SB Nation - Randy McMichael

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

29 days 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 VP Kevin Demoff covers the cap, free agency, TST and more in his chat today.

VanRam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:22:34 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

The St. Louis Rams would like to see safety Oshiomogho Atowgwe in their future.

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St. Louis Rams VP of Football Operations and COO Kevin Demoff held a live chat with fans today. Some highlights, with comment:

If there is a salary cap in 2010, the Rams will be approximately 35m under the salary, which would be the third most room under the cap in the NFL. There has been some pain this year, but the salary cap should not be the driving force behind any personnel decisions moving forward. This year, we were forced to create a dollar of salary cap room for every dollar of salary cap room spent. That meant making difficult decisions with some talented players, but we made the decisions that we thought were best for the long-term future of this organization.

Though I don't believe there will be a cap, having $35 million worth of space under the cap is great news. It means that the Rams can really make some strides to fill the big holes on the roster, without having to choose between one position at the expense of the other in the draft. Of course, if it is an upcapped year that means...

However, if 2010 is uncapped, there will be a limited free agent pool consisting of players with 6 years or more of experience. That will make it harder to sign young, talented players in free agency, the type of player every team wants in free agency. As a result, in an uncapped year, the draft will be paramount, which is one of the reasons we are trying to stockpile picks in the 2010 draft.

I don't know what his definition of stockpiling is, but so far the Rams have added a 5th round pick from the Eagles in the Witherspoon trade and a 7th round pick from the Falcons in the Tye Hill trade. Those could be packaged to move up in other rounds, of course. I don't know that they'll have much in the way of compensatory picks, since they really didn't lose many free agents of note.

Which players are up for free agency this year? It depends on the cap situation. Here's the list from Demoff:

...eight players...[that] would normally be Unrestricted Free Agents in 2010 who will be Restricted Free Agents in 2010 if there is no salary cap. Those players are as follows: Victor Adeyanju, OJ Atogwe, Alex Barron, Samkon Gado, Gary Gibson, Richie Incognito, Ruvell Martin, Mark Setterstrom. We would have the right to "tender" all of those players as RFA's. There are 6 players who will be UFA's no matter what the cap situation is: Kyle Boller, James Hall, Paris Lenon, Leonard Little, Chris Massey, Randy McMichael.

We'll talk plenty more about these guys down the road. For now, I'd say you can count on the Rams making an effort to hang onto Atogwe, Gibson, Incognito, Setterstrom, and some combination of Hall and Little. Those last two guys will surely be considering retirement, though they could still be useful as part timers.

The highlight of the chat...a TST shout out from Demoff. Check it out:

I couldn't let the good guys at TurfShowTimes go unrewarded for their drive to send in questions for this chat.

Hell yeah! Anyway, he answered our question about re-signing Atogwe, and it sounds like the team plans to keep him in the picture for the future.

Alright, go read the whole thing. It's pretty informative.

St. Louis Rams stock watch

VanRam — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:47:39 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis has been among the team's most valuable players thins season.

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The St. Louis Rams are halfway through the first season of a major franchise overhaul. Eight games in, we know lots more than we did in August. Draft picks have played their way into the lineup, or out of it. Free agent pickups have figured into the equation, and we have a better idea about the future of the team's veterans. So, with apologies to Mike Sando, let's take a look at some of the more notable cases with a stock watch.

BUY

James Laurinaitis - The second round pick has reminded fans and casual observers alike why he was considered first round talent just a year ago. Playing for a 1-win team his name is already in the conversation for defensive rookie of the year. Middle linebacker was a massive hole in the Rams defense since the jettisoning of London Fletcher, but now it's probably the strongest position on the defense. The future looks good.

Steven Jackson - Before this year, Jackson was merely good. Now he's truly great. This season, he's emerged as a team leader, a veteran guiding a rebuilding franchise through the rough early phases of the project. Of course, his onfield contributions can't be overstated either. He's the reason the Rams have one win, and playing with a truly inferior offense, he's torching some of the league's best defenses. SJ39 is one of those stocks that the price of entry is really high, but worth every penny.

