By Vince Vitale
The Oakland Raiders came out of the gates slow getting pummeled 38-13 last week by the Tennessee Titans. The St. Louis Rams played hard and hung in their with the Arizona Cardinals before falling 17-13. The Raiders are coming off a 5-11 season and with the addition of Jason Campbell many think the Raiders could win as many as 8 games this year. The Rams coming off a 1-15 season took Sam Bradford first overall in the 2010 NFL Draft to help turn their franchise around. The Raiders and Rams simply need to get better and put more points on the board. These two were the only teams to score under 200 points in 2009 and both started the year off by scoring 13.
On offense the St. Louis Rams will look to be more balanced this week against the Raiders. The Rams will hopefully not have Sam Bradford throw 55 times in this one. The Rams are going to need to feature Steven Jackson against the Raiders who allowed 205 yards and 5.3 per carry to Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans last week. Jackson had 26 touches against the Cardinals but he did not seem to have any impact on the game. Jackson who only had four touchdowns in 2009 needs to find a way to get the ball into the end zone for the Rams. The Rams move the ball between the 30’s but they fail to utilize Jackson in the red zone. If the Rams are patient and stay with the run they should be able to make Sam Bradford more successful with play action and roll out passes. Sam Bradford will look for his new target Mark Clayton who had 10 catches for 119 yards against the Cardinals in Week 1 after being traded away from the Baltimore Ravens.
On defense the Rams were hurt by injuries to the secondary against the Cardinals. Ron Bartell and the rest of the Rams did a nice job against Derek Anderson and the Cardinals wide receiving core. The Rams defense just needs to keep getting off the field by forcing some punts. The Raiders were 3 of 14 on 3rd down conversions against Tennessee. The Raiders will test the Rams deep with Darrius Heyward-Bey, but most of the time look for Jason Campbell to dump the ball off or run with it. Campbell targeted Darren McFadden and Zach Miller 17 times last week, and he also ran 7 times for 35 yards. The Rams should stay deep and make the Raiders put together long drives to score.
On offense I expect Jason Campbell to be Jason Campbell which is an inconsistent QB that can put up some decent looking stats but no end results. Jason Campbell likes to pull the ball down and likes to be safe however he still tends to make mistakes. Last week Campbell fumbled twice and threw an interception. This looks like the same Jason Campbell that played at Washington, he will not wow you but he can beat you if you let him. With Michael Bush injured look for Darren McFadden to get a lot of touches against the Rams. The Rams need to be aggressive stack the box and put the Raiders in passing situations. With Bey and Louis Murphy the Raiders are young and inexperienced at wide receiver just like the Rams. I look for Zach Miller to be the best option for the Raiders. The Rams struggle with Tight Ends that can get down the field, and they are also thin at linebacker due to some injuries.
On defense if Richard Seymour is out the Raiders will be in big trouble trying to stop Steven Jackson. The Raiders can lock Nnamdi Asomugha onto Mark Clayton and hope to bait Sam Bradford into some ill-advised throws. A lot of pressure will be on the Raiders linebackers Kamerion Wimbley, Ronald McClain, and Trevor Scott to stop Steven Jackson.
I will keep saying it until they do it, the St. Louis Rams still need to learn how to win again. The Rams have lost 9 straight games, and 26 of their last 27. So with that being said that have to show me that they can win a close game and beat some of these other bad teams. I really don’t believe the Raiders should win this game but they are at home and coming off a pasting, and I think they will do enough to pull it out.
