St. Louis Rams: 10 Bold Predictions for the Second Half of the Season

With the St. Louis Rams taking down an elite opponent on their home turf during their 31-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints, it leaves a lot of questions regarding the identity of the team, especially since they've been so brutal in their six consecutive losses to start the season. 

Were the Rams ever really as bad as they have appeared in the first six games? Or was it all just an illusion created by an unfavorable schedule, a new offense and a shortened offseason?

On the other hand, was their win on Sunday just the result of pure luck? Did the Saints inflate their egos a little too much after beating the Colts 62-7 the previous week, thinking they'd easily repeat that performance against the Rams?

The Rams' next three games are against the Arizona Cardinals (1-6), the Cleveland Browns (3-4) and the Seattle Seahawks (2-5), so the favorable stretch should give everyone a good idea of what the Rams truly consist of. 

Here are some bold predictions for the not only the next three games, but the rest of the season. If the Rams accomplish just some of these feats, then it could save their 2011 season from becoming a disaster, even if they don't make the playoffs.  

10. Brandon Lloyd Finishes with Pro Bowl Caliber Numbers

The Brandon Lloyd trade is already looking to be the best addition of 2011, even if it has only been two games so far. 

Lloyd had 287 yards with the Broncos for the first four games of the season, and even though he's been catching passes from backup quarterback A.J. Feeley, he has 127 yards and a touchdown for the Rams. That makes a total of 410 yards and a touchdown in six games. 

That means he's already on pace for over 1,000 yards, but his numbers should improve drastically once Sam Bradford returns from his high-ankle sprain. 

Against the Saints, Feeley did what backup quarterbacks are suppose to do—give their team a chance to win. However, there were still two deep balls in the first quarter intended for Lloyd, at least one was an easy touchdown, but Feeley was way off on his throws. This will not happen with Bradford at quarterback. 

Expect Lloyd's numbers to greatly elevate once he hooks up with Bradford and also expect him look the part of a Pro Bowl caliber receiver, regardless of whether or not he actually gets elected to the Pro Bowl. 

9. Sam Bradford Silences Critics

Any talk regarding Sam Bradford and his "sophomore slump" was completely ridiculous to begin with, but you can expect a handful of writers and radio personalities to reveal their ignorance when talking about a 1-6 team that they've never actually watched. 

Bradford has missed the past two games due to a high-ankle sprain, but through the first five games, he had two 300-yard games (New York Giants, Green Bay Packers) and was tied for fewest interceptions among starting quarterbacks. All while leading NFL quarterbacks in sacks at the time (21) with a group of receivers that were leading the NFL in dropped passes (12).

That's not a sophomore slump, that's more like being surrounded by multiple slumping players.

When Bradford returns, he'll find himself with a legitimate receiving threat in his arsenal (Brandon Lloyd), maybe even another threat if Mark Clayton is activated in the upcoming weeks. He'll find that his rookie slot receiver (Greg Salas) has seemingly turned a corner in his development, and he'll also find himself behind an offensive line that has possibly gained some confidence after a promising victory in New Orleans. 

With the second half of the schedule being much lighter, expect Bradford to silence his critics with several dominate performances. 

8. The Offensive Line Gels

Right tackle Jason Smith suffered a serious concussion against the Dallas Cowboys, so many are praying for his future. He struggled with a concussion during his rookie year in 2009, so there may be a tough decision for him to make regarding his future. 

But looking at the situation from a football standpoint and a team standpoint, the loss of Smith did not hurt the team against the New Orleans Saints last week. In fact, replacement Adam Goldberg put up a very solid effort and was even an improvement of Smith in many ways. 

Jacob Bell and Rodger Saffold both struggled with penalties against the Saints, but overall, the unit still played its best game of the season. 

Hopefully, the unit will be able to build on that game and improve a little more each week. If that happens, then the Rams' offense will open up, and it will allow coordinator Josh McDaniels to do what he does best with his offense—score a lot of points. 

7. Greg Salas Makes Us Forget about Danny Amendola

Danny Amendola, who is out for the season with a dislocated elbow, was a vital part of the Rams' 2010 offense as their slot receiver, and he figures to be part of the game plan moving forward into 2012. 

But having said that, it doesn't hurt to have more than one guy capable of getting the job done at a particular position. It's called depth, and it's something that winning franchises have.

After having a total of only five catches for 48 yards in the first four games, rookie slot receiver Greg Salas has 15 catches and 157 yards over the last three games, including a 77-yard effort against the Green Bay Packers. 

During Salas' impressive outing against the Packers, he looked to have finally developed some kind of chemistry with Sam Bradford. And Salas' ability to stay relatively productive over the last two weeks, even with Bradford sidelined, shows that he's ready to make some strides towards becoming a productive weapon in the offense. 

