Sleeper Watch

When does a series of flukes turn into a knack? Perhaps it’s when you’ve caught a touchdown pass in three of the last four games, which is exactly what Rams receiver Shaun McDonald has done.

Technically, McDonald is the Rams’ fourth receiver, behind the dynamic duo of Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce as well as Dane Looker. Looker is hobbled by an ankle injury, however, resulting in a bigger piece of the pie for McDonald. And in the explosive St. Louis offense, currently ranked third in the league with 283.6 passing yards per game, that pie is large indeed.

This week, the Rams face New England at home. The Patriots are never an easy opponent, and will be fired up for this contest after seeing their record-breaking win streak snapped last week, but the defending champion’s secondary is hurting. Starting cornerbacks Ty Law (foot) and Tyrone Poole (knee) are both expected to miss Sunday’s clash, and while Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell are no doubt busily devising creative schemes to minimize the impact of their loss, the Rams will no doubt look to exploit the situation.

Shaun McDonald has developed a solid rapport with QB Marc Bulger this season and should continue to see looks where it counts, in the red zone. If you need to fill a hole in your WR corps and the wire has been picked clean of tried-and-true receivers, McDonald could be worth a shot.