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EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Rookie receiver Tavon Austin returned a punt toward the right sideline Tuesday and broke into the clear, leaving punter Johnny Hekker as the last line of defense.

Austin, the St. Louis Rams' quick and elusive first-round draft choice, staggered Hekker with a series of moves that unfolded as quickly as the eye could track.

The sequence was comical, and Hekker, left leaning awkwardly toward the sideline as Austin raced past him to the inside, knew he was going to hear it from teammates. There wasn't much Hekker could do at this point, so he dropped to the ground and clutched his hamstring in a lighthearted attempt to invite some sympathy.

It was one of the more memorable moments as the Rams opened their final week of organized team activities before breaking until training camp.

"Come on, that is hilarious," cornerback Cortland Finnegan said later. "[Austin] is the real deal, man."

Hekker, by the way, was considered arguably the most athletic punter in college football while at Oregon State. Not that it was going to matter against the 5-foot-8, 174-pound Austin, a player the Rams expect to create mismatches from the slot and elsewhere.

Other notes from the Rams' session Tuesday at team headquarters:

• Defense impresses: The Rams' offense has certainly had its moments this offseason, but the defense more than held its own Tuesday, including during work deep inside the red zone. That was a bit of a surprise on a day when Finnegan and fellow corner Trumaine Johnson sat out.
• Stacy's hands: Rookie running back Zac Stacy caught the ball well out of the backfield, including when he had to extend for passes outside his frame. Stacy is in position to get significant carries as a rookie fifth-round draft choice, but it's too early to know how the position will shake out. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer expects a committee approach. Pass protection is one initial concern because Stacy, Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson are so young.
• Pettis' offseason: Schottenheimer and the Rams' staff have liked what they've seen from receiver Austin Pettis, who showed his value in the red zone at times last season. The Rams have five young wide receivers they want to build around, and Pettis is one of them. Austin, Stedman Bailey, Brian Quick and Chris Givens are the others.
• Ogletree's catch: Rookie first-round pick Alec Ogletree appeared to reflexively catch a pass that hit him in the midsection while he was playing coverage in the end zone. He took off running the other way.
• Best DB: Finnegan calls second-year corner Janoris Jenkins by far the best defensive back on the team. Jenkins caught my attention Tuesday when he jumped a route and picked off the pass.
• McDonald's breakup: Rookie safety T.J. McDonald caught my attention by breaking up a pass for tight end Jared Cook in the corner of the end zone. The pass probably could have been thrown more to the outside, in retrospect, but McDonald made a good play. Cook's size-speed ratio makes him a tough cover.

The St. Louis Rams arguably needed starters at running back, guard and safety after drafting Tavon Austin eighth overall and trading back eight spots into the 30th overall choice.

They addressed a need at outside linebacker instead by selecting Georgia's Alec Ogletree, a player Mike Mayock had projected to the Rams at No. 22 in his mock draft Wednesday. That projection led to debate on Twitter given that some have listed Ogletree as an inside linebacker and the Rams are set in the middle with James Laurinaitis.

Ogletree, a former safety with some off-field concerns, projects as a weak-side linebacker in a 4-3 scheme.

Ogletree has been arrested for stealing another student's motorcycle helmet. He has been suspended for drug-related reasons. He has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher hasn't shied away from players with off-field concerns. The team used a second-round choice for Janoris Jenkins last year, with encouraging results so far.

Ogletree turns and undermanned linebacking corps into a potential strength, fortifying a front seven that was already stacked on the line with Chris Long, Michael Brockers and Robert Quinn.

The term "draft needs" usually carries a qualitative component. Teams with weak offensive lines obviously have needs at the position, for example.

Sometimes it's helpful to consider quantitative elements as well.

For example, the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams each have only five wide receivers on their rosters at present. They might take twice as many wideouts to training camp. So, even though wide receiver is a bigger need for the Rams than for the Cardinals based on talent, both teams need numbers at the position.

Arizona, though set at wide receiver near the top of the depth chart, could probably use a vertical threat for coach Bruce Arians' offense. The Rams also need numbers at cornerback, where Cortland Finnegan, Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson are the only players under contract.

