NFL: St. Louis Rams Rant

2008-11-25T13:13:00.001-06:00

How cool is this? The Rams gave 250 St. Louis kids their very first bikes. I love reading about the good deeds done by my favorite teams.

2008-10-30T13:37:00.001-05:00

Get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th, St. Louis!

2008-10-20T12:44:00.001-05:00

Did we kick some Cowboy butt or what? I bet Steven Jackson is still gloating! I know I am.

We need a cheerleader-coach hybrid!

2008-09-23T14:04:00.001-05:00

Jesus, even our coach sounds down about our team right now. Isn't he supposed to give some pep and hope to the fans? “They were able to pretty much do what they wanted to do in the first half in a number of areas,” Linehan said. “We haven’t been able to stop the run or the big plays in the running game. It seems to be an over and over thing.”

That just seems sad. True, but very sad.

Making Lemonade

2008-07-04T11:51:00.004-05:00

St. Louisans are great at making the best of a bad situation. Flood our river? We'll put a concert on the levee! Here's wishing everyone a Happy 4th - and a dry one!

Making something good even better

2008-02-14T09:49:00.002-06:00

So I have to say I've always liked the royal blue and gold of the St. Louis Rams. Bold, vibrant, dangerous, yet attractive. But yet... for some reason... I like those colors even better now.

A tribute to the St. Louis Rams fan

2007-07-04T02:39:00.001-05:00

ROFL!! Easily the funniest "Real Men of Genius" commercial ever. A must-see for any St. Louis Rams fan, whether you like beer or not. :)

See the clip here.

2007 Preseason

2007-04-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

The team learned Monday where it will be spending its preseason and which teams will be on the docket.

St. Louis will open the preseason where it ended the regular season with a matchup at Minnesota in week one. The time and date of that game will be determined at a later time. The Rams beat the Vikings in the 2006 regular season finale 41-21.

In Week 3, the Rams will travel to Oakland for a rematch from the end of the season. St. Louis beat the Raiders 20-0 in game 14 in 2006.

The final tuneup for the Rams will come in week four when they host the annual Governor’s Cup game against Kansas City. The Rams lost to the Chiefs 31-17 in Game 8 last season.

Just missed the game!

2007-01-17T17:04:00.000-06:00

I was scheduled to attend the St. Louis Rams game with my boss, but bad weather screwed up the plans. At least they finished the season on a winning streak (hey, 3 games count as a streak!).

Rams Find a Way to Win

2006-12-18T10:28:00.000-06:00

The St. Louis Rams found themselves in the win column this past week after defeating the dismal Oakland Raiders 20-0. Rams running back Steven Jackson had a good day of running with 31 carries for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Raiders could not hold on to the ball all day with 5 turnovers, 3 of them interceptions. There's not really much to say about a game that had no implications whatsoever. I don't think the Rams are officially out of the playoff race yet, but it doesn't look good for them.

Monday Night Football in St. Louis

2006-12-11T09:58:00.000-06:00

The St. Louis Rams have their work cut out for them tonight as the prepare to play the dominating Chicago Bears tonight. The Rams have lost 6 of their last 7 games after starting the season 4-1. Now I know last week I was singing dooms day news, but with the shabby records of most teams in the NFC the Rams still have a chance, but they're going to have to pull an amazing upset tonight and finish out the season against the Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins, and Minnesota Vikings.

It is All Over

2006-12-03T19:24:00.000-06:00

The St. Louis Rams lost to a very poor Arizona Cardinal team today, 34-20. With that loss I'm officially throwing up the white flag letting all know that the St. Louis Rams are nothing to fear in the NFL. Next week's game will have the Rams against the hot Chicago Bears that will probably end in defeat which will have the Rams losing 7 of their last 8 games.

Rams and Panthers Both Want a Turnaround

2006-11-17T17:27:00.000-06:00

Our St. Louis Rams and the Carolina Panthers we'll face next Sunday in Charlotte both need a jolt of energy to restart the seasons that looked so promising only a month or so back. The Panthers lost out to Cincinnati and Dallas, and almost as devastating, they looked like they were going into the tank again in the first half of their encounter last week with the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But St. Louis needs to win this one even more. We were on a roll at the start of the season when we got to the 4-1 point. Since then, Seattle has knocked the wind out of our sails not once but twice, and let's not talk about San Diego or Kansas City. The Rams haven't lost five in a row since 2002, and we don't need to repeat that now.

Our QB, Marc Bulger, has been looking sharper than Carolina's Jake Delhomme has of late. Defense, you gonna be ready to do your part?

Rams Need to Create, Not Endure, Turnovers

2006-11-06T18:25:00.000-06:00

Our season so far seems split into two chunks: our 4-1 beginning, and our three losses in a row. Besides the final scores, the most distinguishing factor has generally been who has the turnovers. Take our outing against the Kansas City Chiefs, for example. It wasn’t just that we had three turnovers that cost us 17 points.

The Chiefs fumbled a couple of times, too, but the people who came up with the ball were…not our defensive guys. Corey Chavous made a comment I agree with, that our Rams need “a defensive mentality and it starts with the guys who put on the blue and gold.” Since this very Rams roster started the year as the best in the NFL with regard to maintaining possession for themselves and forcing turnovers by the other guys, we clearly have the capacity—we need to regain the mental outlook.

Give blood, save a life...

2006-11-02T11:47:00.000-06:00

The American Red Cross and the St. Louis Rams are teaming up for a boold drive. On Monday Novemeber 6th Safety Corey Chavous will host this 7th annual event. Being held at the Heights in Richmond Heights from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. To make an appointment for the drive, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. This is such a great cause and a great thing for any community. Be sure to make it down.

Will St. Louis Have a Change in the Weather?

2006-10-26T14:17:00.000-05:00

It's our friends in the MLB that have to worry about the weather. We were hoping to see a third World Series win by the Cardinals last night, and then have them finish it all with a triumph and a trophy tonight. Instead last night's game finally got scrubbed after about a 2-3 hour rain delay. The forecast for tonight looks even worse. Who knows when they'll put this Series back on track?

Give me NFL football. Neither rain nor snow nor sleet...our guys are no wimps.

Besides, we're heading off to play in San Diego.

Meet Me in St. Louis Tomorrow!

2006-10-14T18:39:00.000-05:00

It's all happening in St. Louis tomorrow. First our Rams go up against the Seattle Seahawks, who, unfortunately, had a couple of weeks to recover from their uncharacteristically ugly loss to the Chicago Bears. We know they want to knock us off our top spot in the NFC West. But we don't have to let 'em!

Anyway, then it's the Cardinals against the Mets in the continuing National League Championship Series. Wouldn't it be fun to have tickets to both the Edward Jones Dome and Busch Stadium tomorrow? Except for the traffic.

St. Louis Rams Add to Detroit Lions' Woes

2006-10-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

Going into today's game with 2 wins interspersed with a loss, our Rams couldn't claim invincibility, but that's what they ultimately proved to have as far as the Detroit Lions were concerned. The Lions really wanted to notch their first victory though, and they came to the Edward Jones Dome ready to play.

I enjoy a see-saw battle, and that's what this was. The 41-34 final score came after an overturned penalty, and that's obciously not as much fun as a straight out play. But our Rams rallied three times from behind, and close to the end Detroit was trying to hang onto a 34-33 lead. Marc Bulgar said, "Sometimes in a game like this, it's who gets the ball last," which I thought was very gracious. Also true.

There’s a great big world out there.

