San Francisco 49ers and the NFC West: St. Louis Rams The New Team to Beat?
We all knew the Rams would be better in 2010, but did anybody honestly think they'd be this good, this fast? Sam Bradford is the reigning offensive rookie of the month in the NFC. If he keeps playing at this level, he's a shoe-in for rookie of the year honors.
Yes--things have been better than expected, but they aren't perfect by any means. The young Rams have a lot of growing up to do in the second half of the season. Winning the NFC West isn't out of the question.
If the Rams want to win the division, a win in San Francisco would be a great way to get started. But the road hasn't been a friendly place in 2010. The Rams are a winless 0-3 away from the Edward Jones Dome. That stat has to leave the Niners feeling pretty good.
At 2-6, San Francisco needs to make a move, and soon. Things are looking up though. Troy Smith was pretty good against the Broncos. They just better hope he plays as well at home as he does in London. The Smith we all expected to see under center will be watching this one from the sidelines. Alex will get a good look at what a successful No.1 overall quarterback looks like.
The time is now for both the Rams and 49ers. The Rams are looking at another chance to show the league they are for real. In order to do so, they must convert on the road. For the Niners, time is running out. The West can only be so bad for so long. Frank Gore may be able to carry the 49ers to a couple of wins, but he can't single-handedly carry them to the playoffs. He needs help. Will it come from Troy Smith? The defense? Special teams? We shall see.
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Keep reading for reasons why the St. Louis Rams An Up-and-Coming Power in the NFC West.
New Owner is Hardly New
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Stan Kroenke was a minority owner and pretty much a silent partner of the St. Louis Rams for 15 long years. That all changed earlier this year when majority owner Chip Rosenbloom decided to sell his stake in the team. Kroenke jumped at the chance to be the Rams majority owner, a decision I think all of Rams land is happy with.
Kroenke is hardly a new owner in the sports world.
Teams owned by Stan the man:
NHL: Colorado Avalance
NBA: Denver Nuggets
MLS: Colorado Rapids
NLL: Colorado Mammoth
EPL: Arsenal (largest shareholder)
and now the St. Louis Rams
In order to complete the Rams' sale, Kroenke had to agree to turn over control of both the Nuggets and Avs to his son, and must give up majority ownership by the end of 2014.
Kroenke is a no nonsense kind of guy. In years past he was known as Silent Stanley around Rams park, I have a feel that nickname won't last long now that he is the big man on campus.
The Demise of the Arizona Cardinals
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The fall from grace hasn't been pretty for the Arizona Cardinals. It was just last year that Kurt Warner was whizzing bombs to Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. The Cards were 10-6 a season ago, this season they may struggle to win six.
Losing Anquan Boldin was huge. Larry Fitzgerald has struggled to get quality looks all season with double coverage draped all over him.
But nothing has affected the Cardinals more than the retirement of Kurt Warner. He played in 62 games over five seasons in Arizona. The trio of Warner-Fitzgerald-Boldin became the most dangerous QB-WR-WR combo in the NFL.
Too bad it's all gone. Not even Matt Leinart is around anymore, and he was supposed to be the heir apparent to Warner. Head coach, Ken Whisenhunt's, decision to go with Derek Anderson and Max Hall has failed miserably. At different times this season he's given each of them a chance to win the job, only they've both struggled mightily.
There aren't many positive things going for the Cards at the moment. The team needs to rebuild through the draft. If they continue losing games, they are certainly going to loose Larry Fitzgerald.
As bad as they've looked this season, it's hard to imagine things getting any better in the near future.
The Cards are falling apart as the Rams are finally coming together.
Possible Move to Los Angeles?
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The city of Los Angeles aches for an NFL team. Ever since the Rams and Raiders left in 1995, it's been nothing but college football.
St. Louis loves the Rams. There's no doubting that. Question is--does Stan Kroenke love St. Louis enough to keep the team in town once the Edward Jones Dome lease expires in 2015? It's probably too soon to tell.
Check out standupforstlouis.com if you have time. Already a site devoted to keeping the team in St. Louis
Before Kroenke purchased majority ownership of the Rams, he led the NFL's committee on bringing a team back to Los Angeles.
Sam Bradford's 50 million dollar contract is pretty standard for Hollywood.
St. Louis would love to keep them and Los Angeles would love to have them. Wherever the Rams end up, it's certain they will be loved.
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Steven Jackson and Sam Bradford Are The Perfect Combo
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Seven quarterbacks have been drafted No.1 overall since 2001. Not one of the quarterbacks entered the league with a runner of Steven Jackson's caliber.
2001: Michael Vick-Warrick Dunn
Vick may be a better runner than Jackson but Dunn certainly isn't.
2003: David Carr-Domanick Williams
You may be asking yourself who is Domanick Williams? Don't worry I am too.