The Rams have eight picks in the draft. That includes two first-round choices. Moving back from one of those first-round spots could make sense for St. Louis. Adding picks would help the team fill out its roster with young players. The team had only 52 players on its roster entering this week, 18 fewer players than Seattle has under contract.

The chart breaks down roster counts by position for NFC West teams heading into draft week. The numbers at defensive line and linebacker vary based on whether teams run 3-4 or 4-3 defenses in their base alignments. Combining those positions into a single "front seven" total can sometimes help make cleaner comparisons.

St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson appears more likely to incur a fine than a suspension relating to his recent DUI arrest in Montana.

That could change if details emerge showing aggravating circumstances.

According to KPAX News, Johnson refused to take a breath test after an officer stopped him for driving in the dark without use of headlights.

Johnson's arrest comes less than two years after officers arrested him for getting "out of control at a party" in an incident authorities described as alcohol-related, one in which officers used a taser to subdue Johnson and one of his then-teammates at the University of Montana.

Johnson, one of three cornerbacks on the Rams' roster, played about one-third of the defensive snaps as a rookie third-round choice last season. He figures prominently into plans for the future along with starters Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins. Johnson played at Montana with Rams coach Jeff Fisher's son.

The NFL generally does not suspend first-time offenders of its policy relating to alcohol abuse in the absence of what it calls aggravating circumstances. Johnson, with no known alcohol-related incidents since entering the NFL, would appear more likely to incur a fine of two game checks.

"We are aware of the situation regarding Trumaine Johnson," a statement from the Rams read. "We are gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time."

The St. Louis Rams' Janoris Jenkins scored his fourth touchdown of the season Sunday.

That's a lot for a cornerback.

Consider that Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald also has four touchdowns this season.

Jenkins' pick-six Sunday marked his third of the season. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown to help beat San Francisco. Every time Jenkins makes a big play, he raises his profile in the discussion for defensive rookie of the year.

Jenkins has not always been consistent in coverage, but his big plays have been the difference for the Rams in multiple victories this season. At the very least, Jenkins is looking like the playmaker St. Louis sought in the 2012 draft.

Teammate Lance Kendricks, meanwhile, has opened the second half in Tampa Bay with an 80-yard touchdown reception. The Rams hold a 21-6 lead. The Buccaneers have been vulnerable to tight ends this season. That trend is continuing now that Kendricks and Sam Bradford have connected.

It's looking like the Rams are going to blow out the Bucs. Another Rams rookie, Trumaine Johnson, has just picked off Freeman again. Great day for the Rams so far.

The St. Louis Rams have not reversed the time-of-possession deficit that has affected them early in games this season.

They have solved Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, however, and that has been enough for St. Louis to take a 14-6 halftime lead in Week 16.

Another pick-six from rookie corner Janoris Jenkins gave the Rams their first of two touchdowns off Freeman interceptions. They lead despite possessing the ball for only 10:12 of the first 30 minutes, and despite the interception Sam Bradford threw in the end zone, and despite the fumble Danny Amendola lost deep in Rams territory.

St. Louis' defense has held Doug Martin to 2.8 yards per rushing attempt. Freeman has only 100 yards on 17 attempts. He has taken three sacks.

The Rams' offense figures only to improve in the second half. The third-down production has been good so far (three conversion in four chances). Bradford has fared well in fourth quarters this season. If his late-game production continues, the Rams should be on their way to a 7-7-1 record heading into Week 17.

All three of Sunday’s NFC South games are at halftime and the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints are holding leads.

The Panthers have a 14-3 lead on the Oakland Raiders, courtesy of an early touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Steve Smith and a Luke Kuechly interception that set up a Newton touchdown run late in the second quarter. If Carolina can hang onto this one, the Panthers will be on a three-game winning streak and coach Ron Rivera may have a chance to keep his job.

In Dallas, the Saints lead the Cowboys, 17-14. The New Orleans defense, which had shown some improvement in recent weeks, is back to its early-season form. The Saints have allowed Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to hook up on two touchdown passes. The Saints also have been plagued by some penalties on the offensive line and drops by Marques Colston and Devery Henderson. But Drew Brees put the Saints in the lead by leading them to a touchdown and a field goal late in the second quarter.

