NFC West High Energy Player of the Week

By Mike Sando
December, 21, 2010

A look at a player who gave his team a significant boost in Week 15.

Pickings were slim in the NFC West this week. Real slim. Oh-and-four slim.

The St. Louis Rams' Ron Bartell gets the call after tracking down the Kansas City Chiefs' Jamaal Charles following an 80-yard run Sunday.

Charles is fast. The Chiefs were already on their way to a likely victory when Charles broke through the Rams' defense with 4 minutes remaining. Bartell was coming off a shoulder injury that had sidelined him the previous week. He easily could have conceded the run out of self-preservation, but how a team loses can matter. The Rams did not quit. Bartell tracked down Charles and tackled him at the 2-yard line.

Kansas City scored on its next play to put away the game, 27-13.

Bartell finished with eight tackles. He brought down Chiefs running back Thomas Jones after gains of 1 and 3 yards. He tackled the Chiefs' Dexter McCluster for a 4-yard loss. He took down Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel after a 3-yard gain on first-and-10.