St. Louis Rams: 10 Trends That Will Surely Continue Next Week Against Arizona

Despite winning two out of the last four, making it the most successful four game stretch of the season, the St. Louis Rams (2-8) are still showing some disturbing trends. 

Obviously, any team with a .200 winning percentage is not going to be a fundamentally sound group, which is certainly the case for the Rams. Consistency, or a lack thereof, has been detrimental to their 2011 season.

Fans are witnessing the same mistakes week-in-and-week-out from a team that was widely thought to be talented enough for a run at the NFC West title. The way the talent is under performing can certainly be pinned on a coaching staff that hasn't been able to develop the players or get the most out the roster. 

And there is no end in sight. 

Other than poor football, here are some trends that will continue against the Arizona Cardinals. They are not all bad, but regardless, this it what we can expect out of the team this Sunday...

10. Robert Quinn Will Continue To Grow

Despite being inactive in the Rams' opening day game against Philadelphia and receiving very little playing time in the first few weeks of the season, defensive end Robert Quinn is still putting together a quietly magnificent rookie campaign. 

Quinn was the No. 14 overall pick in last April's draft and has been flashing some of the monster potential he possesses. 

He has three sacks and two blocked punts in the last four games. He has four total sacks on the year and he also had a blocked field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs during the preseason. 

Expect Quinn to continue his rampage against Arizona this Sunday, especially since the Cardinals have a poor offensive line. 

9. Sam Bradford Will Continue To Be Inefficient

Sam Bradford is due for a breakout game at some point this season, he's too talented to continue his downward spiral. 

Bradford was just starting to click with the offense against Green Bay (29-for-45, 328 yards), but his sprained ankle at the end of that game kept him sidelined for two games and he has been unable to continue his growth ever since. 

At some point this season the offensive line will gel for a game or two and Bradford will start to click once again with the receivers. 

However, it likely will not happen against Arizona. 

Despite the Cardinals being ranked 27th in pass defense, they have talent in the secondary, such as Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. They will be able to keep Bradford in check, especially with some help from their pass rush, which will dominate the Rams weak line. 

The Rams will have to win the game on the ground with Steven Jackson, which brings us to the next point...

8. Steven Jackson Will Pound Away

After rushing for 417 yards in three weeks, Steven Jackson finally cooled off against the Seahawks last week with only 42 yards on 15 carries (2.8 yards per carry). 

Both of the Rams' starting tackles are out with injuries (Rodger Saffold, Jason Smith), so Jackson is running behind a patchwork line, which might lead you to believe that he'll be contained. 

However, the Cardinals are not stout against the run (ranked 24th in run defense), and Jackson is an elite player. He is too good to be completely held in check two weeks in a row, despite the inevitable poor run blocking that he'll receive.

7. The Receivers Will Be Unproductive

Brandon Lloyd has been very good ever since arriving in St. Louis, he has 26 catches and 322 yards in five games and has been one of only two consistent players on offense (the other being Steven Jackson). 

Lloyd has averaged 64.4 yards per game since arriving in St. Louis and had 80 yards against Arizona two weeks ago. So in the team's rematch against the Cardinals we can expect him to finish somewhere in the range of 65 to 80 yards and maybe a touchdown, which he has three of with the Rams this year. 

Lloyd is solid, but Bradford has no "bailout" option in the slot. Greg Salas and Danny Amendola, who were both solid options in the slot, are both out for the year with injuries. The only other slot option is Austin Pettis, who has been very mediocre so far in his rookie campaign (16 catches, 133 yards).

With Danario Alexander's return from a hamstring injury still questionable, the only other receiver capable of producing is Brandon Gibson, who has been a ghost the last two weeks with only four receptions and 37 yards. 

The injuries, combined the dropped balls that have been cursing the unit, so it's safe to say that the receivers will have yet another underwhelming performance. 

6. Chris Long Will Impress

The Arizona Cardinals' offensive line has surrendered 33 total sacks through 10 games, which is the third most in the NFL. 

Defensive end Chris Long has been an absolute beast for the Rams recently, with six total sacks in the last four games and nine total sacks on the season (already a career high). 

With the way Long has been playing, the Cardinals' line is in for a long day on Sunday. 

5. Penalties Will Hurt the Rams

Penalties have killed the Rams so far in 2011. They have 74 penalties on the year, which is the ninth most in the NFL. 

It's not that they can't survive going at the rate of 7.4 penalties a game, although that makes things tricky, but the timing of their penalties has been awful. 

Outside of their win against New Orleans, the Rams never fail to disappoint. Their ability to commit a procedure penalty on a promising drive, or hold in a unnecessary situation to wipe out a solid gain, is uncanny.

Then there is the occasional delay of game or unnecessary roughness, which always seems to hand the momentum right over the the opposing defense.  

There's no reason to expect a change in this trend on Sunday against Arizona. 

4. Quinn Porter Will Be Tackled Behind the 20-Yard-Line

The Rams are certainly missing Danny Amendola in the return game.

