Bulger is physically unable to perform due to inherent limitations, age, and punch-drunkenness. He is a QB lightweight.

Jackson is physically unable to perform due to self imposed limitations concerning physical fitness that date back to last summer. He has wasted his most productive years in the NFL lazing around in the offseason. He is a part time player.

I know that you’re not comparing Jackson to Walter Peyton or Emmitt Smith but please in the future don’t tarnish these two Hall of Famers by even putting their names in the same article with Jackson. He doesn’t deserve it and they certainly don’t deserve it. If you ever really want to understand where Jackson comes from just one time listen to his post-game comments. Me, I, mine. VERY seldom does the word team escape his lips. He needs to do his job, and that means begin in camp and finish on the field. He cannot do it or he doesn’t want to do it. What a waste of potential.

Bernie - good call on Bulger’s play, or lack there of, in tight games. I have always argued that even when Bulger put up the nice stats, many of those passes/yards are in garbage time. I think a QB’s record is the most important stat…not total receptions/yards, which I think lead to Bulger’s big contract.

I am not sure why the Rams invested so heavy on a running back that has not proven his ability to stay healthy.

Last comment on Haslett…..I think he has missed his moment of opportunity with the team and fans. Take the Incognito example…he keeps the clown around after he almost solely loses the Washnington game…then the bum mocks the fans….and how has Incognito repaid Haslett?? 4 penalties today! Haslett could made a low risk sacrafice of Incognito to “stop the buck” of circus behavior on the team. If the team keeps losing, Haslett could have made the arguement to Rosenblum at season’s end that he is in the process of cleaning house. Instead, Incognito joins the list of bozos such as Dominique Byrd, Wroten, the DE from Georgia Tech (whose name escapes me), etc. who were given too many chances only to dissapoint in the end. You can see this one coming….Incognito will finally go too far and will be released sometime down the road. This is just one example.
Is Bulger’s campaign for a Haslett return really a good thing for Haslett? It reminds me of George Bush endorsing McCain.

To Mike Smith or whatever admin is reading this, can we please get Alann removed/banned from this board/page? No need/place for that kind of nonsense here.

As for the blog post, kudos Bernie. As always, you let the research and analysis do the talking for you. Wish more guys out there would do the same, but there it is. As for this team…sigh…what to do? Someone HAS to be brought in to challenge Bulger next year. There’s multiple ways to go about it…find a quality veteran, take a flyer on a 3rd/4th rounder in the draft…but do something, because I’m afraid it’s curtains for Marc at this point.

Easy Al/Ann=+ Hermaphadiate (spelling) !!

I said in trainning camp to let him go. He and Bulger need to go. I know it will mean big cap hit. What hs been doen with this team is so bcakwards that you do know where to start to fix it. With MB & SJ money that makes it hard to make some of the moves that you need.

Unbelievable. Bernie, did you watch the game today? You still have to write and rip on the two guys who actually did something good today! You are correct in the fact that traditionally Bulger and Jackson have not been good in the second half. But when has any body else stepped up in the second half? How about the defense as soon as the second half started? TERRIBLE! How about the offensive line run blocking in the second half? TERRIBLE! (I sit in the end zone and see no holes open up. But I watch Seattle’s offensive line make huge hole after huge hole in the second half) Rip on someone who should be ripped on. Klopfenstein? Lost all momentum we had for the rest of the game on his terrible fumble. TERRIBLE! Haslett and Saunders? I haven’t seen a half time adjustment from this team in over 3 YEARS!! Saunders? His play calling is so predictable! (Slant, quick throw on the sideline, slant, quick throw on the sideline, slant) Bulger had an excellent game and then is comes down to the last drive and NO ONE ON THE OFFENSE MADE A PLAY! NOT BULGER, NOT JACKSON, NOT HOLT and more importantly NOT SAUNDERS!!!!!! Then are defense comes back and Atogwe gets whooped! He as played pretty well all year, except getting beat, and beat BAD! There are a lot more problems than Bulger and Jackson not playing well in the second half. Rip on guys like Haslett. It is HIS (now that Linehan is gone) defense that got smashed right out of the gate in the second half. Rip on guys like Saunders who doesn’t know how to mix things up and keep the defense off balance. And rip on guys like Incognito who tried to kill drive after drive after drive with his terrible penalties.

