The St. Louis Rams Have Released Marc Bulger

The wicked witch of the NFC West is dead! The St. Louis Rams released or as I prefer shit-canned Marc Bulger today. To top it off it is Marc's birthday! What a great day. Time to start saving for my Sam Bradford jersey.

Marc Bulger was absolutely horrible over the last 3 years compiling a 5-32 record when starting, leading to the Rams overall 6-42 record during that period. From 2004 through 2006 Marc had three straight seasons with a QB rating of 92.9 or greater, including 2006 when he threw for 4301 yards, so what happened?

The Bulger apologist like to blame Marc's poor production on the offensive line, poor play calling, lack of talent, but never on Marc Bulger himself. Well Marc had his best year in 2006 while being sacked 49 times, so how great did the O-line play that year? I do not want to question an athletes heart or manhood but here is my own opinion on what happened to Marc Bulger. Marc Bulger is a very good athlete from a family of very good athletes. Marc at 6'3" and 200+ pounds looks the part of an NFL QB. Marc's father Jim was a quarterback at Notre Dame. I believe Marc like many kids followed or was led down the path their family usually chooses. Marc has great accuracy and played very well while at West Virginia. Marc was finally given the chance to play in 2002 after a series of injuries to Kurt Warner. It is horrible to say but Marc comes across as someone that is gifted at something but does not really care or have a passion for that gift. Even when playing well I never believed Marc enjoyed or wanted to be a winner in the NFL. He appears to go through the motions and he is actually so good that he could get by on that for quite a while. After being sacked 49 times in 2006 Marc has been awful and afraid to stand in the pocket and make the throws capable of moving the ball down the field in the NFL. It is no longer worth it to him to stand there and take the pounding so he basically packed it in. If he was a gamer, or a fighter, or a true NFL player that leaves it all on the field this never would have happened. The 62.5 million dollar contract Marc signed after the 2006 season including 27 million guaranteed money set Marc up for life. Many other things contributed to the Rams fall from grace as well but the quarterback is the key and Marc can no longer even pretend to be one.

According to Chris Mortensen the Washington Redskins were interested in dealing for Marc Bulger but once the Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb there was apparently no more reason to continue to hold onto Bulger who was slated to make 8.5 million dollar in 2010. Will Lovie Smith continue to add ex-Rams to the Chicago Bears roster?

Top 10 Game Day Thoughts

Top 10 Game Day Thoughts


These are my top ten thoughts (in no particular order) for today while watching NFL football.

The St. Louis Rams have serious problems passing the football, please draft a franchise QB. Ryan Fitzpatrick has more TD passes (9) than Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller combined in 2009 (8).

Jamaal Charles is the best unknown running back in the NFL. Charles finished with an NFL leading 5.9 yards per carry, higher than Chris Johnson! Fun fact Charles was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Rams selected Guard John Greco in that round.

Tim Tebow can play QB. Long delivery, plays in a system, no snaps under center blah blah blah. I'll take him, he is a baller! Here is what he can do. 9285 yards passing, 88 TD Passes while throwing only 16 interceptions, and 57 rushing TDs! This kid is a winner!

You need a top flight QB to win in the NFL. Sure you can find examples of QBs like Trent Dilfer win a Super Bowl but just look at the playoff QBs: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Joe Flacco, Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees & Kurt Warner. Case closed.

This is a simple one, you have to score more than the other team. Winning teams in the NFL averaged 29 points per game today. All the rules are in place for offensive football in the NFL. Just another reason the Rams need playmakers over Suh.

The Cleveland Browns once 1-11 finished 5-11. No big deal I agree, but what if you look at it this way. The Cleveland Browns won more games the last 24 days than the St. Louis Rams have won in 2+ years!

Which is worse if you are a fan? Denver starting the season 6-0 and finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs or Tennessee starting 0-6 and finishing 8-8?

The St. Louis Rams scored a league low 175 points. You have to go back to 2006 Oakland Raiders to find a worse offense, as they scored only 168 that year. Just think about that in the last 4 years only the Rams and Raiders have scored under 200 points in a season.

I really do not want to hear any member of the Rams organization or St. Louis media tell me how hard the Rams continue to play. This team won a league low 1 game! If a team like the Kansas City Chiefs can go on the road and beat a team trying to make the playoffs (Denver) and put up 44 points, then Rams fans should expect more. BTW 44 points is 25% of the total points the Rams scored this year. Who is playing hard?

Is former Missouri QB Brad Smith the most explosive New York Jets player all of a sudden? Brad's big play ability in the kicking game, and in the Wildcat formation is giving the New York Jets offense a big push heading into the 2009 NFL playoffs.

Top 10 Game Day Thoughts

These are my top ten thoughts (in no particular order) for today while watching NFL football.

