Late-game clock mismanagement proves costly for Rams

By Eddie Griffin  |   Thursday, September 21, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

St. Louis Rams
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Well, it didn't take long for Scott Linehan to get his first important coaching lesson.

In last Sunday's game against the 49ers, the Rams trailed 20-13 with a little over five minutes left, and got the ball back after a Joe Nedney field goal.

Time to go into the hurry-up, right?

After dropping the ball, literally, on the last possession, Marc Bulger and the Rams offense did it again on what proved to be their final possession.

No, it wasn't the fact that they didn't move the ball in that final possession. It was the fact that, in doing so, they took far, far too much time off of the clock, as shown directly below.

5:14 - Bulger completes a pass to Steven Jackson for two yards.
4:36 - Bulger goes down at the line of scrimmage.
3:53 - Bulger throws incomplete.
3:45 - Matt Turk punts.

True enough, there were still over three minutes left, and the Rams had two timeouts left. The defense had played a decent game, minus a four-minute period at the beginning of the third quarter that was about as telling as that final drive.

But it was a little risky to put the game in the hands of a defense that is still very much a work in progress. And, as it turned out, with the 'bullish' running of Frank Gore, the 49ers were able to run the clock out.

That approach had worked in the first half, when the Rams controlled the ball for over 12 minutes in the second quarter and built a 10-3 halftime lead. And they stuck with that approach in the second half, even after falling behind 17-10.

After the 49ers had scored two touchdowns within a span of four minutes, the Rams went on a six-minute drive down the field. That was a good example of when to work the clock. When you've been ambushed like that, slowing the game down can give your defense a breather and allow it to regain their composure, and it'll give the offense a chance to take over the game and at least stifle some of the momentum gained by the opposition. It'd have worked perfectly had Jeff Wilkins not missed a 46-yard field goal after the drive had stalled.

Sticking to that gameplan with five minutes left, down seven? Not a good idea. There are just some points where you should try to maximize your possessions, not just maximize what you do with them. If you're tied, at that point, then it's OK to use that approach, if you want to leave the game in the hands of your defense, in case the offense doesn't move the ball. But, if you're behind, you should want to ensure that your offense gets at least two cracks at getting the ball down the field.

If you're a believer in the 'quality, not quantity' philosophy, then you might be on the Rams' side. But if you're not moving the ball with consistency and regularity, then that philosophy gets blown out of the water.

The Rams had two drives that totaled nearly 14 minutes, where they came out with only three points. In comparison, San Francisco's four scoring drives took only a little over eight minutes. Time of possession can be a particularly deceiving statistic when you average only four yards per play, while the other team averaged 6.5 (in 13 less plays).

Looks like the 'quality, not quantity' philosophy worked for the wrong coach, eh?

However, it's only a couple of weeks into the season, and Linehan's new offensive system is still just as much a work in progress as the defense. Getting it done in camp, the preseason or in practice is one thing, and getting it done when it counts is an entirely different matter.

Seeing only one touchdown in the first two weeks, considering the pedigree of both Linehan and the talent he's working with, is, to say the least, a strange sight to behold, but with the offensive struggles of the Chiefs, there must just be a statewide drought in Missouri. But, with what we've come to expect from the Rams in recent years, you'd think that it's only a matter of time before they show what they're capable of.

The Rams have a chance to do just that, but also face a stiff test when they visit Kurt Warner and high-powered Arizona. The veteran QB will be making his third appearance in a Cardinals uniform against the team with which he rose from unknown to superstar and won a Super Bowl and two MVP awards.

With the Cardinals' ability to put a lot of points on the board in short order, the offense will need to at least produce more than it has in the first couple of weeks, in case the game is a shootout. Also, it would take some pressure off the defense, which showed it still has some weaknesses that could definitely be exposed by Warner's strong arm.

St. Louis may not need to score often, but, for the sake of not getting into a hole, the team will need to produce early. Why? Because if the Cardinals get their offense going, then Bulger will be forced to go to the hurry-up far earlier than he might like.

But as it happens, that ball-control philosophy could actually work to St. Louis' favor, because it'd limit the amount of opportunities the Cardinals have to do some damage.

Either way, however, the Rams offense is going to have to pick up the pace.

Get more St. Louis Rams coverage at RealFootball365.com
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