Amendola, who is out for the year with a dislocated elbow, was never a "take it to the house" type a returner, but he certainly was a fighter that found a way to give the offense some solid field position. 

Quinn Porter, a former practice squad running back for the Cleveland Browns who was claimed by the Rams early in the year, has taken over kick return duties and has not excelled, to say the least. 

Porter has attempted a return 19 times this season, and only 11 times has he brought it past the 20. But he never gets too far past the 20, as he's averaging 20.7 yards per return.

On the other eight attempts he has been tackled behind the 20, which has really been hurting him in recent weeks. 

The NFL moved the kickoff spot forward in 2011, so that's something to consider, but someone needs to tell Porter to play it safe an take a knee. He's not good enough to take it for a score, so don't even try. 

3. The Defense Will Give Up a Fourth-Quarter Touchdown

The defense has been a strong point for the Rams in recent weeks, keeping opponents relatively in check and giving the offense a reasonable opportunity to come up with a win, which they've only done twice. 

However, the defense has been letting opposing offenses slip by in the fourth quarter. 

Over the last five games the Rams' defense has allowed six fourth quarter touchdowns, which was particularly harmful against Arizona two weeks ago when Larry Fitzgerald's touchdown with just under four minutes left was the difference in the game. 

You can't really blame the Rams' defense. The stale offense commits so many three-and-outs that no one can reasonably expect the defense to stay rested and effective for four full quarters. 

2. The Offensive Line Will Be Dominated

The Rams have been forced to put together an amateur offensive line due to injuries at the position, but the line wasn't even good to begin with when healthy. 

Tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold are both injured. Saffold is out for the season, and while Smith has a chance to return, his serious concussion makes missing the season a realistic possibility.

Saffold's replacement at left-tackle, Mark LeVoir, was injured last week against Seattle with a pec injury and could be sidelined for up to four weeks. Third-stringer Kevin Hughes is the current left-tackle, despite having a pathetic performance against Seattle. 

Jason Brown, the Rams' starting center since 2009 and a $37.5 million free agent, lost his starting job ever since his poor performance against the Cardinals two weeks ago. However, he could possibly be forced into action again if the injuries continue.  

Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett and rookie outside-linebacker Sam Acho are capable of creating a dominate pass rush for the Cardinals and the three of them should excel in St. Louis this Sunday. 

1.  The Offense Will Be Atrocious

The Rams have scored only 120 total points through 10 games this season, which averages out to 12.0 points per game, making them the worst ranked offense in the NFL. 

The Rams have scored only 33 points in their last three games combined. If you take away their win against the Saints, a game where they score 31 points, the Rams next highest point total in a game this season is 16, which was against the Giants back in Week 2. 

The word "pathetic" does not rightfully describe the state of the Rams' offense. The point of the NFL is to provide entertainment and the Rams are certainly not entertaining to watch while they lose.

In other words, they are even bad at losing. 

There's likely nothing that will revitalize the offense by Sunday, so expect another poor offensive performance against the Cardinals, who the Rams were only able to score 13 points against two weeks ago. 

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. 

Rams @ Cowboys: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The St. Louis Rams (0-6) fell short once again this season, this time against the Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas. 

Not only are the Rams winless in 2011, but they have lost nine of their last ten games dating back to the 2010 season. They have not even been competitive in a single game this season. It could be argued that their game against the Redskins was close given the 17-10 score, but the score is deceiving; they were completely overwhelmed throughout that game. 


Steve Spagnuolo is on the hot seat. There's no question or debate about it like there was two or three weeks ago. 


Really, the only question is whether to fire him during the season or afterwards. 


It's possible that owner Stan Kroenke will see how the team performs in the second half of the season against weaker teams before making a final decision, but it's also possible that he'll just get fed up with the embarrassment and send him packing after one or two more losses. 


But for now, here's what the Rams did against Dallas, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly...


THE GOOD

Well, the Rams scored a touchdown against the Dallas defense. That's been a rare feat for a Rams team that only scored four total touchdowns in the first five games. With six games played so far in 2011, they have yet to score two touchdowns in a single game. So the good news is they met their peak against Dallas. 


And Donnie Jones sure can punt the ball, he's a hell of a punter. 


Other than that, the offensive line allowed only one sack (but took a step backwards in run blocking), Brandon Lloyd had a solid debut with the Rams (six catches, 74 yards) and Steven Jackson had a solid afternoon with 70 yards a a score, despite having no run lanes whatsoever.  




THE BAD

The Rams managed to get an assortment of stupid penalties, once again, such as putting 12 men on the field and jumping offsides, proving once again that this team has very little discipline (although it was still one of their better games in 2011 penalty wise).  


A.J. Feeley was not terrible in the backup role. He went 20-for-33 with 196 yards and an interception. But he was unable to establish any rhythm whatsoever despite being sacked only once. 


The defense, the group that was suppose to be a strong point in 2011, was humiliated. They held Tony Romo to only 166 yards, but he threw for a pair of touchdowns. The run defense was gutted for 295 rushing yards, with 253 of yards coming from a rookie running back (DeMarco Murray). 