In Tampa Bay, there are probably more fans than ever jumping off the Josh Freeman bandwagon with the Bucs trailing 14-6. Freeman threw an interception that Janoris Jenkins returned for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Later in the second quarter, Freeman was picked off again to set up another St. Louis touchdown.

I'll be back with wrap-ups on all three games soon after they end.

There’s a lot of talk out there about who should be the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Andrew Luck? Robert Griffin III? Russell Wilson? Doug Martin?

You could go on for days with that one. But there's another, less-talked-about question out there.

Who should be the Defensive Rookie of the Year?

I say that one’s much clearer than the offensive award. Carolina middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is the best defensive rookie in the NFL.

Think about it for a second and see if you can come up with someone better than Kuechly, who has flown under the radar, mainly because Carolina’s season has left the Panthers largely ignored.

I look at players such as Seattle’s Bobby Wagner, Denver’s Derek Wolfe, Green Bay’s Casey Hayward, Minnesota’s Harrison Smith, Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David and Mark Barron, New England’s Chandler Jones, St. Louis’ Janoris Jenkins and Cincinnati’s Vontaze Burfict and nobody blows me away.

Kuechly does.

Amid the rubble that has been Carolina’s disappointing season, Kuechly has been a huge bright spot -- and he seems to be getting better as the season goes on. He had a career-high 16 tackles in Sunday’s victory against Atlanta.

His 130 tackles (we’re using press-box stats, not revised numbers from coaches) lead the league. Kuechly has a shot to be the first rookie since Patrick Willis in 2007 to lead the league in tackles and to at least challenge Willis’ record for tackles by a rookie (174).

Not bad for a guy who freely admits he’s still getting used to his new job.

“The theme of what I’ve learned from the older guys since I’ve been here is that it’s a job now and you have to treat it like one," Kuechly said in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon. “You’re not in college anymore. You don’t leave practice and go back to the dorm and hang with your buds. You put in a full day here and you go home and rest. You have to take care of yourself mentally and physically because, at this level, you have to stay on top of everything."

“

He's always around the ball somehow, some way. When he gets a little bit more wisdom, it's going to be amazing what he's going to do.

” -- Steve Smith, on Luke Kuechly

The main thing Kuechly has been staying on top of has been whomever has the ball. He leads the league with three games recording at least 15 tackles. No other player has more than one such game. Go back and watch any Carolina game and Kuechly always seems to be around the ball.

“The guy he reminds me of -- that's had this much success so quickly -- would be Dan Morgan," veteran receiver Steve Smith said. “Very smart. He's always around the ball somehow, some way. When he gets a little bit more wisdom, it's going to be amazing what he's going to do."

I like Smith’s comparison of Kuechly to Morgan a lot. That’s mainly because that’s the first thing I thought of when I first watched Kuechly go through a workout and interviewed him at IMG Academy as he was preparing for the scouting combine last February.

After the interview, I talked to IMG Academy director of football operations Chris Weinke, who came in the same 2001 Carolina draft class as Morgan and Smith. When I mentioned the comparison, Weinke nodded in agreement and said, “They’re both all about football."

Carolina fans might not like the comparison of Kuechly to Morgan, but it’s meant as a huge compliment. Morgan is a bit of a tragic figure because persistent injuries prevented his career from truly blossoming and cut it way too short. But when he was on the field, Morgan was as good as any linebacker.

I look at Kuechly and I see what Morgan could have been.

Apparently, so does Smith.

“He just makes plays," Smith said. “He's a young guy that came in, didn't come in entitled, real eager to learn."

Much like Morgan, Kuechly has a low-key personality. He is quiet and exceedingly polite -- until you put him in pads and have people run at him. That’s when Kuechly tackles anything that moves.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Kuechly led the nation in tackles in two of his three seasons at Boston College and finished second in the other season. That’s why the Panthers used the ninth overall pick in the draft on him.

