INJURY FREE? A LOOK AT THE 2008 ST LOUIS RAMS

by Chris Richardson, Intentional Foul

There was a time when the St Louis Rams were one of the most exciting teams in the NFL, otherwise known as the Greatest Show on Turf. Unfortunately for Rams fans, these days have come and gone; only to be replaced by high draft picks, a MASH unit of injuries, the death of the owner who was on board when the Rams beat the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, and other various setbacks.

Of course, the most glaring hurdle has been the injuries. Last season alone, the Rams had a number of key players on IR, including Orlando Pace, Leonard Little and Dante Hall. Making matters worse, Pace wasn't the only Rams offensive lineman on the IR list. Because Marc Bulger was working with such a patchwork o-line he spent a lot of time on his back as he was sacked 37 times in only 12 appearances; over three times a game.

Because of these beatings, Bulger also spent some time on the injury pile. When he did get to play, he wasn't as effective as seasons past, throwing more interceptions (15) than touchdowns (11). Obviously, the injury-riddled offensive line played a large role.

Unfortunately for Rams fans, the injuries didn't stop there. In fact, the bright spot for the moribund Rams last season was Torry Holt, who performed quite admirably (93 receptions, 1,189 yards, seven touchdowns) considering the circumstances.

Fast forward to 2008.

The Rams had a good draft, selecting Chris Long from Virginia with their first pick. Long, son of NFL on Fox's Howie Long, is expected to solidify a defense that lost its identity last season. Ram fans are hoping Long and a healthy (there's that word again) Leonard Little can apply copious amounts of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. However, rushing the quarterback is not enough. Last season, the Rams gave up 27.4 points a game. If they expect to show any improvement, this number has to come down exponentially.

Granted, the injuries had a lot to do with the scoring differential, but the fact remains -- you can't give up almost 30 points a game and expect to win in the NFL.

On offense, if the Rams -- say it with me -- stay healthy, they have some weapons and could certainly cause trouble for opposing defenses and coaches. This, of course, starts with Marc Bulger and the offensive line. If he's protected, he can throw the ball as well and as accurately as guys named Brady and Manning.

The same health caveat comes with Steven Jackson. After a brilliant 2006 season, Jackson regressed some last year. One of the culprits in Jackson's regression was injuries, believe it or not. Like his quarterback, Jackson missed five games last season, which probably explains why he held out at the start of training camp.

No point in getting a permanent injury if the team isn't taking care of you financially.

On the receiving side of things, Torry Holt is the biggest name on the Rams roster, and with good reason. Even though last year was a debacle for St. Louis, Holt still had a Pro Bowl-worthy season. However, he cannot be the only passing threat if the Rams want to improve and that's why they drafted receivers Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton. Both are expected to contribute and with Torry Holt drawing the bulk of the opposing secondary's attention, they will have a good chance to do so.

St Louis also addressed offensive line depth by drafting two 300-pounders, John Greco and Roy Schuening. I'm guessing the sight of Bulger on his back because of injuries got really old.

Chris Long and other new faces aside, the Rams season essentially comes down to this simple fact -- if they want to be successful and knock Seattle off the top of NFC West, they need to see less of this:

and more of this:


With that in mind, I'll leave with two predictions -- if the Rams can stay, well, you know -- while avoiding season-long injuries, they could very well go 10-6 and challenge the Seahawks for the division title. However, if the injury bug shows its head again, last year's 3-13 record could easily repeat itself.