SB Nation - Kyle Boller

Preview: Green Bay Packers at Bears

Brandon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:28 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

4 days ago: Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) makes a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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Despite the Bears 5-7 record, it might be easy to overlook this game since they just ended a 4 game losing streak with a close win over the 1-11 Rams, and they haven't beaten a team with a winning record this season. They did beat the Steelers in week 2, but both the Steelers and Bears have fallen on recent hard times (Steelers have lost their last 5 games, and Bears have lost 4 of their last 5). Here's the Sports Network's Packers vs Bears preview.

Here are the official NFL rankings, based on yardage, from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	13	8	4	3
Bears	31	16	25	9

Taking a closer look, the official stats by yardage are making the Bears pass offense and pass defense look better than they really are. While the pass offense is moving the ball, QB Jay Cutler is also turning it over, and he has a league leading 20 INTs. Their pass defense has only given up 4 pass plays over 40 yards (tied for 6th best), but they've given up 21 TD passes (tied for 6th worst) and only grabbed 11 INTs. That doesn't make them bad, just average, and they're currently ranked No. 16 overall by Football Outsiders.

RB Ryan Grant vs. the Bears' run defense. His last two games have been forgettable, but that doesn't mean the Bears can stop him. In recent games, the Eagles RB LeSean McCoy had his best game as a pro (99 yards and 1 TD), and RB Steven Jackson ran for 112 yards despite QB Kyle Boller offering nothing to fear from the Rams passing game. They did hold RB Adrian Peterson to 85 yards (3.4 yards/carry) two weeks ago, but only because they put everything into stopping the running game, and the Vikings rolled for 378 yards and 3 TDs through the air. In the cold weather, the Bears might do what the Ravens did last Monday night: keep the safeties in tight and make QB Aaron Rodgers throw down the field, so I'm not expecting a huge game from Grant.

Rodgers vs. the Bears' pass defense. They shut down Boller last week at home, but that was just Kyle Boller. The last time they faced a good QB at home was three weeks ago, when QB Donovan McNabb went for 244 yards, 1 TD, and a QB rating of 101.6 against them. Rodgers just had 263 yards and 3 TDs against the better Ravens pass defense in the cold, so he should be productive again this week.

RB Matt Forte vs. the Packers' run defense. They were great against RB Ray Rice last week, so Forte isn't a bigger challenge. While Rice is ranked by Football Outsiders as one of the best RB this season, Forte is ranked as one of the worst. RB Kahlil Bell had 11 carries last week, but still over 60% of his career yardage has come from one 72 yard run he had against the Eagles. Forte has averaged only 3.4 yards/carry this season, and only had 1 game when he had over 10 carries and averaged over 4 yards/carry. He remains a greater threat as a receiver than as a runner. Despite the numerous injuries on the Packers' defensive line, they should have no trouble limiting the Bears' running attack.

QB Jay Cutler vs. the Packers' pass defense. Cutler had 4 INTs in their first meeting and he hasn't been much better since. LT Orlando Pace is not likely to play, but the 7 time Pro Bowl LT appears to be at the end of the road anyway. The Packers did a great job shutting down Ravens' QB Joe Flacco last week, and the Ravens' best passing play was to try and draw a flag on CB Tramon Williams. That could work again this week, but penalties alone aren't going to win it for the Bears.

Special teams and penalties. While the Packers have an advantage in nearly every other area, here's where the Bears can make it a close game. According to TeamRankings.com, the Bears are 5th worst with 54.3 penalty yards per game, but the Packers are in a league of their own (though the Ravens aren't far behind) with 75.4 penalty yards per game. The Packers special teams continue to be the worst in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders, while the Bears are one of the best. WR Devin Hester isn't the most dangerous punt returner this season, but rookie WR Johnny Knox might be the best kick returner.

If the Bears have a strong return game, and can force a couple turnovers, then this one could be close. But the Packers have taken good care of the ball this season, and should be able to win in Chicago for the first time since 2006. Packers 27, Bears 17.

Rams vs Titans: Compare and Contrast

VanRam — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:18:17 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Offensive foundation, Chris Johnson

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It doesn't seem like it was all that long ago, when you looked at week 14 on the St. Louis Rams schedule and thought they could very well get a win against an equally hard-luck Titans team. Not anymore. The Rams are now 13-point underdogs for their trip to Music City.

