Rams Implode During 42-6 Loss
For a brief shining moment, it appeared the Rams might actually generate some offensive excitement Sunday.
Right off the bat, they tried something daring. Quarterback Marc Bulger handed the ball to running back Steven Jackson, who started toward the line of scrimmage, then turned and pitched the ball back to his quarterback.
Donnie Avery bolted free downfield, behind the Colts secondary. Bulger threw the home-run ball. Avery stretched out, caught the ball, hit turf, then got up and tried to go again.
This bit of trickery resulted in a 50-yard gain. Would this be the game when the Rams finally broke out?
Well . . . not quite. In between impressive runs by running back Steven Jackson – who gained 134 yards on the ground – the Rams offense messed up every way possible during its 42-6 loss.
While the Peyton Manning-led Colts ran their offense with cold-blooded efficiency, the Rams kept making mistakes.
Here are some scenes Rams fans will have a tough time forgetting.
- Fullback Mike Karney releasing from the backfield into a giant hole in the Colts backfield . . . and dropping Bulger’s strike.
- Wide receiver Tim Carter running a slant pattern toward the first down sticks . . . and letting Bulger’s pass carom off his body for an incomplete pass.
- Running Kenneth Darby dropping a pass over the middle, well short of the first-down marker.
- Rookie left tackle Jason Smith letting Dwight Freeney blow pass him to sack Bulger, hard.
- Steven Jackson dropping a swing pass while Alex Barron was being flagged for holding.
- The hapless Barron getting flagged for a false start penalty to help kill another drive.
- Bulger scrambling out of the pocket and throwing the ball right to Colts linebacker Tyjuan Hagler, who, fortunately for the Rams, dropped the pass.
- Several Colts pouring into the pocket to dump Bulger and stop a Rams drive short of the red zone.
- Bulger hitting Colts cornerback Jacob Lacey in stride for a TD interception along the right sideline. Keenan Burton was out there, too, but Lacey was just sitting on that pass.
- Bulger gunning another interception right at a Colts cornerback, this time Kelvin Hayden, near the right goal line flag.
Look at the names listed in the bullet pts. Darby? Karney? Carter? Not the who’s who of the NFL. This team stinks because the talent is possibly the worst in NFL history. 0-16 starting us right in the face.
If sucking was good the Lambs would be the best!!
Kudos to Jackson for a hard-running game….The others?…Not so much. Onward and upwards.
That Bulger to Lacey combo is dynamite.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,.another great showing by are awesome LAMBS!!!!!!,ohhh sorry our sad-ass RAMS!!!,a really great NFL cheer-leading team ohhhhh my bad!!!our life-less NFL wanna-be NFL team!!!!.Our GREAT QB looked awesome throwing to the other team!!!ohhhhh yeah!!!.,looks like he’ll be our starting QB next year too!!!!(yeah if pigs could fly,may-be)he is out!!!!!!!,as our QB or I’ll have to root for another team next year!!!!,IF he is our starter next yr!!!!.I will not be a fan any more!!!!,very sorry to say this,after being a true rams fan since 1967!!!!!!!!VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never posted before so here it goes! Bulger must have some serious issues. I have never seen such lack of emotion and team spirit in any sport anywhere in my 35 years on the planet. Do the coaches even question his ability or lack of enthusiam? Wht does he avoid eye contact and run away from his own players after another blown drive. Bulger looks like he wants to be behind a clipboard and collect a paycheck. How is he not embarrassed by his performance. I have never seen him take the blame for anything, and the coaches seem to baby him all of the time. I know the team is bad, but how does Bulger continue year after year to blow timeouts and underthrow receivers and prance off the field after an interception like “Is this game over yet?” I would be so embarrassed by my perfromance that I’m not sure I could show to work and face those in the same profession as I (my teamate or not) I feel bad for those kids who look up to their athletes for inspiration and the chance to live their dream as an athlete. Bulger should walk away and return his paychecks and apologize or at least explain to us ram fans on why he thinks he deserves to suit up and be a quarterback who underperfoms year after year. Bad Team. Bad Coaching. Bad franchise.
Detroit and Tennessee should be our Super Bowl. If we lose to both and go 0-16 we are the “Worst Team of All-Time”.
I’m told by those that know him that Mark Bulger is a great guy; loves kids and is friendly and well liked. And if that was how he is to be measured on the football field, then he would be worth every penny he’s paid. However, he’s paid to lead a team to victory: to score points at every available opportunity and provide the leadership necessary for the players that surround him on offense to play at their highest level. Using those as measuring sticks, he has failed. Over the past years under his leadership the Rams have been not just bad, but they are a team to be pitied. It has gotten so bad that the analysts don’t even criticize them anymore; they just say the score, with a following, “and they are a bad team.” Spags inherited a team with little talent, a few truly talented players (Jackson, Avery, Witherspoon, Long, Little among them) and a team that seemingly lacked the ability to be motivated to give it all. As professionals, many lack the credibility to be termed as such. Certainly much of the criticism must also be pointed at the front office that drafted badly, overlooked significant talent and filled the roster with the likes of Alex Barron who “shows great promise” while remaining completely incompetent to fulfill his role. While management removes Pace, Holt and others from the roster, their replacement’s lack the ability to compete at even the most basic level of these talents. Certainly, Pace and Holt were aging, but that should have been considered long before they were eventually dispatched, leaving huge holes in the offensive scheme. It is time to find a replacement for Bulger, shake up the front office and find individuals who are true leaders and can effectively evaluate talent. Otherwise, we will have several more years of inept play to look forward to.
I am now convinced that there is no talent on the Rams offense other than Steven Jackson.
Everything starts with the line, on both defense and offense. Without excellent line play nothing good will happen. The team must concentrate on obtaining excellent line play. Until that happens we just cannot expect to win.
AD2