2004: Eli Manning-Tiki Barber
Tiki had his best years with Manning under center.
2005: Alex Smith-Frank Gore
Gore and Smith were both rookies. Gore went to the Pro-Bowl while Smith went nowhere fast.
2007: JaMarcus Russell-Justin Fargas
The Raiders have come a long way
2009: Matthew Stafford-Kevin Smith
Stafford's improvement forced the Lions to move up in the draft to draft a franchise running back.
2010: Sam Bradford-Steven Jackson
Earlier this season, Jackson passed hall of fame runner Eric Dickerson as the Rams' all-time leading rusher. Winner, winner chicken dinner.
Of the seven quarterbacks, only two of them have won division titles. And only Eli Manning has made it to a Super Bowl. You know who Manning was handing the ball off to in that Super Bowl? Not Tiki Barber--that's who.
As you can see, the bar hasn't been set very high for the combo of Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson.
2011 NFL Draft
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The Rams may be 4-4 and leading the division, but let's not forget that they are still rebuilding. When wide receiver Donnie Avery tore his ACL late in the preseason, it left the Rams with no true No.1 WR, and in my opinion, no true No. 2 WR either. In the days following Avery's injury, Rams general manager Billy Devaney traded for then-Ravens wideout Mark Clayton. It only took five weeks for Clayton to go down. In the first quarter against the Lions in week 5, Clayton suffered a season-ending knee injury, once again leaving the Rams without a No. 1 pass catcher.
Devaney decided to stay in house for Clayton's replacement. Enter former University of Missouri standout Danario Alexander. Alexander's his name, knee injuries are his game. Since beginning college he's had four fairly gnarly knee injuries. Alexander stepped in his first game and caught four balls for 72 yards and a touchdown. Want to know what happened the very next week? Yep--another knee injury.
Who's left?
Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson, Laurent Robinson, and Mardy Gilyard. Not exactly an all-star cast.
Who's next?
Sam Bradford needs a big target to throw to down the field. The Rams lack of size at receiver limits the number of options the young quarterback has. Hopefully the Rams can fill the void via the 2011 draft. The three guys who'd looked best in Rams' colors are listed below.
*Draft analysis provided by NFLMocks.com
A.J. Green WR Georgia Jr. 6-4, 205 pounds
Green heads the 2011 NFL Draft wide receiver class. He has great height for a wideout. He uses his height and excellent body control to come down with the ball in most jump ball situations. This skill comes in handy with deep balls and in the Red Zone. Green possesses superior speed which only enhances his big play ability. He has performed well under pressure at a very young age and that speaks well for his character. Green also benefits from playing in Georgia’s pro style offense.
Julio Jones WR Alabama Jr. 6-4, 211 pounds
Jones has been leading the Alabama receiving team since his freshman season. He's a tall and athletic receiver. He uses his good size and excellent body control to make plays on jump balls. Jones utilizes his speed and elusiveness to find cracks in the opponent’s defense. Jones excels with the ball in his hand and often breaks many tackles on his way to gaining extra yardage. Jones isn’t afraid to take big hits and makes a lot of his catches in the middle of the field where massive linebackers wait. Jones has been starting since his freshman season and has excelled under the immense pressure. 'Bama runs a pro style offense so that will limit some of the adjustments he will have to make.
Jonathan Baldwin WR Pittsburgh Jr. 6-5, 225 pounds
When you look at Jonathan Baldwin the first thing you notice is his unbelievable size. At 6-5, Baldwin is an immediate mismatch for most cornerbacks. Not only is Baldwin tall but he also possesses great strength. His size and strength allow him to make plays on jump balls and in tight coverage. Those skills also make him a great red zone threat.
The Demise of the Seattle Seahawks
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Long gone are the glory days of the mid 2000's in Seattle; the days when Matt Hasselbeck could be counted on for 16 games, Shaun Alexander was going over 1000 yards on the ground, five straight playoff appearances, four straight NFC West titles, the Mike Holmgren era. Did the 12th man era end too? Was the 12th man laid off because of the tough economic times we live in?
The effects are finally being felt in Seattle.
Pete Carroll was brought in to change the organizational culture. In doing that, he changed 34% of the previous season's roster. When that much turnover occurs, it's usually followed by a period of mediocrity. Believe me--things are going to get a lot worse before they get better for the Seahawks.
I'll give you one reason why:
Matt Hasselbeck is no longer the answer at quarterback. He turned 35 years old earlier this year--do you really think he has anything left in the tank? I don't. Since the beginning of 2008, he's missed 12 games. Hasselbeck is no Brett Favre that's for sure.
If you saw any of the Giants-Seahawks game, you would certainly know that Charlie Whitehurst is not the answer. He actually resembled a deer in headlights at one point in the first quarter. But I guess I probably would too if the Giants scored 35 on me in the first half.
