St. Louis Rams Now Look Toward Future Following 1-15 Season

ST. LOUIS — There won’t be any knee-jerk reactions at Rams Park.

Following a 1-15 season that ended with Sunday’s 28-6 loss to San Francisco, Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said he won’t make any changes to his coaching staff as he heads into his first full offseason.

“You don’t just jump ship on the process, schemes or people,” Spagnuolo said. “You stick with what you believe in. If you didn’t believe in it, you shouldn’t have put it in in the first place. I have to sit down and evaluate everything, but we’ve got to give it time.”

Spagnuolo admitted that the team will need to upgrade its talent to avoid a fourth straight losing season.

“That is part of it. Every team has to do that,” Spagnuolo said. “There will be some other things. I’ve got to do a lot of evaluating this week. We’ve got to look at all three phases scheme-wise. You’ve go to look at them. We would do that if we were 15-1.”

The Rams won just six games over the last three seasons, and own the worst winning percentage and most losses of any three-year stretch in franchise history.

“I fully expected us to win more football games,” Spagnuolo said. “That part was disappointing. It was a hard season, and I think it was more difficult on (the players).”

It didn’t help that the team placed 13 players on injured reserve. That number that could have been 16 had tackle Jason Smith, cornerback Quincy Butler and defensive end Leonard Little—all of whom missed the team’s final three games—been put on the list.

“Through everything we went through, and all the adversity, there wasn’t anybody on the team jumping ship or pointing fingers,” said Spagnuolo, adding that the team will research how to avoid future injuries.

“We have to look at them all to see how they happen,” Spagnuolo said. “Some of them are freak, we all know that. Each case you have to take on an individual basis because it is a physical game, it is a contact game. I don’t know how you prevent one big guy from falling on another guy’s leg. I don’t know how you prevent that, but we will look at it.”

The Rams were competitive in about half their games before fading late. Spagnuolo said learning how to win games like the 28-23 home loss to New Orleans and and Sunday’s loss, when the Rams led 3-0 at halftime and trailed 7-6 after three quarters, will come as the team matures.

“We were a young football team,” Spagnuolo said. “In the course of those games where we were right there, typically it was a play or two here or there. We can’t do that. Somewhere in there, those one or two plays have to go the other way. We have to make them go the other way.

“Whether it’s a play change, and player change, I fully believe we’ll get there.”

Spagnuolo continued by “half-kidding” that those plays “even out in the end.”

“If we had a bad break this year, I’m banking on a good one next year,” Spagnuolo said, drawing laughter from the media gathered at Rams Park. “But I fully believe that the pains we through this year, we’ll be stronger for it, and those pains will affect us in a positive way.”

Over the last week, Spagnuolo said he tried to speak with each player individually about the offseason, and their future with the team, but said that neither he nor general manager Billy Devaney have made personnel decisions.

“We’ll get into that soon, but we’ve got time for that,” Spagnuolo said.

Spagnuolo would not address a question about a “wish list” for positional needs. He deflected the question by saying he needed to “get over the San Francisco game first.”

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is regarded as college football’s best player and is the favorite to be the top pick in April’s draft. It’s a pick owned by the Rams, but Spagnuolo would not offer an opinion on the 6-foot-4, 305-pound interior lineman who recorded 12 sacks and 22 1/2 tackles for a loss as a senior.

“Billy and I have to sit down. I haven’t had a chance to look at any college players,” Spagnuolo said.

As the Rams begin that process, Spagnuolo is already looking forward to a positive 2010 season.

“There’s nothing like being in a locker room of an NFL team after winning just because of everything that goes into it during the week and what the guys do together, just the craving for that feeling,” Spagnuolo said. “Unfortunately, we will have to wait however many months that is to get that feeling again.”

This article can also be found at The Alton Telegraph (Published Jan. 4)

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Jackson’s Second Pro Bowl Selection a Well-Deserved Honor

ST. LOUIS — A day after Steven Jackson was selected to his second Pro Bowl, the Rams running back spoke to the media about the honor.

“It says a lot from my peers, the coaches around the NFL and even the fans for them to consider me one of the best at the position,” Jackson said Wednesday at Rams Park. “It really means a lot to me. I put in a lot of hard work in the offseason. I surprised the guys, the offensive unit, with a gift to show my appreciation of all of the hard work that they put in as well.”

Jackson leads the NFC in rushing with 1,353 yards, good for second in the NFL behind only Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, who has 1,872. Jackson’s 1,675 yards from scrimmage ranks fifth in the NFL.

So it should come as no surprise that Jackson was chosen as one of three NFC running backs to play in the Jan. 31 game at Landshark Stadium in Miami.