James Butler - On paper, the Rams defense hasn't been particularly impressive. However, Butler has been a big part of the reason why it at least looks more competent than it has in recent seasons, guiding the youngsters through the transition to Spagnuolo and Flajole's scheme.

Jason Smith - The second overall pick is starting to look like the best OT from this year's draft. He learns fast, and you don't see him make the same mistake twice. This kid has a bright future.

HOLD

Oshiomogho Atogwe - The ball hawk is having a rougher season than we would have expected. Why? It's hard to say. The cornerback situation is no worse than it has been in the recent past for the Rams. The transition in schemes may have had some impact. Could his contract situation be a distraction? He'll be the story to watch in the offseason. Do the Rams re-sign him? If they opt to use the RFA route, he's bound to be a holdout.

Donnie Avery - Maybe it's the QB, maybe it's the new offense, whatever it is, it's been a rough season for Donnie Avery. Once the Rams address their needs at WR, Avery can get back to his role as a downfield threat, and some work in the slot.

Ron Bartell - It doesn't look like Bartell is top CB material. Still, he's signed to a reasonable contract and with a legitimate #1 corner beside him, he'll be part of a great duo.

SELL

Marc Bulger - Like so many, I thought he still had something left in the tank. The Detroit game proved me wrong.

Alex Barron - Sure, he's had his moments. You cannot refute that Barron has talent. However, he continues to put himself in the doghouse by taking bad penalties and occasionally taking himself out of plays. A half-game benching and stern lecture helped for just one game. I sometimes wonder if we might not see him back in '10, but on the right side, playing under a RFA contract.

Randy McMichael - Boink. That's the sound of another pass bouncing off his cast iron hands. McMichael offers little at this point in his career that a replacement level TE doesn't bring to the table.

Chris Long - The second overall pick from a year ago has failed to impress in his sophomore season. I still harbor some hope Long will get it figured out. He seems to have talent, and his desire is unquestionable. More talent on the line could help and some intensive coaching up. We'll see.

Rams injury news: Amendola has a concussion

VanRam — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:22:38 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

St. Louis Rams KR Danny Amendola has a concussion.

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St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo just wrapped up a Monday afternoon presser. The big news to come out of it has to do with some injured Rams starters. The Rams have a bye this week, which will help players recover ahead of the next game.

First, WR Donnie Avery and TE Randy McMichael are fine. DE C.J. Ah You will test his ankle this week. Would the Rams really miss McMichael? Yes, in the depth chart sense, but not so much as a playmaker.

Jacob Bell has "head and neck" injuries, and will be tested this week. They didn't say anything about a concussion, which is what the coach said he thought Bell had in the wake of yesterday's game. Run blocking got better with Setterstrom filling in for Bell. Setts has proved his mettle as a starter before, and I'm more than willing to say he's a better for the Rams going forward than Bell. This is the second year of his six-year contract he signed in the Spring of 2008.

WR/KR Danny Amendola has a concussion and will be tested Wednesday. Keep an eye on this one. Amendola's work returning kicks has been a pleasant surprise for the Rams, and looked like the answer to a long overdue question of who could be a consistent kick returner for the Rams. Hopefully, it's mild enough that he's cleared by the time the team resumes play in week 10.

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.

In a Nutshell...

ram_rod — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:31:44 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

I'd be disgusted if I were you too.

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As the 0-7 anger festers inside of me, I found a few quotes by the players (and some from STLToday.com analysts) that I wanted to talk about. Starting with the first, which we will call, "the quote of the last three years."

We just didn't fight as hard in the fourth quarter as we had in the previous three, which is a little disappointing

This gem comes from O.J. Atogwe. As a fan, I'd be a little disappointed if my team gave up too. This team has no fire. A little disappointed? Why any player would say this to a reporter is beyond me, but just hearing it and getting it confirmed just disgusts me. Take it easy guys, you're not going to win when you are horrible, no matter how much you try. No coach can turn this team into a winner when they don't even play the whole game.

Here is another passively laden quote by Randy McMichael:

Usually when we do something that sets us back, we end up coming off the field for a punt or something.

Thanks Randy, like we didn't already know. Or something? That is the best way you can describe it?

