Haslett helping to change the atmosphere in St. Louis

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Thursday, October 16, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

St. Louis Rams
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The atmosphere seems different in St. Louis after the Rams’ 19-17 win over the Redskins last week. Part of the attitude change can obviously be traced to the that upset road victory against a Washington team that was 4-1 entering the matchup.

Part of the change, however, can also be attributed to the absence of former coach Scott Linehan and the presence of his replacement, Jim Haslett.

Commentary: Haslett was quoted as saying that linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa came to him after the Washington game and asked him what he thought of the Rams’ new defensive coordinator, Rick Venturi. Haslett told Tinoisamoa, “Get away from me, Pisa.”

Haslett was the D-coordinator under Linehan, and the Rams were at or near the bottom of almost every defensive category. Under Venturi last week, the Rams forced four fumbles (recovering three) and sacked Washington quarterback Jason Campbell four times.

When asked if he felt threatened by Venturi’s efforts against the Redskins, Haslett said everything is fine as long as the team keeps winning. In the past, Haslett has been a fiery coach who was just as apt to get in a player’s face as he was to pat him on the back.

In St. Louis, Haslett has the Rams much more relaxed than they were under Linehan. Haslett’s moves to reinstate quarterback Marc Bulger and to re-sign cornerback Fakhir Brown after Linehan cut him have been popular in the locker room.

Fan Pulse: Fans are glad to have Brown back on the team and think that he was let go unfairly.

Fantasy Football Impact: Steven Jackson was the only Ram worth owning in the win over the Redskins, and even he didn’t post huge fantasy numbers. One of these weeks, Jackson, Bulger and wide receiver Torry Holt are going to blow up; however, it’s anyone’s guess as to when that will happen.

Injury Watch: Offensive lineman Orlando Pace has been limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. Bulger is suffering from a jammed finger, but he is probable for Sunday. Defensive back Ricky Manning Jr. was lost for the season with a broken leg against Washington.

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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
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