St. Louis Rams Release Hollis Thomas

St. Louis Rams have released defensive tackle Hollis Thomas. The Rams originally signed Thomas as a free agent on the eve of training camp. It was interesting to start with that the Rams signed Thomas since he was already 35 years old and would only have spot duty as a run stuffer. Is this another cost cutting move by the Rams? Thomas played in all three games only recording 2 tackles. The Rams who are getting younger and younger each day will once again replace Thomas with a younger player. The Rams have brought up defensive tackle Leger Douzable from the Practice Squad. Leger Douzable is a 23 year old 6'4" 305 pound DT out of Central Florida, who originally signed and played with the Minnesota Vikings, and also played for the New York Giants. Prior to the 2008 NFL Draft SI.com had this to say about Leger: "Douzable has flashed ability the past few seasons, yet he lacks consistency and does not do the little things well. He must rely on more than his natural abilities to have any chance at the next level".

Roll 'em Up Rams Fans!

Well I hate to be Donnie Downer but the 2009 St. Louis Rams season is over. That's right I am calling it. Sure not many fans had a vision of playoffs this year but there are still those of you out there thinking we are turning the corner and can win 5, 6, or even 7 games. Well I am here to crush those dreams, another season has ended for our beloved Rams. Facts are that since the playoffs were expanded to 12 teams in 1990 only 3 out of 204 teams that started the season 0-3 made the playoffs. Don't even start thinking we will be the 4th.

The Rams have lost 13 straight games, including 6 straight at home. In addition since the 2006 NFL Season the Rams are 5-30! That is an outstanding winning percentage of 14.2. Although I was and am behind the hiring of Steve Spagnuolo this franchise has been run into the ground and I do not see us turning the corner soon. The drafting and free agent signings this decade have been worse than awful. All of our talent and playmakers have moved on or retired and we have not backfilled as needed.

The most depressing part of our current situation is that we have salary cap issues. Based on our talent level how can that be? Well it is easy, more mistakes by the front office over the years. We are apparently so strapped for money we cut Chris Draft over $380,000. The 2009 NFL salary cap is set at $127 million, and we were forced to worry about $380,000. Let's recap where some of the money is going. We have 60+ million dollar contracts with Marc Bulger, Chris Long and Jason Smith. Chris Long is not even starting at the moment and is unable to provide any push on the front line. Jason Smith is the starting right tackle when healthy but he was drafted second overall in the draft a spot reserved for outstanding left tackle talent. I don't even want to discuss the contract that was given to Marc Bulger. We can then drop to the second tier decisions. The Rams gave out 30+ million dollar free agent contracts to Drew Bennett, Jacob Bell, and Jason Brown. Brown looks like a nice NFL center but should he be the highest paid in the NFL? In addition to these expenses we are starring at another top 5 draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft which will cost the Rams another $60+ million. Still with all this money going out the lack of talent, experience, and depth on this team is staggering. We enter Week 4 of the 2009 NFL season with the worst wide receiving group I have ever seen. At corner only Ron Bartell really has any NFL experience and no other cornerback on the roster has shown me anything. So don't make fun of the Raiders, Browns, and Lions of the world because we are going down the long winding road along with them.

In the words of Chevy Chase Roll 'em Up!

The Alien Invasion Is Upon Us

The St. Louis Rams first home game was filled with Cheeseheads from around the Universe. I was able to meet the creature called Darth Packer along with our friend Ram Man at the ESPN 101 pre-game party at Baer Park across from the Edward Jones Dome. Both of these fanatical fans are part of the NFL Hall of Fame Ultimate Fans division. Both are also members of P.F.U.F.A (Pro Football Ultimate Fan Association). I would estimate that there were 20,000 to 30,000 Green Bay Packers fans in the dome for the game on Sunday. This is getting to be a habit at the dome and now that the Rams are 0-3 I look for it to continue. Thirteen straight losses by the Rams have Rams fans selling off their tickets to the fans of opposing teams.

I am pretty certain creatures from around the universe including Purple People Eaters, Farmers in plaid, Who-Dey's, Gridbirds, Seahags, Texans with large hats, and Goldminers are all on their way to the dome to take in the action. The Edward Jones Dome has become a home away from home for all road teams, as the Rams have lost 15 of their last 17 home games. Rams fans are being beaten down by what we are seeing and paying for on the field. Until the Rams can put more talent on the field, expect to see more and more aliens in the stands.

St. Louis Rams Try Out Two Wide Receivers

The St. Louis Rams tried out wide receivers Courtney Taylor and Larry Beavers today at Rams Park. So far the Rams have not signed either. The Rams seem determined to stay young and go with inexperienced players. I believe the Rams currently have the worst set of receivers I have ever seen on a roster at this point of a season. There are only 4, count'em four wide receivers currently on the Rams roster; Danny Amendola, Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton and Ruvell Martin. Between them they have 134 NFL receptions, which includes zero for Danny Amendola who the Rams just signed last week. The Rams also signed Ruvell Martin the previous week so 50% of their corp. have never caught a pass as a Ram. With Donnie Avery regressing or still trying to come back from injury and Marc Bulger's shoulder injury, how are the Rams planning to move the ball? Will the acquisition of Courtney Taylor or Larry Beavers help?

Courtney Taylor a 6th round selection of the Seattle Seahawks in 2007 has 14 total catches in the NFL. Coming out of college SI.com said Courtney could be a productive pass-catcher with potential as a fourth wideout at the next level. Larry Beavers a blazing fast receiver out of Wesley College (Div. III) in Dover Delaware was undrafted but signed in 2009 by the Carolina Panthers. Beavers was unable to make the Panthers roster and has been waiting for a call ever since. Beavers is the current holder of the NCAA all divisions career record with 13 kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns. We just signed Danny Amendola to return kicks so who knows why we are looking at another very small kick returner with no wide receiver experience in the NFL. Larry Beavers is lightning quick but only 5'10" and 165lbs.

David Vobora Suspended By NFL

The NFL suspended St. Louis Rams linebacker David Vobora for four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances. David Vobora is 5th on the team with 15 total tackles and moved into the starting lineup with the release of Chris Draft and the injury to Larry Grant. The Rams are now very thin at linebacker with only the following 5 on the roster; Will Witherspoon, James Laurinaits, Larry Grant, Chris Chamberlain and the newly signed Paris Lenon. Vobora has said that he plans to sue the company that makes the supplement he tested positive for. Bottom line is the Rams are down another player. Mr. Irrelevant will be irrelevant for the next four weeks.

St. Louis Rams Injury Update

The St. Louis Rams went into their week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers relatively healthy, and with an 0-2 record. The Rams come out of that contest 0-3 and with a battered lineup. Laurent Robinson has fractured fibula which will require surgery. For Laurent his season is most likely over. James Butler has a 3rd degree MCL injury of the knee and will miss at least two weeks but mostly likely longer. Marc Bulger had the best news today as his rotator cuff is only bruised. If Marc can practice this week, there is a small shot he may be ready to play Sunday at San Francisco. Donnie Avery's ribs were not broken when he landed on the ball, he is sore but should be able to play Sunday. Now we will have to figure out what non-medical problem he is having with his hands. Several other starters are also nicked up. James Laurinaitis has a shoulder issue, both Ron Bartell and Gary Gibson have leg issues, David Vobara had a possible concussion and Jason Smith still has problems with his knee. Welcome to week 4 of the NFL where you can have 9 of your 22 starters banged up or out of action already. For an 0-3 Rams team with a ton of issues the bad news keeps piling up.