Prediction: Oakland Raiders 17-16 over St. Louis Rams
Rams Raiders Injuries
By Vince Vitale
St. Louis Rams
Chris Chamberlain -LB – Toe – Out
Michael Hoomanawanui – TE – Ankle – Out
Josh Hull – LB – Knee – Out
Kevin Dockery – CB – Hamstring -Doubtful
Clifton Ryan – DT – Migraines -Questionable
Justin King – CB – Hamstring – Questionable
Steven Jackson – RB – Knee – Probable
Fred Robbins – DT – Foot – Probable
Laurent Robinson – WR – Ankle – Probable
Darell Scott – DT – Knee – Probable
Oakland Raiders
Travis Goethel – LB – Back – Out
Walter McFadden – CB – Hamstring – Out
Chaz Schilens – WR – Knee – Out
Robert Gallery – G – Hamstring – Doubtful
Richard Seymour – DE – Hamstring – Questionable
Michael Bush – RB – Thumb – Questionable
Hiram Eugene – S – Hamstring – Questionable
Chris Johnson – CB – Neck – Questionable
Nnamdi Asomugha – CB – Groin – Probable
Desmond Bryant – DT – Elbow – Probable
Rams Offensive Line
By Vince Vitale
The simple fact is that you can not win in the NFL without great offensive line play and the St. Louis Rams offensive line played far from great on Saturday night falling 28-7 to the Minnesota Vikings. With Jacob Bell out the Rams started Hank Fraley at center with Jason Brown at RT. The line play throughout was horrible as the Rams only managed 33 yards rushing and allowed six sacks. With Jason Brown and Rodger Saffold each playing the full first half it was a very disappointing showing from the starting five.
With 12:09 left in the 2nd quarter Sam Bradford entered the game to a standing ovation from the small crowd on hand at the Edward Jones Dome. On Sam Bradford’s second pass he connected for 18 yards to Laurent Robinson on a nice strike. The 18 yard pass turned out to be the longest offensive play for the Rams. Bradford under constant pressure finished 6 of 13 for 57 yards while being sacked 4 times. Sam Bradford was in the game until midway through the 3rd quarter taking 21 total snaps and moving the Rams for a total of 60 yards.
The momentum of the game changed early in the 2nd quarter with the score tied at 7 and the Rams driving with Bradford at the helm. After driving to the Vikings 36 yard line the Rams faced a 2nd and 1 yard to go. Bradford missed on a short pass to the left and then Karney and Ogbonnaya were both stuffed trying to run up the middle and the Rams turned the ball over on downs. That was it for the Rams offense as it took them until well into the 4th quarter to gain over 100+ total yards.
The Rams only points of the night came on a Danny Amendola punt return of 93 yards. The Rams offense looked very similar to what we were forced to watch in 2009, as they managed no points on 11 drives. The Rams scored a league low 175 points or 10.9 per game in 2009 while being sacked 44 times. Steve Loney the Rams current offensive line coach has just got to get a five man group on the field that can block and protect the QB or it is going to be another long year.
Rams Needs 2012
Wide Receiver
With Brandon Lloyd gone, their leading receivers from last season are Brandon Gibson and Danario Alexander with 36 catches and 26 catches respectively. Poor Sam Bradford. They’ll have to hope that Justin Blackmon falls to them at 6, and that Danny Amendola returns healthy, and that either 2011 3rd round pick Austin Pettis or 2011 4th round pick Greg Sales step up in their 2nd season, to even have a decent receiving corps in 2012. More likely, this is a 2+ year rebuilding project in the receiving corps. They haven’t had good receivers in forever.
Offensive Tackle
The Rams allowed 55 sacks last season, more than any team in the league. Sam Bradford missed significant time with injury and was under heavy pressure even when he did play. Left tackle Rodger Saffold played just 9 games last season, but still allowed 11 sacks, 17 pressures, and committed 10 penalties. Right tackle Jason Smith missed a lot of time with injury last season. He’s been disappointing to this point in his career and might end up being cut if he doesn’t restructure his contract, which counts for 10 million dollars on the cap next season. Either one could also move to left guard, where they also need help.
Outside Linebacker
James Laurinaitis is a great player at middle linebacker, but they don’t have long term starters at either of the outside linebacker positions. Neither Brady Poppinga and Chris Chamberlain are great and Chamberlain has already signed a 3 year deal in St. Louis. They need at least one new starter outside.
Guard
Jacob Bell was their left guard last season. He was pretty bad and the free agent guard is not expected to be brought back. Either Rodger Saffold or Jason Smith could play this position, assuming both are back, if they add a 3rd tackle this offseason.
Defensive Tackle
Justin Bannan and Fred Robbins was the starters at defensive tackle last season, but at 33 and 35 years old respectively, their abilities became lesser than their contracts and they were cut. They signed Kendall Langford and top reserve Dorell Scott is expected to see more playing time, but they like to rotate defensive lineman so expect them to add one more defensive tackle in the mix.
