SB Nation - Josh Brown

What would you have done on 4th-and-4?

VanRam — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:12:57 -0000

Josh Brown sat on the bench while the Rams went for it on 4th-and-4. Mistake?

Hindsight really is 20-20, and there is no better example of that than yesterday's decision by St. Louis Rams head coach to go for it on 4th-and-4 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half of the game and the game tied at 7 points apiece.

It would have been approxiamtely a 49-yard field goal attempt. Kicker Josh Brown whiffed a 46-yarder prior to the 4th-and-4 situation, but did make a 55-yarder later in the game.

I understand both sides of the argument. Today, it's easy to see that the FG would have given the Rams a lead, that they might have been able to hold going into the locker room for the half. Of course, at the time, being aggressive is good thought for a team with nothing to lose.

So, 4 yards, and Seattle had done a pretty good job of limiting the running game. In fact, up to that point, Jackson had just two carries that went for more than 4 yards. What really made the decision to go for it seem so strange was that two plays earlier the Rams had lost C Jason Brown. The o-line had struggled enough with Brown in the game, but losing him certainly dimmed the prospects for converting a 4th-and-4.

What would you have done?

Poll

What would you have done on 4th-and-4 late in the first half with the game tied?

Go for it; Spags made the right call.

97 votes

Kick a FG, take 3 points and the lead

186 votes

283 votes | Poll has closed

Rams 23, Saints 28: The Spagnuolo era begins as Rams nearly topple a giant

VanRam — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:57:46 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

about 1 month ago: St. Louis Rams safety Oshiomogho Atogwe (21) recovers a fumble by New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey (88) after Shockey was hit by Rams linebacker David Vobora (58) during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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It's their eighth loss in nine games, but the St. Louis Rams played their best game of the year against the undefeated, heavily favored Saints today. And, no, there's not a bit of sarcasm dripping from that statement. The Rams played hard to a man and took it right down to the wire. That was truly a moral victory. If the Rams can play like that down the stretch, they'll win more games. Guaranteed.

It's an unusual Sunday afternoon when you don't feel like pointing fingers. At various times late in the game, the Rams overcame plays that would have surely marked the end of the game any other week. Not this time. An 11-point lead suddenly seemed like it might not be enough.

Ok. I'm giddy with delight. Let's nab a bit of rationality before we celebrate. Why? Because the Rams could have won this game. Should have won this game. A mistake free outing is rare even for the best teams - case in point, New Orleans - but the Rams had a couple of moments where they could have sealed the deal.

Special teams should have had the kick return that broke the tie to open the second half. It looked to me like they all overran the returner, leaving Josh Brown as the only guy who even got a hand on him.
They had a tough time getting holes for Steven Jackson after the half, when the Saints made adjustments. Credit the Saints some for that, but a misdirection play could have helped a little.
I'm not bashing Bulger. He played with heart. However, he seems to have lost his ability to adjust and find open receivers. He also made a few throws that would have been INTs had Sharper been playing.
Randy McMichael, have your hands turned to stone?
I realize that Pat Shurmur doesn't have much to work with, but some of the playcalling still befuddles me. Why the predictable call on 4th down? Why not open it up a little more with Avery and Gibson or Fells when the Saints were keeping SJ39 in check?

Enough. Tomorrow we can Monday morning QB this. All of those things feel kind of knitpicky. These guys played their asses off and deserve credit. Some standouts:

Steven Jackson - He made things happen. Though, unlike last week, he had plenty of help, help from...

The Offensive Line, Mike Karney and the TEs - This unit is really starting to come together. The right side was particularly fearsome. When Jason Smith, who has made the Rams first two round picks in this draft look absolutely brilliant, moves to the left side, Adam Goldberg deserves the first shot at RT. I think he'll earn it too.

Donnie Avery - This is the Donnie Avery we need to see on a weekly basis. Clearly the bye week helped, but credit the play calling for getting him down the field. Slightly better passing might have given Avery a 3 TD day.

Brandon Gibson - Hello, new guy. 7 catches, 93 yards, good God. He studied the routes and showed some nice hands this week, i.e. the grab on the ground that let the Rams take it to the very last play of the game. Too bad we only have three WRs now.

Marc Bulger - Not the Marc Bulger we used to know, but you can't question his efforts this week...notice the nice scramble for the first down at the end of the game?

