19 yards for the season on punt returns. However, Kansas City is vulnerable when kicking off, giving up 27.7 yards per return, fourth-worst in the league.

3. KC pass rush vs. Rams O-line

Few duos are more dynamic than Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, who have combined for 11 sacks. Houston is the better of the two, amassing seven sacks, while Hali has registered four. Houston has been consistent, notching sacks in every game except for the Chiefs' Week 2 loss to the Broncos. On the other side, Hali is the king of the strip-sack. Hali has forced two fumbles on sacks, knocking the ball away from Tom Brady and Philip Rivers in the opponent's red zone.

St. Louis has had issues in pass protection, surrendering 16 sacks. Jake Long has been inconsistent on the left side, and he will get the assignment of Hali on Sunday. Houston will draw Joe Barksdale, a first-year Ram after flaming out with the Raiders. The interior of the line will have to be strong against Dontari Poe, perhaps the most disruptive nose tackle in football. Despite constant double-teams, Poe has a pair of sacks and 16 tackles.