Last Year:
Just like Jeopardy phenom Ken Jennings, the St. Louis Rams have been a consistent contender. I?ll take Rams coaches for $200, Alex. Answer there is: Mike Martz. Who is one of the worst head coaches in the league? That?s correct. His shoddy decision making was evident once again as the Rams barely played well enough to earn home field-advantage, and then squandered it, along with an 11-point lead in the last 2:39 of their playoff game. Though Jennings looks unstoppable, St. Louis? high wave seems to have hit its highest point and is now regressing.
What we Learned from Last Year:
What did we learn, or more importantly, what didn?t the Rams learn from last year?
Judging by their second most 37.5 pass attempts per games, it seems like the same mistakes are being played over and over.
Although Marshall Faulk only participated in 11 games, Lamar Gordon was still more than capable of carrying the work load, yet Head Coach Mike Martz neglected the run game completely.
The only other teams to pass that ball for nearly 37 attempts per game or more were the Detroit Lions, the New York Giants, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All three of those teams didn?t choose to pass the ball in that sort of excess; rather they did it out of necessity since their running games were not able. The Detroit Lions had no mentionable running back, while the New York Giants suffered from porous offensive line play, and Tampa Bay was decimated by injury.
What kind of team that has a Pro Bowl running back along with a budding back waiting in the wings purposely avoid them in order to burden the quarterback?
When you head into a hostile environment on the road or you face a tough opponent in the playoffs it?s important to let the running game develop, settle the offense down and then push the pass. The problem is not that this team goes three-and-out so often, but sometimes instead of trying to light up the scoreboard the technique of controlling the clock with a sturdy running game can be just as effective.
The pressure that was squared directly on the offensive line?s shoulder to continually protect for the pass resulted in Marc Bulger being dropped to the ground 43 times. Without the run, this offense became too predictable. In addition, the receiving corps did not possess an Az Hakim or Ricky Proehl-type receivers in the three and four spots, therefore the passing game was even easier to defend.
Mike Martz has misspent so much talent and opportunity for a team that is one of the most endowed in the league.
Lovie Smith pulled a rabbit out of his hat with a defense that was once an outcast of the league to help them lead in takeaways, and place 4th in sacks. Still, this defense was mediocre, and did a lot more breaking than bending, but nonetheless was very fast and opportunistic.
The team concept that was emulated on defense clearly was not present on the other side of the ball.
The Rams live and die by the offense as the defense is merely expected to keep them within striking distance. If Marc Bulger?s entourage is not able to protect him this year, the Rams could endure foul consequences.
What Has Changed?:
Scott Turow, a famous writer, once wrote ?My anxiety is staunched; I am at peace.? Clearly he wasn?t referring to St. Louis Rams offensive line woes or his anxiety would be high as can be.
To explain to those who merely don?t understand, thriving football teams are built from the inside out. That means a good offensive line, a good defensive line, and then the rest is all gravy.
Not a single team in recent memory has come within an eye-lash of the Super Bowl without a stout offensive line. The Rams and Patriots were protective, Giants and Ravens were shielding, the Buccaneers and Raiders were caring, and the Patriots and Panthers were defensive.
As the Rams head into the coming season they fail to realize that dangerous receivers, an excellent quarterback, and a first-rate running back will not factor whatsoever if the offensive line cannot build the foundation.
Once again Orlando Pace held out until the last second, but once again his play will be the least of concerns on the offensive line. The biggest shoes to fill will be the other tackle, Kyle Turley, who is done for the season and possibly more. Conveniently, his replacement will protect the blind side of the quarterback. Chris Dishman was pulled out of retirement to join this group.
Mike Martz needs to help a deteriorating front by running the ball. Chris Chandler is the depth at quarterback this year and if the line is expected to pass-protect as much as it did last year then this team is in trouble.
Drafting Steven Jackson is just another perplexing selection to add to a long list of questionable draft picks. With gaping needs on the offensive and defensive lines Mike Martz continues to pile up offensive weapons just in case. Boy would a prime young tackle be welcome on a graying offensive line.
