Rams vs Seahawks: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The St. Louis Rams (2-8) fell victim to the Seattle Seahawks (4-6) with a final score of 24-7. It was an absolute embarrassment for the Rams in front of their home crowd at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. 


Prior to the Seattle game, the Rams had won two of their last three games, and even the one loss during that three game stretch came against the Arizona Cardinals in a close battle that ended in overtime. 


For a moment it seemed as though the Rams were done rolling over for second-tier NFL teams, but just when things began to improve, Seattle came to town to serve a big plate full of reality. 


The Rams, as a team, are completely lost. The offense they put on the field against Seattle was nothing short of an embarrassment to the fanbase and the entire city of St. Louis. 


Putting up only seven total points against a beatable opponent on your home field is unacceptable even for a high school team, but when it happens to a professional team it's just a shining example of how lost and incompetent the leadership really is. 


But for now, here is the breakdown of Sunday's game against Seattle...

The Good

The fact that Seattle scored 24 points might suggest the defense had a below average game, but that's not the case. They actually played an excellent game. 


The pathetic Rams offense can only have so many three-and-outs before the defense gets winded and starts coughing up points. If the Rams were capable of fielding even a half-competent offense then the defense would have likely held Seattle to less than ten points. 


Safety Quintin Mikell had a solid start to the game, recording a forced fumble and an interception on back-to-back plays. The other safety, Darian Stewart, continued to look like a rising star with eight tackles and a sack. 

James Laurinaitis was a madman with 13 tackles, while defensive ends Chris Long, James Hall and Robert Quinn each recorded a sack (Quinn had a blocked punt as well). 


Linebacker Chris Chamberlain had an interception early in the first quarter, but was very average for the remainder of the game.


Brandon Lloyd is the only offensive player worth mentioning—he had five catches for 67 yards, including a 30 yard touchdown reception for the Rams' only score of the game.  




The Bad



Sam Bradford had an awful game. It was just absolutely terrible, but that's not to say he was even given the opportunity to succeed to begin with. 


The pass blocking was atrocious. For every play Bradford had decent protection, there were three where he could feel Seattle's defensive line breathing down his neck. His blindside was completely vulnerable for the majority of the game. 


Also, the receivers struggled with dropped passes once again. 


You can't blame Bradford when his line is committing stupid personal foul and false start penalties (all while providing no protection), and his receivers drop passes and have zero physical presence. But it is fair to say he wasn't on top of his game.


Steven Jackson was another player that didn't play up to his full potential. He had 42 yards on 15 carries (2.8 yards per carry) and no touchdowns. But like Bradford, Jackson is only as good as his linemen allow him to be.

The Ugly

This doesn't necessarily involve the Seattle game alone, but here are some ugly thoughts concerning the current state of the Rams offense...


Josh McDaniels was brought to St. Louis because he was thought of as an offensive guru that ran an offense that was compatible with the strengths of Sam Bradford. 

The Rams refused to hire a quarterback coach to guide Bradford. The team was under the impression that McDaniels would take Bradford under his wing while simultaneously operating the entire offense. 


Not only has Bradford regressed under McDaniels' watch, but the entire offense has seemingly been reduced to debris. 


Bradford has only five touchdown passes in eight games, while the rest of the offense has been equally awful:


- Yards per game (297.9, ranked 30th)


- Total points (120, ranked 32nd)


- Points per game (12.0, ranked 32nd)


- Yards per play (4.5, ranked 31st)


- Third-down efficiency (29.1 percent, ranked 32nd)


- Penalties (74, ranked 24th)


Another offensive coach, besides McDaniels, who should not be overlooked is offensive line coach Steve Loney. Loney was the only coach retained from the Scott Linehan era, which is mind-boggling considering the line was equally bad during those years. 


Here's what old Steve has been given to work with...


Jacob Bell ($36 million free agent), Jason Smith (No. 2 overall pick, 2009), Jason Brown ($37.5 million free agent), Rodger Saffold (No. 33 overall pick, 2010), Harvey Dahl ($16 million free agent). 


Every lineman Loney has put his hands on has regressed dramatically. He should have been fired three different times by now. 


When you consider the less than brilliant moves made by the team, such as not hiring a quarterback coach and retaining Loney, it's really not that hard to believe how bad the Rams offense has been. 

St. Louis Rams: Should They Bring Back the West Coast Offense?

The St. Louis Rams have lost all hope, currently sitting with a 1-7 record in what was suppose to be a season where they made a run at the NFC West title.


Their 31-21 victory over the Saints, which was their first and only win of the season that came after six consecutive losses, provided a temporary numbing effect across the fanbase that caused them to think that maybe the Rams just got off on the wrong foot in 2011.


However, their 19-13 overtime loss against the Arizona Cardinals, a game the Rams dominated in every aspect, put the sour smell back into the air.


