Sam Bradford Will Erase Memory of Terrible Sophomore Year in 2012 Season

He missed six games with injury, just six of his 191 completions went for touchdowns and his team finished the season with a 2-14 record, including a 1-9 mark when he started games.

No, 2011 was far from kind to second-year St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

But all is not lost for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. Next season represents a new start for Bradford, and there's reason to think the 24-year-old will turn the page from '11 with a season that will conjure memories of his first season in the NFL, not the second. 

The leading reason why Bradford should rebound next season is the new leading face of the Rams, veteran coach Jeff Fisher. While the regime change in St. Louis means Bradford is learning his third offense in three years, there's a confidence in Bradford from the man in charge.

Fisher proved that Bradford is his quarterback when he dealt the No. 2 overall pick—which could have been spent on Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III—to Washington for a historic number of 2012 and future picks. He also wasn't shy in bragging up his quarterback through the national media. 

Speaking on ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning (via Pro Football Talk), Fisher said Bradford has everything he needs to be one of the game's top signal callers. 

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There’s no doubt. There’s a number of friends of mine in the league that know the league, and I had one of them tell me during the process that they thought Sam may be one of the better quarterbacks — or the best quarterback — in the league, he just hasn’t had a chance to prove it yet. That weighed very heavily in my opinion. Very, very impressive player. I think he has a tremendous upside.

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If you need any evidence for what a little confidence from a respected head coach can do for a young quarterback, look for further than Alex Smith in San Francisco. 

Once considered a franchise-altering bust for the 49ers as the 2005 No. 1 overall pick, Smith made good on his draft status in year one under new head coach Jim Harbaugh by helping the 49ers win 13 regular season games. He capped off his comeback season with a memorable comeback win against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional round.

Very few upgrades were made on the offensive side of the ball in San Francisco prior to the 2011 season. But Harbaugh maintained a confidence in his quarterback, providing Smith the stability he needed to finally take the next step.

Bradford could do the very same in 2012.

Fisher is well-established and well-respected around the NFL, and Bradford can take comfort in knowing his reign as Rams' head coach will not be a one-year run. He's going to get the chance to turn around the floundering franchise, and he's already pegged Bradford as the quarterback that will help him do it. 

Expect Fisher to handle the Rams' offense much like Harbaugh did in San Francisco in 2011. 

Despite drafting receivers Brian Quick and Chris Givens in the 2012 NFL draft, St. Louis may still lack the kind of offensive weaponry necessary for the Rams to be a pass-heavy offensive system. That should be just fine with Fisher, who historically has relied on the running game as the pillar of his offenses. 

He should have the horses in the running game to help protect Bradford. 

Steven Jackson has plenty of carries on his NFL tires, but keep in mind that he still posted over 1,100 yards and averaged 4.4 yards per carry last season. If the Rams can keep Jackson in the 240-260 carry range next season, injuries and wearing down shouldn't be big issues. 

Drafting Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead should also help, and there have been some who compared the smaller Pead to Titans' running back Chris Johnson, who Fisher helped turn into a 2,000-yard back while in Tennessee. He'll help keep Jackson fresh while also providing the kind of home-run hitter St. Louis needs at the position.

Overall, a productive run game from the Rams in 2012 should take a load of pressure off the shoulders of Bradford. 

The 49ers only asked Smith to throw the football 445 times last season, and St. Louis might do well to keep Bradford somewhere around that number. Anything nearing 600 attempts next season—like Bradford had in his rookie season and was approaching in 2011—seems out of the question.

The results for Smith were obviously good: 61.3 completion percentage, 17-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a career-high passer rating of 90.7. Few would say the skill set of Smith trumps what Bradford brings to the table, so there's no reason to think Bradford can't beat Smith's breakout 2011 season next season. 

Health is also a big issue for Bradford moving forward. From a shoulder injury in college to a bothersome ankle last season, Bradford has rarely been 100 percent. 

Leading into the 2012 season, however, Bradford should be as close to healthy as he's been in 12 months. 

"Sam finished his rehab probably about a month ago," Fisher told the St. Louis Dispatch back in late March. "The ankle lingered a little bit in the offseason. He's in good shape now."

Given that Bradford is the last of the NFL's No. 1 overall picks to secure a major contract, there's pressure on both him and the Rams' organization to quickly turn things around. The team can't afford to keep wasting years and dollars if things aren't meant to be. 

But there are reasons to think Bradford will enjoy the same kind of revival next season that Smith showed was possible last season.

Stability at the top, a change of offensive philosophy and a return to health gives Bradford everything he needs to make the 2011 season a distant memory.