The Panthers opened the season with Jon Beason in the middle and Kuechly on the weak side. That lasted four games before Beason went down with an injury and Kuechly shifted to the middle, the position he played in college, and took over the role of the leader of the defense.

Carolina’s defense has drawn a lot of criticism this season. But there has been a noticeable difference since Kuechly moved to the middle. In the first four games, the Panthers allowed an average of 393.8 yards. In the past nine games, the average has dropped to 328.9 yards, which ranks eighth in the league during that span.

“You see his leadership,’’ coach Ron Rivera said. “You see his maturity as far as leading the defense. You see how he rallies his teammates, how he handles his teammates. How his teammates work with him, how he works with them.’’

If it continues, you could see a Defensive Rookie of the Year in Carolina.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14:

Seeking divisional breakthrough. The Seattle Seahawks play a divisional game at home for the first time this season when Arizona visits CenturyLink Field. They are 0-3 in NFC West play to this point. That makes the Seahawks one of four teams without a divisional victory this season. Kansas City, Tennessee and Detroit are the others. The Cardinals claimed a 20-16 victory over Seattle in Week 1. Arizona has been outscored by 45 points in NFC West games overall, however. Only the Chiefs (minus-53) and Titans (minus-49) have worse scoring differentials in division play.

Kaepernick on the outside. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has thrown three touchdown passes this season, all on passes delivered outside the pocket. He faces a Miami Dolphins defense that ranks 31st in opponents' completion percentage (67.3) and Total QBR (78.9) when defending such throws. Kaepernick could also find opportunities on passes outside the yard-line numbers. Two weeks ago, Seattle's Russell Wilson completed 15 of 18 such passes for 167 yards, two touchdowns and a 142.4 NFL passer rating against Miami. Earlier in the year, St. Louis' Sam Bradford completed 16 of 23 such attempts for 221 yards and a 100.1 rating against the Dolphins.

Sack record within reach. The Dolphins will play without injured left tackle Jake Long this week. Long has struggled as a pass protector this season, at least by his standards, but the Dolphins surely would have preferred Long to rookie replacement Jonathan Martin. The 49ers' Aldon Smith leads the NFL in sacks with 17.5, tying Fred Dean's single-season franchise record. Smith needs five sacks to tie Michael Strahan's NFL record for one season. Note that the NFL did not track sacks officially before the 1982 season.

Rams' rookie show. The Rams head to Buffalo with a chance to further showcase a promising rookie draft class. Rams rookies have 1,354 yards from scrimmage this season, the fifth-highest total for any team's 2012 class. The class has scored 39 of the Rams' 47 points during victories over the past two weeks. That includes three touchdowns from cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Rookie receiver Chris Givens has 16 catches for 207 yards over the past two games. Defensive tackle Michael Brockers hasn't scored points, but he's been increasingly strong against the run. That's a big key for the Rams against the Bills, who rank fourth in rushing yards this season with 1,775.

Wilson milestone near. Seattle's Wilson leads NFL rookies with 19 touchdown passes this season. Peyton Manning (26), Charlie Conerly (22), Cam Newton (21), Andy Dalton (20) and Dan Marino (20) are the only players with more during their rookie seasons. Wilson has nine touchdowns without a pick in his last four games. However, he's facing a Cardinals defense that has traveled well. Arizona picked off Matt Ryan five times in Atlanta. The Cardinals held Tom Brady and the Patriots to 18 points. And while Aaron Rodgers tossed four scoring passes against Arizona, he failed to complete even half his passes. The 49ers' Alex Smith was the lone quarterback to truly torch Arizona's defense this season.

ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this item.

Janoris Jenkins' critical fumble return for a touchdown Sunday was a long time coming for the St. Louis Rams.

The team had recovered only one opponent's fumble all season, the last one coming against Arizona's Kevin Kolb in Week 5.

Even with Jenkins' recovery and return during a 16-13 victory over San Francisco, the Rams rank tied for last with two opponent fumble recoveries.

St. Louis next plays a Buffalo team with 11 lost fumbles, seventh-most in the NFL behind Philadelphia (16), Kansas City (16), Pittsburgh (13), the New York Jets (13), Denver (13) and Tennessee (12).