Jackson dropping a swing pass while Alex Barron was being flagged for holding.

The hapless Barron getting flagged for a false start penalty to help kill another drive.

That came from Jeff Gordon at STLtoday.com. I can understand having faith in your players Spags', but if you and Billy Devaney decide to resign him, then just resign. If you don't, please seriously consider trading away the first round pick we have. Jason Smith is being outplayed by Michael Oher (injury or no injury). I remember seeing his name going to the Rams early in the mock draft season. If you wanted to see character, look into his story. Tom Lemming, a ESPN analyst who helps choose the All-American Team said this about him:

Michael Oher’s athletic ability and his body — the only thing you could compare it to was Orlando Pace

Oh vey. Talk about an overreaction Tuesday.

Poll

How do you feel about the last two first round picks?

They will improve eventually

122 votes

They would have been good picks if we picked them 32 places lower.

63 votes

Let's just not even go there.

53 votes

238 votes | Poll has closed

"Perfect" and then some

VanRam — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:21:45 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

St. Louis Rams tight end Daniel Fells and others will need to step up this week.

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The best way to spin it is state the fact: the St. Louis Rams have a really tough matchup this week against the Colts. You want a silver lining for the week? I honestly don't know what it is.

It seems like week-in and week-out, the Colts and the Saints battle on the stat sheet to see who has the best offense. The weakest link is their run game, with a -0.5% DVOA.

You're used to Peyton Manning's team being solid on offense, and the defense is holding up their end of the bargain this season too. Overall, they have a -7.0% DVOA on defense (8th ranked), with a -11.2% against the pass (8th) and a -0.9% against the run (23rd). The key for the Rams this week will be using Steven Jackson and trying to beat their pass defense against a loaded box. Yeah, yeah, yeah, broken records and all that.

The Colts should also have SS Bob Sanders back this week. They will, however, be without starting CB Marlin Jackson.

Indy runs a cover 2 defense, which might bolster the Rams short passing game, especially if they can get Jackson established on the ground and force the linebackers up. Keep your eyes on Randy McMichael and Daniel Fells since they'll be important in that aspect of the receiving game. It's worth noting that the Colts have allowed just 2 passing TDs this season, the fewest of any team in the league. Opponents have just 7 passing plays of 20+ yards (and none for more than 40) against Indy.

What about those stats compared to their schedule? The Colts haven't played the top tier of the league; the Cardinals are the only opponent on their schedule thus far with a record better than .500. However, of all their opponents only the Titans are worse than the Rams on offense.

So when Marc Bulger says it's going to take a "perfect game" to win this week, he's only part right. It's probably going to take some help from the Colts themselves.

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 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.

Where's Admiral Ackbar When You Need Him?

Mitchell_M — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:32:08 -0000

Because you know he's got the warning for this week.

Hmm, maybe that didn't get the point across like I wanted it to.

Not quite. It's urgent enough, but just not enough repetition...

Ah, here. This is exactly how I want to say it.

Packers. Rams. Week 3. Other short statements. After the jump.

Green Bay put up an uneven performance in week 1 against Chicago. Then they followed that with a positively dismal performance (Charles Woodson excluded, of course) against Cincinnati. Now, they sit at 1-1, and I'm sure many eyes are looking forward to the October 5th showdown between Green Bay and division-leading Minnesota.

But the NFL season, much like the flow of time, is completely chronological and cannot be disturbed. Unless of course your home city suffers a major catastrophe and you're awarded a "home" game in New York. But lets hope that doesn't happen.

The point of this mini-diatribe is that Green Bay has to play the St. Louis Rams before even thinking about the Vikings. And yes, I know, St. Louis has been dreadful for years, but so was Cincinnati (excluding 2006). They started out the year by getting shut out 28-0 to Seattle, and last week lost in an ~~epic~~ ~~entertaining~~ ~~watchable~~ ~~tolerable~~ ~~mediocre~~ awful 9-7 game against Washington. This team has problems. But do you want a repeat of last week? Me neither. So without further delay, let's get to it.