“A lot of people said that I should have expected that,” Jackson said. “It’s one of those things that I don’t like to count the eggs before they hatch. I was just really happy when I finally got the phone call.”

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said he was “very excited and happy for him, proud of him, excited for the whole offense really in that regard.”

“I really liked the things he said about his teammates,” Spagnuolo added. “He’s just a class guy and I always held him in that regard, that kind of caliber player, and I am glad that the rest of the league, the fans and the people who voted recognize him as such.”

Jackson has been the offense for a 1-14 Rams team that ranks 27th in total offense and passing, and is dead last in scoring. He’s done so behind a shuffled offensive line and while battling a nagging back injury that caused him to miss last week’s 31-10 loss at Arizona. It was the first game he’s missed all season. Just once, 2006, has Jackson played all 16 games of an NFL season, and that year was the best season of his six-year career. He ran for 1,528 yards in 2006 and 13 scores while amassing another 806 yards on 90 receptions and three touchdowns. Those numbers earned him his first Pro Bowl nod.

Jackson entered this season as an embattled player who publicly criticized both the organization and the fans, but grew into a leadership role for one of the youngest teams in the league. Kyle Boller, one of three starting quarterbacks the Rams have used this season, said Tuesday’s Pro Bowl selection was a well-deserved honor for the now more mature Jackson.

“I think he’s had a great year and (he’s) a hardworking guy,” Boller said. “We’ve been in a lot of games. It’s not like we’ve gotten blown out every game. I definitely think that the team is making progress.”

Jackson is unsure if he will be able to play in the Pro Bowl, but wants to. Right now his focus is getting back on the field for Sunday’s season finale against San Francisco, and former teammate Isaac Bruce, at the Edward Jones Dome. Jackson admitted Tuesday on his Twitter page that the season’s been a struggle, and reiterated that on Wednesday.

“I will remember this season as a trying season,” Jackson said. “A season that I think we as a team overcame a lot. No question what we’re building. Everyone is playing hard. Everyone is lobbying for next year. I think now we have a core of good guys. We just got to go and bring in some other guys to help us.

“All I can do is get myself ready for hopefully another successful season. I trust and believe that things that need to get addressed will get addressed.”

The Rams also voted on a pair of team honors this week. Ted Crews, the Rams’ Senior Director of Communications, was given the team’s hero award. Defensive end James Hall, who missed Sunday’s loss at Arizona because of the birth of his first child, received the team’s Ed Block Courage Award.

“I think that is a neat award,” Spagnuolo said of Hall’s distinction. “I think it says a lot about the person that fought through something, whether it was an injury or some kind of adversity, and I am happy that James was the guy this year. There were certainly other guys who were very worthy of that particular award, but James will be our representative this year and we are proud that he is.”

This article can also be found at The Alton Telegraph. (Published Dec. 30)

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Rams-Seahawks: Justin Forsett, Seattle Run over St. Louis

ST. LOUIS—A potential 10-point swing late in the second quarter proved to be the difference.

With St. Louis driving for what would have been, at worst, a field goal attempt, Josh Wilson’s interception return for a touchdown gave Seattle a lead it would never relinquish.

The pick-six gave a 14-7 advantage to the Seahawks, who got a career-high 130 yards and two touchdowns from Justin Forsett en route to a 27-17 win Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.

“It was definitely fun and it was a blessing just to get an opportunity,” said Forsett, who started in place of the injured Julius Jones. “Any time I get an opportunity to start, it’s a dream of mine. The offensive line did a great job today opening holes and it all worked out.”

Forsett’s previous career-high came two weeks ago, when he ran for 123 yards in a 31-20 loss at Arizona.

His 25-yard gallop down the left sideline on Seattle’s second possession set up his 3-yard run for the game’s first score.

St. Louis’ Steven Jackson, a game-time decision because of back spasms, finished with 116 total yards, including 89 on the ground and a late touchdown. Jackson’s first run was for 25 yards, but he was largely held in check after that. He had 53 yards on 12 carries at halftime.

“We knew I wasn’t going to be 100 percent, but we wanted to make sure that I was able to play,” Jackson said. “It held up enough for me to get through the game.”

The Rams were without starting quarterback Marc Bulger with a broken leg. Backup Kyle Boller was intercepted twice, including Wilson’s 65-yard return in the second.

“He seems to find the end zone whenever he gets the ball in his hands,” Seattle coach Jim Mora said of Wilson. “He’s done it more than once.”

The Seahawks were driving again late in first, but Louis Rankin’s fumble at the Rams 35 was recovered by Justin King.