The Rams have fumbled 18 times, losing six. Their opponents have fumbled nine times.

Arizona (nine), Seattle (seven) and San Francisco (seven) rank near the middle of the pack in opponent fumble recoveries.

Research indicates there's not much extra a team can do to recover fumbles. Players are either in the right position or they are not. If that is true, the Rams are due for the odds to even out. They recovered only six of 24 opponent fumbles last season.

In Jenkins' case, he appeared more aggressive than the 49ers' Ted Ginn Jr. in going after the ball. Both were near the ball, but Jenkins had a running start. He dove for the ball while Ginn was leaning over to pick it up.

"I would suggest that if that play happened 10 times, he’d probably get that ball nine out of 10 times if he’s competing with Ted," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "You look at the play, Ginn turned back and ran trying to pick it up. He [Jenkins] was running full speed, so he obviously was in better position to get it."

Thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 31-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12 at University of Phoenix Stadium:

What it means: The Cardinals' latest quarterback experiment will not produce immediate positive results, even at home against a struggling opponent. The Rams, who had not won since they defeated Arizona in Week 5, got strong play from Sam Bradford after the third-year quarterback briefly left the game with an injury. Sweeping the season series from Arizona puts the Rams (4-6-1) in position to finish ahead of the Cardinals (4-7) in the NFC West standings. The Cardinals are the first NFL team to lose seven consecutive games following a 4-0 start. They are hoping Kevin Kolb returns from injury soon.

What I liked: Cardinals rookie quarterback Ryan Lindley completed 7 of 8 passes to open the game as Arizona drove to Beanie Wells' touchdown run for a 7-0 lead. Lindley was making his first NFL start. It was important for Arizona to have Lindley inspire some confidence early in the game. Lindley made some impressive throws, but the four interceptions he threw more than offset them.

It was important for the Rams, conversely, that their defense finally ended its turnover drought before it reached an NFL-record six games. That happened when Rams rookie cornerback Janoris Jenkins returned a Lindley interception for a touchdown to tie the game, 7-7. Safety Craig Dahl picked off another Lindley pass later in the game. Jenkins collected another pick-six to put away the game for Arizona. Even linebacker James Laurinaitis picked off a pass.

Bradford showed toughness by returning quickly after taking a hard hit that left him holding his ribs. Bradford quickly moved the Rams down the field, connecting with second-year tight end Lance Kendricks for a touchdown off play-action. As players note, playing hurt is one thing. Playing well when hurt is another.

Steven Jackson topped 100 yards rushing for the Rams, a big help for Bradford and the offense. Rookie Chris Givens had a 37-yard touchdown reception for the Rams, continuing his big-play production. He also topped 100 yards.

Also, the Cardinals got two touchdowns from Beanie Wells in the running back's return from injury.

What I didn't like: Three three turnovers from Lindley made life tough for the Cardinals' defense. Still, Arizona gave up too many plays to a Rams offense that had struggled during a 27-13 defeat to the New York Jets last week. Bradford tossed a pick in the end zone for the second time in as many games against the Cardinals this season. Patrick Peterson picked off both of those passes. Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald had a rough time producing for the second week in a row. He had one catch for 11 yards last week and had three catches for 31 yards deep into the fourth quarter. A holding penalty against Rams tackle Rodger Saffold spoiled a red zone opportunity for St. Louis.

What's next: Arizona visits the Jets. The Rams are home against San Francisco. St. Louis has a 3-0-1 record in NFC West play.

Every NFC West team ranked among the NFL's top 11 in punt-return average last season. Each averaged at least 11.0 yards per return, 1.5 above the average.

Only the San Francisco 49ers have maintained their performance this season. They rank seventh with an 11.3-yard average, down only modestly from 12.4 in 2011.

Arizona's inability to spring Patrick Peterson for long returns this season has resulted in a 7.4-yard, 48.6 percent reduction per return this season. Only Chicago has suffered a greater percentage decrease in punt-return average from last season. The Cardinals have fallen from second to 22nd in punt-return average.

