St. Louis Rams: Time to Bench Marc Bulger
SAN FRANCISCO — Quarterback Marc Bulger is not the Rams’ only problem.
They have too many flaws to mention, too many areas that require an overhaul.
The Rams’ awful 2-8 record isn’t all of Bulger’s fault; few Rams are making positive contributions on a consistent basis. And many players are doing poor jobs. This team is 5-21 since the start of the 2007 season and that’s the result of a thorough breakdown.
That said, let me be blunt:
Bulger is a really, really, bad quarterback these days.
In his last three games, Bulger has thrown five interceptions and lost three fumbles for eight turnovers.
But these turnovers have been absolutely toxic, leading directly to 45 points for opponents. Bulger is an ATM for the other team’s defense; they push his buttons and he spits out money in the form of those football giveaways.
* In the second quarter of the 34-13 loss to Arizona, Bulger had an INT returned for a touchdown, and lost a fumble that set up a field goal. The Rams’ 7-0 lead disappeared. The team was quickly overrun, never recovering from Bulger’s meltdown.
* In the 47-3 loss at the NY Jets, Bulger had a fumble returned for a TD, and his INT set up another TD for the home team. That was part of the humiliating 40-0 first-half onslaught that buried the Rams.
* In Sunday’s 35-16 loss to the 49ers, Bulger fumbled away a snap and threw two INTs … and the 49ers took the three turnovers and converted them into three touchdowns while rolling to a 35-3 lead at the half.
* And if you go back to the 23-16 setback at New England — the first in a sequence of a four consecutive defeats — Bulger was intercepted late in the fourth quarter to douse the comeback. He completed only eight of 20 passes in the second half of that one.
Bulger played fine in the second half at San Francisco, but that was garbage time. The 49ers, exploiting Bulger’s three giveaways, already had the game in the bag.
I went back and took Bulger’s numbers beginning in the second half at New England and continuing through the first half at San Francisco.
And those stats are cry for intervention:
Bulger has completed 42 of 85 passes (49.4 percent) with two TDs, six INTs, and three lost fumbles. His QB rating in this stretch is 45.9.
That’s right … 45.9.
I mean, seriously .. what is the point of continuing down this dead-end street?
Bulger’s confidence is shot. He has little pocket awareness and rarely senses the rush. He frequently locks onto one receiver and forces passes. He routinely underthrows receivers. He doesn’t attack the middle of the field. The pass-rush pressure freaks him out. His mechanics are a mess.
I do not understand why coach Jim Haslett is allowing this to continue.
Bulger’s turnover outbreak has completely demoralized a shorthanded team. As I’ve said many times before, backup Trent Green isn’t the long-term solution at quarterback. But right now Bulger is a mere whisper of what he used to be, and he’s destroying any chance this team has of competing (let alone winning).
The Rams gave Green a 3-year deal worth $8.9 million deal last spring. It included a $2.1 million signing bonus.
What was the point of shelling out that money for an expensive backup if the backup isn’t good enough to displace Bulger? If Green isn’t a better option than Bulger right now, then Green is burnt pie. And his contract is yet another remarkable waste of owner Chip Rosenbloom’s money.
Haslett’s stubborness is especially baffling considering what happened in his previous head-coaching gig in New Orleans. Haslett has said that one of his biggest mistakes was standing by Aaron Brooks, his struggling and ineffective quarterback. So why is coach Haslett repeating the same mistake?
With the Rams losing another ugly game, Haslett’s grip on the head-coaching job for 2009 is growing weaker.
If Haslett is going to go down, then why would he take the sack by staying with Bulger?
It’s simply incomprehensible.
-B
What’s the incentive for these guys to play better? They make hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars just to show up. Some of these guys may think that is just fine. Keeps their bank account flowing. There’s always the chance they’ll get cut or traded, but hey, they might end up on a winning team in the end, right? Getting paid is not dependent upon winning.
Bernie,
I agree with you that benching Bulger is the right move. Though never a Bulger fan, my thoughts to bench him have nothing to do with my status as a fan of his. Benching him could do something for the Rams. Accurate passes the last few games could have produced wins despite those 11 guys on D. Remember back in 99, the Rams gave up a bevy of points every game, but the accurate passes to either wide-open or tightly covered receivers made up for those points. Trent is not the answer, so I agree that it is time to put Brock Berlin in there. Can it get worse?
I don’t see how you play anyone OTHER than Bulger at this point. (Yes, he has a huge contract, just one of many that the Rams will have to eat in the near future.) But why force another QB to lead this horrible team, with no running game and no receivers, and get hit and sacked repeatedly? Bulger got you into this mess, make him be the guy that takes the punishment!
You can keep making excuses Bulger fans about how it’s everybody else’s fault. Or you can just see the writing on the wall. Bulger was an average quarterback on a great team. Now the pressure of being on a poor team has destroyed him. He was a horrible waste of money and the sooner the Rams move past him, the sooner this team can be competitive again.