At this point, with no playoff hopes to cling to and signs of great regression throughout the team, it's looking more and more like coach Steve Spagnuolo is making a death march with the guillotines waiting for him after the Week 17 finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.


With the seemingly inevitable departure of Spagnuolo, it's more than likely offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be sent packing as well, especially since his offense is currently one of the worst in the NFL with an average of 12.5 points per game (31st) and 314.1 yards per game (23rd).


If McDaniels is gone, then that means quarterback Sam Bradford will be forced to learn his third different playbook in as many seasons.


Continuity is important for a young franchise quarterback. San Francisco's Alex Smith is a perfect example of how constant change can greatly hinder the development of a quarterback. Smith went through five different coordinators in his first five seasons and was considered a colossal bust as a No. 1 overall pick until now.


The Rams cannot expect Bradford to reach his potential if he is bombarded with a new playbook every single year. He has to be able to enter 2012 with some sense for the playbook and some experience in the system.


He has had some struggles with the current Josh McDaniels offense, even if he does look sharp at times. He may be able to eventually grasp the finer points of the offense and excel, but then again, maybe he won't.


So if the Rams must change coaches once again, then why not bring back the same West Coast offense that Bradford excelled in as a rookie in 2010?


The 2010 offense, coordinated by Pat Shurmur at the time, is a very common system in the NFL that is used by teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cleveland Browns, the Green Bay Packers, the Atlanta Falcons, the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers.

If owner Stan Kroenke feels the need to rid the team of Spagnuolo and McDaniels, it is crucial that the Rams not only bring back the West Coast system, but make sure the new coaches alter the playbook to meet Bradford's needs, such as using the same terminology that he used in 2010.


It's also important that they revoke Bradford's freedom to call out blocks for the offensive line. Give that responsibility back to center Jason Brown and allow Bradford to just focus on the play without being mentally overwhelmed. Maybe when he's a six or seven year battle-tested veteran he can have complete control, but not now.


The most important thing is that Bradford enters 2012 with a system he already knows rather than being brought back to square-one for the third time in a row.


It looks like Philadelphia could fall short of the playoffs, so if they are foolish enough to fire Andy Reid then he would make an excellent head coach for the Rams. The Rams' 2010 offense basically came directly from Reid's offense, so it would be a smooth transition.


If not Reid, then there are plenty of other coaches out there who rose through the ranks under teams running the West Coast offense.


Is it realistic to believe that widely hyped offensive players such as Rodger Saffold, Jason Smith, Jason Brown and even Bradford went from being rising stars to jokes within ten months, just "because"?


No, it's not realistic. It's a problem with the coaching and the scheming. It needs to be fixed, which can be done by bringing back the 2010 offense that Bradford excelled under. He may be great in McDaniels' system someday, but we know he can be great in the West Coast system as early as next season.

Will Spags Feel the Heat If the Rams Lose Tomorrow Against Washington?

Prior to the season, if you said that Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo could be on the hot seat four games into the 2011 season, you would be called crazy.


Last season the Rams bounced back from a terrible 1-15 2009 season. They finished with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs by one game and rookie quarterback Sam Bradford was the offensive Rookie of the Year. Also, the defense was ranked 12th in points allowed per game.

But given the current state of the team, will Spagnuolo's job be threatened with a loss against theWashington Redskins this coming Sunday?


Logic says that Spagnuolo is safe, even if the Rams lose Sunday and fall to an 0-4 record. 


The Rams are still very much in the hunt for the NFC West title, with a much lighter second half of the season. Even if they lose Sunday, there is still time to cover ground in their embarrassingly weak division. 


The Rams enter their Bye Week after this Sunday. Then they enter a grueling three-game stretch against the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints.


However, they'll see some light at the end of the tunnel with two games against each of their woeful division opponents, as well as the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. They also finish the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are the only clear playoff team on the second half of the Rams schedule.


But winning football games is not like riding a bicycle. If the Rams enter their Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals with six or even seven losses, can anyone really expect the demoralized team to just flip on a switch and win games? 

It might take the Rams some time to find a groove during the second half of the season, which could result in a very disappointing outcome when considering the city of St. Louis was fully anticipating a division title. 


You can blame it on the schedule or injuries, but truthfully a fanbase that has witnessed their team win only 13 games in the previous four seasons combined is not going to be very forgiving when it comes to excuses, especially considering the hype that surrounded the team entering the season.


The fans may call for blood. 


And honestly it might not even take until the end of the season. 


With a team that is showing very little emotion at the moment, and with three very tough losses to start the season, can owner Stan Kroenke stomach three or four more consecutive losses that are just as troublesome?


