The St. Louis Rams were all set to give quarterback Sam Bradford another shot at establishing himself as the future of the franchise, but injury has forced him out for the season. Now Shaun Hill, a 13-year veteran who last started for the Detroit Lions in 2010, is the man in charge of navigating the Rams through an incredibly tough NFC West. His first test will be the Minnesota Vikings, another team with a lot to prove.
How to watch Vikings vs. Rams 2014: Time, TV schedule, online streaming, radio and more
Shaun Hill vs. Matt Cassel isn’t exactly a marquee quarterback battle, but Adrian Peterson against St. Louis’ stellar defensive line is worth your time.
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota once again hit the reset button this offseason, firing head coach Leslie Frazier in favor of Mike Zimmer while bringing in Norv Turner as offensive coordinator. The first order of business was to establish a starting quarterback -- the Vikings drafted Teddy Bridgewater and had him compete with Matt Cassel. The latter won the battle, so Sunday's game will be Cassel vs. Hill, hardly a marquee matchup.
But Minnesota has Adrian Peterson, one of the best running backs in the NFL, and St. Louis has an impressive run defense and one of the top defensive lines the league has to offer. So there's plenty to watch in this one.
How to watch
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison
Radio: Rams Radio Network, Vikings Radio Network
Online streaming: NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Mobile
Nuts and bolts
Peterson had a solid season in 2013, putting up 1,266 yards on 279 carries with 10 touchdowns. That’s a per-carry average of 4.5 yards. It was actually a down year for him, given that he was coming off a 2,000-yard season. Still, despite the amount of attention that was paid to the quarterback battle this offseason, the 29-year old Peterson will be the focus of Minnesota’s offense on Sunday.
The Rams won't be Peterson's toughest challenge this season -- the Vikings play the Carolina Panthers in Week 13 -- but St. Louis had the No. 9 rush defense in the league last season. The Rams allowed 102.9 rushing yards per game on average, which sounds high, but having one of the top defensive lines in the NFL makes things tough for opposing running backs. Michael Brockers, Chris Long and Robert Quinn anchor that line, and will also look to make things tough for Hill.
Further reading
For more on the Rams, head to Turf Show Times. For more on the Vikings, Daily Norseman has you covered.
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