THE STATE OF THE RAMS: WEEK 7 EDITION
by Livemaxxx on Oct 21, 2009 10:00 PM EDT
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The Way Ram Fans Feel This Year
1.) 0-7 and no it isn't a typo
Let me start off and say this team was the hardest to analyze to date. I always try to find every teams strengths and weaknesses. However, the Rams do not have anything worth mentioning except Steven Jackson. Anyway, I had to get some help from fans at Turf Show Times (THANKS GUYS). Let's just they're bitter and split on what to call strengths on their squad. In a nut shell, I expect a win from the Colts. The Rams organization are in a state of panic. Not to mention they're up for sale. Lets face it the Rams are straight out horrible, but here goes nothing.
The Rams Feelings Towards Bulger
2.) Marc Bulger
Remember back in 2006? Besides Manning and Brady, Bulger was up there as an established elite QB. He had over 4,000 yds passing with the help of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. Since then fate hasn't been kind to Bulger. Bruce left for the 49ers and Holt signed with the Jags. Plus, Bulger was plagued with the injury bug and has never regained his swagger. Well guess what? Bulger is the starting QB and will go up against a young talented Colt secondary all day. With just 640 yds passing and 3 touchdowns this whole year. It's a safe bet to play the Colts D this fantasy weekend. Might there be a Sanders sighting? Let's wait and see.
The Caged Beast
3.) Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson is the only thing that can pose a threat to the Colts. This guy doesn't get enough praise in my opinion. Not much separates him from Adrian Peterson. Yeah, I said it. This guy has the size to plow and the wheels to get rolling. The situation in St. Louis is so bad that Jackson at one point had more rushing yards compared to Bulgers passing yards! He's got 501 rushing yards and averaging 4.2 yds a carry. However, he's got 0 tds. It isn't his fault , since his team doesn't do enough to get in the end zone. To be honest though, I don't believe he'll be much of a factor. The Colt's D stopped Chris Johnson in week 5, they should be well enough to tackle Jackson.
Even the Ref's get in on the action
4.) The Ram Offense
9 points. That's how much they average this season. Their offense is pretty much dead. They ranked near the bottom of the barrel in terms of total yards a game. A lot of the blame can go to the O-line. They've tried improving their line after the departure of their Pro-Bowl LT Orlando Pace. Their answer was first round draft pick OL Jason Smith. Lets just say that investment hasn't been looking good so far. (Freeney is going to have him for lunch) They've allowed 13 sacks this season. The only bright spot is their run game. Don't get too excited since that's all there is to their offense.
As for their receivers. Lets just say they're working hard to make lemonade out of lemons. Only Donnie Avery is worth mentioning here(this is a stretch). He leads the Rams in total receiving yards with 213 yds and 2 td's. As for TE's...please don't insult me.
No Caption Necessary
5.) The Ram Defense
Welcome to the NFL's doormat. The Rams allow 28 points a game and over 380 total yards. (Predicting our first 100 yard rusher this season) I really can't point out any positives in this area. However with the help of a few fans from Turf Show Times they guided me to James Laurinaitis. This second round rookie from Ohio State has shown a bit of youth to a bewildered defense. He leads his team in tackles as well as spirit. Which is something the Ram D has clearly been lacking this season. FYI, if you hear a big hit, its probably Laurinaitis. Nevertheless, in the end there is no possible way the Rams will be able to stop the Colts.
Check out the injury report straight from the Rams Offical Website
Don't forget to comment and Recommend this post!
Lets keep this post alive until next week when I analyze the 49ers.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.
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Good job again, Livemaxxx
Your research illuminates truly how sad the state of their franchise has become. And to think that I grew up watching the LA Rams with Eric Dickerson, Jim Everett, and Vince Ferregamo. I feel more confident now than ever that the Colts can dominate this game, but as they say, any given Sunday…
How can you not love a team that does this?
Rams fan here...I have to respectfully disagree with some of your analysis...
“The Rams organization is in a state of panic.”
I have to strongly disagree with that, seeing as they’re clearly in rebuild mode and haven’t panicked at all. No player or coach has indicated anything of the sort, and Steve Spagnuolo is clearly unflappable. The team has gotten better every week (it’s hard to see from the outside looking in but we know), so I doubt any real Rams fan that actually watches the games would agree that the Rams are panicking. Far from it actually, I think you’re talking about Washington.