STL rushing vs. GB defense: Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson. The first-round pick in fantasy drafts everywhere has struggled over the last few years, usually because of injuries to St. Louis' sorry excuse for an offensive line and virtual lack of any semblance of a passing game. It's hard to run the ball when you're going up against 10 in the box.

That said, Jackson is still one of the top RBs in the game in terms of athleticism, versatility, and talent. Over two games, Jackson has amassed 171 yards on 33 carries, resulting in an excellent 5.2 ypc. He's been kept out of the end zone and hasn't had his usual impact on the passing game, but the potential is always there. Jackson had several injuries hampering his production in 2008, and he seems to have bounced back and looks healthy.

Up front is where St. Louis has suffered so much in recent years. On the left side, Alex Barron is a man who, as some critics put it, looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. He is a monster at 6'7", 300+ lbs, and has the strength, agility, and quickness to dominate in both run and pass blocking. Unfortunately, Barron's biggest deficiency is work ethic, which undermines his consistency and keeps him a marginal starter (at best). The rest of the line (from LG to RT) is manned by Jacob Bell (6'5", 300), Jason Brown (6'3", 328), the ever mysterious Richie Incognito (6'3", 324), and Adam Goldberg (6'7, 309). Goldberg is starting in place of the injured rookie Jason Smith.

Green Bay did an excellent job in keeping Matt Forte under wraps in week 1, but then imploded when faced with the powerful blocking of Cincinnati's special run-blocking sub package of offensive linemen. The clever coaching maneuver torched the Packers to the tune of 141 yards on 29 carries. Naturally, this was helped by Green Bay's inability to wrap up on tackles, taking good angles towards ball carriers, and converging on the running back whenever a hole opened up.

Advantage: Push. Does Green Bay have a dominant run defense that had a bad day against Cincy? Or do they have a poor run defense that had a good day against Chicago? That debate, along with the juxtaposition of Steven Jackson's talent against his offensive line's limitations makes this matchup a complete draw.

STL passing vs. GB defense: For Steven Jackson, the offensive line made life in the NFL a nightmare. However, nobody suffered more than Marc Bulger. You think Aaron Rodgers has happy feet after two games? Imagine getting pounded into mush week in and week out for at least 3 seasons. Marc Bulger was the conductor of the second phase of the Greatest Show on Turf, and was fairly effective until his protection vanished. He is still an above-average quarterback with decent accuracy, decent arm strength, average mobility, and the ability to read coverages and make the necessary throws (if he has time, of course).

Bulger has always found success whenever surrounded with skilled teammates. Unfortunately for him, that is no longer the case. Steven Jackson is an outstanding receiver, but the rest of the receiving corps includes the like of Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, TE Randy McMichael, and the recently-departed Ruvell Martin. Avery has a little bit of speed on vertical routes, and Martin and McMichael have excellent size, but that's all that is notable about this group. As far as pass blocking goes, the Rams' success depends on three things: good line calls from center Jason Brown (their best lineman, but currently dealing with a knee injury), a motivated Alex Barron, and a healthy Jason Smith. They've already lost one of those, so protection will really be at a premium if Green Bay decides to bring heavy pressure.

Of course, that's if Green Bay can afford to bring pressure. The situation at safety is certainly a red flag for the Packers' pass defense. With Atari Bigby out and Nick Collins' availability (currently "day-to-day") unknown, and Aaron Rouse cut in favor of Matt Giordano, Dom Capers' playcalling figures to be much more vanilla than some of us would like. Cullen Jenkins and Clay Matthews both showed off their pass rushing skills last week by recording sacks, and Charles Woodson (2 INT, 1 TD) continues his quest to single-handedly carry the team when the offense isn't working.

Advantage: Green Bay. This defense can get to the quarterback, and no team is more vulnerable than this St. Louis squad missing its top draft pick. If they get a chance to blitz, expect another dominating performance.

GB rushing vs. STL defense: Ryan Grant was a huge disappointment in 2008, but his new contract, attendance at training camp, and a healed hamstring make it look like he's ready to shine again. He hasn't found much help up front, limiting him to 107 yards on 30 carries, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn't think he'd have better stats if he hadn't been limited to 3 carries in the second half of the Cincy game.