The Titans are now playing for a trip to the playoffs, after starting out 0-6. That sixth week of the season featured the Rams overtime loss to the Jaguars and the Titans getting shut out by the Patriots who scored 59 points (running up the score? stay classy Bill). My how things have changed. There are some parallels in the stories of the Rams and Titans this season, maybe a lesson or two even.

The Centerpiece

Like the Rams, Tennessee has a running back at the center of their offense. Chris Johnson has been collecting ridiculous amounts of yardage. The last time he had fewer than 100 yards on the ground was week five against the Colts, when he had just 34 yards on 9 carries. Steven Jackson, the centerpiece of the Rams offense, has been trying his best to carry the team, but has only been able to do so much for a team unable to make much else happen around him.

Quarterback

The Titans started the season with Kerry Collins at QB. Collins, after all, was at the helm last season when the Titans had a 13-3 season. One more season was more than the 36-year old Collins had left. Through six games he completed just 54.8 percent of his passes and a 5/8 TD to INT ratio. A 2-for-12 performance against the Patriots sealed his fate, and Vince Young replaced him on the last three drives of that game. The Rams started the season with an older QB carrying the signs of abuse much more prominently than many of us had expected. Eventually, a younger backup QB took over, but the similarities end there.

Going Young

The Rams had Kyle Boller, the Titans had Vince Young ready to take over QB duties. Boller has entered the backup QB stage of his career and has quickly reminded everyone why after a few games. Young still had some potential after struggling in his first two seasons and holding the clipboard for Collins last year. One thing the Titans have done to help Young, besides feed Chris Johnson the ball, has been their re-writing of the offensive script.

The Playbook

Rams fans are continually frsutrated by the logic-defying playcalling coming from the sidelines. It's not the Rams offense has been pass averse, rather the offense has done little more than dink and dump passes that ultimately go nowhere and make things easier for opposing defenses. Just a few more play actions, is that too much to ask? In Tennessee things have been different. The coaching staff there has smartly written a game plan around Chris Johnson and taking advantage of Young's strengths as a QB making lots of option calls and keeping defenses confused. The Rams have done nothing similar to take advantage of Steven Jackson's considerable gifts and their quarterback's lack fo gifts. Of course part of the problem has to do with the receiving options on each team.

Talent

Kenny Britt, the Titans first round pick out of Rutgers, has proven to be good get for the Titans. He runs routes well and overcame the pre-draft questions about his concentration, etc and works the middle. Behind him they have Nate Washington, who's been servicable as a role player. They've also used TEs Bo Scaife and Alge Crumpler with some effectiveness. The Rams just don't have much going for them at WR. Laurent Robinson was establishing himself as a solid possession guy before he got hurt. Keenan Burton was improving in a similar role when he got hurt. Brandon Gibson looked like he might be that guy, but he's fallen off considerably after his impressive debut against the Saints. Add to that the situation at QB for the Rams.

Join us tonight for some Turf Show Radio, 7:30 p.m. Central.

Dissecting the Ravens Loss: The Aftermath

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:11:02 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Phelps - AP

3 days ago: Baltimore Ravens' Haloti Ngata is seen on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 27-14. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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Once again, what were we Baltimore Ravens fans expecting? To go into enemy territory, much less the hallowed ground of Lambeau Field and upset one of the best passing offenses and the number one rated defense in the NFL? Taking an offense that has scored only two offensive TD's in the past seven weeks in the first half up against the Packers, the weather, the prime time audience, the referees AND the announcers? Seemed like the entire world was against the Ravens last night, didn't it? Well, guess what, they weren't and it was just the Ravens themselves that were their own worst enemies.

If the Green Bay Packers weren't almost as bad as the Ravens in accumulating penalties, this game would have been the blowout that many Green Bay fans said it would be here on The Beatdown all week long. There was a huge difference between these two teams and it showed on the field in the plays when yellow bean bags weren't being thrown all over in record setting embarrassing numbers.

Green Bay showed it is absolutely a serious playoff contender, as any offense that can spread the ball around and score like that can compete in any game and their defense is solid and very athletic with as good a defensive player in the league this season in the veteran CB Charles Woodson. Conversely, the Ravens are absolutely not a serious playoff contender, regardless of whether or not they sneak into the post season as a Wild Card, which surprisingly, they still could.