“Dwight Freeney is going to have him for lunch”
The task of blocking (or attempting to block) Dwight Freeney is going to fall on former first round pick Alex Barron, who pitched a shutout of Jared Allen when we faced the Vikings. As a matter of fact, Barron didn’t allow Allen to get near Boller that week. Not saying he’ll do the same to Freeney, but he can and will hold his own.
“Welcome to the NFL’s doormat”
I strongly disagree here as well in reference to our defense. They continue to give the Rams the opportunity to win games. The high amount of points allowed is only a reflection of the pathetic performance of our offense. Example A: Week 1 vs Seattle, they had forced 3 turnovers in the first quarter and held the Seahawks to 0 points. The offense failed to capitalize on any turnover/stop, and this allowed Seattle to take a 14-0 lead into the half, a lead that would stay the same until late in the third quarter. They held Washington to 9 measly points IN Washington, while holding Clinton Portis to 79 yards rushing. The Rams D held the score to 0-0 until a freak special teams mistake gave the 49ers the lead at the half. Even still, they only allowed 14 of the 35 points the 49ers scored, as the rest were on turnovers returned for TDs. Against the Vikings, the Rams defense held Adrian Peterson to 69 yards, despite being again crippled by a poor offensive showing. Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville offense broke out against the Rams, but they again held tough and made the game close with 3 turnovers forced.
With respect, I don’t see anyone on the Colts roster with the ability of Peterson or even Portis, and certainly not Jones-Drew, so I wouldn’t bank on a 100-yard rusher.
For the Rams to have a chance, they’d have to keep Manning off the field and force mistakes. I agree that this is very unlikely, but the Rams defense isn’t as big a doormat as it seems. I think the Titans/Browns/Buccaneers/Chiefs are clearly worse units. As a matter of fact, the play of the Rams defense has been the most encouraging development, even if it’s hard to grasp that on the surface. GO RAMS!!! Here’s to an injury-free game between both our teams.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
I actually...
…agree more with you than with OP, although you both appear to agree on Steven Jackson, who I think is the most complete back in the NFL (and I’m not even sure it’s all that close).
I do feel the Rams need to find another answer at the QB position. While I’m not concerned about Bulger’s mythical “swagger”, I do feel he’s taken an awful lot of hits over the past few years, and I’m uncertain whether he is able any longer to handle the physical demands of being an NFL QB.
I agree that the Colts won’t have a 100 yd rusher, but that’s a somewhat less meaningful fact to me given the timeshare – I think the backs we have are both capable, skilled, and will post somewhere in the neighborhood of 130-140 combined yds rushing. I’d attribute that though more to the fact that Peyton Manning is having an amazing season even by his standards and the Rams are going to be forced to sit back and defend the pass.
I think the Rams are certainly in a state of rebuilding, but I don’t think they’re as bad as 0-6 (although improved QB play would arguably go a long way toward changing that record). I’ll echo your injury-free sentiment – good luck this weekend.
I actually believe Steven is better too...
I just didn’t want to sound smug or like a homer. I wish we had a better team around him so the rest of the NFL could know how good he is.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
by TrojanRam on Oct 22, 2009 3:43 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Anyone who watches football enough...
…to have seen all the backs in the league play should know how good #39 is. He’s big, but quick, has a decent amount of breakaway speed, and can run you over or cut to the outside. He’s just as good in the passing game as he is in the running game. The complete package, in my opinion, and one of the very few backs in the league that deserves to be on the field every single offensive down.
But the Chiefs beat the Redskins
And actually hung with several “good” teams. Besides, if you say we won’t have 100 yard rusher because we don’t have anyone with the ability of Portis or Peterson, well…you haven’t played against a QB like Peyton this season so does that mean he’s going to throw for 600 yards? Besides, we run the ball by passing anyway. Not to mention unlike other teams, the Colts generally don’t run the score up. So if we’re up by 14-21 at the half, you’re probably going to see 100 yard rusher. It’s not that our rushing has actually been that bad really, it’s just that Peyton’s completing almost 75% of his passes so what’s the point? Rushing the ball for the sake of having rushing yards only counts in fantasy.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
I'd actually bet on 600 yards from Manning...
…over a single 100 yard rusher. I don’t doubt that you can 100 total rushing yards,but the numbers are what they are. Neither Peterson/Portis did too well because we focused on the run.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
don't doubt that you can get 100 total rushing yards*
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
With respect to your team, you have some good points to make.
