SB Nation User Blog: VanRam

Rams turn to Klopfenstein at tight end

VanRam — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:10:04 -0000

I guess Randy McMichael has to wait another year to live up to that contract. McMichael signed a three year deal with the Rams as a free agent before the 2007 season. He'll be 30 next year.

It's a tough loss for the Rams, who had committed to making the TE position a more prominent part of the offense through fits and starts this season. McMichael was the lone bright spot in week one, catching 5 passes for 77 yards against the Eagles - his best game as a Ram in terms of total yardage and his second most receptions in one game as a Ram. He hasn't scored a TD since week 13 last season. As the offense continued struggling to breath much less move the football, McMichael numbers declined. He caught 2 passes in each game since week one.

McMichael's absence gives TE Joe Klopfenstein one last chance at redemption, as we said last week. Time to start thinking about drafting a TE again? We'll know soon.

TE Anthony Becht, employeed as a blocking specialist (I wanna see his credentials in that department again), may see more balls come his way too. As dirty as that sentence sounds, Becht does have a track record of work catching passes in the red zone. It's been awhile though. With the Jets in 2001 and 2002, Becht scored 5 TDs. In 2003, he caught 40 passes, averaging 2.5 a game, for 356 yards and 4 TDs. That was the last time he had more than 20 catches, and last season he had only 5 with Tampa Bay.

Tight end play for the Rams depends largley on how the offense responds to the recent round of changes. There's no doubt in my mind that Linehan and the losing climate around Rams park lately had a lot to do with the level of play we've seen so far this season. There's not enough gold spray paint in the world that could convince me that the Rams are suddenly a contender, but there's no reason to think they can't play better than they have. Either way, if the offense can't elevate their play, it doesn't matter who plays tight end.

This week's opponent, the Redskins, have been stingy with opposing tight ends. They have a defensive DVOA of -70.7% against tight ends, second best mark in the league. Eagles TE L.J. Smith caught 3 passes in their upset loss to the 'Skins yesterday for a total of 26 yards.

Rams working on a deal with Fakhir Brown

VanRam — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:35:28 -0000

Turns out it's more than just idle chatter about Rams new head coach Jim Haslett wanting to bring back CB Fakhir Brown. The Rams are now involved in negotiations to bring back the CB released as something of a scapegoat by Scott Linehan ahead of the week four game with the Bills. This is good. Brown's a much better player than we saw this season. Only about a tenth of what was going on behind the scenes has been revealed, and the circumstances surrounding Brown's release have a lot more to do with Linehan than anything else. Think he said something? (I'm also more and more inclined to believe there was a great deal of tension between Linehan and Haslett).

Take a look at the Rams pass defense this season. According to Football Outsiders' stats, it's the second worst in the league, a surprise in and of itself. Look at the drop off though from 29th ranked to the 30,31, and 32nd ranked:

Team	DVOA
HOU	37.1%
DEN	52.4%
STL	65.7%
DET	67.1%

That's quite a drop off. But regardless of the dropoff - really just a disturbing comparison - when opponents are successful on almost 66% of their passing plays, the team has a serious problem.

What really pisses you off about it though is that we know the Rams, while still no great shakes on pass D, are at least better than this. Last season, they finished ranked 25th in DVOA for pass defense, with a DVOA of 18.6%. Quite a difference, no?

(I'll be out till the weekend, with my family.)

Rams start rebuilding

VanRam — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:46:41 -0000

Fellow Rams fans, first of all, let me apologize for my absence this week. We've suffered a death in the family and will be attending to that this week, as naturally that comes first. I don't like to get into personal stuff too much here, so I say this only to let you know that I haven't been driven into football abstinence by the Rams this year and haven't abandoned our community. I won't be around much this week, but 3k has you covered. and you can count on quality.

Okay, that out of the way, I wanted to offer a few thoughts on the recent changes. Once again, we're in the midst of a stay alive season. More than that, however, with a big paradigm shift likely on the way for the Rams, we can think of the rest of this season as something like a really intense, long preseason.

Keeping the interim label away from Him Haslett's name is smart. As the PD's Jeff Gordon points out, rather harshly (not that they don't deserve some of it), the spirit in the locker room among the players in questionable. Making Haslett an interim essentially lets the players view him as nothing more than a warm body keeping the head coach's chair moist for a few games. Knowing that he's been tapped to lead the team beyond the string this season ought to force players to be working for the jobs next year.