Safety
Darian Stewart was their free safety last season in his first season as a starter. He could be better in his 2nd season as a starter and the Rams might have to move forward with him because of how weak this safety class is, but there’s a reason why the Rams were linked to Michael Griffin before Tennessee franchised him. Stewart isn’t very good. Only 2 players missed more tackles than he did last season, whiffing on 20 tackles with 64 total tackles. That means he whiffed on almost 25% of his tackles.
Running Back
Steven Jackson is nearing the 2200 carry mark where running back’s abilities tend to fall off a cliff. They signed Cadillac Williams last offseason to take some of the load off his shoulders, but Williams sucked so Jackson still had to carry most of the load again. They should look for a young running back to pair with him and potentially be his long term successor.
Cornerback
The Rams lack of cornerback depth was exposed last season with Bradley Fletcher and Ron Bartell injured. It was so bad that Al Harris had to play a significant amount of snaps. Justin King was their #1 cornerback and he was ProFootballFocus’ worst rated cornerback last season. Josh Gordy wasn’t much better. Fletcher is back and they’ve added Cortland Finnegan, but Fletcher is so sure thing so they could use some more cornerback depth in the mix.
Rams Needs 2011
Free Agency Priorities
Outside Linebacker
They didn’t draft a linebacker until the 7th round so this position will have to be addressed in free agency. David Vobora and James Laurinaitis look like longterm keepers, but they have a huge hole at the 3rd linebacker spot.
Defensive Tackle
Other than Fred Robbins, they have nothing at the position. They need a complementary player inside. Corey Liuget was frequently mocked to them at 14, but with Robert Quinn falling to them there, they couldn’t pass. They then spent 3 straight picks trying to help Sam Bradford’s receiving corps so this position was ignored.
Guard
Adam Goldberg can definitely be upgraded inside at right guard. Guards are tough to find in free agency so they may have to give Goldberg another year as the starter because they didn’t address this position through the draft.
Running Back
Steven Jackson has averaged 291 carries per year over the past 6 years and turns 28 in July. He is an amazing football player and one of the toughest players in the league, but they really should consider getting him a capable backup to help take some of the load off of him.
Draft Needs
Wide Receiver
What makes Sam Bradford’s strong rookie year more impressive is that he was working with almost nothing in the receiving corps. Donnie Avery got hurt in Training Camp, Mark Clayton soon followed, rookie Danario Alexander also missed a few games, and this team didn’t have a strong receiving corps to begin with. Bradford’s receivers couldn’t catch a pass or get open at all in their loss to the Seahawks week 17. Even when Avery and Clayton are healthy (which in Avery’s case is not that often), they’re not true #1s. Wide Receiver has to be their biggest need by far going into this offseason if they want Bradford to continue to improve.
Drafted Austin Pettis (#78), Drafted Greg Salas (#112)
Defensive Tackle
They ranked 24th against the run. Fred Robbins will be 34 in March and they don’t have much after him on the depth chart. Steve Spagnuolo loves pass rushing interior linemen so he could pick up one early in this draft. In fact, if no receivers are worth the spot at 14, I expect them to go defensive tackle.
Outside Linebacker
When the Rams traded Alex Barron for Bobby Carpenter in the offseason (somehow expecting Carpenter to win the starting weakside linebacker job) it broke the record for worst two players ever traded for each other. In fact, I would argue the Rams won that trade. They were smart enough to cut Carpenter in training camp. Barron lost at least one game for the Cowboys with an absolutely unnecessary and flagrant hold to nullify a game winning touchdown. It’s safe to say this is one of the few times a Bill Parcells drafted linebacker busted. The Rams will look for a true starter at the position this offseason.
Drafted Jabara Williams (#228)
Defensive End
Yeah they had 43 sacks, but James Hall turns 34 in February, plus it’s kind of suspicious that Hall goes over 6.5 sacks for only the 2nd time in his career at age 33. Something tells me, he can’t keep this up. Plus, Steve Spagnuolo comes from the school of “you can never have enough pass rushers.” He worked the three rotating defensive end strategy better than anyone had ever done before in 2007, en route to a title with the Giants. He might try the same thing with the Rams.