But here’s something to think about: PEYTON MANNING.
"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
You mean the best QB of the decade?
Believe me, I’ve seen the stats/highlights. Nobody is overlooking that guy. Believe me.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
The only guys I respect on your team
are Jackson and Laurinaitis.
Besides that, I like the way you see your team, as a “not so bad” team. Some hopes for the future indeed. They need a bit of luck to win their first game but against the Colts? HA, no way
"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady
by BlueMark1821 on Oct 22, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Believe me, I'm aware of how hard it'll be...
…but u can’t lose hope on your team ever. Deep down, I feel they can win, as laughable as that is. It would take a “perfect game” as Bulger says, and you guys would have to make a lot of mistakes as well. I know it’s very unlikely, but at the very least you’re going to see a Rams team that plays hard and doesn’t quit. None of the blowouts earlier have made them quit, and we can’t be anything but proud for that.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
I wanted to note...
…that I think Spagnuolo was a fantastic hire and I expect that team to improve in the next couple years, possibly even back to contending status. The determination with which they’re playing right now is impressive.
Never give up
I survived 0-9 and 1-15 seasons rooting for the Colts ove the years. A move in the dead of night, a lot of 7-9, 8-8, and 9-7 seasons where they just broke my heart and needed a lot of help to make the playoffs but failed to win the last game when they needed it most. And I never gave up.
Living in NY around 1990 I was leaving my office late one night wearing a blue Colts hat. The CEO (This was a very large corporation and we were on the same floor) walked out of his suite behind me, saw the hat, and naturally called out “is that a Giants hat?” I could think of nothing clever to say, so I just turned around and pointed to the horseshoe.
“The COLTS!?!?” he bellowed. “You’re kidding. Did they even win a game last year?” (this was after the 1-15 campaign). “Yup. They beat the Jets,” I replied with a huge, shit-eating grin in case he was a Jets fan. I headed to the elevator and he went elsewhere. I had faith, and took a certain pride in myself that I was not ashamed of being a fan. It takes no backbone to wear that cap the day after a big win, or when they are 6-0. But you find out who your real fans/friends are when you lose four straight, five straight, get whipped on prime time TV, etc. and they still wear the cap, or the jersey.
On the flip-side, 5 years later when Indy went to the ACCG and lost on a failed Hail Mary at the end, I had a TON of support from friends who knew I was a lifelong fan and had suffered. Basically, everyone I knew who was NOT a Steelers fan was pulling for Indy and congratulating me, as if I had anything to do with their success.
Never give up. There are better days out there.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Another story
My friend is a HUGE Raider fan, and has raised his adopted son and daughter to also support the Raiders. After the 2002-3 Super Bowl, the daughter (who was 8 at the time) wore her Raiders t-shirt to school. When ridiculed by one of the other students, “How can you wear that? They LOST!”, she just responded, “I still support my team.” Incredible that someone so young had that much integrity and courage, but if an 8-year-old can do this, so can we adults!
How can you not love a team that does this?
I think the Raiders are worse, too
I wholeheartedly agree with the notion of an injury-free game – good luck!
How can you not love a team that does this?
the Rams are up for sale..if that doesn’t signal urgency i dont know what does
plus the fact that Jared Allen didn’t have a sack isn’t a great indicator the score was 38-10… so Allen must of been doing other things like rushing the passer or disturbing the pocket. One should never go on sacks alone. Dwight Freeney makes a living on disturbing QB’s , all he does is rush them into making bad decisions…judging by the 38-10 loss it looks like he did his job.
Plus im predicting HOPEFULLY we’ll have a 100yd rusher in either Addai or Brown. I mean it’s a safe bet one can go over 100 yds on an 0-6 team.
Also dude im not trying to say your defense stinks but…yeah the rams are near the bottom of the barrel in defense. The only offense powerhouse you guys went up against were the Rams and you guys got blown out. I can excuse that game however when you have the Seahawks, Jacksonville, and San Fran score on you like they did. It’s not a great indicator
They look at me and say Why? I stare back and say Why Not?
The Rams aren't officially up for sale...
