Rams’ season playing out like courtroom drama

By Steve Reynolds  |   Tuesday, November 07, 2006  |  Comments( 4 )

St. Louis Rams
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The St. Louis Rams' season thus far has played out like your favorite television courtroom drama.

St. Louis opened its season in spectacular fashion, trotting out a surprise witness in its defense against the Broncos and harassing Jake Plummer on the stand until he all but conceded the game with turnovers. Jeff Wilkins posted bail for the stalling offense, and the Rams beat an exceptional Denver team.

The Rams' offense was again cited for Failure to Appear against San Francisco, and St. Louis dropped an embarrassing third straight loss to a 49ers squad that always seem to be up for the Rams, despite its inferior talent.

After two games, the Rams finally knocked the rust off their offense and began producing consecutive wins. The Rams' all-star prosecution team of Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Steven Jackson found their rhythm and started posting numbers Rams fans have grown accustomed to. Unfortunately, it was about this time that the Rams began mustering their defense, utilizing the services of the Public Defender's Office. Despite high-profile signings such as La'Roi Glover and Will Witherspoon and the acquisition of coordinator Jim Haslett, it seemed the Rams' offense would once more need to outscore their opponents to win.

Despite the apparent holes in their defense and having had clear-cut losses overturned on technicalities by Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, the Rams were sitting pretty at 4-1. Along the way they met up with ex-hostile witness, and current Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz. The courtroom was set alight by offensive theatrics and the Rams pulled out a hard-fought victory in a 41-34 fireworks display.

The offense was finding its rhythm and protecting the football while the defense was regressing, but still forcing turnovers and doing just enough to win. However, the Rams would then face a veritable Murderer's Row of opponents (Seattle, at San Diego, Kansas City, at Seattle and at Carolina), and whether they are a good football team would truly be put to the test.

The jury's still out.

The Rams were outmaneuvered in the closing moments of a titanic struggle with the Seahawks and suffered defeat against LaDainian Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman - at the time enjoying a suspended sentence - in what proved to be an open-and-shut case.

Hoping that the extraordinarily poor run defense against Tomlinson was just an aberration, the Rams' defenders dedicated a week to tackling technique to find out if they could truly stop the run against Larry Johnson.

The Rams can't handle the truth.

St. Louis' defenders have been found guilty of being unable to stop the run and being ineffectual in pressuring the quarterback (with Leonard Little receiving the lone acquittal). The Rams' offense has begun turning the ball over and the unit's three fumbles make it an accessory in the loss to Kansas City. The Rams must shore up their defense and prove that the offensive turnovers are merely temporary insanity in order to make a run to the playoffs.

This brings us to this Sunday, and Judgment Day in Seattle. A victory will mean a reprieve and a probable season long battle for the NFC West. A defeat will result in the harshest sentence possible:

"Wait 'til next year."

Follow the St. Louis Rams drama all season long at RealFootball365.com
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