There were so many things that went wrong last night, and that was just a microcosm of the Ravens frustrating season. Perhaps it would not have been so frustrating had the expectations not been so high at the beginning. I actually truly believed that we were a Super Bowl contender rather than a playoff pretender. However, we are exactly what our record states we are, an average team. We beat the poor teams that we are supposed to beat and lose to the better teams that look to be better than us (because they are). To me, that is as good a definition of average and hence our 6-6 record.

Our defense is nowhere near the one we had last year but is still not the reason this team is losing these close games that are getting us closer to the edge of the ledge. The offensive line has looked great some games and flimsy others. There are so many issues related to why it appears that Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain have not been used to their abilities, as well as all the positives regarding the stunning growth of 2nd year RB Ray Rice into one of the league's best all-purpose players.

The finger can be pointed at the coaches and I would not try that hard to push it in another direction. The play calling has been questionable, the personnel moves suspect and the seemingly lack of motivation and urgency just not there. However, if the poor playcalling had been executed and the suspect personnel delivering on their chances, then we might not be pointing the finger at the guys on the sidelines.

For the reason we loved him so much last year and hailed him as the Franchise Quarterback we never had, it appears that many Ravens fans are reluctant to point that finger in the direction of Joe Flacco. However, it is very hard not to place more blame on Joe than any other individual player for the team's poor showing in 2009. Flacco may have put up more passing yards, TD's and other passing stats, mostly because he is throwing the ball so much more. However, his progression of slowing down the game like so many successful veteran QB's seem to talk about has not appeared to have happened with him. Too many times he is intent on throwing the ball when he breaks the huddle that no matter how the play develops, he still forces the ball into areas that he has no business doing so. His four Red Zone interceptions in critical times have contributed more to those losses than any other player. It has gotten to the point that it is now expected, which was the exact issue when Kyle Boller was under center. Why this team doesn't just run the ball up the middle or at worst off tackle confounds me but for whatever reason they pop it outside for losses and make horrible passing decisions time and time again that kill drives, momentum and end with frustrating losses.

How does this team rebound? It beats a woeful Detroit Lions team and then perhaps even beats the disappointing Chicago Bears as well, both home games. That puts us at 8-6 and surprisingly still in the playoff race. But this will continue to be a mirage for the Ravens, as they will need to not only go to Pittsburgh and beat the revenge-minded Steelers but then to Oakland, who has proven that they are not the pushover that some teams have thought they were. You just know that somewhere along that way, the train is going to find another way to derail itself and the hope will be squashed and the level of frustration will continue to rise until this nightmare of a season is over and the team can address all the holes, problems and needs it obviously has seen this year.

Rams just don't have it in 'em anymore: Bears 17, Rams 9

VanRam — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:42:19 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

"Now, Steve, you understand why I got out of there."

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The St. Louis Rams dropped another game, their 11th of the season, and a one-win season is now all but inevitable. The Bears had one of the league's worst offenses, a unit as lackluster as the Rams over the last few seasons, and an injury-depleted defense, but they had no problems breaking their four game skid against a banged up and talentless Rams team. It was, once again, a tough week to be a Rams fan.

What can you really say here? There were a few highpoints for the Rams and you could genuinely see that the players were competing with their all. Kyle Boller, Marc Bulger, it doesn't matter, this is the worst offense St. Louis has seen since the days of Tony Banks, who still might be a better option than either of the B boys under center. With the lone exception of Steven Jackson the Rams have no player opponents have to respect or fear on the field, and that makes it even easier to hold the Rams offense in check.

I know we have a range of opinions on what direction the Rams should take in the draft. I am firmly convinced this team needs players who can make a difference on offense, hell, players who can at least play. It's going to stay ugly - no matter who you've got on the other side of the ball - when you run the kind of offense that has scored but a single first-quarter touchdown all season. Steven Jackson should demand a trade if the Rams don't do something big on offense. His legs will fall off.

Speaking of Jackson...truly the man is a hero, a shrugging Atlas who somehow grinds his way through defenses. You can tell the offensive line is not firing on all cylinders in its current configuration. They really peaked when Jason Smith did on the right side. Now, the toll they bear is starting to show and I wonder who'll get injured next. If you believe in any sort of cosmic justice Alex Barron will be on the bench for whatever reason and Jason Smith will be at LT. There's a cruel irony in the fact that Alex Barron has been so healthy through his career. Does this guy even think about football when he plays? If Bulger and Barron are even in camp next year, someone in authority has to be held accountable.

