2011 St. Louis Rams Predictions
Written by Jack Jones
The St. Louis Rams are coming off a very productive season in Steve Spagnuolo’s second year as head coach. St. Louis won more games (seven) in 2010 than they won in their previous three seasons (six) combined. A big reason was the play of QB Sam Bradford, who earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for his efforts.
The Rams even had a chance to win the division up until the final game of the season, a 6-16 loss at Seattle, which sent the Seahawks to the playoffs. With a proven QB under center and an underrated defense, St. Louis appears to be the favorite to win the NFC West in 2011. Here is a team preview, as well as my prediction on where they finish in the division.
Offense
The Rams signed Josh McDaniels to take over as offensive coordinator this offseason. He is a proven mastermind after what he accomplished in New England, and he’ll try to get the most out of an unit that ranked 26th in the league in total offense (302.9 yards) and points (18.1) per game.
Bradford threw for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his rookie campaign. He appears to have a bright future as long as he can build off of his strong season. If this offense is going to take the next step, they are going to need more from their playmakers.
They have a beast of a running back in Steven Jackson, who returns for his eighth season. He has been the heart and soul of this team for years, but played through injuries in 2010. Still, the man rushed for 1,241 yards and six touchdowns on 330 carries. Finding him a proven backup was a necessity. They went out and got Cadillac Williams from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. He rushed for 437 yards and finished with 46 receptions last year. The Rams also picked up Jerious Norwood from the Atlanta Falcons to add depth.
The receiving corps has been looking for playmakers every since Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt left. Danny Amendola (85 receptions, 689 yards, three TD) and Brandon Gibson (53, 620, two) came out of nowhere to lead the team in receiving last year. They went out and signed Mike Sims-Walker from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had an excellent 2009 campaign but regressed in 2010. Also fighting for playing time will be rookies Austin Pettis and Greg Salas, as well as Donnie Avery, Marcus Gilyard and Denario Alexander.
The offensive line finally stayed healthy last year and played pretty well for the most part. They are set up for years to come at the tackle positions, with LT Rodger Safford and RT Jason Smith protecting Bradford. The Rams could certainly use better play from the interior, and they went out and signed RG Harvey Dahl from the Atlanta Falcons to help out. Center Jason Brown is a solid anchor, but the LG position is up in the air. Either Renardo Foster or Jacob Bell will win that job, but it’s a question mark going forward.
Defense
The Rams look to have the best defense in the NFC West for the second year in a row. Their stop unit was one of the most underrated in the NFL last year. They finished 12th in the league in points allowed (20.5), yielded 336.8 total yards/game, and registered 43 sacks.
St. Louis features one of the best DE tandems in the game. Chris Long and James Hall combined for 19 sacks a year ago, and each is back to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Giving them breathers will be second-year men George Selvie and Eugene Sims, as well as talented rookie Robert Quinn. The addition of DT Fred Robbins (six sacks) was huge a year ago, and he returns. Gary Gibson was just so-so alongside Robbins. That’s why the Rams went out and signed veteran Justin Bannan from the Denver Broncos, who will push Gibson for starting duties.
MLB James Laurinaitis really came on strong in his third season last year, registering a team-high 129 tackles. He was the leader of the defense, but will need more help from his outside mates this year. SLB Na’il Diggs played well before spending the final four games on injured reserve. To try and shore up the WLB position, which was their biggest weakness last year, the Rams signed Ben Leber from the Minnesota Vikings. Pushing Leber will be Brady Poppinga, who St. Louis signed from Green Bay.
The secondary will certainly miss Oshiomogho Atogwe, who has signed with the Washington Redskins. St. Louis went out and added SS Quintin Mikell from the Philadelphia Eagles to take his place. Mikell has had 88 or more tackles in three straight seasons, and is a heck of an addition. The FS position is up in the air, but it appears that James Butler has the inside track provided he can stay healthy. Butler has been banged up the past two seasons. The Rams are in good hands at cornerback with Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher (91 tackles, four INT).
NFC West Prediction: 1st Place, 8-8 Overall – I believe the St. Louis Rams have the fewest questions of any team in the NFC West. A big reason for that is Sam Bradford, who is the only proven QB in the division. They have surrounded him with a few more playmakers with the additions of Sims-Walker, Pettis and Salas. Josh McDaniels should get even more out of this offense. The Rams also appear to have the best defense in the division, one that boasts the talented trio of Long, Laurinaitis and Hall. An 8-8 record will be enough to win the NFC West in 2011.
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