Following the turnover, Ruvell Martin finally made an impact for the Rams—picking up 27 yards down to the Seattle 21 late in the first. After an 11-yard pass to Danny Amendola, Boller lofted the ball to Donnie Avery in the corner to knot things up at 7-7 with 13:34 remaining in the second.

Boller was able to make some plays with his legs but was still hit 13 times. The former first-round draft pick saw Kearney coming on a blitz but put a perfect touch on the ball out to a wide-open Martin for a 33-yard gain just before the two-minute warning. Martin had two catches in the game for 60 yards.

The Wilson interception quickly followed the big gain.

Boller finished 28-of-45 for 282 yards and a touchdown to Avery. He also ran for 26 yards. His second interception came in the end zone, when Jordan Babineaux grabbed an underthrown pass intended for Amendola.

The Seahawks did a good job of showing different coverages and blitzes to put pressure on Boller, who was sacked four times.

“It’s frustrating,” Boller said. “It felt like we were in the game and just couldn’t get over the hump. We needed to score more points and have fewer turnovers.”

Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck didn’t have to do much, finishing 14-of-25 passing for 102 yards. Seattle netted 170 yards on the ground to just 95 through the air.

“I’m not at all upset about that,” Hasselbeck said. “We’ve been working hard to get the run game going, and it was definitely a point of emphasis this week. The fact that we had some breakout, explosive plays in the running game and were able to punch it in a couple times is a really good thing.”

Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis sacked Hasselbeck on the game’s first play, leading to a 3-and-out, but it was the only St. Louis sack of the game.

Seattle (4-7) scored on its next possession after Josh Brown missed a 46-yard field goal. The field goal attempt came after Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo passed on a 4th-and-1 from the Seattle 29.

St. Louis later tried to convert a 4th-and-4, but Boller’s pass to Avery was deflected by Kelly Jennings and into Wilson’s hands.

“Kelly Jennings made a heck of a play,” Wilson said. “He broke up the pass and once I got the ball in my hands, I was thinking end zone the whole time.”

The interception return put the Seahawks up 14-7, but the Rams were able to get a Brown field goal before halftime. Spagnuolo didn’t second-guess his earlier decision.

“I think I would do it again,” Spagnuolo said. “The thought process there was I honestly thought we could make a first down. If we didn’t, I was OK with the defense and the way they were playing.”

The Rams moved the ball 43 yards on 10 plays in 1:38 to set up Brown’s 55-yard kick.

The teams exchanged punts to begin the second half, but K.C. Asiodu partially blocked the Seattle punt to give the Rams great field position at the Seattle 35. A few plays later came the Babineaux interception.

Runs of 10 and 19 yards, respectively, from Seattle quarterbacks Seneca Wallace and Hasselbeck helped drive the Seahawks deep inside St. Louis territory again. That led to an Olindo Mare field goal of 29 yards to put Seattle up 17-10 with 3:37 remaining in the third.

Mare, who played college ball at MacMurray College in Jacksonville before transferring to Syracuse, consistently gave the Rams a long field. He had four touchbacks, and Amendola returned the other two kickoffs to the 21 and 17. Mora said Mare’s impact was an “underrated aspect” of his team’s defensive showing.

Forsett found the end zone early in the fourth to give Seattle a two-touchdown lead.

After trying to draw the Rams offsides on a 4th-and-1, Seattle went for it on the first play of the final quarter. Forsett went right up the middle for 11 yards, and scored two plays later to put Seattle up 24-10.

Nate Burleson’s 29-yard punt later in the quarter led to another Mare field goal to put Seattle up 27-10 with 9:24 remaining.

Jackson’s touchdown followed a Boller run of 26 yards to the 1 with just 44 seconds left.

A 1-9 team hosting a 3-7 club, coupled with Bulger’s injury and questions about Jackson’s availability, kept fans away from the Dome. The announced crowd of 47,475 was the worst in the Rams’ 15 seasons in St. Louis.

Rams tackle Jason Smith, who did not play, was taken away on an ambulance after struggling with symptoms from concussion. Center Jason Born went down in the first half with a knee injury and will have an MRI today.

The Seahawks won for the first time in six road games this season while dispatching the Rams for the 10th consecutive time.

“We accomplished what we wanted to do, and that was get a win on the road,” Mora said. “Nobody’s going to call it beautiful, except for those people who are in that locker room.”

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This article can also be found at NFL.com’s Blitz Zone. An abridged version is at The Alton Telegraph.

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Cardinals’ Half-Hearted Effort Enough to Beat Rams

ST. LOUIS — In just one half of football, Kurt Warner did enough to beat his old team.

