Rams shown the door

By Steve Reynolds  |   Tuesday, December 05, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

St. Louis Rams
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Exit, stage right.

The Rams were handed their hats on Sunday by a clearly superior Cardinals team. This unfortunate truth now leaves St. Louis fans asking a simple question: Where can the Rams possibly go from here?

Simple answer: On vacation.

Rookie head coach Scott Linehan has a different perspective, "You can make the playoffs in this league at 8-8. Our season is not over. No way are we approaching it that way."

Forgive the double-take here, but one must wonder how, after your team got crushed at home by the equally rancid Cardinals, you can possibly muster up the nerve to even mention the postseason?

This writer, for one, would have preferred Linehan channel Jim Mora Sr., who, when asked about his team's shot at making the postseason several years ago, could only blurt out a flabbergasted, "PLAYOFFS?" At least it would have proven that the head coach was a little more grounded in reality. Perhaps it would have lit a fire under a Rams squad that seems to be sleepwalking its way through yet another season.

For that matter, does anyone really want to see the Rams on the road in the playoffs and watch them get the excrement forcibly removed from their bodies by the likes of a Cowboys or Saints team?

Linehan's penchant for blind optimism aside, there are some serious questions that the Rams organization must now address:

Can the Rams win playing Linehan's style of football?

Somewhere in Detroit, Mike Martz is flashing a fiendish grin. Obviously, no one is going to give up on their rookie head coach just 12 games through his inaugural season. However, something is rotten in the state of Missouri. The Rams, too often this season, have seemed to be simply going through the motions on offense. Although Steven Jackson is enjoying his best season due to Linehan's emphasis on the run, the rest of the team is a reflection of its uninspired play calling. The Rams can't wait until they are down to attack the opponent's defense, they must use Jackson to set up their once formidable vertical passing game.

The Rams need not be conservative in order to give Jackson more carries. However, Marc Bulger has relied on hitting his running back in the flat too often this season. While fine as a last resort, the reliance on the quick dump to Jackson for short yardage has created far too many third-down situations this season, and, consequently, created far too many punts. Linehan must find a way to allow his system to stretch the field while still emphasizing the run, effectively forcing the opposing defense to pick its poison.

Is the defense so bad that it warrants a complete overhaul?

At this point, yes. Unless that side of the ball can make some sort of miraculous turnaround in the final four games (and it won't), the Rams must reevaluate every position on defense, including coordinator Jim Haslett. There is talent there, no question about it. The ability and desire of players such as Leonard Little and Will Witherspoon cannot be easily dismissed. However, the run defense reeks on a heretofore unimaginable level, and something must be done about it. The Rams should seriously consider focusing the entire draft and all of their free agent dollars on defense in the off-season. Note: The Cardinals posted their first 100-yard rushing game in over two years on Sunday. Congratulations, Rams!

Are the Rams beyond redemption?

For the playoffs (PLAYOFFS?), certainly. As far as establishing a new identity and getting a positive head start on next season, there is hope. The defense is terrible and the offense seems to be stuck in neutral.

The usually non-spoken Marc Bulger took the first step toward redeeming the club in his post-game comments, stating, "There's more than one guy in this locker room that could care less if we're losing, or thinks it's OK to make mistakes. There are definitely guys that don't care. That's what bugs me."

It is further notable to mention that Bulger's comments were directed only at the offense, he wouldn't address the defensive problems. Perhaps he didn't have all night to stand there.

Thankfully, someone had the nerve to finally say what everyone in Rams land has been thinking. Linehan, firmly entrenched in his lollipop, "we can still make the playoffs," fairy-land delusion certainly wasn't going to say it. The Rams need to take a long look at themselves, and those players that won't be held accountable and make the effort to learn from their mistakes should be released.

"There's definitely ways to fix it. Whether you can fix it right now, I don't know," Bulger continued, "But when you get embarrassed by a 2-9 team and you think it's OK ... it's not OK."

It could have just been his new set of concave ribs talking, but I doubt it.
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