| Christopher Reina. 8th January, 2009 - 4:17 pm
 Record: 2-14
Trench Counter: -9.8 (31st in NFL, 15th in NFC)
(Click here to learn more about the Trench Counter)
Point differential per game: -14.6 (31st)
Payroll: $116.7 million
Cost Per Win: $58.4 million
Passing offense: 184.2 (26th)
Rushing offense: 103.1 (25th)
Passing defense: 217.2 (19th)
Rushing defense: 154.7 (29th)
Turnover differential: -5 (23rd)
If their season were a song: 'This Lamb Sells Condos' - by Final Fantasy
Game-by-Game (Score, Trench Counter)
Week 1: at PHI, 3-38 Loss, -25.7
Week 2: NYG, 13-41 Loss, -18.2
Week 3: at SEA, 13-37 Loss, -17.2
Week 4: BUF, 14-31 Loss, 1.2
Week 5: Bye
Week 6: at WSH, 19-17 Win, -15.2
Week 7: DAL, 34-14 Win, 14.3
Week 8: at NE, 16-23 Loss, -7.0
Week 9: ARI, 13-34 Loss, -24.0
Week 10: at NYJ, 3-47 Loss, -28.3
Week 11: at SF, 16-35 Loss, -7.9
Week 12: CHI, 3-27 Loss, -24.2
Week 13: MIA, 12-16 Loss, -3.3
Week 14: at ARI, 10-34 Loss, -6.6
Week 15: SEA, 20-23 Loss, -4.1
Week 16: SF, 16-17 Loss, 6.4
Week 17: at ATL, 27-31 Win, 2.8
Season Summary
Competing in the NFC West isn't brain surgery or running for president of the United States as a member of the Green Party. It is a mediocre free-for-all and the Rams haven't done it well enough to make the playoffs since 2004 when they were 8-8.
Plainly, this Rams team is severely lacking in talent on both sides of the ball and at many positions.
Scott Linehan was fired, and Jim Haslett finally escaped Katrina (not really, he'd been their defensive coordinator since 2006) by being named the Rams' interim head coach. After winning his first two games, Lombardi Haslett lost the next ten games, including two blown wins against the Niners and Falcons.
Reina Value and FIC Rank
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(Rank at position, Season FIC, Reina Value)
Quarterback
- Marc Bulger (26th, 512, -65%)
What happened to the Marc Bulger of 2002-2006? Bulger had passer ratings of 101.5, 81.4, 93.7, 94.4, and 92.9 while he compiled a 36-24 record. In 2007, he had a 70.3 passer rating and a 2-10 record and this season he was 2-13 with a 71.4 passer rating. Mike Martz isn't my favorite coordinator, but Bulger's success with his former coach compared to the struggles without him is glaringly obvious.
A silver lining for Bulger and the Rams and one of the many reasons why they won't be making a move at quarterback? Bulger had an 86.6 passer rating in October and 80.9 in December.
- Trent Green (44th, 78, -33%)
Green was made the starter by Linehan in a last ditch effort to save his job. The Rams aren't going anywhere, so they don't need a veteran quarterback like Green to be their number two. St. Louis needs to have a backup who has a prayer of becoming an NFL starter because Green's essentially done, and Brock Berlin isn't the answer.
Running Backs
- Steven Jackson (13th, 586 [336 rushing, 250 receiving], +44%
Action Jackson rushed for over 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season, becoming the second member of the Rams (Eric Dickerson the other) to accomplish that feat.
Jackson was a preseason holdout, but his play wasn't really affected by it. He wasn't the 2,334 total yards from scrimmage player he was in 2006, but he did rush for 4.1 yards per carry and caught 40 balls for 379 yards (9.5 yards per catch average).
- Antonio Pittman (65th, 170 [85 rushing, 85 receiving]. +169%)
The former Ohio State running back couldn't get his yards per carry average over 3.7 again in his sophomore season, but he was found as a receiver with far greater frequency, catching 18 balls for 132 yards. Pittman still hasn't scored a touchdown since the 2006 BCS National Championship game against Florida.
- Kenneth Darby (66th, 161 [42 rushing, 119 receiving]. +65%)
Darby put up nice numbers both as a rusher and a receiver, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and 9.5 yards per catch. He didn't find the end zone in any of his 51 carries, but his production was more than adequate for a third string running back. He also returned seven kicks for a modest average of 24.7 yards and a long of 32.
Wide Receivers
- Torry Holt (34th, 517, -62%)
Holt failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving for the first time since he was a rookie back in 1999. At least he scored six touchdowns and had a 15.2 yards per reception average back then. His season was an out and out disappointment, catching just 64 balls for 796 yards and the lowest average (12.4) of his career. He's not a lock to be back in St. Louis, and that may benefit all parties. Ever since 2006, he's been far better on turf than on the grass.
- Donnie Avery (42nd, 435, +254%)
Avery had a nice rookie season, catching 53 balls for 674 yards and three touchdowns, plus another touchdown on the ground. Avery was the 33rd overall pick and the Rams selected him over Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson who were both huge difference makers for their teams. The majority of his damage was done during the first three weeks of the Haslett takeover with the exception of his nine catch, 93 yard day in San Francisco. But Avery played the entire season with a cracked hip and the Rams think he has the potential to be a number one receiver.
Tight End
- Randy McMichael (50th, 86, -79%)
McMichael had just 11 catches for 139 yards, as his season was cut back to four games because of a broken tibia.
Defensive Summary
Chris Long was far more than a Howie Long hair length behind fellow rookies such as Jerod Mayo, Jake Long and Matt Ryan. Long, with Adam Carriker, are high first round picks at defensive end in consecutive seasons and for that kind of investment, the Rams will need New York Giants' kind of production in 2009.
From the defensive line on back, the Rams are decidedly lacking in talent, though there are some good pieces in the secondary in Oshiomogho Atogwe and Ron Bartell. Their biggest area of struggle is defending the run, as they gave up 4.9 yards per carry.
Pisa Tinoisamoa led the team with 83 tackles while James Hall had 6.5 sacks and Leonard Little chipped in six. Speaking of old Rams, former Aztec and six-time Pro Bowler La'Roi Glover likely played his final season.
Biggest draft needs:
Malcom Jenkins may very well be the best prospect in the draft and the Rams could use his kind of upgrade at corner, but Alex Smith becomes an easy pick if the Lions don't take him. Unfortunately for St. Louis, there isn't a linebacker or defensive tackle worth of the second overall selection and I expect the Rams to find their number two quarterback in a later round.
- Chris Reina is the executive editor of RealGM |