I Got Caught Drinking The Kool-Aid

Ok you caught me and I have to apologize to Rams fans, if there are any left at this point. Last night I got pretty excited and pumped up about opening day against the Green Bay Packers. Maybe, just maybe I had a little too much Kool-Aid Saturday night. I originally thought about predicting a score of 31-10 for the Packers but you know what they say about how women look after 6 beers. I had a little Kool-Aid, thought about the game, hell the Bengals just ran all over the Packers. This is the home opener, these are the Rams trying to win the fans back. We have Steven Jackson, if Cedric Benson can run on the Packers surely Jackson could have a good game. The Packers had allowed 10 sacks, and would be missing starting left tackle Chad Clifton, Steve Spagnuolo would have some blitz packages to eat up that Packers O-line right?

So reality set in and as Denny Green said we are who we thought we were. The same old Rams that have now lost 13 straight regular season NFL games showed up again. The Rams D started off tough and held off the Packers early after Bulger and Jackson turnovers. The Packers who only managed 26 yards in the first quarter were still up 9-0. That just seems to be what happens to bad teams. The Rams get a nice opening kickoff return from Danny Amendola and moved the ball down to the Packers 31 to start the game, but Josh Brown's 48 yard FG was blocked. So instead of getting off to a 3-0 start we found ourselves down 9-0 even though the defense played nearly a flawless first quarter. I somehow forgot about the Rams lack of pass pressure, their lack of secondary depth, their lack of playmaking receivers, and their lack of talent. I am sorry fans I will not forget again. Like the Detroit Lions I will never pick the Rams to win a game again until they win one first.

Time For Rams To Punch Someone In The Mouth

It should be simple, after 12 straight losses, and losing 29 of their last 34 games the St. Louis Rams should be pissed off! I think it is time to show it. After being pushed and pushed some more and then pushed again it should be time to push back. That's right, it is time to punch someone in the mouth, and why not the cheeseheads. This could be the Rams best chance to win a game before their week 8 showdown against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Rams will be playing their home opener at the Edward Jones Dome in front of a packed house of 66,000 fans. The Green Bay Packers who have already let up 10 sacks will be without Chad Clifton. The Packers who were stunned last week by the Cincinnati Bengals will also be looking ahead to week four when they will travel to face their good buddy Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. There will be a ton of pressure on the Packers who could easily start 1-3 if they happen to fall to the St. Louis Rams.

As for the Rams it is time to show the fans something. Time to show the fans that keep hearing about the effort and the toughness and how the team is for sale and how the Edward Jones Dome is not good enough for our team, time to show us a win. The Packers just let up 151 yards rushing at home against the Cincinnati Bengals and we have Steve Jackson. We have the hammer, pound the rock. Stand up look them in the face and pound the rock. Hey Barron, Goldberg, Brown, Bell and Incognito, step up show us you want to play here and punch those Packers in the mouth. Run the ball and run the ball some more, and when you are done running the ball run it again. Steven Jackson is our star, and it is time for him to shine brightly and bring home a win so we can remember what it feels like.

It is time for all of the excuses to end. We spent over 30+ million on Bell and Brown. We spent first round draft picks on Barron and Smith. We talk about Marc Bulger in 3rd person saying he is Pro Bowl QB Marc Bulger, well this is 2009 and he has been awful for a long time. Marc is dead last in yards per attempt and 27th in QB rating. I don't want to hear about the receiving core. Donnie Avery is another high draft choice and Marc was 30th in QB rating in 2007 when he had Hall of Fame receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. I don't want to hear about the pinkie or lack of blocking or the lack of preseason play, Marc needs to step up and complete some NFL type passes or he can grab a clipboard.

It is time for Steve Spagnuolo to get after it and throw every blitz you have at the packers patchwork offensive line. You learned from the great Jim Johnson so I know you have those plays just sitting there. Bring the backers, bring the corners, bring a safety, bring them all. Leave no stone unturned. You have Butler and Atogwe back there to cover everything up, just get there before Aaron Rodgers can throw it. The New York Giants beat on Tom Brady and won a game nobody thought they could win. Do the same thing on Sunday. It is time to bloody up an opponent and start the change in our culture. It is our turn on Sunday!

I was not going to pick the Rams until they actually won a game but what the hell.

Prediction St. Louis Rams 20 - Green Bay Packers 16

St. Louis Rams to Honor Deacon Jones

The St. Louis Rams will retire the jersey of Deacon Jones before the home opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The pre-game ceremony will begin at 11:40 forcing fans to get into the dome and to their seats early. Deacon Jones played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1961 to 1971 and is considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history. Jones won NFL defensive player of the year twice, and he was voted to the Pro Bowl nine times. Deacon known for creating the term "quarterback sack" is credited with 173 sacks, even though the NFL did not make "sacks" an official statistic until 1982. Deacon Jones received the highest honor when Elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1980. Deacon Jones along with Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier made up the "Fearsome Foursome." one of the best defensive lines in NFL history.


I was very disappointed in the ceremonies of Marshall Faulk and Georgia Frontiere that the Rams put on. I am not sure why they would have the ceremony for Deacon Jones prior to home opener. There will be lots of fans still outside who will miss this I am sure. Why can't they have the ceremony at half time? I hope it is very nice and we are able to hear it. Deacon deserves this one to be special. It will be great to see the #75 hanging in the rafters where it belongs!

Kurt Warner Enters Hall Of Fame Again!

Last year as the Arizona Cardinals were making their run to the Super Bowl there was a lot of debate if Kurt Warner should be in the NFL Hall of Fame. Well have no fear Kurt Warner has now been selected to the Hall of Fame 5 times! Last week Kurt Warner set an NFL record by going 24-of-26 for a 92.3 completion rate against the Jacksonville Jaguars, beating the previous mark set by Vinny Testaverde of the Cleveland Browns back in 1993. Testaverde was 21-of-23. Kurt's jersey and a football from that game will now be placed in an exhibit within the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. Kurt already has four other items in the Hall of Fame from his previous feats:

Game ball signed by Kurt from Super Bowl XXXIV victory over the Tennessee Titans
Kurt's game worn jersey from Super Bowl XXXIV
Kurt’s game worn jersey and a football from game against the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 1, 2000 when he became the second QB in history to record a perfect passer rating of 158.3 twice!
Kurt’s game worn jersey and the football he threw against the N.Y. Giants on Nov. 23, 2008 when he reached the 40,000 yard mark of his pro career (includes NFL Europe, Arena Football, and NFL passing yards).

There is no doubt or debate Kurt Warner is a NFL Hall of Fame QB. Kurt will surpass the 30,000 yard mark by midseason this year and that should be the last stat needed.

Weekly Wup Ass Award

We have granted our Week 2 Wup Ass Award. Click HERE to find out who won!

St. Louis Rams Week 3 Injury Report

St. Louis Rams Week 3 Injury Report

Jason Smith (T) Knee - Doubtful
Jason Brown (C) Knee Probable

The Rams are very healthy heading into this weeks game against the Green Bay Packers.