2006-07-11T12:22:00.000-05:00

Summer is not usually my favorite time of year. Gone are the days of lazing by the pool and dreaming of a world without homework. Summer means the end of basketball, the conclusion of the hockey season and no football to speak of. This year was special because of the World Cup. I had no idea professional soccer was so exciting. I recorded the games during the day and watched them all when I got home from work. One of the most intriguing elements of the World Cup was the news stories covering the extra-curricular activities of wacky football fans all over the world. I’d hate to meet some of those guys in a dark alley when I was wearing the wrong colors.

Some new names on the St. Louis Rams' roster

2006-06-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to seeing what Scott Linehan will bring to the Rams as head coach, even if he does have a tough act to follow. If quarterback Marc Bulger stays healthy, we should continue with a solid offense, and even if he gets injured, we now have Gus Freotte on board from the Miami Dolphins--pretty nice back-up. Former Carolina Panther Will Witherspoon didn't come cheap, but he ought to be an exciting addition to the defense.

I don’t know who to cheer for!

2006-05-28T18:02:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I am not a fan of the Los Angels Lakers. I really haven’t been since Shaq left and the Kobe Bryant years began. I am cheering for the Phoenix Suns to win the whole thing. I think that Steve Nash deserves a ring more than anyone in the league, except for maybe Dirk Nowitzki. Actually it is really hard to say I don’t want the Dallas Mavericks to win because I kind of do want them to get their first NBA title. It is hard to decide where my loyalties lie with such a good bunch of teams competing in the Playoffs.

Not sure Hagans is a good choice for the Rams.

2006-04-30T16:17:00.000-05:00

I am wondering if Marquis Hagans was a good draft choice for the St. Louis Rams. He has played a variety of positions in his career including quarterback and wide receiver. He started at QB 24 times and held the record for longest losing streak of any Virginia QB since 1950. We picked him up for the position of Wide Receiver though so I suppose that is better than expecting him to play QB again.

Fakhir has high hopes for Rams in 2006

2006-04-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

The St. Louis Rams signed cornerback Fakhir Brown to the roster in mid-March. Brown has his mind set on starting for the Rams in 2006 but I am not so sure he is up to the task. We signed him to a five year deal so he has plenty of time to prove himself. If anything I bet we can expect an admirable effort from Brown and hopefully he can get some of his new teammates fired up as well.

Who should the Rams chase for a contract?

2006-03-19T13:26:00.000-06:00

We have a lot of spots to fill on this St. Louis Rams team before training camp starts. Free agency is going to hurt us this year and we have already lost Ryan Pickett to the Green Bay Packers. Who do you think we should be courting and why?

Faulk Working in New Orleans

2006-02-12T22:17:00.000-06:00

News in the sports world has been be speckled by crime and punishment so much lately that I refreshed to see stories like the one about Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams running back, helping to feed the people in his home town of New Orleans. Human interest stories like his are morally reassuring with the constant drama of negative behavior we are seeing from some of our professional athletes today.

Rams Welcome New Head Coach

2006-01-21T23:44:00.000-06:00

The St. Louis Rams have a new head coach. Scott Linehan was Miami’s Defensive coordinator this past 2005 season. I know the Dolphins didn’t have the best defense but perhaps he has strengths are in other areas. I’m picking the Carolina Panthers for the winner of the NFC Championship on Sunday.

Rams Search for New Head Coach

2006-01-09T18:53:00.000-06:00

Orlando Pace will be a starter in the Pro Bowl. This will be the seventh consecutive time he has been chosen for the Pro Bowl. Mike Wartz will no longer be the head coach of the Rams and the search for a new head coach continues this week. There are a lot of prospects and I just hope we choose the right one. Four men have interviewed for the job. They are Tim Lewis the Giants Defensive Coordinator, Ron Rivers from the Chicago Bears, Scott Linehan Offensive Coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, and the great Mike Zimmer the Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator.

Holt Gets 1300 and Rams Beat Cowboys

2006-01-03T19:12:00.000-06:00

Torry Holt was truly the star of the St. Louis Rams game against the Dallas Cowboys. He passed the 1,300-yard receiving mark during the game and never looked back. Holt has consistently earned over 1,300 for the past six years of his NFL career.

The whole team performed well on Sunday and beat a team many assumed we would fall to. After the recent four game losing streak I was thinking we had no chance of beating the Cowboys and ending the season with a win. For three quarters it looked like Dallas had the upper hand but they fell apart in the fourth and we took advantage of their weakness. It was a great way to end the season.

San Francisco Shocks the Rams Again

2005-12-28T16:51:00.000-06:00

The St. Louis Rams are facing the Dallas Cowboys in their last game of the season. We haven’t had the best season and that was apparent in our loss to the San Francisco 49ers over the holiday weekend. I had assumed that we would beat the 49ers because they had performed poorly this season. We performed badly on defense missing tackles and allowing Alex Smith too much time in the pocket. This was our fourth loss in a row and our second to the lowly 49ers this season. We are facing the mighty Cowboys next week and very well could finish the season on a five game losing streak if this team doesn’t put forth their best effort all year.

Offensive Line of Fire

2005-12-21T17:34:00.000-06:00

Now that the dust has cleared after the St. Louis Rams loss to the Philadelphia Eagles we can talk about Coach Vitt. He is angry, to say the least, about his teams performance on Sunday and the 15 penalties they committed. The offensive line has drawn the majority of Vitt’s ire as they racked up eight false starts and played poor pass protection. Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t get a passing game going at all and it was due in part to his inexperience. However, he was more hampered by the offensive lines inability to protect him in the pocket than anything else.

Rams Los to Vikings

2005-12-12T17:45:00.000-06:00

In our loss to the Vikings on Sunday, the St. Louis Rams failed over and over to convert on third downs. We started the game alright but succumbed to the Vikings defense and allowed too many mistakes and forced turnovers. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a tough game and couldn’t get the ball to his receivers. The Rams running game was shut down almost completely by the Vikings defense. Players like Viking Koren Robinson made key plays that changed the momentum of the game in the Vikings favor. We are going to have to dominate more on offense to beat the Philadelphia Eagles next week.

Rookie Cracks Under Redskins Pressure

2005-12-05T17:51:00.000-06:00

The St. Louis Rams 24-9 loss to the Washington Redskins showed Ryan Fitzpatrick’s inexperience in bold living color. He admits to getting confused by some situations on the field and that he failed complete some key passes. He did run for the Rams single touchdown but that is only because he couldn’t get the ball into the hands of any of our receivers. He played poorly against Washington after looking like a pro against the Houston Texans. Fitzpatrick looked nervous at the start of the game and failed to shake the high passes and mistakes of the first quarter all game. Even he admits,
“I felt like a Rookie out there.”

Wilkins Kicks Some Houston Texans

2005-11-30T17:26:00.000-06:00

St. Louis Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins put forth an amazing effort against the Houston Texans on Sunday. It was Wilkins who showed up and led the series of events that won us the victory and brought us back from a deficit in the fourth quarter of the game. After kicking the extra point after a touchdown in the fourth, Wilkins kicked an onside kick and then 47 yard field goal, followed by a squib kick the Texans could not return. Wilkins fine performance under pressure won us this game. His most notable contribution was the onside kick because it got into the hands of a Rams player almost as soon as it bounced on the ground and changed the momentum of the game in favor of the Rams at just the right time to tie the game and send the teams into overtime. Jeff Wilkins is easily the best kicker in the NFL according to Coach Joe Vitt and his fellow players.

Cardinals Stop Steve Jackson

2005-11-22T11:20:00.000-06:00

The Arizona Cardinals won the day on Sunday outscoring us 38-28. The St. Louis Rams quarterback, Marc Bulger, was injured in the game and is questionable for next week’s game against the Texans. No one knows if we will see Jamie Martin or Ryan Fitzpatrick but both have the stuff to beat the Texans with their losing record. The Cardinals effectively stopped our running game leaving only the pass. Steven Jackson was held to an abysmal six yards and a fumble. To stop him is quite an achievement and we have to give Arizona credit for adding an extra safety (Wilson) to help the cause. We just weren’t fired up enough to break their defense and the result was their outscoring us. I’ll admit they stopped us but why were we so ineffective against their everyday offense?