With Clifton out for the forseeable future with a sprained ankle, the offensive line is shuffled once again. The lineup, from left to right, will likely be Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, and Allen Barbre. According to Jason Wilde, there are several other options that the team is considering, including moving Barbre from RT to LT and promoting either Breno Giacomini or T.J. Lang to RT. This would keep the interior line of Colledge-Spitz-Sitton intact.

With so much uncertainty, Green Bay's chances of mounting an effective ground attack are up in the air. Fortunately, St. Louis is far from a stalwart run defense. As a team, they're giving up 146 yards per game. This is even more glaring when considering their first opponent (Seattle) is no longer a powerhouse rushing team. Still, despite giving up large chunks of yardage, the Rams' run defense did not allow Clinton Portis to score in Week 2. The addition of James Laurinaitis and return to health of Will Witherspoon more than makes up for the release of Pisa Tinoisamoa, and the tandem of Clifton Ryan and Jake Long are fairly strong against run blockers. However, Adam Carriker's trip to the I.R. promoted the undersized Gary Gibson to start alongside the aging Leonard Little, leaving the right side of their defensive line vulnerable to the run. Nobody in St. Louis' secondary can be described as a run-stopper.

Advantage: Green Bay, but only if they actually call run plays. If Grant sees less than five carries in a half, you'll know something went wrong. If there's a team vulnerable to a strong running game, it's the 2009 Rams.

GB passing vs. STL defense: Aaron Rodgers looked like a world-beater in the preseason...until teams started stepping up their pass rush and the offensive tackles forgot how to pass block. Allen Barbre made remarkable improvement from the first week to the second, but he will have his hands full with Leonard Little. The winner Barbre-Little matchup will likely determine the owner of the RT position for the rest of the season. On the other side, Jake Long is a capable pass rusher in the mold of Aaron Kampman before he got famous (unathletic but high motor, poor mechanics but determined, blah blah blah...) Whoever starts at LT (most likely Daryn Colledge) won't have as difficult of a matchup as the RT (Barbre), but still a matchup to pay attention to.

St. Louis' pass defense is ranked 25th in the league, giving up 258 yards per game. This is largely because of the average defensive backfield they employ. At CB, Ronald Bartell and Jonathan Wade are merely decent players with an average skill set. They're not lightning fast or amazing athletes or strong bump-and-run style corners; they're just guys who go out and try to execute whatever coverage is given to them.

Their situation at safety is better with James Butler and Oshiomogho Atogwe starting with our beloved Anthony Smith filling the backup role for both positions. Both Butler and Atogwe are young players with good experience starting in the NFL, they're both rangy athletes who can cover space, and Atogwe in particular has a knack for finding the ball. Neither one is particularly strong in run support, but they won't shy away from it either.

Aaron Rodgers' protection is priority #1 on offense, but catching passes is a close #2. In both games, the dependable cast of Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson have all had at least one dropped ball. Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant also have drops, but Finley is still maturing and Grant has never been a good receiver. The return of Brandon Jackson to practice on Wednesday might give Rodgers another weapon on passing downs, but that shouldn't matter. The talent is there, and Rodgers has done an excellent job keeping control of the ball despite getting batted around like a ball of yarn in the first two weeks. If the receivers can shake off whatever is keeping them from catching passes, Rodgers' punishment at least won't be in vain.

Advantage: Green Bay by a slight margin. Again, the talent is there; they just need to execute.

Preliminary Verdict: Green Bay has an excellent chance of bouncing back from the Cincinnati debacle and playing a dominant game against the Rams. But be warned, if the players are thinking more about Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, and You Know Who than they are Steven Jackson, Jake Long, and Marc Bulger, expect another major disappointment (and even more Vikings fans coming to the site to let us know that the Packers failed.)

Let's put it this way: Neither team has very much momentum right now. Green Bay has higher aspirations for this season, so they could definitely use the boost. Hopefully, they don't overlook the Rams like some people feel they did the Bengals.

Poll

What outcome do you see for Week 3 vs. St. Louis?

Big GB win.

213 votes

Slim GB win.

149 votes

Too close to call.

32 votes

Slim STL win.

36 votes

Big STL win.

22 votes

452 votes | Poll has closed