Not convinced players aren't playing for their future? Let's take TE Joe Klopfenstein for example. The Rams second round pick from 2006 has big shoes to fill with McMichael out with a broken tibia. He'll be asked to take on some of the pass catching work for McMichael. If Klop fails to shine as a fill-in, it likely means the end for him with the Rams and a much smaller contract and no guarantees to make a team if he gets picked up as a free agent. As a further reminder of how much poor drafting has hurt the Rams, the team could have drafted TE Tony Scheffler instead, or even Brady-killer Bernie Pollard, Maurice Jones-Drew, Darryl Tapp or Devin Hester with that pick. Hmm, imagine the Rams with Devin Hester instead of the fossilized Dante Hall returning kicks.

With Billy Devaney and Haslett running the draft, we can expect upcoming Aprils to resemble this last one more than they'll remind us of previous springs filled with missed opportunity. Think about how Alex Barron must feel knowing the Rams will have their choice of OTs, guys like Oher, in the draft this coming spring.

Job security will be a big key for motivating a lot of the current roster this year. Haslett has to make sure they know that things are going to change and use the rest of this season to restore some pride in the on-field product.

Poll

Do you think Haslett will work out as the Rams head coach?

Fakhir Brown back to the Rams?

VanRam — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:04:32 -0000

We were all a little shocked when the Rams cut CB Fakhir Brown. He was the team's best CB, but his play was, well, different and speculation about problems between Brown and the coaching staff followed. It was, after all, Linehan that cut him.

But Brown's a Haslett guy. Brown's been called a favorite of the Rams new head coach; he followed Haslett from New Orleans to St. Louis.

When I heard the news yesterday that Haslett had been tapped to replace Linehan, one of the first things I thought was whether or not we might see Fakhir Brown in a Rams uniform again. (Honestly, I thought it was strange no other team had swept in, but price tag could have had something to do with that). Anyway, it's not like Brown's the second coming of Champ Bailey, but with Tye Hill out for a month and the d-backs still questionable bringing back Brown could help the Rams, especially if he's playing at 110%.

Lo and behold, buried in this post from Steve Korte of the Belleville News Democrat is a note that Haslett would like to bring back Brown.

Woe and 4

VanRam — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:56:23 -0000

Rams fans everywhere were pleasantly surprised by the start the team had in yesterday's game.

Then the second half started, and just like last year, the Rams played two very uneven halves. Just look at the disparity in rushing yards for Steven Jackson between the halves. Another thing to remember is that Buffalo got off to a slow start against the Raiders last week, actually having to again come back in the 4th quarter. (That's a bad sign for them).

Today is all about watching the Rams front office. Head coach Scott Linehan will in all likelihood be fired. Will other moves accompany that? The Rams need to close the book on the Linehan Era - even Tiki Barber said on NBC last night that he's lost the players and needs to go. But the problems are more systemic than the head coach. Linehan's a symptom. So is the lack of talent of this team that kept them from holding their lead and getting blown out in a single quarter.

We know Linehan's a goner, but the change needs to be made in the front office too. Rosenbloom knows this. The Rams new owner has to either find a buyer for this team or hang onto it and make money. He can't do either one with the state the Rams are in now.

Stay tuned. Could be a wild day.

Poll

Would you like to see changes in the front office accompany change at head coach?

Rams vs Buffalo Bills, week 4, 9/28/08

VanRam — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:16:22 -0000

Welcome to the Trent Green era of Rams football. In case you're just waking up after a long night, no, this is not the year 2000. It's still '08 and the Rams find themselves on the precipice of change, already having reached irrelevancy sometime last season.

Jobs are on the line this week, mostly head coach Scott Linehan's, but the blue and gold clad Rams fans, still decked out in Marshall Faulk jerseys that recall better times, have turned into pitchfork toting masses have turned on GM Jay Zygmunt, whose deftness with a calculator has led to a depleted core of players. And fans demand a better product than what they've been given.

We knew the early schedule was going to be tough, and this week's game has been made even tougher by the emergence of the Bills and the incredibly poor play of the Rams thus far. The Rams are an 8.5 point underdog, and have yet to beat the spread this season. Not beating the spread this week is sure to force changes. Stay tuned.

Nevertheless, I'd still like to see a good game. I'm a fan; that's what I do; that's why I watch. A Donnie Avery touchdown dance sure would do wonders for the psyche, no?

For the Bills' perspective, head over to Buffalo Rumblings.

The game's on CBS this week, so fans of that networks, calmer, more rational approach to broadcasting NFL football should be happy to have a break from the usual Fox broadcasts. Fans of online viewing can catch some football today at Justin.tv; although, the Rams game is not featured.

GO RAMS!!!

Rams get Little and Bell back for week 4

VanRam — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:43:46 -0000

There is good news to talk about today. The Rams expect DE Leonard Little and LG Jacob Bell back in uniform for Sunday's week 4 game against the Bills. Both have been practicing and are listed as probable.