NFL Week 3 Predictions

Wow last week was a bad week to make predictions, bet, or be in a survivor league. Week 2 is always tough because nobody wants to start 0-2. This week 0-2 teams will be fighting for their lives so watch out again. Every week I will make my NFL game day predictions. I would love it if you share your opinions, or your own predictions in the comment area of our St. Louis Rams Blog. All picks will be straight-up, not against the spread. Good Luck. Week 3 Predictions below:

St. Louis Rams
Minnesota Vikings
Houston Texans
Washington Redskins
New England Patriots
Tennessee Titans
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Baltimore Ravens
Seattle Seahawks
Denver Broncos
San Diego Chargers
Buffalo Bills
Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys

Last Weeks Results – 6 – 10

Year-To-Date Results – 18 - 14

Last year I was 162-93-1 on predictions

DirecTV Ultimate Displaced Fan Contest

Die Hard Rams Fans take a look at this! For all of my fans in other locations like Los Angeles and even the ones I have talked to lately in England and Italy, this is your chance to win a huge prize. We know your Rams are in St. Louis and you can only view them on DirecTV so why not win a prize from DirecTV! All you have to do is show your Rams pride and you could be the winner. Good Luck!!

For the second year in a row DIRECTV is giving die-hard NFL displaced fans around the country the chance to earn the distinction as America’s Ultimate Displaced Fan. One winner will win the ultimate Super Bowl experience, including a trip to Miami, tickets to the game and a player from their favorite team. If that’s not enough, the winner will rub elbows with NFL stars and celebrities when they get to participate in the DIRECTV Beach Bowl celebrity flag football game, and do their own media tour at the official Super Bowl media center, just like the NFL stars do every year.

This season, the contest asks “displaced” NFL fans living outside the market of their favorite team to step up and show why they deserve to be crowned this year’s DIRECTV ULTIMATE DISPLACED FAN. Fans can visit www.theultimatedisplacedfan.com and submit written essays, videos and photo submissions (any or all of these elements) that illustrate why they should earn the title and the Super Bowl week prize package. Entrants will have a chance to win the same once-in-a-lifetime Super Bowl week experience as the 2008 winner. Four semi-finalists will receive one-year complimentary subscriptions to the DIRECTV® CHOICETM package, the NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ subscription for the 2010 season, complete with the NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan® upgraded service package, as well as any required DIRECTV® Receiving equipment.

NFL Week 3 Rams Prop Bets From Bodog

Each week there are interesting prop bets set up in Las Vegas. The St. Louis Rams continue to get a lack of respect maybe because of their 12 straight losses, or the fact that they only score 7 points total in two games. Take a look courtesy of Bodog.

Rams Prop Bets

Last rookie coach to get a victory in the 2009?

Todd Haley (KC) 8/5
Steve Spagnuolo (STL) 7/4
Jim Schwartz (DET) 9/5

Offensive TD’s Rams will score in Week 3?

Over/Under 1

Billy Devaney Needs To Get To Work

As everyone has heard by now Billy Devaney was offended by comments made by Mark Schlereth on ESPN's Mike & Mike show today. During their true/false segment the question was are the St. Louis Rams the worst team in the NFL. Of course the answer was yes but Mark further said "they’re not competing" and he said that the Rams organization was in “shambles.” Billy Devaney later on ESPN said “I’ll be honest; I’ve got to take a deep breath, because that really pisses me off." Mark later apologized to Devaney and said he meant they are not competitive.

Well tomato tamato is what I say. Our GM should have better things to do then get in a semantics battle with a former NFL player, or the media for that matter. Hey Billy, why don't you make some phone calls and get us some NFL caliber players. The Rams are 5-29 in their last 34 games and have lost 12 straight games. We are awful. We are without playmakers. We are the worst team in the NFL right now. Let's look in the mirror and not worry about what the media has to say.

Week 3 - NFL Pointspread & Odds

Week 3 - NFL Pointspread & Odds

Favorite OVER Underdog

New York Jets 3 Tennessee Titans
Green Bay Packers 6.5 St. Louis Rams
Washington Redskins 6 Detroit Lions
New England Patriots 4.5 Atlanta Falcons
Houston Texans 4 Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings 7 San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore Ravens 13.5 Cleveland Browns
New York Giants 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New Orleans Saints 5.5 Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears 1.5 Seattle Seahawks
Pittsburgh Steelers 4.5 Cincinnati Bengals
San Diego Chargers 6 Miami Dolphins
Denver Broncos 1.5 Oakland Raiders
Arizona Cardinals 1.5 Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys 9 Carolina Panthers

St. Louis Rams Score But Lose 9-7 To Redskins

The St Louis Rams did some things to help win the game on Sunday and they did some things to help themselves lose on Sunday. The end result was a 9-7 loss to the Washington Redskins at FexEx field. If I told you Steven Jackson would run for 100+ yards, the turnover battle would be even, Marc Bulger would only be sacked one time, and Albert Haynesworth would only have 1 tackle you would think the Rams would win. Of course for the 12th straight time they did not. The Rams did score their first touchdown of the season with 3:56 to go in the 2nd quarter to put the Rams up 7-6. The Bulger to Laurent Robinson 2 yard hookup put the Rams up 7-6 at halftime as the Redskins left the field to a chorus of boos!

On to the second half. After the Redskins failed to convert inside the Red Zone again and settled for a 23-yard field goal from Scott Suisham they led 9-7. The Rams then got the ball and had the drive of the game. The Rams held the ball for 8 minutes and 25 seconds and drove the ball to the Redskins 9 yard line. On 2nd and 4 from the 9 the Rams handed the ball to Steven Jackson who bounced outside and was stopped for no gain. The play was a run between the tackles with Mike Karney as the lead blocker. There was a huge hole opened by the line and Karney easily got through to the second level to even provide another block. For some reason Jackson bounced the play outside and was stuffed. On 3rd and 4 from the 9 Bulger threw a short pass to Donnie Avery who was without a catch on the day. The ball and the defender got there about the same time. Avery hauled in the pass and was immediately hit and the ball popped loose and was recovered by Carlos Rogers of the Redskins. With 12 minutes and 55 seconds left in the game the Rams had blown it. Donnie Avery our number one receiver managed to catch one ball in the game and he fumbled it away. You just knew that was it for the Rams. Washington owned the clock for most of the game and the 4th quarter was no different. The Rams managed only 8 yards the entire rest of the 4th quarter and finished with only 245 total net yards on the day.

There is no moral victory here. This is the NFL folks and the Rams have lost 12 straight games and are already two games out of first in the NFC West. The Redskins always play close games and rarely score more than 20. It is great we stayed with them but we lost. The Rams have averaged 3.5 points and 246 yards per game through 2 games. They are ranked 32nd and 31st in those two categories. Marc Bulger who is under siege and really does not have much to work with is only completing 50 percent of his passes and has a QB rating of 69.5 That ranks Marc 27th, around the same area he has been for 2+ years now. With the Green Bay Packers coming to town the Rams will need to start scoring some points or they will be 0-3 and the 2009 season will basically be over.

