What’s that I smell coming from St. Louis? It’s the stench of desperation, mixed with the burning flesh of Scott Linehan’s ass after the Rams’ latest blowout loss.
As a consequence of the Rams’ continued offensive ineptness, Linehan is replacing Marc Bulger as the starting QB with backup Trent Green.
In case you don’t remember (I’m not sure if Green does), each of the last two seasons, Green’s gotten knocked into next week, first by Cincinnati’s Robert Geathers in the opening game of the 2006 season, and then by Travis Johnson’s knee in Week 5 against Houston last season.
The last hit really should’ve ended Green’s career, just like the one before it, but alas, he’s continued on, and for some reason, decided that his cage hadn’t had enough rattling, and signed with the Rams in the off-season, which all catapulted him to #1 in my list of the 10 dumbest people in the NFL.
I’m not saying that Green can’t play, because if he’s able to remain upright, he’s got some receivers at his disposal, he could make some things happen. But while Vegas doesn’t have any odds on the likelihood of Green getting another concussion, if they did, they’d be pretty high right now, given his past history and the Rams’ porous offensive line.
Unfortunately for the Rams, turning it around isn’t just about replacing Bulger. The Rams’ once-vaunted offense is a distant memory now, as three games have produced a measly 29 points. Bulger’s high for the season is 184 yards, and the Rams’ season-high offensive output is 240 yards (in Sunday’s 37-13 loss to Seattle), both numbers that St. Louis used to be able to put up in one half, not one game.
The offensive line isn’t any better than it has been in the last few seasons, having allowed 11 sacks in the first three games, which has them on pace to allow 59 sacks this season.
Steven Jackson got a big-money contract shortly before the season started, but he’s gotten off to a slow start, no thanks to the offensive line. His importance to the Rams is no secret, and they tried to get him the ball more on Sunday against Seattle (23 carries, five receptions), but the numbers aren’t there right now.
He does have 15 receptions through the first three games, but he’s averaged only 3.2 yards per carry and doesn’t have a touchdown yet, and a good chunk of his 133 receiving yards came on a 50-yard reception on Sunday.
The defense was already pretty horrendous in the first place, and it certainly doesn’t help that the offense doesn’t give them much of a breather. The Rams are allowing 39 points and 457 yards per game so far, and the defense has given up 200 yards rushing in back-to-back games.
Linehan can’t quite replace his entire defense or offensive line, because free-agent season and the draft are months away, and even so, there’s a salary cap, but the Rams’ front office sure can replace him, and his words and the moves that he’s making show that he knows that it might not be long before that happens.
