St. Louis: Good, bad and ugly

By Steve Reynolds  |   Monday, September 10, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

St. Louis Rams
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On Sunday, the St. Louis Rams alternated between wearing white and black hats before finally getting them blown off in the second half, losing 27-13 to Carolina.

The Good

Special teams: In a refreshing change from the norm, the Rams' special teams actually looked competent for the first time in, literally, years. Dante Hall ripped off a huge return and the coverage units were not running around like something out of a Three Stooges episode. Some returns were better than others, but the coverage was solid while Jeff Wilkins and Donnie Jones looked sharp in their respective kicking duties.

The Bad

Offense: Despite suffering only a single (although vicious) blindside sack, Marc Bulger was consistently harassed and ineffective in the second half and Steven Jackson committed two critical fumbles. The offensive line lost Orlando Pace to a shoulder injury; the line was generally inept in both run and pass blocking thereafter.

Pass defense: Tye Hill stumbled and was burned for a TD by Steve Smith and O.J. Atogwe got flagged for a critical pass interference infraction that set up the Panthers' initial score.

Pass rush: Jake Delhomme had an eternity to throw. As usual, the Rams can't seem to generate pressure on the QB without resorting to blitzing; they scored nary a sack.

Run defense: Despite giving up over 180 yards on the ground, the Rams' run defense may not be as inept as it seems. Veterans Will Witherspoon, Brandon Chillar, Leonard Little and Atogwe were strong against the run in the first half, while newcomers James Hall and Adam Carriker were likewise effective. Only in the second half did the defense collapse against the run, and that was only when the Ram offense was consistently going three-and-out or turning the ball over. Fatigue will eventually conquer even the stoutest defense.

The Ugly

Play-calling: There's playing conservative, and then there is worrying too much about turning the ball over. The Rams took few chances downfield and the quick, horizontal passes to the receivers were about as effective as spiking the ball in the turf.

Losing Pace: Pace is nearly as indispensable as Bulger or Jackson, and the Rams' O-line could be in serious trouble without him. The best option may be to switch young Alex Barron from RT into Pace's spot.

If the Rams can survive the loss of Pace, they can recover from their disastrous start. The offense will eventually find its rhythm and will be able to duplicate the precision of its lone touchdown drive. Meanwhile, the defense showed measurable improvement before it wore down for being on the field for what seemed like the entirety of the second half. Along with the special teams appearing solid, there does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel.

The hope is that the Rams won't be out of contention before they reach it.

**You can e-mail Steve Reynolds at sreynolds@realfootball365.com
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