Week 2 – Rams @ Redskins Matchup

Both the St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins started the season with a loss. After today one of the teams will drop to 0-2 and you know what they say about your playoff chances when you start 0-2. The Redskins are coming off a tough loss against the New York Giants and will be looking to take it out on the Rams who have now lost 11 games in a row. The Redskins who play in the tough NFL East should benefit from a string of games against St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Kansas City which could put them at the top of their division. The Rams on the other hand have to play tough road games at Washington, San Francisco, and Jacksonville and even tougher home games agsinst Green Bay, Minnesota and Indianapolis before their schedule gets easier.

These teams at times can be very similar with bad QB play, a receiving core that does not scare you and an inconsistent running game. Which ever team plays better in these 3 areas today will come away the winner. The Rams managed to create three early turnovers last weeks against the Seattle Seahawks but were unable to turn those mistake into any points. They must convert all opportunities to stay in these games.

The Rams need to find a way to stop the run and then come after Jason Campbell with a pass rush that they have not been able to produce so far. I expect a much better blitz package this week from Steve Spagnuolo. This is the type of game the Rams usually get beat by the back up running back. I think Ladell Betts will see a lot of action today and the Rams will need to shut down their run. The Rams who allowed 5.1 per rush in the preseason started off allowing 4.9 last week to Julius Jones and the Seattle Seahawks, they will not win many games if that continues.

On offense the Rams were worse than pitiful last week as they were the ONLY NFL team to come away with zero points. They obviously look to improve upon that this week. The Rams had around 100 meager yards heading into the 4th quarter last week. The Rams say they are going to pound Steven Jackson but will they? Today should be straight forward they need to run behind Incognito and Jason Smith and try to overpower Phillip Daniels & Brian Orakpo. On the left side of the line they will have their hands full with Jacob Bell who has been just awful since the Rams acquired him from Tennessee, going up against the monster man Albert Haynesworth. In the passing game I am about done with Marc Bulger and talking about Marc Bulger. However if we are going to score any points today he is going to need to complete some passes under pressure. He is great in practice with his little red "don't touch me shirt on" but under pressure he continues to crumble like a Ritz cracker. Step up Marc, just step up!

Although the Redskins do not frighten me and are not the type of team that will blow many teams out, I still do not like the Rams chances today. They have just not played together long enough. The injuries to Marc Bulger and Donnie Avery have this offense way behind. Along with the fact the Rams have a new Offensive coordinator, RT, LT and Center this team will take a while to put it together. I do love the swarming, ball hawking defense but they are not good enough to spend the whole day on the field. If the Rams can contain Portis and Betts they should be able to take this one into the 4th quarter and have a shot. In the end I think the team with 11 straight loses will continue to find ways to lose.

Prediction Washington 20-10 over the Rams

St. Louis Rams Week 2 Injury Report

St. Louis Rams Week 2 Injury Report

Craig Dahl (S) Hamstring Out
John Greco (T) Wrist Out

The Rams are pretty healthy heading into this weeks game against the Washington Redskins.

NFL Week 2 Predictions

Every week I will make my NFL game day predictions. We would love it if you share your opinions, or your own predictions in the comment area of our St. Louis Rams Blog. All picks will be straight-up, not against the spread. Good Luck. Week 2 Predictions below:

Tennessee Titans
Philadelphia Eagles
New England Patriots
Green Bay Packers
Kansas City Chiefs
Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons
Washington Redskins
Buffalo Bills
San Francisco 49ers
San Diego Chargers
Denver Broncos
Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins

Last Weeks Results – 12 – 4

Year-To-Date Results – 12 - 4

Last year I was 162-93-1 on predictions

Stlvinnie 2009 NFL Power Rankings - Week 2

1 Pittsburgh Steelers
2 Green Bay Packers
3 Philadelphia Eagles
4 Atlanta Falcons
5 Baltimore Ravens
6 San Diego Chargers
7 New York Giants
8 New England Patriots
9 Tennessee Titans
10 Minnesota Vikings
11 New York Jets
12 Indianapolis Colts
13 Dallas Cowboys
14 New Orleans Saints
15 Washington Redskins
16 Chicago Bears
17 Jacksonville Jaguars
18 San Francisco 49ers
19 Arizona Cardinals
20 Carolina Panthers
21 Buffalo Bills
22 Miami Dolphins
23 Seattle Seahawks
24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25 Houston Texans
26 Denver Broncos
27 Cincinnati Bengals
28 Cleveland Browns
29 Kansas City Chiefs
30 Oakland Raiders
31 Detroit Lions
32 St. Louis Rams

Rams Have Signed WR Ruvell Martin

The St. Louis Rams have signed wide receiver Ruvell Martin. Ruvell is a 6'4" 220 receiver out of Saginaw Valley State. He has spent his career with the Green Bay Packers. The Packers cut Ruvell on September 5th, and he worked out for the Rams today. I thought the Rams would take a look at Hank Baskett, however Ruvell is the same size. The Rams finally have a receiver with size which should come in handy. Ruvell had 52 catches, for 749 yards and 6 touchdowns in three years with the Packers. It seems like the Rams roster may be changing weekly for a while

Week 2 - NFL Pointspread & Odds

Favorite OVER Underdog

Tennessee Titans 6.5 Houston Texans
New England Patriots 4 New York Jets
Green Bay Packers 9 Cincinnati Bengals
Kansas City Chiefs 3 Oakland Raiders
Jacksonville Jaguars 3 Arizona Cardinals
Minnesota Vikings 9.5 Detroit Lions
Atlanta Falcons 6 Carolina Panthers
Washington Redskins 9.5 St. Louis Rams
Buffalo Bills 4.5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
San Franscisco 49ers 1.5 Seattle Seahawks
San Diego Chargers 3 Baltimore Ravens
Denver Broncos 3 Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers 3 Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys 2.5 New York Giants
Indianapolis Colts 3 Miami Dolphins

No Line on New Orleans @ Philadelphia

NFL.com Has Rams As Laughing Stock Already

The St. Louis Rams are in the Sunday funnies section of the Good, Bad & Ugly section of NFL.com today. The Rams are going to have to battle for their own respect before the season spirals out of control.

Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network has this to say of the Rams:

"It would be easy each week to make fun of the St Louis Rams, who in my mind are
one of the least talented teams in the NFL. But they are trying to improve with
new coach Steve Spagnuolo, so let's give them a little time."

The Steven Jackson report on 101 ESPN

Every week Steven Jackson will do a call-in feature on “The Fast Lane” at 5pm CST on 101 ESPN. I was able to catch the show tonight. The hosts Bob Ramsey, Randy Karraker, and DeMarco Farr will ask Steven questions about the St. Louis Rams previous game. I will summarize below:

On the chippy play and conflicts with Aaron Curry, Steven Jackson said it was the 1st game, and it was just guys being competitive.

About the hit on Bulger, Jackson was quick to say this team will not lay down, they will fight to the end. The Rams want to focus on 2009, not the 5-27 over the previous two season.

What happens in the huddle when all of the false starts and personal fouls are happening? Jackson basically said nobody gets yelled at they just say come on team or come on Rams we know better we need to play smarter. He said they don't want to step on individual toes in those situations. I don't know why it is apparent someone needs to talk to Richie Incognito.

On the O-line performance, Jackson simply said the Seattle Seahawks were prepared.

About the hit on Mark Bulger, Jackson said they are not going to let another team try to intimidate them, and they will protect their QB. A few first downs would have protected him better if you ask me.

On his off day (Tuesday) he likes to spend time with his family and just do normal things.