After leading the Arizona Cardinals to a 21-3 halftime lead, Warner left with a reported head injury. While backup Matt Leinart was ineffective for the Cardinals, Warner’s 2003 replacement in St. Louis, Marc Bulger, led the Rams on a valiant comeback that came up short.

Bulger threw for 215 yards, Steven Jackson ran for 116 and a score, but Arizona held on for a 21-13 win Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.

“We played about as good as we could play in the first half, and the Rams played hard in the second half,” said Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt. “They believe in what they are doing.”

The Rams cut the Arizona lead to 21-13 with 7:08 remaining on a one-yard Steven Jackson touchdown after Danny Amendola hauled in a first-down catch on fourth-and-7.

The Cardinals were unable to move the ball on their next two possessions, giving the Rams a chance in the final two minutes to tie the game.

But Bulger was sacked, threw two incompletions and then fumbled on fourth down. The fumble was recovered by Rams receiver Brandon Gibson, but was shy of the first down, and the Cardinals knelt on the ball once to end the game.

Gibson was again impressive for the Rams in defeat. The rookie, making his first NFL start, caught a team-high five passes for 61 yards. He was targeted 17 times, but Bulger completed just 19 of 37 attempts with an interception.

“It’s disappointing to lose, especially another close game,” said St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo. “I’m proud of the way we came out in the second half. We knew we didn’t play a good second quarter. That’s where it got away from us.”

Warner led the Cardinals on a pair of touchdown drives in the second quarter, and moved the ball at will against the Rams defense.

Warner was 15-of-19 for 203 yards and two touchdowns before leaving. Tim Hightower ran for 91 yards in the first half, and finished with 110 yards on 14 carries for the Cardinals, who improve to 7-3 overall and 5-0 on the road. The Rams are now 1-9.

After picking up 17 first downs in the first half, Arizona had just seven in the second half with Leinart at quarterback. Leinart finished 10-of-14 for 74 yards.

Despite being outgained 327 to 112 in the first half, the Rams led 3-0 early.

After two Warner completions, Chris “Beanie” Wells was unable to haul in a pitch on the third Arizona play from scrimmage. Oshiomogho Atogwe recovered for the Rams at the Arizona 26 to set up a 40-yard field goal from Josh Brown.

Jackson went over 1,000 yards on the season with a 48-yard run late in the third quarter to set the Rams up with a first-and-goal at the Arizona 5. That set up a Brown field goal of 20 yards.

Rams fans booed the decision to not go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2, but Spagnuolo said he wanted to get it to a two-possession game.

“Kurt Warner was not playing, and we had a little bit of confidence, and our defense was playing well,” Spagnuolo said. “It might have been a little different if their starting quarterback was in there. There was plenty of time we left, we had a whole quarter, and we didn’t want to take any chances (of not scoring).”

Warner did not want to use the word concussion following the game, but admitted concussion-like symptoms. He is not expected to miss next week’s game at Tennessee.

“I have a slight headache right now,” Warner said after the game, “but I’ll be fine.”

Without Warner in the lineup, the Rams said Arizona was a different team.

“Kurt Warner is a great player,” said Rams defensive end Chris Long, who hit Warner early and sacked Leinart in the second half. “When he comes out, things just kind of shut down for their offense.

“Kurt just makes plays. As old as he is, and as often as he gets hit, he gets rid of the ball.”

This article can also be found at The Alton Telegraph .

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St. Louis Rams Put Up a Fight, But Fall Short Against the Perfect Saints

ST. LOUIS| It may have been the best the St. Louis Rams have looked this season, but it wasn’t enough.

Reggie Bush ran for 83 yards, caught two balls for 15 yards, and scored twice to lead the New Orleans Saints to a 28-23 road win against the scrappy Rams.

“It’s a tough one,” said Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo. “The only thing that matters in this league is the result, and I’m having a hard time with the result.

“We were knocking on the door with a possible victory over an 8-0 football team. There are no moral victories, but we’ll build on that. Our guys battled. We said we’d play fast, and play hard, and that’s what our guys did.”

The Rams went into halftime tied 14-14 with the undefeated Saints, and had the ball trailing 28-23 with 2:21 remaining in the game.

After driving inside the Saints 40, Marc Bulger threw an ill-advised pass to Steven Jackson in the middle of the field with 19 seconds left and no timeouts.

The Rams quickly got to the line, but Bulger’s pass to the end zone on the last play of the game fell incomplete.

Spagnuolo defended his quarterback’s check down to Jackson.