Bulger Versus Warner Sunday

2005-11-18T17:40:00.000-06:00

Tom Nutten is out for the season with a neck injury and Larry Turner has returned in his place. Kevin Curtis has peaked fan interest with his growing popularity and skill at the wide receiver position. We are ready for this Sunday’s battle with the Arizona Cardinals and Marc Bulger is prepared for their fierce defense. Kurt Warner will be facing us for the first time since 2003 and we can only hope that Marc Bulger has a better game than against the Colts or Giants. We are on a winning streak though so the cards look to be in our favor.

St. Louis Rams Win Over Tennessee

2005-09-28T11:22:00.000-05:00

The St. Louis Rams beat the Titans by 4 points, making it a 31-27 victory for the Rams. Marc Bulger threw for 292 yards and three touchdown passes. Adam Archuleta had a big interception for the Rams, intercepting the ball and running it back 85 yards for a touchdown, which made the St. Louis defense ready for anything in the first half. Still, there are two halves in a game, not one--if they had quit playing any sooner they would have lost the game.

The St. Louis Rams’ next game will be against the New York Giants in Giants Stadium.

Rams Win Over Kurt Warner & the Cardinals

2005-09-20T11:32:00.000-05:00

Our St. Louis Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals with a 17-12 victory in the Cardinals’ stadium. Even though Kurt Warner threw a good game, they just could not finish them off: Kurt completed 29 of his 42 of his passes but not one was a touchdown. Which the St. Louis Rams could not be any happier about. With the St. Louis Rams having a 1-1 record for this season, they better be ready to step up for the Tennessee Titans, which also have a 1-1 record. This should be a good game because both teams are having the same problems and the same luck.

Which team do you think will have the worst record for the season?

St. Louis Rams Get Beat on Opening Day

2005-09-13T09:41:00.000-05:00

The San Francisco 49ers beat the St. Louis Rams 28-25, 49ers scoring 3 touchdowns in the 2nd quarter, which gave them a pretty big lead going to the half. The Rams look like they need to improve a little bit if they want to compete for the AFC title. Fred Amey running back a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown might be a question for the St. Louis special team. The next game is against the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona at the Sun Devil Stadium--this will be a good game knowing that these two teams might be looking the same for this season. It is a division game so be watching for both teams to play hard.

Bruce Bruce

2005-06-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

It is put up or shut up time for Isaac Bruce. He is coming into his last contract year with St. Louis. Bruce is set to receive a large sum of money this year and is expected to produce big numbers for a team that has fallen from grace quickly.

It was a bit scary earlier when Bruce had some type of abnormality in his heart, but he was cleared by the doctors to start doing regular football activities and will join his team for training camp for probably his final year as a Ram.

Bowl-a-RAM-a Benfitting Epilepsy Research

2005-05-26T14:36:00.000-05:00

The St. Louis Rams are sponsoring a Bowl-a-RAM-a event to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of the St. Louis Region. This is the ninth year that this annual bowling event has been setup, where players join together to bowl and raise money for this cause. Each lane runs $1000 and bowling individually runs $100.

Go out and support your Rams in their fight against epilepsy.

Archuleta Hoping to Get Back to Form

2005-05-19T17:51:00.000-05:00

- from the official site of the St. Louis Rams

Adam Archuleta’s back was in such bad shape last season that he couldn’t do simple, everyday tasks. Simple activities such as touching his toes were every bit as difficult as making an open field tackle on a running back.

Those struggles led to one of the most difficult years of Archuleta’s young career. In spite of the herniated disc in his back, Archuleta still played in all 16 games, finishing with 123 tackles, a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Still, it was clear that he wasn’t at his best for most of last year.

Reggie Hodges Starting?

2005-05-17T17:47:00.000-05:00

After the release of punter Kevin Stemke, the St. Louis Rams are most likely going to start Reggie Hodges at this position. A sixth round choice, Hodges attended Ball State where he had four of his kicks blocked last year. This doesn’t seem to affect the Rams too greatly and they believe he will improve on getting the ball out quicker. Hodges was the 210th selection overall.

MINICAMP MAYHEM:

2005-05-12T16:05:00.000-05:00

- from FOXSports.com

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was drafted out of Harvard, faces an uphill struggle to make the 53-man roster in September. He will have to unseat either the veteran Martin or second-year man Smoker for a roster spot. But there's no doubt Fitzpatrick has Martz's attention. Prior to the minicamp, Fitzpatrick impressed Martz on tape with his mobility, accuracy, arm strength and awareness of blitzes. At the minicamp, Fitzpatrick impressed Martz with his intelligence and ability to quickly grasp changes in technique and footwork. Martz rarely was more than 10 feet away from Fitzpatrick during the minicamp. But Fitzpatrick never got flustered, and he seemed more than willing to do things the Rams' way. For a Mike Martz quarterback, that's half the battle.

Ronald Bartell Jr.

2005-05-03T18:18:00.000-05:00

Ronald Bartell Jr. was the second choice of the St. Louis Rams during this year’s draft. At 6'1 ", 211 pounds, Bartell is a great prospect size-wise for the cornerback position. At the same time, with his speed that everyone’s been raving about, he has the ability to be a very versatile player. Bartell still needs some work on his game itself. He needs to grow in his footwork and under the coaching of the Rams he can develop into a great asset, but just not quite yet.

Alex Barron

2005-04-28T17:09:00.000-05:00

Alex Barron was selected by the St. Louis Rams as the 19th overall choice in the first round of picks. An extremely versatile offensive tackle, Barron is equally aggressive in run and pass plays. At 6’7, 320 pounds, Barron was one of the most influential people on the FSU line. On that same note, he was also one of the top choices out of offensive tackles registered for the draft.

SCOUTING REPORT:

2005-04-21T17:35:00.000-05:00

- from FOXSports.com

DE Leonard Little spent the entire 2004 season with the weight of a drunken-driving charge on his shoulders. The uncertainty affected his play as much as the constant double teams and chip blocking he received for the first time in his career. His acquittal gives him a chance for a fresh start, and that should lead to improved play from his left end position in '05. Little remains one of the game's premier edge rushers, with an excellent burst complemented by good use of hands to ward off blockers. His leverage and underrated strength make him surprisingly effective against the run despite weighing only 261 pounds. But a breakthrough year by Anthony Hargrove at right end might have as much to do with an increased sack total by Little in '05 as anything.

Jammal Brown

2005-04-17T14:50:00.000-05:00

Jammal Brown began his career as a defensive lineman and always imagined himself on the defensive side of the spectrum. After joining the Oklahoma Sooners, he was quickly changed to an offensive tackle. Brown has been one of the most prolific offensive tackles for the Sooners, only allowing 1 sack throughout the last two years. This thoroughly increased the stats of quarterback Jason White.

“I just know that I was always taught to not let anybody get near your quarterback, so that’s what I did. It’s a personal thing because you don’t want those guys just to beat you and all of the fingers will be pointing at you. So, I just make sure that no one comes close to him.”
- Jammal Brown

The Rams are looking towards the draft at possibly acquiring Brown. He recently visited the Rams. Brown would be a good fit to empower an offense that already is very resilient.

DRAFT WHISPERS:

2005-04-12T16:09:00.000-05:00

- from FOXSports.com

The team now knows it will have LE Leonard Little, who faced possible jail time before being acquitted of a drunken-driving charge, so it won't be forced to take an end in the first or second round. With 12 picks overall, look for some predraft or draft-day maneuvering. The team might send a sixth- or seventh-round pick to Miami for DT Jeff Zgonina, a former Ram who would provide leadership on the line and improve the depth. The team needs to get bigger in the front seven, so a wide-bodied defensive tackle could be selected.