They asked about his running style and if there was any daylight on the running plays. Jackson again just pointed out that Seattle played well.

When asked a dumb question about how the loss of Brian Urlacher from the Chicago Bears would affect their defense, Jackson said he is worried about Albert Haynesworth and the Washington Redskins.

Steve Spagnuolo gets Shit on 28-0

Steve Spagnuolo now knows what he was getting into or on him by taking the St. Louis Rams coaching job. The Rams were once again shit on by a divisional foe, this time 28-0 by the Seattle Seahawks who were 4-12 last year. It only took one play for the Rams to make a mistake on Sunday. On the opening kickoff Donnie Avery ran up the middle and immediately fumbled once contact was made and Seattle's Herring recovered. My first question of many today would be why was Avery back there? Avery returned one kick all of 2008 and that was due to an injury. Stanley and Gado were back there through the preseason so why Avery today, why your starting wideout on a team with no depth at wideout? Well that turned out to be the least of our problems today. The Rams shot themselves in the foot all day long. The Rams had a penalty on every offensive possession during the 1st quarter.

In the first 11 minutes and 49 seconds of the game the Rams defense was flying to the ball like in the preseason and managed to force two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The early interception by James Butler kept the Seahawks off the board early and gave the Rams hope. James Laurinaitis recovered a fumble on the Seattle 38 to set the Rams up in scoring position midway through the 1st quarter. After a bad penalty and a bad snap the Rams were only able to move the ball 3 total yards to the Seahawks 35 yard line. I thought the Rams would go for the long FG and try to take the lead but instead they pinned the Seahawks deep. The next drive O.J. Atogwe intercepted Hasselbeck and that was about it for the defense. They gave the offense 3 opportunities but were unable to cash in with any points.

After that the comedy or errors just got worse from that point on for the Rams. John Carlson caught a TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck to complete a 73 yard drive and put the Seahawks up 7-0. Then came the play of the game. With Seattle driving late before halftime the Rams forced a 4th and 5 and Seattle went for a field goal. With 1:05 left in the half C.J. Ah You broke in and blocked the kick, which was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Quincy Butler. The Rams had tied the score! We were going to be in a 30 minute battle to win a game. But wait, they seem to be reviewing the play which came inside the last two minutes of the half. What could they be reviewing? Turns out the Rams had 12 men on the field and the TD would not count. To make matters worse it was 4th and 5, and the 5 yard penalty gave the Seahawks a first down. Well you know what happened after that, Matt Hasselbeck completed the 72 yard drive with a 12 yard TD pass to Nate Burleson. Within 53 seconds we went from being tied 7-7, to being down 14-0 at the half.

The Rams seemed discourage starting the second half as they were manhandled in the 3rd quarter. Seattle tacked on 2 more touchdowns and almost 200 yards of offense in the 3rd quarter alone to put the game out of reach at 28-0. The Rams only managed 41 yards and 3 more Donnie Jones punts in the quarter. The rams had 93 yards of total offense through 3 quarters, and almost as many penalty yards. The Rams wasted timeouts, had false start penalties, and two 15 yard personal foul calls on our friend Richie Incognito. Steven Jackson had 3 carried for 8 yards in the 3rd and was basically a non-factor on the day.

The numbers do not lie the Rams are just a bad football team. The Rams have lost 11 straight regular season games. You have to go back to October 19th 2008 for the Rams last victory, a 34-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams have lost 11 straight division games. The Rams have lost 9 straight games to the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams have only 5 wins in their last 33 games. The Rams have cut a lot of dead weight off the roster but they still need to add some stars and talent.

There were not many bright spots for the Rams. They played hard to the end and Donnie Jones was great other than that the same issues were still there. The new offensive line only allowed 3 sacks, but they had their normal false starts and the run blocking was nothing to write home about. The offense was plain vanilla and was unable to get anything started or provide the defense with many breaks. The defense started off fast but faded. They once again allowed a lot of rushing yards (167) and one big run. The secondary played well but at times players were wide open. Hasselbeck was able to throw for 179 yards, 3 TDs, and a QB rating of 96.9.

The Rams will now travel to Washington to take on the 0-1 Redskins who lost 23-17 to the New York Giants today. Hang in there coach Spagnuolo, we believe in you but it will take some time. For now wipe off your shoulder and put those boys to work.

2009 NFL Playoff Predictions

WILD-CARD PLAYOFFS

Tennessee over Baltimore
Pittsburgh over Indianapolis
New York Giants over Arizona
Minnesota over Atlanta

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

San Diego over Tennessee
New England over Pittsburgh
Philadelphia over New York Giants
Green Bay over Minnesota

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

San Diego over New England
Green Bay over Philadelphia

SUPER BOWL XLIV

Green Bay over Philadelphia

NFL NFC Division Predictions

NFC EAST
Philadelphia 10-6
New York 10-6
Washington 9-7
Dallas 9-7

NFC WEST
Arizona 9-7
Seattle 8-8
San Francisco 6-10
St. Louis 3-13

NFC NORTH
Green Bay 11-5
Minnesota 10-6
Chicago 10-6
Detroit 3-13

NFC SOUTH
Atlanta 10-6
Carolina 8-8
New Orleans 8-8
Tampa Bay 4-12

NFL AFC Division Predictions

AFC EAST
New England 11-5
New York 8-8
Miami 6-10
Buffalo 6-10

AFC WEST
San Diego 12-4
Denver 7-9
Kansas City 4-12
Oakland 4-12

AFC NORTH
Pittsburgh 11-5
Baltimore 10-6
Cincinnati 7-9
Cleveland 5-11

AFC SOUTH
Tennessee 11-5
Indianapolis 10-6
Houston 9-7
Jacksonville 7-9

St. Louis Rams Season Preview

Offense - Change is the word for the Rams offense. New head coach Steve Spagnuolo is defensive minded. The Rams also brought in Pat Shurmur who runs a West Coast offense, so expect a lot of quick dink and dunk passes from Marc Bulger, and a heavy dose of Steven Jackson. I expect Jackson to get 25 touches every week, hopefully he can take the punishment. The Rams Will go with Samkon Gado and Kenneth Darby to back up Jackson. At receiver Torry Holt is gone and Donnie Avery is the #1. Avery has more receptions (53) in the NFL than any other receiver on the Rams roster. Their lack of experience is sure to show. Expect every team to key on Jackson and put 8 in the box. The Rams did draft OT Jason Smith from Baylor and picked up massive Center Jason Brown as a free agent to help restore the offensive line. The biggest question will be the leadership and ability for Marc Bulger to make positive plays and stay away from turnovers and sacks.

Defense - The Rams have been in the bottom 5 in points allowed the previous four years! It is hard to win many games that way. Steve Spagnuolo is going to look to build the defense around youngsters Chris Long and James Laurinaitis. The Rams must have a much better defense against the rush and generate a much better pass rush. The Rams are very young at defensive tackle, in addition Adam Carriker is out for the year with an injury. Spagnuolo has chosen to go very young with the roster. The Rams have chosen to release Tye Hill and Chris Draft and will start Jonathan Wade and David Vabora. The cornerbacks are super inexperienced with Ron Bartell leading the group with only four years of service. The lack of quality depth at cornerback will show against teams like Green Bay, Indy, and Arizona.

