Most of us could probably sense when St. Louis Rams starting quarterbackSam Bradfordwent down two weeks ago in Cleveland that the team was in for some serious offensive struggles. It would have been difficult for any sane person to imagine, however, that the entire unit could perform as poorly as the team did in a 34-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon.
The issues were most prominent on offense, where the Rams failed to score a touchdown against a Vikings defense that wasn’t exactly seen as dominant coming into Sunday. After a rough first half by newly-anointed starting quarterbackShaun Hillthat left him with a 47.3 passer rating, he was sidelined at the half with a quad injury. That left former undrafted free agent quarterbackAustin Davis, who was working as basically a dummy in one-on-one pass-rushing drills just six weeks ago, as the leader of the offense.
Davis’s numbers actually don’t look that bad on paper, as he was 16-for-23 for 192 yards. But his game management and pocket presence were absolutely atrocious (as evidenced by him being sacked four times for a total of 21 yards lost), and the Rams’ offense fell apart in the second half. They were able to sustain two drives long enough to be able to convert 56 and 46-yard field goals, but really things never developed for the team to have any serious scoring chances.
All in all, the Rams went completely against their established team identity on Sunday. The offense has been talked up all offseason as a ground-and-pound power running offense. Somehow, though, they ran for just 72 yards on 22 attempts (11 carries for 43 yards fromZac Stacy, 5 for 21 fromBenny Cunningham). The guard play, which had been so highly anticipated, was extremely spotty. Pricy right guardRodger Saffold, as well as former Pro BowlerDavin Joseph, had a rough day. Second overall pickGreg Robinsondidn’t even get in the game until Saffold sustained a neck injury late in the fourth quarter.
The dominant defense which had been predicted by so many leading into this season was nowhere to be found. There were no sacks from the much-hyped defensive line which had earned “Fearsome Foursome” comparisons and inspired the moniker “#SackCity”. There was very little pass rush, the tackling was highly inconsistent, and the coverage broke down on several occasions. Ironically, the Rams’ two best defensive players on Sunday were the two guys that nearly everyone saw as the biggest liabilities on the defense, safetiesRodney McLeodandT.J. McDonald.
And on a team which now boasts a substantial amount of third-year players who should be entering their primes, there still was a total lack of discipline, as the Rams sustained 13 penalties for losses of 121 yards.
On the bright side, wide receiverBrian Quick, who had already been written off by many Rams fans as a bust, had a career day, catching seven balls for 99 yards. Other than Quick, however, there was no Ram who really stood out as having a great game on Sunday.
The Rams will head into Tampa Bay next Sunday, hoping to take advantage of another young team and get their season back on track after an opener that was just about as disastrous as they come.
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