5 Things St. Louis Rams Should Be Working On During Week 4 Bye

By Anthony Blake

5 Things St. Louis Rams Need To Work On During Week 4 Bye

St. Louis Rams — Having the first bye week on the NFL schedule can be seen as a disadvantage for some, but the St. Louis Rams can use the week off to build on some of the positives they have shown during the early portion of the season. Despite a collapse in Week 3, this team has shown some real fight in 2014. Here are five things the Rams should be working on during their early hiatus from the gridiron.

5. Offensive Line Performance

St. Louis Rams

5. Offensive Line Performance

St. Louis Rams — This one is pretty general, but the line has been disappointing in all aspects thus far. The seven sacks they’ve allowed are tied for a second-most in the league at this point, and the run game has struggled to get consistent lanes yet this season. While some of the line’s lackluster play must be pinned on the play-calling, it’s time the highly-touted players in the trenches start getting the job done more consistently.

4. Find Tavon Austin

Tavon Austin St. Louis Rams

4. Find Tavon Austin

Tavon Austin St. Louis Rams — Perhaps the biggest disappointment for the Rams early on this season has been the no-show from speedster Tavon Austin. A 19-yard punt return is the highlight of his first three games this season, and that’s just not enough for a top 10 pick from a year ago. Designing plays for Austin in the way that Wes Welker has been utilized over the years is an absolute must or else he will go down as a bust when all is said and done.

3. Get Austin Davis Comfortable In Offense

Austin Davis St. Louis Rams

3. Get Austin Davis Comfortable In Offense

Austin Davis St. Louis Rams — There’s no way a third-string QB destined for the practice squad midway through the preseason is fully immersed in the playbook. The Rams need to get Austin Davis totally comfortable with the verbiage and the audibles so that he can execute to the best of his abilities coming out of the week off. There’s no doubt he can benefit the most from this early break in the action to really come on strong as the season heats up.

2. Mental Fortitude

St. Louis Rams

2. Mental Fortitude

St. Louis Rams — Obviously this stems from blowing a 21-point lead to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 at home. That type of cushion should yield an automatic win, yet somehow this team managed to self-destruct and gift that contest to the Cowboys. Finishing games is vital when a team is shorthanded the way the Rams are without their starting QB, and any more meltdowns like that from a week ago must be prevented moving forward.

1. Chemistry

St. Louis Rams

1. Chemistry

St. Louis Rams — After the shove from Jared Cook on quarterback Austin Davis during the collapse against the Cowboys, it’s clear this Rams team needs to build some bonds as teammates. Granted, no one expected a third-string QB thought to be a practice squad player in the preseason to be starting in Week 3, but the team has to play the hand they’ve been dealt. Overcoming adversity requires camaraderie, and this team is lacking in that department at present.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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