Special Teams - It does not get any better than Josh Brown and Donnie Jones. Some of the Rams best drives will be to play it safe get a few yards and let Donnie boot it 50 yards down field to help out the defense. The kick returns will be handled by Derek Stanley and Kenneth Darby, not much of a threat. With the new rule of only two players allowed on the kickoff wedge I am not expecting much on kickoff returns. We need the Rams to improve on kick coverage as well. Players like Chamberlain, Vobara and Culberson will be expected to make a lot of tackles.

Schedule - After starting the last 2 years 0-4 and 0-8 I am very worried about the Rams first 7 games on this years schedule. There is a good chance the Rams will get off to a slow start again. The Rams will play four 2008 playoff teams in 2009. The records of the Rams 2009 opponents were 119-137 in 2008. That is a winning percentage of only .464. The Rams have very hard games against the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts in 09. If you throw out those two games Rams opponents were 94-130 for a .419 winning percentage. The Rams play in the worst division in football and need to find a way to start winning division games again.

Our Thoughts - The offense will have a very hard time moving the ball and putting up points. They have the least experienced group of receivers in the NFL. They have a QB that has had two awful years in a row, and comes into the season with a broken pinkie. Marc needs to stand in the pocket and make good decisions. Steven Jackson will have every defense focused on stopping him. The defense is very young and I can't believe they are going into the season with this group of 5 cornerbacks. I expect them to get burnt early and often at the beginning of the season. James Laurinaitis is a great anchor to build around. I believe you will see the Rams manufacture a better pass rush with more blitzing and they will also swarm to the ball in an attempt to create a lot of turnovers. Overall the squad is in rebuilding mode and is just too young and inexperienced to expect much this year. The lack of star power and depth will hurt the Rams as well. The bottom line is going into a season with an offensive line that has never played a game together is just not good in the NFL. They have turned the corner with a new front office and head coach but they are still a few players away.

Prediction - (3 - 13) Early season schedule is way to hard

Week 1 – Seahawks vs. Rams Matchup

Both the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams are looking to start over in 2009. The teams combined to go 6-26 in 2008. With last year behind them both teams are looking to start over with new leadership. The Seahawks are now coached by Jim Mora Jr. and Steve Spagnuolo is the new coach of the St. Louis Rams. Both teams are looking to build their defenses around 2009 draft picks Aaron Curry and James Laurinaitis. Both players were outstanding in the preseason. Curry had 9 tackles and a sack, while Laurinaitis made 13 tackles and intercepted a pass.

Seattle will be glad to get Matt Hasselbeck back after only playing in 7 games last year. The Seahawks huge offseason pick up was T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and later they also added Edgerrin James to back up Julius Jones. In the 2009 NFL draft the Seahawks picked up Aaron Curry, Max Unger and Deon Butler all should step right in and have a huge impact this year.

The Rams are just looking to start over and move in the right direction. After removing the front office and almost all of the coaching staff it is now Steve Spagnolo's job to right the ship. The Rams picked up center Jason Brown, while adding Jason Smith and James Laurinaitis through the draft. The Rams are now very young and inexperienced since releasing a few veterans including Tye Hill their first round draft pick in 2006.The recent release of Chris draft 72 hours prior to the season starting also raises a possible team chemistry issue.

As for this weeks game, if it looks like, acts like, and quacks like a duck it is a duck. In this case that means clearly the Seattle Seahawks will win this week. The Rams have lost 8 straight games to Seattle, including a 37-13 pounding last year at Quest Field. For those that have forgotten the Rams have also lost 10 straight regular season games. Quest Field is a very hard place to play and the Rams will be heading there with an offensive line that has never played together. To make matters worse the offense was not able to get in any work in the preseason. Marc Bulger injured his pinkie and only threw 4 passes in the preseason. In addition an injury to Donnie Avery cost him the entire preseason, and Steven Jackson only saw enough action to get in 10 carries. After cutting Tye Hill the Rams will head into the game with Ron Bartell and Jonathan Wade as their starting corners and they will be forced to cover Houshmandzadeh, Burleson, Butler, and Branch who may not play. I love how the Rams defense forced turnovers and swarmed to the ball in the preseason but I just do not see the offense doing enough to win this one.

Prediction Seattle 23-10 over the Rams

Adrian Peterson Nike commercial

The star of the first half of the Thursday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans was the Adrian Peterson Nike commercial. Alter Ego posted it on YouTube. You can watch it below. It is sick!

St. Louis Rams Release Draft, Add Culberson

In a surprise move, 72 hours prior to the St. Louis Rams opener against the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams released LB Chris Draft. Apparently the Rams asked Draft to take a pay cut and he declined. The Rams then released Draft which will save $380,000. However Draft was going to start on Sunday so now what? With Larry Grant injured, who I believe should be the starting outside linebacker, David Vabora (Mr. Irrelevant) will step in. Quinton Culberson who was just cut was added back to the Rams roster. The Rams only have 5 cornerbacks on the roster and 4 wide receivers, so I am also surprised they brought back another linebacker. Culberson a undrafted rookie free agent is far from a star, and not as good as Draft. I believe this move was to once again make the team younger and to save money against the cap. Also remember coach Steve Spagnuolo worked with the Philadelphia Eagles who are great with the cap but are known for cutting players over 30. Is Spagnuolo a chip off of the Andy Reid block?

NFL Week 1 Predictions

Every week I will make my NFL game day predictions. We would love it if you share your opinions, or your own predictions in the comment area of our St. Louis Rams Blog, below this story. All picks will be straight-up, not against the spread. Good Luck. Week 1 Predictions below:

Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys
New Orleans Saints
Atlanta Falcons
Houston Texans
Denver Broncos
Carolina Panthers
Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings
Baltimore Ravens
Washington Redskins
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
San Diego Chargers

Last Weeks Results – 0 – 0

Year-To-Date Results – 0 - 0

Last year I was 162-93-1 on predictions

2009 St. Louis Rams Odds

Below are some interesting St. Louis Rams odds for the 2009 season from Bodog.com

Odds to win the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV
St. Louis Rams 100 to 1

Odds to win the 2009 NFC Championship
St. Louis Rams 50 to 1

Odds to win the NFC West Division
St. Louis Rams 10 to 1

Regular Season Win Total Over/Under
Over 5.5 -150
Under 5.5 +120

Who will have the most Rushing Yards in the 2009 NFL Regular Season?
Steven Jackson 12 to 1

Who will have the most Passing Yards in the 2009 NFL Regular Season?
Marc Bulger 65 to 1

Who will have the most Receiving Yards in the 2009 NFL Regular Season?
Donnie Avery 50 to 1

2009 NFL Season Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year?
Laurinaitas 9 to 1

Rams Sign Chris Ogbonnaya To Practice Squad

Monday the St. Louis Rams signed Chris Ogbonnaya and defensive end Bryan Smith to their practice squad. This fills the practice squad with eight members. Ogbonnaya was the Rams 7th round draft pick in the NFL 2009 Draft. Ogbonnaya saw a lot of work in the preseason with 32 catches. Coming out of Texas as a very good pass catching back, most thought Chris was going to make the Rams with their current lack of depth at that position. Hopefully Chris will be able make the team in 2010. Bryan Smith is a defensive end drafted in the 3rd round last year by the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith is 6'2" and 250lbs out of McNeese State. McNeese State Profile below:

"One of the top defensive ends in the nation...first team all-American, was a
finalist for the Buck Buchanan award and was named the Defensive Player of the
Year in the Southand Conference....he's a sack master with the quickest feet in
the conference...........his forte is his pass rushing...very athletic...carries
4.6 speed in the 40....315 pounds in the power clean...teams won't run his way "

St. Louis Rams Claim Two Off Waivers

The St. Louis Rams picked up two players off waivers today. the Rams have picked up Safety Anthony Smith and Defensive Tackle Lajuan Ramsey. To make room for those two players the Rams cut/released Quinton Culberson and Nate Jones. Culberson comes as no surprise to me and I predicted Culberson and Roach would be the first to go if we picked up any players. With the release of Nate Jones the Rams are down to four wide receivers on their roster. Expect the Rams to make more moves, they will not head into the fist game at Seattle with only four wide receivers on the roster. Also will We see the release of David Roach?

