Tired of talking about his ankle, Rams QB Sam Bradford changed the subject with his performance Saturday night.
Bradford posted a 144.4 passer rating, going 6 of 9 for 102 yards and two touchdowns, in a 31-17 home win over Kansas City. That should quiet concerns about Bradford's left ankle, at least for now.
Off play action, Bradford opened with a 35-yard strike to Danny Amendola. He hit Lance Kendricks in stride for an easy 23-yard score. He zipped a 15-yard slant to Amendola. On fourth-and-2 from the Chiefs’ 8, Bradford was pressured but put enough on the ball for Amendola to haul in a touchdown in tight coverage.
One of Bradford’s three incompletions came when Chiefs corner Jalil Brown blatantly grabbed wideout Austin Pettis’ jersey.
A CBSSports.com report this week that Bradford might need surgery on his ankle after the season prompted a barrage of questions the third-year QB didn’t enjoy. It didn't help that Bradford completed no long passes in last week's 38-3 loss in Indianapolis.
"To be honest, I'm tired of talking about the ankle,” said Bradford, who acknowledged earlier in camp he has to manage the after-effects of the high ankle sprain that helped wreck his 2011 season.
“Until it causes me to miss reps or miss time, it's a non-issue."
Bradford helped make it less of an issue with his strong, accurate throws Saturday.
Rookie CBs make impact: Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, drafted in the second and third rounds, respectively, caused two of the Chiefs' four turnovers.
Jenkins stripped wideout Jon Baldwin after a 7-yard catch in the first quarter, with safety Craig Dahl recovering. The Rams cashed it in for a quick touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
In the third quarter, Johnson closed fast behind a receiver and deflected a pass that defensive tackle Matt Conrath intercepted. Again, the Rams capitalized as rookie Isaiah Pead scored on a 1-yard leap for a 24-10 lead.
WR Quick hurt: Rookie Brian Quick was taken for X-rays on his back in the third quarter. The second-round pick caught three balls for 20 yards before leaving. The severity of the injury was not immediately clear.
S-Jax rolls: The starting offensive line did a nice job protecting Bradford, who was hit once and not sacked. The line also cleared big holes for Steven Jackson, who ran for 49 yards on seven carries.
“They’re going to be fine up front from a run-game standpoint,” coach Jeff Fisher said at halftime.
Pead struggles again: Aside from his short touchdown run, rookie RB Isaiah Pead had a miserable night. He carried six times for minus-5 yards, and caught two balls for minus-3 yards.
Pead's worst moment came when the Chiefs blew up a run before he could get going. Instead of trying to minimize the loss, Pead changed direction and ended up losing 9 yards.
Depth chart: Barry Richardson started at right tackle ahead of Jason Smith and appeared to solidify his starting job. … Josh Gordy supplanted Jerome Murphy as the third cornerback, playing alongside starters Cortland Finnegan and Jenkins. … Brit Miller again started ahead of Ovie Mughelli at fullback.
Get more Rams updates and analysis from Larry Hartstein @CBSSportsNFLSTL.
