St. Louis offense vs. New Orleans defense

	RAMS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	5
	Pass	2
	Tot. Yds.	1
	Scoring	1
	Int's allowed	9
	Sacks allowed	27
	SAINTS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	25
	vs. Pass	24
	Total yds. allowed	26
	# of Ints.	12
	# of Sacks	33
	Turnover differential	-2

St. Louis started slowly on offense in the matchup between these teams two weeks ago but the Rams will face a more sluggish defense this week. The Saints three-game losing streak and a series of injuries are starting to take a toll on this defense.

New Orleans' thin front four is wearing down badly, especially late in games, so look for head coach Dick Vermeil to pound the ball with RB Marshall Faulk more than he did two weeks ago. Faulk, who received just 18 carries in the team's 43-12 victory, appears as fresh as he was in Week 1.

With Faulk finishing games stronger than he started them, the Saints listless defense must do a better job of flying to the football. The linebacker trio of MLB Chris Bordano and OLB's Mark Fields and Keith Mitchell made Atlanta's Ken Oxendine look special last week, allowing the Falcons to run for 128 yards on 28 carries. If the Saints don't make Faulk feel every tackle this week, they will be in for another long afternoon come the fourth quarter.

Rams QB Kurt Warner suffered through one of his least impressive outings against the Saints (15-of-27, 213 yds.) and he would like nothing more than to post some big numbers against the team's depleted secondary this time out.

Starting DC Fred Weary is sidelined so look for Warner to target Tyrone Drakeford. With Ashley Ambrose effectively holding down the left side, the gambling Drakeford could be exploited by an athletic receiving corps on Sunday. St. Louis had just two pass plays over 20 yards in the first meeting but the recent loss of FS Willie Clay hurts the Saints chances for a repeat performance.

The front four's inability to generate a rush has forced defensive coordinator Zaven Yarallian to call far too many blitzes, exposing an already confused secondary. If DTs La'Roi Glover and Wayne Martin don't get a strong push and collapse the pocket, Warner will have all day to step up and pick apart the secondary with crossing routes.

Warner's protection has been solid as of late and he should have enough time to scan the field and get everyone involved in the offense. At this time of year, with the division title locked up, it's Warner's job to keep everyone happy heading into the playoffs. The Rams' top four receivers all caught at least four passes last week, with Az Hakim leading the way with touchdowns of 48 and 49 yards.

Last week, with Williams and backup Lamar Smith out of the lineup, third-string Wilmont Perry did an excellent job in relief, piling up a hard-fought career-high 93 yards on just 16 carries. Perry's performance was even more impressive considering the horrendous play of the interior line, which allowed consistent penetration all afternoon.

OC Jerry Fontenot and OG's Chris Naeole and Tom Ackerman must be much more physical against St. Louis DTs Ray Agnew and D'Marco Farr, a pair that combined for six tackles and two sacks in the Week 12 contest.

St. Louis' run defense still ranks atop the league leaders, allowing opponents just 78 yards per game on the ground. If New Orleans can't develop a run threat, there is little hope for the passing game.

A rib injury to starting QB Billy Joe Hobert forced Danny Wuerffel into the lineup last Sunday but his showing was so poor that the team will not stick with him this week. Wuerffel's 15-of-30, 127-yard, two-interception outing resulted in nothing over 22 yards all afternoon and his lack of mobility (5 sacks) rendered him a sitting duck in the pocket. The Saints couldn't get the ball in the end zone the last time these teams met and Ditka can't afford his passing game to be dictated by Wuerffel's marginal arm.

The Saints announced early in the week that Billy Joe Tolliver will return to the lineup and start on Sunday. Tolliver's knee injury will limit his effectiveness outside the pocket so look for the Rams to come after him with a lot of early blitzes to prevent him from finding a rhythm.

St. Louis' secondary could stumble into this one minus its top playmaker, LDC Todd Lyght. If Lyght can't go because of a groin injury, either Taje Allen or rookie Dre Bly will start in his place. Bly, who returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown last Sunday, will probably be the guy counted on to end the team's streak of five games yielding a 100-yard receiving effort.

Slot receiver Andre Hastings fit that role for the Saints two weeks ago, snaring nine passes for 113 yards. With TE Cam Cleeland still hampered with a hamstring injury, Hastings needs to be effective in the middle of the field in order to give speed WR's Keith Poole and Eddie Kennison room to operate.