Austin Davis Will Be X-Factor For St. Louis Rams In Week 5
By Roje Smith
@RoKnowsDFS
Getty Images
Ever since Kurt Warner with the “Greatest Show on Turf” and Marc Bulger’s successful campaigns from 2003-05, the St. Louis Rams have experienced a decent amount of misfortune when it comes to the quarterback position. They thought their bad luck ended in 2010 when they drafted Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and he went on to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Additionally, Bradford set NFL records for most consecutive passes with an INT for a rookie with 169, and he also broke the record for most completions by a rookie with 354.
However, bad luck would settle in the next season, as Bradford dealt with injuries the whole season and led the Rams to a dismal 2-14 record. More bad luck would follow after a respectable 2012 season, as Bradford — after a strong start to the 2013 season — tore his ACL in Week 8. As for this season, Bradford tore his ACL during Week 2 of the preseason and many were left with the feeling that it’s either Bradford or the Rams’ QB position that was cursed. The feeling leaned stronger towards the Rams’ QB position, as Bradford’s backup, Shaun Hill, got hurt during Week 1 of this season. This leads us to who will be the x-factor when it comes to the Rams’ Week 5 road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles: Austin Davis.
Ever since taking over the starting position for St. Louis, the former Southern Mississippi Golden Eagle has played well for being the third string QB entering the season. Currently, he is averaging 251.3 passing yards per game to go along with three TDs and three INTs. Additionally, he has completed 72.3 percent of his passes and has a QB rating of 93.1. His QB rating so far is actually better than Pro Bowl-caliber QBs such as Matthew Stafford and Colin Kaepernick. This isn’t to say that Davis is headed for stardom, but it does show that he has plenty of ability to get the job done and he isn’t afraid to take chances. He has also shown signs of adequate mobility when the pocket breaks down, and that is an ability that was lacking with Bradford and Hill.
Therefore, in his Week 5 matchup against an exploitable Philadelphia Eagles secondary, Davis will have opportunities to take advantage with long passes to Brian Quick, Jared Cook and Kenny Britt. Additionally, if Tavon Austin gets cleared to play after pregame warmups tomorrow, then that will be another aerial weapon for Davis to target. If the Rams have any hope for winning, then the key to achieving that goal is in the hands of Davis.
Roje Smith is a Fantasy Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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