THE UGLY


It's becoming increasingly clear that the Rams' coaches are in over their heads. They are so overwhelmed with the task at hand that they cannot even begin to know where to start or what to focus on. 


The group is not improving week after week like they should, in fact they are worse in many aspects. 


The look on Steve Spagnuolo's face on gameday is that of a lost child in a grocery store, checking every aisle for his inattentive mother. 


Whether it was the challenge of Cadillac Williams' fumble, running the ball for the third time in a row on third-and-long, or the refusal to utilize weapons such as Danario Alexander and Lance Kendricks in the game plan, it was perfectly clear that the coaches were outmatched. 

St. Louis Rams: Five Keys to their Loss vs the Cowboys

The St. Louis Rams (0-6) fell short once again in a 34-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys (3-3). 

The Rams had a lot of factors working against them, such as quarterback Sam Bradford missing the game due to injury, as well as being on the road in Texas. However, excuses are getting very old for Rams fans and patience is running very thin.

The Rams needed a win, regardless of who was playing quarterback, and regardless of where the game was being played. But they failed to get it done. 


Here are the keys to their loss against the Cowboys...




1. Incompetent Coaching


The game was not only a loss for the Rams, but it was flat out boring. 


It was a snooze fest. You'd think that their 0-5 record would inspire the players to at least put up a thrilling fight regardless of the outcome, but that didn't happen. They continue to be by far the most disappointing team in the NFL this season. 

The team was completely uninspired, but apparently the players deserved a trip to Disney Land (aka tickets to the baseball Cardinals' World Series game) for their hard work, because clearly the players on an 0-5 team (now 0-6) should be rewarded. At least that's what head coach Steve Spagnuolo believes. 


The coaching staff also believes in running the ball for a third time in a row on 3rd-and-long, despite being down by two touchdowns. 


And you'd think that a coach who's been labeled as a "defensive guru" in the past would be able to get his defense to hold a rookie running back under 250 yards, but apparently scheming is not the current coaching staff's strong suit. 


Barring a spectacular second half to the season, Steve Spagnuolo will be one of two head coaches who will certainly be fired after the season (the other obviously being Tony Sparano of the Miami Dolphins).      


2. A Career Journeyman Starting At Quarterback


Sam Bradford was held out of the game with a high ankle sprain, so the Rams gave the nod to backup A.J. Feeley.


Feeley didn't have an awful games with all things considered. He went 20-for-33 with 196 yards and an interception. 


However, he frequently under or over threw his receivers, and the offense never showed the slightest bit of rhythm. Even their one scoring drive of the game was not a result of the offense finding rhythm, but rather the result of a big gain on the ground by Steven Jackson. 


Feeley has a career quarterback rating of 69.3 and a career completion percentage of 55.7 percent. The Rams never really had a legitimate shot at beating Dallas with Feeley under center. 


With Bradford's 328 yard performance against the Green Bay Packers last week, and not to mention the addition of Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Lloyd (who had a solid game with 74 yards), it's hard to believe that the offense wouldn't have gained some extra pop with Bradford in the game. 


3. Inability to Stop the Run


James Laurinaitis and Quintin Mikell can only to so much on defense. They need support from the guys in front of them and beside them. 


Outside linebackers Chris Chamberlain, Bryan Kehl and Brady Poppinga looked like the Three Stooges when it came to tackling. 


Also, it's clear that defensive tackle Fred Robbins, despite his nearly Pro Bowl worthy 2010 season, has aged to the point of being useless.  There have been plenty of fans commenting on how the Rams should use their 2012 first round draft pick on a cornerback or receiver, but the team will be getting relief at cornerback after their top three guys return from injury in 2012, and they are already seeing relief at receiver with Brandon Lloyd and Mark Clayton (who should be ready to play soon enough). Therefore, it's possible that defensive tackle is the biggest hole on the team. 

Giving up 253 rushing yards to a rookie running back is nothing short of pathetic, and the members of the Rams' front eight should be ashamed for the further embarrassment they've brought upon their city.


4.   Turnovers


Before the game got out of hand, the Rams were only trailing 17-7, and ten of the Cowboys' first 17 points came as the result of turnovers by the Rams. 


A fumble by Cadillac Williams resulted in Dallas scoring their second touchdown of the game, while A.J. Feeley's interception resulted in a field goal. 


It might not seem like much considering the final score of 34-7, but if the Rams entered halftime with the game tied at 7-7 (maybe even winning if they scored points on the two drives they turned the ball over), then the momentum of the game in the second half could have been entirely different. 


5.  Playing On the Road


The Rams are struggling to win a single game, regardless of where the game is being played. 


It's not like the current Rams have a huge advantage at the Edward Jones Dome given their overall inferiority as a professional football team, but home field advantage could have helped them limit the damage. 


The Rams are struggling to even be competitive in their games. Outside of their game against the Redskins, they haven't even come close to winning a game. So asking them to win on the road in Dallas was asking for the moon.