On defense it is hard to envision the Rams being as competent as they were the past few seasons. For starters, the Dr. Seuss that got all his readers to buy into the Green Eggs and Ham, Lovie Smith, has departed for bigger and better things. On the line, Grant Wistrom fled to Seattle, and Brian Young departed to New Orleans. Their best end, Leonard Little is dabbling in off-the-field troubles that could keep him off the field. That leaves the Rams with the 2003 first-round pick Jimmy Kennedy, oh wait, he?s mending a long-term injury, along with 2001 first-round picks Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis, oh wait, they?ve produced nothing.
At linebacker, the drafting is a bit better. With the departure of Jamie Duncan, Robert Thomas, Tommy Polley and Pisa Tinoisamoa will be in the news. There will be a lot of tackles for these guys to mop up.
The back end, at safety, is the one strength of the defense. Aeneas Williams and Adam Archuleta will hold it down as they usually down, and since Jerametrius Butler and Kevin Garrett will be the chaste starting cornerbacks it appears that there will be a lot of holding down to do.
This team is fracturing at the seams with a weakening defense, and a dwindling offensive line. It?s unlikely that Martz will change his pass-first, pass-second, pass-third, and run-last game plan, which does not bode well for a fracturing team.
This team is on the decline, and even playoff opportunities seem imperceptible.
O/U 9.5:
The Rams only won 4 games on the road last year, those including Pittsburgh, Chicago, Arizona and Cleveland. The latter three wins coming by a minute marginal average of 3.6 points. This team is going under as question marks surface at many key positions. Winning even 3 games inside the division could be strenuous. They play: @ATL, NO, TB, @MIA, NE, @BUF, @GB, @CAR, PHI, and NYJ.
Fantasy Sleeper:
Burning a high-end selection on Marc Bulger (with a shaky offensive line in front of him) or Marshall Faulk (with a prime prospect over his shoulder) may not be ideal. Steven Jackson will be ready at every turn to take a carry and if the season starts to go sour early, expect the Rams to develop Jackson.
Just like Jeopardy phenom Ken Jennings, the St. Louis Rams have been a consistent contender. I?ll take Rams coaches for $200, Alex. Answer there is: Mike Martz. Who is one of the worst head coaches in the league? That?s correct. His shoddy decision making was evident once again as the Rams barely played well enough to earn home field-advantage, and then squandered it, along with an 11-point lead in the last 2:39 of their playoff game. Though Jennings looks unstoppable, St. Louis? high wave seems to have hit its highest point and is now regressing.
What we Learned from Last Year:
What did we learn, or more importantly, what didn?t the Rams learn from last year?
Judging by their second most 37.5 pass attempts per games, it seems like the same mistakes are being played over and over.
Although Marshall Faulk only participated in 11 games, Lamar Gordon was still more than capable of carrying the work load, yet Head Coach Mike Martz neglected the run game completely.
The only other teams to pass that ball for nearly 37 attempts per game or more were the Detroit Lions, the New York Giants, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All three of those teams didn?t choose to pass the ball in that sort of excess; rather they did it out of necessity since their running games were not able. The Detroit Lions had no mentionable running back, while the New York Giants suffered from porous offensive line play, and Tampa Bay was decimated by injury.
What kind of team that has a Pro Bowl running back along with a budding back waiting in the wings purposely avoid them in order to burden the quarterback?
When you head into a hostile environment on the road or you face a tough opponent in the playoffs it?s important to let the running game develop, settle the offense down and then push the pass. The problem is not that this team goes three-and-out so often, but sometimes instead of trying to light up the scoreboard the technique of controlling the clock with a sturdy running game can be just as effective.
The pressure that was squared directly on the offensive line?s shoulder to continually protect for the pass resulted in Marc Bulger being dropped to the ground 43 times. Without the run, this offense became too predictable. In addition, the receiving corps did not possess an Az Hakim or Ricky Proehl-type receivers in the three and four spots, therefore the passing game was even easier to defend.
Mike Martz has misspent so much talent and opportunity for a team that is one of the most endowed in the league.