Competition

2005-04-07T17:26:00.000-05:00

Last year, the Seattle Seahawks were building themselves up to advance over the St. Louis Rams. They put together a pretty strong team and used a hell of a lot of money in the process. This year it turns to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards already pulled Chike Okeafor from Seattle and are not stopping there.

"People do crazy things just for the chance, the promise, of maybe having a better team. You say to yourself, 'Oh, if I make this move, sign this guy, I've got a chance to win.' And more often than not, you convince yourself to do it.”
- Arizona coach Dennis Green

Seattle made an effort to rule the NFC West and failed under the might of St. Louis. Can the Cards do it?

Jay Williams back in St. Louis

2005-03-31T19:15:00.000-06:00

- from the official site of the St. Louis Rams

Perhaps searching for some of that magic from the 1999 Super Bowl championship season or maybe just looking to make more work for the jersey makers, the Rams have added another Williams from the title-winning team to the fold.

After signing tight end Roland Williams to a one-year deal on March 9, St. Louis has brought back another member of that team. This one makes his home on the other side of the ball.

The signing of Williams comes as no surprise to a team that has spent most of the offseason searching for depth, toughness and leadership. After the loss of end Bryce Fisher, the team’s leading sack artist last season, to a four-year deal with Seattle, the need for another defensive end materialized.

OFFENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS:

2005-03-24T17:53:00.000-06:00

- from FOXSports.com

Despite Coach Mike Martz's penchant for the forward pass, there's no doubt he would like to give RB Steven Jackson a steady load next season as the feature back. That's one reason why the team signed TE Roland Williams instead of attempting to re-sign Cameron Cleeland as No. 2 tight end. Williams is a better point of attack blocker. Now, Martz can line up two mammoth tight ends on the line of scrimmage in Williams (275 pounds) and starter Brandon Manumaleuna (290) to move bodies on running plays. Don't expect the Rams to quit throwing the ball, either. Martz enters this season knowing his has four viable receiver options, something that was unclear one year ago. But the addition of Williams gives the Rams more flexibility to muscle up when necessary.

Pace Signed

2005-03-20T19:33:00.000-06:00

After a lot of discussion and loads of drama, Pace has finally signed on to a deal with the St. Louis Rams. But, this did not come about easily. Apparently, for the last three years, Pace has been dealing with faulty negotiations with his former management. Not to say that they were ripping the guy, but Pace thought it time to separate ways and try something new.

In comes Kennard McGuire who in the span of a couple hours solved all the deconstructive work the previous management had applied. McGuire, well known around the scene for getting the money a player is pursuing, ironed out the deal that will most likely keep Pace with the Rams up into retirement.

Pace is content with the deal even though he was offered a slightly better one after being wined and dined in Houston. He is glad to stay in St. Louis and have all his previous drama ironed out with Jay Zygmunt (Rams President of Football Operations).

The Return of Roland Williams

2005-03-13T15:02:00.000-06:00

Roland Williams began his career with the St. Louis Rams as a fourth round draft pick back in 1998 straight out of Syracuse. Williams was with the Rams for a few seasons, where he helped push to the 1999 Super Bowl. Afterwards he moved over to the Oakland Raiders only to be moved again to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Tampa move did not prove to be too beneficial and was full of injuries. Recovering from a torn ACL, Williams moved back to Oakland.

Now Williams is finally coming home and hopefully will be as great of an asset to the team as he was back in 1999.

“It’s great to come back home to where I started my career, had a chance to win a Super Bowl and make some great friends. I will have a big smile on my face all the way to the airport and home. In free agency, you never know what is going to happen. I have had some success and I have had some rough times, but this is a chance for me to come to a place I know and get back to the winning that we had when I left.”
- Roland Williams

Rams and Free Agency

2005-03-08T14:47:00.000-06:00

With free agency well in swing, the St. Louis Rams have been looking forward with promise. Their first move has been to rework the line backing staff with a few different additions. Dexter Coakley and Chris Claiborne come into the fold in order to fill these gaps in the line.

“We are just trying to improve our football team. It (linebacker) is the area that we had a chance to get started with and I’m sure we are still looking to improve.”
- Defensive Coordinator Larry Marmie

After eight seasons with Dallas, Coakley moved to the Rams right after he was released. The deal is five-years, worth $14.15 million with a signing bonus of $3 million.

Claiborne’s contract is for three years and worth approximately $10.5 million with a signing bonus of $3.6 million.

Faulk Second to Jackson

2005-03-03T14:38:00.000-06:00

During his rookie year, Steven Jackson proved himself as a very good running back. He proved himself so well that the Rams will be putting him on first teams ahead of Marshall Faulk.

This is a major blow to Faulk fans on account of him being a very classic player. He has an extreme history. Faulk helped take them to the Super Bowl and has also been an NFL MVP. But, the Rams are in the mood for testing out new blood. Jackson is a great player and it would be a waste not to check his potential for the game.

So, Marshall Faulk will move to second teams and we’ll wait to see if Steven Jackson can handle the pressure.

Last Season Stats:

Marshall Faulk 195 Att / 774 Yds / 4.0 Avg / 3 TDs
Steven Jackson 134 Att / 673 Yds / 5.0 Avg / 4 TDs

St. Louis Last Left with AstroTurf

2005-02-15T18:05:00.000-06:00

- from the official site of the St. Louis Rams

Last season, when Rams were falling one by one to the AstroTurf monster at the Edward Jones Dome, the outcry grew louder for a new surface. At least then, the rug at the Dome wasn’t the worst in the league.

Starting this season, St. Louis won’t be able to make that claim anymore. The Indianapolis Colts, another team known for its high-octane offense and shoddy playing surface have made the move that many players, coaches and staff in the Rams organization have pleaded for: a new synthetic surface.

Coming Back with a Vengeance

2005-01-30T17:39:00.000-06:00

The Rams ended the season with an 8-8 record. This placed them as a pretty mediocre team, but it was still good enough to advance them to the NFC Divisional Playoffs. It didn’t do too much for them, since Atlanta destroyed St. Louis in the Playoffs by a score of 47-17.

Now the Rams have a season to look back over. Which players are going to stay and who will be coming in? As of now, the Rams have 14 unrestricted free agents during this offseason. They’re trying to get as much of a jump start as possible.

"We've come a long ways and yet there's a long ways to go. When we started the season we felt like we could develop into a pretty good team. With all of the things that happened to us, obviously we fell short of where we thought we'd be."
–Mike Martz, head coach

We know what we need to fix to improve

2005-01-23T13:09:00.000-06:00

From stlouisrams.com:

The St. Louis Rams fired special teams coach Mike Stock on Friday and replaced him with Bob Ligashesky, who becomes the fourth man to try and turn around a unit that has struggled since Mike Martz took over as head coach in 2000.

The Rams ranked at or near the bottom of the NFL in all special teams categories this season. In a season-ending 47-17 playoff loss at Atlanta last Saturday, the Falcons' Allen Rossum had an NFL playoff record 152 punt return yards, including a 68-yard touchdown return.

The Rams also allowed an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown in a loss at Buffalo on Nov. 21 and a 94-yard kickoff return in a season-ending 32-29 overtime win over the New York Jets.

Stock was in St. Louis just one season. He replaced Bobby April, who was fired in 2003 after three seasons. April had replaced Larry Pasquale, who was let go after one season in 2000.

Ligashesky has coached just one year in the NFL, serving as assistant special teams coach at Jacksonville last season. Before that, he was an assistant coach in college for 19 years.