“That position that the 32 guys in this league play is not easy,” Spagnuolo said. “It’s easy for us on the sidelines, and easy standing back, but it is not an easy position. It’s hard to be perfect all the time.”

Bulger played well at times, but was far from perfect.

He completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 298 yards with two scores and an interception. The two TD tosses to Donnie Avery were perfectly placed balls, but he badly missed receivers on other throws.

The Rams did get the game’s first turnover, when Oshiomogho Atogwe picked off a deflected pass intended for Jeremy Shockey. The Saints tight end got hit by David Vobora as the ball arrived, causing it to pop up in the air for Atogwe to make the diving grab at the Saints 47.

St. Louis was unable to capitalize as Bulger was intercepted by Usama Young in the end zone after Jackson ran them into the red zone.

Bulger under-threw Keenan Burton, who was then carted off the field with a patella injury to his right knee. The severity of the injury is unknown, but it appeared to be serious. If he’s lost for the season, he’d be the third receiver to go on injured reserve.

“You can’t control injuries, and I don’t get frustrated about that,” Spagnuolo said. “Keenan Burton, I love. He’s stepped up to become a leader, he’s a workhorse in practice. I love that guy, so I’m disappointed for the person.”

The injury opened things up for rookie receiver Brandon Gibson, acquired from Philadelphia in a trade for Will Witherspoon. Gibson caught seven passes for a game-high 93 yards.

“Brandon getting his first opportunity, he took advantage of it,” Spagnuolo said. “In this league, somebody gets hurt, and somebody else steps up. Brandon did that (Sunday).”

The Rams held the Saints scoreless in the first quarter, but on the second play of the second quarter, Bush leaped over the pile for a 3-yard touchdown.

On the Rams ensuing possession, Jackson runs of 14, 7, and 8 yards, and a play-action pass to a wide open Randy McMichael for 19 yards put them deep inside New Orleans territory again. This time, they didn’t squander the opportunity.

Following a Bulger fumble, which Jackson recovered, Bulger floated a perfect pass to front left corner of the end zone to Avery for a 29-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

The Saints didn’t take long to respond, gaining 41 yards from Robert Meachem on an end-around run on the first play of the ensuing possession.

That led to a 15-yard pass to Bush, who beat Craig Dahl to the pylon for his second score of the game.

Presumably in four-down territory at the Saints 28, the Rams handed off to Jackson on a third-and-9. They didn’t need to worry about a fourth-down play, because Jackson busted off 13 to give the Rams and first-and-10 at the New Orleans 15 just before the two-minute warning.

Three plays later, Jackson followed fullback Mike Karney and guard Jacob Bell into the end zone for his second touchdown of the season.

Jackson had 100 rushing yards on 16 carries, plus another 21 receiving yards, to go along with the game-tying score before halftime. He finished with 131 yards on 26 attempts, and caught nine passes for 45 yards.

In the first half, Jackson passed Lawrence McCutcheon for third place on the Rams’ career rushing list.

The Saints didn’t waste any time regaining the lead as Courtney Roby returned the opening kickoff of the second half 97 yards to paydirt.

“My blockers did a great job,” Roby said. “When they cover up guys like that, I just find a seam and try to hit it.”

A James Butler interception of Brees led to a 32-yard Josh Brown field goal to make it 21-17 with 7:08 remaining in third.

Late in the third, Bush ripped off a 55-yard run, but Marques Colston later fumbled the ball through the end zone for a touchback.

The Rams’ defense did a good job of limiting big plays through the air. Brees was held to 223 yards with two scores and two interceptions. Colston caught just two balls for 17 yards. Shockey finished with three receptions for 42 yards. Devery Henderson had four catches for 72 yards, and Robert Meachem accounted for 68 yards on two touches.

“It’s tough to take them all away,” Spagnuolo said of the Saints’ weapons. “Jeremy Shockey, Henderson, I mean they’re a good football team.”

The Saints piled up 203 rushing yards on 29 attempts for a 7 yard-per-carry average, led by Bush’s 83.

“(Bush) had some big plays for us, some big runs and explosive plays.” said New Orleans coach Sean Payton. “I thought he played one of his better games (Sunday).”

The Saints went up 28-17 on a perfect 27-yard pass from Brees to Meachem in the back of the end zone with 12:15 remaining in the game.

St. Louis used a mixture of short, quick passes to Gibson, Jackson, and Daniel Fells to move the ball against a Saints secondary without both starting cornerbacks and free safety Darren Sharper.