The St. Louis Rams have serious problems passing the football, please draft a franchise QB. Ryan Fitzpatrick has more TD passes (9) than Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller combined in 2009 (8).

Jamaal Charles is the best unknown running back in the NFL. Charles finished with an NFL leading 5.9 yards per carry, higher than Chris Johnson! Fun fact Charles was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Rams selected Guard John Greco in that round.

Tim Tebow can play QB. Long delivery, plays in a system, no snaps under center blah blah blah. I'll take him, he is a baller! Here is what he can do. 9285 yards passing, 88 TD Passes while throwing only 16 interceptions, and 57 rushing TDs! This kid is a winner!

You need a top flight QB to win in the NFL. Sure you can find examples of QBs like Trent Dilfer win a Super Bowl but just look at the playoff QBs: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Joe Flacco, Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees & Kurt Warner. Case closed.

This is a simple one, you have to score more than the other team. Winning teams in the NFL averaged 29 points per game today. All the rules are in place for offensive football in the NFL. Just another reason the Rams need playmakers over Suh.

The Cleveland Browns once 1-11 finished 5-11. No big deal I agree, but what if you look at it this way. The Cleveland Browns won more games the last 24 days than the St. Louis Rams have won in 2+ years!

Which is worse if you are a fan? Denver starting the season 6-0 and finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs or Tennessee starting 0-6 and finishing 8-8?

The St. Louis Rams scored a league low 175 points. You have to go back to 2006 Oakland Raiders to find a worse offense, as they scored only 168 that year. Just think about that in the last 4 years only the Rams and Raiders have scored under 200 points in a season.

I really do not want to hear any member of the Rams organization or St. Louis media tell me how hard the Rams continue to play. This team won a league low 1 game! If a team like the Kansas City Chiefs can go on the road and beat a team trying to make the playoffs (Denver) and put up 44 points, then Rams fans should expect more. BTW 44 points is 25% of the total points the Rams scored this year. Who is playing hard?

Is former Missouri QB Brad Smith the most explosive New York Jets player all of a sudden? Brad's big play ability in the kicking game, and in the Wildcat formation is giving the New York Jets offense a big push heading into the 2009 NFL playoffs.

Merry Christmas St. Louis Rams Fans!!!

Due to vacation, computer issues, and Christmas we are a little behind this week, but hey that is what vacation is about right? I want to wish everyone and their families a great Christmas weekend. For those still interested in the 1-13 St. Louis Rams or the NFL in general we have posted our weekly predictions and a couple of other items. Still working on the Power Rankings for this week, and the officail injury report should be out tomorrow. In addition if the in-laws are bugging you don't forget the San Diego Chargers @ Tennessee Titans will be on tonight. This should be like a playoff game. I am not sure the Titans have enough secondary players to beat San Diego but I look for them to play a smash mouth game tonight. It should be a good one.

Merry Christmas

Steve Spagnuolo You Are The Head Coach

Unlike Scott Linehan or Jim Haslett I would like to let Steve Spagnuolo know that we already know he is the head coach of the St. Louis Rams. This seems obvious so why am I telling you? Because during the last 3 years we have watched the St. Louis Rams win only 6 of their last 44 games! Scott Linehan and Jim Haslett just wanted to keep their job so they were trying to play perfect and pick up some wins instead of trying to build a team and prepare the young players. Well Scott you were just made head coach at the start of the 2009 season. You are not going to get fired, you can try some things, coach up some of these players, take a risk once in a while. I feel compelled to tell you this because watching the St. Louis Rams is like watching paint dry. After their 17-9 loss to the Chicago Bears today the Rams have a nice four game losing streak going again. The Chicago Bears are playing awful football right now and with Jay Cutler at the helm they may soon break down and cry. This is a team the Rams could beat.

The Rams were in Bears territory 9 times today, and only managed to score 9 points. This may be the reason the Rams are dead last in the NFL in points scored. The Rams and Spagnuolo seem to have a goal to get to the other teams 35 yard line so they can set up as many 50 yard field goals as possible. The Rams had a total of only 233 yards today and were 2 for 14 on 3rd down conversions. One reason they may not convert on 3rd down may be the lack of trying. The Rams ran a draw on 3rd and 11 today, and many other times would throw the ball well short of the first down marker. Why, why can we not attempt to convert a first down, or score a TD in the Red Zone. This team is 1-11 and we want to play it as safe as possible. Steve, you are not trying to save your job, you are suppose to be coaching these players up and helping them win games. I have put way to much time, effort and money into the Rams to get excited about you telling me they had a good week of practice or that they are trying hard. Tell Pat Shurmur to turn the page everyone knows Steven Jackson will run up the middle on every first down. The other teams secondary know they never have to cover a deep ball and can play tight and break on every ball because nobody is going to make a double move and run past them.