I'm so pissed off. Every Sunday. I can't believe people even still come by this site right now. Mercy! We keep playing and its only (mostly) guys who the Rams genuinely do need beyond this trip through hell that keep getting hurt. Ugh.

NFL Picks & Pans: Week 13

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:44:17 -0000

After getting off to a poor start by picking (and hoping) the Buffalo Bills would defend their "home" turf up in Toronto over the New York Jets, perhaps I can right the ship the rest of the weekend, like I did last week when I hit on 12 15 games! I'll make all the picks today and then "Pick & Pan" the Baltimore Ravens at the Green Bay Packers' Monday Night Football tilt in tomorrow's post. So let's get to it:

Steelers over Raiders: With or without Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh will win this game at home over Oakland, which will have trouble traveling cross country to go into a tough place to play.

Saints over Redskins: This is probably going to be a tougher game than one might expect as the Washington defense is better than their record states. Their offense, however, is as bad as their record and New Orleans is as good as their record and one of the top two teams in the NFL, in my humble opinion.

Colts over Titans: Tennessee's amazing turnaround under Vince Young comes to a screeching halt as their past five wins have not and will not be extended to include an undefeated Indianapolis team, whom I see finishing as such.

Bears over Rams: Once again, the mere mention of St. Louis having Kyle Boller at QB is good enough for me to take Chicago, as poorly as Jay Cutler has played. This game might have ten interceptions between the two teams!

Bengals over Lions: Cincinnati gets a breather this week at home and Detroit begins to fade back to 2008 status.

Panthers over Buccaneers: The only reason I'm picking Carolina is for the home field advantage, as I would take Tampa Bay if the game was down south due to both teams disappointing seasons.

Patriots over Dolphins: I was tempted to put this game as an upset win for Miami, but somehow I just can't see New England losing two in a row and tighten up the race in the AFC East.

Eagles over Falcons: The loss of both Matt Ryan and Michael Turner plus the dome weather factor makes me think Donovan McNabb and Philadelphia have a great day in Atlanta (McNabb is my fantasy team's QB!).

Chiefs over Broncos: Here we go with my "Upset Special Pick of the Week" as I see Kansas City playing Denver tough in their home crib and coming away with the upset win to bring the Ravens closer to the Wild Card spot.

Jaguars over Texans: I'm actually rooting for Houston to go into Jacksonville to pull off the upset and push the Ravens even tighter into the Wild Card race, but can't see the Jags tanking so bad at home. Or can they?

Chargers over Browns: What? Are you kidding me? No.

Giants over Cowboys: As bad as New York has played lately, the Cowboys have done pretty much the same other than an easy win over Oakland on Thanksgiving Day. New York is playing for their playoff lives and get the 'boys in rough weather conditions at home after the snow and cold came to the area yesterday.

Seahawks over 49ers: While I think that San Francisco is the better team, they seem to be nowhere as good on the road as they've been at home, while I think Seattle takes this division game at home regardless of their record.

Vikings over Cardinals (Sunday night): A great game and perhaps Arizona can play a perfect game on both sides of the ball to win. However, I think Minnesota's a much more balanced team offensively and defensively, and oh yeah, they have these two guys named Adrian and Brett who have done pretty well so far in '09.

Last week: 12-3

Season record: 119-55

Week 13 Preview: Rams (1-10) @ Bears (4-7)

wiltfongjr — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:30:16 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

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When you are sitting at 4-7 there isn't a lot that can put your team in a good mood, but taking on the worse off 1-10 St. Louis Rams could be a good start. If things go as they have all year the Bears should be able to win. They lose to the real good teams and beat the real bad teams. However if the flip side occurs and the Bears actually get dropped by the hapless Rams, in Chicago no less, then it could be a start to the end of season house cleaning many fans want.

Week 12 Recap

The Rams: Seattle running back Justin Forsett had a career day in St. Louis last week with two tuddy's and 130 yards rushing as the Seahawks won 27-17. The Rams actually out gained Seattle 364 to 265, but that Seattle D picked up 4 sacks and 2 picks. Ram QB Kyle Boller (yes the former bust out with the Ravens) threw for his third most yards ever, 282, and hit 10 different receivers while doing it. He also added 26 yards on the ground. A less that 100% Steven Jackson still racked up 89 yards rushing and chipped in with 5 grabs out of the backfield for 29 yards.

