THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: There has been an intense amount of criticism aimed at quarterback Marc Bulger this offseason from Rams’ fans. Do you think Bulger’s numbers last year were the result of declining skills, injury, lack of team chemistry, a woeful offensive line, a combination of all these things or something not even mentioned here?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Since the start of the 2007 season Bulger is 38th among NFL quarterbacks (minimum 10 games) in QB rating, 37th in completion percentage, and 39th in yards per attempt. That’s pathetic. And to blame that all on the O-line, receivers and coaches is ludicrous. He has to play better. He has to be a leader. He must to do his part to elevate his team. And Bulger hasn’t done that since 2006. He hasn’t done it since signing a big contract.

JIM THOMAS
For most of the past two seasons, everything around Marc Bulger has been substandard, from the offensive line, to the play-calling, to injury-depleted lineups most Sundays. This has been especially true when Steven Jackson has been out of the lineup — and he’s missed eight games entirely and most of two others over the past two seasons. The defense and special teams haven’t helped, either, when it comes to field position. But Bulger’s accuracy has been down, his footwork and decision-making have deteriorated, and he isn’t seeing the field as well. With a stronger lineup around him, maybe Bulger can get it back.

BILL COATS
Bulger had several things working against him last year: an injury-riddled offensive line, young receivers trying to adapt to the NFL, a disconnect with head coach Scott Linehan and offensive coordinator Al Saunders, and the cumulative effect of getting pounded over the last few seasons. Working behind a decent line in a system he believes in would do wonders for Bulger.

JEFF GORDON
Bulger was not the same quarterback for a lot of reasons. The cumulative beatings in recent years took a toll on him. So did the emotional and mental strain of losing. He was not as confident and decisive in the pocket. Physically, he could still make accurate throws. Under fire, however, he wasn’t the same guy. Then you mix in all the mistakes made by his rookie receivers — running the wrong routes, making incorrect reads — and you had a total disaster. Some of this can be fixed as Bulger works with his still-learning receivers during this offseason. But the real progress must be made in games. If the Rams run the ball well, put him in favorable down-and-distance situations and keep him off his back, will he regain his Pro Bowl form? That is NOT a given.

KATHLEEN NELSON
This one has more ingredients than my mom’s Irish stew. Bulger never found a groove for many reasons. A suspect line put Bulger in danger too often. Through injury and/or age, Torry Holt wasn’t the same receiver and Drew Bennett was never a factor. Bulger and the young receivers probably haven’t had enough time to develop chemistry. Being benched didn’t help. Being restored to No. 1 didn’t seem to help. Quarterbacks always draw more than their fair share of criticism. This situation is no different.