The Jaguars ranked 10th in the NFL in three special teams categories: punt return average (9.6 yards), gross punting average (42.8 yards) and net punting average allowed. They were sixth in kickoff return average defense, allowing only 19.9 yards per return.

``He's what I'm looking for in an assistant coach, with the passion for what he does, the high energy level,'' Martz said. ``He's a terrific teacher. He knows the details and the fundamentals of the kicking game.''

Our team improvement for next year, starts with a new special teams coach. We still have a long way to go to become the team we want to eventually become, but its a start to a better Rams team. GO RAMS!

.500 is a meaningless number

2005-01-11T18:37:00.000-06:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

The confounding St. Louis Rams are suddenly on a roll. They became the first .500 team to win a playoff game with a 27-20 win in Seattle that capped a three-game winning streak.

``The last three weeks this is a different team than the previous 14 weeks,'' coach Mike Martz said. ``This is kind of who I think we are.''

The Rams were among the NFC's preseason favorites but just squeezed into the postseason at 8-8.

They were hurt by injuries and infighting, including Martz' confrontation with the entire team after an 18-point loss to New England. Then there was the yearlong struggle to grasp the scheme of new defensive coordinator Larry Marmie and the woeful special teams.

``We have had a lot of turmoil,'' said tight end Cam Cleeland, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 2:11 left. ``A soap opera team.''

Martz thought St. Louis, a 12-4 division champion last year, would be up to speed by midseason. Instead it finally came together in weeks 15 and 16 when the Rams beat the Eagles and the Jets. But there's an asterisk -- Philadelphia had already clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs and rested most of their key performers for the playoffs.

``Here we are,'' Martz said. ``At this point, only the strong survive.''

Better late than never for the Rams, who will play at either Atlanta or Philadelphia next week in the divisional round after completing a three-game sweep of the NFC West champion Seahawks.

``Every week now for three weeks it's been do or die,'' quarterback Marc Bulger said. ``With the way that everyone is playing it's fun again. It wasn't there for a while.''

The confidence is growing although the Rams have won only three times on the road -- twice at Seattle and once at San Francisco, the NFL's worst team.

In Seattle, Marc Bulger threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns, the fast-improving defense held Shaun Alexander to 40 yards on 15 carries and special teams were no longer a liability.

``You are going to see an even better team next week,'' Cleeland said. ``This was a complete and utter team victory.''

Bulger puts little stock in his first career playoff victory, partly because of what lies ahead.

``This isn't the end of the season,'' Bulger said. ``We're just to the point where we were last year. Whoever we play is going to be tough but it's nice that we're playing our best football.''

Second-year player Kevin Curtis caught four passes for 107 yards, his first career 100-yard game, and he and Sean McDonald are becoming effective complements to the team's established duo of Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.

Bulger noted that the Rams that went to two Super Bowls from 1999-2001 had this kind of diversity with the likes of Az-Zahir Hakim and Ricky Proehl diverting attention.

``You can't double everyone,'' Bulger said. ``I think we're starting to get that matchup with the third and fourth guy on safeties and linebackers.''

These next couple of games will be, by no means a walk in the park. Lets pick up the intensity, and show them that your record loses all credibility when a shiny ring is at stake. Keep up the good work guys, We are going all the way!

Playoff hopes hang in the balance

2004-12-27T16:06:00.000-06:00

By Nick Wagoner Staff Writer, from the official site of the St. Louis Rams

Forget all of the doom and gloom surrounding the Rams. Nobody knows better than they do what must be done over the course of the next two weeks to sneak into the playoffs.

This year seems to be unlike any other. Most playoff pictures are usual crystal clear by this point in the season. But with two weeks of the regular season left to play, the NFC picture is probably more muddled than ever. Combine that with the number of teams still alive in the AFC picture and the final two weeks take on more meaning than ever.

St. Louis is stuck squarely in the middle of that group with a 6-8 record, maintaining hopes of a playoff berth and even a division title. If the Rams can win both of their games and Seattle loses one of its two, St. Louis wins the NFC West Division. The Rams are joined by almost the entire league in harboring playoff hopes.

In fact, only six teams (Oakland, Tennessee, San Francisco, Miami, Cleveland and Cincinnati) are eliminated from playoff contention. The teams remaining the AFC appear to be better, as that conference has outperformed the NFC for most of the year.

So, what exactly is it that makes it so difficult to discern which teams will make the playoffs and which are destined for the golf course in January?

Defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson has a relatively simple answer.

“The record sounds a little funny to still be in it,” Jackson said. “But, that’s the NFL. Everybody’s good or everybody’s mediocre; however you want to look at it. Since, I’m a glass half-full guy, everybody’s good. None of that really matters. All that really matters is we have to win on Monday to have a chance to get in the playoffs.”

Ah, yes, the elusive seventh win. The Rams have struggled mightily the past two weeks, losing on the road to Carolina and Arizona. Those losses came after a solid, if not spectacular performance against San Francisco that garnered win No. 6.

In the Rams’ defense, they were without quarterback Marc Bulger in those two losses. Now, Bulger returns for Monday night’s game against Philadelphia at the Edward Jones Dome.

With so much at stake, the Rams know they can’t afford to lay an egg in front of a national television audience. The Eagles don’t have much left to play for, as they have already clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

However, Philadelphia lost star receiver Terrell Owens to an ankle injury last week and the Eagles could be looking to prove they can win games without their best playmaker.

Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said he expects his starters to play, but hinted that they might not be in the whole game.

“The starters are going to start and play,” Reid said. “But on the other hand, it’s an opportunity for some of the young guys to get in and play, also. So, we’ll just see how it works out.”

Quarterback Donovan McNabb, ever the competitor, said he wants to play as much as possible, but it isn’t likely he will play all four quarters. With Owens out, the Eagles can’t afford to lose McNabb or running back Brian Westbrook, the team’s two best remaining playmakers.

Still, though, Philadelphia has proven in seasons past that its backups and young players are no slouches. Take young cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown as examples. They replaced fan favorites Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent in the secondary after playing the role of understudies the past couple of seasons.

Now, Sheppard is going to the Pro Bowl and Brown is one of the team’s most productive defensive players. If there is more talent like that behind the starters, it won’t matter who starts and who plays on Monday night.

That means the Rams can’t expect any kind of gimme this week. Jackson said the team knows to expect Philadelphia’s best, regardless of who is on the field.

“I have no idea, and to be honest, I really don’t care,” Jackson said. “They are a great team, and whoever they put out there I’m sure will be more than serviceable. So I really don’t care who they decide to play, and how long they play them, because it really doesn’t matter. We’re not going to adjust how we play based on what number jersey is out there.”

With so much left to play for, it is unlikely the Rams won’t come out ready to play. Effort and enthusiasm, however, have not been the problems. The problem has been execution. With Bulger back in the fold, the offense should pick up. Of course, it would almost have to after the past two weeks.

Combine that with an improving, but not-quite-there-yet defense and playoff and divisional dreams and you have all of the necessary ingredients to win an important game.

Larry Turner, who started at left guard last week but will be replaced by Tom Nütten this week, said he believes in his team.

“We aren’t dead yet,” Turner said. “We have a great offense, and our defense is coming along. There’s no reason to believe that we couldn’t win these two games. It’s the NFL, it’s any given Sunday. That’s why you play the game.

There’s no reason why we can’t go out here and win these next two games, I believe we can, and I believe we will.”

That kind of enthusiasm has been present all season, now, more than ever, it needs to translate to performance on the field. Nobody on this team knows that better than Bulger.

“It’s on us to go out and do it,” Bulger said. “We have been making promises all year we haven’t kept, so we have to find it within ourselves to finish up strong.”