The Bears: Chicago looked like a Sophomore team trying to take on the Varsity. The Vikings whipped up on the Bears in every possible way winning 36-10, and it wasn't even that close. Brett Favre had one of the better days of his stellar career and Jarred Allen's 2 sacks led the Viking D to a dominating performance. Here are the ugly final yardage totals, Minnesota 537 - Chicago 169, and don't forget the Bears only had 2 yards of total offense in the second half. U-G-L-Y.

Quick Numbers:

20: A career high (so far) interceptions for Jay Cutler.
8: Number of interceptions the Rams defense has picked off so far this year.
7: Turnovers by Kyle Boller in just 4 games played.
6: Charles Tillman leads the league with 6 forced fumbles this year.

Key Injuries:

STL - RB Steven Jackson - Questionable (Back) Likely will play

STL - FB Mike Karney - Questionable (Neck)

STL - OT Jason Smith - Out (Concussion)

CHI - OLB Lance Briggs - Out (Knee)

CHI - LT Orlando Pace - Out (Groin)

CHI - Desmond Clark - Questionable (Neck)

CHI - Charles Tillman - Probable (Concussion) Likely will play

When the Rams have the ball.
Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson, and more Steven Jackson. Jackson leads the team in rushing and receptions and the Rams look to get him the ball as much as possible. Look for QB Kyle Boller to target Jackson early to try and get his confidence up.

The key match-up for the Rams: Rams OL vs. Bears DL
The Rams offensive line should welcome back starting guard Richie Incognito and center Jason Brown. If the interior of the Ram line is able to neutralize the Bears DT's look for them to methodically pound the 231 pound Jackson inside all day. With the way the Rams defense has been playing controlling the clock is their best chance at a win.

The X factor on offense for the Rams: QB Kyle Boller
As I mentioned above Boller tossed for his third most yards ever, if the Rams are able to establish the run, their play-actions and roll outs could give the Bears fits. Boller is a mobile QB and won't hesitate to take off and pick up what he can.

When the Bears have the ball.
The Rams have given up the fifth most total yards and are fifth worst against the rush (148.5 per game), so I would expect the Bears to try and get the run game going. After only 8 rushing attempts against the Vikings last week the Bears have to try and get it going vs. the Rams. Matt Forte rushed for 139 yards last year in St. Louis, his most as a pro, and should be a big part of the offensive game plan this week. Jay Cutler has played much better at home this year, but the Bears should allow him to easy into the game this week. And for the love of God, could we not see the wide receiver screen this week?

The key match-up for the Bears: RT Kevin Shaffer vs. DE Leonard Little
I alluded to this match up in my preview I did on the Sporting News, so it makes sense to bring it to light here as well. The Bears picked a heck of a week to plug Shaffer in at RT. Little is the best pass rusher the Rams have with 5.5 sacks on the year (and 86.5 on his career), but Shaffer played mostly right tackle in Cleveland so it isn't new to him.

The X Factor on offense for the Bears: QB Jay Cutler
Can someone of the stature of Cutler be an X Factor? I'm not sure, but he is this week... Since I had Boller as the X Factor for St. Louis why not throw Cutler in there for Chicago? The only way I see the Rams having a chance this week is if Cutler allows them, with a few more interceptions. Play in the system, take what is given to you, and run when some open field presents itself. I can see another unsatisfying win just like the Cleveland game, but at this point the Bears will take any win they can get.

Side notes from the NFC North:

Vikings: Sunday Night Football and a trip to Arizona, this may be the last team on the schedule that could trip up the Vikings.

Packers: Baltimore is a tough place to play and Ray Rice is gonna be a tough test for the Packers, he's #2 in the NFL in yards from scrimmage.

Lions: Look for the Bengals passing game to make quick work of a banged up Lions secondary.

Rams going with a QB, DE and OLB in early mock draft

VanRam — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:20:41 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

"Oh, can I feel them?" USC defensive end Everson Griffen

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Who's ready for a mock draft? I thought so. With the St. Louis Rams sitting at 1-10, it's a great time to take a look at some of the mock drafts out there and start getting some fodder for discussion.