If the downward spiral continues, the Rams could perhaps turn to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel to finish the season as the interim head coach, given his coaching experience in Denver, and the team would likely find a new coach in the offseason.

It's not as if it's too soon to pull the trigger, at least not by the standards of other teams. 


Jim Mora, Mike Singletary, Tom Cable and Eric Mangini were all fired by their respective teams. They were all hired in 2009, the same year Spagnuolo was hired by St. Louis.



But the best thing the Rams can do as a franchise is get back on track and win football games.


Continuity wins in the NFL, so bringing in a new coaching staff will only set the franchise back even further.


Not to mention, if the Rams clean house, Sam Bradford would be forced to learn his third different system in as many years, which is not good for a young quarterback, unless the team is fine with him turning into another Alex Smith.  


So if the Rams want to avoid disaster and several more years of setbacks, the team needs to figure out how to win—and soon. 

Which Rams Receiver Will Be a Gem In 2011?

The St. Louis Rams had a wide receiver deficiency in 2011 to say the least.

Actually, they had arguable the worst group of receivers in the NFL if you look at statistics such as the team's very low yards per reception average of 9.9. Also, their number of receptions over 20 yards (36) was the third worst in the NFL, and their number of catches over 40 yards (four) was tied for second-to-last.

Mark Clayton emerged as the Rams top receiver for the first four games of 2010 before going down with a season-ending knee injury, and after Clayton was out Danny Amendola stepped up as the new primary target.

Although Amendola had an admirable season, finishing with 85 receptions and leading the NFL in all-purpose yards, he was still unable to get downfield on deep routes and he only averaged 8.1 yards per catch.

So with Clayton not fully recovered from his knee surgery, and with Amendola still incapable of providing a long ball threat, who will step up as the Rams top receiver in 2011?

Surely it has to be someone.

Rams Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels has created six 1,000 yard receivers over the last four seasons as either a coordinator or head coach— Randy Moss (2007, 2008), Wes Welker (2007, 2008), Brandon Marshall (2009) and Brandon Lloyd (2010).

So with McDaniels' ability to squeeze production out of his receivers, combined with stability at the quarterback position, it's likely that one of the Rams receivers will produce the numbers expected out of a No.1 wide receiver, despite the team's lack of overall talent at the position.

Which receiver will break the barrier and develop into the Rams first 1,000 yard receiver since Torry Holt in 2007? But more importantly, who has what it takes to be Sam Bradford's "go to guy"?


Mike Sims-Walker

At 6'2" and 212 pounds with 4.3 second 40-yard-dash speed, recently acquired free agent Mike Sims-Walker dominates the other Rams receivers in the physical tools department.

He has been closer to 1,000 yards than any other receiver currently on the team as a result of his 869 yard season in 2009, and he's clearly the most dangerous end-zone target with seven touchdowns in each of his last two seasons, which is a significant upgrade considering all of the Rams wide receivers combined for only 10 total touchdowns in 2010.

The only thing really standing in the way of Sims-Walker becoming the top receiver is injuries, but his injury rap sheet is over exaggerated— he missed seven games as a rookie in 2008 due to a knee injury, but has only missed three games in the last two seasons combined.

The only other factor working against Sims-Walker is a possible lack of chemistry between him and Bradford due to the lockout, but that's something that will go away with time. Bradford developed familiarity with Clayton and Amendola rather quickly as a rookie last year.

Brandon Gibson

Although Sims-Walker has a lot more name recognition, that doesn't change the fact that Brandon Gibson is currently sitting at the top of the depth chart as the team's No.1 wide receiver.

Some fans may balk at the idea of Gibson becoming the lead receiver, which is understandable given his mediocrity throughout the first two seasons of his career in 2009 and 2010. However, it takes time for receivers to develop and find their groove, so don't count Gibson out just because of past performances.

Here is a list of well-known receivers and the number of seasons it took for them the reach 1,000 yards for the first time:

Miles Austin (Four Seasons)
Marvin Harrison (Four Seasons)
Reggie Wayne (Four Seasons)
Wes Welker (Five Seasons)
Vincent Jackson (Four Seasons)
Terrell Owens (Three Seasons)
Roddy White (Three Seasons)
Greg Jennings (Three Seasons)
Steve Smith (Three Seasons) *Carolina Panthers
Donald Driver (Four Seasons)
Santonio Holmes (Four Seasons)
Brandon Lloyd (Eight Seasons)

The point being that it's fairly rare for a receiver to enter the NFL and become a 1,000 yard guy within his first two years, especially a sixth-round draft pick like Brandon Gibson.

As you can see from the list, a lot of receivers turn the corner during their third NFL season. That doesn't mean that Gibson is guaranteed to play at a high level, but it's ridiculous to completely judge his ability after only two years in the league.

If the preseason is any indication, then Gibson could have a big year.