Drafted Robert Quinn (#14)
Running Back
If I gave out a toughest man in the league award, I’d have given it to Steven Jackson at least 3 times in the last 5 years (with Brett Favre getting it the other 2). He is my favorite player in the league (not including anyone on the Patriots because I’m biased). He has battled chronic back problems, as well as every other injury you can imagine, yet still has 1744 carries in the last 6 years, and, despite never making the playoffs once in that stretch, he hasn’t said a word. However, sadly, some day he just won’t be able to do it anymore. Running backs have too short a shelf life, especially for someone with as many injuries as he has. Hopefully, before he isn’t able to do it anymore, his team wins a Super Bowl or at least a playoff series. The Rams should look at future successors/guys who can give him a rest next season in the offseason.
Tight End
The Rams need to get Sam Bradford a real pass catching tight end. No Michael Hoomanawanui doesn’t count, however cool and difficult to spell his name is.
Drafted Lance Kendricks (#47)
Cornerback
Depth is needed at the position if they want to match up well with 3 and 4 receiver sets.
Drafted Mikhael Baker (#216), Drafted Jonathan Nelson (#229)
Rams Moves 2011
RB Kenneth Darby
FB Mike Karney
WR Danny Amendola
WR Mark Clayton
WR Laurent Robinson
TE Daniel Fells
OT Renardo Foster
G John Greco
G Adam Goldberg
DE CJ Ah You
DT Gary Gibson
DT Clifton Ryan
OLB David Vobora
OLB Chris Chamberlain
OLB Larry Grant
CB Justin King- resigned
CB Kevin Dockery
CB Quincy Butler
S OJ Atogwe- signed with Washington 5 years 26 million
Offseason moves:
Resigned Justin King
Cut OJ Atogwe
Cut Mike Karney
Rams Lose Again
By Vince Vitale
For St. Louis Rams fans that may have missed the Rams game today it was all too familiar. The Rams lost again this time to the Oakland Raiders 16-14 behind backup quarterback Brad Gradkowski. The Rams have only won one game since October 19, 2008, almost two full calendar years. Over that course of time the Rams have lost 27 of their last 28 games. Many will say the Rams played hard on Sunday, they should of won, they could of won, it was close, etc. but bottom line is they continue to lose. All the same familiar causes were once again present on Sunday. The Rams defense allowed long drives with the game on the line (4 drives over 40 yards in the 3rd quarter). The Rams defense was not opportunistic as they dropped a couple of interceptions and failed to fall on any of the Raiders three fumbles. The Rams defense allowed a backup running back, this time Darren McFadden to run all over them (145 yards). The Rams offense tried to feature Steven Jackson who had 21 touches for 125 yards but could only totaled 210 total yards for the game. 210 yards against the Oakland Raiders who allowed 38 points just last week to the Tennessee Titans. Rams wide receivers could not get open as they only had 7 receptions for the game. Eight penalties for 92 yards many of them costing the Rams more than the yards even show. The offense with poor execution converting only twice on ten 3rd down attempts. Costly miss tackles costing the Rams any chance for a comeback.
The Rams dominated most of the first have playing smash mouth football and featuring Steven Jackson. The Rams took a 7-0 on an 7 yard pass from Sam Bradford to Mark Clayton with 12:04 left in the half. Steven Jackson had 12 touches at this point and the Rams seemed to be already wearing down the Raiders. So why did Jackson only touch the ball nine time over the final 42 minutes of play? I know Jackson can’t carry the ball 40 times but while it is working maybe we could get a lead and open up the passing game. Instead the Rams went into a shell and only gained 42 total yards on drives started in the 2nd and 3rd quarter.
The Rams held a 7-3 lead at half time and were playing a pretty solid game especially on defense. When the second half opened the Raiders came out with Brad Gradkowski at quarterback after benching Jason Campbell. It was as a light switch went off and the Raiders went to work. The Raiders marched right down the field and got a FG from Sebastian Janikowski to cut the lead to 7-6. After an awful drive from the Rams that started 1st and 5 after an Oakland penalty the Rams went 3-and-out and the Raiders went straight down the field again. This time the Raiders went 83 yards on 7 plays capping the drive with a Brab Gradkowski 4 yard pass to Louis Murphy to give the Raiders a 13-7 lead.