Rams get Dropped by Panthers

2004-12-14T15:11:00.000-06:00

from ESPN.com

The Carolina Panthers were a joke two months ago, in danger of becoming the answer to a trivia question as the biggest bust following a Super Bowl season.

Don't look now, but the Panthers are surging, and moved into the thick of the playoff race Sunday with a 20-7 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Carolina (6-7) has won five straight and is now tied with the Rams (6-7) for the final NFC wild-card berth, but owns the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.

"They had us for the buzzards, we were road kill," linebacker Mark Fields said. "All of sudden, we are coming back. With the character and the leadership of this team, there is no question about it -- this team has some resolve."

Stuck in a six-game losing streak two months ago and the laughingstock of the league with a 1-7 record, the playoffs were unthinkable. Mounting injuries had 14 players out for the season and no help on the way.

Once the Panthers realized that, they began to turn it around and are suddenly playing almost as well as they did during last year's Super Bowl run.

Feeding off a defense that set a franchise record with six interceptions, the Panthers got touchdowns from Muhsin Muhammad and Nick Goings and two field goals from John Kasay in a rematch of January's thrilling NFC divisional playoff.

But this one wasn't nearly as dramatic as Carolina's 29-23 win in double overtime, mainly because the teams are totally different than they were in January.

For starters, 10 of Carolina's 22 regulars from that game are either no longer with the Panthers or out with injuries. St. Louis (6-7) was without star running back Marshall Faulk, and started 39-year-old Chris Chandler at quarterback because Marc Bulger is hurt.

But the stakes were just as high, at least for Carolina.

"It's a playoff game for us every time we go on the field," cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. said. "This is it for us. The hole we put ourselves in, the only way out of it is to win every game and keep the season going."

Manning took the first step, intercepting Chandler on the Rams' first series to set up Carolina's first touchdown. It was Manning who set up Carolina's playoff victory, as well, when he ended a Rams drive by wrestling the ball away from Torry Holt to give the Panthers possession for their winning drive.

Dan Morgan, back from a three-game absence with a concussion, had two interceptions to join Manning for the team lead, and Will Witherspoon and rookie Chris Gamble each added a pick.

Morgan had no idea which of the six interceptions meant the most.

"There were so many, I forgot all of them," he said.

The Panthers forced seven turnovers in all -- Shaun McDonald muffed a punt that Carolina recovered -- and used constant pressure on Chandler to prevent him from finding a comfort zone.

"I think (Chandler) got rattled early," St. Louis coach Mike Martz said. "I think any time you throw some picks in the game, as quarterback, it really is unsettling. At that point, he had a hard time recovering."

Making his first start in over a year, Chandler wasn't crisp. But the 17-year veteran still made a handful of athletic plays, including one that was negated for offensive holding but would have ranked among his niftier touchdown passes.

He escaped from the collapsing pocket, eluded several defenders and zipped a pass to Isaac Bruce, who zigzagged into the end zone for what would have been a 52-yard touchdown.

The one that did count was his 75-yard TD pass to Holt at the end of the first quarter, when Chandler converted on third-and-9. Chandler finished 16-for-29 for 243 yards, one touchdown, six interceptions and was sacked three times.

"No, nothing this bad," Chandler responded when asked if he had ever played worse. "I have no answers, and no excuses. It's just not good."

Meanwhile, Muhammad, who caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme in the first quarter, scored for a career-best 11th time this season.

And Goings, Carolina's sixth-string running back before injuries forced him into a starting role, ran for 108 yards and a 1-yard TD plunge. He now has run for 100 yards or more in all four of his starts -- tying the mark Stephen Davis set last season.

5-5, seahawks inching away

2004-11-28T16:33:00.000-06:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

When all seemed bleak, Drew Bledsoe turned to the one person he thought might provide him perspective and help answer his critics: Jim Kelly.

It worked. Recalling the advice he received earlier this week from Kelly, the Buffalo Bills' Hall of Fame quarterback, Bledsoe produced a convincing reply to those calling for his benching.

Bledsoe hit tight end Mark Campbell for three touchdowns, picking apart a banged-up Rams' secondary, and got additional support from a strong special teams showing, in helping the Bills to a 37-17 win over St. Louis on Sunday.

``We just talked a little bit of how you handle things and how you deal with things when you're faced with some adversity. It was good conversation,'' Bledsoe said. ``It's nice to know you're not the only one who's been through hard times. ... It's nice to know that you have that support.''

Bledsoe finished 15-of-24 for 185 yards and one interception. The three touchdowns were the most Bledsoe's thrown since he had three in Buffalo's 38-21 win over Miami on Dec. 1, 2002.

Bledsoe was so good his 160 yards passing in the first half were more than he had in 10 of his previous 23 games. And he got his 213th career touchdown pass, moving into 19th place ahead of Terry Bradshaw and Y.A. Tittle.

His performance was part of an overall dominating effort by a Buffalo team (4-6) that has won four straight at home, but was coming off its worst outing of the season, a 29-6 loss at New England.

``This week we took it personal,'' Campbell said. ``What happened last Sunday night was embarrassing. We had a bad taste in our mouth and wanted to do something about it today.''

The game turned at the start of the third quarter when the Bills broke open a 17-17 score by producing 17 points in a span of 5:40, including Nate Clements' 86-yard punt return for a touchdown.

This was not the effort the Rams were expecting after taking the NFC West lead with last weekend's 23-12 win over Seattle. St. Louis (5-5) has lost three of its last four, all three losses against AFC East opponents.

As unhappy as Rams coach Mike Martz was with his team's performance, he was livid about what he called cheap shots by the Bills. The Rams lost three cornerbacks to injuries: starter Travis Fisher and backup DeJuan Groce to knee injuries in the first half, and backup Kevin Garrett to a concussion in the third quarter.

Rams receiver Torry Holt also accused Clements of trying to hurt him by going after his knees during a tackle in the third quarter.

``Absolutely, they were doing it intentionally,'' Martz said. ``They are trying to blow somebody's knee out. There's no question about it. It worked.''

As for the game, Martz blamed his special teams unit which, besides allowing Clements' touchdown, gave up a 53-yard punt return to Jonathan Smith. And then there was defensive end Erik Flowers, who muffed a short kickoff, allowing the Bills to recover at the Rams 31.

Those three miscues led to 17 Bills points.

``We were pitiful,'' Martz said. ``I really don't know what to do at this point. ... It's going to be hard to win another game until we get that cleared up. That's the worst thing I've ever seen.''

After spotting the Rams a 10-0 first-quarter lead on their first two possessions, the Bills held St. Louis to 98 yards and no points in the second half, and intercepted Marc Bulger three times.

Bulger went 27-of-45 for 287 yards, including touchdowns to Holt and Isaac Bruce.

Campbell also caught TD passes of 19 and 10 yards for the first three-TD game of his career, and finished with four catches for 37 yards.

``I give him a lot of credit,'' Campbell said, referring to Bledsoe. ``I can't say enough about Drew. For as much heat as he's been under, he made some great reads out there.''

We are never going to get back to the playoffs being dead even, the Bills caught us off guard and jumped on the oppurtunity. We started off strong but finished weak. We need to keep up the same intensity throughout the game so they dont take advantage of us. Lets hope that something in the turkeys will give out Rams a new beginning. We are 0-0 baby and lets finish off strong!

We can't have any more games like Miami.

2004-11-18T19:35:00.000-06:00

After the suprising lose to Miami a few weeks ago and the more rescent lost to the Patriots, we bounced back last game to reclaim the NFC West. We beat out the Seahawks 23-12 for the division lead.

From sports.yahoo.com:

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Mike Martz's week of anger was no empty display. He saw the season slipping away for the defending NFC West champions and thought taking potshots at his players might be his best shot at turning things around.

