No offense, but Rams have to stop hoping and start doing
September 21st, 2007 | by Kevin Morris |
By
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
Back in the not-so-distant past, Rams-Buccaneers showdowns were special.
The Rams would pit their famously explosive offense against Tampa Bay’s
talented and innovative defense. The Buccaneers would mock the Rams for being a
“finesse” team, prompting the guys at the Earth City complex to redouble their
efforts.
Entertaining wars ensued. We saw some of the best football we’re ever going to
see in this market.
The floundering Rams could sure use some of that fire now.
This season, they started well in their two home games against conference
rivals. But both times the Rams committed costly second-half turnovers, then
failed to regain their edge on their home field.
“You get to week 14, 15 16, we’ll probably look back to these first two weeks
and be really frustrated,” quarterback Marc Bulger said. “Hopefully it doesn’t
come back to haunt us.”
Remember when the Rams offense exuded confidence? Remember when they irritated
opponents with their swagger?
Remember when this team shrugged off its turnovers and got right back on the
attack? It appears those days are long gone.
For two weeks running, the Rams coaching staff has asserted that it had control
of games, only to let it slip away. I disagree; the Rams gained an edge in both
home games, but they hardly had control.
Control is a two- or three-touchdown lead. Control is forcing the other side to
throw out its playbook and improvise under duress. Control is forcing the other
guys to chase you around the field.
We saw what “control” looked like when the Rams had a perennial postseason
contender. We haven’t seen a whole lot of it during Scott Linehan’s regime,
which is now 8-10 and still struggling to create a strong identity.
When the Rams were very good, they dared teams to blitz them. They welcomed
that pressure, because they believed they had quick-strike plays to counter
that tactic. They believed they could turn those quick-strike plays into scores.
When injuries hit the unit, they found ways to keep moving the ball. They
suffered some implosions along the way, but only because the team kept pushing
instead of scaling back its game plan.
But “Mad Mike” Martz is gone and so are the thousands of plays he designed from
week to week to week. Long gone is the arrogance that made Martz a feared
tactician and this team a dreaded opponent.
Long gone is Kurt Warner, the fearless gunner. To this day, Warner believes he
is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and he harbors no doubts of his
ability to put points on the board.
Long gone is Marshall Faulk, one of the toughest competitors St. Louis has ever
seen. His leadership was invaluable, especially when injuries forced the Air
Martz offense to make adjustments on the fly.
Such comparisons may seem unfair to Linehan, but the man has been given ample
weaponry. Bulger, Torry Holt, Steven Jackson, Isaac Bruce, Randy McMichael,
Drew Bennett, Brian Leonard -– how many teams have a better collection of skill
players?
Yet the production of this group continues to discourage Rams Nation. At their
best, these Rams are merely efficient under Linehan. At their worst, they are
befuddled and spiritless.
Their injury-riddled offensive line broke down against the 49ers, allowing
Bulger to take one of the worst physical beatings in Rams history.
I was happy to see Jackson throw a fit near the end of that dreadful 17-16 loss
to the 49ers. It was great to see some emotion from an offense that fizzled,
again, during the second half.
Linehan hopes his offensive line will jell now that Adam Goldberg is starting
at right tackle and the other four blockers have had another week to work
together. He hopes to establish his ground attack against a Tampa Bay defense
that isn’t nearly as physical as it was during the Warren Sapp Era.
He hopes the team will finally break plays for big yardage AND touchdowns. He
hopes to finally locate the right formula in the red zone, where the Rams have
done way too much tip-toeing.
But the Rams are running out of time. They have to stop hoping and start doing.
They must regain their aggressive personality and start taking it to teams.
And it has to start now.