After gaining only 5 yards in the 4th quarter the Rams got the ball back with 4:05 remaining down 16-7 with an interception from Jerome Murphy. The Rams quickly drove down the field and scored on another Sam Bradford to mark Clayton touchdown pass. Mark Clayton had two catches for the game both for touchdowns, I am not sure why we could not get him the ball more. After the Rams scored with 3:18 remaining the Raiders took over on their own 18 yard line. The Rams could not get the ball back from the Raiders. They forced the Raiders into 1 3rd and 7 with 2:46 to play but Brad Gradkowski hit Louis Murphy for a 13 yard gain.
So make sure to tune in next week as we will do it all over again against the Washington Redskins.
Rams Lose
By Vince Vitale
43 of 46 fans that voted on my site this week picked the St. Louis Rams. As I stated I was very worried about this game for the Rams. Las Vegas had the Detroit Lions a one point favorite but betting in Vegas pushed it to three. Why was everyone else thinking the Rams would lose. Well it took only six seconds in this game to get more worried. For some reason the Rams started the game with an on-side kick which did not fool the Detroit Lions. David Vobora was injured on the kickoff as well. On the following two plays the Rams were called for offsides and then defensive holding. Nobody could ever imagine that this was just the start of what would be a embarrassing 44 to 6 loss to the Detroit Lions.
The Rams actually seemed to dominate the first quarter with a huge edge in total yards and two trips inside the Lions 10 yard line. On the Rams second drive of the game Sam Bradford hit Danny Amendola with a pass inside the 10 yard line but he fumbled and it was recovered by x-Rams player Jonathan Wade. Still after one quarter of play the game was tied at three.
After the Rams tied the game on the last play of the first quarter Josh Brown kicked off to Stefan Logan. Most players would not return a kick from five yards deep in their end zone but Stefan Logan sure did. Stefan Logan returned the kick 105 yards right through the Rams defense. Only Bradley Fletcher even had a shot at stopping Logan. We did not know it but the game was over at this point. The Lions had only two drives in the second quarter but they made them count. The Lions went 81 yards in 13 plays and 80 yards in 12 plays to take a 24-6 lead into halftime.
The Rams were unable to do much in the second half and basically just got further embarrassed by the Lions. The Lions went on to a 44-6 victory. To make matters worse in the 4th quarter Ndamukong Suh tipped a Sam Bradford pass up in the air and intercepted it as well. Sam Bradford was 23 of 45 for 215 yards and two interceptions. Steven Jackson again was a warrior competing the entire game and gaining 114 yards on 25 carries. Danny Amendola had twelve receptions for 95 yards after Mark Clayton was hurt early in the game. Worse than the loss to the Lions is the fact that word is Mark Clayton suffered a torn patella tendon and will be lost for the season! The St. Louis Rams have also reported that Guard Jacob Bell and TE Darcy Johnson suffered concussions.
In addition to the terrible 44-6 loss to the Detroit Lions I was almost as mad about the fact that the Rams played Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson until the end of the game. With only eight wins in the last 3+ years the Rams can’t afford to lose their franchise running back or only running back. Steve Spagnuolo may want to compete but there are times you need to be smart. This was a time to get A.J. Feeley some work and to rest Steven Jackson who has yet to be 100% this year. Hopefully the Rams can just throw this film away and start working on their game plan for the San Diego Chargers.
Rams Lack Depth
By Vince Vitale
As I said in my St. Louis Rams 2010 Season Preview the biggest problem with the 2010 St. Louis Rams will be their lack of quality depth. I believe players 1 through 22 will keep the Rams in games, but the lack of quality depth from 23-53 will kill them. This fact already has reared it’s ugly head after only one game. Late in the game against the Arizona Cardinals with cornerbacks Kevin Dockery and Justin King injured the Rams were forced to play Bradley Fletcher on the weak side with safety James Butler filing in as the nickel corner. The Arizona Cardinals had two long drives late in the game and ending up winning 17-13 on a pass from Derek Anderson to Larry Fitzgerald, where it appeared there were some coverage issues on the play.