Like I said before, things will get worse before they get better in Seattle. The pieces aren't there for Pete Carroll to turn it around quickly.
Rams rising, Seahawks falling.
The New Kid in Town
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There isn't much not to like about Sam Bradford. He makes the proper reads, doesn't lock onto one target, spreads the field, can use his legs to escape pressure, knows how to throw it away when necessary, knows how to take a sack when necessary, knows how to be efficient in the red zone.
Two things may hold Bradford back this season. The playbook and the lack of talent at receiver. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has been slow to let the kid loose in the first eight games. Maybe it has less to do with Bradford and more to do with the situation at receiver. Either way, it's hurts Bradford.
The only knock on Sam has been his efficiency. For the season, he's completed 58.6% of his passes, which ranks him 25th in the league. Pair that with an NFL worst 5.73 yards per pass average questions about efficiency don't seem out of line.
Now back to the positives.
His eight interceptions rank him better than Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb, Chad Henne, Eli Manning, Brett Favre, and Drew Brees.
His 11 touchdowns are more than Matt Schaub, Josh Freeman, Mark Sanchez, Brett Favre, Jay Cutler, Chad Henne, Donovan McNabb, and Vince Young.
On third down, he's 56-96 for 609 yards-58.3%, seven touchdowns and one interception.
Seven of his 11 TDs have come on third down. That should tell you that he's not afraid to stand in there when the blitz is coming.
Sam has come a long way in just eight weeks. It's scary to think of where he could have this team after another eight. The playoffs perhaps? We shall see.
Steve Spagnuolo's Top 10 Defense
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The Rams got lucky, very lucky--they were able to scoop up Steve Spagnuolo after the 07-08 season. If you remember, Spags was the mastermind behind the New York Giants Super Bowl winning defense that stymied the highest scoring offense in NFL history, which belonged to the New England Patriots.
After a rough first season as head coach, Spags had his boys ready to make some plays from day one of the 2010 season. If you exclude the 44-6 drubbing the Rams suffered in Detroit, they've actually played at the level of a top 10 defense.
Rams GM Billy Devaney has done a great job at giving Spags the pieces he needs. Chris Long, James Hall, Fred Robbins, and James Laurinaitis have been the anchors of what used to be the laughing stock of the NFL. What's made them great has been their ability to play as one unit. Guys don't freelance trying to make big plays. They do what they are supposed to do every single play.
Here are a few key defensive statistics:
2009: 29th in total yards, 29th in yards per game, 25th in passing yards per game, 27th in rushing yards per game, and finally 31st in points allowed per game.
That was only one year ago. Now look at 2010--same stat categories.
2010: 9th in total yards, 10th in yards per game, 16th in passing yards per game, 8th in rushing yards per game, and 7th in points allowed per game.
From the outhouse to the penthouse, the Rams' defense gets better every week.
Second Half Schedule Breakdown
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Week 10: at San Francisco
This is a fairly intriguing matchup between the two best teams in the NFC West. The Rams have a chance to get over .500 for the first time in forever and can pretty much squash the 49ers' playoff hopes.
Week 11: Atlanta
I think at this stage it's safe to say that the Atlanta Falcons are a superior team. The question for me is--are the Rams better at home than the Falcons are on the road? I'm really not sure. Winning this game will require a well calculated game plan on offense that stays on the conservative side. Spags' defense should matchup well against the high-flying Atlanta offense.
Week 12: at Denver
This game should a cake walk. Denver has been playing like they don't want Josh McDaniels around anymore. The game is still a few weeks away, so things could change, but I don't see it happening.
Week 13: at Arizona
The Cardinals aren't very good. They have talent, just not any at quarterback. This should be a fun game. The Cards always play better at home.
Week 14: at New Orleans
I'm going to mark this one down in the loss column. A win here is too much to ask from this young team. Emotions will be running at this point in the season because it's likely the division will hang in the balance.
Week 15: Kansas City
What a brutal two week stretch for the Rams. One kills you in the air and the other on the ground. The Rams are better equip to defend against a strong rushing attack. The Chiefs are 0-2 indoors this season.
Week 16: San Francisco
In my opinion, this matchup will either mean an awful lot, or very little. Because I don't see Arizona or Seattle winning many down the stretch, the division should come down to these two. If the 49ers don't go on a run starting now with the Rams, this game will be irrelevant.
Week 17: at Seattle
The Rams shouldn't be scared. They should tread lightly though. No game in Seattle is ever an easy one, unless you are the New York Giants.
Agree? Disagree? If I offended you somehow--I'm sorry. Have any questions? Comments? or Concerns? Share 'em below in the comments section. Let's discuss!
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