The St. Louis Rams responded to the tongue-lashings and physical practices by slapping around the Seattle Seahawks.

Marc Bulger got off to a red-hot start and a beleaguered defense held Seattle to three field goals in five trips inside the 20 in a 23-12 victory that earned the Rams a first-place tie with the Seahawks atop the NFC West on Sunday.

Martz held little back after consecutive losses to the Patriots and previously winless Dolphins.

``You don't want the head man upset,'' wide receiver Kevin Curtis said. ``It can't help but fire you up a little bit to play even harder.''

Martz's tactics included a live scrimmage on Wednesday, a very unusual full-contact drill for the NFL but something that he'll continue after seeing such impressive results.

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``It's easy to take things for granted -- all of us, coaches too,'' Martz said. ``If you don't coach attitude and bring out the passion that they have to play this game, then you start to slide, and I think that's where we were.''

The Rams (5-4) responded to Mad Mike by sweeping the season series against their top competition in the West, this time benefiting from an early cushion rather than a fast finish. The Rams led 17-0 early in the second quarter; a month ago in Seattle, they had to score 17 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes of regulation to force overtime.

``They made key plays when they had to, and we didn't,'' Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. ``I think that was the story.''

Shaun Alexander had 176 yards on 22 carries for Seattle, giving him 531 yards the last three games and putting him over 1,000 yards for the fourth straight season. But Alexander's fumble after a 35-yard gain to the St. Louis 9 early in the fourth quarter blew the Seahawks' chance to tie it, with Aeneas Williams stripping the ball and Rich Coady recovering.

``I was just thinking 'make plays,' and I went out to make a play,'' Alexander said. ``Their defense made a better one.''

Matt Hasselbeck played with a charley horse after colliding with Alexander on the Seahawks' first play, and ended with one of his worst games of the season for the Seahawks (5-4), going 15-for-36 for 172 yards. The Seahawks were limited to four field goals by Josh Brown.

``We've been giving up points and I'm quite sure teams are coming in and thinking 'Man, we should be able to get at least 30 points,' and rightfully so,'' Williams said. ``When this defense can hold a good offense like that to 12 points it's going to build momentum.''

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AP - Nov 14, 5:07 pm EST
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Bulger was 5-for-6 for 71 yards on the opening drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Curtis, and was 12-for-15 in the first quarter for 158 yards. By early in the second quarter he had completed passes to nine receivers.

He was ineffective much of the second half playing with the lead, finishing 23-for-34 for 262 yards. But Marshall Faulk helped compensate, shrugging off a lost fumble and finishing with a season-best 139 yards on 18 carries, and the Rams totaled a season-best 202 yards on the ground.

The Rams came out firing. Martz called 13 consecutive passes to open the game and 10 were completions, including the 15-yard TD to Curtis.

He finally called for a handoff midway through the second quarter, resulting in a 14-yard gain by Steven Jackson. Jackson scored from the 4 on the next play for a 14-0 lead.

The Rams played much of the game minus two stars. Offensive tackle Orlando Pace was ejected in the third quarter for making contact with the side judge during a scrum following a lost fumble by Faulk. Torry Holt took a blow to the head in the first quarter and did not return.

``There was never a question he had a concussion,'' Martz said. ``The only thing missing was the little birds flying around his head.''

Keep up the good work you guys!

Pats Use Familiar Formula in Win

2004-11-08T15:54:00.000-06:00

By Nick Wagoner, Staff Writer

The one trademark of New England’s 21-game winning streak was its ability to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes. That streak ended when the Patriots made mistakes of their own and their opponent played error-free football. On Sunday, New England began a new streak with some old faces in new places. Those recognizable mugs followed the same old blueprint to victory.

The Patriots forced a trio of crucial turnovers, racked up five sacks, and the Rams committed 10 penalties in a game that had the footprints of New England’s record-streak all over it. New England took advantage of St. Louis’ miscues and used a fair amount of trickery to beat the Rams 40-22 at the Edward Jones Dome.

The loss drops the Rams to 4-4 on the season and boosts the Patriots to 7-1. Seattle beat San Francisco 42-27 to improve to 5-3 and take the lead in the division. For a team that has had trouble revealing its true identity through eight games, the Rams left more questions unanswered after the bye week.

Right guard Adam Timmerman said his team knew what New England did to have success, but this loss could be placed squarely on the shoulders of a St. Louis team that failed to execute in all three phases of the game.

“We definitely had too many mistakes, that’s the story,” Timmerman said. “I don’t know how many…I’d say yards, but it’s more like miles in penalties we had and at bad times. We just killed ourselves. It wasn’t a matter of whether the Patriots beat us or made us make mistakes. We did it to ourselves.”

Those mistakes added up in a hurry, whether they were justifiable, indefensible or whatever the case might have been. Those 10 penalties didn’t result in mileage added to the Rams’ penalty odometer, but they did add up to 80 yards and they certainly came at inopportune times.

Perhaps no penalty altered the face of the game more than a questionable personal foul for a hit to the head of Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady called against defensive end Leonard Little with 1:02 to go in the first half. On first-and-10 from his 28, quarterback Tom Brady dropped back to pass and floated it over the head of running back Kevin Faulk in the face of pressure from Little.

Little appeared to hit Brady in his chest, referee Ed Hochuli threw a flag, giving New England 15 yards and a first down. The Patriots ended up scoring on the final play of the first half on one of kicker Adam Vinatieri’s four field goals and took a 19-14 lead into the locker room.

Little was surprised at the call and said he didn’t necessarily agree with it.

“I didn’t hit him up high; I hit him in the chest area,” Little said. “He (the referee) said that it was helmet to chest. I thought that was a part of tackling. When I see a rulebook, it says to keep your head up and hit them in the midsection. I don’t think it was roughing the passer, but that is the way they called it.”

That penalty was part of a six-point swing from which the Rams never recovered. That flag might never have happened were it not for another St. Louis miscue that preceded it.

On third-and-11 from New England’s 30, quarterback Marc Bulger was flushed out of the pocket and rolled to his left. In a desperate attempt to make something happen, Bulger was hit by linebacker Willie McGinest. Bulger fumbled and defensive end Jarvis Green recovered at the 28.

That play, like many others ended with a questionable call. Green didn’t appear to have control of the ball as he fell out of bounds, but after a review, the referees ruled in New England’s favor. About a minute later, Vinatieri kicked the field goal to complete the swing.

Rams coach Mike Martz said the referees told him they couldn’t get a convincing view of what happened.

“He couldn’t tell is what he told me,” Martz said. “It wasn’t conclusive. He couldn’t overturn the ruling on the field. I understand that, even though I don’t agree with that.”

The Rams’ mistakes weren’t limited to penalties and turnovers. A mental error in the third quarter gave the Patriots a 26-14 lead that effectively put St. Louis away. On fourth-and-4 at the Rams’ 4, New England lined up in normal field goal formation, normal, that is, except for one glaring exception. Receiver Troy Brown lined up wide of the line of scrimmage.

With Martz and the rest of the sideline screaming in vain for a timeout, the Patriots snapped directly to Vinatieri who quickly tossed it to Brown, whom the Rams didn’t see until it was too late, for a 4-yard touchdown and lead that the Rams couldn’t overcome.

Martz said he had no problem seeing it, but there wasn’t much he could do besides trying to get a timeout.

“I don’t think that was the trickiest thing in the world. Where was he going, to the john?” Martz said, sarcastically. “I was running, trying to call a timeout because obviously we didn’t see it. That is ridiculous. We have to pay more attention than that, I would think. I am upset about that. I could see him, but I couldn’t get to the official fast enough to call a timeout. I can’t run that fast.”