The Rams will need both. Opening up running lanes was huge problem for them last week, and Bell should help with that. The former Titans guard has plenty of familiarity with the Bills' main stopper Marcus Stroud who was with Jacksonville before signing as a free agent with the Bills.

Little and the front seven on defense will need to pressure Bills QB Trent Edwards, especially with the backfield so shaky.

Linehan throws it back to Bulger

VanRam — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:15:58 -0000

The wackiness continues at Rams Park. Buzz about Jackson's radio comments started to take off, and when Linehan was asked about SJ's remarks, he said that he had not spoken to SJ about them but he planned to. The conversation, according to the coach, will not be made available for public consumption.

But, the real interesting parlay of the presser was Linehan's volley over whether or not QB Marc Bulger had said anything to the head coach regarding his rumored unwillingness to play for Linehan anymore, from the PD:

"He's never given me any (such) indication. I know he's disappointed with my decision. He's practiced very well this week, and worked hard, and all those things. If that's his feeling, he's never mentioned that to me. You have to ask him that particular question."

Maybe I've been too swept up in presidential politics and economic meltdowns lately, but I read this and get the sense that Linehan effectively knows Bulger's position. How can he not? There's a history of tension between the two. Linehan's in a tough spot here, he can't say anything to alienate his QB in case he needs to come back to Bulger to start. He can't say something along the lines of "we talked, we'll work it out" because if they haven't talked and Bulger says that whenever he does take questions Linehan will look like a fool. Dodging the question completely wasn't a good option either.

Will Bulger talk to the press? Certainly he will at some point, after there's been some kind of detente between himself and the team, but expecting something salacious isn't reasonable.

Interestingly enough, there seems to be some kind of gag order on disgruntled Rams players. The mysteriously disappeared Fakhir Brown has said nothing since his releases, but you can bet he and his agents phones were ringing off the hook, (Brown's in a tough spot because he needs to find work with another team, really, before he can do much to tint his reputation one way or another, and he'll need to convey what happened without media noise to his potential suitors). Other players are still talking, but in strange language, coded so as to gloss over the turmoil yet acknowledge frustrations, see Orlando Pace's "Hopefully I do my job so I don’t get replaced" remark.

Then there was Torry Holt's line from yesterday, pointed out by our own Tackle Boxin the comments. The Rams WR admitted to shock at Bulger's benching, declined comment on whether it was the right decision, and then smartly went back to the "do my job" talk and pointed out the positives. (Here's a piece on Holt's remarks from Steve Korte at the Belleville News Democrat).

So what's going on at Rams Park? Who the hell knows. It's an evolving situation with many more shoes still to drop.

Rams lose Bulger for the season

VanRam — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:48:26 -0000

No, the sack totals haven't finally added up. That headline is my paraphrasing of what's probably the most under-reported aspect of Steven Jackson (latest) buzz generating interview, the one where he hammered the Rams for their decision to bench QB Marc Bulger.

The point he's making when he says the Rams have lost Bulger for the season is that head coach Scott Linehan can't effectively come back to Bulger and ask him to play again after what's happened, something that would seem to confirm the whispers that Bulger says he'll no longer play for Linehan.

In the video below, ESPN analyst Darren Woodson argues that benching Bulger and turning to Green, while not the best move, was the only way to shake up a locker room with low morale and the danger of that spreading even further. I honestly don't know how much further it could spread, or if it matters.

There's probably already too much friction between Linehan and some of his key players like Jackson, and obviously Bulger. We know Torry Holt's had his very public disagreements with Linehan in the past, and while he plays hard, I can't imagine he's a big Linehan guy. Nobody's saying this, but I suspect Fakhir Brown got cut because of a problem with the coach (or coaches); why else would a team struggling with pass defense and depth at CB release their top veteran player? Brown wasn't playing like their best CB, but there's plenty of reason to believe Brown's play wasn't just a rough start to the season. Check out what else Jackson had to say in his interview:

"We should be loose, we should be going out there playing football. But I think a lot of people right now are playing for their jobs. As far as fans listening, it's really hard to play for your jobs. We're not winning. Yes, it boils down to winning and losing in this business that we play in. But when you are playing not to lose your job, that is when you are not going to make plays."

The rift between Linehan and his players has passed the point where reconciliation is possible. You don't need to do much reading between the lines on this quote from LT Orlando Pace to get a sense of how players feel:

"Hopefully I do my job so I don’t get replaced."

