St. Louis Rams' Woes Sink to New Lows

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Rams won 20 games between the 2003 and 2004 seasons, reaching the playoffs both years.

Since then, the Rams have won 19 total games.

Gone from the Super Bowl teams of 1999 and 2001 are Orlando Pace, Isaac Bruce, Marshall Faulk, Az-Zahir Hakim, Torry Holt, and Kurt Warner. Defensive end Leonard Little is the only player on the current roster to have played on the Super Bowl teams.

The Rams are on their third different head coach since the firing of Mike Martz after the 2005 season. It seems they’ve forgotten how to win, now in the midst of a 17-game losing streak.

"We’ve got to learn how to win football games," running back Steven Jackson following Sunday’s 42-6 loss to Indianapolis. "We don’t know how to win right now. We’re competing, but until we get a win, we’re nowhere close to winning right now."

Jackson has 635 rushing yards, good for third in the NFL, but he has yet to score a touchdown. Although Jackson didn’t want to talk about it following the blowout loss at home, getting him into the end zone is key if the Rams are going to turn things around.

"Steven is 100 percent of everything that we do," Rams guard Richie Incognito said during training camp. "He's going to be 100 percent part of our success. The more success he has, the more excited and happy we are."

There’s not much happiness right now in Rams Park.

The Rams have just five touchdowns through seven games—two from backup tight end Daniel Fells and receiver Donnie Avery, and one from receiver Laurent Robinson, who is out for the year.

But nothing from the running backs, namely Jackson.

"We create another winning legacy by running the football, getting Steven going," Incognito said over the summer.

That hasn’t happened yet, and the level of frustration continues to rise.

"I really don’t think you can put it into words right now," said Rams tight end Randy McMichael. "We’re past frustration. It’s just disappointment now.

"Every time we take two steps forward, we take three steps back. That’s been the story of our season so far. We’re not doing the little things right, and that’s what causes you to lose games."

Whether it be penalties or injuries, the Rams can’t buy a break. They were hit with five penalties for 73 yards Sunday. Rookie tackle Jason Smith was beaten by Dwight Freeney for the first of three Indianapolis sacks, and Incognito, arguably their best lineman, limped off the field in the fourth quarter. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said at his Monday afternoon press conference that Incognito would miss "two to three weeks" with a "low-grade lisfranc injury."

Long snapper Chris Massey tore a ligament in his left knee and was lost for the season. He’s just the latest St. Louis player to go on injured reserve, joining Robinson, defensive tackles Gary Gibson and Adam Carriker, and rookie receiver Brooks Foster.

Add cornerback Bradley Fletcher to that list as well. The rookie corner from Iowa suffered a "severe" injury to his right knee, and will require a pair of surgeries to repair his ACL and a "lateral injury." The first surgery will be either today or Wednesday.

Receiver Donnie Avery (ribs), and defensive ends James Hall and Leonard Little were also dinged up, but are all expected to play Sunday at Detroit.

The Rams will get cornerback Justin King back from a groin injury, and linebacker David Vobora’s four-game suspension is now over.

"You want to keep battling in there," Spagnuolo said. "We’ve got some work to do, but we’ve got to stay healthy, too. I feel like what we’ve got here, and the attitude of the guys is how you build it. We’re looking for consistent winning. There are some pieces there."

The upside is there for the Rams, one of the youngest teams in the NFL. What they have to avoid is a schism in the locker room, should the losing ways continue.

"In a time like this, you’ve got to stick together," McMichael said. "With such a young team, you don’t want the young guys to get the point where they’re getting destroyed. We have to stick together, because once a division starts, it’s over."

The Rams’ top rookie believes in what Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney are trying to do in St. Louis.

"Rome wasn’t built in a day, and obviously we’re working toward whatever it is we’re building here," Smith said. "We’ve got a good foundation, and the great thing about it is that victory doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by design. So when we do happen to be victorious, it’ll be great."

Rams fans aren’t asking for greatness, just a win. And for that, they continue to wait.

This article can also be found at The Alton Telegraph .