And to most of the fans – stop going to the games waiting and wanting to boo Bulger! Not one quarterback in the league could fix the problems with this team.

Boy, Bernie, normally I like your stuff, but this column was nothing more than simple, and I emphasize the word “simple,” scapegoating. Was either Bulger or Jackson to blame for Klop’s fumble, Stanley’s fumble, Atogwe’s blown coverage, the many missed tackles, or the D not showing up at crunch time? Your analysis was both simplistic and convenient, and it pandered to the prevailing sentiment that Bulger and Jackson are to blame for everything that is wrong with the Rams.

The fans deserve better, more thoughtful analysis than what you provided today.

The two previous posters are missing the point!!!! Bulger and Jackson ARE the problem, and have been for the past two years…Bernie supplies glaring statistics to support his claim. These guys are being paid silly amounts of money to be the go-to guys when it counts — not Stanley, Klop, etc.. The only thing they have delivered is garbage… their 4th QTR numbers are PATHETIC!

I agree with Slotalk…screw the cap hit..we need to get rid of these two posers and replace them with guys who can deliver the goods when it counts — in the fourth quarter.

Good points Bernie, I didn’t realize that the stats dropped off that much in the second half. Could you check the second half stats for the top backs in the league? I’m always hearing that a big back can wear down a defense and start ripping it up late in the game. Is this true? Do the stats support this common theory? Too bad Jackson keeps getting hurt and can’t stay on the field at the end of the game when we really need him.

age? Bulger is 31. Not an issue. Any NFL QB playing with a high school JV O-Line such as the Rams this year is not going to play well. I’d like to see any other QB make plays with 1 second to pass. Build Bulger a real O-Line, and we’ll see the pro bowler he can be, and we’ll see holes for Jackson to run through, so he has no more excuses as to why the Rams aren’t getting their money’s worth.

It’s always good to know that Bulger apologists exist to make the Rams situation even more muddled than it already is.

Yes, the O Line is bad.

Yes the defense is sporadic and prone to dissappearing acts in the second half.

Yes, Bulger and Jackson can control only their individual turnover numbers.

That being said, they ARE responsible for thei numbers and actions. As Bernie pointed out both players have a knack of decreases production in the second half. Part of the MO for the Linehan era Rams (and you can still factor most of this season as part of that since its still his staff and players on the field if not his game plan) is to play well in the first half and disappear in the second. How many games has that happened in? That letdown is a product of BOTH defensive inabilities and the offenses lack of ball control and drive. On offense you have two high paid leaders from who the offense is supposed to flow. Bulger and Jackson. Bulger is supposed to get the ball to his supporting cast recieving corps and Jackson is supposed to kill clock and yardage with punishing rushes. Neither happens in the second half.

Yes, coaching and game plan factor in to this problem. But playmakers gotta make plays. The other great QBs, Favre and Manning and Brady, they make things happen in the fourth quarter when defenses have a good idea what the offense is going to do. If Bulger wants that money and that respect then he has to learn to create. Otherwise he’s only an over paid mediocre QB. Same goes for Jackson. Little Marshall Faulk used to be a master at closing out games here. If the Rams had a lead with 6 minutes to go they could hand him the ball for the rest of the game and he’d eat up field and yardage to protect that game. Jackson has been useless in the 2nd half. The line can play in as a factor, but at some point for Marshall he’d have the box stacked because they knew he was coming and the line made little difference.

We’ve unfortunately been fooled in two ways. Bulger ran Martzs system effectively and ran up his numbers that way. But he’s been hit now, and the system is no longer as mathematical as it used to be. He’s never been anything but a useful backup. He’s gun shy now, on top of having little ability to adjust and read the play as it develops. It’s no longer point and shoot anymore. We would have been better served to have traded him at the peak of his popularity and used those resources on the line in front of Kurt, who can read and adjust. That way when Martz left we would still have a fighting chance.