A 23-yard completion to Fells on a post seam got the ball to the New Orleans 19 with 2:50 remaining. On the next play, Bulger hit Avery on a purposely underthrown ball to the front right corner of the end zone for their second TD hookup of the day.

Bulger’s two-point conversion pass to Fells was incomplete, and the Rams trailed 28-23 with 2:44 remaining.

Instead of kicking deep with two timeouts and the two-minute warning in their pocket, the Rams tried an onside kick, which was recovered by Colston.

“More than anything, it was a respect for their offense,” Spagnuolo said. “We thought we’d like to take a shot, and get possession back. As it turned out, they got the ball and our defense did a good job to stop them.

“There were some things we could have done better, but it was nice at the end to be driving to win. When you can do that, that means you played a pretty good football game.”

This article can also be found at The Alton Telegraph .

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Green Bay Packers Need To Part Ways With Their Current Regime

Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson are doing their best to ruin the Green Bay Packers.

Anyone still think McCarthy and Thompson are doing a good job? I’ve never been a fan of theirs, and have made that known several times.

Seeing the Packers lose to Tampa today just set me off. The “dynamic (moronic) duo” fired the defensive coordinator last year, making him the scapegoat instead of simply looking in the mirror at themselves.

McCarthy was the reason they lost seven games by four points or less last year, and he’s part of the reason they can’t put teams away this year.

Thompson has made no moves to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Instead over the last three years he has undercut the interior of the offensive line while adding little to no depth among the five. (But glad he kept four fullbacks to start this season.)

Special teams, one of the biggest problems last year and moreso than the defense, were not addressed. The same problems exist this year (see the Minnesota games and Tampa).

The defensive personnel is not made for a 3-4 defense, but yet Thompson insisted the players would adjust so he could get “his” guy Dom Capers. I’m sure the “adjustment period” will be the excuse he makes this offseason so he can remain stagnant again in free agency, while cutting veterans to remain cheap and young.

After all, you build through the draft for the future, right?

That’s all fine and dandy, but the Packers aren’t winning now, and that’s not acceptable.

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Rams-Lions: Jackson Finally Gets Into The End Zone In St. Louis Win

I hate to say I told you so, Steven Jackson, but I did .

 

While not as directly, so did your teammate Richie Incognito .

As Incognito said during training camp, the Rams go as Jackson goes.

 

It was pretty appropriate then when Jackson’s first touchdown of the 2009 season turned out to be the game winner in St. Louis’ 17-10 win Sunday at Detroit.

 

Jackson entered the game as the NFL’s third-leading rusher, but was the only back in the NFL’s top 10 yet to score.

 

When I questioned Jackson about that last week following their 42-6 loss to Indianapolis, he cut me off, saying it was about wins and losses, not his numbers.

 

I beg to differ, Steven. You score, and the Rams stand a much better chance of winning. You proved that Sunday.

 

Jackson has been playing great this season, but the offense repeatedly stalls inside the red zone.

 

I’m sure I wasn’t alone in waiting for Jackson to just bust off a long touchdown run. It finally came with 1:38 remaining in the third when he broke loose for a 25-yard scamper down the right sideline to give the Rams their final seven-point cushion.

 

If you want to know why the Rams lost 17 straight games heading into Sunday’s game at Detroit, just look at what James Butler did Sunday.

 

The fifth-year safety intercepted a deflected Matthew Stafford pass in the end zone, and then decided to bring the ball out. While trying to avoid a tackler, he retreated back to the end zone, and was dropped for a safety.

 

This was a microcosm of the Rams entire season, and their losing streak. Something good immediately followed by something bad.

 

The Rams have raised the bar for football stupidity.

 

Want another example?

 

On the opening St. Louis possession, the Rams moved the ball into the Detroit red zone. But two holding penalties stalled another scoring opportunity, forcing a Josh Brown field goal from 41 yards out.

 

They even got help from the referee, when he flagged Julian Peterson for roughing the passer. Peterson hit Marc Bulger’s arm on a third-and-long pass, knocking the ball short and awry. On the follow, his hand glanced over Bulger’s helmet, drawing a roughing the passer penalty from the referee.

 

I know the rule is no helmet contact, but come on. It’s a terrible rule. There’s protecting the quarterback, and then there’s hamstringing a defense. It’s difficult to play hard if you’re thinking about penalties.

 

The Rams went up 10-2 late in the second on a brilliant, and I don’t use that term much when referring to St. Louis coaching, play call.

 

Instead of attempting a 53-yard field goal, head coach Steve Spagnuolo and special teams coach Tom McMahon drew up a fake field goal that was executed to perfection. It ended kicker Josh Brown lofted the ball to third-string tight end Daniel Fells for his team-leading third touchdown of the year.

