The St. Louis Rams struggled last season at 6-10. They closed the 2005 season 1-4 in their last five games. The only victory was against Dallas (20-10) in a pointless game. This season, the Rams have a new coach: Scott Linehan. Have the problems also disappeared? Linehan is not only entering the Rams coaching job for the first time, but also as the head coach of the NFL.
Attack player
Marc Bulger will be the St. Louis boy again. The main question surrounding Bulger isn’t his ability, it’s his health. You have had arm problems in the past. However, QB’s position is one of the strongest on offense. Waiting in the backrest is the competent Gus Frerotte. They also have Ryan Fitzpatrick. He has had a limited duty, but was impressed.
Running back
Marshal Faulk is gone. He had knee problems and will miss the entire 2006 season. Technically he is retiring, but there is a chance he will return for a final season in 2007. The Rams man is Steven Jackson. Although Jackson gained more than 1,000 yards last season, he was not a “great” running back. He has the potential, but he will have to go one step further this season.
Receivers
Rams’ receiving unit is above average. Any unit with Tory Holt and Isaac Bruce would be. In the 2006 draft, the Rams selected TE Joe Klopfenstein of Colorado in the second round and TE Dominique Byrd in the third round. Both will fight for playing time and could help improve the offense. If any of the TEs perform well early on, the Rams will have a very complete offensive attack.
Defense and special teams
This is where it goes downhill for the Rams. Up to this point, the Rams have sounded like a competent team. Defense is average. The defensive line was weakened by the loss of NT Ryan Pickett. This season, there have been some changes to the line and the Rams are hoping it will be better. One thing that affects bad defense is a bad tackle and the Rams got their share and fell back for a few seconds. They brought in LB Will Witherspoon to help solidify the linebacker unit.
The biggest question mark in this Rams defense is the secondary. Will they be able to cover teams with solid receivers? The answer, as it is, probably is not. The Rams are hopeful new additions like S Jerametrius Butler will help instill leadership in the secondary and put it on the right track. Special teams need some work, but they should do a proper job.
Prediction 2006
The St. Louis Rams are really in the bubble this season. His schedule is not that difficult. They have 6-7 games that are probable losses, 2-3 that are games that can be won, and the rest should be games that win. Depending on how they go, the Rams could finish between 6-10 and 9-7. A 9-7 finish might be enough to sneak into the NFC playoffs. Two critical games come to the end of the season when they play Washington and Minnesota. The first five games are very soft, with the exception of the Denver game. After Denver, the Rams play San Francisco, Arizona, Detroit and Green Bay. They could be 4-1 at that point, but that’s where their schedule starts to get tough.