…they’re in the bidding process to see what is out there. The issue is that the current owners, children of the late Georgia Frontierre, don’t have interest in keeping the team since they reside in Los Angeles. It’s not a “we want to sell the Rams because we hate them” sort of thing. Would they want to keep the team if they were winning? Sure. But whatever owner we have in the future is committed to keeping the team in St. Louis. There’s no sense of urgency my friend. This team and coaching staff knew it would take a while, the entire roster was wiped clean minus about 20 players, so we’re obviously devoid of talent (more than we already were), but we do have a lot of hungry players that have given great effort. They’ll be a lot better because of this year and these games.
About Barron, any football fan knows that a DEs worth isn’t only measured in sacks. I didn’t say Barron had a great game because he kept Jared Allen from getting a sack. I just mentioned that as a statistic, but most impressive was the fact that Boller was not touched the entire game. Not in the first quarter, 2nd, or 3rd. At least not by Allen. He really didn’t do anything. The fumble recovery he got was on a Pat Williams sack up the middle, I can tell you he wasn’t touched because I watched the game.
Again, the 100 yard rusher isn’t a safe bet. I’d say 5TDs from Manning is a better bet.
Again, the defense doesn’t suck, they’ve just been out there for so many plays because of the offense’s inefficiency.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
Also, I'm not saying Alex Barron is the greatest LT ever...
…and that Freeney won’t have a big day, I’m just saying don’t be surprised if he holds his own.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
Well the Colts can run the ball when they need to.
they had 126 yards against the Cardinals, who currently lead the league in run defense ", giving up 56.9 yards a game. We just pass it so well that we don’t have very many rushing attempts, thus leading to us not having as good of rushing totals.
Still, I’d be shocked if Manning had fewer than 300 yards and 3 TDs and if the Colts didn’t score at least 31 points. And that’s being optimistic. The only way you guys have a chance is if our Defense suddenly plays like they did against Miami. Which, frankly, I don’t see happening.
"Pressure is something you feel if you don't know what the hell you're doing."-Peyton Manning
by P0RKINS2 on Oct 22, 2009 11:09 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Here's the problem defensively
Barron is pretty good and if the Rams wisely choose to pass just 15-20 times, it really limits our opps to maximize our greatest advantage. (Avery is hurt, BTW, no? further limiting their passing game).
I want 93 to bulk up his stats with a 3-sack game but don’t see it happening with just 15 dropbacks and a seasoned LT. What will limit those dropbacks is Steven Jackson getting 25 touches. But if you add that up, it’s just 40 snaps for the Rams. I see a fair amount of 3-and-outs or TOs limiting their time of possession. (Unless 18 goes pass whacky and scores with 3-minute drives)
So while I am pretty sure we’ll have a comfortable win, it might not by the expected 28+ pts. It might be a 28-14 game that is not as close as the score suggests (think the Bears Super Bowl). We’re not likely to ever be nervous, but a handful of factors could limit the Patriotsesque stats explosion some of us are salivating over.
Anyway, the point is to get a W, not surge to the top of the BCS rankings.
What I want to see most is a balanced O, and solid D working some of the injured guys back in seamlessly. After that, a bloodbath is nice. After all, it’s almost Halloween, right? Bloodbaths fit right in thematically.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Okay, never mind
I just saw that they passed 34 times against Jax. If they try that, we may well rack up a handful of sacks. Averaging under 7 pts per game even with a 20-pt surge last week against the Jags.
They HAVE had bad fumble luck so far this year, losing 75% of them, so that is bound to reverse itself eventually. Week 7? Week 17? Who knows?
And their D is ranked 20 or higher in just about everything, without playing a particularly difficult slate so far.
Okay, I am on board with a 28+ pt win. Remember, if Manning is out there tossing 80 yard hail Mary’s with a 72 pt lead and two minutes left, he’s not running up the score. He’s just protecting the lead.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
Sadly, this is very likely...
…it really isn’t fair that the guy has had two weeks to prepare for us. I really hope our corners are ready for a workout.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
Based on his comments
I nominate TrojanRam as the most humble poster to ever post on Stampede Blue.
How can you not love a team that does this?
I agree
and I like fans like him. I really dislike some of the homers we see here on Stampede Blue. Even some of their teams have never had a season over .500 (Im sure you know who I am talking about) they still come and try to get everybody all bent out of shape with their stupid fantasies. TrojanRam its been good reading your comments and I wish your team the best of luck the rest of the season. I will be at the game Sunday so hopefully I can get some good pictures of both teams. If so I’ll be sure to get them posted.
Bob Sanders does not play Hide-and-Seek, He plays HIDE and PRAY-HE-DOES-NOT FIND-YOU!
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