Lovie Smith pulled a rabbit out of his hat with a defense that was once an outcast of the league to help them lead in takeaways, and place 4th in sacks. Still, this defense was mediocre, and did a lot more breaking than bending, but nonetheless was very fast and opportunistic.
The team concept that was emulated on defense clearly was not present on the other side of the ball.
The Rams live and die by the offense as the defense is merely expected to keep them within striking distance. If Marc Bulger?s entourage is not able to protect him this year, the Rams could endure foul consequences.
What Has Changed?:
Scott Turow, a famous writer, once wrote ?My anxiety is staunched; I am at peace.? Clearly he wasn?t referring to St. Louis Rams offensive line woes or his anxiety would be high as can be.
To explain to those who merely don?t understand, thriving football teams are built from the inside out. That means a good offensive line, a good defensive line, and then the rest is all gravy.
Not a single team in recent memory has come within an eye-lash of the Super Bowl without a stout offensive line. The Rams and Patriots were protective, Giants and Ravens were shielding, the Buccaneers and Raiders were caring, and the Patriots and Panthers were defensive.
As the Rams head into the coming season they fail to realize that dangerous receivers, an excellent quarterback, and a first-rate running back will not factor whatsoever if the offensive line cannot build the foundation.
Once again Orlando Pace held out until the last second, but once again his play will be the least of concerns on the offensive line. The biggest shoes to fill will be the other tackle, Kyle Turley, who is done for the season and possibly more. Conveniently, his replacement will protect the blind side of the quarterback. Chris Dishman was pulled out of retirement to join this group.
Mike Martz needs to help a deteriorating front by running the ball. Chris Chandler is the depth at quarterback this year and if the line is expected to pass-protect as much as it did last year then this team is in trouble.
Drafting Steven Jackson is just another perplexing selection to add to a long list of questionable draft picks. With gaping needs on the offensive and defensive lines Mike Martz continues to pile up offensive weapons just in case. Boy would a prime young tackle be welcome on a graying offensive line.
On defense it is hard to envision the Rams being as competent as they were the past few seasons. For starters, the Dr. Seuss that got all his readers to buy into the Green Eggs and Ham, Lovie Smith, has departed for bigger and better things. On the line, Grant Wistrom fled to Seattle, and Brian Young departed to New Orleans. Their best end, Leonard Little is dabbling in off-the-field troubles that could keep him off the field. That leaves the Rams with the 2003 first-round pick Jimmy Kennedy, oh wait, he?s mending a long-term injury, along with 2001 first-round picks Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis, oh wait, they?ve produced nothing.
At linebacker, the drafting is a bit better. With the departure of Jamie Duncan, Robert Thomas, Tommy Polley and Pisa Tinoisamoa will be in the news. There will be a lot of tackles for these guys to mop up.
The back end, at safety, is the one strength of the defense. Aeneas Williams and Adam Archuleta will hold it down as they usually down, and since Jerametrius Butler and Kevin Garrett will be the chaste starting cornerbacks it appears that there will be a lot of holding down to do.
This team is fracturing at the seams with a weakening defense, and a dwindling offensive line. It?s unlikely that Martz will change his pass-first, pass-second, pass-third, and run-last game plan, which does not bode well for a fracturing team.
This team is on the decline, and even playoff opportunities seem imperceptible.
O/U 9.5:
The Rams only won 4 games on the road last year, those including Pittsburgh, Chicago, Arizona and Cleveland. The latter three wins coming by a minute marginal average of 3.6 points. This team is going under as question marks surface at many key positions. Winning even 3 games inside the division could be strenuous. They play: @ATL, NO, TB, @MIA, NE, @BUF, @GB, @CAR, PHI, and NYJ.
Fantasy Sleeper:
Burning a high-end selection on Marc Bulger (with a shaky offensive line in front of him) or Marshall Faulk (with a prime prospect over his shoulder) may not be ideal. Steven Jackson will be ready at every turn to take a carry and if the season starts to go sour early, expect the Rams to develop Jackson.