Oshiomogho Atogwe - He's baaaaaack. Togs got his turnover mojo back today, getting a key INT, forcing a fumble and breaking up a 4th quarter TD pass to give the Rams new life with a touchback.

Jame Butler - Made up for an INT that turned into a safety by just getting an INT, no safety today. This guy played well, and when he and Atogwe are on their game, the Rams have some of the best safties in the league. If they had stud corners this would be a fearsome secondary.

The Defensive Line - They weren't perfect, but they made the best with what they had. They got pressure, they tipped passes, and Chris Long recording his second sack of the season.

I could go on and on, but these are the guys that really stood out to me. Who else belongs on this list? And finally, the game ball.

Game ball goes to...Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo. He had this team born again hard this week, playing damn near air-tight football. The passion, the commitment to what he's been selling....it all came together this week. This guy will have this team competing, by next season. Hats off to you coach, this was a win in every way but one. The next seven games should be some great football. The new era has arrived today.

Rams 17, Lions 10: It's a win!

VanRam — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:39:44 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

about 1 month ago: St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, left, is sacked by Detroit Lions linebacker Julian Peterson (59) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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The St. Louis Rams narrowly pulled out their first win of the season against the equally lowly Detroit Lions. It's a good way to head into the bye week, where hopefully head coach Steve Spagnuolo can instill some discipline into this team.

Question: Do you give the game ball to Steven Jackson or to the penalty prone Lions? I had a feeling we were heading to over time (or a last minute win by the Lions) when a Louis Delmas pass interference penalty gave the Rams a new set of down that they quickly exploited with Jackson carrying the ball 42 yards on two carries to find the end zone for his first rushing TD of the season.

Jackson ran hard all day, and more than once we saw him drag a pile of Detroit defenders to eek out a few more hard-earned yards. The man carried the Rams otherwise shoddy offense. With the score notched 10-10, there were a few series that had you wondering if this wasn't the makings of 0-8, especially with Pat Shurmur still so committed to the passing game, despite his best player being SJ39. Thankfully, they stayed with Jackson enough for him to pick up the team and carry them to their first win of the season.

Stay thoughts and random observations:

Did the offensive line actually get better in run blocking once Setterstrom came into the game for Bell? Something to think about going forward.
Marc Bulger is done as a Ram, at least once this season is over he is. RIght? He's got to be. He was awful today. He had time and couldn't find receivers (not entirely his fault). He made throws that were easily batted down. Against a better secondary, he might have been intercepted 3 or 4 times today. Josh Brown was a better QB today, and now has one third of the TDs Bulger does on the season. How do the Rams pass up on a QB in the 2010 draft?
Randy McMichael is done as a Ram too. Oh sure, he'll finish out the season, if he can stay healthy, but you can pretty much guarantee this guy isn't going to be resigned. Good riddance.
The defense struggled with the screen pass. Is part of that the effect of losing Will Witherspoon?
I like Clifton Ryan, but I think it's a problem that he's the Rams best DT.
Chris Long had a sack, but an otherwise unimpressive day. I'm not willing to call him a bust just yet because he's playing with a pretty bad defensive line. With more talent in the middle and a switch to the left side, he should find his groove in the NFL.
Why is the defense not tackling well? Players who can't tackle should be weeded out of the defense.
The offense looked awful. Did I say that already? Once again they took penalties to put them in bad situations, not often, but enough to put them in third-and-long twice. They converted just 25% of their third downs. They also failed to convert any of their three trips to the red zone.
Jason Smith looked good, not perfect, but good. I want this kid at LT now.

We'll have plenty more about the Rams first win, and lots to talk about as we look back on the first half of the season as the Rams head into their bye next week.

It's a win, and a win is a win, ugly or not. The most important thing now is to see how the team responds when they come out of the bye week.

Rams 20, Jacksonville 23, F/OT: New route, same result

VanRam — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:50:20 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

Jacksonville held Steven Jackson in check, and that was too much for the Rams struggling offense to overcome.

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The St. Louis Rams had a much better effort today, but - stop me if you've heard this one before - it just wasn't enough as they lost in OT to the Jacksonville Jaguars. A quick recap:

The Offense

Again, the Rams offense just wasn't very good, but they really got hurt when Donnie Avery left the game. That took away a desperately needed dimension to the Rams offense. The Jacksonville run defense was tough; Steven Jackson got a measly 50 yards on 16 carries. The offensive line didn't have their best day opening holes for Jackson. One thing I noticed watching this game was that our blockers consistently had trouble getting to the second level. Jacksonville's safeties were in the box on almost every play, so it seemed, and they led the day in tackles. The blocking was much better; Bulger hit the dirt just one time...if only he had anyone to throw the ball to.

