Rams’ report card: Gameplan doesn’t pan out against 49ers

By Steve Reynolds  |   Monday, September 18, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

St. Louis Rams
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What a difference a week makes.

The St. Louis Rams' defense, so productive against Denver, was merely ordinary against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Not to be outdone, the Rams' offense demonstrated to the world that it can find the end zone, yet only felt the need to prove it once. A combination of lackluster offensive execution and impotence stopping the run doomed the Rams. This familiar tune affected the final score as well as their grades:

Offense:

Quarterback: Marc Bulger needs to acclimate to head coach Scott Linehan's offense quickly. Bulger appeared tentative and his throws lacked the precision they did under the Mike Martz regime. Bulger's stats weren't terrible, 19-of-34 for 185 yards and a touchdown, but he is capable of so much more. Bulger can't afford to wait until midseason to shake out the flaws, as the Rams could find themselves staring up at a Seattle Seahawks team holding an insurmountable division lead. A little protection from the offensive line wouldn't hurt, either, as the 49ers' six sacks would attest. Bulger needs to regain the accuracy that has been a hallmark of his career thus far because as Bulger goes, so go the Rams. Grade: C+

Running backs: Steven Jackson took another step toward proving that he can carry the Rams as well as the ball. Jackson rushed for over 100 yards for a second consecutive week, posting a healthy 4.7 yards per carry. Jackson still needs to learn to stop halting his momentum in the backfield and settle for the tough yards up the middle more, but, overall, he is giving the kind of tough, consistent effort that Linehan requires of his running backs. Stephen Davis was adequate in spelling Jackson. Grade: B

Wide receivers: Isaac Bruce proved that he is ageless, catching five balls for 77 yards, and Torry Holt contributed the Rams' lone touchdown. Although Bulger found Kevin Curtis this week and rookie tight end Joe Klopfenstein hauled in a pretty 23-yard pass, the receivers' efforts didn't add up to much. Grade C+

Offensive line: The line gave up an inexcusable six sacks. The Rams evidently missed starting center Andy McCollum (out for season) and tackle Orlando Pace (left game with concussion) as displayed by their inability to control the 49ers' defense. Rams' linemen gave up two sacks apiece to defensive back Chad Williams and rookie linebacker Manny Lawson, and senior citizen Bryant Young's sack of Bulger late in the fourth quarter helped seal the Rams' fate. The line opened some running lanes for Jackson but the aforementioned porous blocking will get the quarterback killed -- and a broken Bulger is worse than an ineffective one. Grade: D+

Defense:

Defensive line: Let's do the math: Zero sacks means zero pressure. Zero pressure equates to Alex Smith having all day to throw. Smith having all day to throw is directly proportional to a 72-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant. A touchdown pass to Bryant directly correlates to a Rams loss. Grade: D

Linebackers: The Rams did what, for them, was a respectable job against the run, holding the 49ers to an average of 3.8 yards per rush. However, the linebackers did nothing to change the tide of the game despite another eight- tackle performance from Will Witherspoon. The Rams need to be able to stop the run when it counts and they failed to do so in the final seconds, when it really counted. Grade: C-

Secondary: Take away Bryant's gamebreaking touchdown and the Rams' secondary defended the 49ers' passing game well, holding Alex Smith to a mere 50 percent completion rate. Unfortunately for the Rams, it took only a single completion on Sunday and Bryant's touchdown was the difference. O.J. Atogwe was supposed to provide safety help on the play but was so late and confused that he was barely in the television frame as Bryant flew by him without breaking stride. Grade: C+

Special teams: The Rams reverted to type in this department on Sunday. A huge 59-yard return by Maurice Hicks immediately following halftime set up Frank Gore's touchdown run. The Rams can't afford to allow opponents such generous field position to begin drives. J.R. Reed did a solid job returning kicks and it looks as if the Rams are going to stick with Shaun McDonald as their punt return man. Jeff Wilkins connected on two of three field goals while punter Matt Turk continues to show a tremendous leg. This grade would be higher if not for the coverage lapse. Grade: C+

The contest with the 49ers proves that the Rams have a lot of room left to grow. With so much offensive talent and a promising defense, it seems that some fine tuning could see St. Louis become a playoff contender. However, the matchup with the 49ers proves that this improvement is by no means a certainty.

In the initial two weeks of the season, the Rams have shown the ability to pull out a hard-fought game while losing another. One contest was indicative of a true Rams performance while the other was an anomaly. It simply remains to be seen which is which.

Get more original St. Louis Rams coverage at RealFootball365.com
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