Browsing around Walter Football this morning looking at prospect rankings, I checked out their mock draft, which was last updated today. Their mock has the Rams addressing three key needs through the first three rounds. Given the success of the first three round picks in 2009, it's an encouraging sight to see. (Of course Bradley Fletcher, er, I mean Fletcher Bradley has had an injury derail his season). Alright, here are the Rams first three picks from Walter Football:

Round 1, #3: Jake Locker, QB, Washington

Marc Bulger suffers a season-ending injury the week after Peter Petrelli loses his healing abilities... coincidence? Probably.

It'll be shocking if Bulger is back in 2010, and Kyle Boller certainly isn't the answer. The Rams need a franchise quarterback. The question is which guy they'll select.

If Jimmy Clausen is off the board, Jake Locker will be the guy; he has moved ahead of Sam Bradford in the wake of Bradford's multiple shoulder injuries.

Round 2, #34: Everson Griffen, DE, USC

Aside from Chris Long, all of the Rams defensive ends will be free agents in March. St. Louis needs to get more than 18 sacks on opposing quarterbacks anyhow.

Round 3, #65: Roddrick Muckelroy, OLB, Texas

The Rams traded Will Witherspoon to the Eagles, so their current starting weakside linebacker is Paris Lenon. It doesn't get much worse than that.

Full disclosure, I don't know much about Muckelroy at all. Aside from that tiny little detail, I like this draft. The one thing you could make a case for is throwing a WR in the mix, maybe Brandon LaFell from LSU, who they have going in the second round. Of course, in a year deep with DL talent, getting Griffen in the second round is hardly a bad deal. This approach would necessitate some important moves in free agency, most notably signing a DT and a WR.

What do you think about these picks? Is this a reasonable route to pursue for the Rams? If it shook out like this in April, would you be disappointed?

Pundit watch: Turn it over again?

VanRam — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:48:46 -0000

Yes, yesterday's loss was frustrating, incredibly frustrating for both the St. Louis Rams and the last of the true believers, who mostly congregate around this site. The team had shown some real progress recently, but watching things unfold yesterday memories of that progress were hard to conjure. Is it officially time to proclaim doom? Probably not. That, however, didn't stop some of those needing to fill column inches from hitting the panic button. Let's dive into over reaction Monday's pundit watch.

The award for worst punditry comes from Jeff Gordon in his PD column today. After pointing out the inexperience of the front office and coaching staff, Gordo says this:

I still believe these men are following the proper blueprint...

Ok. But then he then goes on to say this:

Presumably, the next ownership group will put a strong football man at the top of the organizational chart and go from there.

If the franchise doesn’t gain new ownership during the next few months, then the current leadership must learn from this struggle and overhaul the entire operation. Everything should be up for re-evaluation.

What? So after suggesting that the team is on the right path, despite their struggles, he goes on to suggest a complete overhaul. Another overhaul? One year after we got a much needed overhaul to end the Shaw/Zygmunt era? Talk about setting the team back a notch or two.

Let's be honest here. Devaney, Spagnuolo, et al inherited a bad situation. Years of infighting, bad drafts, pools of money tied up in injured and aging players and a general lack of vision left the Rams in complete and total disarray. Nobody could turn a franchise around that fast, not unless they had no salary cap, a gazillion bucks and a handful of first and second round draft picks. And people wonder why the newspaper business isn't long for this world.

Let's get past over reaction Monday, and into rational Tuesday.

Rams 17, Seahawks 27: Injuries pile on as the Rams take 10th loss

VanRam — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:47:40 -0000

More photos » by L.G. Patterson - AP

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First the good news, the St. Louis Rams have the top pick in the draft. The bad news is they lost a game against a bitter rival.

Once again, give Steven Jackson major props. He very nearly missed the game; only in warmups was he cleared to play. As usual, he had a helluva game, running for 89 yards on 23 carries. He started the game, but some of the team's top blockers did not, putting the running game in jeapordy form the start. FB Mike Karney, who has been clearing defensive linemen all season for Jackson, was inactive, as was RT Jason Smith. Things really looked bleak when C Jason Brown left the game with an injury.

It was rough day, and fans were calling for Keith Null to get a shot as the game slipped away from the Rams. That, however, would have been ill-advised as the offensive line struggled all day, even before Brown left the game.

