Normally, at this time of the NFL season, you would ask your team to take a step forward and be counted as moving in the right direction. Normally. This may not apply to the St. Louis Rams.
As the season winds down, the best they can do this year is finish at .500. That would not be considered an improvement.
Before you start reminding me that they do not have Sam Bradford, I should remind you that backup Kellen Clemens is the least of their problems. Clemens is taking full advantage of being perhaps one of the best backups in the league this season.
There are several problems with the Rams, which is why they are flirting with an 8-8 record. Trust me, 8-8 creates a lot of things when it comes to assessing teams. Here are just a few that look the Rams square in the eye.
Let’s look at the offense first. After the retirement of Torry Holt, the Rams are still looking for a game-breaking receiver. Oh, by the way, Holt left the Rams in 2008.
The list is too long on receivers who have come and gone, and they were either too small, too slow, too hurt or too bad. The Rams have taken players in the first and last rounds and even guys off the street, and none of them have lived up to the hype.
Enter the latest in Tavon Austin, the Rams’ first-round pick who has dazzled fans twice this year on three running plays, a few pass plays and on special teams. Every excuse has been used on why he cannot get the ball more, and some are warranted. Austin is in his first year and he does get a pass, but the rest of the receivers get a failing grade.
As for the offensive line and running game, they were average at best. Rookie Zach Stacey has shown more than promise, but the team has very few players behind him who have proven they deserve more playing time.
As for play-calling, I am sure you remember when many were convinced that the Rams were going to unveil some secret offense that was going to be the talk of the league, if not reduce the national debt. We got neither. So much for believing what you hear and read. This Rams offense, even with Bradford, has struggled on most Sundays.
The defense, you asked? Glad you did. The Rams and their followers felt that the pass rush would be very good. Robert Quinn has been a very good pass rusher, and he leads the team in sacks. The Rams have shown they can rush the passer.
They also show they have a hard time doing anything else with consistency. The run defense has been up and down, and the pass defense has done more talking than covering and tackling. No team in the league runs their mouth more with so little result on the positive side, and yet their biggest problem is bad penalties. Is there promise in the secondary? Only time will tell.
As for special teams and coaching. the Rams have shown the propensity for making bad plays or taking a bad penalty each week. It’s getting better, but it is now too late.
Coaching has to be better, especially at this time of the year. No playoffs to play for, so what will they do to get this team ready and motivated to play against New Orleans? Forget motivation – the players are responsible for that, as they get a paycheck they should try to earn. When it comes to preparation, it will be a challenge as you have to get players to pay attention first.
This has been a season we should not forget, as we have seen enough of them in St. Louis over the last 10 years, no matter who the coaches and players are. Yet for some reason, I believe that they are closer now to turning the corner than they have been in a long time.
General Manager Les Snead and Head Coach Jeff Fisher are on the right track. They have to find enough good players to create true competition for jobs. Many Rams players make the same bone head mistakes and take bad penalties with no threat of punishment, as the players on the sidelines are not really good enough to make the team that much better.
There is a lot of work to be done for this Rams team between now and next year, so why not get a good start on eliminating the mistakes and, if need be, those who continue to consistently make them? The act is getting old, and all who care deserve better.