 

The Lions, who clearly missed receiver Calvin Johnson, tied the game at 10 when Stafford scored on a quarterback draw and converted the 2-point conversion.

 

Dropped balls plagued Detroit, including four in the first half as Johnson was in street clothes on the sideline.

 

As much as Jackson, who finished with 149 yards on 22 carries, means to the Rams offense, Johnson is a huge part of the Lions offense. Without him, Stafford was just 14 of 33 through the air for 168 yards with the Butler interception.

 

As much as Bulger is praised for his accuracy, he wasn’t much better. The nine-year vet who pushed Kurt Warner out of town, was 17-of-35 for 176 yards and an interception.

 

So far this season, Bulger is completing just over 57 percent of his passes for a pedestrian 780 yards. Not exactly Pro Bowl numbers.

 

Now that the Rams have their first victory, the worst thing they can do during the bye week is savor it. They made plenty of mistakes, just fewer than the Lions did.

 

St. Louis needs to build on this win, try to get some guys healthy, and then prepare for Drew Brees and a much more offensively potent New Orleans team on Nov. 15.

 

Including the bye week, the Rams will be home for the next four weeks. If the Rams don’t learn from the mistakes they made Sunday at Detroit, all these three home games will be is the start to another losing streak.

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Pick Six: Keys For The Rams Against Jacksonville

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The St. Louis Rams Offense Finally Showing Signs of Life

The St. Louis Rams are 0-5, and averaging a meager seven points per game. But in the 38-10 loss to Minnesota on Sunday, the Rams offense finally gave fans a glimmer of hope.

St. Louis gained 400 yards of total offense, besting the Vikings by 23 yards, and had the ball inside the red zone three times.

The next step is actually getting the ball into the end zone.

Every time the Rams got close to the goal line, they turned it right back over to the Vikings.

St. Louis quarterback Kyle Boller and tailback Steven Jackson had a botched exchange at the one to negate a second-quarter scoring opportunity. Later in the quarter, tight end Daniel Fells coughed it up at the three. Boller was intercepted in the end zone on the second play of the fourth quarter by Minnesota safety Tyrell Johnson.

“You can’t do that, and expect to win the game,” said St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo. “It’s hard enough getting down there. You look at the silver lining, and we moved it all the way down there. Our guys did something right to move it inside the 10.”

Spagnuolo said he was encouraged with the offense’s progress, but realizes that simply moving the ball downfield doesn’t win ballgames. His team has to finish drives.

“We could go into the film room and pick out 30 plays, and say the Rams should’ve won that football game,” Spagnuolo said. “But it’s not like that. You have to count all of them.”

Boller threw for 201 yards before being replaced by Marc Bulger following a head injury. Bulger was perfect in seven attempts for 88 yards, and a late 27-yard touchdown to Donnie Avery. The Rams also gained 122 rushing yards, led by Jackson’s 21 attempts for 84 yards.

Just don’t ask Spags what Avery was doing dancing in the end zone after the score with his team still trailing by three touchdowns.

Spagnuolo credited the offensive line, which held the Minnesota defense to just one sack. That came from Kevin Williams, who was penalized for a facemask on the play. Jared Allen, who had four-and-a-half sacks last week against Green Bay, was limited to just two tackles.

“When you look at what the offense was able to do as a group, you’re not able to do those things unless the offensive line plays well,” Spagnuolo said. “The guys up front did a nice job for us.”

Next up for the Rams is a trip to Jacksonville to take on former Ram Torry Holt, and a Jaguars team smarting from a 41-0 loss to Seattle. Holt had seven catches for 95 yards in the loss.

With the defeat, the Jaguars fell to 2-3. St. Louis’ loss was the 15th consecutive defeat, dating back to last season.

“This is extremely tough,” said Rams guard Richie Incognito. “It wears on you, but to be a professional, you don’t let it show. You just keep preparing hard to go out and get a win.”

The Rams have a decision to make at quarterback, with news released Monday that Boller suffered a mild concussion and is now questionable for Sunday’s game.
Rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis said despite being winless, the team’s morale is still high.

“We have a lot of guys out there with a lot of heart,” said Laurinaitis, who notched his first career interception Sunday. “We have guys that really want to get things corrected. There’s going to be some corrections, and moving onto Jacksonville. We’ll get better. That’s the kind of character we have in this locker room.”

 

This article can also be found in The Alton Telegraph

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The 40-Year-Old Surgeon: Favre Picks Apart Rams in 38-10 Rout

This article can also be found in the Alton Telegraph.

