Rams vs. Raiders Preview
GAME: St. Louis Rams (5-8) at Oakland Raiders (2-11)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, December 17 - 4:15 PM EST

Yet another loss has the St. Louis Rams starting to talk about next season. The Oakland Raiders have been having that conversation for quite some time.Both teams look for a better performance Sunday when they play at McAfee Coliseum in their first meeting since 2002.The Rams (5-8) jumped out to a 4-1 start to the season, but have dropped seven of their last eight games, including a 42-27 defeat to Chicago on Monday night. St. Louis is all but eliminated from the playoffs for the second straight season, and first-year coach Scott Linehan said he'll spend the final three games evaluating his team."We're finding out a lot about ourselves, and we're still finding out a lot about the players and the people within this organization, how we're handling things and handling these tough times," Linehan said. "We see brighter days ahead, and playing well and reacting after this tough game is something we can build on."The Raiders (2-11) have had very few bright days recently. They began the season with five straight losses before winning back-to-back games over Arizona and Pittsburgh. That momentum faded quickly as the team then dropped six in a row, failing to score more than 14 points in any of those contests. Oakland fell behind by two touchdowns in the first quarter last week en route to a 27-10 defeat to Cincinnati. The Raiders haven't lost seven straight since 1987."I swear we are trying," said Raiders quarterback Aaron Brooks, winless in six starts this season. "It's a lot of mishaps."'Most of those mishaps have been committed by one of the NFL's worst offenses. The Raiders are last in the league with 243.3 yards per game and 31st in scoring with 12.0 points. Brooks has completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 871 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions in six starts, and may not have his top receiver Sunday. Randy Moss, who has 42 catches for 553 yards and three TDs, is questionable after twisting his ankle in the second quarter of last week's loss."When you turn an ankle over like that, it can be difficult, especially when you're a so-called skill guy making those cuts," Raiders coach Art Shell said Monday. Ronald Curry stepped up in Moss' absence with eight receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown, all season bests. He'll get the start if Moss is sidelined Sunday. Oakland's offensive struggles are especially frustrating since its defense has playing so well. The Raiders own the NFL's top pass defense at 155.3 yards allowed per game, and are sixth overall in defense at 288.3 yards. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha recorded two more interceptions last week to boost his total to seven, tied for the league lead. Rams quarterback Marc Bulger made his first NFL start against the Raiders on Oct. 13, 2002, completing 14 of 21 passes for 186 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in St. Louis' 28-13 win. Bulger is coming off an outstanding performance Monday, going 34-for-55 for 356 yards, three TDs and one interception, but it wasn't enough for the victory. Despite his team's struggles, Bulger said giving up isn't an option."Some young guys will probably have to learn that it's never over, this is your profession, and there's no reason to quit," Bulger said. "Like we always say, you're always on film in the NFL."No one should know if you're 12-0 or you're struggling as a team. "The Rams struggled in kickoff coverage Monday, allowing two returns for touchdowns by Bears rookie Devin Hester. St. Louis was dealt another blow when outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, who was already playing with a broken left hand, suffered a similar injury to his right hand and will likely be put on injured reserve. Dexter Coakley is the probable replacement, but Linehan said Raonall Smith is another option.Rookie defensive end Victor Adeyanju remains questionable for Sunday as he attempts to come back from a broken forearm. Oakland has won seven of the 10 meetings between these teams, who were both once located in Los Angeles. Although the Rams took the most recent meeting in 2002, the Raiders won the last game 35-17 in Oakland on Sept. 28, 1997.

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