It's kind of funny, but the passing game continues to be a strength for the Rams, except on third down. Speaking of third down, the Rams were pathetic, converting just 4 of 12. And third down wasn't the only problem area. The offense sputtered enough that they only had 11 total first downs to Jacksonville's 33. That's right 11 Rams first down to Jacksonville's 33. Which gives you some idea of why the Jags had 492 yards of offense to our 262.

The Defense

Our defense has definitely improved from the product on the field that last three seasons. If our offense had any competency whatsoever the defense is good enough that the Rams could win some games. That's not to say our defense is good. They took some ill-advised penalties today too.

Gary Gibson is missed. DT has to be a priority for this team before next season. The Jones-Drew ground game eventually got to them, but they were on the field for more than 40 minutes, 42:12 to be exact. We just don't have the depth for that kind of exposure.

The line had more pressure from the ends, including a nice back to back sack series. They also did a good job getting pressure, that resulted in two INTs, including Leonard Little's that made it a game.

The secondary had it's moments, both good and bad. Is Bartell still aching? He got burned twice in the first half for big plays. You could argue, not convincingly, that Holt's 41-yard catch was just a nice play, but he got burned bad on Sims-Walker's 35-yard catch. Four pass interference penalties hurt, though the Jaguars didn't get points on any of those drives.

Ultimately, the defense suffered because they were on the field twice as long as the offense, and they're just not good enough to keep any team out of the end zone for 42 minutes.

Special Teams

Donnie Jones didn't have his leg today; Josh Brown did. Danny Amendola has been the find of the season, averaging 31 yards on 4 kick returns.

Ultimately, it was a disappointing effort for the Rams, who lost their 16th in a row. Maybe things would have been different with Avery. Still, at this point, it's hard not to wonder if they won't end up winless this season.

Rams fantasy feedback

VanRam — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:49:05 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Would you start Randy McMichael on your fantasy team this week?

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Let's shift the discussion from political fantasies to fantasy football. Sitting at 0-5 with an offense that's averaging just 6.8 points per game. The Rams have entered that blackhole of fantasy sports, where almost nobody on the team merits a starting spot on your roster. Could that chance this week against the Jaguars? Let's take a look.

The Jags defense is allowing an average of 380 yards per game, only two teams have a worse YPG stat. They're giving up an average of 25.4 points per game; the Rams are giving up 29.2, FWIW. Against the run, the Jags allow an average of 107.6 YPG and 273 YPG in the air. In terms of DVOA, Jacksonville's defense has a 35.8% DVOA (28th) against the pass and a -17.2% (10th) against the run. On to the players.

RB Steven Jackson - Jacksonville's rushing defense has been pretty good, but Jackson has the added advantage for fantasy GMs in that he can catch passes. SJ has picked up solid yardage against better defenses though. Is this week he scores his first TD of the season?

WR Donnie Avery - Avery had a nice game last week, finally getting the ball deep and taking advantage of his speed. Against a lesser Jacksonville pass defense, could Avery have a break out game?

QB Marc Bulger - No Rams QB has been on anyone's fantasy radar, nor should they be. But this is a pretty favorable matchup for Bulger.

TE Daniel Fells & Randy McMichael - Rams tight ends combined for 8 catches last week, and every since the Green Bay game Pat Shurmur has been using, successfully, plenty of two TE sets. It's very possible one of these guys will have a good game...providing of course they can hang onto the ball.

Rams DST - Can the Rams start getting some action on turnovers this week? Can Danny Amendola run one in? Can Josh Brown double his season's output in one game?

Rams hurting your fantasy life too?

VanRam — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:06:10 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

He's trying to get you some fantasy points.

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In fantasy sports - well, at least baseball and football, since that's where my fantasy experience is - it seems like there's always that one team where you don't want any of the players they have. Have the St. Louis Rams become that team? Running back Steven Jackson is still an elite player, but in terms of fantasy points, the Rams are holding him back...well, not just in terms of fantasy points either, I guess. Here's what I wrote for SBN Fantasy Friday:

It’s a tough week to recommend anybody from the St. Louis Rams for your fantasy lineup. The Rams play the Minnesota Vikings this week, and it’s one of the best overall defenses they’ll see this year. RB Steven Jackson is a good bet for 20+ carries, but with Jason Smith not starting on the offensive line I question whether or not Jackson can rack up 100 yards. A touchdown almost seems out of the question based on the stagnant play of the rest of the Rams offense.