Kyle Boller is Kyle Boller. I mean that in the sense that he is a backup QB reason, and he gave the team a solid effort, getting sacked 4 times and pressured on seemingly every play. Only the best QBs could have overcome those odds, not to mention one who lacks a true blue threat at WR. That said, it should be pretty clear that the Rams need a QB. Soon. Why was he throwing into double coverage? Not dumping the ball when he was getting sacked late in the game also reminded you of why Kyle Boller is not a long term solution. I'm not going to dump on the guy too much though. It would have been nice to see him get that late rushing TD. Like I said above, he is what he is. If the Rams were a more talented, healthier team they might have been able to overcome some of those mistakes, but they are not that talented in several key areas...as if you needed to be reminded.

Of course, their need for a defensive lineman stood out today as well, as the Seahawks gouged them for...oh, lots of yards and two rushing TDs.

Fortunately, it sounds like C Jason Brown should be back in time for next week's game, since he just suffered a sprain and nothing more serious. Not to take too much away from Adam Goldberg, but it's clear how talented Jason Smith is and how much the Rams need him on the field. His move to LT and the unceremonious end to Alex Barron's career in St. Louis can't come soon enough.

Heroes

James Laurinaitis - his game is not flawless, but it's damn good. Too bad teams are figuring out how to isolate him and take him out of the play. Nice to see the kid pick up a sack.
Steven Jackson - Is there any question about the man's greatness?
Danny Amendola - This midseason pickup is looking like another feather in Devaney's cap. He could really do something with a legit #1 WR on the roster...and a better QB.
O. J. Atogwe - Still got it.

Zeroes

Alex Barron - Am I too hard on the guy? Seattle got men around him, and he got another stupid penalty that took the Rams from 2nd and 4 to 2nd and 14. He had to hold the DL because he got beat, badly on the play.
The Defensive Line - Damn this group needs talent. The more I watch, the more I think we need to either draft or sign the best free agent DT we can get. More of the same next year if we don't.

Seattle Seahawks Grind Out 27-17 Victory over St. Louis Rams

John Morgan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:44:25 -0000

More photos » by L.G. Patterson - AP

The future is streaking at the Seahawks like Pistol returning it for six.

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The Seattle Seahawks won on the road against the Kyle Boller-led St. Louis Rams. The offense was one-dimensional, the defense hardly dominant, but Seattle slowly, convincingly overwhelmed St. Louis and squeezed out its fourth win of the season. That matches last year's total.

The young players are learning. Jordan Babineaux and Aaron Curry trade exciting plays with blown assignments. Brandon Mebane can knife into the pocket, but most pro quarterbacks have the agility to evade him after the initial pressure. Seattle's ends, excluding Patrick Kerney, are talented, young and cheap, but do not create sufficient pressure on their own. The defense lacks an elite pass rusher and should add one through the draft.

The path to contention is long. It will take maturation from its defensive core and, for the first time in Tim Ruskell's career, a new offense. The time is now to stop rebuilding, stop swapping in used parts and patching holes with low-upside polish, and start building an offense from scratch.

Justin Forsett is a lock. Force has proven that Seattle's offensive line is not hopeless, and that he is a part of the offense Seattle wants to become. It's a running offense. It rotates backs, and builds drives off a slicing run attack. Julius Jones is not the problem, but he's not good enough either. Seattle needs talent at its skill positions. Not just running back, but Seattle needs to become younger and faster at wide receiver too.

A reporter asked Jim Mora when Deon Butler would play. Mora said that Butler will play when he's the best player. Butler has six receptions for 56 yards. Third round wide receivers rarely explode on the NFL. They can contribute.

It's a pick like Butler that makes me worry about Ruskell's ability to judge offensive talent. Seattle moved up into the third to draft Butler. But Ruskell has earned the right to start the process. Seattle will be worse before it is better.

Matt Hasselbeck is a game manager. He doesn't lose games like Matthew Stafford or Kyle Boller. Seattle can pick, sack and run its way to a victory against the Rams, but it needs downfield passing to be a contender again. That means a rookie quarterback, and a rookie quarterback means soon the Seahawks will be the team throwing wins away.

Game Ball: Force.

Forsett is a slashing power-back in a too small frame. Seattle will not pound the rock behind Forsett, but it can build a rushing attack around him. The coaches will want to keep Forsett under twenty carries and around twenty total touches. That means finding Forsett a partner. Jones is not a bum. He put up a similar stats against the Rams in week one. Hopefully Seattle learns from Forsett's success and does not blindly feed Forsett the ball. Bring in backs. Audition them for the future. Seattle needs help at running back, and Louis Rankin is not the answer, but Forsett alone is not the answer either.