The St. Louis Rams rank third in both gross decline (4.5 yards) and percentage decline (40.5 percent). Seattle's average has dropped from 11.1 yards to 8.7, a reduction of 21.4 percent, 10th-greatest in the NFL.

I haven't seen a great explanation for why prolific punt returners see their averages swing wildly from season to season. It's happening for Peterson and the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester this season.

Hester has throughout his career experienced two highly productive seasons at a time, followed by two down seasons. That has happened twice. If the cycle continues, his average will balloon again in 2014, provided he remains a productive player.

Hester is averaging 8.0 yards per return this season after averaging 16.2 (2011), 17.1 (2010), 7.8 (2009), 6.2 (2008), 15.5 (2007) and 12.8 (2006) previously.

Peterson is averaging 7.7 yards per return with no touchdowns this season, down from 15.9 yards with four touchdowns last season. His 80-yard return for a touchdown in Week 12 last season staked the Cardinals to a 20-10 lead at St. Louis. Arizona won the game, 23-20.

The teams play Sunday, also in Week 12, this time in Arizona.

St. Louis' average has fallen as well, dropping from 11.0 last season to 6.6 this season. Nick Miller, no longer with the team, had an 88-yard touchdown return last season. Greg Salas, also no longer with the team, had a 29-yard return. Austin Pettis, who has only one return this season, had a 9.3-yard average on 15 of them last season.

Danny Amendola leads the Rams this season with an 8.4-yard average and a long return of 22 yards. Janoris Jenkins has a 4.8-yard average on nine returns. Amendola is not expected to play against Arizona. He has a foot injury.

Thoughts on the St. Louis Rams' 27-13 defeat against the New York Jets in the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday:

What it means: The Rams fell to 3-6-1 and have not won a game since defeating Arizona in Week 5. The offensive gains they made against San Francisco last week did not carry over into Week 11. St. Louis' inability to win at home against the reeling Jets, coupled with its inability to hold a double-digit lead against the 49ers, kills realistic thoughts of the Rams making a second-half run toward .500. The Rams are now 1-6 outside the NFC West.

What I liked: Quarterback Sam Bradford started quickly and staked the Rams to an early lead with a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson. Rookie cornerback Janoris Jenkins, benched for disciplinary reasons last week, blocked a field goal try in the first half. The Rams also stuffed the Jets' Tim Tebow on an attempted fake punt after St. Louis coaches left their regular defense on the field. Steven Jackson averaged 6.2 yards per carry, rushing 13 times for 81 yards. Rookie Chris Givens had a 48-yard kickoff return. A penalty for holding wiped out a kickoff return for a touchdown. Defensive end Chris Long collected two sacks.

What I didn't like: The Jets contained Rams receiver Danny Amendola. Durability concerns also remained a problem for Amendola, who is easily the team's best receiver when healthy. Amendola was able to return to the game after suffering a foot injury. Still, this was the third time in Amendola's last eight games that an injury has forced him from the field. Bradford mostly appeared uncomfortable against the Jets' pressure and scheming. He wasn't able to create when pressured. Bradford completed only 23 of 44 passes (52 percent) for 170 yards, or 3.9 per attempt. The Rams made it six consecutive games without intercepting a pass. They made Mark Sanchez look like one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the league. Sanchez completed 15 of 20 passes for 178 yards with one touchdown and a 118.3 NFL passer rating.

What's next: The Rams visit the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12.

FALLING

1. Division QBs. NFC West quarterbacks tossed three touchdowns with four interceptions and 13 sacks in Week 7. Together, their Total QBR (26.0) was the lowest for quarterbacks from any division. There was a fumbled snap on a third-down play (Sam Bradford), an interception in the end zone (Alex Smith), a pick returned for a touchdown (John Skelton) and a 39.1 percent completion percentage (Russell Wilson). Bradford was better than the others. Rams coach Jeff Fisher even singled out Bradford for having perhaps his best game when it came to changing plays at the line of scrimmage. Overall, however, this was a rough week for the position.

