Rams fizzle after strong start

Associated Press


Matt Cassel was supposed to be a game-day decision. The quarterback had
no doubt he'd be in the lineup.

Cassel went the distance only 11 days after an emergency appendectomy,
leading the way in a 27-13 victory over the suddenly sagging St. Louis
Rams on Sunday. He didn't think it was a big deal, either.

"Everything felt good," Cassel said. "I feel good now. And a win makes
it feel better."

Before the game, Cassel said one of the team doctors texted that he was
probably more nervous than the quarterback about what might happen.
Teammates were impressed at the quarterback's toughness, too.

"For a guy to come back after having an organ removed from his body,
playing the next week, yeah it's definitely extraordinary," running back
Thomas Jones said. "I'm proud of him, really proud of him."

To the Rams, Cassel didn't look a man who'd just been stitched up.

"He's a tough dude," defensive end Chris Long said. "I mean, he came out
there and slung it around a little, he took a hit or two.

"A lot of people wondered if he'd even play and he played a good game."

Jamaal Charles scored on a short run and helped clinch it with a late
80-yard burst for the Chiefs (9-5), who retained a one-game lead over
the Chargers in the AFC West.

Kansas City managed only 67 yards in a 31-0 loss at San Diego last week
with backup quarterback Brodie Croyle starting, and ended a
seven-quarter scoreless drought on Cassel's 2-yard pass to Leonard Pope
midway through the second quarter.

Jones became the NFL's 25th player to rush for 10,000 yards and scored
the final touchdown on a 2-yard run with 3:26 to go, one play after Ron
Bartell ran down Charles just shy of the goal line. Charles had 126
yards on 11 carries and Jones had 62 yards on 22 carries, and the Chiefs
totaled 213 yards rushing.

Cassel was questionable after getting limited work in practice, but led
the team on the field for warmups and didn't miss a snap while going 15
for 29 for 184 yards. He was rarely hit by the Rams, who sacked him
twice on the same series in the third quarter but couldn't rattle him,
and even produced a first down with a 13-yard scramble in the second
quarter.

The Rams (6-8) fizzled after a strong start, losing their second
straight and missing a shot to solidify first place in the weak NFC
West. Sam Bradford became the third rookie in the NFL to pass for 3,000
yards but it came in one of his worst performances.

"I didn't play well at all," Bradford said. "We let it get away and
there's nothing we can do about it now."

Bradford was 21 for 43 for 181 yards and two interceptions, both times
by Kendrick Lewis. Bradford was sacked three times, all by Wallace
Gilberry, to lead a pass rush that hounded him all day.

The Rams led 6-0 after field goals to end the first two possessions but
totaled one first down in the second and third quarters while the Chiefs
scored 20 straight points.

St. Louis got its first five first downs of the second half on a
12-play, 72-play, drive capped by Steven Jackson's 5-yard run that cut
the margin to 20-13 with 4:04 to go on. The next play after the kickoff,
Charles broke loose for an 80-yard jaunt to the Rams 2, and Jones took
it in the next play.

"When you have eight men in the box, you usually don't get those types
of runs," Bartell said. "We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of
times."

The Chiefs have won five straight in the series since 1997, and were
helped in this one by thousands of vocal fans who made the trip across
Interstate 70. Gov. Jay Nixon attended and presented the Governor's Cup
trophy, usually awarded after a preseason game.

The Rams had five false starts. Bradford said "for a home game it was a
little harder to hear."

"We've got to be better than that," the quarterback added. "I didn't
think I played well at all."

Jones, who alternates with Charles, hit the 10,000-yard plateau on a
4-yard carry early in the third quarter. Jones entered the game needing
17 yards and finished with 62 yards on 22 carries after totaling 1 yard
on three attempts last week.

Two field goals by Josh Brown field goals in the first quarter ended the
Rams' three-game slow-starting slump during which opponents outscored
them 30-0 the first two possessions. The Chiefs managed only 16 yards on
nine plays in the first quarter, and Cassel threw into a crowd on an
interception by Kevin Dockery to end the second series, but outgained
St. Louis 155-8 in the second quarter.

Offensive tackle Jason Smith was whistled for three penalties in the
first half - false start, illegal use of hands and holding.

The Chiefs finished 3-5 on the road. They allowed an average of 32
points the previous five road games.

Notes: Rams FB Brit Miller was carted off with a right knee injury in
the third quarter and is likely out for the season. ... Bradford is
third on the single-season rookie QB list in completions (307), attempts
(517) and yards (3,065). ... Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe had two catches for
53 yards after totaling one catch for 3 yards the previous two weeks.
... The Chiefs had 48 yards rushing on 17 carries at San Diego.