With a capable guy like Jackson, you can usually throw the Rams kicker, Josh Brown, into the mix for a decent fantasy option. Not this year. So far, the Rams have hit just 1 of 4 field goals. They do play at the Dome this week, which is a bit more favorable than the windy fields up and down the West Coast, but the offense will likely need to collect more than three points at a time.

The Rams have quickly become one of those teams you generally avoid in fantasy play, especially this week. On the flip side of that, it’s probably a great week to play any Vikings you might have on your roster.

Is this accurate? Do you avoid the Rams in fantasy? How many people out there start other RBs over Steven Jackson?

You can get more fantasy reports every week via SBN's Fantasy Friday.

Poll

Is Steven Jackson still worth starting in fantasy football?

Yes - an elite back can go off any week

113 votes

No - his team just can't get him the support he needs

52 votes

165 votes | Poll has closed

Rams 0, 49ers 35: It's officially ugly

VanRam — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:37:52 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Awww, buttafingers!

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Can you honestly look at this St. Louis Rams team and say they're getting better?

I don't think you can anymore.

It was the same old story right out of the gate for the Rams, except this one started with a penalty that killed a sweet kick return from Danny Amendola, now lost for untold weeks. Then again, would that return have been possible without the hold?

After that, they came out running Steven Jackson, but then a poor pass that Keenan Burton really should have had followed by an incomplete to Randy McMichael, who clearly reminds us all that his early career success was more of an illusion created by fantasy football than anything else. Three-and-out. If the Rams could change their name - maybe when they go to London - they could be the St. Louis, er, London Three-and-outs. Crickey, guvner!

As usual the defense came out strong, even without SS James Butler...and to a lesser extent SLB David Vobora. The offense looked like it might find its groove on the second possession. They converted a two penalty 2nd-and-20 and were starting to steamroll, or as close as this bunch can get to steamrolling. And then it all came craaaashing down when they brought Gado in for a 3rd-and-1. Josh Brown missed field goal - stop me if you've heard this one before. You could have turned it off, except the defense continued to play well, that the redoubts of optimism you maybe, just maybe, had surviving in some corner of your heart where the sun hasn't been obscured by years of garbage football held out, convincing you to leave it on...

...leave it on just long enough to see a punt return get a fluky fumble touchdown. Advantage 49ers.

It's all downhill from there. The 49ers used another 14 points from turnovers to put hand the Rams their worst loss of the season, a loss that reminded everyone of the Linehan era. This roster isn't totally bereft of talent, though some positions are really hurting, but I think it might be bottom of the barrel for brains.

They've got to make some changes to get through this season with the thinnest scrap of dignity. If they don't do something, they can't legitimately ask people to pay for tickets next year, not even if they bring in a Super Star team of Jesus and Buddha and Jet Li and Herman Zoroaster.

Some changes I'd like to see, and probably won't:

Alex Barron is done. Keep him as a backup; it might be enough to scare the crap out of him and make him take advantage if he gets an opportunity to play again, knowing that he'll be a free agent. At this point, who would sign him?
Make Jason Smith the starting LT. Some won't agree with me on this, but he's the best OT the Rams have, and is good enough at pass blocking already to be solid on the left side. Make Adam Goldberg the guy on the right. He's fine to finish out the season with. There's already been some whispers of Jacob Bell getting time at OT; I don't believe it. Greco hasn't played much OT in the NFL, so his penalty isn't as egregious as the others. Not to excuse it. That gives the Rams their best line, and start the future right now.
Promote Null over Boller. Bulger will be back at starting QB, as soon as he's healed. If you're going to lose, might as well get a guy who can throw a little better than one and isn't as old and banged up as the other. This will not happen. And I'm not even saying this because I think Null is the QB of the future; I just think he might be the best bet for this season.
He might be able to pass to Donnie Avery deep. Then again...
The Rams might be really, really bad in the WR department. I honestly think some of the play calling we're complaining about stems from a serious lack of confidence in the talent on this team. Yeah, they ran the hell out of Steven Jackson, but they have no other viable option to turn to. You can't make throws with this QB and even if you can, there's nobody to catch them. I don't see how you pass up the chance to draft a QB this year, unless Bradford has a shoulder that's making the good risk-assessors at Lloyd's of London nervous.

