Bleacher Report - Articles by Austin Seifert

St. Louis Rams: It's Time for a Change

Austin Seifert — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:28:39 -0400

The Rams suffered yet another defeat in week three, this time at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. It was the seventh time in the teams' last eight meetings that the Seahawks have walked away with the win.

Rams fans and management were looking forward to this game; the Seahawks had only two active wide receivers at the beginning of the week and they hadn't gotten off to the best start after the first two weeks, either. During the week, however, the Seahawks signed two receivers: Koren Robinson and Keary Colbert.

Game day rolled around and the Rams were still excited and trying to keep their spirits alive and hopes up. By the end of the first half they were down, but not out. In the second half, the Rams put themselves back in the game—at least for the third quarter—making the score 27-13.

The Rams would not have an offense for the rest of the game, though, as the Seahawks would score two more times on their way to a 37-13 win. The Rams had very few bright spots, but the two minute offense was somewhat effective. This might make one wonder why they didn't try to do that earlier in the game just to change the pace up a little—maybe it would have turned out another couple scores.

Many people believe Scott Linehan is now done in St. Louis; this may be true, but for the rest of this season I would propose a different move. As unorthodox as it may sound, why not keep Scott Linehan around as the offensive coordinator (the job he did so well before joining the Rams) and promote Jim Haslett to the interim head coach?

He has been a head coach in the league and maybe just the change in leadership would do some good. Plus, with this plan they would keep some consistency with the coaching staff.

I know people would argue about the power struggle, but I think that it really couldn't hurt this team that much. They don't have much room to go down any further. Plus I think Scott Linehan has come to grips with the fact that he may not be ready to continue being a head coach just yet.

Rams Take a Beating from the Defending Champs

Austin Seifert — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:37:07 -0400

Week two is on the books for the Rams and another loss has been added to their record. The Giants played a great game and deserve credit for their win. The Rams, however, played very poorly and had their greatest weaknesses exposed.

The Giants showed the Rams' weak secondary along with the struggle to stop the run and their lack of a pass rush. The Giants also took advantage of the weak offensive line of the Rams and didn't allow them to mount much of an offensive attack.

There were very small steps of improvement shown from week one, but not enough to even come close to a win. The passing game got Torry Holt involved, and for part of the first quarter the defense looked like they might be able to control Brandon Jacobs.

By the time the second half rolled around, the Rams were still in the game but came out of the locker room worse off than they went in. The Rams need some serious help fast if they want to keep this season alive and keep their fan base.

Free agents aren't the way to build a lasting franchise, but getting something to help this team out is a necessary thing now.

The Rams have shown a real lack of talent since the impressive preseason that brought high hopes into this season. No one picked them as a playoff threat, but they looked like a team that might win at least seven games. The way they have played in the first two weeks, they are looking like a three-win team again.

It is still early and things can turn around for the Rams, but if things are going to turn around it needs to happen in a hurry.

Chris Long: Did the St. Louis Rams Make the Right Choice?

Austin Seifert — Sun, 18 May 2008 18:21:38 -0400

Leading up to this year's NFL draft, many analysts debated who the Rams were going to take with the second overall pick. Until the Dolphins announced that they were signing Jake Long, many had speculated the Rams would jump at the opportunity.

Once Long was eliminated from the talks, it came down to two very talented defensive linemen: Glenn Dorsey and Chris Long (no relation). Many said Dorsey was the most talented defensive linemen in the draft. So what would the Rams go with: talent or another defensive end? Don't forget that the Rams drafted Adam Carriker with their first-round pick the year before.

However, the real question became: do they feel comfortable with Adam's ability to play on the interior of the line? The answer was evident at the draft when they selected Chris Long. The new question is whether the drafting of Chris Long is a move to solidify the line this year, or is it a move to replace Leonard Little in the near future.

They now have two good linemen that could play defensive end to fill in for an aging Little, who has become a little more injury prone late in his career.

It would make sense as a move for both, and may be exactly the versatile move that fills their current need for another edge rusher, and a possible future need now that they have two versatile pass rushers.

Chris Long can play end or linebacker, and if the Rams really need him to, he could move inside. Along with him, they have Carriker, who can also play end or interior line.

The defensive line is starting to come together for the future. If the Rams can put together two solid lines for the near future, it could put them back in the playoff mix very soon.

St. Louis Rams: Make or Break Year for Scott Linehan

Austin Seifert — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:00:28 -0400

The Rams had a decent first season under Linehan, finishing 8-8. They looked like a team that was transitioning well to a new style of offense, and a team that had a much improved defense. Year two under Scott Linehan didn't go quite as well, as the Rams finished 3-13 in an injury-plagued season. Management made a good decision by being patient in the fast-paced NFL by keeping Linehan. I don't think all the blame of last season should go to him.

This year, however, should be the make or break year for him in St. Louis. The Rams once again drafted a defensive lineman in the first round, which may or may not solidify their defensive line. Chris Long should transition well, and keeping Adam Carriker where they think he will have the biggest impact, in the middle of line, are all good.

However, the other part of the line has an aging Leonard Little and an aging La'Roi Glover. So the question remains: Can these men, at very opposite ends of the spectrum as their careers go, mesh to make a pass-rushing, run-stopping line that the Rams really haven't had since moving to St. Louis?

The play of the defensive line could very well affect the play for their whole defense. It would put a lot less pressure on the secondary, and allow the linebackers to play where they are needed on given plays. It would also make the focus a little less on making up for the lack of a pass rush. Everyone still has to do their job, but the defensive line they have invested so much into needs to perform.

The offense may be a little less of a concern, but if the offensive line doesn't stay healthy, they might as well call it a season. No matter how good they get at stopping people, if they can't put points on the board, it won't matter. They are in their first season in a long time without Jeff Wilkins to give them the comfort of points even when they don't get in the end zone. It will be interesting to see if they can have that same comfort in a new kicker, and if it puts more pressure on the offense or not.

Also, in the first season without Isaac Bruce, will Drew Bennett be able to carry the load? Running back and quarterback are not a concern, as long as they stay healthy, which largely rides on the ability of the offensive line to perform and stay healthy.

Will this be the first winning season for the Rams under Scott Linehan, or will they yet again under achieve, and be forced to find another coach to bring stability to this team.