 

ST. LOUIS – A day after his 40th birthday, Brett Favre showed no signs of old age.

The veteran Minnesota quarterback completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 232 yards and a touchdown to lead the Vikings to a 38-10 win over the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome.

 

The Vikings are 5-0, and it’s the first time in Favre’s career that he’s had a 5-0 start to a season.

 

“It’s a good start, but it only get tougher from here,” Favre said. “Success is equally measured on how you handle success. The more good things that come your way, the better you have to play.”

 

It was Favre’s NFL-record 274th consecutive regular-season start at quarterback and, aside from a second-quarter interception, he was able to find holes in the Rams secondary all afternoon.

 

“My first win at 40, and I hope there’s many more to come,” Favre said. “I’d be lying if I told you I thought I’d still be playing at 40, and not miss a game.”

 

The one miscue was on a pass intended for Bernard Berrian, but St. Louis linebacker James Laurinaitis undercut the throw for his first career interception.

 

“It’s pretty cool, I have to say. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was,” the rookie from Ohio State said of his first pick being off a future Hall of Famer. “But I’d put that ball on the ground to get a W. I’d give up any individual achievements to get a win for the team.”

 

The Laurinaitis interception return to the Minnesota 25 led to a 29-yard Josh Brown field goal.

 

The Rams dropped to 0-5 on the season, and lost their 15th consecutive game, despite outgaining the Vikings in total offense.

 

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. St. Louis was led by Steven Jackson’s 84 yards on 21 carries, and a costly fumble on first-and-goal from the 1.

 

St. Louis picked up 400 yards to Minnesota’s 377, but four costly turnovers led to disaster. Three of the four turnovers were inside the 5-yard line.

 

“Stats sometimes don’t always tell the story,” Laurinaitis said. “You’ve got to make the play when you have an opportunity to.”

 

St. Louis quarterback Kyle Boller and tailback Steven Jackson had a botched exchange at the 1 to negate a second-quarter scoring opportunity. Later in the quarter tight end Daniel Fells coughed it up at the 3.

 

“You can’t do that, and expect to win the game,” said St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo. “It’s hard enough getting down there. You look at the silver lining, and we moved it all the way down there. Our guys did something right to move it inside the 10.”

 

The first turnover occurred when Boller had the ball slip out of his hands while dropping back to throw a screen pass to Jackson. Boller backpedaled away from pressure, but went forward with an empty hand. Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen scooped up the loose ball, and raced 52 yards for the score to put the Vikings up 14-0 just six minutes into the game.

 

The defensive touchdown came after Favre led the Vikings on nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Peterson five-yard run.

 

“I thought our guys did a good job of driving the football that first drive,” said Minnesota coach Brad Childress. “I thought we had a little lull there on our first 14 points.”

 

The Rams got to Favre twice, getting sacks on blitzes from safeties Oshiomogho Atogwe and Craig Dahl. But the 19-year veteran was still able to make plays downfield, connecting with Sydney Rice on a 47-yard play on the first possession of the second half.

 

Two plays later he hit tight end Visanthe Shiancoe in the back of the end zone for a 24-3 lead.

 

The Rams were knocking on the door again early in the fourth, but Boller was picked off in the end zone by Vikings safety Tyrell Johnson.

 

Boller’s head was hit on the play, although no penalty was called. He came out and was replaced by Marc Bulger. Spagnuolo did not rule out a concussion, but Boller said he was “fine” following the game.

 

Bulger had a perfect quarterback rating in his short relief duty. The former starter was 7-of-7 for 88 yards and a late 27-yard touchdown toss to Donnie Avery.

 

“That’s Mark,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s a pro. He did what he had to, and made some throws.”

 

Just don’t ask Spags what Avery was doing dancing in the end zone after the score with his team still trailing by three touchdowns.

 

The Rams had two other players leave the game with injuries, the most serious being Gary Gibson’s. The defensive tackle suffered “a broken foot or ankle,” according to Spagnuolo and will require season-ending surgery.

 

Also coming out was cornerback Justin King, who sprained his knee. The severity of King’s injury is not known, but it’s not expected to be serious.

 

Spagnuolo scredited the Vikings with playing well, but said they’ll evaluate the film today, and “put this one behind” them.

 

“That was a good football team we played, but I do think we went toe-to-toe with them for most of the game,” Spagnuolo said. “We didn’t finish some things and shot ourselves in the foot. That’s the reason for the score of the game. It was a good measuring stick for us.

 

“We took a good look at those guys across from us, because that’s what we want to look like. We’re not there yet, but we’ll put this one behind us, and move onto Jacksonville.”

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