I'm going to go apologize to my family for not spending time with them for the past three hours. We'll have lots more post-mortem in the day ahead.

Coaching Staff is about to be Tested

ram_rod — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:24:52 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

2 months ago: St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson runs with the ball after catching a pass for an 8-yard gain during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in St. Louis. The Packers won 36-17. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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It's almost a fourth of the way into the season, and things are looking bleak. Granted, you couldn't really expect a rapid turn around, but after these last three games played out, a win (or two- much less probable) could have easily happened.

With all the injuries and lack of just about everything, the coaching staff is going to be tested. Of course you have to give them time, but in the NFL, that just doesn't happen. I'll start with the coordinators before going into our Head Coach. Hit the jump to read more.

Firstly, you have our offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur. He's already come under criticism from almost every angle and rightfully so. Play calling mostly, but people around here have also been concerned with the amount of touches Steven Jackson recieves a game (which was rectified last week, he had 32 touches). You can blame the play of the offense on the personnel and their inability to an extent, but it's the coaches job to realize this and make changes. Using gadget plays on 3rd down (or calling a short throw when both of your QB's have a completion percentage of 51.6% or lower) when you have a running back who is averaging 5.06 yards per touch is questionable and so is not airing the ball out when your receivers are quite fast. It's kind of quirky, but also in the Seahawks game the decision was made to punt the ball instead of attempting a long range field goal (at a somewhat familiar stadium to Josh Brown no less). I'm no sideline expert, so I am unsure of how much exactly is Shurmur's responsibility, but the play calling and decisions rest on the coaching staff.

I'll lump Flajole amd Spag's together here, as they both are defensive minds. I think it's more of a personnel issue here, but when you've had three games, you know what works and what doesn't. If everything doesn't work, then that's fine, but for someone so renowned at getting pressure on the QB, it's a bit of a headscratcher when they can't. Now, the defensive line isn't anything special, but I refuse to believe that no one on the defensive side of the ball is capable of producing pressure, or that the offensive lines we have faced so far are immovable walls of 300lb men.

This is more of a general staff issue, but for all the talk about having "football people" in charge, the lack of preparedness is eye-opening. Over the last three weeks, it's been surprising to see that the same things have been happening with no changes. Keenan Burton and Daniel Fells finally started contributing, even after McMichael and Avery have had butterfingers for three weeks now. Steven Jackson didn't get many touches the first few weeks and even though he has been averaging a good amount, they still shy away in the fourth quarter. Conserving the clock is one thing, but when you constantly have three and outs, it really doesn't matter anymore.

With one final note- It will be interesting to see how things play out. Linehan had 20 horrible games (2006 was an outlier- one missed Josh Brown field goal and he might still be here) before getting the boot, and while I think this staff is much better, I'm curious to see how fans get when the season is about to end. Will you still have the same faith if nothing changes throughout the season? How many drafts will it take for you to think that things are turning around? What will happen to Vobora (taking illegal substances isn't exactly a "good character" choice)- will they punish him more or will they just let it slide?

How long are you willing to wait for results?

Poll

How long are you willing to wait?

I want a winning team. I'll give them this year, but bad things will happen if I don't see results next year.

87 votes

Same as Scotty L. Somewhere around two years.

94 votes

No more then three.

96 votes

Rome wasn't built in a day. It's not like I'm missing anything now, I can wait a long time. (3+ years).

89 votes

366 votes | Poll has closed

Rams missing the deep ball

VanRam — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:17:30 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

The St. Louis Rams have completely abandoned the deep pass, and they're paying for it.

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It's always easy to criticize the play calling with your hand burried in a bowl of nachos and four beers into a game. Like blaming the refs it makes for a nice scapegoat after bewilderingly bad play. Still, that doesn't mean you can't, shouldn't question the decisions made on the sideline or in the booth, and for the 0-3 St. Louis Rams, the offensive play calling has offered much to question.

After the season opener in Seattle, the big question on our minds was about the missing running game. That changed in week two, when the Rams decided to grind it out against Albert Haynesworth and the Washington Redskins. Steven Jackson carried the ball 17 times for 104 yards, and Kenneth Darby added another two carries for offense that was on the field just 25 minutes. This week against the Packers the Rams had even more success on the ground. Thirty-three of 69 total offensive plays were rushes. Steven Jackson carried the ball 27 times - the third most carries he's had spanning this season and last - picking up 117 yards.