That's just not the kind of thing Pace is know for saying. Nor is it what you want to hear from one of your core veterans. The players are near revolt and the team is in disarray. At this point, Sunday's outcome doesn't matter - just like the three wins last year - the Rams have to make changes. Firing Scott Linehan is the place to start. Just two weeks ago, I personally was willing to extend the grace period, but it's clear now the problem is irreconcilable.

Something may be afoot already, as the PD's Bill Coats reported this afternoon that Linehan jogged off the field without making himself available to the media in order to attend a meeting with GM Jay Zygmunt, a man synonymous with the franchise's overall decline. Burwell says can 'em both, and I have to say I agree 100%.

Rams/Bills: view from the other side

VanRam — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:01:16 -0000

Ah contrast. For the last three seasons the Buffalo Bills, the Rams opponent this week, struggled, never topping .500, and playing in a division featuring a de facto champ year-in nad year-out. The year the Rams made their last playoff appearance, 2004, was the last season the Bills finished with a winning record, sand in the eye for a team who's most memorable franchise moment - Wide Right - became a plot point in a Vincent Gallo movie. Fortunes have changed, as the Rams scramble desperately to avoid irrelevancy, the Bills have jumped out to a 3-0 start and with Tom Brady's knee ending his season, they look like favorites to capture their division crown and a good bet for the AFC title too.

As we try to do every week, I swapped QnA with Brian over at SBN's Bills blog, Buffalo Rumblings.You can read my QnA here.

1. The Bills have really emerged this season, to the point that right now it's hard not to favor them for the division crown. What's behind the turn around?

What's behind any turnaround? Solid, consistent quarterback play and good run defense. I'm going to talk a bit about Trent Edwards in the next question, so I'll use this one to gush over Marcus Stroud. Simply put, Buffalo's run defense sucked in 2007; simply put, Buffalo's run defense has been outstanding early in 2008. The difference is Stroud - his mere presence commands a double-team, and it's freed up guys like DT Kyle Williams and LB Paul Posluszny to become excellent run-stuffers. The Bills are giving up under 100 rush yards per game (as opposed to over 124 last season), and they've done it against some pretty good rushers (Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden, Michael Bush).

I'm not getting ahead of myself and crowning us yet (ah... memories of Dennis Green). It's a long season, and health - especially with Edwards, and something the team struggled with last season - is paramount.

2. Trent Edwards has looked pretty good so far, but with only 12 games on his resume is it possible he's playing over his head? How about his supporting cast, helping, hurting, etc?

I suppose it's possible, but I don't think it's likely. Edwards has that "it" factor that so many experts talk about. Consider that he's 8-4 in his 12 career starts, and of those 8 wins, three of them have been of the fourth-quarter-comeback variety, including the last two. He's a very intelligent guy that understands the offense, understands how to avoid pressure (he had 4 years of practice in doing just that at Stanford), and he gets all of his guys involved.

His supporting cast has been great. He's getting his running backs much more involved as receivers - Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are on pace to combine for 85 receptions - and he's averaging 7.8 yards per attempt, one of the higher averages in the league. Lee Evans is averaging over 20 yards per reception. Five guys (with a possible sixth, depending on the production of Roscoe Parrish when he returns from injury) are on pace to catch at least 40 passes. We can't ask for much more currently, but this group has the potential to get even better - and it starts with Edwards.

3. On paper, this doesn't look like much more than a practice game for the Bills. How does a struggling team like the Rams find a way to beat the Bills? Where are there most likely to be glaring mistakes by the Bills? What's the team's weakest spot?

The Rams need merely watch some tape of last week's 24-23 victory over Oakland. There again was a team that the Bills were supposed to rout - the Raiders are a joke of a franchise, and the game was in Buffalo. But the Raiders - who in my opinion have a heck of a young coach in Lane Kiffin and a lot of talent, particularly offensively - played physical football, got after Edwards, and controlled the game until the fourth quarter.

I'm not sure the Bills have a weak spot - they're quite good everywhere - but they're not overwhelming in any particular area. If St. Louis can play physical defense, limit big plays and get after Edwards, they have a chance to shut down our O. They'll need to make some plays through the air offensively to win, however, as you can bet your bottom dollar that the Bills will key on Steven Jackson. Good special teams play won't hurt, either - poor field position killed the Bills against Oakland, so Donnie Jones will play an important role, especially with Roscoe Parrish out. The Rams make me a bit nervous because y'all are so desperate for a win, and you've got some talent. This is definitely going to be a test for the Bills, because it's exactly the type of letdown game that the Bills have lost in past (few and far between) years of success.

###

Notice the difference, notice the role draft picks like Trent Edwards, Lynch, Paul Posluszny are playing in the turnaround? And do you wonder what might have happened if the Rams signed DT Marcus Stroud?