Bernie, Your dead on with this one. I think that Bulger has lost the confidence of all of the other players as well as fans. The QB to football is like the pitcher to baseball. What MLB manager would leave a pitcher in just to loose games for them?? The fact is, you try someone else. That’s what Haslett needs to do. It can’t get much worse.
Bernie,
I have left a blog once today, but afterward I was hit by “the wit of the stair”, when we think of things to say after we have begun climbing the stairs to go to bed. Bulger gave us ample reason the other week to bench him. He said it best, “I don’t give a damn…” Now he said that in reference to fans thoughts and comments about him, but let’s put it into perspective.
He says he doesn’t give a damn (dgaD), he only cares what the coaches think. As an educator, one who supervises the staff who reach and teach 200+ per day, I give a damn (gaD). My bosses would not be happy if I didn’t care what the students thought of my job performance. As a boss, I gaD what kind of job my staff is doing. In fact because three last year didn’t seem to gaD, I replaced three of them.
Over the last five or so years I have had some health issues. I am certainly glad that my doctors, nurses and technicians gaD. The law enforcement officers in town are here to keep me safe; I am certainly glad that they gaD. As my four brothers and I were being raised, with little funds to do so, I was certainly glad that my parents gaD.
My students deserve my best and though I am not perfect, they are important and I am paid to give them my best. All those I mentioned above, except for my parents, were or are paid to give me their best. I’m glad that my parents cared enough to gaD.
As fans we have a hand in the salary Bulger is paid. If we all stop attending games or stop buying Rams merchandise the franchise will suffer. If they suffer, cuts must be made and one of those cuts would be Bulger. As a highly paid athlete, no matter our criticisms, Bulger should give a Damn, what we think. If he did, surely he would give better effort.
Bernie,
I have left a blog once today, but afterward I was hit by “the wit of the stair”, when we think of things to say after we have begun climbing the stairs to go to bed. Bulger gave us ample reason the other week to bench him. He said it best, “I don’t give a damn…” Now he said that in reference to fans thoughts and comments about him, but let’s put it into perspective.
He says he doesn’t give a damn (dgaD), he only cares what the coaches think. As an educator, one who supervises the staff who reach and teach 200+ per day, I give a damn (gaD). My bosses would not be happy if I didn’t care what the students thought of my job performance. As a boss, I gaD what kind of job my staff is doing. In fact because three last year didn’t seem to gaD, I replaced three of them.
Over the last five or so years I have had some health issues. I am certainly glad that my doctors, nurses and technicians gaD. The law enforcement officers in town are here to keep me safe; I am certainly glad that they gaD. As my four brothers and I were being raised, with little funds to do so, I was certainly glad that my parents gaD.
My students deserve my best and though I am not perfect, they are important and I am paid to give them my best. All those I mentioned above, except for my parents, were or are paid to give me their best. I’m glad that my parents cared enough to gaD.
As fans we have a hand in the salary Bulger is paid. If we all stop attending games or stop buying Rams merchandise the franchise will suffer. If they suffer, cuts must be made and one of those cuts would be Bulger. As a highly paid athlete, no matter our criticisms, Bulger should give a Damn, what we think. If he did, surely he would give better effort.
— rudi13
10:02 am November 17th, 2008
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Very good point Rudi. Why do those Bulger appologists think it is ok to have him in there when he (Bulger) DgaD about them either?? I also don’t understand a previous bloggers comment that leaving a struggling QB is the best way. You need to bench him so he can at least clear his head, possibly get a little healthier, and stop the bleeding before it kills him!!
You are on target with your comments. Bulger is no different now than when Warner left. He is beat up and worn out. He needs time to recover which may not be here.
Trent needs to start but at least give him the benefit of taking snaps all week with the first string. If given the opportunity, Trent can do for St. Louis what Warner is doing for Arizona. That said, he needs an offensive line to protect him.
Don’t know if Trent is the answer or not, but I do know that Bulger isn’t!
My comment is about Bulger on the sidelines. There is no sign of emotion on his face whether he throws an interception or it is 3 and out. He never looks disappointed, angry, frustrated, puzzled - he looks, well….content.
Like, “Well I tried. Just give me my money and we’ll call it even!”
He never comes off the field looking like it’s his fault. Does he think that it’s someone elses fault and not his?
I have said it before and I’ll say it again: a QB has to be also be a team leader; a motivator; a cheerleader; a chastiser (when someone really goofs up). I see none of these skills in drab Bulger.
I agree with Logic and Reason. Bulger makes 1 million dollars per game, that’s 1 MILLION dollars. Let him stay out there and get pummelled into the ground. Absolutely leave him in there the entire season, each game, all four quarters. Otherwise, arrest him for fraud. In the meantime, send some feelers out to Matt Cassel for next year and draft a future long term QB. As it is, Bulger can sit on his butt for the next 3 years doing nothing and still collect the second highest salary in the NFL. What a great front office, what a great organization. Oh, the Jackson contract is another waste. Can’t wait for Shaw and Zygmunt to shuffle off.