Although the effort may be slightly better since you have arrived, the roster is worse, and the results are no better. It is time for the excuses to end and the wins to pick up. Just because your team is less talented than most or possibly all does not give you a free pass to lose every game. Sometimes the smaller less talented team can win, maybe we could actually have a game plan and outcoach the other team. Another top 5 draft pick is not going to cure all that ails these St. Louis Rams and neither is a 3rd and 11 draw play. Think about it.

GSOT Returns To The Edward Jones Dome

For those of you that have been waiting for some good football to return to the Edward Jones Dome today is that day. No Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk are not returning, the New Orleans Saints are coming to town. The Saints may be the closest thing we have seen to the 1999 Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams. Let's look at what the Saints will be bringing to the Lou today:

The 1999 St. Louis Rams had multiple weapons in Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and Az-Zahir Hakim. Adding to that even fringe players like Robert Holcombe and Roland Williams combined for 11 TDs! That may be more TDs than the 2009 St. Louis Rams even score. The 1999 were known as the Greatest Show on Turf and for good reason. Every time the Rams had the ball you thought they were going to score. The Rams scored 526 points in 1999, while allowing only 242 for an unbelievable point differential of 284. This offense was flat out explosive. Warner threw for 4353 yards and 41 TDs! Marshall Faulk had 2429 total yards and 12 TDs. Isaac Bruce had almost 1200 yards receiving and 12 TDs. The Rams D was also solid, while playing the lead most of the time they were fast and aggressive and knew how to get the ball back to the offense. The 1999 St. Louis Rams had a + 5 takeaway advantage. Those were the days.

Well welcome back to 1999 as the 8-0 New Orleans fly into town. Look at these numbers and you will see many similarities between the teams. The 2009 New Orleans Saints are 8-0 and lead the league in points scored and total yards per game. The Saints are on a staggering pace to score 606 points, 80 more than the 1999 St. Louis Rams! There defense is middle of the pack at the moment and are on pace to allow 348 points which will give them a point differential of 258, nothing to sneeze at. They are however very fast and aggressive like the 1999 St. Louis Rams. The Saints lead the NFL in interceptions and are +8 on turnover differential already. The Saints are also on pace for 38 sacks which is not bad. On offense they have Drew Brees on pace for 4600+ yards and 34 TDs. They have a trio of backs in Piere Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush that can be explosive at times. Done are in the Marshall Faulk class but the Saints are on pace to rush for 2000+ yards in 2009. Marques Colston is their Isacc Bruce. Colston is on pace for 1200+ yards and 12 TDs. Colston is complemented by Devery Henderson and upcoming Robert Meachem very similar to Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim. The Saints can also throw Jeremy Shockey at you. Shockey is probably playing the best he has played since coming into the league. The Saints special teams is the only piece they lack at the moment and the biggest difference between the two teams. Could you imagine the Saints with Percy Harvin!

For those of you that think the St. Louis Rams coming off a win and a bye week will pound Steven Jackson at the Saints and win this game I am afraid you are mistaken. I will however give you this little nugget. As we all know the 2008 St. Louis Rams beat the Dallas Cowboys. Do you remember mid-season 1999 the 6-1 St. Louis Rams lost to the Detroit Lions! It is the NFL so anything can happen but it should not happen today. You don't get a much bigger mis-match than the highest scoring team in the league going up against the lowest scoring team in the league.

My closing thought is for all of the Rams fans that continually make excuses for this team, and Marc Bulger. The 1999 St. Louis Rams were able to roll behind a line of Fred Miller, Tom Nutten, Andy McCollum, Adam Timmerman and Orlando Pace. Not all the highest of draft picks but it is nice to have a young Orlando Pace. This current Rams O-line has two first rounf draft picks, and two free agents that received 30+ million dollar contracts. I don't want to hear any more excuses. Teach them to block, change the scheme or get rid of them. Bulger step up in the pocket, be a man and throw the ball to the Rams receiver, put it in his hands, just do it. You have been sacked less than almost every QB in the league. Quit your bitchin and poutin and do what you got 65+ million dollars to do and that is to win football games. For all of you that say we always need better, and they have no chance just think about some things. The Saints and Drew Brees made household names of 7th round pick Marques Colston, and undrafted Lance Moore. In additon the Saints current O-line of Jermon Bushrod, Carl Hicks, Jonathan Goodwin, Jahri Evans and Jon Stinchcomb were drafted in the 4th, 5th, 5th, 4th and 2nd round respectively. I won't even tell you that the Saints have 11 players on the IR! So let's quit all the sad talk and play some football. Let's try to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast an opponent for once.

With all of that being said it looks pretty easy.

Prediction New Orleans Saints 37 - St. Louis Rams 6