After an undefeated preseason, the St. Louis Rams had two weeks in a row to prove Sam Bradford had playoff hopes in the gateway city. So far, they don't look like legitimate NFC contenders as they dropped to the Giants in the Meadowlands, 28-16. Coach Steve Spagnuolo, the former defensive coordinator for New York, could never get the ball moving efficiently against his former team. The run game was non-existent, partly due to the absence of All-pro RB Stephen Jackson, who left in week 1 against the Eagles due to a strained quadricep. Jackson should return as soon as possible, because St.Louis plays Baltimore, the upstart Redskins, at Green Bay, at Dallas, New Orleans, and at Arizona; all important games for St. Louis' playoff bid this season. On the other hand, Eli Manning was his old self: passing the ball for a meager 200 yards, throwing 2 TDs, and tossing a pick just to ruin his QB rating. The G-men managed to move the ball on St. Louis relatively well. They also had better defense than last week, which gives head coach Tom Coughlin some breathing room with the New York media and fan base for the rest of the week till they play at Philadelphia.