2. Rams' pass defense. The Rams have zero interceptions over their past three games after picking off eight passes in their first four. They have allowed five scoring passes over their past two games after allowing two in the first five games. Fisher singled out rookie Janoris Jenkins for another mental lapse, this one for letting a penalty flag distract him during what became a 52-yard pass play for the Packers. Even defensive end Chris Long struggled. He finished the game with an assisted tackle and not much else.

3. Seahawks' hands. Golden Tate, Robert Turbin, Evan Moore and Marshawn Lynch dropped passes during the Seahawks' 13-6 defeat at San Francisco. It's tough to win when completed passes (nine) roughly double the total for drops.

4. Vernon Davis, 49ers TE. Consider this a temporary downgrade based solely on Davis' receiving numbers over the past two games. As coach Jim Harbaugh noted, Davis handled his blocking assignments, and there will be games when even the best tight ends don't factor into the passing game as much. It's just strange to see Davis go a full game without the 49ers even targeting him. Davis' 58-game streak with at least one reception ended against the Seahawks.

RISING

1. Frank Gore, 49ers RB. Gore rushed for 131 yards against a Seattle defense that was the NFL's last to allow a 100-yard rusher this season. The 49ers' guards get plenty of credit, too. They helped execute the trap plays for which Seattle had no answer. Gore played through bruised ribs and helped the 49ers dominate time of possession in the second half.

2. LaRod Stephens-Howling. The diminutive Stephens-Howling wasn't built to carry the football 20-plus times against NFL defenses. He did it anyway Sunday, rushing 20 times for 104 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. This was only the third time Stephens-Howling has had more than 11 carries in the game. It was only the third time he has reached 50 yards rushing in a game. The Cardinals are desperate at the position while playing without Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams. Stephens-Howling answered the call and ran with disregard for his body.

3. Robert Quinn, Rams DE. The Rams' pass defense struggled overall, but Quinn was outstanding against the Packers. Rams coaches credited Quinn with six pressures and four quarterback hits. The rest of the team had five pressures and two quarterback hits. That's what the Rams are looking to see from their 2011 first-round draft choices. Quinn has seven sacks in seven games.

4. Rams' roster churn. The Rams protected the passer quite well and ran the ball effectively (93 first-half yards) despite having a left tackle (Joe Barksdale) and left guard (Shelley Smith) making their first NFL regular-season starts. Let's flip that around. The Rams fared well on their line because they gave Barksdale and Smith a chance. A year ago, they might have gone with a veteran backup such as Adam Goldberg. They would have taken some comfort in the known, with no chance for discovering or developing young talent. Perhaps one or both of these young players will stick around. The team also signed 2008 Chicago Bears first-round choice Chris Williams.

ST. LOUIS -- This was more action flick than horror movie for the St. Louis Rams. They were mere extras in Aaron Rodgers' latest production, and what a production it was.

Rodgers' greatness on this Sunday does not excuse the Rams' many transgressions during a 30-20 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in the Edward Jones Dome.

A typically matter-of-fact coach Jeff Fisher was right to hold his players accountable.

Fisher faulted receiver Brandon Gibson for failing to catch a contested pass on fourth-and-2 from the Green Bay 14-yard line when the game was close in the second quarter.

Fisher said rookie cornerback Janoris Jenkins was "watching the flags fly" against teammate Chris Long for offsides "when he should have been playing defense" on a 52-yard Rodgers completion to Jordy Nelson.

Fisher blamed offside penalties against Long and defensive tackle Kendall Langford for giving Rodgers the freedom to throw deep for the 52-yard gain and again for what will stand as the game's signature play.

Leading 20-13 with 8:50 remaining, Rodgers rolled left and threw the ball across his body to Randall Cobb for a 39-yard touchdown. The ball traveled 43 yards in the air and over rookie cornerback Trumaine Johnson before safety Craig Dahl could factor in the play. Cobb caught the ball over his head and beyond his body.

One quarterback in the NFL is more likely than any other to make that play. Unfortunately for the Rams, they were facing him Sunday.

"What he does the best is that he's good at improv," Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis said.

If you're going to pressure Rodgers, you'd better get him down. The Rams succeeded on that front early in the game. Long and fellow defensive end Robert Quinn had matchup advantages. But the Packers adjusted by helping their tackles. They settled for shorter completions and then struck deep when the Rams made mistakes.