Another Rams’ mistake came four plays later on the ensuing possession as a Bulger pass intended for wide receiver Torry Holt was deflected and intercepted by linebacker Roman Phifer. The former Ram returned the interception 26 yards to the Rams’ 21.Running back Corey Dillon scored four plays later on a 5-yard run to extend the New England lead to 33-14.

St. Louis’ attempted comeback was limited to a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bulger to Holt and a 2-point conversion run by running back Marshall Faulk to make it 33-22 New England less than a minute into the fourth quarter.
The Rams’ defense promptly forced a three-and-out, but offensively couldn’t convert. The Patriots scored on their next possession as Brady hit receiver Bethel Johnson for a 4-yard score with 5:30 to play. Vinatieri’s extra point gave New England the final margin.

St. Louis was not without its chances to take control, though, especially in the first half. After a rough start that put the Rams down 6-0, they appeared to have momentum back in their favor. The Rams’ defense came up with a strong effort in the first half after being backed into a corner on two occasions. Vinatieri booted a 43-yard field goal to make it 3-0, but New England was held to a three-and-out on its next possession.

On the ensuing punt, returner Shaun McDonald muffed the kick and the Patriots’ Lonie Paxton recovered at the St. Louis 28. Instead of folding, the Rams held the Patriots to another field goal, making it 6-0.

With the offense struggling, St. Louis’ defense picked up the slack. On New England’s first play of its next possession, Brady dropped back to pass from his 6. Defensive tackle Damione Lewis bullrushed up the middle and forced a fumble. Little recovered for a touchdown and kicker Jeff Wilkins’ extra point made it 7-6 St. Louis.

New England wasted no time answering with a 2-yard touchdown toss from Brady to linebacker Mike Vrabel to take a 13-7 lead. The Rams’ offense got rolling for the first time on their next possession, driving 85 yards on just six plays for receiver Isaac Bruce’s 11-yard touchdown grab. Wilkins’ extra point made it 14-13. The Patriots added Vinatieri’s 45-yard field goal to make it 16-14 before the all-important six-point swing.

Bulger had a rough go of it, getting sacked five times, fumbling and throwing an interception. He finished his day 23-of-33 for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

In the end, though, the Rams were just the next victim in the assembly line of Patriots’ victories.

“It’s pretty clear if you’re going to beat a team like New England you can’t make mistakes,” Bulger said. “We made too many. That’s the way they win and they proved it again.”

Are YOU Ready For Some Football?!?

2004-10-17T17:20:00.000-05:00

We take on the buccaneers tomorrow night. After tomorrow night we could easily be in a first place tie.

Lookin' okay so far

2004-10-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

Here's an update from nfl.com:

After leaning on their aerial attack the last two games but falling short in losses, the Rams finally found the balance they were looking for. Marshall Faulk ran for 121 yards, Marc Bulger threw for 186 yards and a touchdown and Isaac Bruce had seven catches for 100 yards to lead the Rams to a 24- 14 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday that lifted St. Louis to 2-2 on the season. The Rams scored on their first four possessions to build a 24-0 halftime lead and the defense held off the Niners fourth-quarter comeback attempt. "This team has potential," coach Mike Martz said. "We still need to fix a lot of things, but that was a very dominant effort by the entire team in the first half."

So Close

2004-09-27T13:34:00.000-05:00

In this game we call football, you fight and dig and claw for inches that turn into yards. No, question that the Rams gave it there all yesterday afternoon. And that all the coaches can ask for, is 110%, to just leave it out on the field. You play the game every week because every week is different. This is football.

Such is life in the NFL, where, things can turn on a dime. It comes down to who wants it more. It comes down to who can play a whole 4 quarters and then some. The Saints did as overcame Rams heroics to come out on top 28-25 in the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday. The loss left the Rams at 1-2 on the season and boosted New Orleans to 2-1.

Go Rams!

It Has Begun!

2004-09-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Cards gave it there best effort but where spoiled by Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk. Faulk had 128yds on 22 carries and Bruce had 112yds with 9 receptions and a touchdown. The Rams dropped the Cards 17-10 in their season opener at home.

Martz had this to say about his teams debut in 2004.
From NFL.com,By Nick Wagoner

“I would have to give us an A+ because we rushed the ball pretty good and I don’t know if there were any sacks registered today (there weren’t),” Pace said. “If you can do that you will have success and you will win the ball game.”

“They made stops and that’s the mark of a good defense,” Martz said. “You’ve got to give our defense a great deal of credit for that stop and at the end of the game getting three-and-out. I thought our defense played very well.”

“To open up the season at home and win, that’s a great feeling, Martz said. “Overall, I’m very pleased with a win like this at home.”

It's time for some real football!

2004-09-05T16:36:00.000-05:00

They didn't show well during the Preseason, but I am confident that they will bounce back strong now that it really matters. Coordination should improve as long as Mike Martz stops hitting the bottle/huffing the glue/smoking the crack or whatever-the-hell he was doing last game when he inappropriately called for a field goal:

"I can't believe I was yelling for a field goal," he said. "That was the dumbest thing I've ever done as a football coach."

-From their official site

Well, at least he made that ridiculous mistake in the Preseason...

They face Arizona on the 12th (Regular season!). Let's hope Mr. Martz gets plenty of sleep the night before.

How About That Jackson

2004-08-31T17:04:00.000-05:00

Man, that guy can play. 125 yards on 25 carries... ain't too bad, and a 28 to 3 win ain't too bad, either. Anyhow, let me look into my crystal ball: yup, I definitely see a bright future for Mr. Jackson. The rest of you guys ready for the real season to begin?

0-2

2004-08-24T17:29:00.000-05:00

I'm not too concerned since this is the Preseason... let's just hope they're saving their energy for the real season, which is just around the bend.
And the best news: Fisher is out with a fractured arm. Damn.

News from nfl.com

2004-08-17T15:13:00.000-05:00

"Rectify that," indeed.

The Bears tried to hand the game to the Rams. Chicago gave back 160 yards on 19 penalties. But the Rams made their share of mistakes, too, and when the kickoff defense team got burned in overtime, St. Louis was doomed to a 13-10 loss. St. Louis led 10-3 in the fourth quarter before giving up a game-tying touchdown. Ahmad Merritt's 87-yard kickoff return set up a short game-ending field goal. The Rams themselves had 12 penalties for 80 yards and committed the game's only two turnovers. "It was sloppy, very, very sloppy," St. Louis coach Mike Martz said. "We looked like we haven't practiced much, which we haven't in the last week. We'll rectify that." One penalty wiped out Shaun McDonald's touchdown on a 65-yard punt return late in the fourth quarter. Fullback Joey Goodspeed scored the team's only touchdown on a 13-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Rookie Steven Jackson gained 73 yards on 15 carries.

2004 Schedule

2004-07-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the St. Louis Rams' 2004 schedule:

2004 Preseason
Date Opponent Time/Result
Aug. 12 Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Aug. 23 at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Aug. 27 Washington 8:00 p.m.
Sept. 2 at Oakland 10:00 p.m.

2004 Schedule
Date Opponent Result
Sept. 12 Arizona 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Atlanta 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 26 New Orleans 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 3 at San Francisco 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Seattle 4:15 p.m.
Oct. 18 Tampa Bay 9:00 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Miami 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 31 Open Date
Nov. 7 New England 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 14 Seattle 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 21 at Buffalo 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 29 at Green Bay 9:00 p.m.
Dec. 5 San Francisco 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 12 at Carolina 4:15 p.m.
Dec. 19 at Arizona 4:05 p.m.
Dec. 27 Philadelphia 9:00 p.m.
Jan. 2 New York Jets 1:00 p.m.

All times are Eastern

running soon!

2004-07-25T16:15:00.000-05:00

i'll have this up and posting soon, so stay tuned!