To compound the loss to the Arizona Cardinals we are now finding out that the Rams had several key injuries during the contest. According to the Rams cornerback Kevin Dockery has a “significant” hamstring strain, and cornerback Justin King may also miss the Oakland game with a hamstring injury. So that leaves only Bartell and Fletcher so rookie Jerome Murphy will be forced into action. Luckily the Raiders passing game is not that good.
In addition to the weekend secondary the Rams will also be without LB Chris Chamberlain who fractured his toe and may be out for the season. Chamberlain is the first backup at the linebacker position and plays significant time on special teams as well. The Rams will now only have David Vobora and rookie Josh Hull to back up Diggs, Laurinaitis and Grant. Look for a heavy doss of Darren McFadden on Sunday.
On offense the Rams will be without TE Michael Hoomanawanui who suffered a high ankle sprain and could miss several games. Hoomanawanui who was the star in the preseason will be missed as Sam Bradford looks for a safety valve when pressured. Billy Bajema and Daniel Fells will have to step up. Not sure why the Rams kept 4 tight ends on their roster but now they will need them. The Rams who already have the worst receiving core in the league, and were damn lucky to get Mark Clayton will now be without starting receiver Laurent Robinson who aggravating an ankle injury, and never seems to be healthy. Marshall Faulk today said the Rams receivers are bums on NFL Network. The most disconcerting news of all today was that running back Steven Jackson had an MRI today for an inflamed knee and is listed as day to day. If the Rams have to play any games without Steven Jackson they will have a hard time scoring at all.
Rams Hammered
By Vince Vitale
The Rams game on Sunday remains us of some nights out drinking. Early on its all good you start with a glass of wine at dinner and then maybe head over to the bar for a couple more drinks. Then things start to go well and everyone is having a good time. This is about the time when someone decides to buy a round of shots perhaps Patron. A few shots later you find yourself out in the parking lot wondering what happened. Well we have all been there before, and the Rams were there on Sunday.
With 1:37 left in the first half of play the Rams Darian Stewart recovered a fumble by Courtney Roby on the Saints 21 yard line with the Rams trailing 14-6. After being outplayed for most of the first half the Rams had a chance to get right back into the game. After a 6 yard run by Steven Jackson Sam Bradford dropped back on 2nd and 4 and threw a ball down the left sideline to Laurent Robinson who appeared open. What Bradford did not see was Malcolm Jenkins coming over from the middle of the field to pick off his softly floating pass. 96 yards later Jenkins was in the house and the Saints were up 21-6 and for all intensive purposes this game was put on ice.
The final numbers do not tell the story since the Rams played with a lot of heart in the 4th quarter and continued to put up stats. Although losing by 18 points Sam Bradford threw for 231 yards, while Drew Brees threw for 221. St. Louis Rams also outrushed the Saints 136 to 132 yards. As I stated in my game preview this game would come down to mistakes and execution.
The Rams most likely would need to win the turnover battle and needed to be better on third down conversions to have a chance to beat the Saints. While the turnover battle was tied at three the Saints by far won the battle. The interception by Jenkins most likely cost the Rams at least 3 points and gave the Saints an instant 7 points. In the 4th quarter Bradford also threw another interception from the Saints 7 yard line. As costly as those mistakes were the Rams compounded that by allowing the Saints to start 10 of 12 on 3rd down conversions while the Rams started 0-of-7. This helped allow the Saints to jump out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. For a team like the Rams that has a hard time scoring 20 points they can not afford to give up 14 points that quickly. The crushing blow was when Brees hit Colston on 3rd and 17 from the 17 when the Rams inexplicitly only rushed 3 and dropped 8 into coverage. The laser from Brees was just too hard for the Rams secondary to get there in time and the hole was dug.
After having a less than great game last week against the Arizona Cardinals Sam Bradford struggled again today with a QB rating of 56.3. With three games left to play Bradford is going to have to play much better to help the Rams win the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks lost 40-21 to the San Francisco 49ers today so the Rams remain in first place, but don’t look now the 49ers are once again only one game out. The will host the 8-5 Kansas City next week in a huge game for both teams.
On a side note congratulations to Steven Jackson for going over 1000 yards rushing for the 6th straight year!
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