"I hung our coverage out to dry," Long said of his offsides penalty. "That was 100 percent on me. All week I knew he was going to take a shot if we got offsides or jumped offsides and then lined up and got back."

Long, credited on the stat sheet with an assisted tackle and nothing else, took the defeat personally.

"You got three guys busting their ass, playing really well," he said of the Rams' other defensive linemen. "I just need to be better."

Rodgers completed 20 of his first 22 passes for 232 yards and two scores. He completed 10 of his final 15 passes for another 110 yards and a touchdown.

MVP voters, take note: Rodgers now has completed 54 of 74 passes (73 percent) for 680 yards with nine scores and no interceptions over the past two weeks. He has done it against Houston and St. Louis, teams that have made life rough on most other quarterbacks this season. Before Sunday, the Texans and Rams had allowed 58.1 percent completions with 10 touchdowns and 15 picks to quarterbacks other than Rodgers.

The Rams must be accountable, of course, but they've got to be realistic, too. There's less shame in losing when the opposing quarterback plays this way.

"He's going to make throws that other quarterbacks won't," Laurinaitis said.

Rodgers completed five passes longer than 15 yards, four of them on third down.

Rodgers went short when the Rams attacked with five or more pass-rushers, completing 10 of 13 attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown, according to ESPN Stats & Information. And when the Rams rushed four or fewer, the Packers had their way down the field. Rodgers completed 20 of 24 passes for 261 yards and two scores on those plays.

Cobb caught all eight passes thrown his way for 89 yards and two touchdowns. He is the only player this season to catch every pass thrown his way when targeted at least eight times in a game. He's done it twice, both against NFC West teams. Cobb caught all nine targets for 77 yards against San Francisco in Week 1.

Nelson fared at least as well Sunday. He caught eight passes in nine targets for 122 yards and a touchdown. That included six receptions for 99 yards and a score outside the yard-line numbers, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Packers succeeded in isolating Nelson against Jenkins and Bradley Fletcher on the outside while Cortland Finnegan defended the slot.

"It is more than Aaron being dialed in," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

McCarthy pointed to administration by the referee Bill Vinovich and crew as one key for the Packers. He said officials were standing over the ball between plays for longer than anticipated, making it tough for Green Bay to execute its no-huddle offense early.

The Packers showed they could move the ball methodically as well. They had 12- and 10-play touchdown drives in the second half. Those drives spanned more than 12 minutes while keeping the Rams' offense from building on a first half in which St. Louis rushed for 93 yards and won time of possession by six minutes. Green Bay possessed the ball for more than 21 of 30 minutes after the half.

The Rams count their cornerbacks as a strength, but Jenkins has suffered through rookie struggles the past couple weeks, at great cost to the team. He froze on a play against Miami last week, guessing wrong and standing still as the receiver got behind him for an easy score. This time, he failed to stay with Nelson after Long's penalty.

And yet the Rams trailed by only a touchdown after a six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter. They finally have a playmaker at wide receiver. Chris Givens' 56-yard catch-and-run during that drive gave him a 50-plus reception in four consecutive games, the first time any NFL rookie has done that since Willie Gault in 1983.

The Rams allowed only three sacks on 37 drop backs even with a left tackle and left guard making their first NFL starts. There will be better results for this offense in the future.

Quarterback Sam Bradford needed help from Gibson on that fourth-down play, but he has to be better, too. The first-down interception he threw on a deep pass to Givens had no chance for completion. Bradford felt pressure and rushed the throw without setting to deliver. It looked like a panic throw. It was one reason the Packers held the ball so long in the second half.

The many thousands of Packers fans in attendance Sunday roared their approval following what was the game's only turnover.

If Rams fans weren’t quite outnumbered in the Edward Jones Dome, you can bet they will be when St. Louis faces the the New England Patriots in London this week.

All is not lost.

While no team should welcome a matchup with Tom Brady, this instance might warrant an exception. Getting as far away from Rodgers as possible has to feel pretty good for the Rams right about now.