Danny Amendola

Danny Amendola is frequently referred to as a "poor man's Wes Welker", but is that really the case? Why is Amendola not every bit the player that Welker is? After all, when you break it down, the two are practically identical.

Here's is a little bio comparison on the two:

Wes Welker (5'9, 185 pounds)  Danny Amendola (5'11", 188 pounds)

Welker's College: Texas Tech
Amendola's College: Texas Tech

Welker's College Stats: 259 receptions, 3069 yards, 21 touchdowns
Amendola's College Stats: 204 receptions, 2246 yards, 15 touchdowns

Welker's First Two Seasons of NFL Action: 29 receptions 434 yards, 67 receptions 687 yards
Amendola's First Two Seasons of NFL Action: 43 receptions 326 yards, 85 receptions 689 yards

In Welker's third season of NFL action he went on to catch 112 balls for 1,175 yards under Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. Amendola is about the enter his third NFL season... under coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Yes, there is a big difference between the Patriots supporting cast and the Rams, but if those coincidences don't convince you that it's at least possible for Amendola to become the same level of receiver as Welker, then nothing will.

Amendola is Bradford's favorite target, which is why he had 85 catches last year. Except this year opposing defenses won't have the luxury of closing in on him due to the presence of Mike Sims-Walker and Lance Kendricks.

Conclusion


Between the Rams top three wide receivers (Mike Sims-Walker, Brandon Gibson and Danny Amendola), each of them are generating signs in their own unique way that they are about to break loose.

So given the maturity of the team, along with a respectable coordinator in Josh McDaniels, a solid offensive line, a decent run game, as well as a capable quarterback in Sam Bradford, it's not really a question of "if" one of the receiver will have a breakout year, it's more a question of "who".

And with the potential of each receiver clear as day, it's anybody's guess in the end.

NFL Lockout: Sabotaging the Rams Newly Gained Respect

St. Louis Rams fans have heard the typical theories on how the lockout could negatively effect the team.

Second year quarterback Sam Bradford can't even talk to the newly hired offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and the same goes for all of the young offensive players surrounding Bradford.

There's also their first round draft pick from last April, Robert Quinn, who already missed his final season in college due to a NCAA suspension. Since he's already been out of football for a year, the Rams can't afford to put Quinn through a bite size version of training camp.

And of course there are also the issues that are burdening every NFL team, such as the inability to sign draft picks and free agents.

But the Rams have another reason to be concerned, which stems from the overall futility of the franchise between the 2007 and 2009 seasons— a stretch that brought them only six combined wins in three years.

Though the team's 7-9 record in 2010 was certainly a pleasant surprise, the fans of St. Louis are still demoralized from the lack of production in recent years.

Sure, the Rams sold just enough tickets in 2010 in order to avoid any television blackouts, but it was a photo finish every time. They met the minimum requirements for ticket sales, but the dome was never loaded to the roof with crazed Rams fans.

So even though the 2010 season was a major step towards rebuilding the relationship with fans, it was still not enough, at least not yet.

However, the NFL decided to help the cause when drawing up the Rams 2011 schedule.

Despite the team's pitiful performance on Monday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks for the 2010 season finale, the NFL was able to overlook that and give the Rams two Monday night games in 2011.

The first is scheduled against the New York Giants during Week 2, while the second is Week 14 against the Seahawks.

The Rams were also fortunate enough to be chosen to play in the annual preseason Hall of Fame game against the Chicago Bears (due to Marshall Faulk's induction into the Hall of Fame this year).

Those prime time games could go a long way towards regenerating the Rams hype within the city of St. Louis, but not if the NFL lockout has anything to say about it.

If the lockout drags on past July 15th then there's a real possibility that the Hall of Fame game could be canceled, which would kill the team's first 2011 appearance on the national spotlight.

Also, since the Rams second prime time event is against the Giants during Week 2, a shortened training camp could ruin that event as well.

The Giants are just pound-for-pound a more talented and more experienced team, so the Rams can't expect to put on an entertaining show against a team as good as the Giants that early in the season if there is a shortened training camp, especially since the game is being played in the Meadowlands.

That would leave the Week 14 game against Seattle as the team's only real chance to make a splash on the national stage.

Sure, the Rams could put together a solid season and even win the NFC West, but that's not enough to rejuvenate the fans, at least not on it's own.

To really force the casual fans to take notice, the team needs major outlets such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated to take up their cause and build their hype.

That hype just won't happen with games that air at noon and earn five seconds of national highlight coverage.

But luckily for the Rams, there's a real possibility that the lockout could be ending soon, which means they will have a chance to capitalize on their prime time opportunities.

If that happens, the fair weather fans could finally come out of the woodwork and once again turn the Edward Jones Dome into one of the most feared stadiums in the NFL.