Jackson had his best days in Linehans first season. And those best days were at the end of the year when nothing was on the line and he ran over really bad d’s in Minnesota and Oakland (like those defenses wanted to be there). Thats where his best numbers are. He geeked up knowing he could put on a show to entice. Now, we’ve been fooled by his ability but have found that he has no heart and no top gear that changes close games. Oh he can run up 100 yards on a weak opponent. He can go crazy with a blow out lead. But with a tight score late in the game he just disappears. And he whines and makes excuses when he’s called out on it.

We’re tied financially to these guys for awhile now. Mainly because there are enough morons out there that think these two have the fire in the belly to be the next Manning or LT. And if you don’t think these two can be the next Manning or LT why are you defending them? They are getting paid to be just that. They are the focus on our offense.

I’ll leave you with this. Over 2 minutes left to go in a tied game and the Rams have the ball. They run three straight pass plays that all fall incomplete. Bulger made nothing happen and Jackson wasn’t available to run, not that you might run in that situation. Seattle gets the ball back with about 40 seconds less than we had. They run three times in a row with I don’t even know who as their tailback. That sets up Seneca Wallace, Seneca Wallace?, to throw a 20-30 yard strike to put the Hawks in field goal range. And Wallace had to deal with a much more oppressive pass rush than BUlger had all day. We have Wr’s. Holt can still catch, Avery is quick and can catch. But we get nothing. The Hawks, full of injuries and patchwork players did in less time what we should have been able to do with our healthy starters, drie enough to get the FG.

The problem with this team isn’t all in the talent pool or even in the planning. Its starts with heart and that starts with your leaders. Right now our leaders are supposed to be Bulger and Jackson. I feel secure, don’t you?

Marshall, the line is questionable but not as bad as you and most of the Bulger apologists make it out to be. He’s had better time this year than last to throw. He’s indecisive when his first option is covered and he can’t create, never could. Part of the problem that the line gets whacked by you guys so much is that when Buler has his 3 to 4 seconds and he can’t throw he scrambles around and holds on to the ball until the defenders inevitably get to him.

Bulger is a poor mans Trent Green, a serviceable QB that can play caretaker with an offense built around a dynamic big bodied recieving target or a force of a running back.

Love him or hate him, Bulger will be back next year. If he doesn’t produce, there’s a guy named Tim Tebow comin out in the 2010 draft, maybe you’ve heard of him. He’ll take us back to the promised land!

Another great article, Bernie. I have been asking Gordo and Jim Thomas why they think Jackson is so great. I know he’s big and strong and fast. So was Ki Jana Carter. The point is… neither Jackson or Bulger has EVER led to Rams to a victory. They have never dominated an opponent, won a game in the fourth quarter, or brought the team from behind. Neither has shown any leadership qualities at all. Jackson will be the first to TELL you how great he is. And Bulger will never tell you anything. What a combo.

I understand the cap ramnifications, and why we can’t get rid of either one right now. All we can do is wait for someone else to “rise up”, start making some plays (that will inspire others), and become the de facto leader. Then Bulger and Jackson can assume their roles as “followers”. A role I believe they are best suited for.

Bulger and Jackson both need to be cut…period. If you can get a low round pick…do it but Rams would be lucky to get anything higher than a 6th or 7th round pick. Also…please spare me about potential cap hits…like the Rams could have a worse record without them? They’re both losers in every sense of the word and are rich boys today only because of the incompetence of Rams front office personnel.

I thought that Jackson ran harder yesterday than he has all year. Not nearly as much dancing and side-stepping, just hitting the hole. Maybe more of the blame for the lack of second half production from these key players and the team overall should go to the coaching staff. The Rams simply are not able to adjust, either to what the other teams are doing to them, or to anticipate how the opponents will adjust to what the Rams are doing.

For a team that lacks depth, I can’t understand why everyone wants this or that player cut. Not only does that hurt the team financially but how does that help the talent level on the team. How about just obtaining players that can, if talent dictates, make these players backups.