Salas and Bradford should be more and more comfortable with each other as the season progresses. Hopefully, their chemistry will eventually be similar to what Bradford and Amendola had a year ago. 

6. Robert Quinn Is an Undisputed Starter by Season's End

Rookie defensive end Robert Quinn was never going to be an immediate starter after missing his final season of college football due to a NCAA suspension. It's just not realistic to take someone who hasn't been on a football field in an entire year and turn them into an instant NFL starter. 

Current starter James Hall finished the 2010 season with 10.5 sacks, so there was no need to rush Quinn and force him into a starting role. However, the 34-year-old Hall has only two sacks out of seven games in 2011, so fans have been hoping to see some relief at right end in the form of the rookie Quinn. 

Quinn came on strong against New Orleans with a sack and a blocked punt, so surely we'll be seeing a lot more of him. 

There are still questions regarding Quinn's run defense, but he still has enough raw talent to earn himself a starting job by the end of the season. 

5. Darian Stewart Is an Undisputed Starter by Season's End

Darian Stewart, who was an undrafted rookie in 2010, makes his first start of the 2011 season against the Baltimore Ravens during Week 3. 

His game against Baltimore was pretty average, but Justin King stole all of the negative attention during that game after giving up three touchdowns to Torrey Smith. However, ever since Stewart's Week 4 start against Washington, he has been a consistent and solid member of the Rams secondary.

Stewart had seven tackles and two deflected passes against the Saints last week. He was a big part of a very solid effort from the Rams' secondary, but his highlight was obviously his "pick 6," which sealed the victory for the Rams. 

Since Stewart was an undrafted rookie in 2010, he surely still has some room for further development. He has given Rams fans a lot to be excited about so far and will likely secure a job as a 2012 starter by the end of the year. 

4. Josh Gordy and Al Harris Save Disaster

Why in the hell did the Rams suffer through six games of Justin King before bringing in a more competent corner like Josh Gordy? 

While King likes to stare at the name on the back of a receiver's jersey as he runs into the end zone, Gordy breaks up the pass or at least makes the tackle. Actually, Gordy was tied for second-most tackles last Sunday against the Saints with seven and was a huge asset in stopping the run. 

And veteran Al Harris has questionable speed at the age of 36, but his experience makes him adequate as long as he gets support over the top from one of the safeties. 

After last week's game against the Saints, Rams fans can rest assured that they'll never have to see King on the field again, not as long as Gordy and Harris are healthy enough to start, with Marquis Johnson, who just returned to the roster from the PUP list, as the third corner.   

With hopefully Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher both returning from their injuries in 2012, along with 2010 third-round pick Jerome Murphy, the Rams may not be as desperate at cornerback moving forward as some might think. 

3. Rams Finish with a Winning Record from Here on Out

Obviously, a winning record overall is far from feasible given their current record of 1-6, but the Rams should win more games than they lost over the next nine weeks, at least if they want the fans to remain relatively interested. 

The remainder of their season consists of: Arizona Cardinals (twice), Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks (twice), San Francisco 49ers (twice), Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers

The games against San Francisco, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh offer up some challenges for the Rams, obviously, but they need to find a way to win at least one or two of those four games, which is doable given that teams like San Francisco and Pittsburgh could take their foot off the gas towards the end of the year if they're playing for nothing. 

The Rams need to find a groove and figure out how to finish the season with at least a 6-10 record. If not for the fans and the community, then for the job security of coach Steve Spagnuolo. 

2. Rams Re-Sign Brandon Lloyd

If the Rams can show some promise in the second half of the 2011 season, and if Brandon Lloyd can feel the improvements and the appreciation for his services, then the Rams will be the front-runners in signing Lloyd to a long-term deal. 

Depending on what Lloyd is asking out of his new contact, the Rams may not want to sign him if the price is too high, especially considering his age (30). However, if Lloyd adds an irreplaceable element to the offense, then the Rams may not have a choice. 

If the two sides can find some common ground and figure out a number that's fair for both sides, then Lloyd could be signed sooner rather than later, maybe even before the season is over. 

1. Steve Spagnuolo Keeps His Job

A week ago, if you asked even the most average of NFL fans which two coaches are on the hot seat, they would've answered—Tony Sparano and Steve Spagnuolo. 

The heat on Spagnuolo is well warranted, especially when considering the team fell to an embarrassing 0-6 record when they were supposed to be strong contenders for the NFC West title. 

It will be hard for Spagnuolo to wipe off the smudge over his reputation after the team's brutal start to the season, but after the team's win over New Orleans, it's clear that he hasn't lost the locker room yet. They are still playing hard for him, which gives him every opportunity in the world to make an impressive run in the second half. 

If the team comes through for him in the second half of the season, then there will be no major staff changes after the season.