Lajuan Ramsey (USC) has played 3 years in the NFL, two with the Philadelphia Eagles and last year with the Indianapolis Colts. He has never started a game but has been in 19 overall making 12 tackles. Steve Spagnuolo was in Philly in 2006 so he knows Ramsey.

Anthony Smith is a 6' 200lb Safety out of Syracuse. He played on the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Championship team. Smith has started 14 games in his 3 years in the NFL. During that time he has made 106 tackles and had four interceptions.

I like how coach Steve Spagnuolo seems to be bringing in winners. Note that the Rams signed Jason Brown (Balt), James Butler (NYG), and Mike Karney (NO) during 2009 free agency period. Now they pick up two more players in Ramsey and Smith with playoff experience.

St. Louis Rams Sign Six To Practice Squad

Six players that the St. Louis Rams cut late this week have been now added to their practice squad. Those players are K.C. Asiou, Eric Butler, Ian Campbell, Dominic Douglas, Cord parks and Sean Walker. The practice squad helps the team get ready for upcoming games by simulating opposing players and their plays.

We Analyze The St. Louis Rams Roster Cuts

After cutting running backs Antonio Pittman, and Chris Ogbonnaya were cut the Rams are left with only 3 runnngbacks on the roster at the moment. With Samkon Gado suffering cartilage damage to his ribs and being questionable for the season opener in Seattle will the Rams pick up another back? Did Kenneth Darby make the squad based on special teams play? It looks like the Rams really have a lack of talented depth and this position.

I was really not surprised the Rams kept Keith Null over Brock Berlin. Null is cheaper, younger, and has more of an upside than Berlin. In addition the Rams have two veterans in Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller on the roster so not a huge need for a 3rd veteran at the moment.

With Billy Bajema making the roster the Rams only kept 5 Wide receivers. I was very happy to see Nate Jones make the team. I like his speed and quickness, and again the upside. On the downside the Rams are heading into the 2009 season with a very young and inexperienced group in Avery, Burton, Jones, Robinson, and Stanley. Donnie Avery with 53 catches in the NFL leads the entire group, talk about inexperience. Expect some growing pains at this position.

The Rams kept 9 on the O-line and D-line. It was a shame Eric Moore hurt his hand in the game against the Chiefs and was put on IR, I think he had a good chance of making the team. His injury helped C.J. Ah You earn a backup DE position. Eric Young (RT) and Gary Gibson (DT) are both young players that played their way onto the team

The Rams kept 7 linebackers. I was surprised with the lack of playing time Quinton Culberson had in the preseason that he made the team. If the Rams pickup a player prior to the season I would not be surprised to see Culberson let go. Nice to see Larry Grant make the team and I would also like to see him start next to his Ohio State teammate James Laurinaitis. David Vabora Mr. Irrelevant from the 2008 draft has also made the squad again. I like the sure tackling ability of Chamberlain and Vabora, they also contribute on special teams.

There were no cuts at cornerback which was no surprise since the Rams only had 5 left. At safety can someone tell me how David Roach made the team? I know Todd Johnson did not have a good preseason either but Roach was just awful. If the Rams make a roster move this week you would think Roach would get released. The other backup safety spot went to Craig Dahl

St. Louis Rams Cut Roster To 53

The St. Louis Rams cut the following 19 players on Saturday Antonio Pittman, Chris Ogbonnaya, Roy Schuening. Brock Berlin, K.C. Asiodu, Dominic Douglas, Antwon Burton, Eric Butler, Ian Campbell, Renardo Foster. Phil Trautwein, Jerome Johnson, Tim Mattran, Cord Parks, Mark Rubin, Sean Walker, Todd Johnson, Tim Carter and Ronald Curry. In addition the Rams placed Adam Carriker and Eric Moore on injured reserve getting them down to 53 men on the final roster.

Rams Beat Chiefs 17-9

The Rams capped a solid 3-1 preseason with a 17-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs Thursday night at the Edward Jones Dome. Quincy Butler intercepted Tyler Thigpen with 2:48 left in the 3rd quarter and returned it for a touchdown to put the Rams up 14-9. Quincy made a great break on the ball that was thrown a little late by Thigpen. The Rams once again won the battle of turnovers 3-1 and that was the difference. Basically the game was no more than a scrimmage and a tryout for many of the players left on both rosters. The Rams will need to cut 21 more players by this Saturday. After tonight's play the decision may just have gotten harder. Both Brock Berlin and Keith Null were 9 of 17, however Berlin did throw a TD to Daniel Fells. Their play has been about even. Berlin has more experience and costs more so it is just a matter of what coach Spagnuolo is looking for in a 3rd string QB. Kenneth Darby and Antonio Pittman each had just 3 carries each so I don't know how you can make much of that. The Rams spread the ball around to 12 receivers tonight. Derek Stanley stands out with his quickness but he still has the drops from time to time. Stanley only has 6 catches in the NFL so lack of experience is definitely an issue as well. Justin King and Quincy Butler each had picks in the secondary. All 5 DBs should make the team. Justin King did limp off in pain during the last series of the game. The Rams allowed two big runs early in the game by Larry Johnson and Dantrell Savage, but held the Chiefs to field goals both times. Early on Mike Vrabel was in the Rams backfield almost every play. The Rams must get solid play from their O and D lines once the season starts. Jason Smith is still over matched and getting beat on passing plays. I believe the Rams will start the season with Adam Goldberg at RT. I would also like to give props to old reliable Donnie Jones who was called on to punt 9 times tonight. Jones averaged 47 yards per punt with 7 downed inside the 20! We will now wait and watch for the news on who the Rams will cut, and who they may possibly pick up. Will the Rams bring in a veteran corner and wide receiver or go with who they have? We will find out shortly.

The Chiefs finish the preseason on a serious downward spiral. Matt Cassel was hurt during their 3rd preseason game and could be out for up to four weeks with a knee injury. New head coach Todd Hayley also fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. In addition Haley has also been into it with their top receiver Dwayne Bowe throughout camp. The Chiefs finish the preseason 0-4 with only 42 points scored. The Chiefs also received no scheduling favors from the league as they will play Baltimore, Philadelphia, Dallas, and the New York Giants all within the first 5 weeks of the season.