I do think in many cases the Ram’s play calling is suspect. How can you go away from a RB that is making good yardage in the first half? The one thing that Bernie doesn’t do is put Saunders on the hot seat for giving the ball to Jackson less in the second half. For those that watch regularly, you know that Jackson will be stopped a couple of times for little gain but then break off a 15 yard run. On average that would be a 5 yd. per carry average, but if you stop giving him the ball it will turn into a 2 yd. per carry average.

“To Mike Smith or whatever admin is reading this, can we please get Alann removed/banned from this board/page? No need/place for that kind of nonsense here.”

— brignatious
9:46 pm December 14th, 2008

brignatious, agree in total with your comment. Alann apparently just joined to post nearly the same comment in Bernie’s Press Box. Bernie doesn’t mind at all when folks disagree, but this person is waaaayyy out of line. Name calling isn’t the preferred method in these parts. I thought about asking for the poster to be banned as well.

The focus of my analysis was 4th quarter performances in close games, and how it has become a trend with Bulger and Jackson.

Jim Thomas writes the game story, if your desire was to read a general breakdown of the 23-20 loss to the Seahawks, Jim filled that role.

Again: I took an overview approach.

Thanks.

B

The points Bernie makes are reasonable although I find it difficult to believe you can attempt to make a case on these two athletics and not discuss the failure of the supporting players that surround the two.

Bulger has without a doubt has problems arising from the abuse from opposing defenses because of poor offensive lines. I think he is showing progression not regression from that. However, there are two other separate situations should be in focus regarding Bulgers play. First, Bulger follows a game play and plays sent in by the offensive coaches, I’m not sure how much he free lances or if even allowed to. Secondly, there seems to be nothing said critically toward the receivers. I have seen easily caught passes dropped at critical moments, wrong routes ran, and Bulge called out on short or overthrown when it just as well could be a receiver not getting to the ball is suppose to be. Bernie mentions the seven yard pass needing nine yards for first down but doesn’t mention what the receiver did with the play after catching the ball. Not this time perhaps, but how many times have we seen Ram receivers catch the ball and then lay down when the defense approachs. Bulger has had his problems but they were not all his own making.

Jackson also has to contend with an offensive line that continues to be one of the worst in football and that has to have an effect on his running. However, I have to feel his missing camp has had a direct effect on his stamina and his inability to put two good halfs together. With his strength and power,he needs less dancing and more drive. Faulk he aint and never will be but because of power and speed can be a great back in his own right. He’s way short of “great” considering his inconsistancy in games and seasons.

I can see reason in the Bernie column but believe there is more to it than throwing it all on Bulger and Jackson just because they are paid more. If Bernie and other sports guys want write on team problems, they should give some discussion as to the supporting players to Bulger and Jackson and how their play has effected not only the two guys everyone loves to beat on, but the team as well.

A Kurt Warner limerick;
Ther once was a man from Nantucket
Who loved the Lord and tried to do his best by all men.
What’d you expect?

It doesn’t matter if Jackson “wants to play” or not. Jackson is in his fourth year and still pass blocks like Lawrence Phillips. He tries to be Barry Sanders on each run. This organization will have to bite an unpleasant bullet on cap room or wait in frustration for a few years to let Bulger, Jackson and some others clear. Meanwhile, thank goodness Zyggi is leaving. Don’t let the screen door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Great call on Bulger. I was a Bulger backer through the 2007 season simply because I thought it was unfair to judge ANY QB given the dire circumstances of injuries on the line. However, this year, while the line has played terrible at times, they have played well at times too and even when given good protection, Bulger is missing even elementary passes. He has played like a mediocre backup QB. He folds like a cheap lawn chair when the game is on the line, as evidenced by your stats. It’s time to go in a new direction and if the Rams scout the available QB’s and truly think that John Elway II is on the board at pick two, I don’t know how you can honestly pass him up. Great QB’s make plays and Bulger is the anti-playmaker and as anti-clutch as they come. Can anyone honestly remember the guy putting the team on his shoulders and carrying the team to victory in the end? The only game that even comes to mind is the Seattle miracle in 2004 which required some miraculous catches by receivers and terrible play by the Seahawks. Wow… 2004… That was a long time ago…