Derrelle: Hi Jim last week I sent you a message about how the Rams need to start enjoying football well that hasn't happened yet this team is so separated you could park a train between them. Remember when Linehan was first hired and he was preaching about how this will be a family type team what happened to that. Jim did you see when he was trying to hype the team up and the players were like "yeah whatever man" it is clearly animosity somewhere on this team, also remember you said that Bulger takes the O line out for dinner from time to time well it's about that time because he really dont trust the O line right now that's the reason for the interceptions. Why in the world does olson wait till the fourth quarter to throw the ball to Mc Michael. I would like to say in closing that the Rams need to have a team dinner and come together to solve this thing !Go Rams!

Jim Thomas: How do you come to the conclusion that this team is "so separated you could park a train between them?" I think it's a fairly close team _ but perhaps no closer or no farther apart than others of recent years.

I thought the offensive line played all right against Tampa, all things considered. The reasons for Bulger's interceptions:

_ A poor attempt by Bulger at throwing the ball away on the sideline pass to Bruce.

_ An underthrown fade pattern by Bulger in the end zone to Drew Bennett. (Bulger claims it was a miscommunication, but it doesn't sound like Linehan is buying that.)

_ A miscommunication with Brian Leonard. Bulger thought Leonard was turning one way on the pattern; Leonard turned the other way.

_ As for the delay in throwing to McMichael, I'll just say this. The play-calling in general _ especially in Games 1 and 3 _ has been a befuddling mystery

Murat: Hello Jim;

Last year when the offense was struggling, Linehan and Olson incorporated some plays from Martz's offense. I do not understand why Linehan is expecting a different outcome this year when the plays they call are completely anti-Martz. How many weeks should we suffer before we see a gutsy play from the offense instead of those line of scrimmage passes? By the way, are the plays getting dumb as we get close to the goal line?

Thanks.

Jim Thomas: The Rams actually called a lot of Martz-like plays against San Francisco _ the dig patterns and deep ins that were a staple of the Martz offense. The Rams had seven pass plays of 20 yards or more in that game _ a good day's work for any offense (even with the failure to convert those plays into touchdowns). But I agree with you about the very conservative play-calling against Carolina and Tampa Bay. You cannot play a game as if you are afraid to lose, or afraid to make a mistake. You have all these accomplished veteran receivers _ Holt, Bruce, Bennett, McMichael _ and you've got to find a way to get them involved while not ignoring the run. Although improved, the Rams defense isn't nearly good enough to hold up in games where the offensive game plan is so convservative.
As for the red zone offense, as I pointed out in Tuesday's "Tuesday Morning Quarterback Story" the Rams have a meager 30 yards in 21 red zone plays this season. I don't think there has been a single red zone pass thrown to McMichael in that setting.

Jim: I have never seen a team as flat as the 2007 Rams. The play calling is terrible. Why are the Rams going from sideline to sideline instead of endzone to endzone. These little passes at the line of scrimmage is a joke. If you need 6 yards, go for the yardage, why the sideline. Bulger got his money, he sure doesn't play like it. I think a change is in order at QB and Gus might be that guy. Bulger is his own worst enemy. His timing is terrible. It hurts to see a once proud organization fall on its face. I get so tired of the quote "same old Rams."

Jim Thomas: As I wrote about today in our "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" feature, those little sideline patterns are called "smokes" or "smokescreens." Most of the time when they have been called this season, they are audibles in a "run-pass" option. To wit: Bulger goes up to the line with a run play called; notices a bad "look" by the defense _ such as eight men in the box _ and checks out of the run into a pass. Well, most of the time, the pass is this quick sideline job to the WRs _ a play that obviously hasn't worked very well. As I've mentioned on the radio with Bernie, I've watched every game played by Holt and Bruce in their time with the Rams. Holt and Bruce have many talents; they've done wonderful things; they both should be in the Hall of Fame some day. But they've never excelled at this particular play. So it's mind-boggling as to why the Rams keep using it as the "check out" play in the run-pass option. Why not run a slant? Why not run a "smoke-and-go" _ where the receiver (and quarterback) fake like it's the quick sideline pass and then the receiver heads deep. This probably would've worked against Tampa because Bulger said in the locker room afterwards that Ronde Barber was biting on the "smoke" all day. Against Carolina, the Rams picked up a lot of yards on a pass interference penalty called against the Panthers trying to defend Holt on a "smoke-and-go."

Rodney Lusain: With his big contract in hand and a case of the jitters, wouldn't this be a good time to let Marc Bulger rest his sore ribs and watch how productive someone with some hunger can be in this offense?

Jim Thomas: First off, I don't think the big contract has anything to do with it. Bulger was making pretty big money last year _ finishing off a deal that averaged about $5 million a year, and had a career year.
Secondly, I don't think Bulger has the jitters. If you're questioning his toughness, check out the blow he absorbed completing that pass in the red zone to McMichael against the 49ers.
I just think Bulger is hurt. If the offense had to be dummied down so much to protect him against Tampa, I would've played Frerotte. Isn't that why you're paying Frerotte $2.1 million a year?

Geoffrey: Hey Jim,
Aside from all the glaring problems we saw Sunday. Has anyone else noticed that Steven Jackson didn't run north-south at all? He looked like a hopping madman every time he touched the ball. He'd get the hand-off, stop, then start bouncing up and down, then stop, then hop, then fall down. It made me dizzy at one point.

Jim Thomas: He has been doing more of that this season. It could partly be a result of there not being much running room. But once he finally got going, he did drag many tacklers for extra yards against Tampa.