St. Louis Rams vs. Chiefs Pregame Thoughts

The St. Louis Rams will take on the Kansas City Chiefs tonight at the Edward Jones Dome. This game will be blacked out locally since it has not sold out. You can catch the taped delayed showing on Fox 2 at 10:30 CST in the St. Louis area. Both teams will be playing for the PFC (Private First Class) Cup, I mean Governor’s Cup. The Rams and Chiefs combined to go 4-28 lastyear, and a horrific 11-53 over the last two seasons. This is just another reason Rams PSL holders should be upset. The fact that season ticket holder are forced to pay full price for these preseason games is a joke. In addition it is upsetting that your casual fan can find tickets to the preseason games as low as $5 on Stubhub and other major ticket outlets. Teams are looking at the bottom half of their roster by game four of the preseason as well as being cautious with starters. We already know we will not see Marc Bulger or Matt Cassel do to injury and it is unlikely we will see much or any of Steven Jackson or Larry Johnson. This game is basically a try out. Below are some things we will be watching for.

There is a battle for the 3rd QB spot between Brock Berlin and Keith Null. I give the edge right now to Null who was drafted by coach Steve Spagnuolo, is younger, has a bigger upside, and is cheaper to keep.

There is a log jam for backup running back. Samkon Gado seems to have earned the #2 spot for now. Antonio Pittman or rookie Chris Ogbonnaya will probably be odd man out. I will project Pittman will be cut.

The Rams have quantity but not much quality at WR. Nate Jones is odd man out, but veterans Tim Carter and Ronald Curry will also be playing for a roster spot tonight. Do we really need to spend big money on Ronald Curry?

The O-line is pretty much set and has some versatile players on it as well. This is bad news for the likes of Renardo Foster, Tim Taltran, Mark Setterstrom and Eric Young. It will just come down to how many O-line the Rams plan to keep.

On the D-Line the emergence and play of Darell Scott and Gary Gibson could have veterans Adam Carriker and Hollis Thomas on the bubble at DT. I would not be surprised if Antwon Burton and Carriker are cut. Eric Moore has played well in preseason at DE but has it been good enough to earn a spot? With James Hall, Leonard Little, and Chris Long as a solid rotation how many backups will they keep? Adeyanju, Ah You, and Moore will battle for a spot or maybe two tonight.

Very excited about the Linebacker prospects with James Laurinaitis on the Rams. With Will Witherspoon back on the outside where he belongs who will be the other starting LB? Culberson has not played much at all in the preseason and I look for him to be cut. Chris Draft is a better coach and backup than starter. I expect to see a lot of Larry Grant tonight. I would love to see him win the other spot and then have the Rams keep Chris Chamberlain and David Vobora as backups and special teamers.

Now for maybe the most interesting part of tonight's game and roster decisions the Rams have to make. With Tye Hill being traded to the Atlanta Falcons early this week who will line up with Ron Bartell as the other starting cornerback as the 2009 NFL season starts? The Rams only have 5 corners on the roster so they may not cut any of them unless they pick up another player this week. I do not believe Jonathan Wade can be a starting corner he struggles playing nickel and was not good on special teams last year either. You know early in the season our opponents are going to try and match up T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Santana Moss, and Greg Jennings on Wade. I don't want to see that. Are youngsters Quincy Butler, Justin King, or Bradley Fletcher ready to start in the NFL, I don't think so. We are already forced to play one when in the nickel. I look for the Rams to pick up a veteran corner in the next week.

St. Louis Rams Worth $913 Million Dollars

Forbes.com released their 2009 NFL Team Valuations today. The St. Louis Rams franchise is valued at 25th on the list with a current value of $913 Million Dollars, down 2% from last year. With Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez tying to unload the team, time and the economy is costing them money. Yahoo also released Owner Rankings today and Rams ownership came in at 27th.

Peter King Predicts 5-11 For The St. Louis Rams

Sports Illustrated's Peter King has made his NFC West predictions. Not too surprisingly he has the St. Louis Rams finishing last in the NFC West with a record of 5-11. I have yet to make my prediction but I was leaning toward 5-11 for the Rams myself. I guess 5-11 is not that bad when Peter King points out "Never in team history have the Rams had a drearier two-year run than the 5-27 skid of 2007 and '08." King has the Seattle Seahawks winning the NFC West with a 9-7 mark. At 5-11 the Rams will have the 5th pick in the 2010 draft according to King's prediction. What are your thoughts?

2006 St. Louis Rams Draft - A Look Back

The 2006 St. Louis Rams draft has turned into an absolute disaster! If you wonder how a NFL team can fall behind the curve in talent and depth look no further than the NFL draft. The Rams drafted Tye Hill, Joe Klopfenstein, Claude Wroten, Jon Alston, Dominique Byrd, Victor Adeyanju, Marques Hagans, Tim McGarigle, Mark Setterstrom, and Tony Palmer in 2006. Of the nine draft picks only Victor Adeyanju & Mark Setterstrom remain on the roster at this moment. Tye Hill is the only member of that class that has contributed anything. Hill played in only 28 of 48 contests in his three years on the roster due to injuries. Hill touted as a playmaker out of Clemson always could run side by side with a receiver with his great speed but continually was unable to make the play. In addition the drafting of not one but two Tight Ends in one draft is a noticeable mistake. Looking back with my 20/20 glasses on, perhaps Greg Jennings, Devin Hester or Maurice Jones Drew would have been a better pick than Joe Klopfenstein. Joe contributed 33 catches and 2 touchdowns while with the Rams. Now the Rams find themselves floating around in their life raft waiting to rebuild their roster. Be patient Rams fans one day the rescue chopper may fly our way in the form of..............Sam Bradford?

St. Louis Rams Trade CB Tye Hill To Atlanta

Today the St. Louis Rams traded former 1st round draft pick, CB Tye Hill to the Atlanta Falcons for a 7th round draft choice in the 2010 NFL Draft. This is the end of the road for Tye Hill who has been a major disappointment since being drafted. Hill known for his 4.3 track speed while coming out of Clemson has never materialized as a top CB. Coach Steve Spagnuolo wants bigger, tougher cornerbacks to play his scheme and Hill at 5'10" 185 pounds just no longer measured up. Jonathan Wade at 5'10" 195 pounds will now take over at the other starting cornerback opposite Ron Bartell. While I do not believe Wade is ready to be a starting corner the coaching staff has made the move. Spagnuolo is putting his stamp on the Rams while sending a crystal clear message that they are going to get bigger, stronger, and younger his way.

As we look back on Rams drafting mistakes we can now point to the Tye Hill selection. Most fans have forgotten that in 2006 we traded the #11 overall pick to the Denver Broncos while moving down to 15th and getting the #68 pick from the Broncos. Meanwhile the Rams could have selected Jay Cutler in the 11th slot. The Rams may look back at that choice for a long time.

St. Louis Rams Cut 5 Players and Trade Tye Hill

The St. Louis Rams had to cut their roster to 75 today according to NFL rules. The huge news of the day was the Rams trading Tye Hill to the Atlanta Falcons for only a 7th round draft pick. In addition the Rams cut 5 players - Joe Klopfenstein, Brooks Foster, Jarrett Byers, Daniel Sanders & Marcus Brown to get down to the limit. Brooks Foster cleared waivers after the cuts and the Rams placed him on injured reserve. Things will now happen very quickly as the Rams will still need to cut their roster to a maximum of 53 players on September 5th.