So, according to the preseason analysis, Jackson carries, Rams win...what happened? Turns out, you have to pass the ball too. huh. Of course, the Rams have been passing ball, but you'd be hard pressed to point out any memorable passes, i.e. big plays...the kind of big plays the Packers used to beat the Rams this week. Chew on this number:

5.1 yards

That's the Rams average gain per passing play this season. That's the league's worst total, tied with the lowly Oakland Raiders, actually. The Rams have had just three passes of 20 yards or more, another league worst. Clearly, they're not throwing the ball deep, airing it out. Take a look at the play-by-play.

Yesterday, according to the play-by-play, the Rams passed deep just once. After Josh Brown's leg made it 23-17, the Rams next drive, which started out nicely with a Steven Jackson 20-yard run, ended with two incomplete short pass attempts to force a punt. Against Washington, according to the official play-by-play, the Rams threw deep just twice, on their final possession of the game. Per the stats at Pro Football Focus (which are a little different thanks to better classifications than the play-by-play), they threw four passes for 10 yards or more...and completed 3 of them, one that beauty over the middle to Keenan Burton for 25 yards.

Go back to this week, with the box stacked, often with five LBs, the Rams did not throw deep to take advantage of the mismatch. That should really stand out to anyone, armchair QB to seasoned football analyst, as big, big mistake.

Is it a personnel thing? Partly. The Rams don't have world beating receivers, but Donnie Avery has proven he can catch a deep ball. Sure his hands have been a little rusty of late, but what's the loss in trying? Keenan Burton may be a physical over the middle guy, but he has the speed to catch a deep ball or two also. Bulger can make those throws, and while Boller is a little shakier when he goes deep, he's still capable of putting the occasional ball into a receiver's hands. Personnel is not an excuse for not trying to mix it up in this case, whether you like the personnel or not.

Football is a game of balance. You can't have a good running game with the pass, etc., etc. This week, with the running game working well, the vertical passing game was MIA, tragically, on day where it made all the sense in the world to mix some deep strikes into the play calling. The Rams missed a golden opportunity by looking like West Coast zealots.

Should the Rams be more aggressive on 4th down?

VanRam — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:52:53 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

You'll get 'em next time, tiger.

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Let me set up the situation for you. It's the middle of the first quarter, and the St. Louis Rams have the ball back after the defense picked up its second turnover of the game, which is still tied with no score.

The fumble, forced by Will Witherspoon and receovered by James Laurinaitis, gave the Rams their best field position so far, at the Seattle 38-yard-line. On two prior drives, the Rams never made it across the 50. The resulting drive is looking just like the last two. An incomplete on first down, and an 8-yard run by Jackson is wiped out thanks to a Donnie Avery 10-yard holding penalty. 2nd-and-12; the Rams get five freebie yards thanks to an Aaron Curry offsides.

That's followed by more keystone kops routine. An incomplete pass, and then a fumble recovered by Bulger and thrown away for an imcomplete. 4th-and-7 on the Seattle 35-yard-line. The Rams punted it down to the 4-yard-line, showing off Donnie Jones' stellar leg, but was that the best call?

I'm inclined to think it was not. This study from Advanced NFL Stats breaks down the recommended options on 4th downs, and the Rams, in that situation, were right between going for it and kicking a field goal.

Going for it might have been a little bit of a problem, since the Rams offense was not exactly in prime form. (Had they run the ball more than once on that drive, that might not have been the case). Had I made the call, I would have brought the field goal team out to make the score 3-0.

That's risky, since it would have been a 52-yard attempt. Before you point to Brown's missed 37-yarder, remember that was later in the game. Josh Brown is no stranger to kicking field goals at Qwest Field, and has nailed his share of long ones there too. He hit a 43-yarder there last season, his first with the Rams, and in 2007 he nailed a 52-yarder against the Saints. The week after that, he hit 48-,45- and 43-yard three pointers to help bury the Rams. Over his career, Brown is 19-for-30 on FGs of 50 yards or more.

Hitting a FG there wouldn't have been a sure thing, but even if it hadn't worked, the defense was still playing sharp enough that keeping Seattle out of the end zone after turning the ball over at their 35-yard-line was not such a daunting task at that point.

Teams like the Rams have to play more aggressive football, and that means squeezing every chance they can out of every down, including 4th. They'll need to be against Washington this week.